Mercy to the Conditioned Souls
[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on July 4th, 1997, in Holland, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 21]
Srila Gurudeva: Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s teachings can be condensed into only two lines:
krsnera samsara kara chadi anacara
jive daya, krsna-nama sarva-dharma-sara
-Nadiya Godrume verse 4
[Carry on your worldly duties but in relation to Krsna, and give up sinful behavior. Show compassion to all fallen souls by loudly chanting the holy name of Krsna—this is the essence of all forms of religion.]
Jive daya, krsna-nama sarva-dharma-sara. What is this? The essence of all the teachings of Veda, Vedanta, Upanisad, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Gita, Purana, Sruti, Smrti, Pancaratra, everything, the essence of all forms of religion is jive daya, krsna nama. What is the meaning of jive daya? Jive daya means mercy to the conditioned souls. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has explained what jive daya is. If you are successful in helping any conditioned soul to turn his mood, his worldly moods, towards serving Krsna, this is the best daya, mercy, to any conditioned soul. It is more better than opening lakhs (millions) and lakhs of hospitals or universities and better than offering lakhs and lakhs of dollars to charities. Only a realized soul can give this. This is jive daya. How can this be obtained? Only by nama,
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam,
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 17.21
[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]
Only by nama can this be obtained. The name is Krsna Himself, but we can only make our chanting pure in the association of a bonafide Vaisnava, a bonafide guru. Otherwise, we cannot take the pure name and practice pure suddha-bhakti. What is suddha-bhakti? Raganuga-bhakti is suddha-bhakti. We think that this vaidhi-bhakti is suddha-bhakti, but it is not, never. Spontaneous love of Krsna – this is raganuga-bhakti. We are practicing this, and when it will be practiced, then it is ragatmika-prema.
When we have no ragatmika-prema, but if we are cultivating this with all our senses, trying to achieve that bhakti, then it is raganuga. When we accept the same thing which Rupa Gosvami possesses, the mood of a palya-dasi of Srimati Radhika. We conditioned souls have only the right to be like this, not to be Lalita or Visakha. We don’t accept all these things. It is beyond the limit of conditioned souls. We can only follow Rupa Gosvami and Rupa, Rati, Lavanga manjari, and all the manjaris.
They may tell you, “Oh you are Lalita, I am Lalita,” but this is like mayavada and monism. Don’t go there. Don’t try to enter into these things artificially. Don’t imitate. Come in the process of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. That process is elaborately explained by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that in the near future, hundreds and thousands of western devotees will come with sikha and tulsi mala, and they will meet with Indian devotees, and they will chant, “Haribol, Haribol, Gaura Premanande.”
They will chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and then the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu will spread throughout the world. This was started by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and he is the root of all preaching. So, we are indebted to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura