Guru

He must have very strong dedication for bhakti path and Krishna seva. He must have strong realisation for Krishna bhajan. Why he must have strong realisation for Krishna bhajan? If Sri Guru has no realisation, no feeling about bhakti path then how he will spread it to his disciples. When Guru has such pure devotion and realisation of very beautiful Krishna bhajan, Krishna seva then it will spread in the heart of disciples. vettāraṁ veda-śāstāgama-vimala-pathāṁ sammamtaṁ satsu dāntaṁ He must have knowledge of scriptures. Which scripture? Veda, Bhagwata, Smriti; where all the rules & regulation and conclusion is written. He must have such knowledge. Why Gurudev need such kind of knowledge? Because if some disciple has confusion then to whom they will ask? They will ask to their Gurudev. If Sri Gurudev do not have such knowledge about the siddhanta then his disciple will not advance in their bhajan. And what will happen? Maybe if I get some confusion, if I get a question in my heart about bhajan and I ask my Gurudev “O Gurudev I have such confusion, please solve my confusion”. So I ask him. If Gurudev do not have such knowledge then Gurudev will say “Oh, this I don't know. I just followed my gurudev, I am following my Gurudev. My Gurudev also answered in this way only, like I answered you. I follow my gurudev. But I do not know the cause”. And if you do not say anything but just only think your mind that “my Gurudev also do not have clear knowledge”; then what will happen? Your bhajan will stop because of this Guru offence, disrespect of Sri Gurudev. But why it stopped? It was not your fault. You got a confusion about your bhajan and you asked your Gurudev and Gurudev he could not answer, he could not solve your confusion, so you just thought “Oh Gurudev also don't know this”. It was not your fault. But because of your Gurudev’s fault your bhajan will stop. You fall down from your bhajan path . That is why for disciples Gurudev must have very pure knowledge of scriptures with conclusion, siddhanta. Then he can solve the problem of disciple. So he must have the scriptural knowledge.

Effects of Mahamantra

Before initiation, mahamantra will clean your heart, mind, intelligence, subconciousness. And after initiation, initiation mahamantra will help you to develop pure bhakti in your heart.

Bhakti marg

Only by this bhakti path you can get anything, you can get connection, attachment, relation with Svayam Bhagwan, not indirectly but directly. So that is why Sriman Mahprabhu adviced us to follow this bhakti path. But if you follow this path then you have to leave all other path otherwise your mind will be distracted. But Rupa Goswami said very thing in Bhaktirasamrita Sindhu about uttama bhakti, he said that your bhakti should not be covered by gyaan or karma. It must not be covered. But here he didn't say that you have leave gyaan and karma, that means indirectly he said you can accept some part of gyaan and karma, but it should not cover your bhakti path. So some parts of gyaan or yoga like meditation, pranayam you can accept in your practice. But you have to be very careful it should not cover your bhakti. We do not have to completely leave this path, we have to accept some part only to develop our bhakti. So that is why we are following meditation, pranayam. These all are parts of karma and gyaan.

Peace of mind

Devotee: What is peace of mind?

Prabhu: This is very personal. I am giving you an example maybe you like sweet but I like bitter. Sweetness is your peace of mind but bitterness is my peace of mind. Its very personal how mind and heart gets peace, it totally depends on ones personality. This is not same for everyone. For you it is different, for me it is different, for someone else it is different. But the ultimate peace is when you get feelings about Harinaam. This is eternal peace. So when we will get taste for Harinaam, then this eternal peace will appear in your heart, in your mind. When you will feel attachment with Krishna then this eternal peace will manifest in your heart.

Shiksha and Diksha Parampara

Devotee: In some organization diksha parampara is broken, in that case they claim shiksha parampara not diksha parampara.

Prabhu: If there is broken parampara then you will not find any siddha mahatma, because there is no mantra power. Mantra will not work. Just check in the group you are telling that there will be no siddha mahatma. In Radhakund, Vrindavan; you can find so many siddha mahatma but those who do not have no diksha parampara among them, there will be no siddha mahatma.

Knowledge and bhajan

We need knowledge for our bhajan otherwise it will not support us.... so many different conclusions will come - just as a stick can help to support in parikrma knowledge can help your bhajan

Krishna.... Gurudev

“Krishna is in front of you, you have to worship him”. “But how?”. “That is why I advice you to chant
mahamantra, harinaam. When you start to chant mahamantra carefully then you will get to know what it will
do for you. First it will clean your heart, then it will clean your subconscious mind, then it will open your
eyes then you can see Krishna. Then you will realize why I said to you that your duty is to serve Krishna, your life here is for Krishna not to get the pleasure from this material world, so you have to offer your life”. “I never asked for harinaam but when Sri Gurudev found that I am very fallen soul, I have no knowledge
about myself, I have no knowledge about my goodness he came to me”.

