Divine

Aspiration

His Divine Grace

SwÅmÈ B.R. ßrÈdhar
All Glories to ßrÈ ßrÈ Guru and GaurÅ⁄ga

Divine
Aspiration

by
His Divine Grace
SwÅmÈ B.R. ßrÈdhar
© Copyright 2006 by ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh
All rights reserved by the
SevÅte-President-åchÅrya
ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh, NabadwÈp

Compiled by
SwÅmÈ B. S. TridaˆÎÈ

Printing Costs Donated by:

ßyÅmasundara Prabhu
Ananta Rupa Prabhu
Lila Shakti Devi Dasi

Published by
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under the Divine Guidance of

O˜ Vi›ˆupÅd A›tottara-Íata-ÍrÈ-
ßrÈmad Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅj

for
ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh
Kolerganj, P.O. NabadwÈp, Dist. Nadia
West Bengal, Pin 741302, India
 Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................... 11

THE WORSHIP OF THE PURE HEART........................... 14

Highest Ideal
Knowledge and Renunciation
Help the People
Sincerity of Purpose

CONNECTION WITH THE CENTER............................... 26

Divine Hierarchy
Key to Success
Krishna’s Property
Die to Live
The Black Box
Inner Taste
Safe Position
Untraceable Position
Which BrahmÅ
Plane of Love
Santanic Brain
A Noble Life
Proper Adjustment
Deeper Aspiration
Only Krishna

THE GREATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA............................ 47

Essential Principle
Telescopic System
Be Careful
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

Merciful Nitai
Wait and See
Extension of Grace
Love and Abuse
A New Path
Imbued with Krishna
Affection the Controller
Durvasa and Ambarisa
Narayana’s Stricture
The Greatness of the Vaisnava

GRADATION OF THEISM............................................. 67
Arcana and Seva
Interpretation of Vedanta
Sankara and Buddha
Eternal Soul
Capacity and Selection
Careful Guidance
Gradation of Theism
By Himself and for Himself
Central Office
No Prejudice
Incomparable Theology
Plane of Affinity
Dynamic Search

OUTER FORM, INNER SUBSTANCE.............................. 94

Wholesale Surrender
Beauty and Love
Look to Yourself
True Friends
 C ONTENTS

Pundarik Paramahamsa
Inner Engagment
Parvati’s Curse
Siva’s Praise
The Nirguna Plane
Exclusive Service Mood
Local and Universal Interest

THE PULL OF THE TRANSCENDENTAL WORLD.......... 110

Soul’s Awakening
Sweet Home
Heart Capture
A Beautiful Solace
True Charity
Feeler and Felt
Supersoul World
Proof of the Higher Plane
Supernatural Attraction
Mutual Help

THE TEST OF TASTE................................................. 125

Akhabar’s Choice
Kali or Krishna
Human Form Supreme
Don’t Commit Suicide
Dive Deep

A MOMENT’S PRECIOUS GRACE .............................. 135

Infinite Hankering
A Rare Chance
Proper Use of Energy
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

Happy Aspiration
Nectar in the Golden Pot
The Call of Gauranga
Don’t Cheat Me
The Greatest Mercy
Mad to See
 His Divine Grace
ßrÈla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅj
 His Divine Grace
ßrÈla Bhakti Rak›ak ßrÈdhar Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅj
ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh
ßrÈ DhÅm NabadwÈp
ßrÈ ßrÈ Guru-Gauranga-Gandharva-Govindasundarjiu
NabadwÈp ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh
 Introduction
The talks from which this book was made, were
recorded between 1981-87 at ßrÈ Caitanya Saraswat
MaÊh in ßrÈ NabadwÈp Dham, West Bengal. The reader
will quickly discover that he is hearing from a highly
spiritually-realized soul about a subject which seems
beyond the compass of ‘everyday’ matters but yet which
is of quintessential importance to every living being in
the human form. For those fortunate souls exclusively
interested in the dedicated aspiration for Krishna
Consciousness, ßrÈla B.R. ßrÈdhar Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅj
was, and is, an undisputed king—the ‘Emperor of
Sannyasi Kings’. He was sought out by many both for his
unique representation of the science of Krishna
Consciousness, and the uplifting effect of his personal
association; in him, these two were synonomous.
Several books extracted from the many hours of ßrÈla
ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj’s recorded informal talks have already
been presented to the public. This Divine Aspiration
continues the series. Perhaps, however, the subject matter
selected here addresses the more practical concerns of the
spiritual aspirant (for example, the chapter “Worship
of the Pure Heart”), as well as focusing on the progres-

11
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

sive awakening of his inner consciousness through the

process of selection and elimination, a favorite essential
theme of His Divine Grace (see ‘Gradations of Theism’).
Man’s needs are essentially simple, but his desires are
complex. It is in these desires that he becomes entangled
and loses sight of his life’s true purpose. The adage of
saints and sages of all traditions has always been “simple
living and high thinking”. This has never shown itself to
be more true than in the present day of global uncer-
tainty: surrounded as man is by his self-created ghosts of
pollution, war, epidemic and so on. In these talks we
are reminded again by a great Spiritual Master that the
solution lies not in any partial attempt, whether social,
economic, religious or otherwise, but in nothing less
than reestablishing our relationship with the Supreme
Being Himself. If this appears beyond the reach of most
of us, then His Divine Grace also assures us that we can
receive the most substantial guidance in our attempt
through an affectionate serving-association with a living
saint who has already traveled this path.
For the dedicated followers of ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj,
such an opportunity has mercifully been provided, in
the form of His Divine Grace’s beloved disciple and
appointed Successor-åcÅrya, ßrÈla Bhakti Sundar

12
 I NTRODUCTION

Govinda Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅj, who is travelling the

globe tirelessly, enlightening and nourishing devotees
and spiritual seekers with his affectionate association. To
him this book is respectfully dedicated.
This attempt would not have been possible without
the help of many good friends and helpers. I would like
to express my appreciation to those who assisted me
through its various stages, especially: ßrÈman MahÅnanda
Prabhu, Mohita Krishna Prabhu, MunÈndra Mohan
Prabhu, ßyÅmasundara Prabhu, Krishna-kÅntÅ devi,
Ananda-tirtha Prabhu and Vrajavanesvari devi, Vinode
Bihari Prabhu, and Devasvarupa Prabhu. Finally I would
ask the kind reader to forgive any mistakes herein which
are probably my own.

Hare Krishna
B.S. Tridandi SwÅmÈ
9 Damodar, 30 October 2002

Appearance of: ßrÈla B.R.ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj

ßrÈla Viracandra Prabhu / Disappearance of ßrÈpad
Sakhicaran dÅs BÅbÅjÈ MahÅrÅj

13
 The Worship
of the
Pure Heart

Student: ßrÈla Guru MahÅrÅj, in the GaˆeÍah-kaˆÎa

section of Brahma-vaivarta Purňa, the history of ßrÈ
ParaÍurÅma is related. I read there that Lord ßiva gave
ParaÍurÅma a protective mantra, a K›ˆa-kavaca. But
one devotee told me that in this Age, Kali-yuga, the
only really potent kavaca is Narasi˜ha-kavaca. My ques-
tion is: what is true about these kavacas? Is it possible in
the present day for anyone to be given, or to accept,
these kavacas that appear in the ancient scriptures? Is it
necessary or practical?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: The use of kavacas is, on the
whole, an external affair. The Mantra (GÅyatrÈ) and the
NÅma (Hare Krishna) are all-useful and all-powerful,
and using the kavaca to help externally is a thing of
minor importance. The nÅma, the Lord’s Name, and the
Lord whose Name it is are one and the same; that is
enough. It is sufficient, complete. In the mundane world
to help us we can sometimes accept the kavacas, but
that is not of very great importance. We may accept

14
 T HE W ORSHIP OF THE P URE H EART

either k›ˆa-kavaca or narasi˜ha-kavaca to help our bhajan

(worship), but not at the cost of faith in the divine
Name, nÅma-bhajan, which is the best of all; even the
(GÅyatrÈ) mantra is to help nÅma-bhajan.
k›ˆa-mantra haite habe sa˜sÅra-mocana
k›ˆa-nÅma haite pÅbe k›ˆera caraˆa
(Cc. Adi-lila 7.73)
“Simply by chanting the Holy Name of Krishna one
can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed,
simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra one will be
able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.”
The worship of the Name, nÅma-bhajan, is the highest,
and we shall stick to that with our whole concentra-
tion. To see or to look for other things to help it may be
allowed to a certain extent. But not much attention
should be given to those external things; they are only
something like a varˆa, a kind of dress, a covering for
protection. So, there is not much harm if we take k›ˆa-
kavaca or narasi˜ha-kavaca with this intention: “It has
come to help my nÅma-bhajan life.” If meant in this way,
it may be allowed, but it is not the highest standard.
The general purpose of using the kavaca is to protect
us from the external or superficial difficulties. But the
pure devotees of Krishna, they won’t be afraid of any

15
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

external difficulties. Rather, they may invite them like

Queen KuntÈ, who said: “External dangers—let them
come and attack me. I don’t care for them; I shall go on
with my service.”
In using the kavaca there is some karmic connection,
but if that is to help the good, then its use may be accept-
able. Still, in the highest form of bhajan, everything is
depending on His will. The devotee thinks, “Whether I
may be in danger or in happiness, I shall go on with my
nÅma-bhajan without any care for the external condi-
tions that may come to me according to my previous
karma. I may be in hell, heaven or anywhere else; I
won’t waste my energy going to any other direction. I will
go on with nÅma-bhajan.” Bhajan done in this mood is of
the higher quality. Do you follow?
Student: Yes.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: In PrahlÅda MahÅrÅj, and others,
we see such an attitude: “Dangers may come, at their
wish, with their extreme power to disturb me; I don’t
care.” So, paÍu-pÅkhÈ haya tabe—wherever my karma may
take me, even to the body of bird or beast, I won’t pray
to Krishna for favorable circumstances. I shall utilize
my energy best only towards Him. I shall only want
from Him: “Your sweet will may be victorious. You can

16
 T HE W ORSHIP OF THE P URE H EART

make or mar. You can kill me or save me. If it is neces-

sary for Your sweet enjoyment to kill me, You can do
that. I am a slave and You have every right over me, to
do anything and everything.” With this conception in
the background we have to make our approach towards
Him, and that will be of the highest quality. Our bhajan
should be in this line.
In our worship we are not seeking comfort from Him
or anything outside. We won’t pray: “O Krishna, You
please create protection. I am going towards You, so
please manage my protection.” Our bhajan should be of
this purest type: “You may do whatever you like; I want
your service. I want only that Your sweet will may be
satisfied by me.” There is to be such total self-forgetful-
ness in the service of Krishna. The whole concentra-
tion will be: “How can I satisfy You?”

HIGHEST IDEAL
Whatever troubles may come upon us we must not
deviate our attention from that main purpose to any of
those external things. The quality and intensity of our
bhajan will be less if we are very eager to maintain our
safety as we are proceeding on the path of our devo-
tional life. Such concerns should be uncared for as much
as possible, and our only concern should be: “I want

17
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

Your satisfaction.” And in that attempt, one must be

self-forgetful as much as possible.
But according to their adhikÅra, capacity, the practi-
tioners may sometimes take the help of some protection on
their way. That may be tolerated, but to seek protection on
the path in this way is not the ideal. “I am going to You;
please protect me on my way, please manage for me, for my
protection.” Our fundamental attitude should not be such.
But rather, we should think: “Whatever comes to me, it is
Your sweet will; I won’t pray for protection.”
Student: I have another question connected to this. I
am studying Indian Vedic astrology. In my studies I have
made some astrological charts for devotees. I see the natal
chart is like a photograph of the karma of the person. So
my question is: what is the use of astrology for a devotee,
or in devotional service? Does it have some use?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Just as general education, money,
learning, physical health and other things are necessary
for the purpose of preaching, so may be knowledge of
astrology in a particular situation. But all such items
are subsidiary; they are not the all-important thing.
Generally, the public is attracted by the astrological
statement, so it may be used like bait to capture people,
so as to gradually convert them. Just as one devotee

18
 T HE W ORSHIP OF THE P URE H EART

when asked by ßrÈla SwÅmÈ MahÅrÅj PrabhupÅd to go to

China to preach, said: “I shall go there and open a hostel;
in this way, men will come, and I shall capture them
for Krishna’s service!” This is, in itself, not Íuddha-bhakti,
pure devotion, but it is ÅnukËlasya-sa⁄kalpÅh, it may be
favorable for the cause. NamÅcÅrya HaridÅs †hÅkur used
to give sweets to the children, and then ask them “Take
the Name, the Name of the Lord, Krishna. Say Krishna!”
First he is distributing sweets and then telling them “Say
Krishna!” It is a strategy like that.
So, astrology may be utilized to create some confi-
dence in the general public so that they will think: “This
man is first-class, so I should be as a disciple to him.” In
this way they may be taken gradually towards the real
path. Such an approach is ÅnukËlasya-sa⁄kalpÅh; it may
be ÅnukËla, a favourable step towards devotion proper.
But pure devotion, Íuddha-bhakti, is not dependent on any
such things.

KNOWLEDGE AND RENUNCIATION

Even jñÅna (knowledge) and vairÅgya (abnegation,
indifference, renunciation), are not a part of real devo-
tion: jñÅna-vairÅgyÅdi bhaktira kabhu nahe ‘a⁄ga’
(Cc.Madhya 22:145). VairÅgya means abnegation, “I
don’t want anything,” to have no taste for all the things

19
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

of this world. For example, someone may be taking food

only once in a day; or even he may not be using any
clothes. In all such matters he is indifferent. ‘VirÅg’
means indifference to everything in this world; but that
also is not intrinsically a part of devotion. And it is so
with jñÅna, knowledge: na jñÅnam na ca vairÅgya˜, prÅyaÓ
Íreyo bhaved iha (S.Bhag. 2:32-33). Both jñÅna and
vairÅgya, which are the real property of the jñÅni and
yogÈ schools, are not a part of devotion; then what to
speak of other things?
vÅsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaÓ prayojitaÓ
janayaty ÅÍu vairÅgya˜
jñÅna˜ ca yad ahaitukam
(S.Bhag. 1:2:7)

Here it is told that real jñÅna and vairÅgya will come as

the consequence of bhakti. As a result of devotion, the
proper abnegation and proper knowledge will come.
Otherwise, through the empirical method, ordinary
knowledge and ordinary apathy towards worldly things
cannot create devotion proper. “By self-abnegation,
learning all these worldly things, I shall gradually attain
bhakti”—it is not so. But, bhaktyÅ-sanjatayÅ-bhaktyÅ: bhakti
is the cause of bhakti. Devotion is its own cause. When I

20
 T HE W ORSHIP OF THE P URE H EART

get devotion proper, the real vairÅgya, self-abnegation, and

knowledge, will come in its retinue, naturally; that is
normal. Otherwise, neither ordinary self-abnegation, the
mood or tendency of renunciation, nor knowledge of
the worldly matters can produce real devotion.

HELP THE PEOPLE

So the knowledge of astronomy, astrology, mathe-
matics, or all the great achievements of science, like those
of Einstein, may be utilized to capture the ordinary people,
who may then be introduced to pure devotion to Krishna.
They are a kind of bait, like laddu sweets: by distributing
the sweets one may attract the person and then tell him,
who Lord Krishna is: “The sweetest thing is Krishna!”
That is in the line of ÅnukËlasya-sa⁄kalpÅh, favorability to
the cause. This should not be misinterpreted to mean
that we should try to acquire some special power, like
the knowledge of hypnotism, and hypnotise whoever will
come and then give them the mantra. That is all artificial;
it is a misunderstanding. But to capture the mind of the
other party with such attractions like astrology, and
thereby defeat their mental pride, crush their vanity, and
then to help them to come forward with surrender so the
true thing can be distributed to them—in this way, such
knowledge may be utilized. Is it clear?

21
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

Student: Very clear, MahÅrÅj. There is something else I

would like to ask. I have now passed three years in the
sannyÅsa ÅÍrama. So I want to ask, to pray to your Divine
Grace for some instruction, some practical advice about
sannyasa life.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Always keep in association with
the vai›ˆava of the higher plane in order to keep yourself
healthy, to supply yourself with vitality. Whatever you do,
whether it is preaching or any other service—it is to
keep the vitality within you. That can come from the
association of the ‘dynamos’: the vai›ˆavas. That is the
main idea: to keep your life intact and then go on with
work. Because if the vitality diminishes, then every-
thing will go; it will be lost. So most important is the spir-
itual vitality and its supply; and the source of that supply,
the dynamo, is the vai›ˆava. When the vai›ˆava is absent,
we can receive nourishment from the scripture—the
GÈtÅ, the BhÅgavatam, other books, and the writings of
Gurudeva.
Student: I am very satisfied hearing from your Divine
Grace.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: I consider myself fortunate if I
can render some service to you in this way.
Student (shyly): No, no, I consider myself fortunate to

22
 T HE W ORSHIP OF THE P URE H EART

sit at your feet. I cannot express my satisfaction...

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: So, I think you are genuine, a
sincere person; you have connection with that which is
unlimited, of infinite character. That is your fortune.
Student: I would like to ask another question if I may. In
my country I have contact with a very influential man.
He is the President of a Karate Association and a very
expert martial artist. He likes Krishna Consciousness
and wants to be a devotee, but he is not so much a brah-
minical type; he likes the k›atriya-dharma. Also, he is
attracted to mystic powers, and apparently, he has them.
What is your Divine Grace’s view on these things? What
instruction would you give to your Mission about dealing
with, or accomodating them? Perhaps you could give
some advice as to how I should introduce Krishna
Consciousness to this person. What would be your
Divine Grace’s guidance in this case, to help a person of
such a nature?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Just as you have already asked,
regarding the learning of jyotisa, astrology, so it may be
in this case. It is of a very lower order to utilize physical
strength to fulfill our purpose. MahÅprabhu did not
accept that. When ßrÈla SwÅmÈ MahÅrÅj's MaÊh in
Mayapur, ßrÈ Candradoya Mandir, was attacked by a
party of guˆÎas, gangsters, he did not oppose them with

23
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

physical force. He was inside the building at the time,

and he sent a kÈrtan party out: “Go and offer yourself as
the prey of those guˆÎas.” Those ruffians had come,
entered the compound, and created some disturbance;
SwÅmÈ MahÅrÅj asked his devotees, “Go out and chal-
lenge them, with kÈrtan. Without any weapons, go with
the kÈrtan party, and offer yourself as the prey of the
guˆÎas.” By that, the danger subsided. So MahÅprabhu’s
weapon is passive resistance. Not physical attack, offen-
sive for offensive, but to show a passive attitude in order
to conquer the offensive thing—that will be better. That
is the policy of MahÅprabhu.

SINCERITY OF PURPOSE
But when that is not possible, one in a lower stage of
realization can take physical help for self-protection.
And sometimes, if we see that the Deity or the vai›ˆava
is going to be prey to the rowdies, if They are being
attacked or are going to be demolished, then we are
justified in using any measure to protect them: the stick,
or even the gun, or any other weapon available to us. At
that time, we can assert whatever force possible. But
generally, such measures we may not use for ourselves; for
our own protection, we depend fully on Krishna, rak›i›y-
atÈti-viÍvÅso: “He will protect me.” But in the case of

24
 T HE W ORSHIP OF THE P URE H EART

Vai›ˆava, Guru, or Deity, we can assert ourselves as far

as possible and with all our resources; we will be ready to
give our own lives. If sincerity of purpose is there, then
in extreme cases such use of physical force may be
accepted. But it is a question of realization; according to
one’s own realization, the proper adjustment in under-
standing and applying these principles will come.

25
 Connection
with the Center

One must be given admission in order to enter into

the Lord’s family of servitors. That is dÈk›Å, initiation.
Through dÈk›Å, one receives divya-jñÅnam, divine knowl-
edge, enlightenment; he can understand, “Krishna is my
Guardian, He is my all-in-all.” And leaving all other
duties, one promises to go towards Krishna for His
service. The function of dÈk›Å is to impart such knowl-
edge. And the disciple himself also invites this knowl-
edge: “I belong to Krishna, wholesale. I am His property,
He can use me in any way. I am not free to leave Him;
my fate is all within His service, within His area of
service, and not outside.”
Krishna Himself gives us this assurance: “You are My
own. Your interest is My interest; My interest is your
interest. We are one and the same.” ßrÈ Caitanya
MahÅprabhu tells SanÅtan GoswÅmÈ:

dÈk›Å-kÅle bhakta kare Åtma-samarpaˆa,

sei-kÅle k›ˆa tÅre kare Åtma-sama
(Cc. Antya. 4:192)

26
 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

“At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully

surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Krishna accepts
him to be as good as Himself.”
The Lord accepts us as His own and takes the respon-
sibility of everything for us, good and bad. And according
to our surrender, such consciousness also awakens in us.
Divya-jñÅnam is real knowledge; it is proper knowledge,
absolute knowledge, independent of all our separate
interests. From the absolute standpoint, He has got full
rights over everything, including myself. From my side,
I will think I am to be used by Him exclusively and by
none else—this sort of transaction, is dÈk›Å. Divya-jñÅnam
or divine knowledge, means to understand this and to do
accordingly. Without this, we are suffering from avidyÅ,
ajñÅna—from ignorance, from a false notion about the
environment. We are ignorant of the proper estimation
of the environment and ourselves.
What is the cause of this? It is separate interest. I
have separate interest, and so many others also have
separate interest There are many interests, not harmony
in the One, central interest. This is at the root of our
ajñÅna, our ignorance. When we are conscious of the
common Center,—that it is Home, it is beautiful, it is
sweet, and all such things—then we get a proper esti-

27
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

mation of our connection with the Whole; we get divya-

jñÅna, real divine knowledge.
Student: What is the meaning of ‘eternal relationship’?
It is said that the disciple is eternally related to his guru.
When one takes initiation from guru, is that relationship
eternal?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: First we must understand that the
very nature of our existence is of a subordinate char-
acter. The soul is of marginal potency, taÊasthÅ-Íakti, and
as such, no direct connection with Krishna is possible in
our constitutional position. But only through some
agent—through guru, the Lord’s representative—are we
to have His connection, and not directly. Since we are
taÊasthÅ-Íakti, since we come from the marginal potency,
we must connect with Krishna through His internal
potency. In the internal potency, all are serving the Lord
eternally.

