Madhyahna kalia bhajan - Mid-day worship – Ruchi Bhajan -- Worship with taste

Now in the fourth period we come upto ruchi bhajan, we should do harinam with liking from the inner core of the heart.

nāma sādhakera ahaituki kṛṣṇa bhakti binā anya kāmanā nahi.

The true worshiper of Harinam(Nama Sadhak) has got no other desire except causeless devotion to Sri Krishna. If there are any other desires, then Harinama is not possible.

Our Guruji used to explain giving an example. In Bangla there is Medinipur District, a very big District. In those days villagers used to fear to come to the city thinking city people are deceivers. But now villages are more deceitful than cities. It was not like this before. Villager was in need of funds for his daughter’s marriage. In city there are many jewellery shops.There are no jewellery shops in the village nor there is any wealthy man. So he took some 3-4 smart men to accompany him and with his jewels came to the city of Medinipur. He reached where there are jewellery shops. There he observed from far fearing he may encounter someone who may deceive him. In one jewellery shop he saw a man is sitting in an easy chair wearing tulasi mala with big big beads in his neck and chanting Harinam. He is good, so he thought and stood before the shop. The shop owner had servants who are engaged to welcome customers and lead them to the shop. Seeing the villager standing he welcomed him and inquired. The villager asked do you purchase Jewels? Yes, we deal in jewels. We purchase, we make jewels, we sell also. What do you want? I have some jewels, and I have need of some money. Ok, done he said and uttered ‘Keshava Keshava’. He took the name of the Lord. The man, owner who is sitting outside in the easy chair uttered ‘Gopal Gopal’ in response. Now, no doubts remained in the mind of the villager, he thought both are devotees. He took out all the jewellery he had brought, of silver and gold. The man while weighing them was also doing Harinama, saying ‘Hari Hari!! Hari Hari!!’ The owner sitting outside said in response ‘Hara Hara!!’ All are Bhagavan’s names. In reality it was not Lord’s name. The servant was asking the owner in code words ‘Ke-shava, Ke-shava’. In Bangla ‘Ke-shava’ means ‘Who are these people? Are they known to you? ‘ The owner said ‘Gopal’ i.e. one who takes care of cows is foolish, ignorant. Then can I steal the gold? Hari Hari? Hari is one who snatches. You can steal as much as you like, Hara Hara. Are these Bhagavan’s Names? Bhagavan is not addressed here, with some other motive they were taking Names. Chanting with other worldly motives no Harinam is possible. The purpose of chanting Names should be to call Bhagavan. One who calls Hari for Hari, only he gets the causeless mercy of Bhagavan. There Bhagavan’s Name manifests. Therefore it is said Nama Sadhak has no other ulterior motive than to get causeless one-pointed devotion to Bhagavan.

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukḥ tvayi
(4rd Verse of Sri Shikshastaka)

O Supreme Lord, I have no desire for wealth, manpower or erudition or even liberation. My only prayer is to get causeless one-pointed firmly fixed and uninterrupted devotion to You birth after birth. If there are ulterior motives then that will cause hindrance, interruption between Bhagavan’s Name and the Worshipper and one cannot chant Holy Name. Bhagavan is Absolute Whole. Western philosophers say ‘Absolute is for Itself and by Itself.’ We do not call ‘It God’, we call masculine God-head ‘He God’. Absolute is for Himself and by Himself. So if one calls for Bhagavan only, He will come. If one calls with worldly motives, then Maya will come, Bhagavan will not come.

gṛha dravya śiṣya paśu dhānya ādi dhana
strī putra dāsa dāsī kuṭumbādi jana

Dhana is wealth which we accumulate for material worldly benefits and for sense enjoyment. All these worldly things come under wealth – house, material things, making disciples for my convenience and sense-enjoyment, domestic animals, paddy-crops, etc. One who lives in Krishna’s family, he thinks Krishna is my Master and I am his servant, wife is Krishna’s maid servant, all other servants are Krishna’s servants, Krishna is the only Master, then there is no reason for sense-enjoyment. All things of sense-enjoyment are termed as wealth. And I am of Krishna’s, Krishna is mine, all are Krishna’s, all are in Krishna and are for Krishna and emanated from Him. Wife, sons, daughters, servants, maid-servants, relatives, these are all worldly relations. When we pray for all these then we cannot chant Krishna Nama.

