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Hari-katha Articles Vaisnava-darsana and Aparadha

Vaisnava-darsana and Aparadha

The Vaisnavas carry Hari, Guru, Vaisnavas and tha dhama in their hearts and are never distant from them. They glorify Guru-pada-padma and his followers wherever they go. This is their eternal service. The only way for us to progress in spiritual life is through sat-sanga—bhakta-sanga. Going to a place where there is no sat-sanga is very dangerous but the Vaisnavas go everywhere and arrange that there be sat-sanga; therefore, they are most merciful.

Narottama was alone in Kheturi, but actually he was not alone. The Dvadasa Gopala, Asta Kaviraja, Causatti Mahanta, Sad Gosvami, Gaura-Nitai Themselves, the Pancatattva, Visnupriya-devi, and everyone came to him when he started kirtana. This is our spiritual program—glorifying Guru-Gauranga, the dhama, and the Vaisnavas. If someone follows this, then Sri Vraja-mandala, Sri Gauda-mandal, and Sri Ksetra-mandala will always be with him, that is, he will be present in the dhama regardless of the physical location of his body.

Without this program, life is dangerous and useless.
Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings:

śrī rūpa-mañjarī-pada, sei mora sampada,
sei mora bhajana-pūjana

 

The lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī are my dearmost treasure. They are the topmost object of my worship and inner devotional practices.

 

sei mora prāṇa-dhana, sei mora ābharaṇa,
sei mora jīvanera jīvana

 

Her lotus feet are my most cherished wealth, more dear than my own life. They are the exquisite ornament of my life, and indeed are the very essence of my existence.

Anywhere they go, Guru and Vaisnavas go with this wealth in their heart—the wealth of Sri Rupa Manjari and the whole Guru-varga. They distribute the prasada of the rupanuga guru-varga. The remnants of our Guru-varga is their harikatha. We are so blessed today to have the darsana of the Vaisnavas, who always carry that nectar.

Mahaprabhu said, “I have brought the holy name infused with the most confidential and supreme prema-rasa to distribute to everyone. If no one wants to purchase it with greed, I will give it to them for free. If they have no pot to contain it then I will give them a pot as well. If they are against Me—that is not a problem. If they remember Me in any way, I will give them that rasa.”

This rasa that Mahaprabhu has brought is paramam amṛtam ekaṁ jīvanaṁ bhūṣaṅaṁ me—it is alone the supreme nectar and only necessary wealth and decoration of our life.

Guru and Vaisnavas go everywhere to distribute this, but tamasika people have no desire to accept that. They like poison and fire. This is our problem. How can we be purified of the poison in our heart and become qualified to accept that nectar? Do not be worried about this. The Vaisnavas know how to do this. They give us the Supreme Lord’s message, which is infused with His adharamrta, and they give us caranamrta and the footdust of the Vrajavasis. Our acaryas are very clever. Did not Ramanujacarya lure even the great criminal Dhanurdhara into the palace of Vaisnavism?

If you do not endeavor to please the Vaisnavas, your actions will bring you ordinary unimportant things. Only by offering service, faith, and respect to the Vaisnavas can you collect something of real value. If you have this sevonmukha-vritti—the mood of service—then you have no problems. All true wealth will be yours if you serve under the guidance of a Vaisnava. It is not easy to obtain God’s remnants, but it is much easier to get the remnants of the Vaisnavas, which is even more helpful than God’s remnants.

Wake early and remember the Vaisnavas. Then their help will reach you and you will have taste. Do not only respect and meditate on the previous Vaisnavas but the ones of the present also. Even if your mind is protesting and you do not desire to do so, offer pranama to all the Vaisnavas and after some time you will realize their glories.

If you hear and remember their glories then by their power your heart will be purified. You can try doing ceto-darpana-marjanam yourself but that will only be possible by their mercy. You must pray for their mercy. They are very kind. They do not have any envy or cruelty. They are our ever well-wishers. Their help is for everyone.

Remember Guru and Vaisnavas always, then your heart will be clean and you will have seva-vrtti and taste in chanting the holy name.

If you are critical toward Vaisnavas then you will lose everything. You will throw yourself into hell. If anyone has a bad nature you may hate that nature but never hate anyone themselves—especially Vaisnavas.

If you disrespect Vaisnavas then your spiritual death is confirmed. This life we have is so important. In this life, unlike other lives, we do not need to do austerity if we have the chance to have darsana of the Vaisnavas. To behold and honor the Vaisnavas is even more easy than engaging in kirtan and hari-katha. They are therefore so kind to give us their darsana.
Before chanting harinama or mantra remember the Vaisnavas and offer them pranama. Then your chanting will be easy and sweet. Secret meanings of your mantra will manifest to you. Do not underestimate the Vaisnavas’ potency.

If we fail to remember the Vaisnavas then we are just like personified misfortune.
There was a grhasta disciple of Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura named Nimananda Seva-tirtha. During his own manifest pastimes, Prabhupada instructed him to give harinama and diksa. Why? Even before Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja entered samadhi, Prabhupada began to make disciples. What is this? You must understand that Vaisnavism is not narrow-minded. Mahaprabhu’s movement is very broad and great, not small and narrow.

jei bhaje sei baḍa, abhakta—hīna, chāra
kṛṣṇa-bhajane nāhi jāti-kulādi-vicāra
Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila 4.64

 

That person who follows devotional service is exalted. Those opposed to bhakti are always condemned and abominable. Therefore, in Krsna-consciousness, there is no consideration of the status of one’s caste or family.

You cannot understand or control Vaisnavas with your ideas and principles. Whether a Vaisnava is a family-man, a brahmacari, a sannyasi, or anything—this is not important. Whoever chants and serves and continuously distributes the glories of Guru-Gauranga is not ordinary. He is a great Vaisnava.

Follow this understanding then you will always be near Mahaprabhu and present in His dhama.

[CC-by-NDNC Bhakta Bandhav]

By Bhaktabandhav
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