What Gaudiya Math is doing? (Part 8)

Written by Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda - Paramahaṁsa Jagad-Guru

First published by VISHWA-VAISHNAVA-RAJA-SABHA in the 1930's

In this world there are many persons who spread unwholesome doctrines after advertising their intention to give good advice; but most men are deceived by the idea that the actual pleasurable experience of the moment is the 'good.' In Sanātan Śikṣā (instruction to Sanātan)—

'কে আমি', 'কেন মোরে জারে তাপত্রয়' ।

ইহা নাহি জানি 'কেমনে হিত হয়' ।।

ke āmi, keno more jāre tāpa-troy/

ihā nāhi jāni kemone hito hoy//

—C.c: M 20.102

"Who am I, why the threefold misery doth wear me out? Ignorant of this, how can good ensue."

In answer to the question 'how can there be good', the message of the 'good' that Gaurasundar, the Expounder of the Sanātan-dharmma (traditional religion) delivered to us regarding the only means of obtaining that 'good'—if it once reached our ears we would not have considered Bhakti denoted by Kīrttan as weak, and other methods as strong. Turning our face away from the direction in which the treasure would be easily found, we would not have hurried towards the South for the bite of wasps, towards the West for the terrors of the Yakṣa (the demon that guards wordly riches), towards the North for offering our lives to the fangs of the black snake. Our Home is Eastwards, we are running with all speed away from East toward other points of the compass; and when the people of the East call out to us to turn back, deluded by the mirage we say, 'We will not listen to you, see what beautiful lakes full of the cleanest water lie yonder before our very eyes.' Talking thus and being by degrees enamoured of that which only appears to our senses, we are ever moving away from home towards foreign lands. In those circumstances the doings of the Gauḍīya Maṭh sometimes seem to us and to those who are like-minded with ourselves as being contrary to our ideas. This is likely and need not cause any surprise; but all this notwithstanding the Gaudiya Math bearing its message, with its bright flag flying, emblazoning on it the words that attract our ears and eyes, is saying—

नेह यत्कर्म्म धर्म्माय न विरागाय कल्पते।

न तीर्थपदसेवायै जीवन्नपि मृतो हि सः ॥

एवं नृणां क्रियायोगा: सर्व्वे संसृति हेतवः ।

त एवात्मविनाशाय कल्पन्ते कल्पिताः परे॥

यदत्र क्रियते कर्म्म भगवत्परितोषणम्।

ज्ञानं यत्तदधीनं हि भक्तियोगसमन्वितम् ॥

neha yat-karmma dharmmāya

na virāgāya kalpate/

na Tīrtha-pada-sevāyai

jīvann api mṛto hi saḥ//

evaṁ nṛṇāṁ kriyā-yogāḥ

sarvve saṁsṛti-hetavaḥ/

ta evātma-vināśāya

kalpante kalpitāḥ pare//

yad atra kriyate karmma

Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam/

jñānaṁ yat tad adhīnaṁ hi

Bhakti-yoga-samanvitam//

—Bhā: 3.23.56; 1.5.34; 1.5.35

"The work that is not done for the sake of dharmma, the dharmma that is not performed for the purpose of virāg (renunciation), the vairāgya (renunciation) that is not practised for the service of Viṣṇu, the person who practises such work, dharmma, or vairāgya is dead in life. The naimittik (conditional) kāmya-karmmas (fruitive works) are the cause of Saṁsāra-bandhan (the bondage of the world), or yoni-bhramaṇa (birth-journeys); but those very works if they are done for God have the power to destroy ungodliness. The bhagavajjñān (Divine knowledge) associated with Bhakti (devotion), denoted by śravan, kīrttan, etc. (listening to, singing etc.) is assuredly the chaste fruit of works that are performed in this world for pleasing God."

(To be continued...)