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Three Component Parts of the Lord’s Internal Energy—Part II
The second of the three "internal modes" is samvit-sakti (cit)—theLords "knowledge" potency.
It is between this energy and the external energy (maya), that the
marginal energy—the living entities (jivas), exist . It is understood
that the marginal energy is emanating from the samvit-sakti. It is
this potency through which the Lord "knows Himself and causes others
to know Him" as well. When the jivas are covered by maya, they forget
the Lord and their eternal relationship with Him, and become eternally
conditioned (nitya-baddha) in the darkness of her existence.
Because the Lord is omnipotent, He is fully cognizant without
restriction—knowing everything everywhere. The jivas on the other
hand, are limited in their cognition, due to innumerable impediments.
"The cognition of the living beings has three divisions: direct
knowledge, indirect knowledge and perverted knowledge."
Perverted knowledge is the perception of the phenomenal world through
the materially contaminated "knowledge acquiring senses" (namely: the
ears, eyes, nose, tongue, and skin). This adulteration causes
forgetfulness of ones original nature, and forces one into a life of
illusion.
Indirect knowledge, though more perfect, is considered a negative
cognition due to its acquisition through adulterated senses.
Impersonal and monistic reality is discovered by this means—through
astanga-yoga, etc.
Direct knowledge is realization of the Personality of Godhead, which
becomes possible only "when the samvit factor of cognition is
enlightened by the hladini potency of the same internal energy."
Knowledge of both the noumenal and phenomenal worlds is made possible
by the samvit-sakti.
Bhava Dasa (ACBSP)
bhavadasa@...
1. SB 10.87.20 - Purport
2. Adi 4.62 - Purport
3. SB 10.87.32 - Purport
4. Adi 4.67 - Purport
5. Krsna's internal pleasure potency, headed by Srimati Radharani.
6. Adi 4.67 - Purport
7. SB 5.12.8 - Purport
Three Component Parts of the Lord’s Internal Energy – Part I
There are three spiritual modes of internal energy calledsandhini-sakti, samvit-sakti, and hladhini-sakti. Over the next few
weeks each of these component parts will be discussed, beginning with
this paper on sandhini-sakti.
Eternality, or sat, is conducted by the sandhini potency, and is the
impersonal Brahman (brahmajyoti) feature of Godhead. Being limitless,
it extends in all directions—three fourths in Vaikuntha, and one
fourth as the resting place of this cosmic manifestation, or
mrtyu-loka (the place of death). Juxtaposed to the sat feature,
Mrtyu-loka is known as asat, or nonexistent, being impermanent.
The manifested cosmic creation, called triloka is arranged in three
spheres known as Svarga-loka, Martya-loka and Patala-loka; the upper,
middle and lower planetary systems respectively. When the eternal
living being wishes to satisfy his senses, he is supplied with a body
comprised of five material elements within the prison house of
triloka, and is forced into a life of bondage. Shackled by sex-life,
he toils endlessly in the cycle of samsara, life after life.
No one within this realm can experience the sat feature of the Lord
while remaining in material consciousness. When the living entity
desires to turn from a life of temporal existence to a life of
permanence in Vaikuntha-dhama, he must undergo a transformation. When
qualified, he receives a suitable non-material body by the sandhini
potency in which to engage in devotional service.
In the eternal realm of Vaikuntha, not even a trace of the asat nature
can be found. Unlike sattva-guna, the adulterated mode of material
goodness, Vaikuntha-dhama exists eternally in a state of
visuddha-sattva or vasudeva-sattva, the transcendental mode of pure
goodness. The Lord along with His pure devotees, household
paraphernalia, etc. are situated eternally in that existence.
Srila Prabhupada: "…this sandhini-sakti of the internal potency
maintains and manifests all the varigatedness of the spiritual world.
In the kingdom of God, the Lord's servants and maidservants, His
consorts, His father and mother and everything else are all
transformations of the spiritual existence of sandhini-sakti. The
existential sandhiné-sakti in the external potency similarly expands
all the varigatedness of the material cosmos, from which we can have a
glimpse of the spiritual field."
