Discussion on Sri Gurvastakam 1 - 5
by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
[Meditation Center, Germany: December 2, 2000]
First of all my heartly
dandavat pranamas in the lotus feet of my
gurudeva nitya lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja and the same, my
dandavats pranams, in the lotus feet of my
siksa guru nitya lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. I know that I'm not qualified, I know that I'm not so intelligent, but the causeless mercy of my siksa and diksa guru has made me like so, that everywhere all are coming to hear.
Especially I'm very happy that from the various parts of the European countries, you have assembled here to hear harikatha in the line of Srila Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Gosvami, our guru parampara, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura, my gurudeva and also
nitya lila pravatista visnupada sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. I know that especially Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, my siksa guru, inspired me to come and he engaged me in his service, that you must preach, otherwise I could not have done like this. So anyone coming to me, it means that you are inspired by him and you are coming anyhow by reading his books, by hearing his glories, by his preaching here and there. So I have only come to remind you of his glory that we should know that he is still alive everywhere.
Today I want to give an explanation of gurudeva, what are the symptoms of a bona fide guru, by examples, what has been given in epics. And you can apply it to your gurudeva. Our gurudeva is
akanda-guru-tattva, Baladeva Prabhu or Nityananda Prabhu, so all should be applied to him and to others, those who are following this.
samsara-davanala-lidha-loka
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyana gunarnavasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
Who has written this Gurv-astaka? Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. But he has taken the view of Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Narottama Thakura, and he has explained all these things. Though he has written it for his gurudeva, but for
akanda-guru-tattva he has written. You know who was his gurudeva? From Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the line of Gadadhara Pandita, Narattoma Thakura came. First came Svarupa Damodara, then Raya Ramananda, then came Rupa-Sanatana, and from Rupa-Sanatana Raghunatha came, and from them, in his line Krishnadasa Kaviraja and Srila Narottama Thakura. And from Narottama, the disciple of Narottama Thakura was Ganga-Narayana Pandita. And then Ganga-Narayana Pandita, his gurudeva?
Aranya Maharaja: Krishna-carana Cakravarti? Radha Ramana Cakravarti?
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Both. Both is one at a time. And then Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura came. He was so humble that he never wrote anything, or he never allowed anyone to call him 'Gosvami'. Cakravati Thakura is like family name.
[One devotees gets up to go to bathroom. Maharaja asks him where he's going]
Srila Narayana Maharaja: I don't want that anyone should go anywhere, and if anyone sleeps, I will punish them. I will tell them to [hold their ears] like this and sit down and up [bob up and down] at least for 20 times. So you should sit [straight] like this, not like this, not like that. I know that you have come from so many very far away places. I know.
Brajanatha Prabhu: Maybe they are tired from yesterday
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Oh, you [one of the organizers] should come here. Don't be late. You should manage at other times, but not here. Here I will manage. [devotees laugh]. Sit down.
samsara-davanala-lidha-loka
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
We have forgotten Krishna, first of all we are part and parcel of Krishna, and thus we are eternal servants of Krishna. But if anyhow, by chance, we exercise our independence and intelligence.
Aranya Maharaja: Free will.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Free will, and thus we are now in jail. We have forgotten ourselves that we are eternal servants of Krishna. And also who is Krishna. Now you are recognizing all, that, "Oh, she's my sister, she's my daughter, he's my husband, my wife and all this." But everything transcendental we have forgotten. We are so much attached in this world. Maya is pulling us very far away from Krishna, to this world, in a burning fire. This world is a burning fire, and you cannot move. She had given us like in iron chains, and what are they? This is attachment to this world, to this body, to our relatives and others. We cannot move here and there. And we have been given to fire, burning fire.
Samsara davanala. Samsara. What is
samsara? It means like forest fire. We saw once in America, in Alachua, we saw a very big fire. Even the government could not control it, never. It cannot be controlled. And more than that, the fire in the ocean, is more than forest fire. And we are burning. Now we are senseless. If a man is senseless and doctors are cutting here and there, you cannot realize that the doctors are operating. So if you are senseless in fire, you cannot realize that you are in fire. And that is the pitiable condition, very pitiable. Like all in this world, except the transcendental persons in this world, like guru, all others are burning in this. That is why Krishna sent His associate, very high class of associate. Who is that associate? Causeless mercy, causeless mercy has taken a shape of guru, real guru. And then this guru, coming to this world, showering, showering, showering by his mercy, Krishna's mercy, showering everywhere that the forest fire, or ocean fire, is subsided. Otherwise [it will] not [be subsided]. And then a sense may come, and anyone, and that person, guru, out of pity, everywhere going, like Swamiji went everywhere. None called him. Never.
To me, some are calling me, and giving me fares, so many invitations, so much money also, fare, tickets and everything, and you are managing everything for me, but who managed for him and who invited him, and who gave any money to him. He wanted money but.
Brajanatha Prabhu: He came with 40 rupees.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: But who gave him? Maybe by begging. And he came. Why he came?
samsara-davanala-lidha-loka
tranaya karunya
Out of
karuna.
Aranya Maharaja: Causeless mercy.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: [Out of] causeless mercy he came, everywhere he went, everywhere. He knew that I may die anywhere, in the waves of sea, but he never cared. And he came out of India. So this is guru tattva.
If a guru is not like this, very merciful to us, that we are burning in ocean fire, or this forest fire, he cannot be guru, real guru, then he may be kanistha or madhyama, a somewhat very low guru who cannot realize all these things.
Our guru-parampara, all the acarayas have realized this from top to bottom. How? You know Vyasa wrote all the epics, he divided Vedas in four, and then he wrote Vedanta- sutra. He was not satisfied, and then he wrote all the Puranas, but not satisfied. Then he wrote Mahabharata. Why? Because the ladies, the so-called brahmanas, and others had no qualification to enter into Vedic literature, because they are impure and they cannot understand the very deep meaning of all these things. So he wrote Mahabharata, and in Mahabharata, anyone can read and be very energetic, and they can take swords and they can fight, like Bhima, Arjuna, Duryodhana, and all. And in that [Mahabharata] he gave a jewel. And what that jewel was? Gita. And he told
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. He told this, and don't think you are the doer, and I will protect you, save you.
