NOI – Nectar of Instruction—Part 10

Giriraj Swami: Are you enrolled for this class? We have to see if your name is on the list.

Yesterday, we were reading how by carefully chanting the sweet holy names every day, a natural relish awakens within the tongue and the disease of ignorance is gradually destroyed at the root. Gradually, step by step, and in the purport, Srila Prabhupada mentions the steps—ruci, āsakti, and bhāva. The relish increases and the ignorance decreases.

We also discussed how bhāva is very rare. There are six characteristics of pure devotional service mentioned in The Nectar of Devotion. Two apply especially in the stage of sādhana-bhakti, two in the stage of bhāva-bhakti, and two in the stage of prema-bhakti.

So the first two characteristics of pure devotional service—[it] brings relief from material distress, and śubhadā—pure devotional service brings auspiciousness—are prominent even in the stage of sādhana-bhakti. And sudurlabhā—pure devotional service is rarely achieved, and mokṣa-laghutā-kṛt – pure devotional service minimizes the value of liberation are prominent in this stage of bhāva-bhakti. So why is bhāva-bhakti rare?

Rupa Gosvami gives two reasons—one reason is that even if one performs sādhana-bhakti, but if he has no taste or attachment, then even after performing sādhana-bhakti for a long time, he cannot achieve bhāva-bhakti. Of course, the same principle applies to any activity if we don’t have enthusiasm, we won’t be successful as Srila Prabhupada mentions in The Nectar of Instruction. But the other reason is that bhāva-bhakti is given by the mercy of Krishna, and He doesn’t give bhāva-bhakti very easily.

So in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami quotes the same verses that Rupa Gosvami quotes in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, and he explains how the fallen souls in Kali- yuga can achieve bhāva-bhakti. 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā, Chapter Eight:

TEXT 16

bahu janma kare yadi śravaṇa, kīrtana

tabu ta’ nā pāya kṛṣṇa-pade prema-dhana

TRANSLATION

If one is infested with the ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, despite his endeavor to chant the holy name for many births, he will not get the love of Godhead that is the ultimate goal of this chanting.

COMMENT

We also discussed how chanting without offense brings perfection very quickly. Then these are the verses from Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu:

jñānataḥ su-labhā muktir
bhuktir yajñādi-puṇyataḥ
seyaṁ sādhana-sāhasrair
hari-bhaktiḥ su-durlabhā        [Cc Ādi-līlā 7.18]

TRANSLATION

“By cultivating philosophical knowledge one can understand his spiritual position and thus be liberated, and by performing sacrifices and pious activities one can achieve sense gratification in a higher planetary system, but the devotional service of the Lord is so rare that even by executing hundreds and thousands of such sacrifices one cannot obtain it.”

COMMENT

So jñānataḥ su-labhā muktir—by jnana one gets mukti very easily, and bhuktir yajñādi-puṇyataḥ—similarly one gets sense enjoyment by performance of sacrifices and pious activities very easily, but sādhana-sāhasrair hari-bhaktiḥ su-durlabhā—even by doing sadhana thousands of times—hari-bhaktiḥ here means bhāva-bhakti is very rare.

Of course, Jiva Gosvami has explained that jnana and karma are weak, and without bhakti they cannot bring success. So here, according to Jiva Gosvami the verse means that by jñāna-miśrā-bhakti that means jnana mixed with bhakti, one can get mukti very easily. And by karma-miśrā-bhakti that means karma mixed with bhakti, one can get material elevation very easily, but by mixed devotional service one cannot get bhāva-bhakti. Only by pure devotional service can one get bhāva-bhakti.

In other words, one should have no desire for bhukti or mukti, and then he can get bhāva-bhakti, and we also read how if one observes Kartik vrata outside Mathura mandala, he can get mukti or bhukti but not bhakti because but if one observes Kartik vrata in Mathura mandala, he can get bhakti. And the explanation is that only one who is free from desires for bhukti and mukti can get bhakti. So if one performs Kartik vrata in Vraja, he can get the qualification for bhakti, which is to give up the desires for bhukti and mukti.

