2/2014

Sri Sri R adha Govinda Gaudiya Math

For Sincere Seekers Of The Truth

 All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

The Basic Idea

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar
Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

Pure means God-interested. In one’s

innate nature God’s interest is present.
Only God’s interest is the innate
tendency and when that is uncovered
we can see everything as it is. There
everything is doing the service of the Absolute and everything
is all right. The only anomaly arises when we want to see the
Absolute as my servant or I want to non-cooperate with Him
(bhuki-mukti-sprha). These are two kinds of misconceptions
but really everything is meant for serving Him, and I am also
a servant included within that jurisdiction. I am a servant.
My duty is to use myself cent-per-cent to serve Him. Service
is the truth. Service, not of the nation or society or family or
land or country, but service of the Absolute: that is truth. Only
misconception has come to deviate us from that vision and so
cause our suffering. It is something like disease. We are attacked
by a disease of exploiting tendency or renouncing tendency.
The duty of every jiva soul is to be an inseparable organic unit
to serve and to work for the interest of the organic whole. That
is the basic idea.
 Editorial
Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur

I f one does not realize that he has a spiritual

body, then he will remain forgetful of
Krishna and consider his body the self.
The Absolute Truth is beyond material sense
perception. Krishna is the master of the senses,
and one must serve Him with all one’s senses. Service to
Krishna is rendered through service-inclined senses,
spiritualized senses. One revives one’s spiritual body only by
Guru’s mercy. The soul serves the Supersoul, who is sat-cit-
ananda, through its spiritual senses.
People devoid of service inclination toward the
transcendental Lord are compared to the animals. It’s better if
one always associates with saintly persons. The Lord’s devotees
are constantly engaged in His service. If we associate with
devotees, we will also develop the propensity to give the Lord
pleasure. Simply by associating with devotees we can come to
understand that we possess a spiritual body. Then we will no
longer consider the material body the self, and our desire for
material happiness, which is all-destructive, will be destroyed
forever.
A devotee desires neither material enjoyment nor liberation.
Rather, a devotee is always eager to please the Supreme Lord
by engaging constantly in His service. A materialist thinks,
•1•
“I will enjoy by cheating the Lord.” An impersonalist thinks,
“I will become the Lord myself by cheating Him.” Devotees
do not possess such sinful mentalities. Rather, their devotional
practices situate them in their original constitutional position
as the Lord’s servants.

Saranagati – Surrender
Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur
Atma-nivedana – Self Surrender
(Third Prayer)
with
Sri Laghu-candrika-bhasya
Gentle Moonlight Commentary
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

emana durmati, sańsāra bhitare,

paďiyā āchhinu āmi
tava nija-jana, kona mahājane,
pāţhāiyā dile tumi [1]
I am a most sinful-hearted person and have fallen into
this material world, but You have sent a great soul, Your own
associate (to rescue me).
dayā kari’ more, patita dekhiyā,
kahila āmāre giyā
ohe dīna-jana, śuna bhāla kathā,
•2•
 ullasita habe hiyā [2]
Seeing my fallen condition and being merciful to me, he
came to me and said, “O humble soul, listen to this wonderful
message and your heart will rejoice.
tomāre tārite, śrī-kŗşņa-chaitanya,
navadvīpe avatāra
tomā hena kata, dīna-hīna jane,
karilena bhava-pāra [3]
‘Sri Krishna Caitanya has descended in Nabadvip to deliver
you. He has safely conducted many humble and fallen souls
like you across the ocean of material existence.
vedera pratijñā, rākhibāra tare,
rukma-varņa vipra-suta
mahāprabhu nāme, nadīyā mātāya,
saňge bhāi avadhūta [4]
To fulfil the prophecies of the Vedas, He has appeared with
a golden complexion as a brahman’s son bearing the Name
‘Mahaprabhu’ and driven all of Nadia mad with prema in the
company of His brother Nityananda.
nanda-suta yini, chaitanya gosāñi,
nija nāma kari’ dāna
tārila jagat, tumio yāiyā,
laha nija paritrāna [5]
Sri Caitanya Gosani, who is Nanda Suta Himself, has
delivered the universe by distributing His Name. You too
should go and accept your deliverance.’”
se kathā śuniyā, āsiyāchhi, nātha!
•3•
 tomāra charaņa-tale
bhakati-vinoda, kādiyā kādiyā,
āpana kāhinī bale [6]
O Lord! Hearing this message, I have come before Your
feet. Crying incessantly, Bhaktivinod tells the story of his life.