Aranya Maharaja: Protect you from your sinful reactions.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: From your painful actions. But still Vyasa was not satisfied, and he was thinking the reason why he's so, why he's not feeling satisfaction. And at once Krishna's mercy in the shape of Narada came.
Karunya-ghanaghanatvam this is. Narada came, and what he did? "Oh, why you are so. I thought you were satisfied, but I find that you are not satisfied. What you have done? Can you tell me?"
"O Gurudeva I don't know. I have written so many things, practicing all these things, but still I'm not satisfied."
Then Vyasa told that, "Oh, I'm taking your shelter, you are causelessly merciful, so please shower your mercy. I'm not understanding anything, Why I'm unsatisfied?"
And then Narada told, he began to smile and told, "Oh, you have given everything but you are not satisfied. I know why. You have not told what is the reality. '
Krishnas tu Bhagavan Svayam,' you have not written anywhere. And Krishna is controlled by gopis, Yasoda-maiya and others, and most of all He is controlled by all the gopis and especially by Srimati Radhika. Have you written?"
"Oh, I don't know all these things."
"You know that Krishna is Supreme Personality of Godhead. You have written anywhere, but not directly you have written. So you must write down all these things, and you should realize all these things. Have you written?"
"Never."
"Have you written that Yasoda mother runs more fast than Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead?"
"Oh, I don't know all these things."
"Then what have you written and how can you be satisfied? Never. Have you written that Yasoda twisted His ears. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, has anyone twisted His ears before? Kausalya or anyone, Aditi, anyone?"
"Never."
"Have you written that mother Yasoda tightened Krishna and it was not untied by any of the sakhas. Even Sridam, Subala, Madhumangala and all, they could not untie. Then Nanda Baba came, and with vatsalya-rasa the knot was opened by him. Have you written?"
"Never."
"Then what you have written? Have you written that Krishna did rasa with the gopis? Have you written? And in that rasa gopis became tired and Krishna told, 'Oh, are you tired?' and He took His pitambara and washed their mouths. And He tightened the ankle belt which was.
Aranya Maharaja: Broken. Fallen down.
Madhava Maharaja: Fallen down.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Here and there. Then He tightened the ankle belt. Understand?
Aranya Maharaja: Ankle bells.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Ankle bells. And then He was ready to massage their feets also. And He told that
'na paraye 'ham niravadya-samyujam (SB 10.32.22).
Aranya Maharaja: I cannot repay you.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: So have you written all these things?"
"Never."
Then Narada told that, "You should realize all these things."
Vyasa told, "How I can realize all of it?"
"Oh, by the mercy of Krishna." And then he gave his mercy. Oh,
bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak pranihite 'male
apasyat purusam purnam
mayam ca tad-apasrayam
(SB 1.7.4)
You should take shelter of Bhakti-devi. Who is Bhakti-devi? Do you know? Really Srimati Radhika is Bhakti-devi. Incarnation of fullest bhakti is Srimati Radhika. Her mood is called bhakti, Her behavior, Her activities, everything is bhakti, mahabhava, mohana and madana. Understand?
Bhakti is. We know only sadhana-bhakti, but there is sadhya-bhakti. We have no idea. So Radhika is that sadhya-bhakti, the embodiment of that sadhya-bhakti.
"Have you seen?"
"Never."
"Then you should take shelter." And then Narada gave some outlines on how he should do bhakti, which Vyasa did, and he saw what? He saw Krishna with His power, all the sakhis, all the lilas, Krishna came out of the stomach of mother Yasoda, from the womb of mother Yasoda, he saw. He saw all His sakhis, Lalita, Visakha, with Srimati Radhika, all he saw, and His all sweet pastimes he saw, and then Vyasa became very cheerful and he.
Madhava Maharaja: Composed Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Not composed. He manifested Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam was before also.
Madhava Maharaja: Eternal.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Eternal, and he saw Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is Srimad-Bhagavatam, and then he wrote thus.
So:
samsara-davanala-lidha-loka
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
And then Vyasadeva became perfect. He saw that his son had become nirvisesa-vadi, impersonalist, and he wanted to be always in samadhi of brahma, brahma, aham brahmasmi, aham brahmasmi. Oh, he became very.
Madhava Maharaja: Unhappy
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Unhappy. Worried, not unhappy. Worried that, "How I should save him." Then he sent so many messages to have [catch] a parrot, and that parrot was Suka Gosvami. Anyhow he came, automatically by hearing the two slokas of Srimad-Bhagavatam:
'barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram' (SB 10.21.5), this and:
'aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam' (SB 3.2.23). By these Suka was attracted. At once he came to Vyasa and fell flat. For whom Vyasadeva had been calling, "O putra, putra, putra." And now he is coming automatically. Vyasa is not calling, but yet he's calling [by the slokas]. And thus he told that, "You should read Srimad-Bhagavatam with me here." And he taught him Srimad-Bhagavatam. He heard and then out of pity, this Sukadeva Gosvami, when he became perfect by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from Vyasa, then out of pity to save Pariksit he went there. No one invited him, never. How he went? Oh, this is guru-tattva. Not like Kali-yuga guru. They can repent, but after some time they will fall down. First they will take wooden sandals and naked body, only here something, and after some time they will fall flat from those wooden sandals, and so many seva-dasis and all others. So these are not guru. They will fall down.
Brajanatha Prabhu: They were fallen, and then they remain fallen.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: So Swamiji has not come to make disciples like this. So we should understand his mercy throughout the whole world. Up to he was old, and he was going everywhere.
You can see the mercy of Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Gosvami, you can see the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, how He traveled throughout India here and there. You can know the mercy of Narottama Thakura also. How he was merciful. There are so many stories. You now Srila Prabhupada and Bhaktivinoda Thakura, how merciful they were. So this is
samsara-davanala-lidha-loka tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam. To save. To save these burning persons they are roaming here and there, traveling here and there.
