English
Speaker:H.G Vaidanta Chaitanya Prabhu
Date: 27-05-2024
Main Theme: Importance of Association of Holyname and Lords Pure Devotees
Sub-Theme: Lord glorifying his devotees
Hare Krishna
HG Vaidanta Chaitanya Prabhu speaks, Prayers
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lotus feet of Shrila Gurudev and all other devotees.
Today we will read from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita. While Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was travelling towards South India. On his way he reached the banks of Godavari. He remembers the dialogues of Sarvabhaum Bhattacharya who has recommended Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to meet a devotee Ramananda Rayresiding near Godavri River. SarvabhaumBhattachary mentioned earlier we were not able to distinguish between as real devotee and ordinary personal but with Mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu we are able to understand difference and recommended to meet great devotee Ramanda Ray.
Now Chaitanya Mahaprabhu meets Ramananda Ray. And through various important conversation with him he is explaining the different mellows of the Devotional service. He is making him an instrument as had made Shrila Haridas Thakura an instrument in explaining the glories of Holyname. It is so strange the Almighty Lord himself is asking questions. In this conversation is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is asking some important questions and Ramananda Ray is responding, while speaking He is explaining the different mellows. Some of them we will discuss, it is in Chaitanya Madhya lila 8.251 verse
‘śreyo-madhyekonaśreyaḥjīverahayasāra?’
‘kṛṣṇa-bhakta-saṅgavināśreyaḥnāhiāra’
Translation
Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, “Out of all auspicious and beneficial activities, which is best for the living entity?” [CC Madhya 8.251]
Out of all auspicious activities which is best and which is best thing to remember.
‘kāṅhārasmaraṇajīvakaribeanukṣaṇa?’
‘kṛṣṇa’-nāma-guṇa-līlā — pradhānasmaraṇa’
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, “What should all living entities constantly remember?”[CC Madhya 8.252]
RāmānandaRāya replied, “The chief objects of remembrance are always the Lord’s holy name, qualities and pastimes.”
tasmātsarvātmanārājan hariḥsarvatrasarvadā
śrotavyaḥkīrtitavyaś ca smartavyobhagavānnṛṇām
Translation
ŚukadevaGosvāmī concludes, “The business of the living entity is to always remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every circumstance. The Lord should be heard about, glorified and remembered by all human beings.”[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.2.36]
Sub-Theme: Importance of Devotee association
Ultimately best service of human is that Lord should be glorified and remembered by all human beings and association of devotees of Krishna.
Srila praphupada has mentioned it in this shloka. Ultimate goal of ISKCON is to attract common man to associate with devotees. That was Srila Prabhupada s mood and mission. The only motive of building such huge temples is to provide association of the devotees and will get benefitted. Similarly,the aim to establish this zoom temple is to facilitate devotee association.
There is no service bigger than this. H.H Radha Govind swami maharaj also says that association of pure devotees is the highest of all services and hear from them. Sometimes we think if we prepare any dish for the pure devotee that is highest service, but in contrary, just hearing in association of pure devotee is the highest order of service. And that pure devotee is the spiritual master.
Further in another Shlokas Mahaprabhu is saying
‘duḥkha-madhyekonaduḥkhahayagurutara?’
‘kṛṣṇa-bhakta-virahavināduḥkhanāhidekhi para’
Translation
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, “Of all kinds of distress, what is the most painful?”ŚrīRāmānandaRāya replied, “Apart from separation from the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, I know of no unbearable unhappiness.”[CC Madhya 8.248]
Which is the top most painful distress.ŚrīRāmānandaRāya replied, “Apart from separation from the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, I know of no unbearable unhappiness.”
sva-jīvanādhikaṁprārthyaṁśrī-viṣṇu-jana-saṅgataḥ
vicchedenakṣaṇaṁcātranasukhāṁśaṁlabhāmahe
Translation
“Out of all kinds of desirable things experienced in the life of a living entity, association with the devotees of the Lord is the greatest. When we are separated from a devotee even for a moment, we cannot enjoy happiness.”[Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.5.44]
Amongst all the endeavours to be performed to attain anything in this material world, the association of the devotees of Lord Vishnu is the most attainable. And a person who lost such association of pure devotees, from where will he get satisfaction. If we have developed any auspiciousness in our lives then it is because of the association of such pure devotees and the change starts happening in your life. As soon as we lose such association all our advancement in Krishna consciousness vanishes.
Sub-Theme: How Holyname helps to take poison of envy from us
And our life becomes filled with inauspiciousness. How can we manage to lose such a precious accent of the devotee association?To understand this we need to hear the story of Kaliya Snake
He was residing in Yamuna River. Vrindavan is considered as highest abode. But Kaliya Snake was so poisonous that because of him, the cows, calves and Vrajavasis were dying. And because he caused suffering to Lord's dear devotees thus he asked him to leave. And instructed him to leave Vraja
Why was Kaliya Naag causing trouble to the Vrajavasis?
