śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ
21st Caitra, Tuesday—1334
[April 3, 1928]
Sat Siddhānta
“Proper Conclusions”
Many think, “No matter which path people choose, everyone ends up at the same destination. No matter which route they come by, everyone will ultimately meet in that one place. Therefore, whether people do karma, cultivate jñāna, or engage in bhakti, everyone will end up in the same place. It may be that some routes are straightforward and can be traversed rather quickly and with little effort, whereas other routes are a bit winding and a bit difficult and it takes longer to reach the destination. These are the only differences.”
This reasoning does not seem to be accurate, however, because karmīs approach various demigods and goddesses with various motives, jñānīs are busy collecting knowledge, as yogīs are preoccupied with their āsanas, prāṇāyāma, and other aspects of aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Upon perfecting their sādhanas, they achieve their individual goals; in other words, the karmīs attain the enjoyments they seek, either on this Earth or in higher planetary systems like Bhuvaḥ or Svarga; the niṣkāma [desire-less] karmīs, jñānīs, and yogīs attain liberation from the mundane realm and journey to Mahaḥ, Janaḥ, Tapaḥ, and Satya-lokas. When the karmīs who had desires exhaust their pious credits, they return to the realm of mortals and continue reaping pleasure and pain. The fate of the jñānīs and yogīs is similar, for they dwell in the higher realms only for as long as the duration of Brahmā’s lifespan. When Brahmā’s lifespan is finished, they have to come back to the realm of mortals and be subjected to happiness and distress again. The scriptures say:
yānti deva-vratā devān pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratā | bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad yājino ’pi mām || ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punarāvarttino arjuna mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate |
“The worshippers of various demigods go to the abodes of those demigods. The worshippers of the ancestors join their ancestors in their realms. The idolators of spirits go to the spirit realm. But those who develop a connection with My eternal saccidānanda form and worship Me alone, attain Me. Starting from Brahma-loka, or Satya-loka, all realms are temporary. All the beings in all those realms ultimately have to come back to this mortal world. But O son of Kunti, if one attains Me, one need not take birth again.”
The talk of mukti attained by jñānīs and karmīs that we hear in the scriptures has a unique purport, which is that if they can gradually attain kevalā-bhakti [exclusive devotion] via the assocation of sādhus, they can easily attain liberation. When the objective of karma, jñāna, yoga, etc. is bhakti, then those practices are referred to as gauṇa-bhakti, or miśra-bhakti. The destinations reached via miśra-bhakti and kevalā-bhakti are also not the same. Even proper devotees do not all attain the same destination, even though they are liberated and do not have to take birth in the mortal realm again.
Some say that first one must protect one’s body. If you do not take care of your body, what dharma or karma will you do? The conclusion of noble persons is that this body is temporary. The day that this body falls dead, we will not be able to revive it with hundreds of thousands of efforts. Bhagavān is the only protector and maintainer. Therefore, if on the pretext of caring for and protecting our bodies we simply become intoxicated with sense gratification, we will have to endure the miseries of saṁsāra again and again. Having obtained this rare human life, it is only proper that seeking the ultimate goal of life be the main purpose of human existence. Tending to the body is secondary.
Some say that just as different people from different places refer to water with different words—like the English say “water”, the Muslims say “pāni”, and the Hindus say “jala”—in the same way, the English refer to the same Supreme Lord as God, the Muslims call Him Allah, the Vaiṣṇavas call Him Viṣṇu, the Śaivas call Him Śiva, the Śāktas call out to Māhā-māyā Durgā Kālī, and the Gāṇapatyas refer to Gaṇeśa, etc.
The Vedas say: “Bhagavān is that in which all states of being are contained and harmonised in all respects.” The words Allah and God do not encompass all states of being. There are only certain aspects of all reality observed in those monikers. Allah means that which is the greatest or most expansive of all, but Bhagavān is larger than the largest of things and smaller than the smallest. The word “God” of the English also does not express the full range of possibilities in existence. The conclusion of the Vedas in this regard is: “na vai vāco na cakṣuṁṣi na śrotrāṇi na manāṁsīty-ācakṣate, prāṇa ity-ācakṣate, prāṇo hye vaitāni sarvāṇi bhavati iti – All words, all eyes, all prāṇa [life force], all senses, all minds are not aptly referred to by their individual names or labels; they are all to be referred to as prāṇa, because they are subservient to prāṇa. Prāṇa is the controller of all senses. Bhagavān is the prāṇa of all demigods.”
