śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ |
4th Caitra, Saturday—1334 |
[March 17, 1928]
Nivedana “A Request”
The purpose of Nadīyā Prakāśa is to manifest the narrations of He who has manifested in Nadīyā. The topic of Nadīyā Prakāśa is kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Externally there is no difference between kīrtana, or praise, of hari-kathā (the topics of Hari) and viṣaya-kathā kīrtana (praise of material enjoyables). That which effects the satisfaction of our senses is the kīrtana of viṣaya-kathā. The objects that gratify the senses are viṣaya, therefore any harināma-kīrtana that is performed with the inclination to gratify one’s senses is also viṣaya-kathā kīrtana. And that which satisfies Kṛṣṇa’s senses is kīrtana of Śrī Hari’s kathā. The inclination to please Kṛṣṇa determines whether what one performs is viṣaya-kathā kīrtana or hari-kathā kīrtana.
Kīrtana of viṣaya-kathā rouses momentary happiness for our bodies and minds, and kīrtana of hari-kathā fully satisfies the soul. Just as a tongue that is suffering from excessive pitta does not like miśri (sugar candy), it may be that at first we do not like the topics of Nadīyā Prakāśa. But if we serve the nectareous message of Nadīyā Prakāśa everyday with honor, then we will not like anything besides the words of this Nadīyā Prakāśa. How long will we find the ever-fresh flavour of viṣaya-kathā appealing? As long as we fail to relish a higher taste. Exalted personalities of the past have referred to this hari-kathā as madhucakra (honeycomb). Again and again, the more you taste, the more you will be able to appreciate its sweetness. In summary, our request is that just as we discuss many mundane topics of this material world, we should also endeavour to achieve the fulfillment of the soul. If we do not do that, we will be cheated of relishing real joy.
——
A Lead to Immortality
Generally in the religious world, three types of people are seen: karmīs, jñānīs, and bhaktas. The anyābhilāṣīs are prone to akarma (inaction) and vikarma (bad actions); hence they are bereft of moral character. They have little acquaintance with the realm of religion. Those who are known as bhaktas in the religious world are otherwise known as Vaiṣṇavas. Though Vaiṣṇavas are naturally indifferent to the affairs of the world, they are preoccupied with striving for the welfare of the whole world and thinking about how the living entities can be freed from all sufferings and submerge themselves in supreme bliss. They are immersed in thinking about how the whole world can be full of joy. This is the sole vow and mission of their lives. This is their bhajana-sādhana, worship and spiritual practice. Failing to comprehend this sort of undertaking of selfless endeavours, we see their material struggles and think, “If Vaiṣṇavas have to suffer material difficulties like we do, then they are also unhappy like us, so if we go to them, if we hear what they have to say, how will that be particularly helpful for us?
The vyavahārika-duḥkha, or experiential sorrow, we see in Vaiṣṇavas, who are full of empathy, is not actual sorrow. Suppose someone goes to a far-off land to make his fortune and does so, thereafter returning to his hometown. When he arrives home, he is so overjoyed that whatever difficulties he faced on the road are not on his mind at all. The Vaiṣṇavas are travellers on the road to Vaikuṇṭha. Whatever troubles they face in the world are endured happily, like the inconveniences encountered in a long journey.
This is why Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana has said:
‘jata dekho vaiṣṇavera vyavahāra duḥkha |
niścaya jāniho tāhā parānanda sukha ||
viṣaya madāndha saba kichu-i nā jāne |
vidyā-made dhana-made vaiṣṇava nā cine’ ||
Purport: For those who are not Vaiṣṇavas, this perishable life is everything. That there is something beyond the body and mind is not known to them; therefore, whatever they do to alleviate the sufferings of body and mind is very exciting to them. And the exalted bhaktas know that material life is but one fleeting episode in a long journey, so by the power of nityānanda (what the Vedas refer to as immortality), they pass by the momentary experiential sorrows of their lives with utter disregard. That nityānanda (eternal bliss), or amṛta, for which unqualified persons made many efforts but could not attain, because they were bewildered by Bhagavān’s asura-vimohana-śakti (demon-bewildering potency)—to distribute that same nectar from door to door throughout Nadīyā for the price of mere faith, the spotless moon of Nadīyā arose. And even today Gaura-rāya performs those pastimes. Some fortunate souls can see. Brothers! We have spent millions and millions of lives enjoying material objects. How much pain, how much momentary happiness have we tasted. Do you not feel a desire now to taste nectar in the shelter of that Nadīyā-prakāśa and forever quell material sufferings?
