The lectures in this series, originally delivered by r rmad Gour Govinda Swami Mahrja, a dear

disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda, Founder-crya of the International Society

for Krishna Consciousness, following in the line of the r Brahm-madhva-gauya-sampradya,1 are now being

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1. The sampradya originating from Lord Brahm and further descending through its principal teachers Madhvchrya and r Chaitanya Mahprabhu.

The Invaluable Asset

An evening lecture originally delivered by r Srimad Gour Govinda Swami

at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK

13th July, 1995

Table of Contents :

Ka came as a bhakta ...................... 8

Lifespan is decreasing ......................... 9

Ski-Gopla story .............................. 10

See Ka always ................................ 12

Simplicity is Vaishnavism .................. 15

A Bhakta can speak with the Deity ... 16

Very simple sdhana ........................... 20

You are Kas servant ...................... 21

Develop strong determination ........... 24

The Invaluable Asset

kali yuge nma-sagesvayam avatri

O Supreme Lord, thinking how to benefit the conditioned souls, in Kali-yuga You descended to this world with the holy name. 1

In the Bhagavad-gt, Ka says, suhda sarva-bhtn I am the only well-wishing friend of all living entities. You have forgotten Ka but Ka has never forgotten you. He is always thinking of you. The Lord is so merciful.

Kali-yuga is the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, a most degraded and sinful age. Kali adharma-bandhu the friend of irreligion is adharma, ppa, sin. Ka knows that the people of Kali-yuga are very, very fallen.

1. Hari-nma-cintmai, 76

Everyone is committing sin consciously or unconsciously. Some are ignorant and dont know what is sin. But those who have come to the path of Ka consciousness know the meaning of sin. The four pillars of sinful activity in Kali-yuga are animal killing, gambling, illicit sex and intoxication. When Kali petitioned for a place to reside, Parkit Mahrja gave him permission to reside in four places:

dyta pna striya snyatrdharma catur-vidha

Mahrja Parkit, thus being petitioned by the personality of Kali, gave him permission to reside in places where gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter were performed. 1

Everyone engaged in sense gratification knows only the body and the demands of the body. They accept that fulfilling the demands of the body, eating, sleeping, defending and mating is the goal of life. How can you go back home back to Godhead if you engage in sinful activities? Rather, you will get the punishment of Yamarja.

labdhv su-durlabham ida bahu-sambhavntemnuyam artha-dam anityam apha dhra

After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. 2

For many, many lives you have already enjoyed sense gratification, enjoyed sex, enjoyed the senses. But when a human birth is granted, one should understand, this birth is rarely achieved. It is rare because the purpose is to understand Ka, to get Ka, paramrtha lbha, and

1. Bhg. 1.17.38

2. Bhg. 11.9.29

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go back home back to Godhead. You can develop ka-bhakti, you can develop complete Ka consciousness and in this life you can get Ka. A human birth is anitya, it is available to you for a very short time. At any moment death may come and it will finish, such uncertainty is there. ke jni khra ji mtyu-kla hoi jiba upasthita - who knows, death may come today. So, the praj, the wise and intelligent person should understand this and use every moment developing Ka consciousness. The opportunity to develop Ka consciousness, the supreme goal of life, cannot be obtained in the life of dog, a hog, a bird or beast. The opportunity is only available to a human being. Therefore human birth is considered rare, durlabha mnava-janma. What is the value of a human birth if you cannot fulfill this purpose? Your next birth must be the birth of a hog, a dog or some other species. The hog enjoys eating stool. Stool is very palatable to the hog.

