<br />
<b>Deprecated</b>:  str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in <b>/home/bxglhlqr/public_html/wp-includes/formatting.php</b> on line <b>578</b><br />
{"id":32,"date":"2026-08-16T12:21:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T12:21:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/?page_id=32"},"modified":"2026-10-08T08:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T08:38:19","slug":"books","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/?page_id=32","title":{"rendered":"Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\nbody.page-id-32 .entry-header{display:none;}\n.wb-page{\n  --wb-parchment:var(--cs-parchment,#FBF5E8);\n  --wb-parchment-deep:var(--cs-parchment-deep,#F5EAD2);\n  --wb-cream:var(--cs-cream,#FFFDF8);\n  --wb-ink:var(--cs-ink,#3A2C1E);\n  --wb-maroon:var(--cs-maroon,#6E1F2A);\n  --wb-maroon-dark:var(--cs-maroon-dark,#4D1520);\n  --wb-gold:var(--cs-gold,#B3892F);\n  --wb-gold-light:var(--cs-gold-light,#E7D5A6);\n  --wb-font:var(--cs-font-serif,'EB Garamond',Georgia,serif);\n  font-family:var(--wb-font);\n  color:var(--wb-ink);\n  max-width:1200px;\n  margin:0 auto;\n  padding:0 1.25rem 3rem;\n}\n.wb-page *{box-sizing:border-box;}\n.wb-hero{\n  position:relative;left:50%;right:50%;margin-left:-50vw;margin-right:-50vw;\n  width:100vw;max-width:100vw;padding:3rem 1.5rem 2.5rem;margin-bottom:2.5rem;\n  background:var(--wb-maroon-dark);color:var(--wb-parchment);text-align:center;\n}\n.wb-hero-eyebrow{\n  font-family:var(--wb-font);text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.18em;font-weight:600;\n  color:var(--wb-gold-light);font-size:clamp(.9rem,.82rem + .35vw,1.05rem);margin-bottom:.6rem;\n}\n.wb-hero h1{font-size:clamp(1.9rem,1.3rem + 3.5vw,3rem);margin:0 0 .5rem;color:var(--wb-parchment);font-weight:500;}\n.wb-hero p{\n  font-family:var(--cs-font-pullquote,'Cormorant Garamond',Georgia,serif);font-style:italic;\n  font-size:clamp(1.15rem,1.02rem + .65vw,1.4rem);max-width:640px;margin:0 auto;color:var(--wb-parchment);opacity:.92;\n}\n\n\/* ---- Book cover grid ---- *\/\n.wb-grid{\n  display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(220px,1fr));gap:1.75rem;margin-bottom:1rem;\n}\n.wb-cover-card{\n  background:var(--wb-cream);border:1px solid var(--wb-gold-light);border-radius:6px;overflow:hidden;\n  cursor:pointer;text-align:left;padding:0;box-shadow:0 2px 10px rgba(58,44,30,.06);\n  transition:box-shadow .2s ease,transform .2s ease;display:flex;flex-direction:column;\n}\n.wb-cover-card:hover,.wb-cover-card:focus-visible{box-shadow:0 6px 20px rgba(58,44,30,.14);transform:translateY(-2px);}\n.wb-cover-card img{display:block;width:100%;height:auto;aspect-ratio:0.77;object-fit:cover;background:var(--wb-parchment-deep);}\n.wb-cover-caption{padding:1rem 1.1rem 1.25rem;}\n.wb-cover-caption h3{margin:0 0 .35rem;font-size:clamp(1.05rem,1rem + .3vw,1.25rem);color:var(--wb-maroon-dark);}\n.wb-cover-caption p{margin:0;font-size:.92rem;opacity:.75;line-height:1.4;}\n.wb-cover-count{display:inline-block;margin-top:.6rem;font-size:.8rem;color:var(--wb-gold);font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.03em;text-transform:uppercase;}\n\n\/* ---- Book detail view ---- *\/\n.wb-book-header{display:flex;gap:1.5rem;align-items:flex-start;margin-bottom:1.75rem;flex-wrap:wrap;}\n.wb-book-header img{width:140px;flex:0 0 140px;border-radius:4px;box-shadow:0 3px 14px rgba(58,44,30,.15);}\n.wb-book-header-text h2{margin:0 0 .3rem;font-size:clamp(1.3rem,1.1rem + .8vw,1.8rem);color:var(--wb-maroon-dark);}\n.wb-book-header-text .wb-subtitle{font-style:italic;color:var(--wb-maroon);margin:0 0 .4rem;font-size:1.05rem;}\n.wb-book-header-text .wb-compiler{font-size:.9rem;opacity:.7;margin:0;}\n.wb-back-link{\n  display:inline-block;margin-bottom:1rem;font-family:var(--wb-font);font-size:.95rem;color:var(--wb-maroon);\n  cursor:pointer;background:none;border:none;padding:.3em 0;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;\n}\n.wb-back-link:hover{color:var(--wb-maroon-dark);}\n\n.wb-layout{display:grid;grid-template-columns:300px 1fr;gap:2rem;align-items:start;}\n@media (max-width:900px){.wb-layout{grid-template-columns:1fr;}}\n.wb-toc{\n  background:var(--wb-cream);border:1px solid var(--wb-gold-light);border-radius:6px;padding:1rem;\n  position:sticky;top:1rem;max-height:80vh;overflow-y:auto;\n}\n@media (max-width:900px){.wb-toc{position:static;max-height:none;}}\n.wb-toc-title{\n  font-size:.85rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.1em;font-weight:600;color:var(--wb-maroon);\n  margin:0 0 .75rem;padding-bottom:.5rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--wb-gold-light);\n}\n.wb-toc-item{\n  display:block;width:100%;text-align:left;background:none;border:none;font-family:var(--wb-font);\n  font-size:.98rem;color:var(--wb-ink);cursor:pointer;padding:.55em .5em;border-radius:3px;min-height:40px;\n  line-height:1.35;\n}\n.wb-toc-item:hover,.wb-toc-item:focus-visible{background:var(--wb-parchment-deep);}\n.wb-toc-item.is-selected{background:var(--wb-gold-light);font-weight:600;color:var(--wb-maroon-dark);}\n\n.wb-content{min-height:320px;}\n.wb-breadcrumb{\n  font-size:.95rem;color:var(--wb-maroon);opacity:.85;margin-bottom:1rem;padding-bottom:.6rem;\n  border-bottom:1px solid var(--wb-gold-light);\n}\n.wb-empty{\n  background:var(--wb-parchment-deep);border:1px dashed var(--wb-gold);border-radius:6px;padding:2.5rem 1.5rem;\n  text-align:center;color:var(--wb-ink);opacity:.8;font-style:italic;\n  font-family:var(--cs-font-pullquote,'Cormorant Garamond',Georgia,serif);font-size:1.15rem;\n}\n.wb-reading{\n  background:var(--wb-cream);border:1px solid var(--wb-gold-light);border-radius:6px;\n  padding:1.75rem clamp(1.25rem,3vw,2.5rem);\n}\n.wb-reading h3{margin:0 0 1.25rem;color:var(--wb-maroon-dark);font-size:clamp(1.2rem,1.05rem + .5vw,1.5rem);}\n.wb-reading p{margin:0 0 1.1rem;line-height:1.75;}\n.wb-reading p:last-child{margin-bottom:0;}\n.wb-verse{\n  margin:0 0 1.25rem;padding:.9rem 1.1rem;background:var(--wb-parchment-deep);border-left:3px solid var(--wb-gold);\n  border-radius:0 4px 4px 0;font-family:'EB Garamond',Georgia,serif;\n  font-style:italic;font-size:1.05rem;line-height:1.7;color:var(--cs-maroon-dark,#14315F);\n}\n.wb-verse .wb-vline{display:block;}\n\n.wb-list{margin:0 0 1.1rem;padding-left:1.4rem;}\n.wb-list li{margin:0 0 .85rem;line-height:1.7;padding-left:.3rem;}\n.wb-list li:last-child{margin-bottom:0;}\n.wb-list.wb-list-ordered{list-style:decimal;}\n.wb-list.wb-list-bullets{list-style:none;padding-left:0;}\n.wb-list.wb-list-bullets li{\n  position:relative;padding-left:1.5rem;\n}\n.wb-list.wb-list-bullets li::before{\n  content:\"\u2766\";color:var(--wb-gold);position:absolute;left:0;top:.05em;font-size:.95em;\n}\n\n.wb-qa{\n  margin:0 0 1.5rem;padding-bottom:1.4rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--wb-gold-light);\n}\n.wb-qa:last-child{margin-bottom:0;padding-bottom:0;border-bottom:none;}\n.wb-qa-q{\n  margin:0 0 .5rem;color:var(--wb-maroon-dark);font-weight:600;\n  font-size:clamp(1.05rem,1rem + .25vw,1.2rem);line-height:1.45;\n}\n.wb-qa-a{margin:0 0 .6rem;line-height:1.75;}\n.wb-qa-c{\n  margin:0;font-size:.85rem;font-style:italic;color:var(--wb-maroon);opacity:.75;\n}\n\n.wb-heading{\n  margin:1.7rem 0 .5rem;color:var(--wb-maroon-dark);font-weight:700;\n  font-size:clamp(1rem,.94rem + .25vw,1.12rem);line-height:1.5;\n}\n.wb-heading:first-child{margin-top:0;}\n.wb-note{\n  margin:0 0 1.1rem;font-style:italic;color:var(--wb-maroon);opacity:.8;\n  font-size:.92rem;line-height:1.6;\n}\n\n.wb-nav-buttons{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:1rem;margin-top:1.75rem;flex-wrap:wrap;}\n.wb-nav-btn{\n  font-family:var(--wb-font);font-size:.95rem;font-weight:500;background:var(--wb-maroon);color:var(--wb-cream);\n  border:1px solid var(--wb-maroon);border-radius:4px;padding:.6em 1.3em;cursor:pointer;min-height:44px;\n}\n.wb-nav-btn:hover{background:var(--wb-maroon-dark);border-color:var(--wb-maroon-dark);}\n.wb-nav-btn[disabled]{opacity:.35;cursor:default;}\n.wb-nav-btn[disabled]:hover{background:var(--wb-maroon);border-color:var(--wb-maroon);}\n\n@media (max-width:640px){\n  .wb-hero{padding:2.25rem 1rem 1.75rem;}\n  .wb-book-header img{width:100px;flex:0 0 100px;}\n  .wb-reading{padding:1.25rem;}\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div id=\"wb-root\" class=\"wb-page\">\n  <div class=\"wb-hero\">\n    <div class=\"wb-hero-eyebrow\">The Digital Library<\/div>\n    <p>Compilation works ready to read chapter by chapter.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"wb-grid-view\">\n    <div class=\"wb-grid\"><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"wb-book-view\" hidden=\"\">\n    <button type=\"button\" class=\"wb-back-link\">\u2190 All Books<\/button>\n    <div class=\"wb-book-header\"><\/div>\n    <div class=\"wb-layout\">\n      <nav class=\"wb-toc\" aria-label=\"Table of contents\"><\/nav>\n      <div class=\"wb-content\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<script>\n(function(){\n  var WB_DATA = [\n{\"slug\":\"sri-sri-radha-vandana\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 Vandan\u0101\",\"subtitle\":\"Songs and Prayers in Glorification of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b\",\"compiler\":\"Compiled in Honour of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dam\u012b\",\"coverSrc\":\"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sri-sri-radha-vandana-cover-v2.webp\",\"count\":18,\"unit\":\"songs\",\"sections\":[{\"slug\":\"s01\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam, song one\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosv\u0101m\u012b\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ku\u1e45kum\u0101kta-k\u0101\u00f1can\u0101bja-garva-h\u0101ri-gaurabh\u0101\",\"p\u012btan\u0101\u00f1cit\u0101bja-gandha-k\u012brti-nindi-saurabh\u0101\",\"ballave\u015ba-s\u016bnu-sarva-v\u0101\u00f1chit\u0101rtha-s\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"mahyam-\u0101tma-p\u0101da-padma-d\u0101sya-d\u0101stu r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"Her golden lustre disarms the proud beauty of golden kumkum-covered lotuses. Her fragrance reproaches the famed scent of saffron-colour lotuses. She is the daughter of the King of Cowherds, replete with all coveted properties. May I have devotion to the holy lotus feet of this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"kauravinda-k\u0101nti-nindi-citra-pa\u1e6d\u1e6da-\u015b\u0101\u1e6dik\u0101\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-matta-bh\u1e5b\u1e45ga-keli-phulla-pu\u1e63pa-v\u0101\u1e6dik\u0101\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-nitya-sa\u1e45gam\u0101rtha-padma-bandhu-r\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"mahyam-\u0101tma-p\u0101da-padma-d\u0101sya-d\u0101stu r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"Her bright silken dress reproaches the bright lustre of rubies and corals. She is a lush flower garden where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a plays like a mad bumblebee. Worshipping Padmabandhu, the God of Sun, She always prays to be with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. May I have devotion to the holy lotus feet of this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"saukum\u0101rya-s\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6da-pallav\u0101li-k\u012brti-nigrah\u0101\",\"candra-candanotpalendu-sevya-\u015b\u012bta-vigrah\u0101\",\"sv\u0101bhimar\u1e63a-ballav\u012b\u015ba-k\u0101ma-t\u0101pa-b\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"mahyam-\u0101tma-p\u0101da-padma-d\u0101sya-d\u0101stu r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"She defeats the glory of newly sprouted tender leaves. She is the very embodiment of the universally worshippable coolness of the moon, sandalwood, blue lotuses and camphor \u2013 Her cooling touch relieves the Lord of gop\u012bs from scorching lust. May I have devotion to the holy lotus feet of this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vi\u015bva-vandya-yauvat\u0101bhivandit\u0101pi y\u0101 ram\u0101\",\"r\u016bpa-navya-yauvan\u0101di-sampad\u0101 na yat-sam\u0101\",\"\u015b\u012bla-h\u0101rda-l\u012blay\u0101 ca s\u0101 yato 'sti n\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"mahyam-\u0101tma-p\u0101da-padma-d\u0101sya-d\u0101stu r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"Ram\u0101 (the Goddess of Fortune, Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b) is worshipped by all young girls of the universe \u2013 no one can compare to her in beauty, youth and other virtues \u2013 but even with her sterling character, loving heart and beautiful pastimes, she cannot compare to \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. May I have devotion to the holy lotus feet of this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101sa-l\u0101sya-g\u012bta-narma-sat-kal\u0101li-pa\u1e47\u1e0dit\u0101\",\"prema-ramya-r\u016bpa-ve\u015ba-sad-gu\u1e47\u0101li-ma\u1e47\u1e0dit\u0101\",\"vi\u015bva-navya-gopa-yo\u1e63id-\u0101lito 'pi y\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"mahyam-\u0101tma-p\u0101da-padma-d\u0101sya-d\u0101stu r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"She is expert at enacting eternal pastimes of amorous dealings, dancing and singing. An abode of all good qualities, She is garbed in the delightful beauty of pure love. She is higher than any world-renowned gop\u012b. May I have devotion to the holy lotus feet of this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"nitya-navya-r\u016bpa-keli-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bh\u0101va-sampad\u0101\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-r\u0101ga-bandha-gopa-yauvate\u1e63u kampad\u0101\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-r\u016bpa-ve\u015ba-keli-lagna-sat-sam\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"mahyam-\u0101tma-p\u0101da-padma-d\u0101sya-d\u0101stu r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"Enriched with Her beautiful pastimes and deep love for Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, She is eternally extolled and makes all gop\u012bs who are in love with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tremble in awe. She always meditates on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a's beautiful pastimes. May I have devotion to the holy lotus feet of this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sveda-kampa-ka\u1e47\u1e6dak\u0101\u015bru-gadgad\u0101di-sa\u00f1cit\u0101\",\"mar\u1e63a-har\u1e63a-v\u0101mat\u0101di-bh\u0101va-bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101\u00f1cit\u0101\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-netra-to\u1e63i-ratna-ma\u1e47\u1e0dan\u0101li-d\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"mahyam-\u0101tma-p\u0101da-padma-d\u0101sya-d\u0101stu r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"When overwhelmed, She begins to perspire, tremble, horripilate, cry and stutter. She is adorned with the symptoms of divine ecstasy: sometimes She shows full composure, sometimes sudden jubilation, and sometimes sudden coyness. She wears jewelled ornaments that are very pleasing to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a's eye. May I have devotion to the holy lotus feet of this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"y\u0101 k\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101rdha-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-viprayoga-santatodit\u0101-\",\"neka-dainya-c\u0101pal\u0101di-bh\u0101va-v\u1e5bnda-modit\u0101\",\"yatna-labdha-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45ga-nirgat\u0101khil\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"mahyam-\u0101tma-p\u0101da-padma-d\u0101sya-d\u0101stu r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"To Her, even half a moment of separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a seems like eternity and perturbs Her greatly: She feels very humble, then suddenly restless, and so on. She revels in many divine sentiments. And once She is finally again with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, all those disturbing feelings are gone. May I have devotion to the holy lotus feet of this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"a\u1e63\u1e6dakena yas tv anena nauti k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-vallabh\u0101\u1e43\",\"dar\u015bane 'pi \u015bailaj\u0101di-yo\u1e63id\u0101li-durlabh\u0101m\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45ga-nandit\u0101tma-d\u0101sya-s\u012bdhu-bh\u0101jana\u1e43\",\"ta\u1e43 karoti nandit\u0101li-sa\u00f1cay\u0101\u015bu s\u0101 janam\"]},{\"text\":\"If somebody recites this poem glorifying the beloved of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, whom it is rare for even Parvat\u012b Dev\u012b and other exalted ladies to see, She swiftly includes them in the circle of Her happy girlfriends who participate in nectarean service in the happy association of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s02\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam, song two\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"di\u015bi di\u015bi racayant\u012b\u1e43 sa\u00f1caran-netra-lak\u1e63m\u012b-\",\"vilasita-khural\u012bbhi\u1e25 kha\u00f1jar\u012b\u1e6dasya khel\u0101m\",\"h\u1e5bdaya-madhupa-mall\u012b\u1e43 ballabh\u0101dh\u012b\u015ba-s\u016bnor\",\"akhila-gu\u1e47a-gabh\u012br\u0101\u1e43 r\u0101dhik\u0101m arccay\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"Wherever She casts Her beautiful glance, Her eyes dart about like a restless wagtail bird. \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a's heart to Her is like a fragrant flower to a bumblebee. She is infinitely replete with all virtues. I am worshipping this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"pitur iha v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nor anvav\u0101ya-pra\u015basti\u1e43\",\"jagati kila samaste su\u1e63\u1e6dhu vist\u0101rayant\u012bm\",\"vraja-n\u1e5bpati-kum\u0101ra\u1e43 khelayant\u012b\u1e43 sakh\u012bbhi\u1e25\",\"surabhini nija-ku\u1e47\u1e0de r\u0101dhik\u0101m arccay\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"She is the glory of the lineage of Her father, King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu. Verily, She extends all possible benediction throughout the world. Together with Her girlfriends, She plays with the youthful Son of the King of Vraja. I am worshipping this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015barad-upacita-r\u0101k\u0101-kaumud\u012b-n\u0101tha-k\u012brti-\",\"prakara-damana-d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101-dak\u1e63i\u1e47a-smera-vaktr\u0101m\",\"na\u1e6dad-aghabhid-ap\u0101\u1e45gottu\u1e45git\u0101na\u1e45ga-ra\u1e45g\u0101\u1e43\",\"kalita-ruci-tara\u1e45g\u0101\u1e43 r\u0101dhik\u0101m arccay\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"Her beautiful smiling face tilted to the right overpowers the pastimes of the Master of the enchanting full autumnal moon. The sight of the Lord's charming dancing delights Her and creates waves of divine taste within Her. I am worshipping this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vividha-kusuma-v\u1e5bndotphulla-dhammilla-dh\u0101\u1e6d\u012b-\",\"vigha\u1e6dita-mada-gh\u016br\u1e47at-keki-piccha-pra\u015basti\u1e43\",\"madhuripu-mukha-bimbodg\u012br\u1e47a-t\u0101mb\u016bla-r\u0101ga-\",\"sphurad-amala-kapol\u0101\u1e43 r\u0101dhik\u0101m arccay\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"When She sees the face of Madhus\u016bdan K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (who famously killed the demon Madhu), embellished with a peacock feather seductively swinging in the air, it sends Her beautifully braided hair, tied around Her head and decorated with blossoms of various flowers, into sudden disarray and Her pitch-white cheeks turn bright red (from the touch of His betel-tinted lips). I am worshipping this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"amalina-lalit\u0101mbha\u1e25 sneha-sikt\u0101ntara\u1e45gam\",\"akhila-vidha-vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101-sakhya-vikhy\u0101ta\u015b\u012bl\u0101m\",\"sphurad-aghabhid-anargha-prema-m\u0101\u1e47ikya-pe\u1e6d\u012b\u1e43\",\"dh\u1e5bta-madhura-vinod\u0101\u1e43 r\u0101dhik\u0101m arccay\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"She is deeply affectionate to Her stainless girlfriend, Lalit\u0101, and renowned for her broad friendship with Vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101. She is a treasure trove of divine love for the effulgent Slayer of the demon Agha. She is the delight and nourishment of the deepest loving exchanges. I am worshipping this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"atula-mahasi v\u1e5bnd\u0101ra\u1e47ya-r\u0101jye 'bhi\u1e63ikt\u0101\u1e43\",\"nikhila-samaya-bhartu\u1e25 k\u0101rtikasy\u0101dhidev\u012bm\",\"aparimita-mukunda-preyas\u012b-v\u1e5bnda-mukhy\u0101\u1e43\",\"jagad-agha-hara-k\u012brti\u1e43 r\u0101dhik\u0101m arccay\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"Possessing incomparable spiritual power and seated on the imperial throne of V\u1e5bnd\u0101van, You are the presiding Deity of the holy month of K\u0101rtik, the best of all seasons. You are the chief among the beloved of the unlimited Lord Mukunda. Your glory removes all miseries and inauspiciousness in the world. I am worshipping this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"hari-pada-nakha-ko\u1e6d\u012b-p\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dha-paryanta-s\u012bm\u0101-\",\"tatam api kalayant\u012b\u1e43 pr\u0101\u1e47a-ko\u1e6der abh\u012b\u1e63\u1e6dam\",\"pramudita-madir\u0101k\u1e63\u012b-v\u1e5bnda-vaidagdhya-d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101-\",\"gurum ati-guru-k\u012brti\u1e43 r\u0101dhik\u0101m arccay\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"The slopes of the Supreme Lord's toenails are like oceans extending all the way to the horizon \u2013 they are dearer to Her than millions of lives. She is the greatest among all dexterous experts at casting bewitching glances. Her glories are unsurpassed. I am worshipping this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"amala-kanaka-pa\u1e6d\u1e6dodgh\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6da-k\u0101\u015bm\u012bra-gaur\u012b\u1e43\",\"madhurima-lahar\u012bbhi\u1e25 sa\u1e43par\u012bt\u0101\u1e43 ki\u015bor\u012bm\",\"hari-bhuja-parirabdh\u0101\u1e43 labdha-rom\u0101\u00f1ca-p\u0101l\u012b\u1e43\",\"sphurad-aru\u1e47a-duk\u016bl\u0101\u1e43 r\u0101dhik\u0101m arccay\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"Her golden figure is the colour of ground saffron and unalloyed gold. Her fresh youth radiates waves of charm and sweetness. As the Lord encircles Her in His arms, She feels aroused, the hairs on Her body standing on end. She wears the clothes of a glowing crimson colour. I am worshipping this \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tad-amala-madhurimn\u0101\u1e43 k\u0101mam \u0101dh\u0101ra-r\u016bpa\u1e43\",\"paripa\u1e6dhati vari\u1e63\u1e6dha\u1e43 su\u1e63\u1e6dhu r\u0101dh\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka\u1e43 ya\u1e25\",\"ahima-kira\u1e47a-putr\u012b-k\u016bla-kaly\u0101\u1e47a-candra\u1e25\",\"sphu\u1e6dam akhilam abh\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e43 tasya tu\u1e63\u1e6das tanoti\"]},{\"text\":\"Her unalloyed nectarean Holy Name is the very basis and embodiment of transcendental conjugal love. If anybody properly studies this highest 'R\u0101dh\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka\u1e41', the benedictine Moon \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a shining over the banks of the Yamun\u0101 will be pleased and fulfil all their desires.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s03\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-stotram\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"mun\u012bndra-v\u1e5bnda-vandite tri-loka-\u015boka-h\u0101ri\u1e47i\",\"prasanna-vaktra-pa\u1e45kaje niku\u00f1ja-bh\u016b-vil\u0101sini |\",\"vrajendra-bh\u0101nu-nandini vrajendra-s\u016bnu-sa\u1e45gate\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"O R\u0101dh\u0101, honoured by the foremost sages, remover of the sorrow of the three worlds, whose lotus face is joyful, who delights in the secluded groves! O daughter of V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu, companion of the son of the king of Vraja, when will you make me a recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"a\u015boka-v\u1e5bk\u1e63a-vallar\u012b-vit\u0101na-ma\u1e47\u1e0dapa-sthite\",\"prav\u0101la-b\u0101la-pallava-prabh\u0101ru\u1e47\u0101\u1e45ghri-komale |\",\"var\u0101bhaya-sphura\u1e43-kare prabh\u016bta-sampad\u0101laye\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"You dwell in a bower canopied by a\u015boka trees and creepers. Your tender feet are reddish with the lustre of young, coral-like leaves. Your hands offer blessings and freedom from fear; you are the abode of abundant wealth. When will you make me a recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ana\u1e45ga-ra\u1e45ga-ma\u1e45gala-prasa\u1e45ga-bha\u1e45gura-bhruv\u0101\u1e43\",\"su-vibhrama\u1e43 sa-sambhrama\u1e43 d\u1e5bg-anta-b\u0101\u1e47a-p\u0101tanai\u1e25 |\",\"nirantara\u1e43 va\u015b\u012b-k\u1e5bta-prat\u012bti-nandanandane\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Your curved brows dance in the auspicious play of divine love. With the graceful, startled movements of the arrows of Your sidelong glances, You ceaselessly bring Nanda's son completely under Your control. When will You make me a recipient of Your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ta\u1e0dit-suvar\u1e47a-campaka-prad\u012bpta-gaura-vigrahe\",\"mukha-prabh\u0101-par\u0101sta-ko\u1e6di-\u015b\u0101radendu-ma\u1e47\u1e0dale |\",\"vicitra-citra-sa\u00f1carac-cakora-\u015b\u0101va-locane\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Your radiant golden form shines like lightning, gold, and campaka blossoms. The splendour of your face surpasses millions of autumn moons, and your wonderfully beautiful eyes dart about like young cakora birds. When will you make me a recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"madonmad\u0101ti-yauvane pramoda-m\u0101na-ma\u00f1jite\",\"priy\u0101nur\u0101ga-ra\u00f1jite kal\u0101-vil\u0101sa-pa\u1e47\u1e0dite |\",\"ananya-dhanya-ku\u00f1ja-r\u0101jya-k\u0101ma-keli-kovide\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Intoxicated by the fullness of youth, you cherish the loving pride that brings delight to your beloved. You are steeped in love for him, accomplished in the playful arts, and expert in the pastimes of love within the uniquely blessed kingdom of the groves. When will you make me a recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"a\u015be\u1e63a-h\u0101va-bh\u0101va-dh\u012bra-h\u012bra-h\u0101ra-bh\u016b\u1e63ite\",\"prabh\u016bta-\u015b\u0101ta-kumbha-kumbha-kumbhi-kumbha-sustani |\",\"pra\u015basta-manda-h\u0101sya-c\u016br\u1e47a-p\u016br\u1e47a-saukhya-s\u0101gare\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"You are adorned with a necklace of steadfast diamonds: your countless gestures and expressions of love. Your lovely breasts resemble full golden pitchers and the rounded temples of an elephant. You are an ocean of joy, filled with the fine powder of your beautiful gentle laughter. When will you make me a recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"m\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101la-b\u0101la-vallar\u012b-tara\u1e45ga-ra\u1e45ga-dor-late\",\"lat\u0101gra-l\u0101sya-lola-n\u012bla-locan\u0101valokane |\",\"lalal-lula-milan-manoj\u00f1a-mugdha-mohan\u0101\u015brite\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Your vine-like arms ripple like tender lotus stalks, and Your restless blue eyes dance like the tips of swaying creepers. You are the enchanting shelter whose charming embrace captivates even Madana-mohana. When will You make me a recipient of Your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"suvar\u1e47a-m\u0101lik\u0101\u00f1cita-tri-rekha-kambu-ka\u1e47\u1e6dhage\",\"tri-s\u016btra-ma\u1e45gal\u012b-gu\u1e47a-tri-ratna-d\u012bpti-d\u012bdhiti |\",\"salola-n\u012bla-kuntala-pras\u016bna-guccha-gumphite\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Your conch-like neck, marked with three lines, is adorned with a golden necklace. Your auspicious three-stranded ornament shines with the radiance of three jewels, and your swaying dark tresses are intertwined with clusters of flowers. When will you make me a recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"nitamba-bimba-lambam\u0101na-pu\u1e63pa-mekhal\u0101-gu\u1e47e\",\"pra\u015basta-ratna-ki\u1e45ki\u1e47\u012b-kal\u0101pa-madhya-ma\u00f1jule |\",\"kar\u012bndra-\u015bu\u1e47\u1e0da-da\u1e47\u1e0dik\u0101-varoha-saubhagoruke\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"A girdle of flowers hangs over the rounded contours of your hips. Your waist is lovely with a cluster of exquisite jewelled bells, and your beautiful thighs taper gracefully like the trunk of a majestic elephant. When will you make me a recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"aneka-mantra-n\u0101da-ma\u00f1ju-n\u016bpur\u0101rava-skhala\u1e43\",\"sam\u0101ja-r\u0101ja-ha\u1e43sa-va\u1e43\u015ba-nikva\u1e47\u0101ti-gaurave |\",\"vilola-hema-vallar\u012b-vi\u1e0dambi-c\u0101ru-ca\u1e45krame\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"The sweet sound of Your anklets, resonant like many sacred mantras, surpasses the noble calls of an assembly of royal swans. Your graceful gait mocks a swaying golden creeper. When will You make me a recipient of Your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ananta-ko\u1e6di-vi\u1e63\u1e47u-loka-namra-padmaj\u0101rcite\",\"him\u0101dri-j\u0101-puloma-j\u0101-viri\u00f1ca-j\u0101-vara-prade |\",\"ap\u0101ra-siddhi-\u1e5bddhi-digdha-sat-pad\u0101\u1e45gul\u012b-nakhe\",\"kad\u0101 kari\u1e63yas\u012bha m\u0101\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"You are worshipped by the humble Lak\u1e63m\u012bs of countless millions of realms of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. You bestow blessings upon the daughters of Him\u0101dri, Puloma, and Viri\u00f1ca. The nails of your sacred toes are imbued with boundless spiritual powers and prosperity. When will you make me a recipient of your merciful sidelong glance?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"makhe\u015bvari kriye\u015bvari svadhe\u015bvari sure\u015bvari\",\"tri-veda-bh\u0101rat\u012b\u015bvari pram\u0101\u1e47a-\u015b\u0101sane\u015bvari |\",\"rame\u015bvari k\u1e63ame\u015bvari pramoda-k\u0101ne\u015bvari\",\"vraje\u015bvari vraj\u0101dhipe \u015br\u012b-r\u0101dhike namo 'stu te ||\"]},{\"text\":\"O mistress of sacrifice, mistress of all activity, mistress of Svadh\u0101 and of the gods; mistress of the speech of the three Vedas and of authoritative scriptural ordinances; mistress of Ram\u0101, of K\u1e63am\u0101, and of the groves of delight; mistress and sovereign of Vraja\u2014O \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, I offer you my obeisance.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"it\u012bma\u1e43 adbhuta\u1e43 stava\u1e43 ni\u015bamya bh\u0101nu-nandin\u012b\",\"karotu santata\u1e43 jana\u1e43 k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-bh\u0101janam |\",\"bhavet tadaiva sa\u00f1cita-tri-r\u016bpa-karma-n\u0101\u015bana\u1e43\",\"bhavet tad\u0101-vrajendra-s\u016bnu-ma\u1e47\u1e0dala-prave\u015banam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Having heard this wondrous hymn, may the daughter of Bh\u0101nu continually make the worshipper a recipient of her merciful sidelong glance. Then the accumulated karma in its three forms is destroyed, and entrance into the circle of the son of the king of Vraja is attained.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101k\u0101y\u0101\u1e43 ca sit\u0101\u1e63\u1e6damy\u0101\u1e43 da\u015bamy\u0101\u1e43 ca vi\u015buddha-dh\u012b\u1e25 |\",\"ek\u0101da\u015by\u0101\u1e43 trayoda\u015by\u0101\u1e43 ya\u1e25 pa\u1e6dhet s\u0101dhaka\u1e25 sudh\u012b\u1e25 ||\"]},{\"text\":\"The wise practitioner who, with a purified mind, recites this hymn on the full-moon day, the eighth day of the bright fortnight, the tenth day, Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b, or the thirteenth day\u2014\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ya\u1e43 ya\u1e43 k\u0101mayate k\u0101ma\u1e43 ta\u1e43 ta\u1e43 pr\u0101pnoti s\u0101dhaka\u1e25 |\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5bp\u0101-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63e\u1e47a bhakti\u1e25 sy\u0101t prema-lak\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101 ||\"]},{\"text\":\"\u2014obtains whatever fulfilment that practitioner desires. Through R\u0101dh\u0101's merciful sidelong glance, devotion characterised by divine love arises.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u016bru-daghne n\u0101bhi-daghne h\u1e5bd-daghne ka\u1e47\u1e6dha-daghne ca |\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da-jale sthit\u0101 ya\u1e25 pa\u1e6dhet s\u0101dhaka\u1e25 \u015batam ||\"]},{\"text\":\"The practitioner who stands in the waters of R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da up to the thighs, navel, heart or neck and recites this hymn one hundred times\u2014\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tasya sarv\u0101rtha-siddhi\u1e25 sy\u0101d v\u0101g-s\u0101marthya\u1e43 tato labhet |\",\"ai\u015bvarya\u1e43 labhet s\u0101k\u1e63\u0101d d\u1e5b\u015b\u0101 pa\u015byati r\u0101dhik\u0101 ||\"]},{\"text\":\"\u2014attains the fulfilment of all aims and gains eloquence and opulence, directly beholding R\u0101dhik\u0101 with their own eyes.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tena s\u0101 tat-k\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101d eva tu\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101 datte mah\u0101varam |\",\"yena pa\u015byati netr\u0101bhy\u0101\u1e43 ta\u1e43 priya\u1e43 \u015by\u0101masundaram ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Pleased by this, she immediately grants a great boon, through which the practitioner sees her beloved \u015ay\u0101masundara with their own eyes.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"nitya-l\u012bl\u0101-prave\u015ba\u00f1 ca dad\u0101ti hi vraj\u0101dhipa\u1e25 |\",\"ata\u1e25 paratara\u1e43 pr\u0101pya\u1e43 vai\u1e63\u1e47av\u0101n\u0101\u1e43 na vidyate ||\"]},{\"text\":\"The Lord of Vraja grants entrance into his eternal pastimes. For the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, there is no higher attainment than this.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s04\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosv\u0101m\u012b\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"v\u1e5b\u1e63abha-danuja-n\u0101\u015b\u0101n-narma-dharmokti-ra\u1e45gair\",\"nikhila-nija-sakh\u012bbhir yat sva-hastena p\u016br\u1e47am\",\"praka\u1e6ditam api v\u1e5bnd\u0101ra\u1e47ya-r\u0101j\u00f1\u0101 pramodais\",\"tad ati-surabhi r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ev\u0101\u015brayo me\"]},{\"text\":\"When all His girlfriends spoke jokingly about the (grave) religious implications of killing the bull demon V\u1e5b\u1e63abha, the King of V\u1e5bnd\u0101van forests, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, happily manifested You with His own hands. May this exquisite R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da be my only shelter.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vraja-bhuvi mura-\u015batro\u1e25 preyas\u012bn\u0101\u1e43 nik\u0101mair\",\"asulabham api t\u016br\u1e47a\u1e43 prema-kalpa-druma\u1e43 tam\",\"janayati h\u1e5bdi bh\u016bmau sn\u0101tur uccai\u1e25 priya\u1e43 yat\",\"tad ati-surabhi r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ev\u0101\u015brayo me\"]},{\"text\":\"Situated in the land of Vraja, by the wish of the beloved of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (Mura's enemy), you are created as a wish-fulfilling tree of divine love, which is very hard to attain, but you make it possible to attain it very fast for the exalted souls who lovingly bath in you within their hearts. May this exquisite R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da be my only shelter.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"agha-ripur api yatn\u0101d atra devy\u0101\u1e25 pras\u0101da-\",\"prasara-k\u1e5bta-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-pr\u0101pti-k\u0101ma\u1e25 prak\u0101mam\",\"anusarati yad uccai\u1e25 sn\u0101na-sev\u0101nubandhais\",\"tad ati-surabhi r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ev\u0101\u015brayo me\"]},{\"text\":\"Here, longing to catch a merciful sidelong glance of His Goddess, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (Agha's enemy), happily inaugurated the exalted service of bathing in you. May this exquisite R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da be my only shelter.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vraja-bhuvana-sudh\u0101\u1e43\u015bo\u1e25 prema-bh\u016bmir nik\u0101ma\u1e43\",\"vraja-madhura-ki\u015bor\u012b-mauli-ratna-priyeva\",\"paricitam api n\u0101mn\u0101 y\u0101cca tenaiva tasy\u0101s\",\"tad ati-surabhi r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ev\u0101\u015brayo me\"]},{\"text\":\"As part of the nectar existing in \u015ar\u012b Vraja, you embody the coveted divine love for the Lord. You have been named after the dearest, sweetest, crest-jewel Girl dwelling in \u015ar\u012b Vraja. May this exquisite R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da be my only shelter.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"api jana iha ka\u015bcid yasya sev\u0101-pras\u0101dai\u1e25\",\"pra\u1e47aya-sura-lat\u0101 sy\u0101t tasya go\u1e63\u1e6dhendra-s\u016bno\u1e25\",\"sapadi kila mad\u012b\u015b\u0101-d\u0101sya-pu\u1e63pa-pra\u015basya\u1e43\",\"tad ati-surabhi r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ev\u0101\u015brayo me\"]},{\"text\":\"By serving you, one can turn into a creeper of divine love for the Son of the King of cowherds and blossom with the flowers of divine servitude to \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. May this exquisite R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da be my only shelter.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ta\u1e6da-madhura-niku\u00f1j\u0101\u1e25 klpta-n\u0101m\u0101na uccair\",\"nija-parijana-vargai\u1e25 sa\u1e43vibhajy\u0101\u015brit\u0101s tai\u1e25\",\"madhukara-ruta-ramy\u0101 yasya r\u0101janti k\u0101my\u0101s\",\"tad ati-surabhi r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ev\u0101\u015brayo me\"]},{\"text\":\"Your intimate associates have divided among themselves the sweet secluded alcoves on your shores and called them different names. The buzzing of the bees filling your shores produces a delightful, arousing effect. May this exquisite R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da be my only shelter.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ta\u1e6da-bhuvi vara-vedy\u0101\u1e43 yasya narm\u0101ti-h\u1e5bdy\u0101\u1e43\",\"madhura-madhura-v\u0101rt\u0101\u1e43 go\u1e63\u1e6dha-candrasya bha\u1e45gy\u0101\",\"prathayati mitha \u012b\u015b\u0101 pr\u0101\u1e47a-sakhy\u0101libhi\u1e25 s\u0101\",\"tad ati-surabhi r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ev\u0101\u015brayo me\"]},{\"text\":\"It is on your famed, exalted shores that \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Moon of Cowherds, exchanges with His beloved girlfriends many charming pastimes, sweetest talks and playful jokes. May this exquisite R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da be my only shelter.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"anudinam ati-ra\u1e45gai\u1e25 prema-matt\u0101li-sa\u1e45ghair\",\"vara-sarasija-gandhair h\u0101ri-v\u0101ri-prap\u016br\u1e47e\",\"viharata iha yasmin dampat\u012b tau pramattau\",\"tad ati-surabhi r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ev\u0101\u015brayo me\"]},{\"text\":\"Every day, the Divine Couple very happily visit your charming pond flourishing with beautiful fragrant lotuses and enjoy Their intoxicating pastimes in the company of young girls, who are engulfed in divine love for Them. May this exquisite R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da be my only shelter.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"avikalam ati devy\u0101\u015b c\u0101ru ku\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka\u1e43 ya\u1e25\",\"paripa\u1e6dhati tad\u012byoll\u0101si-d\u0101sy\u0101rpit\u0101tm\u0101\",\"aciram iha \u015bar\u012bre dar\u015bayaty eva tasmai\",\"madhu-ripur ati-modai\u1e25 \u015bli\u1e63yam\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e43 priy\u0101\u1e43 t\u0101m\"]},{\"text\":\"If somebody regularly studies or recites this poem in glorification of this magnificent, divine pond, their happy enthusiasm and devotion will swiftly allow them, even while still in this body, to behold the extremely charming sight of \u015ar\u012b Madhus\u016bdan K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a embracing His beloved.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s05\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-bhajana-g\u012bti\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-bhajane yadi mati n\u0101hi bhel\u0101\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhajana tava ak\u0101ra\u1e47e gel\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"If you have not become devoted to the worship of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101, your worship of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has been in vain.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u0101tapa rahita s\u016braya n\u0101hi j\u0101ni\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-virahita m\u0101dhava n\u0101hi m\u0101ni\"]},{\"text\":\"Just as you cannot have any idea about the sun without sunlight, you cannot revere K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a without R\u0101dh\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"kevala m\u0101dhava p\u016bjaye so aj\u00f1\u0101n\u012b\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101 an\u0101dara karai atim\u0101n\u012b\"]},{\"text\":\"Those who worship only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are ignorant, and those who do not respect R\u0101dh\u0101 are arrogant.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"kabahi n\u0101hi karabi t\u0101kara sa\u1e45ga\",\"citte-icchasi yadi vraja-rasa ra\u1e45ga\"]},{\"text\":\"Never associate with such people if you desire to join in the ecstatic playful pastimes that take place in Vraja.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dhik\u0101 d\u0101s\u012b yadi hoya abhim\u0101na\",\"\u015b\u012bghrai milai taba gokula k\u0101na\"]},{\"text\":\"Those who pride themselves on being maidservants of R\u0101dhik\u0101 will quickly come to meet Gokula-K\u0101na K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"brahm\u0101, \u015biva, n\u0101rada, \u015bruti, n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47\u012b\",\"r\u0101dhik\u0101 pada-raja p\u016bjaye m\u0101ni\"]},{\"text\":\"Brahm\u0101, \u015aiva, N\u0101rada, all the revealed scriptures and Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b revere and worship the dust of R\u0101dhik\u0101's holy feet.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"um\u0101, ram\u0101, saty\u0101, \u015bac\u012b, candr\u0101, rukmi\u1e47\u012b\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101 avat\u0101ra sabe \u0101mn\u0101ya v\u0101\u1e47\u012b\"]},{\"text\":\"Um\u0101, Ram\u0101, Saty\u0101, \u015aach\u012b, Chandr\u0101 and Rukmi\u1e47\u012b are R\u0101dh\u0101's incarnations. All revealed scriptures state this.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"hena-r\u0101dh\u0101-paricary\u0101 y\u0101kara dhana\",\"bhakativinoda t\u0101ra m\u0101gaye cara\u1e47a\"]},{\"text\":\"Bhaktivinod prays to serve the holy feet of those whose sole treasure in life is worshipful service to this R\u0101dh\u0101.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s06\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-pada-m\u0101h\u0101tmya-g\u012bti\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dhik\u0101 carana padma, sakala \u015breyera sadma\",\"yatane ye n\u0101hi \u0101r\u0101dhila\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-pad\u0101\u1e45kita dh\u0101ma, v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana y\u0101ra n\u0101ma\",\"t\u0101h\u0101 ye n\u0101 \u0101\u015braya karila\"]},{\"text\":\"If somebody did not strive to worship R\u0101dhik\u0101's lotus feet, which are an abode of all auspiciousness; if they did not take shelter in the holy abode of V\u1e5bnd\u0101van, which is decorated with R\u0101dh\u0101's holy footprints;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dhik\u0101 bh\u0101va gambh\u012bra, cinte ye v\u0101 mah\u0101dh\u012bra\",\"ga\u1e47a-sa\u1e45ga n\u0101 kaila j\u012bvane\",\"kemane se \u015by\u0101m\u0101nanda, rasa-sindhu sn\u0101n\u0101nanda\",\"labhibe bujhaha eka-mane\"]},{\"text\":\"if they did not have in their life the association of the great self-controlled souls who always meditate upon R\u0101dhik\u0101's profound transcendental mood \u2013 how can such a person hope to attain \u015ay\u0101m\u0101nanda K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a or bath in the blissful ocean of divine ecstasy? Pay close attention and try to understand this.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dhik\u0101 ujjvala rasera \u0101c\u0101rya\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-m\u0101dhava \u015buddha prema vic\u0101rya\"]},{\"text\":\"R\u0101dhik\u0101 is the \u0101ch\u0101rya in the amorous pastimes, and any dealings of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-M\u0101dhav are to be considered from the standpoint of devotional love.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ye dharila r\u0101dh\u0101-pada parama yatane\",\"se p\u0101ila k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pada am\u016blya ratane\"]},{\"text\":\"Those who tried their best to clasp R\u0101dh\u0101's holy feet attained the priceless jewel of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a's holy feet.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-pada bin\u0101 kabhu k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101hi mile\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101ra d\u0101s\u012bra k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sarva vede bale\"]},{\"text\":\"Without R\u0101dh\u0101's holy feet, you can never come to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. All Vedas say that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the property of R\u0101dh\u0101's maidservants.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"cho\u1e0data dhana jana, kalatra suta-mita,\",\"cho\u1e0data karama gey\u0101na\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-pada pa\u1e45kaja, madhurata sevana,\",\"bhakativinoda param\u0101\u1e47a\"]},{\"text\":\"Give up all your wealth, people, wife, children and friends; give up all material activities and knowledge \u2013 service to R\u0101dh\u0101's lotus feet is full of sweetness. Bhaktivinod bears witness to that.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s07\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b Yugala-sev\u0101-l\u0101las\u0101\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a pr\u0101\u1e47a mora yugala ki\u015bora\",\"j\u012bvane mara\u1e47e gati \u0101ra n\u0101hi mora\"]},{\"text\":\"The youthful Divine Couple, R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, are my life and soul. In life or in death, I have no other shelter, no other way.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u0101lind\u012bra k\u016ble keli-kadambera vana\",\"ratana ved\u012bra upara vas\u0101ba dujana\"]},{\"text\":\"When will I seat Them both upon a throne bedecked with jewels in the forest of keli-kadamba trees on the bank of the K\u0101lind\u012b,\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015by\u0101ma-gaur\u012b a\u1e45ge diba (cuy\u0101) candanera gandha\",\"c\u0101mara \u1e0dhul\u0101ba kabe heriba mukha-candra\"]},{\"text\":\"smear sandalwood on R\u0101dh\u0101's body and fan Her with a yak-tail whisk? When will I see Her moon-like face?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"g\u0101thiy\u0101 m\u0101lat\u012bra m\u0101l\u0101 diba do\u1e45h\u0101ra gale\",\"adhare tuliy\u0101 diba karp\u016bra t\u0101mb\u016ble\"]},{\"text\":\"I will string m\u0101lat\u012b flowers into a garland and place it on Their necks and then put camphor wrapped in a betel leaf into Their mouths.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"lalit\u0101 vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101 \u0101di yata sakh\u012b-v\u1e5bnda\",\"\u0101j\u00f1\u0101ya kariba sev\u0101 cara\u1e47\u0101ravinda\"]},{\"text\":\"I will serve Their lotus feet, doing whatever Lalit\u0101, Vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101 and other girls tell me to do.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya prabhura d\u0101sera anud\u0101sa\",\"sev\u0101 abhil\u0101\u1e63a kare narottama-d\u0101sa\"]},{\"text\":\"Narottam D\u0101s is hankering to serve the servants of the servants of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s08\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-govinda-n\u0101ma-k\u012brtana\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(jaya) r\u0101dhe! r\u0101dhe! govinda! govinda!\",\"\u015by\u0101ma-sundara madana-mohana v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-candra\",\"r\u0101se\u015bvar\u012b vinodin\u012b bh\u0101nukula-candra\"]},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(Translation not given for this verse in the source text.)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-rama\u1e47a r\u0101sa-bih\u0101r\u012b \u015br\u012b-gokul\u0101nanda\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u0101nt\u0101 r\u0101dh\u0101-vinoda \u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-govinda\"]},{\"text\":\"(Glory to) R\u0101dh\u0101-Raman (Beloved of R\u0101dh\u0101), R\u0101sa-Bih\u0101r\u012b (Enjoyer of R\u0101sa Dance), \u015ar\u012b Gokul\u0101nanda (Joy of Gokula), R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u0101nta (R\u0101dh\u0101's Lover), R\u0101dh\u0101-Vinoda (R\u0101dh\u0101's Delight), \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa-ma\u00f1jar\u012b \u0101di ma\u00f1jar\u012b ananta\",\"lalit\u0101 vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101 \u0101di yata sakh\u012b-v\u1e5bnda\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory to \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b and the innumerable ma\u00f1jar\u012bs; glory to Lalit\u0101, Vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101, and all the sakh\u012bs.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"paur\u1e47am\u0101s\u012b kundalat\u0101 jaya v\u012br\u0101-v\u1e5bnda\",\"sabe mili' kara k\u1e5bp\u0101 \u0101mi ati manda\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory to Paur\u1e47am\u0101s\u012b, Kundalat\u0101 and all other venerable elders. I am a very bad person \u2013 may you all please bestow your mercy upon me.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u1e5bp\u0101 kari deha yugala-cara\u1e47\u0101ravinda\",\"(yena) \u0101kula-pr\u0101\u1e47e g\u0101ite p\u0101ri \u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-govinda\"]},{\"text\":\"Please grant me the holy lotus feet of the Divine Couple so that I could fervently chant \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda's Names.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s09\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-k\u0101nti-g\u012bti\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101i-a\u1e45ga-cha\u1e6d\u0101ya udita bhela da\u015ba di\u015ba\",\"\u015by\u0101ma bhela gaura-\u0101k\u0101ra\",\"gaura bhela sakh\u012bga\u1e47a gaura niku\u00f1ja vana\",\"r\u0101i r\u016bpe caudige p\u0101th\u0101ra\"]},{\"text\":\"The radiance of R\u0101i's form lights up all ten directions, and dark \u015ay\u0101ma takes on a golden appearance. The sakh\u012bs turn golden; the secluded forest bowers turn golden. All around is an ocean of R\u0101i's beauty.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"gaura bhela \u015buka s\u0101r\u012b gaura bhramara bhramar\u012b\",\"gaura p\u0101kh\u012b \u1e0d\u0101ke \u1e0d\u0101le \u1e0d\u0101le\",\"gaura kokilaga\u1e47a gaura bhela v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana\",\"gaura taru gaura phala-phule\"]},{\"text\":\"The parrots and their mates turn golden; golden are the male and female bees. Golden birds call from branch to branch. Golden are the cuckoos; golden has V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana become\u2014golden its trees, its fruits and flowers.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"gaura yamun\u0101-jala gaura bhela jalacara\",\"gaura s\u0101rasa cakrav\u0101ka\",\"gaura \u0101k\u0101\u015ba dekhi gaura c\u0101nda t\u0101ra s\u0101kh\u012b\",\"gaura t\u0101r\u0101 ve\u1e0di l\u0101khe l\u0101kha\"]},{\"text\":\"Golden are the waters of the Yamun\u0101, and golden are her aquatic creatures; golden are the cranes and cakrav\u0101ka birds. Seeing the golden sky, the moon also appears golden, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of golden stars.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"gaura avan\u012b haila gauramaya saba bhela\",\"r\u0101i r\u016bpe caudiga jh\u0101\u1e45pita\",\"narottama d\u0101sa kaya apar\u016bpa r\u016bpa naya\",\"duh\u016b tanu ekai milita\"]},{\"text\":\"The golden earth has become wholly golden, and all directions are covered by R\u0101i's form. Narottama D\u0101sa says: this is no ordinary wondrous beauty\u2014their two forms have united as one.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s10\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-vigraha-vandan\u0101\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-m\u0101dhava r\u0101dh\u0101-m\u0101dhava r\u0101dhe\",\"(jayadevera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-M\u0101dhav, R\u0101dh\u0101-M\u0101dhav, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of Jayadev's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-madana-gop\u0101la r\u0101dh\u0101-madana-gop\u0101la r\u0101dhe\",\"(s\u012bt\u0101n\u0101thera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-Madan-gop\u0101l, R\u0101dh\u0101-Madan-gop\u0101l, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-govinda r\u0101dh\u0101-govinda r\u0101dhe\",\"(r\u016bpa-gosv\u0101m\u012bra pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda, R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-madana-mohana r\u0101dh\u0101-madana-mohana r\u0101dhe\",\"(san\u0101tanera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-Madan-mohan, R\u0101dh\u0101-Madan-mohan, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of San\u0101tan Gosw\u0101m\u012b's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-gop\u012bn\u0101tha r\u0101dh\u0101-gop\u012bn\u0101tha r\u0101dhe\",\"(madhu-pa\u1e47\u1e0ditera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-Gop\u012bn\u0101th, R\u0101dh\u0101-Gop\u012bn\u0101th, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of Madhu Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101modara r\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101modara r\u0101dhe\",\"(j\u012bva gosv\u0101m\u012bra pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-D\u0101modar, R\u0101dh\u0101-D\u0101modar, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-rama\u1e47a r\u0101dh\u0101-rama\u1e47a r\u0101dhe\",\"(gop\u0101la bha\u1e6d\u1e6dera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-Rama\u1e47, R\u0101dh\u0101-Rama\u1e47, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of Gop\u0101l Bha\u1e6d\u1e6da's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-vinoda r\u0101dh\u0101-vinoda r\u0101dhe\",\"(lokan\u0101thera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-Vinod, R\u0101dh\u0101-Vinod, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of Lokan\u0101th's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-giridh\u0101r\u012b r\u0101dh\u0101-giridh\u0101r\u012b r\u0101dhe\",\"(d\u0101sa gosv\u0101m\u012bra pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-Giridh\u0101r\u012b, R\u0101dh\u0101-Giridh\u0101r\u012b, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of Raghun\u0101th D\u0101s Gosw\u0101m\u012b's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-\u015by\u0101ma-sundara r\u0101dh\u0101-\u015by\u0101ma-sundara r\u0101dhe\",\"(\u015by\u0101m\u0101nandera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-\u015ay\u0101masundar, R\u0101dh\u0101-\u015ay\u0101masundar, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of \u015ay\u0101m\u0101nanda's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-ba\u1e45ku-bih\u0101r\u012b r\u0101dh\u0101-ba\u1e45ku-bih\u0101r\u012b r\u0101dhe\",\"(harid\u0101sera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-Ba\u1e45ki-bih\u0101r\u012b, R\u0101dh\u0101-Ba\u1e45ki-bih\u0101r\u012b, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of Harid\u0101s's heart)!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u0101nta r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u0101nta r\u0101dhe\",\"(vakre\u015bvarera pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana he)\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u0101nta, R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u0101nta, R\u0101dh\u0101 (the treasure of Vakre\u015bvar's heart)!\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s11\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma-g\u012bti \u2014 bhaja r\u0101dh\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhaja r\u0101dh\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, gop\u0101la k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bala mukhe |\",\"n\u0101me buka bhare y\u0101ya, abh\u0101va mi\u1e6d\u0101ya,\",\"svabh\u0101va j\u0101g\u0101ya mah\u0101sukhe ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Worship R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Gop\u0101la K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; utter \\\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!\\\" The holy name fills the heart, removes its want, and awakens its own true nature in great joy.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"hari d\u012bnabandhu, ciradina bandhu,\",\"j\u012bvera cira sukhe du\u1e25khe |\",\"(t\u0101i) bhajare andha, cara\u1e47\u0101ravinda,\",\"dustara m\u0101y\u0101-vip\u0101ke ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Hari, friend of the lowly, is forever the soul's friend in happiness and sorrow. (Therefore,) O blind one, worship His lotus feet amid the inescapable entanglement of m\u0101y\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhaja m\u016b\u1e0dhamati, tava ciras\u0101th\u012b,\",\"y\u0101\u1e45h\u0101ra karu\u1e47\u0101 loke loke |\",\"tabe kena p\u0101ntha, eta tumi \u015br\u0101nta,\",\"koth\u0101ya chu\u1e6dicha dike dike?\"]},{\"text\":\"O foolish mind, worship your eternal companion, whose mercy extends throughout the worlds. Why, then, O traveller, are you so weary? Where are you running, in every direction?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(sei) l\u012bl\u0101maya hari, eseche nad\u012by\u0101pur\u012b |\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101ra p\u012briti la'ye buke ||\"]},{\"text\":\"(That very) Hari, full of divine pastimes, has come to the town of Nad\u012by\u0101, bearing R\u0101dh\u0101's love within His heart.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhaja bhagav\u0101ne, sad\u0101 manepr\u0101\u1e47e,\",\"esechena nite tore buke ||\"]},{\"text\":\"Always worship the Lord with all your heart and life. He has come to draw you to His heart.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s12\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma-g\u012bti \u2014 r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bal bal\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bal bal balare sab\u0101i\",\"(ei) \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 diy\u0101, saba nad\u012by\u0101,\",\"phirche nece gaura-nit\u0101i\"]},{\"text\":\"'Say, \\\"R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!\\\" Say, \\\"R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!\\\" All of you, say it!' Teaching this, Gaura-Nit\u0101i are walking and dancing all over Nadia.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(miche) m\u0101y\u0101ra va\u015be, y\u0101ccha bhese,\",\"kh\u0101ccha h\u0101bu\u1e0dubu bh\u0101i\",\"(j\u012bva) k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-d\u0101sa, e vi\u015bv\u0101sa,\",\"karle ta \u0101ra du\u1e25kha n\u0101i\"]},{\"text\":\"Brother, you are swimming in m\u0101y\u0101 (wasting your time), sometimes coming up to the surface, sometimes choking and struggling. You are a soul, a servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! If you believe it, there will not be any sadness left then.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a) balbe yabe, pulaka habe,\",\"jharabe \u0101khi bali t\u0101i\",\"(r\u0101dh\u0101) k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bala, sa\u1e45ge cala,\",\"ei m\u0101tra bhik\u1e63\u0101 c\u0101i\",\"(y\u0101ya) sakala vipada, bhakativinoda,\",\"balena yakhana o-n\u0101ma g\u0101i\"]},{\"text\":\"When you take K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a's Name, it will make the hairs on your body stand on end and streams of tears will flow from your eyes. Come along and chant, 'R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!' \u2013 this is all I am begging you for! Bhaktivinod says that when you chant K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a's Names, all dangers go away.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s13\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-vandan\u0101\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"viraj\u0101ra p\u0101re \u015buddha paravyoma-dh\u0101ma\",\"tad-upari \u015br\u012b-gokula v\u1e5bnd\u0101ra\u1e47ya n\u0101ma\"]},{\"text\":\"Crossing Viraj\u0101, there is pure Paravyoma Dh\u0101ma, and above it there is \u015ar\u012b Gokula and a place called V\u1e5bnd\u0101van.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana cint\u0101ma\u1e47i, cid\u0101nanda-ratna-khani,\",\"cinmaya ap\u016brva-dara\u015bana\",\"ta\u1e45 hi m\u0101jhe camatk\u0101ra, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a vana-pati-s\u0101ra,\",\"n\u012blama\u1e47i tam\u0101la yemana\"]},{\"text\":\"V\u1e5bnd\u0101van is a wish-fulfilling jewel, a transcendental ecstatic gem. If you behold this inconceivable transcendental abode, you will see there an astonishing large black tree resembling a tam\u0101l tree.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"t\u0101he eka svar\u1e47a-may\u012b, lat\u0101 sarva-dh\u0101ma-jay\u012b,\",\"u\u1e6dhiy\u0101che parama-p\u0101van\u012b\",\"hl\u0101din\u012b-\u015baktira s\u0101ra, 'mah\u0101-bh\u0101va' n\u0101ma y\u0101ra,\",\"tribhuvana-mohana-mohin\u012b\"]},{\"text\":\"A golden creeper, defeating the beauty of the whole abode and supremely purifying, has grown on it. She is the essence of hl\u0101din\u012b (the Lord's internal potency) \u2013 Her name is mah\u0101-bh\u0101va (deepest love). She captivates the Enchanter of the whole three worlds.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-n\u0101me paricita, tu\u1e63iy\u0101 govinda-citta,\",\"vir\u0101jaye parama \u0101nande\",\"sei lat\u0101-patra-phula, lalit\u0101di sakh\u012b-kula,\",\"sabe mili' v\u1e5bk\u1e63e d\u1e5b\u1e0dha b\u0101ndhe\"]},{\"text\":\"Known as R\u0101dh\u0101, She exists to satisfy Govinda's heart, and She is very happy in Her life. The leaves and flowers of this creeper are Her friends (Lalit\u0101 and others). All together, they firmly bind the tree.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"lat\u0101ra para\u015be praphulla tam\u0101la\",\"lat\u0101 ch\u0101\u1e0di' n\u0101hi rahe kona k\u0101la\"]},{\"text\":\"Feeling the touch of this creeper, the tam\u0101l tree begins to blossom\u2014it cannot exist without this creeper even a moment.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tam\u0101la ch\u0101\u1e0diy\u0101 lat\u0101 n\u0101hi v\u0101ce\",\"se lat\u0101-milana sad\u0101-k\u0101la y\u0101ce\"]},{\"text\":\"The creeper, too, cannot live without the tam\u0101l tree. The tree always prays for the union with the creeper.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhakativinoda milana do\u1e45h\u0101ra\",\"c\u0101he kakhana bin\u0101 kichu \u0101ra\"]},{\"text\":\"Bhaktivinod does not ever want anything else except for the union of these Two.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s14\",\"title\":\"Kaly\u0101\u1e47a-kalpataru, ucchv\u0101sa 3, song 4\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pada-kamale mana kemane labhibe\",\"carama \u015bara\u1e47a\"]},{\"text\":\"O my mind, how will you attain ultimate shelter at the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"cira-dina kariy\u0101 o cara\u1e47a \u0101\u015ba \u0101che he basiy\u0101 e adhama\",\"d\u0101sa\"]},{\"text\":\"For a very long time this fallen servant has sat here cherishing the hope of attaining those feet.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"he r\u0101dhe he k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-candra bhakta-pr\u0101\u1e47a p\u0101mare yugala-\",\"bhakti kara' d\u0101na\"]},{\"text\":\"O R\u0101dh\u0101! O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-candra! O life of the devotees! Please bestow devotion to the Divine Couple upon this sinner.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhakti-h\u012bna bali' n\u0101 kara' upek\u1e63\u0101 m\u016brkha-jane deha'\",\"j\u00f1\u0101na-su-\u015bik\u1e63\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"Do not neglect me, thinking, \\\"He is devoid of devotion.\\\" Please give proper instruction and spiritual understanding to this fool.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vi\u1e63aya-pip\u0101s\u0101-prap\u012b\u1e0dita d\u0101se deha' adhik\u0101ra yugala-vil\u0101se\"]},{\"text\":\"Please grant qualification for the pastimes of the Divine Couple to this servant, who is tormented by thirst for material enjoyment.\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(Sindhu\u1e0da R\u0101ga)\"},{\"text\":\"The stream of this flickering life flows onward toward the ocean of time. The days that have passed will never return. O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, what is now to be done?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tumi patita-janera bandhu j\u0101ni he tom\u0101ra n\u0101tha tumi ta'\",\"karu\u1e47\u0101-jala-sindhu\"]},{\"text\":\"O Lord, I know well that You are the friend of the fallen and an ocean filled with the waters of mercy.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u0101mi bh\u0101gya-h\u012bna, ati arvac\u012bna n\u0101 j\u0101ni bhakati-le\u015ba nija-\",\"gu\u1e47e n\u0101tha, kara' \u0101tma-s\u0101ta ghuc\u0101iy\u0101 bhava-kle\u015ba\"]},{\"text\":\"I am most unfortunate and exceedingly ignorant. I do not know even a trace of devotion. O Lord, by Your own virtue and kindness, please accept me as Your own and remove the miseries of material existence.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"siddha-deha diy\u0101, v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-m\u0101jhe sev\u0101m\u1e5bta kara' d\u0101na\",\"piy\u0101iy\u0101 prema, matta kari' more \u015buna nija gu\u1e47a-g\u0101na\"]},{\"text\":\"Grant me a perfected spiritual body and, within V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, bestow upon me the nectar of service. Making me intoxicated with divine love, please hear me sing Your own glories.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"yugala-sev\u0101ya \u015br\u012b-r\u0101sa-ma\u1e47\u1e0dale niyukta kara' \u0101m\u0101ya\",\"lalit\u0101-sakh\u012bra ayogya ki\u1e45kar\u012b vinoda (ked\u0101ra) dhariche p\u0101ya\"]},{\"text\":\"Please engage me in service to the Divine Couple within the circle of the r\u0101sa dance. Bhaktivinoda, the unworthy maidservant of Lalit\u0101-sakh\u012b, grasps Your feet.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s15\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-m\u0101dhava Mahotsava\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Prabodh\u0101nanda Sarasvat\u012b\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"smaratu mano mama niravadhi r\u0101dh\u0101m\",\"madhupati-r\u016bpa-gu\u1e47a-\u015brava\u1e47odita-sahaja-manobhava-b\u0101dh\u0101m\"]},{\"text\":\"My dear mind, please always remember \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. As soon as She hears about Madhupati K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a's beauty, She feels naturally aroused and agitated.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"su-rucira-kavar\u012b-vir\u0101jita-komala-parimala-malli-sum\u0101l\u0101m\",\"mada-cala-kha\u00f1jana-khelana-ga\u00f1jana-locana-kamala-vi\u015b\u0101l\u0101m\"]},{\"text\":\"She has very beautiful hair, and Her neck is adorned with a garland of fragrant lotus flowers. Her large bright lotus eyes are more agile than the playful wagtail bird that keeps jumping everywhere like mad.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"madakari-r\u0101ja-vir\u0101jad-anuttama-calita-lalit\u0101-gati-bha\u1e45g\u012bm\",\"ati-sukum\u0101ra-kanaka-nava-campaka-gaura-madhura-madhur\u0101\u1e45g\u012bm\"]},{\"text\":\"Her beautiful agile gait and bent posture surpass the magnificence of the king of mad elephants. Her very youthful and sweetly beautiful figure is an enchanting golden colour, the colour of a newly blossomed campaka flower.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ma\u1e47i-keyura-lalita-balay\u0101val\u012b-ma\u1e47\u1e0dita-m\u1e5bdu-bhujavall\u012bm\",\"prati-padam-adbhuta-r\u016bpa-camatk\u1e5bti-mohana-yuvat\u012b-matall\u012bm\"]},{\"text\":\"Her gentle beautiful arms are adorned with jewelled armlets and elegant bracelets. The more you behold the beauty of this enchanting young girl, the more astonishing and miraculous it appears to be.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"m\u1e5bdu-m\u1e5bdu-h\u0101sa-lalita-mukha-ma\u1e47\u1e0dala-k\u1e5bta-\u015ba\u015bi-bimba-vi\u1e0damb\u0101m\",\"ki\u1e45ki\u1e47\u012b-j\u0101la khacita-p\u1e5bthu-sundara-nava-rasa-r\u0101\u015bi-nitamb\u0101m\"]},{\"text\":\"The sweet smile on Her gentle face derides the beauty of the moon-disc. Her dainty ankle-bells tinkle as She dances expressing very beautiful, novel ecstatic sentiments.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"citrita-ka\u1e45culik\u0101-sthagitodbha\u1e6da-kuca-h\u0101\u1e6daka-gha\u1e6da\u015bobh\u0101m\",\"sphurad-aru\u1e47\u0101dhara-sv\u0101du-sudh\u0101-rasa-k\u1e5bta-hari-m\u0101nasa-lobh\u0101m\"]},{\"text\":\"Her beautiful, well-formed breasts, which resemble round water-pots, are covered with a colourful bodice \u2013 the sight of Her shaking reddish breasts is pure nectar that arouses the mind of the Supreme Lord.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sundara-cibuka vir\u0101jita-mohana-mocaka-bindu-vil\u0101s\u0101m\",\"sakanaka-ratna-khacita-p\u1e5bthu-mauktika-ruci-rucirojjvala-n\u0101s\u0101m\"]},{\"text\":\"Her beautiful chin is decorated with an effulgent, charming auspicious dot; and a beautiful pearl set in gold and ornamented with gems shines brilliantly in Her nose.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ujjvala-r\u0101ga-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-s\u0101gara-s\u0101ra-tanu\u1e43 sukha-r\u016bp\u0101m\",\"nipatita-m\u0101dhava-mugdha-mano-m\u1e5bgan\u0101bhi-sudh\u0101-rasa-k\u016bp\u0101m\"]},{\"text\":\"Her figure is an ocean of nectar of ecstatic paramour love; it is the very embodiment of bliss. Captivated by Her beauty, Lord M\u0101dhav Himself is swept off His feet, revelling in the pure nectar of musk.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"n\u016bpura-h\u0101ra-mano-hara-ku\u1e47\u1e0dala-k\u1e5bta-rucim aru\u1e47a-duk\u016bl\u0101m\",\"pathi pathi madana-m\u0101d\u0101kula gokula-candra-kalita pada-m\u016bl\u0101m\"]},{\"text\":\"Seeing Her walk down the road in Her crimson dress, adorned with ankle-bells, necklace and charming earrings, Gokula-chandra \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a loses His mind and falls at the soles of Her feet.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"rasika-sarasvat\u012b-g\u012bta-mah\u0101dbhuta-r\u0101dh\u0101-r\u016bpa-rahasyam\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-rasa-l\u0101lasa-manas\u0101m idam upageyam ava\u015byam\"]},{\"text\":\"Thus, Rasika Saraswat\u012b sings about the mystery of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101's greatly astonishing beauty, which must be sung by all those who long and crave for the ecstatic devotional pastimes of V\u1e5bnd\u0101van.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s16\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b Yugala \u0100rati\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jaya jaya r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-yugala-milana\",\"\u0101rati karaye lalit\u0101di sakh\u012b-ga\u1e47a\"]},{\"text\":\"Glory, glory to the Divine Couple \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who are worshipped by Their friends (Lalit\u0101 and others).\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"madana-mohana r\u016bpa tribha\u1e45ga-sundara\",\"p\u012bt\u0101mbara \u015bikhi-puccha-c\u016b\u1e0d\u0101 mano-hara\"]},{\"text\":\"Madan-mohan K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the enchanter of Cupid, looks very beautiful as He stands bending His neck, waist and knees. Dressed in yellow clothes, He has a charming peacock feather adorning His head.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"lalita-m\u0101dhava b\u0101me v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu-kany\u0101\",\"n\u012bla-vasan\u0101 gaur\u012b r\u016bpe gu\u1e47e dhany\u0101\"]},{\"text\":\"To the right of Lalita-M\u0101dhav is the daughter of King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu. Dressed in dark blue garments, She has a golden complexion and is endowed with exquisite beauty and many virtues.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"n\u0101n\u0101-vidha ala\u1e45k\u0101ra kare jhalamala\",\"hari-mano-vimohana vadana ujjvala\"]},{\"text\":\"Adorned with many different sparkling ornaments, Her radiant face captivates the Lord's mind.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101di sakh\u012b-ga\u1e47a n\u0101n\u0101 r\u0101ge g\u0101ya\",\"priya-narma-sakh\u012b yata c\u0101mara \u1e0dhul\u0101ya\"]},{\"text\":\"Young girls (Vi\u015b\u0101kha and others) sing different melodious songs, and all the other intimate girlfriends fan Them with yak-tail whisks.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-m\u0101dhava pada sarasija \u0101\u015be\",\"bhakativinoda sakh\u012b-pade sukhe bh\u0101se\"]},{\"text\":\"Praying for \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-M\u0101dhav's holy lotus feet, Bhaktivinod floats in happiness at the holy feet of Their girlfriends.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s17\",\"title\":\"\u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, siddha-l\u0101las\u0101, song 16\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu-sut\u0101- cara\u1e47a-sevane,\",\"ha-iba ye p\u0101lya-d\u0101s\u012b\",\"\u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101ra sukha, satata s\u0101dhane,\",\"rahiba \u0101mi pray\u0101s\u012b\"]},{\"text\":\"I will become a maintained maidservant engaged in the service of V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu Sut\u0101's feet and constantly endeavour for Her happiness.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101ra sukhe, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era ye sukha,\",\"j\u0101niba manete \u0101mi\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-pada ch\u0101\u1e0di', \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45game,\",\"kabhu n\u0101 ha-iba k\u0101m\u012b\"]},{\"text\":\"I will know within my heart the pleasure that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a finds in the pleasure of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. I will never abandon \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101's feet and become desirous of direct union with \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sakh\u012b-ga\u1e47a mama parama suh\u1e5bt,\",\"yugala-premera guru\",\"tad anuga ha'ye, seviba r\u0101dh\u0101ra\",\"cara\u1e47a-kalpa-taru\"]},{\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101's girlfriends are my greatest well-wishers. They are my Gurus who teach me about the Divine Couple's prema. As their follower, I will serve the wish-fulfilling tree of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101's feet.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-pak\u1e63a ch\u0101\u1e0di' ye-jana se-jana\",\"ye bh\u0101ve se bh\u0101ve th\u0101ke\",\"\u0101mi ta' r\u0101dhik\u0101- pak\u1e63ap\u0101t\u012b sad\u0101,\",\"kabhu n\u0101hi heri t\u0101'ke\"]},{\"text\":\"I am always completely partial to \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101's party. I never even look at those who have abandoned Her party, whoever they are, and whatever their nature may be.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s18\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b Lalit\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"By \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-\",\"nirma\u00f1chanopakara\u1e47\u012b-k\u1e5bta-deha-lak\u1e63\u0101m\",\"uttu\u1e45ga-sauh\u1e5bda-vi\u015be\u1e63a-va\u015b\u0101t pragalbh\u0101\u1e43\",\"dev\u012b\u1e43 gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 su-lalit\u0101\u1e43 lalit\u0101\u1e43 nam\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"To remove even a drop of sweat that may appear on the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-Mukunda, she wants to take on thousands of bodies. She loses herself in the ecstasy of a very lofty, loving nature and can sometimes be naughty. I am offering my obeisance to this Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, who is replete with beautiful qualities.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101k\u0101-sudh\u0101-kira\u1e47a-ma\u1e47\u1e0dala-k\u0101nti-d\u0101\u1e47\u1e0di-\",\"vaktra-\u015briya\u1e43 cakita-c\u0101ru-cam\u016bru-netr\u0101m\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-pras\u0101dhana-vidh\u0101na-kal\u0101-prasiddh\u0101\u1e43\",\"dev\u012b\u1e43 gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 su-lalit\u0101\u1e43 lalit\u0101\u1e43 nam\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"Her effulgence is like rays of nectar radiating from the halo of a full moon. She is beautifully outspoken, and she has charming, agile doe-like eyes. She is famous for dressing \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 in a very artful way. I am offering my obeisance to this Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, who is replete with beautiful qualities.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"l\u0101syollasad-bhujaga-\u015batru-patatra-citra-\",\"pa\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101\u1e43\u015buk\u0101bhara\u1e47a-ka\u00f1culik\u0101\u00f1cit\u0101\u1e45g\u012bm\",\"gorocan\u0101-ruci-vigarha\u1e47a-gaurim\u0101\u1e47a\u1e43\",\"dev\u012b\u1e43 gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 su-lalit\u0101\u1e43 lalit\u0101\u1e43 nam\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"She wears beautiful clothes and ornaments of bright colours resembling jubilantly dancing peacock feathers; and Her golden complexion reproaches the bright yellow lustre of gorochan\u0101. I am offering my obeisance to this Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, who is replete with beautiful qualities.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"dh\u016brte vrajendra-tanaye tanu su\u1e63\u1e6dhu v\u0101mya\u1e43\",\"m\u0101 dak\u1e63i\u1e47\u0101 bhava kala\u1e45kini! l\u0101ghav\u0101ya\",\"r\u0101dhe! gira\u1e43 \u015b\u1e5b\u1e47u hit\u0101m iti \u015bik\u1e63ayant\u012b\u1e43\",\"dev\u012b\u1e43 gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 su-lalit\u0101\u1e43 lalit\u0101\u1e43 nam\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"'O R\u0101dhe, show firm contrariness toward the cunning son of Vrajendra. Do not become submissive, O innocent one, and thereby make Yourself appear insignificant. Hear my beneficial counsel.' I bow to Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, exquisitely graceful in all virtues, who instructs Her in this way.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101m abhi vraja-pate\u1e25 k\u1e5btam \u0101tmajena\",\"k\u016b\u1e6da\u1e43 man\u0101g api vilokya vilohit\u0101k\u1e63\u012bm\",\"v\u0101g-bha\u1e45gibhis tam acire\u1e47a vilajjayant\u012b\u1e43\",\"dev\u012b\u1e43 gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 su-lalit\u0101\u1e43 lalit\u0101\u1e43 nam\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"Whenever she notices even a slightest hint that the Master of Vraja is trying to trick R\u0101dh\u0101, her eyes become red and she quickly intercedes and begins to scold K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I am offering my obeisance to this Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, who is replete with beautiful qualities.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"v\u0101tsalya-v\u1e5bnda-vasati\u1e43 pa\u015bup\u0101la-r\u0101j\u00f1y\u0101\u1e25\",\"sakhy\u0101nu\u015bik\u1e63a\u1e47a-kal\u0101su guru\u1e43 sakh\u012bn\u0101m\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-bal\u0101varaja-j\u012bvita-nirvi\u015be\u1e63\u0101\u1e43\",\"dev\u012b\u1e43 gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 su-lalit\u0101\u1e43 lalit\u0101\u1e43 nam\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"She is the abode of all maternal affection for the queen of the cowherds and the guru of the sakh\u012bs in the arts of instruction in intimate friendship. \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and the younger brother of Baladeva are nondifferent from her very life. I bow to Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, exquisitely graceful in all virtues.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ya\u1e43 k\u0101m api vraja-kule v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nuj\u0101y\u0101\u1e25\",\"prek\u1e63ya sva-pak\u1e63a-padav\u012bm anuruddhyam\u0101n\u0101m\",\"sadyas tad-i\u1e63\u1e6da-gha\u1e6danena k\u1e5bt\u0101rthayant\u012b\u1e43\",\"dev\u012b\u1e43 gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 su-lalit\u0101\u1e43 lalit\u0101\u1e43 nam\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"If she sees that somebody in V\u1e5bnd\u0101van has the same attitude to King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu's Daughter as she does, it stuns her and she at once fulfils all their cherished desires. I am offering my obeisance to this Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, who is replete with beautiful qualities.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101dh\u0101-vrajendra-suta-sa\u1e45gama-ra\u1e45ga-cary\u0101\u1e43\",\"vary\u0101\u1e43 vini\u015bcitavat\u012bm akhilotsavebhya\u1e25\",\"t\u0101\u1e43 gokula-priya-sakh\u012b-nikuramba-mukhy\u0101\u1e43\",\"dev\u012b\u1e43 gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 su-lalit\u0101\u1e43 lalit\u0101\u1e43 nam\u0101mi\"]},{\"text\":\"She orchestrates R\u0101dh\u0101's union with the Son of the King of Vraja. She is the best, the most determined and jovial. Among R\u0101dh\u0101's many beloved girlfriends in Gokula, she is the main one. I am offering my obeisance to this Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, who is replete with beautiful qualities.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"nandann am\u016bni lalit\u0101-gu\u1e47a-l\u0101lit\u0101ni\",\"pady\u0101ni ya\u1e25 pa\u1e6dhati nirmala-d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dir a\u1e63\u1e6dau\",\"pr\u012bty\u0101 vikar\u1e63ati jana\u1e43 nija-v\u1e5bnda-madhye\",\"ta\u1e43 k\u012brtid\u0101-pati-kulojjvala-kalpa-vall\u012b\"]},{\"text\":\"If anybody studies and reads with pure vision these eight verses about the delightful beautiful qualities of Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 \u2013 the effulgent wish-fulfilling creeper sprung in the family of K\u012brtid\u0101 M\u0101y\u012b and King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu \u2013 will very happily take them into Her circle.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"jaya \u015br\u012b r\u0101dh\u0101! jaya \u015br\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"jaya \u015br\u012b r\u0101dh\u0101-govinda yugala k\u012b jaya!\"}]}]},\n{\"slug\":\"sri-chaitanya-siksha\",\"title\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\",\"subtitle\":\"The Golden Message of Divine Love, by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu\",\"compiler\":\"Compiled by \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Prapanna T\u012brtha Gosv\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"coverSrc\":\"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sri-chaitanya-siksha-cover.webp\",\"sections\":[{\"slug\":\"s01\",\"title\":\"Dedication\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"To our most worshipable Spiritual Master,\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101da \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara O\u1e41\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, the Guardian of\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Devotion who reclaimed the path of \u015buddha-\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"bhakti and with unwavering adherence to the\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"line of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa turned our hearts toward\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101nusandh\u0101na.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s02\",\"title\":\"Our Divine Inspiration\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This publication has been manifested through the causeless mercy and inspiration of the Divine Agent of the Absolute, Om Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101da, the crest-jewel of Paramaha\u1e41sas, \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosv\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"He is the re-establisher of the unadulterated path of devotion in this modern age, who has successfully reclaimed the standard of \u015buddha- bhakt for the sake of the sincere seekers. As the deeply blessed recipient of the affectionate grace of the pioneer of pure devotion, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6c h\u0101kura Mah\u0101\u015baya, he has captured the very essence of the R\u016bp\u0101nuga line.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"He stands as the illustrious protector-\u0101c\u0101rya (Bhakti Rak\u1e63ak) of the \u015ar\u012b Brahma-Madhva-Gau\u1e0d\u012bya samprad\u0101ya, the stalwart guardian who prevents the storehouse of siddh\u0101nta from being contaminated by misconceptions. Recognized by his Divine Master, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b Gosv\u0101m\u012b Prabhup\u0101da, as his most beloved associate and the one qualified to represent his conclusions, he carries the divine current of the vani in its most potent and pristine form.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"He is the Founder-President-\u0100c\u0101rya of the world-renowned sanctuary of surrender, the Navadv\u012bpa \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya S\u0101rasvata Ma\u1e6dha, an abode situated at the &quot;Hidden Govardhana&quot; and exquisitely adorned with the divine glory of Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019s aud\u0101rya and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s m\u0101dhurya.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This work has been compiled through the diligent and affectionate service of Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Goswami Maharaj\u2014emanating from the sacred vicinity of the \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya \u015ar\u012bdhara Sev\u0101\u015brama\u2014to distribute the nectarine tidings of the Absolute to the thirsty hearts of the world.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Gaura Hari Bol!\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s03\",\"title\":\"Guru Parampara\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":true,\"items\":[\"\u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\",\"Brahm\u0101\",\"\u015ar\u012b N\u0101rada\",\"\u015ar\u012b Vy\u0101sa\",\"\u015ar\u012b Madhv\u0101c\u0101rya\",\"\u015ar\u012b Padman\u0101bha T\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b N\u1e5bhari T\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b M\u0101dhava T\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b Ak\u1e63obhya T\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b Jayat\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b J\u00f1\u0101nasindhu\",\"\u015ar\u012b Day\u0101nidhi\",\"\u015ar\u012b Vidy\u0101nidhi\",\"\u015ar\u012b R\u0101jendra T\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b Jayadharma\",\"\u015ar\u012b Puru\u1e63ottama T\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b Brahma\u1e47yat\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b Vy\u0101sat\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b Lak\u1e63m\u012bpati T\u012brtha\",\"\u015ar\u012b M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b\",\"\u015ar\u012b \u012a\u015bvara Pur\u012b\",\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu\",\"\u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara Gosv\u0101m\u012b\",\"\u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b\",\"\u015ar\u012b San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b\",\"\u015ar\u012b Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosv\u0101m\u012b\",\"\u015ar\u012b J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b\",\"\u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosv\u0101m\u012b\",\"\u015ar\u012b Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura\",\"\u015ar\u012b Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura\",\"\u015ar\u012b Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a\",\"\u015ar\u012b Jagann\u0101tha D\u0101sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura\",\"\u015ar\u012bla Gaura Ki\u015bora D\u0101sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura Prabhup\u0101da\",\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Dev-Gosv\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j\",\"Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Goswami Maharaj\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Bh\u0101gavata-Parampar\u0101, emphasizing the transmission of the essence of the spiritual truth through divine realization, rather than just a formal physical initiation chain\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101da \u2014 Sri Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Goswami Maharaj\",\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101d \u2014 \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j\",\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101d \u2014 \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63ak \u015ar\u012bdhar Dev-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j\",\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101d \u2014 \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kur Prabhup\u0101d\",\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101d \u2014 \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bla Gaura Ki\u015bor D\u0101s B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j\",\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101d \u2014 \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Bhaktivinod \u1e6ch\u0101kur Mah\u0101\u015baya\",\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101d \u2014 \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bla Jagann\u0101tha D\u0101s B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j\",\"\u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b &amp; \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b\",\"Their Lordships \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Nit\u0101i-Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga at \u015ar\u012b Caitanya \u015ar\u012bdhara Sev\u0101\u015brama\",\"Their Lordships \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Guru-Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga-R\u0101dh\u0101-Madan-mohan j\u012bu at \u015ar\u012b Caitanya \u015ar\u012bdhara Sev\u0101\u015brama\"]}]},{\"slug\":\"s04\",\"title\":\"Preface\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The human form of life is a rare boon, providing the unique opportunity to solve the age-old mysteries of birth, death, and the true purpose of existence. Yet, modern society often finds itself consumed by the &quot;forest fire of material existence,&quot; a vacuum of uncertainty where neither mundane science nor ritualistic religion offers a lasting solution. To deliver the fallen souls from this ocean of sorrow, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, descended five centuries ago in the most magnanimous form of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya \u015aik\u1e63\u0101 is a compilation dedicated to illuminating the essential teachings of this Great Master, who appeared not as a mere reformer, but as the summum bonum of the Absolute Truth disguised in the garb of His own devotee. In this golden form, He came to distribute what no other incarnation had ever offered: the most elevated mellow of devotional service and spontaneous love for Godhead (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"At the heart of Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019s mission is the philosophical pillar of acintya-bhed\u0101bheda-tattva \u2014 the principle of inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference. He taught that every living being is an eternal particle of the Supreme, qualitatively one with God but quantitatively different, whose original and constitutional position is that of an eternal servant of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"For the current age of Kali, an era defined by quarrel and hypocrisy, Lord Caitanya established n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45 k\u012brtana\u2014the congregational chanting of the Holy Names\u2014as the prime benediction and the only effective means of self-realisation. He taught that the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is non-different from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, and by its pure vibration, the &quot;mirror of the heart&quot; is cleansed, extinguishing the miseries of material life and awakening the soul to its real inner treasure: a life of love with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The path delineated in these pages follows the R\u016bp\u0101nuga samprad\u0101ya, the disciplic succession stemming from \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, whom the Lord personally empowered to distribute the highest mellows of spontaneous devotion (r\u0101g\u0101nug\u0101-bhakti). By adhering to this authorized line, the practitioner is guided through the progressive stages of bhakti\u2014from initial faith (\u015braddh\u0101) and purification (anartha-niv\u1e5btti) to the eventual awakening of divine love (prema).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The purpose of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya \u015aik\u1e63\u0101 is to provide a clear and substantial presentation of these conclusive spiritual truths (siddh\u0101nta). It is our sincere hope that the readers will find here a torchlight of inspiration to dispel the darkness of ignorance and a map to navigate the jungle of material misconceptions, ultimately reaching the nectarine world of eternal service to \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"May this work be an offering unto my spiritual Master, Srila Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaja and a guide for all sincere seekers in search of the ultimate goal of life.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s05\",\"title\":\"Introduction\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In an age where we are constantly consolidating our position in a mortal world, we often find ourselves working with all our energy for a future that we know, deep down, is temporary. We build, we acquire, and we struggle, yet there remains a persistent sense that life is somehow tasteless without a connection to a higher, more positive existence. This book, \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya \u015aik\u1e63\u0101, is an invitation to step out of that diseased condition and begin a scientific search for the Absolute.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The path described in these pages is not one of dry intellectualism. In the ancient Vedas, we find the term brahma-jij\u00f1\u0101s\u0101\u2014an inquiry into the abstract Absolute. But when this inquiry meets the heart, it transforms into k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101nusandh\u0101na: a mad, living search for Beauty, Love, and Sweetness. It is the search for the other half that can truly fulfill the soul.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"To find this fulfillment, just as a diver must plunge into the depths of the sea to find jewels, a seeker must be willing to let go of the false ego\u2014the aggressive, enjoying mood of this world\u2014to emerge with the jewels of divine love. This is the essence of dedication. Love means to &quot;die&quot; to our selfish interests so that we may truly \u201clive\u201d in the realm of service.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The journey into the unknown can be daunting. We are swimming in an infinite ocean, but we are not without guidance. The great personages, the s\u0101dhus, and the scriptures act as lighthouses. Their realizations are the evidence that a higher, happier realm exists. By joining a s\u0101dhu-sanga\u2014a group of like-minded seekers marching together under the guidance of these lights\u2014the unknown becomes an attainable reality. This message is a &quot;totalitarian war against m\u0101y\u0101&quot; (illusion). It challenges the physical charm and material distractions that deceive us, offering instead a path that is &quot;all success and no risk.&quot; While the world asks us to be aggressive to survive, the &quot;Golden Message&quot; of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu asks us to be humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The method is as beautiful as the goal. There are no painful penances here; only the invitation to join in the sankirtana movement of the Holy Name. It is a process that leads our mundane hearts towards divine love.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"As you read these pages, consider yourself not a master of your own life, but a property of the Master, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In that surrender, you will find a higher agency that takes wholesale care of your existence, leading you toward a realm where every nook and corner of the heart finds its perfect fulfillment.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu did not come to establish a new religion but to awaken the dormant love of God within every living being. Whether you are a student, a professional, or a seeker of truth, His &quot;Golden Message&quot; is an invitation to experience a &quot;miracle of divine love&quot; that shatters the distress of mundane existence and experience the waves of pure love.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Following the Vedic tradition of paripra\u015bna (submissive inquiry), this book explores the theistic science through the intimacy of dialogue. This work serves as a practical guide for the spiritual aspirant.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s06\",\"title\":\"01. \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Chaitany\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u0965 Obeisances unto \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Chandr\u0101ya \u0965\",\"(1)\",\"sadop\u0101sya\u1e25 \u015br\u012bm\u0101n dh\u1e5bta-manuja-k\u0101yai\u1e25 pra\u1e47ayit\u0101\u1e3f\",\"vahadbhir girb\u0101\u1e47air giri\u015ba-parame\u1e63\u1e6dhi-prabh\u1e5btibhi\u1e25\",\"sva-bhaktebhya\u1e25 \u015buddhas\u1e3f nija-bhajana-mudr\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"upadi\u015ban sa caitanya\u1e25 ki\u1e3f me punar api d\u1e5b\u015bor y\u0101syati padam Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is always the most worshipppable Deity of the demigods, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, who came in the garb of ordinary men bearing love for Him. He instructs His own pure devotional service to His own devotees. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(2)\",\"sure\u015b\u0101n\u0101\u1e3f durga\u1e3f gatir ati\u015bayenopani\u1e63ad\u0101\u1e3f\",\"mun\u012bn\u0101\u1e3f sarvasva\u1e3f pra\u1e47ata-pa\u1e6dal\u012bn\u0101\u1e3f madhurim\u0101\",\"viniry\u0101sa\u1e25 prem\u1e47o nikhila-pa\u015bu-p\u0101la\u1e3f bhuja-d\u1e5b\u015b\u0101m\",\"sa caitanya\u1e25 ki\u1e3f me punar api d\u1e5b\u015bor y\u0101syati padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the protector of the demigods, the supreme goal of the Upanisads, the be-all and end-all of the great sages, the beautiful shelter of His devotees, and the essence of the love of the lotus-eyed gopis. Will He again be visible before the path of my eyes?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(3)\",\"svar\u016bpa\u1e3f bibhr\u0101\u1e47o jagad-atulam advaitadayita\u1e25 prapanna-\u015br\u012bv\u0101so janita-param\u0101nandagarim\u0101 harir d\u012bnoddh\u0101r\u012b gajapati-k\u1e5bpotseka-tarala\u1e25\",\"sa caitanya\u1e25 ki\u1e3f me punar api d\u1e5b\u015bor y\u0101syati padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has manifested His own form, which cannot be compared to anything in the material universe. He is very dear to Advaita Acarya, and Srivasa Pandita is surrendered to Him. He is very respectful to Paramananda Puri. He takes away the ignorance of the material world and delivers the conditioned souls suffering from the threefold misery. He showered His mercy on Maharaja Prataparudra, the king of Orissa. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(4)\",\"rasodd\u0101m\u0101 k\u0101m\u0101rbuda-madhura-dh\u0101mojjvala-tanur\",\"yat\u012bn\u0101m utta\u1e3f sas tara\u1e47ikara-vidyoti-vasana\u1e25\",\"hira\u1e47y\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e3f lak\u1e63m\u012b-bharam abhibhavann \u0101\u0144gika-ruc\u0101\",\"sa caitanya\u1e25 ki\u1e3f me punar api d\u1e5b\u015bor y\u0101syati padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu becomes maddened by tasting the mellows of devotional service. His effulgent form is the abode of sweetness for millions of Cupids, and He is the crest jewel of sannyasis. His garments display the effulgence of the sun, and the splendor of His body eclipses the beauty of gold. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(5)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"hare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ety-uccai\u1e25 sphurita-rasano n\u0101maga\u1e47an\u0101 k\u1e5bta-granthi-\u015bre\u1e47\u012b-subhaga-ka\u1e6dis\u016btrojjvala-kara\u1e25 vi\u015b\u0101l\u0101k\u1e63o d\u012brgh\u0101rgala-yugala-khel\u0101\u00f1cita-bhuja\u1e25\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sa caitanya\u1e25 ki\u1e3f me punar api d\u1e5b\u015bor y\u0101syati padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chants the Hare Krsna mantra in a loud voice, the holy name dancing on His tongue as He counts the number of recitations on a beautiful knotted string held in His effulgent hand. His eyes are large, and His long arms, bending as He performs His pastimes, reach down to His knees. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(6)\",\"payor\u0101\u015bes t\u012bre sphurad-yupavan\u0101li-kalanay\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"muhur v\u1e5bnd\u0101ra\u1e47ya-smara\u1e47a-janita-prema-viva\u015ba\u1e25\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"kvacit k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101v\u1e5btti-pracala-rasano bhakti-rasika\u1e25\",\"sa caitanya\u1e25 ki\u1e3f me punar api d\u1e5b\u015bor y\u0101syati padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the topmost of all devotees. Sometimes, while walking on the beach, He would see a beautiful garden nearby and mistake it for the forest of Vrndavana. He would thus be completely overwhelmed by ecstatic love of Krsna and begin to chant the holy name and dance. His tongue worked incessantly as He chanted \u201cKrsna! Krsna!\u201d Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(7)\",\"rath\u0101r\u016b\u1e0dhasy\u0101r\u0101d adhipadav\u012b-n\u012bl\u0101cala-pater\",\"adabhra-premormi-sphurita-na\u1e6danoll\u0101sa-viva\u015ba\u1e25\",\"sa-har\u1e63a\u1e3f g\u0101yadbhi\u1e25 pariv\u1e5bta-tanur vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-janai\u1e25\",\"sa caitanya\u1e25 ki\u1e3f me punar api d\u1e5b\u015bor y\u0101syati padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu danced down the main road in great ecstasy before Lord Jagannatha, the master of Nilacala, who was sitting on His car. Overwhelmed by the transcendental bliss of dancing, and,, surrounded by the Vaisnavas who sang the holy names, He manifested waves of ecstatic love of Godhead. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(8)\",\"bhuva\u1e3f si\u00f1cann a\u015bru-\u015brutibhir abhita\u1e25 s\u0101ndra-pulakai\u1e25\",\"par\u012bt\u0101\u0144go n\u012bpa-stabaka-nava-ki\u00f1jalka-jayibhi\u1e25\",\"ghana-sveda-stoma-stimita-tanur utk\u012brtana-sukh\u012b\",\"sa chaitanya\u1e25 ki\u1e3f me punar api d\u1e5b\u015bor y\u0101syati padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became joyful during the loud chanting of the holy names, and he sprinkled the earth with showers of tears. All the hairs of His body, standing on end, appeared like beautiful filaments of fresh kadamba blossoms, and His body glistened with profuse perspiration. Will he again become visible before the path of my eyes?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(9)\",\"adh\u012bte gaur\u0101\u0144ga-smara\u1e47a-padav\u012b ma\u0144galatara\u1e3f\",\"k\u1e5bt\u012b yo vi\u015brambha-sphurad-amala-dh\u012br a\u1e63\u1e6dakam idam\",\"par\u0101nande sadyas tad-amala-pad\u0101mbhoja-yugale\",\"parisph\u0101r\u0101 tasya sphuratu nitar\u0101\u1e3f prema-lahar\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"May the great ocean full of waves of pure love for the two white lotus flowers of the feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu become immediately manifested at every moment to whatever pious person reads these eight most auspicious verses, his pure intelligence shining with faith as he meditates on Lord Gauranga. Thus ends Sri Sri Chaitanyastakam composed by Srila Rupa Goswami\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s07\",\"title\":\"02. The Divine Pastimes of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Deva\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":true,\"items\":[\"He descended on the pretext of a lunar eclipse in order to induce the entire world to chant the Holy Name of Hari.\",\"On the pretext of academic study, He induced everyone to chant the Holy Name, and subsequently concludeded His own scholarly pursuits.\",\"He conversed with celestial beings (demigods) of fiery complexion who visited Him in His form as a child.\",\"At the age of one month, He displayed divine footprints within the house, marked with the auspicious signs of the flag, thunderbolt, elephant goad, and club.\",\"He took a seat upon the coiled form of Ananta Sesha.\",\"He bewildered two thieves who had kidnapped Him to steal His ornaments, eventually forcing them to return Him home.\",\"He revealeded His true identity to His parents, by manifesting the transcendental sound of Krishna&#x27;s ankle bells within their home.\",\"He defeated the world-conquering scholar named Kesava Kasmiri by revealing subtle defects in his poetic glorification of the Ganges.\",\"He induced His devotees to plant a mango seed, which immediately bore ripe fruit, held a grand festival, and caused that tree to produce fruit during all twelve months of the year.\",\"He Immediately displayed the fierce and protective form of Sri Nrsimhadev upon hearing the Vishnu-sahasra-nama recited by Srivasa Pandit.\",\"He assumed the form of Mahesh (Lord Siva) after hearing the songs of Siva sung by a devotee in His own home.\",\"He appeared in a dream to Chand Kazi as Sri Nrsimhadeva and marked his chest to instill divine fear and ultimate devotion in him.\",\"He displayed His original form as Krishna in the house of Srivasa Pandit and granted that divine vision even to the servants of his household.\",\"He granted His His vision (dar\u015bana) to a pilgrim br\u0101hmana in an eight-armed form (revealing His identity as Sri Krishna).\",\"He granted His dar\u015bana and accepted worship from various devotees according to their respective internal moods (bh\u0101va) while bathing in the Ganges.\",\"He revealed the form of Datt\u0101treya to Mother \u015aach\u012b.\",\"He enacted the role of Krishna in His Pastimes with other children at the age of two.\",\"His Mother \u015aach\u012b fainted upon seeing His form as Krishna while He was serving rice.\",\"He displayed the form of Lord V\u0101manadeva during His sacred thread ceremony (upanayana).\",\"He appeared in a dream to His father, revealing His future form as a sanny\u0101s\u012b.\",\"He humbled the pride of all the scholars (pandits) of Nabadw\u012bp with His unparalleled erudition.\",\"Mother \u015aach\u012b\u2019s became afraid upon smelling the scent of lotuses and seeing a divine effulgence emanating from her son\u2019s body.\",\"While touring the city, the residents beheld the Lord in His form as Krishna and offered Him various gifts.\",\"At an astrologer\u2019s house, He revealed first a four-armed form, then a two-armed form, and subsequently the forms of Matsya, V\u0101mana, and others.\",\"Mother \u015aach\u012b, startled by hearing the sound of Krishna\u2019s flute within the house, entered and found Nim\u0101i.\",\"He instructed His mother while in the mood of the Kapila Avat\u0101r.\",\"He revealed the form of \u015ar\u012b Nrsimhadeva to \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Pandit while seated upon the throne of Lord Vishnu.\",\"He induced a four-year-old girl to chant the Name of Krishna and dance in ecstasy.\",\"He revealed the form of \u015ar\u012b Var\u0101hadeva (the Boar incarnation) to Mur\u0101ri Gupta.\",\"He displayed His six-armed form (Sad-bhuja) before the assembly of devotees at the home of \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Pandit.\",\"He revealed the Universal Form (Vi\u015bvar\u016bpa) to \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya.\",\"He displayed the &quot;Sat-pahariy\u0101&quot; mood (the twenty-one hour ecstasy) to the devotees.\",\"He performed the Mah\u0101prak\u0101\u015ba-l\u012bl\u0101 (The Great Manifestation) during the congregational chanting (sank\u012brtana).\",\"He called together \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa, \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya, Mur\u0101ri Gupta, Harid\u0101sa \u021ah\u0101kura, and other intimate associates to reveal His original form as \u015ar\u012b Krishna and disclosed all previous confidential truths to them.\",\"He granted darsana to Jag\u0101i and M\u0101dh\u0101i in His divine fourarmed form (as Lord Vi\u1e63 \u0146u\/N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a) to bestow His mercy upon them.\",\"He displayed the form of &#x27;Gokula-chandra&#x27; (the Moon of Gokula, \u015ar\u012b Krishna) to all His assembled devotees.\",\"Yamar\u0101ja (the lord of death) came along with the demigods to offer prayers and glorification to the Lord.\",\"He bestowed divine love (prema-bhakti) upon a beggar named Brahmanya-char Brahmach\u0101r\u012b.\",\"He danced in the dress and mood of Lakshmi Dev\u012b and blessed all those present with divine grace.\",\"He fulfilled His own promises as recorded in the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (specifically His pledge of protection and the sanctity of His exclusive devotees).\",\"He revealed the forms of Var\u0101hadeva, N\u1e5bsimhadeva, Lord R\u0101ma, and other incarnations at the home of \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya in \u015a\u0101ntipur.\",\"He manifested Pastimes in the house of \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa \u021ah\u0101kur in the form of Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, appearing as though seated upon the shoulders of Garuda.\",\"He transformed the devotee Mur\u0101ri Gupta into Garuda and rode upon his shoulders to exhibit His supreme position.\",\"He led congregational chanting (sank\u012brtana) through the town with hundreds of thousands of torches and people, and through His inconceivable potency, caused everyone to appear in fourarmed forms (holding torches in two hands and cymbals in two others).\",\"He summoned the soul of \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa \u021ah\u0101kura&#x27;s deceased son and conversed with him, allowing the boy to speak about the nature of the soul and death.\",\"He granted a vision of the Universal Form (Vi\u015bvar\u016bpa) to \u015ar\u012b Vijaya D\u0101s.\",\"He revealed His form as Haladhara (Lord Balar\u0101ma) to \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu at the house of \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa \u021ah\u0101kura.\",\"He granted darsana to Mother \u015aach\u012b in the various forms of V\u0101mana, Kapila, R\u0101ma, Krishna, and other divine descents.\",\"He bestowed a mantra into the ear of Ke\u015bava Bh\u0101rat\u012b, accepting him as a disciple, and subsequently accepted the order of sanny\u0101sa (renunciation) from him\",\"After accepting sanny\u0101sa, He went to the home of \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya and, while seated upon the throne of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, revealed His forms as Matsya (the Fish), K\u016brma (the Tortoise), and Var\u0101ha (the Boar).\",\"Despite being the Supreme Lord, He exhibited the conduct of a sanny\u0101s\u012b by accepting alms through begging.\",\"Millions of people joined the Lord in chanting the Name of Krishna and followed Him in His travels.\",\"He converted the people of every land into Vaisnavas simply by granting them His dar\u015bana.\",\"He manifested the pastime of divine madness (divyonm\u0101da) in Jagann\u0101th Pur\u012b, explained eighteen different interpretations of the \u2018\u0100tm\u0101r\u0101ma\u2019 verse to S\u0101rvabhauma Bhatt\u0101ch\u0101rya (the incarnation of B\u1e5bhaspati) and granted him dar\u015bana of His six-armed form (Sad-bhuja).\",\"He cured the leprosy of a br\u0101hmana named V\u0101sudeva by embracing him.\",\"He bestowed mercy upon the Yavana king of Gauda, Hussain Shah.\",\"He induced Hussain Shah&#x27;s two ministers, S\u0101kar Mallik (\u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa) and Dabir Kh\u0101s (\u015ar\u012b San\u0101tan), to renounce their ministerial posts to adopt the life of mendicants.\",\"He bestowed eternal youth upon \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya and \u015ar\u012bv\u0101saa Th\u0101kur through His blessings.\",\"He converted King Prat\u0101parudra of Pur\u012b into a Vaisnava by the power of His mercy.\",\"He revealed both His original form as Krishna (\u015ay\u0101ma-r\u016bpa) and His golden form (Gaura-r\u016bpa) to \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101y, who was externally a \u015b\u016bdra and a government official.\",\"He granted dar\u015bana of His own form as Krishna to a certain Gitareciting br\u0101hmana in South India by embracing him.\",\"He induced Brahm\u0101nanda Bh\u0101rat\u012b to abandon his meditation on the impersonal Brahman and granted him dar\u015bana of His divine form as Krishna.\",\"He displayed the Pastime of &#x27;\u015ae\u1e63a-\u015b\u0101y\u012b&#x27; (Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u reclining on the serpent Ananta \u015ae\u1e63a) in the Narendra Sarovara at Jagann\u0101th Pur\u012b.\",\"During the Ratha-y\u0101tr\u0101 festival, the Lord remained in a deep trance of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-consciousness for two days.\",\"He manifested the Pastimes of Lord R\u0101ma on the day of Vijay\u0101da\u015bam\u012b and infused all the devotees with the mood of Hanum\u0101n.\",\"He induced Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa (the son of a wealthy landowner) to renounce his vast kingdom and wife to adopt the life of a mendicant.\",\"While on the path to V\u1e5bnd\u0101van through the Jh\u0101rikhanda forest, He induced tigers, lions, deer, peacocks, and even trees to chant the Name of Krishna and dance together.\",\"He converted a learned Pathan scholar from the western provinces to Vaisnavism and gave him the name R\u0101ma d\u0101sa.\",\"He delivered Prak\u0101\u015b\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b, the leader of sixty thousand m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b sanny\u0101s\u012bs in K\u0101\u015b\u012b (V\u0101r\u0101\u1e47as\u012b), by inducing him to chant the Holy Name of Krishna.\",\"He provided sixty-one different interpretations of the &#x27;\u0100tm\u0101r\u0101ma&#x27; verse to \u015ar\u012b San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b.\",\"He bestowed divine love (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema) upon Nakula Brahmach\u0101r\u012b of Gauda-de\u015ba.\",\"He is eternally accepting the food offerings of Mother \u015aach\u012b in Nabadw\u012bpa through His supernatural presence, despite His physical residence in Jagann\u0101tha Pur\u012b.\",\"He granted dar\u015bana to His devotees at the Si\u1e41ha-dv\u0101ra in the form of a tortoise (K\u016brma) after having left His room, the Gambh\u012br\u0101, without even opening its doors.\",\"He fell into the ocean at Pur\u012b in a state of divine madness (divyonm\u0101da) and was pulled out the next day in a fisherman&#x27;s net.\",\"He manifested the Pastime of bestowing divine love upon the entire world.\"]}]},{\"slug\":\"s08\",\"title\":\"03. Scriptural Proofs of the Golden Incarnation\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Appearance of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45 ga\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Supreme Lord made His divine advent in the year 892 of the Bengali Era, on the 23rd day of Ph\u0101lguna, a Saturday, at the twilight hour of 5:00 PM (18 February 1486 AD)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Primary Invocation\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"deva-siddha-mukta-yukta-bhakta-v\u1e5bnda-vandita\u1e41\",\"p\u0101pa-t\u0101pa-d\u0101va-d\u0101ha-dagdha-du\u1e25 kha-kha\u1e47\u1e0ditam\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma-s\u012bdhu-dh\u0101ma-dhanya-d\u0101na-s\u0101gara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram\",\"(\u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Prema-dh\u0101ma-deva-stotram: 1)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I sing in praise of that beautiful Lord \u015ar\u012b Gaurasundar, the worshipable Deity of Divine Love. He is eternally adored by the demigods, the perfected souls, the liberated beings, and the entire assembly of devotees. He completely shatters the agonising distress of those scorched by the blazing forest fire of the three-fold miseries (exploitation, renunciation, and mundane meditation). He is the ocean of glorious charity, the very storehouse of the nectarean nectar of \u015ar\u012b Krishna\u2019s Holy Name\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Divinity of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanyadeva is Scripturally Established\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord&#x27;s identity is not a matter of popular vote or mundane logic, but it is pre-recorded in the revealed scriptures. This was proven in the celebrated debate between Gop\u012bn\u0101tha \u0100ch\u0101rya and S\u0101rvabhauma Bhatt\u0101ch\u0101rya:\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015bi\u1e63yaga\u0146a kahe, \u012b\u015bvara kaha kon pram\u0101\u0146e?\",\"\u0101ch\u0101rya kahe, vit-mata \u012b\u015bvara-lak\u1e63a\u0146e\",\"\u015bi\u1e63ya kahe, \u012b\u015bvara-tattva s\u0101dhi anum\u0101ne\",\"\u0101ch\u0101rya kahe, anum\u0101ne nahe \u012b\u015bvara-j\u00f1\u0101ne\",\"(CC. Madhya 6.80\u201381)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The disciples enquired: &quot;By what proof is He the Lord?&quot; The \u0100ch\u0101rya replied: &quot;By the symptoms of the Lord defined by the great sages.&quot; The disciples argued: &quot;We establish the Truth through inference (logic).&quot; The \u0100ch\u0101rya concluded: &quot;Knowledge of the Absolute is never achieved through mere inference.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Hidden Incarnation (Chhanna-avat\u0101r)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"chhanna\u1e25 kalau yad abhavas\",\"tri-yugo &#x27;tha sa tvam\",\"(SB 7.9.38)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prahl\u0101d Mah\u0101r\u0101j prayed to Lord N\u1e5bsimhadeva, &quot;O Lord! Because You appear in a hidden or disguised form in the Age of Kali, You are known as Tri-yuga (He who appears in only three ages: Satya, Tret\u0101, and Dv\u0101para).&quot; Because He adopts the internal mood of a devotee (bhakta-bh\u0101va), His Pastimes as a devotee are the predominant feature of this incarnation.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Description of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Deva\u2019s Prophecies from the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam and other scriptures\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u0101san var\u1e47\u0101s trayo hy asya g\u1e5bh\u1e47ato \u2019nuyuga\u1e41 tan\u016b\u1e25\",\"\u015buklo raktas tath\u0101 p\u012bta id\u0101n\u012b\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47at\u0101\u1e41 gata\u1e25\",\"(SB 10.8.13)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cGarga Muni revealed to Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101j: &quot;Your son accepts various forms and complexions appropriate for each age. In Satya-yuga He was white, in Tret\u0101-yuga He was red, and in the Age of Kali He shall appear in a golden form (p\u012bta). Now, in this Dv\u0101para-yuga, He has appeared in this blackish form.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"iti dv\u0101para urv-\u012b\u015ba stuvanti jagad-\u012b\u015bvaram\",\"n\u0101n\u0101-tantra-vidh\u0101nena kal\u0101v api tath\u0101 \u015b\u1e5b\u1e47u\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-var\u1e47a\u1e41 tvi\u1e63\u0101k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e41 s\u0101\u1e45 gop\u0101\u1e45 g\u0101stra-p\u0101r\u1e63adam\",\"yaj\u00f1ai\u1e25 sa\u1e45 k\u012brtana-pr\u0101yair yajanti hi sumedhasa\u1e25\",\"(SB 11.5.31\u201332)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In the Dvapara-age, the Lord of the universe is worshiped in a particular manner. Now, O King, hear from me how He is worshipped in the Age of Kali. He whose mouth ever vibrates the Name of Krishna, yet whose complexion is radiant gold; who is accompanied by His divine associates\u2014those of sharp theistic intellect (sumedhasa\u1e25 ) worship that Great Personality through the sacrifice of congregational chanting (sa\u0144k\u012brtan).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"suvar\u1e47a-var\u1e47o hem\u0101\u1e45 go var\u0101\u1e45 ga\u015bchandan\u0101\u1e45 gad\u012b\",\"sanny\u0101sa-k\u1e5bch chhama\u1e25 \u015b\u0101nto ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101-\u015b\u0101nti-par\u0101ya\u1e47a\u1e25\",\"(MB, D\u0101na-dharma, Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-sahasra-n\u0101ma-stotram 127, 75)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;He possesses a golden complexion; His limbs resemble molten gold, and His beautiful form is adorned with sandalwood paste. He accepts the renounced order of sanny\u0101sa, He is peaceful, and He is exclusively dedicated to the chanting of the Holy Name\u2014these are the celebrated symptoms of the Lord in the Age of Kali.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tom\u0101ra \u0101ge eta kath\u0101ra n\u0101hi prayojana\",\"u\u1e63ara bh\u016bmite yena b\u012bjera ropa\u0146a tom\u0101ra\",\"upare t\u1eb5ra k\u1e5bp\u0101 habe yabe e saba\",\"siddh\u0101nta tabe tumio kahibe\",\"(CC. Madhya 6.94\u2013106)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Speaking to one bound by mundane logic is like sowing seeds in a barren field. However, when His causeless mercy finally descends upon you, then you also shall understand and speak of these profound theological conclusions.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\u2014any\u0101vat\u0101ra \u015b\u0101stra-dv\u0101re\",\"j\u0101ni kalite avat\u0101ra taiche \u015b\u0101stra-v\u0101kye\",\"m\u0101ni... &#x27;svar\u016bpa&#x27;-lak\u1e63a\u0146a, \u0101ra &#x27;tata\u1e63tha&#x27;-lak\u1e63a\u0146a\",\"ei dui lak\u1e63a\u1e47e &#x27;vastu&#x27; j\u0101ne muni-ga\u0146a\",\"(CC. Madhya 20.352\u2013357)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cThe Lord instructed San\u0101tan Gosw\u0101m\u012b: &quot;One identifies the other incarnations of Godhead through the lens of the scriptures. In the same way, the advent of the Lord in Kali-yuga is accepted only by the testimony of the scriptural word. The sages discern the Absolute Reality (Vastu) by two criteria: intrinsic symptoms (svar\u016bpa-lak\u1e63a\u0146a)\u2014 such as His golden form\u2014and marginal symptoms (tata\u1e63tha-lak\u1e63a\u0146a)\u2014 such as His act of distributing divine love through sank\u012brtan.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Vedic and Upani\u1e63adic Prophecies\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Atharva Veda (Puru\u1e63a-bodhin\u012b S\u016bkta)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"saptame gaura-var\u1e47o vi\u1e63\u1e47ur ityanena pra\u015basy\u0101...\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cIn the seventh manvantara, the Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u descends in a radiant golden form. United with His own internal potency\u2014R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a combined in one\u2014He teaches the world His own divine mantra: &quot;Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"S\u0101ma Veda (Brahma-bh\u0101ga)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"tath\u0101ha\u1e41 k\u1e5bta-sanny\u0101so bh\u016b-g\u012brva\u0146o &#x27;vatari\u1e63ye t\u012bre alakanand\u0101y\u0101\u1e25 ...\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Being repeatedly and fervently petitioned by \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya, I shall descend upon the bank of the Ganges within a family of br\u0101hmanas. I shall accept the renounced order of sanny\u0101sa and become the sole refuge for those swallowed by the sins of the Age of Kali.\u201d \u015ar\u012b Chaitanyopani\u1e63ad\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"j\u0101hnav\u012b-t\u012bre navadv\u012bpe golok\u0101khye dh\u0101mni govindo dvi-bhujo gaura\u1e25 ...\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cIn the holy abode of Nabadw\u012bp on the bank of the Ganges\u2014which is known in the spiritual sky as Goloka\u2014Lord Govinda appears with two arms and a beautiful golden complexion, preaching the path of unalloyed devotion.\u201c\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"anarpita-char\u012b\u1e41 chir\u0101t karu\u0146ay\u0101vat\u012br\u0146a\u1e25 kalau\",\"samarpayitum unnatotjjvala-ras\u0101\u1e41 sva-bhakti-\u015briyam\",\"hari\u1e25 pura\u021ba-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sand\u012bpita\u1e25\",\"sad\u0101 h\u1e5bdaya-kandare sphuratu va\u1e25 \u015bach\u012b-nandana\u1e25\",\"(Vidagdha-m\u0101dhava 1.2)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"May the Golden Lord, the Sweet Son of \u015aach\u012b Dev\u012b, be ever-manifest within the innermost cave of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in this Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow the most exalted and brilliant mellow of His own service (madhura rasa), which had not been given to the world since the lqst kalpa.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-chaitanya-gaur\u0101\u1e45 gau gaurachandra\u1e25\",\"\u015bach\u012bsuta\u1e25 prabhur gauro gaurahari-n\u0101m\u0101ni\",\"bhakti-d\u0101ni me (Ananta-samhit\u0101)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Holy Names\u2014\u2018\u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Chaitanya\u2019, \u2018Gaur\u0101\u1e45 ga\u2019, \u2018Gaurachandra\u2019, \u2018\u015aach\u012bsuta\u2019, \u2018Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019, \u2018Gaura\u2019, and \u2018Gaurahari\u2019\u2014are the very givers of the treasure of divine love.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"athav\u0101ha\u1e41 dhar\u0101dh\u0101me bh\u016btv\u0101 mad-bhakta-r\u016bpa-\",\"dh\u1e5bk m\u0101y\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 cha bhavi\u1e63y\u0101mi kalau sa\u0144k\u012brtan\u0101game\",\"(Brahma-yamala)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I shall descend upon this earth plane garbed in the form of My own devotee. In the holy land of M\u0101y\u0101pura, I shall appear in this Age of Kali to inaugurate the grand movement of congregational chanting, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u0144k\u012brtana.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101m\u0101di-m\u016brti\u1e63u kal\u0101-niyamena ti\u1e63\u1e6dhan\",\"n\u0101n\u0101vat\u0101ram akarod bhuvane\u1e63u kintu k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e25\",\"svaya\u1e41 samabhavat parama\u1e25 pum\u0101n yo\",\"govindam \u0101di-puru\u1e63a\u1e41 tam aha\u1e41 bhaj\u0101mi\",\"(Brahma-samhit\u0101 5.39)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who manifested Himself in this world as Krsna, the Supreme Person. Although He exists eternally in various partial forms and Avat\u0101rs such as Lord R\u0101ma and others, He is the original, complete Personality of Godhead, the Sweet Absolute Himself.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"y\u1eb3ra bhagavatt\u0101 haite anyera bhagavatt\u0101\",\"svayam-bhagav\u0101n \u015babdera t\u0101h\u0101tei satt\u0101\",\"(CC. \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.88)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;He from whom all others derive their divinity is the only one who can rightly be called Svayam Bhagav\u0101n, the Supreme Lord in His own essential being.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The sun-like Pur\u0101\u0146a, the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam, has sung the glories of Krishna&#x27;s original Godhead in this way:\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ete ch\u0101\u1e41\u015ba-kal\u0101\u1e25 pumsa\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47as tu bhagav\u0101n svayam\",\"indr\u0101ri-vy\u0101kulam loka\u1e41 m\u1e5bdayanti yuge yuge\",\"(SB. 1.3.28)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;All these aforementioned incarnations of the Lord are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Puru\u1e63a-avat\u0101rs. But Krishna is the Original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Sweet Absolute Himself.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"While incarnations like \u015ar\u012b R\u0101ma and N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadev are portions or manifestations of the Puru\u1e63a avat\u0101rs, \u015ar\u012b Krishna is the L\u012bl\u0101- puru\u1e63ottama who eternally resides in the highest plane of divine ecstasy, \u015ar\u012b Goloka Vrnd\u0101van. That original Vrnd\u0101van consists of two distinct yet non-different chambers: &#x27;Krishna-p\u012b\u021bha&#x27; and &#x27;Gaura-p\u012b\u021bha&#x27;. The Supreme Absolute \u015ar\u012b Krishna, when engaged in the ecstasies of union (sambhoga-l\u012bl\u0101), is known as the son of Mother Ya\u015bod\u0101 in Krishna-p\u012b\u021ba. Simultaneously, when He becomes overwhelmed and submerged in the mood of separation (vipralambha-l\u012bl\u0101), He appears in Gaura-p\u012b\u021ba as the son of Mother \u015aach\u012b, the golden Lord &#x27;Gaurahari&#x27;.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Within the Ananta-sa\u1e41hit\u0101, Lord \u015aiva (Mah\u0101dev) has elucidated the deep meaning of the Name \u2018Gaurahari.\u2019\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"gaur\u012b \u015br\u012b-r\u0101dhik\u0101 dev\u012b hari\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e25 prak\u012brtita\u1e25 ek\u0101tmatv\u0101t tayoh s\u0101k\u1e63\u0101d iti gauraharim vidu\u1e25\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The golden Goddess is \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, and the Lord known as Hari is \u015ar\u012b Krishna. Because They have now become vividly one in heart and halo, the learned know this combined form as Gaurahari\u201d.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Essential Truth of the Combined Form: \u015ar\u012b Gaurahari\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The union of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101\u2014known as \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u012b\u2014and \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47achandra\u2014known as &quot;Hari&quot;\u2014is the supremely glorious manifestation celebrated by the Name \u201cGaurahari.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Gaurasundara does not descend as the Yuga-avat\u0101r (the incarnation for the age) in every Kali yuga. Similarly, the descent of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47achandra does not occur in every Dv\u0101para-yuga. Within one day of Lord Brahm\u0101, among the fourteen Manvantaras, it is only during the twenty-eighth Chatur yuga of the seventh Manvantara (known as the Vaivasvata Manvantara) that Svayam Golokan\u0101th \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47achandra personally descends to the earthly plane along with His &#x27;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u012b\u021bha.&#x27; Immediately following that specific Dv\u0101para-yuga, in the Age of Kali, the Lord of the other chamber of V\u1e5bnd\u0101van \u2014the Master of &#x27;Gaura-p\u012b\u021bha,&#x27; \u015ar\u012b Gaurasundar\u2014manifests Himself within the holy land of Gauda mandala.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The primary religious practice for the Age of Kali, which is Hari-n\u0101ma- sa\u0144k\u012brtana, can be inaugurated by any Yuga-avat\u0101r. However, the manifestation of that most exalted and most brilliant prema bhakti\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"(Divine Love) pertaining to the internal pastimes of &#x27;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u012b\u021bha&#x27; is not possible through any partial incarnation (am\u015ba-avat\u0101ra). Such a grand distribution can only be achieved by \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47achandra Himself or by \u015ar\u012b Gaurahari, who is saturated with the mood of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 (r\u0101dh\u0101 bh\u0101va-suvalitam).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cJust as a king is surrounded by his ministers and associates while touring his kingdom, similarly, when Svayam Bhagav\u0101n (the Original Lord) makes His advent, all L\u012bl\u0101-avat\u0101rs, Yuga-avat\u0101rs, and Manvantara-avat\u0101rs merge within Him and accompany Him. This is the significance of His appearance with His &quot;limbs and weapons.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-var\u1e47a\u1e41 tvi\u1e63\u0101k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e41 s\u0101\u1e45 gop\u0101\u1e45 g\u0101stra-p\u0101r\u1e63adam\",\"yaj\u00f1ai\u1e25 sa\u1e45 k\u012brtana-pr\u0101yair yajanti hi sumedhasa\u1e25\",\"(SB. 11.5.32)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In the Age of Kali, those of sharp theistic intellect (sumedhasa\u1e25 ) worship the Supreme Lord, who constantly vibrates the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-var\u1e47am), whose complexion is not blackish but radiant gold (tvi\u1e63\u0101k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47am), and who is accompanied by His divine limbs, ornaments, weapons, and confidential associates. They worship Him through the sacrifice of congregational chanting (sa\u1e45 k\u012brtan).\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"dhyeya\u1e41 sad\u0101 paribhava-ghnam abh\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da-doham\",\"t\u012brth\u0101spada\u1e41 \u015biva-viri\u00f1chi-nuta\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47yam\",\"bh\u1e5bty\u0101rti-ha\u1e41 pra\u1e47ata-p\u0101la bhav\u0101bdhi-potam\",\"vande mah\u0101-puru\u1e63a te chara\u1e47\u0101ravindam\",\"(SB. 11.5.33)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O guardian of the surrendered souls (pra\u1e47ata-p\u0101la), O great personality (mah\u0101-puru\u1e63a)\u2014the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, who enacts His divine Pastimes as a pure devotee\u2014You alone are the Reality to be constantly meditated upon by the pure souls. You are the destroyer of the soul\u2019s illusion and the divine wish-fulfilling tree, the refuge of all devotees. Worshipable by \u015aiva and Viri\u00f1chi (Lord \u015aiva in the form of \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya and Lord Brahm\u0101 in the form of N\u0101m\u0101ch\u0101rya Harid\u0101s Th\u0101kur), You are the shelter of all and everything, and You are the dispeller of Your devotee\u2019s suffering. You are the only boat for crossing the ocean of this material world of suffering (the ocean of the desire for mundane enjoyment and liberation). I do worship Your holy lotus feet.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tyaktv\u0101 sudustyaja-surepsita-r\u0101jya-lak\u1e63m\u012b\u1e41\",\"dharmi\u1e63\u1e6dha \u0101rya-vachas\u0101 yad ag\u0101d ara\u1e47yam\",\"m\u0101y\u0101-m\u1e5bga\u1e41 dayitayepsitam anvadh\u0101vad\",\"vande mah\u0101-puru\u1e63a te chara\u1e47\u0101ravindam\",\"(SB. 11.5.34)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Supreme Lord, You abandoned the Goddess of Fortune and Her vast, celestial opulence, which is most difficult to forsake and is coveted even by the demigods. To properly establish and preach the path of regulative devotion, You accepted the words of a br\u0101hmana&#x27;s curse as Your honour and entered the forest. You pursue the fallen souls who are in search of fleeting pleasures to deliver them and bless them with the right to serve Your lotus feet. Simultaneously, You are searching for Your own Self; You are in search of that \u015ar\u012b Krishna who is the Absolute Truth and Reality the Beautiful.&quot;\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s09\",\"title\":\"04. The Identity of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and His Avat\u0101rs\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\",\"sank\u012brtana-\u0101rambhe moh\u0101ra avat\u0101ra\",\"kar\u0101imu sarva-de\u015be k\u012brtana prach\u0101ra\",\"(CB, \u0100di 5.151)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cThe Lord declared: &quot;My advent is specifically for the inauguration of the congregational chanting of the Holy Name (sank\u012brtan). I shall personally ensure that the message and practice of this k\u012brtan are preached and spread in every country and every land throughout the world.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"2. Is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Truly Svayam Bhagav\u0101n (The Supreme Lord)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ei mate k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101r\u0101ja-r\u0101je\u015bvara kartt\u0101-hartt\u0101\",\"brahma-\u015biva y\u0101h\u0101ra ki\u0144kara s\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6di \u0101di kariteo\",\"diy\u0101chena \u015bakt \u015b\u0101sti karileo keha n\u0101 kare dwirukt\",\"ram\u0101-\u0101di, bhav\u0101di-o k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-datta p\u0101ya prabhu sebakera\",\"do\u1e63a k\u015famaye sad\u0101ya apar\u0101dha dekhi&#x27; k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a y\u0101ra\",\"\u015b\u0101sti kare janme janme d\u0101sa sei, balila tom\u0101re\",\"(CB, Madhya 17.94\u201397)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: &quot;In this way, Krishna is the Supreme Emperor of emperors. He is the Creator and Destroyer, and even Brahma and \u015aiva are but His humble servants. He has endowed them with the power to perform creation and other universal functions, yet if He chooses to punish them, no one utters a word of protest. Laksmi (Ram\u0101), \u015aiva (Bhava), and all others receive the mercy and direction of Krishna. The Lord always forgives the faults of His own servants. I tell you, even when Krishna sees an offence and punishes someone, that soul remains His servant birth after birth.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"3. Does God have a Father and Mother?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to Mother \u015aach\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: &quot;Mother, please steady your mind. Listen to the history of all the births in which I have been your son. Listen with full attention to your own previous names. In an ancient time, your name was P\u1e5b\u015bni, and there you were My mother. Then you appeared in the heavenly plane as Aditi yourself, and I appeared as the V\u0101mana Avatar to be Your son.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Then you became Devah\u016bti, and I was again Your son, Kapila. Thereafter, you became Kau\u015baly\u0101, and I was your son, R\u0101machandra. Then you appeared in Mathur\u0101 as Devak\u012b and were held in the prison of the demon Kamsa; there also you were My mother. You are that same Devak\u012b, and I am your son.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In this present age, for the inauguration of the congregational chanting (sank\u012brtan), I shall twice more become your son without delay. You are My worshippable form as Mother Earth, and you are the Mother of the Name (n\u0101mera janan\u012b). In this way, you are My mother birth after birth; there is no separation between you and Me in this mortal world. I have told you these truths without any deceit; do not feel any more sorrow in your heart.&quot; Upon hearing this most confidential mystery, \u015aach\u012b\u2019s mind became steady. (CB. Madhya 27.39\u201351)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"4. What is the Divine Identity of the Supreme Lord?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s self-revelation while seated upon the throne of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u in the home of \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"je\u1e0da-h\u0101te sabe rahilena ch\u0101ri-bhite prabhu l\u0101gilena\",\"nija-tattva prak\u0101\u015bite \u2018mu\u00f1i k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, mu\u00f1i r\u0101ma, mu\u00f1i\",\"n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a mu\u00f1i matsya, mu\u00f1i k\u016brma, var\u0101ha, v\u0101mana\",\"mu\u00f1i buddha, kalki, ha\u1e41sa, mu\u00f1i haladhara\",\"mu\u00f1i p\u1e5b\u015bnigarbha, hayagr\u012bva, mahe\u015bvara\",\"mu\u00f1i n\u012bl\u0101chala-chandra, kapila, n\u1e5bsi\u1e41 ha\",\"d\u1e5b\u015by\u0101d\u1e5b\u015bya saba mora chara\u1e47era bh\u1e5btya\u2019\",\"(CB. Antya 1.250\u2013253)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"With folded hands, the devotees stood on all sides as the Lord began to reveal His own essential truth (svar\u016bpa-tattva). He declared: &quot;I am Krishna, I am R\u0101ma, and I am N\u0101r\u0101yana. I am the Fish, the Tortoise, the Boar, and the Dwarf Avat\u0101rs. I am Buddha, Kalki, Hamsa, and the holder of the plough (Balar\u0101m). I am P\u1e5b\u015bnigarbha, Hayagr\u012bva, and even Mahe\u015bvara (\u015aiva). I am the Moon of N\u012bl\u0101chal (Jagann\u0101tha), Kapila, and N\u1e5bsi\u1e41ha. Everything visible and invisible in this creation is but a humble servant of My lotus feet.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"kata mora avat\u0101ra vedeo n\u0101 j\u0101ne\",\"samprati \u0101ilu\u00f1mu\u00f1i k\u012brtana k\u0101ra\u1e47e\",\"(CB, Antya 1.264)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Vedas themselves cannot fathom the infinity of My incarnations. I have appeared at this present moment specifically for the purpose of inaugurating the congregational chanting of the Holy Name (sa\u0144k\u012brtan).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhakta ba-i \u0101m\u0101ra dvit\u012bya \u0101ra n\u0101i bhakta\",\"mora pit\u0101, m\u0101t\u0101, bandhu, putra, bh\u0101i\",\"yadyapi svatantra \u0101mi svatantra-vih\u0101ra\",\"tath\u0101piha bhakta-va\u015ba-svabh\u0101va \u0101m\u0101ra\",\"(CB, Antya 1.267\u2013268)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I have no second object of affection other than My devotee. The devotee is My father, My mother, My friend, My son, and My brother. Although I am the Absolute Autocrat and My Pastimes are completely independent, it is My very nature to be eternally subjugated by the love of My devotees.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"5. What is Brahma? What is the Veda? What is Pra\u1e47ava (Om)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to S\u0101rvabhauma Bhatt\u0101ch\u0101rya)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In His conversation with S\u0101rvabhauma Bhatt\u0101ch\u0101rya, the Lord corrected the impersonal interpretations of the scriptures:\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Vedas and Pur\u0101\u0146as establish that Brahman is the Supreme Absolute Truth. That Brahman is defined by His infinite greatness (b\u1e5bhatva) and His Godly symptoms (\u012b\u015bvara-lak\u1e63a\u1e47a). When the Vedas describe the Lord as &#x27;formless&#x27; (nirvi\u015be\u1e63a), they are specifically negating mundane, material attributes (pr\u0101k\u1e5bta) in order to establish His supramundane, spiritual nature (apr\u0101k\u1e5bta).\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The entire universe is born from Brahman, sustained by Brahman, and ultimately dissolves back into Brahman. When the Supreme Lord desired to manifest the many from His singular Self, He cast His divine glance upon His material energy (pr\u0101k\u1e5bta-\u015bakt).&quot; (CC. Madhya 6.139, 141, 143, 145)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Absolute Truth and the Danger of Misconception\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(Instruction to S\u0101rvabhauma Bhat\u1e6d\u0101ch\u0101rya)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Personal Nature of Brahman: &quot;The word &#x27;Brahman&#x27; refers to the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead. Scriptural evidence establishes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Lord Krishna.&quot; (CC. Madhya 6.147)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Three Potencies of the Lord: &quot;The nature of the Supreme Lord is comprised of eternity, knowledge, and bliss (Sat-chit-ananda). Through His internal potency (chit-shakt), He manifests in three distinct aspects.&quot; (CC. Madhya 6.158)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Condemnation of Atheism and Impersonalism: &quot;One who does not accept the Divine Form (Vigraha) of the Lord is an atheist (pashandi). Such a person is untouchable, should not be seen by the devotees, and is a candidate for the punishment of Yamaraja.&quot; The Buddhists are atheists because they do not accept the Vedas. However, those who take shelter of the Vedas only to preach atheism (impersonalism) are even more dangerous than the Buddhists.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva compiled the Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btras for the deliverance of the living beings, but if one hears the commentary of the Mayavadis, he is utterly ruined.&quot; (CC. Madhya 6.167\u2013169)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Immutable Transformation: &quot;Just as a touchstone (mani) produces vast quantities of gold without itself undergoing any change, similarly, the Supreme Lord manifests Himself as the universe, yet remains perfectly immutable and unchanged.\u201d (CC. Madhya 6.171)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Supreme Word: &quot;The sacred sound &#x27;Pranava&#x27; (Om) is the supreme declaration and the sound vibration form of the Lord. From &#x27;Pranava&#x27; all the Vedas and the entire universe have originated.\u201d (CC. Madhya 6.174)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"6. Are \u015ar\u012b Krishna and \u015ar\u012b Narayan Separate?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to Venkata Bhatta in South India)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, is so attractive that He even charms the mind of Lak\u1e63m\u012b Devi, the consort of Narayana. However, Lord Narayana in His majestic feature is unable to attract the minds of the Gopis. Philosophically, Krishna and Narayana are one and the same non dual spiritual substance (advaya-tattva), and there is no difference between the Gopis and Lak\u1e63m\u012b in their essential nature as the Lord&#x27;s energy. It is only to relish the specific sweetness of Krishna (m\u0101dhurya) that Lak\u1e63m\u012b performs penances to join the Gopis&#x27; circle. To consider the Lord separate from His various forms is an offence, as the one Supreme Lord assumes different names and forms according to the meditation and internal mood (bh\u0101va) of His devotees.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"7. Did Ravan Not Abduct Sita?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to a South Indian br\u0101hmana devotee of Lord R\u0101ma)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord\u2019s beloved consort, Sita Devi, is an embodiment of pure spiritual consciousness and ecstasy (chid-\u0101nanda-m\u016brt). Material senses possess no power to see Her, let alone touch Her. Therefore, the demon Ravana was only able to abduct an illusory shadow form (M\u0101y\u0101 Sita), never the real Sita. That the supramundane reality is beyond material perception is a truth established eternally throughout the Vedas and Pur\u0101\u0146as, specifically the K\u016brma Pur\u0101\u0146a.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"8. Why Does God Come to This World?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;I have descended specifically because of your intense worship and calls. While I was resting within the Ocean of Milk, My slumber was broken by our loud cries. Seeing the suffering of the living beings, I could not tolerate their distress, and you have brought Me here to deliver all souls. All My associates have taken birth in this world only because of you. Through you, everyone shall behold the glory of the Vaishnavas, a sight that even Lord Brahm\u0101 and other demigods constantly desire in their hearts.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"9. Are all Demigods and Goddesses K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s Potency?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction while dancing in the dress of Rukmi\u0146\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u2018laukika\u2019, \u2018vaidika\u2019 yata kichu k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-\u015bakt\",\"sab\u0101re samm\u0101ne haya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e drdha bhakti\",\"deva-droha karile k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era bada du\u1e25 kha\",\"ga\u0146a-saha k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u016bj\u0101 karile se sukha\",\"(CC. Madhya 18.148\u2013149)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"All manifestations of power, whether worldly or Vedic, are in truth the varied potencies of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. By offering proper respect to all beings and deities according to their respective positions, one&#x27;s devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a becomes resolute and fixed. To show malice or hatred toward other gods causes the Supreme Lord great pain, for they are His parts and parcels. However, when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is worshipped along with His entire entourage and associates, He feels the greatest joy.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s10\",\"title\":\"05. \u015ar\u012b Guru, Scripture, and the Essence of Education\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"1. How Should One Regard the Words of the Guru?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to His own Spiritual Master, \u015ar\u012b \u012a\u015bvara Pur\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;A devotee&#x27;s words are a direct description of Krishna. One who searches for faults within them is a &#x27;sinner&#x27;. A devotee&#x27;s poetic expression, regardless of its technical composition, certainly and in every way affords pleasure to Lord Krishna. A fool might incorrectly say &#x27;vi\u1e63\u1e47\u0101ya&#x27; while a sober scholar correctly says &#x27;vi\u1e63\u1e47ave&#x27;; yet the Supreme Lord, the Great Hero, accepts both statements.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"m\u016brkho vadati vi\u1e63\u1e47\u0101ya dh\u012bro vadati vi\u1e63\u1e47ave\",\"ubhayos tu samam pu\u1e47yam bh\u0101va-gr\u0101h\u012b jan\u0101rdana\u1e25\",\"(CB, \u0100di 11.105\u2013108)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The fool says &#x27;vi\u1e63\u1e47\u0101ya&#x27; and the scholar says &#x27;vi\u1e63\u1e47ave&#x27;, yet the merit of both is equal, for Jan\u0101rdana (the Lord) accepts the internal mood (bh\u0101va).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"2. What is the True Purpose of Education?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to the student community)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;Krishna\u2019s Name is the Truth for all time. All the revealed scriptures speak of nothing but Krishna. Krishna is the Destroyer, the Creator, and the Maintainer; He is the Supreme Controller. Brahma, \u015aiva, and all others are merely the servants of Krishna.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One who abandons the lotus feet of Krishna and explains anything else simply wastes his life in the utterance of falsehood. The \u0100gamas, the Ved\u0101nta, and all other philosophical systems conclude that devotion at Krishna\u2019s feet is the only real wealth. Professors who are bewildered by Krishna&#x27;s illusory energy (m\u0101y\u0101) abandon the path of devotion to Krishna and run after other mundane directions.&quot; (CB, Madhya 1.148\u2013152)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015b\u0101strera n\u0101 j\u0101ne marma, adhy\u0101pan\u0101 kare\",\"garddabhera pr\u0101ya yena \u015b\u0101stra bahi&#x27; mare\",\"padi\u00f1\u0101 \u015buni\u00f1\u0101 loka gela chh\u0101re-kh\u0101re\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mahotsave va\u00f1chil\u0101 t\u0101h\u0101re\",\"(CB, Madhya 1.158\u2013159)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Those who do not know the inner purport of the scriptures, yet occupy the chair of a professor, are like asses bearing a heavy burden of books in vain. Through their mundane reading and hearing, such people only meet with spiritual destruction; they are utterly deprived of the grand, ecstatic festival of \u015ar\u012b Krishna\u2019s divine love.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ye-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era n\u0101me haya jagata pavitra\",\"n\u0101 bale du\u1e25 khita j\u012bva t\u0101nh\u0101ra charitra\",\"(CB, Madhya 1.162)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"By the transcendental vibration of Krishna\u2019s Holy Name, the entire universe is purified. Yet, the miserable souls of this world, captured by the darkness of ignorance, do not chant the glories of His divine character.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015buna, bh\u0101i-saba! satya \u0101m\u0101ra vachana\",\"bhajaha am\u016blya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u0101da-padma-dhana\",\"(CB, Madhya 1.165)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O My brothers, please listen! My words are the absolute truth. Abandon all other pursuits and worship the priceless treasure of the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Krishna.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"3. What should be the conduct between Guru and disciple?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to His disciples on the bank of the Ganges)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015buna, bh\u0101i saba, ei kahi tattva-kath\u0101 aha\u0144k\u0101ra\",\"n\u0101 sahena \u012b\u015bvara sarvath\u0101 ye-ye-gu\u0146e matta\",\"ha-i&#x27; kare aha\u0144k\u0101ra ava\u015bya \u012b\u015bvara t\u0101h\u0101 karena\",\"sa\u1e41h\u0101ra phalavanta v\u1e5bk\u1e63a \u0101ra gu\u0146avanta jana\",\"\u2018namrat\u0101&#x27; se t\u0101h\u0101ra svabh\u0101va anuk\u015fa\u0146a haihaya,\",\"nahu\u0219a, ve\u0146a, b\u0101\u0146a, naraka, r\u0101va\u0146a mah\u0101-digvijay\u012b\",\"\u015buniy\u0101chha ye-ye-jana bujha dekhi, k\u0101&#x27;ra garba&#x27;\",\"ch\u016br\u1e47a n\u0101hi haya? sarvath\u0101 \u012b\u015bvara aha\u0144k\u0101ra n\u0101hi saya\",\"(CB, \u0100di 13.43\u201347)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Listen, My brothers, to this essential truth: The Supreme Lord never tolerates pride in any form. Whatever quality makes a person intoxicated with ego, the Lord will surely destroy that vanity. Just as a tree laden with fruit or a person possessing genuine virtues is characterized by constant humility, so must a servant of the Lord remain. Consider the great world-conquerors of history\u2014 Haihaya, Nahusa, Vena, Bana, Naraka, and Ravana; see for yourself, was not their pride eventually crushed to dust? The Absolute will never endure the arrogance of the finite soul.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"4. Who is a Real Pandita (Scholar)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to the world-conquering scholar, Ke\u015bava K\u0101\u015bm\u012br\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u2018digvijaya kariba\u2019 \u2014 vidy\u0101ra k\u0101ryya nahe \u012b\u015bvare\",\"bhajile, se vidy\u0101 \u2018satya\u2019 kahe mana diy\u0101 bujha,\",\"deha chh\u0101diy\u0101 chalile dhana v\u0101 pauru\u015fa sa\u0144ge\",\"kichhu n\u0101hi chale eteke mah\u0101tm\u0101 saba sarva\",\"parihari\u2019 karena \u012b\u015bvara-sev\u0101 d\u1e5b\u1e0dha-chitta kari\u2019\",\"eteke chh\u0101diy\u0101 vi\u015bva, sakala ja\u00f1j\u0101la \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\",\"chara\u0146a giy\u0101 bhajaha sakala y\u0101vat mara\u0146a\",\"n\u0101hi upasanna haya t\u0101vat sevaha k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a kariy\u0101\",\"ni\u015bchaya sei se vidy\u0101ra phala j\u0101niha ni\u015bchaya\",\"\u2018k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u0101da-padme yadi chitta-vitta raya\u2019 mah\u0101\",\"upade\u015ba ei kahilu\u0148 tom\u0101re \u2018sarve vi\u015f\u0146u-bhakti\",\"satya ananta-sa\u1e41s\u0101re\u2019\",\"(CB, \u0100di 13.173\u2013179)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;To think, &#x27;I shall conquer all directions,&#x27; is not the true purpose of education. If one worships the Supreme Lord, only then is that learning called \u2018Truth\u2019. Understand this deeply: when the soul finally departs the body, neither accumulated wealth nor worldly prowess accompanies it. Therefore, the truly great souls abandon all mundane attachments and serve the Lord with a resolute heart.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Abandon this world and all its entanglements, and worship the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Krishna. Until the very moment death approaches, serve Krishna with absolute dedication. Know for certain that the only real fruit of learning is that one\u2019s heart and wealth remain eternally dedicated to the lotus feet of Krishna. I give you this supreme instruction: \u2018Devotion to Lord Vi\u015f\u0146u is the only Truth in this endless world of birth and death\u2019.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"5. Who is Qualified to study the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b Dev\u0101nanda Pandit)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The ultimate goal of human life, devotion (bhakt), is found only within the Bh\u0101gavatam. All four Vedas declare that the Bh\u0101gavatam is the embodiment of Divine Love (prema-r\u016bpa).\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ch\u0101ri veda\u2014&#x27;dadhi&#x27;, bh\u0101gavata\u2014&#x27;navan\u012bta&#x27;\",\"mathilena \u015buke, kh\u0101ilena par\u012bk\u0219ita\",\"(CB, Madhya 21.15\u201316)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The four Vedas are like yogurt, and the Bh\u0101gavatam is the butter. \u015auka Muni churned that yogurt, and Mah\u0101r\u0101j Par\u012bk\u1e63it ate the cream&quot;.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Bh\u0101gavatam is the &quot;ripe fruit&quot; of the Vedic desire-tree. One who is a &quot;servant of the servant&quot; of the Lord attains the qualification to taste this nectar, while the dry scholars are deprived of its sweetness. The Lord declared: &quot;Whoever explains the Bh\u0101gavatam without the light of devotion knows nothing of its true meaning. Those who possess the vanity of thinking they have &#x27;understood&#x27; the Bh\u0101gavatam can never truly grasp its evidence. Only one who views the Bh\u0101gavatam with the understanding that it is the inconceivable Supreme Lord Himself can know its essence, which is the very nectar of devotion.\u201d (CB, Madhya 21.20, 24\u201325)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"6. From whom should we hear the words of God?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b Dev\u0101nanda Pandit)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;Listen, O br\u0101hmana, you should explain the Bh\u0101gavatam in this way: never let anything but devotion (bhakt) escape your mouth. From beginning to middle to end, the Bh\u0101gavatam declares this: devotion to Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u is eternal, perfect, and imperishable.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u0101di-madhya-ante bh\u0101gavate ei kaya\",\"vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhakti nitya\u2014siddha ak\u1e63aya avyaya\",\"(CB, Antya 3.505\u2013506)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;All the scriptures speak only of devotion to Krishna (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakt); but the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam specifically is the very embodiment of the mellows of Krishna (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-rasamaya).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Just as the Lord&#x27;s incarnations, such as the Fish and Tortoise, appear and disappear, so too, the Bh\u0101gavatam is not authored by anyone; it appears and disappears by its own will. Through the power of devotion (bhakti-yoga), it manifested on the tongue of Vy\u0101sadeva only by the mercy of Krishna. Just as the truth of the Lord is inconceivable, all the scriptures sing of the Bh\u0101gavatam in this same way. Those who possess the pride of thinking &#x27;I understand the Bh\u0101gavatam&#x27; do not actually know its evidence. But one who takes shelter of the Bh\u0101gavatam in the mood of an innocent child beholds its true meaning. The Bh\u0101gavatam is the very limb of \u015ar\u012b Krishna, full of divine love; within it are described all the confidential treasures of Krishna.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"7. Who is greater\u2014Vy\u0101sa \u1e6c h\u0101kura or \u015aa\u1e45 kar\u0101c\u0101rya?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to Prak\u0101\u015b\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b and the 60,000 sanny\u0101s\u012bs in Kashi)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101de karil\u0101 yata do\u0219era \u0101khy\u0101na\",\"sabe ei j\u0101ni\u2019 \u0101ch\u0101ryera kalpita vy\u0101khy\u0101na\",\"(CC, Madhya 25.86)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord pointed out the numerous defects within the m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101da (impersonalist) philosophy. He explained that \u015aankar\u0101ch\u0101rya\u2019s interpretations were artificial and concocted (kalpita vy\u0101khy\u0101na), intended to temporarily conceal the real theistic purpose of the Vedas under the Lord&#x27;s own order. The Srimad-Bhagavatam remains the only natural and authentic commentary on the Vedanta-sutras. To follow the path of impersonalism is to enter a &quot;Samadhi Phantom&quot; where the soul is buried in a long, deep, and unproductive slumber.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"8. What Happens if the Guru is Not Respected?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to Vallabha Bhatta)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101me bahu artha n\u0101 m\u0101ni\",\"\u2018\u015by\u0101masundara\u2019 \u2018ya\u015bod\u0101nandana\u2019 eim\u0101tra j\u0101ni\",\"(Cc. Antya 7.81)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015br\u012bdhara-sv\u0101m\u012b-pras\u0101de \u2018bh\u0101gavata\u2019 j\u0101ni\",\"jagad-guru \u015br\u012bdhara-sv\u0101m\u012b \u2018guru\u2019 kari m\u0101ni\",\"(Cc. Antya 7.129)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015br\u012bdhar\u0101nugata kara bh\u0101gavata-vy\u0101khy\u0101na\",\"abhim\u0101na chh\u0101\u1e0di&#x27; bhaja k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhagav\u0101n\",\"apar\u0101dha chh\u0101\u1e0di&#x27; kara k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sa\u0144k\u012brtana\",\"achir\u0101t p\u0101be tabe k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era chara\u0146a\",\"(Cc. Antya 7.132\u2013133)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord taught that we should not pride ourselves on complex, scholarly interpretations of the Name, but simply know that Krishna is &#x27;Shy\u0101masundar&#x27; and the &#x27;Son of Yashod\u0101&#x27;. Mahaprabhu expressed that we can only know the Bh\u0101gavatam by the grace of \u015ar\u012bdhara Sv\u0101m\u012b, whom He accepted as a Guru for the entire world. To disregard the predecessor Acharya is an act of pride that severs one&#x27;s connection to the Truth. Therefore, one must explain the Bh\u0101gavatam in strict adherence to \u015ar\u012bdhara Sv\u0101m\u012b, abandon all vanity, and worship Lord Krishna. By performing kirtan without offences and following the line of the Acharyas, one will swiftly attain the lotus feet of Krishna.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s11\",\"title\":\"06. The Ontological Truths of Bhakti and the J\u012bva\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"1. Can God be attained through karma-yoga and j\u00f1\u0101na-yoga?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Supreme Lord declared: &quot;Neither by the cultivation of knowledge (j\u00f1\u0101na), nor by fruitive action (karma), nor by the practice of meditational yoga can Lord Krishna be brought under one&#x27;s control. The only power that can subjugate the Absolute Autocrat is the nectarean mellow of divine service (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sev\u0101-rasa).\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"j\u00f1\u0101na, karma, yoga dharme nahe k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-va\u015ba\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-va\u015ba hetu eka k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sev\u0101-rasa\",\"\u2014 (Cc. \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101: 17.75)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Krishna is the Absolute Enjoyer, and the only way to reach Him is through the path of unconditional surrender and service. Knowledge and action are merely external coverings of the soul; they cannot touch the &quot;sweetness&quot; of the Absolute, which is only moved by the serving heart.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"2. What is the nature of the scriptural reasoning of the Yavanas?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to Chand K\u0101z\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord addressed the magistrate: &quot;You drink the milk of the cow, therefore she is your mother. The bull produces the grains by which you sustain your life, therefore he is your father. What kind of religion is this that you slay and devour your own mother and father? Upon what strength of reasoning do you perform such a perverse act?\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"go-dugdha kh\u0101o, g\u0101v\u012b tom\u0101ra m\u0101t\u0101\",\"v\u1e5b\u1e63a anna upaj\u0101ya, t\u0101te te\u1e45 ho pit\u0101\",\"pit\u0101-m\u0101t\u0101 m\u0101ri&#x27; kh\u0101o eb\u0101 kon dharma\",\"kon bale kara tumi emata vikalpa\",\"(CC, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101: 17.153\u2013154)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord continued: &quot;One is permitted to take the life of a living being only if one possesses the divine power to restore that life again. This is the authentic decree found within the Vedas and Pur\u0101\u0146as. Thus, in ancient times, the great sages would sacrifice old and decrepit cattle (jaradgava) only to rejuvenate them through the supernatural potency of Vedic mantras. By the power of that transcendental sound, the animal would be restored to youthful vigour. Therefore, such an act was not a slaughter, but a supreme benefit bestowed upon the soul&quot;.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"jiy\u0101ite p\u0101re yadi, tabe m\u0101re pr\u0101\u1e47\u012b\",\"veda-pur\u0101\u1e47e \u0101chhe hena \u0101j\u00f1\u0101-v\u0101\u1e47\u012b\",\"ataeva \u2018jaradgava\u2019 m\u0101re muni-ga\u1e47a\",\"veda-mantre siddha kare t\u0101\u1e45 h\u0101ra j\u012bvana\",\"jaradgava ha\u00f1\u0101 yuv\u0101 haya \u0101rab\u0101ra\",\"t\u0101te t\u0101ra vadha nahe, haya upak\u0101ra\",\"(CC, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101: 17.157\u2013159)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Unless an action is performed as a sacrifice (yaj\u00f1a) for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, it becomes the cause of further bondage in the material world. The true standard of any religious practice is its capacity to connect the soul with the service of the Absolute Centre, where all life is sacred and every action is a labour of love.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"kalik\u0101le taiche \u015bakti n\u0101hika br\u0101hma\u1e47e\",\"ataeva go-vadha keha n\u0101 kare e-kha\u1e47e\",\"(CC, \u0100di 17.160\u2013163)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cIn this Age of Kali, the br\u0101hmanas do not possess the spiritual power to restore life through the vibration of Vedic mantras; therefore, the sacrifice of cows is strictly forbidden at this time. In ancient eras, the great sages could sacrifice an old animal and, through the potency of transcendental sound, restore it to youthful vigour. Because that power is now lost, such an act is no longer a sacrifice but mere slaughter.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"a\u015bvamedha\u1e41 gav\u0101lambha\u1e41sanny\u0101sa\u1e41 pala-pait\u1e5bkam\",\"devare\u1e47a sutotpatti\u1e41 kalau pa\u00f1cha vivarjayet\",\"(Brahma-vaivarta Pur\u0101\u0146a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-janma-kha\u1e47\u1e0da 185.180)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cThe performance of horse sacrifices, the performance of cow sacrifices, the acceptance of the renounced order of sanny\u0101s (specifically karma-sanny\u0101s), the offering of meat in funeral ceremonies to the ancestors, and the begetting of children through a husband&#x27;s brother\u2014these five acts are to be avoided in the Age of Kali.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tomar\u0101 j\u012by\u0101ite n\u0101ra, vadha-m\u0101tra s\u0101ra naraka\",\"ha-ite tom\u0101ra n\u0101hika nist\u0101ra go-ange yata loma,\",\"tata sahasra vatsara go-vadhe raurava-madhye\",\"pache nirantara tom\u0101-sab\u0101ra \u015b\u0101stra-kart\u0101 seha\",\"bhr\u0101nta haila j\u0101ni&#x27; \u015b\u0101strera marma aiche \u0101j\u00f1\u0101 dila\",\"(Cc. \u0100di 17.164\u2013167)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cSince you lack the power to restore life, your actions result in nothing but murder. There is no escape from a hellish existence for you. For as many hairs as are found upon the body of a cow, the killer of that cow must rot in the &quot;Raurava&quot; hell for that many thousands of years. Even the scholars who compiled your scriptures were aware of this essential truth and thus gave these restrictive injunctions to prevent such a ghastly fate.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"3. Who is called a truly good person?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u0101m\u0101ra (manera) se k\u0101lpanika \u2018\u015buchi\u2019 v\u0101\",\"\u2018a\u015buchi\u2019 s\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dira ki do\u0219a \u0101chhe, mane bh\u0101va bujhi\",\"(CB, \u0100di 7.175)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This conception of &#x27;clean&#x27; or &#x27;unclean&#x27;, &#x27;good&#x27; or &#x27;bad&#x27;, is merely a concoction of the mundane mind. What fault can there be in the Lord&#x27;s creation? I now understand that the perception of defect lies solely within the biased impressions of my own heart.\u201d tIn the material world, all such dualities are mental concoctions. When one transcends separate interest and views the world through the interest of the Centre, Krishna, one sees that everything is adjusted and beautiful in His service.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"4. What is the duty of a living being?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to Tapan Mi\u015bra in East Bengal)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;In each of the four ages, I establish the specific religious principle (dharma) on this earth plane, and having firmly rooted that dharma, I return to My own divine abode.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"paritr\u0101\u1e47\u0101ya s\u0101dh\u016bn\u0101\u1e41 vin\u0101\u015b\u0101ya cha du\u1e63k\u1e5bt\u0101m\",\"dharma-sa\u1e41sth\u0101pan\u0101rth\u0101ya sambhav\u0101mi yuge yuge\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u0101san var\u1e47\u0101s trayo hy asya g\u1e5bh\u1e47ato &#x27;nuyuga\u1e41 tan\u016b\u1e25\",\"\u015buklo raktas tath\u0101 p\u012bta id\u0101n\u012b\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47at\u0101\u1e41 gata\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Garga Muni revealed the secret of the Lord&#x27;s complexions to Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101j: &quot;Your son accepts three different colours according to the necessity of the age: white, red, and golden (p\u012bta). Now, in this Dv\u0101para-yuga, He has appeared in this blackish form&quot;. This golden form is the special dispensation for the Age of Kali.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u1e5bte yad dhy\u0101yato vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e41 tret\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 yajato makhai\u1e25\",\"dv\u0101pare parichary\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 kalau tad dharik\u012brtan\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vi\u1e63 \u0146u, in Tret\u0101-yuga by performing grand sacrifices, and in Dv\u0101para-yuga by opulent Temple worship, is attained in the Age of Kali simply by the chanting of the Holy Name of \u015ar\u012b Hari.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Therefore, in this Age of Kali, the sacrifice of the Holy Name (N\u0101ma- yaj\u00f1a) is the only essence. No other religious practice or duty has the power to deliver the soul and carry it across the ocean of material existence. One who is intelligent will abandon all other pursuits and take exclusive shelter of the congregational chanting of the Holy Name as inaugurated by \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"r\u0101tri-dina n\u0101ma laya kh\u0101ite \u015buite t\u1eb3h\u0101ra mahim\u0101\",\"vede n\u0101hi p\u0101re dite \u015buna, mi\u015bra, kali-yuge n\u0101hi\",\"tapa-yaj\u00f1a yei jana bhaje k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, t\u1eb3ra mah\u0101bh\u0101gya\",\"ataeva g\u1e5bhe tumi k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhaja giy\u0101 ku\u1e6din\u0101\u021bi\",\"parihari\u2019 ek\u0101nta ha-iy\u0101 s\u0101dhya-s\u0101dhana-tattva,\",\"ye-kichu sakala harin\u0101ma-sank\u012brtane milibe sakala\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cOne who chants the Holy Name day and night, while eating and even while sleeping\u2014the Vedas themselves cannot fully describe his glory. Listen, O Mi\u015bra! In this Age of Kali, there is no need for severe austerities or grand sacrifices. One who simply worships Krishna is supremely fortunate. Therefore, return to your home and worship Krishna with exclusive dedication, abandoning all duplicity and fault- finding. Whatever truth there is to be known regarding the goal of life and the means to attain it\u2014everything shall be achieved through Hari- n\u0101ma-sank\u012brtana.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"harer n\u0101ma harer n\u0101ma harer n\u0101maiva kevalam\",\"kalau n\u0101sty eva n\u0101sty eva n\u0101sty eva gatir anyath\u0101\",\"(Brihan\u0101rad\u012bya Pur\u0101\u1e47a)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In this Age of Kali, there is no other way, no other way, no other way for spiritual deliverance but the chanting of the Holy Name, the Holy Name, the Holy Name of Lord Hari.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"hare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a hare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a hare hare\",\"hare r\u0101ma hare r\u0101ma r\u0101ma r\u0101ma hare hare\",\"ei \u015bloka n\u0101ma bali laya \u2018mah\u0101mantra\u2019\",\"\u015fola n\u0101ma-batri\u015ba ak\u015fara, ei tattva\",\"(CC, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101 14.134\u2013146)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"These sixteen Holy Names, consisting of thirty-two syllables, constitute the Mah\u0101mantra. This is the essential truth.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"5. Can a j\u00f1\u0101n\u012b attain liberation?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b Mur\u0101ri Gupta)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;The sanny\u0101s\u012b Prak\u0101\u015b\u0101nanda resides in K\u0101sh\u012b. That fellow hatefully cuts Me into pieces. He teaches the Ved\u0101nta but does not accept My Divine Form (vigraha). He has the audacity to claim that the presence of the infinite universes within My body is a falsehood. &quot;I tell you truly, Mur\u0101ri, you are My eternal servant. He who does not respect My Divine Form perishes. Even Brahm\u0101 and \u015aiva serve this Form as their life and soul\u2014that Form which all the demigods worship as the very source of their life.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"satya mora l\u012bl\u0101-karma, satya mora dh\u0101ma\",\"ih\u0101 mithy\u0101 bale, more kare kh\u0101na kh\u0101na\",\"(CB, Madhya 20.40)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My Pastimes and activities are true; My Abode is true. One who calls these things false cuts Me into pieces.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"6. What is the Lord&#x27;s Supreme Command to All Souls?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to the devotees during k\u012brtan)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord personally instructed everyone: &quot;Listen with joy to the Mah\u0101mantra of Krishna\u2019s Name: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I have given you this Mah\u0101mantra. Go and chant it with absolute dedication. Through this, everyone shall achieve all perfection. Chant it at every moment; there are no other rules for this. Gather in groups of ten or five, sit at your doorsteps, and perform k\u012brtan while clapping your hands.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"hari haraye nama\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a y\u0101dav\u0101ya nama\u1e25\",\"gop\u0101la govinda r\u0101ma sr\u012b madhus\u016bdana.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cI have revealed this sa\u0144k\u012brtana to you all. Now, go to your homes and perform it together with your wives, sons, and fathers.&quot; (CB, Madhya 23.75\u201381)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"7. Why does pride in noble birth and scholarship obstruct devotion?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to the devotees)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prema-yoge sev\u0101 karile-i k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101i m\u0101th\u0101\",\"mud\u0101ile yama-da\u1e47\u1e0da n\u0101 ed\u0101i kule, r\u016bpe,\",\"dhane, v\u0101 vidy\u0101ya kichu naya prema-yoge\",\"bhajile se k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tu\u0219ta haya\",\"(CB, Madhya 25.19\u201320)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;We can only attain Krishna by performing service in the mood of divine love (prema-yoga). Merely shaving one&#x27;s head (accepting the external garb of an ascetic) does not help one escape the punishment of Yamar\u0101j. High lineage, physical beauty, wealth, or mundane scholarship are of no value; Krishna is satisfied only when one worships Him in the bond of pure, loving service.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"8. How should one develop Faith in Krishna\u2019s will?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to the devotees on the path to N\u012bl\u0101chal)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhoktabya ad\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6de th\u0101ke ye-dine likhana ara\u1e47yeo\",\"\u0101si&#x27; mile ava\u015bya takhana prabhu y\u0101re ye-divasa\",\"n\u0101 likhe \u0101h\u0101ra r\u0101ja-putra hau tabu upav\u0101sa t\u0101ra\",\"th\u0101kileo kh\u0101ite n\u0101 p\u0101re \u0101j\u00f1\u0101-vine akasm\u0101t kalaha\",\"karaye k\u0101ro sane krodha kari&#x27; bale, \u2018mu\u00f1i n\u0101\",\"kh\u0101imu bh\u0101ta\u2019 dibya kari&#x27; rahe nija \u015bire diye h\u0101ta\",\"athab\u0101 sakala drabya haile vidyam\u0101na \u0101chambite\",\"dehe jvara haila adhi\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101na jvara-vedan\u0101ya koth\u0101\",\"th\u0101kila bhak\u1e63a\u0146a ataeva \u012b\u015bvarera ichchh\u0101 se k\u0101ra\u1e47a\",\"tribhuvane k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a diy\u0101chhena anna chchhanda\",\"\u012b\u015bvarera ichchh\u0101 th\u0101ke milibe sarvatra\",\"(CB, Antya 2.41\u201347)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;Whatever is destined to be enjoyed on a particular day, according to the records of Providence, will certainly manifest even in the heart of a trackless forest. If the Lord has not ordained sustenance for someone on a given day, even if he be a prince, he must fast. Even when food is present, one cannot partake without His sanction. Suddenly a quarrel arises, or one becomes angry and vows, &#x27;I shall not eat!&#x27;, or perhaps a sudden fever occupies the body, and in that pain, the thought of eating vanishes. Therefore, understand that the will of the Lord is the ultimate cause of all things. Krishna has provided the arrangement for sustenance throughout the three worlds; if it is His will, it shall be found everywhere.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"9. What are the kinds of Offences against the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to a certain br\u0101hmana)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;O br\u0101hmana, faults and qualities do not arise in one who is a mah\u0101-adhik\u0101r\u012b (a highly advanced soul).\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"na mayy ek\u0101nta-bhakt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 gu\u1e47a-do\u1e63odbhav\u0101 gu\u1e47\u0101\u1e25\",\"s\u0101dh\u016bn\u0101\u1e41 sama-chitt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 buddhe\u1e25 param upeyus\u0101m\",\"(\u015aB, 11.20.36)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Unless one is Lord \u015aiva himself, if one attempts to drink poison, he will surely die; this is the conclusion of all the Pur\u0101\u0146as. Similarly, if a mah\u0101-adhik\u0101r\u012b performs an act that would be a fault in an ordinary man, and someone else mocks or criticises him for it, that critic will perish.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"naitat sam\u0101charej j\u0101tu manas\u0101pi hy an\u012b\u015bvara\u1e25 vina\u015byaty\",\"\u0101charan mau\u1e0dhy\u0101d yath\u0101 &#x27;rudro &#x27;bdhi ja\u1e41 vi\u1e63am\",\"(\u015aB, 10.33.30)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One should never even mentally imitate the actions of the powerful controllers of the universe. Due to foolishness, if one who is not Lord \u015aiva attempts to drink the poison born of the ocean, one meets with destruction. One who worships Me but does not worship My devotee is arrogant; such a person is not a fit recipient of My grace.&quot; (CC, Madhya 6.26\u201331)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"10. Are Karm\u012bs and J\u00f1\u0101n\u012bs (Materialists and Gnostics) Devotees?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to the great scholar Raghavacharya at the Madhva Math in Udupi)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"karmi, j\u00f1\u0101n\u012b, dui bhakti-h\u012bna sakala\",\"samprad\u0101ye dekhi sei dui chihna\",\"(CC, Madhya 9.276)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared that those dedicated to fruitive action (karm\u012bs) and those dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge (j\u00f1\u0101n\u012bs) are both devoid of pure devotion. These two characteristics are observed throughout all the various religious schools.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"karma-ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, karma-ty\u0101ga sarva-\u015b\u0101stre kahe\",\"karma haite prema-bhakti k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e kabhu nahe\",\"(CC, Madhya 9.263)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"While all revealed scriptures discuss the performance of duty (karma- nisth\u0101) and the renunciation of duty (karma-ty\u0101ga), it must be understood that divine love (prema-bhakt) for Krishna can never arise from mundane actions.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"pa\u00f1cha-vidha mukti ty\u0101ga kare bhakta-ga\u0146a\",\"phalku kari&#x27; mukti dekhe narakera sama\",\"(CC, Madhya 9.267)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The pure devotees reject the five types of liberation (mukti). They see such &quot;freedom&quot; as insignificant and equal to hell, as it lacks the dynamic service of the Lord.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"11. Why are the Devotee and the Lord Inseparable?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012b V\u0101sudev Datta)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sei satya kare, yei m\u0101ge bh\u1e5btya\",\"bh\u1e5btya-v\u0101\u00f1chh\u0101-p\u016bra\u0146a vin\u0101 n\u0101hi anya k\u1e5btya\",\"(CC, Madhya 15.166)\",\"tumi y\u0101ra hita v\u0101\u00f1chha, se haila vai\u1e63\u1e47ava\",\"vai\u1e63\u1e47avera p\u0101pa k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, d\u016bra kare saba\",\"(CC, Madhya 15.169)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Krishna is the Absolute Autocrat, yet He is subjugated by the affection of His servants. He exists to fulfill the desires of His devotees, for He considers their will to be His own. When a selfless devotee like V\u0101sudeva Datta\u2014who prayed to take the sins of all souls upon himself\u2014desires the welfare of others, the Lord immediately transforms those souls into Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. Once they are identified as His own, Krishna uproots all their sins, as they have entered His family of grace.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"12. Can the J\u012bva (Soul) become Brahman or God?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b Raghun\u0101tha Bhatt\u0101ch\u0101rya)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\u2014vi\u1e63\u1e47u! vi\u1e63\u1e47u! ih\u0101 n\u0101 kahib\u0101\",\"j\u012bv\u0101dhame \u2018k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019-j\u00f1\u0101na kabhu n\u0101 karib\u0101\",\"sanny\u0101s\u012b\u2014 chit-kana j\u012bva, kira\u0146a-ka\u0146a-sama\",\"\u1e63adai\u015bvaryap\u016br\u0146a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a haya s\u016bryopama\",\"j\u012bva, \u012b\u015bvara-tattva\u2014 kabhu nahe \u2018sama\u2019\",\"jvalad-agnir\u0101\u015bi yaiche sphulingera \u2018ka\u0146a\u2019\",\"(CC, Madhya 18.111\u2013113)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord exclaimed, &quot;O Vishnu! Vishnu! Never speak like this!. One should never think that a lowly living entity is equal to Krishna. A soul is but a tiny, conscious spark (chit-kana), like a molecular particle of sunshine, whereas Krishna is the Supreme Sun, replete with six absolute opulences. The soul and the Supreme Lord can never be equal, just as a single spark can never be equal to a blazing fire.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"yei m\u016b\u1e0dha kahe,\u2014j\u012bva \u012b\u015bvara haya \u2018sama\u2019\",\"sei ta \u2018p\u0101\u1e63and\u012b\u2019 haya, dande t\u0101re yama\",\"yas tu n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47am deva\u1e41 brahma-rudr\u0101di-daivatai\u1e25\",\"samatvenaiva v\u012bk\u1e63eta sa p\u0101\u1e63and\u012b bhaved dhruvam\",\"(CC, Madhya 18.115\u2013116)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The fool who claims that the living being is equal to the Lord is an atheist (p\u0101\u1e63and\u012b) and is destined to be punished by Yamar\u0101ja. One who considers the Supreme Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a to be on the same level as demigods like Brahm\u0101 and \u015aiva is surely a p\u0101\u1e63and\u012b.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"13. What is the Nature of Bhakti (Devotion)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b in Pray\u0101g)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\u2014\u015buna, r\u016bpa, \u2018bhakti-rasera lak\u1e63a\u0146a\u2019\",\"s\u016bk\u1e63ma-r\u016bpa kahi, vist\u0101ra n\u0101 y\u0101ya var\u1e47ana\",\"(CC, Madhya 19.136)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: &quot;Listen, O R\u016bpa, I shall describe the symptoms of the nectar of devotion (bhakti rasa). I will speak only of its subtle essence, for it is so vast that it cannot be fully described. The living entities are wandering throughout the eighty-four lakh species of life across the entire universe. The size of the individual soul (j\u012bva) is so subtle that it is like a ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair; understand this to be the soul&#x27;s essential nature.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"14. What is the true nature (form) of the living being?\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The soul is a marginal potency (tatastha-\u015bakt), an atomic pinpoint of consciousness. When this infinitesimal soul connects with the infinite &quot;Ocean of Nectar&quot; through the process of bhakt, it attains a joy that makes even the bliss of merging into Brahman seem like the water in a cow&#x27;s hoofprint. Pure devotion is independent of mundane knowledge and is born only from the association of those whose hearts are already melted in the love of \u015ar\u012b Hari.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"s\u0101dhana-bhakti haite haya \u2018ratira\u2019 udaya rati\",\"g\u0101\u1e0dha haile t\u0101ra \u2018prema\u2019 n\u0101ma kaya prema\",\"v\u1e5bddhi krame n\u0101ma\u2014sneha, m\u0101na, pra\u1e47aya\",\"r\u0101ga, anur\u0101ga, bh\u0101va, mah\u0101bh\u0101va haya\",\"(CC, Madhya 19.177\u2013178)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"From the practice of regulated devotion (s\u0101dhana-bhakt), the sprout of ecstatic attachment (rati) awakens in the heart. When that attachment becomes condensed and deep, it is called prema, or pure divine love. As prema intensifies, it assumes different names according to its depth and variegated nature: sneha (affection), m\u0101na (jealous pride), pra\u1e47aya (intimacy), r\u0101ga (attachment), anur\u0101ga (further attachment), bh\u0101va (ecstasy), and finally mah\u0101bh\u0101va (the highest reach of divine love). These are progressive stages of &quot;positive immortality,&quot; where the soul is ever-increasingly overwhelmed by the nectar of the Sweet Absolute.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"(A) What is the relationship between the living being and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015b\u0101nta, d\u0101sya, sakhya, v\u0101tsalya, madhura-n\u0101ma\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti-rasa madhye e-pa\u00f1cha pradh\u0101na\",\"(CC, Madhya 19.185)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015b\u0101nta-bhakta\u2014nava-yogendra, sanak\u0101di \u0101ra\",\"d\u0101sya-bh\u0101va bhakta\u2014sarvatra sevaka ap\u0101ra\",\"sakhya bhakti\u2014\u015br\u012bd\u0101m\u0101di, pure bh\u012bm\u0101rjuna\",\"v\u0101tsalya-bhakta m\u0101t\u0101-pit\u0101, yata guru-jana\",\"madhura-rase bhaktamukhya\u2014vraje gop\u012b-ga\u1e47a\",\"mahi\u1e63\u012b-ga\u1e47a, lak\u1e63m\u012b-ga\u1e47a, asa\u1e45 khya ga\u1e47ana\",\"(CC. Madhya 19.189\u2013191)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Within the ocean of devotion to Krishna, there are five primary mellows (rasas). \u015a\u0101nta-rasa (neutrality) is exemplified by the nine Yogendras and the four Kum\u0101ras; d\u0101sya-rasa (servitude) by the countless servants of the Lord; sakhya-rasa (friendship) by the cowherd boys like \u015ar\u012bd\u0101ma and the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas like Arjuna; v\u0101tsalya- rasa (parenthood) by the elders like Nanda and Ya\u015bod\u0101; and madhura-rasa (conjugal love) by the Gopis of Vraja, the Queens of Dv\u0101rak\u0101, and the Lak\u1e63m\u012bs of Vaikuntha. All other rasas are partial or supplemental to madhura-rasa, which is the mukhya-rasa, the combination of all possible divine tastes.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"j\u012bvera \u2018svar\u016bpa\u2019 haya\u2014k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era \u2018nitya-d\u0101sa\u2019\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era \u2018ta\u1e6dasth\u0101-\u015bakti\u2019 bhed\u0101bheda-prak\u0101\u015ba\",\"s\u016bry\u0101\u1e41\u015ba-kira\u1e47a, yaiche agni-jv\u0101l\u0101-chaya\",\"sv\u0101bh\u0101vika k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era tina-prak\u0101ra \u2018\u015bakti\u2019 haya\",\"(CC, Madhya 20.108\u2013109)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era sv\u0101bh\u0101vika tina-\u015bakti-pari\u1e47at\",\"chit-\u015bakti, j\u012bva-\u015bakti, \u0101ra m\u0101y\u0101-\u015bakt vi\u1e63\u1e47u-\u015bakti\u1e25\",\"par\u0101 prokt\u0101 k\u1e63etraj\u00f1\u0101khy\u0101 tath\u0101 par\u0101\",\"avidy\u0101-karma-sa\u1e41j\u00f1\u0101ny\u0101 t\u1e5bt\u012by\u0101 \u015baktir i\u1e63yate\",\"(CC, Madhya 20.111\u2013112, Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a 6.7.61)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The constitutional nature of the soul (j\u012bva) is to be the eternal servant of Krishna. The soul is a manifestation of Krishna&#x27;s marginal potency (ta\u1e6dasth\u0101-\u015bakt), which is simultaneously one with and different from Him. Just as a ray of the sun is a partial spark of the sun, the soul is an infinitesimal conscious particle of the Lord. The Supreme Lord possesses three natural potencies: the internal spiritual potency (chit- \u015bakt), the marginal potency of the souls (j\u012bva-\u015bakt), and the external illusory potency (m\u0101y\u0101-\u015bakt).\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhuli\u2019 sei j\u012bva-an\u0101di-bahirmukha\",\"ataeva m\u0101y\u0101 t\u0101re deya sa\u1e41s\u0101ra-du\u1e25 kha\",\"kabhu svarge u\u1e6dh\u0101ya, kabhu narake \u1e0dub\u0101ya\",\"da\u1e47\u1e0dya-jane r\u0101j\u0101 yena nad\u012bte chub\u0101ya\",\"(CC, Madhya 20.117\u2013118)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"bhaya\u1e41 dvit\u012by\u0101bhinive\u015bata\u1e25 sy\u0101d \u012b\u015b\u0101d apetasya viparyayo \u2019sm\u1e5bti\u1e25 tan- m\u0101yay\u0101to budha \u0101bhajet tam bhaktyaikaye\u015ba\u1e41 guru-devat\u0101tm\u0101 (SB 11.2.37)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"When the soul forgets Krishna and turns away from Him, M\u0101y\u0101 (the illusory potency) subjects that soul to the miseries of material existence. Such a soul is tossed about like a criminal being dunked in a river by a king\u2014sometimes raised to the heavenly planes and sometimes submerged in hell. This state of fear and illusion arises from separate interest\u2014the misconception that we are the masters of our environment rather than servants of the Absolute. Therefore, the intelligent should worship the Supreme Lord with exclusive devotion, knowing \u015ar\u012b Guru to be their dearmost friend and guide.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"aiv\u012b hye\u1e63\u0101 gu\u1e47amay\u012b mama m\u0101y\u0101 duratyay\u0101\",\"m\u0101m eva ye prapadyante m\u0101y\u0101m et\u0101\u1e41 taranti te\",\"(Bhagavad Gita 7.14)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cKrishna declares that His illusory potency is insurmountable for the finite soul. Only those who surrender unto Him can cross over this ocean of misconception. The Lord mercifully provides the Vedas and Pur\u0101\u1e47as to inform the fallen souls of their true inheritance. Through these scriptures, the Lord reveals His forms as \u015a\u0101stra, Guru, and Param\u0100tm\u0101 (the Indwelling Monitor), awakening the soul to the realization: &quot;Krishna is my Master and my Protector.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"veda-\u015b\u0101stra kahe\u2014\u2018sambandha\u2019, \u2018abhidheya\u2019, prayojana\u2019\",\"\u2018k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019-pr\u0101pya-sambandha, \u2018bhakti\u2019- pr\u0101pyera s\u0101dhana\",\"abhidheya-n\u0101ma\u2014\u2018bhakti\u2019, \u2018prema\u2019\u2014prayojana\",\"puru\u1e63\u0101rtha-\u015birom\u0101\u1e47i prema\u2014 mah\u0101dhana\",\"(CC, Madhya 20.124\u2013125)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The entire Vedic literature is summarized in three cardinal points: Sambandha (Relationship), Abhidheya (The Means), and Prayojana (The Goal).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sambandha: Krishna is the ultimate object of our relationship; He is the focus of our quest.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Abhidheya: The means to attain Him is unalloyed devotional service (bhakti), primarily the chanting of His Holy Name.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prayojana: The ultimate goal and the crown jewel of all human pursuits is Prema, divine love for Krishna\u2014the supreme wealth of the soul.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This &quot;Life-Nectar&quot; is the only solution to the &quot;vicious circle&quot; of material life, leading the soul from the plane of exploitation to the sweet home of divine harmony.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"(B) Sri Krishna-tattva (Sambandha-tattva) - the principle of the Absolute Truth\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Essential Truth of our Relationship with the Supreme Lord)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Listen, O Sanatana, to the essential nature of Krishna: He is the Absolute Non-dual Reality (advaya jnana-tattva), appearing in Vraja as the son of the King of Vraja. He is the Primeval Origin of all, the Source of all parts (Amshi), and the Crest-jewel of youth (Kishora- shekhara). His body is composed of spirit, consciousness, and ecstasy (chid-ananda-deha); He is the refuge of all and the Lord of all lords.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u012b\u015bvara\u1e25 parama\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e25 sach-chit-\u0101nanda-vigraha\u1e25\",\"an\u0101dir \u0101dir govinda\u1e25 sarva-k\u0101ra\u0146a-k\u0101ra\u0146am\",\"(BS 5.1)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all, He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes\u201d.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ete ch\u0101\u1e41 \u015ba-kal\u0101\u1e25 pu\u1e41sa\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63 \u0146as tu bhagav\u0101n svayam\",\"indr\u0101ri-vy\u0101kula\u1e41 loka\u1e41 m\u1e5b\u1e0dayanti yuge yuge\",\"(SB, 1.3.28)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;All the various incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself (Svayam Bhagavan). He descends age after age to protect the world from the enemies of Indra.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattva\u1e41 yaj j\u00f1\u0101nam advayam\",\"brahmeti param\u0101tmeti bhagav\u0101n iti \u015babdyate\",\"(SB 1.2.11)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The seers of the truth know the Absolute Reality as one non-dual spiritual substance (advaya jnana). However, He is realized in three phases: as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan.\u201d Brahman: This is the bodily effulgence of the Lord, manifest as the nondifferentiated Absolute. Just as the sun appears as a mass of light to the eye, Brahman is the halo surrounding the Lord&#x27;s form.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Paramatma: He is a partial expansion of Krishna, the &quot;Soul of all souls&quot; and the indwelling monitor situated in the hearts of all.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Bhagavan: This is the complete realization of the Lord in His full dignity, replete with all opulences and attracting the hearts of all through His sweetness.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"yasya prabh\u0101 prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-\",\"kotisv a\u015be\u1e63a-vasudh\u0101di-vibh\u016bti-bhinnam\",\"tad brahma ni\u015fkalam anantam a\u015be\u1e63a-bh\u016bta\u1e41\",\"govindam \u0101di-puru\u015fa\u1e41 tam aha\u1e41 bhaj\u0101mi\",\"(BS 5.40)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the non-differentiated Brahman. That Brahman is the limitless, indivisible basis of the infinite universes, containing within it all the varied opulences of the material world.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(C) The principle of incarnation (avat\u0101ra-tattva)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Supreme Lord manifests in three primary categories of forms:\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Svayam-rupa: The original form of Godhead\u2014Krishna appearing in Vraja in His beautiful cowherd feature (gopa-murt).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Tad-ekatma-rupa: Forms that are essentially identical to the original but differ in appearance or function (such as Narayana or various expansions).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Avesa-rupa: Empowered living entities who represent the Lord&#x27;s power.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Expansion of Bliss, Krishna, further manifests as Svayam-prakasa (His direct facsimile). Lord Balaram is the first such expansion. He is identical to Krishna in every way, with only a difference in complexion. The son of Nanda Maharaja bears two specific names: Svayam Bhagavan (The Original Lord) and Lila-Purushottama (The Supreme Person of Divine Pastimes).&quot;He is the absolute center to whom all beings and all energies eternally belong.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Based on detailed ontological descriptions and supplementary insights from the sources, here is the analysis of Avat\u0101ra-tattva (the science of divine incarnations) as taught by \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord instructed \u015ar\u012b San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b that there are six primary types of incarnations through which \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a manifests in the material and spiritual worlds:\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Puru\u1e63\u0101vat\u0101ra: These are the three forms of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u who oversee the creation and maintenance of the material universes (K\u0101ra\u1e47odaka\u015b\u0101y\u012b, Garbhodaka\u015b\u0101y\u012b, and K\u1e63\u012brodaka\u015b\u0101y\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"L\u012bl\u0101vat\u0101ra: There are twenty-five principal pastime incarnations, including the Boar (Var\u0101ha), the Tortoise (K\u016brma), and the Fish (Matsya).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Gu\u1e47\u0101vat\u0101ra: The incarnations presiding over the modes of nature: Brahm\u0101 (passion), Vi\u1e63\u1e47u (goodness), and \u015aiva (ignorance).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Manvantar\u0101vat\u0101ra: Incarnations who appear during the reigns of the various Manus, such as Yaj\u00f1a and Vibhu.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Yug\u0101vat\u0101ra: Incarnations for each age who establish the yuga- dharma (prescribed religion).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Satya-yuga: White complexion (\u015aukla) Tret\u0101-yuga: Red complexion (Rakta). Dv\u0101para-yuga: Dark\/Rain-cloud complexion (\u015ay\u0101ma). Kali-yuga: Black\/Dark complexion, but in a special Kali-yuga (once in a day of Brahm\u0101), the Lord appears as \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu with a Golden complexion (P\u012bta-var\u1e47a) to distribute prema \u015aakty\u0101ve\u015b\u0101vat\u0101ra: These include N\u0101rada (empowered for devotion), Vy\u0101sadeva (empowered for scriptural knowledge), P\u1e5bthu (empowered for ruling), and Para\u015bur\u0101ma (empowered for vanquishing miscreants)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The incarnations of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are uncountable, emerging like waves from an inexhaustible fountain.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Nature of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Eternal Flow: Krishna\u2019s pastimes are Nitya (eternal). Just as the sun appears to move through the sky but is always present somewhere, the Lord\u2019s pastimes are perpetually occurring in one universe or another.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"P\u016br\u1e47attama (The Most Complete): While all forms of God are perfect, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Vraja is defined as P\u016br\u1e47attama, the most complete manifestation of the Absolute. Other forms like those in Mathur\u0101 or Dv\u0101rak\u0101 are considered P\u016br\u1e47atara (more complete) or P\u016br\u1e47a (complete). Supreme Position: Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Svayam Bhagav\u0101n (the Original Personality of Godhead). He has no equal and no superior.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Sambandha Viv\u1e5bti: Classification of Divine Forms\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The sources classify the subjective forms of the Lord into three main categories:\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Svayam-r\u016bpa: The original form\u2014K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as a cowherd boy in Vraja.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Tad-ek\u0101tma-r\u016bpa: Forms that are essentially identical to the original but differ in appearance or function. This includes the Puru\u1e63\u0101vat\u0101ras and the L\u012bl\u0101vat\u0101ras.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Vaibhava-prak\u0101\u015ba: Divine facsimiles, the first of which is Lord Balar\u0101m, who is identical to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a except for His white complexion.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Six Types of Pastimes\/Manifestations (Vil\u0101sa)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"B\u0101lya-l\u012bl\u0101: Pastimes from birth up to age 5.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Paugan\u1e0da-l\u012bl\u0101: Pastimes from age 6 up to 10. (Note: In extraordinary cases, growth is multiplied by 1.5, meaning age 8 is considered to be 12, and age 12 is considered to be 18).\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prabhava-prak\u0101\u015ba: Manifestations like the R\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101, where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a expands into many facsimiles to be with each gop\u012b. Prabhava-vil\u0101sa: The first quaternary expansion (Chatur-vy\u016bha): V\u0101sudeva, Sankar\u1e63a\u1e47a, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. Vaibhava-prak\u0101\u015ba: Includes Balar\u0101m, the two-armed K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Mah\u0101- Sankar\u1e63a\u1e47a, and the three Puru\u1e63\u0101vat\u0101ras.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In the Age of Kali, the most auspicious path is to take shelter of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself in the mood of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. By His grace, one can enter the eternal, dynamic world of Vraja, where every word is a song and every step is a dance.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Vaibhava-vil\u0101sa: The Infinite Expansions\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a manifests in infinite forms known as Vaibhava-vil\u0101sa. These include the presiding Deities of the months and various directions, such as Ke\u015bava, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, M\u0101dhava, Govinda, Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, Madhus\u016bdana, Trivikrama, V\u0101mana, \u015ar\u012bdhara, H\u1e5b\u1e63\u012bke\u015ba, Padman\u0101bha, and D\u0101modara. He further manifests as Puru\u1e63ottama, Achyuta, N\u1e5bsi\u1e41ha, Jan\u0101rdana, Hari, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Adhok\u1e63aja, and Upendra.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja (Vrajendra-nandana) is known by two principal names:\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Svayam Bhagav\u0101n: The Original Personality of Godhead. L\u012bl\u0101-Purusottama: The Supreme Enjoyer of Divine Pastimes.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Within this non-dual Absolute Reality (Advaya-tattva), \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a possesses three primary potencies that govern both the spiritual and material creations:\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Ich\u0101-\u015bakti (Will): Predominated by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. J\u00f1\u0101na-\u015bakti (Knowledge): Predominated by V\u0101sudeva. Kriy\u0101-\u015bakti (Action): Predominated by Sa\u1e45 kar\u1e63a\u1e47a, through whom the material and spiritual worlds are manifested.\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(D) The principle of devotion - Bhakti-tattva: The Abhidheya (The Process)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"All scriptures conclude that devotional service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti) is the Abhidheya, or the essential duty of the soul. \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the non- dual Absolute, resides eternally within His personal, internal potency known as the Svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Nature of the Soul (J\u012bva): The living entities are separated parts (vibhinn\u0101\u1e41\u015ba) of the Lord, counted as His marginal potency (tatasth\u0101-\u015bakt). These souls are divided into two categories.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Nitya-mukta (Eternally Liberated): These souls are eternally turned toward K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s lotus feet. Known as the Lord\u2019s associates (P\u0101r\u1e63adas), they perpetually relish the ecstasy of divine service. Nitya-baddha (Eternally Conditioned): These souls have turned away from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a from time immemorial. Consequently, they remain in the cycle of birth and death (Nitya-sa\u1e41s\u0101ra), suffering the miseries of hellish existences.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Conditioned Soul\u2019s Predicament and Deliverance\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Because of the &quot;original sin&quot; of turning away from the Lord, the witch M\u0101y\u0101 punishes the conditioned soul. The soul is scorched by the triple miseries (T\u0101pa-traya) and suffers the &quot;kicks&quot; of lust and anger as their slave.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Path to Rescue: While wandering through the universe, if a soul has the great fortune to encounter a saintly physician (S\u0101dhu-vaidya), the cure begins. By the &quot;exorcism mantra&quot; of the s\u0101dhu\u2019s instructions, the witch M\u0101y\u0101 flees, the soul attains Bhakti, and is finally allowed to approach K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Bhakti is the primary and supreme means (Abhidheya). While Karma, Yoga, and J\u00f1\u0101na look toward the face of Bhakti for their success, knowledge alone cannot grant liberation without devotion. However, one who is turned toward K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a attains liberation naturally, even without the independent pursuit of knowledge. The Power of Surrender\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The soul has forgotten its true identity as the eternal servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; for this fault, M\u0101y\u0101 has tied a noose around its neck. By worshipping K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and serving the Spiritual Master (\u015ar\u012b Guru), the net of M\u0101y\u0101 is cut, and one attains the Lord&#x27;s feet.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Even if one strictly follows the social and religious duties of Var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama, if they do not worship K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, they will fall into a hellish condition.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is like the sun, and M\u0101y\u0101 is like darkness. Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of the sun, M\u0101y\u0101 has no jurisdiction where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is present. If a soul surrenders sincerely even once, saying, &quot;O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I am Yours,&quot; the Lord immediately delivers that soul from the bondage of M\u0101y\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Magnanimous Nature of Lord Krishna\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"any\u0101k\u0101m\u012b yadi kare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era bhajana n\u0101\",\"m\u0101gileha k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a t\u0101re dena sva-chara\u0146a\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a kahe,\u2014\u2018\u0101m\u0101 bhaje, m\u0101ge vi\u1e63aya-sukha\",\"am\u1e5bta chh\u0101\u1e0di&#x27; vi\u1e63a m\u0101ge,\u2014ei ba\u1e0da m\u016brkha\",\"\u0101mi-vij\u00f1a, ei m\u016brkhe \u2018vi\u1e63aya\u2019 kene diba?\",\"sva-chara\u0146\u0101m\u1e5bta diy\u0101 \u2018vi\u1e63aya\u2019 bhul\u0101iba\u2019\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.37\u201339)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Lord Krishna is the Absolute Autocrat and the ultimate Benefactor. He says: &quot;If people worship Me while harbouring other desires\u2014seeking the flickering pleasures of this world\u2014even if they do not ask for My shelter, I give them My lotus feet. Such persons are great fools; they leave the nectar of My service and ask for the poison of sense- gratification. As the All-knowing Master, why should I give those fools poison? Instead, I shall give them the nectar of My own feet and make them forget all mundane interests.&quot; By His grace, even lust is transformed into a desire for servitude. The Fortune of the Soul and the Power of Mercy\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sa\u1e41s\u0101re bhramite kona bh\u0101gye keha tare\",\"nad\u012bra prav\u0101he yena k\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dha l\u0101ge t\u012bre\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.43)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"While wandering through the infinite cycle of birth and death, a soul may be delivered by some great, inexplicable fortune, much like a log floating in a river current that accidentally touches the shore.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a yadi k\u1e5bp\u0101 kare kona bh\u0101gyav\u0101ne\",\"guru-antary\u0101m\u012b-r\u016bpe \u015bikh\u0101ya \u0101pane\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.47)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"When the Lord bestows His grace upon a fortunate soul, He personally provides instruction in two ways: externally as the Spiritual Master (Guru) and internally as the Indwelling Monitor (Antary\u0101m\u012b).\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Root of Devotion: Sadhu-Sanga\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"mahat-k\u1e5bp\u0101 bin\u0101 kona karme \u2018bhakti\u2019 naya\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti d\u016bre rahu, sa\u1e41s\u0101ra nahe\",\"k\u1e63aya \u2018s\u0101dhu sanga\u2019, \u2018s\u0101dhu-sanga\u2019\u2014sarva-\u015b\u0101stre\",\"kaya lava-m\u0101tra s\u0101dhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.51, 54)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Without the mercy of a great soul (mahat-k\u1e5bp\u0101), no amount of mundane work can produce devotion. Without it, material existence cannot be destroyed. All scriptures proclaim that even a moment\u2019s association (lava-m\u0101tra) with a real saint can award all perfection. The Sadhu is the living scripture, a more potent agent of the Divine than the passive words of a book.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Definition of Sraddha (Faith)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u2018\u015braddh\u0101\u2019-\u015babde\u2014vi\u015bv\u0101sa kahe sud\u1e5b\u1e0dha ni\u015bchaya\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e bhakti kaile sarva-karma k\u1e5bta haya\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.62)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sraddha is defined as the firm, confident belief that by serving Krishna, all duties are automatically fulfilled. It is like pouring water on the root of a tree, which nourishes every branch and leaf. This faith is the &quot;passage-money&quot; required to enter the Infinite realm.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Vaisnava Character and Association\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sarva mah\u0101-gu\u0146aga\u0146a vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-\u015bar\u012bre\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakte k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era gu\u0146a, sakali sa\u00f1ch\u0101re\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.72)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"All the transcendental qualities of Lord Krishna are transmitted into the person of His devotee. A Vaisnava is never mundane; even if faults appear to material eyes, they are like mud or foam on the surface of the Ganges, which never loses its spiritual purity.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"asatsanga-ty\u0101ga\u2014ei vai\u1e63\u1e47ava \u0101ch\u0101ra\",\"\u2018str\u012b-sang\u012b\u2019 eka as\u0101dhu, \u2018k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101bhakta \u0101ra\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.84)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The essential practice of a Vaisnava is the rejection of unholy association (asat-sanga). This includes those attached to the opposite sex and those who are not devotees of the Lord. One should fear the company of those averse to the Truth more than being in a cage held over a fire.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Perfection of Surrender\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"et\u0101 saba chh\u0101\u1e0di&#x27; \u0101ra var\u0146\u0101\u015brama-dharma\",\"aki\u00f1chana ha\u00f1\u0101 laya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47aik-\u015bara\u0146a\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.90)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The devotee abandons all social and religious obligations, including Varnasrama-dharma, and becomes an akinchana (one who has no other possession or hope) to take exclusive shelter of Krishna.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015bara\u0146a la\u00f1\u0101 kare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e \u0101tma-samarpa\u0146a\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a t\u0101re kare tat-k\u0101le \u0101tma-sama\",\"(CC, Madhya 22.99)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"As soon as a soul fully surrenders and offers himself to Krishna, the Lord accepts him and grants him a status of spiritual equality with Himself (in quality and intimate relationship)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Origin of Divine Love\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"nitya-siddha k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema \u2018s\u0101dhya\u2019 kabhu naya\",\"\u015brava\u0146\u0101di \u015buddha-chitte karaye udaya\",\"(Cc. Madhya 22.104)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Eternal love for Krishna (Krishna-prema) is not a &quot;goal&quot; to be manufactured or acquired through material effort. It is eternally present in the soul as a latent potential but remains covered. Through the practices of hearing and chanting in the association of the pure, it spontaneously awakens (udaya) within the purified heart.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Freedom from Indebtedness through the Centre\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"k\u0101ma tyaji\u2019 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhaje \u015b\u0101stra-\u0101j\u00f1\u0101 m\u0101ni\u2019\",\"deva-\u1e5b\u1e63i-pit\u1e5b-digera kabhu nahe \u1e5b\u1e47\u012b\",\"(Cc. Madhya 22.136)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"One who abandons mundane desire (k\u0101ma) and worships Krishna in accordance with scriptural injunctions is no longer a debtor to the demigods, the sages, or the ancestors. When one satisfies the Centre, the entire circumference is automatically satisfied. Just as watering the root of a tree nourishes every branch, leaf, and twig, serving the Supreme Lord fulfills all obligations to the various parts of the universal system.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Independent Nature of Bhakti\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"j\u00f1\u0101na-vair\u0101gy\u0101di\u2014bhaktira kabhu nahe\u2019 anga\",\"ahims\u0101-yama-niyam\u0101di bule k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakta-sanga\",\"(Cc. Madhya 22.141)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mundane knowledge (j\u00f1\u0101na) and renunciation (vair\u0101gya) are not essential limbs of pure devotion. Bhakti is independent and absolute; she does not require the help of any other process. Qualities such as non-violence (ahims\u0101) and sense-control (yama-niyama) are not sought after independently by a devotee; rather, they naturally follow the devotee like humble servants.\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(E) Prema-tattva: The Ultimate Goal of Life (Prayojana-tattva)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"kona bh\u0101gye kona j\u012bvera \u2018\u015braddh\u0101\u2019 yadi haya\",\"tabe sei j\u012bva \u2018s\u0101dhu-sanga\u2019 karaya s\u0101dhu-sanga\",\"haite haya \u2018\u015brava\u1e47a-k\u012brtana\u2019 s\u0101dhana-bhaktye\",\"haya sarv\u0101nartha-nivartana anartha-niv\u1e5btti\",\"haile bhaktye \u2018ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101\u2019 haya ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 haite \u015brava\u1e47\u0101dye\",\"\u2018ruchi\u2019 upajaya ruchi haite bhaktye haya \u2018\u0101sakti\u2019\",\"prachura \u0101sakti haite chitte janme k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e pr\u012bty-ankura\",\"sei \u2018rati\u2019 g\u0101dha haile t\u0101ra dhare \u2018prema\u2019-n\u0101ma\",\"sei prem\u0101\u2014\u2018prayojana\u2019 sarv\u0101nanda dh\u0101ma\",\"(CC, Madhya 23.9\u201313)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Through some inexplicable fortune, a soul acquires faith (\u015braddh\u0101), the finest &quot;passage-money&quot; to the infinite. This leads to association with saints (s\u0101dhu-sanga), which ignites the practice of hearing and chanting. In the stage of practice, all misconceptions and separate interests (anarthas) are cleared away. From this purity arises constancy (ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101), then a genuine taste (ruchi), and then deep attachment (\u0101sakti). Finally, the sprout of love (pr\u012bti-ankura) appears, and when that ecstasy (bhava) matures into a condensed state, it is called prema\u2014the ultimate goal (prayojana) and the very abode of all-encompassing joy.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"(F) What is the personal meaning of \u201cBrahman\u201d?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u2018brahma\u2019 \u015babdera artha-tattva sarva b\u1e5bhattama\",\"svar\u016bpa-ai\u015bvarya kari\u2019 n\u0101hi y\u1eb3ra sama sei\",\"brahma \u015babde kahe svaya\u1e41 bhagav\u0101n\",\"advit\u012bya-j\u00f1\u0101na, y\u1eb3h\u0101 vin\u0101 n\u0101hi \u0101na\",\"(CC, Madhya 24.66, 69)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The word &#x27;Brahman&#x27; signifies the greatest of the great. He is unparalleled in His essential nature and opulence. Ultimately, &#x27;Brahman&#x27; refers to Svayam Bhagav\u0101n, the Supreme Personality of Godhead\u2014 the non-dual Absolute Truth besides whom nothing else exists. Brahman is merely the all- accommodating halo of the personal form of Krishna.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Supremacy of Bhakti over Liberation\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhakti vin\u0101 kona s\u0101dhana dite n\u0101re phala\",\"saba phala deya bhakti svatantra prabala\",\"bhakti vin\u0101 kevala j\u00f1\u0101ne \u2018mukti\u2019 n\u0101hi haya\",\"bhakti s\u0101dhana kare yei \u2018pr\u0101pta-brahmalaya\u2019\",\"(Cc. Madhya 24.87, 104)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Without devotion, no other spiritual practice can bear fruit; Bhakti is the only independent and all powerful force that bestows all results. Even liberation (mukti) cannot be attained through knowledge alone; it is only through the practice of devotion that one reaches the stage of Brahman-realisation. The power of Bhakti is such that it attracts the soul even from the impersonal Brahman and grants a divine spiritual body (divya-deha) for the service of Krishna. Even &quot;self satisfied&quot; sages like the four Kum\u0101ras were drawn by Krishna&#x27;s qualities and surrendered to Him.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s12\",\"title\":\"07. The Holy Name, Worship, and Pilgrimage\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"1. What is the result of pilgrimage?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The description of the Guru\u2019s glory at Gaya Tirtha)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu bale,\u2014 \u2018gay\u0101-y\u0101tr\u0101 saphala \u0101m\u0101ra\",\"yata-k\u015fa\u0146e dekhil\u0101ma chara\u0146a tom\u0101ra\",\"t\u012brthe pinda dile ye nistare pit\u1e5b-ga\u0146a\",\"sei\u2014y\u0101re pinda deya, tare\u2019 sei jana\",\"tom\u0101\u2019 dekhilei m\u0101tra ko\u021b\u012b pit\u1e5b-ga\u0146a\",\"sei-k\u1e63a\u0146e sarva-bandha p\u0101ya vimochan\",\"ataeva t\u012brtha nahe tom\u0101ra sam\u0101na\",\"t\u012brthera parama tumi mangala pradh\u0101na\",\"sa\u1e41s\u0101ra-samudra haite uddh\u0101raha more\",\"ei \u0101mi deha samarpil\u0101\u0144a tom\u0101re\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u0101da-padmera am\u1e5bta-rasa p\u0101na\",\"\u0101m\u0101re kar\u0101o tumi\u2014ei ch\u0101hi d\u0101na\u2019\",\"(CB, \u0100di 17.50\u201355)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Lord said, &#x27;My journey to Gaya has become successful at this very moment because I have seen your holy feet. If one offers pinda at a holy place, the ancestors are delivered; but simply by seeing you, tens of millions of ancestors are immediately released from all bondage. Therefore, no place of pilgrimage is equal to you; you are the supreme embodiment of all that is auspicious. Please deliver me from this ocean of material existence; I surrender my very body unto you. I pray only for this gift: make me drink the nectarean mellow of the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Krishna.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"akaitava k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema, yena j\u0101mb\u016bnada-hema,\",\"sei prem\u0101 n\u1e5b-loke n\u0101 haya yadi haya t\u0101ra yoga,\",\"n\u0101 haya t\u0101ra viyoga, viyoga haile keha n\u0101 j\u012byaya\",\"(CC, Madhya 2.43)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Unalloyed love for Krishna is like pure gold from the J\u0101mb\u016b River; such love does not exist in the human world. If one ever attains such union, there is no more separation; and if separation is felt, one cannot continue to live.\u2019&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"2. What is the Lord&#x27;s Command? (regarding spreading the Name)\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda and \u015ar\u012b Harid\u0101s)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015buna \u015buna nity\u0101nanda, \u015buna harid\u0101sa sarvatra\",\"\u0101m\u0101ra \u0101j\u00f1\u0101 karaha prak\u0101\u015ba prati ghare ghare\",\"giy\u0101 kara ei bhik\u1e63\u0101 &#x27;bala k\u1e5b\u1e63 \u0146a, bhaja k\u1e5b\u1e63 \u0146a,\",\"kara k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-\u015bik\u1e63\u0101&#x27; ih\u0101 ba-i \u0101ra n\u0101 balib\u0101,\",\"bal\u0101ib\u0101 dina avas\u0101ne \u0101si&#x27; \u0101m\u0101re kahib\u0101\",\"tomar\u0101 karile bhik\u1e63\u0101, yei, n\u0101 baliba tabe\",\"\u0101mi chakra-haste sab\u0101re k\u0101\u021biba\",\"(CB, Madhya 13.8\u201311)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Listen, listen Nityananda! Listen Haridas! Broadcast My command everywhere. Go from door to door and make this humble appeal: \u2018Chant the Name of Krishna, worship Krishna, and follow the teachings of Krishna.\u2019 Do not speak of anything else, nor allow others to do so. At the end of the day, return to Me and report your activities. If anyone refuses to chant after your begging, then I shall take the Sudarsana disc in My hand and sever their heads!&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"3. Is it Proper to Worship the Deity While Neglecting the Devotee?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya in Sh\u0101ntipur)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Hearing the words of the great personality Advaita, the Son of \u015aach\u012b roared and declared: &quot;Listen attentively to this truth of Mine. One who worships Me while disregarding My servant is a lowly person who cuts Me into pieces. Their worship burns My body like fire. One who even once blasphemes My servant is destroyed by My Sudar\u015bana disc. Everyone in the infinite universes is My servant; therefore, one who envies another perishes.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"anindaka ha-i&#x27; ye sak\u1e5bt &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27; bale\",\"satya satya mui t\u0101&#x27;re uddh\u0101riba hele\",\"(CB, Madhya 21.214)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I promise you truly: anyone who is free from the tendency to find fault in others and chants the Name of &#x27;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27; even once, I shall deliver that soul with ease.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"4. Can One Call the Lord at All Times?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to the devotees)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord personally gave His own garland to everyone and commanded: &quot;Go and sing of Krishna! Chant &#x27;Krishna&#x27;, worship &#x27;Krishna&#x27;, and sing the Holy Name of Krishna. Do not think of anything else but Krishna. If you have any affection for Me, then do not sing anything besides the glories of Krishna. Whether sleeping, eating, or awake, day and night, think of Krishna and speak His Name with your mouth.\u201d (CB. Madhya 28.25\u201328)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"5. Is the Lord Eternally Present in the Form of His Holy Name?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to His devotees)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"prabhu bale,\u2014\u201ctomar\u0101 chintaha ki k\u0101ra\u0146a? tumi saba yath\u0101, tath\u0101 \u0101mi sarvak\u1e63a\u0146a yuge yuge aneka \u0101m\u0101ra avat\u0101ra se sakale sang\u012b sabe ha-iyechha \u0101m\u0101ra ei mata \u0101ro \u0101chhe dui avat\u0101ra \u2018k\u012brtana\u2019 \u2018\u0101nanda\u2019 r\u016bpa ha-ibeka \u0101m\u0101ra t\u0101h\u0101teo tumi saba ei mata range k\u012brtana karib\u0101 mah\u0101 sukhe \u0101m\u0101-sange loka-\u015bik\u1e63\u0101-nimitta se \u0101m\u0101ra sanny\u0101sa eteke tomar\u0101 saba chint\u0101 kara n\u0101\u015ba\u201d (CB, Madhya 27.7, 12\u201315)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord consoled His associates: &quot;Why do you worry? Wherever you are, I am eternally present beside you. In every age, I descend in various incarnations, and you are My eternal companions in all those Pastimes. I am now revealing two more of My divine forms: K\u012brtan (The Holy Name) and \u0100nanda (Transcendental Bliss). You shall continue to perform k\u012brtan with Me in these forms with great joy. My acceptance of sanny\u0101sa is merely for teaching the world (loka-\u015bik\u1e63\u0101) the path of renunciation and dedication. Therefore, banish all anxiety from your hearts.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"6. What is The Lord&#x27;s Final Command?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to His devotees)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"yadi \u0101m\u0101-prati sneha th\u0101ke sab\u0101k\u0101ra\",\"tabe k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-vyatirikta n\u0101 g\u0101ibe \u0101ra ki\",\"\u015bayane, ki bhojane, kib\u0101 j\u0101gara\u1e47e\",\"aharni\u015ba chinta k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, balaha vadane\",\"(CB, Madhya 28.27\u201328)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If you truly possess even a drop of affection for Me, then you must never sing or discuss anything other than Krishna. Whether you are sleeping, eating, or awake, day and night, your only business should be to meditate on Krishna within your heart and vibrate His Holy Name with your mouth.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This is the essence of all instruction (upade\u015ba-s\u0101ra): to utilize every moment of our existence in the culture of Krishna consciousness, ignoring all mundane distractions. By this constant engagement, the mirror of the heart is cleansed and the burning fire of material existence is extinguished.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"7. What is the Glory of honouring Mah\u0101-pras\u0101dam?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words regarding the honouring of Mah\u0101-pras\u0101dam)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ei ye dil\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101-adhar\u0101m\u1e5bta brahm\u0101di-durlabha\",\"ei ni\u015bchaye \u2018am\u1e5bta\u2019 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era ye bhukta-\u015be\u1e63a, t\u0101ra\",\"phel\u0101-n\u0101ma t\u0101ra eka \u2018lava\u2019 ye p\u0101ya, sei bh\u0101gyav\u0101na\",\"s\u0101m\u0101nya bh\u0101gya haite t\u0101ra pr\u0101pti n\u0101hi haya\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era y\u1eb3te p\u016br\u0146a k\u1e5bp\u0101, sei t\u0101h\u0101 p\u0101ya\",\"(CC, Antya 16.97\u201399)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord describes Mah\u0101-pras\u0101dam as the nectar of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s own lips (adhar\u0101m\u1e5bta). This substance is a miracle of the spiritual world, being so rare that it is sought after even by great universal controllers like Lord Brahm\u0101. The remnants of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s food are the very essence of immortality; to receive even a tiny particle (lava) is proof of a soul&#x27;s extraordinary fortune. Such a gift is never attained through mundane merit, but only when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bestows His full, unreserved mercy upon a devotee. By honouring these remnants, the soul conquers the tongue\u2014 the most voracious of all senses\u2014and overcomes the entire material creation.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"8. What is the Result of N\u0101m-sa\u1e45 k\u012brtan (chanting Holy Name)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modar aand \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"har\u0219e prabhu kahena,\u2014\u201c\u015buna svar\u016bpa-r\u0101mar\u0101ya\",\"n\u0101ma-sa\u0144k\u012brtana\u2014kalau parama up\u0101ya\",\"sa\u0144k\u012brtana-yaj\u00f1e kalau k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-\u0101r\u0101dhana sei ta\",\"sumedh\u0101 p\u0101ya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era chara\u0146a\",\"(Cc. Antya 20.8\u20139)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"n\u0101ma-sa\u0144k\u012brtane haya sarv\u0101nartha-n\u0101\u015ba\",\"sarva-\u015bubhodaya, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e premera ull\u0101sa\",\"(Cc. Antya 20.11)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord jubilantly declared that in this Iron Age of Kali, N\u0101ma- sa\u0144k\u012brtana is the one and only supreme means for the soul&#x27;s welfare. Those endowed with fine theistic intelligence worship K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a through this sacrifice of congregational chanting (sa\u0144k\u012brtan-yaj\u00f1a) and thus attain His holy feet. N\u0101ma-sa\u0144k\u012brtana is all-victorious because it cleanses the mirror of consciousness, extinguishes the forest fire of worldly miseries, and annihilates all obstacles (anarthas), leading to the blossoming of divine love.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s13\",\"title\":\"08. Duties Within the Social and Spiritual Orders\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"1. Who is a Real G\u1e5bhastha (Householder)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to householders during His Pastimes as a grihastha)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"g\u1e5bhastha ha-iy\u0101 atithi-sev\u0101 n\u0101 kare\",\"pa\u015bu-pak\u1e63\u012b ha-ite \u2018adhama\u2019 bali t\u0101\u2019re\",\"y\u0101\u2019ra v\u0101 n\u0101 th\u0101ke kichhu p\u016brva-\u0101d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6da-do\u015fe\",\"sei t\u1e5b\u0146a, jala, bh\u016bmi dibeka santo\u0219e\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If one becomes a householder but does not serve a guest, I consider that person to be more fallen than the beasts and the birds. Even if a person possesses nothing due to the misfortune of past karma, he should still happily offer a place to sit (grass or straw), water to drink, and a place to rest to satisfy the guest.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"A true householder understands that everything belongs to the Lord and is meant for the service of the Centre. Therefore, hospitality is not merely a social duty, but an act of dedication and sacrifice that purifies the heart from the disease of separate interest. To neglect a guest is to assert one&#x27;s own false ownership over the Lord&#x27;s property. Regardless of one&#x27;s material status, the spirit of self-giving must always be maintained.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101ni bh\u016bmir udaka\u1e41 v\u0101k chaturth\u012b cha s\u016bn\u1e5bt\u0101\",\"et\u0101ny api sat\u0101\u1e41 gehe nochchhidyante kad\u0101chana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Within the homes of saintly persons, these four things are never found to be lacking: straw or grass (for a seat), a place on the earth (for rest), water (to wash and drink), and sweet, truthful speech.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"satya v\u0101kya kahibeka kari\u2019 parih\u0101ra tath\u0101pi \u0101tithya-\u015b\u016bnya n\u0101 haya t\u0101h\u0101ra\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught that a householder should be so dedicated to the service of a guest that even if he must strictly observe the vow of truthfulness, his hospitality must never be empty. If he has no material wealth to offer, he must still provide a place to rest, water, and the comfort of kind words.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"2. What is the duty of a br\u0101hma\u1e47a?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to His students during His scholarly pastimes)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu bale,\u2014kena bh\u0101i, kap\u0101le tom\u0101ra\",\"tilaka n\u0101 dekhi kena, ki yukti ih\u0101ra?\",\"tilaka n\u0101 th\u0101ke yadi viprera kap\u0101le se\",\"kap\u0101la \u015bma\u015b\u0101na-sad\u1e5b\u015ba\u2019\u2014vede bale\",\"bujhil\u0101m,\u2014\u0101ji tumi n\u0101hi kara sandhy\u0101\",\"\u0101ji bh\u0101i, tom\u0101ra ha-ila sandhy\u0101 bandhy\u0101\",\"chala, sandhy\u0101 kara\u2019 giy\u0101 g\u1e5bhe punarv\u0101ra\",\"sandhy\u0101 kari\u2019 tabe se \u0101sibe pa\u1e0dib\u0101ra\",\"eimata prabhura yeteka \u0101chhe \u015bi\u1e63yaga\u0146a\",\"sabei atyanta nija-dharma par\u0101ya\u0146a\",\"(CB, \u0100di 15.11\u201315)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Lord said: &#x27;Why, my brothers, do I not see tilak on your foreheads? What is the justification for this? The Vedas declare that a br\u0101hmana&#x27;s forehead without the sacred tilak is like a cremation ground. I understand that today you have failed to perform your daily prayers (sandhy\u0101). Today, brothers, your prayers have been neglected. Go! Return home and perform your prayers once again. Only after completing your sacred duties should you return for your studies.&#x27; In this way, all of the Lord&#x27;s disciples were made to be extremely dedicated to their own respective religious duties.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"3. What is the duty of a sanny\u0101s\u012b?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to Mother \u015aachi)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sanny\u0101s\u012bra dharma\u2014nahe sanny\u0101sa kariy\u0101\",\"nija janma-sth\u0101ne rahe ku\u021bumba la-iy\u0101\",\"(CC, Madhya 3.177)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The duty of a sanny\u0101s\u012b is not to take the renounced order and then remain at his own birthplace in the company of his relatives.\u2019&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"navadv\u012bpa-v\u0101s\u012b \u0101di yata bhakta-ga\u0146a\",\"sab\u0101re samm\u0101na kari&#x27; balil\u0101 vachana\",\"(CC, Madhya 3.188)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ghare y\u0101\u00f1\u0101 kara sad\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u0144k\u012brtana\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-kath\u0101, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-\u0101r\u0101dhana\",\"(CC, Madhya 3.190)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cAddressing all the devotees of Nabadwip with great respect, the Lord declared: &quot;Return to your homes and always perform Krishna- sankirtan. Incessantly engage yourselves in the chanting of Krishna\u2019s Name, the discussion of Krishna\u2019s glories, and the worship of Krishna.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"4. Is One Wearing the Robes of Renunciation a True Renunciate?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012b \u015aukl\u0101mbar Brahmach\u0101r\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to a Sanny\u0101s\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015buna \u015buna sanny\u0101s\u012b-gos\u0101\u00f1i, ye kh\u0101iba nija-karmme\",\"ye \u0101chhe, se \u0101pane miliba dhana-ba\u1e41\u015ba nimitta\",\"sa\u1e41s\u0101ra k\u0101mya kare bala t\u0101ra dhana-ba\u1e41 \u015ba tabe\",\"kena mare? jwarera l\u0101giy\u0101 keha k\u0101man\u0101 n\u0101 kare\",\"tabe kena jwara \u0101si, p\u012bdaya \u015bar\u012bre?\",\"\u015buna \u015buna gos\u0101\u00f1i ih\u0101ra hetu\u2014karmma kon\",\"mah\u0101puru\u1e63e se j\u0101ne ei marmma bedeo\",\"bujh\u0101ya \u2018swarga\u2019 bale jan\u0101 jan\u0101\",\"m\u016brkha-prati kebala se bedera karu\u0146\u0101\",\"bi\u1e63aya-sukhete bada lokera sa\u1e47to\u1e63a chitta bujhi&#x27;\",\"kahe beda, bedera ki do\u1e63a dhana putra, p\u0101i\",\"ga\u0144g\u0101-sn\u0101na-harin\u0101me \u015buniy\u0101 chalaya loka\",\"bedera k\u0101ra\u0146e yete-mete ga\u0144g\u0101-sn\u0101na harin\u0101ma\",\"kaile drabyera prabh\u0101be \u2018bhakti\u2019 haibeka hele ei\",\"beda\u2014abhipr\u0101ya m\u016brkha n\u0101hi bujhe k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti\",\"chh\u0101diy\u0101 bi\u1e63aya-sukhe maje\",\"(CB, Madhya 19.60\u201368)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: &quot;Listen, O Sanny\u0101s\u012b Gos\u0101\u00f1i: whatever one is to eat is provided automatically by the fruits of one&#x27;s own previous actions (karma). People desire family and wealth within this material world, but tell Me, why then do their wealth and families perish? No one ever desires to be afflicted by fever, so why does fever come and torture the body? Listen, O Gos\u0101\u00f1i, the cause of all this is karma; a truth known only to the great souls. Even the Vedas speak of \u2018heaven\u2019 (swarga) to the common people, but that is merely the compassion of the Vedas towards the foolish.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"People find great satisfaction in sense pleasure; the Vedas speak according to the state of their hearts, so what is the fault of the Vedas?. Hearing that one can obtain wealth and sons by bathing in the Gang\u0101 and chanting the Name of Hari, people follow the path of the Vedas for those ends. Yet, if one, somehow or other, bathes in the Gang\u0101 and chants the Name of Hari, then by the innate power of those divine substances, \u2018devotion\u2019 will eventually manifest with ease. The foolish do not understand this hidden intent of the Vedas; abandoning the service of Krishna, they remain submerged in the pleasures of the senses.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"5. What is the Duty of a Sanny\u0101s\u012b?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to S\u0101rvabhauma Bhat\u1e6d\u0101ch\u0101rya)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"virakta sanny\u0101s\u012b \u0101m\u0101ra r\u0101ja-dara\u015bana\",\"str\u012b-dara\u015bana-sama vi\u015fera bhak\u015fa\u0146a\",\"(CC, Madhya 11.7)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"For a sanny\u0101s\u012b who has renounced the world to serve Me, meeting a king is as dangerous as drinking poison; it is comparable to looking upon a woman with a mundane eye. Even contact with a king is like a black snake, as it risks the transformation of the mind toward material enjoyment.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe, p\u016br\u0146a yaichhe dudhera kalasa\",\"sur\u0101-bindu-p\u0101te keha n\u0101 pare para\u015ba\",\"(CC, Madhya 12.57)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The character of a renunciate is like a full pot of milk. If even a single drop of liquor falls into it, no one will touch it. Similarly, a minor worldly attachment can ruin a lifetime of dedication.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"6. What Should a G\u1e5bhastha (Householder) Do?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to Satyar\u0101j Kh\u0101n)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahena,\u2014\u2018k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sev\u0101&#x27;, \u2018vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-sevana&#x27;\",\"\u2018nirantara kara k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma-sa\u0144k\u012brtana&#x27;\",\"(CC, Madhya 15.104)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord gave the essence of duty for all householders: &quot;Serve Krishna, serve the Vaisnavas, and incessantly engage in the congregational chanting of Krishna\u2019s Holy Name&quot;. This three-fold path \u2014 service, association, and k\u012brtan\u2014is the only way to cross the ocean of material existence.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"eka k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101me kare sarva-p\u0101pa-k\u1e63aya\",\"nava-vidh\u0101 bhakti-p\u016br\u1e47a n\u0101ma haite haya\",\"d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 pura\u015bchary\u0101-vidhi apek\u1e63\u0101 n\u0101 kare\",\"jihv\u0101-spar\u015be \u0101-cha\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101le sab\u0101re uddh\u0101re\",\"\u0101nu\u1e63anga-phale kare sa\u1e41s\u0101rera k\u1e63aya\",\"chitta \u0101kar\u1e63iy\u0101 kar\u0101ya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e premodya\",\"(CC, Madhya 15.107\u2013109)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"A single vibration of the Holy Name of Krishna is sufficient to annihilate the infinite magnitude of sin accumulated over countless lifetimes. The Name is the container of the entire ninefold process of devotion; it is the seed, the path, and the goal. This divine sound does not depend on formal initiation (d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101) or ritualistic preparation (pura\u015bchary\u0101) to act; the moment it touches the tongue, it delivers everyone, even the most fallen outcasts. While its secondary effect is the destruction of material bondage (sa\u1e41s\u0101ra), its primary, essential function is to irresistibly attract the heart and awaken the dormant nectar of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"ataeva y\u0101ra mukhe eka k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma sei ta\u2019\",\"vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, kariha t\u1eb3h\u0101ra samm\u0101na\",\"(CC, Madhya 15.111)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"y\u1eb3h\u0101ra dar\u015bane mukhe \u0101ise k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma\",\"t\u0101h\u0101re j\u0101niha tumi vai\u1e63\u1e47ava pradh\u0101na\",\"(CC, Madhya 16.74)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord establishes the hierarchy of devotion based on the Name. One who chants the Name even once is a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava and must be offered respect within the mind. But the superior devotee (Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava- pradh\u0101na) is one whose very presence acts as a divine catalyst\u2014the moment a fallen soul beholds him, the Name of Krishna spontaneously manifests on his lips.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"7. Can a Sanny\u0101s\u012b be a M\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to Prak\u0101\u015b\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b in K\u0101\u015b\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\u2014m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e apar\u0101dh\u012b\",\"\u2018brahma-\u0101tm\u0101-chaitanya\u2019 kahe niravadhi\",\"(CC, Madhya 17.129)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u2018n\u0101ma-vigraha-svar\u016bpa\u2019\u2014tina eka-r\u016bpa tinera\",\"bheda n\u0101hi\u2014tina chid-\u0101nanda-r\u016bpa\",\"(CC, Madhya 17.131)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared that the M\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012bs are the worst offenders because they attempt to dismember His divine form through the arrows of false logic. They perpetually chant &quot;Brahma&quot; or &quot;Atma,&quot; but the Name of Krishna never manifests on their lips because they consider the Lord\u2019s form to be mundane.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In the Absolute Reality, there is no difference between the Name, the Form (Vigraha), and the Essential Nature (Svar\u016bpa) of the Lord. All three are the same non-dual, spiritual substance\u2014 composed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss (chid-\u0101nanda). While a finite soul has a difference between its body and its self, for Krishna, the &quot;Body&quot; is the &quot;Person,&quot; and the &quot;Name&quot; is the &quot;Named&quot;. His Pastimes (l\u012bl\u0101) are so beautiful and pure that even those who were previously satisfied by the impersonal Brahman are forcibly attracted and subjugated by His sweetness.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"tasy\u0101ravinda-nayanasya pad\u0101ravinda-ki\u00f1jalka-mi\u015bra-tulas\u012b-\",\"makaranda-v\u0101yu\u1e25 antar-gata\u1e25 sva vivare\u0146a chak\u0101ra te\u1e63\u0101m\",\"sa\u0144k\u1e63obham ak\u1e63ara-ju\u1e63\u0101m api chitta-tanvo\u1e25\",\"(CC, Madhya 17.142, SB 3.15.43)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"A beautiful fragrance emanates from the tulas\u012b flowers and the nectar of the lotus feet of the Lord. When the wind carrying that fragrance entered the nostrils of the four Kum\u0101ras, it caused a great agitation and joy in their hearts and bodies, even though they were previously deeply attached to the impersonal, non-differentiated Brahman.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"8. What is the Duty of a Renunciant (Vair\u0101g\u012b)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s stern instruction to Chota Harid\u0101sa)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\u2014\u201cvair\u0101g\u012b kare prak\u1e5bti sambh\u0101\u1e63a\u0146a\",\"dekhite n\u0101 p\u1eabro \u0101mi t\u0101h\u0101ra vadana\",\"durv\u0101ra-indriya kare vi\u1e63aya-graha\u0146a\",\"d\u0101rave-prak\u1e5bti hare muner api mana\u201d\",\"(CC, Antya 2.117\u2013118)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared with great gravity: &quot;I cannot look upon the face of a renunciant who indulges in intimate conversation with women (prak\u1e5bti-sambh\u0101\u1e63a\u1e47a). The mundane senses are uncontrollable and naturally seek the poison of sense-objects. Even a sage&#x27;s mind can be plundered by the sight of a &#x27;wooden&#x27; woman. It is said in the scriptures:\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"m\u0101tr\u0101 svasr\u0101 duhitr\u0101 v\u0101 n\u0101vivikt\u0101sano vaset\",\"balav\u0101n indriya-gr\u0101mo vidv\u0101msam api kar\u0219at\",\"(SB 9.19.17)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Those who practice &#x27;monkey renunciation&#x27; (marka\u021ba-vair\u0101gya)\u2014 making an outward show of asceticism while secretly harbouring lustful desires\u2014merely deceive themselves and the world. My mind is not under My control regarding this: I shall never see a vair\u0101g\u012b who speaks intimately with women.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"9. How is Etiquette (Mary\u0101d\u0101) Maintained?\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bhaktera svabh\u0101va haya\u2014mary\u0101d\u0101 rak\u1e63a\u0146a\",\"mary\u0101d\u0101-p\u0101lana haya s\u0101dhura bh\u016b\u015fa\u0146a\",\"mary\u0101d\u0101-langhane loka kare upah\u0101sa\",\"iha-loka, para-loka,\u2014dui haya n\u0101\u015ba\",\"(CC, Antya 4.130\u2013131)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The natural character of a devotee is to maintain mary\u0101d\u0101 (etiquette and protocol). This is the very ornament of a saint. Transgressing these established standards leads to public ridicule and the destruction of one&#x27;s prospects in both this world and the next. While the land of love is a land of freedom, it is not a land of lawlessness; it is governed by a higher, internal discipline of service.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-deha \u2018pr\u0101k\u1e5bta\u2019 kabhu naya \u2018apr\u0101k\u1e5bta\u2019\",\"deha bhaktera \u2018chid-\u0101nanda-maya\u2019\",\"d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101-k\u0101le \u015bi\u1e63ya kare \u0101tma-samarpa\u0146a\",\"sei-k\u0101le k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a t\u0101re kare \u0101tma-sama\",\"sei deha kare t\u0101ra chid-\u0101nanda-maya\",\"apr\u0101k\u1e5bta-dehe, t\u0101ra chara\u0146a bhajaya\",\"(CC, Antya 4.191\u2013193)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The body of a Vaishnava is never mundane (pr\u0101k\u1e5bta). It is supramundane (apr\u0101k\u1e5bta) and composed of spiritual ecstasy (chid- \u0101nanda-maya). At the moment of d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 (initiation), when the disciple fully surrenders their very self to the Guru and Krishna, the Lord accepts them and makes them &quot;His own&quot;. By the touch of the Lord&#x27;s grace, the devotee&#x27;s body is spiritualized, like iron turning to gold. In that new, divine form, the soul is granted entrance into the eternal, dynamic Pastimes of the Sweet Absolute.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"10. What is the Duty of a Renunciant (Ty\u0101g\u012b) Devotee?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to the renunciant devotees)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vair\u0101g\u012b karibe sad\u0101 n\u0101ma-sa\u0144k\u012brtana m\u0101giy\u0101\",\"kh\u0101\u00f1\u0101 kare j\u012bvana rak\u1e63a\u0146a vair\u0101g\u012b ha\u00f1\u0101\",\"yeb\u0101 kare par\u0101pek\u1e63\u0101 k\u0101ryasiddhi nahe,\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a karena upek\u1e63\u0101 vair\u0101g\u012b ha\u00f1\u0101 kare\",\"jihv\u0101ra l\u0101lasa param\u0101rtha y\u0101ya, \u0101ra\",\"haya rasera va\u015ba vair\u0101g\u012bra k\u1e5btya\u2014sad\u0101\",\"n\u0101ma-sa\u0144k\u012brtana \u015b\u0101ka-patra-phala-m\u016ble\",\"udara bhara\u0146a jihv\u0101ra l\u0101lase yei iti-uti\",\"dh\u0101ya \u015bi\u015bnodara-par\u0101ya\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101hi p\u0101ya\",\"(CC, Antya 6.223\u2013227)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"gr\u0101mya-kath\u0101 n\u0101 \u015bunibe, gr\u0101mya-v\u0101rt\u0101\",\"n\u0101 kahibe bh\u0101la n\u0101 kh\u0101ibe \u0101ra bh\u0101la\",\"n\u0101 paribe am\u0101n\u012b m\u0101nada ha\u00f1\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma\",\"sad\u0101 la\u2019be vraje r\u0101dh\u0101k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sev\u0101 m\u0101nase karibe\",\"(CC, Antya 6.236\u2013237)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared that a renunciant (vair\u0101g\u012b) must constantly engage in the congregational chanting of the Holy Name. For his subsistence, he should maintain his life by begging alms. If a renunciant remains dependent on others, he will not achieve perfection, and Lord Krishna will neglect him. A renunciant who harbours cravings for the tongue loses his spiritual goal and becomes a slave to mundane tastes. His only duty is the Name, and he should fill his belly with simple vegetables, leaves, fruits, and roots. One who runs here and there to satisfy the urges of the tongue, the belly, or the genitals never attains Krishna. The Lord&#x27;s negative and positive injunctions for the renunciant are clear: do not listen to or speak mundane gossip; do not eat palatable dishes and do not wear fine clothes. Instead, give all honour to others while expecting none for yourself, chant the Name of Krishna constantly, and within the mind, perform the eternal service of Radha- Krishna in Vraja.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"11. Is a Spirit of Enjoyment Proper for a Sanny\u0101s\u012b?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s warning regarding the association of women)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sanny\u0101s\u012b-m\u0101nu\u1e63a \u0101m\u0101ra bh\u016bmite \u015bayana\",\"\u0101m\u0101re kh\u0101\u021ba-tuli-b\u0101li\u015ba mastaka mu\u0146dana\",\"(CC, Antya 13.15)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"govinda, \u0101ji r\u0101khil\u0101 j\u012bvana str\u012b-spar\u015ba\",\"haile \u0101m\u0101ra ha-ita mara\u0146a\",\"(CC, Antya 13.85)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord established the standard of renunciation by stating that a sanny\u0101s\u012b should sleep on the bare ground; to offer him a bed, mattress, or pillow is like cutting off his head. Regarding the proximity of women, the Lord&#x27;s warning was grave: &quot;O Govinda, today you have saved My life; had I touched a woman, it would have been My death.&quot; For a soul dedicated to the Absolute, mundane physical contact is a poison that destroys the very foundation of spiritual dedication.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"12. What is the Duty of a Son?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to Raghun\u0101th Bhatta)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"v\u1e5bddha pit\u0101-m\u0101t\u0101ra y\u0101i&#x27; karaha sevana\",\"vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-p\u0101\u015ba bh\u0101gavata kara adhyayana\",\"(CC, Antya 13.112\u2013113)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"After Raghunatha Bhatta stayed with the Lord for eight months, Mahaprabhu bid him farewell and instructed him never to marry. He commanded him to return and serve his elderly parents, as they were advanced Vaishnavas. Furthermore, the Lord directed him to study the Srimad-Bh\u0101gavatam under the guidance of a realised Vaishnava teacher. This highlights that the first duty of an aspiring soul is to serve the devotees and hear the revealed Truth from the proper source, rather than attempting to live a life of independent renunciation.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s14\",\"title\":\"09. Universal Deliverance and the Transformation of Hearts\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"1. Can a Sinner be Delivered?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to Jag\u0101i and M\u0101dh\u0101i)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe, &#x27;\u015buna kahi tom\u0101re up\u0101ya\",\"gang\u0101-gh\u0101\u021ba tumi sajja karaha sad\u0101ya\",\"sukhe loka yakhana karibe ga\u0144g\u0101-sn\u0101na\",\"takhana tom\u0101re sabe karibe kaly\u0101\u0146a\",\"(CB, Madhya 15.76\u201380)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;Listen, I shall tell you the means of your deliverance. Always maintain and keep the bathing gh\u0101ts of the Ganges clean and ready. When people can comfortably and happily take their bath in the holy Ganges, they will all bestow their blessings and auspiciousness upon you.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"2. Does a Beggar Find God?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012b \u015aukl\u0101mbar Brahmach\u0101r\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u015buna \u015bukl\u0101mbara brahmach\u0101r\u012b! tom\u0101ra h\u1e5bdaye\",\"\u0101mi sarvad\u0101 bihari tom\u0101ra bhojane haya\",\"\u0101m\u0101ra bhojana tumi bhik\u1e63\u0101ya chalile \u0101m\u0101ra\",\"paryatana prema-bhakti bil\u0101ite mora avat\u0101ra\",\"janma janma tumi prema-sebaka \u0101m\u0101ra\",\"tom\u0101re dil\u0101ma \u0101mi prema-bhakti d\u0101na\",\"ni\u015bchaya j\u0101niha \u2018prema-bhakti mora pr\u0101\u0146a\u2019\",\"\u015bukl\u0101mbare bara \u015buni&#x27; vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-ma\u1e47\u1e0dala\",\"jaya jaya hari dhvani karila sakala\",\"(CB, Madhya 16.134\u2013138)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: &quot;Listen, O \u015aukl\u0101mbar Brahmach\u0101r\u012b! I eternally sport within your heart. Your eating is My eating, and when you wander for alms, it is My own pilgrimage. My advent is specifically to distribute the treasure of divine love (prema-bhakti). Birth after birth, you are My loving servant. I have bestowed upon you the gift of divine love; know for certain that \u2018Prema-bhakti is My very life and soul\u2019. &quot;Hearing this boon given to \u015aukl\u0101mbar, the entire assembly of Vaisnavas raised a tumultuous vibration of \u201cJaya! Jaya! Hari!\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"3. Does the Lord Bestow Mercy Upon All?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s blessing to the devotees as He departs for Vrind\u0101van)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u012b\u1e63at h\u0101siy\u0101 prabhu sarva-loka prat \u0101\u015b\u012brv\u0101da karena \u201ck\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ete hau mat bala k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, bhaja k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, \u015buna k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a hau sab\u0101ra j\u012bvana dhana-pr\u0101\u0146a\u201d (CB. Antya 3.331\u2013332)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Smiling gently upon all the people, the Lord bestowed His divine benediction: &quot;May your consciousness be reposed in Krishna. Chant the Name of Krishna, worship Krishna, and hear the glories of Krishna. May Krishna become the very life, the wealth, and the soul of you all.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"4. Will everyone be delivered in the Age of Kali?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to the devotees in the village of R\u0101makeli)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"\u0101m\u0101&#x27; ch\u0101he hena jana \u0101mi-o t\u0101&#x27; ch\u0101\u1e45\",\"sab\u0101&#x27; \u0101m\u0101&#x27; ch\u0101he hena koth\u0101o n\u0101 p\u0101\u1e45\",\"(CB, Antya 4.114)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;I desire that person who desires Me. Yet I find no one who truly desires Me.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"p\u1e5bthiv\u012b-paryanta yata \u0101chhe de\u015ba-gr\u0101ma\",\"sarvatra sa\u00f1ch\u0101ra haibeka mora n\u0101ma\",\"(CB, Antya 4.126)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The demigod-sages, saintly kings, and perfected beings mentioned in the ancient histories were searching for Me but could not see Me. My advent is for the inauguration of congregational chanting (sank\u012brtan); I shall deliver the entire fallen world. In this age, even the demons and those who never respected Me will weep at the sound of My Name.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;However, those intoxicated by the pride of learning, wealth, high lineage, and mundane knowledge\u2014specifically those who commit offenses at the feet of My devotees\u2014will be deprived in this age. They alone will not respect My character and Pastimes. Yet My Name shall be spread to every country and village throughout the entire world.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"5. Can a King Attain Devotion?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to King Prat\u0101parudra of Puri)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: \u201cMay you attain unalloyed devotion to \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Perform no other work except for the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-k\u0101rya). Engage yourself incessantly in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u0144k\u012brtana. Know that your protector is the Sudar\u015bana-chakra of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. It is for the sake of you, S\u0101rvabhauma Bhatt\u0101ch\u0101rya, and R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, that I have appeared here in Puri. Just follow this one command of Mine: do not publicize My identity anywhere.&quot; (CB, Antya 5.200\u2013203)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"6. Can the Ignorant and Fallen Attain God?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: \u201cListen, O great-minded Nity\u0101nanda! Go quickly toward Nabadw\u012bpa. If you hold My words to be the truth, then go to the land of Gauda (Bengal) without delay. Deliver all the ignorant, the lowly, the fallen, and the distressed souls by bestowing upon them the gift of pure devotion (bhakti).&quot; (CB, Antya 5.223, 228\u2013229)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"7. Who is a Real Lak\u1e63apati (Master of a Lakh)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to Lak\u1e63e\u015bvara)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord asked: &quot;Do you know who I call a &#x27;Lak\u1e63apati&#x27;? I give that title to one who chants one lakh (100,000) of Holy Names every single day. I accept alms only in the home of such a person; I do not go to any other house.&quot; (CB, Antya 9.121\u2013122)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord continued: &quot;If the words of devotion do not manifest in one&#x27;s mouth, then their austerities, their sacred tuft (\u015bikh\u0101), their brahminical thread (s\u016btra), and even their renunciation are all in vain.&quot; (CB, Antya 9.154)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"8. Who is Greater: The Devotee or the Minister?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to Dabir Kh\u0101s (\u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa) and S\u0101kar Mallik (\u015ar\u012b San\u0101tana), the royal ministers)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Looking at the two brothers with a merciful glance, the Lord spoke with great kindness: &quot;You two are supremely fortunate; you have severed the shackles of worldly bondage. The entire world is bound by material interests, yet you have crossed over that entanglement. If you truly desire the treasure of divine love (prema-bhakt), then fall at the feet of \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya and take shelter there.&quot; (CB, Antya 9.253\u2013256)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"9. Can a \u015a\u016bdra attain Devotion?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to the government official, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;Whether one is a br\u0101hmana, a sanny\u0101s\u012b, or even a \u015b\u016bdra, if he is a knower of the truth of Krishna (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-tattva-vett\u0101), he is a Guru.&quot; (CC, Madhya 8.127) The Supreme Realities of the Universe:\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"(a) Devotion to Krishna is the supreme knowledge. (b) The fame of being a devotee of Krishna is the greatest fame. (c) Divine love for R\u0101dh\u0101-Krishna is the greatest wealth. (d) Separation from a devotee of Krishna is the greatest sorrow. (e) A devotee fixed in divine love for Krishna is truly liberated. (f) Singing the Pastimes of Krishna is the eternal duty (san\u0101tan- dharma) of all souls. (g) The association of Krishna\u2019s devotees is the best association. (h) Krishna\u2019s Name, Form, and Pastimes are the only objects worthy of remembrance. (i) The lotus feet of R\u0101dh\u0101-Krishna are the only object of meditation. (j) Vraja-dh\u0101ma is the true home and residence of all souls. (k) Hearing the Pastimes of Krishna is the supreme subject of the ear.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The mah\u0101-bh\u0101gavata (topmost devotee) sees the presence of \u015ar\u012b Krishna in all moving and non moving beings. Wherever his eye falls, the manifestation of \u015ar\u012b Krishna appears there.&quot; (CC, Madhya 8.272)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"10. Does the Lord\u2019s Mercy Consider Caste and Lineage?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to a certain devotee)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\u2014\u012b\u015bvara haya parama svatantra\",\"\u012b\u015bvarera k\u1e5bp\u0101 nahe veda-paratantra \u012b\u015bvarera\",\"k\u1e5bp\u0101 j\u0101ti-kula n\u0101hi m\u0101ne vidurera ghare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a karil\u0101 bhojane\",\"(Cc. Madhya 10.137\u2013138)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord is the Supreme Autocrat, completely independent and absolute. His mercy is not subordinate to the laws of the Vedas, nor does it consider one\u2019s caste or lineage. Krishna proved this by accepting a meal in the home of the &quot;low-born&quot; Vidura.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"11. Can a \u2018Yavana\u2019 (Outcast) Chant the Name of Krishna?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to Harid\u0101sa Th\u0101kura in Pur\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\u2014tom\u0101 spar\u015bi pavitra ha-ite\",\"tom\u0101ra pavitra dharma n\u0101hika \u0101m\u0101te\",\"(CC, Madhya 11.189)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord told Harid\u0101sa, &quot;By touching you, I become purified. Such spotless religious character as yours does not even exist in Me.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"nirantara kara tumi veda adhyayana\",\"dvija-ny\u0101s\u012b haite tumi parama-p\u0101vana\",\"(CC, Madhya 11.191)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;You are incessantly &#x27;studying the Vedas&#x27; through your constant chanting. You are more purifying than a twice-born sanny\u0101s\u012b who possesses only external status.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"12. Can a \u2018Prince\u2019 Perform Bhajan?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to \u015ar\u012b Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"sthira ha-iy\u0101 ghare y\u0101o, n\u0101 hao b\u0101tula\",\"krame krame p\u0101ya j\u012bva bhava-sindhu-k\u016bla\",\"marka\u021ba-vair\u0101gya n\u0101 kara loka dekh\u0101iy\u0101\",\"yath\u0101-yogya vi\u0219aya bhu\u00f1ja\u2019 an\u0101sakta ha-iy\u0101\",\"antare ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 kara, b\u0101hire loka vyavah\u0101ra\",\"achir\u0101t k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tom\u0101ya karibe uddh\u0101ra\",\"(CC, Madhya 16.237\u2013239)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord advised Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa to avoid &quot;monkey renunciation&quot; (marka\u021ba-vair\u0101gya)\u2014the external show of asceticism while the heart remains attached to the world. He said, &quot;Return home and be steady; do not act like a madman. The shore of the ocean of birth and death is reached step-by-step, not through an impulsive show.&quot; A devotee must practice yukta-vair\u0101gya: utilizing material objects as much as necessary for the Lord\u2019s service without personal attachment. Keep your determination fixed internally on the Lord, while behaving normally in the world. Krishna will surely deliver you from the snare of domestic life when the time is ripe.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"13. Can a Pathan (Muslim) become a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to a Pathan scholar)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord explained: &quot;Your own scriptures initially establish the &#x27;impersonal&#x27; (nirvi\u015be\u1e63a), but they ultimately conclude with the &#x27;personal&#x27; (savi\u015be\u1e63a) Supreme Being. Your scriptures declare that there is only one God, who is replete with six opulences and possesses a beautiful dark complexion (\u015by\u0101ma-kalevara). Creation, sustenance, and dissolution all emanate from Him, and He is the ultimate refuge of both the gross and subtle universes.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Without His service, the soul cannot be delivered from material existence ( sa\u1e41s\u0101ra ). Therefore, love for His lotus feet is the very essence of the goal of human life. The joy of liberation ( mok\u1e63a ) does not equal even a tiny drop of the joy found in His service. Although your scriptures first mention the paths of action, knowledge, and yoga, they ultimately refute them to establish the supreme path of the service of the Lord.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"14. How will the Fallen (of Mlecchas or Yavanas) be Delivered?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The words of Harid\u0101s Th\u0101kur regarding the outcasts)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"harid\u0101sa\u2014kali-k\u0101le yavana ap\u0101ra go-br\u0101hma\u1e47e\",\"hi\u1e41s\u0101 kare mah\u0101-dur\u0101ch\u0101ra\",\"(CC, Antya 3.50)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In the Age of Kali, the fallen outcasts (yavanas) are countless, and their behaviour is characterized by violence toward the cows and the br\u0101hmanas. However, even these most fallen souls, who appear to be beyond the jurisdiction of traditional dharma, can be delivered through the grace of the Holy Name. If they accidentally or even jokingly utter the Name of Krishna, they can be snatched away from the jaws of material existence.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"15. What is the Miraculous Prophecy of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to all assembled devotees)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"bh\u0101rata-bh\u016bmite haila manu\u1e63ya-janma\",\"y\u0101ra janma s\u0101rthaka kari&#x27; kara para-upak\u0101ra\",\"(CC, \u0100di 9.41)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prthiv\u012b-paryanta yata \u0101chhe de\u015ba-gr\u0101ma\",\"sarvatra sa\u00f1ch\u0101ra ha-ibeka mora n\u0101ma\",\"(CB, Antya 4.126)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord taught that anyone who has been fortunate enough to take a human birth in the holy land of Bh\u0101rata (India) should first make his own life successful through self-realisation and then perform the highest welfare work for others \u2014 the distribution of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. He proclaimed with absolute certainty that His Holy Name will be preached and celebrated in every single town and village across the entire earth. This worldwide mission is destined to fulfill the innermost spiritual demand of every living being, taking everyone back home, back to Godhead.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s15\",\"title\":\"10. Practical Living and Transcendental Outcomes\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"1. Who is called unseen or invisible (ad\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6da)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to His grieving mother)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"kva deho bhautiko \u2019n\u0101tm\u0101 kva ch\u0101tm\u0101 prak\u1e5bte\u1e25 para\u1e25\",\"kasya ke pati-putr\u0101dy\u0101 moha eva hi k\u0101ra\u1e47am\",\"(Bh\u0101gavata Pur\u0101\u1e47a 8.16.19)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Where is this material body, which is merely a composite of physical elements and is not the self? And where is the soul, which is transcendental to material nature? Who is husband, and who is son? Illusion (moha) alone is the cause of all such conceptions.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu bale,\u2014 \u201cm\u0101t\u0101, du\u1e25 kha bh\u0101va\u2019 ki-k\u0101ra\u1e47e?\",\"bhavitavya ye \u0101chhe, se kha\u1e47\u1e0dibe kemane?\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: &quot;O Mother, for what reason are you grieving? How can that which is destined to happen ever be averted?&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"eimata k\u0101la-gati, keha k\u0101\u2019ro nahe ataeva,\",\"\u2018sa\u1e41s\u0101ra anitya\u2019 vede kahe \u012b\u015bvarera\",\"adh\u012bna se sakala sa\u1e41s\u0101ra sa\u1e41 yoga-viyoga\",\"ke karite p\u0101re \u0101ra? ataeva ye ha-ila\",\"\u012b\u015bvara-ichchh\u0101ya ha-ila se k\u0101rya, \u0101ra\",\"du\u1e25 kha kena t\u0101ya? sv\u0101m\u012bra antyete\",\"gang\u0101 p\u0101ya ye suk\u1e5bt t\u0101\u2019ra bada \u0101ra\",\"ke v\u0101 \u0101chhe bh\u0101gyavat\u012b?\",\"(CB, \u0100di 14.182\u2013187)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Such is the course of time; no one belongs to anyone else in this world. Therefore, the Vedas declare this material world to be temporary and its relationships illusory. The entire universe is subordinate to the absolute will of the Supreme Lord. Who else but He can arrange for the union or separation of the souls? Therefore, whatever has transpired by the will of the Lord is the perfect decree; why then should one feel sorrow over it? A virtuous woman who attains the Ganges at the time of her husband&#x27;s departure\u2014who could be more fortunate than her?\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"2. Can God be Attained through a S\u0101ttvic Diet?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to a milk-drinking brahmach\u0101r\u012b)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;What power does he have to behold My divine dance? Does one develop devotion to Me simply by drinking milk? Raising His two arms and pointing His finger, the Lord said: &quot;No one can ever attain Me simply by drinking milk. Even if a chand\u0101la (outcast) takes shelter of Me, he is Mine, and I am his; know this for certain. What austerities did the elephant (Gajendra), the monkeys (Hanuman and his army), or the cowherds perform? Tell Me, how did they attain Me? Even the demons perform austerities, but what is the result? Without taking shelter of Me, there is no deliverance. One can never reach Me merely by drinking milk. I shall crush all such pride here and now.\u201d (CB, Madhya 23.41\u201347)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"3. What are the Transcendental Qualities of \u015a\u0101k (Leafy Greens)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to the devotees during a meal)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord described the spiritual glories of various \u015b\u0101k (leafy greens) to everyone and began His meal with a gentle smile.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord declared: &quot;Eating this green known as Achyut\u0101 creates affection for Lord Krishna (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a anur\u0101ga). By honouring Patola, V\u0101stuka, and K\u0101la-\u015b\u0101k, one is blessed with the company of the Vaishnavas birth after birth. If one partakes of \u015a\u0101li\u00f1ch\u0101 and Hel\u0101\u00f1ch\u0101 greens, they will maintain perfect health and easily attain Krishna-bhakti.\u201d (CB, Antya 4.295\u2013298)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"4. What is the Real Cause of Physical Suffering?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to the leper V\u0101sudeva)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Glory of the Vaisnavas: &quot;The very name &#x27;Vaisnava&#x27; purifies the entire world. Even Lord Brahm\u0101 and other demigods sing of the Vaisnavas&#x27; divine character. There is no worship greater than the worship of the Vaisnavas, for by serving them, one attains the inconceivable Lord Krishna.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Supreme Lord declares: &#x27;Neither My own self, nor My elder brother Balar\u0101m, nor Lord \u015aiva, nor even the Goddess of Fortune, Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b, are as dear to Me as are My devotees.&quot; (SB 11.14.15)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Consequence of Blasphemy: &quot;One who blasphemes such a Vaisnava suffers the miseries of birth, life, and death. All his learning, high lineage, and austerities become fruitless. Lord Krishna never accepts the worship of a sinful person who blasphemes the Vaisnavas.&quot; (CB, Antya, 4.356\u2013362)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The punishment of the Blasphemer: &quot;The Lord declared: &#x27;Leprosy is but a minor portion of the punishment for one who blasphemes a Vaisnava. There is no end to the tortures of Yamaraja that await him. In every limb and at every moment, the blasphemer must suffer tens of thousands of hellish agonies, again and again.&quot; (CB, Antya, 4.375\u2013377)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"5. How is a Devotee Protected?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012bv\u0101s Pandit)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Upon hearing the words of \u015ar\u012bv\u0101s Pandit, the Son of \u015aach\u012b roared and declared: \u201cWhat did you say, \u015ar\u012bv\u0101s? Will you have to worship grains (meaning, will you have to worry about food)? Even if the Goddess of Fortune, Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b, must beg for her own sustenance, poverty will never enter your home. Have you forgotten what I personally declared in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (9.22)?\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"anany\u0101\u015bchintayanto m\u0101\u1e41 ye jan\u0101\u1e25 paryup\u0101sate\",\"te\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 nity\u0101bhiyukt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 yoga-k\u1e63ema\u1e41 vah\u0101my aham\",\"(BG, 9.22)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I personally provide and protect the necessities of those who worship Me with exclusive devotion, always absorbing their hearts in Me.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord continued: &quot;Whoever thinks of Me with an undivided heart, I carry their alms upon My own head. One who meditates upon Me never needs to go to another\u2019s door; all perfection comes to that person automatically. Religious merit, wealth, enjoyment, and even liberation\u2014all these come of their own accord to My servants, yet My devotees do not even look at them. My Sudar\u015bana-chakra protects My servant, so that even in the Great Annihilation (mah\u0101-pralaya), they are never destroyed. Not only that, whoever simply remembers My servant\u2014I maintain and nourish them as well.&quot; (CB, Antya 5.52\u201361)\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"6. How Does True Auspiciousness Occur?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to the devotees)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: &quot;O My brothers, listen to the essence of all auspiciousness. Why should our nights be wasted in useless mundane sleep? From this day on, resolve to join the circle of sank\u012brtana during the night. By performing congregational chanting with all the associates, we shall dive into the Ganges of Devotion. Let the entire world be delivered by hearing the Name of Krishna. In the ultimate spiritual sense, the Holy Name is the only life and wealth for everyone.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"7. What was the Reason for Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019s Sanny\u0101s?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu bale,\u2014\u201c\u015buna nity\u0101nanda mah\u0101\u015baya\",\"tom\u0101re kahite nija h\u1e5bdaya ni\u015bchaya\",\"bh\u0101la se \u0101il\u0101 \u0101mi jagata t\u0101rite t\u0101ra\u1e47a\",\"nahila, \u0101mi \u0101ilu\u0148 sa\u1e41h\u0101rite\",\"\u0101m\u0101\u2019 dekhi koth\u0101 p\u0101ibeka bandha-n\u0101\u015ba\",\"eka gu\u0146a bandha chhila\u2014haila ko\u021b\u012b-p\u0101\u015ba\",\"\u0101m\u0101re m\u0101rite yabe karileka mane\",\"takhene-i padi\u2019 gela a\u015be\u0219a bandhane\",\"bh\u0101la loka t\u0101rite karilu\u0148 avat\u0101ra\",\"\u0101pane karilu\u0148, saba j\u012bvera sa\u1e41h\u0101ra\",\"dekhi k\u0101li \u015bikh\u0101-s\u016btra saba mud\u0101iy\u0101\",\"bhik\u1e63\u0101 kari\u2019 bed\u0101-imu sanny\u0101sa kariy\u0101\",\"ye ye jane ch\u0101hiy\u0101chhe more m\u0101rib\u0101re\",\"bhik\u1e63uka ha-imu k\u0101li t\u0101h\u0101ra duy\u0101re\",\"tabe more dekhi\u2019 se-i dharibe chara\u0146a\",\"ei mate uddh\u0101riba sakala bhuvana\",\"sanny\u0101s\u012bre sarva loka kare namask\u0101ra\",\"sanny\u0101s\u012bre keha \u0101ra n\u0101 kare prah\u0101ra\",\"(CB, Madhya 26.127\u2013135)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord revealed His heart to Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu: &quot;Listen, I came to this world with the intent to deliver all souls. But instead of being delivered, they are being destroyed by their own offensive attitude. When they saw Me and nurtured the desire to strike or kill Me, they became bound by millions of shackles of sin. I appeared to save them, but My presence has become the cause of their ruin.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Therefore, I have resolved: Tomorrow, I shall shave My head, discard My br \u0101 hmana thread, and accept the renounced order of sanny \u0101 sa. I shall wander from door to door as a humble beggar. Those very persons who wished to strike Me will then be compelled by social custom to bow at My feet and respect Me as a sanny \u0101 s \u012b . In this way, by accepting their obeisances, I shall trick them into their own deliverance and thus rescue the entire universe.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"8. What is True Atonement (Pr\u0101ya\u015bchitta)?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s words to the br\u0101hmana Subuddhi R\u0101ya)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"prabhu kahe,\u2014\u201ci\u1e45 h\u0101 haite y\u0101ha&#x27; v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana\",\"nirantara kara k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma sa\u0144k\u012brtana\",\"eka \u2018n\u0101m\u0101bh\u0101se&#x27; tom\u0101ra p\u0101pa-do\u0219a y\u0101be\",\"\u0101ra \u2018n\u0101ma\u2019 la-ite k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-chara\u0146a p\u0101ibe\",\"\u0101ra k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma la-ite k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sth\u0101ne sthit\",\"mah\u0101-p\u0101takera haya ei pr\u0101ya\u015bchitti\u201d\",\"(Cc. Madhya 25.191\u2013193)\"]},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"9. Can God (Lord Krishna) be Attained by Giving up the Body through death?\"},{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"(The Lord\u2019s instruction to Sri Sanatana Goswami)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"deha-ty\u0101ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101 p\u0101i, p\u0101iye bhajane\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pr\u0101ptyera up\u0101ya kona n\u0101hi \u2018bhakti\u2019 vine\",\"deha ty\u0101g\u0101di yata, saba-tamo-dharma\",\"tamo-rajo-dharme k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era n\u0101 p\u0101iye marma\",\"(CC, Antya 4.56\u201357)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"na s\u0101dhayati m\u0101\u1e41 yogo na s\u0101nkhya\u1e41\",\"dharma uddhava na sv\u0101dhy\u0101yas tapas\",\"ty\u0101go yath\u0101 bhaktir mamorjit\u0101\",\"(CC, Antya 4.59, SB 11.14.20)\"]},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-deha \u2018pr\u0101k\u1e5bta\u2019 kabhu naya \u2018apr\u0101k\u1e5bta\u2019\",\"deha bhaktera \u2018chid-\u0101nanda-maya\u2019\",\"d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101-k\u0101le \u015bi\u1e63ya kare \u0101tma-samarpa\u0146a\",\"sei-k\u0101le k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a t\u0101re kare \u0101tma-sama\",\"sei deha kare t\u0101ra chid-\u0101nanda maya\",\"apr\u0101k\u1e5bta-dehe, t\u0101ra chara\u0146a bhajaya\",\"\u0965\",\"(CC, Antya 4.191\u2013193)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The body of a Vaishnava is never mundane (pr\u0101k\u1e5bta). It is supramundane (apr\u0101k\u1e5bta) and composed of spiritual ecstasy (chid- \u0101nanda-maya). At the moment of d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 (initiation), when the disciple fully surrenders their very self to the Guru and Krishna, the Lord accepts them and makes them &quot;His own.&quot; By the touch of the Lord&#x27;s grace, the devotee&#x27;s body is spiritualized, like iron turning to gold. In that new, divine form, the soul is granted entrance into the eternal, dynamic Pastimes of the Sweet Absolute.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s16\",\"title\":\"11. \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"Verse I: The Sevenfold Glories of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Sank\u012brtan\",\"cheto-darpa\u0146a-m\u0101rjanam bhava-mah\u0101d\u0101v\u0101gni-nirv\u0101pa\u0146am\",\"\u015breyah-kairava-chandrik\u0101-vitara\u0146am vidy\u0101-vadh\u016b-j\u012bvanam\",\"\u0101nand\u0101mbudhi-vardhanam prati-padam p\u016br\u0146\u0101m\u1e5bt\u0101sv\u0101danam\",\"sarv\u0101tma snapanam para\u1e41 vijayate \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u0144k\u012brtanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"May the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of Krsna be allvictorious! This divine sound produces seven wonderful effects: It cleanses the mirror of the heart from all material dust. It extinguishes the blazing forest fire of material miseries (birth and death). It diffuses the cooling moonbeams that cause the lotus of the soul&#x27;s eternal good fortune to blossom. It is the very life of the bride of knowledge\u2014awakening the soul to its real inner treasure: a life of unconditional love for Krsna. It expands the ocean of transcendental ecstasy at every moment. It allows the soul to taste full nectar at every step. It purifies and conquers all phases of the self, bathing the soul in divine bliss.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"Verse II: The Lord&#x27;s Mercy and the Soul&#x27;s Misfortune\",\"n\u0101mn\u0101m ak\u0101ri bahudh\u0101 nija-sarva-\u015baktis\",\"tatr\u0101rpit\u0101 niyamita\u1e25 smara\u0146e na k\u0101la\u1e25\",\"et\u0101d\u1e5b\u015b\u012b tava k\u1e5bp\u0101 bhagavan mam\u0101pi\",\"durdaivam \u012bd\u1e5b\u015bam ih\u0101jani n\u0101nur\u0101ga\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"O Lord, Your Holy Name bestows all auspiciousness. Out of Your infinite grace, You have revealed Your many Names, such as Krishna and Govinda, and have invested all Your transcendental potencies within them. You have not imposed any strict rules regarding time,\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"place, or circumstance for chanting these Names. Yet, such is my great misfortune that due to my offences, I have no love for Your Name, which You have made so easily available.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"Verse III: The Qualifications for Chanting\",\"tr\u0146\u0101d api sun\u012bchena\",\"taror iva sahi\u0219\u0146un\u0101\",\"am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena\",\"k\u012brtan\u012bya\u1e25 sad\u0101 hari\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This verse is the &quot;trade secret of devotion&quot;. To successfully chant the Name of Hari constantly, one must: Be humbler than a blade of grass, never causing friction with the environment. Be more tolerant than a tree, which gives shade even to the logger and never asks for water. Offer all respect to others without desiring any prestige or honour for oneself. Only with this internal attitude can one achieve the help of the Lord in no time.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"Verse IV: Unmotivated Devotion (Ahaituk\u012b Bhakti)\",\"na dhanam na janam na sundar\u012b\u1e41\",\"kavit\u0101m v\u0101 jagad-\u012b\u015ba k\u0101maye\",\"mama janmani janman\u012b\u015bvare\",\"bhavat\u0101d bhaktir ahaituk\u012b tvayi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"O Lord of the Universe! I do not desire wealth, followers, beautiful women, or the &quot;poetry&quot; of mundane scholarship and liberation. My only prayer is that birth after birth, I may have causeless, unmotivated devotional service unto Your lotus feet. This is the prayer for ahaituk\u012b bhakt, which is independent of any worldly result or even the desire for salvation.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"Verse V: The Plea of the Fallen Soul\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"patitam m\u0101m vi\u0219ame bhav\u0101mbudhau\",\"k\u1e5bpay\u0101 tava p\u0101da-pankajasthita dh\u016bl\u012b-sad\u1e5b\u015bam vichintaya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"O Son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, the King of the land of Love! I am Your eternal servant, yet due to my own fault, I have fallen into this terrible, fathomless ocean of birth and death. I appeal for Your affection and guardianship. Please graciously accept me and consider me a mere particle of dust at Your holy lotus feet. I am not an inseparable part of You, but a separable particle of Your marginal potency; I beg for a special grant of Your mercy.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"Verse VI: The Symptoms of Divine Love\",\"nayanam galad-a\u015bru-dh\u0101ray\u0101\",\"vadanam gadgada-ruddhay\u0101 gir\u0101\",\"pulakair nichitam vapu\u1e25 kad\u0101\",\"tava n\u0101ma-graha\u0146e bhavi\u1e63yati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"O Lord, when will that day be mine when my eyes are adorned with flowing waves of tears, my voice falters and chokes in ecstasy, and the hairs of my body stand on end while chanting Your Holy Name? These are the transformations of the soul (asta-s\u0101ttvika vik\u0101r) that occur when the heart is finally captured by the sweetness of the Name.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"Verse VII: The Pangs of Separation (Vipralambha)\",\"yug\u0101yitam nime\u0219e\u0146a\",\"chak\u1e63u\u1e63\u0101 pr\u0101v\u1e5b\u1e63\u0101yitam\",\"\u015b\u016bny\u0101yitam jagat sarvam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"govinda-virahe\u0146a me O Govinda! In Your separation, my every moment seems like a vast millennium (yuga). Tears flood my eyes like torrents of rain, and the entire world appears to me as a vacant, empty background. This is the most intense mood of vipralambha, where the soul finds no solace from any mundane alternative and is fully in the clutches of divine love.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"Verse VIII: Absolute and Unconditional Surrender\",\"\u0101\u015bli\u1e63ya v\u0101 p\u0101da-rat\u0101m pina\u0219\u021bu m\u0101m\",\"adar\u015ban\u0101n marma-hat\u0101m karotu v\u0101\",\"yath\u0101 tath\u0101 v\u0101 vidadh\u0101tu lampato\",\"mat-pr\u0101\u0146a-n\u0101thas tu sa eva n\u0101para\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Krsna may warmly embrace me, or He may trample me under His feet. He may break my heart by not appearing before me. He is an absolute Autocrat and a debauchee (lampa\u1e6da) who may exploit me as He wishes, yet He\u2014and no one else\u2014remains the eternal Lord of my life. I am the real criminal for living without Him, and I have no right to demand an explanation for His ways; I can only surrender to His whimsical and absolute will.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s17\",\"title\":\"12. The Ramananda Sa\u1e41v\u0101da\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This dialogue between \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu and \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101y (known as the R\u0101m\u0101nanda Sa\u1e41v\u0101da) represents the deepest ontological conclusions of the Gaud\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava tradition. Following the illuminations of the predecessor \u0100ch\u0101ryas, here is the philosophical analysis of these essential questions and answers.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Knowledge (Vidy\u0101)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Of all types of knowledge, which is the most essential?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;There is no knowledge superior to devotion to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Secular scholarship is often viewed as a &quot;poison&quot; or a \u201cburden of rocks&quot; if it does not lead to the Centre. Real knowledge is that which awakens the soul&#x27;s relationship with the Absolute.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Fame (K\u012brti)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Amongst all forms of glory, which is the greatest?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;The greatest fame for a living being is to be known as a devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mundane prestige (prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101) is considered a great enemy of the soul. True glory lies in being recognised by the Lord as His own.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Wealth (Sampati)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Of all types of wealth, which should be counted as the greatest?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;One who possesses divine love (prema) for R\u0101dh\u0101- K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the wealthiest person.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Material assets are transient, but the &quot;capital&quot; of devotion is eternal and never diminishes. Sorrow (Du\u1e25 kha)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Among all sorrows, which is the most heavy to bear?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;There is no greater sorrow than separation from a devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"A Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava feels no personal trouble but is distressed by the suffering of others and the loss of holy association.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Liberation (Mukti)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Who is the truly liberated soul?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;One who possesses K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema is the crest-jewel of the liberated.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mere liberation from matter (mukti) is considered insignificant or even &quot;hellish&quot; by pure devotees because it lacks the positive service of the Lord.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Song (G\u0101na)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Of all songs, which is the soul&#x27;s eternal duty?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;That song which describes the loving Pastimes (prema-keli) of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In the spiritual world, &quot;every word is a song&quot;. The highest melody is the vibration of the Lord&#x27;s flute attracting the hearts of the devotees.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"The Highest Good (\u015areya)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;What is the supreme good for the living being?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;There is no greater good than the association of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s devotees (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakta sanga).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Even a moment&#x27;s association with a real saint can award all perfection. Remembrance (Smara\u1e47a)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;What should the soul constantly remember?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;The Name, Form, and Pastimes of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are the primary objects of remembrance.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Meditation (Dhy\u0101na)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Of all things to meditate upon, which is the primary duty?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;Meditation on the lotus feet of R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the most important.\u201d\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Abode (V\u0101sa)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Abandoning everything else, where should a soul reside?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;The holy land of \u015ar\u012b V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, where the eternal R\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101 is performed.&quot; V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is the soul&#x27;s &quot;sweet, sweet home&quot; where every step is a dance and everyone is a well wisher.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"According to Mah\u0101prabhu, Nabadwipa is non-different from V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, but provides the added mercy of aud\u0101rya (magnanimity) to qualify the fallen souls.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Hearing (\u015arava\u1e47a)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Of all things to be heard by the living being, which is the best?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;The pastimes of the divine love of R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are the only nectar for the ears (kar\u1e47a-ras\u0101yana).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Words surcharged with the spirit of the transcendental world enliven the soul, satisfying both the ear and the heart with spiritual joy.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Object of Worship (Up\u0101sya)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Amongst all objects of worship, which is the primary one?&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;The Holy Names of the Divine Couple, \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, are the supreme object of worship.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The ultimate meaning to be extracted from all sacred sound is the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b under Her guidance.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Misfortune (Durgat)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;What is the destination of those who hanker after mundane enjoyment (bhukti) or liberation (mukti)?&quot;. R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;They become situated either in inanimate bodies (sth\u0101vara) or in the bodies of demigods (deva-deha).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Those who hanker after these secondary interests are misguided by a &quot;superior mania&quot; and remain trapped in the cycle of birth and death, or in a state of &quot;deep spiritual slumber\u201d.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Knowledge (J\u00f1\u0101na)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;What is the nature of mundane knowledge?&quot;. R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;The dry philosopher chews the tasteless wood of inconclusive logic, while the devotee relishes the new buds of the flower of divine love.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Worldly knowledge is a &quot;waste of energy&quot; and a &quot;foreign element&quot; that covers the soul&#x27;s true nature; real knowledge is the &quot;bud of divine love&quot; that takes the heart to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Divine Love (Prema)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Who is truly fortunate in the pursuit of love?&quot;. R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;The unfortunate scholar tastes only dry, intellectual concepts, but the fortunate soul drinks the nectar of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"One who is blessed by the mercy of the Lord knows His true nature, whereas those who try to understand Him through speculation can study forever without reaching the goal.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s18\",\"title\":\"13. Da\u015ba-vidha N\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"To successfully chant the Name of the Lord, a devotee must carefully avoid these ten offences:\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"S\u0101dhu-nind\u0101: To blaspheme or criticise the saintly devotees who are the agents of the Holy Name.\",\"Dvit\u012bya-devat\u0101-bheda: To consider the demigods (like \u015aiva or Brahm\u0101) to be equal to or independent of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, or to think the Lord is different from His Name and Form.\",\"Gurv-avaj\u00f1\u0101: To disrespect the Spiritual Master or consider him an ordinary mortal.\",\"\u015a\u0101stra-nind\u0101: To blaspheme the revealed scriptures (the Vedas and Pur\u0101\u1e47as) that describe the glories of the Name.\",\"Arthav\u0101da: To consider the scriptural glories of the Holy Name to be exaggerated praise.\",\"N\u0101mni-kalpan\u0101: To consider the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to be imaginary or a mundane sound.\",\"N\u0101mno-bal\u0101d-p\u0101pa-buddhi: To commit sins on the strength of the Holy Name, thinking that chanting will absolve one of reactions.\",\"Pram\u0101da (Karma-sam\u0101na-j\u00f1\u0101na): To consider the chanting of the Holy Name to be equal to mundane pious activities like charity, austerity, or pilgrimage.\",\"A\u015braddh\u0101ne-n\u0101ma-d\u0101na: To instruct the faithless or those who are not sincere about the glories of the Name.\",\"Aha\u1e41 -mam\u0101di-bh\u0101va: To maintain material attachments and a sense of &#x27;I and mine&#x27; even after hearing the infinite glories of the Holy Name.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"It is also considered an important offence to the Holy Name to be inattentive while chanting it.