DIVINE HIERARCHY
In that internal potency, there is gradation. There
we find conceptions of personality and hierarchy: some
nearer to Krishna than others. There is a hierarchy in this
way, just as in a bureaucracy all are not very intimate
with the king, but some are near, and others further
away. The internal Íakti, the potency of Krishna, is like

28
 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

this: the nearer to the Source, the greater its intensity.

Just as the heat and light is more intense near the sun.
Similarly, near Krishna there is more serving spirit, and
further away from Him that tendency becomes less, 2in
serving, in affection, and all such attributes. Krishna’s
internal potency is such: the nearer to the Center there is
more interest for the Center, and further away that
‘Central interest’ becomes a little slack. All those of the
internal potency are subservient to their higher service-
group; but the intensity of service-attachment may be
more or less. Such hierarchy is there. And the Lord
Himself is in the extreme position—He is an Autocrat.
We are to adjust ourselves with such an Autocratic Center.

KEY TO SUCCESS
We must be prepared for anything; anything from
the environment may come to us, but we are to face it
with optimism. That is the key to success in our life.
The highest advice is given in ßrÈmad Bhagavatam:

tat te ‘nukampŘ susamÈk›amňo

bhuñjÅna evÅtma-kÂtam vipÅkam
hÂd-vÅg-vapurbhir vidhanam namas te
jÈveta yo mukti-pade sa dÅya bhÅk
(S.BhÅg. 10:14:8)

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

“One who, in the hope of achieving Your grace, toler-

ates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the karma of
his past deeds and passes his days practicing devotion to
You with his mind, words and body, is truly eligible for
becoming your unalloyed devotee.”
We have no ability to interfere with the environ-
ment; to do so will only be a useless waste of energy.
Rather, we must try to correct ourselves, so that we can
adjust with the circumstances we find surrounding us. We
have been advised that the best estimation we can make
about the environment is to see it and understand it as
a grant. A grant means something which is given. But
from where is this grant coming? It is coming from my
Lord and He is my Guardian. He is Supreme; He is
Autocrat. So, what is coming from Him is His grace.
We are living by His grace always and it is not a matter
of ‘right’. That we are living and existing at all is not our
birthright! Whether we exist does not matter to the
Infinite Whole. So, tat te ‘nukampŘ susamÈk›amňo:
whatever comes is His grace; it is not earned by my
right, my ability, or my qualification. Our well-guided
estimation about the environment should be such.
And we must be satisfied with whatever grant we
get. It is not a matter of right; we are not to see with the

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 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

eye of any right, whether we are getting our own ‘quota’

or not. “Am I getting my own portion, my own share?”—
this should never be our attitude. At the same time, we
must try to see that whatever trouble we find is self-
acquired: “Due to my own defective position, I am in
such a condition. I am so low, so mean.” Our vanity
will have to disappear forever when we realize fully our
dependence on His grace: “I have got no position; I am
fully dependent on His grace. My whole existence, whole
prospect, everything—it is only on account of His grace.”

KRISHNA’S PROPERTY
MahÅprabhu said, k›ˆera nitya-dÅs: consider your-
self, know yourself, to be the slave of the Supreme Lord.
A slave has got no rights; he is the property of another.
The slave has no rights, but at the same time, by his
master’s grace, he can enter the highest place, in the
highest position. Such is the prospect of the slave of
the Supreme Lord Krishna.
It is possible only through service. Service means to
satisfy Him, not to satisfy me. But when I am deter-
mined to exist only for Him, to maintain my existence
for Him, when I can think: “I am for Him, and every-
thing is for Him”—then I have some position. As Hegel
told, “Reality is by Itself and for Itself.” So everything is

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

for Krishna; He is for Himself, and when I am for Him,

I have some position. As much as I can dedicate myself
to Him, such a substantial position I may acquire. My
position depends on my rendering sincere service to the
Prime Cause. MahÅprabhu said:
jÈvera ‘svarËpa’ haya—k›ˆera ‘nitya-dÅsa’
k›ˆera ‘taÊasthÅ-Íakti’, ‘bhedÅbheda-prakÅÍa’
(Cc Madhya 20:108)
“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be
an eternal servant of Krishna because he is the marginal
energy of Krishna and a manifestation simultaneously
one with and different from the Lord, as a molecular
particle of sunshine is one with and different from the
sun.”
The soul is of the marginal potency. From the inde-
pendent standpoint, it can be seen that he has something
in common with the Lord and something different from
Him; such a position is inconceivable. Krishna is all-
in-all, and the soul has a dependent position as His
potency. The Owner is He, and if we are conscious of
that fact, we can thrive. We can improve our position,
and we may also get the higher position. We may enter
into the most confidential service only if we can satisfy
the permanent servitors of that highest conception.

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 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

Who is the highest servitor, who can serve Him best—

they should be the subject of our highest reach. Our
aim should be to enter into their group. And that is
RÅdhÅrÅni’s group. To enter into Her group, Her camp,
Her association—that is rÅdhÅ-dÅsya.

DIE TO LIVE
Service is our life; it is everything for us. We thrive
only by it. Whenever we want to become a master, we
deviate from that, we go away, we degrade. By serving, we
live, and by trying to make ourselves master, by lording
it over others, we die.
So, you will have to ‘die to live’—by dying to your
false ego, your self-aggrandizing tendency, you can live in
the world of divine service. Everyone is trying to live in
this world avoiding physical death. They are trying to
‘live without death’, and that of course is not possible.
Just as it is not possible in the ordinary sense to live
without death, so you who are aspiring for divine life,
should not try to live without death! Die now! Die to
both your exploiting and renouncing tendencies in order
to really live in service divine.
Don’t try to live in the plane of exploitation. That
type of ‘living’ is to face death. But to die for Him, for
Krishna, is to really live. The position of the Center

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

and our relation with the Center is such. The Hegelian

theory that we should ‘die to live’ because ‘Reality is
by Itself and for Itself’ is very applicable in vai›ˆavism.

THE BLACK BOX

Our false ego should be dissolved, and the ego of self-
searching should awake. God-searching is self-searching;
to search for Krishna is really to search for our own
higher interest. If you search for Krishna, your own
interest is also included therein. So, only search for
Krishna with the spirit of service, not with the spirit of
enjoyment.
The false ego must be dissolved. Bhidyate hÂdaya-
granthiÓ: there is a knot in the heart, and it must be cut
asunder (S.BhÅg.11:20:30). ‘Ego’ means, the stored collec-
tion of separate interests of different types. Just as when
an airplane has crashed, the authorities search the
wreckage trying to find the ‘black box’, the record of the
airplane’s flight. Similarly, our material ego is like our
black box; our ‘plane’ is passing through different lives, but
the box is there with the recording. There we can trace
from where a person is coming and to where he will go.
His karma in its most subtle form is reserved in that
recording box. There are specialists who can read if any
previous birth was as a tiger, an insect, or horse or some

34
 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

other species. And they can also see what the destination
of any next life will be. This can all be traced in the ego.
That ego should be totally dissolved so that our soul’s
future destination will be in the spiritual existence and
nowhere in the material world. There are so many planes
of life in the universe of three dimensions: bhËr, bhuvah,
svah, maha, jana, tapa, satya-lokas. Our goal, our desti-
nation, should not be any of them. Neither should we go
to virajÅ, the area beyond all the qualities of material
nature, nor to brahmaloka, the non-differentiated world
of spiritual light. Our aim should be only: “I want to
have a ticket for Goloka, for Vrindavan. I want to go
there to live; I have heard, and I feel, that there is my
true home, the home of my previous generations.” Such
feelings will come to us. When our inner self awakens we
will feel, “I only want to go there.” And MahÅprabhu and
NityÅnanda Prabhu are distributing tickets to that land.

INNER TASTE
The inner liking is rucih, taste; taste is the vital unit,
not knowledge. MahÅprabhu gave recognition to the
inner taste. That is our capital. That is the realm of the
heart; there the brain has no function. The brain may
sanction something, but the heart may take me in some
other direction; in this way we are generally guided by

35
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

our heart, not by our brain. The brain cannot control

everything; it may do so to a certain extent only. But the
heart is the innermost guiding principle; the inner taste
is guiding us toward our goal. So, we must be more
concerned with that.
To improve our taste, we only need good associa-
tion—association with the sÅdhus, with those who have
Krishna consciousness within them. In the world of
devotion it is not the brain that is valuable, but earnest,
sincere hankering for Krishna. And Krishna is Reality the
Beautiful. But He is also an Autocrat; that must also be
our consideration, that the highest cannot be subservient
to anything. This is clear and reasonable because Krishna
holds the highest position. He should not be dependent
on any other thing. And yet, He is dependent only on
those who have that very conception about Him—that
He is the highest. With them, naturally ‘oneness’ is
there—the common interest binds them together. There
is binding, attraction—the Attractor and the attracted.
And Krishna is all-attracting.

SAFE POSITION
There is Krishna and His own. When we have some
connection with a real devotee of Krishna we have a
tangible position. Otherwise, we are nowhere; we are

36
 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

lost in the infinite. But whenever we come in contact

with a devotee, with an agent of His who is moving
here in this world for His interest, then we have found
some substantial position.
brahmňÎa bhramite kona bhÅgyavÅn jÈva
guru-k›ˆa-prasÅde pÅya bhakti-latÅ bÈja
(Cc Madhya 19:151)
“Wandering throughout the material universe, the
very fortunate living entity who receives the grace of
guru and Krishna receives the seed of the creeper of
devotional service.”
We are wandering endlessly in this universe. When
we come in connection with a devotee of Krishna, then
we get some hope, some support, some safe position.

UNTRACEABLE POSITION
Without such substantial connection, we are lost
in infinity. All our movement here—from where we
have come, to where we are going, what we are doing—
is going on endlessly, but to no point, to no good.
When connected with local interest, such movement
has no value in relation to the Infinite, the interest
of the Center. It is like a ball being kicked: with one
kick the ball is running in one direction, with another

37
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

kick it is going a different way. Kicked from different

directions it is going now this side, now that. Our posi-
tion is like that: a ball being kicked. But when we
come to have association with one who has got some
substantial connection with the real Center, then we
have acquired some tangible position; we are counted
within the calculation from the Center; we have got
some position there; we are traceable. Otherwise, we are
nowhere. We have no position. Our position is untrace-
able. We are wandering, passing through the universe
in such a way.
WHICH BRAHMA
This is the position of all souls within the universe.
From this viewpoint even BrahmÅ, the creator of this
material world, has no tangible position. The position of
guru BrahmÅ, of BrahmÅ in his function as guru, has a
different consideration, but BrahmÅ in his general func-
tion as the creator of any solar system may not have
any tangible position in the universal calculation.
When BrahmÅ first approached Krishna, Krishna
sent His servant to ask, “Which BrahmÅ has come?”
And BrahmÅ thought, “What is this? Is there any other
BrahmÅ? I am all-in-all, the creator of all and every-
thing, whatever we see, we feel.” Still, he had to tell

38
 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

Krishna, through His servant, “It is the four-headed

BrahmÅ, father of Sanaka, who has come to meet You.”
Then he was taken inside the hall, and He was filled with
wonder at what he saw there: “Oh, so many BrahmÅs are
here! Hundred-faced, thousand-faced, million-faced
BrahmÅs are here, and with their big and gorgeous figures
they are commanding bigger, greater universes than me.
The creators of so many greater solar systems are here!”
He was astonished.

PLANE OF LOVE
The Infinite can accomodate everything. We are to
make some tangible connection with that Infinite; we are
to find some substantial position in relation to Him. But
what direction will we take to go there? How are we to
make such progress? It is only through love and affection.
Affection is beyond calculation; it exists in a plane
beyond calculation. It is that force which is controlling
without the need of any brain; a kind of intuition. The
affection of the mother for the child is found every-
where, even in the birds, beasts, and insects. The parent
bird comes with some intuitive affection for the fledglings
when they are growing to feed and nurture them. Then
she goes away. In this way the intuitive force of affection
is going on to conduct the world’s affairs. It is unac-

39
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

countable; we do not know from where it comes, but it

comes to do its service and disappears. That sort of
tendency comes from the area of affection, of love. And
we are to take shelter under that wave, wherever we
find it available. That can help us as we are wandering
throughout the creation.

SATANIC BRAIN
The human brain, when misdirected, is going to destroy
the whole world by inventing atomic energy! The
discovery of atomic energy is for mass destruction. We
are so ‘civilized’ on the negative side. But civilization on
the negative side is suicidal. To kill one another—is such
civilization a development? Should we call this improve-
ment? It is rather the product of the satanic brain. Satan
is not a desirable thing; it is an indirect, undesirable force.
Killing, destroying, destruction is satanic activity. Those
of such satanic brains are agents of destruction.
But the constructive elements are affection, love,
sincerity, self-giving, and surrendering. All these are
based on surrender; love is always based on surrender.
And that high thing, that noble thing, we shall try to
imbibe. The most noble thing is self-giving. To give is
nobleness; to assert, to exploit, is satanic. And to
surrender for higher things is godly.

40
 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

Further, MahÅprabhu also said, “Who are you to give?

Already you belong to Him. And how do you belong to
Him? Not by any contact, but by your nature. You are a
servant. You are k›ˆa-dÅs, a slave of Krishna. By your
very existence, you are subservient to Him. And you
want the opposite thing: you want to become a Krishna,
a God? You want to take His position? Your aspiration is
just the opposite, and because you cannot thrive in this
attempt, because you cannot become that Krishna, then
you want to commit suicide, to enter the renunciation
zone; you want liberation, mukti. You want to enter
eternal slumber, samÅdhi, brahma-sÅyujya—all these
unnatural things. But come forward in the natural way,
knowing that you are a servant, and in that position
you will thrive.” This is MahÅprabhu’s advice.

A NOBLE LIFE
We are so accustomed to satisfying our interests in the
world of exploitation that we cannot think that we live
by serving. By dying to our concocted self as an exploiter,
we can live: this very thing we can’t understand. By
giving we get, we thrive, and by taking we go down, we
lose. But we are so conditioned with the thought of the
opposite thing that by gathering everything for ourselves
we will be unable to think how it is possible that by

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

giving ourselves we can be greater. But the solution is in

that very thing: we must ‘die to live’.
bhidyate hÂdaya-granthiÍ,
chidyante sarva sa˜ÍayÅÓ
k›Èyante cÅsya karmňi,
d›Êe khilÅtmani
(S.BhÅg. 11:20:30)
“When the soul directly beholds Me as the Supreme
Soul within all souls, the knot of mundane ego in the
heart is pierced, all his doubts are destroyed, and the
chain of fruitive actions is annihilated.”
When our whole ‘separate-interest-box’ is dissolved,
we will find a common interest with our Lord. We will
feel, “My interest is one with His, and I am to do my duty
according to my might.” That is the normal life in rela-
tion to the Organic Whole.

PROPER ADJUSTMENT
The attempt to properly adjust ourselves is also very
important in striving to arrive at the conclusion of our
life’s purpose. We must consider: “How are we to utilize
ourselves?” We are presently in a perplexed condition,
and perplexity means dissatisfaction with our present
circumstances. How do I find out how I can be utilized

42
 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

in the service of the Lord? This requires proper adjust-

ment from us.
If the Lord says to us, “Take your seat here,” but I
want to run hither and thither for some other services,
and still the Lord says “No, you stay here, sit here, by my
side.” What should we do? Should we sit, or say, “No, I
want to do some work?” We will have to sit as He has
asked, to satisfy Him.
Yet, this is also one kind of temperament of a devotee:
“I can’t sit idly by Your side, some sort of service must be
given to me.” That also is not to be rejected in every
case. The main principle is that with good connection,
everything may be good. It is the connection which is all-
important: Krishna’s connection, Krishna conscious-
ness. In different ways, different persons may go on with
their service. It is not that everything must be stale or
stereotyped.
DEEPER ASPIRATION
Our sincere attitude for the truth is all-important.
Our searching mood—k›ˆÅnusandhan, to search for
Krishna and none else—such a temperament is very
valuable. “I am not satisfied by so many things, but my
heart is aching for Him. I have heard from many sources
about Krishna; I want to be very near to Him.”

43
 D IVINE A SPIRATION

Then, to be nearer to His devotees is still more

tangible and real. When we have some practical faith in
the association of His real servitors, then we acquire
something substantial in our path of progress. By Him,
that association is made possible and available for our
help. So the position of one who has abstract attrac-
tion for Krishna is considered to be primary; but one
who has aspiration for Krishna’s servants, rather than for
Krishna Himself, is in a better position.
ÈÍvare tad-adhÈnesu,
balÈÍe›u dvi›atsu ca
prema-maitrÈ-kÂpopek›Å,
yaÓ karoti sa madhyamaÓ
(S.BhÅg. 11:2:46)
“The devotee in the intermediate stage of devotional
service is called a madhyÅma-adhikÅrÈ. He loves the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all
the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to the innocent,
and disregards the envious.”
arcÅyÅm eva haraye,
pËjŘ yah Íraddhayehate
na tad-bhakte›u cÅnye›u,
sa bhaktaÓ prÅkÂtaÓ smÂtaÓ
(S.BhÅg. 11:2:47)

44
 C ONNECTION WITH THE C ENTER

“A devotee who faithfully worships the Deity, but

does not properly respect the vai›ˆavas or the people in
general, is called a materialistic devotee and is considered
to be in the lowest position of devotional service.”
The beginners in devotion want Krishna and not
His devotees, but those who have some tendency to
attain friendship and association with the devotees of
Krishna have something tangible, something real. That
is a higher position because by such aspiration one’s real
spiritual life is insured. Na tad-bhakte›u cÅnye›u, sa bhaktaÓ
prÅkÂtaÓ smÂtaÓ—those who are practizing devotion, who
want to cultivate Krishna consciousness through worship
of the arcÅ-mËrti, the Deity, through reading books, or in
any other way, but who are avoiding the bona-fide servi-
tors of the Lord, are in the ordinary, primary stage. But
when some practical sympathy is felt in the heart for
Krishna’s devotees, that fortunate person has got some-
thing tangible in their life, and their position is more reli-
able, safe, and progressive.

ONLY KRISHNA
When nothing but the Krishna conception can satisfy
the devotee—when all the waves coming to him from
every direction, whether good or bad, are connected
with Krishna—then his position is better still. To the

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

devotee in that stage, good and bad are both good

because he sees everything as connected with the Center.
For example, it may happen that a devotee leaves
the Mission and the devotional association. By his good
fortune, he came to connect with the Mission, but now
he is going away; such a circumstance is an unfortunate
thing. And another devotee whose heart is pained to see
such a bad or unfortunate circumstance, is in a bona-fide
position. His heart is aching for that man who has fallen
from Krishna consciousness; so, despite the unpleasant
circumstances, his position is good. And conversely,
when so many are coming to preach Krishna conscious-
ness, carrying the flag of MahÅprabhu from corner to
corner of this world, that same devotee’s heart is feeling
pleasure, and that is all good. So in Krishna conscious-
ness, both good and bad are good. Anything relating to
Krishna consciousness—good or bad, satisfaction or
dissatisfaction, but all concerning Krishna—is good.

46
 The Greatness
of the
Vaisnava

Question: On the path of devotional service, how is

one to improve his own condition?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Through superior association. In
business, if you want something but you have insuffi-
cient capital to purchase it, you can join with a greater
capitalist and your business will develop. Similarly, if
you want to improve your condition in Krishna
consciousness, find a ‘capitalist’; on your own you may
not gain so much, but with their help, you can advance
more quickly.

ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE
Help is of two kinds: from sÅdhu and ÍÅstra, from
saints and scriptures. The living agent is sÅdhu, and the
passive, ÍÅstra. There is no other way to improve but by
sÅdhu-ÍÅstra-kÂpÅ—by their mercy.
k›ˆa-bhakti-janma mËla haya ‘sÅdhu-sa⁄gha’
k›ˆa-prema janme, te⁄ho punaÓ mukhya a⁄ga
(Cc. Madhya 22:83)

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

The very beginning of k›ˆa-bhakti, devotional service,

is association—the help of the sÅdhu. And in the higher
stage, when your dormant love for Krishna awakens,
that association is still the most essential principle to help
you. The birth of devotion is from there; its nourish-
ment is also from there; and at the end, when you have
almost attained the final stage, then also, with the help
of some superior you are to continue your service. So, the
sÅdhu is all-important, from the beginning to the final
goal. At the final stage also, no direct connection with
Krishna is admissible but you are to do some service
only under the direction of the sÅdhus. The eternal servi-
tors are there, in different departments of service, and you
will be taken in and directed: “Serve Krishna under his
direction, or her direction.” So, sÅdhu-sa⁄gha is always
necessary.

