Shakti-Fan

Krsna Talk: A Particle of Dust Questions and Answers with Swami B. G. Narasingha Question: What should be the highest aspiration of a Gaudiya Vaishnava? Should one aspire after the position of a manjari who can enter the groves of Vrindavana to serve Radha and Krsna? What should be our aspiration? Answer: We are to conceive of the plane of divine lila or pastimes of the Supreme Lord as infinitely greater than we are. In that subjective plane of reality all things animate and inanimate are superior to us. We are units of finite consciousness, yet we falsely think that we can demand a position in the highest plane of divinity. It is ludicrous. It is heresy to think such. We want so many things of the higher plane, but we are not fit for that service. We are not ready to pay the price of the highest service, but we think that we are somehow or other qualified for that. We have heard that some position is there in the manjari section which is most desirable, but we think that leaving all else aside we can simply jump to that position or march through that world as a soldier and conquer our objective. But it is not like that. First we must qualify: "first deserve, then desire." We want not the position of the master but of the most negligible. First we must aspire for the most negligible position in the subjective plane of divinity, not for the highest position. What is that most negligible position? It is this: ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram patitam mam visame bhavambudhau krpaya tava pada-pankaja sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya "O son of Nanda Maharaja, I am your eternal servant, yet because of my own karma, I have fallen into this terrible ocean of birth and death. Please accept this fallen soul and consider me a particle of dust at your holy lotus feet." The most negligible position one can hold in the relativity of the Absolute Truth is that of a particle of dust in the infinite world of lila. Such is to be the highest aspiration of any Gaudiya Vaishnava in this world. We are not to aspire in the beginning for the service of others ó we must first aspire to be accepted into that domain by the Lord and His personal associates. If we say that we want the highest, it is paramount to sense gratification. "We want" means sense gratification. "I want this, I want that", it is sense gratification. It is not for His pleasure, this "I want, I want" mentality. It is better, for His (Krsnaís) pleasure, to prepare oneís self in this life to become a particle of dust or a blade of grass in that higher plane of infinite lila. That is more desirable and such a noble desire will not go unnoticed by the residents of that plane. asam aho carana-renu-jusam aham syam vrndavane kim ape gulma-latausadhinam ya dustyajam svajanam arya-patham ca hitva bhejur mukunda-padavim srutibhit vimrgyam "The gopis of Vrindavana gave up their husbands, children, and families who are very difficult to renounce, and sacrificed even their religious principles to take shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, which are sought after even by the Vedas themselves. O! Grant me the fortune to take birth as a blade of grass in Vrndavana, so that I may take the dust of the lotus feet of those great souls upon my head." (Bhag. 10.47.61) To become a blade of grass in the plane of the infinite is no small achievement, what to speak of seeing or associating with Krsna directly. It is no small thing. Such is shown to us by Uddhava, the intimate friend of Krsna. And taking it one step further, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has shown us that the position held by a particle of dust at the lotus feet of Krsna is the most desirable. To achieve the most negligible position in the infinite will require the highest qualifications possible in this present plane. The highest qualifications attainable here for the sadhaka (devotee) may earn him the most negligible position in the higher subjective world of lila. It is not a cheap thing. We must become a slave to His (Krsnaís) will. Then it may be possible that we are taken there by the higher agents of that plane. Otherwise, it is heresy to think that I will get that higher position by my own endeavor. Our siksa-guru, Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja used to call such a mentality, ëwild goose chasing.í In reality any aspiration that has no basis in the concept of divine slavery has no practical application in the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Smarana, meditation on lila, and so many other things of the sahajiya school are not the qualifications to be admitted there. Only surrender is necessary, the surrender of a slave. When the necessity arises in the divine lilas, then the qualified slave of divinity is admitted to that arena and no others. Without surrender, without the slaveís mentality, we are not qualified for the higher service. So that should be the aspiration of one who understands the nature of the transcendental world ó let me become the slave of the Lord. aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam adarsanam marma-hatam karotu va yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah "Krishna may embrace me in love or trample me under His feet. He may break my heart by hiding Himself from me. Let that debauchee do whatever he likes, but He will always be the only Lord of my life." This is the slave mentality "I am His slave ó His slave in divine love. He is free to do anything and everything as He wishes, I am His slave." But we are not ready to accept that position and that is why we are not qualified for participation in the highest lilas of the Lord. There are many devotees and even sannyasis and babajis who go on with manjari-seva meditations and other things of that section, when not even the slightest trace of the real qualifications are found in them. Such persons become mundane women in their next life. They are never promoted to the plane of divinity through the process of imitation. Srila Gaura Kishora dasa Babaji, the guru of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, used to say, "Simply by entering the maternity room and imitating the sounds of labor one will not give birth to a child. Many events are necessary before that." The plane of infinite lila is so charming that even the particle of dust there is worshipable for us. How then shall we approach that plane? Pujala raga-patha gaurava-bange ó the plane of the highest raga (lila) must always be kept above our heads. With the plane of higher lila above our heads we shall march on, tad dasa-dasa-dasanam dasatvam dehi me prabhu. I am the servant of the servant, of the servant of the Lordís servant. I want such a position and nothing else. That should be our approach. This sloka "pujala raga-patha gaurava-bange" was composed by Srila Saraswati Thakura, the guru of our Guru Maharaja Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and it was his desire that this position be preached, not temporarily, but for all time, in all places, in all circumstances, and in very nook and corner of the universe. That was the mission of Srila Saraswati Thakura. He came to fight with all misconceptions about the Absolute Truthóhe came to establish the path of divine love, divine slavery. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura could not tolerate it when the higher subject matter was dealt with inappropriately. And what did he consider ëinappropriateí? That the topic of lila was taken to the public eye ó this should not be done. Why? Saraswati Thakura considered such as aparadha, an offense against the Lord of love. Invasion of privacy; to take the higher topic of lila to the public is an offense. In the time of Saraswati Thakura such was never the indulgence of any member of the Gaudiya Matha, nor did any of his bona fide disciples venture in that way after his disappearance. We have heard many narrations from our Guardians (gurus) that exemplify how much regard Saraswati Thakura had for the higher plane of divinity and how ever so carefully he dealt with that plane. From Srila Sridhar Maharaja we once heard that Saraswati Thakura did not allow his disciples to read (study and discuss) such higher books as Govinda-lilamrtam, Stava-kusumanjali, Ujjvala-nilamani, and even certain portions of Caitanya-caritamrta wherein the lila of Radha Krsna is discussed. Whenever Saraswati Thakura heard that someone was reading those books, he took it that an offense is being committed by interfering in the higher lilas. So if such a measure of caution is given by one who on one hand was the most dynamic and progressive preacher of Krsna consciousness in the 20th century, and on the other hand so cautious in dealing with the higher lilas, then how much caution should we, the fallen souls, exercise when approaching such matters? It is only logical that we should follow his example and exercise extreme caution. The most profound example of the mood in which Saraswati Thakura approached divinity was related to us by Srila B.P. Puri Goswami Maharaja as follows: "At the close, before his entrance into his eternal pastimes, in the morning he requested Srimad Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja to sing ëSri Rupa Manjari-padaí of Sri Narottama dasa Thakura, and Naveen Krsna Prabhu to sing Srila Bhaktivinode Thakuraís ëTuha daya sagara tarayite prani.í This was the commentary on Siksastaka. After giving this instruction to sing, Sri Srila Prabhupada began to repeat his famous counsel: ëImplicit obedience to the precepts laid down by Srila Rupa Goswami through the medium of the spiritual master is the wealth of our devotions.í In this instruction, he outlined the true method of our devotional practices as well as the real disciplic succession. Furthermore, in hearing the song of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura (tuya daya echana parama adara), Sri Srila Prabhupada clasped his hands to his forehead and profuse tears of humility rolled down his cheeks. These personal gestures reminded us of our lamentable plight in not having any attraction for the holy name." If you want the highest position, then take this example. Keep the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Goswami (Sri Rupa Manjari) on your head as your supreme wealth and cultivate with every atom of your existence great humility and attachment for the holy name of Krsna. This is the highest aspiration of a Gaudiya Vaishnava. <!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/KrsnaTalkArticleFooter.lbi" -->

Alachua, Florida : May 28, 2001 (Excerpt) Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja ...Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja preached this [Gaura vani, Rupanuga], but in the beginning he had to cut so many jungles of mayavada, nirvesesa, and sahajiya philosophies. He saw that in order to make the land of the world fertile, it would take a long time. He therefore put all these truths in his transcendental literatures. He thought that if any of his disciples would be qualified to go deep into those truths, all this vani would be taught there. He wanted to preach it also, but it was rare to find a student who could go so deep. Most of his students could not follow him, and that is why so many fell down even from sannyasa... ...Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is described in his pranama mantra to be gaura-vani murti. [Namaste gaura-vani sri murtaye dina-tarine.] Murti means embodiment. He is the embodiment of gaura-vani, and Srila Swami Maharaja, your Prabhupada, is in the same line. He is not different from Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. The term 'Prabhupadanuga' is a wrong idea. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura are both followers of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and therefore they are rupanuga. Following them, we are all rupanuga.

"Why not the other way round? eh..?" Because Sri Sri Radha Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is their ista deva. Is your ista deva Siva Ji?

Srila Narayana Maharaja has always organized the devotees under him as brahmacharies, sannyasis, vanaprasthas and grhastas. At the time of diksa he has always given the sacred thread to males. These things are all daiva-varnasrama dharma as established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and are followed by all of those claiming to represent him. The babaji class all opposed these revolutionary changes and aligned themselves with the smartas to fight against and try to suppress Srila Saraswati Thakur's reforms and preaching mission. It was also Srila Saraswati Thakur who began to refer to his disciples as prabhu and began referring to them in letters as Sriman and Sripad depending on their age. These things are all historical facts and well known. You are trying to play the NM card to justify your attacks against both Srila Prabhupadas. Divide and conquer. But the devotees on this forum especially the so-called DVD proponents may not be so aware of all these issues and the history but they naturally see through as to your real intention.