So
'kalyana gunarnavi'.
karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyana gunarnavasya
He has all the qualities that Nityananda and Baladeva Prabhu has, all the qualities, if he's really guru. There is no chance, not even in dreams, that he will fall down, never. He has all the qualities, very merciful, very humble, very sweet behaviors, having all the kinds of knowledge, all the transcendental qualities will be there. Abode of all the qualities will be there.
Then I'm doing
namaskara to,
pranama to that very guru. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura to his Gurudeva, Narottama Thakura, and for all the guru parampara he has told. And for us also he has told, that you should take this as a symptom of a guru, a bona fide guru. You know Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, he used to play on drums, mrdanga, and he used to weep when he was singing Sad-Gosvami astaka, Gauranga-bolite, oh so many songs.
Gaura pahun na bahjiya. So he has all the qualities that has been said here. So we should try to accept such a guru, a bona fide guru like this, otherwise you will be cheated forever, and you will repent and repent and repent.
Those who have taken initiation from Swamiji, they are lucky. We, the disciples of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja, we are very lucky, very lucky.
mahaprabhoh kirtana-nrtya-gita-
What are the qualities that a guru needs?
mahaprabhoh kirtana-nrtya-gita-
vaditra-madyan-manaso rasena
romanca-kampasru-taranga-bhajo
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
A guru must have all these qualities. Mahaprabhu kirtana,
nrtya-gita. You know that he used to sing very sweet and very powerful kirtanas, playing on mrdanga. Have you seen him dancing? I have seen him, so much. I am lucky to have seen him. My gurudeva, oh, I have never seen a dancer like Guru Maharaja, never. I have heard that Narottama Thakura and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to dance so much. I have heard, I have read in sastra, but I have never seen. But I have seen my Gurudeva, having his danda, at the age of 50, and dancing. And Mohini mohana prabhu, and Satyavigraha prabhu, were very good mrdanga players.
Madhava Maharaja: And kirtaniyas.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: In the whole of Bengal they were the most qualified for playing mrdanga. On the sound of tik tik dan, they used to jump here and there.
Madhava Maharaja: Playing and jumping.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: And Guru Maharaja, I have never seen a dancer like him. And he was very good singer, my gurudeva also. He used to play on mrdanga also.
Kirtana nitya gita, in all he was expert. Not only in doing kirtana, but making, composing, writing, very expert my gurudeva. You know Narottama Thakura, he was expert in all arts. He discovered mrdanga and kirtana, any new tune, what was
garana hatti. Srinivasa Acarya, he has done
manoharasayi, and new, new things they have given. Syamananda prabhu gave
raneti, so many raga and raginis. All gurus should be like this. If your gurudeva is not like this, then not complete guru, something is lacking.
And
unmada, when dancing, kirtana, doing all these things, they used to be absorbed in that thing, then
romanca, hairs standing on end;
kampa, trembling;
asru, melting heart and then that coming as tears. If you are not seeing all these things in your gurudeva, then either you are wrong or he is wrong.
So if we can have a guru like this, oh, we are very fortunate. So [a guru should be] always like this.
I have seen my gurudeva, when he used to remember his gurudeva, [he could not even speak] a little 'Prabhupada', he could not utter 'Prabhu pada', never. Oh here, tears so much in eyes, heart melting and voice chocked. Then he used to tell, "Oh, you should speak something." So I have seen. I am so lucky to see the symptoms in so many of Prabhupada's disciples. Perhaps you have not seen the tears and all these things in the eyes of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, but I am lucky to see, his dancing also.
So I'm doing pranama in the lotus feet of our gurudeva, our guru-parampara, my special gurudeva, siksa guru and parampara. We should try to compare all these things. A so-called guru, they cannot do all these things. If they somewhat try to copy, imitate, but their heart is not melting. If even for one day, for one moment his heart has melted, oh, he can never fall, in whole life he can never fall down.
sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-
srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau
yuktasya bhaktams ca niyunjato 'pi
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana. He is doing
aradhana of
nitya vigraha. There are two
vigrahas, Krishna is Himself
vigraha, transcendental
vigraha. And His.
Madhava Maharaja: Holy names
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Vigraha in this world.
Aranya Maharaja: Deity
Brajanatha Prabhu: Murti
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Which has been manifested like Radha-Govinda, Gopinatha, Radha-Madhana-Mohana, Radha-Syamasundara, Radha-Ramana, Radha-Damodara, all, here and there, anywhere. These are vigraha.
Nitya vigraha is Krishna Himself. When he's in internal mood he's serving Radha and Krishna, doing
aradhana by what?
Nitya-nana, sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana, nana srngara, nana mandira-marjanadau, doing kirtana, all things, these are
aradhana. There are so many various types of worshiping,
aradhana. He is doing all this. If anyone is going to or doing
arati, it is not sufficient. With
romanca, kampa, asru and all, by
nitya and by doing all.
Srngara, so many kinds of ornaments, these clothes of Radha, Sri Krishna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, doing all these things. Don't apply the same thing which has been given to Radha-Krishna conjugal, Radha and Krishna conjugal, or Radha or Krishna, or the same thing to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Don't decorate Caitanya Mahaprabhu with peacock feathers and vamsi and all other things. Don't give Caitanya Mahaprabhu the ornaments and the cloth of Radhika. Because Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taken the beauty and the shape of Radhika, the mood of Radhika, so should we should give Him Her clothes? No. Don't do all these things. Try to remember all these things. What our guru-parampara, acaryas, have given, we should try to do. Not any thing else. Don't do concoctions.
Yuktasya bhaktams. And they engage their disciples, all the bhaktas. In what? Oh, you should dance, you should do this, you should write these things, you should make all the songs,
bhakti-grantha, sri vigraha, aradhana and all these things.
Niyunjato 'pi vande. Not only doing, but engaging thousands and thousands of devotees in these things. They are doing, actually they are doing.