Because he is envious in nature. He is so envious that he would bite you even if you are not disturbing him at all.That is why even the Saints would ask you to kill the Snake as soon as you see him. Even Shrila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada asked his disciples to kill a snake in the temple. Shrila Prabhupada was confused for some time, but later on he readand understood the reason.
So, if we are so envious then, Krishna will make such an arrangement that we ourselves will say, that I want to go away from here. So, we should be careful, and avoid committing offense towards the devotees. We saw how Krishna danced on the hoods of Kaliya Snake and took out all the poison from him
Before Krishna had to do it for us forcefully, we should leave it out ourselves. As Krishna danced on the hoods of Kaliya and then all the poison came out. Similarly,we should request Krishna in form of his Holyname to come and dance on our tongue. So that all the poison comes out and we could offer the required respects to the devotees of the Lord. Shrila Prabhupada used to say when we are chanting the Holyname. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna KrishnaKrishna Hare Hare, then Sri Sri Radha Krishna or Yugal Kishore are dancing in our tongue. So, we should also pray to them please remove this poison from my heart. We should sit in association of devotees and chant the holyname
kṛṣṇa - he kṛṣṇa, sva-bhakta-dvārābhajana-jñāna-dānena mac-cittaṁśodhaya
Gopāla Guru Gosvāmī's explanation of the Mahāmantra---
Sva-bhakta-dvārā: Through the devotees (those who sincerely serve and worship the Lord).
Bhajana-jñāna-dānena: By engaging in devotional practices, gaining spiritual knowledge, and giving in charity.
Mac-cittaṁ śodhaya: Purify your mind and consciousness by focusing on Me (the Supreme Lord).
The verse encourages us to purify our hearts and minds by practicing devotion.
Krishna! O Krishna! Send me the association of your devotees who will purify my mind through instructions about your devotional service
śṛṇvatāṁsva-kathāḥkṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdyantaḥ-sthohyabhadrāṇi
vidhunotisuhṛtsatām
Translation
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.[SB 1.2.17]
Oh! Krishna by giving us intelligence to associate with your devotees please help me to practice devotional service. This is my humble request unto your lotus feet. In this way a devotee should beg from the Supreme personality of Godhead. As we observe many a times a beggar comes to us to beg alms.
Just imagine if this beggar comes well-dressed will we feel obliged to give him alms?His pity look forces us to give alms. Sometimes they come with little kids on with them. Others with torn clothes etc. They continue to beg from every single person so that we get mercy to give some alms. They try from all end so that we take pity on them and donate some thing.
Sub-Theme: Taking Mercy of the pure devotees to progress in devotional service
Someone might refuse but at least someone will be merciful and give something. Similarly, we should continue to beg from the Lord and his devotees always. We should try our best to beg their mercy and touch the heart of the Lord taking the holyname. Same thing should be applied while praying to Lords pure devotee so that we touch their heart.
As King Kulashekhar prays to the Lord
majjanmanahphalamidammadhu-kaitabhare
mat prarthaniya mad anugrahaesaeva
tvadbhrtya-bhrtya-paricaraka-bhrtya-bhrtya
bhrtyasya-bhrtyamiti mam smaralokanatha—
Translation
O Supreme Lord of all, slayer of the demons Madhu and Kaitabha! Please be merciful to me and grant my prayer that You may remember me as a servant of Your servant's servant, a servant of such a servant of Your servant's servant, a servant of a servant of Your servant's servant, and a servant of Your servant's servant servant.[from Sri Mukunda mala stotram by Maharaja Kulashekara]
Maharaja Kulashekara is praying lord to be merciful. He repeats 6 times bhrityabhritya means servant of the servant of the servant. Only then will I relish Krsna’s holy names. Holyname is the personification of the Mellows of devotional service
Still, we are not getting any taste. What is the reason?Because we are not begging for mercy
nāmacintāmaṇiḥkṛṣṇaś
caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥśuddhonitya-mukto
’bhinnatvānnāma-nāminoḥ
Translation
“ ‘The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’ [CC Madhya 17.133]
Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. So we need to chant Lord name in full devotion in association of his pure devotee.
satāṁprasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavantihṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥkathāḥ
taj-joṣaṇādāśvapavarga-vartmani
śraddhāratirbhaktiranukramiṣyati
Translation
In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.[ ŚB 3.25.25]
In case we are falling in sea and do not know swimming, then we will cry with all our senses to save our life. We understand the intensity of the situation. But while chanting same intensity is missing, we will get rid of the envious behaviour if we chant with same intensity. As Lord will be dancing on our tongue and we would request lord for his blessing to be in association of the devotees. If we stand in front of Lord He may forget us, but when you are in association of the pure devotee, He will help us to remember God.
Similarly we are fortunate to have Japa in association of our Guru Maharaj, Take this opportunity and get benefitted
Hare Krishna
