(9) Best Shelter

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bhanjipur, 2 December 2019, noon, part 9
Translated from Bengali

I told you all yesterday about three main pilgrimages: to Sri Vrindavan Dham, Sri Ksetra Dham and Sri Gaura Dham. Krishna's abode (Vrindavan Dham) is a shelter for those who have attained liberation from all material desires and who serve the Lord continuously; it is not for those who have even a trace of material desires. But Gaura Dham is for everyone – for all the lowly, sinful, poor, depraved, destitute and unfortunate souls.

Gauranga is a friend of the fallen, and His holy abode is manifest in this world to bestow genuine mercy upon the lowly souls who are ruined by Kali, who are given to lust and anger. Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj, Srila Prabhupad, all our guru-varga lived in Nabadwip Dham. If you can circumambulate this holy transcendental, supramundane abode in the company of pure devotees, in chaste submission of Sri Gurupadpadma, it makes Gaurasundar happy. That is why we must do this Gaura Dham parikrama, and that is why we come to invite you all. The only reason why I have come here is to tell you that you must come and circumambulate Sri Nabadwip Dham. We do this parikramas during four days every year, so you must come for this time.

Sri Nabadwip Mandal and the banks of the Ganges, sanctified by the lotus footprints of Sri Gaurasundar, arouse remembrance of the Lord's magnanimous pastimes. One can get the mercy of Gaura by circumambulating the holy abode without deceit, chanting in the kirtan inaugurated by Gaura Hari, following the footsteps of loving devotees. Except for the practise of sankirtan in the association of devotees as instructed by Gaura, there is no other way or practice to attain His mercy. The true practice aimed at attaining divine love means giving up all other desires and practising devotional processes striving to please the Supreme Lord.

I have written here, in Guidance 4, one example about chanting the Holy Name. Listen to this carefully. One time, when I went on a parikrama, I went to Naimisaranya and I saw that Srila Prabhupad opened a temple there. It is in Uttar Pradesh, not so far from Ayodhya. Before, when we went for Vrindavan parikrama, we would go by bus directly from Nabadwip and visited many places on the way.

What I am about to tell you about took place at the onset of Kali-yuga, more than 5,500 years ago. Kali-yuga's duration is 432,000 years, and you can see that it is winter now, but it is so hot – you can imagine how much more time there is still in this yuga and what is to come...

So, at the onset of Kali-yuga, sixty thousand rishis gathered in Naimisaranya and started a thousand-year-long fire sacrifice with a view to reach the abode of Lord Vishnu. (At that time, people could live for one thousand years.) Even though they did this very long sacrifice, they could not bring ultimate happiness to their hearts. One day, when they, as usual, finished placing the oblation into the sacrificial fire, they met Sri Suta Goswami (the son of Romaharsan Muni and a disciple of Vedavyas). Sri Suta Goswami was an expert in all scriptures. He came to the assembly of Pariksit Maharaj who had been cursed by a brahman, and heard Srimad Bhagavatam from the mouth of Srila Sukadev Goswami. Although Srila Suta Goswami was born into a lower than brahman family, he possesses transcendental knowledge and has direct realisation of the Lord – therefore, the sages in Naimisaranya accepted him as their Guru and asked him six questions: what is ultimately good for a jiva soul? Through what practice or religion can the soul get ultimate happiness?

Approaching the questions of the sages with much respect, Sri Suta Goswamipad replied:

স বৈ পুংসাং পরো ধর্ম্মো যতো ভক্তিরধোক্ষজে ।
অহৈতুক্যপ্রতিহতা যয়াত্মা সুপ্রসীদতি ॥

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati

'The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.'

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.2.7)

No matter how many religious works a jiva soul performs according to its capacity, its main and topmost religion is bhagavat-dharma (devotion unto the Supreme Personality of God). Practising this topmost religion (devotion) brings complete satisfaction to one’s soul (atma). In Kali-yuga, jiva souls have a short lifetime, they are unfortunate, disturbed by diseases, and covered by all kinds of unwanted elements – if these jiva souls practise devotion to the Lord, i.e. if they can practise hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. of the Holy Names of the Lord, narrations about the Lord, and His pastimes and His qualities, they will get spiritual benefit and happiness.

This happened so many years before Mahaprabhu's advent. Mahaprabhu appeared some five hundred years ago, but this happened five thousand years ago. Mayavadis say that Mahaprabhu invited all the chanting, dancing, etc. But these things were prescribed even in Bhagavatam, so many years before Him!

