His Divine Grace Sréla Bhakti Rakñaka Srédhara Deva Goswämé Mahäräj
start of side B, 26 th, 28 th.11.81
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : …I've dealt it in a most vigorous way, Srémad-Bhägavatam. All other thoughts have been dealt there, comparison also drawn in such a strong and vigorous way, that Kåñëa lélä of Våndävana has been established, one cannot conceive of that, extraordinary. Over the jïänés especially, a karmé may generally, they do not know to analyse very much, but the jïänés, that salvationist school, they generally fight with the devotional school. They like to say that devotion is below and jïäna is the highest. But Sukadeva in Bhägavatam so boldly inaugurated that that is from the other side, not this side of knowledge, not the acme of our mundane knowledge. But in the inconceivable world it holds the supreme position. You are to look the Vraja lélä like that. It is not a thing of the objective area, but it is super super-subjective area holding the highest position, the zenith. You are to look with this angle of vision towards Kåñëa lélä.
So, we are drawn to Kåñëa lélä and especially we find in our guru-paramparä , and also in the mantram we find we are desired to be directed towards mädhurya-rasa, the main current, all others partial representation. In mädhurya-rasa, it is full of all rasa, the vätsalya, and säkhya, and the däsya, çanta, everything included there. It represents the whole, and others are partial representations. Everything is good in it's own position, still, from the Absolute consideration and from our guru-paramparä line and from the line of the mantram, we see, if it is analysed, it is very plainly we find that this is all pertaining to mädhurya-rasa, the mantram we are…
And by sannyäsa, another mantra, the last mantram which is given to a sannyäs é or a bäbäjé, the fifth äçrama, fourth äçrama, brahmacärya, gåhastha , vänaprastha, sannyäsa, and the fifth äçrama is that of bäbäjé. Bäbäjé and sannyäsé , those that are engaged whole time in Kåñëa consciousness in service, they're given the same mantra, kaupéna and mantra. One with daëòa and another without daëòa, who are meant for preaching they are given daëòa for the facility of preaching, for the social status. But both of them are given the mantra of the same nature, same meaning. What is that? There it is mentioned about Rädhä-däsyam, not only Kåñëa-däsya, the inner meaning of the mantra which is given in the time of sannyäsa, that shows us the direction that your direction is, your goal is that side. That is the meaning of the sannyäsamantram. According to our progress we'll be able to understand in future. In a nutshell, the direction is given hereby, what speciality there is in the mantram which is given at the time of sannyäsa.
One of my Godbrothers, Srauti Mah äräj, he asked me, "What is the meaning of that mantram?" And he thought that it is leading towards Mahäprabhu, and he asked me to put this question to my Guru Mah äräj. He did not do it direct, but he asked me anyhow, "You please ask Prabhupäda [Sréla Bhaktisiddhänta Saraswaté Öhäkura]." And I did so. And then with some stress he told, "No, it is not meant to Sré Gauräìga but it is really meant to gopé-däsya." In that way he gave the explanation of the mantram to me. Gaura Hari. And I also conveyed it to Srauti Mah äräj that Prabhupäda told like this, and your suggestion is cancelled.
Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi. Nitäi. Nitäi.
So these are things mysterious to our present stage but a vague idea that this is the direction towards which we are to start and march and reach one day or other, our highest goal.
Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi Caitanya.
Of course, it is most laudable that we have come to such ideal, highest ideal, but to have a mark in the real ideal does not mean that we have realised it. We must be careful there, in our journey. We must not be befooled that none can befool me also. We are also to be very careful in our journey, many things to hinder. The association of the sincere, better, sädhu, that is the most useful thing. And also, secondary, to engage oneself busy in the service under the direction of a bona fide person who can connect with the higher domain, higher stage of progress. It will fetch value, the work, the energy will fetch value according to quality and quantity, not only by quantity, any service, the quantity side is not all, but the more important side is quality. Quality, the higher plane, connecting with the higher plane, the energy is being divested through some person where, in what sort of plane? My energy is going to be transformed into another higher energy in what sort of plane? That is the very important thing. Only quantity should not be considered, but the quality, quality, that is very rarely found, higher quality. We must always be very particular to detect and to connect with the high quality available, otherwise we will be loser, loser.
Hare Kåñëa. Hare Kåñëa. Gaura Hari bol!