Ka is our only well-wishing friend, suhda sarva bhtn. As the hogs are eating stool and drinking filthy drain water thinking it is sweet nectar, Ka is so merciful, He thought, if I go and give them a taste for real nectar they will give up eating stool and drinking drain water. Therefore He came as Mahprabhu.

pani karimu bhakta-bhva agikrepani cari bhakti ikhimu sabre

pane n kaile dharma ikhna n yyaei ta siddhnta gt-bhgavata gya

I shall accept bhakta-bhva, the mood of a devotee and teach bhakti. Unless I practice bhakti, aragati, in My own life, I cannot teach it to others. 1

1. Cc. di 3.20-21

7

Ka came as a bhakta

Bhagavn comes as a bhakta and practices bhakti. When Ka practices bhakti, that is Mahprabhu. Mahprabhu is not different from Ka gaura-ll is ka-ll, and ka-ll is gaura-ll. There is no difference in tattva. But, there is this difference, when Bhagavn comes as a bhakta He is Mahprabhu, and as a bhakta He is practicing bhakti in His life. He comes to teach us bhakti. Example is better than precept. Unless you practice bhakti in your own life you cannot teach it to others. You have no right to teach.

Kas most confidential instruction is man-man bhava mad-bhakto mad yji m namaskuru Engage your mind always in thinking of Me. Become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. 1 His concluding instruction is sarva dharmn parityajya mm eka araa vraja 2 Give up all varieties of dharma and just surrender unto Me. However, Ka only said this theoretically. He never taught how to surrender practically, how to constantly think of Him. So, that Ka came as Mahprabhu to demonstrate practically. Ka is a theoretical speaker whereas Mahprabhu is a practical teacher.

prabhu tumi jvera magala cint karikali yuge nma sage svaya avatari

Haridsa hkura told r Caitanya Mahprabhu: O Supreme Lord, thinking how to benefit the conditioned souls, in Kali-yuga You descended to this world with the holy name. 3

Ka knows that the people in Kali-yuga cannot do any sdhana. They have a short span of life, and it is getting shorter day by day yur harati vai pusm udyann asta by the rising of the sun and the setting

1. Bg.18.65

2. Bg. 18.66

3. Harinma-cintmai, 76

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of the sun your lifespan is taken away. 1

Lifespan is decreasing

Generally we think we are growing. Are we growing or decreasing? A young man has reached the age of thirty-five. That means thirty-five years have already gone from his lifespan. You may live for fifty years. Then, only fifteen years remain. I appreciated very much the Rotary Club people. They never use the word old. They would say, You are thirty-five years young. Many times I gave talks at the Rotary Club. They would say, Mr. such and such, he is seventy years young. Definitely! Yes. Seventy years have already gone from his lifespan. Only ten years or five years remain. So how is he old? He is young. Udyann asta by the rising and setting of the sun your lifespan is taken away. The sun takes away your lifespan. How can you keep up with it? Are you making any effort to fulfill the purpose of this rarely achieved human birth, that is, to develop bhakti, paramrtha-dhana, complete Ka consciousness? This opportunity is not available to other species, not in a demigod birth, bird, beast, reptile or insects birth, nor is it available in sthvar yoni, trees and mountains. Even the insects, germs and worms in stool enjoy the senses, but they cannot develop Ka consciousness. The opportunity is available for you now, in the human birth. If your activities are the same as the birds, beasts, hogs, dogs or the worms in the stool, km kiyad antaram, then what is the difference between a worm in the stool and yourself? You should understand clearly the purpose of your human birth. It is paramrtha-dhana, paramrtha-bhakti. In this birth you can understand Ka, you can see Ka, and you can have Ka by developing bhakti. This opportunity is only available in a human birth, not in any other birth.

Bhaktivinode hkura, a mahjana, sings this song:

1. Bhg. 2.3.17

9

janama sa-phala tra, ka-daraana jrabhgya hoiyche eka-bra 1

Fortunately, if one has seen Ka once, his life has become

successful.

Devotee: Mahrja, is seeing the deity in the temple every day the same as seeing Ka directly?

Gour Govinda Swami: Every day you come to temple and see the deities. Why once? You say you see the deities daily. Do you really see the deity? Have you had any conversation with the deities? Are you talking with the deities?

Devotee: No.

Ski-Gopla story

Gour Govinda Swami: There is a story about the deity of Ski-Gopla. Two Brahmin friends went on pilgrimage. They visited many trtha, holy places. At last they came to Vndvana. They went to the temple of Gopla. At that temple the old Brahmin said to the young Brahmin, If you had not accompanied me I would not have visited all these holy places. You helped me a lot. You have done a great deal of good to me. I promise that I will give my daughter in marriage to you.

The young Brahmin said, Are you speaking the truth? Yes. Can you keep your promise? Oh yes. Ill give you my daughter to marry. The young Brahmin said, But, I think when you go back to your

village, many objections will come from your family and you will not keep your word.

The old Brahmin said, No. She is my daughter. I can make this promise.

1. Kalya-kalpataru Song 1

10

All right, if any objection is raised and you cannot keep your word, you should speak now before this Gopla deity. Then, if anyone asks for a witness, Gopla will be our witness.

The young Brahmin and the old Brahmin spoke everything before the Gopla deity, and accepted Him as their witness. The young Brahmin said, Gopla, now You are a witness to the old Brahmins promise. If it is required You must go and give witness.

In fact that happened. The old Brahmin told his family he had promised his daughter to his friend. But his son objected, his brother objected, his wife objected. No! We are rich. That young Brahmin is a poor man. We are higher caste Brahmins. He is a lower caste Brahmin. He is illiterate. He has no education. How can you let this mrkha, fool marry our daughter? No, no.

The old Brahmin said, Oh, but I have declared it before the Gopla deity. He is our witness.

Will that wood or stone or metal idol come and give witness? Oh, forget it! Forget it! He is no witness. He cannot prove anything you say.

When two months passed, but the question of the young Brahmin marrying their daughter was forgotten, the young Brahmin came to their house. Seeing the young Brahmin approaching the house the old Brahmins family came out with sticks to drive him away. Get out from here! You have come to marry our daughter! What nonsense! You gave our father vitura, poisonous fruit to eat, and it made him mad. Therefore a madman gave you this promise.

The young Brahmin was shocked. He called an assembly of the village gentlemen. The gentlemen said, We have listened to everything, but has anyone witnessed the old Brahmins promise?

The young Brahmin said, Oh yes, the Gopla deity in Vndvana is our witness.

Will He come as a witness?Definitely He is our witness. Why wouldnt He come?All right, go and bring the witness.The young Brahmin went to Vndvana. Standing before Gopla he

said, Now the time has come for You to give witness. Now he and his

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family are denying this promise. The deity said, Have you ever seen a deity move?The young Brahmin said, You are talking so why wouldnt You

move? This was their conversation.

pratim naha tumiskt vrajendra-nandana

You are not an idol. You are directly the son of Nanda Mahrja. 1

To converse with the deity is to see directly vrajendra-nandana-ka, the son of Nanda Mahrja.

nma, vigraha, svarpatina eka-rpatine bheda nhi,tina cid-nanda-rpa

The Lords holy name, His form and His personality are all one and the same. There is no difference between them. Since all of them are absolute, they are all transcendentally blissful. 2

See Ka always

The name of the Lord, the form of the Lord and the vigraha, the deity form of the Lord, installed by a Vaiava, these three are transcendental. There is no difference between these three. In this way, if you can see and you can talk with the deity, the deity will talk to you. A bhakta, pure devotee, who has this vision, he sees the deity and talks to the deity and the deity talks to him. Then it is a fact that you have seen Ka. Otherwise you have not seen Ka. It is said:

janama sa-phala tra, ka-daraana jrabhgya hoiyche eka-bra

1. Cc. Madhya 5.962. Cc. Madhya 17.131

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If fortunately you have seen Ka once in your life, your life has become successful. What to speak of seeing Ka daily, see Ka constantly! Complete Ka consciousness means to see Ka everywhere.

yo m payati sarvatrasarva ca mayi payati

tasyha na praaymisa ca me na praayati

In the Bhagavad-gt,1 Ka says: For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me. This is complete Ka consciousness. Prahlda Mahrja saw the Lord in a stone pillar. This is seeing Ka. If someone has seen Ka once in his life, what to speak of seeing Ka constantly, then his life is successful.

aha bhakta-pardhnohy asvatantra iva dvijasdhubhir grasta-hdayo

bhaktair bhakta-jana-priya

I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me. 2

ekale vara ka, ra saba dsa,

Ka alone is the supreme vara, controller and all others are His servants.