——
Phalgu and Yukta Vairāgya
(continued from previous issue)
Paṇḍita Gadādhara, who had been detached from material life since birth, went with his dear friend Mukunda Datta to the “amazing Vaiṣṇava” Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. He went and saw that Vidyānidhi was sitting like a prince on an ornate bed plated in brass and dusted with vermilion powder. Above him was a divine umbrella, with frills and all. His bed was very soft, covered with a very fine sheet. He had huge embroidered pillows all around him. He had five to seven ornate cups and pitchers of different sizes. In a small, beautiful box, he had various ingredients for tāmbula. He had a gentle smile on his lips, which were tinged red with the betelnut juice. Two servants were constantly fanning him with peacock feather fans. He had urdhva-puṇḍra tilaka markings in fragrant sandalwood on his forehead, which was also decorated with scented vermilion dots. His hair was beautifully combed and oiled with divine smelling āmalakī extract. Gadādhara’s astonishment knew no bounds. In his mind, he thought, “Some Vaiṣṇava I have come to see—whatever faith I had when I heard about him just disappeared as soon as I laid eyes on him.” The sweet singer Mukunda understood what Gadādhara was thinking and, in his sweet voice, began reciting two verses from Bhāgavatam glorifying bhakti. Hearing them, Vidyānidhi began weeping. An extraordinary stream of blissful tears began pouring from his eyes like Gaṅgā Devī herself had appeared there. One after another, trembling, sweating, fainting, horripilation, and other ecstatic symptoms appeared to their fullest degrees. He began roaring, “Again speak, again speak!” Finally he collapsed to the ground and began rolling around. All of his luxurious paraphernalia went flying everywhere, crashing and breaking. His costly clothes were ripped and ornaments broken. His bed was covered with dust as he kicked and flailed. “Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where did the Lord of my life go? You have come as the most merciful incarnation, yet only I am deprived of Your mercy?” Saying this, he began weeping piteously, falling to the ground repeatedly. No one could contain him. Every time he dropped, it felt like he was pulverizing his bones. This went on for a very long time. Finally he fainted in ecstacy and lay on the ground. No one was sure he was alive. After almost six hours, Vidyānidhi regained consciousness and sat up. Gadādhara was repentant for his judgement of him and later, on Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s order, became
Vidyānidhi’s disciple.
Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s eternal, beloved associate Rāya Rāmānanda came to banks of the Godāvarī atop an expensive palanquin wrought with ornate craftmanship. He had a huge retinue of servants and even a band. There was seemingly no limit to his affluence. Mahāprabhu saw him and recognized that he was Rāya Rāmānanda. Rāya saw one beautiful sannyāsī, with extraordinary bodily effulgence, and came before Him, bowing humbly. The Lord raised him to His breast and embraced him tightly. Later, to impart teachings to the souls of the world, He heard the ultimate secrets of prema-bhakti from Rāya’s mouth. We see in accounts of Rāya’s life that in order to enact his ‘Jagannātha-vallabha’ drama before Śrī Jagannātha, he would tutor in private two young beautiful Devadāsīs in the dramatic arts of dance, song, facial expressions and gestures, etc. He would bathe them with his own hands and dress them, put their ornaments on. He saw and touched their bodies most intimately, yet his mind was like stone, unperturbed. Śrīman Mahāprabhu would say, “Only Rāmānanda has this qualification. His body is transcendental. There is no one but hims who can understand his moods and thoughts. You are the zenith of knowledge about Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s prema-rasa.”
What are we to understand from examining the lives of all these exalted personalities? Is Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmi’s renunciation somewhat more than Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi’s? Is Śrī Rāya Rāmānanda’s behaviour inferior to Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī’s renunciation? If we start having thoughts like this, we will fall into committing grievous offenses to Vaiṣṇvas and be bound for hell for all eternity. If we do not follow the teachings contained in the lives of all these exalted personalities and instead try to imitate them, then we will meet with total ruin.
