(verse) Yad karo… 6:50
On the authority of Bhagvad Gita, he stated, how to achieve the essence of perfection. All that you eat, all that you do, all the charity and austerities you perform, it should all be done as an offering to me. Lord Chaitanya rejected it. He said, that is external. Please, tell me something more. That, One should give-up one’s occupational duties in the service of the Lord. That is the essence of all perfection.
Sarva dharman parityajja,…
Krishna tell in Bhagvad Gita, abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender to me. I shall deliver you from all sins, do not fear. Lord Chaitanya said go ahead, say something more. Devotional service, mixed with empirical knowledge is the essence of all perfection.
Bramha bhuta prassanatama… 8:30
When one comes to the brahmanas platform, and is free from hankering and lamenting, accepting and rejecting, then he engages in devotional service. Lord Chaitanya replied that, that is external. Tell me something more. Then Ramananda Rai explained how pure unalloyed devotion without any ting of empiric knowledge is the essence of perfection. Lord Chaitanya said, this is alright, but still tell me more on the subject. Ramananda Rai continued, ecstatic love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essence of all perfection. One cannot achieve such ecstatic love, even by great austerities, by many many lifetimes of pious activities, even by cultivation of knowledge. It can only be achieved by the intense greed to have that love. If you can get that love anywhere, you must purchase it. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was very satisfied. He said this is alright. But, if you know more, please tell me. Ramananda Rai continued that devotional service, spontaneous loving service, in a spirit of servitude, accepting the Lord as the supreme eternal master and accepting oneself as one eternal servant, that is the essence of all perfection. That, simply by chanting Krishna’s holy names one can be delivered of all sins and attain the perfection of devotional life. What to speak of being the servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Chaitanya beseeched Ramananda Rai to go further. Spontaneous devotional service in a mood of fraternity or friendship is the essence of all perfection. That even the great Brahman, realized great rishis, the demigods, the great pundits, who has studied the scriptures very scrutinizingly, they are unable to understand how these simple cowherd boys are playing with the Supreme Lord of everyone as an intimate friend. Only after accumulating immense pious activities, have they attained such a perfection. Please go further, Lord Chaitanya requested. Spontaneous loving service in a mood of parental love is the essence of all perfection. That the Supreme absolute Truth, the controller of all the controller is living as the son of Nanda Maharaj, crawling like a helpless baby in his courtyard. And that same Lord, who is Vishvambhara, the nourished of all universes, He is crying to achieve the milk from the breast of Mother Yashoda. Please, go further, I want to hear more. Spontaneous loving service in the mood of conjugal love is the essence of all perfection. He explained how Krishna called gopis to rasa dance and how Krishna separated himself from them and how they became completely mad in such separation, longing for the association of Krishna. As we explained this morning, actually they are longing in separation from Krishna, was because they knew Krishna wanted to be with them. They were offering their body, their mind, their words, their lives for the pleasure of Krishna. Krishna appeared when he appeared to them. He brought them such unlimited bliss. It was at that time that Lord Krishna explained to gopis, that you have forsaken everything for me. Your love for me is of such an unparalleled quality that even in many many lifetimes, I am unable to repay you, for your love, devotion and your surrender. How Krishna is conquered by the loving gopis of Vrindavan.
Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he said to Ramananda Rai, this is certainly the essence of all perfections, but please be merciful to me and tell me if there is something more. Ramananda Rai was taken aback. He said, until this day, I do not know of anyone who could possibly enquire beyond this perfection. However, of all the gopis, the one who possesses the highest limit of ecstatic love is Srimati Radharani. She is top most in the loving devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as Radharani is supremely beloved by Krishna, similarly Kunda, Radhakunda is loved by Krishna. It is explained how in the rasalila, Srimati Radharani was in the assembly of many many gopis, but she understood Krishna’s heart, that he wanted to be with her. And all these other varieties of gopis were preventing him from fulfilling his innermost heart’s desire. So she left. Even though Krishna is in the assembly of the most loving beautiful concerts, it is described by our Acharyas that the most beautiful women of this world is insignificant compared to the ladies of the heavenly planets. The ladies of the heavenly planets, it is insignificant in comparison to the lakshmis of the Vaikuntha. And what is the love of lakshmidevi? What is the sweet surrender of their heart, but all the lakshmis of all the Vaikunthas together, their love and sweetness is not equal to one Gopi. Krishna is surrounded by many many Gopis, who had renounced everything for his pleasure, who were simply existing to please him. Ramananda Rai explained from Srimad Bhagvatam, Krishna left all of them in search of Srimati Radharani. He could not find her. He went to the bushes of Vrindavan, to the banks of Yamuna and was lamenting in separation from her. And then she appeared before him to fulfill all of his desires. Who is Srimati Radharani? That is the subject of Radhashtami. Srimati Radharani should be understood from Guru, Sadhu and Sastra. It is not the affair of a young boy and a young girl. Krishna is the absolute truth, the controller of all controllers. Great sages and rishis renounce everything of this material world to serve him. Krishna is not concerned with anything mundane. He is only attracted by pure spiritual love. Money does not attract Krishna, knowledge does not attract Krishna, severe tapasya does not attract Krishna, celibacy and controlling of the senses in and of themselves do not attract Krishna, even a person who has attained liberation does not attract the heart of Krishna. It is only love and what is the origin of that love? Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita describes that the absolute truth is one, Upanishads tell
(Verse) 21.11
The lord expands energies from Himself, just like the sun emanates rays. There are many energies, but the source of all energies, the essence of all the energies is the Lord’s allhadini (check) shakti. It is the ultimate purpose of all, Krishna’s energies to create an environment of Rasa or spiritual enjoyment, pure enjoyment. Krishna, the one supreme Lord is separated in two forms of Radha and Krishna. Krishna is the Supreme predominator and Srimati Radharani is the Supreme predominated. Krishna is the Supreme object of love and Sri Radharani is Supreme blessor (check) 22.30 of love. Her heart is unlimited in all love, in all of existence is eminting from her. Krishna’s love through is allhadini shakti is enjoyed by himself. This is lila, transcendental pastimes. These pastimes are very deep and very high and it takes very very great humility to be able to actually comprehend it. These spiritual subject matters cannot really be understood simply by our intellectual prowess. It can only be understood when Sri Radharani blesses us and reveals the truth of that love within our heart and She does that through Guru and the Vaishnavas for special representatives in this world. People sometimes quote the verse from Srimad Bhagvatam tenth canto that by hearing of the transcendental pastimes of Krishna with Gopis, one is free from one’s lusty desires. However, there is a particular word in that sloka. If I had the Bhagvatam here, I would recite it specifically. But Sukadeva Goswami explains that by hearing of these pastimes with faith, with a deeply faithful heart, that is the effect. But the question is, do we have that faith? If we do not, it does not apply to us. It is that faith that makes that subject matter digestible to our hearts. Otherwise, it can create indigestion. Even the best food, you do not have the capacity to digest it, it can make you sick. So it is faith, then a devotee is humble. Do we really have such faith? Faith means spiritual advancement.
(verse) 25.45
Sri Rupa Goswami tells us, that in the beginning there is a little faith and the whole process of devotional service is to nourish and purify our faith. The spiritual world is the land of pure faith. When our faith is pure, then we are in a perfect liberated condition.
