How to harmonize with Guru-Vaishnava—this is the most vital question in our bhajan life (Part 3)
By Śrīla Shyam Das Baba
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda told that—“I pray unto the Lotus feet of Bhagavan so that I never develop this kind of bad luck as to hear my own appreciation from the lotus mouth of guru-Vaiṣṇava, rather I want to be controlled and rectified by them.”
Śrīla Narottam Das Ṭhākura wrote one kīrtana with craving prayer that–
hena ki haibe mora—narma-sakhīgaṇe
anugata narottame karibe śāsane
By your causeless mercy — when your faithful and honest follower Śrīla Narottama Das can become eligible to be controlled and chastised by those most intimate sakhīs (priyā narma sakhīs) of the divine couple?
The Prabhupāda used to say that— “Śrī Gurudeva is completely unbiased. He does not seek any type of favour from anyone in this world. His sole desire, which is fully auspicious, is for everyone to engage in sincere hari-bhajana. He believes that the topmost form of compassion is to instruct everyone to act for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s senses. He knows that encouraging someone to engage in sense gratification or encouraging their attachment to material sense objects is not an act of compassion, but in fact one of sheer violence.”
Guru-Vaiṣṇava can bestow both niskapat kṛpā (real kṛpā) and sakapat kṛpā (false kṛpā). That is why one genuine disciple always praying unto the Lotus feet of Śrī Guru-pada-padma for niskapat kṛpā, which cannot yield any ill effect. A real disciple never wants to hear his own glorification from guru-Vaiṣṇava, rather he prefers to be chastised or rectified by guru-Vaiṣṇava. Guru-Vaiṣṇava can praise us to test us our authenticity. Also, it can be seen that sometime guru-Vaiṣṇava allowing us to do their sevā purposely to cheat us, I mean to allow us to get fulfilled our personal motive.
Śrīla Bhakti Rakshak Śrīdhar Dev Gosvāmī Mahārāj wrote in his writing named — Śrī Prabhupāda-padma-stavakaḥ—
bhajanorjita sajjana-saṅghapatiṁ
patitādhika-kāruṇikaika-gatimgati-vañcita-vañcakācintya-padaṁ
praṇamāmi sadā prabhupāda-padam
Śrī Prabhupāda-padma-stavakaḥ Vers 2
He is the leader of those renowned hari-bhaktas and their saṅga and he is the absolute merciful shelter of those fallen souls. His inconceivable glories feet are the shelter of even those deceitful persons, because he can give the same treatment to them by deceiving them. Eternally I offer my obeisances unto the lotus feet of The Prabhupāda.
The Prabhupāda often used to say that — “I am seeking auspiciousness for myself but in reality, I have determined that which is inauspicious to be auspicious. We often call upon a doctor to cure our ailments and are prescribed medicine and a particular diet by him. But if I tell him, “You should arrange medicine and a diet in accordance with my desires and tastes,” then I am myself taking the role of doctor. Can our diseases really be cured this way? Similarly, if I approach Sad Guru but do not thereafter listen to his instructions, if I continue to behave according to my own will, how will I attain any welfare? It is clear, therefore, that if we only accept that doctor who approves of our wishes, we will find ourselves in great difficulty. If our doctor does not prescribe the medicine and diet that is truly beneficial for us, but instead prescribes things according to our own desires just to please us and collect a fee, then, although we may achieve some momentary happiness, our disease will not be cured.”
Sometimes Śrīla Prabhupāda would also award honorific titles like “Mahopadesaka” and others received the designation “Ācārya” to indicate their learning and devotional achievement. All such designations were conferred by Śrīla Prabhupāda at meetings of the Visva-Vaiṣṇava-Raj Sabha. At these conventions he would also recite Sanskrit verses which he used to compose some glorification of those disciples’ receiving titles, and then present the verses to each reciprocate on a scroll called āśīrvādapatra, in recognition of an individual’s spirit of service to His Mission.
Although titles were meant to encourage recipients that their devotional efforts were being blessed, and to proclaim to non-Vaiṣṇavas the status of Vaiṣṇavas, Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura indubitably did not intend that his disciples become proud of their intellectuality or for their any other achievements, as is common with mundane persons, or that they regard learning or title as more important than devotion. By making sannyāsīs and awarding designations to accomplished devotees, Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura facilitated the serving of superiors by subordinates, thus simultaneously benefiting juniors and providing assistance to the seniors for their missionary activities.
However, Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda indicated that for at least some persons the distinctions were meant as an incentive to continue in service. He would tell the parable of a zamindar (landlord) who could not get any employees to stay long until he started feeding them first-class rice and ghee (balam rice and desi ghee); similarly, gurus sometimes offer titles, power, and positions even to those materialistic people to bait them into performing kṛṣṇa-sevā indirectly.
