Atmanivedana
The following is a series of lectures given by HDG Srila Gour Govinda Swami on the topic of Atmanivedana - complete surrender. It consists of lectures on the 8th canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, beginning from chapter 18. The verses are about how Vamanadev comes to Bali Maharaj to beg for three paces of land, and how the Lord in the end mercifully steals everything from him, leaving him with no choice but to surrender.
All lectures were recorded in Bhubaneswar, India beginning in September 1992.
Unfortunately, the audio for some lectures are missing.
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.1
TEXT 14
tasyopanéyamänasya
sävitréà savitäbravét
båhaspatir brahma-sütraà
mekhaläà kaçyapo ’dadät
At the sacred thread ceremony of Vämanadeva, the sun-god personally uttered the Gäyatré mantra, Båhaspati offered the sacred thread, and Kaçyapa Muni offered a straw belt.
TEXT 15
dadau kåñëäjinaà bhümir
daëòaà somo vanaspatiù
kaupénäcchädanaà mätä
dyauç chatraà jagataù pateù
Mother earth gave Him a deerskin, and the demigod of the moon, who is the king of the forest, gave Him a brahma-daëòa [the rod of a brahmacäré]. His mother, Aditi, gave Him cloth for underwear, and the deity presiding over the heavenly kingdom offered Him an umbrella.
TEXT 16
kamaëòaluà veda-garbhaù
kuçän saptarñayo daduù
akña-mäläà mahäräja
sarasvaty avyayätmanaù
O King, Lord Brahmä offered a waterpot to the inexhaustible Supreme Personality of Godhead, the seven sages offered Him kuça grass, and mother Sarasvaté gave Him a string of Rudräkña beads.
TEXT 17
tasmä ity upanétäya
yakña-räö pätrikäm adät
bhikñäà bhagavaté säkñäd
umädäd ambikä saté
When Vämanadeva had thus been given the sacred thread, Kuvera, King of the Yakñas, gave Him a pot for begging alms, and mother Bhagavaté, the wife of Lord Çiva and most chaste mother of the entire universe, gave Him His first alms.
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TEXT 18
sa brahma-varcasenaivaà
sabhäà sambhävito vaöuù
brahmarñi-gaëa-saïjuñöäm
atyarocata märiñaù
Having thus been welcomed by everyone, Lord Vämanadeva, the best of the brahmacärés, exhibited His Brahman effulgence. Thus He surpassed in beauty that entire assembly, which was filled with great saintly brähmaëas.
TEXT 19
samiddham ähitaà vahnià
kåtvä parisamühanam
paristérya samabhyarcya
samidbhir ajuhod dvijaù
After Lord Çré Vämanadeva set a sacrificial fire, He offered worship and performed a fire sacrifice on the sacrificial field.
TEXT 20
çrutväçvamedhair yajamänam ürjitaà
balià bhågüëäm upakalpitais tataù
jagäma taträkhila-sära-sambhåto
bhäreëa gäà sannamäyän pade pade
When the Lord heard that Bali Mahäräja was performing açvamedha sacrifices under the patronage of brähmaëas belonging to the Bhågu dynasty, the Supreme Lord, who is full in every respect, proceeded there to show His mercy to Bali Mahäräja. By His weight, He pushed down the earth with every step.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is akhila-sära-sambhåta. In other words, He is the proprietor of everything essential in this material world. Thus although the Lord was going to Bali Mahäräja to beg something, He is always complete and has nothing to beg from anyone. Indeed, He is so powerful that in His full opulence He pressed down the surface of the earth at every step.
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One who has property he is a proprietor. Having no property you are saying you are proprietor. Such nonsense. Viñayä-sakala-mädhava. You have to first hear this thing, äge çuno. manaù, this is stupid mind says like this. manaù baòa viçvaù gata [?] mind is very stupid stuborn, disobedient, fickle, most rascal. This mind. Creates all trouble. Isn’t it? Creates all trouble this rascal mind, nothing else.
“tomära nitya-däsa mui, tomä päsariyä
paòiyächoì bhavärëave mäyä-baddha haïä
kåpä kari’ kara more pada-dhüli-sama
tomära sevaka karoì tomära sevana”
[Caitanya-caritämåta 3.20.33-34]
gopénäth, ämi to’ tomära jana
tomäre chäriyä, saàsära bhajinu,
bhuliyä äpana-dhana
gopinäth, tumi to’ sakali jäno
äpanära jane, daëòiyä ekhano,
çré-caraëe aeho sthäno
gopénäth, ei ki vicära taba
bimukha dekhiyä, chäro nija-jane,
na koro’ karuëä-laba
gopénäth, ämi to mürakha ati
kise bhälo hoya, kabhu nä bujhinu,
täi heno mama gati
gopénäth, tumi to’ paëòita-bara
müòhera maìgala, tumi anveñibe,
e däse nä bhävo’ para
`rädhä-kåsna’ bol bol bolo re sobäi
(ei) çikhä diyä, sab nadéyä,
phirche nece’ gaura-nitäi
(miche) mäyär boçe, jäccho bhese’,
khäccho häbuòubu, bhäi
(jév) kåñëa-däs, e viçväs,
korle to’ är duùkha näi
(kåñëa) bolbe jabe, pulak ha’be,
jhorbe äìkhi, boli täi
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(`rädhä) kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo,
ei-mätra bhikñä cäi
(jay) sakal vipod, bhaktivinod,
bole, jakhon o-näm gäi
So you understood? Understood? I think you understood. Isn’t it? Everything belongs to Kåñëa. That we say, “He is the proprietor of everything essential in this material world”
ahaà sarvasya prabhavo
mattaù sarvaà pravartate
iti matvä bhajante mäà
budhä bhäva-samanvitäù
[Bhagavad-gétä 10.8]
Kåñëa says this thing in Bhagavad-gétä: ”I am the source of all emanations, everything has emanated from Me.” In other words everything is Kåñëa’s property. Kåñëa is the sole proprietor. One who has property he is a proprietor. Isn’t it? One who has no property, how can he be proprietor? Having no property you are saying you are proprietor. Déna-bandhu, have you any property? But saying proprietor. Saying proprietor. This is strange. No property but saying he is proprietor. Great criminal. Isn’t it? Yes. Great criminal. Everything is Kåñëa’s property. Kåñëa is the only proprietor, sole proprietor, ahaà sarvasya prabhavo. Are you your property? You are property of Kåñëa. Your body, your mind, your speech, you yourself – soul, everything belongs to Kåñëa. Isn’t it? But you say, “my body, my mind, my intelligence.” Kåñëa’s property you say ‘mine’. Do you understand? You want to lord it over Kåñëa’s property. Developed such criminal mentality. Great criminal. Those who are criminals, they deserve punishment. Isn’t it? Yajïa-daëòa. This is yajïa-daëòa. Befitting punishment. To be put in the prison house. Isn’t it? And suffer there lakhs and lakhs of lives. Isn’t it? mäyä-kåtä kärägäre. This material world is a prison house created by mäyä for these criminals. Do you understand? mäyä has put up very strong shackles on your legs and hands. Legs, hands are shackled. Isn’t it? Tight, very tight shackle. Isn’t it? Bhäëòan, bhäëòan, bondage. Do you feel so? Do you feel so? That you are in bondage? Then hopeful, otherwise hopeless case. Really you are in bondage, very strong shackles, tight. Hands and legs are tied up. One who feels so he is a hopeful case. But one who doesn’t feel so is a hopeless case. He is hopeless. He is so callous! Really he is in bondage but he cannot understand that I am in bondage. Yes, such callousness. Hopeless case. Do you understand? Yes, you should understand these things. Therefore this suffering is here. mäyä has bound you up within this prison house, in her fort. This is Durgä Devé’s fort. Durgä, this material world. Do you understand? Birth, death, old age and disease are the punishments. As long as one is here, that period is the period of punishment. Do you understand? Daëòa-bhoga-sthal, this is prison house and as long as jéva is here he must get punishment. This is a period of punishment. One who is intelligent, has some intelligence, he can understand, “Really I am in trouble, really I am in
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bondage, really I am suffering, I have been suffering. How to get out of this bondage? How to get out of this prison house?” He must enquire. He is intelligent. Otherwise one who is callous, ignorant fool, though he is suffering he thinks, “I am in fools paradise, I am enjoying, enjoying, enjoying.” Such foolishness, callousness. He is hopeless case.
ahaà sarvasya prabhavo
mattaù sarvaà pravartate
iti matvä bhajante mäà
budhä bhäva-samanvitäù
[Bhagavad-gétä 10.8]
Kåñëa says this thing: “Those who are budhä, those who are real paëòits, really learned, they know this thing”. That “Kåñëa is the only proprietor, everything is Kåñëa’s property. Nothing is mine. He is the source of all emanations, everything has emanated from Him.” In other words everybody, everything is related to Kåñëa. Kåñëa is the only relationship. It is perfect, eternal, loving relationship. Do you understand? We have perfect, eternal, perfect loving relationship with Kåñëa. One who is budhä, paëòit, learned, he understands this thing and does his bhajan in that mood, loving mood. Do you understand? He does his bhajan, serves Kåñëa in loving mood, offers loving service, prema-mayé-sevä. Not mere service, loving service. And we have loving relationship, eternal, perfect loving relationship with Kåñëa. And we should establish ourselves in that relationship. Then there will be no trouble at all, no suffering at all. All happy, all joyful, all blissful. You’ll see and find.
Kåñëa says, çästra says, mahäjana says. Bhaktivinod Öhäkur, mahäjana he says that thing,
`ämära’ bolite prabhu! äre kichu näi
tumi-i ämära mätra pitä-bandhu-bhäi
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.1]
”Oh Lord there is nothing that I can say ‘mine’. Everything belongs to You. You are my father, You are my friend, You are my mother, You are everything to me.” That is a fact. Kåñëa is the only relationship. ato gåha-kñetra-sutäpta-vittair janasya moho ’yam ahaà mameti [SB 5.5.8]. But bewildered souls, conditioned souls, they have forgotten this thing, their eternal loving relationship with Kåñëa. They have developed material relationships, temporary relationships, bodily relationships, saying “I and mine”. ato gåha-kñetra-sutäpta-vittairjanasya moho ’yam ahaà mameti, “This gåha, house is mine. Kñetra, this land and property is mine. Suta, son, daughter is mine. Apta friends, family members are mine. Vitta, these assets, wealth, bank balance is mine. Everything mine. I am the monarch of all I survey.” At last he says, “This land is mine, this country is mine, this world is mine. I am the monarch of all I survey.” I, mine, bäs. Factually everything belongs to Kåñëa. But he says ”mine”. janasya moho, this is delusion. Deluded soul, bewildered soul, he says like that. Therefore he suffers. He is a great criminal, he says Kåñëa’s property, mine.
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Therefore he suffers. Such severe punishment is inflicted on him in this prison house created by mäyä, birth, death, old age and disease. Bhaktivinod Öhäkura, sädhu mähäjana says `ämära’ bolite prabhu! äre kichu näi, “There is nothing I can say mine, that it belongs to me. I belong to You. kåñëa ämi tomär. I belong to You. I don’t belong to myself”
bandhu, därä, suta, sutä—tava däsé däs
sei to’ sambandhe sabe ämära prayäs
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.2]
”Now I am established in that one relationship, that loving relationship, eternal loving relationship with You. Giving up all material relationship, temporary relationship, bodily relationships. Whatever I say ‘my friend’, he is Your däs. He is Your servant. What I say ‘my wife’, she is Your maidservant. What I say ‘my son’, he is Your servant. What I say ‘my daughter’, she is Your maidservant. That means Your servants and maidservants. Whatever I say ‘my’, my son, my daughter, my wife, my friend, my kit and kin they are all Your servants and maidservants.” sei to’ sambandhe ämära prayäs, “Now I am convinced, determined. I understand it very well. Now I will establish this eternal, loving relationship with You. No more bodily relationship. No more this material, temporary relationship. Finished.”
dhana, jana, gåha, dära `tomära’ boliyä
rakhä kori ämi mätro sevaka hoiyä
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.3]
”This wealth, this property, this asset, relations, followers, family members, this home and hearth, everything Yours.” Who are you then? Who are you? ”I am Your servant, Your servant. Everything belongs to You. I am You servant. My duty is to protect Your property and utilize it in Your service. That is my duty. I will do this thing. I will never say mine.” Do you understand?
bhälo-manda nähi jäni sevä mätro kori
tomära saàsäre ämi viñaya-praharé
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.5]
”I don’t know whether I am doing good or bad. Gurudev has said, Your bonafide representative, Guru. I have accepted, taken shelter at His lotus feet. He has established my relationship with You, eternal loving relationship. Sambandha-jïän, he has imparted sambandha-jïän.” Do you understand? Guru. Do you follow me? “I do not know. He has said ‘do this thing’.” Gurudev has said to do this thing. This is your sevä. This is your service for Kåñëa. “Go, plunder, steal! Beg, borrow, steal, get money!” “Yes Gurudev has said. I don’t know whether I am doing good or bad. I don’t know. I am mürkha. I am mürkha.” gopénäth, ämi to mürakha. I was singing Gopénäth-song. gopénäth, ämi to mürakha ati, “Oh Gopénäth I am mürkha.” Mürka, do you understand mürkha? Fool, fool, great fool! “I don’t know what is good and what is bad. I have no knowledge at all.” Do you understand? Do you follow me?
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“My Guru has said, ‘Do this thing’. So I am doing this thing.” Yes, nothing else. Jagadish says ‘mine’. Take away everything from him. Kåñëa’s money. Cheating, cheating, great cheater, great cheater. Just pretending, pretending. A great cheater. Saying mine, mine, mine. I and mine. bhälo-manda nähi jäni sevä mätro kori, tomära saàsäre ämi viñaya-praharé. “I don’t know whether I am doing good or bad. I am just rendering service unto Your lotus feet, o Kåñëa, under the guidance of my spiritual master. I am only a watchman.” Do you understand? “In Your samsära. I am a watchman. I am just watching over Your, guarding over Your property.” Yes. A treasury guard, who guards does he say, “My wealth is stored here”? Does he say so? “No, I am just a guard. I am just a watchman.” Holding gun. Left, right, left, right. At night guarding, guarding, guarding. tomära saàsäre ämi viñaya-praharé. “I am a watchman, a guard only. I am guarding Your property. It belongs to You. I am protecting it for Your service. Nothing mine.” Do you understand? viñaya-samüha sakali “mädhava”. Gurudev says so. You must first hear this from Guru. Gurudev says so. Everything belongs to Kåñëa. Nothing belongs to you. You are Kåñëa däs.
tomära icchäya mora indriya-cälanä
çravana, darçana, ghräna, bhojana-väsanä
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.6]
”I utilize all my senses in Your service.” håñékeëa håñékeça- sevanaà bhaktir ucyate [Cc. 2.19.170]. That is bhakti, that is sevä. Bhakti means service, service unto Kåñëa, that is bhakti. Bhaj-dhatu means service, to serve. Bhajan means service. Do you understand? That is bhajan. That is service. Bhaj-dhatu, verbal root, means service. Service unto Kåñëa that is bhakti. Do you understand? håñékeëa håñékeça-sevanaà bhaktir ucyate, to serve Håñékeça, the Master of the senses with your senses. That is bhakti. tomära icchäya mora indriya-cälanä, çravana, darçana, ghräna, bhojana-väsanä “According to Your will. To execute Your will, in executing your will, to please You I utilize my ear for hearing kåñëa-kathä, bhägavata-kathä. I utilize my eyes to see You. To see Your beautiful Deity. To see Your beautiful form. To see Your dear devotees – vaiñëavas, sädhus. Just I utilize. To see Your property. To see Your all paraphernalia. Yes this is all paraphernalia for Your service. Yes, I see it and I utilize it. Yes this is Kåñëa’s, nothing mine.” That is to utilize the eyes, the sense. çravana, darçana, ghräna, “I utilize my nose to smell Tuläsi, offered, scented flower offered, ärati offered. Yes nice smell. Yes. bhojana-väsanä. Utilize my tongue to taste Your prasäd. All the senses utilized in Your service.” That is bhakti.
nija-sukha lägi’ kichu nähi kori är
bhakativinoda bole, tava sukha-sär
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.7]
Bhaktivinod Öhäkur says, ”O Lord, I won’t do anything for my own happiness and pleasure. I will do everything for Your happiness and pleasure. Because You are the Enjoyer, You are the only object of love. Préti-viñaya. You have to be pleased, satisfied.” Do you understand?
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[a short part is missing]
Giving enjoyment to his own senses. To his body and bodily relations. Therefore he commits great offence, he’s great offender, a great criminal, great crime he commits. So he suffers. The warden of the prison house, mäyä, inflicts punishment on him. janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi, birth, death, old age and disease. Life after life. Do you understand? So you must first hear this thing. Guru says this thing.
Mind is stupid mind. Kåñëa says man-manä bhava, “Keep Me in your mind”. How can you keep Kåñëa in your mind unless you develop love for Kåñëa. Stupid mind will think of that object or that person whom it likes. Yes, whom it likes. If you develop love for Kåñëa, that’s a fact you have eternal loving relationship with Kåñëa, Kåñëa is the only object of love, then the mind will think of Kåñëa. Otherwise the stupid mind will never think of Kåñëa. First hear from sädhu guru then this stupid mind will be purified. Will be fixed. Do you understand? Bhägavat-kathä, Nityänanda-kathä, Kåñëa-kathä, Gour-kathä, nectarean so sweet. If you hear from the right source, lips of a pure sädhu, then this stupid, fickle mind, rascal mind will be pacified, will be fixed. You will develop love for Kåñëa. Do you understand?
