His Divine Grace Çréla Bhakti Rakñaka Çrédhara Deva Goswämé Mahäräj
start of side B, 21/22.12.81
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Nitäi. Nitäi. Nitäi.
So faith, or çraddhä , that is the first thing necessary, and then the nearness, physical nearness. And when we are far, then also through letters also we can have his connection, but connection in a proper line, proper plane, that is the vital point. The proper plane, and plane is independent of energising in the gross and subtle way that is enquiry. Inquisitiveness and energising, that will go to the Guru, and jijïäsuù çreyaù uttamam:
[tasmäd guruà prapadyeta, jijïäsuù çreyaù uttamam
çabde pare ca niñëätaà , brahmaëy upaçamäçrayam]
["Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realised the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of those conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters."] [Çrémad-Bhägavatam, 11.3.21]
…and enquiry after one's own welfare, that is part and parcel of the quest. Quest means in Vedänta, brahma-jijïäsa [enquiry into the Absolute Truth, one's own identity, and the search for spirit] , in the plane of knowing, knowledge, understanding, understanding.
But when it came to Mahäprabhu in the line of Bhägavatam, plane of Bhägavatam, from Vedänta, Veda is compared with a tree, Vedänta is the flower, and the Bhägavata the ripe fruit. What is somewhat mixed with activity, that is in Veda, yajïa, etc. In the flower it becomes, only conscience inquire - "Who am I? Where am I? What am I?" Then in the fruit, the utility, that is kåñëänusandhäna [the search for Çré Kåñëa]. That is also, outwardly, somewhat of enquiry characteristic, but kåñëänusandhäna, not brahma-jijïäsa . The enquiry about the Infinite, "where I am, where I am a part only?" that is in Vedänta, the enquiry about the infinite environment. And in Bhägavatam, kåñëänusandhäna, "Who is my master? Who is my guide? For whom I am?"
Reality is for Itself. In Bhägavatam , in the plane of Bhägavatam, the energy and the knowledge comes to seek after his guardian for whom he's existing, Kåñëa, kåñëänusandhäna. Brahma-jijïäsa in Vedänta has developed into a form of kåñëänusandhäna, madly to enquire "Who is my master? With whom I may have my fulfilment of life? Who can engage them, engage myself to the fullest extent? Where is that master of my heart, the Lord of my heart?" That is in the plane of Bhägavatam , the ripe fruit of the Veda tree. And Mahäprabhu came with that, kåñëänusandhäna, madly after enquiry, "Where is my master? Where is my Lord? I can't retain myself without my Lord."
That has been, inactive in the world of activity, energising also we are seeking some rasa, some satisfaction, some satisfaction, meagre satisfaction, so I undertake this work that work, but that common thing is satisfaction. In Vedänta that comes to a graphic, most wide form, "Who am I in the world? Where am I?" - in Vedänta, and that is the flower stage.
And in the fruit stage the same thing comes, "Where is my Lord? I belong to whom? Who will give the fulfilment of my life? Where is my guardian?" Kåñëänusandhäna . "I am for Him. I am not for me, and not for the whole infinite I survey. And the Lord of my heart, the fulfilment of my heart, who can satisfy all thirst within me, where is that master?" That is in Bhägavatam stage. Mahäprabhu came with that. "Here your real enquiry is for this only, otherwise your enquiry won't stop. Enquiry must come to this stage and have proper guidance and gradually you'll be taken to Him, your master. You are seeking for whom, that rasa, that happiness, the pleasure, that is your master, that is your guardian, not your servant. That is not your servant that will come and satisfy you as though you are his master. Really, that is your everything, your master, your Lord, for which you are moving this way, that way, in the universe, enquiry, whatever you are doing. The centre, the centre is with you, that is making you active. You're searching something, that is fulfilment. And fulfilment in the highest stage means this - He's Kåñëa."
Then real search begins only when you come across with sad-guru, a Kåñëa bhakta. Then proper enquiry begins there, scientific enquiry begins there. And with this idea we must - praëipätena, paripraçnena then sevayä.
