Nectar on
Chaturshloki Bhagavatam - 4/4
(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)
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Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Mathajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.
This mail is in continuation of the series - "Gurudev Nectar on Chaturshloki Bhagavatam" based on transcription of class given by our beloved spiritual master HDG Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on 19th March 1992 in Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia.
In the previous 3 mails, Maharaj had given us insight on the seed verses of Bhagavatam. In reply to one of the devotees question on why these verses are called seed verses and their significance, we heard from Maharaj how Brahmaji initially could not understand the purpose of his existence, by his own endeavour. Then he heard the instructions of his Supersoul -"tapa". In this concluding part of the class, let us hear more from Gurudev about the significance of these four verses and more importantly the mood with which we have to study these verses.
'Krishna is the Jagat guru - sitting in our heart as Caitya guru. First hear your Caitya guru and that is what Brahma did. Then he heard this word "tapa" "tapa". That is best word you know. Remember tapa. Just 2 syllables. Tapa means austerity. To get up early in the morning at 3:30 am is an austerity. We had very nice reason yesterday that we were very late, we were very tired, we had fasted and we had taken very less prasadam last evening - little ekadesi prasadam and the whole day the body was really in trouble. We had very nice reason for not getting up early in the morning. But we did not give into that reason. Otherwise it was a very genuine reason that you should not get up. If you hear your mind, this is the way that the mind will give you favourable arguments - It will say -"You were tired yesterday, you didn't have enough prasadam. Now just sleep". And we cover our head and sleep saying -"Somebody else will perform managala-arathi. There is no need for me to go". Mind is very clever and will give you very suitable arguments and then it will catch you. You know these people who fish, they have a hook and on the hook they have nice food for the fish. The food attracts the fish and as soon as the fish eats the food, its caught. Mind is like that. It has very nice sugar-coating and as soon as you are attracted, you are caught. You don't get up after mid-day. The mucus increases. The laziness increases and then you are upset in the modes of ignorance. And then pills and drugs and all this follow. Why you are putting yourself into this condition ? Because you are giving way to your mind. Please forget about this rascal mind. You dictate your mind as to what needs to be done. You tell him that one day if you don't sleep, what does it matter ? You have slept for so many births and in this birth also you have slept so many nights. It is only because of the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, we are bit awake; half-heartedly atleast. We are not full hearted in mangala-arathi yet. No. Its just going on because Prabhupada has said and we are in the temple and so may be under force, we come here. If some devotee greets "Hare Krishna", we don't even reciprocate nicely. Because we are half asleep (laughter). By force we are coming. Thats why I am telling you, "Don't do anything half-heartedly. Do it very nicely." You will be forced to come here because you are in the temple and if you don't come for 1 day, 2 days 3 days and fourth day we will drag you out. Because this is not hotel wherein you can sleep till mid-day. This is our Lord's temple. So the force is required in the beginning. If you don't want the force, then you hear your Super-soul and love the Lord and thats how we are pushing.
Don't give in to this laziness - the characteristic of this age is laziness (mandaaha) and then because we are lazy, we are misdirected (sumanda matayo). Instead of getting misdirected, Brahma heard the words of his Super-soul. When he heard and followed the instructions of his Super-soul, he was elevated by tapa, by austerity. We had nice austere day yesterday. Whole day we didn't have to eat and we had plenty of time and we could go through these things very nicely with empty stomach. With full stomach, we sit on the bed and mind tells us to sleep. And you just sleep. There is just a fraction of second between work and sleep. Its a thin difference and as soon as we give into the mind, we lie down on the bed or wherever it is and sleep and then we loose the whole thing. Because of austerity, our life is much better. Because we did not have to eat yesterday, mathajis did not have to exert themselves and others were also quite at ease. So without eating, we were satisfied. This is how we should come to austerity or tapasya. And if we don't perform austerity, then reverse is true - "pata".Tapa means austerity. Pata means fall down. So if you don't perform austerities, you will fall down. Choice is ours. Whether you want to go for "tapa" and go to God or "pata", fall down and glide into lower species of lives. Either you become a person with godly qualities or become a dog. "G-O-D" or "D-O-G" - choice is ours.
Brahma heard this "tapa". Because of this spurathi, Caitya guru, Jagat guru Krishna - suggested him these 4 verses and that's why these four verses are known as seed verses and whole Bhagavatam is revolving around these 4 verses. Prabhupada has given his life in writing pages and pages of the purport. Please please take help from his labour. He has kept everything ready for us. We are hungry and a thaali full of prasadam comes in front of us and we are thinking - "Should I eat or not ?" Then you remain hungry. You should pick up the morsel from the plate and put into your mouth. Then your body will be nourished. But we are so very lazy to eat even and then we are weak and diseased. We run after all the doctors and take all these obnoxious medicines. This way we are degrading our own human existence. Because we are not coming to the right point. We are completely misguided everywhere. Temples only guidance is given. Everywhere else, people misguide you. Don't fall a prey to this. You will become mad. As soon as you go out - 'bahushaaka hy anantas ca'. "Vyavasaayatmika buddhi ekeha kurunandana". Please follow Srila Prabhupada and have one-pointed bhakti as shown by him. His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada ki Jai ! Hare Krishna !'
Granthraj Srimad Bhagavatam ki Jai ! His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada ki Jai ! His Divine Grace Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj Gurudev ki Jai !
Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.
Chant,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare
and be happy.
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