Shakti-Fan

Thank you Heir Beggar, you took the words right out of my mouth. Also you should know that I took the side of Malcolm X.

Our Relationship With Balarama Tridandiswami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaj,

Yes, very good. This picture proves that the Sleepervadis eminate from the bodily effulgence of Heckle and Jeckle!

Brilliant my friend! The persons that you call "Sleeper Vadis" along with the IRM are most certainly the lunatic fringe of the Hare Krishna Movement.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: Krishna is so beautiful. He is so sweet. He is so fragrant. Even creepers, trees, animals were charmed. You have read in Caitanya Caritamrta that Mahaprabhu was going to Vrindavana and chanting Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna He, Rama Raghava Rama Raghava Rama Raghava raksa mam; and the animals were hearing on the way. Although they were very dangerous, somehow they touched the feet of Mahaprabhu and received His sweet powerful glance. At once they changed and began to chant, 'O Krishna, Krishna!' A mad elephant, taking his trunk, called, 'O Krishna, Krishna' in his language. The tigers forgot their malice and enmity with the deer and others. Serpents, snakes, bears and lions were all following Him at the same time. You cannot believe all this now. But it can be, if you are not going to college and if you can hear all these things in the council of a high class of devotees. Then you yourself will also be able to do this. I am realizing this. So many 'tigers' and 'bears' are now following. Very intellectual giants have forgotten to quarrel and they are coming to us. We want those who have no regard, those who want to cheat others and play with their lives, to know their Gurudeva. You should not stop at any point. My request is that you should try to open the blockage from your stream of bhakti. You should read Srimad Bhagavatam with very deep meanings. First try to hear. Then you will know what is your object, and then worldly desires will be gone. Only one desire will remain - how to serve Krishna. I want this. I have come to remind you of all these things. Don't go in the stream of sense gratification. There is no harm if you are living worldly lives as householders. No harm. But from there, with your family, try to develop your Krishna consciousness. There were so many associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Krishna also, who were family men. The Gopis have showed us how, even in worldly, family life, we can develop our love and affection for Krishna. The gopis are the only examples of this in this world, as are the associates of Mahaprabhu, like Sri Svarupa Damodara, Sri Raya Ramananda and Sri Rupa and Sanatana. They are all liberated, eternal associates, but they were practicing as though they were sadhakas. Why? To teach us. What they were doing? Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasanikrtau. How pathetic (in the mood of intense separation) was the tone of your Prabhupada. He was weeping, singing with tears and so many other symptoms. Have you heard any of his bhajanas? The mood of his heart is coming forth. You should hear and think about what he is telling - how he is following bhakti. He has come to teach all these things, and I am requesting you all to follow. You must know your aim and object: that the mood of the gopis is the highest. Something is there in the transcendental, constitutional position of those who are coming to the line of Mahaprabhu. Otherwise you would not have come to this line. Never. There is something there, and that is why He attracted You. You know that neither wood nor any other material can be attracted to a magnet. The magnet will attract iron - if it is pure. If you are pure or impure, if you have somehow come in the line of Mahaprabhu, then in your constitutional form there must be something of gopi-bhava. Otherwise how could you have come? There are innumerable persons in this world - but you are coming. Therefore I think you have some qualities to know all these things. If you are hearing from any bona fide Vaisnava and you are always in his guidance, then you must develop your Krishna consciousness. So I think that you should try. One day, very soon, you will become old. Death is very near. Your power and beauty and your curly hair will disappear. Your intelligence and money will not be able to save you from old age and death. In the days that are left, therefore, try to achieve that goal, and be happy in this life and forever. We can come to Prahlada Maharaja. This goal, gopi-bhava, is the highest; but how will we be able to follow this process from the beginning? You should read, under the guidance of any pure devotee, about the life of Prahlada Maharaja from the beginning. What was he doing? Although he had been put in a school, when his father asked, "What has your gurudeva taught you? What is the best thing you realized in your school?", Prahlada never said that he had learned something from the guru in the school. Why? Because his Guru is Narada, and he was taught by him when he was in the womb of his mother. So he was attending school, he was hearing their classes, but all their talks were going in one ear and out the other. Nothing remained and he never followed them. He always followed Narada. From the beginning of his life he was chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna are Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. He was going to school, but never accepting anything from his teachers. His father used to think, "He is demolishing all my work. He is against me. He is like an enemy." I want to ask you: can you tell what happened when Prahlada Maharaja was brought to his father? When his father asked him what he'd learned, what did he reply? Govinda Bhakata Prabhu: Prahlada replied, "O father, tat sadhu manye asura varya dehinam." He very politely said, "Asura varya dehinam", "O best of the demons". He was congratulating him. "You are a demon, but you are the best of the demons." Hiranyakashipu was feeling very proud and happy that, "Yes, he knows my position as a great demon." Prahlada continued, "Those who have taken the vow to enjoy temporary material things in this world are always full of anxieties. They try in so many ways to enjoy, and they make a vow: "eat, drink, and be merry; for tomorrow we may die. So now we should enjoy to the maximum." Still, they only experience anxiety. Such enjoyment is likened to one who falls into a blind well. Once there was a man walking in the forest, and he saw a tiger, and this very ferocious tiger started to chase him. As the man was running he saw a well, a ditch covered over by grass. He saw two branches growing out from the walls of the well and, holding on to the branches, he lowered himself down to get away from the tiger, who by this time was just looming over him. However, he saw that below him there were some very venomous cobras that were raising their hoods and extending their tongues. His legs were dangling just over the snakes. At the same time there were two rats - one on each branch. One rat was black, another white, and they were nibbling away at the branches. His situation was now very, very precarious. Srila Narayana Maharaja: Like ours. Govinda Bhakata Prabhu: So our situation also is like that. At any moment we may die. Death is imminent. Srila Narayana Maharaja: What do the tigers represent? They are roaring like death at the top of the well. The many snakes are our many problems - daily problems, problems, and problems. Go on. Govinda Bhakata Prabhu: Death who looming over his head and at the same time there were problems coming from all directions. In the meantime the rats were nibbling away. The two rats, one black and one white, signify nighttime and daytime. In due course the karma of that life will run out. The rats are nibbling away at his duration of life. At any time the branch will break. Srila Narayana Maharaja: And there was also a branch over his head. Govinda Bhakata Prabhu: Above him there was a branch with a beehive, and there were some very beautiful, golden translucent drops of honey beginning to fall. As they began to fall, the man stuck his tongue out to catch them. He then began to enjoy, and he forgot the reality of his situation. Srila Narayana Maharaja: "O, most tasteful." He forgot all the dangers. We know that our fathers and forefathers have died. And we know that all who were put to death were never happy. Still, we want that old age should not come to us, and that we will not die. We are always making efforts to make ourselves more beautiful, more powerful, and more intelligent. We want to be expert in sense gratification. But moment by moment the two rats are nibbling. One second, two seconds, three seconds; then one hour, then twenty-four hours, then a day, then seven days, then one month; and after twelve months, then one year, and then one yuga. In this way our life is diminishing, and still we never think that we will die. We are satisfied like mad persons. And what is the honey? It is the very beautiful, very sweet love and affection of wives, husbands and children. If not of husbands and wives, then of new, new, new girlfriends and boyfriends. Brajanatha Prabhu: Today we saw a dog in a car, next to the driver. People love their dogs so much. This is also like honey. Srila Narayana Maharaja: They are making hospitals and charitable funds for that dog. They think, "After my death everything will be for that dog". But when they will die, they will become dogs. They don't realize this. You should realize it. You can die at any moment. Day by day your longevity is decreasing. Second by second. We ask, "What is your age?Oh, you want to know my age? My age is one hundred." But this means that one hundred years have already gone. First of all you should know that Sri Sukadeva Gosvami is speaking and Pariksit Maharaja is hearing. You should think that you are in the council of Pariksit Maharaja, and all the teachings are coming through Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. From where did he learn them? From Krishnadvaipayana Vedavyasa. From where has he received these teachings? From Narada Gosvami. Narada Gosvami received them from Brahma. And from where has Brahma collected all this knowledge? From Krishna Himself. These are the teachings of Krishna Himself.

