- Explanation about the manifestation of Srimad Bhagavatam.
- About the end of karma only happening with complete surrender to Guru and Krsna.
- The Caitanya Caritamrta clarifies that the devotee, upon surrendering to the Guru, begins to be taken care of by Krsna.
- In Madhurya-Kadambini, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that, by simply chanting a namabhasa, a stage in which one has not yet reached pure chanting, karma is destroyed.
- There is a need for a little karma to maintain the body here in the material world.
- This material body is essential to perform bhajana and sadhana, and to give us humility.
- Song: Amara Jivana by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, which speaks of a life dedicated to sin.
- Krsna says that He will purify our hearts, because Guru in the form of manjari is absorbed in the service of Srimati Radhika.
- Just like the green bamboo that does not bend on the first attempt, sadhana needs to go through all the stages of the process.
- The Guru’s body is transcendental, we will only be able to see Him when we acquire a transcendental body as well.
- If we do not surrender to the Guru in this life, Krsna will arrange for us to find a Guru in the next life in the same mood.
- About the speech of Srila Gurudeva Narayana Gosvami Maharaja in 2010.
- Katha by Gopa Kumara, describing the mood of separation between Guru and sadhaka.
- Gurudeva answers the devotee how to know what level of bhakti we are at.
- When sukrti, virtues, are accumulated and mature it is possible to obtain association with the sadhu.
- In association with the sadhu, bhakti will manifest in our hearts.
TRANSCRIPT
Devotee: …Radha thinks, what Krishna thinks, like sometimes in katha, Vaisnava says, @ ‘ ‘Radharani thought’ or ‘Krishna thought’. How, like, who understands like what [How Vaishnavas understand what Krishna thought or what Radha thought]…?
Gurudeva: Vyasadeva Gosvami told… Vyasadeva Gosvami, Shukadeva Gosvami, Vyasadeva Gosvami in his trance manifest [about] Srimati Radhika, then he explained. Shukadeva Gosvami, Srimati Radhika, in the trance of, manifest in the trance of Shukadeva Gosvami, so Shukadeva Gosvami is speaking.
Devotee: Sometimes in hari-katha it says that disciple takes diksha, like his karma is finished, like how to understand this. It’s really finished, or what’s the process?
Gurudeva: your karma finished when you completely surrender to Guru and Krishna. How much you surrender is that is… [As far as you have surrendered, so much karma is gone]. That is:
dīkṣā-kāle bhakta kare ātma-samarpaṇa
sei-kāle kṛṣṇa tāre kare ātma-sama
sei deha kare tāra cid-ānanda-maya
aprākṛta-dehe tāṅra caraṇa bhajaya
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila 4.192-193)
When disciple completely surrender at lotus feet of Guru, then Krishna, He is taking to Him. Krishna [thinks], he belongs to Me. Guru belongs to Krishna, so Krishna is thinking, “This disciple also belongs to Me.” So saying, dīkṣā-kāle bhakta kare ātma-samarpaṇa, here, using this word: atma-samarpana. If you atma-samarpana, completely surrender, samarpana, means surrender, then Krishna is saying, “He belongs to Me.” sei-kāle kṛṣṇa tāre kare ātma-sama. Then that time Krishna is saying, “This is mine, belongs to Me.” And that time, Krishna with His Yogamaya, also destroys all the anarthas, karma, everythings from the heart of the devotee. But have to understand, diksha is not one day complete. Shraddha, sadhu–sanga, bhajana–kriya, anartha-nivritti, nishtha, ruchi, asakti and bhava-dasha, that time your diksha will be complete. Understand. Diksha will be complete at the stage of bhava-dasha. Now you are on the way, understand, you are admitted in the school until you get the certificate and final examination, that time you are not free from the school. So that means when you be get the certificate from the school university, diploma, then your everything is complete. In the same way, when the disciple completely surrender lotus feet of Guru, then at the stage of bhava-dasha, then your diksha will be complete. Just you taking diksha, one day diksha, that is not complete. Step by step you are going on the way. Understand.
Your course, university course, maybe three years you understand. How many years? Three years university course. So one year if you admitted, you cannot get the certificate. When you complete the three years of the course, then the university will give the certificate. This is the process. You are bachelor degree or master degree, doctor degree are there also. In the same way, when you surrender to Guru, then your name in there also, Krishna is taking, but you have come in the stage of bhava-dasha. When you come in the stage of bhava-dasha, then Krishna will destroy all your karma. This is the process also. Otherwise, you will not be free from all the karma. This is the process also. So even also Vishvanatha Chakravartipada explains, one who chants holy names, then even nama-abhasa will come, semblance of holy names, then all his karma, everything will be destroyed. How is powerful one nama-abhasa. In Madhurya-kadambini grantha, Vishvanatha Chakravartipada explain, that all your karma, karma-phala [fruit of our actions], will be destroyed. One nama-abhasa coming.