kāvya alaṅkāra ādi sundarī kavitā
pārthiva-viṣaya madhye e saba vāratā

Desire for erudition, Kavya – book of verse relating to poetic drama, rhetoric art, poetical talent, for acquiring name and fame, all these relate to worldly matters. It is very elaborately described here. I do not desire to get these. This has to be spoken from the heart, just speaking from mouth will not do. Pray from the heart, O Krishna, kindly bestow me pure devotion. I do not want any of these. One who prays like this, he is the most intelligent of all.

Bhagavan is the Master of infinite Universes and infinite Vaikunta planets. I want You, I want to be friends with You. Leaving such great Master of infinite universes, if I beg for ten rupees from a so called rich man of this world, what value is of that ten rupees? Krishna can give crores of rupees, and even more. It will be foolish to beg for mere ten rupees. Bhagavan is the Master of infinite brahmandas, and when you become His, then you automatically become the master of infinite brahmandas. So to ask for this and that from Bhagavan is foolishness. He shows he has no knowledge of Bhagavat tattva. So a devotees prays please give me pure devotion because he is very intelligent, does not want anything (material), give me pure devotion, says I want You. Beginning it seems he does not ask for anything, but when He wants Bhagavan, He has prayed for everything. Like Vtrasura. Bhagavan Sankarshan appeared before Vtrasur and asks what you want. I will give you whatever you wish. You want to become the Supreme ruler of the world? No. You want the position of Brahma? No. Want to rule hellish regions? No, Want any of the mystic powers? No, I do not want. Take Liberation, No, I do not want. What do you want? ‘na naka-prstam na ca paramesthyam na sarva-bhaumam na rasdhipatyam na yoga-siddhir apunar-bhavam va samanjasa tva virahayya kankse’. (SB 6.11.25) Leaving You, leaving Your association I do not want anything. Nishkama, desireless, he is intelligent of all. Other than devotees all are fools, no intelligence at all. Without wanting the Greatest Master, begs for little things from the Greatest Master. If one follows a devotee, then some intelligence will come.

premera svabhāva yāṅhā premera sambandha
sei māne kṛṣṇe mora nāhi bhakti-gandha

(when there will be actual pure love, the votary will have the feeling of humbleness within his heart and he will admit that he has got not even a tinge of devotion. )

Indication of Midday Pastimes of Radha-Krishna

A hint has been given here about mid-day pastimes of Radha-Krishna.

madhyāhne ‘nyonya saṁgodita vividha-vikārādi-bhūṣāpramugdhau
vāmyotkaṇṭhātilolau smaramakha lalitā dyāli-narmāptaśātau
dolāraṇyāmbu-vaṁśī-hṛti-rati-madhupānārka-pūjādi-līlau
rādhā-kṛṣṇau satṛṣṇau parijana-ghaṭayā sevyamānau smarāmi
(Sri Govinda-lilamrta)

All the ecstatic feelings of highest order including Astasattvik-vikar – eight principal ecstatic feelings, thirty-three kinds of other subordinate ecstatic feelings – sanchari – all kinds of highest sweet incitation, transcendental ecstatic feelings are manifested in Radha-kunda where all efforts of gopis are meant to please, to give happiness to Radha and Krishna. According to Gaudiya Vaishnava school of thought Radha-kunda is the highest. Devotees of Nimbarka Sampradaya also worship Radha-Krishna but they think Rasa-lila with gopis at night is the highest. Compared to this the transcendental pastimes at Radha-kunda are of the highest order, supreme, the most sublime.

