The divine calculation (Part 3)

All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga

The divine calculation (Part 3)

(By Śrīla Śyām Dās Bābā) 

Date – 12.12.2025

Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṁsa Jagad Guru said that— “If I seek the path leading to the ultimate good than I must ignore the countless voices of the popular wisdom and listen only to that of the realized soul.”

What is the mathematical calculation of our life? The most scientific answer is that—actually we live for some years, for some months, for some weeks, for some days, for some hours, for some minutes, for some seconds and for some fractions of seconds etc.

Suppose someone going to live 88 years + 8 months + 2 weeks + 4 days + 16 hours + 8 seconds + some fraction of second, so this is the mathematical calculation of our life in true sense, but I forget this point just like Rāvaṇa and running to conquer the whole world, whereas I cannot get victory even over myself. Who can realize ‘death‘ the term from heart? Almost no one can realize this point. If someone can realize the term ‘death’ from heart – then all the dirty mood of enjoying lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā can evaporate like camphor.

Somehow whoever going to reach Laṅkā then he immediately become like Rāvaṇa. Perhaps you can remember the case of Nāhuṣ (from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam) — the most powerful king, or the case of Purūravā who was also a very very powerful king, but unfortunately they all forgot the real meaning of life, because of tremendous self-enjoying mood (or māyā). The main problem in their life was huge opulences and high position achieved by them in their life. So they forgot their real identity. Perhaps for this reason Śrīman Mahāprabhu wanted to set the yardstick of ‘tṛṇād api sunīc’ bhāva to identify a real sādhu. The Prabhupāda wanted to give the most appropriate (I mean the absolute) answer to this point in the following way— “If there is no smell of material lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā in our life in the way of Hari-bhajan (I mean preaching etc.) then this can be called as  ‘tṛṇād api sunīc’ bhāva, which is called Vaiṣṇavī pratiṣṭhā.” In this case the absolute target is to seek the absolute satisfaction of The Supreme Lord and nothing else. Śrīman Nityananda-Balaram prabhu is the sole authority in the way of our preaching effort. Only and only by the causeless mercy of Śrīman Nityananda-Balaram prabhu one can march forward boldly in the way of preaching field with the basket of The Absolute truth without any hesitation, whereas those false preachers — those who are always running for material lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā to collect only dirty stool and urine etc., they can destroy the whole world by the help of miss-preaching (or by misguiding others).

Only one very minor mistake can make the whole calculation of one mathematical problem completely wrong. Similarly one very minor mistake in the way of the mathematical calculation of my life can destroy my life completely. But we know it for sure that flawless Gauḍīya bhajan can only be done under the strict guidance of The Prabhupāda and Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur, but unfortunately I am giving importance to my whimsical mind without following śrouta-panthā (or our authentic Guruvarga). I already have proved in the previous articles (The divine calculation both part 1 & 2) that we all are powerless in true sense, actually each and everything, or I mean all are done by the Supreme Divinity, so putting ‘0’ (zero) in the front of any digit can make no sense at all – I mean no value at all can be given. But by putting ‘zero’ behind any digit then it can give meaningful value. So if we like to violate or ignore or insult Guru-Vaiṣṇava to prove our personal importance or gravity, then we can get zero result in the way of our progress in our Hari-bhajan. But if we are ready to express our full submission or gratitude in front of our Gauḍīya Guruvarga those who are Mahābhāgavata Mahājanas then we can get Vaiṣṇavī pratiṣṭhā in true sense which cannot destroy our devotional life at all, just like the case of Śrīla Mādhavendra Purīpāda who wanted to avoid dirty pratiṣṭhā anyway, but could not pass away, because those all where arranged by the Supreme Lord Himself as Vaiṣṇavī pratiṣṭhā. From Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta we can see the evidence like the following—

pratiṣṭhāra bhaye purī yāya palāiyā

gopīnātha corila khīra gopana kariyā                 (CC— Madhya-līlā 4.142)

“Fearing the burden of pratiṣṭhā (worldly fame), Śrī Mādhavendra Purī left that place and fled. Meanwhile, Gopīnātha stole the sweet rice and wanted to hide this for him.”

pratiṣṭhāra svabhāva ei jagate vidita

ye nā vāñche, tāra haya vidhātā-nirmita           (CC Madhya 4.146)

"Even though one may try to avoid worldly pratiṣṭhā as ordained by providence, comes to him. But still vaiṣṇavī pratiṣṭhā (I mean transcendental reputation) can go on rolling down behind him, because it is the divine arrangement by The Supreme Lord."

Also the Prabhupāda has written in his Vaiṣṇava Ke that—

pratiṣṭhāśā-taru, jaḍa-māyā-maru

nā pela rāvaṇa yūjhiya rāghava

vaiṣṇavī pratiṣṭhā, tāte kara niṣṭhā,

tāhā nā bhajile labhibe raurava                         (Vaiṣṇava Ke vers No. 4)

The demon Rāvaṇa (lust-incarnate) fought with Lord Rāmacandra (love-incarnate) to gain the tree of worldly reputation (worldly pratiṣṭhā) but that illusion was like an oasis that turned out to be but a mirage cast in the desert wasteland of the Lord’s illusory material potency. Please cultivate fixed determination to attain only the steady and solid platform whereupon a vaiṣṇava ever stands. If you neglect to worship the Lord from this position, then you will ultimately attain a hellish existence.