[tad viddhi praëipätena, paripraçnena sevayä
upadekñyanti te jïänaà , jïäninas tattva darçinaù]
["You will be able to attain all this knowledge by satisfying the enlightened spiritual master with prostrate obeisance, relevant enquiry, and sincere service. Great souls who are most expert in scriptural knowledge and endowed with direct realisation of the Supreme Absolute Truth will teach you that divine knowledge."] [ Bhagavad-gétä , 4.34]
You are to be conscious that you are to be utilised by Him, whom you are searching after, sevä. Then you can only be lead in that way, the sevä. And the very beginning meagre stage it is çraddhä , faith. Faith can lead you to that great plane, the noble plane, faith. All other properties which you think are under your control, they'll fail, the inquisitive tendency, or your energising ability, they will all fail to reach that plane.
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
Generally, when we are far away from the living source, the scriptures may help us, and the letters also help us. And subordinate sädhus in the same line, they may help us. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Sajäté-yäçye snigdhe sädhau saìgaù svato vare:
[çrémad-bhägavatärthänäm äsvädo rasikaiù saha
sajäté-yäçye snigdhe sädhau saìgaù svato vare ]
["One should taste the meaning of Çrémad-Bhägavatam in the association of pure devotees, and one should associate with the devotees who are more advanced than oneself and endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord. Those that are in our line, who have the same high spiritual aspirations as we do, and who hold a superior position, to associate with such saintly persons will help us the most to progress towards the ultimate goal."]
[ Bhakti-rasämåta-sindu , 1.2.91] + [Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä, 22.131]
May not be of anti-line, for the beginners, one who cannot detect what is [ änukülya , what is satikülya ?] Who are in some considerable safe position, he can meet the anti-party and he can fight with them, discard them. But for the beginners they should try to avoid at best those imitationists, or misguide them, misguidance. Sajäté-yäçye, of similar nature, similar mentality, or similar aim, and superior to me. A man of the same destination but he's well-versed about the aim. Sajäté-yäçye snigdhe sädhau saìgaù svato vare. Svato vare - superior to me but in the same line, of same goal. This sort of sädhu we should try always to meet, that is, to serve, to be influenced by him.
Hare Kåñëa. Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
You are to leave today?
Devotee : Yes.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Then, what more questions, if any?
Devotee : No. I don't have any questions.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : All right.
Devotee : Completely satisfied with anything I could ask.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : All right. Let Kåñëa fulfil your hankering, bless you.
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
You keep connection with Aksanananda Mahäräj here, and there also Dhira Kåñëa Mahäräj.
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
You'll go direct to Dhira Kåñëa Prabhu, Mahäräj?
Devotee : No, not for…
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Through Puré and Våndävana?
Devotee : No, no.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : No?
Devotee : I'm going to Calcutta, then I'm going to America, Los Angeles.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Los Angeles.
Devotee : Then after, I think I must, after I buy a car I'm going to try to move up five hundred miles north where Sudhira Kåñëa lives. Then I will try to help with the publication of your books.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : With Dhira Kåñëa Mahäräj?
Devotee : Yes.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Hare Kåñëa. So, who has said to me, I can't remember, mentioned in letter, that this Prapanna-jévanämåta, that will supply the foundation and make it sweeter, what [ Çréla A.C. Bhaktivedanta] Swämé Mahäräj has given already.
Devotee : Will supply the foundation and?
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : That more deeper, will create, it will be, it will prove to be the foundation of what Swämé Mahäräj has said, more deeper, and also sweetened what he has given. We have told this already, he mentioned, somewhere perhaps, "What we find in Prapanna-jévanämåta , it is more wide and more sweet…………
Devotee : That was also my feeling.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Your feeling?
Devotee : Yes.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Prapanna-jévanämåta. Because, there is also, just as a tree has got so many roots, so a different type of sädhus, and their appreciation and their inner feeling has been collected there, like so many roots of a tree. And different lines of cultivation from different places has been supplied, and their great affinity capturing. When I was forced to leave the Mission of my Guru Mahäräj I came here quite helpless. I had to find, seek for some shelter, and I went through the books known to me that I got from my Guru Mahäräj, those references, and tried to dive deep in there and to collect. The basis of devotional life is çaraëägati and whatever I can find the traces recommending relative, the çaraëägati I tried my best to collect them to put together, the nectar, the nectar in life of one who has taken, who has surrendered himself to the feet of the Divine Lord.