And the same time we shall be consulting with the scriptures written by the great personages of our guru-paramparä , admitted by guru-paramparä, the books. And we should think that those books are not inanimate. Apparently inanimate, passive, but they can also help actively. In general, books my help us in a passive way, as if I am to understand, I am to, as my capacity allows, I am to focus and then to get something from the book. But it is not limited there. We should think that the book is personified, personal thing, personified. If he likes, he can divulge him to me, reveal. And specially, in matters of our recognition of who is a sädhu proper and not, we are mostly guided by the scriptures, there, the comparative study. Of course the sukåti is underlying we can't deny, but superficially the books also guide us to select who is really sädhu and who is not sädhu. Knowledge of the experts have been collected there for that department, the spiritual experts they have placed there the result of their experience in the spiritual life, so that helps us to make a selection of sädhu and Guru a great deal, a great deal. And also we must approach.
I remember, perhaps as a result of my previous birth, when I got that gäyatré , without consulting any books, or the meaning book, which is explaining the meaning of gäyatré I appealed to gäyatré itself, herself. "Please reveal in me what you are." In this spirit, that it is living, it is not only these mundane words, a cluster of mundane words, but it is a living thing, gäyatré herself. And if she likes she can express her inner nature in me. With that spirit I used to continue the japam of gäyatré in my young age, with that idea, and that was corroborated by Gauòéya Maöh also when I joined there, the çästra.
In Kurukñetra, one rajisi of that time, he came to see our Guru Mah äräj there, and he put, "How we shall know who is a sädhu or not?"
Then he told, "Generally to know sädhu we are to consult the scriptures. And with this spirit, that is not ordinary book, that can assert, that can hide itself, or can come to my knowledge. With this idea we are to consult scripture, they're animate not inanimate. Then the çästra will come to help us about the selection of who is a sädhu, in the general way. Then of course the sukåti underlying for the previous, that inner guidance he has accepted."
When (Bitandrath?) he was a good doctor, when he was dying then the junior doctors, best among them, purchasely came to cure him. He was heart specialist, (Bitandrath?) and a genius. The doctors told, "That this is the case?" "Yes, yes, I understand." "Then this… "Yes, I also am of the same opinion with you. But who will receive the injection and put into work he is absent. The receiver of the injection is absent in the vitality. That is the medicine for such disease but the receiving capacity must be in the body to receive the medicine and utilise it."
So also, the external help may come but the receiver must be up to that standard to receive and utilise to fulfil its purpose, own purpose. That is sukåti, sukåti within, that takes the external help and utilises it in constructive work.
Gaura Hari bol! Nitäi.
There is sukåti , ajïäta-sukåti , jïäta-sukåti, then çästra, then çraddhä, sädhu , in this way, çravaëa , varaëa , guru karan, bhajana and sädhana , then äpana , gradually by bhajana, sädhana , it will think that yes, it is my own, it is my inner wealth. A stage when one can feel, it is what I was searching for, my heart pleasing thing. When the inner nature will feel, then it is becoming äpana, that is, he's near the home. Very sweet, then also, go on, with more energy and more speed, more confident way, go on. This is what I was, a necessity I was searching for, with this hearty energy one makes progress, äpana. Then prapanna also, not only I taste it, it must be given widely to all. They're also suffering from the same problem that I was suffering from, so it must be spread all over widely. That is prapanna, and very well established, fully established, no doubt. No doubt that I shall do any mischief to the people if I spread, propagate this thing then the best benefit I shall be giving to the world, no doubt.
bhidyate hådaya-granthiç , chidyante sarva-saàçayäù
[ kñéyante cäsya karmäëi , dåñöa evätmanéçvare]
["Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master."]
[Srémad-Bhägavatam, 1.2.21]
bhidyate hådaya-granthiç , chidyante sarva-saàçayäù
[ kñéyante cäsya karmäëi , mayi dåñöe 'khilätmani]
["The knot in the heart is pierced, all misgivings are cut to pieces and the chain of fruitive actions is terminated when I am seen as the Supreme Personality of Godhead."]
[Srémad-Bhägavatam, 11.20.30]
All doubts are cleared. This is the thing for which not only myself but the whole world is madly searching for, searching for.
yasmin vijïäte sarvam evam vijïätam bhavati
yasmin präpte sarvam idam präptam bhavati
["By knowing Him, everything is known - by getting Him, everything is gained."]
This is the only enquiry of the world. They're moving unsatisfied, only searching for this sort of satisfaction and nothing of standard lower. This is the quest. The whole world, the moving, moving for sukham, for pleasure, for satisfaction, for ecstasy, joy, and this is the form or material substance that everyone is madly searching for.
