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Bhakti-Lata
Sri Srimad
Taking Care of
Bhakti-Lata
Contents
reyo-niraya
Taking Care of Bhakti-Lat
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Frontcover painting and inside painting Vrindavan das. Used with permission.
Taking Care of
Bhakti-Lata
Sri Srimad
TAT T VA V I C A R A P U B L I C AT I O N S
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reyo-niraya
Gtval rla Bhaktivinoda hkura
Song 1
(1)
bhaja re bhaja re mra mana ati manda
bhajana vin gati ni re
(bhaja) vraja-vane rdh-ka-cararavinda
jna-karma parihari re
(bhaja) vraja-vane rdh-ka
O my foolish mind, worship the lotus feet of RdhKa in the forests of Vraja. Without this, there can be no
spiritual advancement. Give up all speculative knowledge and
materialistic activities.
(2)
(bhaja) gaura-gaddhardvaita guru-nitynanda
gaura-ke abheda jenere
guru ka-preha jene re
(smara) rnivsa, haridsa, murri, mukunda
gaura-preme smara, smara re
smara rnivsa haridse
Worship Gaura-Gaddhara, Advaita and the original
guru Nitynanda. Knowing Gaura and Ka to be the same,
and knowing the guru to be very dear to Ka, remember
Mahprabhus intimate associates, rvsa, Haridsa, Murri
Gupta and Mukunda Dutta.
reyo-niraya
(3)
(smara) rpa-santana-jva-raghuntha-dvandva
ka-bhajana jadi korbe re, rpa-santane smara
(smara) rghava-gopla-bhaa svarpa-rmnanda
ka-prema jadi co re, svarpa-rmnande smara
Just remember r Rpa Goswm, Santana, Jva, and
the two Raghunthas! If you worship r Ka, you should
remember r Rpa and Santana. Also remember Rghava
Paita, Gopla Bhaa, Svarpa Dmodara and Rmnanda
Rya. If you really seek ka-prema, you must remember
Svarpa Dmodara and Rmnanda Rya.
(4)
(smara) gohi-saha karapra, sena ivnanda
ajasra smara, smara re, goh-saha karapre
(smara) rpnuga-sdhu-jana bhajana-nanda
vraje vsa jadi co re, rpnuga-sdhu smara
Remember Kavi Karapra and his family members, who
are all sincere servants of Mahprabhu. Also remember his
father ivnanda Sena. Remember all those Vaiavas who
strictly follow the path of Rpa Gosvm and who are absorbed
in the ecstasy of bhajana. If you actually want residence in
Vraja, you must remember all the Vaiavas who are followers
of r Rpa Gosvm.
ii
Spiritual Welfare
Song 2
(1)
bhvo n bhvo n, mana, tumi ati dua
viaya-vie cho he
kma-krodha-lobha-moha-maddi-via
ripur bae cho he
My dear mind, you have not thought of this. You are very
wicked. You are deeply sunk in the poison of worldly sense
gratification. You are overwhelmed by lust, anger, greed,
illusion, madness, and so on. You are under the sway of the
enemy.
(2)
asad-vrt-bhukti-mukti-pips-ka
asat-kath bhlo lge he
pratih-kuini-ahatdi-pia
sarala to hole n he
ghireche tomre, bhi, e sab aria
e sab to atru he
You are attracted by a thirst for hearing mundane news,
enjoying material sense objects, and seeking liberation.
