(4/5) Devotional Substance

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Tarakeshwar area, second afternoon programme
12 February 2021, part 4
Translated from Bengali

There are many gurus in this world – there are family gurus, there are pranam-taking (obeisance-taking) gurus, pranami-taking (donation-taking) gurus. But it is said that if you want to read Srimad Bhagavatam, you must come to a Vaishnav and take exclusive shelter in Sri Chaitanya (‘Bhagavata pada Vaisnavera sthane, ekanta asraya kara Chaitanya-charane’; Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.5.131).

অসাধুসঙ্গে ভাই কৃষ্ণনাম নাহি হয় ।
নামাক্ষর বাহিরায় বটে তবু নাম কভু নয় ॥

asadhu-sange bhai krsna-nama nahi haya
namaksara bahiraya bate tabu nama kabhu naya

‘Brother, the Name of Krishna cannot be chanted in bad association: it may certainly sound like the letters of the Name, but it can never be the Name proper.’

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 7.1, Srila Jagadananda Pandit)

If you chant the Holy Name in bad association, it is only some alphabet (letters). Offensive chanting and pure chanting of the Holy Name look the same, just as karma (material activity) and seva (service) look the same. For example, we keep cows at the temple, we make buildings at the temple – do we do all this for ourselves? The buildings are made in the Deities’ name. When we built this temple in Tarakeshwar, in whose name was it registered? In the Deities’ name. It is said in Srimad Bhagavad-gita that if you do something bypassing the Lord – if you take something without offering it to the Lord – it is stealing. Do you think that if you give something to the Lord, He will take it all away from you? The Ganges is worshipped with the Ganges water (ganga jal ganga puja; গঙ্গা জল গঙ্গা পূজা)! So many devotees chant the Holy Name, but it is association that is important. I have told you before that one does not become a disciple just by taking initiation. What does it mean to be a disciple? A disciple is the one who can mould their life accepting the chastisement of their guru. Disciples listen to what they are told and live accordingly.

I always tell everyone, even all my disciples: you must practise sravan and kirtan.

সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
মথুরাবাস, শ্রীমূর্ত্তির শ্রদ্ধায় সেবন ॥

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

‘Associate with sadhus, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, listen to Srimad Bhagavatam, reside in Mathura and worship holy Deities with faith.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.124)

What does ‘Mathura-vasa’ (living in Mathura) mean? Does it mean you have to go to Mathura or Nabadwip and live there? No.

যে দিন গৃহে, ভজন দেখি’,
গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায় ।

ye dina grhe, bhajana dekhi’,
grhete goloka bhaya

‘Any day there is devotional service at home, I see Goloka manifest itself in it.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

When there is service of the Lord happening every day, eternally, in some house, this house becomes Goloka! Most people eat five times a day – they drink tea when they wake up, then they have breakfast, then they have lunch, then they have some muri and snacks in the afternoon, and then they have supper in the evening. You eat five times a day – similarly, you must feed the Lord five times every day. You must give bhoga to the Lord five times a day.

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Length: 30 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Vaishnavs' Nature
2) Heartfelt Prayers
3) Devotional Ingenuity
4) Devotional Substance
5) Pure Name Comes From Pure Heart