And I found there, in one place it is mentioned, "çaraëägati, the surrender in itself is sufficient to produce all sorts of development in bhakti. Nothing else is necessary." It is also mentioned in some place. "You only try to stick to çaraëägati, try your best to stick to çaraëägati, everything will come automatically to you from the other side. Your business will be to always adhere to the most intense degree possible to çaraëägati, nothing else necessary, then everything will come, will be supplied from up, upper world, from the up. Çaraëägati in itself is perfect. No other devotional practices, services, is necessary, only çaraëägati is enough. Surrender, surrender, and without çaraëägati no bhakti can stand, no devotion can stand. Çaraëägati, the greatness, the nobility, the substantiality of çaraëägati has been praised, appreciated, in such a way, çaraëägati, that is surrender. Surrender is the very basis, surrendering temperament."
"I am for You. You may utilise or You may neglect me. But I am Yours. You may accept or You may reject but You are my master. You are independent to deal in any way You like. You can put me in the eternal hell or You can adore me and take me on Your lap. In this way, every right You have got over me."
With such heart we must approach towards our Lord. It is noble. It is divine. The Divinity in its highest degree we can find there. And our self-effacement may help you, that in self-surrendering, real self-effacement we are to find out. In self-surrender, there is the self-effacement that is positive, to the positive - negative. Negative cannot exist without positive, and positive also so:
çakti sakti mato rajeva?
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
Predominating - according to our Guru Mahäräj - Predominating Moiety and Predominated Moiety, two Moieties, two halves of one whole - Predominating and Predominated. Both have got importance in Their existence - equal. One cannot stand without the other. And the fullest expression is Rädhä-Govinda, full-fledged, infinite. So our mantra, guru-paramparä, all leading to that, this rüpänuga-sampradäya. The mantram, we find, all leading towards that.
And at the side, we are to cross this vätsalya-rasam, säkhya-rasam , däsya-rasam, but directly towards mädhura-rasam. The guru-paramparä and the mantram, mantra- paramparä. It is in full, full rasa is there - all others partial, and subordinate, and subservient, supplemental. But the main rasa is mädhura-rasa - and there, service supplemental, subservient to mädhura-rasa. They're also relevant - mädhura-rasa does not stand alone, without its paraphernalia. Just as friends, then parents, such rasa must be around this rasa.
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
And very fortunately they can have a life in such a rasa.
Hare Kåñëa. Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
yadi gaura nä hoita , tabe ki hoita, kemone dharitäm de
[rädhära mahimä, prema-rasa-sémä jagate jänäta ke
madhura våndä vipina mädhuré praveça cäturé sära
baraja yuvaté bhävera bhakati çakati hoita kära ]
Väsudeva Datta says: "If Mahäprabhu did not appear at all then how could we sustain our lives? How could we live? What ecstatic rasa has He has taken in, and what we have, a little taste of? Without this our lives would have been impossible. Prema-rasa-sémä jagate jänäta ke. Then who will make us know, take us to the acme of the realisation of the position of Çrématé Rädhäräëé? She holds the highest position. She is the greatest victim to the consuming capacity of Çré Kåñëa. She stands as the greatest sacrifice, just before Kåñëa's infinite consuming power. Gaura Sundara. Rasa-räja-mahäbhav dui eka rüpa - the rasa is there, and She is the drawer of that rasa from the storehouse. She has such negative capacity that She can draw out the rasa to the highest degree both in quality and quantity.
Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
[Çréla A.C. Bhaktivedanta] Swämé Mahäräj says: "My Gurudeva is Rädhäräëé. She will be very gracious to You Kåñëa if You help me in discharging the order of my Gurudeva, if You help me in this propaganda." He says there, is it not?