Hare Krsna,
Bhava dasa (ACBSP)
Srila Prabhupadas Sanyasa
In 1950 Srila Prabhupada retired from married life, adopting the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. He traveled to the holy city of Vrndavana, where he lived in humble circumstances in the historic temple of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing. He accepted the renounced order of life (sanyasa) in 1959.------------------
The following is a letter is a Lecture on the Disappearance Day of His Divine Grace Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja (Srila Prabhupada's Sannyasa Guru)
Seattle, October 21, 1968
Prabhupada: One has to accept the renounced order from another person who is in renounced order. So I never thought that I shall accept this renounced order of life. In my family life, when I was in the midst of my wife and children, sometimes I was dreaming my spiritual master, that he's calling me, and I was following him. When my dream was over, I was thinking. I was little horrified. "Oh, Guru Maharaja wants me to become sannyasi. How can I accept sannyasa?" At that time, I was feeling not very satisfaction that I have to give up my family and have to become a mendicant. At that time, it was a horrible feeling. Sometimes I was thinking, "No, I cannot take sannyasa." But again I saw the same dream. So in this way I was fortunate. My Guru Maharaja (Prabhupada begins to cry, choked voice) pulled me out from this material life. I have not lost anything. He was so kind upon me. I have gained. I left three children, I have got now three hundred children. So I am not loser. This is material conception. We think that we shall be loser by accepting Krsna. Nobody is loser. I say from my practical experience. I was thinking that "How can I accept this renounced order of life? I cannot accept so much trouble." So... But I retired from my family life. I was sitting alone in Vrndavana, writing books. So this, my Godbrother, he insisted me, "Bhaktivedanta prabhu..." This title was given in my family life. It was offered to me by the Vaisnava society. So he insisted me. Not he insisted me. Practically my spiritual master insisted me through him, that "You accept." Because without accepting the renounced order of life, nobody can become a preacher. So he wanted me to become a preacher. So he forced me through this Godbrother, "You accept." So unwillingly I accepted. And then I remembered that he wanted me to go to the Western country. So I am feeling now very much obliged to my, this Godbrother, that he carried out the wish of my spiritual master and enforced me to accept this sannyasa order.
So this Godbrother, His Holiness Kesava Maharaja, is no more. He has entered Krsna's abode. So I wish to pass a resolution of bereavement and send them. So... And I have composed one verse also in this connection in Sanskrit. So you all present, you sign this. I shall send it tomorrow. The verse I have composed, it is in Sanskrit. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. This Krsna consciousness is vairagya-vidya. Vairagya-vidya means to become detestful to this material world. That is called vairagya-vidya. And that is possible simply by this bhakti-yoga. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam apayayan mam. So this... Just like medicine. The child is afraid of taking medicine. That also I have experienced. In my childhood, when I became ill, I was very stubborn. I won't accept any medicine. So my mother used to force medicine within my mouth with a spoon. I was so obstinate. So anyway, similarly, I did not want to accept this sannyasa order, but this Godbrother forced me. "You must." Apayayan mam, he forcefully made me to drink this medicine. Anabhipsu andham. Why I was unwilling? Anabhipsu means unwilling. Andham, andham means one who is blind, who cannot see his future. The spiritual life is the brightest future, but the materialists cannot see to it. You see? But the Vaisnavas, the spiritual master, they forcefully, "You drink this medicine." You see. Apayayan mam anabhipsu andham sri-kesava-bhakti-prajnana-nama. So this my Godbrother, his name is Kesava, Bhaktiprajnana Kesava. Krpambudhi. So he did this favor upon me because he was ocean of mercy. So we offer our obeisances to Vaisnava, krpambudhi. Vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. The Vaisnavas, the representatives of the Lord, they are so kind. They bring the ocean of mercy for distributing to the suffering humanity. Krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye. So I am offering my respectful obeisances unto this His Holiness, because he forcefully made me adopt this sannyasa order. So he is no more in this world. He has entered Krsna's abode. So I am offering my respectful obeisances along with my disciples. On the first day of my sannyasa, I never thought, but I remembered that I'll have to speak in English. So I remember on that sannyasa day, when there was a reception, so I, first of all, I spoke in English. So it is all arrangement of Krsna, higher authority. We are writing like this, "Resolved that we the undersigned members and devotees of International Society for Krishna Consciousness Incorporated, in a condolence meeting under the presidency of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, today the 21st of October, 1968, at our Seattle branch, express our profound bereavement on hearing the passing of His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, the sannyasa guru, preceptor of our spiritual master, and on October 6th, 1968, at his headquarter residence in Nabadwip, West Bengal. We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Sri Srimad B. P. Kesava Gosvami Maharaja with the following verse composed on this occasion by our spiritual master." This verse I have already explained to you. So I wish that you all sign this and I'll send it tomorrow by air mail. Have you got pencil?
Girl: Yes. (sound of Prabhupada signing) (end)
The Passing of Haridasa Thakura
Caitanya Caritamrta:Antya-lila, Chapter 11.
www.vedabase.net/cc/antya/11/en1
CC Antya 11.1: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Haridasa Thakura and his master, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who danced with the body of Haridasa Thakura on His lap.
CC Antya 11.2: All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is very merciful and who is very dear to Advaita Acarya and Lord Nityananda!
CC Antya 11.3: All glories to the master of Srinivasa Thakura! All glories to the master of Haridasa Thakura! All glories to the dear master of Gadadhara Pandita! All glories to the master of the life of Svarupa Damodara!