Athäto brahma-jijïäsä , why I have come with the brahma-jijïäsä enquiry of Brahma in Vedänta? It is a particular interest? No, the most general interest of all animation this brahma-jijïäsä. I am voicing the whole animation. Knowingly, unknowingly, they're all after this brahma-jijïäsä. I am putting only in a scientific way, brahma-jijïäsä. Intuitively, intuitively, here everything is moving to search for what? That is this Brahma conception. And Mahäprabhu, that Brahma is something like inner substance? No, it is Kåñëa. Mahäprabhu put Kåñëa in the place of Brahma, Bhägavatam. It is not Brahma. Of course, next goal it may be, but the further conception of the highest goal we shall find that there is Kåñëa. That conception, the Kåñëa conception which is, whose halo is Brahma, the halo of the domain of pastimes of Kåñëa is Brahma.
So when a ship makes progress, a lighthouse, then another lighthouse, in that way shows the way. The Brahma, and what is Brahma? Brhatama? That all accommodating most general, then the real representation of the most general to be found in Kåñëa consciousness. It is inert, no movement this ordinary Brahma, nirvisesa. But savisesa, the differentiation and specification, pastimes, everything will be there, but still it will be all-accommodating, even this brahmanda. There is Kåñëa consciousness. In this way our attention is drawn towards the most general question of all the world which none can deny if a little sensible in their own disease or want, cannot but. We have no interest in Kåñëa consciousness, it is a particular sect.
Once I delivered a lecture in (Gedi? Badlebiri?). Of course, I went on with (Manusingrita?) beginning, what is dharma? And then came to Brahma conception, and then from Brahma conception I tried to prove the Väsudeva conception, and then Lakñmé Näräyaëa. In this way I went to Kåñëa conception of Godhead in a broad and universal way I marshalling.
Then there was one pleader, he began to cry. "We are so great in our previous, in our ancient days, but now these fellows they come to entice us that we are far advanced in previous time, we were only like savage. Now in the scientific age of civilisation we have advanced so much. But Swäméjé what you say that our ancient predecessors were so great, so noble and I feel proud." In this way he began to cry in the meeting.
And there was another scholar who was made president in Poona in some Pali conference, one (Mr Bosak?) Anyhow he happened to be present there. We did not know him, but he came out of his own accord and asked permission to say something in favour of us. Then when permitted he rose and began to tell. "So long we knew that Vaiñëava dharma is a branch of Hindu dharma but what I have heard today from Swäméjé that Vaiñëava dharma is the highest conception, the highest goal of whole of Hindu dharma. The whole of Hindu dharma is trying its utmost to lead us to the Vaiñëava dharma, what Mahäprabhu has given from Srémad-Bhägavatam ." He told like that and also asked me, "That your lectures should be arranged amongst the scholars of India in different places." Ha, ha, he told like that. Gaura Hari bol!
So Vaiñëava dharma means such, not only of the Hindu dharma, source of Hindu, any dharma must lead to Vaiñëava dharma otherwise it is a faulty one. Not only dharma.
dharmaù projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmat-saräëäà satäà
[vedyaà västavam atra vastu çivadaà täpa-trayonmülanam
çrémad-bhägavate mahä-muni-kåte kià vä parair éçvaraù
sadyo hådy avarudhyate 'tra kåtibhiù çuçrüñubhis tat-kñaëät ]
["Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhägavata-Puräëa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhägavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyäsadeva (in his maturity), is sufficient in itself for God realisation. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhägavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart."] [Srémad-Bhägavatam, 1.1.2]
Those that are jealous, have jealousy in any way, or rather at the bottom of their heart, he can't tolerate, everything belongs - one gentleman came to our Guru Mahäräj in Calcutta……one gentleman of Prabhupäda's poetry,
karmani kama nahi tava dava dharma taha malik keval jada?
The literal meaning is, the karmani kama, the enjoying aspect of the women is not for you, it is only reserved for Kåñëa. Taha malik keval jada, Kåñëa is the only enjoyer of the beauty or anything to be enjoyed from the women section. It is mentioned there literally in that portion.
Then one gentleman came, "What do you say by this? Then, who are we? Have you written it in the literal sense that all the women are meant only for, the women enjoyment is only meant for Kåñëa, and none else?"
So, yes, ha, ha, yes, that is the true naked meaning of this. That such enjoyments, such type of enjoyment is meant only for Kåñëa, and all will be trespasser. So now come to think whether Kåñëa was a debauch.
