20240808 Śrī Caitanya-Śikṣāmṛta

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

First Shower — Sixth Stream

Determining the Sādhana

This sādhana-bhakti is of two types i.e., vaidhi-sādhana-bhakti and rāgānuga-sādhana-bhakti.

The Lord has said:

ei ta sādhana-bhakti — dui ta’ prakāra
eka ‘vaidhī bhakti’, ‘rāgānugā-bhakti’ āra

rāga-hīna jana bhaje śāstrera ājñāya
‘vaidhī bhakti’ bali’ tāre sarva-śāstre gāya

There are two processes of practical devotional service. One is regulative devotional service, and the other is spontaneous devotional service. Those who have not attained the platform of spontaneous attachment in devotional service render devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master according to the regulative principles mentioned in the revealed scriptures. According to the revealed scriptures, this kind of devotional service is called vaidhī-bhakti. (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 22.109-110)

Jayapatākā Swami: So, I remember two parents came to the temple in Montreal and they told their son, so they were talking to him sweet, near the door. And suddenly they got very aggressive, and they pulled their son by his feet, and he was holding on the door knob. And then Śrīla Prabhupāda saw his feet were pulled by his parents and he was holding the door knob. Śrīla Prabhupāda said he is very attached to do devotional service!

So, I visited in Bengaluru, a hospital and met two Christian nurses, who were there. I said that in the Bible they tell a lot about Jesus. But Jesus had His Ten Commandments, and the first commandment is to love God. But in the Bible there is very little information about God, the Father. So, I told them that we in Kṛṣṇa consciousness have the opportunity to know about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And they were amazed! They were thinking about it and they knew a lot about Jesus but practically nothing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So in this, gradually we practice vaidhi-bhakti. After a while we become spontaneous. So we switch from vaidhi-bhakti to rāgānuga-bhakti. And devotees, we don’t dislike any of the religions. But the point is that in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we know a lot about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even a lot is just a small amount! Kṛṣṇa is so great! So, by the mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda we start off with vaidhi-bhakti and we become very attached to Kṛṣṇa and then we enter into rāgānuga-bhakti. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

TEXT: When the conditioned living entity has great affection for objects other than Kṛṣṇa, it seems as if the living entity does not have attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then the living entity desiring auspiciousness only performs kṛṣṇa-bhajana according to the instructions of the scriptures. This bhajana is vaidha-bhajana. His primary auspiciousness arises in considering the precepts of the scriptures as rules and performs activities observing all the prohibitions and rules. Faith in the words of the scriptures is the motivation behind this. That faith is at first soft (komala), then firm (madhyama) and ultimately becoming deep (uttama) results in the perfection. When becoming deep, this faith through bhajana in the association of sādhu, acquires a stage of niṣṭhā, ruci, āsakti and bhāva, then vaidhi also takes a wonderful form. Then the sādhaka can understand that Kṛṣṇa alone is always to be remembered and that He should never be forgotten, that all rules and prohibitions are servants of these two main rules and prohibition.

Jayapatākā Swami: So how we should never forget Kṛṣṇa and how we should always remember Kṛṣṇa! These are the two rules. So, we are remembering Kṛṣṇa, and following the regulative principles. But we should remember that Kṛṣṇa is not so attracted by this vaidhi-bhakti. When devotees become spontaneous lovers of Kṛṣṇa, this is like bhakti in the land of Vṛndāvana. So this is very attractive to Lord Kṛṣṇa. As we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we always like to think of Kṛṣṇa!

Note:

smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur
vismartavyo na jātucit
sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur
etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

Kṛṣṇa should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the śāstras should be the servants of these two principles.

Jayapatākā Swami: Here in Navadvīpa, this dhāma is also the special dhāma of Rādhārāṇī. Where Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī recombined and Kṛṣṇa came as Lord Caitanya. So, He wanted to come as a devotee and experience what a devotee feels for Him. At the same time, He wanted all of us to experience love of Kṛṣṇa! Because Lord Kṛṣṇa, He experienced extreme bliss. Normally, people worship Kṛṣṇa because He is the Supreme Person, and loving Him because of His opulence, His power, His beauty, etc. So this is alright for Vaikuṇṭha. But in Goloka, He likes devotees who will relate with Him as master, parent, child, friend, or conjugal lover. So that really gives Him happiness and He tries to reciprocate with each devotee. So, He appreciates, they don’t love Him as the Supreme Person, that is just a side thing! They love Him because of who He is, how He is! So, like this, people in this Kali-yuga at this time, we can get the love for Kṛṣṇa by the mercy of Lord Caitanya! Haribol!

Bhādra Pūrṇimā is coming up!!