Glories of Lochan Dāsa Ṭhākura Spoken on His Disappearance Day

Harikatha, Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

In this harikatha, Srila Gurudev imparts to us the very essential teaching he received from his Gurudeva and Guruvarga that we should remember and pray for the grace of Guru, Vaishnava and Bhagavan always, especially on their appearance and disappearance days. He says, in fact remembering them is the sole objective of performing all our devotional practices. Later he narrates how Lochan Das Thakur dedicated his life fully for the service of his Gurudev and how his Gurudev made arrangements to fulfill his desires. He emphasized on the need of full surrender to get the grace of the Supreme Lord citing the pastime of Draupadi’s gradual surrender while calling out Krishna for help.

  • Today is the Disappearance day of Srila Lochan Das Thakur. Our Gurudev and Guruvarga have ordered us to remember Vaishnavas on their appearance and disappearance days. The six Goswamis used to pray for the grace of thousands of Vaishnavas daily by offering their prostrated obeisances to them. One has to perform sadhan in such a way. Without the grace of Gurudev, Vaishnava and Bhagavan nobody will get the qualification to sing their glories. Therefore, it is very essential to remember them.

    guru, vaiṣṇava, bhagavān, — tinera smaraṇa
    tinera smaraṇe haya vighna-vināśana
    anāyāse haya nija vāñchita-pūraṇa
    (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi 1.20-21)

    All our desires will be fulfilled by remembering Guru, Vaishnava and Bhagavan. If we are here and our mind is somewhere else then there is no benefit of being here. If we go to Vrindavan and think about Delhi or Kolkata or any other place then there is no benefit. Wherever our mind is, we are there. Therefore we are advised to remember Guru, Vaishnav and Bhagavan. Our objective of performing devotion is to remember them and to fix our mind on their lotus feet. It is stated in Padma Purana and is also mentioned in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, as well as in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita (Madhya-lila 22.113):

    smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur vismartavyo na jātucit
    sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

    “The devotional scriptural prescript is always to remember Vishnu and never to forget Him.”

    Not even for a minute we are to think anything else. If we will think something else even for a moment then the worldly thought will enter our mind. It will take our mind to material things. We will have to shut all the doors. Assume a person who is not well behaved, if someone goes to him and starts serving him without asking anything and continues to serve him then how many days that person can remain silent? He will think that this person is serving me so much, how can I eat without even asking him to eat? Such feelings will come automatically from within. He will offer food, clothes and other required things to that person. Even if an ill behaved person cannot stay without doing anything for you if you serve him, will the Supreme Lord not protect you if you serve Him? Do not you have faith in Him? Supreme Lord is maintaining the whole universe. Even a conditioned soul cannot stay without thinking about a person who serves him then will the Supreme Lord not protect and maintain the person who serves Him? But you have to have faith in Him. If you do not have faith then you will not get benefited. If you worship Him to show it off to others then how can you get benefited? Therefore, it is said here, guru, vaiṣṇava, bhagavān, — tinera smaraṇa, anāyāse haya nija vāñchita-pūraṇa—all the obstacles on the path of devotion will go away. But I have a difficulty. I speak about remembering them always, but I do not remember them. Most of the time we think about our body and bodily relations. Then how will we be benefited? When we have understood that without the service of the Supreme Lord neither I will be benefited nor will my parents nor other relatives, then we have to perform devotion to Him. Therefore it is said, one should remember Guru, Vaishnava and Bhagavan, sing their glories and pray for their grace. Those who want to perform devotion to Lord Sri Hari, he will surely do these three things.

    But without the mercy of Guru, Vaishnava and Bhagavan, we cannot even remember them. We cannot remember them with our material mind as they are beyond the modes of material nature. To remember them we need their mercy. To sing their glories also we need their mercy. Supreme Lord is raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati—when one understands the Supreme Lord, the reservoir of pleasure, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful.

    harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
    (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.88.5)

    ”Hari (Krishna) is transcendental. He is beyond the three primeval qualities of the material nature. So worshipers of Hari are also transcendental. So devotees and Guru are also transcendental.”

    ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi
    na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
    sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
    svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
    (Sri Caitanya Charitamrita Madhya-lila 17.136)

    “We cannot have any contact with Guru, Vaishnava and Bhagavan with our material senses. When we take absolute shelter to their lotus feet from the core of our heart then by their grace their transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes will manifest in our heart.”