Devotee : Yes.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : He says there in a poetry, rädhäräëé khusé habe:
[kåñëa tava puëya habe bhäi
e-puëya koribe jabe rädhäräëé khusé habe
dhruva ati boli tomä täi ]
["I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Kåñëa only when Çrématé Rädhäräëé becomes pleased with you."]
"If You help me, I am going to obey the order of my Gurudeva who is Rädhäräëé, and if She is pleased, She will be pleased if You help me. Ha, ha. So You must help me. Ha, ha, ha, ha. You must help me. If You seek anything, if You are in want of anything, that will be the good will of Rädhäräëé. We want that. And She will be pleased with you if You help me because I am going to obey Her order. None but Rädhäräëé Personified," he says. "So You must help me." And Kåñëa had no other alternative but to come down to him to help in his propaganda work. He had to come.
Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
Ha, ha, ha, ha. We see all these things in my old age. I did not care for a cloth or any other in my youth, but now this thing, then this thing…
Devotee : Ha, ha, ha.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Then so many. Ha, ha. Sometimes only on the floor, sometimes on the wooden bench, I generally used to sleep. Even in my college hostel life, ha, ha, they appreciated this I am told, "That he lies only on a blank wooden bench. Does not care for any pillow or any……..
Devotee : Mattress.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Mat, what is this thing on the bed?
Devotee : Blanket.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Blanket, did not care, in young age, did not care for rain or the sun. I liked that I must be independent.
mäträ-sparçäs tu kaunteya , çétoñëa-sukha-duùkha-däù
[ägamäpäyino 'nityäs, täàs titikñasva bhärata ]
[O son of Kunté, only the engagement of the senses with their objects gives rise to the sensations of cold, heat, pleasure, and pain. But these effects are temporary - they come and go. Therefore, O Bhärata, you are to endure them.] [Bhagavad-gétä, 2.14]
I must make myself fit against heat and cold, ha, ha, and water, watery season. But in my old age it is being paid with interest. Ha, ha, ha. Gaura Hari bol!
yuktähära-vihärasya , yukta-ceñöasya karmasu
yukta-svapnävabodhasya , yogo bhavati duùkha-hä
[For a person who eats, relaxes, and exerts himself in all duties in a regulated way, and who keeps regular hours in proper measure, the practice of yoga gradually becomes the source of dispelling all worldly suffering.] [Bhagavad-gétä, 6.17]
We must be always considerate and proper in our relationship with the environment. Temperate we should become, not miser nor prodigal, neither miser nor prodigal in our dealings with the environment.
Hare Kåñëa. Hare Kåñëa. Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
Devotee : Sometimes we feel like a stone.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Hmm?
Devotee : When you speak such wonderful things, that we can only sit like stone, like a rock.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Who?
Devotee : Myself especially.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : You're like a rock?
Devotee : Yes.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Why?
Devotee : I don't know. You speak so many wonderful things. We cannot dare to venture into that area perhaps.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : It can soften you but petrify?
Devotee : Ha, ha.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Ha, ha, ha. Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol!
Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Hare Kåñëa. Nitäi. Nitäi. Nitäi. Nitäi. Nitäi.
sakhyäya te mama namo 'stu namo 'stu nityam
däsyäya te mama raso 'stu raso 'stu satyam
[Çréla Raghunätha Däsa Goswämé, the greatest exponent of the faith of servitude to Çrématé Rädhäräëé, Rädhä-däsyam, wrote: "I won't allow myself to become fascinated by the proposal of the higher level service as a friend, sakhya. Rather, I shall tend always to do the lower service, däsya, the service of the servant. I shall not consider myself to be a high-class servitor and I shall always tend to go towards the lower class of service. But He may forcibly take me to a higher service - "No, you are no longer to serve there; now you must serve in this higher category."] [Viläpa-kusamäïjali, 16]
My respect to the friendly relation with Kåñëa, but let my taste, real taste, be towards the service. I should give preference to the service, to the duty of a servant, and let me learn to respect, to give respect to the higher form of services. That should be the quest, the tendency of a real devotee. Kåñëa will take up, but he will go to take down, go down, to the lowest form of services. The tendency of the serving - "That I am not so qualified as to render higher service to You Kåñëa, confidential service. I rather may be utilised in the lowest strata of society." That will be - but Kåñëa will take him up, take him or her up. The promotion will come from His side and the devotee will be reluctant to be utilised in the higher form of service. That will be sincere to that - "No, no. I'm not qualified to get that confidential service. I shall go to serve You in the lower order. That will service. I am not worthy of serving You in the higher stage." That is the tendency of the …
Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
When are you to start for Calcutta?
