Saṁsāra-dāvānala PRABHUPADA´S SONG.
Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka,
PRAYERS TO THE REAL GURU by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Guruv-aṣṭaka prayers.
When we hear this song, wherever we are and we hear this melody, we automatically associate it with Srila Prabhupada and we meditate on it.
And that should be like that for ISKCON as long as ISKCON EXISTS.
This is the true glorification ceremony for Srila Prabhupada, Jaladuta ceremony, … etc.
Great sports stars when they retire, their shirts, their numbers are removed from the team in his honor.
As each nation has its national song and when this sound all are filled with respect and pride,in the same way this song Saṁsāra-dāvānala should be the hymn of ISKCON dedicated exclusively in honor to Srila Prabhupada.
The GBC should show their love and gratitude to Srila Prabhupada legislating unequivocally that in ISKCON the gurv-aṣṭaka song, the Saṁsāra song is sung and it will be sung forever,only and exclusively in honor of Srila Prabhupada, the savior of all the suffering souls of this Kali-yuga.
This should be a clear RECLAIM of any devotee in gratitude to whom all of us we owe our lives.
Therefore this Gurvaṣṭaka, saṁsāra-dāvānala, we have to sing. (SB 1.3.26 — Los Angeles, October 1, 1972)
If any authority doubt about this then he is not an authority.
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“ONE WHO DOES NOT ACTUALLY POSSESS THESE QUALITIES SHOULD NOT TRY TO ENGAGE HIS FOLLOWERS AND DEVOTEES IN OFFERING HIM GLORY FOR THEM,” (SB 4.15.23)
“TO BE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN…”(Upadesamrta five)
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1.“SO, IT´S NOT A PRABHUPADA´S SONG.”,
“it´s NOT ONLY a Prabhupada´s song”
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2.BUT,FOR US IT´S A PRABHUPADA´S SONG.
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3.BUT IT´S NOT ISKCON SO-CALLED “GURUS” SONG .
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Upadesamrta five:
-“INTELLIGENTLY, ONE MUST SELECT PROPER PERSONS WITH CAREFUL DISCRIMINATION.”
-“TO BE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN…”
-In order to INTELLIGENTLY apply the sixfold loving reciprocations mentioned in the previous verse,
ONE MUST SELECT PROPER PERSONS WITH CAREFUL DISCRIMINATION.
-In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises the devotee
TO BE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī.(Upadesamrta five)
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SB 4.15.23 :Srila Prabhupada’s PURPORT
ONE WHO DOES NOT ACTUALLY POSSESS THESE QUALITIES
SHOULD NOT TRY TO ENGAGE HIS FOLLOWERS AND DEVOTEES IN OFFERING HIM GLORY FOR THEM,
EVEN THOUGH THESE QUALITIES MIGHT BE MANIFEST IN THE FUTURE.
IF A MAN WHO DOES NOT FACTUALLY POSSESS THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GREAT PERSONALITY
ENGAGES HIS FOLLOWERS IN PRAISING HIM
with the expectation that
SUCH ATTRIBUTES WILL DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE,
THAT SORT OF PRAISE IS ACTUALLY AN INSULT.”
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1.FIRST:
.Someone as Jayadvaita Swami, and anyone closely related to him,says about the gurv-aṣṭaka song:
“SO, IT´S NOT A PRABHUPADA´S SONG.”
.An immediate answer of any devotee:
“Of course,Prabhú, I know that this song was not specifically written TO Srila Prabhupada FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
Prabhu I understand so far,but thanks for the help.”
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Also they say THIS SONG IS FOR ALL THE PARAMPARA NOT ONLY FOR SRILA PRABHUPADA.
Answer:
Of course for all the great acharyas, liberated souls, “the parampara system of pure devotees”, “a devotee on the topmost platform, the mahā-bhāgavata stage, and a paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura, a spiritual form only fit to be addressed as paramahaṁsa or ṭhākura.”.(CC Madhya 25.9)
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This song gurv-aṣṭaka prayers ,according to Srila Prabhupada,was written, was composed and dedicated by Srila Viśvanātha Cakravartī THAKURA, a great liberated devotee, to his guru Srila Narottama dasa THAKURA,and describes the qualities of a devotee of the highest degree, paramahamsa-thakura, as Srila Narottama dasa Thakura.
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“Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has taught very, very nicely about guru.
He is example, practical example of guru-bhakti, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura accepted his guru, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.”
Arrival Address — Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:.
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Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura describes THE REAL GURU in this way. SB 5.14.13, Purport
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Prabhupāda:
“This song is offering obeisances PARTICULARLY to the spiritual master, and
THE SYMPTOMS of the spiritual master are described in this prayer.”