1. Bg. 6.30

2. Bhg. 9.4.63

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nera ki kath, baladeva mahayayra bhvauddha-sakhya-vtsalydi-maya

What to speak of others, even Lord Baladeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is full of emotions like pure friendship and paternal love. 1

teho panke karena dsa-bhvanka-dsa-bhva vinu che kona jan

He also considers Himself a servant of Lord Ka. Indeed, who is there who does not have this conception of being a servant of Lord Ka? 2

Even Baladeva says He is ka-dsa, what to speak of others. Who is not ka-dsa? Everybody is ka-dsa.

matta paratara nnyatkicid asti dhanajaya

Ka says, in the Bhagavad-gt,3 Nobody is superior to Me. Everybody is dsa, His servant. He is the supreme master. But, Ka, who has eternal independence, says, I am bhakta-pardhno, I have no independence. I am dependent on the will of My devotee. He is bhakta-vatsala, the lover of His devotee. Everyone carries out Kas order but Ka carries out the order of His dear devotee. Nanda Mahrja called his two-year-old son, Knu, bring my wooden sandals. Knu putting the wooden sandals on His head brings them to Nanda Mahrja. He carries out the order of Nanda Mahrja, His dear devotee.

When the young Brahmin said to the Gopla deity, You are talking, so why will You not move? Gopla said, Yes, I will go as a witness.

1. Cc. di 6.76

2. Cc. di 6-77

3. Bg 7.7

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This is talking with the deities. The deity came to give witness. Ski-Gopla is still there now, in Odisha, in Satyavd. This is to see Ka. If you see the deity in that way then you will see Ka. Otherwise you have not seen Ka.

Simplicity is Vaishnavism

There was a family who worshiped a deity of Gopla Ka with daily food offerings. One day the husband had to go away on business overnight. He told his four-year-old son, I am going out. You will offer the food to the deity. His son said, Father, you utter a mantra and ring the bell, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting. I dont know any mantra. How can I offer the food so that the deity will eat it? His father said, You just chant hare ka. Your mother will prepare the food and arrange the plate. You will take the plate into the deity room, place it before the deity, chant hare ka, then come out. The deity will eat. You should keep the door ajar to see if the deity requests more rice, subj, dl or capi. If He requires something you should give. Sit outside the deity room and chant hare ka. Just do this simple thing.

The boy did as his father had told him. He was watching, but Gopla was not eating. The boy said, Hey Gopla, why are You not eating? He is talking to the deity. Why are You not eating? He sat waiting for half an hour, still Gopla is not eating. If You dont eat I will sit down here and not move. I wont eat and my mother will not eat either. That simple boy spoke like that to Gopla. His heart is very pure and simple. No crookedness. Simplicity is Vaishnavaism. Then the deity ate everything on the plate. This is seeing the deity. There was nothing left for the mother and her son to eat. The deity had eaten everything.

The next day the father returned. He was told how they were fasting. The deity ate everything! He didnt leave anything for us. So, we are fasting.

The father was amazed, No, no, no. There must rats. They might have eaten the prasda. But the boy said, No, father, rats have not eaten the prasda. The deity has eaten. His father said, Very well, when you

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offer the food again today, I will see how the deity is eating everything. He hid in the corner of the deity room to see if the deity is eating. The boy took the plate into the deity room and offered it as he had done the day before, but the deity didnt eat anything.

The boy said, Hey Gopla, yesterday you ate everything. Why are You not eating today? The deity said, How can I eat when your father is hiding in the corner?

This is seeing the deity. That means you have seen Ka. Otherwise, how have you seen Ka?

dekhiy n dekhe yata abhaktera gaaulke n dekhe yena sryera kiraa

But faithless unbelievers do not see what is clearly evident, just as owls do not see the rays of the sun. 1

When a non-devotee, abhakta, comes to the temple, can he see the deity? Can he see Ka? He sees only an idol. A bhakta, dear devotee, pure devotee sees:

pratim naha tumi skt vrajendra-nandanavipra lgi kara tumi akrya-karaa

My dear Lord, You are not a statue. You are directly the son of Mahrja Nanda. Now, for the sake of the old brhmaa, You can do something You have never done before. 2

A Bhakta can speak with the Deity

The sun gives bright sunshine but the ulka, the owl cannot see it, similarly the abhakta, non-devotee cannot see. This is how to see the deity.

