14 November 1996
Varsana
Audio link
The following is a darshan in Varsana on the disappearnce day of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanda Svami Maharaja.
Srila Gurudeva: You should read all the books and try to have greed.
Prema-prayojana dasa: Satyavrata Muni is speaking of dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya-rasa. But what is his relationship with Krsna?
Srila Gurudeva: You should know that when he was reading in a lower class, he uttered the first sloka ‘namamisvaram’. After one lakh years, he read the second sloka. And after lakhs and lakhs of births, he recited the third sloka. He then realized, “There is something more to be had in the association of Sri Narada Rsi and the others.” He then became qualified for the fourth sloka. He then said, ‘varam-deva-moksam’.
After lakhs of years, he uttered the fifth sloka. And then, he recited the ‘namo-deva-damodarananta visno’ verse. And after so many years and years, he uttered the eight sloka. He didn’t recite all these verses at a time. You want to have everything in four-five years and gallop. But he did so much aradhana (worship) for lakhs and lakhs of years. He has spent one night during the time of pralaya (universal devastation). It seems that he was immortal. So, he must have done austerities for so many years and births. He then came to such a beautiful stage. But we don’t want to be patient. We want to be like him in a day or two. So, he was in dasya-rasa first. And then, he went to sakhya-rasa, and he gradually came to vatsalya-rasa. He then went to Dvaraka and served Krsna in the same mood as Rukmini and Satyabhama. After that, he may have gone to Vraja. And then, he may have had some greed to serve Srimati Radhika. And that was his last goal. But whether he has achieved it or not—we do not know. He has a little greed for:
namo rādhikāyai tvadīya priyāyai
namo ’nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam
He has only prayed for this. We see that Uddhava had some greed and he became a blade of grass here. But we don’t know what became of Satyavrata Muni. He gradually realized everything.
Ramacandra dasa: Satyavrata Muni had this in so many years and births.
Srila Gurudeva: Yes. We are galloping across many births because of the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Very soon, you will gallop something more. In ten years, you have galloped and come to me. And if their mercy is there, then you can have this.
Ramacandra dasa: Maharaja, although materialism will increase in Kali-yuga, if anyone comes to the process of devotional service, he will not have to face many difficulties.
Srila Gurudeva: Krsna will arrange everything; Giriraja Govardhana will arrange everything. He will send so many bonafide vaisnavas and gurus. This is the specialty of only this Kali-yuga because this age has received the foot-dust of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet (dhanya-kali).
If anyone wants to go to ISKCON Vrindavana for the disappearance festival of Srila Svami Maharaja. They can go gladly and offer puspanjali at Svamiji’s lotus feet—no harm. If there was no problem for ISKCON, I would have also gone. But I don’t want to give them any problem. We will celebrate this festival very nicely in Varsana. If anyone wants to go to Vrindavana, I will be very happy. They can go in the evening after taking prasada and return by night.
It is true that Svamiji has said, “I am present where there is no ego; I am present where there is no politics. I am present where there are qualified Vaisnavas.”
So, I think you can judge where he is.
Ramacandra dasa: Maharaja, in what mood is Dipavali celebrated?
Srila Gurudeva: ‘Dipavali’ means happiness. When Rama defeated Ravana and reached Ayodhya, a big festival of Dipavali was celebrated. When Vamanadeva desired to give His mercy to Bali Maharaja, then it seemed that He was cheating him. But He was not actually cheating him. Bali Maharaja later requested Him to always reside in his home. Thus, Vamanadeva was Himself cheated. Bali Maharaja then became very glad that Vamanadeva has agreed to reside in his home forever. He then also celebrated Dipavali to commemorate this joyous occasion. This is the first Dipavali. When Krsna returned to Dvaraka after the Mahabharata war ended and Duryodhana was defeated, Dipavali was also celebrated at the same time.