“Āsala o Nakala”
Real and Fake
[By Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura]
Vaiṣṇava Sārvabhauma Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa was revered by the whole community of Vaiṣṇavas in Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala and Śrī Gauḍa-maṇḍala. There is no difference of opinion on this subject. It was by the divine experience of that personality that Śrī Yogapīṭha Śrī Māyāpura was revealed. But there is a class of people for whom this transcendental place has become a commodity that is up for dispute. However, there is not one among them who is of the same caliber of renounced exalted personality. The fact of the matter is that to become perfected in renunciation and to imitate a renunciate and don the garb of a renunciate is not the same thing. In a society of imitators, we get to see many versions of artificial imitation. In some places, we have seen an ape come down from a tree and sit like a human in a chair in a saheb’s tabernacle and read the newspaper. Sometimes the ape will pour air from an empty bottle into an empty glass and pretend to drink it. Are we to think that this imitator is actually reading the newspaper and comprehending its contents? We cannot accept that the finest of birds, the parrot, learning with closed eyes to pronounce the words “Paḍa pākhī ātmārāma, hare kṛṣṇa hare rāma – Read, self-satisfied bird: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāmā” from his human teacher has actual heartfelt comprehension of the meaning of those words. Imitation, or the artificial route, is never capable of conveying the real substance. If the garb of a renunciate really made the living entity a renunciate, then animals, who wander about renounced of clothing even, could fill the role of guru for sannyāsīs. Those who shirk the proverb “yāra karma tāre sāje, anyera lāṭhi hena bāje – stick to what you know, otherwise you will get the stick,” and disregard wise adages like “anābhyāsera phoṭā kapāla caḍacaḍa kare – if you are not used to wearing sandalwood paste, the more it dries, the itchier it feels,” are the ones who become compelled to by stubbornness, accept none of what role models have to offer and carry on swimmingly. ‘Muḍi [puffed rice]’ and ‘michari [rock candy]’ are never the same kind of thing. The fable of the raven and the peacock feathers proves this same point. While it may be very easy to fool men, if you try to fool a real human being [an astute person], you yourself may end up fooled.
Siddha Bābājī Mahāśaya was revered by the world and was a worshipper of the Absolute Truth. The truly humble and detached persons who were devoted to him were pure devotees. The imitation of the devotees’ moods and demeanor attempted by non-devotees as they proceed in their enmity of Vaiṣṇavas is just artificiality. Real and fake, or phony, can never be counted in the same category. Those bereft of good fortune equate real and fake due to their lack of intelligence. This is why pure Vaiṣṇavas adhere to proper tradition and bona fide lineage while those who think muḍi and miśri are the same thing, who think stool and sandalwood paste are the same, fall into their own nooses, become adherents of corrupt institutions and end up criticizing Vaiṣṇavas. One day Rāvaṇa picked up a tridaṇḍa and abducted Sītā. A so-called devotee in the guise of a devotee from Śāntipura or Kuliyā was caught being a fraud. If we are deceitful and imitate the demeanor of a Vaiṣṇava with artificial dripping tears, singing and playing hand cymbals, feigning horripilation and whatnot, some foolish people may fall for our cunning. But from that, both, “andhenaiva nīyamānā yathāndhāḥ – like blind leading the blind”, will fall into the depths of darkness. At present, there is a battle going on between Vaiṣṇavas and pseudo-Vaiṣṇavas. The truth will surely be victorious. The eternal Absolute Truth, Bhagavān Caitanyadeva, will remain untouched. His divine abode of Yogapīṭha Māyāpura will remain untouched. There is no need to doubt anyone about this. Artificial efforts will be detected by the jeweller’s touchstone. [People assume,] “There are so many drug addicts like us in the world, so we are going to get the vote.” It is not as if this kind of policy is going to be rejected because it is not heeded by the few people who have earned lofty titles and degrees in universities. [Just because truly educated people reject something does not mean the masses and their deceivers will too.] Though quarter lengths [quaternions?] garner little attention from those learning their numbers and times tables, for mathematicians of the highest caliber, they are very much sought after attainments. Though foolish men greedy for material wealth and gripped by abberant motives do not have proper honour for ancient Nadīyā Gauḍapura Śrī Māyāpura because of their cheating propensity, the geographical establishment determined by the king of devotees will never be supplanted. There is no scarcity of greed and delusion in the trickery and cunning employed to acquire wealth and riches. If, despite the existence of all that [treachery] and in the midst of it, we find people who honour the place designated by the Vaiṣṇava emperor who wore old and stained rags, then the weak efforts of those who oppose them can never cause any sort of toxic effect. People who are enamoured with gold, women, and prestige can never earn the respect of those who worship the truth. As long as the living entities’ greed and materialism obstruct them from appreciating Bhagavān’s names and Bhagavān’s holy abode, the worship of truth will keep a hundred yojanas away.