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“SO, IT´S NOT A PRABHUPADA´S SONG.”
This is true in a sense.
Guruv-aṣṭaka prayers should be sung by any disciple to any spiritual master who really manifests, in a obvious and evident way, all the good qualities of a paramahamsa-thakura as described in these prayers.
So in this sense, this song is not only to Srila Prabhupada.
Throughout the history of our parampara every disciple could sing this song or similar to his spiritual master who really was a liberated soul, a resident of Krsnaloka, who really had all these qualifications,all these symptoms described in these eight stanzas.
In this sense it is not only for Srila Prabhupada.
This song with its eight stanzas is for anyone of the liberated souls,perfect pure devotees ,of our parampara, “the parampara system of pure devotees”, and not only for Srila Prabhupada.
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2. BUT, IT´S A PRABHUPADA´S SONG:
We are PERSONS,we have feelings towards persons, personalistic,we are not impersonalists,we are not stones, and just like Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thakura dedicated this song especially and particularly to his spiritual master Narottama dasa Thakura,in the same way, under the instruction of Srila Prabhupada, we direct these prayers ONLY AND EXCLUSIVELY TO SRILA PRABHUPADA.
In the same way that for Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura was the song of Narottama dasa Thakura, for us is THE SONG OF SRILA PRABHUPADA.
Here and now, for anyone who is a follower of Srila Prabhupada, since we are personalist ,for all us THIS IS THE SONG OF SRILA PRABHUPADA,the samstapakacarya,founder and acarya,and a resident of Krsnaloka,the only one who really had all these qualifications,all these symptoms described in these eight stanzas, “a devotee on the topmost platform, the mahā-bhāgavata stage, and a paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura, a spiritual form only fit to be addressed as paramahaṁsa or ṭhākura.”.
When we hear this song, wherever we are and we hear this melody, we automatically associate it with Srila Prabhupada and we meditate on it.
And that it will be for ISKCON as long as ISKCON EXISTS
THIS IS THE EXCLUSIVE SONG OF SRILA PRABHUPADA,IN HIS HONOR AND WITH ALL THE GRATITUDE OF ALL THE CONDITIONED SOULS IN THIS KALI-YUGA,NOW AND FOREVER.
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3. BUT IT´S NOT ISKCON
“GURUS” SONG .
BUT IT´S NOT A “ISKCON-GURU´S” SONG.
BUT IS NOT A SONG FOR CURRENT ISKCON GURUS.
By logic and elemental semantic , in honor of the truth, this song with these prayers CANNOT be applied to those who do not have these qualifications of a LIBERATED devotee, as described in these prayers.
Absolutely CANNOT be applied to a kanistha-adhikari devotee,a prakrta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee,nor to a madhyama-adhikari devotee.
It CAN ONLY be applied to one who has all the symptoms described on that song.
Even a child can understand this.
It is not correct to call the iron with the word gold.
This is not education and culture.
Basic education and culture is learning to call everything by its name according to their specific characteristics.
If someone wants to teach me to address the iron metal with the word gold and tells me that I must pay the iron as if it were gold,what do we think?.
Would you pay the iron to the gold price?.
What do we call this?
Applying Guruv-astaka prayers, this definition, this description, to those who do not present the characteristics described in these prayers nobody in their right discrimination accepts it.
If someone describes me the characteristics of gold, but I apply them to a metal that obviously is not gold,such as iron,this is not discrimination, this is to not distinguish or not observe the different characteristics of each object, the differences.
If a song describes a man blond, tall, young, handsome, rich, etc ..,but I am neither blond, nor tall, neither young nor handsome,nor rich…etc,then it is obvious that the song does not speak about me, does not refer to me.
If, despite this, even though I am old, ugly and poor, someone would sing me that song, that’s what is called not be able to discriminate,he is making fun of me, or has no eyes to see.
By definition these sentences can only be sung to the uttama-adhikari and never to other types of devotees,just as Srila Rupa Goswami in his Upadesamrta has advised us
To do otherwise is not science but a dogmatic unfounded ritual,as there are many in many so- called religions.
With this kind of illogical approaches we cannot attract any really intelligent person.
DISCRIMINATING means the natural ability to differentiate.
TO DIFFERENTIATE means the natural ability to distinguish, to see the differences in the characteristics of everything,of each entity.
A DEFINITION is a description of the essential characteristics of a thing, that identify a thing.
One discriminates and differentiates iron from gold because of their different qualities or characteristics.
Nobody is confused and thinks that iron is gold.
If we hear that gold shines that does not mean that everything that glitters is gold.
We must learn to classify and name everything according to their specific characteristics.
