English
2nd January 2020
Worshipping Tulasi - expansion of the maha-mantra
We will speak few words now in service of Harinama as our japa talk. We have wished each other , 'Happy New year' and the first day of the year has passed.
I am in Noida and there were innumerable visitors taking darsana of Their Lordships, which our temple president estimated to be around 30 to 40 thousand. Lots of service of Harinama was being done as there was 12 hours of continuous kirtana. There was also a separate booth where new visitors were given the opportunity to chant. Through all of this the message which was given was clear 'chant and be happy’. It was a successful effort by ISKCON Noida. For this reason only continuous kirtana was arranged and japa was getting done by new people.
All glories to Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Yesterday this Harinama reached many more people. There may have been many people in the crowd who must have heard the Hare Krishna maha-mantra for the first time in their life. Many people were also dancing in the darsana mandap in front of Radha Govind Devji. That was a very beautiful scene. So you should also arrange such things in your area, your town, your temples and also at your home because charity begins at home. If some members in your family are not chanting, not doing kirtana, tell them to chant. To join this moment of Hare Krishna means you will have to chant and do kirtana, otherwise you cannot be called 'Hare Krishna people'. You all are chanting and doing kirtana, but also reach out to others. If you tell others to do Harinama chanting then Harinama will be pleased with you. Harinama will be so happy. Harinama will be happy means Lord Hari will be happy, because Harinama is Lord Hari Himself. When we pray like that we say Harinama Prabhu…… to whom we are saying Prabhu? To Harinama. That means Harinama is Prabhu.
Today I sang mangala aarti and I offered arati to Tulasi Devi. That time I had some thoughts regarding the worship of Tulsi which is so very important in our life as sadhakas. If we view some picture of namacarya Haridas Thakur, then what do we observe? In whose association does he do his Japa? It used to be with Tulasi Maharani. Even Shad Goswami used to chant sitting near Tulsi Maharani. When any austerity is being performed, Tulsi Maharani is always there.
There are two types of sadhana:
1. Vaidhi bhakti sadhana
2. Raganuaga sadhana
Both are important, but Gaudiya Vaisnavas mostly follow Raganuga bhakti. The goal is the same. There is vaidhi (sadhana) without which we cannot progress. Both are sadhana. In Raganuga bhakti we do anugaman ( following someone),some devotee from Goloka, or devotees of Vrindavan. Vrinda Devi is a great personality. Some follow Yasoda Mata or Nandababa, some maybe following Subala sakha, or Radha bhava or Gopi bhava.
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita
This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s opinion about how devotion should be done. It should be like that of vraja-vadhu vargena ya kalpita. Devotion should be performed following in the footsteps of the gopis of Vrindavan. Trying to study and sincerely follow the gopis of Vrindavan. Trying to follow in the footsteps of one of the devotees of Goloka, to arouse such emotions and feelings in us, to study this is called as Raganuga bhakti. When I was doing Tulasi aarti, I was thinking of these things.
namo namaḥ tulasī kṛṣṇa-preyasi namo namaḥ
While chanting we should remember, offer obeisances and prayers to Tulasi.
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā pābo ei abilāṣī
What desire do I have?I want to get the service of Radha and Krsna. The feelings which we are expected to have during the chanting of Hare Krishna maha-mantra are also there in this prayer of Tulasi arati. Commentary on the Hare Krishna maha-mantra explains that when we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra we are supposed to have feelings of - seva yogyam kuru . When we are chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra in our mind we should have the feeling, "Please make me eligible to do Your service. " The same thing we pray to Tulsi Devi also. radha krsna seva pabo ei abhilasi Vrinda Devi gives us service as she is in charge of distributing different services, like the Temple commander or organiser. Distribution of services is the Dharma of Tulsi Maharani.
ye tomāra śaraṇa loy, tara vāñchā pūrṇa hoy
You fulfil the desires of those who take your shelter. O Vindadevi! She is also Vaisnavi.
vancha-kalpatarubhyash cha
kripa-sindhubhya eva cha
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaishnavebhyo namo namaha
So Tulasi gives devotion to devotees. Devotion is not given by Lord Krsna. Bhakti is given by bhaktas or devotees. Srila Viswanath Chakravarty Thakur has explained this very well in his book, Madhurya Kadambini that one can get devotion from devotees. Lord doesn't give that, but devotees give devotion to others. So great devotee like Tulasi Maharani also gives devotion.
kṛpā kori' koro tāre vṛndāvana-vāsi
“O Tulasi Maharani who is Vrindavanvasi or Golokavasi please bestow your mercy on us.” Tulasi Maharani is not Noida-vasi although she does appear in Noida. She is also not Swarga-vasi but is Vaikuntha-vasi. You will get her in Vaikuntha, but her original place is in Goloka or Vrindavan. The name Vrindavan itself suggests Vrinda-vana , Vrindayaha vanam. The name of the forest is Vrindavan because of Vrinda Devi, not because of Krsna. It is named after Vrinda Devi. She is a resident of Vrindavan,Vrindavan-vasi. This prayer to Tulsi Maharani is very special. It is filled with the bhavas of Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
mora ei abhilāṣa, vilāsa kuñje dio vāsa
What is my desire? To get the residence in Vilas Kunja. The place where Krsna performs his pastimes with Radharani and the gopis are called Kunja. Kunja-vihar. It is explained that the Lord stays at three places. He stays with mother Yasoda and Nandbaba at Nand Bhavan. That is staying at home in the morning and evening. He stays in the forests at the time of herding the cows. There used to be big pasturing grounds where the cows graze on lush, green grass. This is a second place. At home there was an exhibition of Vatsalya Rasa. At places of Gocaran Lila there was Sakhya Rasa. The third place is in forest itself. These special places are termed as Kunja.
nikunja mein biraje ghanshyam radhe radhe….
Krsna does his pastimes with Radharani and gopis at these Kunjas. So what prayer do we offer to Vrinda Devi?
mora ei abhilāṣa, vilāsa kuñje dio vāsa
Let me get some place to serve in Vilas Kunjas.
nayana heribo sadā yugala-rūpa-rāśi
I want to relish with my eyes yugala-rupa-rasi Radha-Govind, Kisor- Kisori, Ladali-lal. yugala-rūpa-rāśi. What is this 'rasi'? It's a heap, mountain. Lord is the reservoir of all beauty. Let me get His darsana. When we chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra that also has a similar prayer. He Harinam Prabhu, He Radhe, please give me your darsana.
presthaya saha svabhista-lilam mam sravaya Gopal Guru Goswami explains when we say the Hare Krishna maha-mantra ,what is one of our prayers? presthaya saha - this is the prayer to Radha. presthaya saha - one who is your presth , your dear most, svabhista-lilam - please reveal the best of your pastimes with Him. Let me hear that. Then further we say Hare Rama Hare Rama. At the next Hare we pray, -presthaya saha svabhista-lilam mam sravaya. sravaya means please show. All such emotions and feelings are hidden in this Hare Krishna maha-mantra. O Radha please reveal Your pastimes with Krsna. O Krsna please reveal Your past times with Radha. Let me hear that. Please show me that. The feelings in the prayer to Tulsi Maharani and Hare Krishna maha-mantra are quite similar.
Hare Krishna maha-mantra includes all other players. When you chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra you have also sung all the other songs like Gopigeet, Venugeet, Yugalgeet or Brahmageet or prayer to Tulasi Maharani. It is all in one. When you chant,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
You have also sung all the songs. Tulasi Vandana is also an expansion of that. Whatever we are praying to Tulsi Maharani, the same thing we are praying to Harinama Prabhu also.
ei nivedana dhara, sakhīra anugata koro
Its matter of 'anugatya' or following. Please accept my plea. First is mor ai abhilas .- This is my desire. Then we say this is my plea, sakhīra anugata koro. Let me follow in the footsteps of sakhis.
sevā-adhikāra diye koro nīja dāsī
Let me get some rights to do some service. Such prayers we are offering to Tulsi Maharani, when we are chanting in the presence of Tulsi Maharani. So a prayer is being made - let me follow ( anugatya) in your footsteps.
Goddess Laksmi is observing austerities in Srivan or Belvan of Vrindavan since a long time. Why she is not getting entrance into the Rasa Lila? Because she doesn't want to follow in the footsteps. She doesn't have such humility. This is the subject of das-dasanudas. This is the spirit of Vrindavan, of following anugatya . Then one gets entrance into the pastimes of Krsna. Such is the discipline of Vrindavan. We also have to learn that. So in our daily practical life we will have to follow in the footsteps of senior devotees. Not only to Vrinda Devi, but you can also pray to GBC to give some seva.
sevā-adhikāra diye koro nīja dāsī
Give us seva. Please accept my attempt to follow in your footsteps. GBCs or temple commander or head of the department or leader of BACE. We have to follow them. Only the best follower becomes a leader. Good follower becomes good leader. One who can't follow cannot be a leader. Such is the culture of Vrindavan and so we also pray like that. While chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra we should have such emotions to become refined. ceto-darpana-marjanam. Whatever garbage is there in the mind, thoughts of aham- mameti are garbage. When we throw off this garbage then ceto-darpana-marjanam will happen.
dīna kṛṣṇa-dāse koy, ei yena mora hoy
śrī-rādhā-govinda-preme sadā yena bhāsi
I am Dina Krsna Dasa, humble servant of Krsna. We are also offering such prayers to Tulasi Maharani when we are chanting. Through the medium of Hare Krishna maha-mantra we are offering such prayers to Tulsi Maharani.
śrī-rādhā-govinda-preme sadā yena bhāsi
Let me get love unto the lotus feet of Radha and Krsna.
The objective of chanting the maha-mantra is prema pumartho mahan which is pancham purushartha. So such prayers are also being offered to Tulsi Maharani.
śrī-rādhā-govinda-preme sadā yena bhāsi
Tulasi Maharani ki Jai!
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare