In 1885, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura took Bimala along with other sons to visit a few places of Lord Caitanya's pastimes in Bengal. Arriving late one night evening on the outskirts of Kulina-grama, a settlement whose former inhabitants were very dear to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the father and sons were accorded repose in a temple. Next morning upon entering the halmet, they were asked by some local residents where they have come from and where they have spent the night.
Upon hearing the answer the village men, amazedly asked, "How could you have slept? No one can stay there peacefully, for it is haunted by a brahmana raksasa who pitches stones and brickbats at anyone passing by after dusk." Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura replied, "Yes, that ghost did try to disturb us, but I loudly chanted the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and he went away." Learning that he was Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, whom they already knew of, some having read his books, the villagers became most obeisant and further questioned, "How did you quell that ghost by chanting Hare Krsna? Perviously he was the priest of that temple, and he chanted Hare Krishna throughout his life. How did he become a ghost, a nd how could your chanting expel him?"
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura told them that the priest must have vibrated only the syllables of the name, thus producing a physical, lip-deep sound lacking spiritual essence. When Bhaktivinoda asked about his character, they replied, "He was not good. He comitted many sinful acts. But he used to recite harinama almost constantly." Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura further explained why the priest could not have been truly chanting: "Sinful people, with the intention of acquiring wealth and reputation, make a show of kirtana, but that is merely cheating. As stated in Srila Jagadananda Pandita's Prema-vivarta:
asadhu-sanga bhai krsna nama nahi haya
namaksara bahiraya bate nama kabhu naya
Those not in the association od authentic devotees cannot actually
utter the holy names. Even thought they may externally vibrate the
sound Krsna, that is not actually the name of Krsna.
"The name of Krsna is nondifferent from Him and thus completely pure and spiritual. Krsna-nama does not allow Himself to be plundered by materialists. This man never actually chanted Hare Krsna, only namaparada. Because of severe offenses to the holy name he became a ghost." The man then asked, "Can he ever be released from that wretched condition?" Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, " If he hears the real name, or the proper explanation of the Bhagavat-gita or Bhagavatam from a bona fide sadhu who has a genuine connection with Krsna, then he can be liberated from ghostly existence." (Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava)
Comments
Srila Prabhupada; Leaders who have fallen into ignorance and who mislead people by directing them to the path of destruction [as described in the previous verse] are, in effect, boarding a stone boat, and so too are those who blindly follow them. A stone boat would be unable to float and would sink in the water with its passengers. Similarly, those who mislead people go to hell, and their followers go with them.
PURPORT
As stated in the Vedic literature (Bhāg. 11.20.17):
nṛ-deham ādyaṁ sulabhaṁ sudurlabhaṁ
plavaṁ sukalpaṁ guru-karṇa-dhāram
We, the conditioned souls, have fallen in the ocean of nescience, but the human body fortunately provides us a good opportunity to cross the ocean because the human body is like a very good boat. When directed by a spiritual master acting as the captain, the boat can very easily cross the ocean. Furthermore, the boat is helped across by favorable winds, which are the instructions of Vedic knowledge. If one does not take advantage of all these facilities to cross the ocean of nescience, he is certainly committing suicide.
One who boards a boat made of stone is doomed. To be elevated to the stage of perfection, humanity must first give up false leaders who present boats of stone. All of human society is in such a dangerous position that to be rescued it must abide by the standard instructions of the Vedas. The cream of these instructions appears in the form of Bhagavad-gītā. One should not take shelter of any other instructions, for Bhagavad-gītā gives direct instructions on how to fulfill the aim of human life. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa therefore says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] “Give up all other processes of religion and simply surrender to Me.” Even if one does not accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His instructions are so exalted and beneficial for humanity that if one follows His instructions one will be saved. Otherwise one will be cheated by unauthorized meditation and gymnastic methods of yoga. Thus one will board a boat of stone. which will sink and drown all its passengers. Unfortunately. although the American people are extremely eager to get out of materialistic chaos, they are sometimes found to patronize the makers of stone boats. That will not help them. They must take the proper boat offered by Kṛṣṇa in the form of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then they will be easily saved. In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments: aśmamayaḥ plavo yeṣāṁ te yathā majjantaṁ plavam anumajjanti tatheti rāja-nīty-upadeṣṭṛṣu sva-sabhyeṣu kopo vyañjitaḥ. If society is guided by political diplomacy, with one nation maneuvering against another, it will certainly sink like a stone boat. political maneuvering and diplomacy will not save human society. People must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness to understand the aim of life, to understand God. and to fulfill the human mission.