September 7, 1999   VNN4679  Comment on this story

Sri Vyas Puja

EDITORIAL, Sep 7 (VNN) — A Saluting Floral Tribute
From a Humble Attendant

On the 98th Holy Advent Day of His Divine Grace
My Educator Co-Disciple, Paribrajakacharya
Tridandiswami Om Visnupada 108 Sree
Sreemad Bakti Poromode Goswami Maharaja

Bowing at the holy feet of my most adorable spiritual guide, co-disciple, Sree Sreemad Bhakti Prmode Puri Goswami Maharaj, I shall narrate here some fundamental truth, which will be an amulet of my spiritual life. I believe that by this invocation, my unfortunate life will be blessed. Gentleman, disciples and devoteesÑthis is my humble submission to all of you. I am not quite aware of how deeply you appreciate the greatness of our most venerable Puri Maharaj. Still I would like to convey my deepest appreciation for him once again.

Divine Company of Sri Gurudeva is always desirable to us in our spiritual life, but that should be with utmost sincerity and with a will to serve. Man is always preoccupied with worldly issues and is therefore deceived by the colorful and varied manifestation of the material nature. Krsna bahirmukh hayiya bhog banchakare Nikatashta maya tare japatiya dhare.

Pisachi paile jena motiechana haya
Maya grasta haya se bhava uday.

This illusion (maya) which inspires human beings to turn away from God, is nothing but the external power of Godhead. Is it, therefore, justified to describe it as an evil spirit or "PISACHI"?

It is necessary to elaborate on this for the benefit and consideration of the devotees. Mortal beings are continually under the spell of evil influences because of their closeness with the material world. They forget their own true selves. Attracted by the worldly pleasure, they identify themselves closely with the material world and in the process, lose memories of every thingÑtheir original glorious identities, supreme-self, opposing identities and object of worship, and mode of worship (Sadhya-sadhana). Accepting the unreal as real, they endlessly traverse the cycle of birth and rebirth. Once can only realize, his follies and misconceptions by the grace of the Lotus feet of Sree Gurudev; he being the receptacle idol (Ashray-Bigraha) and a realized soul. Only the person who is acquainted with the nature of Soul, possesses the power to remove the above misconceptions.

Mahat krpa bine kono karme bhakti nai
Krsna bhakti dure rahu snsar nahe ksaya
Sadhusanga krpa kimba Krsner kripay
Kamanadi duhsanga chari suddha bhakti pai.
(Caitanya-caritamrta)

There is another questionÑas a devotee, whose compassion is more desirable to us? It is the compassion of Lord Krsna or the compassion of Sri Gurudev? God is an object of veneration and worship forever. But the immediate mercy of our pious loving preceptor is more appropriate for us in view of our limited capabilities. If a large current is allowed to pass through a small electrical instrument, it will burn out. So the mercy of our Gurudev is more desirable.

At the same time we should be aware of the source of Sri Gurudev's power of mercy of God and how he distributes it to the material world.

Krsna yadi krpa karen kono bhagyabane
Guru antaryami rupe sihay apane

The power of compassion from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and he descends to this earth enlivened with that power. If a person who is not a physician tries to treat the sick, the ultimate result could be death of the patent. Similarly, the so-called Ôpreceptors, ' who are unable to do any good to the material world. One should shun the company of these "Gurus." One has to find the lotus feet of a "true preceptor" as only the true preceptor can provide the compassion of the lotus feet of God. If any devotee is blessed enough to get such a company, it is certain that one day Sri Gurudev's mercy will relieve him from the worldly bondage by putting him on the right path. Therefore it is clear that realization of God can only be possible by the compassion of Sri Gurudev, as it is enabling him to ultimately realize Godhead.

Iswarer krpalesh hay ta jahare
Seo tp oswartatva kamobare [are

[Divine truth is unintelligible] One, who is the dearest follower of God and receptacle idol (ashrayabigraha) is able to show his disciples that divine truth can be perceived and thus can make his life meaningful. Men who are in doubt about the existence of God, worship God as actors do on stage and serve his preceptors without sincerity. They are "hypocrites." Their lives will never receive any fulfillment. Shall we ever be humble enough to sing, with tears in our eyes:

kandiya kandiy ayanaiba dukhagram
samsar anal hoite magiba bishram
ama lagi krsne abediben pracur
suniya amar dukha vaisnab thaura
ama lagi krsne abediben pracur
vaisnabar abedane krsna-dayamaya

If anyone performs the various spiritual duties, austerities, and penance's for the purpose of attaining self-realization, he still cannot achieve devotional service. Krsna does not agree to award devotional service to merely anyone. This can be attained only through the mercy of a pure devotee.

In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said, "By the mercy of the spiritual master, who is a pure devotee and by the mercy of Krsna one can achieve the platform of devotional service. There is no other way." God's will is fully manifested in his receptacle idol, i.e. Sri Gurudev. When the devotee realizes this compassion he can offer himself without hesitation to this lotus feet. If his surrender is sincere, and his eagerness to realize God is genuine, ten his submission would automatically reach the lotus feet of God. Then mercy of God will shower on him through Gurudev. Without this mercy, our tendency to seek outside pleasures would never cease. Very often were mistaken in our understanding of the real nature of Sri Guru-Vaisnava and Bhagavan. We are simply unable to comprehend them.

