Nectar of Instruction 1986 edition changes:
BBT has deleted Sanskrit verses, color plates, references, index,Sanskrit pronunciation guide and glossary from Srila Prabhupada’s Nectar of Instruction
Friday, July 16, 2021, Disappearance day of Sri Vakresvara Pandita
Srila Prabhupada explains the Glories to Sri Vakresvara Pandita, compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
śrīvāsa, haridāsa, rāmadāsa, gadādharamurāri, mukunda, candraśekhara, vakreśvarae-saba paṇḍita-loka parama-mahattvacaitanyera dāsye sabāya karaye unmattaSYNONYMSśrīvāsa—Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura; haridāsa—Haridāsa Ṭhākura; rāmadāsa—Rāmadāsa; gadādhara—Gadādhara; murāri—Murāri; mukunda—Mukunda; candraśekhara—Candraśekhara; vakreśvara—Vakreśvara; e-saba—all of them; paṇḍita-loka—very learned scholars; parama-mahattva—very much glorified; caitanyera—of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; dāsye—the servitude; sabāya—all of them; karayeunmatta—makes mad.
TRANSLATIONŚrīvāsa, Haridāsa, Rāmadāsa, Gadādhara, Murāri, Mukunda, Candraśekhara and Vakreśvara are all glorious and are all learned scholars, but the sentiment of servitude to Lord Caitanya makes them mad in ecstasy.Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 6: The Glories of Sri Advaita Acarya : Adi 6.49-50
vakreśvara paṇḍita--prabhura baḍa priya bhṛtyaeka-bhāve cabbiśa prahara yāṅra nṛtya
SYNONYMS
vakreśvara paṇḍita—of the name Vakreśvara Paṇḍita; prabhura—of the Lord; baḍa—very; priya—dear; bhṛtya—servant; eka-bhāve—continuously in the same ecstasy; cabbiśa—twenty-four; prahara—a duration of time comprising three hours; yāṅra—whose; nṛtya—dancing.
TRANSLATION
Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, the fifth branch of the tree, was a very dear servant of Lord Caitanya’s. He could dance with constant ecstasy for seventy-two hours.
PURPORT
Srila Prabhupada answers – “Is Hatha-Yoga same as Bhakti Yoga?”
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Five thousand years ago, a person like Arjuna declined, “Oh, it is not possible for me.” And so many rascals they are trying that yoga system. That is not possible.
Lecture on BG 4.1 — Montreal, August 24, 1968
Prabhupāda: Karma means sense gratification and bhakti-yoga means Kṛṣṇa’s satisfaction.
Devotee: Well, karma-yoga…
Prabhupāda: Karma-yoga means just to dovetail your karma with yoga principles to arrive to the bhakti-yoga.
Devotee: To eventually arrive.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is karma. That is not bhakti-yoga. But the aim is to arrive at the bhakti-yoga. Is it clear? That’s all. Just try to understand in this way. It is very good.
Devotee (2): Is it the same thing with haṭha-yoga?
Prabhupāda: No, haṭha-yoga is not bhakti-yoga.
Devotee (2): No, but…
Prabhupāda: Haṭha-yoga is a process for making the mind under control if it is properly performed. But generally it is in the name “haṭha-yoga.” I have… Several times… In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, haṭha-yoga, how it is to be performed, that you have to perform in a sacred place, alone in a secluded place, sitting like this, seeing like this, eating like this. Who is following those regulations? Nobody is following. So they are, simply it is going on under the name of “yoga,” but actually, nobody is following the principles. That is difficult. That is not possible in this age. Now suppose if you have to perform haṭha-yoga in a secluded place, in a sanctified place and alone. Who is fulfilling these three conditions? Ekākī yata-cittātmā. Ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Śucau deśe. Śucau deśe means very sanctified place. Samaṁ grīvam. This body and the, I mean to say, neck, and the śiraḥ, śiraḥ means this head—they should be in a straight line. And you cannot close your eyes fully. You have to half-close and see the top of your nose. In this way, you sit down always. Never go to sleep. I have seen in my childhood yogi in Calcutta, Kālīghāṭa. He was twenty-four hours sitting. When he was feeling uncomfortable, he had a wooden cot,(?) like that. But he was never sleeping. That is yoga practice. Who is going to do that? It is very difficult. Therefore Arjuna said, “Kṛṣṇa, You are recommending this yoga practice, but it is impossible for me to do.” Five thousand years ago, a person like Arjuna declined, “Oh, it is not possible for me.” And so many rascals they are trying that yoga system. That is not possible. Yes.
Guest (Indian man): …whether my karma or my life is for satisfying senses, how it is going to help for Kṛṣṇa. To connect Kṛṣṇa through devotion. Then you can know…
Prabhupāda: Yes, first of all you have to connect yourself with Kṛṣṇa, then you act according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa.
Guest: And if I surrender to the devotees…?
Prabhupāda: Certainly. Yes.
Srila Prabhupada speaks out against Bhagavad Gita changes –
“We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change.
Why should you change? What right you have got to change?”
“So if you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that is mad-āśrayaḥ. But if you interpret Bhagavad-gītā according to your rascal imagination, that is not Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is called mad-āśrayaḥ, “Under My protection, as I am tea . . .” We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change. Why should you change? What right you have got to change? If Bhagavad-gītā is a book of authority, and if I make my own interpretation, then where is the authority? Can you change the law book according to your interpretation? Then what is the meaning of that law book? That is not law book. You cannot change. Similarly, if you accept Bhagavad-gītā as the book of authority, you cannot change the meaning. That is not allowed. What right? If you have got some opinion, if you have got some philosophy, you can write in your own book. Why you are, I mean to say, killing others and yourself by interpreting Bhagavad-gītā? You give your own thesis in a different way. But these people, they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret in a different way according to their own whims. Therefore people do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difficulty. And the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is to understand Kṛṣṇa. And all the so-called scholars’ and politicians’ commentary is to banish Kṛṣṇa or to kill Kṛṣṇa—the Kaṁsa’s policy. The Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him. This is called demonic endeavor. So that will not help you.”[27th April 1974,Lecture BG 07.01 – Hyderabad]
There are two manifestations of our spiritual master one is vapu and the other Vani.
Vapu means personal association and Vani means through his words and instructions.
Continue readingSB 3.25.44 purport…One whoactually wantsto be liberatedfrom the entanglement of this material world and go back home, back to Godhead,is actually a mystic yogī.….If there is a lack of knowledge and renunciation, it is to be understood that one is not in full devotional service.The conclusion is thatone cannot be sure of entranceinto the spiritual realm—in either the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence of the Lord or the Vaikuṇṭha planets within that Brahman effulgence—unless he is surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.The surrendered souls are called akuto-bhaya. They are doubtless and fearless, and their entrance into the spiritual kingdomis guaranteed.
Srila Prabhupada’s siddhanta: “A guru can become guru when he is ordered by his guru. That’s all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.” (See below references 1, 2 and 10.)
SPS: “Mundane votes have no jurisdiction the elect a Vaisnava acharya. A Vaisnava acharya is self-effulgent, and there is no need of any court judgment.”Prabhupada authorized the GBC to select (or dismiss) representatives (ritviks), who initiate on His behalf.No one can be guru without the direct order of Krishna or His perfect devotee. (See below references 1, 2, 10 and 15.)
SPS: Lord Caitanya ordered His followers to become “gurus” by asking everyone they meet to chant Hare Krishna. He never ordered all devotees to initiate their own disciples. Even Lord Caitanya’s eternal associates, like Sri Gadadhara Pandita, refused to initiate disciples without a direct order from Lord Caitanya. Many great devotees never initiated their own disciples. (References 2 and 3.)
SPS: “Only a topmost devotee, a maha-bhagavata, is eligible to occupy the post of guru.” (See below reference 4.)
SPS: The genuine spiritual master is never to be regulated or disciplined by ecclesiastical boards. (See below reference 5.)
SPS:“There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down…”–“The bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession since time immemorial.” (See below references 6 and 18.)
SPS: A genuine disciple never rejects his spiritual master. (See reference 7.)
SPS: “Srila Jiva Goswami advised that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.” (See below reference 8.)
SPS: “Guru is one. He has no independent ideas or opinions.” (See reference 9.)
SPS: “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord.” (See below reference 10.)
SPS: “The spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Radharani or a manifested representation of Sri Nityananda.”Only such a Vaisnava can impart transcendental knowledge into the heart of a disciple. (See below references 4, 7 and 11.)
