(7/13) Service Is Not Abstract

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bandipur, 15 November 2019, evening, part 7
Translated from Bengali

You are very fortunate because the Lord appeared in this world right here, in Nabadwip, West Bengal. The festivals of Gaura Purnima and Nityananda-trayodasi are coming soon. Join us at the festivals.

Nityananda Prabhu is Lord Balaram Himself: He comes in this Kali-yuga as Nitai in Ekachakra. This is not an ordinary village. During the Kuruksetra battle, Krishna hurled a wheel (chakra) of a chariot while fighting, and it fell in the place that is now known as Ekachakra. This is where Balaram appeared in Kali-yuga as Nityananda Prabhu at the house of Hadai Pandit and Padmavati Mayi. The day of His appearance (Nityananda-trayodasi) is coming soon.

And here, in Nabadwip, is the appearance place of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I always tell everyone that during the year we make three parikramas: Sri Vraja Mandal parikrama (for the highest class of devotees), Sri Purusottam Ksetra parikrama (Sri Puri Dham) and Sri Nabadwip Mandal parikrama. For the new devotees it is definitely of utmost necessity to do Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama every year. Those who have progressed a little in their spiritual lives should do Sri Purusottam Ksetra parikrama, and those who have come to a high level should go for Sri Vrindavan Dham parikrama. So, it is not like you will think, 'Oh, I have been to these parikramas one time (two times/five times/etc.), so I will not go there again.' No. You should come every year. You should go for Sri Vraja Mandal, Sri Gaura Mandal and Sri Purusottam Ksetra (Sri Puri Dham) parikramas every year. It is necessary to this kind of hankering and service mood.

When we went to Kuruksetra recently, I told there that you must have an irresistible desire, or attraction, to serve your guru, and Kuruksetra is the highest place where that kind of service drive is realised. When Param Guru Maharaj spoke about it, he said that service to the guru means you must realise what is necessary and when it is necessary. If you can serve your guru at the time of the highest necessity (if you can supply what your guru needs at the time when he needs it the most), that is your best opportunity.

When we were at Kuruksetra, we visited Brahma Kunda as well as a place called Sairik Kunda, where Duryodhana was hiding under water and was subsequently insulted because of that. Brahma Kunda is a pond created by Lord Brahma – during every solar eclipse big crowds of people come there to bath in it. When there was a solar eclipse in Dvapar-yuga, Krishna also came there. He came riding a chariot, surrounded by His ministers and soldiers. In the meantime, all the Vraja gopis, together with Mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaj, came there, too, longing to get Krishna's darshan after a very long time. But when they arrived and saw Krishna in that state, they were upset, 'We have never seen this Krishna before! He has no peacock feather – instead, He is wearing a big crown! He is not dressed as a simple cowherd boy that we once knew – instead, He is dressed as a king. And He has no flute! We do not like this Krishna.' Then, they started pulling His chariot back to Vrindavan. This is how Ratha-yatra festival started originally.

You, too, must have this kind of mood. 'When will I be able to see Krishna in that charming form?' This is madhura-rasa, and this is the plane we aspire to serve.

যে যথা মাং প্রপদ্যন্তে তাংস্তথৈব ভজাম্যহম্ ।
মম বর্ত্মানুবর্ত্তন্তে মনুষ্যাঃ পার্থ সর্ব্বশঃ ॥

ye yatha mam prapadyante, tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante, manusyah partha sarvasah

'Howsoever people surrender to Me, I accordingly reward them. Being the ultimate goal of all paths, I am the objective to be attained by all. O Partha, all men follow My various paths.'

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 4.11)

When Ramananda Ray told Mahaprabhu about Gita's final instruction, 'Leave all religions and surrender to Me ("Sarva-dharman parityajya..."),' Mahaprabhu rejected it saying, 'This is superficial. Go deeper.' Then, Ramananda Ray spoke of jnana-marga (path of knowledge). Mahaprabhu rejected it, too, 'This is superficial. Go deeper.' Then, he spoke of jnana-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with pursuit of knowledge), Mahaprabhu rejected it, and when he finally spoke of jnana-sunya bhakti (devotion free from knowledge seeking), then Mahaprabhu accepted it, 'Yes, this is something.' After that, the conversation went on to cover higher and higher planes of devotion: santa-rasa (neutral devotion), dasya-rasa (serving the Lord as a servant), sakhya-rasa (serving the Lord as a friend), vatsalya-rasa (serving the Lord as a parent) and madhura-rasa (serving the Lord as a paramour). In the end, Mahaprabhu could not contain Himself – He revealed His original form of Rasa-raja Maha-bhava Chaitanya svarupa (a combined form of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna). When we went to South India, we went to the bank of the Godavari where that conversation took place and where Mahaprabhu showed that highest form to Ramananda Ray...

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Appreciate Your Fortune
2) Fossil Hearts
3) God Is Great
4) Getting in Touch With God
5) God's Message
6) Higher Purpose in Life
7) Service Is Not Abstract
8) Choose the Right Path
9) Purity Comes From Practice
10) Embrace Eternal Life
11) Search for the Eternal
12) Service Comes from Heart
13) Educate Yourself