gundica marjana

His Divine Grace

Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

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-The Mystery Behind

Gundica-Marjana-Lila. . - - - -

Table of Contents

The Mystery Behind Guëòicä-Märjana-Lélä 1Our Only Shelter 2Your Heart Should be a Befitting Seat for Kåñëa 4Mahäprabhu Cleaned with His Own Cloth 4Four Types of Anartha 5Material Desires 5Weakness of the Heart 6

Aparädha - Offence 6Misconception of the Truth 7Faith is the Foundation 7The Cleansing Process 9Clean the Mirror of the Heart 11You Can Purify Your Heart Only by Bhakti 11Läbha-Püjä-Pratiñöhä 12Their Hearts are Filled with Anarthas 13Kértanäkhyä Bhakti Must be Performed 14Mahäprabhu’s Punishment 15Develop Unflinching Faith in the Holy Name 16When Your Heart is Spotless 18

The Mystery Behind Guëòicä-Märjana-Lélä

by His Divine Grace

Çréla Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja

A lecture delivered by His Divine Grace Çréla Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja on 1st July 1992, Bhubaneswar, India.

TATTVA VICARA PUBLICATIONS

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The Mystery Behind

Guëòicä-Märjana-Lélä

T oday is the day when Mahäprabhu exhibits the mystery behind the guëòicä-märjana-lélä, the cleaning of Guëòicä temple. Tomorrow is Ratha-yäträ.When Mahäprabhu was here, 500 years ago, He would

clean the Guëòicä temple inside and outside. How did He do it? Why did He do it? What is the purpose behind it? What is the tattva behind it? What is the mystery behind it? Mahäprabhu has taught us. This is the day, therefore we should know what Mahäprabhu is teaching then we will be able to get His mercy and make our life successful. The purpose of this human birth is to have kåñëa-prema and get Kåñëa. To understand it clearly in tattva, and to practice the truth in our life, we speak about it. I will speak in Oriya first, then English. You should have patience and wait for it. Do not be impatient.


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Our Only Shelter

Çrémän Mahäprabhu came to teach us how to develop pure bhakti, prema-bhakti, and how to obtain Kåñëa. The purpose of this rarely achieved human birth is to develop pure kåñëa-bhakti, prema-bhakti and to get Kåñëa. That is the purpose of this rarely achieved human birth. If you cannot do this then your human birth is spoiled. Kåñëa has given you the opportunity by giving you a human birth, that in this very birth you will get Him and make your life successful, perfect, and go back home back to Godhead, no more staying in this material world. The material world is a nasty place, pade pade vipadam, at every step there is danger. It is the illusory world, and the illusory energy of the Lord, mäyä, allures, enchants and entraps everyone.

All are enchanted by mäyä. The conditioned souls are attracted to that ugly witch, mäyä, who presents herself as a very beautiful, attractive maiden. She presents real as unreal, unreal as real, happiness as distress, distress as happiness, shelter as not shelter, not shelter as shelter. Mäyä presents in that way. Those who are captured by mäyä, accept it in this way. The only shelter is at the lotus feet of Kåñëa. Sädhu-saìga, association with sädhu is the only shelter, but mäyä presents in a different way. Therefore the mäyä-baddha-jéva, the conditioned soul, completely under the grip of mäyä, thinks mäyä to be the shelter, and thinks there is no shelter in sädhu-saìga, and no shelter at the lotus feet of Kåñëa. The mäyä-baddha-jéva, conditioned soul thinks that material enjoyment is the only happiness and pleasure. He never thinks that material enjoyment, sense enjoyment is the cause of unhappiness and distress. Krsna speaks about it in Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä (5.22):


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ye hi saàsparça-jä bhogä duùkha-yonaya eva teädy-antavantaù kaunteya na teñu ramate budhaù

