Vyasadeva manifested the Vedic scriptures in order to help the conditioned souls. He trained each of his four disciples Paila, Sumanta, Jaimini, and Vaisampayana in one of the four Vedas: the Rg, the Sama, the Yajur and the Atharva. To Ugrasrava Suta He gave the Mahabarata and the Puranas. Thus, with the help of the Vedic scriptures the conditioned souls were able to make advancement towards self-realization. But, although they followed the rules and regulations given by Vyasa, their material thirst and false ego still remained. After finishing the Vedic scriptures, Vyasadeva was restless. When Narada Rsi came to see him, Vyasa asked him what to do. Narada said, “You manifested many principles and rules for the conditioned souls, but this is all mundane. You have only given an ointment for the deep disease of the conditioned souls.”
If a person has high fever and boils, and the doctor only gives some cooling ointment, it will never cure the actual disease. Unless the doctor cuts, gives surgery, and bitter medicine, then all the pus, worms, germs, and disease will not be killed. Tuberculosis grows inside the bones, and those bacteria will not even die in boiling water or in anything else. You actually have to use strong poison, and then they will die. Therefore, if one gives only sweets and ointment in order to help the conditioned souls, it will never help them. Nowadays, the government is supporting, doctors are helping, and even social workers and humanitarians are offering their help, but the souls of this world are getting only more and more disturbed by such artificial help.
Therefore, Narada Rsi instructed Vyasa, “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Authority, He is the reservoir of all nectarean mellows, moods, or relationships. How can this nectar come to the conditioned souls? You must make such a process which will help the conditioned souls. Send them to those who are already relishing this nectar. Otherwise, the souls will continue reading scripture without ever being able to taste this kind of nectar to overcome their material desires.”
For as long as Vyāsadeva wrote about materially motivated religiosity, economic development, gratification of desires for sense enjoyment and liberation, he was never satisfied. Later, Naradaji came and said that all he had composed was simply hypocrisy. This cannot fulfill the needs of the soul for love and happiness and cannot bestow self-realization!
Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva (in his maturity), is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.
Thus Vyasadeva fixed his mind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in devotional service [bhakti-yoga] without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Absolute Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full control.
After receiving this instruction Vyasadeva meditated on Kṛṣṇa and His divine play with His eternal associates. Then, Vyasadeva composed the Srimad Bhagavatam. At first Vyasa explains in the first to the ninth canto the glories of all the pure devotees and how they were able to meet with God. Then in the tenth canto He talks about the Vraja devis, damsels of Vraja. The Vraja devis were completely renounced, they had neither jealousy nor envy towards each other and there was never any fighting. All Vraja devis served under the guidance of their group leaders, but nevertheless they were only attached to Kṛṣṇa and had renounced everything for His service. Finally, with the tentth canto Vyasadeva explained the process how to get Krsna-bhakti-rasa, the nectar of loving devotion for God.
Later on, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami gave that rasa to Pariksit Maharaja after he had told him about Jada Bharata, Dhruva, Prahlada Maharaja and Uttanapada, and all the other devotees who had achieved spiritual perfection. In the end he instructed Pariksit Maharaja, “This is not enough, you must renounce all desires.”
For entering the rasa-lila, Kṛṣṇa tested the gopis very strongly. Kṛṣṇa said, “Why did you come here? Get out! You have seen Me, now leave. Do you think I will relate with you like your husband or your family? This is a very bad idea, now leave!”
Kṛṣṇa smashed them more and more by His strong words that finally the gopis started to cry and did not know what to do. Kṛṣṇa said again and again, “Go back!” but the gopis stayed. Seeing their steadfast determination to serve Him, Kṛṣṇa danced with them for a few moments; and then disappeared. But the gopis passed all these tests of God. They were not angry with Krsna, because the gopis had renounced everything only for Krsna’s satisfaction and were thinking constantly about Him and how to transcendentally serve Him.
One time Śrīla Gurudeva was giving a discourse to many of his disciples when a snake entered the hall. All were disturbed and shouted, “A snake, a snake! Run! Run!” and they all ran out of the hall crying, “Snake, snake, snake!!!”