If we become sincerely inquisitive and examine these topics again and again, by the grace of śrī gurudeva, who is nondifferent from Bhagavān, we will, in due time, become capable of realizing who a real sādhu is and what vairāgya is.
Ācāra o Pracāra
“Practice and Preaching”
Nowadays, many believe that bhajana-sādhana is best performed in solitude, and there is no need to preach. But this sort of conception is simply indicative of being poorly acquainted with the subject of bhajana. In reality, preaching alone is bhajana; this is the resounding verdict of the scriptures. However, only a person who practices can preach. If a person who does not practice imitates the preaching of dharma by rattling off various passages of scripture like a parrot in hopes of accumulating some profit, worship, and prestige, then that is surely detestable. We never congratulate the conduct of such persons who are greedy for money, women, and fame. Yet we do not look at the conduct of the imitators and tell people to stop searching for the truth. Practice and preaching are mutually entwined. Seeing a person who is of exemplary conduct, others follow him. That is the ācārya’s preaching. Hear what scripture says:
mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam |
kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca ||
Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is saying to His beloved friend Arjuna: “O Arjuna, those whose hearts are exclusively set upon Me, for whom I am life itself—hear what they do. They praise My name, form, beauty, etc., to others and infuse their hearts with transcendental knowledge. These sorts of devotees relish the joy of bhakti during the phase of sādhana, and upon attaining their cherished goal, they attain the bliss of prema.” “I am a good devotee; preaching will ruin my bhajana.” This sort of impudent arrogance of being a devotee is never advisable. As servants of the Vaiṣṇavas, we are to be humbler than a blade of grass. Therefore, rather than transgressing the words of scripture, sādhu, and guru, harboring outright arrogance in the heart, and heading thus to hell in the shelter of deceit, it seems best to be under guidance. Consider Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s instructions once:
jāre dekho tāre kaho kṛṣṇa upadeśa |
āmāra ājñāya guru haiyā tāro ei deśa ||
kabhu nā bādhibe tomāra viṣaya taraṅga |
* * *
Preaching is bhajana, and those whose consciousness is fixed upon Kṛṣṇa, whose lives are devoted to Him, are worthy of becoming preachers. Just as preaching without practice is a kind of wickedness, so is trying to perform reclusive bhajana. If we become indifferent to these two mundane pursuits—trying to do solitary bhajana and preaching without practicing—and instead surrender exclusively unto Kṛṣṇa, then all these topics will manifest in our hearts of their own accord.
Maunī Ke?
“Who is Silent?”
One day, in the early morning, while living in Śrī Vārāṇasī Purī, one of the seven liberation-bestowing holy cities, as I went to bathe at Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa, I came across something terribly amusing. The cause of my amusement was one ash-besmeared dreadlock-wearing Hindusthānī sannyāsī sitting in front of a blazing fire. He had four disciples next to him, sitting in pairs to either side. All around the sannyāsī stood about ten or twelve onlookers, watching the sannyāsī’s kriyāmudrā practice. I had heard of this sannyāsī’s distinction from one of his chelas. He had just come from the āśrama of Vyāsa in Badarī-kṣetra. He was very enlightened. He had adopted a vow of silence for some twenty years or so, etc. As I watched the mauna-vratī, I felt a bit sad, but also somewhat amused. I saw that one of the onlookers was saying, “Sādhu bābā, my son is suffering from dysentery for the past year. Please give him some medicine.” And another said, “I am stuck in a lawsuit. Please bless me that I can beat the suit,” and so on. The sannyāsī was simply not talking, but he was answering people’s questions by moving his face and making various gestures, and he kept giving people little bits of ash from the fire. After my amusement with the sight of the sannyāsī subsided, I went to bathe in the Gaṅgā and began thinking, “O God, all the working senses You have given me, and the faculties embedded in them—none of them are without purpose. Cultivating You who are the Lord of senses with all our senses is the success of our senses. Whichever senses we have forcefully made averse to Your service have become deviants. You have not given us eyes to keep them