Saàsparça-jä bhogä means temporary sense enjoyment; ädy-antavantaù, it has a beginning and an end. In the beginning there may be some insignificant pleasure and happiness but the consequence is duùkha-yonaya, unlimited misery. Na teñu ramate budhaù—those who are really learned, paëòits, who know this science, do not run after material sense enjoyment. They know that it is filled with unlimited miseries. They know that real pleasure and happiness is eternal, and that the lotus feet of Kåñëa is a place of eternal happiness and pleasure. Bhaktivinode Öhäkura, a mahäjana, gaura-priya-jana, dear devotee of Gauräìga Mahäprabhu, has said,

açoka abhaya amåta ädhära tomära caraëa-dvaya tähäte ekhana viçräma labhiyä chäåinu bhavera bhaya.

“O Lord, Your two lotus feet is a place where there is no fear, no lamentation, no death. It is amåta, it is all nectar. One, who takes shelter there and is completely cent percent surrendered, is free from all material fear, lamentation, suffering and death. Therefore, the lotus feet of Kåñëa is the shelter, and sädhu-saìga, association of sädhu is the shelter, shelter at the lotus feet of a sädhu, çuddha-bhakta, a pure devotee of Kåñëa, who has bound up Kåñëa in his heart, who has made his pure heart a throne for Kåñëa, he is the shelter. In the pure heart of a pure devotee there is not even a tinge of desire for material enjoyment or desire for liberation, hence Kåñëa gets pleasure there, eternally. Day and night, 24-hours he is engaged in Kåñëa’s loving service,


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only thinking of Kåñëa’s pleasure and happiness. Mahäprabhu taught this by manifesting guëòicä-märjana-lélä. Today, the day before Ratha-yäträ is Guëòicä-märjana, cleansing the Guëòicä temple, outside and inside so that not even a tiny spot of dust or dirt will be seen. Mahäprabhu did it thereby He has given us this teaching.

Your Heart Should be a Befitting Seat for Kåñëa

What is the tattva, the mystery behind guëòicä-märjana-lélä? Those devotees who are serious and very eager to have Kåñëa seated in their heart, should understand this teaching, and accordingly they should act.

The first requirement is to make your heart spotless; free from the slightest tinge of material thinking or material desire. When it is spotless, and sparkling like crystal then Kåñëa will happily sit in your heart. Your heart should be a befitting seat for Kåñëa so that He will remain there eternally, receiving pleasure there.

Mahäprabhu Cleaned with His Own Cloth

On this day Mahäprabhu went with His devotees to the Guëòicä temple. While chanting Hare Kåñëa, doing saìkértana, He engaged everyone in cleaning Guëòicä; first the outside, then the inside. First they completely cleaned the outside compound where there were thorns, pebbles, dust, dry grass, and all kinds of dirty things. Many devotees were bringing water from the pond, Indradyumna sarovara. They were cleaning with hundreds of brooms and everyone was sweeping and keeping the dirt they had collected in a mound. Mahäprabhu would come


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to see who has collected the most dirt, whose mound was the biggest. Then Mahäprabhu would praise him, ‘Yes, he has done nice work.’ Whose mound was small, had not cleaned well, and Mahäprabhu would chastise him. That is Mahäprabhu’s lélä.

Then they cleaned inside the temple, again and again pouring water and with a broom or a brush they cleaned nicely. Mahäprabhu Himself cleaned and wiped the floor with a dry cloth, with His own yoga-paöa, making it sparkle like crystal. With His own cloth, yoga-paöa, Mahäprabhu cleaned the siàhäsana where Lord Jagannätha was to sit, where the deities were to sit. Even a spot of dust or dirt had to be cleaned away; otherwise the Lord will not appear there.

Four Types of Anartha

To understand the mystery, the tattva of Guëòicä-marjana, first of all, one who is very serious, very eager to understand how to make Kåñëa sit in his heart must make his heart free of material desire or material thought. His heart should be spotless and peaceful, then Kåñëa will sit there.

