By the causeless mercy of Śrīla Guru-pāda-padma and the unlimitedly merciful rūpānuga Guru-varga, rāgātmika Vrajavāsīs, and the rāgānugā-bhaktas, we are present in Vṛndāvana-dhāma, having completed our month-long observance of Kātyāyanī-vrata for one month.
Śrīla Gurudeva’s teachings are present in his books, and the literature of the Gosvāmīs. How can the jīva collect everything and progress in his life? Gurudeva makes this available for us through the Vaiṣṇavas, and they give us the strength to follow Gurudeva’s instructions. One is very lucky who accepts the help of Guru-pāda-padma, the advice of Guru and Vaiṣṇavas, and collects this nectar from them. Such a person will progress in life.
I will try to speak about a few important things. Kṛṣṇa Karunya Prabhujī has asked me some questions, and requested me to illuminate this subject matter. I am very lucky to receive any instruction from the Vaiṣṇavas. Such instructions and association is the merciful prasādam of the Vaiṣṇavas, and is only obtained by very fortunate people.
From the first to ninth canto, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains many things. Then, in the 10th Canto, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes kṛṣṇa-līlā. He wanted to help Parikṣit Mahārāja and so many thousands of ṛṣis who were present there, and also for the so many hundreds and thousands and millions of people who were to receive the message of the Bhāgavatam in the future.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī revealed how to achieve residence in Vraja, the shelter of the Vrajavāsīs, and the eternal service of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. How can one become one-pointed in the service of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa?
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said:
naitat samācarej jātu
manasāpi hy anīśvaraḥ
vinaśyaty ācaran mauḍhyād
yathārudro 'bdhi-jaṁ viṣam
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.30
[One who is not a great personality should never imitate the behavior of great, ruling personalities—even mentally. If, out of foolishness, an ordinary person does imitate such behavior, he will simply destroy himself, just as a person who is not Rudra would destroy himself if he tried to drink an ocean of poison.]
“One should not remember, hear, think of, or speak of rāsa-līlā. One who does so will fall to a very degraded state. Śiva Ṭhākura is capable of drinking poison without losing his life, but ordinary people can never do this.” Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, “You should not imitate this rāsa-līlā, even mentally.” But why did he himself speak this tenth canto, and especially, about the rāsa-līlā? What is the cause?
He next said:
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito 'nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.39
[Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord's playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvana will attain the Lord's pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.]
Only rāsa-līlā is helpful for the jīvas and the sādhakas. The sādhakas and jīvas have so much fire of lust in them. This disease has been with them for millions of lives. They do not know where or how to use their kāma. They misuse this, and suffer the fearsome result. They move for millions of lives in the cycle of birth and death. They never become satisfied.
kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās
teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ
utsṛjyaitān atha yadu-pate sāmprataṁ labdha-buddhis
tvām āyātaḥ śaraṇam abhayaṁ māṁ niyuṅkṣvātma-dāsye
CC Mad 22.16/BRS 3.2.35
Lust, anger, and all anarthas, are many fires that burn inside of us. We follow these desires for millions of lives, but our desires never give us any relief or liberation. This fire increases more and more. To our last day, we will burn in this fire. Even when we are leaving our bodies, our desire to sin does not leave us, and wherever we take birth next, we will start anew our lusty activities.
How can we get liberation from this cycle? We try to do bhajana and sādhana, but after, we jump in hell, into sewer plants, and think about these sewer facilities day and night. What is the meaning of bhajana? We are only focused on the sewer. Our goal is only to enjoy the sewer plant.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī described rāsa-līlā to help us be relieved of kāma-roga. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is glorified as follows:
yaṁ pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyaṁ
dvaipāyano viraha-kātara ājuhāva
putreti tan-mayatayā taravo ‘bhinedus
taṁ sarva-bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munim ānato ‘smi
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.2
[I offer praṇāma to Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who can enter the hearts of all living beings. When he left home without undergoing the purificatory processes, such as accepting the sacred thread, his father Vyāsa cried out, “O my son!” As if they were absorbed in that same feeling of separation, only the trees echoed in response to his call.]
He is a sage sitting in the hearts of all beings. All the sages were in front of him, and he knew the condition of all of their hearts.