closed. The best use of our eyes is to behold Your beautiful form and those of Your dear associates. You have not given us ears to be deaf. Rather, hearing narrations concerning You is the proper use of our ears. Our noses are for smelling the fragrant items offered to You. Our tongues are for relishing Your prasāda and singing Your kathā and kīrtana. Using our sense of touch for touching the limbs of Your devotees is the proper use of our nose, tongue, and skin. Our words can be utilized to sing Your praises, our hands in serving Your feet, our two feet in performing pilgrimage of Your holy abode. All our senses can be utilized in Your service. Then why are humans so deluded? By using his words to glorify You and perform kīrtana, a man can find deliverance for himself and deliver thousands and thousands of other souls as well. This is true altruism. Simultaneously benefitting oneself and others—this can only be done through saṅkīrtana of Your names.” Overcome with these sorts of thoughts, I returned to my lodgings. As I entered the building, I saw a tridaṇḍi-sannyāsī I know sitting with three brahmacārīs. As I beheld their radiant, serene, and lustrous forms, a great enthusiasm surcharged my heart. I offered full prostrate obeisance to them and sat at the feet of that most excellent of tridaṇḍīs. The tridaṇḍī asked if I was well and I said, “Prabhu, by your mercy, all is well, but today I am very eager to reconcile something. I see you all are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and loudly performing kīrtana, etc., but I see so many sannyāsīs who literally do not talk. What is the reason for this? Is mauna-vrata, or vows of silence, something prescribed in scripture?”
The exalted sannyāsī was pleased with my question and said, “This is a great subject. Yes, there is prescription of mauna-vrata in scripture, but it does not mean what those who are not well-acquainted with scripture think it means. The scriptures always explain that mauna-vrata means subduing the urge to speak things unrelated to Kṛṣṇa and, instead, speaking kṛṣṇa-kathā and performing kīrtana incessantly. I am performing kīrtana now, speaking the instructions of the scripture to you. Hear this attentively.
Statements are of two types: paravyoma-jāta śrauta – those that are born in the spiritual sky and heard, and itara-vyoma-jāta aśrauta – those that are born in this other realm and are not heard from a spiritual source. Statements issuing directly from the lotus mouth of Bhagavān Himself and passed down through disciplic succession are śrauta, and statements that arise from the mental machinations of souls on the material platform are aśrauta. Śrauta statements arise from the transcendental platform and are themselves transcendental phenomena. Aśrauta statements, however, arise from the mundane platform and are inert phenomena that simply dissolve back into the realm of matter. Aśrauta statements comprise the urge to speak topics unrelated to Kṛṣṇa.
That vākya-vega, or urge to speak, is of three types: (1) statements that cater to the experiences of those who want to indulge in enjoyments separate from Kṛṣṇa as they please; (2) the statements of those engrossed in karma-kāṇḍa who wish to reap the fruits of their actions; (3) the statements of impersonalists absorbed in dry jñāna-kāṇḍa.
(1) The bhoktṛ-tattva (enjoyer principle) of all universes is Kṛṣṇa alone, and all objects of all universes are subservient to Him. In other words, they are kāṛṣṇa-tattva (elements of reality that are related to Kṛṣṇa). Kṛṣṇa and the Kāṛṣṇa (“of Kṛṣṇa”) have a bond of inconceivable oneness and difference. When the kāṛṣṇa-jīvas become bewildered by arrogance and forget this relationship by assuming they are the doers, then they develop a mentality of enjoying Kṛṣṇa and all that is related to Him, the Kāṛṣṇas. That enjoying mentality is itself māyā, or kṛṣṇetara-viṣaya, subjects of focus that is diverted from Kṛṣṇa. And all topics related to these viṣaya comprise the urge to speak that which is other than Kṛṣṇa.
(2) Karma is of two types. Actions that are performed to please Kṛṣṇa’s senses are called sevā, or bhakti, and that which is performed for the opposite purpose, based on hankerings for one’s own happiness is called kāmya-karma. All the activities kāmya-karmī people perform are linked with anyābhilāṣitā (various material desires). There is no permanence to kāmya-karma. The karmī undertakes action with some goal in mind. Once he achieves that goal, or even if he fails to achieve it, he does not have the same sense of needing to perform that task again.