Mahäprabhu cleaned away all the pebbles, the thorns, grass, dust and dirt, which are compared to the anarthas. Mahäprabhu was cleaning all these away. Girece nänä anarthare bhäi—“O my brother, you are surrounded by many anarthas.”

Material Desires

There are four types of anartha, what are they? Devotee: Material desire, weakness of heart, aparädha, and tattva-bhrama, misconception of the truth.Çréla Gour Govinda Swami: Four types of anartha. Material


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desires—bhukti-käma, mukti-käma. Mukti, desire for liberation, desire for material enjoyment, material happiness, and desire for liberation, in this life and after, iha para. This is the first anartha.

Weakness of the Heart

The second anartha: hådaya-durbalya—weakness of the heart. What is that weakness of heart?Devotee: Sometimes he is performing sädhana, but at other times he fails to do so, he fails to complete his sädhana, spiritual practice. Sometimes he tries to renounce his family connections, at other times he is more attached.Çréla Gour Govinda Swami: Hådaya-durbalya, weakness of the heart is kuöinäöi, käpaöya, duplicity. He is never simple-hearted; a duplicitous person, käpaöya, with enviousness, mätsarya. Duplicity, envy, and running after läbha-püjä-pratiñöhä—name, fame, adoration. He is not attached to Kåñëa. He is attached to things or objects other than Kåñëa, kåñëetarä-çakti. These are weakness of the heart.

Aparädha - Offence

The third anartha is aparädha, offence. There are four main types: nämäparädha, vaiñëava-aparädha, svarüpa-aparädha, other aparädhas such as sevä-aparädha. The ten nämäparädhas: näma-aparädha, vaiñëava-aparädha, sevä-aparädha, all these come under the third anartha.


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Misconception of the Truth

The fourth anartha is tattva-bhrama, misconception of the truth, tattva. Sva-tattve-bhrama, kåñëa-tattve-bhrama, sädhya-sädhana-tattva-bhrama, vira-tattva-bhrama. He has misconception about jéva-tattva, misconception about kåñëa-tattva, misconception about sädhya-sädhana-tattva, misconception on other tattvas. This is tattvavad-bhrama, the four types of anartha. Unless one is completely free from these anarthas his heart cannot be spotless.

Faith is the Foundation

Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has said,

ädau çraddhä tataù sädhu-saìgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyä tato anartha-nivåttiù

(Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu 1.4.15)

The first thing is to have çraddhä, viçväsa, dåòha-viçväsa, strong faith, unflinching faith, unshakable faith in sädhu-çästra-guru-väkya, in the words of sädhu, çästra, guru and Kåñëa. The first thing is faith. If you have no faith then there is no beginning at all. Faith is the foundation, ädhä. A building cannot stand without a foundation. How will it be built? Faith is the foundation, strong unflinching faith in the words of sädhu-çästra-guru and Kåñëa. This is Mahäprabhu’s teaching. If you have no faith, no foundation, how will the building stand? It will collapse. Only building castles in the air. First is çraddhä, viçväsa, then sädhu-saìga, that means accepting guru, guru-pädäçraya—taking shelter at the lotus feet of guru, Vaiñëava, a dear and pure devotee of Kåñëa, gaura-priya-jana, a dear devotee


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of Gauräìga Mahäprabhu. One must accept guru-pädäçraya, dékñä from such a guru, sädhu.

The second requirement is çraddhä, läbhi’ jéva kare sad-guru vicära—First you will associate, then completely surrender, and with a humble attitude, hear from the lips of a pure Vaiñëava, sädhu, placing complete faith in what he says. Sädhu speaks about tattva; jéva-tattva, kåñëa-tattva and sadhya-sädhana-tattva. He is tattva-darçé, the seer of the truth, the knower of the truth.

tad viddhi praëipätena paripraçnena sevayä

upadekñyanti te jïänaà jïäninas tattva-darçinaù (Bg 4.34)