PURPORT

Prahlada Maharaja instructs:

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ
spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ
mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekaṁ
niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat        [Śb 7.5.32]

COMMENT

The purport is that one cannot obtain kṛṣṇa-bhakti except from a pure devotee. That is the secret.

TEXT 18 [Cc Ādi-līlā 8.18]

kṛṣṇa yadi chuṭe bhakte bhukti mukti diyā
kabhu prema-bhakti nā dena rākhena lukāiyā

TRANSLATION

If a devotee wants liberation or material sense gratification from the Lord, Kṛṣṇa immediately delivers it, but pure devotional service He keeps hidden.

COMMENT

Then the second verse from Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu:

TEXT 19

rājan patir gurur alaṁ bhāvatāṁ yadūnāṁ
daivaṁ priyaḥ kula-patiḥ kva ca kiṅkaro vaḥ
astv evam aṅga bhagavān bhajatāṁ mukundo
muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam

TRANSLATION

The great sage Śukadeva said: “My dear Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help you. He is your master, guru, God, and very dear friend, and also the head of your family. Yet sometimes He agrees to act as your servant or order-carrier. You are greatly fortunate because this relationship is possible only by bhakti-yoga. The Lord can give liberation [mukti] very easily, but He does not very easily give one bhakti-yoga, because by that process He is bound to the devotee.”

COMMENT

So bhāva-bhakti, in any case is very rare, and in any case, we chant the holy name with offenses even if we try not to, but still we can’t avoid them. So what hope is there for us?

TEXT 20

hena prema śrī-Caitanya dilā yathā tathā
jagāi mādhāi paryanta — anyera kā kathā

TRANSLATION

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has freely given this love of Kṛṣṇa everywhere and anywhere, even to the most fallen, such as Jagāi and Mādhāi. What then to speak of those who are already pious and elevated?

COMMENT

In other words, by the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu we can awaken dormant love for Krishna.

TEXT 21

svatantra īśvara prema-nigūḍha-bhāṇdāra

bilāila yāre tāre, nā kaila vicāra

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, is fully independent. Therefore, although it is the most confidentially stored benediction, He can distribute love of Godhead to anyone and everyone without consideration.

TEXT 22

adyāpiha dekha Caitanya-nāma yei laya

kṛṣṇa-preme pulakāśru-vihvala se haya

TRANSLATION

Whether he is offensive or inoffensive, anyone who even now chants śrī-kṛṣṇa-Caitanya prabhu-nityānanda is immediately overwhelmed with ecstasy, and tears fill his eyes.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The prākṛta-sahajiyās who chant nitāi-gaura rādhe śyāma have very little knowledge of the Bhāgavata conclusion, and they hardly follow the Vaiṣṇava rules and regulations, and yet because they chant bhaja nitāi-gaura, their chanting immediately evokes tears and other signs of ecstasy. Their ecstatic tears will of course help them in the long run, for as soon as they come in contact with a pure devotee their lives will become successful.

COMMENT

So here Srila Prabhupada is highlighting the fact that if we chant the names of Nitai-Gaura, we can get their mercy and develop some ecstatic sentiments and then we can chant Hare Krishna without offense, and then we can get love of Godhead.

TEXT 23

‘nityānanda’ balite haya kṛṣṇa-premodaya

āulāya sakala aṅga, aśru-gaṅgā vaya

TRANSLATION

Simply by talking of Nityānanda Prabhu one awakens his love for Kṛṣṇa. Thus all his bodily limbs are agitated by ecstasy, and tears flow from his eyes like the waters of the Ganges.

TEXT 24

‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’ kare aparādhera vicāra

kṛṣṇa balile aparādhīra nā haya vikāra

TRANSLATION

There are offenses to be considered while chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa one does not become ecstatic.

TEXT 25

tad aśma-sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ

yad gṛhyamāṇair hari-nāma-dheyaiḥ

na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro

netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ

TRANSLATION

“If one’s heart does not change, tears do not flow from his eyes, his body does not shiver, and his bodily hairs do not stand on end as he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, it should be understood that his heart is as hard as iron. This is due to his offenses at the lotus feet of the Lord’s holy name.”