Why worship Shakti/ Durga

Devi Durga, Katyayani, Mother Yogamaya, always helps all the Vraja gopis. In different forms. Sometimes they worship Devi Katyayani. And think about Paurnamasi, who is she? Devi Durga, Katyayani, Mother Yogamaya. She always helps Srimati Radharani to meet Krishna. So they always follow desire.

Special mercy

Gurudev will open his heart to his disciple when he will find his disciple is very polite, is following the
instruction in proper way then Sri Gurudev will advice and he will hold his hand after that point of time. Before that Sri Gurudev will wait to take him to the track of bhakti path, the way of acheiving the stage of
prema. Rupa Goswamipad said so many things; ādau śraddhā, then Sri Guru blessing, then pratice will start. Then he said’tha bhajana-kriyā but bhajan kriya will actually start when we will get some taste, dedication
in our practice, that time our practice will start. Then by Guru blessing all the anartha will go out, the
problems will go out. Then niṣṭhā, dedication will start then we will get taste then askati that means
attachment when this attachment will come, when we will feel this attachment with Sri Krishna then actually
our bhajan will start. Until the time you get this attachment you should feel that I am very near to Krishna, I
have nothing only Krishna is there; then our bhajan will start, until that time we have to continue our
practice and that is vaidi bhakti. Yes we all are following raganuga path but in raganuga bhakti there are two
part; one is vaidi bhakti and other is raganuga. Our bhajan is raganuga bhajan because from rasa we have to
go to sambandh, the attachment, the relation. So the path is raganuga bhajan but inside of this raganuga
bhajan there are two part one is vaidi, practice part, when the practice will continue in a good way then the
realization will appear, then the stage of raganuga will start and from that the stage of askati, attachment. So
when Sri Gurudev will see that his disciple is following his instruction and he want Krishna in his life then
he will hold the hand of disciple, then he will show the path then the path will open in front of us.

Guru Tattva 2

Brahma nicely described this in front of Svayam Bhagavan Sri Krishna. When he started to pray in Vrindavan to Sri Krishna.

He wanted to judge Krishna. Is that cowherd boy supreme godhead, my prabhu and how? That’s why he
wanted to test and he stole all his friends and cows. So when he realised he did this mistake, offence towards
his Prabhu, his Guru, his father then he came in front of him and he started to praise Krishna. Then he said
“O Prabhu, O Krishna it was my mistake, I did not recognised you because in my heart there is some another
form of you and I have never seen such kind of form of yours. I know you are the supreme godhead, you
have so much power, so much wealth, so you are different from everyone. Your comparison is only with
you, there is no other thing that I can compare with you. But here in Vrindavan you have some other form
completely different, like a normal boy from this material world, one small cowherd boy. So how I can
recognise you? But anyhow it is my mistake so that is why I am apologizing to you. And now I want to
reveal my heart. Something appeared in my heart about you. Until now I did not know the way how one can
attain you, but now by your causeless mercy I got that point”. Krishna turned to him and asked “Really? you
got this point? How one can attain me?”. “Yes Prabhu”. “How? Can you explain me”. Then Brahma said
“Yes and I know this feelings, this realization, this truth 100% pure because today I got everything by the
blessings of your devotees, your friends, your near associates here in Vrindavan; maybe the dust of Vrindavan worked with me. By their blessing, by their mercy today I got this realization. So now I am
explaining this truth”

GURU TATTVA

Continuing Katha from Prem Bhakti Candrika. Narottam Das Thakur glorifies Sri Gurudev. Yesterday we
stopped at the point how Gurudev will enagage us in Sri Krishna's seva. As told yesterday, in this world
there are two groups of devotees one who is taking shelter on lotus feet of Sri Gurudev and the other group
want moksha, liberation because they are fed up from their lives, they have no taste for this life so that is
why they want liberation. Actually they are lazy, they don't want to go anywhere; that is why they want
moksha. Rupa Goswamipad said very nice and strong words for them- bhukti-mukti-spriha yavat pishaci hridi vartate
Desire for moksha is like a desire of demon. Only in the heart of demon this desire of liberation is coming
out. Those who want to get real pleasure, ananda, eternal bliss in their lives; their mind is always searching
to do something; they are searching something higher, that is the nature of devotees, vaishnava. If you will
practice in bhakti path, very easily you will get the path of moksha, mukti but the pure devotee don't want
this, they want something higher, they want eternal bliss in their lives, real happiness not like the happiness
which is in this material world; one time it will start and the other time it will finish, no not in that way. That
happiness would be never ending, when it will start, it will never end, the flow will always continue in our
lives, in our mind. When you will get connection with Sri Krishna then this ananda will always continue. And that connection we will get by the blessing of Sri Gurudev. First he will develop the knowledge.