(verse) 26.20
First, there is a little faith. In reciprocation to that faith, the Lord within our heart directs us to the association of the devotees. In that association, we begin to learn, what is bhakti, we accept a spiritual master, take initiation from the spiritual master and learn from the spiritual master, the process of Bhajan-kriya, the regulative principals of devotional service, to follow four regulative principals, to chant according to a particular vow, the names of Lord, to hear the Srimad Bhagvatam, Bhagvad Gita and the great literatures. We learn what is to be done and what is not to be done, how to engage our senses in Krishna’s service, to somehow or other protect them from the enemy of the desire for sense gratification. Through this process of very serious bhajan-kriya, serious chanting, serious hearing, serious austerity of controlling and engaging the senses in the service of the Lord by worshipping the deity, by preaching, by cleaning the temple, by making our home a temple, by serving the Vaishnavas, by prayer, gradually Anartha-nivritti. Hearts become pure. When our hearts come to a certain state of purification, then we develop Nishta, very firm faith. How many of us are actually on that platform? And usually, if you are on that platform, you are too humble to recognize it. That is the nature of a Vaishnava. From that faith comes Ruchi, the higher taste. From Ruchi comes very very strong attachment to Krishna, strong attachment to his names, his deity form, to his service, strong attachment to hear Hari-katha. Actual greed to hear Hari-katha, not the greed of curiosity, but the greed of the heart. Some people love to hear different things about Krishna. They think they are greedy, but actually they are just extremely curious. But when Rupa Goswami is talking about this Laulyam, this greed, he is talking about the awakening of this deep thirst inside in separation from the Lord, a deep desire, a deep longing, an urgent need, not just curiosity. When you are curious to see how something tastes, that is one category. But when you are starving, you need water, when you are willing to forsake everything for little water. That is greed. That comes by the mercy of the Lord. That comes when the Lord is pleased with us. We hear about the beautiful pastimes of Radha-Krishna, to some extent, but we should understand that to cultivate that faith, is actually the qualification to hear and understand. Ramananda Rai has revealed that highest limit of our aspirations, which a humble devotee keeps above his head and with great humility offers deep respect to that aspiration. Sri Radharani is the ‘mula ashaya vigraha’ of our sampradaya. She is the supreme most worshipable object, because through her mercy, we can be given pure love. That love is within our heart, because we are part and parcel of the Lord, but it is covered, it is forgotten. Only by Bhakti can we please Krishna. Only by Bhakti, by the energy of Radharani’s love, is Krishna attracted to our actions, our words and our thoughts. Krishna is Bhaktavatsala, he is always favorable to protect, to nourish his devotees. Love ??? 32.30 supreme when Krishna bows his head to Radharani at Mankutir at Barsana. Krishna reveals to the world that he has subjugated, controlled and conquered by pure love. Srila Prabhupada would sometimes say that impersonalist philosophers, they want to become God. But in that becoming one with god, there is no relationships, there is no rasa, there is no exchange of love. But by chanting the holy names of the Lord, one can conquer the Lord. Radhashtami is the day of glorifying Bhakti, Bhaktidevi. It is by the grace of Radharani that Bhaktidevi enters our hearts and what takes place then, Yashodamai, who is able to bind Krishna with rope by her love, Bhishma was able to cause Krishna to break his own promise by his love, Pralhad Maharaj, although just a tiny child, by his love caused the Supreme Lord to descend in a pillar, just to protect Pralhad’s word. Hiranyakashipu, they guess most powerful Asura, historically, he said to Pralhad, where is your God, is he in this pillar?. Pralhad said, he is everywhere, even in the pillar. So how Pralhad conquered lord Krishna, Lord Vishnu, that now he promised, he is in the pillar, so now the Lord has to incarnate within a pillar, just to protect the word of this little five year old child, because of his love. It is our longing for that love, if we want anything else, we will never achieve it. It is only given to that person who exclusively has greed for that love. And that is not something that can be artificially imitated. That is something, that must be cultivated, developed through purification. Initially, we must have faith, faith in it’s supreme value and in the urgent need to achieve it. And that faith comes through hearing and the association of devotees and sincerely chanting the holy names, 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare'
Let us give some examples, of how the greatest personalities, how they longed for the blessings of Srimati Radharani in Vrindavan, to achieve that love. In Radha-Krishna’s eternal lila, Srimati Radharani is 14 years and 5 months old, eternally, nava youvana. And Krishna is 15 years and 9 months old, according to Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur. In the Padmapurana, there is a beautiful story about Arjuna. We know, what a dear friend Arjuna was to Krishna. We do not have to speak on the subject very much. Such a dear friend, he used to lay down with Krishna. Krishna became his chariot driver. Krishna was so conquered by the love of Arjuna, that he became a menial servant. Being a driver, is a humbling relationship. Is it not? And in Mahabharta, what Krishna did for Arjuna? When Arjuna had to kill Jayadrata by sunset, the whole Kuru Army was in front between Arjuna and Jayadrata. Every single man in the entire Kuru Army, tens and millions of people, their only service, that they were blocking Arjuna. It was impossible, he was miles and miles away. Dronacharya, such great souls were there and Krishna, he was just… those horse were going so fast, so fast, so fast and Arjuna was fighting and fighting and Krishna was empowering him to fight and He was driving. Arjuna was getting all the glory and He was just a driver. And the horses were tired, Krishna was brushing the horses, giving them water, while Arjuna was doing the heroic work of fighting. What Krishna did, for Arjuna. And ultimately it was impossible to reach Jayadrata. So Krishna had to make a whole mystical illusion. Just to protect Arjuna’s life. Krishna was the menial servant of Arjuna, why? Because of Arjuna’s love.
