The Golden Staircase

His Divine Grace

Golden Stair Cover FINAL.qxd 12/28/03 12:57

Practical Steps on thePath of Devotional Service-Life Fulfillment

Compiled from informal discourses given between1981 and 1985 by

ßrÈla Bhakti Raksak ßrÈdhar Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅjFounder-åcarya of ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh, Nabadwip, India

Published under the auspices of the President-åcÅryya

ßrÈla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-GoswÅmi MahÅrÅj

Transcribed and Presented byßrÈpÅd B.S. TridaˆÎÈ MahÅrÅj

SRI CHAITANYA SARASWAT MATH

© Copyright 1994 by Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

All rights reserved by theSevaite-President-Acharyya

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwipwwwwww..ssccssmmaatthh..ccoomm

Published byAnanta Printing & Publishing

2827 S. Rodeo Gulch Rd. #3, Soquel, CA 95073, U.S.A.

For: ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat Sa⁄ga60 Glengarriff Parade, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, Eire

The editors would like to express their sincere appreciation andgratitude to the following devotees for their help with production

of this publication and with the necessary funds:JñÅnÅnanda dÅs, Vinode BihÅrÈ DÅs, ßrÈ ®›abhadev Prabhu, ßrÈ

Alwarnath Vanachari, ßrÈ Narahari DÅs, ßrÈ VidyÅnanda Prabhu, ßrÈ

ChidÅnanda Prabhu, ßrÈ MathurÅnÅth Prabhu, ßrÈ AdhÈrendra

Prabhu, ßrÈ Braja BihÅrÈ Prabhu, ßrÈ Bhakta Bandhu Prabhu, ßrÈ

Jagadananda Prabhu, ßrÈmatÈ Devamayi DevÈ dasi, ßrÈmatÈ DiksÅvatÈ

DevÈ dasÈ, ßrÈmatÈ ßrÈ LekhÅ DevÈ dasÈ, ßrÈmatÈ Tilak DevÈ dasÈ.

We would also like to give special thanks to ßrÈpÅd B.A. SÅgar

MahÅrÅj for his invaluable help with the final revision and editing

of “The Golden Staircase”.

CONTENTS

Forward..........................................................vii

CHAPTER ONE

The Conscious Sky ..........................................1

CHAPTER TWO

The Eye to See ßrÈ Guru ................................13

CHAPTER THREE

Seeing With the Eye of the Soul ....................29

CHAPTER FOUR

Test, Taste, and Triumph................................41

FOREWORD

I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to pre-sent these gems from the treasurehouse of devotionalservice to the Supreme Godhead which emanated fromthe divine lotus mouth of O˜ Vi›ûpÅd Paramaha˜saßrÈ ßrÈla B.R. ßrÈdhar Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅj between1981 and 1985. Known affectionately to his disciplessimply as ßrÈla Guru MahÅrÅj, His Divine Grace per-sonified the life of eternality, supra-mundane knowl-edge, and divine happiness, and he planted the nectar-seeds of KÂ›â-prema—the supreme goal of life—inthe hearts of the fortunate souls. He extinguished theburning fire of separation we felt in our hearts follow-ing the disappearance from this world of the greatambassador of KÂ›â Consciousness to the West, HisDivine Grace ßrÈla A.C. BhaktivedÅnta SwÅmÈPrabhupÅda, simultaneously fulfilling our cherisheddesires for spiritual nourishment and inspiring within usan ever-greater thirst for spiritual perfection.

The topics presented here have been selected toillustrate the proper and practical way for a sincere sÅd-haka (aspirant) to progress on the path of pure devotionalservice to the Supreme Lord ßrÈ KÂ›â, especially in

vii

His form as ßrÈ Chaitanya MahÅprabhu. ßrÈla GuruMahÅrÅj repeatedly emphasized that the path should befollowed carefully, step by step, without omitting any-thing, lest one fall into the traps of either sahajiyÅism(imitationism) or mÅyÅvÅda (impersonalism). He taughtthat by always keeping sÅdhu sa⁄ga (association ofgood devotees)—either personally or through their Íik›Å(instructions), by chanting the Holy Names of the Lordwith sincerity and faith, and by rendering loving serviceto ßrÈ Guru and the Vai›âvas, one could steadilyprogress on the path back to Godhead.

This progress continues and accelerates by ouracceptance of ever-higher conceptions and eliminationof lower ones, and such progress is infinite, goingbeyond the taÊasthÅ region of virajÅ (nirvÅâ), the goalof the Buddhists—and the brahmajyoti, the goal of theyogÈs—and onward through ßiva-loka to the spiritualabodes of VaikunÊha, Ayodhya, DwÅrakÅ, MathurÅ, andfinally Goloka VÂndÅvan. There the Supreme is wor-shiped as ßrÈ ßrÈ RÅdhÅ-Govinda in Vraja-DhÅma oras Their combined form as ßrÈ Chaitanya MahÅprabhuin NabadwÈp-DhÅma, and it is by Their own grace thatone may ultimately attain to the inconceivably highposition of service to the servants of the servants ofßrÈmatÈ RÅdhÅrÅî Herself, which is the ultimate goal ofthe GauÎÈya Vai›âvas.

Preliminary instructions regarding the process forcontrolling the mind and senses and the principles ofdevotional behavior have been given in books such as

VIII THE GOLDEN STAIRCASE

ßrÈ UpadeÍÅmÂta by ßrÈla Rupa GoswÅmÈ, and care-fully following this advice in a properly-adjusted waywill ensure genuine progress on the path of bhakti.ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj spoke at length on all these top-ics, but he always emphasized that it is one’s sincereinternal hankering for the Lord’s service and the genuinefeeling of one’s own incapacity which are the real keysto realizing ÍaraˆÅgati, the pure soul’s surrender.

Ultimately, when genuine divine love awakens with-in the soul, that love will itself direct the soul to his orher best serving location within a particular servinggroup (svarËpeˆa-vyavasthitiÓ) imbued with one ofthe predominant serving mellows of either servitorship(dÅsya), friendship (sakhya), guardianship (vÅtsalya), orthe all-inclusive mellow of amorous love (mÅdhurya-rasa). ßrÈla Guru MahÅrÅj explained that within theserasas there are “divisions and subdivisions,” heads ofgroups and their followers, right-wing and left-wingparties—so much gradation, all of which is ultimatelyarranged by the Supreme Lord’s own YogamÅyÅ poten-cy to provide a dynamic interplay of ‘variety-in-one-ness’ by which the Lord’s pastimes (lÈlÅ) are supported,nurtured, and enhanced.

The Infinite is not static (nirviÍe›a) but dynamic, andthat dynamism generates sweetness in service throughboth union and separation. ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj’sexplanations of these finer points and his revelations ofthe inner meaning of the Ílokas of ßrÈmad Bhagavad-GÈtÅ and ßrÈmad BhÅgavatam and the GÅyatrÈ and other

Foreword IX

mantras give such new dimensions of depth to one’sconsciousness and nourishment to one’s devotionalcreeper (bhakti-latÅ) that they are impossible for thetruly fortunate souls to ignore.

The devotees who were introduced to the teachingsof pure devotional theism by the unparalleled preceptorand ÍaktyÅveÍa avatÅr ßrÈla A.C. BhaktivedÅnta SwÅmÈPrabhupÅda will find in this book a very sweet and glo-rious illumination of his teachings. The “matchless gift”of KÂ›ˆa consciousness which ßrÈla PrabhupÅda gave tothe West must be carefully accepted in the heart andpreserved and nurtured there. That is only possible by thesupporting strength of the devotional illumination givenby great beacon lights of the spiritual world such asßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj, whom ßrÈla PrabhupÅda loved andrevered as his own ÍÈk›Å Guru in spiritual matters. Thefortunate and awakened soul must see the value of thisspiritual interchange as a cause of growth if he is toreally progress towards the all-harmonizing Truthbeyond all material sectarian concerns.

It is also my heartfelt feeling that the legacy of bothßrÈla PrabhupÅda and ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj is beingcarefully preserved, practiced, and preached by ßrÈlaGuru MahÅrÅj’s successor ßrÈla Bhakti Sundar GovindaMahÅrÅj, and that in the unbearable fire of separationfrom those two great souls, our hearts may be givenhope once again.

The Lord mercifully comes as the ÅcÅrya to deliv-er Himself to the souls of this world. All glories to

X THE GOLDEN STAIRCASE

BhagavÅn ßrÈ KÂ›ˆa and ßrÈ Chaitanya MahÅprabhu! Ioffer my sincere daˆÎavat praˆÅms to all the holyVai›ˆavas through whom we may have the benedic-tion of divine faith’s revelation.

Humbly,SwÅmÈ B.S. TridaˆÎÈDisappearance day of ßrÈla ßrÈnivÅs åcÅrya 21 November, 1993

Foreword XI

His Divine GraceßrÈla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅj

President-SevÅite-åchÅrya ofßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh, Nabadwip

with branches world-wide

His Divine GraceßrÈla Bhakti Rak›ak ßrÈdhar Dev-GoswÅmÈ MahÅrÅj

the Founder-åchÅrya of ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh

His Divine GraceßrÈla BhaktisiddhÅnta SaraswatÈ †hÅkura

ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊhßrÈ DhÅm Nabadwip

ßrÈ ßrÈ Guru-GaurÅ⁄ga-GÅndharvvÅ-GovindasundarjÈuNabadwip ßrÈ Chaitanya SÅraswat MaÊh

The original substance is spirit, is soul, is con-sciousness, and matter forms a part of that conscious por-tion, that conscious substance. It is not that matter hasproduced consciousness, but it is in one part of con-sciousness. Consciousness is infinite, and everythingis in that ocean. Somewhere there is ice, somewheremoss, somewhere iron—they are all in that ocean, thesedifferent conceptions. But consciousness is all-in-all,and everything has its shelter there. Just as you findpatches of clouds in the sky, or so many specks of dust

1

CHAPTER ONE

in the air, so the material conception is there in the skyof consciousness. It is a sky—the conscious sky—andsomewhere there are patches of clouds or dust. Youcan’t see the air, but the dust is in the air! You can’tsee the sky—the actual ether—but the clouds are in thesky! So the background is consciousness, and therein wefind somewhere is dust, somewhere is a cloud.

Darwin and others have proposed that consciousnesswas originally generated from material elements, but myresponse to that is, “Fossil fatherism? Crush it, andestablish a spiritual infinite!” It is all spiritual: the “fos-sil conception” is a part of so many conceptions in thespiritual plane. Consciousness is in the backgroundand there are developed positions, gradations, withinconsciousness: bhËr, bhuvar, svar, maha, jana, tapa,satya, brahmÅloka— and when service is added, it isenhanced. A sweet structure begins from the pointwhen service is added to consciousness. Service canconstruct a beautiful capital, a beautiful country. It isthere, and you have only to feel it, enter, and take upyour appointed service. You will think, “This is myhome! This appointment feels very friendly to me. NowI have come home.” This is the innate capacity or sub-stance, innate nature—svarËpa—which is presentlycovered by ignorance, by misconception.

