Second period of Devotional Practice (2nd Yama Sadhana)

Morning Worship: sādhu saṅge anartha nivṛtti

In the first period we have started from Sraddha. Sraddha means firm faith, sudrda vishwas, by serving Supreme Lord every one is served. There should be no doubt in this. Until such faith develops bhajan does not begin at all. It is not that by such faith bhakti will manifest. The logic is that our intelligence which is the outcome of external energy ‘apara potency’ as stated in Gita, mind intelligence and false ego is the outcome of material potency, not para. By this mental capacity and intelligence you cannot comprehend transcendental realm, which is self-effulgent and transcendental. So you should have to take absolute shelter without challenging mood, that is called Sraddha. By doing eternal good deeds for the satisfaction of Krishna and His devotees you will get impressions, congenial impressions which will act upon your soul and you will want to know what is eternally existing principle and what is non-eternal, we have got the discriminating power. Then we will have inquiry for it, and we will come in contact with the sadhus. If there are no questions at all how we will come in contact with the Sadhu. There should be inquisitiveness to know about Supreme Lord. If knowingly or unknowingly one serves Guru, Vaishnav and the Supreme Lord he earns ‘sukriti’ which will have influence on the atma. Then atma’s nature is awakened. Then he will have questions. And by having ‘bhakti unmukhi sukrti one will get the association of devotee. Suddha Bhakta himself is called Sadhu.

Sadhu sanga and anartha nivrtti is the second stage. From sraddha it strarts, then association of bona fide sadhus, not saffron cloth, by worldly external sign you cannot ascertain a sadhu. Sadhu should have one-pointed devotion to Supreme Lord who is All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All Bliss, eternally existing principle. He is sadhu. That is the original qualification of a sadhu. By that you have to understand, if you are lucky, if you are fortunate, then by Lord’s desire you will come to know, ‘binā na hari-kṛpā mile na santa’ says Tulasi Das, without the grace of Hari you cannot get bona fide sadhu and without the grace of bona fide sadhu you cannot get the grace of Hari. So we have to take the grace of both.

Here, it is association of bona-fide sadhu. Bona fide sadhu and a bona-fide guru is identical. You have to take shelter of a bona-fide Guru and as per his instruction you have to start bhajan. He has realised the ultimate goal Krishna prema, he has got it and he can teach us. It will descend through the preceptorial channel. So you have to surrender to a bona-fide Guru. And as per his direction you have to perform all these devotional practices, mainly Nama Sankirtan. Only Nama Sankirtan, it has been written here, in this Kali yuga. Then all your ulterior desires will be removed. What is not our necessity we think them necessary, they are called anartha. Artha is ‘prayojana’ the ultimate benefit, the ultimate good, artha is Purna vastu, Complete Reality Supreme Lord. If we do not attain Purna Vastu then our deficiencies, our wants will not go. He is Purna Sat, Purna Cit and Purna ananda. Vedavyasa could not attain that All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss, then you cannot have actual peace. ‘Shanti’ Peace is identical to Supreme Lord. In Western countries they say ‘shanti’ means cessation of wars, cessation of disturbances so that we can enjoy this world without disturbances. In that way they interpret ‘Shanti’ which has got positive aspect. Supreme Lord is ‘Shanti’. ‘Om Purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udacchate purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasishyate Om Shanti Shanti Shanti hi.’ Complete Reality is Shanti. When Shanti will descend, Supreme Lord will descend All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss, then there will be no disturbance on mind, you have got the objective Krishna Prema.

nāma grahaner kālākāla-vicāra nāhi
nāma sarvaśakti samanvitā

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching all the conditioned souls of this Kali yuga, they are fortunate in what respect, they can get all attainments by doing Harinama. They have no capacity to do meditation or oblation or even worship of deities, for they are diseased. So they should do Harinama. And no conditions are imposed, you can do anywhere, any time, any circumstance. All powers have been given to Harinama.