Therefore, when karma itself has no permanence, then how can its results have any permanence? Whatever results karmīs enjoy, heaven or hellish realms, depending on their pious or sinful deeds, when their sins or piety run out, then they have to leave that place and “again become a mouse” [revert to their original situation]. Yogis are in the same category as karmīs. Their efforts are based on the belief they can ascend by their own strength. The yogis employ dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, prāṇāyāma and other mundane means to discover transcendental bhagavat-tattva (the principle of God) by the power of their own efforts. Instead of seeking the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa, they are seeking their own gratification. Therefore, karmīs and yogis are both traversers of the aśrauta path. Therefore, the words they utter are also classified as kṛṣṇetara vāg-vega (impulses of speech disconnected from Kṛṣṇa).
(3) Because the jñānīs do not have full perception of bhagavat-tattva, which is comprised of sat, cit, and ānanda, they develop cinmātra-vāda [the doctrine that there is only transcendence and the material world is a total illusion] and become impersonalists. Because they assume that Śrī Bhagavān’s name, form, qualities, pastimes, associates and other unique features are illusory, they are called māyāvādīs. They refer to brahma as beyond the grasp of māyā and therefore make Īśvara a consort of māyā. They say that the bodies of all of Īśvara’s incarnations are composed of māyā! They say that māyā has a role in the formation of the jīva. In other words, they say that all the ego and self-awareness of the jīva is made of māyā, so when the jīva becomes liberated there is no such thing as a pure jīva. They say that in the liberated state the individual soul becomes one with brahma. Therefore, they do not accept the eternity of the master, servant, and service. Thus they are offenders at the feet of the Lord. As they too are aśrauta-panthīs, their words are also kṛṣṇetara vāg-vega.
Those who are striving to perform kṛṣṇa-bhajana fully subdue all these aśrauta impulses born of this ulterior realm and always honor the śrauta statements of the spiritual realm issuing from the mouth of sad-guru. Śrauta-vākya, or kṛṣṇa-kathā, is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa Himself. By hearing and chanting that kathā without offenses, one obtains the sākṣāt-vastu, the real object directly (Kṛṣṇa).
Many people think that subduing vākya-vega, the impulse to speak, means one cannot talk about Kṛṣṇa either, that one has to curb one’s speech altogether and stay mute. But this is not the reality. All that is needed is to subdue the sickness of the sick person. Someone killing a patient to kill the disease would not be praised as intelligent. The real vow of silence is to not speak of any material topic and always perform hari-kathā kīrtana very loudly. This is real control of the urge to speak. Performing kīrtana and speaking hari-kathā is the natural healthy state of the jīva. Only the jīva who has forgotten his own nature and his own identity of servitude to Kṛṣṇa can appreciate the need to speak about material things. Such persons say, “If I don’t talk about anything other than Kṛṣṇa, how will I survive?” They pose this sort of futile argument. One of Bhagavān’s names is Hṛṣikeśa. The meaning of the word hṛṣīka is “senses”. Serving Govinda, the Lord of the senses, with all one’s senses is real sense control. We have not obtained the power of speech to discuss the fleeting-destination-bestowing topics of the fleeting world, but to perform kīrtana of topics that bestow the eternal goal, service to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, one who performs kīrtana of kṛṣṇa-kathā at every moment is the real maunī, or observer of silence.”
Hearing the words of the sannyāsī preacher of dharma all our doubts were resolved and a powerful eagerness for kṛṣṇa-kīrtana was born.