He spoke Bhagvad Gita. He gave all the credit of the greatest war in history to Arjuna. And here Arjuna was asking Krishna, I want to understand the love of Vrindavan, I want to understand the love of your Gopis, I want to understand the mercy of Radharani. So Krishna told Arjuna that this is an impossible subject to discuss. It’s too confidential for you to understand. His best friend, he cannot understand these things, who are we? Krishna tells Arjuna, you cannot understand, what is Gopis love, what is Radha’s love, what is Vrindavan’s love? You could only understand, if you have had experienced it. Then, he told him to go to Parvati, Tripurasundari. And you appeal to her and through her I will give you the means. So Arjuna expressed Krishna’s instruction to Parvati and she gave him mantra and told him how to do various types of tapasya. And ultimately she took him to a lake and he bathed in that lake for purification and he was met by a Gopi and that Gopi took him to a lake in Vrindavan. And he bathed in that lake of amrita and when he came out, he was not Arjuna, he was ‘Arjunia’. He had a female body of a Gopi. And he completely forgot his previous identity. There was no trace of recollection. So this Gopi took her into the assembly of other Gopis and they were very curious to see this new Gopi. They said please tell us who are you, where are you coming from, why have you come. And Arjunia said, I don’t know who I am, and I don’t know where I am coming from and I don’t know why I am here. The only thing I remember in my whole life is that I am coming out of a lake and I am a Gopi. So they taught her how to chant various mantras. And then brought her into a Kunja, where she was brought before goddess Srimati Radharani. And Arjuna, seeing the beauty, the mercy, the love of Sri Radharani, surrendered at her feet, feel at her feet in complete surrender and Sri Radharani presented him or her to Krishna. And Krishna sported with Arjunia in the forest. And then Sri Radharani said him to go to the lake and take your bath again. He took his bath and became Arjuna. But that he did not forget. So, even after Arjuna is longing to experience the love of Vrindavan. And what is the love of Vrindavan, the abode of Vrindavaneshwari, Sri Radharani, who is the Supreme goddess of Vrindavan. We read the story of Naradamuni, he met Gautam rishi and wanted to try to understand, what is this rasavrindavan. He sent him. Naradamuni, at the Kusumsarovar met with Vrindadevi, actually he met with Lalita Sakhi. And Lalita Sakhi told him you take your bath here, after he chanted mantras, offered very very deep prayers of sincere devotion. He took his bath in Kusum Sarovar and from Kusum Sarovar he came out and was Naradi. He was Gopi and she was brought by Sri Lalita devi to the lotus feet of Radharani, who presented her before Krishna. He was allowed to experience for a long time the loving service of Sri Sri Radhagopinath. Then taking his bath again, he became Naradamuni and compiled the Naradabhakti Sutras, to share his realizations of the topmost limits of divine love with the world. And then we have Lord Siva. Lord Siva is the Lord of Parvati. He is always absorbed in meditation. He is Ishwara. He is the controller of the universes. But Lord Siva wanted to participate in the rasalila, as the servant of the servant of the sevant of Sri Radhika. Vrindedevi, Lalita Sakhi informed him, he should do tapasya at Bramhakunda, which he did. Then they took him to Mansarovar. The power of Mansarovar cannot be calculated by any material intelligence. During one of the rasalilas of Radha and Krishna, when Sri Radharani was in separation to Krishna, she went to that place and filled the lake with the tears of her loving separation. What is the power of those tears, when Lord Siva, who is really a male figure, you see the Siva-iets, especially Nagababas, they are very, in America you call it macho, very man-like. I have told the story before, when I was living with Nagababas, 32 years ago. The chief of the Nagababas asked me, which was the holy place I worshiped. I said Vrindavan. And he began to ???47.25 Vrindavan. He said Vrindavan. Radhe Radhe, Radhe Radhe, Radhe Radhe. Nahi, You become Naga, Naga is man! I was really chanting Radhe Radhe. Because there was 20 other Nagas with tridents, who were his disciples, who were expecting me to surrender to his order. And who do they worship Lord Siva. And Lord Siva is longing to be the maid servant of the maid servant of the maid servant of Sri Radharani. He took his bath in the Mansarovar, in the tears of Sri Radhika and he came out as Gopeshwar, Gopi. And is eternally accepting the role as the guardian of the rasalila, as the servant of the servant