Vyasa Puja offering 2015 -The acarya establishes the Tradition | Yasoda Nandana Dasa

Dear Srila Prabhupada

I offer my obeisances at your lotus feet

All Glories to you and your wonderful Krishna Consciousness Movement

Nama om Vishnu Padaya Krsna presthaya bhutale
Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swamin iti namine
 

Namaste sarasvate deve Gauravani pracarine
Nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya Desa tarine
 

Bhakti siddhanta sishyaya Bhativedanta namine
Prasannaya prasantaya tasmai Sri gurave namah
 

On this most auspicious day, let me repeatedly try to understand your unique position and offer my obeisances at your lotus feet.

tvam nah sandarśito dhātrā

dustaram nistitīrsatām
kalim sattva-haram puṁsām
karna-dhāra ivārnavam

 

TRANSLATION

 

We think that we have met Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult ocean of Kali, which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being.

 

Learned men, therefore, must be cautious of this age, and if they at all want to cross over the dangerous ocean of Kali, they must follow the footsteps of the sages of Naimisāranya and accept Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī or his bona fide representative as the captain of the ship. The ship is the message of Lord Śrī Krsna in the shape of Bhagavad-gītā or the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.22

You have explained that the Lord sends one of His reliable sons or a servant..

“…. The Lord unwillingly creates this material world, but He descends in His personal form or sends one of His reliable sons or a servant or a reliable author like Vyāsadeva to give instruction. He Himself also instructs in His speeches of Bhagavad-gītā. This propaganda work goes on side by side with the creation to convince the misguided living entities who are rotting in this material world to come back to Him and surrender unto Him. Therefore the last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā is this: “Give up all your manufactured engagements in the material world and just surrender unto Me. I shall protect you from all sinful reactions…”Srimad-Bhagavatam “The Status Quo” Conversation between Manu and Kardama SB 3.21.20

You have revealed your unique potency and the actual power of a fully realized pure devotee.

“…Ordinary yogis can exhibit wonderful material activities, known as asta-siddhi, eight kinds of perfection, but a pure devotee of the Lord can surpass these perfections by performing activities which can make the whole universe tremble…” Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.78.

“..It is said that a single pure devotee of the Lord can deliver all the fallen souls of the world…” Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.8.5.

“…The pure devotee ignites Krishna consciousness in the hearts of the conditioned souls, and thus the blazing fire of the spiritual world becomes manifest even within this material world…” Krishna Book, Prayers of the Personified Vedas.

“…When a pure Vaishnava speaks, he speaks perfectly. How is this? His speech is managed by Krishna Himself from within the heart…” Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. 1975 Original Unrevised Undedited Edition – Madhya-lila 8.200.

“…The power of devotional service is so great that a pure devotee can electrify another person by his transcendental instruction on crossing over the ocean of nescience… “ Krishna Book, Prayers of the Personified Vedas.

Indian man (4): I know, Prabhupada, one of your Godsisters in Vrndavana. She is very old. She is staying in Tirtha Maharaja’s matha. So she told me she took her initiation when she was about sixteen year old and still she stays in the temple and she… (break) …say you’re the most pious person on this planet.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Hare Krsna.   Srila Prabhupada conversations- November 2, 1975.

“My dear Lord, You are glorified by the selected verses uttered by great personalities. Such glorification of Your lotus feet is just like saffron particles. When the transcendental vibration from the mouths of great devotees carries the aroma of the saffron dust of Your lotus feet, the forgetful living entity gradually remembers his eternal relationship with You. Devotees thus gradually come to the right conclusion about the value of life. My dear Lord, I therefore do not need any other benediction but the opportunity to hear from the mouth of Your pure devotee.”

 

Purport

 

“… A pure devotee always engages in the service of the Lord, taking shelter of His lotus feet, and therefore he has a direct connection with the saffron mercy-particles that are strewn over the lotus feet of the Lord. Although when a pure devotee speaks the articulation of his voice may resemble the sound of this material sky, the voice is spiritually very powerful because it touches the particles of saffron dust on the lotus feet of the Lord. As soon as a sleeping living entity hears the powerful voice emanating from the mouth of a pure devotee, he immediately remembers his eternal relationship with the Lord, although up until that moment he had forgotten everything…” Srimad-Bhagavatam “The Creation of the Fourth Order” Lord Visnu’s Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of Maharaja Prthu 4.20.25.

Srila Prabhupada, you have mercifully explained the actual status of the spiritually developed person.

“…Therefore, although He is present in every atom, the Supreme Personality of Godhead may not be visible to the dry speculators; still the mystery is unfolded before the eyes of the pure devotees because their eyes are anointed with love of Godhead. And this love of Godhead can be attained only by the practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord, and nothing else. The vision of the devotees is not ordinary; it is purified by the process of devotional service. In other words, as the universal elements are both within and without, similarly the Lord’s name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage, etc., as they are described in the revealed scriptures or as performed in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, far, far beyond the material cosmic manifestation, are factually being televised in the heart of the devotee. The man with a poor fund of knowledge cannot understand, although by material science one can see things far away by means of television. Factually, the spiritually developed person is able to have the television of the kingdom of God always reflected within his heart. That is the mystery of knowledge of the Personality of Godhead…”Srimad-Bhagavatam “The Cosmic Manifestation”Answers by Citing the Lord’s Version SB 2.9.35

I have been recently asked by some devotees why is it that some senior devotees even senior ones [in age] do not seem to understand your position and your teachings.