And kanak, the money, the master of money is Näräyaëa, Lakñmépaté, the wealth, and we are all servants, servitors, more or less in different ways.
And Baladeva, the Guru, is that of name and fame, kanak, käminé, pratiñöhä [wealth, women, prestige]. Käminé for Kåñëa conception, to be adjusted, otherwise we are lost, must be adjusted with Him. And käminé consciousness, lady consciousness must have connection with Kåñëa. And any money conception, wealth conception, must have connection with Näräyaëa, the subsidiary function. And all the name and fame must be connected with Baladeva. Baladeva, Nityänända, here Baladeva, there Baladeva and Rädhikä. Who is in the first layer, who is distributing Kåñëa, all the fame will go to him or her who is distributing Kåñëa here in the world. The prime cause of distributing Kåñëa, s/he will have the whole glory, must go there. So much glory can never be expected anywhere. Is he giving Kåñëa? More glorious position, more fame, can anyone hope to attain? Who can give Kåñëa, s/he holds the highest fame, is the owner of the highest fame. And all the money should be used for the service, and that is Näräyaëa, Lakñmépaté is the command of everything. And the käminé conception, that must be connected with Kåñëa and nowhere else, in any different way, different service.
We may find in Våndävana, we must try to find this finest link, Våndävana or Navadwépa, so many producing child also, even the insects and the birds and the beasts are also producing child, what is that? But in the real model conception the link is in this way. Only to serve Kåñëa in that aspect, excite Him, or creating a favourable atmosphere, they're doing selfless, with self effacement, not only self effacement but there is self surrendering of the type of exciting Kåñëa or making arrangement in the favourable of Kåñëa sambhoga, for enjoyment of Kåñëa. Otherwise if this enjoying spirit is there they will be a member of this mundane, this brahmäëòa. Exploitation, exploiting sense already eliminated here, in Virajä, and then enters there. So we may conceive or we may not conceive, but still, everything there only actuated by the motive of service, and there's the purity, tat paratvena nirmalam:
[sarvopädhi-vinirmuktaà, tat paratvena nirmalam
håñékena håñékeça-sevanaà bhaktir ucyate ]
["Pure devotion is service to the Supreme Lord which is free from all relative conceptions of self interest."] [Närada Païcarätra ]
The nirmalam, the purity depends only how much it is for the satisfaction of the centre, the purity, the criterion of measuring the purity is here. Am I clear? Follow? Otherwise we will be here, exploitation. There, no exploitation, but the whole thing informally retained but materially all full of service, that purity, otherwise no entrance in that domain. So we will be very cautious about the real theme of exploitation. What does it mean? No exploitation there, all serving, it is divinity. Without dedication, without serving no divinity is possible, what about the possibility of entering into Våndävana, not only that, Siva-loka, Vaikuëöha-loka. And that is most intensive in mädhurya-rasa. These are the things, we should be up to mark, we should try, the standard, the conception of such standard, must be on our front. However far it may be we may not make any easy compromise with the very cheap thing in this world. The high ideal, the highest ideal, according to the height of the ideal, our whole future hope will depend on, our future will depend on our ideal.
Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Gaura Hari. Nitäi Gaura Hari bol!
Devotee : Mahäräj.
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : Yes.
Devotee : In the Manaù-Sikñä …
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : Manaù-Sikñä , yes, by [Sréla Raghunätha] Däsa Goswämé.
Devotee : …he's talking about the s ä dhaka , he says - actually it's in Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura's tika - he says in there that there are, he divides the sä dhaka into three - (svanistha?), (parinisthita?) and then the last one is (niropeksha?)
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : (niropeksa?)
Devotee : Yes.
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : S ä dhaka.
Devotee : Yes, three types, (svanistha?)
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : First, the lower is (svanistha?), and then?
Devotee : (svanistha?), and then (parinisthita?) and then (nirapeksha?)
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : (nirapeksha?) is the highest type?
Devotee : Yes.
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : (nirapeksha?) (parinisthita?) ………..Then he says that (nirapeksha?) is the highest type? That is fully eliminated of his own selfish view.
Devotee : Yes.
