Sadhu helps fallen jiva regain natural state of freedom from sin

[krsna 3]

THE CHANTERS OF THE KIRTAN OF LORD HARI

 

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada

 

 

The sadhu helps the fallen jiva to regain his natural state of freedom from sin, by the constant service of bringing about the descent of transcendental sound in the form of words uttered by his lips and the mahaprasada in the shape of food that is offered by him to the Lord. The sound uttered by the sadhu and the mahaprasada are not things of this world. They are not identical with ordinary sound or ordi-nary food which are only means for the grati-fication of our sensuous appetites. The word of God and mahaprasada cannot be enjoyed, or in other words cannot be used for the grati-fication of the senses, because they are spiri-tual. Those who enjoy the kirtana, or any spiri-tual discourse, or eat the mahaprasada for ap-peasing hunger or for gratification of the pal-ate are guilty of sacrilegious acts which serve only to prolong the state of sin and ignorance. This is the greatest possible calamity that can befall the human soul. The kirtana of Hari is the constant and natural function of all the faculties of the jiva soul in the state of it’s free-dom from all affinities with this changeable world. Because the absolute truth is identical with Hari, Hari has to be served exclusively, constantly, and by all the faculties of the soul. The only function of the voice is to chant the kirtana of Hari, which is identical with and inseparable from the simultaneous service of Hari by all the other senses. One who does not employ his voice constantly and exclusively in chanting the kirtana of Hari has no access to the service of Hari by any other faculty.

The kirtana of Hari has therefore to be chanted by being humbler than a blade of grass. There can be no trace of worldly vanity. There can be no seeking after any worldly advantage. The only object should be to please Lord Hari.

The absolute truth is a living person and not an abstract principle. He has the power of communicating His commands to us and ex-pressing His approval and disapproval of our activities. No one can understand His com-mand who does not fully submit to Him.

The absolute truth is not anything limited or partial; neither can it be divided. It is not dependent on any condition except itself. It is always one and the same.

[krsna 3]

Listening to or chanting of it is always and necessarily ben-eficial, being the natural function of the soul. Any other view of its nature will stand in the way of that perfect humility, the outcome of absolute submission which is the indispens-able condition of its realization.

A chanter of the kirtana of Hari is necessar-ily the uncompromising enemy of worldliness and hypocrisy. As a chanter of the kirtana of Hari, it is his constant function to dispel all misconceptions by the preaching of the truth in a most unambiguous form, without any influence of person, place or time. That form has to be adopted which is least likely to be misunderstood. It is his bounden duty to op-pose any person who tries to deceive and harm himself or other people by misrepresent-ing the truth either due to malice or genuine misunderstanding. This will be possible if the chanter of kirtana is always prepared to sub-mit to be trodden on by thoughtless people if any discomfort to himself will enable him to do good to his persecutors by chanting the truth in the most unambiguous manner. If he is unwilling to chant the kirtana under all cir-cumstances due to consideration of self-re-spect or personal discomfort, then he is unfit to be a preacher of the absolute truth. Humil-ity implies perfect submission to the truth and no sympathy for untruth. A person who en-tertains any partiality for untruth is unfit to chant the kirtana of Hari. Any clinging to un-truth is opposed to the principle of humility born of absolute submission to the truth.

Those who serve the truth at all times, by means of all their faculties, and have no han-kering for the trivialities of this world, are al-ways necessarily free from malice born of com-peting worldliness; and are therefore fit to admonish those who are actively engaged in harming themselves and others by the method of opposing or misrepresenting the truth in order to attain the rewards of such a policy in the shape of a perpetuation of the state of mis-ery and ignorance. The method which is em-ployed by the servant of the good preceptor for preventing such misrepresentation of the truth is a part and parcel of the truth itself. It may not always be pleasing to the diseased susceptibilities of deluded minds, and may even be denounced by them as a malicious act with which they are only too familiar, but the words of truth from the lips of a loyal and humble servant of Hari possess such benefi-cent power that all effort to suppress or ob-struct them only serves to vindicate to impar-tial minds the necessity of complete submis-sion to the absolute truth as the only cure of the disease of worldliness. Humility that is em-ployed in the unambiguous service of the truth is necessarily and qualitatively different from its perverted prototype, which is practiced by the cunning people of this world for gaining their worldly ends. The professors of pseudo- humility have reason to be afraid of the preachings of the servants of Hari (those whose duty it is to expose the enormous possibility of mischief possessed by the many forms of so- called spirituality), when they are taken to task for serving the untruth.

