Professional Documents
Culture Documents
THE
GAUDIYA
Spiritual Monthly
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Vol. LV MARCH 2012 No. 7
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One Whose Face is as brilliantly shining, as it were, more than
crores of full moons, Who is the very supramundane full moon creating
high tides in the Ocean of Nectarine Bliss thereby making the devotees
float into it and Whose Nectar-showering smiling is, as it were,
beaming lit upon the lily of the Love-pregnanted-souls to such Sri
Chaitanyachandra we take our shelter with full-self-surrender.
Srila Prabodhnanda Saraswati
THE GAUDIYA 2 MARCH 2012
The eternal
friend servitor will
regain his position
as such. The
personal attendant
servitors wil meet
their Master and
offer their confi-
dential services, for
sheer love. The
confidential service offered by the neutral
entity will indirectly be directed to the
Absolute without any recognisance on the
part of the unalloyed individual spirit.
The different readings of the Vedanta
under true guidance will give us the result
that Personal i ty of Godhead i s not
approached by identifying oneself with the
transcendental Effulgence (Brahman)
coming out from the transcendental Body
of the Absolute and that the all-engrossing
features (Paramatma or Uni versal
Godhead) are but a part of the Absolute in
Whom a freed soul does not merge. After
such association the devotional aptitude will
have a free play to join as a transcendental
factor of His Pastimes. He is the very
Emporium of all potencies and the resortive
ocean of all sorts of love. The detachable
border-land potency, though liable to come
under the clutch of a disposition to enjoy
Natures products and to welcome them as
temporary servitors, can get a true direction
by exchanging the enjoying mood for eternal
devotion. The transcendental manifestation
as well as the transformable mundane
mani festati ons are si mul taneousl y
incorporated in the Absolute and differ from
Himself like the rays of the sun and the
glowing disc. The isolated individual phase
of the servitor is eternally associated with
Him. The analogy is drawn from the sun. The
spirit, the glowing disc, the emanated rays
and the penumbra are the four aspects
concerning the sun and inseparable from the
existence of the sun. So the manifested
world has association with the integral
position of the Absolute. True devotion
should be the method of reaching Him, where
all activities of the freed souls should tend
finally to the eternal service to please their
Absolute Object of service. The one phase
of harmony of the Absolute need not be
metamorphosed into rupture, by courting
different phases of the goal.
The Supreme Lord Shri Kri shna
Chaitanya, by inculcation of His loving attitude
towards absolute infinitesimals has disclosed
the reading of the Shrimad Bhagavatam as
a standard light-house in our journey of life
through the rough waters of the phenomenal
ocean.
A temperament for renouncing all
uncongenial phenomena has been ordained
by instructing philosophers and theologians.
The imaginary ideas of blind salvtionists who
had no occasion to witness the Absolute
Truth have not been approved by the
Supreme Lord, but He has advised us to
acquaint ourselves with the reading of
Krishnas Pastimes and to direct our services
to the Adhokshaja; and in that case our
feeble limbs and senses cannot claim to
approach Him unless we have a true serving
mood. We woul d f ai l t o of f er our We woul d f ai l t o of f er our We woul d f ai l t o of f er our We woul d f ai l t o of f er our We woul d f ai l t o of f er our
services to Him, if we think that our services to Him, if we think that our services to Him, if we think that our services to Him, if we think that our services to Him, if we think that our
preent acqui si ti ons are enough to preent acqui si ti ons are enough to preent acqui si ti ons are enough to preent acqui si ti ons are enough to preent acqui si ti ons are enough to
approach Hi m Who has al ways approach Hi m Who has al ways approach Hi m Who has al ways approach Hi m Who has al ways approach Hi m Who has al ways
reserved the right of not being exposed reserved the right of not being exposed reserved the right of not being exposed reserved the right of not being exposed reserved the right of not being exposed
to t he mundane act i vi ti es of t he to t he mundane act i vi ti es of t he to t he mundane act i vi ti es of t he to t he mundane act i vi ti es of t he to t he mundane act i vi ti es of t he
enjoyers of matter and motion. enjoyers of matter and motion. enjoyers of matter and motion. enjoyers of matter and motion. enjoyers of matter and motion.