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : (nirapeksha?) But I can't follow it fully because there the (nirapeksha?) must mean that so much selfless that he must become, the (akha party?) to Rädhäräëé or to Yaçodä or to some leader of his company. Partiality must be there in the highest conception, but that is our highest attainment so it may be considered as (nirapeksha?) (nirapeksha?) that is automatic, we are playing as doll in the hand of Yoga- mäyä, that is, by (nirapeksha?) it may be meant that, nirmat-saräëäà, as Yoga-mäyä handling us we are doing, not any selfish end in life. But it is expressed also that they're partial to their own leader in different groups of service, servitors. Always they're partial to the leader of their own group. But that may be looked out in the way of (nirapeksha?) and there it will mean that what they're doing, no selfish idea, but as handled by Yoga-mäyä. Quite selfless, the selfless, the highest degree of selflessness is to allow oneself to be, to play at the hand of the Yoga-mäyä, svarüpa-çakti, then of course the two things may be kept together. The partiality is there but that partiality has no (svanistha?), or (parinisthita?) in general, excluding his own self interest, that general, to join in the general interest of the whole. Then, the development further, that is (nirapeksha?), that means he does not know himself, or herself, in what s/he's used, but mere instrument to the cent per cent in the hand of Yoga-mäyä. It may be conceived.
And in another also this Däsa Goswämé says:
yat kincha tena gurumakhi katam go gosthe samam hitat
sadva nanda mayam mukunda dyaitam lila aukulam mayam?
Whatever we see in Våndävana in connection with Kåñëa, tena, the grass, guruma, the shrub, khi kata, the worms, insects, goñöhe samam hitat sadva, all filled with joy. mukunda dyaitam, they're all favourite to Mukunda. Lilanukulam param, they're always conducive to the pastimes of Kåñëa, no other function. Cent per cent function of them only to help the extensive lélä of Kåñëa in Våndävana, they're all contributing their existence meaning only that. That contribution, every dust, every drop is a contributing, helping agent towards the whole, that lélä of Kåñëa. No sort of existence cannot be imagined there in Våndävana. Gaura Hari bol! That is Våndävana real, that is proper.
Devotee : Mahäräj, what is the conception of… in Bhaktivinoda's tika he's describing the different types of (kapatata?)
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : Kapatata, y es.
Devotee : And he says that…
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : Deceitfulness.
Devotee : (nirapeksha?), in (nirapeksha?) one may become what is called (atmambarita?) So how would you express that in English, (atmambarita?)
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : This is all mundane, this is mundane, the negative side, (atmambarita?) in a sädhu, that I am all in all, I am all in all. And there is äcäryaà mäà vijänéyän also. We are to understand äcäryaà mäà vijänéyän. As [Sréla A.C. Bhaktivedanta] Swämé Mahäräj just before his retirement he told, "If for the necessity of my propaganda I might have abused some of my Godbrothers, I beg forgiveness for that." Äcäryaà vijänéyän. When surcharged with the feeling that I am to propagate all these things, whatever I think necessary I must take the help of that, äcäryaà vijänéyän. We may think everything as a straw, value of straw, surcharged with such inspiration sometimes to go on. But that is (svambaritam?) what do you say?
Devotee : (atmambarita?)
Sréla B.R. Srédhara Swämé : (atmambarita?) 'I know everything. What I say, do that. Don't care for the order of others.' This sort of ego sometimes used in the äcärya section. 'They do not know anything. What I say, do that.' This sort of assertion that is sometimes necessary in the position of an äcärya and leader. But that is an inspired thing, not the matsara of this world. That is given by - when Lalitä Devé was venturing to give stricture to Kåñëa, she says, "You don't know the noble character of my sakhé Rädhikä."
When Yaçodä is going to whip Kåñëa, that is (atmambarita?) "You, boy, don't know, don't know how to use these things I have collected with great affection, and have collected for You and Your men, Your father, and You are distributing to the monkeys, to the monkeys, those valuable things. I shall punish You." And she is punishing Him. That is also (atmambarita?) but that is another type.
And (atmambarita?) real which is to condemned that of this mundane world. The assertion that the Siva, Mähadev, that is the greatest (atmambarita?), the leader of the separatist movement, (diti arbhini vesh?) from there. He's the source of all (matsarat? and atmambarita?) Towards the master of this mäyic world, of the world of misconception, (diti arbhini vesh?), ……….conception of a second interest, that begins from Mähadev, Mäyäpati, Mähadev. The leader of the oppositionists, that, "No, we have got separate interest, and we must assert for that." (atmambarita?) "I am all in all, everything for me." This is a demonic quality (atmambarita?)…
End of recording, 26 th, 28 th.11.81
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