Day 18 : First Yam

Harikatha, Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

3:22am to 5:46am. Chanting of the Holy Name Śrī Kṛṣṇa, completely, loudly in the company of devotees and without tenfold offences, which can bestow seven attainments—viz. cleansing of the mind-mirror, extinguishing of the forest fire of birth, death and threefold afflictions, bestowing eternal soothing benefit like moonlight, life of spiritual learning i.e. awakening of the real self, increasing of the ocean of bliss, bestowing at every step sweet taste of complete transcendental ambrosia, holy immersion of body-mind-real self—be supremely glorified.

  • ata eva namābhāse sarva pāpa vināṣa āra samsara kṣaya
    (Sri Bhakti-Rasamrita-Sindhu, Dakshin Part, 1/52)

    Therefore, glow of the Holy Name can destroy all sins and worldly bondage.

    taṁ nirvyājam bhaja guṇa-nidhe pāvanaṁ pāvanānāṁ
    śraddhā-rajyan-matir atitarām uttamaḥ-śloka-maulim
    prodyann antaḥ-karaṇa-kuhare hanta yan-nāma-bhānor
    ābhāso ‘pi kṣapayati mahā-pātaka-dhvānta-rāśim

    That person richly endowed with all good qualities is addressed as guna-nidhe. By Namabhas, always you hear about this,

    ayaṁ hi kṛta-nirveśo
    janma-koṭy-aṁhasām api
    yad vyājahāra vivaśo
    nāma svasty-ayanaṁ hareḥ
    (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.2.7)

    You will find this verse in Ajamila narration which comes in Srimad Bhagavatam, the quintessence of all scriptures. By nāmābhās, by the glow of the Holy name 'Narayana' at the time of death, by seeing the messengers of the God of death, horrible figures, thinking about his youngest son Narayana, out of fear he uttered 'Narayna, Narayana'. And all sins were destroyed and even he could get emancipation, salvation which jnānis are not getting by severe penance. So much is the glory of the Name. Krishna Name is the highest. Who has got the aptitude to do Krishna nāma he is guna-nidhe. He is richly endowed with all the good qualities. He (Krishna nāma) is the most Supreme Redeemer of all redeemers, Rescuer of all rescuers and the crown of all avatāras, Avatāri Krishna. But (chanting of the Name should be done) with firm faith and without hypocrisy, and with plain saying, with frankness of heart, and immediately. Any moment we may lose this chance. You should not delay. ‘śubhasya śīghram, aśubhasya kālaharaṇaṁ’. I will do it afterward, I will do it afterward. Any moment you may die and lose this chance. Again you will be born as human being there is no guarantee. By the Holy Name, as the glow of the Sun removes darkness and all difficulties created by darkness, like that the glow of the Holy Name entering into the cave of the heart will destroy all great sins and nescience.

    parama pāvana kṛṣṇa tānhānra charaṇa,
    niskapata śraddhā saha karaha bhajan,
    jānra nāma suryābhās antare praveśi,
    dhvaṁsa kare mahāpāp andhakārarāśi,
    ei śikṣāṣṭake kahe kṛṣṇalīlā-kram,
    ihāte bhajan krame līlāra udgam,
    prathame prathama śloka bhaja kichu din,
    dvitīya ślokete tabe hauta pravīṇ

    As per intensity of bhajan it will take time. If the intensity is less, you can get the fruit after a long time. But if the intensity is immense then you can get it early.

    chāri śloke kramaśaḥ bhajana pakkva kara,
    pañcam ślokete nija siddha deha vara,
    ei śloke siddhadehe rādhāpadāśraya,
    ārambha kariyā krame unnati udaya,
    chaya śloka bhajite anartha dure gela,
    tabe jāna siddhadehe adhikāra haila,

    As long as there are other ulterior desires it proves that your bhajan you are not correctly doing, there is some defect in it. If bhajan is correct then all ulterior desires will be removed and you will have the realization of your actual realized state. Otherwise, you cannot enter into these transcendental ecstatic pastimes of Sri RadhaKrishna.

    adhikāra nā labhiyā siddhadeha bhāve,
    viparjya buddhi janme śaktira abhāve
    sāvdhāne krama dhara yadi siddhi cāo,
    sādhura carita dekhi śuddha buddhi pāo,
    siddhadeha peye krame bhajana karile,
    aṣṭakāla sevāsukha anāyāse mile,
    śikṣāṣṭaka cinta kara smaraṇa kīrtan,
    krame aṣṭakāla-sevā habe uddīpana,

    Repeatedly emphasis has been given to cultivate, to practice Sikshastaka. Then you will get everything.