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"By casting off these ten offences and chanting with a heart of sincere submission, the miracle of divine love will surely awaken within the soul.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s19\",\"title\":\"About \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Prapanna T\u012brtha Gosv\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Maharaj is the Sev\u0101yet-President- \u0100ch\u0101rya of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya \u015ar\u012bdhara Sev\u0101\u015brama. He received Harinam and diksha from Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, and later accepted sannyas from Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev- Goswami Maharaj. In his early days he was known as Prapanna Krishna Brahmachari.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Born into a devout Gaudiya Vaishnava family, the son of Rasaraj Goswami and Mrinalini Goswami of Assam (originally from Sylhet, Bangladesh), Maharaj was nurtured in an atmosphere of deep devotion. His sincere spiritual seeking led him to the lotus feet of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Maharaj earned a Master\u2019s degree in Bengali literature, studying devotional classics such as the Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita and the works of Jayadev and Chandidas. From his youth he dedicated his life to the service of his Gurudeva. He played a key role in establishing and maintaining the Kolkata branches of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math for nearly three decades, as well as sacred projects such as the memorial of Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami in Vrindavan, and temples at Ekachakra Dham and Hapaniya Dham.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"He also oversaw the printing and publishing of the works of Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Srila Govinda Maharaj, and helped distribute their books widely, including through the Math\u2019s participation at the Kolkata Book Fair.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Maharaj became renowned for his guidance of parikramas, his ecstatic kirtans, his humility, and his affectionate service to devotees from all over the world. For many years he served as a bridge between Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math and other Gaudiya missions, and was beloved by many senior Vaishnavas, including Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaj and Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaj.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"With tireless dedication, Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Maharaj spread harikatha throughout India and abroad, visiting Australia, England, Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Russia, France, Switzerland, South Africa, Marutius and Turkey. His life of surrender, service, and devotion continues to inspire countless devotees worldwide.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s20\",\"title\":\"Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Vowels a \u2013 as in but or cup. \u0101 \u2013 as in far or calm. i \u2013 as in sit or pick. \u012b \u2013 as in pique or clean. u \u2013 as in push or pull. \u016b \u2013 as in rule or mood. \u1e5b \u2013 as in rim (slightly rolled). e \u2013 as in they or save. ai \u2013 as in aisle or pie. o \u2013 as in go or coat. au \u2013 as in how or town. Consonants Gutterals (pronounced from the throat): k \u2013 as in kite. kh \u2013 as in Eckhart. g \u2013 as in give. gh \u2013 as in aghast. \u1e45 \u2013 as in sing. Palatals (pronounced with the middle of the tongue against the palate): c \u2013 as in chair. ch \u2013 as in staunch-heart. j \u2013 as in joy. jh \u2013 as in hedgehog. \u00f1 \u2013 as in canyon.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Cerebrals (pronounced with the tongue against the roof of the mouth): \u1e6d \u2013 as in tub. th \u2013 as in light-heart. \u1e0d \u2013 as in dove. dh \u2013 as in red-hot. \u1e47 \u2013 as in sing. Dentals (pronounced with the tongue against the teeth): t \u2013 as in talk. th \u2013 as in quiet-home. d \u2013 as in dark. dh \u2013 as in kindhearted. n \u2013 as in nothing. Labials (pronounced with the lips): p \u2013 as in pine. ph \u2013 as in haphazard (not f). b \u2013 as in bird. bh \u2013 as in abhor. m \u2013 as in mother. Semivowels: y \u2013 as in yes. r \u2013 as in run. l \u2013 as in light. v \u2013 as in vine. Sibilants: \u015b \u2013 as in the German word sprechen. \u1e63 \u2013 as in shine. s \u2013 as in sun. Aspirate: h \u2013 as in home. Anusvara: \u1e41 \u2013 a resonant nasal sound as in numb. Visarga: \u1e25 \u2013 a final h-sound pronounced like &quot;aha&quot;.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"sa\u1e41s\u0101ra-du\u1e25kha-jaladhau patitasya k\u0101ma-krodh\u0101di-nakra-makarai\u1e25 kaval\u012b-k\u1e5btasya durv\u0101san\u0101-niga\u1e0ditasya nir\u0101\u015brayasya chaitanyachandra mama dehi pad\u0101valambam\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u201cO Chaitanyachandra, I, a fallen into the miserable ocean of material existence, am being devoured by the sharks and alligators of lust, anger, greed, madness, delusion, and hatred; chained by wicked desires, I am bereft of any shelter. Please graciously grant me the refuge of Your holy lotus feet.\u201d \u2014 \u015ar\u012b Prabodhananda Saraswati\"}]}],\"count\":20},{\"slug\":\"the-words-divine\",\"title\":\"The Words Divine\",\"subtitle\":\"His Divine Grace \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"compiler\":\"Gathered and published by \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Prapanna T\u012brtha Gosv\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"coverSrc\":\"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-words-divine-cover.webp\",\"sections\":[{\"slug\":\"s01\",\"title\":\"01. The Path of Divine Love\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"The essence of love lives by distribution; not by absorption, but by distribution. That is love. Prema is that which exists by its tendency of distribution, and that is the highest.\",\"Whatever we may experience, the most central need for fulfillment remains, love. The absolute king of everything is love.\",\"Attraction is the most fundamental element everywhere. All else can be eliminated and forgotten if we come in touch with attraction and love.\",\"Love is the principle in the center which is the only fulfillment of all existence. The very gist of existence is there; it can\u2019t be ignored or challenged by any other forms or aspects of our substantial existence.\",\"It is unchangeable and absolute.\",\"Coming in clash with the principle of love, all will have to accept defeat. This is the most substantial thing.\",\"After liberation, beyond calculative devotion, in the highest plane of the whole creation, eternal love reigns supreme.\",\"That we may live in the waves of the ocean of love is the highest objective of our lives.\",\"So, give up your wild-goose-chasing habit and collect and concentrate all your might to progress in this line; try to go to the temple of love divine.\",\"Although it is impossible, the infinite is defeated by the finite. What is that unthinkable position? It can only be attained through love.\",\"We are quarreling in a foreign land for fictitious gain. But K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is engaged in a loving search for His long lost servants.\",\"The highest fulfillment is fulfillment of the heart, not the fulfillment of consciousness, or the attainment of eternal existence.\",\"Real enjoyment, divine enjoyment, comes from service \u2014 not from exploitation.\",\"Our relationship with the subjective is that of reverence and devotion to the higher entity, and not that of exploitation or enjoyment.\",\"If we cross beyond the vision of light-consciousness, we shall find the real necessity of our existence: happiness \u2014 ecstasy \u2014 and divine love.\",\"After establishing ourselves in the realm of consciousness, we must establish ourselves in the realm of divine love, ecstasy and beauty.\",\"Feeling is not complete in itself. Feeling must be for something. So the fullest conception of a perfect thing is something which is full in beauty or ecstasy.\",\"Ecstasy can exist by itself. Neither existence nor consciousness are complete in themselves. Consciousness alone hankers for ecstasy. And existence without consciousness is to exist with no purpose. Both existence and consciousness are subservient to ecstasy.\",\"First we must eliminate this mortal existence. Then, we must satisfy our reason, our consciousness. And finally, we must satisfy our heart.\",\"All the other aspects of the infinite; infinite time, infinite space, infinite power, are external. But infinite love which attracts love and self-surrender is the highest type of infinite. And that is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"Our inner aspiration for rasa, is buried within our hearts which are tied down and sealed. But hearing and chanting the glories of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a breaks the seal on the heart and allows it to awaken and open to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the reservoir of pleasure, ecstasy Himself.\",\"The innermost hankering of every living soul is for Beauty, Love, Affection, and Harmony; not for power, knowledge, or anything else.\",\"This is the diagnosis of the whole creation in time and space; their common cause is one. There is only one end \u2014 many are not necessary \u2014 only one, the one, that very one we want, is a relationship of Divine Love with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"In the Brahma-s\u016btra it is said, \u2018Inquire after the supreme cause of this world. Search!\u2019 From where has everything come? How is everything maintaining its existence? By whom? And ultimately, where does everything enter after death? That is brahma, spirit, the most fundamental plane from where everything springs up, remains, and ultimately enters. Where is brahma? The Brahma-s\u016btra advises us to inquire after the prime cause, the biggest, the all-accommodating. But \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu replaced that, \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam replaced that with k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101nu\u015bandh\u0101na: the search for \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"\u2018O, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, you may finish me, destroy me, efface me from the world, or you may save me by only a drop of your grace. I won\u2019t search after my satisfaction in the mud. That is finished, I will never go back to search my fortune in the earth, in the mundane. I am already fixed to do or die. Either I must receive a drop of your grace, or you may finish me.\u2019 In this way, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b prays that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s mercy will descend like rain from the clouds, and not only quench his thirst, but bathe him, satisfy his utmost hankering, and fulfil his innermost necessity. So, we should never search for our fortune in the mud, we must always look to the high sky and pray for \u015ar\u012b Guru and his Grace.\"]}]},{\"slug\":\"s02\",\"title\":\"02. The Power of Faith &amp; Surrender\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"If you follow the path of surrender, real knowledge becomes your servant.\",\"Faith is the only capital by which we can make our journey towards the Infinite.\",\"The quality of the truth is measured by the degree and intensity of our surrender to it \u2014 to the point of no return.\",\"Ecstasy personified is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, and He feels, tastes and enjoys Himself; but only through faith is it possible to transmit and distribute that ecstasy and joy to others. Faith is the very nature of the hl\u0101din\u012b\u015bakti, the ecstasy potency, which is represented in full by \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.\",\"Faith is the most subtle thing, and it is also the most tangible. It is not imaginary. We must realize that it is reality, it is concrete, and not merely an abstract sentiment of mere individual consciousness.\",\"Faith is universal as the most fundamental element that can connect us with the finest objective.\",\"Faith is the only means through which we can see, hear, or feel the higher world; otherwise it is all meaningless to us.\",\"Faith has no connection with the so-called reality of this world. It is completely independent.\",\"Faith means hope in the Infinite.\",\"In the world of faith, everything may be true by the sweet will of the Absolute.\",\"Faith is firm conviction that by serving K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a all other purposes are automatically served.\",\"There is a world which is guided only by faith. Faith is everything there, and it is infinite and all-accommodating.\",\"Faith is the halo of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.\",\"Faith is more important than calculative truth.\",\"Faith is required in order to work in that substantial conscious world which is subjective.\",\"When one develops faith, he will do anything to approach the higher subjective realm. One who has faith wants to connect with that higher substance which is composed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss.\",\"Faith asks us to approach the higher world, not the lower.\",\"Faith is our light in the darkness.\",\"Surrender is so powerful that it can even capture the Absolute.\",\"Surrender must be increased to no limit. Surrender is limitless, and the play of the Absolute is also limitless.\",\"Slavery to the Absolute is the highest position of freedom.\",\"Eliminating everything else, our aim should be directed towards one thing \u2014 that most intensified condition of divine service to the Lord of Love.\",\"Sara\u1e47\u0101gati (surrender) is the effulgence of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"We can approach the Supreme Lord only through submission, and when we achieve Him, we won\u2019t care for knowing anything else. We will have no regard for what is happening or not happening in the outside world. We will deeply engage in His service for His satisfaction.\",\"There, in His service, we will find the object of our lives fulfilled. And this external knowledge of \u201cthings outside\u201d will seem to us as rubbish.\",\"We will realize, \u201cWhat is the necessity of wasting time with all kinds of calculation \u2014 the nectar is here! It is far deeper than what is found in the external plane.\u201d And at that time, we shall give all our attention to His service.\"]}]},{\"slug\":\"s03\",\"title\":\"03. The Nature of the Absolute\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"The soul can only be satisfied in the Absolute Beauty; any partial representation of the Absolute, or even eternal existence, cannot satisfy his quest.\",\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is the centre. If the centre is clear, then the circumference is properly located.\",\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is my best friend. He is the background of everything.\",\"The Infinite comes down to welcome, to fully embrace the finite \u2014 that is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.\",\"In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, not a corner is left neglected. Every grain of sand, every blade of grass, is well represented there with personality.\",\"At every step towards Him, one feels wonder. We find no end to that feeling. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is infinite; He is the wonderful wonder of wonders.\",\"God works wonders. His ways are filled with miracles. We should be prepared for that. We should be prepared that all the knowledge of this world, all our experience, will prove to be wrong.\",\"It is a defect to want to understand everything about divinity.\",\"Knowledge may be a qualification here in this world, but in relation to the transcendental truth of the highest order, the tendency to want to know everything is a disqualification.\",\"We can\u2019t try to apply our reason or our standard of measurement to the movements of the Infinite.\",\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s divine movements are kept in reserve by His sweet will: \u201cAll rights reserved.\u201d We want to search for some law above His sweet will, but this is inconsistent. It is self-contradictory.\",\"The boundary of the sweet will of the Infinite is such that even Lord Brahm\u0101, the creator of the universe, can be perplexed by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"In connection with the Infinite you will find that everywhere there is centre, nowhere circumference. But to realize this you must try to live in eternity, in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha.\",\"Whatever we may conceive is within the Infinite.\",\"There are various types of Infinite. The highest conception of the Infinite is: He is so beautiful and attractive that He is attracting all to surrender to Him.\",\"In the deepest plane of Reality, the deepest wave of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is moving, and there so many j\u012bva-souls are dancing.\",\"And that dance is the Absolute Dance wherein everything surrenders to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the mood of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.\",\"We may have erected high walls on all sides to protect ourselves so that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness may not enter, but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a thief, and a thief requires no invitation. No preparation is necessary for His welcome. He will enter for His own interest, and that is our consolation. Our solace is that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a thief. M\u0101y\u0101 has erected her high walls on all sides, but nothing is sufficient to stop K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a thief, and stealthily He will enter one day.\"]}]},{\"slug\":\"s04\",\"title\":\"04. Humility &amp; Self Reflection\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"Faith in the devotees grants us the most substantial help.\",\"He who loves Me does not really love Me; but one who loves My servitor \u2014 his love for Me is more real.\",\"Humility means to not encroach on the rights of others. And also, it should not be such as to kill one\u2019s own self. It must be natural.\",\"A guide, \u015b\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, is the most important factor in the life of a bona fide seeker of the truth.\",\"The guidance of saints is our only hope. We must depend on them.\",\"They stand like lighthouses in the infinite ocean to guide us to the land of faith.\",\"Proper guidance in faith is also necessary, and that guidance is given by the higher plane.\",\"Only our optimistic good faith may be our guide, our Gurudeva. The guide is \u015ar\u012b Guru.\",\"\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam gives us a most hopeful suggestion for all stages of life: blame yourself and no one else.\",\"The present is at our hand. We do not know about the future. We must try to use the time at hand to its best advantage. How is that?\",\"Associate with the saints and the scriptures.\",\"Our inner wealth can be discovered only by the help of \u015b\u0101dhu, guru, and scripture.\",\"Nothing can obscure our spiritual progress except our own false ego. I am my own worst enemy.\",\"Devotion to the Absolute means sacrifice \u2014 \u201cdie to live.\u201d\",\"If we have an idea of the infinite broadness and depth of the Absolute, how can we value anything here?\",\"To identify with the interest of our family, society, or country is extended selfishness.\",\"When everything is measured from the standpoint of selfishness and not the universal interest \u2014 that is the cause of all our troubles.\",\"We must learn to critique ourselves and appreciate the environment.\",\"Our attitude should be one of humility, and if we think that we are being done wrong, still we should be patient, and under no circumstances should we work for our own position; that should be our aim.\",\"Our purity of purpose must always be very scrupulously maintained.\",\"We should think, \u201cAlone I shall go on with my duty. I won\u2019t be always searching for someone to come and help me. Let them do their duty.\",\"This is my duty.\u201d\",\"We should be conscious that hindrances and obstacles are almost sure to attack us, but we must deal with them with humility and forbearance. So this life is not a life of comfort.\",\"Though we see many around us falling or retreating, we must go forward.\",\"Progress means eliminating one thing and accepting another.\",\"A show of humility has no value; imitation has no value anywhere.\",\"Proper humility can only occur when one feels his connection with the autocratic Lord, his Master. Then only can he feel humble.\",\"M\u0101y\u0101 means \u201clocal interest,\u201d to see things or read the environment by local interest, not from the standpoint of universal interest.\",\"So if my inner voice, my spiritual conscience decides that a type of company cannot really help me, then I will be under painful necessity to give it up, and to run away towards my destination, in the direction that my spiritual conscience guides me. Otherwise it will be hypocrisy, and it will check our real progress.\",\"If we are sincere in our attempt, then no one in the world can check me, or deceive me. Only we ourselves can deceive ourselves. No one else. We must be true to our own self, and true to the Supreme Lord.\",\"We must be sincere.\",\"I must follow what I understand, my aspiration. Friends may be converted into foes. Foes may be converted into friends. But I must stick to my ideal.\",\"What is dharma? In Manu-sa\u1e41hit\u0101 (2.1), the definition has been given as a recommendation: vidvadbhih sevitah sadbhir nityam advesa-ragibhih | hridayenabhyanujnato yo dharmas tan nibodhata || Vidvadbhih means vedavidbhih \u2014 those who are expert in revealed scriptures. Sevitah sadbhih means what is practiced by the real saints. And who are they? Nityam advesa-ragibhih \u2014 those who are indifferent to the loss and the gain of the mundane world.\",\"So, what is religion proper? What such saints accept and practice in their life. Hridayenabhyanujnatah \u2014 your inner heart will also come to approve it with sincerity.\",\"With these signs, we shall approach religious realization: 1. Inner approval, approval of the inner heart \u2014 that is sincerity.\",\"2. What is found in the practices of the saints who are indifferent to the loss and gain of this mundane world.\",\"3. What is accepted by those who are expert, well-versed, in the revealed scriptures.\",\"These three things can give us assurance that we are marching in the right way.\",\"We receive confirmation from our heart\u2019s approval, our inner approval.\",\"We must trace it to there because that took me to my Guru. Guru is all in all, but who took me to my Guru? It was my inner sentiment, my inner guide. It did not like anything else in the environment but instead selected that advice. \u201cMany others do not care to come here, and many may ridicule this life, but what made \u2018me\u2019 come here? I cannot deprecate that internal approval, consciousness and sincerity.\",\"Therefore, that is an important factor and ultimately we have to depend on that internal consciousness the most.\",\"When collecting advice from the Scriptures and when seeking or relying on advice from a sadhu, the only thing that takes me there is my internal approval, my inner friend. If it were not for that I would not have come. Indeed, so many others do not come. So who has taken \u2018me\u2019 to this plane?\u201d\",\"na hi kalyana-krt kascid durgatim tata gacchati \u2014 Bhagavad-gita 6.40 One who sincerely wants real good can never be deceived. When one is a real seeker of the truth, he can never be deceived. Krsna says: \u201cMy dear boy, one who is sincerely hankering after the truth can never come across misfortune. If apparently some misfortune comes to visit him along the way, that is to enhance his position for his improvement.\u201d\",\"If we are sincerely searching after real truth, then wherever we go may be a contribution to our experience for further preaching in the future.\",\"If we go somewhere, hoping with all sincerity that our thirst may be quenched there, but find that it is not quenched, and feel some uneasiness, then, by the grace of the Lord, a connection with higher truth will come, and we will go somewhere else, thinking that there our thirst will be quenched. Gradually we will again find dissatisfaction, the need for something higher, and again we will progress further.\",\"If I am sincere in my search for God then God also will come to me from His side and, where we meet, He should be considered the Guru.\",\"Guru means representative of God Himself.\",\"Do not have disgust towards the sadhu, thinking: \u201cOh, he\u2019s just a man.\",\"Why should we do service to him? Why should we do vaisnava-seva?\",\"Why is it recommended so much in different places, in different scriptures? It is always said, \u2018You are to be dependent on sadhu\u2019; but I want God Himself! Why will He come between me and God?\u201d Do not think like that. Rather, you can understand the importance of the sadhu by the example of the telescope: in a telescope there are so many lenses coming between myself and the object of my search, but they help my vision. The guru-parampara, the disciplic succession, is working in this way, like a \u2018telescopic system\u2019.\",\"So we should all fall at the feet of that great Messiah: Sri Gaura\u1e45ga Mahaprabhu. His devotees say, \u201cIf we had to conceive of a place where Gaura\u1e45ga had not appeared, we could not maintain our lives. We shudder to think of living without such a magnanimous friend as Sri Gaura\u1e45ga. How could one live his life without Gaura\u1e45ga? It is impossible. The world is not worth living in without Gaura\u1e45ga.\u201d\",\"Sri Gaura\u1e45ga is most magnanimous. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, the Pa\u00f1ca-tattva, have come to raise all souls from their fallen condition. Generally, only deserving persons can gain entrance into Vrndavana, into krsna-lila. But as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna Himself has come down to cure the offenders of their offenses and grant them entrance into Vrndavana. Simply by chanting the names of the Pa\u00f1ca-tattva and by remembering their lila, we can be purified even from the lowest position and prepare for participation in Vrndavana-lila. In Goloka Vrndavana, RadhaGovinda are enjoying Their pastimes of divine love within Their own circle. And there is another quarter, where Radha-Govinda are combined as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu\u2014Krsna Himself in the mood of Radharani tasting His own sweetness with His entourage. We have to realize this through the recommended process. Who is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? He came here to bestow upon us the gift that will promote us to the highest goal of life.\",\"To bring Sri Gaura\u1e45ga nearer to our soul is to get, even unconsciously, a guarantee of our achievement in krsna-lila. For the fallen souls it is more useful to cultivate devotion for Sri Gaura\u1e45ga. That will give us the complete fulfillment of life with the least trouble. Devotion to Gaura\u1e45ga will not lead us to any haphazard or misconceived Krsna consciousness, but real Krsna consciousness. We can have full Krsna consciousness by the help of Gaura consciousness. By developing devotion to Sri Gaura\u1e45ga, we will be able to feel that Sri Gaura\u1e45ga consciousness also includes Krsna consciousness\u2014plus something more.\",\"What is that? The distribution of Krsna consciousness.\",\"Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, the giver of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the most valuable theological literature that has ever seen the light of day, has written: krsna-lila amrta-sara, tara sata-sata dhara, dasa-dike vahe yaha haite | se caitanya-lila haya sarovara aksaya, mano-hamsa caraha\u2019 tahate || \u201cWhat is krsna-lila? It is the real essence of nectar. It is the gist of sweetness, happiness, and ecstasy. The sweetness of the sweetest thing that can ever be conceived is represented in krsna-lila. Then what is caitanya-lila? In caitanya-lila, that sweet nectar of krsna-lila is flowing in all ten directions in hundreds of streams as if from a fountain. That fountain is caitanya-lila.\u201d\",\"Although caitanya-lila appears later than krsna-lila, caitanya-lila is the source, the foundation. We see that Krsna appeared in Dvaparayuga, in the previous age, and then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared later, in Kali-yuga. Still, Their lila is eternal. First there is the giver, then the gift. And the gift of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is that in all the ten directions, He is distributing unlimited streams of sweet krsna-lila to the world.\",\"Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami concludes: \u201cO devotees, come! Like so many swans, you must swim in the lake of Caitanya Mahaprabhu\u2019s pastimes. From that lake krsna-lila is flowing to the world in different streams. Devotees, like clouds, take nectar from that lake, and distribute that nectar freely to the fortunate souls. Come and live in that lake. Ask the swan of your mind to take shelter in that lake. May that swan swim in the nectarine lake of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu\u2019s life and precepts, from where so many hundreds of streams of nectar are flowing in all directions. O devotees, I offer this humble prayer to you.\u201d\",\"Where is Krsna? Our real want will be satisfied only by getting the service of Krsna; not by anything else. We want to satisfy the innermost demands of our hearts. We don\u2019t care to know where we are or what is controlling everything, but we really want to quench our thirst for rasa, for madhurya, for sweetness. We must search neither for knowledge nor for the controller of this world; we must search after rasa, anandam, after beauty and charm.\",\"When we have a taste of real ecstasy, rasa, then all doubts are cleared.\",\"By getting a taste of Krsna consciousness, the heart is captured, and when the heart is captured, the ecstasy of love of Godhead, prema, begins to flow. Being satisfied, the heart will say, \u201cThis is what I was searching for!\u201d Then, the brain will follow, thinking, \u201cYes, there can be no doubt, this is the highest goal of our search. Dissolve everything else.\u201d The heart will say, \u201cI have attained prema, divine love, this is the highest thing!\u201d\",\"Whatever adverse circumstances may come to disturb us we should try to not only see them as opposing and undesirable but we are required to see them as quite befitting: \u201cIt should come and is coming through the will of my good, well-wishing Lord. Very kindly He is sending these apparently unfavorable things to me but here is His grace.\u201d We shall try to read positive sympathy in the pain and not only negative opposition. One thing to note is that nothing can come without His sanction, so it is coming to me with His sanction. There can be no spirit of retaliation in Him, therefore the pain has come for some purpose: to purify me. This positive end is there. He is trying to finish the bad consequences of my previous actions. \u201cI would otherwise have had to undergo the bad consequences of my actions for a long time to come but perhaps He is making that intense in order to be finished within a very short time. Therefore it is His grace.\u201d If with this attitude we can face this danger that surrounds us then very easily we are released from all such opposing forces.\",\"The innermost hankering of every living soul is for beauty, love, affection, and harmony; not for power, knowledge, or anything else.\",\"This is the diagnosis of the whole creation in time and space: their common cause is one. But it is rare for a soul to reach such a clear stage of hankering for reality as to understand this point. Few souls are to be found in this world who are really conscious of their innermost necessity, who realize, \u201cWe want Krsna! We want Vrndavana!\u201d\",\"We can approach the Supreme Lord only through submission, and when we achieve Him, we won\u2019t care for knowing anything else. We will have no regard for what is happening or not happening in the outside world. We will deeply engage in His service for His satisfaction.\",\"There, in His service, we will find the object of our lives fulfilled. And this external knowledge of \u201cthings outside\u201d will seem to us as rubbish.\",\"We will realize, \u201cWhat is the necessity of wasting time with all kinds of calculation \u2014 the nectar is here! It is far deeper than what is found in the external plane.\u201d And at that time, we shall give all our attention to His service.\",\"Hatefully giving up all intellectual attempts to understand the Supreme Truth, those who want to realize You should completely surrender unto You. They should hear from self-realized devotees about Your holy name and transcendental pastimes. Whatever situation they may find themselves in, they should progress by fully dedicating their mind, body, and words to You. In this way the Infinite, who is never conquered by anyone, becomes conquered through love.\",\"atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih | sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah || \u2014 Srila Rupa Gosvami He says that Krsna\u2019s name, form, qualities, and eternal associates\u2014 everything about Him\u2014is not mundane, but purely spiritual. It cannot be perceived by our gross senses. Simply by vibrating the sound krsna, our tongues cannot produce Krsna, our noses cannot catch the transcendental fragrance of His body, our eyes cannot have a vision of His beautiful figure which is supramental. This is true not only for our physical senses, but for the mind also. Our minds cannot conceive of Krsna. He is transcendental and supramental. His existence transcends all the knowledge in our possession. We cannot be the subject and make Krsna our object. He is the subject. He exists beyond both the atma and paramatma. We should never forget that. We should always be mindful of the plane in which He exists.\",\"As finite souls we are tatastha jivas\u2014the marginal potency of the Lord. The tiny soul can think and know only those things which are more gross than himself. But in trying to know that which is more subtle than himself, he is helpless. A connection with that higher spiritual realm is only possible when the higher area wants to bring the lower up into that plane. Therefore, to understand Him is possible only through surrender\u2014Divine Slavery. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau.\",\"By distributing Mahaprabhu\u2019s message we are not going out to do anything bad but according to our conception we are trying to do the holiest thing. Our purpose is of the holiest type ever possible to conceive, so we must go forward with this program to do good for others, the best for others, and at the same time to get it for ourselves.\",\"There can be no engagement more holy than this in the world. It is the holiest engagement and has the blessings of the Lords Nityananda and Sri Gaura\u1e45ga. It is duty to Them. It is Their department. Preaching is the special department of Sri Gaura\u1e45ga and Nityananda Prabhu.\",\"Nabadwip Dham is the place of Their blessings. Our prayer to Them is that, absolving us of all offenses, They may utilize us. Here in Koladwip, Nabadwip, at the place of forgiveness of all offenses, aparadha-bhanjan-pat, we are praying that They may forgive us for all our previous offenses and engage us in Their service to spread Krsna consciousness together with Gaura\u1e45ga consciousness.\"]}]},{\"slug\":\"s05\",\"title\":\"05. The Eternal and the Transitory\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"05 The Eternal &amp; the Transitory Half-truth is more dangerous than falsehood.\",\"Apprehension and uncertainty are always troubling you; you must cross beyond them, go up, and you will find sivam \u2014 no apprehension, but the positive life.\",\"A man should be judged by his ideal. Extreme hankering for the truth is in itself happiness.\",\"We should have an immovable connection with reality, an absolute conception of reality. Such a stable position is necessary.\",\"Eternal existence has no meaning if it is not conscious, and consciousness has no meaning if it does not give any fulfillment.\",\"Everything within the environment is helping us, everything is sympathetic to us from all sides.\",\"Everything is all right with the Infinite and the environment. We have only to correct ourselves.\",\"Even obstacles may improve our position if we can take them in the right way. From a higher angle of vision it may be seen that everything is coming to help us.\",\"We must be careful not to blame the circumstances, but to appreciate that the Absolute Good (Krsna) is behind everything. He is my best friend; He is in the background of everything.\",\"When we reach the highest stage of devotion, we shall see that everything is friendly and that our apprehension was wrong.\",\"As much as the circumstances appear to oppose us, it is really not so. If only we can develop the right vision, the smiling face of the Absolute Good (Krsna) will appear from behind the screen.\",\"Existence without consciousness is to exist without purpose. But when existence is endowed with consciousness, it can search for its own good; ecstasy.\",\"You are not a child of this soil. You may be captive here, but this is not your home; this is a foreign land.\",\"Ecstasy is above light; transcendental mellow is above consciousness.\",\"Beauty and charm are above mere consciousness and understanding.\",\"To come to the plane of ecstasy, we shall have to dive deep into reality.\",\"We must not be satisfied with the formal, the superficial.\",\"Slow and steady wins the race. Our march towards the Infinite is a long journey, not to be finished within a few hours, a few days, or a few years.\",\"Eternal existence, consciousness, and fulfillment (ecstasy) are the three principles of our ultimate destination.\",\"We must not allow any ulterior purpose or temptation to induce us to give up our search for Sri Krsna. Let the satisfaction of Guru, Gaura\u1e45ga, Krsna, and the Vaisnavas be our only objective.\",\"Sometimes reason, logic, and analysis are necessary, but only to preach to the people in general who have a lower understanding.\",\"Leaving aside all doubts and suspicions, we shall be most generous in approaching the Absolute, free from all inhibitions. We shall approach Him with that spirit, and try more and more to leave aside our past prejudices and precedents, the records of our past experience.\",\"The more they achieve, the more they thirst, the more earnestness is found within them. This is the characteristic of realization of the Infinite.\",\"What is bhajana? It is a transaction of the heart, not of any formality.\",\"In Krsna devotion, Krsna-bhakti, the only consideration is the dedication of the heart. Krsna wants that, and not any external formality of the civilized or non-civilized world.\",\"The siksa-guru parampara should be considered the most substantial thing. Eliminating the sahajiya-vada which gives much importance to the outer cover, try to look within, and see things more deeply. Try to understand the deeper vibrations of the outside environment, and see within yourself also. Dive deep, and you will find the plane of the finest vibration which will carry that news to you, and you will see that truth.\",\"We are slaves of the truth. We are beggars for the pure current of truth that is constantly flowing: the fresh current. We are not charmed by any formality. I will bow down my head wherever I find the river of nectar coming down to me.\",\"We can agree that there is no charm here that shall make us hesitate to withdraw from this world, but we must also disagree and say that our life in this world is valuable. Why? With this life we can acquire a higher aspiration. We can have the chance of acquiring the goal from this plane. This human life is so valuable that with it we can take the path of the highest divine conception. This human body is highly valued and rarely achieved. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.9.29) it is stated: labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante manusyam artha-dam anityam apiha dhirah | turnam yateta na pated anu-mrtyu yavan nihsreyasaya visayah khalu sarvatah syat || \u201cThe human form of life is very rarely attained, and although temporary, gives us a chance to achieve the supreme goal of life. Therefore, those who are grave and intelligent should immediately strive for perfection before another death occurs. There are so many forms of life: the aquatics, the vegetable kingdom, the animals, the birds, ghosts and other living beings, but only in this human position do we hold the key to the complete solution of the problems of life.\u201d\",\"If we can use this human life in a valuable way, we can acquire the key by which to become free from the whole chain of life in this troublesome world. We can get rid of the bondage of all sorts of physical and mental troubles. The key is here, in this human form of life. Jiva Gosvami says that lower life-forms have insufficient understanding to realize the highest truth. And in the higher lifeforms, such as demigods, because previously acquired energy or karma has accumulated on all sides, the chief enjoying elements are surrounding the living being. It is difficult to escape the charm of those influences and begin the prospect of a fresh life in a higher plane of consciousness. This human form of life is the most advantageous position to escape this entanglement and reach the highest object of our divine life.\",\"Always keep in association with the Vaisnava of the higher plane in order to keep yourself healthy, to supply yourself with vitality.\",\"Whatever you do, whether it is preaching or any other service \u2014 it is to keep the vitality within you. That can come from the association of the \u2018dynamos:\u2019 the Vaisnavas. That is the main idea: to keep your life intact and then go on with work. Because if the vitality diminishes, then everything will go; it will be lost. So most important is the spiritual vitality and its supply; and the source of that supply, the dynamo, is the Vaisnava. When the Vaisnava is absent, we can receive nourishment from the scripture \u2014 the Gita, the Bhagavatam, other books, and the writings of Gurudeva.\",\"Sometimes people ask, \u201cWhy did Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu choose to give the highest conception of divine love \u2014 Krsna-prema \u2014 to the lowest class of people, to the people of Kali-yuga?\u201d But that is the very nature of Sri Caitanya-avatara. Why did the gopis who are considered to be the most exalted devotees come from a neglected social position?\",\"What is the meaning of the highest conception of magnanimity? What should be its nature? To help the most needy. And because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu comes from the highest position, He cannot give ordinary things; He must give the most valuable things, and His attention must be drawn to the most needy. Is it unnatural? The highest magnanimity must take notice of the lowest and most needy.\",\"And if He wants to help them He will do so with His own coin. He cannot distribute to them only glass or stone chips. When He has the opulence of jewels and gems, why should He search for stone chips to distribute to the lowest level? He must extend to the lowest and poorest people what He thinks to be real wealth.\",\"The search for Sri Krsna is dynamic and living, so adjustment and readjustment is always going on. And we should also change our present position accordingly, so that we may not have to sacrifice the high ideal for which we have come. Einstein had to leave Germany and go to America for his high ideal of life. And so many similar instances may be found in the world. The ideal is all in all. The highest ideal in a man is his highest jewel. Our most precious gem is our ideal.\",\"Dive deep into God-consciousness. It is the key to the highest success of life and it will take you to your Home. And that Home is so sweet! It is not a foreign land. Not that you will take so much risk only to go to some unknown place, where you may be dealt with any way. There will be no such apprehension, no such doubt or suspicion. But as much as you will be able to make progress on that side, you will find such sweetness, such home-like comfort and confidence.\",\"The Vedas tell us, \u2018Om!\u2019 Om means a big \u2018Yes!\u2019 \u201cWhat you are searching for, that is! Don\u2019t be disappointed.\u201d The Vedas say that the object of our inner search exists. The common search of all your hearts is existing, and your thirst will be quenched. By your constitution you are meant for that and you deserve that, so don\u2019t be afraid; don\u2019t be cowed down. It is already given in your being. And you can never be satisfied with anything else. So prepare yourself, after your long search, to receive that long-missing nectar in its full form and quality.\",\"Awake! Arise! Search for your fortune and you cannot but have that.\",\"It is your birthright. It is the wealth of your own soul. It cannot but be within you. You have no other business, no other engagement but krsnanusandhana, the Search for Sri Krsna: Reality the Beautiful.\",\"We are slaves of the truth. We are beggars for the pure current of Truth that is constantly flowing: the fresh current. We are not charmed by any formality. I will bow down my head wherever I find the river of nectar coming down to me. When one is conscious that the Absolute Truth is descending to him from the highest domain, he will think, \u201cI must surrender myself here!\u201d\",\"Why worry for the result when the process is so nice?\",\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\"]}]}],\"count\":5},{\"slug\":\"heart-of-discipleship\",\"title\":\"The Heart of Discipleship\",\"subtitle\":\"108 Essential Instructions from the Guardian of Devotion\",\"compiler\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"coverSrc\":\"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/heart-of-discipleship-cover.webp\",\"sections\":[{\"slug\":\"s01\",\"title\":\"Dedication\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101d \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"deva\u1e41 divya-tanu\u1e41 suchanda-vadana\u1e41 b\u0101l\u0101rka-chel\u0101\u00f1chita\u1e41\",\"s\u0101ndr\u0101nanda-pura\u1e41 sad-eka-varana\u1e41-vair\u0101gya-vidy\u0101mbudhim\",\"\u015br\u012b-siddh\u0101nta-nidhi\u1e41 subhakti-lasita\u1e41-s\u0101rasvat\u0101n\u0101m vara\u1e41\",\"vande ta\u1e41 \u015bubhada\u1e41 mad-eka-\u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 ny\u0101s\u012b\u015bvara\u1e41 \u015br\u012bdharam\"]},{\"text\":\"I fall at the feet of \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhar-Deva, who with charming expression sings his songs of sweet nectar. Dressed with fine garments like sun newly-risen, he is the true saint the devotees have chosen. His detachment and knowledge are just like an ocean, the treasurehouse of complete, perfect conclusion. Radiant in pastimes of loving devotion, the abode of pure ecstasy, bestower of good fortune, foremost true follower of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta, foremost great general of the whole renounced order, my lord and my master, my only shelter, I worship his feet, \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhar-Deva.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s02\",\"title\":\"Foreword\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"All Glory to \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Guru and Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga! By the causeless mercy and divine inspiration of my most worshipful \u015ar\u012b Gurup\u0101dapadma, O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101da \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, and by the grace of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga Mah\u0101prabhu and the assembled Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, this small volume, The Heart of Discipleship, is being placed before the sincere seekers of divine guidance. The relationship between \u015ar\u012b Guru and the disciple is not an ordinary relationship of this mundane world. It is the merciful arrangement of the Supreme Lord by which the conditioned soul receives spiritual direction and encouragement on the path of divine service. \u015ar\u012b Guru is the transparent representative of the Lord, and through his words the descending current of divine knowledge enters the receptive heart. The scriptures declare: \u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n n\u0101vamanyeta karhicit na martya-buddhy\u0101s\u016byeta sarva-deva-mayo guru\u1e25 \u201cOne should know the \u0100ch\u0101rya to be My own self and never disrespect him in any way. One should not consider him an ordinary mortal, for \u015ar\u012b Guru is the representative of all the demigods.\u201d \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam 11.17.27\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The spiritual master does not come merely to give us information. He comes to awaken within us the forgotten spirit of dedication. When received with faith, humility, and a sincere serving disposition, the words of \u015ar\u012b Guru can carry the disciple across even the most difficult obstacles of spiritual life. Many questions naturally arise during a disciple\u2019s journey. How shall one recognise genuine guidance? What is the meaning of obedience and surrender? How should one receive correction, overcome doubt, live harmoniously among the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, and remain faithful through distance or separation? Such questions touch the innermost life of the disciple. Their proper resolution must come from the realised words of s\u0101dhu, \u015ar\u012b Guru, and the scriptures. For this reason, The Heart of Discipleship presents 108 essential questions together with the authenticated instructions of \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, the Guardian of Devotion. \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja possessed an unparalleled ability to reveal the subtle truths of devotional life. His words carry the gravity of scriptural conclusion, yet they are filled with affection, hope, and compassionate understanding of the struggling soul. He teaches us that spiritual progress does not depend upon asserting ourselves, but upon increasing our capacity to receive grace. The disciple\u2019s true wealth is sincere dependence upon the higher plane.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"These 108 instructions concern the entire development of a disciple\u2019s life: the search for genuine shelter, acceptance of the spiritual relationship, submissive service, harmonious dealings with the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, dependence upon grace, and remembrance of the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Gurudeva in separation. This book may be kept nearby as a regular companion. A disciple may approach one question at a time, carefully hear the words of \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, and prayerfully consider how that instruction may be applied in life. The same passage may offer one understanding today and reveal a deeper meaning after many years of service. The words of a realised Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava carry spiritual potency. When received with faith and a service attitude, they work silently within the heart, awakening deeper surrender. May every reader, under the shelter of \u015ar\u012b Guru and Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, progress steadily toward the ultimate destination, the eternal loving service of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-Madana-Mohana. Yours Humbly, \u015ar\u012b Bhakti Prapanna T\u012brtha\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s03\",\"title\":\"01. The Call Beyond Ourselves\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why do I need a spiritual guide?\",\"a\":\"To err is human. To err is inevitable for all, being not perfect. Still, no one wants to remain imperfect. There is an element within all that is animate that tends towards perfection. If it were not so, we would feel no want at all. Our tendency towards perfection is certainly very weak and limited; otherwise we could attain the goal at once. Our limited capacity and tendency for perfection makes room for the guide or Guru. The imperfect is not so if it is not in need of help, and that also from beyond itself. The perfect is not perfect if He cannot assert Himself or help others, and that too, of His own accord. So the guidance to perfection or Absolute Truth is necessarily a function of the Absolute Himself, and the divine agent through whom this function manifests is \u015ar\u012b Guru or the divine guide.\",\"c\":\"\u015ar\u012b Guru and His Grace, Home Comfort\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Can I make spiritual progress by my own effort?\",\"a\":\"\u201cMy illusory energy is impossible to overcome. Only one who surrenders to Me can cross beyond it.\u201d M\u0101y\u0101 dreads only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, for she has her backing from Him. If you attempt to cross m\u0101y\u0101 alone, it will be impossible. You must have some higher connection. And with the help of that connection you can overcome illusion. M\u0101y\u0101 will withdraw only when she sees that you have the backing of higher potency. Alone, you cannot fight and gain victory over m\u0101y\u0101. It is impossible, because wherever you go, you are within the boundary of m\u0101y\u0101, illusion. It may be more or less intense, but it is all m\u0101y\u0101. Only when you really come in touch with the plane above m\u0101y\u0101 can you fight against m\u0101y\u0101; only then will m\u0101y\u0101 withdraw. We must have some shelter beyond m\u0101y\u0101 from where we can fight with illusion. We are advised to take shelter of s\u0101dhus (saints) and \u015b\u0101stra (scriptures). Their help comes from above, and we must accept that help from the inner core of our hearts.\",\"c\":\"Initiation: spiritual invasion, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why is spiritual life difficult to understand alone?\",\"a\":\"Revealed truth is necessary. No intelligence or reason can be applied here. If we apply any reason, then we will be nowhere. A man who is expert in argument will defeat another man not so qualified in argument, but the truth remains regardless. Intellect and reason have no position there because truth, super- consciousness and dedication do not come within the jurisdiction of intellect, logic and reason.\",\"c\":\"Invite Death at every Point of Your Life, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Five: Poetry of a Saint\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What prevents me from seeing my true spiritual need?\",\"a\":\"The prejudice, our past experience, that is caught in subtle form that has covered like dust, our eye of soul. Our inner vision is covered thickly with the dust. What is the dust? So many different conceptions of separate interest, eliminating the universal interest, has covered us. Prejudice, that mental cover has been made of the prejudices, of local, provincial interests. So we cannot see the reality outside.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1983 B\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the difference between information and guidance?\",\"a\":\"And also sometimes j\u00f1\u0101n, knowledge which is necessary, can come from within. There is a stage of devotion when the necessary knowledge comes from within, automatically. There is a stage of bhakti where things occur in this way; it is revelatory, through revelation we can understand. Without any study but being supplied internally by Chaitya-guru (the Lord as our inner guide), sometimes knowledge of devotion may come to us; but generally it will be by hearing from the lips of the devotees.\",\"c\":\"Transcendental Knowledge, Heart and Halo\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why is submission necessary for learning?\",\"a\":\"For a seeker of the Absolute Truth, submission to the Guru is unavoidable. A class of thinkers believe, however, that when scientific research is possible, why cannot higher spiritual knowledge also be evolved from within? Such people are ignorant of the most essential nature of Absolute Knowledge, that He alone is the Absolute Subject and all else including ourselves constitutionally stand only as an object to His omniscient vision. It is impossible for the eye to see the mind; it can have some connection with the mind only when the latter cares to mind it. In a similar way, our connection with absolute knowledge depends mainly on His sweet will. We must solely depend on His agent, or the Spiritual Master, through whom He likes to distribute Himself.\",\"c\":\"Introduction, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does divine grace reach the disciple?\",\"a\":\"It is like that. Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja used to give such example. It is like that. Everything is new. No knowledge of here will help us to see the sun there, that light. Self effulgent. He\u2019s self existent, self effulgent and self satisfied. Only through His agent, His grace, we can be taken in His jurisdiction. And how? Now you imagine in what way? Most sincerely, prayerfully, we shall connect ourselves with the agent, and also the scripture. Most earnest tendency to get out of this land of death and dissipation, destruction, to be saved. And who will go there? Our soul, and giving up what are the territories, the body, the mind, and the mental, the fame of I\u2019m a scholar, I\u2019m a giant. All these should be kept here. Suppose if the atom bomb war begins, everyone will run to some safe position. No iron chest, no money, no book, nothing. Only run to safety. So the soul should run. With this bodily fame, our knowledge, scholarship, everything should be left here and soul must run to the safe position. Only through the agent and any guide book. That is what is necessary.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 D\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I seek from Guru?\",\"a\":\"In the Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Prahlad Maharaj refused to accept any boons offered to him by the Lord. He said, \u201cOne who accepts boons in return for his service to You is not Your servant but a merchant\u201d (na sa bhrtyah sa vai vanik; Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.10.4). Those who approach Guru and Krishna with their separate interest have come only to make trade. They have come to acquire something to satisfy their own purpose. We must be very cautious to avoid such traits within ourselves. For what have I come? There may be many motives.\",\"c\":\"The Honest Inquirer, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume One\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why can my own preferences mislead me?\",\"a\":\"Both Indra and Virocana were students of Brahm\u0101. Brahm\u0101 explained the words, so\u2019ham (\u2018I am that\u2019). Indra thought it meant the \u0101tm\u0101, and Virocana thought like a demon and considered it to be this body. Some thought it was the soul and some in the same class thought this body is that thing. This misconception is due to local prejudice. Modify, modify, modify! In this way, from one guru, so many disciples are hearing, but according to their capacity, they\u2019re catching it and mixing it with their own mental experience. Then they deliver to their disciples and those disciples take that modified thing, and again there is modification of their own mental colour and they are delivering.\",\"c\":\"Illumination, G\u012bt\u0101m\u1e5btam: The Nectar of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the beginning of genuine discipleship?\",\"a\":\"[\u201cYou will be able to attain all this knowledge by satisfying the enlightened spiritual master with prostrate obeisances, relevant enquiry, and sincere service. Great souls who are most expert in scriptural knowledge and endowed with direct realisation of the Supreme Absolute Truth will teach you that divine knowledge.\u201d] [Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, 4.34] In G\u012bt\u0101. Pra\u1e47ip\u0101ta means surrender, paripra\u015bnena honest inquiry, and sevay\u0101 serving attitude. Three qualifications in the disciple, in the plane of the inquiry of the higher truth. And the preceptor he also must be qualified, j\u00f1\u0101n\u012b and tattva dar\u015bi. He must have \u015b\u0101stric knowledge that he can explain the thing how it is. And he must have some realisation of the truth, practical knowledge, both theoretical and practical knowledge the Guru must have.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1983 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does it mean to receive knowledge from above?\",\"a\":\"One of proper, normal understanding will therefore accept the necessity of revealed truth. Revealed truth does not rely on the majority consideration of the abnormal thinkers. Srauta-pantha means revealed truth, and that must come from the perfect realm: from God Himself. So here is established the indispensable necessity of the srauta-pantha, the method of revelation. It must come from the perfect realm, from sarvajna, from the quarter of omniscience. We find that there are thousands of engagements in those that are unconscious of their own real interest. They are very busy, but very busy about nothing. What do we see if we look around?\",\"c\":\"The Question, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s04\",\"title\":\"02. In Pursuit of Genuine Shelter\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Who is Guru?\",\"a\":\"Where is the knowledge of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a there is Guru, where is the knowledge of the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a that is Guru. That is of different type, and different ways, this N\u0101ma Guru, mantra Guru, vartma- pradar\u015baka Guru, sanny\u0101sa Guru, but all tending towards one. And then otherwise, there are so many sham Gurus also, imitation Guru also. That is another thing. Who is guiding me towards Guru, Guru means guide, whoever is guiding me towards the centre, he is Guru. And Bh\u0101gavatam mentions that avadhuta has got twenty four Gurus. From somewhere else, from birds, from animals, he\u2019s learning something, but he\u2019s my Guru, giving, teaching me in this direction. Guru means guide, who guides me towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, he is Guru, where ever he be. Not an imaginary cage, Guru is not a cage, in which he lives, still that has got some connection with that. Then there is possibility of Guru ty\u0101ga also. How it is possible? If the real spirit of Guru is not there then that Guru should be discarded. It is also mentioned in the \u015b\u0101stra. Then what is Guru, we are to know. Guru ty\u0101ga is also possible, in very rare case, unfortunate though that is very much, still there is possibility. So Guru is not a limited cage of my vision, or my mental cage. Wherever is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a distributing Himself there is Guru. When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is distributing Himself in general He\u2019s Mah\u0101prabhu, and so many representatives of Mah\u0101prabhu they\u2019re Guru. Guru means light. Otherwise we shall be form worshippers. Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 B\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does Guru represent the Absolute?\",\"a\":\"The third offense is to consider the guru a human being. Although so many human symptoms may be found in him, still, according to our sincerity to meet Godhead, the Lord descends and represents Himself in the guru to satisfy our hunger for the truth. We must see him as the agent of the Lord. It has been advised to us in a general way not to think of the guru as a mortal being, because if our attempt to attain the Absolute is sincere, then He will also come to us to deliver us. God is omniscient, so through a particular agent who acts as His representative, He comes here to accept us and take us up to the higher plane. We are ordered by the advice of the scriptures to see the guru as the representative of the Absolute, because none can give us Krishna but He Himself.\",\"c\":\"The Hare Krishna Mantra, The Search for \u015ar\u012b Krishna: Reality the Beautiful\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I search for Guru?\",\"a\":\"It is good if disciples develop a consciousness of being personally unfit. Although we are unqualified, we should have some understanding within, that Gurudeva is taking us towards the higher quarter. We will see things as we look about the environment. We may be fools, but others are not. We can see how they accept K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The experts in the scriptures have also given their opinion. According to our capacity we should consult s\u0101dhu and \u015b\u0101stra. With the help of these two (s\u0101dhu and \u015b\u0101stra) and the approval of our innermost heart we can approach the guru. With their help we can accept guru. But there are those who are deceiving themselves, \u201cO, my guru can cure so many diseases,\u201d and \u201cOh, my guru can make me prosper in the material life.\u201d That is self-deception. In the world there are many different types of gurus: there are those who give material prosperity and some ty\u0101g\u012b-gurus give us eternal sleep, saying that this is the real place of taking rest and achieving peace. There are so many classes of gurus. Generally our suk\u1e5bti guides us from underground. \u015araddh\u0101 is the real merit that can take us to a proper guru, and \u015braddh\u0101 comes from our past acquired suk\u1e5bti, or auspicious activities. That suk\u1e5bti comes unconsciously from the agents of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In this way, the real progress of a j\u012bva is traced, ultimately.\",\"c\":\"Approach the Guru, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I recognize genuine spiritual guidance?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012b Guru manifests himself mainly in a twofold way\u2014as the director from within and the preceptor from without. Both functions of the Absolute help an individual soul\u2014a disciple\u2014to reach the absolute goal. In our fallen state we cannot catch the proper direction to the inner guide, so the merciful manifestation of the preceptor without is our sole help and hope. But at the same time it is only by the grace of the Guru within that we can recognise the real preceptor without and submit to his holy feet.\",\"c\":\"Introduction, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What qualities should I seek in a spiritual master?\",\"a\":\"And who will he approach? One who is not only well-versed in the precepts of the revealed scriptures, but who has also come in contact with the revealed truth. One who is conversant with the very object of the scriptures, and who has practical experience, who is established in pure consciousness, is a genuine Guru. One should approach such a guide for his own relief, to understand what is the highest benefit in the world and how to attain it. This is necessary. It is real. It is not imaginary. At the same time, it is difficult. The Absolute Truth must be sought out through a real process; otherwise we shall go the wrong way and then say, \u201cOh, there is nothing here; it is not real.\u201d So, only if we follow this real process of understanding the truth will we experience the real nature of divinity.\",\"c\":\"Spiritual life\u2014a one way ticket, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What qualities should I cultivate as a seeker?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: Make believe. Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So no position of make believe here. Always a student, a seeker after truth, seeking, searching after new planes, newer and newer planes that should be considered living, accommodating, more and more accommodating. Earnestness and eagerness must remain. To maintain ones position, present position, a kind of energy is necessary. I don\u2019t deny that. To maintain ones present position some sort of energy is necessary, and then to give a push back to go ahead. That is all important.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the role of faith in recognizing Guru?\",\"a\":\"This misconception of faith is blind. It is the worst type of superstition in our present civilization. But faith is such that we are nothing at present. Still, we can be utilized in our proper position: but we are far, far from that sort of position. The negative side always progresses and the foundation is sadhu- sanga, the association of devotees. It becomes possible to select the agents in proper company. In this attitude we can select the divine agents of a higher type. There are different kinds of agents from different conceptions of so-called religion. According to our faith, we shall select our well-wishers and agents. According to the classification of our faith, we will make progress on that side. So, faith means deep confidence in the Central Absolute. Our association, our selection of the agents from that eternal source coming to help us, depends on our faith. We are like birds of the same flock \u2013 same feather. So, we are to recognize that feather, and then we shall associate with them. Then, dedicated action will begin by that association. He will be the teacher, and we shall be the student. Now the question is, \u201cWhat kind of faith?\u201d There is a plane of exploitation, renunciation and dedication \u2013 service. The first, exploitation, may be easily eliminated. We are suffering from so many reactions and we can easily become disgusted with this exploitative, \u201celevationist\u201d mentality. But then, the temptation of complete retirement in the renunciation school is staring us in the face. Many will flock there. \u201cOh, complete retirement. This world is not worth living for. We want to retire from here permanently.\u201d Buddha, Sankara and others will come with their agents to try to take you to that plane of renunciation or retirement. Then, there is the plane of dedicated life. I want to live, but not to renounce nor to exploit. Exploitation means to give pain to others. But I want to live without giving any pain to others, without any reaction. Dedication means self-sacrifice.\",\"c\":\"Help beyond our Wildest Expectations; The Three Kinds of Faith, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Five: Poetry of a Saint\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I pray for guidance?\",\"a\":\"Srila Sridhar Maharaj: It may not be of great help. Of course we cannot avoid calculation when we are in a certain stage. But still we should know that the calculative mentality may not be of much help ultimately. Prayer is more powerful to seek the help of the highest to whom I am trying to go. If I seek His help, then He will send some agent to me. If I should get such an agent on my side along the way, then I will be more secure in my progress. Prayer. Prayer and saranagati. Prayer reaches to Him only when we surrender.\",\"c\":\"With Sincerity to Safety, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Four\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What if I am uncertain whom to follow?\",\"a\":\"Anyone can say, \u201cI am guru. He is not guru.\u201d Imitation is always possible, but the scriptures give the criterion for the selection of a real Guru, and the real Guru will extract the meaning of the scripture. Guru and \u015b\u0101stra are interdependent. One will help another for our edification. The scriptures say we must read the scripture under the guidance of a proper professor, a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Guru (\u0100ch\u0101ryav\u0101n puru\u1e63o veda). So, the scripture is dependent on the Spiritual Master. And who is a Spiritual Master? The scriptures will explain. So they are interdependent: s\u0101dhu and \u015b\u0101stra are both necessary. They are the active and the passive agents.\",\"c\":\"Scriptures need saints, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do Guru and Vai \u1e63\u1e47ava guidance work together?\",\"a\":\"It is the duty of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava citizen to work under the guidance of a higher Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. That should be the duty. The guidance must come from such a high level \u2013 such aspiration, the highest plane. This is the conception of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism proper. If we can understand, then we shall try to be guided under such a high conception. The dictation should come from above, and then we may hope that we will reach that plane one day. We shall take up that thread if we have real eagerness for such life, if we consider that this is the highest form of life, the noblest form of life. It is what is found in Vraja. This aspiration will gradually take us there \u2013 the earnestness, the taste. That will give us real birth, and gradually take us there. Laulyam and \u015braddh\u0101. When \u015braddh\u0101 grows, it is considered laulyam, spiritual greed. We must want that sincerely. That is the price, our intense desire. Sincere earnest desire, that is the price. By no other price can it be purchased. Yes, we want that. We can\u2019t live without it. We cannot live in this plane. If it is possible that there is a nobler plane of life, we must go there. We cannot tolerate this atmosphere where everyone is exploiting each other and the environment. We want to be rid of this plane. Under the guidance of the guru who is in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, we should just throw ourselves into His service and carry out His order. The order is coming from Him through guru and s\u0101dhu. We must place ourselves at the disposal of that \u015buddha- guru, a s\u0101dhu who is already in direct connection with Him, who is His agent. We place ourselves at his disposal and whatever he will ask, we will do it \u2013 that will be real service.\",\"c\":\"Duty of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does sincerity attract spiritual guidance?\",\"a\":\"One who sincerely wants real good can never be deceived. When one is a real seeker of the truth, he can never be deceived. Krishna says: \u201cMy dear boy, one who is sincerely hankering after the truth can never come across misfortune. If apparently some misfortune comes to visit him along the way, that is to enhance his position for his improvement.\u201d Some sort of danger may come on our way but if we are sincere it will be as a test to us and when we overcome that, it will be an addition to our glory. The temptations will be rejected and disarmed\u2014but they will plead for us again. So sincerity\u2014sincere hankering after the truth\u2014is needed if we are to go further. And that is made of sukriti\u2014the grace of the divine agents who, by their nature, are wandering through this cursed land to help others who may not even know they are being helped.\",\"c\":\"The Guide, Centenary Anthology: Pastimes, Glories and Teachings of \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63ak \u015ar\u012bdhar Dev-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s05\",\"title\":\"03. Bonding With the Spiritual Master\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does it mean to become a disciple?\",\"a\":\"What we received from our Spiritual Master we understood only in a rough estimation. Now, things have come in such a way that we have to scrutinise ourselves in every position. We have to analyse ourselves. \u0100tma-nik\u1e63epa, self-analysis, has begun. We are under trial. What we received from our Spiritual Master, in what way have we received it? Properly, or only showingly? The time has come to purify us, to test whether we are real students, real disciples, or his disciples only in face and confession. What is the position of a real disciple? If we live in the society, what is the depth of our creed? In what attitude have we accepted his teachings? How deep-rooted is it within us? The fire has come to test whether we can stand. Is our acceptance real? Or is it a sham, an imitation? This fire will prove that.\",\"c\":\"Disappearance of the Guru, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is initiation?\",\"a\":\"One must be given admission in order to enter into the Lord\u2019s family of servitors. That is diksa, initiation. Through diksa, one receives divya-jnanam, divine knowledge, enlightenment; he can understand, \u201cKrishna is my Guardian, He is my all-in-all.\u201d And leaving all other duties, one promises to go towards Krishna for His service. The function of diksa is to impart such knowledge. And the disciple himself also invites this knowledge: \u201cI belong to Krishna, wholesale. I am His property, He can use me in any way. I am not free to leave Him; my fate is all within His service, within His area of service, and not outside.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Connection with the Centre, Divine Aspiration\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What changes when I accept Guru?\",\"a\":\"Atma-nivedanam, full self-surrender, is the basis of all. After atma-nivedanam the plane of life will be categorically changed. After surrendering to the central direction, whatever will be done by us will come to have recognition as devotion. That is devotion. Atma-nivedanam is selflessness plus self-surrendering. Self-surrendering presupposes selflessness. Selfish actions come to an end and selflessness is also crossed, and then self- surrendered life begins\u2014and that is devotion proper. The life of a devotee has no individual or provincial interest. He works only for the universal interest of the Whole Absolute. Devotees are soldiers of that plane. Whatever they may do, the suggestion and inspiration come from the centre, the Absolute Good. Though apparently they seem to be members of this plane of quarrel, in their heart their connection is with the Absolute Good; therefore their colour has completely changed. The valuation of the devotees\u2019 movements has completely changed although apparently they seem to be doing everything almost in a similar way to the mundane persons. Mundane persons eat, and the devotees also appear to eat, but actually they are not eating: they are rendering service to the remnants sent by the Lord. In this way they are going on.\",\"c\":\"Holy Engagement\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does surrender to Guru actually require?\",\"a\":\"Surrender is not a lip transaction. Surrender means not only to surrender one\u2019s possessions, but to realize that the possessions themselves are false. I am not a master of anything. I am not even master of myself. Surrender means to give everything to the guru, and rid ourselves of the unholy connection of so many possessions, so that they may not disturb us by always suggesting, \u201cYou are my master,\u201d and in this way misleading us.\",\"c\":\"The Krishna Conception, The Search for \u015ar\u012b Krishna: Reality the Beautiful\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I hear from Guru?\",\"a\":\"The Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Guru\u2019s dealings with the disciple are all grace, and his grace is his will to extend his wealth to the disciple. His instruction is the medium of asserting his will, which is service for the satisfaction of the Lord. And by service, we invite his grace. By an earnest desire to serve, we draw his sympathy and his willing extension of goodwill to encourage us in our relationship with the supreme entity. Firstly, surrender: we must offer him exclusive respect (pra\u1e47ip\u0101t), otherwise we shall not allow ourselves to approach him. Secondly, we may make our sincere and substantial enquiry (paripra\u015bna). In a surrendered spirit, we may hear our Divine Master\u2019s messages which he delivers to us from his venerated seat, the Vy\u0101s\u0101san. In that conducive setting, the proper inspiration and dictation may fortuitously come down to us. And finally, to render service (sevay\u0101) enables us to taste the essence (Bg: 4.34).\",\"c\":\"Foreword, \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Prapanna-j\u012bvan\u0101m\u1e5btam: Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls: Positive and Progressive Immortality\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I ask questions?\",\"a\":\"Pranipata means \u2018to fall flat near the feet of the worshippable\u2019: \u201cI have come to the end of all enterprise with my previous plane of life; I could find nothing there to fulfil my life\u2019s objectives. Finally, after \u2018completing my errands,\u2019 I have come here.\u201d This is the practical symptom of pranipata. Pariprasna means \u2018sincere inquiry.\u2019 Honest and sincere inquiry is allowed. The spirit of such inquiry is, \u201cI want to know how I can be utilised in any way. All the charm for living elsewhere is over. My sole inquiry is \u2018How can I be utilised here?\u2019\u201d And seva, service, is the all-important factor. \u201cI have come to serve and to be utilised for the cause of the subject about which I have inquired. I have not come to take anything from here. I have come only to serve, with no other motive.\u201d\",\"c\":\"The Honest Inquirer, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume One\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the disciple&#x27;s responsibility in the relationship?\",\"a\":\"Deep engagement is necessary, especially for the mind, not merely the body. Mental engagement can be attained only by responsibility. Some responsible service is given to the disciple. We feel the weight and it occupies our thoughts \u2013 we cannot but think about it. The mind is engaged there, surely. Thus, the mind gets no chance to dwell on lower things. This is the beauty of deep engagement in responsible service. In the practical sense, that helps us a great deal. Then association and scriptures will really be of substantial benefit to us \u2013 as service (paripra\u015bna, sevay\u0101).\",\"c\":\"Deep Engagement in Responsible Service, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Is initiation complete without a life of practice?\",\"a\":\"The stages after \u015braddh\u0101 may be divided into five. \u015arava\u1e47a then vara\u1e47a then s\u0101dhana, then \u0101pana, then pr\u0101pa\u1e47a \u2013 five stages. The first stage is \u015brava\u1e47a, the stage of hearing. This means hearing from the agents of the Divine, and also includes reading. The \u015brava\u1e47a from the s\u0101dhu is more powerful. After \u015brava\u1e47a- da\u015b\u0101 begins the practical stage. One takes initiation, and attains recognition from the agent of that domain. And then one leads a regulated life. After \u015brava\u1e47a comes vara\u1e47a, acceptance. One first has to listen and then to accept the creed practically, to come within the regulated life. Vara\u1e47a means acceptance. \u0100pana-da\u015b\u0101 is the stage of realisation, and pr\u0101pa\u1e47a-da\u015b\u0101 is the stage of full self-surrender and distribution to others.\",\"c\":\"Bhakti Causes Bhakti, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand the mercy of Guru?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: K\u1e5bpa, Guru\u2019s relation to disciple is all k\u1e5bpa. His will to extend what he has got within him, the extension of that to the disciple: that is k\u1e5bpa, his will. And accordingly his order is the medium, and his will he wants to assert through the order to the disciple, and because that is the service for the purpose of the satisfaction of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a that comes out as k\u1e5bpa. Without k\u1e5bpa we cannot get the connection, k\u1e5bpa from the higher, that is the connection from up to down. That will; the current, the flow: that is k\u1e5bpa. And by sev\u0101 we can invite that k\u1e5bpa with our earnest desire to serve. That can draw that, his sympathy, and his willing extension of the goodness what he has got in his heart. And that is about the Supreme Entity. A moneyed man can show k\u1e5bpa only by giving money. An educated man can give us k\u1e5bpa by extending his knowledge towards us, in this way. But the yog\u012b Guru, j\u00f1\u0101n\u012b Guru, karm\u012b Guru, so many devotee Guru, Guru\u2019s k\u1e5bpa to the disciple, that means his extension, his sympathy, his good will, to distribute that to the disciple. And the disciple when he has got such earnest hankering attitude he can receive that, by the serving:\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 B\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I protect the sacredness of this relationship?\",\"a\":\"Divine realisation is not an acquired thing \u2013 it comes down by selection from above. It comes down in the continuance of the disciplic line. The Lord supplies it through His agent. It comes down to us because He supplies it. If the Lord wishes to spread His Holy Name \u2013 if it is His pleasure to spread His grace below \u2013 then out of that necessity it comes down from Him through His agent. The qualification of the agent is his faith. He must especially have faith in his own Gurudeva, the next upper centre. He must experience all his activities through the next upper centre and prove his faithfulness to him. Only then and in that way will the supply come down. We are requested not to see guru as limited in his ordinary personality, but as the transparent mediator of the highest function in his line. We can see this only if our vision is deep. According to the disciple\u2019s depth of \u015braddh\u0101, he will see the Lord present in his Gurudeva. The guru principle, guru-tattva, is very special, very noble, very broad and very deep.\",\"c\":\"How Sound Enters the Disciple\u2019s Heart, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand what Guru expects from me?\",\"a\":\"It is desirable that one will attain victory at every place, but only defeat to his own son, and to his own disciple. That is, the disciple will be greater, greater merit and resources and prospect, all these things. The glory, that will enhance his position. It\u2019s also said that one\u2019s merit is of past lives is just by his son. But what type of son he has got, that will show the merit of his previous birth. So the Guru sincerely wills that his disciple may surpass him even in his serving to his Lord. He will expect more than himself, more service, that he may be, may have greater position in the circle of the eternal servitors than he. That is the, such affection the Guru has towards \u015bi\u1e63ya, such well wisher Guru is of a \u015bi\u1e63ya, of a disciple. He gives him. Mah\u0101prabhu gives everything what He knew to R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. And again He\u2019s asking, while in Pur\u012b, \u201cYes, he\u2019s a proper person to propagate devotion, so I have given My everything to him. And I request you also to, whatever you have got, to transmit, to give it to him.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 B\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s06\",\"title\":\"04. Cultivating Submissive Action\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does it mean to follow Guru?\",\"a\":\"The body association is not association proper. The mental association, the body may be far, but the mind may be near only by obedience, the anugata, the perseverance. That is sa\u1e45ga of the cetana. In the case of the soul, one soul can keep association with another soul only through the same tenor of mind, only through obedience, anugata. Body may be far off, but by anugatam, perseverance, one can be near. That was told by Mah\u0101prabhu to R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 B\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I understand an instruction I cannot yet appreciate?\",\"a\":\"Then there was Vrndavan parikrama, circumambulation of the whole of Vrndavan. We joined that program, and then Sripad Bon Maharaj went to England for preaching, and I was in charge of Madras math. The temple was constructed almost in my time. Later, Bombay math was opened, and I was again taken there. I lived there for some time, and later was taken with the general party with Prabhupad. Staying most of the time with Prabhupad, we preached in different places of Bengal. At 5:30 a.m. on 1st January, 1937, Prabhupad left the world. Before this, Prabhupad had wanted me to go for preaching to London, but I said, &quot;I am not fit for this-I can&#x27;t follow their accent, and I don&#x27;t have the tendency to mix with them very closely. So you will spend money to send me, but I won&#x27;t be able to show any satisfactory result. Of course, if you order me I must go, but I am just informing you what I am.&quot; Then he sent Sriyukta A.B. Goswami Prabhu [later Sripad Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj] instead of me.\",\"c\":\"Autobiography, Autobiography of \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhar Dev Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the difference between obedience and imitation?\",\"a\":\"We should not imitate but rather we should follow. Not anukara\u1e47a (imitation) but anu\u015bara\u1e47a. Anu\u015bara\u1e47a means to follow in the footsteps. We must understand the difference. Anu\u015bara\u1e47a means sincerity and anukara\u1e47a is only for prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 \u2013 without inner purity, only to imitate things outwardly, to get the glory of being a s\u0101dhu. Anu\u015bara\u1e47a means sincere progress from the heart. Anukara\u1e47a is artificial.\",\"c\":\"Verse 3, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I align my will with higher guidance?\",\"a\":\"We must connect with such a centre and only then will we attain bhakti. Otherwise it may be imitation bhakti, not devotion. So many fleeting desires may make it impure \u2013 our attraction for knowledge, to satisfy our inner curiosity about bhakti before accepting the process; or the desire for fame when delivering a lecture. We must surrender and receive the agent\u2019s order. We have to admit that we do not know what is good and bad, that we must have a direct order from above.\",\"c\":\"Connection with Divinity, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I do when my mind resists instruction?\",\"a\":\"So sevonmukhe hi jihv\u0101dau, we shall engage in the service that will come from the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava quarter, and thereby the prejudices will die and clear out from our mind, without food. Whatever initiative is taken from the mind, that will feed the mind and help it to continue its longevity. So only we shall carry out the order of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, the Guru, and according to my fortune, higher Gurus, Guru of higher level, by obeying his orders I shall able to imbibe. That under my present existence will vanish gradually, the mental existence. Ete he rabi sabanatha ......\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I remember Guru&#x27;s instruction in daily life?\",\"a\":\"Still I am a student. I consider myself to be a student, a faithful student. What I heard from my Gurudeva, I try my best to stick to that, to keep my position there as I heard from him. I do not want to mutilate that in any way to suit my purpose. I try not to do that. Of course for big propaganda some may adopt different ways, as they see fit. They are now free. But I am not one to do so, to go on in such a way. I try to follow my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Will of Our Gurudeva, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I choose when several duties compete?\",\"a\":\"There is a story about a devotee who was very busily engaged and absorbed in the service of his Gurudev. By his service he satisfied the Lord who came in disguise and said, \u201cDear devotee, I am satisfied with your services. Come, I shall take you to Vaikuntha.\u201d The devotee replied, \u201cNo, no. I have no time. My Guru Maharaj has entrusted me with this service, so I must attend to it. I have no time to go to Vaikuntha with You.\u201d He had such attention towards his service that he could not find time even to attend to the call to go to Vaikuntha. We are to concentrate on our duty given by Gurudev, and shall have no time to spare to go to Vaikuntha to fulfil our curiosity. Such sort of exclusive attention is laudable and necessary for the devotee. If the master says to his servant, \u201cYou have laboured a long time, now you are tired. Come and take your food.\u201d The dutiful servant may reply, \u201cNo, no, my Master, I have no time. I must finish this and then I shall go to take food.\u201d Such dealings are not impossible. Similarly a faithful worker on being called by his master to stop work and take rest may reply, \u201cNo, no I have no time to take rest now. I shall finish this, then I shall take rest.\u201d This is responsibility in service. Another example is found in the service of Mother Yasoda. She was boiling milk for young Krishna, Gopal. He was engaged in sucking Mother Yasoda\u2019s breast while nearby some milk was being heated in a pot. Suddenly the milk came to the boil and overflowed into the fire. Immediately Yasoda forcibly took Gopal from her lap and went to take care of the milk. Naturally, Krishna became dissatisfied to be snatched away from His Mother\u2019s breast. So it may apparently seem that Mother Yasoda committed an error: that she interrupted Krishna\u2019s immediate satisfaction of sucking her breast by forcibly putting Him to one side to go to save the overflowing milk, which may or may not be going to be directly utilised for Him. But this is an extreme example to show how much care and attention must be paid to save and protect the materials to be used in the service of Krishna\u2014even if that should make Him dissatisfied for the time being.\",\"c\":\"Priority Service, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is real obedience when Guru is not physically present?\",\"a\":\"And Govinda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja gave some ...... The direct connection with Him is not possible, so Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta, our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, he told, \u201cThink that you are one step lower. Your Gurus, they\u2019re in direct connection with Him, and you, just below the step, and carrying out his order. Don\u2019t try to have direct connection with Him.\u201d That was a great help to me. Yes. Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja told like that. That is a peaceful position. Otherwise always searching, very fearfully searching but not finding, not satisfied, it\u2019s not possible, so that is troublesome. The second step, that is rather peaceful. Go on serving according to his order, thinking that I\u2019m not in direct connection but my Guru is in direct connection. According to his advice I\u2019m going - he\u2019s there. That is some peaceful attitude ...... In comparison with the huge infinite, and all the friends departed. They retired under this creed. Bon Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a D\u0101sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b, Y\u0101j\u0101vara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, Paramaha\u1e41sa Mah\u0101r\u0101ja.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1985\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I distinguish principle from personal preference?\",\"a\":\"I found the adjustment in this way \u2013 Vy\u0101sa was living over the Himalayas and Madhva also met him. In connection with serving them, Prabhup\u0101da lived there to satisfy them though apparently he had crossed the advice of Mah\u0101prabhu, but he made the adjustment with Vy\u0101sa and Madhva. This conception allowed him to stay there. For the service of guru we can even climb on his bedstead. Sometimes it is necessary to stand on the si\u1e41h\u0101sana in order to crown the Deity. We are told that the si\u1e41h\u0101sana is supposed to be the extension of Baladeva or Nity\u0101nanda. But for the service necessity we can approach anywhere and everywhere but not to fulfil our own purpose.\",\"c\":\"Verse 10, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does faithful following deepen understanding?\",\"a\":\"To receive transcendental knowledge, we must completely surrender ourselves to the real \u0100ch\u0101rya in a spirit of ardent enquiry and service. Actual performance of service to the Absolute under the guidance of the \u0100ch\u0101rya is the only vehicle by which we can assimilate transcendental knowledge. Today\u2019s meeting for offering our humble services and homage to the feet of the \u0100ch\u0101ryadev will enable us to be favoured with the capacity of assimilating the transcendental knowledge so kindly transmitted by him to all persons without distinction.\",\"c\":\"Preface, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I serve the instruction rather than my own conception of it?\",\"a\":\"Therefore, it is said in the \u015b\u0101stra that the service of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is better than the direct service of the Lord. If we approach the Lord directly, then we have to imagine or suppose what may be His instruction. Thinking that this must be His order may or may not be correct \u2013 it may likely be contaminated, adulterated by our conception. But when service is coming through the real s\u0101dhu, His agent, then if we can do that, it has a direct connection with Him, a real connection. This brings more improvement than any direct approach.\",\"c\":\"Duty of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, Follow the Angels\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s07\",\"title\":\"05. The Sacred Duty of Daily Practice\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is service?\",\"a\":\"When all these exploitation endeavours are dissolved, this is cover, both subtle and gross cover of \u0101tm\u0101, soul, and soul is a unit rendering all service to the environment. And there is a plane where every soul is rendering service. Just as here the opposite, everyone wants to exploit another. There, just the opposite, everyone dedicates himself for the environment as directed from the centre. We want to be centralised. Now we are decentralised. Everyone wants the satisfaction of his own senses, running towards outside, sense satisfaction, sense pleasure. And there, everyone tries to satisfy the senses of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the all- attractive, by His beauty and love, all running towards that, to satisfy the centre.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 D\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What makes an action devotional service?\",\"a\":\"The exploiting sense is absent in Vraja. We may conceive this or we may not conceive this, but still everything there is only actuated by the motive of service. And there is the beauty. Tat paratvena nirmalam \u2013 the nirmalata, the purity, depends only on how much it is for the satisfaction of the centre. The criterion of measuring the purity is this \u2013 otherwise we will be here in the land of exploitation. There, in that plane, there is no exploitation, but the whole thing is informal. All is full of service, with purity \u2013 otherwise there is no entrance in that domain. So we must be very cautious about the real theme of exploitation. What does this mean?\",\"c\":\"Divine Guidance, Encounters with Divinity\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I receive a service?\",\"a\":\"From the beginning, the fourth son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Sri Bimala Prasad (the family name of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami) was naturally inclined to the Service of Mahaprabhu. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur finally entrusted him with the Direct Service of Mayapur. He accepted that, a little hesitantly at first, but to his last moment he conducted the Service faithfully. In that matter, from the practical standpoint Kunja Bihari Vidyabhusan, later Srimad Tirtha Maharaj, assisted Prabhupad a great deal. Gradually many scholars also gathered around him. With their help, he started the movement of Sri Gaudiya Math. He was inspired to preach, and he did so up to the last moment of his life.\",\"c\":\"Heralding the Twilight, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I perform an ordinary daily service?\",\"a\":\"Even when we begin our life:\u0101dau arpita paschad kriyeta. \u015ar\u012bdhar Sw\u0101m\u012b says. We are listening to Bh\u0101gavata, but if it is to be bhakti proper, devotion proper, that \u015brava\u1e47a, that hearing of Bh\u0101gavatam, if it is to be bhakti proper, devotion proper, then the idea must be there that what benefit I derive from such hearing, the benefit will go to my Lord, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, not myself. That I will be enlightened, and I will do greater service, even not that. Everything, I am doing it on behalf of my master. Wherever and whatever we are doing we get any benefit, the beneficiary is only one. He is the beneficiary. With this idea we move and do anything and everything. The beneficiary is He. So for His interest I must work. What He wants me to do, I shall do that only, and not to fulfil my personal ambition.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I do when I have little taste for practice?\",\"a\":\"As long as we do not have that taste, and we are doing that service as a duty, we will feel some pain. So s\u0101dhana-da\u015b\u0101 is a little painful, on the whole. Then in \u0101pan-da\u015b\u0101 it becomes sweet. Underground, of course, sweetness is everywhere; otherwise why should a person be tempted to approach the spiritual path? Only for the hope of sweetness. But still, if we want to see by analysis, then the process is \u015brava\u1e47-da\u015b\u0101, hearing; then vara\u1e47- da\u015b\u0101, accepting; then s\u0101dhana-da\u015b\u0101, practising. Up to this point it is a little painful. Then \u0101pan-da\u015b\u0101, realised devotion, and finally prapanna-da\u015b\u0101, full self-surrender. And what pain exists is only apparent. Substantially it is all sweet.\",\"c\":\"The Sweetest Struggle, Heart and Halo\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I make hearing central to my life?\",\"a\":\"Just as by taking water from in front and sending it behind him a swimmer we can make progress, so also by hearing and chanting, we can make progress. Sravana-kirtana-jale (C.c., Madhya 19.152). We are to hear, and what we acquire we are to distribute to others. A swimmer makes quick progress by passing behind him the water in his front, similarly, in spiritual terms we are to receive from the capitalist and deliver that to the customers. Sravan, kirtan, sravan, kirtan\u2026 By imbibing and exporting we can make good progress and the Absolute Capitalist will supply as much as the customers can receive from Him. This is Mahaprabhu\u2019s advice. Yare dekha, tare kaha \u2018krsna\u2019- upadesa (C.c., Madhya 7.128): \u201cDeliver these goods to anyone and everyone and new light will come to you which in turn you are to distribute to others. In this way you will have a dynamic and progressive life and there will be no shortage of higher backing.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Finer than Matter, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I approach chanting the Holy Name?\",\"a\":\"The tenth offense is to be too much addicted to a particular thing, or to have too much affinity towards the body and bodily wealth. When a boat is anchored, rowing will simply move the boat around the anchor. The anchor must be taken up, and then the boat can move forward. So, we must not anchor ourselves down with a particular thing. We must be open. The name will create some transformation within the mental system, and we must be open and unprejudiced enough to go where the name will send us. If we carefully try to avoid that transformation and stick to our present life, that is an offense against the name: to invite Him, and then ignore Him. We must not accept the name as a foreign thing: He is our friend. We should be quite at home with Him. We are going to attain a very soothing and friendly connection by the realization of the holy name of Krishna, which is all-good, all-beautiful, and all-charming. By chanting the holy name we will attain our most desirable end of life and go back to God, back to home, and not to any foreign country. We must take the name in a friendly, affectionate way. The name is the only object of our love. He is our friend, and not any anti- party. So, the name will take us home\u2014not to any foreign land. That is our sweet home, and He is our sweet guardian. With this spirit, we shall go on chanting the holy name of Krishna.\",\"c\":\"The Hare Krishna Mantra, The Search for \u015ar\u012b Krishna: Reality the Beautiful\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do remembrance and service support each other?\",\"a\":\"Some \u0101c\u0101ryas are of the opinion that smara\u1e47a, internal remembrance, is more important than k\u012brtana (chanting), because smara\u1e47a is exclusively connected with consciousness, or is more concerned with the subtle part of our existence. They feel that smara\u1e47a is the most effective form of s\u0101dhana, or means to the end. But our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b, and also Kavir\u0101ja Gosv\u0101m\u012b Prabhu, laid stress on k\u012brtana \u2013 especially for beginners. Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja says in his song Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Ke: k\u012brtana prabh\u0101ve, smara\u1e47a haibe se k\u0101le bhajana nirjana sambh\u0101va Internal remembrance can occur by the power of k\u012brtana, and only then is solitary service possible. (Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Ke 19) Nirjana-bhajana or smara\u1e47a, exclusive solitary devotion unconscious of the environment is not at all possible for beginners. \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b says: yadyapy-any\u0101 bhakti\u1e25 kalau kartavy\u0101 tad\u0101 k\u012brtan\u0101khya-bhakti- sa\u1e41yogenaiva In this Kali-yuga, of the nine basic forms of devotional practice, the forms other than k\u012brtana certainly should be practiced, but they must be conducted subserviently to k\u012brtana. (Bhakti- sandarbha 273) This is the principle of Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019s preaching. K\u012brtana has its own special characteristic, particularly in Kali-yuga.\",\"c\":\"Smara\u1e47a Subservient to K\u012brtana, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I respond when service becomes difficult?\",\"a\":\"Etat sarva\u1e41 gurau bhakty\u0101 puru\u1e63o hy a\u00f1jas\u0101 jayet \u2013 all these undesirable things can be checked only by concentrating one\u2019s attention to the service of guru. \u201cMy guru has ordered? Then no fear, because my absolute guide has ordered it.\u201d We may take this advantage and everything will disappear in no time. Very easily you will be able to cross over all these difficulties if you concentrate only on the divine feet of your guru. \u201cHe is my guide, I am not my own. I belong to him. Whatever he will instruct I must do without caring for my individual loss and gain.\u201d In this way, whatever we have got, we may try to utilise that as much as possible in the service of the Lord and in that way He may be able to purge these anarthas from out heart very soon and very easily.\",\"c\":\"Verse 1, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I keep daily practice connected with Guru?\",\"a\":\"Consciousness of separate interest (dvit\u012by\u0101bhinive\u015bata\u1e25) has turned us away from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The common interest is solely in Him. Then only our service will be bhakti. Without that, everything is lost. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, surrender, must be present in order to have living devotion, otherwise hearing and chanting are only forms, not life. Therefore \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati means exclusive connection and identification with the interest of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Since we do not directly see K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, we serve the guru and the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas who are dear to Him.\",\"c\":\"Accept Slavery to its Perfection, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I balance worldly duties with spiritual practice?\",\"a\":\"It does not matter much whether one is a householder, or one is a sanny\u0101s\u012b. It does not matter much. But how much he has intensely engaged himself in the service of the Lord: that is to be seen. Even a g\u1e5bhastha he may be above sanny\u0101s\u012b. During the time of Mah\u0101prabhu so many g\u1e5bhastha devotees were also there but gaura may, tan may, that is a form. But the real spirit is all Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, something. We found in our young days when joined the non cooperation movement of Gandhi, there are so many volunteers who have left everything, but when police raid is coming they are flying for fear of their life. But we found g\u1e5bhastha like C.R. Dasa, and others, with all the whole of their families they are giving resistance to the police attack. He\u2019s a g\u1e5bhastha. He sends his only one son to the prison. His daughter, his sister and his wife, all gone to police custody. And Gandhi - \u2018I envy your situation.\u2019 But he was a g\u1e5bhastha. He was living with all. But when in working out the program he\u2019s not less than one who has left everything and dedicated wholly to the cause. He\u2019s afraid, but a family man is not afraid, not getting back. So service is necessary. In whatever position he may be, does not matter much. So the g\u1e5bhastha he\u2019s in that posing, but when necessity will come he will sacrifice the whole for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. There is Haris Chandra. In his plane he was a king but for the truth as he could conceive he left everything, everything, for the cause he loved. So wholesale dedication, preparedness for the dedication of the whole, it does not matter in what posing he is living there. The internal hankering, the fire within, the dedication within, that is necessary. May not be found in a sanny\u0101s\u012b, but may be found in a g\u1e5bhastha, or v\u0101naprastha, brahmac\u0101r\u012b, anyone. The substance we want and not the form much. Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 B\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s08\",\"title\":\"06. Harmonious Life Among Devotees\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why do I need the association of Vai \u1e63\u1e47avas?\",\"a\":\"Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga means s\u0101dhu sev\u0101. S\u0101dhu means Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava sev\u0101. Sev\u0101 means by submissive listening also we can serve him, not only personal service. That is also very valuable. But at least to have, to avail oneself of the chance of listening, coming in close connection with s\u0101dhu, intimate connection with the s\u0101dhu. The s\u0101dhu means Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. His inner existence is always busy in the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in higher type. And that influence if I can catch, immediately I may be rich in my serving attitude. S\u0101dhu and \u015b\u0101stra, these two can help us a great deal in our progress. So anyhow to manage that otherwise no other way, no other way. Those that are interested in such things for which I have come, those with real interest, I must have association of them. They know the value for which I\u2019m hankering, so they will take the necessary action to help me. They appreciate the wealth for which I\u2019m searching after. So only they are my intimate friend. And it is their interest also to increase their number to help that others may also be servitor of his Lord, it is their interest, so common interest he has got with me. So anyhow that association we have to secure, for the retardation, the slackness, the lethargy, that that may vanish, and we may feel more earnest necessity and do accordingly.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I see a Vai \u1e63\u1e47ava?\",\"a\":\"Rupa Gosv\u0101m\u012b says that we should not be very eager to find any defect in a pure devotee. The water of the Ganges can purify even if there are bubbles or mud found in the water. The bubbles and the mud do not stand in the way of purification. The devotee is only meant for the good of the universe. The devotee himself, the pure soul or \u0101tm\u0101, is the purifying agent \u2013 the purest and most normal factor in the world. But we may find in him some \u2018mud\u2019 or \u2018bubbles\u2019 \u2013 a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava may sometimes be seen to be a little greedy, a little angry, or physically he may be blind or deaf or lame \u2013 but the saintly character of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is independent of his mental or physical characteristics. These do not affect his status in the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava world. If we attribute those faults to his inner self then we are the losers \u2013 we commit offence.\",\"c\":\"Verse Six, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I serve the Vai \u1e63\u1e47avas?\",\"a\":\"These are the six kinds of association with a s\u0101dhu. Higher association is only possible with a serving attitude, otherwise there is no sa\u1e45ga. Lower association means exploitation and enjoyment, but higher association can only be achieved through service. By proper association the quality of your service will increase. S\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga and s\u0101dhu-sev\u0101 is of most importance. The Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dha stresses the importance of s\u0101dhu-sev\u0101 \u2013 serving the s\u0101dhu. Whatever you do by the command of the higher devotee will, through him, surely connect you with a higher conception of the Absolute. Whatever you do, do with that connection from above and carry out his order.\",\"c\":\"Verse 4, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I behave when devotees differ?\",\"a\":\"Generally we are to think that we are not in a perfect condition, our differences will be due to our realisation, our degree of realisation. Everything varies, but the difference amongst the main principles that is deplorable and will cause disturbance to the newcomers. It is a great catastrophe for the newcomers. They have come with open faith of a very mild standard; their faith is not so high, not so intense that they will be able to tolerate many things which seem to be like discord. The difficulty is with them. Whenever such things are happening, generally the madhyama-adhik\u0101r\u012b Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava should try to keep the beginners outside. They should not be allowed to enter into these discussions and differences \u2013 the quarrel, litigation and all these things. This is only reserved for madhyama-adhik\u0101r\u012bs. It is undesirable for the beginners to see the differences between those persons whom we consider to be upper rank. When they are quarrelling, the lower class cannot but be disturbed. This they try to avoid as much as possible. At that time they may give their attention towards the scriptures. There is less quarrelling, but in scriptures there is also quarrelling, because they recommend advises of different stages. Progress means quarrel. Elimination and acceptance, that means quarrel. One condemns another \u2013 progress means such. We can\u2019t avoid it altogether, but still progress is there. We must not be afraid.\",\"c\":\"Verse 1, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I avoid criticizing others?\",\"a\":\"Faultfinding is not a very good quality. We are out to find good qualities, what is good in the universe and we have to preach that the highest good is in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. A positive thing must attract us wholesale. Our position is not to blame but to bring down the positive. That should be our main object in life. If you try to find fault with anyone, if you criticise for your personal interest, that fault will come to you \u2013 especially when that is in the devotee section. By connecting with poison in someone else\u2019s body, that poison will enter into you. Through that connection the contamination will come to you. But if you seek help from the higher for purification, and not out of envy, then you will be purified. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the same position at the next moment. What I am criticising to be so bad, in the next moment I may be left in the same deplorable position. I do not know the ways of the Infinite environment. I am vulnerable. I am a doll playing in the hands of the Infinite. At the next moment, from human birth, I may have to go to a dog\u2019s birth, a cat\u2019s birth or an insect\u2019s birth.\",\"c\":\"Verse Six, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I do when I see a fault in a devotee?\",\"a\":\"You may see the Guru in your own way, but still, you\u2019ll have to behave in such a way that the newcomer\u2019s faith will not be disturbed. The newcomers should always be encouraged, because it is very difficult for a fallen soul to collect his faith and regard and offer it to the Guru. It should be our concern that they collect their maximum regard and offer it to the Guru. On the other hand, I may have my own conception about my godbrother. I may foster that within my heart. As much as possible I should try not to disturb his disciples. If, unfortunately, an \u0100ch\u0101rya falls, and proves himself to be lacking in that capacity, then if that comes to a sufficient degree, some steps may be taken; we may have to take some unhappy action. But let God save us from that disastrous condition. That should be our feeling.\",\"c\":\"Abandoning bogus gurus, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I receive correction from a Vai \u1e63\u1e47ava?\",\"a\":\"Don\u2019t criticise. Don\u2019t be hungry to find the fault of others. But if someone finds fault in you, then you may consult a higher authority \u2013 a more senior Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, \u201cThere have been some complaints against me. Whether or not they are valid, I don\u2019t know. Please, can you help me to understand my defects?\u201d Such an enquiry has no envy, no spirit of competition that I am good and he is bad; it is devoid of mischievous motives underground. Only it must be endowed with paripra\u015bnena \u2013 honest enquiry. Otherwise, I shall have to suffer.\",\"c\":\"Verse Six, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I speak in a way that serves others?\",\"a\":\"Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed, \u201cWhoever you meet, try to rescue them by talking to them about Krishna.\u201d If there is a ditch and you see a man about to blindly fall into it, will you not try to save him? It is a natural feeling. When it is plain, so very plain that it will happen, but you don\u2019t help him, then you will be responsible. This common sense may be applied. But we must be sincere. The danger is that we must not be motivated by money, fame, or any worldly gain. Kanak, kamini, and pratistha are the three main disturbing elements that misguide us and draw us from this side to that. But when we are free from them, the street we walk shall be broad and clear. God is good, and you will like to see everyone becoming good by getting God. God is good and God is great. When that superior type of thinking will be clear to you, all your activities will be controlled only by that one principle of life. And with that you will go on helping others with the firm faith that this must be given to all: \u201cThis is very tasteful. Please come to a safe position away from the danger-zone, and you will become happy.\u201d The tasteful medicine will make people happy, and if that is actually in your possession you cannot but feel the urge within to help others.\",\"c\":\"The Guide, Centenary Anthology: Pastimes, Glories and Teachings of \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63ak \u015ar\u012bdhar Dev-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is Vai \u1e63\u1e47ava-apar\u0101dha and why is it so serious?\",\"a\":\"The greatest enemy to our progress is vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-apar\u0101dha, especially for a beginner on the journey in this domain. Apa- \u0101r\u0101dhana \u2013 \u0101r\u0101dhana means to worship, to revere, to serve, and apa means that which is not up to standard. Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-apar\u0101dha has been said to be most dangerous. If a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is serving K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and we find fault with him, our level of purity will go down. Generally a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava will always think, \u201cI can\u2019t serve perfectly. There are so many defects in my service.\u201d Even R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b says that, \u201cI can\u2019t serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a properly,\u201d but She is serving to the highest degree. In the lower position if there is some clash, that is vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-apar\u0101dha. That is greater than any apar\u0101dha directly made to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a because the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is serving Him properly with earnestness and I am abusing him. Thereby I am committing suicide. To stand against the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is to stand against one\u2019s own vital interests. Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura says that the mah\u0101-bh\u0101gavatas do not care for any offences made against them, but the foot-dust of those mah\u0101-bh\u0101gavatas cannot tolerate the dishonour of their master.\",\"c\":\"Verse Six, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I repair a damaged relationship with a Vai \u1e63\u1e47ava?\",\"a\":\"If we slip down and fall onto the ground, with the help of the ground we\u2019re to rise again. So where I\u2019ve committed wrong, I must have to redress the wrong. And with the help of that same place I shall try to rise up. If I\u2019ve committed offence against any Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, if I go to the higher, to his Guru, or to God Himself, God will direct, \u201cYou\u2019ve committed offence against that particular Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, you go to him and pray for forgiveness. And if he forgives you, you\u2019re absolved.\u201d Do you follow?\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 D\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does service to the Vai \u1e63\u1e47avas protect spiritual life?\",\"a\":\"Something else is there \u2013 attraction for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We must follow his guidance. \u201cOne who comes to serve Me directly, he is not really My devotee. But one who is devoted to My devotee is My real devotee.\u201d What is the meaning? Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-sev\u0101, guru-sev\u0101, n\u0101ma-sev\u0101 \u2013 service to the devotees, the spiritual master, and the Holy Name. \u201cHis love for Me is so intense that wherever he finds any external connection with Me, he engages himself fully there.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Pure Spiritual Attraction, Follow the Angels\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s09\",\"title\":\"07. Refining Faith in Times of Struggle\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why do difficulties come in spiritual life?\",\"a\":\"Thus, the position of the devotees is very important in our journey, especially in the middle stage. In the primary stage, not much importance is given to the devotees. With only a vague conception from the scriptures and with the help of previous accumulated merits (sukrti), the journey is begun. But gradually, the beginners find that to journey onwards in the infinite is not an easy thing: \u201cWe thought that with a little progress we could attain the desired end, but now we find that it is not so.\u201d When we come to consider the real position of devotion, of what is God\u2014He is universal, He is the ultimate goal\u2014we may gradually become disappointed. But if along the way we take help from the devotees of similar objective, we shall feel much relief by their company, even though the destination may be far away. The difficulties of the journey are more prominent in the second stage. In the primary stage, we are not very exclusive in our objective, and so, we do not experience much difficulty. Real difficulties begin when we enter into the journey exclusively, with no other objective than to engage our whole energy towards that high and elevated path. And if we actually achieve a touch of the highest stage, the maha-bhagavata stage, the journey again becomes easier. But the middle portion is difficult, and at that stage the devotees are very important to save us. This is the period of both tangible acquisition and difficulty; our failings on the path to realisation are to be rectified in this middle stage.\",\"c\":\"The Success of Faith, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume One\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I do when I lose faith?\",\"a\":\"Devotee: Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, is faith a constant thing, or sometimes our faith is weak and sometimes our faith is strong? \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: It may be. The covers are there. Sometimes, just as in a tank so many plants floating on the water, what is that? Plants floating on the water, sometimes if it is moved the water is seen, sometimes closed. In this way \u015braddh\u0101 is closed by ignorance, any\u0101bhil\u0101\u1e63a, karma, j\u00f1\u0101na. It may cover, we are detached, but it is within. Everywhere that is, the faith is everywhere, in svar\u016bpa, in innate nature the faith, but it is ...... ambrosia, or what is this in the womb? Devotees: Embryo. \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: In the womb, when the child is in the womb of the mother, embryo or something. That is, heart is there, faith is there, but by favourable environment it grows, gradually, it will grow by favourable environment. Unfavourable, it is lost to the minutest degree, suppressed.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I face doubt?\",\"a\":\"Just as in the tangible world there is the sun, the moon, and so many other planets, in the world of faith there is a gradation of planetary systems. We have to scrutinize the scriptures, take advantage of the guidance given by saints, and understand how the progress of faith to the highest plane is achieved by eliminating the lower planes. And whenever there is any doubt, we should consult with some higher agent in order to make progress. We should be very attentive to these things. We should try to understand through self-searching whether we are really approaching divinity through faith. We must also see to it that our faith is real. Proper faith and credulity are not the same. Whether one is a bona fide searcher with real faith or one whose faith is adulterated must be considered. And there are symptoms of real faith. We have to consult higher authorities to guide us, because faith is a most important thing. If we are searching for truth, we are dissatisfied with our present acquisition. We are taking a risk to jump into a higher prospect. We must therefore take guidance carefully. We must be attentive as far as possible. We are told that our present reason is not sufficient to help us; that more than reason, sraddha is needed, and sraddha also has its symptoms. Still, as far as possible we shall apply our reason.\",\"c\":\"Higher Light, The Loving Search for the Lost Servant Planets of Faith, The Loving Search for the Lost Servant\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I do after I make a serious mistake?\",\"a\":\"It all depends on our sincerity and proper understanding. Na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati. Sometimes we may fall down, but we will be able to understand that lower things are not desirable. We will think, \u201cThese desires are hunting me \u2013 for the time being they have even captured me, but after a while they will vanish.\u201d When they do, we will think, \u201cOh, what suddenly came and overpowered me? My real self-interest has been hampered. I must not allow myself to be affected by them again. I must be very alert.\u201d In this way, sometimes the lower propensities may get the upper hand and so we go backwards, and sometimes we may go forward. We are always in the midst of battle. We are soldiers, always fighting for progress. We shall sincerely pray, \u201cOh Lord, I am committing a mistake by disregarding You, ignoring You. I have no other alternative to get out of this disadvantage except by Your help. I cannot correct myself. Under no condition can I leave You my Lord. If I commit mistake against You, an offence against You, still, only by Your help can I be purified. I have no other alternative. So, please forgive me and help me so that I may be saved by Your most intimate associates. It is so, because without their grace I may not be able to enter Your domain of Divine Love. It is only through the devotees that I may go. I have no other alternative. There are so many agents. If I am disappointed by one agent, then I may try another in a mild temperament \u2013 without speaking much against that previous party.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Risk Means Progress, Follow the Angels The Diagnosis, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Five: Poetry of a Saint\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I respond to correction from Guru?\",\"a\":\"Then he accepted that, \u201cIt is not injustice, rather it is justice as I have done something wrong.\u201d He finally came to that conclusion. Anyhow, that sannyasi returned to the Calcutta math and he was punished for some time \u2013 his danda was taken from him and his name was changed, but after a year or so he was reinstated. He was an old devotee of Guru Maharaj and he told me himself that he went to Prabhupad and said to him, \u201cYou have taken my danda and changed my name, so here is your shoe and here is my head \u2013 why don\u2019t you just give me a good beating with your shoe?\u201d Prabhupad answered, \u201cDo you think that I am very happy punishing you?\u201d Then that sannyasi told me, \u201cAt that point all my frustration evaporated and I came back.\u201c Only in the case when he\u2019s given, he\u2019s empowered by the Supreme. Just in the case of his disciples, to correct his disciples, with a guardian\u2019s sympathetic eye. He can detect, he can mark the defects and will help him to remove. There must be some affectionate heart within. He wants to - not jealousy, or anything of that type, but with good will, wants to remove, from the affectionate guardian. That is to some \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 Guru, or d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 Guru. From that position one may detect the fault of the students of this line, and help him sincerely to get out of that.\",\"c\":\"Divine Manifestation, Encounters with Divinity Transcripts 1984 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What if I feel unqualified for spiritual life?\",\"a\":\"So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness that is the wealth of the heart, anur\u0101ga, and does not worry with differences amongst the receivers, or amongst the purchasers, or customers for their different qualifications. Govardhana, it goes like the cow species to extend itself without caring for any law, only one, that whether he will accept. \u2018Yes, he has eagerness to accept, laulyam.\u2019 Only one qualification, that laulyam, he wants it really, that he wants it really, that is qualification. \u2018Do you want this?\u2019 \u2018Yes, it is good, it is tasteful.\u2019 \u2018Yes, you get it.\u2019 If the demand, the prayer is genuine, \u2018All right, no other conditions to be required. Only you want it?\u2019 \u2018Yes, I want it sincerely, you say. Get it.\u2019 That is the simple transaction. You want, you have. If you want, you will have. Most simple transaction - K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. Fitness, unfitness, these questions are very non-important. Want and have.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 B\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I continue when enthusiasm disappears?\",\"a\":\"Our responsibility is never in enjoying the results of our actions. Because we work for a particular result and don\u2019t obtain it, should we be discouraged? No. We should go on doing our own duty. Whatever we contribute should be offered to the infinite, and the infinite will mold the results in His own way. Krishna says, \u201cNever aspire after any particular result for your action. At the same time, don\u2019t be idle. Don\u2019t be worthless. Go on discharging your duty without depending on any outside consequence.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Saints, Scriptures, and Gurus, The Search for \u015ar\u012b Krishna: Reality the Beautiful\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand apparent reversals in my progress?\",\"a\":\"I am in a hospital, I am to think that I am in a hospital, there are so many diseased persons. This is not a place where all the healthy persons will live in the hospital. It is not possible. I am also a patient. There are so many patients. Patients are of different types, even some may die, and some progressing, and may come some setback. But you have got real interest for recovering my health. Ignoring all these facts I must go on with the doctor, taking his help in medicine and in diet, then I will be cured.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 B\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I do when I feel far from Guru?\",\"a\":\"This means that to be physically near is not really near. Nearness is a mentality \u2013 if we want to have association with a superior then only by serving them can we retain our close position. It is not achieved by any physical or mental process. Just be a patient servant \u2013 whatever instruction comes, we are ready to do that. That is the means to be in association. Nearness is calculated by anugatam, submission \u2013 submission is the way of measurement whether He is near or far. The unit of measurement is of such a character. Physically far away and spiritually very close. The opposite is to be physically very close, but spiritually far off.\",\"c\":\"Divine Revelation, Encounters with Divinity\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can failure deepen dependence on grace?\",\"a\":\"We, the finite, should approach the infinite with this spirit: \u201cIf justice is applied, I have no hope. I omit that department. I have come only to seek my fortune in the department of mercy, where there is no calculation of right or wrong, of merit or demerit. I have come to that department, my Lord, because I do not know what is within me. When I analyse and study my own heart, I find that I am unknown to my own self. I am so helpless and wretched that I don\u2019t even know my self. How then should I venture to appeal to a department where something will be granted only after a calculation of my merits and demerits? I don\u2019t want that. I don\u2019t want any decision based on justice. \u201cI surrender. You may do whatever you like with me. I am the worst of sinners. What to do with me now is in your hands. You, Saviour, I have come to You. If there is any possibility\u2014save me. This is my open appeal, my one-sided appeal.\u201d This sort of self- abnegation will automatically cleanse our hearts. By this attitude of \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, or surrender, we invite the greatest attention from above. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, surrender, is the only way to be reinstated in our lost prospect.\",\"c\":\"Department of mercy, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I seek help when spiritual difficulty overwhelms me?\",\"a\":\"\u201cWe fall on the ground, again with the help of the ground we get up. When we slip and fall on the ground, and the very ground is our support to get to stand erect. Bh\u016bmau-skhalita-p\u0101d\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 bh\u016bmir ev\u0101valambanam, tvayi j\u0101t\u0101par\u0101dh\u0101n\u0101\u1e41, tvam eva. We commit offence against You, but there are no other agents who can help, only Your help, and that comes through Your agents.\u201d They are of great utility to the - to all, always. Always guidance is necessary. When we\u2019re in lower stage we require help, and when we\u2019re even in perfect stage we\u2019re to render our services through some leaders of that department. Direct service is impossible. The permanent group is there, of the servitors, and we\u2019re to be connected with any group of such department. \u015aanta, d\u0101sya, s\u0101khya, v\u0101tsalya, m\u0101dhurya, in all aspects there are permanent servitors, and we\u2019re only to be connected with a particular group. And through them we\u2019re to render our service to the Lord. And by their grace, very rarely we can have direct connection of the Lord. It is not impossible, but it\u2019s only through the grace of the higher servitors it is possible sometimes. When they send with some - \u201cTake this thing and carry it to the Lord. He\u2019s here.\u201d By his order we can go. In this way we can have our direct service very rarely, by the grace of the eternal group of servitors, not crossing them.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1985\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s10\",\"title\":\"08. The Power of Absolute Dependence\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is \u015bara \u1e47\u0101gati?\",\"a\":\"So what is the spirit of saranagati? \u201cIf You come to consider my case, calculate my position, I have no hope. I am such a mean fellow; if You come to calculate right and wrong about me, I have no hope. So I have come to that school of Yours where only mercy will be my hope. I want only Your mercy, but if You come to examine me, I have no hope.\u201d This is the primary necessity in our saranagati, in our surrendering. Surrender means this. Surrender does not allow us to think, \u201cWhy have you shown grace to him and not to me?\u201d This is anti-surrendering temperament. No calculation. \u201cIf You come to calculate, I have no hope; so if You can show me some grace\u2014some causeless mercy\u2014then I have that hope. I have come to this department of the Lord, by surrendering. Anyone may have His voluntary mercy, but I may not. If I hesitate and think about justice, then I am already canceled from the list. My name will be struck from the register.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Faith in the Land of Sacrifice, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume One\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does it mean to take shelter?\",\"a\":\"\u015arava\u1e47a, k\u012brtana, they are only mere forms, not life. In order to have a life of devotion, there must be \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati means exclusive connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, exclusive identification with the interest of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Because K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not seen in this plane, the guru and the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava are to be served. In this way one will be benefited through extreme self-abnegation and surrender, according to one\u2019s disposition.\",\"c\":\"Tangible Dedication, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do effort and grace work together?\",\"a\":\"Back to God, back to home, back to Godhead, all back to Godhead. God centred, not any other centre, not country centred, or nation centred, or man centred, woman centred, nothing. All K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a centred. R\u0101dh\u0101- K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, or Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga- Nity\u0101nanda, all similar things. If we go to one part They\u2019ll take us to other parts also. Surrender to Nity\u0101nanda - Nity\u0101nanda will take to Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga and R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda all embrace us. In this way we shall try sincerely. As much as we can command our sincerity, our free will, we shall try our utmost. The rest on Him, leaving on Him. We must try with what is our own capacity and position, but the rest depending on His good will. Guru, Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Mah\u0101prabhu, Nity\u0101nanda, the rest They will take care of. As much as possible I shall what I can command I shall come with that thing to Them, will try.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1983 C\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does it mean to depend on K \u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?\",\"a\":\"Gopt\u1e5btve-vara\u1e47a is to invite Him as our protector and rak\u1e63i\u1e63yati- vi\u015bv\u0101so is to believe that He will surely protect me. The first part is to invite Him, to pray to Him, \u201dPlease protect me. I am under Your protection, accept me.\u201d And then to maintain the idea that, \u201cHe will surely protect me, in all possible danger He will come.\u201d Two parts. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati is one and the same, but if analysed then these parts are found there.\",\"c\":\"Verse 3, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I surrender what I cannot control?\",\"a\":\"When we reach the highest position of disappointment, then sometimes, somehow or other, from the core of our heart we pray, \u201cOh Lord, I am helpless, save me! I am under the control of so many enemies in the form of friends. Such a hopeless position I hold, my Lord. From time immemorial I am serving all these masters, but they are not satisfied with my service. Now I find myself in this helpless position, my Lord. You should only come on Your own accord, and assert Yourself. Then they will fly away in fear of You. Otherwise I have no hope.\u201d This sort of ardent prayer from the core of the heart towards the Savior, that is what is necessary for us.\",\"c\":\"Hankering in Surrender is Our Wealth, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why is humility necessary for receiving grace?\",\"a\":\"With our faith and earnestness we can aspire after that mercy. If we increase the quality of our negativity, the feeling that we are so low, the positive will be automatically attracted. We must try to increase the power of our position as a negative unit \u2013 t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena (feeling lower than the grass), dainyam (humility), \u0101tma-nivedana (surrender). Hankering in surrender is our wealth. We are the \u015bakti, the potency, and potency refers to the negative unit of the Positive, the Potent. We should increase our negative side, our hankering. Then, the Positive will be automatically attracted to us. Humility means not to encroach on the rights of others. However, it should not be self-destructive \u2013 it must be natural. Humility is accepting no position, because a servant has no independent position. Because he is always at the command of the master, he is always situated within infinite possibility. The servant is humble to his master, not to the gu\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101s. His humility must be directed chiefly towards the master. Be humble towards the Lord\u2019s own, the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. Be humble there. When it was necessary for Hanum\u0101n to burn the golden city of La\u1e45k\u0101, his humility was not disturbed. He was as humble as anyone can be in carrying out the order of Lord R\u0101macandra. He was fully given, wholly surrendered to his Master. Humility, in other words, is surrender. Humility means to present no opposition to the command of the master from Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, the upper section. Humility does not drag one into subordination to the serpent, tiger or jackal. Our real relationship is with the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. That is the plane where devotees take their stand. We are concerned with the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. And humility means that we do not resist our master\u2019s instruction. Without opposition, we carry out whatever order comes to us. We possess humility, sun\u012bcat\u0101 \u2013 we are not prejudiced.\",\"c\":\"Hankering in Surrender is Our Wealth, Follow the Angels Real Humility, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the difference between humility and hopelessness?\",\"a\":\"Although one may feel that he does not have the minimum required deposit to receive the grant, still it is not a hopeless case. The very nature of this realisation takes him to the conception of humility. When one begins to practise devotion towards the infinite Lord, he cannot but feel that in relation to the infinite, there is nothing of value in himself. He thinks, \u201cI have nothing to give in return; even the minimum requirement for the Lord\u2019s grace is absent in me.\u201d That takes him to the conception that, \u201cI have no qualification. I am completely empty.\u201d A devotee feels within his heart that he is not only unfit but too despicable for the Lord\u2019s service. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101s Kavir\u0101j Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: \u201cI am lower than a worm in stool and more sinful than Jagai and Madhai (Jag\u0101i M\u0101dh\u0101i haite mu\u00f1i se p\u0101pi\u1e63\u1e6dha, pur\u012b\u1e63era k\u012b\u1e6da haite mu\u00f1i se laghi\u1e63\u1e6dha).\u201d We should not be discouraged when we think we have not even the least bit of merit which is required for the service of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, for this kind of consciousness is natural for a devotee.\",\"c\":\"Ecstatic ocean of joy, The Golden Volcano of Divine Love\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I pray when I do not know what is best?\",\"a\":\"Srila Sridhar Maharaj: The prayer to the highest degree that we find is: \u201cl want Your connection. You may utilise me. You may think me to be Yours and keeping me in Your connection utilise me according to Your sweet will. I have no particular claim nor aspiration that I must attain this or that, but only I want to be Your faithful servant and so You please utilise me in any way You like. Only that inseparable connection with You I want. I am Your slave: I want to be Your slave. Your connection I want: Your sincere connection, and You know best what connection that is. I do not know what is what, but You know what is best. Only consider me as Your own and utilise me.\u201d That should be the nature of our prayer.\",\"c\":\"With Sincerity to Safety, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Four\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I recognize grace when it comes in an unexpected form?\",\"a\":\"Prahlad Maharaj advises that whatever adverse circumstances may come to disturb us we should try to not only see them as opposing and undesirable but we are required to see them as quite befitting: \u201cIt should come and is coming through the will of my good, well-wishing Lord. Very kindly He is sending these apparently unfavourable things to me but here is His grace.\u201d We shall try to read positive sympathy in the pain and not only negative opposition. One thing to note is that nothing can come without His sanction, so it is coming to me with His sanction. There can be no spirit of retaliation in Him, therefore the pain has come for some purpose: to purify me. This positive end is there. He is trying to finish the bad consequences of my previous actions. \u201cI would otherwise have had to undergo the bad consequences of my actions for a long time to come but perhaps He is making that intense in order to be finished within a very short time. Therefore it is His grace.\u201d If with this attitude we can face this danger that surrounds us then very easily we are released from all such opposing forces.\",\"c\":\"With Sincerity to Safety, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Four\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the disciple&#x27;s safest position?\",\"a\":\"\u201cWhen one can come to realise that I\u2019m the highest dispenser, dealer, controller, but I\u2019m friendly to all, they can find peace then.\u201d Yes. The Ultimate Authority He\u2019s my guardian, He\u2019s my sympathetic friend. So I can live in peace. No apprehension of any future injustice for me. So many guardians, many well- wishers, many Gurus. All Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas are our Guru, all well- wishers, so I cannot but be safe. So many well-wishers, so many sympathetic eyes over me, so I\u2019m quite safe in that plane. We must not be afraid of Gurus. So it is here we may be afraid, because we think we\u2019re to obey him. Whatever he\u2019ll say I\u2019m to carry out. It is a very risky life. If I can\u2019t do that then I shall commit offence. All this apprehension may come here. But if we can get out of this plane of exploitation, because everyone is eager to exploit us, so that apprehension. But there just the opposite, everyone wants to help one another. So no such apprehension of being attacked from the enemy camp. All friendly, and specially so many interested Guru, they take special care of us.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 D\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I accept what is favourable and reject what is unfavourable?\",\"a\":\"I shall have to go to the absolute goal, and anyone helping he\u2019s my friend, and anyone trying to deviate me, to draw me from that path, I shall have to leave his company respectfully. My main absolute way, absolute end, absolute call, I shall attend. And to do that whatever is favourable I shall accept, and unfavourable I shall have to reject. Otherwise I can\u2019t give up the main gain of my life. Gurur na sa sy\u0101t sva jano na sa sy\u0101t. Balir\u0101ja, Vibhi\u1e63ana, Prahl\u0101da, Bharata, Khatvangar\u0101ja, and yaj\u00f1a patnis, they disregarded their objects of affection and went straight towards the Absolute Truth. My universal interest is there, the whole interest is there. So my ways will be fixed in such a way. Whoever will come to help me in that absolute way, he\u2019s my friend, and who will try to deviate me, he\u2019s my foe. The general instruction is such.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1983 A\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s11\",\"title\":\"09. The Highest Test of Love\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I remain connected with Guru in separation?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: Vapu also by our deep affectionate meditation, we may get influence from the vapu also. Sometimes when we\u2019re in meditation we may get inspiration. The words are there and also by meditation, by the ability within, something may come, a new light may come. That is, that may be possible. A deep and affectionate and submissive meditation, relativity, that may guide me, irrespective of the space and time. \u0100tm\u0101 does not have any restriction of space and time. If we can rise up to the plane of \u0101tm\u0101, it is that caitya-guru, in that way we can get inspiration.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1983 B\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the relationship between presence and instruction?\",\"a\":\"But at the same time, as we offer reverence to Gurudev, we must not conceive that the Guru is a doll, a lifeless figure. Because we are familiar with a particular figure and accept that as our Guru we should not become misled. The important thing is what he says, his instructions. That is attracting our inner hearts. I am not this body. I am the enquirer. That thing which is satisfying me, drawing the enquirer to the enquired\u2014I must try to locate that thing in him. I must not rely on material calculation. I am not this body. Who am I, the disciple? Am I only this body, this figure, this colour, this caste? Or am I this temperament, this scholarship and intellectualism? No. I am he who has come to seek. Who is the party within me, and who is the party in Guru? We must be fully awake to that. What is the inner thing? I have come for that. We must be awake to our own interest.\",\"c\":\"Guru is not a doll, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I remember Guru?\",\"a\":\"Once, one of your devotees said in his lecture that separation is the highest realisation. I was very happy to hear from his lips that separation (vipralambha) is the highest attainment. Without separation, nothing else can come to us. The anticipation of meeting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will appear to us as vipralambha, so vipralambha is the most auspicious thing pertaining to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. And we can have K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s connection also in that separation. So, the safest and most fearless position is vipralambha. If we can stand firm and retain the memory of Gurudev in his separation, then we will have passed the highest test.\",\"c\":\"Without Guru, all is void, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does service continue in physical separation?\",\"a\":\"It is not only external, but internal also. The \u0100ch\u0101rya has asked us, \u201cGo on with the preaching; you are qualified. If you don\u2019t do so, then why did I give it to you? As I spread this message, you must also spread it.\u201d If one feels such a sincere urge within his heart, he must do that work. If we do not serve society with whatever we have imbibed from him, then we will be responsible to our Guru. He will chastise us saying, \u201cYou have taken so much energy from me, and now you are keeping it within you? You must let this loose to help others.\u201d If one gets this sort of inspiration, he should try to fulfil the order, but still, difficulty is there. To become a guru, to capture the position of a guru, the respect of guru, that is one thing; to discharge the duty is another. Sincerity is necessary. This is of course difficult. There is no doubt that it is difficult; if one is unsuccessful, he will be lost, and others will also be lost. In the name of helping others he will deceive others, if he himself is full of deceit. So, we must be careful about what we have received from our guru, and we must also take care to see whether we are eligible to discharge this duty, whether we are eligible to do good to others.\",\"c\":\"Lowest of the low, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should guide me when I can no longer ask directly?\",\"a\":\"Devotee: When the Guru is here he engages us for something that Krishna wants. But in the absence of our Guru we may do some devotional service according to our own initiative. How do we know whether Krishna actually wants that particular activity from us? Srila Guru Maharaj: Preferably we shall enquire from a Siksa- Guru but if none is available then we shall try to ask our internal Guru: \u201cIn such a case what may be required of me? My Master, please reveal this.\u201d We shall have to make this appeal to our internal Chaitya-Guru and proceed accordingly. Nahi kalyana- krt kaschid durgatim tata gachchhati (Bg. 6.40): The sincere will have nothing to repent about. He who is sincere to his own self will have such dictation as will help him to progress in his spiritual life. He will ask his Master within, \u201cIn such a case what should please my Gurudev? I shall do that. As much as I can understand and feel I shall do.\u201d This sincere internal approach will be the last resort, but if any outside Siksa-Gurus are available we must consult with them.\",\"c\":\"Dictation of Sri Guru, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand sorrow in separation?\",\"a\":\"In the discourse of Ramananda Ray and Mahaprabhu, it is mentioned, that the greatest calamity, the greatest sorrow or most intense pain that ever has been felt by a Vaisnava is separation from a devotee. Krsna bhakta guru viraha \u2013 that is the deepest pain ever found in this world. So, this separation, viraha gives us purity. Separation gives purity, and it is a test to our adherence to the cause. If in separation we feel so much pain, it is the standard of measurement, what sort of love I have for him. The intensity and pain of our separation is the standard. It is a real test, a real friend. There, the enjoyment cannot be present. The fallen souls are encouraged to observe separation and that will be helpful for them.\",\"c\":\"Divine Revelation; separation from the devotee, Encounters with Divinity\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Can separation deepen spiritual vision?\",\"a\":\"A different quality. Friends may be faithful when they\u2019re together, but when separated far and for long time, if still they\u2019re faithful to one another, then there must be high quality, higher quality of faithfulness there. And when together, faithfulness to each other, that is an easy thing, but when separated and for a long time, still maintaining faith to each other, then that must be of higher quality. Separation is the test to the genuine thing, especially the love. What degree of love is there that can stand so long a separation and ever fresh? Always fresh, long standing fresh, to the highest intensity. The spirit of sacrifice challenging everything, requiring nothing in response, no want. The Queen is absolute, proud of sacrifice.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 D\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I preserve fidelity across changing circumstances?\",\"a\":\"Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Another example is Lord Ramachandra. The day before he was to be installed on the throne, all in the kingdom were rejoicing. But Ramachandra Himself was in a serious frame of mind. His mood was not very light, not very pleasing. He was thinking that the next day, He is going to receive the great responsibility of discharging His duty to the kingdom: \u201cA great burden is coming on My head. I shall have the responsibility of looking after so many subjects.\u201d This was His sober mood. Then when He heard that instead of being enthroned, He was to go to the forest\u2014that His stepmother had forced His father to enthrone Bharata, her son, and to banish Ramachandra to the forest\u2014Ramachandra\u2019s temperament remained the same: He was going to discharge a duty. To get the throne is duty; to obey His father\u2019s will by going to the forest also duty. By accepting banishment to the forest, He is discharging a duty, and His temperament does not change. His balance of mind, His equilibrium, is not disturbed. He is not a slave to any event, be it good or bad; He is perfectly equipoised to carry out His duty. Even if He must go to hell, He is not in any way disturbed.\",\"c\":\"Outer Form, Inner Substance, Divine Aspiration\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I do when memories fade?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: My memory is very weak. Eyesight almost finished. So it is very difficult for me to understand, to recognise. So I always trouble you, putting questions several times. \u201cWho are you, who are you?\u201d These bothering things I\u2019m to repeat, helpless, what can I do? Gaura Hari. It is still by the grace of the Lord, anyhow, some feeling is within. In one sense it is better, good, forget, that personal things are vanishing. And what\u2019s remaining that is extended to me by my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, that is still retained in me. That is in one sense it is a good thing. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. That is desirable of course if it stands well.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 D\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I help carry the guidance I received to others?\",\"a\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu says, \u201cIt is My command. Don\u2019t think that if you do this and take the position of guru, when the people come to honour you, you will forget your own ordinary position, become puffed up with pride, and go to hell. No, no, no! I order you, \u2018Go on!\u2019 The relief work is there. You can\u2019t stand idle as an onlooker. So I say, \u2018Jump! Start relief work.\u2019 I order you to do so. And I shall take whatever responsibility is there. The whole world is dying. So, always, at every second, the real need is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-kath\u0101. You will get My association only by obeying My orders and discharging the duty that I am entrusting with you. You will find Me there in your obedience of My order, in the discharge of the duty I impose on you.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Jaws of death, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s12\",\"title\":\"10. The Ultimate Goal of Devotional Heart\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the ultimate aim of discipleship?\",\"a\":\"And D\u0101s Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given us the understanding of our highest aspiration. He says, \u201cO, R\u0101dhik\u0101, I want Your service. If You are not satisfied with me, I do not want K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, nor His land, Vraja.\u201d This is his prayer, and he is admitted as the Prayojan- \u0101ch\u0101rya, the Guru who has shown us what is the highest aim of our life, prayojan-tattva, the ultimate destination. And this \u015bloka proves his position as the giver of our destination.\",\"c\":\"Distributing ecstasy, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should my aspiration develop over time?\",\"a\":\"The general conception of the spiritual world is Vaikuntha wherein we find calculative dedication. Above that is the plane of spontaneous dedication. That realm is called Goloka, and there are many different kinds of pastimes there. In Goloka, all the various relationships with Godhead are represented in full: santa, passive, dasya, servitude, sakhya, friendship, vatsalya, parenthood, madhura, conjugal. And the conjugal mellow can be subdivided into svakiya, wedded love, and parakiya, a paramour relationship. This is, of course, a very elevated subject matter. Still, we have to have some view of these things since our fate is ultimately connected with such high things, given to us by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and great acharyas like Bhaktivinod Thakur and discussed in scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam and Chaitanya-charitamrita. What is found in their teachings about Goloka is our prospect, our aspiration. According to our devotional taste we will develop, and our taste can also be improved by hearing from a higher source. The spirit of our selection may be improved when we are shown different ideas, different models of transcendental reality. And according to what attracts us most based upon our inner choice, we shall have to act.\",\"c\":\"The Creation, Subjective Evolution of Consciousness: The Play of the Sweet Absolute\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does lifelong faithfulness look like?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Yes. Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja had much affection for me. And he also told me that I have taken these gentlemen here and it will be your business to look after them. He told me also several times. I see that my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja wanted me to go to the west, but I could not go at that time somehow or other. But he\u2019s so merciful that he\u2019s taken you all to me here. He won\u2019t let me go off from his command. What he said, what he wanted to get from me, he must get it done by me, my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. Yes, I\u2019m living, old man, and gradually feeling that I am withdrawn from the other world. Memory and other capacities are vanishing day by day. But still as much as possible it shall be my very life to cultivate about these things, or to imbibe from our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and thought to be things of the highest type, to distribute it to the other fortunate and proper souls. That must be a fortune itself.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I remain a learner throughout my life?\",\"a\":\"If someone says that he has reached that standard, and that there is nothing further to be realised, then we offer our obeisances to him from far away. We are not worshippers of that. If one thinks that he is finished, that he has attained perfection\u2014we hate it! Even an \u0100ch\u0101rya should consider that he is a student, and not a finished professor who has everything. One should always think of himself as a bona fide student. We have come to realise the infinite, not a finite thing. So, this fight between finite and infinite knowledge will continue always. Should we think, \u201cWhat I have understood is absolute\u201d? No! We have not finished with knowledge. Still, we must know. Brahm\u0101 himself says, \u201cI am fully deceived by Your power, Master. I am nowhere.\u201d Anyone who has come in connection with the infinite cannot but say this: \u201cI am nothing.\u201d That should be the salient point. The propounder of the greatest scripture in Gau\u1e0d\u012bya\u2013Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism, \u015ar\u012bla K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a D\u0101s Kavir\u0101j Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: \u201cPur\u012b\u1e63era k\u012b\u1e6da haite mu\u00f1i se laghi\u1e63\u1e6dha: I am lower than a worm in stool.\u201d This is his statement, and he is saying so sincerely. Should we be ashamed to express our negative character, our negative development, which is the real wealth for a disciple? So, because such a negative character is shown by him, we fall at his feet. And if someone says, \u201cI have finished all knowledge. God, Chaitanya, is my disciple\u201d, he should be shot down as the greatest enemy ever found in the world!\",\"c\":\"Mental prison, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does gratitude shape a disciple&#x27;s life?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: Thanking, when you express such feeling to any other that, \u2018thank you,\u2019 what is at the bottom, what is at the root of such expression as, \u2018thank you?\u2019 Expression of gratitude, \u2018thank you,\u2019 it presupposes a background of the person who gives thanks, his separate interest. My interest is helped in a particular way, so I feel gratitude, I thank you. I have got my separate interest, separate position. But that should not be the nature of a devotee. I have got no separate interest. I hear if I can receive anything as grace, or a ray of knowledge, anything, that rather I shall try to absorb me in that one whole interest. So I have no words. I only feel that I am being one with the person whom presently I am going to thank.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 B\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I value more than spiritual achievement?\",\"a\":\"P\u0101pa means all anomalies, all undesirable things: sin. Material enjoyment and liberation are also included as anomalies, sinful activities. Why is liberation considered sinful? Because it is an abnormal condition; our natural function is to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but we do not do that in salvation. Mere salvation does not include service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, so that is an abnormal position and therefore it is also a sin. To ignore our natural duty and stand aloof cannot but be sinful. The concluding verse of the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam says, \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s Holy Name can relieve us from all undesirable sinfulness, all filthy characteristics, and all miseries. Let us all bow down to Him.\u201d Uttering this verse, the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam stops; that great treatise becomes silent. The last word in the Bh\u0101gavatam is N\u0101m-sa\u1e45k\u012brtan. The Bh\u0101gavatam has given such great importance to chanting the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu developed it from there. The last publication of the compiler of Vedic literatures, \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadev, took theism to that stage, and gave it to the public announcing, \u201cChant the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! Do this; nothing more is necessary. Take this!\u201d This is the very conclusion of \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam, the greatest spiritual gift of Vy\u0101sadev: \u201cChant the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and begin your life in this dark age with the most broad and wide theistic conception.\u201d\",\"c\":\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s mystic flute-song; The spiritual gift of Vy\u0101s, The Golden Volcano of Divine Love\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand progress without becoming proud?\",\"a\":\"\",\"c\":\"The \u0100ch\u0101rya faces two dangers. The first is partiality. Partiality means full freedom with his disciples. This relationship is also more attractive to him. The second danger is deviation. So, deviation and partiality\u2014these two things can take down the \u0100ch\u0101rya. These are the two enemies of an \u0100ch\u0101rya. And one who takes that position must be particularly careful about these things. The position of an \u0100ch\u0101rya is dangerous. It is full of temptations. Therefore, a strong, sincere, indomitable desire for the upper aspirations of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is the indispensable necessity in an \u0100ch\u0101rya. Otherwise, he can\u2019t maintain his position. He will go down. He has become master and will think, \u201cI am the master of all I survey.\u201d In a particular circle, he is monarch. And monarchy can bring madness. That is a great temptation. If one is not sufficiently conscious of this fact, he will not be able to maintain his position. For one who has monarchy over men and money, it is very difficult to maintain a position as a servitor. The ego of mastership which is generally found within all of us comes to attack the guru. After all, we are wandering in the land of exploitation. Therefore, we should be very wakeful and scrutinising in our self-analysis. The general symptom of health is that the more one will go up, the more he will think, \u201cI am going down.\u201d This indirect method of measurement may be applied to measure our internal advancement. Externally one may maintain a superior position, but internally he should always be thinking, \u201cO my Lord! I am in want. Give more grace to me! I can\u2019t maintain my position.\u201d Messiahs of free faith, Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does it mean to live for the satisfaction of Guru?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: Yes. So I feel so far that it may not be possible to detect what is the nature of His satisfaction. So His agent sent by Him to me, if I carry out his order, his temperament I look out and I read and do, then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will say, \u201cI have deputed him. And because I am far away from him so many hindrances, so My deputation is there and his satisfaction is My satisfaction. It is already ordered by Me.\u201d That is the general case. By satisfying Guru we can satisfy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, because he\u2019s in that position by order of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I offer the whole course of my life in service?\",\"a\":\"If we take the Name, then there must be service. Sat-sa\u1e45ga. S\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma \u2013 service means to dedicate oneself completely to that which we serve. In that way we shall take the Name. For what purpose are we taking the Name of the Lord? Kanaka, k\u0101mi\u1e47\u012b, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 \u2013 not for money, not for sense gratification, not to achieve popularity. We are ready to sacrifice ourselves completely for Him, for His Name. With that attitude we shall take the Name. It is not limited. The whole life within the fist we shall give for His satisfaction. The whole of our energy, we shall risk it for the satisfaction of the Holy Name. We must approach with this attitude. It is guaranteed. The pursuit, the attempt is backed by our whole energy, our whole life, the whole prospect, everything.\",\"c\":\"N\u0101ma: More Than Mundane Sound, Follow the Angels\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the disciple&#x27;s enduring prayer?\",\"a\":\"\u201cEither in heaven or in hell, wherever He chooses to place me, that does not matter. But only my concentrated prayer will be that my adherence to You, faith to You, may not be disturbed my Lord. The whole concentration of the prayer will be that my submissive relation to You, the prayer, to this prayer only, and nothing else. Others, whatever it may be, but Your sweet will is going. But only this much, the minimum, that Your connection I can\u2019t, admit to be cut off. Only that least demand, nothing else. Everything left on You, at Your sweet will.\u201d Dh\u012bra K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: That is the \u015buddha bhakta, his prayer. \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: \u015auddha bhakta. Not even that, \u201cLiberate me. Keep me along with You. No, no condition, no condition, only one prayer, a thread, only a thread connection with You. Others, as You like. I\u2019m fully at Your disposal, fully at Your disposal. Only minimum request that a connecting thread, that I cannot tolerate to be severed, then I\u2019m gone.\u201d Gaura Hari. \u201cDemand will be minimum to You, most minimum. Without that I won\u2019t live. Other things at Your pleasure. You have every right, every right to excise Your power on me. I am Your eternal slave. You have every demand You can take from me.\u201d Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 B\"}]}],\"count\":12},{\"slug\":\"verses-quoted-reader-edition\",\"title\":\"Verses Quoted\",\"subtitle\":\"by \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosv\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, in his lectures\",\"compiler\":\"Compiled by \u015ar\u012bpada Param\u0101nanda D\u0101sa\",\"coverSrc\":\"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/verses-quoted-cover-v2.webp\",\"sections\":[{\"slug\":\"c01\",\"title\":\"01. The Search for the Eternal Reality\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"We must try to live in eternity; not in any particular span of time or space. We must prepare ourselves for our eternal benefit, not for any temporary remedy.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Verses quoted by B.R. Srila Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja in his lectures\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(1)\",\"abhivyakt\u0101 matta\u1e25 prak\u1e5bti-laghu-r\u016bp\u0101d api budh\u0101\",\"vidh\u0101tr\u012b sidd\u0101rth\u0101n hari-gu\u1e47amay\u012b va\u1e25 k\u1e5btir iyam\",\"pulinden\u0101py agni\u1e25 kim u samidham unmathya janito\",\"hira\u1e47ya-\u015bre\u1e47\u012bn\u0101m apaharati n\u0101nta\u1e25 kalu\u1e63at\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O learned personalities, this treatise, composed of the divine qualities of Lord Hari, will fulfil your cherished wishes despite the fact that it is presented by me, a very insignificant person. Does not the fire ignited from pieces of wood rubbed together by a low-born barbarian dissipate the impurities in gold?&quot; (\u015a\u015aPJ, p 4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(2)\",\"\u0101brahma-bhuvan\u0101l lok\u0101\u1e25,\",\"punar \u0101vartino &#x27;rjuna\",\"m\u0101m upetya tu kaunteya,\",\"punar janma na vidyate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Arjuna, from the planet of Lord Brahm\u0101 downwards, the residents of all planets are naturally subjected to repeated birth and death. But, O Kaunteya, upon reaching Me, there is no rebirth.&quot; (B-g, 8.16) In \u015ar\u012bmad-Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;The place from which there is no returning to this deathly plane is My supreme abode.&quot; He instructs Arjuna: &quot;A permanent position is only possible in My plane. All occupations in this plane, even that of a king, are just as in a dream. So, if you want to get out of this dreaming life and enter into reality then raise yourself to the standard of finding the plane of reality, however subtle it may be, for that cannot be devoured by death. Collect your energy to build something permanent. At present you are investing your energy in something that is going to be demolished at the next moment - a foolish attempt.&quot; (HC, p 21) + (see also \u015bloka 530) The attempts of the little brained persons will certainly be futile - going up and coming down. (GOD, p 11) Many people are worried about nuclear war. They think it may come very soon. That is a point on a line, a line on a plane, a plane in a solid. So many times wars are coming and going; so many times the sun, the Earth, the moon, and all the planets, and the solar systems disappear, and again spring up, appear and vanish, they die, and then again, they are created. We are living in the midst of such thought in eternity. The &#x27;newkiller&#x27; war is a tiny point; what of that? Individuals are dying at every moment; the Earth will die, the whole human section will disappear. Let it be. We must try to live in eternity; not in any particular span of time or space. We must prepare ourselves for our eternal benefit, not for any temporary remedy. Religion covers that aspect of our existence. We are told to view things from this standpoint: not only this body, but the human race, the animals, the trees, the entire Earth, and even the sun, will all vanish, and again spring up. Creation, dissolution, creation, dissolution - it will continue forever in the domain of misconception. At the same time, there is another world which is eternal; we are requested to enter there, to make our home in that plane which neither enters into the jaws of death, nor suffers any change.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (8.16) it is stated: &quot;O son of Kunt\u012b, Arjuna, from the planet of Lord Brahm\u0101 downwards, the residents of all the planetary systems within the material world are naturally subjected to repeated birth and death. Even Lord Brahm\u0101, the creator himself, has to die. Up to Brahm\u0101loka, the highest planet in the material world, the whole material energy undergoes such changes.&quot; But if we can cross the area of misunderstanding and enter the proper understanding, then there is no creation or dissolution. That is eternal, and we are children of that soil. Our bodies and minds are children of this soil which comes and goes, which is created and then dies. We have got to get out of this world of death. We are in such an area. What is to be done? Try to get out. Try your best to get out of this mortal area. The saints inform us: &quot;Come home dear friend, let us go home. Why are you suffering so much trouble unnecessarily in a foreign land? The spiritual world is real; this material world is unreal: springing and vanishing, coming and going, it is a farce! From the world of farce we must come to reality. Here in this material world there will not be only one war, but wars after wars, wars after wars. There is a zone of nectar, and we are actually children of that nectar that does not die (\u015b\u1e5bnvantu vi\u015bve am\u1e5btasya putra\u1e25 - see \u015bloka 477). Somehow, we are misguided here, but really we are children of that soil which is eternal, where there is no birth or death. With a wide and broad heart, we have to approach there. This is declared by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, and the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, the Upani\u1e63ads, and the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam all confirm the same thing. That is our very sweet, sweet home, and we must try our best to go back to God, back to home, and take others with us. (TSFSK, p 25-7) Everything is meant for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We are also meant for Him (\u012b\u015b\u0101v\u0101sya\u1e41 ida\u1e41 sarva\u1e41 - see \u015bloka 187). This is true knowledge, and this is the true situation of the world. Exploitation is an incomplete and reactionary idea for which we incur a dept that we shall later have to pay. We may go to Satyaloka, the highest planet in the material universe, but by exploiting nature, we incur a dept, become heavy, and go down. And when we go down, others come to exploit and extort us until our debts have been paid. Then the heaviness goes, and we become light and go upward to the higher planetary systems again. And when we go up, we exploit those who are in a lower position. In this way, there is continual exploitation and clearance of debt. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (8.16): \u0101brahma-bhuvan\u0101l lok\u0101\u1e25: &quot;All planetary systems within this world of matter are places of repeated birth and death, but one who attains My abode, O son of Kunt\u012b, never takes birth again.&quot; Upon going there, one never returns to this material world (yad gatv\u0101 na nivartante, tad dh\u0101ma parama\u1e41 mama - Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, 15.6 - see \u015bloka 328). K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s abode is nirgu\u1e47a, or transcendental to any material quality. (TSFSK, p 49-50) + (see also \u015bloka 579)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(3)\",\"\u0101c\u0101rya kahe, - &quot;vastu-vi\u1e63aye haya vastu-j\u00f1\u0101na\",\"vastu-tattva-j\u00f1\u0101na haya k\u1e5bp\u0101te pram\u0101\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;It is evident that I have the grace of the Lord, because I know Him, and that you have not, because you deny Him.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 6.89) + (SGAHG, p 90-91) (Gopin\u0101tha \u0100c\u0101rya speaking to S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya) + (see also \u015bloka 65) Our own inner experience, our internal satisfaction, our connection or acquaintance with reality is the real evidence; nothing external can give any real proof.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(4)\",\"\u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n,\",\"n\u0101vamanyeta karhicit\",\"na martya-buddhy\u0101s\u016byeta,\",\"sarva-deva-mayo guru\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One should know the \u0100c\u0101rya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.&quot; (\u015aB, 11.17.27) + (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 1.46) Among the ten offences to be avoided while chanting the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra, the third offence is to consider the guru a human being. Although so many human symptoms may be found in him, still, according to our sincerity to meet Godhead, the Lord descends and represents Himself in the guru to satisfy the hunger for the truth. We must see him as the agent of the Lord. It has been advised to us in a general way not to think of the guru as a mortal being, because if our attempt to attain the Absolute is sincere, then He will also come to us to deliver us. God is omniscient, so through a particular agent who acts as His representative, He comes here to accept us and take us up to the higher plane. We are ordered by the advice of the scriptures to see the guru as the representative of the Absolute, because none can give us K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a but He Himself. God&#x27;s presence should be perceived in our gurudeva. We should see that God has come to give Himself to us. Generally we find mortal signs in the body of the spiritual master, but we must transcend that. The Ganges water may be filthy in external appearance, but still the dirty Ganges water can purify us by its touch. To our material senses the Deity seems to be wood, stone, or earth, but that is our polluted vision. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is there, and sometimes He is seen to walk and talk with the devotees of a higher order. We must not think that He is made of material stuff. When we go and stand before the Deity, we should not think that we can see Him, but that He is seeing us. He is in the subjective plane; I am His object. He is mercifully seeing us to purify us. In this way our vision must be adjusted. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was killed by a hunter; the atheists will interpret that it was an ordinary incident, but it is not so. S\u012bta was stolen by R\u0101vana. This is all external, all illusory. The real truth is above, in the transcendental realm. So, we are requested by the expert transcendentalists and by the \u015b\u0101stra to see that our gurudeva is above all these mortal signs. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: \u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n - &quot;I Myself am the \u0100c\u0101rya. Do not think that the Guru is an ordinary man. I Myself reside within the heart of Gurudeva with all My parts and parcels, for the benefit of the disciple.&quot; (TSFSK, p 100-2) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appears again and again to reclaim His long-lost servants. And, as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is also tasting His own sweetness. When He wants to distribute it to the devotees, the cause is His ecstatic potency (hl\u0101din\u012b-\u015bakti). When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a combines with His potency as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, He becomes the \u0101c\u0101rya. So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: \u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n: &quot;Know that I am the \u0100c\u0101rya.&quot; His \u0101c\u0101rya-l\u012bl\u0101 is His self-distribution, and thereby He is taking His lost servants home. His recruitment is to distribute knowledge about Himself and devotion for Himself, and then take them home. (LSFTLS, p v II) &quot;One should understand the spiritual master to be as good as I am. Nobody should be jealous of the spiritual master or think of him as an ordinary man, because the spiritual master is the sum total of all the demigods.&quot; (SGAHG, p iii)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"It is said \u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n, the spiritual master is not to be differentiated. One thing is coming down from the Supreme Lord, so the oneness of continuity is not to be ignored. Guru can be here, guru can be in another body also. The same teacher may come in a different body to inspire us; he may come to give us new hope and higher education. The substance should always be given a higher value than the form. (SGAHG, p 26) A man is sometimes known most externally, by his uniform, and then by his body, then by his mind, then by his intelligence. As much as our eye will develop to see things rightly, what we are seeing will also change its face. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: \u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n: &quot;Ultimately it is I who am the \u0100c\u0101rya.&quot; It is the function of divinity, and in different stages there may be different forms. Different \u0101c\u0101ryas may work at the same time. (SGAHG, p 35) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tells us not to particularise in one point (\u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n.) There are so many \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 gurus in the line, and it is our good fortune to see more gurus, to come to the stage where we see gurus everywhere. Everywhere we shall try to draw the hints of the auspicious presence of Godhead.&quot; (SGAHG, p 116-7) (see \u015bloka 612) The devotee whom K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants to preach will do that work, but those who do not like to work in that way cannot be called unqualified. Those that like preaching will naturally speak in favour of the preaching camp. Because they are inspired by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to do that service, they are successful. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: \u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n - &quot;It is My inspiration that can really deliver the fallen souls.&quot; (SGAHG, p 131) (see \u015bloka 335) &quot;Every movement begins from Me; even My own worship, My own service is begun by Me, in My role as guru. I reveal to the public so that you will properly worship Me. For this reason guru is called Bhagav\u0101n, for he is nondifferent from Me.&quot; (SEOC, p 140-1) + (see also \u015bloka 14) &quot;You must know the \u0100c\u0101rya as My Divine Self. Never dishonour him as a mundane person. Guru is the abode of all godly representations.&quot; (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 2) In the beginning stage we are told that the \u0100c\u0101rya, the guru, is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Then Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, the \u0100c\u0101rya of prayojana - the ultimate goal - says that the \u0100c\u0101rya&#x27;s position is not that of God Himself, but it is that of His most favourite - mukunda-pre\u1e63\u1e6dhatve. Ultimately, we find that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s dearmost is in the department of His potency, and that is guru. (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 22) + (see also \u015bloka 427)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(5)\",\"acinty\u0101\u1e25 khalu ye bh\u0101v\u0101\",\"na t\u0101\u1e41s tarke\u1e47a yojayet\",\"prak\u1e5btibhya\u1e25 para\u1e41 yacca\",\"tad-acintyasya lak\u1e63am\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;That which is inconceivable can never be understood through the logic and reason of the mind. The very symptom that something is inconceivable is that it is beyond logical comprehension.&quot; (SP) + (Mah\u0101bharata, Bhi\u1e63ma Parva, 5.22) &quot;Matters inconceivable to a common man should not be a subject for argument.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di l\u012bl\u0101, 5.41, purport). So, in the case of Veda and Upani\u1e63ad we are cautioned: acinty\u0101\u1e25 khalu ye bh\u0101v\u0101 na t\u0101\u1e41s tarke\u1e47a yojayet: &quot;Don&#x27;t take your reasoning and doubt into that higher stage. It is unnecessary there where there is only plain speaking and fair dealing with no trouble from anyone wanting to deceive another. Deception and unfair dealings are unknown there.&quot; This is the level of the Vedas and Upani\u1e63ads where rhyme and reason are unnecessary. But in a lower stage, the \u015am\u1e5bti and Pur\u0101\u1e47as come to give their advice in another mood. The Pur\u0101\u1e47as are like friends, advising: &quot;Do this and you will be benefited.&quot; They give examples: &quot;This person acted in such a way and received a good result; but this other did bad things and a bad result followed. So, my friend, please learn from this.&quot; Then, the \u015aruti comes to our help by showing us how to apply these truths in our everyday life. The k\u0101vya also approaches us and comes in a very sweet manner like an affectionate wife to advise: &quot;Do this, it will be very good for you.&quot; But the Vedas take another approach: acinty\u0101\u1e25 khalu ye bh\u0101v\u0101 na t\u0101\u1e41s tarke\u1e47a yojayet. &quot;This subject matter does not come within the jurisdiction of doubt, reasoning, and so on. Don&#x27;t drag all these filthy things into such a sphere.&quot; In a lecture I gave an example to illustrate this. A mother gives a sweet to her son, she puts it in his hand but he says: &quot;Oh, it may be poisoned! I must go to the laboratory and examine it.&quot; It is a deplorable thing and a very low type of civilisation where such an attitude prevails. But in such a plane where affection and fair dealing is unknown, tarka, vic\u0101ra and yukti (discrimination); doubt, examination and inspection are all present. But that is really a filthy life. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 6) acinty\u0101\u1e25 khalu ye bh\u0101v\u0101 na t\u0101\u1e41s tarke\u1e47a yojayet - Don&#x27;t let the argumentative spirit overshadow everything. Argument is not all in all: it is not that it must be the resort of every belief. The spiritual realm is acintya, inconceivable, but still, we are to try to understand things according to our capacity, faith, and realisation. Above all, we have to accommodate within our mind that sweetness is sweet, and truth is truth, however strong it may be, but we should not take any standard from here and apply it to that higher realm. (HC, p 10) Don&#x27;t take the inconceivable under the jurisdiction of your reason. When it will be extended to you, you will be astounded to find only a peep into that. na t\u0101\u1e41s tarke\u1e47a yojayet, Don&#x27;t try to drag that into the zone of reason. This is autocratic in its nature. It may come in one shape to you, it may go in another shape to another gentleman. It is so expansive and so free in its nature. It is infinite. Rather the Infinite is the base of those pastimes. Always prepare yourself. Hanker, but don&#x27;t make it an object of your experience. (SGD, &#x27;96, p 29)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(6)\",\"\u0101dau \u015braddh\u0101 tata\u1e25 s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45go&#x27; tha bhajana-kriy\u0101\",\"tato&#x27; nartha-niv\u1e5btti\u1e25 sy\u0101t tato ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 rucis tata\u1e25\",\"ath\u0101saktis tato bh\u0101vas tata\u1e25 prem\u0101bhyuda\u00f1cati\",\"s\u0101dhak\u0101n\u0101m aya\u1e41 prem\u1e47a\u1e25 pr\u0101durbh\u0101ve bhavet krama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;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 then attachment. This is the way of s\u0101dhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually spiritual emotions manifest and intensify, then finally there is an awakening of divine love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.&quot; (B-r-s, 1.4.15-16) \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says here ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 means &quot;continuous connection.&quot; After ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, the mundane negative side is eliminated, and then, in the positive side, we may make progress. Then, after this there are the higher stages: \u0101sakti, bh\u0101va, and prema. Within prema, there are also different stages: sneha, mana, r\u0101ga, anur\u0101ga, bh\u0101va, mah\u0101bh\u0101va. In this way bhakti develops to the topmost plane, mah\u0101bh\u0101va. Mah\u0101bh\u0101va means \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. That supermost intensity of bhakti which is not found anywhere else is found only in Her. That is called mah\u0101bh\u0101va. In this way, bhakti - divine love - develops in different stages up to the highest level. (SEOC, p 45-6) Through self-giving I can acquire my fortune, and not as a master sitting in my chair gathering information from different quarters to utilise for my selfish plans. \u0101dau \u015braddh\u0101 tata\u1e25 s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45go&#x27; tha bhajana-kriy\u0101: to progress with faith, keeping the association of devotees and dedicating one&#x27;s activities to the Lord, means this - you must go forward in your life with the spirit that you are willing to give away this life. &quot;Do - or - die&quot; is, of course, not in the physical sense but the internal sense (bhajana-kriy\u0101). This is self-giving, ego-giving. tato&#x27; nartha-niv\u1e5btti\u1e25 sy\u0101t: if you can adopt this, the undesirable things within you will disappear very easily and swiftly. tato ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101: then you will find a continuous connection with such a principle in your life. That principle will always act continuously, and other fleeting, mean desires won&#x27;t be able to approach or touch you. Next, you will find ruci, a real taste for divinity. Otherwise, before that continuous stage, whatever taste we may think we have is only treachery and not real taste. ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 means nairantaryya: when we are established in twenty-four hours a day continuous connection with that charming substance, a real taste will arise, and we can rely on that taste. Any taste that we may find in any other position is unreliable. Twenty-four hours a day connection with divinity - eliminating all other charms of this world - is necessary. Then, the ruci, the conscious taste that arises in us, is a reliable guide. After that, \u0101sakti, natural affinity, arises, and then the symptoms of bh\u0101va, the &quot;bud&quot; stage of the &quot;flower&quot; of prema, divine love, makes its appearance. This is the way of our progress.&quot; (SOTGOD, v1, p 66-68) (see also \u015bloka 327)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(7)\",\"\u0101dau yad dv\u0101ro &#x27;plavate,\",\"sindhu\u1e25 p\u0101rer apauru\u1e63a\u1e41\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This verse says that the Jagann\u0101tha M\u016brti has been there from the very conception, from the most ancient time. So every l\u012bl\u0101 of the Lord is eternal. Every part of the infinite is eternal. (Dw\u0101rak\u0101-Sa\u1e41hit\u0101) + (C, v1, #6, Spr. &#x27;94, p 8).\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(8)\",\"adha\u1e25k\u1e5bta\u1e41 atikr\u0101nta\u1e41 ak\u1e63sajam,\",\"indriyaja\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41 yena\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;That Tattva, Supreme Reality, is always existing, keeping our sensual knowledge and experiences forever subordinate.&quot; Some things are finite in their identity - limited identity. You should know these things to be the production of Mah\u0101-m\u0101y\u0101. But the Adhoksaja-Tattva, He is always beyond your grasp, beyond being controlled by nature. He is that Supreme subject known by the devotees as Adhoksaja-Tattva. &quot;Eternally existing, He continues to keep all our limited conceptions and experiences below Him, as sub-standard.&quot; He is eternally everywhere\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"- our Guardian. But, as Unknown and Unknowable by us. That Supreme Reality is only to be known through \u015braddha, faith, proper, pure \u015braddha, pure devotion. (SS, v6, #1, &#x27;92, p 7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(9)\",\"adhok\u1e63ajam indriya\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The superior knowledge which can force down our knowledge of the experience of this world. (TGVODL, p 79)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(10)\",\"aha\u1e41 bhakta-par\u0101rdh\u012bno,\",\"hy asvatantra iva dvija\",\"s\u0101dhubhir grasta-h\u1e5bdayo,\",\"bhaktair bhakta-jana-priya\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord tells Durv\u0101s\u0101: &quot;I am the slave of My devotees; I have no freedom apart from their will. Because they are completely pure and devoted to Me, My heart is controlled by them, and I reside always in their hearts. I am dependent not only on My devotees, but even on the servants of My devotees. Even the servants of My devotees are dear to Me.&quot; (S-B, 9.4.63) We must be prepared for any unfavourable circumstances, but we must not be discouraged. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is most affectionate; His care towards us is most acute and sincere. His affection towards us has no rival. Still, \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu has given us a warning in this verse: &quot;You are coming to search after K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not a sweetball from the market that you can purchase and finish so easily. You are trying to attain the highest of the high, so you must be prepared for anything.&quot; (TGVODL, p 151-2) &quot;Yes, I have freely accepted subjugation to My devotees. I have no independence of My own. The way My devotees treat Me is so wonderful that it makes Me subservient to them.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 57) &quot;I feel My tendency to serve My devotee in such a way that I am not independent; I feel Myself to be under their direction.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 133) I have no possibility of pressing any demand on Him. There is no possibility of placing and application: &quot;Please consider this or that.&quot; But at the same time, we must not forget that He listens only to the words of the devotee who is actually of such a temperament. (aha\u1e41 bhaktapar\u0101rdh\u012bno). This, also, cannot be eliminated. But who is such a bhakta? One who knows the Lord&#x27;s nature in this way - s\/he&#x27;s a devotee. So, to become submissive to him, or her, is in other words to keep one&#x27;s own independence! To be submissive to the surrendered soul amounts to no submission, because it is to submit to a person who is fully His. When He says: &quot;I am subservient - I work under the direction of My devotee,&quot; then who are the devotees? They are those who have surrendered cent-per-cent to His sweet will. Then, in other words, they are as independent as He is. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 160-1) Such is the position of a devotee, a bhakta. He&#x27;s above Brahm\u0101, he&#x27;s above \u015aiva, he&#x27;s above Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a, he&#x27;s above Lak\u1e63m\u012b - he&#x27;s above K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, by the free, sweet will of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. aha\u1e41 bhakta-par\u0101rdh\u012bno. This is running in the current of love, not of justice: through affection. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 95) Apparently Ya\u015bod\u0101 is whipping K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Her position is superior to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is under her control. This is the relative position. But from the absolute position Ya\u015bod\u0101 is none but a servitor of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Yet, by Grace, in the relative position she is superior. The fact is not so different, because the potency is His own. Sometimes He, Himself, is controlled by that fine potency of pleasure. He says in the story of Ambar\u012b\u1e63a, aha\u1e41 bhakta-par\u0101rdh\u012bno, hy asvatantra iva dvija: &quot;I am dependent upon My devotees, as if I have got no independence.&quot; Iva means &#x27;as if.&#x27; That is His posing. Devotion is such. His Potency, peculiar particular Potency, Devotion, is so powerful that sometimes it works beyond His own Will. But that is Devotion to Him. Submission to the master is so intense that the master becomes subservient to the servant - through affection: &quot;At My beck and call he can give his life. So how should I deal with him?&quot; Automatically, the master&#x27;s heart goes to him. That is love, prema. \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b wrote: \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101kar\u1e63i\u1e47\u012b ca s\u0101. The highest and most excellent capacity and qualification of devotion can forcibly draw K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a towards the devotee, though He is absolutely independent. Bhakti, or self-sacrifice to the extreme, sacrifice for serving - loving service - is so powerful that the Lord becomes a friend and in different ways He comes to meet His devotees. asvatantra iva dvija: &quot;Although I am free, I depend on My devotee as though I am not. Sometimes I feel like that.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 184-5) &quot;O My dear br\u0101hma\u1e47a, I am subordinate to My devotee, and therefore I am like one who has no independence. The s\u0101dhu devotees have captured My heart. And not to speak of My devotees, those who are devoted to My devotees are also dear to Me.&quot; The Original Supreme Lord of divine pastimes - the son of the King of Vraja - is by nature submissive to His surrendered souls, by His own sweet will. In the manifestation of the Lord&#x27;s eternal fundamental identity, it is revealed that because love is everything to Him, law is naturally dependent upon and thus subordinate to love, and a br\u0101hma\u1e47a is subordinate to the devotee of the Lord. (SSPJ, p 171) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Absolute but He says: &quot;I am controlled by My devotees, what can I do? I am not independent, I have My partiality. I cannot avoid the request of My devotees, that is My weakness. Those who have left everything and have come to depend on Me, how can I discourage them? How is it possible for Me? Who have left everything for Me and want nothing in return, if anyhow, some request comes from their side, then how can I deny that? Is it possible? aha\u1e41 bhakta-par\u0101rdh\u012bno. &quot;Though I am the Absolute, still of My own accord I have to come to a relative position; a father, a husband, a son. All these relative positions I observe of My own accord although I am the Absolute. My devotees are all depending on Me and so I shall have to look after them. The Absolute does not mean that He is cruel but rather He must be sympathetic, what can I do?&quot; We see the Lord&#x27;s favour to His devotees in the case of Ambar\u012b\u1e63a and Durv\u0101s\u0101. Durv\u0101s\u0101 was a great sage and Ambar\u012b\u1e63a Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was a king. While waiting for Durv\u0101s\u0101 and his followers to return from bathing so that he might honour them by giving them pras\u0101d, Ambar\u012b\u1e63a took a drop of water to observe the end of the Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b fast. Durv\u0101s\u0101 became enraged considering that Ambar\u012b\u1e63a had insulted him by breaking his fast before serving him. Durv\u0101s\u0101 summoned yogic fire to consume Ambar\u012b\u1e63a, but Ambar\u012b\u1e63a remained unharmed. Suddenly the Lord&#x27;s Sudar\u015bana cakra (disc weapon) appeared to punish Durv\u0101s\u0101 for persecuting the innocent Ambar\u012b\u1e63a, and Durv\u0101s\u0101 fled for fear of his life. Finally, finding no escape, Durv\u0101s\u0101 entered Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha and pleaded with N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a to withdraw His weapon. Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a addressed Durv\u0101s\u0101 thus: &quot;You demand that you are a brahmin and demand that you are a sanny\u0101s\u012b, but you fled for fear of your life while Ambar\u012b\u1e63a, he did not even step back when you summoned fire with the intention of burning him. He did not even take one step back, no, he stood firm and with humility, thinking: &quot;If I am a culprit then let the punishment come to me.&quot; He did not falter, but you - when My Sudar\u015bana came to charge you - you were flying from this place to that, to all corners of the world, running for fear of your life. Then who holds the more dignified position, you or Ambar\u012b\u1e63a? You are a brahmin and he is a k\u1e63atriya, but you observed the Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b vrata (vow) and on Dw\u0101da\u015b\u012b at the time of paran (break-fast) you showed respect to the Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b vrata for Me and he also only did that. He showed respect to Me by properly observing the Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b vrata but you thought he had dishonoured you. You are his guest and before feeding you he has taken a drop of water to observe the end of the Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b day and he did it with conscience to Me. You yourself did that vrata and he also did that and only for Me, not for sense gratification. But you could not tolerate, you thought that he had dishonoured you. So you say that you are a brahmin, very near to Me and that he is a k\u1e63atriya, he is far off. He is a g\u1e5bhastha, and you are a sanny\u0101s\u012b, you are nearer to Me; but this is only a fashion because practically Ambar\u012b\u1e63a is nearer to Me. He is not afraid of receiving any punishment and even as we speak he is waiting for you. He is fasting, thinking: &quot;My guest I have not fed. While Durv\u0101s\u0101 is running hither and thither, still unfed, then how can I feed myself?&quot; He is still standing, waiting, and when you return, he will feed you and only then will he take pras\u0101d. What do you say? When My devotees have left everything and have surrendered fully to Me then should I not protect them? A little gratitude I must not have? Or am I a slave to your formality? What do you think Durv\u0101s\u0101? Go to him. You will have to go to him and see how magnanimous he is. Still unfed, standing waiting for you. Go and see?&quot; After hearing this, Durv\u0101s\u0101 returned to Ambar\u012b\u1e63a and was able to appreciate his position. Ambar\u012b\u1e63a came to him with folded hands and like a criminal he began: &quot;Oh what have I done? All these troubles have come to you brahmin, my guest, and only for my fault. I am the culprit, I am offender, please be propitiated by me.&quot; And Durv\u0101s\u0101 fell flat at his feet: &quot;Yes, you are so magnanimous, this is only possible for the devotees of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. You are so great. We boast of our brahminic birth and our yogic attempt, but you, you are really the most magnanimous of all people and we are far below.&quot; And in this way Durv\u0101s\u0101 began: aho ananta-d\u0101s\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 (see \u015bloka 19). In this way Durv\u0101s\u0101 began to preach. Durv\u0101s\u0101 whose very nature is to always find fault in others and give them punishment by his yogic power. That is his nature, but he began to sing the song in praise of the devotees like Ambar\u012b\u1e63a. (C, #4, Winter 92-93, p 11-12)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(11)\",\"aha\u1e41 brahm\u0101smi: &quot;I am Brahman.&quot;\",\"tat tvam asi: &quot;Thou art that.&quot;\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"so&#x27;ham: &quot;I am that.&quot; sarva\u1e41 khalv ida\u1e41 brahma: &quot;Everything is Brahman.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s interpretation of Ved\u0101nta is different from \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya&#x27;s. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya says that we have to accept the Vedic truth in its entirety, without any modification. \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya has accepted only a few Vedic aphorisms which constitute a partial representation of the truth. \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya&#x27;s four principle expressions taken from the Vedas are aha\u1e41 brahm\u0101smi: &quot;I am Brahman;&quot; tat tvam asi: &quot;Thou art that;&quot; so&#x27;ham: &quot;I am that;&quot; and sarva\u1e41 khalv ida\u1e41 brahma: &quot;Everything is Brahman.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya analysed the meaning of the aphorism sarva\u1e41 khalv ida\u1e41 brahma, as follows: According to \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya, everything is one. He says brahma satya\u1e41 jagan mithy\u0101: &quot;Spirit is true, the world is false.&quot; \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya says that brahma (spirit) exists, and that sarva (everything) does not exist. If this is actually true, and everything is one, then why does the question of existence or nonexistence arise at all? In the aphorism sarva\u1e41 khalv ida\u1e41 brahma, sarva - everything - exists, and brahma - spirit - also exists. In this expression, many exist and one also exists. There is many and there is one. Again, if everything is one, then the question arises, &quot;To whom are we speaking? For whom have the Vedas come with this advice?&quot; Both the relative and the absolute exist together; they are coexistent. The absolute and the relative are also represented in the Ved\u0101ntic aphorism tat tvam asi: Thou art that. tat or &quot;that&quot; is there and tvam &quot;you&quot; is also there. Both variety and unity are found represented in the aphorism tat tvam asi, but \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya accepts one and rejects the other. His explanation is therefore a misinterpretation of the original meaning of the Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btras. (SEOC, p 61-62) + (see also \u015bloka 603)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(12)\",\"aham ev\u0101sam ev\u0101gre,\",\"n\u0101nyad yat sad-asat param\",\"pa\u015bc\u0101d aha\u1e41 yad etac ca,\",\"yo &#x27;va\u015bi\u1e63yeta so &#x27;smy aham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Brahm\u0101, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.&quot; (S-B, 2.9.33) + (SGD, GPI, &#x27;91, p 12-13) \u015ar\u012b Hari is the cause of all worlds, gross and subtle. aham ev\u0101sam ev\u0101gre - &quot;Prior to the creation of this universe, only I existed. The gross and the subtle, and even the indefinable nondifferentiated Absolute, Brahman - nothing whatsoever existed separately from Me. After the creation, I exist as the aggregate entity; and after the cataclysm, only I shall remain.&quot; (SSPJ, p 159) \u1e5bte &#x27;rtha\u1e41 yat prat\u012byeta, na prat\u012byeta c\u0101tmani tad vidy\u0101d \u0101tmano m\u0101y\u0101\u1e41, yath\u0101bh\u0101so yath\u0101 tama\u1e25 &quot;O Brahm\u0101, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.&quot; (S-B, 2.9.34) + (SGD, GPI, &#x27;91, p 12-13) + (see also \u015bloka 408) yath\u0101 mah\u0101nti bh\u016bt\u0101ni, bh\u016bte\u1e63\u016bcc\u0101vace\u1e63v anu pravi\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101ny apravi\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101ni, tath\u0101 te\u1e63u na te\u1e63v aham &quot;O Brahm\u0101, please know that the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at the same time do not enter into the cosmos; similarly, I Myself also exist within everything created, and at the same time I am outside of everything.&quot; (S-B, 2.9.35) (SEOC, p 32 + see also \u015bloka 294) + (SGD, GPI, &#x27;91, p 12-13) + (see also \u015bloka 597) et\u0101vad eva jij\u00f1\u0101sya\u1e41, tattva-jij\u00f1\u0101sun\u0101tmana\u1e25 anvaya-vyatirek\u0101bhy\u0101\u1e41, yat sy\u0101t sarvatra sarvad\u0101 &quot;A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, most certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly.&quot; (S-B, 2.9.36) + (SGD, GPI, &#x27;91, p 12-13) + (\u015bloka 149) (The ontological base of the whole \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is contained within these four \u015blokas. (S-B, 2.9.33-36)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(13)\",\"aha\u1e41 hi sarva-yaj\u00f1\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"bhokt\u0101 ca prabhur eva ca\",\"na tu m\u0101m abhij\u0101nanti,\",\"tattven\u0101ta\u015b cyavanti te\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;-Because I alone am the enjoyer and rewarder of all sacrifices. But since they cannot know Me in this way, they again undergo birth, disease, infirmity, and death.&quot; (B-g, 9.24) &quot;I alone am the enjoyer and the Lord of all sacrifices. Those who worship the demigods, considering them to be independent of Me, are known as superficial worshippers (prat\u012bkop\u0101saka). They do not understand My factual position, and thus due to their fallacious worship they deviate from the truth. When they worship as expansions the demigods headed by the Sungod, they may ultimately gain an auspicious result.&quot; (SSPJ, p 144) Sacrifice is not meant for the country, or for the society, or for anything else. Sacrifice is meant only for the Supreme Lord. No one less than He is worthy of sacrifice. So, only by connecting our activities with the infinite can we be freed from the present environment of action and reaction. (TSFSK, p 50) This is the most vital point to establish God as a person. He is the enjoyer. If anything is to be enjoyed, the enjoyer will hold the supreme position. This cannot but be. Everything is meant for His enjoyment. And He is the supreme. &quot;By Himself&quot; means that the absolute is supreme everything is meant for His satisfaction. This is a necessary truth; it is not questionable.&quot; (SEOC, p 85) In \u015ar\u012b G\u012bt\u0101, we find that &#x27;Reality is by Itself and for Itself&#x27;: &quot;I am the Lord and Enjoyer of all sacrifices.&quot; Thus, \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bhara Sw\u0101m\u012bp\u0101da has remarked: &quot;First surrender, then serve.&quot; Otherwise you will try to acquire something, pocket it, and fly away. No. Sign the contract for everything that is given to you, then do the needful service without relying on yourself. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 60) &quot;I am the only enjoyer of all sacrifices, of all movements in this world. I am the only enjoyer, and everything belongs to Me, unconditionally.&quot; God&#x27;s position is such. He is paramount. He is the highest harmonising centre, and we must all submit cent-per-cent to him. Any deviation from that is anartha, &#x27;meaningless,&#x27; it has no meaning. The only real meaning or purpose worthy to be served is in the connection with the universal wave, the universal movement. Anything besides that is anartha - undesirable and unnecessary. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 44)\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Work should be done only as a sacrifice. All other work is mere energising force. And yaj\u00f1o v\u0101i k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (see also \u015bloka 581), aha\u1e41 hi sarva-yaj\u00f1\u0101n\u0101\u1e41, bhokt\u0101 ca prabhur eva ca. The Lord or Guardian says that: &quot;It must be devoted towards Me, to My satisfaction, otherwise it is not yaj\u00f1a.&quot; Sacrifice means that is must be for the Absolute centre, and not for any provincial interest, sectarian purpose or anything else. It must go to the Absolute and then it will be real yaj\u00f1a. (GOD, p 11) We are His property; we are not the owners of any wealth or property. We must think: &quot;My Lord is the possessor and I am in His possession. Everything is His property.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: aha\u1e41 hi sarva-yaj\u00f1\u0101n\u0101\u1e41: &quot;I am the only enjoyer of every action. You must be fully conscious of this fact.&quot; The stern reality is that devotion is not a cheap thing. Pure devotional service, \u015buddha-bhakti, is above mukti, liberation. Above the negative plane of liberation, in the positive side, He is the only master. He is the Lord of everything. He is the Lord of the land of dedication. We must try to obtain a visa to enter there. There, His sweet will is the only law. It is very easy to pronounce the word &#x27;absolute.&#x27; But if we are to enter into the meaning of the word, then it must be recognised that His sweet will is all in all. To get a visa to the world of reality we must recognise this. (LSFTLS, p 14-5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(14)\",\"aha\u1e41 sarvasya prabhavo,\",\"matta\u1e25 sarva\u1e41 pravartate\",\"iti matv\u0101 bhajante m\u0101\u1e41,\",\"budh\u0101 bh\u0101va-samanvit\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I am K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Sweet Absolute, I am the root cause of the all-comprehensive aspect of the Absolute, the all-permeating aspect of the Absolute, and also the personal aspect of the Absolute - the Master of all potencies, who commands the respect of everyone - Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. The universe of mundane and divine flow, every attempt and movement, the Vedas and allied scriptures which guide everyone&#x27;s worship - all are initiated by Me alone. Realising this hidden treasure, the virtuous souls who are blessed with fine theistic intellect surpass the standards of duty and nonduty, and embrace the paramount path of love divine, r\u0101ga-m\u0101rga, and adore Me forever.&quot; (B-g, 10.8) The ultimate sagacity is in R\u0101ga-bhajana, spontaneous devotion (headed by servitude unto \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101), under the impetus of the personal potency of the Original Lord who is beauty&#x27;s own self. &quot;Know Me as the source of everything that be, spiritual or material. Understanding this, the truly intelligent souls give their hearts to Me: they engage in My pure devotional service.&quot; (As soon as persons with the propensity for service in love [bh\u0101va-bhajana] realise the original form of Godhead [svaya\u1e41-r\u016bpa] to be the fountainhead of all currents of worship and devotion, then, in the mellow of divine consorthood [madhura-rasa], they will necessarily feel deep loyalty to follow the impetus of full-blown service, this impetus being the Lord&#x27;s Personal Potency [svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti] or the Female Embodiment of the acme in devotion [mah\u0101bh\u0101vasvar\u016bpa]. In this way, they attain to the servitude of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b [\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101sya]. The purport is that the potency of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is also the Inaugruratress of worship and devotion unto Him, and to engage in pure devotional service always in the shelter of such a conception in pure heart&#x27;s devotion constitutes servitude to the guru for the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, or \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101sya in madhura-rasa.) (SSPJ, p 151-2) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a also says: aha\u1e41 sarvasya prabhavo: &quot;Everything emanates from Me.&quot; And in the Vedas it is said: yato v\u0101 im\u0101ni bh\u016bt\u0101ni j\u0101yante (\u015bloka 603) - &quot;He is the origin of everything in its creation, its maintenance, and its annihilation.&quot; (SEOC, p 74) &quot;I am the origin of everything. Everything emanates from Me (including all conceptions of the Absolute Truth and even My own worship). The wise who know this fully worship Me with bh\u0101va, deep devotional ecstasy.&quot; Here, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: aha\u1e41 sarvasya prabhavo, matta\u1e25 sarva\u1e41 pravartate: &quot;Everything emanates from Me, including all conceptions of the Absolute Truth.&quot; In Bh\u0101gavatam the three main conceptions of the Absolute are given: Brahman, Param\u0101tm\u0101, and Bhagav\u0101n. Brahman means the all-comprehensive aspect of the Absolute. Param\u0101tm\u0101 means the all-permeating aspect of the Absolute, and Bhagav\u0101n means the personal conception of the Absolute. In his Bhakti-Sandarbha, J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given the real meaning of Bhagav\u0101n, the Personality of Godhead. The general meaning of Bhagav\u0101n is &quot;one who commands all sorts of potencies.&quot; All sorts of potencies are controlled by Him personally. That is the conception of Bhagav\u0101n found in N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. But J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given a particularly fine interpretation of Bhagav\u0101n. He says that Bhagav\u0101n means bhajan\u012bya-sarva-sad-gu\u1e47a-vi\u015bi\u1e63\u1e6dha: The nature of Bhagav\u0101n is such that whatever comes in contact with Him feels a natural serving tendency towards His charming personality. He is endowed with such qualities that everyone is drawn to worship Him, to love Him. He attracts the love of everyone. Everyone wants to serve Him - this is Bhagav\u0101n. He is endowed with qualities that attract everyone to serve Him. I have included this special interpretation of J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b in my commentary on the above Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 verse. In the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, three phases of the Absolute Truth have been described (all-comprehensive Brahman, all-pervading Param\u0101tm\u0101, and the all-attractive, Absolute Person, Bhagav\u0101n). I have explained in my commentary that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s statement here (aha\u1e41 sarvasya prabhavo) means: &quot;I am svayam bhagav\u0101n, the Original Personality of Godhead. I am at the root of all these three conceptions of the Absolute. And I am the origin not only of Brahman, the all-comprehensive Absolute, and Param\u0101tm\u0101, the all-permeating Absolute, but also N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the master of all potencies who commands the respect of everyone. I am the origin of all of them. I am svayam bhagav\u0101n.&quot; In this way I have interpreted the meaning of aha\u1e41 sarvasya prabhavo. And in the next line, when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says matta\u1e25 sarva\u1e41 pravartate, here we must concentrate more finely. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says sarva\u1e41 pravartate, &quot;Everything comes from Me.&quot; With this K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is saying: &quot;Even worship of Me comes from Me. I reveal it first. I Myself worship Myself. I do this as guru, as My finer potency. This potency is nothing but Myself. And My finest potency is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Through My potency I worship Myself. Every movement begins from Me; even My own worship, My own service is begun by Me, in My role as guru. I reveal that to the public so that you will properly worship Me. For this reason guru is called Bhagav\u0101n, for he is nondifferent from Me (\u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n).&quot; The finest potency of Bhagav\u0101n is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. So guru in the highest sense, as well as service in the highest sense, is represented in \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Next, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Those who know this will worship Me: iti matv\u0101 bhajante m\u0101\u1e41, Those who understand this conception that R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b serves Him in the highest way, will serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in subjugation to Her. That is r\u0101dh\u0101d\u0101syam, the divine service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. And it is with this understanding that a worshipper will come to worship K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In my interpretation, I have taken it that this is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s intent when He says:iti matv\u0101 bhajante m\u0101\u1e41: &quot;Knowing this, they worship Me.&quot; He means, &quot;Those who know that My worship comes from Me, and that My finest potency worships Me best, will worship Me under the direction of My finest potency.&quot; Here we find the importance of r\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101syam, the service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101, the highest goal of the followers of R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, the r\u016bp\u0101nuga-gau\u1e0d\u012bya-samprad\u0101ya. Here, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is saying, &quot;Knowing that it is My finest potency that worships Me best, one will worship Me under the direction of My first-class worshipper (\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101). With this idea one will always worship Me under the guidance of My finest \u015bakti, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, or Her representation, \u015br\u012b guru-deva. In this way, they will always worship Me under their direction, and never as a direct worshipper.&quot; This is the meaning of iti matv\u0101 bhajante m\u0101\u1e41. Then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says budh\u0101 bh\u0101va-samanvit\u0101\u1e25. Here, budha means those of fine theistic intellect (sumedhasa\u1e25). In Bh\u0101gavatam it is said that those of fine theistic intellect will be able to appreciate this (yajanti hi sumedhasa\u1e25). Fine theistic intelligence is the outcome of good fortune which comes from above (suk\u1e5bti); it is not self-acquired. That fine intellectual inner direction and guidance can only come from the nirgu\u1e47a or transcendental plane. budha here means &quot;One who has a direct connection with the nirgu\u1e47a or transcendental plane.&quot; His intelligence doesn&#x27;t come from this mayic quarter; rather it springs from the spiritual platform. Only such a person can appreciate these subtle points.&quot; (B-g, 10.8) + (SEOC, p 139-142) + (see also \u015bloka 258) (In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, the four principal verses, the ontological substance of the book is contained within Chapter 10, verses 8, 9, 10, 11.) mac-citt\u0101 mad-gata pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101, bodhayanta\u1e25 parasparam kathayanta\u015b ca m\u0101\u1e41 nitya\u1e41, tu\u1e63yanti ca ramanti ca &quot;My devotees mix together, talk about Me, and exchange thoughts that give consolation to their hearts. And they live as if this talk about Me is their food. It gives them a high kind of pleasure, and they find that when they talk about Me among themselves, they feel as if they are enjoying My presence.&quot; (B-g, 10.9) + (\u015bloka 273) te\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 satata-yukt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41, bhajat\u0101\u1e41 pr\u012bti-p\u016brvakam dad\u0101mi buddhi-yoga\u1e41 ta\u1e41, yena m\u0101m upay\u0101nti te &quot;To those devotees who are constantly dedicated to Me, and who engage in My service out of their love for Me, I bestow the internal divine inspiration by which they can approach Me and render various intimate services unto Me.&quot; (B-g, 10.10) (\u015bloka 517) te\u1e63\u0101m ev\u0101nukamp\u0101rtham, aham aj\u00f1\u0101na-ja\u1e41 tama\u1e25 n\u0101\u015bay\u0101my \u0101tma-bh\u0101va-stho, j\u00f1\u0101na-d\u012bpena bh\u0101svat\u0101 &quot;Out of compassion for them, I, situated within the hearts of all living beings, dispel the darkness of ignorance with the radiance of knowledge.&quot; (B-g, 10.11) + (\u015bloka 516)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(15)\",\"aham vedmi \u015buko vetti,\",\"vy\u0101so vetti na vetti v\u0101\",\"bhakty\u0101 bh\u0101gavata\u1e41 gr\u0101hya\u1e41\",\"na buddhy\u0101 na ca \u1e6d\u012bkay\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Lord \u015aiva says: &quot;I know the true purpose of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam; \u015aukadeva, the son and disciple of Vy\u0101sadeva, knows it thoroughly, and the author of the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva may or may not know the meaning. The real purpose of the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is very difficult to conceive and can only be known through bhakti.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 24.313) \u015ar\u012bdhara Sw\u0101m\u012b wrote a commentary on the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam. It was a little different from the previous commentaries, so the scholars, especially the \u015aa\u1e45karites, refused to accept that commentary as universal. They put it to the test. They left the commentary in the temple of Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha, Lord \u015aiva, and agreed that if He accepted the commentary, they would all accept. Then, from the \u015aiva temple, this verse was revealed. aham vedmi \u015buko vetti, vy\u0101so vetti na vetti v\u0101 - The real purpose of the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is very difficult to conceive, Lord \u015aiva says: &quot;I know the true purpose of Bh\u0101gavatam; \u015aukadeva, the son and disciple of Vy\u0101sadeva, knows it thoroughly, and the author of the Bh\u0101gavatam, \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva may or may not know the meaning.&quot; When teaching San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b, Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;San\u0101tana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is going to give His kindness to you through Me. I am talking to you like a madman. I feel many things are passing through Me to you. But I do not know that I Myself have that thing.&quot; It is possible. It is wonderful, but still we find it there. It is not unreasonable, although it is not understandable. When the second World War broke out, in Dalhousie Square in Calcutta, there was a popular government poster. A military uniform was painted on the wall. Beneath it was a saying: &quot;Just wear this uniform, and the uniform will show you what you must do.&quot; So, when a sincere man has taken a particular charge, he will somehow find out what are the duties of his post. He is sincere. And God will help. God helps those who help themselves. You have taken the charge, and that charge has come not only as a chance, but there is some underground link. Then if you try to go on, help will come to you. He&#x27;s not a cheat. You have sincerely taken this responsibility, as given to you by your master, and the master is not a cheat. He will come to help you with all His might, saying: &quot;Do this. I&#x27;m helping; I am at your back.&quot; When we are sincere, things will happen like this. (SGAHG, p 83-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(16)\",\"ahast\u0101ni sahast\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"apad\u0101ni catu\u1e63pad\u0101m\",\"laghuni tatra mahat\u0101\u1e41,\",\"j\u012bvo j\u012bvasya j\u012bvanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.&quot; (S-B, 1.13.47) First of all we are to understand that there are three planes of life: the plane of mundane enjoyment, the plane of renunciation, and the plane of dedication. The plane of enjoyment is where we are at present, more or less. Mundane enjoyment means exploitation; and without exploitation, none can exist in this plane. ahast\u0101ni sahast\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 - &quot;Those that have hands live on those who have no hands. Four-footed animals live on grass, creepers, etc., and the big live on the small.&quot; Everything is full of life: creepers, grass, and trees also have life, but without exploitation none can maintain their body here. This is the plane of exploitation, and, as Newton&#x27;s third law says, to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. By exploitation one takes a loan, and to clear that loan he will have to go down. In this way, there are so many j\u012bvas (souls) going up and down, up and down due to action and reaction in the plane of exploitation. Society is trying to exploit to the utmost; everywhere there is the attempt to live at the cost of others. Without it life is impossible in this area because this is the plane of exploitation. (HC, p 1)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(17)\",\"aher iva gati\u1e25 prem\u1e47a\u1e25,\",\"svabh\u0101va-ku\u1e6dil\u0101 bhavet\",\"ato hetor aheto\u015b ca,\",\"y\u016bnor m\u0101na uda\u00f1cati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Just as a serpent naturally moves in a crooked way, in a zigzag way, the nature of love is naturally crooked. It is not straight. So the concerned parties quarrel, sometimes with cause and sometimes without cause, and separation comes. Separation is necessary for the transcendental pastimes of R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (U-N) An example of acintya-bhed\u0101bheda-tattva is found in the way K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a deals with His devotees. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself is independent of everything. Still, sometimes He shows Himself to be completely subordinate to His servants and must do whatever they want Him to do. Then again, sometimes He completely ignores them. These are the spontaneous pastimes of the Sweet Absolute. Sometimes He shows absolute submission to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and again, sometimes He ignores Her. This is the very nature of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s l\u012bl\u0101. R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has supplied this verse from his Ujjvala-n\u012blama\u1e47i as the basis of the proper understanding of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101. When we think about the pastimes of the Absolute, we, the finite, will have to wear this armour: aher iva gati\u1e25 prem\u1e47a\u1e25, svabh\u0101va-ku\u1e6dil\u0101 bhavet. We must understand that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pastimes are naturally crooked, just like the movement of a snake. A snake cannot move in a straight line; it moves in a zigzag way. The waves that flow from the Absolute move in the same way. That characteristic of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 is always maintained above everything else. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can never be ruled by any law. With this initial consideration we should approach any study of the Absolute. He is absolute, and we are infinitesimal. He is adhok\u1e63aja, transcendental, beyond the world of our experience. (LSFTLS, p 43) &quot;The nature of Love is curved like a snake; therefore two kinds of quarrelsome pride arise between Lover and Beloved: justified and groundless.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.110) \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b gives this example. By nature, the serpent goes by a zigzag or curved movement. So, in the land of Prema (Divine Love), m\u0101na, abhim\u0101na (lover&#x27;s quarrel, ego) and so on, are all in the nature of dealings there, but not out of necessity or want. That is the way of Vil\u0101sa, or Pastimes. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 13-4) When there is a competitive spirit between two persons who are doing the same thing, there will still be humility there if it is really Service, because its object is the Centre. The devotee feels inspiration and direction from there, and co-operates accordingly. He is connected with the Absolute Centre, so competition may be arranged by Yogam\u0101y\u0101. The devotee is not responsible because their necessity is only for the Centre. As we discussed, the Absolute is designed that way, but not out of necessity. aher iva gati\u1e25 prem\u1e47a\u1e25, svabh\u0101va-ku\u1e6dil\u0101 bhavet: It seems to be crooked, but it is not; it is the very nature of absolute dealings. It is necessary only for the variegatedness of the Service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. It is designed from the upper quarter. The devotees are not responsible for that. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 42-3) Fire and heat cannot be separated; sun and light cannot exist separately. They are one and the same. The Absolute Truth is one absolute substance (advaya-j\u00f1\u0101na), but sometimes R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda show Themselves as divided and again They are united. When They are together, They are enjoying each other, and sometimes they experience painful separation without the possibility of union. That is Their divine nature. R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b explains that just as a serpent naturally moves in a crooked way, in a zigzag way, the nature of love is naturally crooked. It is not straight. So the concerned parties quarrel, sometimes with cause and sometimes without cause, and separation comes. Separation is necessary for the pastimes of R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (TGVODL, p 68-9) In Hegel&#x27;s philosophy, truth progresses through thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. The truth moves in a crooked way. In the philosophy of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, the word vil\u0101sa means &quot;playful movement.&quot; You may take it to mean that the Absolute is absorbed in play. And that is expressed through crookedness. aher iva gati\u1e25 prem\u1e47a\u1e25, svabh\u0101va-ku\u1e6dil\u0101 bhavet: A serpent moves in a crooked way; similarly, the movements of the Absolute are not straight, but crooked. vil\u0101sa, or the conception of l\u012bl\u0101 - the divine pastimes of the Lord - is something like that. This is similar to Hegel&#x27;s opinion in which the truth develops in a crooked way through thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. There is thesis, then its opposite, and then again they unify and create a new thesis. Then again antithesis, and again a greater harmony in synthesis. In this way truth is dynamic; it develops and makes progress. (SEOC, p 87-88)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(18)\",\"ahi\u1e41s\u0101 satyam akrodhas,\",\"ty\u0101ga\u1e25 \u015b\u0101ntir apai\u015bunam\",\"day\u0101 bh\u016bte\u1e63v aloluptva\u1e41,\",\"m\u0101rdava\u1e41 hr\u012br ac\u0101palam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Supreme Lord said: &quot;O Bh\u0101rata, all these qualities appear in a man endowed with a virtuous and godly nature - fearlessness, gracious-heartedness, absorption in self-knowledge, charity, control of the external senses, sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity, sincerity, nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, detachment from the mundane, tranquility, disinclination to see others&#x27; faults, compassion for others, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, steadfastness, vigour, forgiveness, patience, cleanliness, non-enviousness, and freedom from egotism.&quot; (B-g, 16.1-3) (SS, v4, #1, &#x27;86, p 6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(19)\",\"aho ananta-d\u0101s\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"mahattva\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dam adya me\",\"k\u1e5bt\u0101gaso &#x27;pi yad r\u0101jan,\",\"mangal\u0101ni sam\u012bhase\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I have seen the greatness of the servitors of the Anantadev, \u015ar\u012b N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. You are so magnanimous that although I am an offender you have prayed for me. You hold an unparalleled position in the whole universe.&quot; (S-B, 9.5.14) (C, #4, Win. &#x27;92 \/ 93, p 12 - see \u015bloka 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(20)\",\"aho bak\u012b ya\u1e41 stana-k\u0101la-k\u016b\u1e6da\u1e41,\",\"jigh\u0101\u1e41say\u0101p\u0101yayad apy as\u0101dhv\u012b\",\"lebhe gati\u1e41 dh\u0101try-ucit\u0101\u1e41 tato &#x27;nya\u1e41,\",\"ka\u1e41 v\u0101 day\u0101lu\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 vrajema\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;How astonishing! When P\u016btan\u0101, the wicked sister of Bak\u0101sura, tried to kill child K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a by offering Him deadly poison on her breasts, she reached a position befitting the Lord&#x27;s nursemaid. Could I ever have as merciful a shelter as that of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?&quot; (S-B, 3.2.23 Uddhava) + (SSPJ, p 83) &quot;Oh, how amazing it is! The sister of Bak\u0101sura (P\u016btan\u0101), desiring to kill \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, smeared poison on her breasts and forced K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to drink their milk. Even so, Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a accepted her as His mother, and so she reached the destination suitable for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s mother. Of whom should I take shelter but the most merciful K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?&quot; (SGAHG, p 137) &quot;Who else but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should we approach? Who can be so kind, so gracious? There is limitless Grace in Him. Why? Bak\u012b - P\u016btan\u0101, came to kill Him in a treacherous way, taking the garb of dh\u0101tr\u012b, a motherly garb. In this way she came to try and kill Him; yet K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a gave her a position as a nursemaid in His group of assisting mothers. So gracious is the Lord. Who else can we approach for our good?&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 109) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.98) Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita heard this \u015bloka chanted by Mukunda Datta in a very sweet tone, and saw that it created a wonderful effect in Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi when they visited him. In Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101, Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita is the Representation of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b Herself. At that time, Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita was a young boy. He was younger than Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita. Mukunda Datta was a follower and admirer of Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita. Before anyone knew that Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka had come from Cha\u1e6d\u1e6dagr\u0101m to Navadw\u012bpa, and even before Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita had met him, Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita was seen to suddenly cry: &quot;B\u0101p Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka! B\u0101p Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka!&quot; In the mood of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, Nim\u0101i was taking his name. B\u0101p means &#x27;father.&#x27; So He was calling: &quot;Father! Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka! Father! Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka! Where are you?&quot; Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi, in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 is V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu Mah\u0101r\u0101ja of Vars\u0101n\u0101, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the father of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi was born in a br\u0101hma\u1e47a family at Cha\u1e6d\u1e6dagr\u0101m, and he bore the title &#x27;Vidy\u0101nidhi&#x27; on account of his scholarship. Mukunda Datta and Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi came from the same village of Cha\u1e6d\u1e6dagr\u0101m, and knew each other. He knew Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi to be a man of higher religious type, that is, a Bh\u0101gavata type or K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakta. But outwardly Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi lived the life of luxury. So Mukunda Datta went to Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita and asked him: &quot;Would like to have the dar\u015bana of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava?&quot; From childhood Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita was very fond of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-N\u0101ma. He had much fondness for Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, when the Lord returned from Gay\u0101. Previously he was very much afraid of Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, because whenever They met, Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita would always tackle him with some apparent quarrel about etymology or something of that nature. So, after returning from Gay\u0101, when \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva expressed His Devotional Aspect, He said one day: &quot;Gad\u0101dhara, from your very childhood you are a devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and My days have been wasted discussing grammar and mundane literature. But you, Gad\u0101dhara, My friend - your life is very successful. You have fulfilment of life. From the beginning you are fond of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-N\u0101ma.&quot; Therefore, when Mukunda Datta him: &quot;Would like to see a real Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava who has come from afar?&quot; Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita replied: &quot;Yes, yes, I shall go; take me there. I am always eager to have the dar\u015bana of a real Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava.&quot; Then Gad\u0101dhara followed Mukunda to see Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi, and was dumbfounded by what he saw. Apparently Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi was a man of luxurious habits, and a well-todo man, a general z\u0101mind\u0101r (state landowner). He was sitting on a luxurious bedstead, smoking an ornate and valuable pipe decorated with a golden thread and the whole room filled with a sweet scent. He was an aristocrat with beautiful oiled curly scented hair, stylish, princely dress, and many valuable pastes were anointed on his body. Two attendants fanned him on either side. Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita thought: &quot;Mukunda has brought me to this luxury-loving man sitting on the bedstead and smoking? What type of Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava has he brought me to see?&quot; He was disappointed at heart. Mukunda Datta could understand Gad\u0101dhara&#x27;s heart, and as he was a good singer, he began to sing this verse from \u015a-Bh\u0101gavatam, (3.2.23) &amp; (Caitanya-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.98): aho bak\u012b ya\u1e41 stana-k\u0101la-k\u016b\u1e6da\u1e41, jigh\u0101\u1e41say\u0101p\u0101yayad apy as\u0101dhv\u012b. Upon hearing this \u015bloka chanted in such a sweet tone, it created a wonderful effect in Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi&#x27;s heart and began to vibrate, and produced such force that he was stunned and his movements stopped. He became very serious and the whole atmosphere was changed. Then some shivering was apparent in his body and he began madly gesticulating. He began to throw his hands and feet left and right. He cast his smoking pipe aside and began to roll on his bed, tearing off his silk clothing and the silk sheets, and pulling out his beautifully curled and decorated hair. His rich bedding and dress were ruined, and he began to roll on the ground and cry, ka\u1e41 v\u0101 day\u0101lu\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 vrajema &quot;Of whom should I take shelter but the most magnanimous Lord? Where should I take refuge without such a Lord?&quot; With this on his lips he was rolling on the floor in ecstasy, and after a long time, he gradually subsided. Gad\u0101dhara thought to himself: &quot;What did I think about this great personality? He has so much love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a within. Although externally he appears as an ordinary man, a slave of luxury, internally he is a great devotee. What intense love he has for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, what a wonderful effect the memory of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a caused in him!&quot; Then he thought: &quot;I have committed Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava apar\u0101dha, an offence to a great devotee. How can I free myself?&quot; Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita then revealed his mind. &quot;Mukunda, I have committed offence against this great Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. What will be my fate? When I first saw him, I shunned him; I committed offence. I have not yet taken initiation from any Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, so if I took mantra from Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka - became his disciple - then he may forgive all my offences. There is no other way to be absolved from this Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava apar\u0101dha. I shall have to inform my Lord Gauracandra, Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, about this.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"So, they left the place of Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi, and Gad\u0101dhara went to take Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita&#x27;s permission, to get His consent, to become the disciple of Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi. When Gad\u0101dhara made his proposal to Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, the Lord immediately replied: &quot;Yes, very good proposal. Go and accept him at once.&quot; Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita represents R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101, and Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s father in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101: the guru is like the father, and the disciple is like the child. So Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita at once approved and Gad\u0101dhara took initiation from Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(21)\",\"\u0101hu\u015b ca te nalina-n\u0101bha pad\u0101ravinda\u1e41\",\"yoge\u015bvarair h\u1e5bdi vicintyam ag\u0101dha-bodhai\u1e25\",\"sa\u1e41s\u0101ra-k\u016bpa-patitottara\u1e47\u0101valamba\u1e41\",\"geha\u1e41 ju\u1e63\u0101m api manasy udiy\u0101t sad\u0101 na\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The gop\u012bs spoke thus: &#x27;Dear Lord, whose navel is just like a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who have fallen into the deep well of material existence. Your feet are worshipped and meditated upon by great mystic yog\u012bs and highly learned philosophers. We wish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, although we are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs.&#x27;&quot; (S-B, 10.82.49) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 13.136) Like persons attached to hearth and home, even the gop\u012bs, the damsels beloved of Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, humbly petition the Lord in His separation - &quot;O lotus-navelled one, Your lotus feet, eternally held as the object of meditation within the hearts of the greatest yog\u012bs of profound intellect, are the only resort for delivering those souls fallen into the well of material life. May those holy lotus feet graciously appear within the hearts of we ordinary household ladies.&quot; (SSPJ, p 136) The group of gop\u012bs told K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;O You who have a lotus navel, we know that the great master yog\u012bs who have nothing to do with this mundane world try to meditate upon Your holy lotus feet. Their interest is in higher realisation in the conscious world. They are said to centre their highest attention on Your lotus feet. And those who are busy elevating their lives in this world of exploitation are also busy worshipping Your lotus feet to escape the entanglement of action and reaction. The centre of interest for the elevationists (karm\u012bs) and the salvationists (j\u00f1\u0101n\u012bs and yog\u012bs) is Your lotus feet. And what are we? We are simple people from the country with cows as our wealth. We are animal traders who live in the country, trade in the cow business, and sell curd and milk on the outskirts of society. We are neither scientific exploiters (karm\u012bs), nor are we the kind of exploiters who do research in the world of consciousness. We know only family life. We have no other qualifications. We are busy with our family life in the lower section of society. But in our audacity, we pray that if at any time You would kindly condescend to extend Your lotus feet to our negligible hearts, we would think ourselves blessed. We are busy with family matters. We do not know scriptural life or the methods of the salvationists. We know nothing of yoga, j\u00f1\u0101na, Ved\u0101nta or the Vedas. Our ultimate concern is neither with scriptures or moral standards. We hold a negligible position in society and simply pray that in the midst of our family life we may remember Your holy lotus feet. Please grant this to us. We can&#x27;t expect anything more from You.&quot; That was their petition.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a replied to them, saying: mayi bhaktir hi bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m, am\u1e5btatv\u0101ya kalpate di\u1e63ty\u0101 yad \u0101s\u012bn mat sneho, bhavat\u012bn\u0101\u1e41 mad-\u0101pana\u1e25 &quot;Yes I know. People want devotion to Me to achieve eternal life. To cross the limit of mortality and to have eternal life, they come to Me and worship Me. For these reasons they want My service, but fortunately for you, you have some natural affection towards Me. That will ultimately bring you to Me.&quot; (\u015bloka 295) That is the formal or superficial meaning of what was spoken by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the gop\u012bs. But the great preceptors of our line have squeezed out another meaning from these prayers. They are conscious of the real, private relationship between the two parties, so they have drawn out another meaning based on the divine sentiment between the lover and beloved. When the gop\u012bs prayed to \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a at Kuruk\u1e63etra, their real meaning was this: &quot;Oh, we remember that one day You sent Uddhava to console us. He recited many scriptural references about how the world is mortal, how it is nothing, how we shall all have to die - affection has no great value; attachment must be cut out. He said that we must try to liberate ourselves from any attraction for the environment and attain salvation. You wanted to tell all these apparently sweet things to us through Uddhava. Now, You Yourself are also showing us the same path. You say that You are great and that everyone should try, for their highest interest, to think of You.&quot; This explanation is found in Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta. The gop\u012bs tell K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;Do You think we are yog\u012bs who will be satisfied with abstract meditation on You? Can we be satisfied by imagination? We are not a party to that. Neither are we karm\u012bs, fruitive workers who are incurring a great debt from nature, who come to Your door to get relief, praying, &#x27;O God, please relieve us from all our previous sins.&#x27; We do not belong to either of these two sections. &quot;What are we? We want to live with You as Your family. We are interested neither in abstract thinking, nor in using You to clear off the faults of karma to nullify our sinful activities. We don&#x27;t want to use You for any other purpose. We want to have a direct family life with You. Don&#x27;t You know that? And still You send messages through Uddhava, and now this! Aren&#x27;t You ashamed of Yourself?&quot; That is their inner meaning. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s answer also has an inner aspect. He replies: &quot;You know everyone wants Me. Through devotion they want Me to help them attain the highest position in the world of eternal benefit. If they have a connection with Me, they consider themselves fortunate. But on the other hand, I consider Myself fortunate because I have come in touch with the valuable affection that I found in your hearts.&quot; The gop\u012bs read the inner meaning in that way. And when R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b could see into the inner meaning of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s reply, She became satisfied. &quot;Wherever He may be in the physical sense, at heart, He is Mine alone.&quot; She composed Her troubles within and returned to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana thinking: &quot;He cannot but come to join our party again very soon.&quot; In Pady\u0101val\u012b, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b reveals the inner meaning of this verse. When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a came to the camp of the gop\u012bs in Kuruk\u1e63etra, He suddenly found \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b and stooped down as if to touch Her feet. R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b began backing away, saying: &quot;What are You doing! You are trying to touch My feet?&quot; She shuddered: &quot;You have done nothing wrong. You are My master. You are at liberty to do whatever You want. I am Your maidservant and should try with every nerve to satisfy You. You have committed no crime. I am the criminal. How? I still drag on My body and life. This is My crime - I could not die from Your separation! Still, I show My face to the public - I am not worth Your divine affection. The whole burden of breaking the law of love is on My head.&quot; In this way \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b spoke. (TGVODL, p 164-8) (see \u015bloka 324)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(22)\",\"\u0101j\u00f1ajaiva gu\u1e47\u0101n do\u1e63\u0101n,\",\"may\u0101di\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101n api svak\u0101n\",\"dharmm\u0101n sa\u1e41tyajya ya\u1e25 sarvv\u0101n,\",\"my\u0101\u1e41 bhajet sa ca sattama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In the scriptures of religion, I, the Supreme Lord, have instructed men of all statuses of life in their duties. Duly comprehending the purificatory virtue of executing those prescribed duties as well as the vice of neglecting them, one who abandons all allegiance to such dutifulness in order to engage in My devotional service is the best of honest men (s\u0101dhu).&quot; (S-B, 11.11.32) One must worship Lord Hari, even if it is necessary to abandon scripturally enjoined prescribed duties to do so. (SSPJ, p 167) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is there. He says that He has not finished Himself in His own \u015b\u0101stras. &quot;What I have given in the \u015b\u0101stras, you must do that, but one who crosses that to come to Me is My higher servitor.&quot; So, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is living and He is above all. A transaction, a trade may be made by cash or a loan. Whether trading, or purchasing with cash, or purchasing with a loan, He is there, He is master, He is autocrat. His dealings should not be limited even by the scriptures. He says: &quot;Even crossing the scriptures I exist, even though those directions are given by Me.&quot; So, directions are of different classes. And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Sometimes it will be necessary to show devotion to Me, even crossing My own laws.&quot; We must also consider the realisations of higher devotees. So many things are there, but the main thing is faithfulness. Die to live, for the cause. (SGD, GP, &#x27;94, p 12-13) Sometimes it may be necessary to show even greater loyalty to the king by crossing over his laws. (In society, one must obey the law, but there is also the situation of crossing law to show faithfulness to the king. If one risks his life and reputation, and crossing the general law, enters into the royal chamber to combat an assassin, then he will be considered the best and most loyal servitor). So here God is above law. Considering the nature of divinity, we must conclude that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is above law. Law is for us, but it&#x27;s not be applied in His case. One who has actually come in connection with the Absolute, cannot but ignore the laws meant for ordinary people. Of course, this means in a higher sense. It is not that devotees shall not observe the ordinary laws governing society in the name of devotion. But in the higher sense we have to understand that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is all in all. He is the creator of law and He Himself sometimes breaks the law and especially likes those who are ready to break the law for Him. They are His favourite who are ready to take risks for His service, who are ready to bear the consequence of breaking the law. (SEOC, p 134) - For example when one puts their feet upon the altar when dressing the Deities. Or the gop\u012bs offering their foot-dust as &#x27;medicine&#x27; for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s headache. (see \u015bloka 434)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(23)\",\"ajo &#x27;pi sann avyay\u0101tm\u0101,\",\"bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m \u012b\u015bvaro &#x27;pi san\",\"prak\u1e5bti\u1e41 sv\u0101m adhi\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101ya,\",\"sambhav\u0101my \u0101tma-m\u0101yay\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Although My eternal form is transcendental to birth and death, and I am the controller of all beings, I appear within the world in My original form, by My own sweet will, extending My internal potency of yoga-m\u0101y\u0101.&quot; (B-g, 4.6) We cannot produce the vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha-n\u0101ma, real name. Our sound of our production, physical or mental production, that is not He. He is separate, and He can come everywhere, in any form, in any plane, controlling them. prak\u1e5bti\u1e41 sv\u0101m adhi\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101ya, sambhav\u0101my \u0101tma-m\u0101yay\u0101. &quot;When I come here, by the force of My internal potency, I remove this external potency&#x27;s influence, and appear anywhere and everywhere. The external energy is forced back.&quot; When the plane is flying over in the sky, it removes the air, wind, and forcibly passes. So, by removing this influence of the material things, He has to come with His own force here, to appear. &quot;I have got my own potency, and by the power of that potency, I remove this gross potency here, and live and move here, and act here.&quot; The law of this nature cannot apply to Him. He has got special power, with the help of that he subdues the law of this nature, and He comes here and there. (SVT, v2, #1, J-F 93, p 18)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(24)\",\"aki\u00f1canasya d\u0101ntasya\",\"\u015b\u0101ntasya sama-cetasa\u1e25\",\"may\u0101 santu\u1e63\u1e6da-manasa\u1e25\",\"sarv\u0101\u1e25 sukha-may\u0101 di\u015ba\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One who does not desire anything within this world, who has achieved peace by controlling his senses, whose consciousness is equal in all conditions and whose mind is completely satisfied in Me finds only happiness wherever he goes.&quot; (S-B, 11.14.13) When he was captured by dacoits and taken to the Deity of K\u0101l\u012b to be sacrificed, his angle of vision was so spacious that he did not care for anything. He thought: &quot;Whatever is happening is the Lord&#x27;s will. He is the proprietor and witness of all, and I have nothing to do with the outcome.&quot; With this idea, wherever he was taken, he went without resistance. Although he was about to be sacrificed, he was unconcerned. He thought: &quot;I am in a friendly circle. There is no danger.&quot; He was in such a plane of consciousness that no apprehension, no danger, could affect him; he thought: &quot;I am under K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s care.&quot; And so it is proved by Ja\u1e0da Bharata&#x27;s practical example that this angle of vision is not simply philosophy or imagination. It is reality. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s divine will is in the background of everything that exists. And when one comes in connection with that paramount power, that original plane of reality, he will not have any care; he will become fearless. may\u0101 santu\u1e63\u1e6da-manasa\u1e25 sarv\u0101\u1e25 sukha-may\u0101 di\u015ba\u1e25.&quot; (SEOC, p 72) When I am in a normal state, I will be able to feel that so many sweet waves are coming from all around me. may\u0101 santu\u1e63\u1e6da-manasa\u1e25 sarv\u0101\u1e25 sukha-may\u0101 di\u015ba\u1e25. &quot;For one who is satisfied in Me, then all the four directions will bring only good news to him.&quot; All waves will carry only welfare to the person who is satisfied with God alone. &quot;I want God, His interests are my interests. He is the loving father, guardian, and friend of everyone.&quot; Presently we are distracted with many different interests, but if we can put God&#x27;s interest in the centre, then we shall be able to read that from all directions only good news is coming to me nothing bad or unfavourable. All favourable news will come to me if I can be on that plane, if my ego can take a stand there. In that universal wave, every vibration will carry only favourable news to me. may\u0101 santu\u1e63\u1e6da-manasa\u1e25, &quot;He who is satisfied with Me alone, sarv\u0101\u1e25 sukha-may\u0101 di\u015ba\u1e25, he will see that all directions are only carrying happy news to him, cent-per-cent good news.&quot; (C, #1, Spr. &#x27;91, p 5) + (see \u015bloka 445)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(25)\",\"\u0101lola-candraka-lasad-vanam\u0101lya-va\u1e41\u015b\u012bratn\u0101\u1e45gada\u1e41 pra\u1e47aya-keli-kal\u0101-vil\u0101sam\",\"\u015by\u0101ma\u1e41 tri-bha\u1e45ga-lalita\u1e41 niyata-prak\u0101\u015ba\u1e41\",\"govindam \u0101di-puru\u1e63a\u1e41 tam aha\u1e41 bhaj\u0101mi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Around His neck is a garland of forest-flowers swinging to and fro, and adorned with a peacock feather locket; His flute held in hands adorned with jewelled bracelets, He who eternally revels in Pastimes of Love, whose charming threefold curved Form, \u015ay\u0101masundara, is His Eternal Feature - that Primeval Lord Govinda do I adore.&quot; (B-S, 31) &quot;I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jewelled ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose graceful three fold bending form of \u015ay\u0101masundara is eternally manifest.&quot; (SBRBM, p 25)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(26)\",\"alpavidy\u0101 bhaya\u1e41kor\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"There is a saying in Bengali - alpavidy\u0101 bhaya\u1e41kor\u012b - &quot;A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.&quot; We must be careful about that, otherwise our attitude will be suicidal. The question of offence arises whenever primary education stands against higher education. That sort of assertion is offensive. Slow and steady wins the race. Our march towards the Infinite is a long journey, not a journey to be finished within a few hours, a few days, or a few years. And we have to adjust accordingly. It is not that we shall run quickly to make progress and then stop and sleep. It is a long way we shall have to go. We will only be successful if we develop humility. (LSFTLS, p 32) (see also \u015bloka 522)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(27)\",\"am\u0101ra bhakta-p\u016bj\u0101, am\u0101 haite bh\u0101la\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Worship of the devotees is the best kind of worship. (Vedas) + (S-B, 11.19.21) + (C-Bhag) + (SP) \u0101dara\u1e25 paricary\u0101y\u0101\u1e41, sarv\u0101\u1e45gair abhivandanam mad-bhakta-p\u016bj\u0101bhyadhik\u0101, sarva-bh\u016bte\u1e63u man-mati\u1e25 K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a said: &quot;My devotees take great care and respect in rendering Me service, offering obeisances with all their bodily limbs, and - above all - worshipping My devotees. They see all living entities as related to Me.&quot; (S-B. 11.19.21) Similarly, in the \u015aiva-Pur\u0101\u1e47a, it is stated that the best mode of worship is to offer oblations to Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, but better than that is to worship the devotees of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So, bhakta-p\u016bj\u0101, worship of the devotees, is the best kind of worship. This statement is confirmed in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, in the Vedas and by V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura in the Caitanya Bh\u0101gavata, am\u0101ra bhakta-p\u016bj\u0101, am\u0101 haite bala. Bhakta- p\u016bj\u0101, worship of the devotees, is advocated everywhere. At the same time, we should try to understand who is a devotee. That is also to be ascertained. What is the sign of a real devotee? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Those who say they are directly devoted to Me are not devotees proper; those who are devotees of My devotees are My real devotees.&quot; We should try to follow the principle of this saying. This is not a perverted remark, but there is some genuine reality in it. If we look for its inner meaning, we will reach the conclusion our guru mah\u0101r\u0101ja (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) has announced. He said: &quot;We are \u015buddha \u015bakta, worshippers of the pure potency, not the mundane potency.&quot; We worship the potency who is wholesale dedicated to the potent without retaining Her individual independence as a separate entity at all, who is cent per cent dependent on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Such a potency as this is very, very rarely to be conceived. The direct approach to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is improper. One must approach Him through the proper channel, through the devotees. That is the real approach. (SGAHG, p 124-5) + (see also \u015bloka 607)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(28)\",\"\u0101mi - eka b\u0101tula, tumi - dvit\u012bya b\u0101tula\",\"ataeva tom\u0101ya \u0101m\u0101ya ha-i sama-tula\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;I am insane, mad, b\u0101ula - p\u0101gala - eccentric. I am one eccentric, and you are another. Therefore, we two are of the same class.&quot; So, He told to R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya. It is not to be expressed outside - not to be divulged. Still, the b\u0101ulas, the eccentrics - so called, they cannot check their ecstasy. They express it anyway. (Cc, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.291) + (SS, v4, #1, &#x27;86, p2) (see also \u015blokas 212 &amp; 606)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(29)\",\"\u0101mn\u0101ya\u1e25 pr\u0101ha tattva\u1e41 harim iha parama\u1e41 sarva-\u015baktim ras\u0101bdhi\u1e41\",\"tad bhinn\u0101m\u015b\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca j\u012bv\u0101n prak\u1e5bti-kavalit\u0101n tad vimukt\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca bh\u0101vat\",\"bhed\u0101bheda-prak\u0101\u015ba\u1e41 sakalam api hare\u1e25 s\u0101dhana\u1e41 \u015buddha-bhakti\u1e41\",\"s\u0101dhya\u1e41 tat pr\u012btim evety upadi\u015bati harir-gauracandro bhaje tam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"(1) - The Vedic scriptures received through the authorised disciplic succession of bona fide spiritual masters state that: (2) - \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Supreme Absolute Truth. (3) - He is the source of all energies. (4) - He is the ocean of all transcendental mellows. (5) - The living entities are His separated parts and parcels. (6) - Due to forgetfulness of their constitutional position, the living entities are illusioned. (7) - By awakening their transcendental ecstatic affection and attraction for the Lord, all living souls can be liberated from illusion. (8) - All things are one with and different from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; this oneness and difference is acintya or inconceivable. (9) - Pure devotional service (\u015buddha-bhakti) is the only means to attain the supreme goal. (10) - The supreme goal is divine love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (Da\u015ba-m\u016bla \u015bloka, The ten essential principles of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism) The above truths were taught by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. May He be worshipped by all.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Here, in one verse, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has given the very gist of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava philosophy. He says: &quot;We are not interested in the opinion of anyone ordinary: there is no value to any opinion other than what is revealed truth (\u0101mn\u0101ya).&quot; \u0101mn\u0101ya means revealed truth or scripture that is coming through a reliable source: the guru-parampar\u0101, a genuine succession of gurus. And what do they say? They enumerate these facts: Hari is all in all (harim iha parama\u1e41). What is His nature? He is the master of all potencies (sarva-\u015baktim). And He Himself is the ocean of rasa, ecstasy (ras\u0101bdhi\u1e41). And the j\u012bva soul is not a direct part of Him, but a part of His potency (tad bhinn\u0101m\u015b\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca j\u012bv\u0101n). Not a plenary portion (\u015bv\u0101\u1e41\u015ba), but a partial portion (vibhinn\u0101\u1e41\u015ba). Everything is a part of Hari, but \u015bv\u0101\u1e41\u015ba means an avat\u0101ra and vibhinn\u0101\u1e41\u015ba means a part of His potency, ta\u1e6dasth\u0101\u015bakti. And by nature, some souls are engrossed in the external potency, and we find some in the lap of the internal potency (prak\u1e5bti kavalit\u0101n tad vimukt\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca bh\u0101vat). By their very existence some souls are within the svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti and some are outside the svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti. Some souls are liberated and some are nonliberated (mukta and amukta). Everything is a part of Hari and has something in common with Him and something different (bhed\u0101bheda-prak\u0101\u015ba\u1e41 sakalam api hare\u1e25). And the only means to attain Him is pure devotion, exclusive devotion (s\u0101dhana\u1e41 \u015buddha bhakti\u1e41). Hari Himself, in the form of Gauracandra, is giving us the understanding that divine love is the highest goal of life. (s\u0101dhya\u1e41 yat pr\u012btim evaty upadi-\u015bati harir-gauracandro bhaje tam). (Da\u015ba-m\u016bla \u015bloka, The ten essential principles of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism). (LSFTLS, p 1)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(30)\",\"\u0101nanda-l\u012bl\u0101maya-vigrah\u0101ya\",\"hem\u0101bha-divya-cchavi-sundar\u0101ya\",\"tasmaimah\u0101-prema-rasa-prad\u0101ya\",\"caitanyacandr\u0101ya namo namas te\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;He who is the embodiment of divine bliss, whose form is decorated with the symptoms of ecstasy, who appears magnificently beautiful with a complexion as splendid as gold, He who benevolently gives in charity to all the ecstatic love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the highest divine perfection of life, I worship Him again and again, my beloved Lord Caitanyacandra with all devotion.&quot; (CCand, 11) + (SBRBM, p 12).\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(31)\",\"anany\u0101\u015b cintayanto m\u0101\u1e41,\",\"ye jan\u0101\u1e25 paryup\u0101sate\",\"te\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 nity\u0101bhiyukt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"yoga-k\u1e63ema\u1e41 vah\u0101my aham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I personally assume the whole responsibility of acquiring and protecting the necessities of My fully dependent devotees who are always absorbed in thought of Me alone, and who worship Me exclusively in all respects.&quot; (B-g, 9.22) M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b avoided begging, being indifferent to material things. If someone offered him some food, he would eat; otherwise he would fast. He had attained the paramaha\u1e41sa stage of ay\u0101cita-v\u1e5btti, or ajagara-v\u1e5btti. ay\u0101cita-v\u1e5btti means being accustomed to refrain from begging, and ajagara-v\u1e5btti indicates one who is compared to a big python that makes no effort to acquire food, but rather allows food to come automatically within its mouth. The paramaha\u1e41sa is therefore called vijita-\u1e63a\u1e0d-gu\u1e47a. He must conquer the six material qualities - k\u0101ma (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (illusion), matsara (enviousness), and k\u1e63udh\u0101-t\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101 (hunger and thirst). Once, \u015ar\u012b M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b travelled to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and went to Govardhana Hill, and then to Govinda-ku\u1e47\u1e0da and took his bath. He then sat beneath a tree to take his evening rest. While he was sitting there, an unknown cowherd boy came with a pot of milk, placed it before M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b, and, smiling asked him to drink it. The cowherd boy asked him why he didn&#x27;t beg for food, and also, what kind of meditation he was undergoing. When he saw the beauty of that boy, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b became very satisfied, and hearing His sweet words, he forgot all hunger and thirst. M\u0101dhavendra said: &quot;Who are You? Where do You reside? And how did You know I was fasting?&quot; The boy replied: &quot;Sir, I am a cowherd boy, and I reside in this village. In My village, no one fasts. In this village a person can beg food from others and thus eat. Some people drink only milk, but if a person does not ask anyone for food, I supply him all his eatables. The women who come here to take water saw you, and they supplied Me with this milk and sent Me to you. I must go very soon to milk the cows, but I shall return and take back this milk pot from you.&quot; Saying this, the boy left the place. Indeed, He suddenly could be seen no more, and M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b&#x27;s heart was filled with wonder. After drinking the milk, he washed the pot and put it aside. He watched the path, but the boy never returned. He could not sleep, and so he chanted the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra, and at the end of the night he dozed a little and his external activities stopped. Later, while travelling through Bengal, (to collect some sandalwood pulp and smear it on His Gop\u0101la Deity to cool Him) and going into South India, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b reached Remu\u1e47\u0101 village, where Gop\u012bn\u0101tha is situated. In the corridor of the temple, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b chanted and danced. Later, when he sat down there, he asked a br\u0101hma\u1e47a what kinds of foods they offered to the Gop\u012bn\u0101tha Deity, so he could also offer similar foods to \u015ar\u012b Gop\u0101la. The br\u0101hma\u1e47a priest told him that in the evening the Deity is offered sweet rice in twelve earthen pots. Because the taste is as good as nectar (am\u1e5bta), it is named am\u1e5bta-keli. Also, this sweet rice is celebrated throughout the world as gop\u012bn\u0101tha-k\u1e63\u012bra, and is not offered anywhere else in the world. While M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b was talking with the br\u0101hma\u1e47a priest, the sweet rice was placed before the Deity as an offering. Hearing this, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b thought to himself that if he could be given some of the sweet rice without asking for it, he could then make a similar preparation for his Lord Gop\u0101la. He then became very ashamed when he desired to taste the sweet rice, and immediately began to think of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. While he was thinking in this way, the offering was completed, and the \u0101rati ceremony began. When the \u0101rati was finished, he offered his obeisances to the Deity and then left the temple, not saying anything more to anyone. M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b left the temple and sat down in the village marketplace, which was vacant. He began chanting. In the meantime, the temple priest laid the Deity down to rest. Finishing his daily duties, the priest went to take rest. In a dream he saw the Gop\u012bn\u0101tha Deity come to talk to him, saying: &quot;Please get up and open the door of the temple. I have kept one pot of sweet rice for the sanny\u0101s\u012b M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b. This pot of sweet rice is just behind My cloth curtain. You did not see it because of My tricks. A sanny\u0101s\u012b named M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b is sitting in the vacant marketplace.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Please take this pot of sweet rice from behind Me and deliver it to him.&quot; Awaking from the dream, the priest immediately bathed and entered the Deity&#x27;s room, and opened the temple door. According to Gop\u012bn\u0101tha&#x27;s directions, he found the pot of sweet rice behind the cloth curtain. He mopped up the place where it had been kept, and closing the door of the temple, went out with the pot. He then went to the village with the pot of sweet rice, and called out in search of M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b. &quot;Will he whose name is M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b please come and take this pot! Gop\u012bn\u0101tha has stolen this pot for you!&quot; Hearing this invitation, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b came forward and identified himself. The priest then gave him the sweet rice, falling flat before him. When the story about the pot of sweet rice was explained to him in detail, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b at once became absorbed in ecstatic love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Seeing this, the priest was struck with wonder, and could then understand why K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a had become so much obliged to him. He again offered his obeisances to M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b and returned to the temple. Since then, the Gop\u012bn\u0101tha Deity has been known as K\u1e63\u012bra-cor\u0101gop\u012bn\u0101tha, the Deity who stole the pot of condensed milk. Then, in ecstasy, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b ate the sweet rice, and after this he washed the pot and broke it into pieces, then bound all the pieces in his outer cloth. Each day, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b would eat one piece of that earthen pot, after which he would immediately become overwhelmed with loving ecstasy. The thought then came to him that when the local people hear of this scenario of how the Lord gave him a pot of sweet rice, there will be great crowds arriving, so he offered his obeisances to Gop\u012bn\u0101tha on the spot and left for Remu\u1e47\u0101 before the morning. Hearing of these incidents, we may think that M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b was greatly fortunate, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself came and supplied food to him. But we find higher devotion in San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b. \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b wanted to offer his gurudeva, \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b, some param\u0101nna (sweet milk-rice) and so he began thinking of the necessary ingredients. A little later, a young girl, perhaps twelve or fourteen years of age, came to R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s bhajana-ku\u1e6d\u012br in Kadamkh\u0101\u1e47\u1e0di. She told him she had come under instruction from her parents and the villagers. She mentioned they had given her some ingredients and asked her to take them to R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b in order for him to make sweet-rice to offer to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b was suprised. He reflected: &quot;Just this morning I wished for these things and now they have come automatically.&quot; He happily accepted the items and immediately went the kilometre or so to San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s bhajana-ku\u1e6d\u012br in Nandagr\u0101m and invited him, &quot;Prabhu, today please come to my bhajana-ku\u1e6d\u012br and take some Pras\u0101dam.&quot; San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b happily accepted the invitation and so R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b made very nicely the various preparations including the sweet-rice. San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b came there around noon and he saw the many fragrant and nice preparations. While taking that Pras\u0101dam San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b thought: &quot;This is so tasteful, I have never found such tasteful things in this world. I have passed maybe sixty years but I have never tasted such fine types of Pras\u0101dam, it must have some extraordinary origin, I wonder in what way this has been made? R\u016bpa, in which way did you make these preparations? The ingredients are also very expensive and difficult to obtain. How were you able to secure such things?&quot; R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b said: &quot;Today in the early morning, I was thinking that if I could obtain some milk and rice I would be able to prepare some param\u0101nna which is very dear to you. Then I would invite you to take that. Presently one girl came saying she was from the nearby village of J\u0101va\u1e6d. She came and supplied foodstuffs for cooking and asked that I prepare and offer them to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b was a little puzzled as he knew practically every house and all the members of each family in Vraja Dh\u0101ma. Everyone considered San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b as their family judge. If any quarrel would come within a family they would consult with him and abide by his decisions. In this way he was very well known, and knew all the people, especially in Nandagr\u0101m, J\u0101va\u1e6d, and Var\u1e63\u0101n\u0101, etc., but R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b did not. San\u0101tana enquired further to R\u016bpa regarding that girl and asked from which family she had come. R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b could only say: &quot;She told me she came from J\u0101va\u1e6d, but she did not mention any particular family.&quot; San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b then went to J\u0101va\u1e6d and enquired as to whose family had supplied such fine ingredients. Finding that the ingredients had not come from anyone&#x27;s house in that village San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b could understand that \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b Herself had come and served R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b by supplying those ingredients. He was very disturbed at heart. &quot;What is this R\u016bpa? My dear brother, what have you done? Oh, you have done a great wrong! It is not good to want to fulfil your wish. Did you aspire after something for me? You wanted something for me and that was supplied by Her? We are searching after Her in order to serve Her, and She came and served us? What is this? Just the opposite! We want Her so that we may serve Her, but She came and served us, and went away. This is a great misfortune.&quot; He was greatly dissatisfied and left that place with these thoughts. R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b was also very sad and could not take that Pras\u0101dam. He thought: &quot;I invited my guru \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b in order to serve and satisfy him, but quite the opposite result came. He has left dissatisfied.&quot; A servant was seated in front of R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b and he witnessed the great separation and sadness that came to R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. His sadness in the feeling of separation was so high that his body became very hot, his breathing stopped, and his hairs all stood on end. Later, with full consciousness, R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b ran after San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b to try to satisfy him. So, we see that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself brought foodstuffs to M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b, and that may be considered a very great fortune; yet, in this instance with R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana, a similar event occurred but was considered a grave misfortune. In the higher type of devotion there is never any desire that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a or His associates will come to serve and supply us, or that He will show Himself to us. To impose our will on Him is not actual service. Whatever He likes He may do. And whatever may be necessary from us, we shall consider ourselves fortunate if we are given the chance to supply it. Exhaustively eliminating all our desires in the extreme, we are to place ourselves fully at the disposal of the command of the Supreme Lord, who is never to carry out any order or wish of ours. By nature, He is eager to supply everything to His devotees (yogak\u1e63ema\u1e41 vah\u0101my aham). But the higher devotees do not like that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will supply them with anything, or that He will render service to them. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 22-25)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(32)\",\"anarpita-car\u012b\u1e41 cir\u0101t karu\u1e47ay\u0101vat\u012br\u1e47a\u1e25 kalau\",\"samarpayitum unnatojjvala-ras\u0101\u1e41 sva-bhakti-\u015briyam\",\"hari\u1e25 pura\u1e6da-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sand\u012bpita\u1e25\",\"sad\u0101 h\u1e5bdaya-kandare sphuratu va\u1e25 \u015bac\u012b-nandana\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;May that Lord, who is known as the son of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b \u015aac\u012bdev\u012b, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in this age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 1.4) In His magnanimity, Mah\u0101prabhu offered such great things to us. He is none other than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, because no one can give such a right to anyone and everyone without being K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. Therefore, the devotees say that He is none other than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, and more - R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a combined, because He gives the highest wealth of both. Only Both combined as Day\u0101l Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga are entitled to give this chance to the ordinary soul. This is inconceivable. anarpitacar\u012b\u1e41 cir\u0101t karu\u1e47ay\u0101vat\u012br\u1e47a\u1e25 kalau: \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45gadeva descended in this Kali-yuga to give what had never been given before. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 96) + (see also \u015bloka 133) If \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu had not appeared in this Kali-yuga, then how could we tolerate living? Without Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, how could we know that \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b stands supreme in the world of divine love? And serving those who can serve \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is the way to approach Her vicinity. Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava sev\u0101, Guru sev\u0101, Vigraha sev\u0101, and N\u0101ma sev\u0101 are all recommended, but in Kali-yuga especially, the service of the Holy Name has been given as the most general approach. anarpita-car\u012b\u1e41 cir\u0101t - Mah\u0101prabhu gave that which was never distributed before. Therefore, we understand that Lord Caitanya is the same full incarnation of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in this age of Kali.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(33)\",\"anartha bandhu karanaik sindhu\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;How can I pass these barren days, my Lord? These unfortunate days are impossible for me to pass. Without having a peep of Your sight, I can&#x27;t stand to live anymore. But You are a friend to the helpless, and You are an ocean of kindness and grace. Please consider it my Lord, how can I pass my days without You?&quot; The normal temperament of a devotee will be like that. Separation, of course, will be encouraging. If we find a person is always feeling separation from the Lord that will be appreciated, whereas anything else should be considered abnormal and dangerous. (GOD, p 24) he deva he dayita he bhuvanaika-bandho he k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a he capala he karu\u1e47aika-sindho he n\u0101tha he rama\u1e47a he nayan\u0101bhir\u0101ma h\u0101 h\u0101 kad\u0101 nu bhavit\u0101si pada\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u015bor me Bilvama\u1e45gala \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;O my Lord! O dearest one! O only friend of the universe! O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, O restless one, O ocean of mercy! O my Lord, O my enjoyer, O beloved to my eyes! Alas, when will You again be visible to me?&quot; (K-k, 40) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.65) am\u016bny adhany\u0101ni din\u0101ntar\u0101\u1e47i hare tvad \u0101lokanam antare\u1e47a an\u0101tha-bandho karu\u1e47aika-sindho h\u0101 hanta h\u0101 hanta katha\u1e41 nay\u0101mi Bilvama\u1e45gala \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;O Hari, O guardian of the shelterless, O one and only ocean of mercy, how will I pass my unblessed days and nights without a glimpse of You?&quot; (K-k, 41) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.58)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(34)\",\"anay\u0101r\u0101dhito n\u016bna\u1e41,\",\"bhagav\u0101n harir \u012b\u015bvara\u1e25\",\"yan no vih\u0101ya govinda\u1e25,\",\"pr\u012bto y\u0101m anayad raha\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O my friend! Leaving us aside, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has gone off to a secluded place with a particular gop\u012b. She must be truly expert in worshipping (anay\u0101r\u0101dhito) Him, for He was so pleased with Her service that He has left us all behind.&quot; (S-B, 10.30.28) This \u015bloka describes how, during His joyful love pastimes with all the beautiful damsels of Vraja, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a specifically took one of them to a secluded bower recognising Her superlative devotion as the best of all. Exalted pure devotees have realised the significance of this l\u012bl\u0101 and have revealed that the damsel taken by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was none other than \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. They explained that the term &quot;\u0101r\u0101dhito&quot; is the mystic confidential reference to the name &#x27;R\u0101dh\u0101&#x27; (the personification of devotion). This verse was spoken by the gop\u012bs who were left behind. Understanding that their principal and peerless Goddess had enchanted Him the most, they glorified \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, their most fortunate friend, saying that Her adoration of Govinda had excelled theirs. Therefore, He had chosen Her exclusively and taken Her to a lonely spot to have more intimate pastimes in Her company, leaving them all behind. (SBRBM, p 31)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(35)\",\"ani\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101-sa\u1e45k\u012bni bandhu-h\u1e5bday\u0101ni bhavanti hi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"They are together, but the apprehension that one may lose the other makes their meeting intolerably painful, just as a mother is always alert about the safety of her son, she thinks, &quot;Oh my son is out, is he in an accident?&quot; This fear of separation is the symptom of deep love.&quot; (TSFSK, p 146)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(36)\",\"anta\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e41 bahir gaura\u1e41,\",\"dar\u015bit\u0101\u1e45g\u0101di-vaibhavam\",\"kalau sa\u1e45k\u012brtan\u0101dyai sma,\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanyam \u0101\u015brit\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I take shelter of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who is outwardly of a golden complexion, but is inwardly K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. In this age of Kali, He displays His expansions while performing congregational chanting of the Holy Names of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That He is blackish within means that internally He is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; that He is golden without means that He has accepted the mood of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. In the age of Kali, that Golden Lord is seen accompanied by His expansions, associates, and intimate devotees performing sa\u1e45k\u012brtana.&quot; (T-S, 2) + (K-S) + (TGVODL, p 2-3) (see also \u015blokas 53 &amp; 258) &quot;Accompanied by His divine entourage, the Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya has appeared in all His pristine glory. In this age of Kali, we know take shelter in Him by means of the characteristic method of devotional service based on sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, congregational chanting of the Holy Names. Within, He is none other than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, and without, He is the Golden Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya.&quot; (\u015ar\u012b J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, S-J) + (SSPJ, p 103) + (ARO, p 24)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(37)\",\"antar-dhv\u0101nta-caya\u1e41 samasta-jagat\u0101m unm\u016blayant\u012b ha\u1e6dh\u0101t\",\"prem\u0101nanda-ras\u0101budhi\u1e41 niravadhi prodvlayant\u012bbal\u0101t\",\"vi\u1e63va\u1e41 \u015b\u012btalayantyy at\u012bva-vikala\u1e41 t\u0101pa-traye\u1e47\u0101ni\u1e63a\u1e41\",\"s\u0101sm\u0101ka\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye cak\u0101stu cakita\u1e41 caitanyacandra-ccha\u1e6d\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The beautiful moonlight of Caitanyacandra powerfully dissipates the darkness from the heart of the world (h\u1e5bdi jagat). That moon continually creates tidal waves in the ocean of nectar which is the bliss of love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and brings coolness to the universe burning day and night in the threefold miseries of material existence. May that divine moonlight continually shine in our hearts.&quot;(C-Cand, 75) + (SBRBM, p 13)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c02\",\"title\":\"02. The Path of Surrender\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"If one can get a bona fide guardian, his future is ensured.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(38)\",\"\u0101nuk\u016blyasya sa\u1e45kalpa\u1e25,\",\"pr\u0101tik\u016blya-vivarjjanam\",\"rak\u1e63i\u1e63yat\u012bti vi\u015bv\u0101so,\",\"gopt\u1e5btve vara\u1e47a\u1e41 tath\u0101.\",\"\u0101tma-nik\u1e63epa k\u0101rpa\u1e47ye,\",\"\u1e63a\u1e0d-vidh\u0101 \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati\u1e25\",\"eva\u1e41 paryy\u0101yata\u015b c\u0101sminn,\",\"ekaik\u0101dhy\u0101ya-sa\u1e45graha\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"These six chapters have been compiled, each consecutively dealing with the six limbs of surrender, which are as follows: 1 - To accept everything favourable for devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. 2 To reject everything unfavourable for devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. 3 - To be confident that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will grant His protection. 4 - To embrace K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s guardianship. 5 - To offer oneself unto Him. 6 To consider oneself lowly and bereft.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.100 - quoted from Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Tantra) + (SSPJ, p 9-10) Six divisions of surrender - Acceptance of the favourable, rejection of the unfavourable, the faith that &#x27;He will surely protect me,&#x27; embracing the Lord&#x27;s guardianship, complete dependence on Him, and the perception of one&#x27;s utter helplessness without Him - these six are the essential limbs of exclusive surrender to the Lord (\u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati). (SSPJ, p, p 33) When we want to have \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, to take shelter under His feet (that is also analysed in six ways); What is that surrender? How to taste it? And, who are the other stalwarts that came this way? How they dealt? What was their character? What was their movement? We take encouragement from that, that unknown, wholesale giving! Unknown? What unknown path? There are so many helpers, light-houses. The light-houses are there - stalwarts! Looking at them, we shall make progress on that way. How giving, we shall live. Give - and live. (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 9) + (see also \u015bloka 229)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(39)\",\"any\u0101bhil\u0101\u1e63it\u0101-\u015b\u016bnya\u1e41,\",\"j\u00f1\u0101na-karm\u0101dy-an\u0101v\u1e5btam\",\"\u0101nuk\u016blyena-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101nu\",\"\u015b\u012blana\u1e41 bhaktir uttam\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a favourably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.&quot; (B-r-s, 1.1.11) + (S-B, 11.21.11, purport) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19-167) &quot;If anyone wishes to execute pure unalloyed devotional service without desire for material gain, he must be freed from all kinds of contamination. He must be freed especially from the association of persons who are addicted to fruitive activities and mental speculation.&quot; (SS, v2, #1, &#x27;84, p 4) + (see also \u015bloka 458) &quot;Pure devotional service is the favourable cultivation of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness free from all traces of ulterior motives, such as karma, self-promoting activities, j\u00f1\u0101na, mental achievement, and so on.&quot; Bhakti, devotion, must be free from any fleeting desires (any\u0101bhil\u0101\u1e63a), such as karma - the organised attempt for self elevation - and j\u00f1\u0101na, the attempt to depend on our own ability, knowledge, and consciousness to reach the ultimate goal. To attempt to put one&#x27;s own self as the subject, to become the judge of one&#x27;s own fate - that is j\u00f1\u0101na. Here \u0101di means yoga and other external things. These are all overcoatings (\u0101v\u1e5btam). In the soul proper, however, these elements are not found. The soul is an eternal slave of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-nitya-d\u0101sa).&quot; (LSFTLS, p 13) Any\u0101bhil\u0101\u1e63a is the layer of random, fleeting desires or the whims of every individual. Within the relativity of revealed truth, the path of karma which is recommended while catering for our present stage, produces a mixture. A certain percentage of devotion may be present in us, but it is mixed with the objects of this mundane world. Then above karma is j\u00f1\u0101na: &#x27;We can perceive the mortality of this world, so we should not keep any connection with such a world of death; we must rise above it, otherwise we cannot be happy.