COMMENT

So if we chant and we don’t manifest symptoms of ecstasy and the heart does not change, what is the reason?

Devotee: Offenses.

Giriraj Swami: Because of the offenses.

TEXT 26

‘eka’ kṛṣṇa-nāme kare sarva-pāpa nāśa
premera kāraṇa bhakti karena prakāśa

TRANSLATION

Simply chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without offenses vanquishes all sinful activities. Thus pure devotional service, which is the cause of love of Godhead, becomes manifest.

TEXT 27-28

premera udaye haya premera vikāra

sveda-kampa-pulakādi gadgadāśrudhāra

anāyāse bhāva-kṣaya, kṛṣṇera sevana

eka kṛṣṇa-nāmera phale pāi eta dhana

TRANSLATION

As a result of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead.

COMMENT

Just like in the verse, one’s ignorance is vanquished and one develops taste.

TRANSLATION

The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these transcendental riches.

COMMENT

So Srila Prabhupada comments or quotes Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that:

[Excerpt from PURPORT to Cc Ādi-līlā 8.31:]

If one takes shelter of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda, follows Their instructions to become more tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass, and in this way chants the holy name of the Lord, very soon he achieves the platform of transcendental loving service to the Lord, and tears appear in his eyes. There are offenses to be considered in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, but there are no such considerations in chanting the names of Gaura-Nityānanda. Therefore, one should first approach Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, or worship Guru-Gaurāṅga, and then come to the stage of worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, our students are first advised to worship Guru-Gaurāṅga, and then, when they are somewhat advanced, the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity is installed. One should first take shelter of Gaura-Nityānanda in order to reach, ultimately, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. 

COMMENT

So knowing how fallen we are in Kali-yuga, and how merciful Lord Chaitanya is to fallen souls, Srila Prabhupada arranged ISKCON in such a way that all devotees are always engaged in serving Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda. Because by serving Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda, they become freed from offenses and by the mercy of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda they become eligible to chant Hare Krishna and worship Radha and Krishna.

And the process is very nicely explained in a song by Narottama dasa Thakura which Srila Prabhupada quotes here in the purport:

PURPORT (continued)

gaurāṅga balite ha’be pulaka śarīra

hari hari balite nayane ba’be nīra

āra kabe nitāi-cāṅdera karuṇā ha-ibe

saṁsāra-vāsanā mora kabe tuccha habe

viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha habe mana

kabe hāma heraba śrī-vṛndāvana

In the beginning one should very regularly chant Śrī Gaurasundara’s holy name and then chant the holy name of Lord Nityānanda. Thus one’s heart will be cleansed of impure desires for material enjoyment. Then one can approach Vṛndāvana-dhāma to worship Lord Kṛṣṇa. Unless one is favored by Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, there is no need to go to Vṛndāvana, for unless one’s mind is purified, he cannot see Vṛndāvana, even if he goes there. Actually going to Vṛndāvana involves taking shelter of the six Gosvāmīs by reading the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Vidagdha-mādhava, Lalita-mādhava and the other books that they have given. In this way one can understand the transcendental loving affairs between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

So the process is that first one worships Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda or chants the holy names of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda, then one’s mind becomes purified and he is able to understand Vrindavan or enter Vrindavan, but to actually understand Vrindavan and enter Vrindavan, one should take shelter of the six Gosvamis and understand the teachings of the six Gosvamis. Then one can understand Vrindavan and the loving affairs of Radha and Krishna which means the deities of Radha and Krishna or the mahā-mantra, Hare Krishna.

Devotee: [Unintelligible]

Giriraj Swami: We will come to that in one or two minutes.

PURPORT (continued)

Kabe hāma bujhaba se yugala-pirīti.

In order to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, worship Them and engage in Their loving service, one must be guided by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu and the six Gosvāmīs, Lord Caitanya’s direct disciples.

COMMENT

So now coming to your point, we were reading how just by chanting the holy names of Gaura-Nityananda, one should feel ecstatic symptoms, but even then we don’t feel much of the time. So what is the problem?