 

[Guest guest]

"...One who does not employ his voice constantly and exclusively in chanting the kirtana of Hari has no access to the service of Hari by any other faculty.

The kirtana of Hari has therefore to be chanted by being humbler than a blade of grass. There can be no trace of worldly vanity. There can be no seeking after any worldly advantage. The only object should be to please Lord Hari.

The absolute truth is a living person and not an abstract principle..."

[gHari 0]

Spoken concisely is true eloquence.

 

Thank you, krsna.

 

[krsna 3]

<font color="red">A chanter of the kirtana of Hari is necessar-ily the uncompromising enemy of worldliness and hypocrisy. As a chanter of the kirtana of Hari, it is his constant function to dispel all misconceptions by the preaching of the truth in a most unambiguous form, without any influence of person, place or time. That form has to be adopted which is least likely to be misunderstood. It is his bounden duty to op-pose any person who tries to deceive and harm himself or other people by misrepresent-ing the truth either due to malice or genuine misunderstanding. This will be possible if the chanter of kirtana is always prepared to submit to be trodden on by thoughtless people if any discomfort to himself will enable him to do good to his persecutors by chanting the truth in the most unambiguous manner. If he is unwilling to chant the kirtana under all cir-cumstances due to consideration of self-respect or personal discomfort, then he is unfit to be a preacher of the absolute truth. Humil-ity implies perfect submission to the truth and no sympathy for untruth. A person who en-tertains any partiality for untruth is unfit to chant the kirtana of Hari. Any clinging to un-truth is opposed to the principle of humility born of absolute submission to the truth.

</font color>

[krsna 3]

"One should not proudly think that one can understand the transcendental loving

service of the Lord simply by reading books... One must accept a Vaisnava guru

(adau gurv-asrayam), and then by questions and answers one should gradually

learn what pure devotional service to Krsna is. That is called the parampara

system." (Cc. Antya-lila 7.53, purp.)

 

— AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

[krsna 3]

"...One who does not employ his voice constantly and exclusively in chanting the kirtana of Hari has no access to the service of Hari by any other faculty.

The kirtana of Hari has therefore to be chanted by being humbler than a blade of grass. There can be no trace of worldly vanity. There can be no seeking after any worldly advantage. The only object should be to please Lord Hari.

The absolute truth is a living person and not an abstract principle...":pray: :pray: :pray:

[Laulyam 0]

After his fourth proposal was rejected, Ramananda Raya said that devotional service rendered without any attempt at cultivation of knowledge or mental speculation is the highest stage of perfection. To support this view, he gave evidence from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.3) wherein Lord Brahma tells the Supreme Personality of Godhead:

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva

jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam

sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir

ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam

"My dear Lord, one should give up monistic speculation and the cultivation of knowledge altogether. He should begin his spiritual life in devotional service by receiving information of the Lord's activities from a realized devotee of the Lord. If one cultivates his spiritual life by following these principles and keeping himself on the honest path in life, then although Your Lordship is never conquered, You become conquered by such a process."

When Ramananda Raya presented this proposal, Lord Caitanya at once said, "Yes, this is right." In this age there is no possibility of acquiring spiritual knowledge by renunciation, by mixed devotional service, by fruitive activity in mixed devotional service, or by the culture of knowledge. Because most people are fallen and because there is no time to elevate them by a gradual process, the best course, according to Lord Caitanya, is to let them remain in whatever condition they are in but to engage them in hearing of the activities of the Supreme Lord as those activities are explained in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. The transcendental messages of the scriptures should be received from the lips of realized souls. In this way a person may continue to live in whatever condition he is in and still make progress in spiritual advancement. Thus one can surely advance and fully realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

[theist 1]

I take "from the lips" as an expression meaning from the person. Afterall the lips don't speak it is the person manipulating the lips that is the actual speaker. Thinking the lips are speaking is something like thinking a puppet is speaking at a puppet show. Children will think this but adults should know what is happening outside of immediate vision.

