Q: Is it proper to consider the spiritual master as God or the supreme enjoyer?
A: The spiritual master is not the supreme enjoyer like Krisna. In other words, he is not Gopinatha, the beloved lord of the gopis. The spiritual master is the servitor God. In that sense, he is as good as God, most dear to God, and the Lord’s topmost devotee. The spiritual master is the predominated God; he is not the predominating God like Krsna or the original predominated God, like Sri Radha.
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A few verses from Garga Samhita, describing Giriraja’s glories.
Chapter 10
Text 14
The liberated soul said: Glorious Govardhana Hill, the king of mountains, is the personal form of Lord Krishna. Simply by seeing it, one attains the supreme goal of life.
Texts 18-19
Even though he has committed hundreds of sins, a person who on Mount Mangala gives gold in charity attains a spiritual form like Lord Visnu’s. That same result is attained simply by seeing Govardhana Hill. No other holy place is as sacred as Govardhana Hill.
Texts 20-21
O brahmana, simply by visiting Govardhana Hill one attains piety a hundred thousand times greater than the piety he would attain if on the sacred mountains
Rishabha, Kutaka, and Kolaka he had worshiped many brahmanas and given in charity ten million cows with golden horns.
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“Losing things of this mortal world is not bad; it is all coming and going. The body itself, the center of all this activity, will also vanish. Then what is the necessity of collecting so much energy for the bodily connection? So, awaken your soul, the real person within; search him out and try to help him. That is possible only with help from the sadhu.
The day in which we do not find any saint, or have any discussion about the real purpose of life, the inner life, the inner substance, that day we are the loser. Be conscious of that. In all respects, in any way possible, mind your own lesson, mind your own interest, find your own self. Be unmindful towards the external world and circumstances and dive deep into the reality, the inner world.
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Krishna is our master.
We are not the master of this world. We are the parts of the whole, and we have our respective duties towards the whole. Our responsibilities are towards another plane of life, which is the most subtle. We are in a diseased condition here, but when we become healthy we will have a higher plan of living.
This is the Vaishnava conception.
There is a higher plane, beyond the jurisdiction of misconception. There is a particular place for me within this universe. What is that? I am suffering, serving the negative side,and in all conceptions of life, I find suffering, janma, mrityu, vyadhi; birth, death, old age, and disease. (BG 13.9) But there is a conception where life is worth living, where there is something to live for. That position has been neglected everywhere in so many different conceptions of religious view.
Divine Words of His Divine Grace Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami Mahataja.
Song Name: Anya Abhilasa Chadi
Official Name: Song 2
Author: Narottama Dasa Thakura
Book Name: Prema Bhakti Candrika
Language: Bengali
LYRICS:
(1)
anya abhilāṣa chāḍi, jñāna karma parihari,
kāya mane koribo bhajana
sādhu sańga kṛṣṇa sevā, nā pūjibo anya devā
ei bhakti parama kāraṇa
(2)
mahājanera yei patha, tāte hobo anurata,
pūrvāpara koriyā vicāra
sādhana smaraṇa līlā, ihāte nā koro helā
kāya mane koriyā susāra
Uddhava-Gita
TEXT 17.56|| SB 11.23.56 ||
na kenacit kvapi kathancanasya dvandvoparagah paratah parasyayathahamah samsrti-rupinah syad evam prabuddho na bibheti bhutaih
The false ego, which manifests the visible material creation, is subjected to happiness and distress. The soul, however, who is transcendental to matter, can never actually be affected by material happiness and distress in any place, under any circumstance, or by the agency of any person. When one realizes this fact, he will no longer have any fear from any material condition.
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Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.91) Rupa Goswami has said:
sajati-yasye snigdhe sadhau sangah svato vare
What sort of saintly persons shall we try to mix with earnestly? Those who are in our line, who have the same high spiritual aspirations as we do, and who hold a superior position. To associate with such saintly persons will help us the most to progress towards the ultimate goal.
There may be some obstacles, but if at heart we are sincere, the environment cannot deceive us, because God’s inner help is there, cooperating with our sincere, inner need (na hi kalyana krt kascit durgatim tata gacchati ). What we want from our innermost hearts cannot but come true, because Krsna knows everything. There may be some obstacles, but by Krsna’s help, they shall all be eliminated and our innermost aspiration will be crowned with success.
Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev Goswami
durgame pathi me ’ndhasya
skhalat-pāda-gater muhuḥ
sva-kṛpā-yaṣṭi-dānena
santaḥ santv avalambanam
Synonyms
durgame — very difficult; pathi — on the path; me — of me; andhasya — one who is blind; skhalat — slipping; pāda — on feet; gateḥ — whose manner of moving; muhuḥ — again and again; sva-kṛpā — of their own mercy; yaṣṭi — the stick; dānena — by giving; santaḥ — those saintly persons; santu — let that become; avalambanam — my support.
Translation
My path is very difficult. I am blind, and my feet are slipping again and again. Therefore, may the saints help me by granting me the stick of their mercy as my support.
Uddhava-Gita
TEXT 16.28|| SB 11.22.28 ||
tvatto jnanam hi jivanam pramosas te ‘tra saktitah tvam eva hy atma-mayaya gatim vettha na caparah
It is by Your mercy that the living entities obtain knowledge, and it is by Your illusory energy that they fall from knowledge. I believe that no one but You can actually understand how Your illusory energy works.
COMMENTARY
Uddhava said: You are the source of all knowledge and so it is by Your mercy that a living entity can obtain knowledge. Your energy, vidya, awards one knowledge and Your energy, avidya, takes away that knowledge.
PURPORT
Uddhava further inquired: By accepting subordination to the Supreme Lord, the living entities obtain knowledge. The bewildering potency of the Lord creates illusion in the minds of the rebellious living entities. Maya-devI exists under the shelter of the Supreme Lord and she manifests her potency in two ways—the covering potency and the throwing potency. Those who are under the influence of the Lord’s illusory energy cannot understand how they are being conditioned.
Uddhava-Gita
TEXT 16.58-59|| SB 11.22.58-59 ||
ksipto ‘vamanito ‘sadbhih pralabdho ‘suyito ‘tha vataditah sanniruddho va vrttya va parihapitah nisthyuto mutrito vajnair bahudhaivam prakampitah sreyas-kamah krcchra-gata atmanatmanam uddharet
A devotee who actually desires to attain perfection in this very life should tolerate all kinds of difficulties. Even when insulted, ridiculed, or even beaten or confined by miscreants, or when spat upon or urinated upon by ignorant fools, with intelligence fixed in devotional service, he should remain undisturbed.
Song Name: Madhuram Madhurebhyo ‘Pi
Official Name: Sri Sri Bhagavan Namastakam
(1)
madhuram madhurebhyo’ pi
mangalebhyo’ pi mangalam
pavanam pavanebhyo’ pi
harer namaiva kevalam
(2)
abrahma-stamba-paryantam
sarva maya-mayam jagat
satyam satyam punah satyam
harer namaiva kevalam
(3)
sa guruh sa pita chapi
sa mata bandhavo’ pi saha
shikshayech chet sada smartum
harer namaiva kevalam