CC Antya 11.4: All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya, who is very dear to Kasi Misra! He is the Lord of the life of Jagadananda and the Lord of Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami.
CC Antya 11.5: All glories to the transcendental form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krishna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead! My dear Lord, kindly give me shelter at Your lotus feet by Your causeless mercy.
CC Antya 11.6: All glories to Lord Nityananda, who is the life and soul of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! My dear Lord, kindly give me engagement in devotional service at Your lotus feet.
CC Antya 11.7: All glories to Advaita Acarya, who is treated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as superior due to His age and respectability! Please give me engagement in devotional service at Your lotus feet.
CC Antya 11.8: All glories to all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for the Lord is their life and soul! All of you, kindly bestow devotional service upon me.
CC Antya 11.9: All glories to Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami and Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana! They are all my masters.
CC Antya 11.10: I am writing this narration of the pastimes and attributes of the Lord by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates. I do not know how to write properly, but I am purifying myself by writing this description.
CC Antya 11.11: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thus resided at Jagannatha Puri with His personal devotees and enjoyed the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.
CC Antya 11.12: In the daytime Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu engaged in dancing and chanting and in seeing the temple of Lord Jagannatha. At night, in the company of His most confidential devotees, such as Ramananda Raya and Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, He tasted the nectar of the transcendental mellows of Lord Sri Krishna's pastimes.
CC Antya 11.13: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu very happily passed His days in this way at Nilacala, Jagannatha Puri. Feeling separation from Krishna, He exhibited many transcendental symptoms all over His body.
CC Antya 11.14: Day after day the symptoms increased, and at night they increased even more. All these symptoms, such as transcendental anxiety, agitation and talking like a madman, were present, just as they are described in the sastras.
CC Antya 11.15: Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Ramananda Raya, the chief assistants in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes, remained with Him both day and night.
CC Antya 11.16: One day Govinda, the personal servant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, went in great jubilation to deliver the remnants of Lord Jagannatha's food to Haridasa Thakura.
CC Antya 11.17: When Govinda came to Haridasa, he saw that Haridasa Thakura was lying on his back and chanting his rounds very slowly.
CC Antya 11.18: "Please rise and take your maha-prasadam," Govinda said.Haridasa Thakura replied, "Today I shall observe fasting.
CC Antya 11.19: "I have not finished chanting my regular number of rounds. How, then, can I eat? But you have brought maha-prasadam, and how can I neglect it?"
CC Antya 11.20: Saying this, he offered prayers to the maha-prasadam, took a little portion, and ate it.
CC Antya 11.21: The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Haridasa's place and inquired from him, "Haridasa, are you well?"
CC Antya 11.22: Haridasa offered his obeisances to the Lord and replied, "My body is all right, but my mind and intelligence are not well."
CC Antya 11.23: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu further inquired from Haridasa, "Can you ascertain what your disease is?"Haridasa Thakura replied, "My disease is that I cannot complete my rounds."
CC Antya 11.24: "Now that you have become old," the Lord said, "you may reduce the number of rounds you chant daily. You are already liberated, and therefore you need not follow the regulative principles very strictly.
CC Antya 11.25: "Your role in this incarnation is to deliver the people in general. You have sufficiently preached the glories of the holy name in this world."
CC Antya 11.26: The Lord concluded, "Now, therefore, please reduce the fixed number of times you chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra."Haridasa Thakura replied, "Kindly hear my real plea.
CC Antya 11.27: "I was born in an inferior family, and my body is most abominable. I always engage in low work. Therefore, I am the lowest, most condemned of men.
CC Antya 11.28: "I am unseeable and untouchable, but You have accepted me as Your servant. This means that You have delivered me from a hellish condition and raised me to the Vaikuntha platform.
CC Antya 11.29: "My dear Lord, You are the fully independent Personality of Godhead. You act by Your own free will. You cause the whole world to dance and act as You like.
CC Antya 11.30: "My dear Lord, by Your mercy You have made me dance in many ways. For example, I was offered the sraddha-patra, which should have been offered to first-class brahmanas. I ate from it even though I was born in a family of meat-eaters.
CC Antya 11.31: "I have had one desire for a very long time. I think that quite soon, my Lord, You will bring to a close Your pastimes within this material world.
CC Antya 11.32: "I wish that You not show me this closing chapter of Your pastimes. Before that time comes, kindly let my body fall down in Your presence.
CC Antya 11.33: "I wish to catch Your lotuslike feet upon my heart and see Your moonlike face.
CC Antya 11.34: "With my tongue I shall chant Your holy name, 'Sri Krishna Caitanya!' That is my desire. Kindly let me give up my body in this way.
CC Antya 11.35: "O most merciful Lord, if by Your mercy it is possible, kindly grant my desire.