When Sri Gurudev empowers us, our vision is cleared and all obstacles are removed. We realize the divine truth. At that time, Sri Gurudev also would reaffirm his faith in his disciple and accept permanent responsibility of such a disciple. Should we only memorize the above three truths? Or should we dwell upon those sincerely? If we fail to realize their meanings we may have to wait for innumerable births and rebirths. Attaining salvation from rebirths is also painful and traumatic.

We find preachers and orators wearing ochre robes and chanting slokas from various scriptures and trying to convince an audience with their mimicry, Their utterances are simply poisonous to the devotees. There is no lack of preachers in this world. According to Tulsidas:

"Ram Ram sab koi kahe tina,
thakur kya chor Bina prem se rijhat nahi"
(Tulsi Nand Kishore)

Cheating is not compassion. It is mingled with various types of thirst for sensual enjoyment. Those who chant the names, pastimes and glories of God only for their own welfare must be headed for destruction. We are guilty of our evil thirst, all kinds of human weaknesses and loss of self-identity. So Santana Goswanipada, cried:

"Kei Ami kene amay are tapatray-
Iha hani hani kemone hita hai,"

We are unable to realize our own self. Only conventional realization is not at all realization. Sriman Mahaprabhu said "Kiba vipra kiva nyasi, sudra kene naya Yei Krsna-tattva-vetta sei Ôgur' hoi": It is impossible for any one to be guru without the full acquaintance with Theology According to Sriman Mahaprabhu's own words:

Naham vipra na ca har pati. na vaisya na sudra
Naham varni na ca grihapatirno vanastho yatirba
Kintu prodyannikhila paramananda purnamrtabdhe
Gopivartuh padakamalayordasi dasanudasah

Who is "Gopivartuh"? It is difficult to understand the meaning of "Gopivartu" without following the path laid down by the vaisnava mahajans. Why does Sri Gaurhari uses the word "Gopivartu". There is some inner meaning, Lord Krsna is the supreme personality of Godhead and the object idol (Visaya-Vigraha) of all emotions (Rasas) and Gopis are the receptacle idols (Ashray-Vigraha) of all emotions. Sree Radha Thakurani, the daughter of Vrishna Bhanu is the most important amongst them. It would be unjust to say that Sri Gurudev and Sreemati Radharani are identical. Sri Gurudev is not Radharani, but is a replica of Radharani. Only for Radharani, Lord Krsna his Godself, after accepting the emotions and grace of Vrisha bahnu-nandini and loudly preached (6) "Krsna nama bhaja jiva, ar sab miche Pailaite path nahi Yama ache piche"

There is one unknown truth which always haunts the human beings. It is death. The animal world is completely ignorant about death, because they are devoid of conscience. But having the best form of life and conscience, men often forget or fail to accept that they have to meet death one day. This is really very strange. The pious yaksha, who was disguised as a crane, wanted to know from King Yudhisthira what the strangest thing in the world was. The king replied:

ahannyahani bhutani gacchanti amandiram
sesahsthirattvanicchanti kimascharyamata-param

When we die we leave behind all our earthly possessions here. This "Sab" (wealth) is not wealth, but "Shob" (A dead body). I too am but a corpse and those who are clinging to me affectionately are quite akin to it.

I fervently appeal to my learned readers not to read this article from the Philological point of view but to kindly go through it with an emotional outlook. If you find any thing unacceptable, please leave those paragraphs and read the rest. Before concluding the essay, I would like to narrate some anecdotes of my teacher, elder co-disciple, who had freed me form the family bondage * and showed me the right path. In worldly judgement, he was born in undivided Bengal. By birth he is a Brahmin. There was no dearth of scholarship in him. He was gifted with four qualities i.e. Birth, Wealth, Holy Writ and splendor. Having seen his competence, Srila Prabhupada had made him the editor of "Dainik Nadiya Prakash". I have seen his wonderful life style, which is beyond description. Lust, anger, greed, pride, infatuation, jealousy never touched him. Unlike modern "Gurus" he had neither time nor inclination for "luxury."

Today, completing his 97 years he is going to touch 98 years. For the welfare of the world. God has given him long life. My humble

Prayer to his devotees is that, they should try to get his divine mercy and compassion, as much as possible. I do not want to extend my essay further. In this holy advent with utmost regard, the humble servant is praying to his lotus feet seeking blessings and compassion on him so that he may be able to remember "Guru-Vaisnab-Bhagavan" even when he breathed his last. His compassion is my only source of sustenance as, at present, he is the best living disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Though I have my own shortcomings, yet I am writing this at the behalf of loving Bodhayan maharaj, who has been an object of mercy of gracious Sreepad Puri Maharaja.

Despicable, dependent

Sree Bhakti Kumud Santa

* Sripad Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaja surrendered his soul to God at eleven. At that young age Srila Promode Puri Goswami and Srila Bon Maharaj took him from his mother's home to the ashram of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Srila Sarasvati Thakur raised him personally. When I asked maharj what it was like to be so close to His Divine grace and be raised by him personally, he replied, "He loved me too much."

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