TELESCOPIC SYSTEM
Do not have disgust towards the sÅdhu, thinking:
“Oh, he’s just a man—why should we do service to him,
why should we do vai›ˆava-sevÅ? Why is it recommended
so much in different scriptures? It is always said, ‘You are
to be dependent on sÅdhu’; but I want God Himself!
Why will he come between me and God?” Do not think

48
 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

like that. Rather, you can understand the importance of

the sÅdhu by the example of the telescope. In a tele-
scope there are so many lenses coming between myself
and the object of my search, but they help my vision.
The guru-paramparÅ, the disciplic succession, is working
in this way, like a ‘telescopic system’.
The devotees’ aspiration therefore is dÅsa-dÅsa-dÅsa-
anudÅsa, tad dÅsa-dÅsa, to be the servant of the servant of
the servant of Krishna’s servant’s servant. His under-
standing will be: “There are so many gurus, and they
are thinking about my welfare.” To have so many gurus
means that so many guardians are always trying for my
fortune.
We find in this world that a man who has many
servants always waiting on his order thinks he is holding
a very good position. But in the case of a devotee it is just
the opposite. He will think that if he has so many gurus,
so many guardians looking after his welfare, then he is
really a wealthy man: “I am fortunate when so many
guardians are looking out for me and are pleading my
case on the upper level.” To have a connection with
the guru-paramparÅ to be servant of the servant, to be
under the guardianship of the great vai›ˆavas, is a great
fortune. It is a fortunate life.

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

BE CAREFUL
For the beginner, faith in the vai›ˆava is not apparent.
The newcomer in devotion says, “I want Bhagavan,
God, Krishna. Why is the impression always given to us,
"Oh, you must get the kÂpÅ, the mercy, of a vai›ˆava;
you must get his blessing. You must go to him to have
your fortune? Why this tedious thing, that the vai›ˆava
is always coming between Bhagavan and myself?” But
when the aspirant is grown up, his faith in the vai›ˆava
becomes more established. Ultimately, even our atten-
tion to the vigrahÅ, the Deity, and the ÍÅstra, the
Scripture, may leave, but we must always submit to the
vai›ˆava, the Lord’s living agent.
So the first cause of nÅma-aparÅdha is offense to the
vai›ˆava:
satŘ nindÅ nÅmnaÓ paramam aparÅdha˜ vitanute
yataÓ khyÅti˜ yata˜ katham u sahate tad-vigarhÅm
(ßrÈ Padma PurÅna)
“To blaspheme the saintly persons who are engaged in
preaching the glories of the Hare Krishna mahÅ-mantra
is the worst offense at the lotus feet of the Holy Name.
NÅma Prabhu, who is identical with Krishna, will never
tolerate such blasphemous activities, even from one who
passes as a great devotee.”

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 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

While taking the Name, especially in the beginning

of spiritual practice, the first warning is this: “Be careful
in your association with the sÅdhus. They are truly your
utmost well-wishers, the agents who are carrying good to
you. So be very alert not to commit any wrong against
them. Don’t misunderstand them; try to have faith in
them. Their goodness is beyond your understanding.
They love you so much. You cannot love yourself as
much as they do, because they see you as the property of
their Lord. From that standpoint they love you; and
that love is very high, in quality and quantity. So be
very careful; don’t commit any wrong against the sÅdhu—
you must always remember this.”
yadi vai›ˆava-aparÅdha uÊhe hÅtÈ mÅtÅ
upÅÎe vÅ ciˆÎe, tÅra sËkhi yÅya pÅtÅ
(Cc. Madhya 19:156)
“If the devotee commits offense to the vai›ˆava while
cultivating the creeper of devotion, his offense is
compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and
breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper become
dried up.”
If a great crime is committed against the sÅdhu, the
vai›ˆava, then the whole of the offender’s devotional
life will be demolished. The Lord will be enraged with

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

him: “My devotee is going to give him all wealth, and he

is kicking him? What is this? He is the most wretched.”
So we must be careful about this offense of satŘ-nindÅ
the first nÅma-aparÅdha: offense to the Holy Name.

MERCIFUL NITAI
Still we see that NityÅnanda Prabhu is the most
merciful, even to the offenders. His nature is of a pecu-
liar type, such that whom even MahÅprabhu is rejecting,
He is keeping, giving assurance: “No, no, don’t be hope-
less.” Nityananda Prabhu’s mercy was shown in this way
in the pastime of MahÅprabhu and KÅlÅ-Krishna dÅs.
KÅlÅ-KrishnadÅs was accompanying MahÅprabhu on
His journey in South India, and there he did something
wrong. He left MahÅprabhu’s personal association, enticed
by the BhaÊÊathÅris, the gypsy women. This occurred in
the south, Kerala-Karnataka, the place of MadhvÅcÅrya.
The people of that province, both men and women, are
reputed to be very beautiful. Their complexion is very
good, as well as their features and their figures; Gandhi
referred to that place as the ‘land of the fairies’. KÅlÅ-
KrishnadÅs was enticed, and left MahÅprabhu’s associa-
tion. That even in the direct company of MahÅprabhu,
KÅlÅ-KrishnadÅs was deviated is certainly for our instruc-
tion. But utilizing His special power, MahÅprabhu rescued

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 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

KÅlÅ-KrishnadÅs from the gypsy’ camp. Later, after taking

him to JagannÅth PurÈ, MahÅprabhu released him from
His service, saying, “He is of such a nature; but, anyhow,
I have taken him from the hands of those villifiers. Now
I release him; he may go anywhere.” But NityÅnanda
Prabhu utilized KÅlÅ-KrishnadÅs, again giving him
service: “Go to ßacÈ DevÈ and inform her that
MahÅprabhu has arrived in Puri safely after two years of
touring in the south country. Give news of MahÅprabhu’s
safe arrival to ßacÈ DevÈ.” Despite MahÅprabhu’s rejection,
still KÅlÅ-KrishnadÅs was utilized, by NityÅnanda Prabhu.

WAIT AND SEE

I remember a similar case when I was preaching in
Madras. HayagrÈva brahmacÅrÈ—later he became ßrÈpÅd
MÅdhava MahÅrÅj—and I were preaching there, and
we sent one boy to the Madras Center of Gaudiya MaÊh.
He was staying there and serving as a brahmacÅrÈ, but
then he became misguided. ßrÈpÅd B.P. TÈrtha MahÅrÅj,
who was at that time quite elderly, was in charge of the
MaÊh there, and he punished that fallen brahmacÅrÈ by
sending him away from the MaÊh. He managed to stay in
some other place in the city, but then, after ßrÈpÅd TÈrtha
MahÅrÅj had left Madras, that boy came to HayagrÈva

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

and I pleading: “You please give permission to let me stay

in the MaÊh.” We told him, “Guru MahÅrÅj is very soon
coming here; come at that time.” Then when Guru
MahÅrÅj came to officially open the new lecture hall
we put the case to him: “This boy came for service, but
then he had to leave for such a reason; but now again he
wants to stay in the MaÊh. What should we do with
him?"
EXTENSION OF GRACE
Then our Guru MahÅrÅj, ßrÈla BhaktisiddhÅnta
SaraswatÈ †hÅkur, said: “MahÅprabhu did not take KÅlÅ-
KrishnadÅs after he was seduced when the BhaÊÊatharis
showed him a lady. So, I can’t accept him. But
NityÅnanda Prabhu kept him and gave him engage-
ment. So you should keep him.” A peculiar position we
then found ourselves in! I thought: “Gurudev, you are all-
in-all our leader, our unconditional Lord; you can’t
accept him, then how can we give him shelter, being
under your guidance?” That was a puzzle: “How can we
do it? If you can’t accept, then how can we?” But Guru
MahÅrÅj has said, “I can’t accept him; but you should
keep him.” And we had to adjust to that.
From this we can trace the line of benevolence and
causeless mercy. The line of causeless mercy is extending

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 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

from the Center, but the extension gets the more intense
position: “take yourself to the mercy department;
perhaps, there is some arrangement to help, to accept
you.” Just as in a hospital, the general department disap-
points the patient: “No, we can’t accept such patients as
you here. But, you may try the other department. There,
you will find more accomodation.” And after going there
and checking, the patient finds them to be of such type:
“Here we can accept all. There is arrangement for you.”
In this way we find the servants are more benevolent
even more than their Lord. It is inconceivable.

LOVE AND ABUSE

In seeing the mood of humility as expressed in
different ways by KrishnadÅs KavirÅj GoswÅmÈ and
VÂndÅvan DÅs †hÅkur, I also came to some revolutionary
understanding about this.
While writing ßrÈ Caitanya-CaritÅmÂta, KavirÅj
GoswÅmÈ expressed humility of such a degree that he
says, “My position is the worst; I am a sinner far worse
than JagÅi and MÅdhÅi; I am lower than the worm in the
stool. If anyone hears my name, his merit will be dimin-
ished; if anyone speaks my name, he commits sin—such
a wretched person I am. But the grace of NityÅnanda
Prabhu has taken me up from such a nasty pit, taken

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

me to RËpa-SanÅtana, to RaghunÅtha DÅs, and to divine

Vrindavan. I should not proclaim this; I should not
speak in such a way, that ‘I have got something’—but if
I do not say so, then it will show ingratitude to
NityÅnanda Prabhu. I would be a traitor to Him. So I
shall have to say, ‘I have got something,’ and that is by
the grace of Nityananda. It is all His property, His grace;
otherwise, there is no worth at all in me.”
With so much humility KavirÅj GoswÅmÈ approached
the public and appealed to them to come to Gaura-
NityÅnanda. But Vrindavan DÅs †hÅkur , in his writing,
says, “I appeal most fervently and with the greatest
humility to you all: accept NityÅnanda and Sri GaurÅ⁄ga!
You’ll get the best benefit of your life. This I urgently beg
you, with the utmost humility, with a straw between
my teeth. But if such appeal of mine fails, and if still
you want to put blame on NityÅnanda-Gaurňga, then
I just kick you! I kick such a demoniac person.”
eta parihÅreo je pÅpi nindÅ kare
tabe lÅthi mÅron tara Íirera upare
(C. Bhag. Madhya 11:63)
“If in spite of hearing the glories of NityÅnanda, one
blasphemes Him, then I kick the head of such a sinful
person.”

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 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

To this, the ordinary commentators will say, “KavirÅj

GoswÅmÈ and others are humiliating themselves so
much. They are appealing in such a humble way. But this
VÂndÅvan DÅs! What kind of egoistic fellow is he? He
says he kicks those who do not come to hear his Gaura-
NityÅnanda. He’ll kick them! Such a boast, so proud, is
he a vai›ˆava? Is this type of person a vai›ˆava? TÂnad api
sunÈcena, taror api sahi›ˆunÅ: more humble than straw,
more tolerant than a tree—is he of this type?”

A NEW PATH
This is how VÂndÅvandÅs †hÅkur’s statement is met
by the ordinary thinkers; but not long after joining the
Gaudiya MaÊh, I heard a revolutionary remark from our
Guru MahÅrÅj, ßrÈla BhaktisiddhÅnta SaraswatÈ †hÅkur,
in which we find a most peculiar explanation. He said:
“For those who had no chance, no possibility of entering
into devotional service, VÂndÅvan DÅs †hÅkur has
created a path by this statement. For those who had no
chance of getting any service, VÂndÅvan DÅs †hÅkur
has given that chance, by kicking them.” How is it so?
Guru MahÅrÅj explained, “VÂndÅvan DÅs †hÅkur has
pronounced such a bold expression against those unbe-
lieving persons to wound their feelings so that Krishna
will come to their aid. Just as if the son of a gentleman

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

does wrong to some other person, then the gentleman

will come to help: “Oh, what he has done to you, don’t
mind it; look here, I am giving something to you—be
pleased and go on happily.” So, because VÂndÅvan DÅs
†hÅkur has in such an ostentatious way apparently
committed some wrong against that particular unbe-
lieving section, it will draw Krishna’s attention;
MahÅprabhu’s special attention will be drawn towards
them: “My son has done some damage to you; don’t
take it badly, but forgive and forget—now I am giving
something to you, come.”
In this way, VÂndÅvan DÅs †hÅkur has made a new
path by threatening the unbelievers in Gaura-
NityÅnanda. By his strong remark of a very abusive char-
acter, he has given the chance to those fellows to draw
the greater and more special attention of the authority.

IMBUED WITH KRISHNA

But this kind of statement, as we see given by
VÂndÅvan DÅs †hÅkur, can come only from the fully
surrendered soul. One who is fully surrendered to Krishna
can say such things.
Krishna is the Absolute Good, and everything in the
soul that is fully surrendered to Krishna, everything in the
pure vai›ˆava, cannot but be goodness. Just as iron when

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 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

put into the fire becomes of the nature of fire, so the fully
surrendered soul is imbued with Krishna in every part.

sarva mahÅ-guˆa-gaˆa vai›ˆava-ÍarÈre

k›ˆa-bhakte k›ˆera guˆa sakali sañcÅre
(Cc Madhya 22:75)
“A vai›ˆava is one who has developed all good tran-
scendental qualities. All the good qualities of Krishna
gradually develop in Krishna’s devotee.”
Every part of a pure vai›ˆava—his wrath, his abusing,
everything in him—is pure and good. Whether by his
blessing or his curse, through him Krishna is giving
something. Nalakuvara and MaˆigrÈva were cursed by R›i
NÅrada to become trees, but that misfortune was
managed in such a way that they came to be born in
Vrindavan, so that when their tree-form would be
uprooted by Krishna, they would get the chance to go to
Goloka for their eternal service.
So any connection with a vai›ˆava is able to give
such an ultimately beneficial result. But that does not
mean that we shall deliberately go to offend him! It is not
meant like that, and we should not take it in that way.
To do so would be inconsistent with the meaning; it
would be suicidal.

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

AFFECTION THE CONTROLLER

The Lord Himself says, aha˜ bhakta-parÅdhino
asvatantra iva dvija: “I am dependent on My devotees.”
This was told by Lord NÅrÅyaˆa to DurvÅsÅ Muni in
the case of AmbarÈsa MahÅrÅj. Through affection, the
infinitesimal jÈva-soul, by constitution the Lord’s potency
and fully dependent on Him, can conquer or control
his Possessor, his Lord.
We find that the law of affection is such. In Indian
families, the mother formally has nothing; she has no
property, no right; but she commands reverence and a
high respect, and through this, she holds a superior posi-
tion even to that of the father. The father holds the prop-
erty; the mother holds no such property, no such formal
right, but she has ‘social right,' and through it she holds the
greatest respect of the children. There is a popular Íloka
which says that the father is considered ‘higher than the
heaven,’ and the mother, ‘higher than the land where
we stand.’ It is also said, and we see, that both the mother
and the father help to raise the children, but in that the
mother’s quota is far greater than the father; so her dignity,
her superiority, is much greater than his. This is the
custom in varˆÅÍrama-dharma: the mother has no legal
possession, but she has social or moral possession.

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 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

DURVASA AND AMBARISA

When DurvÅsÅ Muni ran to Lord NÅrÅyaˆa for shelter,
being chased by the sudarÍana cakra due to his offense
against AmbarÈ›a MahÅrÅj, Lord NÅrÅyaˆa told him:

aha˜ bhakta-paradhino,
hy asvatantra iva dvija
sÅdhubhir grasta-hÂdayo,
bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaÓ
(S.BhÅg 9:4:63)

“I am dependent on My devotees. O you brÅhmin, I

am not at all independent of them—I am dependent
on them, as if I have no freedom of My own. Yes,
freedom I have, but through My devotees’ affection, I am
reduced to such a position that it is as if I have none. In
the case of My devotees I cannot but be partial. My
independent thinking has no place there, so much
indebted I think I am to them. SÅdhubhir grasta-h dayo:
My whole heart has been ‘swallowed’ by them, those
saints, devotees. They have swallowed Me, and I may not
have any independent thinking, but only their interest
at heart. By their service they have acquired such a posi-
tion with Me.”
Such an admission is a wonderful thing! DurvÅsÅ

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

Muni wanted impartial judgement from the Lord: “I am

a brÅhmana; AmbarÈ›a is a k›atriya; I am a sannyÅsi; he is
a gÂhasta in household life. So my prestige is above him.
And You are ‘BrÅhmaˆya-Deva.’ You are supposed to be
the supporter of the brÅhmaˆas. So I have a claim to
You, that You must make a fair judgement in this case.”
Lord BrahmÅ and MahÅdeva ßiva had both frustrated
DurvÅsÅ: “Go to NÅrÅyaˆa, we can’t do anything in this
matter; we can’t interfere.” Then DurvÅsÅ had to
approach NÅrÅyaˆa for shelter. And NÅrÅyaˆa replied:
aha˜ bhakta parÅdhino, “I am helpless; I am dependent on
My devotees!”

NARAYANA’S STRICTURE
But NÅrÅyaˆa also made a good argument to DurvÅsÅ
“Yes, you are a brÅhmaˆa; but AmbarÈ›a was also
observing the EkÅdaÍÈ-vrata, which is connected with
Me. You observed that same vow, it is true, and you
also knew, like him, that the pÅraˆa, the time for
breaking the fast, is a part of that vow. Then what
wrong did Ambarța do? What was his fault? Only in
order to observe, to give respect to the vow, he did
pÅraˆa in your absence. And you also did pÅraˆa on
time; but you are his guest, so he only took a drop of
water to observe the indispensable part of the vow. He

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 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

only took a drop of water; he did not feed himself

without feeding you— and you were enraged with him?
What he did, in his observance of the vow, he only did
it for Me. And that disturbed you. You say that you are
more akin to Me than Ambarța? The difference
between you two arose where? You both acted in obser-
vance of My vow—and he was at fault? What reason is
there? Who is nearer to Me, you or he?”
“You say that you are a brÅhmaˆa, a sannyÅsÈ, that
you are all these great things, and that you have the
higher position. But when you went to burn him with
that jaÊam, that fire-demon created from the hair you
plucked from your head, Ambarța did not step back.
He did not run to save his life. But when SudarÍana
came to attack you,—brÅhmaˆa, sannyÅsÈ— you were
running through the whole universe to save your life.
Then, who is sannyÅsÈ, you or he? When faced with the
fire, he did not budge an inch to save his life. He stood,
with the attitude: “If I have done anything wrong, let my
life be finished.” But you ran everywhere: to BrahmÅ, to
ßiva. Finally you came here fearing for your life. Then
whose renunciation is superior?”
In this way DurvÅsÅ was given stricture; he was
rebuked, chastised, by Lord NÅrÅyaˆa.

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

THE GREATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

Then Lord NÅrÅyaˆa told DurvÅsÅ, “You will have to
go back to Ambarța. I cannot give any judgement
against My devotee. He will give judgement in this case.
Go to him, and see how generous he is.” What was
DurvÅsÅ to do? He had to come before his opponent for
judgement of his case. He found Ambarța still standing
in the same spot, mortified: “The brÅhmaˆa is troubled on
my account, and he is my guest. Some accident happened
in such a way that SudarÍana chased him, and he is
running in every direction. But, he is my guest; without
feeding him, how can I take food?” In this way AmbarÈ›a
was standing there in a mournful condition: “It is bad
luck for me, that when my guest is waiting I could not
feed him as is proper. How can I take food when my
honored guest is disturbed and running this way and
that? How can I?”
Just as he was thinking this, DurvÅsÅ appeared, chased
by SudarÍana: “MahÅrÅj, save me! There is no other
savior in this world for me except you. I have come to
you. Please, save me!”
Then AmbarÈ›a began to pacify SudarÍana. He prayed:
“If for a single day I have done any devoted activity for
NÅrÅyaˆa, Oh SudarÍana, please pacify yourself. This

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 T HE G REATNESS OF THE VAISNAVA

brÅhmaˆa is my honorable guest, and I cannot tolerate

that you will disturb him in my presence. Please, stop.”
So SudarÍana had to withdraw, and DurvÅsÅ was saved.
Then DurvÅsÅ was fed as the guest of AmbarÈ›a. And,
astonished by the magnanimity of AmbarÈ›a, DurvÅsÅ
announced:
aho ananta-dÅsÅnŘ,
mahattva˜ d›Êam adya me
kÂtÅgaso ‘pi yad rÅjan,
ma⁄galÅni samÈhase
(S.BhÅg. 9:5:14)
“O King, today I have experienced the greatness of
the devotees of God, of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, because in spite of my offense against you,
you have prayed for my protection.”
DurvÅsÅ was astounded to find the depth of generosity
in the servitors of Ananta, NÅrÅyaˆa. That great ›i
began to speak aloud, to announce on all sides the magna-
nimity, the nobility of the servitors of Narayana: “How
great they are! I did so much wrong towards him, and he
saved my life from the danger that came as a reaction! I
insulted him, and he is honoring me so much.”
So for one who has nothing, who thinks that he is
not an independent entity but a slave, fully dependent

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

on the Absolute, for him the Absolute has the proper

recognition.
Lord NÅrÅyaˆa Himself sent DurvÅsÅ to be judged
by AmbarÈ›a, His devotee. BrahmÅ failed, MahÅdeva
failed, and NÅrÅyaˆa Himself admitted: “I also failed; I
could not do anything independent of you, My devotee.
You are the judge.” The Lord makes the highest judge His
devotee, His servant. We find it is like this.

