One drop of bhakti is so rare, that it is beyond our human comprehension

All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru–Gaurāṅga

Date 24.09.2025

By Sampradāya-saṁrakṣaka Śrī Śyām Dās Bābā Mahārāj

Śrī Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī-pati Śrī Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvami Ṭhākura Prabhupāda said that— “To seek the satisfaction of the public and to seek the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord is not the same, and to declare this point loudly is actually called bhakti.”

Those genuine sādhu-guru-vaiṣṇava are like lions. Without hesitation or fear, they are always ready to establish the absolute siddhānta-vicāra. Just as the lion is the king of the forest, similarly guru-vaiṣṇavas are the true sovereigns of this material world. Their roaring proclamation of pure Caitanya-vāṇī drives away the ṣaḍ-ripus (six enemies of the jīva, or six internal enemies). They are the main obstacles on the path of bhakti:

Kāma – lust, uncontrolled desire

Krodha – anger

Lobha – greed

Moha – illusion, delusion, attachment born of ignorance

Mada – pride, arrogance, intoxication with power or wealth

Mātsarya – envy, jealousy

Naturally, most of the people become disturbed when they hear the uncompromising Caitanya-vāṇī from pure guru-vaiṣṇavas. But this must not be the reason for why absolute truth should be banished. To hide the truth is not preaching at all; in fact half-truth is even more dangerous than complete lie.

The Prabhupāda used to say— “If I am not in the stream of guru-paramparā, then whatever I may do surely cannot be called bhakti.”

Those who have no link to our Gaudiya guru-paramparā, no connection with our previous ācāryas, they can never truly preach. Whatever they may claim in the name of preaching cannot be called bhakti. For many this kind of siddhānta-vicāra is surely shocking, even unbearable, because the majority of people have since long time been fed with diluted versions presented in the name of pure bhakti. If someone is only habituated to eat junk food all the time, then how he will feel if someone serves them some fresh & healthy green vegetables? He surely will hesitate to eat that healthy food, and instead follow his old habits. That is the painful situation at present—that most of the people cannot digest the absolute truth.

But for that surely we cannot stop to speak about that absolute truth. The Prabhupāda used to say that—

“We will fearlessly tell everyone the truth, without deceiving anyone. We have to speak the kind of truth that is truly beneficial for the living being, even if it is unpleasant. This is not the same as creating anxiety for others. We have to search for reality. We have to think about the good of all people in the world. With great determination, we have to do what is beneficial for ourselves and others. Unless we speak the truth boldly we cannot please Guru and Gaurāṅga. The more determined one is in bhakti, the bolder and more courageous he will be as a preacher. If I fail to speak the impartial truth because I might become unpopular, I have certainly abandoned the path of my disciple succession and accepted an unauthorized path. At the end I will either find myself cheated or will become an atheist.” (Prabhupādera Upadeśāmṛta)

Śrīla Sadananda Svāmī also used to say that— "Bhakti-yoga makes enjoyment impossible, because through bhakti everything is used in the service, and it completely burns up all that is called man — except the ātmā. Only when You hide away this meaning, there will be something left that delights, enthuses man. If You give the śāstrams fully unveiled people will stone You, not invite You. […] They will be really terrified when I open my mouth." (Letter to Vāmān dās, 1958)

Why people cannot digest that absolute truth?

The Prabhupada always wanted to give us warning regarding this matter. He used to say that— “Logical interpretation cannot stand in the way of that Absolute truth.” About this subject matter we must be always very alert! The question— “Why people cannot digest that absolute truth?” was put in front of The Prabhupada. His reply was like the following— “In this world all are meant for Bhagavan (Bhagavat seva). If somehow we develop enjoying mood for all those things, then we would be in great trouble (because all guru-vastu, not laghu–vastu). Those who become aversive (or can develop negative mood) towards hearing Bhagavat Katha (or Harikatha), they can be in the trap of samsara (Maya), they can develop strong affinity for this material world. That is why a real aspirant of Bhagavat bhakti, having no duplicity, I mean who like to get genuine mangal must be very careful to hear Harikatha from a genuine sadhu. I am doing so much seva, or I have done a lot of seva, by now I have become a Vaishnava—this is called evil conception. Such fanaticism should be avoided to become humble enough to beg for kripa with a craving mood continuously to get Bhagavat seva with great care.”

All those who cannot digest the absolute truth and who constantly try to find faults in guru-vaiṣṇava are certainly on the path to hell. As long as their dirty mission of fault-finding continues, and unless they sincerely try to correct their polluted darśana regarding pure guru-vaiṣṇava, it will be next to impossible for their consciousness to rise. It is our great misfortune that we never sincerely try to harmonize ourselves with guru-vaiṣṇavas in true sense. For this reason, even after receiving dīkṣā from an exalted vaiṣṇava, we may remain deprived of genuine divya-jñāna and true seva-bhāva forever.

The main problem is this — as soon as guru-vaiṣṇavas are speaking heavily, we are the first ones who loudly proclaim that they are lacking tṛṇād api bhāva. This kind of misunderstanding is the reason for why we cannot make any progress. People fail to realize that no ordinary preacher has the power to roar like a lion. Those who, in the name of preaching, only seek lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā (gain, honor, prestige) can never take up the conch of the Absolute Caitanya-vāṇī—Bhaktisiddhānta-vāṇī to blow into it to preach it fearlessly like a powerful king lion. Why are there some cheaters acting as preachers? The reason is that if they would speak the exact teachings, then the discrepancies in their own lifestyles would be discovered. Because of that, they are bound to be selective about what to speak and what not to speak. You cannot expect hearing all those topics on the Absolute Truth from them, simply because they are failure to apply all those principles in their own life.

According to our Gauḍīya siddhānta-vicāra, tṛṇād api bhāva means that there should not be even any smell of lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā inside heart. But foolish people think just the opposite — they believe that those who flatter others by licking their feet and presenting themselves sweeter as a doll made of sugar, that they are actually the true example of humility— “humbler than a blade of grass.”

Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura boldly declares— “I can provide a kick on the head of that foolish society even if after hearing countless glories of Nityānanda Prabhu, still if they are unwilling to accept Him.” Ignorant people may think that he had no tṛṇād api bhāva, but the actual siddhānta-vicāra is this that — Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura was an ocean of humility and mercy. In this way by speaking heavily, he wanted to rectify our polluted material heart, by allowing the dust particle from his own lotus feet to pour upon our heads. If we feel insulted when pure guru-vaiṣṇava speaks heavely, then that only can expose our own weakness, nothing else.

Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī-pati Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda once also expressed his deep feeling about his own gurudeva, Śrīla Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, in the following way— When I first came before my paramahaṁsa gurupādapadma, Śrīla Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī, he tried to avoid me to make me feel that I am the worst element of this whole creation and at that time I could not realize his mood. Only later, when he bestowed his causeless mercy upon me, then I could realize his divine mercy—by getting the darśana of his divine lotus feet in true sense. Because of my false ego which I developed from my learning (pāṇḍitya), my birth in a high family, and even because of my attractive figure, but he out of his causeless mercy wanted to crush down that false ego with a most merciful kick on my head.

Srī Siddhānta Sarasvatī Thakur Prabhupāda later reflected on this incident in the following way:

When out of false ego I was thinking “I am a great scholar of mathematics and philosophy—let any big paṇḍita come at any time, day or night, and I will cut his propositions to pieces”, at that time I got the darśana of the lotus feet of Śrī Gurudeva. He ignored everything that was previously appreciated in me—my truthfulness, my moral and pious life, and my intellectualism—knowing them to be of little value. When I saw that he ignored whatever was good in me, I realized how good he himself must be, who could neglect so many “good qualities” in me. What inconceivable wealth he possessed!

Being neglected by him, I understood that there was no one more fallen and contemptible than myself; that was my actual identity. The very things that I adjudged desiderata, such as scholarship and upright character, this exalted soul regarded as valueless. I apprehended that within himself this noble personality possessed priceless treasure. I then pondered that either he is extremely puffed-up, or is exceedingly merciful. I then haughtily said to my gurudeva, “You are a worshiper of that cheater and debauch Kṛṣṇa, so why would you be compassionate to someone like me, dedicated to ordinary morality?”

Humbly and sincerely I prayed to the Supreme Lord for His mercy. Later, by His grace I recognized that without receiving the blessings of this peerless saint and without serving him, nothing good could happen to me. When I accepted that and acted accordingly, and then received the causeless unlimited grace of my śrī-gurudeva and refuge at his lotus feet, I deemed my life fulfilled.

I had considered my gurudeva to be unequalled in vairāgya but somewhat short of learning. But he reduced to powder my audacity born of book learning. With the mallet of his mercy he revealed that whatever I had adjudged to be the highest ideal was in fact most low and despicable. When by his grace that instruction first entered my ears, my dimunitive brain lacked the capacity to accommodate such transcendental knowledge. But to all fools like me, he gave the chance to hear such lofty topics.