Always, always one should hear. One who is disciple he hears. Unless you become disciple, unless you surrender unto the lotus feet of Guru, these words will never enter into your ears. You should understand this thing. Yes. That Prahläd Mahäräj has said, “First surrender, then hear, then put faith.” Otherwise you cannot have faith. “What he says I won’t hear.” These words will never enter into your ear. Therefore first çiñya, first become çiñya, disciple. ädau guru-pädäçrayaù, ädau first thing. First thing is guru-pädäçrayaù. Take shelter of the lotus feet of Guru. ädau guru-pädäçrayaù. Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu says this thing. Rupapäd says, Mahäprabhu says. Çréman Mahäprabhu is Kåñëa Himself. He came as sädhu Guru. In Sanätana-çikñä, when teaching Sanätana Goswämé, He says guru-pädäçrayaù dékñä. He says guru-pädäçrayaù dékñä, take shelter of guru, be initiated. Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu says,
guru-pädäçrayas tasmät kåñëa-dékñädi-çikñaëam
viçrambheëa guroù sevä sädhu-vartmänuvartanam
[Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, Eastern division, Second wave, text 74]
The same thing. Because both Sanätana Gosvämé and Rüpa Gosvämé has been taught by Mahäprabhu. So they say so. guru-pädäçrayas tasmät kåñëa-dékñädi-çikñaëam, viçrambheëa guroù sevä sädhu-artmänuvartanam. ädau guru-pädäçrayaù, first take shelter of Guru, accept Guru, come under His discipline. Then you will get out of the clutches of mäyä, discipline of mäyä. As long as you have not accepted Guru, not taken shelter of the lotus feet of Guru, not come under the strict discipline of Guru, you are under the discipline of the stringent laws of material nature, bäs. Yes, mäyä däs. Do you understand? Under the stringent laws of material nature you are. Therefore says, guru-pädäçrayas tasmät kåñëa-dékñädi-çikñaëam, viçrambheëa guroù sevä sädhu-vartmänuvartanam, take shelter of Guru, accept Guru, come under His
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discipline. çiñyas te ’haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam, “I become your disciple. Please inflict discipline on me, purify me and then impart tattva- jïäna.” That is çädhi mäà, initiation, çikñä, teaching. viçrambheëa guroù sevä. Do you understand? Serve Guru. Praëipäta, paripraçna sevä. Praëipäta means surrender, accept Guru, then sevä, serve Guru, please Him. Then humbly enquire. Then Guru will impart tattva-jïäna. Then you will thread this path of devotional service. Sädhu, sädhu-panthäù, path of the sädhu. Sädhus, mahäjanas, they have shown the path. Then you will follow the path. This is the procedure. First become çiñya. Unless you become çiñya you cannot hear. These words will never enter into your ear.
Guru speaks about Kåñëa. Do you understand? He establishes our loving, eternal, loving relationship with Kåñëa. He imparts sambandha-jïäna. Do you understand? He imparts sambandha-jïäna and he establishes our relation that we have forgotten. The relationship that is broken he reestablishes. That Guru. Guru says, ”äsakti rahita” ”sambandha-sahita”, viñaya-samüha sakali ”mädhava”. Gurudev says so, ”Everything belongs to Mädhava, belongs to Kåñëa. Whatever you see, these are all Kåñëa’s paraphernalia. For His service.” Do you understand? “Utilize for His service. Kåñëa is the only proprietor, everything is His property.” Do you understand? One who has property, land and property, bank balance, wealth he is known as proprietor, viñayi. But factually Kåñëa is the only viñayi, because everything belongs to Him. But bewildered souls thinks “mine”. And he utilizes everything, bewildered soul, thinking “mine”, saying “mine”, for his sense enjoyment. Therefore he suffers.
Then you have to take part in Goura-saìkértan, Kåñëa-saìkértan. If you take part under the guidance of Guru, bonafide Guru, then you can understand how everything belongs to Kåñëa, how you belong to Kåñëa. His servant. Then all auspiciousness will be there, all auspiciousness. Otherwise you will welcome all sorts of inauspiciousness. Do you understand? Inauspiciousness. If someone is intelligent, associates with sädhu, hears from sädhu. Then he understands “who am I, I am Kåñëa däs.” kena vä bhajinu mäyä kare kaya hay “Oh why I have become mäyä däs? Up till now, so many lives. Alas, alas, alas!” He dashes his head. Cries, cries, cries. kende bole, ohe kåñëa, ämi taba däs He says “O Kåñëa I am Your däs, I am Your servant. tomära caraëa chäòi haila sarva-näç, disregarding Your lotus feet I am completely doomed now.”
ayi nanda-tanuja kiìkaraà
patitaà mäà viñame bhavämbudhau
kåpayä tava päda-paìkaja-
sthita-dhülé-sadåçaà vicintaya
[Çré Çikñäñöaka, 5]
Mahäprabhu has taught us this prayer. This is the prayer you have to offer. “O son of Nanda Mahäraj I am Your kiìkara, I am Your servant. But forgetting You I have fallen here in this dreadful ocean of materialistic existence and have been drowning,
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drowning and drowning. Now please think of me as a speck of dust at Your lotus feet.” Do you understand? “Please think of me as a speck of dust at Your lotus feet. Let Your servant serve You. tomära sevaka karoì tomära sevana är sevan, let Your servant serve You.” Bhaktivinod Öhäkur mahäjana has sung very nice songs. Do you understand? Very nice songs. We are singing this Gopénätha song. Do you follow? Do you know this song?
Gopénäth, ämi to’ tomära jana
tomäre chäriyä, saàsära bhajinu,
bhuliyä äpana-dhana.
[Gopénäth 4]
“O Gopénäth, ämi tomär, I am Yours, I am Your servant, eternally I am Yours. But forgetting this, forgetting You, forgetting this eternal, perfect, loving relationship with You I am fallen here in this dreadful ocean of this materialistic existence and have been suffering and suffering and suffering.” Do you understand? “You are my asset, namo ’kiïcana-vittäya.” One who says everything belongs to Kåñëa, nothing mine, he is akiïcana, niskiïcana. Isn’t it? He is akiïcana. Then his asset is Kåñëa. Kåñëa is his asset. namo ’kiïcana-vittäya, Kuntédevé says. Vitta means asset, vitta means asset. Akiïcana vittäya. Asset of akiïcana, Kåñëa. Do you understand? Do you follow. Yes. That he says, “bhuliyä äpana-dhana, You are my asset. But I have forgotten it. Therefore I am drowned here. I am fallen here in this dreadful ocean of materialistic existence and have been drowning and drowning and suffering.”
gopinäth, tumi to’ sakali jäno
äpanära jane, daëòiyä ekhano,
çré-caraëe aeho sthäno
[Gopénäth 5]
“You know everything, Gopénäth. Yes, You are all knowing. Äpanär jane I am Yours, please inflict punishment on me. I deserve punishment.” Don’t you deserve? Yes. Bhaktivinod Öhäkur: “daëòiyä ekhano, please inflict punishment on me. Yes, I deserve because I have committed such crime. I have forgotten You.” Isn’t it? “Now You inflict punishment on me. But one prayer: please give me a place at your lotus feet. I accept Your punishment gladly. But my prayer, çré-caraëe aeho sthäno please give me a place, think me as a speck of dust, just tiny place, very minute place at Your lotus feet. Please give me.”
gopénäth, ei ki vicära taba
bimukha dekhiyä, chäro nija-jane,
na koro’ karuëä-laba
[Gopénäth 6]
“Is it Your judgment Gopénäth? You are wise. You are not fool. Ämi mürkha, I am fool but You are not fool, Gopinath, You are wise. Is it Your judgment that I forget You and therefore You kick me? Will You kick me? Will you kick me? I am Yours.
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O Gopénäth. I forgot You, I disregarded You, because I am fool, mürkha, stupid. Yes, it is quite natural with me but it is not natural with You. You are paëòit, You are paëòit, You are all-knowing. So is it Your judgment that You are leaving me, deserting me, kicking me. Not showering just a drop of mercy on me. O Gopénäth. Is it Your judgment?”
gopénäth, ämi to mürakha ati
kise bhälo hoya, kabhu nä bujhinu,
täi heno mama gati
[Gopénäth 7]
“I am mürkha, I am great fool. I don’t know what is good for me. Who is mürkha how can he understand what is good? I am mürkha, I am great fool, I don’t know what is good for me. Only for this reason, O Gopénäth, You desert me? Therefore I am suffering now. Yes, I can understand why I am suffering now. Yes. But, tumi to’ paëòita-bara, Gopénäth. But You are paëòit, You are all knowing, You are wise. müòhera maìgala, tumi anveñibe, e däse nä bhävo’ para. Though I am fool, rascal, but I am Yours, I am Your servant. You are all-knowing, You are not fool, You are wise. You know what is good for me. Please do it, what is good for me. Don’t think that Your däs, I am Your däs, is something else. Not Yours. Don’t think that I am not Yours, I am Yours.”