&#x27; Both j\u00f1\u0101na and yoga come forward with this proposal to somehow escape from the difficulty of death. To drive away death should be the be-all and end-all of life, and we must be saved from the clutches of death, the chains of mortality. But all these things are merely to get out of the negative side. The word \u0101di (etc.) signifies yoga and \u015baithilya, our idleness and apathy. And \u0101nuk\u016blyenak\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101nu\u015b\u012blana\u1e41 indicates &#x27;not pr\u0101tik\u016blya&#x27; or &#x27;not that which is undesirable,&#x27; so cultivation of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a means the Service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Our normal relation with our higher existence can only be that of service, not otherwise. So somehow we must take that path, and progress. To begin with it may be calculative but it will come to an automatic stage. We will find it within ourselves spontaneously. (SCS, p 38-9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(40)\",\"\u0101pana gal\u0101ra m\u0101l\u0101 sab\u0101k\u0101re diy\u0101,\",\"aj\u00f1a kare\u1e47a gaura-hari k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a kaha giy\u0101\",\"ki bhojane ki \u015bayane kib\u0101 j\u0101gara\u1e47e,\",\"aharni\u015ba cinta k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a balaha badane\",\"yadi \u0101m\u0101ra prati sneha th\u0101ke sab\u0101kara,\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bin\u0101 keha kichu na balibe \u0101ra\",\"jagatera pit\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a ye na bhaje b\u0101pa,\",\"pit\u1e5b-droh\u012b p\u0101tak\u012bra janme janme t\u0101pa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Blessing everyone with affection and placing His own flower garlands around their necks, \u015ar\u012b Gaura Hari instructed them to return to their homes and fully engage in the service and worship of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a with all devotion. He said: &quot;Always engage in thinking, remembering, hearing and speaking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in all situations, whether awake or sleeping, eating or resting. If you have affection for Me, please promise that you will never cultivate anything other than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the benevolent father and supreme cause of the whole universe and all beings. One who deliberately avoids worshipping his own transcendental father, is considered most fallen and suffers birth after birth.&quot; (C-B, Mad, 28, 25-28) + (SBRBM, p 16) + (see also \u015bloka 171)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(41)\",\"apareyam itas tv any\u0101\u1e41,\",\"prak\u1e5bti\u1e41 viddhi me par\u0101m\",\"j\u012bva-bh\u016bt\u0101\u1e41 mah\u0101-b\u0101ho,\",\"yayeda\u1e41 dh\u0101ryate jagat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O mighty hero, Arjuna, this worldly nature known as external, is inferior. But distinct from this nature, you should know My marginal potency, comprised of the individual souls, to be superior. This world is accepted by this superior conscious potency as an object of exploitation for sense enjoyment, by the agency of each individual&#x27;s fruit-hunting actions and reactions. The divine world emanates from My internal potency and the mundane world from My external potency. The potency of the living beings is known as marginal, on account of their medial adaptability - they may choose to reside either in the mundane plane or the divine.&quot; (B-g, 7.5) (Question): &quot;In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says j\u012bva-bh\u016bt\u0101\u1e41 mah\u0101-b\u0101ho yayeda\u1e41 dh\u0101ryate jagat: the spiritual energy is sustaining this material world. How are we to understand this? (\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja): The misguided souls of this world are from ta\u1e6dastha-loka, the marginal plane, and misguided by misconception they have come within this illusory angle of vision. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says this world is dead matter. The souls entered here and movement came. They entered into this material conception and began moving it. In that sense, they are sustaining the universe, yayeda\u1e41 dh\u0101ryate jagat. But ultimately everything is sustained by Him.&quot; (B-g, 7.5)+(SEOC, p 73-4)+(see also \u015blokas 14, 603)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(42)\",\"api cet sudur\u0101c\u0101ro,\",\"bhajate m\u0101m ananya-bh\u0101k\",\"s\u0101dhur eva sa mantavya\u1e25,\",\"samyag vyavasito hi sa\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If even a person of extremely abominable practices, abandoning all nondevotional pursuits of exploitation and renunciation engages in My exclusive and uninterrupted devotional service, he is venerable as a true saint because he has embraced the revolutionary plane of life. &quot; (B-g, 9.30) The generally accepted meaning of this verse is: &quot;Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is an ananya-bh\u0101k devotee who worships Me alone in devotional service which is free from karma and j\u00f1\u0101na, he is to be considered saintly because his endeavours are completely on My behalf and his determination is fixed.&quot; Here, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Whatever he has done, if he is exclusively given to Myself, he should be considered as My devotee. samyag vyavasito hi sa\u1e25. And whatever he is doing is cent per cent right.&quot; But then the next passage says k\u1e63ipra\u1e41 bhavati dharm\u0101tm\u0101: &quot;Very soon he will be a man of righteousness; he will become dharm\u0101tm\u0101 - dutiful.&quot; Once, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura had a dream in which he was wandering in the sky chanting the Holy Name, at his sweet will. Suddenly he found that he was just near Yam\u0101laya where Yama, the lord of death, holds court for judging the sinners of this world. He came upon the court of Yamar\u0101ja, where Yamar\u0101ja himself was sitting with Brahm\u0101, N\u0101rada, and others discussing the meaning of two verses spoken by \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (9.30-31); but they could not solve the problem of discerning the proper meaning of the \u015blokas. As Yamar\u0101ja, Brahm\u0101, and N\u0101rada discussed this point, a question came up. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: bhajate m\u0101m ananya-bh\u0101k - &quot;One who is My exclusive devotee.&quot; The question arises: &quot;What is exclusive devotion or ananya-bhajana ?&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Give up all other religious conceptions and surrender unto Me alone.&quot; sarva dharm\u0101n parityajya, m\u0101\u1e41 eka\u1e41 \u015barana\u1e41 vraja - (\u015bloka 434). That is exclusive devotion. But if one is practising exclusive devotion, then he is already dharm\u0101tm\u0101, he is already righteous. How is it then that in the very next verse, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Soon he becomes dharm\u0101tm\u0101 ?&quot; How are we to adjust to this? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: k\u1e63ipram bhavati dharm\u0101tm\u0101, \u015ba\u015bvac-ch\u0101nti\u1e41 nigacchati kaunteya pratij\u0101n\u012bhi, na me bhakta\u1e25 prana\u015byati &quot;He soon becomes righteous (dharm\u0101tm\u0101) and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunt\u012b, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.&quot; (B-g, 9.31) This is the general meaning of this verse. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tells Arjuna: &quot;He soon becomes dharm\u0101tm\u0101. My devotee is never ruined. Go and declare this to the public.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that after the devotee became ananya-bh\u0101k - that is, he gave up all sorts of duties and surrendered to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - then again he will be a dutiful man. As Brahm\u0101, N\u0101rada, and Yamar\u0101ja discussed this point, they saw Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura walking in the sky and taking the Holy Name. Then one of them suggested: &quot;There is a pure devotee. He should be able to give the real meaning.&quot; Then Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura was invited in their midst and was asked: &quot;How shall we adjust these points? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has said that this person is an exclusive devotee, that he has renounced all sorts of duties and surrendered to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. And yet, in no time it will be seen that he is very dutiful. How can we understand this?&quot; Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura explained that &quot;he quickly becomes righteous&quot; refers not to the exclusive devotee, but to one who considers the exclusive devotee pure in all circumstances. &quot;Even if he performs some abominable act, he is really a s\u0101dhu, a saint.&quot; One who can think of an exclusive devotee in that way will soon become dharm\u0101tm\u0101. This was Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s explanation. In this way, in my commentary on Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, I have followed Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s explanation. I also saw that it was redundant to say that an ananya-bh\u0101k devotee becomes dharm\u0101tm\u0101. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that an exclusive devotee should be thought of as a s\u0101dhu, and honest man. One who says that an exclusive devotee, a surrendered soul to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, should be thought of as pure whatever be his external practices - the man who is making this remark - he becomes righteous. This is the proper conclusion. What he says is cent per cent truth. And the next thing K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says is that he who can remark in such a way will be purified very soon. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that by such appreciation of the exclusive devotee, a person will soon come to his eternal duty and attain eternal peace. &quot;So I ask you, O son of Kunt\u012b, Arjuna, to go and promise in public that My exclusive devotee will never be lost.&quot; (kaunteya pratij\u0101n\u012bhi, na me bhakta\u1e25 prana\u015byati). Then you will get the benefit of the man whose remark improves his life. Otherwise, why should K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tell Arjuna: &quot;Make a public announcement that My devotee is never ruined.&quot; What effect will there be for Arjuna? But one who declares: &quot;an exclusive devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is saintly no matter what he does&quot; soon becomes righteous. If Arjuna declares this, he will become dharm\u0101tm\u0101. He will get the benefit. So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tells him: &quot;You make this remark. Take a bold step; take a risk and make this remark. Then you will also get that benefit I have described.&quot; Of course, Arjuna is a par\u1e63ada, an eternal associate of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but using him as an example, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tells him: &quot;You do it.&quot; Arjuna has taken the position of an enquirer independent of his par\u1e63ada character. When I was publishing my commentary on Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, a godbrother once told me: &quot;If you give such an explanation, then in the name of ananya-bh\u0101k-bhakti, exclusive devotion, less advanced devotees will take advantage of this. What you are revealing here is a very hidden meaning. It is not meant for the public. It is a confidential point. api cet sudur\u0101c\u0101ro, bhajate m\u0101m ananya-bh\u0101k, s\u0101dhur eva: &#x27;He may be the worst debauchee in his outer life. But if he is ananya-bh\u0101k, a surrendered soul, he should be considered a really honest man.&#x27; If you explain things according to your interpretation, everyone will say, &#x27;Oh, I am an ananya-bh\u0101k devotee&#x27; and they will go on with their debauchery. So please don&#x27;t express this interpretation of yours so explicitly.&quot; But I published my commentary over this objection because the principle underlying this verse is an important one. One who has surrendered to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is accepted as His own. And just a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has rights over everything and is never a trespasser, so His own man should never be considered a trespasser at any time. This is confirmed elsewhere, in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (11.29.34): \u0101tm\u0101 bh\u016by\u0101ya ca kalpate (see \u015bloka 68): &quot;My devotee belongs to Me.&quot; So one who works by inspiration from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should never be considered a trespasser. He can enjoy anything on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s behalf if he is really a surrendered soul. He should be considered as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s. He has free access to everything that belongs to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But some objected, saying: &quot;Don&#x27;t be so broad in your interpretation. If you do so, then the people at large will do abominable things in the name of pure devotion. They will say: &quot;Oh, I am a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. I am acyuta-gotra, I am one of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s men. What is His property is mine. I can enjoy everything.&quot; Then of course the question comes: &quot;How do we recognise ananya-bh\u0101k-bhakti, exclusive devotion? The real trouble is here. Merely professing that I am a pure devotee won&#x27;t do. Rather, a real devotee will think: &quot;I am not a real devotee.&quot; That will be his understanding, his inner feeling. Exclusive devotion is not a small thing. A genuine devotee thinks: &quot;I can&#x27;t be an ananya-bh\u0101k-bhakta. I have not attained that stage. It is very difficult. Rather I am going away from that.&quot; That will be the general tenor of his attitude. What to speak of lesser devotees, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b Herself says: &quot;People associate Me with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. They say that I have an illicit connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But what they say is all false. My grief is that I could not give My entire heart to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I cannot say that I am completely His. My internal trouble is that I could not become wholly His and they falsely think that I am. I have no objection to becoming fully His, even to having an illicit connection with Him; but that I can&#x27;t become so, this is My great fault.&quot; That will be the general attitude of a real ananya-bh\u0101k-bhakta. Just the opposite tendency will come. The fact is that one who has accepted K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a exclusively has no taste for any other thing, so really he is not dur\u0101c\u0101ra - he is not capable of acting in an abominable way. Internally he is always connected with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In external life he is indifferent. So what he is doing is not done by him. One who acts in that plane of reality may destroy thousands of universes, but does not do anything (hatv\u0101pi sa im\u0101\u1e39 lok\u0101n na hanti na nibadhyate (B-g, 18.17) &quot;One who acts in that plane of reality may destroy thousands of universes, but he does not do anything. He is acting in the transcendental plane.&quot; (see \u015bloka 175). He is not to be seen in terms of what is good or bad in the calculation of this world. He is absent here. (SEOC, p 126-131) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 77-79) &quot;If a person serves Me with heart exclusively devoted, even if his practices are abominable he is to be revered as a true saint (s\u0101dhu), because his life&#x27;s resolve is perfect in all respects.&quot; By the potency of the purging effect of devotion for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, glaring inauspicious traits may arise in the character of a person who is exclusively devoted to the service of the Lord. Although such faults may seem to be abominable, they are not condemnable as born of evil motivations (as in a non-devotee). On the contrary, due to the natural, marvellous pristine glory of his exclusive devotion (ananya-bhajana), that devotee is to be known as a true saint. (SSPJ, p 154)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(43)\",\"apr\u0101k\u1e5bta-deha tom\u0101ra &#x27;pr\u0101k\u1e5bta&#x27; kabhu naya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;San\u0101tana, you are a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. Your body is not defective. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is testing Me. I am a sanny\u0101s\u012b, and He is examining whether there is any partiality in My dealings with a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava simply because of his externally having so many sores. He is examining whether I will shrink from the association of such a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava and cast him aside. But your body is already pure, and only for the purpose of testing the public, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has created this; and if I cannot see this, I will have failed His test and will have been deceived by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. It is a mere show, it is nothing; your body is pure because you are a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, a devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. This impurity is only an appearance in order to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s divine purpose. Wherever there is Vai\u1e63\u1e47avat\u0101, true saintly devotedness, there can never be any contamination. Only to test My devotion has K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sent you to Me in this condition.&quot; So Mah\u0101prabhu embraced him and demonstrated that he was absolutely pure. Whether externally pure or impure, the whole principle is that our exclusive devotion for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the only necessity. In the ordinary sense, the gop\u012bs are also sinners. They crossed the laws of society and the \u015b\u0101stras, so they are &#x27;sinners.&#x27; But they hold the highest position of purity by their exclusive devotedness to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and no other. They cannot help but serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a cent-per-cent, even at the risk of crossing the entire code of morality. They are considered to be the highest devotional ideal. But that sort of devotion is not so cheap that everyone will go on with their activities in this world, taking advantage of such ideals. That won&#x27;t do. The real measure of devotion must be there, not that anyone may do anything passing in the name of pure devotion, like the pr\u0101k\u1e5bta-sahajiy\u0101s. That can&#x27;t be allowed. (SOTGOD, v1, p85-6)+see \u015bloka 335. prabhu kahe \u2013 vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-deha &#x27;pr\u0101k\u1e5bta&#x27; kabhu naya &#x27;apr\u0101k\u1e5bta&#x27; deha bhaktera &#x27;cid-\u0101nanda-maya&#x27; d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101-k\u0101le bhakta kare \u0101tma-samarpa\u1e47a sei-k\u0101le k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a t\u0101re kare \u0101tma-sama sei deha kare t\u0101ra cid-\u0101nanda-maya apr\u0101k\u1e5bta-dehe t\u0101\u1e45ra cara\u1e47a bhajaya \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;The body of a devotee is never material. It is considered to be transcendental, full of spiritual bliss. At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a accepts him to be as good as Himself. When the devotee&#x27;s body is thus transformed into spiritual existence, the devotee, in that transcendental body, renders service to the lotus feet of the Lord.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 4.191-3) \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b contracted sores all over his body due to the contact of bad water in the jungle, when he was returning from V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana to Pur\u012b. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu used to welcome him by embracing him, but San\u0101tana would try to withdraw. He objected: &quot;Don&#x27;t touch me! This is the body of a sinful man.&quot; The sores were oozing and emitting a bad odour, but Mah\u0101prabhu embraced him forcibly. San\u0101tana had decided: &quot;I shall either leave this place or I shall invite death by falling under the wheel of the cart of Lord Jagann\u0101tha.&quot; But as the Lord in the heart of all, Mah\u0101prabhu knew San\u0101tana&#x27;s mind. He chastised him, and embraced him, forcibly. All the sores disappeared, and San\u0101tana&#x27;s body immediately became like gold.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(44)\",\"apr\u0101rabdha-phala\u1e41 p\u0101pa\u1e41\",\"k\u016b\u1e6da\u1e41 b\u012bja\u1e41 phalonmukham\",\"krame\u1e47aiva pral\u012byeta\",\"vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhakti-rat\u0101tman\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The four types of sin known as apr\u0101rabdha, k\u016b\u1e6da, b\u012bja and phalonmukha are gradually eradicated for persons exclusively attached to Devotion for the Supreme Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u.&quot; (B-r-s) Pr\u0101rabdha is the karma or action which has been attached to be enjoyed or suffered in this body; and apr\u0101rabdha is that which is deposited to be experienced in the future. Pr\u0101rabdha means &#x27;that which has already begun,&#x27; and apr\u0101rabdha is &#x27;that which has been reserved for the future.&#x27; The stages of progress from manifest to unmanifest are classified in three: k\u016b\u1e6da\u1e41, b\u012bja\u1e41 and phalonmukham. We can find this discussed in detail by \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, with various scriptural quotations, in his \u015ar\u012b-Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu. K\u016b\u1e6dam means &#x27;the undetectable portion of our past action.&#x27; We cannot read the actions and results contained there, present in a microscopic way. They are undetectable to us. So k\u016b\u1e6dam is that which is undetectable, like a plane of action, that will gradually manifest and demand its satisfaction. B\u012bjam or &#x27;seed&#x27; means something which is more detectable, more clear. We can identify a particular seed and know which type of plant it will produce; and phalonmukham refers to actions that are waiting to achieve their realisation very soon. They are demanding. In the stage of pr\u0101rabdha, the previous actions have reached their satisfaction in this body. These are the divisions. The general Vedic scholars are of the opinion that pr\u0101rabdha or that which has already begun to be experienced in this body cannot be changed. It is out of hand. And reactions that are reserved for the future may be finished by our good activity, and we may not have to undergo them. But the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava school says that this pr\u0101rabdha can also be removed. What is already destined to be experienced in this body can also be removed by Harin\u0101ma, and by no other means. Only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma, Harin\u0101ma, can purify one from that which is already begun to be experienced in this body. He may be purified. A \u015b\u016bdra or mleccha properly taking Harin\u0101ma may be converted into Br\u0101hmanism. It is possible by Harin\u0101ma. The Gau\u1e0d\u012bya school has given quotations from different places, and by analysis of the meaning of those quotations (see \u015bloka&#x27;s 90 and 586) it holds that one may be freed from the pr\u0101rabdha-karma which has already begun to be experienced in this life. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 154-6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(45)\",\"\u0101r\u0101dhan\u0101n\u0101m sarve\u015b\u0101\u1e41,\",\"vi\u1e63\u1e47or \u0101r\u0101dhana\u1e41 param\",\"tasm\u0101t paratara\u1e41 devi,\",\"tad\u012by\u0101n\u0101m sam\u0101rcanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Once, P\u0101rvat\u012b-dev\u012b asked Lord \u015aiva: &quot;Of all kinds of worship, whose worship is best?&quot; Then Lord \u015aiva told Her plainly, &quot;The worship and devotional service of Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, is the highest.&quot; Then P\u0101rvat\u012b became a little mortified and disappointed thinking: &quot;But I am serving \u015aiva, so I hold a lower position. But higher than the worship of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a is worship of the devotees of Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. That is even greater than devotion to the Lord Himself.&quot; Then, P\u0101rvat\u012b smiled, thinking: &quot;Then I am serving the devotee of the Lord. \u015aiva is a devotee: So, I am doing the best thing.&quot; (P P) + (SGAHG, p 122-123) + (see also \u015bloka 607)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(46)\",\"\u0101ra saba mare ak\u0101ra\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Others, who have not yet been able to tie themselves with the Holy Feet of their guardian or guru are in an uncertain position, and they may be deviated by any agent. Their future is deplorable.&quot; (Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura) If through our \u015braddh\u0101 we can have a real ideal in life and acquire a real guardian, then certainly our future is ensured practically. Our daily duty will be towards our guardian, our gurudeva, and all other duties will be automatically accomplished. So to run throughout the length and breadth of this wide world, this land where nothing but various types of exploitation and various planes are existing, is to run as a ship without a rudder that can be swept away by seastorm this side and that, endlessly, without purpose. It is through \u015braddh\u0101 that we can connect with our highest goal of our achievement and fulfilment. This matter must be solved. Then, real life begins. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 84) + (see \u015bloka 60)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(47)\",\"arcayam eva haraye,\",\"p\u016bj\u0101m ya\u1e25 \u015braddh\u0101yehate\",\"na tad-bhakte\u1e63u c\u0101nye\u1e63u,\",\"sa bhakta\u1e25 pr\u0101k\u1e5bta\u1e25 sm\u1e5bta\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A devotee who faithfully worships the Deity, but does not properly respect the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas or the people in general is called a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position of devotional service.&quot; (S-B, 11.2.47) + (SGAHG, p 62) \u012b\u015bvare tad-adh\u012bne\u1e63u, b\u0101li\u015be\u1e63u dvi\u1e63atsu ca prema-maitri-k\u1e5bpopek\u1e63a, ya\u1e25 karoti sa madhyama\u1e25 &quot;The devotee in the intermediate stage of devotional service is called a madhyama-adhik\u0101r\u012b. He loves the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to the innocent and disregards the envious.&quot; (S-B, 11.2.46) + (SGAHG, p 62) + (see \u015bloka 190) sarva bh\u016bte\u1e63u ya\u1e25 pa\u015byed, bhagavad bh\u0101vam \u0101tmana\u1e25 bh\u016bt\u0101ni bhagavaty \u0101tmany, e\u1e63a bh\u0101gavatottama\u1e25 &quot;The first class devotee sees K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in everything, and everything within K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (S-B, 11.2.45) + (SGAHG, p 63) + (see \u015bloka 433) These are three stages of devotees. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu explains these three stages in terms of those devotees who chant the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. One who has even once heard or uttered the Holy Name of the Lord may be considered a third class devotee. One who chants the Name with faith is an intermediate devotee. And the first class devotee is so powerful that whoever sees him will feel the tendency to chant the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That is the nature of the highest kind of devotee. The second class devotee may have some mundane touch, but he deprecates this completely and fully attends his spiritual realisation. He is fully engrossed in spiritual life. His attraction for Godhead is there, but he has not fully escaped from the influence of m\u0101y\u0101, or illusion. Although he is weak, still his attempt to help others is laudable. He has not completely disassociated himself from his mundane nature, but he is conquering it gradually. He is gaining battle after battle and moving towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. He has good will. He is a preacher. He has reached the stage just before he finally disassociates himself from this world, takes his final leave, and enters the spiritual world. The neophyte devotee may go to the temple and worship there, strictly following the rules of the scriptures, but as soon as he is outside the temple, he may do anything and everything. In his relationship with others, he may not deal in a spiritual way; scriptural dictations have only a partial influence over him. In his dealings with others, he may have no spiritual principles at all. But the intermediate devotee applies the principles of the scriptures in his ordinary life. From the point of view of the scriptures, he considers who he should make friends with, what sort of trade he should accept for his livelihood, and how he should select his friends. When a devotee&#x27;s social life is also affected and controlled by his spiritual principles, he becomes a second class devotee. When he adopts such a form of life, he is fit to help others. He won&#x27;t be affected by foreign, unfavourable association, and because he has already practised and is settled in that form of life, he knows how to deal with others and keep up his spiritual vitality. Because he has practised in that way, he can be eligible to initiate disciples. He is qualified to help others because he has already transformed himself in his dealings with the outside environment. He can keep up his standard by fighting with the agents of m\u0101y\u0101. He has already proved that he has kept up his spiritual position, so he can be relied upon and entrusted with the power of \u0101c\u0101rya. Still there is another standpoint by which the qualifications of a devotee have been expressed to us in the revealed scriptures. One whose reliance, regard, and faith is in the \u015b\u0101stra, who attentively observes all the rules and regulations and practices that are found in the scriptures, whose practices and social activities are coloured by his faith in God, is an intermediate devotee. And one who acts according to his faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, in every stage, whatever circumstances there may be is a first class devotee. His faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is his main guidance. In whatever circumstances he may be in, with body, mind, and soul, in thought, word, and deed, in every way, he does everything for the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He is the topmost devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So, from these different standpoints the stages of a devotee, a servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, have been expressed to us in the scriptures. (SGAHG, p 62-65)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(48)\",\"\u0101rta-bhakta-\u015boka-\u015b\u0101nti-t\u0101pi-p\u0101pi-p\u0101vana\u1e41\",\"lak\u1e63a-ko\u1e6di-loka-sa\u1e45ga-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-dh\u0101ma-dh\u0101vanam\",\"r\u0101ma-keli-s\u0101graj\u0101ta-r\u016bpa-kar\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101dara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45gadeva soothed and pacified His devotees who were heartbroken due to the painful experience of His long separation and forgave many offensive anxiety ridden persons such as C\u0101p\u0101la Gop\u0101la and others. Overwhelmed with wonderful attraction He joyfully began to run towards V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the abode of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. An ocean of people followed in His wake up to R\u0101makeli where He was attracted by His two eternal associates R\u016bpa and his elder brother San\u0101tana, to whom He expressed His deep affection. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gaurasundara, the beautiful divine abode of pure love.&quot; (PDDS, 35) + (SBRBM, p 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(49)\",\"arthe\u1e63u abhij\u00f1a\u1e25 svar\u0101\u1e6d\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Only He knows what is what, and He is the Absolute Autocrat.&quot; (S-B, 1.1.1) + (see \u015bloka 197) Don&#x27;t go to calculate the transcendental truth by the objective process. The factor of His will can never be eliminated, and that is the real factor. If you approach to calculate about Him, the most realistic thought you must keep in your mind is that it depends on His Supreme Will. He is abhij\u00f1a, omniscient, and svar\u0101\u1e6d, fully independent. Only He knows what is what and what should be what. It is His monopoly, within His fist. You may conjecture so many alternatives, but to no avail. He knows what He will do; and at the same time, He is not under any obligation to anyone. He cannot be compelled to give any explanation for His deeds. Only He knows what is what, and He is the Absolute Autocrat. (arthe\u1e63u abhij\u00f1a\u1e25 svar\u0101\u1e6d) He does not care for the consideration of others. If we approach Him with this kind of understanding and impression, we must advance towards the divine realm. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 160) + (see also \u015bloka 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(50)\",\"artho &#x27;ya\u1e41 brahma s\u016btr\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"bh\u0101rat\u0101rtha-vinir\u1e47aya\u1e25\",\"g\u0101yatr\u012b bh\u0101\u1e63ya r\u016bpo &#x27;sau,\",\"ved\u0101rtha\u1e25 paribri\u1e41hita\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam represents the real purport of Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btra. And although it is very difficult to draw out the real purpose of the one hundred thousand verse epic Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata, the great history of the world, \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam has come to give its real meaning. The mother of all Vedic knowledge is the G\u0101yatr\u012b mantra. \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam gives the gist of G\u0101yatr\u012b in a very full-fledged way. And the supplementary truths of the Vedas are also found within \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam.&quot; (GP) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said to S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya: &quot;The s\u016btras or codes of Ved\u0101nta are lustrous in themselves. They are self-evident. The proper reading of the s\u016btras leads towards Parabrahman, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; Therefore, Ved\u0101nta must be explained in the line of truth which has been expressed in the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam. Only then can the real meaning be understood. (TGVODL, p 14-15) + (see also \u015bloka 71) The wonderful development may be traced in g\u0101yatr\u012b. In a nutshell - how, from the beginning, we can reach the highest zenith. G\u0101yatr\u012b, pra\u1e47ava o\u1e41kara also. O\u1e41 is the seed of g\u0101yatr\u012b. There, the meaning is &quot;Yes!&quot; I thought: &quot;How? Why?&quot; (about spirit), and then, in one word, the answer - &quot;Yes!&quot; That can be the seed of the highest good. How is that possible? &quot;Yes!&quot; Yes is the word that contains the highest good. That means, our inner quest. Everyone has got an inner search, they are searching for something - for happiness, pleasure, r\u0101sa, \u0101nandam. And, in one word &quot;What you are searching for? Yes! It is! It is!&quot; In one word - the answer. The whole Vedic truth, revealed truth in its most concise form - it becomes &quot;Yes.&quot; That is a general reply to everyone. &quot;What you are searching for? That is, yes, that is; now, go on searching!&quot; Encouragement, &quot;Yes!&quot; and from there, g\u0101yatr\u012b comes. artho &#x27;ya\u1e41 brahma s\u016btr\u0101n\u0101\u1e41. In this material plane, if you adopt this process, g\u0101yatr\u012b will take you to the zenith of your hankering. And from the Veda it is coming to Bh\u0101gavatam. Veda means Upani\u1e63ad (and Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 is G\u012btopani\u1e63ad). Search after the central thing by knowing which everything will be known, and by getting which everything will be attained. That is the beginning, and that is the fulfilment of life, according to the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam: The ripe fruit, the rasam, the l\u012bl\u0101 - the pastimes in the centre. That is the acme of all our achievements. That section of pastimes of the Absolute - that is the goal. To understand, to participate and to be conscious of the fact. And for that - &quot;Yes!&quot; from &quot;Yes&quot;, it is going to the rasa. rasa generally means dancing; this rasa of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, dancing is going on. In the beginning, &quot;Yes.&quot; What you are searching for - it is! It exists! And what is that? Come to enquire and gradually, you will get. And g\u0101yatr\u012b, in a nutshell, the connecting thread from the lowest to the highest - g\u0101yatr\u012b -then Pur\u0101\u1e47a, this \u015ar\u012bm\u0101d-Bh\u0101gavatam. (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 7-8) + (see also \u015bloka 100) The meaning of the brahma g\u0101yatr\u012b must bring us to the conclusion of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. The g\u0101yatr\u012b mantra and the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam are one and the same. It is the very gist of the Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btra. \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is the elaborate commentary of g\u0101yatr\u012b. The meaning of the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantra must be in the line of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. If we analyse how this is possible, we shall uncover the steps leading the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantra to the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. What is the meaning of g\u0101yatr\u012b ? The word g\u0101yatr\u012b is a combination of two Sanskrit words: g\u0101nat (what is sung) and tr\u0101yate (gives deliverance). This means: &quot;A kind of song by which we can get our salvation, relief, emancipation.&quot; G\u0101yatr\u012b is known as veda-m\u0101t\u0101, the mother of the Vedas. And G\u0101yatr\u012b has produced the whole Veda. If we examine the Vedic conclusion from its most condensed aphorism to its most extensive expression, we shall find that it begins with o\u1e41kara: the Vedic symbol o\u1e41. That truth is expressed as the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantra, then it appears in the form of the Vedas, and then as the Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btra. Finally, the Vedic conclusion is given its fullest expression in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. Since the meaning, the purpose of Vedic knowledge progresses in this line, the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantra must contain within it the meaning of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam - that is, that the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception of Godhead is the highest. This must be the meaning of the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantra, but the problem is how to extract \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam - the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception - from within the womb of g\u0101yatr\u012b. I heard that J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given such an interpretation, but I could not find where it is written. I heard that he has given the meaning of g\u0101yatr\u012b leading to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. Anyhow, the tendency awakened in me to draw the meaning to the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception. The general meaning of g\u0101yatr\u012b is &quot;that song which grants liberation.&quot; Liberation must have some positive meaning. Liberation means not freedom from the negative side, but positive attainment. This is the definition given in \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam: muktir hitv\u0101nyath\u0101 r\u016bpa\u1e41 svar\u016bpena vyava\u1e63thi\u1e25 - unless and until we attain the highest possible positive position, real mukti, real salvation, has not been effected. Mere withdrawal from the negative plane cannot be called liberation. Hegel has said that the object of our life is self-determination. We must determine our normal function in the organic whole - not mere emancipation from the negative side, but participation in a positive function in the domain of service. This is considered to be the highest attainment of life. This is the real meaning of g\u0101yatr\u012b. The word g\u0101yatr\u012b comes from two Sanskrit roots: g\u0101nat and tr\u0101yate. Tr\u0101yate means positive attainment to the final stage (svar\u016bpena vyava\u1e63thi\u1e25). And g\u0101nat means not mere sound, but musical sound. That musical sound which grants us the highest positive deliverance indicates the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and the flute song of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The purport of the brahma-g\u0101yatr\u012b mantra is as follows: The first word is o\u1e41. O\u1e41 is the seed mantra which contains everything within it. The next word is bh\u016br. Bh\u016br is where we are - Bh\u016bloka - the world of our experience. The next word is bhuva\u1e25. Bhuvar-loka is the world of mental acquisition in the mental plane, our karmic mentality of sensual predilection. It is the support, the background of our experience. Our present position of experience is the effect of our mental acquisition. That we are here in the world of experience is not an accident; we have acquired this position by our previous karma. The physical sphere, this present world of experience, is only the product, the outcome of our previous mental impulses. And the subtle world of previous karma, the mental sphere, is known as Bhuvar-loka. The next word in the mantra is sva\u1e25. Above Bhuvar-loka is Sva-loka. The mental world (Bhuvar-loka) means acceptance and rejection: what to do and what not to do - &quot;I like this, I don&#x27;t like that.&quot; Sva-loka, however, is the plane of decision, the world of intelligence (Buddhiloka), the intellectual plane. sva\u1e25 means buddhiloka, the plane of fine decision, the choice of movement up or down, the faculty of reason. Our intelligence tells us: &quot;You may like this, but don&#x27;t do that, for then you will be the loser.&quot; That plane, the plane of reason, is known as Sva-loka. In this way, this material world is composed of three general layers, bh\u016br, the physical world, bhuva\u1e25, the mental world, and sva\u1e25, the intellectual world. Of course, a more detailed analysis will reveal seven layers: Bh\u016br, Bhuva\u1e25, Sva\u1e25, Mah\u0101, Jana, Tapa, and Satyaloka: The mundane world of seven planes, up to Satyaloka, where resides Lord Brahm\u0101, and those saints, the Four Kum\u0101ras. Then Viraj\u0101 River, equipoised verge of negative side; Then Brahm\u0101loka, equipoised verge of positive world; Then the world of reality, dedication, loving service, the soul&#x27;s nature proper in the \u015aivaloka residence. Then further to Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, Ayodhya, Dv\u0101rak\u0101, then Mathur\u0101 and finally V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47aloka. These are the planes of life in the material negative side, as explained in detail by \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b in his B\u1e5bhad-Bh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5btam. Here, these seven strata have been summarised in three planes of existence: physical, mental, and intellectual. In this way, this material world is composed of three general layers, Bh\u016br, Bhuva\u1e25, and Sva\u1e25, and these three planes of existence have been summarised and reduced to one entity, in a word, tat. The next word in the brahma-g\u0101yatr\u012b is savitur. Savitur means the sun, which illuminates all objects. The word savitur, generally means s\u016brya, the sun. And the sun means, figuratively, that which shows or illuminates; that by which we can see. The three gross and subtle strata within this world are shown to us by a particular thing, savitur. What is that? The soul. Actually, the world is not shown to us just by the sun, but by the soul also, the observer, he&#x27;s the subject. What really gives us perception and allows us to see gross things? It is not actually the sun that helps us to see; we see with the help of the soul. This is found in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, (13.34). (see \u015bloka 599). The soul reveals this world to us just as the sun does, and can show colour to our eyes, the ear can reveal the sound world, and the hand can reveal the touch world. But really in the centre is the soul. It is the soul who gives light to this world, who gives us an understanding of the environment, the world of perception. All perception is possible only because of the soul. Here, the word savitur, which generally means sun, can only mean soul, for the soul, like the sun, shows us everything. All seven strata of our existence - represented by bh\u016br, the physical plane, bhuva\u1e25, the mental plane, and sva\u1e25, the intellectual plane - have here been reduced to one entity: tat - &quot;that.&quot; &quot;That&quot; is shown by the sun, which in this context indicates the soul. Here soul means individual soul. The individual soul is the cause of his world. Not that the mind is in the world, but the world is in the mind. The Irish philosopher and Anglican bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753) has said that the world is in the mind. Here it is being expressed that everything is seen with the help of the sun. If there is no sun, everything is dark - nothing can be seen. So without light, nothing can be seen. And in a higher sense, light means the soul. The soul is the subject and the soul&#x27;s object is the seven planes of experience within this world. Bh\u016br, Bhuva\u1e25, Sva\u1e25, Mah\u0101, Jana, Tapa, and Satyaloka. The next word in the g\u0101yatr\u012b mantra is varenya\u1e41, meaning p\u016bjya: worshippable, venerable. Indicating that although within this plane, the objective world, the soul is the subject, there is another domain which is to be venerated and worshipped by the soul. Above the soul, which is more subtle than the soul, higher than the subject, is the Super-subject, Supersoul area, the abode of the super-subjective plane. That worshippable plane of transcendental existence is known as bhargo, bhargo means the super-subjective area, the area of the Supersoul. This is mentioned in the first verse of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam: dh\u0101mn\u0101 svena sad\u0101 nirasta-kuhaka\u1e41 satya\u1e41 para\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi (see \u015blokas 121 &amp; 197). \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva says that here he is going to deal with another world whose pristine glory is so great that by its own ray, all misconceptions are brushed aside. The subject is the soul, and its object is all these worlds of experience. And the super-subject is the venerable area which is superior to the subject, the soul, that is the super-subjective area. Here in this world we are presently being deceived through misunderstanding. We have entered a plane of existence where the whole world is full of misconception, falsity, and miscalculation. We are presently living in the world of m\u0101y\u0101. M\u0101y\u0101 means m\u0101-y\u0101: &quot;What is not.&quot; I am seeing something which is really something else. The domain of Supreme Truth where all m\u0101y\u0101 is dispersed. In its own pristine glory, it shows the highest goal, a higher powerful light which illuminates the soul: That worshippable plane of transcendental existence is known as bhargo. The word bhargo means &quot;more subtle than the soul,&quot; and &quot;holding a more important position than the soul.&quot; So this means the Supersoul, the Param\u0101tm\u0101. In general, of course, the word bhargo ordinarily means light. Just as an X-ray can show us what the ordinary eye cannot see, bhargo is svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti, higher, more powerful light that can reveal the soul, and that energy (bhargo) belongs to deva. Deva means &quot;who is beautiful and playful,&quot; that is \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Reality the Beautiful. He is not a non-differentiated substance, but is full of l\u012bl\u0101, pastimes. Deva means pastimes and beauty combined, and this means K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. What, then, is the inner meaning and purport of the word bhargo? bhargo vai v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nuja\u0101tma-vibhava-eka-\u0101r\u0101dhan\u0101-\u015br\u012b-p\u016bram. Bh\u0101nu means the sun, or &quot;who shows us by light.&quot; R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is the daughter of V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu. So I selected the word bh\u0101nu. To represent Her personal extended self, I have given the word vaibhava, meaning, &quot;what comes out,&quot; or &quot;extended self.&quot; Pr\u0101bhava is the central representation and vaibhava is the outer extension. The very gist of svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti is \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and the whole svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti is Her extended self. The town of Her beautiful service, that is, the country, the abode of Her beautiful service is the whole svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti. Just as rays of light extend from the sun, the whole internal potency is an extension of Mah\u0101bh\u0101va, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. She has developed Herself into such a beautiful area of brilliance, of internal energy, and thereby She serves Her Lord. All these necessary things have sprung from Her. To help Her in serving Her Lord, they all come out. When the entire internal energy is condensed in a concise form, it is Mah\u0101bh\u0101va, R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. And when R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b wants to serve, She extends Herself in limitless different ways. And with some contribution from Baladeva and Yogam\u0101y\u0101, the whole spiritual world, including V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, Mathur\u0101, and Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, evolves to assist \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in the service of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. His domain is bhargo, brilliant, and it is varenyam, to be venerated by the j\u012bva soul. The nature of the svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti is that it is the vaibhava (the extension) of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. She holds the full service responsibility and the energy to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So bhargo is no less than the vaibhava, the extended body of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, which contains everything for the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Bhargo represents Mah\u0101bh\u0101va, the Predominated Moiety, and deva, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, is Rasar\u0101ja, the Predominating Moiety. (SEOC, 156-164) Devasya - it&#x27;s His potency, the Lord of sweet pastimes, Reality the Beautiful, to be worshipped at all times. That bhargo has expanded from King V\u1e5bsabh\u0101nu&#x27;s daughter, Embodiment of Mah\u0101bh\u0101va - none other than \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. All energy, responsibility to serve Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Her domain, the loving plane of service to the centre. She knows how to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, to please Him like no other, so if we want to serve Him, we must pray to get Her order! In the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantra, we are addressed and requested, bhargo devasya dh\u012bmahi: &quot;come and meditate.&quot; What sort of meditation is possible in that plane of dedication? Culture, cultivate our veneration, worship, our service in devotion: Engagement in the positive, not abstract meditation. Not an idle, fleeting, mundane experiment, but a spiritual culture - cultivate our serving temperament. Not abstract meditation, but service cultivation, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101nu\u015bilanam. Dh\u012bmahi means &quot;to participate in the spontaneous flow, the current of devotion in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; Dh\u012bmahi means \u0101r\u0101dhana (worship), p\u016bj\u0101 (adoration), and sev\u0101 (loving service). It cannot but be explained in terms of \u0101r\u0101dhana, p\u016bj\u0101 and sev\u0101. The word dh\u012b is derived from the word buddhi, which generally means that which we cultivate with the help of our intelligence. But here, dh\u012b is a reference to that venerable intelligence which descends into this plane to help us cultivate devotional service. So dh\u012bmahi does not mean abstract meditation, but devotional service. This is the underlying, inner meaning of G\u0101yatr\u012b mantra. And what will be the result? (dhiyo yo na\u1e25 pracoday\u0101t). What is the effect? The capacity of our cultivation will be increased. As we serve, a greater capacity and willingness to serve will be given to us in remuneration - just as interest is added to capital in the bank (d\u0101sa kare vetan, more deha prema-dhan) - the more you give, the more you get desire to carry on: the more service is increased, it&#x27;s added to the treasure as interest, our willingness increases without measure. In this way, our dedicating principle will be increased again and again. G\u0101yatr\u012b, the song for deliverance, also means sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. K\u012brtana is also sung, and it also improves us towards the highest goal. The sa\u1e45k\u012brtana of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu also reinstates us in our highest serving position. So brahma g\u0101yatr\u012b in connection with \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu comes to mean sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-k\u012brtana, then it reaches V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and the flutek\u012brtana. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana the sweet sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute helps to engage all the Lord&#x27;s servants in their respective duties. When the flute is sounded, the gop\u012bs and others are adjusted in their respective duties. At night, the gop\u012bs, hearing the sound of the flute, will run to the Yamun\u0101, thinking: &quot;Oh, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is there.&quot; And when Ya\u015bod\u0101 hears the song of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute, she thinks: &quot;My son is there. He is coming home soon.&quot; In this way, the sound of the flute engages all the servants of the Lord in their respective positions and inspires them to be mindful of their service. In my Sanskrit commentary on the G\u0101yatr\u012b mantra, I have written dh\u012br \u0101r\u0101dhanam eva n\u0101nyad iti tad r\u0101dh\u0101-pada\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi. All other services are represented fully in R\u0101dhik\u0101. Like branches they are part of Her. M\u0101dhura-rasa is the chief or mukhya-rasa, the combination of all rasas. \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is Mah\u0101bhava, She represents the entire serving attitude, so our service must be to surrender ourselves in the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, to accept Her directions, Her suggestions, to obey Her orders. Such is the mature behaviour there and such a place is eternally existing. Because there should be such a happy, most ecstatic place and that is natural. That kind of quality is only possible through love. But not in any impure way. Only love is able to practically substantiate or promote that thing. Love means in other words, deep attraction, adoration, dedication, devotion and surrender. The very primary stage of that is called \u015braddh\u0101 (faith). The more that \u015braddh\u0101 is condensed or intensified, the more She takes someone in Her divine abode, the land of ecstasy. Thus, the abode of \u015ar\u012b Goloka is manifested in that family life in this world, it means that She is only discovered exclusively through \u015braddh\u0101. She is always there, but only when we remove the cover is it possible for us to see Her. In this way, the ultimate meaning of the g\u0101yatr\u012b mantra has been drawn to r\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101syam (exclusive devotional servitude to Her). Selfdetermination (svar\u016bpena vyavashiti\u1e25). In the meantime, the partial representations in v\u0101tsalya and s\u0101khya rasa are also part and parcel of the original mellow of conjugal love, m\u0101dhura rasa. The v\u0101tsalya rasa devotee will serve Nanda and Ya\u015bod\u0101, the sakhya rasa devotee will serve \u015ar\u012bd\u0101ma and Sud\u0101ma, but ultimately, the whole system in one conception is included in \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. R\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101syam, the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, is the ultimate meaning to be extracted from the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantram. That is the supreme end of our life. It cannot but be so. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute does not make any other tune except the glorification of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and that is the real meaning and gist of the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantram. (see also \u015blokas 100 &amp; 350). \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, when he was 17 years old, in 1947, joined the Mission of \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and later became his disciple. After talking with him, \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja decided within seven days that he would train him to be his successor. He accepted sanny\u0101sa from his Gurudeva on the 6th November 1985. Before \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja departed on the 12th of August, 1988, he appointed \u015ar\u012bman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja as his successor \u0100c\u0101rya and President of all the Temples and \u0101\u015bramas, with full responsibility of giving Harin\u0101ma, d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101, sanny\u0101sa, etc. \u015ar\u012bla Govinda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja recalled: &quot;You joined the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness movement in the last chapter of \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s Pastimes, therefore you did not hear actually three fourths, but what you heard was the last chapter, the final chapter. Before reading other lessons if you read the final lesson, that can sometimes be very harmful to digest. By the time the Western devotees came to \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja he could not wait and therefore he expressed his fourth lesson. g\u0101yatry-artha-viniryy\u0101sa\u1e41 g\u012bt\u0101-g\u016b\u1e0dh\u0101rtha-gaurava\u1e41. He expressed the explanation of the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantram which previously no one had done widely. I have been with \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja for many years and know his nature. Therefore, I queried humbly: &quot;Why are you expressing the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantram interpretation? We have not seen this distributed anywhere. The previous \u0100c\u0101ryas have not given it. My thought is that it is not necessary to broadcast this. Why are you giving it?&quot; \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja smiled and said: &quot;Firstly, it has come in my heart and I cannot check myself. Secondly, if I do not give it then I am thinking that nobody will be effective in giving it in the future. In the past it has not been given and if in the future it will not be given, then I must give what I have now. You may control how it is published, but I must express my heart.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla Govinda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja recalled: &quot;I heard from \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja that maybe \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b gave some essence of that g\u0101yatr\u012b explanation but \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja had not seen that. Recently I did find it given in \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s writings, but there he gives only a hint of the meaning. \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s conception is very high, and he gave that g\u0101yatr\u012b explanation in the last chapter of his life. But it is also necessary to know his previous presentation. We can receive that from his book \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Prapanna-j\u012bvan\u0101m\u1e5btam.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja reveals: g\u0101yatr\u012b mural\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da-k\u012brttana-dhana\u1e41 r\u0101dh\u0101pada\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi &quot;\u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja composed this verse, and only he is able to. I have never seen in any book from Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s time right up to \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Siddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s time the type of explanation of g\u0101yatr\u012b as given by \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. Actually, Mah\u0101prabhu is our parent, and the seeds came from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b was the actual tree, and the fruits are R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b, and others. \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is also in the line of the fruits. It is not that the persons are the fruits, but what they gave are the fruits of Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s conception. \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya S\u0101raswat Ma\u1e6dh, where sa\u1e45k\u012brttana is always going on, is inside the flute of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and from there comes this sound O\u1e41, and the explanation of g\u0101yatr\u012b has been given by \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. The flute is the specially adopted symbol of our Ma\u1e6dh but before we depicted this in the logo of our Ma\u1e6dh as our symbol, it was not to be found anywhere. Now many others also have copied this, but it first came from here, \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya S\u0101raswat Ma\u1e6dh. What is the song of the flute?&quot; mural\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da-k\u012brttana-dhana\u1e41 r\u0101dh\u0101pada\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi. &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute does not make any other tune except the glorification of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; And that is the real meaning and gist of the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantram.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(51)\",\"\u0101\u015b\u0101bharair-am\u1e5bta-sindhu-mayai\u1e25 katha\u00f1cit\",\"k\u0101lo may\u0101tigamita\u1e25 kila s\u0101mprata\u1e41 hi\",\"tva\u1e41 cet k\u1e5bpa\u1e41 mayi vidh\u0101syasi naiva ki\u1e41 me\",\"pr\u0101nair vrajema ca varoru bak\u0101rin\u0101pi?\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This \u015bloka is a direct prayer to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. It expresses a particular type of hope which is so sweet and reassuring that it is compared with an unlimited ocean of nectar. Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa says: &quot;With that hope I am somehow passing my days, flagging my days, dragging my life through these tedious times only for that hope. That hope is sustaining me, the nectarine ocean of hope is attracting me and sustaining me. Somehow, I am dragging my days to my only safety. Otherwise, I have lost the direct association of Mah\u0101prabhu, Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara and so many other great souls, and still I am living. Why? I have a particular ray of hope. And the prospect and quality of my hope is very great and high. But my patience has reached its end. I can&#x27;t endure it any longer. I can&#x27;t wait. I am finished, I can&#x27;t wait any more. At this moment if You do not show Your grace to me, I am finished. I shall lose the chance forever. I shall have no desire to continue my life. It will all be useless. Without Your grace, I can&#x27;t stand to live another moment. And V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, which is even dearer to me than my life itself-I am disgusted with it. It is painful; it is always pinching me. What to speak of anything else, I am even disgusted with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. It is shameful to utter such words, but I can have no love even for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, until and unless You take me up within Your confidential camp of service. Such a charm I have come for. I have seen the clue of such a charm within the service of Your camp. Without that, everything is tasteless to me. And I can&#x27;t maintain my existence even in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. And even K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, what to speak of others, has no charm for me.&quot; (VKA, 102) + (SGAHG, p 150) + (LSFTLS, p 97) &quot;O Queen of my heart, for a long, long time I am waiting with great patience to have Your Mercy, which is so sweet to me that I cannot avoid it. It is heart-melting, heart-attracting, heartcrushing. It is so deeply touching me - I can&#x27;t avoid Your Service Connection. Somehow, I have managed to come such a long way, to endure such a long time, but I am impatient now. Be gracious; if You are not gracious upon me, I have got no hope. I will come to the end of my patience. My life will end here. So much so, that, what shall I do with this V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana? V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is of no use to me! What is the utility of living my life? It is useless - it will end with no utility. I can&#x27;t love even V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, which is associated with the l\u012bl\u0101 of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. To say nothing of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, I can&#x27;t relish the company of even K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, without You. Without You, even K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is meaningless to me. I can&#x27;t tolerate, I can&#x27;t relish either my own life, or this environment, or even K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - if He Himself comes to grace me I can&#x27;t relish that, without Your connection. So please be gracious upon me. You are all-in-all. Without You, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is not K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. Your position is so great, so beautiful in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 - You are the centre of all the l\u012bl\u0101 of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Without You I can&#x27;t conceive of any life worth living. I utterly surrender unto You, my Queen.&quot; (This \u015bloka has given us the highest conception of our attainment in the school of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. \u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b is addressing \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, in his prayer in his, &quot;Vilapa-kusumanjali,&quot; 102) (SOTGOD, v 2, p 127) &quot;O Varoru my beautiful, most magnanimous Goddess, my heart is flooded with an ocean of nectarean hopes. I have somehow been passing time until now eagerly longing for Your grace, which is an ocean of ever cherished nectar. If still You do not bestow Your mercy on me then of what use to me are my life, the land of Vraja, or even \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a who without You, is simply a mighty hero, the destroyer of demoniac forces like Baka.&quot; (VK, 102) + (SBRBM, p 39)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(52)\",\"\u0101s\u0101 maho cara\u1e47a-renu-ju\u1e63\u0101m aham sy\u0101m\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101vane kim api gulma-latau\u1e63adh\u012bn\u0101m\",\"y\u0101 dustyaja\u1e41 svajanam \u0101rya-patha\u1e41 ca hitv\u0101\",\"bhejur mukunda-padav\u012b\u1e41 \u015brutibhir vim\u1e5bgy\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The gop\u012bs of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana have given up the association of their husbands, sons and other family members, who are very difficult to renounce, and they have sacrificed even their religious principles to take shelter of the lotus feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, which are sought after by even the Vedas. O grant me the fortune to be born as a blade of grass in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, so that I may take the dust of those great souls upon my head.&quot; (S-B, 10.47.61, Uddhava) Uddhava has shown us the high position of the gop\u012bs. And between all the gop\u012bs and \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, there is also a categorical difference. That was proved in r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101. When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the gop\u012bs openly displayed Their transaction of heart, with that divine rasa flowing, and inundating all directions, R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b was also there. She gave the highest contribution to the common r\u0101sa-vil\u0101sa display of the parak\u012bya-m\u0101dhurya-rasa, paramour mellow. Then, suddenly, dissatisfaction came in R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s heart. She began to think: &quot;Am I also counted in the common flow of rasa?&quot; Some reaction came within Her mind, and suddenly She left. After displaying her peculiar type of superexcellent dancing and singing, introducing a flow of new type there, suddenly She departed. She left the circle of the r\u0101sa dance. And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a suddenly found: &quot;R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is not here. It is tasteless.&quot; The flow of rasa was there, but the gist, the quality, is a little down. He felt: &quot;Why is it not so satisfactory to My inner heart?&quot; He felt some ebb in the tide. And then by inspection He found that R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b was absent. Disappointed, He left the circle of the r\u0101sa dance, and went to search after Her. Although the parak\u012bya-m\u0101dhurya-rasa, the highest mellow of conjugal love, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and the gop\u012bs were all there, still there is a categorical difference in quality and quantity, in every way, between the other gop\u012bs and the particular camp of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Jayadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, in his G\u012bt\u0101 Govinda (3.1) has described how K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a left the circle of the r\u0101sa dance. (SGAHG, p 151) + (TGVODL, p 157) + (see also \u015bloka 222) Uddhava says to N\u0101rada: &quot;There I have disclosed my heart fully. The quality of love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a that I found in the damsels of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is so exalted that I could not but aspire to be born in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana as a piece of grass, so that the foot-dust of those divine damsels might touch my head. So, what are you saying Deva\u1e5b\u1e63\u012b? If you would like to see real devotion, real divine love, you should go to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Don&#x27;t put us in an awkward position, saying that we possess devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; this is rather a mockery, a foundationless utterance. I found K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s real devotees in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b tries his best in B\u1e5bhad-bh\u0101gavatam\u1e5bta to take us through the path, by showing us the gradual development of devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Lord Brahm\u0101 is the ideal of karmami\u015br\u0101 bhakti (devotional service mixed with fruitive activity), and Lord \u015aiva is the ideal of j\u00f1\u0101na-mi\u015br\u0101 bhakti. He still maintains some affinity for an independent position, and not for cent per cent acceptance of service to the Supreme Lord, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. We have been directed to trace the development of \u015buddha-bhakti (pure devotional service), beginning with Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, because he is situated in \u015b\u0101nta rasa (bhakti in neutrality). Above that there is d\u0101sya rasa (bhakti in servitude), as shown by Hanum\u0101n. Above that there is sakhya rasa (bhakti in friendship), exemplified by the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas. Uddhava is somewhat sakhya, connecting with v\u0101tsalya (bhakti in parental love), and finally the gop\u012bs in madhurya (conjugal love). In this way we can trace the progressive development of devotion. Our close adherence to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a develops in this way to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. The acme of devotional service is found there. (TSFSK, p 86-7) + (see also \u015blokas 226 &amp; 515) Risk enhances the mood of love. It is a necessary part of the highest form of love: to risk socalled worldly achievement. The quest of divine love must be undertaken even at the risk of so much so-called purity of this world. That commands the highest position. Still, it should be very carefully taken. It should follow the line of humility shown by Newton, who was considered by scientists of his day to know everything. He said: &quot;I know nothing.&quot; That is the way of proper realisation: as much as one is in the midst of genuine purity, so much s\/he thinks that: &quot;I am impure.&quot; That is the nature of the infinite measurement. Because the charm is so infinite, it cannot but be estimated in that way. The more they achieve, the more they thirst, the more earnestness is found within them. This is the characteristic of realisation of the infinite. (LSFTLS, p 63) + (see also \u015bloka 298) \u015ar\u012bmad Uddhava says: &quot;Although the most exalted devotion of the gop\u012bs is only hinted at in the Vedas, I can now understand their most exalted position. O when shall I take birth as a creeper in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, so that I can take the dust of the lotus feet of the gop\u012bs upon my head? Those great souls gave up society, friendship, love, their relatives - and even the Vedic principles - to take shelter of the holy lotus feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; Here, one thing should be mentioned: parak\u012bya-bh\u0101va has a broader application. It does not only mean paramour devotion. This feeling of crossing scriptural and social rules for an &quot;unsanctioned&quot; relationship is found not only in m\u0101dhura-rasa or consorthood. Parak\u012bya literally means &quot;belonging to another.&quot; V\u0101tsalya-rasa, parental affection, and sakhya-rasa, friendship, are also infused with the sentiments of parak\u012bya. This is the method of love for those who follow r\u0101ga-m\u0101rga. In the case of Ya\u015bod\u0101, parak\u012bya takes the following form: Ya\u015bod\u0101 says: &quot;Some people say that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not my son. They say that He is Devak\u012b&#x27;s son!&quot; This feeling enhances her heart&#x27;s affection towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, for then she thinks: &quot;I could lose Him at any moment.&quot; This idea draws more intense affection towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. It increases the affection of her service. In sakhya-rasa, the sentiments of parak\u012bya are also found: &quot;Some say K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has come from Mathur\u0101 and He may again go to Mathur\u0101. He does not belong to us; He is not exclusively our friend.&quot; This apprehension also fills the minds of the cowherd boys, and they become anxious thinking: &quot;We may lose Him at any time.&quot; So that sentiment makes friendly service towards Him more intense. In this way, the whole sentiment in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is parak\u012bya. In the mood of servanthood, or d\u0101sya-rasa also, there is some sentiment like that. Devotees feel: &quot;Some say that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes from Mathur\u0101, that He is the son of Vasudeva. He is here only for a while; He is not an ordinary man like us.&quot; This idea is more or less current in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. So parak\u012bya is not only found in m\u0101dhura-rasa; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may capture all with that sentiment. But parak\u012bya is a very special thing in m\u0101dhura-rasa. Its speciality is that in m\u0101dhura-rasa it is more objectionable both to the scriptures and to society. But for the gop\u012bs it is not objectionable. In m\u0101dhura-rasa they have to cross over the directions of both the Vedas and society - they must take that great risk. But in other rasas there is only the fear that: &quot;We may not have K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a permanently, He may go away, He does not belong among us.&quot; This suspicion increases the intensity of their service. But in m\u0101dhura-rasa, they must cross the positive directions of the Veda and society. They must go against these authorities, as if to take the risk of committing sin. This is the special feature of parak\u012bya in m\u0101dhura-rasa, so there the intensity of devotion is in its highest condition. So the inspiration towards parak\u012bya (yena m\u0101\u1e41 upay\u0101nti te - \u015bloka 517) that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a discusses here with special reference to those who are ramanti, who are connected to Him in consorthood, is also present in all the servitors in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (SEOC, p 148-50) + (see also \u015bloka 516) &quot;Ignoring society and even scriptures, the gop\u012bs have given themselves up to the Absolute. They gave up their own relatives, and what is socially considered to be holy; they gave up everything for the cause of the service of the Lord. I aspire after a birth as a blade of grass or some plant in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, so that the feet-dust of the gop\u012bs easily fall on my head.&quot; So high is the position of the gop\u012bs and V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu recommended that very thing, with the added feature of distributing it to others. Giving it to others, one may have a wholesale dealing with a life so divine. All conceptions of dharma (duty), adharma (irreligion), j\u00f1\u0101na (knowledge, renunciation, liberation), etc., they are very, very low in comparison to these affairs in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Here, the heart is everything. Whoever has tenacity to follow this line has the greatest hope of success in life. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 192-3) + (see also \u015bloka 295)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(53)\",\"\u0101san var\u1e47\u0101s trayo hy asya,\",\"g\u1e5bh\u1e47ato &#x27;nuyuga\u1e41 tan\u016b\u1e25\",\"\u015buklo raktas tath\u0101 p\u012bta,\",\"id\u0101n\u012b\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47at\u0101\u1e41 gata\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In past incarnations, this boy has appeared with different complexions: white, red, and gold, according to the particular age in which He appeared. Now He has assumed this blackish colour&quot; (S-B, 10.8.13) Once, Vasudeva sent the astrologer - priest Garga \u1e5a\u1e63\u012b to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana to perform the name-giving ceremony for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. At that time, Garga \u1e5a\u1e63\u012b came to the house of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and explained that Vasudeva had sent him. He said: &quot;Your child is now a little grown up and the name-giving ceremony must be performed. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes in a white colour in Satya-yuga, red in Treta-yuga, and He also comes with a golden complexion. Now in this Dv\u0101para-yuga He has come in a black colour.&quot; So the reference to the golden colour (p\u012bta) is found here, because only that colour has been left for this present age of Kali. (TGVODL, p 3)+(see also \u015blokas 36, 258 &amp; 568)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(54)\",\"asato m\u0101 sad gamayo t\u0101maso m\u0101\",\"jyoti gamayo m\u1e5btyor m\u0101 am\u1e5bta gamayo\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I am mortal, make me eternal. I am ignorant, filled with nescience, take me to science, knowledge. And I am threatened with misery, guide me towards bliss.&quot; (B\u1e5bhad \u0100ra\u1e47yaka Upani\u1e63ad, 1st Adhyaya, 3rd Br\u0101hma\u1e47a, 23rd mantra) Actually, the first principle of any living body is to save oneself. That is the first principle, and that should be our starting point. We should begin our research work in these three phases: how to save one&#x27;s own self and save the world, how to remove darkness and attain light, and how to remove misery and taste nectar, the sweet life of eternity, knowledge, and bliss (sac-cid\u0101nandam, satyam, \u015bivam, sundaram). (TSFSK, p 32) The first principle of any living being is to live, to save oneself. That should be the starting point of our whole endeavour for progress or knowledge. In the Upani\u1e63ads we find: asato m\u0101 sad gamayo t\u0101maso m\u0101. This indicates what should be the primary tendency of our quest in three phases. First, I am transient and mortal, make me eternal. Next, I am ignorant and in nescience, take me from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light. Then, I am in sorrow and misery, guide me to \u0101nandam, joy, and a fit life there. These should be the real goals of life, and any research must begin here only. sac-cid-\u0101nandam, satyam, \u015bivam, sundaram. These should be the subject matter of our research, the line of our approach: to save oneself and save the world, to remove the darkness of ignorance and get the light of knowledge, and to remove misery and get the nectar of the sweet, sweet life. Scientific knowledge which avoids or ignores this is simply false, wild goose-chasing. (GOD, p 10) As a student of nescience you are moving in the opposite direction from truth. You are being taught that you and other souls of your type are the subjects - the centre of the universe - and everything else - is an object meant only for your exploitation. You are being taught that we are exploiters and that the entire environment is for our exploitation. That is the foundation upon which the present system of education is based - a conception which is completely false. In reality, we are not the subject, the centre of the universe. The cause is in the higher world. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Supreme Absolute Truth. Simply by His will, everything is brought into existence. He said: &quot;Let there be light,&quot; there was light; &quot;Let there be water,&quot; there was water; &quot;Let there be earth,&quot; there was earth. His will is all-powerful. To know this is real education - subjective learning. What we experience sprang up from the divine will. Just as if He were a magician, He can show one thing to you and something entirely different to me. The Supersubject, the universal subject, has such power.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(55)\",\"asat sa\u1e45ga ty\u0101ga - ei vai\u1e63\u1e47ava \u0101c\u0101ra\",\"\u015btr\u012b sa\u1e45g\u012b - eka as\u0101dhu, `k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101bhakta&#x27; \u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava should always avoid the association of ordinary people. Common people are very much materially attached, especially to women (and women to men). Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas should also avoid the company of those who are not devotees of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.87) Sometimes there may be some confusion about the relative and the absolute consideration. The absolute consideration is our own internal K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, and the relative refers to the environment. One must not be influenced by the environment of the mundane world. That does not mean s\/he won&#x27;t seek an environment of the spiritual realm. That is found through s\u0101dhusa\u1e45ga. In the spiritual plane the environment contributes much. Even R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b says that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a alone cannot satisfy Her without the environment, so She doesn&#x27;t want K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as such. For instance, in Kuruk\u1e63etra when She met K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, She wanted to take Him back to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana where Their meeting could be more intimate. The devotee also says: &quot;Only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, that is nothing to me if we do not find R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b by His side.&quot; So the environment has a great contribution to make in that realm. Everything there, every minute particle of the environment will help promote my attention towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That will be very desirable. But here in the mundane plane, just the opposite is found, the perverted reflection. Everything comes to take me away from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in this plane, and there everything pushes me towards Him. So there in the plane of dedication everything will be healthy. But in the plane of exploitation and renunciation, everything is just the opposite, taking me away from the centre, asat sa\u1e45ga. &quot;S\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga means promoting towards My cause.&quot; The mundane plane is the perverted reflection, but just above that is the real plane which is just the opposite of this. So we must not be maladjusted. (asat sa\u1e45ga ty\u0101ga, - ei vai\u1e63\u1e47ava \u0101c\u0101ra) The practises of a student of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism is only one, to renounce the environment; but that does not mean that the s\u0101dhu is eliminated also if he is found. (&#x27;str\u012b - sa\u1e45g\u012b&#x27; - eka as\u0101dhu, &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101bhakta&#x27; \u0101ra). There are two types of asat. One is str\u012b sa\u1e45g\u012b or yo\u1e63it sa\u1e45g\u012b, those who are attached to sensual pleasures. And the other is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a \u0101bhakta, one who has no attraction for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a but is engaged in other errands, bhukti k\u0101m\u012b siddhi k\u0101m\u012b, who have other desires such as for liberation or material perfection. bhukti-mukti-siddhi-k\u0101m\u012b &#x27;subuddhi&#x27; yadi haya g\u0101\u1e0dha-bhakti-yoge tabe k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ere bhajaya &quot;Due to bad association, the living entity desires material happiness, liberation, or merging into the impersonal aspect of the Lord, or they engage in mystic yoga for material power. If such a person actually becomes intelligent, they take to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness by engaging themselves in intense devotional service to Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.35) They should be eliminated. We should be careful, cautious about these two. One may be a scholar, a yogi, a ty\u0101gi, and all these things, but if s\/he is not a devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a s\/he should be eliminated.&quot; (GOD, p 25)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(56)\",\"\u0101\u015bcaryavat pa\u015byati ka\u015bcid enam,\",\"\u0101\u015bcaryavad vadati tathaiva c\u0101nya\u1e25\",\"\u0101\u015bcaryavac cainam anya\u1e25 \u015b\u1e5b\u1e47oti,\",\"\u015brutv\u0101py ena\u1e41 veda na caiva ka\u015bcit\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Some see the soul as astonishing, some describe him as astonishing, and some hear of him as astonishing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.&quot; (Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, 2.29) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the ultimate cause of all harmony, is so wonderful that simply by approaching Him, we will be charmed by His ways. He is known as Urukrama, for His strides are wonderful, unthinkable, unknown, and unknowable. There is no end to His wonders. \u0101\u015bcaryavat pa\u015byati ka\u015bcid enam \u0101\u015bcaryavad vadati tathaiva c\u0101nya\u1e25. At every step towards Him, one feels wonder. We find no end to that feeling. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is infinite; He is the wonderful wonder of wonders. As much as we search Him out, we will find no end to His wonders. (LSFTLS, p 41)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(57)\",\"\u0101s\u012bd ida\u1e41 tamo bh\u016btam,\",\"apraj\u00f1\u0101tam alak\u1e63anam\",\"apratarkyam avij\u00f1eya\u1e41,\",\"prasuptam iva sarvata\u1e25\",\"tata\u1e25 svayambhur bh\u0101gav\u0101n,\",\"avyaktavya\u1e41 jayan idam\",\"mah\u0101bhut\u0101di v\u1e5btauj\u0101\u1e25,\",\"pr\u0101dur \u0101sin tamonuda\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Just before the creative movement began, the marginal potency of the Lord was in a state of equilibrium. ta\u1e6dasth\u0101 means equilibrium: \u0101s\u012bd ida\u1e41 tamo bh\u016btam. Everything was in darkness, fully enveloped by ignorance. alak\u1e63anam means there was no possibility of any estimation; no symptoms of reality existed by which any conjecture or inference about the nature of reality would have been possible. And it was apraj\u00f1\u0101tam: science has no capacity for investigating the nature of that stage of existence. We can only say from here that it was completely immersed in deep sleep. The analogy of deep sleep may give us some conception of that period: prasuptam iva sarvatra. Material existence was as if in a sound sleep. (MS, 1.1.5-6) At that time, movement began from within the spiritual plane, and light came. Light was seen by the seers. That light was pre-existent, but at that time the seers received the vision to see light. They began to see. The first conception of this material world after light was water. The light revealed a substance like water. That primal light is compared with personality. Light means consciousness and consciousness means personality. That light, or personality, first gave birth to the onlookers - to the feelers of material existence - and then to an objective substance like water. That water is known as viraj\u0101, or causal substance. What is known in Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava vocabulary as brahmaloka - the world of consciousness - is represented by light, and viraj\u0101, or causal substance, is represented by water. The conscious world is represented by light and the first objective reality is represented as water. Then the seeds of consciousness are sown in the causal water which is the shadow of that light. Although the actual element of water was created long after this, the first conception of matter is compared to water because water is an accommodating, moving solution. The Sanskrit word for water - apa - means &quot;of lower conception.&quot; In this way, the lower creation began. Then, in connection with the seeds of consciousness and the primal water, the next production was known as mahat-tattva: the energy of consciousness represented by light, mixed with matter as a mass. When the mass of matter is infused with the energy of light-consciousness, that is known as mahat-tattva. After further development, that entity was divided into many units of aha\u1e45kara, the element of ego. mahato aha\u1e45kara. First there is aha\u1e45kara, mass ego as a whole. The element of conglomerate ego (that is to say, all the aha\u1e45kara, the &quot;mother&quot; aha\u1e45kara) is called mahat-tattva. prak\u1e5btermah\u0101n aha\u1e45kara pancatran mahatr\u0101ni. As objective substance evolves by the influence of consciousness, it expresses itself in five main ingredients: that which can be seen, smelled, heard, tasted, and touched. These five elements are the primitive principles of material existence. And that fivefold principle evolved in three phases: sattva, r\u0101ja, tama\u1e25: goodness, passion, ignorance. Expressing itself as ether, sound, hearing, and the ear; air, mass, touch, and the skin; fire, colour, vision, and the eye; water, tastes, the sense of taste, and the tongue; and earth, aroma, the sense of smell, and the nose. There are twenty-four elements. The self, three subtle elements - prak\u1e5bti, mahat-tattva, and aha\u1e45kara, five gross elements, five senses, five sense objects, five sense-gathering instruments - in this way, the development of the material world has been described to have come down through a process of subtle to gross, from consciousness to matter. Again when this material existence is withdrawn by superior will, the gross dissolves into the subtle. Beginning with the most gross, gradually the whole material existence becomes more and more subtle until it finally enters into the subtle expression of material existence known as prak\u1e5bt\u012b - the subtle causal watery substance. With the dissolution of material energy, the \u0101tm\u0101 or individual soul is absorbed in Brahman, the non-differentiated mass of consciousness. The position of the different kinds of spiritual energy has been described by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (15.16-17). (see \u015bloka 139) + (SEOC, p 24-6) This world, in the beginning, was sheer darkness of ignorance. Apraj\u00f1\u0101tam - no one could have estimated what was there. Avij\u00f1eya\u1e41 - no scientific knowledge was possible at that stage. Alak\u1e63a\u1e47am - no symptoms were to be detected. Prasuptam iva - just as in deep slumber. Then, Syamabhur Bhagav\u0101n, and in this way, it began expressing. So, it was dark before Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga came here and gave the news of that apr\u0101k\u1e5bta world - the highest world. Even it was not known to the Vedas nor even Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b. She aspired after r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101, but She could not enter. She was not given permission to enter into r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101. It is such. We are talking high things - very, very high things - I close for now. (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(58)\",\"\u0101\u015bli\u1e63ya v\u0101 p\u0101da-rat\u0101\u1e41 pina\u1e63\u1e6du m\u0101m,\",\"adar\u015ban\u0101n marma-hat\u0101\u1e41 karotu v\u0101\",\"yath\u0101 tath\u0101 v\u0101 vidadh\u0101tu lampa\u1e6do,\",\"mat-pr\u0101na-n\u0101thas tu sa eva n\u0101para\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may embrace me in love or trample me under His feet. He may break my heart by hiding Himself from me. Let that debauchee do whatever He likes, but He will always be the only Lord of my life.&quot; (S, v 8) This is the greatest medicine for the devotees. We have come to measure the immeasurable, but we must always embrace this principle. In attempting to connect ourselves with the infinite Lord of love and beauty, we must remember that He is infinite. He is only one to us, but He has many devotees like us to deal with. He may embrace us with much affection and adoration, but we must be prepared for the opposite. We may stick to His feet, but He may cruelly trample us. We have caught hold of His holy feet with great hope, with our whole heart; still we may find that He tramples us and does not care for all our attempts and affection. We may be giving our best and find that our offering is being hatefully dishonoured. He may embrace us, but at the same time we must be prepared that His dealings may be extremely cruel. He may trample all our offerings beneath His feet. We must be prepared for both His adoration and His hateful negligence. We should be prepared for any adverse circumstances. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may be indifferent. He may not care. And when He is punishing us, He is nearer, but when He is indifferent it is even more intolerable than punishment. The devotee thinks: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is ignoring me, neglecting me so much that He does not like to keep any connection with me. Doesn&#x27;t He know me? Am I a foreigner, unknown to Him?&quot; We may accept punishment as a boon, but indifference is even more heart-rending. The pain of separation felt by a devotee may even go a step higher. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may affectionately embrace another right before our eyes, in front of our face, without caring even a little for us. We may think: &quot;This is my claim, my right,&quot; but that may be given to another right in front of our faces. That will be a source of increasing trouble to us. This is the law of affection. The law of love cannot tolerate indifference. It is too much to tolerate, but we must be prepared for that. We must be prepared from the beginning that this is the meaning of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema, divine love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, because He is an autocrat. He is love. Divine love means mercy, and not justice. There is no law there. And we have selected divine love to be our highest fortune, so we must be prepared to be treated without justice. There is no justice in divine love; it is free. It may flow anywhere and everywhere. This is the very nature of divine love, so we can&#x27;t make any claim - we have no rights. This is the nature of the highest thing, and it is extremely rare. But unhesitating adherence to that principle is required from our side. It is real love, and you must be prepared for that. In all adverse circumstances, this is the real nature of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema: die to live. If you can accommodate all these different stages, good or bad, then you can enter this exalted plane. Justice is within law; mercy is above law. Prema, divine love, is also above law, but it has its own law. Another verse (see \u015bloka 559) whose meaning runs parallel to this one is given by \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. (TGVODL, p 143-5) \u0101\u015bli\u1e63ya v\u0101 p\u0101da-rat\u0101\u1e41 pina\u1e63\u1e6du m\u0101m, adar\u015ban\u0101n marma-hat\u0101\u1e41 karotu v\u0101. Our duty is to devote ourselves cent-per-cent and most intensely for Him. We are only to serve Him. And service does not mean that we must necessarily come into direct contact with Him. Remote service is also service; through His devotee it becomes tangible. We should try to serve Him through His devotees, without any expectation of any reward. We should have no desire except to serve, even without expecting to see Him once, to have His dar\u015bana. We shall only want to be utilised by Him. The little energy we have must be utilised for His cause. We are His potency, and we should prove that we belong to Him. Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;He may embrace me or reject me, or He may even be indifferent towards me. Whatever He likes He may do, but I have no alternative but to serve Him.&quot; We must adopt such an exclusive and unconditional attitude. Not that, &quot;If He doesn&#x27;t want to reciprocate according to my will, I won&#x27;t like to approach Him; so I shall join the atheists or the m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012bs. If You don&#x27;t come forward to satisfy me, then I shall seek my own way - I don&#x27;t want You!&quot; If there is any tinge of such an attitude, we are far, far away. yath\u0101 tath\u0101 v\u0101 vidadh\u0101tu lampa\u1e6do, mat-pr\u0101\u1e47a-n\u0101thas tu sa eva n\u0101para\u1e25. &quot;We have no alternative but to serve You.&quot; To search means to serve: &quot;I want to be utilised for His cause. However petty the service may be, nothing is petty when in His connection, the least connection, even from far away. He need not please me, even by giving His dar\u015bana in a lightning way. Everything depends on His will.&quot; Unconditional offering unto Him shows faith of the highest type. If our offering is conditional, we shall have to remain far from Him. The characteristic of the highest faith is absolutely unconditional: &quot;I am only to be satisfied with just the chance to serve Him from afar, through some medium; or many mediums, not only one. d\u0101sa-d\u0101sa-d\u0101s\u0101nud\u0101satvam - servant of the servant of the servant of the servant - I have His connection from afar, and my energy passes through the devotees, towards Him, towards the centre of fulfilment. Whatever my position may be, I want my connection with the greatest fulfilment of the whole world!&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 2-3) &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may warmly embrace this maidservant of His lotus feet, claiming me as His own, or He may break my heart by not appearing before me. He is wayward, and he may exploit me as He wishes, but He will always be the only Lord of my life.&quot; The acme of self-dedication is surrender to the whim of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the paramour of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (SSPJ, p 119)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(59)\",\"a\u015bocy\u0101n anva\u015bocas tva\u1e41,\",\"praj\u00f1\u0101-v\u0101d\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca bh\u0101\u1e63ase\",\"gat\u0101s\u016bn agat\u0101s\u016b\u1e41\u015b ca,\",\"n\u0101nu\u015bocanti pa\u1e47\u1e0dit\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Arjuna, you are mourning for that which is unworthy of grief, and yet speaking words of wisdom. But the wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.&quot; (B-g, 2.11) &quot;What is this? This killing and being killed? This is only material, but \u0101tm\u0101, your soul, your real self, is created for a higher plane of life. Body consideration, good-bad, in body consideration, in the plane of exploitation - all false. This is all false. You will have to give it up wholesale! And then you will awaken in the kingdom of soul.&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 5) + (see also \u015bloka 237)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(60)\",\"\u0101\u015braya laiy\u0101 bhaje t\u0101\u1e45re k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101hi tyaje\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If one can get a bona fide guardian, his future is ensured.&quot; (Narottama \u1e6ch\u0101kur) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a cannot very easily dismiss the guardian, because the guardian has a solid position in the Lord&#x27;s relationship; so if I enter into the domain of my guardian&#x27;s care, my position will be ensured. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 83) + (see \u015bloka 46)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(61)\",\"asvatantra iva dvija\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O My dear br\u0101hma\u1e47a, I am subordinate to My devotee, and therefore I am like one who has no independence. The s\u0101dhu devotees have captured My heart. And not to speak of My devotees, those who are devoted to My devotees are also dear to Me.&quot; (S-B, 9.4.63) + (SSPJ, p 171) + (SOTGOD , v 1, p 133, 161 + SOTGOD v 2, p 95) + (LSFTLS, p 57) + (TGVODL, p 151) + (see \u015bloka 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(62)\",\"ataeva k\u0101ma-preme bahuta antara\",\"k\u0101ma--andhatama\u1e25, prema--nirmmala bh\u0101skara\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;There is a gulf of difference between lust and love; lust is dense darkness, love is the brightest sun.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 4.171) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 104) (see also \u015blokas 220, 375 &amp; 420)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(63)\",\"ata\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101m\u0101di\",\"na bhaved gr\u0101hyam indriyai\u1e25\",\"sevonmukhe hi jihv\u0101dau\",\"svayam eva sphuraty ada\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"There are many sayings in the scriptures to encourage our realisation of the Holy Name in different ways, but \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given us a central thought. He quotes from the Padma Pur\u0101\u1e47a: ata\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101m\u0101di na bhaved gr\u0101hyam indriyai\u1e25. Our senses, physical or mental, are ineligible to come in touch with the transcendental. The Name is nonmaterial (aprak\u1e5bta), without mundane limitation (vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha). It belongs to another plane. So, nothing about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, His Name, Form, Qualities, or Pastimes can be touched by our physical or mental senses. But when we have a serving attitude, He comes down to us of His own accord. Only then can our tongue really pronounce the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Otherwise, only the physical sound of the letters of the Name can be produced. Our tongue, our hands, physical sound, all these mundane things cannot come in touch with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Some intervening medium is necessary to connect this body with the supramundane. And that connection is our earnest desire to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, to satisfy Him. A bulb won&#x27;t light if there is no electricity. Only when the electrical current is there will the bulb be illumined. So, the name may appear on the tongue and in the ear, in the mind, or in writing, but we must have a connection from Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha to this mundane world. And that connection is devotional service, a functional serving attitude. That alone can connect the physical realm with Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha and V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will appear of His own accord. He will descend upon your tongue, and then your tongue will be able to chant the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. A gun that has no bullet, but only a blank, may make some sound, but no bullet is actually fired. Similarly, chanting the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a without an attitude of service produces a sound, but that is only tongue deep. It is like firing a gun with blanks instead of bullets. Our chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a must be surcharged with a serving temperament, the tendency to satisfy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Otherwise the sound we produce is bogus. It is only an imitation, or a permutation. The Holy Name cannot be experienced by our senses. It is supramental and transcendental. An ordinary sound of this mundane world cannot be the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Our ear cannot even hear the Name if that mediator, the serving attitude, is not there. The earnestness to satisfy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s will must mediate between K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the ear, through the mind. Then only will K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Name enter our ear and reveal to us His Form, Qualities, and Pastimes. The Holy Name is not physical, it is aprak\u1e5bta, transcendental, supramundane. Only through our service attitude will it come down to this mundane world. Our guru mah\u0101r\u0101ja laid the highest stress on developing a serving attitude. Otherwise it is all bogus, all imitation. And people will say: &quot;Oh, there is no K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a there. These men are all hypocrites. They are only dancing and making noise, they are not surcharged with a serving spirit.&quot; Only through service can we directly come in contact with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The real point is to practice how to attain the spirit of service, vai\u1e63\u1e47ava sev\u0101. The Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is doing service, and we must imbibe from him, or her, the methods of attaining this serving attitude. Under the order of a devotee we must practice to give ourselves. Self-abnegation and selfdedication are necessary. And that positive thing we will receive from a devotee. If children are given pen and paper in the beginning, it will not be fruitful, so a stone is given, and on the earth they practice writing. So, in the beginning, we must try to practice how we can develop a serving attitude, dedicating habit. It is our innate wealth, and that is our solace. If we try to develop a serving attitude, the pure devotee will help us. It is said that if one is miserly, s\/he should at least give some trash to anyone. One says to a miser: &quot;At least give some ash to others and practice your hand to give.&quot; So, the serving spirit is a high thing. We must practice to give ourselves in the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We must not be afraid that we are not attaining the highest form of service in n\u0101mabhajan, the worship of the Holy Name. We should not think: &quot;Why have I been asked to sweep the temple? An ordinary man can do this.&quot; We must not be afraid of that. It is necessary for us to acquire a service attitude. Self-giving, selflessness, and self-forgetfulness are required. It is said that Socrates is an example of self-forgetfulness and Jesus Christ is an example of self-sacrifice. And for what purpose? For the cause of the Supreme. And for that we must have a positive connection with a devotee. Under his order we will connect with the plane of service. Our energy may go to the transcendental plane only by his grace or mediation. So, our guru mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, laid ninety percent stress on developing a service attitude for preaching, and that should be our aim, whatever our position may be. (PP) + (B.r.s, 1.2.234 &amp; 2.109) + (TSFSK, p 114-6) + (see also \u015bloka 313) Simply the external sound of the name is not the real name. The most important thing is the spiritual realisation backing the name - that is the real name. Otherwise, a tape recorder can produce that Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Even a parrot can pronounce the name - but the physical sound is not the thing itself. In the background there must be spiritual truth, which is conscious. That super-knowledge is beyond the knowledge of this mundane plane. This is understanding is confirmed by \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b Prabhu in this verse. ata\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101m\u0101di. He says that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Name, Form, Qualities, and Eternal Associates - everything about Him is not mundane, but purely spiritual. It cannot be perceived by our gross senses. Simply by vibrating the sound K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, our tongues cannot produce K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, our noses cannot catch the transcendental fragrance of His body, our eyes cannot have a vision of His beautiful figure which is supramental. This is true not only for our physical senses, but for the mind also. Our minds cannot conceive of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He is transcendental and supramental. His existence transcends all the knowledge in our possession. We cannot be the subject and make K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a our object. He is the subject. He exists beyond both the \u0101tm\u0101 and param\u0101tm\u0101. We should never forget that. We should always be mindful of the plane in which He exists. As finite souls we are ta\u1e6dasth\u0101 j\u012bvas - the marginal potency of the Lord. The tiny soul can think and know only those things which are more gross than himself. But in trying to know that which is more subtle than himself, he is helpless. A connection with that higher spiritual realm is only possible when the higher area wants to bring the lower up into that plane. Therefore, to understand Him is possible only through surrender. (sevonmukhe hi jihv\u0101dau). (LSFTLS, p 86-7) S\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma. The Holy Name must be taken with the attitude of service to the saints. Serving means die to live; to throw oneself wholesale for the higher existence. Mr Gandhi risked his whole life at every point of action. His attitude was: &quot;Whatever I told to others, I am to maintain that throughout the whole of my life.&quot; What am I taking the Name for? To have some fame as a s\u0101dhu? No! That should not be our objective. kanak, k\u0101min\u012b, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 - not for money, not to attract women, and never to attract popularity. Rather, I should be ready to sacrifice myself for whom I am serving, for whom I am taking the Name. It is not a limited thing, but complete surrender, then the whole thing is guaranteed. My pursuit, my attempt should be backed by my whole energy, whole prospect and everything. This is the attitude I should have to search for a drop of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha nectar. Otherwise our effort will be useless. Die to live means sacrifice or sev\u0101 (service). Sev\u0101 means death. Sev\u0101 means to give one&#x27;s own self for a particular cause, for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That this mad, mundane concocted self should be saved is not a very laudable thing. It is a mortal thing, and the depot of many reactions. So one should get rid of this centre as soon as possible, and enter into the land of confidence, goodness, fairness, and sweetness. Try to enter that land with a sincere and wholesome attitude. Your campaign must be wholesome not partial. Taking one step forward and three steps back won&#x27;t do. There should be no such hesitation. You are finite and you want to get the advantage of the infinite? You are so small, and do you think that by sacrificing only a part of your smallness your aspiration for the whole can be fulfilled? Is it reasonable to expect such? No, it is not so easy. ata\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101m\u0101di na bhaved gr\u0101hyam indriyai\u1e25. If only our superficial senses are engaged in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a cultivation, as if it is nothing, then you cannot produce the Name, but only mundane sound, sevonmukhe hi jihv\u0101dau svayam eva sphuraty ada\u1e25. Your tongue can produce mundane sound, but that is not K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. For the Name to be K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has to come down. Don&#x27;t be selfdeceptive, thinking that, &quot;Taking the Name, I am a great s\u0101dhu.&quot; It is not like that. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has come down to you in the form of sound and He is spiritual, transcendental. So sev\u0101 mukhe or your complete surrender to Him will attract Him, and He graciously descends to save you by His Name. In your arcana, in performing your duties, at every step He will come when you are giving yourself to Him, then He will accept you. He will come and embrace you. He&#x27;ll be within you and without you, everywhere. But only those whose eyes are clear, and are not captured by any prejudice from selfish end or ordinary things can see Him. Those who are not captivated by any prejudice, in whom all prejudice is cleared, can directly see the highest power or highest principle, underlying all. (GOD, p 19-20) Without s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga we cannot connect with the higher level. Therefore even chanting the Name may not be Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha-N\u0101ma. ata\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101m\u0101di So the universal necessity is to learn and acquire a serving attitude, and if that is applied to N\u0101ma-bhajan, or any bhajan, that will be of great help to you. Jihva means the tongue, and n\u0101m\u0101di means the n\u0101ma, r\u016bpa, gu\u1e47a, and l\u012bl\u0101. On the tongue the Lord&#x27;s Name (n\u0101ma) will appear; within the eye, His form (r\u016bpa); within the mind, His qualities (gu\u1e47a); and in the heart, His pastimes (l\u012bl\u0101): all these will come down to you, and everything about you will connect with that Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha-tattva. So it is not just a question of increasing the quantity, but the quality must be present. To be real bhakti, sevonmukha and sev\u0101 presupposes surrender, and all this presupposes s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e47ga. It all originates from the association of a s\u0101dhu. From the positive direction it can come to us, so we must be thankful to that positive source. The Lord is there, but His grace is coming through His agents. So His agents should be welcomed and dealt with properly. (SGD, SGPI, p 14) So, this ordinary name, this superficial, this m\u0101y\u012bc name and that Name has got great difference. That Name is one and the same with Him, and that comes down to our level. We cannot chant it by dint of our tongue or lip. Not lip-deep, but heart-deep. And beyond heart also it reaches to the land of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes here; the Name K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, He comes through the heart on the tongue - that is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-N\u0101ma. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, in the form of sound, He is coming down from the transcendental world into my heart, and from my heart, controlling all my nervous system, He is coming to the lip and dancing here. That is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-N\u0101ma; the initiative is in the transcendental world, and not produced from the physical plane. Spiritual sound has to, reality has to come down to this plane. He can come down, but we cannot go up there easily. He is super-subject, and we are object to Him. So, we cannot interfere with His independence; only by the negative, by our attraction, by our surrender we can attract Him to come down to our level. ata\u1e25 \u015br\u012bk\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101m\u0101di na bhaved gr\u0101hyam indriyai\u1e25. &quot;It is not a production of our senses. When we are with a very intense serving attitude, He Himself comes down attracted by our serving nature, which is out of His grace.&quot; And then He can influence this element and produce sound, and there is dancing there. That is the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha-N\u0101ma, the real Name. We cannot produce it. Our sound of our production, physical or mental production, that is not He. He is separate, and He can come everywhere, in any form, in any plane, controlling them. (see \u015bloka 23 &amp; 145) (SVT, v 2, # 1, Jan - Feb. &#x27;93, p 18)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(64)\",\"atha ni\u1e25sattv\u0101\u1e25nisarga-picchila-sv\u0101nte,\",\"tad abhy\u0101sa-pare &#x27;pi ca\",\"sattv\u0101bh\u0101sa\u1e41 vin\u0101pi syu\u1e25,\",\"kv\u0101py a\u015bru-pulak\u0101daya\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Whenever shedding tears, horripilation, etc, are seen in persons whose hearts are soft externally and hard internally, and who are habituated to crying, rapture, etc, even though they do not possess a semblance of divine emotion - such an imitative sentiment should be known as totally unsubstantial and lifeless.&quot; (B.r.s. Daksina, 3.89) Our own experience should not be easily relied upon, such as thinking: &quot;This is God, this is my conception - I have a touch of God.&quot; There was a B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b who was thought by many to be a great devotee. Whenever he took the Name, he shed incessant tears. Liquid also oozed from his nose, and he was seen to be in some abnormal meditating position. On either side of him his attendants would be constantly cleansing his tears and face with napkins, as he madly chanted the Name. Some atheistic persons considered that he was displaying religious fanaticism, while common people who had some simple faith in God estimated him to be a very high-class devotee. But our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura Prabhup\u0101da, rejected him and his antics as devoid of proper God conception. Mental imitation of devotion is possible, even without a tinge of pure devotion. In a drama also we may find a man who is fully drunk playing the part of a devotee, shedding tears and dancing madly as if he is a great devotee. By practising, one can show many feats as though he were a real devotee. Merely the display of some peculiar external characteristics does not prove the presence of pure devotion. Real devotion is sudurllabh\u0101, a very, very rare achievement. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(65)\",\"ath\u0101pi te deva pad\u0101mbhuja-dvaya-pras\u0101da-le\u015b\u0101nug\u1e5bh\u012bta eva hi\",\"j\u0101n\u0101ti tattva\u1e41 bhagavan-mahimno na c\u0101nya eko &#x27;pi cira\u1e41 vicinvan\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"(After Lord Brahm\u0101 was defeated by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a when he stole the calves and cowherd boys in order to test K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, he prayed to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a): &quot;My Lord! If one is favoured by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your Personality. But those who speculate in order to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years.&quot; (S-B, 10.14.29) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 6.84) &quot;Only one who is blessed with the mercy of the Lord can know His true nature. On the other hand, those who try empirically to understand His inconceivable glories can study and speculate forever without arriving at the proper conclusion.&quot; Here, through Bh\u0101gavatam, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tells us: &quot;You may devote yourself for eternity in an erroneous direction, with no possibility of coming to the end of understanding. But if you try to approach the Absolute Centre, then in no time you will be able to know what is what.&quot; That is the direction given by the Upani\u1e63ads and \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, that is the direction we must take, and that is devotion. It is so satisfying that once you have attained it, you won&#x27;t care to know any other thing. We need only concentrate on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s service. (LSFTLS, p 68-69) + (see \u015bloka 206) S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya (who was the greatest scholar of the day) argued that \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva could not have been an incarnation. Gop\u012bn\u0101tha \u0100c\u0101rya told him: &quot;You do not know the \u015b\u0101stra.&quot; &quot;No, no,&quot; S\u0101rvabhauma said: &quot;In the scriptures it is mentioned that the Lord doesn&#x27;t appear in Kali-yuga, but only in three ages and is therefore known as Triyuga.&quot; Gop\u012bn\u0101tha \u0100c\u0101rya replied: &quot;You think that you know so much about \u015b\u0101stra, but in the \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam (see \u015blokas 36, 53 &amp; 258) and Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata (see \u015bloka 488) there is a direct mention of the avat\u0101ra of Kali-yuga (see also \u015blokas 32, 74, 128, 372, &amp; 568). Have you no knowledge, no recognition of that?&quot; Then S\u0101rvabhauma apparently defeated, said: &quot;You go and take pras\u0101dam, and afterwards come and teach me.&quot; Then Gop\u012bn\u0101tha said: &quot;Not by the dint of one&#x27;s study or intelligence can one understand God, but only through His grace.&quot; (ath\u0101pi te deva pad\u0101mbhuja-dvaya-pras\u0101da-le\u015b\u0101nug\u1e5bh\u012bta eva hi) (SGAHG, p 90) + (see also \u015blokas 3 &amp; 206)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(66)\",\"ath\u0101to brahma-jij\u00f1\u0101s\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In his Uttara-m\u012bm\u0101\u1e41s\u0101 of the Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btra, Vedavy\u0101sa wrote this. \u015ar\u012b \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya says that in relation to this aphorism ath\u0101to -means anantaram - &#x27;after this.&#x27; After what? &quot;After one has attained \u015bama, dama, titik\u1e63\u0101; all these qualifications, one who has qualities such as having controlled his senses and his mental speculations (\u015bama, dama), having a very tolerant and persevering spirit (titik\u1e63\u0101), and so on, he will come to study this book. After he has acquired a certain grade in such qualities, he will come to study this. It is not for the ordinary people who will misunderstand, misinterpret and mutilate it thus creating trouble in society.&quot; So for the benefit of society \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya says that only such persons will come, and they will gain a clear and proper understanding. They will then preach that to the public in particular instalments and all will be benefited thereby. R\u0101m\u0101nuja says: &quot;No, ath\u0101to does mean that. ath\u0101to means, &#x27;after finishing the p\u016brvva-m\u012bm\u0101\u1e41s\u0101 of Jaimini.&#x27; There is p\u016brvva-m\u012bm\u0101\u1e41s\u0101 (primary teaching) and uttara-m\u012bm\u0101\u1e41s\u0101 (higher teaching). So, after one has finished the course of p\u016brvva-m\u012bm\u0101\u1e41s\u0101, that is, ni\u1e63k\u0101ma var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama-dharma, he will then come to understand the study of this uttara-m\u012bm\u0101\u1e41s\u0101. When he has finished successfully the karm\u0101dhik\u0101ra he will come to enter into j\u00f1\u0101n\u0101dhik\u0101ra and that will be beneficial to him.&quot; This is R\u0101m\u0101nuja&#x27;s opinion. And Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a says: &quot;Whoever he may be, whether a karm\u012b or j\u00f1\u0101n\u012b, ath\u0101 means he must have sat-sa\u1e45ga, s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga. From any position, if he can get the association of a proper s\u0101dhu, he is qualified to study this book and he will understand the real meaning.&quot; So everywhere there is consideration of adhik\u0101r - that is, yogyat\u0101, or &#x27;fitness.&#x27; He must acquire the standard of qualification, then he will come to tackle the particular plane, and he must have healthy association. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 17-8) (see also \u015blokas 360 &amp; 588) Our necessity is to find how that inner thirst can be quenched. Our feeling should be: &quot;The world is here and I am here, but I am unsatisfied. How can my inner self be satisfied?&quot; We are in want, therefore by what process can this want be removed? For the present we have this fleshy body, but to know anything and everything about the body - about the bones, nervous system, blood, etc., - is all unnecessary. To know about the composition of the blood, etc., is just unnecessary detail. Our enquiry should be regulated in this way: &quot;Who am I, and why am I troubled? I do not know how to rid myself of these problems.&quot; This is the general question and we are to be concerned with that. ath\u0101to brahma-jij\u00f1\u0101s\u0101. &quot;From where have I come? How am I living, and what is my future?&quot; These are the main questions that should concern us, and we must concentrate the whole of our energy to find the solution. This does not apply just to one person - myself - but this is the concern of all creation. To seek the source of everything is the nature of proper enquiry, but to enquire after this and that and so many hundreds of things is simply a waste of energy. The \u015b\u0101stric (scriptural) enquiry has been couched in such a way: &quot;From where have I come? What sustains me? What is my future? Why am I uneasy, and how can I acquire my inner fulfilment?&quot; All enquiry should follow this standard way, otherwise there is some disease of enquiry. More and more curiosity may arise without end, therefore we must learn how to question, how to enquire, and in that way our energy will have some value and won&#x27;t be wasted. Enquiry is bona fide when it is directed towards how to fulfil the real goal, therefore we are to save our energy and regulate it in the proper channel. (HC, p 18-9) + (see \u015bloka 418)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(67)\",\"athav\u0101 bahunaitena,\",\"ki\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101tena tav\u0101rjjuna\",\"vi\u1e63\u1e6dabhy\u0101ham ida\u1e41 k\u1e5btsnam\",\"ek\u0101\u1e41\u015bena sthito jagat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;But Arjuna, what is the need of your understanding this elaborate knowledge of My almighty grandeur? By My fractional expansion as the Supreme Soul of material nature, Mah\u0101-Vi\u1e63\u1e47u (K\u0101ra\u1e47\u0101r\u1e47ava\u015b\u0101y\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u), I remain supporting this entire universe of moving and stationary beings.&quot; (B-g, 10.42) &quot;Arjuna, the infinite of your conception is in My one negligible part. I am so great that the infinite of your conception is contained in only a fraction of Me.&quot; Then what is our chance of approaching Him? We may think: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is only a reflection of a picture in my mind. There is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The whole forms His one part, and I am approaching Him? My only solace will be that I am going through His agent. He has sent His agent to recruit me, and that is my hope. He has sent His men to recruit me. He&#x27;s so kind and benevolent, and that will be my hope. I must be thankful for that, and not be a traitor to His agent.&quot; We must be cautious to see that we do not play treachery with His agent for thereby we play treachery against ourselves. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 178) Only faith can give some connection. Our reason and all our other &#x27;weapons&#x27; must come to failure. Only faith can somewhat connect us, give us some touch. How spacious is the faith we can accommodate in our tiny selves? In the infinite, we shall have to accommodate infinite possibilities. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;In your conception of infinite, thousands of infinite forms are only a negligible part of Me.&quot; athav\u0101 bahunaitena, ki\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101tena tav\u0101rjjuna. You cannot imagine a connection with Him - it is only possible by His Grace. Then, the question is, how to get His Grace? Total surrender and attempt to please Him; to enter into His sympathy by fully inviting and accepting His ways, in whatever meagre we can know to do so. We must approach Him through His bona fide devotees. They are our wealth and ultimate resort. His devotees, His agents, are our shelter. We should only try our utmost to connect with His bona fide agents. To attain the infinite is to make the impossible possible. Being finite, we aspire after a connection with the infinite. Apparently, it is impossible. Yet, it is possible, and only possible through our most humbled attitude; to directly admit that we are nothing, we are so mean. We are so mean, so small, so negligible, so meagre. When we come to realise our proper position, the law of relativity will take us to Him. He will come, out of mercy. (SCS, p 43) + (see \u015bloka 553)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(68)\",\"\u0101tma bh\u016by\u0101ya ca kalpate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My devotee belongs to Me.&quot; (S-B, 11.29.34) + (SEOC, p 130) (within \u015bloka 42 + see \u015bloka 289 &amp; 521)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(69)\",\"\u0101tma nivedana dainya ghuc\u0101o ja\u00f1j\u0101l\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"What is surrender? What is that, &quot;die to live,&quot; by which we can live properly? That surrender: that is the basis! Wholesale is the degree of surrender we are after. The degree of surrender: that is the basis to get all these things. &quot;Give and you will get.&quot; Give and get. You are to give, as a proper gift, not only ordinary, useless things, but the most precious! Wholesale! You are to give yourself wholesale! Hegel&#x27;s words are very good here: &quot;Die to live.&quot; \u0101tma nivedana dainya ghuc\u0101o ja\u00f1j\u0101l. Difficulties are coming, but, the only way to do away with them is to give yourself more and more and more - there lies the solution! Difficulties are coming and what is the cure for that? Give more; learn to give more. Individuality is also there; but, it is on the surrendered plane. To die in the physical sense is nothing. (C-c) + (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 8) + (see \u015bloka 429)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(70)\",\"\u0101tm\u0101 parij\u00f1\u0101na-mayo viv\u0101do,\",\"hy ast\u012bti n\u0101st\u012bti bhid\u0101rtha-ni\u1e63\u1e6dha\u1e25\",\"vyartho &#x27;pi naivoparameta pu\u1e41s\u0101\u1e41,\",\"matta\u1e25 par\u0101v\u1e5btta-dhiy\u0101\u1e41 sva-lok\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"One party says:&quot;God exists!&quot; The other says:&quot;God does not exist!&quot; \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam says that the \u0101tm\u0101 is self effulgent, but still we find that one class of men say, &quot;He exists, we see Him, He can be seen,&quot; and another says: &quot;He has never existed.&quot; This quarrel has no end because one of the parties hasn&#x27;t got the eye to see what is self-evident. This quarrel is a useless waste of time, but still it will never stop; it will continue forever. (S-B, 11.22.34) Why? Because there are those who have the eyes to see God and those who have no eyes to see Him or their own self. One of these classes of men have deviated from God consciousness. There is a barrier between them and God consciousness, between them and self consciousness. So the disagreement will only continue on account of their ignorance. This misconception will continue for those who deny the existence of both the soul and the Supreme Soul. Those who have eyes to see will say: &quot;The sun exists; here is the sun.&quot; And those who have no eyes will say: &quot;No, no, there is no sun.&quot; This argument will continue forever, but that does not mean that the sun is not existing. It can show itself. For those who have direct experience, however, there is no question: it exists! But for the owl section who cannot admit the existence of the sun, the sun does not exist. It is something like that. Our own realisation of a thing will be the greatest proof of its existence. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura gave an analogy in this connection. A boy is born in a dungeon, a dark prisonhouse. And he grows up there without any experience of sunlight. One of his friends from outside the prison would come and visit him. One day, the boy&#x27;s friend said: &quot;Let us go and see the sun. Come with me, I shall show you.&quot; The boy replied: &quot;Yes, I shall go,&quot; And he began to take a lantern with him. His friend remarked: &quot;It is not necessary to take the lantern to see the sun.&quot; The boy said: &quot;What do you say! Do you think that I am a fool? Can anything be seen without the help of a lantern? I am not a fool!&quot; Then his friend forcibly took him by the hand into the sunlight and showed him the sun. The boy said: &quot;Oh, this is the sun! By its own light everything can be seen.&quot; The soul is like that. God is like that. He is seen by His own light, and it is only by His light that we can see anything. He is self-effulgent. By His own light He can show Himself to others. He is the source of all knowledge. This is the proper conception of Godhead. He is automatically existing. He cannot be seen by our knowledge, just as the sun cannot be seen by the help of any other light. It is not necessary that we try to acquire God consciousness through intellect or knowledge. Knowledge of God is independent. It can come and go of its own accord. And if He comes to me, everything comes to me. But nothing can force Him to come within our vision. The sun cannot be taken into your dungeon, but you have to go to the sun and see things by its grace; in the same way, the Lord is self-effulgent. He can be seen only by His own light. (LSFTLS, p 74-5) + (see also \u015bloka 206)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(71)\",\"\u0101tm\u0101r\u0101m\u0101\u015b ca munayo,\",\"nirgranth\u0101 apy urukrame\",\"kurvanty ahaituk\u012b\u1e41 bhaktim,\",\"ittham-bh\u016bta gu\u1e47o hari\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Those sages who, being merged in the bliss of the spirit soul, are totally free from the binding knot of mental images - they too engage in the unmotivated service of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the performer of marvellous deeds. This is but one of the qualities of the Supreme Lord Hari, who charms the entire world.&quot; (S-B, 1.7.10) +(SSPJ, p 176) &quot;\u0100tm\u0101 means self, and \u0101r\u0101ma means to take pleasure. Even the liberated souls fully satisfied in the self are irresistibly attracted by the superexcellent qualities of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and surrender to Him with unalloyed devotion.&quot; After Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita accepted sanny\u0101sa and became known as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, He went to live in Jagann\u0101tha Pur\u012b. There He philosophically defeated and converted one of the greatest scholars of the day, S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya, who was the brother-in-law of one of His followers, known as Gop\u012bn\u0101tha \u0100c\u0101rya. After meeting \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, the great scholar S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya questioned Gop\u012bn\u0101tha \u0100c\u0101rya about the avat\u0101ra of the present age Kali-yuga. (see \u015blokas 109, 258 &amp; 488) Later, S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya told \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;I would like to teach You Ved\u0101nta philosophy, so that You can keep up the standard of Your renunciation. I will teach You that this world is nothing, so that You never feel any charm to again enter into mundane life.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Yes, you are My guardian. Whatever you say, I must do. I will come and learn Ved\u0101nta philosophy from you at whatever time is suitable for you.&quot; Then Gop\u012bn\u0101tha \u0100c\u0101rya told \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;S\u0101rvabhauma is saying this because he doesn&#x27;t know Your real identity.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu replied: &quot;Why are you speaking against him? He is My guardian. He was My father&#x27;s classmate, so he has great affection for Me. It is out of great affection that he poses himself as My guardian and looks after My welfare. I don&#x27;t find any fault in that.&quot; In a few days, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu began to hear Ved\u0101nta from S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya, and as S\u0101rvabhauma would speak, He would remain silent like a good boy, as if He were hearing with a submissive attitude. S\u0101rvabhauma tried his level best to establish the impersonal doctrine of \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya, which is in direct opposition to the conclusions of pure dedication. He used the most deceitful means in the art of word jugglery and tried to pervert the sense of the words. But after he had been teaching \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu for seven days, S\u0101rvabhauma had some doubt in his mind. He thought: &quot;What is the matter? I am such a great scholar in Ved\u0101nta and logic, and I am trying my best with all my intelligence to put before Him the inner meaning of Ved\u0101nta, but I withdraw no response from Him. He is only quietly attending my discourse as if He is deaf and dumb. And I can&#x27;t say that He does not understand me, for He has a sharp intellect. I am sure of this, but still He gives no appreciation, no response whatsoever. He raises no question and gives no indication whether He understands or not, nothing of the kind. Then what am I doing?&quot; He could not keep it to himself any longer. He put the question straight to the Lord: &quot;For more than seven days I have been explaining the inner meaning of Ved\u0101nta to You. Many sanny\u0101s\u012bs come to me to learn about Ved\u0101nta, but You don&#x27;t have any question about my talk, my explanation? You maintain a strange and wonderful silence. What is the reason?&quot; Then, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu revealed Himself. He said: &quot;S\u0101rvabhauma, what you explain is on the basis of \u015aa\u1e45kara&#x27;s philosophy known as vivartav\u0101d and is practised by followers in the ascending method of understanding, and who are interested in their external self-adoration. Such worship is the product of a demoniac intellect and backed by atheistic perseverance. But I heard that it was by the order of the Lord that \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya concealed the real purpose of Ved\u0101nta. Its author, Vy\u0101sadeva, is a completely theistic person, and he has prepared this Ved\u0101nta, but what you say is all based on atheistic scholarship.&quot; S\u0101rvabhauma idly heckled the arguments or assertions of the Lord without attempting to prove the opposite side, and he tried to find the weak points in the Lord&#x27;s arguments. However, because S\u0101rvabhauma was a very intelligent man he realised: &quot;In a very gentle way, He wants to tell me that what I am explaining is all bogus. I am labouring diligently to explain Ved\u0101nta to my utmost capacity for the last seven days, and now He shows His true colours and says that what I am explaining is all false. What is He saying?&quot; Still, in a gentlemanly way, with some hesitation, S\u0101rvabhauma asked \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;You say that what I have been explaining for the last seven days is all unsubstantial and unreal. Then can You give the proper meaning? If this is all improper and false, then what is the real meaning of Ved\u0101nta ?&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu humbly replied: &quot;If you order Me to explain Ved\u0101nta, I will try. The s\u016btras or codes of Ved\u0101nta are lustrous in themselves. They are self-evident. The proper reading of the s\u016btras lead towards Parabrahman, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu began with this introduction. He said that \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is the real explanation and commentary on Ved\u0101nta. It is mentioned in the Garu\u1e0da Pur\u0101\u1e47a and Hari-Bhakti-Vil\u0101sa, (10.394): &quot;\u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam represents the real purport of Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btra. And although it is very difficult to draw out the real purpose of the one hundred thousand verse epic Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata, the great history of the world, \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam has come to give its real meaning. The mother of all Vedic knowledge is the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantra. \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam gives the gist of g\u0101yatr\u012b in a very fullfledged way. And the supplementary truths of the Vedas are also found within \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 50) &quot;Therefore, Ved\u0101nta must be explained in the line of the truth which has been expressed in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. Only then can the real meaning be understood.&quot; When \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu mentioned \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, S\u0101rvabhauma, being a learned pa\u1e47\u1e0dita could not deny its validity. He said: &quot;Yes, I also like \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. And I especially like one very beautiful verse.&quot; At that time, S\u0101rvabhauma, to regain his lost prestige, began to explain this \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101m\u0101\u015b ca munayo verse of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam: (1.7.10). &quot;Even the liberated souls fully satisfied in the self are irresistibly attracted by the superexcellent qualities of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and surrender to Him with unalloyed devotion.&quot; S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya explained this verse in nine different ways to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who, as before, sat silently hearing. After he had finished his explanation, S\u0101rvabhauma thought that he had regained his lost position to a certain extent. Still, as a courtesy, he asked \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Are You satisfied with this explanation? If You can give any more light to this verse, I will listen to that.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu told him: &quot;If you order Me, I may try.&quot; Then He gave eighteen different types of explanations of that verse, leaving aside the nine already given by S\u0101rvabhauma. At that time, while listening to the explanation of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, S\u0101rvabhauma gradually saw that he was losing his position. His pride was finished. Astounded, he thought: &quot;This youth, this young boy, is not an ordinary person. No ordinary intellect can refute my arguments. Leaving aside all of my attempts to explain this verse, He gave eighteen wonderful explanations of this particular verse. What is this? Such consistent, irresistible, devotional, and beautiful explanations are coming, superseding all those that with great energy and effort I explained. No human being can surpass my explanations. No human intellect can cross mine. This is a different sort of explanation. It is all-encompassing. But it is coming from this young boy? What is this?&quot; Gradually, he lost his faith in himself and became baffled. And then he recalled how Gop\u012bn\u0101tha \u0100c\u0101rya had said that \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu was not a human being and thought: &quot;It is not possible for a human to explain things in this way, it is something supernatural.&quot; Then \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu revealed to S\u0101rvabhauma His spiritual position as N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a combined. In a trance, S\u0101rvabhauma saw all these things and fell at the Lord&#x27;s feet, and almost completely lost consciousness. When he arose from his trance, he found that boy still sitting there like a student with great humility. Then \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu asked him: &quot;May I go for today?&quot; S\u0101rvabhauma said: &quot;Yes, You may go now.&quot; The Lord went away, and S\u0101rvabhauma remained there, and after some time, he recovered, and began to think: &quot;What have I seen? Four-handed N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a playing the flute? I was not defeated by a man, that is my solace.&quot; S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya had all truths revealed to him by the Lord and composed a book of one hundred beautiful verses, known as Su\u015bloka-\u015bataka. These verses were composed so quickly it has been said that even B\u1e5bhaspati, the priest of the heavenly planets, could not compose verses as quickly. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu happily embraced him after hearing the verses, whereupon S\u0101rvabhauma was immediately overcome with symptoms of ecstasy and fell unconscious. He then shed tears as he exhibited an ecstatic mood, he perspired, shook and trembled, danced, chanted, and cried, falling at the feet of Mah\u0101prabhu. Much to the delight of Gop\u012bn\u0101tha \u0100c\u0101rya and the other associates of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadev. S\u0101rvabhauma became a changed man and composed two verses on palm leaves and gave them to Jagad\u0101nanda Prabhu, requesting he give them to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. But Mukunda Datta took the palm leaves from Jagad\u0101nanda before he had chance to deliver them to Mah\u0101prabhu. Mukunda Datta then copied the two verses on the wall outside the room before giving them to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, and all the devotees present there read the verses and kept them within their hearts. As soon as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu saw the verses, He immediately tore them up. (TGVODL, p 11-20) + (The two verses mentioned are \u015blokas 215 &amp; 539) As well as philosophically defeating and converting S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya by giving eighteen different of explanations of the \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101ma verse, leaving aside the nine already given by S\u0101rvabhauma, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu also explained this \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101ma verse to San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b, describing sixty-one meanings, all pointing towards devotional service. When Mah\u0101prabhu explained the \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101ma verse to \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b, He highlighted eleven points in this verse: (1) \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101ma, (2) munaya\u1e25, (3) nirgrantha, (4) api, (5) ca, (6) urukrama, (7) kurvanti, (8) ahaituk\u012bm, (9) bhaktim, (10) ittham-bh\u016bta-gu\u1e47a\u1e25, and (11) hari\u1e25. The word \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101ma is explained in the Vi\u015bva-prak\u0101\u015ba Sanskrit dictionary as having seven synonyms - Brahman (the Absolute Truth), body, mind, endeavour, endurance, intelligence, and personal habits. The word munaya\u1e25 indicates - those who are thoughtful, those who are grave and silent, the ascetics, the persistent, the mendicants, sages and saints. The word nirgrantha indicates - one who is liberated from nescience, one who has no connection with scriptural injunctions, a capitalist, and one who is without money. The word urukrama means - &quot;One whose activities are glorious,&quot; indicating Lord V\u0101mana whose krama, or step, covered the whole universe. The word kurvanti indicates - doing things for someone else, as for example the \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101mas who perform devotional service for the Lord, Urukrama. The words ahaituk\u012bm and bhaktim indicate - performing devotional service for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with no desire for one&#x27;s personal benefit. The word ittham-bh\u016bta is explained in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya as &quot;complete bliss.&quot; The word hari indicates here - the Lord who removes all inauspiciousness and obstacles for His devotees and gives them pure transcendental love. Also with the addition of the words api (in spite of), and ca (also), one can increase the imports unlimitedly, as Sanskrit grammar gives seven synonyms for the word api. j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101tha ye vai m\u0101\u1e41, y\u0101v\u0101n ya\u015b c\u0101smi y\u0101d\u1e5b\u015ba\u1e25 bhajanty ananya-bh\u0101vena, te me bhaktatam\u0101 mat\u0101\u1e25 &quot;My devotees may or may not know exactly what I am, who I am, or how I exist, but if they worship Me with pure love, then I consider them the best of devotees.&quot; (S-B, 11.11.33) \u015ar\u012bla Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura mentions that although y\u0101v\u0101n indicates K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is unlimited, He allows Himself to appear limited by the love of His pure devotees. The word y\u0101d\u1e5b\u015ba indicates that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101ma, completely self-satisfied. However, due to the affection of His devotees, He sometimes appears to be an\u0101tm\u0101r\u0101ma, completely dependent on the love of His devotees. Similarly, the word \u0101ptak\u0101ma indicates that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is able to automatically fulfil all His desires, and again, due to the affection of His devotees, He sometimes appears to be an\u0101ptak\u0101ma, completely dependent on the co-operation of His devotees to fulfil His desires.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c03\",\"title\":\"03. The Gift of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s dancing indicates that He is full of ecstasy, and His k\u012brtana is distribution of that rasa.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(72)\",\"\u0101tma-siddha-s\u0101va l\u012bla-p\u016br\u1e47a-saukhya-lak\u1e63a\u1e47a\u1e41\",\"sv\u0101nubh\u0101va-matta-n\u1e5btya-k\u012brtan\u0101tma-van\u1e6danam\",\"advayaika-lak\u1e63ya-pur\u1e47a-tattva-tat-par\u0101tpara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam-eva naumi gaura-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The highest conception of the Absolute Truth must also be the highest form of \u0101nanda, ecstasy. Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s dancing indicates that He is full of ecstasy, and His k\u012brtana is distribution of that rasa. So, if we scientifically search out who Mah\u0101prabhu is, we cannot but find that He is the Ultimate Reality. He is mad in tasting His Own internal nectar, and His dancing is the outcome of His transcendental ecstasy. And He is chanting, distributing that to others. So, studying quite closely the character of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, we cannot but think that He is the Supreme Absolute Truth, in Its fullest, and most dynamic expression.&quot; (PDDS, 66) + (TSFSK, p 151) &quot;This is the all-conquering conclusion. The highest conception of the Ultimate Reality must also be the highest form of \u0101nanda, ecstasy. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, ecstasy Himself, tasting His own sweetness and dancing in ecstatic joy. His own Holy Name is the cause of His ecstasy, expressed as dancing, and the Holy Name is the effect of His ecstasy, expressed as chanting. The cause is the effect. The dynamo is creating ecstatic energy which makes Him dance, and His chanting distributes that to others. &quot; In this way, by every word from His lotus mouth and every gesture and movement of His beautiful golden figure, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu performs His ecstatic pastimes of divine love. (TGVODL, p xiii) + (see also \u015bloka 388)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(73)\",\"aty\u0101h\u0101ra\u1e25 pray\u0101sa\u015b ca,\",\"prajalpo niyam\u0101graha\u1e25\",\"jana-sa\u1e45ga\u015b ca laulya\u1e41 ca,\",\"\u1e63a\u1e0dbhir bhaktir vina\u015byati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One&#x27;s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) aty\u0101h\u0101ra - eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) pray\u0101sa - over-endeavouring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) prajalpa talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) niyam\u0101graha - practising the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scripture and working independently or whimsically; (5) jana-sa\u1e45ga - associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness; and (6) laulya\u1e41 - being greedy for mundane achievements.&quot; (U, 2) This verse from \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta describes the six mentalities which will be detrimental to devotion proper. The first is aty\u0101h\u0101ra which means that whatever comes in front of me I must collect that, unnecessarily hoard that (which causes pray\u0101sa), and also it means I must feed myself until I am fat, not just with food but with any material acquisition. (Aty\u0101h\u0101ra is a combination of ati - much, and \u0101h\u0101ra - eating or collecting). This temperament is called aty\u0101h\u0101ra. Then there is pray\u0101sa. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has interpreted pray\u0101sa to mean to endeavour with great enthusiasm after some false errand, a great attempt for something false, a &quot;wild goose chase.&quot; (Pray\u0101sa can be described as j\u00f1\u0101na-pray\u0101sa and karma-pray\u0101sa. For further explanations of j\u00f1\u0101na-pray\u0101sa see \u015blokas 206, 335 &amp; 458. As for karma-pray\u0101sa, \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (1.2.8) says: &quot;The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labour if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.&quot;) Next is prajalpa - which means to allow ones mind to become slack and to enter into the discussion of anything and everything. With no self-control, whimsically discussing the world events or any other unnecessary topics that are not related to devotion. Then niyam\u0101graha - this means to give abnormal attention to any particular rulings, as if those rulings in themselves were our desired goal. (There are two kinds of niyamas, or rules - vidhis, or prescriptions, and ni\u1e63edhas, or prohibitions. The word \u0101graha means &#x27;too much attachment to,&#x27; and the word agraha\u1e25 means &#x27;too much neglect of.&#x27;) Rules are meant only to help us in a particular stage and after passing through that stage then that particular rule may no longer be applicable to me. Another higher ruling I shall have to accept. For example, according to the Vedic scriptures, on the day of Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b (eleventh lunar day) one must observe full fast. This means not even taking one drop of water, and by following this one can become firmly established in sattva-gu\u1e47a, or purity of consciousness. But there is a higher general rule which supersedes this injunction, which is that for the service of the Lord one should keep his body fit. So the devotees, they may take some water, some anukalpa, some root vegetables, etc., so that their service may not be hampered. The higher law should not be hampered by preoccupation with any particular ruling, that is niyam\u0101graha\u1e25. (see \u015blokas 460 &amp; 493) Jana-sa\u1e45ga means to be very approachable to the general people in a mundane way, to engage in mundane socialising. (The word jana means both male and female human beings; and sa\u1e45ga means association). To entertain their any and every mundane conception and allow oneself to be captivated by that. Laulya\u1e41 means to be weak-willed - to be greedy to enjoy everything. When I go to the market, so many things, hundreds of things capture my attention. That is laulya\u1e41 or weakness of heart, weakness in our object of life. Whatever I find other than devotion, whether in the market or anywhere, it attracts my attention and I engage myself greedily in that. We must save ourselves from being victims of these six types of natures, and there are others (see \u015bloka 535) also mentioned.&quot; (U, 2) + (C, # 2, Sum. &#x27;91, p 5) + (SSPJ, p 61) atyanta sa\u1e45grahe y\u0101ra sad\u0101 citta dh\u0101ya, aty\u0101h\u0101r\u012b bhakti-h\u012bna sei sa\u1e41j\u00f1\u0101 p\u0101ya pr\u0101k\u1e5bta vastura \u0101\u015be bhoge y\u0101ra mana, pray\u0101s\u012b t\u0101h\u0101ra n\u0101ma bhakti-h\u012bna jana k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-kath\u0101 ch\u0101\u1e0di&#x27; jihv\u0101 \u0101na kath\u0101 kahe, prajalp\u012b t\u0101h\u0101ra n\u0101ma v\u1e5bth\u0101 v\u0101kya kahe bhajanete ud\u0101s\u012bna karmmete prav\u012b\u1e47a, bahv-\u0101rambh\u012b se niyam\u0101grah\u012b ati d\u012bna k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakta-sa\u1e45ga vin\u0101 anya-sa\u1e45ge rata, jana-sa\u1e45g\u012b ku-vi\u1e63aya-vil\u0101se vivrata n\u0101n\u0101-sth\u0101ne bhrame yei nija sv\u0101rtha-tare, laulya-para bhakti-h\u012bna sa\u1e41j\u00f1\u0101 deya nare ei chaya nahe kabhu bhakti adhik\u0101r\u012b, bhakti-h\u012bna lak\u1e63ya-bhra\u1e63\u1e6da vi\u1e63ay\u012b sa\u1e41s\u0101r\u012b (i) For over-acquisition, one whose mind does always run: avaricious non-devotee - he should thus be known. (ii) One who hankers to exploit some object mundane: non-devotee - overendeavourer - as such he is known. (iii) One whose tongue speaks all but holy talks of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: he is just a gossiper of insignificant banter. (iv) Apathetic to devotion, skilled in exploitation: so wretched - proud usurper of the higher devotee&#x27;s position. (v) Associates with all except Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pure devotees: a mundane socializer in the mud of fleeting fancies. (vi) Who wanders hither and thither for his own selfish plan: fickle-minded non-devotee - is known such a man. In these six ways, never fit to render pure devotion: bereft of love divine - fallen, materialistic person.&quot; (Bengali verse by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(74)\",\"&#x27;avat\u012br\u1e47o bhavi\u1e63y\u0101mi\",\"kalau nija-ga\u1e47ai\u1e25 saha\",\"\u015bac\u012b-garbhe navadv\u012bpe\",\"svardhun\u012b-pariv\u0101rite&#x27;\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord said: &quot;In the age of Kali, in a pious family on the banks of the river svardhun\u012b (Ga\u1e47g\u0101) in Navadw\u012bpa I will appear in the womb of \u015aac\u012b accompanied by My eternal associates.&quot; (AS) + (ARO, p 23) (see also \u015blokas 32, 36, 53, 128, 138, 254, 258, 315, 367, 372, 488, 572)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(75)\",\"ayi nanda-tanuja ki\u1e45kara\u1e41,\",\"patita\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vi\u1e63ame bhav\u0101mbudhau\",\"k\u1e5bpay\u0101 tava p\u0101da-pa\u1e45kaja\",\"sthita-dh\u016bl\u012b-sad\u1e5b\u015ba\u1e41 vicintaya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, I am Your eternal servant, yet because of my own karma, I have fallen into this terrible ocean of birth and death. Accept this fallen soul and consider me a particle of dust at Your holy lotus feet.&quot; (S, v 5) Here, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu prays: &quot;O Lord, please consider me; I want to enter into the realm of Your merciful glance. I do not know how to take proper care of myself, and so I invite Your care. Please accept me and give me entrance. You are my guardian. I want to live under Your protection.&quot; And who is He? We hear of different conceptions of God - K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. This is found only in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (TGVODL, p 127-8) + (see also \u015bloka 480 &amp; 321) By the exercise of energy (karma), we can attain a good destination; without faith in the achievements of karma, we may try for salvation by raising our consciousness (j\u00f1\u0101na). But if we enquire into the solution of life with the help of the experts of that higher spiritual realm like Nanda and his party, we can enter into the land of love and dedication. My faith, my common sense about religion, tells me that if I see that Supreme Absolute Truth who is so rare and I find Him real, concrete, and intimate, appealing directly to my heart, then why should I engage myself in wild-goose chasing? I shall appeal directly to the object of my search. If someone tells me that a hawk has snatched my ear, should I chase the hawk without first touching my ear to see if it is still there? If I can have the Absolute Truth so intimately, why should I allow myself to run hither and thither? If I find that the Absolute Truth has kindly come with all His charm, and that charm is not a secret and many great personages are being attracted by Him, then should I run after the phantasmagoria of the meditationists, the abstractionists and renunciationists? Never. It is common sense. The straight understanding is given by the authorities that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the son of Nanda, is Supreme. So when we have come up to that standard, then we can ask: &quot;O son of Nanda, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, king of the country of love: I appeal for Your affection. I am Your servant. I feel within myself that I have some connection with You. I am subordinate to You, but somehow, I am in adverse circumstances. I feel that there are so many enemies within me that are trying to take me away from You that I can&#x27;t give my attention to You all the time. At the same time, I feel from the inner plane of my heart that You are my master, You are all in all to me. My heart won&#x27;t be satisfied without Your companionship. So I appeal to You: I am under unfavourable circumstances; I am suffering, and without Your grace, I don&#x27;t find any means of relief from my present imprisoned position.&quot; Here it is said: &quot;I feel that I am not eternally connected with You; if it were so, then this separation would have been impossible. Unlike an avat\u0101ra, I am not Your plenary portion.&quot; Other incarnations of the Supreme Lord are plenary expansions of Him (sv\u0101\u1e41\u015ba), but the j\u012bva is a partial representation of His potency (vibhinn\u0101\u1e41\u015ba). In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that the living entities are His eternal parts and parcels. The soul comes from the marginal potency. (k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era ta\u1e6dasth\u0101-\u015bakti, bhed\u0101bheda prak\u0101\u015ba - see \u015blokas 75 &amp; 260). And the soul is an atomic fragmental part of the Lord&#x27;s potency like a ray of the sun. But here, the devotee prays: &quot;I am not part and parcel of Your own body, I&#x27;m not even a ray, but my representation is nearer to that of a particle of sand, a particle of dust - not even a particle of the ray coming out of the lustre of Your body.&quot; In this way, \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu is presenting on our behalf that our petition must be of this type: &quot;I cannot indulge myself in thinking that I possess such fortune that I may be considered an inseparable part of You. I am a separable part, but I also want Your grace. Please be kind upon me; I invoke Your mercy for a special grant. Accept me in any position in Your connection - even the lowest position. At least this must be sanctioned. Consider me a particle of dust at Your feet. This is my prayer.&quot; (TGVODL, p 130-2) Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;Just consider Me a speck of dust at Your feet. Oh K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; &quot;O Nandanandana, the son of King Nanda, although I am Your eternal servitor, I have fallen into the terrible ocean of material existence due to the fructification of my own deeds (karma). Please graciously consider me to be a particle of dust at Your feet.&quot; That may be our guidance. &quot;Consider me to be one of the specks of dust that are at Your feet.&quot; That is too much?! No, our faith should come to such a grade of quality that we may be satisfied to become a speck of dust at His feet. Then by His sweet will, anything may happen. But our humble aim should be to have even the least connection of the Divinity, the reality, and not a concocted K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SSPJ, p 92) + (SGD, &#x27;96, p 32) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu prays: &quot;O Lord, please consider me as the dust of Your holy feet.&quot; (vibhinn\u0101\u1e41\u015ba j\u012bva). Foot-dust is generally inanimate. But when Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu prays: &quot;Consider me foot-dust,&quot; the dust He speaks of is not matter; it is a unit of consciousness filled with knowledge and love.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(76)\",\"bahye vi\u1e63ajv\u0101la haya, bhitare \u0101nandam\u0101ya\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a premara adbhuta carite\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The wonderful characteristic of divine love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is that although externally, it works like fiery lava, internally it is like sweet nectar that fills the heart with the greatest joy.&quot; (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b) (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.50) To love K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a means that we shall have to &quot;die to live.&quot; In the beginning, divine love seems like lava, death, but really it is nectar, life. Many persons in this ordinary world are also frustrated in love. They sometimes go mad and commit suicide because they can&#x27;t tolerate the pain. But the pain which comes with separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, although compared with lava, is not injurious like lava. bahye vi\u1e63ajv\u0101la haya. Although He felt the greatest pain of separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, still, within His heart, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu experienced the deepest ecstatic joy. The ecstatic symptoms manifest by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu have never been found in the history of the world or even expressed in any scripture. In Him, we find the highest conception of the Ultimate Reality. This is explained in my Prema Dh\u0101ma Stotram, verse 66. (TGVODL, p xii) + (see also \u015bloka 72) In the last verse of His \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu has given another fine and high type of solace. And this has been confirmed by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b, who has written: bahye vi\u1e63ajv\u0101la haya - &quot;Don&#x27;t be afraid. Outwardly you may feel a horrible pain of separation, but internally, you will feel an unparalleled type of rasa, the most pleasing feeling of peace, joy, or ecstasy.&quot; Externally, there may be pangs of separation, but internally there is the greatest satisfaction. In this way we are advised by the scriptures, and our practical experience corroborates our faith with this subtle matter. (TGVODL, p 149) + (see also \u015bloka 352) &quot;The amazing characteristic of Love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is found in the symptoms of burning anguish without, and ecstasy within.&quot; + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 18) Only the person who realises: &quot;My interest is assured in the highest quarter of management,&quot; (see also \u015bloka 94), can attain real peace of heart. They will feel: &quot;Yes, I have no worry, no anxiety.&quot; In the l\u012bl\u0101, however, we find so many kinds of anxiety and worry, but that is something else. It should not be equated with the life of this plane, rather it comes under another category: bahye vi\u1e63ajv\u0101la haya. This means that union-in-separation is the highest form of union. It cannot be attacked or challenged by any circumstances. It appears to be very painful, but internally the position is one of greater intensity and ecstasy. The real gist of the whole meaning of the study of this higher subject is this, and we are to understand and follow it with particular attention and intelligence. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 38) + (see also \u015bloka 542) The conception and feelings of all the great devotees are of such type. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhod\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b similarly expressed: &quot;It is there. I can see and feel that it is there but I am deprived.&quot; (spar\u015bo &#x27;pi mama n\u0101bhavat - see also \u015bloka 542) R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b Herself says: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is qualified in every way. I can&#x27;t blame Him in any way at all, but still He is so cruel to us all. He left V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and so we are all feeling extreme pain, but I cannot accuse Him in any way. This is My durddaiva-vil\u0101sa (&quot;Pastime of separation.&quot;) This is union in separation and it is a peculiar type of achievement. Externally there is suffering but internally there is transcendental ecstasy. bahye vi\u1e63ajv\u0101la haya, bhitare \u0101nandam\u0101ya. When one actually has the thing, he says: &quot;No, I don&#x27;t have it.&quot; This is the special characteristic of the Infinite. One who has it in his possession says: &quot;No, I have nothing.&quot; This is because it is a statement from the negative to the Positive. And when he says: &quot;I have it,&quot; then he has not! The negative cannot assert at all but can only attract. Assertion is only with the Positive. So the negative can hanker, he can express his own reality in the negative characteristic. He can express his degree of want. The measurement of his position is according to his negative tendency: his necessity, his depth of attraction - not of gain. It is just the opposite to the general measurement of one&#x27;s standing in this mundane world. The real measurement is in the negative side: the depth of necessity and the depth of attraction, but not of gain. Only the Positive can assert His existence.(SOTGOD, v 3, p 42) + (see \u015bloka 142)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(77)\",\"bahubhir militv\u0101 yat k\u012brtanam tad eva sa\u1e45k\u012brtanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura emphasised that k\u012brtana means not only loudly singing the Holy Name, but preaching. \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given a definition of sa\u1e45k\u012brtana: bahubhir militv\u0101 yat k\u012brtanam tad eva sa\u1e45k\u012brtanam: &quot;When many people come together and glorify the Supreme Lord, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, it is known as sa\u1e45k\u012brtana.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu came and introduced sa\u1e45k\u012brtana - sango \u015bakti kalau yuge - &quot;In this age of Kali, if the Holy Name is chanted congregationally, the combined efforts will be fruitful.&quot; There is the difference between the preaching mission of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, and the so-called bhajana of the sahajiy\u0101s, or imitationists. (TSFSK, p 109) + ( see also \u015bloka 430) (So, with sa\u1e45k\u012brtana-yaj\u00f1a, the recommended sacrifice for this age, devotees are like an auspicious sticks of wood fully dedicating themselves for the exaltation of their Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja by entering into the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana fire sacrifice.)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(78)\",\"bahu-grantha kal\u0101bhy\u0101sa\",\"vy\u0101khy\u0101v\u0101da-vivarjanam\",\"vyava h\u0101reha pyak\u0101rpa\u1e47ya\u1e41\",\"\u015bok\u0101dyava\u015bavartit\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"When our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) was delivering lectures from Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu on the 64 kinds of devotion, I noted: &quot;Establishing temples and programmes on a large scale is prohibited,&quot; there, but our \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is doing that very thing. On a big scale he is making propaganda and money, and he is spending also in great quantities to construct the temples and other things. In Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has prohibited this but yet our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja has undertaken all these things. What will he say when this point comes up for discussion?&quot; Then I found that in one or two words he explained the whole thing. He said: &quot;It is a question of personal capacity. One man may manage an empire and may still find time for leisure whereas another man is barely able to manage his family and cannot find any leisure-time.&quot; So it depends on the capacity of the individual whether something will be considered great or small. It is a question of personal capacity, and according to our capacity we must try our best. (B.r.s, Madhya, 2.79.76) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 23)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(79)\",\"balar\u0101ma hailo nit\u0101i\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is supposed to be the incarnation of Baladeva in Vrajama\u1e47\u1e0dala. Narottama d\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura and San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b mention this. (GOD, p 27) brajendra-nandana jei \u015bac\u012b-suta hoilo sei balar\u0101ma hoilo nit\u0101i d\u012bna-h\u012bna jata chilo hari-n\u0101me uddh\u0101rilo t\u0101ra \u015b\u0101k\u1e63\u012b jag\u0101i m\u0101dh\u0101i &quot;Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who is the son of the King of Vraja, became the son of \u015aac\u012b (Lord Caitanya), and Balar\u0101ma became Nit\u0101i. The Holy Name delivered all those souls who were lowly and wretched. The two sinners Jag\u0101i and M\u0101dh\u0101i are evidence of this.&quot; (SOTVA, p 69)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(80)\",\"bandhur \u0101tm\u0101tmanas tasya,\",\"yenaiv\u0101tm\u0101tman\u0101 jita\u1e25\",\"an\u0101tmanas tu \u015batrutve,\",\"vartet\u0101tmaiva \u015batruvat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;For the soul who has conquered his mind, his mind is his friend and well-wisher. For a person unable to control it, his own mind remains constantly engaged in his disservice, like an enemy.&quot; (B-g, 6.6) Note that you are your own friend. But that you are your own enemy also. You are your own enemy if you don&#x27;t take good care of your own development for your real progress. But you can be your own friend, and none can give as much help to you as you, yourself, can do. If at all you can have any self-control then collect your energy from going astray and direct it to the proper channel where you can really thrive, and then you will be your real friend. However, if you allow yourself to be led by the various senses of lower nature which are always trying to move in the land of exploitation, reaction, and suffering then you are your own enemy. Consider all these things. (HC, p 22) + (see also \u015bloka 530)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(81)\",\"barh\u0101p\u012b\u1e0da\u1e41 na\u1e6da-vara-vapu\u1e25 kar\u1e47ayo\u1e25 kar\u1e47ik\u0101ra\u1e41\",\"bibhrad v\u0101sa\u1e25 kanaka-kapi\u015ba\u1e41 vaijayant\u012b\u1e41 ca m\u0101l\u0101m\",\"randhr\u0101n ve\u1e47or adhara-sudhay\u0101p\u016brayan gopa-v\u1e5bndair\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101ranya\u1e41 sva-pada-rama\u1e47a\u1e41 pr\u0101vi\u015bad g\u012bta-k\u012brti\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;While the gop\u012bs were describing the sweet vibration of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute, they also remembered their pastimes with Him; thus their minds became enchanted, and they were unable to describe completely the beautiful vibrations. While discussing the transcendental vibration, they remembered also how K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a dressed, decorated with a peacock feather on His head, just like a dancing actor, and with blue flowers pushed over His ear. His garment glowed yellow-gold, and He was garlanded with a vaijayant\u012b garland made of tulas\u012b, ku\u1e47\u1e0da, mand\u0101ra, par\u012bj\u0101ta, and lotus flowers. Dressed in such an attractive way, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a filled up the holes of His flute with the nectar emanating from His lips. So they remembered Him, entering the forest of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, whose soil experiences the pleasure of consorthood upon being embraced by the touch of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s lotus feet.&quot; (S-B, 10.21.5) + (see also \u015bloka 544) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness means full-fledged theism, up to consorthood. All conceptions of fulfilment are found there in their purest and most desirable position. This material world, however, is only a shadow, a black imitation of reality. Full-fledged theism means K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. In the full-fledged conception of theism, the infinite embraces the whole of the finite. It comes down to completely embrace and welcome the finite. This kind of full-fledged theism is found in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. There, one negligible part of the finite may find the bliss of the embrace of the whole infinite. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, not a corner of the finite is left unfulfilled; every particle of sand and every creeper is well represented there, with complete personality in the loving pastimes of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Here in this material world, however, a particle of sand is nothing; it is ignored. But there, everything is well-attended. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana there is no ignorance. No interest of anything is ignored there; everything is harmonised, and therefore the conception of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is the highest conception of full-fledged theism. \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam says: &quot;Whenever K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sets His lotus feet within V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the Earth personified says: &#x27;My fate is fulfilled, I have achieved my highest fortune.&quot; In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the earth, the very dust, feels the pleasure of the highest type of conjugal love merely by the touch of His lotus feet. Wherever K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a puts His footsteps, the Earth&#x27;s joy knows no bounds. By His touch, the Earth feels the most intense type of ecstasy. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is m\u0101dhurya, sweetness personified. He is \u0101nanda, ecstasy personified. And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a responds to our own inner demands in every way. The Supreme Centre has the peculiar capacity of responding to all our needs and satisfying the thirst of all existence. According to their capacity, rank, and dignity, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a distributes to all souls the juice from the sweet sea of transcendental mellow. yo ya\u1e41 \u015braddh\u0101 sa eva sa\u1e25. One can taste the sugar-candy sweetness of the Absolute, according to one&#x27;s capacity, just as sugar-candy is tasted in different ways. For a normal tongue sugar-candy is very sweet, but if there is a boil on the tongue even sugar-candy is bitter. When a man is working, his manager will see him as a worker; his child will see him as a father, and his wife will see him as a husband. His servant will see him as a master. Dogs and other animals will view him in another way. The same person will be seen differently according to the relationship between seer and seen. Similarly, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appears differently to those who view Him according to their respective rasa. In this way, the differentiated character of the Absolute is revealed according to the soul&#x27;s subjective qualifications. (SEOC, p 80-2) + (see also \u015bloka 544)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(82)\",\"b\u0101ulake kahiha - loka ha - ila b\u0101ula,\",\"b\u0101ulake kahiha - h\u0101\u1e6de n\u0101 vik\u0101ya c\u0101ula\",\"b\u0101ulake kahiha - k\u0101ye n\u0101hika \u0101ula,\",\"b\u0101ulake kahiha - ih\u0101 kahiy\u0101che b\u0101ula\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Tell our Prabhu, who acts as madmen do, that everyone has lost their sanity, And rice once high in price has no value. In love of God, half-crazed humanity neglects this world and all they once held dear; tell Him a madman brings this to His ear.&quot; Just before \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu began to manifest His final pastimes of divine ecstasy, Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya Prabhu wrote these mystic l ines of poetry which He sent to Mah\u0101prabhu, through Jagad\u0101nanda Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita. When \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu read that mystic poem, His mood became serious. Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara was there: &quot;What is written here?&quot; he said. Mah\u0101prabhu replied: &quot;I do not know what is the real meaning, but Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya is a great &#x27;worshipper,&#x27; and a certain class of &#x27;worshippers&#x27; are accustomed to think: &quot;We shall invite the Deity, and for some time we shall try to keep Him here for worship. Then, when we are finished with our worship, finally we shall bid Him adieu.&#x27; Perhaps Advaita thinks, &#x27;Now it is time for the Deity to go.&#x27; I don&#x27;t know what is the real meaning, but perhaps this is his purpose.&quot; Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara took the poem, read it, and became very thoughtful: &quot;Oh, Advaita Prabhu is saying that the requirements for \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s appearance have been fulfilled, and now, He is no longer needed to preach the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as t he incarnation of this age. The avat\u0101ra&#x27;s duty is finished, and so He may go.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19. 20-1) + (TGVODL, p 43-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(83)\",\"bhagav\u0101n bhajan\u012bya-sarva-sad-gu\u1e47a vi\u015bi\u1e63\u1e6dha\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given the essential meaning of Bhagav\u0101n in his Bhakti-Sandarbha. He says: bhagav\u0101n bhajan\u012bya-sarva-sad-gu\u1e47a vi\u015bi\u1e63\u1e6dha. By Bhagav\u0101n, he describes this aspect of the infinite: bhajan\u012bya, worshippable. When we come in touch with Him, then we want to surrender ourselves for His satisfaction - that type of infinite. There are various types of infinite. The highest conception of the infinite is bhajan\u012bya gu\u1e47a vi\u015bi\u1e63\u1e6dha: He is so beautiful and attractive that He is attracting all to surrender unto Him. No other conception of the infinite, neither infinite space, nor time, nor anything else can approach this highest conception of the infinite: the all-attractive infinite. All other aspects of the infinite - infinite time, infinite space, infinite power - are external. But infinite love which attracts love and self-surrender is the highest type of infinite. And that is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (B-S) + (LSFTLS, p 54) \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Prabhu has given a beautiful definition of the word &#x27;Bhagav\u0101n:&#x27; bhajan\u012byasarva-sad-gu\u1e47a vi\u015bi\u1e63\u1e6dha - &quot;The Supreme Lord, Bhagav\u0101n, is of such a nature that everyone who comes in contact with Him will want to serve Him and to sacrifice themselves for His satisfaction.&quot; (B-S) This is the result of faith in its developed form. He is so noble, we shall think that if we die to satisfy Him, our life&#x27;s objective will be fulfilled. His noble quality is such that it draws so much sacrificing spirit for Him; it draws everything towards Him. &quot;Die to live.&quot; Faith is such. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 39)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(84)\",\"bhaja gaur\u0101\u1e45ga,\",\"kaha gaur\u0101\u1e45ga laha gauranger n\u0101ma,\",\"yei jana gaur\u0101\u1e45ga bhaje sei am\u0101ra pr\u0101na:\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Worship Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, speak of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, chant Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s Name. Whoever worships \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga is My life and soul. Come straight to the campaign of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya and you will safely attain V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; As Baladeva is to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. The aim of \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s descent was to distribute the devotional service of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana most generously. On the other hand, Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu used to sing this: bhaja gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, kaha gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu tried His best to make the people at large accept \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. Of course, Navadw\u012bpa, the abode of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, is no less valuable than V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the abode of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The same rasa which is found in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is present in another feature in Navadw\u012bpa. Some devotees have a special attraction for v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-l\u012bl\u0101, others have a special attraction for navadw\u012bpa-l\u012bl\u0101, and a third group represents both camps, but Navadw\u012bpa is the most generous. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the pastimes of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are confined to a confidential circle, but in Navadw\u012bpa, those pastimes are distributed. Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101 is more generous than k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 (TGVODL, p 25) + (see also \u015bloka 251) \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu came and appealed: &quot;Come to Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, He is the depot, He is the dynamo to send you there very easily. All you people come and take refuge under the Divine Feet of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, give up everything and come fall at the Feet of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. Take His Name, remember Him and throw yourself wholly at His disposal. He is My own life, I consider Him to be My life, My soul, My everything.&quot; Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu saying this began to roll at the door of the householder: &quot;Householders! You must do this.&quot; He is rolling and crying: &quot;Accept Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, you don&#x27;t know what great benefit you will receive by doing this.&quot; He is rolling in the dust at the door of the householders with such an appeal. He came to the ordinary masses to give them shelter at the lotus feet of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, that is Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. He came to give Mah\u0101prabhu even to Jag\u0101i and M\u0101dh\u0101i and He appealed to all from door to door to accept Gaur\u0101\u1e45gadeva. &quot;You do not know what will be your prospect in life, the highest prospect in life!&quot; Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is our only hope, He is so benevolent, so generous, so gracious, that very easily we can draw His attention and we can get His recommendation. Gaur\u0101\u1e45gadeva will not be able to disregard His recommendation, and when we have got the grace of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga then the R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a l\u012bl\u0101 is within our fists. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu&#x27;s grace means to get Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s grace within our clutches and to get Mah\u0101prabhu, means to get R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and then everything within our fists. (GOD, p 30) So, Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu found it would be difficult to preach k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101, but He found it would be easy to preach gaura-l\u012bl\u0101, where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has come to distribute Himself to the public with so much capital in His mind. Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga means a dynamo which wants to distribute K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, surcharged with the most magnanimous, intensified, pity and kindness for the ordinary people, with the greatest affection even for the criminals. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu wanted to bring them in connection with Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, for then, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 would automatically be within their fist. So, He began to preach about Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, not R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, as commanded by Mah\u0101prabhu. So, Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu says: bhaja gaur\u0101\u1e45ga kaha gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, laha gauranger n\u0101ma: &quot;Worship Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, speak only of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, and chant the Name of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga.&quot; There is another instance of the relationship between K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Balar\u0101ma and Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga and Nity\u0101nanda, which is described in the Caitanya-bh\u0101gavata. One day, Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s mother, \u015aac\u012b Dev\u012b, had a dream that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Balar\u0101ma were on a throne and Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu was addressing Baladeva: &quot;Come down from Your throne! It is no longer Dv\u0101para-yuga. The age of Kali has come and My master Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga must occupy Your position on this throne. Your days are over. You come down. Now My Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga will be installed.&quot; Balar\u0101ma began giving some opposition: &quot;No, no, why should We come down? We have been sitting on this throne for such a long time.&quot; Baladeva refused: &quot;No. I have My Lord, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; There was a fight, but Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu was stronger and He began forcibly taking Baladeva down from the throne, saying: &quot;Your day has gone. Now the time for My master, Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, has come. You are a trespasser, a usurper, You must come down.&quot; And Baladeva submitted slightly as He could not defeat Nity\u0101nanda, who took Him down from the throne. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu said: &quot;My master Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga wants to take the position now. The age for Him has come. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is far off. My Lord is Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga.&quot; So, we must be very grateful to Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, for He is our guru. And guru&#x27;s grace is so important that Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;O, R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, I want Your grace. Without You, I don&#x27;t want K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a separately. I never want K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a without You.&quot; That should be the healthy attitude of a devotee. This has been explained by \u015ar\u012bla Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, in his Gurva\u1e63\u1e6dakam. (see also \u015bloka 594) (SGAHG, p 32-3)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(85)\",\"bhajanera madhye \u015bre\u1e63\u1e6dha nava-vidh\u0101 bhakti\",\"`k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema,&#x27; `k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27; dite dhare mah\u0101-\u015bakti\",\"t\u0101ra madhye sarvva-\u015bre\u1e63\u1e6dha n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brttana\",\"nirapar\u0101dhe n\u0101ma laile p\u0101ya prema-dhana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Of all forms of Divine Service, nine forms are superior, which with great potency bestow upon the devotees Love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and their personal relationship with Him; and of the nine, the best is N\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brttana. By offencelessly taking the Holy Name, the treasure of Love for the Lord is attained.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 4.70-71) Mah\u0101prabhu also accepted five (see \u015bloka 416) principal limbs from the nine (see \u015bloka 456) that are mentioned in the Bh\u0101gavatam. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 25)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(86)\",\"bhakativinoda, sa\u1e41yoge, viyoge t\u0101he j\u0101ne pr\u0101\u1e47e\u015bvara\",\"t\u0101ra sukhe sukh\u012b, sei pr\u0101\u1e47a-n\u0101tha se kabhu n\u0101 haya para\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I will receive pleasure and pain, happiness and sorrow equally for His cause. Whether in union or separation, Bhaktivinoda always knows Him as none other than the supreme beloved Lord of his life.&quot; (TSOBT, p 142)+(SBRBM, p 30)+(see \u015bloka 578)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(87)\",\"bhakti\u1e25 pare\u015b\u0101nubhavo viraktir,\",\"anyatra cai\u1e63a trika eka-k\u0101la\u1e25\",\"prapadyam\u0101nasya yath\u0101\u015bnata\u1e25 syus,\",\"tu\u1e63\u1e6di\u1e25 pu\u1e63\u1e6di\u1e25 k\u1e63udap\u0101yo &#x27;nugh\u0101sam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;As with every mouthful an eater feels the threefold effects of his satisfaction, his stomach being filled, and his hunger being dispelled, in the same way when a surrendered soul serves the Lord he realises devotion of three natures simultaneously: devotion in love, the personal appearance of the Lord who is the abode of love, and detachment from all other things.&quot; (S-B, 11.2.42) &quot;Progress can be measured by detecting this kind of transformation within. pare\u015b\u0101nubhavo: somehow, a conception of the Supreme must grow clearer and clearer in me. What is He? Who is He? viraktir anyatra: and indifference to everything `non-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27; grows in me also. I avoid what does not concern K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and when it appears anyway, it produces some apathy or even some irritation in me, &quot;Oh, why has this thing come to me?&quot; The measurement from the negative direction will be how much I am apathetic to `non-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27; things. tu\u1e63\u1e6di\u1e25 pu\u1e63\u1e6di\u1e25 k\u1e63udap\u0101yo &#x27;nugh\u0101sam: and also, the inner hunger should be felt to be fulfilled. &quot;Yes, I am feeling fulfilment.&quot; I shall feel self-approval that I am walking in the right direction. I shall have inner sanction of my clear conscience. &quot;Yes, yes, I am doing right.&quot; I will feel satisfaction.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 139) + (see also \u015bloka 93)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(88)\",\"bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhaktasa\u1e45gena parij\u0101yate\",\"sat-sa\u1e45ga\u1e25 pr\u0101pyate pu\u1e41bhi\u1e25 suk\u1e5btai\u1e25 p\u016brvva-sa\u1e63citai\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Actually we can recognise a s\u0101dhu by suk\u1e5bti. Apparently we can know him from the \u015b\u0101stras, the scriptures, because the \u015b\u0101stra helps us to know who is a s\u0101dhu, and the s\u0101dhu gives us the interpretation of the \u015b\u0101stra. So s\u0101dhu and \u015b\u0101stra are interdependent, but the s\u0101dhu holds the more important position and the \u015b\u0101stra has the secondary position. The living \u015b\u0101stra is the s\u0101dhu, but to know who is guru, who is s\u0101dhu, we are to consult the descriptions given about them in the scriptures. The symptoms of the s\u0101dhu, both of the guru as well as the disciple, have been written in the Bh\u0101gavatam, in the G\u012bt\u0101 and in the Upani\u1e63ads. (BNP) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 58) (see also \u015blokas 500,507)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(89)\",\"bhaktis tvayi sthiratar\u0101 bhagavan yadi sy\u0101d\",\"daivena nah phalati divya-ki\u015bora-m\u016brtti\u1e25\",\"muktih svaya\u1e41 mukulit\u0101njali sevate &#x27;sm\u0101n\",\"dharm\u0101rtha-k\u0101ma-gataya\u1e25 samaya-prat\u012bk\u1e63\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Supreme Lord, if our devotion (bhakti) for You were more steadfast, Your adolescent form would naturally arise (appear) within our hearts. Oh Devotion, you are of such a magnanimous nature, if there is any way that we can have your least favour, then mukt\u012b (salvation or liberation) will wait to serve us with open arms. What to speak of mukt\u012b, even dharma (ritualistic virtue), artha (affluence), and kama (material enjoyment) will be waiting far, far away for whenever their calling bell is sounding. Then, they will rush to our feet saying: &#x27;What do you want?&#x27; Then there would not be the slightest necessity to pray for the triple pursuits of religiosity, gain, and sensual desire (dharma, artha, k\u0101ma), and their negation in the form of liberation, because mukti will personally attend us as a concomitant subsidiary fruit of devotion in the form of deliverance from ignorance, her hands cupped in prayer (like a preordained maidservant); and the fruits of bhukti (transitory pleasure culminating in attainment of heaven) will eagerly await their orders, from us, should any necessity arise for them in the service of Your lotus feet.&quot; (SSPJ, p 47) &quot;Oh Devotion, you are of such a magnanimous nature, if there is any way that we can have your least favour, then mukt\u012b (salvation or liberation) will wait to serve us with open arms. What to speak of mukt\u012b, even dharma (ritualistic virtue), artha (affluence), and kama (material enjoyment) will be waiting far, far away for whenever their calling bell is sounding. Then, they will rush to our feet saying, &#x27;What do you want?&#x27;&quot; (Bilvama\u1e45gala \u1e6ch\u0101kura). (K K, 107) The bhakta is there. They are always eager to serve him but he does not want. He does not have any attention for such appeal. No attention - no time to spare for thinking about them: He is deeply engaged in the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 7-8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(90)\",\"bhakty\u0101ham ekay\u0101 gr\u0101hya\u1e25\",\"\u015braddhay\u0101tm\u0101 priya\u1e25 sat\u0101m\",\"bhakti\u1e25 pun\u0101ti man-ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101\",\"\u015bvap\u0101k\u0101n api sambhav\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I, who am dear to the s\u0101dhus, can be reached only by devotion born of unalloyed faith. Even a dog-flesh-eating outcaste who dedicates himself to exclusive devotion for Me is delivered from the influence of the wretched circumstances of his birth.&quot; (S-B, 11.14.21) + (SSPJ, p 163) &quot;I, the Supreme Lord and the most Beloved, am attainable by the pure saints, by virtue of the potency of their Exclusive Devotion born of faith (\u015braddh\u0101). Exclusive Devotion in Me purifies even the lowest outcastes known as ca\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101las. \u015bva means dog. Even the dog-eaters, that is, the lower section, can also be purified from their lower birth.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 157) + (see also \u015bloka 586)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(91)\",\"bhakty\u0101 m\u0101m abhij\u0101n\u0101ti,\",\"y\u0101v\u0101n ya\u015b c\u0101smi tattvata\u1e25\",\"tato m\u0101\u1e41 tattvato j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101,\",\"vi\u015bate tad-anantaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By the potency of that supreme devotion, he is able to completely know My nature of Almighty Lordship and majesty. Thereafter, acquiring the perception of his divine relationship with Me, he enters into a group of My intimate personal associates, whose nature is nondifferent from Mine.&quot; (B-g, 18.55) &quot;Only through love and devotion can I be understood as I am. Thereafter, fully understanding Me, you can merge into My entourage.&quot; This &quot;merging&quot; is explained by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;They enter into Me to become a person in My family. Among the circles of My friends, he enters: vi\u015bate tad-anantaram. He becomes as if My own. That means that without losing your personality you can be fully My own.&quot; To enter into the Lord&#x27;s family is a living merging, not a physical or dead merging into Brahman, spirit. That is the result of prema, divine love. That ideal is above the general conception of merging into the oneness of Brahman, where one loses oneself in the ocean of consciousness as if in a sound sleep. We are not interested in that. Rather, through K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, we become lost swimming in the ocean of sweetness. This has been accepted by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. (LSFTLS, p 58) + (see also \u015bloka 289) A pure devotee should not have any separate interest. Rather, he should try to merge within the interest of the Lord. In whatever position he is, it does not matter, whether he is a brahmac\u0101r\u012b (celibate student), a sanny\u0101s\u012b (a renunciate), a g\u1e5bhastha (a householder), a v\u0101naprastha (retired life) or any other position, he must be willing to merge (vi\u015bate tad-anantaram). He will not like to keep any separate account. His sole objective will be to enter into the family of the Godhead. This is the very basis of pure devotion. We want to surrender, to be one of common interest with the Lord, and not to approach, ask some questions, pocket the answers, and then make trade with them elsewhere in any way. Once when I was being asked many questions, I replied: &quot;This is not an enquiry office.&quot; The inquisitive want to satisfy their idle curiosity; or, they want to be master of many keys - that they will be able to give solutions to everyone&#x27;s problems, and attain some status. They have many motives but they cannot understand the real necessity. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 53-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(92)\",\"bhaya\u1e41 dvit\u012by\u0101bhinive\u015bata\u1e25 sy\u0101d,\",\"\u012b\u015b\u0101d apetasya viparyyayo &#x27;sm\u1e5bti\u1e25\",\"tan-m\u0101yay\u0101to budha \u0101bhajet ta\u1e41,\",\"bhaktyaikaye\u015ba\u1e41 guru-devat\u0101tm\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called m\u0101y\u0101. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshippable deity and as his very life and soul.&quot; (S-B, 11.2.37) &quot;A person who turns away from the Lord forgets his own innate identity by dint of the m\u0101y\u0101 potency of the Lord, and his perception becomes topsy-turvy whereby he thinks, &quot;I am the body.&#x27; From this, he becomes absorbed in separate interest, identifying himself with the body, senses, etc. This is the cause of all apprehension. Therefore, a judicious person should worship that Supreme Lord with exclusive devotion, casting aside all spurious desires, and with knowledge that gurudeva is one&#x27;s worshipful Lord and dearmost friend.&quot; To think: &quot;I can thrive individually,&quot; is to ignore the collective line and try for one&#x27;s separate interest. This fine point is said to be responsible for all the disturbance: &quot;I wanted to seek my own pleasure, separating myself from the consideration of collectiveness.&quot; The next stage is, \u012b\u015b\u0101d apetasya viparyyayo &#x27;sm\u1e5bti\u1e25: deviation from consideration of my master. The first stage is self-interest, and then next is deviation from guardian consciousness, or to lose the consciousness that &quot;I have my master, my guardian.&quot; Separate interest means: &quot;I am my own guardian.&quot; Then, tan-m\u0101yay\u0101to: why is it so? Because I am ta\u1e6dastha, marginal. On the other side is m\u0101y\u0101, and somehow that influence has captured my weak decisive faculty. I am an infinitesimal particle of consciousness with minute independence. But without my co-operation, the m\u0101yika or mundane transaction is impossible. So my consent was necessary. With the consent of a minor child, the guardian can do anything and everything. The minority or infinitesimal character is inherent in me, and that makes room for this error. tan-m\u0101yay\u0101to budha \u0101bhajet ta\u1e41: but because m\u0101y\u0101 is not independent, she also has to work under the guidance of the Supreme Authority; so don&#x27;t go to m\u0101y\u0101, but go to He who is the Master of m\u0101y\u0101. tan-m\u0101yay\u0101to budha \u0101bhajet ta\u1e41 - na tu m\u0101y\u0101m. Although m\u0101y\u0101 is coming to capture the soul because of his weakness of co-operating with her, still, budha, which means sumedha - the pious souls - will go for relief to the Master of m\u0101y\u0101. This is the decision of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. tan-m\u0101y\u0101 means tasya m\u0101y\u0101 - His m\u0101y\u0101. M\u0101y\u0101 is not the highest entity; she also has her Master. So when the temptation comes in you to perform a bad deed you must file an appeal for help to the Supreme Authority, and not to m\u0101y\u0101. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 163-5) + (see also \u015bloka 113) Lack of consciousness means misconception, disease. This is described in \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam: bhaya\u1e41 dvit\u012by\u0101bhinive\u015bata\u1e25 sy\u0101d - the disease is separate interest. The deviation from our normal spiritual condition, the development of misconception, is based on the charm, the prospect of separate interest. That is the root cause of all misunderstanding. The conception of local, provincial interest has caused the difference between a proper conception of reality and misconception. We have gone away from the central conception. From universal consciousness we have come to this provincial plane. And according to the gradation of consciousness in its development from provincial to universal, we may find ourselves in so many different planets of planes of existence: bh\u016br, bhuva\u1e25, sv\u0101\u1e25, jana, mah\u0101r, tapa, satya, all these different stages of development are involved and this process of provincialism and universalism. But loss of consciousness of the centre is the root of this entire material existence. One who is conscious of the organic whole, on the other hand, is in the most healthy position. That is proper adjustment, and maladjustment is the cause of our present diseased condition. Adjustment is life; it is liberal life, and to be the prey of maladjustment is to approach pain and misery. Everything within the environment is all right; the only difficulty is found in the conception of selfish special interest. Our aversion to the universal interest is the cause of our detachment from the conception of the whole and from happiness and health. We have been deprived of the happiness of our healthy position, and the cause is selfish interest. The Absolute Autocrat is absolute good. So there is no room for complaint against Him. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: su\u1e25\u1e5bda\u1e41 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m (see \u015bloka 94) - He is the owner of everything - in comparison, we are nothing. But still, He is our friend. We should not forget that. We are represented in Him. Our detachment from Him is the cause of all the miseries that we are suffering. We and others like us have lost faith in Him, but He is our friend. We are jealous of Him and are thinking: &quot;I am not the master? Someone else is the master - this is intolerable. No taxation without representation!&quot; But our interests are well-represented in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He cares about us even more that we can conceive. Why do we forget that? If we only reinstate ourselves in that faith, we will be all right. It is our fault that we are suffering; otherwise there is no difference in vision from the universal standpoint. \u012b\u015b\u0101d apetasya, we have turned away from our master. But we should remember that He is our master, He is our well-wisher, He is our guardian. Deviation from that consciousness is misery of an infinite magnitude. Its cause is very subtle and very minute; it is our mentality of separate interest. And as a result, we have been captured by the enemy camp. Pata\u00f1jali has said we are moving towards evil in an intelligent, organised way. That is not only mad but wicked; it is worse than mad, according to Pata\u00f1jali. What will be the relief of a soul in such a deplorable condition? A madman is in possession of everything, he is only out of his mind. His consciousness has to be adjusted properly. Then he will find: &quot;Oh, everything is all right - let me go back home.&quot; At present his consciousness is cast aside. He is not at home; his consciousness must be pushed homeward. (SEOC, p 18-9) + (see also \u015bloka 194) Everything, including our own self, belongs to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But the difficulty arises when we see something other than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Separate interest. The consciousness of separate interest is the root of all evils. We are one with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but whenever the seed of separate interest sprouts, and we think we have some separate interest, that we are not included in the interest of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, that is the root of such misconception. bhaya\u1e41 dvit\u012by\u0101bhinive\u015bata\u1e25 sy\u0101d. In this way, the scriptures have given a diagnosis of the disease or concoction of false conception. We are living in a fool&#x27;s paradise. And the very beginning of material existence that we can trace is at the inception of a separate interest. The first deviation from advaya-j\u00f1\u0101na (the one harmonising organic whole) is a conception of separate interest. (SEOC, p 50)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(93)\",\"bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b,\",\"chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25\",\"k\u1e63\u012byante c\u0101sya karm\u0101\u1e47i,\",\"d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6da ev\u0101tman\u012b\u015bvare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master.&quot; (S-B, 1.2.21) bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b, chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25 k\u1e63\u012byante c\u0101sya karm\u0101\u1e47i, mayi d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6de &#x27;khil\u0101tmani &quot;The knot in the heart is pierced, all misgivings are cut to pieces and the chain of fruitive actions is terminated when I am seen as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.30) &quot;Our inner aspiration for rasa, ecstasy, is buried in the heart and the heart is tied down and sealed. But hearing and chanting the glories of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a breaks the seal of the heart, and the heart awakens and opens to receive K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: the reservoir of pleasure, ecstasy Himself (rasa vai sa\u1e25, akhila ras\u0101m\u1e5bta murti\u1e25).&quot; (TGVODL, p 22) + (see also \u015blokas 405 &amp; 561) Here \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is saying: &quot;There is a knot within our hearts, but that knot will be torn asunder by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. At that time, the flow of our innate tendency for divine love (svar\u016bpa \u015bakti) will inundate the whole heart. When the knot of the heart is torn apart, then, as the sleeping soul awakens, the Goloka conception within will emerge and inundate his entire being.&quot; But this is apparently a difficult problem. How is it possible that all our doubts may be cleared? Is it possible for the finite to know everything? This statement seems rather inconsistent. It seems absurd. The Upani\u1e63ads, however, say: &quot;Whoever knows Him knows everything; who gets Him gets everything.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 590). How will the finite know that he has everything, that he has known everything? It appears absurd, but it is confirmed in the scriptures. And if this problem is solved, then all problems are solved automatically. The finite will realise wholesale satisfaction; and all his inquisitive tendencies will be satisfied. This is confirmed not only in the Upani\u1e63ads, but also in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. (LSFTLS, p 67) + (see also \u015bloka 600) &quot;When the soul directly beholds Me as the Supreme Soul within all souls, his mundane ego is dissolved, all his doubts are slashed, and all his worldly deeds are annihilated.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.30) This is a scientific measurement, and of course, science of the transcendental world is not to be applied in the nature of the mundane. By this standard of adjustment, we shall gradually make progress towards proper adjustment. If the centre is clear, then, of course, the circumference is properly located. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is the centre, and in that consciousness every event can be found to be properly adjusted. In this way, by that inner satisfaction and realisation one can measure his personal progress. But this does not mean that his thirst will be quenched; rather, it will increase. But the assurance will come that the direction is the right direction. &quot;I am now making progress in the proper line, because many new things can be explained by that formula. They seemed to be unintelligible and meaningless. Now, what I am told to be the Absolute is harmonising all these things hitherto unharmonised. These points are being solved. So, chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25: the doubts are being cleared, and more satisfaction of a wide and spacious nature, the solution, will be felt in the heart of one who is a real student, a regular student of the Bh\u0101gavata school. chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25 is a great thing. We cannot accommodate this within the narrow shell of our brain! &quot;All doubts should be cleared? What is this?&quot; It is inconceivable that all doubts will be cleared. But everything will be solved if we accept the harmonising centre in such a point as advised by \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam and \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu - the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-conception of the Absolute.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.30) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 141-2) Then, bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u1e25: all the ties and entanglements, corners and angles, vanish. Crookedness vanishes. He finds himself in the midst of a straight, plain, graphic, spacious and all-embracing temperament. His atmosphere changes. All the ties of so many attractions to various achievements are at once dissolved. They have no necessity in this land. H\u1e5bdayen\u0101bhyanuj\u00f1\u0101to (Manu 2.1): Internal approval comes to assure you that you have arrived in your own land. chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25: there is no room for any doubt. You will find that all your hankerings are more than fulfilled here: &quot;I was searching; my whole body was searching.&quot; In Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-pad\u0101vali (Anthology of Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Songs, j\u00f1\u0101na Dasa), there is an expression: prati a\u1e45ga l\u0101ge k\u0101nde prati a\u1e45ga mora. (See \u015bloka 410). In the acme of Divinity, Madhura-rasa, where \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is \u015aakti (the Divine Potency of the Lord), She says: &quot;My every limb is crying for the respective limb of My Lord; not only My Self, but every part of My Body earnestly aspires for the corresponding part of My Master&#x27;s.&quot; chidyante sarvva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25 - Every part bears witness: &quot;Yes, we have reached the destination we were striving for, this is our full-fledged satisfaction. This is my soil, this is my home!&quot; Every atom of the body will say it. No trace of any doubt will be found, for there is no longer any room for that. But every atom will find its fulfilment: &quot;This is my home, this is my home! I am in home comfort, I find.&quot; k\u1e63\u012byante c\u0101sya karmm\u0101\u1e47i: (The Lord says about His devotee) &quot;And the force of reaction won&#x27;t come to trouble him, to drag him down or attract him backwards. That, too, is severed.&quot; mayi d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6de &#x27;khil\u0101tmani: &quot;I am the fullest of the full perfection. He will be able to trace My friendship.&quot; This should be the course of our life, our cherished goal. \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam tells us this. Home, sweet, sweet home. You are a child of that soil. In one word, that is the goal. (Why is that the highest goal? - see also \u015bloka 491) (S-B, 11.20.30) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 80-1) For one who receives the seed of devotion, who is selfless and penitent, denouncing his inability to abandon mundane enjoyment despite realising it to be the embodiment of suffering, and who sincerely gives himself incessantly to all the practices of devotion - in the heart of such a devotee, the Supreme Lord ascends like the rising sun to annihilate all ignorance with its reactions, revealing His divine personality in all its pristine glory. &quot;He who has imbibed heart&#x27;s faith in the tidings of My Name, nature and pastimes; who has become indifferent to all kinds of fruitive work and its rewards; who has learned that all kinds of enjoyment of sensual passions ultimately transform into misery, yet he is unable to fully abandon such passions - such a faithful devotee, being determined that his shortcomings will be dispelled by the potency of devotion, gradually comes to abhor those evil passions that enslave him, knowing the havoc they wreak - and he serves Me with love: when his object is pure and sincere, I give him My mercy.&quot; &quot;In this way, the introspective devotee unceasingly absorbs himself in all the practices of devotional service as enunciated by Me. And I, who am situated in the heart of My devotee, strike at the root of all the material urges that infect his heart, reducing them to oblivion.&quot; &quot;By bringing Me - the Soul of all souls - into his heart, no evil can remain there. Swiftly is the hard knot of mundane ego severed, all doubts are slashed, and all mundane action is exhausted for that earnestly aspiring devotee.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.27-28-29-30) + (SSPJ, p 165) Ultimately the conception of guru will come to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In this highest sense, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is guru. Who can remove all our doubts, and satisfy all our enquiries? It is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a alone. Gradually our faith will develop and take us to the one who can clear all our doubts. We may have doubts upon doubts. One doubt may go and thousands of doubts may come, but guru is one who can clear all our doubts. bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b, chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25. (S-B, 1.2.21). Who can do away with all the suspicion in our mind; it is He who is full. In this way we must progress. The birth of our faith may be in intellectualism, but its goal is transcendental. The birth of our search and its destination will come to meet together. The birth of faith is from the potency of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and after moving through the whole of the infinite it will come again to the potency where we will take our eternal position.&quot; (SEOC, p 122) &quot;Your quest will be fulfilled only when you come to such a stage. bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b (SB, 11.20.30): your heart is sealed. That seal will be broken. There is a knot - that will be torn. The flow will come out towards Me. The heart is in bondage. If it is untied, the easy and natural flow will come to Me. The tie is removed and the heart will flow with love towards Me. chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25: your searching trouble will be ended. No more search will be necessary. Always searching for better, better, better - that will be ended. k\u1e63\u012byante c\u0101sya karm\u0101\u1e47i: From your previous life, your obligation to the environment will also disappear. mayi d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6de &#x27;khil\u0101tmani: when you will find that I am everywhere, I am the party with whom you have to deal with. So, I can satisfy you wholly.&quot; As our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;If there is fire, don&#x27;t try to extinguish it and afterwards come to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. There is no necessity of extinguishing fire. All your internal necessity is with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But you go to extinguishing fire as though you have some necessity with the thing to be burned? No, no. You have no such necessity. The whole thing may be reduced to ashes - you won&#x27;t lose anything. All your necessity is in the Divine Feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He can supply, He can manage. He can give you the fullest engagement, naturally in your serving relationship with Him.&quot; mayi d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6de &#x27;khil\u0101tmani: &quot;Wherever you cast your glance you will see that I am there. Maybe you want to do good to others? But you will see that I am there; so your attempt to do good is not necessary. I am fully conscious of any benefit. So you can bestow nothing.&quot; He has the best interest and the best liking for everyone. He is there. So all other considerations are cancelled. &quot;There is only you, and Myself. All others are subsidiary.&quot; Of course, this is in a general sense. Then further, readjustment comes through Yogam\u0101y\u0101, in a serving group. There, another development will arise, where everything is similar but not the same. Crossing the layer of satisfaction, there is again dissatisfaction: &quot;I am not getting the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; Not a drop to drink - only hankering, hankering, hankering. &quot;How can I get a drop of this nectar to drink?&quot; That will be a further development. And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s different aspects will be unfolded to our hankering, and we will find infinite love. (S-B, 11.20.30) + (SCS, p 35-7) This famous \u015bloka of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (11.20.30), explains that when you eat something, your belly will give witness. It will say: &quot;Yes I am eating.&quot; Hunger will be satisfied, the body nourished, and there will be the fulfilment of having been fed. The body will be nourished and will gain strength, and, along with all this, will be your own inner approval of having eaten. Furthermore there will be no longer any feeling of necessity to eat more and more. Similarly in spiritual life so many symptoms will come to give proof of your progress.&quot; (HC, p 23) + (see also \u015bloka 534) Everything is polaric and everything is good. To read negative, and to read bad is injurious. That is our false ego. We are to get out above that. The false calculating ego; that is ego in bondage. Ego in bondage means, the ego calculating falsely - false, mis-reading, miscalculation, misdeeds. However, through the help of the agents of the harmonious world, and by the advice and books that come from that harmonious world and with the help of s\u0101dhusa\u1e45ga, we can get relief from our present diseased condition. We are in disease. h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b - heart disease! The disease is in the centre. Heart is the feeler; that has been accepted as the centre and the brain, the calculation? The brain is like a computer, if it works as well; that is, if it can read the environment with a normal heart - through a normal heart! bhidyate h\u1e5bdayagranthi\u015b. A wonderful \u015bloka. Your heart is sealed! The feeling portion, the reading portion of you is sealed. Break up the seal and then you will come to feel everything is your friend. bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b. Our attempt should be to break the seal by the real ego. The real ego has been covered, sealed. But, the seal should be broken! The natural feeling should be allowed to flow out, we should be allowed to feel. Then you will find that everything is all right. Your brain will say: &quot;Yes, now I find every calculation reaches the desired result.&quot; The computer will say likewise. And the heart? The heart will be opened. Heart will be opened and ego, the selfish part, the cover of the heart, that will be broken, the seal will be broken. And the natural flow will come to feel properly what is good and what is bad. You will find what is tasteful and what is bitter. The real heart from within will come to justify. Then, the brain will come to see that everything is all right. What is subservient to feeling - \u0101nandam ? sat-cit, cit-caitya, knowledge. Above that knowledge is that central thing - \u0101nandam, happiness, blissfulness, pleasure, joy. That is the signal for which everyone is searching. That feeling is the heart&#x27;s food, not the brain&#x27;s food. It is heart&#x27;s food which we are searching for, and that misrepresentation of the heart, that false, selfish ego, that is our worst enemy! It is unsatisfied, and always giving reports: &quot;This is not good, it is not good.&quot; And we are running hither and thither: &quot;What is good?&quot; We are searching for that! But, when the proper heart from within will come out, then, bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25: all doubts will be removed, we are in perfect harmony. k\u1e63\u012byante c\u0101sya karm\u0101\u1e47i: The past dues will all be cleared immediately. The past dues of our karma, reaction, birth, what is to come on me to have its realisation, that will be finished in no time! We shall enter our natural harmony. Then, we shall see that like some evil dream, something came in the middle - it was like a mad dream. But now, I am awake and the dream is nowhere. Only, the eternal connection. Gaura Haribol! That is a wonderful \u015bloka. bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b (S-B, 1.2.21). Karma, that is reaction which I am to clear off from my previous activity. That will also disappear and the harmonious outlook will come in me. And how will it come? When the heart will be opened. We have to break open the heart! The heart! The feeling thing, that is the most original thing in us which feels joy, pleasure or pain. That feeling of pleasure and pain, that is the most important factor for us. (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 3-4) + (see also \u015bloka 602) Our reinstating is possible. Reinstating ourselves to our lost cause, our real wealth, is possible independent of any kind of research into nature. Only break this seal. bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b, break the seal of the fort of the ego and then, the natural flow of reality will come and recognise you. It will have its own thing automatically. Such an arrangement is there. To come home, we will also have to take the guidance of a director. But you will not feel any devious or laborious sentiment. It will be natural. You will be carried by your natural affection independent of all external guides. The plane can understand its own soil, i,e, the natural gift of attraction. No scientific research is necessary for that. The automatic attraction - that will - is living there. Home! bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b, chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25, You will be able to put a stop to your intellectualism, intellectual ambition and aspiration - this is required. It is wild goose-chasing. It will never help me to reach my goal. You will reject that. chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25, there will be no room for any suspicion at all. Natural selection (by affection), infallible, wholesale selection, is there. Try to find out that natural thing. It is not acquired, not by the result of any long program of fulfilling, fighting, war - all these things. Quite natural. Only, the artificialism in you, that is to be removed. That is to be bid adieu for all times. bhidyate h\u1e5bdaya-granthi\u015b, chidyante sarva-sa\u1e41\u015bay\u0101\u1e25, k\u1e63\u012byante c\u0101sya karm\u0101\u1e47i, The reactions that you took so long to acquire in your false journey will withdraw without any effort in and of itself. No problem. No problem! It is such. No karma. There is no reaction and no necessity of finding a new discovery or invention. Progressive knowledge, advanced civilisation, etc., - these are all redundant. Home selection has such capacity.&quot; &quot;When he finds Me everywhere - solution finished!&quot; He is there - the duty is there - the Director, the All-dispensing Officer is there. He can make us leave everything. He is there - and what shall I feel is my duty towards this thing? All ties dissolved! No duty. Still, we will find some inclination to discharge our duty for Him, to serve Him. To help Him is such and that is our own reward. Not that He wants it. That is: &quot;Without my help in discharging duty or service towards Him, He will be undone or He will be imperfect?&quot; - not that! No. My fulfilment is there. No want of accommodation, no bankruptcy is there. He can give us engagement, any number of engagements we can get there for our interest. He is all right. With or without my help, He can go. He can do. It is not for that purpose, but for my fulfilment that I want the connection of the Infinite. My service will not add something to that. However, I will be happy in the highest sense. He is there! Everywhere! Is He.&quot; (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 5-6) + (see also \u015blokas 382, 198 &amp; 509)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(94)\",\"bhokt\u0101ra\u1e41 yaj\u00f1a-tapas\u0101\u1e41,\",\"sarva-loka-mahe\u015bvaram\",\"suh\u1e5bda\u1e41 sarvva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101 m\u0101\u1e41 \u015b\u0101ntim \u1e5bcchati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I am the enjoyer of the results of sacrifice performed by the fruit-hunter, as well as the results of austerity performed by the liberation-seeker - I am their only worshippable object; I am N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the indwelling monitor of all planes of life, and the Supreme Worshippable Personality who awards liberation. And I am the well-wisher of all - I am K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the devotee&#x27;s most adorable friend. The soul who thus knows My true identity attains the ecstasy of knowing his own original divine identity.&quot; (B-g, 5.29) The Absolute Autocrat is absolute good. So there is no room for complaint against Him. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a suh\u1e5bda\u1e41 sarvva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41, He is the owner of everything - in comparison, we are nothing. But still, He is our friend. We should not forget that. We are represented in Him. (SEOC, p 19) Your first consideration should be that the guardian is not partial. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;I am guardian, but I am friendly to you all. (suh\u1e5bda\u1e41 sarvva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41) Don&#x27;t leave this thought! I am your guardian, but at the same time I am your friend. Don&#x27;t forget this, otherwise there alone is the danger in your whole life.&quot; Be optimistic, don&#x27;t be pessimistic. You are good and all around you is bad, and withdrawal from everything and everyone will give you real bliss? Don&#x27;t be so selfish-thinking. That is your environment; they should be relied upon - they also have goodness in them. So try to adjust yourself with them. (SOTGOD, v1,p 172) + (see also \u015bloka 512) So the key for service to the Master, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, is in His hand. And that Master is an autocrat! But He says: &quot;Don&#x27;t be jealous of Me. I am your friend. You are all My own, so don&#x27;t be afraid. bhokt\u0101ra\u1e41 yaj\u00f1a-tapas\u0101\u1e41 - &quot;Your anxiety will subside when you come to understand that everything is in My hands and that I am not your enemy, rather I am your friend. I have a friendly relationship with you all. I am all-in-all, but I am your well-wisher and friend. When you come to realise this you will be in real peace, otherwise you will always have worry without end.&quot; Our anxiety will end only when we shall see: &quot;My own interest is fully represented in the Cause, in He who controls the whole. He must give me favourable consideration as He is my friend, and so there can be no fear of any misdeed or injustice.&quot; Only then can we find peace within our heart. bhokt\u0101ra\u1e41 yaj\u00f1a-tapas\u0101\u1e41, sarva-loka-mahe\u015bvaram - the great Master of all that we can conceive is the recipient of everything. bhokt\u0101ra\u1e41 yaj\u00f1a-tapas\u0101\u1e41 - everything, to the farthing, goes only to Him. suh\u1e5bda\u1e41 sarvva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 - and He is friendly to me. He is friendly not only to me, but the real interest of everyone is represented in His consideration. And, j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101 m\u0101\u1e41 \u015b\u0101ntim \u1e5bcchati - only the person who realises: &quot;My interest is assured in the highest quarter of management,&quot; can attain real peace of heart. He will feel: &quot;Yes, I have no worry, no anxiety.&quot; In the l\u012bl\u0101, however, we find so many kinds of anxiety and worry, but that is something else. (see also \u015bloka 76) (SOTGOD, v 3, p 38)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(95)\",\"bh\u016b-bh\u0101ra-hara\u1e47ak\u0101ri Avat\u0101ras\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"It is mentioned in the story of the Ke\u015b\u0101vat\u0101ra (Incarnations from hair) that Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u gave a boon that a black and a white hair from His head would go and save the Earth from the horrors of the burden of sins she was suffering from. Those hairs are said to have taken the forms of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Balar\u0101ma. They took up those two robes, but in that instance They are only bh\u016bbh\u0101ra-hara\u1e47ak\u0101ri Avat\u0101ras, or Descents appearing to relieve the earth of its burden, and not \u015avaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n or the Supreme Lord in person. The Lord as He is in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is entirely distinct. So also it has been seen in many instances that the outer case is one thing, the inner man is another. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 45-6) mau\u1e63ala-l\u012bl\u0101, \u0101ra k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-antardh\u0101na ke\u015b\u0101vat\u0101ra, \u0101ra yata viruddha vy\u0101khy\u0101na mahi\u1e63\u012b-hara\u1e47a \u0101di, saba - m\u0101y\u0101maya vy\u0101khy\u0101 \u015bikh\u0101ila yaiche susiddh\u0101nta haya Illusory stories opposed to the conclusions of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness concern the destruction of the Yadu dynasty, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s disappearance, the story that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Balar\u0101ma arise from a black hair and a white hair of K\u1e63\u012brodaka\u015b\u0101y\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, and the story about the kidnapping of the queens. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu explained to San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b the proper conclusions of these stories. (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 23.117-118) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu told San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b that the word k\u0101ka means crow, and ke\u015ba means hair. To counteract the asuric understanding of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as an incarnation of a crow, an incarnation of a \u015b\u016bdra (a blackish tribe), and an incarnation of hair, Mah\u0101prabhu explained that the word ke\u015ba means ka-\u012b\u015ba, the word ka indicates Lord Brahm\u0101, and \u012b\u015ba indicates K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (the Lord of Brahm\u0101). \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u00e3m\u012b and \u015ar\u012bla Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a have also refuted this argument about the hair incarnation, and \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u00e3m\u012b has also discussed this in his K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sandarbha (29) and his commentary known as Sarva-sa\u1e41v\u0101din\u012b. The Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata mentions some of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pastimes as mau\u1e63ala-l\u012bl\u0101, which include stories of the destruction of the Yadu dynasty, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s disappearance, His being pierced by a hunter&#x27;s arrow, the story of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s being an incarnation of a piece of hair (ke\u015ba-avat\u0101ra), and the kidnapping of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s queens (mahi\u1e63\u012b-hara\u1e47a). There is also reference to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Balar\u0101ma being incarnations of a black hair and a white hair in the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-Pur\u0101\u1e47a as well as Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata and Bh\u0101gavatam. It&#x27;s stated that Vi\u1e63\u1e47u snatched two hairs (one white and one black) from His head and these hairs entered the wombs of Rohi\u1e47\u012b and Devak\u012b (members of the Yadu dynasty). Balar\u0101ma appeared from the first hair from Rohi\u1e47\u012b, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appeared from the second hair from Devak\u012b. It&#x27;s also stated that all the asuras would be cut down by Vi\u1e63\u1e47u&#x27;s white and black plenary expansions when He came to perform His wonderful activities. \u015ar\u012bla A.C Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said these pastimes are not eternal, transcendental, or spiritual, but are related just to bewilder the asuras who have mistaken ideas about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In relation to ke\u015ba-avat\u0101ra, in his commentary of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (2.7.26) he states that just to diminish the distress of the world (caused by the asuras), and to expand His glories and encourage His devotees, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a descends with His plenary portion (Balar\u0101ma) in His original Form, with beautiful black hair.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(96)\",\"bhukti-mukti-sp\u1e5bh\u0101 y\u0101vat,\",\"pi\u015b\u0101c\u012b h\u1e5bdi varttate\",\"t\u0101vad bhakti-sukhasy\u0101tra,\",\"katham abhyudayo bhavet\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;How can the joy of holy devotion appear in the heart as long as it is haunted by the ghosts of desire for exploitation and renunciation?&quot; These two ideas of renunciation and enjoyment are foreign to us. They possess us, like ghosts. They have taken possession of our ego and are playing with it. We are prey in their mischievous hands, and we must escape from such a conspiracy of m\u0101y\u0101. We must be free - free members of the infinite world where the noble flow of dedication flourishes. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 6) The desire for enjoyment, and also for renunciation or mukti, no engagement, are compared to two ghosts, pi\u015b\u0101ci. So how do you dare to express that bhakti, real love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, will descend into your heart? Those two demons are there, and do you think the noble lady of devotion will come and sit on the same bench with those demons? How can you expect that? Have you freed yourself from those nasty things that you dare to invite the lady of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhakti to come? (B.r.s, P\u016brvva, 2.22) + (GOD, p 20)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(97)\",\"bh\u016bmau-skhalita-p\u0101d\u0101n\u0101\u1e41\",\"bh\u016bmir ev\u0101valambanam\",\"tvayi j\u0101t\u0101par\u0101dh\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"tvam eva \u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 prabho\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;For those who have stumbled and fallen upon the ground, that very ground is the only support by which they can arise once again. Likewise, for those who have offended You, O Lord, You alone are their only refuge.&quot; (SP) + (SSPJ, p 86) In the beginning, when a child tries to walk, s\/he falls down. But s\/he gets up and tries again. In this way, we must proceed, but we must not stoop to deceive ourselves. That is m\u0101y\u0101, deception. To deceive our own self and others is deception. Such persons are deceiving themselves, and the environment also. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 106)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(98)\",\"bh\u016bmir \u0101po &#x27;nalo v\u0101yu\u1e25\",\"kha\u1e41 mano buddhir eva ca\",\"aha\u1e45k\u0101ra it\u012bya\u1e41 me\",\"bhinn\u0101 prak\u1e5btir a\u1e63\u1e6dadh\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My deluding potency in this world is divided into eight ways: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego.&quot; (B-g, 7.4) Mind is separate (from faith). \u015araddh\u0101 is connected with soul, \u0101tm\u0101, and mind is matter. Mind is material: a part of material potency, and the j\u012bva is a product of par\u0101\u015bakti, the principal potency; and \u015avar\u016bpa-\u015bakti, the Lord&#x27;s Personal Potency, is higher than the j\u012bva. The nature of the mind is mental speculation (manodharmma). That has nothing to do with truth. That is drawn from the material world, the world of misconception. The mind is full of misconception (av\u0101\u1e45-manaso gocara\u1e25). Mind cannot reach the stage of feeling or perceiving truth proper. It is only related to mundane things or exploitation. Mind cannot be pure, just as a fossil cannot produce life. Similarly, the mind cannot produce \u015braddh\u0101. \u015araddh\u0101 is the original and fundamental. When the Supreme Lord appears in the heart, mind vanishes. Reality is just the opposite. Darkness cannot produce light: light comes, darkness vanishes. So truth appears when real pure consciousness appears, and mental speculation vanishes. The mind is concerned with misconception. It is an element of the apar\u00e3\u015bakti, the inferior potency. That potency is both subtle and gross. Earth, water, fire, air, and ether are gross; mind, intelligence and ego are subtle; but they are all material. Soul is transcendental. And \u015avar\u016bpa-\u015bakti, the Lord&#x27;s Personal Potency, bhajana or Divine Service, and Goloka-Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha are all Supra-mundane and Transcendental - on the other side of the soul, not on the lower side where the mind is located. Mind emerges from the ego, that is, the false ego, and it is made of the exploiting tendency. But Mah\u0101prabhu says: mora mana v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana: &quot;My speculation is on the other side - V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; That is not an element of this mundane plane. Properly speaking, the word &#x27;mind&#x27; does not deserve to be used in the context of &#x27;pure mind&#x27; at all, otherwise everything will be wrongly equated. The residents of Goloka also possess senses, etc., but the affairs of the mundane world are never one with that. The mundane mentality is a product of sense exploitation. We need relief from this mind. We are surrounded by poisonous thought. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 31-2) + (see also \u015bloka 115)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(99)\",\"bh\u016bya eva mah\u0101-b\u0101ho,\",\"\u015b\u1e5b\u1e47u me parama\u1e41 vaca\u1e25\",\"yat te &#x27;ha\u1e41 pr\u012byam\u0101\u1e47\u0101ya,\",\"vak\u1e63y\u0101mi hita-k\u0101myay\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O mighty armed Arjuna, hear My Divine exposition once again. Only desiring the ultimate benefit for you, who are very dear to Me, shall I speak.&quot; (B-g, 10.1) (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 1)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(100)\",\"bhv\u0101des tat savitur vare\u1e47ya-vihita\u1e41 k\u1e63etra-j\u00f1a sevy\u0101rthaka\u1e41\",\"bhargo vai v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu-j\u0101tma-vibhavaik\u0101r\u0101dhan\u0101 \u015br\u012b puram\",\"bhargo jyotir acintya l\u012blana sudhaik\u0101r\u0101dhan\u0101 \u015br\u012b puram\",\"(bhargo dh\u0101ma-tara\u1e45ga khelana sudhaik\u0101r\u0101dhan\u0101 \u015br\u012b puram)\",\"(bhargo dh\u0101ma sad\u0101-nirasta kuhaka\u1e41 praj\u00f1\u0101na-l\u012bl\u0101-puram)\",\"devasy\u0101m\u1e5bta-r\u016bpa-l\u012bla-rasadher\u0101r\u0101dha-dh\u012b\u1e25 preri\u1e47a\u1e25\",\"(devasy\u0101m\u1e5bta-r\u016bpa-l\u012bla puru\u1e63asy\u0101r\u0101dha-dh\u012b\u1e25 pre\u1e63i\u1e47a\u1e25\",\"(devasya dyuti-sundaraika-puru\u1e63asy\u0101r\u0101dhya-dh\u012b\u1e25 pre\u1e63i\u1e47a\u1e25)\",\"g\u0101yatr\u012b-mural\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da-k\u012brtana-dhana\u1e41 r\u0101dh\u0101-pada\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi\",\"(g\u0101yatr\u012b-gadita\u1e41 mah\u0101prabhu-mata\u1e41 r\u0101dh\u0101-pada\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi)\",\"(dh\u012br \u0101r\u0101dhanam eva n\u0101nyad iti tad r\u0101dh\u0101-pada\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Full-fledged Conception of the G\u0101yatr\u012b Mantra. artho &#x27;ya\u1e41 brahma-s\u016btr\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e41, bh\u0101rat\u0101rtha-vinir\u1e47aya\u1e25 g\u0101yatr\u012b-bh\u0101\u1e63ya-r\u016bpo &#x27;sau, ved\u0101rtha\u1e25 parib\u1e5b\u1e41hita\u1e25 &quot;The great devotional scripture \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is expanded as the meaning of Brahmas\u016btra, the irrevocable confirmation of the purport of the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata, the elaborate commentary of the G\u0101yatr\u012b mantra, and the purport of all the Vedas.&quot; (GP) (see also \u015bloka 50) (g\u0101n\u0101t tr\u0101yate). G\u0101yatr\u012b is the mantra which by singing we get salvation, not just freedom from the negative side, but self - determination; mukti hitv\u0101nyath\u0101 r\u016bpa\u1e41, svar\u016bpe\u1e47a vyavasthiti\u1e25. Says Bh\u0101gavatam: &quot;Know the positive self, that is real mukti.&quot; To engage in positive function - that&#x27;s our highest attainment, and that is service in devotion, not a void indifference! First o\u1e41k\u0101ra, then G\u0101yatr\u012b, then, Veda, Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btra, then Bh\u0101gavatam from G\u0101yatr\u012b - the &quot;Mother of the Vedas.&quot; \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam being the commentary of G\u0101yatr\u012b, then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-conception in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana we must clearly see in the womb of G\u0101yatr\u012b mantra. O\u1e41, Bh\u016br, Bhuva\u1e25, Svar, Tat Savitur, Vare\u1e47yam, Bhargo, Devasya, Dh\u012bmahi. O\u1e41 is the seed within which is contained the whole conception. Bh\u016br is where we are, in the world of our perception.Bhuva\u1e25 is at the back of that - our mental acquisition, our karmic mentality of sensual predilection. Svar means buddhiloka, the plane of fine decision, the choice of movement up or down - the faculty of reason. Bh\u016br, Bhuva\u1e25, Svar, Mahar, Janar, Tapar, Satya: The mundane world of seven planes, up to Satyaloka, where resides Lord Brahm\u0101, and those saints, the four Kum\u0101ras. These are the planes of life in the material negative side, as explained in Bh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5btam by San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012bp\u0101da. (Then Viraj\u0101 river - equipoised verge of negative side; Then Brahm\u0101loka - equipoised verge of positive world; Then the world of reality - dedication, loving service, the soul&#x27;s nature proper in the \u015aivaloka residence. Then further to Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, Ayodhya, Dv\u0101rak\u0101, then Mathur\u0101 and finally V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47aloka). Tat Savitur - means the sun - which illuminates all objects, and that is none but the soul - the observer, he&#x27;s the subject. As it is in \u015ar\u012b G\u012bt\u0101 (13.34), sung by \u015ar\u012b Govinda; eka\u1e25 k\u1e5btsna\u1e41 lokam ima\u1e41 ravi\u1e25 ; soul - &quot;observer.&quot; (see \u015bloka 599). Vare\u1e47yam - above the soul, higher than the subject, The Absolute Supreme Being - Supersoul, Supersubject. More subtle than the soul, and to be worshipped by him is Bhargo - the abode of the supersubjective plane, described in the Bh\u0101gavatam in the very first verse. The domain of Supreme Truth where all m\u0101y\u0101 is dispersed. In its own pristine glory, it shows the highest goal, a higher powerful light which illuminates the soul: Devasya - it&#x27;s His potency, the Lord of sweet pastimes, Reality the Beautiful, to be worshipped at all times. That Bhargo has expanded from King V\u1e5bsabh\u0101nu&#x27;s daughter, Embodiment of Mah\u0101bh\u0101va - none other than \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. All energy, responsibility to serve Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Her domain, the loving plane of service to the centre. She knows how to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, to please Him like no other, so if we want to serve Him, we must pray to get Her order! Dh\u012bmahi - we are addressed: &quot;Come and meditate.&quot; What sort of meditation? Culture, cultivate our veneration, worship, our service in devotion: Engagement in the positive, not abstract meditation. Not an idle, fleeting, mundane experiment, but a spiritual culture - cultivate our serving temperament. Dhiyo Yo Na\u1e25 Pracoday\u0101t - what is the effect? Capacity of cultivation - it will be increased. d\u0101sa kare vetan, more deha prema-dhan- the more you give, the more you get desire to carry on: the more service is increased, it&#x27;s added to the treasure as interest, our willingness increases without measure. This is the inner meaning of G\u0101yatr\u012b mantra. G\u0101yatr\u012b is the song which by singing we are freed, The music of Divinity to help our highest need; Coming to Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s feet, the tune is sa\u1e45k\u012brtana Then reaching to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana - K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s holy flute vibration. Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s sa\u1e45k\u012brtana helps in reinstating us, To take us to the ecstasy of service, known as rasa. And those who enter V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s sweet flute-song Helps engage His servitors to serve Him e&#x27;er anon. The flute is sounding, all are thinking: &quot;Oh, He&#x27;s coming!&quot; &quot;He&#x27;s going!&quot; Struck with wonder, river Yamun\u0101 cannot go on flowing. The friends are all engaged with Him throughout the afternoon; Ya\u015bod\u0101 hears the flute, she thinks: &quot;My son is coming soon!&quot; O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Lord of love - Lord of the heart, Lord \u015ar\u012b Govinda, Your flute-song in the night, the gop\u012bs run to the Yamun\u0101. The Lord of all Vraja -Dh\u0101ma - the Sweet Absolute Engages all His servitors just by playing His flute. d\u0101sya, sakhya, v\u0101tsalya, the entire range of rasa To the highest, madhura - all represented in \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 The whole serving area is full in R\u0101dhik\u0101: All services, like branches, are but part of Her. The divine song awakes us, our hearts we shall surrender Unto Her holy lotus feet - the service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. rasa-r\u0101ja, mah\u0101bh\u0101va - dui eka r\u016bpa - The Lord of love - His consort, in one form both include: Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga Mah\u0101prabhu, the Golden Lord has come And attracted G\u0101yatr\u012b to R\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101syam. The Vedas, Upani\u1e63ads, all scriptures of the truth, Have come to \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, the acme of all faith; And there this full conclusion of theistic realisation Will reach the heart embracing such devotional conception. (B-g, p xvi-xxvi) &quot;With all of your thoughts and hearts desire, fully engage yourself in the pure devotional service and worship of Bhargo, the Supreme Goddess \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, Who is the unlimited origin and possessor of the Svar\u016bpa-\u015aakti of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Supreme Beautiful Godhead (Deva). Being the ultimate and all harmonising potency of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, She remains His eternally unexcelled beloved servitor. In order to fully enrich and promote His l\u012bl\u0101 vil\u0101sa, She manifests Herself in variegated congenial forms. It is She Who manifests Herself as Dh\u0101ma (Goloka) the abode of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, in the form of beautiful effulgence (saundarya jyoti) and opulence (vaibhava) adorning and glorifying Him all around. It is She Who extends Herself as l\u012bl\u0101 \u015bakti (the potency principle which promotes the bliss giving pastimes of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in variegated, colourful, tasteful, mystically opulent and beautiful ways). She is the unlimited ocean of Love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a personified (mah\u0101bh\u0101va svar\u016bpini) therefore adore Her as the supreme goal of life, Who gives venerable, blessed intelligence, realisation and taste of enhanced loving worship towards Her and Her eternal beloved deva, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the all fulfilment of life.&quot; (Poem in praise of G\u0101yatr\u012b) (SBRBM, p 33-34) + (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 8) + (see also \u015blokas 50 &amp; 350)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(101)\",\"brahma-bh\u016bta\u1e25 prasann\u0101tm\u0101,\",\"na \u015bocati na k\u0101\u1e45k\u1e63ati\",\"sama\u1e25 sarve\u1e63u bh\u016bte\u1e63u,\",\"mad-bhakti\u1e41 labhate par\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The spotlessly pure-hearted and self-satisfied soul who has attained to his conscious divine nature neither grieves nor craves for anything. Seeing all beings equally (in the conception of My supreme energy), he gradually achieves supreme devotion (prema-bhakti) unto Me.&quot; (B-g, 18.54) &quot;One who has come to the stage of identifying himself with spirit above matter has nothing to do with this mundane world. Any loss or gain in this mundane world is of no use to him. He is spirit; his prospect is in the world of soul, and he has nothing to do with this material world, whether it is laudable or blameable. He is already settled in the consciousness that he is soul proper and has nothing to do with matter, so within himself he feels satisfaction. He is \u0101tm\u0101r\u0101ma: self-content; he neither mourns, nor aspires for anything. If something is lost, does he mourn? No. He thinks: &quot;This is nothing; it is only matter.&quot; And when something is gained, he is not overly cheerful, because it is only matter; it is unnecessary and unimportant. Now true devotional service can begin; his soul can begin living in the spiritual plane, with a pure serving attitude, unmixed with any mundane aspiration. When one attains the spiritual platform, he gets the opportunity to practice a higher type of service.&quot; (TSFSK, p 138) (\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: to R\u0101m\u0101n\u0101nda R\u0101ya) &quot;This is also superficial. Such a person is only on the verge of devotional service; he has no substantial touch of devotion. He has not entered the domain of bhakti; he is just waiting in the marginal position, at the door. He may attain bhakti, but he has not yet achieved it. His negative forces are finished, but still, he is just at the door; he has not yet entered. He may enter; he may not enter. From there, if he gets anything, it will be pure, but he is still at the door.&quot; (R\u0101m\u0101n\u0101nda R\u0101ya then quoted \u015bloka 206) (TSFSK, p 139) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Beauty - Reality the Beautiful. Beauty absorbs us. The m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012bs, the impersonalists, say that the Brahman absorbs the individual soul so much that no trace of it remains. But this is an artificial conception of absorption. In the real conception of absorption, the existence of the seer of the truth is not done away with. He remains, but he is absorbed with life. He is so absorbed and attracted that he becomes one. Even maintaining his separate existence, he is always one, full of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness to the highest degree, and this is visible to the outside world. The &#x27;oneness&#x27; of the m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012bs is of course crossed in the beginning. Brahma-bh\u016bta\u1e25 prasann\u0101tm\u0101, na \u015bocati na k\u0101\u1e45k\u1e63ati sama\u1e25 sarve\u1e63u bh\u016bte\u1e63u: &quot;I am one with Brahman.&quot; - that stage is surpassed, and then - mad-bhakti\u1e41 labhate par\u0101m, devotion is attained. There is oneness in divine attraction, union, and separation, in different l\u012bl\u0101 or pastimes. To maintain the setting of l\u012bl\u0101, the l\u012bl\u0101 is maintained. Here, complete absorption and oneness does not mean that everything is annihilated. L\u012bl\u0101 is also eternal: the Lord&#x27;s n\u0101ma (Name), r\u016bpa (Form, Beauty), gu\u1e47a (Qualities), parikara (Entourage), l\u012bl\u0101 (Pastimes) - all are eternal. His relationship is a dynamic thing, not a static one. There is even union in separation. There is unity in every stage. The dynamic character of His pastimes requires unity, otherwise He Self-giving and the devotees&#x27; God-attainment would have been impossible. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 116) (see also \u015bloka 490) &quot;By knowledge of the non-differentiated Absolute Truth, one can achieve self-satisfaction, freedom from lamentation and hankering, and perceive the equality in all beings. And above this, he engages in transcendental devotional service unto Me.&quot; A person who has realised his constitutional spiritual nature engages in transcendental devotional service unto the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; therefore, such devotion is transcendental to the three modes of material nature. (SSPJ, p 147)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(102)\",\"brahm\u0101di ye prema-bhakti-yoga v\u0101\u1e63ch\u0101 kare\",\"t\u0101h\u0101 vil\u0101imu sarvva prati ghare ghare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu came as the most gracious Descent. He brought such nectar, even a drop of which is aspired after by the masters of creation and dissolution of this visible world, Lord Brahm\u0101 and Lord \u015aiva.&quot; (Caitanya-Bh\u0101gavata, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 5.152) Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Autocrat, is controlled by love, and nothing else. Divine love, prema, is such, that it can control the Absolute Autocrat. Even He can be controlled, and this is the clue. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu came to distribute this: the Master of masters came with this offer: &quot;This path will lead you to a plane where you will be able to control the Master of masters.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 135)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(103)\",\"br\u0101hma\u1e47\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 sahasrebhya\u1e25\",\"satra-y\u0101j\u012b vi\u015bi\u1e63yate\",\"satra-y\u0101ji-sahasrebhya\u1e25\",\"sarvva-ved\u0101nta-p\u0101raga\u1e25\",\"sarvva-ved\u0101nta-vit-ko\u1e6d y\u0101\",\"vi\u1e63\u1e47ubhakto vi\u015bi\u1e63yate\",\"vai\u1e63\u1e47av\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 sahasrebhya\u1e25\",\"ek\u0101ntyeko vi\u015bi\u1e63yate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Among many thousands of br\u0101hma\u1e47as, a yaj\u00f1ika br\u0101hma\u1e47a is best. Among thousands of yaj\u00f1ika br\u0101hma\u1e47as, one who fully knows Ved\u0101nta is best. Among millions of knowers of Ved\u0101nta, one who is a devotee of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u is best. And among thousands of devotees of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, one who is an unalloyed Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is best.&quot; (H-B-V, 10.117) + (B-S, 117) &quot;The real devotee of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u is superior to crores (ten million) of ordinary vaid\u0101ntik-brahmins. A practical brahmin is better than a birth brahmin. Practical means he who performs yaj\u00f1a, etc., and worships K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Those who worship K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a with the help of their consciousness will be preferred to those who worship with material things. Then those who are Ved\u0101nta-vit, they think that their goal is undifferentiated consciousness, and if one can have the idea of differentiated consciousness then he must hold the higher position to crores of vaid\u0101ntikbrahmins - those who are suffering from the disease of thinking that spirituality means nondifferentiated brahma. The Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhaktas who can see the Personality in consciousness, will be far superior. Amongst the devotees, those who regulate themselves according to the scriptures and calculation are of the order of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, and those who can exclusively surrender to the Service of the Absolute Entity with inner-most Love and Faith, are of the highest order.&quot; (GP) When \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura adopted the sacred thread, it was mentioned that \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b had previously written that in order for one to become a brahmin, one would have to take birth in the family of a brahmin. But later a mah\u0101jana (a great personality of authority on bhakti) would appear who would change this rule. \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has written that the ordinary s\u0101dhus; the yog\u012bs, the brahmins, the \u015aa\u1e45karites, and the other schools, have all concluded that by the dint of one&#x27;s knowledge, one&#x27;s yoga, or one&#x27;s devotion, the results of all actions can be destroyed, save and accept pr\u0101rabdha-karma, those actions which have determined one&#x27;s present body and are already attached to that body from before this birth. But the Bhakti school disagrees. We say that by the power of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma, even the impurity attached to one&#x27;s birth, race, creed, caste, or any other thing; can be done away with completely. It is not possible by yoga, j\u00f1\u0101na, or any other thing, but by k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma, any sort of impurity can be obliterated, even pr\u0101rabdha-karma. So, when all pr\u0101rabdha-karma is purified, then one comes to the position of the highest birth, that of a brahmin. J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that at this point one comes to the status of a brahmin boy. But a brahmin boy is not considered eligible to do the work of a brahmin, until and unless he is given the sacred thread and mantram. When he is conferred with upanayana-sa\u1e41sk\u0101ra, then only is he eligible to worship N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, perform sacrifice, and carry out other duties which only the brahmins can do. So by taking the Holy Name one is purified and attains the position of a brahmin boy. But, \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b points out, that because we do not find any system to give the sacred thread to those not born in brahmin families, then they will have to wait until their next birth. The Gosw\u0101m\u012b admits that whatever caste one may be, if he takes the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a then he discards any defects of his birth, and attains the position of a brahmin lad. Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, continuing this line of thought, said there is no harm in giving them the sacred thread, so the custom may be introduced. Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja came to introduce that. He said, two things are being given indulgence by not introducing that initiation. Firstly, those who receive Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava initiation may think that they are lower than the brahmins, so they must be encouraged. They should understand that they are no longer in a lower position and that they are fit to do all the various services. Secondly, the so-called brahmins, who are proud of their flesh consciousness, come to think that those who have got vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 are lower. So they are committing offence to the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. In order that the brahmins and other so-called higher castes should not be given the chance of committing vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-apar\u0101dha; and at the same time, those who have received the vai\u1e63\u1e47avamantra should not consider themselves lower and unfit to do the worship that the body brahmins do; for those two-fold benefits for the society, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b Gosw\u0101m\u012b boldly came forward to introduce this system. There is no difficulty in the rules of \u015b\u0101stra, according to siddh\u0101nta it is not wrong, but only there was no system established. Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja established that. (C, v 1, # 7, Spr. &#x27;95, p 8) + (see also \u015blokas 44 &amp; 586)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(104)\",\"brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da brhamite kona bh\u0101gyav\u0101n j\u012bva\",\"guru-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pras\u0101de p\u0101ya bhakti-lat\u0101-b\u012bja\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Wandering throughout the material universe, the very fortunate living entity who receives the grace of Guru and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.&quot; (C-c, Madhyal\u012bl\u0101, 19.151) We have to acquire this capacity during the course of our wanderings in different positions throughout the creation. We are wandering from this land to that, from this species to that species, and in the course of that, we gather some suk\u1e5bti, pious credits. aj\u00f1\u0101ta suk\u1e5bti means that unknowingly and unconsciously our energy is spent in the service of the Lord, and the reaction comes in the form of some pious credits. And when suk\u1e5bti is more developed, it becomes j\u00f1\u0101ta suk\u1e5bti, or pious activities knowingly performed. Then, \u015braddh\u0101, faith, our inner attraction for the universal truth comes to the surface. In this way it may develop from any stage. Even a beast may feel the tendency to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, so many living beings: trees, beasts, and even the water have acquired their position by consciously desiring it. Although they have accepted an apparently material pose, they eternally hold that position in the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (TSFSK, p 71) &quot;According to the thread of their karma, the living beings are wandering throughout many species of life in the universe. Among all such wandering souls, one for whom the fortune of spiritual merit (suk\u1e5bti) has arisen by which devotion is facilitated, gains the seed of the creeper of devotion by the grace of guru and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; that seed is good faith (\u015braddh\u0101).&quot; It is not a light thing. We must know that this seed of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is the most valuable thing in the whole of creation. &quot;Everything - good or bad - belongs to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and I am His unconditional servitor.&quot; Our general thought must be like this, and the details will develop gradually. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 100) The association, or connection with a real s\u0101dhu occurs by some underground activity known as suk\u1e5bti. Suk\u1e5bti is of two types: aj\u00f1\u0101ta and j\u00f1\u0101ta - unconsciously acquired, and consciously acquired - sat-sa\u1e45ga pr\u0101pyate pu\u1e41bhi\u1e25, suk\u1e5btai\u1e25 p\u016brvva-sa\u1e63citai\u1e25. (\u015bloka 88). Of this suk\u1e5bti stage, Mah\u0101prabhu says: brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da brhamite kona bh\u0101gyav\u0101n j\u012bva: &quot;Wandering throughout the material universe, the very fortunate living entity who receives the grace of Guru and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.&quot; Suk\u1e5bti is described by the word bh\u0101gyav\u0101n, good fortune. There are so many different types of s\u0101dhus. Among the ty\u0101g\u012bs (renunciationists) there are so many different classes: the naked n\u0101\u1e45g\u0101 b\u0101b\u0101s and others. And among the theistic group also there are so many different sections like the R\u0101m\u0101nujas, the R\u0101m\u0101nand\u012bs, the Nimb\u0101rkas, the Vallabhis and the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. The Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas are the followers of Mah\u0101prabhu. So even in the theistic section there is a graded classification, but it is through our suk\u1e5bti that we shall be guided from a subconscious area to have connection with a s\u0101dhu of a particular section. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 60) (see also \u015bloka 337)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(105)\",\"caitanyeti k\u1e5bp\u0101mayeti paramod\u0101retin\u0101n\u0101-vidhaprem\u0101ve\u015bita-sarva-bh\u016bta-h\u1e5bdayety \u0101\u015bcarya-dh\u0101manniti\",\"gaur\u0101\u1e45geti gu\u1e47\u0101r\u1e47aveti rasa-r\u016bpeti sva-n\u0101ma-priyety\",\"a\u015br\u0101nta\u1e41 mama jalpato janir iya\u1e41 y\u0101y\u0101d iti pr\u0101rthaye\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Caitanya, O personification of Divine Knowledge, O supremely compassionate one, O Lord who fulfils the hearts of all living entities with the nectar of various devotional ecstasies, O wonderfully self effulgent one, O golden complexioned Lord, O ocean of transcendental qualities, O embodiment of divine love ecstasy, O Lord who is fond of tasting Your Own Holy Name, I pray that I may tirelessly continue chanting Your Holy Names throughout the rest of my life.&quot; (C-Cand, 67) + (SBRBM, p 12)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(106)\",\"cak\u1e63ud\u0101na dilo yei,\",\"janme janme prabhu sei,\",\"divya-j\u00f1\u0101n h\u1e5bde prok\u0101\u015bito\",\"prema-bhakti j\u0101h\u0101 hoite,\",\"avidy\u0101 vin\u0101\u015ba j\u0101te,\",\"vede g\u0101y j\u0101h\u0101ra carito\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;He who has given me the gift of transcendental vision is my Lord, birth after birth. By His mercy divine knowledge is revealed within the heart, bestowing prema-bhakti and destroying ignorance. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.&quot; (SOTVA, p 81) There is the relative principle and the absolute principle. We shall have to eliminate the form, ignore the form; we shall always have to keep the spirit. Otherwise, we become form worshippers, idol worshippers. It is said, of course, that the connection with the spiritual master is eternal (cak\u1e63ud\u0101na dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei). But we must not identify our guru with the appearance we perceive with our physical senses. Our inner identification of him will be clarified according to the growth of our vision. When our vision increases and takes shape from material to transcendental, his look will also change accordingly. (SGAHG, p 35)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(107)\",\"carmma-m\u0101\u1e41samaya - k\u0101ma, prema - cid\u0101nanda-dh\u0101ma\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The carnal appetite is lust, whereas Love is the Abode of Divine Ecstasy. So imitation is not success. It rather degrades. Imitation degrades. Imagination is only a mental exercise.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 30)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(108)\",\"ceto-darpa\u1e47a-m\u0101rjana\u1e41 bhava-mah\u0101-d\u0101v\u0101gni-nirv\u0101pa\u1e47a\u1e41\",\"\u015breya\u1e25-kairava-candrik\u0101-vitara\u1e47a\u1e41 vidy\u0101-vadh\u016b-j\u012bvanam\",\"\u0101nand\u0101mbudhi-vardhana\u1e41 prati-pada\u1e41 p\u016br\u1e47\u0101m\u1e5bt\u0101sv\u0101dana\u1e41\",\"sarv\u0101tma-snapana\u1e41 para\u1e41 vijayate \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a cleanses the mirror of the heart and extinguishes the fire of misery in the forest of birth and death. As the evening lotus blooms in the moon&#x27;s cooling rays, the heart begins to blossom in the nectar of the Name. And at last the soul awakens to its real inner treasure - a life of love with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Again and again tasting nectar, the soul dives and surfaces in the ever-increasing ocean of ecstatic joy. All phases of the self of which we may conceive are fully satisfied and purified, and at last conquered by the all-auspicious influence of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (S, v 1) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is the pioneer of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. He said: p\u1e5bthiv\u012bte \u0101che yata nagar\u0101di-grama, sarvatra prac\u0101ra haibe mora n\u0101ma: &quot;I have come to inaugurate the chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and that Name will reach every nook and corner of the universe.&quot; Although p\u1e5bthiv\u012bte \u0101che has been mentioned in different places, p\u1e5bthiv\u012bte &#x27;paryyanta&#x27; yata nagar\u0101di-grama must be noted. This means that Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s preaching of \u015ar\u012b Hari-N\u0101ma will spread to not only the towns and villages on the earth, but to all the villages and towns of all the planets - wherever there are villages and inhabitants to be traced anywhere. brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da t\u0101rite - His mission is to deliver the whole universe. What is the meaning of sa\u1e45k\u012brtana? samyak means &quot;full&quot; in quality and quantity, and k\u012brtana means &quot;chanting.&quot; Full quantity means extensive in number, congregational. Full quality means complete praise. Complete praise can only mean the glorification of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and not any other gods. Together, these two words form the word sa\u1e45k\u012brtana which generally means &quot;congregational chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; So sa\u1e45k\u012brtana means complete k\u012brtana, a song in praise of the complete whole, the Absolute Truth, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Anything else is only a partial representation and therefore defective to a certain extent. Therefore, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should be praised. His glories should chanted, for He is everything. The fulfilment of all life is reached in Him alone. Just as a horse may have reins to check his movements, but if let loose will run freely, praise which is unchecked by any mundane purpose will run straight towards the Supreme Cause, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The word \u015br\u012b means Lak\u1e63m\u012bdev\u012b, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s potency. This means that in sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is worshipped along with His potency, for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s potency is included within Him. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says that \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana should thrive throughout the world; it should be victorious without any hindrance (para\u1e41 vijayate \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtanam). It should be a spontaneous, unchecked, and natural flow. It should be exclusive, independent, and without reservation. And this praise of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should be congregationally chanted - that vibration is beneficial for the whole world. Only by surrender and pure devotion can we take to \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47asa\u1e45k\u012brtana. What are the different stages through which we will pass while chanting the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? The first stage is that it cleanses the mirror of the mind. If the mirror of the mental system is covered with dust, we cannot see things clearly, and scriptural advice cannot be properly reflected there. What are the different kinds of dust covering the mirror of the mind? Our infinite, fleeting, and organised desires are considered dust, and our hearts and minds are covered with layers and layers of this dust. Therefore we cannot see things properly; they cannot properly reflect in our mind because it is covered with the infinite ordinary desires of this mundane world. (bhukti-mukti-siddhi-k\u0101m\u012b--sakali &#x27;a\u015b\u0101nta&#x27; - see also \u015bloka 244) So the first effect of \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana is the cleansing of the mind. The Vedic social system (var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama-dharma) has been formed for this purpose. If we discharge our social duties perfectly, without any attraction for the consequences, we achieve purification of our consciousness - but the first instalment of n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana gives us the end result of var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama-dharma: purification of the heart and mind. Then we can understand Vedic advice properly. The next effect of chanting the Holy Name is that it extinguishes the fire of material existence in the forest of repeated birth and death. We are forced to come into creation and die again. The mundane wave catches the soul which mingles with that vibration in different stages. That is stopped by the second effect of \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, and we become liberated. With the first stride, the intelligence is purified. With the second stride, the Holy Name effects liberation from the great conflagration of threefold miseries. The three-fold miseries are \u0101dhy\u0101tmika: miseries within the body and mind, such as disease and mental anxiety; \u0101dhibhautika: miseries from our neighbours: man, beasts, insects, and so many other living beings; and \u0101dhidaivika: natural catastrophes like famine, flood, and earthquake. We have to suffer from these three kinds of miseries which burn in our heart like fire. But everything is extinguished forever by the second stride of n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana which gives us relief. The next stage is \u015breya\u1e25 kairava candrik\u0101vitara\u1e47a\u1e41: the Holy Name bestows upon us the supreme goal of life. After doing away with these two negative engagements, our positive engagement begins and ultimately takes us to reality, to the real truth, which is eternal, auspicious, and beautiful. It takes us to that auspiciousness which is above this world of difficulty, and in a general way we achieve the supreme goal, the highest auspiciousness, the greatest good from chanting the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. If we analyse this scrutinisingly, we find that in this stage, the Holy Name takes us to an intimate personal relationship with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a which includes neutrality, servitude, friendship, and filial affection (\u015b\u0101nta, d\u0101sya, sakhya, and v\u0101tsalya rasa). \u015areya\u1e25 covers the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, for it is by His grace that we may be allowed to worship R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (nit\u0101iyer koru\u1e47\u0101 habe, braje r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101be - see \u015bloka 343-4) The next stage is vidy\u0101-vadh\u016b-j\u012bvanam. The Holy Name prepares us for the wholesale surrender to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a that is found in conjugal love (madhurya rasa) where the devotees surrender themselves infinitely at the disposal of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The next stage is \u0101nand\u0101mbudhi-vardhana\u1e41. When we come to the proper level while chanting the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, we find the transcendental ocean that is above all sorts of experience. The Name comes to assert Himself over us according to the degree of our surrender, and when our surrender is complete, we feel a new type of ecstatic joy; we experience an infinite ocean of joy which is not static, but always dynamic. There we find new life and a new type of blissfulness. It never becomes stale or static, but at every moment gives us a taste of the infinite ocean of ecstasy. The last effect is that our entire existence is purified. This kind of enjoyment does not pollute - it purifies. Enjoyment means exploitation. Mundane enjoyment creates a reaction and pollution attacks the enjoyer, but here, because K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the aggressor, the result is purification. All enjoyment that comes from the centre, from the autocratic desire of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, purifies us completely. In this verse, the words sarv\u0101tma-snapana\u1e41 mean that all different phases of the self which may be conceived are fully satisfied and purified at once by chanting the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. And there is another meaning of sarv\u0101tma-snapana\u1e41. If we praise K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a congregationally, we will be purified according to our capacity. Both the singer and the audience as well as anyone who comes in connection with the transcendental sound will be purified, snapana\u1e41 means &quot;purifying.&quot; That vibration purifies everyone and everything that comes in touch with it. So Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;Go on with sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, the congregational chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; Of course, sa\u1e45k\u012brtana must be genuine, so association with saints is necessary. The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not mere physical sound; it is not lip-deep only, but it has a greater and higher aspect. It is all spiritual. We are in the marginal plane of existence, so some higher connection is necessary in order that the wave will descend from that higher realm and come to us and spread its influence outside as well. Wherever it goes, the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will produce these sevenfold results. This is the purport of Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s first verse. The first effect is that the Holy Name cleanses the soul which is attacked by the dirt of desires from the mundane world. By the second effect it gives mukti, liberation, perfect independence from material forces. The third effect brings real fortune: the opening of the soul&#x27;s treasure. The innate resources of the soul are gradually awakened by the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Here, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu includes the other forms of relationship with the Personal Absolute. In describing the next step, He takes the mood of conjugal devotion, where one is absolutely disposed for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s enjoyment, unconditionally surrendering everything for His maximum pleasure. The next effect is the tasting of His ecstatic association. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the realm of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, one who can chant the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a properly will express himself with a peculiar sort of ego. (tu\u1e47\u1e0de t\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davin\u012b rati\u1e41 vitanute tu\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101val\u012b-labdhaye - see also \u015bloka 524) This is the temperament of a devotee when his attention is drawn towards the Holy Name. Then he faints; he loses himself, merging in an ocean of ecstasy and joy. And in great disappointment he says: &quot;I failed to understand the quality and quantity of the substance of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Name. I am perplexed. What sort of honey sweetness does this Name contain?&quot; In this way, the chanter wonders. This has been taught to us by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who said: &quot;Properly chant the Holy Name, the sound representation of absolute sweetness.&quot; That sweetness is also to be found in the flute-song of the Lord. The sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute has the great mystic power of capturing and pleasing everyone and everything. Upon hearing the sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute, the Yamun\u0101&#x27;s current is paralysed. The sweet sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute attracts the trees, the birds, and the beasts. Everything is astounded by contacting the sweet vibration from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute. Sound vibration can work miracles, and has the highest capturing potency, and can make or mar. It can do anything; it has such intrinsic capacity. It comes from the subtlemost plane, beyond ether. That universal sound is absolute sweetness and goodness. (see also \u015bloka 409). How much power is there - how it can capture us! Like a blade of grass, we may be played by the current of that sweet sound in such a way that we cannot even trace out our own personality. We may lose ourselves there, but we do not die; the soul is eternal. Diving, up and down, we are played by the current of the sweet sound. We are less qualified than a straw, a blade of grass, and the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sound is so big and so sweet that it can play us in any way it likes. We cannot begin to conceive how much power is in the Name, the sound which is identical with absolute goodness and sweetness. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;Don&#x27;t neglect the sound which is one and the same with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; Absolute sweetness and goodness - everything is there within the Holy Name. And the Holy Name is representing Itself to us in a very cheap way: nothing is required to purchase it no money, no physical energy. All these things are unnecessary. What is required? Sincerity. One who simply takes this divine sound sincerely will be so enriched that no one will be able to conceive of so much goodness and development. And anyone may have it very cheaply, but one must chant sincerely with his whole heart. Of course, wholehearted sincerity presupposes going to a proper agent, a saint, and getting the Holy Name from him. \u015ar\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana is praised by Mah\u0101prabhu, the inaugurator of the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana movement who came as R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda combined. His advice is most valuable and necessary to tell us that with a sincere spirit we must come to join this \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, the most purifying transcendental sound, which effects liberation, gives all fulfilment, and grants us such a positive attainment that we lose ourselves in the ocean of joy and inconceivable sweetness. This is \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s grace, and He proclaims: &quot;Let \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana be expanded into this mortal world, that it may benefit everyone infinitely, for this is the highest and greatest benefit for the whole world. It is all-comprehensive. It releases us from all sorts of troubles, establishing us in the highest position of attainment.&quot; And in this present degraded age of Kali, only n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana can help us. Of course, n\u0101masa\u1e45k\u012brtana is beneficial in all ages, but it is especially recommended in Kali-yuga, because in this age all other attempts will be opposed by many forces. N\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana cannot be opposed by the troubles and waves of this material world, so one must adopt it. If we exclusively give ourselves to this, we will gain the highest fulfilment of life. There is no necessity of any other campaign, for they are all defective and partial. But the most universal, captivating, and beneficial thing is n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, which takes us to the highest goal. That alone can satisfy everyone. All souls that are now disconnected from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may be helped in this way. No other movement is necessary. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu tells us: &quot;Exclusively devote yourself to this. It is allembracing and all-fulfilling. And you can achieve it with the least trouble and least energy. Let it flourish in this Kali-yuga - let it flourish for the welfare of the whole universe, to reestablish all souls in their normal position.&quot; The concluding verse of the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam has given such great importance to chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu developed it from there. (see also \u015bloka 315) We may consider ourselves fortunate that we have come to the verge of this most generous and useful thought, that we have come close enough to touch it, to accept it, and float ourselves in its waves according to our capacity. After passing through so many conceptions and the charm of different prospects, we have left them all behind and have come to the shore of the ocean of n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. Now we may throw our bodies in this ocean and begin to swim in the waves of n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, the nectar of the nectarine, by the grace of our guru and the mercy of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. It is their property, and we are their slaves. We have such audacity to throw our body into this ocean of n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana and swim in that nectarine ocean! Swimming in R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da, the highest conception of spiritual attainment, can also be found in its highest form of n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. This (1st) verse of \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam represents the positive side of the unlimited ocean of \u015br\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. The next verse of \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam explains the negative possibilities. (see also \u015bloka 317) + (TGVODL, p 88-100) Of everything favourable, Hari-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana performed by souls surrendered unto the lotus feet of Lord Hari is paramount. May the \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Sa\u1e45k\u012brtana be all-victorious in its pristine glory! This congregational chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord cleanses the looking-glass of consciousness, extinguishes the raging forest fire of material existence, and spreads the benediction moon-rays that cause the lotus of the heart to bloom. This chanting is the life and soul of divine consorthood. Expanding the ocean of pure ecstasy, it is the flavour of full nectar at every moment, bathing and cooling the entire self. (SSPJ, p 36)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(109)\",\"channa\u1e25 kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo &#x27;tha sa tvam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;O Lord, one of Your Names is Triyuga, meaning one who incarnates in three ages-Satya, Treta, and Dv\u0101para - but not in Kali. And why? Because the incarnation for the age of Kali is in disguise.&quot; (S-B, 7.9.38) So many avat\u0101ras are clearly described, but when \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam describes \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu as the incarnation for the age of Kali, it is discussed in a mystic way. The answer to why this has not been described very plainly is found here in the teachings of Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. Here we find the key to this mystic way of representing \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu to the fortunate and intelligent circle (su-medhasa\u1e25), that ordinary people may not have any clue. (TGVODL, p 6) + (see also \u015bloka 128)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(110)\",\"cid-\u0101nanda-bhano\u1e25 sad\u0101 nanda-suno\u1e25,\",\"para-prema-p\u0101tri drava-brahma-g\u0101tr\u012b\",\"agh\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 lavitr\u012b jagat-k\u1e63ema-dh\u0101tr\u012b,\",\"pavitr\u012b-kriy\u0101n no vapur mitra-putr\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O daughter of the sun: although you have appeared in the form of water, you are most dear to the son of Nanda, who is the spiritual sun. You dispel the sins of all sinners. Please purify this mortal body.&quot; (C-C-n, 5.13) Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu showed \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu the Ganges, near Kalna, saying: &quot;Just see, there is the Yamun\u0101.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Oh, We have come so near the Yamun\u0101!&quot; Then, He took his bath in the Yamun\u0101, singing this verse - cid-\u0101nanda-bhano\u1e25 sad\u0101 nanda-suno\u1e25. Just before \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu arrived there on the banks of the Ganges, Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu sent Candra\u015bekhara to inform Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya to come. When Mah\u0101prabhu asked Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya: &quot;Is that You, Advaita? How did You know I was in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana?&quot; Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya said: &quot;This must be some kind of joke. Wherever You are is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. And it is My fortune that You have come here, near the Ganges.&quot; &quot;Oh, it is the Ganges?&quot; &quot;Yes.&quot; Then, Mah\u0101prabhu, regaining His consciousness of this world, said: &quot;Oh, then it is a conspiracy of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. He has brought Me here to the banks of the Ganges and told Me it is the Yamun\u0101. It is all a hoax! I have fallen prey to His hoax.&quot; Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya argued: &quot;No, no, Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu has not spoken any falsehood. You have really taken bath in the Yamun\u0101. The confluence of the Yamun\u0101 and Ganges is in Allahabad, and it is mentioned in the \u015b\u0101stra that the western side is the Yamun\u0101, and the eastern side is the Ganges. Now You have taken You bath in the western side, so You have taken You bath in the Yamun\u0101, according to scripture. So Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu has not told any lie.&quot; (TGVODL, p 76)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(111)\",\"dad\u0101ti pratig\u1e5bh\u1e47\u0101ti\",\"guhyam \u0101khy\u0101ti p\u1e5bcchati\",\"bhu\u1e45kte bhojayate caiva\",\"\u1e63a\u1e0d-vidha\u1e41 pr\u012bti lak\u1e63a\u1e47am\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Offering gifts in charity; accepting gifts in charity; revealing one&#x27;s mind in confidence; enquiring confidentially; accepting pras\u0101da; and offering pras\u0101da are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.&quot; (U, v 4) This is sa\u1e45ga, and in this way we can get the benefit of the association of a s\u0101dhu. Firstly, to give something to s\u0101dhu for his pleasure, and to take something from him as his pras\u0101dam dad\u0101ti pratig\u1e5bh\u1e47\u0101ti. Then, guhyam \u0101khy\u0101ti p\u1e5bcchati, whatever is concealed within our own heart, we are to divulge the whole of that to him; and we are to receive his instructions. bhu\u1e45kte bhojayate caiva - we are to give the raw materials to him for his taking of pras\u0101dam, and then we are to receive his remnants; s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga means this.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 58) Especially in the beginning, the importance will be the consideration of urgency. In Gurudeva bhajan will be present as service in a higher degree, not in us. By serving him I can partake in the higher quality of k\u012brtana, and that can come within me and improve the quality of my bhajan. S\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga and N\u0101ma-k\u012brtana are important. N\u0101ma-k\u012brtana has been recommended, but not without the association of a s\u0101dhu. That \u015b\u0101dhu will be the higher, superior quality devotee, and s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga means serving him. Sa\u1e45ga does not mean just bodily association but sa\u1e45ga is possible only through the serving attitude - not by opposite dealing or idlely sitting. Sa\u1e45ga means sat-sa\u1e45ga. dad\u0101ti pratig\u1e5bh\u1e47\u0101ti, guhyam \u0101khy\u0101ti p\u1e5bcchati, bhu\u1e45kte bhojayate caiva, \u1e63a\u1e0d-vidha\u1e41 pr\u012bti lak\u1e63a\u1e47am. These are the six kinds of association with a s\u0101dhu. Higher association is only possible with a serving attitude, otherwise there is no sa\u1e45ga. Lower association means exploitation and enjoyment, but higher association can only be achieved through service. By proper association the quality of your service will increase, so s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, s\u0101dhu-sev\u0101 - is of most importance. (SGD, GPI, &#x27;91, p 13)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(112)\",\"dadhi-mathana-nin\u0101dais-tyakta-nidra\u1e25 prabh\u0101te\",\"nibh\u1e5bta-padam ag\u0101ra\u1e41 ballav\u012bn\u0101\u1e41 pravi\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e25\",\"mukha-kamala-sam\u012brair \u0101\u015bu nirv\u0101pya d\u012bp\u0101n\",\"kavalita-navan\u012bta\u1e25 p\u0101tu m\u0101\u1e41 b\u0101la-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;That child K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who, awakening by the sound of butter churning, stealthily enters the homes of the cowherd ladies, swiftly blows out the lamps with the breeze of His lotus mouth and devours the fresh butter - may He kindly protect me.&quot; (SSPJ, p 98) &quot;Early in the morning by hearing the sound of churning milk, the beautiful child K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a woke up and stealthily entered the homes of the gop\u012bs where they were engaged in preparing butter. He swiftly blew out the lamps and with great dexterity grabbed a handful of their freshly made butter! By such sweet, cute, playful pastimes, B\u0101la K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a nurtured and sustained the lives of His devotees with divine pleasure. May He also fondly maintain me in the same way.&quot; (\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu). (SBRBM, p 23)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(113)\",\"daiv\u012b hy e\u1e63\u0101 gu\u1e47amay\u012b,\",\"mama m\u0101y\u0101 duratyay\u0101\",\"m\u0101m eva ye prapadyante,\",\"m\u0101y\u0101m et\u0101\u1e41 taranti te\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;This &quot;trimodal,&quot; supernatural, (alluring) deluding energy of Mine is practically insurmountable. However, those who fully surrender exclusively unto Me can certainly surpass this formidable fantasy.&quot; (B-g, 7.14) It is better that a man who begins business with small capital has a connection with a wealthier capitalist. Then he can prosper in his business. In a similar way, as long as one is not completely established in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, s\/he must have some connection with a superior aid. Then s\/he will be safe. If we are to fight face to face with m\u0101y\u0101, illusion, help from the higher agency should be our only resource. It is very difficult to control m\u0101y\u0101. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101: &quot;My illusory energy is impossible to overcome. Only one who surrenders to Me can cross beyond it.&quot; M\u0101y\u0101 dreads only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, for she has her backing from Him. If you attempt to cross m\u0101y\u0101 alone, it will be impossible. You must have some higher connection. And with the help of that connection you can overcome illusion. M\u0101y\u0101 will withdraw only when she sees that you have the backing of a higher potency. Alone, you cannot fight and gain victory over m\u0101y\u0101. It is impossible, because wherever you go, you are within the boundary of m\u0101y\u0101, illusion. It may be more or less intense, but it is all m\u0101y\u0101. Only when you really come in touch with the plane above m\u0101y\u0101 can you fight against m\u0101y\u0101; only then will m\u0101y\u0101 withdraw. We must have some shelter beyond m\u0101y\u0101 from where we can fight with illusion. We are advised to take shelter of s\u0101dhus, saints, and \u015b\u0101stra, scriptures. Their help comes from above, and we must accept that help from the inner core of our hearts. (SGAHG, p 12) + (SSPJ, p 146) M\u0101y\u0101, misunderstanding, is troubling the fallen souls, but misunderstanding itself cannot give them relief. The Prime Cause of misunderstanding - He alone can give them relief. &quot;So don&#x27;t go to that side, come to Me. By My instruction that m\u0101y\u0101 will leave you. She&#x27;s more powerful than you; daiv\u012b - she has higher backing, so you must try to seek your relief from the higher office, and not approach directly to m\u0101y\u0101. That will not be helpful to you. If you have My slightest backing, you can easily escape from that m\u0101y\u0101.&quot; Misunderstanding is there, but it is not very powerful inasmuch as it does not have its own support - it is not independent. It is also dependent on truth. Truth has the better position over misunderstanding. So you transaction should always be with the truth, with the positive. And what is positive truth? Sat-cit-\u0101nandam: unassailable existence, self-consciousness, and fulfilment. It is fulfilment in itself. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 165)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(114)\",\"da\u1e41strida\u1e41str\u0101hato mlecch\u0101,\",\"h\u0101 r\u0101meti puna\u1e25 puna\u1e25\",\"uktv\u0101pi muktim \u0101pnoti,\",\"ki\u1e41 puna\u1e25 \u015braddhay\u0101 g\u1e5bnan\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A hog is attacking a Muhammadan, and the Muhammadan shouts out, &quot;h\u0101 r\u0101ma, h\u0101 r\u0101ma!&quot; h\u0101 r\u0101ma means, &quot;Oh Alas! That is a hog coming to attack me.&quot; But anyhow, that R\u0101ma came to him, and it had some influence. It is possible. (SVT, v 2, # 1, J-F, &#x27;93, p 4) + (see also \u015bloka 403)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(115)\",\"d\u0101na\u1e41 svadharmmo niyamo yama\u015b ca,\",\"\u015bruta\u1e63 ca karmm\u0101\u1e47i ca sad-vrat\u0101ni\",\"sarvve mano-nigraha-lak\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101nta\u1e25,\",\"paro hi yogo manasa\u1e25 sam\u0101dhi\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Charity, constant and conditional prescribed duties, mental and sensual control, hearing the scriptures, holy vows and duties - all these are observed to gain subjugation of the mind. Mental control is known as the supreme yoga.&quot; (S-B, 11.23.45) We need relief from this mind. We are surrounded by poisonous thought. In the narration of the Trida\u1e47\u1e0di-sanny\u0101sin in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, all the disciplines are common in that the mind should be checked. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 33)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(116)\",\"&#x27;d\u0101sa&#x27; kari&#x27; vetana more deha prema-dhana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"There is only one necessity: the necessity to spread K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. And our object is prema. Prema means to acquire more energetic tendency to spread higher and higher levels of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. Prema will help us more intensely to engage in service - to serve, and to get the remuneration as Prema. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(117)\",\"deh\u0101patya-kalatr\u0101di\u1e63v,\",\"\u0101tma-sainye\u1e63v asatsv api\",\"te\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 pramatto nidhana\u1e41,\",\"pa\u015byann api na pa\u015byati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Persons devoid of \u0101tma-tattva do not enquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.4) In this world we tend to group with those we can exploit. We are surrounded by those who supply our sense enjoyment, our sense pleasure. We are fully engrossed in their interest and only use them for own own sense pleasure. We are so much engrossed in that sort of false duty that we have not the leisure to find out about our own death that is drawing near to us. Seeing, but not seeing. It is a plain thing: everyone is going to the jaws of death with the mood, &#x27;I see but still I can&#x27;t see. I don&#x27;t care to see and so I don&#x27;t see. And this is the peculiar position I hold now. The danger, the final danger is approaching and I am asleep to that. I don&#x27;t care to take notice of that greater duty.&#x27; What can be more strange than this?&quot; King Par\u012bk\u1e63it had only seven days more to live but \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b told him: &quot;You say that you have no time, only seven days. But that does not matter at all. Seven days is time enough, only the necessity is your particular attention for the solution. Only a moment is enough. There are so many trees, mountains and hills, they are living years and years, ages after ages, but to no benefit. So what is the necessity of such a long life? It is not a question of longevity or a question of time but what is necessary is the attention to one&#x27;s own self: &quot;What am I and what is mine?&quot; With that sort of attitude our attention will be drawn to our own real interest. That is the factor, and not the question of time. There is enough time.&quot; So seven days is enough, but the peculiar necessity is to find out how our attention can be drawn towards the reality. When that is discovered, then and there our real interest will be satisfied. And only by s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, the association of the higher, highly realised souls, is that possible. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 3) (see also \u015blokas 230 &amp; 523)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(118)\",\"deha-sm\u1e5bti n\u0101hi y\u0101ra,\",\"sa\u1e41s\u0101ra-k\u016bpa k\u0101h\u0101\u1e45 t\u0101ra,\",\"t\u0101h\u0101 haite n\u0101 c\u0101he uddh\u0101ra\",\"viraha-samudra-jale,\",\"k\u0101ma-timi\u1e45gile gile,\",\"gop\u012b-ga\u1e47e neha&#x27; t\u0101ra p\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu continued: &quot;The gop\u012bs are fallen in the great ocean of separation, and they are being devoured by the timi\u1e45gila fish, which represent their ambition to serve You. The gop\u012bs are to be delivered from the mouths of these timi\u1e45gila fish, for they are pure devotees. Since they have no material conception of life, why should they aspire for liberation? The gop\u012bs do not want that liberation desired by the yog\u012bs and j\u00f1\u0101n\u012bs, for they are already liberated from the ocean of material existence.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 13.142) There is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sm\u1e5bti (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s law) and its opposite, deha-sm\u1e5bti (bodily law). One who is unconscious of his material body has no worldly material connection. We are conscious of our material body and therefore have come in connection with the atmosphere of the material world. If we are independent of this material body then we have no connection with the mortal world. This is the medium between the material world and the \u0101tm\u0101, the soul. The mental system makes the first connection, then comes this body consciousness. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 7) + (see also \u015bloka 527)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c04\",\"title\":\"04. The Glory of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"I will see no difference between the inhabitants of Vraja Bh\u016bm\u012b and those of Navadv\u012bpa, and I will be transformed into a resident of Vraja.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(119)\",\"dehi pada-pallavam ud\u0101ram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s position is first and foremost. \u015ar\u012b Jayadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has written in Gita Govinda, 10.7, r\u0101dhe, r\u0101dhe, dehi pada-pallavam ud\u0101ram - that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants the feet-dust of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 195) + (see also \u015bloka 593)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(120)\",\"deve var\u1e63ati yaj\u00f1a-viplavaru\u1e63\u0101 vajr\u0101\u015bma-var\u1e63\u0101nilai\u1e25\",\"s\u012bdat-p\u0101la-pa\u015bu-striy\u0101tma-\u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e63tv\u0101nukampy-utsmayam\",\"utp\u0101tyaika-karena \u015bailamavalo l\u012blocchil\u012bndhra\u1e41 yath\u0101\",\"bibrad go\u1e63\u1e6dhamap\u0101n mahendram adabhit pr\u012by\u0101n na indro gav\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;May that Lord of the cows be satisfied by us. Who is Indra when compared to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the master of Indra. And yet He has appeared as the master of cows; the Supreme Absolute Truth has accepted a simple position as the keeper of cows. Superficially, He is a mere cowherd boy. But let that cowherd boy, who holds within Him the power of controlling the whole universe, be satisfied with us. We want to worship that Lord who has taken the humble position of the king of the cows.&quot; (S-B, 10.26.25) The very gist of the Govardhana l\u012bl\u0101, the very substance of the pastime, is represented in this verse. The milkmen in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana used to observe a sacrifice to satisfy the king of heaven, Indra, at whose command the rain, clouds, and other subtle elementary powers move. As the main wealth of the cowherd men is the cow, and the cow&#x27;s main food is grass, the cowherd men used to perform sacrifice to satisfy Indra so favourable rains would come and there would then be sufficient grass. The cows could then graze easily on the grass and generate milk profusely. The gopas, the cowherd men and their families used to make different preparations from the milk, and sell them in the marketplace, and in that way earn their livelihood. As the grazing ground in one place was finished, they would move from one forest to another. Only for the purpose of obtaining grass for the cows, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s father Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja and the cowherd men would wander from one place to the next. In this way, they lived sometimes in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, sometimes in Nandagr\u0101ma, and sometimes in Gokula. Once, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wanted to assert Himself and modify the worship of Indra. He wanted to establish His own domain, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, in its pristine glory. Although K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appeared to be only a seven year old boy, He had extraordinary capacity. In the Padma Pur\u0101\u1e47a it is said that the development or growth of special personalities is one and a half times that of ordinary persons. Although K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was only seven years old by ordinary calculation, He was eleven according to general calculation. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a said: &quot;Why should we perform this sacrifice to Indra? We have a direct concern with Govardhana Hill and not Indra.&quot; He announced this idea to the gopas, and somehow, willingly or reluctantly, the gopas submitted to the advice of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was influenced by affection for his son, and, because he was the king, he told them: &quot;This time we shall worship Govardhana Hill and not Indra.&quot; And so the gopas, the milkmen of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, followed K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s advice - some reluctantly and some willingly - and they began the sacrifice for Govardhana Hill. When this news reached Indra, he thought to himself: &quot;A boy of special capacity lives here. Now he has taken the leadership of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and stopped this ancient sacrifice to me. For a long time it was the tradition for the gopas to perform sacrifice to satisfy me, and now one young boy is the cause of stopping my sacrifice.&quot; He was very much enraged. Indra ordered the clouds, wind, rain and lightning to attack and devastate the residents and whole area of Gokula V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. According to Vedic understanding, all the elements are personified. In ancient days, the Aryans and R\u0101jar\u1e63is, elevated human beings and great sages, used to see everything in a personal way, as persons. They understood that they were all persons who, according to karma, are wandering through the different species of life. Whatever we consider to be elementary matter, gross and subtle, were all considered by the ancient seers of the truth to be persons. Indra commanded the wind, the clouds, and the rain to go and devastate the whole area of Gokula V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. &quot;The residents of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana have insulted me!&quot; He said. &quot;They have rejected me, have stopped worshipping me, and are instead worshipping that mountain, that hill of Govardhana. I can&#x27;t tolerate this insult! Go and devastate them.&quot; By the order and wrath of Indra, the master of all the higher subtle elements, heavy rain began to fall. And so thunder, lightning, hail, and rain simultaneously attacked the whole of Vraja Ma\u1e47\u1e0dala. Consequently, all the residents of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana were thrown into a great disaster. Misery, pain and sorrow afflicted the animals and the protectors of the animals, the gop\u0101las. So the helpless - the women, children, and animals of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana - had no alternative but to take refuge of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. They all came to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a for relief. They cried: &quot;O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! Now what are we to do? You influenced us to stop the sacrifice meant for Indra, and now Indra, being vindictive, has begun to afflict us in this very heavy way. How can we live? Please save us!&quot; They all came to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a for protection. Seeing this, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a had much pity for them. Being merciful upon them, He smiled a little, thinking: &quot;They have all come to Me for relief.&quot; At that time, with only one hand K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a uprooted and lifted up the Govardhana Hill as easily as a child lifts a toy ball. And holding up that great mountain, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a gave protection to all those residents who were living in Gokula. The men, women, and children of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana brought the cows and all their worldly goods and took shelter beneath Govardhana Hill. The whole cowherd society was given shelter under that hill. In this way, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a gave protection to the residents of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and crushed the pride of the lord of heaven, Indra himself. And so Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja presented this prayer: deve var\u1e63ati yaj\u00f1a-viplavaru\u1e63\u0101 vajr\u0101\u015bmavar\u1e63\u0101nilai\u1e25. From this verse of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, we can understand the position of the Lord&#x27;s pastime at Govardhana. It is also described that when the Vrajav\u0101sis worshipped Him and engaged in sacrifice for His satisfaction, they saw Govardhana Hill as the Supreme Person, extending His hands, accepting the things offered to Him, and feeding Himself. At that time, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a pointed out: &quot;You see! You thought that Govardhana Hill was only a heap of stone. No - it is living, it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.&quot; At that time, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a revealed Himself as Govardhana Hill and showed how it is also His extended self. (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a supported Govardhana Hill with the little finger of His left hand, and afterwards His friends, the cowherd men and boys told Him: &quot;You did not hold it alone, we also helped You with our sticks! Be reminded of it, You could not do it alone!&quot; They considered: &quot;He possesses some peculiar power no doubt, but still He is one of us.&quot;) According to authorities in our line, R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da is the extended self of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b and Govardhana is the extended self of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Var\u1e63\u0101\u1e47\u0101 Hill is a manifestation of Brahm\u0101. Nandagr\u0101ma Hill is \u015aiva, and Caranpam is a manifestation of \u015ae\u1e63a. And so we worship a stone from Govardhana Hill, a part of Gir\u012bdh\u0101r\u012b, as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. We may understand from this that a part of the infinite is infinite. And yet so feeble is our ordinary vision that although Govardhana-s\u012bl\u0101 is a part of the infinite, and therefore also infinite, to our material vision it is only a piece of stone, but its possibility is infinite. In the general sense, Einstein&#x27;s theory of relativity has announced that anything we see is that thing plus something more. In his own scientific way he explains that the reality of a thing includes its possibilities, its prospect - reality is not at a standstill. Reality is not limited to what is seen or conceived by our senses. Our vision or estimation of anything may be limited, but unknown to us, its prospect may be unlimited. Everything has infinite possibility. We do not even know what infinite possibility a particle of sand may have. We do not know what sort of possibility may exist within a leaf of a plant. It may appear ordinary, but it may contain invaluable medicinal properties. A part of the infinite is infinite. The Govardhana-s\u012bl\u0101 represents K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as the master and keeper of cows. Within Govardhana is that mild and soft conception of God the Beautiful. We beg for His mercy, His affection, and His gracious glance upon us. That may save us from the negative influence of this material environment. (see also \u015bloka 434) + (LSFTLS, p 35-38)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(121)\",\"dh\u0101mn\u0101 svena sad\u0101 nirastakuhaka\u1e41 satya\u1e41 para\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, here also g\u0101yatr\u012b says &#x27;dh\u012bmahi.&#x27;&#x27;&#x27;dh\u012bmahi&#x27; means, chidanu\u015b\u012blana, or spiritual cultivation. In that stage it will be venerable, spiritual cultivation. dh\u0101mn\u0101 svena sad\u0101 nirasta-kuhaka\u1e41. By the halo of that noble substance, all misunderstandings will be cleared and we shall have the connection of the real Truth as a whole. In addition, we shall be blessed by the higher rewards of our attempt when properly guided in that direction. satya\u1e41 para\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi: It is the realm of praj\u00f1\u0101na (prak\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6da-j\u00f1\u0101na), the mystic, higher, inconceivable, conscious experience. It is proper knowledge in the universal characteristic, and whatever we find in this world is defective knowledge. (S-B, 1.1.1) + (SGD, SGP, &#x27;97, p 19) + (see also \u015bloka 197) In His abode, which is illumined by the ray of His own knowledge, there is no possibility of deception or misunderstanding. (dh\u0101mn\u0101 svena sad\u0101 nirasta-kuhaka\u1e41 satya\u1e41 para\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi). Here, we are being deceived through misunderstanding. We have entered a plane of existence where the whole world is full of misconception, falsity, and miscalculation. We are presently living in the world of m\u0101y\u0101, m\u0101y\u0101 means m\u0101 - y\u0101: &quot;What is not.&quot; I am seeing something which is really something else.&quot; (TSFSK, p 47) + (see also \u015bloka 197) That worshippable plane of transcendental existence is known as bhargo, bhargo means the supersubjective area, the area of the Supersoul. This is mentioned in the first verse of \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam: dh\u0101mn\u0101 svena sad\u0101 nirasta-kuhaka\u1e41 satya\u1e41 para\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi. \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva says that here he is going to deal with another world whose pristine glory is so great that by its own ray, all misconceptions are brushed aside. The subject is the soul, and its object is all these worlds of experience. And the supersubject is the venerable area which is superior to the subject, the soul - that is the supersubjective area.&quot; (SEOC, p 160) + (see also \u015bloka 197)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(122)\",\"dhana-\u015bi\u1e63y\u0101dibhir-dv\u0101rair y\u0101 bhaktir upap\u0101dyate\",\"vid\u016bratv\u0101d uttamat\u0101h\u0101nya tasy\u0101\u015b ca n\u0101\u1e45gat\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If one relies on one&#x27;s disciples or wealth to attain bhakti, his devotional practice will certainly become slackened. One cannot claim that one is engaged in devotional service simply on the basis of engaging one&#x27;s money or disciples in bhakti. To rely on money and disciples to perform devotional service in one&#x27;s place is not considered to be a branch of pure devotion.&quot; (B-r-s, P\u016brva-vibh\u0101ga, 12.128) dhana \u1e63i\u1e63ya dibhird\u0101rai\u1e25 - \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says in Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu: &quot;Whereby we can feel, have some type of attraction towards Him by sacrificing dhan - money, \u1e63i\u1e63ya - men who are submissive to us; By them, by good work that they are producing, \u1e63i\u1e63ya dibhird\u0101rai\u1e25, - or by a good wife. ie., My wife may be a devotee and I may think that by that connection I will get devotion. Or, my disciple will be a devotee and in that way I shall acquire some devotion - No! That is small. That is a lower type of devotion - not pure. So, you are to give everything not by second representation, not through a representative - but you, you yourself have to give, to give away to Him, everything! Then, there will be pure devotion.&quot; (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(123)\",\"dharma\u1e41 tu s\u0101k\u1e63\u0101d bhagavat-pra\u1e47\u012bta\u1e41,\",\"na vai vidur \u1e5b\u1e63ayo n\u0101pi dev\u0101\u1e25\",\"na siddha-mukhy\u0101 asur\u0101 manu\u1e63y\u0101\u1e25,\",\"kuto nu vidy\u0101dhara-c\u0101ra\u1e47\u0101daya\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great \u1e5b\u1e63is who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidy\u0101dharas and C\u0101ra\u1e47as.&quot; (S-B, 6.3.19) Even great scholars and stalwarts of the religious world cannot comprehend the quality of life of surrender to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (na vai vidur \u1e5b\u1e63ayo n\u0101pi dev\u0101\u1e25); what, then, can common humans comprehend? (SOTGOD, v 1, p 61)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(124)\",\"dharma\u015b carma gato &#x27;j\u00f1\u0101taiva satat\u0101 yoga\u015b ca bhog\u0101tmako\",\"j\u00f1\u0101ne \u015b\u016bnya-gatir japena tapas\u0101 kh\u0101tir jigh\u0101\u1e41saiva ca\",\"d\u0101ne dambhikat\u0101nur\u0101ga bhajane du\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101pac\u0101ro yad\u0101\",\"buddhi\u1e41 buddhi-mat\u0101\u1e41 vibhada hi tad\u0101 dh\u0101tr\u0101 bhav\u0101n pre\u1e63i\u1e6da\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, you appeared at the hour of our greatest need. At that time, everyone practised body-worship and flesh religion, which any honest man will admit is ignorance. The yog\u012bs were cheating the public with cheap miracles, exploiting them for money and pleasure. The philosophers, bewildered in trying to capture the infinite, found that their knowledge had led them to the void of nihilism. The mutterers of mantras were working to become well-known japa-chanters. Ascetics practised murderous torture for spiritual suicide. The proud gave in charity only to secure their fame. And all these abominable acts were performed in the name of anur\u0101ga-bhajan, the highest devotion to Godhead. At that dark hour, when all good intelligence had been spoiled by misconception, you were sent be the will of Providence.&quot; (SB-v-d, 4) This poem was composed by \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, about \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura. It is one of ten prayers, collectively known as \u015ar\u012bmad Bhaktivinodaviraha-da\u015bakam, expressing deep separation from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura appreciated that very much. And he told that: &quot;It is not he who has written, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has written through him.&quot; And some other place he has told: &quot;Oh, I am confident that, what I came to inform, to teach the people, that will be left after me.&quot; And, to &#x27;me&#x27;, while reading the composition, he told: &quot;A very happy style you have given to the \u015bloka.&quot; (\u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b). dharma\u015b carma gato - &quot;You came in a period when your necessity was felt the highest. What was going on at that time, in the name of religion, devotion? dharma\u015b carma gato - They preached that what has no interest with this body that cannot be called religion. Religion mainly came in relation to the bodily connection they asserted. j\u00f1\u0101taiva satat\u0101 - And who is an honest man? An idiot is an honest man. yoga\u015b ca bhog\u0101tmako, yoga - this from j\u012bv\u0101tm\u0101 to param\u0101tm\u0101 - that took the shape of the yog\u012bs. They came to make trade, to show some miracles to the people and get some money or something, good name, bhog\u0101tmako. j\u00f1\u0101ne \u015b\u016bnya-gatir - And what is the achievement of pure knowledge? That is to be resolved in nil? In zero? That is the highest achievement of knowledge. To take us to\u2026 \u015b\u016bnya-gatir japena tapas\u0101, And by this japam and tapas\u0101, penances\u2026 kh\u0101tir jigh\u0101\u1e41saiva ca - But, to get some prestige, some popularity by this japam? One is making this japam (chanting the Holy Names), his attention is toward that of the appreciation of the people. A popularity seeker. And tapas\u0101: the penance of vindictiveness, that penance was used in tapas\u0101. d\u0101ne dambhikat\u0101 - And the gift, the donation - that took the shape of Brahman; &quot;I can give so much. I am a great giver in this game - a fame seeker. I am a great man. I have made a gift to so many places.&quot; A class of ego creates: anur\u0101ga bhajane - And in the name of this loving service, du\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101-pac\u0101ro yad\u0101, this mundane practice. These mundane practices went on in the name of anur\u0101ga bhajane. dh\u0101tr\u0101 bhav\u0101n pre\u1e63i\u1e6da\u1e25 - In such a critical moment, you were sent by the Provident Sphere. (SGG, v 4) + (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 10-11) + (S K M, p51) + (see also \u015bloka 573)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(125)\",\"dharmasya tattva\u1e41 nihita\u1e41 guh\u0101y\u0101\u1e41\",\"mah\u0101-jano yena gata\u1e25 sa panth\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;The real secret, the solid truth of religious principles is hidden and concealed in the hearts of unadulterated self-realised persons, saints, just as treasure is hidden in a mysterious cave. Consequently, as the \u015b\u0101stras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mah\u0101-janas advocate.&quot; (M, V-p) The broad line towards the truth is chalked out by those who are going to the divine world. And that is our surest guide. All other methods of guidance may be eliminated because calculation is fallible. (LSFTLS, p 5) + (see \u015blokas 492 &amp; 347)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(126)\",\"dharma\u1e25 projjhita-kaitavo &#x27;tra\",\"paramo nirmat-sar\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 sat\u0101\u1e41\",\"vedya\u1e41 v\u0101stavam atra vastu\",\"\u015bivada\u1e41 t\u0101pa-trayonm\u016blanam\",\"\u015br\u012bmad-bh\u0101gavate mah\u0101-munik\u1e5bte ki\u1e41 v\u0101 parair \u012b\u015bvara\u1e25\",\"sadyo h\u1e5bdy avarudhyate &#x27;tra\",\"k\u1e5btibhi\u1e25 \u015bu\u015br\u016b\u1e63ubhis tat-k\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bh\u0101gavataPur\u0101\u1e47a propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bh\u0101gavatam, compiled by the great sage Vy\u0101sadeva (in his maturity), is sufficient in itself for God realisation. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bh\u0101gavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.&quot; (S-B, 1.1.2.) &quot;The religion of the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is free from the deceptions of the four ends of humanity (dharma, artha, k\u0101ma, mok\u1e63a - religiosity or duty, economic development or wealth, material desire or sense pleasure, and liberation or salvation), and it is the religion of the true saints. Nirmmatsara means &#x27;an impartial mentality,&#x27; and matsara refers to the jealous. &#x27;So far, I have given advises to that particular section which is not free from egoistic thinking. I have dealt with them. But now I shall deal with the normal - thinking, the good - hearted people. I shall now advise them.&#x27; Because it will be difficult to dissuade the people from the path taught by you, I have therefore come to you. Only through you can the higher, developed conception be given to them. This is the only way.&quot; So \u015ar\u012b Vy\u0101sadeva was chastised in this way by Devar\u1e63i N\u0101rada. Then, with an outline of ten basic principles (Bh\u0101, 2.20.1,2. (?) he had to meditate, assimilate, and finally reproduce. Deva\u1e5b\u1e63i N\u0101rada left the \u0101\u015brama, and \u015ar\u012b Vy\u0101sadeva began to meditate and assimilate. &quot;So far, this was my conception of religion and non-religion; now some new light has been given to me, and in perspective I have to think out the whole system; the whole system must be coloured with a new colour. A new colour should be given to everything I delivered previously.&quot; So, he came to write \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. And he also felt, &quot;Mok\u1e63a, the Brahma-j\u00f1\u0101na (liberation in the non-differentiated Absolute), has been given the highest position. Now, the higher conception that has been given to me by Devar\u1e63i N\u0101rada must be delivered to the world by a person whose Brahma-j\u00f1\u0101na is unquestionably admitted by all the scholars.&quot; So he searched for \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 146-7) + (see also \u015bloka 346) Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) translation of this \u015bloka explains that: &quot;Of all the words and tales that are running in this world in the name of religion, \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam says that all is false, all is false, all is tampered with and not pure, not pure! The pure type of religion is not yet spoken. It is there, all self-centred, the current is towards the centre, not only selflessness but self-sacrificing, self-forgiving, self-forgetfulness, in that way we are to start, we are to start, we are to go.&quot; (GOD, p 30)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(127)\",\"dh\u012br\u0101r\u0101dhanam eva n\u0101nyaditi tad r\u0101dh\u0101-pada\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;All other services are represented fully in R\u0101dhik\u0101. Like branches they are all part of Her. M\u0101dhura-rasa is the chief or mukhya-rasa, the combination of all rasas. \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is Mah\u0101bhava - She represents the entire serving attitude.&quot; (Part of the Full-fledged Conception of the G\u0101yatr\u012b Mantra) (B-g, by Srila B. R. Sridhara Deva Goswami, p xvi) (SEOC, p 162) + (see also \u015bloka 100)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(128)\",\"dhyeya\u1e41 sad\u0101 paribhava-ghnam abh\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da-doha\u1e41\",\"t\u012brth\u0101spada\u1e41 \u015biva-viri\u1e63ci-nuta\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47yam\",\"bh\u1e5bty\u0101rti-ha\u1e41 pra\u1e47ata-p\u0101la bhav\u0101bdhi-pota\u1e41\",\"vande mah\u0101-puru\u1e63a te cara\u1e47\u0101ravindam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O guardian of the surrendered, O great personality (the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, who enacts His divine pastimes as a pure devotee - mah\u0101-bh\u0101gavata), You alone are the reality to be constantly meditated upon by the pure souls. You are the destroyer of the soul&#x27;s illusion, You are the divine wish-fulfilling tree, the refuge of all devotees. Worshippable by \u015aiva and Viri\u1e63ci (Sad\u0101\u015biva in the form of \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya, and Brahm\u0101 in the form of Harid\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura), You are the shelter of all and everything, and You are the dispeller of Your devotees&#x27; suffering which originates in offences to the Holy Name (n\u0101ma-apar\u0101dha). You are the only boat for crossing the ocean of this material world of suffering. I do worship Your holy lotus feet.&quot; (S-B, 11.5.33) + (SSPJ, p 32) &quot;O Mah\u0101prabhu, Your lotus feet are the highest object of meditation, for they not only destroy the pain of material existence, but they bestow the greatest fulfilment to all souls who take shelter beneath them. Your lotus feet even purify all saintly persons and holy places. Lord \u015aiva and Lord Brahm\u0101 aspire to take shelter beneath Your lotus feet. O Mah\u0101prabhu, You give shelter to all who simply bow down before You. You relieve all the miseries of Your surrendered servants. In the grand ship of Your lotus feet, we can cross over this ocean of material miseries. O Mah\u0101prabhu, I bow down before Your lotus feet.&quot; (S-B, 11.5.33) + (TGVODL, p 6) \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam explains here: &quot;That same personality who came as R\u0101macandra and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has again appeared. He has come to direct us to the real fulfilment of life. He is drawing the sweetest nectar from above for the sake of everyone. Meditate only on Him and all your troubles will be finished. He purifies all holy places of pilgrimage and great saintly persons by His touch and by His sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. He draws the highest thing down from the highest plane. And even Brahm\u0101 and \u015aiva, puzzled by His noble gift, will begin to praise Him. They will eagerly aspire to take shelter under His lotus feet in surrender. The pains of all who come to serve Him will be removed, and their inner necessities will be fulfilled. And He will take care of those who take shelter of Him; they will be given protection as well as everything they may need. In this world where mortality rules, where we are continually experiencing the undesirable changes of repeated birth and death, in this area where no one wants to live, a great ship will come for us and take us within, and carry us away from this unpleasant position. Let us fall at the feet of that great personality who comes to give us the highest nectar.&quot; (S-B, 11.5.33) + (LSFTLS, p 1V) + (see also \u015bloka 529)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(129)\",\"d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101-k\u0101le bhakta kare \u0101tma-samarpa\u1e47a,\",\"sei k\u0101le k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a t\u0101re kare \u0101tma-sama\",\"sei deha kare t\u0101ra cid-\u0101nanda-maya,\",\"apr\u0101k\u1e5bta-dehe t\u0101\u1e45ra cara\u1e47a bhajaya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a accepts him to be as good as Himself.&quot; - &quot;When the devotee&#x27;s body is thus transformed into spiritual existence, the devotee, in that transcendental body, renders service to the lotus feet of the Lord.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 4.192-3) Previously I said that d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 was the process by which Divine Knowledge is imparted, the knowledge of the infinite world is imparted, to the finite. What is that process? d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101-k\u0101le bhakta kare \u0101tma-samarpa\u1e47a: the candidate must fully surrender to a knowledge that is coming down and being imparted to him. sei k\u0101le k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a t\u0101re kare \u0101tma-sama: K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a accepts him as His own. It is necessary for him to give up all his knowledge of experience, fully, perfectly, and clean-handed. Naked, he will be prepared to accept the higher knowledge, and the higher knowledge will absorb him as His own. sei deha kare t\u0101ra cid-\u0101nanda-maya: from that time, he gets a conception of another body, not this body of flesh and blood or the mind. His ego becomes coloured by the higher knowledge. He hopes for another personification of his own. And apr\u0101k\u1e5bta-dehe t\u0101\u1e45ra cara\u1e47a bhajaya: in that body he can serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, not this body of flesh or the mental body which is drawn from the experience of this world. These are unfit. Only the new body, the inner body that comes in contact with that Divinity - that body or ego, can enter there and serve; and this is by the Grace, always by the Grace, and not as a matter of right; still, the Grace is so lenient that a servitor may think: &quot;It is my right.&quot; Really, in ta\u1e6dastha-vic\u0101ra (impartial judgement), if from our relative position we venture to tackle the absolute conception, we can only think that we are unfit. Only through Grace can we attain a position there.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 183-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(130)\",\"divyad v\u1e5bnd\u0101ranya kalpadrum\u0101dha\u1e25\",\"dol\u0101rany\u0101mbu-ba\u1e41\u015b\u012b-h\u1e5bti-rati-madhup\u0101na - arka-p\u016bj\u0101di l\u012bl\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Previously \u0100c\u0101rya Nimb\u0101rka-p\u0101da had nicely presented to the devotees the nature of loving devotional service to \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 but it was not complete. Therefore it was later further enriched and elaborated by \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b-p\u0101da. Those who had no entrance into the Madhy\u0101nha-l\u012bl\u0101 (the noon pastimes of the Divine Couple) gave their full appreciation to Nimb\u0101rka-p\u0101da&#x27;s presentation. But when \u015ar\u012b Gaurasundara and some of His foremost beloved associates such as \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b-p\u0101da further revealed the transcendental inner pastimes of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 Govinda they were greatly happy to receive that deeper elaboration. Prior to Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s appearance no other \u0101c\u0101rya could fully present the higher, secret devotional mellows of acintya-bheda-\u0101bheda tattva, the plane of confidential, mellow laden pastimes of Goloka. They revealed the message of the ever new divine love sports under the desire tree nearby the flower grove situated on the banks of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da in an excellently complete way. (divyad v\u1e5bnd\u0101ranya kalpadrum\u0101dha\u1e25) Devotees were aware of the pastimes like the rasa dance but did not have entrance into the esoteric love imbued midday service of the daughter of King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu unto Her beloved paramour K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Previously they heard that being attracted by the flute song many of the married and unmarried Vraja gop\u012bs had entrance into the rasa dance to unitedly dance with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But the message of topmost conjugal loving pastimes of the Divine Couple as mentioned in this verse (dol\u0101rany\u0101mbu-ba\u1e41\u015b\u012b-h\u1e5bti-rati-madhup\u0101na - arka-p\u016bj\u0101di l\u012bl\u0101) composed by \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, were not available to anyone except the pure devotees of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas who were servitors of the M\u0101dhura-rasa. No one can really know anything or attain anything of the world of pure loving devotional service except those who are eternally engaged in the same. (ARO, p 14)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(131)\",\"divya\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41 yato dady\u0101t,\",\"kury\u0101t p\u0101pasya sa\u1e45k\u1e63ayam\",\"tasm\u0101d d\u012bk\u1e63eti s\u0101 prokt\u0101,\",\"de\u015bikais tattva-kovidai\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The process by which divine knowledge (divya\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41) is given and sins are destroyed is called d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 by the highly learned scholars who are expert in spiritual affairs.&quot; (H-b-v, 27 from V-Y) Experienced scholars have explained the meaning of d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101, or spiritual initiation, in this way: d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 is the process through which transcendental knowledge is imparted by the preceptor to the disciple. As a result, all the disciple&#x27;s previous bad tendencies are crushed. Through d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101, all previous commitments are cleared, and one gets the light of new life in relationship with the transcendental Lord. D\u012bk\u1e63\u0101, or initiation, is a process by which we are given a noble connection with the absolute centre and at the same time, our previous commitments are all finished. It is an inner awakenment of life that brings divine knowledge. That wealth is there within us, but it is suppressed. D\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 means discovering one&#x27;s inner wealth, and getting relief from all outward obligations. With inner awakenment, the outward commitments vanish, just as when you reach home, all other arrangements you may have contracted for your comforts are all cut off, for at home you find full comfort. In a similar way, with the inner awakenment of the soul, when we return back home, back to Godhead, we will find our comfortable home with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So, to make a connection with our real home and dispense with out outward links is known as d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101. The difference between \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 and d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 is that d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 mainly involves initiation into the mantra, the spiritual formula. Other instructions are necessary to substantiate it, to help it become effective. Certain activities are also helpful. These are all parts and parcels of initiation. So, a general direction is given by d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101, but how to substantiate that? Details are necessary - (see also \u015bloka 456) + (B S-868) + (SGAHG, p 9) D\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 is the process by which divya-j\u00f1\u0101na or transcendental knowledge is imparted to a person. Upanayana means that a new eye is given to the person: &quot;The eye with which you now see cannot see correctly. But the eye is given from the Vedas, as G\u0101yatr\u012b. From this time onwards try to learn your environment in a different way.&quot; (B S, 868) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 164) + (see also \u015bloka 292)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(132)\",\"d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dveda\u1e41 m\u0101nu\u1e63a\u1e41 r\u016bpa\u1e41,\",\"tava saumya\u1e41 jan\u0101rdana\",\"id\u0101n\u012bm asmi sa\u1e41v\u1e5btta\u1e25,\",\"sa-cet\u0101\u1e25 prak\u1e5bti\u1e41 gata\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Jan\u0101rdana, my heart is fulfilled upon seeing Your charming form of human features. My fear is dispelled, and my inner peace has returned.&quot; (B-g, 11.51) Arjuna said: &quot;O \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, seeing this charming two-armed, human-featured form of Yours, now my heart has become fulfilled and pacified. Now I have come to my normal position.&quot; (see also \u015blokas 331 &amp; 484) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 26)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(133)\",\"durllabha m\u0101nava janma labhiy\u0101 sa\u1e41s\u0101re\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101 bhajinu du\u1e25kha kahiba k\u0101h\u0101re?\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;What a great loss I am incurring, neglecting this chance! To whom should I tell it, and who will believe that I am consciously missing such a great chance? Who should I tell about my disastrous misfortune? To whom should I divulge my heart? Who will care to give me audience? Such a great chance I am trampling under my feet - I have attained this human birth, and I have just come into the vicinity of the greatest fortune and I neglect it?&quot; (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura) (SOTGOD, v 2, p 97)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(134)\",\"du\u1e63\u1e6da phala karibe arjjana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura gives warning that we will get only a bad result if we venture to cross the line; a bad effect will come to us. Apar\u0101dha. From the lower position, anartha, the steps are shown. \u015araddh\u0101, s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, \u015bravana, k\u012brttana, then anartha-niv\u1e5btti - the undesirable things will vanish altogether. Then ruci, then \u0101sakti, then bh\u0101va-bhakti - the sprout of real devotion. The prema-bhakti, and sneha, m\u0101na, pra\u1e47aya, r\u0101ga, anur\u0101ga, bh\u0101va, mah\u0101bh\u0101va. By such steps we are to approach there. (SGD, &#x27;96, p 30)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(135)\",\"&#x27;dvaite bhadr\u0101bhadra-j\u00f1\u0101na, saba-&#x27;manodharma&#x27;\",\"&#x27;ei bh\u0101la, ei manda&#x27;,-ei saba &#x27;bhrama&#x27;\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In the material world, conceptions of good and bad are all mental concoctions. Therefore, saying, `This is good, this is bad,&#x27; is a mistake.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 4.176) Fair and unfair are both false. They are just like a dream. One may have a good dream or a bad dream. In either case it is only dreaming. So one should not waste energy to remove the unfair and increase the fairness. Fair, unfair - it is all false, completely false. The basis of this calculation is false. Our real interest is not there. It is a false scent we are pursuing. Our fulfilment is not to be found in that direction at all. (SEOC, p 113) Sumati means a good disposition, but good in its fullest conception must come in devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Consciousness. &#x27;dvaite bhadr\u0101bhadra-j\u00f1\u0101na, saba-&#x27;manodharma&#x27;. The calculation of good and bad in this misconceived area is necessarily all false, wholesale. On the other hand what is good or bad in the plane of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Consciousness, both are ultimately good. Both the opposition party and the substantive party have a good position there, both are efficacious. (C, v 1, #7, Spr. &#x27;95, p 7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(136)\",\"dv\u0101pare bhagav\u0101\u1e63 \u015by\u0101ma\u1e25,\",\"p\u012bta-v\u0101s\u0101 nij\u0101yudha\u1e25\",\"\u015br\u012bvats\u0101dibhir a\u1e45kai\u015b ca,\",\"lak\u1e63a\u1e47air upalak\u1e63ita\u1e25.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In Dv\u0101para-yuga, Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appears with the colour of a dark rain cloud, wearing lightning- coloured garments. He is decorated with beautiful ornaments, His chest bears the mark of \u015ar\u012bvatsa, and He carries His own weapons. (S-B, 11.5.27) In the teachings of Karabh\u0101jana \u1e5a\u1e63\u012b we find mention of the different incarnations for different ages. In Dv\u0101para-yuga, the yug\u0101vat\u0101ra is mentioned above. After the description of the yug\u0101vat\u0101ra of Dv\u0101para-yuga, Karabh\u0101jana \u1e5a\u1e63\u012b mentions the kali-yug\u0101vat\u0101ra - (see also \u015bloka 191) + (TGVODL, p 1)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(137)\",\"dv\u0101pare paricaryy\u0101y\u0101\u1e41\",\"kalau tadd hari-k\u012brttan\u0101t\",\"k\u1e5bte yad dhy\u0101yato vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e41,\",\"tret\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 yajato makhai\u1e25\",\"dv\u0101pare paricaryy\u0101y\u0101\u1e41,\",\"kalau tadd hari-k\u012brttan\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, in Tret\u0101-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dv\u0101para-yuga by serving the Lord&#x27;s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra.&quot; (S-B, 12.3.52) Although every Kali-yuga He appears to spread N\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brttana, and every Dv\u0101para-yuga K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a also comes, those are partial representations and not Svaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n (the Supreme Lord in Person). The Yug\u0101vat\u0101ras or Descents for certain ages, are not Svaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n. Svaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n comes only once in the day of Brahm\u0101, and so Mah\u0101prabhu as R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda combined (R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda-milita-tanu) also appears only once in a day of Brahm\u0101, in Nabadw\u012bpa. In all other Dv\u0101para-and Kali-yugas ordinary K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101vat\u0101ras and Gaur\u0101vat\u0101ras appear, only to preach general worship (paricaryya) and general N\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brttana, as mentioned in the Bh\u0101gavatam (dv\u0101pare paricaryy\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 kalau tadd hari-k\u012brttan\u0101t). (SOTGOD, v 2, p 98)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(138)\",\"dv\u0101par\u012byair janair vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e25\",\"pa\u1e63car\u0101trai\u015b ca kevalam\",\"kalau tu n\u0101ma-m\u0101tre\u1e47a\",\"p\u016bjyate bhagav\u0101n hari\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In Dv\u0101para-yuga, Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u is exclusively worshipped by the people according to the principles of Deity worship delineated in the Pa\u1e63car\u0101tra scripture, but in Kali-yuga, the Supreme Lord Hari is worshipped only by the chanting of His Holy Name.&quot; (M) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 23)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(139)\",\"dv\u0101v imau puru\u1e63au loke,\",\"k\u1e63ara\u015b c\u0101k\u1e63ara eva ca\",\"k\u1e63ara\u1e25 sarv\u0101\u1e47i bh\u016bt\u0101ni,\",\"k\u016b\u1e6da-stho &#x27;k\u1e63ara ucyate\",\"uttama\u1e25 puru\u1e63as tv anya\u1e25,\",\"param\u0101tmety ud\u0101h\u1e5bta\u1e25\",\"yo loka-trayam \u0101vi\u015bya,\",\"bibharty avyaya \u012b\u015bvara\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In this world, there are two kinds of souls: the fallible and the infallible. All beings from Lord Brahm\u0101 down to the lowest stationary life-forms are known a fallible (as they have deviated from their intrinsic nature). But the personalities who are eternally situated in their divine nature are known as infallible (personal associates of the Lord). But totally distinct from both these types of souls, there is a Supreme Person who is known as Param\u0101tm\u0101, the Supersoul. He is the Supreme Lord. Entering into the three worlds in His eternal form, He maintains all beings in the universe.&quot; (B-g, 15.16-17) With the dissolution of material energy, the \u0101tm\u0101 or individual soul is absorbed in brahman, the non-differentiated mass of consciousness. The position of the different kinds of spiritual energy has been described here in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101. &quot;There are two kinds of beings - the perfect and unchanging, or infallible, and the fallible souls. The fallible souls reside in the material world and the infallible souls reside in the spiritual world.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;I exist transcending both fallible and infallible aspects of spiritual substance (k\u1e63ara and ak\u1e63ara), so I am Puru\u1e63ottama, V\u0101sudeva, Param Brahma, the Supreme Absolute Truth. Within Me the whole of My jurisdiction is also to be considered.&quot; Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, Goloka - the whole creation - is represented by the Name of Puru\u1e63ottama or V\u0101sudeva. Then, when one enters into that domain of V\u0101sudeva, he can see so many demarcations, stages of reality, pastimes, and transcendental dealings and activities. There he will find the perfect living beings busy in their dedicated life in the eternal world. The general conception of the spiritual world is Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha wherein we find calculative dedication. Above that is the plane of spontaneous dedication. That realm is called Goloka, and there are many different kinds of pastimes there, where all the various relationships with Godhead are represented in full. (SEOC, p 27)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(140)\",\"eho b\u0101hya \u0101ge kaha \u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;This is superficial; go further.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.51-313). In His conversation with R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu rejected devotion contaminated with reason. He said: eho b\u0101hya \u0101ge kaha \u0101ra, &quot;This is superficial; go further.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu accepted that real bhakti begins from the stage of pure devotion, unmixed with reason. When R\u0101m\u0101nanda suggested d\u0101sya-rasa Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is good, but go further.&quot; Then R\u0101m\u0101nanda mentioned sakhya-rasa: Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is also good, but go further.&quot; Then he came to vatsalya-rasa, the son-hood of Godhead. &quot;This is very good,&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;But go further.&quot; Then he came to m\u0101dhurya-rasa: &quot;Yes,&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is the best.&quot; At that stage in the development of rasa, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is the most suitable place. (SGAHG, p 147-8) + (see also \u015bloka 397) In His talks with R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu repeatedly says: eho b\u0101hya \u0101ge kaha \u0101ra. &quot;Go further, go deeper, go higher!&quot; (LSFTLS, p 9) \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva said: eho b\u0101hya \u0101ge kaha \u0101ra. &quot;The divine life you are searching for is; now go further.&quot; In this way, with good faith, \u015braddh\u0101, one can thus progress. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 62)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(141)\",\"ei du&#x27;yera madhye vi\u1e63ay\u012b tabu bh\u0101la\",\"m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b sa\u1e45ga n\u0101hi m\u0101gi kona k\u0101la\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The company of ordinary persons, misguided souls in the ordinary street, is somewhat better than the company and influence of the so-called scholars.&quot; (TSOBT, S, p 31) Many of us boast of our knowledge. But the bhakti school is striking a hammer on the head of knowledge or j\u00f1\u0101na. Rather, ignorance is better than knowledge! Can you accept that? Knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance! Why? Because the so-called learned are proud by comparison. They are more confident that they are holding a higher position, and to remove them from that position is very difficult. Qualitatively, they are in a position above the ordinary labourer, so they are confident of their superiority. So to relieve them of that proud superiority is more difficult then to relieve an ordinary labourer of his, or her ignorance. That would be easy. It is easy to educate an uneducated person, but to educate an &#x27;educated&#x27; person is more difficult. He, or she, has firmly entrenched himself in his superiority, so s\/he won&#x27;t budge an inch from that position. That sort of subtle poison is very difficult and dangerous to remove. They&#x27;re proud, thinking: &quot;I know. I hold a higher position than the ordinary mass.&quot; That sort of ego is very difficult to remove. Ordinary persons may think: &quot;Yes, we are culprits.&quot; Also, the ego of the ordinary religious men is very difficult to remove. &quot;Oh, I am a religious man.&quot; It is very difficult to remove his so-called faith and religion, to give him something higher. This is the practical experience, and it is also advised in \u015b\u0101stra. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 209-210) + (see also \u015bloka 549)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(142)\",\"ei mata dine dine,\",\"svar\u016bpa-r\u0101m\u0101nanda-sane\",\"nija-bh\u0101va karena vidita\",\"b\u0101hye vi\u1e63a-jv\u0101l\u0101 haya,\",\"bhitare \u0101nanda-maya,\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prem\u0101ra adbhuta carita\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In this way, Lord Caitanya used to revel in ecstasy day after day and exhibit these ecstasies before Svar\u016bpa and R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya. Externally there appeared severe tribulation, as if He were suffering from poisonous effects, but internally He was experiencing bliss. This is characteristic of transcendental love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.50) Our victory on the surface cannot eliminate the apprehension within for the reaction, we cannot be satisfied with that. In the demonic state, it can be absolved to a certain extent due to ignorance, but pain is there. As much as one is cognisant, he will suffer the heinous actions towards others - the pain connected with that. But there is the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception wherein just the reverse is apparent. Here also in the world, we find so many persons have spent their lives helping others. So many examples are there. They are outwardly living a poor life, but internally, they are happy. So also in the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception, those that are wholly given to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are posted such that externally, they may be seen to feel the pain of separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and so many other things but internally, they are in touch with Absolute joy - they have done the right things. The quality is of the highest degree, and joy is of the highest type - everything for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Reality is for Itself. I am for Himself - I am in the finest harmony - no hitch. There is no possibility of a hitch from a dislocated connection - it is smoothly progressing. No pleasure - no pain. &quot;The sweetest songs are those that tell the saddest tales.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 352) + (see also \u015bloka 76) (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(143)\",\"ei nava-d\u0101s\u012b bali \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa cahibe,\",\"hena \u015bubha-k\u015ba\u1e47a mora kati-dine habe\",\"\u015b\u012bghra aj\u00f1\u0101 karibena d\u0101s\u012b he\u1e6dha \u0101ya,\",\"seb\u0101ra susajja-k\u0101rya karaha twar\u0101ya\",\"\u0101nandita h\u0101\u1e63a hiya aj\u00f1\u0101-bale,\",\"pavitra manete k\u0101rya karibe tat-k\u0101le\",\"sev\u0101ra sam\u0101gri ratna-khalate kariy\u0101,\",\"subasita b\u0101ri swar\u1e47a-jharite p\u016briya\",\"do\u1e45h\u0101ra sammukhe l\u0101&#x27;ye diba \u015b\u012bghra-gati,\",\"narottamera d\u0101sa kabe haibe e-mati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I long for that day when, at some auspicious moment, \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b will affectionately recognise me and ask if I am the newly recruited maidservant she was expecting. Giving me a special privilege, she will affectionately order me: &quot;O devoted one, come forward and prepare everything very nicely for the Divine Couple.&quot; Being empowered and inspired by her order, my heart will be filled with great delight and I will perform all services with pure devotion. I will fervently wait for Their affectionate orders and, knowing Their need, I will quickly carry to the Divine Couple a jewelled tray of Their favourite paraphernalia. They will be pleased as I fill a golden goblet with aromatic tasty water and promptly place it before Them, running in delight and excitement. O compassionate R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b! When, when will I, Narottama, be blessed with the attainment of such ecstatic fulfilment?&quot; (P, 18) + (SBRBM, p 44-45)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(144)\",\"eka bh\u0101gavata ba\u1e0da - bh\u0101gavata-\u015b\u0101stra\",\"\u0101ra bh\u0101gavata - bhakta bhakti-rasa-p\u0101tra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This verse explains that there are two types of Bh\u0101gavatas: the book Bh\u0101gavata and the person Bh\u0101gavata. Bhakti-rasa-p\u0101tra means the s\u0101dhu, one who is living the life of a Bh\u0101gavata. Bh\u0101gavata-rasa-p\u0101tra means &#x27;one containing divine rasam pertaining to Bhagav\u0101n.&#x27; Living scripture is Bh\u0101gavata and the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is Bh\u0101gavata. The \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavata is the scripture, and the person Bh\u0101gavata is also the scripture. Bhakti-rasa-p\u0101tra means a person who is &#x27;filled up,&#x27; or a pot which is filled up with rasa - raso vai sa\u1e25. He is full of \u0101nandam. p\u0101tra means &#x27;person&#x27; as well as &#x27;pot&#x27;. There are two meanings of the word p\u0101tra: it means both a &#x27;pot, glass, container,&#x27; and &#x27;the person who is also a &#x27;container.&#x27; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 1.99) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 20)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(145)\",\"eka k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101me yata p\u0101pa hare\",\"p\u0101tak\u012b s\u0101dhya n\u0101hi tata p\u0101pa kare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;No sinner can commit as much sin as one Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can destroy.&quot; (SCS, p 37) + (see also \u015bloka 318) &quot;One Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can remove so much ignorance, that a man has got no power to commit so much sin.&quot; But what is that Name? We are taking that Name so many times, but we do not get the result of even one Name. So, this ordinary name, this superficial, this m\u0101yic name and that Name has got great difference. That Name is one and the same with Him, and That comes down to our level. We cannot chant it by dint of our tongue or lip. Not lip-deep, but heart deep. And beyond heart also it reaches to the land of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes here; the Name K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, He comes through the heart on the tongue - that is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a N\u0101ma. (SVT, v 2, # 1, Jan.-Feb. &#x27;93, p 18) + (see also \u015bloka 63)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(146)\",\"ekale \u012b\u015bvara k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, \u0101ra saba bh\u1e5btya\",\"y\u0101re yaiche n\u0101c\u0101ya, se taiche kare n\u1e5btya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.&quot; (C-c, \u0100d\u012b-l\u012bl\u0101, 5.142) ei mata caitanya-gos\u0101\u1e63i ekale \u012b\u015bvara \u0101ra saba p\u0101ri\u1e63ada, keha v\u0101 ki\u1e45kara &quot;Thus Lord Caitanya is also the only controller. All others are His associates or servants.&quot; (Cc, \u0100d\u012b-l\u012bl\u0101, 5.143) So, we should not judge the position of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava by the magnitude of his external activities alone. Of course, we cannot ignore the service rendered by a devotee. That is a noble thing, that is a great thing, but ultimately the key is in the hand of the Lord (ekale \u012b\u015bvara k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, \u0101ra saba bh\u1e5btya). K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is at the root of everything, and whatever He wills is successful. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants to dance in a particular way with a particular servitor, and he successfully dances according to His own sweet will. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the wire-puller, the controller. The key is in His hand. He controls both universal and specific dealings. By understanding this, we can save ourselves from prati\u1e63\u1e6dha, or false prestige, the thirst after name and fame. If we are fully conscious of the fact that everything is in the Lord&#x27;s hands, then we cannot feel any pride. So to teach us that it is not very easy to recognise a real Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava by his external dress or manners alone, see also \u015bloka 20, where the story is related of how Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita was taken by Mukunda Datta to see Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bka Vidy\u0101nidhi. (SGAHG, p 135-6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(147)\",\"emana gaur\u0101\u1e45ga vine n\u0101hi \u0101ra,\",\"hena avat\u0101ra habe ki hayeche hena prema parac\u0101ra,\",\"\u015biva viri\u1e63cira v\u0101\u1e63chita ye dhana jagate phelila \u1e0dh\u0101li,\",\"k\u0101\u1e45g\u0101le p\u0101iye kh\u0101ila n\u0101ciye b\u0101j\u0101iyekarat\u0101li,\",\"n\u0101ciy\u0101 g\u0101hiy\u0101 khola karat\u0101le dh\u0101iy\u0101 m\u0101tiy\u0101 phire,\",\"tar\u0101sa p\u0101iye \u015bama\u1e47a ki\u1e45kara kab\u0101\u1e6da h\u0101nila dv\u0101re,\",\"e tina bhuvana \u0101nande bharila u\u1e6dhila ma\u1e45gala \u015bora,\",\"kahe prem\u0101nande ehen\u0101 gaur\u0101\u1e45ge rati n\u0101 janmila mora\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O mind please listen. You have nothing else to be attached to except \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. Never in the past, nor in the future, will there be such a benevolent incarnation who has presented the matchless divine love ecstasy of God so generously. He poured into this world that ambrosial wealth which is ever cherished and hankered for even by great powerful personalities like \u015aiva and Viri\u1e63ci (Brahm\u0101). By His merciful grant, even the most common destitute persons were blessed with the chance to imbibe that nectar with great delight. Overwhelmed by spiritual ecstasy they began to sing the glory of the Lord and dance accompanied by the concert of rhythmic drums and sweet karat\u0101las. Frightened by the power of such holy sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, the inauspicious atheists who were slaves to their mortal ego, ran away and hid in locked rooms to protect themselves from such purifying effect. All three worlds of existence (svarga, martya and patala) became blessed by receiving transcendental bliss and reverberated that auspicious sound. Premananda says: &quot;I can never have enough devotion to my beloved Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga.&quot; (SBRBM, p 7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(148)\",\"et\u0101\u1e41 sa \u0101sth\u0101ya par\u0101tma-ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101m,\",\"adhy\u0101sit\u0101\u1e41 p\u016brvatamair maha\u1e5b\u1e63ibhi\u1e25\",\"aha\u1e41 tari\u1e63y\u0101mi duranta-p\u0101ra\u1e41,\",\"tamo mukund\u0101\u1e47ghri-ni\u1e63evayaiva\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"(As a br\u0101hma\u1e47a from Avant\u012b-de\u015ba said:) &quot;I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. This was approved by the previous \u0101c\u0101ryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Param\u0101tm\u0101, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.&quot; (S-B, 11.23.57) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 3.6) After the function of sanny\u0101sa was finished, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu became mad. &quot;I must run to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana,&quot; He thought. &quot;I have given up all connection with this world. I have no attraction for it. I must run to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana to exclusively engage Myself in the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; In trance, He began to chant this verse from the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a gives a description of sanny\u0101sa to Uddhava. This verse was spoken by a trida\u1e47\u1e0d\u012b-bhik\u1e63u, a mendicant. Mah\u0101prabhu quoted this verse, thinking: &quot;I have accepted this garb of a sanny\u0101s\u012b for this is favourable to My spiritual life. Now, no one in society has any claim over Me, and I will be able to exclusively devote Myself to the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I am going to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana with no other engagement or connection with anyone.&quot; In this way, in ecstatic madness He began to chant and dance. Ke\u015bava Bharat\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja embraced Him, and both guru and disciple joined together, chanting and dancing. At that time Mah\u0101prabhu spoke the verse of the br\u0101hma\u1e47a who, in the last stages of his life, took trida\u1e47\u1e0d\u012bsanny\u0101sa and had to tolerate the torture of society in different forms. He said: et\u0101\u1e41 sa \u0101sth\u0101ya par\u0101tma-ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101m. . . &quot;The previous great sages have accepted and shown the path of sanny\u0101sa. I have now accepted that very form of life. Now, leaving everything aside, I shall run towards V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. There, taking the Name of Mukunda, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I shall cross over the ocean of nescience. Crossing over this m\u0101y\u0101, I shall reach V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and fully enter the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (S-B, 11.23.57) + (Cc, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 3.6) The dress of a sanny\u0101s\u012b is meant only for an external adjustment, but the real thing is to serve Mukunda. And so, with this verse, He suddenly started towards V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana from Katwa. Near the banks of the Ganges, He entered the jungle thinking: &quot;Now, My duty is to reach V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana as soon as possible and there, in a solitary place, I shall sit and chant and sing the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu ran towards V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and entered the jungle before evening. And Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, Candra\u015bekhara \u0100c\u0101rya, Mukunda Datta, and Jagad\u0101nanda pursued Him through the jungle. Sometimes while running He would suddenly fall on the ground and begin to cry: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!&quot; Getting up suddenly, He began running - without any apparent direction - to the north, east, west and south. (TGVODL, p 74) + (see also \u015bloka 211)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(149)\",\"et\u0101vad eva jij\u00f1\u0101sya\u1e41,\",\"tattva-jij\u00f1\u0101sun\u0101tmana\u1e25\",\"anvaya-vyatirek\u0101bhy\u0101\u1e41,\",\"yat sy\u0101t sarvatra sarvad\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, most certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly.&quot; (S-B, 2.9.36) + (SGD, SGPI, p 12) The ontological base of the whole \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is contained within these four \u015blokas. (S-B, 2.9.33-36) + (see also \u015blokas 12, 408 &amp; 597)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(150)\",\"et\u0101v\u0101n s\u0101\u1e45khya-yog\u0101bhy\u0101\u1e41\",\"svadharmma-parini\u1e63\u1e6dhay\u0101\",\"janma-l\u0101bha\u1e25 para\u1e25 pu\u1e41s\u0101m\",\"ante n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a-sm\u1e5bti\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.6) S\u0101\u1e45khya means j\u00f1\u0101na (enlightenment by knowledge and renunciation, up to Brahman); yoga means a\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101\u1e45g\u0101di yoga (yoga meditation on Param\u0101tman, headed by the eightfold system); and svadharmma-ni\u1e63\u1e6dha means ni\u1e63k\u0101ma-karmma-yoga (unselfish duty) in Var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama. Et\u0101v\u0101n means &#x27;they can lead us so far,&#x27; that is, up to liberation. Then, janma-l\u0101bha\u1e25 para\u1e25 pu\u1e41s\u0101m ante n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a-sm\u1e5bti\u1e25: we must attain the fulfilment of our life in the service of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, through \u015braddh\u0101, from a guru. This is the positive attainment, like a visa; and the first three classes are comparable to a passport: the yoga system, progressing towards the conception of Param\u0101tman; Var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama-dharmma, or executing our duties in this world because of the Vedas have recommended this is for our good, but at the same time we must not want anything in return (ni\u1e63k\u0101ma); and also, s\u0101\u1e45khya - j\u00f1\u0101na, the process of neti, neti, neti, or &#x27;this is not, this is not, this is not,&#x27; (na iti) - this is all gross, this is all gross, this is all gross. I am soul, I am consciousness, I am spirit - the process of elimination. Perfection in one of these three methods may be compared to gaining a passport. But janma-l\u0101bha\u1e25, the real fulfilment of life, is ante-n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a-sm\u1e5bti\u1e25 - the memory or consciousness of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, after death. N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a consciousness, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, can give us proper fulfilment, and that is the visa to the Svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti Realm (the Plane of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Divine Potency). (S-B, 2.1.6) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 91-2) + (see also \u015bloka 595)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(151)\",\"eva\u1e41 parampar\u0101-pr\u0101ptam,\",\"ima\u1e41 r\u0101jar\u1e63ayo vidu\u1e25\",\"sa k\u0101leneha mahat\u0101,\",\"yogo na\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e25 parantapa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O conqueror of the enemy, in this way, the saintly kings such as Nimi, Janaka, and others, learned this path of knowledge through the divine succession. Presently, after the passage of a long period of time, this teaching has been almost completely lost.&quot; (B-g, 4.2) There is a proverb: &quot;Which is more useful: the nose or the breath?&quot; The intelligent will say that the breath is more essential than the nose. To sustain the life, the nose may be cut off, but if the breath continues, one may live. We consider the breath to have more importance than the nose. The physical form will misguide people to go away from the truth and follow a different direction. We don&#x27;t consider the body connection important in \u0101c\u0101rya-ship. It is a spiritual current, and not a body current. The disciple of a true devotee may even be a nondevotee. We admit that, because we see it, and the Lord Himself says in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101: sa k\u0101leneha mahat\u0101, yogo na\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e25 parantapa: &quot;The current is damaged by the influence of this material world.&quot; In the line, some are affected, go astray, and may even become nondevotees. So, the continuation through the physical succession is not a safe criterion to be accepted. We must trace only the current of spiritual knowledge. Wherever we can get that, we must accept it, even if it comes from the R\u0101man\u016bja, Madhva, or Nimb\u0101rka samprad\u0101ya. As much as we get from them substantially, we accept, and we reject the so-called followers of our own tradition if they are mere imitationists. The son of a political leader may not be a political leader. A political leader may also have a political succession, and his own son, although brought up in a favourable environment, may be rejected. A doctor&#x27;s son may not be a doctor. In the disciplic order also, we admit the possibility that they may not all come up to the same standard. Those who do not, should be rejected. And if the truth is found in a substantial way somewhere else, that should be accepted. Wherever there is devotion and the correct consideration about of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, our guru is there. Who is our guru? He is not to be found in the physical form; our guru is to be traced wherever we find the embodiment of the pure thought and understanding which \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu imparted to save us. Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a was very akin to the Madhv\u0101 samprad\u0101ya. But when he came in connection with Visvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, he showed great interest in Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism. He has also commented on \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam and \u015ar\u012b J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s \u1e62a\u1e6d-Sandarbha. And that enlightened thought is a valuable contribution to our samprad\u0101ya. We cannot dismiss him. He is our guru. At the same time, if my own relatives do not give recognition to my guru or to the service of Mah\u0101prabhu, I must eliminate them. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura has explained the \u015bik\u1e63\u0101-guru-parampar\u0101 in this way. Wherever we find the extraordinary line of the flow of love of God, and support for the same, we must bow down. That line may appear in a zigzag way, but still, that is the line of my gurudeva. In this way it is accepted. We want the substance, not the form. We have left all social concerns and so many other shackles. For what? For the Absolute Truth. And wherever I shall find that, I must bow down my head. And if a great soul shows us: &quot;This is the path to where you will find your thirst quenched. The line is in this zigzag way,&quot; we must accept that for our own interest. We are worshippers not of form, but of substance. If the current of spiritual substance comes another way, but I think that I must try to go this way to reach my goal, it is only jealousy, blind tenacity to stick to the physical thing. We must free ourselves from this material contamination and try to understand the value of spiritual truth. We should always be prepared for that. We must follow what is necessary, for our own interest. (SGAHG, p 105-8) + (see also \u015bloka 434)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(152)\",\"eva\u1e41 prak\u1e5bti-vaicitry\u0101d\",\"bhidyante matayo n\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101m\",\"p\u0101ramparye\u1e47a ke\u1e63\u0101\u1e63cit\",\"p\u0101\u1e63a\u1e47\u1e0da-matayo &#x27;pare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Thus, due to the great variety of desires and natures among human beings, there are many different theistic philosophies of life, which are handed down through tradition, custom and disciplic succession. There are other teachers who directly support atheistic viewpoints.&quot; (S-B, 11.14.8) After Uddhava asked K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a why they are so many religions in the world, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a replied: &quot;In this way - due to variety and the nature of the recipient from one to another in disciplic order, p\u0101ramparye\u1e47a, has caused the different types of religious conceptions in this world. Now, it is a jungle. In the beginning, it was one, and I was the object there as I advised Lord Brahm\u0101, the creator. First, it was one; but gradually, the difference between the preachers - the mediators arose, and today, it is a jungle. And some sprouts also came out from the empirical soil.&quot; prak\u1e5bti-vaicitry\u0101t and p\u0101\u1e63a\u1e47\u1e0da-matayo&#x27; pare, p\u0101\u1e63a\u1e47\u1e0da-mata means those who do not have any recognition of revealed knowledge and they produce something from this side. That is p\u0101\u1e63a\u1e47\u1e0damata. So, p\u0101\u1e63a\u1e47\u1e0da-mata and twisted &quot;revealed&quot; advice - these combined have created the chaos in the world of religion. Some lay stress on penance, some on ce\u1e63\u1e6da (duty), some on reading scriptures, and some sections lay stress on donation, relief work - all these are different opinions, but in the beginning, it was one.&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(153)\",\"gau\u1e0da-braja-jane, bheda n\u0101 dekhibo\",\"hoibo baraja-b\u0101s\u012b dh\u0101mera svar\u016bpa,\",\"sphuribe nayane, hoibo r\u0101dh\u0101ra d\u0101s\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I will see no difference between the inhabitants of Vraja Bh\u016bm\u012b and those of Navadv\u012bpa, and I will be transformed into a resident of Vraja. The true nature of the Lord&#x27;s abode will manifest itself to my eyes, and I will become a maidservant of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; (TSOBT, p 54) In one song, his Siddh\u012b-l\u0101las\u0101, from his \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura aspires for that pure vision of the Dh\u0101ma. Otherwise it may appear quite ordinary to us, like a jungle. The purity of the Ganges water is only perceived by those who have proper faith or \u015braddh\u0101. Otherwise to others eyes it is ordinary water. The same applies to the Deity, or \u015ar\u012b-M\u016brtti. One may think that the \u015ar\u012b-M\u016brti of Lord Jagann\u0101tha in Pur\u012b appears to be a somewhat awkward figure. His arms seem incomplete, His feet are not visible, His eyes are enormous. Yet Mah\u0101prabhu stood before Him for hours, shedding tears. No one could move Him from that place. What did Mah\u0101prabhu see in that Figure, and what is He to our eyes? So according to the depth of vision of our inner eye we can come to that plane of the Dh\u0101ma, the Deity, and the purifying Ganges water. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 5-6) + (see also \u015bloka 444)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(154)\",\"gaur\u0101de\u015b\u0101c ca v\u1e5bnd\u0101-vipinam iha parikramya n\u012bl\u0101cala\u1e41 yo\",\"gatv\u0101 k\u0101vy\u0101m\u1e5btai\u1e25 svair vraja-yuva-yugala-kr\u012bdan\u0101rthai\u1e25 prak\u0101mam\",\"r\u0101mananda-svar\u016bp\u0101dibhir api kavibhis tarpay\u0101m\u0101sa gaura\u1e41\",\"sa \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa\u1e25 kad\u0101 m\u0101\u1e41 nija-pada-rajas\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63ita\u1e41 sa\u1e41vidhatte\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b is the mine of the most precious treasure, the leader of the associates of Lord Caitanya (the Divine Succession being known as the R\u016bp\u0101nuga Samprad\u0101ya, &#x27;the followers of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa&#x27;). In the company of his brothers, he was resplendent in (the province of) Gau\u1e0da, causing the fervent twin bumblebees in the form of the lotus eyes of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva to drink nectar, as the Lord&#x27;s lotus feet moved on the pretext of visiting V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. When will that \u015ar\u012bmad R\u016bpa Prabhu grace me with the dust of his holy feet?&quot; (SSPJ p 210) &quot;When, on the order of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa visited \u015ar\u012b Puro\u015bottama k\u1e63etra, after completing the circumambulation of \u015ar\u012b Vraja Ma\u1e47\u1e0dala, he highly gratified \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva and the sagacious devotee assembly headed by \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara and \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, by his ambrosial poetry on the pastimes of the Divine Couple of Vraja, when will that \u015ar\u012bmad R\u016bpa Prabhu grace me with the dust of his lotus feet?&quot; (SBRBM, p 41) This is one of ten verses composed by \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, to describe and honour the exalted contribution of \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b in the world of intimate loving service. The ten verses are known as \u015ar\u012bmad R\u016bpa-pada-raja\u1e25 Pr\u0101rthan\u0101 Da\u015bakam Aspiring for the Dust of \u015ar\u012bmad R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s Lotus Feet. This verse is # 7, and there are two others in this book, \u015blokas 214 &amp; 272.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(155)\",\"gaur\u0101\u1e45gaika-gatir vraj\u0101\u015britamati\u1e25 \u015br\u012b gauradh\u0101ma sthiti\u1e25\",\"sach\u0101straikav\u1e5bti\u1e25 kusa\u1e45ga viratirdu\u1e25sthabyath\u0101-ni\u1e63k\u1e5bti\u1e25\",\"\u015br\u012b r\u016bpaik-rati\u1e25 san\u0101tana-nati\u1e25 \u015br\u012b j\u012bvatejasthati\u1e25\",\"\u015br\u012b siddh\u0101nta sarasvat\u012b guruvaru gaud\u012bya-go\u1e63\u1e6dh\u012bpati\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Another stanza in his praise, &quot;gaur\u0101\u1e45gaika-gatir,&quot; where the only end of his life was \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, &quot;aika-gatir,&quot; only! The only object of his life was \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. &quot;vraj\u0101\u015br\u012btamatih,&quot; The mental God took cover from the vraja-rasa - your most beloved Dayita d\u0101sa, at present, who is our Gurudeva! Please recommend my admission in the list of his servitors permanently, be gracious enough to do that. In this way, the poem was appreciated by Prabhup\u0101da (\u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Siddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura Gosw\u0101m\u012b Prabhup\u0101da) and four others also. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, Gaura-Haribol! This is also composed by \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b. (SGG) + (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 12)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(156)\",\"gaur\u0101\u1e45gera duti pada,\",\"y\u0101ra dhana-sampada,\",\"se j\u0101ne bhakati-rasa-s\u0101ra\",\"gaur\u0101\u1e45gera madhura-l\u012bl\u0101,\",\"y\u0101ra kar\u1e47e prave\u015bil\u0101,\",\"h\u1e5bdaya nirmala bhelo t\u0101ra\",\"ye gaur\u0101\u1e45gera n\u0101ma laya,\",\"t\u0101ra haya premadaya,\",\"t\u0101re muin yai balihari\",\"gaur\u0101\u1e45ga-gu\u1e47ete jhure,\",\"nitya-l\u012bl\u0101 t\u0101re sphure,\",\"sejana bhakati-adhik\u0101ri\",\"gaur\u0101\u1e45gera sa\u1e45gi-ga\u1e47e,\",\"nitya siddha kori m\u0101ne\",\"se y\u0101ya vrajendra-suta-p\u0101\u015ba\",\"\u015br\u012b-gau\u1e0da-ma\u1e47\u1e0dala-bh\u016bmi,\",\"yeb\u0101 j\u0101ne cint\u0101ma\u1e47i,\",\"t\u0101ra haya vraja bh\u016bme v\u0101sa\",\"gaura-prema-ras\u0101r\u1e47ave,\",\"se tarange yeb\u0101 \u1e0dube,\",\"ser\u0101dh\u0101-m\u0101dhava-antaranga\",\"g\u1e5bhe v\u0101 vanete th\u0101ke,\",\"&#x27;h\u0101 gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27; bo&#x27;le \u1e0d\u0101ke\",\"narottamo m\u0101ge t\u0101ra sa\u1e45ga\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Whoever possesses the great treasure of the lotus feet of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga actually knows the essence of devotional ecstasy. As he hears the nectarean l\u012bl\u0101 of Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga he becomes fully purified. He becomes absorbed in Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s Holy Name and divine loving ecstasy awakens in his heart. I congratulate him on such valuable success saying: &quot;Bravo! You are credited with excellence.&quot; As he cries remembering the qualities and glories of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, the nitya-l\u012bl\u0101 of the Divine Couple is revealed in his heart and he is understood to be a qualified devotee who has attained pure devotional ecstasy. As he deeply understands and honours the intimate associates of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga as eternally liberated souls, he also gradually becomes liberated and ultimately attains the intimate association of the son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. As he feels at heart that the holy land of \u015ar\u012b Gaura Ma\u1e47\u1e0dala is made of touchstone and enters into that consciousness, he resides on the transcendental plane of Vraja. As he dives deep into the infinite ocean of devotional ecstasy of Gaura, he becomes an intimate servitor of the Divine Couple \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 Madhava. Whether living in householder life or a life of holy renunciation, Narottama d\u0101sa always prays for the blessed association and grace of such pure devotees who are ever engaged in praying to \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, the personification of ecstatic love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, calling out His Holy Name in spontaneous rapture of devotional love.&quot; (P) + (SOTVA, p 75-80) + (SBRBM, p 7-8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(157)\",\"gaura-v\u0101g-vigraha\u1e41 vande,\",\"gaur\u0101\u1e45ga\u1e41 gaura-vaibhavam\",\"gaura-sa\u1e45kirttanonmatta\u1e41,\",\"gaura-k\u0101ru\u1e47ya-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I make my obeisances unto the Deity, Gaura-Sarasvat\u012b - the personified message of the Golden Lord \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu - whose bodily lustre is of a beautiful golden hue, like that of the selfsame Lord Gaurasundara; who is the personal expansion of that supreme Lord Gaurahari; who is always intoxicated by preaching the message of that Golden Lord; and whose divine beauty blooms in the revelation of Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s mercy potency.&quot; (SSPJ, p 2) (This is the fundamental meaning of the verse. Within the scope of the Sanskrit language, various expanded purports may be drawn from the original). &quot;I make my obeisances unto the Deity, Gaura-Sarasvat\u012b, the personified message of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. As the extended self of the golden Lord he is endowed with the same bodily lustre, and being always intoxicated by preaching \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s message he reveals the beauty of the Lord&#x27;s divine mercy.&quot; (ARO, p 10)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c05\",\"title\":\"05. The Heart of Devotional Aspiration\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"Our aspiration and purity of purpose is to be valued; not our external position.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(158)\",\"gharera b\u0101hire da\u1e47\u1e0de \u015batab\u0101ra,\",\"tile tile u\u1e6dhe base\",\"el\u0101iy\u0101 ve\u1e47\u012b bak\u1e63a pare \u1e6d\u0101ni,\",\"kabhu k\u0101nde kabhu h\u0101se\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 cannot patiently stay in Her opulent, gorgeous palace which has become like a desolate prison to Her. In great anticipation She paces in and out of Her room again and again looking down the path with intense longing, just to catch a glimpse of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. With surging desire and devotional attraction to be with Her beloved, She sometimes sits, sometimes stands, sometimes gazes out, and absently plays with Her hair. In delightful hope and despair She laughs then cries in utter restlessness.&quot; (Candi d\u0101sa) (SBRBM, p 37)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(159)\",\"gop\u012b-bhartu\u1e25 pada-kamalayor d\u0101sa-d\u0101s\u0101nud\u0101sa\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In the transcendental realm, everyone is our friend. They will come to help us, to make us understand that devotional service is beautiful, and that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is the best form of life. Our aspiration and purity of purpose is to be valued; not our external position. The recruiters from that side will consider our purity of purpose, not so much our present position and capacity. And although apparently it seems that we are going to be slaves, the result is just the opposite. If you can accept such an attitude of surrender and slavery, then He who can never be conquered will be conquered. Friends will come and help you, the sadhus will come and make you understand that we should become slaves, that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a likes His slaves very much. He is the master of slaves, and sometimes He wants to become the slave of His slaves (gop\u012bbhartu\u1e25 pada-kamalayor d\u0101sa-d\u0101s\u0101nud\u0101sa\u1e25). This is the key to success, and we can achieve the highest gain through this attitude. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu told R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;Yes, this is true. The unconquerable is conquered by surrender. We can capture Him. I accept this as the beginning plane of divine love: by giving we can get as much as we risk. As much as we risk to give ourselves, so much we can demand from that unconquerable infinite. I accept this as the beginning of \u015buddhabhakti, pure devotional service. But go further.&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya explained that from there pure devotional service develops in a crude form, in a general way, and when it is more mature, it must take the shape of \u015b\u0101nta (neutrality), d\u0101sya (servitorship), sakhya (friendship), v\u0101tsalya (paternal affection, and m\u0101dhurya rasa (conjugal love). (TSFSK, p 140-141) + (SSPJ, p 115) + (see also \u015bloka 306)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(160)\",\"gorocan\u0101-nindi-nij\u0101\u1e45ga-k\u0101nti\u1e41,\",\"m\u0101y\u016bra-pi\u1e63ch\u0101bha-sucina-vastr\u0101m\",\"\u015br\u012b-r\u0101dhik\u0101-p\u0101da-saroja-d\u0101s\u012b\u1e41,\",\"r\u016bp\u0101khyak\u0101\u1e41 ma\u00f1jarik\u0101\u1e41 bhaje&#x27;ham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I worship \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b whose beautiful bodily complexion discredits the golden colour of gorocan\u0101. Wearing a dress made of fine cloth resembling peacock feathers representing her colourful devotional character, she delightfully engages in the service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101&#x27;s lotus feet.&quot; (DCP, 294-297,299) + (SBRBM, p 42)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(161)\",\"govinda-vallabhe r\u0101dhe,\",\"pr\u0101rthaye tv\u0101m aha\u1e41 sad\u0101\",\"tvad\u012byam iti j\u0101n\u0101tu,\",\"govindo m\u0101\u1e41 tvay\u0101 saha\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, the dearest of Lord Govinda, this is always my request to You - please let Lord Govinda, along with Yourself, consider me to be one of Your assistants.&quot; (AP, p 70) This prayer is found in the Acana Paddhati, which comes from Gopal Bha\u1e6d\u1e6da Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s edition of the Hari-bhakti-vil\u0101sa. From there it has sprung through him. It is there in the \u015b\u0101stra, which is an eternal flow of a particular current of knowledge. Everything is eternal in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha and Goloka. Just as the sun comes up and goes down, appears and disappears, the thought is eternal and sometimes appears and sometimes disappears. In this verse, govinda-vallabhe r\u0101dhe, there is a sudden turn. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says to His devotee: &quot;Oh, do you want an intimate relationship with Me? It is not to be found within My department. You will have to go to another department. Go then to the department of R\u0101dhik\u0101.&quot; Then, at once, the devotee&#x27;s thought is transferred towards that side. All his energy is monopolised there. It is Her monopoly. &quot;Your inner quest is not to be found within My department,&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says. &quot;You&#x27;ll have to go elsewhere and file a petition there.&quot; And with this inspiration, at once the devotee puts his petition to R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b: govinda-vallabhe r\u0101dhe: &quot;O, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhe, Your master and sustainer is Govinda. He is the Lord of Your heart.&quot; Govinda means: &quot;He who can give fulfilment to all our senses.&quot; With our senses we can feel perception as well as knowledge. Govinda is the master who gives fulfilment to all our channels of perception. &quot;Govinda is Your Lord. But just the opposite is also true. You are mistress of the heart of Govinda, the Supreme Master. Is it not? You are queen of the heart of Govinda. I have been directed to come to You with my petition. Please enlist my name in Your department and admit me as a servitor in Your group.&quot; (SGAHG, p 145-147) + (see also \u015bloka 397)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(162)\",\"gr\u0101mya-kath\u0101 n\u0101 \u015bunibe,\",\"gr\u0101mya-v\u0101rt\u0101 n\u0101 kahibe\",\"bh\u0101la n\u0101 kh\u0101ibe \u0101ra\",\"bh\u0101la n\u0101 paribe\",\"am\u0101n\u012b m\u0101nada ha\u1e63\u0101\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma sad\u0101 la&#x27;be\",\"vraje r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sev\u0101\",\"m\u0101nase karibe\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu told Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b: &quot;Don&#x27;t indulge in worldly talk, don&#x27;t hear worldly talk. Try your best to avoid mundane matters. Don&#x27;t eat delicious dishes, but take whatever ordinary food may come of its own accord; and don&#x27;t dress luxuriously. Always try to take the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a with the attitude of giving respect to others, without expecting respect from anyone. Be humble, but never aspire after respectful dealings from others. In this way, try to take the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a constantly. And within, try to serve \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Mentally, be in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana rendering Service to \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 6.236-7) Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara was the dearmost attendant of Mah\u0101prabhu, and a very good scholar as well. Raghun\u0101tha was also a scholar, we find that he later left the world beautiful poetry in Sanskrit. Mah\u0101prabhu gave Raghun\u0101tha over to the charge of Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara, saying: &quot;I request Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara to take your charge, and he will advise you what will be necessary for your devotional life.&quot; But suddenly one day, Raghun\u0101tha approached Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Why have You managed to take me out of my house, and what is my best benefit? If You please tell me in Your own words, my heart will be satisfied.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;I have given you over to the charge of Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara. He is more qualified than even Myself. Still, if you want to hear something directly from Me, then I say in brief: gr\u0101mya-kath\u0101 n\u0101 \u015bunibe, gr\u0101mya-v\u0101rtt\u0101 n\u0101 kahibe.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu told Raghun\u0101tha that this was the essence of His advice to him. Then, He again took Raghun\u0101tha&#x27;s hand and offered it to the hand of Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara. He said: &quot;I am giving you to the charge of Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara. He is the best Spiritual Teacher. He will take care of you.&quot; After Raghun\u0101tha&#x27;s arrival in Pur\u012b, Mah\u0101prabhu stayed there continuously for sixteen years. Raghun\u0101tha lived for sixteen years continuously in the association of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara. After They disappeared from this world, Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa, disgusted with his future prospect, left Pur\u012b and went to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana to finish his life, thinking: &quot;I have what is to be had; now I only want to see V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana Dh\u0101ma once, and then I shall leave this body by jumping from the highest peak of Govardhana.&quot; With this idea Raghun\u0101tha went to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, but when he came into contact with R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b and San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b there, he saw another vision, a dream of a new life, he found the beginning of a new life. Then he found: &quot;Although \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara have departed, disappeared from my physical eyes, they are living here in R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana, within their activities, in their preaching tendency. Mah\u0101prabhu has not departed, He is here, as living as anything, in them.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu delegated R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana with the power to preserve the Devotional Current they had received from Him, and to present it in a new light. They were asked to prove by drawing upon different Scriptures that Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s Teachings are the very gist and purpose of all the Scriptures. As in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (15.15): vedai\u015b ca sarvair aham eva vedyo - (see also \u015bloka 548) So, Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Absolute. With the help of the different Scriptures and historical references - by all means possible - try to prove that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Svaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that Vraja-l\u012bl\u0101, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-l\u012bl\u0101, is the highest achievement.&quot; The two brothers had already begun that work when Raghun\u0101tha came into their association, and he found: &quot;Oh, Mah\u0101prabhu is here.&quot; He abandoned and rejected the idea of finishing his life and leaving the world, and joined R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana as their disciple, and with new vigour he began to serve in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Mah\u0101prabhu had already ordered San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b: &quot;My followers are very poor and helpless. You&#x27;ll have to look after them whenever they come to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. You&#x27;ll have to be the caretaker of all My disciples that come to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; So Raghun\u0101tha came to San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b, and San\u0101tana took care of him. Raghun\u0101tha was so self-forgetful that one day as he was sitting on the banks of R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da and taking the Name, a tiger came just beside him to drink water, but Raghun\u0101tha paid no attention. Suddenly, San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b came upon the scene. He was astonished. Up until then Raghun\u0101tha had lived under the shade of a tree, but San\u0101tana said: &quot;Please construct a hut to live in. Don&#x27;t disregard my request - I entreat you to do this.&quot; Then from that time he managed to construct a small dwelling and stay there. His abnegation, vair\u0101gya, was incomparable. San\u0101tana, R\u016bpa, and all the Gosw\u0101m\u012bs&#x27; indifference to worldly enjoyment was extreme, but Raghun\u0101tha&#x27;s abnegation surpassed all. When he was in Pur\u012b, sometimes he would beg Pras\u0101dam at the gate of the Jagann\u0101tha Temple, and sometimes he would take Pras\u0101dam at a chatram or free kitchen where rich men distribute Pras\u0101dam for beggars. But then he thought: &quot;I am taking what is due to others&#x27; karma.&quot; The unsold Jagann\u0101tha Pras\u0101dam is given to the cows of Jagann\u0101tha Pur\u012b. But when it becomes so stale that it emits a bad odour, even the cows cannot eat it. So now Raghun\u0101tha would wash that Pras\u0101dam with sufficient water, and adding a little salt he would eat that. Mah\u0101prabhu heard about this, and one day when Raghun\u0101tha was taking that Pras\u0101dam Mah\u0101prabhu approached and suddenly took some and ate it. He said: &quot;Oh, I have tasted many times the Pras\u0101dam of Jagann\u0101tha, but such sweet Pras\u0101dam I have never taken anywhere!&quot; So, what is the taste in Pras\u0101dam ? It is not mundane. Raghun\u0101tha had such intense faith in Pras\u0101dam that he lived on apparently rotten things with a little salt - and he was the son of a family of kingly opulence. So much indifference was in him. And in his last days in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, he would pass each day taking only one pot of ghol, buttermilk. This is not possible for a man of flesh and blood. Great souls like the Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s are really personalities come down from the other world, and so it was possible for them to show the ideal of abnegation. It is not possible for ordinary humans of flesh and blood to observe such a degree of abnegation without dying. But the Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s created the standard and ideal by such vair\u0101gya. At the same time, Raghun\u0101tha studied R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s presentation of the highest type of rasa or devotional sentiment - madhura-rasa. \u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b appreciated the acme of Divine Service, the culminating point of Divine Service - R\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101sya, which is Servitude unto \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. He has given us the understanding of our highest aspiration, and he is admitted as the prayojana-\u0101c\u0101rya, the guru who has shown us what is the highest aim of our life, prayojana-tattva, the ultimate destination. \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b is generally conceived of by his successors as the \u0100c\u0101rya of sambandha-j\u00f1\u0101na. sambandha refers to &#x27;what is what&#x27; - &#x27;what is my position in the spiritual heirarchy.&#x27; That was explained most clearly by \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b. And abhidheya - what we should cultivate in order to attain to our objective - was mainly given by \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. He taught us how we can attain fulfilment of our life in the Domain of Love. And what is particularly the highest point of our attainment, or prayojana, was very vividly shown by \u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. In his Vilapa Kusum Anjali (102), there is a famous \u015bloka which is a direct prayer to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. It expresses a particular type of hope which is so sweet and reassuring that it is compared with an unlimited ocean of nectar. That is R\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101sya. Our best fulfilment is in the Service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101, because only She can fully attract the Grace of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. She is the other Half who can draw the maximum rasa, Ecstasy, from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - in quantity as well as in quality. Those who are serving \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b get the highest type of qualitative rasa from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in reciprocation for their Service. That cannot be had through any other channel. Service that comes through \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is of the highest quality, so Her Service should be our summum bonum of life. This was announced clearly by \u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b who is considered to be prayojana-\u0101c\u0101rya, the guide to show us our highest fulfilment of life. (see also \u015bloka 51) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 122-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(163)\",\"g\u1e5bhe b\u0101 vanete th\u0101ke,\",\"&#x27;h\u0101 gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27; bo&#x27;le \u1e0d\u0101ke\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;It is not necessary that one become a mendicant or give up his family life and society. One can remain wherever he finds it suitable, whether as a householder, as a brahmac\u0101r\u012b, as a v\u0101naprastha, or as a sanny\u0101s\u012b.&quot; (SOTVA, p 79) + (see also \u015bloka 156) It doesn&#x27;t matter much whether one is a householder or a sanny\u0101s\u012b, How much he has intensely engaged himself in the service of the Lord, that is to be seen. A g\u1e5bhastha may even be above a sanny\u0101s\u012b. During the time of Mah\u0101prabhu, so many g\u1e5bhastha devotees were there, but the real spirit is all Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. (GOD, p 22)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(164)\",\"gurau go\u1e63\u1e6dhe go\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101layi\u1e63u sujane bh\u016bsuragane\",\"svamantre \u015br\u012b-n\u0101mni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-\u015bara\u1e47e\",\"sad\u0101 dambha\u1e41 hitv\u0101 kuru ratim ap\u016brv\u0101m atitar\u0101\",\"maye sv\u0101ntarbhr\u0101ta\u015b ca\u1e6dubhir abhiy\u0101ce dh\u1e5bta-pada\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O mind - my brother! I fall at your feet and implore you: &#x27;Give up all pride and always taste ecstatic love while remembering the divine guide, the holy abode of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the cowherds and milkmaids of Vraja, the loving devotees of the Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the gods on earth or pure br\u0101hma\u1e47as, the G\u0101yatr\u012b mantra, the holy Names of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the divine youthful couple of Vraja, \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-Govindasundara.&quot; (MS) When \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura went to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana in the early 1930&#x27;s, he rode in a motorcar. In those days, this was unheard of for a saint. One day, a priest insulted him by deprecating the position of \u015ar\u012bla R\u0101ghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, the preceptor of our highest conception spiritual achievement. He boasted: &quot;We are not only residents of the holy land, but members of the caste of high priests (br\u0101hma\u1e47as). Therefore we can offer our benedictions to D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. He was born in a low-class family, and he himself asked such a benediction from us.&quot; Of course, in great humility, D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b once prayed (in Mana\u1e25-\u015bik\u1e63\u0101): gurau go\u1e63\u1e6dhe go\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101layi\u1e63u sujane bh\u016bsuragane. That priest remarked: &quot;We are residents of the holy abode of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and br\u0101hma\u1e47as as well, so we are in a position to give benedictions to R\u0101ghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b.&quot; Upon hearing these words, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, who was at R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da at the time, began fasting. He remarked: &quot;I have to hear this? This fellow is under the control of lust, anger, and greed, and he says that he can show his grace to D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, the most respected preceptor in our line! And I am to hear that?&quot; Without retaliating against his remarks, he decided to fast. We also stopped eating, and our whole camp began fasting. Then a local gentleman who came to know that the whole camp was fasting managed to find the blasphemous priest and bring him to our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. That priest begged to be pardoned. Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was satisfied and, after showing him some respect, finally broke his fast. At that time someone told our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: &quot;They are all ignorant fools. Why should you be so much affected by his words? You should have ignored it.&quot; Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;If I were an ordinary b\u0101b\u0101j\u012b and heard such a remark, I could simply cover my ears and go away. But I am playing the part of an \u0101c\u0101rya, one who teaches by example. What justification do I have for riding in a motorcar if I do not oppose such remarks against my gurudeva?&quot; Repeatedly he used this expression: &quot;Why am I driving a motorcar here in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana?&quot; He said: &quot;Had I been a ni\u1e63ki\u1e63cana b\u0101b\u0101j\u012b, a saint living in seclusion and wearing only a loincloth, I would have given no opposition to this man. To save myself, I would simply leave the place and go elsewhere. But because I am riding in a big motorcar in the post of an \u0101c\u0101rya, a teacher, I must defend the dignity of the great devotees. I have accepted this charge and can&#x27;t evade these circumstances. I must face it and do everything in my power that such things may not go on undetected or unopposed.&quot; (TGVODL, p 115-7) + (SSPJ, p 50)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(165)\",\"guror apy avaliptasya,\",\"k\u0101ry\u0101k\u0101ryam aj\u0101nata\u1e25\",\"utpatha-prathipannasya,\",\"parity\u0101go vidh\u012byate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A guru who is addicted to sensual pleasure and polluted by vice, who is ignorant and who has no power to discriminate between right and wrong, or who is not on the path of \u015buddha-bhakti must be abandoned.&quot; (M, U -179.25) If the guru was at first a sincere disciple of his spiritual master, and now as a result of some offences he is being neglected by his guru, he may be led astray for some time. But he may return to the standard again. Still, it is said in the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata: guror apy avaliptasya. &quot;A guru who does not know what is to be done and what is not to be done, who has left the path of devotional service, should be abandoned.&quot; This is found in Bhi\u1e63ma&#x27;s statement in the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata. Bhi\u1e63ma is one of the twelve mah\u0101janas (authorities on devotional service), and this is his statement to his astra-guru (weapon-master), Para\u015bur\u0101ma. J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that if the guru goes astray he should be abandoned, but there may be circumstances where, by the inconceivable desire of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the guru may go astray for a time and then come back again. In that case, the disciple should wait for some time. It is very unfortunate for the disciple when such things happen. You will find this elaborately dealt with in the Harin\u0101ma-cint\u0101ma\u1e47i of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura. If a son leaves home and disobeys his father, the father may be indifferent to him; he may exclude him from the will. If, however, the son returns after some time and is again obedient, then he may collect his inheritance. In a similar way, a spiritual master may disobey his guru, and then his guru may be indifferent to him for some time, but again if he sets himself right, he will not be disinherited. This is explained in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (9.30), api cet sudur\u0101c\u0101ro - (see \u015bloka 42). So we should not deal very abruptly with these unfortunate incidents, but we should wait and see. Everything must be done judiciously. In trying to understand the relationships between guru and godbrother and guru and disciple, we will find very subtle points of sentiment. Just as when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a entered into the arena of Ka\u1e41sa, He appeared differently to different persons, the disciples will have one view of their guru and his godbrothers will have another view and disposition. The disciples of a genuine guru will see their guru as being with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but that may not be seen to his godbrothers. In m\u0101dhurya-rasa, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is seen in one way, and in vatsalya-rasa, Mother Ya\u015boda sees Him in another way. The servants will see Him in another way. The \u1e5b\u1e63is like Gargamuni will see Him in another way. As K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a likes to show Himself, He will be seen. You may see the guru in your own way, but still, you&#x27;ll have to behave in such a way that the newcomer&#x27;s faith will not be disturbed. The newcomers should always be encouraged, because it is very difficult for a fallen soul to collect his faith and regard and offer it to the guru. On the other hand, I may have my own conception about my godbrother. I may foster that within my heart. As much as possible I should try not to disturb his disciples. If, unfortunately, an \u0101c\u0101rya falls, and proves himself to be lacking in that capacity, then if that comes to a sufficient degree, some steps may be taken; we may have to take some unhappy action. But let God save us from that disastrous condition. That should be our feeling. Otherwise, as long as possible, the rank should be respected. Both the relative and the absolute consideration go side by side. The disciples should be encouraged by the relative consideration mostly. And godbrothers will have more feel for the absolute consideration. But still, they shouldn&#x27;t disturb the newcomers in their premier position. Even if your think the person performing the function of \u0101c\u0101rya is lower in qualification (adhik\u0101ra) than you, still you should formally give some special honour to him because he is in that position. The son may be the judge, and the father may be the lawyer, but the father must give respect to the son. He must give respect to the chair. So that kind of adjustment should be kept in the mission. When you are alone, the \u0101c\u0101rya brother and his non-\u0101c\u0101rya brother can mix freely. You can give a slap to his face. But when publicly amongst his disciples, you must show that sort of behaviour. Respectful conduct should be publicly maintained to keep up the peace of the mission. (SGAHG, p 81-3) + (see also \u015blokas 15 &amp; 168)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(166)\",\"guru-ga\u1e47a-\u015bire puna\u1e25\",\"\u015bobha p\u0101ya \u015bata-gu\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;All desirable objects, when offered to our gurus, become glorified one hundredfold, as Their crown-jewels.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p xvii) + (see also \u015blokas 167 &amp; 464)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(167)\",\"guru-gaurave garvvita dhanya mor\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Blessed are we in \u015ar\u012b Gurudeva&#x27;s bounty; His divine treasure is our pride and glory.&quot; Conditioned souls as we are, it is an honest fact that we have nothing to boast about. Yet, when we feel we are bereft, we are reminded of this poetic line, and we realise that our true wealth really is: guru-gaurave garvvita dhanya mor\u0101. With this conception, all our hopes, all our prospects, our honour, our good name - everything will become as brilliant as the early morning sun. (guru-ga\u1e47a-\u015bire puna\u1e25 - see also \u015bloka 166). In the presence of the self-effulgent sun we can never feel ourselves to be destitute. (SOTGOD, v 1, p xvii)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(168)\",\"gurur na sa sy\u0101t sva jano na sa sy\u0101t,\",\"pit\u0101 na sa sy\u0101j janan\u012b na s\u0101 sy\u0101t\",\"daiva\u1e41 na tat sy\u0101n na pati\u015b ca sa sy\u0101n,\",\"na mocayed ya\u1e25 samupeta m\u1e5btyum\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u1e5a\u1e63abhadeva says: &quot;Even a spiritual master, relative, parent, husband, or demigod who cannot save us from repeated birth and death should be abandoned at once.&quot; (S-B, 5.5.18) One who cannot save other souls from the world of impending death - that is, one who cannot teach the path of devotion - he cannot be a teacher, although he may be called &#x27;guru&#x27;; he cannot be a relative - he is not worthy of the designation; he cannot be a father - he is not qualified to beget a son; she cannot be a mother - she should not bear a child; he cannot be a god - the demigods who cannot deliver others from material bondage are not entitled to accept worship from human society; and he cannot be a husband - his hand is not fit to accept in marriage. (SSPJ, p 58) There is nation consciousness and God consciousness; society consciousness and God consciousness. God consciousness is absolute. If society consciousness hinders the development of God consciousness, it should be left behind. This is confirmed in \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam: gurur na sa sy\u0101t sva jano na sa sy\u0101t: &quot;Even a spiritual master, relative, parent, husband, or demigod who cannot save us from repeated birth and death should be abandoned at once.&quot; What to speak of ordinary things, even the guru, may have to be abandoned. One may even have to give up one&#x27;s own spiritual guide, as in the case of Bali Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, or one&#x27;s relatives, as in the case of Vibhi\u1e63ana. In the case of Prahl\u0101da, his father had to be given up, and in the case of Bharata Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, it was his mother. In the case of Khatvanga Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, he left the demigods, and in the case of the yaj\u00f1a patnis, (the wives of the br\u0101hma\u1e47as) they left their husbands in the endeavour to reach the Absolute Personality. We need society only to help us. If our affinity to the society keeps us down, then that should be given up, and we must march on. There is the absolute consideration and the relative consideration. When they come into clash, the relative must be given up, and the absolute should be accepted. If my inner voice, my spiritual conscience decides that this sort of company cannot really help me, then I will be under painful necessity to give them up, and to run towards my destination, wherever my spiritual conscience guides me. Any other course will be hypocrisy, and it will check my real progress. (see also \u015bloka 307) + (SGAHG, p 44)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(169)\",\"guru-r\u016bpa-hari\u1e41 gaura\u1e41,\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-ruci-ruc\u0101v\u1e5btam\",\"nitya\u1e41 naumi navadv\u012bpe,\",\"n\u0101ma-k\u012brttana-narttanai\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Perpetually do I sing the glories of Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, \u015ar\u012b Hari, embraced by the heart and halo of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, and who has descended as the Divine Master. In this holy abode of \u015ar\u012b Navadv\u012bpa Dh\u0101ma, He is absorbed in the pastimes of profusely chanting the oly Names, dancing in ecstasy.&quot; (SSPJ, p 2-3) &quot;I offer my eternal obeisances to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari embraced by the loving sentiment and effulgent complexion of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. Appearing as the Supreme Divine Master in the holy abode of \u015ar\u012b Navadv\u012bpa Dh\u0101ma, He is absorbed in the pastimes of chanting the Holy Name and dancing in ecstasy.&quot; (ARO, p 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(170)\",\"h\u0101 n\u0101tha rama\u1e47a pre\u1e63\u1e6dha,\",\"kv\u0101si mah\u0101-bhuja\",\"d\u0101sy\u0101s te k\u1e5bpa\u1e47\u0101y\u0101 me,\",\"sakhe dar\u015baya sannidhim\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b says: &quot;O Lord, My loving consort and dearmost hero, where are You? I am Your poor maidservant, please come to Me.&quot; (SSPJ, p 136) &quot;O beloved Lord, O loving consort, O giver of pleasure, O dearmost hero, where are You? I am Your poor maidservant who is feeling completely lost and empty without You, please bring Me close to You.&quot; (SBRBM, p 28)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(171)\",\"hare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a hare k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a hare hare\",\"hare r\u0101ma hare r\u0101ma\",\"r\u0101ma r\u0101ma hare hare\",\"prabhu kahe kahil\u0101m ei mah\u0101ma\u1e47tra\",\"ih\u0101 japa giy\u0101 save kariy\u0101 nirvvarndha\",\"ih\u0101 haite sarva-siddhi haibe sav\u0101ra\",\"sarv\u0101k\u1e63a\u1e47a bala ithe vidhi n\u0101hi \u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Thus I spoke this Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Mah\u0101-Mantra, which is the most effective means of bringing divine benefit in the life of the j\u012bva souls. Go home and chant this holy mantram with all devotion. Everyone will attain all perfection by the grace of this magnanimous mantra. Therefore, chant and remember it all the time regardless of any rules and regulations.&quot; (C-B, Mad-23, 76-78) + (SBRBM, p 16)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(172)\",\"Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\",\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Hare Hare\",\"Hare R\u0101ma Hare R\u0101ma\",\"R\u0101ma R\u0101ma Hare Hare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This revealed meaning is composed of the spontaneous responses between the Divine Couple (Mah\u0101bh\u0101va and Rasar\u0101ja) during an intimate pastime as They address each other. &quot;Hare - O My beloved R\u0101dhe. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - O My beloved K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Hare - O My beloved Queen, You instantly steal away My heart by Your super excellent exquisite beauty and devotional qualities. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - O all attractive one, You irresistibly attract My heart and soul by Your ever excelling beauty and ambrosial nature. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - O dearmost object of My devotion, personified love ecstasy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, please keep on attracting Me towards You more and more intimately. Hare Hare - O dearest Goddess, object of My love R\u0101dhe, please take away My heart more and more by Your intimate love.&quot; &quot;Hare - O R\u0101dhe, My dearest beloved. R\u0101ma- O reservoir and giver of nectarean pleasure, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Hare - O beautiful Goddess R\u0101dhe, You please capture My heart. R\u0101ma - O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Lord of My life, please take My body, mind and heart, and enjoy Me to Your utmost satisfaction. R\u0101ma R\u0101ma - O R\u0101ma, giver of pleasure and ecstasy, My dearest beloved, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, please flood My heart with nectarean pleasure by enjoying Me eternally. Hare Hare - O Hare, take Me more deeply into the core of Your devoted heart, and make Me eternally relish Your transcendental love, the all fulfilling ambrosia of My life.&quot; (SBRBM, p 21)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(173)\",\"Hare R\u0101ma, Hare R\u0101ma,\",\"R\u0101ma R\u0101ma, Hare Hare\",\"Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a,\",\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Hare Hare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The real importance of the Name is not to be found merely in the arrangement of its syllables, but in the deep meaning within that divine sound. Some scholars argue that in the Kalisantara\u1e47a Upani\u1e63ad, Lord Brahm\u0101 says that the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra is properly pronounced only when the Name of R\u0101ma precedes the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;Hare R\u0101ma, Hare R\u0101ma, R\u0101ma R\u0101ma, Hare Hare \/ Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Hare Hare.&quot; In the Kali-santara\u1e47a Upani\u1e63ad, the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra is given in that way. But to say that the Name of R\u0101ma must precede the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the mantra is a superficial understanding. It is said that because it comes from the Upani\u1e63ads, the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mantra is a Vedic mantra, and therefore, because the ordinary people may not have any entrance into Vedic mantras, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu readjusted this mantra by reversing the order of the words. In that way, it is said: the concern that it is a Vedic mantra is thereby cancelled, and so \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu gave it to all without breaching the injunctions of the Vedas. Some devotees in Uttar Pradesh who have great affection for \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva like to give this opinion. But our faith is that the mention of &quot;Hare R\u0101ma&quot; first is only superficial. It concerns the idea that since the R\u0101ma avat\u0101ra appeared first and the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a avat\u0101ra afterwards, the Name of R\u0101ma, &quot;Hare R\u0101ma,&quot; should come first in the mah\u0101-mantra. A deeper reading will consider that when two similar things are connected together, the priority will be ordered not on the basis of historical precedent, but in consideration of the most highly developed conception. The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is higher than the Holy Name of R\u0101ma. This is mentioned in the Pur\u0101\u1e47as: three Names of R\u0101ma equal one Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is superior to the Name of R\u0101ma. Where the two are connected together, the first position should be given to the one that is superior. Therefore, the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a must come first in the mah\u0101-mantra. This is one point. Another point is that within the eternal plane, everything is moving in a cyclic order. In an eternal cycle, which is first and which is next cannot be ascertained, and so, in the eternal plane of l\u012bl\u0101, it cannot be determined whether K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is before R\u0101ma or R\u0101ma is before K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So from that consideration also, since the Names of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and R\u0101ma are eternal and unrelated to any historical event, we may begin the mantra from any place. But above these considerations, our samprad\u0101ya has given another, higher consideration. A deeper understanding will reveal that the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mantra is not at all concerned with r\u0101ma-l\u012bl\u0101. In the Name of R\u0101ma within the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mantra, the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47\u0101vas will find R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101mana-R\u0101ma. That means &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who gives pleasure (r\u0101man) to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; In our conception, the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mantra is wholesale K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, not R\u0101ma consciousness. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s highest conception of things is always Svayam Bhagav\u0101n, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47al\u012bl\u0101, R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda-l\u012bl\u0101. That is the real purpose of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s advent and teachings. In that consideration, the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra does not mention the R\u0101ma-l\u012bl\u0101 of \u0100yodhya at all. There is no connection with that in the highest conception of the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra. And the inner conception of the mantra is responsible for our spiritual attainment. When one pronounces the Name R\u0101ma, if he means D\u0101sar\u0101thi R\u0101ma, his attraction will take him there, to \u0100yodhya; if he means P\u0101ras\u016br\u0101ma, he will be attracted to another place. And if R\u0101ma means R\u0101dh\u0101-r\u0101mana R\u0101ma, he will go to Goloka. The inner conception of the devotee will guide him to his destination. My original name was R\u0101mendra Candra. When I was given initiation, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura gave me the name R\u0101mendra Sundara. I asked him: &quot;What is the meaning of R\u0101mendra?&quot; He told me: &quot;In our consideration, R\u0101ma does not mean D\u0101sar\u0101thi R\u0101ma or Lord R\u0101macandra, the son of King D\u0101sar\u0101tha. It means R\u0101dh\u0101-r\u0101mana-R\u0101ma - K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the lover of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; The Name &quot;Hare&quot; may also mean different things according to one&#x27;s conception. That the meaning of the word Hare in the mantra is taken to mean R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is also determined according to the spiritual development or qualification (\u0101dhik\u0101ra) of the chanter. When one is firmly established in conceiving of R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the background of everything - when one finds Svayam R\u016bpa, the original form of Godhead, underlying all sorts of conception of all things good - then only will he find that sort of meaning and nothings else. For the beginners, the word &quot;Hare&quot; in the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mantra can be conceived to mean Hari. That is one meaning. It may also mean N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva. And just as &quot;R\u0101ma&quot; can mean D\u0101sar\u0101thi R\u0101ma, &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&quot; may refer to different types of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. There is also a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, where the vaibh\u0101vas, or extensions of the Lord, number twenty-four. In Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, first there is N\u0101r\u0101yana, and then four extensions: V\u0101sudeva, \u015aank\u0101r\u1e63ana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. Each of these four has five agents, making twenty-four in all. One of these is the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, then there is the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a of Dw\u0101rak\u0101, and the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a of Mathur\u0101. In this way there are various conceptions of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But the highest conception of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana: R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda. When one cannot remove himself from that plane, he will conceive of divinity only as Hari-Har\u0101. He will see nothing else but R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Those who are completely and perfectly installed in madhura-rasa - who have the highest kind of divine vision - cannot come down from that plane. If they do, it is only for the interest of R\u0101dh\u0101Govinda. In that case, the devotee may go anywhere, but his real interest is under lock and key in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Only on behalf of the service of R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda will a devotee leave V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. For those who are followers of the V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana line, &quot;Hare&quot; in the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mantra can only mean Har\u0101: \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Har\u0101 means &quot;R\u0101dh\u0101, who can even snatch the attention of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Hari.&quot; The word harana means &quot;to steal.&quot; One who can steal the mind of He who is most expert in stealing - who can steal even the mind of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - She is Har\u0101. Stealing in its highest capacity is shown by R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. And &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&quot; means &quot;He who is most attractive in the absolute sense.&quot; They are both represented in the mantra. The followers of the r\u016bp\u0101n\u016bg\u0101 samprad\u0101ya can never deviate from that consciousness in their chanting of the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mah\u0101-mantra. And with this conception, they go on with the service of Hari-Har\u0101, R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. They absorb themselves in r\u0101dh\u0101 d\u0101syam. They cannot think of anything else but that. And once having fully attained that plane, they can never come down from that level, from the interest of R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. They cannot allow themselves to be out of that circle. That is the position of our highest aspiration, and according to a devotee&#x27;s \u0101dhik\u0101ra, or spiritual qualification, that sort of meaning will be awakened in one&#x27;s mind, discovered by s\u0101dhana. At that time the covering of the heart will be removed and divine love will spontaneously spring up from the fountain of the heart as the inner function of the soul. (LSFTLS, p 91-94)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(174)\",\"harer-mur\u0101renadhu-kaitabh\u0101re\",\"gop\u0101la-govinda-mukunda-\u015baure\",\"yaj\u00f1e\u015ba-n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-vi\u1e63\u1e47u\",\"nir\u0101\u1e63raya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 jagad\u012bsa rak\u1e63a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Hari, captivator of heart by Your unique divine loveliness, beauty and glory. O Mur\u0101r\u012b Madhu Kaitavari, the destroyer of Mura, Madhu and Kaitava who represent demoniac consciousness of different patterns, inauspiciousness and evil. O Gop\u0101la, the protector, nurturer and maintainer of the universal creation. O Govinda, giver of delight to the heart and senses. O Mukunda, giver of blissful liberation. O \u015aaure, the supreme almighty. O Yaj\u00f1e\u015ba, the exclusively worshippable object of all auspicious spiritual sacrifices and devotional endeavours. O N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the eternal shelter of the universe and all life. O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the all attractive reservoir of pleasure and ecstasy. O Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, the all pervading supreme personality. The preserver and maintainer of the whole creation. O Jagad\u012b\u015ba, the supreme creator, controller and enjoyer of the entire universe. I have no other shelter but You. Please protect me, maintain and nurture me in the ambrosial embrace of Your shelter.&quot; (SBRBM, p 17)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(175)\",\"hatv\u0101pi sa im\u0101\u1e39 lok\u0101n\",\"na hanti na nibadhyate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One who acts in that plane of reality may destroy thousands of universes, but he does not do anything. He is acting in the transcendental plane.&quot; (B-g, 18.17) (SEOC, p 131) + (see also \u015bloka 42)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(176)\",\"he k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a dv\u0101rak\u0101n\u0101tha\",\"he gop\u012bjana - ballabha\",\"d\u0101sy\u0101ste k\u1e5bpan\u0101y\u0101y\u0101\",\"sakhe dar\u015baya sannidhi\u1e41\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O all attractive Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, O king of Dv\u0101rak\u0101, O beloved Lord of the gop\u012bs, please kindly appear before me, Your maidservant. O beloved friend, I am in great need of Your mercy at this time.&quot; (M) + (SBRBM, p 25)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(177)\",\"heloddh\u016bnita-kheday\u0101 vi\u015baday\u0101 pronm\u012blad \u0101moday\u0101\",\"\u015b\u0101myac-ch\u0101stra-viv\u0101day\u0101 rasaday\u0101 citt\u0101rpitonm\u0101day\u0101\",\"\u015ba\u015bvad-bhaktivinoday\u0101 \u015bamaday\u0101 m\u0101dhuryya-maryy\u0101day\u0101\",\"\u015br\u012b-caitanya-day\u0101nidhe tava day\u0101 bh\u016by\u0101d amandoday\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O ocean of mercy, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya - that mercy which effortlessly dispels all lamentation; that mercy within which absolute purity resides; that mercy within which supreme ecstasy is revealed (overshadowing all else); that mercy which ends all scriptural debates by its appearance; that mercy which charms all directions by its pastimes of divine love - by its absolute sweetness may that all-expansive mercy of Yours, the bestower of all goodness, awaken in our hearts.&quot; (SCN) After \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu took sanny\u0101sa, He wandered throughout South India, and conquered the religious conceptions there. At Benares, Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara also wanted to take sanny\u0101sa, but the function was half-done. When the Lord arrived at Pur\u012b, \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara became as though mad, and with his sanny\u0101sa-function half-completed he ran to Pur\u012b. His name was Puru\u1e63ottama, and his brahmac\u0101r\u012b name was Svar\u016bpa \u0100nanda. So, with this name still, he ran to Pur\u012b, like a madman, to see his guardian and friend, his everything. He greeted \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva with this \u015bloka: heloddh\u016bnita-kheday\u0101 vi\u015baday\u0101 pronm\u012blad \u0101moday\u0101. \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara fell at the feet of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva with this \u015bloka on his lips. &quot;O ocean of mercy, \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva, let Your grace be distributed to one and all. You are the ocean of grace - let that grace be distributed to one and all. It is the grace which once begun never comes to end in any other wave; it will never produce any bad thing thereafter. Your day\u0101, Your mercy, is of such quality that if anyone gets a particle of it, then in no time that mercy will eliminate any bad position. Mando means &quot;bad position,&quot; so amandoday\u0101 is such day\u0101 that won&#x27;t bring inauspiciousness at any time.&quot; Like a mad friend fallen at His feet, \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara sang this \u015bloka to \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva. In the line of instruction from \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva, \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara is first, then \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b and \u015ar\u012b San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b: (vi\u015bvambhara priya\u1e45kara, \u015br\u012b-svar\u016bpa-d\u0101modara, \u015br\u012bgosw\u0101m\u012b r\u016bpa-san\u0101tana - see \u015bloka 278). \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara&#x27;s position is such. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, in Vraja-l\u012bl\u0101 he is known as Lalit\u0101 \u015aakh\u012b. Bh\u016by\u0101d means \u0101\u015b\u012brv\u0101da, blessings; &quot;I bestow my blessings to one and all; one and all may get the blessings of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva.&quot; A hint of the particular standard of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b&#x27;s service has been given by \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b in \u015bloka 391. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 196-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(178)\",\"heno nit\u0101i vine bh\u0101i\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101ite n\u0101i\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Our foundation must be solid and proper. Then the structure should be erected. Otherwise the whole thing will go down (heno nit\u0101i vine bh\u0101i r\u0101dh\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101ite n\u0101i). We can get a solid foundation from Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. (MS) + (SOTVA, p 83-6) + (SGAHG, p 29) + (see also \u015bloka 343) By the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu we can receive the grace of Mah\u0101prabhu. There is no other alternative for us, the fallen souls, especially for the beginners. heno nit\u0101i vine bh\u0101i r\u0101dh\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101ite n\u0101i - by the grace of Nity\u0101nanda we shall receive the grace of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga and by the grace Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga we shall receive the grace of R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda. That is the general way - the grand trunk road that was even foretold by Lord Brahm\u0101 (see also \u015bloka 243) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 21) + (see also \u015bloka 343) The grace of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu presupposes some selection, but \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu&#x27;s grace has no selection. He gives His grace to whoever He comes across. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is so magnanimous that He saves whoever He comes across on His way. His mercy is so raw, undiscriminating, and broad. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is most benevolent. Mah\u0101prabhu has a sort of discrimination, but Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu does not care for any discrimination whatsoever. Whether one is a fit or unfit candidate, he is still counted as worthy. Such is His mercy. Never dare to approach \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, neglecting the grace of Lord Nity\u0101nanda (heno nit\u0101i vine bh\u0101i r\u0101dh\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101ite n\u0101i). So, our revered \u015ar\u012bp\u0101da Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja laid stress on Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is Lord Balar\u0101ma. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu&#x27;s grace is stressed for the fallen; His grace is real wealth for them because discrimination has hardly a place in it. Although not much, we nonetheless find some sort of discrimination in the magnanimity of Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. But Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is more generous. So first go to Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, and by His grace you will go to Mah\u0101prabhu. And by the grace of Mah\u0101prabhu you will easily reach \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. This is the way shown to us. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 190) + (see also \u015blokas 343 &amp; 601)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(179)\",\"he n\u0101tha he ram\u0101-n\u0101tha,\",\"vraja-n\u0101th\u0101rti-n\u0101\u015bana\",\"magnam uddhara govinda,\",\"gokula\u1e41 v\u1e5bjin\u0101r\u1e47avat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O My beloved Master, owner, protector and maintainer! O beloved Master of the Goddess of fortune! O Master of Vraja! O destroyer of all suffering! Govinda kindly lift Your Gokula out of the ocean of distress in which it is drowning.&quot; (S-B, 10.47.52) + (SBRBM, p 27)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(180)\",\"he r\u0101dh\u0101 dv\u0101rak\u0101-n\u0101tha,\",\"he gop\u012b-jana-vallabha\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Draupad\u012b, in her most dangerous moment, she is also remembering Gopal\u0101nandana in Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata. When Gopal\u0101nandana comes to see the gop\u012bs, He becomes the maximum generous - covers everything under our affection. All affection, all affectionate...Gopal\u0101nandana means all-affectionate. Everything comes within the boundary of His affection. It means no one can avoid it. But to reach that standard, that is difficult. Uddhava says: &quot;I want to be one of the shrubs, the blades of grass in this place so that I can naturally have the feet-dust of these supernatural young damsels, these divine damsels.&quot; Our internal aim is towards that high thing, and externally, we shall try to stick to the general service of the Lord.&quot; (M) + (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(181)\",\"h\u1e5bdaye n\u0101bhya nuj\u00f1\u0101to\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"One&#x27;s own feeling is the guarantee as to whether he is making real progress or not. h\u1e5bdaye n\u0101bhya nuj\u00f1\u0101to. He will receive approval from his own heart that he is making real progress. Otherwise, a man may be coaxingly taken in a particular direction only to feel frustration after some time, but such a transaction is not genuine - it is false, a hoax. In the name of religion so many such things do go on, like a trade, but that does not mean that real realisation and real emancipation do not exist. h\u1e5bdaye n\u0101bhya nuj\u00f1\u0101to - the ultimate guarantee is the approval of your own heart: &quot;Yes. Really this is what I want. From the inner most core of my heart I feel the desire to dance to find that such progress is possible.&quot; (HC, p 16-7) It is not that all action and all progress takes place only in the realm of death. Progress is not limited just to darkness and ignorance, but if you really participate in positive progress you will be able to feel what real progress is. h\u1e5bdaye n\u0101bhya nuj\u00f1\u0101to. You will feel and conceive the progress with your inner approval, your heart&#x27;s approval. It is not that some bogus hope has been given and you will be taken into a foreign land to be murdered, tortured, mistreated, etc. There is no question of that. (MS, 2.1) + (HC, p 22) + (see also \u015blokas 93 &amp; 554)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c06\",\"title\":\"06. Discovering Our Eternal Identity\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"The constitutional nature of the j\u012bva soul is that of an eternal servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; the j\u012bva soul is a manifestation of divinity which is one with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and different from Him.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(182)\",\"icch\u0101-dvesa samutthena,\",\"dvandva-mohena bh\u0101rata\",\"sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101ni sa\u1e41moha\u1e41,\",\"sarge y\u0101nti parantapa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Arjuna, chastiser of the enemy, from the very beginning of the universal creation, all forms of life are overwhelmed by ignorance born of duality based on happiness and unhappiness, which has its origin in desire and abhorrence of sensual predilection.&quot; (B-g, 7.27) The first position of a soul in the material world will be like that of Brahm\u0101, the creator. Then his karma may take him to the body of a beast like a tiger, where he is surrounded with a tigerish mentality, or to the body of a tree or creeper, where different impressions may surround him. In this way, one is involved in action and reaction. In the brahmajyoti we are equipoised in the marginal potency as an infinite number of pinpoints of spiritual rays, electrons of consciousness. Consciousness means endowed with free will, for without free will no consciousness can be conceived. An atomic pinpoint of consciousness has very meagre free will, and by misuse of their free will some j\u012bvas have taken their chance in the material world. They refused to submit to the supreme authority; they wanted to dominate. So, with this germinal idea of domination, the j\u012bva enters into the world of exploitation. In the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (7.27) it is stated: icch\u0101-dvesa samutthena: &quot;Two principles in a crude form awaken in the j\u012bva: hatred and desire. Then, gradually the soul comes down to mingle with the mundane world.&quot; At first, sympathy and apathy develop in a crude form, just as when a sprout springs up with two leaves. And gradually these two things help us to dive deep into this mundane world. Upon retiring from the world of exploitation, the soul may return to his former position in the brahmajyoti as spirit. But, if the soul has gathered the tendency of dedication through his previous devotional activities, he does not stop there; he pierces through the brahmajyoti and goes towards Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. Why has the soul come to the world of exploitation, and not the world of dedication? That should be attributed to his innate choice. (This is substantiated in the G\u012bt\u0101, 5.14 - see \u015bloka 312) + (TSFSK, p 36-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(183)\",\"ida\u1e41 bh\u0101gavata\u1e41 n\u0101ma,\",\"pur\u0101\u1e47a\u1e41 brahma-sammitam\",\"adh\u012btav\u0101n dv\u0101par\u0101dau,\",\"pitur dvaip\u0101yan\u0101d aham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;At the end of Dv\u0101para-yuga, I studied this Mah\u0101-Pur\u0101\u1e47a \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam from my father, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa. I conceive that to be the highest standard of education and you are the fittest man to receive it. Therefore I shall deliver it to you.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.8) Saying this, \u015ar\u012bla \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b began the talk of Bh\u0101gavatam for Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Par\u012bk\u1e63it. And there he gave the principle of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness that harmonises all classes. To receive descending spiritual nowledge in this way is the method of the deductive school. And the nature of such fit recipients is described as nirmmatsara - they are free from jealousy. Those who are suffering the disease of jealousy cannot tolerate anyone holding a higher position than themselves. They cannot tolerate the merit of others. &quot;I am the best. None can be greater than me.&quot; This is their disease (matsara). But the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is for those who are free from the disease of such a mean egoistic feeling. The students that come forward to read the Bh\u0101gavatam must be of such character that they have conquered that mean egoistic sentiment of considering oneself to be all-in-all. When that sort of mean, egoistic feeling is removed, one will be fit to study Bh\u0101gavatam, and they will successfully imbibe the teachings herein and make a great and inconceivably divine improvement in their life. Vedya\u1e41 v\u0101stavam atra vastu \u015bivadam: (S-B, 1.1.2 - see also \u015bloka 126), &quot;I am not dealing with an imaginary concoction. This is v\u0101stava-vastu, a realistic thought which death and mortality cannot challenge. I am dealing with such a thing here. The whole world you are living in is unreal, but what I am dealing with here is the only reality. The realistic thought is not unreal. You are suffering from the mania of unreality. T\u0101patrayon-m\u016blanam: and your disease will be wholesale cured. The disease and its effect - your suffering - will be uprooted to the extreme.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 152-3)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(184)\",\"ima\u1e41 vivasvate yoga\u1e41,\",\"proktav\u0101n aham avyayam\",\"vivasv\u0101n manave pr\u0101ha,\",\"manur ik\u1e63v\u0101kave&#x27; brav\u012bt\",\"eva\u1e41 parampar\u0101-pr\u0101ptam,\",\"ima\u1e41 r\u0101jar\u1e63ayo vidu\u1e25\",\"sa k\u0101leneha mahat\u0101,\",\"yogo na\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e25 parantapa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Supreme Lord said: &quot;Previously I instructed the sun-god S\u016brya (Vivasv\u0101n) in this imperishable scientific knowledge, which is achieved by selfless action. S\u016brya, the presiding deity of the sun, delivered it to his son Vaivasvata Manu, exactly as he had heard it from Me. Thereafter, Manu instructed the same knowledge to his son Ik\u1e63v\u0101ku. O conqueror of the enemy, in this way, the saintly kings such as Nimi, Janaka, and others, learned this path of knowledge through divine succession. From the beginning of time, I am giving My tidings to others, transmitting the truth that I am the goal through this system of disciplic succession, generation after generation. Presently, due to the influence of this material world and the passage of time, the current is damaged, and this teaching appears to be almost completely lost.&quot; (B-g, 4.1-2) &quot;First I instructed the sun-god S\u016brya in this knowledge, and from S\u016brya it passed to Manu, and from Manu to Ik\u1e63v\u0101ku; so from the beginning of time, I am giving My tidings to others, transmitting the truth that I am the goal through this system of disciplic succession, generation after generation.&quot; (LSFTLS, p V11) + (see also \u015blokas 4 &amp; 216) sa k\u0101leneha mahat\u0101, yogo na\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e25 parantapa - &quot;The current is damaged by the influence of this material world.&quot; (SGAHG, p 106)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(185)\",\"indriy\u0101\u1e47i par\u0101\u1e47y \u0101hur,\",\"indriyebhya\u1e25 para\u1e41 mana\u1e25\",\"manasas tu par\u0101 buddhir,\",\"buddher ya\u1e25 paratas tu sa\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The learned proclaim that the senses are superior to inert objects, the mind is superior to the senses, and the faculty of resolute intelligence is superior to the mind. And he who is superior to the intelligence is the soul himself.&quot; (B-g, 3.42) Soul is nearby. We can try to find out what the soul is if we can eliminate the material elements. This is the process of the Upani\u1e63ads and it is mentioned in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, indriy\u0101\u1e47i par\u0101\u1e47y \u0101hur. First we are to understand that our senses are primary. If my senses are removed, the entire world of our experience is nothing to me. Only through my senses can I be aware of the existence of the outside world. Minus senses, eyes, ears, no world is apparent to me. Then, above the senses is the mind. What is the mind? The mind deals with acceptance and rejection: sa\u1e45kalpa vikalpa. In other words, the mind thinks: &quot;I want this, I don&#x27;t want that.&quot; It deals with attachment and hatred. The mind determines who is enemy and who is friend, &#x27;this is mine, that&#x27;s yours&#x27;. If we want to understand the mind we have to look within, to enquire within. What is that element in me that seeks friends and avoids enemies? Where is he? Sometimes the mind is apparent; then other times it is hiding. I must find out where the mind exists; of what substance is it composed? By analysis I can understand what aspect of my inner self is the mind. Then, having some idea of what the mind is, I may analyse that part of me which deals with reason, the intelligence. Where is the intelligence? When the mind demands something, the intelligence says: &quot;Don&#x27;t take that, don&#x27;t eat that.&quot; By introspection, I may look within and find out: What is that principle in me which reasons? Where is that fine thing? What is its nature, its substance, its existence? We shall try in our introspection to find it out, substantially. If that is possible, then the next step will take us to the soul. What is that soul which makes possible the intelligence, the reason by which we act, which prompts the mind to want, and also gives our senses the power to connect with things? What is that spark of knowledge? Where is that soul within me? What position does it hold? I want to see it face to face. Then in this way we can evaporate like lightning all the misconceptions of body and mind. By finding the soul through introspection, we may experience the lightning touch of realisation. At that time, the whole world will be turned in a diametrically different line, and we shall see things differently: &quot;Oh, this material life is undesirable! These senses are enemies in the garb of friends. If I confront them now, they say that I may have an honourable friendship with them, and that without them I can&#x27;t live. But it is all a hoax. From a realisation of the soul, from the point of that wonderful knowledge, one may come to see the ocean of knowledge. One may begin to see what is in the subjective area, and hanker for how to come in connection with that divine realm. At that time, the very trend of one&#x27;s life will be changed, and a total change will come in our search, and our standard of prospect in life. And our search will take a concrete shape in devotion. In this way, we must begin our search after the higher sphere. And how to enter there? It is the opposite of this plane of exploitation. In Milton&#x27;s Paradise Lost, Satan said: &quot;It is better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven.&quot; But we shall experience just the opposite: &quot;It is better to serve in heaven than to reign in hell.&quot; To serve in heaven is highly superior than to reign in hell. The question of energy and power is important in the mortal world, but in the constant and eternal world, this sort of energy has no value. That plane is composed of eternal substance. It is not like this troubling plane which is always breaking, always disappearing, always disappointing, and full of treachery. That divine plane is constant. Life goes on there without any need of food, rest, or medicine. There is no need of the labour to earn bread in that higher realm. All these things are not necessary in a plane of reality where everything is permanent and of eternal value. All these problems which are making us madly busy are easily eliminated in one stroke. That is the nature of that plane. And if we realise that we are members of that plane, then the question becomes what to do? How to approach the higher realm? That will be our problem. We cannot force our entry there; we must be granted a visa. We cannot master that finer realm - we must allow ourselves to be utilised by it. In other words we must come to the position of slavery. We shall have to realise that mastership here in the mortal world is a curse, and the slavery in that higher world is a boon. And the Bh\u0101gavatam (see \u015bloka 327) will help us in our progressive march towards that higher plane. (SEOC, p 40-42) The \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam says that there are fourteen planetary systems, and yet when we see the sky at night we see so many stars and planets, it seems that the number is unlimited. Those fourteen worlds are not only of this physical type, but range from physical to subtle. Creation stems from consciousness, towards matter. The gradation from matter up to consciousness is progressively finer and finer - the gap between matter and soul. To fill the gap from gross to subtle, there is a progression of more and more subtle planes that finally vanish in the conscious area. The gradation from ja\u1e0da to cetana, from matter to spirit, or from unconsciousness to consciousness, occurs in so many steps, fine, finer, finest. It is to be conceived of in this way. Bh\u016br-, Bhuvar-, Svar-, Mahar-, Janar-, Tapar-, Satya-loka, then Viraj\u0101, then Brahmaloka or Brahman. In Brahman, we find the real existence of the soul. From Viraj\u0101 downwards is the area of this material consciousness. In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 we find: indriy\u0101\u1e47i par\u0101\u1e47y \u0101hur, indriyebhya\u1e25 para\u1e41 mana\u1e25. In brief, four stages of mundane elements in the middle are given here. First is matter, second is the senses, third is the mind and fourth is judiciousness or reason. Finally, there is the soul. But in more elaborate detail, there are also seven subdivisions of Bh\u016br, etc., up to Satya-loka. In this line, the soul is found in Brahman. paratas tu sa\u1e25. The word sa\u1e25 refers to Brahman. Matter may also be subdivided as stone, water, heat, gas, ether, etc. In one word it is matter, but one will also find subdivision of matter from gross to subtle. In stone one will find earth, coal, wood, maybe gold or silver. But all these elements are felt by the senses, and thus the senses are superior to all the gradations of matter. Then there is the faculty of thinking or impulse: &#x27;I want this, I don&#x27;t want that.&#x27; But further, the faculty of judiciousness, reason or intelligence is superior: &#x27;No, don&#x27;t want that, it will produce a certain bad effect in you&#x27;; and so on. Even more subtle than the intelligence is citta (consciousness), which is not mentioned in G\u012bt\u0101; further is aha\u1e45k\u0101ra (ego), and finally the realm of the soul. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 86-7) Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has recommended in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 how one can conquer k\u0101ma, lust, by regulating the senses. He advises us to become acquainted with the nature of the soul, then all the problems caused by k\u0101ma will be turned into ashes. indriy\u0101\u1e47i par\u0101\u1e47y \u0101hur, indriyebhya\u1e25 para\u1e41 mana\u1e25. Lust is not easily accessible, but is hidden. We cannot easily trace where he lives, but he comes suddenly and, after looting, disappears. But we are told here that really he lives in the intelligence, the mind and the senses. To conquer that lust we are to regulate the senses, but in order to do so we first have to analyse what the senses are and what is their position, and then, what is the position of the internal king of the senses, the mind. After that we are to analyse what is the intrinsic position of the buddhi, the faculty of reason, judgement and intelligence. Then, with the help of reason, we are to try to find out what is in the background of that faculty of reason, of judgement and of decision making. In the background is a pencil-thin ray whose nature is diametrically opposite to the world of experience. In \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam an example is given that in the night a cloud may cover the moon. Though the cloud obscures the moon, still the cloud can only be seen by the light of the moon. na rar\u0101jo\u1e0dupa\u015bchana, svajyotsn\u0101 bh\u0101sitairghanai\u1e25 aha\u1e41 maty\u0101 bh\u0101sitay\u0101, svabh\u0101s\u0101 puru\u1e63o jyath\u0101 In this example the soul is likened to the moon and the aha\u1e45k\u0101ra is likened to cloud cover. The sense-consciousness, the mind and the intelligence have all combined to form a system, aha\u1e45k\u0101ra, which has covered the soul. But they are seen, and it is possible for them to act, only because there is light - the light of the soul, the moon. So by the help of our reason we must try to perceive what is above reason, and we shall come to see that it is the \u0101tm\u0101, the soul. In this way we may have some direct connection with the \u0101tm\u0101, or at least some conception, however vague, of its existence and nature. At that time our whole material aspiration will turn into trash and within ourselves we will be able to conquer all the charms of this world. The Lord&#x27; advice in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 is to somehow or other try to obtain understanding of the true nature of our own \u0101tm\u0101. We are really of such a superior nature and hold a noble, dignified position in the higher plane; but lust and so many base things have come to entrap us. Raso &#x27;py asya, para\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dv\u0101 nivartate (B-g, 2.59 - see \u015bloka 561) indriy\u0101\u1e47i par\u0101\u1e47y \u0101hur, indriyebhya\u1e25 para\u1e41 mana\u1e25. (B-g, 3.42-43) Our senses are superior in comparison to all the things we experience around us. Suppose we were devoid of all our senses of touch, sight, hearing and so on, then we would have no conception of anything external. The world would mean nothing to us. Then again, the central figure of all the senses is the mind. Someone may call but we may find: &quot;He was calling me? Oh, I was unconscious: I was unmindful and did not hear. I have my senses but because I was unmindful I did not hear or see him.&quot; So the mind is in the centre. And the mind had two functions, sa\u1e45kalpa-vikalpa -&quot;I want this, I don&#x27;t want that - I don&#x27;t want that, I want this.&quot; This is mainly the function of the mind. Then comes the buddhi, intelligence. From the mind we are to go up to the buddhi, the reason. What is that? Discrimination. &quot;Oh, my mind wants that, but it will bring such a reaction, so don&#x27;t go to do it.&quot; The buddhi, the intelligence or faculty of judgement will give the warning: &quot;Don&#x27;t go. Don&#x27;t listen to what the mind says; don&#x27;t obey him.&quot; That is the intelligence. The if we go up from there, surpassing the intelligence, we search for what is next, what is above the intelligence, backing it and making the function of intelligence possible, we will be able to see: &quot;Oh, this is my real self and everything else is an outside extension in the material world, it is all a material overcoating. I can leave it, and with only myself, my own \u0101tm\u0101, alone I can go up to somewhere higher. This present atmosphere is not at all necessary for me, rather it is harmful, a coating, a garment which has been thrust onto me in order that I come in connection with this bad environment.&quot; With this realisation, with our soul proper we can go in a higher direction, towards Param\u0101tm\u0101, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (B-g, 3.42-43) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 45-47) If we are to get out of this entanglement, we must leave this atmosphere experienced by our senses. In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 and in the Upani\u1e63ads also it is mentioned: indriy\u0101\u1e47i par\u0101\u1e47y \u0101hur. Our senses hold the primary position, because if the eye, ear, nose, touch, etc., are gone, then the whole world is gone from us. Because we have senses we have our world. In the world of experience, our senses are all important. Then - indriyebhya\u1e25 para\u1e41 mana\u1e25 - the mind is within. And what is the mind? It is the faculty within us which selects: &quot;I want this, I don&#x27;t want that.&quot; We have a liking for something, and a disregard for something else, and this is the principle of the mind within us. It is more important than the senses because if I am unmindful, a person may walk in front of me but it possible that I will say: &quot;Oh, I did not notice him. I did not see him and I could not hear him. I was unmindful.&quot; So, mind is in the centre, and that is more important than our senses. The senses are more important than the external world, and the mind is more important because if the mind does not receive, then the senses, which are like so many doors, are useless. Then - manasas tu par\u0101 buddhir - there is another principle to be traced within us, a fine thing called reason, buddhi, and what is its characteristic? The mind will say: &quot;Oh, I shall take that,&quot; but the buddhi says: &quot;Oh no. No, don&#x27;t take that, it will cause some damage. You rather take this, it will give you benefit.&quot; That faculty of selection, that reason, is a higher principle in us. Then - buddher ya\u1e25 paratas tu sa\u1e25 - that which is superior even to the intelligence is the soul himself. In this way we are to trace out the elements. More important than the external world are our senses; more important than our senses is our mind; and above the mind is reason which is even more important, more fine and more reliable; and - buddher ya\u1e25 paratas tu sa\u1e25 - there is another thing above the buddhi, and that is our soul. And what is its nature, its characteristic? In the Scriptures an example has been given that on a moon-lit night there may be a cloud in the sky which has covered the moon - but the cloud is seen by the light of the moon. The compiler of the Vedas, Vy\u0101sadeva, says the \u0101tm\u0101 is like that illuminating moon. Or, like the sun: a cloud has covered the sun, but the cloud is seen by the light of the sun. Similarly, the \u0101tm\u0101 is a point of light within us, and because it is in the background, we can feel our mental system. If the light is withdrawn, then everything is dead. The mental system, the intelligence, the faculty of choice, and so many channels through which we gain knowledge from outside, will have no value if that light is withdrawn. That light is the \u0101tm\u0101, a point of a ray of light, and it is quite categorically different from all other things here. The soul is a particle of light and there is a land of light made of souls, and in this way, there is development again: from the subjective to the super-subjective, from soul to Supersoul, \u0101tm\u0101 to Param\u0101tm\u0101. Just as in this world we find ether, air, heat, water, then earth, then stone, and in this way there is development in material existence, similarly in the finer world there is also development: from the intelligence to the soul, then to the Supersoul, to the Super-Supersoul. . . In this way the subjective side goes towards the infinite. It is supersubjective. (HC, p 25)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(186)\",\"indriy\u0101rthe\u1e63u vair\u0101gyam,\",\"anaha\u1e45k\u0101ra eva ca\",\"janma-m\u1e5btyu-jar\u0101-vy\u0101dhi\",\"du\u1e25kha-do\u1e63\u0101nudar\u015banam\",\"am\u0101nitvam adambhitvam,\",\"ahi\u1e41s\u0101 k\u1e63\u0101ntir \u0101rjavam\",\"\u0101c\u0101ryop\u0101sana\u1e41 \u015bauca\u1e41,\",\"sthairyam \u0101tma-vinigraha\u1e25\",\"indriy\u0101rthe\u1e63u vair\u0101gyam,\",\"anaha\u1e45k\u0101ra eva ca\",\"janma-m\u1e5btyu-jar\u0101-vy\u0101dhi\",\"du\u1e25kha-do\u1e63\u0101nudar\u015banam\",\"asaktir anabhi\u1e63va\u1e45ga\u1e25\",\"putra-d\u0101ra-g\u1e5bh\u0101di\u1e63u\",\"nitya\u1e41 ca sama-cittatvam,\",\"i\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101ni\u1e63\u1e6dopapatti\u1e63u\",\"mayi c\u0101nanya-yogena,\",\"bhaktir avyabhic\u0101ri\u1e47\u012b\",\"vivikta-de\u015ba-sevitvam,\",\"aratir jana-sa\u1e41sadi\",\"adhy\u0101tma-j\u00f1\u0101na-nityatva\u1e41,\",\"tattva-j\u00f1\u0101n\u0101rtha-dar\u015banam\",\"etaj j\u00f1\u0101nam iti proktam,\",\"aj\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41 yad ato &#x27;nyath\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, honesty, service to the guru, purity, stability, self-control, detachment from sensual delights, absence of egotism, an objective view of the miserable defects of material life, that is, birth, death, the infirmity of old age, disease, etc., freedom from infatuation with wife, children, home, etc., nonabsorption in the happiness and unhappiness of others, constant equal-mindedness in the contact of desirable or undesirable objects, unfaltering and unadulterated devotion to Me, preference for solitude, indifference to mundane socialising, perception of the eternality of self-knowledge, and realisation of the goal of divine knowledge - certainly all these have been declared as actual knowledge, and everything apart from this is ignorance.&quot; (B-g, 13. 8-12) \u015araddh\u0101, faith, can go a long distance. And we shall be able to feel and conceive that faith is not merely imaginary. It has its tangible position, a most efficient position within us. When we can disconnect from all phases of perceptual experience, we can live in faith alone. When all the wealth of our experience deceives us and makes treachery with us, our faith will save us. The whole world of our experience will vanish one day, with the final wholesale dissolution (janma-m\u1e5btyu-jar\u0101-vy\u0101dhi-du\u1e25kha-do\u1e63\u0101nudar\u015banam, Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 13.9), but faith will remain, faithfully attending us. That is the innate thing with our soul. And with the wholesale dissolution of our body, mind, and senses, the whole world of our experience will go where? No one knows. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 18) + (see also \u015bloka 585) It is very difficult to cross the ocean of life and death, birth and death. If you want to escape these troubles (janma-m\u1e5btyu-jar\u0101-vy\u0101dhi-du\u1e25kha-do\u1e63\u0101nudar\u015banam), you must take the chance. Otherwise, you will lose so much that it amounts to suicide. (B-g, 13.9) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 189) + (see also \u015blokas 347 &amp; 601) Do you want janma-m\u1e5btyu-jar\u0101-vy\u0101dhi (birth, death, old age and infirmity) - or immortality? If you want immortality, you will have to pay for the ticket. (B-g, 13.9) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 74) + (see also \u015blokas 195 &amp; 538)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(187)\",\"\u012b\u015b\u0101v\u0101syam ida\u1e41 sarva\u1e41,\",\"yat ki\u1e63ca jagaty\u0101\u1e41 jagat\",\"tena tyaktena bhu\u00f1j\u012bth\u0101,\",\"m\u0101 g\u1e5bdha\u1e25 kasya svid dhanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.&quot; (\u015a\u012a, v 1) Like Mah\u0101prabhu and Nity\u0101nanda, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura wanted to attack m\u0101y\u0101 and, like a great general, he declared totalitarian war on illusion and even all other existing conceptions of religion. &quot;Why is there this misunderstanding and misconception?&quot; he thought: &quot;Everything belongs to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: \u012b\u015b\u0101v\u0101syam ida\u1e41 sarva\u1e41. It is plain and simple and sweet. How can we think: &quot;This is for me, that is for Him?&quot; Why should we let this misconception stand here at all? Attack it - and crush the whole thing!&quot; He told us: &quot;K\u012brtana means to preach against misconception. As soldiers, you must go door to door and preach K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness - K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s interest - the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception. If they understand that everything is for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, they will be saved. This truth is plain and simple. Why should they not understand this? Try to capture them, to release them from the world of misconception and misunderstanding where they are now suffering from reaction.&quot; (TGVODL, p 37) When \u015ar\u012bla B.R. \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja asked \u015ar\u012bla A.C Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja why he was fond of the name &#x27;ISKCON&#x27; he had given for his society, he replied: &quot;Isacon.&quot; and this verse. (\u012b\u015b\u0101v\u0101syam ida\u1e41 sarva\u1e41). (SGD, SGP, 1997, p 16) + (see also \u015bloka 432) Everything is meant for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We are also meant for Him (\u012b\u015b\u0101v\u0101syam ida\u1e41 sarva\u1e41). (TSFSK, p 49)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(188)\",\"\u012b\u015bvar\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 vacha\u1e25 satya\u1e41,\",\"tathaivacharita\u1e41 kvachit\",\"te\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 yat svavacho yukta\u1e41\",\"buddhim\u0101\u1e41s tat sam\u0101charet\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The instructions of the great personages are always true, but their conduct and their practices may not always be useful to the beginners. So the sober person will accept those practices that are backed by his words, understanding that in his higher stage he may do something which may not be useful to those of a lower stage. He has such spiritual power that what may be seen as a defect in the beginner, cannot harm him in any way. Therefore the fair minded beginners will accept those practices which are in consonance with his instructions, as being useful to their progress.&quot; (S-B, 10.33.31) A devotee once asked \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja if there is any spiritual difference when the disciple is in the physical presence of his guru and when he is miles apart? He replied that we can get benefit only through \u015braddh\u0101 (sublime faith). The position of guru should not be considered as mundane, it should not be identified with his mundane appearance. Only through \u015braddh\u0101 are we able to approach him, from any distance. Still of course, by physical vicinity we can get the chance of hearing from him, and of witnessing many practical dealings that may help us on our path with the knowledge of vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-sad\u0101ch\u0101r (what should be the conduct of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava). In this way we can have some sort of conception about these things, but \u015braddh\u0101 must be there. \u015araddh\u0101, or respectable faith must be there in either case - physical closeness or distance is not the question. In the lower stage, physical nearness has more efficacy. By his movements, his talks, and his instructions we are to learn the spiritual etiquette, and many spiritual ideals which may also become clear in his company. So physical vicinity will be useful in the lower stage, but \u015braddh\u0101 must be there otherwise we may commit offence. Physical nearness devoid of faith may be the cause of offences against gurudeva. Sometimes the senior Godbrother may be very helpful in our dealings with gurudeva when we are beginners. \u015ar\u012b gurudeva&#x27;s conduct may not always be very clear or helpful to us, so in that case some senior Godbrother may come to help us and explain his movements and do away with any difference we may see in him. \u012b\u015bvar\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 vacha\u1e25 satya\u1e41, tathaivacharita\u1e41 kvachi. We should not imitate but rather we should follow. Not anukaran (imitation) but anusaran (to follow in the footsteps). We must understand the difference. So faith or \u015braddh\u0101 is the first thing necessary for us; then whether we are near or far from our spiritual guide, we can have his connection. Connection in the proper line, that is the vital point; the proper plane which is independent of gross or subtle animation. The energising plane that stimulates our enquiry about our own inner welfare, that is part and parcel of the quest. Brahma-jij\u00f1\u0101sa - the quest for the plane of understanding. This has been given in Ved\u0101nta, and when it has come to \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu in the line of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, it is developed to k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101nusandh\u0101n, the search for \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Ved\u0101nta is the flower, and \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam is the ripe fruit of spiritual knowledge. (C, v 1, # 7, Spr. &#x27;95, p 8-9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(189)\",\"\u012b\u015bvara-nir\u0101k\u0101ra-caitanya-svar\u016bpa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Lord is without any figure, and He is a mass of consciousness.&quot; This was written in a book by \u00cd\u015bvarachandra Vidy\u0101s\u0101gar (a famous Sanskrit scholar of the time). As but a young boy, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura went to him and challenged: &quot;What have you written here? You say \u012a\u015bvara, Lord, and then you say nir\u0101k\u0101ra, formless! Where have you found this? \u012a\u015bvara, the Creator, the Master - He is nir\u0101k\u0101ra, formless?! Where have you found that \u012a\u015bvara is nir\u0101k\u0101ra? He has a type of \u0101k\u0101ra, form, and that is Cid\u0101k\u0101ra, a Transcendental Form. But you say He is only a mass of consciousness and without any figure, and He is the Creator? Where have you found this?&quot; In this way he challenged Vidy\u0101s\u0101gar. But he was very young, and Vidy\u0101s\u0101gar may not have cared for the challenge. Nonetheless, he did his duty. That was is temperament - he would always challenge. He had to challenge whatever was against the line of Mah\u0101prabhu, otherwise he could not have the satisfaction of having done his duty. No compromise. Protest. Once Rabindran\u0101tha Tagore wrote articles in some book under a penname, and Prabhup\u0101da also wrote protesting against those writings, also under a pen-name. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 56-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(190)\",\"\u012b\u015bvare tad-adh\u012bne\u1e63u,\",\"b\u0101li\u015be\u1e63u dvi\u1e63atsu ca\",\"prema-maitri-k\u1e5bpopek\u1e63a,\",\"ya\u1e25 karoti sa madhyama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The devotee in the intermediate stage of devotional service is called a madhyama-adhik\u0101r\u012b. He loves the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to the innocent and disregards the envious.&quot; (S-B, 11.2.46) + (SGAHG, p 62) + (see also \u015blokas 47 &amp; 433)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(191)\",\"iti dv\u0101para urv-\u012b\u015ba,\",\"stuvanti jagad-\u012b\u015bvaram\",\"n\u0101n\u0101-tantra-vidh\u0101nena,\",\"kal\u0101v api tath\u0101 \u015b\u1e5b\u1e47u.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O King, up to Dv\u0101para-yuga, I have finished describing the incarnations for different ages who come to remind the people of the most appropriate duty for their age. They come to tell us, &#x27;If you do this, you will get the greatest benefit.&#x27; O king, after the Dv\u0101para age is finished, the age of Kali comes. The incarnation for the age of Kali has been mentioned in many places in the scriptures, and now I am just going to explain that information to you.&quot; (S-B, 11.5.31) (TGVODL, p 2) + (see also \u015blokas 258, 36, 53, 128)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(192)\",\"iti te j\u00f1\u0101nam \u0101khy\u0101ta\u1e41,\",\"guhy\u0101d guhyatara\u1e41 may\u0101\",\"vim\u1e5b\u015byaitad a\u015be\u1e63e\u1e47a,\",\"yathecchasi tath\u0101 kuru\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I have now disclosed more and more hidden treasures to you. Remember all this, and then do as you wish.&quot; (B-g, 18.63) &quot;Consider and consider deeply, then take the right step as to what to do.&quot; (HC, p 22) + (see also \u015bloka 435)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(193)\",\"jag\u0101i m\u0101dh\u0101i haite mu\u1e63i se p\u0101pi\u1e63\u1e6dha,\",\"pur\u012b\u1e63era k\u012b\u1e6da haite mu\u1e63i se laghi\u1e63\u1e6dha\",\"mora n\u0101ma \u015bune yei t\u0101ra pu\u1e47ya k\u1e63aya,\",\"mora n\u0101ma laya yei t\u0101ra p\u0101pa haya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;I am worse than a worm in stool. When Jag\u0101i and Madh\u0101i came in the relativity of Mah\u0101prabhu they were considered to be the worst sinners, but I am worse than them. My sins are so dirty no one can even dream such things. I am such a great sinner that whoever will hear about me, dirt and sin will enter him through his coming in contact with my name. Sin will enter one who once hears my name, and his good qualities will vanish.&quot; &quot;I am a person of the worst type, but the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu possesses such a high degree of disinfection that He has given me so many things: He has taken me to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and has given the relationship of R\u016bpa, Raghun\u0101tha and Govinda. There is no qualification in me but all is the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. It is shameful to speak about one&#x27;s own life but still I do this. Why? If I do not do so then I shall be ungrateful to the grace and magnanimity of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. So fallen am I but Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu has given me all these things: V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, R\u016bpa, San\u0101tana, Govinda, Mah\u0101prabhu, Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa and so much else. It is all the gift of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. It is His unconditional gift to this one with no qualifications, and therefore I have mentioned: &#x27;Yes I have such things.&#x27; If I do not say so then I shall be an offender to Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu&#x27;s grace, so I am compelled to confess that I am so sinful and fallen but by His grace I have received these things.&quot; (C-c, \u0100d\u012b-l\u012bl\u0101, 5.205-6) The conception and feelings of all the great devotees are of such type. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhod\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b similarly expressed: &quot;It is there. I can see and feel that it is there but I am deprived spar\u015bo &#x27;pi mama n\u0101bhavat.&quot; R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b Herself says: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is qualified in every way. I can&#x27;t blame Him in any way at all, but still He is so cruel to us all. He left V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and so we are all feeling extreme pain, but I cannot accuse Him in any way. This is My durddaiva-vil\u0101sa (Pastime of separation.&quot;) This is union in separation and it is a peculiar type of achievement. Externally there is suffering but internally there is transcendental ecstasy. bahye vi\u1e63ajv\u0101la haya, bhitare \u0101nandam\u0101ya, (C-c, Mad,2.50 - see also \u015blokas 76 &amp; 142). When one actually has the thing, s\/he says: &quot;No, I don&#x27;t have it.&quot; This is the special characteristic of the Infinite. One who has it in their possession says: &quot;No, I have nothing.&quot; This is because it is a statement from the negative to the Positive. And when s\/he says: &quot;I have it,&quot; then s\/he has not! The negative cannot assert at all but can only attract. Assertion is only with the Positive. So the negative can hanker, he can express his own reality in the negative characteristic. He can express his degree of want. The measurement of his position is according to his negative tendency: his necessity, his depth of attraction - not of gain. It is just the opposite to the general measurement of one&#x27;s standing in this mundane world. The real measurement is in the negative side: the depth of necessity and the depth of attraction, but not of gain. Only the Positive can assert His existence. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 41-2) A devotee feels within his (or her) heart that s\/he is not only unfit but too despicable for the Lord&#x27;s service. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;I am lower than a worm in stool and more sinful than Jag\u0101i and Madh\u0101i (jag\u0101i m\u0101dh\u0101i haite mu\u1e63i se p\u0101pi\u1e63\u1e6dha pur\u012b\u1e63era k\u012b\u1e6da haite mu\u1e63i se laghi\u1e63\u1e6dha).&quot; We should not be discouraged when we think we have not even the least bit of merit which is required for the service of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, for this kind of consciousness is natural for a devotee. At the same time, we must guard ourselves from an insincere conception of our own devotion; this is our enemy. To think: &quot;I do not have the least liking or taste for the Lord,&quot; is all right. But to think: &quot;I have some taste, some earnestness, some devotion for the Lord,&quot; is dangerous. (TGVODL, p 108) + (see also \u015bloka 317) God is not a finite thing. He is infinite. And as much as in the cell of my brain I have imprisoned Him, shall I stick to that? What is this? Is my realisation a living thing, or is it dead? Is there any growth? What I have received from my spiritual master - can it grow? Or is it finished? Have I reached the infinite standard where I can progress no further? If someone says that he has reached that standard, and that there is nothing further to be realised, then we offer our obeisances to him from far away. We are not worshippers of that. If one thinks that he is finished, that he has attained perfection - we hate it. Even an \u0101c\u0101rya should consider that he is a student, and not a finished professor who has everything. One should always think of oneself as a bona fide student. We have come to realise the infinite, not a finite thing. So, this fight between finite and infinite knowledge will continue always. Should we think: &quot;What I have understood is absolute?&quot; No! We have not finished with knowledge. Still, we must know. Brahm\u0101 himself says: &quot;I am fully deceived by Your power, Master. I am nowhere.&quot; Anyone who has come in connection with the infinite cannot but say this: &quot;I am nothing.&quot; That should be the salient point. The propounder of the greatest scripture in Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism, \u015ar\u012bla K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: pur\u012b\u1e63era k\u012b\u1e6da haite mu\u1e63i se laghi\u1e63\u1e6dha, &quot;I am lower than a worm in stool.&quot; This is his statement, and he is saying so sincerely. Should we be ashamed to express our negative character, our negative development, which is the real wealth for a disciple? So, because such a negative character is shown by him, we fall at his feet. And if someone says: &quot;I have finished all knowledge. God, Caitanya, is my disciple,&quot; he should be shot down as the greatest enemy ever found in the world. (SGAHG, p 50-1) jag\u0101i m\u0101dh\u0101i haite mu\u1e63i se p\u0101pi\u1e63\u1e6dha, pur\u012b\u1e63era k\u012b\u1e6da haite mu\u1e63i se laghi\u1e63\u1e6dha &quot;I am more sinful than Jag\u0101i and Madh\u0101i and lower than a worm in dung.&quot; This is negativity, the conception of the ego of the negative. Negativity so intense, that: &quot;I am nowhere but Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is so great, He is patita-p\u0101vana. So I have gotten everything by His grace.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 611) + (C, v 1, # 5, Sum. &#x27;93, p 11)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(194)\",\"jagate eka m\u0101tra hari-kath\u0101-durvik\u1e63\u0101\",\"ch\u0101\u1e0d&#x27;a \u0101ra kona durvik\u1e63\u0101 n\u0101i\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b used to say: &quot;I don&#x27;t admit any famine in this world-only that of a lack of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.&quot; Whenever he became excited, he used to use this expression. He would say: &quot;From door to door tell everyone, &#x27; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Supreme, you are all servants of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&#x27; Remind everyone of this, from door to door. Then they will find, &#x27;Oh, I have everything I need. I am K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-d\u0101sa, a servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I must connect with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&#x27; That link must be supplied, and then everything will be all right. There is no dearth of anything else. There is no real misery, except that we have forgotten K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, our Lord. That is the only point we must push. This is the universal necessity. I don&#x27;t admit any necessity besides this.&quot; Within this world there is always a fire burning; but there is no necessity of extinguishing the fire, because we have nothing to do with the world that will be burned to ashes by the fire. All our inner demands can be met only in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. All other things are unnecessary. They may be burned into ashes or devoured by flood. We have no real concern with any of those things. Rather, those material attachments are dragging us back towards the wrong thing. And as a result, we can&#x27;t allow our mind to be attracted to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The things of this world, our attachments, are all negative; these things are our real enemy. The whole universe may be burned to ashes, but we will not be affected in any way. The world may be devastated - the Earth, the sun, the moon, the stars - everything may vanish, but still we remain. The soul is eternal. And if we can have a connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the things of this world are all unnecessary for us and for everyone else. Why should we come to live in the mortal world, erroneously identifying ourselves with flesh and blood? We only think that we are being born and dying. But it is all a false notion. Everything is conscious. And when we realise it fully, we shall be fixed in the \u015bvar\u016bpa-\u015bakti domain in the spiritual world. There, the different living beings may pose as matter, as the Yamun\u0101, as water, as creepers, as trees, but they are all conscious units simply posing in different ways. (SEOC, p 20-1)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(195)\",\"jalaj\u0101 nava lak\u1e63\u0101ni,\",\"sth\u0101var\u0101 lak\u1e63a vi\u1e41\u015bati\",\"k\u1e5bmayo rudra-sa\u1e45khyak\u0101\u1e25,\",\"pak\u1e63i\u1e47\u0101m da\u015ba lak\u1e63a\u1e47am\",\"tri\u1e41sal lak\u1e63\u0101ni pa\u015bava\u1e25,\",\"catur lak\u1e63\u0101\u1e47i m\u0101nu\u1e63a\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In the laws of Manu, it is written: &quot;There are 900,000 kinds of aquatics, 2,000,000 kinds of trees and plants, 1,100,000 kinds of insects and reptiles, 1,000,000 kinds of birds, 3,000,000 kinds of four-legged beasts, and 400,000 kinds of human species.&quot; Manu says that the trees are in such a hopeless position as a result of their own karma. Their feelings of pain and pleasure are similar to ours; their souls are not of a lower standard. Still, they are in such a deplorable position as a result of their own karma. They have none to blame but themselves. This is the state of affairs in this external world.&quot; (VP) This material world is a jungle full of perplexities, where the soul has accepted so many different kinds of bodies in different types of consciousness. We are living in an environment which is afflicted with serious misconception, misunderstanding, misguidance, and misbehaviour. How are we to ascertain what is good and what is bad, what we should aspire after and what we should reject? Innumerable alternatives have thronged in a crowd, coming to influence us. And when this area, covered by illusion and influenced by misunderstanding, is filled with such diversity, how can we hope to know the infinite spiritual world of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha? With what attitude should we approach that realm which is transcendental, beyond the realm of the senses and mind (adhoksaja). (SGAHG, p 1-2) + (see also \u015bloka 500) Basically, this is the advice of \u1e5ag Veda, the first Veda that descends from the upper world to this world: &quot;The primary requirement for you all is to conceive that there is a world above, and &#x27;above&#x27; means in the line of consciousness. Your highest identity is that of consciousness, and you must adopt that conscious world above you as your shelter. You will live and move there. This is the radical change. Here, you are in the atmosphere of exploitation, but that is the land of service. That is on your head. That region is superior to the stuff you are made of. So do you want that connection? Or do you prefer to reign in hell than to serve in heaven? What do you like? Consider, and then come forward. You can have a prospect of attaining everything up to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Absolute. Otherwise you will have to revolve here in this world of 8,400,000 species.&quot; jalaj\u0101 nava lak\u1e63\u0101ni, sth\u0101var\u0101 lak\u1e63a vi\u1e41\u015bati: &quot;There are 900,000 aquatic, 2,000,000 immobile, 1,100,000 worm-cum-insect, 1,000,000 bird, 3,000,000 animal and 400,000 human species.&quot; &quot;These are the 8,400,000 classifications of species throughout which you will have to wander, in the world of action and reaction. You need to select your path. Do you want to be a member of the land of immortality? Or janma-m\u1e5btyu-jar\u0101-vy\u0101dhi (birth, death, old age and infirmity) or immortality? If you want immortality, you will have to pay for the ticket. You will have to take the visa. You will have to prepare for such a categorical beginning. And the bond you will have to sign is slavery - to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. J\u012bvera svr\u016bpa haya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era nitya-d\u0101sa - (see also \u015bloka 200). If you want to go to that mystic land, the land of infinite hope, prosperity and prospect, you will have to go as a slave - because that plane is made of a higher stuff than you yourselves are.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 538) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 73-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(196)\",\"j\u0101nanta eva j\u0101nantu\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Brahm\u0101 says: &quot;Those that say that they know something, let them be, let them enjoy their selfdeception. But I have determined that manaso vapu\u1e63o v\u0101co vaibhava\u1e41 tava gocara\u1e25, I could not enter into even the very negligent, slightest point of Your acquaintance. This is my finding.&quot; (S-B, 10.14.38) Brahm\u0101 says that the puffed-up fools, they may talk about anything, they can know this, they can know that, they think that everything can be known. Those fools, let them dance their foolish dance, but I am sure that no weapon, no instrument can catch even the slightest touch of Him. He is always new, of eternally new characteristic. He is Infinite, and the finite and the Infinite are of opposite characteristics. Then how is it possible to know Him? Once we went to preach in Karachi at the invitation of the \u0100rya Samaj. They thought, &quot;These Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas will be our prey, they are idolaters.&quot; Their president came to attack and he told me: &quot;If the finite can know the Infinite, then He is not Infinite.&quot; It came to my mind immediately, and I replied: &quot;If the Infinite cannot make Himself known to the finite, then He is not Infinite.&quot; Just the opposite to his challenge, then I gave him a handshake and said &quot;namaste&quot; and departed. That is our only solace, that the infinite can make Himself known to the finite, otherwise the finite cannot know the infinite. So always try to foster His grace. (C, v 1, # 5, Sum. &#x27;93, p 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(197)\",\"janm\u0101dy asya yato &#x27;nvay\u0101d itarara\u015b c\u0101rthe\u1e63v abhij\u00f1a\u1e25 svar\u0101\u1e6d\",\"tene brahma h\u1e5bd\u0101 ya \u0101di-kavaye muhyanti yat s\u016braya\u1e25\",\"tejo-v\u0101ri-m\u1e5bd\u0101\u1e41 yath\u0101 vinimayo yatra tri-sargo &#x27;m\u1e5b\u1e63\u0101\",\"dh\u0101mn\u0101 svena sad\u0101 nirasta-kuhaka\u1e41 satya\u1e41 para\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O my Lord, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, son of Vasudeva, O all pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahm\u0101j\u012b, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.&quot; (S-B, 1.1.1) janm\u0101dy asya yato &#x27;nvay\u0101d itarara\u015b c\u0101rthe\u1e63v abhij\u00f1a\u1e25 svar\u0101\u1e6d, &quot;Friends, let us enquire into the prime cause, whose nature is such that what ever we can see, and whatever we can conceive of springs from Him. He is the ultimate cause of everything, both directly and indirectly. Only He knows the purpose for which all things are created and maintained. Only He knows where all things will go. Only He is aware of the fact - no one else. \u0101rthe\u1e63v abhij\u00f1a\u1e25 svar\u0101\u1e6d, means that He knows the meaning of every incident in existence and that He is above giving any explanation to others. He is not responsible to any law or to anyone else. He is Absolute and Independent. And how do we know that? He has extended knowledge of Himself through the Vedas. Brahma means Veda. So, by the line of inspiration, or revelation, Vedic knowledge was transmitted to the first living being, the creator of the world, Lord Brahm\u0101 (tene brahma h\u1e5bd\u0101 ya \u0101di-kavaye). The scholars of he world fail to understand the strategy and nature of that sort of knowledge. They cannot follow the vital and fundamental points of Vedic knowledge, such as the transformation of one thing into another (muhyanti yat s\u016braya\u1e25). Water may be transformed into gas, gas may be transformed into heat. By such a process, we can understand the existence of this world (tejo-v\u0101ri-m\u1e5bd\u0101\u1e41 yath\u0101 vinimayo yatra tri-sargo &#x27;m\u1e5b\u1e63\u0101), for by the transformation of the Lord&#x27;s energy, the world comes into being. This transformation involves the three modes of nature, tamas, rajas, and sattva. tama means hard, static matter. raja means energy, and sattva means spirit, light, knowledge. So, by transformation this world has been created. In His abode, which is illumined by the ray of His own knowledge, there is no possibility of deception or misunderstanding. (dh\u0101mn\u0101 svena sad\u0101 nirasta-kuhaka\u1e41 satya\u1e41 para\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi). Here we are being deceived through misunderstanding. We have entered a plane of existence where the whole world is full of misconception, falsity, and miscalculation. We are presently living in the world of m\u0101y\u0101. m\u0101y\u0101 means m\u0101-y\u0101: &quot;What is not.&quot; I am seeing something which is really something else.&quot; (TSFSK, p 46-7) &quot;That worshippable plane of transcendental existence is known as bhargo, bhargo means the supersubjective area, the area of the Supersoul. This is mentioned in the first verse of \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam: dh\u0101mn\u0101 svena sad\u0101 nirasta-kuhaka\u1e41 satya\u1e41 para\u1e41 dh\u012bmahi. \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva says that here he is going to deal with another world whose pristine glory is so great that by its own ray, all misconceptions are brushed aside. The subject is the soul, and its object is all these worlds of experience. And the supersubject is the venerable area which is superior to the subject, the soul - that is the supersubjective area.&quot; (SEOC, p 160) + (see also \u015bloka 121) &quot;Such is the mature behaviour there and such a place is eternally existing. Because there should be such a happy, most ecstatic place and that is natural. That kind of quality is only possible through love. But not in any impure way. Only love is able to practically substantiate or promote that thing. Love means in other words, deep attraction, adoration, dedication, devotion and surrender. The very primary stage of that is called \u015braddh\u0101. The more that \u015braddh\u0101 is condensed or intensified, the more She takes someone in Her divine abode, the land of ecstasy. Thus, the abode of \u015ar\u012b Goloka is manifested in that family life in this world, it means that She is only discovered exclusively through \u015braddh\u0101 (faith). She is always there, but only when we remove the cover is it possible for us to see Her.&quot; &quot;We can make out the real inner meaning that this whole universe is engaged in the service of \u015ar\u012b Hari when the prejudice or cover of our ego is torn off.&quot; (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92) je-dina g\u1e5bhe, bhajana dekhi, g\u1e5bhete goloka bh\u0101ya cara\u1e47a-s\u012bdhu, dekhiy\u0101 ga\u1e45g\u0101, sukha n\u0101 s\u012bm\u0101 p\u0101ya &quot;Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana appears in my home whenever I see the worship and service of Lord Hari taking place there. When I see the Ganges, that river of nectar emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord, my happiness knows no bounds.&quot; (TSOBT, p 37-38)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(198)\",\"j\u0101to-\u015braddho mat kath\u0101su,\",\"nirvi\u1e47\u1e47a\u1e25 sarvva-karmmasu\",\"veda-du\u1e25kh\u0101tmak\u0101n k\u0101m\u0101n,\",\"parity\u0101ge &#x27;py an\u012b\u015bvara\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;He who has imbibed heart&#x27;s faith in the tidings of My Name, nature and pastimes; who has become indifferent to all kinds of fruitive work and its rewards; who has learned that all forms of enjoyment of sensual passions ultimately transform into misery, yet he is unable to fully abandon such passions - such a faithful devotee, being determined that his shortcomings will be dispelled by the potency of devotion, gradually comes to abhor those evil passions that enslave him, knowing the havoc they wreak - and he serves Me with love: When his object is pure and sincere, I give him My mercy.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.27) + (SSPJ, p 164-5) One who has a good ideal is in possession of the most valuable wealth. On the other hand, one will only hanker for kanaka-k\u0101min\u012b-prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 - popularity, materials of sense pleasure, and money - all these things; but they are all animal consciousness. They are all properties in the land of animal consciousness. A radical change must be effected if we really want a life worth living. Such is the importance of our ideal. A man should be judged by his ideal. The greatness of the ideal he is trying to realise is to be marked. The man of the future, the man of tomorrow, should be judged by his ideal. If his ideal is great, he is great, because he is sincere, tomorrow or very soon he will reach it. So our ideal is the all-important factor. We may not attain our high ideal very easily. It is not inferior &#x27;merchandise&#x27; to be disposed of cheaply in the market; it is most valuable. But whatever the cost, no matter, we should feel within: &quot;I want no less than that highest thing, that Advayaj\u00f1\u0101na, that Autocrat. That Goodness Autocrat, the Supermost Commander of everything. I want Him, and nothing less, and I should live and move, and feel in myself that whatever I shall do, at every second, I am meant for that. I am meant for my ideal. I have no time to waste, or to hesitate for anything. If at every moment I move in every way with the ideal in my heart, I shall always make some progress towards it. If I can just stay in touch with my ideal, that will guide and inspire me. In any and every action, whatever I shall do or undo, eat, rest, etc., my ideal will be overhead. And that will gradually take me out of all these entanglements and enticements, and one day or other I shall be able to reach it. j\u0101to-\u015braddho mat kath\u0101su, nirvi\u1e47\u1e47a\u1e25 sarvva-karmmasu: &quot;For one who has had the chance to acquire a taste and become attracted to talks of Me, My activity and My movement, no other temptation can any longer hold him under its power. He becomes indifferent to all other activity. The outcome is that he can understand within that all other things bear some unpleasant reaction. Yet, although he can conceive that they are all painproducing, he is helpless to immediately free himself from their clutches. The debt is already incurred, and his debtors won&#x27;t allow him to escape: &#x27;I am in the midst of so many acquisitions. It is not very easy to leave them at once by my sweet will. Previously I consciously incurred some obligations, and I cannot abruptly cut off their connection; they won&#x27;t let me free.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 77) + (see also \u015blokas 509, 382 &amp; 93) &quot;A person who has developed faith in narrations of My divine nature and pastimes may still for some time suffer the reactions to his worldly deeds; although he perceives his addictions to worldly pleasures to be the essence of his misery, he is unable to abandon them.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.27) He knows what is good, what is bad, but he can&#x27;t help himself from falling into the clutches of the mundane senses. Still, he will repent. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 106) + (see also \u015bloka 97)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(199)\",\"jayati jayati n\u0101m\u0101nanda r\u016bpam mur\u0101rer\",\"viramita nija dharma dhy\u0101na pujyadhi yatna\",\"katham api sak\u1e5bd\u0101ttam muktida\u1e41 pr\u0101nin\u0101\u1e41 yat\",\"param\u0101m\u1e5btam eka\u1e41 j\u012bvana\u1e41 bhu\u1e63ana\u1e41 me\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;Let ecstasy in the service of the Divine Name be victorious. If somehow we can come in contact with that sound, n\u0101ma rupa\u1e41 mur\u0101re\u1e25, then all our other activities will be paralysed; we will have no necessity of performing any other activity. Our many variegated duties will have no importance to us at all if we can achieve the service of the Divine Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (B-B, 1.1.9). Dharma means the business engagement of the karmis or fruitive workers. Dhy\u0101na means retiring from this physical world and performing meditation from within, trying to exploit the internal world. Both of these are stopped, paralysed by the ecstasy of service to the Divine Name. The R\u0101m\u0101nuja sect worships Lak\u1e63mi-N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a in the mood of opulence and veneration in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. By the ecstasy of the Holy Name, that will also be stopped. One who gets the real grace of the Divine Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will retire from all phases of these different kinds of worship, namely var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama dharma, or social duty, dhy\u0101na, the internal meditation of the j\u00f1\u0101n\u012bs (mental speculators) and yog\u012bs, and p\u016bj\u0101, the opulent worship of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, after liberation, which attracts the followers of the R\u0101m\u0101nuja samprad\u0101ya. The Holy Name will take us to the perception of Goloka, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s own abode, where we will have to completely retire from all these other phases of our divine life. We will have to retire from any work, even if it may be done for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We will have to give up internal meditation and calculation, and even p\u016bj\u0101, worship in awe and reverence. The Holy Name will stop all these tendencies, and we will find so much sweetness in chanting the Name that we won&#x27;t be able to give attention to anything else. When we really come in contact with the sound aspect of the Absolute, then all our other enthusiastic endeavours and functions will be paralysed. We will be unable to attempt them. We will take to the Name only. Then, when the Name allows us to perform other services again, we will be able to do them. The Name has such power, such a high degree of potency that it will stop all other branches of service, and charm you. (TSFSK, p 123-4) + (see also \u015bloka 524)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(200)\",\"j\u012bvera &#x27;svar\u016bpa&#x27; haya-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era &#x27;nitya-d\u0101sa&#x27;\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era &#x27;ta\u1e6dasth\u0101-\u015bakti&#x27; bhed\u0101bheda-prak\u0101\u015ba&#x27;\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhuli sei j\u012bva an\u0101di-bahirmukha\",\"ataeva m\u0101y\u0101 t\u0101re deya sa\u1e41s\u0101ra duk\u1e25a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The constitutional nature of the j\u012bva soul is that of an eternal servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; the j\u012bva soul is a manifestation of divinity which is one with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and different from Him. The j\u012bva souls are the marginal potency of the Lord. Though in reality they are servants of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, from time immemorial, they have been engaged in misconception, as exploiting agents.&quot; (C-c, Madhyal\u012bl\u0101, 20.108 &amp; 117) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said to San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b: j\u012bvera &#x27;svar\u016bpa&#x27; haya-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era &#x27;nitya-d\u0101sa&#x27;: &quot;Slavery to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the innate nature of the j\u012bva soul.&quot; (LSFTLS, p v1, 13) + (see also \u015bloka 39) How does the soul first appear in this world? From what stage of spiritual existence does he fall into the material world? This is a broad question, which requires some background information. The Vedic opinion is that there are two classes of souls, j\u012bvas, who come into this world. One class comes from the spiritual Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha planets by the necessity of nitya-l\u012bl\u0101, the eternal pastimes of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Another comes by constitutional necessity. The brilliant effulgent rays emanating from the Lord&#x27;s personal transcendental form - which is expressed by impersonalists as formless, limitless light, and thus mistaken by them to be the ultimate realisation of the Absolute - is known as the brahmajyoti, and the j\u012bva soul is an atom in that effulgence, and the brahmajyoti is a product of an infinite number of j\u012bva atoms. The brahmajyoti, the non-differentiated marginal plane, is the source of infinite j\u012bva souls, atomic spiritual particles of non-differentiated character. Within the brahmajyoti, their equilibrium is somehow disturbed and movement begins. From non-differentiation, differentiation begins. From a plain sheet of uniform consciousness, individual conscious units grow. The brahmajyoti which is living and growing, is a product of an infinite number of j\u012bva atoms that are endowed with free will, so from their slumber in the marginal position they choose either the side of exploitation or the side of dedication. The brahmajyoti is the line of demarcation between exploitation and dedication. k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhuli sei j\u012bva an\u0101di-bahirmukha, an\u0101di means that which has no beginning. When we enter the land of exploitation, we come within the factor of time, space, and thought. And when we come to exploit, action and reaction begins in the negative land of loan. Although we strive to become masters, really we become losers. Goloka and Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha servitors are also seen to be within the jurisdiction of the brahma\u1e47da, the material universe, but that is only a play, l\u012bl\u0101. They come from that higher plane only to take part in the Lord&#x27;s pastimes and then return. The fallen souls come from the marginal position within the brahmajyoti, and not from Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. (TSFSK, p 36) + (see also \u015bloka 182) We must try to cast ourselves at the Divine Feet of the Lord saying: &quot;I am the lowest of the low. I am willing to believe that I am most helpless. I want the shelter of Your lotus feet. Please take charge of me. I am unfit to take any responsibility for my own good.&quot; This should be our humble attitude. We should feel that, &quot;I can&#x27;t tolerate this life of independence any longer. I can&#x27;t go on. I am disgusted with my life of independence. I want slavery. j\u012bvera &#x27;svar\u016bpa&#x27; hayak\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era &#x27;nitya-d\u0101sa&#x27;, Others may think themselves fit, but I do not think myself sufficiently developed to take the responsibility for myself. I am the most reckless, mean, worthless and useless. Please accept me and give me any service at your feet. I can no longer rely on myself. I have come to take shelter of your holy feet. You are my Guardian.&quot; (GOD, p 17) &quot;Whatever I shall do, it is for Him.&quot; That sort of bond must first be &#x27;signed&#x27; and then whatever will be done on that basis will be recognised as bhakti. This is the foundation of bhakti. Without \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, all attempts will be exploitation, renunciation, meditation (karmma, j\u00f1\u0101na, yoga), anything but bhakti. &quot;The result must always go to my Lord; I am His slave. &#x27;nitya-d\u0101sa.&#x27; I am wholly His servant, without any independence to keep my independent property. Whatever I shall acquire, or whatever I shall do, the owner is He.&quot; j\u012bvera svar\u016bpa haya-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era nitya-d\u0101sa: nitya-d\u0101sa means eternal servant, that is, slave. He has the right to make or mar, to do anything with me as He likes, according to is sweet will. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 129) Complete dependence on Him means He can make or mar. I must admit my Master&#x27;s right to make or mar. I am a slave. Mah\u0101prabhu says: j\u012bvera svar\u016bpa haya-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era nitya-d\u0101sa. That is your constitutional position. Have you enough boldness to admit it? Can you admit that your Master has full rights over you? &quot;Yes! My Master has fullest rights over me. I am ready to go to eternal hell to supply His slightest pleasure.&quot; Such narrations - as for example, we have heard the story about when the gop\u012bs were ready to supply their foot-dust as &#x27;medicine&#x27; to alleviate K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s &#x27;headache&#x27; - such narrations we may hear as very sweet to our ears, but to accept is horrible. j\u012bvera &#x27;svar\u016bpa&#x27; haya-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era &#x27;nitya-d\u0101sa&#x27;; no risk: no gain. Whole risk: whole gain. Such confidence is necessary. A free, clear, and bold choice. Are you ready for that? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not like a sweetmeat, that His price may be so cheap or so expensive. He is everywhere - He is nowhere. He may say: &quot;You all belong to Me,&quot; or: &quot;I don&#x27;t care for any of you.&quot; We are inhabitants of that land now, and really, by constitution we have every right to serve Him. It is the truth, and we must be bold enough to &#x27;call a spade a spade.&#x27; Can you accept that you are the eternal servant - you are a slave of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is so dignified that even His slave holds the highest position: K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s nature is such that e does not hesitate to serve even His slaves. He is so great and so magnanimous.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 132-3) + (see also \u015bloka 10) If you want immortality, you will have to pay for the ticket. You will have to take the visa. You will have to prepare for such a categorical beginning. And the bond you will have to sign is slavery - to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. j\u012bvera &#x27;svar\u016bpa&#x27; haya-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era &#x27;nitya-d\u0101sa&#x27;. If you want to go to that mystic land, the land of infinite hope, prosperity and prospect, you will have to go as a slave - because that plane is made of higher stuff than you yourself are.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 74) + (see also \u015bloka 538)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(201)\",\"j\u00f1\u0101na-karm\u0101dy-an\u0101v\u1e5btam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a favourably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.&quot; (B-r-s, 1.1.11) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.167) + (see also \u015bloka 39) Increase the negative side. &quot;I am the most deserving because I am the meanest of the mean, poorest of the poor.&quot; We have to increase and develop our knowledge towards that side: &quot;I am so low, so needy, so mean, in all respects.&quot; That consciousness will draw Him towards you; the mass energy collected (karma) or the attempt to know Him (j\u00f1\u0101na) cannot do so, (j\u00f1\u0101nakarm\u0101dy-an\u0101v\u1e5btam). To think, &quot;I can know You, I can measure You&quot; - that is impossible, wild goose chasing, and this has been declared by \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. You can never know Him. The closer you come to the boundary of your knowledge, the more you will find Him transcending it.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 158-9) + (see also \u015bloka 570)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(202)\",\"j\u00f1\u0101nam te&#x27; ham sa-vij\u00f1\u0101nam,\",\"ida\u1e41 vak\u1e63y\u0101my a\u00ea\u1e63ata\u1e25\",\"yaj j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101 neha bh\u016byo &#x27;nyaj,\",\"j\u00f1\u0101tavyam ava\u015bi\u1e63yate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Now I shall fully describe to you, with the taste of the flavour of My divine sweetness, this knowledge of My grand majestic splendour and opulences. After knowing all this, absolutely nothing will remain for you to know, being situated on this beautiful, joyful, and victorious path.&quot; (B-g, 7.2) In the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Arjuna, Now I shall explain to you scientific knowledge not only about the soul, but also about its potency. The mind, the senses, and the modes of nature are all non-\u0101tm\u0101, or material. There is a direct and indirect approach towards reality which I shall now describe to you. Please listen attentively to Me: j\u00f1\u0101nam te&#x27; ham sa-vij\u00f1\u0101nam. What is this? There is Myself and My potency, and the j\u012bva, the living entity, is the marginal potency which is filling up all these material worlds.&quot; If the j\u012bva-\u015bakti, the spiritual potency, were withdrawn, then everything would be stone, and who would care for exploitation? All this fighting tendency, this tendency for exploitation would stop if the marginal potency, the j\u012bva, were withdrawn from matter. Everything would be dead. The soul has entered into this material consciousness and has made it a moving thing. You should understand this properly, in a scientific way. We are not lacking in our ability to give you a scientific explanation. (TSFSK, p 6-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(203)\",\"j\u00f1\u0101nata\u1e25 sulabh\u0101 muktir\",\"bhuktir yaj\u00f1\u0101di pu\u1e47yata\u1e25\",\"seya\u1e41 s\u0101dhana-s\u0101hasrair\",\"hari-bhakti\u1e25 sudurllabh\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101deva says: &quot;By practice of enlightenment, j\u00f1\u0101na, liberation is attained easily enough. By pious work such as sacrifice, yaj\u00f1a, etc., worldly pleasure in the next life is attained easily enough. But Devotion for the Supreme Lord, Hari-bhakti, is very rarely attained.&quot; (B.r.s, P\u016brvva, 1.36) Knowledge is our enemy, because knowledge in this world is all misleading. Its very basis is misleading. However spacious it may be, it is the negligible part of the infinite. We have collected, gathered and pushed into our brain all misleading misrepresentation. Our brains are full of misleading m\u0101y\u0101, misunderstanding. So that is our enemy. We have to clear these things out and put in fresh things that are indented from the other world by pure sources. The theoretical is one thing, the practical is another. \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has quoted: j\u00f1\u0101nata\u1e25 sulabh\u0101 muktir bhuktir yaj\u00f1\u0101di pu\u1e47yata\u1e25. By cultivating our knowledge of soul, we can attain mukti, that is, emancipation or liberation from miscalculation relatively easily. Though it is not so easy, still, considering the wicked nature of the environment, in a general sense one can easily renounce everything; by elimination, elimination, elimination - all elimination, for reaching something like sound sleep. That is mukti. Permanent sound sleep. And we can gather our things of enjoyment by yaj\u00f1a, altruistic action. If we take altruistic action, then as a reaction they will come back to us, for our satisfaction and pleasure. But our real wealth, Devotion to Hari, is not so easily attained. S\u0101dhana-s\u0101hasraih: despite thousands of practices by the aspirant, still it is sudurllabh\u0101, it may or may not be acquired. Because, that is to acquire friendship with the Autocracy. Our enjoyment is &quot;labour and live.&quot; If we loan some labour to another, that may come back to us. So, by the help of our labour, and by the distribution of that labour, we can easily get future enjoyment. Also, by practising our sincere disgust with the present mortal environment, we can encourage our ego towards salvation. That is complete renunciation, cutting off all connection with the environment, sam\u0101dhi, just like sound sleep. But to have affectionate connection with the Autocratic Infinite - that is hardly to be acquired. Hari-bhakti\u1e25 sudurllabh\u0101. And the gradual process of how one is to acquire that is also traced in Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu. (see \u015bloka 238) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 201)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(204)\",\"j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam udap\u0101sya namanta eva\",\"j\u012bvanti san-mukharit\u0101\u1e41 bhavad\u012bya-v\u0101rt\u0101m\",\"sth\u0101ne sthit\u0101\u1e25 \u015bruti-gat\u0101\u1e41 tanu-v\u0101\u1e45-manobhir\",\"ye pr\u0101ya\u015bo &#x27;jita jito &#x27;py asi tais tri-loky\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"(In the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, Lord Brahm\u0101 said to the Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a): &quot;Oh Lord, Oh Unconquerable One, those devotees who, completely giving up all attempts on the path of j\u00f1\u0101na of attaining the non-differentiated platform known as Brahma by hearing the transcendental narratives of Your pastimes (kath\u0101), which emanates from the lotus mouths of the mah\u0101-bh\u0101gavat s\u0101dhus and pass their lives by engaging their body, mind and words in pure devotion, easily conquer You (they easily get Your transcendental association), although You are the most difficult to attain in the three worlds.&quot; (S-B, 10.14.3) R\u0101m\u0101n\u0101nda R\u0101ya said to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu: j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam udap\u0101sya namanta eva: &quot;It is a very difficult thing to cross the charm of knowledge.&quot; We think: &quot;I want to understand everything first, and then I shall act.&quot; Calculation and an underlying suspicion is there. Before we act, we want to know everything fully; only then will we risk our capital. The ego, the &quot;I&quot; is very strong, and he wants to have an account of his loss and gain. He thinks: &quot;I am the master. The key is in my hand, I want to test everything, I want to know it all. I know what is good for me.&quot; So, we think ourselves masters, not servants, and from the position of a master we make our enquiry. But this calculating mentality must be given up if we at all want to enter into the domain of the Lord, where everything is superior to us. No one there will care to come to us with an explanation, thinking that we are their master. They will not reassure us by saying: &quot;Yes, there will be no loss; your gain will be big.&quot; We may think, &quot;I am an independent separate entity, so in my account there must be no loss. I must stand here with my head erect,&quot; but that won&#x27;t do. We are to go there as slaves, not masters. That sort of mentality is necessary: we must bow down our heads. Not that with our heads erect we will march over everything, but everything there is superior in quality to us.&quot; (TSFSK, p 139) Without a brain, an animal can live - but the heart is necessary everywhere for life! Without a heart, no one can live. Only intuitive knowledge is needed to follow, not the computer for calculation. The brain is the representation of the computer. But (mental) reflex action - that is intuitive. Unconsciously they can work - intuition. Intuition can go above the brain calculation. So many birds and beasts can understand that the earthquake is coming, but by man&#x27;s calculation, so far, they cannot understand that the earthquake will come soon - so far, or any other similar catastrophe like that. There are so many things that our brain cannot feel, cannot catch, which many animals can get some clue beforehand. In the present, current life, they can do it. And after long, lengthy and deep research into the phenomena, man still cannot find it. It is beyond their reason. j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam udap\u0101sya namanta eva - Hatefully reject any attempt in the intellectual line. namanta eva. Invite the submissive spirit within you. namanta eva j\u012bvanti. In that way, try to live your life. How to live? san-mukharit\u0101\u1e41 bhavad\u012bya. Live your life in the association of the topics about You - about the Lord. Of course, san-mukharit\u0101\u1e41, not just any topics, but the topics which must come from the genuine source - j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam. j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam udap\u0101sya namanta eva, j\u012bvanti san-mukharit\u0101\u1e41 bhavad\u012bya-v\u0101rt\u0101m, sth\u0101ne sthit\u0101\u1e25. It does not matter what position at present, he holds. \u015aruti-gat\u0101\u1e41 tanu-v\u0101\u1e45-manobhir, He is carefully attentive that expressions of good association must be of the genuine type by thought, deed and word. Wholesale, with a wholehearted tendency, we must try to attain the news given by the agents of the divinity. pray\u0101sa - Then: &quot;Only with that method, Oh Unconquerable! You are conquered. Only through that process! In these three planes of life (both mind and words), You are found to be conquered by those only in that process who wholeheartedly attain the teachings of Your divine agents. Wholeheartedly! By thought, deed, and word - then only can they conquer You, Who is otherwise invincible.&quot; This is the path to God realisation recommended in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 3-4) + (see also \u015bloka 458) It is a defect to want to understand everything about Divinity. Knowledge may be a qualification here in this world, but in relation to the transcendental truth of the highest order, the tendency to want to know everything is a disqualification. We want to know the value of everything. We want to have the key to everything in our possession. But this is really a bar to progress. If we assert ourselves in this way, we rather lose what confidence we might have in divinity, and there will be some delay in extending the key to us. If a servant, upon getting employment in the master&#x27;s house, is very eager to be entrusted with the house keys, then the master will suspect him. So to want to know everything is a kind of disease, it is an enemy to our progress. This is, of course, difficult to accept. But still, it is true. Surrender is everything. What cultivation of knowledge do we find in the gop\u012bs, the most exalted devotees of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? What was their acquaintance with scripture? Nothing. What we understand to be &quot;standard purity,&quot; what we think to be knowledge - all these things are disqualifications in giving pleasure to the Absolute. (LSFTLS, p 44) &quot;Hatefully giving up all intellectual attempts to understand the Supreme Truth, those who want to realise You should completely surrender unto You. They should hear from self-realised devotees about Your Holy Name and transcendental pastimes. Whatever situation they may find themselves in, they should progress by fully dedicating their mind, body, and words to You. In this way the Infinite, who is never conquered by anyone, becomes conquered through love.&quot; We can approach the Supreme Lord only through submission, and when we achieve Him, we won&#x27;t care for knowing anything else. We will have no regard for what is happening or not happening in the outside world. We will deeply engage in His service for His satisfaction. There, in His service, we will find the object of our lives fulfilled. And this external knowledge of &quot;things outside&quot; will seem to us as rubbish. We will realise, &quot;What is the necessity of wasting time with all kinds of calculation - the nectar is here! It is far deeper than what is found in the external plane.&quot; And at that time, we shall give all our attention to His service. (LSFTLS, p 69) &quot;Hatefully rejecting any attempt in the intellectual line, we must nurture a submissive spirit within ourselves and try to live our lives in association with topics about the Lord. Of course this does not mean any topic about the Lord; they must come from a genuine source. And it does not matter what position we hold at present. Whoever wholeheartedly attends to the teachings of His Divine agents by thought, word, and deed, can conquer Him who is otherwise invincible.&quot; This is the path of realisation recommended in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, which condemns the path of intellectual attainment. (LSFTLS, p 75-6) + (see also \u015bloka 458) Not only self-abnegation, but self-surrender is necessary to approach God. Deep self-surrender will take us into connection with the higher, noble substance, and it must be cultivated by all means. And service is not service to m\u0101y\u0101. I must be careful to perceive that I am not merely serving m\u0101y\u0101, who has appeared in a charming or &#x27;godly&#x27; form. In our present position we must be extremely cautious regarding who and what we are serving. The main wave will be j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam udap\u0101sya: hatefully discard (ud-apa-asya) all proposals that your intellect may offer you. Whatever the intellect can judge and accept or reject must necessarily be of a lower type. So, you are to summarily reject that, and understand that you must bow down your head (namanta eva). The beginning of your interest is to bow down your head, and your heart will be captured automatically. Try to connect with that section where you will always be with folded palms, and where you can never be master. Such abnegation and courage of self-giving is necessary if you want to live in the higher plane. Otherwise, you may reign in hell. According to Satan&#x27;s words: &quot;It is better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven.&quot; But just the opposite is necessary. Even tears and crying have no value if the inner tendency of self-giving is absent. Sev\u0101, service, means self-giving, and that is the standard principle in the life of a devotee. This self-giving must really be to the higher sphere and not just haphazardly around us, for that is another way to be captured by hateful things. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 72-3) + (see also \u015bloka 310) &quot;I shall accept the laws of the infinite, not the laws of this finite world that I acquired as a subject. I shall have to enter that domain as an object, of the subject. There, He is the subject and I am the object here, possessing only a particle of the space there; and that is also at His sweet will. At any time I may be dispossessed of it.&quot; This is not in the democratic government, but in the mad monarchy - a kind of dictatorship. This is to live in the land of dictatorship, and not in the democracy and law. j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam udap\u0101sya namanta eva. Everywhere we shall try our best to find mercy, grace, kindness, pity. Because whatever the dictator is doing is all good. We have to be trained like that. He&#x27;s the highest dictator, without fault, so we may or may not understand, but whatever is commanded by the dictator must be helpful for us. There is no law on which we shall base our judgement and give any remark. To remark is not only absolutely useless but it is faulty and injurious to ourselves. Such consciousness we have to acquire, and it is not unreasonable. Newton said: &quot;I am only collecting pebbles on the shore of the ocean of knowledge.&quot; He was a man of this world, yet he had the sincerity and courage to make this statement. If such a statement is made in deference to the knowledge of only this world, what should be thought of the knowledge of the infinite unknown and unknowable? (SOTGOD, v 2, p 196-7) + (see also \u015bloka 492) j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam udap\u0101sya, Scholarship is poison! Are you ready to admit this? All your learning is nonsense! You are plodding in the mud. All knowledge of misrepresentation - not a bag full of money, but a bag full of rocks. The brain is taxed and filled up with all misleading things. Are you ready to admit this? Not so soon! (SOTGOD, v 2, p 208) + (see also \u015bloka 141) &quot;Abandoning the unnecessary endeavour of discussing empirical philosophical truth, surrendering to self-realised devotees and hearing from them about the Lord, is the basic principle of perfection.&quot; (SVT, v 1, # 1, Jan-Feb. &#x27;92, p 5) It is not your business to know everything by your constitutional position. It will be folly to bring everything within your consciousness. j\u00f1\u0101ne pray\u0101sam udap\u0101sya. Here uta apa asya, where asya means throwing hatefully, and uta means far away. These two adjectives are given for dismissal of knowledge. Only through faith, with the nature of submission can the truth be known. (GOD, p 25) Give up your attempt to measure Him, and try to approach through faith. We are finite, so how much faith can we accommodate in the Infinite? Very little, so don&#x27;t think that you will be deceived, that your faith will deceive you. What is the length and breadth of your faith, you are a tiny person? In the Infinite anything is possible. So, don&#x27;t be afraid of your blind faith when you come in the search of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Infinite. Only faith can take you there, and not knowledge. It is clearly stated in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. Never approach with the instrument of knowledge as your weapon, for that will deceive you. But by faith, the adhok\u1e63aja plane can come down to you. But if you doubt, then it may not care to come down to you. So open, spread wide your heart to receive Him, and whatever sort of wonderful l\u012bl\u0101 He comes to show you, prepare yourself for that. It is so much, so broad, and wait; what are the waves of the Infinite? What sort of wave comes to touch you from the Infinite, the centre of the Infinite, of love, of beauty. Wait and see, remain clear, open, and unbiased. Don&#x27;t go to measure with your tiny examples of this finite world of nasty nature. tatra laulyam api m\u016blyam ekala\u1e41 -(see \u015bloka 247) - It is your hankering only that can help you to have a touch of that magnanimous divine thing. If you want to challenge, He&#x27;ll not care to come. What is the loss to Him? - you are deceived. Go with your heart willing, but go forward. (C, v 1, # 5, &#x27;93, p 10) + (see also \u015bloka 196)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(205)\",\"jugala-m\u016brti, dekhiy\u0101 mora,\",\"parama-\u0101nanda hoya\",\"pras\u0101da-sev\u0101 korite hoya,\",\"sakala prapa\u1e63ca jaya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Beholding the Deity forms of the Divine Couple, \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I feel the greatest joy. By honouring the Lord&#x27;s Pras\u0101da, I conquer over all worldly illusions.&quot; (TSOBT, p 37) If you want to live here then you must devour your environment otherwise you can&#x27;t survive. So it is the suicidal plane. One is eating another and only then he can live, that too is only for the time being. So is this a proper place to live in? Pras\u0101da - that is the highest solution! The principle necessities of any life here in this world are to preserve and to propagate. Our first priority is to preserve, and for self-preservation we create havoc in the environment by exploitation. The first principle of exploitation begins from the urge for self-preservation, and that means eating. We are to adjust our dealings with the environment in our most primitive necessity which we can&#x27;t avoid in order to keep body and soul together. So if we can solve this one difficulty, we can almost solve the whole problem. Pras\u0101da-sev\u0101 korite hoya, sakala prapa\u1e63ca jaya - \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says that the key to the solution of the whole problem of this mundane life is in Pras\u0101da. The first necessity of life is eating, and if we can solve that problem, we have solved the whole thing. The most important thing is to learn how we should take Pras\u0101dam to maintain ourselves. Our life depends mainly on that. To live here we cannot but consume, and we cannot but create devastation in the environment by our eating. If we go to consume anything, even plants, grasses or seeds, then microscopic creatures are being killed. So the question is how to get rid of this reaction? (see \u015bloka 579) (SOTGOD, v 3, p 11)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(206)\",\"jugupsita\u1e41 dharmma-k\u1e5bte &#x27;nu\u015b\u0101sata\u1e25,\",\"svabh\u0101va-raktasya mah\u0101n vyatikrama\u1e25\",\"yad v\u0101kyato dharmma it\u012btara\u1e25 sthito,\",\"na manyate tasya niv\u0101ra\u1e47a\u1e41 jana\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;You have committed a great wrong. In your injunctions of religious duty for the masses, you have sanctioned condemnable worldly works for fulfilment of mundane desires. The masses are already by nature attached to condemnable worldly works for fulfilment of mundane desires. It is a great wrong because the worldly masses will conclude that your messages alone are the central religious duty. Even if they are taught by other knowers of the truth to refrain from those worldly works, they will not accept those teachings, or, they will not be able to understand them for themselves.&quot; (S-B, 1.5.15) Before \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam appeared in the world, Deva\u1e5b\u1e63i N\u0101rada came and gave a regular stricture to \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva: &quot;What have you done for so long? This is nothing! Rather, you did something downright wrong.&quot; jugupsita\u1e41 dharmma-k\u1e5bte &#x27;nu\u015b\u0101sata\u1e25. The people generally have natural affinity for these things - dharma, artha, k\u0101ma, then mok\u1e63a (religion, wealth, sense-pleasure, and liberation). You have recommended these four things in a regular and polished way, but this is already their natural demand. When one is over-fed, he wants fasting as a reaction. So, mok\u1e63a is only a reaction to exploitation. This is already a fact, and you have recommended the same thing. What new thing have you given them? You have done wrong! Why? Because when a person of your status has recommended mok\u1e63a, it will be difficult to give anything further. No one will be prepared to oppose your opinion, your standard. All will say that Vy\u0101sadeva is the highest authority, and that they don&#x27;t care for the advice of anyone else. The highest authority is Vy\u0101sadeva. So it will be very difficult to get the people to accept through other sources anything beyond what you have given. So, you have done wrong! It may be considered your misdeed. Now, the only relief can be that you yourself will give the fifth end (beyond the aforementioned four common pursuits). You, personally, will have to take this work: &#x27;So far, what I have given is very limited, but now I shall give you something far superior.&#x27; You alone will have to take up this task, and only then you will have undergone the proper penance necessary for your chastisement. Mah\u0101n vyatikrama\u1e25 - it is a great wrong, because jugupsitam - what is very condemnable; dharma-k\u1e5bte - is given under the stamp of religion; the goods under the stamp are ultimately non-religious. What good is that? Only &#x27;to do wrong and not to do wrong.&#x27; But to do good - is it not included here? Of bad and non-bad, non-bad does not mean positive good. So, you will have to take this duty with earnestness and clarify the position for the people: &#x27;So far, what I have given you is more or less of a negative character. Now I have come to give you something positive.&#x27; In this way, you must create the atmosphere to give them something substantial.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 143) + (see also \u015bloka 126)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(207)\",\"jy\u0101yas\u012b cet karma\u1e47as te,\",\"mat\u0101 buddhir jan\u0101rdana\",\"tat ki\u1e41 karma\u1e47i ghore m\u0101\u1e41,\",\"niyojayasi ke\u015bava.\",\"vy\u0101mi\u015bre\u1e47eva v\u0101kyena,\",\"buddhi\u1e41 mohayas\u012bva me\",\"tad eka\u1e41 vada ni\u015bcitya,\",\"yena \u015breyo &#x27;ham \u0101pnuy\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Jan\u0101rdana, O Ke\u015bava, if You consider that resolute and determined spiritual intelligence (vyavas\u0101y-\u0101tmik\u0101-buddhi) is better than action in goodness and passion, then why do You engage me in the violent activity of warfare?&quot; &quot;My intelligence is confused by Your words. They appear to be ambiguous, sometimes supporting action and sometimes supporting knowledge. So please instruct me which of these two paths is most beneficial for me.&quot; (B-g, 3.1-2) Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has given his decision, in his Tattva-sutra, that although when Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 was spoken to Arjuna, he engaged himself in fighting, had it been Uddhava in place of Arjuna, after hearing the conclusion of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Give up everything and surrender unto Me,&quot; Uddhava would have accepted this and gone away from the warfield. Upon hearing the same advice, Arjuna acted in one way, but Uddhava would have acted in another. After hearing the first instalment of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s instructions, Arjuna tells K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101: &quot;You say that j\u00f1\u0101na, knowledge, is better than karma, work. Why then do You want to engage me in this dreadful karma of fighting?&quot; Then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a said: &quot;You have your capacity in karma: finish your career, and then you can aspire to come to the level of j\u00f1\u0101na, enquiry into knowledge. It is not a cheap thing to transcend all activity and attain nai\u1e63karmya, freedom from karma. First finish the course of your karma; then you will become free from karma, and gradually you will develop transcendental knowledge and devotion. So, I say: &#x27;Engage yourself in this present fight.&#x27; Fighting is not recommended for everyone, but for you, and men of your section.&quot; (TSFSK, p 68-9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(208)\",\"jyotir abhyantare r\u016bpam\",\"atula\u1e41 \u015by\u0101masundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"According to Hindu Scriptures, generally the departed souls live on the moon. Two terms are used: Uttar\u0101ya\u1e47a and Dak\u1e63i\u1e47\u0101ya\u1e47a. Dak\u1e63i\u1e47\u0101ya\u1e47a refers to the period ruled by certain gods; during that time, the soul that passes from the body must return to this soil. Such is the karma of those persons. Their mental body is of such quality that it will again come here. After death they go to the moon to take rest for some time. There is also some arrangement in the \u015b\u0101stra where food is offered in their name, and that food is given to the s\u0101dhus, br\u0101hma\u1e47as, and cows, etc., thereby, they get that food. The departed souls have left their accumulated energy here. Their heirs take possession of this energy, and should offer something to the forefathers by the process of mantram. Such subtle association is there that if it is done under proper direction it will reach the place of the departed soul - the subtle body of the departed soul will receive it. This process is something like sending a money-order from India to America, as it is sent in rupees and converted to dollars through the exchange system and given to someone in America as dollars. Similarly, whatever I offer to the forefathers will be converted and taken there by the society of \u1e5b\u1e63is that look after the affairs of transmitting it to them by the process of mantram to the appropriate necessity of the souls living there. In this way the forefathers will receive that food from here. That place is generally Chandraloka, the moon. For those whose karma is that they will not take birth here again, they go towards the sun. The moon revolves around the earth, but they cross the limit of the attraction of the earth and go elsewhere to have their life nearby the sun. That is Uttar\u0101ya\u1e47a. Light predominates there. Chandraloka is dependent light and it circumambulates this earth, but the sun is above the earth and it represents light, knowledge. The souls who go there go beyond the boundary of this earth. They go away in their subtle bodies, never to return to this earth again. These souls leave earth forever. According to their karma they go somewhere else and live there. But in both cases, this is a relative direction only. We are asked to have our direction through the sun, through light, through knowledge. Jyotir abhyantare r\u016bpam atula\u1e41 \u015by\u0101masundaram. What is light? In the proper conception light is knowledge. In reality, knowledge is light; ignorance is darkness. Piercing even the light knowledge - we shall try to find &#x27;\u015ay\u0101masundara.&#x27; We have to try to seek that through the &#x27;sun&#x27;, through the &#x27;light&#x27;. That is the remote direction given to us by the revealed mantras of the Vedas: &quot;Go to the light. Avoid darkness. Welcome light.&quot; Light is the representative of knowledge. Tackle the knowledge in such a way that you can find a cosmos which is very beautiful and personified as evergreen, or, ki\u015bora. satya\u1e41 \u015biva\u1e41 sundaram - that is Truth, that is Good, that is Beautiful. We are given such direction in a symbolic way. We are far from that, so for a person in such a remote place a symbolic expression is extended. (SGD, SGP, 1997, p 18-19) + (see also \u015bloka 502 &amp; 350)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(209)\",\"kabhu n\u0101 v\u0101dhibe tom\u0101ra vi\u1e63aya-tara\u1e45ga\",\"punarapi ei \u1e6dh\u0101\u1e63i p\u0101be mora sa\u1e45ga\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;And in this transaction, you will find My backing. If you obey My command for distribution to one and all, then you will find that I am there, backing you in this work.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 7.129) So, your great master has engaged you all like so many dedicated soldiers. Now you must do relief work in this world of mortality and death. Do relief work. Somehow we have to get K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness for ourselves and also carry this news to our neighbours. Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;Whomever you meet, tell him about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and in this way, save the people.&quot; They are all under the influence of eternal mortality. Only this path is relevant to their condition; all other talks are irrelevant. Everyone is rushing into the jaws of death. This is the sum total of the news of this world; it is the only news. Every second everyone is entering into the jaws of death. This is the real problem - nothing else. The whole problem, if summarised, will come to this, that every second, every atom here is entering into the jaws of death. This is the great and only danger in the world. So, all other talks are irrelevant to the real problems of life; try to help them from entering into the jaws of death. This is the only problem in the whole world. Go forth and tell everyone about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Whatever you do, make them talk about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Save yourself and prepare yourself for the highest goal. Whenever you meet anyone, wherever you meet anyone, only talk of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. All other talks are irrelevant and redundant. Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;It is My command. Don&#x27;t think that if you do this and take the position of guru, when the people come to honour you, you will forget your ordinary position, become puffed up with pride, and go to hell; no, no, no. I order you: &#x27;Go on!&#x27; The relief work is there. You can&#x27;t stand idle as an onlooker. So, I say, &#x27;Jump! Start relief work.&#x27; I order you to do so. And I shall take whatever responsibility is there. The whole world is dying. So, always, at every second, the real need is k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-kath\u0101. You will get My association only by obeying My orders, and discharging the duty that I am entrusting with you. You will find Me there in you obedience of My order, in the discharge of the duty I impose on you.&quot; (SGAHG, p 57-8) + (see also \u015bloka 589)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c07\",\"title\":\"07. Love Beyond Liberation\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"Out of many liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is extremely rare.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(210)\",\"kad\u0101 \u015baure gaure vapusi parama-prema-rasade\",\"sad-eka-pr\u0101\u1e47a-ni\u1e63kapa\u1e6da-k\u1e5bta-bh\u0101vo&#x27;smbhavit\u0101\",\"kad\u0101 v\u0101 tasy\u0101laukika-sad-anum\u0101nena mama h\u1e5b\u1e0dy\",\"akasm\u0101t\u1e63r\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-pada-nakha-ma\u1e47i-jyotirudag\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Your golden form is the life and soul of Your devotees. It is the philanthropist that freely gives the nectar of divine love for You. When shall I wholeheartedly love this embodiment of nectar to my full satisfaction? I have finally understood the inner secret of this beautiful form. It is made of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101&#x27;s mood and complexion. O when will my heart be filled with the splendour of Her jewel toenails?&quot; (C-Cand, 68) + (SBRBM, p 13)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(211)\",\"k\u0101h\u0101\u1e45 mora pr\u0101na n\u0101tha mural\u012b-vadana\",\"k\u0101h\u0101\u1e45 karo\u1e45 k\u0101h\u0101\u1e45 p\u0101\u1e45 vrajendra-nandana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Where is my beloved K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? I can&#x27;t tolerate His separation. 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 Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Nanda?&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.15) After the function of sanny\u0101sa was finished, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu ran towards V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Sometimes He would run away so swiftly that the devotees could not trace Him, especially in the night, when they would lose Him in the darkness. Then, they would all be disappointed, thinking: &quot;\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, our lord and master, has left us!&quot; But suddenly they would hear Him far away, crying: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!&quot; in a piteous, wailing tone. Then they would run in that direction and see that He was lying on the ground, crying: k\u0101h\u0101\u1e45 mora pr\u0101na n\u0101tha mural\u012b-vadana. In a piteous, heart-rending tone, He was crying. In a bewildered state, with no consciousness of any particular direction, He would say: &quot;Who are you? I&#x27;m going to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Why are you disturbing Me?&quot; After nursing Him, again they began to start towards the west, towards V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu continued wandering in trance. But the great attraction of His devotees did not allow Him to go towards the west. Taking advantage of His trance, Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu somehow coaxingly turned Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s face towards \u015a\u0101ntipura. It is mentioned in the Caitanya-Bh\u0101gavata that beginning from Katwa, they went west until they reached a place near Vakre\u015bvara, about six miles north-east of Dubrar\u0101jpura, in the district of Birbhum. In Vi\u015bramatal\u0101, on the other side of the Adjai River, there is a place which is observed as the seat of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya. There, they say, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu turned His face from the west towards the east, or from V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana to \u015a\u0101ntipura. They wandered throughout the remaining evening, and then another day and night. Finally, on the third day, in the evening, He returned through Kalna to \u015a\u0101ntipura through the arrangements of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, who appeared before Mah\u0101prabhu in the red cloth of a renunciate. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, although so familiar with Him, couldn&#x27;t recognise Nity\u0101nanda. He saw a sanny\u0101s\u012b before Him and thought: &quot;I am going to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and here is a sanny\u0101s\u012b in front of Me.&quot; He said: &quot;O \u015ar\u012bp\u0101da sanny\u0101s\u012b, where are you going?&quot; &quot;I shall go to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana with You.&quot; &quot;How far is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana from here?&quot; Nity\u0101nanda showed Him the Ganges, near Kalna, saying&quot; &quot;Just see, there is the Yamun\u0101.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Oh, We have come so near the Yamun\u0101!&quot; Then, He took His bath in the Yamun\u0101, singing this verse: cid-\u0101nanda-bhano\u1e25 sad\u0101 nanda-suno\u1e25. (see also \u015blokas 110 &amp; 148) + (TGVODL, p 75)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(212)\",\"kahib\u0101ra kath\u0101 nahe,\",\"kahile keha n\u0101 bujhaye,\",\"aiche citra caitanyera\",\"ra\u1e45ga sei se bujhite p\u0101re,\",\"caitanyera k\u1e5bp\u0101 y\u0101\u1e45re,\",\"haya t\u0101\u1e45ra d\u0101s\u0101nud\u0101sa-sa\u1e45ga\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Such topics are not to be discussed freely because if they are, no one will understand them. Such are the wonderful pastimes of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. Unto one who is able to understand, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu has shown mercy by giving him the association of the servant of His own servant.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.83) And who will have faith in their words? Their representation? Though they cannot sometimes check them, but express them like a volcano. But where are those who will come to believe it? No! It is not so easy to understand, to have faith, to believe it. (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 3) + (see also \u015blokas 28 &amp; 606)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(213)\",\"kaivalya\u1e41 narak\u0101yate trida\u015bap\u016br\u0101k\u0101\u015ba-pu\u1e63p\u0101yate\",\"durdd\u0101ntendriya-k\u0101la-sarpa-pa\u1e6dal\u012b protkh\u0101ta-da\u1e41\u1e63\u1e6dr\u0101yate\",\"vi\u015bva\u1e41 p\u016br\u1e47a-sukh\u0101yate vidhi-mahendr\u0101di\u015b ca k\u012b\u1e6d\u0101yate\",\"yat k\u0101ru\u1e47ya-ka\u1e6d\u0101k\u1e63a-vaibhavat\u0101\u1e41 ta\u1e41 gauram eva stuma\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The yogis&#x27; most worshippable goal of merging with the Absolute appears as hell; the religious sense-pleasure-seekers&#x27; sought-after reward of entrance to heaven is seen as an imaginary insignificant flower in the sky; the senses, which are indomitable for the whimsical senseenjoyers, appear as a defanged black cobra; the entire universe is perceived as the embodiment of the ecstasy of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; and even the exalted post of Lord Brahm\u0101, Lord Indra, etc, fervently sought after by the most elevated of the demigods, is seen as comparable to the position of an insect - for those devotees who have been blessed with the supreme fortune of receiving the merciful glance of the Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. Ever do I sing the infinite glories of that Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b Gaurasundara.&quot; (C-cand, 5) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p xvi)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(214)\",\"kaivalya-prema-bh\u016bm\u0101v-akhila-rasa-sudh\u0101-sindhu-sa\u1e63c\u0101ra-dak\u1e63a\u1e41\",\"j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101py ev\u0101n ca r\u0101dh\u0101-pada-bhajan-sudh\u0101\u1e41 lilay\u0101p\u0101yayad yam\",\"\u015bakti\u1e41 sa\u1e63c\u0101rya gauro nija-bhajana-sudh\u0101-d\u0101na-dak\u1e63a\u1e41 cak\u0101ra\",\"sa \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa\u1e25 kad\u0101 m\u0101\u1e41 nija-pada-rajas\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63ita\u1e41 sa\u1e41vidhatte\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012b Gaura Hari knew that as an eternal associate of the Lord, \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa was already proficient in wandering throughout the ambrosial ocean of all mellows in the land of unalloyed love (Vraja rasa). Nonetheless to expand His own pastimes, the Lord enabled him to drink the sweet ecstasy of servitude unto \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and empowered him with the skill to distribute the nectar of His personal devotional service. When will that \u015ar\u012bmad R\u016bpa Prabhu grace me with the dust of his lotus feet?&quot; (P-D, 6) + (SBRBM, p 41)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(215)\",\"k\u0101l\u0101n na\u1e63\u1e6dam bhakti-yoga\u1e41 nija\u1e41 ya\u1e25,\",\"pr\u0101du\u1e63kartu\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya-n\u0101m\u0101\",\"\u0101virbh\u016btas tasya p\u0101d\u0101ravinde,\",\"g\u0101\u1e0dha\u1e41 g\u0101\u1e0dha\u1e41 l\u012byat\u0101\u1e41 citta-bh\u1e5b\u1e45ga\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya said: &quot;Let the honeybee of my mind dive deep into the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. He has appeared to revive the path of unalloyed devotion, which had almost become lost due to the influence of time.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 6.255) + (TGVODL, p 18) + (see also \u015bloka 539)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(216)\",\"k\u0101lena na\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101 pralaye,\",\"v\u0101\u1e47\u012bya\u1e41 veda-sa\u1e41j\u00f1it\u0101\",\"may\u0101dau brahma\u1e47e prokt\u0101,\",\"dharmo yasy\u0101\u1e41 mad-\u0101tmaka\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By the influence of time, the transcendental sound of Vedic knowledge was lost at the time of annihilation. Therefore, when the subsequent creation took place, I spoke the Vedic knowledge to Brahm\u0101 because I Myself am the religious principles enunciated in the Vedas.&quot; (S-B, 11.14.3) The following is from Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s English lecture at Dinajpur, West Bengal, India, 1869. &quot;We love to read a book which we have never read before. We are anxious to gather whatever information is contained in it, and with such acquirement our curiosity stops. This mode of study prevails amongst a great number of readers who are great men in their own estimation as well as in the estimation of those who are of their own stamp. In fact, most readers are mere repositories of facts and statements made by other people. But this is not study. The student is to read the facts with a view to create, and not with the object of fruitless retention. Students, like satellites, should reflect whatever light they receive from authors, and not imprison the facts and thoughts just as the magistrates imprison the convicts in the jail! Thought is progressive. The authors thought must have progress in the reader in the shape of correction or development. He is the best critic who can show the further development of an old thought; but a mere denouncer is the enemy of progress and consequently of nature. Progress certainly is the law of nature, and there must be corrections and developments with the progress of time. But progress means going further or rising higher. The shallow critic and the fruitless reader are the two great enemies of progress. We must shun them. The true critic, on the other hand, advises us to preserve what we have already obtained, and to adjust our race from that point where we have arrived in the heat of our progress. He will never advise us to go back to the point whence we started, as he fully knows that in that case there will be a fruitless loss of our valuable time and labour. He will direct the adjustment of the angle of our race at the point where we are. This is also the characteristic of the useful student. He will read an old author and will find out his exact position in the progress of thought. He will never propose to burn a book on the ground that it contains thoughts which are useless. No thought is useless. Thoughts are means by which we attain our objects. The reader who denounces a bad thought does not know that a bad road is even capable of improvement and conversion into a good one. One thought is a road leading to another. Thus, the reader will find that one thought, which is the object today, will be the means of a further object tomorrow. Thoughts will necessarily continue to be an endless series of means and objects in the progress of humanity. The great reformers will always assert that they have come not to destroy the old law, but to fulfil it. Valmiki, Vy\u0101sa, Plato, Jesus, Mohammed, Confucius and Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu assert the fact either expressly or by their conduct. Our critic, however, may nobly tell us that a reformer like Vy\u0101sa, unless purely explained, may lead thousands of men into great trouble in time to come. But dear critic! Study the history of ages and countries! Where have you found the philosopher and reformer fully understood by the people? The popular religion is fear of God, and not the pure spiritual love which Plato, Vy\u0101sa, Jesus, and Caitanya taught to their respective peoples! Whether you give the absolute religion in figures or simple expressions, or teach them by means of books or oral speeches, the ignorant and the thoughtless must degrade it. It is indeed very easy to tell, and swift to hear, that Absolute Truth has such an affinity with the human soul that it comes through as if intuitively, and that no exertion is necessary to teach the precepts of true religion, but this is a deceptive idea. It may be true of ethics and of the alphabet of religion, but not of the highest form of faith, which requires an exalted soul to understand. All higher truths, though intuitive, require previous education in the simpler ones. That religion is the purest which gives us the purest idea of God. How then is it possible that the ignorant will ever obtain the absolute religion, as long as they are ignorant? So, we are not to scandalise the Saviour of Jerusalem or the Saviour of Nadia for these are subsequent evils. Luthers, instead of critics, are what we want for the correction of those evils by the true interpretation of the original precepts. God gives us truth as He gave it to Vy\u0101sa, when we earnestly seek for it. Truth is eternal and inexhaustible. The soul receives a revelation when it is anxious for it. The souls of the great thinkers of the bygone ages, who now live spiritually, often approach our enquiring spirit and assist it in its development. Thus, Vy\u0101sa was assisted by N\u0101rada and Brahm\u0101. Our \u015b\u0101stras, or in other words, books of thought, do not contain all that we could get from the infinite Father. No book is without its errors. God&#x27;s revelation is Absolute Truth, but it is scarcely received and preserved in its natural purity. We have been advised in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (11.14.3) (k\u0101lena na\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101 pralaye) to believe that truth when revealed is absolute, but it gets the tincture of the nature of the receiver in course of time, and is converted into error by continual exchange of hands from age to age. New revelations, therefore, are continually necessary in order to keep truth in its original purity. We are thus warned to be careful in our studies of old authors, however wise they are reputed to be. Here, we have full liberty to reject the wrong idea, which is not sanctioned by the peace of conscience. Vy\u0101sa was not satisfied with what he collected in the Vedas, arranged in the Pur\u0101nas, and composed in the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata. The peace of his conscience did not sanction his labours. It told him from inside: &quot;No, Vy\u0101sa! You can&#x27;t rest contented with the erroneous picture of truth which was necessarily presented to you by the sages of bygone days! You must yourself knock at the door of the inexhaustible store of truth from which the former sages drew their wealth. Go! Go up to the fountainhead of truth, where no pilgrim meets with disappointment of any kind. Vy\u0101sa did it and obtained what he wanted. We have all been advised to do so. Liberty then, is the principle which we must consider as the most valuable gift of God. We must not allow ourselves to be led by those who lived and thought before us. We must think for ourselves and try to get further truths, which are still undiscovered. In the \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam (11.21.23) we have been advised to take the spirit of the \u015b\u0101stras, and not the words. (see \u015bloka 365). The Bh\u0101gavata is therefore a religion of liberty, unmixed truth, and absolute love. The other characteristic is progress. Liberty certainly is the father of all progress. Holy liberty is the cause of progress upwards and upwards in eternity and endless activity of love. Liberty misused causes degradation, and the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava must always carefully use this high and beautiful gift of God. The spirit of this text goes far to honour all great reformers and teachers who lived and will live in other countries. The Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is ready to honour all men without distinction of caste, because they are filled with the energy of God. See how universal is the religion of the Bh\u0101gavata. It is not intended for a certain class of Hindus alone, but it is a gift to man at large, in whatever country he is born, and in whatever society he is bred. In short, Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism is the Infinite Love binding all men together into the infinite unconditioned and absolute God. May peace reign forever in the whole universe in the continual development of its purity by the exertion of the future heroes, who will be blessed according to the promise of the Bh\u0101gavata with powers from the Almighty Father, the Creator, Preserver, and the Annihilator of all things in Heaven and Earth.&quot; ( Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura) &quot;The message of the Vedas is eternal religion, nondifferent from Me. When in the course of time those eternal teachings disappeared from view with the universal cataclysm, I imparted them to Lord Brahm\u0101 at the dawning of a new creation.&quot; (S-B, 11.14.3) + (SSPJ, p 160) &quot;By the influence of time, the transcendental sound of Vedic knowledge was lost at the time of annihilation. Again, at the time of creation, I first inspired Brahm\u0101 the creator from within his heart. And then, through Brahm\u0101, so many disciples were enlightened. They in turn enlightened their disciples. And in this way, the line of revealed truth descends from Me.&quot; (S-B, 11.14.3) + (LSFTLS, p V1) + (see \u015bloka 184) &quot;In the complete dissolution, everything was finished. Then I, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, taught Brahm\u0101, and it was subsequently passed to Bh\u1e5bgu, Mar\u012bci, etc.&quot; From there, Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a delivered the Uddhava-g\u012bt\u0101; how to account for the different conceptions of religion in this world? Arjuna proclaimed: &quot;Besides You, none can give the proper answer to this question. So, I ask You, my Lord, to explain to me why there are so many different conceptions of religion in this world.&quot; Then, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a began to explain: &quot;In the beginning, it was one religion and it was extended from Me to Lord Brahm\u0101, the creator. Then Brahm\u0101 began to give vent to this conception and many came as his disciples. According to their peculiar nature, they understood it, but with a little modification. Again, when they are delivering to their own disciples, there is some modification. It comes - modification of this world - and then also some extra-misinterpretation has grown mixing the two. But I am the thing of the whole - I am the aim of all religious conception. mad-\u0101tmakah, I am the spirit of the real conception of religion.&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 6-7) + (see \u015bloka 438)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(217)\",\"kaler do\u1e63a-nidhe r\u0101jann\",\"asti hy eko mah\u0101n gu\u1e47a\u1e25\",\"k\u012brttan\u0101d eva k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47asya\",\"mukta-sa\u1e45ga\u1e25 para\u1e41 vrajet\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b tells Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: &quot;O King, the age of Kali, the repository of all evils, has but one glorious characteristic: in this age, those who simply chant the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are liberated and reach the Supreme Lord.&quot; (S-B, 12.3.51) (SOTGOD, v 2, p 22) + (SBRBM, p 14) + (see \u015blokas 577 &amp; 138)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(218)\",\"kali-ghora timire garasala jaga jana\",\"dharama karama rahu d\u016bra\",\"as\u0101dhane cint\u0101ma\u1e47i vidhi mil\u0101ola \u0101ni\",\"gor\u0101 ba\u1e0da day\u0101ra \u1e6dh\u0101kura.\",\"bh\u0101ire bh\u0101i gor\u0101-gu\u1e47a kahane n\u0101 y\u0101ya.\",\"kata \u015bata \u0101nana kata catur\u0101nana\",\"bara\u1e47iy\u0101 ora nahi p\u0101ya\",\"c\u0101ri-veda \u1e63a\u1e0da dara\u015bana kari adhyayana\",\"se yadi gaur\u0101\u1e45ga nahi bhaje.\",\"b\u1e5bth\u0101 t\u0101ra adhyayana nayana bih\u012bna jana\",\"darapane a\u1e47dhe kib\u0101 k\u0101je\",\"veda vidy\u0101 dui kichui n\u0101 j\u0101nata\",\"se yadi gaur\u0101\u1e45ga j\u0101ne s\u0101ra.\",\"nayan\u0101nanda bhane sei se sakali j\u0101ne\",\"sarva-siddhikaratale t\u0101ra.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When the dense nescience of the age of Kali covered the intelligence and consciousness of worldly people, their piety and spiritual principles receded far away. Despite this disqualification, divine providence brought to them the desire fulfilling gem cint\u0101ma\u1e47i, Gaura the Lord of all Transcendental magnanimity and mercy. My dear brothers, the glories of Gaura are unlimited. Even great personalities of versatile intelligence like Lord Brahm\u0101 cannot find their end. If a person is well read and educated in the knowledge of the four Vedas and six philosophies but cannot appreciate \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, then all his education and accumulation of knowledge are simply useless, just as a mirror is of no use to a blind man. Nayananda says a person who has no awareness of the Vedas or higher education but knows in his heart that Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga is the Divine Essence of all truth, must be considered truly wise and all success will eventually come to him.&quot; (Nayananda Prabhu) (SBRBM, p 8-9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(219)\",\"k\u0101liya-dokha korobi bin\u0101\u015b\u0101\",\"\u015bodhobi nad\u012b-jala b\u0101\u1e0dobi \u0101\u015b\u0101,\",\"bhakativinoda tuw\u0101 gokula-dhana\",\"r\u0101khobi ke\u015bava! korato jatana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Although the K\u0101liya serpent&#x27;s venom has poisoned the Yamun\u0101&#x27;s waters, I know that poison will not act. Your presence will cleanse the waters and so increase our confidence in Your protection. Bhaktivinoda is now the property of Gokula, Your holy abode, O Ke\u015bava. Kindly protect him with care.&quot; (TSOBT, p 26-7) How are we to enter into such a loving relationship with the Lord? Through the grace of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. One devotee has said: &quot;If Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga had not come, how could we live? And who would inform us about our ultimate prospect of life?&quot; (see \u015bloka 574). We have such a great prospect. And yet, without Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, who would have come to inform us that we have so much wealth within? And \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga says: &quot;You do not know, but you have such a great magnitude of wealth.&quot; His coming to inform us of our prospect is like the astrologer who reads a poor man&#x27;s horoscope (see \u015bloka 436) and tells him: &quot;Why are you living a poor life? You have immense wealth buried underground. Try to recover it. You are so great and your guardian is so loving and so high, and yet you are wandering like a poor fellow in the street! What is this? You are not helpless; it is not that you have no guardian. You have only to remember your merciful guardian.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 1V)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(220)\",\"k\u0101ma-preme dekho bh\u0101i,\",\"lak\u1e63anete bheda n\u0101i\",\"tabhu k\u0101ma `prema&#x27; n\u0101hi haya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My brother, lust and love appear as one and the same; yet, lust is never love.&quot; (KK, U, 18) Karmma-m\u0101\u1e41samaya k\u0101ma - lust is only concerned with flesh and blood, but prema, is the cid-\u0101nanda-dh\u0101ma - the abode of consciousness and blissfulness. There is no question of perceiving it through these mundane senses. Our ideal must be pure, and we must strive for it. We may be in a lower position, but if the ideal is clearly before us, that will help us in our real improvement of life. A man who possesses the true ideal is a real &#x27;capitalist&#x27; in gaining a better position. (SOTGOD, v1, p 105) + (see also \u015blokas 62 &amp; 198) Roughly calculating, there is no difference between lust and love. But, still, you carefully note that lust is not love. One is connected with this lower feeling, this flesh and blood. And the other, with the highest reach of the soul! \u0101prak\u1e5bta prak\u1e5bta v\u0101t, very similar to mundane, but not mundane. That is the highest position. (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 7) + (see also \u015blokas 62, 220, 261, 375, 420 &amp; 486)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(221)\",\"kam prati kathayitum \u012b\u015be,\",\"samprati ko v\u0101 prat\u012btim \u0101y\u0101tu\",\"go-pati-tanay\u0101-ku\u00f1je,\",\"gopa-vadh\u016b\u1e6d\u012b-vita\u1e41 brahma\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;To whom can I tell it, and whoever will believe it, that the Supreme Absolute, Param Brahman, the Paramour of the damsels of Vraja, is enjoying in the groves on the banks of the Yamun\u0101?&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.98) + (P, 98) Mah\u0101prabhu has suggested to us: &quot;Try for the chance for your fortune in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. There is such a wonderful process: Nanda and Ya\u015bod\u0101 (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s father and mother) has captured the Absolute and He is crawling in their compound (aham iha nanda\u1e41 vande yasy\u0101linde para\u1e41 brahma - see \u015bloka 480). Try to secure a position there, however negligible it may be. Try your fortune.&quot; So, we are in search of such a fortune where all other proposals are eliminated. Kam prati kathayitum \u012b\u015be. - It is inconceivable that the Brahman, the greatest, the Absolute, has come to search for the least love of the cowherd damsels of the gop\u012b class. He has approached in such a near and close way, and in such an ordinary, rural style. Try your fortune there. We are out to do just that, under the guidance of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva, who is understood to be the combination of the positive and negative aspects of the Absolute. The positive is busy distributing Himself to others. Mah\u0101prabhu is that infinitely and inconceivably generous aspect of the Supreme. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 13-4) + (SBRBM, p 26) + (see also \u015bloka 425)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(222)\",\"ka\u1e41s\u0101rir api sa\u1e41sara,\",\"v\u0101san\u0101-baddha\u015b\u1e5bnkhal\u0101m\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101m \u0101dh\u0101ya h\u1e5bdaye,\",\"tatyaja vraja sundari\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a took \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b within His heart, for He wanted to dance with Her. In this way, He left the arena of the r\u0101sa dance and the company of all the other beautiful damsels of Vraja.&quot; ( G-G, 3.1) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.106) Uddhava has shown us the high position of the gop\u012bs. And between all the gop\u012bs and \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, there is also a categorical difference. That was proved in r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101. When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the gop\u012bs openly displayed Their transaction of heart, with that divine rasa flowing, and inundating all directions, R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b was also there. She gave the highest contribution to the common r\u0101sa-vil\u0101sa display of the parak\u012bya-m\u0101dhurya-rasa, paramour mellow. Then, suddenly, dissatisfaction came in R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s heart. She began to think: &quot;Am I also counted in the common flow of rasa?&quot; Some reaction came within Her mind, and suddenly She left. After displaying her peculiar type of superexcellent dancing and singing, introducing a flow of new type there, suddenly She departed. She left the circle of the r\u0101sa dance. And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a suddenly found: &quot;R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is not here. It is tasteless.&quot; The flow of rasa was there, but the gist, the quality, is a little down. He felt: &quot;Why is it not so satisfactory to My inner heart?&quot; He felt some ebb in the tide. And then by inspection He found that R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b was absent. Disappointed, He left the circle of the r\u0101sa dance, and went to search after Her. Although the parak\u012bya-m\u0101dhurya-rasa, the highest mellow of conjugal love, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and the gop\u012bs were all there, still there is a categorical difference in quality and quantity, in every way, between the other gop\u012bs and the particular camp of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Jayadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, in his G\u012bt\u0101 Govinda (3.1) has described how K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a left the circle of the r\u0101sa dance. Ka\u1e41s\u0101rir api sa\u1e41sara, v\u0101san\u0101baddha\u015b\u1e5bnkhal\u0101m. Jayadeva has described in this way that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a left the circle of the r\u0101sa dance, taking R\u0101dh\u0101 within His heart. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a departed in search of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Her position is so exalted. It is said: &quot;Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s transcendental desires for loving exchanges could not be satisfied even in the midst of billions of gop\u012bs. Thus He went searching after \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Just imagine how transcendentally qualified She is!&quot; (\u015bata-koti-gop\u012bte nahe k\u0101ma niv\u0101pna - C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.116) + (see also \u015bloka 441). The other gop\u012bs numbered so many, but in quality they were a little less. Their total combination could not satisfy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The qualitative difference was there. That is found. (SGAHG, p 1523) + (see also \u015bloka 390 &amp; 395) Once, R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b left the r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101 when She saw that all the gop\u012bs were being dealt with almost equally by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Equal treatment towards one and all did not satisfy Her. So She decided to display a composition of singing and dancing to please K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in a most wonderful transcendental way. R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b showed Her skill in various ways, and then at the last moment, She suddenly disappeared. And as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was engaged in that combined singing and dancing, He suddenly found that R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b was absent. So He left everyone to search for R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. He met Her on the way, and after walking for some time, R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b told Him: &quot;I can&#x27;t move, I can&#x27;t walk anymore. If You would like to go on, You will have to carry Me, I cannot go further.&quot; And suddenly, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a disappeared. In his Bhagavat\u0101rka-Mar\u012bci-M\u0101l\u0101, his translations of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam verses, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura explains that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was thinking: &quot;I would like to see what will be the mentality of separation in Her.&quot; Only to appreciate the depth of the separation She felt from Him did K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a disappear. Then of course K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a returned after some time.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(223)\",\"kanaka pasyanti kamini mayayo jagat\",\"pasyanti dhana mayo jagat dhara mayo jagat\",\"khira prayanti narayano jagat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Our own tendency for exploitation and renunciation creates so many units of this plane, like so much dust to blind our eyes so we can&#x27;t see Him. kanaka pasyanti kamini mayayo jagat. Those who are lustful try to find out where is a beautiful lady. pasyanti dhana mayo jagat. The greedy people always busy their minds with the thought, &quot;Oh, there is Birla, there is Tata, there is Ford,&quot; who are the moneyed men in this world. They think only about moneyed men because they love wealth the most. dhara mayo jagat and khira prayanti narayano jagat. Those who are liberated from the outer external influences may find, &quot;Oh, I am in the kingdom of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, who is the support and guardian of the whole world. We see His hand everywhere. Without His direction nothing can move.&quot; They may boast that, &quot;I have got such power, I have got such beauty, I have got wealth,&quot; but it is all a false show. The real backing spirit is N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the all pervading, all knowing, all good principle. And the temporary external plane is the killing aspect of existence. It is only our prejudices of so many types that have captured us. (GOD, p 20)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(224)\",\"karma\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 pari\u1e47\u0101mitv\u0101d,\",\"\u0101-virincy\u0101d ama\u1e45galam\",\"vip\u015bcin na\u015bvaram pa\u015byed,\",\"ad\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dam api d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6da-vat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;An intelligent person should see that any material activity is subject to constant transformation and that even on the planet of Lord Brahm\u0101 there is thus simply unhappiness. Indeed, a wise man can understand that just as all that he has seen is temporary, similarly, all things within the universe have a beginning and an end.&quot; (S-B, 11.19.18) &quot;What can you really give me from that place where even Brahm\u0101 in charge of the creation is also suffering. He who is the general creator of the world - he cannot even attain The Supreme in his heart nor in deep meditation?&quot; It seems that this is no small achievement. It is a very rare connection. Knowing that - then, who are we? (see also \u015bloka 489) + (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(225)\",\"karma\u1e47y ev\u0101dhik\u0101ras te,\",\"m\u0101 phale\u1e63u kad\u0101cana\",\"m\u0101 karma-phala-hetur bh\u016br,\",\"m\u0101 te sa\u1e45go &#x27;stv akarma\u1e47i\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I shall now describe ni\u1e63k\u0101ma karma-yoga, the path of selfless action. You have a right to perform your natural prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to any fruits of that action. You should neither act with desire to enjoy the fruits of your work, nor, as a result, should you be attached to neglecting your duties.&quot; (B-g, 2.47) We are only agents, and we are working because He has ordered us, so we must remember what is bhakti, what is devotion proper. Whatever I do, the wage I earn must not come to me; I am only an agent. The benefit should go to the proprietor, to my master, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We should move with this idea, and that will be bhakti proper. Otherwise, we will be engaged in karmak\u0101nda: fruit-hunting. I want to enjoy the result of karma for myself, but the result should go to my master. I am His servant, I am working under His order. I am His slave; I am not the proprietor. I am not the proper person to be the recipient of the fruits of energy. The master of energy is the Supreme Lord, and all the products of energy should go to Him. It must not be tampered with on the way. This should be the attitude of every worker. Then it will be bhakti proper. We are not the recipients; He is the recipient. We must always be conscious that the only beneficiary is He. Only then are we devotees. We are not the beneficiaries, but selfless workers. It is said in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (2.47): karma\u1e47y ev\u0101dhik\u0101ras te: &quot;You have a right to perform your duty, but you have no right to enjoy the fruits of your work.&quot; This is a great warning. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Do not think that because you are not the beneficiary of the fruits of your action, you have no reason to take so much trouble to work - never.&quot; That is the most heinous curse, to think that because I am not the beneficiary, I am not going to work. Even selfless activity is also of a lower order. Rather we must perform godly activity for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. That is bhakti, or devotion. And there is also a gradation in bhakti: there is a big division between vidhi-bhakti and r\u0101ga-bhakti, calculative devotion and spontaneous devotion. God is not a constitutional king, but He is an autocrat. To work for an autocrat is the highest conception of sacrifice. What degree of selflessness and courage is required to work for an autocrat, a despot, a liar who is up to anything? Not only that, His normal position is such. It is not a temporary temperament, but His eternal inner nature. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is an autocrat because law emanates from Him. An autocrat is above law. When there are many, there is a need for law; when there is only one, there is no need for law. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a despot, but He is absolute good. If there is any check in His despotism, the world will be the loser. Goodness must have its full flow. Is that bad? Can there be any objection to this? Goodness must have its freedom to flow anywhere and everywhere. If we say that God is absolute good, then what do we lose by giving Him autocracy? Should autocracy be with the ignorant and fools? No. The absolute good must have full autocracy. Not that law will go to bind His hands. Then we will be losers. And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a liar, to entice us, because we cannot understand the whole truth. So to entice us to gradually come to the truth, He has become a liar. The first thing to understand is that He is all goodness, so everything emanating from Him cannot but be good. Any defect is on our side. We are encroachers. He is not an encroacher. But He shows this as His play, l\u012bl\u0101. Everything belongs to Him, so there is no lying. When He says: &quot;Let there be light,&quot; there was light: &quot;Let there be water,&quot; there was water. If He has such potential power, can there be any lying there? We have to sacrifice ourselves for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, because He is the absolute good, beauty, and love. Faith and selflessness are required to such a high degree. If we accept K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness as our highest ideal, then so much sacrifice is necessary, but sacrifice means life: &quot;Die to live.&quot; There is no loss by sacrifice. We can only gain by giving ourselves. So, k\u012brtana, or preaching has been accepted as the means to the end. There are so many ways by which we can approach the souls of this world with k\u012brtana: by direct approach, through books, and by performing sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, chanting the Holy Name congregationally. By helping others, we help ourselves: we help our own fortune and our own faith. Not only will others benefit by our performance of k\u012brtana, but we will also benefit eternally. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (2.47): &quot;Never be attached to not doing your duty (m\u0101 te sa\u1e45go &#x27;stv akarma\u1e47i). Because you are required to work for Me, will you stop work? Don&#x27;t subject yourself to that painful reaction, for then you will be doomed. Don&#x27;t be attached to stop-work and strike. No. That is a dangerous vacuum. Don&#x27;t jump there in that eternal vacuum, but work for Me, and you will thrive.&quot; (TSFSK, p 9-10) + (see also \u015blokas 434 &amp; 283) There may be so many stalwarts, like Bh\u012b\u1e63ma and Dro\u1e47a, who fall flat in the battlefield, but still we must go on. (karma\u1e47y ev\u0101dhik\u0101ras te, m\u0101 phale\u1e63u kad\u0101cana, B-g, 2.47). We are out to fight to the end. We must achieve our end of life, and we can imbibe such firmness from the character of the devotees. The \u015bastra will also offer helpful advice, but the association of the devotees is nonetheless of ultimate importance. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 43) + (see also \u015bloka 558) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (2.47): &quot;Give your full concentration to discharging your duty and not to the result of your work. The result is with Me; all responsibility is with Me.&quot; Higher calculation is like that. The generals say: &quot;March! Go forward. Onward! You have to go. You are my soldiers; whatever I shall ask, you must do. You may die and the victory may come afterward; that is not your concern. You are soldiers; many of you may be finished, but the country as a whole will gain.&quot; In this way, so many important lives may be sacrificed. And as soldiers, we have no right to calculate whether we shall gain or lose in the long run. There are two things we must be very careful about. We shouldn&#x27;t think that if we can&#x27;t enjoy the fruits of our labour, then there is no reason to work. At the same time, we shouldn&#x27;t think that we must get some share of the fruits. Remembering this, we should go on discharging our duty to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That is devotion, and that is the meaning of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101. Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 says: &quot;You can&#x27;t change the environment. If you want peace, you must regulate yourself according to the environment.&quot; The whole gist of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101&#x27;s advice is found here: Try to adjust yourself with the environment, because you are not the master of the environment. All your energy should be devoted to regulate yourself and not the outside world. This is the key to success in spiritual life.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 17-8) + (see also \u015bloka 530)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(226)\",\"karmibhya\u1e25 parito hare\u1e25 priyatay\u0101 vyakti\u1e41 yayur j\u00f1\u0101ninas\",\"tebhyo j\u00f1\u0101na-vimukta-bhakti-param\u0101\u1e25 premaika-ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101s tata\u1e25\",\"tebhyas t\u0101\u1e25 pa\u015bu-p\u0101la-pa\u1e45kaja-d\u1e5b\u015bas t\u0101bhyo &#x27;pi s\u0101 r\u0101dhik\u0101\",\"pre\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 tadvad iya\u1e41 tad\u012bya-saras\u012b t\u0101\u1e41 n\u0101\u015brayet ka\u1e25 k\u1e5bt\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"There are those in the world who regulate their tendency for exploitation in accordance with the scriptural rules and thereby seek gradual elevation to the spiritual domain. However, superior to them are those wise men who, having given up the tendency to lord over others, attempt to dive deep into the realm of consciousness. But far superior to them are the pure devotees who are free from any mundane ambitions and are liberated from knowledge, not by knowledge, having achieved divine love. They have gained entrance into the land of dedication and are engaged there spontaneously in the Lord&#x27;s loving service. Among all devotees, however, the gop\u012bs are the highest, for they have forsaken everyone, including their families, and everything, including the strictures of the Vedas, and have taken complete shelter at the lotus feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, accepting Him as their only protection. But among all the gop\u012bs, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b reigns supreme. For K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a left the company of millions of gop\u012bs during the rasa dance to search for Her alone. She is so dear to \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a that the pond in which She bathes is His very favourite place. Who but a madman would not aspire to render service, under the shelter of superior devotees, in that most exalted of all holy places.&quot; (U, 10) + (LSFTLS, p 89) Of course, even if we are going the right way, it is never certain that the path will be free from obstacles. Even if we are making progress, unexpected hindrances may trouble us and delay our advancement. Though we see many around us falling or retreating, we must go forward. We should have the conviction to think that although many began with us on the path and are now going back, we shall have to go on. We shall have to strengthen our energy and go forward - alone if necessary. Our faith should be so strong that we have the conviction to go on alone if necessary and by the grace of our Lord cross whatever difficulties we find on our way. In this way we must make ourselves fit. We must develop exclusive devotion. Of course, we shall always try to find good association. Yet sometimes it may seem that there is no association, that we are alone. Still, we must go on and search out the beacon light of the truth. Progress means eliminating one thing and accepting another. Yet we should be able to see that there are so many others who can help us in our progress in the line of dedication; we must go forward with our eyes open. And the scriptures describe many levels that we shall have to cross beyond in our progress. By elimination, the path of progress is shown from Brahm\u0101 to \u015aiva to Lak\u1e63m\u012b. At last Uddhava is shown to be superior to all. But it is his opinion that the gop\u012bs are the highest devotees. This is confirmed by R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b: karmibhya\u1e25 parito hare\u1e25 priyatay\u0101 vyakti\u1e41 yayur j\u00f1\u0101ninas. In His talks with R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu repeatedly says: eho b\u0101hya \u0101ge kaha \u0101ra. &quot;Go further, go deeper, go higher!&quot; (see also \u015bloka 140). There are so many who consider their position to be the highest, who, achieving a particular stage, stop there. But we find in San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s B\u1e5bhad-Bh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5btam how Gopa-kum\u0101ra, beginning from the lowest stage of devotion, gradually makes progress through different levels, and at last comes to the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception in the mellow of friendship - sakhya rasa. There it is described how he gradually eliminates one stage and makes further progress to the highest stages of devotion. As he progresses from one level to the next, everyone seems to be very helpful to him, but gradually, their company seems to him to be stale. At that time, a higher chance is given to him through an agent of divinity, and, leaving that plane behind, he goes to a new and higher plane. In this way, the progress of dedication is shown in B\u1e5bhad-Bh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5btam. Just as in the tangible world there is the sun, the moon, and so many other planets, in the world of faith there is a gradation of planetary systems. We have to scrutinise the scriptures, take advantage of the guidance given by the saints, and understand how the progress of faith to the highest plane is achieved by eliminating the lower planes. And whenever there is any doubt, we should consult with some higher agent in order to make progress. Spiritual reality is eternal existence, complete consciousness, and ecstasy. Mere existence cannot fulfil us. Even our inner hankering and feeling, consciousness, is not sufficient. We require rasa and \u0101nanda, ecstasy, to give us fulfilment. Spiritual realisation is also of different types. We have to distinguish between different spiritual conceptions, and our choices improve as we dive deeper into reality. We must die to live. And the consideration of death is also deep, deeper, and deepest. The gradation of higher and lower is always there. If we are to progress, there must be elimination and acceptance. The duties that we find ourselves in the midst of may be left for higher duties. In this way we must progress, while always consulting the saints and scriptures. They will guide us in the ocean of faith. Otherwise the spiritual world is unknown and unknowable. The Absolute Truth is known and knowable to a particular section, and they have given us direction. If we take advantage of that, then by the guidance of saints and scriptures we shall gradually eliminate our faults. First we must eliminate this mortal existence. Then, we must satisfy our reason, our consciousness. And finally, we must satisfy our heart. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says that the heart is the most important thing within us. We should follow the direction of the heart. The highest fulfilment is fulfilment of the heart, not fulfilment of consciousness, or the attainment of eternal existence. Eternal existence has no meaning if it is not conscious, and consciousness has no meaning if it does not give any fulfilment. So sat, eternal existence, cit, consciousness, and \u0101nanda, fulfilment, ecstasy, are the three principles of our ultimate destination. And considering these as our goal, we shall progress further and further in our spiritual life. (LSFTLS, p 8-11) + (see also \u015bloka 554) We are trying to understand what is what in the spiritual thought-world. We are not enchanted or captured by the mere form. We are interested in the step by step development in spiritual thought. In his Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta (10), \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has said: karmibhya\u1e25 parito hare\u1e25 priyatay\u0101 vyakti\u1e41 yayur j\u00f1\u0101ninas: &quot;Out of many materialists one may be a philosopher. Out of many philosophers, one may become liberated and take to devotional service. Out of many devotees, one may attain pure love of Krsna. He is the best of all.&quot; We are interested in understanding this gradation: what is the Vir\u0101ja river, what is the spiritual sky, the planet of Lord \u015aiva, the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha world of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, Lord R\u0101ma&#x27;s Ayodhy\u0101, and then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Dw\u0101rak\u0101, Mathur\u0101, and V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana? We want to know the realistic view of the whole gradation of devotional thought. Krsna shows this gradation in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam - (see also \u015bloka 329) (SGAHG, p 23) In the conversation between R\u0101man\u0101nda R\u0101y\u0101 and \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu we find it mentioned that R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s devotional service is categorically higher than that of the gop\u012bs (tebhyas t\u0101\u1e25 pa\u015bu-p\u0101la-pa\u1e45kaja-d\u1e5b\u015bas t\u0101bhyo &#x27;pi s\u0101 r\u0101dhik\u0101). The kind of serving spirit we find there is unaccountable and inconceivable. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu came with that quality of adherence to the truth: unconditional surrender. He came seeking that fortune of serving the truth. If we can seek such a high type of existence, we may consider ourselves most fortunate. Self-surrender is the very basis of our highest fortune. We cannot but surrender ourselves to whatever beautiful and valuable thing we have come across. Our appreciation for any higher thing is shown by the degree of our surrender to that. So, we can measure the quality of the truth we are connected with only by the intensity of our surrender. (TSFSK, p 87) &quot;In the \u015b\u0101stra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favoured by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge, j\u00f1\u0101n\u012bs, one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, is superior to him. The gop\u012bs are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gop\u012bs, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is the most dear to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Her ku\u1e47\u1e0da (lake) is as profoundly dear to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as this most beloved of the gop\u012bs. Who, then, will not reside at R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings (apr\u0101k\u1e5bta-bh\u0101va), render loving service to the Divine Couple \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda, who perform Their a\u1e63\u1e6dak\u0101l\u012bya-l\u012bl\u0101, Their eternal eightfold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da are the most fortunate people in the universe.&quot; (U, 10). (\u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s translation)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(227)\",\"&#x27;ke \u0101mi,&#x27; &#x27;kene \u0101m\u0101ya j\u0101re t\u0101pa-traya&#x27;\",\"ih\u0101 n\u0101hi j\u0101ni -- &#x27;kemane hita haya&#x27;\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? If I do not know this, how can I be benefited? (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20.102) With real knowledge all the general questions such as where we are to go, how to go, and why we should go, are to be solved in order to help others. &#x27;ke \u0101mi,&#x27; &#x27;kene \u0101m\u0101ya j\u0101re t\u0101pa-traya.&#x27; &quot;Who am I? Why am I troubled? And how can I achieve my desired end? These fundamental problems should be solved, and if you have the solution you must give it to others. &quot;My friends, come and solve your problems!&quot; That will be the mentality of a preacher - and found very intensely in an \u0100c\u0101rya. Someone may have a sincere urge, but may not be completely aware of the danger, and may them self become infected. The proper path follows a fine strategy: with the help of a higher agent one may approach, otherwise not. Without the help of a higher agent, he&#x27;ll be lost. When someone goes to cure a patient, if they are not able to cure the patient, then the patients&#x27; germ will attack them and they will also die with the patient. In that case s\/he won&#x27;t be of any help and s\/he should not approach. S\/he should inform the higher doctor and ask for better medicine to help the serious patient. In the case of doubt that: &quot;With my meagre medicine and meagre instruments I may not be able to cure this patient,&quot; one should not venture to approach the patient, but instead one will appeal to the doctor of a higher position. This is very reasonable. Following Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s advice to help others, still it may be found in rare cases that the doctor approaches with a good heart to cure the patient, but die themselves. It is also not impossible, but not desirable. (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 21) + (see also \u015bloka 589 &amp; 337)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(228)\",\"kecit kevalay\u0101 bhakty\u0101,\",\"v\u0101sudeva-par\u0101ya\u1e47\u0101\u1e25\",\"agha\u1e41 dhunvanti k\u0101rtsnyena,\",\"n\u012bh\u0101ram iva bh\u0101skara\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Only a rare person who has adopted complete, unalloyed devotional service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can uproot the weeds of sinful actions with no possibility that they will revive. He can do this simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays.&quot; (S-B, 6.1.15) &quot;But most rarely, the devotee who is cent-per-cent absorbed in the service of Lord V\u0101sudeva annihilates all sins at the root by his practice of exclusive devotion which is indifferent to the above mentioned practices of austerity, etc. As the sun completely destroys a mountain of snow, the exclusive devotees absorbed in the service of V\u0101sudeva are also similarly able to totally uproot sin by the strength of their devotion, that is, even without exerting themselves.&quot; (S-B, 6.1.15) Such peace can never be found anywhere else. Our proper understanding and adjustment with the highest centre will give us such peace and freedom from anxiety of all types that cannot be achieved by any artificial methods which are devoid of understanding of the highest centre. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 95) + (see also \u015bloka 506)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(229)\",\"ke\u015bava tuw\u0101 jagata\",\"bicitra karama-vip\u0101ke\",\"bhava-bana bhrama-i,\",\"pekhalu\u1e45 ra\u1e45ga bahu citra\",\"tuw\u0101 pada-bism\u1e5bti,\",\"\u0101-mara jantra\u1e47\u0101, kle\u015ba-dahane\",\"dohi&#x27; j\u0101i kapila,\",\"pata\u00f1jali, gautama, ka\u1e47abhoj\u012b,\",\"jaimini, bauddha \u0101owe dh\u0101i&#x27;\",\"tab koi nija-mate,\",\"bhukti, mukti j\u0101cato,\",\"p\u0101ta-i n\u0101n\u0101-bidha\",\"f\u0101nd so-sabu--ba\u1e63caka,\",\"tuw\u0101 bhakti bahir-mukha,\",\"gha\u1e6d\u0101owe bi\u1e63ama param\u0101d\",\"baimukha-ba\u1e63cane,\",\"bha\u1e6da so-sabu,\",\"niramilo vividha\",\"pas\u0101r da\u1e47\u1e0dabat d\u016brato, bhakativinoda bhelo,\",\"bhakata-cara\u1e47a kori&#x27; s\u0101r.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"ke\u015bava tuw\u0101 jagata bicitra - &quot;Oh, Lord! Your creation is a very wonderful type, different and variagated.&quot; tuw\u0101 pada-bism\u1e5bti, \u0101-mara jantra\u1e47\u0101, pekhalu\u1e45 ra\u1e45ga bahu citra - &quot;My real pain however, is from out of separation from You. And here I am seeing a diverse character of different types, different sectarian views.&quot; tuw\u0101 pada-bism\u1e5bti, \u0101-mara jantra\u1e47\u0101, kle\u015ba-dahane dohi&#x27; j\u0101i - &quot;But the real purpose of all these things is only our separation from You. tuw\u0101 pada-bism\u1e5bti, \u0101-mara - &quot;If we are to diagnose properly, only our separate existence from You - separate consciousness - is the root of all this faithfulness.&quot; kapila, pata\u00f1jali, gautama, ka\u1e47abhoj\u012b, jaimini, bauddha \u0101owe dh\u0101i&#x27; - &quot;I am suffering from Your separation, but so many doctors of different types have come. They are running to me to cure me; Kapila - \u015aa\u1e45kara, Pata\u00f1jali - Yoga, Gautama, Ka\u1e47ada - dhai, kanabhaji; everything produced from atoms - Ka\u1e47ada. Bauddha - that is, the dissolution of the mental system ends everything. Jaimin\u012b, although good activity is transient, still, what to do? &quot;Go on doing good activity and try to live happily; there is no other end to life.&quot; tab koi nija-mate, bhukti, mukti j\u0101cato - They come apparently to represent You, but, when they give delivery to things, we find that either they advocate enjoyment or salvation; exploitation or salvation, that is in their fund and nothing else! In whatever dress they may couch, but ultimately if it is analysed we find either salvation, pleasure or this total dissolution into indecipherable something? bhukti, mukti j\u0101cato, p\u0101ta-i n\u0101n\u0101-bidha f\u0101nd - But, to take us to that goal, only these two goals, they create various kinds of charming traps to catch us. But, ultimately, they lead us to these two and nothing else. Either the higher planes of life in the subtle world (for the time being) or complete annihilation, effacement. baimukha-ba\u1e63cane, bha\u1e6da so-sabu - Why are they here? It is the view from the Universal standpoint; they have come to segregate those that are not sincere. Those that are sincere will not be affected by such canvassing. baimukha-ba\u1e63cane, they come for only those half-hearted persons and take them away from this camp. Then, the devotees may go on in their own way peacefully. They won&#x27;t be able to come to disturb them. They are in their own path. That is the underlying purpose of You. niramilo vividha pas\u0101r - They have created multifarious very charming things for their canvassing: da\u1e47\u1e0dabat d\u016brato, bhakativinoda bhelo, bhakata-cara\u1e47a kori&#x27; s\u0101r - But anyhow, I might have been saved. I understand that definitely only the feet dust of Your devotees is everything for me - nothing else! I want only the holy feet dust of Your devotee - bhakata-cara\u1e47a - No other ambition I have got! And I have got this sort of yearning by Your Grace. So, Bhaktivinoda discarded them.&quot; (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 9) There are six ancient philosophical systems of India. The first is the Vai\u015be\u1e63ika philosophy of Ka\u1e47\u0101da \u1e5a\u1e63\u012b: the atomic theory. According to him, everything is made of atoms. So many different atoms combine and produce this world. Ka\u1e47a means atomic particle. So many atomic particle have combined and produced this world by chance, with no necessity of any reason, rhyme, consciousness, nothing of the kind. And the outcome of these combinations has produced what we find here. That is the opinion of Ka\u1e47\u0101da: it is an atomic world. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, the nineteenth century founder of the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness movement, sings in one song: (known as Bhakti-pratik\u016bla-bh\u0101va Varjan\u0101\u1e45g\u012bk\u0101ra, Renunciation of conduct averse to pure devotion, the first of four songs): he sings: ke\u015bava tuw\u0101 jagata bicitra. 1) &quot;O my Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I see that everything is available in Your world, which has an infinite variegated nature.&quot; 2) &quot;Separated from You, however, we are always feeling miseries. A continuous flow of suffering has swallowed us from birth to death, and we cannot tolerate the pain of such misery. And so many relief agents: Kapila, Pata\u00f1jali, Gautama, Ka\u1e47\u0101da, Jaimini, Buddha, are running towards us, offering their solutions.&quot; 3) &quot;Kapila has come with the S\u0101\u1e45khya philosophical system of analysis saying, &quot;Analyse matter, and you will be free from all this pain.&quot; Pata\u00f1jali has come with yoga, &quot;Hey, j\u012bv\u0101tm\u0101! Come to meet Param\u0101tm\u0101! Then all the problems of this world will go away from you. Come in connection with Param\u0101tm\u0101, the Supersoul.&quot; This is his recommendation. Gautama comes with logic, ny\u0101ya \u015b\u0101stra: &quot;There is one Maker, one Creator, but He is indifferent. He has created this world, finished, and left it. And you must try to live with the help of your reason. Develop your reasoning faculty, a nd be reasonable in all your conduct. Then only can you help yourself in this world. There is no other remedy. Be a good logician, and then you will be able to control the environment with the power of reason, and you will be happy.&quot; And Ka\u1e47\u0101da: &quot;By chance atoms have been combined, and with the dissolution of atoms, nothing will remain. Why do you bother? Don&#x27;t care. What is fate? It is nothing; ignore it. And when the body is dissolved, nothing will remain. Why lament?&quot; Then, with the philosophy of karma-mima\u1e41sa, Jaimini says: &quot;There may be One who has connected us with this world and our karma, but karma is all in all. He is an indifferent inspector. He has got no hold on us any longer. According to our karma we shall thrive or we shall go down. So, these activities are recommended to you. If you go on with your karma you will be happy. Of course, it cannot be denied; karma phala, the result of karma, diminishes and is ended. But stick to karma, good karma; don&#x27;t go to bad karma. The result of good karma will be finished, but that does not matter; again go on doing good karma, and the good result will await you in heaven, and you will have a happy life. If anything is friendly to you, it is your karma. There is God, but He is indifferent. He is bound to serve you either good or bad, according to your karma. He has no independence.&quot; Then another class of philosophy is that of Buddha: &quot;Only the combination of different things has created your mental system. With the dissolution of the mental system, nothing remains. So, somehow, we must dissolve the mental system. Practice ahi\u1e41sa, nonviolence, satya, truthfulness, and so on.&quot; It is seen that all these philosophers are talking either of renunciation or of exploitation (bhukti, mukti). And by setting different types of enchanting traps, they arrange to capture the j\u012bv\u0101 soul. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says:&quot;But I have come to realise that these fellows are all cheaters. And they all have this common stand: they have no touch of Your devotion, Your service. There, they are one. They cannot deliver any real good. They are common to oppose Your devotional service and supremacy. And ultimately they leave us in chaos.&quot; 4) &quot;But from the ultimate standpoint, I see that they are agents engaged by You to segregate the seriously diseased persons to another ward, for the good of the less seriously diseased patients. It is your arrangement to segregate the hopeless persons to another side for the benefit of the good side. That is Your design, and they are playing at Your hand like so many dolls. They are Your agents and they are also serving You in some way, because nothing is outside You.&quot; Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura concludes saying: &quot;I bid goodbye to them all. I feel in my heart that I shall now show respect to all these so-called good agents from a distance, however my only real capital is the dust of the holy feet of Your devotees. I rely on that dust as the source of all my prospects. I seek to put all my energy into taking the dust of their holy lotus feet upon my head. This is everything for me.&quot; (TSOBT, p 29-30) + (TSFSK, p 55-58)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(230)\",\"kha\u1e6dv\u0101\u1e45go n\u0101ma r\u0101jar\u1e63ir,\",\"j\u00f1\u0101tveyatt\u0101m ih\u0101yu\u1e63a\u1e25\",\"muh\u016brt\u0101t sarvvam uts\u1e5bjya,\",\"gatav\u0101n abhaya\u1e41 harim\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The saintly King Kha\u1e6dv\u0101\u1e45ga, after being informed that the duration of his life would be only a moment more, at once freed himself from all material activities and took shelter of the supreme safety, the Personality of Godhead.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.13) In history we find a precedent in Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Kha\u1e6dv\u0101\u1e45ga. He had only one moment left of his life but he so perfectly engaged himself that he gave himself forever to the Lord. Without any reservation he surrendered to the feet of the Lord and he achieved the desired end. He achieved Hari. And who is Hari? abhaya\u1e41, when we get Him, then all apprehension, all fear and every undesirable thing will be vanquished for ever. That is the meaning of &#x27;Hari.&#x27; &#x27;Hari&#x27; means saccid\u0101nanda, eternal existence, perfect consciousness and also the fulfilment of life in ecstatic joy. Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Kha\u1e6dv\u0101\u1e45ga achieved all that within a moment! (SOTGOD, v 3, p 3) Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Kha\u1e6dv\u0101\u1e45ga was invited by the demigods in the higher planets to fight demons, and as a king he fought the battles to the full satisfaction of the demigods. The demigods, being fully satisfied with him, wanted to give him some benediction for material enjoyment, but Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Kha\u1e6dv\u0101\u1e45ga, being very much alert to his prime duty, enquired from the demigods about his remaining duration of life. He was not anxious to accumulate material benedictions but to prepare himself for the next life.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(231)\",\"kib\u0101 v\u0101 karite p\u0101re\",\"k\u0101ma krodhe s\u0101dhakere\",\"yadi haya s\u0101dhu-jan\u0101ra sa\u1e45ga\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura said: &quot;If we have the favour of the great personages then what can such types of temptation do to us? They can&#x27;t do anything. If we work under our guardian and he is very careful, very strong, and very judicious then no temptation can do any harm to us.&quot; If I show myself to be a soldier but always try to remain in the fort then I am not a soldier. But still, to be a soldier for Mah\u0101prabhu, to preach His mission we must be careful. Before going to attend a seriously diseased patient, if we are not strong but are feeling some weakness, then we are to intimate to our Master: &quot;This is my situation and if you think it appropriate, for the time being you may change my field of service.&quot; But we also still have to keep in mind that we will need to become sufficiently strong in order to be able to attend to that type of serious patient. If we are preachers, the patients may be prostitutes, dacoits or wealthy men but still we shall have to approach them for the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and we must be bold enough and healthy enough for that duty. At the same time we must not be trespassers and on the way take things that are meant for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, for that will make us traitors - unfaithful servants. kib\u0101 v\u0101 karite p\u0101re k\u0101ma krodhe s\u0101dhakere yadi haya s\u0101dhu-jan\u0101ra sa\u1e45ga This attitude is the key to the success of life. Generally, according to our capacity we shall try to move in this way, and at the same time we shall keep in our mind that to attain our highest position it is necessary to be able to deal with all the serious things, even the most serious, otherwise there will be some defect in us. Wholesale conversion must come within us that we are servitors and not masters. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 75)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(232)\",\"kib\u0101 vipra, kib\u0101 ny\u0101s\u012b, \u015b\u016bdra kene naya,\",\"yei k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-tattva vett\u0101 sei guru haya.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Whether a person is a br\u0101hma\u1e47a, a sanny\u0101s\u012b, or a \u015b\u016bdra, if he knows the science of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, he is to be accepted as guru.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.127) We are slaves of the truth. We are beggars for the pure current of truth that is constantly flowing: the fresh current. We are not charmed by any formality. I will bow down my head wherever I find the river of nectar coming down to me. When one is conscious that the Absolute Truth is descending to him from the highest domain, he will think: &quot;I must surrender myself there.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu says to R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: kib\u0101 vipra, kib\u0101 ny\u0101s\u012b - &quot;Wherever the truth appears, wherever the nectar of divine ecstasy descends, I shall offer Myself as a slave. That is My direct concern.&quot; Whatever form it takes doesn&#x27;t matter much; the form has some value, but if there is any conflict, the inner spirit of a thing should be given immense value over its external cover. Otherwise, if the spirit has gone away, and the bodily connection gets the upper hand, our socalled spiritual life becomes sahajiy\u0101, a cheap imitation. (SGAHG, p 24) We are not interested in fashion or form; if we want the real truth, then wherever it will be found, we must accept it. Mah\u0101prabhu says: kib\u0101 vipra, kib\u0101 ny\u0101s\u012b: &quot;Anyone, regardless of caste or social position, may become guru if he knows the science of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; Sometimes the father may not be our guardian. Our uncle may be our guide, and not the father. It is possible. The line of interest is to be considered the most important. So, our line is the \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 guru parampar\u0101. I am thankful to those that are helping my spiritual understanding not only in a formal way, but in the real sense. Whoever is untying the knots of our entanglement in this material world, giving us light, and quenching our thirst for inner understanding and satisfaction is our guru. In this way, we live on the contribution of all these spiritual masters. They are all our \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 guru&#x27;s. All the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava&#x27;s are more or less our instructing spiritual masters. Our spiritual life may live on their contribution. But we do not accept the imitationists. They are our enemies, asat-sa\u1e45ga, bad association. They will take us away from the real path of understanding and progress. We must ask our sincere hearts: &quot;From whom do I really get the benefit of spiritual life?&quot; Our sincere conscience will be the best judge, not form. If in an earthen pot there is Ganges water, and in a golden pot there is ordinary water, which should we select? In a case like that, br\u0101hma\u1e47as, the intelligent class of men, take the holy Ganges water in the earthen pot. So, the substance contained, and not the container, should be given real importance. (SGAHG, p 110-11) Only one who will exclusively guide me to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Mah\u0101prabhu, with devotion, he is my guru, whatever he may be. Mah\u0101prabhu told R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;R\u0101m\u0101nanda, why do you shrink away? Do you think that I am a sanny\u0101s\u012b and you are a g\u1e5bhastha? You are always hesitating to reply to My questions. Do you think that it does not look well for you to advise a sanny\u0101s\u012b br\u0101hma\u1e47a? Don&#x27;t hesitate. You know K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a best. Give K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to Me. Have courage. By the grace of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, you have that capital. Give it to Me. You are a real capitalist. I have come to preach to the world that you are the wealthiest capitalist of the spiritual world. And that must be used for the good of the public. Don&#x27;t hesitate. Don&#x27;t shrink away. Come out.&quot; In this way, Mah\u0101prabhu was encouraging R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya. R\u0101m\u0101nanda said: &quot;Yes, it is Your capital. You have deposited it with me, and today You have come to withdraw it from me. It is Your property. I understand. And You press and push me to take it out. All right. I am a mere instrument, used by You. Whatever You want me to say, I am ready to say.&quot; But is R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya a member of a samprad\u0101ya? We are so much indebted to R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, but he is not in the guru parampar\u0101. Still, he is more than many of the gurus who are in the guru parampar\u0101. \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is not in the guru parampar\u0101. Should we dismiss Her? First there should be guru, and then there is the question of parampar\u0101. The question of first importance is who is guru? And then there can be a chain of them coming down. (SGAHG, p 112-13) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu gives us a hint of the necessity of approaching a confidential associate of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b when He says to R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: kib\u0101 vipra, kib\u0101 ny\u0101s\u012b: &quot;Why do you shrink away from instructing Me? I am learning so much from you. You are well-versed in the affairs of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, so you are guru; therefore I am hearing from you. Whoever is the master of that storehouse of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101, and whoever can distribute it - he is guru; of this, there is no doubt.&quot; (TSFSK, p 134) (see also \u015bloka 426 &amp; 368) &quot;Wherever there is a drop of that Divine Love, try to get it. And what is the price? Earnest desire for it. No other price but earnest desire, laulyam. It is not to be purchased by any money, or anything else which is acquired by so many formal practices in crores of births. Substance is necessary and not form. Form may be adopted only as much as it may connect me with that higher thing.&quot; (GOD, p 21)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(233)\",\"ki g\u0101hiva prabhu mahim\u0101 tom\u0101ra,\",\"\u0101v\u1e5bta cetana avidy\u0101ra j\u0101le\",\"tom\u0101ra mahim\u0101 j\u0101ne mukta-kula,\",\"tava ya\u015bog\u0101na goloka-ma\u1e47\u1e0dale\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;How can I sing your unlimited transcendental qualities and glories, my beloved master, since my consciousness and intelligence is covered by misconceptions and false conceptions. Your divine glories are actually known by the qualified liberated souls and are sung in adoration in the divine abode of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Goloka, by Their circle of intimate associates.&quot; (One of \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s many compositions to his gurudeva, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) (ARO, p 11)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(234)\",\"ki\u1e41 karma kim akarmeti,\",\"kavayo &#x27;py atra mohit\u0101\u1e25\",\"tat te karma pravak\u1e63y\u0101mi,\",\"yaj j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101 mok\u1e63yase &#x27;\u015bubh\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Even very learned men are baffled in ascertaining the nature of action and inaction. Some cannot comprehend action, while others cannot comprehend inaction. Hence, I shall now teach you about such action and inaction, knowing which you will attain liberation from the evil world.&quot; (B-g, 4.16) &quot;Even great scholars are perplexed in understanding what is good and what is bad, what to accept, and what to dismiss. Even great scholars fail to understand their real necessity. This material world is a jungle of perplexities, where the soul has accepted so many different kinds of bodies in different types of consciousness.&quot; (SGAHG, p 1) + (see also \u015bloka 195)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(235)\",\"ki\u1e41 pramattasya bahubhir,\",\"parok\u1e63air h\u0101yanair iha\",\"vara\u1e41 muh\u016brtta\u1e41 vidita\u1e41,\",\"gha\u1e6date \u015breyase yata\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Imperceptibly, many, many years pass uselessly in the life of a person intoxicated by mundane pleasures. Better if only for a moment he realises that he is losing valuable time, for he may thus become serious to attain his eternal benefit.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.12) Here, \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that one moment is sufficient to solve the whole problem of life, if it is properly utilised in s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga. At all costs, try to utilise the opportunity of s\u0101dhusa\u1e45ga, the association of the agent of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. What is the necessity of living for ages and ages if we are unconscious of our own interest? One moment properly utilised is sufficient to solve the whole problem of our life, for which we are eternally wandering about in this plane. We must be wakeful to our personal interest, not negligent. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 35) + (see also \u015bloka 417)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(236)\",\"k\u012brttana prabh\u0101ve, smara\u1e47a haibe,\",\"se k\u0101le bhajana nirjjana sambhava\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Internal remembrance can occur by the power of k\u012brttana, and only then is solitary service possible.&quot; There are some \u0100c\u0101ryas who hold that smara\u1e47a, internal remembrance, is of prime importance as a devotional service to the Lord, above even k\u012brttana or chanting. There are some who are of that opinion because smara\u1e47a is exclusively connected with consciousness, or more concerned with the subtle part of our existence; so that should be the most effective form of s\u0101dhana, or means to the end. But our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura), and \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, and also Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b Prabhu, laid stress on k\u012brttana - especially for the beginners. Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja says this in his song Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava ke? (&#x27;Who is a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava?&#x27;): k\u012brttana prabh\u0101ve: nirjjana-bhajana or smara\u1e47a, exclusive solitary devotion unconscious of the environment is not at all possible for beginners. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 21-2) (see also \u015blokas 577, 217, 138, 85, &amp; 416) In his Caitanya-\u015aik\u1e63\u0101m\u1e5bta, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has clarified that there are two types of devotees in the stage just prior to attaining the highest plane of paramaha\u1e41sa or uttam\u0101dhik\u0101ra. The devotees who cross the middle stage (madhyama adhik\u0101ra) and reach towards occupying the highest position are called devotees in the stage of prem\u0101ruruk\u1e63u. They are classified into two sections, go\u1e63\u1e6dhy\u0101nand\u012b and vivikt\u0101nand\u012b (or bhajan\u0101nand\u012b). The go\u1e63\u1e6dhy\u0101nand\u012b are always by nature, engaged in preaching. They live among the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. The vivikt\u0101nand\u012b prefer doing bhajana in a solitary position, they take to smara\u1e47a or nirjjana-bhajana - a solitary life of worship, without mixing with the environment. There they chant the Holy Name of the Lord, or think about the Lord&#x27;s pastimes (l\u012bl\u0101). These two groups, go\u1e63\u1e6dhy\u0101nand\u012b and vivikt\u0101nand\u012b, have both been mentioned as being situated on a high platform of devotional service, just before the stage of pure love of Godhead. When they have completely attained the highest stage, there is no qualitative difference between one and the other: they are one and the same. It does not prove that one is superior to the other. The vivikt\u0101nand\u012bs generally like secluded life and go on with smara\u1e47a; and those who are of the go\u1e63\u1e6dhy\u0101nand\u012b type go on with k\u012brttana, preaching, and also attain the highest position without coming to the school of exclusive smara\u1e47a. Those who have attained the highest plane are known as prem\u0101r\u016b\u1e0dha. Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja clearly said that when we are in a lower position, smara\u1e47a is injurious. Rather, we should take to k\u012brttana. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 26-7) We have to understand the relationship between the cause and effect. The cause and its effect are of different types. Even the inner cause and the outer cause may have different positions. The body may be disturbed, but the mind may not be. The mind may be disturbed, the soul may not be. By this we are to understand the difference between cause and effect, subtle and gross, matter and spirit. When the environment is seen with the correct vision, everything will help encourage and excite us in our service to the centre. We are living in an organic whole, a system. And that system is composed of the owner and the owned, the possessor of the potency and the different types of potencies, (\u015bakti-\u015baktim\u0101n). And He&#x27;s receiving the different types of services from all His paraphernalia. Amongst the servitors of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, some are inclined towards R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, some towards Candr\u0101val\u012b and some are in the middle. Some devotees are more attracted to Vraja l\u012bl\u0101, some to Gaura l\u012bl\u0101, and some are in the middle. This is the nature of the Lord&#x27;s pastimes. These differences will exist eternally. Some devotees have a preaching nature, whereas others may be of a secluded type, but that does not mean that all who are of the secluded nature are lower and all who are of the preaching nature are higher. We can&#x27;t say that. They should be judged according to their surrender and acceptance of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Whatever work K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants to do through them, they will perform in surrender to Him. Therefore, it cannot be said that one who does not have the preaching tendency is a lower Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has clearly grouped these two sections of devotees in the stage of those who are just about to occupy the highest plane. There are two groups: one of a preaching type, another of a solitary type, but according to \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, we cannot make the distinction that one is higher and the other is lower. According to the desire of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, they will do His will. The devotee whom K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants to preach will do that work, but those who do not like to work in that way cannot be called unqualified. Those that like preaching will naturally speak in favour of the preaching camp. Because they are inspired by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to do that service, they are successful. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (11.17.27 - see \u015bloka 4): \u0101c\u0101rya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 vij\u0101n\u012by\u0101n: &quot;It is My inspiration that can really deliver the fallen souls.&quot; Whomever K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will accept can understand Him others cannot, yam evai\u1e63a v\u1e5bnute tena labhyas - see \u015bloka 584). When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a delegates power sufficiently to a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, and wants to deliver many fallen souls through him, it takes place by His will. (see \u015bloka 335) Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava ke? (Who is a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava?) du\u1e63\u1e6da mana! tumi kisera vai\u1e63\u1e47ava? prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101ra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava &quot;harin\u0101ma&quot; kevala &quot;kaitava:&quot; ja\u1e0dera prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, \u015b\u016bkarera vi\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, j\u0101na n\u0101 ki t\u0101h\u0101 &quot;m\u0101y\u0101ra vaibhava&quot; kanaka-k\u0101min\u012b, divasa-y\u0101min\u012b, bh\u0101viy\u0101 ki k\u0101ja, anitya se saba:tom\u0101ra kanaka, bhogera janaka, kanakera dv\u0101re sevaha &quot;m\u0101dhava.&quot; k\u0101min\u012bra k\u0101ma, nahe tava dh\u0101ma, t\u0101h\u0101ra m\u0101lika kevala &quot;y\u0101dava.&quot; prati\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101\u015b\u0101-taru, ja\u1e0da-m\u0101y\u0101-maru n\u0101 pela &quot;r\u0101vana&quot; y\u016bjhiy\u0101 &quot;r\u0101ghava&quot;: vai\u1e63\u1e47av\u012b prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, t\u0101te kara ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, t\u0101h\u0101 n\u0101 bhajile labhibe gaurava. harijana-dve\u1e63a, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101\u015b\u0101 kle\u015ba, kara kena tabe t\u0101h\u0101ra gaurava. vai\u1e63\u1e47avera p\u0101che, pr\u0101ti\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101\u015b\u0101 \u0101che, t\u0101&#x27;ta, kabhu nahe &quot;anitya-vaibhava.&quot; se hari sambandha, \u015b\u016bnya-m\u0101y\u0101gandha, t\u0101h\u0101 kabhu naya &quot;ja\u1e0dera-kaitava:&quot; prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101-ca\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101l\u012b, nirjanat\u0101-j\u0101la ubhaye j\u0101niha m\u0101yika-raurava. &quot;k\u012brtana ch\u0101\u1e0diba, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 m\u0101giba,&quot; ki k\u0101ja \u1e0dhu\u1e63\u1e0diy\u0101 t\u0101d\u1e5b\u015ba gaurava: m\u0101dhavendra pur\u012b, bh\u0101va-ghare ch\u016bri, ki karila kabhu sad\u0101i j\u0101nava. tom\u0101ra prati\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101, &quot;\u015b\u016bkarera vi\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101,&quot; t\u0101ra saha sama, kabhu n\u0101 m\u0101nava: matsarat\u0101-va\u015be, t\u016bmi ja\u1e0darase, majecha ch\u0101\u1e0d\u012by\u0101 k\u012brtana-sau\u1e63\u1e6dhava. t\u0101i du\u1e63\u1e6da mana, &quot;nirjana-bhajana,&quot; prac\u0101richa chale &quot;k\u016byog\u012b-vaibhava&quot; prabhu san\u0101tane, prabhu yatane \u015b\u012bk\u1e63\u0101 dila y\u0101h\u0101 cinta sei saba sei du&#x27;\u1e6di kath\u0101, bh\u016bla&#x27; n\u0101 sarvath\u0101, ucchaisvare kara &quot;harin\u0101ma-rava&quot; &quot;phalgu&quot; \u0101ra &quot;yukta,&quot; &quot;baddha&quot; \u0101ra &quot;mukta,&quot; kabhu n\u0101 bh\u0101viha &#x27;ek\u0101k\u0101ra saba &quot;kanaka-k\u0101min\u012b,&quot; prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101-b\u0101ghin\u012b,&quot; ch\u0101\u1e0diy\u0101che y\u0101re sei ta&#x27; vai\u1e63\u1e47ava: sei &quot;an\u0101sakta,&quot; sei &quot;\u015buddha-bhakta,&quot; sa\u1e41s\u0101ra tath\u0101ya p\u0101ya par\u0101bhava. &quot;yath\u0101yogya-bhoga,&quot; n\u0101hi tath\u0101 roga, &quot;an\u0101sakta&quot; sei, ki \u0101ra kahaba &quot;\u0101sakti rahita&quot; &quot;sambandha-sahita,&quot; vi\u1e63aya-s\u0101muha sakali &quot;m\u0101dhava.&quot; se &quot;yukta-vair\u0101gya, &quot;t\u0101h\u0101 ta&#x27; &quot;saubhagya,&quot; t\u0101h\u0101i ja\u1e0dete harira vaibhava: k\u012brtane y\u0101h\u0101ra, &quot;prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101-sambh\u0101ra,&quot; t\u0101h\u0101ra sampatti kevala &quot;kaitava.&quot; &quot;vi\u1e63aya-mumuk\u1e63u,&quot; &quot;bhogera bubhuk\u1e63u,&quot; duye tyaja mana, dui - &quot;avai\u1e63\u1e47ava&quot; &quot;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era sambandha,&quot; apr\u0101k\u1e5bta skandha, kabhu nahe t\u0101h\u0101 ja\u1e0dera sambhava&quot; &quot;m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b jana,&quot; k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47etara mana, mukta abhim\u0101ne se ninde vai\u1e63\u1e47ava vai\u1e63\u1e47avera d\u0101sa, tava bhakti-\u0101\u015ba, kena v\u0101 \u1e0d\u0101kicha nirjana-\u0101hava. ye &quot;ph\u0101lgur-vair\u0101g\u012b,&quot; kahe, nije, &quot;ty\u0101g\u012b,&quot; se n\u0101 p\u0101re kabhu haite &quot;vai\u1e63\u1e47ava.&quot; hari-pada ch\u0101\u1e0di&#x27;, nirjanat\u0101 b\u0101\u1e0di&#x27;, labhiy\u0101 ki phala, &quot;phalgu&quot; se vaibhava. &quot;r\u0101dh\u0101-nitya-jana,&quot; t\u0101h\u0101 ch\u0101\u1e0di&#x27; mana, kena v\u0101 nirjana-bhajana-kaitava. vrajav\u0101si-ga\u1e47a, prac\u0101raka-dhana, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101-bhik\u1e63uka t\u0101&#x27;ra nahe &quot;\u015bava.&quot; pr\u0101\u1e47a \u0101che t\u0101&#x27;ra, se hetu prac\u0101ra, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101\u015b\u0101-h\u012bna &quot;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-g\u0101tha&quot; saba. \u015br\u012b-dayita d\u0101sa, k\u012brtanete \u0101\u015ba, kara uccai\u1e25-svare &quot;hari-n\u0101ma-rava.&quot; k\u012brttana prabh\u0101ve, smara\u1e47a haibe, se k\u0101le bhajana nirjjana sambhava &quot;O wicked mind! What kind of Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava are you? You go off by yourself to chant K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Name in a solitary place, but your &quot;chanting&quot; is only for name and fame (prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101). It is nothing but hypocrisy. Such mundane name and fame is hogshit; it is an allurement of m\u0101y\u0101. Day and night you think of nothing but women and money. Why waste your time meditating on those things which are all temporary? You think that money is the father of enjoyment, but money is not meant for your pleasure. When you claim wealth as your own, it only creates within you a lust for enjoyment. Your money should serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Who is M\u0101dhava, the husband of the Goddess of Fortune and the enjoyer of all wealth. Satisfying the desire of beautiful women is never your domain; it is meant to be satisfied by their proprietor - Y\u0101dava, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He alone can fulfil the hankering of their hearts. R\u0101vana fought R\u0101ma in order to achieve the highest prestige (prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101), but that prestige was only an illusion. His hope for prestige had grown as mighty as a great tree within the forest of desires within his heart. But the soul can find no cooling shade there, for the &quot;forest&quot; is really only a mirage in the desert of material illusion. Don&#x27;t be like R\u0101vana, who wanted to enjoy the position of R\u0101ma. Accept the position of the servant of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. Take your stand upon the firm foundation of pure devotional service, giving up all your hopes for false prestige, and thus become established as a genuine Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. If you don&#x27;t worship the position of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, you will be doomed. Those who go to great trouble in hopes for prestige as great devotees, are envious of devotees and are rewarded for their trouble with a hellish life. The genuine fame which follows a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is not the same as the temporary fame which follows pretenders. The fame that follows a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava does not stink of m\u0101y\u0101. It has no trace of the treachery of pretentious impostors. The self-promotion and fame of a pseudo-Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is like a dog-eating whore: it is unchaste and unprincipled. Their solitary bhajana is counterfeit. O mind, know that both the artificial fame and bogus bhajana of these pseudo-devotees is a hellish phantasmagoria. They think: &quot;I shall give up the k\u012brtana of the Holy Name and pray for fame and position.&quot; But what is the use of such &quot;fame?&quot; O mind, know for certain that M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b never cheated himself in this way by robbing himself of his own internal treasure and proclaiming his greatness to the world. O mind, your fame is hogshit. No one shall ever be the equal of M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b, so why do you wish to compete with him for fame? Under the control of envy, you have drowned yourself in the ocean of mundane rasa and material enjoyment. The only thing you have truly renounced is the sublime k\u012brtana of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the association of devotees. O wicked mind! Your so-called solitary worship is preached and practised by wicked impostors who impersonate devotees for nefarious purposes. With great care you should consider what \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu taught San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b. Loudly chant the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and never forget the two most valuable things He taught San\u0101tana: phalgu and yukta, &quot;real and apparent renunciation&quot; and baddha and mukta, &quot;freed and enslaved.&quot; Never mistake one for the other, or to think them to be the same. Money, women, and fame are like tigers. A Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava gives them up and keeps them at a distance. Such a devotee, who is without material attachments, is a \u015buddha-vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. Such a devotee has conquered over the material world and its illusions of enjoyment. Accepting only what is needed in the service of the Lord, he remains free from the diseased mentality of material enjoyment and dedicates himself in the Lord&#x27;s service. Free from all false attachments, he sees everything in relationship to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, understanding that everything is meant for the pleasure of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He knows that to engage everything in the service of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is real renunciation. Because he understands that the true position of renunciation is in dedicating everything to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, he is truly fortunate. Although he lives within the material world, he dwells within the revelation of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pastimes, and experiences the extension of the spiritual world within the material world. On the other hand, one who chants the Holy Name of the Lord for name and fame is simply a hypocrite and a cheater. His renunciation is false. O mind! Give up the association of both those who want liberation and those who want material enjoyment. They are all nondevotees. What is in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is aprak\u1e5bta: non-material and supramundane. The divine connection that things in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a have should never be seen as material. By virtue of its divine connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a a thing becomes transcendental. It is therefore impossible for it to be anything less than divine. The m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012bs can never think of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Proud of their piety, they think themselves liberated and blaspheme the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. O mind, your only prayer is to be the servant of the devotees. Make this prayer your only contemplation. Why do you want to go off by yourself and leave the devotees? A phalgu-vair\u0101g\u012b does not understand that the true meaning of renunciation is devotion. In the dress of a devotee, such an impostor calls himself a ty\u0101g\u012b, a great renouncer, but he is only a great pretender. He will never be a true Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. Giving up the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Hari, he leaves the Lord&#x27;s service behind in order to perform his &quot;worship&quot; in a solitary place. Having left the service of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the association of the devotees, what will he get by becoming famous as a humble man? Those who, in a false spirit of renunciation, give up the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the association of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas and the order of the guru to execute solitary bhajana may sit in their hut and chant, but the only fruit they get is false. What is the use of such foolishness? O mind! Always engage yourself in the service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101, and keep aloof from the snake of material enjoyment. There is nothing glorious about performing &quot;k\u012brtana&quot; simply for name and fame. You are the eternal servant of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Why then do you renounce Her for the cheating process of nirjana-bhajana, solitary worship? Why do you run after false renunciation and so give up the service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101? The residents of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana are the real object of preaching. They do not aspire for false prestige, nor are they devoid of life, as are the false renunciates. Those who have spiritual vitality can preach and instil spiritual life in their audience. Preaching is the symptom of vitality. One who preaches the message of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is devoid of hopes for prestige. \u015ar\u012b Dayita D\u0101sa, (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) the humble servant of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and Her beloved K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a always hopes for k\u012brtana, and begs everyone to sing the Holy Name of the Lord aloud. By the influence of such k\u012brtana, one may gradually come to the exalted stage of smaranam, wherein one constantly remembers the pastimes of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a within one&#x27;s mind. Nirjana-bhajana, solitary devotion, is conceivable only after attaining this advanced level of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti.&quot; (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s &quot;Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava ke ?&quot; (`Who is a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava?&#x27;), Mah\u0101janaracita g\u012bt\u00e3, from Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Kanthahara, 3.24)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(237)\",\"klaibya\u1e41 m\u0101 sma gama\u1e25 p\u0101rtha,\",\"naitat tvayy upapadyate\",\"k\u1e63udra\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaya-daurbalya\u1e41,\",\"tyaktvotti\u1e63\u1e6dha parantapa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O son of Kunt\u012b, give up this cowardice, for it does not become you. O great hero, cast off this petty weakness of heart, and arise for battle!&quot; (B-g, 2.3) &quot;Awake, arise from such tamasic, ignorant program. What have you accepted? A womanly program you are trying to follow! Cowardice, the program that you advocate is nothing but cowardice!&quot; Arjuna said: &quot;It is not a good thing in our calculation; rather, I shall eat by begging, I shall collect my food by begging in the street rather than kill these persons whom I regard so much from the connection of my body or my education. Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya, Bh\u012b\u1e63ma, we should rather revere them, show reverence to them. And today, we shall kill them? What is this? I can&#x27;t understand such religion! I can&#x27;t follow; rather, I shall beg from door to door for my living. I can&#x27;t do this. My valour is only to kill these revered persons of my own? So that I am a big hero? Is this any reason to kill one&#x27;s own revered superiors? I can&#x27;t\u2026\u2026&quot; Outwardly, of course, this is very justifiable. How was that? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a told him: &quot;This is body connection, Arjuna, selfish connection. But religion, var\u1e47\u0101\u015bramadharma, is based on a higher principle of life. This is all weakness! This is body connection. You are not this body! You must get out of this body consciousness. Stern and hard practises must be undergone to get out of this body connection. &#x27;This is my own, this is my guru, this is my\u2026\u2026&#x27; All worldly consideration. But, religion is above that! Get out of this body connection - wholesale!&quot; klaibya\u1e41 m\u0101 sma gama\u1e25 p\u0101rtha, naitat tvayy upapadyate. &quot;This is only the weakness of your heart.&quot; a\u015bocy\u0101n anva\u015bocas tva\u1e41, praj\u00f1\u0101-v\u0101d\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca bh\u0101\u1e63ase - (B-g, 2.11 - see \u015bloka 59) &quot;O Arjuna, you are mourning for that which is unworthy of grief, and yet speaking words of wisdom. But the wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.&quot; &quot;What is this? This killing and being killed? This is only material, but \u0101tm\u0101, your soul, your real self, is created for a higher plane of life. Body consideration, good-bad, in body consideration, in the plane of exploitation - all false. This is all false. You will have to give it up wholesale! And then you will awaken in the kingdom of soul.&quot; klaibya\u1e41 m\u0101 sma gama\u1e25 p\u0101rtha, naitat tvayy upapadyate &quot;It does not befit you!&quot; k\u1e63udra\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaya-daurbalya\u1e41, tyaktvotti\u1e63\u1e6dha parantapa &quot;This is sheer weakness of your heart!&quot; tyaktvotti\u1e63\u1e6dha parantapa - &quot;Give them up, wholesale (the weaknesses), and raise yourself above this level of, &#x27;this is mine, this is others,&#x27; all these things - this is poor consciousness! You must be above this. Religion is above that - pure religion. It is all false here - from separate consciousness. &#x27;This is good - this is bad.&#x27; But that separate consciousness in you; it must be given up! Forever! And the universal flow - that must be adopted. Absolute good. From there, the flow is coming. And that must be found out and accepted. That is l\u012bl\u0101. That will fit everyone and give real help. This body connection is our diseased condition!&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 4-5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(238)\",\"kle\u015ba-ghn\u012b \u015bubhad\u0101 mok\u1e63a-,\",\"laghut\u0101-k\u1e5bt sudurllabh\u0101\",\"s\u0101ndr\u0101nanda-vi\u015be\u1e63\u0101tm\u0101,\",\"\u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101kar\u1e63i\u1e47\u012b ca s\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Uttam\u0101-bhakti, the purest devotion, is the vanquisher of all sin and ignorance, and the bestower of all auspiciousness; liberation is belittled in the presence of such devotion, which is very rarely attained, the embodiment of the deepest ecstasy, and the attractor of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself.&quot; (B.r.s, P\u016brvva, 1.17) Even if we achieve liberation from all the undesirable forces around us, pure devotion undermines this position of liberation (mok\u1e63a-laghut\u0101-k\u1e5bt). We may be a liberated soul, free from the reactions and apprehensions of the future, but association with the positive engagement, bhakti, is much more difficult to attain (sudurllabh\u0101). To obtain a &quot;passport&quot; is not the same as securing a &quot;visa.&quot; One may have a passport, but in order to secure a visa it will have to be necessary to undergo more trouble. In other words, we may be released by the reactionary plane, yet we may not have entrance into the higher plane. To have entrance there is far beyond this liberation. The qualification to eagerly aspire to give oneself wholly for the other plane of life is hardly to be found in anyone. Such a person has no motive to acquire anything for the plane in which he had previously been living for so long. Furthermore, if he is appointed to be a preacher, an agent to do relief work here, he will execute that duty solely under the appointment of, and in the interest of, that higher plane, without any attachment that &quot;I shall bring some good to the people.&quot; He will think, &quot;I must put myself wholly at the disposal of the higher plane, and I shall not be eager to become an \u0101c\u0101rya, a spiritual master. Otherwise, there is the danger of committing n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha, offence against the Lord&#x27;s Name.&quot; A\u015braddadh\u0101ne vimukhe &#x27;py a\u015b\u1e5b\u1e47vati, ya\u015b copadde\u015ba\u1e25 \u015biva-n\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha\u1e25. It is an offence to give the Holy Name to the faithless. It betrays the motivation to gain a &#x27;position&#x27; in the higher sphere. This is a type of mundane attachment, a spiritual tradery, as is the habit of caste &#x27;Gosw\u0101m\u012bns&#x27; and other spurious lines. Rather, the healthy attitude should be: &quot;If I am appointed from above, then I shall serve as appointed, and that too, only for the interest of those who have appointed me. I am entering that rank solely for the interest of that higher land.&quot; That should be the pure and perfect approach. So, with a passport alone we cannot hope to enter easily into that higher plane which is sudurllabh\u0101, very rarely attained. But if we can enter, we shall feel s\u0101ndr\u0101nanda-vi\u015be\u1e63\u0101tm\u0101, &quot;Yes, the very plane itself is most happy and full of independent spirit. I desired to secure a &#x27;visa&#x27; to enter this country, and now I find that it really is as promised. I directly perceive that I am breathing in a far higher, sweeter atmosphere - a homely atmosphere that far excels anything of my previous soil.&quot; And finally, \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101kar\u1e63i\u1e47\u012b ca s\u0101: K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, Reality the Beautiful, who attracts the hearts of all - even He is attracted by the dedication of His surrendered servitor. Neither power nor knowledge have any play in this domain, but the Sweet Absolute is captured by the love of His devotee.&quot; (B.r.s, P\u016brvva, 1.17) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 50-2) Kle\u015ba-ghn\u012b: all the afflicting tendencies in your mind gradually diminish. So many things - the proposal of subtle finer mundane happiness may come to try and dissuade you from this path. They are obstacles, and your sincere negligence to them develops. \u015aubhad\u0101: all auspiciousness is given to you. Mok\u1e63a-laghut\u0101-k\u1e5bt: the third result is that you shall trace that mukti, the result of mere renunciation, that is, relief from the influence of the negative side, now appears to be a very small achievement. The consciousness will awaken in you that mere withdrawal from the negative side is a very insignificant achievement. Mok\u1e63a-laghut\u0101-k\u1e5bt, sudurllabh\u0101: if you can only feel or experience that the goal of renunciation is insignificant, it is of a lower order, does that mean you will get bhakti? No. There is no such guarantee. Even at that stage, bhakti remains far away from you. S\u0101ndr\u0101nanda-vi\u015be\u1e63\u0101tm\u0101: then if somehow by chance you come in connection with that reality, you will find some fundamental awakenment that infinite happiness is approaching you. \u015ar\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101kar\u1e63i\u1e47\u012b ca s\u0101: and further, if you can continue your devotional activity in a proper line, you will find that He is coming to you as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, in the conception of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. The K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a concept is coming to you as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. &#x27;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27; means the full embodiment of all types of ecstasy. That is approaching, or you are being allowed to have His nearer conception, as the fulfilment of you devotional activities of life. In this way, things progress. So die to live - dive deep into reality - j\u00f1\u0101na-\u015b\u016bnya-bhakti. The area of surrender is so high, noble, great and fulfilling. That can come. That can only take us in the plane of love and affection. If we hope to see and to live in that plane of affection and love, not this mundane affection and love, but the love of the Absolute, then we must accept complete surrender at His disposal, at His mercy. The reaction comes as love. With your highest contribution of faith towards Him, He will be aroused and He will come to accept you on His lap. So, no risk - no gain; and that risk is towards the whole: devotion proper. It is not merely a sum total of some certain activities, or a type of study - never. Practically it is concerned with the soul, with the inner existence of us. Giving and taking must take place from the innermost part of our heart. It is not a game to play with! No superficial knowledge or bodily or mental labour can touch it. It is the dealing of the heart to heart. And that is wholesale. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 203-5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(239)\",\"korila pippalikhanda kapha nib\u0101rite\",\"ulatiy\u0101 \u0101ro kapha ba\u1e0dila dehete\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Oh, I came to make a drastic treatment of the cold, but I see that what I came to give, that has an opposite reaction. The highest type of medicine I administered, but I find that the patient is such, that this is increasing his disease. Then what to do? I came to work out relief for the people, and the people they are standing against Me, the well-wisher, the relief giver. Then, what may be the remedy for them?&quot; Before His sanny\u0101sa, one day when \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu was chanting: &quot;gop\u012b, gop\u012b, gop\u012b,&quot; taking the Name and one tantric came to give some advice to Him: &quot;Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita! You scholar, you know the \u015b\u0101stra, You were chanting &#x27;gop\u012b, gop\u012b,&#x27; what is the good effect of that? You should chant K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-N\u0101ma. It is mentioned in the \u015b\u0101stra, that if you chant the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a you get some benefit; we find this in the \u015b\u0101stra, many Pur\u0101\u1e47as. But why do you chant gop\u012b, gop\u012b ?&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu collected a rod and began to attack him: &quot;You fellow, you are coming from the opposite camp. You come to convert the followers of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?&quot; He ran to beat him, to give him a good beating. He fled, and then began a conspiracy in order to give a good fight to Mah\u0101prabhu. &quot;He may be a child of the noble family, but we are not less. We do not hold a lesser position that He. We are also coming from a good society, and a good family - and He will come to punish us, to beat us? We shall also see how to beat Him.&quot; Then Mah\u0101prabhu took another course: korila pippalikhanda kapha nib\u0101rite: &quot;I shall become a sanny\u0101s\u012b. They think that I&#x27;m one of them. They have come from a respectable family, I&#x27;m also coming from a respectable family, as if I&#x27;m one of them. But I must have to take another chance to help them.&quot; So, He went to take sanny\u0101sa. He was taking the name of &quot;gop\u012b, gop\u012b,&quot; and neglecting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. When He was advised to chant the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, He was enraged. What is the underlying thought here? &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a,&quot; we may chant the Name, but the underlying, background purpose, should be judged. But still there may be some effect sometimes, not always. (SVT, v 2, #1, Jan-Feb. &#x27;93, p 4) + (see also \u015bloka 114)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(240)\",\"ko\u1e6di-j\u00f1\u0101ni-madhye haya eka-jana &#x27;mukta&#x27;\",\"koti-mukta-madhye &#x27;durlabha&#x27; eka k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakta\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated, and out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is very difficult to find.&quot; (Cc, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.148) &quot;Out of many liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is extremely rare.&quot; koti-muktamadhye &#x27;durlabha&#x27; eka k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakta. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is an internal thing, and those who cannot see the internal truth will make much of the external cover. We do not support that. Rather we are interested in the real spirit. (SGAHG, p 28)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(241)\",\"ko\u1e6di-k\u0101madhenu-patira ch\u0101gi yaiche mare\",\"\u1e63a\u1e0d-ai\u015bvarya-pati k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era m\u0101y\u0101 kib\u0101 kare?\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If a person possessing millions of wish-fulfilling cows loses one she-goat, he does not consider the loss. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a owns all six opulences in full. If the entire material energy is destroyed, what does He lose?&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 15.179) M\u0101y\u0101 is not a necessary part of existence, and by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s will m\u0101y\u0101 may be finished, and if He so desires, again recreated. He can make or mar. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has written in his Tattva-s\u016btra, that by His will, even the existence of the j\u012bva-soul may be extinguished. This is not the general case, but still Absolute Power is with Him. Everything is designed and destined by Him, that is the expression of swar\u016bp-\u015bakti. (C, v 1, # 6, Spr. &#x27;94, p 9) + (see also \u015bloka 251)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(242)\",\"ko\u1e6di\u1e63v api mah\u0101-mune\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"We must not be overconfident of our previous acquisition - so much I have acquired, my progress is so much. I must not be satisfied with my self-certificate, self-satisfaction, the certificate of my own making. Mah\u0101prabhu Himself said: &quot;I am taking the Name, I am showing so many tears in the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But why? It is all a false show! na prema-gandho &#x27;sti. (see \u015bloka 324). My crying is only a show to canvas others to see what a great devotee I am.&quot; So much you are to disbelieve your own self that you are a devotee. In this way we must be very careful, very, very careful. ko\u1e6di\u1e63v api mah\u0101-mune. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b and Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura were seeing: &quot;The whole world is absolved from sin, but I am neglected, I am left as the only exception. I am so low and ill fated that I am rejected from that most benevolent infinite l\u012bl\u0101. I alone am rejected. I could not utilise this great fortunate wave.&quot; This should be the real tendency of a genuine Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava who has actually come in relation with the Infinite. Whenever the finite comes in touch with the Infinite his temperament cannot be otherwise. &quot;I am empty, I don&#x27;t get anything.&quot; That should be the temperament. I feel emptiness within me. I can&#x27;t get the goal. My life is frustrated. Neither do I get a drop of grace from the Lord, and the world, of course, I have left. So both sides gone. I have no alternative, O Lord. If You don&#x27;t accept me then I am undone. Please, just make me the servant of the servant. Give the remotest connection to me. Graciously give the most distant connection of Yourself to me. Don&#x27;t leave me, my Lord. I can&#x27;t tolerate the craving for You. This heart-felt, heart-rending prayer must come to the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava devotee of the Lord. Onlookers will find that he has got a peep of the fortune. The charm for the world outside is fully eliminated for that person, from the core of his heart. And in the near future his heart will be filled with the nectar of the grace of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (GOD, p 20) + (see also \u015bloka 96) mukt\u0101n\u0101m api siddh\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a-par\u0101ya\u1e47a sudurlabha\u1e25 pra\u015b\u0101nt\u0101tm\u0101 ko\u1e6di\u1e63v api mah\u0101-mune &quot;O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, or K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare.&quot; (S-B, 6.14. 5) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.150)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c08\",\"title\":\"08. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s All-Attracting Grace\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"Mercy is above justice. Affection, love, beauty, charm, harmony these are above all, and this absolute conception of the ultimate reality is in the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(243)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhakta haya yadi balav\u0101na\",\"bidh\u012bra kalama k\u0101\u1e6dhi kore kh\u0101n kh\u0101n\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Lord Brahm\u0101 says: &quot;If a devotee of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is very powerful, he can easily cut into pieces that which is written down as his destiny.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 21)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(244)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakta--ni\u1e63k\u0101ma, ataeva &#x27;\u015b\u0101nta&#x27;\",\"bhukti-mukti-siddhi-k\u0101m\u012b--sakali &#x27;a\u015b\u0101nta&#x27;\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Because a devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is desireless, he is peaceful. Fruitive workers desire material enjoyment, j\u00f1\u0101nis desire liberation, and yog\u012bs desire material opulence; therefore they are all lusty and cannot be peaceful.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.149) Our infinite, fleeting, and organised desires are considered dust, and our hearts and minds are covered with layers and layers of this dust. Therefore we cannot see things properly; they cannot properly reflect in our mind because it is covered with the infinite ordinary desires of this mundane world (bhukti-mukti-siddhi-k\u0101m\u012b--sakali &#x27;a\u015b\u0101nta&#x27;). So the first effect of \u015br\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sa\u1e45k\u012brtana is the cleansing of the mind. (TGVODL, p 91) + (see also \u015bloka 108)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(245)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti-janma-m\u016bla haya `s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga&#x27;\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema janme, te\u1e45ho punar mukhya a\u1e45ga\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The root cause of devotional service to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is association with advanced devotees. Even when one&#x27;s dormant love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.83) &quot;By associating with the s\u0101dhus and gaining their mercy one can get K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhakti right up to the stage of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a prema. Furthermore the practitioners very life depends on the association of the s\u0101dhus. Without s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga it is not possible to receive the real seeds of bhakti.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 57) + (see also \u015blokas 442, 247 &amp; 419)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(246)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhakti kaile sarva karma k\u1e5bta haya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"We should have faith that if we do our duty towards the Absolute, then all our duties to the environment in all directions are automatically done. (TSFSK, p 49) &#x27;\u015braddh\u0101&#x27; - sabde - vi\u015bv\u0101sa kahe sud\u1e5b\u1e0dha ni\u015bcaya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e bhakti kaile sarva-karma k\u1e5bta haya &quot;By rendering transcendental loving service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, all subsidiary activities are automatically performed. \u015araddh\u0101 means vi\u015bv\u0101sa, faith, sud\u1e5b\u1e0dha, very firm and strong, unflinching faith. Faith in s\u0101dhu-\u015b\u0101stra-guru, faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. This is faith. If someone develops K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhakti, all their activities are finished, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e bhakti kaile sarva-karma k\u1e5bta haya. Nothing is left out if you have faith.&quot; (C-c, Madhya, 22.62) By satisfying K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the whole universe becomes satisfied, for one who is dear to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is dear to the whole universe (see also \u015bloka 591). Just as by watering the root of a tree all the leaves and branches are automatically nourished, by fulfilling one&#x27;s duty towards Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a all one&#x27;s duties are automatically fulfilled (see also \u015bloka 600).\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(247)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti-rasa-bh\u0101vit\u0101 mati\u1e25,\",\"kriyat\u0101\u1e41 yadi kuto &#x27;pi labhyate\",\"tatra laulyam api m\u016blyam ekala\u1e41,\",\"janma-ko\u1e6di-suk\u1e5btair na labhyate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Pure devotional service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a cannot be obtained by performing pious activities even for millions of births. It can be purchased only by paying one price: intense eagerness. Wherever it is available, one must purchase it immediately.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.70) Although it is the duty of justice to seek qualifications, mercy has no such limits. Divine mercy does not care for any qualifications, but is always ready to compensate the weak and unfit. Only one thing is required: our sincere eagerness to receive mercy. No qualifications from one&#x27;s previous life will help one to attain K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness; only eagerness and faith are important. And to know what is the effect of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness - see also \u015bloka 93) + (TGVODL, p 21) (SOTGOD, v 3, p 57: see also \u015blokas 442, 245 &amp; 419) Those who are on the path of raga bhajana, divine love and attraction, find that the only way, the only thing which can guide us is spontaneous desire. laulyam api m\u016blyam ekala\u1e41. The only price is earnest desire and nothing else. k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti-rasa-bh\u0101vit\u0101 mati\u1e25, mati\u1e25 kriyat\u0101\u1e41 yadi kuto &#x27;pi labhyate. R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya says to Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Anywhere you find it, try to purchase it at any price.&quot; The pure inclination towards the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the inner-most tendency to want K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, to get Him, the earnest desire to have Him - a drop of that desire for the divine attraction, anywhere you find it, one must try to purchase it at any price. You may acquire it anywhere. It may be from a br\u0101hma\u1e47a or from anyone. It does not matter about the form. (GOD, p 21) + (see also \u015blokas 232 &amp; 510)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(248)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhuli sei j\u012bva an\u0101di-bahirmukha\",\"ataeva m\u0101y\u0101 t\u0101re deya sa\u1e41s\u0101ra duk\u1e25a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The constitutional nature of the j\u012bva soul is that of an eternal servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; the j\u012bva soul is a manifestation of divinity which is one with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and different from Him. The j\u012bva souls are the marginal potency of the Lord. Though in reality they are servants of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, from time immemorial, they have been engaged in misconception, as exploiting agents.&quot; (C-c, Madhyal\u012bl\u0101, 20.117). An\u0101di means that which has no beginning. When we enter the land of exploitation, we come within the factor of time, space and thought. And when we come to exploit, action and reaction begins in the negative land of loan. Although we strive to become masters, really we become losers. (TSFSK, p 36) + (see also \u015bloka 200 &amp; 260)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(249)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101ma-k\u012brtana\u1e41\",\"r\u0101ma-r\u0101ma-g\u0101na-ramya-divya-chanda-nartanam\",\"yatra-tatra-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma-d\u0101na-loka-ni\u1e63tara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Lord travelled to the holy places of pilgrimage in South India with the clever underlying compassionate intention of delivering the fallen souls. Appearing as a beautiful young renunciate He distributed the sweet transcendental Names of the Supreme Lord, singing K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a he...as He strolled down the different pathways, entered temples and visited homesteads. During His sacred pilgrimage sometimes the Lord would be carried away by some indescribable, ineffable, divine exaltation and would sing &quot;R\u0101ma R\u0101ma&quot; and dance gracefully with most charming gestures and rhythms. Regardless of any time, place, circumstance, or personal qualification, He magnanimously delivered all those in South India who came in contact with Him by inspiring them to chant K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Holy Names with pure devotion. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gaurasundara, the beautiful divine abode o f pure love.&quot; (PDDS, 22) + (SBRBM, p 9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(250)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 mano-v\u1e5btti sakh\u012b \u0101\u015ba-p\u0101\u015ba\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 serves Her divine Lord in all capacities as Her natural devotional service. She takes a place on the chest of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a or lays down on a luxurious flowerbed only for His pleasure. As the topmost beloved of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 is also constantly served with adoration by all the damsels of Vraja because She alone is superlative to all of them combined. She is surrounded or accompanied by Her intimate sakh\u012bs who are actually personified manifestations of different kinds of intimately pleasant pastimes of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; They are of eight kinds; 1 - abhisarika, 2 - v\u0101saka-sajj\u0101, 3 - utka\u1e47\u1e6dhit\u0101, 4 - kha\u1e47\u1e0dit\u0101, 5 - vipralabdh\u0101, 6 kalah\u0101ntarit\u0101, 7 - pro\u1e63ita-bhartik\u0101, and, 8 - sv\u0101dh\u012bna-bhartik\u0101.&quot; (ARO, p 17)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(251)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 am\u1e5bta-sara,\",\"t\u0101ra \u015bata \u015bata dhara,\",\"da\u015ba-dike vahe y\u0101h\u0101 haite,\",\"se caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101 haya,\",\"sarovara ak\u1e63aya,\",\"mano-ha\u1e41sa car\u0101ha&#x27; tahate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;There is no doubt that we find the highest nectarine taste of rasa in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101. But what is Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101? In Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101, the nectar of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 is not confined to a limited circle, but is being distributed on all sides. It is just as if from all ten sides of the nectarine lake of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 hundreds of streams are flowing.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 25.271) + (TGVODL, p 26) + (see also \u015bloka 601) What is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101? It is the real essence of nectar. It is the gist of sweetness, happiness, and ecstasy. The sweetness of the sweetest thing that can ever be conceived is represented in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47al\u012bl\u0101. Then what is Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101? In Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101, that sweet nectar of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 is flowing in all ten directions in hundreds of streams as if from a fountain. That fountain is Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101. (TGVODL, p 172) Although Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101 appears later than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101, Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101 is the source, the foundation. We see that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appeared in Dv\u0101para-yuga, in the previous age, and then \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu appeared later, in Kali-yuga. Still, Their l\u012bl\u0101 is eternal. First there is the giver, then the gift. And the gift of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is that in all the ten directions, He is distributing unlimited streams of sweet K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 to the world. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b concludes: &quot;O devotees, come! Like so many swans, you must swim in the lake of Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s pastimes. From that lake K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a l\u012bl\u0101 is flowing to the world in different streams. Devotees, like clouds, take nectar from that lake, and distribute that nectar freely to the fortunate souls. Come and live in that lake. Ask the swan of your mind to take shelter in that lake. May that swan swim in the nectarine lake of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s life and precepts, from where so many hundreds of streams of nectar are flowing in all directions. O devotees, I offer this humble prayer to you.&quot; (TGVODL, p 173) &quot;The pastimes of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are the quintessence of all divine nectar and Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101 is an inexhaustible lake of that nectar which, flowing in hundreds of streams, floods the hearts of the devotees from all directions. Therefore O nectar seeking friend, please let your mind swim in that lake like a regal swan.&quot; (SBRBM, p 13) Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101 is the Infinite sweetness from Caitanya - whatever is within and whatever is coming from Him, that is all the high nectar of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 and nothing else. Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101 means the centre from which K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 flows in different forms, oozing from all sides and even from every pore. Nothing but R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101, Braja-l\u012bl\u0101 embodied in Him, and coming out to help the public. The voluntary distribution of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 of different nectarine tastes; that is \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. He has no separate existence from the N\u0101ma, Gu\u1e47a, R\u016bpa, and l\u012bl\u0101 of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and this includes Ya\u015bod\u0101 and all others within the relativity of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. If one is there then all others must necessarily be there. So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 means K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a with His group. Also V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana - the water, the forest, the animals, the birds, all are included in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47al\u012bl\u0101, Braja-l\u012bl\u0101. And that and nothing else is all coming from \u015ar\u012b Caitanya. That is R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in self-distributing nature. Whatever comes from Him - that is all Krsna. Even in \u015ar\u012b Caitanya&#x27;s childhood, when one could not trace anything of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, it was there, and in different ways He was creating the background for distributing K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 to others. (C, v 1, #6, Spr. &#x27;94, p 9) + (see also \u015bloka 253)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(252)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-mantra haite habe sa\u1e41s\u0101ra mocana\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma haite p\u0101be k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era cara\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Simply by chanting the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.&quot; &quot;In the Anubh\u0101\u1e63ya, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswat\u012b Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that the actual effect that will be visible as soon as one achieves transcendental knowledge is that he will immediately become free from the clutches of m\u0101y\u0101 and fully engage in the service of the Lord.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 7.73 + beginning of purport). &quot;The K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a g\u0101yatr\u012b mantra liberates one from repeated birth and death in this world; the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a gives one shelter at the lotus feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (SGAHG, p 87-8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(253)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma dhare kata bala vi\u1e63aya-v\u0101san\u0101nale,\",\"mora citta sad\u0101 jvale, ravi-tapta marubh\u016bmi sama;\",\"kar\u1e47a-randhra patha diy\u0101, h\u1e5bdi m\u0101jhe prave\u015biy\u0101\",\"vari\u1e63aya sudh\u0101 anupama (1)\",\"h\u1e5bdaya haite bale, jihv\u0101ra agrete cale,\",\"\u015babda-r\u016bpe n\u0101ce anuk\u1e63a\u1e47a;\",\"ka\u1e47\u1e6dhe more bha\u1e45ge svara, a\u1e45ga k\u0101pe thara thara\",\"sthira haite n\u0101 p\u0101re cara\u1e47a (2)\",\"cak\u1e63e dh\u0101r\u0101, dehe gharmma, pulakita saba carmma,\",\"vivar\u1e47a haila kalevara;\",\"m\u016brcchita haila mana, pralayera \u0101gamana,\",\"bh\u0101ve sarvva-deha jara jara (3)\",\"kari&#x27; eta upadrava, citte var\u1e63e sudh\u0101-drava,\",\"more \u1e0d\u0101re premera s\u0101gare;\",\"kichu n\u0101 bujhite dila, more ta&#x27; b\u0101tula kaila\",\"mora citta-vitta saba hare (4)\",\"lainu \u0101\u015braya y\u0101&#x27;ra, hena vyavah\u0101ra t\u0101&#x27;ra\",\"balite n\u0101 p\u0101ri e sakala;\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma icch\u0101maya, y\u0101he y\u0101he sukh\u012b haya\",\"sei mora sukhera sambala (5)\",\"premera kalik\u0101 n\u0101ma, adbhuta rasera dh\u0101ma,\",\"hena bala karaye prak\u0101\u015ba;\",\"\u012b\u1e63at vika\u015bi puna\u1e25, dekh\u0101ya nija-r\u016bpa-gu\u1e47a,\",\"citta hari&#x27; laya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u0101\u015ba (6)\",\"p\u016br\u1e47a vika\u015bita ha\u1e63y\u0101, vraje more y\u0101ya la\u1e63y\u0101,\",\"dekh\u0101ya more svar\u016bpa-vil\u0101sa;\",\"more siddha deha diy\u0101, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u0101\u015be r\u0101khe giy\u0101,\",\"e dehera kare sarvva-n\u0101\u015ba (7)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma cint\u0101ma\u1e47i, akhila-rasera khani,\",\"nitya-mukta \u015buddha-rasamaya;\",\"n\u0101mera bal\u0101i yata, saba lay&#x27;e hai hata,\",\"tabe mora sukhera udaya (8)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In his book, \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has explained the N\u0101ma\u1e63takam, eight prayers in glorification of the Holy Name, written by R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. The whole thing is described there very beautifully. He writes: &quot;My heart is just like a desert, hot with the rays of the sun. This is my internal mental condition. The desire for mortal things cannot satisfy me because by nature they are death producing. And not one or two, but thousands of such deathproducing desires have taken shelter in my mind. So, my subconscious region is always burning. This is my condition.&quot; &quot;But somehow, by the grace of the s\u0101dhu and guru, the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a with its infinite prospect has entered through the holes of my ears and reached the plane of my heart. And there, with some peculiar hope, with infinite, auspicious possibilities, it touched my heart with a new kind of nectar.&quot; &quot;New hope is aroused by that sound. Then by force, it comes from the heart towards the tongue. Not that by the endeavour of my tongue I am producing that sound - no. What came from the heart of a saint through my ear, entered my heart, and that forcibly appeared upon my tongue, and began to dance. That is the Holy Name proper. It descends from above. It cannot be produced by the material form of this tongue. Its source is above.&quot; &quot;And through an agent of the Absolute it comes through the ear to the heart. From the heart it gathers some sympathy, then the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a forcibly appears upon the tongue, and begins to dance. With great force it comes to the end of the tongue, and that sweet sound begins its dancing.&quot; &quot;The real effects of the Divine Name have been described here. If it is a living and real name, the voice will be choked up, there will be shivering in the body, and the legs will be unable to stand. Sometimes tears will flow in a current on the body, and one&#x27;s hairs will stand on end. Sometimes changes of colour will be found in the body, and we will be unable to find any trace of the mind or consciousness. We may fall in a swoon, the whole body and mind will appear as if it is being attacked, shivering, and influenced in different ways. Apparently it may seem that o many troubles are created in the body and the mind, but the real heart is overflowing with a particular kind of strange, sweet juice.&quot; Sometimes he thinks, &quot;I am in an ocean of nectar. My whole existence is within an ocean of nectarine liquid. I am beside myself. I can&#x27;t understand where I am. Where am I? What is this? What is all about me? It has almost made me mad. Am I a madman? Where is my past experience, my seriousness, my gravity, where are they? What am I?&quot; &quot;I have been converted wholesale by a foreign thing. I am a doll in the hands of a great force, which is also so affectionate to me. I can&#x27;t ascertain how it is possible that by my faith I have entered this great, unknown environment, unexperienced before.&quot; &quot;And at last I find that I am captivated. My entire being, within and without, has been captured by a particular sweet force. I can&#x27;t help being prey to such a sweet power. I can&#x27;t give any proper description of this. I came to take shelter under Him and accept Him as my guardian; now at His hand I am being dealt with in such a merciless and despotic way. Still, I feel that everything is very pleasing, beyond my experience. What is this?&quot; &quot;I can&#x27;t resist anymore. I am fully captured. Let my fate go anywhere. I can&#x27;t come out. I am a captive in the hand of a sweet friend; my whole independence is gone. There is no way left to me but to surrender. I am unable to describe my real position. I find that He&#x27;s an autocrat. Whatever He likes to do, He will do. Since it is not possible for me to give any resistance, I must surrender. Let me also cooperate with whatever He is pleased to do. Otherwise, what can I do? I am helpless.&quot; &quot;Sometimes I find that the sweetness of the Name is condensed like a blossoming flower, and very wonderful streams of sweet current are flowing from it. The Holy Name contains so many sweet variegated forms of current within Him, and He is wonderfully expressing Himself in different ways. Sometimes He emanates a peculiar type of colour and figure, and disappears.&quot; &quot;So many charming aspects are shown as if to my eyes within, and He forcibly takes me to surrender at the foot of that altar. He shows Himself in his full-fledged form, in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, in His Braja-l\u012bl\u0101, with R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and He takes me there. I find that I am in the midst of His peculiar, very sweet and loving paraphernalia. And He say&#x27;s: &#x27;You see! I have so many wonderful things. This is your home. I am not merely imagination, but concrete reality. You will find here that the environment is very favourable and sweet. You are to live here.&quot; &quot;I see there that He is dealing in different ways with His associates, in different rasas. And I find that I have another body that has emerged from my previous one, and that has a permanent place here in His Service. Such a new life I find here. And then I find ultimately that all consideration of my past life and experience has vanished. And it is true: my real life is here. This is proper, and that was a sham, that life has vanished.&quot; &quot;Then I find that chanting the Holy Name gives me new encouragement, a new prospect, and new hope. Whatever we want, whatever is our internal demand, it is supplied by the Name. If we take the Name, all our internal hankerings will be fulfilled. It is eternal, it is the purest of the pure, and it is full of ecstasy. Now I find I have been completely converted.&quot; &quot;Now, my innermost hankering is this; let whatever is against this sweet Name vanish eternally from the world. If anything is in opposition to this sweet life, let it vanish, and if necessary, I will give my life to make it disappear from the world forever. Then others will be able to enjoy it at their free will. No hindrance should come to that fulfilment of life. It has no other second. So, everyone may come here, and if necessary, I will sacrifice myself to finish any opposition, so that all can enjoy smoothly, peacefully, and without any danger, enjoy this absolute, sweet, and blissful life.&quot; This is the statement of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, in the final song of his book, \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati (Surrender). (TSOBT, p 59-61) + (TSFSK, p 126-129) There was one \u015ar\u012bmad Parvvat Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, who, at a very early age, came to \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura and was one of his first disciples. Parvvat Mah\u0101r\u0101ja lived next door to Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura when he passed his old age in Godrum. He said that there was only a partition wall between his house and Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s. That was at Surabh\u012b Ku\u00f1ja. From about three o&#x27;clock in the morning, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura would rise and take the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the mah\u0101-mantra, at the top of his voice. Parvvat Mah\u0101r\u0101ja described it like this. As though calling someone from afar, with this spirit Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura would chant the Holy Name. That Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was astonished to see such behaviour. He was in his old age, and his body was somewhat attacked with rheumatism. There was a cement chair constructed there; he would stroll about at his sweet will, and when \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura felt tired and fatigued, he took his seat on that chair and rested there awhile. (that chair is still there today). And then after some time he would again wander in the garden, chanting at the top of his voice: &quot;Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!&quot; With such animation in his voice he was calling - calling a person; with this spirit, and not in a formal way, but with a material hankering, he was calling for the Lord. \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja commented: &quot;There was another thing I also heard about him from another source, R\u0101m Gop\u0101l Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a, an M.A. and Barristerat-law. R\u0101m Gop\u0101l Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a told me: &quot;Once we went to visit \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura. We had heard that a Government officer, an educated man, had become a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b. So we went to see him, and someone amongst us asked him: &quot;Please speak something about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-N\u0101ma (the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a).&quot; &quot;After a moment, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura then said: &quot;Oh, you want to hear something about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, you want? You want K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-N\u0101ma? You are so fortunate? You have come to hear K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47aN\u0101ma? Then the consequence of that enquiry had such an influence on his body and mind, that as it is written by him personally in his own poem \u015ar\u012b-N\u0101ma M\u0101h\u0101tmya: cak\u1e63e dh\u0101r\u0101 - From my eyes tears flowed; dehe gharmma - my body perspired; m\u016brcchita haila mana - I fell into a faint; kari&#x27; eta upadrava - the Holy Name created a great turmoil in me citte var\u1e63e sudh\u0101-drava - causing a rain of nectarine current into my heart - more \u1e0d\u0101re premera s\u0101gare; and casting me into the ocean of ecstasy, of Love; kichu n\u0101 bujhite dila, more ta&#x27; b\u0101tula kaila - I could not feel any environment around me, and became as though mad; mora cittavitta saba hare - I lost myself in that thought. That gentleman, R\u0101m Gop\u0101l Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a said: &quot;I saw with my own eyes that all these symptoms were displayed in his body and mind, simply upon hearing our enquiry. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura said: &quot;You are so fortunate, you have come to hear K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-N\u0101ma from me? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!&quot; In this way he entered into another domain, and so many symptoms and expressions appeared in his body and mind - convulsions, tears, all these things.&quot; I heard from this eyewitness. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 65-6) k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma dhare kata bala vi\u1e63aya-v\u0101san\u0101nale This sound &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&quot; what is its value? \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has explained that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has four unique, special qualities. Every j\u012bva has fifty innate qualities. Certain devat\u0101s have fifty-five, the five additional qualities partially manifest in them. \u015ar\u012b N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a has sixty qualities in full, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has four more qualities not found in N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. Those four qualities are; r\u016bpam\u0101dhurya (sweet form), ve\u1e47u-m\u0101dhurya (sweet-flute), l\u012bl\u0101-m\u0101dhurya (sweet pastimes), and parikara-m\u0101dhurya (sweet associates). \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has established the speciality of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 in this way. And this is only found in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. V\u0101sudeva-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has no flute, and it has been mentioned that even Dw\u0101rake\u015ba-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is charmed to search for the r\u016bpa-m\u0101dhurya of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the sweet Lord of Braja, Reality the Beautiful. (C, v1, # 6, Spr. &#x27;94, p 9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(254)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47as tu bhagav\u0101n svayam\",\"ete c\u0101\u1e41\u015ba-kal\u0101\u1e25 pu\u1e41sa\u1e25,\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47as tu bhagav\u0101n svayam\",\"indr\u0101ri-vy\u0101kula\u1e41 loka\u1e41,\",\"m\u1e5b\u1e0dayanti yuge yuge\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;All the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.&quot; (S-B, 1.3.28) On the order of his gurudeva Devar\u1e63i N\u0101rada, the scripture \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam was given by Vedavy\u0101sa as the conclusion of his teachings. After giving the Vedas, Upani\u1e63ads, Pur\u0101\u1e47as, Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata, Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, etc., the last gift of Vedavy\u0101sa in the world of scriptures was \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. And the message of the Bh\u0101gavatam is that beauty is above all - not knowledge or justice. Mercy is above justice. Affection, love, beauty, charm, harmony - these are above all, and this absolute conception of the ultimate reality is in the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception. Beauty is above knowledge and power. Knowledge is above power, and above knowledge is beauty, charm, love. That is the supreme. \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam has declared: k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47as tu bhagav\u0101n svayam: the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception of Godhead is the most original conception of the Absolute. This is the prime declaration of the Bh\u0101gavatam: the Lord, as Beauty, is above all. And below Him is awe, reverence, power, etc. And Mah\u0101prabhu \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva pointed out: &quot;Go to the beautiful - Reality the Beautiful - He is your highest attainment. Hanker neither for power nor knowledge, but hanker for service of the Beautiful, and thereby, you will be taken in and given entrance into the land of the Beautiful.&quot; This is the highest realisation. Don&#x27;t waste your energy by engaging yourself in any other pursuits, but go straight - j\u00f1\u0101na-\u015b\u016bnya-bhakti. By the help of s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, take the Name of the Lord and try to march straight onwards to the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception of Godhead. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is our highest achievement, and this is given by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 88-9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(255)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47asyochchai\u1e25 pra\u1e47aya-vasati\u1e25 preyas\u012bbhyo &#x27;pi r\u0101dh\u0101ku\u1e47\u1e0da\u1e41 c\u0101sy\u0101 munibhir abhitas t\u0101d\u1e5bg eva vyadh\u0101yi\",\"yat pre\u1e63\u1e6dhair apy alam asulabha\u1e41 ki\u1e41 punar bhakti-bh\u0101j\u0101\u1e41\",\"tat premeda\u1e41 sak\u1e5bd api sara\u1e25 sn\u0101tur \u0101vi\u1e63karoti\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Of the many objects of favoured delight and of all the loveable damsels of Vrajabh\u016bmi, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is certainly the most treasured object of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s love. And, in every respect, Her divine ku\u1e47\u1e0da is described by great sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly R\u0101dh\u0101ku\u1e47\u1e0da is very rarely attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy waters, one&#x27;s pure love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is fully aroused.&quot; (U, 11) \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura gave a lecture between R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da and \u015ay\u0101maku\u1e47\u1e0da. There is a boundary line between the two. There, he read and explained the Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5btam of \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b for a few days. He did not explain anything about \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, nor about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but he spoke on Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5btam - the basis. His attention was always towards the basis. The fruit will come of itself: &quot;Pour water onto the root; pour water onto the root, and the fruit will appear itself.&quot; He himself explained this while sitting in the middle between R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da and \u015ay\u0101ma-ku\u1e47\u1e0da. He explained not only Bh\u0101gavatam, but Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5btam, Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5btam is the substance of Mah\u0101prabhu, in the language of R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. v\u0101co vega\u1e41 manasa\u1e25 krodha-vega\u1e41, jihv\u0101-vegam udaropastha-vegam et\u0101n veg\u0101n yo vi\u1e63aheta dh\u012bra\u1e25, sarv\u0101m ap\u012bm\u0101\u1e41 p\u1e5bthiv\u012b\u1e41 sa \u015bi\u1e63y\u0101t &quot;A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind&#x27;s demands, the action of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.&quot; (U, 1) And the last \u015bloka: k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47asyochchai\u1e25 pra\u1e47aya-vasati\u1e25 preyas\u012bbhyo &#x27;pi r\u0101dh\u0101- These topics were explained but nothing of the Govinda-L\u012bl\u0101m\u1e5btam or \u015ar\u012bla Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Chakravartt\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-Bh\u0101van\u0101m\u1e5bta - all these things were left untouched. So, our training was in this line. (SGD, 1996, p 31) + (see also \u015bloka 384)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(256)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47atattva-bhaktitattva-rasatattva-pr\u0101nta\",\"saba \u015bikh\u0101ila prabhu bh\u0101gavata-siddh\u0101nta\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu taught \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b the ultimate conclusions of \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam, the truth about Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, devotional service and transcendental mellows, consummating in conjugal love between R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.115) + (SBRBM, p 40)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(257)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tava pu\u1e47ya habe bh\u0101i\",\"e-pu\u1e47ya koribe jabe r\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b khus\u012b habe\",\"dhruva ati boli tom\u0101 t\u0101i\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a only when \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b becomes pleased with you.&quot; (Prayer to the Lotus Feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, by \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, composed on board the Jaladuta when he first went to America). (SOTVA, p 26-8) Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja invoked assistance from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He petitioned Him: &quot;Please come to my help. I have been ordered by Your favourite to do this duty. Please help me. After finishing this duty I shall again join Your play in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. There we shall play; we shall run, we shall jump and we shall do anything and everything in a boisterous way together. But for now I have some duty which is necessary to discharge and that duty has been ordered by Your most favourite person. If You help me to carry out this then Your friend, that most favourite friend, will be pleased with You and so You will get some advantage thereby!&quot; In this way he made his petition: k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tava pu\u1e47ya habe bh\u0101i: &quot;You will acquire good merit if You help me.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a supported Govardhana Hill with the little finger of His left hand, and afterwards His friends, the cowherd men and boys told Him: &quot;You did not hold it alone, we also helped You with our sticks! Be reminded of it, You could not do it alone!&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 9) \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;My guru is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. She will be very gracious to You K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a if You help me in discharging the order of gurudeva - if You help me in my propaganda work. k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tava pu\u1e47ya habe bh\u0101i. If You seek anything, if You are in want of anything K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, then that is the good will of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. And She will be pleased with You if You help me, because I am attempting to carry out the order of who is none but \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b personified. So You must help me.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a had no other alternative but to come down to him and help him in his propaganda work. He had to come. (C, v 1, #7, Spr. &#x27;95, p 10) When \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja began his preaching in the west, he was already 70 years of age. He underwent severe trials. In the beginning years he wrote a letter to \u015ar\u012bla Govinda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, and the gist of the translation from Bengali was: &quot;In the separation of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura), I take the order of \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja on my head. Now I am in America. I may die at any time, and I would like to die in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. But I can also stay here and die preaching. So please take \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s advice on what I should do. Should I leave the West and come back to India or not?&quot; The reply came: &quot;Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is always in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. And the West is his prabhu-dattade\u015ba (his guru-given country, his field). Wherever he leaves the world - that is also V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. So he can stay there and continue his glorious work.&quot; For the preaching purpose he&#x27;s begging the help of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in his campaign, because R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b will be satisfied and his gurudeva is representing R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. That is mentioned there. From there I conjecture, and what playfully he has mentioned there: &quot;After finishing this job, I shall again join Your V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana l\u012bl\u0101 as a friend and we shall play to our highest sentiment.&quot; And this way. There from it may be conjectured that his acme of serving pleasure is within sakhyarasa, a supposition. That letter has been given to me and I read that, and from there I could suppose that his position, he&#x27;s satisfied with that sakhya-l\u012bl\u0101, he mentions there that his gurudeva is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, madhuryarasa, and he&#x27;s asking K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s help, in his discharging the duty which is ordered by R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, given by R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b to him, he says that: &quot;R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b will be satisfied, if You help me in my carrying out the orders of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 494)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(258)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-var\u1e47a\u1e41 tvi\u1e63\u0101 &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e41\",\"s\u0101\u1e45gop\u0101\u1e45g\u0101stra-p\u0101r\u1e63adam\",\"yaj\u00f1ai\u1e25 sa\u1e45k\u012brtana-pr\u0101yair\",\"yajanti hi sumedhasa\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the Names of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.&quot; (S-B, 11.5.32) + (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 3.52) Here, yaj\u00f1a\u1e25 means sacrifice, dedication, which is sa\u1e45k\u012brtana-pr\u0101ya, or sa\u1e45k\u012brtana -pradh\u0101na, which means `predominated by sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, the congregational chanting of the Holy Name&#x27;; and this is performed by those endowed with sufficient piety. So, in this age of Iron, k\u012brttana has its own special privilege, granted by the Supreme Lord - Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s speciality is preaching, k\u012brtana. He inaugurated and conducted Hari- k\u012brtana. So k\u012brtana has been accepted by our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, and others. To write about the Lord is also within the jurisdiction of k\u012brtana . To preach is assertion, to take the message to others. So also, to be engaged in answering the questions of the environment automatically demands concentration, which is a very rare thing in this age. When one is doing k\u012brtana, he automatically cannot but give all concentration and attention. He cannot speak independently; intuitively, he must be all-attentive. For this reason, k\u012brtana has been recommended to be the highest form of bhajana, especially in the age of Kali. (SOTGOD,v 2, p 23-4) + (see also \u015blokas 85, 138 &amp; 217) &quot;In the age of Kali, persons of great piety and intelligence will worship the Lord as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. He will appear in a golden form chanting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Name, accompanied by His associates and entourage.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 1V + (see also \u015blokas 128 &amp; 529) &quot;Those who are of fine theistic intellect (sumedhasa\u1e25) will worship \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, not others.&quot; (SEOC, p 142) In a suppressed way, this verse explains the advent of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. The ordinary meaning of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-var\u1e47a\u1e41 is &quot;of a black colour.&quot; But tvi\u1e63\u0101 &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e41 means &quot;His lustre is not black.&quot; Accompanied by His associates, He is worshipped by the process of sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, the chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and those of sharp intellect will perform this kind of worship.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b explains the meaning of this verse in his own parallel verse, anta\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e41 bahir gaura\u1e41 (see \u015bloka 36) (TGVODL, p 2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(259)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e karm\u0101rpa\u1e47a-sarva-s\u0101dhya-s\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;To offer the results of one&#x27;s activities to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the essence of all perfection.&quot; (R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya&#x27;s reply to \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadev&#x27;s comment: &#x27;This is superficial, go deeper&#x27;). (see C-c, Madhyal\u012bl\u0101, 8.51-313) + (TSFSK, p 137)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(260)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era ta\u1e6dasth\u0101-\u015bakti, bhed\u0101bheda prak\u0101\u015ba\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The soul comes from the marginal potency.&quot; &quot;The constitutional nature of the j\u012bva soul is that of an eternal servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; the j\u012bva soul is a manifestation of divinity which is one with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and different from Him. The j\u012bva souls are the marginal potency of the Lord. Though in reality they are servants of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, from time immemorial, they have been engaged in misconception, as exploiting agents.&quot; (C-c, Madhyal\u012bl\u0101, 20.108 &amp; 117). (TGVODL, p 131) + (see \u015blokas 75, 200 &amp; 321)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(261)\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era yateka khel\u0101\",\"sarvottama nara-l\u012bl\u0101\",\"nara-vapu t\u0101h\u0101ra svar\u016bpa\",\"gope-ve\u015ba, ve\u1e47u-kara\",\"nava ki\u015bora, nata-vara\",\"nara l\u012bl\u0101ra haya anur\u016bpa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has many pastimes, of which His pastimes as a human being are the best. His form as a human being is the Supreme Transcendental Form. In this form, He is a cowherd boy. He carries a flute in His hand, and His youth is new. He is also an expert dancer. All this is just suitable for His pastimes as a human being.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 21.101) The \u0101c\u0101ryas may come. Sometimes they make it clear and sometimes - they make it complex, purposely. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, he made it complex - very ontological aspects he has dealt with at length. And, in a simple way, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has also distributed. It is necessary. Analytic: synthetic. In a simple way, there is the possibility of becoming sahajiy\u0101, that is, we can take it like this mundane thing. But actually, this is all on the other side of the globe - just the opposite - it is such. k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era yateka khel\u0101: Very similar, but it is not the same! Far, far off, but in some ways, similar. (see also \u015blokas 220, 375, 420 &amp; 486) + (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 7) &quot;Mah\u0101prabhu taught that the human society is so valuable because K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is originally in this form. This human society is created after His original social style and therefore it is so important.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 10) The Bible also states that God made man is His own image!\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(262)\",\"k\u1e63etra-hari prema bhajana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Devotion has such a peculiar position and power. The last acquisition of devotion is that which can control the Supreme Lord and forcibly take Him to the devotee as a friendly servant. The master surrenders to the servant. (LSFTLS, p 62)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(263)\",\"ksipra\u1e41 bhavati dharm\u0101tm\u0101,\",\"\u015ba\u015bvac ch\u0101nti\u1e41 nigacchati\",\"kaunteya pratij\u0101n\u012bhi,\",\"na me bhakta\u1e25 pra\u1e47a\u015byati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;That most degraded person very swiftly becomes adorned with virtuous practices and attains to eternal tranquillity. O son of Kunt\u012b, declare it - proclaim it - My devotee is never vanquished!&quot; or &quot;O Arjuna, promise to the public that My exclusive devoted servitors will never come to ruin. He who declares this swiftly becomes virtuous and truly attains eternal divine grace.&quot; (B-g, 9.31). This second interpretation was revealed to \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura in a dream. (see also \u015bloka 22 &amp; 42) &quot;O son of Kunt\u012b, it is My promise that a soul who adopts exclusive devotion unto Me will definitely never fail. Despite the initial purging and sudden appearance of his defects, such anomalies are rapidly dispelled by his continuous remembrance of Me in repentance for the impediments to his service. He becomes impeccably devout in the soul&#x27;s natural constitutional behaviour, and as a result of his devotion he attains supreme relief from the bondage of both sinfulness and piety.&quot; (SSPJ, p 154-5) + (see also \u015bloka 42) &quot;Very soon, he will become religious in his behaviour, and he will be seen to acquire real peace in his life. O son of Kunti, confidently declare to the public that My devotee never meets ruination.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 78) + (see also \u015bloka 42) The assurance is given by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;Even if he has come to Me only for the time being, he has taken some medicine before leaving, so he ultimately must come to Me again.&quot; (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 21) + (see also \u015blokas 42 &amp; 337) &quot;Very soon he will be a man of righteousness; he will become dharm\u0101tm\u0101 - dutiful. (SEOC, p 126) + (see also \u015bloka 42)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(264)\",\"kuliy\u0101-gr\u0101mete \u0101si&#x27; \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya\",\"hena n\u0101hi, y\u0101 &#x27;re prabhu n\u0101 karil\u0101 dhanya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;At Koladv\u012bpa - the Govarddhana Hill of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, concealed in \u015ar\u012b Navadv\u012bpa Dh\u0101ma - the Most Generous Absolute expressed Himself in His maximum generosity. Without considering any crime, He absolved whoever He found. He accepted them all.&quot; (C-Bh\u0101: Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 3.541) Here in Koladv\u012bpa, Navadv\u012bpa, we find a happy place where the Absolute is the most generous in His benevolence. When the Absolute is distributing Himself, He becomes \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva. And that \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva in the highest stage of His mercy is found here in Koladv\u012bpa. After sanny\u0101sa, when He returned to Bengal with the intention of going to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, He showed His most generous and dignified temperament at that time. He recruited the sinners of the world. Anyone who came to Him received the highest mercy. This is the speciality of this place. By &#x27;place&#x27; we should not think of a mere geographical location. Of course, it has such a location, but really this is where the Most Generous Absolute gave Himself to the worst sinners. Here, even the most fallen souls receive the grace of the Lord. Our highest necessity is distributed from here, Navadv\u012bpa Dh\u0101ma; here is the key to the highest and sweetest mood within our heart. The key to enter into the conception of our sweetest home is given from here. Here is the key to that world of faith, \u015braddh\u0101, that world of love. (SOTGOD, v1, p xxi) Kuliy\u0101-gr\u0101mete \u0101si&#x27; \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya: So here, in Koladv\u012bpa, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu gave His best to all. He gave the most desirable service, service of the sweetest type. Such service is found in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and Mah\u0101prabhu \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva recommended V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana life as the highest. Neither knowledge nor power can even approach this V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana service. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, heart is everything. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 192) + (see also \u015bloka 52) In this way C\u0101p\u0101la Gop\u0101l and many others who had made so many bad remarks about \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva&#x27;s conduct all came there to Him saying: &quot;We could not understand Your outstanding personality and superiority, therefore we have unknowingly done much wrong against You. Please forgive us.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu forgave them saying: &quot;Oh, no, no, there is no offence, everything is all right. Go away peacefully now.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 19) + (see also \u015bloka 358)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(265)\",\"ku\u00f1jo &#x27;sti r\u016bpoll\u0101s\u0101khyo lalit\u0101-ku\u00f1jakottare\",\"sad\u0101 ti\u1e63\u1e6dhati tatraiva su\u015bobh\u0101 r\u016bpa-ma\u00f1jar\u012b\",\"priya-n\u0101rma-sakh\u012b-mukhy\u0101 sundar\u012b r\u016bpa-ma\u00f1jar\u012b\",\"gorocan\u0101-sam\u0101\u1e45ga-\u015br\u012b\u1e25keki-patr\u0101\u1e41\u015buka-priy\u0101\",\"s\u0101rdha-trida\u015ba-var\u1e63\u0101sau v\u0101ma-madhy\u0101tvam \u0101srit\u0101\",\"ra\u1e45ga\u1e47a-m\u0101lik\u0101 ceti pravadanti man\u012b\u1e63ina\u1e25\",\"iya\u1e41 lava\u1e45ga-ma\u00f1jary\u0101 eken\u0101hn\u0101 kan\u012byas\u012b\",\"kalau gaura-rasr r\u016bpa-gosw\u0101mitva\u1e41 sam\u0101gata\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In the northern part of \u015ar\u012b Lalit\u0101 sakh\u012b&#x27;s ku\u00f1ja lies \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpoll\u0101sa ku\u00f1ja, where the most beautiful and attractive \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b resides. She is the foremost amongst the gop\u012bs known as priya narma sakh\u012b, and is distinguished by her graceful, captivating countenance and unique loveliness. Her complexion is bright gold, the colour of gorocana, and she delights in wearing a dress the colour of peacock feathers. Her age is 13 years 6 months, and her nature is bamya madhya. The pandits call her &#x27;rangana-mallika&#x27; - a charming damsel who entertains and enchants the heart of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a by her graceful dance, and jasmine flower like beauty and fragrance. She is one day younger than Lavanga ma\u00f1jar\u012b, and in Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101 she appears as \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. In Ki\u015bori Tantra, \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b has been described by the 8 syllable mantra: &quot;srim r\u016bpa ma\u00f1jaryai svaha.&quot; - I offer myself in all devotion, to the service of beautiful \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b. (SBRBM, p 42)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(266)\",\"kutas tv\u0101 ka\u015bmalam ida\u1e41,\",\"vi\u1e63ame samupasthitam\",\"an\u0101rya-ju\u1e63\u1e6dam asvargyam,\",\"ak\u012brti-karam arjuna\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Arjuna, why has such illusion overcome you at this critical moment? This is unbefitting a noble man (\u0100ryan). It is an obstacle to the attainment of heaven, and a destroyer of good name and fame.&quot; (B-g, 2.2) It is war importance relief work; with great urgency. He has come to look affectionately for every lost servant, and that is our consolation - that we may fall within (come within the purview of) His search. kutas tv\u0101 ka\u015bmalam ida\u1e41, vi\u1e63ame samupasthitam: &quot;Yes - vi\u1e63ama - This is an &quot;uncommon circumstance&quot;, exceptionally uncommon, extra-ordinary circumstance. vi\u1e63ama, not ordinary general circumstance, but it is exceptionally dangerous - opposite circumstance. an\u0101rya-ju\u1e63\u1e6dam - This is not accepted by a man of standard civilisation asvargyam, and it won&#x27;t give any further prospect: ak\u012brti-karam - nor will it give name or fame in either this world or the next world. It will not be accepted by the standard civilised person. kutas tv\u0101 ka\u015bmalam ida\u1e41 - &quot;Such a mean type of mania has caught you Arjuna - it does not behoove you or befit your position. What is this?&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 4) + (see also \u015bloka 237)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(267)\",\"kvacin nivarttate &#x27;bhadr\u0101t,\",\"kvacic carati tat puna\u1e25\",\"pr\u0101ya\u015bcittam atho &#x27;p\u0101rtha\u1e41,\",\"manye ku\u00f1jara-\u015baucavat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Sometimes a person refrains from sin, but in time he again commits the same kind of sin. Therefore, I consider atonement (in the line of karma-k\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da, or in the calculation of worldly deeds) to be as futile as an elephants bath. (The elephant is habituated to immediately rolling about in the dust after taking a dip in the river).&quot; (S-B, 6.1.10) I have done something sinful, and if I follow that by an opposite practice as atonement (karmapr\u0101ya\u015bcitta), the sin is absolved. But the next moment I will compulsively commit that sin again. By j\u00f1\u0101na-pr\u0101ya\u015bcitta we may gain a somewhat more permanent abstention from the sinful activity. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 93-4) + (see also \u015bloka 505)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(268)\",\"labdhv\u0101 su-durlabham ida\u1e41 bahu-sambhav\u0101nte\",\"m\u0101nu\u1e63yam artha-dam anityam ap\u012bha dh\u012bra\u1e25\",\"t\u016br\u1e47a\u1e41 yateta na pated anu-m\u1e5btyu y\u0101van\",\"ni\u1e25\u015breyas\u0101ya vi\u1e63aya\u1e25 khalu sarvata\u1e25 sy\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The human form of life is very rarely attained, and although temporary, gives us a chance to achieve the supreme goal of life. Therefore, those who are grave and intelligent should immediately strive for perfection before another death occurs. There are so many forms of life: the aquatics, the vegetable kingdom, the animals, the birds, ghosts and other living beings, but only in this human position do we hold the key to the complete solution of the problems of life.&quot; (S-B, 11.9.29) Our life in this world is valuable, because in this life we can acquire a higher aspiration. We can have the chance of acquiring the goal from this plane. This human life is so valuable that with it we can take the path of the highest divine conception. This human body is highly valued and rarely achieved. If we can use this human life in a valuable way, we can acquire the key by which to become free from the whole chain of life in this troublesome world. We can get rid of the bondage of all sorts of physical and mental troubles. The key is here, in this human form of life. J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that lower life-forms have insufficient understanding to realise the highest truth. And in the higher life-forms, such as demigods, because previously acquired energy or karma has accumulated on all sides, the chief enjoying elements are surrounding the living being. It is difficult to escape the charm of those influences and begin the prospect of a fresh life in a higher plane of consciousness. This human form of life is the most advantageous position to escape this entanglement and reach the highest object of our divine life. (TGVODL, p 169- 170) + (see also \u015blokas 133, 150, 152, 195, 261, 284, 300, 330, 347, 353, 445, 478, 534 &amp; 588) One has to associate with liberated persons, and not always directly, physically, but by understanding philosophically and logically. As stated in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (3.31.48), samyag-dar\u015banay\u0101 buddhy\u0101, one has to see perfectly, and the eye will always be guided by the ear. One must realise perfectly that the living entity is spirit soul, only tasting various kinds of material bodies. We are individual units of consciousness having a human experience, and not humans trying to have a spiritual experience, we are the \u0101tma, soul. So our birth has come to the human species, near the goal. So the j\u012bva when coming to human species has come in connection with this highest prospect, can get out of the gate of this m\u0101y\u0101, and if that chance is finished, then again after this may have again the birth of a beast, or a tree. The j\u012bva came just to the goal and again may have to return far away from the goal. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu taught that the human society is so valuable because K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is originally in this form. This human society is created after His original social style and therefore it is so important for the reciprocation of love and affection.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(269)\",\"l\u0101g bali&#x27; cali&#x27; y\u0101ya sindhu tarib\u0101re\",\"ya\u015bera sindhu na deya k\u016bla, adhika adhika b\u0101\u1e0de\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura, the Vy\u0101sa of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101 states: &quot;(Even) the unlimitedly powerful \u015ar\u012b Balar\u0101ma (\u015ar\u012b Anantadeva) tries to cross the ocean of the Lord&#x27;s glories (attempting to sing all the glories of the Lord using His thousands of mouths), but He never reaches the shore. Rather, that ocean expands more and more.&quot; (C-Bh\u0101, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 1.71) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p xiii)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(270)\",\"lak\u1e63a locan\u0101\u015bru-var\u1e63a-har\u1e63a-ke\u015ba-kartana\u1e41\",\"ko\u1e6di-kantha-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-k\u012brtan\u0101\u1e0dhya-da\u1e47\u1e0da dh\u0101ranam\",\"ny\u0101si-vesa-sarva-de\u015ba-h\u0101-hut\u0101\u015ba-k\u0101rtara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Amidst the showering of tears of sorrow from the eyes of millions, He gladly cut off His beautiful long hair. As He accepted His da\u1e47\u1e0da, millions of voices were singing the glories of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Thereafter the people of all lands cried out desperately in grief when they saw Him in the dress of a sanny\u0101s\u012b. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gaurasundara the beautiful, the divine abode of pure love.&quot; (PDDS, 16) The scene was at Katwa. Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita was young and beautiful, with a tall figure. He was only twenty-four and had beautiful curling hair. A barber was asked to shave Him, and approached Him, but then withdrew. The barber could not venture to touch Nim\u0101i &#x27;s body. He began to cry. &quot;How can I remove such beautiful hair from such a beautiful head?&quot; And so many others were also crying aloud: &quot;What a horrible thing is being done here! Who is the creator of this sanny\u0101sa? Who is so hard-hearted that he created the sanny\u0101sa-\u0101\u015brama, where one must give up all that is near and dear and go from door to door, begging, leaving his own friends and relatives crying helplessly? What is this creation of the Supreme? Is it logical? Is it a happy thing? It is most cruel!&quot; Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita was smiling. After the barber was ordered repeatedly, somehow he was forced to shave Nim\u0101i&#x27;s head. At first, he could not venture to touch His hair, saying: &quot;I can&#x27;t touch Him.&quot; But at last, he had to do the service of shaving the beautiful, curling hair of the beautiful face of the twenty-four year old genius boy. He began with his shears. Some people could not stand the scene. Some even became mad. In the midst of the weeping, wailing, and crying of the threatening mob, it was done. Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita was senseless. After being only half-shaved, He stood up and began chanting in k\u012brtana and dancing in ecstatic joy. After He was shaved, the barber promised: &quot;I will never again shave anyone with this hand! I would rather live by begging. This is my last service as a barber.&quot; After this, that barber took up the occupation of a sweetmaker. Ultimately Nim\u0101i&#x27;s appeals pacified the mob, and a little before noon the inevitable gradually came: the sanny\u0101sa function was performed. Candra\u015bekhara \u0100c\u0101rya, the maternal uncle of Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, was deputed to take charge of the rituals in the ceremony of sanny\u0101sa. When the mantra was to be conferred, Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita asked Ke\u015bava Bharat\u012b: &quot;Is this the mantra you will give Me? I heard it in a dream.&quot; He whispered the mantra in the ear of His guru who accepted, saying: &quot;Yes, this is the mantra I shall give You.&quot; Then that mantra was given. And the name of this sanny\u0101s\u012b was not given in an ordinary way either. A most peculiar name came through Ke\u015bava Bharat\u012b: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya.&quot; None of the ten names generally given to sanny\u0101s\u012bs was given to Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, but the name that was given to Him was K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya. According to the Muktikopani\u1e63ad and S\u0101ttvata-sa\u1e41hit\u0101, there are one hundred and eight authorised names for trida\u1e47\u1e0d\u012b sanny\u0101s\u012bs, principle among which are the following ten: T\u012brtha, \u0100\u015brama, Vana, \u0100ra\u1e47ya, Giri, Parvata, S\u0101gara, Saraswat\u012b, Bh\u0101rat\u012b, and Pur\u012b. As soon as they heard that name, the mob began to cry: &quot;\u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu ki jaya!&quot; &quot;All glories to \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya!&quot; The father of \u015ar\u012bniv\u0101sa \u0100c\u0101rya was a class friend of Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita. On his way to his fatherin-law&#x27;s house, he heard that Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita had come to take sanny\u0101sa. He ran there, and seeing everything, he became dumb, he was devastated and went half-mad. After that, nothing came from his mouth but &quot;Caitanya.&quot; After he heard the Name &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya,&quot; whatever anyone said to him, he would only say, &quot;Caitanya!&quot; He became mad. After that, his name became Caitanya d\u0101sa. His former name vanished, and everyone used to call him Caitanya d\u0101sa. He could not stand the scene of Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita&#x27;s sanny\u0101sa. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, newly dressed in red robes, embraced His guru, and both of them began to dance, chanting the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. After some time, the meaning of the Name was given. Ke\u015bava Bharat\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;\u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya means that You arouse K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness throughout the entire world. You have descended to make all people K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. So the most suitable Name for You cannot but be \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu was very cheerful, thinking, &quot;I am going to relieve so many souls from their eternal misery and affliction. I have promised to deliver the whole world from this ocean of misery and take them to the nectarine world, and now I am going to accept that task.&quot; He was cheerful, but everyone around Him was diving in the ocean of despair and sorrow. Some scholars stress that Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu took sanny\u0101sa from Ke\u015bava Bharat\u012b, who was a m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b, an impersonalist. But although Ke\u015bava Bharat\u012b may have externally showed himself in that way, it is seen that by coming in connection with Mah\u0101prabhu, he became a devotee. Otherwise, we may also think that he was a devotee who came in the garb of an impersonalists to help the preaching of Mah\u0101prabhu by assisting Him with the social formality of taking sanny\u0101sa. At that time, all over India, m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b sanny\u0101s\u012bs had greater recognition than Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava sanny\u0101s\u012bs, and Ke\u015bava Bharat\u012b was already situated in that post. Mah\u0101prabhu took the garb of a sanny\u0101s\u012b from him for His own purpose, to help His preaching activity. All these things may be explained in different ways. In any case, after Mah\u0101prabhu took sanny\u0101sa, Ke\u015bava Bharat\u012b began to sing and dance with \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. He joined in sa\u1e45k\u012brtana and was immediately converted. (TGVODL, p 59-63) + ( see also \u015bloka 148)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(271)\",\"l\u012bl\u0101 prem\u1e47a priy\u0101dhikya\u1e41,\",\"m\u0101dhurya\u1e41 ve\u1e47u-r\u016bpayo\u1e25\",\"ity as\u0101dh\u0101ra\u1e47a\u1e41 prokta\u1e41,\",\"govindasya catu\u1e63\u1e6dayam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has four superexcellent qualities - His wonderful pastimes, His wonderful associates like the gop\u012bs, who are very dear to Him, His sweet beauty, and the sweet vibration of His Flute.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 23.84) + (TSFSK, inside front cover)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(272)\",\"l\u012bl\u0101-sa\u1e41gopa-k\u0101lenirpadhi-karu\u1e47\u0101-k\u0101ri\u1e47\u0101sv\u0101min\u0101ha\u1e41\",\"yat p\u0101d\u0101je &#x27;rpito yat pada-bhajanamaya\u1e41 g\u0101yayitv\u0101 tu g\u012btam\",\"yogy\u0101yogyatva-bh\u0101va\u1e41 mama khalu sakala\u1e41 du\u1e63\u1e6da-buddher ag\u1e5bh\u1e47an\",\"sa \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa\u1e25 kad\u0101 m\u0101\u1e41 nija-pada-rajas\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63ita\u1e41 sa\u1e41vidhatte\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Just prior to the withdrawal of his manifest l\u012bl\u0101, my causeless merciful divine master \u015ar\u012bla Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kur handed me over to the holy feet of that divine personality by having me sing the glorious prayer unto his lotus feet. Despite my lowliness, when will \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Prabhu grace me with the dust of his holy lotus feet, ignoring all my disqualifications?&quot; (PJRPRPD, 10) + (SBRBM, p 43) \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;When Prabhup\u0101da (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) became ill, I attended his sickbed. Just one day before his departure he called for me, and he asked me to chant \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa-ma\u00f1jar\u012b-pada. At that time I was not accustomed to leading the k\u012brtana. I was hesitating - \u015ar\u012byukta Ku\u00f1ja B\u0101bu (later \u015ar\u012bp\u0101d Bhakti Vil\u0101s T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja) asked one brahmac\u0101r\u012b: &quot;Prabhu, you go on singing.&quot; Then he began singing, but Prabhup\u0101da felt dissatisfaction. He said: &quot;I don&#x27;t want to hear the tone or sweet sound.&quot; Then that brahmac\u0101r\u012b Prabhu stopped and I had to sing \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa-ma\u00f1jar\u012b-pada. And the others said: &quot;Prabhup\u0101da has hereby given you admission to the rasa-sev\u0101 section.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 470)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c09\",\"title\":\"09. Living for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"The hearts and minds of My devotees are always filled with Me, and they are forever experiencing pleasure and ecstasy in talking about Me.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(273)\",\"mac-citt\u0101 mad-gata pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101,\",\"bodhayanta\u1e25 parasparam\",\"kathayanta\u015b ca m\u0101\u1e41 nitya\u1e41,\",\"tu\u1e63yanti ca ramanti ca\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My devotees mix together, talk about Me, and exchange thoughts that give consolation to their hearts. And they live as if this talk about Me is their food. It gives them a high kind of pleasure, and they find that when they talk about Me among themselves, they feel as if they are enjoying My presence.&quot; (B-g, 10.9) (TGVODL, p 149) + (see also \u015bloka 516) &quot;The hearts and minds of My devotees are always filled with Me, and they are forever experiencing pleasure and ecstasy in talking about Me.&quot; Here, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;I am in their hearts, in their thinking (mac-citt\u0101 mad-gata pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101,) Their whole life, their entire energy is spent for Me, utilised for Me. Their pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101-\u015bakti, their lifeenergy, is so fully devoted for My cause. Internally they are always thinking about Me and devoting their whole energy for Me, and externally they talk about Me to enhance their mutual understanding (bodhayanta\u1e25 parasparam) They love to talk about Me with one another; they talk about nothing else. In private life, and in public life also, they love to talk about Me, and nothing else. I am the only subject of their discussions (kathayanta\u015b ca m\u0101\u1e41 nitya\u1e41). Whatever they do, wherever they are, everywhere, I am the subject of their talk.&quot; And next K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;In this they find great satisfaction (tu\u1e63yanti ca ramanti ca).&quot; The internal meaning of (tu\u1e63yanti ca ramanti ca) is as follows. Here two levels of devotees are described. Up to v\u0101tsalya-rasa, or the parental mellow of devotion, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s devotees are feeling great satisfaction (tu\u1e63yanti). And above this is the higher kind of satisfaction (ramanti) experienced in the m\u0101dhura-rasa. Just as a wife and husband enjoy a peculiar kind of connection, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s devotees feel ecstasy (ramanti) in His connection, simply by talking about Him. Here the \u0101c\u0101ryas have agreed that the word ramanti indicates consorthood, and that devotees in consorthood can experience the very deep connection of husband and wife in relation to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In the company of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a they feel the ecstasy of consorthood, ramanti ca. They also feel that ecstasy even when they are only talking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. This meaning of the word ramanti has been explained in different places by Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha, Baladeva, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, and is also admitted even by \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya, who agrees that the word ramanti indicates consorthood.&quot; (SEOC, p 143-4) + (see also \u015bloka 517) &quot;My male or female servitors, who have dedicated their entire lives to Me and taken full shelter in Me, mutually assist one another in a manner befitting their respective internal devotional aptitudes. They eternally relish conversing about Me, the satisfaction of serving Me, and the nectar of devotion culminating in My divine consorthood.&quot; These are the symptoms of these exclusive devotees: &quot;With heart and soul dedicated unto Me, they constantly exchange their devotional ecstasies while conversing about Me. By such hearing and chanting, in the stage of practice (s\u0101dhana) they enjoy the happiness of devotion; and in the stage of perfection (s\u0101dhya), that is, in the achievement of divine love (prema), they relish up to the mellow of My intimate relationship in divine consorthood, in the free spontaneity of Vraja.&quot; (SSPJ, p 152-3) Mac-citt\u0101: &quot;Their attention is in Me&quot;; mad-gata pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101: &quot;Their energy is also spent for My cause&quot;; bodhayanta\u1e25 parasparam: &quot;They mutually assist one another.&quot; This reminds us of the &#x27;Napoleonic chair.&#x27; Once, when stranded in a marsh, Napoleon arranged that each man sit on the lap of another, in a circular formation; each automatically protected the other from the otherwise fatal cold, and they could all remain awake to pass the whole night of intolerable cold. Otherwise, his army would have perished. So, by mutual help, one devotee is asking questions, another is answering, and they are both getting engagement. The questioner is giving some energy and the answerer is also energising. bodhayanta\u1e25 parasparam: those of equal standing exchange their thoughts about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; kathayanta\u015b ca m\u0101\u1e41 nitya\u1e41: and thereby their blissfulness is generated. By mutual understanding and discussion, a kind of nectar arises that nourishes the devotees. &quot;One is asking something about Me and another is answering, and thereby that discussion creates a flow of nectar that nourishes both parties.&quot; tu\u1e63yanti ca ramanti ca: &quot;Satisfaction is generated from that mutual understanding, and it develops up to ramanti ca, up to the quality of the absolute reciprocation, the &#x27;wholesale transaction.&#x27; It rises up to that standard, ramanti ca, and again I give them a further instalment, an illumination of new light, (dad\u0101mi buddhiyoga\u1e41 tam, B-g, 10.10), and they take a new course and are promoted into the &#x27;suicide squad,&#x27; that squadron which is eligible for every type of service.&quot; That particular type of &#x27;soldier&#x27; is competent to fight on the land, in the water, in the sky or in any circumstances, and he is prepared for any form of fighting, any form of service. &quot;I direct them to that section.&quot; Yena m\u0101m upay\u0101nti te (B-g, 10.10), Unconditional service: they are ready for any service demanded of them. They are ready to sacrifice their lives for any form of service, and that peculiar group is in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. I mentioned to \u015ar\u012bp\u0101da A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja that in G\u012bt\u0101, after ramanti (10.9) comes buddhi-yoga and then upay\u0101nti, (10.10); according to me, the meaning is that ramanti, or divine service in m\u0101dhura-rasa progresses through buddhiyoga, or yoga-m\u0101y\u0101, up to upay\u0101nti, or the highest plane of service in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. \u015ar\u012bp\u0101da Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja responded: &quot;What more could it mean than this!&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 45-7) So, helplessly, when one is searching by this method or that method, when he practically comes in contact with the service of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava he gets real benefit. Then the service of vigraha and \u015b\u0101stra all becomes superficial. The more real thing we find in the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. In his heart, the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as He is, knowledge or love, whatever we may be searching for, we will find in a living condition in the heart of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava who is regulating all his activities towards the service of the Lord. In the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava it is animated more than in the vigraha, than in the t\u012brtha and than in the \u015bastra. Direct contact with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a we can find in the consciousness of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. From what plane he is regulating all his activities: To what plane he is withdrawing himself from all worldly attraction? What is that which guides him towards some direction which is unknown and unknowable? He is moving towards that direction which is not to be traced in any loss or gain of this world. What is that thing? N\u0101ha\u1e41 vas\u0101mi vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhe yogin\u0101\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u v\u0101: (see also \u015blokas 303 &amp; 304). &quot;I am not present Myself there.&quot; In the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha conception, the enquiry after the Infinite where one gets the personal conception of a Master, that the Infinite is controlled by a Master, and of the wonder in that personal conception of the prime cause, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;I am not there.&quot; And the attempt of the yog\u012bs is to enquire into the all-permeating and all-guiding potency, in the deepest consciousness, by analysis, analytical enquiry into who is controlling everything from within, and how to trace Him. This is the way of enquiry of the yog\u012bs, but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a say&#x27;s, yogin\u0101\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u v\u0101, &quot;I am not there.&quot; Then He says: mad bhakt\u0101\u1e25 yatra g\u0101yanti tatra ti\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101mi n\u0101rada: &quot;But, N\u0101rada, I am to be traced where My devotees are singing in praise about Me.&quot; This is a peculiar process. The Lord gives some hope that: &quot;Without trying to capture Me, they are taking pleasure from far away, engaging themselves in singing about My greatness. They can feel pleasure in that they have got some clue from some agent, and they are satisfied with that; from outside they want to relish My existence, My presence. It is not that they want either to experience the personal conception of the all-controlling aspect of reality, or like the yog\u012bs, to enter into the deepest extent into the science of this experience. But only far away, whatever little trace the devotees may have got about Myself, with that capital they engage in dancing and singing, and Myself, I am there. They get selfless satisfaction in singing My glory; and this is a far higher degree of selflessness, of a type which is found only there, in the singing of the devotees, and not in the enquiry mixed with curiosity about the most fundamental entity which is controlling everything from within, nor in the realisation of the personal creator, who creates and controls everything. That is the principle in k\u012brtana. Gaura Hari Bol! Gaura Hari Bol! (SVT, v 1, # 1, Jan. Feb. &#x27;92, p 9) In the R\u0101man\u016bja samprad\u0101ya there is an incident regarding three Alwar devotees, nitya parsada devotees, who were contemporaries. One night they went to a temple perhaps for some occasion. They did not know one another. In the darkness one was talking, another hearing. It was also very sweet to him. Then the third also joined. They were talking although they did not know one another. They might have heard the names of each other, but this night they have met together. Natha yog\u012b, Bhuta yog\u012b and someone talking between them. Then one questioned: &quot;We three are here. Do you feel the presence of a fourth one?&quot; One told: &quot;Yes, I feel the presence of a fourth one.&quot; By this it is meant that the Lord, about whom they were talking is present. In their talking, in the conversation He has come and is hearing the talk. So, only attraction, pure spiritual attraction, and nothing else can be pleasing to one but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, the gop\u012bs, all this, the very inner most part of the heart is taken possession of by the thought of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and His associates, His l\u012bl\u0101, His Name, His Paraphernalia. That is what is necessary. (GOD, p 21-2) &quot;With their thoughts forever fixed on Me, their lives consecrated to Me, My exclusive devotees enlighten one another, conversing about My wondrous nature. They derive great satisfaction and everlasting delight constantly relishing My ever-blissful and glorious attributes and deeds.&quot; (B-g, 10.9) + (C, # 3, Spr. &#x27;92, p 1) (The ontological substance of the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 is found in Chapter 10, verses 8-11) (see also \u015blokas 14, 516 &amp; 517)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(274)\",\"m\u0101dhavendra pur\u012bra &#x27;sambandha&#x27; dhara jani\",\"kintu tom\u0101ra prema dekhi&#x27; mane anum\u0101ni\",\"m\u0101dhavendra-pur\u012bra &#x27;sambandha&#x27; dhara - j\u0101ni\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Upon seeing Your ecstatic love, I can just imagine that You must have some relationship with M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b. This is my understanding.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 17. 172). We must have the vision to recognise the presence of our guru&#x27;s temperament. When Mah\u0101prabhu met the Sa\u1e45odiy\u0101 br\u0101hma\u1e47a, upon seeing his movements, He at once detected that this br\u0101hma\u1e47a must have some connection with M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b. He said: &quot;Without his connection, I could never find such symptoms of transcendental ecstasy. It must come from. M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b.&quot; (SGAHG, p 26) + (see also \u015bloka 4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(275)\",\"m\u0101dhavendra-vipralambha-m\u0101thure\u1e63\u1e6da-m\u0101nana\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dak\u0101ma-p\u016brva-ku\u00f1ja-k\u0101nanam\",\"gokul\u0101di-go\u1e63\u1e6dha-gopa-gopik\u0101-priya\u1e45kara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Lord Caitanya relished the mood of intensified love of separation (vipralambha) revealed from the core of heart by M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012bp\u0101da in his composition, ayi d\u012bna day\u0101dra-n\u0101tha, describing \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101&#x27;s separation from Her beloved K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a after He had left for Mathur\u0101. Intimately tasting its mood within His heart, \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga revealed to His devotee that this mood of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 is the zenith point of transcendental devotion. He finally beheld before His eyes V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the abode of divine love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and became overwhelmed with the joy of hearts satisfaction. The Lord was delighted to see the beautiful gardens and forest groves that had served as His playground for spiritual pastimes in a previous era. While visiting the twelve forests of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, such as Gokula Mah\u0101vana, He displayed various affectionate dealings with the gop\u012bs and gopas there. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gaurasundara, the beautiful divine abode of pure love.&quot; (PDDS, 38) + (SBRBM, p 10) ayi-d\u012bna-day\u0101rdra-n\u0101tha he, mathur\u0101-n\u0101tha kad\u0101valokyase h\u1e5bdaya\u1e41 tvad-aloka-k\u0101tara\u1e41, dayita bhr\u0101myati ki\u1e41 karomy aham While passing away from the material world, \u015ar\u012bla M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b chanted the following verse: &quot;O gentle-hearted Lord, ever-gracious upon the destitute, O Lord of Mathur\u0101, when shall I see You again? In Your absence my broken heart trembles. Beloved! What shall I do now?&quot; (Pady\u0101val\u012b) + (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.34) \u015ar\u012b Gop\u0101la wanted to show how intensely M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b loved K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; therefore, He asked him to go to N\u012bl\u0101cala to fetch sandalwood and camphor. With great trouble and much labour, he brought the load to Remu\u1e47\u0101. To test the intense love of M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b, Gop\u0101la ordered him to bring sandalwood from N\u012bl\u0101cala, and having passed this examination, the Lord became very merciful to him. After saying this, \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva read the famous verse (beginning ayi-d\u012bna-day\u0101rdra n\u0101tha he) of M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b. That verse is just like the moon. It has spread illumination all over the world. By continuous rubbing, the aroma of Malaya sandalwood increases. Similarly, by considering this verse, its importance increases. As the kaustubha-ma\u1e47i is considered the most precious of valuable stones, this verse is similarly considered the best of mellow poems. Actually, this verse was spoken by \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b Herself, and by Her mercy only was it manifest in the words of M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b. When \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a left V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and accepted the kingdom of Mathur\u0101, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, out of ecstatic feelings of separation, expressed how K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can be loved in separation. Thus devotional service in separation is central to this verse, and is considered to be the topmost level of devotional service by the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya-Madhva samprad\u0101ya. Only \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu has tasted the poetry of this verse. No fourth person is capable of understanding it. This indicates that only \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b and Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu are capable of understanding the purport of this verse. When He recited some verses composed by M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b, Mah\u0101prabhu fell to the ground unconscious in an ecstatic mood, and Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu took Him on His lap. Crying, Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu got up again and would run here and there, making resounding noises. Sometimes He laughed, sometimes He cried, sometimes He danced and sang. Mah\u0101prabhu could not recite the whole verse. He simply said: &quot;ayi-d\u012bna, ayi-d\u012bna,&quot; repeatedly. Thus He could not speak, and profuse tears were in His eyes. When he saw that many people were assembled, Mah\u0101prabhu checked Himself and regained His external senses.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(276)\",\"madhura\u1e41 madhura\u1e41 vapur asya vibhor\",\"madhura\u1e41 madhura\u1e41 vadana\u1e41 madhura\u1e41\",\"madhu gandhi m\u1e5bdu smitam etad aho\",\"madhura\u1e41 madhura\u1e41 madhura\u1e41 madhura\u1e41\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! The beauty of Your transcendental form is sweet, but Your beautiful face is even sweeter. The sweet smile on Your face, which is like the sweet aroma of honey, is sweeter still.&quot; (KK, 92) Bilvama\u1e45gala \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweetness. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is sweetness personified. At my first sight, I thought K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was Cupid, who can capture everyone. But then I saw, &#x27;No, this is not like lust personified, which can be experienced only in the material world. This is cinmaya, spiritual substance.&#x27; I see that this sweetness is spiritual in characteristic. I feel it. It is the very gist of all sweetness. What is this? My eyesight is being nectarised. I am experiencing nectar pouring on my eyes. Oh, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has already conquered my heart. I am captured, I am captivated by sweetness personified.&quot; (SGAHG, p 54) + (see also \u015bloka 287)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(277)\",\"mah\u0101n prabhurvai-puru\u1e63a\",\"sattvasya aisa pravarttaka\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The term &quot;Mah\u0101prabhu&quot; has been defined in the \u015avet\u0101\u015bvatara Upani\u1e63ad as follows: &quot;He is the most magnanimous and compassionate master who mercifully presents the divine conclusions of the Supreme Truth to all.&quot; (SU) + (ARO, p 23)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(278)\",\"mah\u0101prabhu \u015br\u012b-caitanya,\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a nahe anya\",\"r\u016bp\u0101nuga janera j\u012bvana\",\"vi\u015bwambhara priya\u1e45kara\",\"\u015br\u012b-swar\u016bpa d\u0101modara,\",\"\u015br\u012b-gosw\u0101m\u012b r\u016bpa-san\u0101tana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Mah\u0101prabhu \u015ar\u012b Caitanya is nondifferent from \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and is the very life of those Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas who follow \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara Gosw\u0101m\u012b, R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, and San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b were the givers of great happiness to Vi\u015bvambhara (\u015ar\u012b Caitanya).&quot; (SOTVA, p 90-2) This verse is #6 of 8 verses describing the Brahma-M\u0101dhva-Gau\u1e0d\u012bya samprad\u0101ya as compiled by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura. Our guru parampar\u0101, disciplic succession, follows the ideal, not the body; it is a succession of instructing spiritual masters, not formal initiating spiritual masters. In a song about our guru parampar\u0101 written by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b, it is mentioned: mah\u0101prabhu \u015br\u012bcaitanya, r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a nahe anya r\u016bp\u0101nuga janera j\u012bvana: the highest truth of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness comes down through the channel of \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 gurus, instructing spiritual masters. Those who have the standard of realisation in the proper line have been accepted in the list of our disciplic succession. It is not a dik\u1e63\u0101 guru parampar\u0101, a succession of formal initiating gurus. Dik\u1e63\u0101, or initiation is more or less a formal thing; the substantial thing is \u015bik\u1e63\u0101, or spiritual instruction. And if our \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 and dik\u1e63\u0101 gurus, or instructing and initiating spiritual masters are congruent, then we are most fortunate. There are different gradations of spiritual masters. In the scriptures, the symptoms of the guru and the symptoms of the disciple have been described: the guru must be qualified in so many ways, and the disciple must also be qualified. Then when they come in connection, the desired result will be produced. (SGAHG, p 99-100)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(279)\",\"m\u0101l\u012b ha\u00f1\u0101 kare sei b\u012bja \u0101ropa\u1e47a\",\"\u015brava\u1e47a-k\u012brttana-jale karaye secana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of \u015brava\u1e47a and k\u012brtana, the seed will begin to sprout.&quot; (C-c,Madhya, 19.152) Just as by taking water from in front and sending it behind him a swimmer can make progress, so also by hearing and chanting, we can make progress. \u015brava\u1e47a-k\u012brttana-jale. We are to hear, and what we acquire we are to distribute to others.&quot; A swimmer makes quick progress by passing behind him the water in his front, similarly, in spiritual terms we are to receive from the capitalist and deliver that to the customers. \u015arava\u1e47a k\u012brttana, \u015brava\u1e47a k\u012brttana - by imbibing and exporting we can make good progress and the Absolute Capitalist will supply as much as the customers can receive from Him. This is Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s advice. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 9) + (see also \u015bloka 589) &quot;The lat\u0101 (creeper), it will grow up to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and it will catch the Holy Feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but m\u0101l\u012b&#x27;s (the gardeners) duty will be to pour water onto the root of that creeper.&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 2) + (see also \u015blokas 378, 531, 498 &amp; 504)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(280)\",\"m\u0101lik\u0101 upab\u0101sa n\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The beads should not fast.&quot; So, Prabhup\u0101da (\u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Siddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) told us that our tulas\u012b beads should not fast. His minimum advice was that we must do some service in the form of chanting Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a while counting on beads, at least once daily. His exact words were: m\u0101lik\u0101 upab\u0101sa n\u0101: &quot;The beads should not fast.&quot; And his general instruction was to preach as much as possible. (TSFSK, p 110) So, k\u012brtana means preaching, \u015bravanam, k\u012brtanam - k\u012brtana does not simply mean loudly chanting, but preaching. And preaching means there must be a fight with the opposition party. K\u012brtana means a fight. K\u012brtana creates the divine vibration which will fight with all the ordinary vibrations that are floating in this world in subtle and gross waves. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s emphasis was on intense service and did not impose any mathematical restrictions upon chanting. His general recommendation was to chant twenty-five thousand names, sixteen rounds, daily, or at least four rounds minimum. When someone had no work, they could chant one hundred thousand names, or sixty-four rounds, and that when one had the opportunity they could chant more and more. As to the question of whether he would give harin\u0101ma initiation to someone who could only chant four rounds daily? - there was no such consideration. Formally, one had to do some counting, but there was no rigid limitation. Our attainment of the goal is not insured simply by increasing the number of times we repeat the Name; only by increasing the quality will we reach success. What he wanted from us was intense engagement in the service of the Lord, under the guidance of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, because the all important point is service. \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s mood was similar to \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s in this context. \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja instructed his disciples to chant at least sixteen rounds daily of the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a m\u0101ha-mantra. The general standard set by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu was to chant sixty-four rounds daily, one lakh (100,000) Names, of the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a m\u0101ha-mantra. \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja recalled: &quot;Once I had a talk with one of the big spiritual leaders of the Udipi Temple in Madras. He told me, &quot;Sometimes I preach about Madhv\u0101c\u0101rya and the bhakti cult, but I have no time for s\u0101dhana.&quot; (regulated spiritual practices such as japa, gay\u0101tr\u012b mantra, scriptural study, and so on). I supported him. Our guru mah\u0101r\u0101ja said that hari-kath\u0101, preaching about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, is no less important than s\u0101dhana. Rather, it is a more living thing. Preaching is more vital. When we are preaching, automatically we must have the maximum concentration. On the other hand, while chanting on our japa beads, we may be absent minded. When we are speaking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to another person, we must be all-attentive. Otherwise we cannot speak accurately. All our attention will automatically be concentrated when we talk about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. And in writing about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, accuracy is even more necessary than in speaking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So, writing is also k\u012brtana. The cultivation of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness may even be more intense when we are engaged in writing about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So, preaching, sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, and not counting beads, japa, is the real service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But because we have taken a vow, and it is ordered by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and our gurudeva, we must chant the Holy Name while counting beads; it is our duty. What is really all-important is the spirit of service. We are not told that the gop\u012bs always count the Name on tulas\u012b beads, yet they possess the highest position in the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (TSFSK, p 110113)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(281)\",\"mall\u0101n\u0101m a\u015banir n\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 naravara\u1e25 str\u012b\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 smaro m\u016brttim\u0101n\",\"gop\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 svajano &#x27;sat\u0101\u1e41 k\u1e63itibhuj\u0101\u1e41 \u015b\u0101st\u0101 svapitro \u015bi\u015bu\u1e25\",\"m\u1e5btyur bhojapater vir\u0101\u1e0d avidu\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 tattva\u1e41 para\u1e41 yogin\u0101\u1e41\",\"v\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u012bn\u0101\u1e41 paradevateti vidito ra\u1e45ga\u1e41 gata\u1e25 s\u0101graja\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O King, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a then appeared as a thunderbolt to the wrestlers, as the supreme male to the men, as Cupid incarnate to the ladies, as a friend to the cowherdsmen; as an emperor to the wicked kings, as a child to His father and mother, as death to Ka\u1e41sa, as the universal form of the world to the ignorant; as the Supreme Truth to the yog\u012bs, as the Supreme Worshipful Lord to the V\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47is - and along with Baladeva He entered the arena.&quot; (S-B, 10.43.17) - When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a entered the arena, all the different categories of persons had different perspectives of Him, according to their inner eye. Experience of the truth must vary according to different attitudes or degrees of consciousness, and this is applicable everywhere. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 100) &quot;When Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, accompanied by Baladeva, entered Ka\u1e41sa&#x27;s wrestling arena, He appeared to the spectators in different ways. Everyone viewed Him according to their own relationship (rasa) with Him. To the wrestlers He appeared as a lightning bolt. To the people in general He appeared as the most beautiful personality. To the ladies, He appeared to be the most attractive young man, Cupid personified, and thus increased their lust. The cowherd men looked upon K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as their own kinsman coming from the same village of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. The kings who were present there saw Him as the most powerful ruler. His parents Nanda and Ya\u015bod\u0101 saw Him as their most beloved child. Ka\u1e41sa, the king of the Bhoja dynasty, saw Him as death personified. The worldly-minded saw Him as the Universal Form; the unintelligent saw Him as incapable, and to the yogis, He appeared to be the Supersoul. To the members of the V\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47i dynasty, He appeared to be their most celebrated descendant.&quot; (S-B, 10.43.17) - When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a entered the arena, everyone saw Him in their own way. In this way we can understand how He satisfies everyone. When Ya\u015bod\u0101 sees Him, she says: &quot;My boy!&quot; But the gop\u012bs see a grown-up, not a child. His friends see Him as one of their playmates. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a satisfies everyone. Even the animals in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana become ecstatic when they come in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SEOC, p 79, 80) \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura remarks that this verse gives a clue as to the different rasas in which devotees of different points of view relate to the Lord. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says that in this verse, the yog\u012bs are seen to be representative of \u015b\u0101nta-rasa (the mellow of passive adoration), the V\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u012bs of d\u0101sya-rasa (the mellow of devotional servitude), while the cowherd boys in the arena represent sakhya-rasa (the mellow of devotional friendship) mixed with h\u0101sya-rasa (the sub-mellow of comedy). The cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, exemplify v\u0101tsalya-rasa (the mellow of parental devotion) and karu\u1e47a-rasa (the sub-mellow of compassion). The ladies exhibit madhurya-rasa (the mellow of conjugal devotion). The wrestlers exhibit v\u012brya-rasa (the sub-mellow of chivalry), while the people in general are examples of adbhuta-rasa (the sub-mellow of wonder). The kings exhibit raudra-rasa (the submellow of anger) and the Bhojas, headed by Ka\u1e41sa exemplify bhayanaka-rasa (the sub-mellow of fear). The worldly-minded, who view the Lord as the Universal Form relate to Him in vibhatsa-rasa (the sub-mellow of ghastliness). In this way, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the supreme object of the five principle and seven secondary mellows or rasas. It is for this reason that He is known as akhila-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-murti, or the embodiment of all transcendental mellows.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(282)\",\"m\u0101n\u0101pam\u0101nayos tulyas,\",\"tulyo mitr\u0101ri-pak\u1e63ayo\u1e25\",\"sarv\u0101rambha-partiy\u0101g\u012b,\",\"gu\u1e47\u0101t\u012bta\u1e25 sa ucyate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Both sides, loss and gain, both are transient so receive them with equal spirit. Stand erect and meet both sides, success or failure, both are equal because the very plane in which they appear is a concoction like a dream. To become a king in a dream or to become a beggar in the street, in a dream, both are equally false. So loss or gain in this plane is all false, don&#x27;t allow yourself to be disturbed by loss or gain, by victory or failure. Prepare yourself to receive grace by neglecting the adverse, apparently injurious environment. Prepare yourself to be a student of this higher standard, neglecting all the junk that comes to you. This will be better and more ambitious than to confine your ambition to this mortal world. When the reins are removed everything goes freely to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, just as a horse will run freely when it is unreined. So cure yourself quickly for a place is waiting for you. (B-g, 14.25) (C, # 4, Win. &#x27;92 - &#x27;93, p 11) + (see also \u015bloka 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(283)\",\"man-man\u0101 bhava mad-bhakto,\",\"mad-y\u0101j\u012b m\u0101\u1e41 namaskuru\",\"mam evai\u1e63yasi satya\u1e41 te,\",\"pratij\u0101ne priyo &#x27;si me\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Think of Me, serve Me, worship Me, offer your very self unto Me, and surely you will reach Me. Sincerely, this is My promise to you because you are My dear friend.&quot; (B-g, 18.65) &quot;Be My devotee, give Me your heart. Do not think of Me as the karma-yog\u012bs, j\u00f1\u0101na-yog\u012bs, and dhy\u0101na-yog\u012bs do. Sacrifice your every endeavour for Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is My vow that without a doubt you will then achieve the servitude of My Own Self, which is the embodiment of truth, sentience, and beauty. Because you are most dear to Me do I reveal this transcendental devotion to you.&quot; (SSPJ, p 157) &quot;Think of Me always, and become My devotee. Worship Me, and bow down before Me. In this way you will certainly come to Me. My dear friend, I promise you on oath, I am speaking the truth. I am everything. Try to come to Me. I am the goal, the fulfilment of life not only for you, but for everyone. From the absolute consideration My position is such. At least you are My friend. I won&#x27;t deceive you. You can believe Me. I promise that I am so.&quot; How shamelessly K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is expressing Himself here. He has come to plead for Himself so much, for our benefit. And a record is kept in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 for our guidance. And Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a came as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu to preach about Himself. He came as His own canvasser with His eternal associates. He even brought \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, devotion personified, along with Him, saying: &quot;I will show you how charming your position in My service is, how beautiful and dignified the devotion of My Other Half can be. So, come along with Me.&quot; And Baladeva has come as Nity\u0101nanda to canvass, and V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana has come to canvass itself in Navadw\u012bpa. So we are most indebted to the canvasser, especially when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself has come to canvass and to show how beautiful, how magnanimous, and how sacrificing divine love is. (TSFSK, p 12-4) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;You Arjuna, you are My most favourite devotee. I promise you at least, I won&#x27;t deceive you. So I say that I am everything. I tell you clearly that at least I won&#x27;t deceive you because you are My friend. Always mind Me, become My devotee and serve Me. If you sacrifice anything, do it for Me. Or at least you may show respect to Me. So you are sure to enter Me, to come to Me. Myself alone you will come to. This is the truth. I promise you. You are My favourite. The truth is this, do everything for Me, attend Me, always think of Me and you are sure to come to Me.&quot; (GOD, p 22)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(284)\",\"manu\u1e63y\u0101\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 sahasre\u1e63u,\",\"ka\u015bcid yatati siddhaye\",\"yatat\u0101m api siddh\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"ka\u015bcin m\u0101\u1e41 vetti tattvata\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Out of countless souls, some may have reached the human form of life, and among many thousands of human beings, some endeavour to attain direct perception of the individual soul and the Supersoul; and among many thousands of such aspirants who have attained to seeing the soul and the Supersoul, only a few receive actual perception of Me, \u015ay\u0101masundara.&quot; (B-g, 7.3) Our object is to satisfy Him, and thus, whatever policy may be considered best for us will be recommended from there. We have to accept wholesale surrender to the higher agency. That is necessary. If we are allowed to consider our own case, we shall accept yukta-vair\u0101gya (abnegation in the spirit of devotion), because privation or affliction is not our end. Our end is to satisfy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The fire lit by our guru mah\u0101r\u0101ja must be allowed to burn. We must not keep a feeble fire. The ideal that guru mah\u0101r\u0101ja has given is very rarely found in this world. Out of thousands and millions of chances, we may have such a seed sown in our heart. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 99) + (see also \u015bloka 104)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(285)\",\"manye tad etad akhila\u1e41 nigamasya satya\u1e41\",\"sv\u0101tm\u0101rpa\u1e47a\u1e41 svasuh\u1e5bda\u1e25 paramasya pu\u1e41sa\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja has said: &quot;The whole gist of Vedic teachings is sv\u0101tm\u0101rpa\u1e47a\u1e41 - to give and fully dedicate oneself to the Lord. To give oneself is the substance of all devotional activity.&quot; (S-B, 7.6.26) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 128) + (see also \u015bloka 456)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(286)\",\"m\u0101robi r\u0101khobi yo icch\u0101 toh\u0101r\u0101,\",\"nitya-d\u0101sa prati tuw\u0101 adhik\u0101r\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Slay me or protect me as You wish, for You are the master of Your eternal servant.&quot; (TSOBT, p 13) The least tinge of exploitation, any speck of the ambitious life, will not take us there. That is another thing. Prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 is self-establishing, to be stable, to be immortal, to be invincible - it is not self-giving, but it is the self-establishing tendency: &quot;I must stay. I must live.&quot; But if necessary, I must die for the interest of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. A suicidal soldier! For the cause of the country, if necessary I must die. I must efface myself. I may be effaced. If it is necessary my very existence may be effaced for the satisfaction of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SGD, &#x27;96, p 33) &quot;If You come to calculate, I have no hope; so if You can show me some grace - some causeless mercy - then I have that hope. I have come to this department of the Lord, by surrendering. Anyone may have His voluntary mercy, but I may not. If I hesitate to think about justice, then I am already cancelled from the list. My name will be struck from the resister.&quot; This is one of the finest points of \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati. What is surrender, and what should be the quality of surrender? m\u0101robi r\u0101khobi yo icch\u0101 toh\u0101r\u0101: &quot;According to Your sweet will, You can make or mar me.&quot; With such understanding we can go to surrender. Calculation is not allowed in that department of causeless mercy. Mercy may be extended to everyone except me, but I have nothing to complain about. What more can one give than this? This is the thunderbolt from the blue! To become \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gata, to surrender, means to leave all prospects - to be emptied - &quot;I have no prospect;&quot; to be fully emptied, and then to surrender. There cannot be the least application in the petition: surrender means a clean slate. Complete dependence on Him means He can make or mar. I must admit my Master&#x27;s right to make or mar. I am a slave. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 132) + (see also \u015bloka 200)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(287)\",\"m\u0101ra\u1e25 svaya\u1e41 nu madhura-dyuti-ma\u1e47\u1e0dala\u1e41 nu\",\"m\u0101dhuryam eva nu mano-nayan\u0101m\u1e5bta\u1e41 nu\",\"ven\u012b-m\u1e5bjo nu mama j\u012bvita-vallabho nu\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47o &#x27;yam abhyudayate mama locan\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My dear friends, where is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who is Cupid personified, brilliant as a kadamba flower? Where is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, sweetness Himself, the sweetest nectar for my eyes and mind? Where is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who loosens the hair of the gop\u012bs? He is the supreme source of divine bliss. He is my life and soul. Has He come before my eyes again?&quot; (KK, 68) + (SGAHG, p 54-5) + (see also \u015bloka 276)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(288)\",\"mar\u0101-mar\u0101-mar\u0101-mar\u0101-r\u0101ma-r\u0101ma-r\u0101ma-r\u0101ma\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Before becoming a saint, the sage Valm\u012bk\u012b was a dacoit. But the great saint N\u0101rada had a plan to benefit him. N\u0101rada thought, &quot;This person is the most notorious and heinous dacoit I have ever seen. Let me experiment with him to see the potency of the Holy Name. I shall ask him to chant the Holy Name of R\u0101ma.&quot; He tried, but Valm\u012bk\u012b could not pronounce the Holy Name of R\u0101ma. Then N\u0101rada told him to chant mara - the word for &quot;murder&quot; - instead. The dacoit said: &quot;Yes, I can do this. This is just the opposite of the Name of R\u0101ma.&quot; He began to chant &quot;maramara-mara-mara-r\u0101ma-r\u0101ma-r\u0101ma-r\u0101ma.&quot; In this way, after some time, mara became r\u0101ma. Valm\u012bk\u012b began to chant the Name of R\u0101ma, and gradually his mental attitude changed. So it is possible for the Name to have an effect on someone even if they have no proper conception of its meaning. This is called n\u0101m\u0101bhasa: the shadow of the Name. It can effect liberation. But a real devotee is not interested in liberation, but wants to enter the domain of divine service. (see also \u015bloka 403) + (LSFTLS, p 89)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(289)\",\"martyo yad\u0101 tyakta-samasta-karm\u0101,\",\"nivedit\u0101tm\u0101 vicik\u012br\u1e63ito me\",\"tad\u0101m\u1e5btatva\u1e41 pratipadyam\u0101no,\",\"may\u0101tma-bh\u016by\u0101ya ca kalpate vai\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One who is subjected to birth and death attains immortality when he gives up all material activities, dedicates his life to the execution of My order, and acts according to My directions. In this way, he becomes fit to enjoy the spiritual bliss derived from exchanging loving mellows with Me.&quot; (S-B, 11.29.34) It is not necessary that if we dive deep into the plane of consciousness, we must lose our own personality, our own individuality. It is not necessary at all. And yet the nature of divine love, is that you are still living, but you are living on His behalf, wholesale converted into His service. It is a wonderful thing: you can keep your personality for the interest of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But you must have no selfish motive, no conception of separate interest. Merging there is not physical, mortal merging, not merging of the losing variety, but the kind of merging spoken of in \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam (11.29.34): martyo yad\u0101 tyakta-samasta-karm\u0101. And in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (18.55 see also \u015bloka 91) (LSFTLS, p 57-8) &quot;When a mortal totally abandons all karma and offers himself to My direction, at that time he acts according to My sweet will and becomes one with Me - he attains the fitness to become My family member in his divine form of saccid\u0101nanda nature.&quot; This is a transformation that can be seen in the physical system also. The physical cells undergo transformation. Old cells vanish, new cells grow. And this also occurs when one accepts pras\u0101dam, food offered to the Lord. A revolutionary transformation occurs. Unconsciously, there is transformation in the physical system, by the gradual process of living a pious and divine life. Imperceptibly, the transformation takes place. &quot;Martyo yad\u0101 tyakta-samasta-karm\u0101: he has detached himself from all the activities of this socalled mundane world; nivedit\u0101tm\u0101: and he considers himself no longer a member of this material world. He has entered and enlisted in the family, in the entourage, of another plane. And gradually he more and more intensely identifies himself as one of that family, that plane. Nivedit\u0101tm\u0101 vicik\u012br\u1e63ito me: he is very busy to find out what can please Me. That is his errand always. He is always seeking how to please Me. That is the only principle in him; he automatically thinks over and over again, &quot;How can I please Him? How can I please Him? Tad\u0101m\u1e5btatva\u1e41 pratipadyam\u0101no: then, indispensably, such a change cannot but come in him: the necessary transformation. A transformation from mortality to immortality gradually occurs. The progress is sure and substantial. May\u0101tma-bh\u016by\u0101ya ca kalpate vai: and consequently, he comes to be reckoned as one of My family members.&quot; (S-B, 11.29.34) Also in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (18.55 - see also \u015bloka 91), vi\u015bate tad anantaram: &quot;My devotee enters into My family.&quot; With our bhajana (divine service), such transformation is inevitable. It must happen. Material hankering will be diminished. Mostly in rajo and tamo-gu\u1e47a (the modes of passion and ignorance) there is dissipation of vital energy, but in sattva-gu\u1e47a (truthfulness, realisation) the energy lost is of much less quantity. (S-B, 11.29.34) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 1379) + (see also \u015bloka 87) &quot;When the mortal being gives up all worldly attempts, completely offers himself to Me, and acts exclusively according to My desire, he attains to the state of nectar, or positive immortality. He is then accepted: he becomes qualified to enjoy the acme of divine ecstasy, united with Me as My family member.&quot; (SSPJ, p 169) We are urged to take shelter of the lotus feet of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. So, the proper conception of the lotus feet of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is: martyo yad\u0101 tyakta-samasta-karm\u0101, nivedit\u0101tm\u0101 vicik\u012br\u1e63ito me: According to the extent and intensity of their realisation, the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas are unified with Him as a part within a system. Just as the iron or any other mineral that , when touched by the fire obtains the property of the fire and is able to impart the same to others, the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava conception, Vi\u1e63\u1e47u realisation, when it is wholly captured by any personality, gives the quality of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - purity. The Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava&#x27;s connection is cheaper in the market place than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. If one can come in contact with any Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava (Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava means one who is completely absorbed in consciousness of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - that is, only the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception is fully represented in them), then they get the capacity from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a for purifying. It is easier for us to get the association of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava than with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. So we are recommended everywhere in the \u015b\u0101stras to come in contact with the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas and, by their grace, we may be purified wholesale, extensively. Then, if we are fortunate, we may also attain the status of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 2) + (see also \u015bloka 309)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(290)\",\"matir na k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47e parata\u1e25 svato v\u0101,\",\"mitho &#x27;bhipadyeta g\u1e5bha-vrat\u0101n\u0101m\",\"ad\u0101nta-gobir vi\u015bat\u0101\u1e41 tamisra\u1e41,\",\"puna\u1e25 puna\u015b carvita-carva\u1e47\u0101n\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.&quot; (S-B, 7.5.30.) \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam tells us that we can try to enter the world of higher reality through intellectualism, but we will again come back, baffled in our attempts. If we try to press with our intelligence to enter into that domain, we will come back dissatisfied in despair and will wander here within this mortal world again and again. The world of sense experience will come and go through its different phases, but it cannot enter that spiritual plane. To enter that world, the only requirement is submission to a real agent of divinity. He can impart the process, and if we can accept that, we will be able to enter that world; otherwise we will have to wander in this world of sense experience. (LSFTLS, p 73)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(291)\",\"mat-tulyo n\u0101sti p\u0101p\u0101tm\u0101,\",\"n\u0101par\u0101dh\u012b ca ka\u015bcana\",\"parih\u0101re &#x27;pi lajj\u0101 me,\",\"ki\u1e41 bruve puru\u1e63ottama\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;There is no parallel to my sinful, criminal life. Everything that can be conceived of as bad is found in me. O Supreme Lord, I am even ashamed to come before You to petition, &#x27;please forgive my offences.&#x27; What more can I say than this?&quot; (B.r.s, 1.2.154) + (SSPJ, p 125) &quot;My Lord, I feel ashamed. How shall I offer You so many pure things like flowers? Generally, pure things are offered to You, but what about me? I have come with the most filthy thing to offer You. I feel ashamed. I have come to You, with only my shame, to beg for Your mercy. There is no parallel to my sinful, criminal life. Everything that can be conceived of as bad is found in me. It is very difficult even to speak about the characteristics of my heinous sins and crimes. Still, Your nature, existence, fame, and benevolence cannot but attract me. You can save me. You can purify me. Hoping against hope, I have come to You. And I have only one solace, that I am the real object of Your mercy. Your tendency is to purify the meanest. Those who are the most needy have some claim to Your mercy. I am the worst of the needy and the meanest of the mean. This is my only qualification, my only hope to attract your attention and appeal to Your magnanimity.&quot; (B.r.s, 1.2.154) + (SGAHG, p 144) + (see also \u015bloka 614)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(292)\",\"m\u0101tur agre &#x27;dhijanana\u1e41 dvit\u012bya\u1e41 mau\u00f1ji-bandhane\",\"trit\u012bya\u1e41 yaj\u00f1a-d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 dvijasya \u015bruti-codan\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"M\u0101tur agre &#x27;dhijanana\u1e41: First we take our body from the mother, or the parents. dvit\u012bya\u1e41 mau\u00f1ji-bandhane: The second birth is by receiving sacred thread in a br\u0101hma\u1e47a family. trit\u012bya\u1e41 yaj\u00f1a-d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101y\u0101\u1e41: Again, the third is to take this P\u0101\u1e63car\u0101trik\u012b-d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101, to help for further progress. This is in Manu-sa\u1e41hit\u0101. A br\u0101hma\u1e47a man has three births. The second, mau\u00f1jibandhane is G\u0101yatr\u012b or Vedic d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101. It teaches us: &quot;try to have your reading from the example that has been set by the Veda. Don&#x27;t believe what your experience tells you, but try to follow how the revealed truth wants you to read the environment.&quot; Don&#x27;t survey your environment with your own fleshy ear and eye, but with a more scientific education try to see things beyond that. Of course, science is also generally mundane, but revealed truth tells us to see things in another way: nothing is for me, but everything is for the Supreme Authority. We are a particle of that. Try to read you environment in this way. Everything belongs to the centre and we are a part of that organic whole, and our duty must be ascertained accordingly. This is the Vedic process of reading the environment. And ordinary vision is: &quot;I am monarch of all I survey.&quot; We want to utilise everything for our purpose. This is mundane. (MS, 2,260) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 162) + (see also \u015bloka 131)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(293)\",\"may\u0101dhyak\u1e63e\u1e47a prak\u1e5bti\u1e25,\",\"s\u016byate sa-car\u0101caram\",\"hetun\u0101nena kaunteya,\",\"jagad viparivartate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Kaunteya, My deluding potency, under My direction gives birth to this universe of moving and stationary beings. And for this reason, that is, since only a created object is subject to destruction, the universe is created again and again.&quot; (B-g, 9.10) Darwin has given the theory of evolution-fossilism. Ved\u0101nta has given subjective evolution. In Darwin&#x27;s theory of objective evolution, matter evolves consciousness. The object exists first, and by its development, life is coming, consciousness is coming - from stone. That is objective evolution. But an object is a relative term; without the subject, an object cannot stand. The subject is the primary substance. Whatever is to be felt is only an idea in the subjective ocean. So, the subject, consciousness is first. The object, the gross, proceeds from the subtle. When a particular potency is handled by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, in His form as Mah\u0101-Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, then the material energy begins to move and produce something (may\u0101dhyak\u1e63e\u1e47a prak\u1e5bti\u1e25, s\u016byate sa-car\u0101caram). The first product is a general ego. Then, gradually so many plural individual egos emanate from the general ego. The experience of this world develops from ego. When ego contacts the mode of ignorance, form is produced. When it contacts the mode of goodness, the sun and light are produced. When false ego comes in connection with these three modes of nature, a trifurcation takes place, generating the objects of the senses, the material senses, and the power of sense perception. So, from the subtle, the gross is coming. That is Ved\u0101ntic evolution. But the Darwin theory says that from the gross, the subtle is coming. At present, people are fond of the Darwin theory that stone produces consciousness. Darwin&#x27;s objective evolution has swallowed us. Although externally, we reject it, we hate it, still, the ghost of Darwin&#x27;s theory has devoured everyone. Therefore, it is difficult to make them understand that consciousness is more valuable than stone. It is easy for consciousness to produce stone; it is difficult for stone to produce consciousness. Consciousness is more valuable, stone is less valuable. So, a more valuable thing can produce a less valuable thing, but it is difficult to explain how a less valuable thing can produce something more valuable. (TSFSK, p 29-30) + (see also \u015bloka 532)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(294)\",\"may\u0101 tatam ida\u1e41 sarva\u1e41,\",\"jagad avyakta-m\u016brtin\u0101\",\"mat-sth\u0101ni sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101ni,\",\"na c\u0101ha\u1e41 te\u1e63v avasthita\u1e25.\",\"na ca mat-sth\u0101ni bh\u016bt\u0101ni,\",\"pa\u015bya me yogam ai\u015bvaram\",\"bh\u016bta-bh\u1e5bn na ca bh\u016bta-stho,\",\"mam\u0101tm\u0101 bh\u016bta-bh\u0101vana\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In an unmanifest manner, I pervade this entire universe, and everything conceivable is situated within Me - and yet, I am not situated within that total entity.&quot; &quot;And again, that is also not situated in Me. Just behold My inconceivable simultaneous one and different (acintya-bhed\u0101bheda) nature as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and Lord of the universe! Although My very Self is the mainstay and guardian of all beings, I am not implicated by them.&quot; (B-g, 9. 4-5) &quot;I am everywhere and nowhere. Everything is in Me, and yet nothing is in Me. In My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. Behold My mystic opulence, My simultaneous oneness and difference! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, I am not implicated by any of this, for I am the very source of creation.&quot; We have to understand the relationship between the cause and effect. The cause and its effect are of different types. Even the inner cause and the outer cause may have different positions. The body may be disturbed, but the mind may not be. The mind may be disturbed, the soul may not be. By this we are to understand the difference between cause and effect, subtle and gross, matter and spirit.&quot; (SEOC, p 33) + (see also \u015bloka 597) &quot;I am everything, and everything is in Me. I am nowhere, and nothing in Me. I am not a madman. Try to have an estimation of what I am, Arjuna. What am I?&quot; Such a bold statement has come into the world of philosophy. &quot;I am everywhere and nowhere. Everything in Me, nothing in Me. Try to ascertain what I am.&quot; This sort of straight, simple and most perplexing, impossible idea, all possible together. He is that. (C, v 1, # 5, Sum. &#x27;93, p 9-10) + (see also \u015blokas 345 &amp; 206) &quot;Everything is in Me, yet nothing is in Me. I am everywhere and I am nowhere.&quot; Everything will come within this conception. He can even interfere with the free will of the j\u012bva, but still He doesn&#x27;t. He is within and He can control, yet He does not. He may choose not to control. He has this independence. This sort of conception we shall have to indent. This is the conception of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and this is what separates His conception from the Hegalian philosophy and the philosophy of Aurobindo. M\u0101y\u0101 is not a necessary part of existence, and by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s will M\u0101y\u0101 may be finished, and if He so desires, again recreated.&quot; (C, v 1, # 6, Spr. &#x27;94, p 9) + (see also \u015bloka 241)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(295)\",\"mayi bhaktir hi bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101m,\",\"am\u1e5btatv\u0101ya kalpate\",\"di\u1e63ty\u0101 yad \u0101s\u012bn mat sneho,\",\"bhavat\u012bn\u0101\u1e41 mad-\u0101pana\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My dear gop\u012bs, everyone considers themselves fortunate if they possess devotion for Me, and by that they achieve an eternal life of nectar. But I must admit that I consider Myself most fortunate because I have come in touch with the wonderful affection found in your hearts.&quot; (SB, 10.42.44) + (SEOC, p 150) + (see also \u015blokas 21 &amp; 516) &quot;It is supposed that one who gets My connection is fortunate, but I consider it My fortune that I got your (the gop\u012bs) connection. Others say that anyone who gets My connection is fortunate. But I consider Myself fortunate because I have your connection. I am the most fortunate. It is My fortune that I have your connection, so it is sure that I shall be yours, I shall always be yours.&quot; Such things were spoken by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a when He met the gop\u012bs at Kuruk\u1e63etra. Such things are unattainable - people cannot even think so high, that such a life is possible. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 193-4) + (see also \u015blokas 21, 52 &amp; 451) &quot;Yes I know. People want devotion to Me to achieve eternal life. To cross the limit of mortality and to have eternal life, they come to Me and worship Me. For these reasons they want My service, but fortunately for you, you have some natural affection towards Me. That will ultimately bring you to Me.&quot; That is the formal or superficial meaning of what was spoken by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the gop\u012bs. But the great preceptors of our line have squeezed out another meaning from these prayers. They are conscious of the real, private relationship between the two parties, so they have drawn out another meaning based on the divine sentiment between the lover and beloved. (TGVODL, p 166-8) + (see also \u015blokas 21 &amp; 324)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(296)\",\"mayi te te\u1e63u c\u0101py aham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"There is another side also: although we are advised to be prepared for painful separation, the fact is not so cruel in reality. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: mayi te te\u1e63u c\u0101py aham: &quot;I am always with My devotees.&quot; Wherever there is an exclusive devotee, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is there like his shadow, always invisibly moving after him. This is the Lord&#x27;s nature. (B-g, 9.29) + (TGVODL, p 151) + (see also \u015blokas 10 &amp; 571) samo &#x27;ha\u1e41 sarva-bh\u016bte\u1e63u, na me dve\u1e63yo &#x27;sti na priya\u1e25 ye bhajanti tu m\u0101\u1e41 bhakty\u0101, mayi te te\u1e63u c\u0101py aham &quot;I am equally disposed to all souls, therefore no one is My enemy or My friend. Yet, for those who render devotional service unto Me with love, as they are bound by affection for Me, I am similarly bound by the tie of affection for them.&quot; (B-g, 9.29)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(297)\",\"mora mana - v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;My speculation is on the other side - Vrndavana.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 32) + (see also \u015blokas 98 &amp; 115) svar\u016bpa-gos\u0101\u1e63ire pa\u1e47\u1e0dita kail\u0101 nivedana &quot;p\u016brva haite v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana y\u0101ite mora mana He then submitted a plea to Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara Gosv\u0101m\u012b: &quot;For a very long time,&quot; He said: &quot;I have wanted to go to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 13.27).\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(298)\",\"mukam karoti v\u0101c\u0101la\u1e41\",\"panghum langh\u0101yate gir\u012bm\",\"yat k\u1e5bp\u0101 tam aha\u1e41 vande\",\"\u015br\u012b gurun d\u012bna-t\u0101ranam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I offer my respectful obeisances unto M\u0101dhava, Who is the Personification of transcendental bliss. By His mercy, a blind man can see the stars in the sky, a lame man can cross mountains, and a dumb man can speak eloquent words of poetry.&quot; (BD, ma\u1e45gala stotram, 1) &quot;I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the deliverer of all fallen souls, whose mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers, and enables the lame to cross mountains. Such is the mercy of \u015ar\u012b Guru.&quot; As much as one progresses, so much he thinks himself helpless in going further for measurement. No part of the Infinite comes into the plane of measurement. We cannot understand the Infinite; we don&#x27;t find ourselves qualified to give any expression about that, so we become dumb, thinking, &quot;What shall I say?&quot; But He makes us speak, He makes us open our mouths. Otherwise the reader, the knower, becomes dumb. A bona fide searching person is struck dumb with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s ways. He cannot give any expression to that. But the power from on high comes down to make him give some statement. In that way, the truth from that part comes here. He begins to speak, to give vent to his feelings, being pressed by the higher plane, that higher entity. He has no power of his own to walk, but the Lord&#x27;s wonderful power can help him cross mountains. This is the nature of the grace of the Almighty, of the Absolute: by His power, everything can move and live. (LSFTLS, p 63-4) + (see also \u015bloka 603)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(299)\",\"na ca sat kriya, na dik\u1e63e\",\"na ca pur\u0101\u015bcarya manadilate\",\"mantrayam rasana spri\",\"hanato \u015br\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101m\u0101tmaka\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One need not undergo all the purificatory processes, or follow the six ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas for pious life; one need not even take initiation into the g\u0101yatr\u012b-mantra. If one simply chants the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a without offence, everything will be successful.&quot; (J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b) (SGAHG, p 86) + (see also \u015bloka 252)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(300)\",\"na ca tasm\u0101n manu\u1e63ye\u1e63u,\",\"ka\u015bcin me priya-k\u1e5bttama\u1e25\",\"bhavit\u0101 na ca me tasm\u0101d,\",\"anya\u1e25 priyataro bhuvi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;There is no one in this world of human society more dear to Me than he (who explains the secrets of bhakti to the devotees), nor will there ever be one more dear.&quot; (B-g, 18.69) + (C, # 3, Spr. &#x27;92, p 1) + (see also \u015bloka 273)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(301)\",\"na de\u015ba-niyamas tatra,\",\"na k\u0101la-niyamas tath\u0101\",\"pr\u0101ptam anna\u1e41 druta\u1e41 \u015bi\u1e63tair,\",\"bhoktavya\u1e41 harir abravit\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The pras\u0101da of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is to be taken by gentlemen as soon as it is received, without hesitation. There are no regulative principles concerning time and place. This is the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 6.226) \u015buska\u1e41 paryu\u1e63ita\u1e41 v\u0101pi, n\u012bta\u1e41 v\u0101 d\u016bra-de\u015bata\u1e25 pr\u0101pti-m\u0101tre\u1e45a bhoktavya\u1e41, n\u0101tra k\u0101la-vic\u0101ra\u1e47\u0101 &quot;One should take the mah\u0101-pras\u0101da of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as soon as one receives it, without consideration of time or place, even though it may be dried up, stale, or brought from a distant country.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 6.225) + (see also \u015bloka 487) One day, early in the morning, \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva, with some pras\u0101dam from the Jagann\u0101tha temple, ran to S\u0101rvabhauma while he was still in bed. He cried in a loud voice: &quot;S\u0101rvabhauma, how wonderful is this pras\u0101dam! It has a very extraordinary taste. Please take it. I have come for you with this pras\u0101dam.&quot; S\u0101rvabhauma arose from bed as Mah\u0101prabhu offered him the pras\u0101dam, and he could not but accept it without even cleansing his mouth. Ordinarily a br\u0101hma\u1e47a pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, early in the morning, will first cleanse his mouth, bathe, offer different prayers, and only then take pras\u0101dam. But when \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu personally came and offered it to him with His own hand, what could S\u0101rvabhauma do? He had to accept that pras\u0101dam. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu told him: &quot;We have previously experienced the taste of so many things like ghee, rice, sweets, and spices. We all know what flavours they have, but this is wonderful. This has touched the lips of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. It is extraordinarily wonderful and tasteful.&quot; Then, S\u0101rvabhauma eagerly ate that pras\u0101dam and began uttering these two mantras: \u015buska\u1e41 paryu\u1e63ita\u1e41 v\u0101pi and na de\u015ba-niyamas tatra. He took pras\u0101dam, and the Lord and servant embraced one another and began to dance in ecstasy. As they danced, the symptoms of ecstasy appeared in both of them. They perspired, trembled, and shed tears. Absorbed in ecstatic love, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Today, I have conquered the whole world, for I have converted a scholar like S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya. Now, he has so much faith in mah\u0101-pras\u0101dam that without performing any Vedic rituals, he took the pras\u0101dam. My mission is successful!&quot; (TGVODL, p 19) + (see also \u015blokas 111, 205, 487 &amp; 579)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c10\",\"title\":\"10. The Nectar of the Holy Name\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"He has given me the highest conception of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the highest form of sound which contains the highest form of thought, aspiration, ideal, everything.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(302)\",\"na dhana\u1e41 na jana\u1e41 na sundar\u012b\u1e41,\",\"kavit\u0101\u1e41 v\u0101 jagad-\u012b\u015ba k\u0101maye\",\"mama janmani janman\u012b\u015bvare,\",\"bhavat\u0101d bhaktir ahaituk\u012b tvayi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Lord, I have no desires to accumulate wealth, followers, beautiful women, or salvation. My only prayer is for Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth.&quot; (S, v 4) We should try to move in this direction. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;I don&#x27;t want any money (na dhana\u1e41), I don&#x27;t want any popularity or manpower (na jana\u1e41), I don&#x27;t want the company of beautiful ladies (na sundar\u012b\u1e41), I don&#x27;t want a good name, or the fame of a poet (kavit\u0101\u1e41 v\u0101).&quot; This is the general meaning of this verse, but it has been deeply dealt with in the commentaries of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b and \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura. Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja has commented that in this verse, wealth, followers, women, and scholarship represent duty, wealth, sense pleasure, and salvation (dharma, artha, k\u0101ma, mok\u1e63a). \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has explained that in this context, &quot;wealth&quot; means the wealth which comes from following one&#x27;s prescribed duties. It can also mean artha, economic development. He says that &quot;followers&quot; means physical relationship for comforts: wife, children and so forth. The word sundar\u012b\u1e41 means k\u0101ma, the company of beautiful ladies. And kavit\u0101\u1e41, poetry, represents mok\u1e63a, liberation. Liberation apparently has a high value but really, like poetry, it is only flowery words. Liberation is imaginary because the ultimate result of liberation is that one&#x27;s existence vanishes. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;O Lord of the universe, I pray for spontaneous devotion to You without motive for any reward. I want a natural serving attitude.&quot; Prema means affection, love. Prema means: &quot;I shall serve You, and in remuneration You must give me more of a tendency to serve You - more energy and more hankering to serve You. My affection for You will be enhanced and the interest will become capital just as in the money-lending business.&quot; In this way a devotee prays to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;I am serving You, and if You want to pay me something, then give me more capital to increase my serving tendency so it may be more enhanced. Wherever I am born according to my karma, I aspire only for You service, my Lord, and I pray for unmotivated service, not for anything else in return.&quot; (S, v 4) + (TGVODL, p 123-5) Surrender is so powerful that it can even capture the Absolute. We are aspiring for that kind of potency. And whoever possesses that - they are all in all; they are our masters. For our highest interest, we must look towards the direction in which that power is intensified. We shall try to look wherever we find surrender in a thick, condensed stage. Our aim should be directed towards that. We are beggars of that. We are not beggars for anything which can be found in this mundane world: na dhana\u1e41 na jana\u1e41 na sundar\u012b\u1e41\u2026not wealth, followers, or the enjoyment of women, but eliminating everything else, our aim should be directed towards one thing - the most intensified condition of divine service to the Lord of Love. (LSFTLS, p 60) &quot;O Lord, I do not ever desire wealth, followers, popularity, a beautiful spouse, or the fame of scholarship for My personal enjoyment. Any such worldly promotion and sense gratification harm My true interest which is My ever cherished relationship with You. These things can tempt Me away from You, My highest fortune, and keep Me addicted to selfish enjoyment. Even salvation is empty without You, for You are My beloved Master and only solace, therefore I pray for unmotivated devotion and service to You birth after birth.&quot; (SBRBM, p 28) &quot;O Lord of the universe, I have no desire for wealth or worldly promotion, nor do I desire wife, family, and society, nor do I aspire for Vedic religiosity or mundane scholarship. The only aspiration in my heart is that in my every birth I may have unmotivated devotion for You.&quot; (The Supreme Lord \u015ar\u012b Caitanyacandra) (SSPJ, p 56)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(303)\",\"n\u0101ha\u1e41 tisth\u0101mi vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhe\",\"yogin\u0101\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u v\u0101\",\"mad bhakt\u0101\u1e25 yatra g\u0101yante\",\"tatra ti\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101m\u012b n\u0101rada\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says to N\u0101rada Muni: n\u0101ha\u1e41 tisth\u0101mi vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhe: That is, in the spiritual endeavour of the different classes of transcendentalists: &quot;I am not present Myself there.&quot; In the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha conception, the enquiry after the Infinite where one gets the personal conception of a Master, that the Infinite is controlled by a Master, and of the wonder in that personal conception of the prime cause, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a say&#x27;s: &quot;I am not there.&quot; And the attempt of the yog\u012bs is to enquire into the all-permeating and all-guiding potency, in the deepest consciousness, by analysis, analytical enquiry into who is controlling everything from within, and how to trace Him. This is the way of enquiry of the yog\u012bs, but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: yogin\u0101\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u v\u0101: &quot;I am not there.&quot; Then He says: yatra g\u0101yante tatra ti\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101m\u012b n\u0101rada: &quot;But, N\u0101rada, I am to be traced where My devotees are singing in praise about Me.&quot; This is a peculiar process. The Lord gives some hope that: &quot;Without trying to capture Me, they are taking pleasure from far away, engaging themselves in singing about My greatness. They can feel pleasure in that they have got some clue from some agent, and they are satisfied with that; from outside they want to relish My existence, My presence. It is not that they want either to experience the personal conception of the all-controlling aspect of reality, or like the yog\u012bs, to enter into the deepest extent into the science of this experience. But only far away, whatever little trace the devotees may have got about Myself, with that capital they engage in dancing and singing, and Myself, I am there. They get selfless satisfaction in singing My glory; and this is a far higher degree of selflessness, of a type which is found only there, in the singing of the devotees, and not in the enquiry mixed with curiosity about the most fundamental entity which is controlling everything from within, nor in the realisation of the personal creator, who creates and controls everything. That is the principle in k\u012brtana. Gaura Hari Bol! (SVT, v 1, # 1, Jan - Feb. &#x27;92, p 9) + (see also \u015blokas 273 &amp; 304)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(304)\",\"n\u0101ha\u1e41 vas\u0101mi vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhe,\",\"yogin\u0101\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u v\u0101\",\"mad bhakt\u0101\u1e25 yatra g\u0101yanti,\",\"tatra ti\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101mi n\u0101rada\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord Himself says: &quot;O, N\u0101rada, wherever My devotees sing My praises I cannot but be present there.&quot; (This verse is within the purports of S-B, 4.2.41 &amp; 4.30.35, the following way: n\u0101ha\u1e41 vas\u0101mi vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhe, yogin\u0101\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u v\u0101, tatra ti\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101mi n\u0101rada, mad bhakt\u0101\u1e25 yatra g\u0101yanti). Many years ago when \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was in the West, a lecture program was arranged but hardly anyone attended. The devotees apologised but \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;Well, N\u0101rada Muni, Lord Brahm\u0101 and many others came - I could detect that, but you were unable to see.&quot; Just as when \u015aukadeva delivered \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, his gurus - N\u0101rada, Vy\u0101sadeva, Atri, Va\u015bi\u1e63\u1e6dha and others - all came there, similarly \u015ar\u012bla Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja went to the West with so much eagerness to preach the doctrine of Love Divine, so his gurus went there to see how he was getting on. It is not impossible. &quot;N\u0101ha\u1e41 vas\u0101mi vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhe, I do not live in the transcendental plane; yogin\u0101\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u v\u0101 - nor in the heart of a yog\u012b, mad bhakt\u0101\u1e25 yatra g\u0101yanti, but wherever My devotees sing with most earnest heart; tatra ti\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101mi - I present Myself there. I take My seat and hear their hearty song. Their singing and chanting carries Me from the heart of the yog\u012b, and even from the throne of My Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. I run towards the place where the devotees chant with hearty devotion about Me: that is what really attracts Me most.&quot; N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a Himself says this, therefore it is so that N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a and His higher devotees come to attend such assemblies. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 33)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(305)\",\"n\u0101ha\u1e41 vedair na tapas\u0101,\",\"na d\u0101nena na cejyay\u0101\",\"\u015bakya eva\u1e41-vidho dra\u1e63\u1e6du\u1e41,\",\"d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dav\u0101n asi yan mama\",\"bhakty\u0101 tv ananyay\u0101 \u015bakya,\",\"aham eva\u1e41-vidho &#x27;rjjuna\",\"j\u00f1\u0101tu\u1e41 dra\u015b\u1e6du\u1e41 ca tattvena,\",\"prave\u1e63\u1e6du\u1e41 ca parantapa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Neither by study of the Vedas, nor by austerity, charity, or sacrifice, can anyone behold My humanlike form of Supreme Absolute Truth (Parabrahman) which you are now seeing before you.&quot; - &quot;O Arjuna, conqueror of the enemy, although in this form of Mine I am practically impossible to be seen by all other methods, the pure devotees, by their exclusive devotion unto Me, are capable of actually knowing Me, seeing Me, and entering into My divine pastimes.&quot; (B-g, 11.53-4) &quot;All other means may fail. Only exclusive devotion can draw Me as you see Me here, Arjuna, but other things cannot lead to such a position. Temporary devotion also will not be sufficient, but what is necessary is permanent, exclusive devotion.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 51) + (see also \u015blokas 583 &amp; 434)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(306)\",\"n\u0101ha\u1e41 vipro na ca nara-patir n\u0101pi vai\u015byo na \u015b\u016bdro\",\"n\u0101ha\u1e41 var\u1e47\u012b na ca g\u1e5bha-patir no vana-stho yatir v\u0101\",\"kintu prodyan-nikhila-param\u0101nanda-p\u016br\u1e47\u0101m\u1e5bt\u0101bdher\",\"gop\u012b-bharttu\u1e25 pada-kamalayor d\u0101sa-d\u0101s\u0101nud\u0101sa\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I am not a priest, a king, a merchant, or a labourer (br\u0101hma\u1e47a, k\u1e63atriya, vai\u015bya, \u015b\u016bdra); nor am I a student, a householder, a retired householder, or a mendicant (brahmac\u0101r\u012b, g\u1e5bhastha, v\u0101naprastha, sanny\u0101s\u012b). I identify myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Lord of the gop\u012bs, who is the personification of the fully expanded (eternally self-revealing) nectarean ocean that brims with the totality of Divine Ecstasy.&quot; (P, 63 &amp; 74) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 13.80). (SSPJ, p 115) N\u0101ha\u1e41 vipro na ca nara-patir: This is not only an ornamental thing. It is reality. This is reality. To actually feel ourselves to be mean is really to become eligible for the higher service. So much selflessness, so much self-abnegation is necessary for a unit here of the lower order to enter into that domain. So much self-abnegation is necessary, then we can come into that plane. There is a plane of undercurrent, and if we really want to contact that, we shall have o develop such finest of the fine sentiment in us, and with no demand. In this negative way we are to transform ourselves, then we can have a touch of the approach to that plane. (SGD, &#x27;96, p 32) + (see also \u015bloka 286) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a bhajana is independent of any external form of life. Varn\u0101\u015brama dharma is just the beginning, then gradually improving we are to go up to the absolute service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Without considering any law or form, thinking only of service, whatever we do, or think, or speak, everything should be done for the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That is the standard of real devotion. And mere form may be a little favourable, but not always. The spirit, even crossing every formality, is what is required of us. Our Absolute attraction for the service, the beauty does not allow law to have any status. In the beginning they have got some sort of utility. But when a little advanced they do not care for anything. Only s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, adherence to the saint of a similar type and a little better. (GOD, p 21) + (see also \u015blokas 159, 247 &amp; 422)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(307)\",\"na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid\",\"durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati\",\"p\u0101rtha naiveha n\u0101mutra,\",\"vin\u0101\u015bas tasya vidyate\",\"na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid,\",\"durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Arjuna, son of Kunt\u012b, the unsuccessful yog\u012b does not suffer ruination either in this life or the next. He is not deprived of the pleasures of the heavenly planetary systems in this universe, nor is he denied the chance to personally see the Supersoul in the divine realm. This is so, O dear one, because a person who performs virtuous actions never becomes ill-fated.&quot; (B-g, 6.40) Act in the living present, with heart within - with sincerity - and with God overhead; the ultimate reality must be Good Absolute. Accept a life of this type. na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid, durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati: if you be sincere, well meaning, no one will be able to defeat you. Your victory is assured. (SCS, p 48) No force outside can check us if we are sincere. Of course for beginners there is some concern about a proper environment for spiritual cultivation, but even that is also dependent on the nature of their sincerity, or suk\u1e5bti. na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid, durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati. The assurance is given here by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He says: &quot;I&#x27;ll be there to look after you in any unfavourable circumstance. I am omniscient. And I am omnipotent also. So if anyone is directed towards Me, I&#x27;ll look after Him.&quot; And it has also been seen in history, in the cases of Dhruva, Prahl\u0101da, and so many others. Sincerity is invincible. Even obstacles may improve our position if we can take them in the right way. From a higher angle of vision it may be seen that everything is coming to help us. (LSFTLS, p 18) + (see also \u015bloka 512) If we are sincere in our attempt, then no one in the world can check us or deceive us; we can only deceive ourselves. (na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid, durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati). We must be true to our own selves, and true to the Supreme Lord. We must be sincere. (SGAHG, p 45) Preferably we shall enquire from a \u015bik\u1e63\u0101 guru, but if none is available then we shall try to ask our internal guru: &quot;In such a case what may be required of me? My Master, please reveal this.&quot; We shall have to make this appeal to our internal caittya-guru and proceed accordingly. na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid, durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati. The sincere will have nothing about which to repent. He who is sincere to his own self will have such dictation as will help him to progress in his spiritual life. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 62) When enquiring as to how to recognise guru, \u015b\u0101stra, and s\u0101dhu, we receive confirmation from our heart&#x27;s approval, our inner approval. We must trace it to there because that took me to my guru. Guru is all in all, but who took me to my guru? It was my inner sentiment, my inner guide. It did not like anything else in the environment but instead selected that advice. Many others do not care to come here, and many may ridicule this life, but what made me come here? I cannot deprecate that internal approval, consciousness and sincerity. Therefore, that is an important factor and ultimately we have to depend on that internal consciousness the most. When collecting advice from the scripture and when seeking or relying on advice from a s\u0101dhu, the only thing that takes me there is my internal approval, my inner friend. If it were not for that I would not have come. Indeed, so many others do not come. So, who has taken me to this plane? na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid, durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati. One who sincerely wants real good can never be deceived. When one is a real seeker of the truth, he can never be deceived. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;My dear boy, one who is sincerely hankering after the truth can never come across misfortune. If apparently some misfortune comes to visit him along the way, that is to enhance his position for his improvement. Some sort of danger may come on our way but if we are sincere it will be as a test to us and when we overcome that, it will be an addition to our glory. The temptations will be rejected and disarmed - but they will plead for us again. So, sincerity - sincere hankering after the truth - is needed if we are to go further. And that is made of suk\u1e5bti - the grace of the divine agents who, by their nature, are wandering through this cursed land to help others who may not even know they are being helped. (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 17)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(308)\",\"na hy ekasm\u0101d guror j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41,\",\"su-sthira\u1e41 sy\u0101t su-pu\u1e63kalam\",\"brahmaitad advit\u012bya\u1e41 vai,\",\"g\u012byate bahudhar\u1e63ibhi\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Although the Absolute Truth is one without a second, the sages have described Him in many different ways. Therefore, one may not be able to acquire very firm or complete knowledge from one spiritual master.&quot; (S-B, 11.9.31) In the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam it is stated: &quot;One certainly cannot get complete knowledge from only one guru.&quot; In the highest stage of devotion, we must see not only one guru; we must see that guru is everywhere. In the land of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, all are gurus; our transformation should be towards that. Everything in the spiritual world, the entire environment is our guru and we are servants. To enter into Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, or Goloka, means that on all sides we must see guru and pay our respects. There is gradation of course, but all are guru. There are different classes of guru. All Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas are considered gurus. If the spiritual master gives one letter to the disciple, what is contained there is infinite. But to know and understand it fully, however, different sources are necessary. In the highest position one can read devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a from everywhere. If we can attain the proper vision, then everything will supply me inspiration towards the centre in the performance of our duties. Whenever Mah\u0101prabhu saw a forest, He saw it as V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Whenever He saw a river, He saw the Yamun\u0101. Whenever He saw a hill, He saw it as Govardhana Hill. In that highest stage, wherever we cast our glance, whatever we come in contact with, it will remind us about our Lord. They will teach us, they will press us to engage ourselves in service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That is the duty of guru. Wherever we cast our glance, whatever we come in contact with will only excite us &quot;do your duty.&quot; That is guru. Our guru is whoever gives us impetus for the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, whoever helps us to look towards the centre. So, because every atom in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha and Goloka will encourage us to towards our duty, they are all our gurus. Gurus will be amply available when we can raise ourselves to a higher level. When we are in the lower stages of material conception, everything will take us away from the centre by the out-carrying current. Whatever we see says: &quot;Oh, come and enjoy me.&quot; The invitation of enjoyment is found here in the lower level, and the inspiration of renunciation is also found in a particular stage. The impersonalists who desire salvation say: &quot;Whatever we find here is all temporary. Reject it all.&quot; But devotion is the positive side. From the side of devotion, everything will draw me towards the centre, towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. And those who will help us in that way, are our gurus. Guru means &quot;one who dispels the darkness of both enjoyment and renunciation.&quot; (SGAHG, p 115-6) + (see also \u015bloka 4) So not only in the supreme goal of life, but in everything, our knowledge depends on more than one source. We mainly learn from one place, but this is verified and corroborated by many sources; then it comes to be proper knowledge. In the ny\u0101ya-\u015b\u0101stras, the Vedic textbooks of codes of logic, the six processes of acquiring knowledge are mentioned: vi\u1e63aya (the thesis), sa\u1e41\u015baya (the antithesis), purva-pak\u1e63a (cross-examination), mima\u1e41s\u0101 (synthesis), siddh\u0101nta (conclusion), and sa\u1e41gati\u1e25 (verification from different sources). After these six stages, something may come in the name of truth in this world. Any knowledge presupposes consultation with different sources. (SGAHG, p 117-8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(309)\",\"nai\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 matis t\u0101vad urukram\u0101\u1e45ghri\u1e41,\",\"spr\u015baty anarth\u0101pagamo yad-artha\u1e25\",\"mah\u012byas\u0101\u1e41 p\u0101da-rajo-&#x27;bhi\u1e63eka\u1e41,\",\"ni\u1e63ki\u1e63can\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 na v\u1e5b\u1e47\u012bta y\u0101vat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja states: &quot;Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, Who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.&quot; (S-B, 7.5.32)+(SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 2)+(see \u015blokas 289, 52, 75, 272, 562) arcye vi\u1e63\u1e47au \u015bil\u0101-dh\u012br guru\u1e63u nara-matir vai\u1e63\u1e47ave j\u0101t\u012b-buddhir vi\u1e63\u1e47or v\u0101 vai\u1e63\u1e47av\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 kali-mala-mathane p\u0101da-t\u012brthe &#x27;mbu-buddhi\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-vi\u1e63\u1e47or-n\u0101mni-mantre sakala-kalu\u1e63a-he \u015babda-s\u0101m\u0101nya -buddhir vi\u1e63\u1e47au sarvve\u015bvare\u015be tad-itara-sama-dh\u012br yasya v\u0101 n\u0101rak\u012b sa\u1e25 \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva states in Padma-Pur\u0101\u1e47a: &quot;Anyone who considers the worshippable Deity of the Lord to be made out of wood, stone, or metal; who considers the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava guru to be a mortal man; who considers a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava to be limited by the confines of caste, lineage, or creed; who considers the holy foot-wash of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u or a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava to be ordinary water, although such water has the potency to destroy all evils of the age of Kali; who considers the Holy Name and mantra of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, which vanquish all sins, to be common sound vibration; and who considers the God of gods, Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, to be merely on the level of the demigods - such a person is a diabolical devil.&quot; k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era ucchi\u1e63\u1e6dha haya &#x27;mah\u0101-pras\u0101da&#x27; n\u0101ma &#x27;bhakta-\u015be\u1e63a&#x27; haile mah\u0101-mah\u0101-pras\u0101d\u0101khy\u0101na&#x27; bhakta-p\u0101da-dh\u016bli \u0101ra bhakta-pada-jala bhakta-bhukta-ava\u015be\u1e63a, - tina mah\u0101-bala ei tina-sev\u0101 haite k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prem\u0101 haya puna\u1e25 puna\u1e25 sarva-\u015b\u0101stre phuk\u0101riy\u0101 kaya t\u0101te b\u0101ra b\u0101ra kahi, - \u015buna bhakta-ga\u1e47a vi\u015bv\u0101sa kariy\u0101 kara e-tina sevana \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu states: &quot;The remnants of food offered to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are called mah\u0101pras\u0101da. After this same mah\u0101-pras\u0101da has been taken by a devotee, the remnants are elevated to mah\u0101-mah\u0101-pras\u0101da. The dust of the feet of a devotee, the water that has washed the feet of a devotee, and the remnants of food left by a devotee are three very powerful substances. By rendering service to these three, one attains the supreme goal of ecstatic love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In all the revealed scriptures this is loudly declared again and again. Therefore, My dear devotees, please hear from Me, for I insist again and again: please keep faith in these three and render service to them without hesitation.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 16.59-62) \u1e6dh\u0101kura-vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-pada, avan\u012bra s\u016bsampada, \u015buna bh\u0101i! hai\u1e63a eka mana: \u0101\u015braya laiy\u0101 bhaje, t\u0101re k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101hi tyaje, \u0101ra sava mare ak\u0101ra\u1e47a. vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-cara\u1e47a-jala, prema-bhakti dite bala, \u0101ra keho nahe balavanta: vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-cara\u1e47a-re\u1e47u, mastake bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a vinu, \u0101ra n\u0101hi bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47era anta. t\u012brthajala-pavitra-gu\u1e47e, likhiy\u0101che pur\u0101\u1e47e, se saba bhaktira prava\u1e63cana: vai\u1e63\u1e47avera p\u0101dadoka, sama nahe ei saba, y\u0101te haya v\u0101\u00f1jita pur\u0101\u1e47e. vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-sa\u1e45gete mana, \u0101nandita anuk\u1e63a\u1e47a, sad\u0101haya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-parasa\u1e45ga: d\u012bna narottama k\u0101ne, hiy\u0101 dhairya n\u0101hi v\u0101ndhe, mora da\u015b\u0101 kena haila bha\u1e45ga. Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura states (in Pr\u0101rthan\u0101 43): &quot;O brother, please hear my words with rapt attention: the lotus feet of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas are the most valuable treasure in the world. Those Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas continually take shelter of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and worship Him. They never abandon their Lord, but they are liberated from the cycle of birth and death. The water which has washed the lotus feet of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas bestows devotional service in pure love of Godhead. There is nothing as effective in attaining this divine love. I place the dust from the lotus feet of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas upon my head. I wear no other ornament. The purifying powers of the waters of the various places of pilgrimage is described in the Pur\u0101\u1e47as, although this is something of a deceptive trick. Actually, there is nothing which is as purifying as the water which has washed the lotus feet of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. This water fulfils all desires. Moment after moment my mind finds constant pleasure in the association of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. I always seek out the company of those devotees who are devoted to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The poor-hearted Narottama D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura cries: &#x27;I cannot maintain my composure any longer. Why have I fallen into such a low condition of life that I cannot get the association of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas?&quot; At the end of the verse in his \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati beginning: ke\u015bava tuw\u0101 jagata bicitra karama-vip\u0101ke - (see also \u015bloka 229) - Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: da\u1e47\u1e0dabat d\u016brato, bhakativinoda bhelo, bhakata-cara\u1e47a kori&#x27; s\u0101r - &quot;But anyhow, I might have been saved. I understand that definitely only the feet dust of Your devotees is everything for me - nothing else! I want only the holy feet dust of Your devotee - bhakata-cara\u1e47a No other ambition I have got! And I have got this sort of yearning by Your Grace.&quot; After Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura describes the position of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in his \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, he says: &quot;I want to serve those who have the service of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in their heart. I want to serve the feet dust of those whose only wealth is the service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. I want to fall before them and take the dust of their holy feet. If you cannot fix your mind in the service of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, then all your attempts to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are useless. If you cannot achieve earnestness in the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, then all your labour for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has gone to hell.&quot; In the verse from his G\u012bt\u0101val\u012b, beginning: r\u0101dh\u0101-bhajane yadi mati n\u0101hi bhel\u0101 - (see also \u015bloka 386) - Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;Even Lord Brahm\u0101, Lord \u015aiva, Dev\u0101rsi N\u0101rada, the personified Vedas (Srutis) and Lak\u1e63m\u012b-Dev\u012b honour and worship the dust of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101&#x27;s lotus feet.&quot; an\u0101r\u0101dhya r\u0101dh\u0101-pad\u0101mbhoja re\u1e47um an\u0101\u015britya v\u1e5bnd\u0101\u1e6dav\u012b\u1e41 tat pad\u0101\u1e45k\u0101m asambh\u0101sya-tad bh\u0101va-gambh\u012bra citt\u0101n kuta\u1e25 \u015by\u0101ma-sindho rasasy\u0101vag\u0101ha\u1e25 \u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b states (in his Stav\u0101val\u012b, \u015ar\u012b Sva-sa\u1e45kalpa-prak\u0101\u015ba-stotra): &quot;How is it possible to immerse oneself in the ocean of \u015ay\u0101ma rasa (love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a or the m\u0101dhurya rasa) without worshipping the dust of the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, or without taking shelter of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, which is decorated with Her footprints, or without serving Her devotees, whose grave hearts are always absorbed in love for Her?&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wanted to come as the incarnation for this age of Kali, as well as to fulfil His promise in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana: &quot;I shall chant the glory of the gop\u012bs, especially of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. I shall chant Her Name, Her glory, and roll in the dust of the earth.&quot; But R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b said: &quot;I won&#x27;t allow Your body to roll in the dust of this earth. I shall cover You with My lustre.&quot; Both the mood as well as the lustre of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b capture K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a when He comes here in Kaliyuga. And this does not occur in all Kali-yugas, but only in a special Kali-yuga. In all the days of Brahm\u0101, in every yuga, the yuga-avat\u0101ra comes, but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appears only once in a day of Brahm\u0101, or once every 4.3 billion years. At that time, the Original Personality of Godhead (svayam bhagav\u0101n) appears along with His abodes, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and Navadw\u012bpa. The reason why K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants this dust has been explained separately by \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Sv\u0101m\u012b and \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b. Explaining this amazing pastime, \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Sv\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;To purify His creation with the dust from the feet of His devotee, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a follows him.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has become indebted to His dear, loving devotee, premi-bhakta, and is unable to pay back this debt of such unmatched devotion, or bhakti-\u1e5b\u1e47a. He is indebted.&quot; In the tenth canto of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam He explains how He becomes so indebted to His devotees. He says to the gop\u012bs: &quot;You have all developed such pure love for Me that I cannot repay your debt! I do not have any asset with which to pay you back.&quot; He who is full of the six opulences expresses incapability to repay a debt! K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a laments: na p\u0101raye, na p\u0101raye - &quot;I cannot pay back!&quot; na p\u0101raye &#x27;ha\u1e41 niravadya-sa\u1e41yuj\u0101\u1e41, sva-s\u0101dhu-k\u1e5btya\u1e41 vibudh\u0101yu\u1e63\u0101pi va\u1e25 y\u0101 m\u0101bhajan durjaya-geha-\u015b\u1e5b\u1e45khal\u0101\u1e25, sa\u1e41v\u1e5b\u015bcya tad va\u1e25 pratiy\u0101tu s\u0101dhun\u0101 &quot;O gop\u012bs, I am not able to repay My dept for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahm\u0101. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshipped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore, please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.&quot; (S-B, 10.32.22) Such wealth, which even K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself does not possess, however, does exist, and that is r\u0101dh\u0101 m\u0101dan\u0101khya-mah\u0101bh\u0101va r\u016bpaka dhana, which is with \u015ar\u012bmati R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and She alone is the owner of this wealth. The wealth is Her un-matched love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a thinks: &quot;R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is the owner of that wealth, but how will I get it? I will have to either beg, borrow or steal.&quot; So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Supreme Thief, decides to steal that wealth from R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s heart. He is h\u1e5bdaya cora - stealer of the heart. By stealing the wealth of love from Her heart He assumed R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s mood, and He came as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu to pay back the debt. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a became a sanny\u0101s\u012b who was crying and begging for R\u0101dh\u0101-prema, the love of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. So \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has become indebted to His devotee, and therefore He intends to smear the dust from the feet of His devotee all over His body to purify Himself, thus repaying the debt. r\u0101dhe, r\u0101dhe, dehi pada-pallavam ud\u0101ram \u015ar\u012b Jayadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has written in Gita Govinda, 10.7, that &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants the feet-dust of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; bahum anutetanute tanu sa\u1e41gata, p\u0101vana calita m\u0101mapi re\u1e47u Jayadeva also states in Gita Govinda: &quot;The most precious and the most valuable thing for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is one single particle of dust of R\u0101dh\u0101&#x27;s feet, mercifully conveyed to Him by the blowing breeze.&quot; nirapek\u1e63a\u1e41 muni\u1e41 \u015b\u0101nta\u1e41 nirvaira\u1e41 sama-dar\u015banam anuvraj\u0101my aha\u1e41 nitya\u1e41 p\u016byeyety a\u1e45ghri-re\u1e47ubhi\u1e25 K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says to Uddhava that He perpetually walks behind the selfless s\u0101dhus, who are peaceful and make no enemies, just to purify the material universes within Himself with the dust of their feet carried in the breeze by their movement. (S-B, 11.14.16). \u015br\u012b-\u015br\u012bmad-bhagavat-pad\u0101mbuja-madhu-sv\u0101dotsavai\u1e25 \u1e63a\u1e6d-padair nik\u1e63ipt\u0101 madhu-bindava\u015b ca parito bhra\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101 mukh\u0101t gu\u00f1jitai\u1e25 yatnai\u1e25 ki\u1e63cid ih\u0101h\u1e5bta\u1e41 nija-para-\u015breyo &#x27;rthin\u0101 tan may\u0101 bh\u016byo-bh\u016bya ito raj\u0101\u1e41si pada-sa\u1e41lagn\u0101ni te\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 bhaje &quot;The bees, intoxicated in the festival of drinking the honey of the Lord&#x27;s lotus feet, busily humming the glories of the Lord, drops of honey from their mouths fall and scatter all around; for my own divine prospect, I&#x27;ve carefully collected some of those drops herein - and thus do I worship the dust of the lotus feet of those saints, again and again.&quot; (SSPJ , p 179) sakala vai\u1e63\u1e47avapade mora namask\u0101ra ithe kichu apar\u0101dha nahuka \u0101m\u0101ra &quot;I respectfully bow to the lotus feet of all the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, praying that there is no offence in this attempt to please them.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(310)\",\"nai\u1e63karmyam apy acyuta-bh\u0101va-varjita\u1e41,\",\"na \u015bobhate j\u00f1\u0101nam ala\u1e41 nira\u00f1janam\",\"kuta\u1e25 puna\u1e25 \u015ba\u015bvad abhadram \u012b\u015bvare,\",\"na c\u0101rpita\u1e41 karma yad apy ak\u0101ra\u1e47am\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Knowledge of self-realisation, even though free from all material affinity, does not look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible (God). What, then, is the use of fruitive activities, which are naturally painful from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are not utilised for the devotional service of the Lord?&quot; (S-B, 1.5.12) &quot;When unadulterated knowledge that is devoid of action and its reactions is never becoming without a devotional relationship with the Infallible Lord, how then will action, which is illfated by nature, ever be exalted without being offered to the Almighty, even if it is utterly selfless?&quot; (SSPJ, p 65) &quot;Mere retirement is not considered to be fulfilment in anyone&#x27;s life. Although in the stage of liberation no contamination of death, birth, disease, and infirmity are to be found, still that cannot be considered perfection. Then what to speak of karma, a laborious life of work which is not done for the satisfaction of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?&quot; The only thing that can give us fulfilment in both labour and rest is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: He is the harmonising principle of both. If work is done as a service for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, then our labour is converted into gold: it is no longer iron. And only if renunciation is related to divine service does it have any value. (LSFTLS, p 76) + (see also \u015bloka 458) Nai\u1e63karmyam, those that are suffering from hard labour, they want to get some rest, naturally. In order to live their life, they are dependent on labour and that is thought as useless and undesirable - labouring to live. &quot;If I have to live, then I must labour. This is a dishonourable life.&quot; So, generally, people&#x27;s aspiration is: &quot;How to live a life without labour?&quot; &quot;nai\u1e63karmyam&quot; - they are in search of &quot;nai\u1e63karmyam,&quot; rest, peacefulness, a life of rest, not the servant of labour. Nai\u1e63karmyam apy acyuta-bh\u0101va-varjita\u1e41 na \u015bobhate - even if it is possible to get it to a certain extent without the connection of &quot;acyuta,&quot; the Infinite - still, it is not estimated as a good gain, a successful life. Why? It is mere retirement - retirement in renunciation. That is also considered not to be fulfilment in anyone&#x27;s life. Although in that stage, there is no contamination of birth, death, disease and infirmity; still, that cannot be considered by the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava&#x27;s as a very fine life, what to speak of the labour which is not done for the satisfaction of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That is labour which is already held in condemnable position, an insulting position. Even that higher position of rest is not considered to be a happy position, so what to speak of this laborious life. What can give fulfilment to both labour and rest? That is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the harmonising principle of both. If you will act to please K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, then the labour will also be converted into gold, no longer iron. And if the rest, that is, the renunciation, is also performed in the relativity of devotion, divine service, then that has colour - otherwise not. This is the speciality of the Bh\u0101gavat teaching. It is always trying to put the conception of divine love, sentiment, feeling, - above our intellectualism and mastery over energy. The master of power and the master of knowledge, if devoid of divine love, - have got no value. On the other hand, devoid of these two, if it is possible to enter into the area of divine love, one&#x27;s life is successful. (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 4) \u015aobhate j\u00f1\u0101nam, due to miscalculation, we are suffering; we feel pain. Not the pain outside, it is within the heart! With such an attitude, we are to approach. And with favourable association, we can keep our strength for investigation. What will be necessary to attain the goal? (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 5) j\u00f1\u0101na, knowledge, is generally regarded as being very pure. By the majority of people, j\u00f1\u0101na is considered to be very innocent because it has no relationship with gross, material things. It is always admitted that to handle the gross material energy is very unwholesome (\u015ba\u015bvad abhadram); and knowledge is considered by the higher personalities to be very pure, very innocent and spotless (j\u00f1\u0101nam ala\u1e41 nira\u00f1janam). But if it is not connected with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, such knowledge must be hatefully rejected. Nai\u1e63karmyam apy acyuta-bh\u0101va-varjita\u1e41. Here, in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, it is said that knowledge is widely considered to be spotless, pure and innocent, but if it is not connected with the positive absolute good, then it is your enemy. A qualified candidate will consider things in this way. j\u00f1\u0101na-\u015b\u016bnya-bhakti: Surrender is so pure, that any connection with knowledge, which is considered to be very innocent and pure - even that must be hatefully rejected. Such a degree of surrender is necessary for the higher association of genuine devotion. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 74-5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(311)\",\"naiva tasya k\u1e5bten\u0101rtho,\",\"n\u0101k\u1e5bteneha ka\u015bcana\",\"na c\u0101sya sarvva-bh\u016bte\u1e63u,\",\"ka\u015bcid artha-vyap\u0101\u015braya\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In this world, a self-realised person who rejoices in the soul does not accrue piety by the performance of actions, nor does he incur sin by abstaining from duties. Amongst all living entities, from the highest life-forms of the planet of Lord Brahm\u0101 down to the world of immobile organisms, he never depends on anyone for any personal demand whatsoever.&quot; (Bg, 3.18) Man proposes and God disposes. Proposal is directed upwards, and disposal comes down. The waves of suggestion and acceptance are all the Lord&#x27;s l\u012bl\u0101. (SGD, SGPI, p 11) + (see also \u015bloka 408)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(312)\",\"na kart\u1e5btva\u1e41 na karm\u0101ni,\",\"lokasya s\u1e5bjati prabhu\u1e25\",\"na karma-phala-sa\u1e41yogam,\",\"svabh\u0101vas tu pravartate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Due to their tendency towards ignorance since immeasurable time, the living beings act, considering themselves the doers or inaugurators of action. The Supreme Lord does not generate their misconception of considering themselves doers, nor does He generate their actions or their attachment to the fruits of those actions.&quot; (B-g, 5.14) Why has the soul come to the world of exploitation, and not the world of dedication? That should be attributed to his innate nature, which is endowed with free will. It is a free choice. This is substantiated here in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101. &quot;The soul is responsible for his entrance into the land of exploitation.&quot; The responsibility is with the soul, otherwise the Lord would be responsible for his distressed condition. But K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that the soul&#x27;s innate free will is responsible for his entanglement in the material world. The soul is conscious, and consciousness means endowed with freedom. Because the soul is atomic, his free will is imperfect and vulnerable. The result of that free choice is that some are coming into the material world, and some are going to the spiritual world. So, the responsibility is with the individual soul. Once, an Indian political leader, \u015ay\u0101masundara Cakravarti, asked \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura: &quot;Why has the Lord granted such freedom to the j\u012bva ?&quot; Prabhup\u0101da Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta told him: &quot;You are fighting for freedom. Don&#x27;t you know the value of freedom? Devoid of freedom, the soul is only matter.&quot; Freedom offers us the alternative to do right or wrong. Once, Gandhi told the British authorities: &quot;We want freedom.&quot; They replied: &quot;You are not fit to have self-government. When you are fit, we shall give it to you.&quot; But finally he told them: &quot;We want the freedom to do wrong.&quot; So, freedom does not guarantee only acting in the right way; freedom has its value independent of right and wrong. Free will is only absolute with the Absolute Truth. Because we are finite, our free will is infinitesimal. The possibility of committing a mistake is there. Our first choice was to dominate, and so, gradually we have entered the world of domination. As a result of this first action, everything else has developed. So, in different ranks, the species have been divided, from the demigods down to the trees and stones. And watery bodies, gaseous bodies, anything that we find here has evolved in that way. The activating principle in any form of embryological development is the soul, and from the soul, everything has evolved. (TSFSK, p 37-9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(313)\",\"n\u0101m\u0101k\u1e63ara bahiraya batu n\u0101ma kabu naya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not mere physical sound; it is not lip-deep only, but it has a greater and higher aspect. It is all spiritual. We are in the marginal plane of existence, so some higher connection is necessary in order that the wave will descend from that higher realm and come to us and spread its influence outside as well. (TGVODL, p 94) Not only the sound of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is necessary, but also the proper meaning, the substance, the spirit of the sound. Only the physical aspect of the Holy Name is represented in n\u0101ma-apar\u0101dha, offensive chanting, not the real Name. The real Name is all spiritual. n\u0101m\u0101k\u1e63ara bahiraya batu n\u0101ma kabu naya: the sound of the letters of the Name alone is never the real Name. Merely the sound of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should never be thought of as the actual Name. This is explained in the Prema-vivarta of Jagad\u0101nanda Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, a book which is full of the philosophical conclusions of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. It was published and edited by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura. There you will find this passage: n\u0101m\u0101k\u1e63ara bahiraya batu n\u0101ma kabu naya: merely the sound of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should never be thought of as the actual Name. Even in n\u0101m\u0101bh\u0101sa, the twilight dawning of the Holy Name which occurs before pure offenceless chanting, the sound of the Name is there, but the inner substance of the Name is not there. N\u0101m\u0101bh\u0101sa can give us mukti, or emancipation from the negative side, the material world. But there we cannot trace participation in the positive side, the spiritual world. The Name is absent there. The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a positive thing, and if we really want a touch of the Holy Name, we must gain admission into the positive world. When we are in the negative side, how can we get a touch of the Name? N\u0101m\u0101bh\u0101sa may give us liberation, but not participation in the devotional realm. So, the real Name is not to be found in n\u0101m\u0101bh\u0101sa either. (TSFSK, p 117) + (see \u015bloka 340)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(314)\",\"n\u0101ma cint\u0101ma\u1e47i\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u015b,\",\"caitanya-rasa-vigraha\u1e25\",\"p\u016br\u1e47a\u1e25 \u015buddho nitya-mukto,\",\"&#x27;bhinnatv\u0101n n\u0101ma-n\u0101mino\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is full of transcendental bliss. It blesses the devotee with all fulfilment, for it is non-different from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the fountain source of all pleasure. Therefore, it is also by nature the embodiment of all transcendental mellows. It is complete, pure, eternal and ever liberated from all material conditioning because the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself are identical.&quot; (B.r.s, P\u016brva-vibh\u0101ga, 2.233) + (PP) In this Kali-yuga, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is the most magnanimous Incarnation of generous distribution of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He thus inundates the hearts of all living entities with His own divine ecstasy. Therefore, He is defined and realised to be eternally identical with that transcendentally blissful Name. The term K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-Caitanya-rasa-vigraha means the embodiment of all transcendental divine mellows of love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and this factually refers to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya. (ARO, p 22)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(315)\",\"n\u0101ma sa\u1e45k\u012brtana\u1e41 yasya,\",\"sarva p\u0101pa pran\u0101\u015banam\",\"pran\u0101mo du\u1e25kha\u015bamanas,\",\"ta\u1e41 nam\u0101mi hari\u1e41 param\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Hari, the congregational chanting of whose Holy Names destroys all sinful reactions, and the offering of obeisances unto whom relieves all material suffering.&quot; (The last verse of S-B, 12.13.23) In the last verse of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam this conclusion is given. P\u0101pa means all anomalies, all undesirable things: sin. Material enjoyment and liberation are also included as anomalies, sinful activities. Why is liberation considered sinful? Because it is considered an abnormal condition; our natural function is to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but we do not do that in salvation. Mere salvation does not include service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, so that is an abnormal position and therefore it is also a sin. To ignore our natural duty and stand aloof cannot but be sinful. The concluding verse of the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam says: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Holy Name can relieve us from all undesirable sinfulness, all filthy characteristics, and all miseries. Let us all bow down to Him.&quot; Uttering this verse, the \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam stops; that great treatise becomes silent. The last word in Bh\u0101gavatam is n\u0101masa\u1e45k\u012brtana. And \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu developed it from there. (TGVODL, p 99)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(316)\",\"n\u0101ma-\u015bre\u1e63\u1e6dha\u1e41 manum api\",\"\u015bac\u012b-putram atra svar\u016bpa\u1e41\",\"r\u016bpa\u1e41 tasy\u0101grajam uru\",\"pur\u012b\u1e41 m\u0101thur\u012b\u1e41 go\u1e63\u1e6dav\u0101\u1e6d\u012bm\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da\u1e41 giri-varam\",\"aho r\u0101dhik\u0101-m\u0101dhav\u0101\u015b\u0101\u1e41\",\"pr\u0101pto yasya prathita-k\u1e5bpay\u0101\",\"\u015br\u012b guru\u1e41 ta\u1e41 nato &#x27;smi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b prays: &quot;I only aspire after one thing. I cherish the hope that one day I may be welcomed into the plane where R\u0101dhik\u0101 and M\u0101dhava are in Their glory, sitting and playing.&quot; That should be our prospect. This is found in Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s prayer to his guru. He says: n\u0101ma-\u015bre\u1e63\u1e6dha\u1e41 manum api: &quot;I am fully indebted to \u015br\u012b gurudeva. Why? He has given me so many things. He has given me the highest conception of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the highest form of sound which contains the highest form of thought, aspiration, ideal, everything. And next he has given me the mantra.&quot; The Name is there within the mantra. Without the Name, the mantra is nothing. If the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is withdrawn and replaced with another name, the mantra will give the opposite result. The Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is all in all. And within the mantra, the Name is couched in a particular way as a sort of prayer. And then he says: &quot;He has given me the service of that great saviour, the son of Mother \u015aac\u012b, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who is like a golden mountain standing to show the direction of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a l\u012bl\u0101. And gurudeva has brought me to the lotus feet of Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s most favourite personal assistant, Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara, who is the representation of Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b, the most favourite friend of R\u0101dhik\u0101. Then he has brought me in connection with \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa who was ordered to distribute the highest kinds of devotional love, rasa.&quot; Vaidhi bhakti, the worship of the Lord in awe and reverence, is of a lower order. But r\u0101g\u0101nug\u0101bhakti, spontaneous love, the hearts inner-most dealings, was distributed through \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. Mah\u0101prabhu considered \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa the best to deal with r\u0101g\u0101nug\u0101-bhakti. D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;Then, by his grace, I have achieved the association of \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b, who adjusts our position in relation to r\u0101g\u0101nug\u0101-bhakti. He explains the path of vaidhi-bhakti, and gives us sambandha-j\u00f1\u0101na: the knowledge of what is what, a proper acquaintance with the environment.&quot; Then he says: &quot;Gurudeva has given me Mathur\u0101 Ma\u1e47\u1e0dala, where R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda have Their pastimes; where the forest, the hills, every creeper, shrub, and grain of sand, everyone is bearing the acquaintance of R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a l\u012bl\u0101, and wherever I cast my glance they will help me in my remembrance of R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda. I have received all these things from my gurudeva: V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, where the cows and the milkmen have their village constructed. I am becoming acquainted with their association, their nature, and their feelings of love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. By the grace of gurudeva, I have become acquainted with R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da, the favourite place of R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda for Their pastimes, and this great Govardhana. And lastly he has given me the hope that one day I can get the service of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 and M\u0101dhava. I have been given all these assurances by my gurudeva, so I bow my head with all my respects to his lotus feet.&quot; (SGAHG, p 38-9) + (see also \u015bloka 398)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(317)\",\"n\u0101mn\u0101m ak\u0101ri bahudh\u0101 nija-sarva-\u015baktis\",\"tatr\u0101rpit\u0101 niyamita\u1e25 smara\u1e47e na k\u0101la\u1e25\",\"et\u0101d\u1e5b\u015b\u012b tava k\u1e5bp\u0101 bhagavan mam\u0101pi\",\"durdaivam \u012bd\u1e5b\u015bam ih\u0101jani n\u0101nur\u0101ga\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O my Lord, Your Holy Name bestows auspiciousness upon all. And You have unlimited Names such as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and Govinda by which You reveal Yourself. In Your many Holy Names You have kindly invested all Your transcendental potency. And in chanting these Names, there are no strict rules concerning time or place. Out of Your causeless mercy, You have descended in the form of divine sound, but my great misfortune is that I have no love for Your Holy Name.&quot; (S, v 2) Here it is said: &quot;O my Lord, You have revealed the chanting of Your Holy Names, and all Your power has been invested within those Names.&quot; Both the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and its potency are eternal. All potencies or energies are found with the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. And there is no particular time or place which has been fixed for chanting the Name. It is not that one can only chant in the morning, or only after taking bath, or only after going to a holy place - there are no such conditions. One may go on chanting the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a anytime, anywhere, in any circumstances. In this verse, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, You have given a most sublime opportunity to all. You are so infinitely gracious that You have given us the service of Your Holy Name (n\u0101ma-bhajana). Still, My misfortune is the worst. I don&#x27;t find any earnest desire within Me to take the Name. I have no faith, no love, no tendency to take the Name. I do not find any innate hankering to chant the Name. What can I do?&quot; This is the second of \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s eight precepts. He says: &quot;O Lord, You have given everything from Your side to lift Me up from this mundane world of relativity. Your attempt to deliver Me is so magnanimous that all You require from Me is a little co-operation in accepting Your grace, but I turn a deaf ear to Your magnanimous call. O Lord, I am hopeless.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu has given us great hope in the first verse of His \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dakam or eight precepts. He explains that the chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, when properly undertaken, may progress step by step, revealing seven consequences. The first effect is the cleansing of consciousness; the second is liberation from all mundane relativity. As the third effect, positive goodness awakens within our heart and takes us to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Then, under the guidance of svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti, the Lord&#x27;s internal energy yogam\u0101ya, we will come to the vadhu conception: vadhu means that rasa which gives full connection with the Lord (m\u0101dhurya-rasa). After attaining that stage, what are the other consequences that come? One becomes a particle in the ocean of joy, and that joy is not stale or static, but ever-new and dynamic; it is purifying to the utmost. Although we are allowed to keep our individual conception, still we feel that all parts of our existence become purified to the utmost when we take the Name. And this will not only affect me, but all who are connected with this n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. They will experience mass conversion, mass purification, the utmost purification. These are the sevenfold results of chanting the Holy Name. After mentioning this thesis in His first verse, Mah\u0101prabhu now gives the antithesis in the second verse. When such a great hope is there in the Holy Name, why are we having so much trouble? Where is the difficulty? Why do we not realise the advantage of the magnanimous sanction of divinity found in the Holy Name? Inestimable grace is coming from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s side. He has given us so many opportunities, with the least requirement from our side. We must have some taste, some earnestness to accept the Holy Name; but there&#x27;s the difficulty, we have none. So what hope can we have? How can we attain it? We may be approaching formally, but not from the core of our hearts, so by what process can we really benefit and make progress? The third verse answers this question. (see also \u015bloka 522) (TGVODL, p 104-7) &quot;O Lord, Your Holy Name bestows all good fortune unto the soul, and thus you have extended into the world Your many Names - K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Govinda, etc. You have offered all Your Transcendental Potency in Your Holy Name, without enjoining any (scriptural or philosophical) hard and fast rules and regulations concerning time, place or circumstance to be observed in chanting it. Dear Lord, You have so graciously made Your Holy Name available to the ordinary souls, and yet my misfortune, my offensiveness, does not allow Love for that gracious Name to be born in my heart.&quot; Therefore, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;I don&#x27;t find any taste for You in my heart, it is hard like a rock. There is unlimited grace on Your side, but I am so mean, so low, and You are so high.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 15-6). There is more mobility there, where both parties are combined. The greatest giver - and the greatest taker. Who is giving - and Who is taking? It cannot be determined, clearly. Who is the giver? And Who is the taker? Apparently, they are the same. The potency is the giver - the consciousness is the taker. Anyhow, both combined come here to distribute Themselves. They come to distribute Themselves to one and all! &quot;This is the process. Accept this and come to Me.&quot; Very magnanimously - and, almost the sole agent - was Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. He preached: &quot;Anyhow, accept Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga - nothing is to be done. I shall look after all other things. You take His Name. Enlist your name in His group. I shall look after all your needs.&quot; But again, it is unbelievable! We are so far away! - To understand our own best interest, we are far, far away from our own inner self interest. We are so far away that it is difficult to understand what is our interest and what is not? The Interest Himself is running, wandering from door to door: &quot;Accept Me, accept Me - accept Me. I have come to your door - you take Me, accept Me.&quot; It is all possible by His magnanimous l\u012bl\u0101, pastimes. Still: n\u0101mn\u0101m ak\u0101ri bahudh\u0101 nija-sarva-\u015baktis. Many say that it is one hand giving and another hand taking, so much magnanimity is there! But some sort of &quot;durdaivam&quot; is opposing my acceptance. Then, what is the joy of such preaching and distribution? Because it is not possible to get that divine thing in a forced way. It is free! Free achievement is necessary. So, without disturbing our freedom, we are invited, and we are most welcome, most welcome. Gaura Hari bol! (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 8). \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma-svar\u016bpasya parama-p\u0101vanatva\u1e41, j\u012bvasya durddaiva\u1e63 ca &quot;The Holy Name of the Lord is the supreme purifier, yet the soul&#x27;s misfortune is to deny it.&quot; (SSPJ, p 122)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(318)\",\"n\u0101mno &#x27;sya y\u0101vat\u012b \u015bakti\u1e25 p\u0101pa-nirhara\u1e47e hare\u1e25\",\"t\u0101vat karttu\u1e41 na \u015baknoti p\u0101taka\u1e41 p\u0101tak\u012b jana\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Still, we are requested to observe the formalities of taking one thousand Names, one l\u0101kh (one l\u0101kh is, one hundred thousand) of Names, sixteen rounds, etc. These observances are necessary for the lower order. Our attention should nonetheless focus on quality. One Name can be infinitely more effective than crores (one crore is, ten million) of Names if they are only N\u0101m\u0101par\u0101dha or N\u0101m\u0101bh\u0101sa (offensive or an indirect, hazy facsimile). They must be discerned. (KP) + (SCS, p 37) (see also \u015bloka 145)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(319)\",\"n\u0101na\u1e41 tisth\u0101mi vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhe\",\"yogin\u0101\u1e41 h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u v\u0101\",\"mad bhakt\u0101\u1e25 yatra g\u0101yante\",\"tatra ti\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101m\u012b n\u0101rada\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I am not even in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, not even in the heart of the yog\u012bs, but where My devotees are singing with pleasure about Me, I am there, I am owned by them.&quot; (GOD, p 21) + (see \u015blokas 303 &amp; 304)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(320)\",\"nandagopa-suta\u1e41 dev\u012b pati\u1e41 me kurute nama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Please manage in such a way that we can have the Service of the son of Nanda in our own hearty way.&quot; With this prayer the K\u0101rttika-vrata was observed by the gop\u012bs, with the internal aim of satisfying the Dev\u012b Yogam\u0101y\u0101. (SCS, p 34)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(321)\",\"nanda\u1e25 kim akarod brahman,\",\"\u015breya eva\u1e41 mahodayam\",\"ya\u015bod\u0101 ca mah\u0101-bh\u0101g\u0101,\",\"papau yasy\u0101\u1e25 stana\u1e41 hari\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja asks \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b: &quot;O knower of Brahman, you are always merged in the exclusive conscious world. No trace of any mundane objective reference can be found in you, for you are always engaged in the subjective world of spirit. Never is your consciousness thrown towards this objective world of ours. And you say that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Supreme Absolute Truth. I ask one question of you, my master: what duty did Nanda discharge, what sort of realisation did Nanda have that the Absolute Truth is so intimate with him that He appears as Nanda&#x27;s son and crawls in his courtyard? He seems to be under Nanda&#x27;s clutches. What is this? This is a most wonderful thing. Is it possible? The yog\u012bs, the \u1e5b\u1e63is, the great scholars and penance-makers say that they sometimes have a rare peek into their object of aspiration and realisation, and then they come back suddenly. They can&#x27;t keep their attention in that plane for long periods of time. How is it possible that that Supreme Substance sits on the lap of Ya\u015bod\u0101 and sucks her breast? If such things are real, if it is at all possible, then why should I not be attracted by that method by which I can have so much intimacy with the highest entity?&quot; (S-B, 10.8.46) + (TGVODL, p 128-130) + (see \u015bloka 480) \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, who is supposed to be always constant in the position along with Brahman - that is to say, there is no mundane reference in his consciousness - he has a wholesale conscious character: There is no charm for any mundane attraction. All is in the nirgu\u1e47a plane. \u015aukadeva&#x27;s personality was necessary to inaugurate the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception of Godhead, because, everyone knew he had not the least attachment for this mundane thing. Yet, what is very similar to this mundane thing, that is to be given to the world! The highest conception of Godhead! So that man who had not the least attraction, he came. And, he did not come down to this level of the mundane enjoying mood. It was all a continuous flow of spiritual connection. He did not even care to wear a cloth! No attempt to care - wholesale! He was selected to give out to the scholastic section the highest type of l\u012bl\u0101 of Godhead which is like the mundane. Giving submission to hearing, Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja enquired: &quot;How do you say that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a the Par\u0101brahman, that highest conception of the Absolute, is crawling on the compound of Nanda and sucking the breast of Ya\u015bod\u0101? The yog\u012bs, the j\u00f1\u0101nis, they are trying their utmost together, life after life, dedicating, to find that thing which is over and above their own soul. They are trying so hard that sometimes they meet for a second, and then, again they are separated! And you say, that that very same thing is crawling on the courtyard? That Param\u0101tm\u0101? Above that; that Godhead, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? How is it possible? Then please tell me, what type of s\u0101dhana, what type of means have they adopted to attain that end? nanda\u1e25 kim akarod brahman, \u015breya eva\u1e41 mahodayam This is impossible! Then all other endeavours are useless! This is karma, j\u00f1\u0101na, dhy\u0101na, etc, so many means to get that Absolute Truth, - they are useless! By them we are told that for a second or so, we are connecting. Some wonderful thing I experienced there for a second! Such is the Holy Name we are acquainted with. And you say that this very thing is crawling onto the compound of Nanda and He&#x27;s sucking the breast of Ya\u015bod\u0101? Not only that, Ya\u015bod\u0101 is running after Him and He is crying: &quot;I won&#x27;t do it again Mother any longer - not this offence. Please spare Me this time.&quot; Mother Ya\u015bod\u0101 was breast feeding her small child, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, when the pot of milk on the stove boiled over. Setting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a aside, she ran to catch the milk pot. Being neglected, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a decided to break the pot of churned butter and ran away to feed the monkeys. Mother Ya\u015bod\u0101 was quick to follow Him when she discovered the broken churning pot. She found Him not far off sitting atop an over-turned wooden grinding mortar feeding the monkeys the stolen butter. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, however, quickly saw her coming at Him with a stick in her hand, and immediately He got down from the grinding mortar and began to flee in fear, and He is crying: &quot;I won&#x27;t do it again Mother any longer - not this offence. Please spare Me this time.&quot; Is it possible? The sane man will come to accept this as Divinity? What do you say? If it is possible, then how wonderful a s\u0101dhana must be there. I want to know that by which the Godhead Himself can be controlled in such a way. Is it possible? How wonderful is that thing? (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 7-8). In his prayer (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.96 - see \u015bloka 480), Raghupati Up\u0101dhy\u0101ya expresses a similar ego. He says: &quot;I don&#x27;t want to be entangled in the subtle discussion and analysis of the scriptures; I just want to surrender myself to Nanda and his party. I want to enlist my name in the group where Nanda is the master guide.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(322)\",\"n\u0101nyath\u0101 te &#x27;khila-guro,\",\"gha\u1e6deta karu\u1e47\u0101tmana\u1e25\",\"yas ta \u0101\u015bi\u1e63a \u0101\u015b\u0101ste,\",\"na sa bh\u1e5btya\u1e25 sa vai va\u1e47ik\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja states: &quot;Otherwise, O my Lord, O supreme instructor of the entire world, You are so kind to Your devotee that You could not induce him to do something unbeneficial for him. On the other hand, one who desires some material benefit in exchange for devotional service cannot be Your pure devotee. Indeed, he is no better than a merchant who wants profit in exchange for service.&quot; (S-B, 7.10.4) In the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, \u015ar\u012b Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja refused to accept any boons offered to him by the Lord. He said: &quot;One who accepts boons in return for his service to You is not Your servant but a merchant.&quot; na sa bh\u1e5btya\u1e25 sa vai va\u1e47ik; Those who approach guru and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a with their separate interest have only come to make trade. They have come to acquire something to satisfy their own purpose. We must be very cautious to avoid such traits within ourselves. For what have I come? There may be many motives. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 56) &quot;Whoever is doing something for the satisfaction of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a and wants something in return, is not a servant, but a merchant. He wants to give something to the Lord and then take some price in exchange for that.&quot; So, Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is a pure devotee, and only through a pure devotee of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a can one attain pure devotion. All these peculiar achievements in the devotional world begin with Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. The nature of his devotional service is that of \u015b\u0101nta rasa, neutrality, where there is no actual service, but only perfect adherence to N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a under all circumstances. Whatever may be the unfavourable condition in the environment, he stands true to the faith that N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a is all in all, and that He is our master. So, Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, and the Four Kum\u0101ras, the sons of Lord Brahm\u0101, are in the position of \u015b\u0101nta rasa bhakti, or neutral love of God. Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is N\u0101rada Muni&#x27;s disciple, still, for our benefit, N\u0101rada was approaching him to measure the standard of his devotion in a comparative study of the devotional world. Approaching Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, N\u0101rada said: &quot;I have come to see you, Prahl\u0101da, because Lord \u015aiva also appreciates your position. You are really a devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. You are so fortunate! I have come to see how you are.&quot; Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja told him: &quot;Gurudeva, you are all in all. Have you come to test me? Whatever fortune I may have, I have received by your grace. I was born in a family of demons, so the demonic qualities have not exclusively left me. Don&#x27;t you know that in Naimi\u1e63\u0101ra\u1e47ya, I went to fight with Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u? I repent for that, but what can I do? He has given me such a position. I cannot have the privilege of direct service to Him, but only mentally I think of Him. I think that He is every thing, but I do not have the great fortune of rendering service to Him. Hanum\u0101n is really a devotee. How fortunate he is! What grace he has received! He gave everything to Lord R\u0101macandra. I envy his situation, but what can I do? God&#x27;s dispensation is absolute. We must accept that. Hanum\u0101n&#x27;s position is really enviable. How attached to his master he is, and what a great magnitude of service he has done for Lord R\u0101ma.&quot; From there, N\u0101rada Muni went to visit Hanum\u0101n. (TSFSK, p 81-2) When we take particularly to this system, in a practical way, we want to deal with it very successfully, then we are to find that. Anyhow, we must come in connection with the service of the Hari, guru, Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. Merely the recollection of Hari is not forceful enough to expedite our realisation. Something positive should be done. Just as Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja told, when N\u0101rada went to see him after seeing Mah\u0101deva, N\u0101rada went to Prahl\u0101da to see the positive participation in devotional line. Prahl\u0101da told: &quot;What do I do Devar\u1e63i? You know everything about me, I am simply trying to recollect my Lord. Recollection, remembrance, but remembrance is not enough, it is very weak connection with Hari. Mere remembrance, it is \u015b\u0101nta -rasa, may be found and taken as \u015b\u0101nta-rasa, a very weak, but favourable position towards the service. But actual service of Hari, always to be busy, to find out how we can satisfy Him, that is the laudable thing, and I have not got that temperament. If you want really a devotion of Hari, just go to Hanum\u0101nji, he&#x27;s surcharged with the spirit of serving R\u0101macandra. How wonderful he did it, so I am in weak position. It is his grace that I am not engaged in any worldly thoughts, but very meagre, and lower order, not very intense remembrance I have got about Hari.&quot; So the mere connection with Hari is not enough, that is good, but from there we have to enter into the serving stages, and there also are classification, and intensity also. Not mere recollection, or remembrance only, but actual service to satisfy Him, that is necessary. So that will come gradually in the retinue, there after. Devotional service develops in a crude form, in a general way, and when it is more mature, it must take the shape of \u015b\u0101nta, d\u0101sya, sakhya, v\u0101tsalya, and m\u0101dhurya rasa. We have been directed to trace the development of \u015buddha-bhakti (pure devotional service), beginning with Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, because he is situated in \u015b\u0101nta rasa (bhakti in neutrality). Above that there is d\u0101sya rasa (bhakti in servitude), as shown by Hanum\u0101n. Above that there is sakhya rasa (bhakti in friendship), exemplified by the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas. Uddhava is somewhat sakhya, connecting with v\u0101tsalya (bhakti in parental love), and madhurya (conjugal love). In this way we can trace the progressive development of devotion.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(323)\",\"n\u0101 po\u1e0d\u0101io r\u0101dh\u0101-a\u1e45ga n\u0101 bh\u0101s\u0101io jale\",\"marile tuliye rekha tam\u0101leri \u1e0d\u0101le\",\"\u0101mi tam\u0101la ba\u1e0da bh\u0101labh\u0101si\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a k\u0101la tam\u0101la k\u0101la t\u0101ite\",\"tam\u0101la ba\u1e0da bh\u0101labh\u0101si\",\"marile tuliye rekha tam\u0101leri \u1e0dale\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;At the acme of pain of separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 remembered the blissful intimate moments spent under the beautiful tamala trees with Her adorable beloved. In Her divine vision, imbued with those nectarean memories, She accepted the tamala tree as a non different expansion of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, therefore after Her departure She wanted Her form to remain embracing this tamala kalpa taru. Expressing Her last desire, She said to Her sakh\u012bs, &#x27;My dearest friends, soon I will die, but please do not put My body on a funeral pyre or in the river. Just lay it on the spreading boughs of a tamala tree whom I love because he is just like My beloved.&quot; (Candi D\u0101sa). (SBRBM, p 38)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(324)\",\"na prema-gandho &#x27;sti dar\u0101pi me harau\",\"krand\u0101mi saubh\u0101gya-bhara\u1e41 prak\u0101\u015bitum\",\"va\u1e41\u015b\u012b-vil\u0101sy-\u0101nana-lokana\u1e41 vin\u0101\",\"vibharmmi yat pr\u0101\u1e47a-pata\u1e45gak\u0101n v\u1e5bth\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;My dear friends, I have not the slightest tinge of love of Godhead within My heart. When you see Me crying in separation, I am just falsely exhibiting a demonstration of My great fortune. Indeed, not seeing the beautiful face of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a playing His flute, I continue to live My life like an insect, without purpose.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.45) &quot;O My companion, I do not have the slightest scent of love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - and yet, I cry. This is only for the purpose of exhibiting My great fortune. Without seeing the lovely face of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a playing His flute, I worthlessly pass My days, like an insignificant insect.&quot; (SSPJ, p 139-140) As soon as we assert that we have some qualifications, our difficulties begin. So \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu Himself says: &quot;I don&#x27;t find a trace of love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a within my heart.&quot; (na premagandho &#x27;sti dar\u0101pi me harau). This is the standard of humility. And that feeling must be sincere; it must not be an imitation. We must be careful. We must not venture to imitate the highest devotees. To genuinely feel, to conceive that we possess nothing and that everything is His that is the only qualification for chanting the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (TGVODL, p 109) &quot;I have not even a bit of divine love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a within Me. Not even a scent of love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is to be traced within Me. You may ask: &#x27;Then why are You shedding tears profusely, uninterruptedly? Day and night, You are always shedding tears for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. How do You explain this?&#x27; Oh, you don&#x27;t know. I only do this to make a show and deceive the people in general into thinking that I have divine love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In this way I want to become famous as a great devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But I am a hypocrite. Why do I say so? The positive proof is this: I still live. I could not die! If I had any real love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I would have died from His separation. That is the positive proof that I have no trace of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema within Me.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema is so high and attractive that once coming in contact with it, no one can maintain their life without it. It is so high, so beautiful, so enchanting - it is heart-swallowing! It is impossible even to conceive of it. Divine love of such a high degree is known as prema. That divine love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not to be traced in this mundane world. If by chance someone had any experience of that high and vital kind of devotion, then by any separation from that, they would die instantly. It is so beautiful and magnanimous. We are out to search only for that divine love in this world. And \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu came to distribute that to the world for our sake. (TGVODL, p 168-9) Whatever degree of attainment one may reach, one will still be unsatisfied - because that is infinite. na prema-gandho &#x27;sti dar\u0101pi me harau. &quot;Is there such an attainment in Me? No. I do not possess it, because it is impossible to possess Him.&quot; Yet, possession is there in the negative sense: &quot;I am so negative.&quot; This is the nature of the Negative&#x27;s possession of the Positive, and so, She can attract the Positive. The more the negative characteristic is found in a particular place, the more the positive is attracted there. That is the underlying truth. \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b says: &quot;I am in the highest need of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; So much feeling of necessity in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s absence is not to be found anywhere as in Her heart. And that satisfies K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Setting aside all other demands, He wants to come and satisfy the demand of that heart where want for Him is of the highest degree. Is it not natural? Dedication. We are units or aspects of the Moiety of Dedication, and not of fulfilment. Fulfilment is a stagnant thing. It is a qualification of the limited world. But in the unlimited, such an attitude can&#x27;t stand. This is the nature there. K\u1e63udh\u0101, unquenchable thirst, so the tiniest drop of nectar will be tasted as very, very sweet. Inundating. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 17-8) + (see also \u015blokas 76 &amp; 142) Mah\u0101prabhu Himself says: &quot;I am as insignificant as an insect but still I continue My life. My life is like an insect&#x27;s.&quot; na prema-gandho sti dar\u0101pi me harau. &quot;Such a pure and merciful ocean of love I see spread before Me but I am so unqualified that I do not receive even a drop of it. Why? Because I am a hypocrite. I really do not want it, so I don&#x27;t deserve it. I don&#x27;t want it, and so My life is unfulfilled. I have come near such a vast and beautiful thing but now I am not allowed to even touch or receive a drop of it. I am so low, so unqualified. Why? Because I am a hypocrite. But still I think I am great, that I have importance, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101. Despite all of this I cannot leave My vanity, My false vanity. I want to display that I have some great achievement of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema and therefore I shed tears. But these tears are not real, for still I am addicted to My lower self, I am self-centred. My self-centredness has not been dissolved. I am a seeker of My own fame, so I am not being allowed to partake of that ocean of nectar.&quot; So, seeing such ocean of nectar one must gradually come to see oneself as the meanest of the mean. As much as one comes in connection and consciousness of the higher reality then relatively one is compelled to think oneself to be the meanest of the mean. That is the truth. That is the law of nature. Therefore, the devotees of the higher order are seen always to say: &quot;Everyone has got the chance but not I. I cannot avail myself of this ocean.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 39-40) + (see also \u015bloka 522) We must not be overconfident of our previous acquisition - so much I have acquired, my progress is so much. I must not be satisfied with my self-certificate, self-satisfaction, the certificate of my own making. Mah\u0101prabhu Himself said: &quot;I am taking the Name, I am showing so many tears in the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But why? It is all a false show! na prema-gandho sti. My crying is only a show to canvass others to see what a great devotee I am.&quot; So much you are to disbelieve your own self that you are a devotee. In this way we must be very careful, very, very careful. (GOD, p 20) + (see also \u015bloka 242)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(325)\",\"na rar\u0101jo\u1e0dupa\u015bchana,\",\"svajyotsn\u0101 bh\u0101sitairghanai\u1e25\",\"aha\u1e41 maty\u0101 bh\u0101sitay\u0101,\",\"svabh\u0101s\u0101 puru\u1e63o jyath\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam an example is given that in the night a cloud may cover the moon. Though the cloud obscures the moon, still the cloud can only be seen by the light of the moon. na rar\u0101jo\u1e0dupa\u015bchana. In this example the soul is likened to the moon and the aha\u1e45k\u0101ra is likened to cloud cover. The sense-consciousness, the mind and the intelligence have all combined to form a system, aha\u1e45k\u0101ra, which has covered the soul. But they are seen, and it is possible for them to act, only because there is light - the light of the soul, the moon. So by the help of our reason we must try to perceive what is above reason, and we shall come to see that it is the \u0101tm\u0101, the soul. In this way we may have some direct connection with the \u0101tm\u0101, or at least some conception, however vague, of its existence and nature. The compiler of the Vedas, Vy\u0101sadeva, says the \u0101tm\u0101 is like that illuminating moon. Or, like the sun: a cloud has covered the sun, but the cloud is seen by the light of the sun. Similarly, the \u0101tm\u0101 is a point of light within us, and because it is in the background we can feel our mental system. At that time our whole material aspiration will turn into trash and within ourselves we will be able to conquer all the charms of this world. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 46)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(326)\",\"n\u0101r\u0101yana par\u0101ved\u0101\u1e25\",\"n\u0101r\u0101yana par\u0101k\u1e63ar\u0101\",\"n\u0101r\u0101yana par\u0101mukti\",\"n\u0101r\u0101yana par\u0101gati\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the Supreme Personality of Universal Truth, origin and worshippable object of all divine knowledge. O N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the fundamental, causal cosmic potency which is by nature unlimited, all pervading and omnipotent, that validates, maintains and sustains the whole universe. O N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the bestower of pure liberation, attained by achieving an eternal devotional relationship with You. O N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, You the supreme ambrosial goal and shelter of life.&quot; (SBRBM, p 16-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(327)\",\"na\u1e63\u1e6da-pr\u0101ye\u1e63u abhadre\u1e63u,\",\"nitya\u1e41 bh\u0101gavata-sevay\u0101\",\"bhagavaty uttama-\u015bloke,\",\"bhaktir bhavati nai\u1e63\u1e6dhik\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By regular attendance in classes on the Bh\u0101gavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.&quot; (S-B, 1.2.18) The impure, undesirable things within us are going to almost completely vanish, almost disappear by our serving association with the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam and the devotee. S\u0101dhu and \u015b\u0101stra. In this way, the continuous connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness comes out from within. The interrupting elements that result from renunciation and enjoyment vanish, the covers vanish, and the continuous flow within, the connection with pure K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness comes out. nishta means nairantaja, continuous. (see also \u015bloka 6, B-r-s, 1.4.15-6) When the covers are removed, then we find that inner continuity of flow with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a connection within us, and nai\u1e63\u1e6dhik\u012b bhakti appears. That is completely clear, cleansed. bhaktir bhavati nai\u1e63\u1e6dhik\u012b: then on the basis of ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, that is, the continuous flow, then further progress is made on the positive side - \u0101sakti, attachment, then bh\u0101va, spiritual emotion, then prema, divine love - in this way the inner aspect of devotion will gradually come out. And we shall be able to dive deep into reality. As we give up the external covers, and we experience what may be considered as death in the external world-die to live-we shall enter into the inner side more and more. Question: This verse says: na\u1e63\u1e6da-pr\u0101ye\u1e63u abhadre\u1e63u: that the impurities are almost destroyed. Why not completely destroyed? That means it happens gradually. The gradual development is described there. na\u1e63\u1e6da-pr\u0101ye\u1e63u means when the stage of ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 comes, when all the undesirabilities are almost finished, then we can have a real peep into the thing. Just as before sunrise, when there is twilight in the early morning, the sun is not there, but the darkness has been dispelled. The darkness has been mainly removed, but the sun has not yet risen. In the same way, the Bh\u0101gavatam is describing how bhakti develops gradually. na\u1e63\u1e6da-pr\u0101ye\u1e63u: it is not finished immediately; there is a gradual process of s\u0101dhana - a means to an end. And gradually, slowly, according to the capacity of the devotee, and the endeavour, the s\u0101dhana, one&#x27;s bhakti develops. When darkness has almost been finished, the non-gentle, abnormal, exploitative symptoms like the mean attempt to exploit the environment, gradually disappear. And in this way, gradually, we make further progress. It is not that all of a sudden - in one stroke - everything is cleared. Rather, according to our bhajana, our s\u0101dhana, our attempt, the undesirable elements will gradually vanish, go away. And by different stages we shall reach the goal. (SEOC, p 43-5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(328)\",\"na tad bh\u0101sayate s\u016bryo,\",\"na \u015ba\u015b\u0101\u1e45ko na p\u0101vaka\u1e25\",\"yad gatv\u0101 na nivartante,\",\"tad dh\u0101ma parama\u1e41 mama\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My supreme holy abode is that place which the surrendered souls reach, never to return again to this deathly plane. Upon going there, one never returns to this material world. Neither sun, nor moon, nor fire - nothing can illuminate that all-illuminating supreme abode.&quot; (B-g, 15.6) Upon going there, one never returns to this material world (yad gatv\u0101 na nivartante, tad dh\u0101ma parama\u1e41 mama). K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s abode is nirgu\u1e47a, or transcendental to any material quality. (see also \u015bloka 2) + (TSFSK, p 50) Wherever there is death there cannot be any happiness. In such a plane we are always under the threat of death, so there is no charm: all charm is completely finished. Therefore, with eagerness we must make enquiry as to where we shall be able to live. We must select a higher plane where we can really live. yad gatv\u0101 na nivartante. In the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;The place from which there is no returning to this deathly plane is My supreme abode.&quot; (see \u015bloka 2) + (HC, p 21) &quot;One who reaches My abode never returns to this material world. The dissolution will go on in the plane of the material world, but if you can secure a visa for that land, if you can enter into that soil, you will never be mishandled. When the sun, moon, and stars are all dissolved, your eternal self, your devotional ego, will be quite safe in My plane. The place from which there is no returning to this deathly plane is My supreme abode. Upon going there, one never returns to this material world. A permanent position is only possible in My plane. All occupations in this plane, even that of a king, are just as in a dream. So if you want to get out of this dreaming life and enter into reality then raise yourself to the standard of finding the plane of reality, however subtle it may be, for that cannot be devoured by death. Collect your energy to build something permanent. At present you are investing your energy in something that is going to be demolished at the next moment - a foolish attempt. Even Lord Brahm\u0101, the creator himself, has to die. Up to Brahmaloka, the highest planet in the material world, the whole material energy undergoes such changes.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(329)\",\"na tath\u0101 me priyatama\",\"\u0101tmayonir na \u015ba\u1e45kara\u1e25\",\"na ca sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47o na \u015br\u012br\",\"naiv\u0101tm\u0101 ca yath\u0101 bhav\u0101n\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Neither Brahm\u0101 nor \u015a\u012bva are as dear to Me as you; My elder brother Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a is not as dear to Me as you, nor even Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b. Even My own Self is not as dear to Me as you.&quot; (S-B, 11.14.15) Even the Goddess of Fortune, Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b, cannot enter there, what to speak of others. It is inconceivable. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not under any law or within anyone&#x27;s fist. &quot;All rights reserved.&quot; Everything is His sweet will. He is absolute good; that is our solace. We cannot enter His domain as a matter of right. Even Lord Brahm\u0101, Lord \u015a\u012bva, and Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b cannot enter there. But still, if we take the path chalked out by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, we can enter and achieve a position there. It is so dear, so rare, so valuable and desirable. We must look for the magnanimity of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu which is aspired for by Lord Brahm\u0101 and Lord \u015a\u012bva. They are praying for a drop of His mercy, but \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu brought that here in a flood and inundated everyone with that nectar, a drop of which is rarely to be had or even thought of. We must approach His mercy with such an attitude of hankering and expectation. His gift is so great and magnanimous - who can understand it? With two verses of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, one from the mouth of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, and the next from the mouth of Uddhava, He takes us straight to that highest place, eliminating so many external things. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: na tath\u0101 me priyatama, and Uddhava says: \u0101s\u0101 maho cara\u1e47a-re\u1e47uju\u1e63\u0101m aha\u1e41 sy\u0101\u1e41 (see also \u015bloka 52). (TGVODL, p 156-7) We want to know the realistic view of the whole gradation of devotional thought. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a shows this gradation in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (11.14.15) where He says: na tath\u0101 me priyatama \u0101tmayonir na \u015ba\u1e45kara\u1e25: &quot;Neither Brahm\u0101, nor \u015a\u012bva, nor Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, nor the Goddess of Fortune Lak\u1e63midev\u012b, nor even My own self is as dear to Me as you. You are my favourite, Uddhava.&quot; (SGAHG, p 23) So, R\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101syam, the servitorship of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, is said to be the highest attainment of the living being by the school established by Mah\u0101prabhu. It is the gist of the \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam. It is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s own version. He says: na tath\u0101 me priyatama: &quot;O Uddhava! Neither Brahm\u0101, nor \u015a\u012bva, nor Baladeva, nor Lak\u1e63mi, nor even My Own Self are as dear to Me as you are.&quot; And that Uddhava glorifies V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the vraja-gop\u012bs, and R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in this way: \u0101s\u0101 maho cara\u1e47a-re\u1e47u-ju\u1e63\u0101m aha\u1e41 sy\u0101\u1e41 (see also \u015bloka 52). (SGAHG, p 151) The P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas said to N\u0101rada: &quot;We are living independently, careless about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s existence. But among us, Uddhava is really His favourite. Whatever K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a does, He always consults with Uddhava, and in all His confidential matters, Uddhava is present there, and in every case, He is always very thick with Uddhava. Even we envy the fortune of Uddhava.&quot; Then N\u0101rada went to Uddhava and told him: na tath\u0101 me priyatama: &quot;Uddhava, you are the most favourite devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;O Uddhava! What to speak of other devotees like Brahm\u0101, \u015aiva, Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63ana, or Lak\u1e63m\u012b; you are more dear to Me than My own life.&quot; You are such an intimate associate that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a values you more than His own life.&quot; Uddhava said: &quot;Yes, of course, out of His causeless benevolence, He might have said something like that, but I don&#x27;t think that I am His real devotee, especially after visiting V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. All my pride has been melted by seeing those devotees. The spirit of service and the intensity of love towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a that I found in the devotees in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is unparalleled. O Deva\u1e5b\u1e63\u012b, I am nowhere. Do you know that statement of mine? It is recorded in the \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam (10.47.61): \u0101s\u0101 maho cara\u1e47a-re\u1e47u-ju\u1e63\u0101m aha\u1e41 sy\u0101\u1e41 (see also \u015bloka 52) + (TSFSK, p 85-6) Such is the position of a devotee, a bhakta. He&#x27;s (or she&#x27;s) above Brahm\u0101, he&#x27;s above \u015a\u012bva, he&#x27;s above Sa\u1e45kar\u1e63a\u1e47a, he&#x27;s above Lak\u1e63m\u012b - he&#x27;s above even K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, by the free, sweet will of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 95) + (see also \u015bloka 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(330)\",\"na te vidu\u1e25 sv\u0101rtha-gati\u1e41 hi vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e41,\",\"dur\u0101\u015bay\u0101 ye bahir-artha-m\u0101nina\u1e25\",\"andh\u0101 yath\u0101ndhair upan\u012byam\u0101n\u0101s,\",\"te &#x27;p\u012b\u015ba-tantry\u0101m uru-d\u0101mni baddh\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja says: &quot;Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labour, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.&quot; (S-B, 7.5.31) Those who are carried away by the charm of the external world cannot understand their inner temperament; they are unfortunate. na te vidu\u1e25 sv\u0101rtha-gati\u1e41 hi vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e41. The main necessity is to keep company with the s\u0101dhu who has real faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 34) + (see also \u015bloka 417) &quot;Those whose minds have been polluted by mundane sense-pleasure, and who hold respect for sense-enjoyers addicted to external mundane pleasures - they cannot know of the glories of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, the exclusive refuge of those desirous of attaining the supreme goal of human life.&quot; Externally and ignorantly, it may be seen that we are in quest of this and that - duty, money, sense-pleasure (dharmma, artha, k\u0101ma); but this is an external and partial examination of things. But with a deep examination it must be found that we are eagerly searching for only rasam, sundaram: the fullest satisfaction, and not for partial, temporary so-called pleasure. So dharmma, artha and k\u0101ma cannot satisfy our inner hankering. Not to speak of them, even liberation (mok\u1e63a) from the present flickering hankering is not the goal, and this is the finding of the scholars. Mere liberation from the negative side is an artificial life. Life must have its fulfilment. Everything has its fulfilment and necessary position. It is not meant for nothing! Zero cannot be the conclusion of the whole existence. Infinite is the conclusion, not zero. So mere liberation - to remain as in a long, deep slumber - that is destructive and inconclusive. That cannot be the object of creation or the object of our existence. The other side must be searched out - the cid-vil\u0101sa (the transcendental dynamic plane). And where can we get that? Here in this world is exploitation, and there is just the opposite: dedication. Bhakti is dedication, after surrender to the centre. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 169-70) So, the environment is not bad. We are suffering from misunderstanding, m\u0101y\u0101 (na te vidu\u1e25 sv\u0101rtha-gati\u1e41 hi vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e41), and that misunderstanding should be cleared. We shall try to live anywhere and everywhere, and we shall see the environment as all-loving, if we have that deep vision to see who is at the basis of all of us, if we find Him. It is also mention in the Upani\u1e63ads that in pure consciousness, one can see nectar everywhere - in the wind, in the ocean, in the plants, in the stars - everywhere. Try to recognise your situation is full of honey - full of nectar. Don&#x27;t try to see only the outer cover. (see also \u015bloka 477) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 175) Whatever can be perceived by the eye, the ear, the tongue, the nose, the skin - any of the external senses - is only a covering of reality. Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja says: na te vidu\u1e25 sv\u0101rthagati\u1e41 hi vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e41. We are making too much of the covering of reality, we are devoting our minds to the external coating - bahir-artha-m\u0101nina\u1e25 - but we do not dive deep into the eternal substance. If only we were to dive deep into reality - there we would find Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. The most peaceful substance is within, but it is covered, just as milk is covered by cream, and we are making much of that cover. The real substance is within, just as fruit is covered by its skin. What we experience at present is the cover, the skin, and we are making much of that, ignoring the very substance which the cover is protecting. The primary step in the search for truth is to penetrate the covering and find the knower within. And then begin our analysis. What is he? Is he an atom like an atomic particle of dust? Or is he a fantastic atom in the conscious plane? At first we must approach reality in this way. There is the knower and the unknown, the enquirer and the enquired. Try to find yourself. Then gradually, you will come to know that you are the soul, the particle of consciousness within. And just as you are spirit covered by matter, the whole world is also like that; the spiritual reality within is covered. Upon realising yourself as spirit soul, you will be able to see that everything is a part of consciousness. Within the world of consciousness, worlds of different sorts of experience are floating. In the conscious sea, the sun, the moon, trees, stones, human beings, our friends, and our enemies are all floating. As we approach the spiritual plane, we will find it to be nearer to our real self. And in this way, we will see that matter is far, far away, but the soul is near. (SEOC, p 67-8) There is a plane of concrete reality, but we are only chewing the cover; we are not getting a touch of the spirit within. What we experience by our eyes, by our ears, by our tongue, is only the cover and not the spirit within. (na te vidu\u1e25 sv\u0101rtha-gati\u1e41 hi vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e41). Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja says that we are making much of the outer cover of the world, of the universe, but the sweet substance that is within, we cannot have a trace of that. But the grace is coming down by the will of that Almighty; that supreme knowledge and beauty is the uppermost. (GOD, p 14) The scientists are discovering so many wonderful things. But are these things there already? Or are the scientists creators? Those wonderful truths are already there. It is only that some of them are being discovered. It is not the creation of the scientists, so they are not superior to those truths. And in any case, they can only know a part of it, and even that with some endeavour. But the conscious nature of reality, the superior reason of divinity, is unknown to them, although they may go on researching, researching, researching. Whatever they find is only the outer cover, not the real spirit, the substance. (na te vidu\u1e25 sv\u0101rtha-gati\u1e41 hi vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e41). (LSFTLS, p 73) + (see also \u015bloka 290)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(331)\",\"na tu m\u0101\u1e41 \u015bakyase dra\u1e63\u1e6dum,\",\"anenaiva sva-cak\u1e63u\u1e63\u0101\",\"divya\u1e41 dad\u0101mi te cak\u1e63u\u1e25,\",\"pa\u015bya me yogam ai\u015bvaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By these present eyes of yours you will not be able to see Me. Therefore, I give you supernatural eyes by which you can see My almighty, mystic power.&quot; (B-g, 11.8) So, the question is: &quot;How to see?&quot; The proper eye is necessary and that is called divya-dar\u015b\u0101na. But here we find another extraordinary consideration: Arjuna already had the capacity of higher vision (to see the Lord in His two-handed human-like form), so here the divya-dar\u015b\u0101na that was given to Arjuna in order to see that Universal Form of the Lord meant he was to come down to a lower level. He had to actually come down to have that kind of dar\u015b\u0101na of the Lord, which was not the highest. Then, when Arjuna could not tolerate that divya-dar\u015b\u0101na, he said: &quot;I cannot bear it. You please come to my level, as I had experience of You before.&quot; Then the Lord became first catur-bhuja (four-armed form of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a) and then dvi-bhuja (two-armed human-like form of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a). (see also \u015blokas 132 &amp; 484) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 26)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(332)\",\"n\u0101ty a\u015bnatas tu yogo &#x27;sti,\",\"na caik\u0101ntam-ana\u015bnata\u1e25\",\"na c\u0101ti-svapna-\u015b\u012blasya,\",\"j\u0101grato naiva c\u0101rjuna\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Oh Arjuna, yoga practice is impossible for anyone who over eats, under eats, over sleeps, or under sleeps.&quot; (B-g, 6.16). We are to follow the middle path, just as in the case of vair\u0101gya, renunciation, we follow yuktavair\u0101gya. Too much renunciation will waste our energy, and too much indulgence is also a waste of energy, therefore we are advised to follow the middle path, and that is called yuktavair\u0101gya. (n\u0101ty a\u015bnatas tu yogo &#x27;sti). The middle path has been recommended: too much of anything is to be left aside. If one attempts to live without sleep or without food, that is bad; and too much food, or too much sleep is also bad. We are advised to accept the middle path, and that will be more progressive and fruitful. So, to &#x27;make the most of a bad bargain&#x27; should be the policy. We are not to specifically invite a fight, and also we are not to only avoid it. The middle course will always be helpful for us. We are not to lose our energy, to waste it only for fighting, but it is necessary for us to give the positive thing and engage our energy there. If we can give a thing to the left side, why should we be determined to go to the right side and thereby waste our energy? Our business will be to give, to distribute the nectar, and we shall have no stubbornness to distribute nectar on the right side only. If any opposition comes, we can go to the left side and distribute there. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 73)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(333)\",\"naum\u012bdya te &#x27;bhravapu\u1e63e ta\u1e0didambar\u0101ya\",\"gu\u00f1j\u0101vata\u1e41sa-paripicchala-sanmukh\u0101ya\",\"vanyasraje kavalavetravi\u1e63\u0101\u1e47a-ve\u1e47ulak\u1e63ma\u015briye m\u1e5bdupade pa\u015bup\u0101\u1e47gaj\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I offer my prayers unto You, O praiseworthy Lord who are the child of the cowherd Nanda. Your complexion is the dark blue colour of a thundercloud and You are clad in silk garments that shine like lightning. Your charming face is adorned with gu\u00f1ja-m\u0101l\u0101 ornaments, and Your hair is decorated with a peacock feather. You look beautiful wearing a garland of forest flowers, and that beauty is enhanced by the morsel of food in Your left hand. You carry a buffalo horn and a stick for herding cows tucked beneath Your left arm. You hold a flute and other emblems, and Your feet are as soft as a lotus.&quot; (S-B, 10.14.1) When Brahm\u0101 took away the cowherd boys and calves, he thought that he had created some want in the l\u012bl\u0101, but he came to find it flowing just as it had been. Not even the least part of it had been disturbed. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a had expanded Himself to become the calves and the cowherd boys. When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself took the form of all the calves and cowherd boys, then the mothers felt an infinite type of affection, so much so that they could not understand, but were rather entranced, thinking: &quot;How beautiful these boys are!&quot; And the cows were also mad to show their affection to those calves. Then Brahm\u0101 thought: &quot;Have those cowherd boys and calves that I have stolen come here stealthily to join Him?&quot; Again he went to see where he had hidden them. He saw, &quot;No, the boys and calves are where I kept them in the caves of the mountain. They are there!&quot; Again he returned to where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was and saw everything continuing as it had been. At that time Brahm\u0101 surrendered and was reassured. He spoke this prayer: &quot;naum\u012bdya te &#x27;bhravapu\u1e63e ta\u1e0didambar\u0101ya - &quot;I offer my prayers unto You, O praiseworthy Lord who are the child of the cowherd Nanda. \u2026\u2026.&quot; That is the general meaning of this verse. The internal meaning of this verse, however, is this: &quot;O venerable one, we submit our prayers to You. Who are You? You are unseeable, unfeelable, unknown, and unknowable. Your complexion is the colour of a black cloud, and therefore You are very difficult to see, but You can be seen because of Your yellow garb.&quot; Yellow is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s colour. So only by the help of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s potency can it be ascertained who He is. Ta\u1e0did means lightning. By the help of lightning we can see a black cloud at night. So although K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is unknown and unknowable, His potency can reveal Him to us. Brahm\u0101 says: &quot;You are the venerable entity I have come to know. Now I bow down to You. Your body is like that of a black cloud, and that is some mystic representation. Black generally cannot be detected. But Your dress of yellow colour helps us to know what You are. It is carrying some similarity to N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. Your black body and yellow dress hints towards the personification of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. You are unknown and unknowable Yourself. But Your yellow dress - Your Potency - makes You known to us. And You come down to our level as if You were one in our position. You are dressed as a cowherd boy, playing in the jungle with a lump of foodstuffs in Your hand. That deceives us in ascertaining who You are. And You adore ordinary things. Even the garland that You wear is collected from ordinary jungle flowers. Your taste appears to be for lower things. And all these signs are misleading us. You take a morsel of food in Your hand and run after cows. That is a sign of being low-class. The higher-caste people like br\u0101hma\u1e47as and k\u1e63atriyas cannot move like this or behave in such a way with their food. The instrument You carry - a bamboo flute - is also unsophisticated. And Your stride is short. All this is misleading us to have a lower conception of You. You are hiding Yourself, so how can we understand You? What fault is there on our part, then, for not recognising Your supremacy? It is difficult to accept that You, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, are the master of everything. You have so many plain ornaments. We don&#x27;t find anything that is gorgeous or filled with splendour here in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. We are accustomed to find those things in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. But this is new. You have come here to show Your playful pastimes. Here in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana we have come across a new conception. And it is wonderful, plain, and charming. Plain, yet most attractive. With simple ordinary things You have decorated Yourself, but You are so extraordinarily charming. It is impossible to understand and to describe. Generally, in this world, the position of cowherd boys is of no real significance. They represent the lower section of society. But here in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, such a position is so wonderful and charming that we find You all-attractive - hypnotising us. And Your movement is very slow but sure. Your movement is such that You don&#x27;t care for anything else in this world. Though You are in a lower position, Your posture is such that apparently You don&#x27;t care for anything in this world. In You we find the highest conception garbed in a very plain way - but a very wonderful way. In connection with You, things of ordinary value become charming. Although I am the Creator and have created everything, I fail to understand this sort of creation. I am proud that I have created so many things in the world, but I am overwhelmed to see the beauty of the environment here in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Here Your movement is slow, but sure and beautiful. You may be the son of that human being who keeps the cows; this is not a very high status in society or in the scriptures, but it is the nature of Your personality that whatever You do, You make it hold the highest position. What is this! Whoever You may be, my vanity is defeated. I take refuge at Your holy feet, I surrender. Please help me to understand what You really are.&quot; In this way, Brahm\u0101 surrendered. And so, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is beyond the understanding even of the creator of the universe. He is infinite. And He is infinite not only in the consideration of space, but also in the consideration of time - He is infinite in every sort of consideration. Infinite. His infinite potency is represented in consciousness, in existence, and then in dealings of love. The scriptures give us three conceptions of the infinite: Brahman, Param\u0101tm\u0101, and Bhagav\u0101n. The Brahman conception is the all-comprehensive infinite. Whatever we can conceive is within it. Param\u0101tm\u0101 is the smallest of the small: a\u1e47or a\u1e47\u012by\u0101n. Whatever you can conceive of that is small, it is smaller than that. And the Bhagav\u0101n, or personal conception of Godhead, is of two types: one is as the master of infinite majesty and power, and the other is of absolute sweetness. (LSFTLS, p 51-3) + (see also \u015bloka 83)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(334)\",\"n\u0101 u\u1e6dhiy\u0101 v\u1e5bk\u1e63opari,\",\"\u1e6d\u0101n\u0101\u1e6d\u0101ni phala dhari&#x27;\",\"du\u1e63\u1e6da-phala karile arjjana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says that if one wants fruits without taking the trouble to climb the tree, what sort of fruits can he expect? The fruits will be ruined, or rotten. Without proper progression, it is all imagination - a madman&#x27;s feat. One must gradually reach the plane of truth, \u015buddha-sattva. There are so many planes to cross - Bh\u016br-, Bhuvar-, Svar-, Mahar-, Janar-, Tapar-, Satya-loka, Viraj\u0101, Brahmaloka, Mah\u0101prabhu says that the creeper of bhakti grows and rises up to Goloka, and she has to cross all these planes. (K-k, U-18) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 29) + (see also \u015bloka 531) For example, \u015ar\u012bla Gaura Ki\u015bora D\u0101sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja went on with smara\u1e47a (remembering K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, in solitude). Once, there was another B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b who constructed a ku\u1e6d\u012br nearby, a small hut, and he went on imitating \u015ar\u012bla Gaura Ki\u015bora D\u0101sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, doing m\u0101dhukar\u012b (subsisting on alms), sitting and meditating, and wearing similar cloth. Then once Gaura Ki\u015bora remarked: &quot;If a lady enters into a maternity ward, she cannot produce a child only by imitating the sounds and symptoms of labour. Many things are necessary before that!&quot; So only by imitating the Paramaha\u1e41sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b, bhajana cannot be effected. One must have connection with \u015buddha-sattva, the real plane, and then all the higher symptoms may appear. Otherwise, all those speculative antics will manifest.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(335)\",\"n\u0101yam \u0101tm\u0101 pravacanena labhyo,\",\"na medhay\u0101 na bahun\u0101 \u015brutena\",\"yam evai\u1e63a v\u1e5bnute tena labhyas,\",\"tasyai\u1e63a \u0101tm\u0101 viv\u1e5bnute tan\u016b\u1e41 sv\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One cannot understand the substance of the Param\u0101tm\u0101, the Super-soul residing within everyone&#x27;s heart, by means of expertise in logic, intelligence or learning. When the living entity begs the Lord for His mercy, being desirous of His transcendental loving service, then the Supreme Lord reveals His self-manifest form directly before him.&quot; (K, 1.2.23) + (MU, 2.3.2) \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva of the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dh comes with an open mind. It was thought that we do not understand any diplomacy or tactfulness, but we came to catch with an open mind the real teachings of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva. If you can become simple, then you will be able to understand the teachings of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva. The simplicity is necessary. It is the only qualification. It is plain - j\u00f1\u0101na-sunya-bhakti - not jugglery of reason and argument. They do not have much of a place in the teachings of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva. So, intellect - na medhay\u0101 na bahun\u0101 \u015brutena extensive reading of the scriptures or sharp understanding, they have got no place in the line of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva. Simplicity, simple, simple. Not complex with the understanding of this misunderstood aspect of the world - diplomacy - they will only trouble us. Avoid them. A br\u0101hmana fails to understand, even a k\u1e63atriya or vai\u1e63ya, but an ordinary sensible non-read (illiterate) man, even one who is not sharp in intelligence may understand. Therefore, intellectualism is disqualification. j\u00f1\u0101na-sunya-bhakti. Only love, liking, affection; love, that is the unit. Attraction, sympathy; all - the outcome of the heart. (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 3) + (see also \u015bloka 206)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(336)\",\"nayana\u1e41 galad-a\u015bru-dh\u0101ray\u0101,\",\"vadana\u1e41 gadgada-ruddhay\u0101 gir\u0101\",\"pulakair nicita\u1e41 vapu\u1e25 kad\u0101,\",\"tava n\u0101ma-graha\u1e47e bhavi\u1e63yati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Lord, when will tears flow from my eyes like waves? And my voice tremble in ecstasy. When will the hairs of my body stand on end while chanting Your Holy Name?&quot; (S, 6) In this verse, the devotee&#x27;s prayer has been granted and he has acquired a position in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s domain. Now his ambition has no end. Although he is posted in a safe position, he is again praying for further promotion. First, he aspired only for an insignificant position as the dust under the soles of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s divine feet. Then, the grant came. The touch of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s holy feet came to the dust and the dust was converted as if by a magic wand. Now a greater, higher demand automatically comes. The devotee thinks: &quot;What is this? I prayed only to become the dust of the soles of Your feet, but what do I now feel within me? I am the dust of the earth, and You are the Supreme Absolute Truth. But by the very touch of Your lotus feet, dust has been converted into such a great and inconceivable substance. I wonder: &#x27;How is it that I have been transformed? Now I find that my demand is for greater intimacy. First, I aspired for servitude but now, by the touchstone of Your lotus feet, that hope has been converted into spontaneous attraction (r\u0101g\u0101-marga).&quot; Spontaneous attraction can only mean K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, not N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a or R\u0101macandra. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a means &quot;one who is worshipped by divine love and affection.&quot; He is the king of affection, the centre of affection and love. The devotee&#x27;s whole conception of devotion changed just by coming in touch with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s lotus feet, and he was graced by the demand for more intimacy; greater love and affection came to grace that servitor. He was raised to such a plane of dedication that his prayer has changed. He thinks: &quot;What is this? I can&#x27;t check my tears. They are coming incessantly, and when I try to chant Your Name, my Lord, I feel that I am losing control. Some interference from another quarter is moving me, disturbing my normal thinking and aspirations. I feel I am in the midst of another plane. I am nowhere. I have lost control; I have become a doll in the hands of some other power. My aspiration is taking me towards something else. Now I not only want a connection with You as a servitor from a distance, but coming in touch with the magic wand of Your lotus feet, my aspiration has changed. I see that so many devotees are engaged in Your service and chanting Your Name, and seeing this, my hopes have been raised. I want to be lifted to that position. I can visualise that position from far away, but now my earnest prayer is that I may be raised to that level. Your connection has given me such a thirst. I want to be handled by You. When I chant Your Name with this feeling, I find that my previous conception has changed and my new hankering is for the standard of spontaneous love. I pray that you lift me into that plane of Your divine affection and love.&quot; (TGVODL, p 133-5) + (see also \u015bloka 613) &quot;My dear Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears that constantly glide down as I chant Your Holy Name? When will my voice falter and my body be thrilled in transcendental ecstasy as I chant Your Holy Name?&quot; (SBRBM, p 20) vipralambhe milana-siddhau n\u0101ma-bhajan\u0101nuk\u016blyam. &quot;Serving the Holy Name in pure devotion (n\u0101ma-bhajana) in the pain of separation is favourable to achieve union with the Supreme.&quot; (SSPJ, p 53)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(337)\",\"neh\u0101bhikrama-n\u0101\u015bo &#x27;sti,\",\"pratyav\u0101yo na vidyate\",\"svalpam apy asya dharmasya,\",\"tr\u0101yate mahato bhay\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Even a small beginning in this devotional service cannot go in vain, nor can any loss be suffered. The most insignificant practice of such devotional service saves one from the alldevouring fear of repeated birth and death in this world.&quot; (B-g, 2.40) When an organised party approaches for relief work, some soldiers may be sacrificed before obtaining victory. The victorious party will also have to incur some loss when fighting with the enemy. Similarly, in the Mission some soldiers may be asked to approach the rich men and women, therefore sometimes some may be lost. But their loss will be for the time being, and again they will come back. We expect them to come back again because once someone has a taste, they will not be able to forget that. neh\u0101bhikrama-n\u0101\u015bo &#x27;sti: &quot;Whatever has been acquired is eternal, it cannot be destroyed.&quot; (SGD, SGPI, p 21) + (see also \u015bloka 263) &quot;In this bhakti-yoga there is no loss of initial endeavour and there is no diminution of results. Even the slightest performance of this bhakti-yoga saves one from the great fear of birth and death in this material world.&quot; Some permanent acquisition is deposited in his &#x27;account,&#x27; and everything else, both the happiness resulting from accommodating a good, honest man in the worldly sense, as well as the suffering resulting from his accommodating a dacoit, will be finished. This sort of acquisition is permanent, and when it accumulates to a sufficient degree it will attract the man to do some sort of vague service to the s\u0101dhus, though not very consciously. That is also accumulated and when it reaches a certain stage, the search for the truth will awaken within him. He will think: &quot;For what are those s\u0101dhus living?&quot; Then he will approach them, and if he goes in the proper mood as described in the scriptures, the transaction will begin. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 59-60 &amp; p 71) (see also \u015bloka 104) &quot;We can be saved from fears - great worldly fears - even by a touch of that supreme wealth.&quot; (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(338)\",\"nidray\u0101 hriyate nakta\u1e41,\",\"vyav\u0101yena ca v\u0101 vaya\u1e25\",\"div\u0101 c\u0101rthehay\u0101 r\u0101jan,\",\"ku\u1e6dumba-bhara\u1e47ena v\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;At night we see two things; either sleep or playing with women (sex indulgence). And the day-time is spent either in search of money or by serving the relatives.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.3) We find that there are thousands of engagements in those that are unconscious of their own real interest. They are very busy, but very busy about nothing. What do we see if we look around? nidray\u0101 hriyate nakta\u1e41 \u2026\u2026etc. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 3)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c11\",\"title\":\"11. The Light of Sri Guru and Scriptures\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"I was blind in the darkness of ignorance but my Spiritual Master applied the ointment of proper spiritual knowledge and thus opened my eyes. Unto him I offer my respectful obeisances.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(339)\",\"nikhila-bhuvana-m\u0101y\u0101-chinna-vichinna-kartr\u012b\",\"vibudha-bahula-m\u1e5bgy\u0101-mukti-moh\u0101nta-d\u0101tr\u012b\",\"\u015bithilita-vidhi-r\u0101g\u0101r\u0101dhya-r\u0101dhe\u015ba-dh\u0101n\u012b\",\"vilasatu h\u1e5bdi nitya\u1e41 bhaktisiddh\u0101nta-v\u0101\u1e47\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Slashing and smashing the illusion of the whole mundane plane, Dealing the deathblow to the scholars&#x27; manic search for liberation&#x27;s throne; Relaxing calculation, for the realm of Pure Devotion in Love of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101&#x27;s Lord Supreme: O Abode of Divine Love - Divine Message of \u015ar\u012b-Bhakti-Siddh\u0101nta, May you dance and play and sing your song within my heart forever.&quot; (SCS.)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(340)\",\"nikhila-\u015bruti-mauli ratna m\u0101l\u0101,\",\"dyuti n\u012br\u0101jita-p\u0101da-pa\u1e45kaj\u0101nta\",\"ayi mukta-kulair up\u0101syam\u0101na\u1e41,\",\"paritas tv\u0101m hari-n\u0101m sa\u1e41\u015bray\u0101mi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The acme of all the Vedas, the Upani\u1e63ads, are like a string of transcendental jewels. The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet, O Holy Name, are eternally worshipped by the radiance emanating from those jewels. You are constantly worshipped by the great liberated souls (headed by N\u0101rada and \u015auka, whose hearts are reposed in complete absence of worldly aspirations). Therefore, O Name Divine, I surrender unto You in every time, place, and circumstance.&quot; (N, 1) + (SSPJ, p 104) &quot;O Holy Name! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are eternally worshipped by the glowing effulgence radiating from the gemmed chapters of the Upani\u1e63ads, the crest jewels of the Vedas. You are eternally adored and chanted by great liberated souls like N\u0101rada and \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b. O Hari N\u0101ma! Clearing myself of all offences, I take complete shelter of You.&quot; (N, 1) \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that so many liberated souls worship the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, offering their respects from all sides. He explains that the greatness of the Holy Name may not be found in the ordinary scriptures, but if you study all of them as a whole, you will find the very spirit of the Holy Name. Ordinary people may not find this in their study, but there are those who can collect the real substance, the real purpose from those vast writings, and detect the greatness of the Holy Name as the whole purpose of all the main Vedic scripture. The principle codes in the \u015bruti, the Vedas, are giving hints about the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. \u015aruti means \u015babda: that which can be grasped by the ear, from the sound form of the revealed truth which has descended from above. The Vedas naturally tell us that we can approach the supreme reality only through sound. Otherwise, they would be suicidal. If they do not say that by sound only we will attain the truth, then what is the necessity of the Vedas which are only embodied sounds? So, if we can trace their real characteristic we shall find that the principle Vedas say that by the cultivation of sound we can attain the Lord. So, we can come to understand this only through sound (\u015babda pram\u0101nam). Sound alone can deliver reality. The Vedas must say so, otherwise they will only be an ineffective jungle of sounds. \u015aruti means that which can be received through the ear, and that sound is absolute. The \u015brutis have come to declare to us that through sound alone we can attain the highest end. The main codes (sutras) of the \u015bruti inform us: nikhila-\u015bruti-mauli ratna m\u0101l\u0101. Mauli means the principal scriptures. They are like so many gems or jewels forming a necklace. By their lustre, the lotus feet of the Holy Name are being revealed. Just as while performing \u0101r\u0101t\u012b, we offer a lamp to show the Deity form of the Lord more clearly to the ordinary people, the principle \u015brutis are helping us to have this perception: by sound only we can have the Supreme Lord. R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that is we are more attentive to their meaning, we will find that the principle \u015brutis are only trying to show us the lotus feet of the Holy Name, just as during \u0101r\u0101t\u012b the ghee lamp helps us to see the figure of the Lord. We may have a general view of the Deity, but with the help of the lamp, we can have a particular conception of the different parts of the body of the Lord. Similarly, we find that the principle \u015brutis with their light are trying to show us the lower portion of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. They are leading us and helping us to have a conception of the remotest part of the Holy Name, a vague conception that the Name is everything. R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that those who are really liberated are all surrounding the Holy Name and offering praise and adoration. And he prays: &quot;In this spirit, I take refuge in the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2026. So, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says that only a superficial study of the Vedas will frustrate us. But if we search with a positive mind, by the grace of the s\u0101dhus, the \u0101c\u0101ryas, and the mah\u0101janas we will find that the principle \u015brutis are leading us towards the conception that the whole object of all the Vedic sounds is that central sound: the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. There are so many sections of the Vedas that have come to distribute the tidings of the absolute realm, but there must be a centre. So, the principle sounds are all emitting light like a torch, to show us that they have a central sound which represents the supreme whole, and that is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So many liberated souls are all around, offering their respects to the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, that central sound from which all Vedic mantras have come to give us some idea of the sound aspect of the absolute centre. This is R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s argument. The branches of the Vedas are all sounds, and so many sounds must come from a central position. They cannot but direct one who has a proper eye towards that fountainhead of sound, saying: &quot;Go! Run towards that direction! In our source you will find everything. We are all partially representing so many things but we have a centre, we have a fountainhead. Go in that direction and you will find the sound that can sufficiently satisfy you, and you may also be introduced to other aspects of that sound.&quot; The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is most important; it is no less than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. It fully represents the whole. R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;O Holy Name, I take refuge under Your lotus feet. You are the grand, central sound who has given cohesion to all the sounds in the revealed scriptures.&quot; (TSFSK, p 118-23) + (see also \u015bloka 199)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(341)\",\"n\u012bl\u0101mbhodhi-ta\u1e6de sad\u0101 sva-virah\u0101-k\u1e63epanvita\u1e41 b\u0101ndhava\u1e41\",\"\u015br\u012bmad-bh\u0101gavat\u012b kath\u0101 madiray\u0101 sa\u00f1j\u012bvayan bh\u0101ti ya\u1e25\",\"\u015br\u012bmad-bh\u0101gavata\u1e41 sad\u0101 sva-nayan\u0101\u015bru-p\u0101yanai\u1e25 p\u016bjayan\",\"gosv\u0101mi-prabaro gad\u0101dhara-vibh\u016br-bh\u016by\u0101t mad-ek\u0101-gati\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;On the shore of the broad blue ocean, Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita used to read \u015ar\u012bmad- Bh\u0101gavatam to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who was suffering from the great internal pain of separation from Himself (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a). Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita supplied the wine of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 to intoxicate his afflicted friend and give Him relief. As he read, tears would fall from his eyes like flower offerings onto the pages of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. May the pleasure of that brilliant personality, Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, the best of the Gosw\u0101m\u012bs, be my only object in writing this book.&quot; (TGVODL, p x, xi) \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said that he originally composed this verse (n\u012bl\u0101mbhodhi-ta\u1e6de sad\u0101 sva-virah\u0101-k\u1e63epanvita\u1e41 b\u0101ndhava\u1e41) to introduce his summary study of the 18,000 verse \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. Just as \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has condensed the whole Bh\u0101gavata principle into 1,000 verses in his Bh\u0101gavata-arka-marici-m\u0101l\u0101, \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja says he had a mind to consolidate it even more, to represent it within 300 verses, but he did not finish it. This verse glorifies the position of Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, the most intimate associate of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita used to read \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam in Jagann\u0101tha Pur\u012b, at the To\u1e6da Gopin\u0101tha Temple. He would read, and \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu and the great devotees like Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara and R\u0101mananda R\u0101ya were his audience. (TGVODL, p x, xi) + (see also \u015bloka 475)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(342)\",\"nirjana ku\u1e6d\u012bre \u015br\u012b r\u0101dh\u0101-cara\u1e47a,\",\"smara\u1e47e th\u0101kibo rata\",\"\u015br\u012b r\u016bpa ma\u00f1jar\u012b dh\u012bre dh\u012bre \u0101si,\",\"kahibe \u0101m\u0101ya kota.\",\"bolibe o sakh\u012b ki koro basiy\u0101,\",\"dekhala b\u0101hire \u0101si&#x27;\",\"jugala milana obh\u0101 nirupama,\",\"hoibe cara\u1e47a d\u0101s\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In my divine form of perfection, in the transcendental abode, Goloka, I will be waiting in a solitary cottage remaining absorbed in the blissful remembrance of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101&#x27;s lotus feet. After some time, I will see my adorable rasika guru and friend, \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b approaching me, charmed and overwhelmed in some special joy. She will say to me with excitement: &quot;O dear friend, what are you doing sitting here? Come outside and see, your cherished dream has now come true. In that beautiful ku\u00f1ja decorated with flowers, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Divine Couple are now having Their wonderful ecstatic pastimes. These lovesports are flooding everyone and everything with ambrosial ecstasy. Come with me, I will take you there to serve Them and you will become an eternal maidservant of Their lotus feet.&quot; (GMSL, 6, v1 &amp; 2) + (SBRBM, p 46)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(343)\",\"nit\u0101i-pada-kamala\",\"ko\u1e6di candra-su\u015b\u012btala\",\"ye ch\u0101y\u0101ya jagat ju\u1e0d\u0101ya\",\"hena nit\u0101i vine bh\u0101i\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101ite n\u0101i\",\"d\u1e5bdha kari&#x27; dhara nit\u0101ir p\u0101y\",\"se sambandha n\u0101hi y\u0101ra\",\"b\u1e5btha janma gela t\u0101ra\",\"sei pa\u015bu ba\u1e0da dur\u0101c\u0101ra\",\"nit\u0101i n\u0101 b\u0101lila mukhe\",\"majila sa\u1e41s\u0101ra-sukhe\",\"vidy\u0101-kule ki karibe t\u0101ra\",\"aha\u1e45k\u0101re matta hoiy\u0101\",\"nit\u0101i-pada p\u0101sariy\u0101\",\"asatyere satya kari m\u0101ni\",\"nit\u0101iyera karu\u1e47a habe\",\"braje r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101be\",\"dhara nit\u0101i-cara\u1e47a du&#x27;kh\u0101ni\",\"nit\u0101iyer-cara\u1e47a satya\",\"t\u0101\u1e63hara sevaka nitya\",\"nit\u0101i-pada sad\u0101 kara \u0101\u015ba\",\"narottama ba\u1e0da dukh\u012b\",\"nit\u0101i more kara sukh\u012b\",\"r\u0101kha r\u0101\u1e45g\u0101-cara\u1e47era p\u0101\u015ba\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The lotus feet of Prabhu Nity\u0101nanda are most pleasing, like the combined calming radiance of millions of moons. By receiving the cooling shade of His transcendental shelter the whole universe, scorched by heat of material existence, can be fully relieved and soothed. O dear brothers, without the grace of such a magnanimous personality as Prabhu Nity\u0101nanda, it is very difficult to attain divine loving service to \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the groves of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Therefore, firmly take shelter of His lotus feet with all sincere respect and love so you may reach that nectarean goal. A person who has not strived to receive any blessed connection with Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu or His invaluable wealth, which is ecstatic love of Godhead, becomes materially entangled and his intelligence is misused for animal propensities. Compared to the higher life of divine taste such a life is considered wasted. Those who do not know the great fortune of taking the Name of Nity\u0101nanda as well as those who deliberately ignore Him become more and more intoxicated and addicted to mundane happiness. Without a connection to the eternal blissful nature of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu what real protection can the satisfaction of mundane education or boast of heritage give in this insecure mortal world? Being maddened and bewildered by false pride, such persons forget their eternal relationship with Nity\u0101nanda and do not attain the great solace of His lotus feet and thus accept illusion as reality. My friends, if Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu gives you mercy, only then can you attain the service of R\u0101dh\u0101 K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Divine Couple of Vraja, therefore firmly embrace His lotus feet and beg Him for it. Please know that the shelter of the lotus feet of Prabhu Nity\u0101nanda are eternally true and the giver of transcendental fulfilment. One who engages in the loving service of Nity\u0101nanda with perfection is understood to have attained that plane of eternal truth and fulfilment. Therefore, always pray and hope for the shelter of \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu&#x27;s lotus feet. Narottama says: &quot;O merciful Prabhu Nit\u0101i, I find myself very unsatisfied because I have an endless hankering for more of the taste of Your nectarine grace. So please satisfy this need of mine and make me very happy by keeping me close to Your lotus feet, ever smeared with the hue of divine ecstasy.&quot; (P)+(SOTVA, p 83)+(SBRBM, p 5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(344)\",\"nit\u0101iyer koru\u1e47\u0101 habe,\",\"braje r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101be,\",\"dharo nit\u0101i-cara\u1e47a du &#x27;kh\u0101ni\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"After Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura describes the position of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in his \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, he says: &quot;I want to serve those who have the service of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in their heart. I want to serve the feet dust of those whose only wealth is the service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101. I want to fall before them and take the dust of their holy feet. If you cannot fix your mind in the service of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, then all your attempts to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are useless. If you cannot achieve earnestness in the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, then all your labour for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has gone to hell.&quot; We cannot conceive of a sun without heat, nor can we conceive of Godhead without His potency. The finest potency of Bhagav\u0101n is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. So also, no conception of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is possible without \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. We can&#x27;t know any M\u0101dhava without R\u0101dh\u0101. She is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s other half - in \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s language, the Predominated Moiety. Devotional service as a whole is represented by Her, because both the intensity and the comprehensiveness of Her service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are unparalleled. There are so many examples of chaste and pious ladies in the ancient history of the Pur\u0101\u1e47as: \u015a\u0101c\u012b, the faithful wife of Indra; Sat\u012b, the wife of Lord \u015aiva; Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b, the Goddess of Fortune; Satyabh\u0101m\u0101, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s wife in Dw\u0101rak\u0101; Rukmi\u1e47\u012b, the principle queen of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Dw\u0101rak\u0101; and even the antagonists of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, headed by Candr\u0101val\u012b. All of them represent different aspects of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. They all spring from the main potency which is known as R\u0101dh\u0101. The Name R\u0101dh\u0101 comes from the word \u0101r\u0101dhana: One who can serve, who can worship, who can give respect, who really loves K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who can render loving service. All of these other ladies who are famous for their chastity and piety are but partial representations of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. If we note the scriptures and scrutinise the position of those virtuous ladies, we&#x27;ll find that the source of all their chastity and devotion is \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. She is the fountainhead of devotion. And so Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;I bow down and take the dust of the holy feet of those who have as their only wealth the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. I hanker after nothing else.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 98-100) + (see also \u015bloka 343) Our highest aspiration is to achieve the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, but in the beginning, we must approach \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda through His manifest representative, the guru. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu consolidates the foundation which helps us progress further in devotion. Quick progress without a good foundation invites a negative reaction, so the mercy of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is our primary necessity. This approach culminates in the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; (nit\u0101iyer koru\u1e47\u0101 habe, braje r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u0101be) To be reinstated as a servant of the servant to the extreme degree is the philosophy of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism. Our goal is not to become one with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - to receive service - we want to render service. The Predominated Moiety of the Absolute Truth is negative potency - the energy that serves - and the Predominating Moiety receives that service. Our best interest will be reached when, according to our constitutional nature, we attain out position in the line of servitors in the negative, Predominated Moiety; not by considering ourselves one with the positive, Predominating Moiety. By the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, we develop our attraction for \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. If we receive the grace of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, we receive everything in the highest degree. And that is the safest way to approach R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda. If we try to achieve R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda in some other way, avoiding \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, our attempt will naturally be artificial and defective, and there will be great difficulty. Therefore, we should invest all our energy in the service of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. Then, we shall automatically find ourselves being lifted towards the highest level. (TGVODL, p 267) + (see also \u015blokas 343 &amp; 601) \u015areya\u1e25 covers the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, for it is by His grace that we may be allowed to worship R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (\u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s first verse of \u015ar\u012b \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka states: \u015breya\u1e25 kairava candrik\u0101vitarana\u1e41 - the Holy Name bestows upon us the supreme goal of life, an intimate personal relationship with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a which includes neutrality, servitude, friendship, and filial affection (\u015b\u0101nta, d\u0101sya, sakhya, and v\u0101tsalya rasa). (TGVODL, p 93) + (see also \u015blokas 108 &amp; 343)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(345)\",\"&#x27;nitya-l\u012bl\u0101&#x27; k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era sarva-\u015b\u0101stre kaya\",\"bujhite n\u0101 p\u0101re l\u012bl\u0101 kemane &#x27;nitya&#x27;.haya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Although K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s eternal l\u012bl\u0101 is described in all the scriptures, still it cannot be understood how it is eternal.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20.385) And Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given us to think in another way; the sun is rising here, and the next minute it is rising over there. Sunrise is always to be found somewhere in one portion of the world. Is it not? So also, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 from brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da to brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da (universe to universe) it is extended like the sun. The b\u0101lya-l\u012bl\u0101 when it is past here then it is happening in another brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da - continued, like the sun. &#x27;nitya-l\u012bl\u0101&#x27; k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era sarva-\u015b\u0101stre kaya. It is continuous. The morning is everywhere, the noon is everywhere. It is revolving. And in a different brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is taking birth, the next moment in another brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da, it is always continued. (C, v 1, # 5, Sum. &#x27;93, p 9) + (see also \u015bloka 294)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(346)\",\"niv\u1e5btta-tar\u1e63air upag\u012byam\u0101n\u0101d,\",\"bhavau\u1e63adh\u0101c chrotra-mano &#x27;bhir\u0101m\u0101t\",\"ka uttama\u1e25-\u015bloka-gu\u1e47\u0101nuv\u0101d\u0101t,\",\"pum\u0101n virajyeta vin\u0101 pa\u015bughn\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the parampar\u0101 system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self?&quot; (S-B, 10.1.4) \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b mentions in the Tattva-Sandarbha, just as it is mentioned in the Brahmavaivarta Pur\u0101\u1e47a, that \u015aukadeva was unwilling to leave the womb of his mother due to fear of m\u0101y\u0101. Even though \u015aukadeva was a great muni being completely freed from material desires (niv\u1e5btta-tar\u1e63ai\u1e25), he only partially (a\u1e41\u015bena) understood the transcendental position of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but he knew K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a could grant liberation. So, \u015aukadeva requested his father \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva to call K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a came and revealed Himself to \u015aukadeva while he was still in the womb. And with the liberation granted to him, he came out and went to the forest. Vy\u0101sadeva then tried to capture his son by sending a woodcutter to the forest, asking him to sing verses from the Bh\u0101gavatam, hoping that \u015aukadeva would hear them. These verses were not mentioned specifically by J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, but he says they were selected sections where the glory of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is particularly mentioned. Also, the section of the Brahmavaivarta Pur\u0101\u1e47a describing this event is no longer available. However, due to the oral tradition of the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya samprad\u0101ya, \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja suggests that one of the verses was this one from Bh\u0101gavatam (10.1.4): niv\u1e5btta-tar\u1e63air upag\u012byam\u0101n\u0101d, which describes how k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-kath\u0101 cures the disease of m\u0101y\u0101 and also the qualifications of the speaker of the Bh\u0101gavatam. When \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva wanted to deliver to the world the higher conception of the right path of life that had just been given to him by Deva\u1e5b\u1e63i N\u0101rada, he searched for \u015aukadeva. Vy\u0101sadeva felt: &quot;Mok\u1e63a, the Brahma-j\u00f1\u0101na (liberation in the non-differentiated Absolute), has been given the highest position. Now, the higher conception that has been given to me by Deva\u1e5b\u1e63i N\u0101rada must be delivered to the world by a person whose Brahma-j\u00f1\u0101na is unquestionably admitted by all the scholars.&quot; So he searched for \u015aukadeva. &quot;\u015aukadeva is the only person who is very widely respected by the so-called liberationists. This higher doctrine should be brought to light through him, and then the position of Bh\u0101gavatam will be automatically unchallengeable.&quot; So he hunted after \u015aukadeva. He sent a woodsman whose business it was to cut down trees in the jungle and dense forest, and who made a trade from that. \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva told this \u015bloka to that woodcutter to give to \u015aukadeva: niv\u1e5btta-tar\u1e63air upag\u012byam\u0101n\u0101d: &quot;Wherever you will find a boy like my son, you will try to chant this \u015bloka. You always wander in the dense forest, and my boy is there, roaming hither and thither in the jungle. It is very difficult to trace his whereabouts, because he does not stay in one location. Always roaming and wandering, he lives on only leaves and fruits, and he takes water from the river.&quot; Suddenly one day, this \u015bloka caught \u015aukadeva&#x27;s attention. &quot;What do these woodcutters say? niv\u1e5btta-tar\u1e63air upag\u012byam\u0101n\u0101d: This big sound, with high meaning - where did they get it from?&quot; Then after hearing twice, thrice, he approached them. &quot;What do you say?&quot; They again repeated: &quot;niv\u1e5btta-tar\u1e63air upag\u012byam\u0101n\u0101d: &quot;Who have had all their thirst quenched, satisfied - they come and sing this song; bhavau\u1e63adh\u0101t: it is the medicine for the solution to birth and death; \u015brotra-mano &#x27;bhir\u0101m\u0101t: and it is always pleasing to the senses. The senses should not be considered as one&#x27;s eternal enemy, and eliminated from any utility. They can be utilised. This song is very sweet for all the senses. \u015brotra-mano &#x27;bhir\u0101m\u0101t: Both the ear and the mind are pleased by a high class of joy. ka uttama\u1e25-\u015bloka-gu\u1e47\u0101nuv\u0101d\u0101t pum\u0101n virajyeta vin\u0101 pa\u015bughn\u0101t: who but a suicide will keep such a conception of life, such a model ideal of his life, at a distance? Only a self-killer can do so! Otherwise, one who is wakeful to his real interest can never avoid the, uttama\u1e25-\u015bloka-gu\u1e47\u0101nuv\u0101d\u0101t - the praise and prayer of the highest entity, the Lord Absolute. Who can keep himself aloof from this highest conception of life which is beyond even moksa?&quot; Then after having a glimpse into the meaning of this \u015bloka, this poem of Bh\u0101gavatam, \u015aukadeva enquired: &quot;Where did you obtain this \u015bloka?&quot; &quot;At Badarik\u0101\u015brama.&quot; &quot;Can you show me the place?&quot; &quot;Yes, come.&quot; And they took him to Vy\u0101sadeva. He could recognise, &quot;Oh, this is my father&#x27;s \u0101\u015brama. Vy\u0101sadeva, my father, requested me to stay with him, but I did not care for that. I ran away to the forest to avoid human society. To avoid being influenced by human society&#x27;s designing attitude, I left it. However, for the solution I find in this \u015bloka, I cannot but enquire from him.&quot; So he came, and asked his father the meaning of the \u015bloka. \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva then explained according to the angle of vision that Devar\u1e63i N\u0101rada had recently given him. And when \u015aukadeva later delivered the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, he openly admitted in the assembly\u2026. (see also \u015blokas 126 &amp; 357) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 147-50)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(347)\",\"n\u1e5b-deham \u0101dya\u1e41 sulabha\u1e41 sudurllabha\u1e41\",\"plava\u1e41 sukalpa\u1e41 guru-kar\u1e47adh\u0101ram\",\"may\u0101nuk\u016blena nabhasvaterita\u1e41\",\"pum\u0101n bhav\u0101bdhi\u1e41 na taret sa \u0101tmah\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"There is a boat, and he is the helmsman (guru-kar\u1e47adh\u0101ram). I have surrendered unto him. I have accepted him. I have boarded his boat and he is taking me towards the goal of my life. The human body (n\u1e5b-deham) has been compared to a boat. By utilising my resources in this body and mind, my gurudeva, as the helmsman, is guiding me towards the goal. One who does not take this opportunity after coming into the human species commits suicide. He commits suicide by failing to take advantage of crossing the ocean of life and death, birth and death, birth and death. The very nature of the ocean of mundane existence is waves - life and death, birth and death. The helmsman to take us across this ocean of life and death, is gurudeva. It is said in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam that anyone who misses this chance is committing suicide: n\u1e5b-deham \u0101dya\u1e41 sulabha\u1e41 sudurllabha\u1e41, plava\u1e41 sukalpa\u1e41 guru-kar\u1e47adh\u0101ram Here the Lord is inferring: &quot;So many boats are passing, and I am helping like a favourable wind. The helmsman is guru, and I am the favourable wind. The boat is this human body, and you should all take this opportunity to cross the ocean of life, birth, and death. The world is compared to the infinite. It resembles infinity; it is very difficult to cross the ocean of life and death, birth and death.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.17) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 188-9) + (see also \u015bloka 186) In the infinite ocean we have boarded our small boat, the human form of life, and our destination is uncertain and inconceivable. But it is conceivable to our gurudeva (guru kar\u1e47adh\u0101ram). Our guru is our guide - the captain of the boat. And we must progress with sincere faith. We are trying to cross a horrible ocean with huge waves and dangerous sharks and whale-swallowing whales. It is full of danger. The guidance of saints is our only hope. We must depend on them. They stand like lighthouses in the infinite ocean to guide us to the land of faith.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 6) + (see also \u015bloka 492)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(348)\",\"ny\u0101sa-pa\u1e63ca-var\u1e63a-p\u016br\u1e47a\",\"janma-bh\u016bmi-dar\u015bana\u1e41\",\"ko\u1e6di-ko\u1e6di-loka-lubdha\",\"mugdha-d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6di-kar\u1e63anam\",\"ko\u1e6di-ka\u1e47\u1e6dha-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma\",\"gho\u1e63a-bhedit\u0101mvara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam eva\",\"naumi gaura-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When He returned to His birthplace, Nadia, after five long years of sanny\u0101sa, millions of people rushed to see Him, feeling a most wonderful and irresistible love attraction. Deeply moved with eyes full of eagerness, they beheld their Lord who attracted their innermost heart of hearts. Excited by His ecstatic presence there arose a continuous tumultuous uproar that spread in all directions and pierced the sky. To please their beloved Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, the people&#x27;s voices repeatedly resounded the Holy Names of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gaurasundara, the beautiful divine abode of pure love.&quot; (PDDS, 34) + (SBRBM, p 9) For K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the opposition in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana l\u012bl\u0101 came from Mathur\u0101 in the form of Agh\u0101, Bak\u0101, P\u016btana, T\u1e5bn\u0101varta, and other demons who were being sent by King Ka\u1e41sa. To uproot the opposition, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a had to go to Mathur\u0101. And when He went there, He found that the opposition was widespread. Ka\u1e41sa&#x27;s father-in-law, Jar\u0101sandha, K\u0101layavana, \u015a\u012b\u015bup\u0101la, Dantavakra, and many others were inimical to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a promised the gop\u012bs that after finishing His enemies, He would return to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana to play peacefully with them. And in Navadw\u012bpa l\u012bl\u0101, the background is almost similar. To gain victory over the opposition party, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu left household life in Navadw\u012bpa. Later, after His conquest of all the Indian scholars and religionists of different positions and creeds, after five years, when He returned to Navadw\u012bpa, everyone was transformed. The mass approached Him madly. It is difficult to conceive with what madness the mass approached \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva, the child of their own village. They crossed the Ganges. The whole Ganges, as far as it could be seen, was filled with human heads. They were running towards Him from all directions in such a way that the jungles were cleared by human feet. For a few days, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu stayed nearby in Vidy\u0101nagara, and then went towards V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, singing the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Thousands of devotees were running behind Him, digging up the earth to take the dust of His holy feet, and huge pits were being created. When Mah\u0101prabhu returned to Navadw\u012bpa after five years of His sanny\u0101sa, all the men, women, and children madly came to see Him, to have a glimpse of His face. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, in his internal conception of the pastimes of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, draws a parallel with the pastimes of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Kuruk\u1e63etra. There, Dw\u0101rak\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the gop\u012bs of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana were meeting, and the gop\u012bs and gopas wanted to take K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a from Dw\u0101rak\u0101 back to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura expresses a similar aspiration. When \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu returned to Navadw\u012bpa and the crowds rushed to see Him, He stood on the roof of Vacaspati Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita&#x27;s house in the red dress of a sanny\u0101s\u012b. Taking Himself as a permanent resident of Navadw\u012bpa, and as one of the members of \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Angam, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura envisions himself seeing \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu on the rooftop. When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a had gone to Dw\u0101rak\u0101 and wouldn&#x27;t return to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the hearts of all the devotees were burdened with grief. In a similar way, Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura fervently prays: &quot;When will the day come when Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita will give up the robes of renunciation and again come and join us in k\u012brtana in the house of \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa? Now He can&#x27;t come - as a sanny\u0101s\u012b He can&#x27;t return to His old house. So now, we are deserted by Him, but our aspiration is this: Just as the gop\u012bs wanted K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s royal dress removed, and His cowherd dress resumed, so they could take Him again to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and play with Him and rejoice, we aspire that Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s sanny\u0101sa dress be removed, and His former dress resumed. In this way, we will get back our Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, who is one of us, in \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Angam. And together we shall rejoice, taking the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Oh, when will that day be mine?&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(349)\",\"o\u1e41 aj\u00f1\u0101na-timir\u0101ndhasya\",\"j\u00f1\u0101n\u0101\u00f1jana-\u015bal\u0101kay\u0101\",\"cak\u1e63ur unmilita\u1e41 yena,\",\"tasmai \u015br\u012b-gurave nama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I was blind in the darkness of ignorance but my Spiritual Master applied the ointment of proper spiritual knowledge and thus opened my eyes. Unto him I offer my respectful obeisances.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 26) Those who can conquer their partiality and prejudices can stand amongst the most qualified. The eye to detect our disqualification is our real wealth. And we are given the eye to see by the grace of our gurudeva. o\u1e41 aj\u00f1\u0101na-timir\u0101ndhasya j\u00f1\u0101n\u0101\u00f1jana-\u015bal\u0101kay\u0101. &quot;I worship my guru who has opened my eyes that were blinded with the darkness of ignorance, by adorning them with the collyrium of knowledge.&quot; Most important is the eye to see what is good, what is bad, and then to accept and reject. First the eye is necessary. Then there is justice, and above that there is mercy. Justice is the standard, but above that we can conceive that there is also a land of mercy, compassion, grace. With our faith and earnestness we can aspire after that mercy. If we increase the quality of our negativity, or the feeling that we are so mean, the positive will automatically be attracted. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 107) + (see also \u015bloka 331)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(350)\",\"o\u1e41 bh\u016br bhuva\u1e25 sva\u1e25 tat savitur vare\u1e47yam\",\"bhargo devasya dh\u012bmahi, dhiyo yo na\u1e25 prachoday\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"G\u0101yatr\u012b is the Mother of the Vedas. In only one sentence the whole Vedic truth is contained: bh\u016br bhuva\u1e25 sva\u1e25 tat savitur vare\u1e47yam: You are in the midst of different stages of experience, ranging from gross to subtle. Here begins, tat savitur - a categorical change (beyond our general thought). That which is divulged to you or makes you conscious of the gross and subtle experience - catch that light which is showing these things. Light does not create a thing. Light shows a thing. Knowledge is showing, so try to achieve that type of knowledge which is showing. That is, go to the subjective aspect of things. Try to catch the one who is showing, that is consciousness. Not what is being shown, but who is showing. Try to enter into that subjective realm if possible. There you will find the illuminator - savit\u0101 - that which is giving birth to all this material experience. The light. The sun is giving birth to all this by sending his ray. The universal subject is helping your dependent subjective identity to see and experience this world. Try to connect with that. Vare\u1e47yam - then, try to trace some respectful, reverential cause. Try to go beyond that which is showing everything to you, that grand super-subject, and find the world on the transcendental side, the upper side. There we will find, vare\u1e47yam: that is, vara\u1e47\u012bya, p\u016bjya, a venerable world. Here comes the question of submission and devotion. It is not only light, not only knowledge, but there we will find that a venerable plane is on the other side, which we should serve, worship and respect. Vare\u1e47yam bhargo: it is full of all knowledge but it is mixed with veneration, devotion, dedication and worship. That world is of such nature. Devasya dh\u012bmahi: and we should try to exert all the nerves of our conscious selves to that. The root meaning of Deva is &#x27;He who is very beautiful and playful.&#x27; His character is dynamic, not static; a character of l\u012bl\u0101 and saundaryya - beauty and pastimes. Thus bhargo devasya, His bhargo - His paraphernalia of venerable and knowing substance. Dh\u012bmahi, dhiyo yo na\u1e25 prachoday\u0101t. If we use our venerative, knowing faculty, we will embrace that. If we can engage ourselves in that endeavour, the result will be our increased capacity to go higher and higher in that direction. There will be no other remuneration for such an endeavour. This is the substance within G\u0101yatr\u012b, which, in a nutshell, is considered to be the Mother of the whole Revealed Truth. (SGD, SGP, 1997, p 19) + (see also \u015blokas 50, 100, 121, 197 &amp; B-g, p xxii, xxiv, xxvi)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(351)\",\"o\u1e41 tad vi\u1e63\u1e47o parama\u1e41 pada\u1e41 sad\u0101,\",\"pa\u015byanti suraya div\u012bva cak\u1e63ur \u0101tatam\",\"tad vipr\u0101so vipanyavo j\u0101g\u1e5bv\u0101\u1e41\u015b\u0101\u1e25,\",\"samindhate vi\u1e63\u1e47or yat parama\u1e41 padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;As the sun and sunlight is continuous over the skies as light-giver to us (for that sunlight is the universal form of the Lord) similarly, the Divine Lotus Feet of the Lord \u015ar\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u is always spread widely (like a canopy) over our head.&quot; (RV, 1.22.20) He is not the object to be inspected by us, but He is the Seer, He is the All-Knower - never to be known by us. He is not to be used as an object by our knowing faculty. But with our submissive knowledge, knowledge of surrender, servitude, we are then permitted to see that Seer and know that All-Knower. In fact, He is beyond all our perceptions. (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 7) + (see also \u015blokas 445 &amp; 502) The advice of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam should be our guiding principle under all circumstances. Whatever is coming to us is under His sanction, under His eye, so it cannot but be good. Everything is perfect. The only imperfection is within us, and therefore we should try with all our energy to do our duty. In no time, we shall find ourselves released from all troubles. That is the key advice in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. The environment is not dead - an overseer is there. Just as the sun is over our heads, every action is under our guardian&#x27;s eye. o\u1e41 tad vi\u1e63\u1e47o parama\u1e41 pada\u1e41 sad\u0101. We should approach any duty thinking: &quot;My guardian&#x27;s eye is always vigilantly watching over me, seeing everything I am doing, and whatever is happening to me. I need not worry about this environment or circumstance.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 21-2) + (see also \u015bloka 502) The Holy Feet of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u who is pervading everywhere (ya\u1e25 ida\u1e41 vy\u0101pnot\u012bti vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e25) His Feet, His lowest portion, is towards us. Paramam means &#x27;very highly qualified, from all standpoints.&#x27; That is not to be neglected. From the standpoint of fine existence, knowledge as well as sweetness, the Absolute is paramam pada\u1e41. Sad\u0101 pa\u015byanti s\u016braya\u1e25 - the scholars are always conscious of the fact; this is the real basis of their life. Man is not an animal, wandering over the earth, mountain or jungle, but the real man is in his consciousness, and he is always conscious of a higher entity. He is always seeing or conscious of that ideal. Div\u012bva cak\u1e63ur \u0101tatam - vaguely or in a mystic way? No. As conspicuous, as clear and as real as the sun we see in the sky. Tad vi\u1e63\u1e47o\u1e25 parama\u1e41 pada\u1e41 - so we should really live and move in that consciousness. We are children of that conscious world.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(352)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Our sincerest laughter with some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.&quot; (The English Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792-1822) Externally, there may be pangs of separation, but internally there is the greatest satisfaction. In this way we are advised by the scriptures, and our practical experience corroborates our faith in this subtle matter. The English poet Shelley has written: &quot;Our sincerest laughter with some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.&quot; When we are reading an epic where there is cruel separation between the hero and heroine, it is so sweet to us that although we shed tears, still we cannot leave the book. When we hear about the pangs of S\u012bt\u0101 Dev\u012b, how R\u0101macandra banishes Her and leaves Her uncared for in the forest although She is with child, this is very painful. We shed tears, but still we read on. There is sweetness within pain. It is possible. Separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is like that. The special characteristic of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema is this: externally, we feel extreme pain, like lava, but internally our heart is filled with some extraordinary ecstatic joy. This is what \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu has given us. As much as we can catch the meaning of His instructions, we shall be prepared for that kind of life. This is the fare to go to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and when we are introduced to so many others like us, then our joy knows no bounds. When we meet others who have the same nature and mind as us, we get solace from them. We need not be afraid. In spite of all these things, we should think firmly that that is our home, and we should want to go back to home, back to Godhead. We are not foreigners there. Here we are foreigners: every man treats me in any way he likes. But V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is most hopeful and full of the highest prospect. It is the place of inner satisfaction. We aspire after that; we cannot but continue aspiring for our real home. What is real joy and ecstasy? We are not acquainted with that. This is our present trouble. Yet as much as we progress in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, we shall become conscious of a practical feeling of real joy and ecstasy, beauty and charm, and in this way, we shall become more and more encouraged. (TGVODL, p 149-150) + (see also \u015blokas 76 &amp; 571)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(353)\",\"p\u0101iy\u0101 m\u0101nu\u1e63a janma, ye n\u0101 \u015bune gaura-gu\u1e47a,\",\"hena janma t\u0101ra vyartha haila\",\"p\u0101iy\u0101 am\u1e5btadhun\u012b, piye vi\u1e63a-garta-p\u0101ni\",\"janmiy\u0101 se kene n\u0101hi maila\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Anyone who attains a human body but does not take to the cult of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is baffled in his opportunity. Am\u1e5btadhun\u012b is a flowing river of the nectar of devotional service. If after getting a human body one drinks the water in a poison pit of material happiness instead of the water of such a river, it would be better for him not to have lived, but to have died long ago.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 13.123) The water of the nectarean river - the nectar flow is there on one side. And another is (merely) the drain water. In human life, coming in contact with \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga and His followers, one can have a taste of that nectar. But if he misuses this and engages himself in this material exploiting taste, then he&#x27;s drinking drain water! He is misusing such a great chance. It should have been better that, after birth, he should have died - passed away immediately after birth. Caitanya Avat\u0101ra has come and...Oh! He has neglected the opportunity to serve Him (\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu).&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 3)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(354)\",\"pa\u1e63cait\u0101ni mah\u0101-b\u0101ho,\",\"k\u0101ra\u1e47\u0101ni nibodha me\",\"s\u0101\u1e45khye k\u1e5bt\u0101nte prokt\u0101ni,\",\"siddhaye sarvva-karmma\u1e47\u0101m\",\"adhi\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101na\u1e41 tath\u0101 kart,\",\"kara\u1e47a\u1e41 ca p\u1e5bthag-vidham\",\"vividh\u0101\u015b ca p\u1e5bthak ce\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101,\",\"daiva\u1e41 caiv\u0101tra pa\u1e63camam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O mighty hero, in the scripture known as S\u0101\u1e45khya, or Ved\u0101nta, these five causes of the accomplishment of all actions have been described, and you may now learn of these from Me.&quot; (With the help of these five factors, all actions are effected): The body (the place of action), ego (the performer - in the form of the knot of spirit and matter), the separate senses, the different endeavours, and destiny, or the intervention of the Supreme Universal Controller the Supersoul.&quot; (B-g, 18.13-4) The first thing it depends on is the intensity of the suk\u1e5bti of the devotee. And secondly is of course his free-will, his independence. The circumstances will also have their effect. Every action is the combined result of several factors. If we analyse any one event we will find that it is the combination of different forces from different quarters. So generally we can consider that the devotee&#x27;s situation will depend on his previous initial merit, his present free-will, the environment and the mercy of the Lord. His free-will may cause him to commit Vai\u1e63\u1e47avaapar\u0101dha. And his previous merit, suk\u1e5bti, will tend to keep him floating at the standard he previously acquired. By his free-will he may commit offences. Also there is the free-will of the environment: the surrounding paraphernalia may grant him their mercy. There are many contributory factors. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 64)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(355)\",\"para\u1e41 vijayate \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sa\u1e45k\u012brtanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The supreme victory of the congregational chanting of the Holy Names.&quot; As preached by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself Personified as \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Gaura-Nity\u0101nanda. (S, 1) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p xiv) + (see also \u015bloka 108)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(356)\",\"para-vyasanin\u012b n\u0101r\u012b,\",\"vyagr\u0101pi g\u1e5bha-karmmasu\",\"tad ev\u0101sv\u0101dayaty antar,\",\"nava-sa\u1e45ga-ras\u0101yanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A married lady who has love and affection for another gentleman may be seen to be always engaged in her household activities but her heart always realises, or tastes, the company of that person whom she loves. Though outwardly she is seen to be very busy with household work, at heart she&#x27;s always enjoying the company of her beloved. (Similarly, outwardly you may be captured and may be seen to be busy in the association of the government&#x27;s activities, but your heart is not there. It is searching something, and it is receiving the benefit of the association of that inner substance.&quot;) (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 1.211) When Mah\u0101prabhu began His sa\u1e45k\u012brttana preaching mission, at that time the two brothers R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana were engaged in the service of the king in Gau\u1e0da-de\u015ba (Bengal). They were very high scholars and studied the scriptures. San\u0101tana found that the time for the Yuga-avat\u0101ra, the Lord&#x27;s incarnation for Kali-yuga to preach N\u0101ma-Sa\u1e45k\u012brttana was drawing near. So he was alert: &quot;Has that incarnation appeared? And where?&quot; Then he heard that in Nabadw\u012bpa N\u0101maSa\u1e45k\u012brtana, the preaching of the Holy Name, was already begun by \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva as Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, he could trace that the Avat\u0101ra, the incarnation of the Lord, must have come there, and that Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga was that Avat\u0101ra. Then he wrote a letter to Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;We are fallen souls and are engaged in the management of this government which is anti-Hindu. We are engaged in such a position, and outwardly we are affected by this influence. So what will be our future?&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu replied to them with a letter, in which He wrote: para-vyasanin\u012b n\u0101r\u012b\u2026etc. So others cannot capture our heart; they can control our physical activity, but whenever we shall do something in the form of worship, of Harin\u0101ma, our heart will go there. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 69-70)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(357)\",\"parini\u1e63\u1e6dhito &#x27;pi nairgu\u1e47ye,\",\"uttama\u1e25-\u015bloka-l\u012blay\u0101\",\"g\u1e5bh\u012bta-cet\u0101 r\u0101jar\u1e63e,\",\"\u0101khy\u0101na\u1e41 yad adh\u012btav\u0101n,\",\"tad aha\u1e41 te &#x27;bhidh\u0101sy\u0101mi,\",\"mah\u0101-pauru\u1e63iko bhav\u0101n\",\"yasya \u015braddadhat\u0101m \u0101\u015bu,\",\"sy\u0101n mukunde mati\u1e25 sat\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O saintly King, I was certainly situated perfectly in transcendence, yet I was still attracted by the delineation of the pastimes of the Lord, who is described by enlightened verses.&quot; - &quot;That very \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam I shall recite before you because you are the most sincere devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. One who gives full attention and respect to hearing \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam achieves unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord, the giver of salvation.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.9-10) \u015ar\u012b \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b explained to Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Par\u012bk\u1e63it and all the topmost assembled sages: &quot;This illusory world is full of variety and movement, and above it is the Brahman, the nondifferentiated plane of the Absolute. But on the other side, there is again a differentiated and specified world, the adhok\u1e63aja world (beyond sensual perception). This Brahman is not the ultimate existence, but crossing Brahman, on the other side, there is an adhok\u1e63aja world. There, we find K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101, which is not a thing of this mundane world. You all know I have no charm for this world whatsoever. And my mind was attracted by the charm of that higher l\u012bl\u0101. Today I shall speak to you all about that l\u012bl\u0101 (divine pastimes).&quot; The king and the sages had to give their undivided attention. &quot;What does he say? This young boy, over sixteen years of age, does not care to use any clothing. He goes naked. He feels no excitement, and he is constantly engaged in Brahman conception. And he says that there is another world on the other side of this Brahman! And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 is the wealth of that side.&quot; They could not but give audience attentively. &quot;And what does he say? How does he know? And what is the nature of that l\u012bl\u0101 he speaks about?&quot; They became more and more attentive to hear. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 102-3) When Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja enquired from \u015ar\u012b \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, \u015aukadeva first introduced himself in this way: &quot;O sage among kings, despite being excellently merged into the transcendental Brahman, I have studied this \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam because my heart was attracted by the pastimes of the Supreme Lord Uttama\u1e25\u015bloka. King, you are a devotee, and as such you are most qualified to come to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Supreme Person; therefore I shall explain this narrative scripture to you. Swiftly does the divine love for the Supreme Lord Mukunda arise within the heart of one who has developed faith in this \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam.&quot; \u015ar\u012b \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b told Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Par\u012bk\u1e63it: &quot;You seem to be a student of a high standard of learning (mah\u0101-pauru\u1e63iko bhav\u0101n). There are many seekers of their future fortune, but you are a bona fide student; presently death is encroaching upon you, so no ordinary aspirations are in your mind. You are a genuine student and enquirer. Dharma, artha, k\u0101ma, and mok\u1e63a (religion, wealth, sense pleasure, and liberation) are known as the fourfold ends of human enquiry (puru\u1e63\u0101rtha), but because I consider you to be the most bona fide and sincere seeker of the truth (mah\u0101-pauru\u1e63iko), I think I can teach you what I have heard from my dear father very recently; I consider that to be the highest end of every life.&quot; adh\u012btav\u0101n dv\u0101par\u0101dau, pitur dvaip\u0101yan\u0101d aham - (S-B, 2.1.8) tad aha\u1e41 te &#x27;bhidh\u0101sy\u0101mi, mah\u0101pauru\u1e63iko bhav\u0101n - (S-B, 2.1.10) &quot;At the end of Dv\u0101para-yuga, I studied this Mah\u0101-Pur\u0101\u1e47a \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam from my father, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sa. I conceive that to be the highest standard of education and you are the fittest man to receive it. Therefore, I shall deliver it to you.&quot; that harmonises all classes. To receive descending spiritual knowledge in this way is the method of the dedu Saying this, he began the talk of Bh\u0101gavatam. And there he gave the principle of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, ctive school. And the nature of such fit recipients is described as nirmmatsara they are free from jealousy. Those who are suffering the disease of jealousy cannot tolerate anyone holding a higher position than themselves. They cannot tolerate the merit of others. &quot;I am the best. None can be greater than me.&quot; This is their disease (matsara). But the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is for those who are free from the disease of such a mean egoistic feeling. The students that come forward to read the Bh\u0101gavatam must be of such character that they have conquered that mean egoistic sentiment of considering oneself to be all-in-all. When that sort of mean, egoistic feeling is removed, one will be fit to study Bh\u0101gavatam, and they will successfully imbibe the teachings herein and make a great and inconceivably divine improvement in their life. Vedya\u1e41 v\u0101stavam atra vastu \u015bivadam: (S-B, 1.1.2): &quot;I am not dealing with an imaginary concoction. This is v\u0101stava-vastu, a realistic thought which death and mortality cannot challenge. I am dealing with such a thing here. The whole world you are living in is unreal, but what I am dealing with here is the only reality. The realistic thought is not unreal. You are suffering from the mania of unreality. T\u0101patrayon-m\u016blanam: and your disease will be wholesale cured. The disease and its effect - your suffering - will be uprooted to the extreme.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 150-3)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(358)\",\"parip\u016br\u1e47a kariy\u0101 ye saba jane kh\u0101ya\",\"tabe bahirdde\u015be giy\u0101 se santo\u1e63a p\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When one who has eaten and has a full belly goes to the latrine, while passing stool he feels some relief, but you do not even get that sort of meagre pleasure! But in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam there is such high nectar, such high taste, but you, such a mean fellow with your mean mind, approach the Bh\u0101gavatam and teach it in such a filthy way. What do you know about the Bh\u0101gavatam?&quot; (C-Bha, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 21.73) Dev\u0101nanda Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit, a real br\u0101hma\u1e47a of noted scholarship, was a &#x27;professor&#x27; of Bh\u0101gavatam. Many people used to come to hear from him. But although a scholar, his stand-point was that of the \u015aa\u1e45kara school. \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit also lived locally but he was an expert in the real explanations of Bh\u0101gavatam. Mah\u0101prabhu suddenly one day said: &quot;Oh, that Dev\u0101nanda Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit, he teaches Bh\u0101gavatam to so many students, but he himself does not know its real purport. He is spreading poison in the name of Bh\u0101gavatam. I shall go and tear up his books.&quot; Inspired one day with such a spirit Mah\u0101prabhu suddenly ran towards that place, but \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit, and others perhaps, stopped Him, saying: &quot;No, no, this won&#x27;t look good for You.&quot; Anyhow, on another day Mah\u0101prabhu met Dev\u0101nanda Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit and told him: &quot;You are teaching \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam to the students, but do you know what is there in Bh\u0101gavatam? You yourself do not know what nectar is there.&quot; In a very ridiculing way, Mah\u0101prabhu told him: parip\u016br\u1e47a kariy\u0101 ye saba jane kh\u0101ya: On another occasion \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit went to hear Bh\u0101gavatam from Dev\u0101nanda&#x27;s \u1e6dol, Sanskrit school. While Dev\u0101nanda was pronouncing the \u015blokas, \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa was understanding the \u015blokas in his own way thus causing many feelings to come in him: sometimes he shed tears and sometimes he shivered. Dev\u0101nanda Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit told his students: &quot;Oh, that man has come to disturb us with all these lower sentiments. Take him out!&quot; So his students forcibly removed \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit from the room and left him outside; but that enraged Mah\u0101prabhu. Later on, one of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya&#x27;s intimate devotees Vake\u015bvara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit went to Dev\u0101nanda&#x27;s house. He came and had a private talk with Dev\u0101nanda, and Dev\u0101nanda was converted to Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism. Dev\u0101nanda commented: &quot;Yes, I did not know that such meanings may be found in \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam. I was influenced by \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya&#x27;s teachings that Brahman is all-in-all, therefore I considered these topics of Bh\u0101gavatam to be all sagu\u1e47a, all under m\u0101y\u0101.&quot; So, when \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu after five years of sanny\u0101sa again visited the area of Kuliy\u0101, in Navadw\u012bp Dh\u0101ma, Dev\u0101nanda fell at His feet, crying and begging forgiveness: &quot;I have made such offences!&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Yes, but you have committed offences not so much against Me as against \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit. Go and beg forgiveness from him and you will be absolved from your offences.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 18-9) + (see also \u015bloka 264) So also, in the case of reading \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam there is this question of adhik\u0101ra (qualification) and sat-sa\u1e45ga (good association). Even a br\u0101hma\u1e47a may not have the proper position to understand, what to speak of teach, the scriptures. Only s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga - the association of a good teacher - is necessary to understand the \u015b\u0101stra. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 20) + (see also \u015bloka 264)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(359)\",\"parivadatu jano yath\u0101 tath\u0101ya\u1e41,\",\"nanu mukharo na vaya\u1e41 vic\u0101ray\u0101ma\u1e25\",\"hari-rasa-madir\u0101-mad\u0101timatt\u0101,\",\"bhuvi-vilu\u1e6dh\u0101ma-na\u1e6d\u0101ma nirvvi\u015b\u0101ma\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya said: &quot;The gossipers may slander us, but we shall not heed them. Completely intoxicated by drinking the wine of the ecstasy of \u015ar\u012b Hari&#x27;s service, we shall dance and roll about on the ground, and faint.&quot; There is a class that think that they can take intoxication and chant and dance and roll about on the ground, imitating the divine intoxication mentioned in this verse written by S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya. They think they can purchase &#x27;divine&#x27; ecstasy very cheaply with the help of intoxication, but their whole attempt is deception. Not to mention them, even the yogic attempt is inferior. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 91) + (see also \u015bloka 583) The people&#x27;s opinion is of no consequence to the devotees absorbed in the ecstasy of service to Lord Hari. (SSPJ, p 117)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(360)\",\"parok\u1e63a-v\u0101do vedo &#x27;ya\u1e41,\",\"b\u0101l\u0101n\u0101m anu\u015b\u0101sanam\",\"karma-mok\u1e63\u0101ya karm\u0101\u1e47i,\",\"vidhatte hy agada\u1e41 yath\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Childish and foolish people are attached to materialistic, fruitive activities, although the actual goal of life is to become free from such activities. Therefore, the Vedic injunctions indirectly lead one to the path of ultimate liberation by first prescribing fruitive religious activities, just as a father promises his child candy so that the child will take his medicine.&quot; (S-B, 11.3.44) &quot;The Vedic purport is presented in an indirect, veiled manner in order to instruct undisciplined, childishly foolish persons.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 17) + (see also \u015bloka 66) We are to be dealt with according to our stage. A boy should be given the standard of examination of a boy, not of a grown-up man. The questions in a boy&#x27;s examination will be of a different standard than those for the adults. Gradually we will be taken to the higher standard. parok\u1e63a-v\u0101do vedo &#x27;ya\u1e41, b\u0101l\u0101n\u0101m anu\u015b\u0101sanam. Just as a child is guided with some modified policy, similarly that sort of process has been adopted in dealing with ourselves. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 63)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(361)\",\"p\u0101rtha naiveha n\u0101mutra,\",\"vin\u0101\u015bas tasya vidyate\",\"na hi kaly\u0101\u1e47a-k\u1e5bt ka\u015bcid,\",\"durgati\u1e41 t\u0101ta gacchati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Arjuna, son of Kunt\u012b, the unsuccessful yog\u012b does not suffer ruination either in this life or the next. He is not deprived of the pleasures of the heavenly planetary systems in this universe, nor is he denied the chance to personally see the Supersoul in the divine realm. This is so, O dear one, because a person who performs virtuous actions never becomes ill-fated.&quot; (B-g, 6.40) + (see also \u015bloka 307)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(362)\",\"p\u0101\u015ba-baddho bhavej j\u012bva\u1e25\",\"p\u0101\u015ba-mukta\u1e25 sad\u0101\u015biva\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Just after \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu met Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu at Nandana \u0100c\u0101rya&#x27;s house, Mah\u0101prabhu gradually began preaching. Harid\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura and Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu were both given orders. &quot;Go from door to door and request them to leave everything aside and take the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Whomever you may meet going from door to door, approach and ask them to take the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a leaving aside everything else.&quot; At that time, Navadw\u012bpa Dh\u0101ma was mostly filled with tantrics, that is, the worship of \u015aakti Dev\u012b and M\u0101y\u0101 Dev\u012b. The tantrics says: &quot;This m\u0101y\u0101 is disturbing us, so we must take shelter under her feet. When she will be propitiated and satisfied, then she will loosen, open the door and we will get out and become \u015aiva. By nature, by birth, j\u012bva means \u015aiva, \u015aiva means the master of m\u0101y\u0101. We are now in the clutches of m\u0101y\u0101, misunderstanding. When the goddess of misunderstanding is satisfied with us, she will then withdraw and we shall go to the other side. There are so many liberated souls there and we shall join them. They are all enjoying the position of \u015aiva, the master of m\u0101y\u0101. M\u0101y\u0101 cannot force them to do anything and everything as she wills, rather she serves her masters. M\u0101y\u0101 serves \u015aiva, the liberated souls. M\u0101y\u0101 serves them though in the relativity of m\u0101y\u0101 but they cannot control so they render some service to the liberated souls and they are known as \u015aiva. p\u0101\u015ba-baddho bhavej j\u012bva\u1e25 p\u0101\u015ba-mukta\u1e25 sad\u0101\u015biva\u1e25. When within bondage he is j\u012bva, a fallen soul, when he is outside the bondage of this m\u0101y\u0101, this misunderstanding, then he&#x27;s always \u015aiva. He can then move here and there at his sweet will and m\u0101y\u0101 cannot force him, rather she will come to serve him, and that is liberation. We shall then serve M\u0101y\u0101 Dev\u012b and the tantric process invokes something, in this way she will be satisfied.&quot; They use many things, they may drink wine and eat meats. They offer them to the Deities M\u0101y\u0101, \u015aakti, and Kali. They also enjoy the women in different moods. They think that the application of mixing with ladies is such, that they will get liberation from the charm of the ladies. In this way in their process, they approve of the wine, the meat and the ladies. It seems to be very harmful to us but these are the underlying principles of the tantric up\u0101san\u0101 (worship). &quot;In our method, our process of approaching these things which we feel temptation for, we shall get liberation from them. They come to attract us towards them but by a particular process we shall handle them. We shall be masters of those poisonous things.&quot; At that time, Navadw\u012bp was filled with such tantrics. Mah\u0101prabhu \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga began His preaching, attempting to convince everyone to give up everything and take to chanting the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. He then said: &quot;Not only will you be out of m\u0101y\u0101 but you will attain positive life in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. That is higher attainment, and what is to be attained by worshipping the \u015aakti in the method they are following, that is reactionary and sometime again they will have to evolve.&quot; This is mentioned in the \u015b\u0101stra, but not very extensively. If you are very particular then you will have to see that the relativity of this negative world is not safe. You must enter the positive world and then you will be safe. (GOD, p 28) A j\u012bva can attain the position of \u015aiva, he can be &#x27;\u015aiva,&#x27; when he is out of the clutches of m\u0101y\u0101; and the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha devotee is more than \u015aiva. When a spiritual molecule is free from the clutches of the exploitation tendency, he is known as &#x27;Siva&#x27;. p\u0101\u015ba-baddho bhavej j\u012bva\u1e25 p\u0101\u015bamukta\u1e25 sad\u0101\u015biva\u1e25. When he is entangled, he is &#x27;j\u012bva,&#x27; and when he is free, he is &#x27;\u015aiva&#x27; (\u015aivo &#x27;ham). (SOTGOD, v 2, p 94) + (see also \u015bloka 329)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(363)\",\"patita-p\u0101vana jagann\u0101tha sarvve\u015bvara\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-candra sarvva-rasera \u0101kara\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the purifier of the fallen souls, the Lord of the universe, the Lord of all beings, the moon of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and the origin of all rasas.&quot; (TSOBT, p 92) When enumerating one hundred and twenty Names of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, (\u015ar\u012b-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-Vi\u1e41\u015bottara-\u015bataN\u0101ma), \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura mentions at the end, Patita-p\u0101vana: Jagann\u0101tha has come to save the fallen; and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s special quality is that He is the Emporium of all Rasas: V\u1e5bnd\u0101vanacandra Sarvva-rasera \u0100kara - The very Source of all types of ecstasy, Personified. That is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Mah\u0101prabhu is also patita-p\u0101vana. He passed the major portion of His life there in Jagann\u0101tha Pur\u012b. Patita-p\u0101vana means &#x27;Saviour of the fallen.&#x27; Everything has its speciality. As a doctor may prescribe medicine with a free diet except for restrictions on only two or three items, similarly in the case of the Temple of Lord Jagann\u0101tha we also see great liberality, with the exception of a few items. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 142)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(364)\",\"patra\u1e41 pu\u1e63pa\u1e41 phala\u1e41 toya\u1e41,\",\"yo me bhakty\u0101 prayacchati\",\"tad aha\u1e41 bhakty-upah\u1e5btam,\",\"a\u015bn\u0101mi prayat\u0101tmana\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Certainly, if one offers Me with devotion a leaf, flower, fruit, and water, I partake of that whole offering from such a purehearted and affectionate devotee of Mine. With heartfelt love, I graciously accept.&quot; (B-g, 9.26) &quot;Whatever the pure-hearted devotees lovingly offer unto Me, such as Tulas\u012b leaf, flower, fruit, and water, I accept that with heartfelt affection.&quot; (SSPJ, p 153) &quot;There are many demigods. They are making trade, but I am not amongst the commodities of their trading. None can make trade with Me. I am Absolute. I look only for devotion, exclusive devotion which is not formal, but natural, hearty and sincere. I look for that. I look for the heart and not for anything else - bh\u0101va-gr\u0101hi-jan\u0101rddana\u1e25.&quot; patra\u1e41 pu\u1e63pa\u1e41 phala\u1e41 toya\u1e41, yo me bhakty\u0101 prayacchati. &quot;Whatever My devotee offers Me with sincere devotion, with sincere affection, I accept that. It does not matter whether it is a leaf, a flower, water, or anything else. Rich food or rich presentations are not necessary for Me, but what I want is the heart. I want sincerity and good faith. That is the highest requirement within Me.&quot; There is a carefully written poem: &quot;Oh K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, You have everything but only You do not have Your heart. Your heart has been stolen by the gop\u012bs. You have everything except for Your heart and mind, they are not present in You for they have already been stolen by the gop\u012bs. So You take my heart, You accept my mind. That is what is wanting in You, so please accept my heart and mind for Yourself. Your heart is missing, and that has attracted my heart towards You, so please take it.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 51)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(365)\",\"phala-\u015brutir iya\u1e41 n\u1e5d\u1e47\u0101\u1e41,\",\"na \u015breyo rocana\u1e41 param\",\"\u015breyo-vivak\u1e63ay\u0101 prokta\u1e41,\",\"yath\u0101 bhai\u1e63ajya-rocanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Those statements of scripture promising fruitive rewards do not prescribe the ultimate good for men but are merely enticements for executing beneficial religious duties, like promises of candy spoken to induce a child to take beneficial medicine.&quot; (S-B, 11.21.23) &quot;We must not allow ourselves to be led by those who lived and thought before us. We must think for ourselves and try to get further truths, which are still undiscovered. In the \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam (11.21.23) we have been advised to take the spirit of the \u015a\u0101stras, and not the words. The Bh\u0101gavata is therefore a religion of liberty, unmixed truth, and absolute love.&quot; (TSFSK, p iv) (Quoted from Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s English lecture at Dinajpur, West Bengal, India, 1869)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(366)\",\"pit\u0101 rak\u1e63ati kaum\u0101re,\",\"bhartt\u0101 rak\u1e63ati yauvane\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Hindu law gives no rights or position to the females. The whole right is with the men and nothing with the women, but by their affection and serving spirit the women hold the whole respect - the key to all respect. They have the respect of the son and the affection of the husband, and they enjoy like anything. By the law of society, externally no rights have been given to the mother, wife or daughter, yet the ladies hold a peculiar and very venerable position in the eyes of society. Pit\u0101 rak\u1e63ati kaum\u0101re, bhartt\u0101 rak\u1e63ati yauvane. Here Manu explains that during early age the father will protect the females, during youth the husband will protect them, and in old age the son will protect them. Though externally having no rights, they draw respect from society more than a goddess does. In a similar way the potency of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, His servitors, hold such a position in relation to Him. They have no external right and do not care for any. They are His, but only through the power of affection and loving service they command the whole. The potency aspect of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a does not want any right, force or power, yet they have the subtlemost power: the power of affection, the power of love, the power of service, and that is considered to be the highest power ever known to the world. Give up your legal power or any physical power; the \u015bakti (potency) is such that it does not care for that. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 76-7) The following is a song called Emana Durmati, from \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura: with \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s commentary.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(367)\",\"(1)\",\"(prabhu he!) emana durmati sa\u1e41s\u0101ra bhitare\",\"pa\u1e0diy\u0101 \u0101chinu \u0101mi\",\"taba nija-jana kona mah\u0101jane\",\"p\u0101\u1e6dh\u0101iy\u0101 dile tumi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Due to an ignorant and wicked mode of mind I came into this world of illusory mortal activities and have been here for a very long time. O Prabhu! Out of Your loving grace You sent one of your own eternal associates to me in the form of a pure devotee.&quot; In this first verse nija-jana means beloved associate-servitor and the term &#x27;mah\u0101jana&#x27; indicates the bona fide \u0101c\u0101rya or gurudeva. \u1e6ch\u0101kura Bhaktivinoda thus expresses heartfelt gratitude to the Supreme Lord by saying: &quot;O Lord, out of your great compassion upon me you sent one of your own beloved associates as my gurudeva for my eternal benefit.&quot; (2) day\u0101 kori more patita dekhiy\u0101 kahila \u0101m\u0101re giy\u0101 ohe dina jana \u015buna bh\u0101la kath\u0101 ullasita he&#x27;be hiy\u0101 &quot;Seeing me so fallen and destitute he took pity on me and came to me saying: &#x27;O humbled person please listen to me carefully for my words will certainly gladden your heart.&quot; In the second verse &#x27;\u015buna bh\u0101la kath\u0101&#x27; means &#x27;please listen to my true well-wishing words.&#x27; The mood of this expression of \u1e6ch\u0101kur Bhaktivinoda relates to the esoteric mood of this beautiful verse of \u015ar\u012bmad Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, spoken by the supreme guru K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to His disciple-friend Arjuna. sarva-guhyatama\u1e41 bh\u016bya\u1e25, \u015b\u1e5b\u1e47u me parama\u1e41 vaca\u1e25 i\u1e63\u1e6do &#x27;si me d\u1e5b\u1e0dham iti, tato vak\u1e63y\u0101mi te hitam &quot;Please listen to this My supreme well-wishing instruction to you for your eternal benefit. Because you are a very dear friend of Mine, I am telling you this supreme truth, the most confidential of all.&quot; (B-g, 18.64) + (see also \u015bloka 435) It also relates to a verse of \u015ari Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20.127: &#x27;sarvaj\u00f1a&#x27; \u0101si&#x27; du\u1e25kha dekhi&#x27; puchaye t\u0101h\u0101re.&#x27; &quot;Once a learned astrologer devotee of the Lord came to the house of a poor man and upon seeing his misery revealed to him about how to obtain the secret wealth of life for his supreme benefit.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 436) (3) tom\u0101re t\u0101rite \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya nabadv\u012bpe abat\u0101ra tom\u0101 hena kata d\u012bna h\u012bna jane karilena bhava-p\u0101ra &quot;\u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya has made His divine appearance in Navadv\u012bpa to liberate you. He has delivered many unfortunate conditioned souls like you across the ocean of worldly, mortal existence.&quot; In the third verse &#x27;\u015br\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a caitanya&#x27; has two simultaneous root meanings, one refers to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu Who is non-different from \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself and the other is the &#x27;divine nectarean consciousness of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;. A beautiful reference to this is found in Padma Pur\u0101\u1e47a and Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu, P\u016brva-vibh\u0101ga, 2.233. n\u0101ma cint\u0101ma\u1e47i\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u015b, caitanya-rasa-vigraha\u1e25 p\u016br\u1e47a\u1e25 \u015buddho nitya-mukto, &#x27;bhinnatv\u0101n n\u0101ma-n\u0101mino\u1e25 &quot;The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is full of transcendental bliss. It blesses the devotee with all fulfilment, for it is non-different from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the fountain source of all pleasure. Therefore it is also by nature the embodiment of all transcendental mellows. It is complete, pure, eternal and ever liberated from all material conditioning because the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself are identical.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 314) In this Kali-yuga, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is the most magnanimous incarnation of generous distribution of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He thus inundates the hearts of all living entities with His own divine ecstasy. Therefore He is defined and realised to be eternally identical with that transcendentally blissful Name. The term &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya-rasa-vigraha&#x27; means the embodiment of all transcendental divine mellows of love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and this factually refers to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya. &#x27;navadv\u012bpe-avat\u0101ra&#x27; means appearing in Navadw\u012bpa. This event was predicted in the holy scripture known as &#x27;Ananta Sa\u1e41hita&#x27;, in the following verse: &#x27;avat\u012br\u1e47o bhavi\u1e63y\u0101mi kalau nija-ga\u1e47ai\u1e25 saha \u015bac\u012b-garbhe navadv\u012bpe svardhun\u012b-pariv\u0101rite&#x27; The Lord said: &quot;In the age of Kali, in a pious family on the banks of the river svardhun\u012b (Ga\u1e47g\u0101) in Navadv\u012bpa I will appear in the womb of \u015aac\u012b accompanied by my eternal associates.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 74) Bhava-p\u0101ra in verse three means crossing over the ocean of mortal existence. This phrase corresponds to the following prayer from \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (11.5.33): &quot;bh\u1e5bty\u0101rttiha\u1e41 pra\u1e47ata-p\u0101la bhav\u0101bdhi-pota\u1e41: My dear Lord, You compassionately protect and take care of Your loving servitors who sincerely bow down to You with heartfelt respect and thus You mercifully relieve all their distress. Your lotus feet are the suitable boat for crossing over the ocean of mortal existence. Thus They are the supreme shelter of everyone.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 128) (4) bedera pratij\u00f1a r\u0101khib\u0101ra tare rukma bar\u1e47a bipra-suta mah\u0101prabhu n\u0101me nad\u012by\u0101 m\u0101t\u0101ya sa\u1e45ge bh\u0101i abadh\u016bta &quot;To fulfil the promise of the Vedas, the Lord has appeared this time with a golden complexion as the son of a br\u0101hma\u1e47a bearing the Name Mah\u0101prabhu which is very dear to the devotees heart. He maddened and overwhelmed all of Nadia with divine joy which was supplemented and enhanced by His beloved brother, the avadh\u016bta, \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu.&quot; The fourth verse begins with vedera pratij\u00f1\u0101 - meaning the promise made in the Vedas. rukmavar\u1e47a - means golden complexioned or purata-sundara-dyuti beautified with a golden hue. This reference is found in Mu\u1e47\u1e0daka Upani\u1e63ad. &quot;yad\u0101 pa\u015bya pa\u015byate rukma-var\u1e47a\u1e41 kart\u0101ra\u1e41 \u012b\u015bam purusa\u1e41 brahma-yonim.&quot; &quot;When one sees an exalted or extraordinary personality with lustrous golden complexion He should be known as the omniscient all mighty Lord who is the divine origin of everything.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 568) Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata also describes the incarnation of Kali-yuga as follows: suvar\u1e47a-var\u1e47o hem\u0101\u1e45go, var\u0101\u1e45ga\u015b candan\u0101\u1e45gad\u012b sanny\u0101sa-k\u1e5bc chama\u1e25 \u015b\u0101nto, ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101-\u015b\u0101nti-par\u0101ya\u1e47a\u1e25 &quot;Appearing in a handsome golden form with limbs smeared with sandalwood paste, He looks like a figure of beauty made of molten gold. He accepts the sanny\u0101sa order and always remains equipoised and peaceful. He is the highest resort of peace and devotion.&quot; (\u015ar\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-sahasran\u0101ma, which appears in Chapter 189 of the D\u0101na-dharma-parva (149) of Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata) + (see also \u015bloka 488) Therefore, we understand that Lord Caitanya is the same full incarnation of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in this age of Kali. The term &quot;Mah\u0101prabhu&quot; has been defined in the \u015avet\u0101\u015bvatara Upani\u1e63ad as follows: mah\u0101n prabhurvai-puru\u1e63a sattvasya aisa pravarttaka\u1e25: He is the most magnanimous and compassionate master who mercifully presents the divine conclusions of the supreme truth to all.&quot; (\u015bloka 277) Avadh\u016bta - Lord Nity\u0101nanda; \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Sw\u0101m\u012bp\u0101da explains in his commentary to Sr\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam the meaning of the term avadh\u016bta in the following way. &quot;avaj\u00f1\u0101y\u0101 janai\u1e25 takto ya\u1e25&quot; means an extraordinarily exalted and qualified person who because of His supernormal ways of living appears to the common man as abnormal. Thus he (the avadh\u016bta Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava) is unfortunately misunderstood and ignored by them. (5) nanda-suta jini caitanya gos\u0101in nija-n\u0101ma kari&#x27; d\u0101na t\u0101rila jagat tumi-o y\u0101iy\u0101 laha nija-paritr\u0101\u1e47a &quot;\u015ar\u012b Caitanya, who is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, the son of Nanda, has saved the world by generously distributing His own Holy Name. Please you also go to Him take the great privilege of accepting His shelter and attain liberation.&quot; Verse five describes nanda-suta as the son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a who appeared as Lord Caitanya in this age of Kali. \u015ar\u012b J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b states in his Krama-Sandharbha &amp; TattvaSandarbha 2: anta\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e41 bahir gaura\u1e41, dar\u015bit\u0101\u1e45g\u0101di-vaibhavam kalau sa\u1e45k\u012brtan\u0101dyai\u1e25 sma, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanyam \u0101\u015brit\u0101\u1e25 &quot;I take shelter of Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who is outwardly of fair complexion but inwardly is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. In this Kali-yuga He appears with His expansions and associates to perform the congregational chanting, and preaching of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 36) The purport of this verse is further revealed in the Kapila Tantra. prema \u0101li\u1e45gana-yogena c\u0101cintya-\u015bakti-yogata\u1e25 r\u0101dh\u0101 bh\u0101va-k\u0101nti-yut\u0101\u1e41 m\u016brtim ek\u0101\u1e41 prak\u0101\u015bayet. &quot;Having been deeply imbued with the divine love of My supreme beloved \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, and with the help of My inconceivable potency, a super excellent form of Mine, embellished and possessed with Her mood and complexion will be manifest.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 373) (6) se kath\u0101 \u015buniy\u0101 \u0101siy\u0101chi, n\u0101tha tom\u0101ra cara\u1e47a-tale bhakativinoda k\u0101ndiy\u0101 k\u0101ndiy\u0101 \u0101pana-k\u0101hin\u012b bale &quot;O beloved Lord, impelled by hearing these words, Bhaktivinoda has come weeping to the shelter of your lotus feet and is telling you his life story.&quot; (TSOBT, p 9-11) + (ARO, p 19-24)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(368)\",\"prabhu kahe,- &quot;pa\u1e0da \u015bloka s\u0101dhyera nir\u1e47aya&quot;\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;What is the ultimate goal of life? I not only want to hear your statements, but also evidence from the scriptures.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.51-313) In the famous conversation with R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu began the approach to pure devotional service in a general and comprehensive way. This is recorded in Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.51-313. He asked R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya this question: prabhu kahe,- &quot;pa\u1e0da \u015bloka s\u0101dhyera nir\u1e47aya.&quot; (The answer came from R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;r\u0101ya kahe, - sva-dharm\u0101cara\u1e47e vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhakti haya: &quot;Discharge your own duty, without expecting anything in return.&quot;) (TSFSK, p 135) + (see also \u015bloka 407)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(369)\",\"prak\u1e5btermah\u0101n aha\u1e45kara pancatran mahatr\u0101ni\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"As objective substance evolves by the influence of consciousness, it expresses itself in five main ingredients: that which can be seen, smelled, heard, tasted, and touched. These five elements are the primitive principles of material existence. And that fivefold principle evolved in three phases: sattva, r\u0101ja, tama\u1e25: goodness, passion, ignorance. Expressing itself as ether, sound, hearing, and the ear; air, mass, touch, and the skin; fire, colour, vision, and the eye; water, tastes, the sense of taste, and the tongue; and earth, aroma, the sense of smell, and the nose. There are twenty-four elements. The self, three subtle elements - prak\u1e5bti, mahat-tattva, and aha\u1e45kara, five gross elements, five senses, five sense objects, five sense-gathering instruments - in this way, the development of the material world has been described to have come down through a process of subtle to gross, from consciousness to matter. Again when this material existence is withdrawn by superior will, the gross dissolves into the subtle. Beginning with the most gross, gradually the whole material existence becomes more and more subtle until it finally enters into the subtle expression of material existence known as prak\u1e5bt\u012b the subtle causal watery substance.&quot; (SEOC, p 25-6) + (see also \u015bloka 57)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(370)\",\"pr\u0101pa\u1e63cikatay\u0101 buddhy\u0101,\",\"hari-sambandhi-vastuna\u1e25\",\"mumuk\u1e63ubhi\u1e25 parity\u0101go,\",\"vair\u0101gya\u1e41 phalgu kathyate.\",\"an\u0101saktasya vi\u1e63ay\u0101n,\",\"yath\u0101rham upayu\u00f1jata\u1e25\",\"nirbandha\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sambandhe,\",\"yukta\u1e41 vair\u0101gyam ucyate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;That renunciation which is practised by those desirous of impersonal liberation and rejects things in connection with \u015ar\u012b Hari, thinking them to be material, is called ph\u0101lgu-vair\u0101gya, external or false renunciation.&quot; &quot;That renunciation in which there is no attachment for the objects of the senses, but in which everything is seen in relationship to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and all things are engaged in His service is called yukta-vair\u0101gya, or practical renunciation.&quot; (P-P) + (B-r-s, P\u016brva-vibh\u0101ga, 2.125-6) Faith is the only means through which we can see, hear, or feel the higher world; otherwise it is all meaningless to us. To understand that plane, an inner awakenment is necessary. We can connect with the upper world only through a higher source. Therefore, divya\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101nam, knowledge of the higher plane, is not ordinary knowledge; it is transcendental, supramental feeling and sense. But to realise this, surrender is compulsory. After that, we may go on hearing and chanting, remembering and worshipping and praising the Lord, or rendering so many other kinds of service, but the first thing - the foundation of devotion - must be self surrender. Otherwise nothing will be effected; our show of devotion will all be imitation. We must sincerely feel: &quot;I shall be faithful in my service to the Supreme Lord. I am meant for Him. I am ready to die to live. I want to live for Him only and not for fulfilling any separate interest. I want nothing less than the absolute. I want to be His completely.&quot; This sort of intensity is an indispensable necessity for a devotee. A devotee has to conceive, to feel, that they are meant for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. They are not independent entities; they are dependent on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - the highest absolute centre - and nothing else. To identify with the interest of our family, society, or country is extended selfishness, but all false identification must be eliminated. We must be neither selfish nor entangled in extended selfishness. Rather, all sorts of foreign contamination must be eliminated from our conception of self. All outside demands must be cancelled. Then we shall feel in our innermost hearts that we are connected with the whole of the infinite, the absolute. And nothing external is required for our success. The only thing required of us is that we dismantle the ego&#x27;s cover. The ego is collecting some foreign elements, but that foreign collection box must be dissolved - finished - and then, in our innermost hearts, we shall find our connection with the fundamental plane of loving service to the organic whole. Both enjoyment and renunciation are abnormal. They are two kinds of demons: enjoyment or exploitation, and eternal rest or renunciation. These two tendencies are our enemies. A higher, positive life is possible only when we become fully independent of both exploitation and renunciation. Everything will help us if we can see it in connection with the centre. On the other hand, the kind of exclusive renunciation practised by the \u015aankarites and Buddhists is not recommended by our line. We are concerned to harmonise things so that everything will remind us of our duty towards the Absolute, and encourage us to dedicate ourselves to Him. To neglect the environment, thinking that it is filled with undesirable material things, won&#x27;t help us. That is not correct. Everything within the environment should remind us of the Absolute. In that spirit we should move, thinking: &quot;Accept me and connect me with the service of our Lord.&quot; When the environment is seen with the correct vision, everything will help encourage and excite us in our service to the centre. We are living in an organic whole, a system. And that system is composed of the owner and the owned, the possessor of the potency and the different types of potencies. (\u015bakti-\u015baktim\u0101n). (LSFTLS, p 1-2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(371)\",\"prati a\u1e45ga l\u0101gi k\u0101nde, prati a\u1e45ga mora\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"j\u00f1\u0101na D\u0101sa says in his Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-pad\u0101vali - Anthology of Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Songs: &quot;Every part of My being cries for the corresponding part of Him.&quot; There is great value in having the company of the saints and scriptures, without mixing with the robbery of this material world. What is present here at this moment becomes nothing at the next. We are not of this world full of treachery. We are disgusted with the treacherous aspect of the world that charms us and engages us in a treacherous soil. Now something - next moment, nothing. We must give that up and try for something substantial: sat, cit, \u0101nandam eternal existence, uncontaminated consciousness, and finally, the fulfilment of all our necessities - the corresponding engagement of the whole of our existence. prati a\u1e45ga l\u0101ge k\u0101nde, prati a\u1e45ga mora. And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Only I can give you complete fulfilment, so come to Me and give up everything else.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 10) + (see also \u015blokas 410 &amp; 434) In Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-pad\u0101vali there is an expression: prati a\u1e45ga l\u0101ge k\u0101nde, prati a\u1e45ga mora. In the acme of Divinity, madhurya-rasa, where \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is \u015aakti (the Divine Potency of the Lord), She says: &quot;My every limb is crying for the respective limb of My Lord; not only My Self, but every part of My Body earnestly aspires for the corresponding part of My Master&#x27;s.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 80-1) + (see \u015blokas 93 &amp; 410)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(372)\",\"pravi\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e25 kar\u1e47a-randhre\u1e47a,\",\"sv\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 bh\u0101va-saroruham\",\"dhunoti \u015bamala\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e25,\",\"salilasya yath\u0101 \u015barat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The sound incarnation of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Supreme Soul (i.e. \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam), enters into the heart of a self-realised devotee, sits on the lotus flower of his loving relationship, and thus cleanses the dust of material association, such as lust, anger and hankering. Thus it acts like autumnal rains upon pools of muddy water.&quot; (S-B, 2.8.5) We know that the connection with the present enjoying mood brings a painful reaction. We can realise that, but we cannot leave it behind. We cannot cut off the connection completely in the stage of s\u0101dhana, spiritual practice. Still, we have no other alternative. Our affinity for the positive truth should be increased more and more, and gradually our affinity for our paraphernalia and obligations will all disappear. Although repeatedly we may not be successful, still we will be unable to give up the idea. We will attempt again and again to make progress towards the truth, and when we are unsuccessful, our heart will ache to think that we are repeatedly being defeated by the enemies who are all around us. But the fire of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is there, and that fire is not to be quenched. It is a spark of eternal truth. So, the fire will continue, and the day will come when the enemies that are surrounding us will have to retire once and for all. One day we will find that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has gradually captured our whole heart, and the others have retired forever; they are no longer present to trouble us in our mental circle. We will find that those unwanted things were like mushrooms: they came out from their mental soil, and now they have all gone and died. They have all gone away, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a alone is in the heart. At that time, the heart is only full of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, full of the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura once instructed a disciple at the time of initiation into the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a mantra, that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should be allowed to land in our hearts, just as an army is landed by the navy. An army is carried by a ship, and when they have landed, the fight begins, and they capture the country, just as Julius Caesar said: &quot;Veni vidi vici, I came, I saw, I conquered.&quot; So, we have to allow K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to land in our hearts. Then the fight will begin; the unwanted things are sure to withdraw, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness will capture the whole heart. Somehow or other, from a pure devotee, a bit of real K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness should enter through our ears into our hearts, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will supply whatever is required. One who has imbibed even a slight regard for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is assured of success in spiritual life, today or tomorrow. We may have erected high walls on all sides to protect ourselves so that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness may not enter, but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a thief, and a thief requires no invitation. No preparation is necessary for His welcome. He will enter for His own interest, and that is our consolation. Our solace is that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a thief. M\u0101y\u0101 has erected her high walls on all sides, but nothing is sufficient to stop K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a thief, and stealthily He will enter one day. A devotee may become hopeless, thinking: &quot;The enemy is within my own house; my own kinsmen are my enemies. I am hopeless.&quot; We may become disappointed, but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness will not leave us in any way. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will persevere, and in due course of time, He will conquer. And other things, no matter how closely related they may be in private and well-protected rooms in our hearts, will have to go. They must take leave from every corner of our hearts. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will conquer. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will capture the whole thing. The unwanted lusty desires of our hearts are foreign things. They are only like mushrooms, and like mushrooms they come out; they have no permanent stability or root. They are not rooted to the soil. We may think that what we have stored in our hearts is very near and dear, and that is already mixed with us as a part of our existence, but when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness enters, they will all float like mushrooms. After all, they are mushrooms; they have no footing, no connection with the soil. They are only floating. All material interests are only floating on the surface. They are not deeply rooted within and without the whole of our existence. Only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness has its existence everywhere, within all parts of our existence. So, the mushrooms will have to vanish one day. This is confirmed in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam: pravi\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e25 kar\u1e47a-randhre\u1e47a sv\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 bh\u0101vasaroruham: &quot;When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a enters the heart through the ear, He captures the lotus of the heart and then gradually makes all the dirt in the heart disappear. Just as when the autumn season comes, all the water everywhere becomes pure, so also, when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a enters our hearts, all the impurities within will gradually vanish, and only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will remain forever.&quot; (TSFSK, p 90-3) By accepting the path of devotion, a wholesale transformation of our internal system begins, and gradually our charm for the outside world vanishes. There is a war within, and when the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception enters into the heart of a devotee, all other thoughts and ideas gradually have to retire. When the autumn season appears, the mud within the water vanishes. In the same way, when the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception enters into one&#x27;s heart, all other conceptions and aspirations will gradually have to retire, leaving K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in possession of everything. When a real drop of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness enters the heart, all opposing forces must leave and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will conquer and take possession of the whole. (TGVODL, p 102)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c12\",\"title\":\"12. In Praise of \u015ar\u012bmati R\u0101dh\u0101rani\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"Even Lord Brahm\u0101, Lord \u015aiva, Dev\u0101rsi N\u0101rada, the personified Vedas (Srutis) and Lak\u1e63m\u012b-Dev\u012b honour and worship the dust of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101&#x27;s lotus feet.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(373)\",\"prema \u0101li\u1e45gana-yogena\",\"c\u0101cintya-\u015bakti-yogata\u1e25\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101 bh\u0101va-k\u0101nti-yut\u0101\u1e41\",\"m\u016brtim ek\u0101\u1e41 prak\u0101\u015bayet.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Having been deeply imbued with the divine love of My supreme beloved \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, and with the help of My inconceivable potency, a super excellent form of Mine, embellished and possessed with Her mood and complexion will be manifest.&quot; (KT) + (ARO, p 24) + (see also \u015bloka 36)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(374)\",\"prema-gu\u00f1jan\u0101li-pu\u00f1ja-pu\u1e63pa-pu\u00f1ja-ra\u00f1jita\u1e41\",\"g\u012bta-n\u1e5btya-dak\u1e63a-pak\u1e63i-v\u1e5bk\u1e63a-lak\u1e63a-vanditam\",\"go-v\u1e5b\u1e63\u0101di-n\u0101da-d\u012bpta-p\u016brva-moda-medura\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;While strolling through the forest groves of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the beautiful flowers surrounded by bumble bees humming in sweet love drones welcomed and entertained Him. The trees lining the forest groves harmoniously offered their respects to Him in unison with a variety of birds that were expertly dancing and singing in sheer delight. The Lord&#x27;s mind became flooded by loving feelings remembering how the cows, calves, and oxen of the holy abode of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana would affectionately call for Him in a previous era. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gaurasundara the beautiful divine abode of pure love.&quot; (PDDS, 39) + (SBRBM, p 10-11)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(375)\",\"premaiva gopa-r\u0101m\u0101n\u0101\u1e41\",\"k\u0101ma ity agam\u0101t prath\u0101m\",\"ity uddhav\u0101dayo `py eta\u1e41\",\"v\u0101\u1e63chanti bhagavat-priy\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The dealings of the gop\u012bs with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are on the platform of pure love of Godhead. However, they are sometimes considered to be lusty. But because such dealings are completely spiritual, all the dearmost devotees of the Lord, like Uddhava and others, also desire to participate in them.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.216) + (B.r.s.,1.2.285) (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 7) + (see also \u015blokas 62, 220, 375 &amp; 420)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(376)\",\"prem\u0101 n\u0101m\u0101dbhut\u0101rtha\u1e25 \u015brava\u1e47a-patha-gata\u1e25 kasya n\u0101mn\u0101\u1e41 mahimna\u1e25\",\"ko vett\u0101 kasya v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-vipina-mah\u0101-m\u0101dhuri\u1e63u prave\u015ba\u1e25\",\"ko v\u0101 j\u0101n\u0101ti r\u0101dh\u0101\u1e41 parama-rasa-camatk\u0101ra-m\u0101dhurya-s\u012bm\u0101\u1e41\",\"eka\u015b caitanyacandra\u1e25 parama-karu\u1e47ay\u0101 sarvam \u0101vi\u015bcak\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Who would have been so fortunate to imbibe the ambrosial meaning of &quot;prema&quot;-the wonderful ecstasy of love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, within the core of their heart through the pathway of their ears? Who would have truly known the inner meaning of the divine Holy Names? Who would have discovered entrance into the innermost sweet love pastimes of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana? Who would have properly understood \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 Tattva as the last limit of infinite love ecstasy? It is only Caitanyacandra who has mercifully revealed all this.&quot; (C-Cand, 130) + (SBRBM, p 32) + (see also \u015bloka 574)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(377)\",\"prem\u0101\u00f1jana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena\",\"santa\u1e25 sadaiva h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u vilokayanti\",\"ya\u1e41 \u015by\u0101masundaram acintya-gu\u1e47a-svar\u016bpa\u1e41\",\"govindam \u0101di puru\u1e63a\u1e41 tam aha\u1e41 bhaj\u0101mi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, Who is \u015ay\u0101masundara, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself with inconceivable innumerable Attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.&quot; (B-s, 38) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said to R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya: &quot;Because you are a cent per cent devotee, wherever you cast your glance you see only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; nothing else. The object of your interest is represented everywhere.&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya said: &quot;My Lord, don&#x27;t deceive me in this way. You have come here so graciously to purify this mean person, and if You act diplomatically now, it will not look well for You. I won&#x27;t hear what You say; come out with Your real position. Who are You?&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;By dint of your loving devotion, you can know everything in this world; nothing can be concealed from your loving eye.&quot; Prem\u0101\u00f1jana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santa\u1e25 sadaiva h\u1e5bdaye\u1e63u vilokayanti. Then, Mah\u0101prabhu revealed Himself: &quot;When you see Me to be externally of a golden colour, it is not so. It is by the touch of the colour of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. And who can R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b touch and closely embrace? She will never touch anyone accept K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So, now you know who I am: Rasar\u0101ja - ecstasy Himself, and Mah\u0101bh\u0101va - the one who can taste that highest rasa. See how They mingle together!&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya fainted and fell flat on the floor. He could not keep his senses. Then by the touch of His hand, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu again brought him to his senses. R\u0101m\u0101nanda returned to his previous stage of consciousness and saw a sanny\u0101s\u012b sitting before him. After a short pause, Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Remain here, I am going.&quot; For almost two years, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu wandered about the holy places of Southern and Western India and at last returned to Jagann\u0101tha P\u016bri. There They again met. (TSFSK, p 148-9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(378)\",\"&#x27;prema-phala&#x27; p\u0101ki&#x27; pa\u1e0de,\",\"m\u0101l\u012b \u0101sv\u0101daya\",\"lat\u0101 avalambi&#x27; m\u0101l\u012b\",\"&#x27;kalpa-v\u1e5bk\u1e63a&#x27; p\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When the fruit of devotional service becomes ripe and falls down, the gardener tastes the fruit and thus takes advantage of the creeper and reaches the desire tree of the Lotus Feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.162) &quot;The fruit becoming ripe, will come down, and, from here, the m\u0101l\u012b (the gardener) will taste it.&quot; This is the kau\u015bala, the strategy - the key to the process of action, the guiding principle.&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 2) + (see also \u015blokas 279, 531, 498 &amp; 504)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(379)\",\"preme matta nity\u0101nanda k\u1e5bp\u0101-avat\u0101ra\",\"uttama adhama kichu n\u0101 kare vic\u0101ra\",\"ye \u0101ge pa\u1e0daye t\u0101re karaye nist\u0101ra\",\"ataeva nist\u0101ril\u0101 mo-hena dur\u0101c\u0101ra\",\"(ataeva mo adhame korilena para)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;Lord Nity\u0101nanda, who is always intoxicated by divine love, is the great saviour of destitute j\u012bvas and the magnanimous incarnation of divine mercy. His benevolent nature does not discriminate between high and low, or qualified and unqualified. He simply delivers, from material existence, anyone who comes before Him and falls at His lotus feet surrendering themselves to Him with all sincerity. Therefore He also mercifully delivered me who am so fallen and disqualified.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 5.208-9) + (SBRBM, p 4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(380)\",\"prithi vite yata katha dharma nam chole\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The pure thing is that if we have got faith for such divine conception of life then we should come to Bh\u0101gavatam, the last gift of the \u015b\u0101stric world of Vedic literatures. Vy\u0101sadeva&#x27;s last gift in the world of Vedic literatures is Bh\u0101gavatam. &quot;The Bh\u0101gavatam is so high, so high.&quot; - &quot;Prithi vite yata katha dharma nam chole.&quot; Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s) translation of dharma\u1e25 projjhita-kaitavo (see \u015bloka 126) explains that of all the words and tales that are running in this world in the name of religion, \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam says that it is all false, all is false, all is tampered with and not pure, not pure! The pure type of religion is not yet spoken. It is there, all self-centred, the current is towards the centre. Not only selflessness but self-sacrificing, self-forgiving, self-forgetfulness. In that way we are to start, we are to start, we are to go. (GOD, p 30)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(381)\",\"priya\u1e25 so &#x27;ya\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e25 sahacari kuru-k\u1e63etra-militas\",\"tath\u0101ha\u1e41 s\u0101 r\u0101dh\u0101 tad idam ubhayo\u1e25 sa\u1e45gama-sukham\",\"tath\u0101py anta\u1e25-khelan-madhura-mural\u012b-pa\u1e63cama-ju\u1e63e\",\"mano me k\u0101lind\u012b-pulina-vipin\u0101ya sp\u1e5bhayati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Upon arriving in Kuruk\u1e63etra, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b said: &quot;O My dear friend, now I am at last reunited with My most beloved K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Kuruk\u1e63etra. I am the same R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and He is the same K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We are enjoying Our meeting, but still I wish to return to the banks of the K\u0101lind\u012b, where I could hear the sweet melody of His flute sounding the fifth note beneath the trees of the V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana forest.&quot; (P 383) + (TGVODL, p 163) + (see also \u015bloka 469). There are said to be eight different tunes from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute; (1) the demigods break their meditation, (2) the Yamun\u0101 flows backwards, (3) the moon stops moving, (4) the cows run with upturned ears to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, ( 5) this brings the gop\u012bs running, (6) this creates autumn, and stones melt, (7) this instantly ushers in all six seasons, and (8) this takes the Name of R\u0101dh\u0101.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(382)\",\"proktena bhakti-yogena\",\"bhajato m\u0101 &#x27;sak\u1e5bn mune\u1e25\",\"k\u0101m\u0101 h\u1e5bdayy\u0101 na\u015byanti\",\"sarvve mayi h\u1e5bdi sthite\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When an intelligent person engages constantly in worshipping Me through loving devotional service as described by Me, his heart becomes firmly situated in Me. Thus all material desires within his heart are destroyed.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.29) &quot;With accelerated motion, his intensity towards Me grows. Then, by My appearance, all his internal and external discrepancies are gradually destroyed and evaporated. When by such an approach he reaches My Domain, or rather, I come down, extending My existence to his heart - then everything else disappears.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 79) &quot;In this way, the introspective devotee unceasingly absorbs himself in all the practices of devotional service as enunciated by Me. And I, who am situated in the heart of My devotee, strike at the root of all the material urges that infect his heart, reducing them to oblivion.&quot; (SSPJ, p 164-5) + (see also \u015blokas 198, 509 &amp; 93)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(383)\",\"p\u1e5bthiv\u012bte \u0101che yata nagar\u0101di-grama\",\"sarvatra prac\u0101ra haibe mora n\u0101ma\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is the pioneer of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sa\u1e45k\u012brtana. He said: &quot;I have come to inaugurate the chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and that Name will reach every nook and corner of the universe.&quot; (C-B) + (TGVODL, p 90) + (see \u015bloka 108) Although p\u1e5bthiv\u012bte \u0101che has been mentioned in different places, p\u1e5bthiv\u012bte &#x27;paryyanta&#x27; yata nagar\u0101di-grama ... must be noted. This means that Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s preaching of \u015ar\u012b Hari-N\u0101ma will spread to not only the towns and villages on the earth, but to all the villages and towns of all the planets - wherever there are villages and inhabitants to be traced anywhere. Brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da t\u0101rite - His Mission is to deliver the whole universe. Brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da means that which is created by one Brahm\u0101. Space and time is controlled by one Brahm\u0101. There are so many a\u1e47\u1e0das. A\u1e47\u1e0da means egg. There are so many egg-like solid objects floating in the air. Again, like so many eggs innumerable planets are floating in the air. (SGD, SGP, &#x27;97, p 17)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(384)\",\"p\u016bj\u0101la r\u0101gapa\u1e6dha gaurava b\u0101\u1e45ge\",\"mattala s\u0101dhu-jana vi\u1e63aya range\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The path of divine love is worshippable to us and should be held overhead as our highest aspiration.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura composed this verse expressing the proper attitude he considered necessary to convert everything in such a way as to draw the essence from all of the revealed scriptures. And to take our stand in the negative position is the strategy he gave for remaining in the relativity of the highest quarter of service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He ordered that a cottage be built for him in Govardhana and said: &quot;I shall live there. I am not fit to live in R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da. So I shall live in a lower position, but my gurus - \u015ar\u012bla Gauraki\u015bora d\u0101sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, and others - are fit to serve there. So I shall go and serve them there in R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da, and then return to a little lower position, in Govardhana. There I shall stay.&quot; That is the proper tactic to maintain a subjective position in the subjective world. Otherwise, if we think we are in the highest quarter, the higher reality will vanish from us. Only from a little lower position shall we view that higher plane with respect. But whenever we think that we have attained that higher position, that we are there - we are nowhere. That is the nature of the higher world. So we must maintain a respectable distance. If we try to look directly, we lose, but if we try to look at that plane through a screen or from a hidden place, then we may see. It is most peculiar. If we want to come in direct contact with things of a higher order, then they vanish from our experience. If you can&#x27;t come in direct connection with something, you may find out about it by espionage - it is something like espionage. If you try to know it directly, it is impossible. Only from behind a screen can we have a glimpse. In that way we can experience the highest ontological truth. As if by chance ontological truth comes to us, He accepts us suddenly, and we can find Him. He is absolute, He is an autocrat, He is independent; whenever He comes by His own whim to give His connection to us, we can have it. It is never within my clutches. He is not an object to come directly within my control. He is always above. (LSFTLS, p 60-1). First understand the degree of purity in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. The followers of form are only imitationists; they want only to exploit Mah\u0101prabhu and not to serve Him. They are our worst enemies. They are traitors; they have taken the garb of Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s samprad\u0101ya, and they are saying something bogus. This is cheap marketing; they are extensively selling adulterated things very cheaply. They have no inner necessity to attain the purest thing (p\u016bj\u0101la r\u0101gapa\u1e6dha gaurava b\u0101\u1e45ge). Although he was such an exalted Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja never presented himself as a great devotee. He always used to say: &quot;I am a servant of the servant of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas.&quot; That was his claim. And he would say: &quot;The higher devotees are my guru, they are so exalted.&quot; First come and practice all these things, and then you can hope to reach the goal. It is not so easy, or so cheap. &quot;Out of many liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is extremely rare.&quot; (ko\u1e6di-mukta-nadhye &#x27;durlabha&#x27; eka k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakta). K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is an internal thing, and those who cannot see the internal truth will make much of the external cover. We do not support that. Rather we are interested in the real spirit. (SGAHG, p 26-8) When asked to explain the meaning in Brahma-sa\u1e41hit\u0101 of the description that \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are seated on a divine throne, and the whorl of the lotus flower upon which They are seated is described as a hexagonal figure - what is the meaning of this hexagonal figure? \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja commented: &quot;I am sorry, but we are not to enter into the discussion of such higher and subtle position of the l\u012bl\u0101 of R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That is not to be brought into public, and that is the distinction between the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dh and the sahajiy\u0101 section. The sahajiy\u0101s are trying to imitate all these things, but we have no faith in imitation. The higher l\u012bl\u0101 will come in an individual case, and it will awaken in an irresistible way. When the programme of the s\u0101dhana stage is finished it will come automatically, spontaneously. We are believers in that, and not to know the form already and then we will reach there - that is not the policy accepted by Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, Prabhup\u0101da, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura. p\u016bj\u0101la r\u0101gapa\u1e6dha gaurava b\u0101\u1e45ge. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura also said: &quot;Stick to the rulings of the class you are fit for, then you will see automatically.&quot; (SGD, &#x27;96, p 29) + (see also \u015bloka 601)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(385)\",\"pur\u012b\u1e63era k\u012b\u1e6da haite mu\u1e63i sei laghi\u1e63\u1e6dha\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I am so mean, lower even than the worm in stool.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 5.205) The propounder of the greatest scripture in Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism, \u015ar\u012bla K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b says this, and he is saying so sincerely. Should we be ashamed to express our negative character, our negative development, which is the real wealth for a disciple? So, because such a negative character is shown by him, we fall at his feet. (SGAHG, p 51) As much as we shall have a real approach towards the infinite, we cannot but consider ourselves to be the meanest of the mean. The standard of Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava qualification (vai\u1e63\u1e47avat\u0101) is measured in this way. And this is not lip-deep, but the sincere dealing of the innermost heart. When \u015ar\u012bla K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b says &quot;I am lower than the worm in stool&quot; - this is not mere imitation, but his heartfelt truth. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 155) As much conception of the infinite as one has, he (or she) must feel within himself that s\/he is insignificant to the same degree. It is the infinite conception from the view of relativity. It is a question of relativity. When you can see a bigger thing then relatively you cannot but think that you are very infinitesimal. When you look at a great thing, in comparison with that you are the smallest. Do you concede this? When you see the ocean you can perceive how tiny you are in relation to that great magnitude of water. In comparison you are very insignificant, is it not? So apply that principle in this instance also. One who looks at a great thing, whether in size, or knowledge, or love, when standing at the verge of a great thing, from the consideration of relativity s\/he shall think, &quot;I am very poor and very low.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b says of himself: &quot;I am so mean, lower even than the worm in stool.&quot; When one has seen such pure and higher things, in comparison with that s\/he must have such feelings. Mah\u0101prabhu Himself says: &quot;I am as insignificant as an insect but still I continue my life. My life is like an insect&#x27;s.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 39) + (see also \u015bloka 193)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(386)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-bhajane yadi mati n\u0101hi bhel\u0101,\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhajana tava ak\u0101ra\u1e47a gel\u0101.\",\"\u0101tapa-rahita s\u016bray n\u0101hi j\u0101ni,\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-virahita m\u0101dhava p\u016bjaye sa aj\u00f1\u0101n\u012b.\",\"kav\u0101hi n\u0101hi karavi t\u0101kar sa\u1e45ga,\",\"citte icchasi yadi vraja-rasa-r\u0101\u1e45ga.\",\"r\u0101dhik\u0101-d\u0101s\u012b yadi haya abhim\u0101n,\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015b\u012bghra-i mila-i tava gokula-k\u0101n. brahm\u0101 \u015biva n\u0101rada \u015bruti n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47\u012b, r\u0101dhik\u0101-pada-raja p\u016bjaye m\u0101ni.&#x27; um\u0101 ram\u0101 saty\u0101 \u015bac\u012b candr\u0101 rukmi\u1e47\u012b, r\u0101dh\u0101-avat\u0101r sabe \u0101mn\u0101ya-va\u1e47i. heno r\u0101dh\u0101-paricary\u0101 y\u0101kara dhana, bhakativinoda t\u0101&#x27;r m\u0101gaye cara\u1e47a. &quot;If your desire to worship \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 is not awakened, worship of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is ultimately useless. Just as the sun is not perceived without sunlight, similarly I cannot accept M\u0101dhava without \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. One who worships K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a alone has imperfect knowledge and one who disrespects \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, is simply conceited and full of vanity. Never associate with such a person if you at all desire the transcendentally delightful pastimes of Vraja, to appear within you heart. If you consider yourself to be a maidservant of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, then you will very soon meet K\u0101na (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a) the Lord of Gokula. Even Lord Brahm\u0101, Lord \u015aiva, Dev\u0101rsi N\u0101rada, the personified Vedas (Srutis) and Lak\u1e63m\u012b-Dev\u012b honour and worship the dust of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101&#x27;s lotus feet. The Vedic scriptures (\u0101mn\u0101ya) declare that Um\u0101, Ram\u0101, Saty\u0101, \u015aac\u012b, Candr\u0101 and Rukmin\u012b are all the expansions of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Bhaktivinoda whose only wealth is the service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 \u1e6ch\u0101kura\u1e47\u012b humbly begs the shelter of Her lotus feet.&quot; (TSOBT, p 129-131) + (SBRBM, p 35-6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(387)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-govinda-milita-tanu\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Mah\u0101prabhu as R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda combined appears only once in a day of Brahm\u0101, in Nabadw\u012bp.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 98) + (see also \u015bloka 137)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(388)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pra\u1e47aya-vik\u1e5btir\",\"hl\u0101din\u012b \u015baktir asm\u0101d\",\"ek\u0101tm\u0101n\u0101v api bhuvi pur\u0101\",\"deha-bheda\u1e41 gatau tau\",\"caitany\u0101khya\u1e41 praka\u1e6dam adhun\u0101\",\"tad-dvaya\u1e41 caikyam \u0101pta\u1e41\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-bh\u0101va-dyuti-suvalita\u1e41\",\"naumi k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a svar\u016bpam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I worship \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, enriched with the emotions and radiance of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. As the Predominating and Predominated Moieties, R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are eternally one, with separate individual identities. Now They have again united as \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya. This inconceivable transformation of the Lord&#x27;s internal pleasure-giving potency has arisen from the loving affairs of R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 1.5) (Confirmed by Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara Prabhu, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s personal secretary, who is considered to be Lalit\u0101-sakh\u012b, the nearest friend of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b). (TGVODL, p 67). Sometimes R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are combined; sometimes They are separate. They are separate in Dv\u0101para-yuga, and in Kali-yuga They are combined as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. Both are eternal expressions of the same Absolute Truth. Summer, autumn, winter, and spring continue in a cyclic order; it cannot be said that summer is the beginning and winter comes later. So, the pastimes of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are eternally being enacted. In ancient times, sometimes R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a divided Themselves and showed Their pastimes; again Both of Them, the potency and the owner of the potency, are combined and closely embraced as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. The Predominating and the Predominated Moeity are mixed, and an extraordinary ecstatic feeling is there. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is overpowered by His potency, and He Himself is searching after His Own Self: k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47asya \u0101tm\u0101nusandhana. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself is engaged in the search for \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Reality the Beautiful. The influence of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b over K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has transformed Him into a devotee, and He is searching Himself. Sweetness is tasting Itself and becoming mad. And it is a living sweetness; not dead or static, but dynamic ecstasy - sweetness endowed with life. And He is tasting Himself, the Personification of happiness, ecstasy, and beauty, and dancing in madness, and His performance of k\u012brtana means distributing that ecstasy to others. The ultimate sweetness, or \u0101n\u0101nda, is such that no other thing exists that can taste itself and express its own happiness with such intensity. (TSFSK, p 150-1) + (see also \u015bloka 72)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(389)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101ku\u1e47\u1e0data\u1e6da-ku\u00f1jaku\u1e6d\u012bra,\",\"govardhanaparvvata y\u0101munat\u012bra\",\"kusumasarovara, m\u0101nasaga\u1e45g\u0101,\",\"kalindanandin\u012b vipula-tara\u1e45g\u0101\",\"va\u1e41\u015b\u012bva\u1e6da, gokula, dh\u012brasam\u012bra,\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-taru latik\u0101-v\u0101n\u012bra\",\"khaga-m\u1e5bgakula, malaya-b\u0101t\u0101sa,\",\"mayura, bhramara, mural\u012b-vil\u0101sa\",\"ve\u1e47u, \u015b\u1e5b\u1e47ga, padacihna, megham\u0101l\u0101,\",\"vasanta, \u015ba\u015b\u0101\u1e45ka, \u015ba\u1e45kha karat\u0101l\u0101\",\"yugala vil\u0101se anuk\u016bla j\u0101ni,\",\"l\u012bl\u0101vil\u0101sa-udd\u012bpaka m\u0101ni\",\"esaba cho\u1e0data k\u0101h\u0101 n\u0101hi y\u0101u,\",\"esaba cho\u1e0data par\u0101\u1e47a h\u0101r\u0101u\",\"bhaktivinoda kahe, \u015buna k\u0101na,\",\"tuy\u0101 udd\u012bpaka h\u0101m\u0101r\u0101 par\u0101\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The grove-dwelling on the banks of R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da, Govardhana mountain, the banks of river Yamun\u0101; Kusuma-Sarovara lake, M\u0101nasa-Ga\u1e45g\u0101 river, The rolling waves of Yamun\u0101, daughter of the sun; Place of the r\u0101sa dance, and Gokula, the gentle breezes, The trees, vines, and Vetasa palms of Vraja; The birds and animals, the sweet air of spring, The peacocks, bumblebees, the flute&#x27;s sweet song; Flute, horn, His footsteps, range of clouds in the sky, Season of spring, the moon, the conch, hand-cymbals; I know all these things are nourishing the pastimes of the Divine Couple, I can feel they arouse the holy pastimes of the Lord; I can never leave all these things so dear to me, Without them I know I shall surely die; Hear me, O K\u0101na, says \u015ar\u012b Bhaktivinoda: You are the only light of my life.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: esaba cho\u1e0data par\u0101\u1e47a h\u0101r\u0101u: \u015ar\u012b V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and its surroundings so intensely awaken my remembrance of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; and if these things are taken away from me, I shall lose my very life. They are sustaining me, because they are encouraging me to take to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. They are all encouraging and helping me towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness in different aspects. Whatever I see there, r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da-ta\u1e6da-ku\u00f1ja-ku\u1e6dira, govarddhana-parvvata y\u0101muna-tira (the dwelling in the groves on the banks of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101ku\u1e47\u1e0da, the holy Govardhana mountain, the banks of the holy Yamun\u0101 river) - reminds me in such a sweet way, taking me towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101, spreading nectar in my heart. If I am to leave them, then I shall leave my existence. They are all around me; they are so encouraging and life-giving to me. They are so fulfilling to my life - indeed, they are more than my life! Kusuma-sarovara, m\u0101nasa-ga\u1e45g\u0101, kalindanandin\u012b vipula-tara\u1e45g\u0101 (the holy lake midway between Mathur\u0101, Govardhana, and R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da, the river at the edge of Govardhana, the rolling waves of the Yamun\u0101); khaga-m\u1e5bga-kula, malaya-b\u0101t\u0101sa (the birds and animals, the breezes of spring) - what a sweet contribution all these things offer me! K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is very near to me! I would die without them. Such beauty, the whole thing takes me with lightning speed directly towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, towards His associates and His pastimes with Them. That is direct nectar, and that will come in me.&quot; (TSOBT, p 39-40) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 17982) + (see also \u015bloka 491)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(390)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101m \u0101dh\u0101ya h\u1e5bdaye\",\"taty\u0101ja vraja sundari\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Her devotional service is categorically higher than that of all the other gop\u012bs. The whole group of gop\u012bs can be cancelled for one: \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; (GG, 3.1) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.106) R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya said this after \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu asked him to &quot;go further.&quot; R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya began to explain the kind of service rendered by R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in m\u0101dhuryarasa. What peculiar type of service may come from Her? And K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Original Personality of Godhead (svayam r\u016bpa) is only by the side of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. By the side of other gop\u012bs, that is prabh\u0101va prak\u0101\u1e63a, a plenary expansion; not svayam r\u016bpa, the original form. Such is the quality of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. We should show our highest reverence to this highest ideal of devotional service. (TSFSK, p 145-6) + (see also \u015bloka 222 &amp; 441)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(391)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharmmabindunirmma\u1e63canopakara\u1e47e k\u1e5bta-deha-lak\u1e63y\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says when Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b finds a drop of perspiration at the feet of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101Govinda, she furiously engages herself to remove it. &quot;How has it come there? We are circumambulating Them to see that not the least pain can enter this domain to trouble Them. But how without our notice has this perspiration appeared? Perspiration, perspiration!&quot; So she is furiously chastising herself, and wants to immediately take birth one lakh (100,000) times with that force she comes to remove that drop of perspiration from the lotus feet of either of the Divine Couple. If the least difficulty is seen in the serving area, the Lord&#x27;s Associates can&#x27;t tolerate it in any way, and such eagerness, self-abuse and earnestness is found in them. (L, 1) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 198-9) + (see also \u015bloka 429)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(392)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101pad\u0101\u1e45kita dh\u0101ma\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana y\u0101ra n\u0101ma\",\"t\u0101h\u0101 yena \u0101\u015braya karila\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;He who has failed to carefully worship the Lotus Feet of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, which are the abodes of all auspiciousness; who has not taken shelter in the transcendental abode known as V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, which is decorated with the beautiful Lotus Flower Named R\u0101dh\u0101; who in this life has not associated with the devotees of R\u0101dhik\u0101, who are very wise and whose devotion for R\u0101dh\u0101 is very deep - how will such a person ever experience the bliss of bathing in the ocean of Lord \u015ay\u0101ma&#x27;s sublime mellows? Please understand this most attentively.&quot; (TSOBT, p 1189) \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;What is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana? It is where there are the footprints of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. The criterion of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is this: that it has on its head the footprints of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. This is Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s finding. So, if we want to see what is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and who is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b and who is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, then we must take some note, some clue, and some impression from this. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says that R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is all-in-all. r\u0101dh\u0101pad\u0101\u1e45kita dh\u0101ma v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana y\u0101ra n\u0101ma t\u0101h\u0101 yena \u0101\u015braya karila. Where does the Name &#x27;V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana&#x27; belong? Upon whose head the footprints of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b are borne, that is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana!&quot; It is all sweet! And there everything is sweet because the paraphernalia has all emanated from Her. Just as the entire screenplay for a film evolves from the brain of the director, who then himself may come to act his own part within it, similarly the entire paraphernalia of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana has come from \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.&quot; And from Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga we receive the combined gift of the grace of all these things. His gift is full of so much transcendental sweetness and is eternal in its play. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 55-6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(393)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101 p\u016br\u1e47a-\u015bakti,\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a p\u016br\u1e47a-\u015baktim\u0101n\",\"dui vastu bheda n\u0101i,\",\"\u015b\u0101stra-param\u0101\u1e47a\",\"m\u1e5bgamada, t\u0101ra gandha\",\"yaiche aviccheda\",\"agni, jv\u0101l\u0101te yaiche\",\"kabhu n\u0101hi bheda\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a aiche sad\u0101\",\"eka-i svar\u016bpa\",\"l\u012bl\u0101-rasa \u0101sv\u0101dite\",\"dhare dui-r\u016bpa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 is the full power and Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the possessor of full power. The two are nondifferent as evidenced by the revealed scriptures. They are indeed the same, just as musk and its scent are inseparable, or as fire and its heat are nondifferent. Thus R\u0101dh\u0101 and Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are one yet They have taken two forms to enjoy the mellows of pastimes.&quot; (C-c, \u0100dil\u012bl\u0101, 4.95-98) + (SBRBM, p 33)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(394)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101ra mahim\u0101,\",\"prema-rasa-s\u012bm\u0101,\",\"jageta j\u0101n\u0101ta ke?\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prema - we give two paisa to another and we find much ecstasy in the heart - a paisa or two and some food, some morsel are all on the relative circle - giving some morsel to the body not the real representation of the living being. And what I am giving, that is not touching the real plane of life! We are all thinking, &quot;doing this,&quot; we are big men, we are generous hearted, we are patron = puffed up with our pride. But we did not reach the real plane of life at all. Prema-rasa-s\u012bm\u0101. Given that the self-satisfaction of self-distribution can reach so far, so high by giving to others. But how to give? And what quality of giving real gift? Proper gift? All these things we did not know at all. Prema-rasa-s\u012bm\u0101, prema - We give, and what we get in reaction? That is prema, love. That is the ecstasy. By distributing ourselves, what will we get as a reaction? The quality of that may be so high that such a reaction may come - the premarasa-s\u012bm\u0101 - r\u0101dh\u0101ra mahim\u0101. And where is the acme of all self-giving? That is to be found in R\u0101dhik\u0101 only, how the self-forgetfulness, the self-distribution to be found in the Absolute, how far it may grow? To what standard? This we find in R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b: r\u0101dh\u0101ra mahim\u0101, prema-rasas\u012bm\u0101, jageta j\u0101n\u0101ta ke? (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 9-10) + (see also \u015bloka 574)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(395)\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101ra svar\u016bpa--k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema kalpalat\u0101\",\"sakhi-ga\u1e47a haya t\u0101ra pallava-pu\u1e63pa-p\u0101t\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By nature, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is just like a creeper of love of Godhead, and the gop\u012bs are the twigs, flowers and leaves of that creeper.&quot; (C-c, Madhya, 8.209) The general inclination of the sakh\u012bs, the confidential maidservants of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, is not to come in direct connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. They avoid that. But still, it is the benevolent and generous nature of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b to connect them with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a on some plea at some time or other. But their innate nature is always to avoid K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and concentrate on the service of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. This is confirmed in Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta. Eternally the twigs, flowers and leaves sprout from the creeper of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. She is the trunk, and they are the branches. This is their relationship. (SGAHG, p 154)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(396)\",\"r\u0101dhe jaya jaya m\u0101dhava-dayite,\",\"gokula-taru\u1e47\u012b-ma\u1e47\u1e0dala-mah\u012bte.\",\"d\u0101modara-rati-vardhana-ve\u015be,\",\"hari-ni\u1e63ku\u1e6da-v\u1e5bnd\u0101-vipine\u015be.\",\"v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101n\u016b dadhi-nava-\u015ba\u015b\u012b lekhe,\",\"lalit\u0101-sakh\u012b gu\u1e47a-ramita-vi\u015b\u0101khe.\",\"karu\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 kuru mayi karu\u1e47\u0101-bharite,\",\"sanaka-san\u0101tana-var\u1e47ita-carite.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O R\u0101dhe, Your transcendental love and beauty are so powerful and attractive that they captivate even the heart of M\u0101dhava who is eternally self fulfilled and the unlimited source of all divine ecstasy and charm. By Your own natural excellence You are the most adorable of all young beautiful damsels of Gokula Ma\u1e47\u1e0dala, therefore Your glories remain ever unequalled. O R\u0101dhe, Your elegant countenance, decorated by coquettish moods and captivating dress, ever increase the love ecstasy of Your beloved D\u0101modara. Manifesting such unique loveliness, You forever remain the beloved queen of the beautiful forest groves of Hari, who is expert in stealing away Your heart by creating an irresistible love attraction. O R\u0101dhe, from the ocean of V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu, You have risen like a full moon of exquisite beauty that ever delights the heart of M\u0101dhava. O R\u0101dhe, You are very fond of Lalit\u0101 and Vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101 who stand out amongst all other damsels of Gokula, due to their charming beauty and expertise in prema sev\u0101. They are also deeply captivated and overwhelmed by Your super excellent qualities which enchant K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the divine monarch of all loving mellows and so they accept You, with all adoration as their beloved Goddess and exclusive shelter of life. O R\u0101dhe, Your transcendental glories are described with unending joy by the exalted saints like Sanaka \u1e5a\u1e63i and Your intimate servitor \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b. O magnanimous Goddess! Your heart is full of compassion, therefore please bestow Your mercy upon me.&quot; (SOTVA, SR-s, p 96-7) + (SBRBM, p 34-5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(397)\",\"r\u0101dhe v\u1e5bnd\u0101van\u0101dh\u012b\u015be,\",\"karu\u1e47\u0101m\u1e5bta-v\u0101hini\",\"k\u1e5bpay\u0101 nija-p\u0101d\u0101bja,\",\"d\u0101sya\u1e41 mahyam prad\u012byat\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Radhe, O Queen of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, You are like a flowing river filled with the nectar of mercy. Please be kind upon me, and bestow upon me some small service at Your lotus feet.&quot; (AP, p 70) You are the Queen of the whole management of ecstasy (rasotsava). Rasa means ecstasy. That is an unlimited flow of ecstasy. That is the speciality of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana: \u0101di-rasa, the original rasa, m\u0101dhurya-rasa, conjugal mellow. All rasas are branches of that rasa, in its peculiar developing character. If analysed, all rasas will be found within m\u0101dhurya-rasa. And m\u0101dhurya-rasa has been recognised as the highest mellow of devotion. In His conversation with R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu rejected devotion contaminated with reason. He said: eho b\u0101hya \u0101ge kaha \u0101ra, &quot;This is superficial; go further.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu accepted that real bhakti begins from the stage of pure devotion, unmixed with reason. When R\u0101m\u0101nanda suggested d\u0101sya-rasa Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is good, but go further.&quot; Then R\u0101m\u0101nanda mentioned sakhya-rasa: Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is also good, but go further.&quot; Then he came to vatsalya-rasa, the son-hood of Godhead. &quot;This is very good,&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;But go further.&quot; Then he came to m\u0101dhurya-rasa, &quot;Yes,&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is the best.&quot; At that stage in the development of rasa, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is the most suitable place. M\u0101dhurya-rasa is found most extensively in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. So, it is said: r\u0101dhe v\u1e5bnd\u0101van\u0101dh\u012b\u015be: &quot;You are the Queen of that sort of l\u012bl\u0101 which is found in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. There, the highest type of nectar is flowing. You are like a flowing river of nectar.&quot; The very nature of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has been described as &quot;Ecstasy Himself.&quot; He is tasting the innate ecstasy of Himself. He knows His ecstasy and He feels it, but to distribute that innate ecstasy outside, a particular potency is indispensable, and that is known as hl\u0101din\u012b. The gist of hl\u0101din\u012b\u015bakti, or K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s internal ecstasy potency, is R\u0101dhik\u0101, Who is drawing the innermost rasa, the ecstasy of the highest order, extracting it from within and distributing it outside. So, it is said: karu\u1e47\u0101m\u1e5bta-v\u0101hini: Ecstasy mixed with magnanimity is flowing from that great fountain, and just as a river flowing from the mountains may carry with its current many valuable minerals to the outside world, the hl\u0101din\u012b potency carries rasa out from the abode of the rasa-svar\u016bpa, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, ecstasy personified. The flow of that river of nectar carries ecstasy and rasa, the flow of sweetness and magnanimity, to distribute to others. Then, another categorical change is effected within the mind of a devotee, in the meantime, in the course of one&#x27;s progress. The devotee realises: &quot;Oh! K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is of secondary concern to me. I find my primary connection with You, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhe. I want Your direct service and not the direct service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; This awakenment of the heart, intimate adherence and obligation to the next nearest agent, develops in a surrendered soul. At this stage, the devotee thinks: &quot;I shall derive more benefit by giving my closest attention to the nearest agent, my gurudeva. I shall thrive thereby.&quot; And it is his concern to sanction the upper connections. Of course, our intentions should be pure and genuine, and the business of that agent is to give us a favourable, normal connection with the hierarchy of service. All our attention should be concentrated in the service of our guru. This should be the idea. Our first tendency is to approach K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In that stage, the first thing to understand is that we are helpless. Of course, all things must be sincere. First there is the stage of helplessness, then we want the shelter of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, sweetness personified, then we are attracted to sweetness of a particular type, and to approach that department. There, we pray for the final closest connection or permanent membership as a servitor there. This has been taught by \u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b as the highest achievement of the living being. D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b lived for sixteen years continuously in the association of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara. After They disappeared from this world, Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa, disgusted with his future prospect, left Pur\u012b and went to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana to finish his life, thinking: &quot;I have what is to be had; now I only want to see V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana Dh\u0101ma once, and then I shall leave this body by jumping from the highest peak of Govardhana.&quot; With this idea he went to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, but when he came into contact with R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b and San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b there, he saw another vision, a dream of a new life, he found the beginning of a new life. Then he found: &quot;Although \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara have departed, disappeared from my physical eyes, they are living here in R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana, within their activities, in their preaching tendency. Mah\u0101prabhu is here, as living as anything, in them.&quot; He had to reject the idea of finishing his life. And with new vigour he began to serve in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. And D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given us the understanding of our highest aspiration. He says: &quot;O, R\u0101dhik\u0101, I want Your service. If You are not satisfied with me, I do not want K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, nor this land of Vraja.&quot; This is his prayer and he is admitted as the prayojana-\u0101c\u0101rya, the guru who has shown us what is the highest aim of our life, prayojana-tattva, the ultimate destination. And this (\u015bloka 51) proves his position as the giver of our destination. (SGAHG, p 148) + (see also \u015bloka 51)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(398)\",\"r\u0101dhik\u0101-m\u0101dhav\u0101\u015b\u0101\u1e41 pr\u0101pto yasya prathita\u1e25\",\"k\u1e5bpay\u0101 \u015br\u012b-guru\u1e41 ta\u1e41 nato &#x27;smi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The destination has been settled, but how shall I reach it? When shall I reach it? Those who come to my aid to take me there - they are my masters, my gurus: \u015bik\u1e63\u0101-gurus and d\u012bk\u1e63\u0101-guru. Whoever helps me to go there is my guru. He is my guide who will help me to reach my located destination, the station of my innermost hankering. He has helped me to locate my destination; he has educated me how and what to aspire after, and how to reach that highest aspired shelter. I have attained all these things through him. He is my all-in-all in life; the master of my life. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 188) + (see also \u015bloka 316)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(399)\",\"r\u0101ga-dve\u1e63a-vimuktais tu,\",\"vi\u1e63ay\u0101n indriyai\u015b caran\",\"\u0101tma-va\u015byair vidhey\u0101tm\u0101,\",\"pras\u0101dam adhigacchati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;However, a true devotee on the path of renunciation in devotion (yukta-vair\u0101gya) acts exclusively for My transcendental satisfaction. Abandoning attachment and envy, although accepting sense objects with his controlled senses, he attains full contentment of heart.&quot; (B-g, 2.64) Only surrender can give you relief, can give you the real, higher life. You will be able to understand that from your innermost heart. In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has repeatedly hammered this r\u0101ga-dve\u1e63a - apathy and sympathy. r\u0101ga-dve\u1e63a-vimuktais tu. These two are your enemies. Apathy for something and sympathy for something - these are your enemies. Be independent of those two enemies, and concentrate yourself towards your guardian. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 172) + (see also \u015bloka 94)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(400)\",\"rajas tama\u015b ca sattvena,\",\"sattva\u1e41 copa\u015bamena ca\",\"etat sarva\u1e41 gurau bhakty\u0101,\",\"puru\u1e63o hy a\u00f1jas\u0101 jayet\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One must conquer the modes of passion and ignorance by developing the mode of goodness, and then one must become detached from the mode of goodness by promoting oneself to the platform of \u015buddha-sattva. All this can be automatically done if one engages in the service of the spiritual master with faith and devotion. In this way one can conquer the influence of the modes of nature.&quot; (S-B, 7.15.25) By living at the disposal of the higher, we learn selfless service of the higher, which is not of any mundane source. This is our necessity: Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-sev\u0101 and guru-sev\u0101, service to the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava and guru. By guru-bhakti alone - devotion to the service of \u015ar\u012b gurudeva - in one stroke, all desirable pursuits will be accomplished. (etat sarva\u1e41 gurau bhakty\u0101, puru\u1e63o hy a\u00f1jas\u0101 jayet). There are also many symptoms by which to recognise the genuine guru, and by obeying the directions of the higher, we can make progress towards the higher; we may hope to be selected by the higher and be taken up to that layer if we are considered sufficiently qualified. This attitude will be the main tenure of our lives if we want to go to the high, superconscious region. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 71-2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(401)\",\"rak\u1e63\u0101 koribo tuhu\u1e45 ni\u015bcaya j\u0101ni\",\"p\u0101na korobu\u1e45 h\u0101ma yamun\u0101 p\u0101ni\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Fearless and confident of Your protection, I shall drink the waters of the Yamun\u0101, whether they are poisoned or not. I am Your property. You must take care of me; You can&#x27;t leave me.&quot; (TSOBT, p 26-7) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s friends think: &quot;What do we care for others? We have our K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, our friend.&quot; That sort of inner encouragement, that desperate encouragement, comes from within. &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is there, He is our friend. What do we care about anything? We can take poison, we can jump on the head of that big serpent K\u0101liya, we can do anything. With K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a behind us, what do we care. This sentiment is expressed by Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura in his \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gat\u012b. (LSFTLS, p 1V) + (see also \u015bloka 219)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(402)\",\"r\u0101ma-n\u0101r\u0101yan\u0101nanta-mukunda-madhus\u016bdana\u1e25\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-ke\u015bava-ka\u1e41s\u0101ri-hare-vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha-vaman\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O R\u0101ma, the splendid ocean of divine pleasure and enchanter of the heart. O N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, the shelter of the universe and all life. O Ananta, the unlimited omnipotent reality. O Mukunda, the giver of pure liberation and perfection. O Madhus\u016bdana, destroyer of the demon Madhu, the embodiment of all demonic forces and elements. O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Ke\u015bava, all attractive personality of divine ambrosial beauty and ecstasy. O Ka\u1e41sari, destroyer of Ka\u1e41sa, the embodiment of sinister powers. O Hari, who takes away the devotees&#x27; hearts with His unparalleled superb superexcellent attractiveness, unique loveliness, beauty and glory. O Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, the supreme reality, transcendental to all limits and doubts, invulnerability and unsteadiness. O V\u0101mana, possessor of unlimited range of ability. I worship You with all devotion, may You compassionately embrace me in Your shelter.&quot; (SBRBM, p 17)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(403)\",\"r\u0101ma r\u0101meti r\u0101meti,\",\"rame r\u0101me manorame\",\"saha\u015bra-n\u0101ma-bhistallya\u1e41,\",\"r\u0101ma-n\u0101ma-var\u0101nane\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Valmiki said: &quot;ma-ra, ma-ra,&quot; he could not pronounce the Name of R\u0101ma in a direct way. Brahm\u0101 and N\u0101rada came to prove the efficacy of R\u0101ma-N\u0101ma. It is mentioned in the \u015b\u0101stra: &quot;A thousand-fold result we can find from R\u0101ma-N\u0101ma. This Ratnakar Da\u015bu, he is the most notorious type of dacoit, a heinous person, let us make an experiment with him.&quot; So they asked him to chant the Name of R\u0101ma. They tried, but he could not pronounce it. Then they said: &quot;Chant ma-ra, ma-ra. Go on, repeat it.&quot; And he started, &quot;ma-ra-ma-ra-ma-ra-ma-ra-ma-ra-mara.&quot; This is just the opposite of R\u0101ma. Then, after some time chant the Name of R\u0101ma. Then he could say R\u0101ma, R\u0101ma. (SVT, v 2, # 1, Jan. Feb. &#x27;93, p 4 &amp; 18) + (see also verse 288)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(404)\",\"rasa-r\u0101ja, mah\u0101bh\u0101va-dui eka r\u016bpa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"R\u0101m\u0101n\u0101nda R\u0101ya&#x27;s composition gave a hint about the divine appearance of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu in which both R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda are combined, and it is as if They are unconscious of Their separate existence. One is searching the Other, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself is overflowing with the feelings of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and They are so deeply embraced that One is lost in the Other. Then, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu put His palm over the mouth of R\u0101m\u0101n\u0101nda R\u0101ya, and told him: &quot;No further.&quot; rasa-r\u0101ja, mah\u0101bh\u0101va-dui eka r\u016bpa, (C-c,Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.282). Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the fountainhead of all pleasure, and \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is the embodiment of ecstatic love of Godhead. These Two Forms are united as One in \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. (TSFSK, p 147-8) + (also \u015bloka 377) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is putting the questions and \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101n\u0101nda R\u0101ya is answering: in this posing, the entirety of theological development was expressed there on the banks of the God\u0101var\u012b River. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is magnanimity and sweetness combined. And that meeting on the banks of the God\u0101var\u012b was the only time \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu revealed His real identity. He revealed it to \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101n\u0101nda R\u0101ya in that place only, and we never find it anywhere else. rasa-r\u0101ja, mah\u0101bh\u0101va - dui eka r\u016bpa. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is both R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a combined. The most secret portion of the Truth was shown there, only once; and we never find that it was expressed in any other place. The whole cause of existence is twofold: the Predominated Part of Beauty and the Predominating Part of Beauty. This has been taught by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam. Not power or force, but beauty and love is the Prime Cause. This is a new grant to the world, which was never given to the world before: the Prime Cause of the whole infinity is beauty and love. And this is the speciality of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam and \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 111-2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(405)\",\"rasa-varja\u1e41 raso &#x27;py asya,\",\"para\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dva nivartate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;However, inner attachment to sense objects is spontaneously denounced by the person of a properly adjusted intelligence, due to his having had a glimpse of the all-attractive beauty of the Supreme Truth.&quot; (B-g, 2.59) After getting a taste of divine sweetness, suspicion vanishes, (rasa-varja\u1e41 raso &#x27;py asya, para\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dva nivartate). When we have a taste of real ecstasy (rasa), then all doubts are cleared. By getting a taste of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, the heart is captured, and when the heart is captured, the ecstasy of love of Godhead, prema, begins to flow. Being satisfied, the heart will say: &quot;This is what I was searching for!&quot; Then, the brain will follow, thinking: &quot;Yes, there can be no doubt, this is the highest goal of our search. Dissolve everything else.&quot; (TGVODL, p 22) + (see also \u015bloka 561)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(406)\",\"raso vai sa\u1e25.\",\"rasa\u1e41 hyev\u0101ya\u1e41 labdh\u0101nand\u012b bhavati\",\"ko hyev\u0101ny\u0101t ka\u1e25 pr\u0101\u1e47y\u0101t yade\u1e63a \u0101k\u0101\u015ba\",\"\u0101nando na sy\u0101t e\u1e63a hyev\u0101nandayati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the embodiment of all ecstatic bliss; He is the reservoir of all pleasure. Having derived ecstasy from Him, the individual souls become blissful. For, who indeed, could breath, who could be alive if this Blissful Lord were not present within the hearts of all souls. He alone bestows ecstasy.&quot; (TU, 2.7) &quot;They (the Vedas) all want Me to show the object of their quest.&quot; (B-g, 15.15) &quot;Because I am ecstasy and everyone wants that.&quot; (SS, v 4, #1, &#x27;86, p 7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(407)\",\"r\u0101ya kahe,-sva-dharm\u0101cara\u1e47e vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhakti haya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Discharge your own duty, without expecting anything in return.&quot; (This is R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya&#x27;s answer to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s question: &quot;What is the ultimate goal of life? I not only want to hear your statements, but also evidence from the scriptures.&quot;) + (see also \u015bloka 368) Sva dharma means var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama dharma, Vedic social stratification. &quot;You are posted in your present position by your previous karma. According to your present position, you have to discharge your duties on one condition: you must do them without remuneration. If you go on with your duties in var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama dharma, without any mundane aim, you can achieve vi\u1e63\u1e47ubhakti, devotion to God. (see \u015bloka 546) Here, R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya says that vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhakti, adherence to the Lord who is permeating everything, is the object and ultimate destination of our life. This is the V\u0101sudeva conception: everything is in Him, and He is everywhere. R\u0101m\u0101nanda explained that from our local interest, we must come to embrace the general interest, and that must reach the level of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u consciousness: vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhakti. Our submission to Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, the internal spirit Who is everywhere, is the object of life. We must connect with Him and live accordingly; not a phenomenal life, but a spiritual life pertaining to a deeper, more subtle plane. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is superficial; go deeper.&quot; (TSFSK, p 135-6) + (see also \u015bloka 259)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(408)\",\"\u1e5bte &#x27;rtha\u1e41 yat prat\u012byeta,\",\"na prat\u012byeta c\u0101tmani\",\"tad vidy\u0101d \u0101tmano m\u0101y\u0101\u1e41,\",\"yath\u0101bh\u0101so yath\u0101 tama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Brahm\u0101, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.&quot; (S-B, 2.9.34) \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam asks: &quot;What is the conception of m\u0101y\u0101?&quot; \u1e5ate &#x27;rtha\u1e41 yat prat\u012byeta, What seems to us to be the right reading of the environment, is actually not so. Arthe\u1e63u abhij\u00f1a\u1e25 (see also \u015bloka 197). The meaning and purpose of every incident is known to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Many events are harmonised together and are for the purpose of serving Him. But when there is localised interest there is a clash. Imperial and universal interest clash with provincial and local interests. Arthe\u1e63u abhij\u00f1a\u1e25. He alone can know why each straw is moving to this side or that. He is the only knower of everything. Only He knows what purpose is served by the grass bending in the wind to this side, and not that. All these movements taken together in harmony, go to Him. Arthe\u1e63u abhij\u00f1a\u1e25 svara\u1e6d. He is not responsible to anything or anyone. The universal meaning of every event and incident, even the movement of a piece of straw, is all-purposeful and all-meaningful to the Absolute. It all contributes to the absolute satisfaction of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That is the meaning of the phrase, \u1e5ate &#x27;rtha\u1e41 yat prat\u012byeta.&quot; (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 11) Without knowing the real meaning, what we feel and read is the wrong meaning of the environment - it is m\u0101y\u0101. We miss the universal purpose, and from local interest we read: &quot;Oh, this is for this purpose, this is for that purpose.&quot; But this is local interest. What we conceive, feel, trust and believe, is not in consonance with the universal reading: it is m\u0101y\u0101. Even our belief is within the realm of m\u0101y\u0101. Our conceptions will have no standing in the interest of the Absolute. What we read in the local interest, we will not find if we go to read from the universal interest. Our disease of local interest and conception will be cured and removed when we see that everything is meant for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and we become one with that interest. \u1e5bte &#x27;rtha\u1e41 yat prat\u012byeta, na prat\u012byeta c\u0101tmani tad vidy\u0101d \u0101tmano m\u0101y\u0101\u1e41, yath\u0101bh\u0101so yath\u0101 tama\u1e25 That feeling, that conception, is known as m\u0101y\u0101, &quot;what is not.&quot; It is apparent, but not real. What is not real, that is m\u0101y\u0101. Even what I think to be real, is not so. m\u0101 - y\u0101, m\u0101 means no, and y\u0101 means what - &quot;what is not.&quot; Apparently it seems to be, but the fact is, it is not so: that is m\u0101y\u0101. In such a plane we eliminate the infinite interest and instead we see things by measuring according to our own interest. We measure everything only from the angle of vision and standpoint of our own selfish interest. In this way we ignore the infinite representation, position, duty, and service. This is m\u0101y\u0101. yath\u0101bh\u0101so yath\u0101 tama\u1e25 - light and darkness both exist. The absence of truth is not truth: it is tama, darkness, ignorance, mistake, error. (SGD, VPI, &#x27;91, p 12) + (see also \u015bloka 449) The ontological base of the whole \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is contained within these four \u015blokas (S-B, 2.9.33-36 + see \u015blokas 12, 149 &amp; 597)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(409)\",\"rundhann ambubh\u1e5bta\u015b camatk\u1e5bti-para\u1e41 kurvvan muhus tumburu\u1e41\",\"dhy\u0101n\u0101d antarayan sanandana-mukh\u0101n vism\u0101payan vedhasam\",\"autsuky\u0101valibhir bali\u1e41 ca\u1e6dulayan bhog\u012bndram \u0101gh\u016br\u1e47ayan\",\"bhindann a\u1e47\u1e0da-ka\u1e6d\u0101ha-bhittim abhito babhr\u0101ma va\u1e41\u015b\u012b-dhvani\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The most attractive sound is the sound of His flute. \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given a description: &quot;Arresting the movement of the clouds, astonishing the Gandharvvas headed by Tumburu and breaking the meditation of the sages headed by Sanandana; astonishing the heart of Lord Brahm\u0101, distracting the mind of the indomitable Balir\u0101ja with intense ecstasies, reeling the head of Ananta, the Serpent King who supports the earth planet, and piercing the covering of the universe - the vibration of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute wandered all around.&quot; The sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute began to reverberate. When that sound entered the ear of Brahm\u0101, he became bewildered: &quot;Oh, what can this mean, and from where is it coming? What is this? It&#x27;s puzzling me!&quot; Then the Infinite Anantadeva who keeps unlimited universes on His lap His head began to reel. The Total Force who supports all these brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0das, so many lustrous masses - the intense vibration causes even His head to reel. It attacks the heart of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b and the sakh\u0101s (friends); and the cows are also with their ears perked up, enquiring: &quot;In which direction are we wanted to go?&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 103-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(410)\",\"r\u016bpa l\u0101gi \u0101\u1e45khi jhure gu\u1e47e mana bhora,\",\"prati a\u1e45ga l\u0101gi k\u0101nde prati a\u1e45ga mora\",\"hiy\u0101ra para\u015ba lagi hiy\u0101 mora k\u0101nde,\",\"par\u0101\u1e47a piriti lagi thira n\u0101hi b\u0101ndhe\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Seeing the festival of His divine beauty my eyes shed tears, my intoxicated mind is fully absorbed in tasting His virtues, every part of me deeply craves for every part of Him and my heart incessantly yearns for the thrill of His touch. O sakh\u012b, by such intense irresistible love attraction my heart cannot have patience to have Him.&quot; (j\u00f1\u0101na D\u0101sa) + (SBRBM, p 36) + (see \u015blokas 93 &amp; 371)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c13\",\"title\":\"13. The Wealth of S\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"Good association is our greatest wealth in reaching the supreme goal.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(411)\",\"\u015b\u0101bde pare ca ni\u1e63\u1e47\u0101tam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Practical application is superior to mere theory. A guru of theoretical knowledge cannot help us.&quot; (S-B, 11.3.21) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 94) + (see also \u015bloka 507)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(412)\",\"s\u0101 c\u0101rpitaiva sat\u012b yadi kriyeta,\",\"na tu k\u1e5bt\u0101 sat\u012b pa\u015bc\u0101d arpyeta\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Devotional services must be first offered to the Lord, then performed; not performed and offered afterwards.&quot; (\u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Sw\u0101m\u012b) After a famous renowned Gosw\u0101m\u012b who was well-versed in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam had explained the Bh\u0101gavatam in a public gathering, \u015ar\u012bla Gaura Ki\u015bora D\u0101sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, who was present during the lecture, later ordered his servant: &quot;Purify this place with water and cowdung!&quot; The servant was wonderstruck. &quot;Why? It is already purified; the recitation of \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam, Bh\u0101gavata-kath\u0101, took place here.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla Gaura Ki\u015bora B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b said: &quot;You heard Bh\u0101gavatam, but I heard only &#x27;money, money, money.&#x27;&quot; In other words, the Gosw\u0101min had been very eager to have \u015ar\u012bla Gaura Ki\u015bora D\u0101sa B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja present at his lecture; the publicity that \u015ar\u012bla Gaura Ki\u015bora B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b was present to hear his explanation of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam would give the lecturer greater scope to make more money in his trade. He came to read \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam only for that purpose, and not to satisfy Bh\u0101gavatam or K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He came for his own business; not for the purpose of Bh\u0101gavatam. Trading with Bh\u0101gavatam is an offence, apar\u0101dha, against the Bh\u0101gavatam, most detrimental to pure devotion. One&#x27;s attitude in devotion is all-important. \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Sw\u0101m\u012b, the renowned commentator of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, has stated: s\u0101 c\u0101rpitaiva sat\u012b yadi kriyeta, na tu k\u1e5bt\u0101 sat\u012b pa\u015bc\u0101d arpyeta: &quot;Devotional services must be first offered to the Lord, then performed; not performed and offered afterwards.&quot; We should be already committed when we come to serve, and not that we shall collect capital and later try to utilise it in the service of the Lord. The commitment is to Him, to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I have come to know about Him for Him, not for me or anyone else. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 56-8) If everything is dedicated to Him then all these things can be recognised as bhakti, otherwise it is all bogus. If I hear, chant, etc, to fulfil my own purposes then it is no longer bhakti. Whatever I shall do, it is for Him. Then whatever will be done will be accepted as bhakti. It is the foundation on which bhakti stands.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(413)\",\"\u1e63a\u1e0d a\u1e45ga \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati haibe y\u0101\u1e45h\u0101ra\",\"t\u0101\u1e45h\u0101ra prarthan\u0101 \u015bune \u015br\u012b nanda-kum\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The youthful son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, hears the prayers of anyone who takes refuge in Him by this six-fold practice.&quot; (TSOBT, p 1) &quot;If you want Nanda Kumar, you must have this six-fold \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati.&quot; The six limbs of \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati are: (i) acceptance of the favourable; (ii) rejection of the unfavourable; (iii) full confidence in the Lord&#x27;s protection; (iv) embracing the Lord&#x27;s guardianship; (v) full self-surrender; and, (vi) surrender in humility. \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;When I left the association of the disciples of our \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da to live alone, I felt some sort of helplessness within me. I knew that \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, surrender, is the indispensable necessity in the life of a devotee, and felt, &quot;I have left, or somehow or other I am excluded from the company of Prabhup\u0101da&#x27;s association. I am helpless, but \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati may come to my relief.&quot; So I especially came to think, &quot;\u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati is the basis, but what is \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati ?&quot; On reading Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s book \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, this point impressed me most. He wrote: \u1e63a\u1e0d a\u1e45ga \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati haibe y\u0101\u1e45h\u0101ra t\u0101\u1e45h\u0101ra prarthan\u0101 \u015bune \u015br\u012b nanda-kum\u0101ra: &quot;The youthful son of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, hears the prayers of anyone who takes refuge in Him by this six-fold practice.&quot; I wanted to culture that, so at that time after coming to live alone I recollected all I had imbibed in my Ma\u1e6dh life, and also consulted about \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati in San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s Hari-bhakti-vil\u0101sa, in J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s Bhakti-sandarbha, and in the R\u0101m\u0101nuja Samprad\u0101ya&#x27;s writings. \u015ar\u012bla Y\u0101mun\u0101c\u0101rya&#x27;s Stotra-Ratna was a source of inspiration, as were many other books. I then tried to collect it all together and arrange it in a particular way as I thought best. In this way I began to write the book \u015ar\u012b-\u015ar\u012b Prapanna-j\u012bvan\u0101m\u1e5btam that it may also help others who might come in such a position as mine. That was the real reason. The title \u015ar\u012b-\u015ar\u012b Prapanna-j\u012bvan\u0101m\u1e5btam means, prapann\u0101n\u0101\u1e41, j\u012bvane, \u0101m\u1e5bta svar\u016bpa\u1e41, &quot;The nectar in the life of the surrendered souls.&quot; This was my conception from the beginning prapanna-j\u012bvan\u0101m\u1e5bta - that those who have come to take this, to feel it, this will be like nectar to them. To those who have surrendered, it will be like nectar to them, but others, the ordinary people, may not appreciate it. It will be the nectar in the life of those who have surrendered, those who have the real adhik\u0101ra, the proper qualified standard of faith, they receive it. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 16-7) \u015ar\u012bla A.C Bhaktivedanta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said to his sister: &quot;This Prapanna-j\u012bvan\u0101m\u1e5btam is a very important and nice book. You have money so please you spend some money for the printing of this Prapanna-j\u012bvan\u0101m\u1e5btam.&quot; Her name was Bh\u0101vin\u012b Didi. We called her Pishima or &#x27;Madan&#x27;s Mother&#x27; and it was she who subsequently gave the money for the first printing of this comprehensive scriptural study of \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s first book of \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(414)\",\"sad-guru cara\u1e47\u0101\u015braya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Anyone who has received the grace of a s\u0101dhu can have that nectar.&quot; But the human form of life alone is not sufficient. sat-sa\u1e45ga, s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, is necessary, sadguru cara\u1e47\u0101\u015braya. Anyone who has received the grace of a s\u0101dhu can have that nectar, whereas, ya&#x27;o pa\u1e0da bh\u0101gavata vai\u1e63\u1e47avera sthane (\u015bloka 588), even a br\u0101hma\u1e47a may not be qualified to enter into the Bh\u0101gavatam. \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Go to a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, from him you will get the real standpoint of Bh\u0101gavatam and how to approach it.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 18)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(415)\",\"s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101ma ei matta jai\",\"vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha n\u0101ma graha\u1e47am a\u015be\u1e63\u0101gham hara\u1e41 vidun\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Holy Name must be taken with the attitude of service to the saints. Serving means die to live; to throw oneself wholesale for the higher existence.&quot; Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava seva, guru seva, Vigraha seva, and N\u0101ma seva are all recommended, but in Kali-yuga especially, the service of the Name has been given as the most general approach. It is mentioned: s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101ma ei matta jai. We must climb up to the real plane where we can take the Name proper, vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha n\u0101ma graha\u1e47am a\u015be\u1e63\u0101gham hara\u1e41 vidun. It is true that an infinite magnitude of sin may be removed by one Name but that must be Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha Name. It must have the characteristic of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, the unlimited plane of eternity, not only the physical sound. So s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga is necessary. The Name must be taken from gurudeva, and with the company of s\u0101dhu the Name must be taken. (GOD, p 19, 22) s\u0101\u1e45ketya\u1e41 p\u0101rih\u0101sya\u1e41 v\u0101, stobha\u1e41 helanam eva v\u0101 vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha-n\u0101ma-graha\u1e47am a\u015be\u1e63\u0101gha-hara\u1e41 vidu\u1e25 &quot;One who chants the Holy Name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly - s\u0101nketya\u1e41 (to indicating something else as in the case of Aj\u0101mila who called for his son by the Name of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a), jokingly - parih\u0101sya, for musical entertainment - stobha (to use the Name with some other intention; J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has taken advantage of this in his book of Sanskrit grammar, the Harin\u0101m\u0101m\u1e5bta-vy\u0101karana; when one is playing the m\u1e5bdanga drum, using the Names Gaura Nit\u0101i, Gaura Nit\u0101i to represent different drumbeats), or even neglectfully - hela (when we are rising from bed in the morning sometimes, we may neglectfully say Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; in this way we may cast off our indolence). This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.&quot; (S-B, 6.2.14)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(416)\",\"s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga, n\u0101ma-k\u012brttana, bh\u0101gavat-\u015brava\u1e47a\",\"mathur\u0101-v\u0101sa, \u015br\u012b-m\u016brttira \u015braddh\u0101ya sevana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Association with the pure devotee, chanting the Holy Name, hearing the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, residing in Mathur\u0101 Dh\u0101ma, and faithfully worshipping the Deity.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.128) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu accepted these five principal limbs from the nine that are mentioned in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam as \u015brava\u1e47a\u1e41 k\u012brttana\u1e41, etc. So of these five, Mah\u0101prabhu has given N\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brttana the highest position. N\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brttana has been considered best of all. It has been delineated by the \u0100c\u0101ryas. That was especially given by our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura), and the basis is supported by the \u015b\u0101stra, scriptures. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 25-6) + (see \u015blokas 85 &amp; 456)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(417)\",\"&#x27;s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga,&#x27; &#x27;s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga,&#x27;\",\"sarva \u015b\u0101stre kaya\",\"lava-m\u0101tra s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ge\",\"sarva-siddhi haya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment&#x27;s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.54) S\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, the association of saints, is the most important and valuable thing for us. To make our advancement and progress towards the infinite, our association is our guide; it is allimportant. We must stick to this conclusion: &#x27;s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga,&#x27; &#x27;s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga.&#x27; The conclusion has been given in the scriptures that all perfection can be attained by the help of the saints. Good association is our greatest wealth in reaching the supreme goal. (TGVODL, p 152) The main necessity is to keep company with the s\u0101dhu who has real faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Such a s\u0101dhu, is very, very rare in this world, but if you want to achieve the highest good, make that ideal the crown of your head - in any way possible, take the help of that association. &#x27;s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga,&#x27; &#x27;s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga,&#x27; - sarva \u015b\u0101stre kaya. &quot;A moment&#x27;s association with the s\u0101dhu awards all success, and this is the verdict of all the scriptures.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 34) + (see also \u015bloka 235)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(418)\",\"s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma ei m\u0101tra c\u0101i\",\"sa\u1e41s\u0101ra jinite \u0101ra kona vasttu n\u0101i\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"This is Kali-yuga - the age of quarrel - and our real and only helpful necessity in life is the company of the established saints and the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma. Otherwise, deviating from that, we may be misguided at any and every step. s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47an\u0101ma ei m\u0101tra c\u0101i. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu gave this as the substance of all advice, and there is nothing more useful than this to help us get out of undesirability. He says that to chant K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47aN\u0101ma but without the association of the s\u0101dhus also means that it will be very difficult for us to proceed. Therefore, in one word the solution is in s\u0101dhu sa\u1e45ga. We are to secure the company of a standard realised soul, then everything will fall into place, and the king of the s\u0101dhus is the guru. (HC, p 20)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(419)\",\"s\u0101dhu-\u015bastra-k\u1e5bp\u0101ya\",\"yadi k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47onmukha haya\",\"sei j\u012bva nistare,\",\"m\u0101y\u0101 t\u0101h\u0101re ch\u0101\u1e0daya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If the conditioned soul becomes K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conscious by the mercy of saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions and help him to become K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conscious, the conditioned soul is liberated from the clutches of m\u0101y\u0101, who gives him up.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20.120) &quot;If, by the blessings of a pure devotee and the scripture, a j\u012bva soul becomes devoted to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a he naturally becomes liberated and m\u0101y\u0101 withdraws.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 57) + (see also \u015blokas 245, 247 &amp; 442)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(420)\",\"sahaja gop\u012bra prema\",\"nahe pr\u0101k\u1e5bta k\u0101ma\",\"k\u0101ma-kr\u012b\u1e0d\u0101-s\u0101mye t\u0101ra\",\"kahi &#x27;k\u0101ma-n\u0101ma&#x27;\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;It is to be noted that the natural characteristics of the gop\u012bs is to love the Supreme Lord. Their lusty desire is not to be compared to material lust. Nonetheless, because their desire sometimes appears to resemble material lust, their transcendental love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is sometimes described as lust.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.215) (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 7) + (see also \u015blokas 62, 220 &amp; 375)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(421)\",\"sai kev\u0101 \u1e63un\u0101ila \u015by\u0101ma n\u0101ma\",\"k\u0101\u1e47era bhitare diy\u0101 marame pa\u015bila go\",\"\u0101kula karila mora pra\u1e47a\",\"n\u0101 j\u0101ni kateka madhu \u015by\u0101ma n\u0101me \u0101che go\",\"badana ch\u0101\u1e0dite n\u0101hi p\u0101re\",\"japite japite n\u0101ma aba\u015ba karila go\",\"kemane p\u0101iba sai t\u0101re\",\"n\u0101ma parat\u0101pe y\u0101ra aichana karila go\",\"a\u1e45gera para\u015be kib\u0101 haya\",\"yekh\u0101ne basati t\u0101re nayane heriy\u0101 go\",\"dharama karama kaiche raya\",\"p\u0101sarite kari mane p\u0101sar\u0101 n\u0101 y\u0101ya go\",\"ki kariba ki habe up\u0101ya\",\"kahe dvija ca\u1e47\u1e0d\u012bd\u0101se kulavat\u012b kula n\u0101\u015be\",\"\u0101pan\u0101ra sarvasva (yauvana) y\u0101c\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O dear friend, that person who let me hear the Name \u015ay\u0101ma, was indeed a great friend of mine. Through my ears, it entered the core of my heart and deeply captivated my mind and overwhelmed me with deep ecstatic love. As I say that nectarean Name, I cannot fathom the depth of its ambrosial sweetness. My mouth cannot give up attachment to repeatedly taste it due to the unprecedented wonderful attachment, that floods my whole existence. By constant remembrance and contemplation on that beloved \u015ay\u0101ma N\u0101ma, my body, mind and heart have all become charmed and stunned with love. O dear friend, I cannot wait any longer, please advise me, how can I intimately have Him in my life? Merely by remembering His Name I am helpless and overwhelmed, so what astounding ambrosial experience will happen if He touches me? How can anyone go on with the ordinary affairs of life after seeing His divine form or the beauty of His abode. O my sympathetic friend, I cannot bear any longer my painful feelings of separation from Him, I cannot bear my ever increasing thirst for His association, therefore I truly wish to forget all about Him, to get back to my normal, peaceful state of mind, but I see to my astonishment that I am not able to forget Him! I am so helpless, please advise me, what shall I do? Dvija Ca\u1e47\u1e0d\u012b d\u0101sa, a devoted servitor of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhe \u015ay\u0101ma says:&quot;True! This is the way of transcendental \u015ay\u0101ma prema! Its power disrupts all moral bindings of a respectable housewife from conservative, aristocratic society and makes her helplessly give everything to Him!&quot; (Ca\u1e47\u1e0d\u012b D\u0101sa) + (SBRBM, p 36-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(422)\",\"saj\u0101t\u012b-y\u0101\u015bye snigdhe\",\"s\u0101dhau sa\u1e45ga\u1e25 svato vare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In a certain stage, we should beware of bad association, so in Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has said: &quot;What sort of saintly persons shall we try to mix with earnestly? Those that are in our line, who have the same high spiritual aspirations as we do, and who hold a superior position. To associate with such saintly persons will help us the most to progress towards the ultimate goal.&quot; (SGAHG, p 120) + (see also \u015bloka 307) \u015br\u012bmad-bh\u0101gavat\u0101rth\u0101n\u0101m \u0101sv\u0101do rasikai\u1e25 saha saj\u0101t\u012b-y\u0101\u015bye snigdhe s\u0101dhau sa\u1e45ga\u1e25 svato vare &quot;One should taste the meaning of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam in the association of pure devotees, and one should associate with the devotees who are more advanced than oneself and endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord. Those that are in our line, who have the same high spiritual aspirations as we do, and who hold a superior position. To associate with such saintly persons will help us the most to progress towards the ultimate goal.&quot; (B-r-s, 1.2.91) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.131)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(423)\",\"sakala ch\u0101\u1e0diy\u0101 bh\u0101i,\",\"\u015braddh\u0101dev\u012bra gu\u1e47a g\u0101i\",\"yanra k\u1e5bpa bhakti dite pare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Give up everything; try only to have faith, and everything will be found. Everything is there (sakala ch\u0101\u1e0diy\u0101 bh\u0101i, \u015braddh\u0101dev\u012bra gu\u1e47a g\u0101i). Do not demand for any proof, because that is meanness. To search after proof as to whether He &#x27;is&#x27; or &#x27;is not&#x27; is meanness. With deep faith, automatically it is known, &quot;Yes, He is.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 27) + (see also \u015bloka 612) \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has written: &quot;Giving up everything, let us sing in praise of \u015araddh\u0101dev\u012b - faith - whose grace can take us to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; \u015araddh\u0101, faith, is the most subtle thing, and it is also the most tangible. It is not imaginary. We must realise that it is reality, it is concrete, and not merely an abstract sentiment of mere individual consciousness. Faith is universal as the most fundamental element that can connect us with the finest objective. Through electricity or radio we can establish communication over a long distance. The science is very subtle, and not known to anyone and everyone, yet, we cannot deny its existence; it has its tangible existence. But faith is much more subtle, and through it one can establish both higher contact and reciprocation. Subtle faith is not is not approachable by anyone and everyone; it has its tangible existence and it may function in any circumstance if we have its peculiar contact. We cannot give false statements that we possess it; our power and grandeur are not necessarily any proof of its presence in us. Despite great pomp and show, all we personify may be falsehood. We should be very cautious to maintain our contact with genuine faith. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 37-8) First \u015braddh\u0101, the s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga and bhajana-kriy\u0101: with faith, when one has the association of the devotees, the practices of devotional service follow. With faith, one can embrace the process of realisation. Sakala ch\u0101\u1e0diy\u0101 bh\u0101i, \u015braddh\u0101dev\u012bra gu\u1e47a g\u0101i: give up everything and with your utmost energy praise the nobility of faith, the ray for a new and noble life. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 61) + (see also \u015bloka 123)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(424)\",\"sakala vai\u1e63\u1e47avapade mora namask\u0101ra\",\"ithe kichu apar\u0101dha nahuka \u0101m\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I respectfully bow to the lotus feet of all the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, praying that there is no offence in this attempt to please them.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p xix)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(425)\",\"sakhy\u0101ya te mama namo\",\"&#x27;stu namo &#x27;stu nityam\",\"d\u0101sy\u0101ya te mama raso\",\"&#x27;stu raso &#x27;stu satyam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, the greatest exponent of the faith of servitude to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, R\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101syam, wrote: &quot;I won&#x27;t allow myself to become fascinated by the proposal of the higher level service as a friend, sakhya. Rather, I shall tend always to do the lower service, d\u0101sya, the service of the servant. I shall not consider myself to be a high-class servitor and I shall always tend to go towards the lower class of service. But He may forcibly take me to a higher service - &quot;No, you are no longer to serve there; now you must serve in this higher category.&quot; (Vil\u0101pa-kusam\u0101\u00f1jali, 16) &quot;But I consider that I am not fit for that confidential service, my Lord. You may engage the higher servitors in Your confidential group, while I may serve in the lower level.&quot; That sort of tendency is safe for us. We should always be tending towards the lower service; and it is His business to forcibly take us up to a higher group, should He wish: &quot;No, you are qualified to render such service, and you should no longer remain in the lower group.&quot; But the tendency of the servitor will always be toward the lower service, d\u0101sy\u0101ya te mama raso &#x27;stu: &quot;I would like to be engaged in service as a servant, not as a friend.&quot; That should be the normal tendency of a devotee. With such a mood, s\/he is safe. Even in that world, s\/he should have no ambition except to be the servant of the servant. Hearing of such things from the devotees and from the scriptures, we may think such a conception to be exaggeration; but it is the reality, and we should search out this pristine substance within us. This is a safe and wholesome position. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 15-6) Our attention should always be towards the negative side. If we can practice that in a real way, our promotion cannot be checked. But without qualification, if we are very eager to go upward, there will be a tendency to fall down. D\u0101sy\u0101ya te mama raso &#x27;stu raso &#x27;stu satyam: &quot;May I have the aspiration for servitude.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 34)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(426)\",\"sakh\u012b vin\u0101 ei l\u012bl\u0101ya anyera n\u0101hi gati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The whole storehouse of this m\u0101dhurya l\u012bl\u0101 is in the hands of those maidservants.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.204) It is mentioned in the \u015ar\u012b Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta, that if one wants to enter into the spontaneous devotion of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pastimes in Vraja, it is required that they take shelter of a confidential maidservant in conjugal mellow, m\u0101dhurya rasa (sakh\u012b vin\u0101 ei l\u012bl\u0101ya anyera n\u0101hi gati). They are the masters of that situation. The whole storehouse of this m\u0101dhurya-l\u012bl\u0101 is in the hands of those maidservants. Only they can give it to others. In m\u0101dhurya rasa, the guru is seen in the form and spirit of a sakh\u012b, a maidservant of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. (guru r\u016bpa sakh\u012b). (TSFSK, p 134) + (see also \u015bloka 232).\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(427)\",\"s\u0101k\u1e63\u0101d-dharitvena samasta-\u015b\u0101strair,\",\"uktas tath\u0101 bh\u0101vyata eva sadbhi\u1e25\",\"kintu prabhor ya\u1e25 priya eva tasya,\",\"vande guro\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-cara\u1e47\u0101ravindam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In the revealed scriptures it is declared that the spiritual master should be worshipped like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this injunction is obeyed by pure devotees of the Lord. The spiritual master is the most confidential servant of the Lord. Thus let us offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of our spiritual master.&quot; (SOTVA, p 18) + (SGAHG, p i) &quot;According to all the scriptures, gurudeva is directly the Lord Himself, and the pure devotees also realise the same. He is actually a simultaneously one and different Manifestation of the Lord, different in the sense that he is the Lord&#x27;s dearmost servitor. I offer my obeisances unto the Lotus Feet of that Divine Master, \u015ar\u012b gurudeva.&quot; We are asked to see gurudeva not opaque, but transparent - transparent to such a degree that through him the highest end, the highest conception of service, can be seen and attained. We can attain it there. If we are earnest, we shall find the highest link, from the very Source. So we are requested not to see guru as limited in his ordinary personification, but as the transparent Mediator of the highest function in his line. We can see this only if our vision is deep. According to the disciple&#x27;s depth of \u015braddh\u0101, he will see the Lord present in his gurudeva. The guru principle, guru-tattva, is very special, very noble, very broad and very deep. So we are warned against thinking that our gurudeva is in mortal relativity. Prabhup\u0101da (Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) showed us by his ideal conduct how much earnestness one may have for gurudeva. We have witnessed this in his practices and teachings. Gurvvaika-ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 - exclusive adherence to the service of \u015ar\u012b guru. Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura was his very being. Everything was Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 54-5) In the beginning it is mentioned in the \u015b\u0101stra that Brahma means the Absolute as a whole, but by clearer vision we see that there are N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, V\u0101sudeva, R\u0101m\u0101candra and so many forms of the Lord. And by even clearer estimation we will find K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to be within. One time when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was in a conference with Lord Balar\u0101ma and Uddhava, They saw a mass of light approaching them. Then after a little time a figure became visible within that mass of light. Then after the light mass approached even closer, They could see the figure of a male person. And when closer still, They could see: &quot;Oh, this is Devar\u1e63i N\u0101rada who has come.&quot; In this way from far off you may get a conception of the whole, just as by viewing the Himalayas from a distance you can see many things. But as much as you approach, you will find just specific parts, but with more clarity. And when you actually arrive, you will find your Lord and your friends, and you will mix there. At that time you do not find the whole of the Himalayas, but you are located in a particular position. And there, not with the whole, you will find that the desired end of your life has been fulfilled.&quot; (SGD, SGPI, 1991, p 23)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(428)\",\"sambhanda kosale dhame prabeshile\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The entrance into that domain (Goloka) can only be obtained by the loving submissiveness of loving surrender. That is neither a subject of gossip nor the subject of history - it is the glory of the Godhead beyond all perceptions. If we move through to the devotional judgement, then that fact is also seen as applicable in our immediate surroundings. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has written: &quot;If we can really enter into the divine abode of the Lord (dhamo) following the proper channel, we will see these things.&quot; (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 2-3)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(429)\",\"san\u0101tana, deha-ty\u0101ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a yadi p\u0101iye\",\"ko\u1e6di-deha k\u1e63a\u1e47eke tabe ch\u0101\u1e0dite p\u0101riye,\",\"deha-ty\u0101ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a n\u0101 pa\u012b, p\u0101iye bhajane\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pr\u0101ptyera up\u0101ya kona n\u0101hi &#x27;bhakti&#x27; vine\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My dear San\u0101tana,&quot; He said: &quot;If I could attain K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a by committing suicide, I would certainly give up millions of bodies without a moments hesitation.&quot; &quot;You should know that one cannot attain K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a simply by giving up the body. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is attainable by devotional service. There is no other means to attain Him.&quot; (C-c, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 4.5556) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;O San\u0101tana, to attain the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I want to immediately die ten million times. I am ready to embrace ten million deaths if that will help me serve Him.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 199) Difficulties are coming, but, the only way to do away with them is to give yourself more and more and more - there lies the solution! Difficulties are coming and what is the cure for that? Give more; learn to give more. Individuality is also there; but, it is on the surrendered plane. To die in the physical sense is nothing! Mah\u0101prabhu told San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b: san\u0101tana, dehaty\u0101ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a yadi p\u0101iye, ko\u1e6di-deha k\u1e63a\u1e47eke tabe ch\u0101\u1e0dite p\u0101riye. San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b wants to teach us. He came from V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana to Pur\u012b to have the dar\u015bana of Mah\u0101prabhu. He came by the same route which Mah\u0101prabhu had taken to get to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana from Pur\u012b - that jungle way - through the Jh\u0101rikha\u1e47\u1e0da forest. And there, taking water from different places and eating so many different types of food, San\u0101tana got some itches on his body and also, some oozing sores on his body. When Mah\u0101prabhu met him, He used to embrace San\u0101tana. There, some of that oozing juice, Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s body was smeared by some of that. San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b felt much pain! &quot;What is this? What have I done to Mah\u0101prabhu?&quot; Later, San\u0101tana was consulting one Jagad\u0101nda Pandit: &quot;I came to get something but, by my misfortune, I am committing some offences. These bad sores all over my body are touching the Divine Body of \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu! That is committing a grave offence! So, I think I must go back, or perhaps better, it would be better if I give up this body just in front of the wheel of the Jagann\u0101tha Cart (a huge chariot which carries Lord Jagann\u0101tha at yearly festivals in Jagann\u0101tha Pur\u012b). This body will be smashed to death and I will get a good birth in the next life. I will have a happy life.&quot; It came to Mah\u0101prabhu that San\u0101tana was saying these things. Mah\u0101prabhu was very much excited: &quot;What do you say San\u0101tana? You have come to such a conclusion? A fool&#x27;s conclusion!&quot; san\u0101tana, deha-ty\u0101ge k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a yadi p\u0101iye. &quot;If it is possible for anyone to achieve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a only by giving this physical body, then in a second, I want to die crores (ten million) of times. It is not so easy! What is the value of this body? This has got some negative value, and I shall sacrifice this body crores of times if possible to get the grace of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So, this is not the way at all. It is not a big thing. It is not a valuable thing - this negative representation (the body). What is this? It is nothing! K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants the inner attention.&quot; (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 8-9) + ( see also \u015bloka 122)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(430)\",\"sango \u015bakti kalau yuge\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu came and introduced sa\u1e45k\u012brtana - sango \u015bakti kalau yuge. &quot;In this age of Kali, if the Holy Name is chanted congregationally, the combined efforts will be fruitful.&quot; (TSFSK, p 109) + (see also \u015bloka 77)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(431)\",\"saras\u012bta\u1e6da-sukhado\u1e6daja-nika\u1e6dapriyabhajanam\",\"lalit\u0101mukha-lalan\u0101kula-param\u0101darayajanam\",\"vrajak\u0101nana-bahum\u0101nana-kamalapriyananyanam\",\"gu\u1e47ama\u00f1jari-garim\u0101-gu\u1e47a-hariv\u0101sanavayanam\",\"\u015bubhadodaya-divase v\u1e5b\u1e63aravij\u0101-nija-dayitam\",\"pra\u1e47am\u0101mi ca cara\u1e47\u0101ntika-paric\u0101raka-sahitam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Dayita d\u0101sa, on the bank of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da at Sv\u0101nanda-sukhada-ku\u00f1ja, you are preoccupied with intimate service alongside the Lord&#x27;s closest servitors, and are thus greatly endeared to the divine damsels of Vraja. Always standing just before \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b Lalit\u0101 Sakh\u012b within a group of ma\u00f1jar\u012b servitors (as Nayana-ma\u1e45\u012b Ma\u00f1jar\u012b) you are deeply absorbed in devotion&#x27;s inward current. In the groves of Vraja you are intimately disposed to Kamala Ma\u00f1jar\u012b, the closest object of your affection, and your singing of the divine qualities of Guna Ma\u00f1jar\u012b weaves a tent inviting Lord Hari to reside there. On your auspicious appearance day I offer my obeisances unto the tips of your lotus feet in the association of your dearmost servitors. O gurudeva, you are the most favourite object of King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu&#x27;s daughter, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.&quot; (ARO, p 11) saras\u012b-ta\u1e6da-sukhad o\u1e6daja-nika\u1e6da-priya-bhajanam lalit\u0101-mukha-lalan\u0101-kula-param\u0101dara-yajanam vraja-k\u0101nana-bahu-m\u0101nana-kamala-priya-nayanam gu\u1e47a-ma\u00f1jari-garim\u0101-gu\u1e47a-hari-v\u0101sana-vayanam \u015bubhadodaya-divase v\u1e5b\u1e63a-ravij\u0101-nija-dayitam pra\u1e47am\u0101mi ca cara\u1e47\u0101ntika-paric\u0101raka-sahitam &quot;O Dayita d\u0101sa, preoccupied with intimate service alongside the Lord&#x27;s closest servitors, you are residing on the banks of the Saraswat\u012b River, seated inside a simple grass hut in the beautiful garden known as Sv\u0101nanda-sukhada-ku\u00f1ja. Always standing just before \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b within a group of Ma\u00f1jar\u012b servitors (as Nayana-ma\u1e45\u012b Ma\u00f1jar\u012b) you are deeply absorbed in devotion&#x27;s inward current. In the gardens of Vraja you are intimately disposed to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b Kamala Ma\u00f1jar\u012b (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura), the closest object of your affection, and your singing of the divine qualities found in Guna Ma\u00f1jar\u012b (\u015ar\u012bla Gauraki\u015bora) weaves a tent inviting Lord Hari to reside there. On your auspicious appearance day I offer my obeisances unto the tips of your lotus feet in the association of your dearmost servitors. O Gurudeva, you are the favourite object of King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu&#x27;s daughter, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101.&quot; (S-K-M, p 33-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(432)\",\"sarasvat\u012b-d\u1e5b\u1e63advatyor deva-nadyor yad antaram\",\"ta\u1e41 deva-nirmmita\u1e41 de\u015ba\u1e41 brahm\u0101vartta\u1e41 prachak\u1e63ate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"In the Manu-sa\u1e41hit\u0101 it is mentioned: The \u0100ryyan civilisation came from upcountry. First it was between the two rivers Saraswat\u012b and D\u1e5b\u1e63advat\u012b. Vy\u0101sadeva and other authorities all belonged to Badar\u012bk\u0101\u015brama, in that quarter. Badar\u012bk\u0101\u015brama is just on the banks of the River Saraswat\u012b. Vy\u0101sadeva used to live there, and N\u0101rada Muni came to give dictation about the principles of Bh\u0101gavatam there at Badar\u012bk\u0101\u015brama on the banks of the Saraswat\u012b. Vy\u0101sadeva also taught the principles of Bh\u0101gavatam to \u015aukadeva at Badar\u012bk\u0101\u015brama on the banks of the Saraswat\u012b. Ambar\u012b\u1e63a Mah\u0101r\u0101ja also lives in that area. It is mentioned that he used to live by the Saraswat\u012b River which joins the Ganges near Badar\u012bk\u0101\u015brama. It is mentioned in Bh\u0101gavatam that he performed hundreds of sacrifices on the two banks of the Saraswat\u012b River. These took place in very ancient times. At that time the Him\u0101layas were considered as the most recently formed mountains. Though the Him\u0101layas were the highest mountains, they were also considered to be the youngest. Where the Him\u0101layas rose became very cold, and the people came down to inhabit the plains. With the rising up of the Him\u0101layas the plains also rose up out of the sea, thus increasing the land mass of India. The seat of ancient civilisation was there, but, as it rose in height, the people came down to the warmer coastal regions. The original seat of Vedic or \u0100ryyan civilisation was on that side, and gradually it spread itself towards the coast. It is from the banks of the Saraswat\u012b that the Vedic culture began. Gradually it has been extended towards this side. East Bengal and this area by the Ganges is ancient, but many other areas have sprung up from the sea. In the south of India some areas are also ancient. So, the S\u0101raswata Br\u0101hma\u1e47as are a particular group of Br\u0101hma\u1e47as who uphold the Vedic culture. They are supposed to have their residence now in the Upper Him\u0101layas, and they are gradually coming this side. (There is a class of S\u0101raswata Br\u0101hma\u1e47as in the Mah\u0101r\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dra area of India who say they are Gau\u1e0da Br\u0101hma\u1e47as or S\u0101raswata Br\u0101hma\u1e47as. S\u0101raswat are a particular group who are under \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadev). As to who, or which races, are the descendants of the \u0100ryyans, there seems to be differing opinions. I do not know the conclusions of the present-day historians, but as a matter of faith we find that those who follow the Vedic culture are \u0100ryyans. &#x27;\u0100ryya&#x27; means venerable, principal. Here in India there is a custom that the wife addresses the husband as &#x27;\u0100ryya-putra.&#x27; &#x27;\u0100ryya&#x27; also means &#x27;grand&#x27; - &#x27;those who are revered, those who hold the highest culture.&#x27; At the beginning of creation those who held the highest culture commanded such reverence from all. In the course of time, under different circumstances, perhaps they had to move to different places. Of course, it may be thought that they are somewhere near the Caspian Sea. Caspian. Ka\u015byapa. Ka\u015byapa is understood to be the father of the gods. Nearby, the \u1e5b\u1e63is are mainly residing on the other side of the Him\u0101layas. Then, as I mention before, it is said that the Him\u0101layas gradually rose up and formed some sort of partition. Some ended up on the other side, some on this side. That does not matter so much, as we are not as concerned with the geography as the culture. We have to make a comparative study of all available cultures and try to conceive their height, and wherever the high culture may be found we will accept that. It does not matter where it is found. One devotee once asked \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja why he named his Mission &#x27;\u015ar\u012b Chaitanya S\u0101raswat Ma\u1e6dh,&#x27; and what is the meaning of &#x27;Chaitanya S\u0101raswat?&#x27; He replied: &quot;First there was &#x27;Chaitanya Ma\u1e6dh,&#x27; and &#x27;Saraswat\u012b&#x27; is our gurudeva. So Chaitanya S\u0101raswat - this name indicates the line from to &#x27;Saraswat\u012b,&#x27; our gurudeva - the knowledge that has come from \u015ar\u012b Chaitanyadeva up to Prabhup\u0101da \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura. Within that Divine Dispensation we are to revere, accept and preach. It is indicating the angle of vision of our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, about \u015ar\u012b Chaitanyadeva; the way he saw it with his divine eyes. It is available here, and we are concerned with that. From Chaitanya to Saraswat\u012b, the whole of our guru parampar\u0101 is covered, considered, cultured and being preached and spread. This is Chaitanya S\u0101raswat. Also, Chaitany\u0101nuga Saraswat\u012b. Saraswat\u012b means v\u0101\u1e47\u012b, v\u0101kya: the words or expressions of Chaitanya. Chaitanya-v\u0101\u1e47\u012b is the real preaching and instructions of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanyadeva. So the substantial meaning is &#x27;from Chaitanya to Saraswat\u012b.&#x27; It is the culture of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam as viewed by \u015ar\u012b Chaitanyadeva and His followers up to Saraswat\u012b. This is the object, theme and purpose of our life. Our nature and acquaintance is there. They are our masters, and we are the servants of that group. We want to revere them, to propagate knowledge about them, and to ask people to accept them. Our whole concern is there. Out Temple is &#x27;Chaitanya S\u0101raswat,&#x27; distinct from the S\u0101raswata Br\u0101hma\u1e47as. So, Chaitanya S\u0101raswat is the line of Bh\u0101gavatam as enhanced by \u015ar\u012b Chaitanyadeva. Of all the \u0100c\u0101ryas, Chaitanyadeva preached about Love Divine. Clearly and in a developed, scientific way, only Chaitanyadeva preached the fifth end of life: Bh\u0101gavata-Prema. The end of life is to acquire Love, affection and attraction for Godhead, for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Lord of Love and He is the innermost conception of Godhead. The highest conception of Godhead is in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The j\u012bva can have a relationship with Him - the relationship of Love - and that is the highest achievement for all souls, ever known to have come down to the world. Thus Chaitanya-S\u0101raswat is exclusively Chaitany\u0101nuga S\u0101raswat - S\u0101raswata that belongs to the School of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Chaitanyadeva. They are believers in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness and Chaitanyadeva&#x27;s instructions. S\u0101raswat means that the communication is with sound or words - a Treasure of words. Here, sound refers to the Holy Names. Their business is with Divine Sound. Their duty is with the transaction of Divine Sound. And what sort of Divinity? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness sound business. That is their trade. They are engaged in the transaction of the Divine Sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is a philosophical, ontological expression, but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Chaitanya consciousness means that Chaitanya is there. His Name is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Chaitanya. \u015ar\u012bla Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja (an affectionate address for \u015ar\u012bla A.C Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja) called his society ISKCON, but the public has given it a very warm welcome by calling it &#x27;the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Movement.&#x27; But &#x27;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness&#x27; is an ontological expression that can be realised by the philosophically minded. In the Name &#x27;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Chaitanya&#x27; - &#x27;Chaitanya&#x27; means &#x27;consciousness&#x27; so &#x27;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness&#x27; means &#x27;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Chaitanya.&#x27; The Name is there personified. When I asked \u015ar\u012bp\u0101da Bhaktivedanta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja why he was fond of the name &#x27;ISKCON&#x27; he had given for his society, he replied, &quot;Isa-con.&quot; - \u012b\u015b\u0101v\u0101syam ida\u1e41 sarva\u1e41. (SGD, SGP, 1997, p 15-6) + (see also \u015bloka 187)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(433)\",\"sarva bh\u016bte\u1e63u ya\u1e25 pa\u015byed,\",\"bhagavad bh\u0101vam \u0101tmana\u1e25\",\"bh\u016bt\u0101ni bhagavaty \u0101tmany,\",\"e\u1e63a bh\u0101gavatottama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A person advanced in devotional service sees within everything the soul of souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Consequently they always see K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a everywhere and in everything. One who is situated on the topmost platform of devotional service is known as an uttama-bh\u0101gavata.&quot; (S-B, 11.2.45) + (linked to \u015bloka&#x27;s 47, 190) The highest stage of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism according to the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is described as follows: &quot;The first class devotee sees K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in everything, and everything within K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (SGAHG, p 63) &quot;In the highest stage, uttama-adhikar\u0101, one can trace the Supreme Entity everywhere and in every moment.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 30) + (see also \u015bloka 612) We can attain the highest position in this way. Whatever and whoever we come across, we must see it at the central interest and not from provincial or local interest. Go straight to the centre: bhagavad bh\u0101vam. Then, \u0101tmana\u1e25. Try to see the centre in everything, and then in connection with or through the centre, come to approach your environment. First go to the centre, and from the centre, knowing your relationship with the centre, come to adjust with your surroundings and company. What is a person&#x27;s relationship to the centre, and what is my relationship to the centre? Considering these two factors, I shall ascertain what shall be my relationship with that person. My connection with everything and everyone should be ascertained through the centre. My relationship with others must be calculated from the central interest, not local or partial interest between them. That will be wrong, and that is the root of all evil. This separate relationship is not wholesome. Only go straight to see things through the eye of the interest of the centre, and your relationship will descend (sarva bh\u016bte\u1e63u ya\u1e25 pa\u015byed, bhagavad bh\u0101vam - \u0101tmana\u1e25). Next, bh\u016bt\u0101ni bhagavaty and then \u0101tmani, vice versa: what is God&#x27;s relationship with the thing, and what is the thing&#x27;s relationship with God; and according to that calculation, you come into adjustment with them, with your environment. Then you are out of danger.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 173-4) + (see also \u015bloka 612) Everything should be seen through Him, and only after that - &#x27;mine.&#x27; sarva bh\u016bte\u1e63u ya\u1e25 pa\u015byed, bhagavad bh\u0101vam \u0101tmana\u1e25. &#x27;Mine&#x27; should mean &#x27;how K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has enjoyed.&#x27; Everything may be fittingly enjoyed by Him. I must be K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-centred. Then other centres such as beauty to be enjoyed by any other person, not to speak of oneself, will be recognised as risky and poisonous. Beauty - everything - is to be enjoyed by Him. It is meant, it is created, it is sustained - for Him. We must reach this understanding, for this is to be situated in the deepest plane. This is nirgu\u1e47a, transcendental. Otherwise, all is sagu\u1e47a, or superficial. Get out of the sagu\u1e47a, the waves of local interest. That may be centred in a family, a village, a country, a species, or human society to the exception of the birds, beasts and insects - the circle may increase, but it is still limited. But properly adjusted, we want nothing less than K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, so everything must be connected with Him and seen through His interest. My interest should not entertain any independent friendship with anyone. Everything should be done on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s account. Negotiation, transaction, and future prospect - everything is for the centre, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In this way, everything will come to me through the Absolute Good. Then all the poison will be eliminated and whatever comes to me will be mixed with nectar. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 177) &quot;One who can always see My connection with everything, and accordingly see what will be his connection with Me, is properly adjusted.&quot; (GOD, p 11-12) + (see also \u015bloka&#x27;s 47, 190)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c14\",\"title\":\"14. Surrender in Living Devotion\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"\u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati is the very life essence of devotion, so it must be present in all forms of services.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(434)\",\"sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya,\",\"m\u0101m eka\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 vraja\",\"aha\u1e41 tv\u0101\u1e41 sarva-p\u0101pebhyo,\",\"mok\u1e63ayi\u1e63y\u0101mi m\u0101 \u015buca\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Totally abandoning all kinds of religion, surrender exclusively unto Me. I will liberate you from all kinds of sins, so do not despair.&quot; (B-g, 18.66) So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Give up all your duties and come to Me. And your present duties good or bad, whatever you can conceive from your present position - give up everything and come straight to Me. I&#x27;m everything to you.&quot; This is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is telling us: &quot;You belong to Me, you are My property. Just as you can say that you are master of any property, so you are My property, My slave.&quot; That is the truth, and by accepting that truth we will live in a higher plane. We will be the gainer, we will come into our normal position. At present, in an abnormal position, we are suffering from thinking: &quot;I am the master, the monarch of all I survey.&quot; But that ego is our worst enemy if we are to progress in devotional service. (SEOC, p 37) Do not lose a moment. Don&#x27;t waste a minute of your time in wild goose chasing. Give up everything. sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya. Leave it behind. Give up all phases of duty that you are so busily engaged in. It is all worthless. Begin the search for that divine principle who is the creator, the master of everything, and the fulfilment of everything. Search for Him directly. Give up all your so-called obligations and duties in your relative position. They are misconceived, misviewed from your present defective position. Do not rely on them. Make a direct search for the prime cause from which everything is coming as a miracle. He is the fulfilment of our lives. He is the fulfilment of every atomic existence in all worlds. (SEOC, p 112) In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, all considerations of individual and local interest are sacrificed. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, there is the highest self-sacrifice, to the degree that everyone&#x27;s own particular interest or consideration is sacrificed into fire. Only when you came to that stage of self-sacrifice can you take birth in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana; not before. This is the conclusion of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;You must risk all your prospects, you must risk everything, with no prospects other than Myself. I cannot tolerate the presence of any second entity in your heart. I cannot tolerate that you will come to Me with some consideration. My relation with you must be unconditional. I can&#x27;t tolerate any other interest in the heart of My devotee. Only one interest, and that is Me. Sacrifice all your so-called interests, all your prospects, everything. Then you can come to meet Me in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; (SEOC, p 135) When we try to put a stop to our material form of life and take our course towards Godhead, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, neglecting the imperative duties that are upon us, so many difficulties may come to trouble us, to trap us in our journey towards the ultimate truth. But if we stick to the order of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, He will protect us. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a confirms this in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (18.66). He says: &quot;Abandon all other conceptions of duty and just surrender unto Me. Have no fear. I shall protect you and free you from all sinful reactions that might arise from neglecting your ordinary duties.&quot; Different material tendencies and mental impulses may attack us - even Indra himself, the king of heaven and the controller of all ordinary activities, may attack us - but if we are attentive towards our goal, if we are careful to read the order of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, He will protect us in the shade of His lotus feet. He will give us shelter under the shade of Govardhana Hill, where no Indra will be able to touch our heads. And with full faith that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will give us protection, we should try to take shelter under Govardhana Hill and pray: &quot;O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, give me protection from all the difficulties that may come to attack me because of my leaving behind my ordinary obligations.&quot; (see \u015bloka 120) Although many anomalies may try to catch us, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will protect us. And His representation as Govardhana Hill, that wonderful master of the cows will save us from all sorts of difficulties. How is this possible? God works wonders. His ways are unknown and inconceivable. (LSFTLS, p 38) Many things are recommended in the scriptures, but they are meant to promote us towards the truth in an indirect way. It is recommended at a certain stage that for the sake of our close friends, we should give up our ideal. But in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s final instruction is: &quot;If it is necessary to maintain the highest ideal, you must give up your friends. Surrender to Me. I am the real purport of the scriptures.&quot; The highest kind of idealists give up their country, their family, their friends, and everything else, but they can&#x27;t give up their ideal. In the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;It is better to die while performing one&#x27;s own duty than to try to do another&#x27;s duty.&quot; That is one stage of understanding: the relative consideration. The absolute consideration is also given in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101: K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Give up everything. Come to Me directly.&quot; This is the revolutionary way. This is absolute. And this is relative: &quot;Stick to your own clan. Don&#x27;t leave them.&quot; That is the national conception. There is nation consciousness and God consciousness; society consciousness and God consciousness. God consciousness is absolute. If society consciousness hinders the development of God consciousness, it should be left behind. (SGAHG, p 43-4) + (see also \u015bloka 168) I am not a servant of A,B,C or D. I am a servant of Mah\u0101prabhu. I may have to turn this way or that way, or whatever way will by favourable to reach my Lord. Wherever I feel the presence of my Lord in an intense form, I must be attracted to that side. We are out for that thing, and not for any fashion or formality; that will hamper our cause. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya, m\u0101m eka\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 vraja. Wherever we shall find Him, we must run in that direction. The direction may not always be straight. It may go in a zigzag way, but if K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes from that side, I must run there. Again if He appears on this side, I must run to this side. My interest is with Him. Not that we can challenge: &quot;Why did K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appear here, and why is He appearing there? That may be a doubtful thing, so I must stay on this side.&quot; No. If I have genuine appreciation for the real thing, the proper thing, I must go to that side, the side of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. If I am blind, that is another case. Then I must have to suffer for my inability. But, if anyone has the ability to understand things properly, they will run to wherever they find help. If someone in a boat is passing through the current and finds they are in danger, then from whatever side help may come, they must run to that side. (SGAHG, p 108-9) There are different stages of education imparted in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101: bhakti-yoga, karma-yoga, j\u00f1\u0101na-yoga, a\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101nga-yoga, so many different layers of theism, but pure devotional theism begins where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya: &quot;Give up your affinity to all other activities, whether religious or nonreligious, and wholly surrender to Me. Don&#x27;t try to push your demands on Me, but ask Me what will be most beneficial for you. And what shall I do on your behalf? Fully surrender to Me, and I will give Myself to you. All these other methods and their prospects are more or less effective and valuable, but don&#x27;t aspire after anything but Me. That will be your highest prospect: to want Me, to have Me, to live in Me, to do what I say, to enter into My own personal family in My private life. That will be your highest attainment. Don&#x27;t aspire for anything else from Me. The comparative study of all religious aspirations will show that the highest inner necessity may be satisfied by entrance into My personal private dealings.&quot; (TSFSK, p 65-6) In the famous conversation with \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu (recorded in Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.51-313) about pure devotional service, R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya quoted this verse from Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 - sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya. &quot;Give up all your duties, and just surrender unto Me.&quot; We must be particular with the object of life; not the external activities of varn\u0101\u015brama. Less importance should be given to the form of our activity: whether I am a king, a br\u0101hma\u1e47a intellectual, or a worker does not matter. We may think, &quot;I have this sort of duty, I have that sort of duty,&quot; but that does not matter very much. We must have no attachment for that. The king may leave his kingdom and take to a br\u0101hma\u1e47ic life of renunciation and austerity. A \u015b\u016bdra may give up his labour, become a beggar, and chant the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. A br\u0101hma\u1e47a may give up his performance of sacrifice and become a mendicant. So, we are to be particular about the aim of life; not the form of our duty. We must exclusively devote ourselves to the cause of the Lord, ignoring our present paraphernalia and duty. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is also superficial; go ahead - deeper.&quot; (TSFSK, p 137-8) Whatever my position may be, I want my connection with the greatest fulfilment of the whole world. Everyone is searching for such fulfilment of all their necessities. sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya: the search for Him eliminates all other duties. A true devotee thinks: &quot;There is no obligation to anyone except one, and He is my Lord, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; And His most laudable and greatest servitors are those who are in contact with the greatest agent. Not His direct contact, but contact with the greatest agent of His service will constitute the safer and higher relationship of ananya-bhajana, exclusive service eliminating all else. (SOTGOD, v1, p 4) &quot;Only I can give you complete fulfilment, so come to Me and give up everything else. I shall accept the reaction you have earned in the relativity of this mortal world - I shall clear your debt! You need only come to My feet.&quot; If we are charmed by this universal call of the Lord and we try to abide by it, then that is sufficient. If we are answering that absolute call to our best ability, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a assures us: &quot;I shall free you of your burden; you simply come to Me. Give up all your duties.&quot; Faith in this call, and acting on the basis of such faith is a great thing in us. We should try to follow this according to our best capacity, and this is possible only in the company of the exclusive devotees of the Lord. (SOTGOD, v1, p 10-11) &quot;My exclusive devotee is he who gives up all phases of duties (sarva-dharm\u0101n) and surrenders to My feet, accepting only his duty to Me.&quot; (SOTGOD, v1, p 78) &quot;Dharma means morals, duties, including duties to father, mother, country society, humanity, etc. But if one neglects all these and keeps a straight relationship towards Me, he will be considered free of any fault. He is in the line of sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya, m\u0101m eka\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 vraja. He is doing right, and one who can simply appreciate this will also very soon be converted to the same class.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 81) So, the problem is, how can we surrender, giving up our mundane attraction and our ignorance about our own interest? How can we jump into the Absolute Good - the ocean of our real interest. That is the problem and our questions should be of such a general character. Only there is this one question. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 4) &quot;Reject all else and only concentrate on My own Self for that is the only sort of devotion that can draw Me to the devotee. All else is futile and shameful. It is not that someone will come with hired persons to canvas Me. No! My agents are the best benefactors to you. They are searching to canvas persons in My favour. My agents are there and not for any business purpose. Their business is to do good to others, and with this idea so many agents are out to canvas for Me. Come through them and do not seek any recommendation from outside to use various means to try to force Me to favour you. That is not the proper path, but come to Me through My own agents. They have no aspiration to fulfil for themselves. They are all-given to My service and they are wandering trying to recruit persons, to benefit them. So come through My agents, never otherwise. What is yoga? There is air and there are so many things but by controlling those do you think you will force Me to come to you? I am the Absolute Autocrat. I don&#x27;t care for anything else. I have no necessity to care for anything else. Not any force, any tactics, any cunning methods, any canvassing - nothing can influence Me. I am the Autocrat. And admitting the line of autocracy, try to come to Me. There are many demigods. They are making trade, but I am not amongst the commodities of their trading. None can make trade with Me. I am Absolute. I look only for devotion, exclusive devotion which is not formal, but natural, hearty and sincere. I look for that. I look for the heart and not for anything else.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 51) The real world is where every unit is dedicating itself to the whole, represented by the Centre, just as in a healthy body every atom will work for the welfare of the whole body. If an atom works for itself, it exploits to the extreme, and such local works for local interest are clearly bad. Every part of the body, and every atom, is to work for the welfare of the whole system. There is a Centre, and by the guidance of that it will work. What is the position of the Centre? It is mentioned in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (18.66). K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a explains His position: sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya. &quot;Abandon all dharmas (duties) and just surrender unto Me.&quot; Now I want to represent this conception from another standpoint. Hegel was a good German philosopher and his philosophy is known as perfectionism. He has given an idea: the Absolute Truth, the Prime Cause of everything, must have two qualifications. What are they? It must be by itself and for itself. Please try to pay attention. By itself means that He is His own cause nothing else created Him. If anything has created Him, that creator will have the primary importance. Therefore, to be the Absolute He must be an\u0101di, eternally existing and not created by anything. The Absolute must have this qualification. The next qualification is that the Absolute Truth is for itself. He exists for His own satisfaction, not to satisfy any other. If His existence is to satisfy another entity, then He will be secondary, and they for whose satisfaction He is living will have the prime position. Therefore, the Absolute must have these two qualifications: He is His own cause, and He exists only to satisfy Himself, to fulfil His own purpose. The Absolute is by itself and for itself. If any straw moves, it moves to fulfil the purpose of the Absolute. Everything - every incident and whatever happens - must have to be for His satisfaction. So, the real current is for His l\u012bl\u0101, His pastimes, but ourselves we are guided by separate interest: family interest or country interest or social interest or humanitarianism, etc. But in the infinite consideration it is all only a tiny part, and we are all engaged in acting for such separate interest. There is a clash between innumerable separate interests and so there is trouble. But we must leave all our so-called special interests, come out from misunderstanding, and try to attain the function of a unit active for the cause of the whole. The conclusion of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 given by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya, Give up your duties which you think at present you have to discharge, and - m\u0101m eka\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 vraja surrender to My feet. aha\u1e41 tv\u0101\u1e41 sarva-p\u0101pebhyo, mok\u1e63ayi\u1e63y\u0101mi m\u0101 \u015buca\u1e25. I shall release you from all the troubles of which you can ever conceive.&quot; In other words you are to remember to be faithful to the Centre. At present all your respective duties are for local interest, but give up the local identification of your own interest and merge totally in the interest of the organic whole. (HC, p 3-5) It is mentioned in the scriptures that we should not change our position very easily. For example a commander will say to his army: &quot;Don&#x27;t change your position. Rather, die to keep it.&quot; But when the chance will come, he will say: &quot;Go forward.&quot; Similarly, the \u015b\u0101stra, the scriptures, have told: &quot;Wherever you are born according to your previous karma, wherever you have taken your stand, don&#x27;t try to leave there otherwise there is the possibility you will go down.&quot; But at the same time, when a proper chance comes, they say: &quot;March on towards the Absolute! Make further progress.&quot; So, in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 it is given: &quot;Don&#x27;t easily lose your present position acquired by your previous action - rather, die there.&quot; But then again, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes to say: sarvadharm\u0101n parityajya. &quot;When you get the chance of marching towards the Centre, you must do it at all cost.&quot; This is the revolutionary method. There is the constitutional method and the revolutionary method. The revolutionary method is to take the risk of anything and everything and march on, march forward towards the central truth, and, because this human life gives the best opportunity, we shall do whatever is necessary for that. (HC, p 28-9) Substance is necessary and not form. Form may be adopted only as much as it may connect me with that higher thing. So sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya: &quot;All phases of duty you perceive as perfect, give up. At once try to jump in Me, into the ocean of nectar. I am the ocean of nectar. Try to jump. That is the direct teaching. So, our addiction to this or that, to v\u0101naprastha, sanny\u0101sa, or g\u1e5bhastha has got very negligent value. But the earnest desire, that is to be acquired by any means. That is bhakti proper.&quot; (GOD, p 21) &quot;Now I ask you to summarily dismiss every one of those religiosities and surrender unto Me, the Personality of Godhead, Bhagav\u0101n. Then I shall deliver you from all sin of this worldly sojourn, as well as any sin incurred by giving up the aforementioned duties or religiosities. There will be no cause for you to lament that your life&#x27;s mission is unfulfilled.&quot; (SSPJ, p 158) We may interpret in our own way the reason for an earthquake, or a storm, or anything, but that reading is from our local interest - the real meaning is hidden. This is m\u0101y\u0101, and on the basis of that we are performing so many activities. All our interpretations are from the plane of local interest, so give it up! sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya. Give up your local interest and identify yourself with the current of that plane of universal interest. (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 12)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(435)\",\"sarva-guhyatama\u1e41 bh\u016bya\u1e25,\",\"\u015b\u1e5b\u1e47u me parama\u1e41 vaca\u1e25\",\"i\u1e63\u1e6do &#x27;si me d\u1e5b\u1e0dham iti,\",\"tato vak\u1e63y\u0101mi te hitam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Now again hear My supreme teaching, the most hidden of all hidden treasures. You are extremely dear to Me, and really, this is why I am explaining this for your true benefit.&quot; (B-g, 18-64) &quot;I have revealed to you My hidden teaching of the non-differentiated Absolute, and now more hidden teaching of the Almighty Dominion. Now hear the most hidden of all treasures concerning Me, the Sweet Absolute. Of all the teachings I have imparted within this G\u012bt\u0101\u015b\u0101stra, this is topmost. You are most dear to Me, and thus I am explaining this for your best benefit.&quot; The most hidden of all hidden treasures of the Lord: the most affectionate advice of the devotee&#x27;s dear friend. (SSPJ, p 157) + (see also \u015bloka 192) According to \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, the hidden (gu\u1e25yam) instruction of Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is found in the second and third chapters of \u015ar\u012b G\u012bt\u0101. There it is stated that engagement in selfless action will gradually lead one to the paths of knowledge and contemplation. His more hidden (guhyataram) instruction is found in the seventh and eighth chapters wherein the Supreme Lord imparts knowledge of Himself which gives birth to devotion. In Chapter nine, the most hidden (guhyatamam) instruction begins. The Lord describes the symptoms of exclusive devotion (keval\u0101-bhakti), which is unmixed with action, knowledge, or abstract meditation. Because His devotee Arjuna is very dear to Him, the Lord now repeats His hidden teaching for Arjuna&#x27;s benefit. This time, however, He reveals His most hidden of all hidden treasures (sarva-guhyatamam) - His most affectionate advice: &quot;Arjuna, you are most dear to Me, so I will now divulge the whole truth to you.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(436)\",\"&#x27;sarvaj\u00f1a&#x27; \u0101si&#x27; du\u1e25kha dekhi&#x27; puchaye t\u0101h\u0101re&#x27;\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Once a learned astrologer devotee of the Lord came to the house of a poor man and upon seeing his misery revealed to him about how to obtain the secret wealth of life for his supreme benefit.&quot; (ARO, p 22) ih\u0101te d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101nta - yaiche daridrera ghare &#x27;sarvaj\u00f1a&#x27; \u0101si&#x27; du\u1e25kha dekhi&#x27; puchaye t\u0101h\u0101re&#x27; &quot;The following example may be given. Once a learned astrologer came to the house of a poor man and, seeing his distressed condition, questioned him.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 127) &#x27;tumi kene du\u1e25kh\u012b, tom\u0101ra \u0101che pit\u1e5b-dhana tom\u0101re n\u0101 kahila, anyatra ch\u0101\u1e0dila j\u012bvana &quot;The astrologer asked: &#x27;Why are you unhappy? Your father was very wealthy, but he did not disclose his wealth to you because he died elsewhere?&#x27; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 128) sarvaj\u00f1era v\u0101kye kare dhanera udde\u015be aiche veda-pur\u0101\u1e47a j\u012bve &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27; upade\u015be &quot;Just as the words of the astrologer Sarvaj\u00f1a gave news of the poor man&#x27;s treasure, Vedic literatures advise one about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness when one is inquisitive to know why he is in a distressed material condition.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 129) sarvaj\u00f1era v\u0101kye m\u016bla-dhana anubandha sarva-\u015b\u0101stre upade\u015be, &#x27;\u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27; - sambandha &quot;By the words of the astrologer, the poor man&#x27;s connection with the treasure was established. Similarly, Vedic literature advises us that our real connection is with \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 130) &#x27;b\u0101pera dhana \u0101che&#x27; - j\u00f1\u0101ne dhana n\u0101hi p\u0101ya tabe sarvaj\u00f1a kahe t\u0101re pr\u0101ptira up\u0101ya &quot;Although being assured of his father&#x27;s treasure, the poor man cannot acquire this treasure by such knowledge alone. Therefore, the astrologer had to inform him of the means whereby he could actually find the treasure.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 131) &#x27;ei sth\u0101ne \u0101che dhana&#x27; - yadi dak\u1e63i\u1e47e khudibe &#x27;bh\u012bmarula-barul\u012b&#x27; u\u1e6dhibe, dhana n\u0101 p\u0101ibe &quot;The astrologer said: &#x27;The treasure is in this place, but if you dig towards the southern side, the wasps and drones will rise, and you will not get your treasure.&#x27; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 132) &#x27;pa\u015bcime&#x27; khudibe, t\u0101h\u0101 &#x27;yak\u1e63a&#x27; eka haya se vighna karibe, - dhane h\u0101ta n\u0101 pa\u1e0daya &quot;If you dig on the western side, there is a ghost who will create such a disturbance that your hands will not even touch the treasure.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 133) &#x27;uttare&#x27; khudile \u0101che k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a &#x27;ajagare&#x27; dhana n\u0101hi p\u0101be, khudite gilibe sab\u0101re &quot;If you dig on the northern side, there is a big black snake that will devour you if you attempt to dig up the treasure.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 134) p\u016brva-dike t\u0101te m\u0101\u1e6d\u012b alpa khudite dhanera jh\u0101ri pa\u1e0dibeka tom\u0101ra h\u0101tete &quot;However, if you dig up a small quantity of dirt on the eastern side, your hands will immediately touch the pot of treasure.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 135) aiche \u015b\u0101stra kahe, - karma, j\u00f1\u0101na, yoga tyaji&#x27; &#x27;bhaktye&#x27; k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a va\u015ba haya, bhaktye t\u0101\u1e45re bhaji &quot;Revealed scriptures conclude that one should give up fruitive activity, speculative knowledge, and the mystic yoga system and instead take to devotional service, by which K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can be fully satisfied.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 20. 136) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, came and told: &quot;Don&#x27;t try to think yourself a master of so many siddhis like a\u1e47im\u0101, laghim\u0101, vy\u0101pti (becoming small as the atom, lighter than a feather, all pervading, etc.). The thought that you can play with miracles is all lower conception. With mukti (liberation), then siddhi (yogic supernatural mystic powers), you will have to encounter so many traps and obstacles that your very existence will be at stake.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu gave a solution to all our problems with an allegorical example. He said: &quot;We see that you are poor, but there is a happy solution. Your wealth is underground in your own room: just try to unearth it. Don&#x27;t approach it from the Southern side, the give-andtake method of karma, for then whatever you do will bring some reaction that will capture and disturb you, and you will have no time to reach the proper solution. To the South there is the bh\u012bmarula-varul\u012b, the hornet&#x27;s nest of unfulfilled desires (karma-k\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da). If you approach that hidden wealth from the Western side, through the yoga system, by manipulating the subtle forces of nature to attain supernatural mystic power, that will enchant you and take your attention away from the desired goal. Your own activity in the wrong direction will create obstacles to your achievement. To the West, there is the Yak\u1e63a, the deceitful ghost representing the death of merging into the Absolute by supernatural yoga practice (yoga-siddhi). If you approach the treasure from the North, the side of that grand brahm\u0101smi, the impersonal conception, with the help of misinterpreted Ved\u0101ntic logic, then you will enter into eternal sam\u0101dhi, that great phantom will swallow you up, your existence will be nowhere, and who will come to enjoy the peace of getting the wealth? To the North there is the Ajagara, the black python representing the death of merging into the Absolute Brahman by the liberationists on the path of knowledge (j\u00f1\u0101na-m\u0101rga). They will all bewilder you. Only if you approach from the Eastern side, with the help of devotion, will you get the wealth easily. That is the direction of the sunrise, the light-giving direction. And that light is not prepared by our own hand; that light is from the source of all light: the revealed truth. It is extended from the quarter which is unknown to us. That light is revealed knowledge, bhakti, the path of devotion.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(437)\",\"sarva mah\u0101-gu\u1e47a-ga\u1e47a vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-\u015bar\u012bre\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakte k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47era gu\u1e47a sakali sa\u1e63c\u0101re\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is one who has developed all good transcendental qualities. All the good qualities of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a gradually develop in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s devotee.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.75) Through K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a everything is possible. And the nearer we come to Him, the more we shall catch. His influence inspires His devotees, and all His qualities fill their hearts. In that way, although a devotee is not himself a master, through the link of love he can be a master of anything. This is the line of thought explained by \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam and the Upani\u1e63ads. (LSFTLS, p 68)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(438)\",\"sarvasya c\u0101ha\u1e41 h\u1e5bdi sannivi\u1e63\u1e6dho,\",\"matta\u1e25 sm\u1e5btir j\u00f1\u0101nam apohana\u1e41 ca\",\"vedai\u015b ca sarvair aham eva vedyo,\",\"ved\u0101nta-k\u1e5bd veda-vid eva c\u0101ham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I am situated (as the Supersoul) within the heart of all souls, and from Me arises the soul&#x27;s remembrance, knowledge, and the dissipation of both (according to his karma, or action in the mundane plane). I am the exclusive knowable (ecstatic) principle of all the Vedas. I am the author of the Ved\u0101nta - Vedavy\u0101sa, the expounder of the knowable meaning of the Vedas. And certainly I am the knower of the purport of the Vedas.&quot; (B-g, 15.15) Encompassing the aggregate individuality and collectively, the Absolute Autocracy over both the material and spiritual planes is held by \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a alone, the Supreme Male Dominating Principle as corroborated in the Upani\u1e63ads; and He is the objective sought after by the yog\u012bs. &quot;I am situated as the Supreme Lord within the hearts of all souls. As a result of a soul&#x27;s worldly deeds, his remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness arises from Me alone. Thus, I am not only Brahman, the Absolute Spirit that pervades the universe, but above that, I am the Supersoul present in the hearts of the living beings, who dispenses the results of their attempts. And even above My worshippable aspects of Brahman and Param\u0101tm\u0101, I am the Guru of all souls, the eternal dispenser of their good fortune - I am Bhagav\u0101n, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to be known by all the Vedas; I am the creator and perfect knower of all the axiomatic conclusions of the Vedas (Ved\u0101nta). (SSPJ, p 148) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: matta\u1e25 sm\u1e5btir j\u00f1\u0101nam apohana\u1e41 ca: He is the prime cause of remembrance, forgetfulness, and intelligence. He is the controller. For His own pleasure, His l\u012bl\u0101, He can do anything. This is true not only in the material world, but also in His own domain. What is meant by this statement of the G\u012bt\u0101 concerns this bra\u1e25m\u0101nda, this material world. The gist of this statement is that from the lower planetary systems up to the highest - this entire area of evolution and dissolution - everything is manipulated by Him. No credit can be attached to any external thing. All credit should go to the centre who controls everything. (SEOC, p 5) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu delegated R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana with the power to preserve the devotional current they had received from Him, and to present it in a new light. They were asked to prove by drawing upon different scriptures that Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s Teachings are the very gist and purpose of all the scriptures. As in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, vedai\u015b ca sarvair aham eva vedya\u1e25: &quot;The attempt of every revealed scripture is to show Me as the Highest Centre - I am the Absolute.