Śrīla Prabhupāda further said that— “I have understood that if the people of this world do not receive the same jolt that I received from my gurudeva, then their consciousness will not awaken. Therefore I am telling everyone, I am more foolish than anyone else on earth. Please, all of you, do not be foolish like me. Do not live your life within the limitation of calculating consciousness. Discuss Vaikuṇṭha-kathā and you will become a great person. I am telling you what I have realized to be supremely beneficial."

Although Gaura Kishore das Bābājī Mahārāja always used to forbid strictly anyone to touch his feet, once he voluntarily placed all the dust particles from his lotus feet on the head of Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī Thakur and ordered him to preach the absolute truth, by keeping aside all other activities, and in this way Srila Prabhupada’s mission was approved by him.

In this way, Śrī Caitanya Deva Himself has deputed Śrīla Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja and Śrīla Prabhupāda in front of us to uproot completely all the misconceptions about the nature of a pure guru–vaishnava—by manifesting all those revolting lilas in front of us for our absolute mangal. How endless merciful are the divine pastimes of the Lord and His devotees! But Alas! What misfortune has befallen upon me, that even after hearing all such divine lilas, still I am unable to realize the divine rank of guru–vaishnava, which can never be judged by the imperfect logical mood driven by my material senses.

As long as even a single drop of genuine bhakti not getting entry inside my heart till then I will have to remain unable to perceive the absolute glorifications of pure guru-vaishnava. In favour of this siddhanta vichar so many evidences can be found in shastras. A few of them are mentioned below for your kind information.

dhigastu brahmāhaṁ vadanapariphullān jaḍamatīn

kriyāsaktān dhigdhig vikaṭatapaso dhik ca yaminaḥ

kimetān śocāmo viṣayarāsa mattānarapaśūn

na keṣāncil leśo pyahaha milito gauramadhunaḥ

(Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛtam, verse 32)

Shame on the gross materialists, so attached to fruitive, ritualistic performances according to the smṛtis; shame on the mystic yogis who perform severe penances, following the eightfold path of mystic perfection; shame on the impersonalists who utter ahaṁ brahmāsmi (“I am Brahman”)—brimming with arrogance, they claim they are liberated, and thus, with blissful countenance, sink deep into meditation upon themselves. All these persons are mad for mundane pleasures devoid of any connection to the Supreme Personality. What sorrow can I express for these beasts in human form? Hā Alas! (Oh, me oh my!) Not one of them has received even a minute particle of the honey-drenched pollen from the lotus feet of Śrī Gaurasundara.

rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti

na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā

na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair

vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekam (ŚB 5.12.12)

“My dear King Rahūgaṇa, unless one smears his very frame with the dust of the lotus feet of exalted devotees, the Absolute Truth can never be realized. Neither by the rigid observance of brahmacarya, nor by the punctilious execution of gṛhastha-dharma, nor by the abandonment of home as a vānaprastha, nor yet by the acceptance of sannyāsa and the endurance of grievous austerities—such as immersing oneself in icy waters during winter or encircling oneself with blazing fires beneath the scorching sun in summer—can the Supreme Reality be attained. Though innumerable processes are proposed for the apprehension of the Absolute, verily He is disclosed only unto that fortunate soul who has been blessed by the mercy of a mahā-bhāgavata.”

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ

mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekaṁ

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat (ŚB 7.5.32)

“Unless one anoints his very body with the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava who is wholly emancipated from all mundane taint, the materially inclined cannot in the least awaken attachment for the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord—He who is eternally celebrated for His wondrous and inconceivable pastimes. Solely by becoming Kṛṣṇa-conscious and seeking refuge at those all-auspicious feet of the pure devotees, is the living entity delivered from the contamination of worldly existence.”

nirapekṣaṁ muniṁ śāntaṁ

nirvairaṁ sama-darśanam

anuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityam

pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ (ŚB 11.14.16)

“With the dust from the lotus feet of My pure devotees, I ever desire to sanctify the worlds, though they all abide within Me. Therefore, I constantly follow in the wake of those devotees who are utterly devoid of selfish desire, ever absorbed in the contemplation of My divine līlā, serene in disposition, without enmity toward any being, and possessed of equal vision toward all.”

Gaura Hari Hari Bol