of the servant of Radharani in her loving service to Thakurji, Sri Krishna. And there is a story of Uddhav. Krishna tells Uddhav in the Srimad Bhagvatam, you are so dear to me, you the dear most, you are really Haridas, such a servant of Hari. He said even Bramha, even Balarama, even Lakshmidevi is not as dear to me as you Uddhav. Of all the Yadu dynesty, which were Krishna’s personal relatives, Uddhav is the foremost friend. He was practically with Krishna throughout the day, everyday. Krishna would reveal his heart to Uddhav. He would even enquire submissively from Uddhav. They would eat together, they would laugh together, they would joke together, sometimes sleep together. Because Krishna loved Uddhav so much, he wanted to give him the highest benediction. From Mathura, he told Uddhav, that the brajabasis, especially the gopis, they are feeling intense separation from me. Take my chariot, dress in my clothes and give them my message. Uddhav went to Vrindavan, thinking he was Krishna’s best friend, doing a service for the brajabasis. But when he arrived, when he saw the love of Sridama, Subal, Stokakrishna, Ujjwala, Nadamangal, when he saw the love of the Gopas, he was taken aback. He felt insignificant. And then when he met Nanda and Yashoda and saw their total absorption in ecstatic separation from Krishna, he tried to pacify them, but he realized, their love is oceanic. And then he met the brajagopis and ultimately Srimati Radharani. When he witnessed Sri Radharani’s topmost limits of pure unalloyed loving surrender, Uddhava felt that he did not even have a trace of affection for Krishna in his heart, in comparison. He was utterly humbled. I came there to give them something, but they have given me the ultimate treasure of what I want to aspire for in my life. He read Krishna’s message to them, but when he saw the nature of their total absorption, in simply wanting to please Krishna, simply wanting to serve Krishna, there was nothing else in the entire creation that mattered to them. Lord Chaitanya, who is the best of the Gopis reveals in Shikshashtakam
Sunyaitam jagat sarvam…
The ??? of the side of govinda is the whole material existence, the whole cosmic manifestion is just a ????52.50 void. There was no substitute, there was no alternative. Their loving separation was not healing in time. It is said that time heals a broken heart. But with the gopis, the intensity of their affection for Krishna was ever-increasing at every moment. Uddhav wanted to be the servant of the servant of the Gopis, he wanted to serve the dust of their feet. But they were humble, they were simple village girls and he was the prince of yadus from the kingdom of Mathura. When he came back to meet Krishna, he explained his revelation and Krishna told Udhhav. He explained his inner heart of his intense longing to be with the residents of Vrindavan. How he enters into the heart of the residents of Vrindavan and remains there always. And because you are so dear to me Udhhava, I sent you there to learn, what is real treasure of spontaneous love. The great Uddhava, Haridas ??? 54.20 great great devotee. Uddhava prayed to become clump of grass in Vrindavan so that the maid servants of the maid servants of the maid servants of Sri Radharani may step on his head and he would achieve the perfection of the dust of their lotus feet. That is how he valued pure unalloyed devotion in brajabhakti. And just on the corner side of Kusumsarovar is where there is a deity of Uddhava. In that place he is eternally residing as a clump of grass. Servant of the Servant of the Servant. Mother Yashoda, when Krishna kills a demon, she is thinking that Krishna gained the power to kill the demon only because he is eating the food, what Radharani cooks for him. Every day, Sri Radharani comes to Nandagaon on the banks of Pavansarovar, Krishna wakes up, milkes the cows and then comes to take the wonderful bhoga offering, prepared by the hands of Srimati Radharani. Infact, because Durvasamuni gave benediction to her, because she served him so nicely that whoever tastes your food will taste only nectar and will always be in good health. Therefore, Yashodamai insisted that everyday she prepares for Krishna. And every evening from Yawat, she used to send Prasad for Krishna. So Yashodamai accredited Krishna’s power to Radharani’s love. Similarly, Krishna himself explained, that when he lifted Govardhan Hill for seven days and seven nights with the smallest finger of his left hand, He said I was able to do that because I was empowered by the loving glance of Srimati Radharani. How Krishna is conquered is described in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, where during the spring rasalila, Basantrasa