Tridandisvami Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja THE "MARRIAGE" OF RADHA AND KRSNA Varsana: <st1:date year="2002" day="9" month="11">November 9, 2002</st1:date> <o:p> </o:p> [This is a belated lecture from Kartika time ? to inspire devotees to come along this year. It was given during the Vraja Mandala Parikrama in Varsana. There,Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja responded to a common misconception among many Vrajavasis, that Radha and Krsna were actually married in a ceremony officiated by Lord Brahma. This misconception was presented by the panda (brahmana scholar and historian) who accompanied the parikrama party to the various pastime places in Varsana. The panda also referred to Srimati Radharani as Matesvari, which is a title meaning the Supreme Mother or Goddess. Srila Maharaja objected to this title, which is accurate from a philosophical point of view, but inconsistent with the mood of serving Sri Sri Radha and Krsna in Their Vrndavana pastimes. ? ed.] <o:p> </o:p> All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga! Now we are in Varsana-dhama. I have told you about the gloriesof Varsana, and now I want to speak about radha-tattva. Srimati Radharani is the beloved of Krsna, but She is not an ordinary female with lusty desires as seen in relationships between a mundane boyfriend and girlfriend. She is the antaranga-sakti (internal potency) of Sri Krsna. We want to discuss what Raya Ramananda explained about radha-tattva, krsna-tattva, rasa-tattva, prema-tattva, and vilasa-tattva, and also what Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila chapter four stated regarding these important topics. Moreover, Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami have explained more about radha-tattva than you will find anywhere else, and you should try to learn all of their explanations thoroughly. <o:p> </o:p> We have many learned scholars here,and I am requesting that they each speak for not more than fifteen minutes to offer their puspanjali (offering of the flowers of one's heartfelt words of praise). I want everyone to have an opportunity to speak. We are here for only three more days. Tomorrow weare going to Kamyavana, and we may not return until after <st1:time minute="0" hour="17">5:00 pm</st1:time>, so there may be no class tomorrow evening. The following day we will go to Uccha-gaon, and on the third day we will go to various places around Nandagaon. It will not be until after we return from Nandagaon and Uccha-gaon that we will have time for classes, so I want to discuss radha-tattva, bhakti tattva, prema bhakti andso on here.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Tomorrow you will be going to Kamyavana, Charan Pahari, Vimala Kunda, Bhojansthali, Setabandu, Vrnda-devi, Radha-Govinda, Gopinatha, Madana Mohana, Panca-pandava, Draupadi Kunda, and many other places. Tirtha Maharaja, who knows all the pastimes of these places, and also our panda, will be there. If you go, the blessings of this dhama will come to you automatically. If you hear the narrations and explanations of the sweet pastimes of Radha-Krsna while on parikrama, you will be infused with all transcendental energy ? so you should try to go. I am also requesting that you give daksina (a donation) to our panda, and he will be satisfied with whatever you give. <o:p> </o:p> Some persons have false pride and false ego because they have taken birth in Vrndavana and think themselves to be Vrajavasis. However, if theydo not have the internal moods of Nanda Baba, Yasoda-maiya, and all of the eternal associates of Krsna, they are not Vrajavasis. Real Vrajavasis are those who have the mood of Vrajavasis like Nanda Baba, Yasoda-maiya, Krsna's sakhas, (boyhood friends) and especially the mood of the dasis (maidservants) of Sri Radha. <o:p> </o:p> I don't like to hear Srimati Radhika referred to as Matesvari Radha (Supreme Mother). This is very wrong. Most everyone in transcendental Vraja thinks of Vrsabhanu Maharaja as their brotherand Lali (term of affection forRadha, meaning daughter) is their beloved daughter. Others think of Radhika in friendship, and Krsna thinks of Her as His beloved. How can she ever become Matesvari, or mother? This conception is very wrong. I ask our panda to kindly excuse me. She may be Matesvari in one sense, but in Vraja there is no place for the word Matesvari; there is no such thing. There is no mood of opulence here in Varsana; the atmosphere is always very natural and sweet. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> So-called Vrajavasis will tell you that Radha was married to Krsna, but this is wrong. In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana it is written that Brahmaji came to Vrndavana and performed the marriage ceremony of Radha and Krsna, wherein Lalita and Visakha sang some marriage songs. But how does a real marriage take place? The mere presence of a purohit (priest) is not enough. Someone must formally give away the girl in charity, and this ceremonial ritual is called kanya-dana. <o:p> </o:p> Do we see the presence of VrsabhanuMaharaja and Krtida in Bhandiravana (the place where the "marriage" took place)? Also, Nanda Baba and Baladeva would have joined in the marriage procession along with the bridegroom. Was either of them present there? Were any Vrajavasis other than the young gopis in attendance? If not, how did this marriage ceremony take place? We may say that an exchange of garlands took place, and that is okay; this is known as a Gandharva marriage. But ifa real marriage had taken place, the bride would have gone to her husband's house. <o:p> </o:p> Did Radhaji ever go to Yasoda-maiya's house in Nandagaon as her daughter-in-law? If the answer would be "Yes", then what would separate Srimati Radharani's mood and lila from that of Rukmini and Satyabhama? No difference would exist. But Rukmini and Satyabhama are merely expansions of the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani. <o:p> </o:p> It is true that marriage arrangements were taking place. Plans were being madefor the marriage of Radha and Krsna, but Yogamaya Purnamasi-devi came and put ahalt to that marriage. She told the parents, "This marriage cannot take place. "Their astrological charts are not compatible; their naksatra (constellations) arenot well matched. One important sign is missing, and that makes it inauspicious for their marriage. No, no. This marriage must not take place. Abhimanyu, the son of Jatila, is from the richest family in Vraja. He is fully qualified, very capable and endowed with all good qualities. He should marry Her." <o:p> </o:p> In what way did this marriage of Radhika and Abhimanyu take place? It took place between chaya (shadow images) ? Krsna's shadow, Abhimanyu, married Radha's shadow. <o:p> </o:p> Suppose, for the sake of argument, we saythat Radhika was somehow married to Krsna. But then what about the other gopis? It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam: <o:p> </o:p> pati-sutanvaya-bhrata-bandhavan ativilanghya te ?nty acyutagatau gati-vidas tavodgita-mohitau kitava yonitau kas tyajen nisi <o:p> </o:p> ["Dear Acyuta, You know very well why we have come here. Who but a cheater like You would abandon young women who come to see Him in the middle of the night, enchanted by the loud song of His flute? Just to see You, we have completely rejected our husbands, children, ancestors, brothers and other relatives." (SB 10.31.17)]<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> In this statement of Srimad Bhagavatam, all the gopis are saying that they left their husbands. Srimad Bhagavatam is an authentic scripture; its statement cannot be false. This special relationship betweenKrsna and all of the gopis is described throughout the Srimad Bhagavatam: For example, Krsna tells the gopis when he returns after His disappearance from the Rasa Dance: <o:p> </o:p> na paraye ?ham niravadya-samyujam sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah samvrscya tad vah pratiyatuh sadhuna<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> ["I am not able to repay My debt for yourspotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahma. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation." (SB 10:32:22)] <o:p> </o:p> Durjara-geha-srnkhala. This means that the gopis left their husbands, and it is written in many other places in the Srimad Bhagavatam that Krsna's gopis left their husbands to meet with Him in the Rasa Dance. We never hear that Srimati Radharani or the gopis were married to Krsna; otherwise these statements of Srimad Bhagavatam would be false. <o:p> </o:p> For the sake of rasa, they had a natural inclination towards Krsna as their beloved, rather than as their husband. Rukmini does not have this same feeling; after her marriage to Krsna, Rukmini developed a mood of reverence. In comparison, how do the gopis behave? They are Krsna's hladini-sakti while in this world, as well as in the spiritual world and inall the worlds in which they may appear. Their relationship is unchanging. Krsna bows his head at Radhika's feet. He offers His flute, His stick, and all that He possesses unto Her feet. When Srimati Radhika puts the dust from Her feet on Krsna's head, the mahavar (red foot paint) leaves a mark on His forehead. What is written there in that mark? "Radha." And who wrote this on Her foot? Krsna. Krsna has the name "Radha" stamped on His forehead, and this pleases Him immensely. <o:p> </o:p> Rukmini and Satyabhama cannot do this, because after marriage one develops a feeling of reverence for the husband as one's master or lord. If Radhika had been married to Krsna, she would have developed this mood and behaved accordingly. Some people do not understand this point and therefore have an incorrect conception. Even our learned panda, an intelligent person, supports the idea that a marriage took place between Radha and Krsna. Such persons have no knowledge or realization of rasa-tattva, and that is why they speak like this. I have opposed such ideas, and I have written a book about this. Give this book to them; let them read it. They have not read the works of Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami, nor have they read Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. If one does not have the association of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's associates, one will have misconceptions such as the idea that Srimati Radhika is Matesvari. <o:p> </o:p> I am a servant of Radhaji's lotus feet: <o:p> </o:p> bhajami radham aravinda-netram smarami radham madhura-smitasyam vadami radham karuna-bharardram tato mamanyasti gatir na kapi <o:p> </o:p> ["I worship lotus-eyed Radha. I meditate on sweetly smiling Radha. I glorify supremely merciful Radha. She is the only goal of my life. I have no other goal." (Sri Sri Radhikastottara-sata-nama-stotra, text 131, by Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)] <o:p> </o:p> radha-bhajane jadi mati nahi bhela krsna-bhajana tava akarana <st1:city><st1:place>gela</st1:place></st1:city> atapa-rohita suraya nahi jani radha-virahita madhava nahi mani <o:p> </o:p> ["If your desire to serve Srimati Radharani does not come about, then your so-called worship of Krsna is completely useless.Just as I never know the sun to be without sunlight, so I do not care to regard Madhava without Radha." (Sri Radhastakam Song 8 - Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)] <o:p> </o:p> sri-rupa-manjari-karacita-pada-padma gosthendra-nandana-bhujarpita-mastakayah ha modatah kanaka-gauri padaravinda samvahanani sanakais tava kim karisye <o:p> </o:p> ["O You who are as fair as gold, will I happily and gently massage Your lotus feet as You rest Your head against the arm of the prince of Vraja, as Sri Rupa Manjari massages your hands? (Sri Vilapa Kusmanjali Text 72, by Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)] <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Radhe Radhe Radhe Jaya Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe! There is nothing else. When Krsna hears the chanting of Sri Radha's name, He goes immediately, as if automatically,to that place. When Krsna comesto Radhaji's kunja, Her dasis like Rupa Manjari, and also Her friends, may say, "Jahi Madhava, Jahi Madhava, Jahi Kesava!" ma bada kaitavabaadam" Go away Madhava, go away. Go away Kesava!" When Krsna comes, if Srimati Radharani is in maan She will not let that black person come into Her kunja. Her dasis like Rupa Manjari will scold Krsna by saying, "Go away immediately!" And then Krsna will beg them, "Please arrange for me to meet with Radhaji. O, let me meet My Svamini." This is the glory of Srimati Radhika. <o:p> </o:p> You are so fortunate to come to Vrndavanawith our parikrama party, in the association of rasika Vaisnavas. You are so fortunate. You will have to be ready tomorrow morning by <st1:time minute="30" hour="6">6:30 AM</st1:time>. If you are late, the buses will be gone and you will not be able to travel. <o:p> </o:p> Gaura Premanande! <o:p> </o:p>

Our own gurudeva [srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada] left un-published an essay he wrote on the Ramananda Samvad entitled, In Search For the Ultimate Goal of Life. His Divine Grace wrote this essay right after he took sannyasa (third initiation) in 1959. In the words of the publisher we read: "Because the talks between Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya had already been published by His Divine Grace in The Teachings of Lord Caitanya and his Caitanya-caritamrta purports, we hesitated to publish the manuscript, thinking that Srila Prabhupada had already published what he wanted to say on the subject. However, by the grace of Srila Prabhupada, I was inspired to read the manuscript again and again until finally I realized that my beloved gurudeva had expanded on some very confidential points in his original manuscript, which he did not fully reveal in either The Teachings of Lord Caitanya or the Caitanya-caritamrta purports. "The style of Srila Prabhupad's writing in the manuscript is revealing. [....] Taking his readers to the realm of divine love, Srila Prabhupada extensively and freely reveals madhurya-prema the amorous love affairs of Srimate Radharani and Her cowherd girlfriends with Sri Krsna, the absolute King of Love, in the groves of Vrndavana---as the topmost platform of spontaneous love of Godhead... "The talks between Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya constitute the acme of all theistic conceptions, and thus are held in the highest regard by all Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas. The conversation between Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya reveals the most esoteric truth about Vaisnava philosophy, allowing the reader to enter into the inner identity of the Lord and the purpose of His appearance. These talks are an important topic of Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta for all aspiring devotees. Srila Prabhupada s writing on this topic just after his accepting sannyasa is evidence of the special importance of these discussions for people in the renounced order of life. That he did not venture to publish it immediately is further evidence of the highly confidential and esoteric nature of this essay. "Because the topic is a highly confidential subject matter, one may ask, 'What is the need to publish it, thus making it available to even neophyte devotees?' The answer is that although Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested that Ramananda Raya not disclose this topic but keep it a secret, Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja Gosvami in his Caitanya-caritamrta openly reveals the details of the Lord s talks with Ramananda and encourages all the devotees to enter deeply into their inner meaning. "Srila Prabhupada calls the discussions between Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya, In Search for the Ultimate Goal of Life and requests his readers to enter into the essence of transcendental romance and pure love of Godhead by sincerely hearing his humble narration. Therefore, we felt if we did not publish this manuscript, the worldwide community of devotees would be deprived of a most valuable gift." Swami B.G. Narasingha

Srila Narayana Maharaja has told some ladies who want to marry, "I have already married you to Krsna." Yet there is a much more confidential conception. The goal of devotees in the line of the Rupanuga guru-varga is Radha dasyam. Srila Narayana Maharaja has told, "One who has such a relationship with Srimati Radharani will think, "We don't want any direct relationship with Krsna. Our mistress, our life and soul, is Srimati Radhika. If Sri Krsna calls me I won't go. I will only do what is required to make Them meet." The manjaris, those Vrajavasis who think “Srimati Radharani is our friend,” understand that Sri Krsna is fully controlled by Her. They are palya-dasis of Srimati Radharani and are so great that they can even stop Krsna when He is on the way to see Her."

Why don't you write this devotee a letter explaining how you feel about the situation. it could be something like: Dear_____ Prabhu, I feel that there are certain things going on in our relationship that are neither healthy or good for our mutual spiritual advancement. Many times when I interact with you I walk away feel not very good about my self. I am trying to be humble but at the same time I do not want negative emotions to build up within myself. Yours in service ---------- Anyway something along these lines. If you don't do anything and the negative emotions will build up then you could either leave, become depressed or explode in an angry rage. False humility is no better than false renunciation.

I am post this again for I think it is important to understand how varnasrama dharma is external: Three Types of Bhakti One should also remember that bhakti is of three types: svarupa siddha (those endeavors which are purely constituted of uttama-bhakti), sanga-siddha (those endeavors which are associated with or favorable to the development of bhakti but not of themselves purely composed of bhakti), and aropa-siddha (those activities which although not consisting of pure bhakti, are designated as bhakti due to their being offered to the Supreme Lord). Aropa-siddha-bhakti: Endeavors indirectly attributed with the quality of bhakti. Endeavors which by nature are not purely constituted of bhakti – that is, anukulya-krsnanusilana – and in which the performer, in order to fulfill his own purpose, offers his activities and their results to the Lord. This is called aropa-siddha-bhakti. In other words, because his activities are assigned (aropa) to the Supreme Lord, bhakti is attributed (aropita) to them. Comment That bhakti in which there is a mixture of karma or desires for material enjoyment is called sakama-bhakti or saguna-bhakti. Without the assistance of bhakti, karma cannot yield any fruit. Knowing this, many persons offer their prescribed duties for the satisfaction of the Lord, in order that He might fulfill their extraneous desires. The activities of such persons are not svarupa-siddha-bhakti. Nonetheless, because they offer the fruit of their activity to the Lord, it is considered as a type of bhakti. Although their activities are offered for the satisfaction of the Lord, their motivation is that by pleasing Him, He may fulfill their extraneous desires. In this case their activities are attributed with the sense of bhakti. Therefore, such endeavors are known as aropa-siddha-bhakti. Sanga-siddha-bhakti: Endeavors associated with or favorable to the cultivation of Bhakti. There are other endeavors which, although not purely constituted of bhakti, anukulya-krsnanusilana, acquire a likeness to bhakti due to their being established as assistants to bhakti. Such endeavors are known as sanga-siddha-bhakti. An example of this is found in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.23-25) in the statement of Sri Prabuddha Muni to Maharaja Nimi: "One should cultivate compassion towards others, friendliness, offering respect to others, cleanliness, austerity, tolerance, silence, study of the Vedas, simplicity, celibacy, non-violence, and so on. One should consider heat and cold, happiness and distress to be the same. One should perceive the presence of the Lord everywhere. One should live in a secluded place, renounce family attachments and remain satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord." Even though the behavior or practices described in this verse are not by nature purely constituted of bhakti, they are assistants to bhakti. Thus they are considered to be like associates or of bhakti. If bhagavad-bhakti is removed from the twenty-six qualities mentioned, then Bhagavan has no direct relationship with the remaining qualities such as compassion, friendliness, tolerance, austerity, and so on. Only when these items exist as assistants to or associates of bhakti is their likeness to bhakti affected. Therefore, they are known as sanga-siddha-bhakti. Svarupa-siddha-bhakti: Endeavors purely constituted of uttama-bhakti All favorable endeavors (cesta) such as sravana, kirtana, smarana, and so on, as well as the manifestation of the spiritual sentiments which occur beginning from the stage of bhava, which are completely devoid of all desires separate from Sri Krsna and which are freed from the coverings of jnana and karma are known as svarupa-siddha-bhakti. In other words all endeavors of the body, words and mind which are related to Sri Krsna and which are performed exclusively and directly for His pleasure without any interruption are known as svarupa-siddha-bhakti. Therefore in the conversation between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Raya Ramananda, found in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, both aropa-siddha and sanga-siddha-bhakti have been described as external. (Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindhu 17-19, translation and commentary by Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja)

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An excellent post by a third grade elementary student analyzing the words of a graduate professor. Then we have to couple this with the fact that Mr. self proclaimed Bhakti-Raja (who has no idea what his self-proclaimed title really means or infers) has an intellegence which is about as sharp as a dull butter knife. It is clear that Mr. King of Bhakti is following his own mind as guru while shrouded in the delusion that he is actually following Srila Prabhupada. Meanwhile he is simiply following his delusional mind into the abyss of vaisnava aparadha. What else would you expect?