Everyone is only thinking of lusty activities. They are brahmcārīs, sadhus with dreadlocks, and old, but lust is still within them. By haṭha-yoga we cannot control our senses and be free from lust. We cannot get liberation. Yoga, bhoga, karma, jñāna, or any process cannot relieve us of our kāma. Only Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives the remedy—the pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and the gopīs.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī strongly told Mahārāja Parikṣit, “Hear me! In Tretā-yuga, many sages chanted gopāla-mantra, and had audience of Rāmacandra. They said we have love for You, please accept us. But Rāmacandra said no. He said, ‘If I accept you, you will only want to do body business with Me. You are not free of this desire.’
ei ta eka kalir chela, nake tilaka, galaya mala
Sahaj bhajan kacen mamu, sanga laiya parer wala
In this kīrtana, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote the nature of bogus sādhus in kali-yuga, and all yugas. There are always bogus sādhus, who are not free of lust.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, “I will give the remedy for this kāma and see who wants to follow my advice.”
But everyone is afraid. Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, “Hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ.”
How can our heart-disease of lust be relieved? How can we get liberation from this?
ramyā kācid-upāsanā vraja-vadhū vargeṇa yā kalpitā
How did the vraja-vadhus perform worship, achieve sannyāsa, and become free from all desires? We can be cured when we hear those pastimes, and follow them point-by-point with great respect and faith—śraddhānvitaḥ anuśṛṇuyāt atha varṇayed yaḥ.
First, sraddhānvita—faith must come. After this, anuśṛṇuyāt. Whoever has faith, love and respect, you should hear from him. You should not hear from so many bogus people that are in the world. They have no realization. They do not practice anything themselves. You should not hear vraja-līlā from them. This is the condition.
Śraddhānvitaḥ anuśṛṇuyāt atha varṇayed yaḥ. After you hear faithfully, you should repeat this. You should practice, and when you have deep faith, love, and respect, you should repeat these things to others.
If you have no faith, you will cheat people. You will tell people something, but act in another way. You will be a great destroyer in this world. You will wear tilaka, mālā, and shave your head, but where is your love? Your love is only for sense gratification.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not like this. He is Yogeśvara, the greatest of yogīs, and knows the hearts of everyone. He said, “All the sādhana-siddhas gopīs came to Vṛndāvana. They received darśana of Kṛṣṇa, in the early morning. Kṛṣṇa went with the sakhās house to house, before the sun rose. When they slept, He would pinch them, and when they walked, He would joke with them. They were all babies; their love however, is eternal.
When all these programs went on, their love increased more and more. You must began from childhood:
kaumāra ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.1
[One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful and beneficial because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.]
When you are old, how can you follow bhajana if you have not started in youth?
The gopīs were now two or three years old, and they had intense love for Kṛṣṇa. They knew that others would try to cheat them, to share their love, and try to enjoy them. Therefore, they were very scared. Each of them thought, “How can my love be one-pointed for Kṛṣṇa? How can my love be fixed? How can I not be cheated by others?”
Do we think like this? Gurudeva gives us guru-mantra, and all the activities of bhakti, but we do not think how we can protect ourselves. We lose everything, carelessly. We do not think about progressing in our spiritual life. The gopīs had practiced for millions of lives, then, taking birth in Vraja Bhūmi, they met with Kṛṣṇa. Now, their hearts were clean completely. They were two or three years of age, and had very powerful affection for Kṛṣṇa.
The small gopis thought, “When we become a little older, desires will come to us. Our family members are enjoyers. By staying with them, automatically the nature of being a sense-enjoyer will come to us.”
This is why sādhus stay in an āśrama, with like-minded people. In family life, one cannot control himself, for everyone is an enjoyer. They spread the desire for sense enjoyment to everyone.
Sādhu-saṅga is different however:
tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān
santa evāsya chindanti mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ
[For all these reasons, intelligent people reject detrimental association and associate instead with saintly persons. This is because saintly personalities, with their powerful and virtuous instructions, cut unholy, material attachments from the heart and thus dispel all the distress they cause.]
Intelligent people should come to sat-saṅga, where the sādhus are present. When one is with the pure devotees, with Baladeva Prabhu who is sat-svarūpa, as soon as the fire of lust and anger attacks, they will be destroyed by the sādhus’ influence. Śukadeva Gosvāmī described this to help us attain liberation from lust.
The gopīs were suffering on the bank of the Yamunā, praying for relation only with Kṛṣṇa. Then Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī came. She knows the heart of everyone. She gave this mantra, and said, “Chant this for one month. Then your path will be natural, and spontaneous. First you must practice this by force, but then it will become natural. Helpers will come to you. A good friend will come to assist you in everything.”