Pithy Precepts of Srila Prabhupd
THE GAUDIYA 3 MARCH 2012
Thus Spake Srila chryadeva
Keshava offered two alternatives to the
scholars of Navadwip: they were either to
confront him in an academic duel at an open
meeting if they dared, or they were to give
him written acknowledgement of his superior
eruditiona bold challenge which filled the
whole university town with fear and caused a
commotion at every gathering of the pandits
who wondered how they were to save the
glory and tradition of their university. No
socholar except the young prodigy, Sri Nimai,
felt Himself entitled to accept this challenge
to a learned contest.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was then a
mere boy of 14 or 15 years of age and bold
enough to meet the challenge of the pandit
saying God does not tolerate vanity and
conceit. Sri Chaitanya Deva with His
students met the pandit and asked him to
describe the greatness of the Ganges. The
pandi t began to worshi p the Ganges
instantaneously composing the sholkas
swiftly in Sanskrit rhythm in a very scholarly
way. Sri Chaitanya Deva caught hold of one
of the shlokas and pointed out rhythmical and
figurative defects in it. He wondered how
Ni mai (Lord Chai tanya) was abl e to
memorise the said verse out of the hundred
which he had recited like a whirlwind. The
meaning of the verse is as follows: She (the
Ganges) has the fortune to proceed from the
Lotus Feet of Vishnu, and her feet are adored
by the gods as well as by human beings, like
a second Lakshmi. She has the privilege of
reclining on the head of the husband of Sri
Bhavani and has wonderful qualities. Her
greatness shines forth at all times. Sri Nimai
pointed out several mistakes. Having
analysed the verse in all aspects by way of
judging its merits
and demeri ts,
Nimai concluded
by sayi ng that
poetry jewelled
with high sentiments
and poeti cs i f
marred by a
single blemish, is
like a handsome
body that has been rendered loathsome by
white leprosy. The successful rebuff from
a young professor rendered the defeated
conqueror suffered a set-back. The pandit
was astonished at this and dumb-founded
and lowered his head with shame and grief.
Thus his vanity was shattered, being
defeated by the Boy. He was then instructed
by the Goddess of learning in a dream to
take shelter at the Lotus Feet of Nimai Pandit
as He was then called, as He is God Himself
and not an ordinary pandit. The Goddess
also said to him that his defeat by Him is
really a true success of his whole life
Sadhana of Saraswati (the Goddess of
learning). Sri Nimai expounded to him the
following moral: To conquer the universe
is not the aim of learning. Learning is said Learning is said Learning is said Learning is said Learning is said
to be real if God is served thereby. to be real if God is served thereby. to be real if God is served thereby. to be real if God is served thereby. to be real if God is served thereby.
Listen, when one leaves the body neither
wealth nor manliness is in attendance. That
is why great souls give up everything.
Worship the Lord with evey effort of the
mind. Know this for certain, that learning is
a success if only the mind and ones
possessions are laid at the Feet of Krishna.
Giving up all vanity, devote thyself to the
worship of Krishna, showing kindness to all
souls. His victory over Keshava Kashmiri
THE GAUDIYA 4 MARCH 2012
ALMANAC for the months of MARCH & APRIL 2012
proclaimed to the world His vast learning,
brilliant intellect and great erudition.
Sri Chaitanyas brilliant discussion with
Raghunandan, a student of Vasudeva
Sarvabhauma and reputed to be the most
well-versed person in Nyayasastra, took
place while they were travelling in a boat
over the Ganges. Ni mai defeated
Raghunandan in that famous debate. Nimai
showed His famous book on Nyaya to
Raghunanadan. Raghunandan breathed a
long sigh and said: I cherished a hope of
leaving a name behind me, but I realise that
my work on Nyaya will not be read if Yours
one is brought to the public. He realised
that His intelectual victory had dealt a blow
to Raghunandan and had hurt him deeply.
A wonderful change thereupon came over
Nimai. He threw into the Ganges the famous
book of Nyaya-shastra of which He was the
author and which He had prepared with all
the love, all the labour and all the learning.
That was rendered possible by the blessing
of that great divine sacrifice. A competitive
world, always so full of rivalry and jealousy,
thus found a new example and a new
inspiration in a spiritual life dominated by
Divine Love which transcends all human
jealousies and rivalries.
09.03.2012 Fri Feasting Festival of Sri Jaganntha Mishra
10.03.2012 Sat Demise of Sripd Bhakti Kamal Padmanbha Maharj
13.03.2012 Tue Demise of Srimad Bhakti Vijaya Janrdana Maharj
15.03.2012 Thu Appearance of Srila Srivs Pandit
18.03.2012 Sun Ppavimochani Ekdashi Fasting. Next day Prana
between 5.47 and 9.49 a.m.
19.03.2012 Mon Disappearance of Srila Govinda Ghosh Thkur
27.03.2012 Tue Appearance of Srila Rmnuja chrya and Srila
Bhakti Hridaya Vana Deva Goswmi Maharj
30.03.2012 Fri Appearance of Srila Bhakti Vils Tirtha Goswmi Maharj
01.04.2012 Sun Sri Rma Navami Fasting. Next day Prana between
5.33 and 8.49 a.m.
03.04.2012 Tue Kmad Ekdashi Fasting. Next day Prana between
5.31 and 7.00 a.m.
06.04.2012 Fri Rsotsava of Sri Balarma. Sri Krishnas Vasanta
Rsotsava. Appearance of Srila Vamsivadannanda
Thkur and Srila Shymnanda Prabhu. Poornima
11.04.2012 Wed Demise of Srila Krishna Ds Bbji Maharj and
Srila Nitai Ds Bbji Maharj
13.04.2012 Fri Disappearance of Srila Abhirm Thkur. Commencing of
pouring water to Sri Slagrm and Tulasi -- Keshava
Vrata
THE GAUDIYA 5 MARCH 2012
The Bhagavat: Its Philosophy,
Its Ethics and Its Theology
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur
(Contd. from February issue)
What sort of a thing is the Bhagavat,
asks the European Gentleman, newly arrived
in India. His companion tells him with a
serene look, that the Bhagavat is a book,
which his Oriya bearer daily reads in the
evening to a number of hearers. It contains
a jargon of unintelligible and savage literature
of those men who paint their noses with some
sort of earth or sandal, and wear beads all
over their bodies in order to procure salvation
for themselves. Another of his companions,
who has travelled a little in the interior, would
immediately contradict him and say that the
Bhagavat is a Sanskrit work claimed by a sect
of men, the Goswamis, who give Mantras,
like the Popes of Italy, to the common people
of Bengal, and pardon their sins on payment
of gold enough to defray their social
expenses. A third gentleman will repeat a
third explanation. Young Bengal, chained up
in English thoughts and ideas, and wholly
ignorant of the Pre-Mohamedan history of his
own country, will add one more explanation
by saying that the Bhagavat is a book,
containing an account of the life of Krishna,
who was an ambitious and an immoral man!
This is all that he could gather from his
grandmother while yet he did not go to school!
Thus the Great Bhagavat ever remains
unknown to the foreigners like the elephant
of the six blind who caught hold of the several
parts of the body of the beast! But Truth is
eternal and is never injured but for a while by
ignorance.
The Bhagavat itself tells us what it is:
-++-+.+e+ +-
+u.+=++ i
++ ~.++
=.-+
. =+.
~ ~+. ii
It is the
fruit of the Tree
of thought
(Vedas) mixed with the nectar of the speech
of Shukadeva. It is the temple of spritual
love! O! Men of Piety! Drink deep this nectar
of Bhagavat repeatedly till you are taken
from this mortal frame.
The Garuda Puran says, again:
+..=.. .<.++.~ i
=-+.=.-. =. =. =,+ ii
=.+=. .~.++++ i
+=.+++-+ -.+ -+.+ +-+ ii
The Bhagavat is composed of 18000
Slokas. It contains the best parts of the
Vedas and the Vedanta. Whoever has
tasted its sweet nectar, will never like to read
any other religious book.
Every thoughtful reader will certainly
repeat this eulogy. The Bhagavat is pre-
eminently the Book in India. Once enter
into it, and you are transplanted, as it were,
into the spiritual world where gross matter
has no existence. The true follower of the
Bhagavat is a spirtual man who has already
cut hi s temporary connecti on wi th
phenomenal nature, and has made himself
the inhabitant of that region where God
eternally exists and loves. This mighty work
i s founded upon i nspi rati on and i ts
superstructure is upon reflection. To the
common reader it has no charms and is full
THE GAUDIYA 6 MARCH 2012
of difficulty. We are, therefore, obliged to
study it deeply through the assistance of such
great commentators as Sridhara Swami and
the Di vi ne Chai tanya Deva and hi s
contemporary followers.