You think that nonsensical talk sounds very pleasant. You
have become crushed by the desire for fame, as well as by
hypocrisy and crooked dealings. You are not very simple or
straightforward. You are completely surrounded, dear brother,
by all these inauspicious signs of death. These are indeed your
deadly enemies.
iii
reyo-niraya
(3)
e sab n chee kise pbe rdh-ka
jatane cho, cho he
sdhu-saga vin r koth tava ia
sdhu-saga koro, koro he
vaiava-carae maja, ghucibe ania
ek-br bheve dekho he
If you do not give up all these things, then how will you
attain Rdh and Ka? Carefully abandon them. Just abandon
them. Other than the association of sdhus, where else is your
real benefit to be found? Just keep the company of saintly
devotees, immerse yourself in the lotus feet of a Vaiava, and
all unwanted things will disappear. Think about all of this very
seriously and see for yourself.
iv
Taking Care of
Bhakti-Lata
vndvane kalpa-drume suvara-sadana
mah-yogapha th, ratna-sihsana
In Vndvana, in a great place of pilgrimage underneath
the desire trees, is a golden throne bedecked with jewels.
Taking Care of Bhakti-Latadi-yukta He has stra-caku, He sees with the vision of stra,
(21) uci clean and pure, (22) va He can capture one and
all, (23) sthira fixed, (24) dnta self-restrained, (25) kamla forgiving, (26) gambhra grave, (27) dhti-mn patient,
(28) sama-darana equal vision, (29) vadnya charitable,
(30) dhrmika religious, (31) sra chivalrous, (32) karua
merciful, (33) mnada gives respect to others, (34) dakia
magnanimous and simple, (35) vinay humble, (36) lajj-yukta
not devoid of shame, (37) saraa-gata-plaka protects those
who take shelter, (38) sukh always happy, (39) bhakta-bandhu
friend of the devotees, (40) prema-vaya captured by love,
(41) sarva-ukha-kri gives happiness to one and all, (42) pratp
very influential, (43) krti-mn endowed with all fame, (44)
loka-anurga-varjana He gives pleasure to all lokas, (45) ajana pakasritah He is partial to the devotees, (46) nr-gaamanohr He attracts the mind of all women, (47) sarvrdhya
worshipable by one and all, (48) samddhimn ever increasing,
(49) resha chief among one and all, and (50) aivarya-yukta
full of opulence. These are the fifty original qualities.
It is stated here, In Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu, the transcendental
qualities of r Ka are mentioned. Among these, fifty are
primary (aya net su-ramyga, etc.), and in minute quantity
they were all present in the body of r Haridsa Paita. This
is because he is a jva. These fifty qualities are present in minute
proportions in every jva because the jva is an eternal part and
parcel of the Lord. But these qualities do not manifest in the
conditioned state. When one becomes a purified devotee they
all automatically manifest themselves. This is stated in rmadBhgavatam,
Taking Care of Bhakti-LataOne who has acquired some bhakti-sukti comes for sdhu-saga.
He develops raddh. raddh means unflinching faith in sdhuguru-stra. By associating with devotees, nme-ruci, taste for the
holy name develops and jve-doy, he becomes merciful towards
all living entities. Then he treads the path of devotion.
Taking Care of Bhakti-Latatattva is. All these are anarthas and as long as they are present one
cannot develop those good qualities.
A Question of Cultivation
How can these anarthas be destroyed? The anarthas are
destroyed when a person associates with sdhus dau sdhusaga. By hearing from sdhus and vivsa, putting unflinching
faith in the words of sdhu-stra-guru, one develops raddh, dau
raddh. In sdhus association there are discourses on a-tattva,
jva-tattva and guru-tattva. All tattvas are discussed. Then the jva
understands who he is, Oh, I am ka-dsa. Ka is my eternal
master and I am His eternal servant. Now he understands his
real identity. He understands who the Supreme Lord is and his
relationship with the Supreme Lord. Nija-tattva jani ra sasra
na cay kena v bhajinu my kare kaya hay (Prema-vivarta 8) then
he cries, Oh alas! What am I doing? For lakhs of lives I have not
taken shelter at the lotus feet of Ka. I have not served Ka. I
have not become ka-dsa, but I have become my-dsa. All
these anarthas are there in the heart prior to coming to sdhusaga. But when a person associates with a sdhu, hears from him
and puts complete faith in the words of sdhu, then he cultivates
it in his life. It is a question of cultivation.