    To the extent we surrender to them, they will reveal themselves to us. The Supreme Lord is infinite and His devotees are also infinite. No one can sing their glories completely. The glories of a pure devotee are infinite like the glories of the Supreme Lord. So we cannot sing their glories without their grace and we cannot pray for their grace without their mercy. How will it happen then? During Kartik month, we daily recite and think about Sikshastaka. What the Supreme Lord has said in the fourth verse of the Sikshastaka? He says, “You do not blame Me saying I have showered My mercy on Dhruva and Prahlad but not on you. You speak from the core of your heart,

    na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
    kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
    mama janmani jamanīśvare
    bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
    (Sri Caitanya Charitamrita Antya-lila 20.29)

    For what purpose we go to the Math and pray to the Supreme Lord? We want to bribe the Supreme Lord with hundred or thousand rupees and want to get five lakh rupees from Him in return to save our business or come out from the financial crisis. If we get five lakh rupees then overwhelmingly we say Gaudiya Math is good and if we do not get then we would not go there again. Who comes to Math for the Supreme Lord? Especially when examination comes, we go to the Supreme Lord and again and again and offer obeisances to them and pray that if this time we pass the exam with good numbers then I will perform your service nicely. If one clears up the examination with good numbers then he will serve but if he does not clear it up then his faith will get shaken. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, “Utter from the heart.” If you speak merely from mouth then it will be of no use; even if you speak for thousand times. Say, you do not want wealth, not from the mouth, from the heart. We are afraid. We think, “Oh! Something is needed. How can I say I do not want wealth?” A son of a King, forgetting his father, moving on a road like a mendicant and asking for money, is begging. If a person, who knows him to be the son of the King, takes him back to the King, will there be any scarcity for him? We belong to Sri Krishna, the Supreme master of all universes. If you are being taken to Him, will there be any scarcity? We belong to Him. Our relation with Him is eternal. All our relations in this material world are temporary. But Supreme Lord is our eternal mother, father and our relation with Him is eternal. Therefore you say from your heart, “I do not want wealth. I do not want followers, wife, children etc. I do not want material relations, and I do not want erudition, learning, worldly learning. I do not want emancipation salvation. I want one pointed causeless devotion unto You, nothing else.”

    If you say from the core of your heart, you will get it at the same moment. Supreme Lord says, “You do not utter it from your heart so you are not getting. Do not blame Me unnecessarily.” But we are not able to say that we do not need money. We think, “I need some money for the marriage of my daughter, if this time my desire gets fulfilled then I will not ask for anything else. We do say from the mouth, ‘na dhanaṁ’ but from within we want money. Supreme Lord is situated in the heart. He does not see what we speak, He knows what we have in our heart and He will give fruits accordingly. We wanted to enjoy this material world and therefore we have come here in this world. Because of our desires of enjoyment, the Supreme Lord created this material world. We cannot make the body of even an ant. Everything is created by Supreme Lord but we have got the false ego that we are the owner. When Swami Maharaj was in foreign country, one young boy came to him and told, “I do not believe in God,” What did Swami Maharaj reply? He said, “Who has given you the power to say that I do not believe in God? All kinds of the powers are given by the Supreme Lord. He has given you the power of speech, so you are speaking; if that power is withdrawn, you cannot speak anything. Can you speak?”

    How long your vanity will remain? One day we all have to go to crematorium. The fact is that everyone who has taken birth in this world has to die one day. No one will live here eternally. But the astonishing fact is that,

    ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantī yama-mandiram,
    śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti kim aścaryam ataḥ param
    (Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.116)

    “Every day we see that so many people are dying and are taken to crematorium accompanied by chanting of ‘bol hari hari bol’, ‘ram naam satya hain’ but still we think that we will remain here eternally. What can be more surprising than this?”

    In today’s life, nobody can give the guarantee that a person going out will come back home or not. Everywhere the situation in this world is been spoiled; nothing more to talk about it.

    Therefore, if we get the mercy of Lochan Das Thakur, our heart will change. He is all capable. Only a devotee can do it. Lochan Das Thakur has performed the pastimes of disappearance on today’s Tithi. He appeared in 1523 AD in Kogram, in the Katwa block of Burdwan district. This village is near to Guskara train station. Lochan Das Thakur appeared in this world accepting Sri Kamalakar Das as his father and Srimati Sadanandee as his mother. Mahaprabhu’s advent is in 1485 AD or 1407 Saka era. So when Lochan Das Thakur appeared Mahaprabhu was of 38 years. He already had accepted Sanyasa order of life and had gone to Puri Dham that time. Out of His twenty four years of Sanyasa life, He spent the first six years in traveling to various places. The next six years, He spent with devotees in discussing Divine topics of the Supreme Lord in Puri Dham. It is written about His last twelve years as follows,

    caṇḍīdāsa, vidyāpati, rāyera nāṭaka-gīti,
    karṇāmṛta, śrī-gīta-govinda
    svarūpa-rāmānanda-sane, mahāprabhu rātri-dine,
    gāya, śune—parama ānanda
    (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya-lila 2.77)

    “He passed His time reading the books and singing the songs of Chandidasa and Vidyapati, and listening to quotations from the Jagannatha-vallabha-nataka, Krishna-karnamrita and Gita-govinda. Thus in the association of Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu passed His days and nights chanting and hearing with great pleasure.”