Now the great preacher of Nadia, who
has been Defied by his talented followers,
tells us that the Bhagavat is founded upon
the four slokas which Vyasa received from
Narada, the most learned of the created
beings. He tells us further that Brahma
pierced through the whole universe of matter
for years and years in quest of the final cause
of the world but when he failed to find it
abroad, he looked into the construction of
his own spiritual nature, and there he heard
the Universal Spirit speaking unto him, the
following words:
u.- +- +u.-=+ i
=-+ +.. +. ++ +. ii
+..- +.~.. +++-+ i
+ +u.--+ + -+.+ ii
.=.+ -.++ +== i
.. ++. +.++ =.--+ ii .
) + +.+.++ - .+.++ -.- i
+.-. .+. +.~.=. +.+ ii
Take, O Brahma! I am giving you the
knowledge of My Own Self and of My
relations and phases which is in itself difficult
of access. You are a created being, so it is
not easy for you to accept what I give you,
but then I kindly give you the power to accept,
so you are at liberty to understand My
essence, My ideas, My form, My property
and My action together with their various
relations with imperfect knowledge. I was in
the beginning before all spiritual and temporal
things were created, and after they have
been created I am in them all in the shape
of their existence and truthfulness, and when
they will be all gone I shall remain full as I
was and as I am. Whatever appears to be
true without being a real fact itself, and
whatever is not perceived though it is true in
itself are subjects of my illusory energy of
creation, such as, light and darkness in the
material world. (Refer Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhus lecture to Prakashananda
Saraswati in Chaitanya Charitamritam)
It is difficult to explain the above in a short
compass. You must read the whole Bhagavat
for its explanation. When the great Vyasa
had effected the arrangements of the Vedas
and the Upanishadas the compilation of the
eighteen Puranas with facts gathered from the
recorded and unrecorded tradition of ages,
and the composition of the Vedanta and the
large Mahabharata, an epic poem of great
celebrity, he began to ruminate over his own
theories and precepts, and found like Fauste
of Geothe that he had up to that time
gathered no real truth. He fell back into his
own self and searched his own spiritual nature,
and then it was that the above truth was
communicated to him for his own good and
the good of the world. The sage immediately
perceived that his former works required
supercession in as much as they did not
contain the whole truth and nothing but the
truth. In his new idea he got the development
of his former idea of religion. He commenced
the Bhagavat in pursuance of this change.
From this fact, our readers are expected to
find out the position which the Bhagavat
enjoys in the library of Hindu Theological
works.
(to be contd......)
SRI RADHAKUND
Sri Radhakund, Vrindavan
THE GAUDIYA 7 MARCH 2012
(Contd. from February issue)
BEWARE OF HUMAN BEINGS
POSSESSED BY THE GHOST OF NESCIENCES
Sripad B.S. Narayan Maharaj
According to the scriptural providence
and universal logic, you can very well
challenge the rulers for all the negative
happenings like some ones untimely death,
event of a robbery, flood, famine, deception,
insecurity and everything else. Some self-
styled stupid fools blame Lord Rama for His
act of sending mother Sita to exile due to the
evil words of a silly washerman of Ayodya!
Those clever fools think that this is an injustice
Rama has commited against the fair sex.
These poor fellows do not know that, the king
of the land is fully answerable even to a most
silly citizen of his country. This is the strict
discipline the ruler has to follow in delivering
honest justice. Contrary to this righteous
behaviour, you can think of our thick skinned
rulers who never bother to torture milions of
innocent citizens for achieving all kinds of
selfish gains! As the Kaliyuga advances,
these degraded rulers shall increasingly ruin
the well being of the society by victimising the
honest citizens and by favouring the wicked
people.
KEEP AWAY THE ENEMIES KEEP AWAY THE ENEMIES KEEP AWAY THE ENEMIES KEEP AWAY THE ENEMIES KEEP AWAY THE ENEMIES
The external enemies tend to attack the
nation occasionally, while the internal
enemies every moment keep on assailing
every fabric of the human society. When the
nation becomes degenerated due to the
internal enemies, it gets easily defeated by
the external enemies, just as a weak body
easily becomes a prey for various dangerous
diseases. For the prevention of such a
ghastly situation, every child born in our
country should be provided with worthy
humanitarian guidance and holy company.
Every one should be thoroughly trained in
the following twofold aspects of human
ethics. First of all, whatever is harmful and
unpleasant to you, such things you should
never inflict upon all others. Nextly, you
should offer all kinds of pleasant dealing
towards all others, which are quite agreeable
to yourself. This type of worthy dealing can
put the entire nation on a right track by
averting all kinds of harms and perils. The
worthless rulers who fail to implement this
kind of basic good-ness in the hearts of all
the citizens should be thrown away from the
politics of the nation. Even a single person
of our country should never be cruel,
intolerant, regardless, unfriendly or harmful
towards all other human beings and towards
all other living beings. In contrast to this
divine culture of our motherland, what is
going on at present, is the devilish culture of
deception, exploitation, greed, selfishness,
wickedness under the joint collaboration of
inhuman rulers and their dishonest followers.
