(3/9) Genuine Surrender

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Nrisingha Palli, 3 February 2021, part 3
Translated from Bengali

First, it is necessary to become surrendered. We sing in the kirtan:

ষড়ঙ্গ শরণাগতি হইবে যাঁহার ।
তাঁহার প্রার্থনা শুনে শ্রীনন্দকুমার ॥

sad-anga saranagati haibe yanhara
tanhara prarthana sune sri-nanda-kumara

‘Lord Krishna hears the prayers of those who surrender to Him in these six ways.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Among the six limbs of surrender, first is humility. We must always be very, very humble. Even when we ask questions, we must be humble.

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

‘One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree and who gives honour to others without desiring it for themselves is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.6.239)

তৃণাধিক হীন দীন অকিঞ্চন ছার ।
আপনে মানবি সদা ছাড়ি’ অহঙ্কার ॥

trnadhika hina dina akinchana chhara
apane manabi sada chhadi’ ahankara

‘You must always leave ego and consider yourself to be more lowly than a blade of grass, poor, destitute and wretched.’

(Sri Gitavali, Sri Siksastaka, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We must be lower than a blade of grass, we must leave all ego.

বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যজি’ অন্যে করবি পালন ॥

vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji’ anye karabi palana

‘You must practise tolerance like that of a tree and nurture others giving up vengeance.’

(Sri Gitavali, Sri Siksastaka Giti, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Somebody can be envious of me, somebody can ill-treat me, but I will not do that towards anyone in return.

জীবন-নির্ব্বাহে আনে উদ্বেগ না দিবে ।
পর-উপকারে নিজ সুখ পাসরিবে ॥

jivana-nirvahe ane udvega na dibe
para-upakare nija sukha pasaribe

‘You must live without causing anxiety to others and do good unto others forsaking your own happiness.’

(Sri Gitavali, Sri Siksastaka Giti, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

I will not give any austerity, any pain to other jiva souls for my own benefit. We must throw away our happiness for the happiness of others. Do not think about your own happiness. Whichever way the Lord keeps you, you must accept it and respect that. ‘In whichever way the Lord keeps me, I must practise Krishna consciousness (worship the Lord) whatever the situation may be.’ We are our own friends, and we are our own enemies. Our enemies are not outside – we have six enemies within us: kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya (lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness, envy). We have six urges: vakya-veg, mana-veg, krodha-veg, jihva-veg, udar-vega, upastha-veg (the urges of speech, mind, anger, tongue, stomach, genitals). We sing in the kirtan:

ঠাকুর বৈষ্ণবগণ ! করি এই নিবেদন,
মো বড় অধম দুরাচার ।

thakura vaisnava-gana! kari ei nivedana,
mo bada adhama durachara

‘O worshippable Vaishnavs! I am submitting this prayer to you. I am very lowly and wretched.’

(Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

kama-krodha-adi chhaya, batapade deya bhaya,
avasana haila asi’ bela

‘I am harassed by the six highway robbers (lust, anger, etc.). And now my time has come to an end.’

(Sri Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

These six enemies (lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness, envy) pull us in different directions, removing us from spiritual life. They always work for Maya Devi. Receiving her power from the Lord, Maya Devi uses it to remove us from the service of the Lord and keep us submerged in the ocean of material life. That is why we wake up in the morning and sing 'Gurvastakam' composed by Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur:

সংসার-দাবানল-লীঢ়-লোক-
ত্রাণায় কারুণ্য-ঘনাঘনত্বম্ ।
প্রাপ্তস্য কল্যাণ-গুণার্ণবস্য
বন্দে গুরোঃ শ্রীচরণারবিন্দম্ ॥

samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya
vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

‘I offer my obeisance unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru, who is an ocean of good qualities and auspiciousness and who, as a thick rain cloud of mercy, brings relief to this world devoured by the forest fire of material existence.’

(Sri Sri Gurvastakam, Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur)

Because we always live amidst blazing fire, we always chant kirtan and pray to Vaishnavs.

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

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

দয়া করি মোরে, পতিত দেখিয়া,
কহিল আমারে গিয়া ।
ওহে দীন জন, শুন ভাল কথা,
উল্লসিত হ’বে হিয়া ॥

daya kari more, patita dekhiya,
kahila amare giya
ohe dina jana, suna bhala katha,
ullasita ha’be hiya

‘Seeing me so fallen, he took pity on me and came to me, saying: “Poor soul, listen to this good news, it will make your heart rejoice.”’

তোমারে তারিতে, শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য,
নবদ্বীপে অবতার ।
তোমা হেন কত, দীন হীন জনে,
করিলেন ভব-পার ॥

tomare tarite, sri-krsna-chaitanya,
navadvipe avatara
toma hena kata, dina hina jane,
karilena bhava-para

‘“Sri Krishna Chaitanya has appeared in Nabadwip to deliver you! He has already taken many poor souls like you to the shore of the ocean of material existence.”’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

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Size: 40 Mb
Length: 81 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Have You Forgotten?
2) Morning Shows the Day
3) Genuine Surrender
4) In Search of Hidden Treasure
5) Humility and Dedication
6) Jnana-Sunya Bhakti
7) Taking a Stand Against Maya
8) Be One-Pointed
9) A Word of Warning