But when a guru falls down, you can know the heart of that disciple, that his gurudeva has left his gurudeva and bhakti and everything, left his chanting and everything. Then what will be the disciple's condition? He will weep, he will weep. I think that if you are sincere then Krishna will be also sincere to give you a sincere guru. But if you are not like that, then you may be cheated.
catur-vidha-sri-bhagavat-prasada-
svadv-anna-trptan hari-bhakta-sanghan
krtvaiva trptim bhajatah sadaiva
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
Who, who takes, who tastes four kinds of mahaprasadam. Not only one. First giving to all, and then remnants he's taking. You have seen Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, They distributed to all [with their own hand], and then always not taking and Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda telling that, "O Prabhu, if You are not sitting and taking maha-prasadam then anyone cannot take." Then They became bound, and thus, then they distributed.
So giving mahaprasadam to, and very sweet and delicious preparations to others, and only
laphra [boiled mixed vege], not so much good things they used to take. Like Rupa-Sanatana, you know, how they used to do. They never took even
namak, salt even, what to tell of other things. A guru should be like this. But sometimes Srimati Radhika used to come Herself, and to give remnants. And Sanatana Gosvami repenting, but Rupa Gosvami not repenting. So many mysterious things are there.
How?
maha-prasade govinde nama-brahmani vaisnave
svalpa-punya-vatam rajan visvaso naiva jayate
Like uttering and reminding all that you should not take prasadam, don't eat, instead you should serve. You should not chant nama, you should serve nama. You should not hear harikatha, you should serve harikatha. In this way, a guru will be like this.
So first he will satisfy all the vaisnavas, and by the remnants, somewhat, anyhow he will maintain his life anyhow, like Rupa-Sanatana and others. So I am doing
vandana to a guru like this.
sri-radhika-madhavayor apara-
madhurya-lila-guna-rupa-namnam
prati-ksanasvadana-lolupasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
Sri-radhika-madhavayor apara-madhurya-lila-guna-rupa-namnam. Oh, Radha and Madhava have so many madhurya, so many very sweet, tasteful pastimes. Their name has so much madhurya. For example 'Hare', from 'Hara'. What is 'Hara'? Oh She can take by Her beautiful qualities, serving Krishna,
prema-mayi-seva.
Aranya Maharaja: Loving service.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: She can take the heart of Krishna and control Him. So all these are, so many sweet pastimes of Krishna,
apara.
Apara means?
Aranya Maharaja: Unlimited.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Unlimited. Names unlimited, Radha-Damodara, Radha-Madhava, Radha-Syamasundara, Radha-Ramana, Radha-Giridhari, oh, so many names. So many. Always tasting, relishing all these things. We are not relishing. Why? We have not all these things.
Aranya Maharaja: Realization.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: We are not qualified, but gurudeva has come to make you qualified like him. So always relishing all these things. Somewhat senseless, in your eyes, in the eyes of world. But what he's doing? Inside, internally, he is relishing all these things. And that is why for world he has become senseless. And there, oh, so much active, so much active.
When you will see that anyone, like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is in the stage of senseless, what He is doing? Or Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, what they are doing? Raghuantha dasa Gosvmai, what they are doing? Oh, they have reached there in Rupa-manjari shape, in other manjari shape and what they are doing? Oh, relishing so many sweet pastimes of Krishna internally.
Lolupasya. What is the meaning of
'lolu.'? Who came with us?
Brajanatha Prabhu: Lola.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Lola. Where is
Lola? Where. Oh, your name is successful,
lola.
Our gurudeva, any qualified gurudeva, is always
lolup.
Lolup is a bad thing for worldly things, but for transcendental it is opposite, a very very attractive thing, a very very sweet thing. We worldly persons are so much
lubdha, so much
lolya (greediness) in sense gratification.
Aranya Maharaja: Greedy.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: In three W's. And any qualified guru always
lolya (greedy) for the pastimes of Krishna, dancing, relishing all these things. So gurudeva is so much qualified. He should be, otherwise actually he is not guru. He may be
abhasa, semblance of guru-tattva.
[Discussion on how long Gurudeva has been speaking for]
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Then the rest we will discuss tomorrow. You should try to go very deep. Visvanatha Cakravati has taken the whole, unlimited ocean, bhakti-rasa and he has given it in a very.
Devotees: Condensed form, small jar, concentrated.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Nutshell like. As we will realize, think, then ocean of rasa may come. So you should try to read anything like this, in very bigger sense. If you are humble and sincere, all can come. When you read anything, then you should do
pranam to whoever has written it, and think that he's there, and then pray that I may understand, and very shortly it will come. Then really you can realize.
My heartly blessings to all, and I'm praying to Krishna that your coming here will be successful. I wanted to speak to each one. I don't want to be controlled by anyone, that anyone cannot meet me. I don't want.
Devotees: Madhava Maharaja. [laughter]
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Oh, sometimes to save me.
Brajanatha Prabhu: If everyone will come, then tomorrow Gurudeva cannot speak.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: So I want to speak with all, those who have come. I know that you have come with a very great hope. I'm not so high class of devotee that I will not speak with you. I want to speak personally with you. Gradually we will speak with all and you should try to realize my classes. Gaurapremanande!
Devotees: Haribol!
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Bas.
Discussion on Sri Gurvastakam 6 - 9
[Meditation Center, Germany: December 3, 2000]
nikunja-yuno rati-keli-siddhyai
ya yalibhir yuktir apeksaniya
tatrati-daksyad ati-vallabhasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
Radha and Krishna both, conjugal, always playing in the groves of beautiful Vrindavana, on the bank of Yamuna, always. The gopis under the guidance of Rupa-manjari, Rati-manjari, are very expert to make meeting of Radha and Krishna. Without their help, They cannot meet. So all the gopis, like all the gopis, my gurudeva is expert. What expert? He can cheat husbands of gopis. Very expert in cheating others. Also to Candravali and others, those who are of another group. And to [arrange the] meeting of Radhika with Krishna, and Krishna with Radha. Very expert. He can discover new, new things to cheat them, so Radha and Krishna can meet. So he's expert in all these things. Who? Our gurudeva. And that is why my gurudeva in that shape, gopi [form], oh, he's most dear to Radha and Krishna, especially bending more towards Radhika.
