English
Date: 8TH Feb 2024
Speaker: HG Dharmaraj Prabhuji
Theme: Relationship between devotees
Please accept my humble obeisances unto lotus feet of Guru Maharaj and all Vaisnvas. Today's topic is ‘relationship between devotees’. It is important to have a very loving relationship between the devotees. Devotees have relationship with Lord as well as with the devotees. Spiritual life does not mean that we should give up all relationships, but the meaning of spiritual life is that we accept others as parts of Lord and establish relationship with them. This is spirituality, which means spiritual relationship. When we accept spiritual life or Krsna conscious life, we should establish loving relationship with everyone and that do happen. And even Lord Sri Krsna Himself is Atmarama, means He takes pleasure in Himself; yet He likes to reciprocate with His devotees and to establish a relationship with His devotees through various rasas. Lord feels great happiness in that. These relations are mentioned many times in various scriptures like Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrta. Pure devotees and the Acharyas ask to the Lord for the same through various verses, ‘we should be able to maintain loving relationship with the devotees’.
Sub-theme: Pariksit Maharaj asking three benedictions
When Pariksit Maharaj was getting ready to go back to Godhead, he prays-
punaś ca bhūyād bhagavaty anante
ratiḥ prasaṅgaś ca tad-āśrayeṣu
mahatsu yāṁ yām upayāmi sṛṣṭiṁ
maitry astu sarvatra namo dvijebhyaḥ
Translation
Again, offering obeisances unto all you brāhmaṇas, I pray that if I should again take my birth in the material world, I will have complete attachment to the unlimited Lord Kṛṣṇa, association with His devotees and friendly relations with all living beings. [SB 1.19.16]
First of all he is saying that, I should have complete attachment to Lord Krsna, second thing is, I should get the association of His devotees and the third is, there should be friendly relations with all living beings. That means he is saying that, ‘I want to stay with the devotees, but at the same time there should be friendly relation with all living beings, because all living beings are parts and parcels of the Lord. May be at present they are not able to develop attachment for the Lord or love for Lord has not yet arisen in their hearts, yet I want that I should have love and friendship with all living beings.’ There is a word- ‘jiva-himsa’, it doesn’t mean only not to kill the living entities, but it also means that keeping the living entities away from the Lord. Therefore, when we will establish friendship with them, it is certain that we will connect them with the Lord, with the Name of the Lord. Hence Pariksit Maharaj is asking these three things- attachment to Krsna, association with devotees and loving relation with all living beings.
Pariksit Maharaj was a great emperor of the whole world and he had no shortage of anything. Still, when he came to know that he was going to die within seven days, he gave up everything and sat at the bank of Ganga to hear Lord’s pastimes. From this we can understand that even if the pure devotee has the prosperity of the entire world, what could be his desire. We can see this through the example of Pariksit Maharaj. Mahaprabhu says, we should not have association with the materialistic people.
asat-sanga-tyäga,—ei vaisnava-äcära
’stri-sangi’—eka asädhu, ‘krsnäbhakta’ ära
Translation-
A Vaisnava should always avoid the association of ordinary people. Common people are very much materially attached, especially to women. Vaisnavas should also avoid the company of those who are not devotees of Lord Krsna. [CC Madhya 22.87]
When He was asked, ‘who is a devotee?’ He told this in His answer, what should we do? We should avoid asat-sanga. We should also check that, am I feeling hatred or jealousy for them? Because to stay away from them doesn’t mean to have hatred or jealousy towards them! Because when we will go to teach, to preach them, they will commit offenses towards Lord Krsna and His devotees. That is why we need to stay away from them, so that they will not commit offenses. Devotees can pray for that these souls should also become devotees. We are trying to bring them in Bhakti, but they are not listening, so at least we can pray for them. When a pure devotee prays for such souls, Lord takes note of that and He provides bhakti to those souls who want to stay away from Him. The pure devotee sees equally the devotee and non devotee. In the Sad-goswami astakam we hear-
krishnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamritambho-nidhi
dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau
sri-caitanya-kripa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
Translation
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvamis, namely Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha das Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Krsna and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of Lord, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus, they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe. [Sri Sri Shad-gosvamy-ashtaka 1]
It is said that sad-goswamis were always engaged in krishnotkirtana-gana-nartana, chanting and dancing and then dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau, they were dear to the gentle as well as to the ruffians because they were nirmatsarau, without enmity. The devotee knows what kind of relationship to establish with an individual. He does not reject anyone, but he always desires to connect everyone with Krsna, to establish their relation with Krsna.