There is darkness on one side and illumination on another side. Bhagavan’s bhakti signifies light while aversion to His devotion signifies darkness. Krsna Himself, Yasoda Maiya, Nanda Baba, and all the Vrajavasis came here to Manasi-ganga on this day and celebrated Dipavali by lighting lamps by their own hands. So, we also celebrate this function to give up darkness and bring the light of pure devotion into our lives. ‘Light’ signifies pure devotion. So, this is the same celebration. ‘Sukha’ means to play musical instruments like hand-cymbals and mrdangas during sankirtana. By doing sankirtana, maya will go away at once. So, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bought His sankirtana movement to this world. Therefore, we should try to follow Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
It is very difficult to understand raganuga-bhakti. What to speak of understanding the difference between raganuga and rupanuga (one-pointed followers of Sri Rupa Gosvami or Rupa Manjari). Do you understand what is rupanuga-bhakti? Those who are serving Radha-Krsna with raga (spontaneous attachment) by following in the footsteps of the ragatmika-bhaktas and by following the process described by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and Ujjvala-nilamani—are all raganugas. They have greed and follow accordingly. But it maybe that they are not rupanuga. Jayadeva Gosvami was not rupanuga, but he was a raganuga. Bilvamangala Thakura was a raganuga-bhakta, but not a rupanuga-bhakta. Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Sri Raya Ramananda Prabhu were not rupanugas. They are the gurus of Rupa Gosvami; they are Lalita and Visakha themselves. They are in a higher rank. Those who are actually following how Rupa Manjari (Rupa Gosvami) is serving Radha and Krsna and who are following her (him) in the same way and mood are called Rupanugas at the time of practice.
Those who follow the Vrajavasis like Subala, Sridhama and the other sakhas and who want to serve Krsna like the sakhas will not be called Rupanugas—they will be called j. Can you say if Lalita, Visakha or Yasoda Maiya are Rupanuga or not? Jayadeva Prabhu?
Jayadeva dasa: Rupanuga?
Srila Gurudeva: Thank you! Very good! (laughter at wrong answer)
Devotee: Ragatmika?
Srila Gurudeva: Yes! This is it! Those who are siddha and serving Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana are all Ragatmika. Those who want to serve Krsna like them (the Ragatmikas or eternal associates of Krsna such as Nanda Baba and Mother Yasoda) while still following the limbs of raga-marga (spontaneous, devotional practices) as sadhakas (spiritual practitioners) are called ‘Raganugas’ and not Rupanugas. Although Rupa Gosvami has described everything in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, they will still not be called ‘Rupanugas’. Rupa Manjari serves Radha-Krsna Conjugal while being more inclined towards Srimati Radhika. She is happy when Srimati Radhika is happy and she suffers when Srimati Radhika suffers in separation from Sri Krsna. So, those who follow Rupa Manjari will be called Rupanuga. Svamiji has come to not only give Raganuga-bhakti—he has especially come to give Rupanuga-bhakti. But most of his disciples were not in the stage to understand what he had come to give. I am trying so hard to make you all understand but only a few are trying to understand. And about twenty-five years before, he went to America to preach. He couldn’t find anyone qualified to give all these teachings. Therefore, he spent much time in cutting the jungles of atheism. He wanted to give all these teachings. It is not a fact that he has only come to preach vaidhi-bhakti (regulated devotional services) because all our disciplic acaryas (spiritual preceptors) are Rupanugas. The followers of Nimbarkacarya are Raganugas but they aspire to serve Rukmini and Satyabhama in Dvaraka. They are not like Rupa Gosvami. Only the acaryas coming in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are Rupanugas. So how can it be said that he only came to give vaidhi-bhakti? I have personally met with him so many times. I have known him since 1946 and I know that he has not come only to give vaidhi-bhakti. He has come to preach in the line of Rupa Gosvami.
One specialty I have seen in him was that he was so simple; he would always be smiling. Srila Bhakti Pradipa Tirtha Gosvami Maharaja went to England and other Western countries to preach before him. He was a very great philosopher and was very intelligent. He knew all bhakti-siddhanta (the established conclusions of pure devotional service) perfectly. He went there but he could not mix with the youngsters. I have seen how Svamiji would mix with all the youngsters. He had no real or false ego—he was always smiling and he was so funny. He would use very simple words.
