Performing Bhakti to the Supreme Lord Purushottama

(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)

Last week, our beloved Gurudeva H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj, was in Singapore and it was a totally blissful week for all of us. We thank Maharaja profoundly for taking the pain to come to Singapore at this age and enlightening us. I also thank H G Kalacakra prabhuji who was with us for a couple of days and whose presence gave me the kickstart to make the offering for Granthraj. During his short stay prabhuji was enlightening us on Bhagavatam and Bhagavad gita which inspired me to share a few lines of Maharaja's nectar.

Maharaja insisted that we must study Bhagavad gita and Bhagavatam very seriously. He quoted the verse from Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.11-12

mad-guna-sruti-maatrena
mayi sarva-guhaasaye
mano-gatir avicchinnaa
yathaa gangaambhaso 'mbudhau
laksanam bhakti-yogasya
nirgunasya hy udaahrtam
ahaituky avyavahitaa
yaa bhaktih purusottame
"The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one's mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone's heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord."

Maharaja instructed us to chant with bhakti which will purify the blood and improve the texture of the skin. He mentioned that it is one of the best remedies for the miseries arising from our own body and it involves inhaling and exhaling of air which is nothing but the breathing exercise.

Going back to the verse, he said that just as the Ganges flows only into the ocean, we should also be focused on serving the Supreme Absolute Truth (SAT) by chanting, reading Srimad Bhagavad gita and Bhagavatam and doing intense devotional service (aradhana).

The following necetarean instructions were given by Gurudev.


1. Our flow is our constitutional position. Our whole existence is just (maatrena) to remember the Supreme Lord and serve Him to obtain His mercy. He then quoted the verse from Bhagavad gita 9.22

ananyaas cintayanto maam
ye janaah paryupaasate
tesaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam
yoga-ksemam vahaamy aham

which also states ananyaah - having no other object other than mad-guna-shruti.

2. He said that the goal and process are the same in devotional service but in the material world they are different. Maharaja mentioned that if the water of the Ganges is clean then the flow is faster which means our lives must be clean then our flow towards Krishna is fast.

If the Ganges water is dirty then the flow towards the ocean is interrrupted. If it is very dirty then the flow gets stagnated. Similarly if our lives are dirty we struggle just like a fish struggles when it is out of water and we go into illusion where there is no reality. Henceforth the condition of our mind should change.


3. Just as the river is useful to the people (people take bath, etc.) as it flows to the ocean, we are also useful to the people as we are going towards the Lord. If the life is dirty we will be completely misguided with things that are not there. Maharaja told a story to illustrate this point.

Once there was a man who saw a necklace in a pool of dirty water. He wanted the necklace but at the same time he did not want to become dirty by entering the water. Another man passed by. The first man requested this person to get him the necklace in water. He entered the water and reached for the necklace but could not get any. He then realized that he had become dirty. He cursed himself for accepting this task and went away. A third person came along and the same thing transpired. Then a fourth man came along. This man was also requested to get the necklace in water. This man looked up and saw a necklace hanging on a branch. He just climbed up, retrieved the necklace withour dirtying himself and went away.

Moral: Please avoid reflections.


4. Maharaja then explained the meaning of Purushothama.

Purush: enjoyer, uth: out, tama: mode of darkness. Purushottama - One who forces us to come out of darknes. Hence bhakti should go towards Purushottama (yaa bhaktih purushottame).


5. Maharaja mentioned the symptoms of Kali yuga as Mr.S.L.MUD i.e. Shortlived, Lazy, Misguided, Unfortunate and Disturbed and we must avoid this to do uninterrupted devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

Chant,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

and be happy.