Commentary by Srila BR Sridhar Maharaj

(2) śuna bhāla kathā: “Listen to this wonderful message.”
Krishna prefaces His final teaching in Srimad Bhagavad-gita
(18.64) similarly:
sarva-guhyatamań bhūyaģ śŗņu me paramań vacaģ
işţo 'si me dŗďham iti tato vakşyāmi te hitam
“Now again hear from Me My supreme teaching, the most
hidden treasure of all. I tell you this for your benefit as you are
most dear to Me.”
Sriman Mahaprabhu also alludes to a wonderful message
while narrating a parable to Srila Sanatan Gosvami Prabhu in
Sri Caitanya Caritamrta (Madhya-lila, 20.127–8):
'sarvajña' āsi' duģkha dekhi' puchaye tāhāre
'tumi kene duģkhī, tomāra āche pitŗ-dhana
“Coming to the house of a poor man (a fallen soul) and
observing his suffering, Sarvajña (the personification of the
revealed scriptures) questioned him, ‘Why are you so miserable?
You have a great inheritance!’”
(3) śrī kŗşņa caitanya: “Sri Krishna Caitanya.” This Name of
the Lord is mentioned in the Padma Purana:
nāma cintāmaņiģ kŗşņaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaģ
•4•
 pūrņaģ śuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoģ
“The Name ‘Krishna Caitanya’ is a wish-fulfilling jewel
and an embodiment of rasa. He is complete, pure, eternally
liberated, and non-different from whom He Names.”
navadvīpe avatāra: “Descended in Navadvip.” This is described
in the Ananta-samhita:
avatīrņo bhavişyāmi kalau nija-gaņaiģ saha
śāchī-garbhe navadvīpe svardhunī-parivārite
“In the Age of Kali, I will descend in Navadvip with My
eternal associates beside the banks of the Ganges, taking birth
from the womb of Saci Devi.”
bhava-pāra: “The shore of the ocean of material existence.” In
Srimad Bhagavatam (11.5.34), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is
described as the deliverer of the fallen souls from the ocean of
material existence:
dhyeyań sadā paribhava-ghnam abhīşţa-dohań
tīrthāspadań śiva-viriñci-nutań śaraņyam
bhŗtyārti-hań praņata-pāla bhavābdhi-potań
vande mahā-puruşa te caraņāravindam
“O Mahaprabhu! I offer my obeisance unto Your lotus feet,
which are the ultimate object of eternal meditation; which
destroy illusion and fulfil all desires; which are the supreme
place of pilgrimage; which are worshipped by Sadasiva and
Brahma; which are the shelter of everything; which dispel the
suffering of Your servants; which maintain all who surrender
unto them; and which are the boat to cross the ocean of
material existence.”
•5•
(4) vedera pratijñā: “The prophecies of the Vedas.” This refers
to the promises made in the Vedas that the Supreme Lord
would appear as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
rukma-varņa: “Golden complexion.” That the Lord would
appear with a golden complexion is prophesied in Sri Mundaka
Upanisad (3.1.3):
yadā paśyaģ paśyate rukma-varņań
kartāram īśań puruşań brahma-yonim
tadā vidvān puņya-pāpe vidhūya
nirañjanaģ paramań sāmyam upaiti
“When a soul sees the golden Lord, who is the supreme
controller and the source of Brahma, they become wise, free
from the reactions of both pious and impious activities, pure,
and they attain supreme equanimity.”
The Vishnu-sahasra-nama of the Mahābhārata (Dāna-
dharma-parva, 189) has also prophesied the divine form and
pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
suvarņa-varņo hemāňgo varāňgaś chandanāňgadī
sannyāsa-kŗch chhamaģ śānto nişţhā-śānti-parāyaņaģ
“His complexion is golden, His limbs appear like molten
gold, His beautiful body is adorned with sandalwood paste and
flower garlands, He accepts sannyās, He is equanimous and
peaceful, and He is the supreme abode of steadfast devotion
(mahabhava).”
mahāprabhu: “Bearing the Name ‘Mahaprabhu’.” That the
Lord would be known by the Name ‘Mahaprabhu’ is prophesied
in Sri Svetasvatara Upanisad (2.12):
•6•
 mahān prabhur vai puruşaģ sattvasyaişa pravartakaģ
sunirmalam imań prāptiń īśāno jyotir avyayaģ
“Sri Mahaprabhu, the supreme master, is verily the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. He is the originator of existence, the
eternally effulgent Lord. By His grace one attains ultimate
purity.”
avadhūta: “Nityananda.” An avadhut has been described by
Srila Sridhar Svami in his commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam
as avajñayā-janais tyakto yaģ, one who is abandoned by general
people with disregard (because his ecstatic, purely devotional
behaviour is incomprehensible).
(5) nanda-suta: “The son of Nanda.” Srila Jiva Gosvami Prabhu
has described the identity of Sriman Mahaprabhu in his Tattva-
sandarbha (2):
antaģ kŗşņań bahir gaurań darśitāňgādi-vaibhavam
kalau saňkīrtanādyaiģ sma kŗşņa-chaitanyam āśritāģ
“Sri Krishna Caitanya is internally Krishna Himself and
outwardly golden. He has manifest in the Age of Kali in all His
glory, accompanied by His entourage. We take shelter of Him
by performing Hari-nama-sankirtan and related devotional
services.”
Sriman Mahaprabhu is also described in the Kapila-tantra:
premāliňgana-yogena chāchintya-śakti-yogataģ
rādhā-bhāva-kānti-yutāń mūrtim ekāń prakāśayet
“By the loving embrace of His inconceivable potency,
Krishna has manifested a form enriched with the heart and halo
of Sri Radha—the divine form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”
•7•
 Amrta Vani
Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur
How is it possible to actually serve Krishna?