You have been chanting and remembering for so many years - some of you for thirty years, but these three things are not coming. We are not realizing anything and we have no taste. Your hearts is not melting by chanting and remembering, tears are not coming, and you are not satisfied. You are always speaking about problems, problems, and problems, and higher and higher waves of problems. You are not happy and detachment from worldly desires is not coming. Why? There is some loophole in your process. Otherwise there is some loophole in your Guru with whom you are associating. It will be either of these two things. If your Guru is all right, then there is some loophole in your practice. We should realize this. Why is detachment is not coming? I want to make more money. I want to taste new, new wives, and new, new husbands. I am daily rejecting the old ones and taking new ones. Why is this coming? Has Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, or any of our Gosvamis, done like this? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada was a naistika brahmacari from the beginning. Is there any example anywhere in scriptures or in the history of Gaudiya Vaisnavas? You cannot say. Never. Srila Svami Maharaja has not instructed like this. Has he said that we should go to the atheists' university? He has shown the way how to enter the school of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji and the university of Namacarya Srila Haridasa Thakura. We should believe that this is the first principle of bhakti. sraddha-sabde-visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya ["Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in the duties of Krishna consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one's reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Krishna consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Krishna consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Krishna consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Krishna consciousness." Bg. 2.41 purport] What is the meaning? You should know this. Aranya Maharaja: In the very first stage of bhakti, sraddha, faith will come. But what is this faith? Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvamipada has written this in Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. Faith means the unflinching conviction that simply by rendering devotional service to Krishna, by hearing, chanting, remembering, and serving the lotus feet of Krishna, I have no requirement to perform any other activities. I have no other obligation. Everything will be achieved simply by rendering service to Krishna. There is nothing else and no other responsibility for me. Srila Narayana Maharaja: We know that Haridasa Thakura never attended any school. Was he admitted in any school since his birth? Never. Yet, Mahaprabhu made him Namacarya Haridasa Thakura. Why? He was qualified to be a Namacarya. If anyone has faith in the Name, thinking that by chanting the Name his life will be successful, and he is chanting and remembering with this faith, then he has no need to go to any school, any college, or anywhere else. Has Srila Svami Maharaja told anywhere that you should go to this bad university or that bad university? What will be the result? Those who are going will be like historians. They will not believe in God. They will not believe in Name and harikatha. They will not believe that Caitanya Mahaprabhu came from Goloka Vrindavana (Svetedvipa). They will think, "Krishna was not God." Gradually this belief will come. They will compare Caitanya Mahaprabhu with Buddha. They are bound to do so. They will not be able to have faith in Caitanya Caritamrta and in Srimad Bhagavatam. Was Srila Sukadeva Gosvami admitted in any school? Yes, he was admitted. Where? In his father's school. His father instructed him, "You should hear Srimad Bhagavatam and you should chant and remember." By birth, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami was a high class of brahma-jnani. But then he attained the mercy of his father. atmaramas ca munayo nirgrantha apy urukrame kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim ittham-bhuta-guno harih ["All different varieties of atmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls." SB. 1.7.10] What is the meaning? Aranya Maharaja: In the Srimad Bhagavatam, the sages of Naimisaranya asked Sri Suta Gosvami, "Oh Suta Gosvamipada, please tell us. Sukadeva Gosvami was absorbed in Brahman, he was completely self-satisfied, atmarama, having no desire, and no attraction to taste anything. He was completely self-satisfied. So why is it that he underwent the study of the Srimad Bhagavatam? There are so many verses. It is such an arduous task to study the eighteen thousand verses of Srimad Bhagavatam." In reply to this, Suta Gosvami spoke this atmaramas ca verse. "Even those who are liberated, those who are completely self-satisfied, develop a very intense attraction to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He is filled with most wonderful and astonishing transcendental qualities which are all beyond the nature of this material world."

(Los Angeles, USA, May 31, 2000) Srila Narayana Maharaja In our morning class we were discussing the eighth sloka of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Nectar of Instruction. In that regard we have explained, and we have also heard in the explanation of Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja: we should know who Caitanya Mahaprabhu is, and for what purpose, for what mission, He descended from the spiritual realm. Mahaprabhu is not different from Radha-Krishna conjugal. Krishna wanted to fulfill the sum of His desires - especially to relish the highest moods of Radhika which were not even in His own heart. He wanted to understand how She loves Him, and in what mood She serves Him, that makes Him controlled by Her. Krishna has love for Radhika, and in separation and other times He becomes mad for Her. But she becomes totally mad because of her adhirudha mahabhava. This subject matter is very deep. Even Krishna does not have adhirudha mahabhava, and that is why He could not be so mad for Srimati Radhika. Even Lalita, Visakha, and the other asta-sakhis have very elevated moods toward Krishna. Still, He cannot have that. This is because He is the object of love and they are the containers, the abodes, of love. Krishna wanted to relish all this. And, because He was so merciful, He wanted to show the process by which we can achieve that service which is like that of the gopis. He wanted to give everyone this raga marga - this process of love and affection that the Vrajavasis have in their hearts. However, He could not give it, nor could He relish all these things. Why? It is because He does not have that mood of the gopis. Therefore, in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He went to the school of Lalita and Visakha, and He was trained there. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sacinandana Gaurahari, is the same as Krishna, but not the same - He is something more. He is Krishna combined with Radhika's mood and beauty. Now He is doubled. His mercy is doubled and His taste has been doubled. Now He has the mood of Radhika. As Krishna, He only had that Krishna mood. He was previously only the object of love, but now He is both. He is the object of love, and at the same time He is the abode of love. This is the first reason Krishna descended from there - to relish that love. Secondly, He came to preach the process of high-level love and affection. He was so merciful. We should try to know all these truths. If you are a senior Vaisnava, you should try to hear these topics. Why should you remain in the same class? Bhakti is a transcendental flow; she cannot remain in any one place. Similarly, the devotion in our hearts for Radha and Krishna, and for Mahaprabhu, is like a stream. It should go on gradually increasing. It should not be stopped at any place. You should know who your Prabhupada is. You should know. Then you can glorify him, otherwise you cannot. He has also descended. He is an associate of Mahaprabhu, and He has descended to give that same mood and mission of Mahaprabhu. He has not only come to preach, "You should do kirtana, and add that to whatever you are already doing." He also did not come only to establish yuga-dharma. That is the job of Maha Visnu, not of Krishna. It is not Krishna's function. Who is Maha-Visnu? Sri Advaita Acarya. He is the amsa of the amsa of the amsa of the amsa of the Kala of Krishna Himself. He is a part of the part of the part of the part of Krishna. Being so far away, He can preach with kirtana, but He cannot give Vraja-bhakti. Never. He is not qualified for this. Only Krishna can do this. When He came, therefore, He preached through sankirtana that highest love and affection, as well as the process to achieve it. So Srila Svami Maharaja was not an ordinary person whom you can know and realize. You have to come to his level, and then you can understand who he is and why he came to this world. He is not an ordinary historical person. If you don't know who he is, how can you glorify him? Sri Svarupa Damodara can glorify Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Raya Ramananda can glorify Him, and Srila Rupa Gosvami can also glorify Him because their standard or level is the same as that of Krishna. They are always His eternal associates. So you must know who Prabhupada, your Gurudeva, was. He was not an ordinary devotee. He came to fulfill the desire of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He preached the same mission as told by Srila Rupa Gosvami. He is a follower of Rupa Gosvami, and he was very happy to say that, "I am Rupanuga". You should know what is Rupanuga. Even Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the Guru of Rupa Gosvami, felt very great happiness in thinking that, "I am a follower of Srila Rupa Gosvami. I should follow Rupa. He is so high." So Srila Svami Maharaja came only to preach this mission. As I told before, however, he saw that the land was barren, not fertile. There were so many weeds and thorn trees here and there. Although he had to cut all these things, he actually came to give something else - the same thing that Rupa Gosvami came to give: "Sri Caitanya mano 'bhistam sthapitam yena bhutale. Because he understood the innermost desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he was able to establish His mission in this world." Therefore first know who he is; then you can glorify him. You should not think that he was only a preacher of harinama. You should not think that he only wrote so many books, and published and distributed them. This is not his glory. What is his glory? He is a Rupanuga Vaisnava - serving Radha-Krishna conjugal in the same way as Rupa Manjari. Prabhupada has written everywhere that we should know our aim and object. Although we don't know it at present, we can know it by hearing. You can see this in the dialogue of Sri Raya Ramananda and Mahaprabhu, in the dialogue of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Mahaprabhu in Triveni and Prayag, in the dialogue of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Sanatana Gosvami in Kasi, Varanasi, and you can see it in the dialogue between Sri Svarupa Damodara and Srivasa Pandit at the Ratha-yatra festival. These are very high topics. You should go deep and hear these topics from any realized person. Then you can know what is our aim and object. We must follow Rupa Gosvami, whom Prabhupada followed. I think it will not be better to think we are "Prabhupadanuga". Don't discover any new thing. It will then be a new way and full of thorns. Following what he has given, we should go, closing our eyes, running, with no fear of falling. We see that Srila Svami Maharaja was not happy in his last days. He had made so many sannyasis, as you know. If they had followed him totally they would never have fallen down. Hearing hari-katha from superiors, and following their instructions, a man cannot deviate. Why have so many disciples given up their sannyasa? Why have most of the brahmacaris who were doing arcana deviated? Why did the desire come to marry? Why? Are they happy? They think that they were with Prabhupada for a long time. They think that they served him and he has trained them in a special way. But what was that special training? That they should take sannyasa, and then give it up and go to hell? Did they receive special training how to fall down? I think this is not the case. We should try to know and realize all these things. If a man will serve Prabhupada, then he will be like him. If a person is serving him internally and externally, then he must be on the same level as him. After taking sannyasa Prabhupada never deviated. No worldly desire ever came in him. I think that this was not the training of Prabhupada. He was very worried for them, and he used to discuss all these things with me. I explained the sloka: bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra caisa trika eka-kalah prapadyamanasya yathasnatau syus tustih pustih ksud-apayo 'nu-ghasam ["Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things - these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating." SB.11.2.42] Sri Sukadeva Gosvami is telling hari-katha to Pariksit Maharaja. He gives the example that you are very hungry and you are taking maha-prasadam - one handful after another. One handful, a second, a third, a forth, and a fifth. If you are really taking it, three things will come at the same time. Virakti, tusti, and pusti. Gradually your hunger will subside. Some tusti, satisfaction, will come according to how much you are taking, and pusti, nourishment, will also come at the same time. When you fully take, then full satisfaction will come, you will feel strength, and you will have no desire to take any more. Three things. Similarly, if you are following anyavilasita sunyam, real bhakti in the real process, if you are chanting and remembering and hearing hari-katha through the proper channel and proper process, at once you will realize Krishna in that proportion, and detachment from worldly things and sense gratification must manifest. It is bound to come, and you will be satisfied. Three things will come: performing bhakti, realizing some rasa, taste, and detachment from worldly things.

We use the term "spiritual hierarchy" and it sound like the relationship between the G.B.C.s and the temple presidents. How such hierarchy plays out in Vraja: [srila Narayana Maharaja:] "There is a different kind of etiquette there – the etiquette of love. Priya-narma sakhis are superior to other types of sakhis, but they all feel equal. They all have so much affection for each other. Even Lord Krsna will not hesitate to serve the gopis. If Lalita and Visakha see any junior sakhi, they take her as their near and dear one. There, in Goloka Vrndavana, there is nothing but an ocean of love and affection. You cannot imagine anything like this."