Indra-nārāyaṇa Dharmaśālā
Manbhum District’s Nirsa village is situated on the Grand Trunk Road. From this Nirsa, Grand Corder’s Mugma Station is close by. Even from Barākar Station it is 7 miles and it is close to Kulti Station. The Candra Bābus are very well-respected in this village and are the proprietor zamindars of the coal mine. Bābu Indra-nārāyaṇa Candra’s fame is not confined to the coal field. Readers may recall that it has been some days since this large-hearted, nation-loving, religiously inclined, unbiased, and exalted soul has been orchestrating the construction of a huge dharmashala at Śrī Caitanyadeva’s real birthplace at Yogapīṭha Śrī Māyāpura at the cost of some five thousand taka. His dharmashala as well as his wife’s compassion and motherly instincts are incomparable. However, it is seen that several individuals from the coal field who are fond of ordinary thinking are not enthusiastic about this undertaking. In a country where there are supremely intelligent individuals like Indra-nārāyaṇa Bābu devoted to dharma and to helping others, we hope that the stained hearts of people who engage in futile argumentation will soon be cleansed. Indra Bābu’s worthy manager, Śrīyukta Kālī Bābu, is a very intelligent individual. He has very expertly asked several questions of the preachers of the Calcutta Gauḍīya Maṭha in order to broadcast the glories of his master among the general populace and has thus lent special support to Indra Bābu’s undertaking, with the desire to ressurect the vismṛti-kalyāṇa-stambha [memorial column?] of Gauḍīya Maṭha and Śrī Gaura’s birthplace. By Śrīyukta Kālī Bābu’s wishes, a congregation of wise individuals have understood that all the efforts and wealth dedicated to development centered on the gross and subtle bodies are very temporary. Those who reap the results of donations made to Indra Bābu’s dharmashala, however, are passengers headed to the eternal abode and are indifferent to people fighting each other for material gain.
This exalted, charitable soul’s nephew, Śrīyukta Bābu Kuñjabihārī Candra, is one very wise, far-seeing individual. He has carefully observed the activities of the Gauḍīya Maṭha’s preachers and reaped bliss beyond expectations. Candra Bābu and his employees have aided preaching efforts in all respects and thus eliminated the dry state of this scorched world. Śrīyukta Kuñja Bābu is the main leader in Manbhum District when it comes to projects directed at benefitting all. His uncle is supremely delighted with the services of such a wonderful nephew. Kuñja Bābu is the vice-chairman of the District Board. His inclinations are highly praiseworthy.
At present we will be delighted to see the construction work on the Indra-nārāyaṇa Dharmaśālā in Śrī Māyāpura proceed promptly. Only those who come to Māyāpura, which bestows mokṣa, to acquire dharma in this dharamshala will be able to stay there. In the dharamshalas in other places, people of all types can find accommodation, but people with such abberant motives will not be able to stay at the Indra-nārāyaṇa Dharmaśālā. We have seen many chatras [benevolent shelters] in South India. Some of them are caught up in lawsuits or inhabited by people engaged in sense gratification. We have not seen anything that varies from that pattern. But such people will not have a place in Śrī Māyāpura’s dharamshala. Indra-nārāyaṇa is keen only on giving a place to those sincerely and exclusively seeking dharma. The real dharma the accomplished Indra-nārāyāṇa Bābu earned in his final days must be known to be the strength of his wife’s piety.
How Much More Shall I See?