1. Cc. di 3.86

2. Cc. Madhya 5.96

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He is directly the son of Nanda Mahrja. Then you have seen Ka. Otherwise, you have not seen Ka. He really reciprocates. We offer service and He accepts. The bhakta speaks with the deity. He is speaking directly and Ka is lovingly reciprocating. Many, many instances are there like this. He is not a mere idol. He is skt vrajendra-nandana, He is directly the son of Nanda Mahrja, a very merciful incarnation. We cannot see Ka but He has appeared in a deity form. We can see Him and offer service to Him. And, you can see how He is accepting, reciprocating. You can talk with Him. If you have pure devotion you can talk with Him and He will talk with you, definitely.

A man grew a banana tree in his garden, the nice sweet green variety. A large bunch was ripe. He brought the big bunch of bananas to the temple and gave them to the pjr to offer to the Gopla deity. One week later he returned to the temple. As he looked at the deities he saw that the Gopla deity had caught a cold, so much mucus was coming out. He saw like that, so what vision he has! He asked the pjr, Have you offered the bananas I gave you?

Oh yes, I offered. Over how many days did you offer the bananas? I offered all the bananas on one day. You offered the whole big bunch of ripe bananas all at once? So

that is why the deity has a cough and cold, and mucus is coming out. How is his vision! Have you seen the deity like that? You offered Gopla the whole bunch at one time! You could have

offered one or two bananas, with honey, every day for a week or more, then there would not have been cold and cough. They called the kavirja. Medicine was prepared and given to the deity.

The next day when he came to see the deity there was no cough, cold or mucus. This is seeing the deity. Then you have seen Ka. Otherwise, how have you seen? Yes, every day I go to the temple to see Ka. What sort of vision do you have? How are you seeing Ka? Ka knows that Kali-yuga people cannot do any sadhna. I will give them the highest thing. Kali yuge nma-sage svaya avatri O Supreme Lord, thinking how to benefit the conditioned souls, in Kali-yuga You

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descended to this world with the holy name.1 He is so merciful that He descends in the form of His holy name in Kali-yuga, nma-avatra.

yuga-dharma pracrile nma-sakrtanamukhya-pathe jva pya ka-prema-dhana

You taught that nma-sakrtana, chanting of the holy name, hare ka hare ka ka ka hare hare hare rma hare rma rma rma hare hare, is the yuga-dharma, the religion of the age. By following this direct path of chanting the holy name, the conditioned souls attain a great treasure of love for Lord Ka.2

kali-yuga dharma haya hari-sakrtanaetad arthe avatra r acnandana

acnandana Gaura Hari, the son of Mother ac, Lord Caitanya, the father of hari-sakrtana, appears for this purposeto teach the chanting of the holy name.3 He knows that the people of Kali-yuga cannot do any sdhana.

mukhya-pathe jva pyaka-prema-dhana

The chief result of chanting hare ka is to get ka-prema.

nmera smaraa ra nma-sakrtanaei mtra dharma jva karibe plana

Simply by chanting or remembering the holy name the

1. Harinma Cintmai, 79

2. Hari-nma-cintmai 78

3. Cb. di 2.22

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conditioned souls will become delivered.1 hare ka hare ka ka ka hare hare hare rma hare rma rma rma hare hare. This is the only dharma for all jvas in Kali-yuga. He is so merciful.

nirapardhe nma laile pyaka-prema-dhana

If your chanting is offenseless then you will definitely get ka-prema.

sarva veda bale go hari-nma srapibe param prti nanda apra

All Vedas say, the last thing is ka-nma, the name of Ka. If you chant this holy name you will get supreme happiness, unlimited nanda, blissfulness. 2

yma nme kathu-madhu che govadane charite nhi pare 3

What honey is there in the name of yma? My tongue doesnt want to leave it. One who is tasting stool, can he taste honey? If you give honey to a hog he will say, ...bitter! bitter!

veda puna bale yata mukta mahjana para-vyome sad kare nma sakrtana 4

Again, Veda says, all liberated mahjanas in the spiritual sky, they all chant: hare ka hare ka ka ka hare hare hare rma hare rma rma rma hare hare.