There is a hierarchy amongst Krsnas servitor's in Gokula and Goloka. For those in sakhya rasa, Sudama and Subal are essentially gurus or captains of that rasa with it's serving group. They are always in a superior position. In the madhurya rasa, the leaders of Srimati Radharani's group are Lalita and Visaka. There are other gopis that assist them who are in the same mood of Radha dasyam. The zenith of attainment in our line is that of the manjaris, the little girls who serve the gopis and Radha Krsna in the kunjas of Vrndavana and greater Vraja. It is the telescopic approach; the apparently farther removed the closer on gets in reality. This is how it is recomended that we approach the Vaikunthas or the Land of Gurus. When expaining this Srila Sridhar Maharaja would say, "Who are we? High talks, mad talks, Nitai Gaura Hari bol!" (Beggar using my wife's Screen Name - Didn't notice that she was signed on)

In Alachua when Bhagavat Prabhu was still a family man, although he had been close with Srila Narayana Maharaja for several years, he was always asked to speak to the assembled ISKCON devotees on Srila Prabhupada's avirbhava and tirobhava festivals. Sripad Bhagavat Prabhu had numerous first hand strories of the prakat lila of Srila Bhaktivendanta Prabhupada, practically more than anyone. Also he has a good memory and aurally reproduced these pastimes with great clarity and detail. On those special days all differences were put aside for the glorification of jagat guru Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. When we become more advanced all days will become special days and we will put aside our differences to combinedly preach and serve the Sankirtan Movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If not in this life, then in the next, Godwilling. As Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has said, "party spirit is the enemy of progress".

Srila Narayana Maharaja: "mere jiva tattva"?

Srila Narayana Maharaja: Who is qualified to hear and speak about the sweet pastimes of astakaliya-lila - the twenty-four-hour-a-day pastimes of Radha and Krsna? Those who are first practicing totally the principles of sravanam, kirtanam, visnu-smaranam, pada-sevanam, arcanam, vandanam, dasyam, sakhyam atma-nivedanam, and also sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana. mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana. Mathura-vasa means always living at Radha Kunda, Syama Kunda, Giriraja Govardhana, Navadvipa, and also in Nilacala. If one has even a little relationship with these five principles and he is not offending anyone, he will attain Vraja-prema. We should try to practice from the very beginning. If you are not practicing uttama-bhakti, how can you think that you are seeing naked Radha and Krsna and all these things? How can you tell everyone, "I am this" or "I am that", "He is this" or "He is that"? "I am Krsna", "I am Sivananda Sena", or "I am Rupa Gosvami or Sanatana Gosvami." This is a bogus idea. It is mayavada. We should first hear from our gurudeva. If gurudeva is qualified he will first tell us about uttama-bhakti. anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu- silanam bhaktir uttama [CC Madhya 19.167] Prema Prayojana Prabhu: Gurudeva has ordered me to give just the outline of this verse composed by Srila Rupa Gosvami by the inspiration of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In his Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu he is giving the most excellent definition of uttama-bhakti, transcendental bhakti. It is the continuous unbroken cultivation of all the endeavors of your body, mind, words, and internal spiritual sentiments, which are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Krsna, totally devoid of any desires other than the desire to serve Krsna, not covered or mixed with karma, jnana, dry renunciation, yoga, astrology, and all other kinds of philosophies which are not conducive to bhakti. Such endeavors should be like honey flowing from a jar. When we pour honey from a jar it does not come out in drops. It comes out in one think steam. When citta-vrtti, the tendency of the heart, along with the activities of the body, mind, and words, are flowing without any break in the service of Krsna, this is called uttama-bhakti. Syamarani didi: As Sripada Prema Prayojana Prabhu mentioned, this verse is written in Srila Rupa Gosvami's Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu, but where did he first get it? He heard it from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Mahaprabhu had given him instructions for ten days at Prayaga. Uttama-bhakti is the uninterrupted flow of all activities performed with the body, mind, intelligence, all the activities of the senses, and the spiritualized sentiments towards Krsna. It is only for the purpose of pleasing Krsna, without knowledge aimed at impersonal liberation, and without being covered by the desire to enjoy the fruit of our activities. Karma must be there, activities must be there, but those activities should be under the influence of bhakti - not covering bhakti. In aropa-siddha bhakti, karma covers bhakti: "I like arts and crafts, I like to make pretty clothing. I worship the Deity so that I can be satisfied with the way in which I am designing clothing." This is not pure bhakti, because the devotee has some personal desire. He is superimposing the word bhakti on an activity that he wants to do for his own happiness. Srila Rupa Gosvami and Caitanya Mahaprabhu are saying, 'jnana karmadi anavrtam.' Avrtam means covered. Bhakti should be uncovered. It should be the controller of our karma and our jnana. Even jnana, the knowledge that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, gradually has to be changed to some relationship with Krsna in one of the five rasas - like that of the residents of Vrndavana - in order to come to the highest platform of uttama-bhakti. Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe and the first spiritual master in our line, has stated that ultimately one has to give up jnana, the knowledge that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by hearing about His sweet pastimes from a pure devotee who has realized Krsna. Our Guru Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada, has said that there are three stages. The first is 'under-knowledge'; less than knowledge, and that is atheism and mayavadism. Then there is the 'knowledge' that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When I have that faith by the association of a self realized soul, then I gradually come to the stage 'above knowledge', the stage where I realize my relationship with Krsna as my friend, as my master, as my son, or my beloved. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama. Anusilanam means cultivation - of the physical, mental, intellectual, and sentimental activities - only for the pleasure of Krsna. Canura, and Mustika, the wrestlers in Mathura, were giving Krsna pleasure, because by their fighting they were giving Him a sense of heroism, and that made Him happy. But their activities were not bhakti. They wanted to kill Krsna. Bhakti depends on the motivation. In uttama-bhakti, not only does Krsna get pleasure, but the motivation is to give Krsna pleasure. The wrestlers gave Krsna pleasure, and mother Yasoda made Krsna cry, but she is the topmost uttama-bhakta. Why? Because her motive is, "I should punish Krsna so He won't be a thief and steal everyone's butter, and so that He'll grow up to have very good character." Srila Narayana Maharaja: Has anyone any question about this? Have you understood the meaning? Devotee: In krsna-lila, when the cowherd boys were in the forest fire and they asked Krsna, "O Krsna, Krsna save us, Balarama save us." was this just their lila? Is this going against uttama-bhakti? Srila Narayana Maharaja: No, they are beyond uttama-bhakti. You cannot imagine their position. They are beyond uttama-bhakti. They are manifestations of Krsna Himself, and they are eternal associates. They came to this world only to fulfill the desires of Krsna. They are playing like ordinary boys to teach us. They are above our consideration. The gopis, gopas, and all the associates of Goloka Vrndavana are above our consideration. They are like Krsna.

From Acarya Kesari Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami: His Life and Teachings, by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja, "The jiva is constitutionally a servant of the Supreme Lord. Unfortunately, the jiva who has fallen into this illusory world, being averse to The Supreme Lord since time immemorial, is burnt by the three-fold miseries in the cycle of repeated birth and death. Only by great fortune does the jiva take shelter at the lotus feet of a sad-guru and follow the path of suddha-bhakti. At that time he realizes that Sri Gurudeva, Sri Gaurasundara, and Sri Sri Radha-Krsna Yugala are the embodiment of auspiciousness for the whole world. The ultimate goal of the jiva is to attain prema for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. The life of that person in whose heart prema for Sri Sri Radha-Krsna has arisen is actually significant, meaningful and profitable.This condition is the ultimate good fortune of all jivas." Srila Prabhupada, originally published in The Harmonist in 1936, on the advent day of His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura,

Eleven strange terms from the sleepervad lexicon: "If you don't have any common sense ask someone who does" [a famous and unverifiable "Prabhupada said".

Just wondering? Will the sentence for Vaisnava aparadha run concurrently or consecutively with the Apasiddhanta sentence?

Srila Narayana Maharaja: The desire to serve the Divine Couple in a mood of Radhika's manjaris is also called krsna-seva-vasana. How does it come? By being in good association and hearing pastimes like these from Sri Guru and Vaisnavas, the greed or the desire to serve Krsna can enter the heart of the sincere disciple by their mercy. This is the desire to serve Krsna: krsna-seva-vasana, and it is the bhakti-lata-bija. I have given three examples of how krsna-seva-vasana comes by good association: in friendship (sakhya-rasa), in a paternal mood (vatsalya-rasa) and in the mood of a paramour lover (madhurya-rasa). If someone who hears these pastimes develops the desire to serve Krsna in any one of the relationships, we should know that he has been given the bhakti-lata-bija by the causeless mercy of Sri Guru and Krsna. This is the meaning of guru krsna prasade paya, bhakti-lata-bija. If anyone obtains this bija, his life will be successful. [syamarani dasi:] Srila Gurudeva (Srila Narayana Maharaja) has ordered me to give the translation and meaning of this verse. After taking births within the millions of species of life from a time immemorial, the living entity finally meets the spiritual master and receives the seed of bhakti from him. The spiritual master does not plant the seed himself; rather he gives it to the disciple who then becomes like a gardener, mali-hana, and plants the seed in his own heart. The disciple then nurtures and nourishes the seed by watering it with the process of hearing and chanting under the guidance of the Guru, and in this way the seed begins to sprout. This verse has many beautiful deep meanings. It is stated in Caitanya-caritamrta: nitya siddha krsna prema sadhya kabhu naya sravanadi suddha citta koraye udaya ["Pure love for Krsna is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens." (Cc Madhya 22.108)] It's not that the spiritual master is giving a seed of something that is not already in the heart of the living entity. Nitya siddha krsna prema: krsna prema is already lying dormant, latent within our hearts, in the same way that the seed of any tree or plant has everything about that tree or plant already within it in potency. For instance, a mango seed has within it the tree, its branches, leaves, flowers, fruit, and even the flavor and aroma of the fruit. Everything is already there in potency. Similarly, krsna-bhakti, krsna-prema, is already in our hearts in seed form. Our entire spiritual form, services, dress, hairstyles everything is there. This is also stated in the verse: jivera svarupa hoya krsna nitya dasa krsnera tatastha sakti bedhabeda prakasa The living entity is eternally Krsna dasa, and therefore everything about him is already there. We are eternally qualitatively the same as Krsna and quantitatively different from Him. If krsna-prema is already there in a dormant state as a seed in the heart, what then is meant by the statement: the spiritual master gives the seed? In answer, the acaryas have given us the example of a certain planetary constellation called svati-naksatra. When the rain comes at the time of this constellation, it has a special effect on different living entities. For instance, the oysters within the ocean have the potency to produce pearls, but unless the rains of the svati-naksatra fall onto the water in which the oyster lives, the pearl is never developed. Likewise, an elephant has the potential to produce a gaja-mukta (elephant pearl), and if that particular rain falls on the elephant, this pearl appears. Another example is the cow; when this rain falls onto the hoof of a cow, gaurocana, a yellow-gold pigment that is used in unguents, appears. Also, the snake has the potential to produce a jewel, and this happens when the svati-naksatra rains fall on its head. Similarly, every living entity has an eternal relationship with Krsna in one of the five rasas. This relationship is eternal; but it cannot be developed without the inspiration of the spiritual master. It is he who gives "the seed" of inspiration, and teaches the disciple how to water it by proper hearing and chanting.