Do you understand? This is prayer. Do you follow? So nice songs. Bhaktivinod Öhäkur mahäjana has sung these things. When he hears from sädhu the conditioned soul, bhadda-jéva, understands, “Who am I, who am I?” Then he cries at the lotus feet of Kåñëa
käkuti kariyä kåñëe òäke eka-bär
kåpä kari kåñëa täre chäòäna saàsär
[Prema-vivarta]
When he cries, then Kåñëa Who is there in the heart thinks, “Now he is crying for Me.” Then He showers His mercy on him,
mäyäke pichane räkhi kåñëa-päne cäy
bhajite bhajite kåñëa-päda-padma päy
[Prema-vivarta]
Then he kicks mäyä. “You mäyä, get out from here!” Then he looks at Kåñëa. Kicks Maya and looks at Krsna. Kicks mäyä back, goes forward towards Kåñëa. Do you understand? Then Kåñëa showers His mercy. Accepts Guru then he engages himself in Kåñëa bhajan.
täte kåñëa bhaje, kare gurura sevana
mäyä-jala chuöe, päya kåñëera caraëa
[Caitanya-caritämåta 2.22.25]
Do you understand? This is the process. täte kåñëa bhaje, kare gurura sevana, serves Guru and does Kåñëa bhajan under the guidance of Guru. Then he becomes free from the clutches of mäyä and approaches the lotus feet of Kåñëa.
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kåñëa täre dena nija cic-chaktira bal
mäyä äkarñaëa chäòe haiyä durbal
[Prema-vivarta]
Then he gets the spiritual strength from Kåñëa that comes through Guru. He becomes strong now. mäyä becomes now powerless. Do you understand? Otherwise you cannot get out from the clutches of mäyä. Unless you get spiritual strength from Kåñëa. That comes through Guru.
sädhu-saìga kåñëa-näma ei-mätra cäi
saàsära jinite ära kona vastu näi
[Prema-vivarta]
This is the only thing required, sädhu-saìga kåñëa-näma, to have sädhu-saìga and hear Kåñëa-näma. Chant Kåñëa-näma in the association of sädhu. And hear Kåñëa-kathä, Gour-kathä, Nityänanda-kathä, nectarean, sweet kathä from the lips of sädhu. Thereby you get spiritual strength. Then you will be able to conquer mäyä. Do you understand? Otherwise you cannot conquer mäyä. mäyä is very strong. This is the only thing required. No other way is there to conquer mäyä, only sädhu-saìga and Kåñëa-kathä, Kåñëa-näma. Bäs. Do you follow, Jagadish Paëòit? Otherwise you cannot conquer mäyä. This is the only prayer, only aspiration, only hankering. No other thing is there.
So we sing a song that you know, understand. I am not going to repeat it. haribolo bolo re bhäi, `rädhä-kåsna’ bolo, miche mäyär boçe, jäccho bhese’, khäccho häbuòubu, bhäi. Bhaktivinod Öhäkur says. Accepting mäyä, serving mäyä, you have become mäyä’s naphara, mäyä’s däs, mäyä’s slave, mäyä’s servant you have become. Therefore you have been drowning here in this dreadful ocean of materialistic existence. Do you understand? Just raising head. Then again drowning. Again raising head. Again drowning. Again raising head. Again drowning. This is suffering, suffering. haribolo bolo re bhäi, mäyär boçe, `rädhä-kåsna’ bol bol bolo re sobäi. jéva kåñëa-däs, e viçväs, korle to’ är duùkha näi. When one has this complete faith, strong faith that jéva is Kåñëa däs, “I am Kåñëa däs,” and is established in that relationship with Kåñëa under the guidance of Guru, then no more suffering. No more suffering. Finished. haribolo bolo re, jéva kåñëa-däs, `rädhä-kåsna’ bol bol bolo re sobäi. And this is the only thing. Sädhu says, Guru says, vaiñëava says. `rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, ei-mätra bhikñä cäi. A sannyäsé, given up everything. So he has come to you and begging one alm. “Give me. Give me this alm!” What is this? “`rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, chant Rädhä-Kåñëa and come with me. Calo, go.” No not going, not coming. Shackled, shackled. Legs, hands shackled up. Jagadätmä and Déna-bhandu are shackled up. Sädhu Guru says, “Give me this alms. `rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, only this alm I beg from you. Chant Rädhä-Kåñëa and come with me.” Not coming. Going there, shackled. Going there. Going there. Not coming, not coming. Isn’t it, Jagadish Paëòit? Great shackle, very strong shackle. “O my wife”, shackle of the wife, shackle of the son, shackle of the daughter. That shackle is there. Yes. Snatching, snatching, dragging,
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dragging, dragging. Guru says `rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, they say this. Guru says this and the shackles say “Hey, hey!” How can you come? `rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, ei-mätra bhikñä cäi, Bhaktivinod Öhäkur says, “I am begging these alms only, give me these alms. Utter Rädhä-Kåñëa and come with me. I will take you there, you see, there, Kåñëa, the lotus feet of Kåñëa”. Then the shackle is there saying, “Hey, hey where are you going? Come here.” Strong shackle. Then how you will be free from the suffering? How can you get real happiness? You have to suffer. This is befitting punishment on you. Yes, doomed. Do you understand? “I am completely doomed, O Kåñëa, O Gopénäth.”
sädhu-saìge nija-tattva avagata han
nija-tattva jani ära saàsära na cay
kena vä bhajinu mäyä kare haya hay
kende bole, ohe kåñëa, ämi taba däs
tomära caraëa chäòi haila sarva-näç
[Prema-vivarta]
Then you cry and say, “O Kåñëa I am Your servant but disregarding Your lotus feet, not taking shelter at Your lotus feet, not serving Your lotus feet I am completely doomed. Finished.” Yes.
This is the only shackle. “My body is weak.” “I, my, mine.” Let it be finished, serving Kåñëa. It is His property. Is it your property? Hari, Hari. Who’s property? Déna-bhandu says mine. Hari, Hari. Oho, this nasty body, kleça-da äsa dehaù. This body gives so much kleça, so much pain, misery, trouble, suffering. Nice body? Nasty body. So much attachment to this body. Bhaaa!!! Nasty body. So much kleça, suffering, you say, “Oh, so nice body.” You cannot give up such attachment to this body. So fool, such foolishness. Isn’t it Jagadish Paëòit? Such foolishness. Nasty body. Have a nice ...engage whatever is there... in the language of my Gurumähäraj, “Make the best use of a bad bargain.” Do you follow Jagadätmä? Make the best use of a bad bargain. It is a bad bargain the material body you have gotten. Make the best use and utilize it in Kåñëa’s service. It is Kåñëa’s property. Bäs. Make the best use. He is really wise, he is really learned who engage everything, body, mind, speech, soul, everything in Kåñëa’s service. tomära seväya, jadi hoy baòa duùkha, sei duùkha mora sukha-varya, “If I get so much pain, so much trouble, distress in Your service, O Lord. That trouble, that pain, that misery is my highest pleasure.” Do you follow Jagadish Paëòit? Yes, that is pleasure. Yes, yes, yes. You should understand this thing. Because giving pleasure, happiness to Kåñëa is our only sole duty, is our only service. Let this nasty body, life after life so much trouble, pain, suffering it has given to us, let it be utilized for His service. Yes. Let it get misery, trouble. If Kåñëa is pleased then everybody is pleased. Then you will get. That trouble, that suffering, that misery, that pain is our highest happiness, pleasure. Yes. It is for Kåñëa. Do you follow? If you say mine then, “Oho, my body aches. My body is sick. My body is getting weaker.” Then you will feel such misery, such suffering you will feel. If you think it is Kåñëa’s property,
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then such happiness. Then you will never feel suffering. You should understand. This is the secret here. Otherwise there is pain and unhappiness and misery. This is duùkhälayam. This platform is miserable platform. Only misery, suffering is here. Only suffering and misery is here, nothing else. It must come. If you go to a muddy place there must be some mud. You must have, because you have gone to a muddy place. How do you say no mud? It is a muddy place. You have come here. It is duùkhälayam. You have come here to this miserable platform. The material world is a miserable platform. Only misery is there, suffering is there. “Oh, suffering, my body suffers”. You have come here. Then what do you say? You have come here. This is the platform. Only misery is here. “Oh I am miserable, I am suffering.” Yes, you have come here, but utilize it, serve Kåñëa. Make the best use of a bad bargain. Yes, in spite of all suffering, all misery! Tolerate it!!! Engage yourself in the loving service of Kåñëa, you will get so much pleasure. Nice pleasure. Blissfulness. No more suffering then you will find.
Thank you.