In the second verse of Sikshastaka, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s own teachings,

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 bestows all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. For that reason Your Principal Holy Names Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, the Holiest Names from Goloka Vrndavan, They have no connection with this world positively or negatively. Vishwanath, Paramatma, Brahma are negatively related to the world. Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, Madanmohan are the highest transcendental spiritual Names, They descend in this world. They have descended especially to rescue the fallen souls of this world. All powers have been given to the Holy Names and no conditions are imposed. Any where, any time, any place and in any circumstance, you can do it. It has been made so easy for the conditioned souls of this world knowing their defects, drawbacks. In spite of that I have got no liking to do Harinama. That is greatest misfortune. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is expressing His extreme regret for that. What further I can do for the eternal benefit of the conditioned souls of this Kali yuga? They are speaking in this world, they are calling their son, they are calling their other relations, you cannot call Supreme Lord? If you have desire you call Him. Even when lying down on the bed you can call Him. No restriction has been imposed. Due to tenfold offenses to the Holy Name, Nama aparadh, we do not have taste for chanting the Holy Name.

aneka-lokera vāñchā — aneka-prakāra
kṛpāte karila aneka-nāmera pracāra

Different devotees have got different tastes. They want to serve Krishna with different delightful relations. For that reason Supreme Lord appears in different forms. Some have got liking to worship Fish God, some Boar God, some Nrsimha Deva, some Rama, some Krishna. Alright, you accept. In this world Lord has appeared in different forms, you accept whatever form, then I will lift you, in this way. This is like a well, pit, if you want to lift the bucket (basket) from inside the well how you can do it, by some means, with a bunch of hooks (kata) which will catch hold of the bucket and lift. In this way we are in this well. You catch hold of Me. For that reason Supreme Lord has appeared in different forms, whatever you like you take shelter of and start bhajan. Rest I shall do.

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.

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

It is the greatest misfortune, inspite of that I have got no liking to do Harinama.

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

From Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, Bhakti Vinod Thakur has taught us how to do Harinama, how we can get the objective Krishna Prema through Harinama. We have not been able to do it, only ekanta bhakta i.e. one who has got one-pointed devotion to Supreme Lord. He has got only liking to do kirtan and smaran and has got no liking to do other ritualistic performances. We are attracted to other ritualistic performances, external. We do not understand the implication of Sankirtan. That is the greatest drawback. Kirtan is beneficial for the person who sings or utters the Name or chant the Name, it will benefit him and benefit to all others even trees. Name and the Named are same. If anyone who sustains himself by his own capacity, good but if he earns money, maintains himself and also others like himself he is better, much more better. So, by Sankirtan many living entities are benefited, it reaches their ears and they attain auspiciousness. Hundred times more benefit you will get by doing Nagar Sankirtan. You have to do in the association of the sadhus from the core of the heart with submission and with the four qualities of ‘trnadapi sunicena, tarorapi sahishnuna, amanina, manadena kirtaniya sada hari.’ Then there will be no offense. By that you are doing benefit to you and to all others. I am deprived of doing this now. You have committed some offenses, so you need not do kirtans from now. You sit quietly and we will perform kirtan. What to say about performing kirtan, I have no chance to even hear the kirtans. Whatever you have heard till now you speak. Later sit in a place and engage in all the material thoughts of the world. This is not correct.

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

Ananya bhakta has delightful relation of love with the Lord and when that relation is very stable (sthāyī) then always the impetus will come from within to serve. They will not stop the service; they will be encouraged to get the service of Guru Vaishnav Bhagavan. When they get the chance to serve, they feel encouraged. When one feels as though lightning has struck him when he gets seva, he is not a devotee.

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

One who has got one-pointed devotion he will have spontaneous love for Sri Krishna. They can do something which is not prescribed in the scriptures. For the beginners there are some restrictions. But higher devotees they can do some thing reverse, which seems to be against the injunction of the scriptures but they please Supreme Lord and also the devotees. They know the purpose. The purpose is to satisfy Krishna. They can do this those who have love relation with the Lord. If we imitate them it is not possible. We can give up everything but to give up desire for Name and Fame is very difficult. One who does not give up this desire for Name and Fame then he cannot perform bhajan. This is the most dangerous of all and it has been very much condemned with harsh words. With this desire there is a great chance of committing offenses. What is the harm if someone desires for material prestige, name and fame, we may think.

jaḍera pratiṣṭhā, śukarer viṣṭhā,
jāna nā ki tāhā ‘māyāra vaibhava

The material prestige is a mere illusion of the potency of maya. What Vaishnavas bestow that is real prestige. You have no attention to the grace showered by a vaishnava on you. What you will get by material name and fame? Giving up vaishnav prestige you hanker for material prestige, what will you benefit?

prabhate gabhīra rātre madhyāhne sandhyāye,
anartha chāriyā lao nāmera āśraya

Giving up all ulterior desires you have to do Harinama always. Then you will get everything. While walking on the road, while sleeping, means while lying down, while eating, any time, even when you go to the lavatory at that time inside (within the heart) you can do, it is not prohibited. Always you can do Harinam.