&quot; So Mah\u0101prabhu said: K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the Absolute. With the help of the different scriptures and historical reference - by all means possible - try to prove that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Svaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that Vraja-l\u012bl\u0101, V\u1e5bnd\u00e3vana-l\u012bl\u0101, is the highest achievement.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 124) &quot;They (theVedas) all want Me to show the object of their quest.&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(439)\",\"sarvop\u0101dhi-vinirmukta\u1e41,\",\"tat paratvena nirmalam\",\"h\u1e5b\u1e63\u012bkena h\u1e5b\u1e63\u012bke\u015ba\",\"sevana\u1e41 bhaktir ucyate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Pure devotion is service to the Supreme Lord which is free from all relative conceptions of self interest.&quot; (NP) Devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a means sacrifice - &quot;die to live.&quot; By devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, our whole conception of mundane, self-centered, self-interested life will be finished totally. In his Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5btasindhu, P\u016brva-vibh\u0101ga, 1.10, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b quotes this verse from the ancient Pur\u0101\u1e47as. up\u0101dhi means &quot;all relative conceptions of self interest.&quot; We must be totally free of all up\u0101dhis. (LSFTLS, p 13) + (see also \u015bloka 39)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(440)\",\"sarvva-vai\u1e63\u1e47avera p\u0101&#x27;ye kari namask\u0101ra\",\"ithe apar\u0101dha kichu nahuka \u0101m\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;I bow at the feet of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas; may there be no offence in my attempt to serve them.&quot; Nit\u0101i Gaurahari bol! We pray to Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. We want to come to an adjusted, former position: &quot;If I have committed any offence, apar\u0101dha, when dealing with so many subtle things about the great personages, please, Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, absolve me of the offence and restore me to my normal humble position.&quot; When we deal with so many things, such as trying to speak about great personalities of the highest order, we should beg Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu to pardon us for our audacity. He is patita-p\u0101vana, saviour of the fallen souls. He is ado\u1e63a-dar\u015b\u012b - He generally does not take any offence. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 47)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(441)\",\"\u015bata-koti-gop\u012bte nahe k\u0101ma niv\u0101pna\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s transcendental desires for loving exchanges could not be satisfied even in the midst of billions of gop\u012bs. Thus He went searching after \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Just imagine how transcendentally qualified She is!&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.116) The other gop\u012bs numbered so many, but in quality they were a little less. Their total combination could not satisfy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The qualitative difference was there. That is found. (SGAHG, p 153) + (see also \u015bloka 222, 390 &amp; 395)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(442)\",\"sata\u1e41 prasa\u1e45g\u0101n mama v\u012brya-sa\u1e41vido,\",\"bhavanti h\u1e5bt-kar\u1e47a-ras\u0101yan\u0101\u1e25 kath\u0101\u1e25\",\"taj-jo\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101d \u0101\u015bv apavarga-vartmani,\",\"\u015braddh\u0101 ratir bhaktir anukrami\u1e63yati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One will rapidly progress on the path of liberation, and naturally will develop firm faith, attraction and devotion, when he cultivates the activity of engaging in discussions about My glorious Pastimes in the association of pure devotees. Such activities are very nourishing to the ear and heart.&quot; (S-B, 3.25.25) (SOTGOD, v 3, p 57) + (see also \u015blokas 245, 247 &amp; 419) Lord Kapila said His mother, Devah\u016bti: sata\u1e41 prasa\u1e45g\u0101n mama v\u012brya-sa\u1e41vido: &quot;Talks about Me which are full of potency can only be found coming from the lips of My devotees. Not only lip-deep words, but words that have got depth, spirit, power, that represent Reality come from the lips of My real devotee. Such words are not shallow, but are surcharged with spirit, with life, and can enliven us. bhavanti h\u1e5bt-kar\u1e47a-ras\u0101yan\u0101\u1e25 kath\u0101\u1e25, they satisfy both our ear and our heart and give a taste of spiritual joy, ras\u0101yan\u0101\u1e25. Their words are surcharged with the ecstasy of the spiritual world, and colour our ear, our mind, and our heart - physically, mentally, and also on the plane of our soul. taj-jo\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101d, by hearing from the real source, from that real s\u0101dhu, \u0101\u015bvapavarga-vartmani, we are led towards relief from this worldly life. By a gradual process, we attain these things: \u015braddh\u0101 ratir bhaktir anukrami\u1e63yati, first, \u015braddh\u0101, ever increasing faith; then rati, slight taste; then we get real love, bhakti. By anukrami\u1e63yati, a gradual process, we are taken towards the higher domain.&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(443)\",\"sattvam vi\u015buddham vasudeva \u015babditam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"What is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana proper? It is a stage of consciousness. In different stages of consciousness, there are different subjective realities. Everything springs from the willpower of the Lord. He is the subject, and His potency and sweet will is all subjective. The Lord said: &quot;Let there be light,&quot; - and there was light. He said: &quot;Let there be water,&quot; - and there was water. He said: &quot;Let there be earth,&quot; - and there was earth. If, like a hypnotist, the higher subject wants to make the lower subject see something, he cannot but see that thing. We are all in the subjective, imaginary world, but above imagination is the supersubjective plane of reality. So, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a reveals Himself to one who has developed pure consciousness, and in the stage of pure consciousness one can perceive the true nature of subjective reality (sattvam vi\u015buddham vasudeva \u015babditam). (TGVODL, p 77) (\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, 4.3.23)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(444)\",\"sattv\u0101nur\u016bp\u0101 sarvasya,\",\"\u015braddh\u0101 bhavati bh\u0101rata\",\"\u015braddh\u0101mayo &#x27;ya\u1e41 puru\u1e63o,\",\"yo yac chraddha\u1e25 sa eva sa\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Bh\u0101rata, all men have a particular type of faith according to their individual mentalities. The very nature of the living being is based on faith - their internal and external nature is modelled according to their faith. Therefore, their nature may be discerned according to the manner of worship or reverence in which they have faith.&quot; (B-g, 17.3) \u015araddh\u0101mayo &#x27;ya\u1e41 puru\u1e63a\u1e25: &quot;The nature of a person is modelled on faith.&quot; Of what value is a mirror without an eye? In a looking-glass we should find the reflection, but if the eye is absent, what will the subject see in the glass? So the eye to see - faith - is necessary. According to the \u015braddh\u0101, the specific character of the Dh\u0101ma as distinct from all other places will come into view, disclosing its real form. Everything depends on \u015braddh\u0101, faith. Faith is the only effective link. If we wish to have any link with the sun or the moon, ordinary instruments won&#x27;t do, but some plenary medium like electricity, etc., can help to connect us. We must approach via a plane similar to the object. Similarly, we can approach the infinite only with the help of \u015braddh\u0101. We cannot hope to have any connection with that finest plane of fundamental existence of this world with the help of the eye, nose or ear, or even by intelligence or reason. If we want to have any connection with the finest plane that is underlying this creation, it is possible only through faith (\u015braddh\u0101mayo &#x27;ya\u1e41 puru\u1e63a\u1e25). Then, the question of credibility arises: faith may be blind. But as long as the qualification of &#x27;blind&#x27; faith exists, &#x27;seeing&#x27; faith must also be possible! Blind faith is diseased faith, but we must connect by real or healthy faith. Then again, our experience must be confined to our own limitations; so how much faith can we accumulate? Infinite faith in the infinite. When we try to establish a connection with the infinite, there are infinite possibilities. But how much faith can infinite things like us have? (SOTGOD, v 2, p 6-7) + (see also \u015bloka 153)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(445)\",\"sa vai pu\u1e41s\u0101\u1e41 paro dharmo,\",\"yato bhaktir adhok\u1e63aje\",\"ahaituky apratihat\u0101,\",\"yay\u0101tm\u0101 supras\u012bdati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.&quot; (S-B, 1.2.6) The wave of the most fundamental plane is bhakti, devotion, where everything follows the sweet will of the centre - nirgu\u1e47a. That divine flow is causeless and can never be opposed. We should try to take our stand in that plane. Bhakti is nirgu\u1e47a, beyond the influence of material nature, and it is ahaituki, causeless - that divine flow is eternally going on. And it is apratihat\u0101: bhakti can never be checked by anyone. It is irresistible. This is the nature of the flow of devotion. Anyone who takes their stand in consonance, in harmony with that flow, will find the same thing; it can never be checked or given any successful opposition. This is the nature of bhakti according to \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. Bhakti is the highest function of the soul (paro dharmo). Our duty here must have its origin in the plane of bhakti; we must be able to read and catch and utilise that flow. We must dance in the waves of that flow. Everyone&#x27;s highest duty will be full submission to the unseen, undetectable causal power, which has no cause, no rhyme, no reason. It is automatic, eternal, and can never be opposed by any forces here. And then only will we find our soul&#x27;s greatest satisfaction. We will feel real satisfaction only when we come in touch with that most fundamental harmonious wave. Then we can feel the highest ecstasy. That is bhakti. So in coming to such a great idea of life, whatever obstacles we must cross are only small losses and gains, victories and defeats. We should not allow them to disturb our march towards the truth. (LSFTLS, p 16) + (see also \u015bloka 225) So readjustment is necessary, and real religion means proper adjustment. We are now incorrectly adjusted and concerned with different types of separate interest: that is the difficulty. We have to change and find out the universal interest. That universal wave is the most fundamental current. Sa vai pu\u1e41s\u0101\u1e41 paro dharmo: The highest type of duty for everyone is yato bhaktir adhok\u1e63aje, that your attention, your submission will be to Adhok\u1e63aja, that unknown universal guardian. ahaituky apratihat\u0101: that submission is causeless and cannot be opposed. The original vibration is forever existing. It is self-existent: it was never created, and it is eternally continuing. None can oppose it - that wave is irresistible. Try to identify your interest with that wave. That is bhakti proper. This is the definition of bhakti: sa vai pu\u1e41s\u0101\u1e41 paro dharmo; the highest duty of every soul is this. Bhakti is adhoksaja. Your attention, your interest should be diverted towards the infinite, to the unknown quarter and to the nth degree. The mathematicians may speak of calculating to the nth degree but actually this is beyond the nth degree. What are its qualities? ahaituki and apratihat\u0101, ahaituki: no hetu, no cause; it is causeless. And apratihat\u0101: it is eternal; it can never be stopped. None can oppose it or give any hindrance to it. It is so forceful and continuous, that none can stop it. (C, # 1, Spr. &#x27;91, p 5-6) He is not the object to be inspected by us, but He is the Seer, He is the All-Knower never to be known by us. He is not to be used as an object by our knowing faculty. But with our submissive knowledge, knowledge of surrender, servitude, we are then permitted to see that Seer and know that All-Knower. In fact, He is beyond all our perceptions. The word adhoksaja is one of the dearmost words in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam has never distributed mere imaginary or sentimental feelings. No. There, everything has been distributed, widely distributed, which is closely related and relating to the divine knowledge in the &quot;Superscientific field.&quot; That \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam tells us: &quot;Just be sincerely devoted unto that which you can never touch or feel through your material perceptions, by means of the activities of your worldly senses (through your limited sensual experience).&quot; Sa vai pu\u1e41s\u0101\u1e41 paro dharmo: &quot;Whatever you can easily get within your grasp, you must know that this illusory thing always limits the real thing itself.&quot; That which limits the &#x27;Truthful conception&#x27; of everything is called the &#x27;magic&#x27; vision or &#x27;magic conception, because it doesn&#x27;t allow anyone to really know what is the infinite conception. Some things are finite in their identity - limited identity. You should know these things to be the production of Mah\u0101-m\u0101y\u0101. But the Adhoksaja-Tattva, He is always beyond your grasp, beyond being controlled by nature. (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 7) + (see \u015blokas 8 &amp; 351)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(446)\",\"savye p\u0101nau niyamita-rava\u1e41 ki\u1e45kin\u012b-d\u0101ma dh\u1e5btv\u0101\",\"kubj\u012b-bh\u016bya prapada-gatibhir manda-manda\u1e41 vihasya\",\"ak\u1e63\u1e47or bha\u1e45gy\u0101 vihasita-mukh\u012br v\u0101rayan sammukh\u012bn\u0101\",\"m\u0101tu\u1e25 p\u0101\u015bc\u0101d aharata harir j\u0101tu haiya\u1e45gav\u012bnam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Stifling the sound of His golden waist-bells with His left hand, with a cute smile, child Hari, stealthily crept into the milk churning area, gesturing silence with His eyes to the gop\u012bs who had difficulty in checking their laughter, and stole freshly made butter, right from behind His mother&#x27;s back!&quot; (\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Candra) + (SBRBM, p 24)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(447)\",\"se du &#x27;era madhye vi\u1e63ay\u012b tabu bh\u0101la\",\"m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101di-sa\u1e45ga n\u0101hi m\u0101gi kona k\u0101la\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I shall never reside at a place unfavourable for devotional practices, and may I never take pleasure in non-devotional works.&quot; (TSOBT, p 31-2) Of exploitation and renunciation (bhukti and mukti), renunciation is more dangerous, because it holds a greater position than exploitation. It can exploit more, just as half-truth is more dangerous than falsehood. It can misguide the devotees more. It has its own special glamour, over and above exploitation. It can capture the scholars. One who wants relief can think: &quot;Oh, this is the conception of relief; there is no further.&quot; Renunciation captures those who may have been making real progress towards their good, and tells them: &quot;Yes, you have come here, you have succeeded.&quot; It captures them in the name of the higher plane. Renunciation holds some prestige over exploitation; people think: &quot;Oh, that must be the highest goal.&quot; So, in this way, half-truth is more dangerous than falsehood. se du &#x27;era madhye vi\u1e63ay\u012b tabu bh\u0101la. The association of a materialist is preferable to that of a m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b . If the m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b can make you enter into the cell of s\u0101yujya-mukti, the liberation of merging with the Absolute, you are finished. There is no calculable time when you will be able to emerge from it. But if you are in materialism, vi\u1e63aya, the recruiters may come to you. You may get the chance of meeting a preacher in this material world. But in s\u0101yujya-mukti you are nowhere. It is very difficult and rare to awaken you from the deepest possible sleep. So that is more dangerous, as half-truth is more dangerous than falsehood. The m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b may even try to bring others into his impersonal conception, because he is suffering from that disease. He thinks that impersonal liberation is the highest, so he recruits for his own purpose. Ye &#x27;nye &#x27;ravind\u0101k\u1e63a vimukta-m\u0101ninas tvayi (S-B, 10.2.32 - see \u015bloka 609). They do not perceive the mistake in their calculation, but they think they have attained the highest type of liberation, and so they try to recruit others for their purpose. But there is a mistake in their calculation. They are not aware of the fact. They are misguided and they also help to misguide others. How can one who is not established in the truth guide others towards the truth? If it had been possible for him to know the truth, he would have gone toward the land of truth himself; but he has no knowledge of it. He has miscalculated. Yam evai\u1e63a v\u1e5b\u1e47ute tena labhya\u1e25 (K-U, 1.2.23 - see \u015bloka 335): but there is a conscious land, and whoever is accepted by that land can enter it. Otherwise, by dint of one&#x27;s own power, no one can enter that land. This point has been missed by the m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012bs. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 1225) + (see also \u015blokas 335 &amp; 609)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(448)\",\"sei sabera s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ge gu\u1e47a sphur\u0101ya\",\"k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhajana kar\u0101ya, &#x27;mumuk\u1e63\u0101 ch\u0101\u1e0d\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If those who are attached to demigod worship fortunately associate with the devotees, their dormant devotional service and appreciation of the Lord&#x27;s qualities gradually awaken. In this way, they also engage in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s devotional service and give up the desire for liberation and the desire to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 24.124) In every camp, there is the possibility of a particular perfection. Ultimately, the zenith is in the service of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. \u015a\u0101nta, d\u0101sya, sakhya, v\u0101tsalya are different rasas: Then, in madhura-rasa, the all comprehensive rasa which has got everything in it is possible. Here also, there are differences, differentiation is necessary. We will have to eliminate, and continue with elimination and acceptance up to R\u0101dh\u0101-kuinkujya. Elimination and acceptance even in the positive world - what to speak of this negative side? In the middle, there is such a stage of equilibrium, something like mukti. It may be a non-differentiated area, but that is also local, temporary and non-permanent. There will be no permanent solution for us until we reach the dynamic world of service, because utility is there. sei sabera s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ge gu\u1e47a sphur\u0101ya. The world is not without any objective! The Buddhists, the \u015aa\u1e45karites, - they have conceived that, through the process of merging into zero conception, that is everything. The highest end, then stop. The stoppage of everything: that is the conclusion? It cannot be! The world does have purpose. To become zero cannot be the end of life. Sam\u0101dhi, the stoppage of all movement. Is polarity bad? It is not! Polarity may work in harmony and that is the success. The harmony and the polarity and the movement, no hitch. Here in this world, movement means aggression. But there, it is just the opposite. Here, movement means sustenance. Sev\u0101, service, everything is helping the other. Sustenance, movement means, real movement means dissipation. False movement means aggression, exploitation. The existence, real existence of the truth is this, and the existence is wholesome. Not only nothing, not even injurious, but it is wholesome existence. Everything is good. All is great movement; waves of grace of the Lord. Everything! (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 2) + (see also \u015bloka 503)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(449)\",\"siddh\u0101nta baliy\u0101 citte n\u0101 kara alasa\",\"ih\u0101 haite k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a l\u0101ge sud\u1e5b\u1e0dha m\u0101nasa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A sincere student should not neglect the discussion of such conclusions (regarding the Absolute Truth in the revealed scriptures), considering them controversial, for such discussions strengthen the mind. Thus one&#x27;s mind becomes attached to \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.117) One in the uttama-adhik\u0101ra (highest) stage makes no attempt to preach. Distribution of propaganda is for those in the madhyama-adhik\u0101ra (middle) stage. It is there to take everyone from the narrow conception to the bright conception - from the improper to the proper conception, sambandha-j\u00f1\u0101na - and they will carry out their activities accordingly. Siddh\u0101nta baliy\u0101 citte n\u0101 kara alasa - To engage us more earnestly towards service sometimes hearing is necessary. To hear just for the sake of hearing, is luxury. But hearing for engagement, that is proper hearing. The master calls: &quot;Oh you, please bring me a glass of water.&quot; But the student remains sitting. &quot;Did you hear me?&quot; &quot;Yes, I heard.&quot; But still he remains sitting tight - that sort of hearing won&#x27;t do!&quot; There is a saying amongst the sahajiy\u0101 section: &quot;Gurudeva asked for a glass of water, but I am engaged in Harin\u0101ma. &#x27;No, Gurudeva, I&#x27;m engaged in Harin\u0101ma.&#x27;&quot; This is self-deception. (SGD, SGPI, 1991, p 13) + (see also \u015bloka 111)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(450)\",\"\u015bloka dhenu pravak\u1e63y\u0101mi\",\"yad aktam y\u0101nti kotibhi\u1e25\",\"brahma satya\u1e41, jagan mithy\u0101\",\"j\u012bva brahmaiva na para\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya said: &quot;In half a verse, I am summarising the truth that has been expressed by volumes and volumes of scripture. Within only half a verse I shall give the essence of all truths: brahma satya\u1e41, jagan mithy\u0101, Brahman, spirit, is true - this world is false. And the j\u012bva is nothing but Brahman. This is the substance of all the scriptures.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s interpretation of Ved\u0101nta is different from \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya&#x27;s. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya says that we have to accept the Vedic truth in its entirety, without any modification. \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya has accepted only a few Vedic aphorisms which constitute a partial representation of the truth. \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya&#x27;s four principle expressions taken from the Vedas are aha\u1e41 brahm\u0101smi: &quot;I am Brahman;&quot; tat tvam asi: &quot;Thou art that;&quot; so&#x27;ham: &quot;I am that;&quot; and sarva\u1e41 khalv ida\u1e41 brahma: &quot;Everything is Brahman.&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya analysed the meaning of the aphorism sarva\u1e41 khalv ida\u1e41 brahma, as follows: According to \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya, everything is one. He says brahma satya\u1e41 jagan mithy\u0101: &quot;Spirit is true, the world is false.&quot; \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya says that brahma (spirit) exists, and that sarva (everything) does not exist. If this is actually true, and everything is one, then why does the question of existence or nonexistence arise at all? In the aphorism sarva\u1e41 khalv ida\u1e41 brahma, sarva - everything - exists, and brahma - spirit - also exists. In this expression, many exist and one also exists. There is many and there is one. Again, if everything is one, then the questions arise: &quot;Why do we speak, and to whom are we speaking? For whom have the Vedas come with this advice? If everything is false, is this philosophy also imagination?&quot; We will have to ask \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya: &quot;Does your coming to this world and your endeavour to refute Buddhism and establish oneness as the ultimate truth have no meaning? Who have you come to preach to? Why have you come to preach if this world has no reality? If this world is false, then why are you taking so much trouble to explain your philosophy? For what? Is your mission also imagination?&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu explained that while \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya has denied the existence of this perverted reflection, we cannot dismiss it. If it does not exist, then why has \u015aa\u1e45kara come to preach Ved\u0101nta? Illusion means &quot;this is not that.&quot; One thing may appear to be something else. An illusion is not what it appears to be, but it is not nonexistent. In that way it is real. It has its existence. Within the real world which is created by the help of the Lord&#x27;s internal energy, svar\u016bpa-\u015bakti, this world of misconception has no place. But in a relative way, the conditioned world has an indirect relationship with the unconditioned world. So m\u0101y\u0101 is existing. In that sense it is true. But it is false in that it cannot give you the desired result you are searching after. In that sense it is all false. Both the relative and the absolute exist together; they are coexistent. The absolute and the relative are also represented in the Ved\u0101ntic aphorism tat tvam asi: Thou art that. tat or &quot;that&quot; is there and tvam &quot;you&quot; is also there. Both variety and unity are found represented in the aphorism tat tvam asi, but \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya accepts one and rejects the other. His explanation is therefore a misinterpretation of the original meaning of the Ved\u0101nta-s\u016btras. (SEOC, p 75)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(451)\",\"smaranta\u1e25 sm\u0101rayanta\u015b ca,\",\"mitho &#x27;ghaugha-hara\u1e41 harim\",\"bhakty\u0101 sa\u00f1j\u0101tay\u0101 bhakty\u0101,\",\"bibhraty utpulak\u0101\u1e41 tanum\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The devotees of the Lord constantly discuss the glories of the Personality of Godhead among themselves. Thus they constantly remember the Lord and remind one another of His qualities and pastimes. In this way, by their devotion to the principles of bhakti-yoga, the devotees please the Personality of Godhead, who takes away from them everything inauspicious. Being purified of all impediments, the devotees awaken to pure love of Godhead, and thus, even within this world, their spiritualised bodies exhibit symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, such as standing of the bodily hairs on end.&quot; (S-B, 11.3.31) Bhakti will produce more bhakti, and that bhakti will also produce more bhakti - in this way. Nothing else comes as a fruit. Bhakti is such a thing, it is its own reward. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 194) + (see also \u015blokas 52 &amp; 593)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(452)\",\"so &#x27;ham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Half-truth is more dangerous than falsehood. As in \u015aa\u1e45kara&#x27;s M\u0101y\u0101v\u0101da, there is atheism in the garb of theism. They say &quot;so &#x27;ham: I am the highest substance.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 210) + (see \u015blokas 450 &amp; 549)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(453)\",\"spar\u015bo &#x27;pi mama n\u0101bhavat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My fate was not to get even the slightest touch of it.&quot; The conception and feelings of all the great devotees are of such type. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhod\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b says: &quot;It is there. I can see and feel that it is there but I am deprived.&quot; R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b Herself says: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is qualified in every way. I can&#x27;t blame Him in any way at all, but still He is so cruel to us all. He left V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and so we are all feeling extreme pain, but I cannot accuse Him in any way. This is My durddaiva-vil\u0101sa (&quot;Pastime of separation.&quot;) This is union in separation and it is a peculiar type of achievement. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 42) + (see also \u015blokas 76, 193 &amp; 542)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(454)\",\"\u015brauta-panth\u0101-guru-samprad\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura Prabhup\u0101da used to give this example; that in a funfair there is a bamboo post smeared with oil and ripe banana pulp, so it is very slippery. And if anyone can climb up he&#x27;ll be given a reward, but wherever one catches the pole he slides down - cannot go up. So it is like that, we cannot go up - \u0101roha-panth\u0101 (ascending method; gain by assertion) that will not give us entrance there. The path is slippery, slippery, slippery. We can come down, but we cannot go up. So are we brave enough to deal with such a thing, we have such audacity? But still the position is there. It is by His grace, the line of His grace. He wants to distribute Himself in a line, so \u015brauta-panth\u0101-guru-samprad\u0101ya (disciplic line teaching the descending method of receiving Divine Grace). It is exclusive, the necessity is there. The \u015brauta parampar\u0101, guru parampar\u0101. The knowledge and the bhajana, everything comes down from the infinite to the finite and never from finite to infinite via \u0101roha-panth\u0101. That should be the backbone of our movement, always. So whatever we shall go to do, we shall look up to gurudeva. &quot;If you do it, it may be done, I am nothing, I am nowhere sir.&quot; I found this in the character of R\u0101m\u0101nuja. Once he had a debate with a m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012b pa\u1e47\u1e0dit, for fourteen days, and came back frustrated, he could not defeat him. And he came to Lord Varadar\u0101ja: &quot;What am I? I can&#x27;t defeat this man. I am in discussion for so many days and I am trying to argue, but to no avail. I am nothing, nowhere. I should not go with my head errect as an \u0101c\u0101rya of the samprad\u0101ya.&quot; He prayed to \u015ar\u012b Varadar\u0101ja in His temple, and the next day, no sooner had they begun their talk, than that gentleman expressed his defeat, he clearly saw: &quot;Yes, what you have said all these days, I have understood. I am wrong. What you say is right.&quot; By His will, that man was defeated. So devotees are always expectant, upward. By guru&#x27;s will, He may do anything through me, but otherwise I have nothing. If I go to assert myself, I&#x27;ll not only be defeated, but I shall also be lost. But when I shall go to show the proud attitude in the name of my guru, sincerely, then it will be bhajana. It will help me and others also. As much as I have the tendency of receiving power from above, then my attempt will be real. And also the attempt of the \u0101c\u0101rya will always be to bring things from above, from his guru and he is also always dependent. He can never say I am in possession of the potency power. No. Jag\u0101i m\u0101dh\u0101i haite mu\u1e63i se p\u0101pi\u1e63\u1e6dha see \u015bloka 193). This is negativity, the conception of the ego of the negative. Negativity so intense, that: &quot;I am nowhere but Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu is so great, He is patita-p\u0101vana (Saviour of the fallen). So, I have gotten everything by His grace.&quot; (C, v 1, # 5, Sum. &#x27;93, p 10-11) + (see also \u015blokas 193 &amp; 611)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(455)\",\"\u015brava\u1e47a-k\u012brttan\u0101d\u012bn\u0101\u1e41,\",\"bhakty-a\u1e45g\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 hi y\u0101jane\",\"ak\u1e63amasy\u0101pi sarvv\u0101pti\u1e25,\",\"prapattyaiva har\u0101v iti\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Everything is accomplished by surrendering unto the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Hari, even for one who is unable to execute the integral practices of devotional service based on hearing and chanting.&quot; (SSPJ, p 13) If one is not able, or does not have the opportunity to execute the different forms of services to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, if s\/he has only \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati (surrender), s\/he will accomplish everything in the future. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati will give everything. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati is the most fundamental and basic substance in the devotional world. The whole structure of the devotional world is based on \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati. Without \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati there can be no real entrance into the domain of service. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati is the very life essence of devotion, so it must be present in all forms of services. Without \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, service will be mere imitation, mere lifeless activity, and not proper devotion. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati is the first condition (not the last resort). (SOTGOD, v 1, p 127-8) + (see also \u015bloka 285)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(456)\",\"\u015brava\u1e47a\u1e41 k\u012brtana\u1e41 vi\u1e63\u1e47o\u1e25,\",\"smara\u1e47a\u1e41 p\u0101da-sevanam\",\"arcana\u1e41 vandana\u1e41 d\u0101sya\u1e41,\",\"sakhyam \u0101tma-nivedanam.\",\"iti pu\u1e41s\u0101rpit\u0101 vi\u1e63\u1e47au,\",\"bhakti\u015b cen nava-lak\u1e63a\u1e47\u0101\",\"kriyeta bhagavaty addh\u0101\",\"tan manye &#x27;dh\u012btam uttamam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Hearing about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, chanting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s glories, remembering K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, serving K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s lotus feet, worshipping K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s transcendental form, offering prayers to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, becoming K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s servant, considering K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as one&#x27;s best friend, and surrendering everything to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.&quot; (S-B, 7.5.23-24) &quot;Hearing, speaking about, and remembering K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, serving His lotus feet, worshipping His Deity form, praying, becoming His servant, cultivating His friendship, and surrendering to Him utterly are the nine processes of devotion. One who cultivates these nine processes of devotion, offering himself completely to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, can easily attain the ultimate goal of life.&quot; What are the forms of s\u0101dhana? What are the means to attain k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti? How can we revive our innate love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? We are told to hear about Him, to talk about Him, to meditate upon Him, to praise Him, and so on. But in his commentary on this verse, \u015ar\u012bdhara Sw\u0101m\u012b has explained that we should not anticipate what benefit we shall derive from \u015brava\u1e47a\u1e41 k\u012brtana\u1e41, hearing or talking or thinking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Rather we should pray: &quot;May whatever service I do go to my Lord. I am not the enjoying party - He is the sole proprietor.&quot; All these functions (\u015brava\u1e47a\u1e41, k\u012brtana\u1e41 etc.) will be considered devotion only if one condition is fulfilled; otherwise they may be karma, j\u00f1\u0101na, yoga, or anything else. They may even be vikarma, polluted misdeeds. One condition must be there to ensure that all these different forms of devotional activity are actually bhakti: We are His property; we are not the owners of any wealth or property. We must think: &quot;My Lord is the possessor and I am in His possession. Everything is His property.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 14-5) + (see also \u015bloka 13) All these things are advised; a thousand details may be necessary. (SGAHG, p 11) \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Sw\u0101m\u012b in his commentary about this verse has said that if everything is dedicated to Him then all these things can be recognised as bhakti, otherwise it is all bogus. If I hear, chant, etc. to fulfil my own purposes then it is no longer bhakti. Whatever I shall do, it is for Him. Then whatever will be done, will be accepted as bhakti. It is the foundation on which bhakti stands. Without \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, all karma, j\u00f1\u0101na, yoga, will not be bhakti. Bhakti means that the result will go to the Lord. I am a slave to my Lord. I have got no independent personality to keep any independent property. I am wholly His servant. Whatever I shall acquire, everything I own is His. He has got the right to do anything with me that He likes, according to His sweet will. With this feeling, whenever we perform k\u012brtana, or smara\u1e47a\u1e41, etc., that will be devotional activity. When that is withdrawn, everything will go to hell. Just as when the stage, where the dancing is performed, is drawn away, then the whole thing comes down. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati means selfdedication. Then the activity of the dedicated self will be bhakti. We must do everything on behalf of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, keeping K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in sight, having no separate interest. Consciousness of separate interest has made us separate from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Only when the common interest of everything is with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, then it will be bhakti. \u015arava\u1e47a\u1e41, k\u012brtana\u1e41, etc., are mere forms, not life. In order to have a living devotion \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati must be there. (GOD, p 17-8) Prahl\u0101da was requested by his father: &quot;Please tell me what progress you are making in your gurukula study. What have you learned to be the best thing in life?&quot; Prahl\u0101da answered (with these verses - S-B, 7.5.23-24): &quot;I think the best study is this: to hear, chant, and serve - all in relation to Vi\u1e63\u1e47u. That is the best utility of time for everyone in the world. This is what I consider to be the best thing I have learned.&quot; Prahl\u0101da&#x27;s trouble began from here. His father replied: &quot;Vi\u1e63\u1e47u is my enemy eternally, and who has taught you that to cultivate love for Him in different ways is the best understanding of human life?&quot; The torture began. We must also be prepared for that torture. Torture will increase our enthusiasm in an indirect way. Anything may come, anything may go on. Wherever that impetus, that intense tendency to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is to be found, there we must go. But it is nowhere, it is unknown and unknowable, and in this way transcendental. (GOD, p 23) To give oneself is the substance of all devotional activity. This is also stated by \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bdhara Sw\u0101m\u012bp\u0101da in his commentary of the nine basic devotional practices (\u015brava\u1e47a\u1e41 k\u012brtana\u1e41, etc.). If devotional hearing, chanting, etc., is already dedicated to Him, only then will it get recognition as devotion, bhakti. Otherwise, everything is bogus. If I hear to fulfil my mundane purpose, then it is no longer bhakti. If I perform k\u012brtana or speak Hari-kath\u0101 to make some money, then it will not be bhakti. &quot;Whatever I shall do, it is for Him.&quot; That sort of bond must first be &#x27;signed&#x27; and then whatever will be done on that basis will be recognised as bhakti. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 128-9) The nine islands of Navadw\u012bpa represent the nine fundamental processes of Devotional Service. \u015ar\u012b Navadw\u012bpa Dh\u0101ma - The Holy abode of the l\u012bl\u0101 of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu in West Bengal, is envisaged as a lotus flower. In the central island of the lotus is Antardvipa within its perimeter of ten miles, is M\u0101y\u0101pura, the Birthplace of Mah\u0101prabhu who appeared under a Nima tree, hence the Name Nim\u0101i. The centre of the lotus represents \u0101tma-nivedanam or self-surrender. One has to first surrender, and then all the practices of Devotion follow. The petals of the lotus represent \u015brava\u1e47am, k\u012brtanam, smara\u1e47am, p\u0101dasevanam, arcanam, vandanam, and d\u0101syam (hearing, chanting, remembering, serving the Lord&#x27;s feet, worship, prayer, and servitorship). Sakhyam (friendship) is situated half on one side of the Ganges and half on the other. In this way, the nine islands of Navadw\u012bpa are represented as a lotus flower embodying the Nine Standard Practices of Devotion. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 97-8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(457)\",\"\u015breya\u1e25 kairava candrik\u0101 vitara\u1e47a\u1e41\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"As soon as we come in contact with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, even in the form of mere sound through the ear, our real welfare begins to awaken. (\u015breya\u1e25 kairava candrik\u0101 vitara\u1e47a\u1e41). K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is infinitely surcharged with all the resources of our welfare. And those who can distribute K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness to the world are really benevolent and kind hearted. They give the most who give K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to those who are helpless and disappointed. Only this sort of transaction should be continued in the world, to save these souls suffering from the disease of mortal connection. (S, v1) + (SOTVA, p 22) + (SGAHG, p 56) + (see also \u015blokas 108 &amp; 589)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(458)\",\"\u015breya\u1e25 s\u1e5bti\u1e41 bhaktim udasya te vibho,\",\"kli\u015byanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye\",\"te\u1e63\u0101m asau kle\u015bala eva \u015bi\u1e63yate,\",\"n\u0101nyad yath\u0101 sth\u016bla-tu\u1e63\u0101vagh\u0101tin\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My dear Lord, devotional service unto You is the only auspicious path. If one gives it up simply for speculative knowledge or the understanding that these living beings are spirit souls and the material world is false, he undergoes a great deal of trouble. He only gains troublesome and inauspicious activities. His endeavours are like beating a husk that is already devoid of rice. One&#x27;s labour becomes fruitless.&quot; (S-B, 10.14.4) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 22.22) This is the only way of devotion, yet they have rejected it - kli\u015byanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye - they want to have a clear conception of You, Oh Lord, but - te\u1e63\u0101m asau kle\u015bala eva - their attempts have ended only in frustration. These are useless attempts at energising. Only His pain is the consequence of their endeavour. n\u0101nyad yath\u0101 sth\u016bla-tu\u1e63\u0101vagh\u0101tin\u0101m - just as those who labour very hard to get the rice from the empty husk - the cover. They are trying their best to beat that husk in order to take the rice from there. So, j\u00f1\u0101na is - the heart&#x27;s cover. It is the outer aspect - knowledge. Only the outer aspect. The substance, the rice, is devotion - is love. That is the tasteful thing within. j\u00f1\u0101na-karma anav\u1e5btam - other things are mere covers, but it is the thing within that is tasteful. Satyam-\u015bivam-sundaram - Sundaram, beauty, is the reality. An\u0101ndam, ecstasy, is the reality and all else is the outer cover. If we mix too much with the cover, then we cannot mix with the substance within. Then, our life is ultimately a disappointment. (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 4) + (see also \u015blokas 39 &amp; 310) &quot;O Lord, those who want to have a clear conception of You through their intellect find their attempts useless. Their endeavours end only in frustration, like those who try to beat rice from an empty husk.&quot; So j\u00f1\u0101na, knowledge, is like an empty husk. Energy and knowledge are only outer aspects. The real substance, the rice, is devotion - love. That is the tasteful thing within. (LSFTLS, p 76) + (see also \u015bloka 206)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(459)\",\"\u015brey\u0101n dravyamay\u0101d yaj\u00f1\u0101j,\",\"j\u00f1\u0101na-yaj\u00f1a\u1e25 parantapa\",\"sarva\u1e41 karm\u0101khila\u1e41 p\u0101rtha,\",\"j\u00f1\u0101ne parisam\u0101pyate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Arjuna, subduer of the enemy, of those various sacrifices, the sacrifice of knowledge as mentioned, brahm\u0101gn\u0101v apare (2)...is far superior to the sacrifice of various articles, indicated by brahm\u0101rpa\u1e47a\u1e41 brahma havi\u1e25 (1), because all action ultimately culminates in knowledge.&quot; (B-g, 4.33) (1) brahm\u0101rpa\u1e47a\u1e41 brahma havir, brahm\u0101gnau brahma\u1e47\u0101 hutam brahmaiva tena gantavya\u1e41, brahma-karma-sam\u0101dhin\u0101 &quot;According to the basic principles of sacrifice, the sacrificial spoon, ladle, and other paraphernalia, the various offerings with clarified butter, the sacrificial fire, the priest who performs the sacrifice, and the act of offering the sacrifice and its reward - all are of the nature of Brahman, the Absolute. A person who, with this understanding, is constantly absorbed in divine action with one-pointed attention, certainly attains to the divine plane of the absolute.&quot; (B-g, 4.24) (2) daivam ev\u0101pare yaj\u00f1a\u1e41, yogina\u1e25 paryup\u0101sate brahm\u0101gn\u0101v apare yaj\u00f1a\u1e41, yaj\u00f1enaivopajuhvati &quot;Other karma-yog\u012bs perform sacrifice in the worship of demigods such as Indra and Varu\u1e47a. Other j\u00f1\u0101na-yog\u012bs, simply by vibrating the pra\u1e47ava mantra, O\u1e41k\u0101ra, offer the individual soul (as the sacrificial clarified butter) unto the Supersoul (as the sacrificial fire).&quot; (B-g, 4.25) \u015arey\u0101n dravya may\u0101d yaj\u00f1\u0101, By sacrifice and yoga also, dedication is promoted. By dedication we live and grow, and by exploitation we die and go down. By renunciation we become zero and stand still like in deep slumber. So both exploitation and renunciation must be given up and dedication to the centre and to all in connection with the centre, must be taken up. I shall not exploit anything, at the same time I must not dismiss anything. Everything is friendly to me. One should see with that vision. (GOD, p 11) + (see also \u015bloka 612)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(460)\",\"\u015brey\u0101n sva-dharmo vigu\u1e47a\u1e25,\",\"para-dharm\u0101t svanu\u1e63\u1e6dhit\u0101t\",\"sva dharme nidhana\u1e41 \u015breya\u1e25,\",\"para-dharmo bhay\u0101vaha\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;It is better to carry out one&#x27;s own duties a little imperfectly rather than faultlessly perform another&#x27;s duties. Know that even death is auspicious in the discharge of one&#x27;s duties appropriate to his natural position in the ordained socio-religious system, because to pursue another&#x27;s path is perilous.&quot; (B-g, 3.35). Many things are recommended in the scriptures, but they are meant to promote us towards the truth in an indirect way (sva dharme nidhana\u1e41 \u015breya\u1e25). (SGAHG, p 43) + (see also \u015bloka 434) According to one&#x27;s capacity, he will purchase in the market. sve svehadhik\u0101re y\u0101 ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 (see \u015bloka 493). In the market, there may be valuable things, but the buyer must have some capacity to purchase them. The \u1e5b\u1e63\u012bs, the tradesmen of knowledge have also gone so far as to say: &quot;This is the highest. Go no further.&quot; Similarly, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, sva dharme nidhana\u1e41 \u015breya\u1e25, para-dharmo bhay\u0101vaha\u1e25: &quot;Don&#x27;t go ahead - you&#x27;ll be doomed. Take your stand here; go no further.&quot; Why is such a great warning given to us? Generally, our teachers advise us: &quot;Pay full attention here. Only then will you understand everything completely, and your march to the end-point will be sincere and satisfactory. Otherwise, sahajiy\u0101ism, imitationism will enter your heart. Do you think that in one leap you can capture the summit of a hill? Impossible. You must march, but your march must be sincere. You must make real progress, not imitative progress.&quot; This warning is given at every stage of life. &quot;This is the highest for you. Give your whole attention to this. Don&#x27;t be absent-minded and haphazard in your study. Engage yourself fully in this lesson, and the next higher stage will come to you automatically.&quot; In this way, by gradual instalments, knowledge is revealed. (TSFSK, p 68) + (see also \u015blokas 207 &amp; 493)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c15\",\"title\":\"15. In the Footsteps of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Goswami\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"The divine lotus feet and shelter of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b are my ever cherished invaluable wealth and object of my devotional service and worship.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(461)\",\"\u015br\u012b-caitanya-day\u0101sudh\u0101 dhunidharo d\u0101modar\u0101 modado\",\"r\u0101m\u0101nanda-san\u0101tan\u0101nuga-raghu-\u015br\u012b-j\u012bvaj\u012bvya-prabu\u1e25\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101\u015by\u0101ma ras\u0101m\u1e5bt\u0101bdhi-makarabr\u0101taika-samr\u0101\u1e0dhiya\u1e25\",\"sa \u015br\u012b r\u016bpa ih\u0101m\u1e5bt\u0101bdhi lahar\u012b-spar\u015be sp\u1e5bh\u0101\u1e41 yacchatu\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;With innermost hankering, I desire to embrace the waves of the ambrosial ocean known as Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu, manifested by \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012bp\u0101da. He is the paragon of the nectarean mercy of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and enchants \u015ar\u012bla Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara by his beautiful qualities. He is the loving follower of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda and San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012bp\u0101da, and as dear as life to \u015ar\u012b Raghun\u0101tha d\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b and \u015ar\u012b J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b. He is the foremost kingfish in the nectarean ocean of ecstatic divine love of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 \u015ay\u0101ma.&quot; (SBRBM, p 3940) This is \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s pra\u1e47ama-ma\u1e47tra, in glorification of \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, in the ma\u1e45gal\u0101cara\u1e47a of his presentation of Bhaktiras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(462)\",\"\u015br\u012b caitanya mano&#x27;bh\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e41,\",\"st\u0101pitha\u1e41 yena bh\u016btale\",\"svaya\u1e41 r\u016bpa kad\u0101 mahya\u1e41,\",\"dad\u0101ti sva-pand\u0101ntika\u1e41\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Narottama d\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura said: &quot;O when will \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, who has firmly established in this world, the pure devotional teachings and principles of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and thus fulfilled His cherished desires, ever bless me with eternal shelter of his lotus feet?&quot; (SOTVA, p 3) + (SBRBM, p 39) When a devotee asked \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: &quot;How can we please you? What can we do that will be pleasing to you?&quot; He replied: &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is for Himself, that is He exists for His own purpose, and we also exist for Him. When you can adopt this line of life, for which I am also trying to use my energy wholesale, when you will join that concern then I will be pleased. What I am to do with this life, I like that others will also follow that. My life is only meant for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and naturally I would like that others will also follow this same route. That is only natural. \u015ar\u012b caitanya mano&#x27;bh\u012b\u1e63\u1e6da\u1e41, what is the desire of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva, and accordingly, the desire of my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, I want to work towards fulfilling that. Under the direction of my Gurudeva, I am following the path to R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, where we will enter the domain where R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is serving Her most beloved Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We consider this to be our highest goal, and any day, any time in this infinite time, we want to reach that goal, the highest ideal. It is our only aim in life, and we consider that everyone should accept it as their summum bonum. (C, # 3, Spr. &#x27;92, p 6-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(463)\",\"\u015br\u012b-gaur\u0101numata\u1e41 svar\u016bpa-vidita\u1e41 r\u016bp\u0101grajen\u0101d\u1e5bta\u1e41\",\"r\u016bp\u0101dyai\u1e25 parive\u015bita\u1e41 raghu-ga\u1e47air-\u0101sv\u0101dita\u1e41 sevitam\",\"j\u012bv\u0101dyair abhirak\u1e63ita\u1e41 \u015buka-\u015biva-brahm\u0101di samm\u0101nita\u1e41\",\"\u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-pada-sevan\u0101m\u1e5btam aho tad d\u0101tum \u012b\u015bo bhav\u0101n\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;What was sanctioned by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu by His descent was intimately known only to \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara Gosw\u0101m\u012b. It was adored by San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b and served by R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b and his followers. Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosw\u0101m\u012b tasted that wonderful thing fully and enhanced it with his own realisation. And J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b supported and protected it by quoting the scriptures from different places. The taste of that divine truth is aspired for by Brahm\u0101, \u015aiva, and Uddhava, who respect it as the supreme goal of life. What is this wonderful truth? \u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-pada-sevan\u0101: that the highest nectar of our life is the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. This is most wonderful. O Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, you are our master. It is within your power to allow them to bestow their grace upon us. You are in a position to bestow the highest gift ever known to the world upon us all. It is at your disposal. O Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, please be kind to us and grant us your mercy.&quot; So \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, our most benevolent Lord, has come to search for His long lost servants and to give to them this highest ideal of divine love. Gaura Hari Bol! (LSFTLS, p 103) &quot;What is sanctioned by Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, and the very purpose, the inner meaning is known only to Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara, and \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa, with his own hands, he has served that very thing to the devotees. And then, Ragun\u0101tha D\u0101sa, he has tasted and also, he has added something to that. And J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given protection to that by giving \u015bastric evidence, and that, from different misconceptions of that thing of different types, has projected and the Brahm\u0101, \u015aiva and Uddhava.&quot; (SGG, v 9) + (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 11) &quot;What was sanctioned by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu by His descent was intimately known only to \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara Gosv\u0101m\u012b. San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b, the elder brother of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, was attentive to that divine truth, and R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b himself served that very thing with his own hands to the devotees. Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa Gosv\u0101m\u012b tasted its sweetness and also added something of his own to its flavour. (He was assisted in doing so by Raghun\u0101tha Bha\u1e6d\u1e6da Gosv\u0101m\u012b and Gop\u0101la Bha\u1e6d\u1e6da Gosv\u0101m\u012b). What was distributed by R\u016bpa and tasted by Raghun\u0101tha was protected by \u015ar\u012b J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b, who lent support to its divinity with scriptural evidence. The taste of that divine truth is aspired after by \u015ar\u012b \u015aukadeva Gosv\u0101m\u012b, Lord \u015aiva, and Lord Brahm\u0101, who regard it with the highest respect from a distance. What is that inconceivable ambrosia? The sublime sweet nectar of the mellows relished in the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s holy lotus feet. O Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, within this world, you fully possess the ability to give us that extraordinary nectar.&quot; (SKM, p 54-5) This poem is one of ten, collectively known as \u015ar\u012bmad-Bhaktivinoda-viraha-da\u015bakam, in glorification of Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, was appreciated very much by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura. (see also \u015blokas 124 &amp; 573)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(464)\",\"\u015br\u012b-guru-cara\u1e47a-k\u1e5bp\u0101 s\u0101marthya labhiy\u0101\",\"e-hena ap\u016brvva v\u1e5bk\u1e63a dil\u0101ma \u0101niy\u0101\",\"\u1e6d\u0101niy\u0101 \u0101nite v\u1e5bk\u1e63a e karka\u015ba mana\",\"n\u0101\u015bila ih\u0101ra \u015bobh\u0101 \u015buna s\u0101dhujana\",\"tomr\u0101 sakale hao e v\u1e5bk\u1e63era m\u0101l\u012b\",\"\u015braddh\u0101-v\u0101ri diy\u0101 puna\u1e25 kara r\u016bpa\u015b\u0101l\u012b\",\"phalibe kaly\u0101\u1e47a-phala--yugala-sevana\",\"kariba sakale mili&#x27; t\u0101h\u0101 \u0101\u015bv\u0101dana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By the grace of \u015ar\u012b Guru&#x27;s lotus feet, I gained the ability To bring you this beautiful tree, so sweet, Of wish-fulfilling capacity. O devotees, please hear me: By dragging to this world that tree, My harsh mind has taken away Some beauty and grace that she did display. But you, O devotees, are the attendants of her garden, Who supply her sustenance and loving cultivation; By the sweet waters of your devotional heart, To once again her full beauty impart. Being pleased by such tender care, Benedictine fruits she will graciously bear: The Divine Couple&#x27;s service in pure devotion; Together we&#x27;ll taste in holy association.&quot; (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura) (SOTGOD, v 1, p xvii)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(465)\",\"\u015br\u012b hari-v\u0101sare hari-k\u012brtana vidh\u0101na\",\"n\u1e5btya \u0101rambhil\u0101 prabhu jagatera pr\u0101\u1e47a\",\"pu\u1e47ya-vanta \u015br\u012bv\u0101sa-a\u1e45gane \u015bubh\u0101rambha\",\"u\u1e6dhila k\u012brtana-dhvani gop\u0101la govinda\",\"m\u1e5bda\u1e45ga mandir\u0101 b\u0101je \u015ba\u1e45kha k\u0101rat\u0101la\",\"sa\u1e41k\u012brtana sa\u1e45ge sava haila mi\u015b\u0101la\",\"brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0de u\u1e6dhila dhvani p\u016briy\u0101 \u0101k\u0101\u015ba\",\"caudikera ama\u1e45gala y\u0101ya sava n\u0101\u015ba\",\"caturdike\u015br\u012b-hari-ma\u1e45gala-sa\u1e41k\u012brtana\",\"madhye n\u0101ce jagann\u0101tha mi\u015brera nandana\",\"sav\u0101ra a\u1e45gete \u015bobhe \u015br\u012b-candana m\u0101l\u0101\",\"\u0101nande n\u0101caye save haiy\u0101 bibhol\u0101\",\"nij\u0101nande n\u0101ce mah\u0101prabhu vi\u015bvambhara\",\"cara\u1e47era t\u0101li \u015buni ati manohara\",\"bh\u0101v\u0101ve\u015be m\u0101l\u0101 n\u0101hi rahaye gal\u0101ya\",\"chi\u1e47\u1e0diy\u0101 pa\u1e0daye giy\u0101 bhakatera g\u0101ya\",\"y\u0101ra n\u0101m\u0101nande \u015biva basane na j\u0101ne\",\"y\u0101ra rase n\u0101ce \u015biva se n\u0101ce \u0101pane\",\"y\u0101ra n\u0101me v\u0101lmik\u012b haila tapodhana\",\"y\u0101ra n\u0101me aj\u0101mila p\u0101ila mocana\",\"y\u0101ra n\u0101ma \u015brava\u1e47e sa\u1e41s\u0101ra bandha ghuce\",\"hena prabhu avatari kali-yuge n\u0101ce\",\"y\u0101ra n\u0101ma laye \u015buka n\u0101rada be\u1e0d\u0101ya\",\"sahasra badana prabhu y\u0101ra gu\u1e47a g\u0101ya\",\"sarva-mah\u0101-pr\u0101ya\u015bcitta ye prabhura n\u0101ma\",\"se prabhu n\u0101caye dekhe yata bh\u0101gyav\u0101na\",\"\u015br\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya nity\u0101nanda c\u0101nda j\u0101na\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana d\u0101sa tachu pada-yuge g\u0101na\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Once, on the auspicious day on Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b, in the house of \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu inaugurated congregational N\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana with great enthusiasm, accompanied by His devotees and associates. Surging in divine ecstasy, \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu, the life and soul of the universe, began to dance beautifully. The devotees surrounded Him being deeply touched and inspired by such an ecstatic moment and they also began to dance and sing the Holy Names like Gop\u0101la, Govinda. The combined sound vibrations of m\u1e5bda\u1e45ga, mandira bells, karat\u0101la and sankha in harmony with the congregational singing and dancing took everyone to the plane of transcendental delight. The holy vibration of sa\u1e45k\u012brtana filled the sky and spread through the ether all over the cosmic universal existence. Thus the atmosphere in all directions became purified and filled with auspiciousness by that divine sound. Everyone was decorated with fragrant sandalwood paste and beautiful garlands. The most wonderful rhythmic sound arose from the dancing footsteps of \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu which captivated the minds of the devotees. As He continued dancing in His own self-born ecstasy, the swinging flower garlands around His neck began to fall, decorating the earth. The devotees beheld before their eyes, this rare and precious heart captivating, ecstatic dance of the Supreme Tattva, \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, who is the most worshippable object of even the great personalities such as Lord \u015aiva, \u015auka, N\u0101rada and others. Being totally overwhelmed and lost in the transcendental bliss of taking Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s Holy Name, Lord \u015aiva sometimes does not care for His formal appearance or obligation to retain His clothing, which sometimes falls down while He dances in the ecstasy of loving devotion. The pure devotees \u015ar\u012b \u015aukadeva and Dev\u0101r\u1e63i N\u0101rada are always blissfully engaged in relishing the nectar of His Holy Name and distributing it to all suitable j\u012bva souls, wherever they travel. By chanting and meditating upon His Holy Name, \u015ar\u012b V\u0101lm\u012bki became a great powerful \u1e5b\u1e63i, and Aj\u0101mila attained pure liberation. Even Anantadeva describes His unlimited glories with thousands of mouths. As one hears and takes His Holy Name with devotion, embracing its holy potency within the core of his heart, his existence becomes totally purified and he attains deliverance. The two brothers, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, are my beloved Masters and life and soul. Thus V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana d\u0101sa sings this song of Their glorification and devotionally offers it at Their Lotus Feet.&quot; (C-B, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8) + (SBRBM, p 14-5)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(466)\",\"\u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a nahe anya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Although it is very difficult to enter into the R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a pastimes, most of the devotees of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana are attracted to the R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101. However, since Nit\u0101i-Gauracandra are direct incarnations of Balar\u0101ma and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, we can be directly in touch with Lord Balar\u0101ma and Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a through \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. Those who are highly elevated in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness can enter into the pastimes of R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a through the mercy of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. It is said: \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a nahe anya. \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is a combination of R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 16.281, purport) So, the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu will construct a firm foundation for us. If there is a firm foundation, then we may build a great structure over it. If we have faith in Nity\u0101nanda, then that faith can bear any amount of weight. It won&#x27;t betray us. So, \u015ar\u012bla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Sw\u0101m\u012b has laid stress amongst the Westerners on devotion to Nity\u0101nanda. First, we must get His mercy. And then, afterwards, we can get the mercy of R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu means R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (\u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a nahe anya). First achieve the mercy of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, and then Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga Mah\u0101prabhu, and then \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 Govinda. In these three stages, we must raise ourselves up. And how to attain the mercy of Lord Nity\u0101nanda? One who finds more inclination to serve Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga and His Dh\u0101ma, His transcendental land, and His servants can get the mercy of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. Nity\u0101nanda is very much kind to one who has some special tendency towards Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101. (SGAHG, p 31-2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(467)\",\"\u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47\u0101kar\u1e63i\u1e47\u012b ca s\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b wrote: &quot;The highest and most excellent capacity and qualification of devotion can forcibly draw K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a towards the devotee, though He is absolutely independent. Bhakti or self-sacrifice to the extreme, sacrifice for service - Loving Service - is so powerful that the Lord becomes a friend and in different ways He comes to meet His devotees.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 185) + (see also \u015blokas 10 &amp; 238)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(468)\",\"\u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-lil\u0101 rasa-madhura-sudh\u0101sv\u0101da-\u015buddhaika-m\u016brtau\",\"gaure \u015braddh\u0101\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e0dh\u0101\u1e41 bho prabhu-parikara-samr\u0101\u1e6d prayacch\u0101dhame &#x27;smin\",\"ulla\u1e45ghy\u0101\u1e45ghri\u1e41 hi yasy\u0101kghila-bhajana-kath\u0101 svapnavac caiva mithy\u0101\",\"\u015br\u012b-nity\u0101nanda-candra\u1e41 patita \u015bara\u1e47ada\u1e41 gaurada\u1e41 ta\u1e41 bhaje &#x27;ham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, emperor amidst the personal associates of \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu! Kindly grant this fallen soul deep and resolute faith in that pure and divine figure of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s Personality exclusively embodies the sweet nectar relished deep within the devotional mellows of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pastimes. But if Your lotus feet are overlooked, then all so called devotional orations and prayers meant for the highest worship, become false like a dream. I worship You, that great Personality Nity\u0101nandacandra, who openly bestows shelter to the most fallen souls, freely granting the association of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45gadeva.&quot; (SKMND, p 21) &quot;O Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, emperor amidst the dear associates of \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu. Please bless this fallen soul with resolute faith and devotion to \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. Lord Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga&#x27;s Personality exclusively embodies the sweet nectar relished deep within the devotional mellows of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pastimes. If Your lotus feet are deliberately overlooked, then all so called devotional prayers and worship of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga and the Divine Couple become false like a dream, but anyone who is devoted to Your holy feet can eventually attain all divine success. I worship You O Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, Your mercy is my great hope. Please embrace me in the shelter of Your lotus feet and engage me in the service of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga.&quot; (SBRBM, p 6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(469)\",\"\u015br\u012b r\u016bpa-h\u1e5bdaye prabhu \u015bakti sa\u1e63c\u0101ril\u0101\",\"sarva-tattva-nir\u016bpa\u1e47e &#x27;prav\u012b\u1e47a&#x27; karil\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By entering the heart of R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu empowered him to ascertain properly the conclusions of all truths. He made him an experienced devotee whose decisions correctly agreed with the verdicts of the disciplic succession. Thus \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b was personally empowered by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.117) The unique qualities, devotional taste and realisation of \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b became more and more obvious to the foremost associates of Mah\u0101prabhu, who recognised the symptoms of his exalted level of consciousness and could not but feel profound appreciation for him. \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu Himself also became deeply enchanted by \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa&#x27;s excellent understanding of the deepest esoteric truths of ecstatic love. This was proven when \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu recited the following verse before the chariot of \u015ar\u012b Jagann\u0101tha: ya\u1e25 kaum\u0101ra-hara\u1e25 sa eva hi varas t\u0101 eva caitra-k\u1e63ap\u0101s te conm\u012blita-m\u0101lat\u012b-surabhaya\u1e25 prau\u1e0dh\u0101\u1e25 kadamb\u0101nil\u0101\u1e25 s\u0101 caiv\u0101smi tath\u0101pi tatra surata-vy\u0101p\u0101ra-l\u012bl\u0101-vidhau rev\u0101-rodhasi vetas\u012b-taru-tale ceta\u1e25 samutka\u1e47\u1e6dhate &quot;That very Personality Who stole My heart during My youth is now again My Master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of m\u0101lat\u012b flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In Our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet My mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Rev\u0101 under the Vetas\u012b tree. That is My desire.&quot; (K-p) + (P) + (Cc, Antya-l\u012bl\u0101, 1.78) This was considered an ordinary mundane verse from K\u0101vya-prak\u0101\u015ba and as such some of the devotees could not clearly understand why \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu was reciting it. \u015ar\u012bla Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara Gosw\u0101m\u012b and \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b fully understood \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s inner mood. Feeling deep inspiration, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b then composed his famous Sanskrit verse: priya\u1e25 so &#x27;ya\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e25 sahacari kuru-k\u1e63etra-militas tath\u0101ha\u1e41 s\u0101 r\u0101dh\u0101 tad idam ubhayo\u1e25 sa\u1e45gama-sukham tath\u0101py anta\u1e25-khelan-madhura-mural\u012b-pa\u1e63cama-ju\u1e63e mano me k\u0101lind\u012b-pulina-vipin\u0101ya sp\u1e5bhayati Upon arriving in Kuruk\u1e63etra, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b said: &quot;O My dear friend, now I am at last reunited with My most beloved K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Kuruk\u1e63etra. I am the same R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and He is the same K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. We are enjoying Our meeting, but still I wish to return to the banks of the K\u0101lind\u012b, where I could hear the sweet melody of His flute sounding the fifth note beneath the trees of the V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana forest.&quot; (P, 383) + (TGVODL, p 163) Priya\u1e25 so &#x27;ya\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u1e25, explaining the intimate purport to the mood of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. Eventually when Mah\u0101prabhu discovered the verse inscribed on a palm leaf hidden in the roof, He became charmed by the fine quality of \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa&#x27;s realisation and extraordinary ability to understand His mind. He fondly patted him with profound feelings of appreciation and asked \u015ar\u012bla Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara Gosw\u0101m\u012b: &quot;How did R\u016bpa know My heart?&quot; To which, Svar\u016bpa pleasantly replied: &quot;Prabhu, such ability in \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa is definite proof of Your special grace and empowerment upon him.&quot; Thus suffused and empowered by the grace of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, whom he accepted in heart as the unified manifestation of the Divine Couple, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b revealed the most authentic, authoritative and high class devotional literature describing the transcendental nature, conclusions and intimate pastimes of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Being imbued with the beauty of this deep devotional realisation, his famously known writings and compositions, \u015ar\u012b Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu, Ujjvalla N\u012blama\u1e47i, \u015ar\u012b Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta, D\u0101na-keli-kaumud\u012b, LaghuBh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5bta, Utkalika vallari, Stava-m\u0101l\u0101, Pady\u0101val\u012b, and others became considered the most valuable treasure in the world of intimate loving service. \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja composed ten verses known as \u015ar\u012bmad R\u016bpa-pada-raja\u1e25 Pr\u0101rthan\u0101 Da\u015bakam to describe and honour this exalted contribution of \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. (SSPJ, p 210-14) + (see also \u015blokas 154, 214 &amp; 272), (SBRBM, p 40-1)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(470)\",\"\u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa-ma\u00f1jar\u012b-pada sei mora sampada\",\"sei mora bhajana-p\u016bjana\",\"sei mora pr\u0101\u1e47a-dhana sei mora abhara\u1e47a\",\"sei mora j\u012bvanera j\u012bvana\",\"sei mora rasa-nidhi sei mora v\u0101\u1e63ch\u0101-siddhi\",\"sei mora vedera dharama\",\"sei vrata, sei tapa\u1e25 sei mora ma\u1e47tra-japa,\",\"sei mora dharama-karama\",\"anuk\u016bla habe vidhi se pade haibe siddhi\",\"nirakhiba e dui nayane\",\"se-r\u016bpa m\u0101dhur\u012b-r\u0101\u015bi pr\u0101\u1e47a-kuvalaya - \u015ba\u015b\u012b\",\"praphullita habe ni\u015bi-dine\",\"tuy\u0101 adar\u015bana ahi garale jarala dehi\",\"cira-dina t\u0101pita j\u012bvana\",\"h\u0101 h\u0101 prabhu kara day\u0101 deha more pada-ch\u0101y\u0101\",\"narottama laila \u015bara\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The divine lotus feet and shelter of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b are my ever cherished invaluable wealth and object of my devotional service and worship. They are the treasure of my heart that adorns my existence and they are the life of my life. They are the infinite reservoir of all transcendental mellows and the perfection that fulfils all my desires. They are the conclusion of the esoteric meaning of the Vedas for me. They are the goal of my vows, austerity, ma\u1e47tras and meditation. They are the purpose of my inner divine existence and the spiritual activities of my soul. I am earnestly praying that the divine will of providence will greatly favour me so I may maintain perfection in the pure loving service of her lotus feet. At that moment the moonlike beauty and radiance of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b will appear before my eyes captivating and bathing the lotus of my heart with rays of ecstasy constantly day and night. My heart burns afflicted by the venomous bite of separation from such a beautiful life of fulfilment. I am in such desperate need therefore, O my divine mistress \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b, please shower your ambrosial mercy upon me, soothe me, and embrace me in the shade of your lotus feet. Narottama d\u0101sa takes complete shelter of you.&quot; (PL, 16) + (SBRBM, p 43-4) + (SOTVA, p 86-7) When Prabhup\u0101da (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) became ill, I attended his sickbed. Just one day before his departure he called for me, and he asked me to chant \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpama\u00f1jar\u012b-pada. At that time I was not accustomed to leading the k\u012brtana. I was hesitating \u015ar\u012byukta Ku\u00f1ja B\u0101bu, later \u015ar\u012bp\u0101d Bhakti Vil\u0101s T\u012brtha Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, asked one brahmac\u0101r\u012b: &quot;Prabhu, you go on singing.&quot; Then he began singing, but Prabhup\u0101da felt dissatisfaction. He said: &quot;I don&#x27;t want to hear the tone or sweet sound.&quot; Then that brahmac\u0101r\u012b Prabhu stopped and I had to sing \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa-ma\u00f1jar\u012b-pada. And the others said: &quot;Prabhup\u0101da has hereby given you admission to the rasa-sev\u0101 section.&quot; l\u012bl\u0101-sa\u1e41gopa-k\u0101lenirpadhi-karu\u1e47\u0101-k\u0101ri\u1e47\u0101sv\u0101min\u0101ha\u1e41 yat p\u0101d\u0101je &#x27;rpito yat pada-bhajanamaya\u1e41 g\u0101yayitv\u0101 tu g\u012btam yogy\u0101yogyatva-bh\u0101va\u1e41 mama khalu sakala\u1e41 du\u1e63\u1e6da-buddher ag\u1e5bh\u1e47an sa \u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa\u1e25 kad\u0101 m\u0101\u1e41 nija-pada-rajas\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63ita\u1e41 sa\u1e41vidhatte &quot;Just prior to the withdrawal of his manifest l\u012bl\u0101, my causeless merciful divine master \u015ar\u012bla Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura handed me over to the holy feet of that divine personality by having me sing the glorious prayer unto his lotus feet. Despite my lowliness, when will \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Prabhu grace me with the dust of his holy lotus feet, ignoring all my disqualifications?&quot; (PJRPRPD, 10) + (SBRBM, p 43) + (see also \u015bloka 272)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(471)\",\"\u015br\u012b r\u016bpa ma\u00f1jar\u012b,\",\"prabh\u1e5btir sama,\",\"jugala-sev\u0101ya \u0101\u015ba\",\"ava\u015bya se-r\u016bpa,\",\"sev\u0101 p\u0101bo \u0101mi,\",\"par\u0101k\u0101\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101 su-vi\u015bv\u0101\u015ba\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I deeply aspire to execute confidential service to the Divine Couple, similar to that which is rendered by \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b and her associates. I know one day I will certainly attain that highest kind of service for I so intensely long for it with absolute totality of faith.&quot; (SBRBM, p 46) + (GMSL, 8, v 3)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(472)\",\"\u015br\u012b r\u016bpa ma\u00f1jar\u012b, sakh\u012b k\u1e5bp\u0101-d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6de c\u0101\u1e63a\",\"t\u0101pi narottame si\u1e63ca seb\u0101m\u1e5bta diya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b, the intimately beloved friend of the Divine Couple! Please cast your merciful glance upon me. Please soothe this distressed Narottama by sprinkling the nectar of your devotional service on me.&quot; (P, 21. v 5) + (SBRBM, p 45)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(473)\",\"\u015br\u012b r\u016bpa ma\u00f1jar\u012b, sa\u1e45ge j\u0101bo kabe\",\"rasa-sev\u0101-\u015bik\u1e63\u0101-tare\",\"tad-anug\u0101 ho&#x27;ye r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da ta\u1e6de\",\"rohibo har\u1e63it\u0101ntare\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When will that precious fortune be mine, when \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b will take me with her to the banks of \u015ari R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da, the most favourite place of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. There She will give me lessons in the performance of rasa sev\u0101 making me follow her own example. Remaining under her affectionate care and guidance with all loyalty and obedience I will thus ecstatically pass time in her company.&quot; (GM-SL, 4, v 2) + (SBRBM, p 45-6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(474)\",\"\u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa pa\u015bc\u0101te \u0101mi rahiba bhita h\u0101\u1e63a\",\"do\u1e45he puna\u1e25 kahibena \u0101ma p\u0101ne c\u0101na\",\"sadaya h\u1e5bdaye do\u1e45he kahibena h\u0101si\",\"ko\u1e6dh\u0101ya paile r\u016bpa ei naba d\u0101s\u012b\",\"\u015br\u012b r\u016bpa ma\u00f1jar\u012b tabe do\u1e45ha-b\u0101kya \u015buni\",\"ma\u00f1ju\u0101l\u012b dila more ei d\u0101s\u012b \u0101ni\",\"ati namra-citta \u0101mi haibe janila\",\"seb\u0101-k\u0101rya n\u012bya tabe he\u1e6dh\u0101ya rakhila\",\"hena tattwa do\u1e45hak\u0101re s\u0101k\u1e63\u0101te kahiy\u0101\",\"narottama seb\u0101ya dibe niyukta kariy\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I long for that priceless moment, when on the plane of transcendence, following behind \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b with all awe and reverence, I will meet the Divine Couple. They will graciously look at me and silently express Their deep affection to my heart. Compassionately smiling They will ask: &quot;\u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa, where did you find this beautiful new maidservant?&quot; Upon hearing this sweet inquiry, \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b will then address the Divine Couple, telling Them all about me: &quot;Feeling special care, my dear friend Ma\u00f1ju\u0101l\u012b thought this new girl would be sublimely dedicated to Your service, so she fondly brought her to me.&quot; Thus by her personal request and recommendation, \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa Ma\u00f1jar\u012b will eternally engage me in the devotional service of the Divine Couple of Vraja.&quot; (SBRBM, p 45) + (P, 19)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(475)\",\"\u015br\u012b-svar\u016bpa-r\u0101ya-sa\u1e45ga-gambhir\u0101ntya-l\u012blana\u1e41\",\"dv\u0101da\u015b\u0101bda-banhi-garbha-vipralambha-\u015b\u012blanam\",\"r\u0101dhik\u0101dhir\u016b\u1e0dha-bh\u0101va-k\u0101nti-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-ku\u00f1jara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam-eva-naumi-gaura-sundaram.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;His pastimes culminated in the Gambh\u012br\u0101-l\u012bl\u0101 with His closest associates \u015ar\u012b Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara and \u015ar\u012b R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya. For twelve long years He remained within the fire of deep feeling of separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, which He relished and discussed with His associates. At the same time He was like an elephant, intoxicated with love for R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b and His being was vibrant with R\u0101dh\u0101 bh\u0101va, for He was beautiful K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself illuminated by the beautiful bodily effulgence of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gaurasundara the beautiful, the divine abode of pure love.&quot; (PDDS, 54) &quot;Diving deep into the reality of His own beauty and sweetness, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a stole the mood of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b and, garbing Himself in Her brilliant lustre, appeared as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. For the last twelve years of His manifest pastimes He was deeply absorbed in union and separation and shared His heart&#x27;s inner feelings with His most confidential devotees. Volcanic eruptions of ecstasy flowed from His heart in the agony of separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. And His teachings, known as \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63takam, appeared from His lips like streams of golden lava. I fall at the feet of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, the Golden Volcano of Divine Love.&quot; He was vomiting the fire of painful separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the form of \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63takam. Therefore, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu is compared to a golden volcano and the \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63takam is compared to divine lava. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu has taught us that separation is the highest principle in divinity. Just as the most intense conception of ecstasy is association with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the most intense conception of pain is separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Yet the pain felt from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s separation is far more intense than the ecstasy felt from His association. \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;Can&#x27;t you understand the painful situation you are in? Your senses must have all been destroyed! Otherwise you would have died from the pain of separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. It is inconceivable. We belong to Him wholesale. He is all in all to us, but we can&#x27;t see Him. We are forcibly separated from Him. How can we tolerate this?&quot; And Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura once said: &quot;I can&#x27;t tolerate separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a any longer. I can go on for only three or four more days, and then I shall have to leave this body.&quot; (TGVODL, p xi, xii) + (see also \u015bloka 76)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(476)\",\"\u015briya\u1e25 k\u0101nt\u0101\u1e25 k\u0101nta\u1e25 parama-puru\u1e63a\u1e25 kalpataravo\",\"drum\u0101 bh\u016bmi\u015b cint\u0101ma\u1e47iga\u1e47amay\u012b toyam am\u1e5btam\",\"kath\u0101 g\u0101na\u1e41 n\u0101\u1e6dya\u1e41 gamanam api va\u1e41\u015b\u012b priyasakh\u012b\",\"cid \u0101nanda\u1e41 jyoti\u1e25 param api tad \u0101sv\u0101dyam api ca\",\"sa yatra k\u1e63\u012br\u0101bdhi\u1e25 sravati surabh\u012bbhya\u015b ca sumah\u0101n\",\"nime\u1e63\u0101rddh\u0101khyo v\u0101 vrajati na hi yatr\u0101pi samaya\u1e25\",\"bhaje \u015bvetadv\u012bpa\u1e41 tam aham iha golokam iti ya\u1e41\",\"vidantas te santa\u1e25 k\u1e63iti-virala-c\u0101r\u0101\u1e25 katipaye\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;That place where the Divine Goddesses of Fortune are the Beloved, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Supreme Male, is the only Lover; all the trees are Divine wish-fulfilling trees, the soil is made of Transcendental Gems and the water is nectar; where every word is a song, every movement is dancing, the flute is the dearmost companion, sunlight and moonlight are Divine Ecstasy, and all that be is Divine, and enjoyable; where a great ocean of milk eternally flows from the udders of billions of Surabh\u012b cows and the Divine time is eternally present, never suffering the estrangement of past and future for even a split second . . .that Supreme Transcendental Abode of \u015avetadv\u012bpa do I adore. Practically no one in this world knows that place but for only a few pure devotees - and they know it as Goloka.&quot; (B-s, v 56) And only my soul can take a stand in that plane and move in harmony with that plane. Kath\u0101 g\u0101na\u1e41 n\u0101\u1e6dya\u1e41 gamanam. In Brahma-sa\u1e41hit\u0101 it is mentioned: &quot;All the talks there are as sweet as song; all the walking there, movement, is as sweet as dancing.&quot; In this way, everything is sweet. That is the harmonious movement plane. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. We have to go back to that home. We have come out with the spirit of colonisation in a foreign land, with the bad object of exploitation. For that purpose of exploitation we have come to colonise in this material world, and as a reaction we suffer. The whole cover must be eliminated, and our person within, the finest ego, must emerge. Within this gross mischievous ego there is the finer ego, soul; and that is the child of that soil. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 191)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(477)\",\"\u015b\u1e5b\u1e47vantu vi\u015bve am\u1e5btasya putr\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Try to realise that your situation is full of honey - full of nectar. Don&#x27;t try to see only the outer cover. Your vision must be deep enough to see the real position. Then you will find everything is like nectar to you. \u015a\u1e5b\u1e47vantu vi\u015bve am\u1e5btasya putr\u0101\u1e25. This clarion call is coming from the Veda: &quot;O you sons of nectar! Attempt to listen to My words! You are really sons of the nectar lake. Why should you be like poison? Are you a poisonous unit? Are you now down-trodden to become units of poison? But your real, innate self - you are a drop of the nectar ocean!&quot; \u015a\u1e5b\u1e47vantu vi\u015bve am\u1e5btasya putr\u0101\u1e25. &quot;Awake! Arise! Arise to your self-consciousness that you are a drop of the nectar ocean! Try to realise it!&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 175)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(478)\",\"\u015brotavy\u0101d\u012bni r\u0101jendra n\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101\u1e41 santi sahasra\u015ba\u1e25\",\"apa\u015byat\u0101m \u0101tma-tattva\u1e41 g\u1e5bhe\u1e63u g\u1e5bha-medhin\u0101m\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b said to King Par\u012bk\u1e63it: &quot;Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.2) If we seriously take note of when \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam appeared in this world, and through whom it appeared, immediately we can see with our clear vision that were present the speaker, \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b, and the hearer, Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. The speaker is seen to be steadfastly situated in the transcendental plane of super-dedication, whereas the hearer shows himself to be in this mundane plane, to be very much confused, and in want. King Par\u012bk\u1e63it had very little time left to live. He enquired as to what process would give him the supreme benefit of life. \u015ar\u012b \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b happily received his question, furthermore he declared this to be the only suitably sufficient uestion for the conditioned souls as well as for the real searchers of the truth. (SOTGOD, v 3, p vi)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(479)\",\"\u015brutibhir vim\u1e5bgy\u0101m\",\"(S-B, 10.47.61)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Those revealed scriptures - they are only searching after such things - that is, the Sweet Pastimes of the Highest Good, the Highest Ecstatic Personality. So, from the O\u1e41 - &quot;Yes,&quot; &quot;Yes&quot; is going up to the r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101 of love. In r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101 of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, it is mentioned that the \u015arutis, the Vedas, they are begging forgiveness. &quot;We could not have any conception of such l\u012bl\u0101, and we failed to give direction to this happy end of the Absolute Truth. We could not express it. So, we beg forgiveness. We could not follow and nor could we advise the people that \u0101nandam is of this type. We could not understand. We could not make the others understand. So, we beg forgiveness.&quot; (When they participated in r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101). Such a thing! First thing! The Absolute and the paraphernalia in mad dance! And singing, . . .so near and dear. &quot;And this class of ecstasy - this substance is being distributed to the environment? Such an atmosphere? - This is the highest! We could not begin to understand it ourselves - what to speak of make it known to others?&quot; \u015arutibhir vim\u1e5bgy\u0101m; The Vedas are only pointing out the direction: &quot;Go this side, go this side - this direction - So far, we are like a gate-keeper. We can show that the harem is on this side. More than that, we cannot say.&quot; The guide in the palace, he may also say: &quot;Oh, the harem is there; this side, this is the court, this is the police station,&quot; etc. - a general guide:&quot; (SS, v 4, #1, &#x27;86, p 8) + (see also \u015bloka 574) The \u1e5a\u1e63is, the Seers, saw that the Vedic mantras were eternal. They are not creators of the mantras in the Vedas, they are only seers and feelers of spiritual current; they are only observers. The knowledge that is contained in the \u015aruti (Vedas) is not created by anyone or anything. It is eternal and flowing. The \u1e5a\u1e63is are onlookers and recorders. And that \u015aruti has come to reveal the Fundamental Truth underlying the whole creation; still, they are only inquisitive of something, they are enquiring about something. What that thing is, they do not know. They are only searching for the highest revelation that ever came down in the world. They are only searching for that reality, but they have not yet come into its connection. And this is k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti and vraja-bhakti - loving devotion for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. And Mah\u0101prabhu and \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam came with the quality of that type of adherence to the Truth: unconditional surrender, adherence, searching, and serving attitude, seeking such fortune of serving the Truth. That higher type of truth and existence is such that if we can be only a seeker after it, we may consider ourselves to be possessors of the highest fortune. We can really post ourselves in the path leading to the Highest Truth. That quality is the very basis and the degree of self-surrender (\u0101tma-nivedanam). Whatever beautiful and valuable things we come across, we cannot but surrender ourselves to them. That is the criterion. If we come across anything higher within our vicinity, our appreciation means surrendering ourselves unto that. So according to the degree of our surrender, we have to measure what degree of quality of truth we have come across. That can be measured only according to the degree and intensity of surrender, or how much we could surrender to what we came into connection with, to the point of no return. And the true devotees know no satisfaction or fulfilment of feeling that &quot;I have it.&quot; They feel no trace of such satisfaction that &quot;I have achieved.&quot; Never. The inner sweetness of the truth and its infinite characteristic is such. It attracts. It can attract to the highest degree and magnitude. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 113-5) Vy\u0101sadeva has given the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception of Godhead in his \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. Deva\u1e5b\u1e63i N\u0101rada came to instruct Vy\u0101sadeva to spread K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness of Godhead, for without that everything is tasteless: &quot;Whatever you have delivered until now, will all be tasteless and redundant if you do not ultimately connect it with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.&quot; The general Vedic culture could not reveal the meaning of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness properly. At the time of rasa-l\u012bl\u0101 the \u015aruti, the higher Vedas personified, are admitting: &quot;We failed to express You, my Lord. We could not understand that You are so beautiful and so loving. We failed to distribute Your such high conception to the public.&quot; The \u015arutis are confessing this. &quot;Mostly what we have so far given the public to understand is somewhat Brahma or Param\u0101tma, but now we are charmed! There is such beauty within! So charming, so loving. We failed to understand, and we also failed to deliver. May we be forgiven for our failure.&quot; Then \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam came. \u015arutibhir vim\u1e5bgy\u0101m: all the revealed truth is only trying to show the direction: &quot;Go this side. We do not know it fully, but we can say that it must be somewhere this side.&quot; This is the general instruction of all the revealed truth in the world. &quot;It is very sweet. It must be very sweet, high and fulfilling our highest need, and more. But we could not understand this. It is so loving, so charming and so beautiful as to attract us to the utmost - we even forget our own existence. We could not understand this!&quot; This is the confession of the general revealed truth. This has been given in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam by Vedavy\u0101sa and by N\u0101rada, \u015auka, etc. (SGD, SGP, &#x27;97, p 16-7) + (see also \u015bloka 383) The hidden treasure attracts our hearts. We have been deprived of our heart&#x27;s deepest interest. Although we have a natural claim to it, it has been hidden from us (\u015brutibhir vim\u1e5bgy\u0101m). In an unparalleled way, \u015ar\u012b G\u012bt\u0101 considers all these aspects and directs us to the correct meaning and conclusion of all the Upani\u1e63ads. From this point, the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam begins.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(480)\",\"\u015brutim apare sm\u1e5btim itare,\",\"bh\u0101ratam anye bhajantu bhava-bh\u012bt\u0101\u1e25\",\"aham iha nanda\u1e41 vande,\",\"yasy\u0101linde para\u1e41 brahma\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Raghupati Up\u0101dhy\u0101ya says: &quot;Those who fear rebirth in this world may follow the advice of the Vedic scriptures - others may follow the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata - but as for me, I follow Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, in whose courtyard the Supreme Absolute Truth plays as a child.&quot; (C-C, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.96) + (P, 126) In the system of var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama-dharma, Vedic social duty, the people in general are under the guidance of the Sm\u1e5bti, Vedic law. In this way, they are engaged in bodily duties with a colour of godliness. Those who are free from physical demands, however, who are trying to transcend this life of enjoyment and exploitation, generally take their guidance from the Upani\u1e63ads because higher advice is given there. Raghupati Up\u0101dhy\u0101ya says: &quot;I don&#x27;t care for all these things, but I feel a need to follow the guidance of my heart. I am not so much concerned with the brain; I consider that real peace has its connection with the heart. And my heart is always attracted by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s father, Nanda. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is said by authorities to be the Supreme Absolute Truth, and that Absolute is crawling in the courtyard of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, so I see concrete reality there.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 321) This was the answer to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s questions to Raghupati Up\u0101dhy\u0101ya, near Mathur\u0101: &quot;Whom do we want to have as our master? Who is the final goal of our life?&quot; Raghupati Up\u0101dhy\u0101ya says: &quot;I don&#x27;t want to be entangled in the subtle discussion and analysis of the scriptures; I just want to surrender myself to Nanda and his party. I want to enlist my name in the group where Nanda is the master guide.&quot; (TGVODL, p 128-130) &quot;Of persons afraid of material existence, some worship the \u015aruti Scriptures (Vedas), some worship the Sm\u1e5bti Scriptures (supplementary Religious Codes), and others worship the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata. But as far as I am concerned, I worship Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, in whose courtyard the Supreme Absolute Truth is playing.&quot; (SSPJ, p 47) Raghupati Up\u0101dhy\u0101ya was a scholar and a devotee. He came to see Mah\u0101prabhu and Mah\u0101prabhu enquired: &quot;Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita, what is your mainstay of life; what keeps you going on?&quot; He answered: &quot;I am a little disappointed. I have gone through many scriptures, but I am not satisfied with them. My finding with the scriptures is mostly this, that those who are afraid of the uncertainty of this mundane life of birth and death seek shelter of the holy scriptures to save themselves. Those who are too afraid of their mundane life in this world, and worldly affairs (bhava-bh\u012bt\u0101\u1e25), run to find some consolation in the scriptures, to find if they give any clue, any way, any path to get out. There are various scriptures, the \u015arutis, the Sm\u1e5bti, and Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata, including \u015ar\u012bmad Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, but generally, those who approach them run there to get relief, being frightened by their present circumstances. But I do not care for that. I do not care for those \u015b\u0101stras (scriptures), because I have found the symptoms of my real interest in one place. Where is that? &quot;aham iha nanda\u1e41 vande, yasy\u0101linde para\u1e41 brahma&quot; - &quot;I find that Unknown and Unknowable thing is crawling in the compound of Nanda Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, a cow-keeper! In the compound of a cow-keeper the &#x27;param brahma&#x27; is crawling! This is charming, the most charming of all charms! My heart is sold there.&quot; It is hinted here that this is in itself the result of what is achieved by following all these scriptures. And Mah\u0101prabhu gave His appreciation of that. (SVT, v 1, # 1, Jan-Feb. &#x27;92, p 5) + (see also \u015bloka 321)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(481)\",\"sthira ha\u1e63y\u0101 ghare y\u0101o, n\u0101 hao b\u0101tula\",\"krame krame p\u0101ya loka bhava-sindhu-k\u016bla\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Compose yourself and go home - don&#x27;t be a madman. One reaches the shore of the material ocean gradually.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 16.237) When \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu went back to \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya&#x27;s house (Advaita-bhavan) after His sanny\u0101sa, Raghun\u0101tha D\u0101sa came and saw Him, and became mad with love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. His heart was completely melted by Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s beauty and charming Personality, His Devotion and His Teachings of Devotion for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Mah\u0101prabhu Himself was also aware of this. Raghun\u0101tha would not leave Mah\u0101prabhu, but the Lord told him: &quot;Go home. Don&#x27;t be over-enthusiastic; control yourself. Keep your Divine Love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a within your heart, and don&#x27;t express it outwardly. Don&#x27;t advertise it. Very soon the time will come when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will guide you. He will make a way for you. Don&#x27;t allow any external show but keep it within your heart.&quot; Then, he later came into the association of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu in P\u0101\u1e47ih\u0101\u1e6di. Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu said to him: &quot;You are the son of a rich man, so manage to give a feast here for My followers.&quot; Raghun\u0101tha did so, and Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu was very satisfied. He also blessed him, saying: &quot;Very soon your bright day will come.&quot; And He addressed His devotees, &quot;See this young boy, he has immense wealth; in abundance he has everything required for a young man&#x27;s enjoyment, but he does not care for it. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Grace has come down into his heart, so he does not care for anything of this world; but he&#x27;s mad to leave his home of material grandeur and become a street beggar. He has become mad for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Just see his high ideal, devotion, attraction. He is very, very fortunate. This royal dignity and prosperity cannot please him.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 117-9)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(482)\",\"str\u012b-putr\u0101di-katha\u1e41 jahur vi\u1e63ayi\u1e47a\u1e25 \u015b\u0101stra-prav\u0101da\u1e41 budh\u0101\",\"yog\u012bndr\u0101 vijahur marun niyamaka-kle\u015ba\u1e41 tapas t\u0101pas\u0101\u1e25\",\"j\u00f1\u0101n\u0101bhy\u0101sa-vidhi\u1e41 jahu\u015b ca yataya\u015b caitanyacandre param\",\"\u0101vi\u1e63kurvati bhakti-yogapadav\u012b\u1e41 naiv\u0101nya \u0101s\u012bd rasa\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Something most wonderful and miraculous has happened because the Divine full moon \u015ar\u012b Caitanyacandra has graciously illuminated the sky of everyone&#x27;s heart, imbuing them with ambrosial transcendental love. Being deeply attracted by that, the materialists have given up talking about their wives, children and mundane affairs. The pa\u1e47\u1e0dits have given up arguing the scriptural conclusions, the yog\u012bs have given up the difficulty of controlling the breath, the ascetics have given up their austerity, and the impersonalist renunciates have given up their pursuit of impersonal philosophy. Now there is only one exclusive and super excellent taste, the nectar of pure devotional service, compared to which, nothing else is attractive anymore.&quot; (C-Cand, 113) + (SBRBM, p 11-12)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(483)\",\"\u015brotriya\u1e41 brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham\",\"guru ev\u0101bhigacchet\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"What will be the position of the guru? He will be well-versed in the scriptures, the \u015bruti-\u015b\u0101stra, or that knowledge which can only be acquired through the medium of sound, by attentive earnest hearing (\u015brotriya\u1e41 brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham). brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham means: &quot;One who is established in brahman, spirit, and who is acquainted with the causal position of the universe.&quot; guru eva means that we must certainly approach the spiritual master. abhigacchet means that the approach should not be haphazard or hesitating. One should go with a clear and honest, full heart. Our gurudeva \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura used to say: &quot;You have not come here cutting any return ticket.&quot; I have seen, I have got full experience of this mortal world. I have nothing to aspire after here. One must have this clear consciousness that there is no other way to live. No one can live in the mortal plane whereas the innate tendency everywhere is to live. There is no means to live here, but I only want to live, to save myself. So, I am running to take real shelter, and this is my earnest desire and utmost necessity. Samitpani (from \u015bloka 501) means that the necessary materials will be taken by the disciple. He won&#x27;t go to trouble his own guru. With his own bed, baggage and everything he requires he will go to the spiritual master, not to show some kindness to him, that I have come to give you some name and fame, etc. And what will be the qualification of the guru? \u015brotriya\u1e41 brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham, \u015brotriya\u1e41 means that he will be well versed in the \u015bruti-\u015b\u0101stra. This is not ordinary knowledge but revealed truth. Revelation in many shades has been spread throughout the world from the higher plane. Guru must have some spacious, graphic and extensive knowledge about revealed truth. And he should already be practising the real life. \u015babde pare ca ni\u1e63\u1e47\u0101ta\u1e41 (from \u015bloka 507) means that one should be well versed in revealed truth, \u015babde \u015b\u0101stra, or \u015bruti-\u015b\u0101stra. Not only the precepts of the revealed scriptures, but one should be in contact with and conversant with the very object of the scriptures. One should approach an experienced person who is established in that plane of consciousness if he wants to get relief and to understand what is the highest benefit in the world and how to attain it. His activities are all with brahman, not with the material world. Brahman is the plane which can accommodate everything. It is the most fundamental, vyoma or basis of everything. Guru is always leading his life in relation with that plane and not with any mortal mundane reference. He is always doing everything in connection with that plane. Whatever he does is only in that consciousness. That is brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham. (GOD, p 16-7) + (see also \u015blokas 501 &amp; 507)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(484)\",\"sudurdar\u015bam ida\u1e41 r\u016bpa\u1e41,\",\"d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dav\u0101n asi yan mama\",\"dev\u0101 apy asya r\u016bpasya,\",\"nitya\u1e41 dar\u015bana-k\u0101\u1e63k\u1e63i\u1e47a\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Oh Arjuna, the chance to see Me as you are now seeing Me before you is very, very rarely attained. Even the gods constantly aspire for a glimpse of this human-like form of truth, consciousness and beauty.&quot; (B-g, 11.52) Generally, it may be thought that the divya-dar\u015bana, the vision of the Universal Form, is what is very rarely to be found. But by the specific use of the words d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dav\u0101n asi, in the present tense, and not d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dav\u0101n which is past tense, our interpreters say that here what is being referred to is the human-like form. The Lord is saying: dev\u0101 apy asya r\u016bpasya, nitya\u1e41 dar\u015bana-k\u0101\u1e63k\u1e63i\u1e47a\u1e25: &quot;At present, how you are seeing Me, that is in My two-handed figure. But the public can&#x27;t understand, they generally look to My catur-bhuja-r\u016bpa, four-handed form. Or they look to My divya-r\u016bpa, which contains the whole cosmic manifestation within, as the highest; but that is a troublesome form of Myself. It is not natural, but it is like My playing the part of a magician: &#x27;Everything is in Me! See this, and this and now this!&#x27; That is not apr\u0101k\u1e5bta but it is full of majesty of different types mixed together.&quot; But the apr\u0101k\u1e5bta-r\u016bpa, is dvi-bhuja, the two-handed form. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a told Arjuna: sudurdar\u015bam ida\u1e41 r\u016bpa\u1e41: &quot;This saccid\u0101nanda two-armed human-like form of Mine which you are seeing is very, very rarely seen. Even the demigods constantly aspire for a glimpse of this form.&quot; Of all the Lord&#x27;s Pastimes, the highest is very near to that of human type - apr\u0101k\u1e5bta (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is always apr\u0101k\u1e5bta - pr\u0101k\u1e5bta means &#x27;mundane&#x27; and apr\u0101k\u1e5bta means similar in appearance to the mundane plane but in fact just the opposite). It is like human life. Rather, human life has been fashioned after His highest form of Playful Life. The model is there in the original, highest form of life, and human society has been fashioned after that. In the Bible also it is said: &quot;God made man after His own image.&quot; And the V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana-l\u012bl\u0101 appears most human-like and ordinary, even to the extent where the Lord acts like a rogue and a debauchee by stealing, lying and doing anything and everything - all in the sweetest way. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 27) (see also \u015blokas 132, 331 &amp; 486)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(485)\",\"sukha-r\u016bpa k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a kare sukha \u0101sv\u0101dana\",\"bhakta-ga\u1e47e sukha dite `hl\u0101din\u012b&#x27;-k\u0101ra\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Ecstasy personified is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, and He feels, tastes and enjoys Himself; but only through faith is it possible to transmit and distribute that ecstasy and joy to others. Faith is the very nature of the hl\u0101din\u012b-\u015bakti, the ecstasy potency, which is represented in full by \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. It can transmit total K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness to the devotees outside. Faith is the halo of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, by the light of which others may understand K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. When the negative combines with the positive, realisation of Their function is distributed to all other negative parts.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.158) The central, &#x27;mother&#x27; negative can expand and transmit such faith and joy. \u015araddh\u0101, faith, is a special substance about which we must enquire. It is not merely abstract. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 21) + (see also \u015bloka 585) Once when \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja was giving an informal talk about \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, he was searching for a fitting expression to describe Her bh\u0101va and k\u0101nti, Her inner and outer qualities. The devotees attending his talk at the time attempted to provide suitable expressions: &quot;mood and lustre,&quot; &quot;feeling and effulgence,&quot; and several other such versions were put forward, but each time \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja shook his head, unsatisfied. Suddenly, with a smile lighting up his countenance, he looked up and said sweetly: &quot;Heart and Halo.&quot; In the centre is only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a feeling His own ecstasy. sukha-r\u016bpa k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a kare sukha \u0101sv\u0101dana. When extension begins, we find that Balar\u0101ma and Yogam\u0101ya make arrangements for that transaction of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a where ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-m\u016brtti, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a the embodiment of all rasas, tastes Himself. Rasa is tasting Himself. It is different in the case of the mundane rasa, where the soul is the subject and the &#x27;rasa&#x27; is an object to be &#x27;enjoyed&#x27; by him; but here, rasa is Himself the Highest Subject, and He is tasting Himself - sukha-r\u016bpa k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a kare sukha \u0101sv\u0101dana. He then gradually extends Himself and so we find Baladeva Who is a facsimile of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 37)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(486)\",\"\u015b\u016bnahe mam\u1e63a bh\u0101i,\",\"sab\u0101r upare m\u0101nu\u1e63a \u1e63atya,\",\"t\u0101h\u0101r upare nai\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Above all existence, the human form is the highest - even above the God conception.&quot; (V P) + (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 7) + (see also \u015bloka 484)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(487)\",\"\u015buska\u1e41 paryu\u1e63ita\u1e41 v\u0101pi,\",\"n\u012bta\u1e41 v\u0101 d\u016bra-de\u015bata\u1e25\",\"pr\u0101pti-m\u0101tre\u1e45a bhoktavya\u1e41,\",\"n\u0101tra k\u0101la-vic\u0101ra\u1e47\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One should take the mah\u0101-pras\u0101da of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as soon as one receives it, without consideration of time or place, even though it may be dried up, stale, or brought from a distant country.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 6.225) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu gave some mah\u0101-pras\u0101dam from the Jagann\u0101tha Temple in Pur\u012b to S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya and he began uttering these mantras (\u015blokas 301 &amp; 487) + (TGVODL. p 19)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(488)\",\"suvar\u1e47a-var\u1e47o hem\u0101\u1e45go,\",\"var\u0101\u1e45ga\u015b candan\u0101\u1e45gad\u012b\",\"sanny\u0101sa-k\u1e5bc chama\u1e25 \u015b\u0101nto,\",\"ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101-\u015b\u0101nti-par\u0101ya\u1e47a\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Appearing in a handsome golden form with limbs smeared with sandalwood paste, He looks like a figure of beauty made of molten gold. He accepts the sanny\u0101sa order and always remains equipoised and peaceful. He is the highest resort of peace and devotion.&quot; (C-c, \u0100d\u012b-l\u012bl\u0101, 3.49) + (ARO, p 23) The \u015ar\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-sahasra-n\u0101ma, which appears in Chapter 189 of the D\u0101na-dharma- parva (149) of Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata describes the incarnation of Kali-yuga as follows: &quot;When the Supreme Personality of Godhead K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appears as \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, in His early pastimes His complexion is gold (suvar\u1e47a-var\u1e47a), His limbs are the colour of molten white gold (hem\u0101\u1e45ga), His body is extremely beautiful (var\u0101\u1e45ga\u015b), and He is decorated with sandalwood pulp (candan\u0101\u1e45gad\u012b). These are the four symptoms of His g\u1e5bhastha-l\u012bl\u0101. Another meaning of the description of the Lord as having a golden hue is that Lord Caitanya&#x27;s personality is as fascinating as gold is attractive. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya accepts the sanny\u0101sa order of life (sanny\u0101sa-k\u1e5bt), and shows equanimity (s\u0101ma) in different ways: by describing the mysteries of devotion to \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and by satisfying everyone by knowledge and attachment to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, (\u015b\u0101nta). He is peaceful because He renounces all topics not related to the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. His mind is always fixed on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and thus He is fixed (ni\u1e63\u1e6dha) in performing the great sacrifice of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He silences the nondevotees and impersonalists who are opposed to the service of the Lord, by promoting the cause of devotion. Thus He distributes real peace. He is therefore an abode of the highest spiritual peace and devotion (mah\u0101bh\u0101va-par\u0101ya\u1e47a).&quot; (G-K, 4.8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(489)\",\"svadharmma-ni\u1e63\u1e6dha\u1e25 \u015bata-janmabhi\u1e25 pum\u0101n\",\"viri\u1e63cat\u0101m eti tata\u1e25 para\u1e41 hi m\u0101m\",\"avy\u0101k\u1e5bta\u1e41 bh\u0101gavato &#x27;tha vai\u1e63\u1e47ava\u1e41\",\"pada\u1e41 yath\u0101ha\u1e41 vibudh\u0101\u1e25 kal\u0101tyaye\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A person who executes his occupational duty properly for one hundred births becomes qualified to occupy the post of Brahm\u0101, and if he becomes more qualified, he can approach Lord \u015aiva. A person who is directly surrendered to Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a or Vi\u1e63\u1e47u in unalloyed devotional service is immediately promoted to the spiritual planets. Lord \u015aiva and other demigods attain these planets after the destruction of this material world.&quot; (S-B, 4.24.29) Here, Mah\u0101deva (Lord \u015aiva) says that if one can perform his duty in Var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama-dharmma (Godly socio-religious function) for one hundred consecutive births, he attains to the position of Lord Brahm\u0101. Svadharmma means prescribed duties according to the var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama-dharma as sanctioned in the Vedas. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 90) + (see also \u015bloka 595) The conditioned soul has some attraction to Lord \u015aiva in Mahe\u015ba Dh\u0101ma, so what is Lord \u015aiva&#x27;s position? His position is as a master of this M\u0101y\u0101, Illusory Potency. He is not a slave of misunderstanding, although he remains in the relativity of misunderstanding. He remains in a masterly position. In his B\u1e5bhad-Bh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5bta, \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b has explained that when one becomes liberated, M\u0101y\u0101 Dev\u012b comes to him, saying: &quot;Why do you leave me? I would like to serve you, don&#x27;t forsake me!&quot; In this way, she again comes to offer her services to \u015aiva, that is, the liberated soul. If he is enticed by that charm, he may again enter the mundane world, but if he has the attitude and \u015braddh\u0101 within himself to deal indifferently, he neglects it and goes upwards: &quot;No, I have my engagement, my duty. I have no time to satisfy anyone by accepting their service. I have my Lord, I must serve Him.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 89-90) + (see also \u015bloka 595) Lord \u015aiva says: &quot;I know what is what; what is material and what is spiritual. I know that. But you want to present me with a hoax? How can you satisfy me? Even when the Loka of Brahm\u0101 - even when that is destroyed - then how can you give me a hoax of this illusory civilisation? Temporary civilisation - I know that is where I have come from, all who are there speak with me of this and that. But what are my real duties and responsibilities? Where can I be naturally conscious of my duties.&quot; (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 5) + (see also \u015bloka 224)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(490)\",\"svair\u0101c\u0101r\u0101bdhi-sa\u1e41magn\u0101n,\",\"j\u012bv\u0101n gaur\u0101\u1e45ghri-pa\u1e45kaje\",\"uddh\u1e5btya \u015bara\u1e47\u0101patter,\",\"m\u0101h\u0101tmya\u1e41 samabodhayat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;All the conditioned souls are sa\u1e41magn\u0101n - they are diving or struggling in the ocean of svair\u0101c\u0101ra or pleasure seeking - any\u0101bhil\u0101\u1e63a - immoral or whimsical activities, energising there. gaur\u0101\u1e45ghri-pa\u1e45kaje uddh\u1e5btya: taking them out of that ocean, you put them in the lotus - you took them to the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. You collected them from the wide, troubled ocean, and gave them to the lotus feet of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. uddh\u1e5btya \u015bara\u1e47\u0101patter, m\u0101h\u0101tmya\u1e41 samabodhayat: and so, having placed them there, you began to instruct them about the great nobility of and high value of \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, exclusive surrender. samabodhayat: you tried to make them understand and realise the efficacy of \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati proper. You, my gurudeva, \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Siddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura Prabhup\u0101da did so, so I bow down unto you first.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva wrote this svair\u0101c\u0101r\u0101bdhi-sa\u1e41magn\u0101n verse as an introductory poem to his commentary of \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati. Then also he wrote a verse offering obeisances unto the writer of \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura. (see \u015bloka 463) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 117) \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura remarked: &quot;A very happy style.&quot; And next he said to \u015ar\u012bp\u0101d \u015arauti Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: &quot;This poem is so fine, it is not written by him, it is written by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura himself, and has come out through him. It is so appreciable.&quot; Once, he said to \u015ar\u012byukta Apr\u0101k\u1e5bta Prabhu: &quot;I&#x27;m satisfied that what I came to say will remain after me, I find in this \u015bloka (463) the siddh\u0101nta (perfect theological conclusion).&quot;\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(491)\",\"svar\u016bpe sab\u0101ra haya,\",\"golokete sthiti:\",\"muktir hitv\u0101n-yath\u0101-r\u016bpa\u1e41\",\"svar\u016bpe\u1e47a vyavasthiti\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;This is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is so friendly, so sweet, so near to us, and such a wellwisher of ours. We are quite at home there, sweet, sweet home. In our innate and innermost existence, we are members of that plane.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 182) + (see also \u015bloka 389) muktir hitv\u0101n-yath\u0101-r\u016bpa\u1e41 svar\u016bpe\u1e47a vyavasthiti\u1e25 &quot;Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies.&quot; (S-B, 2.10.6) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is always situated in His original position as sac-cid-\u0101nanda-vigraha, and anyone who renders service to Him is also situated in his original, spiritual identity (svar\u016bpe\u1e47a vyavasthiti\u1e25). This is the highest perfection of human life. (purport to S-B, 10.1.7) \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam tells us this. Home, sweet, sweet home. You are a child of that soil. In one word, that is the goal. Why is that the highest goal? Because that is your home. svar\u016bpe sab\u0101ra haya, golokete sthiti. This one word &#x27;home&#x27; is sufficient to attract you. You are wandering in a foreign land, but here is your home. You&#x27;ll get home comfort here, and you won&#x27;t be able to deny that. So, back to God, back to home, back to Godhead. To avoid the Christian conception of &#x27;God&#x27; our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, Prabhup\u0101da Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, used the word &#x27;Godhead.&#x27; &#x27;God&#x27; is a particular conception of the Absolute, but &#x27;Godhead&#x27; represents Bhagavatt\u0101 or the background of the conception of God, which is Svaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n - the Supreme Lord Himself. This is the highest conception of God. This is the meaning. So more than &#x27;back to God&#x27; is &#x27;back to Godhead.&#x27; \u015ar\u012bmad Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja named his spiritual magazine from this consideration. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 82) Love means sacrifice. If they know the real meaning of love, none can say: &quot;I don&#x27;t want love.&quot; Anyone may say: &quot;I don&#x27;t want power; I may misuse it.&quot; To be in possession of power is a great responsibility. Love is also a responsibility, but it is unavoidable. We want love, from the higher - shelter in the loving lap, in the loving consideration. We want to enter a domain where everyone will love us. A home. Home is sweet. Why? Because everyone there has some attraction and love, some blessing over us. Home is so sweet. All-favourable, all-loving, all-trustworthy. So we want to go back to home; home, sweet, sweet home. Svar\u016bpe sab\u0101ra haya, golokete sthiti. Muktir hitv\u0101n-yath\u0101r\u016bpa\u1e41 svar\u016bpe\u1e47a vyavasthiti\u1e25. Mukti is self-determination; the stage of self-determination, as much as our self can determine; our utmost interest. That is home, that is Goloka, that is the plane of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 102-3) + (see also \u015bloka 409)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(492)\",\"svaya\u1e41 samutt\u012bryya sudustara\u1e41 dyuman\",\"bhav\u0101r\u1e47ava\u1e41 bh\u012bmam adabhra-sauh\u1e5bd\u0101\u1e25\",\"bhavat-pad\u0101mbhoruha-n\u0101vam atra te\",\"nidh\u0101ya y\u0101t\u0101\u1e25 sad anugraho bhav\u0101n\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Self-revealed One, You are bhakta-v\u0101\u1e63ch\u0101kalpataru, the wish-fulfilling tree of the devotee. The great devotees surrendered unto Your Lotus Feet, who have crossed over this ghastly insurmountable ocean of mundanity, have left the boat of Your Lotus Feet in this world (in the guru-parampar\u0101 or in the line of Revealed Truth, \u015arauta-panth\u0101) - because, they are greatly affectionate to all beings.&quot; (S-B, 10.2.31) The Devas (Brahm\u0101 and \u015aiva) say in the Bh\u0101gavatam: &quot;The saints who by Your Grace have crossed that insurmountable ocean, that dreadful ocean, with dreadful waves and so many water animals - those saints again send back the boat, which is compared with the Lotus Feet of the Lord. By the help of the Lotus Feet of You, the Infinite Absolute Lord, they cross this ocean, by the Grace of Your Holy Feet; and they again send that boat back here for others to cross the same ocean. They&#x27;re experienced about the ocean, and in which way they crossed and what difficulty they faced, and where. Your devotees are so magnanimous that after using the boat of Your Holy Lotus Feet to cross, they again send them back for us. Because, their friendship for the people is very white, and pure. And You are always in favour of those devotees, so by their request You can&#x27;t refuse. You allow Your Lotus Feet again to come to this side and take others across.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 198-9) Newton said: &quot;I am only collecting pebbles on the shore of the ocean of knowledge.&quot; He was a man of this world, yet he had the sincerity and courage to make this statement. If such a statement is made in deference to the knowledge of only this world, what should be thought of the knowledge of the infinite unknown and unknowable? We must have courage, just as Columbus floated his ship to discover America. He had the courage. To float our little boat in the ocean of the unknown and unknowable, we must be cognizant that the laws will be of that type. The laws of the higher ocean may not be applied to the strait or local sea. A thoroughly new thing we have to study - the revealed truth. If we go to measure the infinite with the law of finite, it will be hopeless for us to go that side. We must invite and think purely of that land, that standard. The unknown world. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 197) Here the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam says that just as in the vast ocean, when nothing else can be seen, the compass is the only guide, so in the world of infinite, our only guide is the footsteps of those great souls who have travelled on the path of faith. The way has been marked by the holy footsteps of those who have gone to the highest quarter. That is our only hope. Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira Mah\u0101r\u0101ja also says that the real secret is concealed in the hearts of saints, as treasure is hidden in a mysterious cave (dharmasya tattva\u1e41 nihita\u1e41 guh\u0101y\u0101m). The broad line towards the truth is chalked out by those who are going to the divine world. And that is our surest guide. All other methods of guidance may be eliminated because calculation is fallible. Guidance comes from the absolute infinite. And His guidance can come in any form, anywhere, any time. With this broad view, we should realise the meaning of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha means &quot;without limitation.&quot; It is as if we are in a boat floating on the infinite ocean. Many things may come to help or hinder us. But only our optimistic good faith may be our guide, our gurudeva. The guide is \u015ar\u012b Guru. (LSFTLS, p 5-6) + (see also \u015bloka 347)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(493)\",\"sve svehadhik\u0101re y\u0101 ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101,\",\"sa gun\u0101\u1e25 parik\u012brtit\u0101\u1e25\",\"viparyayas tu do\u1e63a\u1e25 sy\u0101d,\",\"ubhayor e\u1e63a ni\u015bcaya\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Remaining fixed in the position for which one is qualified is considered virtuous. The opposite - accepting a position for which one is unqualified, while giving up a position for which one is qualified - is irresponsible and is considered impious. This is the conclusion of \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam.&quot; (S-B, 11.21.2) Higher things do exist, but the general man in this world has no knowledge about them. We are indeed experiencers and have some knowledge, but only to a particular degree and standard. We cannot venture to calculate what is beyond our reach. But if those who actually have experience of that plane will come to us and give us some information, then we can make some comparison: &quot;This gentleman of a particular experience of ether has written in this way, another gentleman who has experience and who has also experimented about ether has written in another particular manner.&quot; In this way we can gain some understanding from their investigation and their real connection with the subject matter. In the section of those investigating about telescopes, we can make a comparison of their findings. The experience of one researcher with his telescope is of a certain type and we can also learn about the experience of others with their particular telescopes. With the information available to us from their actual connection with the telescopes and their experiments, we may be able to conclude that perhaps a certain telescope was more powerful, another more powerful in a particular field, etc. So, we have some limited capacity to compare what has been discovered beyond our senses by means of the telescope, even though we ourselves may not have a telescope. The subject of the higher things discovered by the mental &quot;telescope,&quot; or soul&#x27;s &quot;telescope,&quot; has been dealt with in the Scriptures. Such subject matter is known by the saints, and we are to take their help in order to have entrance within that land. We are not at present in a position to have experience of the higher plane, but later, by the help of the saints and Scriptures, when we shall ourselves have that type of telescope, we will be able to have such higher experience. sve svehadhik\u0101re y\u0101 ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 s\u0101gun\u0101\u1e25 parik\u012brttit\u0101\u1e25. . . &quot;To pay attention to your own plane is admirable.&quot; (HC, p 9-10) + (see also \u015bloka 5) According to one&#x27;s capacity, one will purchase in the market. (sve svehadhik\u0101re y\u0101 ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 s\u0101gun\u0101\u1e25 parik\u012brttit\u0101\u1e25). In the market, there may be valuable things, but the buyer must have some capacity to purchase them. The \u1e5b\u1e63\u012bs, the tradesmen of knowledge have also gone so far as to say: &quot;This is the highest. Go no further.&quot; Similarly, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (3.35): &quot;Don&#x27;t go ahead - you&#x27;ll be doomed. Take your stand here; go no further.&quot; (TSFSK, p 68) + (see also \u015bloka 460)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(494)\",\"\u015by\u0101m\u0101c chavala\u1e41 prapadye,\",\"\u015baval\u0101c chy\u0101ma\u1e41 prapadye\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By the help of black (\u015by\u0101m\u0101), we shall be introduced to the service of the white (\u015baval\u0101); by the help of white (\u015baval\u0101), we shall be introduced to the service of black (\u015by\u0101m\u0101).&quot; (CU, 8.13.1) Our \u0101c\u0101ryas have explained that the Absolute can be understood by the help of the energy and the energetic. \u015ay\u0101m\u0101 means K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who is blackish, and \u015baval\u0101, white, means R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. So, by the help of R\u0101dh\u0101, we can have the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and by the help of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, we can have the service of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. (TSFSK, p 122) + (see also \u015bloka 257)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(495)\",\"\u015by\u0101ma eva param r\u016bpa\u1e41\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Mah\u0101prabhu once had a talk with one Mathur\u0101 br\u0101hma\u1e47a, Raghupati Up\u0101dhy\u0101ya, on his way back from Mathur\u0101, perhaps in Allahabad. In their talk we find this \u015bloka mentioned. What is the highest conception of figure? The answer was \u015ay\u0101masundara. What is the highest place of worship? Mathur\u0101 ma\u1e47\u1e0dala is the highest place to worship Him. What should be the best age befitting for our service? Kai\u015bora, or new youth. And in what sort of rasa should we try to serve Him? We should try to serve in the mood of madhurya rasa. Mah\u0101prabhu told him that you have taught Me a good lesson. We want to worship Kai\u015bora K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, we are not going to worship old K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. There is Mathur\u0101 and Dw\u0101raka, but we are fond of worshipping K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, where He has a new, youthful life. His companions are also new youths. The highest point is beauty. The idea of eternity is like that, navayauvana, new, youthful, progressing not full blown, but blossoming. (GOD, p 26)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(496)\",\"\u015by\u0101ma\u1e41 hira\u1e47ya-paridhi\u1e41 vanam\u0101lya-barhadh\u0101tu-prav\u0101la-na\u1e6da-ve\u1e63amanavrat\u0101\u1e41se\",\"vinyasta-hastam itare\u1e47a dhun\u0101nam abja\u1e41\",\"kar\u1e47otpal\u0101laka-kapola-mukh\u0101bja-h\u0101sam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;His complexion was the colour of a blue raincloud, and His garment was golden. Sporting a peacock feather on His head, coloured minerals decorating His body, wearing sprigs of flower buds and a garland of forest flowers, He was artistically dressed like a beautiful dancing actor. He rested one hand upon the shoulder of a friend and with the other twirled a lotus. Delicate lilies adorned His ears and His curling hair gently caressed the cheeks of His lotus face which was sweetly smiling.&quot; (S-B, 10.23.22) + (SBRBM, p 24) + (see also \u015blokas 25, 81 &amp; 544, 112, 446 &amp; 551)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(497)\",\"sy\u0101t k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma-carit\u0101di-sit\u0101py avidy\u0101pittopatapta-rasanasya na rocik\u0101 nu\",\"kintv \u0101dar\u0101d anudina\u1e41 khalu saiva ju\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101\",\"sv\u0101dv\u012b kram\u0101d bhavati tad-gada-m\u016bla-hantr\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Holy Name, character, pastimes and activities of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidy\u0101 (ignorance) cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet Names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.&quot; (U, 7) We are always dissatisfied with the environment and we want to correct it to suit our purpose. But, no! &quot;Your taste is bad. Everything is all right. It is your taste that is bad.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given one analogy: &quot;One who is attacked with bile disease has distorted taste. Sugar candy will taste bitter to him. When the attack of bile disease disappears, then the sugar candy will again taste sweet. So, the bitterness is not in the sugar candy, but it is in the tongue. So, take that sugar candy. That is the medicine for bile disease.&quot; Similarly, we say: &quot;Take the Name.&quot; Now, it is bitter. But, you go on taking in a particular process, the Name will cure your bile disease and it (the Name) will become tasteful to you. You will be able to feel. &quot;Here, now! The sugar candy is tasteful!&quot; So, wrong is in us, in the tongue, not in the sugar candy. By the attack of ignorance, the bile of ignorance, you are diseased. But go on taking (the sugar candy), the bile disease will be off and you will get the taste of sweetness from that thing. You are, on the whole, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conscious. God consciousness may not be sweet, but by the help of your previous suk\u1e5bti and also your reason which has come to you based on that suk\u1e5bti, go on with s\u0101dhana-bhakti. Eventually, you will reach a stage where you will be able to see: &quot;Oh, this is very sweet. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is very sweet and very beautiful.&quot; The whole process of s\u0101dhana is like that. (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 5) + (see also \u015bloka 310)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(498)\",\"tabe y\u0101ya tad-upari &#x27;goloka-v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana&#x27;\",\"&#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-cara\u1e47a&#x27;-kalpa-v\u1e5bk\u1e63e kare \u0101roha\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Being situated in one&#x27;s heart and being watered by \u015brava\u1e47a-k\u012brtana, the bhakti creeper grows more and more. In this way it attains the shelter of the desire tree of the Lotus Feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who is eternally situated in the planet known as Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana in the topmost region of the spiritual sky.&quot; (C-c,Madhya, 19.154) (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 2) + (see also \u015blokas 279, 378, 531 &amp; 504)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c16\",\"title\":\"16. Faith on the Path of Service\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"My faith may be so firm and may be of such quality that the least offer of His Divine Service may satisfy me.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(499)\",\"tad d\u0101sa-d\u0101sa-d\u0101s\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 d\u0101satva\u1e41 dehi me prabho\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"I may engage myself in the lower form of service. Tad d\u0101sa-d\u0101sa-d\u0101s\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 d\u0101satva\u1e41 dehi me prabho. My faith may be so firm and may be of such quality that the least offer of His Divine Service may satisfy me. I may not be ambitious to run high, to get the chance there in the higher officer class. In my lowest connection with the Divinity I may go on, satisfied with my life. This is not a figurative thing, this is not mere poetry. (SGD, &#x27;96, p 32) + (see also \u015blokas 75, 286, 306 &amp; 384) For bhajana or internal service, such a temperament should always be followed. Tad d\u0101sa-d\u0101sad\u0101s\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 d\u0101satva\u1e41 dehi me prabho. Promotion is inevitable if we always try to adhere to the lower duty. Eagerness for promotion is the enemy. That is for prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 (renown), and that will undermine everything. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da (Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) said that imitation arises from the attraction for prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 or the desire to hold the superior position and acquire a name for oneself. That is the great enemy. Don&#x27;t fall prey to that prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, eagerness to hold the higher position. Rather, dainyam - humility, is the healthy sign of a devotee. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 34) + (see also \u015bloka 425)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(500)\",\"tad viddhi pra\u1e47ip\u0101tena,\",\"paripra\u015bnena sevay\u0101\",\"upadek\u1e63yanti te j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41,\",\"j\u00f1\u0101ninas tattva dar\u015bina\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;You will be able to attain all this knowledge by satisfying the enlightened spiritual master with prostrate obeisances, relevant enquiry, and sincere service. Great souls who are most expert in scriptural knowledge and endowed with direct realisation of the Supreme Absolute Truth will teach you that divine knowledge.&quot; (B-g, 4.34) So in the Upani\u1e63ads, in Bh\u0101gavatam and in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 it is clearly mentioned what should be the symptom of a guru and also what should be that of a disciple. If such a qualified disciple comes to a qualified guru then the real transaction begins. Otherwise there may be so many bogus transactions; such black-marketing is going on in this world in the name of religion. But from the association of the real devotee comes devotion. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 58-9) + (see also \u015blokas 88 &amp; 507) &quot;To learn knowledge above mortality you must approach a self-realised soul, accept him as your spiritual master and take initiation from him. Enquire submissively, and render service unto him. Self-realised souls can impart knowledge unto you, for they have seen the truth.&quot; (Bg, 4.34) We have to approach the domain of knowledge with self-surrender, honest enquiry, and a serving attitude. We have to approach that plane with the mentality of slavery. Higher knowledge will not serve a person of lower status. If we want perfect knowledge at all, we will have to serve the Supreme Lord. He will use us for His own purpose; not that we will use Him. We may be subjects in this mundane world, but we will have to become objects to be handled by the super-knowledge of that plane. If we want to connect with that higher knowledge, we must approach with this attitude. Pra\u1e47ip\u0101ta means that I have finished my experience here; I have no charm or aspiration for anything in this world. Then there is paripra\u015bna, or honest, submissive, and humble enquiry with sincere eagerness, and not with a challenging mood; otherwise perfect knowledge won&#x27;t care to descend to us. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is already full in Himself, so we have to enter His domain only to fulfil His purpose. He can&#x27;t be subservient to us, for we are tiny persons with meagre experience and a conception of mean fulfilment. We cannot handle Him; we can approach Him only if we like to be handled by Him. So, such a favourable environment should be created where real knowledge is to be created. That knowledge is supreme, and cannot be subservient to the mundane conception, the world of mortality. It is sac-cid-\u0101nanda. Sat means unassailable existence, cit means consciousness, and \u0101nanda means beauty and pleasure. &quot;I must try to relieve myself of my present material miseries and enquire after a proper land where I can live happily.&quot; Having come to this conclusion, we will have to search for a person who is a bona fide agent of the higher world and consult with him about how we can be relieved from this present undesirable environment. (TSFSK, p 42-3) + (see also \u015bloka 507) One should approach the spiritual master for general guidance, to get the proper standpoint in life. That is the most important thing we can get from guru. The standpoint we get from our ordinary lives may come from anywhere and everywhere, but that may mislead us and misguide us. So we must be very particular about getting the proper direction. That direction is given in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101: tad viddhi pra\u1e47ip\u0101tena, paripra\u015bnena sevay\u0101. The Lord has given us this general guidance of where we should try to get the standpoint or measure through which we are to understand. The standard by which we come to measure truth, untruth or anything must come from a real plane, not a vitiated plane, an ordinary plane, or vulnerable plane. It must come from that plane which has two qualifications: j\u00f1\u0101ni and tattva darsi, the conception of the thing and also the practical benefit. The proper standard will allow me to measure what is right and what is wrong. Also the qualification of the seeker of truth is given. His attitude must be of this type: pra\u1e47ip\u0101t, paripra\u015bna and sevay\u0101. Pra\u1e47ip\u0101t means surrender to such knowledge. The knowledge we are approaching is not an ordinary class of knowledge. It is a subject which we cannot make an object to our subjective self. We must understand it to be a supersubjective thing, which is superior to me. So pra\u1e47ip\u0101t means I must surrender to that superior thing. I want Him, He is not an objective thing which I can make an object with myself as subject. This sort of attitude must be there. Pra\u1e47ip\u0101t also means that I have finished my interest in the outside world of experience. I have no charm for anything in the world where I have already travelled. I am offering myself exclusively at Your altar and I want to have Your Grace. In such a mood we shall approach the higher knowledge. Then paripra\u015bna, honest enquiry is always allowed, but not with any tendency for discussion or in the way of argument. All efforts should be concentrated in a positive line, leaving aside the state of doubt and suspicion. With all attention we shall try to understand because it is coming from a higher plane with which I am unfamiliar and which is ever new. But the most important thing is seva. Not that I am going to get knowledge, that I shall get the help of that plane and use it for the persons living here. Higher knowledge won&#x27;t come to serve the interests of the lower plane but I must pledge to serve that plane. With this attitude I shall approach that plane and that knowledge. I shall serve Him and I won&#x27;t try to make Him serve me or my lower plane. That idea won&#x27;t allow me to enter that domain. Rather, I shall have the fullest tendency that if I get that knowledge I must serve. I must offer myself to be utilised by Him, and I shall not try to utilise it in my way, to satisfy my lower animal purposes. With seva v\u1e5btti I shall seek the plane of real knowledge, to have the standard from there of what is to be understood and to have a proper estimation of the environment we are in. Pra\u1e47ip\u0101t, paripra\u015bna, sevay\u0101 - This is Vedic culture. It is always imparted by this submissive process and never by intellectual approach. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Prabhup\u0101da used to give this analogy. The honey is in a bottle and a bee is sitting on the glass and trying to lick the bottle. Some foolish person may say the bee is licking the honey. In the same way the intellect cannot approach spirit. I may think that I have got that by such approach, but is it possible? A barrier is there, like a glass barrier. So intellectual understanding is not real achievement of the higher knowledge or higher plane. Only through faith, sincerity and dedication can we approach to be a member of that higher plane. Only if we are admitted, if we get the visa, then we can enter that country, the plane of higher, divine living. So the candidate shall approach with these three qualifications: pra\u1e47ip\u0101t, paripra\u015bna and seva. Then he can approach the truth which is the higher plane of reality. It is always found in the G\u012bt\u0101 that we should approach with this sort of attitude - humility, sincerity and dedication. (GOD, p 15-16) + (SGAHG, p iv, 3-5) + (see also \u015bloka 501) &quot;One can learn the truth only by submissively approaching and enquiring from those who have seen and experienced the truth. And by rendering service to them, one becomes initiated into transcendental knowledge.&quot; What is required? Pra\u1e47ip\u0101t, submission, and seva, service. Then the enquiry will be bona fide; otherwise it is a false transaction: it may have no value. It may all be a waste of energy. Genuine faith does not allow us to think ourselves at liberty to do anything and everything. If it is a real transaction, there must be some guidance from above. So \u015braddha, faith, is the most important thing for a devotee. When one develops faith, he will do anything to approach the higher subjective realm. One who has faith wants to connect with that higher substance which is composed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Faith moves in consideration of existence, knowledge, and love. And when these three main points are realised, our existence is fully satisfied. Faith asks us to approach the higher world, not the lower. And to think: &quot;In every way K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is superior, He is our guardian and well-wisher.&quot; Is the basis of faith. The rationalists are always searching with their scientific brains for different ways to utilise and command the things that they have discovered in their research. But faith is concerned with a substance far higher in all respects than even the searcher himself. One who is an enquirer about a higher substance must enquire with what is generally known as faith. Proper guidance in faith is also necessary, and that guidance is given by the higher plane. That must be the attitude of our enquiry or search if we are to be successful. So, Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 advises: pra\u1e47ip\u0101t, paripra\u015bna, sevay\u0101 - &quot;Surrender, enquiry, and serve.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 6-7) + (see also \u015bloka 501)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(501)\",\"tad vij\u00f1\u0101n\u0101rtha\u1e41 sa gurum ev\u0101bhigacchet\",\"samit pani\u1e25 \u015brotriya\u1e41 brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One who wants scientific knowledge about the Supreme Truth must approach a bona fide guru and offer him everything required for sacrifice. The guru must be fixed in the truth, having heard it from a genuine source.&quot; (MU, 1.2.12) &quot;In order to learn transcendental knowledge, one must approach a genuine spiritual master coming in disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute Truth.&quot; In this verse, the word tata means &quot;after this.&quot; When one&#x27;s calculation is finished, he thinks: &quot;Life is not worth living here in this world of birth, death, old age, and disease. I must have a better world in which to live, where I can live as a gentleman. At every moment death is devouring everything. Birth, death, old age, and disease - all these troubles prevent me from fulfilling my ambitions here. I want something categorically different.&quot; At that time, taking the responsibility on his own shoulders, without giving any trouble to the guru, and at risk of poverty, ill-feeding, and so many other hard-ships, he will approach the guru. It is a free transaction. Not that he will give something to gurudeva, but he will collect what is necessary for sacrifice, for education, and at his own risk he will approach the spiritual master. And what will be the position of the guru? He will be well-versed in the scriptures, the \u015bruti\u015b\u0101stra, or that knowledge which can only be acquired through the medium of sound, by attentive earnest hearing (\u015brotriya\u1e41 brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham). Brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham means, &quot;One who is established in brahman, spirit, and who is acquainted with the causal position of the universe.&quot; (TSFSK, p 43-4) + (see also \u015blokas 483 &amp; 603) &quot;To understand the Absolute Truth, one must approach a guru who is fixed in spiritual knowledge and well-versed in the scriptures. And he must approach the guru being prepared for sacrifice.&quot; This is the general instruction of the Upani\u1e63ads. (LSFTLS, p 7) + (SGAHG, p ii) + (see also \u015blokas 483 &amp; 507) I have come to serve and to be utilised for the cause of the subject about which I have enquired. I have not come to take anything from here. I have come only to serve, with no other motive. abhigacchet means samyak-gacchet - &#x27;not with a return ticket.&#x27; abhi - means samyak, &#x27;fully.&#x27; \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura used to say: &quot;You have come here cutting a return ticket.&quot; We must not approach the spiritual master with that attitude. Rather, we should think that we have full experience of this mortal world, and that we have nothing to aspire after here. &quot;I have completely lost my charm for the previous life; I have come to surrender to \u015brotriya\u1e41 brahma ni\u1e63\u1e6dham, one who can teach me, being already in a position in the divinity and possessing both theoretical and practical knowledge about the objective.&quot; With this earnestness, the disciple will bring their spiritual master the necessary materials for sacrifice. They won&#x27;t go to their spiritual master only to trouble the guru, but will approach him with their own necessities already supplied. Without this process, everything will be futile. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 55) + (see also \u015blokas 483 &amp; 507)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(502)\",\"tad vi\u1e63\u1e47o\u1e25 parama\u1e41 pada\u1e41\",\"sad\u0101 pa\u015byanti s\u016braya\u1e25\",\"div\u012bva cak\u1e63ur \u0101tatam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"If we want our shelter, it must come from overhead. \u0100\u015braya or shelter is not under our feet shelter should be over the head. The principal Vedic mantra says: tad vi\u1e63\u1e47o\u1e25 parama\u1e41 pada\u1e41: &quot;The Holy Feet of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u who is pervading everywhere (ya\u1e25 ida\u1e41 vy\u0101pnot\u012bti vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e25) - His Feet, His lowest portion, is towards us. Paramam means &#x27;very highly qualified, from all standpoints.&#x27; That is not to be neglected. From the standpoint of fine existence - knowledge as well as sweetness, the Absolute is paramam pada\u1e41. Sad\u0101 pa\u015byanti s\u016braya\u1e25 - the scholars are always conscious of the fact; this is the real basis of their life. Man is not an animal, wandering over the earth, mountain or jungle, but the real man is in his consciousness, and he is always conscious of a higher entity. He is always seeing or conscious of that ideal. Div\u012bva cak\u1e63ur \u0101tatam - vaguely or in a mystic way? No. As conspicuous, as clear and as real as the sun we see in the sky. tad vi\u1e63\u1e47o\u1e25 parama\u1e41 pada\u1e41. So we should really live and move in that consciousness. We are children of that conscious world.&quot; (\u1e5ag Veda, 1.22.20) (SOTGOD, v 2, p 69-70) + (SGD, SGP, &#x27;97, p 19) + (see also \u015blokas 351 &amp; 527)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(503)\",\"ta eva vantam anuv\u0101rga sarvam\",\"tasya v\u0101sa sarvam idam viv\u0101ti\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The existence, real existence, of the truth is this, and the existence is wholesome. Not only nothing - not even injurious - but it is wholesome existence. Everything is good. All is great movement; waves of grace of the Lord. Everything! Try to find out, that everything, every wave, is favourable to you - the solution is there. Have no apprehension of unfavourable circumstances about anything. Adjust yourself in such a way. That is what is necessary for you and for all.&quot; (U) (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 3) + (see also \u015bloka 512)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(504)\",\"t\u0101h\u0101\u1e45 vist\u0101rita ha\u1e63\u0101 phale prema-phala\",\"ih\u0101\u1e45 m\u0101l\u012b sece nitya \u015brava\u1e47\u0101di jala\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The creeper greatly expands in the Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana planet, and there it produces the fruit of love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Although remaining in the material world, the gardener regularly sprinkles the creeper with the water of hearing and chanting.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.155) + (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 2) (see also \u015blokas 279, 378, 531 &amp; 498)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(505)\",\"tapas\u0101 brahmacaryye\u1e47a,\",\"\u015bamena ca damena ca\",\"ty\u0101gena satya-\u015bauc\u0101bhy\u0101\u1e41,\",\"yamena niyamena v\u0101\",\"deha-v\u0101g-buddhija\u1e41 dh\u012br\u0101,\",\"dharmmaj\u00f1\u0101\u1e25 \u015braddhay\u0101nvit\u0101\u1e25\",\"k\u1e63ipanty agha\u1e41 mahad api,\",\"ve\u1e47u-gulmam iv\u0101nala\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Austerity or one-pointed attention, exclusive celibacy, subjugation of the internal and external senses, charity, truthful speech, cleanliness, sensual discipline (yama) headed by nonviolence, mental regulation (niyama) headed by regular utterance or concentration on mantras - by the strength of such practices, faithful liberationists (j\u00f1\u0101n\u012bs) who know the mysteries of religion drive away even the most grievous sins committed in thought, word, or deed, as bamboo clusters are destroyed by fire.&quot; (S-B, 6.1.13-4) The landscape may be clear for a whole year, but next year with the coming of the rainy season, many shrubs will inevitably sprout again. But the type of purity we shall attain when coming in connection with the service of V\u0101sudeva, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, is of eternal factor and peculiarly purest nature. We cannot hope to attain this by any other method than our submission to, and acceptance of, the service of Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Reality the Beautiful. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 94-5) + (see also \u015bloka 228)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(506)\",\"tapasvino d\u0101na-par\u0101 ya\u015basvino,\",\"manasvino mantra-vida\u1e25 suma\u1e45gal\u0101\u1e25\",\"k\u1e63ema\u1e41 na vindanti vin\u0101 yad-arpa\u1e47a\u1e41,\",\"tasmai subhadra-\u015bravase namo nama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I offer my repeated obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, who is all-famous as the Supreme Good. Without offering their actions unto Him, neither the liberationists (j\u00f1\u0101n\u012bs) who are dedicated to austerities, not the charitable worldly workers (karm\u012bs), nor the world famous, nor the performers of A\u015bvamedha sacrifices, nor the sages or yog\u012bs, nor persons dedicated to chanting mantras, nor persons of virtuous behaviour-none of them can attain any auspiciousness in life.&quot; (S-B, 2.4.17) Here in his inaugurating speech before delivering \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, \u015ar\u012b \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says to the scholars: &quot;I know that in this assembly there are many scholars, yog\u012bs, and tapasv\u012bs of different types, but I present my case before you all: tapasvino - there are many penancemaking ascetics; d\u0101na-par\u0101 - there are those who are famous for their big donations; ya\u015basvino - there may be many famous for their writings or their sacrifice; manasvino - there are many great thinkers; mantra-vida\u1e25 - there are those who are well-versed in the application of the mystic words, and so on. But you must realise that none of them can be successful in life without surrendering to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Understanding with the highest central truth can give you your peaceful and harmonious life, and no partial attainment can compare with such an acquisition.&quot; (SOTGOD, v1, p 96-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(507)\",\"tasm\u0101d guru\u1e41 prapadyeta,\",\"jij\u00f1\u0101su\u1e25 \u015breya\u1e25 uttamam\",\"\u015babde pare ca ni\u1e63\u1e47\u0101ta\u1e41,\",\"brahma\u1e47y upa\u015bam\u0101\u015brayam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Therefore, any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realised the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of those conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.&quot; (S-B, 11.3.21) &quot;One seriously inquisitive to search for his highest prospect should take complete shelter of a guru who has deep realisations of the Supreme Lord and the inner meaning of the scriptures. Such spiritual masters have left aside all relative considerations in favour of the supreme absolute consideration.&quot; We should be very attentive to these things. We should try to understand through self-searching whether we are really approaching divinity through faith. We must also see to it that our faith is real. Proper faith and credulity are not the same. Whether one is a bona fide searcher with real faith or one whose faith is adulterated must be considered. And there are symptoms of real faith. We have to consult higher authorities to guide us, because faith is the most important thing. If we are searching for truth, we are dissatisfied with our present acquisition. We are taking a risk to jump into a higher prospect. We must therefore take guidance carefully. We must be attentive as far as possible. We are told that our present reason is not sufficient to help us; that more than reason, \u015braddh\u0101 is needed, and \u015braddh\u0101 also has its symptoms. Still, as far as possible we shall apply our reason. When I first came to the mission, I thought: &quot;The transcendental truths that I hear from these devotees do not come within the clutches of worldly intelligence, but still, when I want to throw myself into that association, I shall use my reason and intellect as far as possible, understanding that I am going to jump into something which will be beyond my control, beyond my calculation.&quot; So we must carefully understand what \u015braddh\u0101 is, with guidance from saints, scriptures, and gurus. (LSFTLS, p 7-8) + (see also \u015bloka 226) Tasm\u0101d guru\u1e41 prapadyeta, jij\u00f1\u0101su\u1e25 \u015breya\u1e25 uttamam. Everything around me is mortal. It will all vanish, and it is all a source of deception. We are living in the midst of misconception (m\u0101y\u0101). Whatever conception we have got about the environment is based on misconception of things in the absolute sense. All our conceptions are relative since it is only our provincial selfishness which has been imposed on the environment and we are living under that. Within such circumstances we shall feel the necessity of approaching guru, the guide or preceptor, with the purpose of enquiry (jij\u00f1\u0101sa). And what is our enquiry? \u015breya\u1e25 uttamam. What is the highest good for us? We shall approach the guide with this enquiry. (GOD, p 17) What is the conception of real good, and who is considered to be a bona fide agent of the truth? One who has knowledge of the scripture that has descended from the upper domain, who has theoretical as well as practical knowledge of higher truth, must be approached by a bona fide enquirer, for such a qualified spiritual master can impart proper knowledge to the sincere student. (TSFSK, p 43) + (see also \u015bloka 501) M\u0101y\u0101 means misconception. We are living in the midst of misconception. Our understanding of the environment is based on a completely misconceived set of ideas and thoughts. We have no proper conception of anything in the absolute sense. Our ideas are all relative. Provincial selfishness has been imposed on the environment, and we are living under that misconception. When one comes to the conclusion that everything around him is mortal and that everything will vanish, then, with that mood, he will feel the necessity of approaching the guru, the divine guide and preceptor, with the purpose of enquiry. &quot;What is the highest good for me?&quot; With this enquiry, he will approach the spiritual master. And who will he approach? One who is not only well-versed in the precepts of the revealed scriptures, but who has also come in contact with the revealed truth. One who is conversant with the very object of the scriptures and who has practical experience, who is established in pure consciousness, is a genuine guru. One should approach such a guide for his own relief, to understand what is the highest benefit in the world and how to attain it. This is necessary. It is real. It is not imaginary. At the same time, it is difficult. The Absolute Truth must be sought out through a real process, otherwise we shall go the wrong way and then say: &quot;Oh, there is nothing here; it is not real.&quot; So, only if we follow this real process of understanding the truth will we experience the real nature of divinity. (SGAHG, p 6-8) + (see also \u015bloka 131) Tasm\u0101t means &#x27;consequently&#x27; - because the candidate has lost all charm for the world of his previous experience - he has consequently approached with the sole object of seeking an honourable place here for his future life. Prapadyeta means prapannam, &#x27;surrender&#x27;; he will exclusively devote himself for the cause. Jij\u00f1\u0101su\u1e25 \u015breya\u1e25 uttamam: he has come in search of a higher life. &quot;The lower lives are over; can I have an elevated life here?&quot; He is therefore surrendering to one who is versed in both aspects of the truth - the reality (pare) as well as the literary description of that reality (\u015babde, or \u015bruti-\u015b\u0101stre), which is revealed truth extended from the higher quarter, beyond this world of sensual experience.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 55-6) + (see also \u015bloka 322) One should have some conception, as with consulting a map. &quot;Here is America, here is Australia, here is Japan, east, west, etc.&quot; If travelling by ship, a map and so many references show the path. Also, practical knowledge is more reliable than theoretical emblems: &quot;Yes, this beacon and landmark verify that we have reached the Indian Ocean.&quot; Practical application is superior to mere theory. \u015aabde pare ca ni\u1e63\u1e47\u0101tam, a guru of theoretical knowledge cannot help us. One who has practical experience of the way is reliable, and able to save us and give us the real position. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 94) &quot;A person in search of the ultimate good should surrender to the guru who knows well the Vedic scriptures (\u015aabda-brahman) and the Supreme Absolute Lord (Para-brahman), and for whom the mundane world holds no charm whatsoever.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 58) + (SSPJ, p 42) + (see also \u015blokas 411 &amp; 500)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(508)\",\"tasm\u0101d ida\u1e41 jagad a\u015be\u1e63am asat-svar\u016bpam svapn\u0101bham\",\"asta-dhi\u1e63a\u1e47a\u1e41 puru-du\u1e25kha-du\u1e25kham dukhabodhan\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By an illusion created by the Lord the universe appears to be real, although it is not, just as miseries we suffer in a dream are only imaginary.&quot; (S-B, 10.14.22) + (SEOC, p l)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(509)\",\"tato bhajeta m\u0101\u1e41 pr\u012bta\u1e25\",\"\u015braddh\u0101lur d\u1e5b\u1e0dha-ni\u015bcaya\u1e25\",\"ju\u1e63am\u0101\u1e47a\u015b ca t\u0101n k\u0101m\u0101n\",\"du\u1e25khodark\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca garhayan\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;But the \u015braddh\u0101 or pure attraction he has acquired for Me is of eternal nature. It cannot be subdued or cut off by any mundane or ordinary attempt. Despite undergoing so many sufferings, he goes on remembering Me. His thinking, aspiration and earnestness is for Me, and the more he is compelled to suffer from the pressure of the environment, a firmness in Me becomes more and more sure, and finally, invulnerable. And by standing the test of all these trials, he will stand - stand and grow beyond the jurisdiction of these mundane forces. The more pressure comes from outside, the more firmness he feels in the necessity of My help to him.&quot; &quot;At that time, he turns his back to all the pains of the world, and he keeps Me in front. He begins to move onward: &#x27;Whatever happens to me, I can&#x27;t complain. It is in my Master&#x27;s jurisdiction whether He sees fit for me to undergo these trials or not. I won&#x27;t leave my new ideal - I can&#x27;t. Whatever may come, it may happen, never mind.&quot; &quot;Still, he abuses himself: &#x27;What have I done? What have I done? It is rather justice that I should be tormented and troubled in such a way! It is not wrong! Really, just dealings have come to be exercised over me. Why should I have committed this wrong? I entered this wrong alliance, entered into the tribe of the goond\u0101s for exploitation. The reaction that is coming to me is well and good.&#x27; He blames himself. He does not blame the environment for troubling him, but he sees a concentration camp within. He blames his own self, his own free will and fate. That becomes the nature of his temperament at that time. He does not look to place the fault on the shoulders of others, but he takes the whole burden: &#x27;Yes, the environment is doing justice to me, the traitor, the ambitious, the ppressor of the environment.&#x27; When he&#x27;s in such consciousness, his bhakti-yoga or Devotional Engagement becomes more and more intense. The intensity of his progress accelerates.&quot; (S-B, 11.20.28) + (SSPJ, p 164) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 77) + (see also \u015blokas 382, 198 &amp; 93)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(510)\",\"tatra laulyam api m\u016blyam ekala\u1e41\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"What sort of wave comes to touch you from the infinite, the centre of the infinite, of love, of beauty. Wait and see, remain clear, open, and unbiased. Don&#x27;t go to measure with your tiny examples of this finite world of nasty nature. Tatra laulyam api m\u016blyam ekala\u1e41. It is your hankering only that can help you to have a touch of that magnanimous divine thing. If you go to challenge, He&#x27;ll not care to come. What is the loss to Him? You are deceived. Go with your heart willing, but go forward. (C, v 1, #5, Sum. &#x27;93, p 10) k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-bhakti-rasa-bh\u0101vit\u0101 mati\u1e25, kriyat\u0101\u1e41 yadi kuto &#x27;pi labhyate tatra laulyam api m\u016blyam ekala\u1e41, janma-ko\u1e6di-suk\u1e5btair na labhyate &quot;Pure devotional service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a cannot be obtained by performing pious activities even for millions of births. It can be purchased only by paying one price: intense eagerness. Wherever it is available, one must purchase it immediately.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8.70) + (see also \u015blokas 247 &amp; 206)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(511)\",\"tat s\u0101dhu manye &#x27;sura-varya dehin\u0101\u1e41,\",\"sad\u0101 samudvigna-dhiy\u0101m asad-grah\u0101t\",\"hitv\u0101tma-p\u0101ta\u1e41 g\u1e5bham andha-k\u016bpa\u1e41,\",\"vana\u1e41 gato yad dharim \u0101\u015brayeta\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja replied: &quot;O best of the asuras, King of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest (vana). More clearly, one should go to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, where only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is prevalent, and should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.&quot; (S-B, 7.5.5) Prahl\u0101da&#x27;s trouble began from here. His father replied: &quot;Vi\u1e63\u1e47u is my enemy eternally, and who has taught you that to cultivate love for Him in different ways is the best understanding of human life?&quot; The torture began. We must also be prepared for that torture. Torture will increase our enthusiasm in an indirect way. Anything may come, anything may go on. Wherever that impetus, that intense tendency to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is to be found, there we must go. But it is nowhere, it is unknown and unknowable, and in this way transcendental. (GOD, p 23) + (see also \u015bloka 456)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(512)\",\"tat te &#x27;nukamp\u0101\u1e41 susam\u012bk\u1e63am\u0101\u1e47o,\",\"bhu\u00f1j\u0101na ev\u0101tma-k\u1e5bta\u1e41 vip\u0101kam\",\"h\u1e5bd-v\u0101g-vapurbhir vidhadhan namas te,\",\"j\u012bveta yo mukti-pade sa d\u0101ya bh\u0101k\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One who, in the hope of achieving Your grace, goes on enduring the inauspicious fruit of his own karma, and passes his days practising devotion unto You in every thought, word, and deed - such a person is heir to the land of freedom: he attains to the plane of positive immortality.&quot; (Lord Brahm\u0101) (S-B, 10.14.8) + (SSPJ, p 41) Many years ago, a German scholar expressed his opinion that Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 is the highest spiritual literature. His point was that Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 clearly advises us not to try to correct our environment but to correct ourselves, to adjust with the environment. That is the key to the advice of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101: &quot;Cure thyself.&quot; We have no power to bring about changes in the environment. That is arranged by the divine will. Our environment, the sum total of all the forces acting outside us, is irremovable. We have no ability to interfere with our environment; that will only be a useless loss of energy. Rather, we must try to correct ourselves so that we can adjust with the circumstances outside us: this is the key to our success in life (tat te &#x27;nukamp\u0101\u1e41 susam\u012bk\u1e63am\u0101\u1e47o). (TSFSK, p 16) + (see also \u015bloka 225) With the help of the guru, the scriptures, and the previous experienced persons (the saints), I shall try to stand the test, that &quot;Yes, because I am afflicted with the bile of materialism, everything tastes bitter to me. But this process will remove that bile. I shall have to wait for some time, and when the bile is gone, I shall taste the sugar candy as sweet. (C, # 1, Spr. &#x27;91, p 5) + (see also \u015bloka 24) &quot;One who, praying for Your compassion, tolerates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the karma of his past deeds, who engages always in Your devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances unto You, is certainly a bona fide candidate for becoming Your unalloyed devotee.&quot; (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 2) The cause is within and not in any external place. If we can understand that the cause of our problems is within us then we will be able to get out of that very quickly. It is difficult as we are accustomed to complain. According to our suffering we complain against others, that they are responsible for my misery, but this is misunderstanding. When we are able to realise that misery comes from within, sometimes individually, sometimes collectively; when we see that it comes from within and not from the outside, then we will get relief very quickly. The experts are of such opinion. In the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam it is said: &quot;When misery comes to visit you, you should know it is the grace of the Lord, not only the negative side - to tolerate the misery that I am experiencing, the result of my past bad actions; not only that but with some positive tinge of nectar - it is the grace of the Lord. His sanction is connected with this particular incident and He is the Allgood, the Unquestionable-good, so there must be some good object in this.&quot; tat te &#x27;nukamp\u0101\u1e41 susam\u012bk\u1e63am\u0101\u1e47o. It is His grace. He wants me to be purified as soon as possible, to release me as soon as possible from the results of my own actions. This is His grace. If you can feel this to be so then very quickly and easily you can get out of the misery which comes from within us. Nothing can come without His sanction and when His sanction is there He is connected there, and His connection means His grace. He is all gracious and we are to look for that. We are to invite that element from the great world above and thereby promote our fortune, our fate to be connected with that wave of daya (kindness). No chaos; everything is cosmos, and the cosmos is connected with the All-good.&quot; (C, # 4, Win., 92-3, p10-11) + (see also \u015bloka 282) Sincerity is invincible. Even obstacles may improve our position if we can take them in the right way. From a higher angle of vision it may be seen that everything is coming to help us. \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (10.14.8) gives us a most hopeful suggestion for all stages of life: blame yourself and no one else. Maintain your appreciation for the Lord, seeing everything as His grace. At present we think our circumstances undesirable because they do not suit our present taste. But medicine may not always suit the taste of the patient. Still it is conducive to health. This verse is the highest type of regulation given by the \u015b\u0101stra. If you can follow this law, then in no time you will have a very good position. We must be careful not to blame the circumstances, but to appreciate that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is behind everything. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is my best friend; He is in the background of everything. Everything is passing through His attentive eyes. So there cannot be any defect there. (LSFTLS, p 18) Be optimistic, don&#x27;t be pessimistic. You are good and all around you is bad, and withdrawal from everything and everyone will give you real bliss? Don&#x27;t be so selfish thinking. That is your environment; they should be relied on - they also have goodness in them. So try to adjust yourself with them. tat te &#x27;nukamp\u0101\u1e41. All our situations in life occur by His grace. Especially try to adjust with the Guardian who is at the bottom of all movement and all creation. Have faith in Him, and through Him, approach your environment. Then everything will be properly adjusted. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 173) + (see also \u015bloka 433) According to the result of our karma we shall be placed in a particular environment, and we must start our spiritual life from wherever we are placed; we must begin our work of conquering all those sa\u1e41sk\u0101ras that comprise the mental encasement we are living in. Tat te &#x27;nukamp\u0101\u1e41 susam\u012bk\u1e63am\u0101\u1e47o. We should not only live in our present position without complaint, but moreover, we shall have to consider it as really necessary for our upliftment. In this way, we have to accept whatever adversities that come to us as the Grace of the Lord. We must cope, with this positive angle of vision of goodness: &quot;This is my real necessity. There is no error in the calculation of the Lord. This test has been extended to me for my benefit. To stand, to face and cross this opposition is my chance to have my progress in life. The test has been given by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to facilitate my progressive life.&quot; In the Bh\u0101gavatam we are advised to face all adverse circumstances in such an optimistic way. Then very easily and swiftly we shall cross these walls of misunderstanding, this M\u0101y\u0101, and we will be liberated, and more - we will have participation in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, the life of dedication. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 143-4) When the environment comes to attack us we shall try to find out the Supreme Will there. We should feel: &quot;I have done something wrong, so this is coming to control me and to exact the reaction for my offences. Tat te &#x27;nukamp\u0101\u1e41 susam\u012bk\u1e63am\u0101\u1e47o. In the perfect vision, we are not to quarrel with the environment. &quot;Not even a straw can move without the Supreme Will, without the order of the Supreme Will. So, whatever is coming to attack me is my necessity. Just that is necessary for me, to correct me.&quot; Just as when the mother is punishing the child, she does so only with the good will to correct the child. Similarly, the Absolute has got no vindictive nature to punish me, but His dealings are only for my correction. We shall have to see and approach in that way. Whatever undesirable I find here is the result of my previous karma, and by the good will of the Supreme, that previous karma is going to be finished. I will be relieved. I will be made fit for higher service to Him, so this has come.&quot; That is the advice in Bh\u0101gavatam. Don&#x27;t quarrel with the environment. Try to be adjusted with it; correct your own ego. Everything is all right. Your ego is demanding some sort of comfort from the environment. That is the cause of this hitch. There&#x27;s no hitch in the outside, no ailment; but within, your ego creates the problem. That false ego should be dissolved, and the liquid nectar will flow and place you within the highest plane, the plane where there is no complaint. The smooth movement, affectionate movement of the most fundamental plane: your soul will find yourself standing and walking in that plane. And the false friends - the circumstances we think to be friends but which are really all false - those false friends will be withdrawn. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 189-90) + (see also \u015bloka 476)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(513)\",\"t\u0101vad brahma-kath\u0101 vimukti-padav\u012b t\u0101van na tikt\u012b-bhavet\",\"t\u0101vac c\u0101pi vi\u015b\u1e5b\u1e45khalatvam ayate no loka-veda sthiti\u1e25\",\"t\u0101vac ch\u0101stra-vid\u0101\u1e41 mitha\u1e25 kala-kola n\u0101n\u0101-bahir-vartmasu\",\"\u015br\u012b-caitanya-pad\u0101mbuja-priya-janoy\u0101van na d\u1e5bg-gocara\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The discussion of impersonal salvation attained by means of the path of negation will not become bitter, the social and Vedic convention will not be disrupted and the intense controversy between the Vedic scholars on the importance of various external spiritual paths will continue as long as a pure devotee who is beloved to \u015ar\u012b Caitanycandra and constantly engaged in relishing the nectar of His Holy Feet does not appear before their eyes.&quot; (C-Cand, 19) + (SBRBM, p 11)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(514)\",\"tava kath\u0101m\u1e5bta\u1e41 tapta-j\u012bvana\u1e41,\",\"kavibhir \u012b\u1e0dita\u1e41 kalma\u1e63\u0101paham\",\"\u015brava\u1e47a-ma\u1e45gala\u1e41 \u015br\u012bmad-\u0101tata\u1e41,\",\"bhuvi g\u1e5b\u1e47anti ye bh\u016brid\u0101 jan\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the nectar of Your words and the narrations of Your pastimes give life to us, who are always suffering in this material world. This nectar is broadcast all over the world by great souls, and it removes all sinful reactions. It is all-auspicious and filled with spiritual power. Those who spread this message of Godhead are certainly doing the greatest relief work for human society and are the most magnanimous welfare workers.&quot; (S-B, 10.31.9) This is what is necessary and this is what is universal. Everyone can be satisfied to the highest degree in their hearts only by the nectar of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s words and the nectarine descriptions of His activities. This is because K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is also raso vai sa\u1e25, the reservoir of all pleasure, and akhila ras\u00e3m\u1e5bta murti\u1e25, ecstasy Himself. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s very nature is sweet. (SGAHG, p 53) + (see also \u015bloka 276 &amp; 287) &quot;O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, we are always suffering in this world, but just hearing the nectar of Your words and pastimes gives us life and as a by-product it removes all of our sinful reactions. This sort of hearing is all-auspicious and fills us with spiritual wealth. Those who deliver this message of Godhead are doing the highest relief work for human society and are actually the greatest humanitarians.&quot; The gop\u012bs tell K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;We are suffering from this pang that is created by You. But the messages about Your pastimes give us life and sustenance. We are eager to hear this, and then we may feel that we are getting our life back. There is no other medicine but Your assurance and consolation: that alone can save us from these pangs of the burning heart.&quot; This is their statement in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. (SEOC, p 153)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(515)\",\"tebhyas t\u0101\u1e25 pa\u015bu-p\u0101la-pa\u1e45kaja-d\u1e5b\u015bas-t\u0101bhyo &#x27;pi s\u0101 r\u0101dhik\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is categorically different from that of all the gop\u012bs. The type of service found in Her is practically unaccountable, inconceivable.&quot; (TSFSK, p 87) + (SOTGOD, v 1, p 113) + (see also \u015bloka 226)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(516)\",\"te\u1e63\u0101m ev\u0101nukamp\u0101rtham,\",\"aham aj\u00f1\u0101na-ja\u1e41 tama\u1e25\",\"n\u0101\u015bay\u0101my \u0101tma-bh\u0101va-stho,\",\"j\u00f1\u0101na-d\u012bpena bh\u0101svat\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Out of compassion for them, I, situated within the hearts of all living beings, dispel the darkness of ignorance with the radiance of knowledge.&quot; (B-g, 10.11) &quot;I am so indebted to those devotees that whenever they feel the pain of My separation, I cannot tolerate it. I immediately run to co-operate with them in accepting My service. Such is the intensity of the demand I feel from them.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 48) &quot;When sometimes the feeling of separation from Me is very acute in My devotees, I suddenly appear before them and quench their thirst for My company.&quot; (TGVODL, p 149) + (see also \u015bloka 273) &quot;To show them special mercy, I enter their hearts and destroy their ignorance with the lamp of knowledge.&quot; The inner meaning of this verse is more difficult to draw out. The words te\u1e63\u0101m ev\u0101nukamp\u0101rtham may be interpreted in two ways. The external interpretation is that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a favours His devotees, and the internal explanation is that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is saying: &quot;I want their favour: I aspire after the favour of the devotees of the highest order.&quot; (see also \u015bloka 295) Still the paradox is that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a seems to say that after such grief and continued engagement with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the He gives these higher devotees pure knowledge, and by that knowledge they get salvation by attaining Brahman. That is the point of argument made by the followers of \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya. But I have taken it in another direction. j\u00f1\u0101na-d\u012bpena is a troublesome expression - &quot;I enlighten them with knowledge&quot; - so I have given another interpretation: When the pangs of separation felt by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s devotees comes to its extreme stage, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a suddenly comes and shows Himself. For example, \u015aac\u012b Dev\u012b feels extreme separation when she cooks for Nim\u0101i, and then by His mercy she can see clearly that Nim\u0101i has come and taken pras\u0101dam. Similarly in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, when the pangs of separation reach their highest degree, then suddenly the devotees can see that &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is here in our company.&quot; Here K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is saying: &quot;I can&#x27;t tolerate the pangs of separation felt by My devotees. I must run towards them and show them, &#x27;I am here, My mother. You see? I am here taking food.&#x27;&quot; Sometimes \u015aac\u012b Dev\u012b prepares food for the Deity, and after offering it, she sees that it is all gone. At that time, she thinks: &quot;Was this a dream? I saw Nim\u0101i. He was taking Pras\u0101da, and of course nothing was left in the pot. But Nim\u0101i has gone long ago. But then who has taken this Pras\u0101da ? What was it I saw? Was it a dream, or has some dog taken the food? Or is it that I forgot, I have not cooked today? Perhaps I did not give the bhoga to the B\u0101la Gop\u0101la Deity. What did I do?&quot; In this way, \u015aac\u012b is confused. This may be seen as her aj\u00f1\u0101na, her &quot;ignorance.&quot; Then \u015ar\u012b Caitanya sends some devotee to her, saying: &quot;You tell all this to My mother: on those days when such things occur I actually go there; I take food from her hand. It is not a dream. Remind My mother of this and console her. Tell her that I come to her and I take her cooked Pras\u0101dam. Remind her that this has occurred.&quot; So when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that out of His mercy He appears and removes their ignorance, their aj\u00f1\u0101na, He means that when the devotees are experiencing separation from Him, He appears before them and removes the darkness they feel from separation. Out of His mercy, He gives them sustenance. And when that sort of medicine has been applied, they can go on further. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, when His devotees felt separation, sometimes He had to come and show His friends: &quot;I am amongst you. I have not left you.&quot; This is what is meant by dispelling darkness with the light of divine knowledge: j\u00f1\u0101na-d\u012bpena bh\u0101svat\u0101. Here the word ignorance or aj\u00f1\u0101na means j\u00f1\u0101na-\u015bunya-bhakti, knowledge-free devotion. Devotees do not think that they are part and parcel of the l\u012bl\u0101, the pastimes of the Supreme God. No; their devotion is free from such calculation. It is j\u00f1\u0101na-\u015bunya-bhakti, most innocent. So this is the meaning of the fourth nutshell verse (see also \u015blokas 14, 273 &amp; 517) from Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101: by His mercy K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a removes the darkness of separation from His devotees. And those that remind us of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and thus remove the darkness born of separation from Him, are the real humanitarians. They are distributing the highest cure. (SEOC, p 150-3) + (see also \u015bloka 514)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(517)\",\"te\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 satata-yukt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"bhajat\u0101\u1e41 pr\u012bti-p\u016brvakam\",\"dad\u0101mi buddhi-yoga\u1e41 ta\u1e41,\",\"yena m\u0101m upay\u0101nti te\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;To those devotees who are constantly dedicated to Me, and who engage in My service out of their love for Me, I bestow the internal divine inspiration by which they can approach Me and render various intimate services unto Me.&quot; (B-g, 10.10) &quot;And again I give them a further instalment, an illumination of new light (dad\u0101mi buddhiyoga\u1e41 ta\u1e41), and they take a new course and are promoted into the &#x27;suicide squad,&#x27; that squadron which is eligible for every type of service.&quot; That particular type of &#x27;soldier&#x27; is competent to fight on the land, in the water, in the sky, or in any circumstances, and he is prepared for any form of fighting, any form of service. &quot;I direct them to that section.&quot; yena m\u0101m upay\u0101nti te &quot;Unconditional service; they are ready for any service demanded of them. They are ready to sacrifice their lives for any form of service, and that peculiar group is in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. I mentioned to \u015ar\u012bp\u0101da A.C.Bhaktivedanta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja that in G\u012bt\u0101, after ramanti (10.9) comes buddhi-yoga and then upay\u0101nti (10.10); according to me, the meaning is that ramanti or divine service in madhura-rasa progresses through buddhi-yoga or yoga-m\u0101y\u0101, up to upay\u0101nti, or the highest plane of service in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. \u015ar\u012bp\u0101da Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja responded: &quot;What more could it mean than this!&quot; Hence, upay\u0101nti means k\u0101ma-r\u016bp\u0101. In his Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b has mentioned sambandha-r\u016bp\u0101 and k\u0101ma-r\u016bp\u0101, the two types of r\u0101g\u0101tmik\u0101-bhakti, or devotion rendered by the Eternal Associates of the Lord, headed by the residents of Vraja. In sambandhar\u016bp\u0101 the Lord&#x27;s Associates co-operate according to their fixed relative positions of d\u0101sya, sakhya, v\u0101tsalya or madhura, whereas in k\u0101ma-r\u016bp\u0101 they come forward to serve any necessity that is demanded of them. They are ready to serve any and every desire of the Absolute. They are like that group of soldiers who have been trained to do any service in the war without being limited to fighting only in a particular division such as the army, navy, or air force. They are prepared for all sorts of service, anywhere. Such is the k\u0101ma-r\u016bp\u0101 group. This is upay\u0101nti te; they are awarded the instruction (dad\u0101mi buddhi-yoga\u1e41 ta\u1e41) by which they earn such capacity in the service of the Supreme.&quot; (SOTGOD, v1,p 46-8) &quot;To those who constantly worship Me with devotion, I give the intelligence by which they can come to Me.&quot; This is the ordinary meaning of this verse, but there is a deeper meaning. Here, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Those persons who are continuously engaged in Me without interruption (satatayukt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41), who are always in Me, who are connected with Me, who serve Me with great love and respect with their heart, dad\u0101mi buddhi-yoga\u1e41 ta\u1e41 - I inspire them with the intelligence by which they will come to Me. They will come to Me in a closer connection.&quot; But I found that this is redundant. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has already said satata-yukt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41: &quot;Their devotion is continuous; they are always there in My connection.&quot; If they are already in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, then we must ask why He would again say: &quot;They will come to Me.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has already said that these devotees talk only of Him, think only of Him, take pleasure in Him, and are always engaged in His service. He says: &quot;They are always connected with Me without interruption, and they are serving Me with heartfelt love.&quot; They are already serving with heartfelt love, and then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;I shall give them the inspiration by which they will come to Me.&quot; (m\u0101m upay\u0101nti te). This is redundant. It has already been said that they are connected to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; how is it that again they will &quot;come to Him&quot;? How is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s statement &quot;they come to Me&quot; to be harmonised? So I found a deeper meaning to the words m\u0101m upay\u0101nti te. I took here the word upay\u0101nti, which ordinarily means &quot;they come to Me,&quot; to indicate upapati, or &quot;paramour.&quot; So upay\u0101nti &quot;they come to Me,&quot; - means they consider K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as upapati, as a paramour. In society there is the lawful husband, or pati, and there is the paramour, or upapati. In V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not considered by the gop\u012bs as their lawfully married husband, but as master, as the Lord of their hearts. Here K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;I inspire those who are constantly engaged in devotional service to come to Me.&quot; Which devotees does K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a here inspire? Those who are ram\u0101nti, the highest group of devotees, those who are related to Him in consorthood, in full rasa - mukhya rasa. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says here: &quot;I inspire them to come to Me, considering Me as paramour, upapati. Here K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says bhajat\u0101\u1e41 pr\u012bti-p\u016brvakam: this means prema, which is generally found in m\u0101dhura rasa, consorthood. So the real meaning of this verse is that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a inspires those who are in consorthood to come to Him, seeing Him as paramour, upapati. And how do they come to Him? He inspires them to come without any consideration of social and scriptural demands. And so, inspired by Him from within, crossing the line of scriptural and social regulations, and even deceiving their own husbands, the gop\u012bs are united with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in paramour consorthood (parak\u012bya). K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s position is absolute, and He relishes more the devotion of those who can cross everything for Him. And He inspires His devotees from within with this message: &quot;Externally you have to fulfil social and scriptural demands, but My position is over and above the scriptures. My position is above whatever the social laws and scriptural laws tell you to do. I am above the Vedas and everything else. The Vedas are My instructions for the ordinary people. Their instructions are meant for those who are deviated from Me. Society is also under the guidance of those instructions which were given to the fallen. But My connection with everything is intrinsic; it is independent of the laws of scripture and society. I do not require recognition from anyone. My connection with everything is the constant in all equations. It can never be avoided. So you must neglect all the demands from your previous life&#x27;s connections and come to Me. You have no freedom to do anything else. When your devotional nature will come to demand you come to Me, you are not free. Your heart must come towards Me.&quot; That is upapati. Paramour devotion. The devotion of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana bhajana, means paramour devotion: yena m\u0101m upay\u0101nti te. So here K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that to those who are ramanti, who are already inclined to come in connection with Him in consorhood as husband and wife, He gives some special feeling and inspiration within their hearts, and they shall come to Him as upapati, as paramours. Here K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is saying, in effect: &quot;This paramour devotion is so great that it crosses the rules of both society and scripture. It is independent of everything. Connection with Me is independent of everything that you can conceive. It is most innate and natural. It does not require any scriptural or any social sanction. You may live in society showing formal respect to scriptural and social convention, but from your inner heart of hearts you are Mine. That is yena m\u0101m upay\u0101nti te, the special instruction or nature or insight I give to these devotees.&quot; (SEOC, p 138, p 144-7) + (see also \u015blokas 14, 273 &amp; 516)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(518)\",\"te vai\u1e63\u1e47ava\u1e25 bhuvanam\u0101\u015bu pavitrayanti\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"So, through the godliness in his (or her) heart, everyone must be a purifying agent. God is on the throne of the heart, and from there He will emanate such a fine ray which will purify not only that person&#x27;s heart, but also the environment. &#x27;Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava&#x27; means a purifying agent who emanates goodness, absolute goodness, everywhere - through his movements, his words, his actions, everything: deed, thought and word, k\u0101ya, mana, v\u0101kya. A Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava is an agent of auspiciousness; te vai\u1e63\u1e47ava\u1e25 bhuvanam\u0101\u015bu pavitrayanti. There are so many Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, and by their chanting the Holy Name, by all their practices and by their whole lives, they are like so many purifying agents. By proper knowledge, proper dealings and proper conduct they set everything in it&#x27;s proper position and create adjustment in the domain of maladjustment. This world is maladjusted, and the balancing agents, the unifying factors, are the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. Just as there is a germ, a virus which spreads a particular contagious disease, so there must be the opposite of that, something which emanates only a pure and healthy atmosphere, and that is the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 12)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(519)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, And all that beauty, all that wealth e&#x27;er gave, Awaits alike the inevitable hour; The path of glory leads but to the grave. Elegy written in a country churchyard. (1751) (Thomas Gray, 1716-71, English poet) The whole world - sun, stars, moons, oceans, mountains - all are vanishing and again coming and going. You may be the lord of all you survey, but you are a lord in the cremation ground, only to deplore: &quot;Oh, everything is passing away. Every second everything is passing away!&quot; (SEOC, p 114) The sun, the moon, the ether, the air - everything will vanish in wholesale dissolution. Only faith will live, even at that stage. Faith is eternal substance within us, and we are told that with favourable circumstances of faith we can go back to God, back to home. Back to home sweet home! Such highest prospect is given to us who are in this world of mortality, which is a burial ground and cremation ground. Here, everything is bound to be buried. This is the world of experience - everything leads but to the grave. But faith is not treacherous. It will remain within, with the soul, and grant hope, prospect, and sustenance. And what kind of sustenance? Home comfort. Back to God, back to home. When there is the proposal of such an alternative, who would be such a fool to run after the experience of this &#x27;civilised&#x27; atomic world? Experience and science are all the jaws of death. Faith is nothing vague. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 19) + (see also \u015bloka 585)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(520)\",\"t\u012brtha-y\u0101tr\u0101 pari\u015brama,\",\"kevala manera bhrama,\",\"sarvva-siddhi govinda-cara\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Caution is needed in attending K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-Dh\u0101ma, as much as it is required for attending K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101. But if we are not sincere we may commit offences, and that will hurl us down. Rather, Nabadw\u012bpa-Dh\u0101ma is more accommodating. There also apar\u0101dha is possible, but it may be minimised. Nabadw\u012bpa will help us, as s\u0101dhakas (aspirants) to feel, &quot;I am not so high; I am not holding such a high position as those of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; In chanting the Name or residing in the Dh\u0101ma - with everything there is consideration of offences; and less consideration of offences is found in Nabadw\u012bpa-Dh\u0101ma. It is more liberal. Still, the most important factor is s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga - the superior guide.&quot; (\u015ar\u012bla Narottama d\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura) (SOTGOD, v 2, p 168)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(521)\",\"tom\u0101tma \u0101tm\u0101 buy\u0101ya kalpate\",\"\u0101tm\u0101 buy\u0101ya vidyate tad anantaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;As if they are My own soul, they enter into Me.&quot; &quot;My devotee belongs to Me.&quot; One who has surrendered to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is accepted as His own. And just as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has rights over everything and is never a trespasser, so His own man should never be considered a trespasser at any time. This is confirmed elsewhere, in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, 11.29.34, \u0101tm\u0101 buy\u0101ya ca kalpate: &quot;My devotee belongs to Me.&quot; So one who works by inspiration from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should never be considered a trespasser. He can enjoy anything on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s behalf if he is really a surrendered soul. He should be considered as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s. He has free access to everything that belongs to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. (SEOC, p 129-130) + (see also \u015bloka 289) Where is God? In an unknown quarter? His every ways are unknown. We are very, very far off in the lower position, but the prospect; such a prospect we have got that , as a family man, we can live with Him and serve Him. Want more could we want? This appeals to the core of my heart and I came out: &quot;I want that; I want to live with Him as a family man - with God.&quot; So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness of Godhead can accommodate our family life with Him. What more is there we may want? I have got such a right? tom\u0101tma \u0101tm\u0101 buy\u0101ya kalpate: &quot;As if they are My own soul: \u0101tm\u0101 buy\u0101ya vidyate tad anantaram: they enter into Me.&quot; To enter into that conception of Godhead? That means His parent. Family life with Him. How? How could this be? All of our enquiries and inner aspirations may be satisfied with Him - akhila ras\u0101m\u1e5bta m\u016brti\u1e25 - all different kinds of aspirations within can find fulfilment in Him. (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(522)\",\"t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena,\",\"taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101\",\"am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena,\",\"k\u012brtan\u012bya\u1e25 sad\u0101 hari\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (S, 3) We should mainly couch ourselves in this mood: we should think of ourselves as the meanest of the mean. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura has given his analysis of the meaning of this verse as follows: even a blade of grass has its value, but we do not even have as much value as a blade of grass. We have no positive value. It is one thing if a man is not educated, but a madman is worse than uneducated. He can think - but only abnormally. Therefore, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;I have some consciousness, some intelligence, but it is all misdirected. A blade of grass has no misdirection. When trampled upon, it has no tendency to spring back in the opposite direction. A blade of grass can be blown here and there by a storm, or by the external environment, but I will always be reluctant to go in a particular direction. If the waves of the environment want to take me in a particular direction, I&#x27;ll try to oppose them. If you really consider my value, my position is lower than a blade of grass because I have an opposing tendency. When we want to bring ourselves in a closer relationship with the infinite goodness, we should think: &quot;I have no value. Rather, my value is negative. It is my tendency to oppose the Lord&#x27;s grace. If K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a wants to grace me, I try to resist. I am constituted of such an element that I commit spiritual suicide. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes to grace me, but I oppose Him: the energy that is within me tries for suicide. This is my position, but a blade of grass won&#x27;t oppose anyone. I have such a nasty position.&quot; We must realise that we are in such a predicament. With this concern we may accept the goodness of the Absolute Truth in the form of His Holy Name. We should not think that the path will be very smooth; so many troubles may come from outside. When the devotees go to chant Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the street, many people come and shout: &quot;Hey, you monkeys! Red-faced monkeys!&quot; So many forms of hindrances and opposition will come and try to affect us, to dissuade us from this path, but we must practice forbearance like that of a tree. Why has the example of a tree been given? It has been analysed in this way: if no one pours any water on a tree, it does not protest: &quot;Oh! Give me water!&quot; If anyone comes to disturb the tree, snatching its leaves, cutting its branches, or even chopping it down, a tree remains silent; it gives no opposition. We should try to see how insult, poverty, punishment, or other unfavourable dealings are necessary to purify us, and with minimal punishment we shall be released from material existence. Through K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness we have connected with the highest object of life, the highest fulfilment of life - what price are we ready to pay for that? It is inconceivable. Whatever little demands may be exacted from us, we must accept with a smiling face, considering the highest goal. If we are really confident, if we have faith in our bright future, then we can gladly pay what little price nature wants to take from us. (TGVODL, p 111-3) And we must show our respect to others. Prestige is the greatest and most subtle enemy of the devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Pride is the worst enemy for the devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. And pride ultimately takes one to the conclusion of the m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012bs, the monists. They say: so &#x27;ham - &quot;I am!&quot; Not d\u0101so &#x27;ham - &quot;I am subordinate,&quot; but &quot;I am the Supreme Element; I am That: I am He,&quot; eliminating from their consideration the fact that we are tiny and suffering in misery. All these practical things are ignored by the m\u0101y\u0101v\u0101d\u012bs, the impersonalists, but position, or ego (prati\u1e63\u1e6dha), is our worst enemy. In this verse, we are advised to deal with prestige and position in a special way. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;You must not desire respect from anyone or even from the environment itself; at the same time, you must give prestige to everyone and everything in the environment according to its position. Show respect, but don&#x27;t desire any respect from outside.&quot; We must be very particular about this, for pride is our hidden enemy. If we can somehow avoid or conquer this enemy, we will be able to enter into the slave area of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and join those who have given their lives wholesale in sacrifice to Him. The general meaning of this verse is: &quot;Never seek position or prestige from any quarter. At the same time, give honour to one and all according to your understanding.&quot; (TGVODL, p 114-5) + (see also \u015bloka 164) If we increase the quality of our negativity, or the feeling that we are so mean, the positive will automatically be attracted. Try to increase the power of your position as a negative unit. t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena (by feeling oneself lower than the grass), dainyam, (humility), \u0101tmanivedana (surrender). Hankering in surrender is our wealth. We are the \u015bakti, the potency, and potency refers to the negative unit of the positive, the Potent. Increase your negative side, your hankering. The positive will be automatically attracted to you. In the impartial judgement, ta\u1e6dastha-vic\u0101ra, we must find that the more humility, dainyam, we possess, the more devotion and intimacy we possess. Health depends on hunger. The more one feels hunger, the better his health may be; that is, real, natural hunger. It is something like this. And humility is to feel: &quot;I am the lowest.&quot; So in this comparison, the more one has realised the Infinite, the more s\/he thinks: &quot;I am the lowest.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 108) + (see also \u015bloka 574) It is the nature of one who appreciates the highest that he will think himself to be in the lower position. We find this in the practices and sayings of the great men. It is a question of t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena, taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101, and this is a necessary qualification of a devotee. We must have that sort of qualification, that sort of heart. That must not be an artificial thing but if we are not ready to think ourselves lower, we cannot come in connection with the higher. t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena, taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101, am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena, k\u012brtan\u012bya\u1e25 sad\u0101 hari\u1e25. Your attitude towards the search will be such that you are almost unfit to search for such a goal, yet you sincerely want to begin your new life. To feel you are so unqualified is the qualification for the finite to approach the Infinite. If you think that you are something, that is a disqualification in your search for the Infinite. With humility you are to take the Name of the Lord, that Divine Sound. But the process is that you must be mindful of this necessity of humility otherwise the search will be in vain and your attempt will be lost. So what will be the proper attitude? T\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bc - you are to think yourself to be the meanest of the mean and the humblest of the humble. Sincerely you must feel that way. Taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101 - your forbearance must not have any limit. You must not feel: &quot;So many days, so many ages I have passed in this search but I haven&#x27;t reached there yet - I shall give up.&quot; Be sure that you have come to search for the Infinite. So there is no time limit and no room for any vanity that you shall think yourself to be master of that higher realm, for that is a disqualification and must be given up from the beginning. Am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena - your highest enemy is your self-seeking nature: to think that you have some standing, some greatness in you. That sort of vanity must be abandoned. Am\u0101nin\u0101 - you must never seek any honour for yourself: no reward. M\u0101nadena - at the same time you must be modest in your dealings with all others, then your am\u0101nin\u0101 will be genuine. If you do not like to give the honour to others then your own self-seeking will be present and traceable. But when you can give honour to others without wanting any for yourself, you will be qualified to search for Govindam, for the Centre, the Infinite, the Absolute. You are a qualified student if you can give up all these bad and unfavourable prejudices. If you come to search after the Absolute then you must have such qualifications otherwise you will fail. So we find that the great devotees always condemn themselves to the extreme, beyond what we can conceive even for ordinary persons. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 40-1) + (see also \u015bloka 193) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is the vitality of the vitality. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura Prabhup\u0101da did his best to give K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness to the people of India, and \u015ar\u012bla A.C Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja distributed that vitality all over the world. It is by their grace and by the grace of Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu Himself that so many have come to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. Harid\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura once told Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;By Your chanting of the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, both the animate and inanimate world has been supplied with the food of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. Whatever position they may occupy, their life is fulfilled. I heard of how, when You travelled through the jungle and chanted and danced, the elephants and tigers also danced and chanted the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. What wonder, then, should there be if I say that the stones and trees have also attained their highest end - K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness - when You are chanting. What an intense degree of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness has been produced here by Your chanting.&quot; But in order to chant the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, something is required from our side also. am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena, k\u012brtan\u012bya\u1e25 sad\u0101 hari\u1e25. We should resort to k\u012brtana always, but our attitude should be as Mah\u0101prabhu recommends: t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena, taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101 am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena. Our attitude should be one of humility, and if we think that we are being done wrong, still we should be patient, and under no circumstances should we work for our own position and prestige; that should not be our aim. When the lower stands against the higher, offence arises. That tendency should be shunned. Primary education is also education, but that should not compete with higher education; we must be careful about that. At the same time, the differentiation between higher education and lower education must be genuine. Still, primary education must not be thought of as the highest education. That will be dangerous. There is a saying in Bengali - alpavidy\u0101 bhaya\u1e41kor\u012b - &quot;A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.&quot; We must be careful about that, otherwise our attitude will be suicidal. The question of offence arises whenever primary education stands against higher education. That sort of assertion is offensive. Slow and steady wins the race. Our march towards the Infinite is a long journey, not a journey to be finished within a few hours, a few days, or a few years. And we have to adjust accordingly. It is not that we shall run quickly to make progress and then stop and sleep. It is a long way we shall have to go. We will only be successful if we develop humility - t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena. We should not create any circumstance that invites resistance. Still, if any resistance unexpectedly approaches us, we should try our best to forbear. And we must always be conscious that our guardian&#x27;s eye is always over us, eager to help us in our campaign. We are not alone. We may go on confidently: there is a person above us to redress the wrong that may be shown to us, so we should not take the initiative. We must not allow any ulterior purpose or temptation to induce us to give up our search for \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Let the satisfaction of guru, Gaur\u0101\u1e47ga, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas be our only objective. Let no other element enter upon our path. Our purity of purpose must always be very scrupulously maintained. We should think: &quot;Alone I shall go on with my duty. I won&#x27;t always be searching for someone to come and help me. Let them do their own duty. This is my duty.&quot; With this sort of attitude we shall go on. With this sort of adjustment our concentration may become more intense, our confidence in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will be increased, and our duty will be pure and clear. We should be conscious that hindrances and obstacles are almost sure to attack us, but we must deal with them with humility and forbearance. So this life is not a life of comfort. But in order to develop this kind of humility and forbearance, we must learn to see the Lord&#x27;s hand in everything. And therefore the Vedas tell us to remember that the glance of the Lord is always upon us. (LSFTLS, p 31-3) + (see also \u015blokas 351 &amp; 502) The cause of our disease is not outside us, but within us. A paramaha\u1e41sa Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, a saint of the highest platform, sees that everything is all right. He finds nothing to complain about. When one can see that everything is good and sweet to the furthest extreme, he comes to live in the plane of divinity. Our false ego creates only disturbance, and that ego should be dissolved. We should not think that the environment is our enemy. We must try hard to detect God&#x27;s grace in whatever comes to us, even if it comes as an apparent enemy. Everything is the grace of the Lord, but we can&#x27;t see it; rather, we see the opposite. The dirt is in our eyes. Actually, everything is divine. It is all the grace of the Lord. The disease is in our eyes. We are diseased, and if the disease is cured, we shall find that we are in the midst of a gracious world. Only the coverings of desire deceive us from having a real estimation of the world. A bona fide student of the devotional school will accept such an attitude towards the environment and towards the Lord. We have to think that God&#x27;s will is everywhere. Even a blade of grass cannot move without the sanction of the Supreme Authority. Every detail is detected and controlled by Him. We have to look upon the environment with optimism. The pessimism is within us. Our ego is responsible for all sorts of evil. This is Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism. If we can do this, then in no time, our disease will be cured, and we&#x27;ll be in the midst of infinite blissfulness. Our tendency at present is to cure what we see on the outside. We think, &quot;I want everything to follow my control, my sweet will. When everything obeys me, then I will be happy.&quot; But we must take just the opposite attitude. As Mah\u0101prabhu has said: t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena, taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101, am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena, k\u012brtan\u012bya\u1e25 sad\u0101 hari\u1e25. We should create no resistance against our environment. Still, if some undesirable things come towards us, we should tolerate that with our utmost patience. And even if someone attacks us we won&#x27;t become violent; we must practice forbearance to the extreme. We shall honour everyone; we will seek no honour. In this way, with the least amount of energy and time we can attain the highest goal: the plane where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself is living. That is the most fundamental plane of existence. At that time, all the encasements covering the soul will vanish and die, and the inner soul will awaken and find that he is playing in a sweet wave, dancing and merry-making in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and His devotees. And what is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana? It is neither a fable, nor a concocted story. The broadest and widest plane of the whole universe is beauty, sweetness and blissfulness, and that is present in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana in all its fullness. We have to dive deep into that plane of reality. Our ego has floated us on the surface of trouble in m\u0101y\u0101, illusion. Concoction, and the search for selfish satisfaction have taken us here, and these must be dissolved once and for all. And then from within, our golden selves will come out, and we will find that we are in the plane of a happy dancing mood, with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (TSFSK, p 18-20) Mah\u0101prabhu has taught t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena, taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101 am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena, It is very difficult to conquer one&#x27;s fame, or prestige. prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, one&#x27;s love for position is very difficult to give up. It is easier to give up attraction for females or money, but hankering for one&#x27;s own position is most difficult. Prestige for position is our innermost enemy. So long as that remains we cannot offer ourselves in the service of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. I may accept somewhat hesitatingly the service of God, but to serve a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava would be like coming to a lower settlement. In fact, to become the servant of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava would actually be the be all and end all of my life. But how can I accept that idea? I may accept service under the Supreme Lord, that I may anyhow manage. But to become the servant of the servant of the servant - what is this? What is the fun? Should a man stoop so low as this? Therefore, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, position, the consciousness of prestige, is the greatest enemy of the conditioned soul. (GOD, p 25) &quot;Becoming humbler than a blade of grass,&quot; is never fastened or tied to the external dress of it factually that is connected with the real spirit - that is inseparably existing with the real spirit, within the spirit.&quot; (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 6) So we will have to become cent per cent optimistic and leave no room for pessimism. Our only apprehension will be that I may not commit any offence, especially towards a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. We shall have to become very alert to this. So precious, so valuable is the fortune for which we are aspiring. So we must be very, very careful to guard against jealousy, envy from arising in us from any place. We are connected with some great force, so as much as possible we must remain cautious, careful that no disturbance will come out from us to do away with our aspiration. So Mah\u0101prabhu has told us: t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena - In one word - conscious. You must be conscious. Conscious that you are living in a plane that is ultimately worthless, no value. T\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena - Don&#x27;t go to oppose anyone. There is no meaning to any opposition. It is all fictitious so why should I give opposition to something that is all fictitious. Taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101 - And if any opposition should come to you don&#x27;t care for that either. That is also unreal. Their motivation is superficial. That should not affect your inner train of thought. So don&#x27;t care about any opposition coming to you. Don&#x27;t create any opposition to others, and still if any opposition will come to you try not to care for that. It is all futile. Am\u0101nin\u0101 - And don&#x27;t hanker after any appreciation from the ordinary public, for name and fame. They do not know what is what, and therefore their appreciation has got no value, don&#x27;t hanker after that. M\u0101nadena - Still you must be alert to give them due respect, otherwise they will come to disturb you. Like a bribe, offer some respect to them and go on with your own company. Without being disturbed, as much as possible, try to make progress as rapidly as you can. You do not know, your future circumstances may cut off your opportunity, your connection. So as much as you are able to utilise your present circumstances, try to do that. (C, # 4, Win. &#x27;92 \/ &#x27;93, p 12) + (see also \u015bloka 523) I have come in the relativity of the infinite. So my behaviour must be according to that. Bhakti - t\u1e5b\u1e47\u0101d api sun\u012bcena, taror api sahi\u1e63\u1e47un\u0101 am\u0101nin\u0101 m\u0101nadena. Negative, the negative tendency should be increased to attract the positive; &quot;I cannot but want You, I am unfit but Your least connection I must have,&quot; and thus we have to invite Him. &quot;I am poor, I am mean, there is no meaner fellow than me.&quot; (C, v 1, # 5, Sum. &#x27;93, p 10) Tatra sampatti-catu\u1e63\u1e6daya\u1e41 param\u0101nuk\u016blam. - These four jewels are accepted as the greatest treasure favourable to the performance of Hari-k\u012brttana - Humility, tolerance, not accepting honour, and giving respect. Humility: \u015br\u0101ddha (unalloyed faith and devotion), is the most valuable capital of a pure spiritual seeker. One great enemy of \u015br\u0101ddha is false ego. As long as the mind and heart possess false ego, they cannot feel any taste or experience the transcendental nature of the Holy Name. It is most important that Hari-k\u012brtana be performed with a mind free from false ego. Sincere humility, born from the knowledge of the j\u012bvas infinitesimal position, is a great friend who protects and nurtures one&#x27;s spiritual life. Therefore, humility represents the noble principle of egoless approach to the Supreme Lord. Tolerance: Being tolerant as a tree represents the spiritual qualities of forgiveness, nonviolence, peacefulness, affectionate nurturing, giving no trouble to anyone and selfless happiness in helping others. This powerful quality of toleration and forbearance becomes a natural part in the life of a high class devotee. Cultivating this holy power in himself he remains unaffected by the disturbances created in general society and thereby stays firmly situated in the ideal performance of Hari-k\u012brtana. Not accepting honour: The desire for receiving personal honour from others without the real interest of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, simply indulges selfish greed, false pride, and the superiority complex of underestimating others. As long as one&#x27;s heart is possessed by such greed and anxiousness for mundane honour, one cannot feel peace and therefore cannot steadily devotee oneself to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and His Holy Name. Giving respect: The devotee offers all respect to others knowing K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is present in them as Supersoul. He does not become personally entangled, nor is he dependent on receiving any futile mundane honour in return. Having no separate, selfish motive, he becomes qualified to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and engage others in such service.&quot; (S, v 3) + (SBRBM, p 19-20) + (SSPJ, p 37) + (SOTVA, p 24)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(523)\",\"Trust no future howe&#x27;er pleasant!\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Let the dead past bury its dead! Act, - act, in the living present! Heart within, and God o&#x27;erhead! (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-82, U.S. poet) The quality of joy has variety, and it comes to help us in our serving attitude, so that at every moment we may feel new encouragement. So we have to enquire from a proper agent, follow his advice, and try to understand how to improve our condition. At the same time, we should be conscious that the chance we have to render devotional service is rarely found. It is not very cheap. Therefore, we must utilise every minute, every second, every moment. We should be very much alert that a moment not be lost, that our attempt to dedicate ourselves may continue constantly without being interrupted. That stage of dedication is called ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101, and when we attain that stage, our taste is further improved and we will be more and more encouraged to go forward and make progress towards ultimate fulfilment. \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b told Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja that seven days of longevity is enough to achieve perfection. He said: &quot;You have only seven days left to live; do you think it is a short time? It is enough time. What is all-important is the proper use of every second.&quot; What time we have in our hands is uncertain, but we must try our best to properly use every second. This must not be neglected. We should not think: &quot;The future is before me; any time I like, I can engage in the profitable affair of spiritual life.&quot; Not one second should be lost. The present is at our hand. We don&#x27;t know about our future. We must try to use the time at hand to its best advantage. And how will our time be best used? In the association of saints and scriptures. (LSFTLS, p 2-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(524)\",\"tu\u1e47\u1e0de t\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davin\u012b rati\u1e41 vitanute tu\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101val\u012b-labdhaye\",\"kar\u1e47a-kro\u1e0da-ka\u1e0dambin\u012b gha\u1e6dayate kar\u1e47\u0101rbudebhya\u1e25 sp\u1e5bh\u0101m\",\"ceta\u1e25-pr\u0101\u1e45ga\u1e47a-sa\u1e45gin\u012b vijayate sarvendriy\u0101\u1e45\u0101\u1e41 k\u1e5bti\u1e41\",\"no j\u0101ne janit\u0101 kiyadbhir am\u1e5btai\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47eti var\u1e47a-dvay\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appears on the lips of a devotee, it begins madly dancing. Then the Name takes over and handles him as if the person to whom the lips belong loses all control over his lips, and the devotee says: &#x27;With one mouth, how much can I gather the ecstasy of the Holy Name? I need millions of mouths to taste its unlimited sweetness. I&#x27;ll never feel any satisfaction by chanting with only one mouth.&quot; (VM, 1.15) When the sound &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&quot; enters the ear, he feels that transcendental sound awaken in his heart. &quot;What are two ears?&quot; he thinks. &quot;This is the greatest injustice of the creator - I need millions of ears! Then, if I could hear the sweet Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, my heart might be a little satisfied. I want millions and millions of ears to hear the sweet Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; This is the temperament of a devotee when his (or her) attention is drawn towards the Holy Name. Then he faints; he loses himself, merging in an ocean of ecstasy and joy. And in great disappointment he says: &quot;I failed to understand the quality and quantity of the substance of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Name. I am perplexed. What sort of honey sweetness does this Name contain?&quot; In this way, the chanter wonders. This has been taught to us by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who said: &quot;Properly chant the Holy Name, the sound representation of absolute sweetness.&quot; That sweetness is also to be found in the flute-song of the Lord. The sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute has the great mystic power of capturing and pleasing everyone and everything. Upon hearing the sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute, the Yamun\u0101&#x27;s current is paralysed. The sweet sound of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute attracts the trees, the birds, and the beasts. Everything is astounded by contacting the sweet vibration from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute. Sound vibration can work miracles; sound has the highest capturing potency. Sound can make or mar. It can do anything; it has such intrinsic capacity. It comes from the subtlemost plane, beyond ether. That universal sound is absolute sweetness and goodness. How much power is there - how it can capture us! Like a blade of grass, we may be played by the current of that sweet sound in such a way that we cannot even trace out our own personality. We may lose ourselves there, but we do not die; the soul is eternal. Diving, up and down, we are played by the current of the sweet sound. We are less qualified than a straw, a blade of grass, and the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sound is so big and so sweet that it can play us in any way it likes. We cannot begin to conceive how much power is in the Name, the sound which is identical with absolute goodness and sweetness. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;Don&#x27;t neglect the sound which is one and the same with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; Absolute sweetness and goodness - everything is there within the Holy Name. And the Holy Name is representing itself to us in a very cheap way: nothing is required to purchase it no money, no physical energy. All these things are unnecessary. What is required? Sincerity. One who simply takes this divine sound sincerely will be so enriched that no one will be able to conceive of so much goodness and development. And anyone may have it very cheaply, but one must chant sincerely with his (or her) whole heart. Of course, wholehearted sincerity presupposes going to a proper agent, a saint, and getting the Holy Name from him. \u015ar\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sa\u1e45k\u012brtana is praised by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, the inaugurator of the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana movement who came as R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda combined. His advice is most valuable and necessary to tell us that with a sincere spirit we must come to join this \u015br\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, the most purifying transcendental sound, which effects liberation, gives all fulfilment, and grants us such a positive attainment that we lose ourselves in the ocean of joy and inconceivable sweetness. This is \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s grace, and He proclaims: &quot;Let \u015br\u012b k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sa\u1e45k\u012brtana be expanded into this material world, that it may benefit everyone infinitely, for this is the highest and greatest benefit for the whole world. It is all-comprehensive. It releases us from all sorts of troubles, establishing us in the highest position of attainment.&quot; And in this present degraded age of Kali, only n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana can help us. Of course, n\u0101masa\u1e45k\u012brtana is beneficial in all ages, but it is especially recommended in Kali-yuga, because in this age all other attempts will be opposed by many forces. N\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana cannot be opposed by the troubles and waves of this material world, so one must adopt it. If we exclusively give ourselves to this, we will gain the highest fulfilment of life. There is no necessity of any other campaign, for they are all defective and partial. But the most universal, captivating, and beneficial thing is n\u0101ma-sa\u1e45k\u012brtana, which takes us to the highest goal. That alone can satisfy everyone. All souls that are now disconnected from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may be helped in this way. No other movement is necessary. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu tells us: &quot;Exclusively devote yourself to this. It is allembracing and all-fulfilling. And you can achieve it with the least trouble and least energy. Let it flourish in this Kali-yuga - let it flourish for the welfare of the whole universe, to reestablish all souls in their normal position.&quot; (TGVODL, p 95-99) + (see also \u015blokas 199 &amp; 315) &quot;When the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a descends and captures the tongue and lips, it controls them so strongly that it engages them in chanting the Holy Name as if the lips and tongue have gone mad. In this way, the power of the Name descends in them, and one feels that only one tongue and one mouth are not enough; thousands of mouths are necessary to taste the Name. The Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a enters the ear with such a great force and current that the ears are insufficient; he wants millions of ears to attend to the sweet current entering the ears. Two ears are nothing to him; he wants millions of ears. The nectar of the Holy Name is coming like a flood through his ears, pushing its way within the heart. It is so sweet that as it goes to capture the heart, the centre of all senses, everything is paralysed. Wherever that sweet aggressor touches, the whole thing is captured with such intensity that everything else is ignored. I don&#x27;t know, I can&#x27;t say, I fail to express how much nectar there is in the Holy Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. These two syllables contain so much sweetness, and such a high quality of sweetness. And this sweetness is so aggressive that it captures everything.&quot; (TSFSK, p 125) + (see also \u015bloka 253) &quot;I do not know how much nectar the two syllables k\u1e5b\u1e63 \u1e47a have blessed me with. When I chant the Holy Name K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I feel the exquisite nectarean taste of its ecstatic dance within my mouth, that taste makes me desire many, many mouths. When that Name enters my ears I desire millions of ears out of intense eagerness to relish its sweetness and finally, entering the courtyard of my heart, it reveals K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s full bloomed form, beauty, qualities, glories and pastimes, captivating and conquering all of my mind, heart and senses by its unlimited, ambrosial pleasure.&quot; (SBRBM, p 20-1) (Watts in a Name!) The highest section can never satisfy themselves that they have &#x27;reached the standard,&#x27; of taking the Name - they are paralysed from the beginning. When Ya\u015bod\u0101 takes the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, or R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b takes the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, how many &#x27;volts&#x27; are present there? The magnitude of that voltage is inconceivable to us! (SCS, p 38) + (see also \u015blokas 145, 318 &amp; 39)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(525)\",\"tuy\u0101 day\u0101 aichena parama ud\u0101r\u0101\",\"ati\u015baya manda n\u0101tha bh\u0101ga h\u0101m\u0101r\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;Whatever may be lacking is on my part. There is no defect on Your side.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 15) + (see also \u015bloka 317)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(526)\",\"tvam aham veda sarvani\",\"na tvam vetta parantapa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;It is impossible to know everything and be master of everything. It is not your business to know everything by your constitutional position.&quot; (GOD, p 25) + (see also \u015bloka 206)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(527)\",\"tva\u1e41 tu r\u0101jan mari\u1e63yeti,\",\"pa\u015bu-buddhim im\u0101\u1e41 jahi\",\"na j\u0101ta\u1e25 pr\u0101g abh\u016bto &#x27;dya,\",\"deha-vat tva\u1e41 na na\u1e45k\u1e63yasi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O King, give up the animalistic mentality of thinking: &quot;I am going to die.&quot; Unlike the body, you have not taken birth. There was not a time in the past when you did not exist, and you are not about to be destroyed.&quot; (S-B, 12.5.2) At the conclusion of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, \u015ar\u012b \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b gives a warning to Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja to be conscious of the firm basis of his teachings. Deception is like a serpent that stealthily comes to bite and kill. Ignorance comes stealthily and takes the soul down to the world of animal consciousness, and we are all moving under the deception of this heavy flesh and blood; therefore heavier &#x27;earth&#x27; is necessary to lift us above, up onto its lap. Div\u012bva cak\u1e63ur \u0101tatam . . . mari\u1e63yeti, pa\u015bu-buddhim im\u0101\u1e41 jahi: So do away with your animal consciousness that you are flesh and blood. No! You are not limited to flesh and blood, but you are a conscious unit, and you won&#x27;t die. You are not a member of this dying world, where everything is sure to die on account of its malidentification. This is forced upon you - &#x27;you must die, you must become infirm, you must be born, you must suffer from disease&#x27; - but all these are malidentification of your self with your body. This is animal consciousness: consciousness that you are an animal. But you are not so. You are a conscious unit, you are spirit, you are soul. Not only is the soul immortal, not only does God exist, not only is He the Absolute Dispenser of good and bad - but we, ourselves, are units of the conscious world. So pa\u015bu-buddhim im\u0101\u1e41 jahi - separate yourself eternally from that mania, from that misconception and false identification with this material aspect which is the result of your degraded life. Be reinstated in your glorious position as soul. And how is this possible? You are ta\u1e6dastha (marginal) by constitution, so you cannot stand on you own two feet. You must have some shelter - either mundane within your mundane identification, or above that, you must have some shelter above your head. O ta\u1e6dastha-j\u012bva, you must have shelter in the \u015avar\u016bpa-\u015bakti land, the final land. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 70-1) + (see also \u015blokas 351 &amp; 502) After \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b finished giving his Bh\u0101gavata discourse, in his conclusion he gave warning to the audience, especially Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: tva\u1e41 tu r\u0101jan mari\u1e63yeti, pa\u015bu-buddhim im\u0101\u1e41 jahi. &quot;Oh King, do not think you will die - give up this animal consciousness. Eliminate it fully from your thought and do not allow your attention to come down to any material conception. Remain in your own soul conception. Take your stand firmly there. Why do you allow yourself to come down to the conception of this matter: the world, your body and all these things? It is unnecessary. Don&#x27;t allow your attention to come down to material consciousness, you are independent of that. Think of your soul, its higher achievement and prospect. Your transaction must be all upwards; stick to that. You, the soul, are independent of these. Free from matter you can live and move very happily. To think it not possible to stay without a body is animal consciousness, pa\u015bu-buddhi. What is this! Why do you allow yourself to come into this consciousness of matter which is mortal? Don&#x27;t allow yourself to come down, to have experience of this material world. This is animal consciousness. You must kill it, butcher it! Tva\u1e41 tu r\u0101jan mari\u1e63yeti, pa\u015bu-buddhim im\u0101\u1e41 jahi. To think, ` I shall die,&#x27; is animal consciousness. Just kill it once and for all. At the same time try to soar up from soul to oversoul, and beyond to the N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a conception and onwards to the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception. Try to live in the connection of Vraja and the Divine Damsels there who are all serving K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Consider how they are so recklessly engaged in serving the sweet will of their Lord. Each one of them is always prepared and is the emblem of sacrifice.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 7) + (see also \u015bloka 118)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(528)\",\"tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha-,\",\"v\u0101so &#x27;la\u1e45k\u0101ra-carccit\u0101\u1e25\",\"ucchi\u1e63\u1e6da-bhojino d\u0101s\u0101s,\",\"tava m\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 jayema hi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Uddhava says: &quot;Adorned with the articles that have been offered to You, such as garlands, fragrant clothing, and ornaments, we, Your personal servitors who partake of Your holy remnants alone, will certainly be able to conquer Your illusory energy (m\u0101y\u0101).&quot; (S-B, 11.6.46) + (SSPJ, p 40) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 76) + (see also \u015bloka 580)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(529)\",\"tyaktv\u0101 su-dustyaja-surepsita-r\u0101jya-lak\u1e63m\u012b\u1e41\",\"dharmi\u1e63\u1e6dha arya-vacas\u0101 yad ag\u0101d ara\u1e47yam\",\"m\u0101y\u0101-m\u1e5bga\u1e41 dayitayepsitam anvadh\u0101vad\",\"vande mah\u0101-puru\u1e63a te cara\u1e47\u0101ravindam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Supreme Lord, You gave up the goddess of fortune and Her great opulence, which is most difficult to abandon, and is sought after even by the gods. In order to perfectly establish the principles of religion, You left for the forest to honour the br\u0101hma\u1e47a&#x27;s curse. To deliver the sinful souls who chase illusory pleasures, You search after them and award them Your devotional service. At the same time, You are engaged in search of Yourself, in search for \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: Reality the Beautiful.&quot; (S-B, 11.5.34) \u015ar\u012bla Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura has given his explanation that although it seems that this verse applies to Lord R\u0101macandra, who left His kingdom and went with S\u012bt\u0101dev\u012b to the forest to discharge the duties designed by His father, chased after the m\u0101y\u0101-m\u1e5bga\u1e41 - Mar\u012bci, the golden deer. This also applies to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura has drawn out the internal meaning of this verse and applied it in the case of Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. Tyaktv\u0101 su-dustyaja-surepsita-r\u0101jya-lak\u1e63m\u012b\u1e41 means He left imperial prosperity which is hard to a bandon. Generally, we find this in the case of Lord R\u0101macandra, but Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura says that surepsita-r\u0101jya-lak\u1e63m\u012b\u1e41 means the valuable devotional company of Vi\u1e63\u1e47upriy\u0101-Dev\u012b. That may not appear to be a materially big thing, but the dedication that Vi\u1e63\u1e47upriy\u0101 has shown in Her heart for \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu is greater than any imperial standard. And He had to leave that behind. Such a standard of sacrifice is never found even among the great society of the gods. For the sake of public welfare, He had to ignore the serving, loving attitude of Vi\u1e63\u1e47upriy\u0101. This verse mentions the curse of a br\u0101hma\u1e47a. That br\u0101hma\u1e47a told \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;I want to participate in Your nocturnal k\u012brtanas in which You taste K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101, but the doors are closed.&quot; When \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu used to perform k\u012brtana and taste the Vraja-l\u012bl\u0101 of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, He did so behind closed doors in deep night. But this br\u0101hma\u1e47a thought himself a very qualified, religious person because he lived by only drinking milk and nothing else, so he said: &quot;I must have entrance into that k\u012brtana. I do not eat anything but milk; why should I not be allowed?&quot; \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu replied: &quot;Milk drinking is no qualification for entering into K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.&quot; The br\u0101hma\u1e47a said: &quot;Then I curse you to lose your family life!&quot; &quot;All right,&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said and accepted the curse. And later He took sanny\u0101sa and chased after those who were misguided by M\u0101y\u0101-Dev\u012b in order to save them. At the same time, although He is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, He accepted the mood of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. For these two reasons, He left His apparently worldly life: He acted for the welfare of the public and, after finishing that work, spent the next twelve years tasting the very inner aspiration of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b and searching after His own inner sweetness. This is what He came to show to the world. In this mystic way, \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam has proclaimed the magnanimous appearance of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. (TGVODL, p 8-10) + (see also \u015bloka 572) This verse generally applies to Lord R\u0101macandra, who left His kingdom, and after going with S\u012bt\u0101 -Dev\u012b to the forest to discharge the duties designed by His father, chased after the m\u0101y\u0101m\u1e5bga\u1e41 - the golden deer. \u015ar\u012bla Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, however, shows how this verse also applies to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. He says that the word m\u0101y\u0101-m\u1e5bga\u1e41 means that \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu ran after the souls that are enveloped by m\u0101y\u0101 or misconception. The word m\u0101y\u0101-m\u1e5bga\u1e41, when applied to R\u0101macandra, means that He ran after Mar\u012bci, who had taken the form of a golden deer. When applied in the case of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, the words m\u0101y\u0101-m\u1e5bga\u1e41 anvadh\u0101vat mean: &quot;He chased after those souls who are in illusion in order to deliver them. He ran in pursuit of the fallen souls as a saviour, to deliver them from m\u0101y\u0101, or illusion.&quot; Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura has also given another interpretation: he says that dayitay\u0101 ipsitam means &quot;it is desired by the beloved,&quot; that is, the search for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In this way, he identifies two qualities in the Caitanya avat\u0101ra: He relieves the fallen souls, and He searches out K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the mood of His beloved (dayitayepsitam anvadh\u0101vat). Inspired by the mood of dayita, His beloved, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, He ran after the souls in bondage to deliver them. Here we find the scriptural reference, the seed of this conception. He is in quest of the lost souls, absorbed in a loving search for His lost servants. And throughout the whole life of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and His other self, Nity\u0101nanda, it is very clear that They, being the Supreme Entity Themselves, are hunting after the fallen souls to deliver them. This will be the backbone of our conception of the Lord&#x27;s loving search for His lost servants. (LSFTLS, p v-vi) + (see also \u015bloka 572)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(530)\",\"uddhared \u0101tman\u0101tm\u0101na\u1e41,\",\"n\u0101tm\u0101nam avas\u0101dayet\",\"\u0101tmaiva hy \u0101tmano bandhur,\",\"\u0101tmaiva ripur \u0101tmana\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The living being must be delivered from the dark well of material life by means of the mind detached from sense objects, and he must never in any way be flung down into the material world by the mind enchanted by sense objects - because the mind is sometimes his friend, and in another situation the very same mind is rather the enemy.&quot; (B-g, 6.5) Note that you are your own friend. But you are your own enemy also. You are your own enemy if you don&#x27;t take good care of your own development for your real progress. But you can be your own friend, and none can give as much help to you as you, yourself, can do. (HC, p 22) Bhakti does not depend on the environment or on the dealings of others. It is ahaituky apratihat\u0101. Nothing can obscure that flow except our own ego. I am my own greatest enemy. &quot;We can elevate ourselves or degrade ourselves. We are our own best friend or worst enemy.&quot; No force outside can check us if we are sincere. (LSFTLS, p 18) + (see also \u015bloka 80)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(531)\",\"upajiy\u0101 b\u0101\u1e0de lat\u0101 &#x27;brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da&#x27; bhedi&#x27; y\u0101ya\",\"&#x27;viraj\u0101,&#x27; &#x27;brahmaloka,&#x27; bhedi&#x27; &#x27;paravyoma&#x27; p\u0101ya\",\"tabe y\u0101ya tad upari &#x27;goloka-v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana&#x27;\",\"&#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-cara\u1e47a&#x27;-kalpav\u1e5bk\u1e63e kare \u0101rohana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The creeper of devotion is born, and grows to pierce the wall of the universe. It crosses the Viraj\u0101 river and the Brahman plane, and reaches to the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha plane. Then it grows further up to Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, finally reaching to embrace the wish-yielding tree of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s Lotus Feet.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 19.153-4) (see also \u015blokas 279, 378, 498 &amp; 504) But the pseudo-devotees do not care to know what is Paravyoma, what is Brahmaloka, what is Viraj\u0101, what is the Brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da. Without caring to know about these things, they approach any guru, receive some mantram, and go on meditating. But in such a stage, if one goes on meditating on R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda-l\u012bl\u0101, instead of entering R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda-l\u012bl\u0101, he will rather entangle with the ladies and gents of this world. He will become entangled in the domain of lust and he will have to go to hell instead of going up to Goloka. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 29-30) One must first cross the different gross and subtle layers of the Brahmanda (mundane universe); then Viraj\u0101, the extremity of the jurisdiction of m\u0101y\u0101 or misconception; then the Brahman conception, the halo of the real or transcendental world; then, Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, which is Paravyoma, a sphere of consciousness. The j\u012bva comes from ta\u1e6dastha-loka, the marginal position or the abscissa, and he must go through higher planes where the soil is more valuable than he himself. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 172) As one waters the bhakti-lat\u0101-b\u012bja, the seed sprouts, and the creeper gradually increases to the point where it penetrates the walls of this universe and goes beyond the Viraj\u0101 River between the spiritual world and the material world. It attains brahma-loka, the Brahman effulgence, and, penetrating through that stratum, it reaches the spiritual sky and the spiritual planet Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(532)\",\"\u016brdhva-m\u016blam adha\u1e25-\u015b\u0101kham,\",\"a\u015bvattha\u1e41 pr\u0101hur avy\u0101yam\",\"chand\u0101\u1e41si yasya par\u1e47\u0101ni,\",\"yas ta\u1e41 veda sa veda-vit\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The holy scriptures proclaim that this material world is like an unchangeable Banyan tree with its roots facing upwards and its branches down, known as an A\u015bvattha (transitory) tree. Its nutriments are the Vedic aphorisms, which are represented by its leaves. Whoever knows this tree in this way is a genuine knower of the Vedas.&quot; (B-g, 15.1) &quot;The tree of this material world has its roots upward, while its branches extend downward. The leaves of this tree are the Vedic hymns. One who understands this tree, and its origin, is a true knower of the Vedas.&quot; The scientists believe that everything moves upward. This is incorrect. It is coming down. \u016brdhva-m\u016blam adha\u1e25-\u015b\u0101kham. So according to Vedic knowledge, everything moves from up to down, not from down to up. Matter does not produce soul; rather the soul contains in its one negligible portion the conception of matter. (TSFSK, p 31) Scientists think that the subtle aspect of nature is coming from the gross. But their idea is upside down. We must realise that everything is coming from the higher to the lower, from up to down. It is not fossil fatherism but soul or God fatherism. The scientists say that everything is upward moving, but it is just the reverse. Everything is coming down. In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 it is mentioned \u016brdhva-m\u016blam adha\u1e25-\u015b\u0101kham. One who knows the real purport of the Vedas is one who can understand that the material conception is upside down. One who can understand this has got some conception of the Vedic knowledge. Matter does not produce soul. It is rather that the soul contains within its negligent portion the conception of matter. This world exists like an eczema or a disease in a wholesome body. This is the Ved\u0101ntic vic\u0101ra (understanding). So we must observe everything with this attitude, that everything is coming from up to down. In this way we must approach knowledge with a submissive attitude and then we will understand everything in truth. (GOD, p 17) Who is the knower of the Veda? He who has been able to take such a truthful conception all over the entire universe, he is the real veda-vit, the true knower of the Vedas.&quot; What sort of conception? Like the A\u015bvattha tree whose roots point upwards and branches down, so everything is coming down - flowing in a downward direction - from that upper platform. (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 7-8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(533)\",\"uts\u0101h\u0101n ni\u015bcay\u0101d dhairy\u0101t,\",\"tat-tat-karma pravartan\u0101t\",\"sa\u1e45ga-ty\u0101g\u0101t sato v\u1e5btte\u1e25,\",\"\u1e63a\u1e0dbhir bhakti\u1e25 prasidhyati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;To endeavour for spiritual life with enthusiasm, to be certain that the Lord will give His Grace, and therefore to patiently continue to render devotional service. By following the practices prescribed by the saints, to give up the company of those who are averse to devotion, and to tread the path which has been chalked out by the true Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas; these six practices will go a long way to help us be successful in our spiritual life.&quot; (U, v 3) + (SSPJ, p 39) All these things are recorded for our benefit in \u015ar\u012b Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta. That has been given to us by \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu through \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. He has given us the details so that we may be very cautious about these animal tendencies that are within us. These different types of mentality are presently our masters and we are their slaves. They are my Lords and they use me as their slave. Such a helpless life I am living here. So we must become independent of all these false masters. In the name of a human being I have so many shameful tendencies within me, so much so that even an animal would not come to such a low standard. This will be the conclusion of our self-analysis. We will see our present nature is really like this - a shameful nature within us. The enemies are within us, not outside. But even deeper within, the Lord is there. The conception of truth, reality - the Kingdom of the Lord is deep within us. That is our consolation, our hope and our prospect. The agents of the Lord are more powerful than all of these &#x27;false masters.&#x27; Only, we must try to make a bond with them and try to keep up our promise, then the help will come from that deeper plane. That will drive away all these superficial enemies that are dancing like demons on the surface of our minds. They must be driven away, and help will come from within if we co-operate. If we invite them clearly then those s\u0101dhus, the agents of the Supreme Lord, will come and drive away this demonic demonstration on the surface of our mind. They will be driven away forever and we will find our happy engagement in the service of the Lord. We will be finally free from the slavery of these demonic masters, and that is no cheap achievement. Gaura Haribol! (C, # 2, Sum. &#x27;91, p 6)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(534)\",\"utti\u1e63\u1e6dhata\u1e25 j\u0101grata\u1e25 prapya var\u0101\u1e47 nibodhata\u1e25\",\"k\u1e63urasya dh\u0101r\u0101 ni\u015bit\u0101 duratyay\u0101\",\"durga\u1e41 pathas tat kavayo vadanti\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Awake, arise: Having obtained the human form of life, you must not sleep in the darkness of ignorance. Awaken knowledge of your real self by associating with great souls and obtaining their mercy. This material creation is as sharp as a razor&#x27;s edge, for it is the cause of many miseries. It is impossible to cross over without transcendental knowledge. Therefore one must take shelter of the great learned transcendentalists who forever sing the praises of that Supreme Person who is the destroyer of birth and death.&quot; (K-U, 1.3.14) We now have a human body, and this is the most valuable time for us, but it is being lost due to misapplication. Our most valuable energy is being lost through misappropriation. So, awake, arise, and engage yourself not only for you, but address others also to engage in this campaign, and that in turn will give you further help in a particular way. The main thing is that under the guidance of a higher agent we should engage ourselves in devotional activities and have a busy program so there may not be any spare time to go on with any trifling mundane matters. Such a busy program in the association of the devotees will be very helpful for us. (HC, p 23)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(535)\",\"v\u0101co vega\u1e41 manasa\u1e25 krodha-vega\u1e41,\",\"jihv\u0101-vegam udaroprastha-vegam\",\"et\u0101n veg\u0101n yo vi\u1e63aheta dh\u012bra\u1e25,\",\"sarv\u0101m ap\u012bm\u0101\u1e41 p\u1e5bthiv\u012b\u1e41 sa \u015bi\u1e63y\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A sober person who can control the urge to speak, the mind&#x27;s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.&quot; (U, 1) V\u0101co vega\u1e41 - to not have control over our speech. I will say anything and everything and then I repent: &quot;Oh what did I say? Did I say that only to pain the heart of that gentleman? V\u0101co vega\u1e41 - when the force from within comes to say something, I am unable to control it. I may even abuse a s\u0101dhu, a saint. We should consider before we say anything and everything to anyone and everyone. We must try to control that force that comes out in the form of speech. We must keep up the balance of our mind. Manasa\u1e25 vega\u1e41 - The mental wave. Sometimes some idea will rush into the mind and overtake me and it may lead me to do anything. As if forced, even against my better judgement, I will do something, perhaps to eat something which is not proper diet for me or whatever it may be. This is manasa\u1e25 vega\u1e41. Krodha vega\u1e41 - The force of anger which may cause me to speak or act roughly, to abuse others, to lose my self control. Jihv\u0101 vegam - means to be a slave to what is very tasteful to the tongue. If something tastes very palatable, even if it may be detrimental to my health, I must eat that. I cannot control my tongue. I am the slave of my tongue. We should try not to be prey to that. Jihv\u0101 vegam means to be controlled by what is palatable to the tongue. Uda vegam - means to feed one&#x27;s full belly. Unless the belly is full then I think that I have not eaten. We should take only the type and amount of food that is necessary to keep up the health. Upastha vegam - One&#x27;s earnest desire to be united with the opposite sex. This is a great tendency within us but it is a tendency we should try to check. It is only a mental tendency and is not found within the soul proper. It is only in the mind and that is the greatest cause of our wandering in this world. From the plants to the demigods this sort of tendency is flowing but we must be very cautious not to be prey to such a flow. It is a universal flow of great power. We must try our best to keep aloof from the flow of that plane as much as possible. Et\u0101n veg\u0101n yo vi\u1e63aheta dh\u012bra\u1e25 - One who can control all of these animal tendencies, sarv\u0101m ap\u012bm\u0101\u1e41 p\u1e5bthiv\u012b\u1e41 sa \u015bi\u1e63y\u0101t - He can be the master of the whole world. One who is the master of his own self - his own mind - he can be the master of the world. In other words he can very easily make progress towards his high ideal.&quot; (C, # 2, Sum. &#x27;91, p 6) + (see also \u015bloka 533) Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5btam is the substance of Mah\u0101prabhu, in the language of R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b. (SGD, &#x27;96, p 31)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c17\",\"title\":\"17. Drawn by Divine Beauty\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"So, in r\u0101ga-m\u0101rga, the path of Divine Love, and in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-loka, there is not only consciousness, but beauty is the prevailing element there.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(536)\",\"vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha haite \u015bre\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 mathur\u0101 nagar\u012b,\",\"janama labhil\u0101 yath\u0101 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47acandra hari.\",\"mathur\u0101 haite \u015bre\u1e63\u1e6dha v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana dh\u0101ma,\",\"yath\u0101 s\u0101dhiy\u0101che hari r\u0101sotasava-k\u0101ma.\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana haite \u015bre\u1e63\u1e6dha govardhana-\u015baila\",\"giridh\u0101r\u012b-g\u0101ndharvvik\u0101 yath\u0101 kr\u012b\u1e0d\u0101 kaila.\",\"govardhana haite \u015bre\u1e63\u1e6dha r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da-ta\u1e6da\",\"prem\u0101m\u1e5bte bh\u0101s\u0101ila gokula lampa\u1e6da.\",\"govardhana giri-ta\u1e6da r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da ch\u0101\u1e0di\",\"anyatra ye kare nija ku\u00f1ja pu\u1e63pa-b\u0101\u1e0d\u012b.\",\"nirbbodha t\u0101h\u0101ra sama keha n\u0101hi \u0101ra\",\"ku\u1e47\u1e0da-t\u012bra sarvvottama sth\u0101na - prem\u0101dh\u0101ra.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Higher than Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha is Mathur\u0101 city, since there occurred the Advent of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47acandra Hari. Better than Mathur\u0101 is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the holy place where Lord Hari enjoyed the joyous dance of amorous grace. Above V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana Dh\u0101ma is Govardhana Hill, the lifter of the Hill, and His Consort, there did intimately revel. Even higher than Govardhana Hill is the banks of R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da that the Sweetheart of Gokula overfloods sweet love abound. Who would select for his worship, any other place, disregarding this sacred pond at Govardhana&#x27;s base? Such a foolish fellow surely can&#x27;t be found! The highest abode of divine love is the banks of R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da.&quot; (Bengali verse by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) (SSPJ, p 49-50)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(537)\",\"vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dh\u0101j janito var\u0101 madhu-pur\u012b tatr\u0101pi r\u0101sotsav\u0101d\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101ra\u1e47yam ud\u0101ra-p\u0101\u1e47i-rama\u1e47\u0101t tatr\u0101pi govardhana\u1e25\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ih\u0101pi gokula-pate\u1e25 prem\u0101m\u1e5bt\u0101pl\u0101van\u0101t\",\"kury\u0101d asya vir\u0101jato giri-ta\u1e6de sev\u0101\u1e41 vivek\u012b na ka\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The holy place known as Mathur\u0101 is spiritually superior to Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathur\u0101-pur\u012b is the transcendental forest of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana because of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s r\u0101sa-l\u012bl\u0101 pastimes. And superior to the forest of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the super-excellent \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da stands supreme, for it is over-flooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Where, then, is that intelligent person who is unwilling to serve this divine R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?&quot; (U, 9) &quot;Superior to the spiritual realm of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha is Mathur\u0101, where \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a first appears. Superior to Mathur\u0101 is the V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana forest where K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a enjoyed the rasa dance. Better still is Govardhana Hill, which was the site of even more confidential pastimes of love. But best of all is R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill, and holds the supreme position because it is overflooded with the nectar of the highest kind of divine love. Who is acquainted with the science of devotion who will not aspire for the divine service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b at R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da?&quot; We must place our faith in these subtle things. Only through faith of a finer order can we be led to a higher quarter. The highest conception is in the heart of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and we have to enter into the heart of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, not any other place. Although K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s conjugal pastimes with the gop\u012bs (m\u0101dhurya-l\u012bl\u0101) are supreme, they cannot stand alone: there are many other things which are present in His pastimes. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pastimes with His friends and parents are essential in supporting His pastimes of amorous love. Conjugal love is, of course, the main thing, but still it is dependent on the other paraphernalia of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s pastimes. There must be K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s family and friends and all the different groups of servitors. Even the environment of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana itself also has its valuable part to play. (TGVODL, p 157-8) R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b leaped from Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha to Mathur\u0101 in one stride. In his Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta, text 9, he writes: Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dh\u0101j janito var\u0101 madhu-pur\u012b tatr\u0101pi r\u0101sotsav\u0101d. &quot;Mathur\u0101 is superior to Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha because Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appeared there.&quot; It is there that everything is shown in a clear and substantial way. In Mathur\u0101 we find the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception of Godhead. In one stride he has come from Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha to the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conception, but San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b has filled up the gap. In his book, B\u1e5bhad-Bh\u0101gavat\u0101m\u1e5bta, he says that on the way to Mathur\u0101 there is Ayodhya, the spiritual kingdom of Lord R\u0101ma, and there we find sakhya and v\u0101tsalya rasa. But R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b goes to Mathur\u0101 at once. He says: &quot;Come to Mathur\u0101; here you will find sakhya and v\u0101tsalya rasa clearly visible. He has shown how sakhya rasa service is present there. The devotees are playing with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, sometimes climbing on His shoulders, and perhaps sometimes even giving Him a slap. But, although they may mix with Him in this way, their heart is full of a peculiar type of service attitude. That is the criterion: they may give up their lives a thousand times to take a thorn out of His sole. They can sacrifice themselves a thousand times for the slightest satisfaction of their friend. They consider Him a thousand times more valuable than their own life. In v\u0101tsalya rasa also, the criterion is similar: for the slightest interest of the object of their veneration they can give their lives millions of times. Such affection is found there. And then, from v\u0101tsalya, it progresses to conjugal love (m\u0101dhurya rasa), the all-comprehensive rasa which includes adherence (\u015b\u0101nta-ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101), service (d\u0101sya), friendly confidence (sakhya), and parental love (v\u0101tsalya rasa). But the wholesale dedication of every atom of our existence for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s satisfaction is found in m\u0101dhurya rasa, which includes all other rasas. And m\u0101dhurya rasa is more enhanced when it is couched in the form of parak\u012bya, ot paramour relationship. In parak\u012bya rasa, the gop\u012bs risk everything for the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Parak\u012bya rasa takes two forms: in one, there is no obligation of anything; the union may happen or may not happen. So, because their meeting is very rare, it becomes even sweeter. There is another kind of parak\u012bya rasa: we are told that ordinary food is not palatable to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but when He takes food by stealing, that is more tasteful to Him. If we can follow this art, that may also be applied in the case of parak\u012bya rasa. &quot;I am deceiving the party, getting what I want. I am stealing the property of someone else.&quot; That sort of posing becomes more tasteful to the subjective party. So, vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dh\u0101j janito var\u0101 madhu-pur\u012b tatr\u0101pi r\u0101sotsav\u0101d. Janito means v\u0101tsalya rasa and m\u0101dhurya rasa in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana: r\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0dam ih\u0101pi gokula-pate\u1e25. In the m\u0101dhurya rasa also, three groups are shown: V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana in general, selected groups in Govardhana, and the highest group in R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da. All these things have been shown in the conversation between R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya and \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. After this, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Go further.&quot; (TSFSK, p 143-5) + (see also \u015bloka 390)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(538)\",\"vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhera p\u1e5bthivy \u0101di sakala cinmaya\",\"m\u0101yika bh\u016btera tathi janma n\u0101hi haya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The earth, water, fire, air and ether of Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha are all spiritual. Material elements are not found there.&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 5.53) There the earth, water, etc. - everything is made of consciousness, spirit. And above that, there is \u0101nandam or ecstasy, not only a matter of consciousness. Although medicine seems bitter in the beginning, in a healthy state one may taste its sweetness. Our approach to the Divine Realm may also be experienced in this way. So, in r\u0101ga-m\u0101rga, the path of Divine Love, and in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47aloka, there is not only consciousness, but beauty is the prevailing element there. SOTGOD, v 2, p 74) What is Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha? There the soil, earth, water - everything is of purer consciousness than the person who is going to enter there. Can you imagine it? A land of gurus. They are all guru, they are all of superior value by nature; yet, we have to pass over them. I sometimes give an example that if it is necessary for the service we may even put our foot on the throne of the Lord (to place a crown on His head, etc.,) and afterwards come back down, offer our obeisance and then come out from the Deity room. So we must enter and stay in a soil which is made of a stuff which is more valuable than our own selves. A slave when serving the emperor may come near the emperor&#x27;s bed where even his near and dear cannot go or hesitate to go. He can, only for serving. So it is only for the Divine Service, for the necessity of the highest, that we can pass through that soil. It is not an easy thing. It is inconceivable. The fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhera p\u1e5bthivy \u0101di sakala cinmaya. We must understand the conception properly. The j\u012bva has emerged from the ta\u1e6dasth\u0101-\u015bakti or marginal potency. He is a part of the marginal potency, and he must enter into the higher plane. This gross world is of gross potency, apar\u0101-\u015bakti; the j\u012bva, although marginal, is of a potency superior to this gross world, or par\u0101-\u015bakti; and above both is the Internal Potency or antara\u1e45g\u0101-\u015bakti. We have to enter into the antara\u1e45g\u0101-\u015bakti. This marginal potency is to enter into antara\u1e45g\u0101-\u015bakti - and that is Paravyoma, and the highest quarter, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, Goloka. It is not a light matter. It is the fact. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 173-4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(539)\",\"vair\u0101gya-vidy\u0101-nija-bhakti-yoga,\",\"\u015bik\u1e63\u0101rtham eka\u1e25 puru\u1e63a\u1e25 pur\u0101\u1e47a\u1e25\",\"\u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya-\u015bar\u012bra-dh\u0101ri,\",\"k\u1e5bp\u0101mbudhir yas tam aha\u1e41 prapadye\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I surrender unto the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, who is an ocean of mercy. He is the original Personality of Godhead, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and has descended to teach us the real meaning of knowledge, renunciation, and devotion to Him.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101 6.254) (S\u0101rvabhauma Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya composed this and \u015bloka 215 - k\u0101l\u0101n na\u1e63\u1e6dam bhakti-yoga\u1e41, (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101 6.255) after he was shown \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s spiritual position as N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a combined). (TGVODL, p 18) + (SSPJ, p 102)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(540)\",\"vai\u1e63\u1e47ava nindaka jihv\u0101 h\u0101ta\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;If someone repeatedly blasphemes a real Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, or saintly person, then the king should enforce corporal punishment by banishing the offender from his state or by cutting out his tongue.&quot; (vai\u1e63\u1e47ava nindaka jihv\u0101 h\u0101ta). That is not the duty for ordinary persons; if they act in such a way, there will be a riot. We should not be eager to inflict physical punishment upon anyone. Hanum\u0101n is a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, but he is seen to destroy so many lives. When it is necessary for Hanum\u0101n to burn the golden city of La\u1e45k\u0101, his humility is not disturbed. He is as humble as anyone can be in carrying out the order of Lord R\u0101macandra. The same is true of Arjuna and so many other devotees. Even K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and R\u0101macandra are also seen to kill so many demons in war. Simply a physical show of meekness does not constitute the real meaning of humility. When there is an insult to the guru or the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava&#x27;s, a devotee will oppose the blasphemers according to his might. (TGVODL, p 120)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(541)\",\"v\u0101\u00f1ch\u0101-kalpatarubhya\u015b ca k\u1e5bp\u0101-sindhubhya eva ca\",\"patit\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 p\u0101vanebhyo vai\u1e63\u1e47avebhyo namo nama\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfil the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls. (SOTVA, p 7) + (SOTGOD, v 2, p 134)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(542)\",\"va\u00f1cito &#x27;smi va\u00f1cito &#x27;smi,\",\"va\u00f1cito &#x27;smi na sa\u1e41\u015baya\u1e25\",\"vi\u015bva\u1e41 gaura-rase magna\u1e41,\",\"spar\u015bo &#x27;pi mama n\u0101bhavat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Prabodh\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b says: &quot;Deceived, deceived, no doubt, deceived I am! The whole universe became flooded with love of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e63ga, but alas, my fate was not to get even the slightest touch of it.&quot; (C-cand, 46) The real fact is that this is only intelligible by faith, \u015br\u0101ddh\u0101. Buddh-gr\u0101hyam atindriyam - no precedents will come to prove such things; it has no other verification. Faith alone can enter that domain. It is an infinite thing, but we are tiny people, so what capacity does our faith have? Even in this universe there is so much which seems far beyond the stretch of our faith. Our faith is in such tiny measure when compared with the Infinite, so how much can we boast to have in relation to Him? Therefore why should we be so miserly in our faith? To be miserly will be suicidal. Faith will come first, then research will follow. In this world also, it is the same: the intuition, the theory or idea of a thing comes first and research follows. So unbridled faith must be allowed to have its free movement there. So, va\u00f1cito &#x27;smi va\u00f1cito &#x27;smi, that is a clear thing and it expresses the very nature of the devotee. That is, as much conception of the infinite as one has, s\/he must feel within that s\/he is insignificant to the same degree. It is the infinite conception from the view of relativity. It is a question of relativity. When you can see a bigger thing then relatively you cannot but think that you are very infinitesimal. When you look at a great thing, in comparison with that you are the smallest. Do you concede this? When you see the ocean you can perceive how tiny you are in relation to that great magnitude of water. In comparison you are very insignificant, is it not? So apply that principle in this instance also. One who looks at a great thing, whether in size, or knowledge, or love, when standing at the verge of a great thing, from the consideration of relativity one shall think, &quot;I am very poor and very low.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 38-9) + (SSPJ, p 133) + (see also \u015bloka 385)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(543)\",\"vande &#x27;ha\u1e41 \u015br\u012b-guro\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-yuta-pada-kamala\u1e41 \u015br\u012b-gur\u016bn vai\u1e63\u1e47av\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca\",\"\u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa\u1e41 s\u0101graj\u0101ta\u1e41 saha-ga\u1e47a-raghun\u0101th\u0101nvita\u1e41 ta\u1e41 sa-j\u012bvam\",\"s\u0101dvaita\u1e41 s\u0101vadh\u016bta\u1e41 parijana-sahita\u1e41 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-caitanya-deva\u1e41\",\"\u015br\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u0101d\u0101n saha-ga\u1e47a-lalit\u0101-\u015br\u012b-vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101nvit\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and to all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas and unto the six Gosv\u0101m\u012bs, including \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012b Raghun\u0101tha d\u0101sa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u015ar\u012b J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b, and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100c\u0101rya Prabhu, \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, and all His devotees, headed by \u015ar\u012bv\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and all the gop\u012bs, headed by Lalit\u0101 and Vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101.&quot; (SOTVA, p 3) Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b prays vande &#x27;ha\u1e41 \u015br\u012b-guro\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-yuta-pada-kamala\u1e41 \u015br\u012b-gur\u016bn vai\u1e63\u1e47av\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca. First he offers his respects to the group of spiritual masters who are immediately in touch with the fallen souls. Then he says:\u015br\u012b-r\u016bpa\u1e41 s\u0101graj\u0101ta\u1e41: He offers his respects to the \u015b\u0101stra gurus. \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana did not practically come in touch with the masses for preaching, but they gave scriptures for the preachers. The \u015b\u0101stras, the rules and regulations, and the ontological questions - all these things were given by R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana. Are they not uttamaadhik\u0101r\u012bs? They did not come in direct touch with the people, but as they were meant to by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, they laid the foundation for the preaching of Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism. They are the \u015b\u0101stra gurus, the spiritual masters who give the revealed scriptures. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47ad\u0101sa Kavir\u0101ja Gosw\u0101m\u012b first offers his respects to the recruiter gurus, then in a higher stage, to the \u015b\u0101stra gurus, and then to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu who came with His associates and paraphernalia to inaugurate a new truth to the world, and in the highest stages he offers his respects to the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda, and all the gop\u012bs, headed by Lalit\u0101 and Vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101. \u015ar\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-p\u0101d\u0101n saha-ga\u1e47a-lalit\u0101-\u015br\u012b-vi\u015b\u0101kh\u0101nvit\u0101\u1e41\u015b ca. So the \u015b\u0101stra gurus, are doing some work as they have been inspired by \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. They are not coming in direct touch with the fallen souls. So, we cannot say that because they are not directly preaching to the fallen souls, they are not spar\u015ba-ma\u1e47i, or touchstones. To say so would only be expressing our partiality to the preaching group. (SGAHG, p 131-2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(544)\",\"varh\u0101p\u012b\u1e0da\u1e41 na\u1e6da-bara-vapu\u1e25 karnayo\u1e25 karnik\u0101ra\u1e41\",\"bibrad v\u0101sa\u1e25 kanaka-kapi\u015bam vaijayant\u012bn ca m\u0101l\u0101m\",\"randhr\u0101n venoradhara-sudhay\u0101 purayan gopav\u1e5bndair\",\"v\u1e5bnd\u0101ranya\u1e41 sva-pada-ramana\u1e41 pr\u0101vi\u015bad g\u012bta-k\u012brti\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;While the gop\u012bs were describing the sweet vibration of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s flute, they also remembered their pastimes with Him; thus their minds became enchanted, and they were unable to describe completely the beautiful vibrations. While discussing the transcendental vibration, they remembered also how K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a dressed, decorated with a peacock feather on His head, just like a dancing actor, and with blue flowers pushed over His ear. His garment glowed yellow-gold, and He was garlanded with a vaijayant\u012b garland made of tulas\u012b, ku\u1e47\u1e0da, mand\u0101ra, par\u012bj\u0101ta, and lotus flowers. Dressed in such an attractive way, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a filled up the holes of His flute with the nectar emanating from His lips. So they remembered Him, entering the forest of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, whose soil experiences the pleasure of consorthood upon being embraced by the touch of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s lotus feet.&quot; (S-B, 10.21.5) \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b reveals something astounding to Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a enters the forest of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana by the touch of the soles of His lotus feet, the earth feels the pleasure of His embrace - the personal embrace of the Sweet Absolute (v\u1e5bnd\u0101ranya\u1e41 sva-pada-ramana\u1e41). This is inconceivable! By the touch of the Holy Feet of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the sand and the earth feel the pleasure of consorthood! Glorified by His cowherd friends, He enters the forest of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, and the earth, the forest, and everything that comes in connection with Him feels a higher, closer sense experience of pleasure to the happiest degree. (LSFTLS, p 23) + (see also \u015bloka 81)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(545)\",\"var\u012by\u0101n e\u1e63a te pra\u015bna\u1e25,\",\"k\u1e5bto loka-hita\u1e41 n\u1e5bpa\",\"\u0101tmavit-sammata\u1e25 pu\u1e41s\u0101\u1e41,\",\"\u015brotavy\u0101di\u1e63u ya\u1e25 para\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b says: &quot;Yes it is a real question because two inherent signs of enquiry are here. Firstly, it is a general question: to find the solution is necessary for every one of us, and the answer to it will help us all. Secondly, one who already has proper knowledge of his own self will also accept this question to be most relevant. So, one sanction comes from the subjective realm, and another sanction is that it is good for the whole public. Such questions are real questions of universal interest, the solution of which will help every one of the enquirers, and not only with any partial or provincial solution, but with the absolute solution which will help solve the problem of the whole. It is the question that should be asked by anyone and everyone in this world. So, yes your question is bona fide. It will solve not only your problem but it will give the general solution to the whole problem of the entire world. This is the question to be solved, the only question. The general population do not have any perfect knowledge and so do not know what is what, therefore their enquiry may be faulty. One may therefore conclude that the public are always wrong. Since the masses are ignorant their questions may not be the proper ones. The demand of the majority may be erroneous. It cannot be admitted that vox populi is vox dei.&quot; (S-B, 2.1.1) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 1) + (see also \u015bloka 565) (\u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b accepted Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s questions, yac chrotavyam, this way)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(546)\",\"var\u1e47\u0101\u015bram\u0101c\u0101ravat\u0101 puru\u1e63e\u1e47a para\u1e25 pum\u0101n\",\"vi\u1e63\u1e47ur \u0101r\u0101dhyate panth\u0101 n\u0101nyat tat-to\u1e63a-k\u0101ra\u1e47am\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The only way to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, is to worship Him by properly executing one&#x27;s prescribed duties in the social system of var\u1e47a and \u0101\u015brama.&quot; (V P, 3.8.9) This verse confirms the statement of R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya&#x27;s when he told \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu that the ultimate goal of life is to discharge one&#x27;s own duty, without expecting anything in return. (see also \u015bloka 407) Here, R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya says that vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhakti, adherence to the Lord who is permeating everything, is the object and ultimate destination of our life. This is the V\u0101sudeva conception: everything is in Him, and He is everywhere. R\u0101m\u0101nanda explained that from our local interests, we must come to embrace the general interest, and that must reach the level of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u consciousness: vi\u1e63\u1e47u-bhakti. Our submission to Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, the internal spirit who is everywhere, is the object of life. We must connect with Him and live accordingly; not a phenomenal life, but a spiritual life pertaining to a deeper, more subtle plane. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is superficial; go deeper.&quot; Of course, it may be thought that actual theistic life begins from here, giving up the special, local purpose, and acting for a universal purpose, as already ordered and programmed in the Vedas and Upani\u1e63ads. But \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;This is superficial; go deeper.&quot; (TSFSK, p 136) + (see also \u015bloka 259)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(547)\",\"v\u0101sudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga\u1e25 prayojita\u1e25\",\"janayaty \u0101\u015bu vair\u0101gya\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e63 ca yad ahaitukam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If somehow with the help of the scriptures and His agents, the devotees or saints, we can develop our devotion, bhakti, then, the proper knowledge and proper apathy towards worldly substances will follow us.&quot; (S-B, 1.2.7) Healthy, proper knowledge and healthy energy will come to follow us if the reality within awakens and we become adjusted by it. This doesn&#x27;t refer to the knowledge or energy found in this plane. This is entirely distinct. Energy is the capacity to work, to move. And knowledge is to have a conception. That will come in the retinue of devotion. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 211-2) + (SVT, v 2, # 1, Jan. Feb. &#x27;93, p 3)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(548)\",\"vedai\u015b ca sarvvair aham eva vedya\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;All the revealed Scriptures try to reveal Me alone - I am to be known.&quot; (B-g, 15.15) \u015aruti means &#x27;revealed truth.&#x27; We cannot expect to find any truth here, in this world. This world is all misunderstanding, in the field of provincial and local interest. Beyond that, nothing can be conceived here. So absolute knowledge must come from a quarter other than this world. Revealed truth is our only solace, our only support. Veda means: &#x27;Know this.&#x27; Simply, &#x27;Know&#x27;; no rhyme, no reason. When a mother orders her child, she does not offer any reason: &quot;Boy, do this.&quot; There is no rhyme, no reason, no ny\u0101ya, \u015b\u0101stra (logic or scriptural injunction), or anything of the kind. Similarly, Veda comes with a command, an affectionate command: &quot;Do this - know this. I speak fact. Don&#x27;t challenge. Your challenging equipment is all futile and false, so don&#x27;t come, my child, to challenge what I say! Please know this!&quot; This is Veda. Vedai\u015b ca sarvvair aham eva vedya\u1e25. (SCS, p 35) + (see also \u015blokas 438 &amp; 590) Vedai\u015b ca sarvair aham eva vedyo: K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;The attempt of every Revealed Scripture is to show Me as the Highest Centre - I am the Absolute.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 124) + (see also \u015bloka 162) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: Vedai\u015b ca sarvair aham eva vedyo: &quot;All the Vedas are intended to reveal Me, the infinite.&quot; They mean to show how the infinite is moving. If I analyse one atom within my fist, I can analyse it again and again and reanalyse it to no end. It is already within my fist, and yet it is infinite. So it has been said that we may get the maximum benefit by surrendering. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;Give up all your prejudices and the limitations drawn from the limited world and be open. Then it will be easy for the infinite to cast different shades of light on your soul and your knowing faculty. And then it will be easy for you also to cleanse your plane of understanding, cleanse your glass, the mirror of your heart.&quot; In connection with the infinite you will find that everywhere is the centre, nowhere circumference. But to realise this, you must try to live in eternity, in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. Ku\u1e47\u1e6dha means &quot;measurement.&quot; Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha means &quot;no crookedness, no limit, no measure.&quot; That is Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. (LSFTLS, p 50) + (see also \u015bloka 333)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(549)\",\"veda n\u0101 m\u0101niy\u0101 bauddha haya&#x27; ta n\u0101stika\",\"ved\u0101\u015braya n\u0101stikya-v\u0101da bauddhake adhika\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Buddhists do not recognise the authority of the Vedas; therefore, they are considered agnostics. However, those who have taken shelter of the Vedic scriptures yet preach agnosticism in accordance with the M\u0101y\u0101v\u0101da philosophy are certainly more dangerous than the Buddhists.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 6.168) In South India, and especially in Andhra Pradesh, there are many Buddhist scholars. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu met the Buddhists when He was passing through South India. Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: veda n\u0101 m\u0101niy\u0101 bauddha haya&#x27; ta n\u0101stika: Because the Buddhists do not accept the Vedic scriptures, they are considered atheists. \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya, in a hidden way, also preaches on behalf of the Buddhists. The difference between them is that \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya admits the existence of Brahman as the fundamental reality, whereas the Buddhists say that ultimately nothing exists. The Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava \u0101c\u0101ryas disagree with both \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya and with Buddha. They say that the j\u012bva is an individual eternal soul. This particle of spiritual energy known as the j\u012bva or spirit is tiny, like the dust particles of earth or the pencil-rays of the sun. There is the Supreme Infinite Soul or Consciousness, and the finite sparks of consciousness. Their relationship may be compared to the relationship between a great fire and the sparks that emanate from the fire. The sparks that emanate from the fire may become covered by darkness, but when they re-enter the shelter of that great conflagration, they are again perfectly situated. (SEOC, p 64) Ved\u0101\u015braya n\u0101stikya-v\u0101da bauddhake adhika. Half-truth is more dangerous than falsehood. As in \u015aa\u1e45kara&#x27;s M\u0101y\u0101v\u0101da, there is atheism in the garb of theism. They say so &#x27;ham: &quot;I am the highest substance.&quot; They take the authority or the law as non-differentiated like zero. It cannot assert. Therefore, they cannot admit, &quot;I am among the creation.&quot; They imagine it is possible for them to hold the higher position. There is no God. There is no such thing as God who automatically holds the highest power and all that be, because ultimately there is a region of unknown and unknowable substance, and wherever there is enlightenment as a human, a wise man, he holds the highest position. &quot;We hold the highest position.&quot; But if we have to admit God, then we have nothing. As soon as we have admitted God, then we are dispossessed of everything! So much renunciation is impossible. To hold that &quot;I am the absolute authority&quot; means that I am nowhere. Such self-abnegation is not so cheap! (SOTGOD, v 2, p 210) + (see also \u015bloka 547)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(550)\",\"vel\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 lava\u1e47\u0101mbudher madhurima-pr\u0101g-bh\u0101va-s\u0101ra-sphurall\u012bl\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 nava-ballav\u012b-rasa-nidher \u0101ve\u015bayant\u012b jagat\",\"khel\u0101y\u0101m api \u015bai\u015bave nija-ruc\u0101 vi\u015bvaika-sammohin\u012b\",\"m\u016brti\u1e25 k\u0101cana ka\u00f1cana-dravamay\u012b citt\u0101ya rocate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A form of molten gold delights my heart. On the shore of the salt water ocean that golden form manifests yet another ocean of the sweet mood of love pastimes between the young gop\u012bs and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a inundating the entire world of His devotees with that nectar. Ever since His childhood this golden form has enchanted the whole spiritual world.&quot; (C-Cand, 129) + (SBRBM, p 13)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(551)\",\"ve\u1e47u\u1e41 kva\u1e47antam aravinda-dal\u0101yat\u0101k\u1e63a\u1e41barh\u0101vata\u1e41sam asit\u0101mbuda-sundar\u0101\u1e45gam\",\"kandarpa-ko\u1e6di-kaman\u012bya-vi\u015be\u1e63a-\u015bobha\u1e41\",\"govindam \u0101di-puru\u1e63a\u1e41 tam aha\u1e41 bhaj\u0101mi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock&#x27;s feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of cupids.&quot; (BS, 30) + (SBRBM, p 25)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(552)\",\"vicak\u1e63a\u1e47a kari&#x27;,\",\"dekhite c\u0101hile haya,\",\"haya \u0101khi-agocara\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;Suddenly a flash came, but when I tried to see that, it disappeared. It was withdrawn.&quot; In this way, in a negative way, we can have some idea. Whimsically He may come, and suddenly I may feel, &quot;Oh! some experience of the higher kind of knowledge and love - but if I try to cast my eye that side? Nothing.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 175)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(553)\",\"vic\u0101rite \u0101obi,\",\"gu\u1e47a n\u0101hi p\u0101obi,\",\"k\u1e5bp\u0101 kara cho\u1e0data vic\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If You come to judge, You won&#x27;t find anything in my favour, so kindly leave aside the way of judgement. In the way of justice I have no hope. If You come with mercy, then I can hope to enter into Your Domain.&quot; (TSOBT, p 8) We shall try our best to know ourselves as sinners: &quot;If You take the path of justice, I have no hope. I am an infinite sinner. Only if the door of mercy is opened - only if the line of mercy is extended to me, can I have some hope. I am so mean, so low - You are so high, so noble. Only through the doorway of Your mercy, Your affection, can I approach You to enter into Your shelter.&quot; \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati - condemning one&#x27;s own self to the extreme, sincerely of course, and feeling the greatness of the Master party. &quot;Will You graciously accept me? I am not fit to render any service to You, my Lord.&quot; Only this kind of attitude may take us to Him. We must appeal to the mercy side. Affection, devotion. His Grace, His kindness - that subtle aspect is to be tackled by the souls, and then they may have some hope and prospect. Vic\u0101rite \u0101obi, gu\u1e47a n\u0101hi p\u0101obi, k\u1e5bp\u0101 kara cho\u1e0data vic\u0101ra. That is devotion proper, \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati. And in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, that is the plane of mercy, love and affection. Mercy is not as intense in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha; some justice, calculation or vidhi is mixed there. But V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is the land of mercy, love, and affection. And more, there is no want there - it is infinite; the mercy there is also infinite, so an infinite number of culprits can be accommodated there without the slightest difficulty. There is no possibility of pollution of the atmosphere if so many nasty souls like us are accepted. It&#x27;s infinite. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is so generous. It may be extended to the lowest, but the negotiation with Him must be sincere. Still, there is no fear of meanness of the negotiation. There is no sinner that cannot be purified by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The greatest sinner may be purified in a second or less. There is so much dynamic power. But we must enter into those doors of mercy and affection, not of justice. Vic\u0101rite \u0101obi, gu\u1e47a n\u0101hi p\u0101obi, k\u1e5bp\u0101 kara cho\u1e0data vic\u0101ra. &quot;Take me by the door of mercy, my Lord.&quot; That is our real nature, and we should live in such an atmosphere. If we are to live in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, no vanity can stand. There, all are of such temperament. We are all dependants, parasites. We may be cast away and rejected at any moment. (SCS, p 43-5) + (see also \u015blokas 67 &amp; 200)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(554)\",\"vidvadbhi\u1e25 sevita\u1e25 sadbhir,\",\"nityam adve\u1e63a-r\u0101gibhi\u1e25\",\"h\u1e5bdayen\u0101bhyanuj\u00f1\u0101to,\",\"yo dharmas ta\u1e41 nibhodhata\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"We can feel within our heart whether we are gainers or losers. That tasting machine is within us. As we progress in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, our karma, our connection with this material world, will evaporate in no time, and spacious knowledge will come to satisfy us. At that time, we shall feel the object of our life everywhere (mayi d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6de &#x27;khil\u0101tmani - see also \u015bloka 93). When we can see that the fulfilment of life has embraced us, we shall see that everything within the environment is helping us, everything is sympathetic to us from all sides. In that spiritual domain, everyone shall take interest in loving us. We may be careless about our own interest, but the environment there is more favourable and affectionate to us than we can even estimate, just as a child cannot estimate the extent of his mother&#x27;s affection. In this way, friends and home comforts will surround us, and with this realisation we shall go back to God, back to home. (M S, 2.1) + (LSFTLS, p 11) &quot;Accept Me, I am so and so.&quot; So, Veda, Upani\u1e63ad: that is, the revealed scriptures are our only means and the agents - the s\u0101dhus. However great, no empirical scholar can be relied upon. No amount of finite can make infinite. Infinite is of its own nature. We are to understand that, and, if possible, give that to the outside world. vidvadbhi\u1e25 sevita\u1e25 sadbhir, nityam adve\u1e63a-r\u0101gibhi\u1e25 What is religion? It must have to come from up - the Infinite Quarter. And it may be extended to the finite - vidvadbhi\u1e25 means veda-vidbhi\u1e25 - by those who are proficient in the revealed scriptures. The revealed scriptures are the basis. No man-made scripture. Uddhava was asking K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a why there is a jungle of religion in this religious world? So many types, so many sections? K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a told him: &quot;In the beginning, after pralaya, wholesale dissolution, again creation began. I explained pure religion to Lord Brahm\u0101, the creator, and from the creator, it came to different disciples. According to their particular nature, each of them understood it in a different way. When they gave delivery to it, there was further modification. (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 6) + (see also \u015bloka 152)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(555)\",\"vidy\u0101\u1e41 c\u0101vidy\u0101\u1e41 ca yas,\",\"tad vedobhaya\u1e41 saha\",\"avidyay\u0101 m\u1e5btyu\u1e41 t\u012brtv\u0101,\",\"vidyay\u0101m\u1e5btam a\u015bnute\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death, and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.&quot; (SI, 11) One is negative and another is positive. Knowledge means to know what is false and to leave that, and to recognise what is true and to accept that. (SEOC, p 102)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(556)\",\"vikr\u012b\u1e0dita\u1e41 vraja-vadh\u016bbhir ida\u1e41 ca vi\u1e63\u1e47o\u1e25\",\"\u015braddh\u0101nvito &#x27;nu\u015b\u1e5b\u1e47uy\u0101d atha var\u1e47ayed ya\u1e25\",\"bhakti\u1e41 par\u0101m bhagavati pratilabhya k\u0101ma\u1e41\",\"h\u1e5bd-rogam \u0101\u015bv apahinoty acire\u1e47a dh\u012bra\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;One who hears with firm faith the supramundane amorous affairs of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the gop\u012bs, as described by a pure devotee of the Lord, soon becomes freed from mundane lust and achieves divine love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (S-B, 10.33.39) R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya was a married man, but he was recognised by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu as a master of his senses to the extreme degree. Once a br\u0101hma\u1e47a priest named Pradyumna Mi\u015bra came to \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and told Him: &quot;I would like to hear about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a from Your lips.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;I do not know anything about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya knows. Go to him and hear about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Take My Name, and perhaps he will talk with you.&quot; Pradyumna Mi\u015bra was hesitant, but he went and observed R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya for some time and then returned and reported to Mah\u0101prabhu. Mah\u0101prabhu asked him: &quot;Have you heard about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a from R\u0101m\u0101nanda?&quot; Pradyumna Mi\u015bra said: &quot;No, I saw him engaged in something objectionable. I watched for some time, and then returned here. I saw R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya training some young dancing girls!&quot; Girls who are generally devoted to the service of the Jagann\u0101tha Deity from a young age are known as deva-d\u0101s\u012bs. They do not marry, and sometimes their character is not very good. Pradyumna Mi\u015bra saw R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya training deva-d\u0101s\u012bs in a very objectionable way. He was showing them how to go before the Jagann\u0101tha Deity and dance and sing. He showed them how their posture should be, how they should gesture, and how their looks should be enticing. And for such training he would sometimes even touch their private parts. So Pradyumna Mi\u015bra told Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Seeing R\u0101m\u0101nanda do all these things, I had no regard for him, so for some time I saw him busily engaged in that matter, and then I went away.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu told him: &quot;Don&#x27;t underestimate R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya. He is the master of his senses. There is not a tinge of craft in him. Even I feel trouble from sense disturbance within Me, but R\u0101m\u0101nanda has no such trouble. We have no direct experience that a stage can be attained where it is possible to be above mundane sense pleasure, but we have only heard through the scriptures that there is a stage when a man may transcend all these gross attachments. This is mentioned in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, (10.33.39): vikr\u012b\u1e0dita\u1e41 vraja-vadh\u016bbhir ida\u1e41 ca vi\u1e63\u1e47o\u1e25 \u015braddh\u0101nvito &#x27;nu\u015b\u1e5b\u1e47uy\u0101d atha var\u1e47ayed ya\u1e25. &quot;One who hears with firm faith the supramundane amorous affairs of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the gop\u012bs, as described by a pure devotee of the Lord, soon becomes freed from mundane lust and achieves divine love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; One may be engaged bodily in such activities, while his heart is elsewhere. And there is only one who is of that type: R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya. There are not big numbers of R\u0101m\u0101nandas; there is only one R\u0101m\u0101nanda, who has acquired such a stage because he is well versed in the kind of sentiment and realisation which is necessary for the service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the gop\u012bs. His heart is completely dedicated to the cause of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; he has no selfish interest. He is always in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, and whatever he does is for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s satisfaction, so don&#x27;t think ill of him. Go there again.&quot; Then Pradyumna Mi\u015bra again went to see R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, and R\u0101m\u0101nanda began their conversation by saying: &quot;Oh, on that day I could not oblige you. But again you have come to hear about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. How fortunate I am!&quot; In the morning, R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya began to speak, and when the afternoon came, still he was madly talking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. He completely forgot about eating, bathing, or anything else. He was mad, incessantly talking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Then, when it was late, his servants came twice, thrice, to ask him to take bath and eat his dinner, and finally, he had to leave the talk and go. Then Pradyumna Mi\u015bra returned to Mah\u0101prabhu and said: &quot;Yes, I have heard from R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, and my heart is full from hearing about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a from him.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu Himself had heard from R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, and He said: &quot;R\u0101m\u0101nanda knows what is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. What I taught to R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana, I heard from R\u0101m\u0101nanda.&quot; (TSFSK, p 132-3) + (see also \u015bloka 426) It is mentioned that Mah\u0101prabhu took dik\u1e63a (initiation) from \u012a\u015bvara Puri, a disciple of M\u0101dhavendra Pur\u012b. When He was 24 yrs old, for preaching purposes He displayed His pastimes of accepting sanny\u0101sa (the renounced order) from Ke\u1e63ava Bh\u0101rati (a \u015aa\u1e45karite), at Gay\u0101 in the year 1431 \u015bak\u0101bda; and for entrance into the transcendental pastimes of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, He took r\u0101ga marga initiation from R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(557)\",\"vipada\u1e25 santu t\u0101\u1e25 \u015ba\u015bvat,\",\"tatra tatra jagad-guro\",\"bhavato dar\u015banam yat sy\u0101d,\",\"apunar bhava-dar\u015banam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Queen Kunt\u012b Dev\u012b prayed to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;I wish that all those calamities (poisoning, arson, cannibalism, the vicious assembly, exile in the forest, the battle), would occur again and again so that we could have Your dar\u015bana again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.&quot; (S-B, 1.8.25) In \u015ar\u012bla San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s book the B\u1e5bhad-bh\u0101gavatam\u1e5bta, the gradation of transcendental realisation has been explained as N\u0101rada Muni visits different places. There, the gradation of devotion is traced from the karma-k\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da br\u0101hma\u1e47a, to the devotee King Indradyumna, then to Indra, then to Brahm\u0101, then to \u015aiva, from him to Prahl\u0101da, then to Hanum\u0101n, then the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas, then to the Y\u0101davas, to Uddhava, and finally to the gop\u012bs. After N\u0101rada Muni left Hanum\u0101n, he went to the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas. There he found Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira Mah\u0101r\u0101ja seated on a throne and began to sing the glories of the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas. He told Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira Mah\u0101r\u0101ja: &quot;How friendly you are in your relationship with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! How fortunate you are!&quot; Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira Mah\u0101r\u0101ja said: &quot;What are you saying Deva\u1e5b\u1e63\u012b? Of course K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a favours us, we can&#x27;t deny that, but what is our position? We have no position at all. On the other hand, I feel now and then, that by seeing our example the people in general won&#x27;t want to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, because they will calculate that being such intimate friends of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas had to pass through difficult troubles and dangers their whole lives. They will think that to be a devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a means that one must suffer troubles throughout their whole life. I am afraid that by thinking of us, people will not venture to approach K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; Deva\u1e5b\u1e63\u012b said: &quot;No, no, I don&#x27;t see it from that angle of vision. What is danger or affliction to the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas? What is the meaning of that? When the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas are in danger that is the message that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is coming to save you. So, your mother prayed: Vipada\u1e25 santu t\u0101\u1e25 \u015ba\u015bvat, tatra tatra jagad-guro: &#x27;Let dangers come: may they visit me always. I don&#x27;t care for that, because that brings K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a much closer to us. We rather like the dangers that bring K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a into our intimate connection.&#x27; That famous statement of your mother, Kunt\u012bdev\u012b stands there.&quot; The P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas, headed by Mah\u0101r\u0101ja Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira said: &quot;Yes, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a visits us now and then, in the time of our dire need, but how fortunate are the Yadus! Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is always with them. They are so proud of their master, Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, that they do not care for any other power in the world. They are so fortunate that Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is always closely connected with them.&quot; So, N\u0101rada Muni went to the Yadus and began chanting in praise of them. (TSFSK, p 84-5) + (see also \u015bloka 329)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(558)\",\"vipada uddh\u0101ra\u1e47a bandhu-ga\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"We are in the ocean of faith, and the devotees are the essential agents. Each helps the other. We are much relieved from the fatigue and trials of a long journey if we have a companion or the association of a group. Similarly, in this ocean, if we obtain the help of the devotees of similar nature to ours, that will be most conducive. Even our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) in a speech he delivered on Vy\u0101sa-puj\u0101 day, his holy appearance day, addressed his disciples: &quot;Vipada uddh\u0101ra\u1e47a bandhu-ga\u1e47a:&quot; &quot;Oh my friends, who can give me relief from danger. To me, you are my deliverers from danger. In the ocean of faith, it is very difficult to journey onward alone, so you have come to help me in my dangerous, ambitious journey in the infinite. You have come, and you are engaging me in talking about Him, and so, you have given me some engagement. Otherwise, to live and move alone in the infinite is very difficult, troublesome and dangerous. You have all come to hear something, and in this exchange of talks about Him the situation has been made very safe and easy to journey so far toward Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha.&quot; We must be conscious of our real position when we are searching for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. It is not so easy, and also, it is very easy - both simultaneously. Faith is the only capital by which we can make our journey towards the Infinite. Bhakti, devotion, has no beginning and no end (ahaituky apratihat\u0101). There is no beginning - it is there already. Before we came to know about it, it was there. It was there, it is there, it will be there. No one can resist it - that bhakti, that faith is irresistible. It is part of the eternal substance. Its very nature is eternity - none can oppose it. We only have to make contact and associate with it, and the wave will carry us towards our goal. And if we can have the company of the devotees, the journey becomes very easy and pleasant, whereas to go alone is very difficult. In the progress of our contact with faith, when we come to take benefit from the devotees and have faith in them, we are more safe and our progress is also tangible - it comes to reality. From a vague, abstract position, faith becomes deeper within us. We can then recognise many others with the same objective in life, and the journey becomes easier. It becomes conceivable. It comes into measurement. When we have faith in the real devotees, we can come into contact with such a tangible thing. Thus, the position of the devotees is very important in our journey, especially in the middle stage. In the primary stage, not much importance is given to the devotees. With only a vague conception from the scriptures and with the help of previous accumulated merits (suk\u1e5bti), the journey is begun. But gradually, the beginners find that to journey onwards in the infinite is not an easy thing: &quot;We thought that with a little progress we could attain the desired end, but now we find that it is not so.&quot; When we come to consider the real position of devotion, of what God is - He is universal, He is the ultimate goal - we may gradually become disappointed. But if along the way we take help from the devotees of similar objective, we shall feel much relief by their company, even though the destination may be far away. The difficulties of the journey are more prominent in the second stage. In the primary stage, we are not very exclusive in our objective, and so, we do not experience much difficulty. Real difficulties begin when we enter into the journey exclusively, with no other objective than to engage our whole energy towards that high and elevated path. And if we actually achieve a touch of the highest stage, the mah\u0101-bh\u0101gavata stage, the journey again becomes easier. But the middle portion is difficult, and at that stage the devotees are very important to save us. This is the period of both tangible acquisition and difficulty; our failings on the path to realisation are to be rectified in this middle stage. When we enter into war, in the beginning we have much hope. We feel confident. But the real test is when the fighting begins. And when we finally conquer, we again become very satisfied. But the middle - when the war is being conducted - that is the difficult period. At that time, our co-workers, our comrades who fight along-side us, are very, very important to us. &quot;I am not alone, but there are many others battling alongside me in that middle fighting period of way.&quot; Those companions are important. Some may disappear from the field but there will be others to encourage me. Similarly, on this journey, we may see that many stalwarts are falling. It may discourage us to see such respected persons going away - falling in the middle path. Nonetheless, in the midst of those unfavourable circumstances there are others who are bravely making progress with unflinching faith, and they will help us. To stick it out to the end is difficult - but important and valuable. The test comes and shows how much faith we have. Nothing comes in vain, and we must take everything that happens in that way. There may be many stalwarts, like Bh\u012b\u1e63ma and Dro\u1e47a, who fall flat in the battlefield, but still we must go on (karma\u1e47y ev\u0101dhik\u0101ras te, m\u0101 phale\u1e63u kad\u0101cana - Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, 2.47 + see also \u015bloka 225). We are out to fight to the end. We must achieve our end of life, and we can imbibe such firmness from the character of the devotees. The \u015b\u0101stra will also offer helpful advice, but the association of the devotees is nonetheless of ultimate importance. We need lasting faith, not flickering faith: &quot;Oh, I attempted for some time but I did not find any tangible fruit from bhakti, so I left;&quot; or, &quot;To me, it seemed very, very vague. When I began, I thought this to be something tangible that I would quickly attain, but it is not so. It is uncertain. I am giving so much energy for the cause, but still the desired result is not achieved.&quot; Previous tendencies also draw from the negative side, and so we find that many stalwarts are falling. Still, we have to persevere in this journey, and we shall have to take courage from those who are standing and who are deeply engaged. Though it is told hundreds of times that the Absolute is infinite, in the beginning we still tend to take it in the conception of the finite. We are accustomed to think of anything and everything in terms of finite. So, although we hear that it is infinite, it is Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, it has no limit - we nonetheless cannot grasp the proper meaning. But when we make practical progress, many new conceptions must come to our knowledge. Now, when our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura) addressed his disciples as vipada uddh\u0101ra\u1e47a bandhu-ga\u1e47a: &quot;My dear friends who have come to deliver me from danger,&quot; we should, of course, recognise such a statement from both the relative and absolute standpoints. Students are a necessary part of a professor - when a professor has students, he feels the practical utility of his life has been successful. Thus, from the relative point of view, disciples can help the \u0100c\u0101rya. But from the absolute standpoint, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s will is everything, and the nitya-siddha or eternally perfect great souls who inwardly know the Lord&#x27;s intentions cannot be disturbed by any danger in any respect, but outwardly such an appearance may be manifest in their dealings. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 39-45) + (see also \u015bloka 273) &quot;You are my saviours. You are all saviours to me in my danger; in the real danger of my life. You are all my saviours. You have given me support. You have come to hear me, and so I have the chance of k\u012brtana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-k\u012brtana. So you have come to save me. You are supplying food to me, otherwise I would have died without engagement. In this eternal atmosphere we are helpless without the cultivation of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. You have all come to give me engagement in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-k\u012brtana and so you have come to save me from my dangerous position. You are all my friends, you have come to release me from my danger; to save me from my danger.&quot; He saw his disciples in such a great way - and this is reality. So K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-k\u012brtana is the only lifegiving, life-saving thing in this world. Without K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness the souls are going down deeper into the unknown quarter. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 69)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(559)\",\"viracaya mayi da\u1e47\u1e0da\u1e41 d\u012bnabandho day\u0101\u1e41 v\u0101\",\"gatir iha na bhavatta\u1e25 k\u0101cid any\u0101 mam\u0101sti\",\"nipatatu \u015bata-ko\u1e6dir nirbhara\u1e41 v\u0101 nav\u0101mbhas\",\"tad api kila payoda\u1e25 st\u016byate c\u0101takena\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O friend of the needy, whether You chastise me or reward me, in the whole wide world I have no other shelter but You. Whether the thunderbolt strikes or torrents of fresh waters shower down, the C\u0101taka bird (who drinks only the falling rainwater) perpetually goes on singing the glories of the raincloud.&quot; (SSPJ, p 118) &quot;The bird known as C\u0101taka always looks above for rainwater, but it will never take any water from the ground even if there is an abundance there. He waits only for whatever water will come from above. Sufficient rain may come, or thunder may come, yet he will not take even a single drop from the earth. Our attitude should be like that. We must follow whatever instruction and direction comes from above, and never try to fulfil any plan from the mundane world. &quot;The Director, the Master, the Lord above - I am connected with Him.&quot; This sort of practice is conducive.(SR)+(SOTGOD, v 1, p 70) &quot;You may punish me, O cloud, you may punish me. If a thunderbolt comes, I&#x27;ll be nowhere. You can throw down thunder or you can give me water. But how much can I drink with my small beak? A flood of rain may come. O, Lord of the poor, Lord of the helpless, You can give me a drop of Your devotion, or You may punish me like anything. My position is also like that bird. O, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, You may finish me, destroy me, efface me from the world, or You may save me by only a drop of Your grace. I won&#x27;t search after my satisfaction in the mud. That is finished, I will never go back to search my fortune in the earth, in the mundane. I am already fixed to do or die. Either I must receive a drop of Your grace, or You may finish me.&quot; In this way, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b prays that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s mercy will descend like rain from the clouds, and not only quench his thirst, but bathe him, satisfy his utmost hankering, and fulfil his innermost necessity. So, we should never search for our fortune in the mud; we must always look to the high sky and pray for \u015br\u012b guru and his grace. (SGAHG, p 159) There is a kind of small bird named c\u0101taka that only drinks rainwater. It never drinks any water from the earth, whether it is from a river, fountain, or lake. Its very nature is that with its mouth upward, it hankers after rainwater. \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b gives this example to show how a devotee should always be waiting in expectation of the &quot;rainwater&quot; of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-love, and no other love. The devotee prays to the Lord: &quot;You are the friend of the fallen, so I have some hope. You may grant Your Grace, or severely punish me - in either case, I have no other alternative but to wholly surrender to Your lotus feet.&quot; Our attitude of surrender should be just like that of the c\u0101taka bird, who always has his eyes fixed upward, praying for rainwater. Rainwater may come profusely - not only enough to fill up his small belly, but enough to drown his whole body. Thunder may come from above; a bolt from the blue may come and finish his small body, and send him to the nonexistent quarter, but still the nature of that bird is to pray exclusively for rainwater. He won&#x27;t take rainwater from any other place under any circumstance. Our attitude towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a should be like that: whether or not He extends His gracious hand towards us, it is our duty to surrender unto Him. (TGVODL, p 145)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(560)\",\"vi\u015bate tad anantaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;My devotee enters into My family.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 139) y\u0101v\u0101n ya\u015b c\u0101smi tattvata\u1e25 tato m\u0101\u1e41 tattvato j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101, vi\u015bate tad-anantaram &quot;Only through love and devotion can I be understood as I am. Thereafter, fully understanding Me, you can merge into My entourage.&quot; (B-g, 18.55) This &quot;merging&quot; is explained by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;They enter into Me to become a person in My family. Among the circles of My friends, he enters: vi\u015bate tad-anantaram. He becomes as if My own. That means that without losing your personality you can be fully My own.&quot; To enter into the Lord&#x27;s family is a living merging, not a physical or dead merging into Brahman, spirit. That is the result of prema, divine love. That ideal is above the general conception of merging into the oneness of Brahman, where one loses oneself in the ocean of consciousness as if in a sound sleep. We are not interested in that. Rather, through K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, we become lost swimming in the ocean of sweetness. This has been accepted by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. (LSFTLS, p 58) We should not the difference between a servant and a trader. Many approach with some trading purpose, but the character of the real devotee should be that of a servant. \u015ar\u012b Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja has mentioned that one who associates with the s\u0101dhus, wanting something in return for his personal interest, is making &#x27;trade&#x27; with the s\u0101dhus. He thinks: &quot;How much can I gain, and how much shall I have to give?&quot; But a pure devotee should not have any such separate interest. Rather, he should try to merge within the interest of the Lord. In whatever position he is, it does not matter - whether he is a brahmac\u0101r\u012b, a sanny\u0101s\u012b, a g\u1e5bhastha, a v\u0101naprastha, or any other position - he must be willing to merge (vi\u015bate tad-anantaram). He will not like to keep any separate account. His sole objective will be to enter into the family of the Godhead. This is the very basis of pure devotion. Tato m\u0101\u1e41 tattvato j\u00f1\u0101tv\u0101, vi\u015bate tad-anantaram. (B-g, 18.55 + see also \u015bloka 91). We want to surrender, to be one of common interest with the Lord, and not to approach, ask some questions, pocket the answers, and then make trade with them elsewhere in any way. Once, when I was being asked many questions, I replied: &quot;This is not an enquiry office.&quot; The inquisitive want to satisfy their idle curiosity; or, they want to be masters of many keys - that they will be able to give solutions to everyone&#x27;s problems, and attain some status. They have many motives but they cannot understand the real necessity. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 53) + (see also \u015bloka 501)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(561)\",\"vi\u1e63ay\u0101 vinivartante,\",\"nir\u0101h\u0101rasya dehina\u1e25\",\"rasa-varja\u1e41 raso &#x27;py asya,\",\"para\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dv\u0101 nivartate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Although the person of gross corporeal consciousness may avoid sense objects by external renunciation, his eagerness for sense enjoyment remains within. However, inner attachment to sense objects is spontaneously denounced by the person of properly adjusted intelligence, due to his having had a glimpse of the all-attractive beauty of the Supreme Truth.&quot; (B-g, 2.59) Raso &#x27;py asya, para\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dv\u0101 nivartate. By even slightly coming in contact with the dignified position of our own soul, all worldly charm will vanish; and even that will seem to be a negligible thing compared to the awakening of higher levels of realisations, up to the Supersoul - Param\u0101tm\u0101 - then to N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! There is so much ecstatic enjoyment on that side and it will be realised only when it will be revealed within us. Though to our present conception it is far away, still, that experiencer, that taster, is within us: it is the j\u012bv\u0101tm\u0101. And if we try to concentrate even for a second there, we will find what a dignified position the soul holds. We shall think, &quot;Who are these thieves? The intellect, mind and senses are all thieves and plunderers. They are taking me into the land of misery as if through some intricate conspiracy.&quot; It will seem like that to us. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 46) + (see also \u015blokas 185 &amp; 405) Our heart&#x27;s concern is with ecstasy, charm, and sweetness. And this is felt by the heart, not by the brain, so the heart has been given the most importance. The next effect is felt in the plane of knowledge. After getting a taste of divine sweetness, suspicion vanishes, (rasa-varja\u1e41 raso &#x27;py asya, para\u1e41 d\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6dva nivartate - see \u015bloka 405). When we have a taste of real ecstasy (rasa), then all doubts are cleared. By getting a taste of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, the heart is captured, and when the heart is captured, the ecstasy of love of Godhead, prema, begins to flow. Being satisfied, the heart will say: &quot;This is what I was searching for!&quot; Then, the brain will follow, thinking: &quot;Yes, there can be no doubt, this is the highest goal of our search. Dissolve everything else.&quot; The heart will say: &quot;I have attained prema, divine love - this is the highest thing! Stop all works from now on.&quot; Then, karma will close all its workshops. After coming in contact with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, the first result is that the heart awakens. When the heart is captured, the brain approves, and our karma, energising in the wrong direction, stops. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is the real wealth of the heart. (TGVODL, p 22)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(562)\",\"v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu-sut\u0101-dayit\u0101nucara\u1e41,\",\"cara\u1e47\u0101\u015brita-re\u1e47u-dharas tam aham\",\"mahad-adbhuta-p\u0101vana-\u015bakti-pada\u1e41,\",\"pra\u1e47am\u0101mi sada prabhup\u0101da padam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;He is the dearmost intimate follower of the Divine Daughter of \u015ar\u012b V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu, and I know myself to be most fortunate by taking the dust of his holy feet upon my head. I make my obeisance unto his invincible, wondrously purifying lotus feet. I perpetually bow to the wonderful effulgence emanating from the toenails of the holy feet of my Divine Master.&quot; (SPP) + (ARO, p 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(563)\",\"vy\u0101ghra-v\u0101ra\u1e47aina-vanya-jantu-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-g\u0101yaka\u1e41\",\"prema-n\u1e5btya-bh\u0101va-matta-jh\u0101\u1e0dakha\u1e47da-n\u0101yakam\",\"durga-vanya-m\u0101rga-bha\u1e6d\u1e6da-m\u0101tra-sa\u1e45ga-saukara\u1e41\",\"prema-dh\u0101ma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Leaving R\u0101makeli, the Lord continued His journey towards V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. On the way He passed through Jh\u0101\u1e0dakha\u1e47\u1e0da forest where He inspired the jungle animals such as tigers, deer, elephants and other forest creatures to sing with Him the Holy Names of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Intoxicated by the wonderful nectarean experience of association of the Lord, the animals began to joyfully dance along with their newly found compassionate Master towards whom they were drawn by an irresistible love. While He was madly absorbed in deep devotional ecstasy, the Lord easily and happily proceeded down the dense and impenetrable jungle path of Jh\u0101\u1e0dakha\u1e47\u1e0da, accompanied only by Balabhadra Bha\u1e6d\u1e6d\u0101c\u0101rya. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gaurasundara, the beautiful divine abode of pure love.&quot; (PDDS, 36) + (SBRBM, p 10)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(564)\",\"vy\u0101so vetti na vetti v\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"There is gradation and there is room for progress in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. We will say that one is chaste due to his own sincere progress, not due to adherence to the figure, the formal conception. vy\u0101so vetti na vetti v\u0101. Such a strong expression is also there. All rights reserved. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness is unlimited. Still there is the possibility of conceiving its purity in its unadulterated form, and the \u0100c\u0101ryas are giving that to us. (SGD, GP, &#x27;94, p 12) Mah\u0101prabhu says to San\u0101tana Gosw\u0101m\u012b: &quot; San\u0101tana, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is very gracious to you, He is sending so many things for you through Me. I don&#x27;t understand them, but for you so many things are passing through Me. The Grace of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is flowing through Me to you, I feel. I do not know all these things, it is not Mine.&quot; It has also been mentioned: vy\u0101so vetti na vetti v\u0101: that Vy\u0101sa who has written \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam, he may or may not know what is its meaning. It is coming for the others through him. (C, v 1, # 5, Sum. &#x27;93, p 11)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(565)\",\"yac chrotavyam atho japya\u1e41,\",\"yat karttavya\u1e41 n\u1e5bbhi\u1e25 prabho\",\"smarttavya\u1e41 bhajan\u012bya\u1e41 v\u0101,\",\"br\u016bhi yad v\u0101 viparyyayam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"(Par\u012bk\u1e63it Mah\u0101r\u0101ja put this question to \u015aukadeva Gosw\u0101m\u012b): &quot;We are exercising our senses in this plane but what will be the most beneficial for us? We are receiving things from outside to meet the demand of our internal self, but what will be the best utility of our senses? Which things should we imbibe within ourselves for our best interest? We are always accepting something from the environment for the inner interest. Now how should we utilise our senses, the channel of our knowledge, that they may best help our inner interest?&quot; (S-B, 1.19.38) + (SOTGOD, v 3, p 1) (see also \u015bloka 545)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(566)\",\"yadamiya-mahim\u0101-\u015br\u012b bh\u0101gavaty\u0101\u1e41 kath\u0101y\u0101\u1e41\",\"pratipadam anubh\u016btam apy\u0101labdh\u0101-abhidheya\",\"tadakhila-rasa-m\u016brte\u1e25 \u015by\u0101ma-l\u012bl\u0101valamva\u1e41\",\"madhura-rasadh\u012b-r\u0101dh\u0101-p\u0101dapadma\u1e41 prapadye\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;It is She, whose unlimited nectarean glories, qualities, beauty and love for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a have always been deeply felt and recognised throughout the whole Bh\u0101gavatam at every step of its ultimate meaning and purport of all descriptions. Yet, out of feelings of awe and reverence, and to protect Her high honour, Her Name has not even been mentioned by \u015ar\u012bla \u015aukadeva Gosv\u0101m\u012b in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. She therefore remains mystically unavailable as the most confidential, ultimate objective of life. She is the shelter and promoter of all divine pastimes (l\u012bl\u0101) of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Who is the personification of all beauty and bliss (rasa). I offer my most regardful obeisances unto the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, who is the unlimited ocean of all conjugal ecstasy or mellows (m\u0101dhurya-rasa).&quot; (SRP) + (ARO, p 12) + (SBRBM, p 31-2)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(567)\",\"yad-anucarita-l\u012bl\u0101-kar\u1e47a-p\u012by\u016b\u1e63a-vipru\u1e6dsak\u1e5bd-adana-vidh\u016bta-dvandva-dharm\u0101vina\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101\u1e25\",\"sapadi g\u1e5bha-ku\u1e6dumba\u1e41 d\u012bnam uts\u1e5bjya d\u012bn\u0101\",\"bahava iha viha\u1e45g\u0101 bhik\u1e63u-cary\u0101\u1e41 caranti\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The transcendental l\u012bl\u0101 of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is great nectar for the ears. Those who relish just a single drop of that nectar even once have their attachment to material duality totally ruined. Many such persons have immediately given up their futile homes and families and have come to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana like a free bird out of a cage. Becoming totally detached from their material life, those devotees have taken up the path of renunciation and have accepted alms just to maintain their lives on this plane. In this way they continue to search for Him, the all fulfilment of life.&quot; (S-B, 10.47.18) + (SBRBM, p 26-7)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(568)\",\"yad\u0101 pa\u015bya pa\u015byate rukma-var\u1e47a\u1e41\",\"kart\u0101ra\u1e41 \u012b\u015bam purusa\u1e41 brahma-yonim\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When one sees an exalted or extraordinary personality with lustrous golden complexion He should be known as the omniscient all mighty Lord who is the divine origin of everything.&quot; (ARO, p 23) &quot;K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Supreme Brahman, appears in a golden form.&quot; Rukma-var\u1e47a\u1e41 means golden. (MU) + (TGVODL, p 4) + (see also \u015bloka 53)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(569)\",\"yad\u0101 sa deva j\u0101gartti,\",\"jadeda\u1e41 ce\u1e63\u1e6dita\u1e41 jagat\",\"yad\u0101 sav\u1e5bti-\u015b\u0101nt\u0101tm\u0101,\",\"tad\u0101 sarvva\u1e41 nim\u012blate\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;When the jagad-puru\u1e63a or universal form of the Lord, falls asleep. Then everything naturally falls asleep along with Him. Then there is no more creation, no more external activity because all are dissolved. And again, with the awakening of Him, everything becomes active.&quot; (MS) Just as we see in our dream that we have entered one garden, and this garden seems to be known to the dreamer within the context of the dream, similarly, this whole universe has been evolved from our different kinds of desires of heart - desires of the soul. The soul has some type of compartmental feeling - a certain kind of joy - whether individual or collective, which encourages progressive steps through different planes of reality. The great, exalted souls have given us the realistic ideas of such subtle evolutions of higher conception - finer conclusions of the conception of life. (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(570)\",\"yad \u0101s\u012bt tad api ny\u016bna\u1e41,\",\"ten\u0101nyad api sandadhe\",\"tad api dvy-a\u1e45gula\u1e41 ny\u016bna\u1e41,\",\"yad yad \u0101datta bandhanam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;After joining the original rope with another that rope was also short by the measure of two fingers. Then she tied more rope; that also was short by the same measure. In this way, no matter how much rope she added, it was always short by two fingers.&quot; (S-B, 10.9.16) To think: &quot;I can know You, I can measure You&quot; - that is impossible, wild goose chasing, and this has been declared by \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. You can never know Him. The closer you come to the boundary of your knowledge, the more you will find Him transcending it. None can bind Him. That was shown in the attempt of Mother Ya\u015bod\u0101. When she went to bind D\u0101modara, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, around the waist, the rope was always two fingers short. Yad \u0101s\u012bt tad api ny\u016bna\u1e41, ten\u0101nyad api sandadhe. Mother Ya\u015bod\u0101 tried to bind K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a with rope after she found Him stealing butter, but even after adding more, and more rope, it was always just two fingers short. Due to her affection, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a allowed Himself to be bound. It is a mathematically impossible margin, but it is such. Similarly, we must know that the Absolute is subjective, not objective. Examples like this show us the failure of objective calculation. Don&#x27;t go to calculate the transcendental truth by the objective process. The factor of His will can never be eliminated, and that is the real factor. If you approach to calculate about Him, the most realistic thought you must keep in your mind is that it depends on His Supreme Will. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 159-60) + (see also \u015bloka 197)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(571)\",\"yad-avadhi mama ceta\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a pad\u0101ravinde\",\"nava-nava-rasa-dh\u0101many udyata\u1e41 rantum \u0101s\u012bt\",\"tad-avadhi bata n\u0101ri-sa\u1e45game smaryam\u0101ne\",\"bhavati mukha-vikara\u1e25 su\u1e63\u1e6dhu ni\u1e63\u1e6dh\u012bvana\u1e41 ca\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, realising ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex-pleasure, I spit at the thought, and my lips curl with distaste.&quot; (B-r-s, dak\u1e63i\u1e47a-vibh\u0101ga, 5.39 - quoted from Yamun\u0101c\u0101rya) Yamun\u0101c\u0101rya says: &quot;Before I came in touch with the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-love of V\u1e5bndvana, worldly pleasure was of much importance to me; but now, if any mundane taste comes in my memory, my face becomes disfigured, and I spit at the thought.&quot; What is real joy and ecstasy? We are not acquainted with that. This is our present trouble. Yet as much as we progress in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, we shall become conscious of a practical feeling of real joy and ecstasy, beauty and charm, and in this way, we shall become more encouraged. Yamun\u0101c\u0101rya says: yad-avadhi mama ceta\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a pad\u0101ravinde. So if we get a slight taste of that ecstasy, then at once we come to the conclusion that there can be no comparison between that and any peace or pleasure here in this mundane world. At the same time, once we are settled in that atmosphere, no pain can disturb or affect us in any way. (TGVODL, p 150-1)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(572)\",\"yad\u0101 yad\u0101 hi dharmasya,\",\"gl\u0101nir bhavati bh\u0101rata\",\"abhyutth\u0101nam adharmasya,\",\"tad\u0101tm\u0101na\u1e41 s\u1e5bj\u0101my aham\",\"paritr\u0101\u1e47\u0101ya s\u0101dh\u016bn\u0101\u1e41,\",\"vin\u0101\u015b\u0101ya ca du\u1e63k\u1e5bt\u0101m\",\"dharma-sa\u1e41sth\u0101pan\u0101rth\u0101ya,\",\"sambhav\u0101mi yuge yuge\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Bh\u0101rata, whenever there is a decline of religion and an uprising of irreligion, I personally appear, like a being born in this world.&quot; (B-g, 4.7) &quot;I appear in every age to deliver the saintly devotees, to vanquish sinful miscreants, and to firmly establish true religion.&quot; (B-g, 4.8) &quot;Whenever and wherever religion declines and irreligion becomes prevalent, I advent Myself. In order to protect the saintly and punish the wicked, as well as to re-establish religious principles, I appear millennium after millennium.&quot; Here, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;I come here now and then to help re-establish the scriptural injunctions, as well as to do away with the demoniac.&quot; These are the references from the scriptures describing how K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes in search of His servants. By accepting these statements as our starting point, we can see that He is always coming to this world to help the fallen souls, His own servants. (LSFTLS, p V1) + (see also \u015bloka 200) In \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;First I transmitted Vedic knowledge to this world through Brahm\u0101. And that was entrusted to his disciples: the four Kum\u0101ras, Mar\u012bci, A\u1e45gir\u0101, and other sages.&quot; The knowledge was first invested in them and later in books. First it was presented in the form of sound, not script. Gradually it became fixed in writing. In the beginning, it descended directly through sound from one man to another, from lip to ear. No script or writing was invented at that time, but knowledge was contained in the form of sound. Passing through the ear to the mouth, and again to the ear of another, gradually it became lost. In connection with the mediator sometimes it becomes lost and disfigured, distorted, and then again the Lord feels the necessity of appearing in this world. (yad\u0101 yad\u0101 hi dharmasya). Sometimes K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes Himself, and sometimes He sends a normal thinking man to reinstate the standard of true religion. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;This karma yoga that I have spoken to you, Arjuna, I spoke first to S\u016brya, and from S\u016brya it was passed down from generation to generation. And so it has become mutilated and disfigured. Again I am speaking that very same thing to you today.&quot; The enervating plane gradually erodes the truth. The truth is bright when it first appears, but gradually with the contact of this enervating plane, it becomes weak, disfigured, and demoralised, and so K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appears from time to time to rejuvenate it, and bring about a renaissance. (SGAHG, p 16-7) In the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam Uddhava posed the question: &quot;Why in the name of religion are there so many &quot;isms&quot; in the world. Will every &quot;ism&quot; that is found here independently take me to the goal? Or is there any gradation?&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a told him: &quot;When the creation began, I transmitted the truths of religion into the heart of Brahm\u0101, the creator, and from Brahm\u0101, that came to his disciples. But according to the different capacity of those disciples, what they received was a little changed when they delivered it to others. When I gave it to Brahm\u0101, that knowledge was one. Brahm\u0101 told his disciples, and when they received it in the soil of their heart, it entered, but with some modification. Again, when they gave delivery to their disciples there was more modification.&quot; It became lost due to the vitiating nature of the mundane plane. One point is the difference in the receiver and another, in the succession. So, gradually the truth was modified, and now we see that the religious world is a jungle. Some give stress on penance, some on charity, some this, some that. So many branches of religion have sprung up. And antagonistic, ascending opinions like atheism have also grown from the human mind to oppose those modified descending opinions. So, now we find there is a jungle. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a appears now and then to reestablish the principles of religion. (yad\u0101 yad\u0101 hi dharmasya gl\u0101nir bhavati). When religion becomes extremely degraded, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes again, or sends His representative, telling him: &quot;Go and set it right.&quot; There must be religious differences, but one who can catch the real internal meaning of the truth will be saved. Others will be misguided, and it will be a long time before they are delivered. Once having a real connection with a bona fide guru, he won&#x27;t be lost. In this way K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a answered Uddhava&#x27;s question in the Eleventh Canto of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, and it is quite intelligible. It is neither unreasonable nor dogmatic. If we are sincere, we won&#x27;t be lost. (SGAHG, p 95) During the time of my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja&#x27;s (\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura&#x27;s) preaching, one newspaper in Calcutta complained: &quot;Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dh is spreading slave mentality to the country - this is most objectionable. This will destroy the military spirit of the land, so they can&#x27;t be encouraged to spread slavery. They have no patriotism, what are they! That they are nothing, they do not belong to Him, the country does not belong to us, no interest, eh! What are they? Go, hence, and live in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. We won&#x27;t allow you to spread this poison into the country.&quot; The atheists cannot tolerate the call to come hither and live in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. They can&#x27;t tolerate the spreading of this &#x27;poison&#x27; within the country. And they hold that in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a supported war. But that was not from their standpoint. Yad\u0101 yad\u0101 hi dharmasya - The Lord says: &quot;Sometimes the world is so thickly and powerfully attacked by the atheistic influence, that I have to come down again to re-establish some sort of religious environment here. The dreaded enemies are vanquished and killed and the good thinkers are given certain relief in their lives. For this I have to come.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 2, p 2134) + (SVT, v 2, # 1, &#x27;93, p 4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(573)\",\"yad dh\u0101mnah khalu dh\u0101ma caiva nigame brahmeti sanj\u1e63\u0101y\u0101te\",\"yasy\u0101\u1e41\u015b\u0101sya kalaiva du\u1e25kha nikarair yoge\u015bvarair m\u1e5bgyate\",\"vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dhe paramukta-bh\u1e5b\u1e45ga-cara\u1e47o n\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47o ya\u1e25 svayam\",\"tasy\u0101\u1e41\u015b\u012b bhagav\u0101n svaya\u1e41 rasa-vapu\u1e25 k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47o bhav\u0101n tat-prad\u0101\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The effulgent, nondifferentiated aspect of divinity known as Brahman is composed of infinite particles of individual consciousness, and has been considered by the Upani\u1e63ads and by Vedic scholars to be the halo of the Absolute. The localised plenary portion of Godhead known as Param\u0101tm\u0101 is sought after by the great yog\u012bs practising extreme penances. N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a Himself, the predominating Lord of the Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha planets, whose lotus feet are worshipped and served by His unexcelled beelike devotees, is only a partial representation of the original Personality of Godhead. The original or full-fledged aspect of divinity is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. O Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, you have not come to distribute Brahman or Param\u0101tm\u0101 or even N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a-bhakti, but svayambhagav\u0101n K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the original conception of the Absolute, who is all-ecstasy. It is you, O Gurudeva, who can gently place me in His hands, and you have come to give Him to the public.&quot; (S-B-v-d, v 7, SKM, p 53) + (SGG) &quot;Just as the moon, he helps the stars to twinkle, and he&#x27;s (the moon) supposed to also help the &#x27;asadhi&#x27;. Many drugs, the moon&#x27;s rays help to gain their potency it is told - so also you have come to enliven the scriptures with the proper meaning and to please the real saints that are in the world. Like a moon, you have come here in this world.&quot; Then the next, &quot;You have done a great service to the worldly people by composing many devotional scriptures, books and so many other things. \u0100c\u0101rya R\u0101m\u0101nuja, the great scholar, and many others also did, but your greatness and nobility is not to be limited there. Then, what is more... yad dh\u0101mnah khalu dh\u0101ma caiva nigame brahmeti. That Brahman has been considered by the Vedic scholars to be the halo of the Absolute and even by the great yog\u012bs. They are, with great trouble, searching after the Param\u0101tm\u0101 - the AllPervasive Spirit, All-Comprehensive, and All-Permeating. With great penance they are searching after that which is only a partial representation of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, Who is searched after by the great and are above this self-salvation. Personally, they are engaged in the serving of this N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a in a happy way. But, N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, whose original full-fledged aspect is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, you have come here to give that! Not this Param\u0101tm\u0101, nor Brahman, nor even N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a-bhakti, but Svaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n, who is the very full representation of the different types (expansions) that they are. That original conception of the Absolute, Svaya\u1e41 Bhagav\u0101n K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who is All-Ecstasy, You have come to give that thing to the public. And, that is also in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, the highest sphere, where He&#x27;s receiving the different types of services including v\u0101tsalya, filial service, and, where R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, with all of Her paraphernalia, is giving Him the highest form of affectionate service, you can give us the position of service in that plane!&quot; (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 11)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(574)\",\"yadi gaura n\u0101 hoita, tabe ki hoita, kemone dharit\u0101m de\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101ra mahim\u0101, prema-rasa-s\u012bm\u0101 jagate j\u0101n\u0101ta ke\",\"madhura v\u1e5bnd\u0101 vipina m\u0101dhur\u012b prave\u015ba c\u0101tur\u012b s\u0101ra\",\"baraja yuvat\u012b bh\u0101vera bhakati \u015bakati hoita k\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"V\u0101sudeva Datta has said: &quot;If Mah\u0101prabhu had not appeared then how could we sustain our lives? How could we live? What type of ecstatic rasa has He imbibed that we have been able to have a little taste? Without this our lives would be impossible. Who else could take us to the acme of realisation of the position of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. She holds the highest position. She is the greatest victim to the consuming capacity of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. She stands as the greatest sacrifice before K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s infinite consuming power. Rasar\u0101j-Mah\u0101bhav - the rasa is there, and She is the drawer of that rasa from the storehouse. She has such negative capacity that She can draw out the rasa to the highest degree both in quality and quantity.&quot; (C, v 1, # 7, Spr. &#x27;95, p 10) + (see also \u015bloka 257) &quot;What great insurmountable, unsurpassable loss would we have faced in our life, if \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga had not appeared before us on this earth? How could we bear our unfulfilled, empty life without Him? Who in this world would have described the super excellent transcendental glory of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, Who is the last limit of divine love and devotion for the Supreme Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? Without His grace, who would be able to know the super excellent devotional path that gives entrance into the transcendental realm of the ambrosial ecstasy of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana? Who would be able to attain the mood and taste of the topmost devotional ecstasy of the young damsels of Vraja?&quot; (SBRBM, p 32) K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is of vital importance to our existence. Only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can give us vitality. And as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself distributes K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. V\u0101sudeva Ghosa says, therefore: &quot;\u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga is my life and soul, my only vitality. If Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga had not come, how could I live? By His grace I have tasted such valuable food that without this, my life would be completely impossible.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 31) + (see also \u015bloka 522) Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu demonstrated to the scholars that His intelligence and scholarship excelled everyone else&#x27;s. So when He came with the tidings of divine love, then it was easier for the ordinary men to accept it as the highest ideal and try for it. So Vasudev Ghosh says: &quot;If Mah\u0101prabhu had not appeared in this Kali-yuga, then how could we tolerate living? How could we sustain our lives? What He has given - the very gist of life, the very taste, the charm of life - without that, we think it is impossible for anyone to live in this world. Such a thing has been invented, discovered by Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. If He had not come, then how could we live? It is impossible to live devoid of such a holy and gracious thing as divine love. Without Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, how could we know that R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b stands supreme in the world of divine love? We have received all these things from Him, and now we think that life is worth living. Otherwise to live would be suicidal.&quot; And serving those who can serve R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is the way to approach Her vicinity. By serving the servants of the servants, we are assured of success in getting the grace of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. If somehow one can be counted in the group of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s servitors, one&#x27;s future is assured. Within the group of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b&#x27;s servitors, we aspire to be r\u016bp\u0101nugas, followers of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa. (LSFTLS, p 102) In the pastimes of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga Mah\u0101prabhu, one of the principal gop\u012bs of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, one of the a\u1e63\u1e6da-sakh\u012bs of V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, came here as V\u0101sudeva Ghosh. In appreciation of Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s descent here, he says: &quot;How could I keep up my life if Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga Mah\u0101prabhu did not come down? If I did not come in touch with Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga Mah\u0101prabhu, how could I live at all? That is so near to life, so near to vitality. It is the vitality of the vitality. If I had not come in touch with such a potent vitality, I should have been finished.&quot; In this way, our intimacy may accommodate \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu. V\u0101sudeva Ghosh said: &quot;I could not live at all if such nectar had not been extended into me. It would have been completely impossible to go on with my life.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 109) &quot;If Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga did not come, who else could come and inform us about the highest quarter of ecstatic pastimes?&quot; Yadi gaura n\u0101 hoita, tabe ki hoita, kemone dharit\u0101m de. &quot;Then how could we keep our existence, maintaining our very existence? So much prospect we have got! We did not know? We have dragged down our existence so far. Now, we find such a happy fulfilment is awaiting. Such is our fate, our fortune. Now, &quot;Yes,&quot; our creation, our existence is real and desirable. Otherwise, it is all dry and undesirable.&quot; R\u0101dh\u0101ra mahim\u0101, prema-rasa-s\u012bm\u0101 jagate j\u0101n\u0101ta ke. Prema - we give two Paisa to another and we find much ecstasy in the heart - a Paisa or two and some food, some morsel are all on the relative circle - giving some morsel to the body - not the real representation of the living being. And what I am giving, that is not touching the real plane of life! We are all thinking, &quot;doing this,&quot; we are big men, we are generous hearted, we are patron = puffed up with our pride. But we did not reach the real plane of life at all. Prema-rasa-s\u012bm\u0101. Given that the self-satisfaction of self-distribution can reach so far, so high by giving to others. But how to give? And what quality of giving is real gift? Proper gift? All these things we did not know at all, prema-rasa-s\u012bm\u0101, prema. We give, and what we get in reaction? That is prema, love. That is the ecstasy. By distributing ourselves, what will we get as a reaction? The quality of that may be so high that such a reaction may come - the premarasa-s\u012bm\u0101 - r\u0101dh\u0101ra mahim\u0101. And where is the acme of all self-giving? That is to be found in R\u0101dhik\u0101 only, how the self-forgetfulness, the self-distribution to be found in the Absolute, how far it may grow? To what standard? This we find in R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. R\u0101dh\u0101ra mahim\u0101, prema-rasa-s\u012bm\u0101 jagate j\u0101n\u0101ta ke. And, who will bring this secret of the transcendental to the mortal plane without Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga? Has anyone done such? What is the real standard of a noble life? What is nobility? We are all suffering from mean consciousness. We do not know how to give ourselves. What standard of giving is a real gift? Self-distribution, self-forgetfulness - these are big words. What is their real meaning? How far may it go up? Only big words won&#x27;t do, but the real meaning - how far it may reach? It may reach to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. The acme is there. That Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga! He brought it down. By His realisation. But of course, it is He Himself that He has come to distribute. He is incomparable with anyone! What to do? But anyhow, we have got this information of the highest type of noble life through Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. To give, to become unconscious of one&#x27;s own self. To give a touch of that l\u012bl\u0101, that high pastime, a finishing of the life of this world.&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 9-10)\"}]},{\"slug\":\"c18\",\"title\":\"18. An Ever-Deepening Love\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"I want that standard of divine love, of intimacy with You. I want to dive deep within You.\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(575)\",\"yadi karibe k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga kara\",\"bhukti-mukti-siddhi-v\u0101\u1e63ch\u0101 d\u016bre parihara\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;If you are going to chant the Holy Name, keep the association of the pure devotee and totally abandon all your desires for enjoyment, liberation, yogic perfections or miracles.&quot; (P-v) We are but tiny souls and many things may be miraculous to us. Yog\u012bs and mystic persons can show many miracles and captivate us. It is easy to capture a tiny soul by miracles. There are so many powerful miracle-men in the world. Let God save us from their hands! We must not allow ourselves to be the prey of so many miracles; may that charm leave us, once and for all. Yadi karibe k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101ma s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga kara. May all these alternative prospects - exploitation, renunciation, miracles - retire forever. We want only the Lord of our heart, who can award the deepest satisfaction. All the atoms of our innermost constitution have their corresponding engagement with Him, and that too, is of the highest quality. This proposal is given by the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava school under the direction of \u015ar\u012b Caitanyadeva and \u015ar\u012b Nityan\u0101nda Prabhu. In the V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana proposal, the Infinite is in the nearest position with the finite: apr\u0101k\u1e5bta. Apr\u0101k\u1e5bta is where the Infinite has come nearest to the finite, as though one of them. When He is so close, so near, no one can easily recognise whether He is infinite or not. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 11-12) + (see also \u015blokas 221 &amp; 480)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(576)\",\"yad\u1e5bcchay\u0101 copapanna\u1e41,\",\"svarga-dv\u0101ram ap\u0101v\u1e5btam\",\"sukhina\u1e25 k\u1e63atriy\u0101\u1e25 p\u0101rtha,\",\"labhante yuddham \u012bd\u1e5b\u015bam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O P\u0101rtha, such a battle, present of its own accord like the open gates of heaven, can be gained only by the most fortunate warriors.&quot; (B-g, 2.32)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(577)\",\"yadyapy any\u0101 bhakti\u1e25 kalau karttavy\u0101\",\"tad\u0101 k\u012brttan-\u0101khya-bhakti-sa\u1e41yogenaiva\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;In this Kali-yuga, of the nine basic forms of devotional practices, the forms other than k\u012brtana certainly should be practised, but they must be conducted subserviently to k\u012brtana.&quot; (B-s, sa\u1e45khya 273) And this is the principle of Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s preaching. K\u012brtana has its own special characteristic, particularly in Kali-yuga. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 22) (see also \u015blokas 236, 217, 138 &amp; 258)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(578)\",\"y\u0101he t\u0101ra sukha haya sei sukha mama\",\"nija sukhe-du\u1e25khe mora-sarvad\u0101i sama\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Which ever way He feels satisfied to treat me is my happiness.&quot; (TSOBT, p 142) + (SBRBM, p 30)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(579)\",\"yaj\u1e63\u0101rth\u0101t karma\u1e47o &#x27;nyatra,\",\"loko &#x27;ya\u1e41 karma-bandhana\u1e25\",\"tad-artham karma kaunteya,\",\"mukta-sa\u1e45ga\u1e25 sam\u0101cara\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Selfless duty performed as an offering to the Supreme Lord is called yaj\u1e63a, or sacrifice. O Arjuna, all action performed for any other purpose is the cause of bondage in this world of repeated birth and death. Therefore, remaining unattached to the fruits of action, perform all your duties in the spirit of such sacrifice. Such action is the means of entering the path of devotion, and with the awakening of true perception of the Lord, it will enable you to attain to pure, unalloyed devotion, free from all material qualities (nirgu\u1e47a-bhakti).&quot; (B-g, 3.9) &quot;Unless work is done as a sacrifice for Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, one&#x27;s own work will be the cause of bondage; therefore work on My behalf, and free yourself from the chain of action and reaction.&quot; Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (3.9) says that any work, no matter what it is, causes a reaction. For example, you may nurse a patient. Apparently, it is a good thing, but you are giving the patient medicine that comes from killing so many insects, trees, creepers, and animals. You may think that your nursing is a very pure duty, but you are causing a disturbance in the environment, and you will have to pay for that. In this way, whatever we do here cannot be perfectly good. (TSFSK, p 489) We must firmly establish the conception of \u012b\u015b\u0101v\u0101syam: everything, including ourselves, is meant for the Supreme Lord. We are all His servants, and we are meant to utilise everything in His service. Any work we perform will bind us in this environment of matter, unless we perform yaj\u1e63a, sacrifice (yaj\u1e63\u0101rth\u0101t karma\u1e47o &#x27;nyatra, loko &#x27;ya\u1e41 karma-bandhana\u1e25). (TSFSK, p 50) + (see also \u015blokas 581, 582 &amp; 13) What is the meaning of dedication or sacrifice? yaj\u1e63\u0101rth\u0101t karma\u1e47o &#x27;nyatra, loko &#x27;ya\u1e41 karmabandhana\u1e25. Work should be done only as a sacrifice. All other work is mere energising force. (GOD, p 11) + (see also \u015blokas 581, 582 &amp; 13) To live here we cannot but consume, and we cannot but create devastation in the environment by our eating. If we go to consume anything, even plants, grasses or seeds, then microscopic creatures are being killed. So the question is how to get rid of this reaction? It is said in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (3.9), we shall get relief from that reaction only if we can successfully connect everything with the Supreme Satisfaction, with Him whose pleasure all existence is meant to fulfil. So, in the taking of food, really we are to be conscious that we are collecting the ingredients for His satisfaction, and then cooking and offering to Him for His satisfaction - that should be our real purpose. And then because our whole life and energy is for serving Him, we need energy and must take something out of that. But the main point, the real substance of the transaction will be to collect, cook, and offer to Him according to His will expressed in the scriptures. That is the first step, and only after the foodstuffs have been offered to Him shall we take anything ourselves. This will help to make us always conscious of why we are taking. We are taking because we want only to serve Him. Furthermore, whatever has been accepted by the Lord, the &quot;poison,&quot; the bad reaction, will have been absorbed and digested by Him just as in the case of Mah\u0101deva who drank the poison generated from the Ocean of Milk. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Absolute and can digest anything. Not only that, but those things which have been consumed in His connection also receive promotion, so actually there is no hi\u1e41s\u0101, violence. What appears to be hi\u1e41s\u0101 is not really so, because those whom are apparently violently treated actually receive a high promotion through connection with the Supreme. In addition whoever has been instrumental in fulfilling that connection will also receive some reward. So the devotee must think: &quot;What shall I take? I won&#x27;t take anything from the world, I shall take only from my Master, as His grace. It is His grace, His free grace to me - Pras\u0101da.&quot; The word Pras\u0101da means &#x27;kindness,&#x27; &#x27;grace.&#x27; The devotee will feel: &quot;Whatever service I do, I am not expecting anything to be paid to me in return. It is a free transaction. And whatever I receive is only His grace. So I shall take Pras\u0101da, then I shall be free from all entanglement of action and reaction even though I am in the midst of it. Because it is a fact that with every action I must disturb the environment, then if all my actions are meant for Him, the Supreme Lord, there will be no bad reaction coming to me, but rather the opposite reaction will occur and help not only me but those that were offered also. Through me, through myself as a centre, such waves will emanate that will help others to progress in their path of purification.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 11-12) + (see also \u015bloka 518)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(580)\",\"yaj\u1e63a-\u015bi\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101\u015bina\u1e25 santo,\",\"mucyante sarvva-kilbi\u1e63ai\u1e25\",\"bhu\u00f1jate te tv agha\u1e41 p\u0101p\u0101,\",\"ye pacanty \u0101tma-k\u0101ra\u1e47\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Saintly persons who partake of the remnants of sacrifice become liberated from all the sins arising from the five kinds of violence to living beings. But those who cook for their own consumption, those sinners eat only sin.&quot; (B-g, 3.13) We are entitled only to taste the remnants left by the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. We are to accept those remnants and continue our lives in that way. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 76) + (see also \u015bloka 528)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(581)\",\"yaj\u1e63o vai k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"The Lord or Guardian says that: &quot;It must be devoted towards Me, to My satisfaction, otherwise it is not yaj\u1e63a.&quot; Sacrifice means that it must be for the Absolute centre, and not for any provincial interest, sectarian purpose or anything else. It must go to the Absolute and then it will be real yaj\u1e63a. (GOD, p 11)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(582)\",\"yaj\u1e63o vai vi\u1e63\u1e47u\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Sacrifice is meant exclusively for Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, or K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; (TSFSK, p 50)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(583)\",\"yam\u0101dibhir yoga-pathai\u1e25,\",\"k\u0101ma-lobha-hato muhu\u1e25\",\"mukunda-sevay\u0101 yadvat,\",\"tath\u0101ddh\u0101tm\u0101 na \u015b\u0101myati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The agitated mind, repeatedly taken captive by its enemy in the form of depravity rooted in lust and greed, is directly mastered by serving the Supreme Lord, Mukunda. It can never be likewise checked or pacified by practising the eight-fold yogic discipline, which is generally based on sensual and mental repression (yama, niyama, etc).&quot; (S-B, 1.6.35) + (SSPJ, p 66) Here, \u015ar\u012b N\u0101rada Muni is saying: &quot;You yog\u012bs think that by the process of controlling the breath you are getting peace of mind and also control over the senses. But it is only for the time being. Even if it continues for lives together, it is an artificial thing. It cannot have any permanent contribution. You think that control of lust and anger is everything, and that you will find a sort of peace within yourself that you are master of lust, anger, and greed, etc. (k\u0101ma, krodha, lobha, etc.). But you cannot retain that position. That is a lower position, a lower peace, it cannot be maintained permanently. You will have to fall down. It is temporary (hato muhu\u1e25 - controlled repeatedly). But mukunda-sevay\u0101 yadvat \u2026\u015b\u0101myati: the peace you attain from yoga practice cannot reach to the degree of peace you will find in yourself by serving Mukunda. This yoga is the artificial means of checking the k\u0101ma, krodha, etc., that disturb the mind and bring quick reactions. By the practice of controlling the breath, the pr\u0101\u1e47a-v\u0101yu, one can become a &#x27;master&#x27; of the senses, but it is temporary.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 92) + (see also \u015bloka 267) The practices of sitting postures (\u0101sanas), breath control (pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101y\u0101ma), etc, may help us to a slight degree, but only superficially. The deep seed can be eliminated only by taking Mukunda on the throne of our heart. (Mukunda-sevay\u0101 yadvat) If one goes on with the artificial means of pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101y\u0101ma and so on, lust and anger may seem to be a little reduced in power for the time being, but this is not a permanent cure. When the practices are slackened, they arise again. The relief from lust, anger and greed is only temporary. The meditators and renouncers (yog\u012bs, j\u1e63\u0101n\u012bs) think these practices will quench their inner thirst, and they go on with constant deep meditation (nidhidhy\u0101sanam) while keeping guard outwardly with some external practices. But the devotees do not have any faith in this method. They consider the whole thing artificial. They only want to invite V\u0101sudeva in all phases of their lives, and in this way they permanently do away with those enemies. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 2) It may be possible for us to control our senses to a certain extent and for some time by the practice of yoga, but yoga cannot give the Absolute. That He is Absolute means He is above all. Absolute means that He is self sufficient; He is not dependent on any other thing. Yoga can only help us to control our mental and physical anomalies or eccentricities, that too only for the time being, not for eternity. For the time being, lust, anger, greed, illusion, etc. (k\u0101ma, krodha, lobha, moha, etc.) all may be brought under control but only for some temporary period. Mukunda-sevay\u0101 - but if we can engage ourselves in the service of Mukunda, then all disturbances will leave us once and for all. By finding the sweet taste in His service and company, all these so-called charming proposals will retire eternally. The charm for lust, the charm for anger or for greed, all these things will vanish altogether and won&#x27;t come back again if only we can get the taste of serving the Lord, Mukunda. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 50) + (see \u015blokas 305 &amp; 434)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(584)\",\"yam evai\u1e63a v\u1e5bnute tena labhya\u1e25\",\"(K-U, 1.2.23)\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Whoever He chooses to make Himself known to can know Him. Otherwise, no one can know Him against His will. He has reserved all the right of not being exposed to the senses of anyone and everyone. He is so high, He can do that. If He does not wish to make Himself known, no one can know Him - whenever He wishes to make Himself known to someone, they can know Him. This is His position. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 87) + (see also \u015bloka 335) Whomever K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will accept can understand Him - others cannot. (yam evai\u1e63a v\u1e5bnute tena labhya\u1e25) When K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a delegates power sufficiently to a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, and wants to deliver many fallen souls through him, it takes place by His will. (SGAHG, p 131) + (see also \u015bloka 4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(585)\",\"y\u0101 ni\u015b\u0101 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"tasy\u0101\u1e41 j\u0101garti sa\u1e41yam\u012b\",\"yasy\u0101\u1e41 j\u0101grati bh\u016bt\u0101ni,\",\"s\u0101 ni\u015b\u0101 pa\u015byato mune\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;While spiritual awareness is like night for the living beings enchanted by materialism, the selfrealised soul remains awake, directly relishing the divine ecstasy of his un-interrupted spiritual intelligence. On the contrary, the wakefulness of materialistic persons addicted to sense enjoyment is night for the self-realised person who is completely indifferent to such pursuits. The realised souls, indifferent to the mundane, are ever joyful in the divine ecstatic plane, while the general mass is infatuated by fleeting mundane fancies devoid of spiritual joy.&quot; (B-g, 2.69) \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu portrayed in His character how much He intensely searched for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and how deeply and intensely He became absorbed in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101. He ignored so many other facts competing in the outside world. Forgetting everything, despising everything which is so important to us on this mundane plane, i.e., so many functions, so many duty considerations all of this, He neglected. How deeply and intensely He engaged Himself in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101. Diving deep into it, it was to capture His whole heart so intensely that externally, He was found to be helpless; jumping into the ocean, crossing the wall, coming to the Jagann\u0101tha Temple unknowingly - what sort of deep attraction did He have for that Reality in Jagann\u0101tha? We see the Vigraha, the wooden form of Jagann\u0101tha. But how could Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu see? Tears! Running down incessantly filling up so many pits, one after another! - pits are being filled by the tears. What does He see? What is the depth of His vision? Is He seeing the wooden form of Jagann\u0101tha that we see? What is He to see? How is He to feel? What intensity is in Him? Y\u0101 ni\u015b\u0101 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41. Our existence is all night to Him; our day world is really like all night to Him! And what is night to us? It was clearly day to Him. He was fully awake there. So He showed by His example. What gratefulness we have for this apparently interesting world; how wonderful we think of our imagination, superstition, etc. But diving deeply there, He showed by His own characteristic and nature, His own example and practices, just how sweet, how captivating is the life of a devotee in the internal world of reality. (SS, v 2, # 1, &#x27;84, p 6) + (see also \u015bloka 93) &quot;What is night to a particular person, that is day to another section; what is day to the phenomenal engagement, that is night to the transcendental mentality.&quot; (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 2) Some persons are awake in the world of experience. Their day is the world of experience and their night is the soul&#x27;s world, God&#x27;s world. And another class of men are wakeful in the soul&#x27;s world and are sleeping in this world of experience. This world is darkness to them, and they are quite awake in the world of faith. They find that the world of faith is a permanent world. The soul, however tiny, has a substantial position in eternity; it is an eternal factor in the world of faith. There, we shall find: &quot;Whatever I see is eternal. Nothing will be effaced at any time. I am a member of the world of reality, and through faith I can reach such a subtle plane that never dies or changes. There is such a subtle, higher plane, and my soul is a member of that plane. The soul is wakeful there and is asleep in this world of experience, having no connection with it. And the man of the world of experience with flesh and blood, he is wakeful here, whereas that real world - the soul world - is like dark night to him.&quot; In our present condition it may seem almost non-existent, but such a plane is the substantial eternal reality. Its existence supersedes all. All may vanish, but faith stands forever. Faith is the particular potency of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 20-1) + (see also \u015bloka 485) We are wakeful in this material world, but there are others who are completely awake in that plane of faith, while this world of matter, this tangible world of enjoyment and exploitation, is underground to them; it is far, far away from their conception. They are deeply engaged in the world of service, through \u015braddh\u0101, faith (y\u0101 ni\u015b\u0101 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41, tasy\u0101\u1e41 j\u0101garti sa\u1e41yam\u012b). To them, even to see K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is a type of enjoyment. They think: &quot;No, we won&#x27;t disturb His sweet will; whenever He likes to, He may call for us, and then we shall have a chance to see Him otherwise not.&quot; If for my personal satisfaction I desire to see K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a: &quot;O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, come and stand before me so that I can see You and satisfy my eyes or inner hankering,&quot; this is a kind of imposition by our exploiting nature. A devotee does not want this. Actual devotees do not allow these thoughts to enter their minds, but they maintain the mood: &quot;Whenever He wishes to, He will call for me, and then I shall have a chance to see Him.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 22) + (see also \u015bloka 31) In the Navadw\u012bpa-bh\u0101va-tara\u1e45ga by Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, he seems to be having actual visions of the Pastimes of the Lord on the various islands of Navadw\u012bpa; yet he writes in such a way that he also seems to be aspiring for those visions. But of course he was actually having those visions. His vision is inspired. The Dh\u0101ma allows us to see it, according to the degree of our devotion. A doctor sees a patient according to his capacity. Higher intelligence can see deeper. Such is the case always. A higher politician can see a higher strategy, and so on. Y\u0101 ni\u015b\u0101 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41, tasy\u0101\u1e41 j\u0101garti sa\u1e41yam\u012b. &quot;The detached, self-realised soul remains awake in the night of all beings, and the world of exploitation that all beings awaken in is similarly his night.&quot; A detector can see the depth afforded by its capacity. The X-ray can detect to a certain depth, the microscope has another dimension of utility. There is revelation according to one&#x27;s capacity. Deserve - and have. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 99) + (see also \u015bloka 281) A higher conception of the finer world is here. It is real, and where you are trying your utmost to make a stand, the place that you consider real is unreal. Y\u0101 ni\u015b\u0101 sarva-bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41. &quot;You are asleep to your real self-interest and the real truth, while you are awake in the plane of selfdeception.&quot; We must establish ourselves in the plane of reality, and try our best to extend it to others. And to preach means this: &quot;I sincerely have faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness and relish it to the utmost. I find that my future prospect is here also. Because I feel that it is very tasteful, useful, and wholesome, I have come to distribute it to you, my friends. Take it, and you will be successful in fulfilling the goal of your life.&quot; (TSFSK, p 7-8)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(586)\",\"yan-n\u0101madheya-\u015brava\u1e47\u0101nuk\u012brttan\u0101t,\",\"yat prahva\u1e47\u0101d yat smara\u1e47\u0101d api kvacit\",\"\u015bv\u0101do &#x27;pi sadya\u1e25 savan\u0101ya kalpate,\",\"kuta\u1e25 punas te bhagavan nu dar\u015ban\u0101t\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Devah\u016bti says: &quot;O Lord, if he just hears Your Name, then chants it, offer You obeisances and remembers You, even a person born as a dog-eating outcaste instantly becomes eligible to perform the Soma sacrifice; to say nothing of the purification of those who see You directly.&quot; (S-B, 3.33.6) Those dog-eaters and lowest class of people can be immediately purified by taking the Name of the Lord. When the pr\u0101rabdha has gone, the person becomes like Indra, but not Indra proper, a little less. Savan\u0101ya kalpate means Indra-kalpa. Now, please note very attentively \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b&#x27;s remark in his commentary. Savan\u0101ya kalpate means &#x27;he becomes purified to such a standard that he can perform the sacrifice which is reserved only for the br\u0101hma\u1e47as. &#x27;Kalpate means &#x27;a little difference.&#x27; So here, \u015ar\u012bla J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b has given his own commentation. What is the little difference? When that person&#x27;s pr\u0101rabdha has gone, he attains the position of a boy of a br\u0101hma\u1e47a. But the boy is not allowed to perform the br\u0101hma\u1e47a yaj\u1e63a until and unless he is given the sacred thread. A sa\u1e41sk\u0101ra (purificatory ceremony) is necessary. Janman\u0101 j\u0101yate \u015b\u016bdra\u1e25 - by birth everyone is impure, but by sa\u1e41sk\u0101ra they are purified. But who will be fit for the sa\u1e41sk\u0101ra? Only the br\u0101hma\u1e47a boy. Now, he reaches the stage of the br\u0101hma\u1e47a boy, and not the br\u0101hma\u1e47a. He may have come from any caste, but after taking Hari-N\u0101ma he should be considered to have reached the stage of a br\u0101hma\u1e47a boy; and again when that g\u0101yatr\u012b sa\u1e41sk\u0101ra or br\u0101hma\u1e47a sa\u1e41sk\u0101ra is given, he gets the recognition of a bona fide br\u0101hma\u1e47a and he can perform the yaj\u1e63a and \u015a\u0101lagr\u0101m\u0101rccana (worship of the Deity \u015a\u0101lagr\u0101ma-\u015bil\u0101), etc. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 1579) + (see also \u015blokas 44, 90 &amp; 103)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(587)\",\"y\u0101nra pativrat\u0101 dharma v\u0101\u1e63ce arundhat\u012b\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"We find in the scripture that Arundhat\u012b is the famous example for her outstanding chastity. The quality of chastity found in the daughter of King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu even excels that of Arundhat\u012b in all respects. Y\u0101nra pativrat\u0101 dharma v\u0101\u1e63ce arundhat\u012b: &quot;She who is famous for her ideal chastity also deeply aspires after the transcendental beauty and quality of the chastity of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; (ARO, p 16) yanra saubhagya-guna vanche satyabhama yanra thani kala-vilasa sikhe vraja-rama yanra saundaryadi-guna vanche laksmi-parvati yanra pativrata-dharma vanche arundhati &quot;Even Satyabh\u0101m\u0101, one of the queens of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, desires the fortunate position and excellent qualities of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. All the gop\u012bs learn the art of dressing from \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, and even the goddess of fortune, Lak\u1e63mi, and the wife of Lord \u015aiva, P\u0101rvat\u012b, desire Her beauty and qualities. Indeed, Arundhat\u012b, the celebrated chaste wife of Vasi\u1e63\u1e6dha, also wants to imitate the chastity and religious principles of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 8. 183-4) 588 ya&#x27;o pa\u1e0da bh\u0101gavata vai\u1e63\u1e47avera sthane But the human form of life alone is not sufficient. Sat-sa\u1e45ga, s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, is necessary, sadguru cara\u1e47\u0101\u015braya. Anyone who has received the grace of a s\u0101dhu can have that nectar, whereas, even a br\u0101hma\u1e47a may not be qualified to enter into the Bh\u0101gavatam. \u015ar\u012bman Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Go to a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, from him you will get the real stand-point of Bh\u0101gavatam and how to approach it.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 18) + (see also \u015bloka 358)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(588)\",\"y\u0101re dekha, t\u0101re kaha &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;-upade\u015ba\",\"\u0101m\u0101ra \u0101j\u1e63\u0101ya guru ha\u1e63\u0101 t\u0101ra ei de\u015ba\",\"kabhu n\u0101 v\u0101dhibe tom\u0101ra vi\u1e63aya-tara\u1e45ga\",\"punarapi ei \u1e6dh\u0101\u1e63i p\u0101be mora sa\u1e45ga\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Instruct whoever you meet in the science of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Teach them the instructions of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, and the teachings about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam. In this way, on My order, become a guru and liberate everyone in the land. If you follow this instruction, the waves of materialism within this world will not affect you. Indeed, if you follow My order, you will soon attain My association.&quot; (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 7.128-9) \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu wants His followers to be agents to preach K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s devotion to the public (y\u0101re dekha, t\u0101re kaha &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;-upade\u015ba) - speak about the special prospect of the land of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 127) + (see also \u015bloka 455) By imbibing and exporting we can make good progress and the Absolute Capitalist will supply as much as the customers can receive from Him. This is Mah\u0101prabhu&#x27;s advice. y\u0101re dekha, t\u0101re kaha &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;-upade\u015ba. &quot;Deliver these goods to anyone and everyone and new light will come to you which in turn you are to distribute to others. In this way you will have a dynamic and progressive life and there will be no shortage of higher backing.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 3, p 9) + (see also \u015bloka 257) Mah\u0101prabhu has issued a general order: &quot;Whomever you meet, talk with him only about Krsna.&quot; Y\u0101re dekha, t\u0101re kaha &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;-upade\u015ba. &quot;Whomever you find, talk with him only about Krsna. In that case, I am your guru.&quot; Mah\u0101prabhu has given this most broad and wide advice. The underlying feeling is, &quot;Do relief work. All are in danger, acute danger. So don&#x27;t consider so many minor things but go on with relief work and connect all fully with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. The jaw of death is devouring them - save them! Now they are in the human species, but after death they may be lost in some other species. So, while their heads are on the surface, try to hold them, otherwise they may dive deep into the inner current and you won&#x27;t be able to see them. From the human species they may go down to another species and be lost waiting there. There are so many different layers, but when they are floating, their heads are seen above the water, catch them, save them, otherwise at the next moment they may go down under the water and they will be lost without trace. So wherever you find them, somehow connect them with Krsna. Try to give them that connection. It is so urgent: &quot;Take the Name of Krsna! - always! You can have no plea of, &#x27;I am taking food,&#x27; or, &#x27;I am going to sleep.&#x27;&quot; Our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja wanted the continuous attempt. He said: &quot;While taking food, or going to bed, doing anything or going anywhere, keep connection with Krsna. Only try to keep His connection.&quot; Our connection with Krsna is so urgent. What a valuable life that is, and where are we? - in the jaws of mortality! So, everyone needs to be saved. Save them. Do relief work. In this general activity no specific order is necessary. It is a general thing; it is common sense in the devotional school and by this process you will be helped yourself. You will be able to keep yourself from sinking just as by the movement of one&#x27;s hands and feet one can keep himself floating on water - it is something like that. K\u012brtana will help you in that way. So try to practice Krsna consciousness, at any and every time, to anyone and everyone. (SOTGOD, v 3, p 68) + (see also \u015bloka 558) The descriptions about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a are like divine nectar. So, go on with this transaction, always giving K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, and if you give K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness you will have an ample supply of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. That will descend from the higher position. If you are sincere to distribute K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, you will have no want in your own capital. New capital will be supplied to you as much as you can give to others. It will have connection with the infinite source. So go on. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: y\u0101re dekha, t\u0101re kaha &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;-upade\u015ba &quot;Whomever you find, talk with him only about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; We have no other engagement. Whomever you find, any soul you come across, try to save him from this desert of mortality. I command you. Don&#x27;t be afraid; take the position of guru, the giver, and give it to everyone. (SGAHG, p 56-7) + (see also \u015bloka 209) \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura used to say that there is a famine of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-kath\u0101. There is a famine at present. But is the world suffering from lack of food? No. The world suffering from the famine of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a talk, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-k\u012brtana. So we must try to open offices of food distribution so that we may distribute the food of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness to all souls. Mah\u0101prabhu said: &quot;Whoever you come across, talk of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (y\u0101re dekha, t\u0101re kaha &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;-upade\u015ba).&quot; Give them the food of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-kath\u0101. The world is filled with famine-stricken people. We must distribute food, give the life and breath of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness to whomever we meet by speaking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That was the feeling of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b, and Bhaktived\u0101nta Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja carried that out in the West. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta used to say: &quot;I do not admit any other conception of famine. The only famine is that of k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-kath\u0101, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sm\u1e5bti, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.&quot; With such seriousness he conceived of our necessity for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is of vital importance to our existence. Only K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a can give us vitality. And as \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself distributes K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. (LSFTLS, p 31) + (see also \u015bloka 574) A patient can also become a doctor when he&#x27;s fully cured, has studied about medicine, and has undergone the necessary education of a doctor, he may become a doctor. It is necessary to be qualified and also appointed. You see, first of all it is necessary to be qualified, then by the appointment of the high administration you can become a doctor in the hospital. You may engage in private practice if you are qualified, but to become a doctor in a hospital you must have some sanction from above. In this way a s\u0101dhu can give assistance in several ways, but the \u0100c\u0101rya, holding a big position, should have sanction from above. And that is pr\u0101pana-da\u015b\u0101. And who will decide whether the patient is qualified to be a doctor? External sanction is not necessary by letter, but he is to be already awake and fixed in the internal world. Inspiration will come from the internal world: &quot;The people are suffering, and you have the medicine. You should distribute the medicine to the patients.&quot; This may be seen in a dream, but while awake also, internal inspiration will come to you, and, because you know the medicine and you know the symptoms of the disease, irresistibly you will advance to help the patients. You have the medicine and you cannot but engage yourself in treating them. You will see this more clearly than daylight, more really than this world of experience. People are suffering but you have the medicine. You used that medicine and you were cured. Now you find another to be suffering from the same disease. You have the cure in your hand, so why should you not apply it? What explanation do you have not to do so? It will not be for making money that you will give the medicine, nor for fame, but it will be due to the internal urge to help them. And you will find that the noble predecessors have also asked you to do so: y\u0101re dekha, t\u0101re kaha &#x27;k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;-upade\u015ba. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu instructed: &quot;Whomever you meet, try to rescue them by talking about K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.&quot; If there is a ditch and you see a man about to blindly fall into it, will you not try to save him? It is a natural feeling. When it is plain, so very plain that it will happen, but you don&#x27;t help him, then you will be responsible. This common sense may be applied. But we must be sincere. The danger is that we must not be motivated by money, fame, or any worldly gain. kanak, k\u0101man\u012b, and prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101 are the three main disturbing elements that misguide us and draw us from this side to that. But when we are free from them, the street we walk shall be broad and clear. God is good, and you will like to see everyone becoming good by getting God. God is good and God is great. When that superior type of thinking will be clear to you, all your activities will be controlled only by that one principle of life. And with that you will go on helping others with the firm faith that this must be given to all: &quot;This is very tasteful. Please come to a safe position away from the danger-zone, and you will become happy.&quot; The tasteful medicine will make people happy, and if that is actually in your possession you cannot but feel the urge within to help others. (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 19-20) + (see also \u015blokas 209, 227 &amp; 337)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(589)\",\"yasmin vij\u1e63\u0101te sarvam evam vij\u1e63\u0101tam bhavati\",\"yasmin pr\u0101pte sarvam idam pr\u0101ptam bhavati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By knowing Him, everything is known - by getting Him, everything is gained.&quot; We have come to enquire about Brahman, the biggest, the all-accommodating principle by knowing which we can know anything and everything. And it is possible; it is not impossible. The Upani\u1e63ads say: &quot;If you want to know anything, then know the whole. And what is the nature of the whole? Everything is coming from Him, everything is being maintained by Him, and again everything enters into Him. That is Brahman; so try to know that. If you can know that, everything will be known to you.&quot; This is also explained in the Bh\u0101gavatam (4.31.14). (TSFSK, p 45) + (see also \u015blokas 600 &amp; 603) The general tenor of life, of all existence, in the most scientific way, will be this: Search for \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Reality the Beautiful. That is the highest goal not only of humanity, but for all creation. And all problems are harmonised and solved by that. No complaints against this can be normal. Deviation from this general instruction, the general call, is all false, unnecessary, and injurious. This is the truth, the necessity of everyone, wherever there is life. The most grand, extensive, and friendly call to all, to the whole world the only friendly call - is this: &quot;March towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a!&quot; It is the only call. All others should be silenced. All other topics should be silenced, should be stopped, and only if this call remains, the real welfare of the world remains. So the Upani\u1e63ads say: Yasmin vij\u1e63\u0101te sarvam evam vij\u1e63\u0101tam bhavati: &quot;Enquire into that upon knowing which, nothing further remains to be known. Try to achieve that upon gaining which, nothing further remains to be gained.&quot; A comprehensive call is going out, and this is really nonsectarianism. Apparently it is thought to be sectarian by the abnormal thinkers. But to every normal thinking person, it is the most general universal thing that can be dealt with. At present we are quarrelling in a foreign land for fictitious gain. But a sweet wave is coming from above to save us and take us all home. Only by the grace of the Lord&#x27;s loving search for His lost servants is it at all possible. And all that is expected from us is to join the search for \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and march towards the divine domain. Let us join the universal march towards the divine domain, save ourselves, and go back home, back to Godhead. (LSFTLS, p 64-5) In the Vedic literature we find it said: &quot;Try to find the one by knowing whom everything is known.&quot; There is a central point by knowing which, everything is known, by attaining which everything is attained. The long and short of the entire Vedic advice is to try to find out that Centre. Therefore, try to find out that Centre. In the beginning, some may think this to be a ludicrous claim: &quot;By knowing one, everything is known, by getting one, everything is got what is this? Only a madman can say such a thing!&quot; So an analogy is given in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, (4.31.14): when you pour water onto the root of a tree, the whole tree is fed, and if you put food into the stomach, the whole body is fed, similarly, if you do service to the Centre, everything is served. (\u015bloka 600) It is possible, and to do that, means to enter the plane of dedication. Avoiding the plane of exploitation, and also that of renunciation, try to enter the plane of dedication. Your \u0101tm\u0101, your soul proper, is a member of that plane. That is the real world, whereas this is the perverted reflection. (HC, p 2-3) Yasmin vij\u1e63\u0101te sarvam evam vij\u1e63\u0101tam bhavati: &quot;You are searching for this and that - this is all futile. Only try to know Me, and everything is known. Your searching life will be finished. There will no longer be any necessity for searching if you can know Me.&quot; (SCS, p 35) + (see also \u015blokas 93 &amp; 548)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(590)\",\"yasmin tu\u1e63\u1e6de jagat tu\u1e63\u1e6dam pri\u1e47ite pri\u1e47ito jagat\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"By satisfying K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the whole universe becomes satisfied, for one who is dear to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is dear to the whole universe. Just as by watering the root of a tree all the leaves and branches are automatically nourished, by fulfilling one&#x27;s duty towards Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, all one&#x27;s duties are automatically fulfilled. (TSFSK, p 49)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(591)\",\"yasya deve par\u0101 bhaktir,\",\"yath\u0101 deve tath\u0101 gurau\",\"tasyaite kathit\u0101 hy arth\u0101\u1e25,\",\"prak\u0101\u015bante mah\u0101tmana\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The key to success in spiritual life is unflinching devotion to both the spiritual master and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. To those great souls who have full faith in both K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the spiritual master, the inner meaning of the scriptures is fully revealed.&quot; (SU, 6.23) The guru is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s representative. We are in search of divinity, and so, we must try to concentrate all our energy wherever we find a real connection with divinity. That is the key to success, because K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is all-conscious. So, the response to our devotional efforts will come from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a according to our attentiveness to Him. He is everywhere. In the conception of infinite, everywhere there is centre, nowhere is there circumference. In every point there may be centre. Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja saw the centre present everywhere. Hira\u1e47yaka\u015bipu asked him: &quot;Is your God in this pillar?&quot; Prahl\u0101da replied: &quot;Yes. He is there.&quot; And when Hira\u1e47yaka\u015bipu demolished the pillar, Lord N\u1e5bs\u1e41hadeva came out. (SGAHG, p 14)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(592)\",\"yasy\u0101 kad\u0101pi vasan\u0101\u1e63cala khelanottha\",\"dhany\u0101ti dhanya pavanena k\u1e5bt\u0101rtha m\u0101n\u012b\",\"yog\u012bndra durgama gati\u1e25 madhus\u016bdano&#x27;pi\",\"tasy\u0101 namo&#x27;stu v\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu bhuvo di\u015be&#x27;pi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prabodh\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b says: &quot;From a reverential distance with full adoration I offer my obeisances unto the daughter of King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101. Once a gentle gust of wind wafted the sweet scent of Her clothing towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the supreme beautiful God, making Him feel so blessedly fulfilled that He immediately embraced that fragrance to His heart.&quot; (ARO, p 13) &quot;From a reverential distance, with all adoration, I offer my obeisances, unto the daughter of King V\u1e5b\u1e63abh\u0101nu, \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101, who captivated the heart of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the Supreme Lord, Who is rarely attained even by the foremost of yog\u012bs. Once a gentle gust of wind wafted the sweet scent of Her clothing towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and He felt so blessedly fulfilled that He embraced that fragrance to His heart.&quot; (RRSNM, 2) + (SBRBM, p 38) Here it has been told that once the flow of the wind had touched some part of the cloth or dress of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b; that wind touched K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s body, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a was besides Himself with cheer, with gladness, with pleasure. &quot;Oh I felt a touch of the wind that blew past the dress of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b - I am so fortunate!&quot; And who is that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a? All the religious experts, scholars, yog\u012bs, etc, they are all hunting after K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s grace - and that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, He thinks Himself fortunate if He gets a little touch of the breeze that blew past the dress of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. So pure is \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Her surrender, Her service, is so pure, that even a touch of that wind makes K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Bhagav\u0101n, the Supreme Lord Himself, think that He has gained the highest fortune. He feels: &quot;I am so fulfilled in My life.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 194) + (see also \u015bloka 119)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(593)\",\"yasya pras\u0101d\u0101d bhagavat-pras\u0101do,\",\"yasy\u0101pras\u0101d\u0101n na gati\u1e25 kuto &#x27;pi\",\"dhy\u0101yan stuva\u1e41s tasya ya\u015bas tri sandhya\u1e41,\",\"vande guro\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-cara\u1e47\u0101ravindam\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.&quot; (SOTVA, G - 8, p 18) \u015ar\u012bla Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura says in his \u015ar\u012b Gurva\u1e63\u1e6dakam: &quot;I bow down to the lotus feet of \u015br\u012b gurudeva. By his grace, we achieve the grace of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a; without his grace, we are lost. Therefore, we should always meditate on \u015br\u012b gurudeva, and pray for his mercy.&quot; This is the position of \u015br\u012b guru, by whose grace we can get everything, we can get the grace of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and without whose grace, we have no other prospect. So, in this way, we must have reverence for he who has given us our first connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness (vartmapradar\u015baka-guru). But at the same time we offer reverence to gurudeva, we must not conceive that the guru is a doll, a lifeless figure. Because we are familiar with a particular figure and accept that as our guru we should not become misled. The important thing is what he says, his instructions, or v\u0101\u1e47\u012b, which exist eternally. That is attracting our inner hearts, not the vapu, the physical presence of the spiritual master. I am not this body. I am the enquirer. That thing which is satisfying me, drawing the enquirer to the enquired - I must try to locate that thing in him. I must not rely on material calculation. I am not this body. Who am I, the disciple? Am I only this body, this figure, this colour, this caste? Or am I this temperament, this scholarship and intellectualism? No. I am he who has come to seek. Who is the party within me, and who is the party in guru? We must be fully awake to that. What is the inner thing? I have come for that. We must be awake to our own interest. There is the relative principle and the absolute principle. We shall have to eliminate the form, ignore the form; we shall always have to keep the spirit. Otherwise, we shall become form worshippers, idol worshippers. (SGAHG, p 34) + (see also \u015bloka 106)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(594)\",\"yata\u1e25 prav\u1e5bttir bh\u016bt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"yena sarvvam ida\u1e41 tatam\",\"svakarmma\u1e47\u0101 tam abhyarccya,\",\"siddhi\u1e41 vindati m\u0101nava\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;A man achieves perfection by the performance of the appropriate duties prescribed for him according to his qualification. By the execution of his duties, he worships the Supreme Lord from whom the generation and impetus of all beings arises, and who permeates and pervades this entire universe (exercising His Supreme qualification of Lordship over one and all.&quot;) (Bg, 18.46) (SOTGOD, v 2, p 90) + (see also \u015blokas 150 &amp; 489)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(595)\",\"yata vai\u1e63\u1e47avagana sei sth\u0101na v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Advaita Prabhu tells \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu: &quot;Wherever You are, there is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; Narottama d\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura says wherever we find a true devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a - there is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. (yata vai\u1e63\u1e47avagana sei sth\u0101na v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana). Outwardly we may think that they are members of this ordinary world, but the object of all their conversation and behaviour is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. Still, although they are in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, they do not feel themselves to be there. (PBC) + (TGVODL, p 81)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(596)\",\"yath\u0101 mah\u0101nti bh\u016bt\u0101ni,\",\"bh\u016bte\u1e63\u016bcc\u0101vace\u1e63v anu\",\"pravi\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101ny apravi\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101ni,\",\"tath\u0101 te\u1e63u na te\u1e63v aham\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Brahm\u0101, please know that the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at the same time do not enter into the cosmos; similarly, I also exist within everything and at the same time I am outside everything.&quot; (S-B, 2.9.35) If the earth vanishes, that does not mean that the whole solar system will vanish. The solar system may remain, but the men on the earth cannot see it any longer. Its influence on earth can no longer be felt. In a similar way, Gokula exists in another plane. It exists in the finest plane of reality. It is beyond the creation, beyond evolution and dissolution. Such subtle energy can be understood by analogy with ether. If the earth is destroyed, ether may not be destroyed. Ether is within and outside earth, but with the dissolution of earth, ether may not dissolve, but continue to exist. The position of Gokula is something like that. (SEOC, p 32) + (SGD, SGPI, &#x27;91, p 12) (The ontological base of the whole \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam is contained within these four \u015blokas. (S-B, 2.9.33-36) + (see also \u015blokas 12, 149 &amp; 408)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(597)\",\"yath\u0101 nabhasi meghaugho,\",\"re\u1e47ur v\u0101 p\u0101rthivo &#x27;nile\",\"eva\u1e41 dra\u1e63\u1e6dari d\u1e5bsyatvam, \u0101ropitam abuddhibhi\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The unintelligent equate the sky with the clouds, the air with the dust particles floating in it, and think that the sky is cloudy or that the air is dirty.&quot; (S-B, 1.3.31) Unintelligent people take the subject as an object. It is ignorance to confuse the eye with the seer or the brain with the knower. Consciousness is not a product of the world; the world is a product of consciousness. The world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world. In the material world, the world of exploitation, as Darwin says, it is a question of survival of the fittest. We must exploit to survive (j\u012bvo j\u012bvasya j\u012bvanam). But in the spiritual world, the land of dedication, everyone is a serving unit. There we will find a happy life through dedication. In that supersubjective realm, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is eternally engaged in His divine play with His most intimate servitors. And as our consciousness evolves through dedication, we will find our highest prospect there, where we have a part to play in the pastimes of the Sweet Absolute. (SEOC, p ll) + (see also \u015bloka 508)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(598)\",\"yath\u0101 prak\u0101\u015bayaty eka\u1e25,\",\"k\u1e5btsna\u1e41 lokam ima\u1e41 ravi\u1e25\",\"k\u1e63etra\u1e41 k\u1e63etr\u012b tath\u0101 k\u1e5btsna\u1e41\",\"prak\u0101\u015bayati bh\u0101rata\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Bh\u0101rata, as one sun illuminates the entire universe, so does the knower of the sphere of action, the Supersoul, illuminate the whole universe (and the souls within it); and so does the knower of the sphere of action, the soul, illuminate the entire body.&quot; (B-g, 13.34) What really gives us perception and allows us to see gross things? It is not actually the sun that helps us see; we see with the help of the soul. This is found in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (yath\u0101 prak\u0101\u015bayaty eka\u1e25, k\u1e5btsna\u1e41 lokam ima\u1e41 ravi\u1e25). The soul reveals this world to us just as the sun does. The sun can show colour to our eyes, the ear can reveal the sound world, and the hand can reveal the touch world. But really in the centre is the soul. \u015ar\u012b Govinda sings; eka\u1e25 k\u1e5btsna\u1e41 lokam ima\u1e41 ravi\u1e25; soul &quot;observer.&quot; It is the soul who gives light to this world, who gives us an understanding of the environment, the world of perception. All perception is possible only because of the soul. (SEOC, p 159) + (see also \u015blokas 50, 100 &amp; 350)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(599)\",\"yath\u0101 taror mula ni\u1e63ecanena,\",\"t\u1e5bpyanti tat-skandha bhujopa\u015b\u0101kh\u0101\u1e25\",\"pr\u0101nopah\u0101r\u0101c ca yathendriy\u0101n\u0101\u1e41,\",\"tathaiva sarv\u0101rha\u1e47am acyutejy\u0101\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Just as if you pour water onto the root of a tree, the whole tree is fed, and just as when you supply food to the stomach, the whole body is fed, so if you can gain knowledge of the prime cause, rahman, then you can know anything and everything.&quot; (S-B, 4.31.14) Faith in this is called \u015braddha. (TSFSK, p 45) + (see also \u015blokas 66, 590 &amp; 603) &quot;By watering the root of a tree, all the leaves and branches are automatically nourished. Similarly, by supplying food to the stomach, all the limbs of the body are nourished. In the same way, if we satisfy the central conception of the Supreme Absolute, all our obligations are automatically fulfilled.&quot; \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja recalls: &quot;When I first came to the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Ma\u1e6dh, I mixed very carefully with the devotees. I thought: &#x27;The transcendental truths that I hear from these devotees don&#x27;t come within the clutches of worldly intelligence, but still, when I want to throw myself into that association, I shall use my reason and intellect as far as possible, understanding that I am going to jump into something which will be beyond my calculation. From their talks in general, I found that they do not care for the opinion of anyone else; with abhorrence they summarily reject all the stalwarts of the then society, they don&#x27;t care for anyone. But when anything is quoted from the Scripture, they are all-in-all, they give a patient hearing, they soberly consider and evaluate. This was their nature, they care only for Scriptural truth. They say that what they teach is the only truth and that all else is false, they say: &#x27;Everyone is suffering from ignorance. And what we say is the right thing.&#x27; I thought: &#x27;What is this! A sane person cannot easily swallow such a bitter pill.&#x27; I also could not digest it so easily at first, but I had an attraction, a taste for them and I could identify with them. But what they were saying was confirmed by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101, and the Upani\u1e63ads. All these authorities say: &#x27;Yes, it is so. If you know Him, everything is known. If you get Him, everything is gotten.&quot; Yath\u0101 taror mula ni\u1e63ecanena: If we put food in the stomach, the whole body is fed. If we pour water on the root of the tree, the whole tree is fed. In the same way, if we do our duty towards the centre, then everything is done. This is the greatness, the mysterious position of the Absolute Centre: He has control over the complete whole. This is the peculiar position of the centre in the system of the organic whole. If a particular position of the brain is captured, then the whole body is controlled: one needle in that particular section of the brain, and all the functions of the body are paralysed. The peculiar position of the absolute centre is something like that. So, the impossible becomes possible. Suppose I am a poor girl who has nothing. Ordinarily it would not be possible to acquire anything. But if I marry a rich man who is the owner of a big property, I can have command over many things by my relationship with him. Although we may be poor, our relationship with a powerful master makes us the master of many things. In the same way, the Absolute Centre controls everything, and our affectionate relationship with Him may endow us with the command of many things. This is how it is possible for the finite soul to have possession of everything - through the subtle link of affection. (see \u015bloka 437) Without having a real connection with the absolute centre, your attempts to know everything will be useless. If you try to know even a particle of sand, lifetimes will come and go, millions of lives will pass, and you will continue to analyse the sand, finding no end to understanding even one particle. We are told: &quot;If you want to enquire - enquire about the centre. That is the call of the Upani\u1e63ads: &quot;Don&#x27;t waste your time trying to analyse the smallest part of this creation, trying to be its master; it is not possible. Your enquiry should be properly guided.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;I am the centre, and I say, &#x27;Come to know Me, and through Me you will be able to know everything because I know everything and I control everything. Your connection with Me can give you that capacity. Approach everything through Me. Then you will be able to know the proper position of all things. Otherwise you will become acquainted with only a partial aspect of reality, and that will be external and incomplete. And you will pass millions of lives trying to know and understand reality to no end.&#x27;&quot; (LSFTLS, p 67-8) + (see also \u015bloka 65) The Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava section - those who serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead - are of the opinion that there is another world, the world of dedication. That dedication is just the opposite of exploitation. In the mundane plane every unit wants to exploit the environment, but in the plane of dedication, every unit wants to serve the environment; and not only the environment, but the real key to life of that plane is to serve the Centre. We are living in an organic whole, so every point must be true to the organic Centre. The explanation is given in \u015ar\u012bmadBh\u0101gavatam by the analogy of serving the root of a tree. yath\u0101 taror mula ni\u1e63ecanena t\u1e5bpyanti tat-skandha bhujopa\u015b\u0101kh\u0101\u1e25. (HC, p 2) + (see also \u015bloka 590)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(600)\",\"yath\u0101 yath\u0101 gaura pad\u0101ravinde,\",\"vindeta bhakti\u1e41 k\u1e5bta pu\u1e47ya r\u0101\u015bi\u1e25\",\"tath\u0101 tathot sarpati h\u1e5bdy akasm\u0101t,\",\"r\u0101dh\u0101 pad\u0101mbhoja sudh\u0101mbhu-r\u0101\u015bi\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Prabodh\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;As much as we devote ourselves to the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, we will automatically achieve the nectarine service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. An investment in Navadw\u012bpa Dh\u0101ma will automatically take one to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. How one will be carried there will be unknown to him. But those who have good fortune invest everything in the service of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. If they do that, they will find that everything has automatically been offered to the divine feet of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. She will accept them in Her confidential service and give them engagement, saying: &quot;Oh, you have a good recommendation from Navadw\u012bpa; I immediately appoint you to this service.&quot; (C-Cand, 88) \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is introduced in the form of Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga with the added element of magnanimity. No selfish sensualism can enter our consideration of the pastimes of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, for there He appears as a sanny\u0101s\u012b and a devotee. Of course, if we are to analyse \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, we shall find K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the garb of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. According to the impersonal philosophers, when negative and positive combine, they become non-differentiated oneness, but Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava philosophy says that when both positive and negative aspects of Godhead are combined, personality is not lost. Rather, in the garb of the negative, the positive is converted and begins searching for Himself in the mood of the highest searcher. According to Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism, when positive and negative combine, they do not create equilibrium; rather their dynamic character is always maintained. The combination of R\u0101dh\u0101 and Govinda is \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, and by the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, we may be attracted to \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. (TGVODL, p 27-8) &quot;As devotion unto the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Gaurasundara is attained by a greatly pious person, unexpectedly the ocean of nectar which is the service of the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101 is accordingly born within his heart.&quot; Percolated by the mercy of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, try to approach \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Then there will be no possibility of any dirt entering you and disturbing you in that plane. That will be percolated by \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. If you have the shelter of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga you can be sure that you will very safely, smoothly, and intimately attain to the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Otherwise it is very dangerous, and sometimes suicidal. If you do not approach through \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga the attempt will be reactionary. It is very dangerous to approach \u015ar\u012b V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana and \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b directly. You must approach commanded by \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. In other words, if you can appreciate the life of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, then k\u0101ma (mundane desire), etc., will be exhaustively eliminated. You will be really purified to be acceptable to that domain of the highest l\u012bl\u0101. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 191-2)+(see \u015bloka 264) Strictly stick to Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101, Mah\u0101prabhu, and you will find automatically within your heart that R\u0101dh\u0101-rasa-sudh\u0101nidhi is flowing. Don&#x27;t attempt directly to have it. It will come automatically, spontaneously. Not intellectually you shall approach that, for that will give you a bad prejudice. Not only that, but it will be harmful prejudice and you will have to expend more energy to do away with that layer of misunderstanding. So our \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da did not allow these things. Do your duty in your plane, according to what you deserve, and that will come naturally. That is his instruction all through, not only temporarily, but all through. Don&#x27;t go to be a disbeliever and be very eager to see the final result. Don&#x27;t do like that, for then you will get M\u0101y\u0101 instead of Yoga-M\u0101y\u0101. He knows it fully well, She knows it fully well, when you are to be taken in to the confidential area, and that cannot be acquired by any other thing but His sweet will - the flow of Her sweet will, or His sweet will. Try to have the natural thing, not anything of imitation or any reflection. Reflection and shadow, these two kinds of misconceptions may come there. Reflection is more dangerous. In Harin\u0101m also it has been stated like that. Reflection and shadow, both are misguiding. And we are to cross that. On our way that sort of temptation may come, but we must not think that everything will come within the fist of our intellect. (SGD, &#x27;96, p 29) &quot;As much as you surrender to the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, you&#x27;ll find yourself safely situated in the service of R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda. Don&#x27;t try to approach R\u0101dh\u0101-Govinda directly; if you do, there may be some difficulty. But the lotus feet of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga will take you there safely.&quot; (LSFTLS, p 103) + (see also \u015bloka 463) &quot;As a pious soul fortunately attains pure devotion to Gaura within his heart and becomes absorbed in rendering service to His lotus feet, to his delightful astonishment, the nectar ocean of devotional ecstasy flowing from the Lotus Feet of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 suddenly floods his heart.&quot; (SBRBM, p 11) As Devotion unto the Lotus Feet of \u015ar\u012b Gaurasundar is attained by the most virtuous person, the Queen of Nectar - the Service of the Lotus Feet of \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dhik\u0101 - spontaneously wells up within his heart. The internal identity of \u015ar\u012b Prabodh\u0101nanda Saraswat\u012bp\u0101da (the writer of this \u015bloka) is the Sakh\u012b Tu\u1e45gavidy\u0101, amongst the eight principal Sakh\u012bs in Vraja-Ma\u1e47\u1e0dala. She became Prabodh\u0101nanda in Gaura-l\u012bl\u0101. His writings are both very sweet and grand, most appealing, and hitting to the mark. (SCS, p 40)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(601)\",\"yato v\u0101cho nivarttante,\",\"apr\u0101pya manas\u0101 saha\",\"\u0101nanda\u1e41 brahma\u1e47o vidv\u0101n,\",\"na vibheti kuta\u015bcaneti\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;As one gets subjective realisation of the transcendental blissful aspect of the Supreme Divinity, he sheds fear completely for all time. Such a realised man of wisdom is freed totally from negative thoughts. Having his thoughts fully attentive to the All-Blissful Divinity, he is spared from such torture. Such is the secret doctrine.&quot; (T, 11.9.1, p 522) + (Dvaip\u0101yana Vy\u0101sadeva, transl: B.P Yati, TEU) When we can come to the conclusion that the Infinite really is \u0101nandam (bliss), not pain, (that the Whole is pleasure and no pain is there) - then, all apprehension of pain will disappear. It is all pleasure. There is no pain. The Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 is always asking us, &quot;Concentrate in you! Have no complaint against the outside environment; everything is in you.&quot; So be attentive to you, to your ego. There is no necessity to correct your outside environment. (SS, v 3, # 1, &#x27;85, p 4) + (see also \u015bloka 497)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(602)\",\"yato v\u0101 im\u0101ni bh\u016bt\u0101ni j\u0101yante,\",\"yena j\u0101t\u0101ni j\u012bvanti\",\"yat prayanty abhi\u1e63amvi\u015banti,\",\"tad brahma tad vijij\u1e63\u0101sa\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The Supreme Brahman is the origin and shelter of all living beings. When there is creation, He brings them forth from their original state, and at the time of annihilation, He devours them. After creation, everything rests in His omnipotence, and after annihilation, everything again returns to rest in Him.&quot; (TU, 3.1) (TSFSK, p 44) + (see also \u015blokas 590 &amp; 600) &quot;He is the cause of production, sustenance, and again withdrawal. Evolution, dissolution, and sustenance in the middle. He is the prime, universal cause.&quot; We are quarrelling in a foreign land for fictitious gain. But K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is engaged in a loving search for His long lost servants. He wants to save them and take them all home. Only by the grace of that absolute is it possible. A wave is coming from there to take us home, to where everything finally enters. Everything which is created disappears into the subtle existence at the wholesale dissolution of this world. But again with a new evolution they come out. And some enter into the permanent l\u012bl\u0101 and do not come back into this world of exploitaion and renunciation. (LSFTLS, p 64) A certain section claims, like the philosopher C\u0101rv\u0101ka, that: &quot;No, no, there is no God or higher substance. Whatever we see on the surface is everything.&quot; But deeper faith says that the cause is He from whom everything emanates, He by whom everything is maintained, and He into whom everything finally enters. yato v\u0101 im\u0101ni bh\u016bt\u0101ni j\u0101yante. Merely the effect is not everything, but the cause has its existence. And what is the nature of the cause? Some identify Him as Brahman, some as Param\u0101tm\u0101, and some as Bhagav\u0101n. God is the destiner and designer of everything - He has created everything, and He is controlling everything. Everything is automatically existing with Him, as a particular potency of His. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 26) + (see also \u015bloka 423) \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya&#x27;s interpretation of the Vedas is not proper, because he has thrust his own idea or conception forward in the name of the Ved\u0101nta. \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya&#x27;s interpretation of Ved\u0101nta is artificial. It is selfish and provincial. This is the refutation of \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya given by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, and as far as we are concerned, it cannot be seen otherwise. If we try to follow the interpretation of \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya, then what meaning can be found in this statement of the Upani\u1e63ads: Yato v\u0101 im\u0101ni bh\u016bt\u0101ni j\u0101yante, yena j\u0101t\u0101ni j\u012bvanti: &quot;The Absolute Truth is He from whom everything is coming, who is maintaining everything, within whom everything exists, and into whom everything enters at the time of annihilation.&quot; What does this mean? Does this statement say that the Absolute Truth is non-differentiated? It is sufficient for our understanding to accept its direct meaning. The self-explanatory meaning of these words is sufficient to understand this simple statement of the Upani\u1e63ads. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu defeats \u015aa\u1e45kar\u0101c\u0101rya through common sense. This is the unique character of His argument. He defeats His philosophical opponents not with difficult, abstract, intellectual arguments, but with common sense. When \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu wanted to demonstrate the supremacy of Lord N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a over Lord \u015aiva, He said that one may just consider the position of the Ganges. The Ganges is the water that washes the feet of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, and yet she rests on the head of \u015aiva. From this, we can easily use common sense to see which of the two holds the superior position. When \u015ar\u012b Caitanya wanted to show that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is greater than N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, He pointed to the example of Lak\u1e63m\u012b Dev\u012b. She aspires after the association of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Although she has everything with N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, still she has some aspiration for the company of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. On the other hand the gop\u012bs have no attraction for N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. When they meet N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, they pray that by His grace, their devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may be enhanced. (SEOC, p 62)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(603)\",\"&#x27;ye dine g\u1e5bhe bhajane dekhi\",\"g\u1e5bhete goloka bh\u0101ya cara\u1e47a-s\u012bdhu,\",\"dekhiy\u0101 ga\u1e45g\u0101, sukha n\u0101 s\u012bm\u0101 p\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana appears in my home whenever I see the worship and service of Lord Hari taking place there. When I see the Ganges, that river of nectar emanating from the Lotus Feet of the Lord, my happiness knows no bounds.&quot; (TSOBT, p 37-8) &quot;We can make out the real inner meaning that this whole universe is engaged in the service of \u015ar\u012b Hari when the prejudice or cover of our ego is torn off.&quot; And the moment that this screen is removed, then one sees that everywhere - that Goloka, the l\u012bl\u0101 of Goloka is going on there. &#x27;Ye dine g\u1e5bhe bhajane dekhi g\u1e5bhete goloka bh\u0101ya. In such a divine, lofty realisation of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura, our \u015ar\u012bla Gurup\u0101da P\u0101dma urged all j\u012bva souls to come to that plane of perfect reality - he wanted to take us all to that plane of lofty realisation. Anything less than that is just some beneficial activity (karma-kanda) to be scorned. Such activity is most unworthy in comparison. (SS, v 6, # 1, &#x27;92, p 4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(604)\",\"ye k\u0101le v\u0101 svapane,\",\"dekhinu va\u1e41\u015bi vadane,\",\"sei k\u0101le \u0101il\u0101 dui vairi\",\"&#x27;\u0101nanda&#x27; \u0101ra &#x27;madana,\",\"&#x27; hari&#x27; nila mora mana,\",\"dekhite n\u0101 p\u0101inu netra bhari&#x27;\",\"puna\u1e25 yadi kona k\u1e63a\u1e47a,\",\"kay\u0101ya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a dara\u015bana,\",\"tabe sei gha\u1e6d\u012b-k\u1e63a\u1e47a-pala\",\"diy\u0101 m\u0101lya-candana,\",\"n\u0101n\u0101 ratna-\u0101bhara\u1e47a,\",\"ala\u1e45k\u1e5bta karimu sakala\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b says: &quot;When in My trance, I came to have a divine vision of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, two enemies suddenly appeared: ecstasy, and also a feeling which is corresponding to extreme love in complete self surrender. In that state, I could not see K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a very clearly. These two enemies disturbed Me. Ecstasy was my enemy, for it made me self-forgetful and My greed for His touch was another enemy. They did not allow me to have a clear vision of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, so my thirst for seeing Him was unquenched. If by good fortune I have another chance to have His dar\u015bana, then what should I do? Avoiding K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a I shall instead try to worship time. I shall worship that moment, that minute, that second in which I have the divine vision of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. I shall try to propitiate time, so that time itself may stay for some time. With garlands, sandalwood paste, and jewels, I shall try to worship time and not K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. If time stands still, being propitiated with My respectful behaviour, then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will remain. In this way, I shall try to fix the time: &#x27;You please stay here for some time. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is showing Himself - time, you be eternal here.&#x27; Otherwise, like lightning, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes and vanishes.&quot; (This \u015bloka, ye k\u0101le v\u0101 svapane, was spoken by \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu while in trance in the mood of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, in the company of Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara and R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya, and recorded by R\u0101m\u0101nanda in the Jagann\u0101tha-vallabha-n\u0101\u1e6daka, (3. 12-3) + (C-c, Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101, 2.37-8) We worship the time, the land, the place, the paraphernalia of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Anything in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is cinmaya, transcendental. The paraphernalia of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is worthy of our worship. In fact, we shall have to honour K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s paraphernalia even more that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself. That is the clue to success. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s abode, His paraphernalia, and His devotees have a relationship with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-sambandha. They are K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a&#x27;s devotees, and He is at their disposal. So, if we can propitiate them, they will take interest in us and take us up into that realm. Otherwise we are helpless. (SGAHG, p 121-2) + (see also \u015bloka 45)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(605)\",\"ye l\u0101gi kahite bhaya, se yadi n\u0101 j\u0101ne\",\"ih\u0101 va-i kib\u0101 sukha \u0101che tribhuvane\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;For fear of them I do not wish to speak, but if they do not understand, then what can be happier in all the three worlds?&quot; (C-c, \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101, 4.236) We are afraid of ecstasy! The truth we should not express it here, there and everywhere. We should rather be controlled in our tongue. But, if we say that we are afraid that it will be misunderstood? But the public do not care to know it at all. &quot;It is beneath their dignity&quot; to try to search for the real meaning in our words. Then, we are relieved in one sense. It will be accepted and misused, mishandled - the public do not care for these things at all. And we are safe here. In one sense, that is our safety - that they do not know. They won&#x27;t come to give this any attention. So, although we express it uncautiously, they won&#x27;t care for it. So, we are safe from that standpoint. (SS, v 4, # 1, &#x27;86, p 3) + (see also \u015blokas 28 &amp; 212)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(606)\",\"ye me bhakta-jan\u0101\u1e25 partha,\",\"ne me bhakta\u015b ca te jan\u0101\u1e25\",\"mad bhakt\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 ca ye bhakt\u0101s,\",\"te me bhaktatam\u0101 mata\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Those who worship Me directly are not real devotees; real devotees are those who are devoted to My devotees.&quot; (AP) + (L-B, 2.6) This is confirmed by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and this principle is true in our own experience. It is said: &quot;If you love me, love my dog.&quot; How intense one&#x27;s love for his master must be if he can love the master&#x27;s dog. And he loves the dog only because it is his master&#x27;s dog; not that he wants to take away the dog for himself. He loves it not with the idea of independent love for the dog, but because it is the master&#x27;s dog. This is a higher test of our love than simply to love the master. This will test the whether we are really lovers. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is more pleased if He sees that His servant is being served. Why? Because His servant always serves Him, but won&#x27;t take anything in return from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tries to give His devotees something, but they won&#x27;t take it. They have no aspiration to fulfil, no petition to enter in the course of their service. They want only cent per cent service. There is no possibility for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a to award any remuneration there, He can&#x27;t find the slightest hole in their devotional service through which some remuneration can be pushed. His devotees are wholesale servants, nothing but. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a tries His best to give something to His devotees in return for their service, but He fails. So, when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sees that His desired aim of rewarding His servants is being done by someone else, He becomes indebted to that person thinking: &quot;What I wanted to do for My servant, they are doing. I wanted to do that, but failed: it was not accepted. But now someone else is doing the same thing I wanted to do.&quot; K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is more favourable to the devotee who serves His servant. Then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a comes to serve them. That is the underlying purpose of His saying: &quot;Those who are devotees of My devotee, they are the real devotees My heart.&quot; So, bhakta-p\u016bj\u0101, worship of the devotees, is the best kind of worship. This statement is confirmed in the \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, in the Vedas and by V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana D\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura in the Caitanya Bh\u0101gavata. (SGAHG, p 123-4) + (see also \u015bloka 27)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(607)\",\"yena bhaje t\u0101re bale danta t\u1e5b\u1e47a dhari,\",\"\u0101m\u0101re kiniy\u0101 laha bala gaura-hari\",\"eta bali nity\u0101nanda bh\u016bme ga\u1e0di y\u0101ya,\",\"son\u0101ra parvata yena dh\u016bl\u0101ya lo\u1e6d\u0101ya\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;The compassionate Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu most humbly approached those who did not feel any loving appreciation for \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga due to their false pride and hard heartedness. Not to hurt their pride, He took a few blades of grass between His teeth as a token of humility and appealed to them saying, &quot;O dear friend, try to understand that your own highest good is Gaura Hari. You can attain the greatest fortune of your life if you connect to Him with love and devotion. Please take His Holy Name, even if only once, and chant it from the core of your heart. With devotional faith speak about His glories and share your relish with other devotees. Sincerely pray for His grace, for you will surely receive great spiritual benefit. I am your most well wishing friend. If you can please take My advice and act accordingly then you can own Me forever.&quot; Imploring in such a way, \u015ar\u012b Nity\u0101nanda&#x27;s heart melted in spiritual compassion. Incited by that deep emotional ecstasy He became so tender before those proud people that He invalidated all their pride. As an act of noble humility He began to roll on the ground before them. As His form became decorated with the dust of the earth the devotees around Him beheld with tearful eyes the extraordinary manifestation of causeless mercy of Prabhu Nity\u0101nanda. They marvelled at how their divine guru Tattva, could sacrifice His exalted position and honour and come down to the dust of the earth with such compassionate humility.&quot; (Locana d\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kur) (SBRBM, p 4)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(608)\",\"ye &#x27;nye &#x27;ravind\u0101k\u1e63a vimukta-m\u0101ninas,\",\"tvayi asta-bh\u0101v\u0101d avi\u015buddha-buddhaya\u1e25\",\"\u0101ruhya k\u1e5bcchre\u1e47a para\u1e41 pada\u1e41 tata\u1e25,\",\"patanty adho &#x27;n\u0101d\u1e5bta-yu\u1e63mad-a\u1e45ghraya\u1e25\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"(Someone may say that aside from Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, who always seek shelter at the Lord&#x27;s lotus feet, there are those who are not Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahm\u0101 and the other demigods said:) &quot;O lotus-eyed Lord, although non-devotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. Although they may rise to the level of impersonal Brahman realisation, they fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they neglect to worship Your lotus feet.&quot; (S-B, 10.2.32) They do not perceive the mistake in their calculation, but they think they have attained the highest type of liberation, and so they try to recruit others for their purpose. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 124) (see \u015bloka 447)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(609)\",\"ye t\u012brthe vai\u1e63\u1e47ava n\u0101i,\",\"se t\u012brthete n\u0101hi y\u0101i\",\"ki l\u0101bha h\u0101\u1e6diy\u0101 d\u016brade\u015ba\",\"yath\u0101ya vai\u1e63\u1e47ava-ga\u1e47a,\",\"sei sth\u0101na v\u1e5bnd\u0101vana,\",\"sei sth\u0101ne \u0101nanda a\u015be\u1e63a\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;Where is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana? We may only reach V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana at the proper stage of realisation. If we take V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana in the physical sense, we will commit so many offences according to our habit and we shall have to mentally go downwards. So the illumination given by the s\u0101dhu and \u015b\u0101stra should be our guide. Only by that way can we go to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, or anywhere and everywhere. But the guiding star must always be our guru, to guide us and show us what is what. As long as my self is not rising to that stage, I am always in need of a guide to show me what is what, what is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.&quot; V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana is not a physical eye-experience. It is not in the world of our flesh experience. It is the highest of the high. Through \u015braddha, faith, we must begin our journey beyond the subjective, towards the supersubjective area. That is V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana proper, where we can find K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a proper. It is not to be found in any physical plane. He can come here: the higher plane can come in the gross, but it is not easy for those who are living in the gross plane to rise up to the higher. They can come, an agent can come, and they can take us there. But without the help of the agent it is not so easy to go to that highest plane by our own experience. So our necessity is always s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga. To go to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana we must have a guide. He will always caution us to see things with a proper angle of vision. A guide, s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga, is the most important factor in the life of a bona fide seeker of the truth. And next is \u015b\u0101stra, revealed scriptures. (SOTGOD, v 2, p 16970) + (see also \u015bloka 520)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(610)\",\"ye yatha patita haya,\",\"tava day\u0101 tata t\u0101ya,\",\"t\u0101te \u0101mi sup\u0101tra day\u0101ra\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura says: &quot;Your grace is given in accordance with the necessity of those who really deserve it. In that consideration, I have some claim. I am fallen of the fallen, the most fallen, so I have some claim to Your grace.&quot; (G, Y-b, 19) That should be the attitude of the servitors. Increase the negative side. &quot;I am the most deserving because I am the meanest of the mean, poorest of the poor.&quot; We have to increase and develop our knowledge towards that side: &quot;I am so low, so needy, so mean, in all respects.&quot; That consciousness will draw Him towards you. (SOTGOD, v 1, p 158) + (see also \u015bloka 570) &quot;I can claim, because I am the most fallen. I realise that I am the most fallen, therefore I have got the greatest claim for Your grace, Your mercy.&quot; That should be the attitude of a real devotee. As lowly as one genuinely conceives oneself to be, then so great s\/he is in the eyes of the devotees. Dainyam - humility, and laulyam - hankering, that is the wealth of the devotees. I am proud of the power of my gurudeva and never of myself. That should be the attitude of the devotee. (C, v1, # 5, Summer 93, p 11) + (see also \u015bloka 564)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(611)\",\"yo m\u0101\u1e41 pa\u015byati sarvatra,\",\"sarva\u1e41 ca mayi pa\u015byati\",\"tasy\u0101ha\u1e41 na pra\u1e47a\u015by\u0101mi,\",\"sa ca me na pra\u1e47a\u015byati\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;For one who sees Me in everything and everything in Me, I do not remain unseen and he also is not unnoticed by Me: he never sways in his thought of Me.&quot; (B-g, 6.30) Everything is in Him, and He is also everywhere. This is the characteristic of He for whom we are searching. O\u1e41k\u0101ra, the monosyllable O\u1e41, is the seed of theism. O\u1e41 means &quot;Yes.&quot; Always, wherever we cast our glance to search, in one word the answer is yes. &quot;Yes, what you are searching for, is. You are searching for happiness, pleasure, joy, fulfilment. You are in want, and in one word - &#x27;yes,&#x27; fulfilment is there.&quot; (SOTGOD, v 1, p 27-8, &amp; p 175) Everywhere we shall try to draw the hints of the auspicious presence of Godhead. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says: &quot;One who can see Me everywhere, and everything in Me is never lost to Me, nor I to Him.&quot; We shall try to see Him in every medium. Then our position is safe. (SGAHG, p 117) &quot;I am everywhere. Only see in that connection, with that angle of vision. Try to find Me, and everything in Me. Then you will be out of danger. Otherwise, that which is non-God will take you otherwise. If you can see the connection of God everywhere then you are safe. No one will be your enemy. You will have no foes, you are in the midst of friends. He is everywhere and everything. He is not lost in My sight, and I am not lost in his sight.&quot; (GOD, p 11) + (see also \u015bloka 433)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(612)\",\"yug\u0101yita\u1e41 nime\u1e63ena,\",\"cak\u1e63u\u1e63\u0101 pr\u0101v\u1e5b\u1e63\u0101yitam\",\"\u015b\u016bny\u0101yita\u1e41 jagat sarva\u1e41,\",\"govinda-virahe\u1e47a me\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;O Govinda! Without You, the world is empty. Tears are flooding my eyes like rain, and a moment seems like forever.&quot; (S, 7) Sometimes this verse is translated: &quot;O Govinda, without You, I feel a moment to be twelve years or more.&quot; The word yuga is sometimes translated &quot;twelve years.&quot; Some devotees say this is because Mah\u0101prabhu experienced the most intense separation from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the mood of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b for twelve years. In the Sanskrit dictionary it is said that one yuga means twelve years. This is one conception. Another meaning is &quot;millennium&quot; or &quot;age.&quot; A yuga can also mean an unlimited amount of time. \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says: &quot;One moment seems like an unlimited period of time. And My eyes are shedding tears like rain. The rainy season produces so many floods, and now it seems to Me that My eyes are flooding. The visible is becoming invisible to Me. I am so withdrawn from the present environment that I can&#x27;t see anything. My mind feels so much internal attraction towards the centre of the Infinite that wherever I cast My glance I see nothing. Everything appears vacant, because I feel as if Govinda has withdrawn from Me. Such a peculiar sort of feeling is within Me - I have no interest in anything. All My interest is drawn towards Govinda, and to such a degree that I am a stranger to My present environment. I have nothing: no consciousness. It has gone somewhere else, towards the Infinite. When there is a drought, all the rivers and lakes dry up. The water is drawn towards the gas world. Nowhere is a drop of water to be found. It is something like that. All charm is withdrawn so extensively that everything is empty. My senses, mind, and everything else has been drawn up, attracted by the all-attractive, all-charming, all-sweet Personality of Godhead, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Reality The Beautiful.&quot; Sometimes it seems that the gap between union and separation is like so many millennia. A devotee thinks: &quot;I have lost the consciousness of meeting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a long, long ago.&quot; He has a faint remembrance: &quot;I had some union with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but I left that so far behind, so far off, that it appears to be an unlimited gap of time. I once had a faint recollection, but now it is gone, perhaps forever.&quot; He feels such a great degree of disappointment and despair. This is the standard of the infinite world. Just as we measure the distance of the planets and stars by light years, here the transcendental temperament is being measured by such a standard. What audacity we have to deal with things so great and beyond our jurisdiction. At first the devotee thought: &quot;If I am raised to that standard of service, my heart will be fulfilled. My thirst will be quenched, and I will feel some ease and satisfaction within me.&quot; But the development of his devotion took him to an unexpected plane of life. It is the nature of divine love that when a drop of that medicine is given to a hankering patient, the patient thinks he is cured, but he is taken into a dangerous position. He thinks: &quot;Seeing the devotees shedding tears incessantly, the hairs of their bodies standing on end, their voices choked up while chanting the Name of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, I was charmed. Those symptoms attracted me and I thought that if I could attain this, I would feel real satisfaction, but upon attaining that plane, what do I find? Just the opposite. Coming in real connection with the infinite, he feels hopeless. He thinks: &quot;There is no limit to progress. Rather, as much as I come in intimate connection with the infinite, I feel hopeless.&quot; The more we advance, the more we find it unlimited, and finding it unlimited, we become hopeless but we can&#x27;t turn back. There is not possibility of retracing our steps; we can only go ahead. This is the spirit of a genuine devotee. Finding the infinite characteristic of our prospect, we can&#x27;t leave - we become hopeless, thinking: &quot;The highest kind of nectar is just before me, but I can&#x27;t taste it - I am unable to touch it or get it within my fist. Still, its charm is so great that I can&#x27;t retreat from this entanglement. And without that, a small span of time seems like millions of years.&quot; The devotee thinks: &quot;Oh, long, long ages have passed away; still I am in want! I am trying to get it, but I can&#x27;t get it, and time is passing. Time is also infinite. So many rivers of tears take birth from my eyes; tears profusely run down from my eyes over my body, but I don&#x27;t find the position of success within my reach. My mind is fully vacant. I can&#x27;t find any trace of my future. I have no charm, no attraction for anything else that might seem to console this diseased body. I find no possibility of solace from any other quarter. All alternatives have been eliminated. I am fully in the clutches of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness and love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. If there is anyone who can come to my relief, help me! I am lost. I am helpless. If there is anyone who can help me, please come to me rescue.&quot; Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says that when we are deeply situated in love of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, we can&#x27;t leave it, but our thirst increases and we feel no satisfaction. We are in the midst of such an apparently horrible position. The hankering for K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a which awakens in one&#x27;s mind takes this direction. When a devotee really comes in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, his position will be all-eliminating and all-exclusive. His complete concentration will be on K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In this verse, \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu describes how a devotee goes further, awakens a higher conception of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and then, seeing K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a just before him but not getting him, feels this kind of separation. The more he progresses, the more he finds himself in this position of hopelessness. This highest advice of \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu helps us adjust ourselves to this intense mood of separation. He tells us: &quot;You are going to be lost in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. And what will be your position? You are a drop and you will be thrown into the ocean of divine love.&quot; (TGVODL, p 137-142) + (SSPJ, p 137) + (SBRBM, p 29) + (see also \u015bloka 58)\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"(613)\",\"yuvat\u012bn\u0101m yath\u0101 y\u016bni,\",\"y\u016bna\u1e63ca yuvatau yath\u0101\",\"mano &#x27;bhiramate tadvan,\",\"mano &#x27;bhiramat\u0101m tvayi\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"&quot;Just as a young boy feels attraction for a young girl, I want that sort of attraction towards You. I want to be engrossed in You, forgetting all material paraphernalia. And by sincere surrender, at once, our progress begins. And the development of that kind of attraction takes us to the topmost rank. I want that intimate connection with You, my Lord. I am the neediest of the needy, but at the same time I have this ambition. I am so disgusted with the world outside that I want the most intense and comprehensive relationship with You. With this attitude, the surrendering process begins and rises step by step. I want that standard of divine love, of intimacy with You. I want to dive deep within You.&quot; (B-r-s, 1.2.153) + (SGAHG, p 144)\"}]}],\"count\":18},\n{\"slug\":\"heart-of-vaisnava-observances\",\"title\":\"The Heart of Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Observances\",\"subtitle\":\"108 Essential Instructions from the Guardian of Devotion\",\"compiler\":\"\u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\",\"coverSrc\":\"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/heart-of-vaisnava-observances-cover.webp\",\"sections\":[{\"slug\":\"s01\",\"title\":\"Dedication\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"n\",\"text\":\"O\u1e41 Vi\u1e63\u1e47up\u0101d \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\"},{\"t\":\"v\",\"lines\":[\"deva\u1e41 divya-tanu\u1e41 suchanda-vadana\u1e41 b\u0101l\u0101rka-chel\u0101\u00f1chita\u1e41\",\"s\u0101ndr\u0101nanda-pura\u1e41 sad-eka-varana\u1e41-vair\u0101gya-vidy\u0101mbudhim\",\"\u015br\u012b-siddh\u0101nta-nidhi\u1e41 subhakti-lasita\u1e41-s\u0101rasvat\u0101n\u0101m vara\u1e41\",\"vande ta\u1e41 \u015bubhada\u1e41 mad-eka-\u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 ny\u0101s\u012b\u015bvara\u1e41 \u015br\u012bdharam\"]},{\"text\":\"I fall at the feet of \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhar-Deva, who with charming expression sings his songs of sweet nectar. Dressed with fine garments like sun newly-risen, he is the true saint the devotees have chosen. His detachment and knowledge are just like an ocean, the treasurehouse of complete, perfect conclusion. Radiant in pastimes of loving devotion, the abode of pure ecstasy, bestower of good fortune, foremost true follower of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta, foremost great general of the whole renounced order, my lord and my master, my only shelter, I worship his feet, \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhar-Deva.\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s02\",\"title\":\"Foreword\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"All Glory to \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Guru and Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga!\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"It is our great fortune that, by the mercy of \u015ar\u012b Guru and the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, we have received some opportunity to hear about the Lord and render service. So many sacred days come before us during the year. Each one gives us another opportunity to remember whose shelter we have received, and to offer something from our hearts.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"When we observe Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b, celebrate the appearance of the Lord, or remember the appearance and disappearance of our Gurudeva, let us try to understand the devotional feeling within that occasion. We may make many arrangements. That is very good. But along with those arrangements, our eagerness to hear and serve should also increase. Then the observance will nourish our spiritual life.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Our most worshipful \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63aka \u015ar\u012bdhara Deva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja has given us such precious guidance. His explanations help us appreciate the beauty and depth of devotional life. We may read the same teaching many times, and still there is more to understand. Therefore, let us approach his words with humility and give them a place in our daily practice.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Someone may feel that their offering is very small. Please do not become discouraged. We can listen attentively, assist another devotee, prepare an offering, or accept some simple service. Let us do what we can with sincerity, remembering the guidance we have received. There is always something we can offer.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"On Gurudeva\u2019s appearance day, let our gratitude inspire us to follow his instructions more faithfully. In separation, let us seek his association through those instructions. During the holy months and festivals, let us make more room for hearing, chanting and serving together. And when the festival is over, let that eagerness continue.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"My prayer is that this small offering, The Heart of Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava Observances, may encourage the devotees to hear Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja with renewed affection and carry his guidance into their observances. May we receive the mercy of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas and become more sincere in the service of \u015ar\u012b Guru and Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Yours Humbly, \u015ar\u012b Bhakti Prapanna T\u012brtha\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s03\",\"title\":\"01. Preparing the Heart for Sacred Days\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I avoid both excessive attachment to rules and neglect of them?\",\"a\":\"Niyam\u0101graha has a twofold meaning. Niyama-\u0101graha means too much affinity to abide by the law. Another meaning is niyama-agraha when one does not accept any law at all and is not willing to abide by any law. Both these aspects are bad. We should follow the middle path, the easy path, not the extreme.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Niyam\u0101graha means to give abnormal attention to any particular ruling. Rulings are always meant for some particular stage, and after passing that stage that ruling is no longer applicable and another ruling we shall have to mark. Just as on Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b \u2013 we may be very firm to such a ruling that we must fast wholesale, without taking even a drop of water. But the general rule is that I must keep my body fit for the service of the Lord, so I may take some water. I must not be overly strict to a particular rule, so that the general law will be hampered.\",\"c\":\"Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta \u2014 Verse 2\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the highest wealth I should seek?\",\"a\":\"It is the ideal that makes one great, not any material possession. One who has the highest ideal is really wealthy. The highest ideal is the most valuable thing we may possess. And less valuable things must be eliminated if we are to concentrate our efforts and save ourselves from useless endeavor. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to show us that highest ideal\u2014the path of divine love. And we find divine love of Godhead in its highest intensity in His life and teachings of Srimad Bhagavatam. The whole Srimad Bhagavatam is meant to illustrate the ideal of divine love which reaches its highest expression in Srimati Radharani.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 THE SERVICE OF SRI RADHA\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What gives life to my hearing and chanting?\",\"a\":\"\u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati means self-dedication. The manner of activity of the dedicated self will become bhakti. Whatever one may do, one will do on behalf of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. One must cite K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s interest as the sole motivation, not some separate interest \u2013 bhaya\u1e41 dvit\u012by\u0101bhinive\u015bata\u1e25 sy\u0101d. Consciousness of separate interest has separated us from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. And the common interest, the realisation that all interests are harmonised in Him, that is bhakti. When the common interest is gone, everything is gone.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">\u015arava\u1e47a, k\u012brtana, they are only mere forms, not life. In order to have a life of devotion, there must be \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati. \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati means exclusive connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, exclusive identification with the interest of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Because K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not seen in this plane, the guru and the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava are to be served. In this way one will be benefited through extreme self-abnegation and surrender, according to one\u2019s disposition.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Tangible Dedication\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Must faith remain blind?\",\"a\":\"Then, the question of credibility arises: faith may be blind. But as long as the qualification of \u2018blind\u2019 faith exists, \u2018seeing\u2019 faith must also be possible! Blind faith is diseased faith, but we must connect by real or healthy faith. Then again, our experience must be confined to our own limitations; so how much faith can we accumulate?<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">So we must not cower under blind faith\u2014there may exist infinitely more than we can imagine. Only genuine faith can help us in that direction, toward the infinite. And even when we have some conception, it is said that the key to make Himself known to us is in His hand. When He opens the door, we can enter. The key is not within our hand. We can see only as much as He likes us to. He is Adhoksaja\u2014Transcendental. We first have to accept this before we can approach Him or even expect to know Him. We must prepare ourselves with this attitude of accepting Him as Adhoksaja.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Two: The Eye to See the Dh\u0101m\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I ask myself as I turn towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?\",\"a\":\"We must inquire after Krishna. But first we should inquire, \u201cWho am I? Where am I? In which way shall I move to approach the higher domain?\u201d We are always inquiring, but for what type of thing? Now we should open our hearts wide and inquire about Him. This is our dire necessity. We can\u2019t avoid it. And what that inquiry contains, we can\u2019t predict the level of thought. Brahman, Paramatma, Bhagavan. Bhagavan inquiry is the highest: the search for Sri Krishna, Reality the Beautiful.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Sonhood of God\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"With what expectation should I approach Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019s mercy?\",\"a\":\"We must look for the magnanimity of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu which is aspired for by Lord Brahm\u0101 and Lord \u015aiva. They are praying for a drop of His mercy, but \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu brought that here in a flood and inundated everyone with that nectar, a drop of which is rarely to be had or even thought of. We must approach His mercy with such an attitude of hankering and expectation. His gift is so great and magnanimous\u2014who can understand it?\",\"c\":\"The Golden Volcano of Divine Love \u2014 Part Three \/ A Drop of Divine Love\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why does Mah\u0101prabhu offer the highest divine love to the most needy?\",\"a\":\"Sometimes people ask, \u201cWhy did \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu choose to give the highest conception of divine love\u2014K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-prema\u2014to the lowest class of people, to the people of Kali-yuga?\u201d But that is the very nature of \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya-avat\u0101r. Why did the gop\u012bs who are considered to be the most exalted devotees come from a neglected social position? What is the meaning of the highest conception of magnanimity? What should be its nature? To help the most needy.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">And because \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu comes from the highest position, He cannot give ordinary things, and His attention must be drawn to the most needy. Is it unnatural? The highest magnanimity must take notice of the lowest and most needy. And if He wants to help them, He will do so with His own coin. He cannot distribute to them only glass or stone chips. When He has the opulence of jewels and gems, why should He search for stone chips to distribute to the lowest level? He must extend to the lowest and poorest people what He thinks to be real wealth.\",\"c\":\"The Golden Volcano of Divine Love \u2014 Part Three \/ A Drop of Divine Love\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What if chanting still feels like a duty rather than a joy?\",\"a\":\"When we take the Name, in the beginning we think it our duty to count so many rounds, and sometimes it is painful. But when we get a taste for the Name, then our inner tendency incites us to take the Name more and more\u2014not that as a duty we will somehow have to finish sixteen rounds. But when we acquire ruchi, inner taste for that particular service, it is happy. Until and unless we acquire that position, there must be some pain.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">As long as we do not have that taste, and we are doing that service as a duty, we will feel some pain. So s\u0101dhana-da\u015b\u0101 is a little painful, on the whole. Then in \u0101pan-da\u015b\u0101 it becomes sweet. Underground, of course, sweetness is everywhere; otherwise why should a person be tempted to approach the spiritual path? Only for the hope of sweetness. But still, if we want to see by analysis, then the process is \u015brava\u1e47-da\u015b\u0101, hearing; then vara\u1e47-da\u015b\u0101, accepting; then s\u0101dhana-da\u015b\u0101, practising. Up to this point it is a little painful. Then \u0101pan-da\u015b\u0101, realised devotion, and finally prapanna-da\u015b\u0101, full self-surrender. And what pain exists is only apparent. Substantially it is all sweet.\",\"c\":\"Heart and Halo \u2014 Chapter Six: The Sweetest Struggle\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"With what attitude should I hear K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s pastimes?\",\"a\":\"We can\u2019t try to apply our reason or our standard of measurement to the movements of the infinite. And whatever gain we have made by connecting with that flow of lila will be lost in our attempts to measure it; that will be the only consequence of our analysis. So we should try to have a taste of lila with a submissive attitude. Sometimes reason, logic, and analysis are necessary, but only to preach to the people in general who have a lower understanding. Only for the purpose of preaching to people addicted to reason do we have to take the help of reason. But when devotion becomes automatic, anuraga, then both reason and scripture are left in the subterranean position. There is no place for scriptural arguments there. To a certain extent, reason is necessary for our development up to vaidhi-bhakti, the elementary stages of devotion. But above that, it has no use.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Brahm\u0101\u2019s Illusion\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Do tears, dancing, and outward signs alone establish devotion?\",\"a\":\"Some people are naturally of that temperament; very easily they can shed tears, their temperament is such. And there are others who can learn the art of doing so. There are two classes of people who, without a slight touch of divinity, can show the public so many high sentiments. Without the least touch of \u015buddha-sattva they can freely exhibit all these things to deceive people. Devotion does not mean only to shed tears and to shiver and to wear tilaka and tulas\u012b and dance and chant \u2013 these are all external feats. We must not be misguided seeing these imitating aspects, these feats of devotion. We must try to save the ordinary people from the false exhibition of the higher Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava\u2019s character.\",\"c\":\"Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta \u2014 Verse 3\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What faith should I bring when joining congregational chanting?\",\"a\":\"The mind is very suspicious, so we should take advantage of Divine Sound. Only the very minimum demand is necessary from us, yet the transformation which will occur in us will be very great. To have some sraddha, faith, is the minimum demand, the minimum admission fee required of us: \u201cIf I do this, if I attend to this sankirtan, the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of God, then everything will be done.\u201d That underground faith must be there, and it will help us. That sincere cooperation from the heart is necessary for Krishna consciousness, and that can purify very quickly. To have faith that this process of Krishna consciousness will purify us, is the minimum demand. One must think, \u201cIf I attain this, everything will be done.\u201d If such a sort of generous, wide conviction is there within us along with a sincere mood of cooperation, then that can help us very quickly. That \u2018cooperation\u2019 means cooperation with the Divine Sound, the sound aspect of the Supreme. It is easily approachable for the beginners, and from that many other aspects of the Infinite will come to help us.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three \u2014 Chapter Ten: Dictation of \u015ar\u012b Guru\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can association with a devotee awaken devotion within me?\",\"a\":\"Krishna consciosness is the cause of Krishna consciousness! And we have to get help from the sadhu who has got Krishna consciousness within them. Just as, from one candle another candle may be lit. A candle cannot produce light from within, but it is to be lit from another candle \u2013 it is something like that.\",\"c\":\"Awakening to the Absolute \u2014 Part One\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s04\",\"title\":\"02. Offering Our Time: Fasts and Sacred Months\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is the first purpose of my Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b observance?\",\"a\":\"Also, from the spiritual perspective, Krsna Himself also feels more necessity for enjoyment, and when Krsna feels more necessity, the devotees have a greater chance to offer service. The time is more valuable for them, because Krsna wants to enjoy, and at that time, devotees should be busy to supply the things for His enjoyment \u2013 so much so that they won\u2019t have any time for their own necessities. The devotees always remain by the side of Krsna, supplying whatever He wants, even for-getting to take their own food or any other thing. They want to be busily engaged in the service of Krsna and in that time of need this will fetch more remuneration \u2013 that is affinity towards Krsna, and it brings more grace. So, the first reason is to please Krsna and the secondary reason is, that by fasting, we can make our body dry and so our enjoying spirit will be lessened. This is the general explanation.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b herself serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?\",\"a\":\"There are so many other things also. Everything is conscious, everything is personal, and Ekadasi has her own personal character, and she devotes herself with all her company in the service of Krsna. She does not take any food or anything else, and also does not allow others in her group to take food or waste time, but is always engaged in the service of Krsna.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I approach fasting when strictness would hamper my service?\",\"a\":\"Niyam\u0101graha means to give abnormal attention to any particular ruling. Rulings are always meant for some particular stage, and after passing that stage that ruling is no longer applicable and another ruling we shall have to mark. Just as on Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b \u2013 we may be very firm to such a ruling that we must fast wholesale, without taking even a drop of water. But the general rule is that I must keep my body fit for the service of the Lord, so I may take some water. I must not be overly strict to a particular rule, so that the general law will be hampered.\",\"c\":\"Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta \u2014 Verse 2\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I give my K\u0101rttika observance a steady direction?\",\"a\":\"The month of K\u0101rttika is known as niyama-sev\u0101 m\u0101sa. During this period the devotees try to follow some fixed program to enhance their devotion. Slothfulness is not encouraged. We have to fix a particular program of devotional attempts like reading the \u015b\u0101stra, doing some k\u012brtana or some particular devotional activity that may be useful for advancement towards our goal. Niyama means to regulate our life to a particular schedule of service. We must regulate sev\u0101, leading to a\u1e63\u1e6da-k\u0101l\u012bya-sev\u0101, the twenty-four hour service to the Lord. During all times this should be the tenor of our disposition, especially in K\u0101rttika, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will be very pleased. If we do this in connection with R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, it will be much favored by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, because it is harmonised with His highest beloved. K\u0101rttika-vrata is popular among the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, and especially the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, whose ultimate goal is r\u0101dh\u0101-d\u0101syam. They observe this month conscientiously. Whatever has been mentioned in the \u015b\u0101stra, we observe it. Gau\u1e0d\u012bya Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas have much regard for k\u0101rttika-vrata, the vow of special service during the month of K\u0101rttika.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-c\\\">Follow the Angels \u2014 K\u0101rttik\u012b-\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">In Navadv\u012bpa we generally recommend the chanting of the a\u1e63\u1e6dottara-\u015bata-n\u0101ma of Mah\u0101prabhu and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Their hundred and eight Names. Their whole l\u012bl\u0101 is given there. One can come in touch with the whole l\u012bl\u0101 of Mah\u0101prabhu as well as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Morning and evening, repeat the eight \u015blokas of Mah\u0101prabhu.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 A\u1e63\u1e6da-k\u0101l\u012bya-l\u012bl\u0101\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I cultivate through the restrictions of K\u0101rttika?\",\"a\":\"There are many rules and regulations mentioned in the scriptures, and those who are very much fervent in this matter follow those rules and customs, cultivating the favor of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. She is pleased with this k\u0101rttika-vrata. Some restriction should be there in our daily movement. Drawing all of our energy to one point, we should try to cultivate some affection for Her, Who is K\u0101rttik\u012b.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 K\u0101rttik\u012b-\u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why is even a small offering of energy during K\u0101rttika valuable?\",\"a\":\"K\u0101rttika is a special month in which we try our best to cultivate all of our feelings and regulate them for the attainment of our intimate connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. By investing our energy even in a small way during the k\u0101rttika\u2013mahin\u0101, we can get better results, just as in times of war capitalists may find more opportunity for earning profit. In a short time they can earn more \u2013 that sort of arrangement is everywhere. Here also there are particular points of time, when using our energy in a focused way can be more beneficial. Such is the time in k\u0101rttika-mahin\u0101 (month of K\u0101rttika). Purity of purpose is almost guaranteed, because the object is to satisfy R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, the Divine Potency.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 A\u1e63\u1e6da-k\u0101l\u012bya-l\u012bl\u0101\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What gives restraint during C\u0101turm\u0101sya its devotional value?\",\"a\":\"So penance, c\u0101turm\u0101sya penance, that has got also some necessity in the beginning, because we are under at present, such a plane that we do not know without enjoyment. Always calculating what benefit we can derive from that, going to have a connection with anything, the second thing, how much benefit I may derive from it. It is natural. So just to check that, to check that natural irresistible attempt in our present position, some restraint is necessary. So the \u015b\u0101stra has come with so many restrictions, don\u2019t do this, don\u2019t do that. Some also concerning our health in this rainy season. And also some necessary indirectly to help our cause. But if it is connected with Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, with Hari, then that has got really, surely, some value.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 B \u2014 Transcript 82.07.08.B_82.07.09.A\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why is Puru\u1e63ottama month a special opportunity for service?\",\"a\":\"Renunciation is meant to provide us with a more favourable opportunity for krsna-seva. Every so many years there is an extra month, Purusottama month, which is particularly auspicious for the fortunate jivas. Purusottama month has all good qualities, just like Bhagavan Purusottama Himself, and is considered the crown of all months. Even the most holy months such as Vaisakha month, cannot be compared with this Purusottama month \u2013 Bhagavan, the Lord Himself, has mercifully accepted this month and given it all His power. This is described in the Sri Brhan-naradiya Purana.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do devotees engage themselves during Puru\u1e63ottama month?\",\"a\":\"The Lord always gives much protection to the surrendered, so He gives all His own wealth and property to this month and in this way it takes on His properties and becomes like Him. Therefore the Lord gave His own name, Purusottama, making this extra month the king of all months. He Himself glorified this month and gave it to His most dear devotees, whom He loves as Himself. The devotees serve the Lord Goloka-vihari Purusottama very happily in this Purusottama month and are very happy to engage in extra austerities during this time \u2013 the month when the materialists are very silent in their activities.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What food alternatives are mentioned for those unable to fast completely?\",\"a\":\"We take some types of food, and not others, because they are considered to be less injurious, and less exciting to the body. Also, it is mentioned in Hari-bhakti-vilasa, that some particular sins are fond of taking shelter in those foods that we reject. Papa means a type of sin that is very fond of taking shelter in grains and those places which we surely want to avoid. First-class fasting means without even taking water ( nirjal). Those who cannot do without food, may take fruit, roots and milk.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why is Mah\u0101dv\u0101da\u015b\u012b sometimes observed instead of Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b?\",\"a\":\"We are told that Ekadasi and Dvadasi are favoured by Hari \u2013 the underlying cause is already explained. Hari will be pleased with any small service performed on these days. So, Dvadasi and Ekadasi are both considered the favourite days of Krsna. Ekadasi observance is compulsory \u2013 though Dvadasi is also honoured as the favourite of Hari, still Ekadasi has preference. Dvadasi has preference over Ekadasi only in eight cases, determined by the combination of naksatra, tithi, - etc. when we observe Maha-Dvadasi and not Ekadasi.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What special opportunity for service do Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b and Dv\u0101da\u015b\u012b offer?\",\"a\":\"On Ekadasi and Dvadasi, even a little service gives some greater remuneration. Remuneration means that our serving attitude and our earnestness, will be enhanced at that particular time. In a deeper sense, this means that Hari, at that time, wants to accept more service. That is the fortune of the servitors, that Hari demands more of the servitors, so the importance for the servitors increases at that time during Ekadasi and Dvadasi. Also on Dvadasi, we do not pick the leaves of tulasi because it is considered that Tulasi-devi has observed fasting on Ekadasi.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">It is also noted that service is the first consideration. If I fast and do not take any water, then I may have to lie down and not be able to do any service to the Lord. That is not desirable. So, to take anukalpa and do service to the Lord is better.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s05\",\"title\":\"03. Welcoming the Lord and His Associates\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I seek the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu?\",\"a\":\"To get the grace of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, we should try as far as possible to study the character of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga Mah\u0101prabhu, to serve Him, to serve His Dh\u0101m, and His devotees. That will easily help us attain the grade of Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu. And there will always be so many practical dealings in our present stage, but we must always keep the highest ideal over our heads. With this ideal we shall be able to make progress. Our ideal, our highest model\u2014that is our all-in-all in life. To be acquainted with the conception of the highest ideal and to be on the path of realisation of that goal is the greatest wealth in one\u2019s life.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 Progress: elimination and acceptance\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I approach the highest devotion without trying to reach it prematurely?\",\"a\":\"First go to Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, and by His grace you will go to Mah\u0101prabhu. Strictly stick to gaura-l\u012bl\u0101, Mah\u0101prabhu, and you will automatically find within your heart that r\u0101dh\u0101-rasa-sudh\u0101-nidhi is flowing. Don\u2019t attempt directly to have it. It will come automatically, spontaneously.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Percolated by the mercy of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, try to approach \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Then there will be no possibility of any contamination entering our heart and disturbing us in that plane. \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga will impede that contamination. If we have the shelter of \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga we can be sure that we will very safely, smoothly, and intimately attain the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Otherwise it is very dangerous, and sometimes suicidal. If we do not approach through \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga, the attempt will be reactionary.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Do Your Duty in Your Plane\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What can devotion to \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga bring into my life?\",\"a\":\"To bring \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga nearer to our soul is to get, even unconsciously, a guarantee of our achievement in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101. For the fallen souls it is more useful to cultivate devotion to \u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. That will give us the complete fulfilment of life with the least trouble. Devotion to Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga will not lead us to any haphazard or misconceived K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, but real K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. We can have full K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness\u2014plus something more. What is that? The distribution of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.\",\"c\":\"The Golden Volcano of Divine Love \u2014 Gaura consciousness\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand worship of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a as a child?\",\"a\":\"We are worshipers not of the fatherhood of Godhead, but of the sonhood of Godhead. We don\u2019t worship Him as the creator or as the controller, out on the circumference, but in the conception of sonhood, He is in the center. He is not on the circumference, but in the center. That is the conception of Srimad Bhagavatam: sonhood, and then consorthood, a more heavenly expression, is found there. He is in the center and His extensions emanate from Him. So in our conception of the absolute, His father is controlling Him, His mother is abusing Him, and He is seen to fall at the feet of His beloved.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">And why? Love divine. Prema. So how highly precious a thing divine love must be. After liberation, beyond calculative devotion, in the highest plane of the whole creation, eternal love reigns supreme. And that divine love emanates from Him just as rays of light emanate from the sun.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Sonhood of God\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does Baladeva support K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s world?\",\"a\":\"So He is at the center and His extension is on all sides. Baladeva on one hand supplies the energy of existence, maintaining everything in the background, and the ecstatic side is controlled by His potency Srimati Radharani, who can make the Absolute Independent a ball in the play of Her hand.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Sonhood of God\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s submission to His devotees reveal about devotion?\",\"a\":\"There, all are equal, and some may even be superior. The father and mother of the absolute may be chastising Him, and the Lord may be weeping. Here is bhakti. Where is bhakti? What is the symptom of pure devotion? Where the highest authority is submissive to the servant\u2014that is devotion. Bhakta-paradhinah: The highest has been forcibly taken down to serve the devotee. Devotion has such a peculiar position and power. Ksetra-hari prema bhajana: The last acquisition of devotion is that which can control the Supreme Lord and forcibly take Him to the devotee as a friendly servant. The master surrenders to the servant.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Sonhood of God\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I remember about Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b on her appearance day?\",\"a\":\"There are other friends of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Some are neutral towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b, some are a little partial towards K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b is cent-percent partial towards R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b\u2019s cause. This is Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b. Her birthday, the day of her appearance, is just before that of R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b stands as guarantor, even to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, what to speak of other ordinary persons. To K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a this is most valuable and rare \u2013 such is R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b\u2019s sacrifice in love, the highest intensity and utmost dignity.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Guardian of the L\u012bl\u0101\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How did Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita give himself to Mah\u0101prabhu?\",\"a\":\"Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita appeared and disappeared during the summer season, under the new moon. Mah\u0101prabhu took the fullest advantage from Gad\u0101dhara, and sent him to the most negative position. Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita gave himself voluntarily to Him. His very heart was drawn by Mah\u0101prabhu, bh\u0101va-k\u0101nti. And he, just like a shadow, gave the entirety of his wealth to Mah\u0101prabhu. Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita was a shadow, running after Him as if his heart had been stolen. This Person stole all his wealth, and he was fully dependent on Him. Like a shadow, he is moving after Him.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">But Gad\u0101dhara has so much inner attraction for Mah\u0101prabhu that it surpasses all of His other associates. In Gad\u0101dhara we find personified love for Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga. No such degree of love for Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga can be found anywhere else.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can remembering the Pa\u00f1cha Tattva help me despite my fallen condition?\",\"a\":\"\u015ar\u012b Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga is most magnanimous. \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and His associates the Pa\u00f1cha Tattva have come to raise all souls from their fallen condition. Generally, only deserving persons can gain entrance into V\u1e5bnd\u0101van, into K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101. But as \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself has come down to cure the offenders of their offences and grant them entrance into V\u1e5bnd\u0101van. Simply by chanting the names of the Pa\u00f1cha Tattva and by remembering Their l\u012bl\u0101, we can be purified even from the lowest position and prepare for participation in V\u1e5bnd\u0101van-l\u012bl\u0101.\",\"c\":\"The Golden Volcano of Divine Love \u2014 Part Three \/ A Drop of Divine Love\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How may I honour \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b Vi\u1e63\u1e47upriy\u0101 Dev\u012b on her appearance day?\",\"a\":\"Her brother was her guardian after Sachi Devi departed, and ultimately she had a Sri Murti (Deity) of Mahaprabhu, and she would worship Him in that Form. And since the time of Vishnupriya that worship is being continued up to the present in the Temple here in Nabadwip known as \u2018Mahaprabhur Bari\u2019 (the Home of Mahaprabhu). So this day of the year is connected with her holy memory, and we may achieve her Grace if we honour this time in her name, discussing her Pastimes. She will be propitiated and Sri Chaitanyadev will also be pleased with us, giving us a step forward in our transcendental march towards Him.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Seven: A Holy Day\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why did \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu accept sanny\u0101sa?\",\"a\":\"For the purpose of capturing those in the rank of sannyas, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyas. He even took Mayavada sannyas to capture the Mayavadis, because they had the power in their hand.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">At that time the society was under the control of the Mayavadis mostly, so He took the garb of a Mayavadi sannyasi, and entered within their camp.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What service of Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya may I remember on His appearance day?\",\"a\":\"Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya was a great scholar and the most senior among \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019s followers. He appeared in Navagr\u0101m in \u015ar\u012b Ha\u1e6d\u1e6da, in the eastern province of Bengal, and resided in \u015a\u0101ntipur. Ontologically speaking, \u015ar\u012b Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya is the Avat\u0101r of Mah\u0101vi\u1e63\u1e47u, who creates the material cosmos through the agency of His illusory energy. Advaita \u0100ch\u0101rya is the devotee who earnestly invited \u015ar\u012b Chaitanya Mah\u0101prabhu to descend here as the Yuga-avat\u0101r to look after the welfare of all souls.\",\"c\":\"The Golden Volcano of Divine Love \u2014 Mad Nim\u0101i Pa\u1e47\u1e0dit\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What can Hanum\u0101n\u2019s service teach me about humility?\",\"a\":\"Hanuman had his unchangeable heart in the service of dasya-rasa. Wherever the consideration of dasya-rasa comes in, then Hanuman is represented as the ideal servant.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-c\\\">Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">When it was necessary for Hanum\u0101n to burn the golden city of La\u1e45k\u0101, his humility was not disturbed. He was as humble as anyone can be in carrying out the order of Lord R\u0101macandra. He was fully given, wholly surrendered to his Master.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Humility, in other words, is surrender. Humility means to present no opposition to the command of the master from Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha, the upper section. Humility does not drag one into subordination to the serpent, tiger or jackal. Our real relationship is with the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. That is the plane where devotees take their stand. We are concerned with the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. And humility means that we do not resist our master\u2019s instruction. Without opposition, we carry out whatever order comes to us. We possess humility, sun\u012bcat\u0101 \u2013 we are not prejudiced.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Real Humility\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What attracted \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja to Lord R\u0101machandra?\",\"a\":\"My attraction to Krishna first came through Bhagavad-Gita, and then through Mahaprabhu. I liked Ramachandra for His magnanimity. I was mainly attracted by the self-giving ideal. So I liked Radharani very much, I liked Mahaprabhu very much, but my attraction to Krishna was less. My attraction to Krishna came through Mahaprabhu and through Radharani\u2014from Their side.\",\"c\":\"Centenary Anthology: Pastimes, Glories and Teachings of \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Rak\u1e63ak \u015ar\u012bdhar Dev-Gosw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j \u2014 Chapter Three: \u015ar\u012bla Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101j Remembers\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Do K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s pastimes end when this material world is destroyed?\",\"a\":\"When the universe is destroyed in the total annihilation of all the stars and planets, the mahapralaya, this side almost equates to zero. It reaches equilibrium. But the spiritual world is always in full swing. No harm can be done to Krishna\u2019s pastimes because they have an eternal aspect.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Suppose fruit falls from a tree. The fruit is gradually finished, but the tree remains. It is something like that. This material world may equate to zero, but Krishna\u2019s pastimes continue eternally.\",\"c\":\"Subjective Evolution of Consciousness: The Play of the Sweet Absolute \u2014 The Creation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How may I carry my remembrance of Gaura-Nity\u0101nanda into service to others?\",\"a\":\"By distributing Mahaprabhu\u2019s message we are not going out to do anything bad, but according to our conception we are trying to do the holiest thing. Our purpose is of the holiest type ever possible to conceive, so we must go forward with this programme to do good for others, the best for others, and at the same time to get it for ourselves. There can be no engagement more holy than this in the world. It is the holiest engagement and has the blessings of the Lords Nityananda and Sri Gauranga. It is duty to Them. It is Their department.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Preaching is the special department of Sri Gauranga and Nityananda Prabhu. Nabadwip Dham is the place of Their blessings. Our prayer to Them is that, absolving us of all offences, They may utilise us. Here in Koladwip, Nabadwip, at the place of forgiveness of all offences, aparadha-bhanjan-pat, we are praying that They may forgive us for all our previous offences and engage us in Their service to spread Krishna consciousness together with Gauranga consciousness.\",\"c\":\"Holy Engagement \u2014 Holiest Engagement\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What help may I seek from N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva in my devotional life?\",\"a\":\"Vighna, the obstacles that may come on the way of our progress towards the divine world: generally He takes care of that and removes those obstacles from the way. So especially the devotees they have got some special relationship with Him. They revere that the undesirable things may be removed and the path may be cleared by His grace. He did so in the case of Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. And it is very conspicuous how He helped the devotee, in what sort of dangerous and unfavourable position. It is very clear, and so devotees they have got special liking and interest in the service of N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva, so the hindrances may be removed and the path may be cleared by His grace.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1982 A \u2014 Transcript Segment 16: Chronological Continuation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How may I pray to N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva when obstacles to devotion trouble me?\",\"a\":\"And sometimes you may appeal to N\u1e5bsi\u1e41hadeva. \u201cYou please help me to get out of these hindrances of devotion. These are all enemy to devotional life. Please help me my Lord.\u201d And also Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu, to Gurudeva, \u201cPlease help me from all these enemies that are trying to fall on me.\u201d In this way. And take to the Name, and this book reading, and the service, wherever you are, do the service to your friends and well wishers around you. In this way go on.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1983 C \u2014 Transcript Segment 11: Chronological Continuation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How did \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja await K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s appearance on Janm\u0101\u1e63\u1e6dam\u012b near his Gurudeva?\",\"a\":\"Then the daytime lectures over, gap in the middle, and then again at twelve o clock there will be k\u012brtana and Bh\u0101gavata-p\u0101\u1e6d. All went away. I took my seat just near the door of Prabhup\u0101da. There is only one roof, second story, no, first floor, and there Prabhup\u0101da used to live.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Then I took my seat there. I may have some influence of that and I began to think that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is being born, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is coming. With this attitude I passed there.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 A \u2014 Transcript Segment 22: Chronological Continuation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What may I remember about V\u0101mana\u2019s wonderful stride on His appearance day?\",\"a\":\"He is wonderful. In the example of Vamana avatara it is told of His \u201cWonderful Stride\u201d \u2013 adbutkrama. With one stride, he covered the whole earth and with the next, He captured the whole of heaven. He then needed a place to put His third step, but where? He is adbutkrama. He, of wonderful stride \u2013 all His steps are wonderful. He is wonder personified \u2013 the source of all wonder to our tiny brain. He is here, He is also everywhere. With His full representation He is everywhere and yet He is nowhere! Everything is in Him and nothing is in Him!\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Five: Poetry of a Saint \u2014 Chapter Eleven: That Wonderful Stride\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why do accounts of the Lord\u2019s appearances sometimes differ?\",\"a\":\"This is why we find differences in the explanations given about different lilas in different ages. Jiva Goswami has explained that the reason for different descriptions of the pastimes of the Lord in the Puranas is because at one time that lila was played in one way, and another time it was played in another way. So we find differences even in the explanations of the same pastime.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-c\\\">The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Brahm\u0101\u2019s Illusion<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">\u015ar\u012b Var\u0101ha Deva came in white colour \u2013 Var\u0101ha Deva came in black colour, it is mentioned in different Pur\u0101\u1e47as. J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b Prabhu has harmonised, that in different kalpas, in some kalpas Var\u0101ha Deva came many times in many yugas, so in a particular in white colour, in another in black colour, this is kalpa-veda.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1973\u20131980 \u2014 Transcript Segment 8: Final 1980 Recordings\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What impression did Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019s appearance festival at Yogap\u012b\u1e6dh leave on \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja?\",\"a\":\"I attended the birth festival of Mahaprabhu at Yogapith. There I found Prabhupad delivering a lecture and some judges, advocates had come from Krsnanagar. They were asking questions and Prabhupad was answering. And in another place, Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Maharaj was speaking about the birth ceremony of Mahaprabhu. Bhakti Svarup Parvat Maharaj was collecting donations and writing receipts. There was kirtan in one place with ardent appeal. Chaitanya-charitamrta verses were chanted there. It was a hive of activity. I felt a transcendental happy atmosphere here \u2013 all these things captured my mind. But I was still hesitating, what to do?\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part One: Divine Conception\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand \u015aiva\u2019s position as a devotee?\",\"a\":\"Vai\u1e63\u1e47av\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 yath\u0101 \u015bambhu\u1e25 \u2013 there in \u015aivaloka, \u015aiva is a devotee of N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a, representing himself as a token of service in Vaiku\u1e47\u1e6dha. That is the position of Sad\u0101-\u015aiva in \u015aivaloka. Sad\u0101-\u015aiva and Mah\u0101-Vi\u1e63\u1e47u are almost one and the same. On that side Sad\u0101-\u015aiva is a devotee, and on this side there is Rudra. The marginal position between the serving world and the enjoying world is \u015aiva. That aspect that is towards the enjoying side is Rudra and that which is towards the serving side is Sad\u0101-\u015aiva. The real position of \u015aiva is a very difficult thing to understand. It is marginal, two aspects combined \u2013 mainly ty\u0101ga, sometimes bhoga and sometimes service. \u015aiva-tattva means marginal. \u015aiva-tattva, guru-tattva, dh\u0101ma-tattva and \u015br\u012b-vigraha-tattva \u2013 these four things are very difficult to understand.\",\"c\":\"Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta \u2014 Verse 9\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s06\",\"title\":\"04. Entering the Mood of Pastimes and Holy Places\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I cleanse within myself when cleaning the Lord\u2019s temple?\",\"a\":\"I must scrutinise and analyze my own inner temple and brush aside any undesirable things. Gu\u1e47\u1e0dic\u0101\u2013m\u0101rjana \u2013 cleanse the temple just as Mah\u0101prabhu showed us. Gu\u1e47\u1e0dic\u0101\u2013m\u0101rjana. There are many types of undesirable things that should be brushed aside. We should make progress, and come closer to our Lord for service. He will take me closer for the quality of my service. Service must be the pivot of everything, whether studying, collecting resources, or recruiting devotees. The serving spirit should be kept intact always.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Tangible Dedication\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What can I learn from the humble service of sweeping the temple?\",\"a\":\"Mahaprabhu was satisfied with Emperor Prataparudra when He found that the king had engaged himself in the very menial service of a sweeper. The king performed the service of a sweeper \u2013 this attracted Him most. Mahaprabhu Himself engaged in the gundica-marjana (cleansing of the Gundica Temple). Jagannath was coming to Gundica, so Mahaprabhu and His party collected the dust from the temple in His uttariya and threw it outside, and then washed the temple.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Nothing is neglected but we are attracted \u2013 with that low, menial service, we may attract the attention of the high. Nothing is insignificant when it is connected with Him. Still, there is gradation. In the beginning of one\u2019s service we must always have a sincere tendency to go towards the lower si-de. By Krsna\u2019s will we will be accepted for higher satisfaction.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part One: Divine Conception\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What does Jagann\u0101tha\u2019s journey to Gu\u1e47\u1e0dich\u0101 express?\",\"a\":\"When Jagannath comes to the Gundica temple in Puri the connection with Vrndavan expresses itself. Otherwise, in the Jagannath temple, that is in the mood of Dvaraka.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-c\\\">Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">In Kuruk\u1e63etra, \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b is hankering for the environment of V\u1e5bnd\u0101van; She wants to have \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s company there. All of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s paraphernalia and divine associates have their own unique value, and cannot be eliminated.\",\"c\":\"The Golden Volcano of Divine Love \u2014 Part Three \/ A Drop of Divine Love\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I look beyond the outward form when approaching Lord Jagann\u0101tha?\",\"a\":\"But to come to the plane of ecstasy, we shall have to dive deep into reality. We must not be satisfied with the formal, the superficial. If we concentrate our attention on the outward form of a thing, neglecting its inner substance, then we shall find that we are looking in the wrong place. When Mahaprabhu would look at the Deity of Jagannathadeva, apparently it seemed that His aim was fixed on the same thing we see when we look at the Deity. To our vision, however, the Deity of Jagannatha is only a doll made of wood. And yet when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would fix His eye there, He would shed tears of joy, and His tears flowed in an incessant current. Where is His vision of reality connected? What we see as a wooden doll, He sees in a completely different way. And just by looking at that, an incessant current of tears pours from His eyes. Where is His connection with reality located? He is viewing things from the opposite side, from the subjective world.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">So how should we approach the Deity? When we have a look at the Deity, what should be our attitude? The Deity form of the Lord is not a mundane thing, and so we should learn the proper way in which to see the Deity. And more than this, we must try to look at this from the other point of view. As we are trying to see the Deity, He sees us. He has come down to help the fallen souls in this material world, and He has come down in such a way as to take us up to His domain.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Beneath the Loving Eye of God\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I seek to perceive when visiting the holy dh\u0101ma?\",\"a\":\"In an ordinary country there is a capital. The capital is where the existence and position of the king is more intense than in the general section of the country. Similarly, the Lord is everywhere, and His concentrated existence is found in the Dham, or the Holy Abode. With fully developed vision, we can feel the special characteristic of the Dham. We shall find His presence everywhere, but with particular intensity in the Dham. With the awakening of our real eye, we should be able to feel and appreciate according to this criterion. There is no question of a Dham for those who have no eye to see. There is also a hierarchy in the Dham. All are in serving attitude, whether birds, beasts, worms, insects\u2014everything\u2014all are contributing to the Reality. Their feeling of heart, their gesture, posture or movement\u2014everything contributes exclusively to the Pastimes of the Lord.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">So, the eye to see\u2014faith\u2014is necessary. According to the sraddha, the specific character of the Dham, as distinct from all other places, will come into view, disclosing its real form. Everything depends on sraddha, faith.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Two: The Eye to See the Dh\u0101m\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"In what mood did Raghun\u0101th D\u0101s Gosw\u0101m\u012b worship his Govardhan-\u015bil\u0101?\",\"a\":\"Mahaprabhu gave him govardhan-sila and a gunja-mala from Vrndavan.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Raghunath thought of the govardhan-sila as Krsna, and the gunja-mala as Radhika. So, with this mood, he used to offer tulasi and water to Them.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why do we worship a stone from Govardhan Hill as K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself?\",\"a\":\"At that time, Krishna revealed Himself as Govardhan Hill and showed how it is also His extended self. According to authorities in our line, Radha-kunda is the extended self of Srimati Radharani and Govardhan is the extended self of Krishna. And so we worship a stone from Govardhan Hill, a part of Giridhari, as Krishna Himself. We may understand from this that a part of the infinite is infinite. And yet so feeble is our ordinary vision that although Govardhan-sila is a part of the infinite, and therefore also infinite, to our material vision it is only a piece of stone.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">A part of the infinite is also infinite. The Govardhan-sila represents Krishna as the master and keeper of cows. Within Govardhan is that mild and soft conception of God the Beautiful. We beg for His mercy, His affection, and His gracious glance upon us.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Lord of the Cows\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How may I offer simple worship to Govardhan?\",\"a\":\"Govardhan worship is very simple. Mahaprabhu advised that a little water and tulasi is the minimum that should be offered. And generally whatever food we take, in a simple way with no splen-dour or grandeur, we must offer to Govardhan. If possible, bedding and a flower, tulasi and then some food in a bowl may be offered. And anything else may be done as we normally do for the vigraha of Krsna. Govardhan is easily self-satisfied with a simple and short way of worshipping Him.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">But, we have found that He is satisfied by simply offering water and tulasi. According to your circumstances, offer whatever you can.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What shelter may I seek as I remember K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a lifting Govardhan Hill?\",\"a\":\"At that time, with only one hand Krishna lifted up the Govardhan mountain. For Him, it was a very easy thing; with only one hand, He uprooted the hill and lifted it up as a child lifts a toy ball.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">And holding up that great mountain, Krishna gave protection to all those who were living in Gokula. The men, women, and children of Vrindavan brought the cows and all their worldly goods and took shelter beneath Govardhan Hill.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">The whole cowherd society was given shelter under that hill. In this way, by lifting Govardhan Hill, Krishna gave protection to the residents of Vrindavan, and crushed the pride of the lord of heaven, Indra himself.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Different material tendencies and mental impulses may attack us\u2014even Indra himself, the king of heaven and the controller of all ordinary activities, may attack us\u2014but if we are attentive towards our goal, if we are careful to read the order of Krishna, He will protect us in the shade of His lotus feet. He will give us shelter under the shade of Govardhan Hill, where no Indra will be able to touch our heads. And with full faith that Krishna will give us protection, we should try to take shelter under Govardhan Hill and pray: \u201cO Krishna, give me protection from all the difficulties that may come to attack me because of my leaving behind my ordinary obligations.\u201d\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 Lord of the Cows\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What mercy may I remember when visiting Koladw\u012bp in Nabadw\u012bp Dh\u0101m?\",\"a\":\"At Koladwip\u2014the Govardhan Hill of Vrindavan, concealed in Sri Nabadwip Dham\u2014the Most Generous Absolute expressed Himself in His maximum generosity. Without considering any crime, He absolved whoever He found. He accepted them all. After sannyas, when He returned to Bengal with the intention of going to Vrindavan, He showed His most generous and dignified temperament at that time. He recruited the sinners of the world. Anyone who came to Him received the highest mercy. This is the speciality of this place. By \u2018place\u2019 we should not think of a mere geographical location. Of course, it has such a location, but really this is where the Most Generous Absolute gave Himself to the worst sinners. Here, even the most fallen souls receive the grace of the Lord.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Our highest necessity is distributed from here, Nabadwip Dham; here is the key to the highest and sweetest mood within our hearts. The key to enter into the conception of our sweetest home is given from here. Here is the key to that world of faith, sraddha, that world of love. If I can know my real prospect in life, I shall find that the key to my sweetest home is here. I am wandering in the jungle of an unsafe position, where I may be devoured at any moment. My so-called ego, my conception of my own self, is not eternal; it may be attacked and destroyed at any time. But the key for my real life and my real home is here. This has been given to us by the spiritual experts.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume One \u2014 Introduction\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I weigh a visit to a holy place against the service entrusted to me?\",\"a\":\"But in reality this service is our higher connection. God\u2019s will is coming through His agent, and to be engaged in His service is very, very valuable. Conversely, to choose from our lower position what is good and what is bad, and to go to a holy place is some sort of religious luxury. Divine service is above the independence of an ordinary soul.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">\u201cI am doing the right thing by visiting holy places\u201d \u2013 the origin of this is from my false ego and a far higher ego is giving the instruction, \u201cDo this! God wants this from you!\u201d This is from another world. This realization came to me gradually, that to obey the orders of a Vaisnava means to serve Divinity, and this will lead us to the supreme destination.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What guided \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s restraint in displaying Jhulan and R\u0101sa pastimes?\",\"a\":\"But I strictly abstain from that sort of showing, the jhulana l\u012bl\u0101 or rasa l\u012bl\u0101; that is too high for us, I considered. I must be true to my hearing of the words of my Gurudeva if I want my realisation and not my position. The position or some sort of popularity to attract people by such show and to make money or to make a favourable field for preaching, they may do like that. But I don\u2019t do. I don\u2019t want popularity. Nor any position of a higher \u0100c\u0101rya. I am a student, still I am a student, I consider myself to be a student, a faithful student. What I heard from my Gurudeva I try my best to stick there, to keep my position there as I heard from him. I don\u2019t want to mutilate that in any way to suit my purpose. I try not to do that.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 A \u2014 Transcript Segment 14: Chronological Continuation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand taking bath in R\u0101dh\u0101 Ku\u1e47\u1e0da?\",\"a\":\"So the highest praise of R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da. But here it is mentioned sn\u0101tur, one who has taken bath in that R\u0101dh\u0101-ku\u1e47\u1e0da. But our Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja he gave light that sn\u0101na means not to dive this physical body, but your soul must have got a bath there, in that ku\u1e47\u1e0da. So physically you are to honour. Don\u2019t jump into the water you see. But you can take a drop on your head and think yourself you are purified. The sn\u0101na means not physical bath. It is the bath that is to be coloured with that tinge.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1981 A \u2014 Transcript Segment 31: Chronological Continuation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Does V\u1e5bnd\u0101van\u2019s simplicity mean that it lacks spiritual opulence?\",\"a\":\"Those who are poor adore gold and jewels whereas those who have enough of such riches prefer flowers, trees, and all such natural, simple things. Similarly, the grandeur of Vaikuntha is suppressed in the aprakrta world where there are kalpa-vrksas\u2014desire-fulfilling trees\u2014and where everything is made of chintamani, touchstone. Anything can produce anything there in that original place! So, once we admit that to be the original position, by deduction we will see that everything, however gorgeous and dignified, must all come from there. And that is the acme. By analysis and logic we must regulate our thoughts in that direction.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three \u2014 Chapter Four: Affectionate K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s07\",\"title\":\"05. Honouring Gurudeva: Appearance, Service and Separation\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I remain connected with Gurudeva in separation?\",\"a\":\"Once, one of your devotees said in his lecture that separation is the highest realisation. I was very happy to hear from his lips that separation (vipralambha) is the highest attainment. Without separation, nothing else can come to us. The anticipation of meeting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will appear to us as vipralambha, so vipralambha is the most auspicious thing pertaining to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. And we can have K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s connection also in that separation. So, the safest and most fearless position is vipralambha. If we can stand firm and retain the memory of Gurudev in his separation, then we will have passed the highest test.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 Without Guru, all is void\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What kind of service should I aspire to offer on Guru\u2019s appearance day?\",\"a\":\"Purity is not only self-abnegation but the higher purity is in self-surrender. That service is not calculative nor with any motive, but it is automatic, spontaneous service: service of the beautiful, service of love divine. It is not the service of power, but it is service of beauty, love. Satyam, sivam, sundaram. Sundaram is the most original factor ever discovered in this world. So Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srimad Bagavatam preached about sundaram, which is not mere unassailable eternal existence to be adored, and not mere consciousness of the material substance which may be discovered as a wonderful thing to be adored, but sundaram, is the fulfilment of the consciousness. The real existence of that highest substance was given exclusively by Srimad Bhagavatam and then by Sri Chaitanyadev and His followers. We are worshipers of the beautiful. Reality the beautiful, reality the love, reality the harmony. That is the highest quarter of the existence and we are connected internally with that and so we must aspire after that scientifically. There is a particular method and we are to follow that. The sastra, the scripture, is there and the living sastra, the sadhu, the saint, is there and under their guidance we can hope to attain the highest fulfilment of life.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Four \u2014 Sri Vyasa-Puja Address, 9 Nov. 1982\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why is Gurudeva\u2019s shelter indispensable to my spiritual life?\",\"a\":\"The disappearance of the Spiritual Master is mentioned in the \u015b\u0101stra with an example. The disciple is like a lotus. The Spiritual Master is like the water around the lotus, just as in a pond or a lake. Your late Gurudev\u2019s position is like water, and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is like the sun. As long as the lotus is floating on the water, the sun will nourish the lotus. But if the water vanishes, that very sun will burn the lotus. Without water, the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a sun will burn the lotus. Without the help of the Guru, the disciple is nowhere.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 Separation from \u015ar\u012b Guru\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I look beyond the physical form when remembering Gurudeva?\",\"a\":\"We have to free ourselves from the snare of identifying reality with the physical form presented to our senses. The eyes deceive us; they cannot give us the proper form or colour. The ears cannot give us the proper sound. The concrete reality is beyond the experience of our senses. So then, what is that thing? Because we are in such a low position, we can gradually go there to the inner world only with the help of our Guru.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">So, by eliminating the external conception we have to enter into the internal, and that will be all-important to a progressive disciple. That does not mean that one should disregard the physical form of our guru. But the real importance is within. We must worship the remnants of the Guru: his coat, his boot, his sandal. But that does not mean that his shoe is superior to his body; we must serve his person. In a similar way, if we are eager to do some physical service for him, if we want to massage his feet, but he does not desire that and says, \u201cNo, no, no\u201d, then should we do that? Our internal obedience to him will be higher. In this way we have to make progress from the gross to the subtle.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 The Original Guru\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I ask myself when honouring Gurudeva?\",\"a\":\"Who is Guru? Where is he to be located? What is his ideal? What does he really want me to do? These things must not be dismissed from our ears. We must not give only formal adherence. We want the spiritual way. The spiritual man is going to the spiritual world to have the spiritual realisation. It is all a spiritual transaction. And all conceptions of mundane, whether physical, mental, or intellectual, should be eliminated in our journey if we want to go to the inner world of substance.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 The Original Guru\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I avoid honouring only the outward form of Guru?\",\"a\":\"You see, it comes to the same point. Who is Guru? And why is he Guru? Guru, \u015b\u0101stra, and s\u0101dhu are one and the same thing, and we have to appreciate that. Otherwise, should we think that our onward march will be guaranteed only by the vision of our eyes? The photo of our Spiritual Master is not our Guru, although the photo has some connection with the real Guru. The eye experience and the ear experience of a person is not the whole experience. The real experience is through the words, the idea that the Guru has given. That is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">If I have a real interest in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, I have to adjust all other things accordingly. Otherwise, if I miss the real thing that the Guru came to give me, everything will be dull idol worship. To follow the form alone will be idolatry. There are so many human figures; why is he Guru? Because he is a mediator, a medium of divine knowledge. That is the criterion to be tested everywhere. Put this test anywhere and everywhere. What is the interest for which we came to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness? And what is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness? There is your Guru. He is Guru only because he is in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, and there are different degrees of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness. So, we must not make much about the form.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 N\u0101m-guru and Mantra-guru\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Where should I concentrate my attention as a disciple?\",\"a\":\"All our attention should be concentrated in the service of our Guru. This should be the idea. Our first tendency is to approach K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. In that stage, the first thing to understand is that we are helpless. Of course, all things must be sincere. First there is the stage of helplessness, then we want the shelter of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, sweetness personified, then we are attracted to sweetness of a particular type, and to approach that department. There, we pray for the final, closest connection or permanent membership as a servitor there. This has been taught by \u015ar\u012bla Raghun\u0101th D\u0101s Gosw\u0101m\u012b as the highest achievement of the living being.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 The Line of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Where should the inspiration for my service come from?\",\"a\":\"If we thrust something on the higher authority then that is karma-k\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da. The origin of our motivation must not be within. That must come from Hari, guru, or Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. And we must carry it out. We should not be the creators of the wave of command. We must carry out the news that comes through the wave from above, from Hari, guru, or Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. We are only to carry out orders and not to make any.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Sev\u0101 Must Originate From Above\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I pass on a direction I have received?\",\"a\":\"The command must come from the centre, the higher position, and be implemented by those below. The nature of harmony requires this system of control. The centre is one, advaya-j\u00f1\u0101na. He is the Absolute Autocrat. Advaya-j\u00f1\u0101na means the dictation from a particular quarter and carrying out the orders according to the degree of capacity of the different centres. Then the result is connected with the Absolute.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">I must not venture to command anything to anybody, but if I have received that sort of order from the upper region, then and then only may I transmit that command. I may be a transmitter but not the absolute creator of any desire of any will. My spoken word may be a sub-centre, but not the absolute centre. There are many sub-centres, reliable sub-centres.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Sev\u0101 Must Originate From Above\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I remain connected with guidance from above?\",\"a\":\"In Gurudeva, R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b and Baladeva were permanently present, and now also there may be other recognised centres of command. I can communicate with them and carry out their orders. In that way we can keep our connection with the higher authority, the Absolute. We are very eager to keep our connection with the Absolute harmony, eager to have direction from above and act accordingly. By necessity of harmony this sort of conduct is required. A Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava must have this submissive nature.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Whatever power we have, however small, place it at the disposal of the highest beauty, love divine, and it will be distributed. We will also be inundated with the highest quality and degree of joy and fulfilment. Such a life of devotion has been recommended as the key to our progress.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Sev\u0101 Must Originate From Above\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What if I sincerely try to serve Gurudeva but cannot do everything perfectly?\",\"a\":\"If you are surrendered and then appeal, \u201cWhat am I to do, my Master? Please dictate to me,\u201d and do accordingly with sincerity, then if it is wrong also, you are not to be a party to that wrong because you did not consciously want to disobey the Guru\u2014you tried your utmost to obey him cent-per-cent. But you are not a perfect person, still, from your position, as much as possible you have done and he will be satisfied with that. He is all-knowing. He is omniscient and will see, \u201cHe has tried his best.\u201d<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">So from our position we shall try our best and we will be rewarded accordingly. But we must be cautious that within us there may not be any insincerity, duplicity, or hypocrisy, for such things are self-suicidal.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three \u2014 Chapter Ten: Dictation of \u015ar\u012b Guru\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should I do when an urgent service decision cannot wait for Gurudeva\u2019s instruction?\",\"a\":\"Also my own Divine Master may be living but if I am posted for duty in a far away place and some urgent decision is required then what shall I do? If an immediate decision is required and there is no time to receive my Master\u2019s order I may appeal to my inner Guru and I shall do that which I consider my Guru will be pleased to accept. I shall take up my duty and work with the assertion, \u201cThis will please my Gurudev.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three \u2014 Chapter Ten: Dictation of \u015ar\u012b Guru\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Where did \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja find shelter after his Gurudeva\u2019s disappearance?\",\"a\":\"When I left the mission of my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja after his disappearance, I came here quite helpless. I had to find my shelter and so I began to search the books that I had. What I received from my Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, I began to research the references in the scriptures. I tried to dive deep, to collect the very basis of real devotional life. I found that it is \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, surrender \u2013 and wherever I found the verses recommending and relating to that, I tried my best to collect them and compile the nectar in the life of one who has fully surrendered himself to the feet of the Divine Lord. That is \u015ar\u012b \u015ar\u012b Prapanna-j\u012bvan\u0101m\u1e5btam.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">In my study I found that \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati alone is sufficient to produce all sorts of development in bhakti. Nothing else is necessary, so try your best to pursue \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati, and automatically everything will come to you from the other side. Your business will only be to adhere to \u015bara\u1e47\u0101gati to the most intense degree possible.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 \u015aara\u1e47\u0101gati\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How may difficulties after Gurudeva\u2019s disappearance test my discipleship?\",\"a\":\"What we received from our Spiritual Master we understood only in a rough estimation. Now, things have come in such a way that we have to scrutinise ourselves in every position. We have to analyse ourselves. \u0100tma-nik\u1e63epa, self-analysis, has begun. We are under trial. What we received from our Spiritual Master, in what way have we received it? Properly, or only showingly? The time has come to purify us, to test whether we are real students, real disciples, or his disciples only in face and confession. What is the position of a real disciple? If we live in the society, what is the depth of our creed? In what attitude have we accepted his teachings? How deep-rooted is it within us? The fire has come to test whether we can stand. Is our acceptance real? Or is it a sham, an imitation? This fire will prove that.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">So, we must not quarrel. We must act properly in dealing with that.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 God Consciousness vs. Society Consciousness\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What makes a birthday fortunate when it brings connection with Guru and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a?\",\"a\":\"This is the happiest and most fortunate day, because on this day you came to Guru and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Many birthdays have already passed, but this birthday has brought you in connection with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. So this day should be respected not only by your disciples, friends, and relatives; you should also have respect for this day. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a has blessed you.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 Servant of the Servant\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s08\",\"title\":\"06. Remembering and Serving the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I approach speaking about exalted Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas?\",\"a\":\"When we deal with so many great things, such as trying to speak about great personalities of the highest order, we should beg Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu to pardon us for our audacity. He is patita-p\u0101vana, savior of the fallen souls. He is ado\u1e63a-dar\u015b\u012b \u2013 generally He does not take any offence.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-c\\\">Follow the Angels \u2014 Approach Nity\u0101nanda Prabhu<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Humility means not to encroach on the rights of others. However, it should not be self-destructive \u2013 it must be natural. Humility is accepting no position, because a servant has no independent position. Because he is always at the command of the master, he is always situated within infinite possibility. The servant is humble to his master, not to the gu\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101s. His humility must be directed chiefly towards the master. Be humble towards the Lord\u2019s own, the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. Be humble there.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Real Humility\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I approach the service of \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b?\",\"a\":\"And serving those who can serve Radharani is the way to approach Her vicinity. By serving the servants of the servants, we are assured of success in getting the grace of Krishna. If somehow one can be counted in the group of Srimati Radharani\u2019s servitors, one\u2019s future is assured.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 THE SERVICE OF SRI RADHA\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What is our aspiration as followers of \u015ar\u012b R\u016bpa?\",\"a\":\"Within the group of Radharani\u2019s servitors, we aspire to be rupanugas, followers of Sri Rupa. And the followers of Sri Rupa will have great earnestness to look after the order of Sri Rupa, as he does towards Lalita. In this way, through Rupa Goswami, our devotional service is going to the highest plane. And our highest gain is only there. Not even our connection with Radharani or Lalita Devi is the highest goal of life, but our highest aspiration is to serve in the Rupanuga-sampradaya; that means that our highest attainment is in Sri Rupa\u2019s connection.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 THE SERVICE OF SRI RADHA\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Radha-dasyam has been said to be the highest attainment. Why?\",\"a\":\"The quality and quantity of rasa that Radharani can draw from Krishna can never be found anywhere else. So if you are situated just behind Radharani, you\u2019ll be allowed to taste not only the quantity, but the highest quality of rasa.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">No other person can draw such high rasa from Krishna. The fullest, highest type of quality is drawn from Krishna: He gives Himself fully and wholly and deeply. So if you are in Sri Rupa\u2019s group, then you can have a taste of that sort of rasa.\",\"c\":\"The Loving Search for the Lost Servant \u2014 The Service of \u015ar\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What example of service does Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara show us?\",\"a\":\"Svar\u016bp D\u0101modara is the constant companion of Mah\u0101prabhu in Pur\u012b. He is a scholar of the highest class and also a very good singer. Without consideration of his elevated social position, he will perform the simplest service. Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara is there always, everywhere with Mah\u0101prabhu. When Mah\u0101prabhu was lost, the devotees inquired after Him the whole night and Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara was there with a lantern, moving along the seashore, looking for Him. In k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-l\u012bl\u0101 Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara is Lalit\u0101 Dev\u012b.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Lal\u012bt\u0101 Dev\u012b and Svar\u016bpa D\u0101modara\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Why must my devotion include the Lord\u2019s devotees?\",\"a\":\"Someone may be externally engaged in such a way that apparently he is a great devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, but if he eliminates the devotees, that devotion has not taken real shape; it is a vague thing. He is far away from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Suppose we take as an example the highest peak in the Himalayas, Mount Everest. We can see Mount Everest from far off. But to approach Mount Everest, we must pass through so many closer mountain peaks. When our approach to Mount Everest is genuine, we cannot avoid discovering the name and characteristic of other peaks surrounding Mount Everest. But from far off we can see only Mount Everest and not the other peaks surrounding it. So, when we say that our connection is with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a alone, then we are far off. If we are to actually approach the king, we must approach him through his entourage. If we are actually to approach Everest, we cannot but have a connection with the nearer peaks surrounding that highest peak. So, if we are practically engaged in approaching K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, our approach will be realistic only when we are engaged with the many devotees in different departments of service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 Servant of the Servant\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What may I gain from remembering Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bk Vidy\u0101nidhi\u2019s appearance day?\",\"a\":\"In essence, we are told that he is the father of Srimati Radharani, incarnated here as Pundarik Vidyanidhi. A slight holy association of this day, his appearance day, will help us a great deal in our advancement of spiritual life.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Seven: A Holy Day\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What reverence for the Ga\u1e45g\u0101 did Pu\u1e47\u1e0dar\u012bk Vidy\u0101nidhi show?\",\"a\":\"Pundarik Vidyanidhi would not take bath in the Ganges because he could not tolerate that his feet would touch the holy Ganges river. Before daybreak, he would go to the Ganges and take some of the water on his head. He did not go to the Ganges by day, because he could not tolerate to see persons who would dive into the water or spit there and contaminate the pure, holy water by misusing it. Before worship, prayer, etc., the general pandit section may bathe in the Ganges and fast to purify their bodies of sin. But Pundarik Vidyanidhi would rather drink some Ganges water prior to his daily worship and duties, thereby teaching us the proper worshipful respect due to the Ganga.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Seven: A Holy Day\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How did Raghunandan \u1e6ch\u0101kur serve in the sa\u1e45k\u012brtan of Ratha-y\u0101tr\u0101?\",\"a\":\"When he danced in Sankirtana, it was such a charming scene that even Mahaprabhu was attracted. During the Jagannath Ratha-yatra seven special groups would chant and dance, and in the party from Srikhanda we find that Raghunandan was the dancer.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Seven: A Holy Day\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What guidance do San\u0101tan, R\u016bpa, and Raghun\u0101th D\u0101s Gosw\u0101m\u012bs give us?\",\"a\":\"Srila Raghunath Das Goswami appreciated the acme of Divine Service, the culminating point of Divine Service\u2014Radha-dasya, which is Servitude unto Srimati Radharani. Therefore he is called the prayojana-acharya. Srila Sanatan Goswami is generally conceived of by his successors as the Acharya of sambandha-jnana. Sambandha refers to \u2018what is what\u2019\u2014\u2018what is my position in the spiritual hierarchy.\u2019 That was explained most clearly by Srila Sanatan Goswami. And abhidheya\u2014what we should cultivate in order to attain to our objective\u2014was mainly given by Srila Rupa Goswami. He taught us how we can attain fulfilment of our life in the Domain of Love. And what is particularly the highest point of our attainment, or prayojana, was very vividly shown by Srila Raghunath Das Goswami.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Seven: A Holy Day\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I understand the extraordinary renunciation of the Gosw\u0101m\u012bs?\",\"a\":\"Great souls like the goswamis are really personalities who come down from the other world, and so it was possible for them to show the ideal of abnegation. It is not possible for ordinary humans of flesh and blood to observe such a degree of abnegation without dying. But the goswamis created the standard and ideal by such vairagya. At the same time, Raghunath studied Rupa Goswami\u2019s presentation of the highest type of Rasa or Devotional Sentiment\u2014Madhura-rasa.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Seven: A Holy Day\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What service may I remember on Vi\u015bvan\u0101th Chakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kur\u2019s disappearance day?\",\"a\":\"Srila Visvanath Chakravarti was born in a brahmana family in Devagram of Murshidabad district. He was a great scholar of Sanskrit. He came in the line of Sri Narottam Thakur. He gave us extensive Scriptural writings to help us very precisely and elaborately to know about the Pastimes of Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krishna, Vrindavan, Nabadwip, and the Guru-parampara. The Gurvastakam we chant daily was written by him, as well as many other important works. Srila Rupa Goswami wrote Sri-Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, \u2018The Nectarine Ocean of Devotional Joy,\u2019 and Srila Visvanath wrote Sri-Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu, or \u2018a drop of that Ocean\u2019. And from Sri Rupa\u2019s Sri-Ujjvala-nilamani, \u2018The Brilliant Jewel of the Supernatural World\u2019 (or Krishna in Madhura-rasa), he gave Ujjvala-nilamani-kirana, or \u2018a ray of that Jewel\u2019. In this way, he has given volumes of books and poems. As Sri Rupa Goswami gave the Asta-kaliya-lila of Krishna, or twenty-four-hour Service engagement with Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, he has similarly given in Chaitanya-lila twenty-four hour engagement in the Service of Sriman Mahaprabhu. So he has done great Service to the Sampradaya and profusely bestowed his mercy upon us.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Seven: A Holy Day\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"With what prayer may I conclude my remembrance of the great Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas?\",\"a\":\"To my best capacity I have tried my best to represent to you my humble knowledge of these Mahatmas, and I pray that they may be propitiated and give us their favour.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Two \u2014 Chapter Seven: A Holy Day\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What guidance may I seek when honouring Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura and Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita?\",\"a\":\"In the teachings of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, whose preaching was inspired by Sri Gadadhara Pandita and Sriman Mahaprabhu, we also find all the substance that is present in that plane of vibration. These two personalities, Sri Gadadhara Pandita and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, are our great Gurus \u2013 our guides. By offering worship to them we can sow the seed of our highest benefit. By the grace of that great Guru Maharaj, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad, we have been able to understand this.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Five: Poetry of a Saint \u2014 Chapter Seventeen: Caught Within A Subtle Storm\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What fulfilment of our teachers\u2019 desire did \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja see in Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja\u2019s mission?\",\"a\":\"So, that affectionate and deep thinking heart of Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura and Prabhup\u0101da, and their desire. Their desire means Mah\u0101prabhu\u2019s desire and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s desire. And that has come embodied in Sw\u0101m\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101ja. And so many efficient men have joined, both ladies and gentlemen, have joined his mission to work out to a sure success, this we pray and we feel.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1973\u20131980 \u2014 Transcript Segment 1: Overview and Early Recordings (1973\u20131977)\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What book did \u015ar\u012bla \u015ar\u012bdhara Mah\u0101r\u0101ja recommend that presents Harid\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura\u2019s teachings on the Holy Name?\",\"a\":\"I would like you to refer to Bhaktivinoda \u1e6ch\u0101kura's Hari-N\u0101ma-cint\u0101ma\u1e47i. In that book the tattva on Guru, \u0100c\u0101rya, has been dealt with very extensively. In Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta we find Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu asking questions to R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya and R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya answering. But here in this book we find Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu asks Harid\u0101sa \u1e6ch\u0101kura about the efficacy and the transcendental position of the Holy Name of the Lord. He has dealt with the question of \u0100c\u0101rya very scrutinisingly in this particular book.\",\"c\":\"Transcripts 1973\u20131980 \u2014 Transcript Segment 6: Chronological Continuation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"When honouring a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, should I judge greatness by visible achievements?\",\"a\":\"Gaura Ki\u015bor D\u0101s B\u0101b\u0101j\u012b Mah\u0101r\u0101j did not preach, but his disciple, our Spiritual Master, \u015ar\u012bla Bhakti Siddh\u0101nta Saraswat\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kur Prabhup\u0101d, preached with great magnitude. \u015ar\u012bla Lokan\u0101th Gosw\u0101m\u012b did not preach at all, but we find that the preaching of his only disciple, \u015ar\u012bla Narottam D\u0101s \u1e6ch\u0101kur, was most extensive. So a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava should not be judged only by the amount of work that he shows outwardly. His success is at the disposal of the divine will. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a awards service to a particular person according to His own choice, and enables that person to carry out that service. There are many examples of this.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">So, we should not judge the position of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava by the magnitude of his external activities alone. Of course, we cannot ignore the service rendered by a devotee. That is a noble thing, that is a great thing, but ultimately the key is in the hand of the Lord, (ekal\u0101 \u012a\u015bvara K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, \u0101ra saba bh\u1e5btya).\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 Lives of the Saints\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What connection with Mah\u0101prabhu and Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita may I remember when honouring \u015ar\u012bniv\u0101sa \u0100ch\u0101rya?\",\"a\":\"Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita used to read the Bh\u0101gavatam daily upon the request of Mah\u0101prabhu, Who along with His followers used to hear it from his lips. Mah\u0101prabhu asked Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita to teach the Bh\u0101gavatam to \u015ar\u012bniv\u0101sa \u0100c\u0101rya, and by His will, \u015ar\u012bniv\u0101sa \u0100c\u0101rya became the highest exponent of \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 The Life of Gad\u0101dhara Pa\u1e47\u1e0dita\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What contribution of Baladeva Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47a may I remember on his observance day?\",\"a\":\"Baladev Vidy\u0101bh\u016b\u1e63a\u1e47 was very akin to the Madhva samprad\u0101ya. But when he came in connection with Vi\u015bvan\u0101th Chakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kur, he showed great interest in Gau\u1e0d\u012bya\u2013Vai\u1e63\u1e47avism. He has also commented on the \u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam and J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b\u2019s \u1e62a\u1e6d-sandarbha. And that enlightened thought is a valuable contribution to our samprad\u0101ya. We cannot dismiss him. He is our Guru.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">Wherever we find the extraordinary line of the flow of love of God, and support for the same, we must bow down. That line may appear in a zigzag way, but still, that is the line of my Gurudev. In this way it is accepted. We want the substance, not the form.\",\"c\":\"Sri Guru and His Grace: A Guide to Understanding the Genuine Spiritual Master \u2014 Instructing Spiritual Masters\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What may J\u012bva Gosw\u0101m\u012b\u2019s example teach me about offering scholarship in service?\",\"a\":\"An illiterate man may achieve a higher position in the realm of devotion than a literate man. By the command of the Lord\u2019s agent we may engage in literary culture, even as Mah\u0101prabhu instructed R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012bs. Of course, they had acquired their knowledge to utilise it in the service of the samprad\u0101ya, the Gau\u1e0d\u012bya disciplic succession. He also asked Raghun\u0101tha Bha\u1e6d\u1e6da to hear the Bh\u0101gavatam from one who knew its real purport. J\u012bva Gosv\u0101m\u012b was the only exception. Mah\u0101prabhu asked him to study independently before he joined the V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana party. He left his home and went to Benares, the centre of all sorts of learning at that time. He studied different \u015b\u0101stra and then joined the others in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana. There, under the direction of R\u016bpa and San\u0101tana, he utilised his previously acquired knowledge in the service of the samprad\u0101ya.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">When we get inspiration from above to study, that study is devotion. Otherwise a whim to study, to acquire scholarship, may not be bhakti proper, \u015buddha-bhakti. The higher agent, the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, must utilise my energy. This energy must be spent to satisfy the higher world. Then it will be bhakti, it will be devotion.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Bhakti Under the Higher Agent Only\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s09\",\"title\":\"07. Carrying the Observance into Daily Life\",\"content\":[{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What spirit should I protect while helping with a festival?\",\"a\":\"Dedication with a spirit of service should be always kept in mind. Sacrifice is necessary. The entire higher plane is that of dedication \u2013 not exploitation or renunciation. Exploitation, self-aggrandisement, that is exploitation, prati\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101. It must be avoided, because it is dangerous in the plane of dedication. If I have the tendency to exploit, to pose as a big personality, that will be very detrimental. The faithfulness of a servant must always be maintained and protected very scrupulously. None can deceive me \u2013 none can check my progress, except myself.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Tangible Dedication\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What spirit of gratitude should I bring to service among the devotees?\",\"a\":\"We are to learn the theory and science of gratitude. \u201cI am grateful to you and to everyone in the environment,\u201d the very domain is of that character. Everyone thinks himself to be a thief, \u201cI am a trespasser. Only by the grace of the environment can we have a position here. They are all well-wishers except for myself.\u201d This should be the temperament. We should sometimes be forgetful of ourselves in the intensity of our service.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">We cannot enter that domain as subjects. Even if we approach Him as investigators, we can know Him only as much as He permits. There, all are our masters. We cannot be masters there \u2013 we can only be servants. If we want to enter into the highest position, we shall accept the position of the slave of the slave. Only then can we get the chance of entering into that domain. It is not unreasonable.\",\"c\":\"Follow the Angels \u2014 Enter Only for Service\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What must be present within our distribution of pras\u0101dam?\",\"a\":\"The spirit must be within the form. Form is also necessary \u2013 wiring is necessary in order to utilize the electric current, but mere wiring has no utility. So prasada distribution should have a real connection with divinity otherwise it is all trade, an external exhibition. An ulterior motive may be there and it will become a business. Just as the jati-gosvamis make a trade of taking money by reading the Bhagavatam. But if the man behind the prasada distribution has a sincere connection with the Lord, and the connection comes and pervades everything, then that is prasadam. Otherwise it is imitation.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Three: Divine Manifestation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How does K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a become accessible through the Deity, His Name, and pras\u0101dam?\",\"a\":\"If something is very dazzling we cannot see it. Our eyes have their limits. If a light is very intense we cannot see it, or if a light is very dim we cannot perceive it. We can only perceive the middle part of the spectrum. Similarly, if a sound is very loud our ear cannot grasp it, and if a sound is very soft also our ear cannot catch it. Our ear can function only within the limitation of a certain sound range. Everything which is above or below our sense perception is of no use to us, and so Krsna appears to us in the middle, in so many ways.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">He appears to us in a certain colour, a certain figure. He appears for the eye experience as the deity; for the ear experience as the name Krsna; for the tongue experience He appears as prasadam. In different ways our senses can have a corresponding relationship with Him.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part Four: Divine Revelation\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Should chanting lead me to avoid studying devotional books?\",\"a\":\"Sometimes we may be misguided to believe that we must not study the devotional books, thinking: \u201cTo analyse, to know, that is not part of devotion. That is not necessary; it is knowledge, j\u00f1\u0101n, and that is anti-devotion.\u201d Thinking in this way we will go on taking the Holy Name, and wherever there is some explanation being given about the devotional school, we will try to avoid it. But that is not always best, because by hearing from the proper source we get the kind of knowledge that gives us impetus to go on in our s\u0101dhana.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">The warning about j\u00f1\u0101n is given because anyone may give any kind of interpretation of the revealed scriptures. It is not that we should try to know anything and everything, that whatever anyone will say, we will run there to learn something. But when there is any revelation coming through a real agent who is higher than us, we should be very earnest to hear; that will consolidate our position and help us to go on, to progress in our s\u0101dhana.\",\"c\":\"Heart and Halo \u2014 Chapter Five: Transcendental Knowledge\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I meet opposition when joining public chanting?\",\"a\":\"We should not think that the path will be very smooth; so many troubles may come from outside. When the devotees go to chant Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in the street, many people come and shout, \u201cHey, you monkeys! Red-faced monkeys!\u201d So many forms of hindrances and opposition will come and try to affect us, to dissuade us from this path, but we must practise forbearance like that of a tree. Why has the example of a tree been given? It has been analysed in this way: if no one pours any water on a tree, it does not protest, \u201cOh! Give me water!\u201d If anyone comes to disturb the tree, snatching its leaves, cutting its branches, or even chopping it down, a tree remains silent; it gives no opposition. We should try to see how insult, poverty, punishment, or other unfavourable dealings are necessary to purify us, and with minimal punishment we shall be released from material existence.\",\"c\":\"The Golden Volcano of Divine Love \u2014 Humbler Than a Blade of Grass\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What danger should I guard against when receiving respect?\",\"a\":\"And we must show our respect to others. Prestige is the greatest and most subtle enemy of the devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Pride is the worst enemy for the devotee of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">We must be very particular about this, for pride is our hidden enemy, our worst enemy. If we can somehow avoid or conquer this enemy, we will be able to enter into the slave area of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and join those who have given their lives wholesale in sacrifice to Him.\",\"c\":\"The Golden Volcano of Divine Love \u2014 Humbler Than a Blade of Grass\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I carry devotional engagement into the whole of my day?\",\"a\":\"By our continuous engagement we shall come to the stage of seeing Krsna everywhere, talking about Krsna, hearing about Krsna, taking the name of Krsna, taking His prasadam, and collecting for Him. In this way gradually we shall enter into the intense feeling of His halo, His luster and gradually we shall come to have a conception according to our capacity.\",\"c\":\"Encounters with Divinity \u2014 Part One: Divine Conception\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What purpose should guide me when gathering and cooking food for the Lord?\",\"a\":\"So, in the taking of food, really we are to be conscious that we are collecting the ingredients for His satisfaction, and then cooking and offering to Him for His satisfaction\u2014that should be our real purpose. And then because our whole life and energy is for serving Him, we need energy and must take something out of that. But the main point, the real substance of the transaction will be to collect, cook, and offer to Him according to His will expressed in the Scriptures. That is the first step, and only after the foodstuffs have been offered to Him shall we take anything ourselves. This will help to make us always conscious of why we are taking. We are taking because we want only to serve Him.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three \u2014 Chapter Two: Finer than Matter\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How can I enter into genuine association with a s\u0101dhu?\",\"a\":\"This is sanga, and in this way we can get the benefit of the association of a sadhu. Firstly, to give something to sadhu for his pleasure, and to take something from him as his prasadam\u2014dadati pratigrhnati. Then, guhyam akhyati prchchhati, whatever is concealed within our own heart, we are to divulge the whole of that to him; and we are to receive his instruction. Bhunkte bhojayate chaiva\u2014we are to give the raw materials to him for his taking of prasadam, and then we are to receive his remnants; sadhu-sanga means this.\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three \u2014 Chapter Nine: The Foundation of Fortune\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"May I deliberately commit offences while relying on the mercy of the Holy Name?\",\"a\":\"Of course that does not mean that wilfully we should offend the devotee and try to get benefit thereby! That will be aparadha. It will be in the category of offence to think, \u201cI will take the Name and the reaction for sinning will not affect me.\u201d\",\"c\":\"Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume Three \u2014 Chapter Six: Humility in Service\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should guide our spending for festivals and Deity service?\",\"a\":\"You may think that it is superfluous to decorate the Deity, but we think that this is the fulfilment of life. All good things must be used to serve N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a. That is our creed. Beggars we are, but still we spend money like water \u2013 for decoration, for festivals, for distribution of pras\u0101dam. We beg money and we spend lavishly, but not for ourselves. We feel the necessity of our particular nature. The real question is how we spend the money, not how much money we have got.<\/p><p class=\\\"wb-qa-a\\\">This is a point of personal capacity. One man can manage an empire and he may find time for much leisure. And another man cannot even manage his own family of two or five members \u2013 the whole time he is engrossed there and becomes mad to manage that family. It is all a question of personal capacity.\",\"c\":\"Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta \u2014 Verse 2\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How should I guard my conversation when gathered with devotees?\",\"a\":\"To abuse the reign of our self-control and allow ourselves to enter into discussions of anything and everything \u2013 that is prajalpa. Prajalpa generally becomes par\u0101- do\u1e63\u0101nusandhana \u2013 finding fault with others. That is generally the subject matter of idle talks. When the guardian analyses this fault within his affectionate disciple to point out and correct him with a sympathetic and graceful eye, he himself will not become contaminated if he is pure enough. When a doctor is treating an infected patient, the infection may naturally come to him. But if the doctor is well guarded it will not infect him as he is conscious of the poisonous nature of the disease and is very careful when he tries to remove it from the body of the patient.\",\"c\":\"Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta \u2014 Verse 2\"}]},{\"slug\":\"s10\",\"title\":\"08. Practical Companion\",\"content\":[{\"text\":\"A guide to preparing for sacred days, keeping devotional vows and serving with care.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Preparing for an observance\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Before each sacred day, confirm:\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"The date of the observance in your local Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava calendar.\",\"Whether fasting is prescribed, and when it ends.\",\"The time for par\u0101\u1e47a, when applicable.\",\"The worship, hearing, chanting and service in which you will participate.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Keep the purpose clear: offer your time and energy in service. Choose preparations that help you remain attentive and useful throughout the day.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"1. Foods to avoid\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"On Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b and Mah\u0101dv\u0101da\u015b\u012b\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Avoid grains and foods containing grains. Check flour, cereals, bread, rice preparations and packaged ingredients rather than judging only by the name of a dish. A vegetarian preparation is not automatically suitable for a fasting day.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Keep the menu simple. Avoid making the observance an occasion for elaborate eating or repeated meals without necessity.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"For ingredients outside the simple choices below, follow your temple\u2019s fasting standard.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"2. Foods permitted\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"When complete fasting would hinder service, take a modest amount of suitable non-grain pras\u0101dam.\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"<strong>Fruit<\/strong> \u2014 Take a small selection.\",\"<strong>Roots, especially potatoes<\/strong> \u2014 Prepare one simple dish.\",\"<strong>Milk and milk preparations<\/strong> \u2014 Use according to your needs.\",\"<strong>Sago or tapioca<\/strong> \u2014 Prepare simply with water or milk.\",\"<strong>Peanuts<\/strong> \u2014 Take moderately if needed.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"A simple vegetable preparation and sago may be sufficient; there is no need to include every permitted item. Ghee, cumin, salt and pepper may be used in the simple preparations described here.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Before cooking: check every ingredient, including additions to ready-made products. Keep the offering and service in mind rather than variety or personal preference.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"3. Types of fasting\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"<strong>Nirjala<\/strong> \u2014 Fasting without food or water.\",\"<strong>Fasting with water<\/strong> \u2014 Abstaining from food while taking water as needed.\",\"<strong>Anukalpa<\/strong> \u2014 Taking suitable non-grain pras\u0101dam when complete fasting is not possible.\",\"<strong>Fasting until a specified time<\/strong> \u2014 Following the period prescribed for that particular observance.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Austerity should support service. Do not weaken yourself merely to maintain the appearance of strictness. Take what is necessary to remain fit for your responsibilities, and avoid unnecessary indulgence.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Necessary medicine may be taken. Receiving personal instructions from Gurudeva takes precedence over choosing an austerity independently.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"4. Par\u0101\u1e47a: completing the fast\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Par\u0101\u1e47a means breaking the fast at the prescribed time.\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":true,\"items\":[\"Note the correct local date and time window in advance.\",\"Prepare the offering and pras\u0101dam before the window begins.\",\"Complete any worship prescribed before par\u0101\u1e47a.\",\"Honour pras\u0101dam within the allotted time.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Do not use another place\u2019s clock times without checking whether they apply to you. Taking anukalpa during the fasting day is not the same as completing par\u0101\u1e47a.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"If you miss the prescribed time, ask your temple how to proceed.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"5. Mah\u0101dv\u0101da\u015b\u012b\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Certain combinations of lunar days and stars give Dv\u0101da\u015b\u012b precedence over Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b. On those occasions, the observance is kept on Mah\u0101dv\u0101da\u015b\u012b.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"What to do:\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"Follow the fasting day marked in your Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava calendar.\",\"Use the same simple fasting preparations appropriate for Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b.\",\"Observe the par\u0101\u1e47a specified for that fast.\",\"Keep hearing, chanting and service central to the day.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Do not decide the fasting day from the lunar-day name alone. Both Ek\u0101da\u015b\u012b and Dv\u0101da\u015b\u012b offer a special opportunity to serve.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"6. C\u0101turm\u0101sya observances\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"C\u0101turm\u0101sya is a period for restraint and greater attention to devotional life. Restrictions have value when they help direct us towards the Lord\u2019s service.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Before beginning\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"Confirm the beginning and ending dates.\",\"Establish the dietary restrictions you will follow under guidance.\",\"Choose a practicable commitment to hearing, chanting and service.\"]},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"During the observance\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"Maintain the vow steadily.\",\"Plan meals around those restrictions.\",\"Give that commitment a regular place in each day.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Do not imitate the extraordinary austerities of advanced devotees. Follow the practice appropriate to your service and capacity. If an adjustment becomes necessary, seek guidance rather than abandoning the observance or increasing its severity on your own.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"7. K\u0101rttika practices\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"K\u0101rttika is a special opportunity to concentrate our energy and affection in service to \u015ar\u012bmat\u012b R\u0101dh\u0101r\u0101\u1e47\u012b. Establish a regular programme and keep it with care.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"A steady daily programme\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"Set aside time to read devotional teachings.\",\"Chant and hear the Holy Name attentively.\",\"Include the Names of Mah\u0101prabhu and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in your devotional practice.\",\"Recite or sing the \u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka with attention to its meaning.\",\"Undertake a particular service and maintain it throughout the month.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Morning and evening practice helps give the day a devotional direction. Let restrictions support this positive engagement. Even a small, sincere offering of energy has value.\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Follow your temple\u2019s programme for additional songs, offerings and worship.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"8. Festival etiquette\"},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"A festival is an opportunity for dedication. Protect the spirit of service in its preparations as well as its celebrations.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Before the festival\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"Ask what service is needed and accept a responsibility within your capacity.\",\"Plan offerings and pras\u0101dam with the appointed sevakas.\",\"Confirm fasting requirements before preparing food.\",\"Remember any next-day par\u0101\u1e47a when arranging the programme.\"]},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"During the festival\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"Serve with humility and gratitude.\",\"Hear and chant attentively.\",\"Prepare and distribute pras\u0101dam with a sincere devotional intention.\",\"Avoid seeking recognition or making a display of your service.\",\"Carry out the direction entrusted to you faithfully.\"]},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"Simple observance at home\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"<strong>Guru\u2019s appearance day<\/strong> \u2014 Remember his teachings and offer service in accordance with them.\",\"<strong>Guru\u2019s disappearance day<\/strong> \u2014 Remember his guidance and deepen your connection through service.\",\"<strong>Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava remembrance<\/strong> \u2014 Hear about their devotion with humility and pray for their favour.\",\"<strong>Govardhana worship<\/strong> \u2014 Offer water and Tulasi; add simple offerings according to your circumstances.\",\"<strong>Sacred months<\/strong> \u2014 Maintain a regular programme of hearing, chanting, reading and service.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"For the details of a particular festival, follow the programme and instructions of your temple.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"9. Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava etiquette\"},{\"t\":\"l\",\"ordered\":false,\"items\":[\"<strong>Respect<\/strong> \u2014 Honour others without demanding honour for yourself.\",\"<strong>Gratitude<\/strong> \u2014 Recognize the help and service you receive.\",\"<strong>Humility<\/strong> \u2014 Remain ready to receive guidance and serve.\",\"<strong>Sincere association<\/strong> \u2014 Offer service, disclose your difficulties honestly and receive instruction.\",\"<strong>Careful speech<\/strong> \u2014 Avoid idle fault-finding and conversations that distract from devotion.\",\"<strong>A deeper view<\/strong> \u2014 Do not measure a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava\u2019s standing only by visible achievements.\"]},{\"t\":\"p\",\"text\":\"Distinguish idle criticism from the corrective care of a qualified spiritual guardian. Speak to receive help and improve service, rather than to establish superiority over others.\"},{\"t\":\"h\",\"text\":\"10. Common questions\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What if complete fasting leaves me unable to serve?\",\"a\":\"Take the water or suitable non-grain pras\u0101dam necessary to remain fit for service. Keep the purpose of the observance intact.\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Must I prepare many different fasting dishes?\",\"a\":\"No. A simple preparation is sufficient. The purpose is increased attention to service, not a special feast for oneself.\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Can I take necessary medicine?\",\"a\":\"Yes. Necessary medicine is permitted.\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"How do I choose between a rule and an immediate service need?\",\"a\":\"Understand the purpose of the rule and follow the guidance you have received. Strictness should not defeat the higher purpose of service.\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Are all appearance and disappearance days observed with the same fast?\",\"a\":\"Do not assume a single rule for every occasion. Check the instruction for the particular day.\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"Do I need elaborate arrangements to worship Govardhana?\",\"a\":\"No. Water and Tulasi form a simple offering. Offer more according to your circumstances and guidance.\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What if I cannot undertake a large K\u0101rttika vow?\",\"a\":\"Choose a small, sincere commitment and maintain it steadily. Concentrate on the quality of your offering.\"},{\"t\":\"qa\",\"q\":\"What should remain after the festival?\",\"a\":\"Continue hearing, chanting and serving. Carry the gratitude and dedication of the observance into ordinary daily responsibilities.\"}]}],\"count\":8}];\n\n  function el(tag, cls, html){\n    var e = document.createElement(tag);\n    if (cls) e.className = cls;\n    if (html !== undefined) e.innerHTML = html;\n    return e;\n  }\n\n  document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function(){\n    var root = document.getElementById(\"wb-root\");\n    if (!root) return;\n    var gridView = root.querySelector(\".wb-grid-view\");\n    var gridEl = root.querySelector(\".wb-grid\");\n    var bookView = root.querySelector(\".wb-book-view\");\n\n    var state = { book: null, section: null };\n\n    function renderGrid(){\n      gridEl.innerHTML = \"\";\n      WB_DATA.forEach(function(book){\n        var card = el(\"button\", \"wb-cover-card\");\n        card.type = \"button\";\n        var img = document.createElement(\"img\");\n        img.src = book.coverSrc;\n        img.loading = \"lazy\";\n        img.alt = book.title + \" cover\";\n        card.appendChild(img);\n        var cap = el(\"div\", \"wb-cover-caption\",\n          '<span class=\"wb-cover-count\">' + book.count + \" \" + (book.unit || \"chapters\") + \"<\/span>\");\n        card.appendChild(cap);\n        card.addEventListener(\"click\", function(){ openBook(book.slug); });\n        gridEl.appendChild(card);\n      });\n    }\n\n    function findBook(slug){ return WB_DATA.find(function(b){ return b.slug === slug; }); }\n\n    function openBook(slug){\n      state.book = slug; state.section = null;\n      gridView.hidden = true;\n      bookView.hidden = false;\n      var book = findBook(slug);\n      history.replaceState(null, \"\", window.location.pathname + window.location.search + \"#\" + slug);\n\n      bookView.querySelector(\".wb-book-header\").innerHTML =\n        '<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"' + book.coverSrc + '\" alt=\"' + book.title + ' cover\">' +\n        '<div class=\"wb-book-header-text\">' +\n          \"<h2>\" + book.title + \"<\/h2>\" +\n          '<p class=\"wb-subtitle\">' + book.subtitle + \"<\/p>\" +\n          '<p class=\"wb-compiler\">' + book.compiler + \"<\/p>\" +\n        \"<\/div>\";\n\n      var toc = bookView.querySelector(\".wb-toc\");\n      toc.innerHTML = \"\";\n      toc.appendChild(el(\"div\", \"wb-toc-title\", \"Contents\"));\n      book.sections.forEach(function(sec){\n        var btn = el(\"button\", \"wb-toc-item\", sec.title);\n        btn.type = \"button\";\n        btn.setAttribute(\"data-slug\", sec.slug);\n        btn.addEventListener(\"click\", function(){ renderSection(slug, sec.slug); });\n        toc.appendChild(btn);\n      });\n\n      if (book.sections.length > 0) {\n        renderSection(slug, book.sections[0].slug);\n      } else {\n        renderEmpty(\"No chapters available.\");\n      }\n    }\n\n    function renderEmpty(msg){\n      var content = bookView.querySelector(\".wb-content\");\n      content.innerHTML = \"\";\n      content.appendChild(el(\"div\", \"wb-empty\", msg));\n    }\n\n    function contentBlockHtml(block){\n      if (block.t === \"v\") {\n        return '<div class=\"wb-verse\">' + block.lines.map(function(l){\n          return '<span class=\"wb-vline\">' + l + \"<\/span>\";\n        }).join(\"\") + \"<\/div>\";\n      }\n      if (block.t === \"l\") {\n        var tag = block.ordered ? \"ol\" : \"ul\";\n        var cls = block.ordered ? \"wb-list wb-list-ordered\" : \"wb-list wb-list-bullets\";\n        return \"<\" + tag + ' class=\"' + cls + '\">' + block.items.map(function(it){\n          return \"<li>\" + it + \"<\/li>\";\n        }).join(\"\") + \"<\/\" + tag + \">\";\n      }\n      if (block.t === \"qa\") {\n        var citeHtml = block.c ? '<p class=\"wb-qa-c\">' + block.c + \"<\/p>\" : \"\";\n        return '<div class=\"wb-qa\"><p class=\"wb-qa-q\">' + block.q + '<\/p><p class=\"wb-qa-a\">' +\n          block.a + \"<\/p>\" + citeHtml + \"<\/div>\";\n      }\n      if (block.t === \"h\") {\n        return '<p class=\"wb-heading\">' + block.text + \"<\/p>\";\n      }\n      if (block.t === \"n\") {\n        return '<p class=\"wb-note\">' + block.text + \"<\/p>\";\n      }\n      return \"<p>\" + block.text + \"<\/p>\";\n    }\n\n    function renderSection(bookSlug, sectionSlug){\n      var book = findBook(bookSlug);\n      var idx = book.sections.findIndex(function(s){ return s.slug === sectionSlug; });\n      var sec = book.sections[idx];\n      state.section = sectionSlug;\n      history.replaceState(null, \"\", window.location.pathname + window.location.search + \"#\" + bookSlug + \"\/\" + sectionSlug);\n\n      var content = bookView.querySelector(\".wb-content\");\n      content.innerHTML = \"\";\n      content.appendChild(el(\"div\", \"wb-breadcrumb\", book.title + \" &rsaquo; \" + sec.title));\n\n      var reading = el(\"div\", \"wb-reading\");\n      reading.appendChild(el(\"h3\", null, sec.title));\n      sec.content.forEach(function(block){\n        reading.insertAdjacentHTML(\"beforeend\", contentBlockHtml(block));\n      });\n\n      var navRow = el(\"div\", \"wb-nav-buttons\");\n      var prevBtn = el(\"button\", \"wb-nav-btn\", \"&larr; Previous\");\n      prevBtn.type = \"button\";\n      var nextBtn = el(\"button\", \"wb-nav-btn\", \"Next &rarr;\");\n      nextBtn.type = \"button\";\n      if (idx <= 0) { prevBtn.disabled = true; }\n      else { prevBtn.addEventListener(\"click\", function(){ renderSection(bookSlug, book.sections[idx-1].slug); }); }\n      if (idx >= book.sections.length - 1) { nextBtn.disabled = true; }\n      else { nextBtn.addEventListener(\"click\", function(){ renderSection(bookSlug, book.sections[idx+1].slug); }); }\n      navRow.appendChild(prevBtn);\n      navRow.appendChild(nextBtn);\n      reading.appendChild(navRow);\n\n      content.appendChild(reading);\n\n      bookView.querySelectorAll(\".wb-toc-item\").forEach(function(b){\n        b.classList.toggle(\"is-selected\", b.getAttribute(\"data-slug\") === sectionSlug);\n      });\n      reading.scrollIntoView({behavior: \"smooth\", block: \"start\"});\n    }\n\n    bookView.querySelector(\".wb-back-link\").addEventListener(\"click\", function(){\n      bookView.hidden = true;\n      gridView.hidden = false;\n      history.replaceState(null, \"\", window.location.pathname + window.location.search);\n    });\n\n    renderGrid();\n\n    var initialHash = decodeURIComponent(window.location.hash.replace(\/^#\/, \"\"));\n    if (initialHash) {\n      var hashParts = initialHash.split(\"\/\");\n      var initialBookSlug = hashParts[0];\n      var initialSectionSlug = hashParts[1];\n      var initialBook = findBook(initialBookSlug);\n      if (initialBook) {\n        openBook(initialBookSlug);\n        if (initialSectionSlug && initialBook.sections.some(function(s){ return s.slug === initialSectionSlug; })) {\n          renderSection(initialBookSlug, initialSectionSlug);\n        }\n      }\n    }\n  });\n})();\n<\/script>\n\n<script>\n(function(){\n  function bindSearchForms(){\n    document.querySelectorAll(\".gp-inline-search\").forEach(function(f){\n      if (f.__csBound) return;\n      f.__csBound = true;\n      f.addEventListener(\"submit\", function(e){\n        e.preventDefault();\n        var input = f.querySelector('input[name=\"s\"]');\n        var q = input ? input.value.trim() : \"\";\n        if (!q) return;\n        window.location.href = \"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/?page_id=1844#q=\" + encodeURIComponent(q);\n      });\n    });\n  }\n  if (document.readyState === \"loading\") {\n    document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", bindSearchForms);\n  } else {\n    bindSearchForms();\n  }\n})();\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-32","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1910,"href":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32\/revisions\/1910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chaitanyasiddhanta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}