1. Harinma Cintmai, 79

2. Harinma Cintmai, 53

3. Chads

4. Harinma Cintmai, 54

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Very simple sdhana

Can you sit in a cave in the Himalayan mountain living on vyu-aka, air, practicing breathing exercises praka-recaka-kumbhaka inhalation, exhalation, retention? Will you do that sadhna? Kali-yuga people cannot do any sadhna. Ka is so merciful. He has brought you the highest thing, ka-prema, through chanting hare ka. But, you are not doing it.

mukhya-pathe jva pyaKa-prema-dhana

The chief result of chanting hare ka is you will get ka-prema.

People of other yugas, practicing aga-yoga-sadhna, pryma-sadhna, for thousands and thousands of years, they cannot get ka-prema. But, it is very easy to get ka-prema in this age by only chanting hare ka. If you chant without offense, under the guidance of a nma-tattva-vit guru, following his instructions, definitely you will get Ka in this life. Ka is so merciful. He is suhda sarva-bhtn, the only well-wishing friend of all living entities. We are not thinking of Ka. But Ka is thinking deeply of us. He descends here in the form of His holy name and gives us this very easy process to get the highest attainment, ka-prema. Paramrtha-dhana, bhakti-dhana is the real wealth or asset. You are toiling hard like an ass always thinking of earning money money, money, money, brighter than sunshine sweeter than honey. But you are not thinking of Ka. The paramrtha-dhana, the bhakti-dhana you have earned will go with you. No one will take it away.

keno my-dsa habeharaibe paramrtha-dhana

This is mahjana vkya, the words of a great personality. You are

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ka-dsa. Why are you becoming my-dsa, and losing your real dhana? Bhakti is the invaluable asset, paramrtha-dhana, the wealth of love of God. I should not lose it at any cost. I must keep this invaluable asset. How can a sane person lose it? When a business person invests all their wealth in a business and by chance it fails and they lose everything, they cry day and night. But losing paramrtha-dhana, the most invaluable asset, will you not cry? You must cry. Everyone is losing this invaluable asset and no one is crying. But, losing their material assets, which are temporary and subject to destruction, they cry. In the Caitanya Bhgavata, Vndvana dsa hkura says:

bhakti-yoga bhakti-yoga bhakti-yoga dhanabhakti ei ka nma smaraa krandana

Bhakti-yoga is dhana, the real invaluable asset. To think of Ka, to utter the name of Ka and cry is bhakti. Then you can keep this dhana. You will never lose it.

keno my-dsa habeharaibe paramrtha-dhana

You are ka-dsa. You know you are ka-dsa, so why are you becoming my-dsa? Then you lose the real dhana, paramrtha-dhana the real asset. Does any sane person knowingly lose their most valuable asset?

You are Kas servant

In this song from Kalyana Kalpataru,1 Bhaktivinode hkura is speaking to the mind, mana-ik.

Why are you listening to the prompting of your stupid mind? You have become go-dsa, the servant of your mind.

1. Kalyana Kalpataru Part II song 5

21

ore mana, bhlo nhi lge e sosrajanama-maraa-jar, je sosre che bhar

the kiba che bolo sra

O mind, I dont at all like this material world. Tell me, O mind, of what use is this world which is packed with birth, old age and disease. Our wealth, friends and family never really belong to us. In good times they are our friends but in bad times they are gone.

dhana-jana-paribra, keho nhe kabhu krakle mitra akle apara

jh rkhibre ci, th nhe thke bhianitya samasta binawara

They are enemies, today friend, tomorrow enemy. Enmity develops between father and son, husband and wife, brothers and sisters. These material relationships are based on giving and taking. You give something and take something. If there is any discrepancy in giving and taking then the relationship breaks down. Our friend turns into our enemy.

