Cintamani

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
Teresopolis , Brazil : Feb 14, 2003

Nityananda Prabhu served Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Navadvipa, and he performed His Vyasa-puja there. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna, and if one worships Krsna, Vyasa-puja is automatically done. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa He wanted to go to Vrndavana, but Nityananda Prabhu kindly, by trick, changed His direction and took Him to Santipura – the village of Sri Advaita Acarya . Nityananda Prabhu called all the people of Nadia, especially Mahaprabhu’s mother Saci-maiya, to come and meet Him. There, Saci-maiya met with Him when He was in sannyasa dress.

After that, Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Puri, and Nityananda Prabhu followed Him there. Nityananda Prabhu wanted to always serve Mahaprabhu, but because he had been initiated by Sri Laksmipati-tirtha, Mahaprabhu honored him as a guru. Laksmipati-tirtha was the diksa-guru of Madhavendra Puri, Sri Madhavendra Puri’s disciple was Sri Isvara Puri, and Isvara Puri’s disciple was Mahaprabhu. In this way Mahaprabhu is in disciplic succession two generations after Nityananda Prabhu, and He therefore used to show him great respect.

Nityananda Prabhu served in so many ways at the Ratha-yatra Festival, and then Mahaprabhu ordered him to return back to Bengal and preach His mission there. He preached without care for caste or creed, and he especially preached to those who were inferior in caste and very poor.

In the course of his preaching, he once came to the village of Ramacandra Khan, who had sent a prostitute to Srila Haridasa Thakura and who was always against Caitanya Mahaprabhu and bhakti. This Ramacandra Khan could not understand the glory of Haridasa Thakura and had wondered, “Even though I am king of the state, nobody honors me. Instead they honour Haridasa Thakura, even though he is a Muslim.” He had committed grievous offenses towards Haridasa Thakura, and now Nityananda Prabhu wanted to liberate him from his sinful body. He went to Ramacandra Khan’s village at night, with hundreds of His devotees. As it was night time, he requested Ramacandra Khan’s servant to tell him, “Today we want to take rest in your temple of Durga Mandapa . [A mandapa is a temple room or place where the audience comes to observe any worship.] Ramacandra Khan then ordered his servant to tell Nityananda Prabhu there is no place for Him in the temple, but He and his disciples could go to the goshala (cowshed), and remain in that very sacred place. Again, he committed an offence.

Nityananda Prabhu began to laugh very loudly, and while laughing he told the king’s servant, “Certainly, your place is not pure enough for me. A cowshed is superior. But you should tell the king that, “Many Muslim generals and soldiers will come to your house, and they will destroy you, your entire family, your cows and everything you possess; and they will eat meat here. You have no place for me, but you will have to make a place for them.” After saying this that night, he left the village and went to another. The next day many Muslim soldiers came, killed the king’s family, slaughtered cows, cooked them there, and then they set the entire village on fire. Those who were in favour of that king were destroyed, and thus, what Nityananda Prabhu told had proven true.

There are many pastimes, but I am only touching some.

akrodha paramananda nityananda raya
abhimana sunya nitai nagare bedaya

“The noble Nityananda Prabhu is never angry, for he is the personification of supreme transcendental bliss. Devoid of all false ego, Nitai wanders about the town.”

(Akrodha Paramanda by Locana dasa Thakura, verse 1)

The meaning is very important. Akrodha means ‘not angry’. We should try to give up anger, which is the root of all kinds of evil. Even if there is a reason to be angry, we should not be angry. Nityananda Prabhu is telling us this, through the medium of this song. He is saying, “You should be like me.” When Jagai and Madhai hit him and he was bleeding, he prayed to Mahaprabhu, “In this incarnation You should forgive them, and give them krsna-prema.” Thus, by the request of Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave the brothers krsna-prema.  (more…)

[The January 2007 Hawaii festival was held on the island of Hawaii. There, Srila Narayana Maharaja stayed in a rented house on the ocean for one week. Almost every morning he met with devotees and also replied to any of their inquiries. Below is one such meeting:]

[Devotee:] He has a question about following Srila Swami Prabhupada’s mood. Is that in vaidhi-bhakti ¹ or raganuga-bhakti ²?

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] If one follows us in vaidhi-bhakti, practicing bhakti-yoga in our line, reading Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srimad-Bhagavatam and hearing classes on all these subjects, he will automatically come to raganuga. If anyone practices bhakti as Srila Rupa Gosvami explained it in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, he will surely come to raganuga. All the principles explained by Srila Rupa Gosvami are connected to raganuga. One should begin from vaidhi-bhakti – and then they can easily come to raganuga.

[Devotee:] So, a new devotee, someone who is just beginning to practice, should not try to practice raganuga? It will naturally come?

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] They should hear hari-katha. By hearing they should gradually begin vaidhi-bhakti, and then gradually they will become qualified for raganuga.

[Devotee:] Are any of us qualified for raganuga-bhakti?

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] I think they will become qualified. Do you want to go to Vaikuntha to serve Lord Narayana?