Prema Prayojana Prabu: Bhava-bhakti is composed entirely of samvit-sakti and hladini-sakti. Samvit-sakti means the cognitive potency or the knowledge potency of the Supreme Lord. And hladini-sakti refers to His pleasure potency. When the essence of these two potencies are combined it is called bhakti-sakti. This potency of bhakti is not available in this material world. It exists eternally in the form of a mood in the hearts of the associates of Radha and Krishna in the spiritual sky. When a devotee in this world is practicing sadhana-bhakti very sincerely, and his gurudeva and guru-varga, they bestow mercy upon him, by their invitation then bhakti-sakti, Bhakti-devi herself, comes down from the associates of Krishna in the spiritual sky and touches his heart. The prema in the hearts of the associates of Krishna is very powerful like the sun, and one small ray of that sun descends into this world and touches the heart of the practicing devotee in this world. When that suddha-sattva-viseshatma, the essence of the samvit-sakti and hladini-sakti, touches the heart of the sadhaka, his heart melts. At that time many feelings arise in his heart. One is called bhagavat-prapti-abhilasa, he has a very intense desire to attain his istadeva. Srila Narayana Maharaja: What is the meaning? That I will have the service of Krishna. An intense desire, so intense desire comes, and suddha sattva comes, that it makes his heart very soft, then it is called bhava. Prema Prayojana Prabhu: That means that when this bhava comes in his heart, his heart is restless with so much eagerness and so many desires to serve Krishna. Srila Narayana Maharaja: You should understand by this example. Your wife is very beautiful, and very sweet to you. But for so many day she has not met you. For a long time, about one year, she was separated from you anywhere, but she telephoned that, "Today I'm coming." Then what kind of feeling will come in your heart? You will be very happy. It may be that your heart will be melting and hairs may be standing on end. This is called, when a devotee thinks that, "Oh, now I will meet Krishna, I will serve Krishna and Radhika," so a very high class of this abhilasa, desire comes, this is called bhagavat-prapti-abhilasa. Then after that? Prema Prayojana Prabhu: Anukula-abhilasa. Srila Narayana Maharaja: Then you should explain. Prema Prayojana Prabhu: Then another feeling comes into the heart of the devotee. This is called anukula-abhilasa. Anukula means that which is favorable. In other words the devotee knows that there are some particular services which are very, very pleasing to Krishna. Therefore the intense eagerness to render those particular services which are very pleasing to Him arises within his heart. Srila Narayana Maharaja: Like an example. When I will meet Krishna, I will fan Him with camara. Then Krishna will embrace me, and then I will be very happy and I will serve Him in so many ways. When I massage His feet, and then tears will come along with so many ankula abhilasa. Then? Go on Prema Prayojana Prabhu: Then the third mood which comes into the heart of the devotee, it is called sauhard abhilasa. In this mood, sauhard-abhilasa, then the devotee is always thinking how Krishna will be happy. It is called suhrt-bhava, he feels very close intimate affection for Krishna, and he is thinking how Krishna will become happy. Srila Narayana Maharaja: This is called rati. And if we by our sadhana, we keep an object to have a rati or bhava, then your sadhana or process is called sadhana-bhakti, otherwise not. What is the definition of sadhana? Krti sadhya bhavet sadhya Bhava sa sadhanabhidha Nitya siddhasya bhavasya Prakatyam hrdi sadhyata Madhava Maharaja: So now gurudeva ordered me what is the definition of sadhana. Krti sadhya bhavet sadhya Bhava sa sadhanabhidha Nitya siddhasya bhavasya Prakatyam hrdi sadhyata. Srila Rupa Gosvamipada has explained in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, kriti sadhya, that is when we do sadhana by our senses, very carefully, and to achieve the mood. Which mood? That which he explained just now, that suddha sattva visesatma, and Sriman Prema Prayojana Prabhu and Srila Gurudeva explained about bhava. We have to keep our aim and object to achieve that bhava. Then which activity we are doing, then it is called sadhana.

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja IF YOU DON'T KNOW (Alachua, USA, May 24, 2001) Yesterday we were explaining sadhana. When our objective is to attain rati, and with these material senses - the tongue, mind, etc. - we do our sadhana, only then will it be real sadhana; otherwise not. First there must be the objective: "I want to attain rati." What is rati? Rati is that mood of our specific relationship with Krsna - which should be our objective." suddha-sattva-visesatma prema-suryamsu-samya-bhak rucibhis citta-masrnya- krd asau bhava ucyate ["When devotional service is executed on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a sun-ray of love for Krsna. At such a time, devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes, and one is then situated in bhava (emotion)." (Madhya lila 23.5)] What is this bhava? We should know. If you don't know what is bhava, what is rati, then how can your objective be to attain it? If you do not know this, how can you do sadhana? If, not knowing this you are doing 'sadhana', it will not be sadhana. It may be sadhana-abhasa, or even less than that. It is not actually bhakti. We are all in this category. What is rati? What is the meaning of suddha-sattva-visesatma? What is sattva? What is suddha-sattva? What is visuddha-sattva? What is suddha-sattva-visesatma? There are four truths to know...We must know what is sattva, and then we must know what is suddha-sattva. Sattva means existence. This body is material sattva. It has no actual existence. All kinds of existence in this world and that transcendental world are sattva. Sattva is of two kinds: Suddha-sattva and misra-sattva. All the souls who are captured in the material energy are now misra-sattva. One who gives up the material sattva and considers himself an infinitesimal part of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is suddha-anucit. Transcendental substance is called suddha-sattva. Next, what is suddha-sattva-visesatma? What is this type of suddha-sattva? Baladeva Prabhu is the origin of all suddha-sattva, transcendental existence, and everything that exists in this world also comes from Him. He is the presiding Deity of sandini-sakti, Krsna's potency of existence. Everything that comes directly from this sandini-sakti in the form of Baladeva is suddha-sattva. Do you understand? Perhaps after two days you will forget this, and therefore you should try to note it down in your heart. Suddha-sattva-visesatma. Hladini-sakti and samvit-sakti belong to the category of the svarupa-sakti of Krsna. Krsna's svarupa-sakti is hladini and samvit. Hladini-sakti is love and affection, with ananda. Samvit means knowledge. From that knowledge all the various kinds of bhava to serve Krsna which are in Radhika may partly come in the jiva. The essence of hladini and samvit, on the platform of sandini, is suddha-sattva visesatma. How will it come? It will not come by any sadhana that can be performed by a jiva. It will come by krpa-siddha. What is krpa-siddha? It is perfection by mercy. Mercy is of two kinds. The first is Krsna's mercy, and that includes the mercy of Srimati Radhika, Vrnda, and all tadiya, associates. Secondly, mercy comes from high-class devotees of Krsna, like Sankara, Narada Gosvami, Uddhava, and even more advanced than that, Rupa Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, our Gurudeva, our Srila Swami Maharaja, and others in this line. Devotee: And you. Srila Narayana Maharaja: Not myself. I want to be the dust of their lotus feet. This comes by mercy only. It comes when we surrender and we hanker for rati, always weeping and thinking that we will do everything necessary to attain it, and meanwhile always hankering after the mercy of Krsna and devotees. At that time the devotees' hearts will be melted by seeing our eagerness and endeavors to practice bhakti, in the same way that Krsna looked towards the efforts of mother Yasoda and His heart was melted. If their hearts are not melting by seeing your efforts, they will not sprinkle their mercy. They will think, "Oh, he is very proud. He has so much false ego and so many worldly desires. He is not endeavoring. Although he is sleeping and not chanting, still he is proudly thinking, 'Oh, I have done sixteen rounds of harinama.' This will not do." You have seen in the lives of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Srila Rupa Gosvami that they have accepted four qualities: trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih Being humble like a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, and unselfish, their lives were totally for others. They were always giving proper honor to all Vaisnavas. They were never criticizing others, whether those persons were wrong or right - especially worldly persons. They are always praising the devotees, Krsna, bhakti and so on. Never criticize anyone, whether he is a very wretched person or lusty, no matter what he is doing. If you do, all those bad qualities will come into you. Give proper respect to all, and don't have any ambition or desire to be respected. You should especially follow Srila Rupa Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. Accept whatever is favorable for bhakti. Whatever is unfavorable for bhakti, whether it is your body, friends, society, wife, children, wealth, or even your life, you will try to give up. Do these things properly. What is the first thing to do? You should accept any transcendental guru - even if he is a madhyama-adhikari. He must be selfless, expert in all kinds of siddhanta and in removing all kinds of doubts, and he should never have any worldly desires. Then, duly take diksa initiation in the real sense. Daily chant harinam, continuously, and whatever mantras Guru Maharaja has given, you should also do daily. This is lacking in all devotees. They do not chant, they do not even have tulasi mala, and still they are telling of themselves, "I am a disciple of Srila Prabhupada" or any other guru. You should know the meaning of your mantra, and you should know who is the predominating Deity of that mantra and what your relationship is with that Deity. You should have strong belief in those Deities, that they will support and nourish you. This is called prapatti. Next is saranagati. If you have belief in Krsna, and you have given yourself at His lotus feet, why are you worried about maintaining your life? If Krsna can create this whole world, this whole universe, in a moment, and you are taking shelter of that very Krsna who is so powerful, why are you worried? I have seen so many small dogs with their masters. The master puts a belt around the dog's neck and attaches a chain to that belt. The then master takes him walking. If that small dog sees a very big dog coming, he wants to jump and bark. When he is walking alone, however, he will run away. He is proud when he is with his master. He thinks that his master has a gun, and if anyone attacks he will shoot him. He is such a powerful master. Similarly, if you have taken shelter of the Supreme Master, who is so powerful, why fear for your maintenance? If you are worried for this, you have not really surrendered. There is a loophole at the root, and this is why you want to have a very good house, good family, and so on. You have no faith in Krsna. This is lacking. Even though our gurus have opened our eyes to see, still we try to keep our eyes closed. Try to see and understand all these things, then suddha-sattva may come. Otherwise, how can it come? If the devotees' hearts are not melting in Goloka Vrndavana Dhama by seeing all your endeavors, they will not pray to Krsna, and without their prayers, Krsna's mercy cannot come. Krsna's mercy is dependent on His devotees' mercy. Try to please devotees. If you cannot please your gurudeva who always wants to sprinkle his mercy, if you cannot serve him, if you cannot make his heart melt, then how can you receive mercy? There must be a loophole at the root of your bhakti. Something is wrong. If you do not know all truths about the mantra, how will the effect of the mantra come? How can it come? You are planting the seed on barren land, on sand, and yet you think, "Very soon it will sprout." Even one name, in one mantra, chanted even one time, can give the result. Yet, your gurudeva has told you that you should practice chanting this mantra ten times, or one hundred and eight times, or even more than this. Nyasa means to take a sankalpa, a vow, that, "I will follow all these principles." You must promise, "I will certainly do all these things." That is nyasa. If you are not really following, you will not get the result. First you should obey Srila Rupa Gosvami's Upadesamrta, and then Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's Manah-Siksa: gurau gosthe gostalayisu sujane bhusura-gane sva-mantre sri-namni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-sarane sada dambham hitva kuru ratim apurvam atitara maye svantar bhratas catubhir abhiyace dhrta-padah ["O my dear brother, my foolish mind! Taking hold if your feet, I humbly pray to you with sweet words. Please give up all pride and quickly develop sublime and incessant rati for Sri Gurudeva, Sri Vraja-dhama, the residents of Vraja, the Vaisnavas, the brahmanas, your diksa-mantra, the holy names of the Supreme Lord, and the shelter of Kisora-Kisori, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, the eternally youthful divine couple of Vraja." (Sloka One)] You should follow all these practices. Don't neglect your diksa-mantras and harinama. Make your goal rati. First comes sraddha, then nistha, ruci, asakti, and then rati. You should have this rati for chanting nama, but first have it for guru, both siksa and diksa-guru. The next word in the sloka is gostha. Have rati for the dhama: Nandagram, Varsana, Radha-kunda, Puri, and all the pastime places. The next word is gostalayisu, love and affection for those who are there in the dhama: Nanda Baba, Yasoda Mayia, and all others. Have rati for Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and for all those who are in our sampradaya. Also, you should honor those who are not in our sampradaya, those in the Nimbaditya sampradya, and all others. You should also give proper respect to them. Don't criticize them. We should also respect brahmanas. Even if they are not one-pointed to Krsna, still try to honor them. Especially have love and affection for harinama and our mantras, and also for Radha-Krsna Yugala and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this way give proper respect to all, have abundant rati, love and affection, for all of these, and go on practicing. Then, the mercy of the Vaisnavas, the mercy of Krsna will come and you can realize all these things. This is our objective now. We should therefore follow all these principles and try to realize them. Gaura Premanande!