Supreme Lord is Absolute Bliss (Ananda). As much contact we shall have with Supreme Lord so much bliss you can get. Mixing is necessary, there are five primary mellows(rasas) in shanta, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhur. The two attributes of shanta rasa is Krishna nishta, trishna tyaga i.e. attachment to Krishna and absence of desire for material things. Trees of Vrindavan, banks of Yamuna, are examples of shanta rasa. They are there to serve Krishna, but they do not go by themselves to serve. More superior is dasya rasa. Bhagavan is my Prabhu and I am His servant, relationship is established and he himself goes and serves with love. Because of this his association with Bhagavan is more. As much contact one has with the Supreme Bliss he will get that much bliss. In Sakhya rasa there is vishrambha bhava, initimacy. There is sakhya rasa in Narayana, but it is in gaurav bhav(with awe and reverence), from far and with some fear. Krishna also has sakhya rasa, but in this mellow the devotee sees himself equal to Krishna, there is great attachment to Krishna. Greater contact and mixing with Krishna in found in friendship relation. Not like Narayana. Narayana has got friends but they worship Narayana in friendship relation from a distance, with fear. In Vrindavan they think we are of same status. Oh Kannaiah, come here and stand. Why? It seems the fruits of this tree are very good. We should make Krishna taste them. We are equal to You, but Your strength is little more. So You stand below and we climb on top of You. Ok. They climb one above the other and Krishna is at the very bottom. Can Narayana’s devotee ever think that he will stand on Bhagavan? Can Lord Ramachandra’s devotee Hanuman think I climb on Him? But here Krishna is standing and His friends climb on him some 3-4 sakhas. Then pluck fruits. Tasted fruits should not be offered to Bhagavan, if done so one is bound to go to hell. But here friend on the top tastes the fruit to see if it sweet or bitter or sour to check if it is fit to be offered to Krishna to eat. He tastes and says Oh Very sweet, give this to Kannaiah. The one next below tastes to check whether it is really sweet or not and passes below and all taste it one after the other and finally give it to Kannaiah and He eats it with great relish. Show me, where is such Sakhya rasa! After this comes vatsalya rasa (parental affection). Yashoda Mayya and Nanda Baba. Thinking of the eternal good of Krishna Yashoda Mayya goes with a stick in her hand to punish and chastise Krishna. Fears if I do not control Him now in the beginning then His future will be bad. She thinks Bhagavan’s future will be bad. Like that. You will not find a thing else where. Nanda Maharaj calls Kannaiah. Yes father! You bring me my sandals. He is asking Bhagavan to bring him his sandals. He does not see Him as Bhagavan, he sees his son. Being subdued by the love of Nanda Baba, Krishna runs and tries to lift the sandals. He is very young and seeing Him trying father thinks He will grow up to be a good boy. And Krishna slowly lifts the sandals and places them upon His head. Very good, very good, father says to himself. And Krishna comes running to Nanda Baba. Nanda Baba lifts Him up in the arms and drenches Him with his tears. Where will you find this? This is special. And even superior to svakiya bhava of the queens of Dwaraka (mahishis) is parakiya bhava, gopi bhava. They are ready to perform any act without any hesitation for the pleasure of Krishna. They serve with all their senses. So that is the Supremely blissful place. As much contact with Krishna, that much bliss one will get. How much contact with Krishna and Radharani who gives pleasure to Krishna that much bliss one will attain. Radharani attracts even Krishna. So Radha Krishna are our Worshipable. Gopis are ever engaged in the worship of Radha-Krishna at Radha Kund. If we get the mercy of the gopis, we have come in that preceptorial channel, so we can understand how much fortunate we are. So performing devotional practices following the instructions of our preceptorial channel we will get residence in that Supremely blissful place Radha-kunda. On seeing it is water, but it is transcendental. One dip there will give us residence there, and there is need for any further efforts in this direction. It is so rare and not attainable even to Narada Goswami, transcendental dip in transcendental pond of Radhakund. Transcendental Gurudev and Transcendental preceptorial channel will bestow this.