This is the process. First is praëipäta, which means first surrender. Çiñyas te ‘haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam[Bg 2.7], first is surrender and humility, otherwise you cannot hear and you cannot develop faith. If you have no humility, you are puffed up, proud, have a very great false ego, think yourself very great, intelligent and an all-knowing person, then you cannot surrender. If such a person comes to hear, this kathä will not enter his ears because he has no faith. He has doubt. He thinks, ‘I know better. I am an all-knowing person.’ First is faith, çraddhä. Therefore, first surrender. Praëipäta means surrender. First surrender then hear with full faith. Then, paripraçna-sevä, serve that guru, äcärya, Vaiñëava, sädhu, and please him, then humbly inquire. You have many doubts, many misconceptions, so humbly inquire. He is a bona fide sädhu-guru-mahäjana, coming in bona fide disciplic succession, a gaura-priya-jana, therefore accept what he has said and put it unto practice in your life. Then you will get the result. Otherwise, without


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first having faith how can you receive anything? You cannot surrender because you have no faith, and this kathä will never enter into your ears, no, because you have no foundation. How will it stand? How will it be built up? No question at all, it is impossible.

The Cleansing Process

Ädau çraddhä tataù sädhu-saìga, that means taking shelter of guru, sädhu-saìga, accepting the lotus feet of a sadhu-guru, then bhajana-kriyä, guru will teach you how to do bhajana. You do not know how to do bhajana. Bhajana means, to serve Kåñëa through the nine types of bhakti,

çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù smaraëaà päda-sevanamarcanaà vandanaà däsyaà sakhyam ätma-nivedanam

Bhajana-kréya means bhajana, sevä, loving service under the guidance of guru. Guru will teach you. He is himself engaged, and by practical demonstration he teaches you how to do bhajana. He never speaks theoretically, but he is a practical teacher. That is Mahäprabhu’s process. Then anartha-nivåtti, then all anarthas will be completely destroyed, otherwise there is no question of being free from anarthas.

Just by Mahäprabhu manifesting this guëòicä-märjana-lélä He teaches this. First of all you should make your heart spotless, free from all sorts of anarthas. That is the cleansing process. If even a little impurity will be there still Kåñëa will never sit there. It will never become a fit place for Kåñëa to sit. Then there are the anyäbhiläña anarthas. That means desire for material enjoyment, desire for mukti, liberation. Such a person


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never takes to this path of bhakti, rather he takes to the path of karma, jïäna, or yoga, mystic yoga: äsana, präëäyäma, pratyähära dhyäna, dhäraëä and samädhi. These are anyäbhiläña, these are all impurities in the heart. Therefore Rüpa Gosvämé says:

anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà jïäna-karmädy-anävåtamänukülyena kåñëänu-çélanaà bhaktir uttamä

(Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu 1.1.11)

No other thought or desire will arise, no desire for material enjoyment, no desire for liberation, no desire for yoga-siddhis, mystic perfection like aëimä, laghimä, mahimä, präpti, präkämya, éçitva, vaçitva and kämävasäyitä are temporary. Only änukülyena kåñëänu, being engaged in loving service of Kåñëa and giving pleasure and happiness to Kåñëa, desiring nothing for oneself. No. Everything is for Kåñëa. That is anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà, änukülyena kåñëänu. Where there are all these anyäviläsa, other desires, other than çuddha-bhakti, pure bhakti, Kåñëa will never sit in such a filthy, impure heart. He will never appear there. Mahäprabhu taught this by guëòicä märjana-lélä, cleansing the Guëòicä temple. Anyäbhiläña also includes this desire: “As long as I am here in this material world I will enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy and enjoy. This is anyäbhiläña. This desire is compared to the thorns, stones and pebbles, straw and dried grass that Mahäprabhu cleared away from the Guëòicä compound. If such desire remains it will pierce your heart like sharp arrows giving a burning pain. Therefore first clean away these impurities so that the heart can be çänta, peaceful, calm and quiet, without piercing arrows and burning pain.