MADNESS AND MALENGAGEMENT

A madman, leaving his own sweet home, wanders in thestreet and thinks that it is imperative for him to collect

2 THE GOLDEN STAIRCASE

pieces of paper or cloth, as if that were his ‘business’.It is absurd. His brain is focused in such a directionthat he thinks, “It is my duty to collect these pieces ofpaper and pebbles.” In this way he is going on, butwhat is the real, innate wealth of his heart? If he couldonly remember his home: his father, mother, otherfamily members—his sweet, sweet home. But due tohis madness, his consciousness is forcibly focused onsome malengagement. Similarly, the position of somany persons—including philosophers, scientists,political leaders, and many more—is that their con-sciousness is focused toward the external direction, andthere they are all busy ‘collecting’. Some are collect-ing more pebbles, some more pieces of cloth or piecesof paper, but in this way they are going on. SwÅmÈMahÅrÅj (ßrÈla A.C. BhaktivedÅnta SwÅmÈPrabhupÅda) said that, “The United Nations,UNESCO—all such world committees and barkingdogs are both equal. Actually they are more dangerousbecause they are capturing the more intellectually-minded people, but they are of the same value. Theyare casting their own attention toward the materialsubstance based on illusion and misconception, andposing in a very grand way, they are giving so muchimportance to that thing just as many dogs also bark tohave possession of a particular thing. It is not morethan that.” With great courage SwÅmÈ MahÅrÅj bold-ly refuted them, and this sort of conception is leadingus to our higher prospect.

The Conscious Sky 3

SEEING BEYOND THE PERCEPTION OF THE SENSES

Devotee: Now the weather is starting to become hot!

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: We should not pay muchattention to that. It will come and go, come and go.

mÅtrÅ-sparÍÅs tu kaunteyaÍÈto›ˆa-sukha-duÓkha-dÅÓ

ÅgamÅpÅyino ’nityastÅ˜s titik›asva bhÅrata

(Bg. 2.14)

“O son of Kunti, only the engagement of the senseswith their objects gives rise to the sensations of cold,heat, pleasure, and pain. But these effects are temporary;they come and go. Therefore, O Bharata, you are toendure them.”

Regarding this verse of the Bhagavad-gÈtÅ, onescholar, a Mr. Chatterjee, has explained this Sanskritword mÅtrÅ to mean “what is measured by our senses,the result of our senses’ measurement.” In this way,the word mÅtrÅ comes near to the word ‘matter,’ itcomes to mean matter or the world of material comfort.There are so many different views of the world. Anordinary man’s estimation of the world and a scien-tist’s estimation are different. An astronomer’s estima-tion of the world is of another type, the politician’sview is something else, the socialist’s, the humanist’s,the humanitarian’s views—they are all different. But ifwe can come to the plane of the soul—even the lowestconception of what is the real inner self—that will help


us, and there will be a revolutionary change in ourlives. All the things of this world will then seem to betrash, of no value, empty.

Presently the soul is captivated by a great manythings which produce mean consciousness, but thesolution is given in Bhagavad-gÈtÅ, how we can achievecontrol of our senses and gain control over the impuls-es of our mind. It is recommended there that step bystep we try to rise up to the soul’s plane, eliminating thelower planes: first the field of experience of the sens-es; then the mental field, the impulse which worksthrough the senses; then the intellect, that which drivesthe mental tendency—and crossing those, that we tryto find that point of light which is the soul. If in anyway, by the soul’s introspection you can perceive thesoul, then whatever value you had assigned to thiswhole material manifestation will turn into ashes. Youwill see, “My real identification is here within! It is sowonderful, and valuable, and independent of all thehallucinations I was suffering from by coming in con-tact with the external world. The inner domain is sohigh, and my consciousness was focused so low, onsuch nasty things.” That is the highest way to controlone’s senses, one’s charm for the world, for wealth,women, and popularity.

THE ASTONISHING SOUL

Kanak, kÅminÈ, and prati›ÊhÅ—collection of energy forsense-pleasure, sense-pleasure, and popularity-seek-

The Conscious Sky 5

ing: these three things try to keep us down from con-sciousness of the self. So rise up step by step: fromthe world to the senses...to the mind, receiver of thesense-experience...to the guide of the sense-experi-ence...and finally to the light which makes all thesepossible. That point of light is near and dear, and theothers are like foreign agents who have come to captureme and focus me, that light, towards the rubbish anddung-like things of this world. If after having beenfocused here through our senses we become more atten-tive and see some nasty things, then some realizationwill come into our mind causing us to feel that suchthings are actually foreign to our real self, and only byconnecting with them through our senses do we feel dis-turbed. On the whole it is like that. Then, upon rising upfrom the sense-plane you will find that there is anoth-er wonderful land of experience; the ÅtmÅ is such awonderful thing.

ÅÍcaryavat paÍyati kaÍcid enamÅÍcaryavad vadati tathaiva cÅnyaÓ

ÅÍcaryavac cainam anyaÓ ÍÂˆotiÍrutvÅpy ena˜ veda na caiva kaÍcit

(Bg. 2.29)

“Some see the soul as astonishing, some describehim as astonishing, and some hear of him as astonish-ing; while others, even after hearing about him, cannotunderstand him at all.”

Even after giving attention to all these things, still


it is very difficult to understand the soul properly. Butour inner wealth is so valuable, and our present engage-ment is so nasty. On the whole, we must honestly admitthat our condition is nasty. Our true selves are good, butour present situation is very nasty. But somehow wemust get out of the intoxication of these nasty things,because to hanker after and obtain and mix closelywith and relish these nasty things is improper for thesoul. Whereas upon rising up to the Supersoul-area,we find that the greatest fulfillment of our life is inthat soil. Whatever we presently consider to be “con-crete things”, to be real, are nasty. We are told to “berealistic”, but that is to become ‘unrealistic’!

WITHDRAW FROM KNOWLEDGE

ßrÈmad-BhÅgavatam (1.1.2) says, vedya˜ vÅstavamatra vastu Íivada˜ tÅpa-trayonmËlanam: Reality isvÅstavam vastu, the real substance above all of theunreal, imaginary things of this world. All the accu-mulated knowledge in relation to this world is a whole-sale concoction. It is the result of misreading the envi-ronment and is full of misinterpretation andmisconception. The whole thing—the vocabulary, thehistory, the epics, the whole thing, whatever has beencollected—is all a misrepresentation of the truth, and weare in the midst of that. We are captivated within that,but at the same time we have the capacity to enter theplane of real life because we are a particle of that high-er world. So we must go back to God, back to home.

The Conscious Sky 7

Home is there. What charm can there be for us herewhere there is death, and then birth again, and whereeverything is stale and produces dissipation and suf-fering? Mortality, suffering, and death—and even thenit is not finished, but we must continuously come hereagain and again and follow the same course of life!

So try to obtain real relief, and help others also totake up their proper life away from this undesirableatmosphere. We must go “back to Godhead”, whereeverything is wonderful. What is that Godhead? Ourhome is there!—Our home, sweet, sweet home. Weare a child of that soil, and the scriptures urge us: “Youhave got this human life, this chance, so always try,by all means—by thinking, by meditation, by talking,by hearing—to cultivate your own true identity, yournoble identity, in your homeland where the soul lives.Always, always, always engage yourself in that. Try toavoid this plane of misconception by any means andenter into that land.”

Going back to Godhead means going back to ourown soil, our real home. What is night to us now—that we will make our day! Where there is presentlydarkness to us—we are to find light there; and what isso apparently plain and expressively clear—that mustbe neglected. In our earnest calculation the entire worldof exploitation and self-interest should be kicked into thedarkness, and we should withdraw wholesale from that‘knowledge’. And what is dark to us now we should tryto make light by always giving our attention, thought-


ful consideration, and adherence to achieving residencein the higher soil, the land of wonders where every-thing is wonderful.

SHADOW, SUBSTANCE, AND SOUND

The spiritual plane is substantial. And why arethings as they are here? This is the reflection of thatplane, a perverted reflection. So that nature is also to befound here, but the substance is there, and this is like ashadow. The shadow is unsubstantial, without real exis-tence—the substance is itself real existence. The dif-ference is great. The Upani››ads say:

yasmin vijñÅte sarvam evam vijñÅtam bhavatiyasmin prÅpte sarvam ida˜ prÅpta˜ bhavati

“By knowing That (spiritual domain), everything isknown; by attaining That, everything is attained.”

We have been told this in a general way, but thatdoes not mean that with this consciousness you willarrive in that plane and everything will then be in yourfist. No; more and more you will continue to have anintense hankering to approach, to advance—and themore satisfaction you get, the more earnestness youwill have to go forward, to go on. It is not to be finished.Here also in the shadow we do not find any ‘finish’, andthis is the reflection, so it is a dynamic affair. “Goonward, go onward—more.” But substance and shad-ow—that is the difference. That world cannot be elim-inated. It is constant, eternal. There the soul is finding

The Conscious Sky 9

real substance, but still he is not satisfied: “I wantmore.” That is the nature of real substance, and soundwill reveal it.

Here, sound is the most subtle thing, but there it isjust the opposite; there, sound is a ‘gross’ thing. That iswhat reflection means, and it is perverted. So the righthand in the reflection is the left hand, and in the reflec-tion of a tree, the top of the tree is in the bottom posi-tion. So in the plane of substance, sound is the most con-crete thing. The subtlemost plane here—the nearest,innermost plane, that of sound—can cross over themany coverings of this world and come in connectionwith the nature of that existence, where the cover of thatworld is comprised of sound. So through sound, wecan go inside there.

ßrÈ Jiva Goswami says,

prathama˜ nÅmnÅÓ Íravaâm antaÓkaraâ-Íuddhy-artham apek›ya˜Íuddhe cÅntaÓkaraê rËpaÍravaêna tad udaya-yogyatÅ bhavati:

samyag udite ca rËpe guˆÅnÅ˜ sphuraâ˜ sampÅdyate:tatas the›u nÅma-rËpa-guâ-sphurite›v eva lÈlÅnÅ˜ sphuraâ˜

bhavatÈty abhipretya sÅdhana-kramo likhitaÓ:eva˜ kÈrttana-smaraâyoÍ ca jñeyam

(Bhakti Sandarbha, Paragraph 256)

First listen to the Holy Name, and cultivate thatsound divine. Then gradually, if we do it properly, wecan find that next there is colour and figure—not drawnfrom this mundane world, but that sound has got itsown figure and colour and will show itself.

Although we are presently far away from our orig-


inal consciousness, when our mind is purified and weare free from worldly, mundane thinking, then likelightning that Divine Name will reveal itself to us, pro-ducing some colour and figure within us, within ourconception—and that form will be of another type, notlike the colour and figure of this world.

From the relativity of that sound will first comethe colour and figure, and next the quality. In this way,one will spring from the other: such sound must havesuch colour and figure, and such figure automaticallymust have such quality. It will come forth from within.

Then again, that quality is classified according todifferent intensities relative to the paraphernalia. Fromthe quality, after the quality will come the association.And it will all come from the other plane and enterwithin the soul’s conception. Then, from the Name,Form, Quality, and Associates will come their mutualtransactions, the interaction between all these things, thewaves and vibrations of different types—that is pas-times, LÈlÅ.