***
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.2
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.3
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.4
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.5
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.6
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.7
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.10
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.12
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.13
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.14
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.16
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.17
All lectures were recorded in Bhubaneswar, India beginning in September 1992.
Unfortunately, the audio for some lectures are missing.
tasyopanéyamänasya
sävitréà savitäbravét
båhaspatir brahma-sütraà
mekhaläà kaçyapo ’dadät
At the sacred thread ceremony of Vämanadeva, the sun-god personally uttered the Gäyatré mantra, Båhaspati offered the sacred thread, and Kaçyapa Muni offered a straw belt.
TEXT 15
dadau kåñëäjinaà bhümir
daëòaà somo vanaspatiù
kaupénäcchädanaà mätä
dyauç chatraà jagataù pateù
Mother earth gave Him a deerskin, and the demigod of the moon, who is the king of the forest, gave Him a brahma-daëòa [the rod of a brahmacäré]. His mother, Aditi, gave Him cloth for underwear, and the deity presiding over the heavenly kingdom offered Him an umbrella.
TEXT 16
kamaëòaluà veda-garbhaù
kuçän saptarñayo daduù
akña-mäläà mahäräja
sarasvaty avyayätmanaù
O King, Lord Brahmä offered a waterpot to the inexhaustible Supreme Personality of Godhead, the seven sages offered Him kuça grass, and mother Sarasvaté gave Him a string of Rudräkña beads.
TEXT 17
tasmä ity upanétäya
yakña-räö pätrikäm adät
bhikñäà bhagavaté säkñäd
umädäd ambikä saté
When Vämanadeva had thus been given the sacred thread, Kuvera, King of the Yakñas, gave Him a pot for begging alms, and mother Bhagavaté, the wife of Lord Çiva and most chaste mother of the entire universe, gave Him His first alms.
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TEXT 18
sa brahma-varcasenaivaà
sabhäà sambhävito vaöuù
brahmarñi-gaëa-saïjuñöäm
atyarocata märiñaù
Having thus been welcomed by everyone, Lord Vämanadeva, the best of the brahmacärés, exhibited His Brahman effulgence. Thus He surpassed in beauty that entire assembly, which was filled with great saintly brähmaëas.
TEXT 19
samiddham ähitaà vahnià
kåtvä parisamühanam
paristérya samabhyarcya
samidbhir ajuhod dvijaù
After Lord Çré Vämanadeva set a sacrificial fire, He offered worship and performed a fire sacrifice on the sacrificial field.
TEXT 20
çrutväçvamedhair yajamänam ürjitaà
balià bhågüëäm upakalpitais tataù
jagäma taträkhila-sära-sambhåto
bhäreëa gäà sannamäyän pade pade
When the Lord heard that Bali Mahäräja was performing açvamedha sacrifices under the patronage of brähmaëas belonging to the Bhågu dynasty, the Supreme Lord, who is full in every respect, proceeded there to show His mercy to Bali Mahäräja. By His weight, He pushed down the earth with every step.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is akhila-sära-sambhåta. In other words, He is the proprietor of everything essential in this material world. Thus although the Lord was going to Bali Mahäräja to beg something, He is always complete and has nothing to beg from anyone. Indeed, He is so powerful that in His full opulence He pressed down the surface of the earth at every step.
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One who has property he is a proprietor. Having no property you are saying you are proprietor. Such nonsense. Viñayä-sakala-mädhava. You have to first hear this thing, äge çuno. manaù, this is stupid mind says like this. manaù baòa viçvaù gata [?] mind is very stupid stuborn, disobedient, fickle, most rascal. This mind. Creates all trouble. Isn’t it? Creates all trouble this rascal mind, nothing else.
“tomära nitya-däsa mui, tomä päsariyä
paòiyächoì bhavärëave mäyä-baddha haïä
kåpä kari’ kara more pada-dhüli-sama
tomära sevaka karoì tomära sevana”
[Caitanya-caritämåta 3.20.33-34]
gopénäth, ämi to’ tomära jana
tomäre chäriyä, saàsära bhajinu,
bhuliyä äpana-dhana
gopinäth, tumi to’ sakali jäno
äpanära jane, daëòiyä ekhano,
çré-caraëe aeho sthäno
gopénäth, ei ki vicära taba
bimukha dekhiyä, chäro nija-jane,
na koro’ karuëä-laba
gopénäth, ämi to mürakha ati
kise bhälo hoya, kabhu nä bujhinu,
täi heno mama gati
gopénäth, tumi to’ paëòita-bara
müòhera maìgala, tumi anveñibe,
e däse nä bhävo’ para
`rädhä-kåsna’ bol bol bolo re sobäi
(ei) çikhä diyä, sab nadéyä,
phirche nece’ gaura-nitäi
(miche) mäyär boçe, jäccho bhese’,
khäccho häbuòubu, bhäi
(jév) kåñëa-däs, e viçväs,
korle to’ är duùkha näi
(kåñëa) bolbe jabe, pulak ha’be,
jhorbe äìkhi, boli täi
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(`rädhä) kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo,
ei-mätra bhikñä cäi
(jay) sakal vipod, bhaktivinod,
bole, jakhon o-näm gäi
So you understood? Understood? I think you understood. Isn’t it? Everything belongs to Kåñëa. That we say, “He is the proprietor of everything essential in this material world”
ahaà sarvasya prabhavo
mattaù sarvaà pravartate
iti matvä bhajante mäà
budhä bhäva-samanvitäù
[Bhagavad-gétä 10.8]
Kåñëa says this thing in Bhagavad-gétä: ”I am the source of all emanations, everything has emanated from Me.” In other words everything is Kåñëa’s property. Kåñëa is the sole proprietor. One who has property he is a proprietor. Isn’t it? One who has no property, how can he be proprietor? Having no property you are saying you are proprietor. Déna-bandhu, have you any property? But saying proprietor. Saying proprietor. This is strange. No property but saying he is proprietor. Great criminal. Isn’t it? Yes. Great criminal. Everything is Kåñëa’s property. Kåñëa is the only proprietor, sole proprietor, ahaà sarvasya prabhavo. Are you your property? You are property of Kåñëa. Your body, your mind, your speech, you yourself – soul, everything belongs to Kåñëa. Isn’t it? But you say, “my body, my mind, my intelligence.” Kåñëa’s property you say ‘mine’. Do you understand? You want to lord it over Kåñëa’s property. Developed such criminal mentality. Great criminal. Those who are criminals, they deserve punishment. Isn’t it? Yajïa-daëòa. This is yajïa-daëòa. Befitting punishment. To be put in the prison house. Isn’t it? And suffer there lakhs and lakhs of lives. Isn’t it? mäyä-kåtä kärägäre. This material world is a prison house created by mäyä for these criminals. Do you understand? mäyä has put up very strong shackles on your legs and hands. Legs, hands are shackled. Isn’t it? Tight, very tight shackle. Isn’t it? Bhäëòan, bhäëòan, bondage. Do you feel so? Do you feel so? That you are in bondage? Then hopeful, otherwise hopeless case. Really you are in bondage, very strong shackles, tight. Hands and legs are tied up. One who feels so he is a hopeful case. But one who doesn’t feel so is a hopeless case. He is hopeless. He is so callous! Really he is in bondage but he cannot understand that I am in bondage. Yes, such callousness. Hopeless case. Do you understand? Yes, you should understand these things. Therefore this suffering is here. mäyä has bound you up within this prison house, in her fort. This is Durgä Devé’s fort. Durgä, this material world. Do you understand? Birth, death, old age and disease are the punishments. As long as one is here, that period is the period of punishment. Do you understand? Daëòa-bhoga-sthal, this is prison house and as long as jéva is here he must get punishment. This is a period of punishment. One who is intelligent, has some intelligence, he can understand, “Really I am in trouble, really I am in
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bondage, really I am suffering, I have been suffering. How to get out of this bondage? How to get out of this prison house?” He must enquire. He is intelligent. Otherwise one who is callous, ignorant fool, though he is suffering he thinks, “I am in fools paradise, I am enjoying, enjoying, enjoying.” Such foolishness, callousness. He is hopeless case.
ahaà sarvasya prabhavo
mattaù sarvaà pravartate
iti matvä bhajante mäà
budhä bhäva-samanvitäù
[Bhagavad-gétä 10.8]
Kåñëa says this thing: “Those who are budhä, those who are real paëòits, really learned, they know this thing”. That “Kåñëa is the only proprietor, everything is Kåñëa’s property. Nothing is mine. He is the source of all emanations, everything has emanated from Him.” In other words everybody, everything is related to Kåñëa. Kåñëa is the only relationship. It is perfect, eternal, loving relationship. Do you understand? We have perfect, eternal, perfect loving relationship with Kåñëa. One who is budhä, paëòit, learned, he understands this thing and does his bhajan in that mood, loving mood. Do you understand? He does his bhajan, serves Kåñëa in loving mood, offers loving service, prema-mayé-sevä. Not mere service, loving service. And we have loving relationship, eternal, perfect loving relationship with Kåñëa. And we should establish ourselves in that relationship. Then there will be no trouble at all, no suffering at all. All happy, all joyful, all blissful. You’ll see and find.