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Clean the Mirror of the Heart

Some worship demigods, perform some demigod yajïa, and they perform some pious activities whereby they will be elevated to the heavenly planet and enjoy there. There is immense enjoyment in the heavenly planet. These anyäbhiläña are like dust. Mahäprabhu cleansed everything so that not even a single speck of dust would be found. Mahäprabhu thoroughly cleaned everything and He engaged all His devotees in cleaning also. He threw all the dirt outside the compound, because if a big whirlwind or storm comes, again all the dirt and dust will enter the compound so He threw it far away so that it will never come back again. He did it like that because all this dirt and dust will cover the heart, which is like a mirror. If the mirror is covered with dust there will be no reflection. Ceto-darpaëa-märjanam, ceto means cita, the heart; darpana means the mirror, clean the mirror of the heart and then there will be a clear reflection. That dust covering the mirror of the heart has accumulated over many thousands, many lakhs of lives, but it can be cleaned away forever by chanting: hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare, hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare. Äçraya laiyä bhaje—taking shelter of guru do bhajana, pure bhajana, offenceless bhajana, then your heart will be clean. Without this cleansing process you will continue accumulating more and more impurities in your heart.

You Can Purify Your Heart Only by Bhakti

Those who are not devotees, they think that by engaging in fruitive activities, karma, they are purifying their heart, but this is their misconception, bhrama. The example is the elephant


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entering a river to bathe. As soon as he comes out of the river he sprays dirt all over his body. What was the benefit of taking a bath? If you want to clean your heart through karma is like hasti-snäna, the bath of an elephant, it has no value at all. Only by bhakti, pure bhakti you will be able to purify your heart, there is no other way; not by karma, not by jïäna, not by yoga and nor by mystic yoga. Only by bhakti you will be able to purify your heart. Then when your heart will be spotless, sparkling, and peaceful, it will be the fittest place for Kåñëa to sit. Then Kåñëa will sit there. This is Mahäprabhu teaching for us.Narottama Däsa Öhäkura has given us a very nice song:

bhaktera hådoye sadä, vaiñëavera hådoye sadä govinda-viçräma

“Govinda, Lord Kåñëa rests in the heart of that bhakta, that Vaiñëava, whose heart is completely pure, spotless.”

If someone takes to the path of karma or jïäna or yoga, what happens? He pierces the body of Kåñëa with a very sharp spear. Karma-jïäna-yoga is like that. There is no question of cleansing your heart by karma-jïäna-yoga, it is only pure bhakti. The sharp piercings are like the dried grass, dust and pebbles, which Mahäprabhu and His devotees cleaned away leaving the area spotless, throwing all the filth and dirt far away.

Läbha-Püjä-Pratiñöhä

After thorough cleaning, it may be that some minute spots of dust still be left behind, but they should also be removed. Those minute specks of dust are kuöinäöé, prathiñöhäçä, running


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after name, fame, prestige, adoration; jéva-hiàsä, enviousness; käpaöya— duplicity, crookedness. Some who are running after pratiñöhä, name, fame, prestige and adoration, go to a solitary place and do their bhajana, that is nirjana-bhajana. They do not remain in the society, in the association of sädhus, thereby they cheat the innocent people who think them to be great sädhus, ‘O, a great sädhu, doing nirjana-bhajan.’ They will give such a person, who desires läbha-püjä-pratiñöhä—name, fame and prestige, some respect. He does not come out and preach the message of Guru and Gauräìga, Kåñëa. Ñuch a so-called ‘great sädhu’ stays in a secluded place and does nirjana-bhajan, just presenting himself as a great sädhu before the innocent people. Thereby he cheats them. This is pratiñöhä.

Their Hearts are Filled with Anarthas

Then niñidhäcära; following the four regulative principles. Such person breaks the regulative principles; no illicit sex, no intoxication, no fish-eating and meat-eating, declaring, “I am a great sädhu, don’t you know me? I am very great. I am like Lord Çiva who could drink the ocean of poison. I have such çakti.” Why will he follow niñidhäcära, rules and regulations? “I can digest and burn them to ashes. I am like fire. Don’t you know me?” He speaks like that.