The Final Proof: The Jiva Did Not Fall From Goloka Murwillumbah, Australia; Feb. 16, 2002 (Evening - Part 2)<o:p></o:p> Tridandiswami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Come with me now to Godruma in Navadvipa Dhama, where Sannyasi Thakura asks a question to his guru, Paramahamsa Babaji Maharaja. He told him, "For a long time I have heard of the pre-eminence of dharma. On numerous occasions I have asked the question to many people, 'What is dharma?' And, it is a cause of distress to me that those peoples' answers contradict each other. So please tell me, what is the true constitutional dharma of the jivas, and why do different teachers explain the nature of dharma in such diverse ways? If dharma is one, why don't all learned teachers cultivate that universal dharma which is one without a second?" Paramahamsa Babaji Maharaja replied, "Religion is one, and that religion is love and affection for the Supreme Lord. Only this love and affection is real Vaisnava-dharma, Sanatana-dharma, or Bhagavad-dharma. This sometimes transforms, however, as water transforms into ice, or fog, or steam. When it becomes ice, one can throw it at anyone and it will cause injury, but water will not do so. Similarly, love for Krsna, the intrinsic mood of the jiva, has now been transformed. Now we love each other, or we love dogs, cats, our own bodies, or boyfriends and girlfriends, and this is called anitya-dharma. That love originally comes from Goloka Vrndavana. That love is in the heart of jivas, but now it has been transformed, as water transforms into ice when the temperature is low. Due to maya, our real dharma, prema for Krsna, has now been transformed and changed, and now we are 'loving' each other. In this world, 'love' is perverted and has become lust, but in its pure stage, it is love and affection for Krsna and it comes from the hearts of the gopis and Vrajavasis. Paramahamsa Babaji Maharaja quoted Caitanya-caritamrta: jivera 'svarupa' haya - krsnera 'nitya-dasa' krsnera 'tatastha'sakti' 'bhedabheda-prakasa' suryamsa-kirana, yaiche agni-jvala-caya svabhavika krsnera tina-prakara 'sakti' haya ["It is the living entity's constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Krsna because he is the marginal energy of Krsna and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Krsna has three varieties of energy." (Cc Madhya 20.108-109)] krsna bhuli' sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha ataeva maya tare deya samsara-duhkha ["Forgetting Krsna, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore, the illusory energy (maya) gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence." (Cc Madhya 20.117)] We are eternally Krsna dasa, servants of Krsna, but now we are Krsna bhuli; we have forgotten Him. The words 'krsna bhuli' are used here. It means 'the jiva forgets Krsna', but what does this actually mean? It seems to mean that the jiva was once engaged in Krsna's service, but now he has forgotten that service. Actually, this is not true. This is not the meaning. There is defect in worldly languages. They are not perfect, and therefore they cannot purely express what is the nature of our svarupa (constitutional form). To clarify the meaning of 'krsna bhuli', Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami writes in the next line, "krsnera 'tatastha'sakti' 'bhedabheda-prakasa.'" Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has clearly explained all these truths. You should very carefully note this down in your heart and on your paper. He took his understanding from Srila Sanatana Gosvami's Srimad-Bhagavatam and from Sri Jiva Gosvami's Sat-sandarpa, and then he wrote: [Pundarika dasa reads from Jaiva Dharma, Chapter Sixteen:] "Innumerable jivas appear from Sri Baladeva Prabhu to serve Vrndavana-vihari Sri Krsna as His eternal associates in Goloka Vrndavana, and others appear from Sri Sankarsana to serve the Lord of Vaikuntha, Sri Narayana, in the spiritual sky. Eternally relishing rasa, engaged in the service of their worshipable Lord, they always remain fixed in their constitutional position. They always strive to please Bhagavan, and are always favorable to Him. By virtue of the spiritual sakti, they have the strength to stay fixed in their devotion, and they have no connection with the material energy. In fact, they are unaware that there is a deluding energy called maya. Since they reside in the spiritual world, maya stays far from them and does not affect them at all. Always absorbed in the bliss of serving their worshipable Lord, they are eternally liberated and are free from material happiness and distress. Their life is love alone, and they are not even conscious of misery, death or fear." [srila Narayana Maharaja:] They are all liberated. They don't know what is maya and what is this material world. Who knows? We know. We have come from tatastha-sakti, from a manifestation of Baladeva Prabhu called Karanabdisayi Visnu, who is situated on the marginal line, in the Karanabdhi (Causal Ocean). The jivas are not coming to this world from Goloka Vrndavana, nor are they coming from Vaikuntha. They are coming form the marginal line, from the glance of Karanabdhisayi Visnu. Among them, those who look towards Vaikuntha are liberated, and they go there at once without delay. Conversely, those who look toward this world will come here. Jivas are independent because Krsna has made them so. This independence is like a special jewel, and the jivas can use it properly or misuse it. If they using it well, they will quickly go towards Vaikuntha, and if they misuse it they will have to suffer. Here is an example. If you have a sharp sword or knife and you drop some very small and round mustard seeds on it so that they falls in the middle of the sword, some will fall over to one side and some will fall to the other. The jiva has got some independence to go here or there. This is not the fault of Krsna, but rather it is their independence to look here and there. If they look towards Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrndavana, Yogamaya will at once help them and they will go there. On the other hand, those who look towards the material world will be attracted by Mahamaya. Krsna is not at fault here. You cannot understand this in your present stage, but when you come in our stage, then you will realize something. At present you should chant, follow your guru, and follow all these teachings. Don't conclude that the jivas have come from Goloka. Although Srila Swami Maharaja never said that the jivas fell from Goloka, some of his disciples try to prove that he has said the opposite. But I know the truth. He has told me, and it is also in sastra. Srimati Syamarani dasi has collected so many of Srila Swami Maharaja words, confirming that he never accepted that the jivas came from Goloka Vrndavana. na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama "That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world." (Bg 15.6) Goloka is such a dhama that there is no maya. Rather, only Yogamaya is there. A person who is seriously chanting, remembering and following, passes through the stages of sraddha, nistha, ruci, asakti, and prema, after a long, long, long time. If he has gone to Goloka Vrndavana Dhama and is serving Krsna, there is no chance at all to fall down. There is no example at all in the Vedas, Upanisads, or any other scriptures. Srila Gour-Govinda Swami used to say very boldly that those who wear big kanti-mala and chant, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna," at the same time being duplicitous, hypocritical and critical, are kali-cela, disciples of Kali. They are not Vaisnavas because they have none of the symptom of a Vaisnava. Such persons think that they can vote to determine siddhanta or to determine who is acarya or guru. This is totally against Vaisnava law. Experts are experts. Guru is guru. Who made Srila Swami Maharaja guru? Has Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura made him acarya? Has he given him a certificate saying, "After me you will be acarya, and you will do such and such"? It's ones own service that makes one acarya or guru. There was no duplicity in him, and he was very kind and merciful to all. He realized this fact and he served like that. Similarly, Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has not made our Guru Maharaja an acarya. He did not tell him, "After me, you shall be acarya," but still he has become a very famous acarya - strong like a lion. Those who serve their Gurudeva properly will become acarya. Who made Sri Sukadeva Gosvami acarya? Who made Sri Jiva Gosvami acarya? Who made Srila Gour-Govinda Maharaja acarya? Who made Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura acarya? Has Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji Maharaja told him, "After me you should be acarya"? Those who serve their gurus properly, following the footprints of our guru-parampara and especially of Gaura-Nityananda Prabhu, will automatically be recognized throughout the world as acarya. It would be quite absurd to think that liberated souls in Goloka Vrndavana can ever be covered by maya. You should have strong faith that the jivas did not fall from there. They have come from the marginal point. They have come from Karanabdhisayi Visnu and from tatastha-sakti. Jiva himself is tatastha-sakti. [srimati Syamarani dasi:] Throughout Srila Prabhupada's books he confirms Srila Gurudeva's statements that the jiva never fell from Goloka Vrndavana. In the First Canto Srimad-Bhagavatam, first chapter, first verse, last line, it's stated: dhamna svena sada nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhimahi Srila Vyasadeva says, "I meditate on that Absolute Truth, Sri Krsna, who eternally resides in His own abode which forever free from the illusory representations of this material world. This means that at no time is there any amount of maya in Krsna's abode. In the Third Canto Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the history of Jaya and Vijaya, Pariksit Maharaja asks Sukadeva Gosvami, "How is it possible that Jaya and Vijaya could have fallen down from that realm? I don't believe it." Any pure devotee will not believe it. Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport of the Seventh Canto, Chapter 1 (Text 35), "Therefore it is to be understood that when Jaya and Vijaya descended to this material world, they came because there was something to be done for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise it is a fact that no one falls from Vaikuntha." Jaya and Vijaya had a desire to please the Lord. All the associates of the Lord have only one desire: to give Him pleasure. Lord Narayana has a desire to enjoy vira-rasa, the mood or humor of chivalry. But who will He fight with in Vaikuntha? Everyone there worships Him in awe and reverence. Jaya and Vijaya were desiring, "We should do something to fulfill this desire." Then, knowing that they had that desire to please Him, Lord Narayana called on Yogamaya to arrange for the four Kumaras to come and for the gatekeepers Jaya and Vijaya to be cursed to come to the material world as demons. Actually, they never came here and became demons. Only a part of them manifested in this world in order to give the Lord pleasure. Bhagavan came in the form of Lord Nrsimhadeva and Lord Varaha to fight with their manifestations, and the complete and original Jaya and Vijaya remained in Vaikuntha as gatekeepers. In Prabhupada's translation of Caitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Sanatana Gosvami that there are two kinds of living entities. Those who are eternal associates of the Lord have never seen the material world, and those who are conditioned jivas, who have come to this material world, have never yet seen that world. Mahaprabhu made a distinction between the two. He said that apart from one, there is the other. 'nitya-mukta' - nitya krsna-carane unmukha 'krsna-parisada' nama, bhunje seva-sukha "Those who are eternally liberated are always awake to Krsna consciousness, and they render transcendental loving service at the feet of Lord Krsna. They are to be considered eternal associates of Krsna, and they are eternally enjoying the transcendental bliss of serving Krsna." (Cc Madhya 22.11) 'nitya-bandha' - krsna haite nitya-bahirmukha 'nitya-samsara', bhunje narakadi duhkha "Apart from the ever-liberated devotees, there are the conditioned souls, who always turn away from the service of the Lord. They are perpetually conditioned in this material world and are subjected to the material tribulations brought about by different bodily forms in hellish conditions." (Cc Madhya 22.12) Caitanya Mahaprabhu also explained to Sri Sanatana Gosvami that beyond the Viraja river, which is the dividing point between the material and spiritual worlds, there is no maya, what to speak of in the Vaikuntha planets or in the highest planet, Goloka Vrndavana. karanabdhi-pare mayara nitya avasthiti virajara pare paravyome nahi gati "The Viraja, or Causal Ocean, is the border between the spiritual and the material world. The material energy is situated on one shore of that ocean, and it cannot enter onto the other shore, which is the spiritual sky." (Cc Madhya 20.269) It's not that this is a new teaching or something that is hidden deep in Caitanya-caritamrta. I joined Prabhupada in New York in October, 1966, and two months later I heard him speak this same thing in his morning class. [Dec. 17, 1966: Karanabdhi-pare. Just on the other side of the Causal Ocean, this material energy is situated. Virajara pare paravyome nahi gati. And this material energy has no entrance in the spiritual kingdom. Now, the description of the spiritual world is that there is no rajas-tamah. These modes of passion and modes of ignorance is not there. Suddha-sattva. Suddha-sattva means simply goodness, pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance. So pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoh sattvam ca misram na ca kala-vikramah. There is no mixed goodness; simply goodness. And na ca kala-vikramah: And there is no influence of time. This is the description of the spiritual world: There is no modes of passion, and there is no modes of ignorance, and there is no influence of time." That means there is simply pure goodness. And in pure goodness we can understand our constitutional position: we can understand what is God, what is creation, everything.] Srila Gurudeva often quotes a verse from Bhagavad-gita, as does Prabhupada. In his translation and commentary of Bhagavad-gita, Prabhupada writes that when one experiences a higher taste, he leaves the lower taste. visaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinah rasa-varjam raso 'py asya param drstva nivartate ["The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness." (Bg 2.59)] One gives up lower engagements when he experiences a higher taste. Even in the stage of ruci, taste, one has no desire for material pleasures. In asakti, in bhava, what to speak of prema, and what to speak of the devotees who are enraptured, enjoying the pleasures of Goloka Vrndavana; there is no desire for such mundane pleasures. Krsna says in the Gita that one who takes shelter of His spiritual energy is free from maya. That spiritual energy is Yogamaya, and Yogamaya is an expansion of Srimati Radhika. For one who serves Radha and Krsna, there is no question of every having the desire to come to this material world. Someone wrote Prabhupada a letter and asked, "Did we ever see Krsna?" Prabhupada replied, "Yes, we saw Krsna, just as the child was with the father before coming out of the mother's womb." ["Regarding your second question, have the conditioned souls ever seen Krsna? Were they with the Lord before being conditioned by the desire to lord it over material nature? Yes, the conditioned souls are parts and parcels of the Lord and thus they were with Krsna before being conditioned. Just as the child must have seen his father because the father places the child in the womb of the mother, similarly each soul has seen Krsna or the Supreme Father." (Letter to Jagadisa, Los Angeles, 25 April, 1970)] In other words, he was saying that we never saw Krsna. We were with Krsna because we came from Krsna - from His tatastha-sakti. That person who came out of his mother's womb never actually associated with the father previously. Later on he meets his father. [Gokula dasa:] Actually, within ISKCON there was two or three. [srila Narayana Maharaja:] I know. I have read them. Srila Swami Maharaja sometimes gave baby food to babies. When I give a baby medicine like quinine, I tell him, "Baby, baby, it is very sweet." I'm telling him something that is not true so that I can give him the medicine. Similarly, Srila Swami Maharaja has written to someone who was very low in bhakti. A letter cannot always be proof. What Srila Swami Maharaja has written in Caitanya-caritamrta and in his Gita and Bhagavata explanation is authentic. These are proofs. He can write something else for a little baby, but it is not proof. [Gokula dasa:] Srila Gour-Govinda Maharaja said that he was doing it to encourage them. Otherwise. [srila Narayana Maharaja:] Yes, certainly. Someone may say that Citraketu Maharaja fell down, and this is proof that the jiva fell from Goloka. Actually, however, he has never fallen down. He is a liberated soul. He came to see his friend, Sankara Mahadeva, when Sankara was sitting naked with the very beautiful Uma Parvati on His lap. Citraketu began joking with him, because a friend can joke with another friend when both on the same level. Citraketu Maharaja was not less than Sankara. He was Sankara's god-brother, and fully liberated. He told him, "What are you doing? You're quite naked, and at the same time you're taking this beautiful young lady on your lap. What will everyone think?" He was laughing, and Sankara was also smiling, but Parvati could not tolerate his joking statements. She at once cursed him, saying, "You should become a demon." Sankara became upset and told Parvati, "You have done wrong. He is a liberated soul. Whether he is in this world, or here or there, he will be a devotee. He cannot be transformed at all. He has the power to resist your curse, but see how humble he is; because he is a Vaisnava. He is beyond hankering and lamentation, and therefore he tolerated your words and accepted your curse. If he wished, he could have also cursed you; but he did not do so." Citraketu Maharaja willingly came to establish this truth - that whether a devotee is in this world or in hell, he will glorify his Prabhu and give instructions to all to serve Krsna. It was for this reason that, for a very short time, he became the demon Vrtrasura. When he was in the body of that demon, his enemy, Indra, was in great wonder, thinking, "How can I kill him? He's telling me, 'Kill me. I cannot serve my Prabhu in this body. So kill me,' but I cannot." Even Indra's thunderbolt failed. Vrtrasura prayed: ajata-paksa iva mataram khagah stanyam yatha vatsatarah ksudh-artah priyam priyeva vyusitam visanna mano 'ravindaksa didrksate tvam ["O lotus-eyed Lord, as baby birds that have not yet developed their wings always look for their mother to return and feed them, as small calves tied with ropes await anxiously the time of milking, when they will be allowed to drink the milk of their mothers, or as a morose wife whose husband is away from home always longs for him to return so that she can satisfy him in all respects, I always yearn for the opportunity to render direct service unto You." (SB 6.11.26)] This is a highly elevated verse. Here, Vrtrasura's mood to serve Krsna is like that of the gopis. By this prayer, Srila Vyasadeva and Sukadeva Gosvami have glorified the love and affection of gopis. So Citraketu Maharaja did not fall from Goloka Vrndavana. He came only to establish these truths. When Jaya and Vijaya became demons for three births, they were still Jaya and Vijaya. They remained there in Vaikuntha and their manifestations came here to act like demons. Jaya and Vijaya can have so many forms, just as Yasoda has unlimited forms, and just as Krsna has so many forms in Vaikuntha, in Dvaraka, and here and there. There are lakhs of universes, in each universe there is one Vrndavana, and Krsna is there in Vrndavana. We cannot imagine this. Brahma has said that a person may be able to count the stars in the sky and the sands on the earth, but he will not be able to glorify the sweet pastimes of Krsna. It is absurd to think that any jiva can fall from Goloka Vrndavana. Any liberated soul can come with Krsna to assist in His pastimes, as Sridama and Subala do. Krsna sends them here only to help the rebellious souls. Try to remember Krsna and follow this doctrine: God is one, there is one religion, and that religion is love and affection for the Supreme Lord Krsna. Gaura Premanande! [Devotee:] You said that Krsna's associates go with Him to the innumerable universes and they have so many expansions. Does that also apply to the sadhana-siddha jiva? In other words, if we ever become perfect, do we also go to all those places, all those universes, at the same time, along with Krsna? [srila Narayana Maharaja:] If you will be perfect like them, then you can go. A perfect devotee, one who always remembers the asta-kaliya-lila of Radha and Krsna, will go to Goloka Vrndavana. Those who always worship Gaura-Nityananda Prabhu, always remembering Their pastimes, will go to Svetadvipa. Those who remember both Gauranga and Radha-Krsna and want to serve both, have two svarupas, and they go to both places. There are so many universes, and there is Svetadvipa and Vrndavana. Such perfect and liberated souls will be in all these places. [Radhanatha dasa:] Citraketu Maharaja was initiated with a sankarsana-mantra. How would he be able to have a mood like the gopis? [srila Narayana Maharaja:] If by taking mantra from my Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja, I can have this, then why, by taking the mantra from Baladeva Prabhu, would one not be like the gopis? [sripad Madhava Maharaja:] Baladeva Prabhu is the undivided guru-tattva. [srila Narayana Maharaja:] It may be that he did not have that at first, but later on he may have attained it. Narada Muni gave him the mantra. Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanat-Kumara were originally jnani-bhaktas, but later they began chanting and remembering asta-kaliya-lila and now they are gurus of asta-kaliya-lila. How can you say they are still jnani-bhaktas? It may be that they are real Vrajabasis. Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanat-Kumara have so many forms, as do Subala and Sridama, and they also have forms like the gopis. Otherwise, how would they be able to teach the truths about the gopis to Narada Gosvami? Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanat-kumara have explained their asta-kaliya-lila to Narada. They are the gurus of Narada. If they don't know about that lila and they are not practicing that meditation and service, how can they explain it to Narada? Don't have any doubt in this. <o:p></o:p>