Also, the expertise of how to deal with vaiṣṇava-pratiṣṭhā shown by Śrīla Bhakti Daitya Madhava Gosvāmī Mahārāj is one kind of milestone in our life. He used to say to his disciples on his Vyasapuja da, — “I consider my disciples as my gurus, because by always surrounding me, residing with me and expecting me to be a model of proper conduct, they force me to behave properly and also cause me to deeply reflect on my every action. I will never benefit by associating with someone who offers me praise and flattery. Giving up such association, I will always keep the company of those who instruct me by pointing out my mistakes. Since I consider my disciples as my gurus, it is my natural inclination to serve them. I am not a fool that I will sit on an elevated seat and accept the worship of my worshipful objects for my own sake. If I were to do this, there would be no pūjā. Instead, when I see that my gurus have a desire to worship me on the day of my birth, I am obliged by affection to serve them by accepting such adoration, for they are my worshipful objects, and it is my duty to serve them by abiding by their wishes. In this way, there is no difference between worship and blessings. By offering me worship, they bless me that I may serve them by pleasing them through the medium of accepting that worship. By performing kīrtana before me, they provide me with the opportunity to serve them by performing śravaṇa (hearing).”
Without testing Kṛṣṇa never gives kṛpā so easily to anyone. Testing is a must. Like sometimes we go to the market and buy some earthen pot, but before buying one has to make a test if the mud pot has any cracks or not. This can be done by knocking on the pot on different places. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa in the form of guru-Vaiṣṇava can test us to see whether there is any germ of pratiṣṭhā asha inside our heart or not. When we can prove that we are free from any smell of pratiṣṭhā, then and only then Śrī Kṛṣṇa can fill up our heart with divine nectar. In this way one sincere and honest disciple can go on singing the glories of Śrī Śrī guru-Vaiṣṇava-Bhagavan forever. Tṛṇād api sunīcena is a must. Most of us can remember this śloka, but who among us can apply the teachings of this śloka in applied form in our life. That is the most vital question at present. That is why out of his humble mood Śrīla Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāj used to say that— “When I came to the Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha and I heard the above mentioned tṛṇād api śloka, then I thought that it is impossible for me to become a Vaiṣṇava.” Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself told to Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāya Rāmānanda about the scriptural verses expressing the characteristics of how to do hari-nama so that pure devotional love can be manifested inside heart.
uttama hañā āpanāke māne tṛṇādhama
dui-prakāre sahiṣṇutā kare vṛkṣa-sama
(Cc Antya 20.22)
“These are the symptoms of one who chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Although he is very exalted, he thinks himself lower than the grass on the ground, and like a tree, he tolerates everything in two ways.
vṛkṣa yena kāṭileha kichu nā bolaya
śukāñā maileha kāre pānī nā māgaya
(Cc Antya 20.23)
“When a tree is cut down, it does not protest, and even when drying up, it does not ask anyone for water.
yei ye māgaye, tāre deya āpana-dhana
gharma-vṛṣṭi sahe, ānera karaye rakṣaṇa
(Cc Antya 20.24)
“The tree delivers its fruits, flowers etc. or whatever else it possesses to anyone without any expectation in return. It tolerates scorching heat and torrents of rain, yet it still gives shelter to others without any objection.
uttama hañā vaiṣṇava habe nirabhimāna
jīve sammāna dibe jāni’ ‘kṛṣṇa’-adhiṣṭhāna
(Cc Antya 20.25)
“Although a Vaiṣṇava is the most exalted person, having no false ego at all and always like to give respect to others without expecting any honour, knowing that Kṛṣṇa is there inside the heart of all beings.
When Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda was once asked— “Does Śrī Guru ever deprive us? Then his answer was— “Definitely. Śrīla Gurudeva is fully aware of our foolishness, of our deficiencies and limitations, our improper conceptions, our wavering principles and everything else. In fact, he makes arrangements to cure us according to the degree and nature of our ailments. Only he who, having been approached, nullifies the need to listen to anyone else or to approach any other person can be called Sad Guru. Bhagavān – who is the embodiment of the origin of auspiciousness, from which all auspiciousness is born – has completely entrusted my welfare into the hands of Śrī Gurudeva. If I surrender myself to that Śrī Gurudeva one hundred per cent, he will bestow all spiritual welfare upon me. And the symptom of a surrendered soul is to bow down and dutifully accept whatever arrangements Śrī Gurudeva makes for him without reservation. However, if I indulge in dishonesty, double-dealing, a false show of devotion or hypocrisy, then he will deceive us. He will say, “You have not become a disciple yet. You will not accept chastisement but your heart is full of sins. And because you are taking advice from hypocrites, you have not yet prepared your ears to hear my words. You therefore remain deprived.”
Gaura Hari Hari Bol
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