[Devotee:] No.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Do you want to go to Dvaraka to be a queen?

[Devotee:] No.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Do you want to go to Mathura?

[Devotee:] No. I want to be a servant of Radha.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] This is raganuga, because greed has come. ³] To those who come to me, I give a very powerful injection that will never go in vain. This will gradually take them up to radha-dasyam (personal service to Srimati Radhika). But they must follow. It has been told in Bhagavad-gita:

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

[“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)]

Intellectually knowing everything of the philosophy will not suffice. If one knows all the scriptures, like Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Puranas, the Vedas, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and Ujjvala-nilamani, but if he cannot satisfy his Gurudeva, his erudition has no value. On the other hand, even if one does not have much scriptural knowledge, but he always satisfies his Gurudeva, it is certain that he will become qualified. (more…)

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Spoken by Satyavrata Muni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Saunaka Risi in the Padma Purana

namamisvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam
lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam
yasoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam
paramrstam atyam tato drutya gopya (1)

I worship the Supreme Isvara, Sri Krsna, whose form is sac-cid-ananda, whose makara-shaped earrings swing and play upon His cheeks, who is supremely splendrous in the transcendental dhama of Gokula, who, due to breaking the yogurt pot, is very fearful of Mother Yasoda and jumping down from the wooden grinding mortar quickly runs away, and who, chased by Yasoda, who hastily runs after Him, is ultimately caught from behind.

rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mrjantam
karambhoja-yugmena satanka-netram
muhuh svasa-kampa-tri-rekhanka-kantha-
sthita-graiva-damodaram bhakti-baddham (2)

I worship that Dämodara who, afraid of the stick in His mother’s hand, cries and time and again rubs His eyes with both His lotus hands, whose eyes express extreme fearfulness, whose sobbing makes the jeweled and pearl necklaces upon His neck marked with three lines shake, and whose belly is bound only by His mother’s devotion.

itidrk sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde
sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam
tadiyesita-jñesu bhaktair jitatvam
punah prematas tam satavrtti vande (3)

By childhood pastimes such as this, He perpetually immerses the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of pure bliss, and through them informs the devotees desirous of knowing His aspect of supreme opulence and majesty that He is conquered only by those who are free from knowledge of His aisvarya – with great love I again and again worship that Damodara Sri Krsna.

varam deva! moksam na moksavadhim va
na canyam vrne ’ham varesad apiha
idam te vapur natha! gopala-balam
sada me manasy avirastam kim anyaih (4)

O Deva! Although You are capable of granting any boon, I do not pray to You for liberation, eternal life in Vaikuntha, or for any other benediction [which may be obtained by executing the nine processes of bhakti]. O Natha! May Your form as a cowherd boy forever remain manifest in my heart – besides this what is the use of any other benediction?

idam te mukhambhojam avyakta-nilair
vrtam kuntalaih snigdha-raktais ca gopya
muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me
manasy avirastam alam laksa-labhaih (5)

O Deva! May Your lotus-like face which is framed by Your cascading, glossy black curling locks, which is kissed by Mother Yasoda over and over again, and which is beautified by lips as red as ripe bimba fruits, always remain visible in my heart – millions of other attainments are useless to me.

namo deva! damodarananta visno!
prasida prabho! duhkha-jalabdhi-magnam
krpa-drsti-vrstyati-dinam batanu
grhanesa! mam ajñam edhy aksi-drsyah (6)

Obeisances to You, O Deva! O Bhakta-Vatsala Damodara! O Ananta, who are endowed with limitless potency! O all-pervading Visnu! O my master! O supremely independent Isa! Be pleased with me! I am sinking deeply into an ocean of sorrow – favor me by showering the rain of Your merciful glance upon this surrendered soul who am so pitifully fallen and grant me Your direct darsana.

kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat
tvaya mocitau bhakti-bhajau krtau ca
tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha
na mokse graho me ’sti damodareha (7)

O Damodara! Although You were bound to the mortar with ropes tied by Mother Yasoda, You mercifully liberated the two sons of Kuvera who were cursed by Narada to stand as trees and gifted them with Your own prema-bhakti. In the same way please bestow upon this insignificant soul that same prema-bhakti. This is my sole longing – I have no desire whatsoever for any other type of liberation.

namas te ’stu damne sphurad dipti-dhamne
tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne
namo radhikayai tvadiya priyayai
namo ’nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam (8)

O Damodara! I offer pranama to the effulgent rope binding Your waist. I also offer pranama to Your belly which is the source of the Brahman effulgence and the mainstay of the entire universe. Time and again I offer pranama to Srimati Radhika, Your dearmost beloved, and I also offer pranama hundreds of times unto Your
wondrous, unlimited pastimes.

