(1/8) Auspicious Life – Auspicious Deeds

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Radhastami, evening, Siliguri
6 September 2019, part 1
Translated from Bengali

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

'The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill – all it takes is mercy from Gurudev.'

(Bhavartha Dipika)

First, I am offering my full obeisance at the reddish soles of my Divine Master Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj’s holy feet, begging him for his causeless mercy and aspiring to serve him; after that, I am offering my full obeisance to all guru-varga, all my godbrothers, all the listeners, all the motherly lady devotees and all the devotees. I am offering my obeisance at your holy feet and praying for your mercy to this lowly soul.

It is a very auspicious day today – the holy appearance day of Srimati Radharani.

Soon is also going to be an ekadasi day. This year, it coincides with the day of Lord Vamanadev's appearance. So, this year, we will be fasting for both the ekadasi and Lord Vamanadev's appearance on the same day. Vamandev is one of the twelve incarnations of the Lord, and His appearance falls on Monday this year. The next day after that, we must cook and offer Lord Vamanadev some sweet rice (paramanna, or payesh) in the morning. Remember this. After you offer bhoga and do archan, offer some sweet rice, and then everybody must be given that sweet-rice prasad to break the fast (on Tuesday). This is the rule observed on the appearance day of Lord Vamandev as well as Lord Varahadev. Once everybody breaks the fast, then breakfast can be served – muri, vegetables, fruit, etc. (whatever you make and offer). Do archan, offer bhoga and then take prasad in the morning, and do everything timely.

I have told you a lot today about Srimati Radharani, I have also written and read to you about Her glories.

রাধা-ভজনে যদি মতি নাহি ভেলা ।
কৃষ্ণ-ভজন তব অকারণ গেলা ॥

radha-bhajane yadi mati nahi bhela
krsna-bhajana tava akarana gela

'If you did not become devoted to the worship of Srimati Radharani, your worship of Krishna was in vain.'

(Sri Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Without serving and worshipping Radharani (it means without worshipping and serving your Gurupadpadma), it is not possible to ever please the Lord.

সাক্ষাদ্ধরিত্বেন সমস্ত-শাস্ত্রৈ-
রুক্তস্তথা ভাব্যত এব সদ্ভিঃ ।
কিন্তু প্রভোর্যঃ প্রিয় এব তস্য
বন্দে গুরোঃ শ্রীচরণারবিন্দম্ ॥

saksadd-haritvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

'I offer my obeisance unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru, who is said by all scriptures to be no doubt the Supreme Lord Himself and considered to be so by pious souls but who is also no doubt the Lord's dear associate.'

(Sri Sri Gurvastakam, Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur)

In this verse, gurudev is called Srimati Radharani Herself – Srimati Radhika is extremely dear to the Lord, so gurudev is, similarly, very, very dear to the Lord. If we can get our guru's mercy, then we will be successful in every respect.

There are many gurus in this world: there are karmi-gurus (who teach you how to attain material benefit), jnani-gurus (who teach you material knowledge), yogi-gurus (who teach you mystic or esoteric powers), kaulik gurus (ancestral teachers), laukik gurus (family teachers), but the number of paramarthik gurus (genuine spiritual teachers) is very small. It is very difficult to become a devotee, but it is very easy to dress as one.

“গোরার আমি, গোরার আমি” মুখে বলিলে নাহি চলে ।
গোরার আচার, গোরার বিচার লইলে ফল ফলে ॥

"gorara ami, gorara ami" mukhe balile nahi chale
gorara achara, gorara vichara la-ile phala phale

'Just saying, "I am Gora's! I am Gora's!" does not do. Only when you follow Gora's practices and Gora's conception will you get the proper result.'

লোক দেখান গোরা ভজা তিলক মাত্র ধরি ।
গোপনেতে অত্যাচার গোরা ধরে চুরি ॥

loka dekhana gora bhaja tilaka matra dhari'
gopanete atyachara gora dhare churi

'You put on tilaks and show the whole world that you serve Gora, but secretly you do outrageous things. Gora will catch you, thief (hypocrite)!'

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 8.6–7)

If you privately do horrible things thinking that nobody will know about it, you are wrong – Gora knows everything.

যস্য প্রসাদাদ্ভগবৎ-প্রসাদো
যস্যাপ্রসাদাৎ ন গতিঃ কুতোঽপি ।
ধ্যায়ং স্তুবংস্তস্য যশস্ত্রিসন্ধ্যং
বন্দে গুরোঃ শ্রীচরণারবিন্দম্ ॥

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadat na gatih kuto 'pi
dhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

'I offer my obeisance unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru, by pleasing whom one can please the Lord, and by displeasing whom one will have nowhere to go; I sing and meditate on his glory at the three junctions of the day.'

(Sri Sri Gurvastakam, Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur)

The nature of the guru is such that if you get his mercy, you automatically get the mercy of the Lord; without his mercy, there is no hope and no other way to achieve anything. We meditate on his glory throughout the day. It is not that we will think about Srimati Radharani during one day, on Her birthday – we must remember Her in our hearts and souls every single day. Similarly, it is not that you can speak about gurudev only on his birthday – we must call out to gurudev in our hearts, minds and in the depths of our very beings every single day. If you can do that, you can get mercy. We must live following our guru's instruction, serving our guru. Serving the guru does not mean massaging his feet. This is not service. If you can follow what the guru tells you, that is called service.

— : • : —

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Size: 34 Mb
Length: 70 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Auspicious Life – Auspicious Deeds
2) Mercy Is the Master Key
3) Soul's Estrangement
4) Guru's Potent Proximity
5) Guru Is All-In-All
6) 'Jay Gurudev!'
7) Great Things Come from Great Mercy
8) Where Will You Run?