(6/9) Kirtan: Devotees' Heartbeat

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Vyasa Puja Day, Tarakeswar, evening class
29 September 2019, part 6
Translated from Bengali

The relationship between the guru and the disciple is eternal, and the disciple must create and foster this relationship. For example, when a teacher teaches pupils at school, he does it in exchange for some salary, but the relationship between the guru and the disciple is not like that: their relationship is a very high matter.

It is said in the scriptures that you can find many gurus in this world, but it is very rare to find a disciple. I have told you about it many times. There are very few people in this world who would want to be chastised, or disciplined, by their guru. You make some mistake in your service to the holy lotus feet of the Lord – for example, you are making some sweet rice today, but you are not offering it to the Deities – and you think that the Lord will not see it, will not mind it. It is true that the Lord will not come to scold you for that, He will keep quiet, but gurudev can scold you, 'What are you doing? You are coming to cook for the Lord, but you are thinking about all the other things!' For example, you can come to cook, but because your mind is preoccupied with other thoughts, you forget to add salt or you put salt two times. The Lord will not say anything to you, but gurudev can tell you, 'Hey, you have forgotten to put salt!' or, 'You have put too much salt!' You can get from your guru all these interactions and instructions that will help you in your spiritual life.

Why do we keep Tulasi at the temple? We adorn temples with Tulasi to be reminded of Sri Vrindavan. Another thing is that when you do service, the result of your service is more service. Always remember this. You must submit everything in the service to the Lord:

মানস, দেহ, গেহ, যো কিছু মোর ।
অর্পিলুঁ তুয়া পদে, নন্দকিশোর !॥

manasa, deha, geha, yo kichhu mora
arpilun tuya pade, nanda-kisora!

'I have offered my mind, body, home, whatever I have, at Your feet, Nanda Kisor.'

(Sarangati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We sing this all the time.

সর্ব্বস্ব তোমার, চরণে সঁপিয়া,
পড়েছি তোমার ঘরে ।
তুমি ত’ ঠাকুর, তোমার কুকুর,
বলিয়া জানহ মোরে ॥

sarvasva tomara, charane sapiya,
padechhi tomara ghare
tumi ta’ thakura, tomara kukura,
baliya janaha more

'Submitting everything at Your feet, I have come to Your home. You are my Master, so please consider me Your dog.'

(Sarangati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

আত্মনিবেদন, তুয়া পদে করি’,
হইনু পরম সুখী ।
দুঃখ দূরে গেল, চিন্তা না রহিল,
চৌদিকে আনন্দ দেখি ॥

atma-nivedana, tuya pade kari’,
hainu parama sukhi
duhkha dure gela, chinta na rahila,
chaudike ananda dekhi

'Submitting myself at Your feet, I have become extremely happy. All my unhappiness is gone far away, and I no longer worry about anything – I see happiness in all directions.'

(Sarangati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

এমন দুর্ম্মতি, সংসার-ভিতরে,
পড়িয়া আছিনু আমি ।
তব নিজ-জন, কোন মহাজনে,
পাঠাইয়া দিলে তুমি ॥

emana durmati, samsara-bhitare,
padiya achhinu ami
tava nija-jana, kona mahajane,
pathaiya dile tumi

'O Lord, I have fallen into this vile material world, but You have sent a great soul, Your associate, to me.'

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We must chant all these kirtans – we must pray and humbly appeal to the Lord.

কিরূপে পাইব সেবা মুঞি দুরাচার ।
শ্রীগুরু-বৈষ্ণবে রতি না হৈল আমার ॥

ki-rupe paiba seva muni durachara
sri-guru-vaisnave rati na haila amara

'I am so vile – how will I ever get service? I have not got any attachment to Sri Guru and Vaishnavs!'

(Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

কবে শ্রীচৈতন্য মোরে করিবেন দয়া ।
কবে আমি পাইব বৈষ্ণব-পদছায়া ॥

kabe sri chaitanya more karibena daya
kabe ami paiba vaisnava-pada-chhaya

‘When will Sri Chaitanya (my chaitya-guru) be merciful to me? When will I come in the shade of Vaishnavs’ feet?’

কবে আমি ছাড়িব এ বিষয়াভিমান ।
কবে বিষ্ণুজনে আমি করিব সম্মান ॥

kabe ami chhadiba e visayabhimana
kabe visnu-jane ami kariba sammana

‘When will I give up this mundane ego? When will I give honour to the Lord’s devotees?’

গলবস্ত্র কৃতাঞ্জলি বৈষ্ণব নিকটে ।
দন্তে তৃণ করি’ দাঁড়াইব নিষ্কপটে ॥

gala-vastra krtanjali vaisnava-nikate
dante trna kari’ dandaiba niskapate

‘I will stand before a Vaishnav sincerely, with a cloth around my neck and joined palms, holding a straw between my teeth.’

(Sri Kalyan-kalpataru, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

These are prayers (prarthana) – kirtan must be always prayerful. Always remember these kirtans. When you are eating, lying down, sitting down, you must cry and chant kirtan. Even when you are sitting on the train or on a bus or walking somewhere, you must remember and chant kirtans. Even when you are alone, you can remember and chant these kirtans... It is not that you only sit in the morning and in the evening, chant some kirtans with drums and karatals and that is it. No. You must always chant kirtan.

[Somebody passes the temple and yells, 'Radhe! Radhe!']

Here, look at it. 'Radhe, Radhe...' He must be calling his wife. If you go to Vrindavan, you will hear everybody say, 'Radhe, Radhe' there. They have no right to take the Name of Srimati Radharani, but they say casually, 'Radhe, Radhe.' It is said about Mahaprabhu, 'Mukhe bale ra-ra, dui nayane bahe dhara (মুখে বলে রা-রা, দুই নয়নে বহে ধারা). He could not even pronounce Her Name – He only kept saying, "Ra-ra..."' Mahaprabhu could not even pronounce Lord Jagannath's Name – overwhelmed, He would keep saying, 'Ja-ja-ga-ga.' And in Vrindavan, they go about saying, 'Radhe, Radhe.' I also have some disciple in Govardhan who says to me, 'Radhe, Radhe, Gurudev.' I just keep quiet, but it makes my whole body shudder. They called me once and said, 'Gurudev, dandavat, I am leaving. Another place has offered me a bigger salary, so I am going there.' This is what you call a disciple these days... Guru Maharaj said, 'These are not sevak [pronounced as sebok], these are se-bhog [lit. "he enjoys"].'

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Length: 43 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Relentless Pursuit
2) Master's Ego vs Servant's Ego
3) Servitor's Ambition
4) Do Not Waste Time
5) 'I Am Sold to You'
6) Kirtan: Devotees' Heartbeat
7) Loving Search
8) Esoteric Sacrality of Sannyas
9) No Shortcuts