    Mahaprabhu appeared by accepting a magnanimous form to distribute Divine love to conditioned souls. But He spent His last twelve years in seclusion. He wanted to experience the Divine love that Srimati Radhika is experiencing for Krishna. He wanted to experience the bliss and ecstasy She experiences in separation of Krishna. So He appeared taking the mood and complexion of Radharani. He accepted the mood of a devotee.

    yuga-dharma pravartāimu nāma-saṅkīrtana
    cāri bhāva-bhakti diyā nācāmu bhuvana
    (Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi 3.19)

    Mahaprabhu says, “I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age—nama-sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the Holy Name. I shall make the world dance in ecstasy, making them realize the four mellows of loving devotional service.”

    āpani karimu bhakta-bhāva aṅgīkāre
    āpani ācari’ bhakti śikhāimu sabāre
    (Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi 3.20)

    “I shall accept the role of a devotee, and shall teach devotional service by practicing it Myself.”

    āpane nā kaile dharma śikhāna nā yāya
    ei ta’ siddhānta gītā-bhāgavate gāya
    (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi 3.21)

    ”Unless one practices devotional service himself, he cannot teach it to others. This conclusion is indeed confirmed throughout Gita and Bhagavatam.”

    Mahaprabhu accepted the mood of a devotee. One should not misunderstand it. Some people say, “He is Gaur Nagar” etc. Lochan Das Thakur had strongly refuted it. Mahaprabhu never performed the pastime as an enjoyer. He worshiped Krishna in the mood of Separation. He called out to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna in intense mood of separation,

    kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! rakṣa mām
    kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! pāhi mām
    rāma! rāghava! rāma! rāghava! rāma! rāghava! rakṣa mām
    kṛṣṇa! keśava! kṛṣṇa! keśava! kṛṣṇa! keśava! pāhi mām
    (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya-lila 7.96)

    kāhāṅ mora prāṇa-nātha muralī-vadana
    kāhāṅ karoṅ kāhāṅ pāṅ vrajendra-nandana
    kāhāre kahiba, kebā jāne mora duḥkha
    vrajendra-nandana vinu phāṭe mora buka
    (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 2.15-16)

    In the separation pangs He used to call out Krishna’s name like Radharani does. He performed the pastimes in that mood for the last twelve years in Gambhira. So when Lochan Das Thakur was at the age of ten, Mahaprabhu was performing the pastimes of intense separation in Gambhira.

    Lochan Das Thakur was a very affectionate and lone child of his parents. He used to stay at his maternal grandfather’s house in childhood and was looked after by his maternal grandparents. He displayed devotion for Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krishna and had attachment for performing Harinam from his childhood itself.

    Lochan Das was married at a very young age, according to the customs of that time in Bengal. Those days the boy or the girl who were to be married did not even know anything about each other before their marriage. And according to the customs, the girl will go back to her parental house after the marriage and would stay there till she is mature enough to take the household responsibilities. So his wife first remained with her parents. Lochan Das Thakur met his Gurudev, Narahari Sarakar Thakur when he was eighteen years old. By then Mahaprabhu had already concluded His earthly pastimes. Witnessing Lochan Das Thakur’s mood of devotion and interest in performing bhajan, Narahari Sarakar Thakur was very much pleased with him. He was very affectionate to Lochan Das and gave him Mantra initiation. Narahari Sarakar Thakur was not an ordinary person. The son of Shivanand Sen, Kavi Karnapur writes in Gaur-ganoddesh-dipika that Narahari Sarakar Thakur is Madhumati-sakhi (confidant) in Krishna-lila. Madhumati-sakhi is established in Madhurya-ras (consort-hood of gopis) which is the topmost amongst all the mellows.

    Lochan Das Thakur received the grace of Narahari Sarakar Thakur, that implies he had received the grace of Mahaprabhu who is the personified form of mercy. When one gets strong perturbation of heart to perform bhajan then his Guru becomes manifest to him. So when he met his Gurudev, Narahari Sarakar Thakur, he became extremely pleased. He enthusiastically took up residence with his Guru, served him and took all his orders sincerely.