A ctual service to Krishna is rendered

simply by serving the spiritual master
and the Vaisnavas. The sahajiyas
(imitators) cannot understand this. They think
that one who worships Krishna is great, and
therefore they proudly consider themselves
Vaisnavas, accept service from others, and
renounce their guru-seva and vaisnava-seva.
Those who have heard the teachings of Sri Caitanyadeva
and the Gosvamis, however, know well that it is possible to
serve Krishna only by serving the Guru and the Vaisnavas,
who are all Krishna’s dear devotees. What is the point in
making a show of serving Krishna while neglecting to serve
His devotees?
Those who renounce their subordination and service to
the spiritual master pretend to serve Krishna and chant the
Holy Name, but they commit offenses at every step. As long as
one continues to commit offenses he cannot serve Krishna or
chant His Holy Names purely. Only the surrendered devotees
engaged in guru-seva and vaisnava-seva attain pure devotion
by their mercy. Sri Caitanyadeva and the Gosvamis bestow
mercy on those who serve Guru and the Vaisnavas with love
•8•
and devotion.
I used to think of myself as a learned scholar in mathematics
and philosophy, but by my good fortune I met my spiritual
master. When he shocked me by pointing out that my great
qualities—my truthfulness, my pure moral life, and my vast
learning—were insignificant, I realized how great he must be

“Actual service to Krishna is rendered simply by serving

the spiritual master and the Vaisnavas. The sahajiyas
(imitators) cannot understand this. They think that one
who worships Krishna is great, and therefore they proudly
consider themselves Vaisnavas, accept service from others,
and renounce their guru-seva and vaisnava-seva.“
Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur

•9•
to consider such qualities insignificant. By his push I could
understand that there was no person as fallen and wretched as
myself. I understood my actual position.
Here was a great soul who placed no value on qualities
such as learning and moral character—qualities I esteemed
highly. I understood what an invaluable object this great
personality must possess! I concluded that he was either
extremely merciful or extremely proud. Thereafter I took
shelter of the Supreme Lord with humility. By the Lord’s
mercy I realized that
without the service
and mercy of such an
akincana, I could not
achieve spiritual success.
When I developed that
good intelligence, I
received the shelter and
unlimited mercy of my
spiritual master and my
life became successful.
Here I am speaking
about that most
auspicious personality
whom I have realized
by the mercy of the Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji Maharaj
Supreme Lord, my own – spiritual master of Srila Prabhupad
spiritual master. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

• 10 •
 The shock I received from my spiritual master made me
realize that unless people are similarly shocked they will not
come to their senses. Therefore I declare that I am the most
foolish person in the entire world. Do not become foolish like
me! Do not try to measure the spiritual master or Krishna.
Discuss kŗşņa-kathā and you will certainly become a great
personality.