Kåñëa says, çästra says, mahäjana says. Bhaktivinod Öhäkur, mahäjana he says that thing,
`ämära’ bolite prabhu! äre kichu näi
tumi-i ämära mätra pitä-bandhu-bhäi
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.1]
”Oh Lord there is nothing that I can say ‘mine’. Everything belongs to You. You are my father, You are my friend, You are my mother, You are everything to me.” That is a fact. Kåñëa is the only relationship. ato gåha-kñetra-sutäpta-vittair janasya moho ’yam ahaà mameti [SB 5.5.8]. But bewildered souls, conditioned souls, they have forgotten this thing, their eternal loving relationship with Kåñëa. They have developed material relationships, temporary relationships, bodily relationships, saying “I and mine”. ato gåha-kñetra-sutäpta-vittairjanasya moho ’yam ahaà mameti, “This gåha, house is mine. Kñetra, this land and property is mine. Suta, son, daughter is mine. Apta friends, family members are mine. Vitta, these assets, wealth, bank balance is mine. Everything mine. I am the monarch of all I survey.” At last he says, “This land is mine, this country is mine, this world is mine. I am the monarch of all I survey.” I, mine, bäs. Factually everything belongs to Kåñëa. But he says ”mine”. janasya moho, this is delusion. Deluded soul, bewildered soul, he says like that. Therefore he suffers. He is a great criminal, he says Kåñëa’s property, mine.
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Therefore he suffers. Such severe punishment is inflicted on him in this prison house created by mäyä, birth, death, old age and disease. Bhaktivinod Öhäkura, sädhu mähäjana says `ämära’ bolite prabhu! äre kichu näi, “There is nothing I can say mine, that it belongs to me. I belong to You. kåñëa ämi tomär. I belong to You. I don’t belong to myself”
bandhu, därä, suta, sutä—tava däsé däs
sei to’ sambandhe sabe ämära prayäs
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.2]
”Now I am established in that one relationship, that loving relationship, eternal loving relationship with You. Giving up all material relationship, temporary relationship, bodily relationships. Whatever I say ‘my friend’, he is Your däs. He is Your servant. What I say ‘my wife’, she is Your maidservant. What I say ‘my son’, he is Your servant. What I say ‘my daughter’, she is Your maidservant. That means Your servants and maidservants. Whatever I say ‘my’, my son, my daughter, my wife, my friend, my kit and kin they are all Your servants and maidservants.” sei to’ sambandhe ämära prayäs, “Now I am convinced, determined. I understand it very well. Now I will establish this eternal, loving relationship with You. No more bodily relationship. No more this material, temporary relationship. Finished.”
dhana, jana, gåha, dära `tomära’ boliyä
rakhä kori ämi mätro sevaka hoiyä
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.3]
”This wealth, this property, this asset, relations, followers, family members, this home and hearth, everything Yours.” Who are you then? Who are you? ”I am Your servant, Your servant. Everything belongs to You. I am You servant. My duty is to protect Your property and utilize it in Your service. That is my duty. I will do this thing. I will never say mine.” Do you understand?
bhälo-manda nähi jäni sevä mätro kori
tomära saàsäre ämi viñaya-praharé
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.5]
”I don’t know whether I am doing good or bad. Gurudev has said, Your bonafide representative, Guru. I have accepted, taken shelter at His lotus feet. He has established my relationship with You, eternal loving relationship. Sambandha-jïän, he has imparted sambandha-jïän.” Do you understand? Guru. Do you follow me? “I do not know. He has said ‘do this thing’.” Gurudev has said to do this thing. This is your sevä. This is your service for Kåñëa. “Go, plunder, steal! Beg, borrow, steal, get money!” “Yes Gurudev has said. I don’t know whether I am doing good or bad. I don’t know. I am mürkha. I am mürkha.” gopénäth, ämi to mürakha. I was singing Gopénäth-song. gopénäth, ämi to mürakha ati, “Oh Gopénäth I am mürkha.” Mürka, do you understand mürkha? Fool, fool, great fool! “I don’t know what is good and what is bad. I have no knowledge at all.” Do you understand? Do you follow me?
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“My Guru has said, ‘Do this thing’. So I am doing this thing.” Yes, nothing else. Jagadish says ‘mine’. Take away everything from him. Kåñëa’s money. Cheating, cheating, great cheater, great cheater. Just pretending, pretending. A great cheater. Saying mine, mine, mine. I and mine. bhälo-manda nähi jäni sevä mätro kori, tomära saàsäre ämi viñaya-praharé. “I don’t know whether I am doing good or bad. I am just rendering service unto Your lotus feet, o Kåñëa, under the guidance of my spiritual master. I am only a watchman.” Do you understand? “In Your samsära. I am a watchman. I am just watching over Your, guarding over Your property.” Yes. A treasury guard, who guards does he say, “My wealth is stored here”? Does he say so? “No, I am just a guard. I am just a watchman.” Holding gun. Left, right, left, right. At night guarding, guarding, guarding. tomära saàsäre ämi viñaya-praharé. “I am a watchman, a guard only. I am guarding Your property. It belongs to You. I am protecting it for Your service. Nothing mine.” Do you understand? viñaya-samüha sakali “mädhava”. Gurudev says so. You must first hear this from Guru. Gurudev says so. Everything belongs to Kåñëa. Nothing belongs to you. You are Kåñëa däs.
tomära icchäya mora indriya-cälanä
çravana, darçana, ghräna, bhojana-väsanä
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.6]
”I utilize all my senses in Your service.” håñékeëa håñékeça- sevanaà bhaktir ucyate [Cc. 2.19.170]. That is bhakti, that is sevä. Bhakti means service, service unto Kåñëa, that is bhakti. Bhaj-dhatu means service, to serve. Bhajan means service. Do you understand? That is bhajan. That is service. Bhaj-dhatu, verbal root, means service. Service unto Kåñëa that is bhakti. Do you understand? håñékeëa håñékeça-sevanaà bhaktir ucyate, to serve Håñékeça, the Master of the senses with your senses. That is bhakti. tomära icchäya mora indriya-cälanä, çravana, darçana, ghräna, bhojana-väsanä “According to Your will. To execute Your will, in executing your will, to please You I utilize my ear for hearing kåñëa-kathä, bhägavata-kathä. I utilize my eyes to see You. To see Your beautiful Deity. To see Your beautiful form. To see Your dear devotees – vaiñëavas, sädhus. Just I utilize. To see Your property. To see Your all paraphernalia. Yes this is all paraphernalia for Your service. Yes, I see it and I utilize it. Yes this is Kåñëa’s, nothing mine.” That is to utilize the eyes, the sense. çravana, darçana, ghräna, “I utilize my nose to smell Tuläsi, offered, scented flower offered, ärati offered. Yes nice smell. Yes. bhojana-väsanä. Utilize my tongue to taste Your prasäd. All the senses utilized in Your service.” That is bhakti.
nija-sukha lägi’ kichu nähi kori är
bhakativinoda bole, tava sukha-sär
[Çaraëägati, Ätma-Nivedana 5.7]
Bhaktivinod Öhäkur says, ”O Lord, I won’t do anything for my own happiness and pleasure. I will do everything for Your happiness and pleasure. Because You are the Enjoyer, You are the only object of love. Préti-viñaya. You have to be pleased, satisfied.” Do you understand?
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[a short part is missing]
Giving enjoyment to his own senses. To his body and bodily relations. Therefore he commits great offence, he’s great offender, a great criminal, great crime he commits. So he suffers. The warden of the prison house, mäyä, inflicts punishment on him. janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi, birth, death, old age and disease. Life after life. Do you understand? So you must first hear this thing. Guru says this thing.
Mind is stupid mind. Kåñëa says man-manä bhava, “Keep Me in your mind”. How can you keep Kåñëa in your mind unless you develop love for Kåñëa. Stupid mind will think of that object or that person whom it likes. Yes, whom it likes. If you develop love for Kåñëa, that’s a fact you have eternal loving relationship with Kåñëa, Kåñëa is the only object of love, then the mind will think of Kåñëa. Otherwise the stupid mind will never think of Kåñëa. First hear from sädhu guru then this stupid mind will be purified. Will be fixed. Do you understand? Bhägavat-kathä, Nityänanda-kathä, Kåñëa-kathä, Gour-kathä, nectarean so sweet. If you hear from the right source, lips of a pure sädhu, then this stupid, fickle mind, rascal mind will be pacified, will be fixed. You will develop love for Kåñëa. Do you understand?