So Krishna likes so much, to that very gurudeva I'm doing
vandana. You should know the symptoms of gurudeva, how high [he is]. Any worldly person who has lust and is falling down moment by moment is not guru. Anyhow if you have accepted a guru like this, give up at once these fallen gurus. Always going to cinemas, impersonalist colleges and universities, boycott them. They have no trust in name, they have no trust in their gurudeva's line. They have no faith, no strong faith that our gurudeva can give everything, eternal bliss, everything he can give. That [so-called] guru should be given up totally.
And those who have taken sannyasa, but even they are now entangled in sense gratifications, oh, totally they should not be seen. Out of our sight they should be. They can't give anything. Can you accept a fruit from any thorn tree? Can you expect any fruit from bubble tree? Bubble tree you know?
Devotees: Thorn-bush.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Can you imagine a fruit from stones? Never. So they can't give anything. They will destroy your life, as they have destroyed their lives. Many know that if they are not qualified to give Krishna-prema, they should be given up.
This (
'nikunja yuno') is told for a guru like Narada Rsi. A guru in three stages can give Krishna prema. First
murcchit-kasaya, nirdhut-kasaya, and
parsada. What is the meaning? In first stage Narada Rsi was doing
aradhana of Krishna. And he gave up all his desires totally, and he was absorbed.
In a glance Krishna gave him
darsana for a moment, and then He disappeared. He began to cry and weep, "I cannot save my life without You." An aerial voice came and told that, "Out of pity, mercy, I have given you one glance of
darsana. Now you are not qualified. You have some desires. So you cannot have My
darsana."
And he's called
murcchit-kasaya. There is some desire. What? He thought that 'if I will go to a forest in a very lonely place, and I will do
aradhana, and I will be matured, and Krishna will come and show, give me His
darsana.'
Oh, this is not good, that you will go alone in forest. And what you will do? Only
sattvika banavasa (desire to reside in the mode of goodness in a solitary forest) may come. But not anything. You should depend on Krishna totally, and then Krishna may come. So this is
murcchit-kasaya. Murcchit-kasaya means there are some unwanted thing, some desires but they are not working [active], they are like sleeping, but at any time they may come. Like Bharata Maharaja,
murcchit-kasaya, and he had worldly pity, mercy, to an animal, a deer, and he became deer. So this is
murcchit-kasaya.
There was something but it was not obvious, but it may be, in some context it may come, and these unwanted things may manifest, and then you will take three births, like Bharata Maharaja. So Narada also, in first stage he was
murcchit-kasaya, there were some desires, but they were not working, but if some ladies had come, very beautiful, and danced against him, naked, oh, he may be.
Brajanatha Prabhu: Fallen.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Sukadeva Gosvami, in second stage,
nirdhut-kasaya. What is
nirdhut-kasaya? Nirdhut, all has been washed, totally, completely washed. But no
svarupa is there. Understand? No Krishna association, form, is there. So he's
nirdhut-kasaya. Now he's so qualified that any desires cannot come and he cannot go down, never fall.
Aranya Maharaja: Has he realized his
svarupa, but not attained that
svarupa?
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Yes. He realizes his
svarupa, but he is still, his body, this body is not transcendental. But it is like transcendental. And more than that. Narada in third stage. What? In third stage he again took the
darsana of Krishna and he got
vastu siddhi, and he received his transcendental associates body. Like in the shape of Madhumangala. Like Narada-gopi, and he was in Goloka Vrindavana. He can go anywhere with Krishna, without Krishna, everywhere. If he will tell that, "Oh, Krishna-prema should come." Oh, at once, quickly, in a second Krishna-prema will come. Also Sukadeva Gosvami may tell. It will come, but it may take one, two, three minutes. And Narada in first stage, what [will be]? Oh, he will touch, he will give his blessings and then it [Krishna-prema] may come. For them it is possible that Krishna-prema they can give.
Those who are lower than this, they can help some. If anyone is of
madhyama-uttama or
madhyama-madhyama, and is a really sincere vaisnava, no worldly desires, but some desires maybe [there] like
murcchit, latent, dormant. Then he may tell
harikatha so much, and thus by helping him, all unwanted desires he may take, and he will help them to proceed further, further, further, up to whatever stage he's in. These gurus (
madhyama-madhyama &
madhyama-uttama) are available in this world.
A guru like the three types of guru I have described are very rare, by the mercy of Krishna they can come and help you. But generally this type of
madhyama-adhikari, sincere, and following their gurudeva, serving their gurudeva, there is no chance to fall down, they are so sincere, but they are in
murcchit stage, they are in latent stage. They can help us so much. These are gurus. And through them we can have Krishna-prema, and they are like this
'nikunja-yuno rati-keli-siddhyai.'They have not received their transcendental
svarupa. Understand?
Svarupa means constitutional form. But yet they are up to
bhava, and in
bhava-avasta they are remembering all these things. And they are practicing all these things in the guidance of Visakha, Lalita, or Rupa-manjari, always remembering
asta-kaliya-lila.
Asta-kaliya-lila means eight.
Madhava Maharaja: Eight-folded pastimes of Krishna.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Always remembering, and they can give. So he's telling for a guru like this. His guru was like this. All acaryas in our line of
rupanugaare or were like this. If a guru is not expert in this how he can give Krishna-prema? This is called Krishna-prema. So if by chance, by mistake, you have accepted any guru like that. Like what? Always falling down, always they have so much desires for three W's, and sense gratifications, and especially attached to money, matter, and all these things.
And at that time you could not realize, now you are seeing that your guru is going to university of impersonalists, you are seeing that my gurudeva is going to cinema, here and there, and he's always seeing video and television, like how election is going, and how Clinton is going to be seconded. How both are quarrelling. Always very interested in these [politics]. Oh, that guru should be at once rejected if you want Krishna-prema, bhakti. At once, without delay reject him. If you are not doing so, then your guru and yourself are going to hell. This is true. So you should follow these things. If you have anyhow accepted [a lower-class guru], but now you are knowing, that that guru will not work, that they cannot give fruit of Krishna-prema, then why you delay? At once you should try to accept new guru because Jiva Gosvami has told,
sastra, Srimad-Bhagavata has told.