Learn To Die
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

I n maya, illusion, it is difficult for us to digest

the truth that, “I am small.” We don’t like to
digest this, to accept this: and that is the rub.
Our inner evil tendency is to capture the right of
others, but we are to understand what is freedom.
Here we really are accustomed to think that we
can encroach over the freedom of others in the environment.
That is the disease. Alternatively, the reactionary tendency is
to think, “I shall commit suicide, that is, let us enter the
tomb, samadhi. If I cannot exercise my freedom on the
environment outside, then rather I shall enter the tomb,
the grave, but I won’t accept slavery, the serving attitude to
the environment.” We are frightened to become a servant:
“I want to be an exploiting unit, but not a serving unit, that
I shall give my freedom to another superior hand.” It is there
that we shrink away and that is the inner defect. By freedom
• 11 •
we understand that we have freedom to exercise right over
the environment. But why should we not accept service for
the environment? Why? We think that we shall be reduced
to the minimum position. But to do for others, to become
a servant, is healthy for us and there we can thrive. We can
thrive by serving the environment, and especially the Lord
of the whole. We think that if we render service then we

“We are frightened to become a servant: 'I want to be

an exploiting unit, but not a serving unit,
that I shall give my freedom to another superior hand.'"
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

• 12 •
are dying. That temperament, false temperament, has grown
within us, and that is a foreign element which has covered
the jiva proper. It is a bitter pill to swallow.
So what is service proper? Hegel’s philosophy is “Die to
Live” dissolve your ego as it is at present. Dissolve it mercilessly:
die! Die means to dissolve, mercilessly. Throw yourself into the
fire and you will come out with a bright self. Learn to die as
you are: that mental concocted body, that concocted energy.
Take the Name of the Lord and die. Bhakativinoda aj apane
bhulila (Saranagati 2.7). Forget yourself as you are at present
and you will find your proper self there that does not die.
Death is ordained for our existence so give to the death that
part of you that is ordained to die, and the eternal part of you
will remain.
But Mahaprabhu has discouraged the physical death. He
told Sanatana Gosvami,
“sanātana, deha-tyāge kŗşņa yadi pāiye
koţi-deha kşaņeke tabe chāďite pāriye”
(Caitanya Caritamrta, Antya 4.55)
“I am ready to die millions and crores of times in a second
if that would give me Krishna, but that dying is nothing.” This
physical death is tamasik, it is a very much lower bait. Not only
physical death, but real death, the wholesale death, is necessary.
Then also I may only get that tatastha, boderline stage. But
Mahaprabhu says, “Die or not die, go on cultivating Krishna
consciousness with the company of a sadhu. Go on with the
company of a devotee of Krishna. Try to accumulate that
• 13 •
internal wealth by whatever means it is possible.”
The internal capital can be had only from the sadhu.
Wherever you can get it and with whatever price you must pay,
try to secure that innermost wealth. Not mere physical death
or mental death has the reach to take you to that higher stage.
You are to dive deep into Krishna consciousness. Wherever and
whenever you find someone with such strong attachment for
Krishna you must try to secure it from him at any price and that
will be the best utilization of your life and energy. You are to
purchase the higher thing and that is also at the sacrifice of the
higher type of substance within you. You are to have innermost
hankering and the transaction will be by the surrendering of
your innermost existence.
The encasements: the physical encasements and mental
encasements of different types are many: Bhur, Bhuvah, Svah,
Mahah, Janah, Tapah, Satya. There are so many varieties and
types of physical and mental encasements. The many subtle
encasements from gross to finer do not end only in Viraja
and Brahmaloka but even consciousness has its gross portion
in Vaikuntha. But more subtle within you is that Krishna
consciousness where the dedication is intense to its highest
capacity, and that is dedication to the Autocrat. Dedication
there is to the Autocrat, not to a constitutional king where
there is justice, but dedication to Krishna, to that Autocrat:
anything can happen!
The highest degree of dedication is necessary there. The gain
is also similar: it is of the highest type. As much as you can risk,
• 14 •
so much you can expect to gain. That is, Mahaprabhu gives
the direction: “Don’t be a miser, but surrender yourself to the
Autocrat, the Absolute Good, and you will be the best gainer!”
That is His recommendation. So don’t be too calculative and
don’t be a miser. If you find a proper place then give yourself
totally (atmaniksepa).

“Throw yourself into the fire and you will come out
with a bright self. Learn to die as you are: that mental
concocted body, that concocted energy.
Take the Name of the Lord and die.”
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

• 15 •
 Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya
— guru 'nitya-dāsa'
Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaj

D uring the British regime, I went to Rangoon,

Burma, for preaching. Then Sripad Yajak Maharaj
and I were companions. One day I read:

jīvera 'svarūpa' haya — kŗşņera 'nitya-dāsa'

kŗşņera 'taţasthā-śakti' 'bhedābheda-prakāśa'
“The constitutional position of a jiva (individual soul) is that
he is an eternal servant (nitya-dāsa) of Krishna. He is Krishna's
marginal potency (tatasthā-śakti) and manifestation of the
Lord simultaneously different from and identical with Him
(bhedābheda-prakāśa).”
(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya 20.108)
I told Yajak Maharaj, “Maharaj, I do not accept this.” He
said, “What are you saying? This was written by Srila Krishna
Das Kaviraj Gosvami. Who are you to not accept it?”
I then wrote an essay explaining my realization called
Bhrtya paricaya (The Signs of a Servant) and send it to the daily
Nadiya Prakasa. At that time Sri Pranavananda Brahmacari
(later Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj) and Krishna Kanti
Brahamacari (later Srila Bhakti Kusum Sraman Maharaj) were
the editor and publisher respectively of this daily newspaper.
• 16 •
 In my article, I wrote, “It is true that the individual soul’s
eternal identity is to be the servant of Lord Krishna. Never-
theless, it is impossible for me to accept this. Why? Because
I have no aquaintance
with Krishna. I have
never seen Him.
I do not know Him,
I do not understand
Him and I have not
attained Him.” At
the conclusion of my
article, I wrote, “My
qualifications can be
known from the
service I render to
my Guru. If I have
any identity, it is that
I am a servant of My
Guru.”
Prabhupad
(Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati) read the
“My qualifications can be known essay and said with
from the service I render to my tears in his eyes,
Guru. If I have any identity, it is “What a great thing
that I am a servant of my Guru.” has been written
Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaj down by such a little
• 17 •
boy!” He said to Krishna Kanti Prabhu, “Please, write to this
boy that his Gurudev blesses him after reading his article.”
This is the truth. Where have we seen Krishna? We have
seen a stone statue. It is Sri Gurudev who takes away my
material understanding; he removes the cataract from my eyes.
I shall be able to see the Lord by his grace. To whom, therefore,
shall I give most importance? How can I give the same degree
of importance to anyone else? I shall only offer respect to other
sadhus with a view of getting the mercy of my Guru, for in this
life I am not ready to admit any other person, whoever he may
be, if it means losing the mercy of my spiritual master (guru-
kripa).

Mahaprabhu and sabda-Nama

Om Visnupad Sri Srimad
Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Gosvami Maharaj

W e have never heard of anyone who embraces tigers.

Is there any record of a man who can control
all of the world’s wild beasts? Mahaprabhu
is controlling them. He is embracing and patting them.
He reunited them all and they are following Him. He is
throwing water at the elephants and they are dancing. You
cannot imagine. No one can imagine this! The jnanis cannot
imagine it. What to speak of the ordinary people. There are
no records of what Mahaprabhu did in the western philo-
sophy. These animals were actually walking around Him and
• 18 •
when he said, “Krishna!” they repeated, “Krishna!” This was
not a circus where animals are tamed. He did not train them,
He gave them Nama.

“This was not a circus where animals are tamed.

He did not train them, He gave them Nama.
That force, that power, that energy entered into their
hearts and they realized it, because they are the atma.”
Om Visnupad Sri Srimad Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Gosvami Maharaj

• 19 •
 That force, that power, that energy entered into their hearts
and they realized it, because they are the atma. This sound is
related to the atma. But the atma-jnanis cannot do that. They
cannot convert all these beasts. They have no power. They can
perceive some happiness within themselves, but now this same
happiness was distributed to the beasts and the birds. Not to
human beings, but to beasts and birds. Caitanya Mahaprabhu
has done it through the sabda-brahma. Hare Krishna is sabda-
brahma. Mahaprabhu has united and mobilized everyone.
Can this stage be obtain by any jnani at any time? A jnani
can practise some jnanam for his own benefit. But here
Mahaprabhu did not apply this, He did only Nama-kirtana.

Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata

Adi-khanda 2nd Chapter (71-79)
by Vyasa Avatar Srila Vrndavan Das Thakur
Only the most pious people would recite the Names of
Pundarikaksa and Govinda at the time of taking bath.
Commentary by Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati:
Before the Lord inaugurated the sankirtan movement, so-
called pious and religious persons chanted the Names of
Govinda and Pundarikaksa only at the time of taking bath
in order to cleanse their sins with water. They considered
this a traditional social custom. Otherwise these people
never chanted the Names of Vishnu even by mistake. Rather,
they believed that chanting the Names of Govinda and
• 20 •
Pundarikaksa by everyone at all times is prohibited. They
thought that the Names of Govinda and Pundarikaksa
should not be chanted by unqualified persons or at improper
times. This is how unfortunate and averse to Lord Hari
the communities of so-called followers of the Vedas were.
Ultimately this consideration was checked by the namnam
akari Siksastaka verse of the most magnanimous friend of
the living entities, Sri Caitanyadeva.