Keeping ‘0’ (zero) in the middle if we can go on writing gradually all those different digits like 1,2,3,4,5………etc. in the leftward direction and also if we go on writing gradually all those different digits like 1,2,3,4,5 …………etc. in the rightward direction then according to mathematical calculation we can find the following picture—

……………………-5, -4,-3 ,-2, -1      ‘0’    +1,+2,+3,+4,+5……………………

The more we can proceed towards the negative direction (I mean leftward) then the more the valuation of those respective digits can go on in decreasing order gradually, but if we go on towards the positive direction, then the more we can go on towards the positive direction, then the more the valuation of those respective digits can go on in increasing order. Because we know that -1 is less than 0, and -2 is less than -1 etc. etc., and at the same time we know that +2 is greater than +1, or +3 is greater than +2 etc. etc.

This is called negative world in which we are put into (māyā-moye jagat). The Prabhupāda went to Bariśāl one place which is at present at Bangladesh (East Bengal) for preaching purpose. The Eternal pārṣad Śrīla Bhakti Pragyan Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja was originally from that place, he was at that time a very intelligent school boy — who also went to attain the Harikathā of The Prabhupāda. But after hearing a revolting remark from the Lotus mouth of The Prabhupāda he could not just bear that point, and went on thinking that how is it possible. What was that revolting remark? The Prabhupāda said that— “I can sacrifice all jīvas for the sevā or satisfaction of the Supreme Lord.” In the beginning the boy was surprised to hear this kind of revolting remark from such a great exalted devotee like The Prabhupāda. He started thinking over and again that how a sādhu can speak like that who is absolutely nirmatsra Paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākur! Anyway ‘jīva-hiṁsā’ at all not possible for him, then why he is speaking like that! He went on thinking repeatedly all about this point. Being a nitya-siddha pārṣad of The Prabhupāda – suddenly he could realize that – “Yes Yes this is very correct – because this is the negative world. Each and every dust particle from that positive world (I mean cinmoye Vaikuṇṭha jagat) is more and more important (I mean absolutely valuable) than the summation of all the infinite material universes, because anyway all those are from this negative world. So except Vaiṣṇavī pratiṣṭhā all other material pratiṣṭhās are useless, I mean having negative mark, not even zero. The Prabhupāda has written in his ‘Vaiṣṇava Ke’ poem the following verse—

pratiṣṭhāśā-taru, jaḍa-māyā-maru

nā pela rāvaṇa yūjhiya rāghava

vaiṣṇavī pratiṣṭhā, tāte kara niṣṭhā,

tāhā nā bhajile labhibe raurava                                 (Vaiṣṇava Ke verse No. 4)

The demon Rāvaṇa (lust-incarnate) fought with Lord Rāmacandra (love-incarnate) to gain the tree of worldly reputation (worldly pratiṣṭhā) but that illusion was like an oasis that turned out to be but a mirage cast in the desert wasteland of the Lord’s illusory material potency. Please cultivate fixed determination to attain only the steady and solid platform whereupon a vaiṣṇava ever stands. If you neglect to worship the Lord from this position, then you will ultimately attain a hellish existence.

Most of us are in great confusion about — what is the real meaning of Vaiṣṇavī pratiṣṭhā. Pratiṣṭhā = prati + stha = the very special eternal existence (or honor). To be frank — except Prabhu Ananta Deva (Śrī Balāram Nityānanda) nothing or nobody can get pratiṣṭhā (or can digest pratiṣṭhā), because all are unstable by nature. Today you have huge pratiṣṭhā, but tomorrow you can lose everything. Countless such references you can find very easily. What to speak about you and me, even Rāvaṇa could not digest his immense pratiṣṭhā. Eternal existence of anybody or anything resting only unto the Lotus feet of Ananta Deva. Be sure about that. So only for material lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā if we run behind māyā, then how we can be more special than a pros? A pros always likes to seek the satisfaction of public (customer), but a real sādhu always likes to seek the complete satisfaction of the Supreme Lord only, because he cares little about material lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā. Absolute truth (or any absolute sādhu) can never enjoy popularity, because it is very, very rare to find such a candidate who can express his absolute gratitude after hearing about the Absolute Truth, or can express even his minimum śraddhā. Long ago, when I was just a newcomer in the temple, at that time I was almost full of shyness to accept lābha–pūjā–pratiṣṭhā. Even I used to feel uneasy in front of some outsiders. Then many so-called devotees, those who were senior to me, used to joke with me; they used to proclaim that I could not become a sādhu because I was less interested to accept any pratiṣṭhā. I was a little bit disturbed by hearing their comment.

One day I directly approached my Paramahaṁsa Gurupādapadma to get the scientific siddhānta-vicāra from him on this issue — I mean, about what is called actual vaiṣṇavī-pratiṣṭhā, to clarify this point. I asked my Gurupādapadma with a very polite mood to get the most appropriate vicāra (the absolute vicāra) on this issue of what is called vaiṣṇavī-pratiṣṭhā, to quench my burning heart. But out of his absolute affection he asked me to speak out about the vicāra, whatever realization I already had inside my heart on this issue.

Being asked, I said that— “Vaiṣṇavī-pratiṣṭhā means that whatever honour or respect, etc.—all and everything in my life—must go to the original source: the lotus feet of Baladeva–Nityānanda Prabhu, I mean Śrī Anantadeva, who alone can deserve all credit whatsoever, through guru-paramparā in the upward direction. Then no honour or pratiṣṭhā can contaminate my heart.”

Śrī Gurucaraṇa was highly satisfied to hear my answer and blessed me, giving inspiration to me to march forward boldly in the way of unalloyed Hari-bhajana. So up to now, in the same way, with the idealism of Śrīla Prabhupāda, I am trying my best to lead my bhajana life with full precaution. What is wrong in it? What punishment would you like to give me?

                    Thanks a lot.

                                          Truly yours in the service of Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga & Go-mātā,

                                                                                 Bābā Śrī Śyām dās