Now question is coming, if the body, with fruitive action, karma, if our karma destroyed, how possible we’ll stay in this body? So for this regard, Vishvanatha Chakravartipada again explained Krishna is very merciful and wonderful. And with His inconceivable potency, achintya-shakti and give some karma to the devotee, otherwise if you have no karma, you cannot stay in here. If you do not have now karma-phala, you cannot stay in this body. That means you are good and bad karma, both are now there, that is little bit Krishna is giving. Because how to stay in this body. Another things also, if you have no distress, unhappiness, suffering, you have no humility will not come. So for this regard, Krishna knowingly also give some karma to you, then automatically humility will come. If you free from all kinds of karma, then sometimes your proud will come, you think, “Oh, I am…!” When your karma is coming, understand, automatically your humility will come. Therefore, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sang this song:
āmāra jīvana, sadā pāpe rata,
nāhiko punyera leṣa
parere udvega, diyāchi je koto,
diyāchi jīvere kleśa
(Amara Jivana, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)
[I am an impious sinner and have caused others great anxiety and trouble.]Bhaktivinoda Thakura very humbly he sang this song also. Understand? Or he sang:
anādi’ karama-phale, poḍi’ bhavārnava-jale,
toribāre nā dekhi upāy
(Anadi Karama Phale, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)
[I have fallen into the ocean of material existence as a result of my selfish activities, which are without beginning, and I see no means of deliverance from this great ocean of nescience.]Anadi karama phale, according our innumeral karma, we are wondering in the cycle of repeated birth and death. Understand this. How to deliver from ocean of maya. So in this same way, humility will come, dainya. Actual, when you surrender to Guru and Krishna, Krishna destroy all your karma. Just giving to you little bit giving to you how to stay in this body to perform bhajana and sadhana. Understand this way. And humility, two things: you have to stay in this body and perform bhajana and sadhana and second, how your humility will come, dainya will come. So for this regard, saying this way:
anādi’ karama-phale, poḍi’ bhavārnava-jale,
toribāre nā dekhi upāy
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sang this song. Or
āmāra jīvana, sadā pāpe rata,
nāhiko punyera leṣa
parere udvega, diyāchi je koto,
diyāchi jīvere kleśa
Amara jivana, my life completely dedicated with papa, karma, and no any smell of pious activities. Parere udvega…I give so much distress, unhappiness to others, so who will give me shelter? This is called is what? Humility, dainya. This is the process also. So it’s depending on how much you surrender. Аnother shloka in Srimad-Bhagavatam: Krishna is very merciful and He destroys all his karma and even gives the highest destination, even you take the highest mood:
martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā
niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me
tadāmṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno
mayātma-bhūyāya ca kalpate vai
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.34)
[] [A person who gives up all fruitive activities and offers himself entirely unto Me, eagerly desiring to render service unto Me, achieves liberation from birth and death and is promoted to the status of sharing My own opulences.]This shloka Krishna told to Uddhava, eleventh canto. This shloka is very important.
martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā
niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me
Wondering in the repeated cycle of birth and death, so the extreme fortune living entities surrender to Guru and Krishna, Krishna is saying, “I will destroy all his anarthas.” Krishna Himself says, “I will purify his heart.” So maybe a question will come, disciple surrender to Guru, and Krishna is saying, “I will purify his heart.” Why? Because Krishna is thinking the Guru, Guru, that means Rupa Manjari, she serves to Srimati Radhika, so Krishna is thinking, “Oh that Guru Rupa Manjari, she serves to Srimati Radhika, so I not give bother to her. I will clean.” So Krishna is saying, “I will clean.” Generally people are saying Guru will clean the heart of the disciple, but in this way, Vishvanatha Chakravatipada is saying, Krishna is saying, “I will clean for you.” Krishna is saying this. Because Guru is always absorbed to serve Srimati Radhika, so she has no time to take care her disciples. So Krishna is thinking, “I will take care.”