What I want to keep never stays. It is all temporary. Can you keep this body? Can you keep your hard-earned money or your assets? They are all temporary. It will all soon be destroyed. We want to keep them forever. We want to live forever, but we cant.

yu ati alpa dina, krame th hoya kha

amanera nikaa daranaroga-oka anibra, citta kore chrakhra

bndhaba-bijoga durghaana

In every life one may draw only a few breaths of air before seeing the messenger of death drawing near. Sickness and grief constantly beset my heart, crush my spirit and make me sad as tragedy takes my friends. O brother, look, in this world there is no unmixed happiness. Whenever

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there is a little happiness it is mixed with a great deal of unhappiness.

bhlo kore dekho bhi, amira nanda nije che se dukhera kraa

se sukhera tore tabe, keno my-dsa habeharaibe paramrtha-dhana

There are only different sources of pain. Why be the slave of illusion just to enjoy that happiness and so lose the ultimate goal of life?

se sukhera tore tabe, keno my-dsa habeharaibe paramrtha-dhana

In order to get this material happiness, temporary happiness, whose consequence is unlimited misery, why will you become my-dsa and thereby lose the real asset, invaluable asset, paramrtha-dhana. Will any sane person do that?

itihsa-locane, bhebe dekho nija manekoto surika duroya

indriya-tarpaa sra , kori koto durcraee labhe maraa nicoya

If you study history you will see a chronicle of corruption, bad intention and the evil designs of demons. Study your own history to see what you have done.

maraa-samaya tra, upya hoiy hraanutpa-anale jwlilo

kukkurdi pau-prya, jbana kya hyaparamrtha kabhu n cintilo

And where does it all lead? Sinful deeds and sensuous indulgence end only in death, and at the time of death, those who have wasted

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their life are slaves of the senses. One who lives his life in such a way is practically an animal. He wastes his life living like a dog, never even thinking about the ultimate goal of life, the real asset, paramrtha-dhana, bhakti-dhana, the supreme wealth of bhakti.

emona biaye mana, keno thko acetanachro chro biayera

r-guru-cararoya, koro sabe bhba joya

Why do you remain unconscious about this invaluable asset, paramrtha-dhana, O stupid mind? Leave behind your hopes of material pleasure. Give up your hopes of enjoying material life. By taking shelter at the lotus feet of r-guru you will cross over the ocean of material existence. His servant has confidence in this.

Develop strong determination

Have you have confidence? If you have confidence, why are you not following the instructions of guru? This is mahjana v. Mahjana yei kahe, sei satya mni1 The mahjanas speak the truth, we must accept it. Mahjano yena gata sa panth2 The mahjanas have shown us the path, so we follow in their footprints, and tread that path.

On this day, give up all these things and make a vow I must accept it. I must do it. Developing this strong determination, definitely guru and Ka will help you. If you have no faith in the words of guru or Ka, how will they help you?

You are thirty-five years old. Dhruva, a five-year-old boy, he had strong determination, Now I must go and get that Nryaa. He got Nryaa. Why are you not developing this strong determination? At any cost I have to do it.

1. Cc. Madhya 25.56

2. Cc. Madhya 17.186

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utshn nicayd dhairyttat-tat-karma-pravartantsaga-tygt sato vtte

abhir bhakti prasidhyati

One can execute the process of bhakti-yoga successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance, and determination, by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and by engaging completely in activities of goodness. 1

This is nicayd, endeavoring with confidence. Rpa Gosvm says nicayd, strong determination is required. I must do it! I must develop complete Ka consciousness. I must get Ka in this very life. Therefore, rla Rpa Gosvm recommends, tat-tat-karma-pravartant: to follow the instructions of guru.

1. Upademta 3

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bhakti-yoga bhakti-yoga bhakti-yoga dhanabhakti ei ka nma smaraa krandana

Bhakti-yoga is dhana, the real invaluable asset. To think of Ka, to utter the name of Ka and cry is bhakti. Then you can keep this dhana. You will never lose it.

keno my-dsa habeharaibe paramrtha-dhana

You are ka-dsa. You know you are ka-dsa, so why are you becoming my-dsa? Then you lose the real dhana, paramrtha-dhana the real asset. Does any sane person knowingly lose their most valuable asset?