Second Period of Devotional Practice (2nd Yama Sadhana)

Morning Worship:-sādhu saṅge anartha nivṛtti

In the first period, Bhajan at the close of night, we start with Sraddha. And in the second period association of bonafide sadhus, taking shelter of a bonafide guru and also as per his direction to perform bhajan, amongst bhajan ‘Nama Sankirtan’ is the highest and to remove all ulterior desires (anartha nivritti). This is the procedure.

nāma grahaner kālākāla-vicāra nāhi
nāma sarvaśakti samanvitā

Supreme Lord made it easy and convenient for the conditioned souls of Kali Yuga that one can chant the Names of the Lord anywhere, at any time and in any circumstance. Holy Name has been invested with all the powers.

Second verse of Sri Sikshastaka:

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśi tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ

O Supreme Lord! Certainly Your Holy Name can bestow all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. So You have manifested in this world with Your transcendental Names like Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, etc. You have invested all powers in Your Names. Rama, Nrisimha, Krishna have all special qualities and are all transcendental. But there is difference in the Lord’s Names too. We have heard that the benefits one attains by chanting one thousand Vishnu Names is attainable by chanting just one Rama Nama. And three thousand Vishnu Names are equal to one Krishna Nama, i.e. one Krishna Nama will give that much benefit. There is Name superior to even Krishna Nama which can bestow us everything very quickly. There is consideration of offense in Krishna Nama. With offense if you do Krishna Nama, you will not get Krishna prema. There are no such considerations in the Names of Chaitanya and Nityananda.

caitanya-nityānande nāhi e-saba vicāra
(Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi 8.31)

By chanting the names of Chaitanya Nityananda, even an offender can attain Krishna-prema. This is the specialty. In the kirtan ‘akroda paramananda’ it is said, Nityananda Prabhu says ‘You take the name of Gaura and you purchase me.’ Thus there is difference in the Names of the Lord. But in all the Names the Lord has invested all the powers. And no rules and regulations have been imposed on chanting and remembering the Names. You are so merciful to the conditioned souls by thus making it easy for them to chant Holy Names without any restrictions of time, space, etc, but due to my tenfold offenses it is my greatest misfortune that I have got no aptitude for chanting of the Holy Names, I have not developed any attachment for the Holy Name.

Our Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur said in his song ‘Vaishnava ke’ that Bhajan in seclusion (nirjana-bhajan) is not possible for a conditioned soul.

sei du'ti kathā, bhula' nā sarvathā
uccaiḥsvare kara ‘hari nāma-rava’
‘phalgu’ āra ‘yukta’, ‘baddha’ āra ‘mukta,’
kabhu nā bhaviha, ekākāra saba
śrī-dayita-dāsa, kīrtanate āśa,
kara uccaiḥsvare ‘harināma-rava’
kīrtana-prabhāve, smaraṇa svabhāve,
se kāle bhajana-nirjana sambhava

He did not give encouragement for Bhajan in seclusion, gave emphasis on Sadhu-sanga.

aneka-lokera vāñchā — aneka-prakāra
kṛpāte karila aneka-nāmera pracāra
khāite śuīte yathā tathā nāma laya,
deśa-kāla-niyama nāhi sarvasiddhi haya
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.17-18)

Even when taking food, and when sleeping one should take the names of the Lord. (If someone says that) Oh, you do not allow even to eat in peace. This is the glory of the Lord’s Name, you keep quiet (one should not argue).

Once it so happened in Assam. There in one place where they serve hot rice and pour ghee over it and all varieties of dishes. One day our worshipable senior devotee asked me to give ‘Jai’ before Prasadam. I started giving long Jais. While I was giving Jais, the devotee who asked me to give Jai got angry because the rice was getting cold! The next time we were there, someone announced that Krishna Vallabh will give Jai, and immediately that person said, no, no I will give Jai and quickly said ‘Sri Gandharvika Giridhari ki Jai!! Mahaprasad ki Jai!! Harinam Sankirtan ki Jai!!’, like this.

ekānta bhaktera mātra kīrtan-smaraṇa,
anya parve ruchi nāhi haya pravartana,
bhāvera sahita haya śrīkṛṣṇa-sevana,
svārasikī-bhāva krame haya uddīpana

Those who have got no exclusive one-pointed devotion to Sri Krishna they will have the desire to do other forms of devotion but those who have got exclusive devotion they have got only desire to do Kirtan and Smaran. So much emphasis has been given.