 

And what is the difference between a devotee speaking about Krsna and the same devotee writing about Krsna. I don't see a dfference.

[Laulyam 0]

Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaj

Pariprasna

The Process of Inquiry

Chapter Nine

Always Present

 

 

Devotee: The disciple is eternally hearing?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, this process is eternal. I am eternally the disciple of my guru. I am constantly hearing from him Whatever I am hearing I am speaking. I am not concocting anything. What my guru says, I say.

Devotee: For a disciple who is still conditioned and whose spiritual master has left the planet, although he has books he still has to hear sabda-brahma?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, hearing is more effective. Books will help you but nevertheless you have to hear. It is not that only by reading books you can have it.

Devotee: So he cannot achieve this position of tattva-jnana just by reading? Even if he has had physical contact with guru still he must hear from the tattva-acharya who is physically there, who is acting as a pipe?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, guru is always there and Krsna is always there, manifested and unmanifested. Guru may have become unmanifest, but still he is there. However, you should understand how is there, in what form. I see my guru always. He is not gone. He has not disappeared. If you say that he has disappeared it is very painful to me. No, he is there! I see him every day, every moment. Every day I am hearing him. Therefore I am speaking. How can I speak unless I hear? I am not hearing any tapes, I am hearing directly from him-but you cannot understand it.

From a discussion in Paris, France July 24,1995

[Laulyam 0]

<CENTER>Questions and Answers

 

</CENTER>Devotee #1: Sabda-brahma is Krishna in sound vibration?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. One has to hear. It is not that, "All right, tapes are there, I'll hear the recorded tapes." Sabda-brahma will never descend.

Devotee #2: It doesn't descend through transmission of tape?

Gour Govinda Swami: No, no.

Devotee #2: Only when you are personally sitting there with a pure vaisnava?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. Now in this material scientific age so many techniques are there. People, say, "No more teacher are required. We'll teach through television." Nonsense. Sabda-brahma will never descend.

Devotee #3: What if one is a disciple of a bonafide guru, then later on that guru stops his lila. What should one do?

Gour Govinda Swami: Lila is always there:

adyapiha sei lila kare gaura-raya,

kona kona bhagyavan dekhibare paya

 

(Cb. quoted in Bhaktivinode Thakur's Navadvipa Mahatmya Pramana-khanda)

Gauranga's pastimes are still going on. People say, "Oh Gauranga Mahaprabhu has disappeared." One who is very fortunate and has vision he can see how gaura-lila is going on.

Devotee #3: That means that guru is always there?

Gour Govinda Swami:Yes. He is always there. His lila is going on.

Devotee #3: I may think, "I have already taken the dust of the lotus feet of my guru. Now he is not here. So I don't need that dust anymore."

Gour Govinda Swami: Darsana is there. The guru is always there if you have the eye to see. If you are a sat-sisya you can always see how the guru is present.

Devotee #4: How can we see guru?

Gour Govinda Swami: Blind man! If you are endowed with that vision you can see.I never lost sight of my guru. I see my guru is always there. Therefore I cannot say,"nitya-lila-pravistha". It is so painful to me. No! He is here.

Devotee #4: Do you have to be a pure dovotee to see a pure devotee?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes! That vision is required. If you have no vision then you are a blind man.How can a blind man see? The object is there. What is required to see the object? The first thing is the eye. Next is light. You may be endowed with vision, but if there is no light, how can you see? Can you see in the darkness? Therefore two things are required, first vision and then light. Even if you are endowed with eyes, if there is no light then you can't see. What is that light? The enlightenment by the mercy potency. If you are devoid of that, how can you see?

Devotee #5: Anarthas are like clouds in front of the eye?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, Yes. Anarthas are like clouds covering the sun. The eye is covered.

Devotee #2: Can one see guru appearing in different forms, or is he coming in dreams?

Gour Govinda Swami: He may come in a dream. He has different forms also, just as Krishna has different forms. Krishna has so many manifestations. Therefor we have described in our book Sri Guru-vandana about samasti-guru and vyasti-guru.

Devotee #6: What are those kind of gurus?