I was thinking the problem is that along with chanting Gaura-Nityananda, we are also chanting Hare Krishna and because of the offenses we commit while chanting Hare Krishna, we can’t get the result of chanting Gaura-Nityananda. So first we should stop chanting Hare Krishna and just chant the holy names of Gaura-Nityananda, then we’ll feel ecstasy when we chant Gaura-Nityananda and then we can chant Hare Krishna without offences.

PURPORT (continued)

A neophyte student who is not sufficiently educated or enlightened should not indulge in the worship of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa or the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

COMMENT

I’ll read it again.

PURPORT (continued)

A neophyte student who is not sufficiently educated or enlightened should not indulge in the worship of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa or the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Even if he does so, he cannot get the desired result. One should therefore chant the names of Nitāi-Gaura and worship Them without false prestige. Since everyone within this material world is more or less influenced by sinful activities, in the beginning it is essential that one take to the worship of Guru-Gaurāṅga and ask their favor, for thus despite all his disqualifications one will very soon become qualified to worship the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Vigraha.

COMMENT

Actually in Africa, Srila Prabhupada told the devotees at first that they should just teach the Africans to chant Nitai-Gauranga not Hare Krishna because he was afraid they would commit offenses and then they wouldn’t get the result. So he told the devotees that they should just teach them to chant Nitai-Gauranga and worship Gaura-Nitai, no Hare Krishna and no Radha-Krishna.

PURPORT (continued)

It should be noted in this connection that the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Gaurasundara are both identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, one should not consider one name to be more potent than the other. Considering the position of the people of this age, however, the chanting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s name is more essential than the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the most magnanimous incarnation and His mercy is very easily achieved. Therefore one must first take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. By serving Gaura-Nityānanda one is freed from the entanglements of material existence and thus becomes qualified to worship the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity.

COMMENT

So the obvious question that arises is why do we chant Hare Krishna in our fallen condition?

And Srila Prabhupada answered when one devotee asked him in the early days. Srila Prabhupada answered that because Lord Chaitanya chanted Hare Krishna, we chant Hare Krishna, but if we are sincere and serious we should judge the effects of chanting śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda but if we find that our mind is too disturbed by offensive thoughts, offensive thoughts means any thought outside Krishna consciousness then it may be worthwhile to actually spend the time and energy to chant the names of śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda before we rush into chanting Hare Krishna just because we want to finish our rounds. Because everything depends on the quality and without really being in proper consciousness, if we just rush into chanting Hare Krishna, we won’t get the result because the quality won’t be there.

So we should chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, pray to Guru-Gauranga, pray to the holy name to be merciful to us and allow us to chant nicely. Because we actually do not have sufficient strength to chant the holy name, so we need mercy. So in a humble mood knowing that the holy name is Krishna Himself or Hare Krishna, Radha-Krishna Themselves we should beg Guru, beg Gauranga, beg the holy names of Gauranga and Nityananda, to give us Their mercy, so that we can approach the holy names of Radha and Krishna and pray to the holy name of Hare and Krishna to give us Their mercy.

Devotee: [Unintelligible] 

Giriraj Swami: You are saying Lord Chaitanya did not approve of the chanting of śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya. Because he was playing the part of the devotee so He didn’t want His name to be chanted. He wanted Krishna’s name to be chanted.

Devotee: What has he advised?

Giriraj Swami: What is the advice to you? You should chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda. If you chant the holy name of Nityananda, Sri Lord Chaitanya will be pleased and if you chant the holy name of Chaitanya, Nityananda will be pleased and then chant Hare Krishna, when you chant the holy name of Radha, Krishna will be pleased and when you chant the holy name of Krishna, Radha will be pleased. So everyone will be pleased and you will be pleased, and then we will be pleased.

One more verse which purport is very instructive.