CC Antya 11.36: "Let this lowborn body fall down before You. You can make possible this perfection of all my desires."
CC Antya 11.37: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "My dear Haridasa, Krishna is so merciful that He must execute whatever you want.
CC Antya 11.38: "But whatever happiness is Mine is all due to your association. It is not fitting for you to go away and leave Me behind."
CC Antya 11.39: Catching the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Haridasa Thakura said, "My Lord, do not create an illusion! Although I am so fallen, You must certainly show me this mercy!
CC Antya 11.40: "My Lord, there are many respectable personalities, millions of devotees, who are fit to sit on my head. They are all helpful in Your pastimes.
CC Antya 11.41: "My Lord, if an insignificant insect like me dies, what is the loss? If an ant dies, where is the loss to the material world?
CC Antya 11.42: "My Lord, You are always affectionate to Your devotees. I am just an imitation devotee, but nevertheless I wish that You fulfill my desire. That is my expectation."
CC Antya 11.43: Because He had to perform His noon duties, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu got up to leave, but it was settled that the following day, after He saw Lord Jagannatha, He would return to visit Haridasa Thakura.
CC Antya 11.44: After embracing him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left to perform His noon duties and went to the sea to take His bath.
CC Antya 11.45: The next morning, after visiting the Jagannatha temple, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, accompanied by all His devotees, went hastily to see Haridasa Thakura.
CC Antya 11.46: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the devotees came before Haridasa Thakura, who offered his respects to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all the Vaishnavas.
CC Antya 11.47: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, "My dear Haridasa, what is the news?"Haridasa Thakura replied, "My Lord, whatever mercy You can bestow upon me."
CC Antya 11.48: Upon hearing this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately began great congregational chanting in the courtyard. Vakresvara Pandita was the chief dancer.
CC Antya 11.49: Headed by Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu surrounded Haridasa Thakura and began congregational chanting.
CC Antya 11.50: In front of all the great devotees like Ramananda Raya and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to describe the holy attributes of Haridasa Thakura.
CC Antya 11.51: As He described the transcendental attributes of Haridasa Thakura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu seemed to possess five mouths. The more He described, the more His great happiness increased.
CC Antya 11.52: After hearing of the transcendental qualities of Haridasa Thakura, all the devotees present were struck with wonder. They all offered their respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of Haridasa Thakura.
CC Antya 11.53: Haridasa Thakura made Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sit down in front of him, and then he fixed his eyes, like two bumblebees, on the lotus face of the Lord.
CC Antya 11.54: He held the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on his heart and then took the dust of the feet of all the devotees present and put it on his head.
CC Antya 11.55: He began to chant the holy name of Sri Krishna Caitanya again and again. As he drank the sweetness of the face of the Lord, tears constantly glided down from his eyes.
CC Antya 11.56: While chanting the holy name of Sri Krishna Caitanya, he gave up his air of life and left his body.
CC Antya 11.57: Seeing the wonderful death of Haridasa Thakura by his own will, which was just like a great mystic yogi's, everyone remembered the passing away of Bhishma.
CC Antya 11.58: There was a tumultuous noise as they all chanted the holy names "Hari" and "Krishna." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became overwhelmed with ecstatic love.
CC Antya 11.59: The Lord raised the body of Haridasa Thakura and placed it on His lap. Then He began to dance in the courtyard in great ecstatic love.
CC Antya 11.60: Because of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's ecstatic love, all the devotees were helpless, and in ecstatic love they also began to dance and chant congregationally.
CC Antya 11.61: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced for some time, and then Svarupa Damodara Gosvami informed Him of other rituals for the body of Thakura Haridasa.
CC Antya 11.62: The body of Haridasa Thakura was then raised onto a carrier that resembled an airship and taken to the sea, accompanied by congregational chanting.
CC Antya 11.63: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced in front of the procession, and Vakresvara Pandita, along with the other devotees, chanted and danced behind Him.
CC Antya 11.64: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed the body of Haridasa Thakura in the sea and then declared, "From this day on, this sea has become a great pilgrimage site."
CC Antya 11.65: Everyone drank the water that had touched the lotus feet of Haridasa Thakura, and then they smeared remnants of Lord Jagannatha's sandalwood pulp over Haridasa Thakura's body.
CC Antya 11.66: After a hole was dug in the sand, the body of Haridasa Thakura was placed into it. Remnants from Lord Jagannatha, such as His silken ropes, sandalwood pulp, food and cloth, were placed on the body.
CC Antya 11.67: All around the body, the devotees performed congregational chanting, and Vakresvara Pandita danced in jubilation.
CC Antya 11.68: With His transcendental hands, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand, chanting "Haribol! Haribol!"
CC Antya 11.69: The devotees covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand and then constructed a platform upon the site. The platform was protected all around by fencing.