And then the soul will find that his purest, finestego, who he really is, also has a part to play in such aposition. He will see his own soul in a particular place,a particular location there. He will see, “In this exactspot, I am there; my self is there.” In this way, the infi-nite wave will come.

The Conscious Sky 11

Devotee: We are often told, regarding the Guru andthe Íi›ya (disciple), that if the Íi›ya is not successful inbecoming a completely pure devotee in this life, then theGuru will return by taking another birth. But does theGuru personally take another birth?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: The relationship must con-tinue. Whether that particular soul who was delegatedas the Guru in the previous life will personally come—whether he will again be sent or not—there is no guar-antee; but in any case the disciple will maintain hisawareness of that higher connection. He will recog-nize it just as it was in former stages, although it may be

13

CHAPTER TWO

in a different form. It will not be unknown to him. Andhe will also perceive that “I am not unknown to mymaster.” But the Guru’s external form may not be similar.

Suppose a disciple takes his next birth in a particu-lar country or a particular sect. The Guru may alsoappear in a particular country or a particular sect, butthat the disciple will again come exactly in the sameposition as before—that may not be. And that the Guruwill also come as he did previously, in that fixed posi-tion—that also may not be. But they will be able torecognize one another. The Guru will know about thedisciple’s previous life, and the disciple will also think,“He knows everything about me.” With such broad-ness of vision we are to look at our Guru MahÅrÅj. Soguru-tattva means it is sÅk›Ådd haritvena: not only theperson, but the person plus something more. And thatarrangement is made by the Lord or His svarËpa-Íakti.But whatever the external circumstance, there will be nodisturbance regarding the path for the disciple.

Devotee: I don’t know if this is correct, but I haveheard it said that if the disciple is not spiritually suc-cessful, then the Guru may not return back to Godheadbut may remain in this brahmÅˆÎa (universe). He maynot return to KÂ›ˆa until the disciple can also go.

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: If that is the case, then noGuru can ever return to KÂ›ˆa at any time, because thecontinuation of the disciples will go on, so he will haveno final result at any time in his life. But we cannot


think that it is so. Sometimes he may be deputed himself,or others also may be deputed in that case. But the innerinstruction and inner feeling and paraphernalia will besuch that in any case the disciples will have no trouble.The officer may change, but the function will go onsmoothly. So the Guru may return—the nÅma-guru,mantra-guru, sannyÅsa-guru—they are all Gurus, but wemust recognize something similar in them, and hence weare given the statement about the ontological aspect ofGuru: sÅk›Ådd haritvena samasta–“I Myself appear asthe Guru, who is simultaneously and inconceivably onewith and different from Myself.”

KÂ›ˆa says, ÅcÅrya˜ mÅ˜ vijÅnÈyÅt: “You shouldlook there for Me. I am there. I am your Guru. With Mydifferent types of Íakti, by the jÈvas’ recruitment or byany other way, it is My function to take you up to a dif-ferent place. In every case I am there. I am there inMy Madhura-rasa Íakti, or Sakhya-rasa Íakti, MyVÅtsalya-rasa Íakti, DÅsya-rasa Íakti, and in a gener-al way also.” Sometimes one may be recruited by theRÅmÅnuja SampradÅya and then be converted to jointhe KÂ›ˆa SampradÅya, the GauÎÈya SampradÅya. Thatis also possible. We are to remember the eternal link.

DIVINE UNFOLDMENT

Devotee: So if someone says that the Guru himselfwill personally come back—that is a mundane con-ception, a wrong conception?

The Eye to See ßrÈ Guru 15

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Yes. The main thread is there,but it will not always appear in the same form. Althoughto the beginners one may say that “he will come back,”ultimately we find that a disciple may even be trans-ferred into another section, and then another section, sothat he may gradually reach his destination. Accordingto the unfolding of his inner necessity, the departmen-tal change may occur. And he will always perceive hisown Guru in newer and newer ways. At first sight heperceived his Guru to be of one type; then again withprogress he will see the same Guru in another way,and thereafter another new characteristic will be foundin his Gurudeva. The disciple will feel, “I could notdetect so much in my Guru in the beginning. I sawhim in one particular way, but now I find that he issomething more, and then he is still more.” In this waythere is divine unfoldment.

In this world there is unfoldment, and in the higherdomain also there is unfoldment. So ÅveÍa, the Guru issomething like ÍaktyÅveÍa. There is the “chance con-tingency” ÍaktyÅveÍa who is deputed according to aparticular time, place, or circumstance, and there isalso the permanent ÍaktyÅveÍa; but in all cases, accord-ing to the necessity of the situation and by the divinedispensation of the Lord, the disciple will be connect-ed, and he won’t feel any distrust, it is the presencewithin. He will quench the thirst for the full progress ofhis heart, there will be divine unfoldment within hisheart, and again he will begin a new thirst. And that new


thirst will be quenched by whom? His Guru. It will bequenched by his Guru and he won’t have any feeling ofunscrupulousness or anything else. As his internal thirstis being satisfied, he will feel, “There is my Gurudeva.”

Wherever there is unfoldment—gradual unfold-ment and full attention given to that—then we canunderstand that from the upper side there is Guru.Gurudeva is my guide; and as I progress, guidance ofdifferent types will be necessary for me. Always newguidance, and my progress will take me into differentplaces, and there a new type of guidance, a new life, willagain come. In this way dynamic life is going on, andthe main thread is there: raso vai saÓ—the pure rasa,pure ecstasy. And my inner heart will approve: “Yes, Iwant this. This is my fate; this is my fortune.”Otherwise, if any madhyama-adhikÅrÈ is appointed asGuru and has so many disciples, and if he is to comeback again and again, then he could never enter intonitya-lÈlÅ. But that cannot be so. In any case, whoeveris connected with a genuine Guru will be satisfied,because the Lord is present there.

So ÅcÅrya˜ mÅ˜ vijÅnÈyÅt is not in name only; ithas a very specific purpose:

ÅcÅrya˜ mÅ˜ vijÅnÈyÅn, nÅvamanyeta karhicitna martya buddhyÅsËyeta, sarva deva-mayo guruÓ

(BhÅ: 11.17.27)

KÂ›ˆa says, “Don’t try to limit the åcÅrya! Youmay have come up to a high position, but will you then


think that you have surpassed that åcÅrya throughwhom you received your initial instruction in spirituallife? No, nÅvamanyeta— don’t think that there is less inhim, don’t consider him to be of lower position.NÅvamanyeta—I Myself was there! I was there in yourprimary teacher, in your ‘college-level’ teacher, and Iam there in your ‘post-graduate professor’ also! SonÅvamanyeta, don’t look at only the outside. I Myselfam your guide in different forms. It is I.”

Sarva deva-mayo guruÓ: the åcÅrya has got morespacious characteristics than that of the ordinary, gen-eral Vai›ˆava. KÂ›ˆa says, “For you, I am there. AndmayÅnukËlena nabhasvateritam—I am backing somany åcÅryas. There are so many åcÅryas, and I amworking through them. The åcÅryas are like helms-men in so many different boats, and I am the favor-able wind helping those boats to make progress. Sodon’t limit the åcÅrya—try to see him on the samelevel as Me.”

UNIVERSAL MIND, ABSOLUTE BACKING

Devotee: In his purport to ßrÈmad-BhÅgavatam 4.12.33,ßrÈla BhaktivedÅnta SwÅmÈ PrabhupÅda wrote some-thing in connection with the story of Dhruva MahÅrÅj.He said that Dhruva MahÅrÅj was a very powerful devo-tee and could take his mother back to Godhead, and thenhe wrote, “If one of my disciples becomes as strongas Dhruva MahÅrÅj, then he can take me back to


Godhead.” This statement seems very mysterious.

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Dhruva’s mother was hisGuru, his vartma-pradarÍaka-guru, his first guide, justas CintÅmaˆi was in the case of Bilvama⁄gala †hÅku-ra. Through CintÅmani, that KÂ›ˆa-function as åcÅryacame as vartma-pradarÍaka, and in a similar wayDhruva was initially inspired by his mother; his firstspiritual instruction was from her. Next he receivedguidance from NÅrada, and then by dint of his bhajanhe attained the next stage, and then again he went fur-ther. But his vartma-pradarÍaka-guru was his moth-er, and yet she was to be apparently left behind.

The vartma-pradarÍaka-guru is the one who firstgets the kani›Êha-adhikÅrÈ bhakta started on the pro-gressive spiritual path. But we have to consider thepast lives of Dhruva and his mother. In his past lifeDhruva had made more progress, but then in that life itwas arranged by the Lord that his mother would gethim started in the proper direction, and thereafter headopted the path of bhajan. Both of them had previouslives of progress in the proper direction, but sometimesa primary teacher may have a student who is an extra-ordinary scholar.

In my school days, I remember there was a casewe had to read about in history class in connectionwith the famous statesman Edmund Burke and the tax-ation laws passed by Parliament at the time of theAmerican Revolutionary War. It happened that his ser-


vice was so much appreciated that he had the title of‘lord’ conferred upon him, and to make him a lord, hisfather and then his grandfather were also awarded thetitle of ‘lord.’ The title of ‘lord’ comes from up todown, but in that case, it went from down to up! Thegrandson was first given the recognition of lord, andthen the father, and then the grandfather. The grandsonreceived the title first by dint of his capacity. So it maybe that because of previous arrangements, a less qual-ified person may give a push to a more qualified personin the beginning, and in return the more qualified per-son may later help him. Thus the Guru will instructGod-consciousness to different people in differentplaces. From different directions one may receive help.

Devotee: And when ßrÈla Narottama dÅs †hÅkura says,“Cakhu-dÅna dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei (Hewho has given me the gift of transcendental vision is mylord, birth after birth)”—?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Whenever there is any differ-ence in the spiritual advice we may receive from differ-ent directions, we are to see the common thread.However, the absolute position will warrant a higherconsideration than the relative one. Both the absoluteand relative considerations must continue, because with-out that, no progress is possible. Absolute and relative—both considerations must go side by side. But the absolutehas the primary position, and the relative, the tempo-rary, shall be evaluated according to what is suitable to the


particular time, place, person, and purpose. So in this, thelongest journey of our lives, and for our greatest interest,we are given the truth, the connection of the Absolute,always—and there is unity.

Even in the case of an ordinary Guru of lower type,the ÍÅstra has also maintained that link: parok›a-vÅdavedo ’yam. If a certain standard of self-discipline suchas no meat or fish-eating, etc. is demanded of those whoare very much conditioned by lower propensities, thenthey won’t come into the fold; but the policy is that theymust come, so some allowances are given. For a par-ticular type of disciple there will be a correspondingGuru and a similar ÍÅstra, but it is with the hope thatthey will take up the path of progress. The ÍÅstrasare so generous in going to the lowest section, and thecorresponding Guru will also be there. Similar Guru,similar ÍÅstra, and similar sÅdhu—all are extended tothe lowest plane to elevate the conditioned souls by agradual process.

And the ÍÅstra has got in its mind that in this grad-ual process some provision must be given, otherwise agreat many will give it up. That universal mind is there,and that sort of consciousness is in the minds of theÂ›is who have prepared those ÍÅstras, and in the corre-sponding Gurus as well. The sÅdhus and ÍÅstras aregoing to the extremity of the sinful area, becauseotherwise there would be no chance for anyone torise from that level. But generally the disciples, thesÅdhakas, will take up spiritual practices from their


own plane—their own level of realization or inner evo-lution—they’ll go up from there, and along the wayalso they will find the appropriate Guru and ÍÅstra.

It is just like this: our sight is within a particularspectrum—we can’t see very much intense light, norvery meager light either. The same with sound; wecan’t hear very high frequency sound, nor very low.So we are working in the relative position. But we aretold to stick to the absolute thread continually in orderto properly understand the whole. Therefore don’tundermine the åcÅrya. Although you may be seeingsome ordinary characteristics there—eating, sleeping—don’t undermine him! Otherwise you’ll be the loser.Just as in the Ganges water, we are not to take notice ofthe stones, the wood, the foam; Ganges water can puri-fy everything. What is it that can purify? Its wateraspect? No. There is another aspect, and if that is ana-lyzed, ultimately we will see the order of the Lord: it isHis order that Ganges water will purify. So the purify-ing power comes from His will; His will is backingthat. We shall try to find the absolute backing every-where; and if we can’t sacrifice the relative position,then we’ll have to go to the plane of nirviÍe›a (theundifferentiated aspect of the absolute in which serviceis absent).

There is a complete system which comprises KÂ›ˆaand His Associates of different types, and we want tohave our connection with both ßakti (the Potency) andßaktimÅn (the Possessor of Potency). We can never


sacrifice either of Them, especially ßakti. For example,when RaghunÅtha DÅs GoswÅmÈ says, “I do not wantKÂ›â if RÅdhÅrÅˆÈ is not there; rather, I wantRÅdhÅrÅˆÈ,” then who is RÅdhÅrÅˆÈ? Who is She? Sheis the one who is full of KÂ›â to the greatest degree, soDÅs GoswamÈ says, “I want RÅdhÅrÅˆÈ.” KÂ›â is there,and in different relative positions He comes to eachparticular person as sweet, sweeter, sweetest. In thisway, we find such relativity.

HARMONIZING INSTRUCTIONS OF THE UPPER HOUSE

Devotee: It is said there are five principles for Bhakti—associating with devotees, chanting HarinÅma, hearingßrÈmad-BhÅgavatam, worshipping TulasÈ, and resid-ing in the holy DhÅma. In regard to residing in theDhÅma, is that for the general devotees, or just espe-cially fortunate or more advanced devotees?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: Generally it means formadhyama-adhikÅrÈ devotees, those who can dis-criminate. Kani›Êha-adhikÅrÈs cannot differentiatebetween the various positions of different personali-ties—who is advanced, who is neutral, or who is envi-ous. But “religion means proper adjustment”—ourGuru MahÅrÅj used to say this now and then, and that“proper adjustment” requires sambandha-jñÅna, know-ing what is what. Then one’s service will come accord-ingly, and one’s necessity, one’s destination, will beestablished from that. SanÅtana GoswÅmÈ is the åcÅrya


of sambandha-jñÅna. “Who am I? Where am I? Whatam I?” All these questions—“Why am I troubled? Whatis the real purpose of my life?”—are answered whenthere is proper adjustment with the Absolute and the rel-ative. Nothing can be sacrificed.

And one thing we must always keep in mind is thatwe can’t investigate all of the subtle, higher knowl-edge as a subjective researcher. Rather, according tothe degree of our ÍaraˆÅgati, our surrender, the Truthwill come down to make Himself known to us. Wemust always remember this, otherwise some spirit ofimitation will be created in us. Knowledge of the high-er domain is not under the jurisdiction of the intellect,and to think so is very dangerous. Intellectualism isdangerous; it will cause us to think that we have “caughtthe Infinite”. It will be negligence to the infinite char-acteristic, the infinite aspect of the Lord. He isAdhok›aja, beyond the grasp of academic research.

One time I asked PrabhupÅda (ßrÈla BhaktisiddhÅntaSaraswatÈ †hÅkura), “ßrÈla RËpa GoswÅmÈ gives hisexplanation of Lord BalarÅm’s RÅsa-lÈlÅ in one wayand ßrÈla SanÅtan GoswÅmÈ gives his explanation inanother way, but both get their instruction fromMahÅprabhu, so why is there this difference?” My GuruMahÅrÅj said, “Why has KÂ›ˆa been called Adhok›aja?Adhok›aja cannot be harmonized within our intellect.It is acintya-bhedÅbheda, inconceivably and simulta-neously one and different. Both explanations may betrue simultaneously. It is acintya, inconceivable. The


åcÅryas have explained that when Baladeva is per-forming RÅsa-lÈlÅ, He is actually conducting RÅsa forKÂ›ˆa in His heart. Externally Baladeva is seen to beparticipating in Pastimes with the GopÈs directly, butinternally He is making KÂ›ˆa enjoy that RÅsa. Baladevais not the enjoyer Himself.” These are the harmonizinginstructions of the upper house, and in this way weshall harmonist things.

FULL SATISFACTION, ABSOLUTE REALIZATION

Devotee: MahÅrÅj, the different animals, insects, andtrees in the DhÅma—how shall we view them?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: They are wholesale cinmaya.They are not under bondage, but are posing in differentways; there are different types of service, and theyhave their fullest satisfaction in their own plane of ser-vice. They imbibe the most blissful internal feelingthereby, and do not want any other. In their relativeposition, they are fully satisfied there. In other rasasalso, Sakhya or VÅtsalya—yÅ⁄ra yei rasa, sei sarvot-tama: each person feels, “What I have is the best. Ihave got the best position and I do not care to go to anyother.” ßÅnta-rasa is also like that: the trees and creep-ers, the sands, and so many animals and birds are there,but still there is a qualitative difference between them.Uddhava, the highest devotee in DwÅrakÅ, aspires totake birth as a creeper in VÂndÅvan. So there are qual-itative differences within ÍÅnta-rasa. In DwÅrakÅ also


there is ÍÅnta-rasa; but he who has the highest typeof sakhya-rasa in DwÅrakÅ aspires after the ÍÅnta-rasaservice in VÂndÅvan once he has gotten a little peepinto the atmosphere of the type of service renderedthere. This shows that even the highest thing in a par-ticular place still has its relative position in the absoluteconsideration. Though the relative position is satisfiedthere, the absolute always surpasses it; otherwise theunity, the connection with the whole, would ultimate-ly be dislocated and disorganized.

So the absolute consideration is possible from anyposition. Although all servitors are fully satisfied wherethey are, in their own position, they realize the suprema-cy of VÂndÅvan. TaÊastha-vicÅra (impartial considera-tion) is always there, and between the relative and theabsolute, the absolute always takes the upper hand.Sarva-dharmÅn parityajya: The absolute or ‘revolu-tionary’ consideration is firmly established abovethe relative or ‘constitutional’ one when ßrÈ KÂ›ˆasays in Bhagavad-gÈtÅ (18.56), “Just abandon alldharmas, all considerations of social and religiousduties—even the ones that I Myself have establishedin the various scriptures and described here in Myprevious instructions to you—and just surrenderwholeheartedly to Me.”

Everywhere, the absolute consideration prevails.In connection with Guru, Narottama dÅs †hÅkura has hisGurudeva LokanÅtha, but still he aspires: “When willthe day come when LokanÅtha will take me by my


hand and guide me to ßrÈla RËpa GoswÅmÈ? When willhe surrender me to ßrÈla RËpa GoswÅmÈ and give mesome engagement there in that camp?” In this hightype of expression, the absolute consideration is alsothere underground.


Devotee: Guru MahÅrÅj, I have one question aboutTulasÈdevÈ. The devotees here at this maÊh say thateven if their japa-mÅlÅ is not made from real TulasÈ,when you chant on their beads at the time of their ini-tiation, you turn those beads into TulasÈ-mÅlÅ. So, is itimportant to have japa-mÅlÅ made of TulasÈ, or not?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: There is a higher spiritualconsideration.

yasyÅtma-buddhiÓ kuˆape tri-dhÅtukesva-dhÈÓ kalatrÅdi›u bhauma ijyadhÈÓ

There is bhauma (mundane), and there is ijyadhÈÓ

29

CHAPTER THREE

(that which we consider worshipable). What I reallywant to revere—if I consider that to be of mundanenature, that will be an offense. It is an offense. Arccyevi›âu ÍilÅ-dhÈÓ: If I think that what I am to worship issimply stone; or guru›u nara-matiÓ—if I considerGurudeva to be an ordinary man; or vai›âve jÅti-bud-dhir—if I see a Vai›âva as a brÅhmaâ, a ÍËdra, etc.;or vi›ôr vÅ vai›âvÅnÅ˜ kali-mala-mathane pÅda-tÈrthe ’mbu-buddhiÓ—if we think that the water thatwashes the lotus feet of Lord Vi›û or the Vai›âva,caraˆÅmÂta, is just plain water; or vi›âu sarvveÍvareÍetad-itara-sama-dhÈÓ—if we think that the Master of all, theLord of all, Vi›û, is merely one of many gods; then yasyavÅ nÅrakÈ saÓ—we shall have to go straight to hell. This isstated in the Padma PurÅâ.

And in ßrÈmad-BhÅgavatam, we find yasyÅtma-bud-dhiÓ kuâpe tri-dhÅtuke: That soul who identifies him-self with the body, or thinks that “The wife and childrenare my own,” or who thinks that “Our worshipful objectis something material,” or who thinks that “It is thematerial element of water at these pilgrimage sites whichis purifying,” then sa eva gokharaÓ—he may be con-sidered to be a donkey which can be used to carry thefood of the cows! Khara means the donkey which car-ries a burden, so gokhara means that beast of burdenwhich cannot even be utilized for the purposes of thehuman section, but only for the beasts; a very low,beast-conception. So we are to remove ourselves fromthe platform of identifying the spiritual with the mate-


rial. The spiritual is necessary, not the material, and it isimperative that we understand the real position.

RåVA™A DECEIVED

Once, ßrÈ Chaitanya MahÅprabhu was the guest ofa devotee of the primary class belonging to theRÅmÅnuja school who was very much shocked to hearabout the abduction of SÈtÅdevÈ by RÅvaâ. At thattime the devotee managed to give some food to theLord, but he himself was observing fasting and wasalways wailing and lamenting. MahÅprabhu asked,“Why are you not taking anything to eat?” He replied,“I want to die. I heard that my beloved Mother JÅnakÈ,SÈtÅdevÈ, was abducted by a demon! If I have to hearthat—if that should even enter my ear, then I want todie; I don’t want to live any longer.”

Then MahÅprabhu consoled him: “No, no, don’tthink like that. SÈtÅdevÈ is Lak›mÈdevÈ herself. She iscinmaya, consciousness personified, not having a bodycomposed of any material elements. SÈtÅdevÈ’s bodyis not made of flesh and blood, so what to speak offorcibly carrying Her away, RÅvaâ could not possiblytouch Her, he cannot even see Her. SÈtÅdevÈ’s form iscomposed of such substance that RÅvaâ can neither seenor touch Her! This is the fact. So don’t disturb yourmind. This is the truth, I say, so you take prasÅdam.”Then that devotee took prasÅdam.

