Second period of Devotional Practice (2nd Yama Sadhana)

Morning Worship:-sādhu saṅge anartha nivṛtti

At first in this second period we have to associate with bonafide sadhus, taking shelter of bonafide Guru and as per his direction to start bhajan. Amongst all kinds of devotion, Nama Sankirtan is the best. By bhajan you can remove all ulterior desires.

Sadhusanga is said first. Just remaining near Sadhu may not necessarily mean availing his association. Remaining thousands of miles away also Sadhu’s association is possible. Sadhu is always engaged in the service of Bhagavan and following his heart (citta vrtti anugaman) is sadhu seva and thus one can associate with him. Just remaining near sadhu, or lying next to him on bed, does not constitute sadhu sanga. Instead of following his heart it may turn out to be a different kind of thinking. It may be like a bed bug on the bed of a sadhu and suck his blood when the sadhu is engaged in thinking of Govinda. This is not sadhu sanga, exploiting sadhu for our material goals. To follow the mental thought of the sadhu, what for they are doing, if we follow that then that is the actual association of sadhus. Physically we remain with sadhu, with it a desire for exploitation, as guards and they remain very close to sadhu for prasadam. What they do? The bugs suck the blood of the sadhus. Sadhus are thinking about the satisfaction of Krishna and bugs are thinking about enjoying the sadhu, this is not sadhu sanga.

Sadhu sanga, taking shelter of a bonafide Guru, as per his direction perform bhajan and the foremost bhajan is nama sankirtan. By that we can remove all ulterior desires.

nāma grahaner kālākāla-vicāra nāhi
nāma sarvaśakti samanvitā

Any place, in any time, in any circumstance you can do Harinam. Not necessarily with Mala, even without mala, one can chant Harinam, one without restriction and another with a fixed number of rounds. The teaching is to chant Harinam always, while eating, sleeping or walking, then one can get all attainments. So much emphasis has been given, but not necessarily to chant with mala always.

Sikshastaka Second verse:

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśi tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ
(2rd Verse of Sri Shikshastaka)

O Supreme Lord! Certainly Your Holy Name can bestow all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. So, You have mercifully manifested in this world with Your many Principal transcendental Names like Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, etc.

In Satya yuga Prahlad Maharaj says to his friends, demon boys (asura balaks). His friends say we are small children and the Lord is so great, what do we know about Him? Prahlad replies, it is very easy to please, satisfy Krishna for He has got actual immense love for all his created beings. In this world a husband cannot make his wife happy even with much effort, a wife working whole day through cannot make her husband’s mind happy, parents cannot satisfy children, children cannot satisfy parents. But to satisfy, please Lord is not difficult. ‘na hy acyutam prinayato bahv-ayaso asuratmajah atmavat sarva-bhutanam siddhatvad iha sarvatah’ (SB 7.6.19). He is very dear to all the living entities. It is very easy to please Him. You call your father, you call your mother, can not you call Lord likewise? You call Him, if you call He will come, call Him from the core of your heart! You call the Lord with feeling of separation from Him (Viraha) from deep within. Like a parrot chatters, makes sounds what is taught ‘Radhe Krishna Radhe Krishna’ and when a cat pounces on, it forgets the Lord’s Name. We are also like this, when difficulties come we forget Lord. It is very easy to chant the Lord’s name, Lord is dear-most. In this world we see a mother loves her child so much. When a child offers mother some dirty thing it has eaten and asks her to eat, though it is not an eatable thing, she eats just to please her child. But here Lord has got affection of crores of mothers in Him. Just by semblance of the Holy Name (namabhasa) every thing is possible but not till the call arises from the heart. One way is we say from the mouth, it is lifeless utterance. Life-full utterance will be when there is separation grief. Out of that great mental eagerness, extreme eagerness you do Harinam by separation grief that, name comes from inside the heart.

O Supreme Lord! Certainly Your Holy Name can bestow all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. So You have mercifully manifested in this world with Your Principal transcendental Names like Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, etc. You have invested all powers in Your Names. There are no rules and restrictions imposed to utter the Holy Names. You call while sleeping, while eating, in all circumstances you can chant the Holy Names. Such is Lord’s mercy upon the living entities. As the living entities of Kaliyuga have no capacity to chant, it has been made so easy. Yet due to tenfold offenses there is no liking for Holy Names, such is the misfortune. Like this Caitanya Mahaprabhu is expressing His extreme regret for the sad plight of the conditioned souls of this world. Still, we have got no aptitude to do Harinam.

