(2/13) Exclusive Path

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Singur (West Bengal), 5 February 2021, part 2
Translated from Bengali

Many of us have taken initiation, but not many of us have been able to become a disciple. Yes, we have taken initiation, but one does not become a disciple just by taking initiation. Nobody passes the final exams at school just by getting admitted to the school – if you do not study, you will have to fail. In the same way, the first step in Krishna consciousness and spiritual practice is guru-padasraya – taking shelter of the holy lotus feet of Sri Guru. Once we surrender at our guru’s holy lotus feet, we can start serving him.

If we do not take proper good association of great devotees (sadhu-sanga) and Vaishnavs (vaishnav-sanga), if we do not practise the nine kinds of devotional practices (sravan, kirtan, and so on), if we do not practise the panchanga (the five main devotional practices – sadhu-sanga, nama-sankitana, bhagavat-sravana, mathura-vasa, sraddhaya sri-murtir sevana – living in the association of saints, chanting the Holy Name, listening about the Lord, residing in the Lord’s holy abode, worshipping the Lord’s Deities with faith), we will be removed from devotion. We may have entered the path of devotion, or the world of devotion, but it does not take long to get removed from here. You should remember that it is very difficult to progress down the path of devotion, but it is very easy to get removed from it. One gets removed because of vaishnav-aparadha, seva-aparadha, dhama-aparadha, nama-aparadha. Always keep far from any vaishnav-aparadha, seva-aparadha, dhama-aparadha, nama-aparadha (offences to devotees, service, holy places or the Holy Name). You must be very careful about it. Always try to avoid offences until your last breath.

We have been averse to Krishna since time immemorial. Outside people worship many demigods and demigoddesses, they can understand very well who is their father, mother, friends, relatives, wife, daughter, son, son-in-law, and so on, but they do not understand who a guru is, who the Lord is. Do you know what Lord Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavad-gita? He says, ‘My devotees do not know anybody except Me, and I also do not know anybody except My devotees.’ These are Krishna’s own words. Exclusive, one-pointed devotees do not know anything or anyone except Krishna – they become crazy taking the Name of Krishna. So, this very Krishna has taken the heart and halo of Srimati Radharani and appeared as Gauranga Mahaprabhu right next to your door here in Sri Nabadwip Dham. He went door to door telling everyone:

জীব জাগ জীব জাগ গোরাচাঁদ বলে ।
কত নিদ্রা যাও মায়া পিশাচীর কোলে ॥

jiva jaga jiva jaga gorachanda bale
kata nidra yao maya-pisachira kole

‘“Wake up, soul! Wake up, soul!” says Gorachad (Golden Moon). “How long are you going to sleep in the lap of this witch Maya?”’

(Sri Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

‘O souls! Stop sleeping! Wake up! How long more are you going to sleep in the lap of Maya?’

Maya Devi always removes us from the service to the Lord – she gets her power from the Lord Himself, and using that power, she always tries to remove and keep us far from service. Maya Devi always conspires against us and throws us into the desires for enjoyment and liberation. However, if you want to get the Lord, you will never get Him through any material activities (karma), any knowledge (jnana), any mystic practices (yoga) or any attempts to attain liberation (mukti). No matter how much you may practise all these methods, you can never get the Lord through any of them. If you want to get the Lord, you must have devotion. There is no other way to get the Lord except through devotion. No matter how wise you are, no matter how much knowledge you have, you will not get the Lord like that. If you are to get the Lord, you need devotion. You know, Srimati Radharani never went to any university. She only ‘studied’ at the University of Devotion. She worshipped (aradhana) the Lord with Her devotion, that is why Her name is Radharani (‘She who worships the Lord the most’) and that is why She is the highest crest-jewel of all gopis.

So, taking the heart and halo of this Srimati Radharani, Krishna appears in this Kali-yuga as Gauranga Mahaprabhu. He wanted to know, ‘Why does Radharani cry so much taking My Name? What sort of happiness does She feel when She is serving Me?’ Lord Sri Krishna comes in Kali-yuga to taste all these things as Gauranga Mahaprabhu, a combined form of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.

শ্রীরাধায়াঃ প্রণয়মহিমা কীদৃশো বানয়ৈবা-
স্বাদ্যো যেনাদ্ভুতমধুরিমা কীদৃশো বা মদীয়ঃ ।
সৌখ্যঞ্চাস্যা মদনুভবতঃ কীদৃশং বেতি লোভা-
ত্তদ্ভাবাঢ্যঃ সমজনি শচীগর্ভসিন্ধৌ হরীন্দুঃ ॥

sri-radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso vanayaiva-
svadyo yenadbhuta-madhurima kidrso va madiyah
saukhyam chasya mad-anubhavatah kidrsam veti lobhat
tad-bhavadhyah samajani sachigarbha-sindhau harinduh

‘“What is the glory of Sri Radha’s love? What extraordinary sweetness does She see in Me? What happiness does She feel when She is moved by Me?” – yearning to taste these three sentiments, the moon Krishnachandra arose from the ocean of Mother Sachi’s womb.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.1.6)

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Length: 108 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Honouring Hari-Prasad
2) Exclusive Path
3) Lord's Messenger
4) 'Managing' Your Life
5) Internal Purity
6) Pray To Be One-Pointed
7) Mahaprabhu's Gift
8) At Vaishnavs' Mercy
9) Spiritual Deposit
10) Lacking Spirituality
11) About Srila Lochan Das Thakur
12) Leave Separate Interests
13) Muddled Minds