66
 Gradations
of Theism

Sudent: ßrÈla Guru MahÅrÅj, could you explain in

essence the differences between the teachings of the
four vai›ˆava sampradÅyas?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: This has been given in detail in
the Gaudiya-patrika, the weekly paper published during
our Guru MahÅrÅj’s time; here I am giving only the
summary to you.
NimbÅrka’s teaching is known as ‘dvaitÅdvaita’,
MadhvÅcÅya’s as ‘Íudha-dvaita’, Vi›nuswÅmÈ’s as ‘ÍuddhÅd-
vaita’, and RÅmÅnuja’s as ‘viÍi›ÊÅdvaita’.
RÅmÅnuja’s sampradÅya is known as ßrÈ sampradÅya; it
is coming from ßrÈ Laxmi DevÈ; MadhvÅcÅrya’s
sampradÅya is coming from Lord BrahmÅ; Rudra or ßiva,
is the source of the Visnuswami ll, and Nimbarka’s
sampradÅya stems from CatuÓsana, the four KumÅras.
ßrÈdhar SwÅmÈ, the renowned commentator of
Bhagavad-gÈtÅ and ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam, belongs to the
teachings of sudhÅdvaita. And the Vallabha sampradÅya
also branches from there.
In the teachings of the NimbÅrka sampradÅya, known
as dvaitÅdvaitavÅd, both difference (dvaita) and oneness

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

(advaita) between The Lord and His energies are

accepted, but that is not qualified as acintya, incon-
ceivable. MahÅprabhu’s philosophy is also of ‘bhedÅb-
heda’, oneness and difference, but the necessary
qualification is given: ‘acintya’. The demarcation
between the two—the oneness and the difference—is
not in the hand of anybody; it is reserved with the
Lord. Whatever exists, exists as both common with
and different from the Absolute. But that is not a rigid
thing; it depends on Him—He can change the line of
demarcation anytime, anywhere. The line of demarca-
tion is acintya: where that may be, or may not be the
same everytime. It depends on the sweet will of the
Ultimate Reality. So, NimbÅrka’s’ ‘dvaitÅdvaita’ is very
akin to MahÅprabhu’s ‘acintya-bhedÅbheda’ though with
this difference.
Another distinction is that though the object of
worship in NimbÅrka’s line is RÅdhÅ-Krishna, and up
to mÅdhura-rasa, they do not accept the play of parakÈya-
bhÅva, paramour love. The difference between the
NimbÅrka and Gaudiya sampradÅya is here: the accep-
tance of parakÈyÅ, such as is shown in the madhyÅhna-lÈlÅ,
the noontime pastimes of RÅdhÅ and Krishna.

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 G RADATIONS OF T HEISM

ARCANA AND SEVA

The NimbÅrkas also are more concerned with arcana,
or pujÅ, worship, performed strictly according to the
scriptures. The viddhi—the law, rules and regulations—
is principal to them. But in Gaudiya sampradÅya, the
strictness of the viddhi is a little slackened, with affection
and love having the better part.
Such a mood of affectionate worship is also in the
Vallabha sampradÅya, the line of ÍuddhÅdvaita. They do
not even like to use the word ‘arcana’, but they say
‘sevÅ’ as we do. We speak of sevÅ, that is, rÅga-mÅrga:
with affection we shall serve, not according to the strict,
scriptural rules. The Vallabha sampradÅya, the followers
of Vi›ˆuswÅmÈ, have this in common with us.
And there is also the ‘RÅmÅnandi’ sampradÅya, which
though springing from the RÅmÅnuja sampradÅya, is
another deviation because we find in RÅmÅnanda
himself, and later in TulasÈ DÅs, a greater rigidity in
asceticism. Asceticism has a bigger part for them,
including the tendency towards salvation, liberation,
mok›a.
INTERPRETATION OF VEDANTA
The four sampradÅyas also have their respective
bhÅsyas, commentaries, on VedÅnta. NimbÅrka has his

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 D IVINE A SPIRATIONL

ParijÅta-bhÅsya; MadhvÅcÅrya has his bhÅsya; RÅmÅnuja

has his own commentary, ßrÈ-bhÅsya; and Vi›ˆuswamÈ
also has his bhÅsya, followed by ßrÈdhar SwÅmÈ. The
Gaudiya sampradÅya has its own commentary, Govinda-
bhÅsya. These are different types of interpretations of
VedÅnta, BrahmÅ-sutra. These four, and their branches,
are all theistic.
There is also ßa⁄karÅcÅrya’s commentary; that we
call atheistic because it does not accept the jÈva soul in
it’s highest position of eternal service to Krishna. This is
similar to the conclusion of Buddha, who says that with
the dissolution of the mental body, everything ends.
This is what ßa⁄karÅcÅrya also says, ultimately: the indi-
vidual conception of soul is imaginary; it only remains so
long as one is in misunderstanding. When misunder-
standing is cleared, one gets liberation and no individual
soul remains, but a mass of light, and that is brahma,
some non-differentiated, non-specified substance. But
unlike Buddha, ßa⁄kara says that such substance is made
of consciousness.
According to ßa⁄kara, mÅyÅ or misconception has no
beginning, but it does not go on forever; it may be ended.
We can get out of mÅyÅ; it may be fully quenched, stopped.
So, it is anÅdi-sÅnta, without beginning but temporary;
only brahma is anÅdi-ananta, without beginning or end.

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 G RADATIONS OF T HEISM

SANKARA AND BUDDHA

The vai›ˆavavites say that ßaˆkara is ‘Buddhist in
disguise’. The Buddhist does not have any recognition
of the eternity of the individual jÈva soul, and ßa⁄kara’s
conception is also like that—no eternal jÈva soul. Their
difference is that Buddha had no recognition of the
revealed scriptures, whereas ßa⁄kara accepted them, but
while explaining them, he gave his concocted, imaginary
interpretation, and the Buddhist opinion has been hidden
inside that. The atheistic doctrine of the Buddhists is
still kept in ßa⁄kara’s teaching, though under the guise of
acceptance of the Veda. In this way ßa⁄kara’s doctrine is
more dangerous than that of the Buddhist.
While instructing SÅrvabhauma BhaÊÊÅcÅrya,
MahÅprabhu told him:
veda nÅ mÅniyÅ bauddha haya ta’ nÅstika
vedÅÍraya nÅstikya-vÅda bauddhake adhika
(Cc Madhya 6:168)
“The Buddhists do not recognize the authority of the
Vedas; therefore, they are considered agnostics. However,
those who have taken shelter of the Vedic scriptures
yet preach agnosticism in accordance with the MÅyÅvÅda
philosophy are certainly more dangerous than the
Buddhists.”

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

The Buddhists are clear: “We don’t have any recog-

nition of the revealed scriptures, we are of another
opinion—our attempt is based on reasoning.” But
ßa⁄kara, though accepting the revealed scriptures, puts
his own interpretation into them.

ETERNAL SOUL
Still, neither Buddha nor ßa⁄kara recognize the eter-
nity of the individual jÈva soul, as it is expressed in
Bhagavad-gÈtÅ: ajo nityaÓ ÍÅÍvato ’ya˜ purňo—“The
soul is eternal, ever-existing, ever-youthful, yet ancient”
(B.gita, 2:20). And: jÈva-bhutah sanÅtanah—“The condi-
tioned souls are eternal” (B.gÈtÅ,15:7). Also, it is stated
in the Upani›ads: nityo-nityÅnÅm cetanaÍ cetanÅnÅm, eko
bahunŘ (KaÊha Upani›ad 2:2:13).
Here it is said, "nityo-nityÅnÅm": there is one Supreme
Eternal amongst many of eternal substance. There are
many eternal entities (bahunÅm), and He is the prin-
cipal among them.
In the Upani›ads, in Bhagavad-gÈtÅ, everywhere in the
revealed scriptures it is admitted that the jÈva is nitya: the
soul is immortal. According to ßa⁄kara, however, the
soul is ultimately mortal. Through transmigration one
will have to accept different bodies according to karma,
but ultimately, after liberation, any jÈva, individual soul,

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does not exist, and neither does God. Only brahma exists,
a non-differentiated mass of spiritual substance made
of consciousness.
Buddha had no recognition of that substance as light;
Buddhists say some force of nature, prakÂti, exists, and
different manifestations of this force are acting together,
producing everything. When that combination is
dissolved, what remains is something indescribable—it
may or may not be a kind of force, it is undifferenti-
ated, indescribable. That is virajÅ, prakÂti-nirvňa, attained
when the individual spirit of exploitation disappears
into the non-differentiated plane.
Student: Why is it that ßa⁄kara’s philosophy has so
much appeal to people in general?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: It is a compromise; it appar-
ently gives harmony to all the sections of worshipers of
different types of gods. There are so many worshipers
of so many gods; and ßa⁄kara harmonizes them: “What
you are doing, is alright—you are worshiping KÅlÈ, or
GaˆeÍa, or SËrya, or Agni, or Vi›ˆu—all is good, I accept
all. That is only for the time being and to a certain
extent. But finally, your attempt will end in the attain-
ment of brahma. If you can accept this as the final end,
I accept you all.” Because of this compromise, ßa⁄kara’s
thought is widely accepted by the atheistic section; you

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can understand it in this way.

As I have mentioned, ßa⁄kara showed the color of
accepting the Veda and Upani›ad, but he gave this sort
of meaning, that everything ends in brahma. Through
that, he apparently harmonized and embraced them all.
Another thing which contributed to his popularity
was that he was brilliant, an intellectual giant, and he
fought against the Buddhist thinkers who were out-and-
out atheists; with the color of theism he fought against
the number one atheist, the Buddhist. And his success
in that gave him much popularity.
Student: There appear to be so many different religions, all
under the banner of theism. This is often confusing for
the general public. Sometimes the vai›ˆava is asked: “Why
are there so many different theistic religions? Someone is
worshipping Allah, someone is worshipping Christ—there
seem to be so many differences.” How should he reply?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: According to the capacity of
the people, there are different groupings. The truth is
distributed in installments accordingly.
Those who are materialistically inclined generally
worship the demigods to attain so many benefits:
kÅmais tais tair hÂta-jñÅnÅÓ,
prapadyante ‘nya-devatÅÓ

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ta˜ ta˜ niyamam ÅsthÅya,

prakÂtyÅ niyatÅÓ svayÅ
(B.gÈtÅ 7:20)
“Persons whose good intelligence has been spoiled
by illicit desires for exploitation and renunciation or
other duplicitous pursuits worship other godly person-
alities such as the Sun-god and the many demigods.
Being enslaved by their instincts, they adopt the corre-
sponding rules and regulations of such worship.”
This is called upÅsanÅ worship. But the vai›ˆavas are
nirupÅsanÅ; they do not follow that line. Those who
follow the upÅsanÅ are worshiping the demigods, who are
in possession of some power of nature, in order to get a
desired end. Those who seek good health go to SËrya; for
general satisfaction of any lusty desire, they go to KÅlÈ; for
property and resources, to the fire-god, Agni; and those
who want knowledge go to ßiva. Lord ßiva has got versa-
tile knowledge: in medicine, yoga, music, and penance.
All these many qualifications are combined in him.
Those that want mukti, liberation, go to Vi›ˆu, NÅrÅyaˆa.
But the ‘NÅrÅyaˆa’ of the followers of ßa⁄kara is also
partly under mÅyÅ. According to them ßiva is trying to
get out of mÅyÅ, to become the master of mÅyÅ. In this
way they represent him.

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CAPACITY AND SELECTION

According to their choice, their inner necessity, while
wandering in different stages of misunderstanding, people
will select their leader: “Oh, he will be best able to help
me. My aim is in this direction, so I should go to him.”
Just as one who wants to be a good football player will
naturally go to the most qualified leader in that field; one
who wants to be a good merchant, he must go to the
expert, and one who wants to be a research scholar,
must similarly go to the most qualified in that area.
Those whose minds are influenced by various material
desires will approach those respective leaders and
surrender to them (kÅmais tais tair hÂta-jñÅnÅh, prapadyante
‘nya-devatÅÓ)
For those who want real theistic life, there are also
installments. In Mohammedanism and Christianity there
is theism. They accept one eternal God and Master, but
that acceptance is according to their nature as a group.
Just as there is brÅhmaˆa nature, k›atriya nature, vaisya
nature and so on. According to their general natures,
different nations have been given such installments of
theism.
In ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam we find that installments are
distributed according to the receiver's collective capacity

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as a group. Otherwise, if the whole is given at once, it will

be too difficult, too complex for them to understand or to
follow. So for the beginners, some theistic conception
has been given only approximately, and not in detail.
After attaining further birth and rebirth, when they
come to a higher position, then higher education about
theism will be imparted to them. With such a policy,
arrangement has been made for everyone by the Lord
through the various scriptures and saints.

CAREFUL GUIDANCE
This is why we find Vedic knowledge—truth existing
beyond our present senses—presented throughout the
scriptures in an indirect, veiled manner in order to
instruct those who are undisciplined or foolish. People
are to be dealt with according to their stage. A boy
should be given an examination for a boy, not for an
adult. The questions on a boy's examination will be of a
different standard than those on the adult’s. Gradually,
one will be taken to the higher standard. Just as a child
is guided with some modified policy, that sort of process
has been similarly adopted in the scriptures:
parok›a-vÅdo vedo ‘ya˜,
bÅlÅnÅm anuÍÅsanam

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karma-mok›Åya karmňi,
vidhatte hy agada˜ yathÅ
(S.BhÅg. 11:3:44)
“Childish and foolish people are attached to materi-
alistic, fruitive activities, although the actual goal of
life is to become free from such activities and attain
Krishna consciousness, the service of Krishna. Therefore,
the Vedic injunctions indirectly lead one to the path
of ultimate liberation by first prescribing fruitive reli-
gious activities, just as a father promises his child some
sweets so that the child will take his medicine.”
Everywhere in the revealed scriptures this has been
accepted. The degree of education should be imparted
according to the audience’s capacity. Otherwise, they
won’t be able to understand anything. There is a gradual
process in the training—this is so everywhere. It is also
true in our common experience. Progress does not come
abruptly but is a process of continuous development.
Student: From where does theism begin? From its lower
stages up to the higher, what is the gradation? What
are the different conceptions?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: The whole gradation has been
described in the following way by Bhaktivinode †hÅkur
in Caitanya-ßik›ÅmÂtam.

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First there is ÅcchÅdita-cetana, fully covered conscious-

ness, like in trees and stones; they are ÅcchÅdita, thickly
covered, although consciousness is there. Next, there is
saˆkucita-cetana, as we find in the animal kingdom—a
very narrowed consciousness. Then, mukulita-cetana,
just awakening consciousness, as amongst the aborigine
class. It is mukulita, not developed to a proper stage—half
animal, half man. Here we find animism, worship of
the various nature gods. Above this there is vikasita-
cetana, in which there is some conception of God. This
is where varˆÅÍrama-dharma begins.
Student: Are Christianity and Islam at this stage, vika-
sita-cetana?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Yes. Then lastly there is pËrˆa-
vikasita-cetana, fully opened consciousness and its corre-
sponding conception of God; that is vai›ˆavism.
This is the general gradation; but again, there is sub-
division in the human section. In vikasita-cetana, in the
human stage, even before we find proper theism, there
is morality. No theism has yet emerged, but there is
morality. That constitutes the utilitarian class, altruistic
class: they have recognition of morality, but they don’t
find the necessity of the existence of God.
There may be also theism without much moral

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conception. So-called ‘theism’, is there, but no moral

conception. Those of this persuasion do hi˜sÅ, violence,
towards so many jÈvas by indiscriminately murdering
living creatures; they engage in this and other such
immoral practices, and go on with a conception of God.

GRADATION OF THEISM
After this, we find there is morality-plus-theism; the
lower part of this is morality plus imaginary theism—
kalpitaÍe›vavÅda. The kalpitaÍe›vavÅdÈ propounds an imag-
inary theism combined with morality. For example, the
French thinker Comte said that to have a conception of
God is useful to us because it can be of help to us in
society; it can do the work of the police by keeping the
people in good order. It is seen to be the case with the
general population—that if you encourage them to be
God-fearing, if you spread this consciousness, then all
shall enjoy the benefit of moral order in society. This was
Comte’s theory. And we may consider that the teachings
of ßa⁄karacarya, as we have mentioned previously, are
also of such category: imaginary theism with morality.
After this, there is real theism with morality. Real
varˆÅÍrama, as given by ßrÈ RÅmÅnuja, and other concep-
tions of a similar nature, are of both morality and true
theism.

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After attaining the stage of true theism on a moral

basis, the next stage of attainment for the jÈva-soul is
pËrˆa-vikasita-cetana, Vai›ˆavism. Vai›ˆavism represents
pËrˆa-vikasita-cetana, fully opened, fully awakened
consciousness. It is full-fledged theism. It may be
described as ‘theism without morality,’ in that morality
exists according to the complete theistic conception;
morality, in and of itself, has less importance.
The guiding principle employed at this stage is: to
do whatever is necessary for the service and satisfaction
of the Lord. For example, a devotee might steal a flower
to offer the Lord, so that the man who has cultivated that
flowering tree may be benefited. It is theism in the fullest
way, such that everything can be utilized for the satis-
faction of the Lord; if this can be done, then everybody
will be helped.
In this way, the theistic conception expands to the
point that everything is for Him: Reality is for Itself.
Everything is for Him, not for any other individual owner-
ship. The Owner is One. The conditioned souls are not
conscious that they belong to Him; they are like children
who do not know of their guardian. But the devotees
know; they are conscious of that: “This boy may not
know that his guardian is there, but I know it is so. The

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boy may be reluctant, but I must take the boy to Him; I

must carry him to his guardian in spite of his reluctance.”
The devotees are conscious that: everything is for Him,
and they utilize everything in that way, thereby doing
good to all. Their life, their campaign in every way is
such, whether or not it may be tasteful to the ordinary so-
called religious or moral people. The devotees are right,
independent of other opinions.

BY HIMSELF AND FOR HIMSELF

Everything is for Him, for the Lord. ßrÈ Krishna says:
aha˜ hi sarva-yajñÅnŘ
bhoktÅ ca prabhur eva ca
na tu mÅm abhijÅnanti
tattvenÅtaÍ cyavanti te
(B.gÈtÅ 9:24)
“I alone am the Enjoyer, the Lord and object of all
sacrifice. Those who do not recognize My true tran-
scendental nature fall down.”
From this viewpoint, all conditioned souls in this
world—everyone, including those who are masters of
moral and scientific knowledge are considered ‘minors’.
The soul in bondage, any baddha-jÈva, is minor. The
‘majors’ are those vai›ˆavas who know that ‘everything

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is for Him’, and the consequence of this understanding

is that the soul must ‘die to live’. They know that there
is only one Enjoyer, that everything is meant for His
pleasure, His satisfaction, and that it is by dying to any
separate interest or false ego that the soul can truly live
in the world of divine service. Those vai›ˆavas are the
guardians of the whole creation, and they utilize every-
thing for Him to the real benefit of everyone in the
world. Can you conceive of this? Can you follow?
Student: Yes.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: If you are able to understand
this, then you will find some harmonious existence in
this world. You will understand things in their proper
perspective. Otherwise there is only ignorance.
According to the degree of ignorance, there is grada-
tion: tamaÓ, to mahÅ-tamaÓ, to mahÅ-mahÅ-tamaÓ.
Nature is divided into sattva, rajas and tamas, and
within this there are many subdivisions. There are
those of the very lowest section where the ignorance is
very thick; then those a little above that whose igno-
rance is a little less; and those above that still. Similarly,
there is gradation among those under the mode of
passion, under rajo-guˆa; and above that, among those
under the higher, sattvic nature. The nirguˆa plane is

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above all the various material qualities. It is a unified

plane where one Guardian is guiding every limb and
every idea of a person—who is in touch with full-
fledged theism.
Student: Christians say the one Master is Christ.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: They say three: God the Father,
God the Ghost, and God the Deliverer as Christ. There
are three phases of conception in theism, according to
Christianity. In Islam, there are so many messengers from
God—Mohammed was such a messenger. The
Mohammedans mostly accept the messengers of the
Judaeo-Christian tradition: Moses, Abraham and others.
But according to them the last messenger of God was
Mohammed, and he is considered to be foremost. Some
conception of God is there, but it is not so much devel-
oped as we find in Hindu ontology, or in the Vedas or
Upani›ads—in the revealed scriptures.
The renowned German scholar Max Muller once
said, “The Upani›ad in India will feed the whole world.
The whole world will be fully nourished by them; not a
drop of knowledge will be lost or missed, if the world can
get the knowledge that is stored there.” This was his
conclusion.

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CENTRAL OFFICE
We can understand it in this way: within every
phenomenon that exists, there is some intrinsic, central
position, whether in gold, diamonds, industry, educa-
tion, or religion. Within all of these there is an orig-
inal, or most concentrated, position. We may not find
the most fully-fledged manifestation everywhere that
phenomenon may appear. So, in the case of religion, or
theism, India was selected by God to be in the central or
highest position. It is not unreasonable: a university
college cannot be established in every village, but some
particular place must be selected for it. It is the same for
the hospital, the police station, and so on. So in this
world, some place was selected to be the highest seat
of religion, of theism. That came in the lot of India.
If we have the proper eye to see this, we won’t be
envious: “Why should it be India?” That thinking is
ludicrous, just as someone from the village thinking
“Why in our village is there only a primary school, and
in that city there is the university?” The highest school
for theistic education should be located somewhere on
the globe, and the place selected was India. If we are
to approach the comparison in theistic education, we
should do so with this kind of background understanding.