// Download: Damodarastakam sung by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaj (mp3) and by Sripad Krisnadasa Brahmacari (mp3). Files hosted by www.sbnmcd.org

There is a verse in our Vedic scriptures that explains the quality of a person who can actually help you:

anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama

“Pure devotional service is the cultivation of activities which are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Krsna, or in other words the uninterrupted flow of service to Krsna, performed through all endeavors of the body, mind, and speech, and through the expression of various spiritual sentiments (bhavas). It is not covered by jnana (knowledge aimed at impersonal liberation) and karma (reward-seeking activity), and it is devoid of all desires other than the aspiration to bring happiness to Krsna.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11)

You can understand the meaning of this verse by the following example. There was a great devotee of Lord Rama, who is one of Lord Krsna’s powerful incarnations. That devotee was named Valmiki, and he became perfect after a very long time. Although he was originally a brahmana, a member of the priestly caste, he had previously become a very ferocious dacoit due to bad association, and he thus murdered many sages and saintly kings. Valmiki also wanted to kill the sage Narada Muni, but as he approached him to do so, Narada held up his hand and said, “Stop.” Valmiki was surprised that just by Narada’s saying, ” Stop,” he was forced to stop against his will. Valmiki thus became submissive, and Narada was able to explain to him about the bad reactions that would come to him as a result of his heinous sins. He revealed those reactions to Valmiki, who then took shelter of him and inquired how to become free. Narada told him, “You should sit down here and chant ‘Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama.’ Do only this.” Valmiki was trying to obey, but due to his past sinful reactions he could not chant that divine name. Narada then told him, “If you cannot chant Rama, then you should chant, ‘ mara.’” Mara and Rama are both Sanskrit words, and mara has the same syllables as Rama, said backwards. Rama means God and mara means death, and therefore “Mara mara” could easily be chanted by Valmiki. Narada thus told him, “You should chant ‘Mara’,” and Valmiki began to chant, “Mara mara.” Then, automatically, “mara mara” chanted repeatedly became “Rama Rama.”

Valmiki continued chanting as he sat waiting for his Guru’s return. He continued to sit for thousands of years, and during that time he did not eat, nor did he even pass stool or urine. His austerity was superior to that of Dhruva Maharaja, another saint of ancient times, and he became as good as Sri Vyasadeva, the compiler of the Vedic scriptures. As the thousands of years passed, Valmiki’s body became like earth, in the sense that so many insects ate his flesh and blood and other bodily substances, and they made an ant-hill around him. The original Guru, Brahma, came after some time and sprinkled water from his sacred water pot while uttering mantras, and Valmiki’s body became like that of a beautiful young person. Brahma then told Valmiki, “Now you are perfect.”

In this world, we cannot follow such austerity. It is hard to sit for even two hours to chant, nor can one easily fast from eating, drinking, or sleeping, for even one day; nor can one be fully absorbed in meditation for 12 hours, 6 hours, or even 1 hour. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu has told us, “Don’t be hopeless. Somehow chant and go to Gurudeva to take initiation. Take the seed of the perfect transcendental name of Krsna. Chant, and you will very easily become happy. This process is the essence of all scriptures.”

Always remain in the association of pure devotees of Krsna, the reservoir of truth and pleasure. If you remain alone, you will become weak, and illusion will swallow you. Even if your Gurudeva is far away, in India or here and there, don’t think that he is not in your heart. Like Krsna, he may be present anywhere, and you can call him. With this firm belief, you should chant in the correct and bona fide process, and very soon you will realize true happiness. Chant, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare,” and always think, “My beloved Krsn a is everywhere.” If you engage in this process you can be happy, and without this you will never be so. Our Rsis have discovered this method:

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the powerful holy names of the Lord. There is no other way; there is no other way; there is no other way.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 17.21)

The bona fide Guru tells us, “Give me your ears. I don’t want all of your senses; I only want one of them.” All the senses have a special function, but only the ears can hear sound vibration and transcendental words. Because of this specialty of the ear, the Guru coming in disciplic succession helps us to surrender to Krsna through that ear. It is through this vibration of sound that the Guru may give Krsna, God Himself, who is hidden in everyone’s heart. He can easily give this through the ear, and not by any other sense. You sho uld know that there are two kinds of words, and they are called in the Sanskrit language, “sabda-brahma” and “sabda-samanya.” Sabda-brahmasabda-samanya means transcendental sound, that sound which is beyond this material world, and means ordinary, mundane sound. Material sound comes from the vibration of the material tongue, but sabda-brahma comes from the Lord Himself. The great sage Narada Muni gave that transcendental sound to his disciples Valmiki and others, and they gave it to their disciples.

One who has not extensively practiced devotion and is not perfect may give Krsna’s holy name, brahma-gayatri, and other transcendental mantras to others, but the sound vibrations given by him will not have any effect. Although they are by nature powerful and transcendental, they will not have an effect. In that instance, the words of the mantras and Krsna’s holy names will manifest only as worldly, mundane words. If a Guru has not sufficiently pra cticed or realized that transcendental sound, it will not give any fruit in the heart of the person to whom he gives it.

On the other hand, great transcendentalists and self-realized souls of the past, like Sri Svarupa Damodara, Sri Raya Ramananda, Srila Haridas Thakura , and Sri Rupa Gosvami the other Gosvamis, were perfect in the utterance of that sound. We should accept sabda-brahma from those of their caliber.