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| WORLD December 18, 1998 VNN2703 Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja In Malaysia Dec '98 (Part 1) BY SRIDAM SAKHA DASA MALAYSIA, Dec 18 (VNN) — Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja arrived in Malaysia from Singapore on 2nd December at about 8:00 am at the Kuala Lumpur airport. From there he was taken to the house where he would be staying, that of Bala singam prabhu and Jagjeet didi, a young Indian couple with whom he had stayed at the beginning of the year. The majority of the touring party had traveled overnight on a sleeper train, and we arrived at 6:30 am. A large unoccupied house had kindly been provided as accommodation for us by our hosts, to which we all traveled by taxi. That day Srila Maharaja was tired from traveling, so there was no class given. Early the next morning, Bala Singam prabhu took Srila Maharaja and a couple of other devotees to a beautiful ornamental Chinese park for his morning walk. The park consists of a large lake with a path all around it, which Srila Maharaja and his party walked around twice. Most of the path is smooth, but one section of it is set with smooth cobble stones, for the benefit of those who wish to massage the soles of their feet, as per the Chinese science of reflexology. As Srila Maharaja and party approached this section of the path, in a serious way Srila Maharaja took off his shoes and slowly and meditatively walked the full length, after which he replaced his shoes again, carried for him all the while by Brajanath prabhu. The devotees were all fascinated to see that as they walked on the path which runs close to the edge of the lake that a large school of fish were following them all the way around. Having circumambulated the lake twice, Srila Maharaja and the devotees took another path towards a pavilion, in which Srila Maharaja sat down on a bench, while the devotees sat on the floor. Srila Maharaja then asked why it was necessary to have a guru. Prema prayojana prabhu answered that Sri Guru gives sambandha jnana to his disciple. Without a guru one may chant harinama for many life times, but by this alone his anarthas will not go away unless he chants according to his particular relationship with Krsna. Srila Maharaja then asked whether a diksa guru was absolutely necessary. In the following discussion he asked the question that if diksa is necessary, then who was the diksa guru of Haridasa Thakura? Brajanath prabhu remarked that it was not known. Srila Maharaja then pointed out that we also do not know who were the diksa gurus of Raya Ramananda, Svarupa damodara, Srila Rupa gosvami or Srila Sanatana gosvami. They were all in bhagavat parampara. But if an ordinary person does not receive diksa, but only harinama, then it will take many, many life times for him to get sambandha jnana. Therefore the conclusion is that one must accept diksa from a bonafide guru. Later on that morning, Srila Maharaja came out from his room and talked for some time in Hindi to one Indian lady, while a small group of devotees gathered. Then he called on Prema prayojana prabhu to translate what he had just said for the benefit of everyone else. Before he started to translate, Prema prayojana prabhu first joined his hands together in prayerful attitude and began reciting the prayer: "om ajnana timirandhasya, jnananjana salakaya..." However, he had got no further than this when Srila Maharaja suddenly interrupted saying: "Ah-ray no! I am here now! If I am ordering you then to who are you doing?" When Prema prayojana prabhu began to apologetically explain that his prayer was intended as a direct offering to Srila Maharaja, then Srila Maharaja replied laughingly, saying: "But your mood is that you are doing to another", pointing his finger out of the window. He then folded his hands and closed his eyes in imitation of Prema prayojana prabhu. After our laughter had subsided, Prema prayojana prabhu began to translate without further ado. Unless one receives sambandha jnana from a guru one's mind will be restless. One will do a fabulous puja of Krsna on one day, but on the next day he will do it to Ganesh instead, and on the day after to someone else. When a girl marries, then she fixes her mind completely on her husband. She knows that any other relationship is illegal. She will cook for him, care for him. So at the time of diksa, the same thing. A relationship with Krsna becomes established, and one's mind is fixed on Him alone. A father will spend so much money on his daughter, he will even sell his home and possessions to help her if necessary. Yet if he sees another girl even more beautiful and qualified than his own daughter, he will not give her even a penny. Why? Because there is no sambandha, or relationship between them. Without guru one will not become free from one's anarthas, so diksa is most essential. In ISKCON they call diksa "brahmana initiation," but brahmana initiation is so much lower. Brahmana initiation is not vaisnava diksa. If a dog is moving here and there, barking, and he has no master then any one can beat him, or he may be shot by a government person. But if he has been given a collar then no-one can attack him, or if he is with his master, then his master will give him protection. So if you have taken diksa, one-pointed to Krsna, and if your guru is bonafide and doing bhajan, then Krsna is bound to accept you, otherwise not. When we wear the kanthi mala (neck beads) which guru has given