namnam akari bahudha nija-sarvasaktis

tatrarpita niyamita smarane na kalah
etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah
"O my Lord, Your Holy Name bestows auspiciousness
upon all. And You have unlimited Names such as Krishna and
Govinda by which You reveal Yourself. In Your many Holy
Names You have kindly invested all Your transcendental
potency. And in chanting these Names, there are no strict
rules concerning time or place. Out of Your causeless mercy,
You have descended in the form of divine sound, but my
great misfortune is that I have no love for Your Holy Name."
(Illumination of the Siksastaka verse by Srila BR Sridhar
Dev-Gosvami Maharaj: In the second Siksastaka verse is
said, "O my Lord, You have revealed the chanting of Your Holy
Names, and all Your power has been invested within those
Names." Both the Holy Name of Krishna and its potency
are eternal. All potencies or energies are found within the
• 21 •
Holy Name of Krishna. And there is no particular time or
place which has been fixed for chanting the Name. It is not
that one can only chant in the morning, or only after taking
bath, or only after going to a holy place-there are no such
conditions. One may go on chanting the Holy Name of
Krishna anytime, anywhere, in any circumstance.)

Even when someone explained the Bhagavad-gita or

Srimad Bhagavatam, they would not mention anything about
devotional service to the Lord.
Commentary by Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati:
At that time those who studied pure devotional literatures
like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam never
explained that worshiping the Supreme Lord is the only
duty of the living entities. Their recitation and teaching of
Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam was meant for
achieving immediate sense gratification, and they thus
twisted the meanings of these two books to make them
appear like the ordinary book, which is meant for satisfying
one’s senses. And the non-devotee communities presently
recite Gita and Bhagavata in this way. Such recitation of
Gita and Bhagavata by conditioned souls who are simply
interested in sensual happiness is an obstacle for one’s
advancement and simply leads one to hell, because that
is never recitation of Gita and Bhagavata. Rather, such
recitation is a collection of ordinary mundane words
for gratifying the senses. Sri Bhagavad-gita and Srimad
• 22 •
Bhagavatam are the crest jewels of all scriptures, they are as
great and as worthy of taking shelter of as Krishna, and they
are the transcendental manifestations of sri-krsna-kirtana.
They are neither mundane philosophical books nor ordinary
poetry that are accessible to the mundane ears and tongues
of materialistic people. This class of speakers and listeners
who are interested in sensual happiness are ever bereft of
the merciful glance of magnanimous Mahaprabhu.

Seeing the entire world illusioned by the Lord’s external

energy in this way, all the devotees felt unlimited distress.
[They thought:] “How will these people be delivered? The
whole world is simply absorbed in material enjoyment.
“People will not chant the Names of Krishna even if they
are instructed! Rather, they constantly glorify their education
and good birth.” The great devotees, however, followed their
prescribed duties like worshiping Krishna, bathing in the
Ganges, and discussing topics of Krishna. They all bestowed
their blessings on the people of the world and prayed,
“O Krishnacandra, please quickly bestow mercy on these
people.”
Residing in Navadvip at that time was Advaita Acarya,
the topmost Vaisnava, who is glorified throughout the world.
Sri Advaita Acarya was the most respected teacher. He was
as expert as Lord Siva in explaining the devotional service of
Lord Krishna with knowledge and renunciation.

• 23 •
Commentary by Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati:
As the greatest teacher of the science of Krishna, devotional
service to Krishna, and renunciation of everything unrelated
to Krishna, Sri Advaita Acarya preached the glories
of pure devotional service to the Lord. He manifested
pastimes like those of Sri Rudra, who is the principle acarya
for broadcasting devotional service and the inaugurator of
the Visnusvami-sampradaya. Just as Sri Sankaracarya, the
incarnation of Sankara, scattered and covered the devotional
service of the Lord through his philosophy, arguments,
and scholarship in order to bewilder the demoniac people,
Sri Advaita Prabhu exhibited the true identity of pure
knowledge, devotional service, and renunciation in the
course of explaining the devotional service of Krishna by
His uncommon endeavors and activities. The acaryas of the
Sri Rudra-sampradaya are known as Visnusvami, because
they preach pure devotional service. A few disciples of the
Rudra-sampradaya gave up subordination to their spiritual
master, or the process of accepting knowledge through
aural reception, and practiced adulterated devotional
service. They then created a new sampradaya known as
the Sivasvami-sampradaya. Sri Sankaracarya appeared in
this Sivasvami-sampradaya and vigorously preached
adulterated devotional service in this world. Since less
intelligent people considered both pure and adulterated
devotional service as the same, they were cheated from
achieving eternal benefit.
• 24 •
 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
Sārārtha-Darśini-tikā
Commentary by
Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.13