Madhava Maharaja: Purnas ca vidhina samyak grahyet vaisnava guru.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: If you are seeing that your gurudeva is not following his gurudeva, and his gurudeva was bona fide guru, qualified like this [qualified how Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has written]. But you are seeing that he is against these things, not following, he has so many, one, two, three, four, maybe, lady friends, always taking money, and he's doing nonsense, then we should reject him. If you are honest, if you are sincere, you should do at once. If your gurudeva, at that time you accepted him unknowingly, and he's madhyama-adhikari, he's sincere but not expert in these things,
nikunja yuno rati keli siddhyai, then you should do
pranama to your gurudeva and ask, "Oh, please allow me that I can associate with high class of vaisnavas." Oh, guru will be very happy, very happy, "Oh, at once I'm giving this order. You should go. And myself, also I will go there."
Then he's guru, you should not give him up, but you should associate with higher class of guru, giving honor to this gurudeva. But if gurudeva is not giving honor, then he's very selfish. He thinks that my disciples are my property, and that is why if he [disciple] will go to another person, then 'my property is going to them'. So he will fear. But real guru will not fear. He will see that, "Oh, my disciples are going, becoming advanced." So he will be very happy. "If anyone is helping my disciple and he is making him
madhyama-adhikari, then
uttama-adhikari, and like this, oh, I will be very happy, very happy that he's helping him." And Swamiji was like this. That is why he told that, "My disciples should associate with high class of vaisnavas." So many times he has written here and there. Especially you should read his Upadesamrta, Nectar of Instruction, especially in 8th sloka,
'tan-nama-rupa-caritadi-sukirtananu' he has explained very clearly.
So you should see all these things, and then associate with guru. If guru is not as qualified as I have told, giving honor to him, you should try to associate with a guru who is fully qualified. If your guru is not giving honor, not allowing us to associate with higher vaisnavas, then reject him and go. Because you have left your homes, your wife, your wealth, reputation, everything, for what? Not for these classes of bogus gurus. But we have left all these things for Krishna's service, and if anyone is not engaging us in Krishna consciousness, then how he's guru? He's not guru.
Devotees: Kangaroo, trying to fill his pocket.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: They are telling kangaroo, not guru. So in this sloka it has been clearly explained the symptom of a very realized guru. If no realized guru is received, then we should go to even a
madhyama-adhikari who is sincere, and who has no worldly desires of anything. Then you can develop. Then, in any way, you will have that real guru when Krishna arranges.
saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
I'm doing
vandana to that same guru, who is like that,
nikunja-yuno. And that guru who is qualified for this,
nikunja-yuno rati-keli siddhyai, oh he is himself Krishna, Bhagavan, Hari. Hari means he can attract Krishna and can control Krishna even. But not visaya Krishna, but asraya Krishna. There are two kinds of Bhagavan, Hari. Visaya Hari and
asraya Hari. Oh this guru is Hari, but what kind of
asraya-guru?
Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya, very much dear to Prabhu, Krishna. He is not Krishna, but of Krishna. Understand? A guru will not tell that, "I'm Krishna." Instead, "I'm the servant of Krishna." But he's like Hari, he has all the qualities of Hari in him. If a guru is having all the qualities of Krishna, how he can fall down? Never. So you should think that how highest class a guru is.
Guru is not a toy, not an ordinary toy, not an ordinary person. Guru is himself Krishna, but asraya Krishna. Srimati Radhika is Krishna. Krishna has divided himself into two, one is called Radhika and one is called Krishna. So She, Radhika, is
asraya, so guru is
asraya, especially the maidservants of Srimati Radhika. So she can be told
'saksad-dharitvena', not '
hari' but '
haritvena.' There is much difference between '
hari' and
haritvena.' Krishna is Himself Hari, and
haritvena means having the qualities of Hari, of Radhika, having the qualities of Radhika. So he is
asraya-guru. All the epics,
sastra, Gita, Bhagavata, Purana, all has told like this.
'
Uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih'. All the
sadbhih, all the acaryas, all the transcendental bhaktas, they have accepted this theory '
kintu prabhor yah priya', that he is very beloved of Krishna.
yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi
dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
The mercy of gurudeva is the mercy of Krishna, no difference. Krishna is merciful, gurudeva is merciful. But all the mercy of Krishna in a body is gurudeva. So he is more merciful than Krishna. He can come to us, he can give classes to us, he can love us, he can save us. Oh, Krishna will not come. He will send this guru. His mercy is that He will send a very qualified guru. A guru is his mercy. So the mercy of Krishna is not independent. Dependent upon the mercy of gurudeva and vaisnavas.
What I told?
Devotee: That Krishna's mercy is not independent, it is dependent upon the mercy of guru and vaisnavas.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Yes. Understand?
Brajanatha Prabhu: Without gurudeva we cannot receive Krishna's mercy
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Not only gurudeva, all the vaisnavas,
rupanuga-vaisnavas, all are guru, all are guru. All are qualified like this. They can take the mercy of Krishna and control, and by control rate, oh, they may give to others. Krishna cannot do the same. He has empowered guru to do so. So Krishna's mercy is dependent upon the mercy of guru and vaisnavas. If sometimes Krishna is unhappy, He is angry, He is not showering His mercy, then guru can pray Him and His mercy maybe achieved. But if guru is unhappy, Krishna cannot do anything.
You know Ambarisa Maharaja and Durvasa. Durvasa came and disturbed Ambarisa Maharaja, and when he ran away from there and went to Brahma, Visnu, Mahesh, but anyone could not help. They told that, "You should again go to Ambarisa Maharaja. Where a thorn is stuck, from there it can come out. If it is in feet, it will not come from head. So you must go to Ambarisa Maharaja. So he went there and then he was free.