ekānta bhakatera kriyā mudrā rāgodita,
tathāpi sei saba nāhi vidhi viparīta

Devotee’s chanting of dear most Lord’s name is inspired by pure love originating from delightful relation. Lord wants only pure love of the devotee. What material wealth and opulence we can show to Lord? Service is to be performed with great attachment for the Lord. Everything will manifest on its own. ‘Gayite gayite nam ki dasa hoilo krsna-nitya-dasa mui hridaye sphurilo’ it will manifest.

sarva tyāga karile o chārā sukaṭhina,
pratiṣṭhāśātyāge yatna payibe praviṇa

The most dangerous hindrance in Bhajan is the desire for ‘pratishta’. One has to give up the desire for name and fame with great endeavor. What is the use of attracting this world’s name and fame? One has to give attention to things that please the Lord and His devotees and should not give even the least importance to worldly name and fame and prestige.

prabhate gabhīra rātre madhyāhne sandhyāye,
anartha chāriyā lao nāmera āśraya,
ei rūpe kīrtana smaraṇa jei kare,
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā haya śigrha, anāyāse tare

When one tries to chant Hari Nama with great attention, giving up all ulterior motives and free of offenses, he will attain Krishna’s mercy. When Krishna sees that there is sincere effort from your side, then grace will come automatically. The grace of Lord and His devotees will automatically come.

śraddhā kari’ sādhu sange kṛṣṇa-nāma lay,
anartha sakala jāy niṣṭhā upajay,
prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sādhana

Simultaneously (along with chanting) one has to think about the morning pastimes of RadhaKrishna. After listening, one has to meditate within mind and then only he can speak, do kirtan. So it is repeatedly said ‘cintite cintite’. Just for the sake of completion of bhajan within stipulated time if it is performed hurriedly then it is not bhajan.

Morning pastimes of Radha-Krishna

rādhāṁ snāta-vibhūṣitāṁ vrajapayāhūtāṁ sakhībhiḥ prage
tad-gehe vihitānna-pāka-racanāṁ kṛṣṇāvaśeṣanām
kṛṣṇaṁ buddham avāpta-ḍhenu-sadanaṁ nirvyūḍha-go-dohanaṁ
susnātaṁ kṛta-bhojanaṁ saha-caraistaś cātha tāś cāśraye
Sri Govindalīlāmṛta 2.1

We listen to the same narrations of the pastimes of RadhaKrishna daily. But these pastimes never become stale, daily we listen to and daily it is fresh and new. In that world everything that is heard now, when heard again even after a moment we relish it afresh and new. If we do not experience this then we have to understand we have got no contact with the transcendental sound (shabda-brahma), but only with material sound. The material sound become stale, Oh you are repeating the same thing, you are repeating the same thing, it has become stale, give something new, romantic, but every moment this pastime is romantic. Now you have remembered and after a moment you can again relish it infinite, ad infinitum. It cannot be stale.

Radharani wakes up in the morning, takes bath, decorates Herself and Her pastime of dressing up is transcendental, everything is transcendental, they (Her clothes and ornaments) can express themselves, voice themselves, there is nothing material there. And along with Her friends (Sakhis) She comes to Nandagram being called by Yashoda Devi. With great love She cooks various dishes, Her prepared dishes are all filled with Her love. Even in this material world we see, a mother who has great love for her child does not feel any difficulty in serving her child, she is ready to face any amount of difficulty. Where there is no love there is no inclination for seva. Like this, Radharani and Her sakhis engage all their time in cooking and Krishna likes all those things they prepared with great love. They honor the remnants of Sri Krishna. This is the pastime of Radharani and the gopis. We have to remember these pastimes of Radharani in the early morning.

Nanda Baba and Yashoda Mayya are not aware of Krishna’s pastimes in the night and now seeing Krishna wake up in the morning they both are very happy. Krishna then goes with His sakhas to milk the cows. During this time He performs many pastimes to give seva to everyone. Krishna’s sleep is not in the tamo-guna, but His pastimes of dropping His head as if sleepy again is to give seva to some one. He has His eyes on all, attention on all. He takes bath along with His sakhas and together they sit down for breakfast. Sakhas are happy to see Krishna and to be with Him. When they are not able to see Krishna they feel great separation and start crying for Him. They are happy not because Yashoda Mayya serves them nice food, but are happy to be in the association of Krishna. Without Him, even food does not taste good for them. They eat together. I take shelter of Krishna who is playing such sweet pastimes.