akiñcanasya dāntasya
śāntasya sama-cetasaģ
mayā santuşţa-manasaģ
sarvāģ sukha-mayā diśaģ
One who does not desire anything within this world, who
has controlled his senses, who has fixed his intelligence in
Me, who regards heaven and hell equally, and whose mind
is completely satisfied in Me finds only happiness wherever
he goes.

Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur: Two verses describe the

happiness of bhakti and the realization of that happiness. The
devotee’s mind and all his senses are satisfied by Me, who
possess great sweetness of astonishing sound, touch, form,
taste, smell, pastimes and mercy, attained through meditation.
Wherever he goes becomes full of happiness. When a person
with great, indestructible wealth bound in his cloth goes to
a place, that place becomes filled with happiness, wealth and
enjoyment. He has nothing, because he has attained Me,
• 25 •
the great indestructible treasure. He has rejected enjoyment
of temporary material wealth and followers represented by
the word kiñcana, “something,” since the senses absorbed in
external or internal objects give no taste. Thus he has control of
the senses (dāntasya). His intelligence is fixed in Me (śāntasya).
This is the definition of sama given later. Śamo man-nişţhatā
buddher: sama means having the intelligence fixed in Me. (SB
11.19.36) Thus he sees heaven, liberation and hell equally
(sama-cetasaģ).
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.14

na pārameşţhyań na mahendra-dhişņyań
na sārvabhaumań na rasādhipatyam
na yoga-siddhīr apunar-bhavań vā
mayy arpitātmecchati mad vinānyat
One who has fixed his consciousness on Me desires
neither the position or abode of Brahma or Indra, nor an
empire on the Earth, nor sovereignty in the lower planetary
systems, nor the eightfold perfection of yoga, nor liberation.
Such a person desires Me alone.

Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur: The devotee is without

desire for any object indicated by the word kiñcana. He does
not desire the position of Brahma or the happiness of merging
in Brahman (apunar-bhavań). He has offered his atma to
Me. Because of the rule yathā māń prapadyante tāńs tathaiva
bhajāmy aham: as they surrender to Me, I respond (Bhagavad-
• 26 •
gita 4.11), I offer my atma to them as well. The devotee does
not desire anything except Me, for I remain always perceivable
by all his senses. For a person who has tasted continuous, sweet
juice, mud is not attractive.

Don't Deceive Yourself

(Second Part)
Srila Bhakti Sadhak Muni Maharaj

W e have to advance in our spiritual life. Krishna

consciousness means to be connected 24-hours
a day, to not be for even one second disconnected.
We have no eyes to see, we have very limited vision. Therefore,
whenever we approach a pure devotee, we pull him down to
the mundane level. We see him with our eyes as ordinary,
like anyone else.
How much can we see? How much have we realized Krishna
and Supersoul or soul consciousness? Soul consciousness,
Supersoul consciousness, means that we are conscious of
everything. Now we do not have this consciousness. Our
consciousness is just engaged with our problems, with our tiny
mundane cultivation of our whatever. And we are arguing.
Imagine what kind of sacrifice such devotees as our
Gurudev and his godbrothers and Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati are doing. What we read in the Amrta Vani (Nectar
of Instruction for Immortality) about the spiritual master is
a standard for how the spiritual master himself has to speak.
• 27 •
 He has to speak like this so that others may understand
the position of spiritual master. When Svami Maharaj came,
he had to teach his devotees how to worship, how to respect
Vaisnava and Guru. He himself had to do this because all
of these newcomers were thinking, “He is the same as me.”
Ignorant people will think like this, “He is just like me.” We
should be very careful, because as long as we think in this way,
all we understand about him is that which we are projecting on
him – our level, our vision, is making him like this.
What realization do we have? How can we realize something

“As long as we think we know something, that we

are close to Him, that we are Krishna conscious – we will be
deceived by maya.”
Srila Bhakti Sadhak Muni Maharaj