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

In this way if you do kirtan and remembrance, then you will get the grace of Krishna. Krishna will see whether you sincerely want Me or not, wants to do service to Me or anything else is there. If you are sincere He will come at the back, His own personal associates will come, very easily you can get the objective.

śraddhā kari’ sādhu sange kṛṣṇa-nāma laye,

With firm faith and with the association of sadhu you have to do bhajan. Even for the neophytes to do bhajan in a secluded place is not beneficial. It has been condemned by our Param Gurudev. He will not get because he has got previous bad impressions, who will rescue if you are in a secluded place and do something bad. No body is there to see. If you remain with the sadhu they will see. Even if you remain with human beings they will also control you, Oh remaining with the sadhu you do this! They have got great regard for a sadhu and for the Gaudiya Math. He is in Gaudiya Math and has gone to the stall to take all these things there, smoking, and also for taking tea, etc. They will complain to the Math-in-charge. So many outside people are taking, they will not complain. But if a sadhu remains with us, they will complain. And they are also like guru. And if you remain in a secluded place with these bad impressions if you do something bad who will rescue you? For that reason, you should remain with the sadhus and do bhajan and the proper time will come when you will be able to do this. Then you will have remembrance of Krishna through kīrtana, ‘kīrtana-prabhāve smaraṇa haibe, se kāle bhajana nirjana sambhava’.

anartha sakala jāye niṣṭhā upajaye,
prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sadhana

In the morning, after purifying your mind, after getting concentration of mind on the Object of Worship then you also can think about the transcendental pastimes. Thinking is necessary. Mind (citta) is the cause of bondage, mind is the cause of emancipation. Mind should be given to Supreme Lord.

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)

In the morning Radharani takes bath and adorns Herself in beautiful garments and ornaments that are pleasing to Krishna. There is no sense-gratification in Her activities, all are for Krishna’s pleasure. Then along with Her sakhis She comes to Nandagram. Yashoda Mayya calls Her with the intention that if my Krishna eats the food prepared by Her, my child will benefit, His life span will increase. She has great attachment to Krishna. In the mood of opulance, love shrinks. When there is pure consciousness, love expands boundless, seamless. Vraja prema is full of sweetness and there is no mood of opulence there. Radharani comes with gopis and spends all Her morning time in cooking. And what is prepared with love, Krishna likes. That which is prepared by non-devotees, where food is prepared without love, and in the mood if you want to eat then eat, otherwise go without food is not bhakti, it is not seva. Krishna does not like to eat the food offered by Duryodhana, but runs to Vidura’s house to eat the simple dry rotis with green’s curry. This is Lord’s nature. He does not take a non-devotee’s offering. He is not hungry for food, to give pleasure to the devotee He even snatches food from him and eats. He does not even look at the food offered by a non-devotee.

The food prepared by Radharani Krishna eats with great relish. After Krishna’s taking food, the remnants prasad is tasted by Radharani and all the gopis. She would not take anything that is not offered to Krishna, in eating also, so that the remembrance of Krishna will come always. What I am eating, I am eating remnant prasad of Krishna, in this way particularly to get remembrance of Krishna. I am taking shelter of the lotus feet of such Radharani.

Krishna wakes up in the morning and sleeps again. Nanda Baba and Yashoda Mayya are not aware and when He wakes up again they thinks just now our child woke up and are very happy. And all cowherd friends of Krishna arrive and create great noise to awaken Krishna. They come early morning to wake up Krishna, worry that Krishna has to be awakened on time. And Krishna plays the pastime of sleeping to fulfill their desire for seva. Mother also desires to serve Krishna and so He plays various pastimes. He wakes up and goes to sleep again and again. His cowherd friends complain to mother Yashoda and she tries to wake Him up. Then Paurnamasi comes to the scene and tries to convince Krishna and finally He gets up. This is Krishna’s nature to give service opportunity to all. His sleep is not like ours which is like Kumbhakarna’s, it is just an excuse. Then Krishna and sakhas together take bath and though Krishna like to take food at the riverside (Pulina bhojan) they all sit down for breakfast at home. They eat all the nice preparations made by Radharani. After that they leave for the forest. We take shelter of such Krishna.