After studying gemology,after studying the different characteristics of different gems, an emerald, a sapphire, a rubi..etc,now we must learn to apply this information in practice, in everyday life, and we must learn to distinguish an emerald from a green glass.
A gemologist does not make such a mistake to think that a green glass is an emerald.
Everyone to a greater or lesser extent has the natural ability to understand the different character of different people.
Character is the set of characteristics or qualities existing in everyone,either good qualities or bad qualities.
As a student of gemology, a student of bhakti yoga should learn what are the characteristics of each type of devotee and learn to distinguish each one in everyday life.
Just as not all metal is gold, in the same way not all the devotees have the same devotional level.
Accordingly with Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Prabhupada in Upadesamrta 5 we should learn to differentiate and distinguish between the three types of devotees, kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari and uttama-adhikari and establish a specific or different kind of relationship with each one according to his particular status.
Gurv-aṣṭaka prayers describes the characteristics or attributes, good qualities, qualifications or character of an uttama-adhikari, a maha-bhagavata devotee,a real pure devotee,a siddha-devotee,a devotee actually situated on the perfection of pure devotion.
So technically speaking these prayers should only be recited or sung to those persons situated in this maha-bhagavata platform, people who really have the qualities described in those eight stanzas.
This is normal and natural.
Otherwise, reciting these prayers to people who do not manifest those good qualities of the maha-bhagavata it is ridiculous, it is a contradiction and an absurdity. IT IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL SUGGESTION.A psychological suggestion that does not correspond with reality.A lie.An illusion. That is an ability of the mind.
Similar to think that iron is gold, that a green glass is an emerald…etc.
Doing this is not science but unsubstantiated dogma.
The sastra DISCRIMINATES AND DIFFERENTIATES between three types of devotees.
UPADESA-AMRTA TEXT 5:
-In order to INTELLIGENTLY apply the sixfold loving reciprocations mentioned in the previous verse,
ONE MUST SELECT PROPER PERSONS WITH CAREFUL DISCRIMINATION.
-Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī therefore advises that
we should meet with the Vaiṣṇavas in AN APPROPIATE WAY,ACCORDING TO THEIR PARTICULAR STATUS.
-In this verse he tells us
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE THREE TYPES OF DEVOTEES
the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī.
-This is the way
TO CULTIVATE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE PROPERLY,
therefore in this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised us
HOW TO TREAT VARIOUS DEVOTEES.
-WE CAN SEE FROM PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
that THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VAISNAVAS.
-In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises the devotee
TO BE INTELLIGENT ENOUHG TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī.
One who knows how to distinguish properly,how to discriminate, he is called “AN INTELLIGENT MAN” in SB 4.15.24 and Upadesamrta five…etc.
AN INTELLIGENT MAN
Please read :SB 4.15.23-24.
Actually these prayers when they are recited inappropriately ,that is to individuals not properly qualified ,those who do not possess these qualities,
THESE PRAYERS ARE REMINDING THEM THE QUALITIES THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE,
so this means INSULTING THEM.
It is a mocking irony reciting praises to those who are not worthy of them.
It is like praise his good singing to a dumb,his good sight to a blind,his great speed to a lame … etc
All that is actually an aggressive mockery,INSULTING HIM.
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SB 4.15.23 :Srila Prabhupada’s PURPORT
“Although Pṛthu Mahārāja was factually an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
HE REJECTED THOSE PRAISES
BECAUSE THE QUALITIES OF THE SUPREME PERSON WERE NOT YET MANIFEST IN HIM.
He wanted to stress that
ONE WHO DOES NOT ACTUALLY POSSESS THESE QUALITIES
SHOULD NOT TRY TO ENGAGE HIS FOLLOWERS AND DE VOTEES IN OFFERING HIM GLORY FOR THEM,
EVEN THOUGH THESE QUALITIES MIGHT BE MANIFEST IN THE FUTURE.
IF A MAN WHO DOES NOT FACTUALLY POSSESS THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GREAT PERSONALITY
ENGAGES HIS FOLLOWERS IN PRAISING HIM
with the expectation that
SUCH ATTRIBUTES WILL DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE,
THAT SORT OF PRAISE IS ACTUALLY AN INSULT.”
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SB 4.15.24
TRANSLATION
How could AN INTELLIGENT MAN
competent enough to possess such exalted qualities
ALLOW HIS FOLLOWERS TO PRAISE HIM
IF HE DID NOT ACTUALLY HAVE THEM?
Praising a man by saying that if he were educated he might have become a great scholar or great personality is nothing but a process of cheating.
A foolish person who agrees to accept such praise does not know that SUCH WORDS SIMPLY INSULT HIM.