MADHU BINDAVAH

TO BE CONSCIOUS OF OUR HIGHEST PROSPECT

The value and the process explained.

By Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

yadi gaura na hata kemane ha-ita
kemone dharitam dehe

A wonderful expression. The future is going to influence the past. Already he was existent, but the prospect he has come to is such that he says, “Kemone dharitam dehe: if such valuation had not come to me, then how could I bear a body in the past?” By saying this, the speaker who says this shows that he is a parsada, that he already had a scent of the thing. “I had some peep of prospect of this nature in my life. This sort of fulfilment I had suppressed in my life, and I was searching after that. Now after finding this I have come to the conclusion that my bearing this body has been successful. In other words, at last I have found the fulfilment of the inner search of my heart. The thing of my inner search, my innermost search, at last I have come to that. Gauranga has given that fulfilment of my innermost demand, my thirst. So, He is mine. Without Him, none should have any conception of life.”

janmiya se kene nahi maila
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: Adi-lila, 13.123)

“The thing is here, and if anyone cannot have it, what is the worth of their life? They should better have died. They should have died if while living they cannot come in touch with such a valuable thing. They should have died. Janmiya se kene nahi maila: whenever they were born, they should have died if they could not come to their eternal prospect and fulfilment.”

This sort of expression comes to show us about the extraordinary wonderful characteristic of our goal in Krishna. Our goal in Krishna is of such type, and the devotees are giving descriptions of it in different ways, sometimes wonderful, and sometimes strange. How is it to have the fulfilment of life? One feels that without it, one should not live. It is felt to be of that value to Krishna, and to the devotee.

The canvasser is to take the choicest thing for canvassing in the market, and the capitalist also may be astonished by their choice and sometimes show gratitude to them, “You have represented such highly valued things of Mine to others so much so that I was not Myself conscious that such things were in Me! You have taken from My storehouse so many tasteful things. Were they in My store? Your choices have made Me realise I am even more valuable than I thought, so I submit to You. You have found in Me such beautiful things that I cannot but feel proud. By Your touch, by Your connection, these beautiful things have been discovered in Me. I am in wonder.”

This may also be possible. Such is Krishna’s obligation towards Radha, the wholesale dealer. There are partial dealers of different groups, and then there is the wholesale dealer of every commodity available in the store, that wholesale dealer.

krsna na paya para
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamṛta: Madhya-lila, 8.184)

Krishna Himself cannot measure the greatness of Radharani. So, our Guru Maharaj asked you to keep Her on your head in reverence. Don’t be bold enough to approach Her directly.

pujala raga-patha gaurava-bhange
(Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur)

From a respectful distance, try to keep Her and Her group above you. Don’t rush towards that thing; it is not of that type.

How valuable are those who worship Krishna in this way, in raga-marga, the way of love? Such loving service, prema-seva, is not an ordinary thing and not a mechanical thing. So, don’t try to finish it or to limit it. It is unlimited. Don’t rush to enter it. Don’t trespass. Don’t commit offence. This is the prospect of your life, life after life. Deal with it in this way. In the Infinite, everywhere is centre, nowhere circumference. Don’t try to put any circumference on it. Think of the centre of your prospect.

dasyaya me raso ’stu raso ’stu satyam
sakhyaya me namo ’stu namo ’stu nityam
(Vilapa-kusumanjali: 16)

“Let my respect be towards a friendly connection with the supreme master. Let me have respect for a friendly connection, and let me pray to my own self, ‘Try to connect in service, to have a service connection, a taste for service. Try always for that. Expressively invite service and learn to give respect to friendly service. Don’t venture to tread your feet in that plane. “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Don’t be a fool, but try to follow the angels. Always keep it on a higher, respectable level, and try to connect yourself through service.’”

When Prataparudra began his service apparently menially as a sweeper, Mahaprabhu came to embrace him. We should not forget that; that is the very backbone of devotion. Always towards lower services. Automatically from the other side the choice comes for you from the higher plane. Don’t try to force yourself in there, but show your modest tendency to go to the lower level. It is the duty of the higher to take you to the proper place. So, “Dasyaya me raso ’stu: may my sincere attraction be towards lower service, the service of a servant.” But I must be conscious of friendly service. I should show respect to that. That should be our attitude. We must have knowledge that that is high but I am not fit. It is high, and I am not fit. So many Vaisnavas of higher character are there. I must engage myself on the lower level. Then, automatically the yogamaya party—they are not sitting idle—will forcibly take whoever will be fit and put them in some particular higher plane. They are not inanimate objects. They are all conscious. So, your modesty will not be ignorantly accepted as unfitness. Have no fear of that.

References

yadi, gaura na hata tabe ki ha-ita
kemane dharitām de
radhara mahimā prema-rasa-sima
jagate janata ke
(Sri Vasudev Ghos)

“If Gaura had not come, what would have happened? How would we have borne our bodies? Who would have revealed to the world Rādhā’s glory and the depth of Her ecstatic divine love?”

paiya manusa janma ye na sune gaura-guna
hena janma tara vyartha haila
paiya amrtadhuni piye visa-garta-pani
janmiya se kene nahi maila
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: Adi-lila, 13.123)

“The birth of those who received a human birth but did not listen to Gaura’s glories was fruitless. Why did those who reached a river of nectar but drank water from a poisoned well instead take birth at all and not simply die?”

yara saundaryadi-guna vanchhe laksmi-parvati
yara pativrata-dharma vanchhe arundhati
yara sad-guna-ganane krsna na paya para
tara guna ganibe kemane jiva chhara
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamṛta: Madhya-lila, 8.183–4)

“Satyabhama desires for Her fortune. The Vraja-gopis learn the art of love from Her. Laksmi and Parvati desire Her beauty. Arundhati desires Her chastity. Krsna does not reach the end of Her divine qualities. So, how can an insignificant soul count them?”

matala hari-jana kirtane-range
pujala raga-patha gaurava-bhange

“Intoxicated with the joy of sankirtan, souls surrendered to the Lord worship the path of love in the posture of reverence.”

padabjayos tava vina vara-dasyam eva
nanyat kadapi samaye kila devi yache
sakhyaya te mama namo ’stu namo ’stu nityam
dasyaya te mama raso ’stu raso ’stu satyam
(Vilapa-kusumanjali: 16)

“O Devi! I never pray for anything other than the exalted service of Your lotus feet. May I bow, may I bow forever, to friendship with You. May I relish, may I truly relish, service to You.”