One disciple of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami met Srila Narayana Maharaja in 1997 in Badger, California. Although this devotee had given up his devotional practices he was still very fond of the Mahabharata and fancied himself a kind of Ksatriya. When he came into Srila Narayana Maharaja's room he was actually carrying his personal copy of the Mahabharata. When he asked Srila Narayana Maharaja for some personal instruction, Maharaja told him, "first you must stop reading Mahabharata and then stop your fighting mood, that mood is the wrong mood, it is not our mood." Now just because you posted the picture of Sri Jayatu I am not assuming that you have this fighting mood and I also read your thread starting post. So I am not repeating this as an attack on you Mahaksha Prabhu. Yet I do believe it is relevant to those us, including myself who seem to like a good fight.

Hare Krsna, Chaturbahu Prabhu.

Part of: Holland, June 7, 2001<o:p></o:p> Tridandiswami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja<o:p></o:p> Aranya Maharaja: Srila Gurudeva is clarifying this point. One person is a mayavadi, following Sri Sankaracarya's conception that nirvisesa-brahma is the supreme Absolute Truth. Those who have that conception are offenders, aparadhis. Those who realize the brahma-jyoti, like Sukadeva Gosvami, are not making any offence to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If anyone is absorbed in that effulgence which is coming form Krsna, what will be the result? Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda koti/ kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam (Brahma-Samhita 5.40). If anyone will meditate on that brahma, all his aprarabdha karma will be destroyed. Aprarabdha karma, the results of the activities performed in previous lives and which are not yet fructified, will disappear. However, his prarabdha karma, the results of fruitive activities that are fructifying right now in the form of this material body, remains. The body that we have now is our prarabdha karma, and this ! prarabdha karma will not be destroyed by meditation on brahma.<o:p></o:p> Srila Narayana Maharaja: They will have to taste all the fruits of previous activities that are in this body. Other karmas, like aprarabdha and kuta, will all be destroyed, but they will have to taste this prarabdha karma..<o:p></o:p> Aranya Maharaja: Krsna's name is so powerful. Apaiti nama! sphuranena tat te, prarabdha-karmeti virauti vedah. Throughout the Vedas it has been explained that at the very moment krsna-nama appears on the tongue of the chanter, all karma -- past, present, future, and even this prarabdha karma, is all totally destroyed.<o:p></o:p> Srila Narayana Maharaja: But there is something more. Apaiti nama! spuranena tat te. It must actually be the name. In other words it must be suddha-nama, the pure name, chanted without any offence. If that pure name is not coming, but rather nama-abhasa and especially nama-aparadha are there, you will have to taste the fruits of prarabdha karma. On the other hand, if the pure name is coming, that is called sphuranena. Spuranena is the revelation of Krsna as His name.<o:p></o:p> atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234)<o:p></o:p> Sphuratyada has the same meaning as spuranena. Krsna is directly revealed as His name. That pure name will come by a certain process, and the first step in that process is sadhu-sanga, association with self-realized devotees. Then, by sadhu sanga, something of tattva, philosophical established truths, will be understood, and then one will realize why he should be initiated and how the desire to serve Krsna can be fulfilled.<o:p></o:p> Guru-nistha, faith in guru, is essential for this, but how will guru-nistha come? It will come by accepting a high class of devotee and taking real diksa. By that factual diksa, di -- divya-jnanam, a thick relation with Krsna, will come. At that time all tattvas, like krsna-tattva, jiva-tattva, maya-tattva, bhakti-tattva, and all other tattvas, will be known. At that time all kinds of 'ksa', bad things like offences, worldly attachments, sense gratification and so on will go away by this quality of name. Also at that time, one serves gurudeva in a visrambha mood. Visrambha mood means lokika sada-bandhuvat, serving gurudeva as an intimate friend, and accepting him as one's very heart.<o:p></o:p> By such chanting of harinama, the pure name will come automatically, and at that time prarabdha karmeti virauti vedah. Prarabdha karma will disappear. If prarabdha karma goes away, however, at once the body will die. Therefore, by Krsna's arrangement the body does not die. It the body dies, how will one practice bhakti-yoga? The body does not die, but if any illness comes to the devotee, or any good or bad events, it will be by the wish of Krsna. It is given to develop his Krsna consciousness. It is not due to his karma. The karma of Bharata was not his prarabdha karma or any other karma. It was the wish of Krsna Himself.<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>

"For ten thousand years my books will guide the world," The statement that "my books are the law books for the next ten thousand years" is equally unverifiable. The so-called "Bhakti Raja's" respnse is typical of those who promote, as Sridhar Maharaja said, an "imaginary Prabhupada." Sometimes they may even imagine that they are the King of Bhakti. Srimati Radhika is the queen of bhakti; rani means queen therefore Radharani. Krsna is the king of Srimati Radharani. Unless this means that you are Krsna's authorized representative. Maybe you could find a position as a bhakta leader?

