Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Appearance Day

Giriraj Swami: Today we have gathered for the most auspicious celebration of the appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was one of the most prominent acharyas in the disciplic succession after Lord Chaitanya and his contribution to Gaudiya Vaishnavism and to the world is so great that one devotee called him the Seventh Gosvami. Much of the present Krishna consciousness movement that was inaugurated or founded by Srila Prabhupada was being conducted under the guidance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Today I will focus on some of the areas in which the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is continuing the work and mission of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was born in an aristocratic family, devotional family, but throughout his life he was afflicted by various illnesses. So the tremendous contribution he made was in the face of physically trying conditions. We shouldn’t think that he had an easy life or everything just came. Of course it did come naturally in a way but he really had to face many obstacles even in terms of his physical health. In this year’s Vyasa-puja book, His Grace Kalakantha dasa wrote an offering in which he listed different trials that Srila Prabhupada had faced and suggested that Srila Prabhupada actually suffered. It wasn’t just an appearance of difficulties but he actually suffered. But in spite of the difficulties he continued. And that is a lesson for all of us. We also shouldn’t expect that things will come very easily or go very smoothly but in spite of the difficulties and miseries we should persevere in our efforts in Krishna consciousness.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was appointed to a very high position in the government service, assistant magistrate, which is practically the highest position that any Indian held in the government of India during the British rule. The British had the idea to inculcate in the Indians the idea that Indian culture was inferior to the British or the Western or the Christian culture. So in general they kept the Indians down but Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was so qualified and so popular that they were obliged to appoint him to a very high position.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a grihastha. He had ten children. In spite of very heavy responsibilities in the government service and as a family man he still did so much direct service to the cause of Krishna consciousness. He utilized his time very expertly. After coming home from work he would take a light meal and he would take rest at about eight o’clock and then he would get up at midnight and write books. He wrote over one hundred books and songs. He made so many contributions. From this we can learn how we can also engage in direct service to the cause of Krishna consciousness in spite of many responsibilities in terms of family and work by very efficiently and enthusiastically using our time, using every moment possible for devotional service.

As a magistrate Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was very efficient. He would dispose of many cases in very short order. Judges are also judged in terms of how many cases they dispose of and how many of their cases are appealed and how many of their cases are overturned in appeal. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had the most outstanding record of any judge or magistrate. He disposed of so many cases so quickly and by and large people were satisfied with his judgments and so his decisions were not appealed or overturned.

One famous case involved a yogi who falsely claimed to be an incarnation of Vishnu or Krishna. He would have an imitation rasa-līlā every night and many of the ladies in that area of Orissa would come to him and engage in these so-called pastimes. So the more intelligent persons or sober persons, they complained to the British government and the British administration considered, “This is a very delicate question because we are dealing with Hindu practices and Hindu sentiments. This will be very tricky for us to deal with.” So they assigned the work to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. 

He went to the place where the yogi was engaging in his nefarious activities to test him first of all. So he said to the yogi, “You are a devotee. You have such a great contribution to make. Why should you be here in some remote rural area in Orissa? You should come to Jagannatha Puri and worship Lord Jagannatha and be happy in the association of devotees.” Upon hearing these words the yogi’s offensive mentality came out and he said, “Oh, why should I go to Puri and worship a wooden statue.” 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura could conclude beyond any doubt that he was a pretender and so he decided to arrest him and bring him to trial. Srila Prabhupada remarked not specifically in relation to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura but in a more general sense that the government should oversee the activities of sadhus and people who take the position of guru. He actually said they should license them. Just like nowadays you can’t just call yourself a doctor and begin to practice medicine. You have to take a course of study and you have to be licensed to practice as a doctor or a lawyer. Being a doctor mainly pertains to the body which is not even as important as the soul. It is not as important as the soul so what to speak about. . . So if someone is going to entrust his body or his medical care to a doctor you want to go to a doctor who is licensed. So in the same way Prabhupada said if people entrust their whole lives, their spiritual lives to some spiritual teacher, the teacher should be tested according to certain standards that are given in scripture. And if he doesn’t meet the qualifications, he should be declared disqualified.

This particular yogi was creating a disturbance with his immoral, illicit activities, and so Bhaktivinoda Thakura attempted to arrest him. This is also very interesting because Indian culture is so advanced and evolved, even the demons, even the rascals can be very clever, very cultured in a way. So in diplomatic behavior one tries reason and logic, good argument and if that fails, one tries bribery. So the yogi told Bhaktivinoda Thakura that, “If you cooperate with me I will give you great powers and you will become the king of India.” That didn’t work. Bhaktivinoda Thakura did apprehend him and took him to Puri.

So then the yogi threatened him and all the people associated with him that, “If you do this I will cause you all to become sick and you will all die.” And the yogi actually did have powers. He actually had powers and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and his family members all became deathly ill. They had very high fevers and it looked like they could die. They actually could die. Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s wife appealed to him, “Please let the yogi go. It is not worth the cost of our lives to bring the yogi to justice.” Many friends and well-wishers also suggested, “You are too valuable to lose your life over this issue. Just let him go.” But Bhaktivinoda Thakura refused. 

Eventually the day of the trial came and Bhaktivinoda Thakura understood that the yogi had conserved his mystic powers in his hair. Srila Prabhupada also said that it is common that a yogi will have his mystic powers in his hair. There is also the biblical story of Samson and Delilah. Samson was so powerful but when his hair was cut he lost his power. Some of the modern yogis you can see they also have hair. So, first thing in the trial Bhaktivinoda Thakura ordered the constables to cut his hair. He did have mystic powers and of course he was making threats and sparks actually came out of his hair. Bhaktivinoda Thakura personally saw to it that his hair was cut and eventually he was found guilty of imitating Krishna, engaging in immoral, illicit, illegal activities, and he was sentenced to prison, serve time in prison. In prison he wrote a note admitting that he had been an imposter and he took his own life in prison. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was so fearless, so courageous, so determined. 

Although Bhaktivinoda Thakura was posted in Orissa he was also the superintendent of the Jagannatha temple but his heart hankered to be closer to the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He wanted to be posted in Nadia but he was rendering such valuable service in the government that they didn’t want to let him go, they didn’t want to grant him a transfer. But eventually his desire was so strong and even though he did have such a responsible position and prestigious position and he had a big family to maintain but finally he said, “If you don’t transfer me I am just going to give up government service and retire and just go.” So then finally they posted him in Krishnan agar which is near Navadvipa.

Eventually he ascertained the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the course of time the Ganges River changed its course and the landscape changed, the terrain changed, and it was a question what was the actually birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So he studied maps, he consulted local people, and eventually he had a vision of a mound of earth out of which tulasis were growing. He went to the place that he believed was the birthplace. The local people also told him there was this place as he was looking and he found it. He considered that this was the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And then wanted that confirmed by his guru, his śikṣā-guru, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, and he came and he confirmed it.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura built a bhajana-kutira in Godrumadvipa at Surabhi-kuñja which was the place where Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Nityananda four hundred years earlier had established the nāma-haṭṭa. And Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura revived the nāma-haṭṭa and made it a very powerful preaching movement in Bengal especially. That too was later revived in a very big way by Srila Prabhupada and his followers especially Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja who really spread the nāma-haṭṭa in Bengal and Orissa and now spread all over the world.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura also built a house near Surabhi-kuñja, in those days quite a nice house overlooking the Jalangi River. Devotees go there on parikramā when they go to Navadvipa. You could see his bedroom, his chair, his table, his bed. Next to it was another room where his son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would sometimes stay. Also there is the bhajana-kutira of his disciple, Srila Gaurakishora dasa Babaji Maharaja. It is a very sacred place. 

There is a balcony where he would chant japa and one day he was looking across the balcony and he had a vision of a wonderful temple and a whole community of devotees engaged in the service of the Lord, a whole township, a whole city. This temple, adbhuta mandira, it was mentioned by Locana dasa Thakura in one of his books that Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Nityananda had predicted that there would be an astounding temple rising up in Mayapur and a whole community of devotees engaged in the service of the Lord.

