Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.67 for the morning class in Dallas.
“In this exalted state of love for Krishna, Nanda Maharaja and the other residents of Vrindavan show qualities that even we, in our stage, should aspire to and try to develop. The development of Krishna consciousness is hierarchical in that whatever qualities exist in the lower stages continue in the higher stages. It is not that they disappear. For example, in our stage we are trying to develop faith in Krishna and surrender to Him, and when we do have faith in Him and surrender to Him we can proceed in devotional service. And there are different stages delineated by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu: adau sraddha — faith; then sadhu-sangah — association with pure devotees; then bhajana-kriya — performance of devotional practices; then anartha-nivrittih — the diminishing of unwanted habits; then nishtha — firm, steady faith and practice; then rucih — taste; then asaktih — attachment; and so on. As one progresses, all of those continue. It is not that ‘Now I am advanced, so I am not surrendered any more — surrender is for a lower stage.’ Rather, genuine advancement means that one’s surrender deepens. And the most surrendered devotees are Krishna’s personal associates, especially His associates in Vrindavan. So, those moods also pertain to us at our stage. But there is also the other aspect, that they are being exhibited in an extreme condition of ecstatic love for Krishna in separation. Nanda Maharaja feels that he and Mother Yasoda are disqualified because of their so-called hard-heartedness and that therefore Krishna arranged for more qualified devotees to be His parents. This indicates the extreme predominance of the sancari-bhava of dainya, humility, within them.”