EDITORIAL January 10, 1999 VNN2820 The Golden Age Of The Sankirtan Movement <hr> BY SWAMI B.G. NARASINGHA EDITORIAL, Jan 10 (VNN) — The Golden Age of the Sankirtan Movement: Is Srila Prabhupada the Acharya for the Golden Age? In a manuscript entitled Srila Prabhupada, The Founder Acharya of the Golden Age, Part One, presumably written by an ISKCON member, it is consistently emphasized that "ISKCON is the Golden Age predicted by Sri Caitanya, and Srila Prabhupada is the Acharya for the Golden Age." Furthermore, the oft-quoted phrase, "For ten thousand years my books will guide the world," is repeated. Are we to regard such statements as authoritative for all Vaishnavas, or could the author have been carried away by his own sentiments? Indeed, the author was carried away by sentimentality. In the manuscript of reference, many statements are out of context, or rather statements are made with the bias of ami-guru jagatguru: my Guru is Jagatguru. Such statements have no universal application, however well intended their author. In any event, the phrase attributed to Srila Prabhupada, "For ten thousand years my books will guide the world," is actually not verifiable. He might and he might not have said it. Obviously, some devotees think that he did, otherwise they would not quote it. But it is not mentioned in any of the main writings, books, lectures, letters, room conversations, morning walks and so forth which have been recorded and preserved in the archives. Therefore, we do not accept such hearsay as an absolute or authoritative statement. (There are 484 references by Srila Prabhupada in VedaBase to "my books." None of them includes the famous quote about the 10,000 years, even remotely. In the Lilamrta we find the quote. Satsvarupa Maharaja writes: "One day in the car he had said, 'My books will be the lawbooks for human society for the next ten thousand years.'" It is not mentioned where Srila Prabhupada said this, or when, or who was present.) Nevertheless, let us consider the possible truth of the statement, for surely it has its validity in transcendental arrangements. What were Srila Prabhupada's books in the first place? Were his books his own creation, or were they something else? Srila Prabhupada's books were for the most part translations of, and commentary on the already existing books written by such empowered personalities as Srila Vyasadeva, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, and Srila Rupa Goswami. Srila Prabhupada did not take credit for his own writing, but rather took pains repeatedly to proclaim that he was following in the footsteps of the previous Acharyas. In fact, the Bhaktivedanta purports are so much in line with the purports of previous Acharyas that, in many cases, one could say they are translations of those of previous Acharyas. Indeed they are, but one would never know it unless one took the trouble to examine the texts of the previous Acharyas. (In a recorded room conversation, Feb 26, 1973 Srila Prabhupäda says: "They are not my books. I am simply translating.") The intimate relation between the Bhaktivedanta purports and those of the previous Acharyas is the true glory of Srila Prabhupada. He did not add anything or take anything away; he simply repeated the words of previous Acharyas. Therefore, how could the previous Acharyas be any less important? We should remember that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that anyone who does not recognize his 'Swami' is a prostitute. Mahaprabhu made this statement as an admonishment to Vallabha Acharya, who failed to recognize the importance of Sridhar Swami, the original commentator on Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Vyasadeva was directly empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the mature product of the samadhi of Vyasadeva was Srimad Bhagavatam. We find also that Srila Rupa Goswami was directly empowered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to distribute bhakti-rasa throughout the world, and he was specifically instructed to write books on the science of Krishna consciousness. Actually, it is Srila Rupa Goswami who heads our sampradaya. sri-caitanya-mano-bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam "When will Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Sri Caitanyadeva, give me shelter under his lotus feet." (Bhaktivinode Thakura) Srila Rupa Goswami established the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in this world, and thus it is he (Sri Rupa) who is the actual Acharya for the period of the Golden Age. Hence, all members of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's sankirtan movement are called 'rupanugas', the followers of Srila Rupa Goswami. mahaprabhu sri-caitanya, radha krsna nahe anya rupanuga-janera-jivana "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Who is the undivided form of Sri Sri Radha Krsna, is very dear to the followers of Srila Rupa Goswami." The test of a genuine disciple lies in how well he has understood the purpose of the spiritual master. It is surprising, even alarming, that some devotees ignore that the goal of being a disciple of Srila Prabhupada is to become a rupanuga. This is confirmed in the Bhaktivedanta purport to Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, 19.132) as follows: "That was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's opinion, and he specifically told his disciples to write books. He actually preferred to publish books rather than establish temples. Temple construction is meant for the general populace and neophyte devotees, but the business of advanced and empowered devotees is to write books, publish them and distribute them widely. According to Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, distributing literature is like playing on a great mrdanga. Consequently we always request members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Goswami, one can become a 'rupanuga' devotee." The Six Goswamis (headed by Sri Rupa) scrutinizingly studied all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Srinivasa Acharya establishes this conclusion, as follows: nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau radha-krsna-padaravinda-bhajananandena mattalikau vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Goswamis, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds, and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopis and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Radha and Krsna." (Sad Goswami-astakam, text 2) Therefore it must be concluded that the books of the Six Goswamis are indeed intended to 'guide the world.' Srila Prabhupada's translations and commentary on them must also be of the same quality - 'my books will guide the world.' A similar position is held by Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, in that he was empowered to write the Caitanya-caritamrta. more ajna karila sabe karuna kariya tan-sabara bole likhi nirlajja ha-iya "By their mercy, all these devotees ordered me to write of the last pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because of their order only, although I am shameless, I have attempted to write this Caitanya-caritamrta." (CC. Adi-lila, 8.72) In the Caitanya-caritamrta we also find mention that Vridnavana dasa Thakur was the Vyasadeva of Caitanya-lila, and therefore no intelligent devotee could possibly dismiss the writings of Vrindavana dasa Thakura as nonessential. Actually, without being empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no one can write transcendental literature. And the fact is that the Gaudiya-sampradaya has thousands of such literatures, written by hundreds of empowered personalities. It is the super excellent characteristic of the Gaudiya-sampradaya that it has the greatest collection of transcendental literatures the world has ever known. All such literatures are meant to 'guide the world.' kali-kalera dharma krsna-nama-sankirtan krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana "The fundamental religious system in the age of Kali is chanting of the Holy Name of Krsna. Unless empowered by Krsna, one cannot propagate the sankirtan movement." (CC. Antya-lila, 7.11) It is a most glaring defect in certain sections of contemporary Vaishnava society that some devotees want to replace Srila Rupa Goswami, who was appointed as the Acharya of our sampradaya by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, with Srila Prabhupada. Discounting the contribution of all Acharyas and missions since the time of Sri Caitanya, some persons declare that ISKCON marks the beginning of the Golden Age. It is a foolish proposal and Srila Prabhupada would certainly not sanction such inappropriate conclusions. It is a fact that during Srila Prabhupada's lifetime, ISKCON (as a united preaching effort) did perform wonderful service to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's sankirtan movement. This is the eternal credit of all those souls who participated. Yet pride seems to have been the greatest enemy of those souls who once served the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, and who once received the blessings of Mahaprabhu on their humble heads. It is truly unfortunate that, in the two decades since the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada, some proud and arrogant disciples have brought about more disgrace to Srila Prabhupada, to ISKCON, and to the Gaudiya-sampradaya than fell upon the whole of Vaishnavism during the past 5,000 years. It is sad, it is unfortunate, but it is true. And all in the name of ISKCON and its Founder Acharya! .. If the stubborn insist that ISKCON is the Golden Age then the dismal conclusion would hence be that the present day marks the end of Kali Yuga and we should be expecting the Kalki Avatar in the year 2000 (Y2K)! There is indeed a Golden Age within the age of Kali Yuga, but that age began with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the advent of His sankirtan movement, and not with the forming of any institution in modern times. There is no monopoly on the sankirtan movement by any institution; the parampara itself retains all rights. Whosoever takes up the sankirtan movement will prosper spiritually, and whosoever deviates from the principles of pure devotion will reap a harvest of mixed results. We find in the Brahma-vaivarta Purana the mention of a ten thousand year period in which Vaishnavism and the cult of Sri Caitanya will flourish in the world. Afterwards, darkness and ignorance will consume the world. In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana the Supreme Personality of Godhead, while speaking to Mother Ganges, describes the dawn of the Golden Age by first mentioning those who worship the Lord by mantra. This reference to those who chant mantras as the central focus of their worship indicates Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhvaite Brahmins. man-mantropasakasparsad bhasmibhutani tatksanat bhavisyamti darsanacca snanadeva hi jahnavi "Thereafter by the sight and touch of those who worship me by my mantra, all those sins will be burnt." (Text 51) Next, the Brahma-vaivarta Purana directly indicates the advent of the Golden Age inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with the performance of hari-nama-sankirtan (the chanting holy name) and the recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam. harernamani yatraiva puranani bhavamti hi tatra gatva savadhanam abhih sarddham ca srosyasi "There will be chanting of the name of Hari and reading of the [bhagavata] Purana. Reaching such a place, attentively hear." (Text 52) It is thoroughly indicated that even the most sinful persons will become Vaishnavas by the chanting of the holy names, and due to the presence of such purified Vaishnavas the whole planet will become a place of pilgrimage. tathapi vaisnava loke papani papinamapi prthivyam yani tirthani punyanyapi ca jahnavi "O Ganges, the whole planet will become a pilgrimage site by the presence of Vaisnavas, even though they had been sinful." (Text 55) Such a blissful condition is then predicted to last ten thousand years. kaler dasa-sahasrani madbhaktah samti bhu-tale ekavarna bhavisyamti madbhaktesu gatesu ca "For 10,000 years of Kali-yuga, such devotees of mine will fill the whole planet. After the departure of my devotees there will only be one varna [outcaste]." (Text 59) madbhaktasunya prthivi kaligrasta bhavisyati etasminnamtare tatra krsnadehadvinirgatah "Devoid of My devotees, the earth will be shackled by Kali. Saying this, Krsna departed." (Text 60) Srila Prabhupada mentioned this same concept of the ten thousand year-period of the Golden Age in his Bhagavatam commentary (Bhaktivedanta purports) canto 8, chapter 5, text 23, as follows: "When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared He ushered in the era for this sankirtan movement. It is also said that for ten thousand years this era will continue. This means that simply by accepting the sankirtan movement and chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, the fallen souls of Kali-yuga will be deliveredŠ ...the ten thousand years of the sankirtan movement inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago provide the opportunity for the fallen souls of Kali-yuga to take to the Krsna consciousness movement." The fact that there will be devotees of the sankirtan movement spread throughout the planet is also an indication that there must be someone, or several personalities, who will spread the Holy Name around the world. prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama "In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My Holy Names will be preached." (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Caitanya-bhagavat, Vrindavana das Thakura) It is a fact that Srila Prabhupada was the one who conducted a preaching mission beyond the borders of India, which would marvel the Vaishnava world. Many of Srila Prabhupada's Godbrothers remarked, 'We could not imagine how the prophecy of Mahaprabhu was to be fulfilled.' The Godbrothers were simply wonder-struck that 'Swami Maharaja' (Srila Prabhupada) had done it! Srila Sridhar Maharaja commented, "It is wonderful that Krsna always acts through someone. Swami Maharaja has done a miracle! We are happy, we are glad, and we are proud." Locana Dasa Thakura mentions, in the beginning of his book Sri Caitanya Mangala, that in the future there will appear a sena-pati (a great general), who would cause an inundation of Krsna consciousness throughout the world. In the opinion of many devotees, that personality was Srila Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Yet it is doubtful that Srila Prabhupada would agree with them, as he always considered himself a humble servant of his Guru Maharaja, Srila Saraswati Thakura. Indeed Srila Prabhupada was a humble servant of his Guru, and this is simply one among his many qualifications. It is why he was chosen and empowered by Guru and Krsna to perform the service to the sankirtan movement that he accomplished. However, greatly learned scholars and pure devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who know the purport of the scriptures, have understood the 'sena-pati' in Caitanya-mangala to have been Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. Between 1918 and 1936, he caused a wave of Krsna consciousness to swell up in Bengal that would indeed inundate the whole world. The sound of the kirtan raised by Saraswati Thakura conquered all ten directions, silencing the atheist non-believers, the impersonalist speculators, and the imitationist sahajiya sections of pseudo-Vaisnavas. Saraswati Thakura orchestrated a great preaching movement for eighteen years, awarding the triple staff of renunciation to his disciples and then sending these sannyasis to preach throughout India, and eventually to western countries. Before passing away from this world, Saraswati Thakura commented that he desired to spend at least ten years preaching Krsna consciousness in the western countries. This Saraswati Thakura was unable to do before his disappearance in 1936. However, through his intimate disciple, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Saraswati Thakura's last desire for preaching Krsna consciousness in the west was fulfilled. Hence, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada continued the work of the sena-pati foretold by Locana Dasa Thakura. And Saraswati Thakura's numerous disciples and grand disciples carry on the same work up to the present day. Some persons might object that we do not concede that Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the sena-pati spoken of in Caitanya-mangala. Such an objection shows an utter lack of understanding of the guru-parampara and of the position of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura in contemporary society and in aprakata-lila, the eternal pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Saraswati Thakura appeared in this world by the prayer of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura, who implored the Supreme Lord (Jagannatha) to send His personal representative to fulfill the prophecy of Mahaprabhu that the Holy Name would be spread in every town and village. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura prayed for the Supreme Lord to send such a personality from among His eternal associates. In response, Saraswati Thakura appeared as the fourth son of Bhaktivinode. Devotees often overlook this ecstatic piece of transcendental knowledge (mentioned above) when trying to establish the greatness of Srila Prabhupada. We should remember that the greatness of Srila Prabhupada does not reside in our concocted ideas. Certainly, it does not reside in putting Srila Prabhupada in the position of Srila Rupa Goswami (the sampradaya-acharya), or in the position of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura (the sena-pati who appeared in this world as a direct response to the prayer of Bhaktivinode Thakura). Such concocted attempts at glorifying Srila Prabhupada fail miserably, due to being tainted with the kanistha mentality of ami guru jagatguru, my Guru is Jagatguru. The actual greatness of Srila Prabhupada is beyond challenge. Yet he reserves the right of disclosure: the right to reveal his eternal identity to those who are free from envy. What Srila Prabhupada did in this world is written in eternal history. Yet to separate him from the very root of his greatness in an attempt to glorify him, denotes a lack of real transcendental vision of His Divine Grace. Such kanistha disciples are all too often found to be in the category of guru-bhogi (one who tries to enjoy the property and mission of the Guru), rather than in the position of guru-sevaka (one who serves the vision of the Guru). The greatness of Srila Prabhupada is not understood or expressed by the methods of concoction or sentimental exaggeration. The transcendental position of His Divine Grace can only be realized when one attempts to see how Srila Prabhupada was accepted (connected) in the parampara of great masters, and what qualifications earned him that illustrious position. The bona fide disciple earns this right of divine vision of the Guru through a lifetime of service and dedication at the lotus feet of the spiritual master, and not by any amount of mundane speculation. There is no other way to the truth than this. -