    Meanwhile one incident happened. As the time approached when Lochan Das Thakur’s wife was to join him, the girl’s parents began to worry because of his indifference to material life. At that time Lochan Das Thakur was completely absorbed in the service of his Gurudev, Narahari Sarakar Thakur. The girl’s parents approached Narahari Thakur and told him of their disquiet. As a result, Narahari Thakur ordered Lochan Das Thakur to go to his in-laws’ house. Lochan Das Thakur did not even know the way to his in-law’s village, Amedpur Kakuta; he asked a few persons on the way and somehow reached that village. But he was unable to remember where their house was, since it had been so long since he had visited it. He asked a young girl in the street for directions, addressing her as ‘Ma (Mother)’. When he arrived at his in-laws’ house, he came to know that the girl whom he had addressed as his mother was in fact his wife. From that day on, he always looked upon his wife as mother and continued worshiping Guru and Gauranga in an attitude of renunciation. He returned back as he could not stay in married life with her whom he addressed as ‘mother’. He did not have any inclination for material life. If he would have inclination then he could have taken the advantage of his Gurudev’s order to fulfill his desires. All the time he used to remain absorbed in singing the glories of Gaurang Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krishna and service of his Gurudev. His Gurudev also empowered him with Divine energy. Externally he ordered him to enter in married life but internally he empowered him and took him back. He has done both the things simultaneously. It is said, kartum akartum anyathā kartum samarthah sa eva isvarah—He is able to act freely and can do and undo whatever He likes. The Supreme Lord is all-powerful and nothing is beyond His abilities.

    Sometimes Guru takes examination of his disciple. Once, our Gurudev also examined me. I thought after sansyas I would not go to my birthplace but he took me there along with him. I was to stay at Radhamohan Prabhu’s house. My grandmother came there and started crying while pampering me on my back. I did not speak anything. Guruji was examining whether I still had desire to go back to material life or to go with him. It is the scriptural injunction that a sansyasi should not go to his birthplace but Gurudev intentionally took me there to examine me.

    Here, Narahari Sarakar Thakur ordered Lochan Das Thakur to go to his in-laws’ house to pacify them and examine him. On the other hand, he only empowered him with inner strength and arranged everything in such a way that he comes back. He had planned everything in advance for him. Accidentally, Lochan Das Thakur addressed his wife as ‘mother’ and thus he got the chance to come back again to his Gurudev.

    If one has inclination for material life then he will not be able stay in Math for long. And for a person who is indifferent to worldly attachments, no one can make him enter in material life by any means. Everyone’s birth, death and marriage happen by the will of Supreme Lord only. They depend upon the previous karmas of the individuals. If someone has such karmas by which he has to enter in material life then nobody can stop it.

    So Lochan Das Thakur came back to his Gurudev, Narahari Sarkar Thakur and started serving him. He used to sing well and write kirtans. Later, Narahari Sarkar Thakur ordered him to write Mahaprabhu’s sacred biography. He has written many kirtans and one amongst them is the following which we sing many a time,

    nitāi guṇa-maṇi āmār nitāi guṇa-maṇi
    āniyā premer vanyā bhāsāilo avanī

    “My Lord Nityanand, the jewel of all virtues, has brought the flood of Divine love that has drowned the entire world.”

    He has also written,

    akrodha paramānanda nityānanda rāya
    abhimāna śūnya nitāi nagare beḍāya

    We sing this kirtan especially during Nagar-sankirtan. Akrodha paramānanda—the noble Lord Nityananda is never angry. If someone has anger then he cannot do kirtan. Nityananda Prabhu Himself has acted upon it and gave teachings to others. Our all good qualities vanish when we become angry.

    kāma eṣa krodha eṣa , rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ ,
    mahāśano mahā-pāpmā, viddhy enam iha vairiṇam
    (Srimad Bhagavad Gita 3.37)

    “Sri Krishna said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.”

    Lust arises out of mode of passion (rajoguna). And if there will be any kind of hindrance in the fulfilment of our desires then that leads to anger which is out of ignorance (tamoguna). Because of anger people are acting rudely. If you read newspapers you will get more understanding about the consequences of anger. Out of anger one gets bewildered and does abominable acts and later he repent. But what is the use of realizing things after you have acted upon them. Anger destroys all our good qualities.

    dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate
    saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate
    krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ
    smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati
    (Srimad Bhagavad Gita 2.62-63)

    Dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate—when one contemplates on the object of sense enjoyment (sound, form, taste, smell or touch) then he is associating with it through his mind. And association through mind is very strong. Though, externally he may not see the presence of an object of sense enjoyment but internally through mind he is constantly associating with it. And, saṅgāt saṣjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate—while contemplating on the objects of the sense enjoyment, he develops attachment for them, and from such attachment arises the lust. If one encounters any hindrance in those desires getting fulfilled then anger arises. It is said in Srimad Bhagavatam (7.15.22)

    asaṅkalpāj jayet kāmaṁ
    krodhaṁ kāma-vivarjanāt

    One makes any resolution either good or bad and if that does not get fulfilled then anger arises. And because of anger everything becomes chaos in the world. People engage in many abominable acts due to anger.

    Krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ—anger leads to delusion and delusion to bewilderment of memory. Out of delusion and bewilderment of memory one even forgets with whom he is talking to whether to his elders like parents or friend or someone else.

    Smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati—when memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.

    Nowadays people are constantly engaged in contemplating the objects of senses. Everyone wants to advance in sensual enjoyment. In India, people had inclination to worship the Supreme Lord before and there used to be a temple in every house but nowadays they do not want to worship Him. Our Param Guruji knew that in future people in general will not have inclination to worship the Supreme Lord so he established Maths at various places so that people inclined to perform devotion can visit them or stay there. Before that there was no need of establishing Maths. Previously, people used to read and discuss topics from Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam, Ramayan etc; they used to perform kirtans and worship Tulsi Devi. Even movies, theatre and travelling of a person from one place to another were in connection to the Supreme Lord. Those days money had very less value. One could buy 1 kilogram of Brinjal for one paisa only. What to speak of one or two rupees, even in twenty five paisa one used to get so many things that it was hard to spend that amount in one-time shopping. But nowadays everything has changed. People have so much of money but they do not get pure things to eat. Everything has got adulterated. By consuming those adulterated things people are getting serious health issues. To earn more money, people are accepting wrong means and are doing abominable activities. We spend all our time and energy in thinking about how to earn money. But this was not the situation before. Hindus, Muslims and people of different castes used to live together with affection. They had the feeling of togetherness. If anyone becomes ill then everybody around would get ready to take care of him, even being awake throughout the night. In recent times, due to material advancement people have come closer to each other superficially but internally they have become more separated.

    akrodha paramānanda nityānanda rāya

    advaya-jñāna-tattva kṛṣṇa svayaṃ bhagavān
    svarup shaktir bhitar hay avasthan

    The Absolute Knowledge Principle, Sri Krishna is the Supreme Lord Himself.

    The Supreme Lord is full of bliss. He has a form. If there is no form in the cause, then form cannot come in his effects. A person is attributed to a conscious principle not an unconscious principle. If the conscious principle leaves the body then that body becomes dead. Even if one touches that body, he has to take bath. Everyone will become afraid of the dead body and run away from it. Until the time conscious principle is present in the body, it gives happiness to others. Even if a bird comes and makes some sound, it will be pleasing to all. But if the conscious principle leaves the body then that body cannot give happiness to anyone. The dead body does not have any value. You can keep the dead body intact by chemical procedure, but that dead body will not be considered as a person by the government, by the booth person. They will say, “You have brought a dead body here at this place”. He might order the security to beat you and arrest you. But if a serious, bed-ridden patient (his life is there) is brought on stretcher, they will allow him to cast the vote. As long as life is there, you can cast vote. Actually nobody on earth is accepting this body as a person. Everybody considers the conscious principle to be the person. When you consider the presence of an atomic conscious principle, do not you consider the presence of infinite conscious principle Who has infinite thinking, feeling and willing? He can take initiative. The Absolute Bliss is Supreme Lord. By challenging mood we cannot get that Absolute Bliss. If we endeavour to obtain that Absolute Bliss by challenging mood then we will get the shadow of the Absolute Bliss.

    Brahma prayed to Sri Krishna,

    tasmād idaṁ jagad aśeṣam asat-svarūpaṁ
    svapnābham asta-dhiṣaṇaṁ puru-duḥkha-duḥkham
    tvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanāv anante
    māyāta udyad api yat sad ivāvabhāti
    (Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.14.22)

    “The entire material cosmos, not just this world, is non-eternal, perishable. It is like a dream. At the time of seeing a dream, we think it to be reality. When we awaken from a dream, we realize it was all false. Like this, everything we are seeing of these non-eternal relations is a dream.”