Samasyāra Kathā
“The Problem”
There is a big problem. I have become a resident of the Dhāma. I take bath in the Gaṅgā three times a day. I wear tilaka. I chant at least no less than two or three lakh per day. I read Bhāgavata a little too. I do arcana also. I don’t think I make mistakes in my practice. Still Paramahaṁsa Bābājī Mahārāja says, “You will get nothing.” I do not understand why he says that. But it occurs to me there are three or four reasons why he says this to me. But anyways, a few faults is no big deal. Reading Bhāgavatam, doing kīrtana, showing the deity to people and taking money for these things is something the Gosā̃ijīs of today practice themselves as limbs of dharma. They have no issue with others consuming paan or tobacco either, because they consume all these things themselves. They have one thing they object to externally, but if you do that a little secretively, they have no reason to object, because they are probably doing the same in secret; otherwise, why would they allow me to do so? I am following exactly the example the Gosā̃ijīs set. Still Paramahaṁsa Bābājī Mahāśaya cannot look at me. The moment I come before him, he gets upset. When I get up and go, he spreads fresh cowdung over the spot where I sat. From time to time, I think, “Why don’t I listen to what Bābājī Mahārāja is saying?” He has some power that I don’t have the courage to ask him questions. The other day Bābājī Mahārāja was talking to one gentleman, but what he was saying seemed directed at me: “Look, this ‘Kṛṣṇa-bhajana, Kṛṣṇa-bhajana’ you have all started shouting about nowadays—you think it is so easy, some boy’s game! I cannot figure out why people who lack a basic moral standard of life even have the courage to talk about the realm of bhajana. Where is this universe wrought by māyā and where is that wish-fulfilling tree of Kṛṣṇa’s feet, beyond the Virajā and Brahma-loka, at the top of the spiritual sky, in the hidden dimension of Goloka Vṛndāvana! If a man can enjoy 116 anas worth of food instead of 16 anas worth, still his appetite does not subside. And that person wants to worship Kṛṣṇa? I have to congratulate the courage! Is Bhāgavata some ordinary thing? It is the direct form of Bhagavān. It is Bhagavān’s incarnation as word. Bhāgavatam’s First and Second Cantos are His feet, the Third and Fourth are His legs, the Fifth is His abdomen, the Sixth His chest, the Seventh and Eighth His arms, the Ninth His throat, the Tenth His face, the Eleventh His forehead and the Twelfth the top of His head. Why sell this Bhāgavata? There is nothing a man won’t do when he is engrossed in the enjoying mentality. What, Bābā, was there nothing else you could do in the world to fill your stomach? Why the drive to enjoy Bhagavān? The tendency to take money for kīrtana, for showing the śrī vigraha is born of an attitude of wanting to enjoy Bhagavān. Bhagavān is to be served by all of us. You have to completely give up your desire for your own enjoyment and serve Kṛṣṇa strictly for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure. That is bhagavad-bhajana.
“ātmendriya prīti-vāñchā tāre boli kāma | kṛṣṇendriya prīti-icchā dhare prema nāma ||
“Though kāma and prema appear to be the same externally, internally there is a difference of heaven and hell between them. Paan, tobacco, etc., are forbidden even in general moral culture. Bhāgavata has referred to such things as one of the five abodes of Kali. What to speak of illicit relations with women? Even looking at women is forbidden in scripture. The main thing is gold, women, prestige and all the rest of the objects of this world are ingredients for Bhagavān’s service. If you project an enjoying mentality on those things, then what you are doing becomes yoṣit-saṅga (illicit activity). The mahājanas say:
tomāra kanaka bhogera janaka
kanakera dvāre sevaha mādhava |
kāminīra kāma nahe tava dhāma
tāhāra mālika kevala yādava ||
Whatever belongs to Yādava must be given to Yādava without any thought to enjoy it. We must accept the remnants of Yādava’s enjoyment as Yādava’s prasāda, or His mercy, and thus maintain our lives somehow. The purpose is the service of Yādava. Kṛṣṇa is the eternal master. The jīva is His eternal servant. Kṛṣṇa’s eternal service is the jīva’s only easy, natural inclination. Kṛṣṇa-bhajana is very unnatural, or difficult, for one who does not have this sambandha-jñāna (knowledge of this relationship). If one obtains this sambandha-jñāna by the grace of a bona fide guru, then nothing is hard anymore. Therefore, when there is such a beautiful process, why do human beings engage in deceit in the name of bhagavad-bhajana? I cannot understand this. If someone just straightfoward commits an offense suddenly and begs for forgiveness out of a desire to not commit that offense again, then Bhagavān will forgive him one day, but Bhagavān never forgives the offense of hypocrisy commited by one who knows and has heard. Instead, He takes the fearsome form of Narasiṁha and rips that person’s chest open. Therefore, you should try to proceed with great caution. ‘A phony devotee of Gorā only wears tilaka for show. Gorā catches the cheat who engages in secret sinful activity.’”