    sakala anartha jābe pābe premadhana,
    caturvarga phalguprāya habe adarśana

    Sri Sikshataka Verse 1:

    ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ
    bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
    śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ
    vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
    ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ
    prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
    sarvātma-snapanaṁ
    paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

    Cleansing of the mirror of the heart, extinguishing the forest fire of birth, death and threefold afflictions, you are doing Harinam and there is so much suffering, so much suffering. Oh Swamiji, I have done so much Harinam but so much suffering is there. I cannot get the actual fruit. Actually if you do Harinam the forest fire of all these three fold afflictions will be extinguished. By the fruit you can understand whether you are doing correctly or not. Spiritual instructions are not wrong, wrong is in ourselves, in our doing. Chanting of the Holy Name bestows eternal soothing benefit like moonlight, life of spiritual learning i.e. awakening of the real self, increasing of the ocean of bliss, bestowing at every step sweet taste of complete transcendental ambrosia, and thoroughly cleanses and cools one’s body, mind and real self. All glories to Sri Krishna Sankirtan!!

    saṅkīrtana haite pāpa-saṁsāra-nāśana
    citta-śuddhi, sarva-bhakti-sādhana-udgama
    kṛṣṇa-premodgama, premāmṛta-āsvādana
    kṛṣṇa-prāpti, sevāmṛta-samudre majjana
    (Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.13-14)

    “By performing congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, one can destroy the sinful condition of material existence, purify the unclean heart and awaken all varieties of devotional service. The result of chanting is that one awakens his love for Krishna and tastes transcendental bliss. Ultimately, one attains the association of Krishna and engages in His devotional service, as if immersing himself in a great ocean of love.”

    Thinking of Krishna-lila (pastimes of Krishna):

    niśānte kīrtane kuñja-bhaṅga kare dhyāna,
    krame krame citta lagne rasera vidhān

    At the close of the night while doing kirtan you should meditate on the awakening of Sri RadhaKrishna in the grove. Gradually your mind will be attached to the transcendental bliss with the devotional scriptural prescript.

    One thing you should very carefully note that in transcendental realm there is no future, no past, only present because everything is eternal. Here in this world we find future, past and present. But Narada Gosvami when he saw these pastimes in the world, world is the outcome of external potency, darkness. In darkness these pastimes dazzle. Pearl will not dazzle when Sun rises, but will dazzle in the night. So eternal pastimes are there in the transcendental realm, but when Krishna descends here and He do all these pastimes, do word is used there, but according to English 'He does' but I find we use the word 'do'. Then this dazzles very much. Narada Gosvami was astonished to see the dazzling beauty of RadhaKrishna pastimes in this world because here it is the outcome of the external potency, darkness. But in the transcendental world it is not so much dazzling because everything is dazzling there.

    rātryante trastavṛnderita bahu-vira-vaibodhitau kirasārī
    padyair-hṛdhyair api sukha-śayanād-utthitau tau sakhibhiḥ
    dṛṣṭau hṛṣṭau tadātvoditarati-lalitau kakkhaṭīgīḥ saśaṅkau
    rādhā-kṛṣṇau satṛṣṇāv api nija-nija dhāmnyāpta talpau smarāmi

    Vrinda Devi apprehending day-break sends Suk-sarika and other birds to start chirping to awaken RadhaKrishna. By their sounds, and pleasing and not so pleasing songs they awaken Radharani. Along with birds, gopis also perform kirtans in sweet voices and very slowly, not loudly so that RadhaKrishna open their eyes by Themselves, not by force. There is also one female monkey by name Kakkhati who is also a devotee. She also desires to serve. All serve according to their eligibility. Her voice is not so good but has desire to serve. But gopis and others do not give her permission and say you do not make any sound. It is not good to make harsh loud sounds, RadhaKrishna will open Their eyes by Their own sweet will. But Krishna keeps His eyes closed to give her seva. His sleep is not like Kumbhakarna’s, it is a pastime of sleep. There is no tamo-guna there. This pastime is to give service to all. When He does not open His eyes, the gopis are forced to submit and give her permission. Then she made her harsh loud screaming sound. For hearing it does not feel good, but Krishna likes it because there is devotion. Any thing done in devotion is beautiful. Krishna opens His eyes.

    Here there is a point. All the lilas that are taking place are happening in the present. So, you can think about any of the pastimes at any time. It is not that you cannot remember or meditate on this pastime (of awakening) in the night. All of the pastimes are eternal and all are in present tense. There is no future and past there.

    RadhaKrishna are mutually looking at each other with wistful eyes and go to Their respective houses and beds for sleep.

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