After chanting for one month, the gopīs received darśana of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa gave them an exam. They all received a 100% result. Kṛṣṇa said:
na mayy āveśita-dhiyāṁ
kāmaḥ kāmāya kalpate
bharjitā kvathitā dhānāḥ
prāyo bījāya neśate
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.22.26
[The desire of those who fix their minds on Me does not lead to material desire for sense gratification, just as barleycorns burned by the sun and then cooked can no longer grow into new sprouts.]
Whoever thinks of Me, even if they have lust collected from millions of lives, that lust will be destroyed. Lust will no longer be able to come to them.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī taught Parikṣit Mahārāja and all the sages present before him. Kṛṣṇa gave this boon. Lust is one’s enemy. But, by relation with Kṛṣṇa, this lust will be destroyed. Kṛṣṇa said, therefore:
na mayy āveśita-dhiyāṁ
kāmaḥ kāmāya kalpate
bharjitā kvathitā dhānāḥ
prāyo bījāya neśate
Kṛṣṇa is the parama-puruṣa:
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.3.10
[A person with broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desirous of liberation, must by all means worship the Supreme Whole, the Parama-puruṣa]
With lust, without lust—anyhow, you must absorb your mind in Kṛṣṇa. You must go to Kṛṣṇa. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you liberation from everything. Then, like a seed or grain that has been fried—afterwards, it cannot sprout. It will never grow into a plant.
Unless you remove this lust, how can you perform bhajana? You will do bhajana day and night, but in the end, your result will be zero! Your lust will take you to the sewer plant. You will be one-pointed and fully attached to that. To be free from this, follow the gopīs example of this Kātyāyanī-vrata.
We heard who Kātyāyanī-devī is. We do not follow Durgā, Kālī, Pārvatī, Bhavānī, or any other goddesses, but the goddess named Kātyāyanī was manifested by the Supreme Lord Himself during very important times. She is a very special manifestation.
In the Vāmana Purāṇa, Harivaṁśa Purāṇa, and Viṣṇu Purāṇa, it is described that Viṣṇu Himself manifested Kātyāyanī because the world was filled with many demons who were tormenting innocent beings. They were careless and fearless. They wanted to kill Viṣṇu, Śiva, Brahmā, and all pious people in the world. They wanted to steal Lakṣmī. This is their only goal, only how to enjoy more and more. They will eat protein, take injections, and take so much rich food, just so that they can be a stronger enjoyer. Demons do not want to be bhakta, they want to be śakta, very hard, and able to enjoy hour after hour. This is demonic tendency.
To cut this sinful nature, Viṣṇu manifested Kātyāyanī. She has 18 hands. Viṣṇu gave her power to protect anyone who wanted to cross māyā, to go above māyā, and to serve God in His own abode. People perform strong sādhana for attaining God, but they have one weakness, lust. So we must pray to be relieved of this. Viṣṇu said to Kātyāyanī, “You should help them be free from this lust.”
Vṛndā-devī therefore gave the gopīs this mantra:
kātyāyani mahā-māye
mahā-yoginy adhīśvari
nanda-gopa-sutaṁ devi
patiṁ me kuru te namaḥ
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.22.4
Mahāmāyā does not come to the gopīs. They are sannyāsīs, mahā-yogiṇīs. They are related to mahayogini-adhīṛvari, and they give up everything for the service of Kṛṣṇa.
People come to the āśrama, near guru and sādhus, and they give up everything worldly, but here they make one room, then two rooms, then one temple, two temples, and then ten temples, many disciples, and many large bank balances—but is this called sannyāsa? Is this called renunciation? They follow yoga and bhoga, exercise, and build their bodies. Are these sannyāsīs? If one has a little attachment for something, it is very difficult to give up. This is not renunciation or sannyāsa.
The gopīs practiced this renunciation from their childhood. Kṛṣṇa told them to give everything up. He said, “You went naked inside the Yamunā. Why won’t you come to Me naked then? What are you attached to your body? Give up all attachment.” When they followed his instruction, Kṛṣṇa blessed them to be free from all lust.