*Endnote 2: sneha – that stage when prema, attaining a state of excellence, intensifies one's perception of the object love and melts the heart. When sneha is enkindled in the heart, there is no quenching of the ever-new thirst for seeing the beloved. Maan – that stage of prema in which sneha reaches exultation, thus causing one to experience the sweetness of the beloved in ever new varieties (Ujjvala-nilamani 14.96), and when the nayika assumes an outward demeanor of pique which turns into transcendental anger and indignation arising out of jealous love. Pranaya – that intensified stage of prema when maan assumes a feature of unrestrained intimacy known as visrambha, or confidence devoid of any restraint or formality. This confidence causes one to consider one's life, mind, intelligence, body, and possessions to be one in all respects with the life, mind, intelligence, and body of the beloved. Raga – 1) an intensified stage of prema in which an unquenchable loving thirst (prema-mayi trsna) for the object of one's affection (Sri Krsna) gives rise to spontaneous and intense absorption in one's beloved, so much so that in the absence of the opportunity to please the beloved, one is on the verge of giving up his life; 2) when pranaya is experienced in the heart as immense pleasure. If by accepting some misery there is a chance to meet with Krsna, then that misery becomes a source of great happiness. And where happiness affords no opportunity to meet with Krsna, that happiness becomes the source of great distress. anuraga – an intensified stage of prema as defined in Ujjvala-nilamani (14.146): “Although one regularly meets with and is well-acquainted with the beloved, the ever-fresh sentiment of intense attachment causes the beloved to be newly experienced at every moment, as if one has never before had any experience of such a person.” bhava – 1) loving emotions; a particular mood of love in which the devotee serves Krsna. 2) an intensified stage of prema which in Ujjvala-nilamani has been equated with maha-bhava, which occurs when anuraga attains a certain stage of exhilaration and relish. This can be experienced and relished only by anuraga itself and by no other bhava. When anuraga is adorned with the inflamed and exciting sattvika passions like molten gold and reaches its climax in Srimati Radhika, becoming identical with Her very temperament and dispositions, it is called bhava. mahabhava – the most mature stage of prema. *Endnote 3: bhava-ullasa rati – Generally, devotees of the same mood and who are enriched with similar desires naturally share suhrd-bhava, intimate friendship, with each other. That is why the love and affection that Lalita and the other sakhis have for Srimati Radhika is called suhrd-rati. When their suhrd-rati is the same as or slightly less than their Krsna-rati (affection towards Sri Krsna), this is called sancari-bhava (a temporary emotion that is compared to the waves that swell and then return to the ocean of their permanent emotion of the mood of Krsna's beloveds). In other words when this suhrd-rati becomes equal to the waves in the ocean of their prominent affection for Krsna, it is a sancari-bhava. However, in the case of the manjari-sakhis, their suhrd-rati (for Sri Radha and everything connected with Her), which abundantly exceeds their krsna-rati and which constantly increases by the moment due to their full absorption in it, is called bhava-ullasa-rati. This is a special feature of madhura-rasa. Of the five types of sakhis, only the nitya sakhis and prana sakhis, who are known as manjaris, have this bhava-ullasa-rati as their permanent emotions (sthayi-rati). It is no longer just a sancari-bhava. These manjaris nurture an abundance of sneha, tender affection, for Radhaji. It is seen that creepers are always endeavoring to embrace trees, but the leaves, flowers and buds (manjaris) of the creepers do not even slightly try to embrace the trees directly. When a creeper embraces a tree, the joy of those flowers, leaves, and manjaris automatically increases. In Sri Vrndavana Srimati Radhika stands supreme among all gopis. She is famous as the kalpa-lata (the creeper that fulfills every desire) of love for Sri Krsna. Some of Her sakhis have the nature of leaves, some are like flowers, and some like manjaris. That is why they are always eager for Srimati Radhika to meet with Krsna, and are carried away by the bliss of Their union. (Srila Narayana Maharaja's commentary on Venu-gita, verse 7) *Endnote 4: Sancari-bhavas - also known as vyabhicari; thirty-three internal emotions which emerge from the nectarean ocean of sthayibhava, cause it to swell, and then merge back into that ocean. These include emotions such as despondency, jubilation, fear, anxiety, and concealment of emotions. Sattvika-bhavas - that which causes perturbation to be aroused within the heart. They are of eight kinds: stambha, becoming stunned; sveda, perspiration; romanca, standing of the hairs on end; svara-bhanga, faltering of the voice; kampa, trembling; vaivarna, palor or change of color; asru, tears; pralaya, fainting or loss of consciousness. vyabacari-bhavas - also known as sancari bhavas. The vyabhicari-bhavas are thirty-three in number. Because they are specifically directed towards and offer special assistance to the sthayibhava, they are known as vyabhicari-bhavas. The word vyabhicari here has a special technical meaning. It can be broken down into three parts: vi (distinction or intensification), abhi (towards) and cari (going). In other words an emotion that moves distinctively in the direction of the sthayibhava and that serves to intensify it is called vyabhicari-bhava. The vyabhicari-bhavas are made known by one's speech, by the limbs such as the eyes and eyebrows, and by sattva, or in other words, by the anubhavas arising from sattva. All these vyabhicari-bhavas move towards the sthayibhava; therefore they are also called sancari-bhavas. The word sancarin means moving. The vyabhicari-bhavas are like waves which emerge from the nectarean ocean of the sthayibhava and cause it to swell. Then they merge back into the ocean and disappear. (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu)]