    After the life span of Brahma is finished, there will be total dissolution. Nothing will remain. Then there will be creation again. Supreme Lord can create and annihilate infinite universes just in a moment. The Supreme Lord is Absolute-Bliss. Without the mercy of the Absolute-Bliss nobody can get bliss. Anand (bliss) is equal to Supreme Lord—raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati. The atomic conscious principle gives minute happiness whereas the infinite conscious principle gives infinite happiness. The Western philosopher say ‘Absolute is for Itself and by Itself’. They say ‘It God’ but it is not ‘It God’. One should say, ‘He God’. So, ‘Absolute is for Himself and by Himself’—the Supreme Lord is not for anybody else. If we will stay for Him then He will manifest to us. To the extent we surrender to Him, He will reveal Himself to us to that extent and all our problems will be immediately solved. If we become averse to Sri Krishna then His illusory energy (Maya) will envelop us. This illusory energy is like a mirage in the desert, you see from a distance that there is water, but actually that is optical illusion. Sun’s rays fall in the dessert in the sand which from a distance is seen like water. If we go closer then we realize that it is not actual water. Then we see water again at a distant place. We again will go there. In this way in search of water we will die agonizingly. So, if we become averse to Supreme Lord then we will be enveloped by His Maya. His Maya’s external appearance is like sat-chid-anand (but in reality it is devoid of sat-chid-anand). It looks attractive. As the insects are attracted by the fire, they dive into the fire they get burnt to ashes. Similarly if we dive into Maya attracted by its alluring forms we will also be burnt to ashes.

    Svapnabham—Brahma says everything is like a dream, when we come out from the dream, we understand that everything is false. Therefore, we have to take right about turn towards Supreme Lord.

    akrodha paramānanda nityānanda rāya
    abhimāna śūnya nitāi nagare beḍāya

    If we have false vanity that I am from India or from London or something else then we will not be able to utter the Holy Name. We will have to leave all the designations. Only leaving all the designations also will not bring auspiciousness to us, we will have to realize that I am not of this world which is full of inauspiciousness; I am of All-Auspicious Lord Sri Vishnu. After realizing this only we will attain auspiciousness and whatever we do after this will be called devotion. Lochan Das Thakur further writes,

    adhama patita jīvera dvāre dvāre giyā
    harināma mahā-mantra dena bilāiy

    “Going to the houses of even wretched and fallen persons, Nityanand Prabhu is distributing the Holy Name. He is requesting everyone, “You please chant Harinam Mahamantra.”

    If we chant the Supreme Lord’s Name loudly then trees, animals, birds etc., as they hear the Name, they also get auspicious results. The chanting of the Holy Name in mind (without uttering the words loudly) with utmost concentration will benefit us but if we do kirtan then that will benefit others also and even more beneficial is performing sankirtan as it brings auspiciousness to many many living entities. Not all the living entities can utter the Holy Name. But they will get benefited by listening only. And if some person listens to such sankirtan and if he associates with devotees then he will get the understanding of what is eternal and what is non-eternal. Then he will realize that this material world is perishable and the relations in this world are also temporary. When I will leave this body, everything related to the body will perish.

    durlabha mānava-janma labhiyā saḿsāre,
    kṛṣṇa nā bhajinu-duḥkha kahiba kāhāre.

    “I have got this precious human birth in this world but up till now I have not worshipped Krishna, whom should I express my mental agony to?”

    'saḿsār’ ‘saḿsār’ ko’re miche gelo kāl,
    lābha nā ha’ila kichu, ghaṭila jañjāl

    “I have spoiled my whole time thinking about this worldly, earthly relations and worldly pleasures etc.”

    kiser saḿsār ei chāyābāji prāy,
    ihāte mamatā kari’ bṛthā dina jāy

    “This world is like one magic lantern show (it is a shadow, not real). By increasing our attachment to this world, our time is spoilt.”

    e deha patana ha’le ki ra’be āmār,
    keha sukha nāhi dibe putra-parivār

    “When this body will perish, what will remain with me? Nobody of these non-eternal relations, son, family etc. will give me peace, bliss or happiness.”

    je deher ei gati, tā’r anugata,
    saḿsār-vaibhava ār bandhu-jana jata

    “I am performing all my activities for this body, my material opulences and my family members which are, ultimately, going to perish one day.”

    ataeva māyā-moha chāḍi’ buddhimān,
    nitya-tattva kṛṣṇa-bhakti karuna sandhān.

    “Therefore, O intelligent one! Give up this infatuation and attachment of illusory energy and start worshipping Krishna immediately.”

    The Supreme Lord, Nandanandan Sri Krishna Himself taking the mood of Radharani appears as Gauranga in Nabadvipa and embraces everyone, without considering anyone’s caste, creed or anything. Nityanand Prabhu is even more merciful. He is Dauji (Baladeva) Himself but has come in the mood of a devotee. He expands Himself in many: Jahnava Devi, Vasudha Devi, Virachandra Prabhu, Ganga Devi, so that everyone can get the Divine love. He did not hesitate even a bit to distribute this love saying, “I want to grace all, attract all. I will not listen to anyone!!”

