Tomorrow is the last day (of Kartik) of this year. So we have to examine how far we have got progress in the bhajan we are doing for about a month.

Second period of Devotional Practice (2nd Yama Sadhana)

Morning Worship: sādhu saṅge anartha nivṛtti

Gradual procedure has been shown here by Bhakti Vinod Thakur how we can get Krishna Prema. First it starts with Sraddha. Now (in the second period) association of bona fide sadhu is essential. Next, you have got firm faith, we will give you the service of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. (This service is bestowed by) His Grace-Incarnate form, we cannot get it by our own caliber. Association of bona-fide sadhus is necessary who has got one-pointed devotion to Supreme Lord, by serving Supreme Lord all are served. This is the original qualification of a sadhu. If this is absent he is not a sadhu. And taking shelter of a bona-fide Guru, bona-fide Guru and bona-fide Sadhu are identical, Suddha bhakta, by his direction you have to serve. They, Supreme Lord’s Grace-Incarnate forms will take you to Supreme Lord. They appear as Grace-Incarnate forms to grace the conditioned souls of this world. That is the procedure. And as per his direction you will have to perform bhajan. Among the various forms of bhajan the highest form is Nama Sankirtan. By doing Nama Sankirtan you can remove all ulterior desires, only desire should be to satisfy, satiate Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. There should not be any other desire. Conditioned souls have got false ego and false desires and for that they are designated as conditioned souls, the enslaved jiva. They have the misconception of the self, I am this body, bodily interest is my own interest, that sort of thinking. They deter their progress in bhajan by doing all false devotion, particularly Harinam. They have to remove all other ulterior desires. This is the second period of devotional practice. You have to practice it, not only reading.

nāma grahaner kālākāla-vicāra nāhi
nāma sarvaśakti samanvitā

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśi tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ
(2rd Verse of Sri Shikshastaka)

It has been made so easy for the conditioned souls. They have got no point now to complain. They have born in this Kali yuga, black age is very unfortunate. In one sense we are very fortunate. We can easily get the objective by doing Nama Sankirtan, only calling Krishna from the core of the heart, perturbation of separation grief, then He will come from the heart.

O Supreme Lord! Certainly Your Holy Name bestows all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. There should be firm faith in this. (If we think) Oh by doing Name, only by uttering Name we cannot get, then there is no firm belief. You will get everything, all eternal welfares you can get by doing Harinam. So we are always doing Nagar Sakirtan in this month, is the highest form of bhajan. How we can do Harinam? The Original Names have descended to this world out of compassion. Chant Original Principal Names, not secondary Names like Brahma, Paramatma, by which you will not get benefit, which have direct and indirect relation with this material world. But Transcendental Vaikunta Nama has no relation with this material world. Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, are all Names from Goloka Vrndavan. Nama Himself will take you to Goloka. By Namabhasa (glow of the Holy Name) one gets emancipation. Jnanis (those who strive to attain Lord through Knowledge) do not get belief in this and say, we do so much penance but do not get emancipation and just by Namabhasa it is attained, they think it is a lie. They argued with Haridas Thakur. Haridas Thakur convinced them that not just all sins get eradicated, also it becomes a means to emancipation. Emancipation which is not attained even after thousands of years of penance is attained simply by Namabhasa. But if there is no purity you will not get the desired fruit. Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, in various Names, Lord has appeared in this world. All powers have been given to Harinam. Why are you hesitating to do Harinama? Any moment we may lose this chance. Even human beings of golden age, Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga, silver age bronze age, they also desirous of being born in this Kali Yuga for its special qualification that you can get your highest objective Krishna prema by doing Harinama. You should not lose this chance. Certainly Your Holy Name can bestow all fruits and all powers have been given and there is no restriction. No conditions have been imposed. You can do it now, or you can do it later in the day time, in the afternoon, in the night, any time, any where and in any circumstance you can do Harinam. By lying on the bed you can do Harinam. You will get everything if you do with firm faith. If you do without firm faith then it is deceitfulness. Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and our Scriptures, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vedavyasa Muni, they are not telling lies. They are not deceiving the world, their act is not such. You should have firm belief in the instruction. In this way you chant you will get their grace. Such is the great mercy of the Supreme Lord. In spite of their so much grace, we give up chanting of the Holy Names. By getting so much privilege to do Harinama, by only calling Names you can get everything. But if we are unfortunate then we will not have the liking to do Harinama, because of our tenfold offenses to Harinam. Greatest offense is offense to the lotus feet of Krishna and Guru, and you should be very careful in this regard. Supreme Lord will not permit severe offense. This is not for teaching others, we have to practice ourselves. Then ideal character we will have, which will have beneficial influence over others. It is unfortunate that we have got no liking to chant Harinama, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is expressing His regret for this.