Murwillumbah, Australia: April 28, 2005 [Part 1] (The second class in the lecture series on Raya Ramananda Samvad) Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja ...You should know the definition of sva-bhakti, according to the understanding given by Srila Rupa Gosvami: anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandanah [“May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 1.4)] Sva means “Her own.” “Her own” means Srimati Radhika and Her own special moods of sneha, maan, pranaya, raga, anuraga, bhava, mahabhava, adiruddha, mohan, and then up to madan. Even Lord Krsna has no madan; He has only up to mahabhava – and not even adiruddha mahabhava. Only Lalita, Visakha and other gopis like them have these moods, although they do not have madan. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a combination of Sri Krsna and Sri Radha. Sva-bhakti is Radhika’s bhakti to Krsna, the love of Radhika for Sri Krsna. Kamatmika-bhakti (madhurya-rasa) has two divisions. One division is called ullasa-mayi-rati, and that is the mood of the manjari, a maidservant of Sri Radha. A jiva can never have the mood of Radhika. If Lalita and Visakha cannot have Her mood, and Sri Krsna cannot have Her mood, how can a jiva have it? By constitution, a jiva who has a relationship with Krsna in madhurya rasa has the eligibility only for this manjari-bhava. You should think that practically all those in this audience, those of you who are hearing of manjari-bhava, have that bhava in your constitution. You should think that those who are attracted to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are very fortunate. Those who have come to His line have done so because of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Rupa Gosvami is internally Rupa Manjari. How many are you? In number, you are practically nothing. In this entire creation, all of you together are not even one drop. One drop has so many particles, and those particles can be divided into still more particles. So your number is almost nothing. Don’t doubt this. You are very fortunate that you are attracted to this line. Otherwise, you could have gone to Ramanuja, Madhavacarya, Visnusvami or Nimbarka. In India there are also thousands of apa-sampradayas (groups outside the four authorized disciplic successions), and you could have gone there as well. Only Caitanya Mahaprabhu could have brought this understanding to the world. Before Him there was no bhakti-rasa (raganuga-bhakti and rupanuga-bhakti). Bhakti was there, but it was vaidhi-bhakti, not bhakti-rasa. Mahaprabhu especially ordered Sri Svarupa Damodara and Sri Raya Ramananda to sprinkle their mercy upon Srila Rupa Gosvami, so that he could be qualified to realize the Lord’s mood and establish it in the world – and Rupa Gosvami did establish it. The stayi-bhava (permanent transcendental emotion or relationship) discussed herein is of the manjaris, and it is called bhava-ullasa-rati. It is not directly in relation to Sri Krsna. The manjaris have more inclination towards Srimati Radhika. radhika-dasi yadi haya abhimana sigrai milai taba gokula-kana [“If you develop pride in being Srimati Radhika's exclusive maidservant, then you will very quickly meet Gokula Kana (Sri Krsna).” (Sri Radha-Bhajana Mahima, Glorification of Worship to Sri Radha by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, verse 5)] If Srimati Radhika is unhappy, in a mood of lamenting and crying, Sri Rupa Manjari will also be crying. At that time Lalita and Visakha can console Radhika, but Rupa Manjari cannot. The same moods relished by Srimati Radhika will manifest in the heart of Rupa Manjari. Seeing her master, she will weep like her master, so how can she console Her? Rupa Manjari, Rati Manjari and Lavanga Manjari cannot console Her. Their moods are very exalted.

Yestrerday on "The concept of "Back to Godhead" thread there was a personal attack by Swaupa or Sarva gatah on "Gaudiya Math gurus". Then on this thread Beggar wrote: Evidently Muralimohan Prabhu appreciated what Beggar wrote and I do also find his analysis very interesting even if it isn't perfect. It's clear that the opposition doesn't read other's posts very carefully, but now I'm wondering if hardly anyone is reading and able to take in new information. New thoughts and information are coming, but we just seem to be going around in circles here.

First you should come from the stage of kanistha-adhikari to the stage of madhyama-adhikari. Then, in madhyama-adhikari, you will be able to do this. You will be able to recognize who is a pure Vaisnava and who is not a Vaisnava. If you cannot realize this it means you are still a kanistha. If you are in the stage of kanistha-adhikari there is nothing to tell you. Gradually, by sadhu-sanga, you will know all these things. A kanistha-adhikari is ignorant, and some ignorance can be tolerated. However, a madhyama-adhikari should be very careful. He should know the proper etiquette in serving and glorifying Vaisnavas. If someone has not taken diksa, who is not initiated and is not a pure Vaisnava but time to time chants Hare Krsna or Krsna-Radhe, a madhyama-adhikari should honor him by mind but not by body and offering pranama. If one is kanistha he should be asat-sanga tyagi. He should not mix with mayavadis, sense enjoyers, lusty persons or the opposite sex. If he is chanting the holy name, whether he is initiated or not, properly honor him by your mind. You can think, "He is svajatiya (like-minded). He is like our brother, but ignorant." When diksa initiation has been given and the devotee has a relationship with Krsna, and makes his offerings to Krsna with that relationship and chants and remembers Krsna in that special relationship, then you should honor him by your words, body and mind. He is chanting nama-abhasa, and after some time his chanting will change to pure nama. Do not give respect to anyone and everyone, just because they wear tulsi-mala and big tilaka. If someone puts tilaka and big japa-mala one a donkey, will you do pranama to that donkey? No. Similarly, someone may be like an animal internally, but externally puts on long tilaka and carries four-kilo chanting beads. That does not make him a pure Vaisnava. Try to realize this. Don't give respect or offer pranamas to such a person – even if he is chanting. Then, "bhajantam isam." If a devotee is always chanting the holy name with relation, you should honor him by susrusaya (practical service). tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah ["Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth." (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)] You should do visvrambhena seva to that bona fide guru. He never criticizes anyone good or bad. He is always sinking in the ocean of services to Radha-Krsna. Bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya. He is always sinking in the ocean of love and affection for Krsna. By seeing such devotees, Krsna's name comes to you: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna. In this way, those who are sometimes chanting are kanistha Vaisnavas; those who are remembering continuously are madhyama-adhikari; and those who by seeing krsna-nama is inspired in our heart, they are uttama-adhikari. Giving up everything, and putting your whole heart at the lotus feet of the uttama-adhikaris and serving them, you can quickly attain bhakti. Suppose you are chanting the holy name, hearing hari-katha, remembering Krsna and doing arcana, but you have no taste for those devotional activities. If this is the case, you may be very weak. Don't follow your uncontrolled mind; follow your Guru's words. Even if you have no taste, continue to chant regularly. This is the medicine and the diet for that disease of lack of devotion. Suppose you are doing these activities for some time but have no taste in hearing, but you attend the Vaisnavas' classes and sit in the front line to hear. You may become sleepy, so take some water to keep yourself awake. In India we have a plant which, if you touch its leaves, you will itch everywhere. Also, put some chilli powder near your eyes and then you will weep. Doing so and continuously hearing, gradually a taste will come as you continuously chant whether your mind wants to or not. There was a pure Vaisnava named Narahari prabhu, a prominent disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and I saw that he used to chant throughout the day and night. He used to chant while doing service or going anywhere. He slept very little during the night and while chanting at that time he used to tie his sikha to a high object by a rope and he remained standing. Be sincere and try to follow this principle. Then, if you have no taste, taste will come. Then: tan-nama-rupa-caritadi-sukirtananu- smrtyoh kramena rasana-manasi niyojya tisthan vraje tad-anuragi jananugami kalam nayed akhilam ity upadesa-saram ["The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one's full time-twenty-four hours a day-in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord's divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one's tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vrndavana dhama] and serve Krsna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord's beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service." (Upadesamrta, verse 8)] Now come with me to Vrndavana, to Seva-Kunja, where Sri Krsna is very busy pacifying Radhika, placing His flute at Her lotus feet. Srila Rupa Gosvami is there, and at the same time he is giving instructions to us. He is telling us the essence of all instructions in one sloka, as one would place the entire ocean in a pitcher. Tan nama. The name of Krsna is very powerful, but between the name Krsna and name Damodara, which is superior? All names are okay, but Damodara is somewhat more powerful. While chanting the name Damodara, you should remember His pastimes. Remember how Mother Yasoda bound Him with ropes even though He is the Supreme Lord. There is no one more powerful than He, but He forgets that "I am the Supreme Lord and I have so much power. Sad-aisvarya – I am full with six opulences." Seeing Mother Yasoda He wept, and at last He was tied to the mortar. Remember this. he krsna! karuna-sindho! dina-bando! jagat-pate! gopesa! gopika-kanta! radha-kanta! namo’stu te Gopi-kanta means most beloved of all the gopis. You should chant this name and remember His sweet pastimes with the gopis as He played His flute. The essence of all the Vedas and Upanisads is klim; by that essence Krsna was calling the gopis, and each gopi thought, "Krsna is only calling me." Some of the gopis had been cooking, but they left that. Some of them had been boiling rice, and they left it boiling. Some of them had been making chapattis, and they left them on the fire with no concern if they burned or not. They didn't look behind. Those who were nourishing their husbands, distributing prasadam and serving their children left all left those activities. Some had been decorating themselves and had finished putting kajal on one eye, but they had no time to put it on the other. Some had been putting on ornaments, and upon hearing Krsna's flute they put their necklaces on their waists and other ornaments somewhere else. They forgot everything and ran to Krsna. When they arrived, however, Krsna told them, "Oh, I am very happy you came to see Me, because I am Parambrahma, the creator of the entire world. Now you have taken darsana, so now you should return to your homes." The gopis were silent. Looking down at the earth, they scratched it with their nails. Tears falling from their eyes they asked each other, "Why is He being so tricky? What is He telling us?" Krsna then said, "Even if your husband is ugly or blind, even if he is not earning money, you should try to serve him. Now the forest is full of wild beasts and the night is dark, so you should return home." Many gopis were present there, and they gave a variety of arguments to Krsna. One gopi said, “We cannot return yet. You should first return our hearts, which you have stolen. Our hearts are the biggest wealth of our lives. You should return them; and if you don’t, we cannot go. What will we do if you don't return our hearts? Without our hearts, how can we walk and what would we do once we reach home?" Krsna said, "Still, you will have to go and serve your husbands." The gopis said, "You are a very high class of guru, and if You are God Himself, then You have written in the Bhagavad-gita or somewhere else that, "First surrender and worship and serve your guru, then Me." So we are doing that exact thing You are our guru, because You are giving us so much knowledge by telling us, "You should serve your husbands." So if you do not give us a chance to serve You, then you have deviated from the principle of guru. We thus reject You as Guru and we will not follow You. "And one thing more. Our husbands are not our husbands. The meaning of 'pati' is as follows: pa indicates palana – to nourish and support; and ti indicates 'tra' – to deliver from miseries. Our husbands cannot do this. They themselves are greatly suffering, so they cannot help us. If we would be about to die, what could they do? You can do something, so You are really our husband and most beloved. If we have done something wrong, then You are to blame – because You have a very handsome, attractive and sweet appearance. Even demigods and their wives are attracted by You. Even Laksmi, the wife of Narayana, forgot her husband and came to You. If anything is wrong, it is that You are very beautiful and You have played on Your flute. Why did You play on Your flute and call us? Oh, You will have to accept us." In this way they defeated Krsna, and that Krsna is Gopi-kanta. Remember these kinds of pastimes and at the same time chant: hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare If you are chanting "Radha-Rasavihari", remember the sweet pastimes of rasa. If "Radha-kanta" then remember the sweet pastimes of Krsna as the beloved of Radha. Once, Krsna was going cow-herding with His millions upon millions of cow-herd friends. Baladeva prabhu with his plow was in the front, Krsna was in the middle, and all the sakhas were surrounding them. His face was very beautiful and His footprints were beautifying the earth. The cowherd boys were glorifying Krsna by the words "Sadhu Sadhu!" Then Krsna saw a very attractive young lady and thought "I am very beautiful, but this girl is more beautiful. I am sweet, but She is more sweet. I have all kinds of good qualities, but She is more qualified. When I see Her, My eyes and heart feel successful. Who is She?" She was Radhika, and when She looked towards Krsna His flute fell from His hand and His peacock feather slid down from His head. He became faint and was about to fall down; but in the meantime Madhu-mangala told Him, "What are You doing? Don't You see that Your mother and father are here?” Remember these sweet pastimes and chant "Rasavihari, Radha-ramana ki jaya!" narada muni bajaya vina ‘radhika-ramana’ name nama amani, udita hoya, bhakata-gita same ["The supremely rasika Narada Muni plays his vina, singing the names of Sri Radhika-Ramana. Hearing this kirtana, nami (the possessors of the holy names) Sri Radhika-Ramana themselves immediately descend, dancing and tasting the bhava of Their devotees." (Narada Muni)] The holy name is the essence of nectar. Narada Muni was chanting the name, and playing on his vina and dancing. So chant Hare Krsna with your tongue and at the same time remember Their sweet pastimes. Engage your tongue and mind under the guidance of a pure rasika (one who knows and tastes all the rasas), tattvajna (one who knows and realizes all established philosophical truths) Vaisnava in Vrndavana. If for any reason you cannot be in Vrndavana, try to be there by mind, thinking, "I am in Vrndavana. Yamuna is flowing very sweetly. Both banks of Yamuna are full with fragrant flowers like beli, jui, chameli, kadamba and so on. Bumble bees are buzzing, coo-coo birds are very sweetly singing, 'Radhe, Radhe!' and peacocks are dancing." Thinking this, chant: hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare If you follow all these instructions which are the essence of all nectar, you will very soon attain suddha-sattva (bhava-bhakti) and thus prema will come. Go on chanting and never be weak. If thousands upon millions of problems come, still, don't deviate.