Worship of Shakti 2

I would like to discuss some issues. What kind? Firstly, we should think about our Ishta. Whom we worship. What exactly should we achieve? We worship Sri Radha-Govinda, the divine couple, and we want the service of Sri Radhe-Govinda.

Yes, we are following Srimati Radharani. We take shelter of Her lotus feet. But in some scriptures, for example, in Narada-Pancharatra and Radha-hrdaya-bramkhanda Purana, these scriptures on Srimati Radharani say that - who is Srimati Radharani? Srimati Radharani is Purna-tama-shakti. If we say that adhya-sakti, the main sakti is Srimati Radharani. Then Jagan Maya, Devi Durga, is her expansion. If we take shelter of the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani, then it turns out that in some way we worship shakti.

Worship of Shakti

Most of the Gaudiis, devotees do not give due respect to shakti, Durga. But I would like to remind all the devotees of what Sriman Mahaprabhu taught us - amanena manadena kirtaniyah of the harih garden. One should give respect to everyone, because humility will bring bhakti, mercy. Everyone has to ask for blessings for development in the heart of bhakti. You cannot ignore Devi Durga in our sadhana. Therefore, today we will listen to you about the connection between Vaishnavism and Shakti. Why is it important to honor Durga Devi? Is it just because she is Parami Vaishnavi? Is it just for this? Not.
Dayal Sriman Nitaichand always carried Tripura-Sundari-yantra with him. Is always. He used to put this yantra in his hair. And still this Tripura-Sundari-Yantre is worshiped in the Kardaha-Shyamsundar temple. And more than that. Every year, if you go to Shyamsundara temple, you can see that the Nityananda family, if you go to Shantipur, you can be sure that Durgotsav with deities, with the deities of Ma Durga. So for Vaishnavas there really is no prohibition to worship mother Durga. If Nitaichand carries Tripura-sundari-yantra with him, it means that we take shakti. He used to say: I have love as a daughter for Tripura-Sundari, and therefore I wear it.

Vrindavan

You only need strong desire for Krishna in your heart. It does not matters where you are - you could be in Vrindavan or in Europe.

True knowledge from Mahamantra

The knowledge we will get in our life is that we are the servant of Krishna. We have this duty to serve him, we have this duty to please him. When we chant Mahamantra, then we will get this knowledge. Otherwise we can listen we can read all this you will get in Grant has also. But you will not realise ( really know) what they are saying.

Rush for bhakti

Whenever you find someone or some place with Krishna rasa bhakti, immediately you should get it - you should rush by it, and the only price is greed and this Krishna bhakti rasa you cannot get it any other way even in millions of lifetimes.

Manjari bhav

Question : can everyone get this Kanjari bhav?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. When Guru will see that the disciple is prepared, then Guru will deliver these all things to his disciple.

Bath at RadhaKunda

Devotee: Why it is difficult to take bath in Radhakund? Narad Muni was not able to take bath in Radhakund.

Prabhu: If you have aishwarya mood then you are not allowed to enter there. Devarishi Narad has so much aishwarya mood in his heart. You know, I forgot the name of that siddha baba, at the end of his life he just went to Dwarka. When he came back, the same day at night time Srimati Radharani ordered him to go out from Her place because he went to Dwarka. He apologized so many times. After 7 days of crying when he didn't got shama (atonement) from Srimati Radharani, then fire of separation started from his feet, in front of everyone he was burned by the fire of separation. So if you have aishwarya mood then you have no place at Srimati Radharani’s lotus feet.

What is our bhajan and what are we doing in this bhajan?

What is our bhajan? What are we doing in this bhajan? In bhajan, we are practising about loving exchange - yes we are practising about this, and you need to be a master at this , otherwise no-one can exchange their love with Krishna, Svayam Bhagwan. It is the same in the material world. If you want to learn  anything here in this material world , then also you need to practice. Without practice you cannot sing in a good way, without practice you cannot play an instrument. You cannot be master can You, without practice?