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And from that viewpoint Max Muller wrote: “If we look

in the Upani›ads, we will find that which will satisfy
people of any religious inclination—and still the store
will not be diminished, even slightly.” That kind of
knowledge is an eternal fountain: its water is always
flowing; the fountain will never become dry.

NO PREJUDICE
Wherever the universal truths of religion are found,
they should be accepted. If it were not so, then those who
are Christians from various nations, for example the
Americans or the British, should say: “Christ was born
in the Middle East; why should we take his instructions?
He was not born on our soil; his teaching has not sprung
from our country—why should we accept it?” But the
geographical difference is all illusion, mÅyÅ. Wherever
the real religious truth is found, we must be open to
accept it for its own intrinsic value. We should not be
guided by the physical, mundane affinity—to our bodies
or countries. We must rise above all this material
consciousness and be students; with complete openness.
We shall be an enquirer after the truth, from wherever
it comes.
The atom bomb was created in some particular loca-
tion, but does that mean in other places people are not

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trying to develop it? Will others say, “Oh, it was invented

somewhere else—we won’t take it!” The battle tank
was first invented in France, during the first Great War—
now it is everywhere. The rocket was first created in
the form of the ‘V2’ of Hitler, but is now, in its developed
form, existing everywhere. And if even here in this
world, everything has universal character and application
in this way, should we think that the spiritual world
will be of a narrow, national kind of conception? Will the
highest truth, which can give relief to all troubles, be
relatively located? Rather, that will be the most universal.
It will be unique.
Student: But the problem I have found on many occa-
sions, is that when I speak with, for example a Christian,
he will appreciate the high position of bhakti (devotion)
and surrender as being above that of liberation, yet he
will insist that Christ is the ‘only way’.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: He may accept ‘surrender’, but
surrender to whom? Surrender may be of many kinds—
it may be to the family, the nation, and so on. But the
value of surrender will be according to its criterion:
surrender for what?
Student: Surrender to God.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: ‘God’ means what? What is the
conception of God? There is the hazy conception and the

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clear conception. We are to come to the clear concep-

tion of what God is. We are to come to a very minute
comparative study, just as in the laboratory the germs and
viruses will come under our closer inspection. The closest
inspection will give us the deepest conception. So, what
is God? Is it a hazy thing—unknown and unknowable
God? Does God mean something unknown and unknow-
able and not anything concrete?
Student: The Christians say, “God is revealed in Christ.”
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Christ gave us some concep-
tion, but still, that conception is hazy. Just as there exists
a hazy conception about the sun and the moon, still
they have their own, real existence. On closer inspection
many more astonishing things about them will be seen,
and ultimately those heavenly bodies will be found.
They will be discovered in their real identity.
Student: But the Christians are afraid to go beyond
what Christ has said.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: That tendency is everywhere. At
every step it is to be found. A person is attached to
whatever plane of knowledge or ignorance, he is in.
Such is the case not only with religion, but everywhere—
it is a tendency common to all.
Student: These Christians take excuse from the Bible;

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Christ says that no one can come to the Father except

through him.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: This too is a common thing: all
peoples of the world have some sort of religious authority.
Some people accept the Bible, some the Koran. The
Hindu class will accept something else; the tribal Africans
also have their authority, and the ßa⁄karites have theirs.
But when a comparison is to be drawn, the people must
come out of their local bigotry and approach the matter
with an open mind. They will have to come out into
the broad daylight, under the open sky, and consult,
compare, reject, and accept. Otherwise, where is the
chance of progress? Because whatever the conception
in which one is presently situated, he is attached to that.
Such is the situation everywhere, not only in religion.
For example, every nation may boast, “We are the
first-class military power.” But when there is war, it is
decided who is who! Russia boasted, “We have the power
to control the whole world”. Others have also done the
same. In the beginning of the second Great War,
Emperor Tojo of Japan said, “We are prepared for a
hundred years of war! The Europeans will fight together
and be finished, and we will be Emperor of the whole
world.” This was his boast—but as it was shown, to
think something is one thing, and reality is another.

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INCOMPARABLE THEOLOGY
There was one Arabian gentleman who became a
devotee. He said “From the beginning I had the
tendency to go through the religious books of all the
nations. In the course of that I found that the Indian
religious writers have covered, in space and in time, a
huge field—the most vast and ancient. In the Bible it is
told that the world was created a few thousand years ago;
but Indian theology says that so many evolutions and
dissolutions have taken place. So many creations and
dissolutions have occurred throughout history—the
entire solar system has been dissolved, and again created,
and again dissolved. The history of such vast spans of
time is to be found in those writings. Time has been
dealt with in such a spacious way compared to other
theologians of the world. Space is also treated like this:
the creation, formation and annihilation of the universe;
and the history of the great planets, such as the polestar
(Dhruvaloka) and the sun.” Both geographically and
historically, that gentleman found that nothing
compares to what has been given in the Indian theo-
logical books.
He was also astonished to discover, that from beyond
this body, and beyond this universe, those ›is could

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gather knowledge of such a graphic and spacious nature,

collected from the planes beyond the known world,
distributed by the propounders of the Indian religious
scriptures. So that man concluded, “This must be the
broadest amongst all religious conceptions.” And he
was attracted to search for the Truth in that way.
Student: If Krishna consciousness is the highest, it would
seem that it would also be the most difficult for the
conditioned soul to attain. And perhaps for Western
devotees, or those who have taken birth in the non-
Vedic cultures, it might be especially difficult. Sometimes
one may think it would be easier for the spiritual seeker
to approach God through the religion they were born
into—for example, Christianity.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: It is not a question of creed or
culture, but of awakening of consciousness. There are so
many conceptions of Godhead. In the human section
there are so many different stages, beginning with the
atheist. In the beginning the soul is covered by dense
ignorance, with no conception of even one’s own self.
Then, when his consciousness awakens further, he is
able to discriminate, and through that he can give recog-
nition to morality, but not yet theism. In that stage he
can see the interest of others to be like his own.

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PLANE OF AFFINITY
When a person gets even higher awakenment he
comes to find that between the environment, himself
and others, there is a connecting link, a common sub-
stratum of consciousness. All are standing on a common
platform. And he will search: what is that? Why does it
exist? What is it for? When he comes to investigate,
gradually he feels more the importance of that plane
which is connecting himself, his neighbor and the envi-
ronment, and which creates some affinity between them.
Searching further, he finds that such a unifying plane,
in which he exists, is both within him and without him.
It permeates everything, and is very captivating. He
becomes captured by its charm, its beauty. And now, the
question arises about his own relationship with that
plane. What is that relationship? How does it exist?
That thing for which he feels such affinity: is it only
some subtle element like air, or ether, or is it something
of a higher order? Because he feels it within himself, in
his heart, his mind, and he feels more curiosity to know
about it.
DYNAMIC SEARCH
In this way, the God-conception comes within the
soul. Through the process of elimination his knowledge

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improves, his conception of God improves, and that is

progress. ‘Progress’ means to grow in knowledge. Through
this process, in every field, man is progressing.
Life itself is dynamic—everything is progressing; it
cannot remain in a static position. So, life means to
search, it cannot but be so. In science, for example,
Newton gave some conception, and then so many others
came and gave a higher conception which was more
graphic and extensive. In this way the knowledge
progresses.
Just as in this world the primary schools are filled with
students, as well as the colleges, universities and post-
graduate colleges. There are those in the primary stage, the
middle stage and the highest stage. So it is with the
progress of the soul in his conception of God. There are
so many souls occupying different levels of awakenment.

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 Outer Form,
Inner Substance

What is the test of Vedic knowledge? How deep is

your knowledge about the revealed Truth? Vidyavata⁄
bhÅgavate parik›ara: the ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam is the test.
It gives the standard against which all other concep-
tions must be measured. The standard is given there:
the position of that central conception.
What is its capacity, utility, superiority of that Truth?
ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam says:
vadanti tat tattva vidas
tattva˜ yad jñÅnam advayam
brahmeti paramÅtmeti
bhagavÅn iti Íabdyate
(S.BhÅg 1:2:11)
“The different learned transcendentalists know the
Absolute Truth as one undivided spiritual substance
beyond duality; but they realize It in three phases: as
BrahmÅn, ParamÅtma, and finally BhagavÅn.”
The central Truth is not BrahmÅn; BrahmÅn is the all-
accomodating aspect of the environment. And
ParamÅtma is the all-permeating aspect, who is within

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everything, everywhere. Another aspect is BhagavÅn.

‘BhagavÅn’ means He is bhagya, auspicious; He is full of
opulence, aisvarya. So the first interpretation of
‘BhagavÅn’ may be given as aisvaryaman: the source of all
power, the controller of all potency. But the ßrÈmad
BhÅgavatam has shown BhagavÅn in another, revolu-
tionary aspect; it has taken the Center from a position of
power to love. It has shown the Center to be love. Love
is above power; it exists in a deeper plane. Power is
external, and love is higher.

WHOLESALE SURRENDER
‘BhagavÅn’ means bhajaniya-guna-visistha: He is of
such substance that whenever we come in connection
with Him we want to surrender to Him, worship Him,
merge our interest in Him. We want to throw ourself at
His feet. We will think: “That for which I have been
searching, the Lord of my heart, I have here! I don’t
want anything else.” BhagavÅn is such: He excites eager-
ness to fall at His feet. He is all-attracting; therefore He
is called BhagavÅn.
His nature is such that the ÅtmarÅmas, those who
have no attraction for this mundane world, will also
feel irresistably pulled towards Him. He has such qual-
ification. He attracts the soul to jump wholesale to His

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service. He will draw our wholesale surrender.

So, vidyavatan bhagavate pariksara: the Bhagavat is
the test. It asks us: “How far are you advanced in your
theistic life? Can you do this wholesale surrender? Can
you even think of it? Can you think that by ‘dying’ you
can live a proper life; that by dying as you are at
present—a wholesale dissolution—you will gain yourself
a new life? Are you bold enough for this?”

BEAUTY AND LOVE

The characteristic of the highest substance is not
master of power or all-knowing, everything contained
within Him as if ‘floating in His belly’. Nor is it all-
permeating, microscopic, existing in the smallest thing.
All-permeating, all-pervading, or all-accomodating—
these are not the highest qualities of the Supreme
Substance. The characteristic of the Controller of all
power, NÅrÅyaˆa, is one conception. But Who attracts
us unconditionally towards Himself, so we only want to
fall at His feet, He is such Beauty, such Love. That sort
of conception is given by ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam, and that
is the highest conception against which all others must
be measured. Have you any idea of the Absolute as the
Center of love from anywhere in the revealed scrip-
tures? Only ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam has given us the highest

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thing. That is the central world, the highest plane of

existence we are called to live in. And MahÅprabhu
came with that; He brought it to us freely. Not only
are we fortunate to have the human form, but we have
such a great prospect of life.

LOOK TO YOURSELF
We should ask: what type of existence are we
presently engaged in? I can go down again to be an
insect, a beast, a tree. I am wandering in this vicious
cycle of birth and death—this is my position. One
moment I am at the top of the cycle; the next moment
I am lost; I am nowhere. This is action and reaction. It
is all only action and reaction. Now I am acting as
master—then the reaction will come as a demand for me
to pay my debt, and it will pull me down by my ear, just
as the parent or schoolteacher punishes the misbehaving
child. In this way we are moving in the material plane:
higher and lower, up and down, continously. In
Bhagavad-gÈtÅ Krishna says:
Å-brahma-bhuvanÅl lokÅÓ
punar Åvartino ‘rjuna
mÅm upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate
(B.gÈtÅ 8:16)

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

“Oh Arjuna, from the highest planet in the material

universe, that of Lord BrahmÅ, down to the lowest, all
are places of misery because the residents of all these planes
are under the law of repeated birth and death. But for one
who attains My abode, O son of KuntÈ there is no rebirth.”

TRUE FRIENDS
How are we to come out of this vicious cycle and
attain the fulfillment of our life? Our only friends are
those who are carrying this information to the public: the
Absolute Center is Love. Our best friends are those who
are on such an errand. All other seeming friends should
be dismissed. They should all be dismissed if we are
sincere. Now, this will be the form of our progressive
life: to move towards that Center. And for that there
must be elimination, and new acceptance. In this way,
leaving behind all other formalities, the inner spirit
must make us mad to advance further towards Him.
Student: Guru MahÅrÅj, I have one question. In
Caitanya-lÈlÅ the Spiritual Master of GadÅdhara Pandit
is PuˆÎarÈk VidyÅnidhi. But what is PuˆÎarÈk VidyÅndhi’s
position in Krishna-lÈlÅ?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: GadÅdhara Pandit has been
considered to be RÅdhÅrÅni’s incarnation; and PuˆÎarÈk
VidyÅnidhi is considered to be V›abhÅnu-rÅj, the father

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of RÅdhÅrÅni in Krishna-lÈlÅ.
Student: PuˆÎarÈk VidyÅnidhi has such uncommon
pastimes. They are very difficult to understand.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: He is paramaha˜sa. Different
devotees have come to this world to show different types
of bhajan. Bhajan is the common factor among all such
extraordinary devotees. They are all fully devoted, but
they are showing themselves as different types, different
models. So all are not one and the same. But their
common end, Krishna consciousness, is to be consid-
ered. If one is directed totally towards Krishna conscious-
ness in all positions, then he is properly situated.
Suppose there are many patients suffering from
the same disease. The doctor may not advise
everyone to take the same diet. It will be similar, but
not the same; according to the capacity or condition
of the stomach, one patient is given one thing and
another something else. Similarly, the aim of those
who are going towards Krishna consciousness is as
one, but the physical arrangements may be a little
different. So in the case of the para˜ahamsas, devo-
tees of extraordinary characteristics, their activities
should not be judged in relation to the general stan-
dard of what is considered good and bad.

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PUNDARIK PARAMAHAMSA
One example of this is PuˆÎarÈk VidyÅnidhi. In his
youth, GadÅdhara Pandit was always very eager to see
sÅdhus. So one day Mukunda asked him: “Would you
like to go and see a sÅdhu? I know of a good sÅdhu; I can
take you.”
“Yes, yes, take me to him!”
So Mukunda brought him there. GadÅdhara Pandit
saw that PuˆÎarik VidyÅnidhi was sitting on a very soft
bed with the finest covers; he was smoking an elabo-
rately carved pipe; his hair was styled very beautifully, and
his clothes were of the most expensive cut. GadÅdhara
thought, “Oh! What sort of sÅdhu has Mukunda brought
me to see?” He had some doubt in his mind. Mukunda
knew this; he could feel it. So he chanted one Íloka
from ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam:
aho bakÈyam stana-kÅla-kËÊa˜
jighŘsayÅpÅyayad apy asÅdhvÈ
lebhe gati˜ dhÅtry-ucitŘ tato ‘nya˜
ka˜ vÅ dayÅlu˜ Íaraˆa˜ vrajema
(S.BhÅg.3:2:23 )
In this verse Uddhava is speaking to Vidura: “Who
should I worship, other than Krishna? His magnanimity
is so great that when PutanÅ came to kill Him by poison,

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she was given the position as mother to Him in His

domain. Among those who are worshipable, He is the
most magnanimous personality. Who shall I have as my
worshipable Lord, greater than this?”
This Íloka created some movement in the heart of
PuˆÎarÈk VidyÅnidhi, and despite his external appear-
ance, gradually something else began to show itself.
Throwing away the valuable smoking-pipe, he began
to shred his expensive clothing and his bedding; he
began to tear his well-decorated hair and show many
different kinds of extraordinary behavior. Then he began
to roll on the ground, his body spasming; words from
that verse: ‘ka˜ vÅ dayÅlu˜... Íaraˆa˜ vrajema…’ were
coming intermittently from PuˆÎarÈk’s mouth.
Then GadÅdhara Pandit thought: “Oh! Even a small
sentiment about the magnanamity of Krishna can
produce so much revolution in his heart! He must be a
great devotee.” In this way GadÅdhara Pandit began to
understand the dignified position of PuˆÎarÈk
VidyÅnidhi.

INNER ENGAGMENT
So, it is not always that ‘the man may be known by
his dress’. For PuˆÎarÈk VidyÅnidhi, his opulent appear-
ance and activity is only an outer showing; he does not

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care; he has no attachment for it—to him everything is

one and the same. He is only showing such an opulent
fashion externally, but he is not a slave to those things—
to beautiful clothes, hair, or any other such thing.
Similarly, it is told about RÅjar›i Janaka: if he should
have one hand on the soft breast of a lady and another
hand in the fire, there is no change, no disturbance in his
consciousness. Both cases—enjoying and suffering—
are the same to him. Softness and burning sensation;
he is tolerating both. So, if a man who can tolerate the
pain of fire-burning, puts his hand on the soft part of a
lady, it is nothing to him. The inner man is otherwise
engaged; the outward manifestation is only an external
posture, and it cannot affect him at all. It cannot disturb
him from his engagement. Do you follow?
Student: Yes.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Another example is Lord
RÅmacandra. The day before he was to be installed on
the throne, all in the kingdom were rejoicing. But
RÅmacandra Himself was in a serious frame of mind.
His mood was not very light, not very pleasing. He was
thinking that the next day, He is going to receive the
great responsibility of discharging His duty to the
kingdom: “A great burden is coming on My head. I shall

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have the responsibility of looking after so many subjects.”

This was His sober mood. Then when He heard that
instead of being enthroned, He was to go to the forest—
that His stepmother had forced His father to enthrone
Bharata, her son, and to banish RÅmacandra to the
forest—RÅmacandra’s temperament remained the same:
He was going to discharge a duty. To get the throne is
duty; to obey His father’s will by going to the forest also
duty. By accepting banishment to the forest, He is
discharging a duty, and His temperament does not
change. His balance of mind, His equilibrium, is not
disturbed. He is not a slave to any event, be it good or
bad; He is perfectly equipoised to carry out His duty.
Even if He must go to hell, He is not in any way
disturbed.
Such a quality is also manifest in the exclusive devo-
tees of the Lord:
nÅrÅyaˆa-parÅÓ sarve
na kutaÍcana bibhyati
svargÅpavarga-narake›v
api tulyÅrtha-darÍinaÓ
(S.BhÅg. 6:17:28)
“Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, NÅrÅyaˆa, never

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fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets,

liberation, and the hellish planets are all the same, for
such devotees are interested only in the service of the
Lord.”
PARVATI’S CURSE
This verse is in connection with the following story
related in the ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam. Once Lord ßiva was
sitting with his wife PÅrvatÈ on his lap; by his desire she
was there, and he was resting. Then his friend and
previous classmate Citraketu happened by, and, seeing
this, made some remark:
“Oh Sankara, what are you doing? Of course, I don’t
question your dignity; but, to the public, it is not a good
lesson, not a good example. You should consider this.”
PÅrvatÈ was enraged: “You don’t know the greatness of
MahÅdev? You are making some remark about him? You
are ridiculing his practice? Your views are not pure, so you
must take a demonic birth.”
But Citraketu only said, “Yes, I accept your curse.”
And he went away.
Then MahÅdev, his mood a little angry, spoke to
PÅrvatÈ: “Do you know devotees of NÅrÅyaˆa? Do you
know who they are? Citraketu has not done anything
wrong. He is my friend, and what I am doing should

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not be publicly done. That is why his remark is not very

insulting to me. He is my friend, and in a friendly way he
gave such a slight remark. But you could not tolerate it;
you cast a curse upon him. And what was his attitude? He
could have cast a similar curse on you—he has that
power—but he did not. He only accepted your curse
and went away. So, who are those devotees? Do you
know them?”

SIVA’S PRAISE
Then Lord ßiva instructed PÅrvatÈ with this Íloka:
nÅrÅyaˆa-parÅh sarve,
na kutaÍcana bibhyati,
svargÅpavarga-narake›v,
api tulyartha-darÍinau
(S.BhÅg. 6:17:28)
“The devotees of NÅrÅyaˆa do not care for anything
of this world, good or bad; both heaven and hell are
equal to them. They are not afraid of any condition of
life; they are prepared for any eventuality, whether
‘svarga’, ‘Åpavarga’, or ‘naraka’ (heaven, salvation or
hell). All are equal to them.”
If such a devotee has to go to hell, the other sufferers
there will be benefited, but no hellish thing will be able

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to touch him; he is always surrounded by the Lord’s

protection. Just as when a man in good health goes to
serve an infectious patient, the infection cannot enter
him. But if the helping man’s own health is weak, he will
fall prey to that infection. Similarly, the devotees of
NÅrÅyaˆa are of such a type that wherever they are,
whatever unfavorable circumstances they are in, they are
protected by bhakti-rasa. Their ‘under-garment’ is of the
purest material; nothing can pierce or harm them. So,
tulyÅrtha-darÍinaÓ—everything is equal in their eyes.
Their vision is such. They are wandering in the world of
Krishna; wherever they go is by Krishna’s will. And
whatever comes to them, they see: “Oh, it is Krishna’s
will. I am serving His purpose.” They are living only
with this idea: that they are serving His purpose. They
are not suffering from any local interest, but always they
are in such consciousness; they remain always merged in
the universal interest.