CC Antya 11.70: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced and chanted all around the platform, and as the holy name of Hari roared tumultuously, the whole universe became filled with the vibration.
CC Antya 11.71: After sankirtana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed in the sea with His devotees, swimming and playing in the water in great jubilation.
CC Antya 11.72: After circumambulating the tomb of Haridasa Thakura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the Simha-dvara gate of the Jagannatha temple. The whole city chanted in congregation, and the tumultuous sound vibrated all over the city.
CC Antya 11.73: Approaching the Simha-dvara gate, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spread His cloth and began to beg prasadam from all the shopkeepers there.
CC Antya 11.74: "I am begging prasadam for a festival honoring the passing away of Haridasa Thakura," the Lord said. "Please give Me alms."
CC Antya 11.75: Hearing this, all the shopkeepers immediately came forward with big baskets of prasadam, which they jubilantly delivered to Lord Caitanya.
CC Antya 11.76: However, Svarupa Damodara stopped them, and the shopkeepers returned to their shops and sat down with their baskets.
CC Antya 11.77: Svarupa Damodara sent Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu back to His residence and kept with him four Vaishnavas and four servant carriers.
CC Antya 11.78: Svarupa Damodara said to all the shopkeepers, "Deliver to me four palmfuls of prasadam from each and every item."
CC Antya 11.79: In this way varieties of prasadam were collected, then packed up in different loads and carried on the heads of the four servants.
CC Antya 11.80: Not only did Svarupa Damodara Gosvami bring prasadam, but Vaninatha Pattanayaka and Kasi Misra also sent large quantities.
CC Antya 11.81: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu made all the devotees sit in rows and personally began to distribute the prasadam, assisted by four other men.
CC Antya 11.82: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not accustomed to taking prasadam in small quantities. He therefore put on each plate what at least five men could eat.
CC Antya 11.83: Svarupa Damodara Gosvami requested Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "Please sit down and watch. With these men to help me, I shall distribute the prasadam."
CC Antya 11.84: The four men -- Svarupa Damodara, Jagadananda, Kasisvara and Sankara -- distributed the prasadam continuously.
CC Antya 11.85: All the devotees who sat down would not eat the prasadam as long as the Lord had not eaten. On that day, however, Kasi Misra had extended an invitation to the Lord.
CC Antya 11.86: Therefore Kasi Misra personally went there and delivered prasadam to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with great attention and made Him eat.
CC Antya 11.87: With Paramananda Puri and Brahmananda Bharati, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sat down and accepted the prasadam. When He began to eat, so did all the Vaishnavas.
CC Antya 11.88: Everyone was filled up to the neck because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu kept telling the distributors, "Give them more! Give them more!"
CC Antya 11.89: After all the devotees finished accepting prasadam and had washed their hands and mouths, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decorated each of them with a flower garland and sandalwood pulp.
CC Antya 11.90: Overwhelmed with ecstatic love, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered a benediction to all the devotees, which all the devotees heard with great satisfaction.
CC Antya 11.91-93: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave this benediction: "Anyone who has seen the festival of Sri Haridasa Thakura's passing away, anyone who has chanted and danced here, anyone who has offered sand on the body of Haridasa Thakura, and anyone who has joined this festival to partake of the prasadam will achieve the favor of Krishna very soon. There is such wonderful power in seeing Haridasa Thakura.
CC Antya 11.94: "Being merciful upon Me, Krishna gave Me the association of Haridasa Thakura. Being independent in His desires, He has now broken that association.
CC Antya 11.95: "When Haridasa Thakura wanted to leave this material world, it was not within My power to detain him.
CC Antya 11.96: "Simply by his will, Haridasa Thakura could give up his life and go away, exactly like Bhishma, who previously died simply by his own desire, as we have heard from sastra.
CC Antya 11.97: "Haridasa Thakura was the crown jewel on the head of this world; without him, this world is now bereft of its valuable jewel."
CC Antya 11.98: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told everyone, "Say 'All glories to Haridasa Thakura!' and chant the holy name of Hari." Saying this, He personally began to dance.
CC Antya 11.99: Everyone began to chant, "All glories to Haridasa Thakura, who revealed the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord!"
CC Antya 11.100: Thereafter, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bade farewell to all the devotees, and He Himself, with mixed feelings of happiness and distress, took rest.
CC Antya 11.101: Thus I have spoken about the victorious passing away of Haridasa Thakura. Anyone who hears this narration will certainly fix his mind firmly in devotional service to Krishna.
CC Antya 11.102: From the incident of Haridasa Thakura's passing away and the great care Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took in commemorating it, one can understand just how affectionate He is toward His devotees. Although He is the topmost of all sannyasis, He fully satisfied the desire of Haridasa Thakura.