TEXT 32

svatantra īśvara prabhu atyanta udāra

tāṅre nā bhajile kabhu nā haya nistāra

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, is greatly magnanimous. Unless one worships Him, one can never be liberated.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura here remarks that one should not give up the worship of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to worship Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. By worshiping either Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Lord Caitanya alone, one cannot become advanced. One should not try to supersede the instructions of the six Gosvāmīs, for they are ācāryas and very dear to Lord Caitanya. Therefore, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings:

rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti

kabe hāma bujhaba se yugala-pirīti

One must be a submissive student of the six Gosvāmīs, from Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī to Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. Not following their instructions but imagining how to worship Gaurasundara and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is a great offense.

COMMENT

So in other words, we should follow in paramparā. We follow the six Gosvamis and the six Gosvamis have taught us to chant the holy names of Gaura-Nitai and Hare Krishna, worship the deities of Gaura-Nitai and Radha-Krishna. So being influenced by such statements as we read, we should not give up the worship of Radha-Krishna either, but we should worship Radha-Krishna and Nitai-Gaurasundara.

In the Seventh Chapter of the Ādi-līlā, Lord Chaitanya enacts the pastime of developing bhāva-bhakti. His spiritual master had told him. . . Who is Lord Chaitanya’s spiritual master?

Devotee: Isvara Puri.

Giriraj Swami: Isvara Puri told him that you should not indulge in discussing Vedanta, but you should just engage in chanting Hare Krishna, and by chanting Lord Chaitanya developed ecstatic symptoms which come in bhāva-bhakti and the goal of sādhana-bhakti is?

Devotee: Bhāva-bhakti.

Giriraj Swami: So when Lord Chaitanya showed signs of having achieved bhāva-bhakti, Lord Chaitanya’s spiritual master was exceedingly pleased, and he felt that his mission was successful because his disciple had achieved transcendental love of Godhead.

So I’ll just read a little and then we will go on to the next verse. When Lord Chaitanya developed ecstatic symptoms, he thought, What is happening to Me? Maybe My intelligence is being covered? Maybe some illusion is overwhelming Me? So He approached His spiritual master.

[Cc Ādi 7.81]

kibā mantra dilā, gosāñi, kibā tāra bala
japite japite mantra karila pāgala

“ ‘My dear lord, what kind of mantra have you given Me? I have become mad simply by chanting this mahā-mantra!’”

COMMENT

So here we come to quality in chanting.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu prays in His Śikṣāṣṭaka:

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam

śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me

“O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.”

COMMENT

Separation, in other words.

TRANSLATION [7.82]

When My spiritual master heard all this, he smiled and then began to speak:

TEXT 83

kṛṣṇa-nāma-mahā-mantrera ei ta’ svabhāva

yei jape, tāra kṛṣṇe upajaye bhāva

TRANSLATION

“ ‘It is the nature of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra that anyone who chants it immediately develops his loving ecstasy for Kṛṣṇa.’”

PURPORT

In this verse it is explained that one who chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra develops bhāva, ecstasy, which is the point at which revelation begins.

COMMENT

Krishna actually reveals Himself to the devotee. Of course, He reveals Himself all along through the holy name, through the deities, and so on but in bhāva, He reveals Himself directly.

PURPORT (continued) 

A neophyte disciple begins by hearing and chanting, associating with devotees and practicing the regulative principles, and thus he vanquishes all of his unwanted bad habits.

COMMENT

That is sraddha, sādhu-saṅga, bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛtti.

PURPORT (continued)

In this way he develops attachment for Kṛṣṇa and cannot forget Kṛṣṇa even for a moment. A sincere student aurally receives the holy name from the spiritual master, and after being initiated he follows the regulative principles given by the spiritual master. When the holy name is properly served in this way, automatically the spiritual nature of the holy name spreads; in other words, the devotee becomes qualified in offenselessly chanting the holy name.

COMMENT

So because the holy name is actually Krishna, we cannot really touch the holy name with material senses therefore the senses have to be purified. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 15.108]. When the senses are purified, then we can chant without offense and then the holy name reveals Himself to be Krishna Himself, everything—form, qualities, associates, pastimes, everything.

