Sri Krishna Kathamrita

Tav k QaaMa*Ta& TaáJaqvNaMa(

tava kathämåtaà tapta-jévanam
Bindu
Fortnightly email mini-magazine from Gopal Jiu Publications

Issue No. 245 Çré Bhaimé Ekädaçé 14 February 2011 Circulation 3,871
• Footsteps of the Acharyas
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• The Attitude of a Disciple
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada
Highlights

• Three Reasons for Criticism

Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode
• Appeal to Disciples with Fallen Gurus
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja
• Crying for the Lord's Associates
Srila Narottam Das Thakur
• Govardhan Has Become Like a Great Snake
Srila Raghunath Das Goswami

Footsteps of the Acharyas

His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The äula-sampradäya, bäula-sampradäya, and oth-
ers invented their own ways of understanding Lord Chai-
tanya’s philosophy, without following in the footsteps of
the äcäryas. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself indicates
herein that all such attempts would simply spoil the spirit
of his cult. (Caitanya-caritämåta madhya 1.271 purport.)
Devotional service means that one does not do any-
thing independently of the sanction of the äcäryas.
The actions of the Krishna consciousness movement
are directed by the previous äcäryas, headed by Srila
Rupa Goswami. In the association of devotees who are
following these principles, a devotee is able to perfectly
maintain his transcendental position (Kåñëa, chapter 87.)
We have to follow the footprints of the äcäryas
— mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. We can-
not understand higher things unless we follow His Divine Grace
the footprint of great personalities. (Lecture, San A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Francisco, 11 September 1968.) loving affairs between Krishna and Radharaëi. (Lecture,
When you understand Krishna by following the foot- Vrindavan, 14 March 1974.)
steps of the äcäryas, rüpa-raghunätha-pade ha-ibe Radha and Krishna léla is perfectly understood
äkuti, then you’ll be able to understand what are the by following the instructions of the six goswamis.
next column  
Issue Two Hundred Forty-five, Page — 2 Top right 2 é[q k* Z<ak QaaMa*Ta ibNdu
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The favors and mercy of the äcäryas and incarnations
go together. It is not that if I receive favor of one section
I shall be reluctant to receive favor of the other sections.
Just like, it is a very good symptom to have received
Lord Nityananda’s favor, but if we are actually favored
by Lord Nityananda our business will be to please
Lord Chaitanya. And if Lord Chaitanya is pleased, then
we can easily understand the truth of Radha Krishna
through the mercy of the Goswamis. (Letter, Los An-
geles, 3 June 1970.)
It is necessary for the serious students of Çrémad-
Bhägavatam to follow the notes and comments of
the great äcäryas like Jiva Goswami and Vishvanath
Chakravarti. To those who are not devotees of the
Lord, the comments and explanations of such äcäryas
may appear to be grammatical jugglery, but to the
students who are in the line of disciplic succession,
the explanations of the great äcäryas are quite fit.

Unknown artist
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.4.28 purport.) ·

The Attitude of a Disciple

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada Srila Vyasadev speaks to some disciples