aneka-lokera vāñchā — aneka-prakāra
kṛpāte karila aneka-nāmera pracāra
khāite śuīte yathā tathā nāma laya,
deśa-kāla-niyama nāhi sarvasiddhi haya,
sarvaśakti nāme dila kariyā vibhāga,
āmāra durdaiva nāme nāhi anurāga
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.17-19)

ekanta bhaktera mātra kīrtan-smaraṇa,
anya parve ruchi nāhi haya pravartana

Bhakti Vinod Thakur has written in Bengali translation of the evidence given in Hari Bhakti Vilasa. A Pure Devotee who has got one-pointed devotion to Lord (ananya bhakta) has got liking only to perform devotion of chanting and remembering (sravan and kirtan). He has no taste to perform any other form of devotion. This is the characteristic of a Pure Devotee. By kirtan itself all other forms of devotion are accomplished. The main purpose of all forms of devotion is the remembrance of the Lord. If there is no remembrance of the Lord, then there no real essence in the practice of any of the forms of devotion. ‘smartavyah satatam visnur visamartavyo na jatucit sarve vidhi-nisedah syur etayor eva kinkarah’ (Padma Purana). The purpose of doing bhajan is to remember Krishna. If you forget, then that is not the purpose. You should not do anything with un-mindful mind. If your mind is somewhere else and you are uttering, that utterance has got no effect. With attention, with thinking and remembering, this is the qualification of the mind, to remember.

ekānta bhaktera mātra kīrtan-smaraṇa,
anya parve ruchi nāhi haya pravartana

Somehow we shall finish this vow. Oh when it will be finished, we are counting days, counting days. It is day after tomorrow, somehow or the other, we feel relief. It is a great burden, if you think like this, then you are not doing this vow from the heart, somehow to finish it quickly quickly. In this way you cannot get progress in bhajan. With full attention with full desire this one month vow will continue for the whole year, for all times to come. Not to just finish, after tomorrow we will be relieved. Then we shall have no such burden. This is a big burden. We cannot take rest, we have to rise up early, we have got no rest, no proper food at proper time, so much difficulty, when it will be over, when it will be over, counting days. It is not good.

ekānta bhaktera mātra kīrtan-smaraṇa,
anya parve ruchi nāhi haya pravartana,
bhāvera sahita haya śrīkṛṣṇa-sevana

Those who have got one-pointed devotion they will serve Krishna with stable loving relation, delightful relation. There are five principal relations, of them four are prominent, dasya sakhya vatsalya and madhur, permanent relation. Automatically you will serve, no body need to give impetus to you, not that forcibly you have to be engaged in service, you will do automatically.

ekānta bhakatera kriyā mudrā rāgodita,
tathāpi sei saba nāhi vidhi vipirīta

Raga means great love and inner urge, desire for service. By getting service he will become very much satisfied. Through out day and night Suddha Bhaktas are serving, yet they are dissatisfied, we have not been able to serve, we have not been able to serve, like that. But those who have got no desire for service if they do something, one service, I have done many things, now let me take rest, like that. When the service will be the actual requirement, you feel it that it is the only way to getting contact with Radha and Krishna and other extended forms, our Guruvarga, then you cannot engage yourself in other things except service of Krishna and His devotees.

sarva tyāga karile o chārā sukaṭhina,
pratiṣṭhāśātyāge yatna payibe praviṇa

We can give up everything, but desire for Name and Fame is difficult to give up. It is most dangerous. By it all devotion is destroyed. Those who desire prestige feel pain when they are deprived of it and may conduct himself in such a manner that he may commit offense to Guru and Vaishnavas. It is worst than the desire for wealth and women. So many reasons have been given.

prabhate gabhīra rātre madhyāhne sandhyāye,
anartha chāriyā lao nāmera āśraya

Desire for Name and Fame has been extremely condemned by our Guruvarga. You have to think about this. So we should give up that last snare of maya, very strong snare of maya. By getting respect from the conditioned souls of this world what benefit you will get? They are enslaved jivas of this world, they have got inferior ulterior desires, material desires, and they will give respect to you, you are running after them, what for? You have to see to the Vaishanvas, ‘vaishnavai pratistha tate kara nishta taha na bhajibe labhibe raurava’, otherwise you may have to go to hell, to inferno. So in this regard our Guruvarga and Param Guruji Prabhupad has given so many reasons and warnings that because of our false ego there are chances of committing offenses.

ei rūpe kīrtana smaraṇa jei kare

In this way one who utters the Holy Name or speaks about the glories of Supreme Lord and remembers Him, then he can get the grace of Krishna. Soon you will get. Krishna is eager to grace us. If you are sincere Krishna will come, He is always very eager to grace. We do not want the grace of Krishna and His devotees. Then very easily we can get deliverance from the clutches of maya.

śraddhā kari’ sādhu sange kṛṣṇa-nāma laye,

With firm faith, in association of bona-fide sadhus you have to do Krishna Nama. Then all ulterior desires will be removed. Our Gurudev and Prabhupad graced us by ‘Sadhu Sanga ashray’. Earlier there was no need; such association was available at homes. They saw the future, anticipated a situation where those who want to perform bhajan will not get any place to pursue sadhana, only a few particular homes will be special, and staying at home will not facilitate sadhana and if reside in secluded place who will rescue if one performs bad actions. So said, to perform kirtan in sadhu sanga.

anartha sakala jāye niṣṭhā upajaye,

All ulterior desires will be destroyed and the total concentration of mind will be on the Object of Worship Krishna and Krishna bhakta. Fixation of the mind on the Object of Worship, next higher stage will be attained.

prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sadhana

Then after getting this qualification after doing Sankirtan rightly, along with that you should think about the eternal morning pastimes, second period of thinking about the morning pastimes of RadhaKrishna. By thinking, by thinking your love for Krishna will be increased.

Morning pastimes of Radha-Krishna

rādhāṁ snāta-vibhūṣitāṁ vrajapayāhūtāṁ sakhībhiḥ prage
tad-gehe vihitānna-pāka-racanāṁ kṛṣṇāvaśeṣanām
kṛṣṇaṁ buddham avāpta-ḍhenu-sadanaṁ nirvyūḍha-go-dohanaṁ
susnātaṁ kṛta-bhojanaṁ saha-caraistaṁ cātha tāṁ cāśrye
(Sri Govinda-lilamrta)

Every morning Radhrani comes to Nanda Bhavan taking bath and dressing Herself in fine clothes and ornaments, all for Krishna’s pleasure, not to show to others. Yashoda Devi calls Radharani. Yashoda Devi herself can cook, also has desire to cook. But she has heard that Radharani who is the source of all, has got blessings of Durvasa Rsi that whoever eats the food cooked by Her their life span will increase. So Yashoda Devi with the desire to increase the life span of her child calls for Radharani. This is called Vraja Prema, she does not see Krishna as Supreme Lord, sees Him as her child. So Radharani comes and also Her sakhis and engage all their time in seva. Also they are singing the glories of Lord’s name, form, qualities and pastimes, chanting of the Nama is the great festival of Gokul, Gokula-mahotsava and along side seva also. They do the cooking with great love and so Krishna likes that very much. After Krishna has taken the food His remnant prasad Radharani honors and feels very happy and blissful relishing Krishna prasad. We are conditioned souls and our in auspiciousness will go and auspiciousness will come, we do chanting of the Holy Names, but what is not offered to Lord in bhog we desire to eat those things too. Devotees ask for Harinama, but say we cannot give up eating things like onion etc. Why should we eat things which is not acceptable to the Lord? If we take only medicine but do not follow the diet prescribed, what benefit can be derived? Even in the material world it does not happen so. Doctor gives medicine but also tells about diet to be followed so that you are cured. Proper diet, prasad you have to take. Our Object of Worship Radharani teaches us how we should lead our life. We take shelter of such Radharani.

Like how devotees have love for the Lord, Lord also has love for His devotees, they have mutual relation. Lord sleeps and wakes up again and again to give pleasure to His devotees. Krishna wakes up in the morning and goes with His friends (sakhas) to cow-shed to milk the cows. Cows are all eagerly waiting for His darshan and association. There the whole place is transcendental. After milking the cows they all return. Krishna and His friends are not different, in One there is variegated-ness. So, all of them are our Worshipable. So with all His friends He sits down for breakfast. Now it is time to go to the forest to graze the cows and the calves. After Gopastami Krishna has begun grazing the cows also and not just calves. So they sit together for breakfast. When they go to nearby places, they have their breakfast after returning from grazing. When they go very far for grazing cows, they take packed breakfast with them, like this. Here Yashoda Devi feeds Krishna and His friends. We take shelter of such Krishna who is devoted to His devotees.