Gour Govinda Swami: Guru Krsna-rupa hana sastrera pramane (Cc. adi-lila1.45} -- scripture describes that it is Krishna who appears as guru.

Krishna is one. Guru tattva is also one. Guru is one, but he appears in different, different, forms. That is samasti-guru. The particular forms such as Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami, Srila Bhakitisiddhanta, this person and that, this is vyasti-guru.

Devotee #3: When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati left, guru was still there?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes.

Devotee #3: Guru is always present?

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, always present.

Devotee #3: Because guru is non-different from Krishna we understand that to be a guru is not an easy thing. So why is it said that someone maybe on the level of kanistha or madhyama and be guru?

Gour Govinda Swami: All are gurus. There is kanistha-guru, madhyama-guru, uttama-gurus. Divisions are there. What you deserve you get. Krishna knows what you deserve so He makes an appropriate arrangement for you.

Devotee #7: Some devotees are not accepting guru now. They are saying, "I'll just accept sastra.

Gour Govinda Swami: How can you understand sastra?

Devotee #7: But we have seen, as in Russia, that some devotees have only gotten books and they are now chanting, worshiping the deity, and preaching.

Gour Govinda Swami: You cannot understand. In sastra, mantra is there. Nama is there. But unless it comes out from the lips of sad-guru, Sri Guru, your chanting will never be effective. The potency will never be there.

Devotee #7: But they say that smrti-sastra is coming from the lips of vaisnavas, so we are heaing smrti.

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. This is how sastra manifests. When is comes out from the lips of sad-guru, Sri Guru, then it manifests. Though sastra is there, by itself it will never manifest to you. It's a question of manifestation.

Devotee #7: Other persons say that we can hear from the commentaries of the vaisnava-acaryas.

Gour Govinda Swami: For that reason it is said,

bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam

na buddhya na ca tikaya

Srimad Bhagavatam can only be understood by bhakti, not be dint of one's intelligence or by reading commentaries. (Cc.24.313)

You cannot understand Bhagavata by taking help of the tikas, commentaries. So many commentaries are there. One may think, "Yes, I am a scholar. It is all written in Sanskrit. I know the language so I can read and understand it." No! You can only understand Srimad Bhagavatam by bhakti. You cannot understand Bhagavata by dint of your material scholarship, learning, intelligence, or by taking the help of the commentaries. No, no. Hear from acarya and then you can develop bhakti. Unless you hear, how can you understand just by reading? You cannot understand. Grantha-avatara will never manifest to you. You will only see paper, and black and white. Nothing else.

Devotee #7: Then what is the meaning of the brhad-mrdanga-sankirtana? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati has said that our kirtana is brhad-mrdanga-sankirtana, the printing press.

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. That will inspire you. Just one book distributed spreads so far. First you read the book and then one friend says, "Oh, let me read it." Then he lets someone else read it. In this way it sprads so much. The sound of the mrdanga only goes rom here to there. But the brhad-mrdanga spreads so far. That will inspire you. You will think, "Who is the source? Let me go and see and hear from him."

Devotee #7: So first you hear and then if you read the same thing in the sastra...

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. It is only in Kali-yuga that books are required.. In other yugas there are no books. Just by hearing once they would never forget. But in this yuga, if I ask you to repeat what you have heard after the class, how much can you repeat? You will have already forgotton ninety to ninety-five percent. Only five percent you may be able to repeat. Books are required. Therefore Vyasadev came and wrote books. In other yugas there are no books. They will help you remember, "Oh yes. I have heard. Now it is here."

Devotee #7: In your book Sri Guru-vandana, you have described this flow of nectar as padma-madhu.You said that it comes to a devotee who is a sincere hearer. So someone who is very sincere to hear from guru and serves guru, he may get that nectar even though he may not have physical contact? Gour Govinda Swami: You should be greedy. Physical contact is required. You must hear directly, not just by listening to tapes. Sabda-brahma will never descend through a tape. One must hear from a physically present Sri Guru.

[krsna 3]

THE CHANTERS OF THE KIRTAN OF LORD HARI

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada

The sadhu helps the fallen jiva to regain his natural state of freedom from sin, by the constant service of bringing about the descent of transcendental sound in the form of words uttered by his lips and the mahaprasada in the shape of food that is offered by him to the Lord.

 

The sound uttered by the sadhu and the mahaprasada are not things of this world.

 

They are not identical with ordinary sound or ordinary food which are only means for the gratification of our sensuous appetites.

 

The word of God and mahaprasada cannot be enjoyed, or in other words cannot be used for the gratification of the senses, because they are spiritual.

 

Those who enjoy the kirtana, or any spiri-tual discourse, or eat the mahaprasada for appeasing hunger or for gratification of the palate are guilty of sacrilegious acts which serve only to prolong the state of sin and ignorance. This is the greatest possible calamity that can befall the human soul.

 

The kirtana of Hari is the constant and natural function of all the faculties of the jiva soul in the state of it’s freedom from all affinities with this changeable world.

 

Because the absolute truth is identical with Hari, Hari has to be served exclusively, constantly, and by all the faculties of the soul.

 

The only function of the voice is to chant the kirtana of Hari, which is identical with and inseparable from the simultaneous service of Hari by all the other senses.

 

One who does not employ his voice constantly and exclusively in chanting the kirtana of Hari has no access to the service of Hari by any other faculty.

 

The kirtana of Hari has therefore to be chanted by being humbler than a blade of grass. There can be no trace of worldly vanity. There can be no seeking after any worldly advantage. The only object should be to please Lord Hari.

 

The absolute truth is a living person and not an abstract principle.

 

He has the power of communicating His commands to us and ex-pressing His approval and disapproval of our activities. No one can understand His com-mand who does not fully submit to Him.

The absolute truth is not anything limited or partial; neither can it be divided. It is not dependent on any condition except itself. It is always one and the same.

[Murali_Mohan_das 0]

 

It is his bounden duty to op-pose any person who tries to deceive and harm himself or other people by misrepresent-ing the truth either due to malice or genuine misunderstanding. This will be possible if the chanter of kirtana is always prepared to sub-mit to be trodden on by thoughtless people if any discomfort to himself will enable him to do good to his persecutors by chanting the truth in the most unambiguous manner.

 

So much for "Don't Tread on Me"!!

[Beggar 0]

 

"...One who does not employ his voice constantly and exclusively in chanting the kirtana of Hari has no access to the service of Hari by any other faculty.

A. So you don't chant your rounds?

B. Nope, I don't want to shoot blanks. I just do service.

[Murali_Mohan_das 0]

 

A. So you don't chant your rounds?

B. Nope, I don't want to shoot blanks. I just do service.

 

I chanted my rounds yesterday (well, the bare minimum). It was the first time in a few weeks. Of course, most of the time my mind was wandering.

[Beggar 0]

 

I chanted my rounds yesterday (well, the bare minimum). It was the first time in a few weeks. Of course, most of the time my mind was wandering.

I think that most devotees who have been ordered to chant a minumum of 16 rounds daily will tell you that it takes around 6 or 7 rounds just to "get into the zone" and get the mind to calm down a bit.

[Beggar 0]

 

 

 

Sacre bleau! I have lost mon bead bag!

 

[BhaktiK 0]

 

I think that most devotees who have been ordered to chant a minumum of 16 rounds daily will tell you that it takes around 6 or 7 rounds just to "get into the zone" and get the mind to calm down a bit.

 

I find many people aspiring to be devotees who chant rounds regularly every day make the big mistake of thinking they are chanting Harinama every day, when in reality they are stuck in the stage of namaparadha / namabhasa.

 

Getting into the zone is no great achievement because lots of people have got into the zone in the last 40 years and then gone down into a hellish illusion. Tens of thousands of people have gone down that road including a significant number of men who were gurus for while.

 

Better that a person feels worthless and humble. Better to be feeling "I'm a sinner" and to be always praying for divine grace than to be an expert devotee who thinks to himself "I am a fixed up devotee". A puffed up man who is habituated to visiting the zone from time to time thinks "I know what chanting Hare Krsna feels like. I get it!". In his deceit he cannot grasp the fact that he has never chanted Harinama even once in all his life. Someone may be muttering sounds but is that muttering of mantras a real chant of Sri Harinama? The scriptures say it is not.