Later MahÅprabhu went further south, and in oneplace He found that the devotees there were reading

Seeing With the Eye of the Soul 31

the Kurma PurÅâ, wherein it is mentioned that whenRÅvaâ came to steal away SÈtÅ, She took shelter byentering into fire, and the fire-god Agni gave some imi-tation SÈtÅ to RÅvaâ, and RÅvaâ took that ‘mÅyÅ-SÈtÅ’away. Then after killing RÅvaâ and attaining victory,before taking SÈtÅ from La⁄kÅ, RÅmacandra said, “Toprove Her chastity, She must enter into blazing fire,and if She can pass through that test, then I shall acceptHer. But for one whole year She was living with thedemon-family, and therefore I cannot immediately trustHer chastity.” Then so many devotees began to weep,but by the order of RÅmacandra the fire was preparedand SÈtÅdevÈ had to enter. When the fire receded, SÈtÅ-devÈ came out with a smiling face and the devoteesbegan to cry out, “Jaya! SÈtÅdevÈ ki jaya!”

This was written in that Kurma PurÅâ, andMahÅprabhu asked the reader, “Please give Me thatoriginal page and insert a newly-written copy in there;I met a brÅhmana who is extremely troubled, think-ing that SÈtÅdevÈ was actually abducted by RÅvaâ. Iwant to show him this old page of this book to convincehim that I was not just consoling him, but it is written inthe ÍÅstra that RÅvaâ could not touch the real SÈtÅdevÈbecause She is consciousness personified—not matter,not any flesh or blood or bone or any such things.”

The Soul Has Its Own BodyIf a ghost can show his form, or a yogÈ can show his

form, then is not God able to show His form? He can do


so. By His will, “Let there be water,” there was water;and when He said “Let there be light,” there was light.His will is law. Whatever He wants to do, at once it isdone; so will He have to have a permanent flesh-and-blood body? At His will He can show anything as Helikes, and it is all spiritual with no touch of the conta-mination of any mundane substance. But the eye in thehigher domain of reality is not like the fleshy eye here.Everything is there: the eye, the ear—but they are notthe same as here. Just as in dreams, our fleshy eyes donot work, these ears do not work, yet within our dreamwe see, feel, walk, eat and drink. The mind is only‘half material,’ and if even in the mental plane all theseactivities are possible, then transcending that also isthe pure spiritual world, and there is the spiritual eye, thespiritual ear, the spiritual mind—everything is spiritual.It is possible.

On the battlefield, when two tanks come to fight, themen within the tanks may think “The tanks are movinglike two demons pushing one another!” The tanks arecrashing together, but the man is within. Similarly, thesoul within this body has its own body, its own plane ofliving, its own food—everything of its own in the spir-itual realm—and this world is the perverted reflectionof that realm. We must purely aspire after a life in thatspiritual realm, and purity depends on love, and lovemeans sacrifice, “Die to live.” We have to die wholesalein regard to our interest in life here, and then anothersort of interest will awaken within us and we shall live


there, in that place. That is our aspiration, and for thatwe have left all our ‘concrete’ things—our house, ourproperty, our friends, our father, mother, children, andother relatives. So many things we have left, and wehave gone out in the quest of other things. We have nomore charm for mundane possessions, we are seekingsomething which is supra-mundane.

‘Mundane’ means under the jurisdiction of mor-tality: at every second it is dying. Everything on whichwe depend for the maintenance of this body is dying atevery second. Everything. So we want to be out ofthis dying land, and if it is possible, we want to live ina land where there is no death. That is amÂta—thatwhich is without death—and that is sweet, it isVaikuˆÊha; it is Goloka. VaikuˆÊha means in the con-sideration of the infinite perspective—that concep-tion. KuˆÊha means limitation, and VaikuˆÊha meansunlimited. To live in VaikuˆÊha means to live in the rel-ativity of the infinite whole.

THE PUREST PRAYER

Devotee: MahÅrÅj, also regarding TulasÈdevÈ—I noticedthat at this maÊh, while circumambulating TulasÈ duringher ÅratÈ here, the devotees don’t like to chant themantra yÅni kÅni ca pÅpÅni brahma-hatyÅdikÅni ca,tÅni tÅni praˆaÍyanti pradak›iˆah pade pade (“Thosewho circumambulate ßrÈmatÈ TulasÈdevÈ step by stepdestroy whatever sins they have committed, even the


killing of a brÅhmaâ”). Why is this?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: A devotee of higher ordermust not have any prayer to “Absolve me from sin.” Thefirst-class devotee will pray, “Whatever I have donewrong, I am ready to suffer for that, to the farthing. Butmy prayer is only that I may get a drop of the nectar ofthe favor of KÂ›â.” That should be the prayer of a realdevotee. paÍu-pÅkhÈ haye thÅki svarge vÅ niraye tavabhakti rahu bhaktivinoda hÂdaye: according to mykarma I may be a bird, I may be a beast, I may be aworm or an insect, I may be in heaven or in hell—Idon’t care about that. According to my own karma, letme suffer accordingly. But my only prayer is, “Let menot be devoid of the favor of KÂ›â; let me get that. Iwant His grace; I want devotion for Him. Only devo-tion—that is all I want. Whether I have to enjoy theresult of my good works in heaven, or I have to suffer forthe misdeeds of my previous life and go to hell, I don’tcare to get out of that. As a result of my karma I shallhave to suffer or enjoy, but I don’t care about that. Myprayer is not to remove the reactions to my sins, to takeaway any good merit or bad result—but only that I mayobtain pure devotion independent of these two.

“I do not want release from either happiness or suf-fering; let it be, according to my previous karma. Rather,what I want from this moment on is that I will never tryto waste the favor of KÂ›â by only praying to be ableto face any eventuality; but that whatever I shall acquirefrom now on, however small, even a drop—that must be


nectar of the highest order, and the lower delegation candeal with the question of heaven and hell.”

For removing our reactions or delivering us fromhell or heaven, much lower agents are required; they cando that. But we shall only pray for KÂ›ˆa’s favor as apositive attainment, and never try to minimize our pre-vious karma, the result of bad activities performed dueto misconception. I don’t care about the ‘passport’; Iwant the ‘visa’. If I get the visa, no passport trouble willbe able to disturb me—it is something like that. So tomerely do away with mÅyÅ, misconception, is noth-ing. But the positive attainment in the domain of Krsnais a very much higher thing. By passing mÅyÅ we canattain VirajÅ, Brahmaloka, we can get mukti (libera-tion), the marginal position. But why should I waste myenergy only to acquire a position in the marginal plane?All my attempts must be focused toward the prayer fora position in Goloka, and that will be a gain of the veryhighest order. I shall pray only for that, and automati-cally everything else will be accomplished.

SåVITR^’S ENCOUNTER WITH YAMARåJA

There is a story from the PurÅˆas which illustratesthis principle, the story of SÅvitrÈ and SatyavÅn. SÅvitrÈwas a chaste lady who had acquired special capabilitiesthrough the performance of certain penances, and oneday she went to the forest with her husband SatyavÅn,knowing that this day was the day of his death. Sheknew that this was the day of her husband’s death, but he


did not. While cutting wood in the forest, SatyavÅn said,“I have a headache; I need to take a nap.” SÅvitrÈ was pre-pared and SatyavÅn put his head on her lap and slept. Inhis sleep he died of heart failure, and YamarÅja came totake him. First YamarÅja’s agents came, but finding thatSatyavÅn’s body was on the lap of his very pure andchaste wife, they could not venture to take him.

Then YamarÅja himself came and told SÅvitrÈ, “Youleave him; he’s dead. Leave his body.” SÅvitrÈ said, “Yes,you may take him.” YamarÅja took SatyavÅn’s soul, butthen he saw that SÅvitrÈ, by dint of her penances, wasclosely following him in pursuance of her husband.YamarÅja said, “Oh, why are you coming? I am takinghim. You must go back.”

SÅvitrÈ replied, “No, I can’t. I shall go also.”YamarÅja said, “No, you must not come. Why are

you disturbing my duty? This is the arrangement ofthe Creator, Lord BrahmÅ, and you must obey that.”

SÅvitrÈ replied, “It is better to die than to live with-out my husband.”

Then YamarÅja said, “Alright, I will give you aboon. Accept that and be satisfied.” SÅvitrÈ asked thather father-in-law and mother-in-law, who were blind,would regain their sight. YamarÅja said, “Yes, they willregain their sight.” But SÅvitrÈ continued to follow him,saying, “I am not yet satisfied completely.”

“Then take another boon.”“Well, if you are pleased to offer another boon, my

father-in-law and mother-in-law have also lost their


kingdom, so now please arrange for them to be rein-stalled in their own kingdom.”

“Yes, I say they will get back their kingdom.” Butagain SÅvitrÈ began following him.

“Again you are coming?”“Yes, I can’t live without the company of my hus-

band.”“Take another boon.”“Yes.”“What is that?”“I want one hundred sons.”“Yes, you shall have one hundred sons.” Still SÅvitrÈ

kept following behind YamarÅja. “Now why are youcoming? I told you that you would have one hundredsons.” She replied, “If you are taking my husband, thenhow can I get any sons?”

Then YamarÅja was perplexed: “Yes, that’s true.What can I do?” So he appealed to the higher force.SÅvitrÈ’s boon was sanctioned, and she got her husbandback. YamarÅja had already committed himself—“Youwill get a hundred sons”—so SÅvitrÈ asserted that “Youhave clearly sanctioned that I will get a hundred sons;therefore you certainly can’t take my husband!”

The general idea is that if we get some backingfrom the higher sphere, that will overrule all mandatesimposed by the plane of mortality. If we are given aplace in Goloka, we cannot be detained in this mundaneworld. When TulasÈdevÈ can give us a place there, thenwhy should we waste our prayer to her by asking,


“Please clear away the dirt on which I am standing”?That is self-deception. So we shall always pray to thehigher servitors for the higher service of the Lord. Wewon’t care about where we might be; that problem willautomatically be solved. If we get some higher appoint-ment in the divine realm, then automatically we can’t bedetained here. Therefore a Íuddha bhakta, a pure devo-tee, from the core of his heart will never pray for any-thing else, for that would be a waste of energy. Only,“Pure inclination toward the service of my eternalLord—that I want. I know nothing else but that, and Ido not want anything else.”

A pure devotee won’t pray for anything but for thehigher service of the Lord of his heart. He can’t evenimagine asking for anything for his or her own interest.In Christianity such self-sacrifice is also present. Andgreater than that is self-forgetfulness: the self is there,but the servitor is forgetful of that and is cent-per-centabsorbed in attending to the pleasure of the Lord. Noself-interest, wholesale self-forgetfulness—they areunconscious of their own particular interest because ithas become merged in the interest of the Lord, theAbsolute Whole.

So one who is aspiring to become a pure devoteeshould never desire anything else but to purely serve andgive joy to the Lord of his heart. When one is uncon-scious of everything else—“Let it be, whatever He maylike”—that is pure devotion for TulasÈ, or whomever weare praying to. If one has got that higher sukÂti, that


Íuddha-bhakti, the seed of Prema-bhakti, then he won’tbe able to think of anything else but KÂ›ˆa’s pleasure.He’ll think only of the pleasure of his Lord, cent per-cent, forgetting his own body, mind—everything. Thatis the purest type of prayer.