Taking Care of Bhakti-Lataland is your heart. It is land that needs cultivation. So therefore
the plough is needed. Then, after it is properly cultivated, the
barren land turns into fertile land. How will your barren land
become fertile without cultivation? Sdhana-bhakti, viddhi-mrgekaraa is this cultivation. That is why Balarma has a plough. He
is guru-tattva.
After the heart is purified and properly cultivated, when there
are no more weeds, pebbles or thorns, you will have developed very
nice fertile soil. Then the seed will be sown. And while watering
it, the bhakti-lat, creeper of devotion will begin to sprout. When
it is growing nicely then Ka will come and the sweet sound of
His flute will attract you, karaa. So this is why Lord Balarma
has a plough and Ka has a flute. It is karaa and karaa.
Plough means cultivation, or karaa in Sanskrit. One of the
names of Balarma is Haladhara or Lgal. Plough in Sanskrit
is lgala or hala. Therefore, one who has this hala or lgala is
called Haladhara or Lgal, which refers to Balarma because of
karaa, cultivation. And Ka attracts with His flute, karaa.
The significance of Ka and Balarma plough and flute is
cultivation and attraction. This is the purport to the KaBalarma Mandir here [in Bhubaneswar]. First Lord Balarma will
use His plough and repeatedly cultivate the land. Only after all
filth and nasty things are destroyed, the land, which is the heart,
is properly cultivated. Then the land is ready for the seed, the
bhakti-lat-bja, to be sown. Then you, the ml, or gardener, have
to take care of it by regular watering. ravaa-krtana-jale karaye
secana if you water the seed gradually by the process of ravaa
and krtana [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout
(Caitanya-caritmta, Madhya-ll 19.152). This ravaa, hearing
from the lips of sdhu, Vaiava, guru, crya and chanting under
his guidance, is watering.
9
Taking Care of Bhakti-Latadau raddh tata sdhu-sago tha bhajana-kriy (Bhaktirasmta-sindhu 1.4.15), by performing bhajana under the guidance
of sdhu-guru all anarthas will disappear, anartha nivrtti. Otherwise
the anarthas cannot be destroyed. Then all these good qualities
will automatically develop. As long as the anarthas are not
destroyed, these good qualities will never manifest. So what stage
of devotional service is that?
rla Bhaktivinoda hkura has said that when some of the
anarthas are destroyed, but not completely, then these good
qualities are not manifest. This is the intermediate stage, which is
bhajan-bhasa or nma-bhsa.
When you do pure bhajana the anarthas are completely destroyed.
Once there is no tinge at all left of the anarthas, then you come to
the nih stage. That is the beginning. In this stage uddha-nma,
the pure name and prema begin to develop simultaneously. The
pure name and bhva come simultaneously. Then you will get ruci,
taste, nectarean taste. And there will be very quick development
of ruci, sakti, bhva, and prema.
Taking Care of Bhakti-Latado it by your own endeavours. That is what is stated. Therefore
Bhaktivinoda hkura said, O my brothers! Those who are very
eager to develop all these good qualities, I tell you, dont be lazy,
dont waste time, but immediately without delay do sdhusaga, take shelter of a sdhu-guru and make your life successful.
Then automatically all these qualities will develop. As long as you
are not interested in bhakti-sdhana and as long as you have not
taken shelter of sdhu-guru and have not performed bhajana under
his guidance, no good qualities will develop and no anarthas will
be destroyed. You may develop some material qualities as stated in
rmad-Bhgavatam (5.18.12): harv abhaktasya kuto mahad-gu,
mano-rathensati dhvato bahi, one who is devoid of devotion to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications
because he is engaged in mental concoction in this material
existence, which is the external feature of the Lord. Mano-ratha
means a chariot produced by mental concoction. Such a persons
chariot, which is driven by his own mental speculation, runs here
and there in the Lords external energy, mano-rathensati dhvato
bahi. He has no good qualities at all. From the material point of
view he might be an expert worker, materially very intelligent, or
maybe materially opulent like Ravana or Hirayakaipu, but all
these material qualities are not good qualities, not godly qualities.