You have nicely explained the proper mentality to understand how to behave with the acarya and mercifully are giving very important warnings. Let us always be situated at your lotus feet and absorbed in following your instructions.

I may inform you that you cannot be fool as you have humbly expressed yourself. Better to remain an ever fool before the spiritual master. But if a disciple is actually fool it reflects on the spiritual master. To think of becoming a fool is the real qualification for a bona fide disciple. As soon as one thinks that he has become the wiser man than the spiritual master one is surely doomed. We should remain everlastingly a fool before the spiritual master. Not artificially but feelingly and then we can make real progress. Even my spiritual master a great scholar remained a so called fool before His spiritual master who was outwardly an illiterate village fellow. So in the Absolute world the fool is also the master and the master is also a fool in reciprocal exchange of dealings. Lord Caitanya also accepted Himself a great fool before His spiritual master and all of us must follow the transcendental process. December 14, 1967   Srila Prabhupada letter to Rayarama dasa

 

“…The incident herein described is very significant. In a previous verse it is stated, vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhisekam: one cannot attain perfection without smearing the dust from the lotus feet of an exalted devotee on his head. If one always follows the orders of the spiritual master, there is no question of falling down. As soon as a foolish disciple tries to overtake his spiritual master and becomes ambitious to occupy his post, he immediately falls down. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatih kuto ’pi . If the spiritual master is considered an ordinary man, the disciple surely loses his chance to advance further. Despite a very rigid life in devotional service, Bharata Mahārāja did not consult a spiritual master when he became overly attached to a deer. Consequently he became strongly attached to the deer, and, forgetting his spiritual routine, he fell down.” Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.12.14

You have cautioned about the danger of personal motivation.

In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acintya bheda bheda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy. Srila Prabhupada letters to: Isana, Vibhavati,   September 21, 1970

Srila Prabhupada, you have also explained that the acarya establishes the tradition, and is the perfect follower of the tradition.

So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. So this behavior of Kṛṣṇa, how ordinary men can understand? Because they have got their ordinary senses, therefore they mistake. Why Kṛṣṇa? Even Kṛṣṇa’s devotee, Vaiṣṇava. That is also stated. Vaiṣṇavera kriyā mūdra vijñeha nā bujhaya [Cc. Madhya 23.39]. Even a Vaiṣṇava ācārya, what he is doing, even the most expert intelligent man cannot understand why he is doing this. Therefore we should not try to imitate the higher authorities, but we have to follow the order, injunction, given by the higher authorities. Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 2: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 2.3 — London, August 4, 1973 : 730804BG.LON

And Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented the same philosophy, that acintya-bhedābheda. That is ācārya. Ācārya gives some way for simple understanding. The same conclusion, but according to the time, circumstances, they give a very easy method to understand. That is ācārya. Ācārya is following strictly the previous ācārya, but according to the circumstances, he may make little changes. That is… That change is not change from the original idea. No. lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 7: Lectures : SB 7.9: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.12 — Mayapur, February 19, 1976 : 760219SB.MAY :

Srila Prabhupāda: But the directions should be taken from scriptures. But there are many scriptures. So ācārya means, just like Gosvāmīs, they would read all the scriptures and take the essence of it and give it to his disciples that, “You act like this.” Because he knows what to give, how to manipulate, so that his ekāntataḥ śreyas will be achieved. Ultimate goal. Therefore the ācārya knows how to adjust things, at the same time keep pace with the spiritual interest(?). That is ācārya. It is not that the same thing to be applied everywhere. He is eager to engage actually the people in the real benefit of life, but the means may be different. Just like my Guru Mahārāja. He is the first time that he allowed the sannyāsīs to drive in a motorcar. A sannyāsī never drives in a motorcar, you see? But not for sense gratification. Suppose we are going by aeroplane. A sannyāsī should walk. The Jain sannyāsīs they never ride on a car, you know that. You know that. They will never ride on a car. But now they are also riding. But suppose we are preaching now. I came from India. If I were to say, “I am a sannyāsī, I will not ride in a car or aeroplane, I must walk.” Then what kind of preaching there would have been? You see? So therefore it depends on the ācārya how to adjust things. So, my Guru Mahārāja, “Alright go on preaching on a motorcar, it doesn’t matter.” These Gosvāmīs, they went to Vṛndāvana, severest type of austerities. They used to life underneath a tree. Now if in this age I advise you that you also live underneath a tree, then it will be difficult to preach. You see? Nobody is accustomed in that way, such severe type of austerity. They must be given, as far as possible, comfortable accommodation otherwise they will not come. They will not take. Now this…. This is adjustment. The ācārya knows how to adjust things. The real purpose is how one will take to spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Keeping one’s aim to that point some concession may be given. As far as possible, keeping pace with the time, circumstances. Then? “The sages, therefore, inquire

Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.1: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.9 — Auckland, February 20, 1973 : 730220sb.

Your eternal servant

Yasoda nandana dasa