Since I heard everything Bābājī Mahāśaya said that day, I have become gripped by great dread. But my forehead is so burnt [my luck is so bad] that as long as I am with Bābājī, I think, “I will not do all this anymore. I will follow the teachings of the mahājanas.” But as I leave Bābājī Mahāśaya’s presence and mix back into the crowd, I forget everything. But now when I go to do something wrong, I can longer do it without hesitation. How is that my heart starts pounding heavily in my chest? Sometimes I even let out a cry, saying, “Bābājī Mahāśaya, save me!” and start sobbing. People think, “Oh, finally this guy went crazy.” Let us see if Paramahaṁsa Bābājī has mercy on this luckless wretch or not. My life is so very shameful. It has taken me this long to realize that my living in the Dhāma has just been a show.
Nānā Kathā | Various Topics
The Liluah strike is going on today. Leaders of the labour union, representatives of the Trade Union and representatives of the workers at the Liluah factory got together for a sit-down last Friday evening. Comrade Śṛṅgārā Bhelu from Madras spoke at the labour meeting and has petitioned the agent to reconcile matters. Muslim labourers went to Friday prayer and were an hour late. To spend that one additional hour per month, Muslim workers have organized a meeting to voice their protest.
Between Tilbhanga and Dhuliyan Stations on the Bandel-Barharwa line, two cargo cars of the 55 Up passenger train have derailed. Fortunately, there have been no casualties.
In America, there has been an earthquake of severe magnitude in the San Francisco valley. A 100 foot dam located some 40 miles up a canyon from San Francisco has collapsed due to the earthquake. Approximately four hundred people have lost their lives due to the flooding.
All water supply to the entire city came from this dam. And many doubt whether or not it was an earthquake that actually caused this catastrophe.
On March 7th, a serious clash occurred between Hindu and Muslim communities in Alagram, Mathura, over an affair with a woman. In the riot, 20 Muslims were injured, one person died, and reports state that a butcher’s shop was completely looted and destroyed. Police have been stationed there so another riot does not break out. The assistance of the Bharatpur King’s police force has also been accepted. What happened was a Hindu lady left her home and was living with a Muslim. A case was filed with the Agra magistrate to “liberate” the woman. The magistrate ruled that when the woman had chosen the butcher as her lover of her own accord, it was no fault of the butcher. The Hindus were not satisfied with the ruling and instigated the riot. The frustration of lust produces anger.
Reports from Colombo for March 14 reveal that two express trains running from opposite directions on the same line created a terrible collision. It seems the drivers of both trains didn’t know what was happening because the line is rather winding. Who can say how many people died an untimely death in an accident like that in the middle of the night. Initial reports are that 24 people are confirmed dead, while another 41 have life-threatening injuries. The engines were smashed to pieces. This is how disasters happen.
Last Wednesday, the students of City College Hostel and Ram Mohan Roy Hostel submitted a long letter of appeal to the Registrar of the University of Calcutta requesting permission to stay in the hostel up until summer holidays. Where are the students supposed to go if they suddenly tell them to leave? They have already paid the college fees and hostel charges for the entire period before summer vacation. What benefit will the authorities gain by causing such academic losses to these students? All of them want to know.
Minister of Aviation, Sir Samuel Hoare, stated in the London Commons meeting on March 12 that within a year, two airplane routes will be prepared. Mail will be able to be sent back and forth via these routes, taking 7 days from London to Delhi and 9 days from London to Calcutta. Officials are promising all facilities of air travel to Persia (Iran), but they are sad to report that nevertheless Persia is blocking the air route. England wants to build an airport in Persia at its own expense.
On the 15th of last March, there was a plan for Lord Singh to visit India from London.
On Tuesday, March 13, at a meeting of the Indian National Council, Mr. Chari proposed the opening of a flying school for Indian youth. The government did not find Mr. Chari’s proposal worthwhile, so despite the votes in favour, the proposal was rejected.
An extravagant royal feast was held at Buckingham Palace in London on March 14 in honor of the King and Queen of Afghanistan. In a speech at the Royal Banquet, King George extended special honor to the Royal Couple and, in the course of his speech, expressed his wishes for the Royal Couple’s long life and uninterrupted mutual cordial relations. Afghan King Amanullah spoke in Parsi, thanking the emperor for the welcome he had shown as befitting a friend, which promised that the emperor and his own government would establish good relations. He expressed his confidence that the two countries would progress side by side on the path of development.