 

evam-vratah sva-priya-nama-kirtya

jatanurago druta-citta uccaih

hasaty atho roditi rauti gayaty

unmada-van nrtyati loka-bahyah

 

["By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion." (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.2.40)]

[Beggar 0]

I completely agree with your points. Srila Sridhar Maharaj one time wanted to publish Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur's explanation of the api cet sudaracaro verse in Gita in a fortnightly. Sripad Yajavara Maharaj objected and told him, "Maharaj, this is a very dangerous conception to put before the neophyte section". Of course due to his nature Srila Sridhar Maharaj took the risk and published the truth. Once Srila Sridhar Maharaj remarked to the Western devotees that offensive japa was like shooting blanks. Now some who have heard this (and also 20 yrs ago) do not chant their prescribed rounds with the excuse, "Oh I would just be shooting blanks". This is a complete misintepretation of what Srila Sridhar Maharaj intended, but this is the risk he would take. Although we may be firing blanks we chant anyway because we were ordered by our gurudeva do so. Also, Srila Rupa Goswami has written that the only remedy for offensive chanting is incessant chanting of Krsna nama. While we are "pulling on beads" and mumbling our offenses or a semblance of the holy name we must be aware of our fallen condition.

[BhaktiK 0]

Srila Sridhar Maharaj also made the point that we should not try to serve Krishna but rather to render service as a servant of the servant of a servant. But in his recent commentary to Mahaprabhu's 8 directives (the Siksastakam) Srila Govinda Maharaj revealed that when Gurudev asks us to chant Harinama he is asking us to serve Krishna directly.

 

How astonishing it is, that when we offer an article during aroti we know we first look to Srila Gurudev and then offer the item to the Thakur (Deity) on behalf of Gurudev (we are part of Gurudev's paraphenalia), but when chanting Harinama the little jiva soul will put his full conscious attention to the Thakur Himself and then find Hari is dancing on the tongue. Serving Harinama is the most wonderful form of direct service we can get.

 

We were told we should not aspire to associate with the Lord directly, since we are supposed to be following Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami Goswaml who said, "Radharani, I want your grace. Without you, I don't want Krsna separately. I never want Krsna without you."

 

But when the Lord descends as Sri Nama Prabhu and dances on the tongue then the devotee will experience that he is in direct contact with the Lord. Amazing.

[Beggar 0]

Srila Sridhar Maharaj, "In the Name of Rama within the Hare Krishna mantra, the Gaudiya Vaisnavas will find Radha-ramana Rama. That means, Krishna who gives pleasure (raman) to Srimati Radharani."

 

 

We were told we should not aspire to associate with the Lord directly, since we are supposed to be following Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami Goswaml who said, "Radharani, I want your grace. Without you, I don't want Krsna separately. I never want Krsna without you."

 

But when the Lord descends as Sri Nama Prabhu and dances on the tongue then the devotee will experience that he is in direct contact with the Lord. Amazing.

Yet the higher section will find themselves in direct contact with Radha dasyam. But the next possibility is that they will also find themselves simultaneously, directly in contact with Gaura Gadadhar.

[krsna 3]

 

Srila Sridhar Maharaj also made the point that we should not try to serve Krishna but rather to render service as a servant of the servant of a servant. But in his recent commentary to Mahaprabhu's 8 directives (the Siksastakam) Srila Govinda Maharaj revealed that when Gurudev asks us to chant Harinama he is asking us to serve Krishna directly.

 

How astonishing it is, that when we offer an article during aroti we know we first look to Srila Gurudev and then offer the item to the Thakur (Deity) on behalf of Gurudev (we are part of Gurudev's paraphenalia), but when chanting Harinama the little jiva soul will put his full conscious attention to the Thakur Himself and then find Hari is dancing on the tongue. Serving Harinama is the most wonderful form of direct service we can get.

 

We were told we should not aspire to associate with the Lord directly, since we are supposed to be following Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami Goswaml who said, "Radharani, I want your grace. Without you, I don't want Krsna separately. I never want Krsna without you."

 

But when the Lord descends as Sri Nama Prabhu and dances on the tongue then the devotee will experience that he is in direct contact with the Lord. Amazing.

 

:namaskar: