Return to table of contents page

Chapter Three

Bhajana Real and Apparent

Devotee: I have heard that some Acaryas hold that smarana, internal remembrance, is of prime importance as a devotional service to the Lord, above even kirtana or chanting; or is it subservient to kirtana?

Srila Guru Maharaj: There are some who are of that opinion because smarana is exclusively connected with consciousness, or more concerned with the subtle part of our existence; so that should be the most effective form of sadhana, or means to the end. But our Guru Maharaj, and Srila Jiva Goswami, and also Kaviraja Goswami Prabhu, laid stress on kirtana - especially for the beginners. Guru Maharaj says in his song Vaisnava ke? ('Who is a Vaisnava?'):

kirtana prabhave, smarana haibe,

se kale bhajana nirjjana sambhava

"Internal remembrance can occur by the power of kirtana, and only then is solitary Service possible." Nirjjana-bhajana or smarana, exclusive solitary Devotion unconscious of the environment is not at all possible for beginners. And Srila Jiva Goswami says (Bhakti-sandarbha, sankhya 273):

yadyapy anya bhaktih kalau karttavya,

tada kirtanakhya-bhakti-samyogenaiva.

"In this Kali-yuga, of the nine basic forms of Devotional Practices, the forms other than kirtana certainly should be practiced, but they must be conducted subserviently to kirtana." And this is the principle of Mahaprabhu's preaching. Kirtana has its own special characteristic, particularly in Kali-yuga.

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah

kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet

(Bha: 12.3.51)

(Sri Sukadeva Goswami said) "O King, the age of Kali, the repository of all evils, has but one glorious characteristic: in this age, those who simply chant the Holy Name of Krsna are liberated and reach the Supreme Lord."

Also, Srila Madhvacarya has written in his commentary on Mundakopanisad:

dvapariyair janair visnuh pancaratrais ca kevalam

kalau tu nama-matrena pujyate bhagavan harih

"In Dvapara-yuga, Lord Visnu is exclusively worshiped by the people according to the principles of Deity worship delineated in the Pancaratra Scripture, but in Kali-yuga, the Supreme Lord Hari is worshiped only by the chanting of His Holy Name."

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, when the incarnation of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is mentioned (Bha: 11.5.32), the method by which the people will worship Him is also given:

yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah

Here, yajnah means sacrifice, dedication, which is sankirtana-praya, or sankirtana-pradhana, which means 'predominated by sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the Holy Name'; and this is performed by those endowed with sufficient piety. So, in this age of Iron, kirtana has its own special privilege, granted by the Supreme Lord - Mahaprabhu's speciality is preaching, kirtana. He inaugurated and conducted Hari-kirtana.

So kirtana has been accepted by our Guru Maharaj, Srila Jiva Goswami, and others. To write about the Lord is also within the jurisdiction of kirtana. To preach is assertion - to take the message to others.

So also, to be engaged in answering the questions of the environment automatically demands concentration, which is very rare in this age. When one is doing kirtana, he automatically cannot but give all concentration and attention. He cannot speak independently; intuitively, he must be all-attentive. For this reason, kirtana has been recommended to be the highest form of bhajana, especially in the age of Kali.

bhajanera madhye srestha nava-vidha bhakti

'krsna-prema,"krsna' dite dhare maha-sakti

tara madhye sarva-srestha nama-sankitana

niraparadhe nama laile paya prema-dhana

(C.c. Antya 4.70,71)

"Of all forms of Divine Service, nine forms are superior, which with great potency bestow upon the devotees Love for Krsna, and their personal relationship with Him; and of the nine, the best is Nama-sankirtana. By offenselessly taking the Holy Name, the treasure of Love for the Lord is attained."

Mahaprabhu also accepted five principal limbs from the nine that are mentioned in the Bhagavatam as sravanam, kirtanam, etc.:

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavat-sravana

mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

(C.c. Madbya 22.124)

"Association with the pure devotee, chanting the Holy Name, hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam, residing in Mathura Dhama, and faithfully worshiping the Deity."