(Continued from a previous issue)
I am accustomed to travelling around a lot, aren’t I? I keep up-to-date on the goings-on in many places. So, wherever I go, there is this. One pilgrim asked Adhikārī Mahāśaya, “You are a paṇḍita. You have acquired knowledge from a gurujī. Are you going to lead a life of dharma? Or are you going to become a gosāi paṇḍita and run a disciple-making business? Or are you going to maintain your livelihood by being one of those priests they invite to funerals and other rites of passage? You are not married yet. What do you want to do?” Adhikārī Mahāśaya said, “I cannot say for certain now. But since there are five [family members], I have to try to take care of them.” I asked Adhikārī Mahāśaya, “When you cook at gurujī’s disciples’ homes or anywhere else you’ve been invited, then are you there as a disciple of gurujī or are you then the brāhmaṇa cook of that home? Surely your gurujī can’t rest easy unless he collects some sort of a fee on account of the cooking from the homeowners. You are a smārta-brāhmaṇa! How can you say you have maintained your high caste status? You yourselves have downgraded your status forever to below those people of lower castes by accepting religious donations from them. You are not permitted to engage in any sort of social exchange of goods or riches; you are not to eat or recreate with them, nor marry them. If you come into contact with them in any way, you are certain to lose your caste status. So, these brāhmaṇa-gosāis are bogus gurus who make a business of accepting disciples of all castes and accept donations from all castes. And what kind of fallen brāhmaṇa status do they then inhabit? How do you maintain your caste status when you are more or less eating their remnants?” Hearing this, Adhikārī Mahāśaya covered his ears with his hands and said, “I’m not to hear the blasphemy of guru,” and began getting very uncomfortable. I said, “You are a brāhmaṇa. Please don’t take any offense on account of me. Is your gurujī a Vaiṣṇava gosāi or not?” He said, “I do not know if he is. But he thumbs a mālā through his fingers like you people do.” Then I said, “Then you definitely don’t have any faith or devotional belief in him. When you say he ‘thumbs a mālā through his fingers’ it sounds like you despise that quite distinctly. This is just natural for your smārta-brāhmaṇa upbringing. It is true that hearing blasphemy of one’s guru is not right, but it seems like you are having a great time criticizing your guru all on your own. Have you really pondered who is a guru or sādhu and what constitutes criticism of them? Whatever you might say, you have been caught redhanded in your deceit.” Then Adhikārī Mahāśaya laughed and said, “Look, even just among us students, there is a lot we say about Paṇḍita Mahāśaya (gurujī). Often we also ask various questions of him, like: ‘Is it or is it not best to just worship Nārāyaṇa exclusively and not other demigods?’ or ‘How are we to live our lives by these practices of sandhyā and āhnika?’ etc. His eyes get red, he gets upset, and he slaps his thigh, saying, ‘What need do you have of all that now? That is for much later. For now, study your grammar and do what I see,’ etc.”
A Few Words
In Nārada Pañcarātra, it is written, “That person who dons the garb of an ācārya and speaks unjustly, or in a manner that is opposed to the Sātvata scriptures, and that person who hears all such discourses as a disciple—both of these persons proceed to the darkest of hells for eternity.” Therefore, the bābājī-mahāśayas ought to be a bit careful when they form their assemblies and committees. All the people of the world can form committees and howl forever all they like till they die, but the sun will never leave the east and start rising in the west. Māyāpura of the eastern bank will never go over to the western bank. Both those who are playing their own windpipes to denounce truth as falsehood and those who have become condoners of such false preaching have become such severe offenders at the feet of truth, and they will soon be facilitated in understanding that.
Disregarding the rules of Śruti, Smṛti, and Pañcarātra and suddenly dressing up like a paramahaṁsa bābājī is simply the cause of great upheavel and chaos. All these immature yogīs reap their ripeness too soon and dismiss this Earth like it is some earthen saucer. What fate did Rāvaṇa reap when he was foolish enough to dress up like a yogī and steal Sītā? They should think about that a bit. Why this sudden effort to attain such a big position without adopting the process of bhajana laid out in scripture? Will Bhagavān not be able to understand your deceit? Maybe you can trick some fools, but how do you expect to fool Bhagavān? If you want what is good for you, then give up this foolishness, take the association of sādhus; do not make arrangements for a trip to hell by criticizing sādhus.
If you do things according to the mundane way of the mundane world, you may be able to make a name for yourself among materialistic people as a very high-minded, magnanimous person, but by the judgement of the supramundane world, that kind of magnanimity has no value. If you want to become free of desires for your own prestige and develop real magnanimity, then you first have to give up envy and do your own hari-bhajana under the guidance of Śrī Bhagavān Gaurasundara, the supreme embodiment of magnanimity. Then you must preach that message of Hari to the world. If you do not practice personally, no one will accept what you are preaching. The servants of the embodiment of magnanimity, Śrīman Mahāprabhu, are at every moment absorbed in striving for the welfare of all the people of the world, regarding them all as their own near and dear kin. They do not preach falsity to people, which does not amount to wanting the best for them.
A king’s duty is to aid the pure devotees in preaching pure devotion. Using all his strength of arms, wealth, knowledge, etc., to prevent the demoniac from creating obstacles to the preaching of pure devotion is what a king should do. He will not be displaying behaviour as befitting a king if he gets wrapped up in demonstrating himself only as a patron of the foolishness, deception, and debauchery of so many fools, swindlers, and debauchees. He is a king, with great wealth and resources, men at his beck and call. Is that itself going to poise him in opposition of truth, make him act in opposition of Brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas? No, that can never happen. The king can never interfere with the śrauta-siddhānta of the Acyuta-gotrīya Vaiṣṇavas and the Cyuta, or Ṛṣi-gotrīya Brāhmaṇas conversant with brahma. Even if he does, it is not to be deemed acceptable.
The Means to Attain Bhakti
Many among us may be thinking why, if it benefits the jīvas so much to just worship Kṛṣṇa and it is actually so inconvenient not to, then why don’t the jīvas worship Kṛṣṇa? This topic is a very beautiful one. It surely is something to ponder. Why is it that many jīvas live amid various joys, sorrows, scarcities, and complaints, but become ecstatic while chanting “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” And then there are so many jīvas who can’t even bear to hear the name of Kṛṣṇa. Why is that? What is the reason for that?
Saintly, exalted personalities who are free from the four flaws of bhrama, pramāda, etc., who are conversant with kṛṣṇa-tattva, and who can see past, present, and future, have outlined the reason for this abovementioned dichotomy as follows: “bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate | sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate puṁbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ ||”—The jīva attains kṛṣṇa-bhakti by the association of Bhagavān’s devotees. That association of Bhagavān’s devotees is attained only on the strength of previously accumulated sukṛti [devotional merits]. Therefore, sukṛti itself is the main cause of the jīvas attaining Kṛṣṇa. This sukṛti is of two types: nitya [eternal] and naimittika [occasional]. The sukṛti that leads to the association of sādhus and to bhakti is eternal; and that sukṛti that leads to material enjoyment or impersonal liberation is occasional, or temporary. That which exists when you need to attain something but is not there after you attain your objective is temporary, whereas that which is present both before and after the attainment of a goal is eternal. All the practices that are adopted prior to attaining bhakti are the same ones that are observed upon the attainment of perfection; they are simply more elevated in the later stage. The practices of karma, jñāna, and yoga endure only up until the attainment of their results. Afterwards, the practices are no longer needed. Therefore, karma, jñāna, and yoga all constitute occasional, or temporary, sukṛta [beneficial action]; the association of devotees and engaging in the activities of bhakti is eternal sukṛta. Naimittika-sukṛta can lead to various secondary fruits, but the real attainment, that of exclusive devotion to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, will not be attained. Only those who have gained nitya-sukṛti by the association of devotees over many, many lifetimes develop faith in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. “Śraddhā refers to faith, to the firm conviction that by engaging in devotion to Kṛṣṇa, all duties are accomplished.” Just as watering the base of the tree will allow water to all its branches and twigs and give them life, and just as offering food to the main prāṇa [the stomach] satisfies all the senses, by serving Kṛṣṇa, everyone becomes satisfied—all the demigods, humans, animals, all