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Vrndavana and South India, He would say, “Krsna Kesava Krsna Kesava Krsna Kesava pahi mam! Rama Raghava Rama Raghava Rama Raghava raksa mam!” The Ganga and Yamuna would continuously flow from His eyes. He wouldn’t even stop to think where He was going. He would only be weeping while chanting ‘Krsna! Krsna! Krsna!’. All the animals like the tigers, elephants, deer and bears came to see Him. So, He preached without any philosophy. So, Svami Maharaja went and chanted ‘Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita Gadadhara Srivasadi Gaura-bhakta-vrnda’. At first, He didn’t explain so much of the philosophy concerning bhakti. He spoke of very simple teachings. He began his preaching by telling everyone, “Chant Krsna’s name.” He didn’t see if anyone was qualified or unqualified—he used to love everyone. Those who met him became his. I think that it is the specialty of a qualified guru that every disciple of his thinks, “My Gurudeva loves me more than anyone.” Similarly, every disciple of Svamiji thought, “My Prabhupada loves me the most.”
He used to joke with his disciples and with anyone he met. He never thought, “Oh they are my disciples, I should not joke with them.” He used to make his disciples laugh so much. Even the children used to love him so much. He would also speak in very simple language in big, big meetings. When I went to the Western countries, I followed his footprints. I never discussed big, big Vedanta philosophy. I only spoke simple harikatha and everyone was charmed. Srila Bon Maharaja went and spoke in many universities of England and America. But he didn’t bring a single disciple with him. He brought two persons at the time of Prabhupada who later returned to their countries. But we see how by the simple preaching of harinama and by the simple philosophy of loving everyone, Svamiji preached everywhere. I think the deepest philosophy was also present in this ‘simple’ philosophy. Love is the deepest and most supreme philosophy.
Navadvipa Prabhu explained:
kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-
bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā
nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya
prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā
(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.2}
[When transcendental devotional service by which love for Kṛṣṇa is attained is executed by the senses, it is called sādhana-bhakti, or the regulative discharge of devotional service. Such devotion eternally exists within the heart of every living entity. The awakening of this eternal devotion is the potentiality of devotional service in practice.]
nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 22.107)
[Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.]
We are all the servants of Krsna. Everything is present in our souls—but it is covered by Maya. Our svarupa (form), name, qualities, specialties, seva (services), and moods of prema are all present in our souls. Krsna-prema is also inherently present in our souls—it is not something that is obtained from somewhere else. Sri Guru dispels the darkness of ignorance and awakens this prema that is present within us. This is siddha-prema, which is gradually awakened. No new thing will come.
Your innate transcendental name, qualities and form can never be changed by any means or association. You will be what you are. By Sri Guru’s mercy and the association of sadhus, your innate transcendental form will be revealed. If one’s service in vatsalya-rasa or dasya-rasa is already present within his form, then he will not serve in madhurya-rasa. If one’s service in madhurya-rasa is inherently present within his form, then he will not serve in dasya-rasa. It is eternally present within his form and will awaken by sravana, kirtana and smarana. It is also a fact that if anyone is of madhurya-rasa, then he will have no taste in dasya and sakhya-rasa. When our anarthas will go, our forms will gradually be revealed. Therefore, don’t think that Svamiji is of sakhya-rasa. Some say that he is only of sakhya-rasa and he cannot give anything more—but this is not a fact. He came to propagate Mahaprabhu’s mission. He did not come to only give vaidhi-bhakti.
But we will have to do vaidhi-bhakti, and Bhakti-devi will manage everything. Bhakti is not only a quality. Bhakti is not nirvisesa; she is a person. Krsna, Srimati Radhika and all the Vrajavasis are controlled by prema-bhakti. Bhakti can make Krsna, Srimati Radhika and all the Gopis dance. And Bhakti-devi herself dances in prema. She makes everyone dance. Therefore, prominency is only given to bhakti. We don’t desire Krsna—we desire Krsna-prema. Without Krsna-prema, there is no use of being in Krsna’s association. Therefore, prema unto the lotus feet of Radha and Krsna is the ultimate objective. We will stop now; it is getting cold. All of you should see arati, do parikrama and listen to harikatha. We will go to Gahvaravana at seven in the morning.
Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja Ki Jaya!
His disappearance day Ki Jaya!
Gaura-premanande!
*Submitted by Govardhana dasa.