    After doing so much, if we do not get the faith then we are most unfortunate. Therefore, it is said here

    adhama patita jīvera dvāre dvāre giyā
    harināma mahā-mantra den bilāiyā

    He is advising, “Chant Mahamantra”. Whoever has got faith in Him will chant, and after chanting one who will get the real understanding of eternal and non-eternal will go to Gurudev. Then Gurudev will instruct him about one-pointed devotion to Supreme Lord Krishna; by serving Whom one serves all. That firm faith must be there. Then only Krishna will come.

    As for example, Draupadi complained Krishna, “You came to protect me. But I uttered Your name for a long time. Why did you not come earlier? Why did you take so long?”

    Krishna, “Should I tell the truth?”

    “Yes. Yes”

    “Initially you looked at Bhima and Arjun, thinking that they will kill Dushasana and will protect you. If they are capable of protecting you then why should I come? Did you not do so?”

    “And after that?” “After that you looked at Dronacharya thinking everyone respects him so if he comes nobody will do anything and he will surely protect you. But when he also did not come, you looked at Bhisma thinking him to be the devotee of Mine, if he comes then nobody will be able to say anything. You took shelter of Bhisma. But he also did not come to protect you. Then you thought Dhritarashtra or any of the King present there will protect you but nobody came forward.”

    “Then after?”

    “After, then you tried to protect yourself by holding your clothes by your power. When you are able to protect yourself why should I come? And at last, you lifted your one hand and called Me. But as I am complete in all respects, I manifest to one who is completely surrendering to Me. I do not manifest to one who is partially surrendered. When you lifted both your hands, I came immediately. What is My mistake?”

    The Complete will come by complete surrender. The Supreme Lord will come as He came and protected Draupadi by providing infinite clothes to her.

    Lochan Das Thakur writes,

    adhama patita jīvera dvāre dvāre giyā
    harināma mahā-mantra dena bilāiy

    Supreme Lord’s Name is non-different from Him. Actually, Supreme Lord’s Name, Form, Attributes and Pastimes all are non-different from each other.

    'nāma', 'vigraha', 'svarūpa'--tina eka-rūpa
    tine 'bheda' nahi,—tina 'cid-ananda-rupa'
    (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya, 17.131)

    “The Holy Name, vigraha (Deity) and the original transcendental form are identical as all are sacchidananda; all-existence, all-knowledge and all-bliss.”

    Many of us listen to these topics many a times. Some of them accept it in their heart and some may listen to them but do not accept. When someone is given Harinam Mantra which is the medicine, he is also told about the rules and regulations to be followed after taking the Mantra. Harinam Mantra is the medicine but with medicine you have to follow the rules and regulations to get rid of the disease fast and to become healthy. If one is taking medicine but not following the restrictions with it, like a patient of blood dysentery eats the prescribed medicines but along with that he also eats laddu, kachori, puri etc. Will he be able to get rid of dysentery? So, one should follow the restrictions also. One of the restrictions is one should eat Prasadam (things which are offered to Supreme Lord) only. Do not eat tamasik (mode of ignorance) food, like fish, eggs, meat etc. even onion, garlic or masoor which cannot be offered to the Supreme Lord. You cannot offer anything and everything to Supreme Lord. It should be according to scriptural injunctions and should be of His liking then only He will accept it.

    yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo, mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
    bhuñ jate te tv aghaṁ pāpā, ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt
    (Srimad Bhagavad-gita 3.13)

    “The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat sin only.”

    Both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians incur sins by eating their food but the sin is less for vegetarians as compare to non-vegetarians. Vegetables also have life in them. So eating vegetables is also not sinless unless they are offered to Supreme Lord. So, one must eat Prasadam only. Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes, prasad seva karite hay sakal prapancha jay—one can win over all the non-eternal attachments by accepting Prasadam. Harinam is the medicine and accepting Prasadam only is the restriction (parhez) to get cured from the illness we have. As we heard in the kirtan (durlabh manav janma..), there are so many sufferings in this material world. I went to one place where I saw five-six people circumambulating Tulsi Devi while singing Hare Krishna Mahamantra with Mridanga in their hand. I liked it very much. I thought why did not I hear this before? I felt like staying there for more time. We may not know the benefits or importance of listening to Mahamantra but the listening to the Holy Name starts marking the impressions in our heart. Therefore, Nama-Sankirtan brings more auspiciousness. Nama-sankirtan is a universal religion under whose banner people of all sects and rank can unite. So, call out Supreme Lord by chanting His Name. It is the order of Mahaprabhu especially for the people of this special Kali Yuga. Krishna Himself has come in Dvapara Yuga of this Vaivasvat Manvantar (seventh Manvantar) and in the following Kali Yuga He again has come in the form of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to distribute the Vraja-prem—Krishna’s service in Madhurya-rasa, the mood of worship of Gopis, irrespective of caste and creed.

