Hari katha

According to the preacher’s intensity and purity of realization, their preaching of hari-katha may be of many types. The mahā-bhagavata, madhyama–bhagavata, kaniṣṭha–bhagavata may talk about Hari, but there is a great difference in the deepness of their conception and commitment. The kaniṣṭha’s hari–kathā is better than nothing but the avaiṣṇava (non-devotee) should not be heard at all. The kaniṣṭha–adhikārī is lower but not insincere. But one who is insincere, avaiṣṇava, his hari-kathā is poison. Hari-kathā from an avaiṣṇava is not hari-kathā at all. He says it is hari–kathā, but it is not hari–kathā—it is maya–kathā. “Kṛṣṇa and other gods are one, they are the same”—with this message he will go on with his ‘hari-kathā.’ That is maya–kathā, not hari–kathā. In Śaṅkarācārya’s conception Hari is saguṇa, sattva–guṇa—so that is maya conception. That is not hari–kathā, it is maya–kathā. Everyone is taking the Name of Kṛṣṇa, so why is there the distinction between śuddha–nama and nama–aparādha?

Also there are distinctions in bhagavata–kathā. Why? It is the same Name, but one says it is aparādha, another says it is śuddha–nama. How is this? Another says nāmābhāsa, why? When uttering the Name, there may be a great gulf between the two—one śuddha–nama and the other nama–aparādha. Bhagavata–kathā–aparādha is not actually Bhagavata reading—that is making offense to Bhagavata. That is not a real interpretation. He does not know the Bhagavata, but he is speaking for some other lower purpose. He wants money, he wants prestige, or he wants something else—he doesn’t want the real Hari. He cannot see properly.  sītāra ākṛti-māyā harila rāvaṇa—the demon Rāvaṇa stole Sītā forcibly. Mahāprabhu says he took only maya—Rāvaṇa has no power even to see Sītā. She is all spiritual embodiment. One non-devotee, Devānanda Paṇḍita, was reading the Bhagavata and explaining.

One day Mahāprabhu aspired for kṛṣṇa–kathā, “Oh, Devānanda is misinterpreting Bhagavatam. I shall go and tear it up.” Then Śrīvāsa Paṇḍit and others said, “No, no, don’t go!” and they took Him away. He wanted to tear the very book of Bhagavatam but He did not do so. He wanted to tear it up, He expressed that, “I want to tear up that book— that book is maya—he is giving misinterpretation.” Of course, Mahāprabhu did not do that. But Mahāprabhu only expressed it. Then Devānanda again came to the feet of Mahāprabhu. “I have done wrong, I have offended the Bhagavatam, please forgive me.”

Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja

(From the book “Encounters with Divinity”)