at govardhana, Krishna left Gopis and they were searching for him and they saw him. He disguised himself as the four armed form of Narayan, the Supreme Personality of godhead. The Gopis know Narayan is the supreme Lord and they only know Krishna as their friend and lover. They saw Narayan. Where is Krishna? They offered obeisances. They were simply looking for Krishna. With his four arms, he went this way. When Sri Radharani came, despite all of his power to maintain his four arm disguise, two of his arms helplessly melted away. The power of love. There is a beautiful story told by our Acharyas of the purity of Radharani’s heart. Once Krishna was suffering very very deep separation from Sri Radha and He pretended to be bitten by a snake, with high fever. Purnamasi who is Guru of Vrindavan, disciple of Naradmuni, he explained with Gargamuni, that only if a perfectly chased women who is totally faithful with one-pointed love and devotion to her lover, only she could save Krishna’s life. And to prove her one-pointed love, she must carry water in a pot with one hundred holes and bring it form the Yamuna to Krishna. So who could that be? Kotila and Jotila, they were very proud of being the most chased ladies in Vrindavan. Naturally, they were approached first. Kotila said, Yes… No one is chased like me and my mother, I will do it. So, all the Brajabasis went to Yamuna, she took that pot with hundered holes, she put it in the water, filled it up, as soon as she took it out, shhh… before it even came out the water was out! Very embarrassing. Every one was laughing. When Jotila mother saw Kotila’s embarrassment, she was thinking, I don’t want to be a ??? 60.50 So she secretly secretly made a pot with fifty holes and went to a secluded place to test out how chased and faithful she really was. She filled it up and, shhh…, all came out. So, she decided to go into hiding. Meanwhile, Purnamasi was saying, it’s an emergency, someone has to come now. The only person who has this power is Srimati Radharani. They approached Srimati Radharani, she said, No no, I will not do, because Jotila and Kotila were always critisising me of not being faithful. So, I will not do. So, Purnmasi said to Kotila and Jotila, if Krishna dies, Nanda and Yashoda will die and I will die and you are responsible. So, they fell at Radharani’s feet and begged her, worshiped her. And Sri Radharani, she was given a pot with 100 holes filled with Yamuna water and lifted it, put it on her head, walked all the way from Yamuna to Nandabhavan in Nandagaon and not a single part of a drop came out from any of those holes. That is the absolute purity of the devotion of Krishna’s allhadini shakti. At Govindakunda, Krishna was coroneted as the King of Vrindavan. And Vrindadevi and other Gopis coroneted Srimati Radharani as the Queen of Vridavan at Imlitala and gave her the name Vrindavaneshwari. And Krishna personally came, bowed down to accept her as his Queen. In the same place of Imlitala, Krishna was once looking for Sri Radharani in separation. He sat under that tree and became so absorbed in chanting her holy names, so immersed in remembering her that his beautiful blackish complexion turned golden, like hers. That was his absorption. At that time Sri Radharani and her friends came. When they saw Krishna in that state, they were amazed. They spoke, when Krishna heard Radharani’s voice, from Gaurasundar he became Shyamasundar. And Srimati Radhrani asked Him, can you explain this incredible beautiful form that I have seen. He said, in separation I was so absorbed in you, I actually tasted your love and I was mad for that love. In the age of kali, I will descend in that form of Gaurasundar to experience the sweetness of your love and love that even I cannot comprehend. And I will distribute that love to the whole world through the chanting of the holy name, 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare'. Lord Chaitanya revealed to Sri Ramanda Rai, at the summit of the conversation, His true identity. Ramananda Rai enquired from the Lord, He said actually my Lord, whatever I am speaking, I am just like an stringed instrument, my tounge and you are like the expert musician playing it. Lord Chaitanya said, I am simply a Mayavadi Sanyassi, floating in the ocean in the Mayavadi philosophy. But, it is only because of your mercy that I am receiving this knowledge. This is their relationship. Ramanada Rai wanted to understand in truth, what was Lord Chaitanya’s essential (check)-66.05 mission. And Lord Chaitanya revealed to him what no one has ever seen. He reveled to him that He was Krishna. Krishna, who appeared with the loving sentiment and complexion of his beloved Srimati Radharani. And Krishna was