Devotee : The train is twenty after eleven, eleven twenty train.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Hare Kåñëa.
……………………… Mahä-dvadasi. Take some curry and some sago
Devotee : When I was initiated, Hari-Näma, some of my Godbrothers who were initiated then, they never saw Swämé Mahäräj, they never saw him.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : So you get Hari-Näma through his åtvik, representative, not direct from him? What does he say?
Devotee : Through mail, through letter?
Devotee : I saw him, I saw Çréla Prabhupäda [A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swämé] several times, but some of my Godbrothers they never saw him.
Devotee : At any time?
Devotee : At any time.
Devotee : Some disciples of our Gurudeva, they never saw him at any time, never met him.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Whom?
Devotee : To our Gurudeva, Çréla Bhaktivedanta Swämé Prabhupäda. They never met him.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : But through his representative they have got their…
Devotee : Through a letter, he would give a letter and then the local President would make this yajïä…
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : For both Hari-Näma and dékñä, both?
Devotee : Yes.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Only through letter?
Devotee : Yes. But he's saying that some disciples, their whole life they never met their Gurudeva.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : But anyhow that will be useful.
Devotee : Yes.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : His will may work.
Devotee : Yes.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : His good will, he's after that. When he installed the Deities here in this Çré Caitanya Mäyäpur Candrodaya Maöha, he invited me and asked me, "You will go and install." I went, and was ……………… upstairs
then he himself did all these things, the yajïä and things. Then Govinda Mahäräj asked him, "You took Guru Mahäräj for the installation of your Deities, but you are doing it yourself."
"Oh, he has come to do it, that is sufficient. I am doing it on his behalf."
Devotees : Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : "That he has come with that purpose, that is enough for me. I am watching. He has come for that." That was his statement.
Devotee : That is more than enough for us.
Devotees : Ha, ha, ha, ha. Hare Kåñëa.
Devotee : More than enough for us. Hare Kåñëa.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : And that afternoon when I reached there, Bhavananda drove the car, myself, Govinda Mahäräj, perhaps Nimäi, and it was somewhat late. And he was just going to take bath, so one napkin here, one napkin on the upper portion. And when he heard that I had suddenly reached there, he left, in that very position he came to receive me, in that way, half naked.
Devotees : Ha, ha, ha, ha.
Çréla B.R. Çrédhara Swämé : Half naked, one napkin on the waist, another napkin on the upper, he came to receive me, so affectionate, so intimate. Hare Kåñëa. Nitäi.
I forget, one lady, half-mad she came from England to here. She told she lived in India with her father who was a high officer in the police department in British India. And she heard anyhow that Swämé Mahäräj is in England and got some dream, and went to meet him, very earnest, eager heart. But heard that Swämé Mahäräj has left for India. And then, anyhow she managed to come to India, but a little late. And here when she reached she heard that Swämé Mahäräj has left the world. She came to Mäyäpur, and here also. "I have got some dream that Swämé Mahäräj has come to deliver the world and I'm so earnestly coming to meet him to be saved. A saviour he has come. But I missed him. I missed him "
And the dress of a widow no ornament, no oil or anything in the hair, and half mad she came …………..........40 maybe age, just stood there, ……………….?
But some others also from Mayapura
At that time many European ladies also lived here. I don't know whether any of them
is still here. Çré Caitanya Candrodaya Maöha. One Iranian lady she used to serve Swämé Mahäräj's sister, Pishima, aunt
I heard about one of the ladies, she used to serve tulasi, and somehow or other ........................
End of recording, 21st, 22nd December 1981
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