The Second Stage Of Bhakti (A lecture based on Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Sri Bhajana Rahasya) Birmingham, England – June 15, 2003 [Part 3] Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja We have finished discussing the first yama (stage) of bhajana – sraddha – what it is and how to achieve it. Try to achieve transcendental sraddha, the essence of that first yama. Corresponding to the first yama of bhajana, the first sweet pastimes of Krsna are those of nisanta-lila, the last part of the night. Radha and Krsna are sleeping and Vrnda-devi fears, "Now it is is going to be dawn." She thus orders all the birds, like suka, sari and others, to sweetly sing the glories of Krsna so that He and Radha will wake up and return to Their homes. This is the first yama pastime of Krsna, and the first yama pastime of sadhana- bhajana is sraddha. If there is no sraddha, there is no bhajana. Nowadays I see that devotees have so many problems, and because of these problems, they cannot chant regularly. Sometimes they are restless and upset, and thus they give up worshipping Thakurji (the deity), chanting, remembering and reading books. I have come to remind you to not be like that; do not be weak. Your suffering will increase by whatever you are doing to decrease it. So don't be upset, but rather try to chant more and read more. When reading the books of Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, you should think, "He is instructing me." If reading a book of Srila Rupa Gosvami, think that Rupa Gosvami is speaking to you; and if reading Srimad-Bhagavatam, think that Srila Sukadeva Gosvami and Srila Vyasadeva are speaking to you. And always pray to Krsna and Gurudeva to sprinkle their mercy upon you. Then: dvitiya-yama sadhana – practicing the limbs of bhakti in the association of pure sadhus and gradually coming to anartha-nivrtti. Only sadhu-sanga can remove all your offenses and unwanted things. No one else can remove them. Always give importance to your chanting – more than to making money – then all your problems will be solved. Have very strong belief that the holy name is Krsna and Radha Themselves, and to give us this strong belief Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura quotes the verse: namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah ["O Bhagavan! Your holy name bestows all auspiciousness upon the living entities. Therefore, for the benefit of the jivas, You eternally manifest Your innumerable names, such as Rama, Narayana, Krsna, Mukunda, Madhava, Govinda, and Damodara. You have invested those names with all the potencies of their respective forms. Out of causeless mercy, You have not even imposed any restrictions on the chanting and remembrance of such names. Nonetheless, I am so unfortunate due to committing offenses that I have no attachment for Your holy name, which is so easily accessible and bestows all good fortune." (Sri Siksastakam verse 2)] What is sadhu-sanga? Sat is Krsna, satcidananda-ghana (form of condensed eternity, bliss and knowledge). He is the only sat, and only those who are serving sat are sadhus. Especially, those who are following the gopis and Srimati Radhika are the most qualified sadhus. Krsna has placed all His power, mercy, beauty, and so on in His names. The 16 names in the Hare Krsna mantra are very powerful, even more so than Krsna. The names are not simple names; they are sabda-brahma (the Absolute Truth in the form of sound, or the transcendental sound of the complete body of Vedic knowledge), Krsna Himself. He has made no rules and regulations, such as, "You cannot chant in the morning", or "You can chant only after bathing", or "You can only chant at midnight", or "You cannot chant while walking." There are no rules and regulations. On one hand we have so much causeless mercy from Krsna, and on the other hand we have no respect and no belief that Krsna's name can give us money. We depend on our job and money-making activities, and not on Krsna's name. We can see our ideals in our guru-parampara. What was Srila Haridasa Thakura doing for maintenance? What were Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja and I doing? Nothing, and yet we are maintained better than all of you. I am not maintaining my life; you are – by the inspiration of Krsna. Have strong belief in this. There are six limbs of saranagati, surrender to Krsna: anukulyasya sankalpa pratikulyasya varjanam raksisyatiti visvaso goptrtve varanam tatha atma-niksepa-karpanye sad-vidha saranagatih ["There are six symptoms of self-surrender (saranagati). The first two are anukulyasya sankalpa and pratikulyasya varjanam: 'I will only do that which is favorable for unalloyed bhakti, and I will reject all that is unfavorable.' This is called sankalpa or pratijna, a solemn vow. The third symptom is raksisyatiti visvaso, faith in Bhagavan as one's protector: 'Bhagavan is my only protector. I can derive absolutely no benefit from jnana, yoga, and other such practices.' This is an expression of trust (visvasa). The fourth symptom is goptrtve varanam, deliberate acceptance of Bhagavan as one's maintainer: 'I cannot obtain anything, or even maintain myself, by my own endeavor. I will serve Bhagavan as far as I am able, and He will take care of me.' This is what is meant by dependence (nirbhara). The fifth symptom is atma-niksepa, surrender: 'Who am I? I am His. My duty is to fulfill His desire.' This is submission of the self (atma-nivedana). The sixth symptom is karpanye, meekness: 'I am wretched, insignificant, and materially destitute.' This is what is meant by humility (karpanya or dainya)." (Bhakti-sandarbha-A-236)] Very strongly accept what is favorable for bhakti and strongly reject what is unfavorable. Krsna has created all these worlds and He is powerful enough to save anyone and to do anything. If you have taken His shelter and are surrendered, then give up everything "on the head of Krsna" and don't be worried. If Krsna can create millions of universes and He is supporting even a fish in the sea and a bird in the midst of mountains where there is no one to maintain them, why won't He support you? Be like Prahlada Maharaja. Have belief that Krsna will support you, and you will see that He is true to the words He has spoken in the Bhagavad-gita: "For those who are ananya-bhaktas, those who don't know anyone other than Me, I take the responsibility for all the paraphernalia of their lives on My head and shoulders. I carry that paraphernalia Myself, and I support and nourish those devotees." Krsna will surely keep His promise, but we have no strong faith in this and that is why we suffer. You will suffer if you are not surrendered. Don't be upset. Be like Haridasa Thakura who was beaten in so many marketplaces and at the same time was always chanting, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna" and feeling no pain. Sri Prahlada Maharaja was given poison and thrown in a fire, but nothing happened to him. This is sraddha. Srila Haridasa Thakura said, "Even if you cut me in pieces, I cannot give up chanting the holy name." Be like this and you will see that Krsna is always with you. maya-mugdhasya jivasya jneyo anarthas catur-vidhah hrd-daurbalyam caparadho asat-trsna tattva-vibhramah ["The anarthas of the living entities enchanted by maya are of four kinds: 1) illusion about one's real identity (svarupa-bhrama), 2) hankering for that which is temporary (asat-trsna), 3) offences (aparadha) and 4) weakness of heart (hrdaya-daurbalya). They bind the living entity to the material world and entangle him in its miseries. (Sri Bhajana-rahasya 2.7)] All conditioned souls are full of anarthas, and the first is svarupa-bhrama. We have deviated from our transcendental constitutional form and have forgotten Krsna. Therefore so many worldly desires come, and while fulfilling all these desires our heart becomes weak and then aparadhas come and we are thus bound up. At that time we want to go very far away from Krsna and guru. [srila Narayana Maharaja then called on various devotees who spoke at length about the four types of anarthas. For the sake of brevity we are substituting their speeches with the description given in Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura:] "Anarthas are of four kinds: (1) svarupa-bhrama (illusion about spiritual identity), (2) asat-trsna (thirst for that which is unreal; that is, material enjoyment), (3) aparadha (offences) and (4) hrdaya-daurbalya (weakness of heart). "Svarupa-bhrama is of four kinds: (1) sva-tattva- or jiva-svarupa-bhrama (illusion about one's spiritual identity), (2) para-tattva-bhrama (illusion about the spiritual identity of the supreme absolute truth), (3) sadhya-sadhana-tattva-bhrama (illusion about sadhana-bhakti, the means of spiritual perfection, and sadhya, the object to be obtained by such sadhana, or in other words prema-bhakti) and (4) maya-tattva-bhrama (illusion about the Lord's external energy, maya). "Asat-trsna is of four types: (1) varieties of desires for material enjoyment in this world, (2) desires for enjoyment in the higher planetary systems of Svargaloka, (3) desires for the attainment of the eight mystic siddhis and the nine divine jewels of Kuvera (padma, mahapadma, sankha, makara, kacchapa, mukunda, kunda, nila and kharva) and (4) the desire for mukti. "Aparadha is of four kinds: (1) offences towards Sri Krsna, (2) offences towards krsna-nama, (3) offences towards krsna-svarupa (the deity form of the Lord) and (4) offences towards the tadiya-cit-kana-jivas (living entities who are infinitesimal particles of spirit belonging to the Lord). "Hrdaya-daurbalya is of four kinds: (1) tuccha-asakti (attachment for useless things), (2) kuti-nati (deceitful behavior; the word kuti-nati may be broken down into the constituent parts ku, bad or evil, and na or nati, that which is forbidden. In that case it would mean doing wicked deeds or doing that which is forbidden), (3) matsarya (envy) and (4) sva-pratistha-lalasa (desire for one's own fame and prestige)." [srila Narayana Maharaja:] If you have the four kinds of anarthas, you cannot chant pure harinama or even nama-abhasa. After some time you will be so weak that you will give up chanting and remembering Krsna and your Guru, and you will throw your deities in the ocean. Now you are worshiping so many deities, but at that time you will worship none. Try to be careful of nama-aparadha, seva-aparadha and tadiya-aparadha (tadiya means those personas and places associated with Krsna like Ganga, Yamuna, dhama and all the Vaisnavas). If you don't criticize any Vaisnava, very soon you will be able to achieve the pure holy name. We should try to understand the Upedasamrta especially the first eight verses. These are very important. vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat ["A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world." (Upadesamrta, verse 1)] atyaharah prayasas ca prajalpo niyamagrahah jana-sangas ca laulyam ca sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati ["One's devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) overendeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) Practicing 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 scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Krsna consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements." (Upadesamrta verse 2) utsaha niscayat dharyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat sadhu-sange sato vrtteh sadbhir bhaktir prasidhyati ["There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam [sB 7.5.23]-hearing, chanting and remembering Krsna], (5) abandoning the association of non-devotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service." (Upadesamrta, verse 3) This verse is very important. You should come in that process which is favorable for bhakti. Utsaha means enthusiasm. Do not be lazy in chanting, remembering, and all the other limbs of bhakti. Be very enthusiastic, more so than in your worldly jobs or duties. You should have strong faith in Krsna's words and in the words of scriptures and your Gurudeva. If any problems come, keep your feet on the head of all the problems; never be weak. Try to give up all kinds of sense gratification and reject all things not favorable for bhakti. Avoid the association of non-devotees and the association of stri-sangi (the opposite sex) and those absorbed in association with the opposite sex. Also avoid the association of mayavadis, sahaijayas and others like them. Be very careful to avoid them. Sato vrtte – our guru-varga (disciplic succession) has made some rules and regulations regarding those in the renounced order. A sannyasi should not do any business, for it will spoil his bhajana. Don't make an incense factory or anything of that sort. A grhastha can do that, not with full energy but only to maintain his life, or else it will ruin his bhajana as well. We should remember that there are two things, maintenance of life and practice of bhakti, and both are needed. If you cannot maintain your life you will die, and then who will practice bhakti-yoga? Maintain, but do not be attached. Have a strong belief in Krsna. Sannyasis like Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami sometimes went to householders and begged simple prasada like chapattis, and this kind of begging is called madhukari. Regarding householder devotees, Srivasa Thakura, Pundarika Vidyanidhi and others like them led very simple lives. The first line of this verse, utsaha niscayat dharyat, explains how to practice bhakti yoga, and the second line, tat-tat-karma-pravartanat tells how to maintain our life. The maintenance of our life should be pure. We should not make money by drug selling and other similar occupations. dadati pratigrhnati guhyam akhyati prcchati bhunkte bhojayate caiva sad-vidham priti-laksanam ["Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasadam and offering prasadam are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another." (Upadesamrta, verse 4) drstaih svabhava-janitair vapusas ca dosair na prakrtatvam iha bhakta janasya pasyet gangambhasam na khalu budbuda-phena-pankair brahma-dravatvam apagacchati nira-dharmaih ["Being situated in his original Krsna conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee's having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water." (Upadesamrta, verse 6)] Try to give up your dehatma-buddhi. Don't think "This body is myself," and don't think that the body of a pure Vaisnava is mortal. He many be black, he may have crooked teeth and sometimes he may appear to speak harshly, but don't be cheated by those symptoms. Sometimes he may chastise you, but that is for your welfare. He may look ugly, but his soul is very beautiful, so don't criticize or offend him. All rivers, ponds, etc. have some mud and foam. The Ganges does too, but her water is never contaminated, even today. All rivers are contaminated, but this water is so pure that if you keep it in a bottle for months at a time it will not get polluted by worms or germs. Ganges is the caranamrta (water that bathed the feet) of Vamanadeva, and she is also the most beloved Ganges who is serving Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana. Once, Ganga-sakhi was meeting with Krsna, and in the meantime Sri Radha came. Both Krsna and the Ganga-sakhi became upset and thought, "What to do? Radha has come." So Ganga-sakhi became a river and Krsna became salagrama-sila (worshipable stone) and thus Sri Radha did not become sulky (in transcendental loving jealous anger). The Ganges is that sakhi, the beloved of Krsna. She will never be contaminated though there appears to be so much foam, clay and mud. Similarly, a pure Vaisnava may look ugly to you, but his soul is very beautiful. If he speaks harshly, no harm; because he is actually very compassionate. We have experience of this with Pujyapada Trivikrama Maharaja. Once his father and mother came to visit him, and at that time he spoke many harsh words to his father. I became upset and later asked him. "Why were you speaking like that to your father? You are indebted to your mother and father." He said, "I know; but I spoke like that because I do not want them to be attached to me, so that they would not make any problem for my living in the matha. That is why I outwardly spoke like that." Srila Trivikrama Maharaja used to chastise the brahmacaris if they had done wrong; so everyone used to fear him. In his last days, however, he manifested a very humble nature and was like a small child. So don't criticize, otherwise you will lose your bhakti. krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta diksasti cet pranatibhis ca bhajantam isam susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya- nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya ["One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Krsna, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation [diksa] and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others." (Upadesamrta, verse 5) It is stated here that there are four kinds of Vaisnavas, and we should respect them properly according to their stage.