moving, non-moving creatures. Engaging in exclusive kṛṣṇa-bhakti compelled by this faith is called śraddhā. This śraddhā is first in a tender stage. Later, by the association of devotees and the activities of devotion, it becomes stronger. The association of devotees is achieved in six ways: lovingly offering the devotees the things they need, accepting the things they give, expressing one’s confidential thoughts to the devotees and inquiring about their confidential matters (their bhajana), eating the foodstuffs given by devotees, and lovingly feeding the devotees. The activities of devotion can only be performed in the association of devotees. For example, the pure devotees may be doing nagara-kīrtana, giving class on Bhāgavatam, or hosting a grand celebration, and participating in those devotional activities in any capacity will lead to the accumulation of bhakti-related sukṛti. In the scriptures, cleansing the temple of Hari, offering lamps near Tulasī in the temple of Viṣṇu, honouring days like Ekādaśī, etc., are referred to as bhakti-kriyā [devotional activities]. Even if those activities are not performed with pure śraddhā, but just happen incidentally, they lead to the accumulation of sukṛti. However, if one harbors deceit or has committed offenses to Vaiṣṇavas and the holy names, then even if one engages in hearing and chanting and other limbs of bhakti for many, many lifetimes, one will not earn any bhaktyunmukhi [devotionally conducive] sukṛti. If one is not touched by nāmāparādha, however, then even if one utters the holy name in reference to something else, or utters it in jest or disdain or negligence, one will still acquire bhaktyunmukhī sukṛti! The simple performance of the activities of bhakti has a certain power to nurture bhakti. All sukṛti that nurtures bhakti is nitya-sukṛti. The more pure one’s faith is as one engages in the activities of devotion, the stronger the sukṛti produced will be and gradually, through sādhu-saṅga, śraddhā in ananya-bhakti [exclusive devotion] will arise.
This acquisition of nitya-sukṛti happens incidentally. Even if one is born in a low caste family due to one’s previous misdeeds, there is nothing preventing one from gaining nitya-sukṛti and developing the qualification to perform hari-bhajana. Every jīva has the qualification to acquire sukṛti. A mouse once went to pull the oily wick of a burning lamp, but instead of getting extinguished, the wick started burning even more, so the mouse got scared, dropped the wick, and fled. By doing this, the mouse obtained the sukṛti of offering a lamp in Viṣṇu’s temple and, as a result, was born in the home of a devotee and attained kṛṣṇa-bhakti. A hunter once earned nitya-sukṛti by fasting and staying awake all night in a Śiva temple, and from that ultimately attained hari-bhakti. It is for certain that sukṛti is not acquired by artificial means, but rather suddenly and incidentally. When, after many, many lifetimes, this sukṛti accumulates, the jīva develops faith in sādhu-saṅga. By hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā in the association of sādhus, the jīvas’ faith gradually becomes very firm. In the state of firm conviction, the jīva takes shelter at the feet of a bona fide guru. Then the disciple, who has offered himself, inquired sincerely, and rendered service to his gurudeva, engages in the process of bhajana imparted by his gurudeva and becomes free from anarthas. As his anarthas are removed, he develops niṣṭhā, ruci, and āsakti for the lotus feet of Bhagavān. Up to this point of āsakti is considered sādhana-bhakti, after that, it is bhāva-bhakti, and thereafter, prema-bhakti.
Therefore, kṛṣṇa-bhajana is exclusively dependent on bhaktyunmukhī-sukṛti. That is why Śukadeva said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja that a person of little piety can never develop faith in mahāprasāda, Govinda, Nāma-brahma, and Vaiṣṇavas. “Little piety” refers to naimittika-sukṛti, which yields the fleeting pleasures of Svarga or the self-immolation of mokṣa. “The root of the birth of devotion to Kṛṣṇa is the company of saintly persons.” There is no other way to attain kṛṣṇa-bhakti than to associate with sādhus. As a result of sādhu-saṅga, the jīvas’ lack of faith in Kṛṣṇa will go away and they will develop the attitude that kṛṣṇa-bhajana alone is the one duty of mankind and all activities only have value if they are favourable to kṛṣṇa-bhajana, otherwise they are worthless. The day that the jīvas can know kṛṣṇa-bhajana to be the primary purpose of their lives is the day that their sectarian enmity and envy consciousness goes away. The world will then become an abode of peace. The marketplace of Nityānanda [eternal bliss] will open up. I know not when such a day will appear in the fortunes of the world.