Srila Gurudeva said, “They all have relationship with a snake, not with narrations of the Lord.”
Everyone wants to hear what is pleasing to their ears and if anyone satisfies this desire, they will say, “Ahh!!! Very nice! You are glorious!” But, if anyone tells a little strong and straight, cutting out all false ego and desires, then all will run away and abuse the speaker.
A real disciple will completely surrender their body, mind, actions and words to the desire of Sri Guru and God. The conditioned souls run for personal enjoyment throughout the 8,400,000 species life after life. How can they come close to God? Formerly, Vyasadeva instructed, “Follow the demigods, they will fulfill your desires.” But by doing so the conditioned souls suffered even more without any relief. Therefore, Sri Hari, Guru and Vaisnavas do not tell how to get sensual happiness; they know this is poison.
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.2.6 “The rewards the demigods give closely follow one's pious acts, just as the movements of a shadow correspond exactly to those of the body. A pure devotee's mercy, however, is causeless and does not depend on the accumulation of piety. Saintly persons are kind and compassionate to fallen souls without considering their piety or impiety.”
If one worships demigods and prays for poison to commit suicide, the demigods will give without any consideration. A saint will never fulfill this desire for taking poison because he knows that all these things will bring misery. All the so-called pleasurable objects of this world actually bring the greatest suffering to the soul.
Once, Śrīla Gurudeva was sitting on top of the roof of the temple when evening had come. At that time there was a curfew in the area. Many policemen and inspectors were walking and watching here and there. After a while the police caught someone in front of the temple and some brahmacaris went to the gate of the temple to watch. Śrīla Gurudeva shouted down from atop the roof, “Come inside, close the gate!” But no one listened. So Śrīla Gurudeva threw a small stone from the roof at them. But they still didn’t notice. Then Śrīla Gurudeva threw a bigger stone and it hit one of them, the brahmacaris ran to the roof to see who had thrown that stone. Coming up they were very angry and thought they would beat the person who had thrown the stone, but when they reached the roof, they saw Śrīla Gurudeva holding a stick ready to beat them.
They were surprised, “Why did you do this Gurudeva?” The brahmacaris did not realize that if Śrīla Gurudeva had not done this, they would have caught everyone who was on the street during the curfew and put them in jail. So, why are we not following rules and regulations? In this material world, we are rather ignoring rules and regulations than following them. If I man knows that he can get away with something, they will as they wish against all rules with no restraint.
[“A wise and self-composed person who can tolerate the impetus to speak, the agitation of the mind, the onset of anger, the vehemence of the tongue, the urge of the belly and the agitation of the genitals can instruct the whole world. In other words, everyone becomes a disciple of such a self-controlled person. Bhakti is destroyed by the following six kinds of faults: (1) eating too much or collecting more than necessary, (2) endeavours that are opposed to bhakti, (3) useless mundane talks, (4) failure to adopt essential regulations or fanatical adherence to regulations, (5) association with persons who are opposed to bhakti and (6) greed, or the restlessness of the mind to adopt worthless opinions.”] (Upadesamrta 1-2)
But conditioned souls have no desire to follow any rules and regulations, they think, “This is so sweet! I want to always drink this nectar.” But what are they drinking, is it ambrosia, or sewer water? In many cities they collect all the drain water, filter it and then put it back in the water supply. Then again, you pass stool and urine, and they filter it back into the city. People go here and there thinking they will collect bhakti very easily, but what are they drinking actually? If you really desire bhakti, then you should renounce everything, and the guru-varga as well as the Vaiṣṇavas will test you, “What do you want?” But, only by inflaming a little spark they will see “Big fire!!!” Actually, people may look externally very clean, but inside they are full of dry straw and kerosene and only a little spark can ignite a huge fire of anger and desire. But if anyone tastes the nectar that Vyasadeva distributed (Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa), then where will this fire come from? If anyone comes to them with fire and blame, they will be happy and think, “This is very good blessings!”