According to one’s sukÂti and inner adaptabilityand grace from above, the soul within will experienceawakenment, emerge with some taste, and according tothat taste he will adjust himself with the environment.According to his internal taste he’ll find, “These friends,this type of service, this company—these seem to be myown! This is tasteful; very, very tasteful.” According tohis taste he will take some particular type of ‘food’.Just as when animals are let loose they will take foodaccording to their own choice, so the awakened soul willbe able to select a proper environment for himself. His

41

CHAPTER FOUR

inner taste will guide him: “This is very charming; thisis attracting my heart. I feel helpless—I can’t controlmyself, so much attraction do I feel for this particularthing.” In that way he will be guided. Intuition willdirect him. In this world we find intuition, and in theplane of divine life also there is intuition—the undis-covered tendency in the self—and that will performthe function of selection, elimination, and new accep-tance. As we go on with our sÅdhana, with the processof realization, elimination and new selection will come,gradually. Gradually it will take us up.

Why have all of you from the Western countriescome to KÂ›â consciousness? You were students ofChristianity, mostly, so why has KÂ›â consciousnessattracted your soul, your inner heart? You had somesort of religious conception, but why did you leavethat, leaving so many traditional formalities and somany friends within that circle? Why have you leftthem to bring yourself here, in KÂ›â consciousness?For what have you come, taking such risk? The coun-try, the society, the religious conception—you haveleft them all and come forward for KÂ›â consciousness,and moreover as active preachers. That tendency willagain push you into the selection of different depart-ments of service in KÂ›â consciousness.

Our inner tendency, inner liking or hankering, willguide us. “This particular sort of service is very pleas-ing to me; I cannot but associate myself with this sortof service.” That will be the guide: cooperation with the


caittya-guru, the Guru inside, the ‘dictator’ within. TheGuru is outside and inside. When we cannot catch thedictation of the inner dictator-Guru, then we must havesome guidance from the mahÅnta-guru outside andfrom scripture. We always want guidance along thepath, and when we reach a certain stage, from thereour ruci may guide us. Our inner dictating tendencymay guide us like intuition, just as birds and beasts areguided by intuition.

WEEDS CURTAILING THE BHAKTI CREEPER

Devotee: Then, MahÅrÅj, in this connection, why is itthat there are so many practitioners of KÂ›ˆa con-sciousness who, for whatever reasons, have given uptheir previous devotional association?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: From a general perspective,the life of wholesale dedication is not a very easy thingto swallow; so many difficulties are in the way: previ-ous tendencies, and also the possibility of offenses in thechoice of thought, speech, and behavior due to ourfree-will. The defect is there; it is not a perfect thing.Our free will is very weak and limited. SÅdhana meanselimination and new acceptance, and within that also somany difficulties and disturbances may come from ourpast tendencies which do not allow us to progresssmoothly. Though I know that what I see is a higherform of service, my previous tendencies won’t allow meto accept that and to undergo the austerities and chal-

Test, Taste, and Triumph 43

lenges that are necessary for that service. There are somany difficulties, like weeds. This is described in ßrÈChaitanya-charitÅmÂta:

brahmÅˆÎa bhramite kona bhÅgyavÅn jÈvaguru-kÂ›â-prasÅde pÅya bhakti-latÅ-bÈja

kintu yadi latÅra sa⁄ge uÊhe ‘upaÍÅkhÅ’bhukti-mukti-vÅñchÅ, yata asa⁄khya tÅra lekhÅ

‘ni›iddhÅcÅra’, ‘kuÊÈnÅÊÈ’, ‘jÈva-hi˜sana’‘lÅbha’, ‘pËjÅ’, ‘prati›ÊhÅdi’ yata upaÍÅkhÅ-gaâ

seka-jala pÅñÅ upaÍÅkhÅ bÅÎi’ yÅyastabdha hañÅ mËla-ÍÅkhÅ bÅÎite nÅ pÅya

(C.c. Madhya-lÈlÅ 19.151, 158-60)

“According to their karma, all living entities arewandering throughout the entire universe. Some arebeing elevated to the upper planetary systems, andsome are going down into the lower planetary systems.Out of many millions of wandering living entities, onewho is very fortunate gets the opportunity to associatewith a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of KÂ›â.By the mercy of both KÂ›â and the spiritual master,such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devo-tional service.”

“Unwanted weeds growing with the bhakti creeperare forbidden acts, violence, duplicity, mundane prof-iteering, adoration and popularity, etc. All these areweeds. If one does not distinguish between the Bhakti-latÅ creeper and the weeds, then the sprinkling of waterin the form of devotional practices such as hearing and


chanting etc., is misused, because the weeds are nour-ished while the Bhakti-latÅ creeper is curtailed.”

The creeper of devotion becomes a sprout and grad-ually grows. ßrÈla KÂ›ˆadÅsa KavirÅja GoswÅmÈ sayshere that along with the main creeper of devotion thereare also many weeds, and when the creeper receiveswatering and nourishing, those weeds also grow up aswell. LÅbha means ‘gain’—the apparent gain of some-thing, mainly position. But that position and ‘pËjÅ’—appreciation—which the sÅdhaka receives may thencreate so many other enemies within him. From theprevious tendencies, new enemies come: maybe thedesire to accumulate money for self-interested purpos-es or the desire to get the love of women, and thenthere is hankering for prati›ÊhÅ—fame and popularity.So many things may come. When one is “going up”, somany difficulties come on the way to check him, but wemust consciously shun those things. So many difficul-ties come on the way, and we must save ourselves fromall of the many internal enemies to our aspiration withthe help of Guru, sÅdhu, scripture, and our own sin-cerity, then gradually we shall grow.

And at each new stage that we advance to, therealso we shall find some other difficulty. So the path ofinner evolution is not strewn with roses; it is a difficultpath to walk. As we get nearer to the goal we becomemore and more free, but in the beginning various dif-ficulties do come to check us. Our previous karma-phala—‘fruits’ of our previous actions will return to be


tasted by us—and tendencies of different types willchase us to try to keep us within their jurisdiction; butupon meeting those difficulties and surpassing them—conquering them—we shall progress higher and high-er and the difficulties will lessen. Still something mayremain, especially prati›ÊhÅ.

MORE HUMILITY: LESS OPPOSITION

tÂˆÅd iva sunÈcena, taror iva sahi›ˆunÅamÅninÅ mÅnadena kÈrtanÈyaÓ sadÅ hariÓ

(ßik›Å›Êakam 3)

While treading the path to Bhakti, if we are well-equipped with this helpful mood, then we shall cer-tainly meet less opposition. TÂˆÅd api sunÈcena: hum-bler than a blade of grass. I won’t allow myself to be thecause of any friction with the environment—this will beour first mood and the foremost guideline for our con-duct. Second, taror iva sahi›ˆunÅ: Still, if any attackdoes come from the environment, then I shall try tobear it silently, without giving any opposition. Andthird, amÅninÅ mÅnadena: I won’t try to gain anypopularity, any good name or fame—I won’t hanker forthat—but at the same time I shall give proper respectto the environment and to everyone who is in theenvironment. I shall offer respect, but I won’t desire anyrespect from others. The more we try to go on our waywith this mood and corresponding behavior, the lessdifficulty we shall have to face.


Also, those who are in a mission and under theguidance of a higher realized soul can face many dan-gers. When we go out to preach we shall have to facemany difficulties, but with the help of the higher guid-ance, we can fight those who are propagating miscon-ception, and we can either subdue them or invite themto meet with the higher leader. In this way, we can giveopposition to the forces of mÅyÅ and counterattack. Atthat time we shall not adopt the policy that we shall“give no opposition to the environment.” No—when weare engaged in preaching, as ‘soldiers’, we shallapproach and face the opposition, and we shall try to‘disarm’ him. And if we can’t, then we shall invite himto our Guru to be disarmed.

In this way I shall go on, carrying out the orders ofthe Vai›âva. And if in some way I am ‘wounded’ bythe local environment in that attempt, then my spiritualstamina will increase as a result of following the orderof the higher agent–Vai›âva-sevÅ; and I shall be moregreatly benefited thereby.

I want ‘Vai›âvÈ-prati›ÊhÅ’: I won’t want any pop-ularity from the ordinary public—they are almostinsane—but I want a position in the eye of my master,my Gurudeva, that, “Yes, he is a promising boy. Hewill spiritually prosper.” When my higher guardianslook upon me with some affectionate encouragement,that will be my capital. Their goodwill and liking for mewill be my capital on my passage toward the higherrealm. When we are alone in a solitary place and going


on with chanting the Holy Name, then of course thistÂˆÅd api sunÈcena must be strictly observed at alltimes. But when fighting under a ‘general’ in a preach-ing campaign, then our external demeanor should be alittle different, more towards carrying out the order ofthat higher spiritual general. That will be more gainful.

THE MEANING OF SANNYåSA FOR THE VAI¢™AVA

Devotee: Since the general order to go out and preachhas been very broadly given to all devotees by LordChaitanya MahÅprabhu, what is the special utility of thesannyÅsa order in our sampradÅya when MahÅprabhuhas said that it is forbidden in this age of Kali-yuga?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: The answer is explained in ßrÈChaitanya-charitÅmÂta. This is a general question notonly for the GauÎÈya SampradÅya, but also for the fol-lowers of RÅmÅnuja, MadhvÅcÅrya, and evenßa⁄karÅcÅrya. The Buddhists may not care for thedirections of the PurÅâs, but the ßaˆkara school andthe Vai›âva schools accept sannyÅsa. ßa⁄kara was asannyÅsÈ and for the most part his successors wereall sannyÅsÈs as well. This is true of RÅmÅnuja also,MadhvÅcÅrya, and the Vi›ûswÅmÈ SampradÅya also.

The interpretation is this: in Kali-yuga, sannyÅsain the strict sense of karma-sannyÅsa is forbidden.Karma-sannyÅsa means that you leave everything, andthat type of sannyÅsa is not possible in Kali-yuga. It is


described in the ÍÅstras that in Satya-yuga, as long as aman’s bones exist, that is how long he will live. Alongwith the longevity of the bones, the life will be there. InTreta-yuga, life may be maintained by the nervous system;but it is stated that in Kali-yuga, kalÅv annagatÅÓ prÅˆÅÓ—one’s longevity depends on food. Therefore sannyÅsa inthe strict sense is not possible in Kali-yuga.

Previously, VÅlmÈki was engaged in tapasyÅ for somany years that the insects captured his whole body andreduced the flesh into earth, yet he remained presentwithin his bones. Then later, by the help of some spir-itual miracle his whole body was restored. But in Kali-yuga, without food it is not possible to live. Allpenances have been especially adjusted for Kali-yuga,and the only continuous fast allowed in Kali-yuga is fortwenty-four hours; not more than that. In other ages, atleast twelve days fasting was generally done. If a per-son had done anything wrong, then according to theSmÂti ÍÅstra, twelve days fasting was the standard pun-ishment for any sins. But in Kali-yuga, twenty-four-hour fasting is the maximum because without food aman cannot survive.