Question: What is the mentality of a sincere disciple? ment. My only prayer is that my spiritual master
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta: Sincere disciples mercifully accepts my service. I pray never to
should be completely devoted to their guru. fall into bad association or to fall away from
They should know their spiritual master to be his lotus feet. My only solace is that my spiritual
as good as God and the only object of their love master is more merciful to unqualified persons like
and devotion. “The spiritual master is my eter- me. With a desire to achieve his causeless mercy,
nal master and I am his eternal servant.” This is I will become greedier for his service”. ·
how a disciple thinks. Service to the spiritual Three Reasons for Criticism
master is a disciple’s life, ornament, and means
of survival. Disciples do not know anything
Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode
except their spiritual master. They always think What are the faults of a vaiñëava which when dis-
of their spiritual master while eating, sleeping, cussed constitutes vaiñëava-aparädha?
dreaming and serving. They are fully convinced To discuss the faults that may arise by chance in
that the spiritual master is the fully independent a vaiñëava is an offense. The main thing is that the
personality of godhead. discussion or even consideration of these faults in a
A sincere disciple has the following mentality: vaiñëava is an offense to the holy name, etc.
“Even if my spiritual master does not accept ser- Casting false blame on a vaiñëava and finding fault
vice from such an unqualified person as myself, with a vaiñëava for any of the following three reasons
I will always be prepared to render unalloyed are offenses against the holy name:
service at his feet with body, mind, and words. If 1) Impurities that have come from the vaiñëavas
he
­
kicks me, I will think it is because of my incom- past — prag-utpanna.
petence; his kick will come because of my faults. 2) Impurities that are perishing — kñayävaçiñöa.
He is always right. May temporary sense desires 3) Impure activities that take place accidentally
not distract me from his service for even a mo- — daivotpanna.
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Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu Issue
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Criticizing a vaiñëava for these reasons prevents nä- not able to witness such pastimes. I was not born then
ma-sphurti, the appearance of the holy name in one’s and remained ignorant. How can I forget this sorrow?
heart, and keeps one from becoming a vaiñëava. · prabhu sanätana rüpa raghunätha bhaööa-yuga
— Sajjana-toñaëé 5.5. Article entitled, “Vaiñëava- bhügarbha çré jéva lokanätha
nindä”, translated by Syamasundar Das for Sri Krishna e sakala prabhu mili kailä ki madhura keli
Kathamrita issue 6, The Mad Elephant Offense. våndävane bhakta-gaëa sätha
Sanatana, Rupa, Raghunath Bhatta, Bhugarbha, Sri
Appeal to Disciples Jiva, Lokanath — all these prabhus performed won-
With Fallen Gurus derful sweet pastimes in Vrindavan in association with
other devotees.
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja
sabhe hailä adarçana çünya bhela tribhuvana
I would like to make a hearty appeal to the grand- äìdhala ha-ila e nä äìkhi
disciples of our beloved spiritual master Srila Prab- kähäre kahiba duùkha nä dekhäo chära mukha
hupada. In the extraordinary gracious and highly ächi yena marä-paçu-päkhé
compassionate process given by prema-puruñottama Now they are all gone from our vision and all the
Sriman Gauranga Mahaprabhu, there is no reason three worlds are empty. I have become blind. To whom
whatsoever to feel frustrated, even if the disciples shall I speak of my sorrow? I remain here living like a
painfully see deviation of their gurus from the çästric beast or a bird!
injunctions and their being fallen from the minimum äcärya çré çréniväsa ächiluì yäìhära päça
expected level of prescribed spiritual standard. The kathä çuni juòäita präëa
disciples of such gurus should know for certain that teìha more chäòi gelä rämacandra nä äilä
duùkhe jéu kare änachäna
if they very seriously and sincerely, with pure devo-
Acarya Srinivasa had a rope — his kathä — which
tion, pray to the Supreme Lord Krishna, who is in
soothed my soul. But he has left me, and Ramacandra
their heart, then Krishna will certainly respond to their
is also absent. In their separation my life is anxious and
prayers and help them to obtain an actually pure,
full of unhappiness.
bona-fide spiritual master, who can successfully lead
them to the lotus feet of Krishna, the Supreme Lord. ye mora manera vyathä, kähäre kahiba kathä
e chära jévane nähi äça
kåñëa-kåpäte guru mile, guru-kåpäte kåñëa mile
anna jala viña khäi mariyä nähika yäi
One obtains a bona-fide guru by the grace of Krish- dhik dhik narottama-däsa
na, and by the grace of guru one gets Krishna. ·
The pain I am bearing in my mind cannot be de-
— From an essay published in 1990 titled “Guru Tattva”.
scribed to others. I have lost interest in living. The food
Crying for the Lord’s Associates and water I used to take has become like poison to
me. Yet still I am living! Fie! Fie on Narottam Das! ·
Srila Narottam Das Thakur — Translated from Narottama-viläsa by Srila Narahari Chakravarti,
chapter 11. Published by Gaursundar Das. Radhakund. 2004.
gauräìgera sahacara çréniväsa gadädhara
narahari mukunda muräri
çré svarüpa dämodara hari-däsa vakreçvara
Govardhan Has Become
e saba premera adhikäré Like a Great Snake
The associates of Gauranga — Srinivas, Gadadhar,
Srila Raghunath Das Goswami’s
Narahari, Mukunda, Murari, Sri Swarup Damodar, Ha-
Çré Prärthanäçraya-caturdaçaka, texts 10-12
ridas and Vakreshwar all possess ecstatic love.
karilä ye saba léla, çunite galaye çilä In the following verses ,Srila Raghunath Das Goswami
täìhä muïi nä päi dekhite laments due to the disappearance of Srila Rupa Goswami.
takana nahila janma nä bujhiluì se nä marma apürva-premäbdheù parimala-payaù-phena-nivahaiù
e nä çela rahi gela cite sadä yo jévätur yam iha kåpayäsiïcad atulam
Just hearing the pastimes that they performed could idänéà durdaivät pratipada-vipad-däva-valito
melt even stone, but I am so unfortunate that I was nirälambaù so ‘yaà kam iha tam åte yätu çaraëam
 
Issue Two
Top left 4 Hundred Fourty-five, Page — 4 é[q k* Z<ak QaaMa*Ta ibNd
Top right 4

Unknown artist. Dated 476 Gaurabda (1962).

Raghunath Das Goswami doing bhajan on the bank of Radha Kund, absorbed in feelings of separation
from the Lord. He is oblivious to a pair of tigers drinking water near him. Krishna, seen in the upper right
corner, stands by to protect him. All of this is witnessed by Sanatan Goswami, who is seen standing on the left.


He was my life and soul. Again and again he kindly
splashed me with the fragrant waters of the shoreless ocean
of limitless love. Now misfortune forces me to become
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu
swallowed by the forest fires of material calamities. I have
A free bi-monthly service provided by:
no shelter. Except for him, of whom can I take shelter?
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Now that I no longer have the sustainer of my life, the
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land of Vraja has become empty and desolate, Govardhan
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Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It is not the fault of my body that it does not immedi-
Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of His Divine Grace A.
C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
ately fall down and die. By deep logical analysis I have
International. All other materials, unless specified, © ISKCON concluded that the creator Brahma must have con-
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form provided no changes are made to the contents. else could it be able to bear the weight of all this pain? ·
— Translation by Kusakratha Das.