So of these five, Mahaprabhu has given Nama-sankirtana the highest position. Nama-sankirtana has been considered best of all. It has been delineated by the Acaryas. That was especially given by our Guru Maharaj, and the basis is supported by the sastra, Scriptures. But if other Acaryas have shown preference for smarana in any instance, that will be in the sense that kirtana may be in the relativity of the material environment, whereas smarana is independent of the material consideration. From that point of view, smarana may be recommended as the highest, but that is not accepted in a general way. It may be a special opinion.

In Caitanya-siksamrta, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has clarified that there are two types of devotees in the stage just prior to attaining the highest plane of Paramahamsa or uttamadhikara. The devotees who cross the middle stage (madhyamadhikara) and reach towards occupying the highest position are called devotees in the stage of premaruruksu. They are classified in two sections - gosthyanandi and viviktanandi (or bhajananandi). The first are always engaged in preaching, and the second take to smarana or nirjjana-bhajana - a solitary life of worship, without mixing with the environment. It does not prove that one is superior to the other. The viviktanandis generally like secluded life and go on with smarana; and those who are of the gosthyanandi type go on with kirtana, preaching, and also attain the highest position without coming to the school of exclusive smarana. Those who have attained the highest plane are known as premarudha.

Imaginary perfection - self-deception

Guru Maharaj clearly said that when we are in a lower position, smarana is injurious. Rather, we should take to kirtana. Kirtana prabhave, smarana haibe, se kale bhajana nirjjana sambhava. The Sahajiya school (imitationists) are more fond of smarana than kirtana. They are 'followers' of smarana. They lead a secluded life, and mentally they go on identifying themselves with a particular sakhi of their own age, her duty, her place of attendance in a particular place of Vrndavana, in a particular lila, under the guidance of a particular sakhi, and so on. They are required to go on meditating on all these things by their so-called guru. That is the process amongst the Sahajiya school, but we do not admit that. We consider it all false and imaginary. They are not fit for the plane. They do not have real sambandha-jnana, knowledge of what is what. They only go on with the habitual repetition of a particular mental speculation, but anartha-nivrtti (purging of evils) or any other process based on it cannot be effected thereby. Their imagined achievement is sheer concoction. They are not aware of the facts - the ontological gradation from Viraja to Brahmaloka, Vaikuntha and Goloka. They are pukura-curiwale - 'pond thieves.' To think one can steal a pond is self-deception. We think that kind of 'smarana' to be something like self-deception.

For example, Srila Gaura Kisora Babaji Maharaj went on with smarana. Once, there was another Babaji who constructed a kutir nearby, a small hut, and he went on imitating Gaura Kisora Babaji, doing madhukari (subsisting on alms), sitting and meditating, and wearing similar cloth. Then once Babaji remarked, "If a lady enters into a maternity ward, she cannot produce a child only by imitating the sounds and symptoms of labor. Many things are necessary before that!" So only by imitating the Paramahamsa Babaji, bhajana cannot be effected. One must have connection with suddha-sattva, the real plane, and then all the higher symptoms may appear. Otherwise, all those speculative antics will manifest.

na uthiya vrksopari, tanatani phala dhari'

dusta-phala karile arjjana

(Kalyana-kalpataru, Upadesa 18)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that if one wants fruits without taking the trouble to climb the tree, what sort of fruits can he expect? The fruits will be ruined, or rotten. Without proper progression, it is all imagination - a madman's feat. One must gradually reach the plane of truth, suddha-sattva. There are so many planes to cross - Bhur-, Bhuvar-, Svar-, Mahar-, Janar-, Tapar-, Satya-loka, Viraja, Brahmaloka. Mahaprabhu says that the creeper of Bhakti grows and rises up to Goloka, and she has to cross all these planes.

upajiya bade late 'brahmanda' bhedi' yaya

'viraja,' 'brahmaloka,' bhedi"paravyoma' paya

tabe yaya tad upari 'goloka-vrndavana'

'krsna-carana'-kalpavrkse kare arohana

(C.c. Madbya 19.153,4)

"The creeper of Devotion is born, and grows to pierce the wall of the universe. It crosses the Viraja river and the Brahman plane, and reaches to the Vaikuntha plane. Then it grows further up to Goloka Vrndavana, finally reaching to embrace the wish-yielding tree of Krsna's Lotus Feet."

But the pseudo-devotees do not care to know what is Paravyoma, what is Brahmaloka, what is Viraja, what is the Brahmanda. Without caring to know about these things, they approach any guru, receive some mantram, and go on meditating. But in such a stage, if one goes on meditating upon Radha-Govinda-lila, instead of entering Radha-Govinda-lila, he will rather entangle with the ladies and gents of this world. He will become entangled in the domain of lust and he will have to go to hell instead of going up to Goloka.

Carmma-mamsamaya - kama, prema - cidanandadhama. The carnal appetite is lust, whereas Love is the Abode of Divine Ecstasy. So imitation is not success. It rather degrades. Imitation degrades. Imagination is only a mental exercise.

Devotee: What if that mental exercise is done with faith?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Mind is separate. Sraddha is connected with soul, atma, and mind is matter. Mind is material: a part of material potency. This is also clarified in Gita:

bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca

ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha

(Bg. 7.4)

Mind is a product of the material potency, and the jiva is a product of parasakti, the principal potency; and Svarupa-sakti, the Lord's Personal Potency, is higher than the jiva. The nature of the mind is mental speculation (manodharma). That has nothing to do with truth. That is drawn from the material world, the world of misconception. The mind is full of misconception (avan-manaso gocarah). Mind cannot reach the stage of feeling or perceiving truth proper. It is only related to mundane things or exploitation.

Devotee: But isn't pure mind a product of sraddha?
Srila Guru Maharaj: Mind cannot be pure, just as a fossil cannot produce life. Similarly, mind cannot produce sraddha. Sraddha is original and fundamental. When the Supreme Lord appears in the heart, mind vanishes. Reality is just the opposite. Darkness cannot produce light: light comes, darkness vanishes. So truth appears when real pure consciousness appears, and mental speculation vanishes. The mind is concerned with misconception. It is an element of the aparasakti, the inferior potency. That potency is both subtle and gross. Earth, water, fire, air and ether are gross; mind, intelligence and ego are subtle; but they're all material. Soul is transcendental. And Svarupa-sakti or the Lord's Personal Potency, bhajana or Divine Service, and Goloka-Vaikuntha are all Supra-mundane and Transcendental - on the other side of the soul, not on the lower side where the mind is located. Mind emerges from the ego, that is, the false ego, and it is made of the exploiting tendency. But Mahaprabhu says, mora mana - vrndavana: "My speculation is on the other side - Vrndavana." That is not an element of this mundane plane.

Devotee: So there is a pure mind?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Properly speaking, the word 'mind' does not deserve to be used in this context at all, otherwise everything will be wrongly equated. The residents of Goloka also possess senses, etc., but the affairs of the mundane world are never one with that. The mundane mentality is a product of exploitation, sense-exploitation.

We need relief from this mind. We are surrounded by poisonous thought. In the narration of the Tridandi-sannyasin in Srimad-Bhagavatam, all the disciplines are common in that the mind should be checked.

danam svadharmo niyamo yamas ca

srutan ca karmani ca sad-vratani

sarve mano-nigraha-laksanantah

paro hi yogo manasah samadhih

(Bha: 11.23.45)

"Charity, constant and conditional prescribed duties, mental and sensual control, hearing the Scriptures, holy vows and duties - all these are observed to gain subjugation of the mind. Mental control is known as the supreme yoga."

Devotee: You were talking about kirtana; I have read that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that japa (private chanting) is also related to kirtana (congregational chanting, or preaching), and also that Srila Rupa Goswami says there are three types of japa, namely manasika or mental, vacika or vocal, and upamsu or whispered. Which is proper for us, and which is the most effective?

Srila Guru Maharaj: In upamsu there is no sound, only movement of the lips; and in manasika there is no lip movement. You ask which is superior of the three types?

Devotee: Yes.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Whatever is internally real will be superior. Japa must be genuine, not imitative. Our attention should always be towards the negative side. If we can practice that in a real way, our promotion cannot be checked. But without qualification, if we are very eager to go upward, there will be a tendency to fall down. Dasyaya te mama raso 'stu raso 'stu satyam: "May I have the aspiration for servitude." For bhajana or internal Service, such a temperament should always be followed. Tad dasa-dasa-dasanam dasatvam dehi me prabho.

Promotion is inevitable if we always try to adhere to the lower duty. Eagerness for promotion is the enemy. That is for pratistha (renown), and that will undermine everything. Srila Prabhupada said that imitation arises from the attraction for pratistha or desire to hold the superior position and acquire a name for oneself. That is the great enemy. Don't fall prey to that pratistha, eagerness to hold the higher position. Rather, dainyam - humility, is the healthy sign of a devotee.

Devotee: Maharaj, we see in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa that sometimes the glories of silent chanting are mentioned, and then in other places we see that the glories of chanting very loudly, as in the case of Haridasa Thakura, are extolled. So, what is the adjustment?

Tangible Depth in Divinity

Srila Guru Maharaj: Only a theoretical understanding won't help you much. Try to catch the spirit of the thing. When backed by the sadhu, the Guru of very high type, you can do anything. By the grace of his support, whatever kirtana, etc., you may do, will be effective. Meditating may have been praised as more efficient in a particular context, but if you venture to superficially try and chant in that way, the opposition will be so great you'll be nowhere - you will turn to be an atheist. It can happen if you don't have sufficient support to fight against the odds. Don't venture to attack the enemy when your position is weak. But when backed by the great generals and many munitions, you must march on. That will help us to engage in real kirtana.

The real factor is sadhu-sanga. It has association with the higher power. Otherwise, nothing has any value. The stand must be taken on the real plane - sadhu and sastra. We must cultivate the real thing. That is the all-important factor always to keep up the reality of the bhajana. For the weaker devotee, the sadhaka or aspirant, the greatest necessity is sadhu-sanga, and the Scriptures are necessary for knowledge. Sadhu-sastra-krpa. Then kirtana will be best.

Vrndavana Dasa Thakura says that one feeds himself, another feeds thousands and feeds himself. Who's the greater? Kirtana is to cultivate oneself and help many others to cultivate at the same time. But when you have no capital of your own, if you go to preach you will meet such opposition, asat-sanga, that the ankura, the bud, will be nipped. In that case, if you are kanistha-adhikari, neophyte, don't go to attack others without vigorous backing. Kirtana means to preach, or to attack others in a sense. Don't venture, as kanistha-adhikari. You'll be turned into an atheist. Only after passing through the proper stages - sravana-dasa, varana-dasa, sadhana-dasa and prapana-dasa (the phases of hearing, acceptance, practice, and attainment) - then you can preach independently (apana-dasa). Otherwise, only with the help of someone in prapana-dasa can you go to preach.

We should have an immovable connection with reality, an absolute conception of reality. Such a stable position is necessary. Invulnerable. A sure position, what is what - sambandha jnana. Then we shall be able to understand and harmonize the differences that we find in the writings of the Acaryas; what applies where - under what circumstances a particular line has been advised to be taken up, and under what circumstances another has

been advised. Practical knowledge.

Humility

Devotee: Maharaj, this morning we were talking about humility. What is the perfection of humility for the kanistha-adhikari?

Srila Guru Maharaj: It may vary for different persons. So one has to think out his own way. Humility means 'to not encroach on the rights of others.' And also, it should not be such as to kill one's own self. It must be natural.

At the time of entering the present Bagh Bazaar Math (of Sri Gaudiya Math in Calcutta), there was a festival. From a rented house, the Deities were brought on a chariot in procession. There was chanting and dancing, and the Deities were installed in the new Temple. Mahaprasadam was distributed. At twelve or one o'clock that night we went to bed. My bed was just nearby the bed of one of my Godbrothers, a learned professor. He was very humble. In the morning, the professor said to me, speaking very slowly, "Last night, I felt so much weakness that I thought I was dying. I thought that I would arouse

you, but then again I thought, 'No, why should I disturb the Vaisnava? He's so tired tonight, and having his rest, so let me wait'; and after waiting a little I gained some strength, so I did not have to disturb you. But I'm still very weak now." Very slowly, and soberly, he told these things. He was dying, and he did not arouse me, only for fear of disturbing my rest.

When I heard these things from his lips that morning, although of course he put it very gently, it struck me like thunder! I at once went to Prabhupada and informed him that such was the case: "A gentleman was almost dying last night - but he was too meek to disturb me." Prabhupada and the devotees also knew of our professor Godbrother's nature. They took the matter seriously and immediately called for a doctor.

Sometimes I think such humility to be dangerous. The disciple's life is a valuable property of his Guru Maharaj's, not merely his own. He's not to be concerned with only his interest, but he should live in the interest of his Gurudeva. I could not appreciate such humility.

Everything must be of a real characteristic - connected with reality. I am thirsty - perhaps I won't request any Vaisnava, "Please help me with a glass of water." Then my disease may continue, for the sake of penny-wise pound-foolishness. Common sense should be utilized always.

Devotee: Just before Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj left the world, he was in Vrndavana. He was lying on the bed, unable to eat anything; his condition was so bad he could barely take even a glass of water. But I marked that when anyone visited him, he would, even in that condition, always say to the devotees, "Give them Prasadam." He himself could not eat anything -

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes, he wanted to travel through the whole of Vrndavana and circumambulate Govardhana by bullock-cart. But Krsnadasa Babaji Maharaj's help was sought, and he came and was somehow able to dissuade him from that plan. Despite his serious condition of health, Swami Maharaj wanted to go to all the places of Lila like Radha-kunda and Govardhana, offer obeisances, and return.

So the fact is that anything in connection with God - all types of bhajana - all are good. We are not against anything of that type. But we must consider what will be most effective according to our capacity. At the same time we must not commit any offense by omission. If we say that smarana is superior and that the other types of bhajana like pada-sevana, etc., are of a lower order, how can we be so audacious as to condemn them in such a way? Still, we may distinguish very cautiously, but not merely to satisfy our curiosity. Only when the necessity arises shall we venture to establish the superiority of Laksmi over Sukadeva, or Ambarisa, and so on. But we must not venture to make light of such matters. These are all serious points.

To consider one Vaisnava over another is not a game: the points are very subtle. They are devotees, and we must not venture to place one above the other according to our crude necessity. It is not an academic exercise that as a professor we shall amass some theoretical knowledge to quote to the students. It should not be accepted in that line. We shall always be conscious of the practical side: "They are so great, and where am I? Who am I passing judgment over?" There should be some limit to our adventurous audacity.

Devotee: My friend was relating last night that you once said 'humility is accepting no position.'

Srila Guru Maharaj: Yes. 'No position' because a servant has no independent position - his position is always on the command of the master. He's always situated within infinite possibility. But he's humble to his master, not to the goondas (rogues). His humility must be chiefly towards whom? "I am humble, the lowest of the low, to whom? Towards my master. I am humble towards the Lord's own, the Vaisnava. I am humble there." When

it is necessary for Hanumanji to burn the golden city of Lanka, his humility is not disturbed. He is as humble as anyone can be in carrying out the order of Lord Ramacandra. He is fully given, wholly surrendered.

Humility, in other words, is surrendering. Humility means no opposition to the command of the master who is related to Vaikuntha, the upper section; not to the ordinary street zone, or tiger, or serpent. Humility does not drag them into the relativity of the serpent, tiger or jackal. Their real relationship is with the Vaisnava. That is the plane where the devotee takes his stand. He's concerned with the Vaisnava. And 'humble' means that he does not resist his master's instruction. Without opposition, he carries out whatever order comes to him. He is humble. He possesses humility, sunicata. He is not sitting on a seat of prejudice. Generally we think of humility as pertaining to the outside world, but this is not the meaning. To the standard-thinking person, the members of the outside world are deluded they are mad. Humility is not in the standard of madness, or catering to the mad people. A madman has no standard of his own. So humility means to have a standard from the standard world. Do you follow?

Devotee: Yes.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Prabhupada has defined humility as 'that which is absent where there is a spirit of enjoyment.' Enjoying spirit, or exploitation, means aggression. There, there cannot be humility. Humility is only cent-per-cent Service. There is no humility in exploitation, or renunciation either. These two are opposed to the normal nature of the world. They are totally misconceived. They are enemies. They are the challenging element to the normal reality. Do you understand?

Devotee: Yes.

Srila Guru Maharaj: The spirit of exploitation and the spirit of renunciation - both are a revolt against the proper smooth working of the truth. So they are totally misconceived. And real humility must be in the relativity of the full aspect of the truth, not with the misconceived world. The standard is not of the misconceived, the madman.

Devotee: Yes. What about spiritual aggression? Like competition. There's a competitive spirit between two persons who are doing the same thing. Then where's the place for humility there?

Srila Guru Maharaj: There will be humility if it is really Service, because its object is the Center. The devotee feels his inspiration and direction from there, and cooperates accordingly. He is connected with the Absolute Center, so competition may be arranged by Yogamaya.

He is not responsible because his necessity is only for the Center. As we discussed, the Absolute is designed that way, but not out of necessity. Aher iva gatih premnah, svabhava-kutila bhavet. It seems to be crooked, but it is not; it is the very nature of absolute dealings. It is necessary only for the variegatedness of the Service of Krsna. It is designed from the upper quarter. The devotees are not responsible for that.

Devotee: So we must not infringe on the property of others. There may be competition, but we should not infringe on the property of others?

Our Duty

Srila Guru Maharaj: Our duty will always be to dedicate ourselves more and more intensely - and we shall do that according to how we may be interfered with by the higher agency. We must always keep ourselves ready for that. Cent-per-cent we shall obey the handling from the upper house, without any hesitation. That is our duty. Whatever will be asked of us, we shall do.

On the battlefield, if the general asks a particular battalion to fight in the first battle, and they say, "Why shouldn't the second battalion be commanded to go? Why should we go first? We shall die, and they will rejoice the victory in the last battle? Why should we go first?" What do you say?

Devotee: That is not dedication.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Of course. The military will shoot you then and there! "That is our consideration from above; it is not left to you whether Battalion 1, 2, 3 or 4 will go." Only the highest brains have command. Complaint against that high command means to die - to be done away with immediately.

Devotee: So, Maharaj, Arjuna followed the instructions of Krsna without question - whenever Krsna ordered him to shoot, he did so. He faithfully followed whatever instructions he received. In one incident, Yudhisthira did not follow the instructions of Lord Krsna; but when the five Pandavas were on the mahaprasthana or voluntary journey to court death, Arjuna fell prior to Yudhisthira. Why did Arjuna have to fall?

Devotion - relative and Absolute

Srila Guru Maharaj: That is not the criterion of the highest devotion. Yudhisthira's achievement was a separate thing. Devotion proper is not connected there. That is some worldly affair of sattva-guna. Yamaraja, in the form of a dog, went on - but Arjuna had to fall, Bhima had to fall. The test was something else, connected with the mundane world. And they went to Svarga, Heaven.

