Nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda 108-śrī
Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārājera
Śrī Pāda-padme
Dīnāra Bhaktyañjali
“A Fallen Wretch’s Offering at the Lotus Feet of
Nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda 108-śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja”
(Translated from Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā, Year 26, Issue 2 (14/4/1974), page 71)
On the auspicious occasion of māghī-kṛṣṇā-tritīyā (the third dark fortnight lunar day in the month of Māgha), my eternally worshipful paramagurudeva, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, a member of the guru-paramparā that is nondifferent from Śrī Vyāsa, appeared before the eyes of the world for the benefit of living entities like myself.
The supremely merciful Śrī Bhagavān sees the deplorable condition of embondaged souls and sends His special associates. They do not experience birth, death, and bondage in karmic reactions like ordinary human beings trapped in material existence. “Ataeva vaiṣṇavera janma-mṛtyu nāi, saṅge āisena saṅge jāyena tathāya | – Therefore Vaiṣṇavas have no birth and death; they accompany the Lord to this realm and go back to the Lord’s realm with Him.”
Bhakta, bhakti, Bhagavān—because these three have an inseparable bond, when, on the appearance days of these supremely liberated personalities and personal associates of Bhagavān, we discuss the words that emanate directly from their sacred mouths and their holy lives and character, our lives become blessed and our hearts purified, whereby we attain supreme wellbeing. Our prayer at the feet of Śrī Guru and Vaiṣṇavas is: “Diyā pada-chāyā śodhaha āmāya tomāra caraṇa dhari | – Grant me the shade of your feet; I clasp hold of your feet.” By discussing the sanctifying events of their lives, it is possible for us to realize the real purport of the words of śāstra and the mahājanas, because their lives are embodiments of the dharma-śāstras and such exalted personalities lead their lives in strict accordance to the words of guru.
The sacred lives of our śrī guru-varga are to be heard, praised, and remembered every single day. These activities help the jīvas hold them in their memory and kindle their good fortune. The more you grind sandalwood, the thicker it gets. Similarly, by profuse discussion of the transcendental glories and qualities of eternally perfected mahāpuruṣas with a sincere heart, bhakti becomes more concentrated. By the mercy of the devotees, the mercy of Bhagavān becomes possible.
The bhaktas have their hearts and minds absorbed in Bhagavān. In Śrī Gītā, Bhagavān has said, “Mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam, kathantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca.” Without Bhagavān, the bhaktas are incapable of maintaining their lives. And Bhagavān says, “Tāhā vinā āmi kichu nā jāniye āne – I know nothing besides them.” Bhagavān is bhakta-vatsala (affectionate to His devotees). As much as the devotees are attached to Bhagavān, Bhagavān is attached to His devotees. Therefore, perfection is inevitable if one serves Bhagavān’s devotees with a sincere heart—“Bhakata-sevā parama siddhi prema-latikāra mūla – Service to the devotees is the supreme perfection and the root of the vine of divine love.” “Chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra peyeche kebā – Who has ever attained perfection without serving the Vaiṣṇavas?” Unless one becomes fixed in this belief, it is not possible to attain kṛṣṇa-bhakti.
Śrīla Prabhupāda has said, “Serving the servants of Bhagavān is more beneficial than serving Bhagavān, and serving them will provide us with more convenience.” The devotees overpower Bhagavān with their superlative love and keep Him bound in the sanctum of their hearts. They have the capacity to extend their mercy to the conditioned souls and manifest the Lord in their hearts too. “Bhaktera hṛdaye sadā govinda viśrāma – Govinda rests forever in the hearts of the devotees.” Śrī Bhagavān Himself says: “Nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdaye na ca | mad-bhaktā yatra gāyanti tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada | – I do not reside in Vaikuṇṭha, nor in the hearts of yogis. I dwell wherever my devotees sing, Nārada.”
The lives of devotees are supremely sanctifying. By singing their praises, the living entities find deliverance. Although the Vaiṣṇavas are “svenaiva lābhena sama praśānta – equiposed and peaceful with their own accomplishments”, “hari-guru-vaiṣṇava tinera smaraṇe haya vighna-vināśana – by remembering Hari, Guru, and Vaiṣṇavas, all obstacles are obliterated.” I have heard from my most worshipful śrīla guru-pādapadma that if one relinquishes mundane ego and is sincere and very humble, one can earn the qualification to attain the mercy of the Vaiṣṇavas. Contemplation of the objects of the senses and longing to accumulate such items is the symptom of bondage in māyā; only sādhus and guru can protect us from those objects of the senses. “Māyāre kariyā jaya chāḍāna nā jāya | sādhu-guru-kṛpā chāḍā nā dekhi upāya || – Though one may try to conquer Māyā, she will not release one from her clutches. I do not see any other recourse than the mercy of sādhu and guru.” Śrī Guru and Vaiṣṇavas are our real relatives. They are our dearest friends. They deliver us from the fear of death in this world.
“Kṛṣṇa-bhakte kṛṣṇera guṇa sakala sañcāre – All of Kṛṣṇa’s qualities are infused into His devotees.” Transcendental qualities are not things that are accessible to these material senses. Though Anantadeva sings Kṛṣṇa’s ananta (infinite) glories with infinite mouths, he cannot find their śeṣa (end). Likewise, one cannot find the end of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees’ qualities even if you go about describing with infinite mouths.
Ātma-nivedana is the real means to perform Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā, or pūjā of the guru-varga. It is possible to become acquainted with the glories of the guru-varga through the medium of śrī guru-pādapadma. Therefore, the despicable fool that I am convey anguished prayers to śrī guru-pādapadma to give me the strength to surrender my whole self. Today, on the supremely sacred auspicious day, the object my ultimate aspiration is:
yadi gamanam-adhastāt karma-pāpānubaddho
yadi ca kula-vihīne jāyate pakṣī-kīṭe
krimi-gatam api gatvā jāyate cātmanātmā
bhavatu mama-hṛdisthe keśave bhaktir ekā
[reference needed]
satata śrī guru-vaiṣṇava-caraṇa-reṇu-sevābhilāṣiṇī—
(Śrīmatī) Umā (Devī)