Morning Worship: sādhu saṅge anartha nivṛtti

Our Bhakti Vinod Thakur has shown from which way we have to start, at the close of the night we have to start from sraddha, first period of devotional practice. Without sraddha bhajan will not start, firm faith by serving Supreme Lord Sri Krishna we serve all. There should not be any doubt in it.

And the second period it is written by Bhakti Vinod Thakur here, the next stage is sadhu sanga, association of bona fide sadhus. Sadhu is one who has got one-pointed devotion to Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. That is the original qualification. There are also other concomitant qualifications. But the main qualification should be one-pointed devotion to Supreme Lord. We have to associate with such sadhu. We have to submit and do the services as per his direction. A real sadhu is real Guru. Taking shelter of Guru, guru-padashray, after taking shelter of Sad-guru, bona fide Guru, as per his direction we have to start bhajan. Amongst all forms of bhajan Nama Sankirtan is the best. By doing that bhajan we have to remove all ulterior desires. Except service to Sri Krishna other desires have to be removed. We can remove that by doing Sankirtan. This is the second stage. Gradual progress has been shown.

nāma grahaner kālākāla-vicāra nāhi
nāma sarvaśakti samanvitā

You can do Harinama at any place, any time, any circumstance. All powers have been given to the Name. Utterance of Holy Name is more forceful than the Named, the Deity.

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)

Here Caitanya Mahaprabhu is expressing His regret that conditioned souls have got no aptitude to do Harinam. But in other circumstance, in Puri, Gambhira, Radhakanta Math, by holding the shoulders of Svarupa Damodar and Raya Ramananda ‘harshe prabhu kahe – suno svarupa-rama-raya, nama-sankirtana – kalau parama upaya’. In this Kaliyuga the utterance of the Holy Name in the company of bona-fide sadhus without tenfold offenses will give you all kinds of attainments. Supreme Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is satisfied.

And here He is expressing His regret. O Supreme Lord! Certainly Your Holy Name bestows all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. For that reason, You have descended in this world with Your Principal Holy Names Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, Original Transcendental Spiritual Names having no direct or indirect connection with the non-eternal material world. Names such as Brahma, Paramatma, Vishwanth have relation with the material world. You have appeared in the form of the Holy Name. So on a service inclined tongue of a soul who has turned towards Lord the Holy Name makes His appearance. ‘sevonmukhe hi jivhadau svayam eva sphuraty adah’. He has appeared in various Names and every Name has been invested with all powers.

We have already heard by doing Namabhas, glow of the Holy Name can destroy all great sins and also the root cause of sin, uproot the cause of sin and it can also gives emancipation, salvation. Jnani, yogi, they are astonished, we are performing immense penance we cannot get emancipation, they have got no belief how only by Namabhasa you shall get everything. And you should do Harinam without offenses, with the serving mood so that Name will descend to your tongue. Everything you can get by uttering the Name. All powers have been given to the Name. And there is no restriction, it has not been imposed here. Any where, any time you can remember, you can utter the Holy Name, even while eating, lying down, so easy. But the conditioned souls of this world, Supreme Lord has been so much gracious seeing that they are diseased, they have got no qualification to do other forms of devotion like jnana, yajna and worship. For that reason all powers have been given to the Name. Anywhere, everywhere continuously you can chant the Name, call Him, you will get everything. But in spite of that due to tenfold offenses so much misfortune is there that we have got no liking to do Harinam. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is expressing His extreme regret for this.

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)

All kinds of attainments you can get by doing Harinam.

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

But we have no faith in the powers of the Holy Name. In Mathura there was a rich man by name Harinath Babu. Our Gurudev went to meet him along with (Srila Bhakti Vichar)Yayavar Gosvami Maharaj and so many other Brahmacharis. He is a rich man and owns many houses. He gave one room for Guru Maharaj’s stay, another for Yayavar Maharaj, and another for the accompanying sannyasis. Guru Maharaj after taking bath was performing Sandhya and chanting Holy Names on his beads. Yayavar Maharaj called the host ‘Harinath Babu..’ and he came and offered pranams. Your Guruji has come, you have not done anything. What should I do? I have to tell you this too? You have to tie banana plants at either side of the door of your Gurudev’s room and also at the main entrance and decorate with mango leaves. He said Oh I forgot, and asked his men to bring the banana plants from his garden and mango leaves and got them fixed, and also got an earthen pot. Fill it with water. Yayavar Maharaj asked, have you marked swastika on the pot? He asked, what is that? Then Maharaj called Oh Brahmachari help him, get some vermilion and ghee, and draw swastika. Again he ran. You have to give mango twigs (amra-pallav) in the pitcher. You do not know anything, Maharaj asked. He placed mango twigs in the pitcher. Now you have to place a coconut on the pitcher and over that a new upper-cloth (anga-vastra). He ran and got coconut and a new upper-cloth. Also the court-yard in front of Guruji’s room is to be smeared with cow-dung, and the entrance of Guruji’s room also to be decorated with leaves like wise. Get some incense. Seeing all this Gurudeva said (to Yayavar Maharaj), we come to devotees homes and we should not trouble them, your continuous instructions have almost stopped his breath. Yayavar Maharaj replied, ‘Only now he has realised that Sadhus have arrived at his home. You Sadhu sitting quietly and doing Harinam did not make him realize at all that Sadhu has arrived.’ Is it not so? What will happen just by chanting Harinam, our thinking is like this. By chanting Harinam every thing is possible, without Harinam no goal can be attained. Whatever devotional practice you do, it has to be accompanied by Harinam.

In Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa it is written in Sanskrit and is translated in Bangla by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur.

ekānta bhaktera mātra kīrtan-smaraṇa,
anya parve ruchi nāhi haya pravartana

A pure devotee who has got one-pointed devotion has got liking to do only kirtan and remembrance. All the ritualistic performance he has got no taste, no liking, but the neophytes beginners of bhajan if they do not do something think what have I done. So bring banana trees, bring water pot and fill it with water, make some swastika sign, auspicious sign, and all these things, and then Oh yes, we have done something, we think like that. But who has actually got one-pointed devotion has only liking to do kirtan and smaran. Forcibly you cannot engage them in any other forms.

bhāvera sahita haya śrīkṛṣṇa-sevana,
svārasikī-bhāva krame haya uddīpana

How to know who has got one-pointed devotion? There is no need to forcibly persuade them for service, they automatically serve inspired by pure love originating from delightful relation. They will serve all the time and at the same time think I have not done anything. They serve with love. But here (in math) if we are asked to cook just once it is as though lightning struck us. If that person enters family life having wife, son, daughter and developing relation with them then he will do outside work i.e. service to earn a living, and also at home if wife is ill, will take care of the children, do cooking twice a day, everything because he has relation with them. Here there is no relation and so even if does little, thinks I have done so much, how much should I do, till I die? One-pointed devotees are not like that, in spite of doing so much seva they feel I have not done any thing because he has love. With out love seva cannot be done properly. With love relation in dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhur, which is stable relationship (stayi bhava), in that capacity it is called bhava.

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

Scriptures prescribe worldly piety and ritualistic performances for those eligible for them. But those who understand the real essence that all these practices is to please the Lord and His devotees, will give up all these external rituals and even going against the Scriptural regulations still please the Lord by their service. They do not get entangled in karma kanda, fruitive activities.

sarva tyāga karile o chārā sukaṭhina,
pratiṣṭhāśātyāge yatna payibe praviṇa

We can give up everything, but to give up desire for Name and fame, prestige is very difficult. Till this desire for name and fame is given up, bhakti is not possible. ‘pratisthara tare, nirjanera ghare, tava Hari nama kevala kaitava’ (from Vaishnav ke). Prabhupad said ‘your chanting of Lord Hari’s holy name in a solitary place is only for the sake of attaining the false prestige of a worldly reputation - it is nothing but pure hypocrisy. So it is said, in Sadhu sanga perform kirtan in loud voice and our Param Gurudev Prabhupad gave great emphasis on this. In Kaliyuga to get association and shelter of real bona-fide Sadhu is difficult. We are seeing it now and another 8-10 years later how it will be no body can say. They are seeing it from the beginning and we do not know in future what will be the condition. For that reason they have established these maths. Some 70-100 years back there was no necessity of a math, every house was a math. Now there are mental diversions, so many enjoyments of this world they are engaged. They think that is our only aim, to get enjoyment. How can they be engaged in service of Krishna? ‘pratisthasa’ is very serious, even it is compared to pig’s stool, so much harsh words have been used.

prabhate gabhīra rātre madhyāhne sandhyāye,
anartha chāriyā lao nāmera āśraya

All the time chant the Names of the Lord, in the morning, at mid-night, at mid-day and in the evening, giving up ulterior desires. There should be some procedure for chanting, is it not?

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

There should be sincerity in worship. When Guru Vaishnav Bhagavan will see that this person is sincere, but there may be some weaknesses because of previous good and bad impressions, they will help you. But where there is deceit, hypocrisy they cannot get actual eternal welfare. They are not worth it. They want to deceive themselves and deceive others. With sincerity you may try. ‘na hi kalyana-krt kascid durgatim tata gacchati’. A sincere soul will never be deceived.

śraddhā kari’ sādhu sange kṛṣṇa-nāma laye,
anartha sakala jāye niṣṭhā upajaye

Two conditions, firm faith and association of bona fide sadhu. Then all ulterior desires will be removed and you will have full fixation of mind to the Object of Worship.

prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sadhana

When you are well-established in this then you are eligible to think about the transcendental pastimes. By thinking you will get everything.