Gāndhārī called her son to come naked before her, but Duryodhana covered his loins. Durvāsā told Kṛṣṇa that he wanted to smear his kṣīra remnants all over His body, but Kṛṣṇa did not allow Durvāsā to smear the sole of His feet with his remnants. But the gopīs gave everything. Then Kṛṣṇa said:
na mayy āveśita-dhiyāṁ
kāmaḥ kāmāya kalpate
bharjitā kvathitā dhānāḥ
prāyo bījāya neśate
If you want to be free from lust, then follow this vrata. If you want to enjoy, you may criticize. Do whatever you like. I have not given instruction to follow this. This is given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. My responsibility is only to tell you the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to tell you how you can become related to Kṛṣṇa, and be free from all your worldly desires. Upon going to that place, you will have no tension. You will have no material attraction or affection. You will be engaged in sweet pastimes in Vraja, relishing aprākṛta cinmaya-rasa.
ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis
tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
This ānanda-cinmaya-rasa is present in saṅkīrtana.
saṅkīrtana-rase mete’ nāma bilāilo
nāmera hāṭe ese preme jagat bhāsāilo
This is so sweet. Day and night, you will sing, dance, play, and experience so much bliss of rasa. Kṛṣṇa is so pleased with this. If anyone follows this saṅkīrtana movement, Kṛṣṇa is so pleased with him. A person will realize how sweet this is by following it himself.
Vraja-līlā can be experienced in this saṅkīrtana. Vraja-līlā and rāsa-līlā is not about enjoyment, or about any sexual relation. This līlā-rasa is superfine, transcendental, and beyond all mundane considerations. One who does not understand this cannot enter the Gauḍīya line, nor understand the Bhāgavatam. He cannot enter bhakti and bhajana.
People criticize day and night. They insult others, taunt them, tease them, and say, “Alas, alas!” But they are not seriously following anything and do not have transcendental knowledge.
Guru-pāda-padma distributed this vraja-rasa and vraja-prema everywhere he went. He called everyone to Vraja-maṇḍala to help them understand this vraja-bhakti. Gurudeva is a rāgātmika Vrajavāsī. If anyone has love for him, then he should try to follow his footsteps. He who does so will follow the Vraja-devīs mood of worship—ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhū vargeṇa yā kalpitā. One who does this is truly nearby Gurudeva, and has relation with him.
This is very secret and serious. It is a very powerful vrata. If a person does not want to follow this vrata, what is the problem? He will continue moving throughout the cycle of birth and death, floating in māyā, for millions of lives. If you like, then go. Go into that cycle. Embrace and kiss māyā. Drink māyā-rasa. Shower yourself with māyā-rasa. You can take the beating of māyā if you like. She will beat you with a broom and with her shoes. You cannot give this up. You have no strength. But if you follow this vrata, you will be very strong. Great power will come to you. You will be protected. This is Kṛṣṇa’s promise. If you follow this, then you will be liberated from all mundane relations and attachment.
I do not order anyone to follow this vrata. You can follow what you like. If you want to follow bhajana, and want to renounce material attachment and relations, becoming free from all worldly things, then you can reach that goal by follow this vrata. You can do as you like. You can let millions of more lives pass, as they have already, without following the footsteps of the vraja-gopīs.
The personified Vedas, Upaniṣads, Śrutis, and the sages in Daṇḍakāranya, came to Vraja, and followed this vrata. The personified Scriptures themselves have showed us this example. This is the process to become related with Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārānī. Eternally perfected beings, nitya-siddhas, do not have to follow this. But this sādhana is essential for those sādhakas in this world who want to be freed from lust and all these anarthas.
Our vrata is now practice, starting from kindergarten class. We learn the alphabet, and basic subject matters. We learn the five vowels and then all the consonants. The five vowels represent the five rasas: śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and mādhurya.
We should strive to be related with the gauḍīya-paramparā by understanding the conception of the Gauḍīya line. Guru-pāda-padma has kindly given a very good opportunity to practice and follow his mood. Many cheaters come. Many disturbances come. But we are very lucky to be sitting here, in the shelter of Gurudeva, following bhakti in his guidance. If we do not properly perform sādhana, then we will be akṛtajñya, ungrateful, hypocritical cheaters.
How can we thank Gurudeva? Thanking him by words is not enough. We must follow what he desires for us. We must take shelter of his lotus feet, and try to cross māyā. We must strive to understand Gurudeva, and enter our eternal service of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. We pray for this always.
Tomorrow, we will hear more from the other Vaiṣṇavas. This helps us come close together. If anyone has any questions, or ideas, we will discuss them, and remember the instructions of Gurudeva.
[CC-by-NDNC Bhakta Bandhav]