Who is Acharya

Who is acharya?- one who is following rules and regulations and at the same time he is preaching. Swayam Bhagwan also realised this mistake. Before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu until Dwapar Yug, He just finished His duty to give advice, He did not show what to do and how to do. That's why He appeared in this Yug. Yes, although he is Swayam Bhagwan but he appeared as a devotee, he hid himself. He is Bhagwan, he hid and came in the svarop of a devotee. He is krishna, His original body efflugence is shining black but He covered Himself with golden color. So Swayam Bhagwan realised “if I will not show them by my activities then general people will not follow so that's why first I will do in front of everyone then the people will follow”. So He start to do His own bhajan. Krishna himself is chanting the name of Krishna. When Krishna appeared here as Sri Gaur Sundar as a devotee, Krishna himself started to chant his own name ‘Krishna’ to teach us how to chant, how to create our mood, how to lament, in which way we have to develop our bhakti. So first he perform everything in front of us. So Svayam Bhagwan He also realised this. Similarly it is with devotee Gurudev. Sri Gurudev has to follow first. If I am not following sadachar and I am only advicing sadachar to my disciple, then I have no right. If I am not following this, I have no right to suggest this to other person. First I have to follow sadachar, then only I can advice it to others. First I have to follow. So Guru must have such practise, realisation and such knowledge then he can engage us, he can give us such knowledge of Krishna prema. When he will find that disciple is very polite, very soft hearted and he is following all the instruction in a good way so then Sri Gurudev will open his heart to him, he will advise him more and he will hold his hand and will take him from here to Nikunj Kutir.

Spiritual Power

Devotee: Very often we use the word “spiritual power”. How could you explain this?

Prabhu: Spiritual power is sometime Guru blessing, sometime Ishta’s  power. It is very normal that when you properly chant your mantras; Sri  Guru mantra, Gopal mantra; some power will come to you. It is very normal, it does’nt mean you are siddha mahatma; it is a very normal  thing. But only if you properly chant because mantras are very powerful.  The power which you get after chanting mantras, is the spiritual power.

Sadachar... why and what ??

Why should we follow Sadacara?

What will happen If we follow this?

We are all the eternal servants of Sri Radha Govinda and Sri Nitai Goura. We have the duty to serve Them. It is our good fortune that THEY allow us, the fallen people of Kali Yuga, to do THEIR service, but how can we serve THEM, SAYAM BHAGAVAN with this contaminated body?

For this reason, we should learn to be pure and clean from the inside and the outside. If we see that the workers in our house are not clean, would we allow them to serve us? In the same way if Sri Radhe Govinda and Sri Goura Nitai look at us and see that we are not clean both from the inside and the outside, do you think THEY will allow us to serve Them?

Yes, THEY are very merciful to us, may be THEY will forgive us this fault, but as a servant, we have to be as pure and clean as possible, otherwise we will be known as irresponsible servants, who are not careful about their work and who don’t do it in a clean and proper way. We are so fortunate that we got the blessings to perform this Seva with this material body. Shri Radhe Govinda, Shri Nitay Goura, allow us to chant their name, to do puja, to offer naivedyas, to touch their eternal bodies, which are softer then butter, with this material body of us which is always full of feces, urine, cough, phlegm and so many diseases. We should not misuse these blessings and so we should not allow ourselves to do all these activities without proper cleanliness. They will not curse us if we don’t maintain this, because they are so merciful, but it is our duty to serve them in a pure and clean way, for this reason we have to maintain this Sadacara. When we are clean from the outside in a good and shastric way, then we will get our inside clean and pure as well. In the beginning it may be difficult for a neophyte, who is just starting to practice Sadacara, to fallow exactly point to point these rules; sometimes you will make some faults, but after continuing for a couple of weeks, it will become very easy and clear for you, it will become “natural”, and then you will feel more relaxed, comfortable and pure in your mind; you will feel more energy for doing your Seva for your Ista. This rules help to open the devotees’ heart to his Ista. Maybe there are some points that for a newcomer may be difficult to understand, why should I follow this? But you will never get an answer by speculating; if you
just follow exactly what the Shastra says, then you will realize in your heart the deep truth of this practice.

Krishna prema

When we get some happiness it doesn't last. That's because our subconscious rejects it after a while knowing that it is not the ultimate happiness.

The blessings of Shri Guru

By Gurudev' s blessings we can get anything. But when if displease him, we won't go anywhere, and won't attain anything.