PURPORT (continued)

When one is completely fit to chant the holy name in this way, he is eligible to make disciples all over the world, and he actually becomes jagad-guru. Then the entire world under his influence begins to chant the holy names of the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra.

COMMENT

Then Srila Prabhupada mentions that by serving the holy name, by preaching the holy name, by spreading the holy name, one gets the mercy of the holy name—thus connected.

PURPORT (continued)

As devotees propagate the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the general population of the entire world gets the opportunity to understand the glories of the holy name. While chanting and dancing or hearing the holy name of the Lord, one automatically remembers the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and because there is no difference between the holy name and Kṛṣṇa, the chanter is immediately linked with Kṛṣṇa. Thus connected, a devotee develops his original attitude of service to the Lord. In this attitude of constantly serving Kṛṣṇa, which is called bhāva, he always thinks of Kṛṣṇa in many different ways. One who has attained this bhāva stage is no longer under the clutches of the illusory energy. When other spiritual ingredients, such as trembling, perspiration and tears, are added to this bhāva stage, the devotee gradually attains love of Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

Any questions about Text Seven? Now we proceed to Text Eight [from The Nectar of Instruction]:

TEXT 8

tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī
kālaṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram

TRANSLATION

The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time – twenty-four hours a day – in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vṛndāvana-dhāma] and serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.

COMMENT

so ānu-smṛtyoḥ means remembering and manasī means the mind. Srila Prabhupada quotes:

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ

tyajaty ante kalevaram

taṁ taṁ evaiti kaunteya

sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.”

So we should practice remembering Krishna always so that at the time of death we will remember Krishna, and then we can go to Krishna, but Krishna does not exist in isolation. Krishna exists with His devotees in His abode where He performs pastimes. So remembering Krishna really means remembering Krishna in His pastimes with His devotees in His Vrindavan. Then we can achieve the service of Krishna. If we just think of Krishna in isolation, what will we achieve?

Devotee: Supersoul.

Giriraj Swami: Supersoul, not Supersoul. We might get sāyujya-mukti—merging into the form of Krishna or sārūpya mukti, but to really enter the service of Krishna, we should be thinking of Krishna with His devotees as they engage in their service to Krishna and thinking of them in their service to Krishna, at the time of death, we will attain our goal, and we will be able to serve Krishna as they serve.

So we can think of the example of King Bharata. King Bharata had actually achieved the stage of bhāva, but in the forest he became attached to a deer and at the time of death he happened to think of the deer, and therefore he was given the body of the deer. And the next thought, How could someone as advanced as King Bharata, who was the emperor of the world, who gave up his wife, his children, his kingdom, his opulences, as if they were nothing but stool? How could he become attached to a deer? So attached that he neglected his spiritual practices. Neglected his spiritual practices means that while worshiping the Lord, his mind was with the deer. He wasn’t really thinking of the Lord. He was going through the motions of worship, but his mind was with the deer. So he was considered fallen and at the time of death, his mind was with the deer. How could it happen?

Srila Prabhupada and other authorities have commented. First that King Bharata left the association of devotees. But he was becoming attached to the deer, becoming involved with the deer, he didn’t consult any spiritual master or devotee. And we read, and we can repeat again that the association of devotees is essential. By the association of devotees, one develops Krishna consciousness. One develops faith in Krishna consciousness and even after achieving love of Godhead, the association of devotees is still essential. So he had no association of devotees and he did not consult any spiritual master or a devotee when he was getting involved with the deer.

Srila Prabhupada comments that he willfully means, King Bharata, willfully chose to become involved with the deer. He was not forced to, but he chose to, even at the expense of his spiritual life. Even after having given up so much, done so much service, performed so many austerities, still after everything, he chose to become infatuated with the deer, and he is in one sense, lost everything. Although in another sense, he recovered everything, by the mercy of the Lord, but he had to take two extra births. So we have to be careful at every stage—to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. Due to sentiment for the deer, Bharata Maharaja forgot the Lord. So everything was lost. So we have to be very careful. We have to be very careful. So we will end now because the time is over, and then we’ll discuss more fully the purport to Eight tomorrow.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Gaura premānande Haribol!!