Thus, without ka-bhakti, all these so-called good qualities have
no value at all.
dharma satya-dayopeto
vidy v tapasnvit
mad-bhaktypetam tmna
na samyak prapunti hi
Neither religious activities endowed with honesty and
mercy, nor knowledge obtained with great penance can
11
Taking Care of Bhakti-LataHe was respectful to everyone and worked for the benefit of
all. Diplomacy, envy, crookedness and jealousy were unknown
to his heart. (Caitanya-caritmta, di-ll 8.56)
These bad qualities were unknown to his heart. You will find
this also in Rpa-ik where Mahprabhu has taught it.
brahma bhramite kona bhgyavn jva
guru-ka-prasde pya bhakti-lat-bja
According to their karma, all living entities are wandering
throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being
elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going
down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions
of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets
an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master
by the grace of Ka. By the mercy of both Ka and the
spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper
of devotional service.
What Is Guru-Kp?
What is guru-prasda? What is that mercy? Guru is a
representative, a manifestation of the Paramtm who has come
to shower his mercy. It is gurus mercy, kp. It is kp-akti. So, if
you surrender unto the lotus feet of guru, then guru accepts you
as iya and showers his mercy upon you and teaches you how to
serve Ka. Ka-sev-rpa-anugraha, he teaches how to serve
Ka. Otherwise you cannot serve Ka, because you do not
know how to serve Ka. You chant everyday guruvtakam
yuktasya bhakt ca niyujato pi, he engages the disciple in the
service of Ka. That is the mercy of guru. This is guru-kp.
14
What Is Ka-Kp?
Then what is ka-kp?
Devotee: Giving us sad-guru.
r rmad Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, making the arrangement
that such an aspirant, a bhakta or soul will meet His true
representative, or sending such a soul to His real representative,
15
Taking Care of Bhakti-LataHis own man. That is ka-kp. Therefore we say ka-kpte
guru mile guru-kpte ka-mile by the mercy of Ka you will
get guru and by the mercy of guru you will get Ka. Thus, kakp and guru-kp are interdependent, related.
16
18
Taking Care of Bhakti-LataThen the creeper flowers and at last it produces fruit, th
vistrita ha phale prema-phala. That fruit is prema, ka-prema,
prema-phala. But you still have to regularly give water, hearing
and chanting, ih ml sece nitya ravadi jala. Do not stop or
cease the watering process, it must regularly go on.
Taking Care of Bhakti-Latait is the original creeper or some other creeper. When you are
regularly watering, the upakh, other creeper also grows. It looks
exactly like the bhakti creeper and it grows with it, not separately.
This is the danger.
Niiddhcra
Then the verse states niiddhcra, what is that?
Devotee: Accepting things forbidden in the stra?
r rmad Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. To accept that what is
forbidden in stra, Vedic literature, that is niiddhcra. That
means yoit-saga*, breaking the regulative principles: having
illicit sex, intoxication, fish eating, meat eating and gambling,
viay daraan associating with materialistic persons, and strdaran associating with women. All these are niiddhcra.
Lbha-Pj-Pratih
Then comes lbha-pj-pratih. One who hankers for name,
fame and prestige thinks, How can I be adored by other people,
by materialistic persons? They will glorify me. Theyll speak
highly of me. They will offer worship to me. Hankering for name,
fame and prestige is lbha-pj-pratih. These are the upakhs:
niiddhcra, kun, jva-hisa and lbha-pj-pratih.
When these creepers grow alongside, the original creeper will
never develop. Its growth is now checked mla-kh bite n
pya. One should be very, very careful. Therefore it is said here,
sabra sammna-kart, karena sabra hita
kauilya-mtsarya-his n jne tra cita
He was respectful to everyone and worked for the benefit of
all. Diplomacy, envy, crookedness and jealousy were unknown
to his heart. (Caitanya-caritmta, di-ll 8.56)
rpa-santana-jva-raghuntha-dvandva
rghava-gopla-bhaa svarpa-rmnanda
Just remember r Rpa Goswm, Santana, Jva, and
the two Raghunthas! Also remember Rghava Paita,
Gopl Bhaa Goswm, Svarpa Dmodara Goswm, and
Rmnanda Rya!
Taking Care of Bhakti-LataRemember rla Kavi Karapra and his family members,
especially his father, ivnanda Sena. Remember all those
Vaiavas who strictly follow the path of Rpa Gosvm and
who are absorbed in the ecstasy of bhajana.
Taking Care of Bhakti-Latasings, sarala to hole n he, you have not become simple, but rather
you have become crooked, duplicitous and pretentious. Ghireche
tomre, bhi, e sabu aria, you are surrounded by these anarthas
and you should understand that they are your enemies, e sab to
atru he. Bhaktivinoda hkura has said, If you cannot become
free from all these enemies, e sab n chee kise pbe rdh-ka,
how can you get Rdh-Ka? Give up all these things, jatane
cho, cho he. How can you give them up?
Taking Care of Bhakti-LataDevotee 1: But what is the best way to uproot them?
r rmad Gour Govinda Swami: The best way is with sdhusaga. Hear all these things from the lips of a bona fide sdhu
and allow Balarma to cultivate the land properly. Then He can
uproot them. Sdhu-guru can uproot them with his plough, Lord
Balarmas plough. Then Ka will attract you through His flute.
Youll automatically be attracted by the sweet singing of His flute.
Karaa karaa, you should understand this.
Hala and va, lgala and va, karaa karaa, without
karaa there is no karaa. So first is karaa, first Balarmas
plough will be applied and then Ka will attract you through
His flute, with His sweet flute playing as the gops are attracted,
and run at the dead of night to hear the singing of Kas flute. If
there is no karaa, there will be no karaa. So do you understand
now why we have the Ka-Balarma Mandir? Yes. This is the
purport here. Kise pbe rdh-ka? How can you get RdhKa? You cannot get Them without karaa and then karaa.
So there is a very deep purport to this Ka-Balarma Temple
[in Bhubaneswar], the last temple that rla Prabhupda founded.
You should understand it. So many raise this question, Oh, there
is no Rdh. How can you get Rdh? How can you get RdhKa without karaa? First karaa then karaa, and then you
can get Rdh-Ka. This is the most important thing.
It is confidential tattva. It is tattva-vicra. Do you understand
what tattva lies here? You should understand what tattva is here.
The tattva is so deep, so confidential. You cannot get it. You
should understand it.
Ka has said in Bhagavad-gt (9.24), Abhijnanti tattventa
cyavanti te, one who does not know Me in tattva, he cannot enter
into My abode. Again and again he will fall down here. Finished!
It is not easy.
26
Taking Care of
a-
he significance
of Ka and
Balarma plough and
flute is cultivation and
attraction. First Lord
Balarma will use His
plough and repeatedly
cultivate the land. Only
after all filth and nasty
things are destroyed,
the land, which is the
heart, is properly cultivated. Then the land is
ready for the seed, the bhakti-lat-bja, to be sown. Then you,
the ml, or gardener, have to take care of it by regular watering. ravaa-krtana-jale karaye secana if you water the seed
gradually by the process of ravaa and krtana [hearing and
chanting], the seed will begin to sprout. This ravaa, hearing
from the lips of sdhu, Vaiava, guru, crya and chanting
under his guidance, is watering.
TAT T VA V I C A R A P U B L I C AT I O N S
www.tvpbooks.com
www.gourgovindaswami.com