The Post and the Person <hr> Holland: July 3, 1997 (evening) Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja <hr> Sri Narada desired to proclaim the glories of Lord Siva. As previously described, he praised Siva as the greatest devotee of Lord Krsna and most dear to Him, and Lord Siva became upset by hearing those praises. Siva then related a number of incidents which, according to him, were evidence that he was not dear to Krsna at all. Now Lord Siva compares himself to Sri Prahlada Maharaja,*[end note1] the famed devotee of Lord Nrsinhadeva described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. He told Narada, “Sri Prahlada Maharaja is superior to me, and it is he who is the dear devotee of the Lord.” Even though Lord Siva is superior to Prahlada Maharaja, he told Narada that Prahlada Maharaja is superior. Why? He said this to encourage people to follow Prahlada Maharaja’s ideal character and teachings. However, Prahlada Maharaja cannot enter Sri Krsna’s transcendental abode, Vrndavana, whereas Lord Siva resides there eternally as Gopisvara. Siva serves Sri Krsna personally in numerous ways. He and his wife Parvati-devi meditate on asta-kaliya-lila, Lord Sri Krsna’s confidential eight-fold daily pastimes. These secret pastimes are very confidential, yet both Siva and Parvati are able to meditate upon them. Siva is hundreds of thousands of times superior to and more worshipable than Sri Prahlada Maharaja, and yet the artful Siva declared Prahlada Maharaja to be superior. Why did he do so? In one sense Prahlada Maharaja is superior, and in another sense he is not. We can reconcile this by considering the two perspectives from which to understand the identity of Lord Siva: We can see Siva from the point of view of his post, and also from the point of view of his personality. As a personality, separate from his post, he appears as an associate of the Supreme Lord, such as Gopisvara, Hanuman and Bhima. As Gopisvara he resides eternally in Vrndavana. As Hanuman he always associates with and serves Lord Rama. As Bhima he always serves Lord Krsna. And, when Hanuman and Bhima combine together in this present age of Kali-yuga, they become Madhvacarya, our Sampradaya-guru.*[end note 2] From the point of view of Lord Siva’s function as the god of annihilation, and also that of Brahma as the secondary creator of the universe, Siva and Brahma are actually posts. Lord Brahma and Lord Siva are not ordinary human beings, but their posts are like that of the president or prime minister of a nation, wherein the man representing the post has to perform a certain defined job. Both as the post and the person, Siva is superior to Brahma. Lord Siva is an expansion of Lord Visnu, but sometimes a jiva may become Siva’s expansion known as Rudra. If a man purely performs the duties of varnasrama for one hundred births, he may become Brahma.*[ end note 3] In other words, he may attain the position or post of Brahma. In turn, when a person in the post of Brahma carries out his function expertly for one hundred births, he becomes qualified to perform the function of Siva in his manifestation as Rudra. Siva’s post is therefore superior to that of Brahma, and this is also evidence that Siva is more powerful than Brahma. The Duty of Destruction What is the function of Lord Siva’s post, and why is it superior to that of Lord Brahma? One reason is that Brahma cannot execute pralaya, the complete destruction of the universe – a very dangerous thing, whereas Siva can do so. Siva’s function as destroyer is similar to that of a farmer who plants and cultivates a large area of wheat. The farmer carefully waters and nourishes the crop, guarding it from animals, and after five or six months the wheat matures and ripens. Then, either by hand or a machine, the farmer harvests the plants and carefully removes the grains from their shafts. The rest of the plant-matter becomes refuse, subject to rotting and attracting disease, vermin, and snakes. Therefore, the farmer sets fire to it and burns it. Just as the farmer extracts the grains from the plants, Lord Siva extracts the eternal spirit souls from their material bodies and from the world. At the time of annihilation he creates an inferno, setting the entire universe on fire, but the spirit souls are not destroyed. There are two kinds of universal devastations: one at the end of Lord Brahma’s day and one at the end of his life. At the end of his day (4,320,000,000 solar years) he rests in a mystic sleep within the body of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and all the conditioned living entities enter as well.*[end note 4] While the entire universe is submerged in water, the living entities rest in their subtle bodies within the transcendental body of Garbhodakasayi Visnu. They await the start of the next day of Brahma, the next material creation or manifestation. Some of them become liberated, and others do not. When Lord Brahma completes the one hundred celestial years of his life, Lord Siva again performs this duty of destruction. At that time all the spirit souls enter into the body of Karanodakasayi Visnu or Maha Visnu. At the end of each day of Lord Brahma, all souls enter Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and at the end of Brahma’s life, even the millions of manifestations of Garbhodakasayi Visnu enter Karanodakasayi Visnu*[end note 5] along with the spirit souls. At the time of creation, Karanodakasayi Visnu generates innumerable manifestations of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and at the time of complete annihilation, they enter back into his body.*[end note 6] Lord Siva is not a living entity, but he is also not in the category of Lord Visnu. He is much more powerful than any living entity, even up to Lord Brahma. However, he is not equal to Lord Visnu. Because he is almost as good as the Supreme Personalty of Godhead, he can see the three phases of time: past, present, and future. One of his eyes is like the sun and another is like the moon. He also has a third eye, located between his eyebrows. It is from this third eye that he generates fire and employs it at the time of the universal destruction. Seen from this perspective – the destroyer – Lord Siva cannot serve Sri Krsna directly, because he is engaged at his post. Those souls who are liberated after hundreds of thousands of lifetimes of devotional practice, having renounced all responsibilities and concerns of the world – including occupations like that of Brahma and Siva – and who constantly hear about, glorify, and remember Lord Krsna, take birth in this world as pure devotees like Prahlada Maharaja. This was told by Lord Siva to Sri Narada. Prahlada Maharaja has nothing to do with this world; nothing to create or demolish. He rejected all such affairs as insignificant. Although he had inherited a large kingdom, it was controlled and governed by his ministers. His senses were totally absorbed in the transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord. He was always engaged in hearing the name and glories of the Lord, singing and speaking about his glories, remembering and meditating on him, offering prayers, carrying out the his orders and fully surrendering to him. Devotees in Prahlada’s category have no need to approach Lord Krsna’s manifestations like Lord Nrsinhadeva and Lord Rama, for the Lord personally comes to them in these forms. Lord Siva told Sri Narada that because he is always engaged in the post of controlling the universe, he can neither see nor offer services to the Lord daily, as Prahlada Maharaja sees Lord Vamanadeva or Lord Nrsinhadeva. Vamanadeva and Nrsinhadeva are both manifestations of the same Lord, who regularly gives Prahlada his divine association and the opportunity to serve and offer obeisance at his lotus feet. Although both Brahma and Siva are actually superior in bhakti to Prahlada Maharaja, their posts involve contact with the three gunas, or modes of material nature, namely goodness, passion, and ignorance. The role of Lord Brahma is creation and procreation in raja-guna, the mode of passion. Lord Siva’s role of demolition and dissolution is in tama-guna, the mode of ignorance. It is for this reason that they are called guna-avataras, incarnations of the material qualities. Prahlada Maharaja is nirguna, transcendental to the three modes of nature. He has nothing to do with activities in material goodness, passion, and ignorance, by which this world is shackled. Lord Siva is also beyond the three modes of nature, but he adopts the mode of ignorance (tama-guna) to efficiently perform his function. The Personal Associate Regarding Lord Siva’s glorification of Prahlada Maharaja, now consider Lord Siva’s identity as a transcendental personality – separate from his post. Sometimes senior Vaisnavas express sincere recognition of the novice, inspiring him or her on the path of devotion. The Vaisnava may say, “Oh, you work so hard and earn money, and with that money you support and nourish me. I have no means at all. I do nothing but visit for a short while, eating, and sleeping at your expense. I would not be able to speak the glories of Lord Krsna at this festival if you had not arranged for the management of all the activities here, so you are superior to me.” Out of sincere humility, gratitude and affection, liberated souls speak in this endearing manner, and at the same time they are fixed in the realization that they are always being personally maintained by the Supreme Lord. The senior Vaisnava has the disciple’s personal benefit in mind. However, Lord Siva was not speaking for Prahlada Maharaja’s benefit, but to acquaint aspiring devotees with the stages of devotion. His desire was to facilitate the service of Sri Narada Muni and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, whose mission was to establish in the world the sequence of the grades of devotion and ultimately establish the glories of the gopis. Try to understand all these truths, and seek to gradually become firmly situated in bhakti. Imagine that you are in a market in which there are thousands of varieties of shops. In some of those shops there are products made of iron, in some shops there are products made of gold, in some there are jewels, and in others cintamani (wish-fulfilling stones). An expert is guiding you through all the shops, pointing out different products and revealing which are superior. If there are a thousand pounds of iron and only one ounce of gold, the gold has more value. On the other hand, many pounds of gold will not amount to the value of one Kaustubha-mani or a similarly precious stone. Millions of such precious jewels cannot compare with a tiny quantity of cintamani, and even millions of cintamani stones cannot compare with one holy name of Lord Krsna. Now suppose someone is chanting the name of Lord Krsna alone, and another is absorbed in the name of Radha-Ramana. The name Radha-Ramana, meaning Sri Krsna, the enjoyer of pastimes with Srimati Radharani, has more transcendental taste (rasa) than the name Krsna alone. The person absorbed in that holy name will therefore experience a greater spiritual pleasure. Regarding the analogy of the shops in a market, that expert tells you, “This shop is good, that shop is better, and this one is the best. Similarly, in his Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta, Srila Sanatana Gosvami establishes the gradations of excellence of various devotees and their devotion, in order to help his readers determine their spiritual path. The history of Narada Muni’s coming to the abode of Lord Siva and glorifying him was first narrated in this Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta. Like Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Narada is also that expert described above. He desired to establish pure bhakti in the world, and therefore he played the role of searching for the greatest devotee and recipient of Lord Krsna’s mercy. His search had taken him first to the “shop” of a brahmana in Prayaga, and after that to South India, to the shop of a king. Then he traveled to heaven, where he entered the shop of King Indra, and Indra sent him to the shop of Lord Brahma. Brahma sent him to Lord Siva, and Lord Siva is now sending him to Prahlada Maharaja. Gradually, Sri Narada will bring us to the greatest recipients of Lord Krsna’s mercy, the gopis. In the form of Gopisvara, Lord Siva is the beloved servant and associate of those gopis. *[end note 1] In the hermitage of Sri Narada Muni, Prahlada Maharaja heard the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam while within the womb of his mother. From his birth, Prahlad was fixed in transcendental realization of the all-pervading presence of the Supreme Lord, and he preached love of God to his schoolmates at the tender age of five. Despite efforts by his atheistic father to change his nature – efforts that culminated in repeated attempts to kill him by means of administering poison, putting him in boiling oil, tossing him from the top of a cliff and so on – Prahlada continued to experience great joy by remembering Lord Visnu and chanting his holy names. Prahlada was protected by the Supreme Lord in every situation. Finally, Lord Visnu appeared in the form of a half-man, half-lion and killed his demonic father. When offered a benediction by the Lord, Prahlada simply asked for the liberation of his father, as well as that of all conditioned souls. He is honored in this world by all pure devotees. *[end note 2] “Srila Madhvacarya is the original acarya for those who belong to the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya.”(SB 6.1.40.purport) “This Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya is also known as the Brahma-sampradaya because the disciplic succession originally began from Brahma. Brahma instructed the sage Narada, Narada instructed Vyasadeva, and Vyasadeva instructed Madhva Muni, or Madhvacarya.” (Krsna Introduction). *[end note 3] “The Vedas say, ‘svadharma-nisthah sata janmabhih puman virincatam eti - One who strictly follows the principles of varnasrama-dharma for at least one hundred births will be rewarded with the post of Lord Brahma.’ ” (SB 5.20.33 purport) Varnasrama-dharma - the institutions dividing society into four divisions of social life and four occupational divisions of castes. *[end note 4] “At the beginning of Brahma’s day, all living entities become manifest from the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged into the unmanifest again. Again and again, when Brahma’s day arrives, all living entities come into being, and with the arrival of Brahma’s night they are helplessly annihilated.” (Bhagavad-gita 8.18-19) “At the end of the day, under the insignificant portion of the mode of darkness, the powerful manifestation of the universe merges in the darkness of night. By the influence of eternal time, the innumerable living entities remain merged in that dissolution, and everything is silent.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.11.28) “The dissolution of the three worlds is effected by the incarnation of darkness, Rudra, represented by the fire of eternal time which blazes over the three worlds. These three worlds are known as Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah (Patala, Martya and Svarga). The innumerable living entities merge into that dissolution, which appears to be the dropping of the curtain of the scene of the Supreme Lord’s energy, and so everything becomes silent.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.11.28 purport) “It is said that the blazing fire from the mouth of Sankarsana rages for one hundred years of the demigods, or 36,000 human years. Then for another 36,000 years there are torrents of rain, accompanied by violent winds and waves, and the seas and oceans overflow. People forget all these devastations of the worlds and think themselves happy in the material progress of civilization. This is called maya, or ‘that which is not.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.11.31 purport) “Thereafter, at the end of the millennium, the Lord Himself, in the form of Rudra, the destroyer, will annihilate the complete creation as the wind displaces the clouds. This creation is very appropriately compared to clouds.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.10.43) *[end note 5] “There are two types of dissolution of the manifested cosmos. At the end of every 4,320,000,000 solar years, when Brahma, the lord of one particular universe, goes to sleep, there is one annihilation. And at the end of Lord Brahma’s life, which takes place at the end of Brahma’s one hundred years of age, in our calculation at the end of 8,640,000,000 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years, there is complete annihilation of the entire universe, and in both the periods both the material energy called the mahat-tattva and the marginal energy called jiva-tattva merge in the person of the Supreme Lord.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.21 purport) *[end note 6] “Karanodakasayi Visnu is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord, and he is the master of eternal time, space, cause and effects, mind, the elements, the material ego, the modes of nature, the senses, the universal form of the Lord, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and the sum total of all living beings, both moving and nonmoving.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.6.42)

