(4/12) Vaishnavs' Dignity

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Vaishnav-seva programme in Begampur (Hooghly),
Early February 2019, part 4
Translated from Bengali

When Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj established Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, many of his godbrothers would come to visit him or to stay with him. Many of them even took sannyas from him (for example, Srila Bhakti Kamal Madhusudan Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Aloka Paramahamsa Maharaj) and later became gurus and opened their own temples. Many of his godbrothers received much recognition as great Vaishnavs (vaisnavi pratistha tate kara nistha, বৈষ্ণবী প্রতিষ্ঠা তাতে কর নিষ্ঠা). When all these godbrothers came to Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, our Gurupadpadma had an opportunity to serve them all.

Sri Gurupadpadma told me, 'How do I know so many verses from Srimad Bhagavad-gita? I have been giving classes since my childhood. When I was a young boy, I would learn all those verses from Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj when I stayed at his house because he would take me with him for preaching. He would have me sit at the vyasa-asan (because I was wearing saffron clothes) and tell me to read Gita, and he would then explain the meaning of the verses. This is how I learned many verses from Gita.' Moreover, Srila Swami Maharaj himself said also, 'I have only one real son, this is Govinda Maharaj.'

It is at the holy lotus feet of this Gurupadpadma that we have taken shelter and surrendered to. We have got a chance to serve under his direction. To be able to serve in chaste submission to him and to follow his words is our highest aspiration.

Many people say that Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj is a great scholar, a great personality. If he is a great personality and a great scholar, then what he says must also be great, is that not so? In the same way, we say that our Gurupadpadma is a great personality, but if he is a great personality, then what he says is also great and we must follow it. It is not possible to practise devotional life without chaste submission (anugatya) to the guru. No matter how much you chant kirtan, no matter how many places you visit, if you do not have chastity to your guru, this is not devotion.

One time, somebody asked Srila Prabhupad, 'Where is a holy place of pilgrimage?' Srila Prabhupad said, 'A holy place of pilgrimage is the place where Hari-katha is spoken.' For example, there is Hari-katha being spoken here at this place, so this place is a holy place. A holy place of pilgrimage is wherever Vaishnavs stay. Vaishnavs always glorify and speak about the Lord, their guru and other Vaishnavs – they do not talk about any other things, they do not gossip or criticise others. They do not speak about anything else – they always keep themselves reserved. 'Apana bhajana-katha na kahibe yatha tatha (আপন ভজন-কথা, না কহিবে যথা তথা). Do not tell anyone and everyone about your own bhajan, service and practice.'

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Length: 109 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Your Sreyo Must Become Your Preyo
2) Joy in Sadness
3) Who Will Understand?
4) Vaishnavs' Dignity
5) Read and Absorb
6) Sincere Self-Realisation
7) Mahaprabhu's Conception
8) Gist of Spiritual Life
9) Prison of Misconception
10) Learn and Live the Ideal
11) Service Alertness
12) Be Attached and Detached