When Nava-yogendras went to see Nimi Maharaj, Nimi Maharaj out of curiosity asked them various questions regarding devotion of the Lord. When King Nimi was having a discussion with Camasa Muni (one of the Nava-Yogendras), he said, there are two types of materialistic people-
ya esam purusam säksäd
ätma-prabhavam isvaram
na bhajanty avajänanti
sthänäd bhrastah patanty adhah
Translation-
“If any of the members of the four varnas and four äsramas fail to worship or intentionally disrespect the Personality of Godhead, who is the source of their own creation, they will fall down from their position into a hellish state of life.” [SB 11.5.3]
na bhajanty, one who do not worship the Lord, they are in ignorance and second type is avajänanti, they intentionally disrespect the Lord. So we need to stay away from them, but that does not mean that we should hate them. As we told, we should pray for them to the Lord.
Sub-theme: Lesson from the pastime of four Kumaras
Four Kumaras were not atheists. They were brahmavadi. They had heard from their father, Brahma about the glories of the Lord. But even after hearing, they had not applied it. They were more attached to the nirakar form of the Lord. They met Jaya Vijay, had talk with them, all of you know the story. They had darsan of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada says, when they offered obeisances to the Lord, the fragrance of Tulasi leaves offered at the lotus feet of Lord and the fragrance of the lotus feet of the Lord entered in their nostrils and then what happened? This changed their life completely.
tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiñjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ
antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ
saṅkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ
Translation
When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Lordhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding. [SB 3.15.43]
There was a change in their mind and body because they established relationship with the Lord. If one worships the Lord in His nirakar form, then what kind of relation he can establish? Nothing can happen. One can develop relation only with the transcendental form of the Lord. Bhakti Yoga means to connect with Lord; it is not just to connect with the effulgence of the Lord. Relation will be established only when we will accept the transcendental form of the Lord. It is the specialty of the Lord, those who get associated with the devotee, gets connected with the Lord.
In the 11th canto of Bhagavatam it is mentioned that Lord describes faith to Uddhava. Madhyama Adhikari loves the Lord, makes friendship with the devotees and show mercy on the ignorant, and maintains distance from those who are envious of the Lord. Devotees maintain such a loving relation with all living beings. Only by such relations with the Lord, His devotees and other living entities, they progress in Bhakti.
Sub-theme: prayer of Sudama
When Lord Krsna and Balarama entered in Mathura; they came from Gokul to Mathura with Akruraji. When They entered in Mathura, They met a gardener named Sudama. So, he served the Lord by offering garlands, and he understood that this art which I have of making flower garlands is only to please Krsna. That's why he pleased the Lord, and prayed, ‘O Krsna, I want that I should have devotion towards you, friendship with devotees and compassion in my heart for all living beings.’ It seems that there is a gardener and he has given flower garland to the Lord and that’s it. We also offer to the Lord and to the devotees then what is the difference? But if we also demand the same, the devotion for Lord, friendship with devotees and compassion for all living beings and why is this compassion necessary? Only compassion is such a virtue, by which we can give Krsna consciousness to the living entities. Srila Prabhupada had many qualities, but compassion was one of his special qualities, because of which even at an old age Prabhupada went to western countries. Single handedly he established ISKCON movement and presented it to us. Through which what we can do? We can do devotion to Lord by living together with the devotees.
Almost 20 years back, at Aravade, the birth place of Guru Maharaj, there was a small temple. Guru Maharaj came. He gave lecture. There were many devotees. When Guru Maharaj's lecture was over, I stood up to announce the further programs, and one devotee raised his hand. ‘Maharaj, I have a question’. Guru Maharaj said, ‘what is the question?’ So, he asked, ‘why do pure devotees preach?’ So Guru Maharaj pointing at me said, ‘Dharamraj will answer this’. I thought, ‘how can I answer in front of Guru Maharaj?’ I was thinking in my mind, ‘Guru Maharaj should give me power to answer.’ I replied, ‘Lord is very kind. His heart is full of compassion. He is an ocean of mercy. Lord always desires that all His souls, who are His parts and parcels, should get His devotion. Krsna wants all living beings back to Him. This is what Krsna always wants. Krsna Himself comes in various incarnations in different millenniums and at the same time He feels compassion in the hearts of those special souls who desperately want to save other souls. Because of this compassion pure devotees do preaching on behalf of the Lord. His Holiness means the purity of Lord is now developed within them. His Divine Grace means that he has received the special mercy of the Lord. They will not keep this mercy unto them, but they will share it with everyone. That’s why this mercy and compassion is very important. Because of this compassion, we can give Krsna consciousness to the living beings and can provide Krsna's blessings to them. The great Acharya has done the same. Devotees of Lord all the time desires for this.
Sub-theme: Prayers of Kunti Maharani
Kunti maharani says in her prayers-
atha viśveśa viśvātman
viśva-mūrte svakeṣu me
sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi
dṛḍhaṁ pāṇḍuṣu vṛṣṇiṣu
Translation
O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis. [SB 1.8.41]
She is saying, ‘O Krsna, I should develop strong attachment, relation with You. May I always engage in Your thoughts and remembrance. O Lord of the universe, O soul of the universe, O universal form, please cut down my affection for my relatives, the Pandavas and Vrsnis. I have various relations with them, as a mother and all, but I want strong attachment with You.’ All of them about whom she is talking are devotees only, yet she is considering them as her family members, hence she is feeling that I have material relation with them and O Krsna, I want to establish a relationship with You. Srila Prabhupada writes, the pure devotee sever the material bonds of affection of his family and expands his compassion for the whole world. In the next verse she says-
tvayi me ’nanya-viṣayā
matir madhu-pate ’sakṛt
ratim udvahatād addhā
gaṅgevaugham udanvati
Translation
O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else. [SB 1.8.42]
O Lord Madhupati, just like Ganga always flows towards the sea without any interruption; similarly my attraction should be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else. Pure devotion is complete only when the entire attention is on the loving service of the Lord. Therefore devotees like Kunti Maharani want to remain in the association of Lord and His devotees. She says I am a soul; soul means I am a part of You and my relationship is with You. That relation should increase more and more. I am very attached to my family, that’s why I want You to cut off my attachments, so that my attachment towards You will increase.
Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur says that all the anarthas present within me should be transformed into Your devotion, into attachment towards You. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur already had attachment with the Lord, but he is teaching us. There are many shortcomings within us. We should not think that we will keep our anarthas with us and at the same time will do Bhakti. We must pray that whatever anarthas we have, please convert them into Your devotion, so that my relationship with You and with Your devotees will remain eternally.
Sub-theme: from brahmavadi Sukadeva Goswami became bhakti yogi
Regarding Sukadev Goswami it is said that-
harer gunäksipta-matir
bhagavän bädaräyanih
adhyagän mahad äkhyänam
nityam visnu-jana-priyah
Translation-
"Srila Sukadeva Gosvämi, son of Srila Vyäsadeva, was not only transcendentally powerful. He was also very dear to the devotees of the Lord. Thus he underwent the study of this great narration Srimad-Bhägavatam." [SB 1.7.11]
It is necessary to become dear to the devotees. visnu-jana-priyah, when he became dear to the devotees of the Lord, then he underwent the study of this great narration Srimad-Bhägavatam. So, it is not enough to be dear to the Lord. We have to be loved by the devotees also. It will happen only when we have a good relationship not only with the Lord but also with the devotees of the Lord. Sukadev Goswami, he is like giving a trailer of his life. Sukadev Goswami is not an ordinary person. He is Radharani's favorite parrot, yet from the point of view of a lila, Sukadev Goswami was the brahmavadi in the beginning and used to go in the cave and meditate on Brahman. So, the students of the Gurukul from the ashram of Vyasamuni, they used to come to the forest to collect fuel. They used to recite again and again the verses which were taught to them. They used to repeat their lessons again and again, so that they could memorize those verses. Sukadev Goswami was in the cave and was meditating on Brahman. As I told earlier in relation to four Kumaras, that none can establish relation with the Lord by worshiping His nirakar form. I am meditating on Brahman, and my relation should be developed with nirakar, the effulgence. It is never going to happen because there is no reciprocation; there is no exchange, no connection. Sukadev Goswami was meditating and outside, those students were reciting slokas. One sloka they recited-
aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ
jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ
kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema
Translation
Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pūtanā] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast? [SB 3.2.23]
Uddhava says this verse while discussing with Vidura. How surprising is that Putana who had smeared her breasts with poison and came to breast feed Krsna. Her intention was to kill Krsna. But Krsna is so kind that He is thinking that Putana came to breastfeed Me, so she is My mother. dhātry-ucitāṁ, she was given the place of a midwife. ‘How shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He’, when Sukadev Goswami heard this, he thought, what is this? I am meditating on Brahman, but I am seeing something different and here they are talking about a person. And he came out, but when he came out, the students were gone. Then after a few days, they came chanting another verse, the verse was -
barhāpīḍaṁ naṭa-vara-vapuḥ karṇayoḥ karṇikāraṁ
bibhrad vāsaḥ kanaka-kapiśaṁ vaijayantīṁ ca mālām
randhrān veṇor adhara-sudhayāpūrayan gopa-vṛndair
vṛndāraṇyaṁ sva-pada-ramaṇaṁ prāviśad gīta-kīrtiḥ
Translation
Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karṇikāra flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayantī garland, Lord Kṛṣṇa exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vṛndāvana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories. [SB 10.21.5]
Krsna is wearing a peacock feather on His head, He is wearing a pitambar which shines like lightning and He has a flute in His hands. And He fills the holes of the flute, adhara-sudhayāpūrayan filling it with the nectar coming out of His lips. Krsna is walking like a hero. Cowherd boys have done His full make-up with different stones and all. Krsna is going and along with Him all cowherd boys are going while singing His glories. The Gopis are seeing Krsna in this form. Hearing this Sukadev Goswami came out, followed those students and reached the same place from where he had come, the place of his father, Vyasamuni’s asrama. He stayed there and listened whole Bhagavatam. The same Bhagavatam he narrated to Pariksit Maharaj. The relation was established with Lord then Bhagavatam was appeared. What is Bhagavatam? One is Bhagavat Grantha, the book Bhagavat and second is person Bhagavat. A person becomes a Bhagavat only when he develops relation with Lord and the devotees. When he takes book Bhagavat in his heart, he becomes vyakti Bhagavat. Therefore, it can be seen that the devotees of Lord develop such relation with the Lord in this way.
Sub-theme: lesson from the pastime of Pracetas
King Prachinbarhisat had ten sons Prachetas. There is no mention of their individual names. So, all the ten brothers together were named as Pracetas. There was no need of separate names, because they were having same thoughts, one decision and all of them lived with love and devotion for each other. When their father said, creation should be expanded. So, do some austerity. So they went to the ocean and when they were doing austerity by standing in the water, Lord saw that all of these ten brothers are not only worshiping Me, but also treating each other with love and friendship, then Lord appeared in His eight armed form, on Garuda. All of them were standing in the water for austerity. Seeing the Lord they offered their prostrated obeisacnces. Lord was pleased and said-
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
varaṁ vṛṇīdhvaṁ bhadraṁ vo
yūyaṁ me nṛpa-nandanāḥ
sauhārdenāpṛthag-dharmās
tuṣṭo ’haṁ sauhṛdena vaḥ
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation — devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me. [SB 4.30.8]
Lord said, I am very pleased with you, because what have you done? Indeed you have worshiped me, but with that you all have maintained loving relationship among you. That is why I want to give you a blessing. Whoever remembers you every day in the evening time can live in loving or friendly relations with all the devotees or with all the living beings. Lord is giving this benediction; therefore we should remember Pracetas in the evening. We should remember that Pracetas did austerities, Lord gave benediction that whoever will remember them in the evening, can live in loving or friendly relations with all the devotees or with all the living beings.
Guru Maharaj was telling in one class tṛṇād api sloka is the pillar of relations between devotees. If we practice it, then we will establish a very good relationship with every devotee. This is very important. If we will consider ourselves great, then we consider others as inferior. If we will consider ourselves insignificant and respect others, then definitely our behavior with the devotees will be very good. And relation with Krsna and relation with His name will be good. We are servants of the Harinam, we are the servants of Mahamantra. As it is said
jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’
Translation
“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation Translation
simultaneously one with and different from the Lord. [ CC Madhya 20.108]
kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ the eternal servant of Krsna, means the eternal servant of Harinama. As Guru Maharaj was telling in one Japa talk, we are having God realization, and there is no difference between God realization and Harinama realization. So, when we are having God realization, means we are having Harinama realization. jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’, means jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — harinamera ‘nitya-dāsa’
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
Translation
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. [ BG 18.66]
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ means nām ekaṁ is also there. One has to surrender to the name of the Lord. What is the method of taking surrender of Lord in Kaliyuga- by chanting His names. Immediately it establishes connection with the Lord.
Sub-theme: History of Latur
The place where I am currently living is named Latur. It is in Maharashtra; comes after Nanded. The story of Latur is also very interesting. 5000 years ago, Yudhishthir Maharaj was performing Rajasuya Yajna in Hastinapur. Everyone knows that in Rajasuya yajna, there is a horse and that horse is being released. If that horse is welcomed, it is understood that these people are accepting to live under the king, accepting him as an emperor. But sometimes some people do not let the horse go ahead and keep it with them or want to kill them, which means they do not want to accept the king as emperor. The name of this place was Ratnapura before Latur. There was a king here Malaidhwaj. The king was a devotee of Lord. His son Tamradhwaj was not a devotee of Lord. That place is still there. I have not visited, but I was told the story. When the horse came, Tamradhwaj did not allow the horse to go further. He stopped the horse and thought to kill the horse or not to let him go further. When Lord came to know that someone was stopping the horse of Rajasuya Yajna of Yudhishthir Maharaj, He Himself came here and fought with Tamradhwaj. Malaidhwaj king came to know, ‘oh what has my son done. But good thing is Lord Himself has arrived and giving His darshan.’ That place is here and on the coming Basant Panchami, on the 14th of this month, Guru Maharaj himself is coming here. Jagannath, Baldev, Subhadra is going to be installed here. They were already present here, but a special temple hall is being constructed. Jagannath is being installed there by the lotus hands of Guru Maharaj. It is a humble request at the lotus feet of all Vaishnavs. If it is possible, you can definitely come and pray for the success of the program. And for the pleasure of Guru Maharaj and the Lord, the preaching work should expand and especially while maintaining loving relationship with the devotees. This is very important. There is a lot of preaching going on, but it is also necessary to maintain a good relationship with the devotees. I end my speech here. Hare Krsna, Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai.