If you practise fire sacrifices, austerities, vows, etc. – anything except for devotion to the Supreme Lord Vasudev – the soul will not attain the happiness of the soul. The authors of the scriptures say that this devotion is causeless and irresistible. Selfish undertaking, knowledge-seeking, fire sacrifices, etc. cannot obstruct such pure devotion. Just as the current of the Ganges automatically goes towards the ocean, in the same way, the unrestrained current of the Mandakini river of devotion makes all kinds of happiness besides the happiness of devotion (i.e. the joy of enjoyment, the joy of liberation or the joy of realising the soul, the joy of attaining perfections) insignificant, and brings pure devotion to the heart of the devotees who are intent on attaining divine love. Such devotion is called ‘exclusive’, ‘nirguna’, or ‘direct’ devotion. This is possible only through sravan and kirtan.

Let us chant some kirtan now. It is already past twelve, so after that we must do bhoga-arati. We must chant Nityananda Prabhu's kirtan now. [His Divine Grace chants 'Parama karuna pahu dui jana', 'Gaurangera duti pada' and 'Gaya Gora madhura svare'.]

parama karuna, pahu dui jana,
nitai gaura-chandra
saba avatara- sara siromani,
kevala ananda kanda [1]

Nitai and Gaurachandra are two most merciful Lords. They are the best crest-jewels of all incarnations and the root of pure happiness.

bhaja bhaja bhai, chaitanya-nitai,
sudrdha visvasa kari’
visaya chhadiya, se rase majiya,
mukhe bala hari hari [2]

Brother, serve, serve Chaitanya and Nitai with the strongest faith! Leave aside all material things and, immersing yourself into this nectar, chant out loud, ‘Hari! Hari!’

dekha ore bhai, tribhuvane nai,
emana dayala data
pasu-pakhi jhure, pasana vidare,
suni’ yara guna-gatha [3]

Look, brother, in all the three worlds there is no other benefactor as merciful as They are. Even birds and animals begin to shed tears and stones melt just by hearing about Their glories.

samsare majiya, rahili padiya,
se pade nahila asa
apana karama, bhunjaya samana,
kahaye lochana dasa [4]

Lochan Das says, ‘Drowning in material life, I have been living as a fallen wretch never aspiring to come to Their feet. Now I am being punished for my own actions.’

gaurangera duti pada, yara dhana sampada,
se jane bhakati rasa-sara
gaurangera madhura-lila, yara karne pravesila,
hrdaya nirmala bhela tara [1]

Those whose wealth and treasure is Sri Gauranga’s feet know the excellence of devotional ecstasy. When Gauranga’s sweet pastimes enter one’s ears, their heart becomes pure.

ye gaurangera nama laya, tara haya premodaya,
tare muni yai balihari
gauranga-gunete jhure, nitya-lila tare sphure,
se jana bhakati-adhikari [2]

When one chants Gauranga’s Name, divine love arises in them. It is beyond description! Eternal pastimes of Lord Gauranga are revealed to those who shed tears upon hearing about His glory – such persons are qualified for devotion.

gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kari mane,
se yaya vrajendra-suta-pasa
sri-gauda-mandala-bhumi, yeba jane chintamani,
tara haya vraja-bhume vasa [3]

Those who consider Gauranga’s associates to be eternally liberated perfected souls reach Krishna, the Son of the King of Vraja; and those who always think about Sri Gauda Mandal reside in Vraja.

gaura-prema-rasarnave, se tarange yeba dube,
se radha-madhava-antaranga
grhe va vanete thake, ‘ha gauranga’ bale dake,
narottama mage tara sanga [4]

Those who dive into the waves rising in the ocean of divine love for Gaura are intimate associates of Radha-Madhav. No matter whether the person lives in a house or a forest, whoever calls out to Gauranga, Narottam begs for their association.

gaya gora madhura svare
hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare [1]

Gora sings sweetly: ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.’

grhe thaka, vane thaka, sada ‘hari’ bale’ daka
sukhe duhkhe bhulo naka, vadane harinama kara re [2]

Whether you live at home or in a forest, always call out to the Supreme Lord. In happiness and in sadness, do not forget it: loudly chant the Lord’s Names.

maya-jale baddha ha’ye, achha michhe kaja la’ye
ekhana-o chetana peye, radha-madhava-nama bala re [3]

Bound in Maya’s net, you waste your time on useless work. While you are still conscious, chant Radha-Madhav’s Names!

jivana haila sesa, na bhajile hrsikesa
bhaktivinod-upadesa, eka-bara nama-rase mata re [4]

Your life has come to an end, but you have not served Lord Hrsikes. Here is Bhaktivinod’s advice: let the nectar of the Holy Name take over you just once.

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