[A few excerpts from an evening class in Bhaktabandhav Sri Radhe Kunj.]
We are fortunate to be present in Vraja-dhama during Kartik. From the eternal world, the Guru-varga bestow Srimati Radharani’s blessings to the sadhakas who are following Damodara-vrata. This nectar is very sweet. Krsna Himself came in this world to distribute the nectar of the Vrajavasis’ love. He is Gopal, an innocent baby. When the gopis are babies, and Krsna is bala-gopala, a baby, He goes everywhere and plays with all the gopas and gopis. There is no restriction at that time. But God has many problems. There are so many rules and regulations, so much etiquette. But as Gopal, Krsna is happily playing with all the Vrajavasis without any worries or restrictions. Without this mood of innocence, or the mood of Gopal, you cannot enter Vraja. The mood of the gopas and gopis, and the cows, the go, they are all very innocent and simplehearted.
During this month, there are so many acaryas who appeared or disappeared. We have heard the glories of Narottama das Thakura, Param Gurudeva, and other acaryas. Today we heard about the glories of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja. Today is his vyasa-puja appearance day. He received this name from Prabhupada, as well as the title Sastra-sunipuna.
Bhakti is independent and uncontrolled. No one can control and give bhakti without her desire. Bhakti-devi appears in the sadhakas’ hearts by her own desire. But she is present in the hearts of the bhaktas. When the bhaktas’ hearts’ melt and they become happy with someone, then Bhakti-devi happily goes to the hearts of those the bhaktas are pleased with.
But Bhakti-devi is very soft, more than butter. She is millions of times softer than butter. Who will make our hearts soft and sweet, and ready to receive Bhakti-devi? It is not so easy. It is easy to be hard, but softness is not easy to cultivate. It is easy to be proud, but not easy to be humble. We can find proud people everywhere, but who has humility? It is rare. Without humility, you cannot develop and protect your bhakti.
When people attack you, you will see if you are humble or proud. What is your nature? Mahaprabhu’s mission is defined by the verse:
trnad api sunicena taror iva sahisnuna amani manadena kirtaniyah sada harih
Caitanya Mahaprabhu told something extra to Raghunatha das Gosvami:amani manada haya krsna nama sada labhe vraje radha krsna manasi seva karibe
When your heart is soft and you are humble, and Bhakti-devi enters inside your heart, then she will give you krsna-seva-vasana, the desire, and also the eligibility to serve Krsna. Then you can perform manasi-seva of Radha-Krsna in Vraja. Bhakti-raksaka, to protect bhakti, is not possible without humility. When you receive Bhakti-devi’s mercy and blessings, you can make your heart a sweet place for Radha-Krsna and Vraja-seva. But you must become sincere and truly humble. Then Krsna-nama and Krsna-seva will always be running on in your heart.
It is very easy to break relation and to break connection to bhakti. It is very easy to send someone away from bhakti by destroying their faith and softness. It is easy to distribute the faults of others and thus disturb people, but how many people have the greatness that they will distribute others’ glories? Who glorifies the bhaktas?
Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura looked and was very pleased to see the nature of Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja. He saw his power of not looking at others’ faults. He never collected this kind of garbage. Rather, he always helped others progress in bhakti, and he was always ready to protect others’ bhakti. He would not discuss the faults of others.
Param Gurudeva would meet with Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja, especially after every Gaura-purnima. For the service of Prabhupada, they would discuss how to continue his mission and movement.
[Prabhuji then described the story of how Param Gurudeva and Srila Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja met along with other Vaisnava-acaryas and discussed the meaning of the fifth verse of Upadesamrta, in light of the commentaries of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura. We next heard how mostly the disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada resided and made their mathas in Navadvipa-dhama and Mayapura.]
Without Gaura-Nitai’s mercy, you cannot receive the mercy of Radha-Krsna. Gaura-nama and Gaura-dhama does not consider offenses. They know the jivas have many anarthas and commit many mistakes. So they do not consider these offenses of the jivas. They want to bring all souls close to Bhagavan. Mahaprabhu therefore gives pure cetana, Krsna Caitanya, pure Krsna Consciousness. He bestows this pure consciousness in Gaura-mandala. In Gaura-mandala, it is easy to develop vipralambha-rasa-upasana, and parakiya-bhakti. It helps us become qualified to enter Vraja. So we see how Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja spent most of his time in Navadvipa-dhama after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja composed so many beautiful books, kirtanas, and prayers. We can develop our bhakti by studying these granthas.
With our own sadhana we cannot enter the line of bhakti. Only the causeless mercy of Guru and Vaisnavas can help us enter bhakti. Srila Gurudeva, therefore, taught us to respect all Vaisnava-acaryas. We would always follow the festival days of the vaisnava-acaryas—all their appearance and disappearance days. If we think, “We won’t do anything, we don’t need to celebrate all these days,” this is an offensive mentality.
In childhood, I would take darsana of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja. And I received some of his Bengali books then. Later, in Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha, I would collect his granthas and distribute them in Mathura and elsewhere. I would buy and distribute his Bhagavad-Gita especially. I would also distribute books from Srila Svami Prabhupada. Especially I distributed Svami Prabhupada’s and Srila Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja’s Bhagavad-Gita. Gurudeva would tease me sometimes about this, and I requested Gurudeva then to also publish a Bhagavad-Gita purport. Srila Gurudeva began his translation and commentary of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura on the Bhagavad-Gita.
We can understand the nature of a disciple after the external departure of Srila Gurudeva. Who are we? Do we run and hide? Or do we declare ourselves acaryas after Gurudeva leaves? Were we like mice before Gurudeva, and now show ourselves to be ferocious like lions? Srila Gurudeva taught humility, and Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja also showed this humility and taught this to his followers.
Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja has unlimited glories. We were fortunate to hear many of his pastimes, glories, and teachings from Vaisnavas this morning and in the evening.
[In honor of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja, after evening class, Dhotis and kurtas were distributed to all the men and saris to all the ladies.]