Naturally Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, son and in a way disciple, he took up that. . . Before that actually Bhaktivinoda Thakura wanted to build a temple at the birthplace and he personally took up a collection. He went door to door. He was such a prestigious person. He went door to door begging people to contribute whatever they could for the construction of the temple. Imagine Governor Schwarzenegger going door to door to take up a collection for a religious shrine. It would be quite unusual. Anyway, we are comparing things that are not to be compared. But he did that and one of the main newspapers in Calcutta, the Amrita Bazar Patrika, appealed to the citizens that the noble Bhaktivinoda Thakura will be coming door to door. Everyone should contribute his might to the worthy cause. I believe it was that Gosh. . . Prabhupada knew Tarun Kanti Gosh and his father Tushar Kanti Gosh, and his father was quite a prominent Bengali intellectual. I believe he is the one that called Bhaktivinoda Thakura the Seventh Gosvami.

So anyway he was so humble. He went door to door and raised a collection and built the original temple of Lord Chaitanya at the birthplace in Mayapur. As far as a whole community of devotees Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura made a beginning. In Mayapur you can also see some cottages. A few of his disciples also built cottages. He himself established the Gaudiya Matha there with brahmacharis and sannyasis. 

This project also came through disciplic succession to Srila Prabhupada and he really wanted to develop the Mayapur city. Certainly more has been done to establish the Mayapur city than was ever done before and it is growing. It is definitely taking shape. Srila Prabhupada also wanted to build a magnificent temple to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, to the Pancha-tattva in Mayapur.

One year I was serving in the Calcutta temple and Srila Prabhupada arrived from London and he was so enthusiastic about the Mayapur project, the big temple, that in London he had actually drawn a design for what the temple would look like, what the first building would look like. When he arrived in Calcutta he was so enthusiastic, he pulled out the blueprints and he was showing everyone. He actually worked on it with our dear godbrother Nara-narayana Prabhu. He was just so enthusiastic. He was just so excited, just so enthusiastic. That enthusiasm spread to us. 

But then he did something very interesting and very instructive. He called a meeting with the devotees, the senior devotees at least, and right when everyone was at the peak of their enthusiasm for the project he raised the question of the flooding in Mayapur because quite frequently during the rainy season the Ganges floods and the area becomes submerged under water to different degrees. So he was saying, if we build the city there, if we build the temple there, it could be flooded. The whole thing could be lost. He raised the question, should we even build the temple and try to establish this city there. Of course he was Srila Prabhupada, he had so much authority, and then on top of it his logic was so powerful, his intelligence was so powerful. So he took that position very strongly and he suggested that we consider alternatives, alternative locations for the temple. He suggested Birnagar, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s, it was one of his places of residences, very nice place in Bengal, very nice atmosphere. So we were convinced, swayed, and then again he brought up Mayapur, and in the end he concluded we should go ahead and do it in Mayapur. Even though there is that risk and there is that difficulty, we should go ahead.

The whole exercise really illustrated an important principle that Srila Prabhupada often mentioned which is that in whatever we do we should be very careful and cautious and we should use our intelligence. Srila Prabhupada defined intelligence as seeing the same thing from different angles of vision, from different points of view. He didn’t want us to just blindly rush forward like, “Now are we going to fulfill Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prophecy; we are going to fulfill Nityananda Prabhu’s desire.” We are in the material world and in the material world there are many dangers—padam padam—there is danger at every step and Prabhupada wanted us to be very cautious and careful and to see things from different angles of vision, not just rush ahead based on blind faith or enthusiasm.

And then at the end of the discussion he had with the devotees there, he said, “If you all build this temple for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu then Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.” So he has that power. In fact maybe we will sing at the end a song by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura and he prays to the Vaishnavas that, “You have Krishna and you have the power to give Him to us. So we are running behind you shouting, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’” So that is the truth, the Vaishnava possesses Krishna. Krishna comes under the control of the love of the pure devotee and if the pure devotee is pleased with our service he can deliver Krishna to us. And that is really how we progress. Yes, we make our effort, we have to make our effort, but ultimately our success depends on the mercy of higher authorities. If we please them by our sincere efforts to serve and follow their instructions, if they are satisfied, they can deliver Krishna to us. So we should submit ourselves at their lotus feet, roll in the dust of their lotus feet and beg them for their mercy. We have no other hope. Our effort isn’t really what brings success. Our effort is there because we have to make our effort. It is our duty. 

I recently read in His Holiness Radhanath Swami’s memoir, The Journey Home that he is spending the night with Ramesh Baba in Varṣāṇā and there was news that there was a tiger on the prowl and the tiger had already attacked people and maybe would kill them. In those days Varṣāṇā, that whole area of Vraja was much less built up than now. Still a lot of it is jungle. Srila Prabhupada’s friend in Vrindavan, Bhagatji, he has a house near the Krishna-Balarama temple, he said that when he moved to Vrindavan which was maybe in the 1930s he could walk from Raman Reti to Govardhana Hill in the middle of day and never see the light of the sun. The forest was so thick. That was the 1930s that was just forty years before Prabhupada began the Krishna-Balarama temple. The forest was so dense you could walk all the way from Raman Reti to Govardhana Hill and never see the light of the sun. 

So Varṣāṇā we can imagine at that time the forest, the tiger was. . . Some people were even suggesting to Babaji that he should leave the place because it wasn’t safe. But, “No I am surrendered to Srimati Radharani.” So he took rest outside mana-ghāṭa. Radhanath Swami thought, “If he is going to stay there, I will stay there with him.” So he lay down and he had a little wooden stick by his side. Radhanath Swami asked, “That wooden stick?” “Yes, there is a tiger on the prowl.” And Radhanath Swami said, “What is that little wooden stick going to do against a ferocious tiger? It will be completely useless.” And Ramesh Babaji replied, “I know but we have make our effort. Actually we are just depending on the mercy of Srimati Radharani. We have no other protection but we have to show that we are making an effort that we are not just doing nothing and depending on Their kindness. So that is why I am keeping the stick.”

The same principle really applies to all of our devotional practices. We have to show we are making the effort but we have no ability to move forward one inch in devotional service without mercy. Of course the more effort we put in, you could say the more result we will get because we are showing how sincere we are and how eager we are but it is really the mercy of the superior acharyas and the Supreme Personality of Godhead that enables us to move forward even one iota. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he was in that mood. Every acharya is in that mood because that is how they get the mercy to and strength to really practice and preach Krishna consciousness. So there is this song that, Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura. 

Srila Prabhupada, also, demonstrated this principle in a very special context, unique way. When I was in Madras, I was the first devotee from ISKCON to go there to preach so I was meeting various prominent people and many of them were interested but one who took very keen interest was the chief justice of the high court, Justice Vira Swami. Towards the end of Prabhupada’s visit to Madras after a five-day program, very successful program, Justice Vira Swami arranged a pandal program for Srila Prabhupada and the devotees. He invited all the other high court judges and high court advocates to attend. 

In Srila Prabhupada’s talk he quoted the verse from Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka about the Six Gosvamis: tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat, that although they were very highly placed people (maṇḍala-pati) they rejected it all as insignificant (tuccha-vat) and they joined the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So Srila Prabhupada was appealing to these leaders, high court judges, and advocates that they should also give up their prestigious positions and join the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

After the program the chief justice invited Srila Prabhupada and the devotees to his home for prasāda. He presented Srila Prabhupada a little silver statue of Krishna, beautiful silver statue. Amongst all the adult devotees there was one child, Sarasvati, the daughter of Shyamasundara and Malati and she was maybe three or four years old. Srila Prabhupada engaged her in a very dramatic way. He held the little statue of Krishna in front of her and he said, “Sarasvati, who is this?” And Sarasvati said, “It is Krishna.” And he is holding it right in front of her. She was very attracted to this object.

Then Srila Prabhupada moved the Deity and put Him behind his back. And then he said, “Sarasvati, where is Krishna?” Immediately she started looking everywhere. When you are three years old you don’t perceive things the same way as adults do. So she started looking everywhere, “Where is Krishna?” She got so filled with anxiety, she was just looking everywhere in a state of extreme anxiety. Then Prabhupada would again say, “Sarasvati, where is Krishna?” Again she would be looking and looking and looking, “Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna?” but she couldn’t find Him.

Then finally someone said, “Sarasvati, who has Krishna?” And then Sarasvati’s eyes opened and her face lit up with recognition and she said, “Prabhupada has Krishna!” And then she looked at Prabhupada with such joy and expectation and she started to run up to Prabhupada and then Prabhupada took the Krishna out from behind his back and gave it to her. 