Jana Mata
“Vox Populi”
If the opinions of two conflicting parties in this world are to be reconciled, it is necessary to rely on public opinion. Whichever side has more supporters is the side whose opinion is to be taken; the other side’s opinion is to be disregarded. This is the way of the world. In adopting this policy, the world’s manodharmis, who function on the basis of mentally guided fluctuations between acceptance and rejection, want to evaluate good and bad on the strength of their mentally contrived extrapolations, but such efforts can never truly evaluate what is good or bad. When both the judge and the one seeking judgement are liable to make mistakes, fall prey to illusion, cheat, and fall short due to the limitations of their senses—these four flaws, then who is there to pass judgement and who will understand and accept that judgement? No one can be completely satisfied with the results of such judgement, which is dependent on the opinion of potentially antagonistic persons, because perhaps the ruling that has been established today by majority opinion will be rejected tomorrow if the public backing of that ruling decreasing. Thus, relying on vox populi, some can say falsity is truth, some that truth is falsity, and fall into a whirlpool of utter confusion, finding no fulfillment, no clues as to the actual truth. Even if all the manodharmī-jīvas of the whole universe establish one falsity to be truth, still the seat of actual truth will remain immovable and unshakeable. No one will have the power to even touch it. Only the opinion of the mahājanas is acceptable. The vox of an averse populi is not acceptable.
442 Śrī Gaurābda’s
Śrī Navadvīpa Pañjikā
442 Śrī Gaurābda’s flawless annual Śrī Navadvīpa Pañjikā, which includes pictures, has been published. There will be a daily pañji [catalogue of astrologically significant information] spanning from 442 Gaura Pūrṇimā to 443 Gaura Pūrṇimā. Besides this, it will include all Vaiṣṇava holy days, the sacred days of celebration pertaining to Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, the list of ekādaśī and dvādaśī days, and separately, a list of all the other fasting days, Mahāprabhu’s teachings about Śrī Navadvīpa, lists of the nāmāparādhas, dhāmāparādhas, sevāparādhas, etc., the rules of dīkṣā, vaiṣṇava-śrāddha, the list of books and subjects for the Sārvabhauma examination, the names of various sacred texts, the names of śuddha–bhakti maṭhas, the names of the guru-paramparā descending from Śrī Kṛṣṇa through the Brahma-Mādhva Gauḍīya lineage, the instructions of the Gosvāmīs, and varieties of other important information.This will serve to illuminate the way for those traversers the path of paramārtha [ultimate wellbeing]. Everyone should acquire a copy of this pañjikā and keep it with them at all times. The paper and printing is excellent, not like ordinary pañjikās. The asking price is a pittance compared to the size and utility of the book. The price is 3/16 an anna.
Nānā Kathā
In the Parāvidyā-pīṭha of Śrī Gauḍapura, the applications of the following prospective students have been accepted:
1| Śrī Praphulla-kumāra Gosvāmī, P.O. Pukuriyā, Kāṣṭiyā village, Dhākā District.
2| Śrī Tinakaḍi Hājarā, Balarampur village, P.O. Gopmahal, Medinipur District.
3| Śrī Atula-kṛṣṇa Karmakāra, Barisole.
4| Śrī Ramānātha Bhaṭṭācārya, P.O. Mathureshpur, Dhalbaria village, Dhaka District.
5| Śrī Śaśīmohana Ācārya—Chota Katra, Dhaka.
6| Śrī Vipina-vihārī Gaṅgopādhyāya, Shekh Pukharaiya, P.O. Mathurapur District—24 Pargana.
7| Śrī Vīrendra Kumāra Ācārya, P.O. Harinarayanpur, Vinodpur village, Noakhali District.
8| Śrī Praphulla-kumāra Gosvāmī, Māḍ-grāma, P.O. Māḍ-grāma, Murshidabad District, Murshidabad.
9 | Śrī Hārādhāna Cakravartī, P.O. Ganganandpur, Jessore District.
10 | Śrī Phaṇīndra-nātha Cakravartī, P.O. Pukharia, Dhaka District.
11 | Śrī Bhūdhara-candra Mukhopādhyāya, Bansundaria village, P.O. Multi, District 24 Pargana.
12 | Śrī Gajendra Nātha Dāsa, P.O. Bargoda, Medinipur District.
The water shortage that has occurred in Bamanpukur, Ballaldighi, and other villages in Nadīyā District is indescribable. Getting scorched in the blistering rays of the sun, people are driven by thirst to drink whatever water they can find. This is causing them to contract cholera, smallpox and other infectious diseases and die untimely deaths. Our plea is that the sarkar bahadur [honorable, capable government] should please quickly manage some sort of arrangement to alleviate the water shortage afflicting their distressed citizens during these dire days of heat. Her majesty, the heavenly departed Queen Victoria, would personally keep track of all of her citizens in her kingdom and who was being afflicted by what difficulty. We hope that the honorable government will arrange to provide water for its thirsty citizens and thereby earn pious merits. Our sole plea to the people of the nation as well is that they come once and see for themselves what horrible suffering people have fallen into here with the water shortage.
In regard to the fire in Ichapur, the Royal Commissioner of Mysore has stated, before the Mysore Legislative Assembly, that it is difficult to determine the real extent of the damages; an estimated 2–3 lakhs worth of damages have been incurred. Till now, 32 people have been reported dead.
This past 27th of March, during the night, in Maylapur, in Madras province, there was a fearsome riot between a gang of fishermen and the police. Many people on both sides incurred numerous injuries in various places on their bodies and were sent to hospital.
An Amritsar resident named Sant Singh has been sentenced to death for killing one of his relatives. A man named Ram Singh, an orderly to a lord, took 500 taka from Sant Singh, promising to get Sant Singh acquitted by bribing one of the lord’s employees. Ram Singh has been sentenced to two years imprisonment and forced labour and a 50 taka fine. If he cannot pay the fine, he will have to stay another 6 months in prison.
Reports are that this past 17th of March a bhadralok [Bengali aristocrat] was heading to the head post office in Pabna with a 1900 taka cheque when some thug pounced on him and stole the cheque. No trace of the money has been found yet.
Just as the facility of rice mills in our country has started replacing the use of dhekis [traditional rice-grinding contraptions] and put those who somehow made a living by grinding paddy into great jeopardy, now with the popularization of mechanical field-tillers, the fear is that the livelihoods of many poor farmers will be destroyed. Every person who loves their country of India is profoundly experiencing the dire repercussions of the replacement of traditional cotton-spinning wheels by cotton mills. We do not want the same thing to happen with mechanical tillers. On one hand, scientific discoveries have created wonders and provided great convenience to the people of the world, but on the other hand, they seem to also be causing great inconvenience. Human beings, especially inhabitants of Bengal, have not learned to use the fruits of scientific discovery properly and have ended up becoming very indulgent. Ultimately, the dire consequences they face seem to have no end. Previously, people used to walk long, long distances into a whole other country and not feel the slightest exhaustion, but now we experience such difficulty in walking even a short distance. Motor launches and steamers on the water, railways, motorcars, trams, etc., on the land, airplanes in the sky are constantly circling, with the purpose of depriving us of the power of movement. Besides that, it used to take so much time to go from one place to another to deliver communications. Now, either by wire or wirelessly, there is facility to exchange all manner of communication. A device called a megaphone has been invented that can gather news of the whole world while it sits in your home. If all these items are not used for our own gratification but for Bhagavān’s service, then there is no more cause for concern, but we are so wicked that we give nothing to Bhagavān and enjoy everything ourselves, which signals great misfortune for us.
Reports are that the Sirojganj Agricultural Industrial Bank is trying to cultivate crops with the use of a mechanical tiller. This bank has decided to procure some land near Muladuli Station off the IB railway and cultivate crops there with the aid of a mechanical tiller.
There is an ongoing proposal that everyone of all castes, including brāhmaṇas, in Baṅga-deśa become self-sufficient by ploughing the fields by hand [with bulls]. The proposal is not a bad one, but it occurs to us that if man stays established in the dharma of his own particular varṇa and āśrama and engages in actions appropriate for his particular varṇa and āśrama, then that sought-after age of peace will return—all the scarcities and issues of the nation will be dispelled. The duty of brāhmaṇas is performing and facilitating worship, studying and teaching, and giving and receiving charity; the duty of kṣatriyas is to care for the kingdom and make sure there is no impediment posed to the tapasya of the brāhmaṇas; the duty of the vaiśyas is agriculture, cow protection, and business; the duty of the śudra is to serve the aforementioned three classes. If everyone does the job they are meant to do, then there is no chaos or disruption. It is better to die in the performance of one’s own duties than to engage in duties meant for another. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has imparted this instruction to Arjuna: “svadharma nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ |”
However, if these four types of varṇāśramīs do not have their focus directed toward the service of Bhagavān, then there is no real benefit to them performing their prescribed duties.