Subjective Evolution of Consciousness<o:p></o:p> The Play of the Sweet Absolute<o:p></o:p> Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj<o:p></o:p> Chapter Seven<o:p></o:p> The Super Subject<o:p></o:p> Question: How can we apply proper discrimination and judgement in<o:p></o:p> our search for knowledge of the infinite?<o:p></o:p> Srila Srdhar Maharaj: Discrimination may take place in different<o:p></o:p> planes, but it must have a connection with the higher plane.<o:p></o:p> Judgement and discrimination should be in the right plane. Judgement<o:p></o:p> and discrimination come from our side, but our progress depends on<o:p></o:p> the favor of the higher side - it must have that connection - so<o:p></o:p> surrender is required. Then the Lord will approach us and take us up<o:p></o:p> to that higher plane. Somehow, we have to persuade the highest<o:p></o:p> authority to favor us. We must invite the higher authority to accept us.<o:p></o:p> It does not depend so much on our own ability, but on our submission<o:p></o:p> and surrender, our hankering for mercy - not our positive capacity but<o:p></o:p> our negative character, our surrender. As a subject, I cannot make the<o:p></o:p> infinite the object of my discrimination; he is always the super-<o:p></o:p> subject. I cannot make God the object of my discrimination. He is<o:p></o:p> super-subjective. My position, my attitude, must invite the higher<o:p></o:p> authority to come down to my level and help me, favor me. Real<o:p></o:p> discrimination or knowledge should take us to self-surrender.<o:p></o:p> Surrender is necessary to attract the attention of the Lord. Everything depends on his sweet will. He is an autocrat: his sweet will is<o:p></o:p> everything. To attract his sweet will, to increase our negative side, our<o:p></o:p> tendency for surrender, to attract his favor - this will be our real<o:p></o:p> problem if we wish to progress in spiritual life. And to attract the<o:p></o:p> Lord's attention, all our qualifications must be of a negative character -<o:p></o:p> we shall require surrender, submission, humility. And then we can<o:p></o:p> press our position by praying: "O my Lord, I'm in the worst need;<o:p></o:p> without your grace I can't stand. I am helpless. I cannot endure<o:p></o:p> without your favor." That sort of hankering, earnestness, and necessity<o:p></o:p> for his mercy will help us. In other words, we are to improve our<o:p></o:p> negative character, and in that way we shall attract the positive -<o:p></o:p> Krsna.<o:p></o:p> Then we shall develop proper discrimination, for at that time our<o:p></o:p> subjective character will be to act only as his agent. He will inspire<o:p></o:p> from within in whatever we do. Our discrimination will be utilized in<o:p></o:p> carrying out his order. It will not be possible for us to have any<o:p></o:p> separate interest, any original discrimination. I will carry out his order,<o:p></o:p> or the order of the higher officer of the Supreme Lord. I may use my<o:p></o:p> discrimination about how to make the lower arrangements in carrying<o:p></o:p> out that order. But towards the Lord, who is higher than me, my<o:p></o:p> attitude will always be one of submission, surrender, obedience,<o:p></o:p> allegiance, unconditional slavery. The slave mentality will help us in<o:p></o:p> entering that plane. If we truly feel ourselves to be low and in want,<o:p></o:p> then the supply of mercy will come from the higher plane. This should<o:p></o:p> always be the tenor of our thought: high and low. Subjective and<o:p></o:p> objective. And Krsna is not subject to any rule; he is an autocrat.<o:p></o:p> These are the data we must keep in our mind always. Everything<o:p></o:p> moves according to his sweet will; our problem, then, is how to draw his attention. This will be possible only by increasing our negative<o:p></o:p> tendency, by proving to him, in a bona fide way, that I'm the most<o:p></o:p> needy. At that time, we shall develop proper discrimination and<o:p></o:p> knowledge; that is, our discrimination will be utilized in carrying out<o:p></o:p> his order. <o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>

Yes, dovetailing is a form of aropa-siddha-bhakti.

Yes, another cut and paste. The words are better than mine: Endnote: Three Types of Bhakti: One should also remember that bhakti is of three types: svarupa siddha (those endeavors which are purely constituted of uttama-bhakti), sanga-siddha (those endeavors which are associated with or favorable to the development of bhakti but not of themselves purely composed of bhakti), and aropa-siddha (those activities which although not consisting of pure bhakti, are designated as bhakti due to their being offered to the Supreme Lord). Aropa-siddha-bhakti: Endeavors indirectly attributed with the quality of bhakti. Endeavors which by nature are not purely constituted of bhakti – that is, anukulya-krsnanusilana – and in which the performer, in order to fulfill his own purpose, offers his activities and their results to the Lord. This is called aropa-siddha-bhakti. In other words, because his activities are assigned (aropa) to the Supreme Lord, bhakti is attributed (aropita) to them. Comment: That bhakti in which there is a mixture of karma or desires for material enjoyment is called sakama-bhakti or saguna-bhakti. Without the assistance of bhakti, karma cannot yield any fruit. Knowing this, many persons offer their prescribed duties for the satisfaction of the Lord, in order that He might fulfill their extraneous desires. The activities of such persons are not svarupa-siddha-bhakti. Nonetheless, because they offer the fruit of their activity to the Lord, it is considered as a type of bhakti. Although their activities are offered for the satisfaction of the Lord, their motivation is that by pleasing Him, He may fulfill their extraneous desires. In this case their activities are attributed with the sense of bhakti. Therefore, such endeavors are known as aropa-siddha-bhakti. Sanga-siddha-bhakti: Endeavors associated with or favorable to the cultivation of bhakti. There are other endeavors which, although not purely constituted of bhakti, anukulya-krsnanusilana, acquire a likeness to bhakti due to their being established as assistants to bhakti. Such endeavors are known as sanga-siddha-bhakti. An example of this is found in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3. 23-25) in the statement of Sri Prabuddha Muni to Maharaja Nimi: "One should cultivate compassion towards others, friendliness, offering respect to others, cleanliness, austerity, tolerance, silence, study of the Vedas, simplicity, celibacy, non-violence, and so on. One should consider heat and cold, happiness and distress to be the same. One should perceive the presence of the Lord everywhere. One should live in a secluded place, renounce family attachments and remain satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord." Even though the behavior or practices described in this verse are not by nature purely constituted of bhakti, they are assistants to bhakti. Thus they are considered to be like associates of bhakti. If bhagavad-bhakti is removed from the twenty-six qualities mentioned, then Bhagavan has no direct relationship with the remaining qualities such as compassion, friendliness, tolerance, austerity, and so on. Only when these items exist as assistants to or associates of bhakti is their likeness to bhakti effected. Therefore, they are known as sanga-siddha-bhakti. Svarupa-siddha-bhakti: Endeavors purely constituted of uttama-bhakti All favorable endeavors (cesta) such as sravana, kirtana, smarana, and so on, as well as the manifestation of the spiritual sentiments which occur beginning from the stage of bhava, which are completely devoid of all desires separate from Sri Krsna and which are freed from the coverings of jnana and karma are known as svarupa-siddha-bhakti. In other words all endeavors of the body, words and mind which are related to Sri Krsna and which are performed exclusively and directly for His pleasure without any interruption are known as svarupa-siddha-bhakti. Therefore, in the conversation between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Raya Ramananda found in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, both aropa-siddha and sanga-siddha-bhakti have been described as external. (Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindhu 17-19) From end notes of "Alloyed And Unalloyed Devotion" a lecture by Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. Full text at: http://www.purebhakti.com/lectures/lecture20030519.shtml

Why Prabhupada Called Me to the West (excerpt) <hr> Germany: December 12, 2001 First lecture of the Winter Tour Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja <hr> I offer millions and millions of heartfelt dandavat pranati, obeisances, unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master, nitya-lila-pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and unto my siksa-guru, nitya-lila-pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. My siksa-guru, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, forcibly dragged me to the Western countries. It is only by his mercy that I am going everywhere in the world. So many are hearing from me, only due to him. He especially ordered me, in his last days, to help his disciples and devotees, because he knew they would become very weak. He knew they would give up the mission and object of life that was preached by him. So many have no faith in the present Iskcon, and so many are quarrelling. Nowadays, the most dangerous element is the rtviks. They think they are the real inheritors of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami's Maharaja's mission, but actually they are against him. Besides them, there are presently so many sahajiyas who preach that Srila Swami Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sara svati Gosvami Thakura, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura are not in the guru-parampara. These sahajiyas are trying to cut down the tree of bhakti. Many say that Srila Swami Maharaja was a follower of the rtvik system, but this statement is quite false. Srila Swami Maharaja accepted the guru-parampara, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda prabhu, and the goal of life as shown by Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, the Gita and the Bhagavat. Since Srila Swami Maharaja accepted these principles, how can anyone say he accepted the rtvik system? Nowhere in Srimad Bhagavatam, Gita, or any other scriptures is it stated that the rtvik system has anything to do with the guru-parampara and bhakti. It has no connection with bhakti at all. The rtvik system is only employed for the performance of a fire sacrifice, for the fulfillment of worldly desires (karma-kanda). It is totally irrelevant to our bhakti, to Srimad Bhagavatam, to the Gita, and to our guru parampara. Srila Rupa Gosvami never mentioned anything about the rtvik system in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Ujjvala Nilamani, or in his other books. Srila Sanatana Gosvami has written so many books, but he has never discussed the rtviks. You should therefore be very careful. Don't follow them. Also, don't follow the sahajiyas. We should be very careful to avoid trying to become 'goopis' or to follow their ideas. Rather, we should try to follow Saptama Gosvami (the Seventh Gosvami), Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. Nowadays there are so many devotees who were personally following your Prabhupada, and by that they came in contact with this transcendental life. But now they are thinking that he was not sarvajna, not all-knowing or omniscient. What was he? Foolish? Ignorant? You know in His boyhood, that Krsna performed so many pastimes in which he appeared like a totally ignorant boy. But that does not mean He is ignorant or that He is not omniscient. And, if He is omniscient, why should His associates not be so? They must be. Some say that if Prabhupada knew that so many sannyasis and others would fall down, he would not have accepted them and given them sannyasa, but this argument is bogus. It is for this reason, to correct all these misunderstandings, that Srila Swami Maharaja dragged me to the West to preach. He sent me to teach the devotees that they should not be weak, and they should not go to sahajiya bhabijis. They should be very careful. For this purpose, to protect devotees from being misled by the sahajiyas, I have written a book called Prabandha Pancakam, Five Essential Essays. Try to read it very carefully and with firm faith, so that you can defeat all the arguments that these persons are now giving. Demons come from time to time, and they try to establish that Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-Gita are nonsense. They say, "Krsna was a very lusty person." They think that the Krsna of Mahabharata is somewhat better and more authentic than Nanda-nandana, and Yasoda-nandana. They especially say that Krsna's rasa dancing is very bogus. They say, "Srimad-Bhagavatam is not a very authentic book. It is like mythology, and recently written by someone other than Vyasa." Such persons are like Ravana, like Kamsa, Jarasandha, and others; and that is why my siksa-guru, Srila Swami Maharaja, told me, "You must come; otherwise the devotees will be weak and they will not realize the truths of Krsna consciousness. It is for this reason that I am coming and preaching in this old age to fulfill the mission of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, which is the mission of my guru-varga. So try to be very strong. Read the books of your Prabhupada, and also my books. My books will give you further strength to defeat all the arguments against him. Don't be weak. Lady devotees should also be very strong to preach this mission, and at the same time they should try to maintain their lives. They should be like Srila Swami Maharaja's lady devotees, who, although very young girls, preached his mission everywhere. [srila Maharaja was presented the newly published Harmonist magazine and then commented:] The magazine, Rays of the Harmonist, has now come, and it is so good. It contains very, very good essays and articles by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, paramapujyapada Srila Sridhara Maharaja, Srila Swami Maharaja, my Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja, and so on. These articles contain many important topics. Try, therefore, to distribute this magazine. I request Rama-Vijaya prabhu to organize the distribution. Devotees should read them, and they should also distribute them.