I was thinking, “Wow!” This was like Prabhupada illustrated such a profound truth. It is just like the song of Bhaktivinoda Thakura that, “You have Krishna and you have the power to deliver Him to us.” But to get Krishna from the Vaishnava, to get love of Krishna we have to be eager like Sarasvati. She was so eager and she was so anxious without Krishna, “Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna?” Prabhupada quoted that last verse of the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka: he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau that the Six Gosvamis, they were wandering all over Vrndavana and crying, “O Krishna, O Radharani, O Lalita, where are you? Are you at Govardhana Hill or are you at the banks of the Yamuna?” These were their moods in executing Krishna consciousness. So when we have that eagerness and intense longing and desire in separation then Krishna, by the mercy of the devotee or devotees, will gradually manifest Himself to us. We have to have that eagerness. And that eagerness arises when we become purified and we become purified when we make the effort, concerted effort.

Once I had a dream a couple of years ago and in this dream Srila Prabhupada said to me, “You have to be mad for Krishna.” It was a nice dream. Shortly thereafter Radhanath Swami came to stay with me and I mentioned the dream to him and when I said that, “mad for Krishna,” he said, “Oh, that is a very advanced stage.” So it is not something to be taken lightly—mad for Krishna—but it should be our goal and we approach that goal by really making strenuous efforts, unstinting, not holding anything back, not like, “So much for Krishna and so much for me,” but, “Everything for Krishna and nothing for me,” in that mood. Of course we have to keep our body and soul together—that is also one of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s instructions that, yes, our goal is kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, to always chant the holy name of Krishna. 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura raises the question, “Well, what about maintaining our body or our families’ bodies?” And Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that to take care of the body or to take the measures necessary to maintain the body which also included working, earning money, spending money, the time spent on that does not violate the principle of kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, always chanting the holy name of Krishna, if we do it just enough to meet our requirements so that we can use the time, all the other time for Krsna-kirtana.

So he is also very practical. So many instructions, so many wonderful books. Hari-nāma-cintāmaṇi is a small book about chanting the holy name, Jaiva-dharma, Sri Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, is so full of valuable instructions. 

In Jaiva-dharma Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses kaniṣṭhā, madhyam, and uttamā devotees. Of course everyone, all of our acharyas, follow the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is the basic authorities. So the Bhāgavatam says in relation to the madhyam-bhāgavata: prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ, that he gives his love to Krishna, he makes friendship with devotees, he is merciful to the innocent, and he neglects (upekṣāḥ) the envious. So, almost everyone in the material world is envious of Krishna. Unless you are a pure devotee you do have some envy of Krishna but there are people who are really envious, they don’t want to hear about Krishna and if you are pursuing Krishna consciousness they discourage you. They may try to put obstacles. They might try to convince you—so many things. Even our own family members. 

So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses this neglect of nondevotees or avoiding the association of nondevotees: asat-saṅga-tyāga,—ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra, ‘strī-saṅgī’—eka asādhu, ‘kṛṣṇābhakta’ āra. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says asat. Sat is a word for “devotee” so asat means “nondevotees.” Asat- saṅga-tyāga: we should give up the association of nondevotees. And who are nondevotees? ‘strī-saṅgī’— eka asādhu. One is a person who is attached to sense gratification especially the opposite sex for sense gratification. ‘Strī-saṅgī’—eka asādhu, ‘kṛṣṇābhakta’ āra: and the other is just an abhakta, someone who is not a devotee of Krishna. So, we are supposed to shun the association of nondevotees, but what do we do if we have family members who are nondevotees? What do we do if we are in a place with nondevotees? Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura answers that avoiding their association does not mean that we cannot have normal human interaction with them as is expected in the workplace or in family but it means that we should not associate with them in relation to our spiritual advancement. We shouldn’t take their advice in relation to our spiritual progress.

The Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Narada’s instructions on the ideal family life, he says the same thing that if you are a devotee and a family member or family members tell you that you should lead a different kind of life—it happens all the time—the Bhāgavatam says outwardly you should agree and say, “Yes, what you say is very good,” but inwardly you should continue in your own determination and keep your life simple. 

So Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses this point: should we abandon family members who are not devotees. And he says no. Of course that would depend on one’s ashrama but he says no, but just keep the association of devotees for your spiritual advancement. That is the other point about the importance of the association of devotees. 

In Hari-nāma-cintāmaṇi, first Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses the holy name in general and then he discusses the ten offenses. The first is sādhu-nindā: blaspheming devotees. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is very analytical and very precise. So with each of the ten offenses he begins by defining the terms which is natural, it is logical. 

So sādhu-nindā. Nindā is easy. Nindā means “to criticize,” “to blaspheme,” “to find fault.” But sadhu, who is a sadhu? Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses the different qualities of a sadhu mentioned by Krishna in the Eleventh Canto and one is tvat-caraṇa, he has taken shelter of Krishna. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami also lists twenty-six qualities of a devotee mainly based on those mentioned in the Eleventh Canto and out of the twenty-six qualities, one is kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa, one who has taken exclusive shelter of Krishna or the holy name of Krishna, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that one if has that primary qualification of having taken shelter of Krishna or the holy name of Krishna, he or she is considered a sadhu even if he or she does not have the other twenty-five qualities. And if one has the other twenty-five qualities but does not have the qualification of having taken exclusive shelter of Krishna then the other twenty-five qualities are not of much value. So that is the real qualification for a sadhu and if someone has surrendered to Krishna and taken shelter of Krishna he or she is a sadhu.

And then Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses possible grounds for criticizing a sadhu. I may say, “Okay, this is a sadhu. This person has taken shelter of Krishna,” but they might criticize the person because the person has taken a low birth or because the person is of a lower caste or because the person had engaged in sinful activities before taking shelter of Krishna and Krishna’s devotees or because the person still has traces or vestiges of sinful activities even after coming to the association of devotees. One might think one could criticize like that. But Bhaktivinoda Thakura says no, these are all sādhu-nindā. They are all sādhu-nindā. So we have to be careful about this because our spiritual advancement depends on the association of sadhus. Our practical service to the mission depends on the cooperative effort of the sadhus. So if we blaspheme, find fault, backbite, we are going to destroy our devotional service.

And then Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses people who could be considered sadhus but who actually are not sadhus because we don’t want to mistake a sadhu for an asādhu. Sometimes people will say, “You are not a devotee. Devotees are humble. You are not humble so you are not a devotee.” But Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that if you are surrendered to Krishna even if you don’t have the other twenty-five qualifications such as humility you are still considered a sadhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. But we also don’t want to mistake an asādhu for a sadhu. 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions three categories of asādhus who are often mistaken for sadhus. One is the Mayavadi. Mayavadis are not considered sadhus by this definition. They are not actually sadhus. Sadhu means “devotee.” Mayavadis are not considered sadhus although they may dress as sadhus and may be considered as sadhus by others. Another category is the atheist. There are even atheists who are considered sadhus. Some Buddhists, not all, but some Buddhists are atheistic, definitely non theistic but we are not naming any particular group or individual here. And then the other category, third category is dharmadvaji. Dharma means “religion” and dvaja means “flag.” So dharmadvaji means someone waving the flag of religion but he is not really a devotee. Dharmadvaji means a pretender. Just to help you understand not to find fault with anyone but in the previous administration here in the government of the United States many people had the feeling that some of the political leaders were dharmadvajis, raising the flag of religion, being Christian but they weren’t.

So these are three categories of asādhus, nondevotees who are sometimes mistaken as sadhus. Srila Prabhupada regularly criticized people who were revered as spiritual leaders in India and as he said in his own words that, “Perhaps for the first time I am the only one who is exposing them as fools and rascals.” Very heavy statement. Many people would become upset with Srila Prabhupada when he would criticize some of the revered, popular, religious figures or so-called religious figures of India.