So '
yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi'. If guru is not happy, then Krishna cannot help you. So anyone cannot help you. If guru is of that class. What class? That I told. He can give Krishna-prema. He must be
madhyama-uttama. At least
madhyama-madhyama, sincere, no worldly desires, no sense gratification. Even that mercy can come. How it will come? You know that mercy comes through vaisnavas. If you are serving a
kula-guru.
Devotees: Family guru.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Family guru, you know. And he's sincere, but his guru is not qualified. But he's sincere, and wants to serve Krishna, but he has not received any qualified guru. So up to that he is sincere, and he's chanting something, but his mind is going here and there. Even a person who has a
madhyama-guru, he wants to remove all his worldly desires but he cannot.
Even if you are serving that guru, and he is giving classes to you, and so many good things, Krishna's mercy can come through him. But not high class of mercy will come. Like
vaidhi-bhakti, like worldly things you can have, even mukti you can have, but not Krishna-prema. You know there is a sloka in Gita. What's that? Those who are serving all demigods.
ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta
yajante sraddhayanvitah
te 'pi mam eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-purvakam
(Gita 9.23)
["Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong way." (BBT)]
If anyone is worshiping demigods, like Sankara, like Ganesh, like Hanuman, like others, then Krishna gives some fruits which those demigods cannot give. Krishna is giving. How? Krishna is telling that
ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta yajante sraddhayanvitah. They have some
sraddha to that demigod, and that demigod can give some money, reputation, worldly things they can give. But really Krishna is giving through them, because there is some honor to them.
And demigods are what? Only the
vibuti to Krishna. He has engaged them to give all these things. So Krishna may give something, but not Krishna-prema. Even not that
sraddha. But something will come through them [demigods].
So if anyone is serving their
kula-guru, that is there family-guru, a guru like this, something can be achieved through Krishna. But if a really sincere guru is there, at least
madhyama-adhikari, having no worldly desires, of if any guru is like Narada [first stage], Sukadeva Gosvami and third-stage Narada, then what to tell. So if Krishna is angry, a guru can save. But if guru is angry, then Krishna cannot save. He will tell that, "You should go there. I cannot do. I have given my heart to that class of devotee." What sloka?
Madhava Maharaja:
sadhavo hrdayam mahyam
sadhunam hrdayam tv aham
mad-anyat te na jananti
naham tebhyo manag api
(SB 9.4.68)["The devotees are always in My heart, and I am always in the hearts of the devotees. The devotee does not know anything beyond Me, and I also cannot forget the devotee. There is a very intimate relationship between Me and the pure devotees. Pure devotees in full knowledge are never out of spiritual touch, and therefore they are very much dear to Me." (BBT)]
Srila Narayana Maharaja: So you should try to have a guru, association like this. Then you can have Krishna-prema, otherwise not. A guru who is falling down, always, always, always, who has no faith in his guru and nama, that name can give. Even a name in reverse, like 'Mara, mara, mara, maram.' Valmiki was chanting this, and what it became? 'Rama Rama'. By chanting reverse name, and what became? Oh he became pure. Still we worship Valmiki [even though he chanted reverse name in the beginning]. And if with
sraddha anyone is doing? Then what will be?
jayati jayati namananda-rupam murare-
viramita-nija-dharma-dhyana-pujadiyatnam
katham api sakrdattam muktidam praninam yat
paramamrtam ekam jivanam bhusanam me
(Sri Brhad-Bhagavatamrtam 1.9)["All glories, all glories to Krishna-Murari's name, the embodiment of divine bliss! It halts the cycle of birth and death and relieves one of all painful endeavors in practicing religion, meditation, charity, deity worship, and austerity. It awards liberation to one who utters it even once. Krishna-nama stands alone as the supreme nectar and sole treasure of my life." (Giti-guccha)]
nama cintamanih krsnas
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto
'bhinnatvan nama-naminoh
(Cc. Madhya 17.133)
["The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna's name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself. Since Krishna's name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya. Krishna's name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are identical." (BBT)]
You should try to remember these slokas and their meanings.
Nama cintamani. O Krishna name, especially this 'Hare Krishna' is like
cintamani, desire tree. If you have any desire under the shade of desire tree, oh, it will automatically come. You should know a history. There was a king, and he went hunting. Until evening he was hunting and doing and now he was very thirsty and very hungry, and he was tired, but in time, night came at once. And tigers and all the wild beasts were there, roaring here and there. Then he thought that where to go and to take shelter. By chance where he was there was a desire tree. "Oh, I'm very hungry, and night is coming, so something should come here to quench my thirst and hunger." At once a dish of very delicious preparations came and water, very good scented water. And he took, now he thought, "Oh, if there was any cot to sleep, I may sleep." At once a very good
palanka, bed, with all kinds of facility, came. And he was on the bed, and he slept. But in the meantime some tigers were roaring very near by, and he woke up. "Oh, if a tiger comes, what will be?" And he saw that tiger came. "Oh, if he will eat me," and at once he jumped and ate him.
Devotees: (laughter)
Srila Narayana Maharaja: This is worldly desire tree, but that desire tree, desire tree of Krishna is not like this. Any transcendental desire, "I want to serve Radhika. I want to serve Krishna. I want Krishna-prema, gopi-prema even, a prema like manjaris, like Rupa and Raghunatha dasa, so that kind of prema can come in me." So these classes of gurus are like desire trees.
yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadanna-gatih kuto 'pi
You see Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, he had in his childhood, he had association of Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura is siksa-guru. First guru is Yadunandana Acarya. He was the disciple of Advaita Acarya, in that line. He was also a bona fide guru. And then by his mercy Raghunatha dasa jumped and came to Nityananda Prabhu, and he received the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, and then by the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu he received the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu handed him over to Svarupa Damodara, and Svarupa Damodara is now his guru. What guru? All guru. More superior than Yadunandana Acarya, more superior than Haridasa Thakura. And what he received from these desire trees? The dasya of Radhika. He engaged him, and if something was lacking, then he came to Rupa Gosvami, and Rupa Gosvami gave everything, like him, and then he became Rati-manjari. So this is the qualification of gurudeva.