A Response To The Rtvik System<o:p></o:p> 1 <o:p></o:p> A Lecture Given in Polansk, Russia: July 19, 2001<o:p></o:p> 1 <o:p></o:p> Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja <o:p></o:p> 1 <o:p></o:p> I offer my humble obeisances at the lotus feet of my paramaradhyatama gurupadapadma nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and also to my siksa-guru om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. In our class yesterday we discussed the intrinsic nature of bhakti. We explained there that pure bhakti is the function of the svarupa-sakti (internal potency) of Krsna, and therefore it never manifests in the material senses, words, or mind. There is a process for it to manifest, however. Krsna is an ocean of mercy and His devotee is also an ocean of mercy. Our only hope is to receive their mercy. This is the only ray of hope. Only by the causeless mercy of Krsna and His devotees will the vrtti (characteristic function) of svarupa-sakti enter and become one with the senses of the material body. Srila Rupa Gosvami has given a process for this transcendental vrtti of bhakti to come upon the conditioned soul's tongue and other senses, and that is: adau sraddha tatah sadhu sanga'tha bhajana-kriya, tato 'nartha nivritti syat tato nistha rucis tatah, athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudancati sadhakam ayam pemnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah "In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Krsna consciousness." (Madhya 23.16) Without accepting diksa from a bona fide guru, can one develop bhakti or not? Some think that chanting, remembering, reading books, and performing arcana, sravanam and kirtanam is sufficient and there is no need for a mediator. They think that accepting a 'rtvik' person is sufficient for attaining pure bhakti, and there is no need of accepting diksa from any living self-realized guru. Those who think, "There is no need to accept a guru as a mediator because we can chant the holy name, we can read books, and we can do arcana and sadhana simply by the rtvik system," are not within the guru-parampara. They deceive others. They are actually cheaters; not bhaktas. Nowhere in the sastra is it written that a rtvik can ever give bhakti. [There are nineteen places in Prabhupada's books where the word 'rtvik' is used, and in all cases the word only refers to a priest officiating or performing a fire sacrifice. Even when the word used is 'rtvik acarya,' it is still defined as a priest performing a fire sacrifice for a secular gain.] This can never be the case. Those who advocate the rtvik system are misleaders, and their followers are misled. Do not go towards the rtvik system. Nowadays, among others, those who fell down from their pure life and those who left the renounced order due to being very lusty want to be rtvik. They want to gain the same position they had before, and that is why he they are crying, "Rtvik, rtvik, rtvik!" Actually, however, they are all fallen souls and they have nothing to do with bhakti. In none of the sastras has it been said that this rtvik system will give bhakti. Be careful regarding the bogus rtvik system. These rtviks have no faith in Krsna, no faith in bhakti, and no faith in scriptures like the Vedas, Upanisads, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Caitanya-caritamrta. They also have no faith in the guru-parampara, and that is why they cannot give bhakti. You should give up the idea that the rtviks can help. They can never help you. They have never even helped themselves, so how can they help others? This word 'rt' has come from the word 'Rg-Veda.' Those who know all Vedas, including the Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Veda, all the Upanishads, and all the Puranas, are actually rtvik. I think, however, that these modern rtviks don't even know the ABC's of the Vedas. They say that in this world there are no pure devotees, and therefore there are no pure devotees to initiate anyone. This idea is very, very wrong and it against the principles of bhakti. The rtvik proponents saw that the devotees in their society were quarreling amongst themselves, and that there was no suddha-bhakta there. Then, mistaking that those who quarreled were in the guru-parampara, the rtviks became opposed to the actual guru-parampara. Beware of this rtvik system. Without a self-realized guru you cannot achieve bhakti in thousands of births. This is an established truth. This is siddhanta. You should therefore accept a sad-guru, serve him, and try to follow his instructions. Then you can develop your Krsna consciousness and all of your anarthas will disappear. Otherwise, it will never be possible for pure bhakti to come and touch your heart and senses. I would like to clarify one thing. I am not saying that all rtviks mislead others. Only those who say that there is no need of a guru do so. Whatever has been told in the Vedas and Upanisads about rtviks is only in relation to their sole function in a fire sacrifice, and those fire sacrifices are performed only to fulfill a worldly desire. They have nothing to do with transcendental love and affection for Krsna. [in The True Conception of Sri Guru-tattva it is stated: "After deliberation upon the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Puranas, it becomes obvious that rtviks have nothing to do with the supreme transcendental goal...'Rtau yajtiti rtviki.' One who conducts sacrifices according to Vedic mantras is called a rtvik. There is an arrangement of 16 types of rtviks to perform the sacrifices…The yajman employs priests to perform sacrifices for him and he pays them…All these rtviks are virtuous, of high character, learned in the Vedas, and expert in the execution and supervision of sacrifices…After the completion of the yajnas, the yajman (employer) pays the appropriate remuneration to the rtviks and sends them away. The yajman and the rtvik have no mutual eternal relationships."] Real rtviks know all sastras, and all of them have gurus. A rtvik cannot be a rtvik without accepting a real guru. All rtviks, like Vasistha Rsi, are very high-class devotees. Visvamitra, Gautama, and even Vyasadeva are rtviks, but they have all accepted the guru-parampara. They all believe that there are always self-realized gurus in the world. Nowadays, therefore, those who call themselves rtviks are all cheaters, and we should beware of them. When we accept a guru, it may be that we have so many anarthas, unwanted thoughts and habits, within us. We may be very ignorant about krsna-tattva, maya-tattva, radha-tattva, bhakti-tattva, and all other tattvas. So many anarthas and aparadhas may be there within us, but there is a process to be free from them. There are so many gurus: caitya-guru, diksa-guru, siksa-guru, bhajana-guru, and others. Why go to a bogus-rtvik guru? If our siksa-gurus are Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda prabhu, and Radhika, why do we need to go to these rtviks? Typed and edited by Sripad Krsna Bhajana dasa Brahmacari Proofread by Srimati Premavati devi dasi<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>

Here some real information about Rtvik, Beggar Hier etwas reale Informationen über Rtvik, Herr Beggar Distribute this in you beloved fatherland yatra Verteilen Sie dieses ist Ihres Vaterlandes yatra <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Eine Antwort Zum Rtvik System<o:p></o:p> 1 <o:p></o:p> Ein Vortrag gegeben in Polansk, Rußland: Juli 19, 2001<o:p></o:p> 1 <o:p></o:p> Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja <o:p></o:p> 1 <o:p></o:p> Ich biete meine bescheidenen obeisances an den Lotosfüßen meines paramaradhyatama an gurupadapadma nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja und auch zu meinem Siksaguru om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swamimaharaja. In unserer Kategorie gestern besprachen wir die tatsächliche Natur von bhakti. Wir dort erklärt, daß reines bhakti die Funktion des svarupa-sakti ist (intern Kraft) von Krsna und folglich verkündet es nie in den materiellen Richtungen, Wörter oder Verstand. Es gibt einen Prozeß, damit er, jedoch verkündet. Krsna ist Ozean der Gnade und seines eifrigen Anhängers ist auch ein Ozean der Gnade. Unsere nur Hoffnung ist zu empfangen Sie ihre Gnade. Dieses ist der einzige Strahl der Hoffnung. Nur durch die causeless Gnade von Krsna und von seinen eifrigen Anhängern willen Sie das vrtti (charakteristische Funktion) von svarupa-sakti kommen herein und werden eins mit den Richtungen des materiellen Körpers. Srila Rupa Gosvami hat einen Prozeß für dieses transcendental vrtti von bhakti gegeben nach der konditionierten der Zunge und anderen Richtungen Seele und der zu kommen ist: adau sraddha tatah sadhu sanga'tha bhajana-kriya, tato ' nartha nivritti syat tato nistha rucis tatah, athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudancati sadhakam ayam pemnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah "am Anfang muß es Glauben geben. Dann wird man innen interessiert Verbinden mit reinen eifrigen Anhängern. Danach wird man durch die Angelegenheiten eingeleitet erarbeiten Sie und führt die regulative Grundregeln unter seinen Aufträgen durch. So ist man freigegeben von allen unerwünschten Gewohnheiten und wird fest im devotional Service geregelt. Danach entwickelt man Geschmack und Zubehör. Dieses ist die Weise von sadhana-bhakti, die Durchführung des devotional Services entsprechend dem regulative Grundregeln. Stufenweise verstärken Gefühle und schließlich es gibt ein Wecken von Liebe. Dieses ist die stufenweise Entwicklung der Liebe der Göttlichkeit für den eifrigen Anhänger interessiert für Krsna Bewußtsein." (Madhya 23.16) Ohne diksa von einem ehrlichen Guru anzunehmen, kann einer bhakti entwickeln oder nicht? Einige denken, daß singend, erinnernd, Bücher lesend, und arcana durchführend, sravanam und kirtanam ist genügend und es gibt keine Notwendigkeit an einem Vermittler. Sie denken Sie, daß das, eine ' rtvik ' Person anzunehmen für erreichendes reines bhakti genügend ist, und es gibt keine Notwendigkeit des Annehmens von von diksa von jedem lebenden Selbst-verwirklichten Guru. Die, die denken, "dort ist keine Notwendigkeit, einen Guru als Vermittler anzunehmen weil wir kann den heiligen Namen singen, können wir Bücher lesen, und wir können arcana und sadhana tun einfach durch das rtvik System, "seien Sie nicht innerhalb des Gurus-parampara. Sie betrügen andere. Sie sind wirklich Betrüger; nicht bhaktas. Nirgendwo im sastra ist es geschrieben, daß ein rtvik bhakti überhaupt geben kann. [ es gibt neunzehn Plätze innen Bücher Prabhupadas, in denen das Wort ' rtvik ' verwendet wird und in allen Fällen das Wort bezieht nur sich einen auf Priester, der ein Feueropfer amtiert oder durchführt. Selbst wenn das verwendete Wort ist ' rtvik acarya, ' es wird definiert noch als Priester durchführendes a Feueropfer für einen weltlichen Gewinn. ] Dieser kann der Fall nie sein. Die die befürworten Sie das rtvik System sind misleaders, und ihre Nachfolger werden irregeführt. nicht in Richtung zum rtvik System gehen. Heutzutage unter anderen, die, die unten von ihrem reinen Leben und von denen fielen, die links, das der verzichtete Auftrag, der zum Sein sehr lusty passend ist, rtvik sein möchten. Sie wünschen zu gewinnen Sie die gleiche Position, die sie vor hatten, und der ist, warum er sie schreit, "Rtvik, rtvik, rtvik!" Wirklich jedoch sind sie alle gefallene Seelen und sie haben Sie nichts, mit bhakti zu tun. In keinen der sastras ist es dem gesagt worden dieses rtvik System gibt bhakti. Geben Sie betreffend das gefälschte rtvik System acht. Diese rtviks haben keinen Glauben innen Krsna, kein Glaube im bhakti und kein Glaube in den scriptures mögen das Vedas, Upanisads, Srimad Bhagavatam und Caitanya-caritamrta. Sie haben auch keinen Glauben im Guru-parampara und in dem ist, warum sie nicht bhakti geben können. Sie sollten geben herauf die Idee, der die rtviks helfen können. Sie können Ihnen nie helfen. Sie haben nie sogar geholfen, also wie können sie anderen helfen? Dieses Wort ' Funktelegraphie ' ist gekommen vom Wort ' Rg-Veda.' Die, die alles Vedas kennen, einschließlich das Rg, Sama, Yajur und Atharva Veda, alles Upanishads und alle das Puranas, sind wirklich rtvik. Ich denke jedoch daß diese modernen rtviks nicht sogar kennen Sie die ABC des Vedas. Sie sagen, daß in dieser Welt es gibt keine reinen eifrigen Anhänger und folglich dort sind keine reinen eifrigen Anhänger, zum jedermann einzuleiten. Diese Idee ist sehr, sehr falsch und es gegen die Grundregeln von bhakti. rtvik Antragsteller sahen, daß die eifrigen Anhänger in ihrer Gesellschaft unter stritten selbst und das dort waren kein suddha-bhakta dort. Dann das verwechselnd die, die stritten, waren im Guru-parampara, die rtviks wurden entgegengesetzt der tatsächliche Guru-parampara. Passen Sie von diesem rtvik System auf. Ohne einen Selbst-verwirklichten Guru können Sie nicht erzielen bhakti in den Tausenden Geburten. Dieses ist eine hergestellte Wahrheit. Dieses ist siddhanta. Sie sollten einen Traurigguru folglich annehmen, ihn dienen und zu versuchen befolgen Sie seine Anweisungen. Dann können Sie Ihr Krsna Bewußtsein und alle entwickeln von Ihren anarthas verschwindet. Andernfalls ist es nie für reines möglich bhakti zum zu kommen, Ihr Herz und Richtungen zu berühren. Ich möchte eine Sache erklären. Ich sage nicht, daß alle rtviks irreführen andere. Nur die, die sagen, daß es keine Notwendigkeit eines Gurus gibt, so. Was auch immer ist im Vedas erklärt worden und Upanisads über rtviks ist nur in Beziehung zu ihre alleinige Funktion in einem Feueropfer und jene Feueropfer sind durchgeführt, um einen worldly Wunsch nur zu erfüllen. Sie haben nichts, mit zu tun transcendental Liebe und Neigung für Krsna. [ in der zutreffenden Auffassung von Sri Guru-tattva wird es angegeben: "nach Bedachtsamkeit nach dem Mahabharata, Ramayana, und Puranas, wird es offensichtlich, daß rtviks nichts haben, mit dem Obersten zu tun transcendental Ziel... 'Rtau yajtiti rtviki.' Ein wer Opfer leitet entsprechend Vedic wird Beschwörungsformeln ein rtvik genannt. Es gibt eine Anordnung für 16 Arten der rtviks, zum der Opfer durchzuführen... das yajman beschäftigt Priester, um durchzuführen Opfer für ihn und ihn zahlt sie..., das alle diese rtviks rechtschaffen sind, von der Höhe Buchstabe, erlernt im Vedas und Experte in der Durchführung und in der Überwachung von Opfer... nach der Beendigung der yajnas, das yajman (Arbeitgeber) zahlt passende Vergütung zu den rtviks und sendet sie weg. Das yajman und rtvik haben keine gegenseitigen ewigen Verhältnisse."] Reale rtviks kennen alle sastras, und alle haben Gurus. Ein rtvik kann nicht a sein rtvik, ohne einen wirklichen Guru anzunehmen. Alle rtviks, wie Vasistha Rsi, sind sehr erstklassige eifrige Anhänger. Visvamitra, Gautama und sogar Vyasadeva sind rtviks, aber alle sie haben dem Guru-parampara angenommen. Alle sie glauben, daß es gibt immer Selbst-verwirklichte Gurus in der Welt. Heutzutage folglich die, die benennen selbst rtviks sind alle Überbrücker, und wir sollten von ihnen aufpassen. Wenn wir einen Guru annehmen, kann es, daß sein wir so viele anarthas haben, unerwünscht Gedanken und Gewohnheiten, innerhalb wir. Wir können über krsna-tattva sehr unwissend sein, Maya-tattva, radha-tattva, bhakti-tattva und alle weiteren tattvas. So viele anarthas und aparadhas können innerhalb wir dort sein, aber es gibt einen Prozeß, zum zu sein geben Sie von ihnen frei. Es gibt so viele Gurus: Caityaguru, Diksaguru, Siksaguru, Bhajanaguru und andere. Warum gehen Sie zu einem gefälschten-rtvik Guru? Wenn unsere Siksagurus Caitanya sind Mahaprabhu, Nityananda prabhu und Radhika, warum wir, müssen zu diesen gehen rtviks? Geschrieben und durch Sripad Krsna Bhajana dasa Brahmacari redigiert Korrektur gelesen durch Srimati Premavati devi dasi<o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>

But it is only apparent. Perhaps at this time he should re-enter the discussion and clarify his point.