us, then that is like a collar, showing that we have become Krsna's dog. The Yamadutas will fear to come and take us at the time of death, because Yamaraja has ordered them to keep far away from any vaisnava who is wearing kanthi mala. That evening, Srila Maharaja spoke about how the Srimad Bhagavatam was manifested in this world. Pariksit Maharaja was once in the forest, and he became very thirsty. Since he was close to the asrama of Samika rsi, he decided to go there to ask for water. However, at this time, the sage was absorbed in meditation, and unconscious of the external world. Therefore, when the king requested him for water, the sage did not hear him. Pariksit Maharaja thought "Sadhus should be humble and merciful, but I am king, and he is ignoring me." Pariksit Maharaja is so exalted. He had played in Krsna's lap, he was so learned, and could not be touched by maya. But because yogamaya wanted Srimad Bhagavatam to be spoken, she arranged for him to become angry like this. By Krsna's will it happened. Pariksit Maharaja thought: "I want to teach him a good lesson, but I cannot beat or abuse him, he is a brahmana." Then, seeing a dead snake which was lying nearby, he picked it up and wrapped it three times around the neck of the sage like a garland. He then left the asrama of Samika rsi, and, on the way back he wondered whether the sage had really been ignoring him. If not, he thought, then I've made an aparadha against him, and, by his curse I may be destroyed. As he drew nearer to his kingdom on his way back, two students approached him, offered their pranams and then told him what had happened after he had left the asrama of Samika rsi. The rsi's five year old son had been playing outside with his friends, naked, but when he saw his father with the snake garland he became furious. Taking water from the Ganga he sprinkled it, saying that whoever had done this would die from a snake bite in seven days. But when he had made this terrible curse, he became filled with remorse, and then ran weeping into his father's lap. Being brought back to external consciousness, Samika rsi could immediately understand all that had passed. He could understand past present and future. Also anyone who does bhajan can know this - you can also know. All acaryas are qualified with knowledge just like Krsna, and whatever they say will come to pass. Then he rebuked his son. "You are very ignorant, and Pariksit Maharaja is so learned and advanced. If he dies then the whole world will be thrown into chaos and ruined. Brahmanas should be very tolerant and forgiving, brahmacaris especially, so why did you become angry?" But, seeing by his transcendental vision how Srimad Bhagavatam would now be spoken as a result, he became silent. Calling two of his students he ordered them to go and tell Pariksit Maharaja everything. After Pariksit Maharaja had heard from them he rejoiced, thinking: "Now I have a reason to leave behind all material responsibilities and go to practice bhakti-yoga in a nirjan (secluded) place. This opportunity has come, it must be Krsna himself, so now I must go and hear very sweet and wonderful Krsna-lila." Leaving behind his royal dress, his crown and bow and arrows, and wearing only a dhoti he left for the bank of the Ganga. In the meantime, all the great rsis, maharsis, yogis, tapasvis and vaisnavas also came there. Narada, Vyasa, Parasara, Parasurama, Atri, Bhrgu, Vasistha, Visvamitra, Angira, Gautama, Pippalada, Maitreya and so many others. At that time there was no computer system, microphone, internet, or anything else so how did they know? That is very difficult to understand. Kasyapa muni came from the Caspian sea, Mangala rsi came from Mongolia, so many, about 80,000 in a moment, we cannot imagine. Pariksit Maharaja asked them for their advice. One sage told him that he should give charity to brahmanas, another said that the best thing to do would be to perform austerities while another told him to worship the Ganges. All of them were talking amongst themselves, but when Sukadeva Gosvami came there, they all offered their respects to him. Pariksit Maharaja welcomed him, and then gave him an elevated seat. Not like this (Srila Maharaja then indicated the grand vyasasana he had been given) but some simple seat situated on higher ground. Nowadays this (touching his seat) is called vyasasana, but really vyasasana means the seat of one in whom all qualities of vyasa can be found, who can explain all tattvas. A person of bad character, who is attached to wine, women and wealth, who is ignorant of tattvas, wearing big tilak and kanthi mala, with very brilliant saffron cloth can sit on a golden throne, but this is not vyasasana. This is an offense to Vyasa. Vyasasana means the quality of vaisnavas, realized souls, who express Krsna's glories everywhere. I did not want this (indicating vyasasana). We see that one who takes the post of guru goes down in two days, with his head down and feet up, and no one can save him. But a real guru will never fall down. So the first question Pariksit Maharaja asked to Sukadeva was what he should hear and chant, and what he should remember. So if a person is going to die, with no time left then he should chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. But if there is not even time for this then the name of Krsna will do. But there may also be some difficulty, Krsna's name is also a little crooked, like Him, so if you cannot say it then even Rama or Radhe will do. Radha is more superior. Yamadutas