CC Antya 11.103: When Haridasa Thakura was at the last stage of his life, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave him His company and allowed him to touch Him. Thereafter, He took the body of Thakura Haridasa on His lap and personally danced with it.
CC Antya 11.104: Out of His causeless mercy the Lord personally covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand and personally begged alms from the shopkeepers. Then He conducted a great festival to celebrate the passing away of Haridasa Thakura.
CC Antya 11.105: Haridasa Thakura was not only the topmost devotee of the Lord but also a great and learned scholar. It was his great fortune that he passed away before Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
CC Antya 11.106: The life and characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are exactly like an ocean of nectar, one drop of which can please the mind and ear.
CC Antya 11.107: Anyone who desires to cross over the ocean of nescience, please hear with great faith the life and characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
CC Antya 11.108: Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krishnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, following in their footsteps.
"THAKUR BHAKTIVINODE"
by: Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur"We avail of the opportunity offered by the Anniversary Celebrations of the advent of Thakur Bhaktivinode to reflect on the right method of obtaining those benefits that have been made accessible to humanity by the grace of this great devotee of Krishna. Thakur Bhaktivinode has been specifically kind to those unfortunate persons who are engrossed in mental speculation of all kinds. This is the prevalent malady of the present Age. The other Acaryas who appeared before Thakur Bhaktivinode did not address their discourses so directly to the empiric thinkers. They had been more merciful to those who are naturally disposed to listen to discourses on the Absolute without being dissuaded by the specious arguments of avowed opponents of Godhead.
'Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode has taken the trouble of meeting the perverse arguments of mental speculationists by the superior transcendental logic of the Absolute Truth. It is thus possible for the average modern readers to profit by the perusal of his writings. That day is not far distant when the priceless volumes penned by Thakur Bhaktivinode will be reverently translated, by the recipients of his grace, into all the languages of the world.
'The writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode provide the golden bridge by which the mental speculationist can safely cross the raging waters of fruitless empiric controversies that trouble the peace of those who choose to trust in their guidance for finding the Truth. As soon as the sympathetic reader is in a position to appreciate the sterling quality of Thakur Bhaktivinode's philosophy the entire vista of the revealed literatures of the world will automatically open out to his reclaimed vision.
'There have, however, already arisen serious misunderstandings regarding the proper interpretation of the life and teachings of Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode. Those who suppose they understand the meaning of his message without securing the guiding grace of the Acarya are disposed to unduly favour the methods of empiric study of his writings. There are persons who have got by heart almost everything that he wrote without being able to catch the least particle of his meaning. Such study cannot benefit those who are not prepared to act up to the instructions lucidly conveyed by his words. There is no honest chance of missing the warnings of Thakur Bhaktivinode. Those, therefore, who are misled by the perusal of his writings are led astray by their own obstinate perversity in sticking to the empiric course which they prefer to cherish against his explicit warnings. Let these unfortunate persons look more carefully into their own hearts for the cause of their misfortunes.
'The personal service of the pure devotee is essential for understanding the spiritual meaning of the words of Thakur Bhaktivinode. The Editor of this Journal, originally started by Thakur Bhaktivinode, has been trying to draw the attention of all followers of Thakur Bhaktivinode to this all-important point of his teachings. It is not necessary to try to place ourselves on a footing of equality with Thakur Bhaktivinode. We are not likely to benefit by any mechanical imitation of any practices of Thakur Bhaktivinode on the opportunist principle that they may be convenient for us to adopt. The Guru is not an erring mortal whose activities can be understood by the fallible reason of unreclaimed humanity. There is an eternally impassable line of demarcation between the Saviour and the saved. Those who are really saved can alone know this.Thakur Bhaktivinode belongs to the category of the spiritual world-teachers who eternally occupy the superior position.
'The present Editor has all along felt it his paramount duty to try to clear up the meaning of the life and teachings of Thakur Bhaktivinode by the method of submissive listening to the Transcendental Sound from the lips of the pure devotee. The Guru who realises the transcendental meaning of all sounds, is in a position to serve the Absolute by the direction of the Absolute conveyed through every sound. The Transcendental Sound is Godhead, the mundane sound is non- Godhead. All sound has got these opposite aptitudes. All sound reveals its Divine face to the devotee and only presents its deluding aspect to the empiric pedant. The devotee talks apparently the same language as the deluded empiric pedant who had got by heart the vocabulary of the Scriptures. But notwithstanding apparent identity of performance, the one has no access to the reality while the other is absolutely free from all delusion.