entering into her heart to experience the fathomless ocean of her love. That is Lord Chaitanya. The ocean of compassion, the ocean of mercy, who is so freely giving the highest opportunities of pure unalloyed devotion to anyone. He does consider one’s sex, He does consider one’s education, one’s wealth, one’s nationality, one’s caste, one’s race. He only considers our sincerity. If we are sincere to simply receive it, if we are willing to reciprocate with the mercy that he is sending through his servants, then it is guaranteed. Srila Prabhupada guaranteed, if any devotees simply follows his vows of initiation sincerely and attempts to follow his instruction, then that devotee will go back to Godhead at the time of leaving this world. Where else is such a benediction, just to get a little mystic power, takes many many births of tapasya. Just to get elevation to heavenly planets, takes many many many births of pious activities and Lord Chaitanya’s messengers are telling us, in this one life you can surpass all mysticism, all liberation, all heavenly planets and actually enter into the eternal abode of the Lord. That is the mercy of Lord Chaitanya. During the Ratha Yatra, Lord Chaitanya was exhibiting his ecstasies of Sri Radharani’s Love for Krishna. And He was chanting prayers that no one could understand, except Svarupa Damodar Goswami and Rupa Goswami. Sri Rupa Goswami wrote a one-verse commentary of his prayers. And when Lord Chaitanya saw that on the palm leaf, he exclaimed that Rupa Goswami has understood the innermost essence of my heart. Lord Chaitanya empowered him, due to his humility and sincere devotion and empowered him to write books to establish by his example in his life, a sampradaya, in which the Lord’s mercy will be accessible, available to all fortunate souls. Srila Prabhupada at Radha Damodar temple resided, just beside the Samadhi and bhajan-kutir of Rupa Goswami. There he translated Srimad Bhagvatam, there he prayed for the spiritual power and grace to deliver us. If we want to understand properly the love of Sri Radharani, it will not be just by hearing, it will not be simply by our intellectual perceptions. It will only come through grace. Srila Prabhupada taught us the most dignified and beneficial means by which we can access that grace.
trinad api sunichena…
Humble like blade of grass, tolerant like tree, eager to offer respect to others and expect none in return. We must cultivate this spirit. We must be strict in our chanting of the holy names everyday. We must be eager to associate with devotees, eager to read. He wrote his books in such a way, that we could make real, tangible, dignified progress in the path of true Bhakti. He presented the highest truths in a balance, where we were not taking great things cheaply. He taught us how to respect the honour and value, the chanting of God’s names, service to the vaishnavas, preaching the message of the Lord and hearing according to the sensible presentation of Srimad Bhagvatam, Bhagvad Gita. Lord Chaitanya personally empowered Srila Prabhupada. It’s extraordinary. He empowered him to do something that was impossible, at such an age. To travel around the world 13 times, initiate thousands of disciples, open over a hundred temples, translate 40 volumes of literatures, open farm communities, schools, establish a mission, where today millions of people are chanting, millions of people have a proper understanding and faith in the mercy of Radha and Krishna coming through Lord Chaitanya. Srila Prabhupada taught the safe means of understanding Radha-Krishna’s Vrindavan lila is to understand the pastimes and teachings of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Such an empowered soul. And he was empowered, in this age, to present Krishna Consciousness in such a perfect, effective way. He is the personal associate of Srimati Radharani. He is the vessel of her compassion. On this holy day, let us pray,
Tapta kanchan gaurangi…
Let us pray to Sri Radharani, that She bestows her infinite mercy upon us, that we can, by her grace taste the real sweetness of Guru and Vaishnavas, of real honour and respect for Guru and Vaishnavas, of real compassion to suffering souls, that we can taste the nectar of the holy name and help our beloved Guru and the Vaishnavas to share the nectar of the holy name with whoever we come in contact with. Let us pray that all impediments will fall aside by her grace, when She bestows us within our heart the deep profound desire, to put everything else secondary and long to be the servant of the servant of the servant of her servants. Thankyou very much.
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All glories to eterno gurudeva
wonderful. thanks for sharing