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 performing Vraja Parikrama there is worldly talk going on. Guruji told you all chant the Holy Names of the Lord and proceed further in Parikrama and Guru Maharaj left to attend to some other work. Later he came from behind and joined. Those who are in the front were performing kirtan ‘Radhe Govinda, Radhe Govinda’ and the people at the back are all talking worldly matters and going. They are not performing Vraja Parikrama. They did not know that Guruji is coming from behind. Guruji said, ‘Your fortune is destroyed. Coming here you are engaged in worldly talks? You could have chanted Lord’s Names. Can’t you take Lord’s Names?’ Immediately all started ‘Radhe Govinda, Radhe Govinda, Radhe Govinda’ out of fear. But it should come from within.

sarvaśakti nāme dila kariyā vibhāga,
āmāra durdaiva nāme nāhi anurāga
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.19)

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

A true bona-fide devotee who has got one-pointed devotion to Supreme Lord has got liking to do only kirtan and smaran. Only chanting of the Holy Name and remembering. Kirtan benefits self as well as others. When happens in sattva guna it is more beneficial. When kirtan is done loudly one hears and also there is more concentration of the mind, mind gets engaged more, and animals and among people those who are dumb they hear and are benefited. So the glories of kirtan are more which has more sattva guna when performed loudly. Unfortunate people are deprived of kirtan. Some think by kirtans health deteriorates and one may die, like this they argue. But the truth is by kirtan one is benefited and also others, everyone is benefited. It is said remembrance of Krsna will destroy all sins and material entanglements. But remembrance (smaran) of Krsna is not so easy with the material mind. ‘agha-cchit smaranam visnor bahv-ayasena sadhyate ostha-spandana matrena kirtanam tu tao varam’. Kirtan of the Lord’s Names done by moving the lips is more beneficial. Do we die by doing loud kirtans? Or not doing kirtan we live long? Kirtan can be done loudly by mouth moving lips and also through mind which outside men cannot hear. I do within mind kirtan loudly, and it is possible. Japa can be done loudly within like kirtan and the outside man will think it is Japa. But when done loudly so that the outside man hears, then its benefits are more. It will bestow eternal benefit for all. So Prabhupad encouraged Sankirtan more and also our Guruji would express great joy when loud kirtans were performed. What may be the reason? I dance and sing loudly (nrtya kirtan) to simply show people that I am a great devotee. But Guruji says, very good. Why he says so? There is reason.

ekānta bhakatera kriyā mudrā rāgodita,
tathāpi sei saba nāhi vidhi viparīta,
sarva tyāga karile o chārā sukaṭhina,
pratiṣṭhāśātyāge yatna payibe praviṇa

One can give up everything, but to give up desire for name and fame and prestige is very difficult. Without giving up this, chanting of the Lord’s Names cannot be done, the goal of chanting will be for gaining prestige.

prabhate gabhīra rātre madhyāhne sandhyāye,
anartha chāriyā lao nāmera āśraya

Giving up desire for wealth, women, prestige and liberation, chant Lord’s Holy Names.

ei rūpe kīrtana smaraṇa jei kare,
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā haya śigrha, anāyāse tare

Perform kirtan for one’s own benefit, not to oblige others, not seeking name and fame, but one’s own benefit. When one is benefited, others are also benefited.

śraddhā kari’ sādhu sange kṛṣṇa-nāma laye,
anartha sakala jāye niṣṭhā upajaye,
prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sadhana

After singing the glories of Sankirtan, it is said, and then you will get the eligibility to meditate on the pastimes of the Lord. Polluted mind, un-sanctified mind cannot think about the transcendental pastimes. So, you have to purify your mind by uttering Harinama.

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-caraistaṁ cātha tāṁ cāśrye
(Govinda-lila-amritam)

The great festival(Mahotsav) of Gokul is Harinama. Radharani, after taking bath and dressing Herself nicely comes along with Her sakhis to Gokul for seva, and along with chants the Holy Names of the Lord. This (Chanting of Harinam) itself is Gokul’s great festival. It is not written here. But a devotee cannot bear separation from the Lord all the time. He is relieved of this separation grief when he sings kirtans in the glories of the Holy Names. Here Radharani when dressing and wearing ornaments or doing any other activities chants the Holy Names of the Lord. Thus along with other activities she is also doing chanting of the Holy Names. Yashoda Mayya invites and Radharani comes along with Her sakhis and cooks. But alongside they do chanting of the Lord’s Names and singing of His glories. After cooking is over, Yashoda Mayya feeds Krsna and the remnants She (Radharani) accepts, prasad She honors. Only staying in Vrndavan and doing chanting which is medicine is not ok, one has to maintain one’s diet. Doctor says your diet is not ok, and specifies diet. Then we have to take the diet like eat neem leaves, eat bitter-gourd, and we face difficulty following the diet. But he speaks about the benefits too, even if you do not like you have to eat, if you eat them now you will be benefited or you will face difficulties later. The problem cannot be set right by just taking medicines, you have to follow the diet. Like this, here medicine is Harinam and the diet is prasad. Often we hear, he is a good person, he eats all things given to him, but this is not good, it is bad. What food has not been offered to the Lord should not be taken. I take shelter of such Radhika.

Krsna’s devotees are very devoted to Krsna. So to give them pleasure and satisfaction, Krsna plays the pastime of resting and waking up many times. So He woke up in the morning and Nanda Baba and Yashoda Mayya are very happy seeing Him arise. So also all the cows are waiting for Him eagerly, when Krsna will come, when Krsna will come. So Krsna along with sakhas goes to the cow-shed and the cows are happy to see Him. There, everything is natural, transcendental, and blissful and there is no desire for sense-gratification. Then all of them together take bath. Sakahs all endeavors are to give pleasure to Krsna, they have such deep relation with Him. Then they sit down together for breakfast. Krsna likes very much to have breakfast at river side (Pulina bhojan) in the forest. But here, Yashoda Mayya feeds Krsna and His friends. I take shelter of such Krsna.