On March 13, members of the commission went to the Lahore High Court and Sir John Simon was given a seat next to the Chief Justice. They were greeted at the government palace.
On March 8, in the Balia Tora village of Bankura district, a terrible fire broke out and burnt many houses.
A European landholder went hunting and accidently mistook a dark-complexioned native for a black boar and shot him, wounding him severely. The injured man is in hospital. The owner of the land has been released on bail, and the trial will begin soon.
In England, the community of Ahmadiyya Muslims have given King Amanullah a letter of welcome.
Afghan King Amanullah and Queen Soraya are being received with all due honor in England. Emperor George V and Queen Mary of India are monitoring the reception and treatment of the royal visitors to ensure there are no errors. The Afghan royal couple are spending their time very pleasantly.
Lieutenant Sir Dwijendranath Mukherjee of the Royal Indian Marines, has been receiving education and training at the Naval Barracks in Portsmouth. On April 20, he will travel to India, where he will take over responsibilities in the Indian Navy.
Last Sunday night, a severe fire broke out in a part of Rangoon’s Prom City, causing nearly 57 houses to burn. Although the damage is significant, fortunately, no lives were lost.
Students in Egypt are still protesting. However, they are much calmer than before. On March 12, students at a place called Tata showed a bit of agitation.
(Local)
In Nadia district, the elders are very concerned about the crops of mango and tamarind and what their outcome will be. Khana wrote, “More mangoes means more rice, more tamarind means more floods.” So now the elders are in great dilemma trying to figure out how it is possible to have a combination of good rice yields and devastating floods.
Today again there was not a drop of rain. The air seems to be shimmering with the intense heat of the sun in all directions. Cases of infectious diseases like cholera and smallpox are increasing gradually. The ponds are drying up, and the fish are practically dead. The water crisis you see in every direction in Nadia district does not seem to be happening anywhere else. People living anywhere except for the neighbourhoods right by the Gaṅgā or Jalāṅgī are suffering severely due to lack of water. The threefold miseries—ādhyātmika (individual, personal miseries), ādhidaivika (caused by fate or unseen forces), and ādhibhautika (caused by other living entities) increase in proportion to people’s aversion to Bhagavān.
Our Nadia district’s most competent (?) member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly, Mr. Basant Kumar Lahiri, has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment on charges of torture related to the Bengal Lakhsmi [Cotton] Mill and has also been dismissed from his very prestigious membership [in the legislative assembly]. Back before he was elected, we, in Nadīyā Prakāśa, pleaded with citizens not to elect him, but to vote for a worthy, suitable person instead. But people were taken in by his dazzle and erred, choosing the mākāla fruit [the outwardly shiny, appealing looking redball snakegourd, which is bitter and has an large, ugly black core]. Have you seen what was inside now? This time, the rumour is the following individuals will stand for election:
Śrīyukta Indubhushan Bhaduri
“ Nagendranath Mukhopadhyay
“ Ranjit Pal Choudhury
Another 21 people have also come dancing up for election. Let’s see how far they all go.
The capable district and session judge of Nadia, Sahib J. Euni has been transferred. His farewell will be held tomrrow in Krishnanagar.
Nidayā pound mail was 35 taka last year. This time the inhabitants of Nidayā village owe 188 taka because of the stubbornness of both parties.
There is a campaign in full swing at present to send widows from the Rāṇīr Cara widow’s ashram and other places in Navadvīpa town to Punjab, Lahore and other places. The current competent Sub-inspector of the Nabadvip police station, Mr. Basant Kumar Ghatak, has brought to light many details about this ashram, about how they created a new way to make money by consigning women against their wishes. Many Punjabis and Lahoris have been arrested. The manager of this widow’s ashram is named Lachhman Das Marwari.”
Nadia town’s SDO [Sub-divisional Officer] Śrīyukta Surendranātha Basu Mahāśaya has taken a 4-month leave due to physical illness and in his place, Meherpur’s competent sub-divisional magistrate Śrīyukta Advaita-caraṇa Sāmanta has taken over all responsibilities
The day before yesterday, a terrible fire broke out in Ghurni Panchbaria, near Krishnanagar. About 12–14 houses were burned, and the residents there suffered significant losses.