If he were to take karma-sannyÅsa while being soextremely dependent on material giving and taking, thenhe wouldn’t be able to maintain his existence. But the lifeof Vai›ˆava tridaˆÎa-sannyÅsa, which is not veryextreme—take prasÅdam, do service—is a sort of mod-ified form based on yuktÅhÅra vihÅraÍ ca, and oneliving according to this principle can take sannyÅsa.


MahÅprabhu took sannyÅsa, ßa⁄karÅcÅrya,RÅmÅnuja—all the pioneers of the different sampradÅyastook sannyÅsa. That has been interpreted as karma-san-nyÅsa, but still, sannyÅsa is of several kinds. There is alsovidvat-sannyÅsa, which is considered by the salvation-ist section to be the highest. Their idea is that when onehas fully realized that his connection with this materialrealm is a negative one, he will finish his material encase-ment and enter into the spiritual sphere. When he isfully established in this firm consciousness that “myconnection with the material world will be injurious tome,” he will then relinquish his body and go away to thespiritual sky. That is vidvat-sannyÅsa.

There is also narottama-sannyÅsa: yaÓ svakÅt parato veha

jÅta-nirvveda ÅtmavÅnhÂdi kÂtvÅ hari˜ geyÅt

pravrajet sa narottamaÓ(BhÅ: 1.13.27)

In the narottama system of sannyÅsa, one has realizedthe presence or existence of God within his heart, andthinking of Him, he leaves his present engagement andduties of the household and remains outside, anywhereand everywhere—under a tree or in a cave or wherev-er—careless of his physical needs. He does not imme-diately relinquish his body, but he takes whatever foodhe gets, and when he does not get any food he fasts, andin this way he goes on. He leaves the household forgood; that is narottama-sannyÅsa.


And there are also different stages of sannyÅsamentioned in the ÍÅstra: kuÊicaka, bahudaka, ha˜sa,and paramaha˜sa, progressively. But tridaˆÎa-sannyÅsa is when the sannyÅsi engages himselffully in the service of Godhead by spreading His mes-sages and doing some good to the public, and that char-acteristic is different. It is categorically different. ThetridaˆÎi-sannyÅsÈ is not adopting an attitude or tactic ofleaving all of the engagements of this world as a resultof becoming disgusted with its many temptations.Rather, he is engaging himself in the higher duty ofthe upper world through an agent, so his body has gotutility. Remaining here, maintaining connection here, heis drawing some higher thing from above and distrib-uting that in the environment. That is another concep-tion of sannyÅsa, and it has positive value.

This is a similar engagement to that performed bythe Lord’s closest associates. When an incarnation ofGod comes down, His favorite pÅr›adas, His friendsand servitors, are also sent by Him to come down to dosome service to help Him. There are also sub-agentswho have received some engagement from the higheragent, and by moving within this world in that capaci-ty, they can earn more spiritual wealth than those whoare very eager to disconnect completely from this mate-rial plane. They want to try to utilize their connectionwith this mundane plane to earn some substantial wealthof the upper house. So like the Lord’s pÅr›adas, thetridaˆÎi-sannyÅsÈs want to work as God’s agents.


THE GLORY OF THE DIVINE FEMININE NATURE

Devotee: MahÅrÅj, we know the injunctions forbid-ding sannyÅsÈs and brahmacÅrÈs specifically from mix-ing with ladies, but what should be the general overallvision of the male section of devotees as we are servingMahÅprabhu’s mission together with our Godsisters?

ßrÈla ßrÈdhar MahÅrÅj: According to the varˆÅÍramasystem, generally the ÍËdras (laboring class) and ladiesare not allowed direct participation in the higher reli-gious functions. Only indirect participation is allowedfor them, and they also do not get the sacred thread. Yeta brÅhmaâ boy can be found touching the feet of hismother! The mother will not touch the Deity of NÅrÅyaâ,but her son who is worshipping NÅrÅyaâ is touchingher feet and taking her feet-dust. Such a position is therein the varˆÅÍrama system. Women are generally con-sidered unfit or below the standard of engaging in directservice to the Lord, but in the Vai›âva conception thereis no such strictness about that.

In my youth some sort of disregard grew in mymind about the lady section—“I must keep far awayfrom them; they are untouchable.” But that notion wasamended by my aunt in this way: She noted my nature,my conduct, and once affectionately remarked to me,“Oh, don’t you know that ladies represent Lak›mÈdevÈ?They belong to the same section, and in them the qual-ities of sacrifice and submission are very clearly visible,so they should be respected. They should be respected,


and the aggressive male nature is to be viewed unfa-vorably. The feminine ego-conception is an ideal of avery noble type wherein sacrifice, the devotional aspect,is very prominent. Ladies are not aggressors; they aresacrifice personified. Whereas the male nature—thatis aggressive.”

Gradually that idea came to me and I learned toappreciate SÈtÅ, DraupadÈ, and so many others, espe-cially the supreme example shown by the GopÈs. Thestandard established by the GopÈs has shown that self-forgetfulness, self-sacrifice, and self-surrendering reach-es its zenith, its highest conception, in the lady-aspect.The passive aspect holds the highest position: that view-point came gradually and caused a turnabout withinmy mind.

Madhura-rasa, consorthood, is the highest posi-tion, and within ßrÈmatÈ RÅdhÅrÅˆÈ we find the greatestdegree of sacrifice and affection. The males are theaggressors; they are responsible for all the difficultiesand troubles, not the ladies. That we possess the aggres-sive nature of a male is the disease in us. Graduallythat perception developed from inside, and ultimately Ifound that when the female nature is pure and in con-nection with the Supreme LÈlÅ of VÅtsalya-rasa andmadhura-rasa, it holds the highest position in the top-most realm. And our aspiration is for engagement in theservice of ßrÈmatÈ RÅdhÅrÅˆÈ.

The position of ßrÈ RÅdhÅ is that of the highest ser-vice to KÂ›ˆa, and RÅdhÅ-dÅsyam has been considered


by MahÅprabhu to be the highest attainment. VÅsudevaGho›a says:

(yadi) gaura nÅ haita, tabe ki haitakemane dharitÅm de’

rÅdhÅra mahimÅ prema-rasa-sÈmÅjagate jÅnÅta ke?

Who could disclose this holy, divine fact if ßrÈGaurÅ⁄ga did not personally appear on this Earth?Who could let us know, who could inform us that thehighest servitor is RÅdhÅrÅˆÈ? But GaurÅ⁄ga did come,and He clearly showed that the highest conception ofservice is to be engaged in the service of that highest,Negative Potency.


SSrrii CChhaaiittaannyyaa SSaarraasswwaatt MMaatthh BBooookk LLiissttThese are some of the many books and magazines that are pub-

lished in some fifteen languages by the Sri Chaitanya SaraswatMath and its affiliated branches worldwide.

For more information on these publications please visit the SriChaitanya Saraswat Math website at wwwwww..ssccssmmaatthh..ccoomm.

BBooookkss bbyy SSrriillaa SSrriiddhhaarr MMaahhaarraajj

Srimad Bhagavad Gita -- The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute

Sri Sri Prapanna Jivanamrtam -- Positive and Progressive

Immortality

Sri Sri Prema Dhama Deva StotramSearch for Sri Krishna -- Reality the BeautifulSri Guru and His GraceThe Golden Volcano of Divine LoveLoving Search for the Lost ServantSubjective Evolution -- The Play of the Sweet AbsoluteThe Guardian of DevotionSermons of the Guardian of Devotion [I-IV]Home Comfort -- An Introduction to Inner Fulfillment

Inner FulfillmentHoly EngagementThe Golden StaircaseAbsolute HarmonyThe MahamantraOcean of NectarSri Kirtana Manjusa [The Treasure Chest of Divine Kirtans]

BBooookkss bbyy SSrriillaa GGoovviinnddaa MMaahhaarraajj

The Divine ServitorDignity of the Divine ServitorGolden ReflectionsThe Benedictine Tree of Divine Aspiration

55

Divine GuidanceDivine Message for the Devotees

SSrrii GGuurruu--VVaarrggaa

Sri Brahma Samhita -- Quintessence of Reality the Beautiful

The Bhagavata (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur)

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu-- His Life and Precepts (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur)

Sri Nabadwip Bhava Taranga (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur)Relative Worlds (Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur)Sri Chaitanya Saraswati [The Voice of Sri Chaitanyadev]

Newsletters & Magazines

Sri Gaudiya DarshanNabadwip News BulletinSri Vaisnava ToshaniVaishnava SevaVaisnava TransmissionCounterpoint

SSppaanniisshh

La Busqueda de Sri Krishna -- La Hermosa RealidadSri Guru y Su GraciaEl Volcan Dorado del Amor DivinoEl Guardian de la DevocionLa Busqueda Amorosa en pos del Sirviente PerdidoEl Bhagavata -- Su Filosofia, Su Etica y Su TeologiaDulce HogarUn Mensaje Divino para los DevotosSri Gaudiya Darshan [revista publicada]Sri Sadhu-Sangha


GGeerrmmaann

Auf der Suche nach Govinda -- Die Wunderschone Wirk-lichkeitSri Guru und Seine BarmherzigkeitDer Gottliche BeschutzerDer Gottliche DienerDer Gottliche UnterweisungenGoldene ReflexionenWorte der HingabeAmrta Ozean des NektarsAhimsa, Sein und BewusstseinZuruck nach HauseSri Chaitanya SaraswatiSongbuch

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Op Zoek Naar Sri Krsna de Wondermooie WerkelijkheidSri Guru en Zijn GenadeDe Gouden Vulkaan van Goddelijke LiefdeDe Stem van Sri ChaitanyadevSri Chaitanya's Achtledig Onderricht [Sri Siksastakam]Het Guru-PrincipeSri Chaitanya Saraswati

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La Ricerca di Sri Krsna -- La Dolce Realta

HHuunnggaarriiaann

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Book List 57

CCzzeecchh

Utecha Domova

RRuussssiiaann

Sri Guru and His Grace

SSwweeddiisshh

Sokandet efter Sri Krsna -- Verkligheten den Skona

PPoorrttuugguueessee

A Busca de Sri Krsna -- A Realidade, O BeloSri Guru e Sua GracaO Vulcao Dourado Do Amor DivinoEvolucao SubjectivaAs Divinas Instrucoes do Guadiao da DevocaoServo DivinoComforto Do LarEvidencia

BBeennggaallii

Sri Sri Prapanna JivanamrtamSri Prema Dhama Deva StotramSri SiksastakaSri Chaitanya CaritamrtaSri Srimad Bhagavad GitaSri Bhakti Rasamrta SindhuhSri Bhakti Raksak Divya VaniSri Sri Kalyan KalpataruSri Krsna KarnamrtaSri Gaudiya DarsanSri Kirtana ManjusaSri Gaudiya GitanjaliSri Krsnanusilana Sangha Vani


Sri Nabadwip Dham MahatmyaSri Nabadwip BhavatarangaSri Nama NamabhasaNamaparadha VicarSri Namabhajan o Vicar PranaliSaranagatiArcan KanAmrta VidyaTattva VivekaParamartha Dharmma NirnaySri Chaitanyadever Vaisistya