“O, a very great sädhu.” All right, he is very great. “These bhaktas, Vaiñëavas are low.” Then he runs after such a person. All right, very great, he can burn to ashes all these things, he can do anything; smoke gaïjä, he may enjoy sex, take intoxication, drink liquor, “I am Indra now!” He is such a person, and the innocent people are cheated by such a person. This is the äcära and those people flatter him, and pay respect, ‘O, a great sädhu.


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These others, they are lower. They have so many restrictions, no fish-eating, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex, then what is that? But this great sädhu, he can do everything, digest everything and burn it to ashes, so I want that also!” Then he is seen as a great sädhu. We should understand that this is all nonsense. This is niñidhäcära, in the category of hådaya-durbalya anartha, tri-saìga karmé-jïäné-anyäviläsi is kåñëa-abhakta. They cannot develop bhakti at all. They cannot make Kåñëa sit in their heart. Their heart is completely filled with all these nasty, filthy anarthas.

Kértanäkhyä Bhakti Must be Performed

Again and again Mahäprabhu made His devotees pour water and sweep with brooms. After that, with dry pieces of cloth, again, and again, and again they cleaned so that not a spot of dirt was left on the inside of the Guëòicä. The siàhäsana, the throne where Lord Jagannätha, Kåñëa was to sit, became as sparkling as crystal, and so peaceful, so calm and quiet. No piercing or burning, nothing, no impurity, then it became a fit place for Kåñëa to sit. Otherwise Kåñëa will never sit there. This is the mystery behind the guëòicä-märjana-lélä, cleansing the Guëòicä temple inside and outside. When everything is cleaned nicely sometimes a tiny spot is left, but even such a tiny spot of impurity must not be left behind. With His own yoga-paöa Mahäprabhu again and again polished everything. As they engaged in märjana-lélä, cleaning the temple, they did loud congregational chanting, saìkértana: hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare, hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare. This is known as kértanäkhyä bhakti. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé describes this in his Bhakti-sandarbha (173): yadyapi anyä bhaktiù kalau


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kartavyä, tadä kértanäkhyä bhakti-saàyogenaiva—Although in Kali-yuga eight other types of bhakti are there, still they must be performed along with kértanäkhyä bhakti, the process of hearing and chanting the name and glories of the Lord, otherwise one cannot understand siddhänta.

harer näma harer näma harer nämaiva kevalamkalau nästy eva nästy eva nästy eva gatir anyathä

(Caitanya-caritämåta Ädi-lélä 17.21)

“In Kali-yuga there is no other way, no other way, no other way, harer näma eva kevalam—only harinäma. All should take shelter of harinäma and be engaged in hari-saìkértana: hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare, hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare. Otherwise you cannot develop bhakti at all in Kali-yuga, no other way is there. It is only through chanting Hare Kåñëa, in saìkértana.

Mahäprabhu’s Punishment

Mahäprabhu was going to every devotee, every Vaiñëava to see how each of them was cleaning, and to see how much dirt and filth they had collected, whether it was a big amount or a small amount. Mahäprabhu was personally overseeing it and teaching them: “Do it in this way. Polish in this way, now again pour water, again sweep with your broom, pour more water, again rub, there is a spot there, clean that area.” Personally Mahäprabhu was instructing them in this way, going to everyone individually and teaching them. Mahäprabhu would praise the one who had cleaned the best, “Yes, you have cleaned very nicely”, or He would say, “he has not done it nicely.” Mahäprabhu was mildly chastising and sometimes


