[On the evening of July 3, 2017 (the night before Srila Bhakti Vijnana Bharati Maharaja’s Vyasa Puja), he spoke the following lecture that was translated by Madhava-priya prabhu. The lecture was given at Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Matha, in Jagannath Puri. We are sending this lecture on the auspicious occasion of Guru-purnima so that the respected devotees will be able to hear about some of the deep moods of all Gaudiya Vaisnava gurus – in what moods they are receiving the service of their disciples and followers:]
Today we have come here to Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Matha, and will stay here for a three-day festival. I would like to mention the devotee who is taking caring of this temple in Jagannatha Puri, Gopinath dasa babaji Maharaja, as well as Vamsivadana prabhu who is taking care of Sri Damodara Gaudiya Matha. They are both here on Chakra Tirtha Road. I have a strong feeling in my heart that I am very close with those devotees who are loving to me and taking care of anything and everything that needs attention.
[from Madhava-priya Prabhu: “Yesterday we informed Srila Maharaja, ‘For your avirbhava tithi, a new publication, Volcanic Energy in Hindi, has been published.” Srila Maharaja inquired who had worked on it. I told him that Prema dasa prabhu has just brought the book to us, after having worked on it for many months. Even though he is busy with his job, due to his dedication, he has taken time every day to work on it.]
Many devotees do many things out of affection for me. Most people don’t know about them as they are silently performing many services. Today I can mention their names, remember them, and thank them…
Sripad Nemi Maharaja, Siddhanti Maharaja, Vrnda didi, Brajanath prabhu, Syamarani didi, Vasanti didi, and Madhumati didi. Madhumati is working on our Russian publications. Different devotees in different places are doing many things.
Ambarish prabhu and his wife Lavanga Manjari didi, who are expert in computer and design, had a strong desire to make a website. [from Madhava-priya Prabhu: Srila Maharaja asked them, ‘How long did it take you to prepare the website?’ They replied, ‘It took two months.’”]
Most of you don’t know these devotees. You know only the ten to fifteen devotees (sannyasis and brahmacaris) who stay with me. But in reality there are many other devotees who are silently assisting me in various ways.
There are many people whom I never met, and they come to me and say, “We have faith in you and want to take shelter of you. We want to take diksa from you.” Why? Because devotees like Syamarani didi and Brajanath prabhu go to different places and while they speak about other topics, they speak about me as well. I cannot introduce myself to anybody – they go and introduce me.
If I had to introduce myself, I would not introduce myself the way they have. How will I introduce myself? Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has taught us through his humble example (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila, 205-206):
“I am more sinful than Jagai and Madhai and even lower than the worms in the stool.”
mora nama sune yei tara punya ksaya
“Anyone who hears my name loses the results of his pious activities. Anyone who utters my name becomes sinful”
emana nirghrna more keba krpa kare
“Who in this world but Nityananda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me?”
These devotees are not my disciples. I consider them not my disciples. Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, through his own conduct, taught that those who come in the form of disciples are like my guru-vargas (worshipable superiors). Why? They inspire me to remember Krsna and always engage somehow or other in the service of the Lord. That is why I must pay my obeisances to them on this day.
“Holding a straw between my teeth, I submit my glorification at the feet of all the servants of Mahaprabhu who ever were or will be.”
Today I take this opportunity to pay my pranamas to these devotees who are acting as my disciples, but in the words of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, are my guru-vargas. They are my vipada udharana bhandus. I have fallen into such a situation in this material world that I don’t know how to get out of it. They are my friends who are delivering me from that situation.
I am remembering Sanatan prabhu also. With whatever capacity he has got, he tries to serve me with that. There are some names I didn’t mention. But, they should not consider at all that I am not accepting their blessings in the form of service. Whatever service they perform, I always consider that they are blessing my life. I accept their service for their pleasure. To make them happy, I accept their services. If I do not accept, they will be unhappy. I feel privileged to serve them by accepting their service.
There are many different kinds of services. Some perform service with their body, some engage their minds and some devotees use their wealth in service. In reality, because of their pure desire to serve, all their service is accepted. It is not that only those who are physically serve are serving. Those who are not coming in front, but remain behind the curtain – it does not mean they are not serving.
In whatever way they are serving – through their body, mind, wealth, or in whatsoever way – I am indebted to all of them and always will be. Why? Out of love for me, they are serving. This shows their greatness, not my greatness.
It is not that because I am sitting on a higher seat than anyone else, I consider myself superior. I don’t consider that those who are sitting on the ground are inferior to me. In reality, I don’t think like that. In the kingdom of love, like in Vraja, Mother Yasoda is a devotee – a servant – of Krsna. For the pleasure of Krsna, she accepts the position of mother. If required, she twists His ear. She can even take a stick in her hand to correct Him. Why? That is the seva given to her by Krsna. This is the service that pleases Krsna.
I am sitting on this higher seat, but it doesn’t make me higher than anyone else. In this way also, I am taking the opportunity to serve all of you. My humble request to all of you is that you please accept my service. This is what I can say on this day.
In Vraja, all rasas – sakhya, dasya, vatsalya and madhurya – are present because different devotees want to serve in different ways, and Krsna give them the opportunity. Similarly, in whatever way devotees want to serve me, I serve them by accepting their service. There is no other way for me at this age.
In service, it is not that someone is doing a lot and therefore he is great, and others do a little so they are not doing real service. This consideration is not there. It is a matter of heart. The strong desire in one’s heart to serve is what matters.
There was a squirrel in Lord Rama’s pastimes. When the squirrel saw that many devotees were engaged in serving Lord Ramacandra by making a bridge to Lanka, she was thinking, “How can I serve? How can I participate?” A thought came in her heart that, “I can also serve.” She went to the ocean, wet her body, came to the shore, rolled in the sand, and collected all the sand that would stick to her body. She then went to the bridge, turned upside down and rolled on the bridge. She considered that I will be slowly, slowly, doing service, for when Lord Ramacandra and the devotees walk on the bridge, the raised part of the stones will not hurt their feet.
Her service did not leave the eyes of Lord Ramacandra. He was able to notice that, and blessed her also.
Similarly, for those who are trying to help me in any way, I am indebted to all of them, and from my heart I am giving thanks to them.
jagai madhai haite muni se papistha
Who am I? I am lower than the worm in the stool. I am more sinful than Jagai and Madai. Those who utter my name, all their pious credits reduce. Those who hear my name will also commit sin. I am a candidate for being hated by all. Still I have the great good fortune that somehow or another I came in contact with Nityananda Prabhu.
purisera kita haite muni se laghistha
mora nama laya yei tara papa haya
eka nityananda vinu jagat bhitare
hoiyachena hoibena prabhur jato dasa
Those who have become pure devotees and those who will become so in the future, I am taking a straw in my teeth and paying obeisances at their lotus feet.
sabhara carana vando dante kori ghasa
(Sri Vaisnava-vandana, verse 6)
avismrtih krsna-padaravindayoh
If someone worships the lotus feet of a devotee of the Lord, then sam tanoti – all inauspiciousness will go away and all auspiciousness will come. One’s consciousness will become pure and one will attain a service attitude towards Lord Krsna. By remembering the lotus feet of the devotees, knowledge with realization (vijnana) will manifest in one’s heart along with renunciation. Deep attachment for the Lord will manifest and everything of this material world will automatically become insignificant. There will be no need to endeavor to give them up. All these things occur by remembering the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas.
ksinoty abhadrani ca sam tanoti
sattvasya suddhim paramatma-bhaktim
jnanam ca vijnana-viraga-yuktam
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.12.55)
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