That is not the highest attainment, but only a show of the outer case of the Pandavas. Really, the Pandavas are sakhas or friends of Krsna, but their going to Svarga is a separate outward affair. When the Pandavas reached Svarga, they saw that Duryodhana and others had already arrived there. Although the position of Duryodhana and company was much lower - they were the enemy camp - nonetheless, after death they all achieved their good and honored position in Svarga.

Yudhisthira went with his old body of sattva-guna, worldly goodness. A ksatriya who dies on the battlefield is rewarded with life in Heaven. Yudhisthira went there, keeping his mortal body, although the others had to die first in order to take appropriate forms for that plane. But the plane was only that of sattva-guna, Svarga, and not the aprakrta or Transcendental Planes of Vaikuntha, Dvaraka, Mathura or Goloka.

Similarly, it is also mentioned in the story of the Kesavatara (Incarnations from hair) that Lord Visnu gave a boon that a black and a white hair from his head would go and save the Earth from the horrors of the burden of sins she was suffering from. Those hairs are said to have taken the forms of Krsna and Balarama. They took up those two robes, but in that instance They are only Bhu-bhara-haranakari Avataras, or Descents

appearing to relieve the Earth of its burden, and not Svayam Bhagavan or the Supreme Lord in Person. The Lord as He is in Vrndavana is entirely distinct.

So also it has been seen in many instances that the outer case is one thing, the inner man is another. The lower personality is absorbed. Just as when the prime minister comes to the city, the state governor's function is absorbed in him, if he wishes. When the king comes to visit the colony, all the officers' powers really vanish in him. Whatever he does must automatically be done by them, their own respective personalities dead. So when the higher descends into the lower case, the lower case loses its value. Then, when it retires, the lower case remains and the higher case ascends.

*

Nitai-Gaurahari bol! We pray to Nityananda Prabhu. We want to come to an adjusted, former position: "If I have committed any offense, aparadha, when dealing with so many subtle things about the great personages, please, Nityananda Prabhu, absolve me of that offense and restore me to my normal humble position."

sarva-vaisnavera pa'ye kari namaskara,

ithe aparadha kichu nahuka amara

Vrndavana Dasa Thakura says, "I bow at the feet of the Vaisnavas; may there be no offense in my attempt to serve them."

When we deal with so many great things, such as trying to speak about great personalities of the highest order, we should beg Nityananda Prabhu to pardon us for our audacity. He is patita-pavana, savior of the fallen souls. He is adosa-darsi - He generally does not take any offense.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread - where angels fear to tread, fools rush in. Like fools, we rush into the subtlemost realm of sentiments of the high order; so we must beg to be excused by the High Personalities. Apasiddhanta or philosophical adulteration strikes very harshly. It was Svarupa Damodara's Service to first examine any poems or writings for purity before they were taken to Mahaprabhu. If writings with apasiddhduta were offered to Mahaprabhu, He would be disturbed in a very cruel way. Apasiddhanta cruelly attacks the ideal of the higher-thinking persons.

There is a narration by Kalidasa about a king who required a palanquin carrier. At random he selected a man from the crowd, not knowing that the man was a learned man, a pandit. When bearing a corner of the palanquin, the man did not carry it steadily, due to his avoiding the ants on the road.

The king inquired,

"Skandam kim badhati?" (Literally, "Do you shoulder [sic] hurt?").

The pandit replied,

"Na tatha badhate skandam yatha badhati badhate" - "My shoulder doesn't pain me as much as your 'pain' (your grammatical misuse of badhati for badhate)!"

So, subtle beating is there in the higher sphere, in the higher sentiment. They may be offended. We shall, not with curiosity but with all humility and all respects to Them, try to enter into that garden without disturbing any plant or person roaming in that sphere. Otherwise our talks will be pure intellectualism, and not Harikatha.