Always, always one should hear. One who is disciple he hears. Unless you become disciple, unless you surrender unto the lotus feet of Guru, these words will never enter into your ears. You should understand this thing. Yes. That Prahläd Mahäräj has said, “First surrender, then hear, then put faith.” Otherwise you cannot have faith. “What he says I won’t hear.” These words will never enter into your ear. Therefore first çiñya, first become çiñya, disciple. ädau guru-pädäçrayaù, ädau first thing. First thing is guru-pädäçrayaù. Take shelter of the lotus feet of Guru. ädau guru-pädäçrayaù. Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu says this thing. Rupapäd says, Mahäprabhu says. Çréman Mahäprabhu is Kåñëa Himself. He came as sädhu Guru. In Sanätana-çikñä, when teaching Sanätana Goswämé, He says guru-pädäçrayaù dékñä. He says guru-pädäçrayaù dékñä, take shelter of guru, be initiated. Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu says,
guru-pädäçrayas tasmät kåñëa-dékñädi-çikñaëam
viçrambheëa guroù sevä sädhu-vartmänuvartanam
[Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, Eastern division, Second wave, text 74]
The same thing. Because both Sanätana Gosvämé and Rüpa Gosvämé has been taught by Mahäprabhu. So they say so. guru-pädäçrayas tasmät kåñëa-dékñädi-çikñaëam, viçrambheëa guroù sevä sädhu-artmänuvartanam. ädau guru-pädäçrayaù, first take shelter of Guru, accept Guru, come under His discipline. Then you will get out of the clutches of mäyä, discipline of mäyä. As long as you have not accepted Guru, not taken shelter of the lotus feet of Guru, not come under the strict discipline of Guru, you are under the discipline of the stringent laws of material nature, bäs. Yes, mäyä däs. Do you understand? Under the stringent laws of material nature you are. Therefore says, guru-pädäçrayas tasmät kåñëa-dékñädi-çikñaëam, viçrambheëa guroù sevä sädhu-vartmänuvartanam, take shelter of Guru, accept Guru, come under His
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discipline. çiñyas te ’haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam, “I become your disciple. Please inflict discipline on me, purify me and then impart tattva- jïäna.” That is çädhi mäà, initiation, çikñä, teaching. viçrambheëa guroù sevä. Do you understand? Serve Guru. Praëipäta, paripraçna sevä. Praëipäta means surrender, accept Guru, then sevä, serve Guru, please Him. Then humbly enquire. Then Guru will impart tattva-jïäna. Then you will thread this path of devotional service. Sädhu, sädhu-panthäù, path of the sädhu. Sädhus, mahäjanas, they have shown the path. Then you will follow the path. This is the procedure. First become çiñya. Unless you become çiñya you cannot hear. These words will never enter into your ear.
Guru speaks about Kåñëa. Do you understand? He establishes our loving, eternal, loving relationship with Kåñëa. He imparts sambandha-jïäna. Do you understand? He imparts sambandha-jïäna and he establishes our relation that we have forgotten. The relationship that is broken he reestablishes. That Guru. Guru says, ”äsakti rahita” ”sambandha-sahita”, viñaya-samüha sakali ”mädhava”. Gurudev says so, ”Everything belongs to Mädhava, belongs to Kåñëa. Whatever you see, these are all Kåñëa’s paraphernalia. For His service.” Do you understand? “Utilize for His service. Kåñëa is the only proprietor, everything is His property.” Do you understand? One who has property, land and property, bank balance, wealth he is known as proprietor, viñayi. But factually Kåñëa is the only viñayi, because everything belongs to Him. But bewildered souls thinks “mine”. And he utilizes everything, bewildered soul, thinking “mine”, saying “mine”, for his sense enjoyment. Therefore he suffers.
Then you have to take part in Goura-saìkértan, Kåñëa-saìkértan. If you take part under the guidance of Guru, bonafide Guru, then you can understand how everything belongs to Kåñëa, how you belong to Kåñëa. His servant. Then all auspiciousness will be there, all auspiciousness. Otherwise you will welcome all sorts of inauspiciousness. Do you understand? Inauspiciousness. If someone is intelligent, associates with sädhu, hears from sädhu. Then he understands “who am I, I am Kåñëa däs.” kena vä bhajinu mäyä kare kaya hay “Oh why I have become mäyä däs? Up till now, so many lives. Alas, alas, alas!” He dashes his head. Cries, cries, cries. kende bole, ohe kåñëa, ämi taba däs He says “O Kåñëa I am Your däs, I am Your servant. tomära caraëa chäòi haila sarva-näç, disregarding Your lotus feet I am completely doomed now.”
ayi nanda-tanuja kiìkaraà
patitaà mäà viñame bhavämbudhau
kåpayä tava päda-paìkaja-
sthita-dhülé-sadåçaà vicintaya
[Çré Çikñäñöaka, 5]
Mahäprabhu has taught us this prayer. This is the prayer you have to offer. “O son of Nanda Mahäraj I am Your kiìkara, I am Your servant. But forgetting You I have fallen here in this dreadful ocean of materialistic existence and have been drowning,
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drowning and drowning. Now please think of me as a speck of dust at Your lotus feet.” Do you understand? “Please think of me as a speck of dust at Your lotus feet. Let Your servant serve You. tomära sevaka karoì tomära sevana är sevan, let Your servant serve You.” Bhaktivinod Öhäkur mahäjana has sung very nice songs. Do you understand? Very nice songs. We are singing this Gopénätha song. Do you follow? Do you know this song?
Gopénäth, ämi to’ tomära jana
tomäre chäriyä, saàsära bhajinu,
bhuliyä äpana-dhana.
[Gopénäth 4]
“O Gopénäth, ämi tomär, I am Yours, I am Your servant, eternally I am Yours. But forgetting this, forgetting You, forgetting this eternal, perfect, loving relationship with You I am fallen here in this dreadful ocean of this materialistic existence and have been suffering and suffering and suffering.” Do you understand? “You are my asset, namo ’kiïcana-vittäya.” One who says everything belongs to Kåñëa, nothing mine, he is akiïcana, niskiïcana. Isn’t it? He is akiïcana. Then his asset is Kåñëa. Kåñëa is his asset. namo ’kiïcana-vittäya, Kuntédevé says. Vitta means asset, vitta means asset. Akiïcana vittäya. Asset of akiïcana, Kåñëa. Do you understand? Do you follow. Yes. That he says, “bhuliyä äpana-dhana, You are my asset. But I have forgotten it. Therefore I am drowned here. I am fallen here in this dreadful ocean of materialistic existence and have been drowning and drowning and suffering.”
gopinäth, tumi to’ sakali jäno
äpanära jane, daëòiyä ekhano,
çré-caraëe aeho sthäno
[Gopénäth 5]
“You know everything, Gopénäth. Yes, You are all knowing. Äpanär jane I am Yours, please inflict punishment on me. I deserve punishment.” Don’t you deserve? Yes. Bhaktivinod Öhäkur: “daëòiyä ekhano, please inflict punishment on me. Yes, I deserve because I have committed such crime. I have forgotten You.” Isn’t it? “Now You inflict punishment on me. But one prayer: please give me a place at your lotus feet. I accept Your punishment gladly. But my prayer, çré-caraëe aeho sthäno please give me a place, think me as a speck of dust, just tiny place, very minute place at Your lotus feet. Please give me.”
gopénäth, ei ki vicära taba
bimukha dekhiyä, chäro nija-jane,
na koro’ karuëä-laba
[Gopénäth 6]
“Is it Your judgment Gopénäth? You are wise. You are not fool. Ämi mürkha, I am fool but You are not fool, Gopinath, You are wise. Is it Your judgment that I forget You and therefore You kick me? Will You kick me? Will you kick me? I am Yours.
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O Gopénäth. I forgot You, I disregarded You, because I am fool, mürkha, stupid. Yes, it is quite natural with me but it is not natural with You. You are paëòit, You are paëòit, You are all-knowing. So is it Your judgment that You are leaving me, deserting me, kicking me. Not showering just a drop of mercy on me. O Gopénäth. Is it Your judgment?”
gopénäth, ämi to mürakha ati
kise bhälo hoya, kabhu nä bujhinu,
täi heno mama gati
[Gopénäth 7]
“I am mürkha, I am great fool. I don’t know what is good for me. Who is mürkha how can he understand what is good? I am mürkha, I am great fool, I don’t know what is good for me. Only for this reason, O Gopénäth, You desert me? Therefore I am suffering now. Yes, I can understand why I am suffering now. Yes. But, tumi to’ paëòita-bara, Gopénäth. But You are paëòit, You are all knowing, You are wise. müòhera maìgala, tumi anveñibe, e däse nä bhävo’ para. Though I am fool, rascal, but I am Yours, I am Your servant. You are all-knowing, You are not fool, You are wise. You know what is good for me. Please do it, what is good for me. Don’t think that Your däs, I am Your däs, is something else. Not Yours. Don’t think that I am not Yours, I am Yours.”