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catching hold of a devotee’s hand to show him how to do it in a certain way. Mahäprabhu was a practical teacher, and He was encouraging them to completely destroy all these anarthas so that not even a tiny spot will be there. In this way it is a fit place, hådaya-siàhäsana, the throne is the heart for Lord Kåñëa to sit where you can keep Kåñëa. Otherwise Kåñëa will never sit there. Those who have not become completely cleaned of all their anarthas, they may have cleaned away some percentage, 50 %, 60%, 70% or 75% maybe cleansed, but 25% remains. It should be cent percent; even a tiny spot should not be there. If it is not 100% cleaned then Mahäprabhu inflicts punishment on them. What sort of punishment is it? The punishment is to serve hari-guru-vaiñëava. Come; be engaged in the service of hari-guru-vaiñëava. That is the punishment for you. When hari-guru-vaiñëava, sädhu-guru-vaiñëava will inflict punishment on you, and if you accept their punishment gladly and get their mercy, then you will be completely cleansed.

Develop Unflinching Faith in the Holy Name

ära kabe nitäi-cänder karuëä hoibe saàsära-bäsanä morakabe tuccha ha’be

kabe nitäi-cänder karuëä hoibeviñaya chäòiyä kabe çuddha ha’be

mana kabe häma herabo çré-våndävana

This is Narottama Däs Öhäkura’s song: “When will the day come when I will get the causeless mercy of Nitäicand, Nityänanda Prabhu, and my heart will be completely cleansed of the desire for material enjoyment, when not even a tiny speck will be there? When will that day come? Viñaya chäòiyä kabe


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çuddha habe mana kabe häma heraba çré-våndävana, when my mind will be completely pure, without a tinge material desire, then I can enter and see Våndävana and see how Kåñëa is there performing His transcendental pastimes. Otherwise I will not be able to see.” Through chanting Hare Kåñëa Mahäprabhu has taught us this.

nämnaiva präduräséd avatarati pare yatra taà naumi gauram

(Çré Caitanya-candrämrta 11)

“We pay obeisances to that Gaura who gave kåñëa-prema, love of Kåñëa indiscriminately through chanting hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare, hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare. One should develop unflinching faith in the holy name. There is no difference between the name of Kåñëa and Kåñëa Himself, abhinnatvän näma-näminoù. Moreover, this holy name of Kåñëa is more merciful than Kåñëa. That is ‘moreover’, adhikanta. Kåñëa is most merciful, but the name of Kåñëa is more merciful than Kåñëa. That is extra, and one should have complete faith in it, unflinching faith. It is a question of faith, nothing else, dådha-çraddha. Bhaktivinode Öhäkura has written a song about this in his Hari-näma-cintämaëi,

näme dåòha haile näi haya päpe matipürva-päpa dagdha haya citta-çuddha ati

“If you are fixed in the holy name, if you have unflinching faith in chanting this holy name, completely taken shelter of this holy name of Kåñëa, there will be no question at all that the thought of some material enjoyment will enter into your mind. In other words that means, that there will be no thought


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of sinful activity in your mind. Rather, all sinful reactions from previous births will be completely destroyed, and the heart will be completely pure.”

kåñëa rakñä-kartä eka mätra bali jänejévane pälana-kartä kåñëa eka mane

“Kåñëa is my maintainer, Kåñëa is my protector, no one else.” Such a devotee considers Kåñëa to be his only protector and the maintainer of his life. At every moment, a person with such unflinching faith is chanting and remembering the holy name.

When Your Heart is Spotless

‘ahaà-mama’ buddhya-çakti nä räkhe hådayedéna-bhäve näma laya sakala samaye

He has no this intelligence or thought of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. Janasya moho ‘yam ahaà mameti—“I am this and that and something else. This is mine, and that is mine. The body is mine, this family is mine, wife is mine, daughter is mine, son is mine, my bank balance, this land and property is mine, this birth place is mine, everything is mine! This is delusion, moha, janasya moho ‘yam ahaà mameti.

He is completely free from this ‘I’ and ‘mine’. “Everything belongs to Kåñëa. He is my eternal master, and I am His eternal servant. I don’t belong to myself. I belong to Kåñëa. I am His eternal servant. Everything is Kåñëa’s property—this body is Kåñëa’s property, it is meant for Kåñëa’s service, nothing for me, not for my service, my enjoyment, it is for Kåñëa’s enjoyment.”