Those who desire for permanent well being
should keep away from this vicious cycle of
self-destruction, by adopting the devotional
culture of divine love in the association of
holy souls.
THE WORLD IS NOT YOURS, YOU THE WORLD IS NOT YOURS, YOU THE WORLD IS NOT YOURS, YOU THE WORLD IS NOT YOURS, YOU THE WORLD IS NOT YOURS, YOU
ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD
This enigmatic material world of our
mundane existence is filled with endless
discrepancies, that no one in this world can
ever get all of his or her desires fulfilled.
Even the virtuous factors like wealth,
longevity, honesty, erudition, charity,
courage, purity, satisfaction, generosity,
righteousness, mercy, discipline, patriotism,
austerity, tolerance, humbleness, modesty,
THE GAUDIYA 8 MARCH 2012
equanimity, frankness, compassion, restraint,
health, detachment, self-control etc., seldom
exist simultaneously with any single individual.
Very rarely we may find people who have
attained perfection in any one or more virtues
mentioned above. For the common people
who have made themselves busy in earning,
spending, collecting, enjoying, manipulating
etc., there remains hardly any time for
thinking about the higher purpose of the
human life. Often we find people greedily
earning wealth by adopting unfair means.
How can we expect any kind of virtuous
quality in such persons? Even those who
have apparently ascended great heights in
human achievements, too often happen to
be imperfect in real values. It is the very
nature of this mundane world that every born
being here has to experience agony due to
the various kinds of defects. When the
virtuous people too are not spared from the
adversities, what to speak about the sinful,
greedy, selfish, hypocritic, deceptive, unjust,
ignorant and perverted people! Maya or the
external potency of the Supreme Lord
punishes the fallen souls in various ways. No
evil-doer can ever escape the rule of divine
law. A culprit may befriend the unrighteous
rulers and escape from the reactions of his
misdeeds, whereas they cannot escape scot-
free under the law of God. This mundane
world has been created by God,as a prison
house for punishing the fallen souls. That is
why we do not see any kind of absolute
perfection in this world. This world is meant This world is meant This world is meant This world is meant This world is meant
for the temporary stay of the erri ng for the temporary stay of the erri ng for the temporary stay of the erri ng for the temporary stay of the erri ng for the temporary stay of the erri ng
souls, who are expected to get quickly souls, who are expected to get quickly souls, who are expected to get quickly souls, who are expected to get quickly souls, who are expected to get quickly
ref ormed by adopt i ng ri ght eous ref ormed by adopt i ng ri ght eous ref ormed by adopt i ng ri ght eous ref ormed by adopt i ng ri ght eous ref ormed by adopt i ng ri ght eous
character and devotional culture in holy character and devotional culture in holy character and devotional culture in holy character and devotional culture in holy character and devotional culture in holy
associ ati on. associ ati on. associ ati on. associ ati on. associ ati on. Constant i ssues of
transformation, addition and substraction are
the main features of this transitory material
world. As this world is not the own abode for
the living beings, they have to undergo
constant agony as long as they remain here.
The best course for the individuals is to
engage in divine service and quickly return
back to the Divine Abode, which is our
eternal home.
LIFE IS, NECTAR STORED IN A LIFE IS, NECTAR STORED IN A LIFE IS, NECTAR STORED IN A LIFE IS, NECTAR STORED IN A LIFE IS, NECTAR STORED IN A
CRACKED POT CRACKED POT CRACKED POT CRACKED POT CRACKED POT
Suppose, you unexpectedly received a
potful of nectar from some unknown donor.
How happy you would be, to acquire such a
matchless gift free of cost! After enjoying that
nectar for some days if you suddenly notice
that, your nectar is in a cracked pot, which
has allowed it to leak upto the verge of
extinction! How much sorry and anxious you
would become to note this bitter truth! In fact,
this is the very issue concerning all the born
beings of this mortal world. Our longevity or
the duration of life time is dripping out every
moment, just as the water stored in a fissured
pot. Whatever may be the value of your mortal
belongings, when the life faces inevitable end,
nothing of this world will be of any avail to
you. Those who cut trees to earn money
shall be burnt by the same firewood. Those
who think themselves as the lords of vast
expanse of lands shall become one with the
dust of those lands. Those who enjoy the
ownership of huge palatial buildings shall be
born as dogs to guard the same palaces.
(to be contd......)
The Birth Temple of
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
THE GAUDIYA 9 MARCH 2012
But Nature is observed through organs
provided by herself to act in a uniform manner
and never capriciously. It is the object of the
empiric sciences to establish this uniformity
of her behaviour in regard to different
branches of the activities of Nature. This
attempt has, however, failed to achieve final
success in as much as the laws so far
discovered, by the empiricists are no more
than mere hypotheses. On these hypotheses
has been built a grand hypothesis in the shape
of the laws of the uniformity of the operation
of Nature and of material causation as its
corrollary.
If there ever come a day when it will be
possible for the empiricist to find the real laws
of Nature he may thereby succeed in making
himself completely subordinate to Nature
through such knowledge. This consummation
so devoutly wished if realised would mean
complete self annihilation as regards initiative.
By this philosophy a person is asked to
identify himself with the purposes of Nature.
But what are really those purposes? Has
Nature any purpose at all? Why does her
conduct appear to be absolutely uniform?
Why cannot we suppose that Nature has no
initiative and is completely subject to a Higher
Power possessed of a will? that it is the
purpose of the Supreme guiding Will to
punish those who submit to the laws of
Nature for securing their personal ease and
pleasure by stimulating their desire for material
well-being and thereby making them more
and more the confirmed slaves of their earthly
passions and prejudices, which is bound to
increase and not to diminish their miseries?
The multiplicity of material wants that has
been noted by the greatest empiric thinkers
Vaishnavas are less intelligent, efficient, learned and tactful
Prabhupad Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur
(Contd. from February issue)
as the mark of a superior civilisation
irrespective of the use that is made of
mechanical power is responsible for the
neglect of the spiritual aspect of the problem
of existence. If man can be happy by the
enjoyment and possession of worldly
facilities it is natural that he should go about
the business of obtaining such facilities with
a light heart. The votaries of worldly well-
being can have really no objection to such a
procedure. Even morality and religion are
bound to be regarded by the materialists as
means to this end.
Does empiric science really stand in the
way of our spiritual that is real well-being?
Should the cultivation of empiric knowledge
be discontinued? Is all the learning piled in
our libraries only mischievous ignorance and
wicked foolishness?
The Vaishnavas do not condemn
empiric knowledge in itelf. They maintain
that such knowledge does not represent the
relationship of the soul to Nature. Empiric Empiric Empiric Empiric Empiric
knowledge is of value only if it enables knowledge is of value only if it enables knowledge is of value only if it enables knowledge is of value only if it enables knowledge is of value only if it enables
i t s possessor t o real i se i t s i t s possessor t o real i se i t s i t s possessor t o real i se i t s i t s possessor t o real i se i t s i t s possessor t o real i se i t s
worthlessness. worthlessness. worthlessness. worthlessness. worthlessness. The experience of this
limited existence is the remedy devised by
the causeless mercy of the Lord for curing
the perverted soul of the disease of
irrationality or ignorance.
The whol e of the accumul ated
knowledge of the empiricists requires to be
presented afresh in the light of the Truth. It
is possible to serve the Godhead in this
world if we only agree to be instructed in the
very alphabets of spiritual life by eternally
free souls who are not liable to err. The
pride that rebels against this tutelege and
refuses to abide by its eternal necessity is
the cause of all our ignorance. Ignorance is
THE GAUDIYA 10 MARCH 2012
nothing but rebellion against the Truth and
refusal to serve Him in His eternal servitors
and paraphernalia.
As soon as the attitude of submission
to the servants of the Godhead is realised
the light of the self-effulgent soul shines forth
freed from all obscuration. As a matter of
fact the soul can only shine by communicated
light. So long as he has his face turned
towards the source of all light his lamp keeps
burning. No sooner does he turn away his
face from Him than his lamp loses the power
of self-illumination.