THE NIRGUNA PLANE

Once, after the Kuruk›etra war was finished, one
young ›i named Utaˆka met Krishna and told Him:
“Krishna, I shall curse you.”
“Oh, why?”
“Because You are the cause of all the misery that is the

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outcome of that great, vast battle of Kuruk›etra—so

many widows, so many orphans, so many crippled
persons are all crying out of pain and misery, and You are
at the bottom of it all!”
Then Krishna said, “Oh, you ›i-kumar, young ›i,
whatever power you have accumulated by your penance
will be finished if you will come to utilize it against Me.
No effect will come to Me. I am in nirguˆa. My position
is without any material quality. It is gunatita, transcending
the material qualities. There is sattva-rajaÓ-tamaÓ, the
three gunas, materially binding qualities of goodness,
passion, and ignorance. But above these three, there is
the universal angle of vision. My position is there. That
plane is ahaitukÈ-apratihatÅ. There exists the causeless
and irresistable flow of the most fundamental world.
“Just as electricity has vibration, flow, so I exist in a
plane of dynamic movement. That movement is irre-
sistable, and it is causeless. It has no object but is an
automatic, wholesome movement of infinite character.
I am there. All My activity is from that plane. So waves
from any other plane that will come to clash with it
will be finished. The plane in which I am moving will
continue forever. It is eternal: it has no beginning and no
end; it is a harmonious flow. I am there. Nothing can

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affect My position. Whatever relative power you, ›i-

kumar, have acquired will be finished if you throw it
against the irresistable flow wherein I am moving.” This
was Krishna’s reply.

EXCLUSIVE SERVICE MOOD

The divine plane is nirguˆa, and in relation to that,
only the internal position should be judged, not the
external. The internal situation is all-important.
Such criterion may be applied in the case of grÓasta
devotees; their inner purity we may consider from this
standpoint. The sannyÅsÈns, of course, should not cast any
glance over the ladies. They will consider doing so a
very filthy thing. But there are grÓasta devotees who are
producing so many children. They may still be cent-
per-cent pure—no enjoying mood, no spirit of exploita-
tion is in them. And it is not only that the enjoying
mood may be absent, but they have a serving mood:
the grÓasta is joined in union and the child comes, but in
that there is a fully serving mood. There is no mood of
enjoyment. It may be so.
In a word: exploitation is bad, serving is good. The
outer color of the thing does not matter much. If any
activity is approached through the spirit of service, if it
is the vibration from that most fundamental plane that

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 T HE P ULL OF THE T RANSCENDENTAL W ORLD

is influencing any external activity, whatever it may be,

then that activity is cent-per-cent pure. So thieving,
lying—everything may be pure if the vibration is coming
from the most fundamental plane. If the motive of power
comes, being pushed from that plane, it is alright. That
is the nirguˆa-lÈlÅ. There exists not only selflessness, but
the fullest self-surrendering to the Center. All move-
ment is actuated by that power. The surrendered servi-
tors are fully established in lÈlÅ, and that is nirguˆa.

LOCAL AND UNIVERSAL INTEREST

So it is not by the form but by the spirit—the real
position—that things should be judged. Whatever we
think we are achieving or understanding by our local
or provincial experience, if we are accepting that local
interest as our standard, has no value. That is to say: it
has value, but temporary value because it is partial. Its
locality is partial; it is part of space, and also part of
time, and that is all of limited value. That kind of local
standard, is to be applied to the ordinary persons but
not to the nirguˆa servitors. The activities of such servi-
tors may appear to be similar: doing seemingly undesir-
able things such as stealing, lying and fighting. But
because their motivation is from the nirguˆa plane, they
are not bad. Their nature is of a different order.

109
 The Pull of the
Transcendental World

It is said: meghÅcchÅnŘ na durdinam, tadinam

durdinam manye: a good day or a bad day is not to be
judged by the weather, but the day we do not talk about,
or cultivate understanding of the Supreme Being, our
Lord, is hopeless and non-productive. It is a wasted day
if there is no consultation about Him, if we forget our
own Lord. He is the be-all and end-all for us, the all-in-
all in our life. He is our Lord of lords.

SOUL’S AWAKENING
There is a verse in ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam:
avismÂtiÓ k›ˆa-pÅdÅravindayoÓ
k›iˆoty abhadrňi ca Ía˜ tanoti
sattvasya Íuddhi˜ paramÅtma-bhakti˜
jñÅna˜ ca vijñÅna-virÅga-yuktam
(S.BhÅg 12:12:55)

Here it is said: avismÂtiÓ k›ˆa-padÅravindayoÓ, do not

forget the divine lotus feet of Krishna. Because by the
continuous remembrance of Krishna, all the undesir-

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 T HE P ULL OF THE T RANSCENDENTAL W ORLD

able things, the dirty things within you, will have to

leave (k›iˆoty abhadrÅni).
Without Krishna consciousness, without conscious-
ness of Divinity, all mundane things are like dirt. That
dirt should be removed. It should be destroyed by the
continuance of Krishna consciousness. That remem-
brance cleans out all the dirt, and it extends to our real
welfare. Ca Ía˜ tanoti: it produces from within real good-
ness. Sattvasya-Íuddhi˜: when the alloy is eliminated
from your ego, from your present self-conception, then
your whole existence is purified. Your self-conception is
false ego; it is full of alloy, and that will be destroyed
by your continued God-consciousness. As your exis-
tence is purified, gradually you will find the Lord,
ParamÅtma, within yourself (paramÅtma-bhakti˜). You
will be able to understand who you are, jÈvÅtma, and
who is supporting you from above, ParamÅtma.
Then, jñÅna ca vijñÅna: you will find a special type of
God-conception that will show to you both the Lord
and His potency—the different potencies and the Owner
of those potencies. VirÅga-yuktam: you will feel the effect
of this two-fold: both non-attraction to the mundane
world, and properly adjusted attraction towards the
Truth. You will feel such development within you.

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

SWEET HOME
So continue with God-consciousness, and it will take
you to the desired position. It will take you back Home.
And you will be able to conceive how sweet that Home
is. If you somehow try to maintain the fire of God-
consciousness, all alloy within you will be destroyed;
your purified self will come out from the fire, and you will
find everything your heart really desires.
In this verse it is said: jñÅna-vijñÅna-virÅga-yuktam.
You will be able to clearly conceive both the knowledge
of the Whole and the knowledge of the different parts and
potencies of the Whole in detail. It will be clear in your
heart. So, your faith will not be simply blind; do not
think it to be so. It is not that faith means only blind
faith, blind emotion. That plane where your heart is to
live is not a domain of only blind emotion, but there is
proper knowledge there. It is the land of proper under-
standing, where the Center exists, the Lord, as well as so
many potencies, which are controlled by Him. You will
be able to acquire such a position of understanding.
So dive deep into God-consciousness. It is the key to
the highest success of life and it will take you to your
Home. And that Home is so sweet! It is not a foreign
land; not that you will take so much risk only to go to

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 T HE P ULL OF THE T RANSCENDENTAL W ORLD

some unknown place, where you may be dealt with in

any way. There will be no such apprehension, no such
doubt or suspicion. But as much as you will be able to
make progress on that side, you will find such sweet-
ness, such home-like comfort and confidence.

HEART CAPTURE
Once a devotee was out preaching and distributing
books. He entered an office to speak with a lawyer, but
the lawyer would not allow the devotee any time. He
said, “I am so busy—don’t you see? So many clients are
standing in line, they are queuing up to see me, and you
have come to talk with me! How is it possible for me to
spare any time for all these idle talks about religion?” He
would not spare the devotee a moment. But that devotee
somehow made him hear something about Krishna
consciousness and presented him with the book ‘Search
for ßri Krishna’. After reading a few pages, the lawyer
ordered his secretary, “Pay fifty dollars to this gentleman.
Write him a check.”
Student: MahÅrÅj, actually that lawyer specialized in
criminal law; if he read the part about Krishna stealing
butter, perhaps he was attracted by that!
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: (laughing): Then he should have
concocted a case against that devotee, saying “You have

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come to introduce this idea, of God stealing? Then everyone

in this world will imitate Him; they will all be thieves!”
Student: He could claim, “Your God is teaching anti-reli-
gious principles, adharma!”
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: But by his own reasoning, that
lawyer must also have to conclude that not God, but
all in this world, including himself, are culprits. Because
if God is advaya-jñÅna, the Perfect Whole, and abhijñÅÓ
svarÅÊ, the fully independent Absolute, and if He happens
to be a thief, then all here who try to imitate Him in that
way are envious of Him. To become jealous of His activ-
ities, they must first be thinking that they are equal to
Him. But that is not the fact. He is Absolute—you are a
culprit! And, nirmÅtsarňŘ-satÅm: only those who are
not envious can accept this truth (S.BhÅg.1:1:3). If God
is a thief, also, we can consider that we have some hope.
How is that?

A BEAUTIFUL SOLACE
When I was a college student, I once went to hear a
lecture given by a GoswÅmÈ. There he said, “Because
Krishna is a thief, we have some hope! We have erected
such strong fencing all around us so that nothing good
may enter. We have made a boundary wall, and there are
so many locks, so much opposition, that nothing can

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 T HE P ULL OF THE T RANSCENDENTAL W ORLD

enter. But Krishna is a thief. By stealth that thief will

come for His own interest!”
So we have tried our best to construct a wall around
our heart so that no God consciousness can enter. But as
a thief Krishna will enter, and that is our solace. One
day He may stealthily enter as a thief into our heart and
capture it. That is our only hope. Consciously we won’t
invite Him to come within our heart, so only the ‘thief-
God’ is our solace. So, let God be a thief! When goodness
comes in that way—stealthily—such mercy is above the
consideration of justice.

TRUE CHARITY
There was one Mohammedan gentleman living in
the Hooghly district of Calcutta. His name was Haji
Mohammed Mahasim. He was a bachelor and owned
much property, a rich man but of a very charitable dispo-
sition. In Hooghly there is a big mosque commemo-
rated to his name. He used to give charity stealthily.
He would move around in the poorest areas of the city
at night, disguised in very plain clothes, and, unseen, he
would throw bags of coins into the dwellings.
If money comes stealthily to someone in such a way,
it is not considered undesirable. And if Krishna comes
stealthily into our hearts, as a thief, how easily we may get

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Him! But such dealings are all above justice. They are in
the plane of mercy. Above the plane of justice, in the land
of mercy, affection and love, such things are possible.
The good enters stealthily into the bad, the undesiring
party, the exploiter, and makes him good.

FEELER AND FELT

First we must understand our present undesirable
position as an exploiter. The conditioned soul is the
exploiter of nature, but in actuality, he is being exploited
by matter. We have to be able to see clearly the gain and
the loss in this interaction. First of all we must be able to
discriminate properly between matter and spirit: there is
the action and behind it the consciousness.
ßrÈla SwÅmÈ MahÅrÅj PrabhupÅda gave this example:
there are two men, one has eyes but is crippled; the
other can move but he has no eyes. Matter, though
moving, has no feeling—it is not the conscious party;
that position belongs to the man who is endowed with
feeling. In Bhagavad-gita we find:
kÅrya-kÅraˆa-kartÂtve
hetuÓ prakÂtir ucyate
puru›aÓ sukha-duÓkhÅnŘ
bhoktÂtve hetur ucyate
(B.gita 13:21)

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“Material nature is said to be the cause of all condi-

tioned activities of the mundane senses and their effects,
whereas the living entity is the cause of his own suffering
and enjoyment in this world.”
Who is more important—the feeler or the felt? The
criterion of happiness is confined in the feeler. And we
have to consider: is happiness necessary? And if so, why
is it necessary? Happiness is possible only in the subjec-
tive existence—it is possible for the soul. Avoiding this
material engagement, one may feel more happiness. He
will be ÅtmÅrÅma, self-satisfied. Presently entangled in the
unhappy substance, one must seek to become ÅtmÅrÅma.
åtmÅrÅma means one who is established within himself
and not outside himself.

SUPERSOUL WORLD
Even they who are ÅtmÅrÅma, who have attained that
standard, find more happiness when they come in contact
with with ParamÅtmÅ, the Supreme Soul. In the ßrÈmad
BhÅgavatam the existence of the higher Åtma, of the
Supersoul world, is fundamentally established:
sËta uvÅca
ÅtmÅrÅmÅÍ ca munayo
nirgranthÅ apy urukrame

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

kurvanty ahaitukȘ bhaktim

ittham-bhËta-guˆo hariÓ
(S.BhÅg. 1:7:10)
“SËta GoswÅmÈ said; All the ÅtmÅrÅmas, those who
find satisfaction in the self, and especially those who are
situated on the path of spiritual realization, being already
free from slavery to matter, feel the desire to serve the
Supreme Person with pure devotion. The Lord, being
the Possessor of all transcendental qualities, is able to
attract all living beings, even those who are liberated.”
Those who are self-sufficient are also attracted by some
higher ecstasy. So this is the positive proof that higher
ecstasy exists. Though of a much finer type, it is real,
because the self-sufficient people find joy when coming in
contact with that apparently abstract thing. That is the
proof: that a man who does not care for anything of this
world, who is almost independent of material existence, can
be drawn by that transcendental substance.
Consider ßukadev GoswÅmÈ. Already self-realized
from before his birth, he does not want anything in this
world; even he doesn’t wear any clothes. He only some-
times takes a cup of milk if it comes easily. He does not
care for anything in this mundane plane—he has quite
an independent life. He is ÅtmÅrÅma, engaged in himself,

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not in any material, objective consciousness. And he

has become attracted by something of a seemingly
abstract nature. So, there must be something above the
soul’s own subjective existence in a still higher plane
that is adhok›aja, beyond ordinary perception.
When that plane comes down to contact us, we can
feel it, and when it withdraws, we are helpless— we
cannot contact it, cannot touch it. It is similar to the
phenomenon of the "flying saucer." You have heard of a
flying saucer?
Student: Yes.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Recently it was reported in the
newspaper that there was a rumor that a craft of some
kind—an unidentified flying object or flying saucer—
was coming to make contact with Earth. From here, the
airforce pilots apparently sighted it, but when they tried
to follow it disappeared.
The adhok›aja plane of existence is something like
that; it can come down to make contact with us, but
when we chase after it, when we try to capture it,
suddenly it is nowhere to be found. That is the nature
and the proof of the higher existence. Just as with the
flying saucer, the airplane pilots see something is coming
towards them, but when they give chase, it disappears. So

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a world of more efficient machinery exists on the other

side. Based on their experiences, those pilots and other
aeronautical experts are now admitting the existence
of some higher plane of life.
In ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam, ßukadev GoswÅmÈ informs
MahÅrÅj ParÈk›it:
prÅyeˆa munayo rÅjan
nivÂttÅ vidhi-›edhataÓ
nairguˆya-sthÅ ramante sma
guˆÅnukathane hareÓ
(S.BhÅg.2:1:7)

“Oh King, even the most advanced transcendental-

ists who are above the regulative principles and restric-
tions feel the greatest pleasure in describing the glories
of the Supreme Lord.”
There is such taste in the topics of the Lord, in His
names, forms, pastimes, paraphernalia and associates. All
are existing in the higher plane. But how are we to prove
the existence of this higher plane? We cannot enter at our
will to have any experience of it. Then what is the proof
that such a plane exists at all? Only that some accom-
plished transcendentalists of this world, experts of the
highest class, find that something is disturbing their
complete experience of self-satisfaction. That plane is

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disturbing them and attracting them towards Itself.

PROOF OF THE HIGHER PLANE

In the present day also, we find that there is a partic-
ular group of people who do research in order to prove
scientifically that there is rebirth, transmigration of the
soul. Through methods such as hypnosis they claim that
in their previous birth they were in a certain place: “Yes,
I was here and this was my room. I put my things here,
in this chest. They are still left there.” And later, when
they are actually taken to that place, it appears just as
they have described. Those who want to show scien-
tific proof of rebirth are collecting such examples, which
are demonstrated as proof of the soul’s transmigration, its
continued existence birth after birth.
In a similar way, the ÅtmÅrÅmas, those who have
superceded any charm of this mundane plane, stand as
proof that there is a higher dimension of existence
because such an area is irresistably attracting them.
So that higher plane does exist, and it is not
mundane. ßukadev GoswÅmÈ says, “You all know that I
am well established in the non-material world, that no
charm for any form of the material world exists in me.
But some new, unknown type of lÈlÅ, some ecstatic
pastimes full of personality have attracted my heart.

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

Don’t think that this is mundane. No mundane thing

can have any attraction for me. This is transcendental;
you may take it for certain. I stand as evidence to the fact
that there is a transcendental world made of higher
dignity, higher quality. I stand as evidence to the fact
because nothing of mundane character can affect me
or disturb my balance, my equilibrium. The equilibrium
of such full, all-spiritual consciousness cannot be
disturbed by any worldly attraction. Some supernatural
attraction has come to disturb my equilibrium and attract
me towards Itself.”
SUPERNATURAL ATTRACTION
ÅtmÅrÅmÅÍ ca munayo
nirgranthÅ apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukȘ bhaktim
ittham-bhËta-guˆo hariÓ
(S.BhÅg. 1:7:10)
This verse describes the attraction felt for the super-
subjective plane of life by those who have already
attained self-realization. Those who are in the disciplic
order, the lineage of descending knowledge in devotion,
may experience a lesser degree of intensity than what is
described here. But still, through their sukÂti, their
fortune, and their Íraddha, faith, those devotees feel

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themselves to be most extremely fortunate. They are

like witnesses. Though they are very insignificant, they
are the most fortunate witnesses to something that is
infinitely great.
Their feeling is; “Here is something extraordinary,
something unexperienced, and my inner heart is
hankering for that. All the charms of this world are
forever finished for me. Now if I want to live at all, I shall
live for that—at any risk. My whole future is invested in
that wonderful thing. I can’t stand to live without that
great thing. I must have it. I must attain such a position;
otherwise, I do not like or want any sort of existence. I
have had a little taste, a peep into that beauty; now
that is my life. My life is there. If I want to live at all, I
must get it. Without it, everything is tasteless. I have
finished with all other standards of life; they hold no
charm for me; they are all tasteless. I only want that
thing. That is the fulfillment of my life. Life is worth
living only because it has got that ultimate connection.”

MUTUAL HELP
How is one to attain that fulfillment? Only with the
association of those who are eager for it. “Birds of a feather
flock together.” There are others of similar nature and if
you want such a thing, then go and mix with them, and

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try to get it by mutual help. In that field of divine aspira-

tion there are the experts and the beginners. The
newcomers advance by the association of those who are in
a position to help them. And through giving their assis-
tance, the helpers are also helped, given nourishment,
as so many things of substance are drawn out of them.

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 The Test of Taste

Service means to remain in connection with the

advice of the vai›ˆava, not some activity on the physical
plane. Still, activity is necessary sometimes, otherwise in
solitary life the memories of so many past incidents
come to prey on us, to disturb us. So sÅdhu-sa⁄gha is
always recommended, and our bhajan life shall continue
on that basis. That is a safe and fruitful foundation for us.
Krishna gives His assurance:
sarva-dharmÅn parityaja
mÅm eka˜ Íaraˆa˜ vraja
aha˜ tvŘ sarva pÅpebhyo
mok›ayi›yÅmi mÅ ÍucaÓ
(B.gÈtÅ 18:66)
“Just abandon all varieties of religion and surrender
exclusively unto Me. I shall protect you from all sinful
reactions; do not fear.”
He says, “All the debts you have ever incurred, I
shall pay off; there will be nothing for you to worry for.
From any position you may join Me, and I shall take
the full responsibility because you are My devotee.”
When ßrÈla SwÅmÈ MahÅrÅj PrabhupÅda returned

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from America to India with his first group of disciples, he

made them stay in a house somewhere in Vrindavan.
Near that place was the ashram of one influential person,
a GoswÅmÈ. One of ßrÈla SwÅmÈ MahÅrÅj’s disciples was
seduced by the teachings of that gentleman, and he left
his godbrother group to stay with him. Later on, realizing
his mistake, the disciple came back to ßrÈla SwÅmÈ
MahÅrÅj and prayed before him: “I have made a mistake,
but I have come back; please accept me.” ßrÈla SwÅmÈ
MahÅrÅj told him: “Yes, I forgive you. You are my boy.
You have committed some mistake, but I forgive you. I
accept you. Do not worry. Now go on, continue with
your duties.”
Krishna says, “You are Mine; I forgive you. Because
you are Mine, you have the right to demand everything
from Me! By My own law, I am bound to do anything
and everything for you because I am your Owner. You
belong to Me, so when you come to Me, to My shelter,
I take the whole charge for your past, present, and future.
Everything is Mine. It is My responsibility, and I take the
risk for that. You may have done something wrong, but
you did not know what was right or wrong. You could not
understand. I forgive you.” With this spirit, Krishna is
appealing: mok›ayi›yÅmi mÅ ÍucaÓ. “You won’t have to

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lament; I take the whole burden for your past actions.”

Such is the nature of the Infinite Truth: all-accomo-
dating, all-sympathetic, all-embracing, all-fulfilling.