    Prabhupad sent his disciples to different places of the world to preach the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saying, “The Divine Love brought to this world by Mahaprabhu is not only for residents of India, it is for all. So, you should take this message to the whole world.” So our Guruvarga preached the message all over the world. Even I was also ordered by our Param Pujyapad Puri Goswami Maharaj to go and preach Mahaprabhu’s message in countries outside India. Devotees from Punjab and Jammu were repeatedly requesting me to go and preach in the West. That time, I decided to ask Srila Puri Goswami Maharaj and expressed my feelings to him, “Devotees are repeatedly approaching me and insisting me to go abroad to sing the glories of Supreme Lord and His associates. But I fear that the objects of sensuous enjoyment are more in those counties. I have left my household life and parents to perform devotion. Here in India, devotees are there to protect me but who will protect me there?”

    Puri Goswami Maharaj was an erudite scholar, he replied, “You must go, it is the order of Mahaprabhu to spread His message in every corner of the world.”

    I went to him two-three years consecutively thinking that he will change his mind and will order me not to go outside India but all the time he ordered me strongly to go preach Mahaprabhu’s message. He also wrote a letter to me in which he instructed, “If you go there then Supreme Lord, Mahaprabhu will get pleased.”

    I asked him, “If I go there, will you protect me? Will you take responsibility to save me if I fall down from the path of devotion?”

    “You go. Your Gurudev will protect you.”

    Following his order, I then finalized the program. That time two persons from Kolkata came to meet me. They told, “Why are you going to Western countries? They do not have time to listen to Harikatha. They may come to listen to your words only on weekends but the other days you will have to sit idle.”

    “It is the order of my Guruvarga so I have made all arrangement to go. I am not going alone. Three more devotees are going along with me. The devotees there also have made all the arrangements so I have to go.”

    But wherever I went I was surrounded by devotees only. I had no fear. I went to follow the order of Srila Puri Goswami Maharaj, so my Gurudev, Guruvarga like Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj and he himself came at my back. Everything happened by their mercy. So many programs were arranged there. We even did not have time to sleep until 2 o’clock in the night. We all were astonished. The programs were arranged at different temples as well as at different houses. Why were such arrangements made? Because we had gone there ordered by our Guruvarga. So, if you follow the orders of Guruvarga then they will be at your back and then there would be no fear. But if we do anything independently then there will be difficulty.

    Today is disappearance day of Lochan Das Thakur. He has written many books like Chaitanya Mangal, Ras-panchodhyaya etc. By listening to Chaitanya Mangal conditioned souls will get the highest auspiciousness. He used Matravriti-chhanda (a quatrain used in the poetic traditions) in Chaitanya Mangal for the first time in Bengali literature and initiated its usage. Ashutosh Deb has underlined, in his new Bengali dictionary, Lochan Das’ contribution by stating that he was the first to write Bengali poetry using vowel-marked meters as well as being one of Bengal’s earliest historical writers. He initiated Pachhali-chhand in Bengali literature. Lochan Das Thakur’s name is also mentioned in Bhakti Ratnakar.

    Today is his disappearance day. We offer innumerable prostrated obeisance to his lotus feet and we pray him to remove all the ulterior desires from our heart and to bestow us causeless devotion unto the lotus feet of Supreme Lord. He is present all the time. He has written the glories of his Gurudev, Srila Narahari Sarkar Thakur in Chaitanya Mangal. He has written glories of Gadadhar Das also. Someone told him that he did not write much about Sri Nityanand Prabhu in Chaitanya Mangal, so he thought he had committed an offense at the lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu and later he wrote many kirtans singing the glories of Sri Nityanand Prabhu like akrodh paramanad…. and many others. We should sing those kirtans today. He has also written glories of Nitai-Gaurang together in the kirtans like param karuna puhu dui jana…

    I have not seen Lochan Das Thakur but by my great fortune I have had darsan of my most merciful Gurudev. I have not seen such an ideal character and an affectionate personality like him. He used to perform all his activities very carefully so that by witnessing his conduct everyone becomes benefited. I have never seen such a most ideal character. So, on today’s auspicious Tithi, I offer innumerable prostrated obeisance to his lotus feet and pray him to forgive my offenses I committed to his lotus feet, knowingly or unknowingly. I also pray to him to bestow me the service of his lotus feet as well as service of the lotus feet of his worshipable object Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krishna. Now we will sing a kirtan written by Lochan Das Thakur.

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