There was one man in Juhu, he moved to Juhu later, but he attended the first Bombay pandal. Prabhupada was criticizing Sankacarya. And this person, very intelligent person, very austere and quite well read, years later he came to me and he said, “I was attending that pandal program and when Prabhupada would criticize Sankaracarya, I would think, ‘Who does this man think he is. Sankaracarya is perhaps the greatest acharya in the history of India and who does he think he is to criticize him.’” So he had negative thoughts about Srila Prabhupada but somehow or other later he got one of Srila Prabhupada’s books either Teaching of Lord Caitanya or Caitanya-caritāmṛta in which the whole history of Lord Shiva coming as Sankaracarya to bewilder the atheist by preaching Mayavada philosophy is told. He read it and he understood it and he came to me and he said, “After reading this book I realized that everything that Prabhupada was saying was true.” And then he surrendered. He became a devotee.

One other incident involved Srila Prabhupada’s almost constant companion on his morning walks in Juhu Beach, Dr. C.P. Patel. One morning in particular Dr. Patel brought up some famous, popular, religious figure of India praising him. And Srila Prabhupada said, “He is a rascal.” Dr. Patel got upset, “How can you say that he is a rascal?” Prabhupada said, “I am not saying. Krishna is saying: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. I am not saying. Krishna is saying. It is a simple test. Is he surrendered to Krishna or not? If he is not surrendered to Krishna, he is a rascal, he is a fool, he is a demon. I am not saying. Krishna is saying.” 

Dr. Patel really got upset because Prabhupada had really picked on someone cherished by Dr. Patel. Dr. Patel raised his voice and Prabhupada raised his voice back and Dr. Patel raised his voice more and Prabhupada raised his voice more and finally they were literally shouting at each other. It was scary actually. Dr. Patel’s cronies who usually supported him, they tried to restrain him. They were saying, “Swamiji has a heart condition. Don’t upset him so much.” They were physically. . . it was like in a boxing ring, the bell rings, the round is over, but they are still and the referee is trying to pull them apart and their trainers are pulling them. They wouldn’t stop. But then finally his people pulled him away.

There are many details to this story. Then Dr. Patel stopped coming. For the first time in years he stopped coming. For years he would come to Prabhupada’s room and escort him, take him in his car or walk with him to the beach or at least meet up with him at the beach but after this he didn’t come. Prabhupada also said, “Alright, from now on no discussion. We will only read the Kṛṣṇa book on the morning walks.” So we would read the Kṛṣṇa book. Dr. Patel was avoiding. 

And then one morning the way he describes it, Prabhupada was walking in one direction maybe near the ocean and Dr. Patel was walking the opposite direction far from the ocean. And the way he described it, something in his heart just made him change directions and walk straight to Srila Prabhupada and he bowed and offered respect to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet and he said, “Prabhupada, I am sorry but I have been taught to respect all the accredited saints of India.” And Prabhupada said, “Yes, and I have been taught to say who is a saint and who is not a saint.” [laughter] Acharyas have to do that but it is not nindā. It can be but it is not nindā if they do it to help people who could be misled by them, to help people who could fall into bad association thinking that they were getting the association of a saintly person. 

But otherwise nindā-śūnya. Rupa Gosvami says one should take shelter of a Vaishnava whose heart is completely free from the propensity to criticize others, nindā-śūnya. They have no desire. A pure devotee just wants to chant the holy name and hear about Krishna and preach the message of Krishna. He has no interest in criticizing others even nondevotees, demons, but for the sake of preaching, for the sake of Krishna’s mission, Mahaprabhu’s mission, the previous acharyas’ mission, they do it just to help others to free them from false attachments so they can take to Krishna consciousness. Or even if they are in Krishna consciousness, to prevent them from unknowingly falling into bad association and being diverted. So that is the mercy of the acharya, the sadhu, the preacher, but otherwise they have no interest in criticizing anyone or anything. They are happy just to chant and hear about Krishna.

So today is a most auspicious day. We really take this opportunity. . . of course our system is paramparā. We approach our immediate spiritual master and serve him, the predecessor acharyas, but on special days like today, on appearance days and disappearance days we can approach—it is also by the mercy of our spiritual master—but we can approach them directly like we did, we offered directly puṣpāñjali. And we can beg him, “Please give me your mercy. Please give me some of what you have which I want desperately and even if I don’t have the desire, the desire is not very strong, please give me the desire and make my desire stronger.” Wherever we are on that path of desire we can pray to get the desire, to increase the desire because it all depends on desire. Everything depends on desire. Krishna fulfills all desires and if what we really desire is Krishna and Krishna’s service, He will fulfill our desire. 