Do you understand? This is prayer. Do you follow? So nice songs. Bhaktivinod Öhäkur mahäjana has sung these things. When he hears from sädhu the conditioned soul, bhadda-jéva, understands, “Who am I, who am I?” Then he cries at the lotus feet of Kåñëa
käkuti kariyä kåñëe òäke eka-bär
kåpä kari kåñëa täre chäòäna saàsär
[Prema-vivarta]
When he cries, then Kåñëa Who is there in the heart thinks, “Now he is crying for Me.” Then He showers His mercy on him,
mäyäke pichane räkhi kåñëa-päne cäy
bhajite bhajite kåñëa-päda-padma päy
[Prema-vivarta]
Then he kicks mäyä. “You mäyä, get out from here!” Then he looks at Kåñëa. Kicks Maya and looks at Krsna. Kicks mäyä back, goes forward towards Kåñëa. Do you understand? Then Kåñëa showers His mercy. Accepts Guru then he engages himself in Kåñëa bhajan.
täte kåñëa bhaje, kare gurura sevana
mäyä-jala chuöe, päya kåñëera caraëa
[Caitanya-caritämåta 2.22.25]
Do you understand? This is the process. täte kåñëa bhaje, kare gurura sevana, serves Guru and does Kåñëa bhajan under the guidance of Guru. Then he becomes free from the clutches of mäyä and approaches the lotus feet of Kåñëa.
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kåñëa täre dena nija cic-chaktira bal
mäyä äkarñaëa chäòe haiyä durbal
[Prema-vivarta]
Then he gets the spiritual strength from Kåñëa that comes through Guru. He becomes strong now. mäyä becomes now powerless. Do you understand? Otherwise you cannot get out from the clutches of mäyä. Unless you get spiritual strength from Kåñëa. That comes through Guru.
sädhu-saìga kåñëa-näma ei-mätra cäi
saàsära jinite ära kona vastu näi
[Prema-vivarta]
This is the only thing required, sädhu-saìga kåñëa-näma, to have sädhu-saìga and hear Kåñëa-näma. Chant Kåñëa-näma in the association of sädhu. And hear Kåñëa-kathä, Gour-kathä, Nityänanda-kathä, nectarean, sweet kathä from the lips of sädhu. Thereby you get spiritual strength. Then you will be able to conquer mäyä. Do you understand? Otherwise you cannot conquer mäyä. mäyä is very strong. This is the only thing required. No other way is there to conquer mäyä, only sädhu-saìga and Kåñëa-kathä, Kåñëa-näma. Bäs. Do you follow, Jagadish Paëòit? Otherwise you cannot conquer mäyä. This is the only prayer, only aspiration, only hankering. No other thing is there.
So we sing a song that you know, understand. I am not going to repeat it. haribolo bolo re bhäi, `rädhä-kåsna’ bolo, miche mäyär boçe, jäccho bhese’, khäccho häbuòubu, bhäi. Bhaktivinod Öhäkur says. Accepting mäyä, serving mäyä, you have become mäyä’s naphara, mäyä’s däs, mäyä’s slave, mäyä’s servant you have become. Therefore you have been drowning here in this dreadful ocean of materialistic existence. Do you understand? Just raising head. Then again drowning. Again raising head. Again drowning. Again raising head. Again drowning. This is suffering, suffering. haribolo bolo re bhäi, mäyär boçe, `rädhä-kåsna’ bol bol bolo re sobäi. jéva kåñëa-däs, e viçväs, korle to’ är duùkha näi. When one has this complete faith, strong faith that jéva is Kåñëa däs, “I am Kåñëa däs,” and is established in that relationship with Kåñëa under the guidance of Guru, then no more suffering. No more suffering. Finished. haribolo bolo re, jéva kåñëa-däs, `rädhä-kåsna’ bol bol bolo re sobäi. And this is the only thing. Sädhu says, Guru says, vaiñëava says. `rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, ei-mätra bhikñä cäi. A sannyäsé, given up everything. So he has come to you and begging one alm. “Give me. Give me this alm!” What is this? “`rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, chant Rädhä-Kåñëa and come with me. Calo, go.” No not going, not coming. Shackled, shackled. Legs, hands shackled up. Jagadätmä and Déna-bhandu are shackled up. Sädhu Guru says, “Give me this alms. `rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, only this alm I beg from you. Chant Rädhä-Kåñëa and come with me.” Not coming. Going there, shackled. Going there. Going there. Not coming, not coming. Isn’t it, Jagadish Paëòit? Great shackle, very strong shackle. “O my wife”, shackle of the wife, shackle of the son, shackle of the daughter. That shackle is there. Yes. Snatching, snatching, dragging,
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dragging, dragging. Guru says `rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, they say this. Guru says this and the shackles say “Hey, hey!” How can you come? `rädhä kåñëa’ bolo, saìge calo, ei-mätra bhikñä cäi, Bhaktivinod Öhäkur says, “I am begging these alms only, give me these alms. Utter Rädhä-Kåñëa and come with me. I will take you there, you see, there, Kåñëa, the lotus feet of Kåñëa”. Then the shackle is there saying, “Hey, hey where are you going? Come here.” Strong shackle. Then how you will be free from the suffering? How can you get real happiness? You have to suffer. This is befitting punishment on you. Yes, doomed. Do you understand? “I am completely doomed, O Kåñëa, O Gopénäth.”
sädhu-saìge nija-tattva avagata han
nija-tattva jani ära saàsära na cay
kena vä bhajinu mäyä kare haya hay
kende bole, ohe kåñëa, ämi taba däs
tomära caraëa chäòi haila sarva-näç
[Prema-vivarta]
Then you cry and say, “O Kåñëa I am Your servant but disregarding Your lotus feet, not taking shelter at Your lotus feet, not serving Your lotus feet I am completely doomed. Finished.” Yes.
This is the only shackle. “My body is weak.” “I, my, mine.” Let it be finished, serving Kåñëa. It is His property. Is it your property? Hari, Hari. Who’s property? Déna-bhandu says mine. Hari, Hari. Oho, this nasty body, kleça-da äsa dehaù. This body gives so much kleça, so much pain, misery, trouble, suffering. Nice body? Nasty body. So much attachment to this body. Bhaaa!!! Nasty body. So much kleça, suffering, you say, “Oh, so nice body.” You cannot give up such attachment to this body. So fool, such foolishness. Isn’t it Jagadish Paëòit? Such foolishness. Nasty body. Have a nice ...engage whatever is there... in the language of my Gurumähäraj, “Make the best use of a bad bargain.” Do you follow Jagadätmä? Make the best use of a bad bargain. It is a bad bargain the material body you have gotten. Make the best use and utilize it in Kåñëa’s service. It is Kåñëa’s property. Bäs. Make the best use. He is really wise, he is really learned who engage everything, body, mind, speech, soul, everything in Kåñëa’s service. tomära seväya, jadi hoy baòa duùkha, sei duùkha mora sukha-varya, “If I get so much pain, so much trouble, distress in Your service, O Lord. That trouble, that pain, that misery is my highest pleasure.” Do you follow Jagadish Paëòit? Yes, that is pleasure. Yes, yes, yes. You should understand this thing. Because giving pleasure, happiness to Kåñëa is our only sole duty, is our only service. Let this nasty body, life after life so much trouble, pain, suffering it has given to us, let it be utilized for His service. Yes. Let it get misery, trouble. If Kåñëa is pleased then everybody is pleased. Then you will get. That trouble, that suffering, that misery, that pain is our highest happiness, pleasure. Yes. It is for Kåñëa. Do you follow? If you say mine then, “Oho, my body aches. My body is sick. My body is getting weaker.” Then you will feel such misery, such suffering you will feel. If you think it is Kåñëa’s property,
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then such happiness. Then you will never feel suffering. You should understand. This is the secret here. Otherwise there is pain and unhappiness and misery. This is duùkhälayam. This platform is miserable platform. Only misery, suffering is here. Only suffering and misery is here, nothing else. It must come. If you go to a muddy place there must be some mud. You must have, because you have gone to a muddy place. How do you say no mud? It is a muddy place. You have come here. It is duùkhälayam. You have come here to this miserable platform. The material world is a miserable platform. Only misery is there, suffering is there. “Oh, suffering, my body suffers”. You have come here. Then what do you say? You have come here. This is the platform. Only misery is here. “Oh I am miserable, I am suffering.” Yes, you have come here, but utilize it, serve Kåñëa. Make the best use of a bad bargain. Yes, in spite of all suffering, all misery! Tolerate it!!! Engage yourself in the loving service of Kåñëa, you will get so much pleasure. Nice pleasure. Blissfulness. No more suffering then you will find.
Thank you.
***
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.2
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.3
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.4
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.5
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.6
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.7
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.10
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.12
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.13
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.14
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.16
Bali Maharaj's Surrender, lecture no.17
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