Marina di Massa, Italy
Morning Walk
July 2, 2010
Devotee: Guru is one. He is everywhere, omniscient, and omnipresent.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: If they are in the line of Nityananda Prabhu, then they have those qualities. Different gurus are in different categories; it is not that all gurus are equally qualified, even if they perform the actions of guru or play the role of guru. Those who are not qualified should not play that role. If they are following Nityananda Prabhu, who is akhanda-guru-tattva (the complete, undivided principle of guru), then they are bona fide.
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has prayed, "Caksu-dana dilo yei janme janme prabhu se – you are my lord birth after birth." Guru is one. Guru is coming, birth after birth. In what stage does the devotee have to be in order to have that particular manifestation of guru-tattva come back to him for a relationship birth after birth?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: There is no certainty that it will be the same guru. But Nityananda Prabhu is akhanda-guru-tattva; so a bona fide guru, one who is in His line, will come.
Ramanatha dasa: I read in an article in the Harmonist that a pure rasika devotee doesn't worship Nityananda Prabhu as akhanda-guru-tattva, but rather he worships Radharani as akhanda-guru-tattva.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: No, no, no, no. This is not right.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Do you have that Harmonist with you?
Ramanatha dasa: No, but I think it is an article by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: I think the point of the article is that one cannot achieve the mercy of Radha-Krsna without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. One has to go through Nityananda Prabhu.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Yes, that is okay. "Heno nitai vine bhai, radha-krsna paite nai (without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, one cannot attain pure devotion to Sri Sri Radha-Krsna)."
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: Although Nityananda, as Balarama, is not present in a pastime where there is Radha and Krsna, still, without His mercy one cannot attain Their mercy?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Oh, you should know that as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna, in the same way Nityananda Prabhu is Baladeva. Baladeva can appear in all forms, and thus He can serve in all rasas. He manifests as Ananga-manjari, and thus we can worship Nityananda Prabhu in the form of Ananga-manjari. Do you understand, or not?
What did I say?
Sripad Asrama Maharaja: You said that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna, Nityananda Prabhu is Baladeva, and Baladeva is sevaka-bhagavan. He is serving in all rasas – dasya, sakhya, and vatsalya, and in madhurya he is serving as Ananga-manjari. In this way we can also serve Nityananda Prabhu in all rasas, and in madhurya-rasa through Ananga-manjari.
Sripad Sadhu Maharaja: Many devotees worship the Deities of Sri Gaura-Nityananda Prabhu. Is it possible to achieve the same result in worshipping Nityananda Prabhu as Ananga-manjari and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Radha-Krsna – as when worshipping Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Vinoda-bihari?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: This is okay. The devotees can think, "I am worshipping Nityananda, but in His form as Ananga-manjari."
Balarama dasa: At what stage does our siddha-svarupa (internally contemplated spiritual form) manifest?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: At the time of bhava.
Kanhaiyalal dasa: Srila Gurudeva, it is very easy for devotees to commit aparadha (offences) if they are not very advanced, and then advancement is not possible. What is the best way to stay free from aparadha?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Each person must be alert not to commit aparadha. If someone thinks, "I must do that," then what can I do? It depends on that person. He should always be alert.
Dau-dayala dasa [at that time Sripada Giri Maharaja]: Yesterday, Asrama Maharaja explained this verse in his class:
nehabhikrama-naso 'sti
pratyavayo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya
trayate mahato bhayat
In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear." (Bhagavad-gita, 2.40)
What kind of fear does this refer to?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Krsna has told about bhakti in the madhyama (intermediate) stage. If one is not doing anything wrong – not committing any aparadha – then he will gradually develop in his bhakti. But:
yadi vaisnava-aparadha uthe hati mata
upate va chinde, tara sukhi' yaya pata
If the devotee commits an offense at the feet of a Vaisnava while cultivating the creeper of devotional service in the material world, his offense is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper are dried up." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta)
So, we should be alert in this regard.