And the way we show our desire is by making the effort, by spending the time. If we spend the time chanting, trying to chant with attention, even if we aren’t even able to pay attention that well and our mind is still. . . but if we just take the time to make the effort, Krishna will see, “Oh, this person is taking the time to try to develop his relationship with Me.” Or reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, even if we don’t understand exactly what we are reading, even if we can’t appreciate it or relate to it, but if we just spend the time reading, trying to understand, hoping to come to appreciate, then Krishna, the previous acharyas will say, “Oh, this person is spending the time.” It is association. Chanting means associating with Krishna; reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means associating with Krishna. “This person wants My association. He is taking the time to be with Me.” So Krishna will reciprocate. 

It is just showing Krishna we want to develop a relationship with Him. We are not qualified. By His mercy He will give us the qualification but it is just showing Him we want to develop our relationship with Him by spending time with Him. To develop a relationship with someone you have to spend time with the person. So chanting with attention, spending time with Krishna, reading Prabhupada’s books, spending time with Krishna, worshiping the Deity, [sraddhamvita], with faith, not just mechanically, externally, worshiping the Deity with faith and devotion, spending time with Krishna. When Krishna sees we want to spend time with Him, develop our relationship with Him, He will help us. We just have to spend the time, make the effort. 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura and all of our teachers and acharyas, they want us. . . Prabhupada was holding Krishna. He actually wanted to give Krishna to Sarasvati but he could only really properly give it to her when she was sufficiently anxious, sufficiently eager, when her desire was strong enough that she would really appreciate it. So they have Krishna, they have the power to give Him to us, they want to give Him to us, but they don’t want to cast pearls before a swine. They want us to really value what they have to give us and when we really get a sense of what that most valuable treasure is and really want it and are taking time to develop our relationship with Krishna, with the devotees and they see that that is really what we want and nothing else then they will fulfill our desire by their mercy. If that is what we want, if Krishna and Krishna’s service is all that we want, you will get it by their mercy. Hare Krishna.

I know we’ve gone late but I did think for those who have the time and can stay, we’ll sing that song. I’ve requested Mukunda Datta Prabhu to sing that song, Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura, in which Bhaktivinoda Thakura expresses the mood that we all want to have and develop and like offering a drop of Ganges water to the Ganges we can offer that mood in his words to him so that he will give us a drop of faith in the holy name. Hare Krishna.

Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura (from Śaraṇāgati)

ohe!
vaisnaba thakura, doyara sagara,
e dase koruna kori’
diya pada-chaya, sodho he amaya,
tomara carana dhori

O venerable Vaishnava, O ocean of mercy, be merciful unto your servant. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify me. I hold on to your lotus feet.

chaya bega domi’, chaya dosa sodhi’,
chaya guna deho’ dase
chaya sat-sanga, deho’ he amare,
boshechi sangera ase

Teach me to control my six passions; rectify my six faults, bestow upon me the six qualities, and offer unto me the six kinds of holy association.

ekaki amara, nahi paya bala,
hari-nama-sankirtane
tumi krpa kori’, sraddha-bindu diya,
deho’ krsna-nama-dhane

I do not find the strength to carry on alone the saṅkīrtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the holy name of Krishna.

krsna se tomara, krsna dite paro,
tomara sakati ache
ami to’ kangala, ‘krsna’ ‘krsna’ boli’,
dhai tava pache pache

Krishna is yours; you have the power to give Him to me. I am simply running behind you shouting, “Krishna! Krishna!”

*The six passions are those pertaining to words, the mind, anger, the tongue, the stomach, and the genitals. The six faults are overeating, attachment to material things, inability to follow regulative principles, sense gratification, useless idle talk, and impure habits. The six positive qualities are enthusiasm in practicing devotional service, firm faith in devotional processes, a strong desire to attain prema-bhakti, a favorable service attitude, avoidance of non-devotees, and appreciation of the company of devotees. The six methods of association are to go to an assembly of devotees, to invite devotees into one’s home, to discuss and hear devotional topics, to take the mahā-prasāda of devotees and to offer mahā-prasāda to devotees.