will not come for a person who chants the name of Krsna at the time of death. It is said: te deva-siddha-parigita-pavitra-gatha ye sadhavah samadrso bhagavat-prapannah tan nopasidata harer gadayabhiguptan naisam vayam na ca vayah prabhavama dande (My dear servants, please do not approach such devotees, for they have fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are equal to everyone, and their narrations are sung by the demigods and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka. Please do not even go near them. They are always protected by the club of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore Lord Brahma and I and even the time factor are not competent to chastise them. Srimad Bhagavatam 6.3.34) But it is better if you can hear the beautiful pastimes of Krsna, there will be more effect. You will be able to go to Goloka. By chanting even one name of Krsna you will get a better chance in your next life, Krsna will arrange for a bonafide guru and sadhu sanga. You will be able to progress through all the stages, first sraddha, sadhu sanga, bhajana kriya, anartha nivrtti up to nistha, ruci, asakti, bhava and then prema. Like Ajamila, he chanted the name of Narayana and he got sadhu sanga. The next day Srila Maharaja was invited to a lunch programme at the house of a young Indian lady called Ranjana. During his class he told the story of how Rukmini was married to Krsna. Simply by hearing about the qualities of Krsna from Narada muni, she completely gave her heart to the Lord. However, she did not disclose this to anyone, and by the time she reached the age of 16 her demonic brother Rukmi had decided that she should marry his friend Sisupala. Rukmini was in great anxiety about this. She had already made her marriage, by giving her heart - this is real marriage. If parents force a girl to marry a boy against her will, then it is not real marriage. But if the girl is attracted to the qualities of a boy, then it is real marriage. Sita's marriage to Ramacandra, and Draupadi's to Arjuna are examples of this. And also Sanyukta to Prthviraja. Her father wanted her to marry another, but she jumped on the horse of Prthviraja and together they fled. So Rukmini was thinking, if I cannot marry Krsna, I will lose my life. The next day the marriage was to take place. So she wrote a letter to Krsna and gave it to a brahmana boy to deliver. In her letter she told Krsna that if he would not come to save her, then only her body would remain, its spirit would be gone. She had given her heart to a lion, and could not give it to a jackal. Unable to sleep, she bathed herself all night in her own tears. When an Indian lady has given heart once she cannot do it again. Just like the daughter of Sukracarya, Devayani. She was rescued from a well by King Yayati, and simply because she had put her hand in his as he pulled her out, she considered that she must now marry him. Just before it was time for the wedding between Rukmini devi and Sisupala, Krsna suddenly appeared riding on His chariot, like a thunderbolt from the sky, and Rukmini immediately jumped on. She then took the reins of the chariot herself, being so expert in all ksatriya skills. She could have fended off all the soldiers herself, but Krsna did it while she was driving. So without Krsna bhakti we cannot be strong. We will be bound to change, divorce. So Indian ladies should have marriage, and together with husband they should worship Krsna. There was a brahmana, a realized soul. His name was Yajnavalkya, he was the guru of Janak Maharaja. After his age had crossed 50 or 60, he wanted to go and meditate on Krsna in the forest. He had two wives, so he spoke at first to the senior one, Katyayani. He told her that he had given her so many children, lakhs of cows, so much wealth, buildings, gardens, everything that a person could want, and that now he wanted to leave home for the forest. She replied that he could go, saying that she was satisfied. Then Yajnavalkya went to his second wife, Maitreyi, and repeated the same request to her as well. If any person wishes to leave family life like this for sannyasa, then he must get permission from his wife. This is necessary. But if a person is free from attachment, then he can leave, no need to take permission. So Maitreyi replied to him that: "I know that you've given me so much, but why are you leaving all this behind? By all these things can a person be truly happy in this world or not? If it has made you happy, then why are you giving it up? Will I be happy?" When Yajnavalkya heard this he became so pleased. He embraced Maitreyi, saying "O, you are really my wife, you are the other half of my body. None of these material things can make you happy. To find true happiness one has to realise that one is the eternal servant of Krsna. If one meditates on this in one's life, then, when one becomes mature, at the time of leaving one's body, the soul will become successful. By being attached to the lotus feet of Krsna, and receiving His mercy, you can become detached from the world, you will become happy, and you will not have to take birth again." If you would like to read more material on or by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, then please contact the following websites: http://hgsoft.com/~agrahya/ http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/2469 Comment on this Story This story URL: http://vaishnava-news-network.org/world/WD9812/WD18-2703.html
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