The vanity of empiric learning requires
an institution that would enable it to realise
its real nature. The learned of this world are
badly in need of being taught the real use of
the intellect. Mere verbal assent to the
principle of submission to the spiritual
preceptor is not enough for the purpose. The
intellect is a stubborn foe to such submission
in practice. It is liable to be entrapped in the
meshes of the delusive energy represented
by the artful promises of the empiric
literature. It is as impossible to abolish the
empiric literature as the delusive energy
herself. Empiric literature is the gift of the
delusive energy to the Godless intellect. The
intellect of man has no creative force of its
own. It cannot act except by direction. It is
free to choose between the delusive energy
and the power that is free from all guile as its
guide. When it chooses to obey the delusive
energy it is enabled by her to create the
literature that only serves to make the
confusion worse by its officious attempt to
explain the inexplicable. This tangled maze
of empiric learning serves to keep up the
pedantic vanity of the learned of this world
by making them believe that they themselves
are the creators of the civilization of this world
on the basis of the true principles of
phenomenal Nature discovered by the force
of their intellects.
But Nature always jealously guards her
secrets against the impious attempts of the
aspiring, puny intellect of man to pry into them
for the unnatural purpose of lording it over
the Mother with the aid of such knowledge.
Nature never divulges her secrets to the
intellect that aspires for domination. She is,
however, communicative to the intellect that
questions her in the spirit of real humility. The
Power of God wears two faces. The one that
is turned towards her disloyal children wears
a treacherous smile that covers its frowning
aspect. The other face which reveals her
benign nature is visible only to her loyal
children. She guides the intellects of all her
children but the naughty ones do not really
admit her supremacy. But as she is herself
the loyal servant of the Lord Who is the very
self of Truth, by a policy of deception and
terror.
The Para-Vidya Pitha will correct the
vanity and aberrations of the intellect by
teaching us to submit to the Truth. The vanity
of pedant can be cured onl y by the
appearance of the submissiveness of the
student to the Truth. If the direction of Nature
is sought aright, she will guide the intellect to
the service of the Truth. The pedants who
are vain of their worldly wisdom or worldly
foolishness are alike prevented by their vanity
from all access to the realm of the Truth.
Those who do not want to be grossly
misled by appearances that are sure to
deceive those who want to remain ignorant,
should try to dive below the surface to get at
the real significance of the system of education
that is imparted at the Para-Vidya Pitha. The
Vaishnavas alone are learned in the real
sense as they alone serve the Truth in all their
activities. The learning that is capable of
divorcing itself from conduct is limited,
changeable and necessarily false and
misleading. True learning should impart the
knowledge of the Truth and comprehends the
whol e conduct of the l earner. Such
THE GAUDIYA 11 MARCH 2012
knowledge is co-existent with service. The
service of Godhead is replete with all
knowledge. Aversion to the service of
Godhead is ever full of all ignorance.
Knowl edge on the spi ri tual pl ane i s
subordinate to and the natural accompaniment
of serivce. It cannot be obtained or retained
except as the corollary of service and is always
full, being real. The sweeper in Vaikuntha
knows the Truth Whom he serves. The pedant
in Navadwip does not know the Truth Whom
he is unwilling to serve. The Para-Vidya Pitha
and its teachers and students aspire for the
knowledge of the Truth by serving Him in any
way that is permitted by the servants of Truth.
This cannot be intelligible to the pedants unless
they really submit to serve their term of
pupilage in this University of spiritual learning.
Empiric knowledge appears to be of the
nature of a product of the human mind but is
not really such. It is reflected light of the will-o-
wisp variety that leads astray the benighted
way-farer. So long as we have to travel in this
vale of darkness, we run the risk of mistaking
the deceptive light for the real one. But the
Godhead sends His
own beloved ones to
thi s val e of
darkness to serve
as guides to direct
our steps. The will-
o-wisps are part and
parcel of the dreary
moor of this world.
They cannot be
abol i shed or
produced by human
effort. It i s onl y
possible to avoid
bei ng mi sl ed by
them by availing of
the help of a guide
who is acquainted
with the locality.
Once we learn to trust his guidance the will-
o-wisps only add a charm to the nightly
adventure of the worldly sojourn and help
us to realise the value of the true light that is
not to be found in this world.
