Srila Gurudeva Katha Transcriptions

…They use all things in Krsna’s service. But, you should see that these various forms of arts are not used for your sense gratification. They should be used only for Radha-Krsna’s service. Taking money from general people is also an art. Everyone cannot do this. But if by that art, we can collect so much money for Krsna’s satisfaction, then it is good. Otherwise, if you collect one farthing, one pence, and use it for yourself, then this is an offense. So, everything should be used for Krsna. This intelligence should be used for Krsna consciousness. If it is done, it is so good…

Although Valmiki tried chanting Rama Rama, he was not able to. He was such a great sinner. All of you think it is very easy to chant Bhagavan’s name while dying; but it is not so. A sinner cannot chant; it is very difficult for that person to chant Bhagavan’s name. Valmiki tried to chant so much, but he just could not utter the holy name. Despite trying lakhs of times, he was still unable to chant…

Putana came to kill Krsna in the guise of a mother, so Krsna gave her the position of a mother. On the day of Gopastami, Krsna started to herd the calves and cows. After His pastimes in Vrndavana ended, He went to Nandagaon. He would come from Nandagaon to Vrndavana and play on His Vamsi flute under the banyan tree. The gopis and Krsna did rasa-lila on the banks of the Yamuna…

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is the best śikṣā-guru, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is better, and Śrīmatī Rādhikā is the ultimate śikṣā-guru. All Vaiṣṇavas who are superior to me are my śikṣā gurus, but there are gradations among them. I consider the books I read to be my śikṣā-guru and I pray to the books, “You should manifest yourselves within my heart.” I also consider Mathurā, especially Vraja Bhūmi, more especially Govardhana and most especially Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa to be śikṣā gurus…

we should hear from a mahānta who has that svabhāva and then we should practice that mood being in the association of mahat-saṅga. So, this means, first it comes like a shadow, and then gradually it develops and comes. So, we should have that mood. If the mood is not there, and we are getting another mood there, then we must understand. For example, if our ātmā does not have vātsalya-rasa, but if we are bringing a vātsalya-rasa mood, then it will not come by itself naturally…

The gopīs asked Kṛṣṇa a question after He appeared: “O beloved, we want to ask You a question which You should duly answer. You should properly answer our questions. There are so many persons loving each other and having so much love and affection for each other. What if one loves another person only if he or she loves him or her back? And another kind of lover will love irrespective of his or her lover’s love towards him or her. The third class of lover will be ungrateful and will not love the person, who has offered his heart to the lover…”

One should be very careful to not pray like this. These things will come of their own accord based on the impressions of your past lives, so don’t be worried for these desires. These desires are anarthas and problems, which hinder our progress towards attaining pure bhakti. I have briefly explained during our morning walk the difference between sins and offenses. Sin is related to body and mind but an offense is very much related to the soul…

Hanumānji cannot embrace Śrī Rāmacandraji. He cannot kiss Śrī Rāmacandraji, but the servants of Vraja can kiss and embrace Kṛṣṇa. Even in their service there is a wall of opulence. Therefore, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to break this wall down and show that when two hearts meet even a lean and thin paper like wall must be conspicuous by its absence. In dāsya-rasa there is a high wall of opulence, the Prabhu and the dāsa cannot sit on the same seat.

We cannot go directly to Vaikuṇṭha, first salvation will come, but not that impersonal kind of salvation—salvation from birth, death, and from all sorts of sense gratification. Then our heart will be pure and we will come to the stage of bhāva, and then prema, and then we can go there. Śrīla Rāya Rāmānanda Prabhu spoke this verse—yan-nāma-śruti-mātreṇa…