I give an example, sometimes the baby is staying with his mother and also his mother’s sister, auntie. Sometimes auntie also taking care of baby. Mother can take care her baby, this is true, but sometimes, auntie she is taking care of the baby, because mother and auntie, both are same heart. So for this regard, mother take care or auntie take care, this is not the subject. So in the same way, Krishna is saying, “Guru Rupa sakhi Manjari, she is servicing to Srimati Radhika so Krishna is thinking, “I will take care of you.” Bolo Vrindavana Bihari lala ki jaya! Even Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti explained, one who surrendered to the lotus feet of his Guru, then Krishna is saying, “In My inconceivable potency, achintya-shakti, I will bring to in the mood of manjari-bhava.” Look this thing. This shloka is very important:
martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā
niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me
Learn this verse.
Devotee: which one?
Gurudeva: (repeats). This shloka is very important. Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11th Canto. Krishna told to Uddhava, 11th Canto. This shloka is very highest. That means when you completely surrender to Guru, then Krishna will take care. If you not surrender, Krishna will not take care. Surrender will be completed in the stage of bhava-dasha. Step by step: shraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivritti, nishtha, ruchi, asakti then bhava. And prema-dasha, that is absolutely to surrender. As like Srimati Radhika, She is surrendered to Krishna, this is incredible. She is Srimati Radhika, She completely surrender to Krishna. No one can compare with Srimati Radhika’s surrender. So in the same way, sadhaka will completely absolutely surrender in the stage of bhava and prema-dasha.
Now just give an example, green bamboo, green bamboo, you can bend slowly, slowly, slowly, not just take one bamboo and to this way (Gurudeva shows bending quickly.) Green bamboo you can bend slowly, slowly, slowly. In the same way, sadhaka, shraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivritti, nishtha, ruchi, asakti, bhava and prema, going step by step. Gaura-premanande! Hari Hari Bol! Understand?
Devotee: If in this birth we cannot fully surrender to Guru, next birth we will serve to the same Guru or not?
Gurudeva: Arre, same Guru. You can now see the Guru material, jada-sharira, material body. Guru, that he has transcendental form, cit-deha, transcendental form. When you do bhajana and sadhana then you will realise. You are looking this material body. But Guru’s body is transcendental. Aprakrita-cit-deha. That cit-deha you will see when you realise your own transcendental constitutional form. Only with your eyes you cannot see the sun. Need rays of sun then you can see the sun. And only rays of sun is coming but you close your eyes, you cannot see the sun. So both need or not? You need your eyes or need also, sun, rays of sun.
So that means sadhaka when he realises his own transcendental constitutional form, siddha-deha, then he realise Krishna also, also Guru transcendental constitutional form. This is the process also. First you see to yourself, that Sanskrit word, that is called atma-darshana. Atma-darshana, then guru-darshana, then bhagavat-darshana. In the beginning atma-darshana, self-realisation, atma-anubhuti. Then you realise about Guru, guru-anubhuti, then you realise about Lord. This is the process, step by step.
So now question is coming, [if] this life, you will not completely surrender to Guru or not attain in the stage of bhava-dasha, then Krishna will arrange for your next life same mood of Guru, same mood of these things also, arrange to you. Understand. [Srila] Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Gosvami Maharaja, he told, “If my disciple go to naraka [hellish planet], I will go to naraka and deliver my disciple from the naraka.” Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, he told, one disciple asked to Gurudeva, 2010 in his morning walk, “ Hey Gurudeva, again you will come and deliver to us or not?” Gurudeva told, “I’m not come in this body.” So who will come? Then Srila Gurudeva, Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, he told, “My same mood, that person will come.” You understand. This is the process also. Because Guru that is called transcendental body, come in the same mood, bhava, he will come. Then deliver to you. Then you go transcendental Goloka Vrindavana and you will see the form of Guru. But everything depend on your bhava-dasha, until coming in the bhava-dasha, you cannot understand.
Example. In Brihad-bhagavatamrita, Sanatana Gosvamipada, Gopa-kumara you know the story of Gopa-kumara? Gopa-kumara, he received the mantra from Jayanta, his Guru, but when he received diksha-mantra from his Guru Jayanta, then Jayanta, he departed from this material world. Then Gopa-kumara felt pangs of separation from his Guru Jayanta and he was crying and crying and felt pangs of separation from his Guru, then he left Vrindavana and Gopa-kumara, he did not stay in Vrindavana. Very nice story, beautiful hari-katha is there. Then Gopa-kumara, he came in Prayaga, and he saw the brahmana who worshipped shalagrama-shila. Then he glorified, “Oh you are the best worshipper.” Then that brahmana he told, “I am poor brahmana. I just worship the small shalagrama-shila, but if you want to see the Thakuraji seva, then you go Ananta Padmanabha. Ananta Padmanabha. We went Ananta Padmanabha [during South India tour]. Who went? Did you go? Ananta Padmanabha, you did not go? Ananta Padmanabha, then Gopa-kumara, he saw the Ananta Padmanabha, how king, how also he served the Thakuraji. Then Gopa-kumara, desire coming, I also serve to Ananta Padmanabha. Then Ananta Padmanabha arranged, then king left body, then Gopa-kumara, he was the king of Ananta Padmanabha, and he served his Thakuraji, Gopa-kumara he served Ananta Padmanabha. You go Ananta Padmanabha, three doors are there. One door you can see Lord lotus feet, middle, middle navel of Lord, nabhi-kamala, then third door you can see Lords very nice beautiful lotus face. You went or not?
Devotee: yes.
Gurudeva: You saw or not?
Devotee: yes
Gurudeva: Ananta Padmanabha, very nice beautiful, they are very strict, without [spiritual clothes], only lower cloth… [only dhoti and chadar are allowed for men]
Devotee: yes
Gurudeva: So Ananta Padmanabha darshana. Gopa-kumara in this way he worshipped Thakuraji, then his mind very disturbed, because there are some cast and race discrimination. Only brahmana can go, this, this, this. No brahmana [not brahmana can go another way], this, this, this, so Gopa-kumara, he left that place. Then Gopa-kumara, he came in Jagannatha Puri. He saw the Lord Jagannatha who is giving twenty one hours to take darshana. But three hours, Jagannatha, He takes rest. Now it’s the same rules, going on this way. If you go Jagannatha Puri, Jagannatha-deva, He takes rest only three hours. Twenty one hours he gives darshana to everyone. So Gopa-kumara, he is very happy, but when Lord Jagannatha temple closed, three hours, then Gopa-kumara felt pangs of separation, then Gopa-kumara, he came on the beach, Jagannatha Puri. Who has been Jagannatha Puri? Very nice beautiful beach, sweet wind coming, and waves are very nice beautiful and attractive. So one night time, he was walking on the beach, then suddenly he saw his Gurudeva appeared. And Gopa-kumara, he hold the lotus feet of Guru, he want to speak something, but so much felt pangs of separation coming from his Guru, Jayanta. He did not speak anything. So that time Jayanta his Guru, gave blessing, “Oh you are [in] sakhya-bhava, I’m giving blessing.” Then he disappeared. So in this way, sometimes Guru give this types of mood, ‘ok I am now the same’. There are no necessary to give same form [But it’s not necessary for Guru to have same body].
Devotee: Guru what?
Gurudeva: No necessary to give forms. Because when you are not come in the stage of prema-dasha, that time Lord will not give darshana to you also. Understand? When will Lord give darshana? When the sadhaka come in the stage of prema-dasha. Understand? Asakti and bhava there are some semblance will come, abhasa will come. Maybe once giving darshana then disappear. As like Narada Rishi. Srimad-Bhagavatam explains this way, First Canto, narada-vyasa samvada. Only Lord Narayana gave once just flash darshana, flash understand? Like the lightening. Then Narada Rishi fainted. So in the same way Lord will give darshana just once, but when you come in the stage of bhava-dasha. And when you come in the prema-dasha, then you will go and attain the abode of Lord. Then you direct darshana to Lord. This is the process also how to take darshana to Lord. Bolo Vrindavana Bihari lala ki jaya!
Devotee: How to understand on which level I am now?
Gurudeva: You cannot recognise yourself. A student cannot recognise himself, I am which class. Which class? First class, second class, third class. Who will give? Principal teacher will give. In the same way bona-fide guru will explain oh [your level].
Devotee: which level is she, Gurudeva?
Gurudeva: Not prema-dasha, you cannot live in this way. Even not bhava-dasha also.
Devotee: How to understand that I have achieved shraddha? Because sometimes, with shraddha, even first level, so high.
Gurudeva: Aikantika-shraddha will come when one-pointed with Guru and Krishna. And taste will come chanting holy names, nama-ruchi, seva-ruchi. Then you will become. Different things will come also, this is the process. And main thing is how much your sukriti mature and accumulate. Then faith will come. So for this regard we are saying, this life, just you collect the sukriti, serve Guru and Vaishnava, then your sukriti will be mature and accumulated. Then Yogamaya, she will arrange. This is your duty, just collect sukriti.
bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate
sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate pumbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ
(Brihan-naradiya Purana 4.33)
[Bhakti becomes manifested by the association of the Lord’s devotees. The association of devotees is obtained by previous accumulated piety.]When your sukriti will be mature and accumulated, then you’ll get association of sadhu, then with association of sadhu, bhakti will manifest in your heart.