The Para-Vi dya Pi tha i s not an
educational institution to enable us to
cultivate the taste for sucidal ignorance. It
has no ambition of competing with the
existing educational institutions by offering
a special variety of the fruits of the Tree of
empiric knowledge. The pedants will no
doubt feel scandalized by this news. The The The The The
Para-Vi dya Pi tha Para-Vi dya Pi tha Para-Vi dya Pi tha Para-Vi dya Pi tha Para-Vi dya Pi tha i s the educati onal
institution of the Truth Who has His abode
in the eternal realm. It appears in this It appears in this It appears in this It appears in this It appears in this
world to free the fallen soul from the world to free the fallen soul from the world to free the fallen soul from the world to free the fallen soul from the world to free the fallen soul from the
cl ut ches of empi ri c knowl edge by cl ut ches of empi ri c knowl edge by cl ut ches of empi ri c knowl edge by cl ut ches of empi ri c knowl edge by cl ut ches of empi ri c knowl edge by
employing all learned activities in the employing all learned activities in the employing all learned activities in the employing all learned activities in the employing all learned activities in the
service of Godhead. service of Godhead. service of Godhead. service of Godhead. service of Godhead. The chase of the
will-o-wisp is rendered safe and profitable if
we are enabled by the help of a trusty guide
to avail of its treacherous light to find our
path across the dangerous bog that
separates us from our home.
*
SRI NAVADWIP DHAM PARIKRAMA
THE GAUDIYA 12 MARCH 2012
Para-Brahma & Maya
Sripad Vishweswara Das
Thus in the Bhagavat Gita the Supreme
Lord says:
This is My Divine Maya which is made
up of the qualities of Satva, Raja and Tama,
is simply insuperable. Those only who throw
themselves entirely upon My mercy or come
to know Me may succeed in overcoming it.
If we have already conceived how all
contraries and contradictions find their
margin or solution in Divine Nature, it
becomes easy for us to conceive how
Brahma being the sole reality can yet give
rise to this nescience or Maya, without
altering even a jot or little of His own nature
and imposing upon Himself anything like
limitation.
In fact Brahma has infinite aspects and
from whatever standpoint the emancipated
see Him they behold the many-sided Truth.
Brahma creates the material world through
Maya at His own sweet will and takes it away
whenever He likes. Brahma is not however
to be looked upon as a fickle and capricious
Being. He is not like a wayward child now
fondling His dolls and pets and now
destroying them all, at pleasure. In point of
fact, all matters even of this phenomenal
universe are governed by His supremely
beneficent purpose and not by dead cosmic
l aws whi ch modern sci enti sts and
philosophers are mainly endeavouring to
postulate. If we obtain a sight of Brahma
from the standpoint of Absolute Truth we can
learn to reconcile all apparent condtradictions
and differences, and succeed in having a true
(Contd. from February issue)
idea of Divine Nature which is otherwise most
inscrutable.
Such being the case it is but in the
fitness of things that Brahma should be the
Master and Proprietor of Maya without being
Himself in the least affected by it or being in
any way under its influence. Hence Brahma
is very appropriately called the Lord of Maya
which is absolutely powerless before Him. It
may be added here that there are sages free
from the influence of Maya. If such is the
case with tiny individual souls how natural and
inevitable it is for Brahma to be always above
His Maya to use it for His beneficent
purposes. All liberated beings and all avataras
of God who appear in this world at different
periods of history, as Teachers of mankind,
are above the influence of Maya. They have
all shown by their lives and examples that
Maya is, as it were, the handmaid or maid-
servant and that it is called into requisition
as needs arise, only to serve the beneficent
purpose of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, as
darkness disappears before light, so the
artifices of Maya or illusion also is dispelled
with the advent of true or right knowledge.
Thus we see that to know the Absolute
Truth is to know Brahma Who is identical with
Truth and to know Brahma is to attain such
intimacy with the workings of the Divine or
spiritual power as to be able easily to
participate in the manipulation of Maya by
the Will of God.
I beg leave to add here that I have
hitherto spoken of Maya as nescience or Eu;
the Divine Power is really One and Maya is
the reflected aspect of the Real substantive
Power, u or u , which lies at the root of
a mans redemption or salvation. In its real
aspect the Di vi ne Power domi nates
. -+. ++. .+. ++. i
. + .+ .+.+. ++ + ii
h
h
THE GAUDIYA 13 MARCH 2012
everything under the different names of uYXZuO,
u, zT and so forth.
Without trying to enlarge more on this
point I may conclude my short note with the
observation that if we succeed in getting even
the least glimpse of Truth or even a grain of
what is called living faith in God we invariably
find ourselves in a position to conceive the
nature of Brahma and of Maya and can also
realise how they are co-related. The Vedas
and the Upanishads do, indeed, help us, if
properly understood, in attaining the true
knowledge of Brahma and of Maya. But the
sine-qua-non of spiritual advance-ment is the
grace of Brahma Himself which is associated
with that of His chosen servants or His veritable
representatives going by the names of
transcendental Acharyas, Messiahs, Masters,
. For it is clearly stated in Kathopanishad