Śrīla Gurudeva would tell, “Keep a person near you who is constantly reminding you of your bad qualities. You should build a room for him near your house and let him always chastise you. He will make you very humble and sweet. It is not helpful at all if people are worshipping you, performing arati for you, putting garlands around your neck, and thinking, “This is a very nice person!” This is not nectar, this is poison!
Therefore, Śrīla Gurudeva explained, “You should worship Vyasadeva, because He is Guru. He appeared in this world to distribute Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa, and that is why we follow Vyasa Puja. Otherwise you will not be able to taste that nectar. Like, if wood is not dry, how can it burn? Or, if water is not pure, how can you drink it without getting sick? The same is with our heart, if it is not clean, how can we taste this Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa? Kṛṣṇa is raso-vai-sah. How can we realize this?
For this purpose Vyasadeva thought, “Who can I give this rasa to? And who will be able to distribute it correctly after me?”
Vyasa chose a great personality. He found Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, who used to walk around naked and who was a perfect brahmacari. Some threw sticks and stones or spit at him, but he always remained calm. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami walked and moved barefoot everywhere without any problem. He was highly qualified to distribute this Vraja-prema-rasa
We think, “I can stay anywhere in any condition, and I am sure this rasa will come to me!” But then, only drain water will come, no nectar. Or, only by a little scratch and spark a big volcano and a dynamite explosion will occur.
To follow Vyasa-Puja means to receive the message coming down in a bonafide disciplic succession and transmitted to the hearer through aural reception. By worshiping properly we will gain the mercy of God and Guru. They always help and never have jealousy towards anyone, they only want to help and protect. They are the best surgeons and gardeners for the creeper of devotion.
Caitanya Mahäprabhu says:
“While wandering on and on in this material existence some fortunate soul, by the mercy of Sri Guru and Kṛṣṇa, one attains the seed of the creeper of Bhakti, in the form of the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. He waters that seed with the water of hearing and chanting the Lord’s Holy Names. At first the seed begins to sprout, and then it becomes a creeper. It pierces the coverings of the universe, and one after another traverses the virajä, Brahmaloka and the paravyoma. Finally, it climbs up to the desire-tree of Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet in Goloka Vṛndāvana. There it bears fruits in the form of prema. When the fruit becomes ripe, it falls here in this world, and the gardener tastes it. Taking support from that bhakti-latā he takes shelter of the desire-tree of Sri Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet and always tastes the rasa of the prema fruit. This very prema is the crest-jewel of all achievements for the soul.”(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19)
“Some unnecessary creepers growing with the bhakti creeper are the creepers of behaviour unacceptable for those trying to attain perfection: diplomatic behaviour, animal killing, mundane profiteering, mundane adoration, and mundane importance. All these are unwanted creepers.”
The conditioned souls are moving in the universe, Sri Guru comes as the representative of God and plants the seed of devotion in their hearts. This seed will sprout and grow, but many weeds and side branches will come to take away the water from the original creeper, therefore you have to be careful to remove these. What are these side branches and weeds? Desires for personal enjoyment, liberation, selfishness, desire for name and fame, or the desires for getting glorified by saintly persons.
Śrīla Gurudeva also instructed, “Worship the whole guru-varga and all Vaiṣṇavas.” Worshiping means to try to follow their rules and regulations, order, advice and instructions. Then Bhakti-Devi will give everything. If we try to follow Vyasadeva’s desire, then he will be pleased. Śrīla Gurudeva wants to distribute this Vraja-rasa to the conditioned souls. Now, how can we follow and also distribute his desire and mercy? How can we renounce all our bad qualities and the bondage of material desires? By praying, “Oh Gurudeva, I am always burning in the fires of my mundane desires. Please show me how can I follow you and your desires?” If we cry like innocent babies, then Śrīla Gurudeva will help us. This is our worship we can do. Therefore, if we follow Vyasa-Puja properly we will get so much benefit.
Hari-katha spoken by Sripada Premananda Prabhu; rendition by Rasik Mohan Das
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