(6/10) Where Is Substance?

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme in Hooghly District, evening
Translated into English from Bengali
21 February 2020, part 6

You always host 24-prahar or 8-prahar lila- and pala-kirtans at home. When I come in Vaisakh month (April–May), it is not even possible to rent a microphone because there are so many kirtans everywhere in this village. But what is the use? They say that they want to do good for jivas, but they cannot bring even one jiva to this path – they cannot turn even one jiva towards Krishna. That is why it is said that even if you chant kirtans for all eternity (anadi-kala) – even if you chant kirtan for ten million lives – you will not come to the Lord.

কোটি জন্ম যদি করে শ্রবণ কীর্ত্তন ।
তবু না পায় ব্রজেন্দ্রনন্দন ॥

koti janma yadi kare sravana kirtana
tabu na paya vrajendranandan

"If you practise hearing and chanting for millions of lives, you may still not get the Son of Nanda who dwells in Vraja."

হেন কৃষ্ণনাম যদি লয় বহুবার ।
তবু যদি প্রেম নহে, নহে অশ্রুধার ॥
তবে জানি, অপরাধ তাহাতে প্রচুর ।
কৃষ্ণনাম-বীজ তাহে না করে অঙ্কুর ॥

hena krnsa-nama yadi laya bahu-bara
tabu yadi prema nahe, nahe asrudhara
tabe jani, aparadha tahate prachura
krsna-nama-bija tahe na kare ankura

"If you chant this Name of Krishna so many times but still there is no love, there are no tears streaming from your eyes, then as I understand there are too many offences and the seed of Krishna's Name does not sprout."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.8.29–30)

It is necessary to chant the Holy Name giving up all offences. You can see the calendars – all offences are described there (offences to the Holy Name, holy places, Vaishnavs, service and other souls). Read it carefully and always think about it and always listen to Hari-katha. It is necessary to make some effort. You must want it, then you will get mercy – until and unless you have a strong desire to get the mercy of the Lord, you will not get it. It is necessary to have desire, and it is necessary to try.

When you study at school or university, you must try hard – you must study hard, then you will pass the exams. For example, if I want to get a job, I will be tested many times. We cannot be tested ten times and then quit the job. We must wait and hanker for the service to the Lord ('When will Gurudev and Vaishnavs give their order to me?') like chatak birds who always look at the sky, waiting for raindrops to fall. This is what mercy is: 'When will I get an order from my Guru and Vaishnavs? When will I be used for some service? When will I get some service?' We must always think about that. We must always have this strong desire, 'When will I get to do some service?'

You can also remember the pastime when Mother Yasoda tried to bind Krishna. You have read about this pastimes, and we also sing during the Kartik month the Damodarastakam:

নমামীশ্বরং সচ্চিদানন্দরূপং
লসৎ-কুণ্ডলং গোকুলে ভ্রাজমানং ।

namamisvaram sach-chid-ananda rupam
lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam

"To the Supreme Lord, whose form is the embodiment of eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss, whose shark-shaped earrings are swinging to and fro, who is beautifully shining in the divine realm of Gokula...."

In his commentary to Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur wrote very beautifully that every time Mother Yasoda tried to bind Krishna, the rope she used was always two fingers too short. The meaning of these two fingers is this: one finger is desire, or effort, and the other finger is mercy. Mother Yasoda thought, 'Who said I cannot bind Gopal? He is my son! I do not care how much rope it will take, but I will bind Him anyhow by hook or by crook!' This is how relentless we must be in our attempts. Until and unless we have a very strong desire to serve the Lord, the teachings of Sri Rupa-Raghunath – this Hari-katha – will not enter our ears. Always remember this.

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Detach Yourself from Illusion
2) Tenacious Tenants
3) Nurture Natural Devotion
4) Eternal Loving Worship
5) Essential Admonition
6) Where Is Substance?
7) How to Capture the Lord
8) Pillars of Spiritual Life
9) Undiluted Spiritual Life
10) Power of Sambandha-Jnana