'Those who repeat the teachings of Thakur Bhaktivinode from memory do not necessarily understand the meaning of the words they mechanically repeat. Those who can pass an empiric examination regarding the contents of his writings are not necessarily also self-realised souls. They may not at all know the real meaning of the words they have learnt by the method of empiric study.Take for example the Name "Krishna". Every reader of Thakur Bhaktivinode's works must be aware that the Name manifests Himself on the lips of His serving devotees although He is inaccessible to our mundane senses. It is one thing to pass the examination by reproducing this true conclusion from the writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode and quite another matter to realise the Nature of the Holy Name of Krishna by the process conveyed by the words.
'Thakur Bhaktivinode did not want us to go to the clever mechanical reciter of the mundane sound for obtaining access to the Transcendental Name of Krishna. Such a person may be fully equipped with all the written arguments in explanation of the nature of the Divine Name. But if we listen to all these arguments from the dead source the words will only increase our delusion. The very same words coming from the lips of the devotee will have the diametrically opposite effect. Our empiric judgment can never grasp the difference between the two performances. The devotee is always right. The non- devotee in the shape of the empiric pedant is always and necessarily wrong. In the one case there is always present the Substantive Truth and nothing but the Substantive Truth. In the other case there is present the apparent or misleading hypothesis and nothing but un- truth. The wording may have the same external appearance in both cases. The identical verses of the Scriptures may be recited by the devotee and the non-devotee, may be apparently misquoted by the non- devotee but the corresponding values of the two processes remain always categorically different. The devotee is right even when he apparently misquotes, the non-devotee is wrong even when he quotes correctly the very words, chapter and verse of the Scriptures.
'It is not empiric wisdom that is the object of quest of the devotee. Those who read the scriptures for gathering empiric wisdom will be pursuing the wild goose chase. There are not a few dupes of their empiric Scriptural erudition. These dupes have their admiring under- dupes. But the mutual admiration society of dupes does not escape, by the mere weight of their number, the misfortunes due to the deliberate pursuit of the wrong course inaccordance with the suggestions of our lower selves.
'What are the Scriptures? They are nothing but the record by the pure devotees of the Divine Message appearing on the lips of the pure devotees. The Message conveyed by the devotees is the same in all ages. The words of the devotees are ever identical with the Scriptures. Any meaning of the Scriptures that belittles the function of the devotee who is the original communicant of the Divine Message contradicts its own claim to be heard. Those who think that the Sanskrit language in its lexicographical sense is the language of the Divinity are as deluded as those who hold that the Divine Message is communicable through any other spoken dialects. All languages simultaneously express and hide the Absolute. The mundane face of all languages hides the Truth. The Transcendental face of all sound expresses nothing but the Absolute. The pure devotee is the speaker of the Transcendental language. The Transcendental Sound makes His appearance on the lips of His pure devotee. This is the direct, unambiguous appearance of Divinity. On the lips of non-devotees the Absolute always appears in His deluding aspect. To the pure devotee the Absolute reveals Himself under all circumstances. To the conditioned soul, if he is disposed to listen in a truly submissive spirit, the language of the pure devotee can alone impart the knowledge of the Absolute. The conditioned soul mistakes the deluding for the real aspect when he chooses to lend his ear to the non- devotee. This is the reason why the conditioned soul is warned to avoid all association with non-devotees.
'Thakur Bhaktivinode is acknowledged by all his sincere followers as possessing the above powers of the pure devotee of Godhead. His words have to be received from the lips of a pure devotee. If his words are listened from the lips of a non-devotee they will certainly deceive. If his works are studied in the light of one's own worldly experience their meaning will refuse to disclose itself to such readers. His works belong to the class of the eternal revealed literature of the world and must be approached for their right understanding through their exposition by the pure devotee. If no help from the pure devotee is sought the works of Thakur Bhaktivinode will be grossly misunderstood by their readers. The attentive reader of those works will find that he is always directed to throw himself upon the mercy of the pure devotee if he is not to remain unwarrantably self- satisfied by the deluding results of his wrong method of study.
'The writings of Thakur Bhaktivinode are valuable because they demolish all empiric objections against accepting the only method of approaching the Absolute in the right way. They cannot and were never intended to give access to the Absolute without help from the pure devotee of Krishna. They direct the sincere enquirer of the Truth, as all the revealed scriptures do, to the pure devotee of Krishna to learn about Him by submitting to listen with an open mind to the Transcendental Sound appearing on His lips. Before we open any of the books penned by Thakur Bhaktivinode we should do well to reflect a little on the attitude, with which as the indispensable pre- requisite, to approach its study. It is by neglecting to remember this fundamental principle that the empiric pedants find themselves so hopelessly puzzled in their vain endeavour to reconcile the statements of the different texts of the Scriptures. The same difficulty is already in process of overtaking many of the so-called followers of Thakur Bhaktivinode and for the same reason.