• 28 •
if we approach him from our level? We have to be very careful.
If we want to get the real benefit, we have to follow the
teaching of our Guru Maharaj, of our Param Gurudev.
Devotee: How to uproot this attitude towards pure devotees?
Srila Muni Maharaj: When we hear these things, we should
do more then just hear it, and then go out and do speak all
kinds of nonsense, concerning only the external world – the
weather, our bodily conditions, all discussed in detail. We must
think, “What is the interest of Krishna in these things? Is He
pleased if I talk to Him like this?”
There are many topics being discussed, but there is no
topic concerning what we have read – for example, about
Mahaprabhu’s pastimes. In this way there is not a continuous
flow, you know? After hearing hari-katha we leave the temple
room, and the flow is interrupted. Why is it like this? Because
actually we don’t have any taste for hari-katha. We have the
taste for it only if we are speaking about it, because we like to
hear our speaking, and we like the attention others give us,
“Oh, he is speaking so nicely!” We get taste for these things:
pratistha. We like to be in the position of speaker. But this is
not pleasing to Krishna. This is for our pratistha. Very subtle
impurity.
When I am speaking I have to also take a lot of sacrifice.
When I speak that Krishna consciousness is a 24-hours process,
then I have to practice it, I have to live it as much as possible.
Spiritual consciousness is something different from mundane
consciousness – it is beyond mundane. So if we come from these
• 29 •
high spiritual talks and immediately jump into the material
topics, talking all kinds of nonsense, then we are committing
offense actually.
We have no faith in what Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati, sastra and Mahaprabhu said. We have no faith.
We are egocentric and so much involved in our “I and my”
thinking that we are not able to let the universal consciousness
work in us. We are not able to meditate about Krishna, because
it is always contaminated with this “I and my”. Basically we are

“We find various ways for how to cheat ourselves

and think it is Krishna consciousness. But what is Krishna
consciousness will be decided by Krishna, and those who are
more advanced then we are.”
Srila Bhakti Sadhak Muni Maharaj

• 30 •
only doing things that are for us, for our comfort.
Deceptively we put up a big billboard and write Hare
Krishna on it, but our real interest is only in ourselves. When
this habit changes, we become a real devotee – there is no
“I and my”, there is only “my Lord, let me do something for
Your satisfaction. What can I do? I am not able to manage
“I and my.” I offer my everything to You.” And then when He
comes a little closer to test us, we get scared and start crying.
We should understand that we are very far away from
Krishna. As long as we think we know something, that we
are close to Him, that we are Krishna conscious – we will be
deceived by maya. Our interest is only “I and my” interest.
And we sell it very expertly, with many tricks. We try to fulfill
our interest and sell it as Krishna’s interest. We cheat ourselves
very expertly. We find various ways for how to cheat ourselves
and think it is Krishna consciousness. But what is Krishna
consciousness will be decided by Krishna, and those who are
more advanced then we are.
So, real surrender, real Krishna consciousness means big
sacrifice. We have to cross this border, otherwise we will only
live in the imitation of Krishna consciousness.
To make it easy, to make compromises, doesn’t mean
this is the real thing. Our Guru Maharaj did not make any
compromise. Many times he reacted like a thunderbolt. Half-
truth is more dangerous than falsehood. So either you tell the
truth or don’t, but never half, otherwise you will be cheated.
Srila Gurudeva ki jay!
• 31 •
We think that if we render service
then we are dying.
That temperament,
false temperament,
has grown within us,
and that is a foreign element
which has covered the soul proper.
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

• 32 •
 Permanent Temple Program
Sunday Festival
17.00 Bhajan • 18.00 Lecture • 19.00 Sandhya Arati
•19.15 Tulasi Parikrama • 19.30 Prasadam
• 20.25 Sayan Arati

Morning Program (daily)

4.30 Mangala Arati • 4.45 Tulasi Parikrama
• 5.00 Bhajan follows Japa • 7.45 Sringara Arati, follows
Bhajan • 8.25 Bhagavad-gita-patha, follows lecture from Sri
Caitanya Caritamrta • 9.15 Guru-Puja, follows Bhoga Arati
• 9.30 Prasadam
Evening Program (daily except Sunday)
19.00 Sandhya Arati • 19.15 Tulasi Parikrama, follows Bhajan
• 19.55 Lecture • 20.30 Sayan Arati, follows Prasadam

Bhajan – spiritual songs • Arati – temple ceremony

• Prasadam – spiritual vegetarian food
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Acarya Nitya-lila-pravista Om Visnupad 108 Sri Srimad

Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Gosvami Maharaj

Sri Sri R adha Govinda Gaudiya Math

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission
Wienerbergstrasse 29A/Top3 • 1120 Vienna
Tel. +43 18 120 574 • www.radha-govinda.org