Hilo, Hawaii: January 13, 2003 Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja http://www.purebhakti.com/lectures/lecture20030113a.shtml diksa-purascarya-vidhi apeksa na kare jihva-sparse a-candala sabare uddhare ["One does not have to undergo initiation or execute the activities required before initiation. One simply has to vibrate the holy name with his lips. Thus, even a man in the lowest class [candala] can be delivered."] The holy name is sufficient. The holy name is very powerful and can fulfill all desires. The name will even give vraja-prema. What, then, is the need of taking initiation? The paper has quoted my statement, along with the statement of Prapujya-carana Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja; so I want to reconcile all statements. It is true that diksa-purascarya (initiation and the purificatory activities performed before initiation) is not needed in all circumstances; but we should know something about the actual meaning of this verse. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada has written a book of rules and regulations in deity worship called Arcana Dipika, and there he has explained that harinama is bhagavata-svarupa, the actual form of Krsna and Radha, and for this reason it is stated in Sri Siksastakam, "Param vijayate sri krsna-sankirtana." By chanting and remembering Krsna's names, all kinds of perfection — like vraja-prema and even radha-dasya (becoming a maid servant of Srimati Radhika) — can be attained. In the first stage, however, when a devotee is uttering the holy name he is full with many aparadhas, and also anarthas such as laya (sleep), viksepa (distraction), apratipatti (indifference or disinterest in spiritual topics), and so on. It is guaranteed that such a person cannot utter the pure name. Rather, his chanting will be nama-aparadha. Chanting the pure name is only possible after the diksa-samskara.