AKHBAR’S CHOICE
During the reign of the Moghul Emperor Akhbar,
there was an exhibition of the deities of all the Hindu
Gods. Though Mohammedan by creed, Akhbar was
very generous and very kind to all religious concep-
tions. While visiting that exhibition, Akhbar was
proceeding around the hall, inspecting all the repre-
sentations there and asking the exhibitors: “Who is this
god? What are his activities, his pastimes? Where did he
descend on earth?” and so on. At one point he came
before the figure of Krishna, depicted in Vrindavan
playing His flute. After seeing everything in the hall, he
remarked to the exhibitors, indicating the figure of
Krishna: “Amongst your Gods, this god is the highest of
all because He does not have the worry of any manage-
ment; He is completely free, enjoying His life, playing
the flute with no worry about anything. The highest
conception of your God is here. He has no cares, no
troubles, nothing of the kind. To get His company will
be very beneficial!”
This is the nature of Krishna-lÈlÅ; it is playful. To be

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engaged in play without anxiety is the highest lÈlÅ.

Krishna shows His pastimes in this world, in bhauma
Vrindavan, prapañca Vrindavan, like an exhibition to test
our taste, to give an opportunity to taste: “Do you want
this?” In that divine exhibition, so many things are
shown for our choice. The different lÈlÅs of the Lord in
His various Infinite Forms and Pastimes come to this
world to test our choice: “Do you want this? Or this?”
Such opportunity is offered.

KALI OR KRISHNA
Once one vairÅgÈ came here to the MaÊh. She was
an old woman wearing red cloth, a follower of ßiva-
Íakti. I asked her, “What do you want after death? Do you
want KÅlÈ; do you want her association? Do you want to
be her maidservant? Or do you want to be with ßiva,
with his friends or his servants, like Nandi and BÂngi? Do
you want to become one of them? Do you want to
become four-handed, like the servitors of NÅrÅyaˆa? Or
do you want to become a gopÈ, or a cowherd boy,
wandering in Vrindavan with Krishna or with Nanda and
YaÍodÅ? What do you want?”
Hearing this, she answered: “Yes, if it could be so, if
such a beautiful life were possible, then I really want to
be in Vrindavan. That I like best, not to be in VaikuˆÊha,

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 T HE T EST OF TASTE

nor to be one of the friends or servants of ßiva, nor one

of the she-maids of KÅlÈ who are chewing on the severed
hands of her victims, drinking their blood and so many
horrible things.”
Then I told her, “If after death the possibility of such
a simple, peaceful, beautiful life in Vrindavan really
exists, then why do you follow your present path? You
just see the ultimate position and consider what is suit-
able for you.”
So, the exhibition of Krishna’s pastimes takes place
here, and the chance is given to us: “What do you really
want? What appeals to your innermost heart? See where
your taste is, and come forward accordingly for your
future attainment.”

HUMAN FORM SUPREME

Of all the pastimes of Krishna, the highest are in the
human form:
k›ˆera yateka khelÅ, sarvottama nara-lÈlÅ,
nara-vapu tÅhÅra svarËpa
gopa-veÍa, veˆu-kara, nava kiÍora, naÊa-vara
nara lÈlÅra haya anurËpa
(Cc. Madhya 21:101)
“Lord Krishna has many pastimes, of which His

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pastimes as a human being are the best. His form as a

human being is the Supreme Transcendental Form. In
this form, He is a cowherd boy. He carries a flute in His
hand, and His youth is just beginning. He is also an
expert dancer. All this is just suitable for His pastimes as
a human being.”
Correspondingly, the human form in this world is
the best for attainment of the service of Krishna in the
divine realm. It is for this reason that it is so valuable.
The poet CaˆÎÈdÅs says:
“O brother, please listen:
this human form is above all,
There is nothing above it! I appeal to you all,
Members of the human race: from my heart
I am giving this advice, born of my experience—
Your human form, its pastimes, its movement,
Are the crown in nature’s hall.”

DON’T COMMIT SUICIDE

But the supreme value of human life is misrepre-
sented in a mundane way by those such as the
RÅmÅkrishna sect. They say that to “serve God” means
only to serve man and his needs in this world. They
claim: “The human being is above all; CaˆÎÈdÅs has

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 T HE T EST OF TASTE

said so. Therefore, serving man is serving God. We

should only serve the fallen souls, the human race,
through so many works of welfare.”
But the real value of the human life is clarified by the
scriptures. They advise us: “Utilize this human form to
attain the divine plane of Krishna’s pastimes. Human life
is very suitable to reach that highest plane— it is very
similar in many aspects. The human birth is rarely
attained, and if you avoid this chance to approach the
divine realm through it, you commit suicide. It is not a
small mistake you are committing; it is the greatest
mistake if you lose this chance— it amounts to no less
than suicide. So try for that highest plane. If you lose this
birth, there is no guarantee that again you will get a
human birth. You may have to take birth as other species
of life. Remember the case of Bharat MahÅrÅj! At the
time of his death, he had some intense attention for a
deer-cub, to whom he had given shelter after it became
separated from its mother. He was lamenting, “Oh, who
will look after this young one?” In his next birth he
became a deer. Such a horrible thing that the impression
of the young deer caught him and took such a shape.
Such a dangerous position you are all in. So always strive
for the higher plane.”

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

The English poet Longfellow has written:

“Trust no future howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead past bury its dead!
Act—act in the living present!
Heart within and God o’erhead!”
This is the advice of the scriptures: “What the future
holds, you do not know. So don’t rely on any future; take
the whole responsibility of the present to approach the
divine realm and make your human life a success.”
In Manu-sa˜hitÅ it is stated:
vidvabhiÓ sevitah sadbhir,
nityam adveÍa-rÅgibhih
hÂdayenÅbhyanujñÅto,
yo dharmas ta˜ nibhodhata
Those who are well versed in revealed scriptures
know and serve the real dharma, the real religion. What
should be the symptoms of those sÅdhus? They are estab-
lished in revealed truth; they themselves are approved of
by the true sÅdhus.
Then who is sÅdhu? That is told in this verse, adveÍa-
rÅgibhih, a symptom of a sÅdhu is having no sympathy
for the achievements of this world. From them, we may
know what is dharma.

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 T HE T EST OF TASTE

Also, hÂdayenÅbhyanujñÅto, the evidence of the heart,

which approves from its innermost quarter, says, “Yes!
Here I am getting satisfaction.” That is proof of the real
standard of dharma, religion. The heart’s response: “Yes,
this is what I am searching for; I am searching for these
such things.” The heart will say this from within.

Dive Deep
PrahlÅda MahÅrÅj advises:
na te viduÓ svÅrtha-gati˜ hi vi›ˆu˜
durÅÍayÅ ye bahir-artha-mÅninaÓ
andhÅ yathÅndhair upanÈyamÅnÅs
te ‘pÈÍa-tantryÅm uru-dÅmni baddhÅÓ
(S.BhÅg. 7:5:31)
He says that we are making too much of the covering
of reality; we are devoting our minds to the external
coating, bahir-artha-mÅninaÓ. But we do not dive deep
into the eternal substance. If only we were to dive deep
into reality, there we would find Visnu. The most
peaceful substance is within, but it is covered, just as
milk is covered by cream. We are making much of that
cover. The real substance is within, just as fruit is covered
by its skin. What we experience at present is the cover,
the skin, and we are ignoring the very substance that the
cover is protecting.

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

So, when we get these things from our Gurudev and

MahÅprabhu, we think, “Oh, yes! These are heart-satis-
fying things.” And we will find such things through
progressively eliminating the external things. Progress
means this process of elimination and acceptance: elim-
ination of the lower and acceptance of the higher. It is
dynamic; at each stage of our progress we will find, “Yes,
this is what I am really searching for.”

134
 A Moment’s
Precious Grace

Our Guru MahÅrÅj, ßrÈla BhaktisiddhÅnta Saraswati

†hÅkur, used to say that divine slavery, slavery to
Krishna, is the most dignified position for a human
being; it is the highest dignity of the human race. It is just
the opposite to slavery in the material world. Slavery to
a human being is reckoned as bad, but slavery to the
Absolute Beauty is just the opposite. And the slaves of
Krishna, the fully surrendered souls, never want to get out
of that slavery; far from it, they will dismiss every other
prospect, even liberation. They will say: “No, we don’t
want liberation; we are well where we are.”

INFINITE HANKERING
ßrÈla RËpa GoswÅmÈ has given this sloka:
kleÍaghni ÍubhadÅ mok›a
laghutÅ-kÂt sudurllabhÅ
sÅndrÅnanda-viÍe›ÅtmÅ
ÍrÈ-k›ˆÅkar›iˆÈ ca sÅ
(B.r.s Purvva 1:17)
“Uttama-bhakti, the purest devotion, is the vanquisher
of all sin and ignorance, and the bestower of all auspi-

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ciousness. Liberation is insignificant in the presence of

such devotion, which is very rarely attained. It is the
embodiment of the deepest ecstasy and the attractor of
Sri Krishna Himself.”
Here it says, mok›a-laghutÅ-kÂt sudurllabhÅ: even after
the stage of mukti, liberation, has been reached, such
pure devotion—slavery to Krishna—is not easily attained.
After liberation from all misconception, it is still very hard
to get the service of Him or Her, of Krishna or RÅdhÅrÅnÈ,
to achieve a position in the transcendental service-world.
ßuddha-bhakti, pure devotion, is sudurlabhÅ, very difficult
to attain. But, sÅndrÅnanda viÍe›ÅtmÅ: even the slightest
touch of it will fill you with high pleasure and ecstasy.
And, ÍrÈ k›ˆÅkar›inÈ ca sÅ: the final effect of devotion
proper is that it will draw Krishna to your heart. Such
devotion is Krishna’s own potency, and it is the root of
service (bhakti k›ˆa-Íakti, sevÅ mËla). Your earnest and
exclusive hankering for Him can draw Him, Sri Krishna,
Reality the Beautiful Himself, to your heart.
Student: How can a person exclusively desire to serve
Krishna when so many other desires are coming to him,
as if bombarding him? What should he do? One may
know, at least, what should be the highest standard or
ideal to strive for; but in such circumstances, it seems

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 A M ONENT ’ S P RECIOUS G RACE

so difficult to be fixed in the pure service aspiration.

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: If you can manage to enter the
positive, then the negative will remain far away. This is
the basic principle. As much as we can make progress
towards the positive, automatically the negative will
have to leave us. The positive is sÅdhu-sa⁄gha, sÅdhu-
ÍÅstra-sa⁄gha, association with saints and scriptures. No
other thing is needed, only this simple thing: our asso-
ciation with the sÅdhu. And association with the sÅdhu
means with surrender. So surrender to the positive, and,
according to the degree of surrender and confidence in
what the sÅdhu and ÍÅstra say, the negative, the appar-
ently irresistible demands of material desire, will auto-
matically be withdrawn.
Within the positive, there is gradation: devotion to
NÅrÅyaˆa (vaikuˆÊha-bhakti), RÅmacandra, DwarakeÍa,
and then Krishna in Vrndavan. Progress through selec-
tion and elimination will continue there. Always this
should be our earnest prayer:

viracaya mayi daˆÎa˜ dÈnabandho dayÅm vÅ

gatir iha na bhavattah kÅcid anyÅ mamÅsti
nipatatu Íata-koti nirbhara˜ vÅ navÅmbhas
tad api kila payodaÓ stËyate cÅtakena
(ßrÈla RËpa GoswÅmÈ)

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

“Oh Friend of the most needy, whether You chastise

me or reward me, in the whole wide world I have no
other shelter but You. Whether the thunderbolt strikes
or torrents of fresh waters shower down, the CÅtaka
bird, who drinks only the pure falling rainwater, perpet-
ually goes on singing the glories of the raincloud.”
Krishna is the friend of the fallen: dinabandhu dayÅm
vÅ. He may do anything and everything at His sweet
will. RËpa GoswÅmÈ prays, “You may make or mar, but I
have no alternative but to want Your grace. Everything
is tasteless to me, my Lord; please accept me, give me
some sort of menial service to your holy feet.” This is
what is needed: our earnest and deep prayer towards
Him for His grace, for His service, and to have no other
alternative. We must be like the CÅtaka bird who never
takes any water, however pure, which has fallen on the
earth, but only that from above. With her face to the sky,
she waits, praying: “pratik jala, pratik jala—a drop of
water, a drop of water.” And water may come so profusely
from the sky as to drown her, or a thunderbolt may come
and finish her; whatever may come, whatever may
happen, she has no other alternative but to pray: “O
Lord, give a drop of Your grace. That grace is infinite. For
You to give a drop is nothing, yet it may save the whole

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world. So I have no other alternative.” We must have

such ÍaraˆÅgati, surrender, and such hankering.

A RARE CHANCE
We can get much help from His associates, the devo-
tees, the Lord’s own. They are really our friends because
in their association, our hankering may be increased.
And, sajati-yasaye snigdhe sÅdhau sangah svato vare (B.r.s.
1:2:90): good association for us will be with a sÅdhu who
is of the same line and also is superior to ourselves. In
sÅdhu-saˆga, it is recommended that the sÅdhu be in the
same line, of the same type of hankering and aspira-
tion, as well as hold a superior position in devotion. We
should think, "I shall try to throw myself at his disposal,
and that will help me to the greatest extent."
This human life is rare, and it is transient; at any
moment I may die. At any moment I may be finished
here, and this chance may not occur again. This human
life, with its special opportunity and some favorable
environment, may not come again. So it is important
to perceive the value of our time. We must be partic-
ularly conscious of the great value of our present
moment.
In ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam, ParÈk›it MahÅrÅj asked
ßukadev GoswÅmÈ: “I have only one more week to live.

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

In this short time, please give me some instruction so that

I may be saved.”
ßukadev replied: “Oh, one week—that is enough!”
From ßukadev GoswÅmÈ came this statement—a
wonderful thing! He explained: “O King, we have passed
so much time, so many lives, in this world. From time
immemorial our existence has not been utilized. But only
one second, if properly utilized, is sufficient, MahÅrÅj.
So, try to utilize your time for the best possible purpose.
There are so many mountains, so many trees, and they
have long lives: what of that? If one is unattentive to
one’s own interest, a long life is of no value. But if we can
properly understand our situation and our necessity, then
only one moment, properly utilized, will produce immense
growth in us, and immensely fruitful results.”
Then ßukadev gave the history of KhaÊvÅ⁄ga MahÅrÅj
and how he utilized the one moment he had left to live.
KhaÊvÅ⁄ga MahÅrÅj asked the Gods: “Will you tell me
how long I have to live?”
They replied: “Only one moment.”
“Oh, then you all go. You cannot give me my desired
result. Who can give me that?”
The Gods answered: “Only NÅrÅyaˆa can fulfill your
desire.”

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 A M ONENT ’ S P RECIOUS G RACE

And KhaÊvÅ⁄ga MahÅrÅj said: “Then all of you leave

me, go!”
And without any reservation, he surrendered to the
feet of the Lord; he engaged himself in His service and
achieved his desired end:
khaÊvÅ⁄go nÅma rÅjar›ir,
jñÅtveyatÅm ihÅyu›aÓ
muhËrtÅt sarvam utsÂjya,
gatavÅn abhaya˜ harim
(S.BhÅg. 2:1:13)
“The saintly King KhaÊvÅ⁄ga, after being informed
that the duration of his life would be only a moment
more, at once freed himself from all material activities
and took shelter of the supreme safety, the Personality of
Godhead.”
The Lord is specifically mentioned in this verse as
Hari: gatavÅn abhaya˜ harim. Who is Hari? He is
abhayam. When we get Him, then all apprehension, all
fear and every undesirable thing will be vanquished
forever. "Hari" means sac-cid-Ånanda—eternal existence,
perfect consciousness and the fulfillment of life in ecstatic
joy. MahÅrÅj KhaÊvÅ⁄ga achieved all this within one
moment!
Student: MahÅrÅj, I am very afraid to write anything

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

about Krishna consciousness because I have so many

material desires. At the same time, when I go out and
speak to people about Krishna and the sweetness of
Krishna, I see how much they enjoy it. So I am thinking,
even though I have no qualification, I should continue
to write or to preach. Is this correct?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: It is laudable that you want to do
good to others. MahÅprabhu has given a general instruc-
tion:
yÅre dekha, tÅre kaha ‘k›ˆa’-upadeÍa
ÅmÅra ÅjñÅya guru hañÅ tÅra’ ei deÍa
(Cc Madhya 7:128)
“Wherever you go, whomever you meet, talk with
them only about Krishna. Deliver this news to anyone
and everyone, and new light will come to you, which in
turn you are to distribute to others. In this way you
will have a dynamic and progressive life, and there
will be no shortage of higher backing. If you obey my
command, then you will find that I am there, backing
you in this work.”
This is MahÅprabhu’s general advice. Such distribu-
tion is the only necessity in this world, where all are
entering the jaws of death at every moment. MahÅprabhu
wants His followers to be agents, preaching Krishna’s

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 A M ONENT ’ S P RECIOUS G RACE

devotion to the public, speaking about the special

prospect of the land of Krishna, about Vrindavan.
So, it is laudable that you want to do good for others
in this way; but at the same time, before doing so you
must properly try to understand what is ‘good’ and then
distribute that. This is no less important. It is very good
to treat a patient, but you must know at least what the
treatment is. Then you can treat the patient. That will
be beneficial. How will one who is not properly adjusted
venture to adjust others? First know your place, what is
your proper adjustment in relation to the whole, and
in that position your duty will be revealed to you.

PROPER USE OF ENERGY

At the time of the second Great War, a picture of a
soldier’s uniform was posted on the wall of the Writers
Building in Calcutta. At the bottom of the poster it was
written: “Put on this uniform, and the uniform will tell
you what to do.” This was the advice. So first we must
have proper adjustment, we must find our proper position,
and then the insinuation of our duty will come to us.
This is the first stage; it is known as sambandha-
jñÅna—to know who you are. Next is abhideya, the
‘means to the end’, the conception of my goal, my desti-
nation. How am I to attain that? What are the steps? Our

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

path must go in this way, otherwise the whole attempt

will be unsystematic, haphazard. We should understand
what is the proper utilization of our energy and act
accordingly. This is necessary for systematic and substan-
tial progress towards the goal; otherwise, anyone can
do anything as he likes, and he will have to reap the
results of his deeds accordingly.
First, sambandha-jñÅna: one approaches the funda-
mental question, “Who am I? Where am I at present, and
where should I be? What should be my position?” It is
just as before going on a journey I must consult the map
to see where I am and where I will have to go.
Understanding one's position, one's orientation in rela-
tion to the destination, is "putting on the uniform.”
The uniform will tell me, “This is your duty,” and I shall
have to do that. I shall be ready to do whatever is
required of me for my real progress.

HAPPY ASPIRATION
It is not that we should think, “I must be great! I shall
be an Alexander, I shall be a Hanuman.” Rather, if you
want to be a simple cowherd boy, if you want to have
the company of Krishna in that way, you will think, “It is
so wonderful to become a cowherd boy, to have the duty
of a cowherd boy!” Rabindranath Tagore composed one

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 A M ONENT ’ S P RECIOUS G RACE

song in which he says, “I don’t want to be a famous leader,

but rather I want to be a cowherd boy in Vrindavan, in the
jungle. That is a very happy ideal to me, much more so
than being a great leader of the world. It is a simple thing,
a cowherd boy under the guidance of Krishna! That aspi-
ration is very friendly to me.” Such simple ambition is
really something great. We pray that the ghost of worldly
ambition will leave us forever. To desire the company of
the Lord is a simple but very high aspiration.
It is also possible that in a lower stage, from a position
in this world, a person will dedicate his activities to the
Lord and approach Him that way. This is also accepted,
but it is of a lower stage, approaching the Lord through
the performance of one’s own work. It is described in
Bhagavad-gÈtÅ:
yataÓ pravÂttir bhËtÅnŘ,
yena sarvam ida˜ tatam
sva-karmaˆÅ tam abhyarcya,
siddhi˜ vindati mÅnavaÓ
(B.gÈtÅ 18:46)
“Man can achieve perfection by performing the appro-
priate duties prescribed for him according to his quali-
fication. By the execution of such duties, he worships the
Supreme Lord, Who is the Source of all beings and is all-
pervading.”
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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

As a result of my past karma, I find myself floating

somewhere in the material ocean, amongst the three
modes of nature. If I try to offer whatever materials I
find around me to the Infinite, I may make progress
towards Him from my lower position.
yat karo›i yad aÍnÅsi
yaj juho›i dadÅsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuru›va mad arpaˆam
(B.gÈtÅ 9:27)
“Oh Kaunteya, whatever your action, whether scrip-
tural or general, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in
sacrifice, whatever you donate in charity, and any vow
you keep—do everything as an offering unto Me.”
To connect all of one’s activities with the Lord by
offering them to Him and to go on with one’s duty,
one who cannot understand higher devotion may begin
his march toward the Absolute from his present posi-
tion.