'The person to whom the Acarya is pleased to transmit his power is alone in a position to convey the Divine Message. This constitutes the underlying principle of the line of succession of the spiritual teachers. The Acarya thus authorised has no other duty than that of delivering intact the message received from all his predecessors. There is no difference between the pronouncements of one Acarya and another. All of them are perfect mediums for the appearance of the Divinity in the Form of the Transcendental Name Who is identical with His Form, Quality, Activity and Paraphernalia.
'The Divinity is Absolute Knowledge. Absolute Knowledge has the character of indivisible Unity. One particle of the Absolute Knowledge is capable of revealing all the potency of the Divinity. Those who want to understand the contents of the volumes penned by the piece-meal acquisitive method applicable to deluding knowledge available to the mind on the mundane plane, are bound to be self- deceived. Those who are sincere seekers of the Truth are alone eligible to find Him, in and through the proper method of His quest.
'In order to be put on the track of the Absolute, listening to the words of the pure devotee is absolutely necessary. The spoken word of the Absolute is the Absolute. It is only the Absolute Who can give Himself away to the constituents of His power. The Absolute appears to the listening ear of the conditioned soul in the form of the Name on the lips of the sadhu. This is the key to the whole position. The words of Thakur Bhaktivinode direct the empiric pedant to discard his wrong method and inclination on the threshold of the real quest of the Absolute. If the pedant still chooses to carry his errors into the Realm of the Absolute Truth he only marches by a deceptive bye- path into the regions of darker ignorance by his arrogant study of the scriptures. The method offered by Thakur Bhaktivinode is identical with the object of the quest. The method is not really grasped except by the grace of the pure devotee. The arguments, indeed, are these. But they can only corroborate, but can never be a substitute for, the word from the living source of the Truth who is no other than the pure devotee of Krishna, the concrete Personal Absolute.
'Thakur Bhaktivinode's greatest gift to the world consists in this; that he has brought about the appearance of those pure devotees who are, at present, carrying on the movement of unalloyed devotion to the Feet of Shree Krishna by their own wholetime spiritual service of the Divinity. The purity of the soul is only analogously describable by the resources of the mundane language. The highest ideal of empiric morality is no better than the grossest wickedness to the Transcendental perfect purity of the bonafide devotee of the Absolute. The word 'morality' itself is a mischievous misnomer when it is applied to any quality of the conditioned soul. The hypocritical contentment with a negative attitude is part and parcel of the principle of undiluted immorality.
'Those who pretend to recognise the Divine Mission of Thakur Bhaktivinode without aspiring to the unconditional service of those pure souls who really follow the teachings of the Thakur by the method enjoined by the scriptures and explained by Thakur Bhaktivinode in a way that is so eminently suited to the requirements of the sophisticated mentality of the present Age, only deceive themselves and their willing victims by their hypocritical professions and performances. These persons must not be confounded with the bonafide members of the flock.
'Thakur Bhaktivinode has predicted the consummation of religious unity of the world by the appearance of the only universal church which bears the eternal designation of the Brahma Sampradaya. He has given mankind the blessed assurance that all Theistic churches will shortly merge in the one eternal spiritual community by the grace of the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna Chaitanya. The spiritual community is not circumscribed by the conditions of time and space, race and nationality. Mankind had been looking forward to this far-off Divine Event through the Long Ages. Thakur Bhaktivinode has made the conception available in its practicable spiritual form to the open minded empiricist who is prepared to undergo the process of enlightenment. The key stone of the Arch has been laid which will afford the needed shelter to all awakened animation under its ample encircling arms. Those who would thoughtlessly allow their hollow pride of race, pseudo-knowledge or pseudo-virtue to stand in the way of this long hoped for consummation, would have to thank only themselves for not being incorporated in the spiritual society of all pure souls.
'These plain words need not be misrepresented, by arrogant persons who are full of the vanity of empiric ignorance, as the pronouncements of aggressive sectarianism. The aggressive pronouncement of the concrete Truth is the crying necessity of the moment for silencing the aggressive propaganda of specific untruths that is being carried on all over the world by the preachers of empiric contrivances for the amelioration of the hard lot of conditioned souls. The empiric propaganda clothes itself in the language of negative abstraction for deluding those who are engrossed in the selfish pursuit of worldly enjoyment.
'But there is a positive and concrete function of the pure soul which should not be perversely confounded with any utilitarian form of worldly activity. Mankind stands in need of that positive spiritual function of which the hypocritical impersonalists are in absolute ignorance. The positive function of the soul harmonises the claims of extreme selfishness with those of extreme self-abnegation in the society of pure souls even in this mundane world. In its concrete realisable form the function is perfectly inaccessible to the empiric understanding. Its imperfect and misleading conception alone is available by the study of the Scriptures to the conditioned soul that is not helped by the causeless grace of the pure devotees of Godhead."
Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura,
The Harmonist, December 1931, vol. XXIX No.6
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