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
(Sri Govinda-lilamrta)

In the morning Radharani takes bath and adorns Herself in fine clothes and ornaments that are pleasing to Krishna comes to Nanda Maharaj’s place along with the gopis, i.e. to Nandagaram, and engages all the time for Krishna seva preparing many dishes. Yashoda devi herself can cook and also desires to cook. But she heard that the food prepared by Radharani if eaten by my son His life span will increase. So she is very eager to call for Radharani to cook for Krishna so that my son benefits, let His life span increase. Yashoda devi has no knowledge of Krishna at all, what bhajan will she perform? She is thinking Krishna is ordinary human being. You are very knowledgable person. You go and tell Yashoda Devi, Krishna is Supreme Lord, All-Existence, All Knowledge, All-Bliss (Saccidananda) and you are trying to increase His life span, then you will not attain Vraja prema. You stay outside Vraja dhama. There (in Vraja Dhama) they do not see Krishna as Supreme Lord, He is a small child and is seen with love. And without the grace of Vraja vasis you cannot attain that mellow of love (rasa). She serves all the time. She, Gopi is our Worshipable Lord. Our Gurudev and other Guruvarga are gopikas, followers of Rupa Manjari and we are in their parampara, preceptorial channel. If we do not have taste for service then how we will reach them?

It was Janmastami time, and we were outside in Hoshiyarpura. Our Gurudev was there for some 15 days and stayed in a math by name Saccidananda math and we stayed there. After Gurudev left the place, the Secretary of the place came to me and said, you please stay here, and you have nothing to worry about your food and clothing. You need not do anything, only thing you have to do is speak harikatha in the afternoons. I was surprised hearing this. What was he speaking? You need not do anything. This is not the practice of our sampradaya. Our sampradaya is Bhakta sampradaya. It is not that we live comfortably, we are great mahatmas, and everything we need will come to us on its own. Not like this. We will not pester the Lord. We will even beg for alms and serve the Lord. Lord will provide us everything, we are great sadhus and we will eat and enjoy, is not in our thoughts. We will take all the trouble and serve the Lord. We do not trouble the Lord for our needs. We engage our senses and all sense objects in the service of the Lord. You have mistaken us. It is not that we live comfortably and give one or two discourses in a day and the day is over. We are in Sevak sampradaya, Bhakta sampradaya. In service of our Worshipable Lord we get Their contact, we remember Them. If we have no taste in such service, what grace did we get? Service itself is our wealth. (Gurudev replied him).

When we came to Punjab, in the beginning the people would ask how we can serve you. What seva, just do Harinam. Again they would ask, give us some seva. Have faith in Guru, serve Guru. By service we develop love for the served, Sevya. Seva is the nature of the soul. Live comfortably, eat well, and engage in sense-gratification, if we spend our time in this way our life will be ruined. As much service opportunity we get it is good for us. An unqualified person like me has no qualifications to serve. When I see others serving and I go to serve in the kitchen, Gurudev will immediately call me back saying Eh, Krishna Vallabh, you will cut your finger. Come out. You have to help me to write letters. Only in Hyderabad, when Gurudev was not there, I stayed there for one month during Kartik Vrat. I was told, here nobody is interested to do cooking. So I said, I will take up cooking for the mornings. How can you do? Do not worry, I will manage somehow. But I cannot do in the evening for I have to sit for katha-patha for 2-3 hours at a stretch. You do not worry, I can do in the mornings, and everything will be solved. I went to cook in the mornings and soon all services began automatically. Now you may stop. No, no I said, let me do. If I stop, services will again be disrupted. And for the whole month everything went on smoothly. Like this they feel enthused and feel they were wrong and correct themselves.

Here Radharani honors the remnant prasad of Krishna. We have to always take prasad only. All want to take Harinam, but our eating and drinking should be like this, only what is offered to the Lord we take. Harinam is the medicine, but taking only the medicine will not be beneficial. Along with that one should follow the diet also.

Krishna is also devoted to His devotees like devotees are devoted to the Lord. Just to fulfill the desire of the devotees, just after the awakening pastimes in the grove (kunja-bhaga lila) He is again awakening. Nanda Maharaj and Yashoda Mayya have no idea what happened in the night and are happy that child has woken up. And Sakhas tell, Kannaiah we are getting late, we have to go for milking the cows, the cows are all waiting. All go together to the cowshed. The cows are crying for the association of Krishna and His divine touch. Just by seeing Krishna they are pleased so much that milk flows from their udders automatically without any need of force. All are Lord’s associates. Sakhas do not want to leave Krishna even for a moment and shout for Him. They all take bath together. Yashoda Devi tells them now you all should be going to the forest for grazing cows. Before that all of you sit together for breakfast. All sat down and Yashoda Devi fed them. All have to leave before 9.30-10 and before that you all have to eat.