HHiinnddii

Amrta VidyaSiksastakam

OOrriiyyaann

Amrta-VidyaGuru KripaBenedictine Tree of Divine Aspiration

TTaammiill

Divine GuidanceHome Comfort

FFaarrssii

MahamantraYoga

Book List 59

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Bidhava Ashram Road, Gaur BatsahiPuri, Pin 752001,Orissa, IndiaPhone: (06752) 231413

MathuraSrila Sridhar Swami Seva Ashram

Dasbisa, P.O. GovardhanDistrict of Mathura, Pin 281502Uttar Pradesh, IndiaPhone: (0565) 281-5495

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math & Mission96 Seva Kunja, VrindavanDistrict of Mathura, Pin 281121Uttar Pradesh, IndiaPhone: (0565) 446778

U.S.A.California

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram2900 North Rodeo Gulch RoadSoquel, CA 95073, U.S.A.Ph: (831) 462-4712 Fax: (831) 462-9472Email: [email protected]: http://www.lcd.com/sevashram/

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram269 E. Saint James StreetSan Jose, Ca 95112, U.S.APhone: (408) 288 6360 & (408) 287-6360Email: [email protected]://www.lcd.com/sevashram/sanjose

New YorkSri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

P.O. Box 311, Oaklyn NJ, U.S.A.Phone: (856) 962-8888Fax: (856) 962-0894Email: [email protected]: http://www.scsmathny.organd: http://www.scxmathnj.org

Oregon Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram

755 N. Bertelsen Ave.Eugene, OR 97402Phone: (541) 687-1093email: [email protected]

HawaiiSri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Mission

RR1 Box 450-D, Crater RoadKula, Maui, HI 96790, U.S.A.Phone & Fax: (808) 878-6821Email: [email protected]: http://www.krsna.cc/

Sri Chaitanya SanctuaryP.O. Box 1292,Honokaa, HI 96727, U.S.A.Email: [email protected]

CANADAMontreal

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Sridhar Ashram4271 De Rouen #8, MontrealQuebec, H1V 1G8, CanadaPhone: (514) 899-5226 Fax: (831) 462-9472Email: [email protected]

MexicoMérida

Sri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar SevaAshram de México, A.R.

Calle 69-B, No. 537, Fracc. Santa IsabelKanasín, Yucatán c.p. 97370, MexicoPhone: (52-999) 982-8444Email: [email protected]

GuadalajaraSri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar SevaAshram de México, A.R.

Reforma No. 864, Sector HidalgoGuadalajara, Jalisco, c.p. 44280 MexicoPhone: (52-33) 3826-9613Email: [email protected]

MonterreySri Chaitanya Saraswat Krishnanushilana Sangha

Alhelí 1628, Col Santa MaríaCd. Guadalupe, Nuevo León, c.p. 67160, MexicoPhone: (52-8) 360-41-42

Sri Chaitanya SaraswatiSeva Ashram de México, A.R.

Apartado Postal 510Col. del Valle, Nuevo León, c.p. 66250,

MexicoPhone: (52-8) 319-53-58 & 356-49-45Email: [email protected]

TijuanaSri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar SevaAshram de México, A.R.

Ave. de las Rosas 9, Fracc. del Pradoc.p. 22440, Tijuana, MexicoPh: (52-664) 608-9154Email: [email protected]

VeracruzSri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar SevaAshram de México, A.R.

1ro. de Mayo No.1057, (entre Iturbide yAzueta)

Veracruz, Veracruz, c.p. 91700, MexicoPhone: (52-229) 931-3024Email: [email protected]

OrizabaSri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar SevaAshram de México, A.R.

Andador 13 No. 108, U. Hab. El TrebolOrizaba, Veracruz, c.p. 94348, Mexico

México D.F.Sri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar SevaAshram de México, A.R.

Fernando Villalpando No.100, interior 103Col. Guadalupe Inn, Deleg. Alvaro ObregónMéxico, D.F., c.p.01020, MexicoFax: (52-55) 5097-0533 Email: [email protected]

MoreliaSri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar SevaAshram de México, A.R.

Calle Loma Florida No 258Sector Independencia, Col. Lomas Del ValleMorelia, Michoacán, c.p. 58170 MexicoPhone: (52-443) 327-5349Email: [email protected]

EuropeEngland

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math466 Green StreetLondon E13 9DB, U.K.Phone: (0208) 552-3551Email: [email protected]

Republic of IrelandSri Chaitanya Saraswat Sangha

C/O Devaswarupa Das14 marks Alley off Francis St., Dublin 8, EireTel: [+353] 1 454 5208Email: [email protected]

ItalyVilla Govinda Ashram

Via Regondino, 523887 Olgiate Molgora (LC)Fraz. Regondino Rosso, ItalyTel: [+39] 039 9274445Email: [email protected]

NetherlandsSri Chaitanya Saraswati Sridhar Ashram

Middachtenlaan 1281333 XV Almere, Buiten, NetherlandsPhone: 036 53 28150Email: [email protected]

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat MathVan Beuningenstraat 811051XD Amsterdam, NetherlandsPhone: (020) 686-2099Email: [email protected]

PortugalSri Chaitanya Saraswat Math,

Rua do Sobreiro 5,Cidreira, 3020-143 Coimbra,Portugal

HungarySri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Andras NovakPajzs utca 18. H-1025 Budapest, HungaryPh: (361) 212 1917/8 Fax: (361) 212 2602Email: [email protected]

Mandala-Veda AshramAttila BakosErdo utca 126. H-2092 Budakeszi, HungaryPhone: (36) 23-452-969Email: [email protected]

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Community CentreKozep fasor 7/A IV/126726 Szeged, HungaryEmail: [email protected]

Slovak Republic (information)Pavol Nemcek (Pavan Krishna Das)

Vargova 22984 01 Lucenec, Slovak Republic

Czech RepublicSri Sridhar-Govinda Sangha

Libecina 14, 566 01 LibecinaPosta Vysoke Myto, Czech RepublicEmail: [email protected]

TurkeySri Govinda Math Yoga Centre

Abdullah Cevdet sokak, No 33/8, Cankaya 06690Ankara, TurkeyPhone: 090 312 4415857 and 090 312 440 88 82Email: [email protected]

AustralasiaAustralia

Sri Govinda DhamP.O. Box 72, Uki, via MurwillumbahN.S.W. 2484, AustraliaPhone: (0266) 795541www.mandala.com.au/dham/Email: [email protected]

New ZealandSri Chaitanya Saraswat Sangha

1030 Coatesville Riverhead Highway,Riverhead, Auckland, New Zealand.Tel: (09) 4125466Email: [email protected]

South AmericaBrazil

Sri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Seva AshramKrishna Sakti Ashram, P.O. Box 386Campus do Jordao, Sao Paulo, BrazilPhone: (012) 263 3168Email: [email protected]

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Sridhar AsanRua Mario de Andrade 108, Caucacia Do Alto - CotiaSao Paulo, Cep 06720-000, BrazilPhone: (011) 4611-1253 & 4611-6777Email: [email protected]

Srila Govinda Maharaj Seva AshramP.O. Box 92.660,Prata dos Aredes TeresópolisRio de Janeiro, Cep 25951-970, BrazilPhone: (021) 644-6695Email: [email protected]

Srila Sridhar Govinda SanghaRua Pedro Wayne, 78, Cep 91030-480 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilTelephone: (051) 362-6448Email: [email protected]://www.geocities.com/nityadasa/

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat MathRua: 13 de Maio 1184 ap.02 Curitiba - Parana - BrazilTel: (41) 324-7816

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat MathRua Quinto Bocaiuva, 537Pajussara-Maceio-AlagoasBrasil-CEP 57030-320Tel: 82-337-3374Email: [email protected]

Natal, RN, Eastern tip of Brazil:Information: Email: [email protected] Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram

Caixa Postal 39 - CEP: 72980-000Pirenópolis-Goiás, BrasilEmail: [email protected]

EcuadorSrila Sridhar Swami Seva Ashram

P.O. Box 17-01-576, Quito, EcuadorPhone: 342-471 Fax: 408-439

VenezuelaSri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Seva Ashram

Avenida Tuy con Avenida ChamaQuinta Parama KarunaCaracas, VenezuelaPhone: [+58} 212-754 1257Email: [email protected]

Urbanización Prados del Estecalle Los Ríos c/calle El Carmen, Quinta Nieves, Madlen. Municipio Baruta.Caracas 1080. VenezuelaTel: 58 212 976 21 04 & 58 414 246 35 57Email: [email protected]

Calle Libertad, Los RoblesMunicipio Maneiro(a una cuadra bajando despues de la Iglesia)Margarita, VenezuelaTel: (58) 414 798 8227 & 792 8853Email: [email protected]

AfricaSouth Africa

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat MathP.O. Box 60183, Phoenix 4068KwaZulu Natal, South AfricaPhone: (031) 500-1576

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math57 Silver Road, Newholmes, NorthdalePietermaritzburg 3201KwaZulu Natal, South AfricaPhone: (0331) 912026Fax: (0331) 947938

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram4464 Mount Reiner Crescent,Lenasia South, Extension 4Johannesburg 1820, Republic of South AfricaTel: (011) 852-2781 & 211-0973Fax: (011) 852-5725

RussiaMoscow

Str. Avtozavodskaya 6, Apt. 24a.George AistovPhone: (095) 275-0944Email: [email protected]

St. PetersburgPin 197229 St. Petersburg, p.LahtaSt. Morskaya b.13, RussiaPhone: (812) 238-2949

Other CentersMauritius

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math InternationalNabadwip Dham Street, Long MountainRepublic of MauritiusPhone & Fax: (230) 245-3118 / 5815/2899Email: [email protected]

Vaisnava Seva SocietyRuisseau-Rose, Long MountainRepublic of Mauritius.Phone & Fax: (230) 245-0424Email: [email protected]

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math International(Southern Branch) Royal Road La FloraRepublic of MauritiusPhone: (230) 617-8164 & 5726

MalaysiaPersatuan Penganut Sri ChaitanyaSaraswat Sadhu Sangam

Lot No. 224A Jalan Slim Lama35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, MalaysiaPhone: (05) 459 6942http://scsmath.org/centres/malaysia/Email: [email protected]

Sri Chaitanya Sridhar GovindaSeva Ashram

7 Taman Thye Kim, Jalan Haji Mohammed Ali32000 Sitiawan, Perak, Malaysia Phone: (05) 6924 980Email: [email protected]

PhilippinesSrila Sridhar Swami Seva Ashram

C/O Gokulananda Prabhu23 Ruby St., Casimiro TownhouseTalon Uno, Las Pinas City Zip Code 1747PhilippinesPhone: 800-13-40Email: [email protected]

SingaporeBlock 313 D Ancorvale Road#16-134, Singapore 544313Phone: 65-63159114Email: [email protected]

FijiSri Chaitanya Saraswat Sridhar Asan

P.O. Box 4507, Saru Lautoka, FijiEmail: [email protected]

His Divine Grace

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