Imbibing Higher Thoughts
Harikatha, Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj
Transcendental thoughts of Krishna heard from a śuddha-bhakta will enter into the heart and will remove all the rubbish ideas. If you speak about worldly things, worldly things will enter into your heart. You have to make short, you should not speak unnecessarily, worldly things, 'grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe.' All these rustic words you should avoid.
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You have heard about Pariksit Maharaj. What did he do? Pariksit Maharaj was cursed that after seven days he will die by a snakebite. After giving all the responsibilities to Janmejaya, he went to Sukartala by the side of Ganges and all munis, great saints, all kings came there. And he submitted his prayer, “I am cursed. After seven days, I will be killed by snake bite. I am taking shelter with you. Please give me advice. What will I do?” They are advising, they are yogis, jnanis, karmis… different saints have different views and they were speaking different views. He was puzzled, “Whose advice should I take, follow, and whose should I not? If I do not follow them then they will be dissatisfied. My time is short.” He remembered Krishna, “I am born in a Pandava family. Pandavas are dear to you. Oh Krishna, you rescued me when I was in my mother's womb. Oh, Krishna show me the path.” Then Krishna sent his own person Sukadeva Goswami, His own person, who had given up Brahmānanda and started worshiping Krishna. Brahmānanda is nothing compared to Krishna premānanda.
As per the order of Krishna, he put his holy footprints there in Sukartala. All the munis came. On the way, many people could not understand him. He is only sixteen years of age, and naked. All the villagers saw him. They thought he was a mad person, a crazy person. They could not understand. They were throwing stones, dirt, etc. A learned man can understand the dignity of a learned person. An illiterate person cannot give the dignity to a learned person. He has no capacity. A sadhu can understand a sadhu. Non-sadhu cannot understand. He did not say anything because he is Paramahaṁsa.
When he set his footprints there, all saints including Parashuram, Agastya Muni who drank the ocean, they all stood up and they saw thousands and thousands of suns appear. But in the village, they did not see. And Pariksit Maharaj was satisfied, “Whatever you will instruct, I shall act accordingly.” Then he said, “You are not to do anything, yajna, karma, gyāna, yoga. By this you will not be able to deliver yourself from the imminent danger. I, Sukadeva Goswami had Brahmānanda when I was in my mother's womb, then I got Krishna premānanda from my Gurudeva Vedavyasa. I have got no attraction for Brahmānanda. You should hear glories of Krishna for a week incessantly and do nothing else.” No saint had the power to say anything against him. There were so many saints.
Pariksit Maharaj was hearing. You have to compare with. What sort of speech was delivered by Sukadeva Goswami? What sort of hearing? Not ordinary. There were three sessions. First session was in Badrinarayan, second in Sukartala and third session in Naimisharanya. Everywhere was pin-drop silence. No humdrum of the city. And Pariksit Maharaj is hearing without taking food, water, and rest. Can we imagine? Can we do this? If we demand to get that without doing this, how can we get? You should require a bonafide Sadguru who is dedicated to the service of Krishna. As Krishna's transcendental glories are descending, not going through scriptures, all descending transcendental words—śabda-brahma. When he was speaking he did not take rest, he did not take food along with Pariksit Maharaj. But he advised to Pariksit Maharaj, “You should take rest, you should take water, food. Otherwise you would not be able to hear.” Then Pariksit Maharaj said, “I have got only seven days time. Don't bother. Do not think about me. I am alright. You are giving me nectar of harikatha, transcendental ambrosia. I am satisfied. I do not want to sleep, I shall die in seven days. I do not want to take water or food. Kindly please grace me.” Pariksit Maharaj was hearing and Sukadeva Goswami was speaking for seven days. All rishis, munis are there. And after seven days, all the knowledge has been imparted to Pariksit Maharaj through the sound. God enters into a powerful person. All the transcendental glories of Name, Form, Attributes etc., he was speaking, and Pariksit Maharaj was attentively hearing, with total attention. By hearing seven days all the knowledge entered into him.
As, for example, there is a vessel of water. You have to take out water from the vessel. If you would fill up the vessel with bricks there will not be a drop of water. Our attachment to the world, this body is not eternal, the sense organs are non-eternal. Whatever we have taken in cycles of births, we have taken non-eternal ideas. They are within us. When heavy things enter light ideas will be purged out. Where is the person to say? Where is the person to hear? We have got this example in the Bhagavat. If we get an ideal person totally dedicated for worship of Krishna, such person can speak where the knowledge or the qualities of Supreme Lord have descended. For that, we pray for the grace of a preceptorial channel, pray for the grace of the devotees. By our own power we cannot speak. That will be something different.
Pariksit Maharaj was hearing and hearing, and after seven days he got the objective ultimate goal. In Naimisharanya also, Saunaka and sixty thousand other rishis heard for seven days. These are the examples in the scriptures. For that, we should not be disappointed. Something is better than nothing. But you have to hear, try and engage in your efforts so that you can hear—hear more and speak more. If you speak about worldly things, worldly things will enter you. You have to make short, you should not speak unnecessarily, worldly things, 'grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe.' All these rustic words you should avoid or your mind will go there. Try to avoid that. You engage your sense organs for the service of Krishna. Wherever you engage your sense organs that will remind you. Now you are hearing.
After that, you may clean the utensils and can sing the glories. While cooking, what are you cooking for? Cooking is also a great devotion. Here you keep a cook (a person who cooks). Our Guru Maharaj did want to keep a cook. He used to say you have come to worship. You have got to cook. Radharani Herself used to cook for Krishna. You have no desire for doing this. You have got no love relation, so there is the difficulty. If you engage the sense organs, subtle and gross, then you will be there. If you engage for non-eternal things you will be attracted to non-eternal things and all difficulties will automatically come. It is true for all. So we have imbibed thoughts in our mind through cycles of births. Those ideas are within us. If you say, “Go away from my mind”, by saying they will not go. If you keep a tenant in your house, after some time you say go away, if he has taken a position in your house, he will not go. No, I shall not go. We have accepted somebody, we have accepted all the ideas of the world with adoration. We have kept in the mind. If we say now go, they won't.
If you imbibe higher thoughts, transcendental thoughts of Krishna from a śuddha-bhakta, that will enter into it and all these rubbish ideas will be removed.
Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya
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