NECTAR IN THE GOLDEN POT

The Íloka at the conclusion of Bhagavad-gÈtÅ tells us:
sarva-dharmÅn parityajya
mÅm eka˜ Íaraˆa˜ vraja

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 A M ONENT ’ S P RECIOUS G RACE

aha˜ tvŘ sarva-pÅpebhyo

mok›ay›yÅmi mÅ ÍucaÓ
(B.gÈtÅ 18:66)
“Totally abandon all varieties of religion and just
surrender exclusively unto Me. I will deliver you from all
kinds of sinful reactions, so do not fear.”
This is the conclusion of Bhagavad-gÈtÅ, the clarion
call to surrender. In his commentary on ßrÈ GÈtÅ, ßrÈ
Bala Gangadhara Tilak noted: “In this last Íloka,
BhagavÅn ßrÈ Krishnacandra has served nectar in a
golden pot. ‘Wherever you are, leave your duty, your
post and immediately come to Me. If you come to Me,
complete fulfillment will come to you. It does not matter
where you are posted at present. You may be a soldier,
you may be a priest, you may be a dacoit, anyone! But if
you leave your position and come to My feet, your aspi-
ration will be perfectly fulfilled.’”

THE CALL OF GAURANGA

This is MahÅprabhu’s call, the call of GaurÅ⁄ga. With
a flood of tears, GaurÅ⁄ga is dancing and begging the
people, “Take the Name of Krishna!”
When MahÅprabhu decided to take sannyÅsa, His devo-
tees did not know that He was going away, that He was
leaving NabadwÈp forever. But the night before He left, He

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

attracted many of the devotees to come to see Him for

the last time. Intuitively, they were drawn to Him, and
they crowded together at His house. Everyone brought
Him a garland. MahÅprabhu was giving all His devotees
those garlands from around His own neck and ordering
them: “When you go from here, speak only of Krishna.”
Åpana galÅra mÅlÅ sabÅkÅra diyÅ
ÅjñÅ kare prabhu-sabe k›ˆa gao giyÅ
ki Íayana ki bhojane kibÅ jÅgaraˆe
aharniÍa cinta k›ˆa bolaha vadane
(C.Bhag.Madhya 28:25,28)
“I advise all of you, My friends, with this garland: take
the Name of Krishna! While eating, while taking rest,
while waking, always take the Name of Krishna. This is
My last advice, My earnest entreaty to you all: take the
Name of Krishna. Whatever you may be engaged in,
always think of Krishna and call His Name aloud. This is
My last appeal to you all. Just try to utilize all your time
taking the Name of Krishna. By any means, try to the
utmost to come to Krishna. There is no other necessity.
This is My heartfelt appeal to you, Oh My friends.”

DON’T CHEAT ME
In our time we have seen that our Guru MahÅrÅj

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 A M ONENT ’ S P RECIOUS G RACE

ßrÈla BhaktisiddhÅnta SaraswatÈ †hÅkur also preached

with so much force, so much urgency. Once he was
present at a mahotsava, a big festival, in Mayapur. When
the celebration was over, Guru MahÅrÅj was sitting in a
canvas chair on the verandah of his room; many people
were coming before him, offering him obeisances and
then leaving for their homes. I was always very eager
to hear him, and I was present at that time. He was
saying, “Don’t cheat me, you people.” I thought, “Why
does he say that? Where is the question of cheating
him? Everyone was invited to this festival; they came,
and now they are leaving. What is his point about
cheating?” But the next thing he said was, “You all came
with the understanding that you will engage yourselves
in the service of Krishna, and so I have entered into
some relationship with you. And now, after attending
this ceremony, only as a show, you are going home to
engage yourselves in worldly affairs. But your assurance
to me was that you would all serve Krishna.” In this
way he showed some disappointment.
Then he continued, “You may say, ‘Oh, there will
only be a little delay, I have got some important business,
and after finishing that, I shall come back and join you
as soon as possible.’ But I say, no, no! Even if you tell me

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

there is a fire, and after extinguishing the fire you will

return, then I will say that is also not necessary. There is
no necessity of extinguishing the fire. It may burn the
whole world—it does not do any harm to you. You do
not lose anything; rather, you will be saved if that burnt
world leaves your mind. All your inner necessities are
met only at the holy feet of Krishna. None can satisfy
your inner hankering but Krishna, akhila rasÅmÂta-mËrti,
the reservoir of all sweetness, all the rasa. Everything
sweet you are aspiring for, or that you may ever aspire for
is in His holy feet. And let this world be dissolved to zero.
It can’t have any effect on you. Rather, if the whole
thing disappears, if it is burnt to ashes, you may be saved
from that misconception.”

THE GREATEST MERCY

But it is not so easy to burn the world of your present
enjoying conception to ashes. Like a witch it is trap-
ping you.
The solution lies in the service of GaurÅ⁄ga,
MahÅprabhu. As much as we can give ourselves to the
holy feet of ßrÈ GaurÅ⁄ga, automatically we shall find we
are in the service of RÅdhÅrÅnÈ. She is the highest nega-
tive potency, which can draw the maximum rasa from
the positive, Krishna, Reality the Beautiful. Rasa-rÅj and

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 A M ONENT ’ S P RECIOUS G RACE

mahÅ-bhÅva: Krishna is rasa-rÅj, full of infinite ecstasy, and

RÅdhÅrÅnÈ, mahÅ-bhÅva, draws out that ecstasy for Herself
and for the world. In Caitanya-CaritÅmÂta, RÅmananda
RÅya answers MahÅprabhu:
sukha-rËpa k›ˆa kare sukha ÅsvÅdana
bhakta-gaˆe sukha dite ‘hlÅdinÈ’—kÅrana
(C.c Madhya 8:158)
“Lord Krishna tastes all kinds of transcendental happi-
ness, although He Himself is happiness personified. The
pleasure relished by His pure devotees is also manifested
by His pleasure potency (hlÅdinÈ-Íakti)”
RÅdhÅrÅnÈ represents a particular potency known as
hlÅdinÈ. She is the main extracting machine of that rasa
from Krishna, and She distributes it to the world outside.
The highest quality of rasa, of ecstasy, is drawn by Her,
from that dynamo of all rasa, Krishna, and distributed to
others outside. It is due only to Her that others may hope
to have the taste of any of that transcendental juice.
As much as we surrender to ßrÈ GaurÅ⁄ga, as much as
we are percolated by His energy, His instruction, auto-
matically we shall find that we are placed in that highest
position, in Her divine service. Otherwise, such a thing
is very, very difficult to attain by direct approach. Many
sorts of misgivings will come and pollute us. But if under

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

proper guidance we go through the instructions of ßrÈ

GaurÅ⁄ga, then our approach to that highest position
of service will be the easiest, and our gain will be of the
maximum degree and of the very purest character.
GaurÅ⁄ga, is the Ocean of Mercy, and Kulia, where
ßrÈ Caitanya Saraswat MaÊh now stands, is called
aparÅdha-bhañjanaf-patha, the place where GaurÅ⁄ga,
gave general absolution to all the sinners. Anyone who
came for His mercy here was granted it:
kuliyÅ-grÅmete Åsi ÍrÈ-k›ˆa-caitanya
hena nÅhi, yÅ’ re prabhu nÅ karilÅ dhanya
(C.Bhag: Antya 3:541)

Student: Was it here in this area, in Kulia, that JagÅi and

MÅdhÅi were forgiven?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: No, that was on the other side of
the Ganges. Some say that JagÅi and MÅdhÅi were
absolved just near here, at Haritolla; but we are to under-
stand from Bhaktivinoda †hÅkur that it was on the
other side, in MÅyÅpur.
Student: So, how is this part of NabadwÈp called Kulia,
the very special place, aparÅdha-bhañjana-pata? Did
MahÅprabhu have some special pastimes here?
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: As I have mentioned, this is

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where MahÅprabhu was most liberal in His mercy,

forgiving all the sinners. When MahÅprabhu came back
from Puri after five years of sannyÅsa, He first came here.
And He stayed at the house of VidyÅ VacÅspati, the
elder brother of Sarvabhauma PaˆÎit and formal guru of
SanÅtana GoswÅmÈ in VidyÅnagar. At that time there
was such a rush of people coming to see MahÅprabhu
from both sides of the Ganges that the whole Ganges
appeared full of human heads.

MAD TO SEE
One author has described the scene at the time of
MahÅprabhu’s return to NabadwÈp in this way: the whole
Ganges was “filled up with human heads.” When I read
this, at first I thought, “Such a description must not be
literal; it is a little hyperbolic.” But later, when in my own
life I saw (MahÅtma) Gandhi, when I experienced the
crowds that used to follow him, then it came to my
mind, “If Gandhi can draw so many men to see him,
then what to speak of MahÅprabhu?” There was such
love, so great an intensity of love, that at that time
everyone came madly to see that great Nimai PaˆÎit.
His scholarship was so extraordinary and His figure so
extremely beautiful. Still so many tantric pandits had
been against Him. So He left NabadwÈp in order to

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 D IVINE A SPIRATION

preach. And the people cried, “Nimai PaˆÎit, we have

lost our Nimai PaˆÎit!” The whole of NabadwÈp was
dark without His presence. Then suddenly, “That Nimai
Pandit has come back to us! He is with us, in our midst!”
People were mad to see Him; the whole area was drawn
irresistably towards Him. So that author has described
that the Ganges was “all human heads.”
MahÅprabhu came to this place, Kulia, and here all
the previous sinners, all who had criticized Him, who had
done any mischief, came to be absolved, thinking,
“Nimai PaˆÎit is not a man, a human being.” They
came to Him for their confession and to get absolved of
their sins.
After this, MahÅprabhu went to his mother’s house
and for a second just stood at the gate. Vi›ˆu-priya came
and fell at His feet, and at once He withdrew, giving
the wooden sandals to her to worship. Then He left.
After this He went to see RËpa and SanÅtana and then
returned to Puri via ßÅntipur. Later He went to
Vrindavan; finally he came back to JagannÅth Puri and
lived there continuously for eighteen years.
After five years of His sannyÅsa, when MahÅprabhu
came back just once to visit NabadwÈp, He came to this
place; at that time, He was the most liberal in giving His

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highest mercy to all, the most desirable service of the

sweetest type, such as found in Vrindavan. After this, He
left NabadwÈp, never to return.
Student: You have given such a high standard for us to
follow.
ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: If you feel that, then I think
you are fortunate. And if I am able to sincerely know
such things, to have a touch of such a high and divine
knowledge, if I am able to receive these things from my
Guru MahÅrÅj, then I also consider myself very fortunate.

155
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06014 Montone (PG)
Ticul Tel. +39 0759306496
Sri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar Govinda Email:mohita.k@virgilio.it
Sevashram de México, A.R. Email:italiano@scsmath.org
Carretera Ticul - Chapab, Km 1.4,
Ticul, Yucatán, Mexico. Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Sangha
Email: ramahari@sureste.com (Atula Krishna das)
Via del Vescovado 42
Europe 05100 Terni
England Tel: +39 074458806
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Email:tulasi@inwind.it
466 Green Street
London E13 9DB, U.K. Netherlands
Phone: (0208) 552-3551 Sri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar Ashram
Email:londonmath@scsmath.org Middachtenlaan 128
Website:scsmathlondon.org 1333 XV Almere, Buiten
Netherlands
Republic of Ireland Phone: 036 53 28150
Attn: Brian Timoney Email:gandiva@chello.nl
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Sangha
Willowfield Road Portugal
Ballinamore Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math,
Co. Leitrim Rua do Sobreiro 5,
Republic of Ireland Cidreira,
Tel: 071 9645661 3020-143 Coimbra,
Email:ireland@scsmath.org Portugal
Email:ananda.m@clix.pt
 Hungary Turkey
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Tel +90. 312. 442 8226
Andras Novak Email:murali_mohandas@yahoo.com
Nagybányai út 52. H-1025 Budapest
Hungary Branch: Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Sridhar
Phone: (361) 3980295 Govinda Bhakti Yoga Center
Fax: (361) 3980296 Konutkent 2 Sitesi Finike Sok.
Email:sweetwater@scsmath.org FII/4 Cayyolu
Ankara
Mandala-Veda Ashram Turkey
Attila Bakos Tel +90. 312. 240 1309
Erdo utca 126. H-2092 Budakeszi Fax +90. 312. 240 0389
Hungary
Phone & Fax: (36) 23-452-969 Yoga Ranch: Sri Chaitanya Sridhar
Email:budakeszi@scsmath.org Govinda Seva Ashram
Address: Belen Alan K?¸ Akseki A
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Community Centre Ntalya
Kozep fasor 7/A IV/12. Turkey
6726 Szeged, Hungary
Email:szeged@scsmath.org Asia
Malaysia
Czech Republic Persatuan Penganut Sri Chaitanya
Sri Sridhar-Govinda Sangha Saraswat Sadhu Sangam
Libecina 14 Lot No. 224A Jalan Slim Lama
566 01 Libecina 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia
Posta Vysoke Myto Phone: (05) 459 6942
Czech Republic Web: http://scsmath.org/centres/malaysia/
Email:czech@scsmath.org Email:klabanya@hotmail.com

Turkey Sri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Seva

Sri Govinda Math Yoga Centre Ashram
Abdullah Cevdet sokak 7 Taman Thye Kim, Jalan Haji Mohammed Ali
No 33/8, Cankaya 06690 32000 Sitiawan, Perak, Malaysia
Ankara, Turkey Phone: (05) 691 5686
Phone: 090 312 4415857 and 090 312 440 88 Email:sitiawan@scsmath.org
82
Web: http://www.govindamath.com Persatuan Penganut Sri Chaitanya
Email:turkey@scsmath.org Saraswat Sadhu Sangam, Malaysia,
No 19 & 21, JalanTertai 10,
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Sridhar Govinda Bukit Beruntung,
Maha Mantra Yoga Center 48000 Rawang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Kuskondu Sok.
7/8 Cankaya
Ankara
Persatuan Penganut Sri Chaitanya South Pacific
Saraswat Sadhu Sangam, Malaysia, Australia
No 14, Lorong Bendahara 46A, Sri Govinda Dham
Taman Mewah Baru, P.O. Box 72, Uki, via Murwillumbah
41200 Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. N.S.W. 2484, Australia.
Tel:603-51616721 (Lalita Krishna Das) Phone: (0266) 795541
Web: http://www.mandala.com.au/dham/
Philippines Email:uki@scsmath.org
Srila Sridhar Swami Seva Ashram
c/o Gokulananda Prabhu Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Sravan Sadan,
23 Ruby St., Casimiro Townhouse, of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Sridhar Mission,
Talon Uno, 1 Gladstone Street, North Parramatta,
Las Pinas City, Zip code 1747, Philippines NSW 2151, Australia.
Phone: 800-1340 Phone (61 2) 9890 4985
Email:sridharswami@hotmail.com Web: http://www.mandala.com.au
Email: sydney@scsmath.org
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Philippines
Branch New Zealand
Isani Devi Dasi 1030 Coatesville Riverhead Highway,
27 2nd. St. Isla Home 2 and 3, Riverhead, Auckland,
Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City, Manila, Philippines New Zealand.
Email: scsmath-philippines@mail.com Phone: (09) 4125466
Phone +63 92031 63750 Email:auckland@scsmath.org
Phone +63 92877 12568
27b Achilles Street
Singapore Shirley
Sri Gaura Saraswati Sridhar Society Christchurch
19, Upper Dickson Road, Singapore 207478 New Zealand.
Pone: 63439018 Phone 385 6165.
HP: 90236341 and 91856613 Email:tsnryan@clear.net.nz
Email:singapore@scsmath.org
Fiji
Vegetarian Restaurant Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Sridhar Asan
21 Upper Dickson Road, Singapore 207478 P.O. Box 4507, Saru Lautoka, Fiji
Pone : 63967769 fiji@scsmath.org
Fax: 63967768
HP: 98577774 Russia, Ukraine and Abkhazia
Russia
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (Singapore) Pin 107031,
Blk 7, #02-107, Tanjong Pagar Plaza Moscow, Bolshoy Kiselnyy side-street 7/2,
Singapore 081007 Russia
Tel: +65 9062 6733 Phone: +7 (495) 928-8855, 928-7404
Email:jayatah@hotmail.com Email:russia@scsmath.org
Pin 197229 St. Petersburg, p.Lahta Yaroslavl, Russia:
St. Morskaya b.13 Contact person: Nana Ratna dd.
Russia Phone: +7 (4852) 31-15-30
Phone: +7 (812) 498-25-55, 715-17-88, Email: yaroslavl@harekrishna.ru
scsmath@mail.ru
Ekaterinburg, Russia:
Smolensk, Russia Contact person: Anandasundar Prabhu.
Normandia-Neman st. 19/1, apt.36. Email: ekaterinburg@harekrishna.ru
Phone: +7 (4812) 66-19-48
Contact person: Prithu Prabhu: Velikiy Novgorod, Russia:
Phone: +7 (904) 365-2190 (mobile) Contact person: Arunalochan Prabhu.
email: smolensk@harekrishna.ru Email: vnovgorod@harekrishna.ru

Izhevsk, Udmurtia For information of programmes at other

Krasnoarmeyskaya st. 175-48 places in Russia please see the principal
Contact person: Lila shakti dd. Russian website: http://www.harekrishna.ru
Phone: +7 (3412) 78-60-79
Email: izhevsk@harekrishna.ru Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine:
Tomsk, Russia Harmatnaya st. 26/2, "Rostok" Palace of
Akademgorodok, Vavilova st. 16-90 Culture
Contact person: Subhada dd. +38 (044) 496-18-91
Phone: +7 (3822) 49-09-94 Contact: Krishna Bhakta Prabhu (Konstantin
Email: tomsk@harekrishna.ru Colodezni):
Phone: +38 (050) 383-44-25 (mobile)
Krasnoyarsk, Russia: Email: kiev@harekrishna.ru
Contact person: Isha Krishna Prabhu.
Phone: +7 (903) 924-46-94 (mobile) Zaporozhye, Ukraine:
Ukraine, 69041
Sosnovoborsk town (nearby Krasnoyarsk): Kremlevskaya st. 27-40
Contact person: Phulanana dd. Phone: +38 (0612) 52-78-95
Phone: +7 (39131) 2-13-49 Contact person: Swarup Prabhu (Sergey
Email: krasnoyarsk@harekrishna.ru Kriwonos):
Phone: +38 (066) 286-94-14 (mobile)
Khabarovsk, Russia, Email: zaporozhye@harekrishna.ru
Prospekt 60-ya Octyabrya, 161
Contact person: Gandharvika dd. Phone: +7 Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram
(4212) 23-43-91 11/4 Panfilovsev Street
Contact person: Tapasvini dd. Phone: +7 Zaporozhya, 69000
(4212) 52-44-70 Ukraine
Email: khabarovsk@harekrishna.ru Phone (0612) 33-42-14
Email:zaporozhya@scsmath.org
Donetsk, Ukraine: Phone: (011) 3815-1448 & 3032-3322
Contact person: Sakshi Gopal Prabhu: Email:bhuvana@uol.com.br
Phone: +38 (050) 602-82-21 (mobile)
Email: donetsk@harekrishna.ru Rio de Janeiro: contact Radha Krishna
Prabhu
Odessa, Ukraine: Phone: (021) 2493-1008, 9297-8417
Contact person: Navanalini DD:
Phone: +38 (066) 902-48-33 (mobile) Ecuador
Email: odessa@harekrishna.ru Srila Sridhar Swami Seva Ashram
P.O. Box 17-01-576
Abkhazia Quito, Ecuador
Sukhumi, Abkhazia: Phone: 342-471
4go Marta st. 87, apt.70 Fax: 408-439
Contact person: Rasikananda Prabhu: Email:ssswamisevaashram@yahoo.com
Phone: +995 (442) 6-88-23
Email: sukhumi@harekrishna.ru Venezuela
Sri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Seva
South America Ashram
Brazil Avenida Tuy con Avenida Chama
Sri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Seva Quinta Parama Karuna,
Ashram Caracas, Venezuela
Krishna Sakti Ashram, P.O. Box 386 Phone: [+58] 212-754 1257
Campos do Jordao, Sao Paulo, Brazil Email:contacto@paramakaruna.org.ve
Phone: (012) 3663 3168
Email:ksa@scsmath.org Africa and Mauritius
South Africa
Srila Govinda Maharaj Seva Sangha Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
Rua Euclydes da Cunha, 294, P.O. Box 60183, Phoenix 4068
Porto Alegre, Brazil Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Phone (51) 3339-7700 Phone: (031) 500-1576
Email:sevasangha@hotmail.com
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
Srila Govinda Maharaj Seva Mandir 57 Silver Road, Newholmes, Northdale
Rua 24 de Junho, 400-A Pietermaritzburg 3201
Passo D'Areia Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Porto Alegre, Brazil Phone: (0331) 912026
Phone (51) 3341-9572 Fax: (0331) 947938
Email:gopalaterapias@pop.com.br
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram,
Prema Restaurant & Sri Chaitanya 4464 Mount Reiner Crescent,
Saraswat Math Lenasia South, Extension 4,
Rua Diogo Moreira 312, São Paulo, Brazil Johannesburg 1820
(Contact Bhuvana Mohan Prabhu) Republic of South Africa
Phone: (011) 852-2781 and 211 0973
 Mauritius
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math International
Nabadwip Dham Street, Long Mountain
Republic of Mauritius
Phone & Fax: (230) 245-3118 / 5815 / 2899
Email:mauritius@scsmath.org

Vaisnava Seva Society

Ruisseau-Rose, Long Mountain
Republic of Mauritius.
Phone & Fax: (230) 245-0424
Email:govinda@intnet.mu

Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga Mandir

Valton Road, Long Mountain
Near Social Welfare Centre
Republic of Mauritius.
Phone: 245-0212

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math International

(Southern Branch)
Royal Road La Flora
Republic of Mauritius
Phone: (230) 617-8164 & 5726