You should also know that any devotee who is
sadhaka, practitioner, he cannot be in one position all the time. If a river is going on, she cannot be at one place all the time. The water in which we are taking bath, the next moment it will go further, further, further, until it reaches the sea. So bhakti is like a river. If any practitioner is practicing
bhakti, sravanam, kirtanam, visnu smaranam, he must go up. If a man is always in one place, what will be? If he's not associating with high class, higher class, higher class, how he will go? He cannot go. And that is why if a person has left his worldly, all his worldly things, all worldly requirements, but he has not received any high class of association, and he has no taste for that, then he will fall down. He's bound to fall down. So try to have a guru, a vaisnava, like this.
Then
'dhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam.' Oh, you should try to pray, doing
ardhana, meditating three times. This means always, whole day and night.
Vande guroh sri-caranaravindam.
'Srimad guror-astakam etad uccair brahme muhurte.' In Brahma-muhurta, from three in morning. That is brahma muhurta in morning, especially before sunrise, one hour and thirty minutes. But Rupa-Sanatana and others like Haridasa Thakura, they had no sleep at any time. Only one hour, or not more than that. Sometimes nothing, no sleeping. So we should try to be like that and to serve a gurudeva like that. Then if anyone is doing and praying like this, having the meaning and mood of these slokas, then
yastena vrndavana-natha. Who is Vrindavana-natha? Krishna Himself. Oh,
saksat sevaiva, oh
saksat, direct service of Krishna. What is? Like gopis, he can attain that. We should try to be like that.
We have come here. I am very happy, and I am requesting you to give up all your worldly desires. It is very hard to give up sense gratification, all these things. But with the association of high class vaisnavas, you can give up sense gratifications. So I told you last day (yesterday), that try to do, whatever you do, do to please first guru and vaisnavas, and then to Krishna. Whatever you do. Don't eat for yourself, eat for guru-vaisnava service, for Krishna service. If you are going to be expert in anything, then what you should see? Oh, will it please my gurudeva and vaisnavas or not? But we are not doing. And that is why we are not developing.
We should not carry the order of our uncontrolled mind, but yet we are doing.
Devotees: Following our minds.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: This is the root cause. We are like orderly of who? Of mind, of uncontrolled mind. Sometimes he advises very bad things and we are bound to do. But you should not listen and hear the orders of uncontrolled mind. Try to hear all the gurus like Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Narottama Thakura, Rupa-Sanatana, Rupa-Raghunatha and all others. Try to give up all these worldly things as they are like sweet poisons. So try to give up sweet rasagula which is poisoned by snakes, and thus try to control them. If anything you are reading, go deep, and try to pray to them (the authors) that they should be merciful to us. Now it is time.
[Some discussion about time]
[Bhakta Svarupa asks question in background about
murcchit-kasaya which is hard to hear]
Srila Narayana Maharaja: You should try to listen and try to associate with others. What I'm telling, oh, sometimes it will be a very, very hard thing and difficult to realize. You can be misguided. You can misunderstand what I'm telling. Now some are going to be misguided by what Swamiji told. They will misunderstand him. They are trying to fulfill his external desires, not his internal desires. He never told anyone to criticize anyone. Even if anyone is bad, but we should not criticize. He has told like this, to never criticize anyone. So we should try to realize his orders, his teachings and then follow his internal desires. First internal desires, and then external desires. Not only his external desires. He has not told that you should distribute books only. He has told that you should first read and follow and then this nectar should be given to all. In this way.
So my request is also that so many books are coming, they are very, very helpful, very helpful. As Swamiji and my gurudeva ordered, all the books are coming. You should try to help me in my guru-seva and Krishna-seva. You should try to help me in my guru-service and Krishna-service. How? By distributing these books. By practicing bhakti-yoga, and thus you can help me. You should translate my books, you should publish them and try to distribute them. If there are so many devotees here, about more than 200, 250 you are. If ten books are given by you to others, then how many books will be gone? I think that you should make such distribution of my Rays of Harmonist. It is very useful, very useful. It has very simple teachings of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada, of Rupa Gosvami, of Swamiji, of my gurudeva and other realized souls. So you should try to preach and to distribute these books also. Nagar-sankirtana should not be stopped.
Aranya Maharaja: Yesterday we did
nagar-sankirtana, and we distributed books.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: I became very happy to hear this. If I was okay, I should have gone. I am like a commander. As I usually do in my Vraja-mandala-parikrama, especially Navadvipa-parikrama, here and there. So you should try to do. Don't neglect all these things. It will increase your bhakti.
Gaura-premanande!
Devotees: Hari Haribol!
[Name of new initiate given]
Devotee: May I ask one question.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Very quickly. I have no time.
Devotee (very hard to hear on tape):
Srila Narayana Maharaja: What telling?
Brajanatha Prabhu: Certain gurus, they tell you, "I am not really bona fide, but I will take you to my gurudeva, and he is bona fide and he will help you."
Srila Narayana Maharaja: You should test that guru also. Don't believe.
Brajanatha Prabhu: The guru may not be present physically.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Oh, this is, now they are discovering rtvik. You should try to be very far away from these bogus and notorious rtviks. They are Kali-yuga guru. They will destroy your life. When they were misguided, and they gave up their guru's line, and they accepted so many ladies, and they were fallen down. Now they want the same position, and that is why they are telling, "Oh, I am now rtvik, and follow me," and they want that position. But you should know that they are bogus persons, and they are not guru. In our line, there it is never accepted this rtvik line. Rtvik is simply a sacrifice by one person. He knows some rules and regulations of fire sacrifice, and for this, for worldly desires they are doing it (presiding over fire sacrifice). They have nothing to do with siksa-guru, bhagavata-guru, parampara-guru, diksa-guru. They are not accepted as real gurus. So these rtviks are bogus persons, don't believe in them, don't associate with them. They are bogus ones, and they now want again position, and for this they are doing. So be careful for these persons.
Madhava Maharaja: Gaura-premanande!
Devotees: Hari Haribol!
http://www.bvml.org/SBNM/lectures/20001202-03dosg.html
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