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That means he is completely free from ‘I’ and ‘mine’, and always, day and night, 24-hours a day, with humility chanting, hare kåñëa hare kåñëa kåñëa kåñëa hare hare, hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare, then he gets the mercy of the holy name, and the holy name is more merciful than Kåñëa. He is fixed in it. He has unflinching faith, strong faith in the holy name and He is never shaken even for a moment. He has dåòha mana, a very strong mind. His mind is completely fixed in the holy name. Even for a moment he is not deviated from Kåñëa. He never forgets Kåñëa, he is completely attached, and therefore no other thought will enter into his mind. He gets the mercy of Mahäprabhu and the dear devotees of Mahäprabhu, and then very quickly he develops kåñëa-prema and gets Kåñëa. He achieves perfection in his human birth. When your heart is spotless, your consciousness and mind are spotless, not even a speck of impurity is there, then Kåñëa sits there.

This is the mystery behind guëòicä-märjana-lélä, and today is that day. Tomorrow will be Ratha-Yäträ, we will drag Kåñëa there, to our purified heart and Ùe will sit there. Otherwise Kåñëa will never come. So this is the day, and this day is for you, for one and all to make your heart clean, then Kåñëa will appear in your heart. Otherwise you cannot take part in Ratha-yäträ tomorrow. Jagannätha will never go there.

So, are there any question?

Devotee: Mahäräja, you said, “those whose heart is not clean, maybe some percentage is clean, then Mahäprabhu inflicts some punishment upon them, that they should serve hari, guru, and vaiñëava.” But what is the formula for those whose heart is clean? Is it not the same process for everyone?Çréla Gour Govinda Swami: Cent percent clean, they will go


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out and preach. Go out and preach! Help others, inculcate Kåñëa consciousness unto them. That is doing good to others. He never hesitates to go out and preach. He never hesitates. ‘I am sick today.’ ‘I am very weak today,’ ‘I am tired today, I can’t do it.’ No such thing. He has life, real life, jévana, life, otherwise he is a dead body, no life. Though breathing, but a dead body, like the bellows of a blacksmith.

Such running hither and thither, speaking, speaking and speaking, without tiredness. I am not tired. I’m just arriving, calo, people are waiting. Such program we did, this old body you see, but so enlivening. It is real life, yes, real life, enlivening and all are hearing pure kathä, kåñëa-kathä, and all are attracted, wherever you go everybody is attracted, yes, it is pure kåñëa-kathä. Kåñëa is all-attractive. You will speak pure kåñëa-kathä, no other tinge of desire is there. The result is there, and you feel so blissful, so enlivened. No bodily tiredness is there, you see. No rest, no food, nothing, hours, hours together flying, flying or, driving in the car even 8 hours. We went to a place far away, the car was winding its way up so many hills. Many devotees were there, and many Prabhupäda disciples, all disappointed, all disheartened. Yes, I went there. You see, this Mahäprabhu taught us.

Devotee 2: Guru Mahäräja, we engage in this process to increase our faith but then it seems sometimes it becomes lost.Gour Govinda Swami: Why lost?

Devotee 2: As you said, some devotees are disappointed, they lose their faith.Çréla Gour Govinda Swami: Because they are not under discipline, they are not accepting the discipline, punishment of hari-guru-vaiñëava. That is the only reason. I said, Mahäprabhu


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inflicted that punishment. Whose anarthas are not cent percent cleansed away, this is the punishment for you, to engage in the service of hari-guru-vaiñëava. Then that hari-guru-vaiñëava will inflict punishment on you, and crack your head. That is punishment. If you accept it gladly then you will get the mercy, then inspiration is there, enthusiasm is there. There is no question of disappointment. There is no question of pessimism there. It is all optimism.

All right, thank you.

gundica marjana

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