Hare Krsna to All
Pranams
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
After reading this during morning prasadam I just HAD to share it with others. The scene in the book Jaiva Dharma, by Bhaktivinode Thakur, is set up by the Thakur as a question- answer session between two great souls. Here it is…
Vrjanatha- What is the final destination of those who worship
Sri Gauranga?
Raghunatha- Sri Krsna and Sri Gauranga are non different in terms of tattva. They are the same Absolute Truth and both are the fountainheads of madhura rasa, nectarean, honey like mellows. However there are two ways in which madhura rasa manifest. madhura, transcendental conjugal sweetness and audarya, transcendental magnanimity. When madhurya is pre eminent, Sri Krsna is manifest and when audarya is prominent, Sri Gauranga is manifest. In the original Vrndavana, Goloka there are two symmetrical halves-Krsna pitha the abode of Sri Krsna and Audarya pitha the abode of Sri Gauranga. In Krsna pitha reside those jivas whose devotional mood is primarily madhurya appended with audarya-they are the devotees of Sri Krsna.
In Gaura pitha reside those jivas whose devotional mood is most pronouncedly audarya supported by madhurya. They are the eternal servitors of Sri Gauranga.
In certain cases, some eternally liberated souls are present simultaneously in both the pithas, through svarupa vyuha, personal expansions.
In other instances particular parsadas participate in one pitha in their spiritual form being absent in the other.
Devotees who worship ‘Sria Gauranga exclusively in their period of sadhana attain Gaura pitha when they are liberated and perfect. Whereas those who worship Sri Krsna exclusively in their period of sadhana serve in Krsna pitha after liberation.Then there are those devotees in their period of sadhana worship both Sri Krsna and Sri Gauranga. After obtaining liberation they acquire two transcendental forms and serve Sri Krsna in Krsna pitha and Sri Gauranga in Gaura pitha simultaneoulsy. This is the divine and confidential mystery of the inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference of Sri Krsna and Sri Gauranga.
(pg 276 Jaiva Dharma.Tranlation by Sarvabhavana das)
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(Now here below is what Srila Prabhupada has to say)
Adi 8.31 Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, very quickly he is cleansed of all offenses. Thus as soon as he chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, hefeels the ecstasy of love for God.
PURPORT Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks in this connectionthat if one takes shelter of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu andNityananda, follows Their instructions to become more tolerant thanthe tree and humbler than the grass,and in this way chants the holy name of the Lord, very soon he achieves the platform of transcendental loving service to the Lord, and tears appear in his eyes. There are offenses to be considered in chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but there are no such considerations in chanting the names of Gaura-Nityananda. Therefore, if one chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra but his life is still full of sinful activities, it will be very difficult for him to achieve the platform of loving service to the Lord. But if in spite of being an offender one chants the holy names of Gaura-Nityananda, he is very quickly freed from the reactions to his offenses. Therefore, one should first approach Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, or worship Guru-Gauranga, and then come to the stage of worshiping Radha-Krsna. In our Krsna consciousness movement, our students are first advised to worship Guru-Gauranga, and then, whenthey are somewhat advanced, the Radha-Krsna Deity is installed, and they are engaged in the worship of the Lord. One should first take shelter of Gaura-Nityananda in order to reach, ultimately, Radha-Krsna. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings in this connection:
gauranga balite habe pulaka sarira hari hari balite nayane ba’be nira ara kabe nitaicandera karuna ha-ibe
In the beginning one should very regularly chant Sri Gaurasundara’s holy name and then chant the holy name of Lord Nityananda. Thus one’s
heart will be cleansed of impure desires for material enjoyment. Then
one can approach Vrndavana-dhama to worship Lord Krsna. Unless one is
favored by Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, there is no need to go to
Vrndavana, for unless one’s mind is purified, he cannot see Vrndavana,
even if he goes there. Actually going to Vrndavana involves taking
shelter of the six Gosvamis by reading Bhakti-rasamrta-
Vidagdha-madhava, Lalita-madhava and the other books that they have
given. In this way one can understand the transcendental loving affairs between Radha and Krsna. Kabe hama bujhaba se yugala-piriti.The conjugal love between Radha and Krsna is not an ordinary human affair; it is fully transcendental. In order to understand Radha and Krsna, worship Them and engage in Their loving service, one must be guided by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and the six Gosvamis, Lord Caitanya’s direct disciples. For an ordinary man, worship of Sri Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu
or the Panca-tattva is easier than worship of Radha and Krsna. Unless
one is very fortunate, he should not be induced to worship Radha-Krsna
directly. A neophyte student who is not sufficiently educated or enlightened should not indulge in the worship of Sri Radha and Krsna or the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. Even if he does so, he cannot get the desired result. One should therefore chant the names of Nitai-Gaura and worship Them without false prestige. Since everyone within this material world is more or less influenced by sinful activities, in the beginning it is essential that one take to the worship of Guru-Gauranga and ask their favor, for thus despite all his disqualifications one will very soon become qualified to worship the Radha-Krsna vigraha.
It should be noted in this connection that the holy names of Lord
Krsna and Gaurasundara are both identical with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Therefore one should not consider one name to be more
potent than the other. Considering the position of the people of this
age, however, the chanting of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s name is more
essential than the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra because Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the most magnanimous incarnation and His mercy
is very easily achieved. Therefore one must first take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by chanting sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda.
Gaura-Nityananda one is freed from the entanglements of material
existence and thus becomes qualified to worship the Radha-Krsna Deity.
Adi 8.32 Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, is greatly magnanimous. Unless one worships Him, one can
never be liberated.
Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura here remarks that one should
not give up the worship of Radha-Krsna to worship Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. By worshiping either Radha-Krsna or Lord Caitanya alone,
one cannot become advanced. One should not try to supersede the
instructions of the six Gosvamis, for they are acaryas and very dear
to Lord Caitanya. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura sings:
rupa-
kabe hama bujhaba se yugala-piriti
One must be a submissive student of the six Gosvamis, from Srila
Rupa Gosvami to Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. Not following their
instructions but imagining how to worship Gaurasundara and Radha-Krsna
is a great offense, as a result of which one clears a path to hell. If
one neglects the instructions of the six Gosvamis and yet becomes a
so-called devotee of Radha-Krsna, he merely criticizes the real
devotees of Radha-Krsna. As a result of speculation, he considers
Gaurasundara to be an ordinary devotee and therefore cannot make
progress in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Radha-Krsna.
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690923BA.LON Lectures
So Bhaktivinoda Thakura happens to be acaryas, one of the acaryas. And he has left behind him many books. Caitanya-siksamrta, Jaiva Dharma. These are very important books.They’re in Bengali, in Sanskrit. And many songs. He has prepared many books of song. The song, Ei nam gaya gauracand madhura svare, that is Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s song. So we are trying to present Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s books also in English translation. Gradually you will get it.
So Bhaktivinoda Thakura happens to be acaryas, one of the acaryas. And he has left behind him many books. Caitanya-siksamrta, Jaiva Dharma. These are very important books.They’re in Bengali, in Sanskrit. And many songs. He has prepared many books of song. The song, Ei nam gaya gauracand madhura svare, that is Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s song. So we are trying to present Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s books also in English translation. Gradually you will get it.
