na tvām abhibhaviṣyanti
lokeśāḥ kim utāpare
tvac-śāsanātigān daityāṁś
cakraṁ me śūdayiṣyati
na — not;
tvām — unto you;
abhibhaviṣyanti — will be able to conquer;
loka-īśāḥ — the predominating deities of the various planets;
kim uta apare — what to speak of ordinary people;
tvat-śāsana-atigān — who transgress your rulings;
daityān — such demons;
cakram — disc;
me — My;
śūdayiṣyati — will kill.
On the planet Sutala, not even the predominating deities of other planets, what to speak of ordinary people, will be able to conquer you. As far as the demons are concerned, if they transgress your rule, My disc will kill them.
(Gour Govinda Swami translates the śloka into Oriya.)
rakṣiṣye sarvato 'haṁ tvāṁ
sānugaṁ saparicchadam
sadā sannihitaṁ vīra
tatra māṁ drakṣyate bhavān
(8.22.35)
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda:
O great hero, I shall always be with you and give you protection in all respects along with your associates and paraphernalia. Moreover, you will always be able to see Me there.
(Srīla Gour Govinda Swami translates the śloka into Oriya.)
tatra dānava-daityānām
saṅgāt te bhāva āsuraḥ
dṛṣṭvā mad-anubhāvaṁ vai
sadyaḥ kuṇṭho vinaṅkṣyati
(SB 8.22.36)
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda:
Because there you will see My supreme prowess, your materialistic ideas and anxieties that have arisen from your association with the demons and Dānavas will immediately be vanquished.
(Srīla Gour Govinda Swami translates the śloka into Oriya.)
Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda:
The Lord assured Bali Mahārāja of all protection, and finally the Lord assured him of protection from the effects of bad association with the demons. Bali Mahārāja certainly became an exalted devotee, but he was somewhat anxious because his association was not purely devotional. The Supreme Personality of Godhead therefore assured him that his demoniac mentality would be annihilated. In other words, by the association of devotees, the demoniac mentality is vanquished.
satām prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25)
When a demon associates with devotees engaged in glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he gradually becomes a pure devotee.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Eighth Canto, Twenty-second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Bali Mahārāja Surrenders His Life."
(Srīla Gour Govinda Swami translates the purport into Oriya.)
...Bhagavān Viṣṇu speaks to Bali Mahārāja. The Lord assured Bali Mahārāja of all protection, and finally the Lord assured him of protection from the effects of bad association with the demons. Bali Mahārāja certainly became an exalted devotee, but he was somewhat anxious because his association was not purely devotional. The Supreme Personality of Godhead therefore assured him that his demoniac mentality would be annihilated. In other words, by the association of devotees, the demoniac mentality is vanquished.
satām prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
When a demon associates with devotees engaged in glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he gradually becomes a pure devotee.
So, the association of sādhus is said here. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has indirectly said this thing. Here Bhagavān Viṣṇu says, “Because there you will see My supreme prowess, your materialistic ideas and anxieties that have arisen from your association with the demons and Dānavas will immediately be vanquished.”
Bali Mahārāja, in Sutala, will see the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His prowess. Yes. How could Bali Mahārāja get this thing? He is a great demon, king of the demons. How could he get this thing, such mercy? How could he get such mercy, in Sutala, pushed down to Sutala? Still, the Supreme Personality of Godhead assures him that, there you will see Me. You will see Me there. I am there with you. And all your materialistic ideas and anxieties that have arisen from the association of demons and Dānavas will be immediately vanquished.
Yes. That means such a great demon, Bali, has now become an exalted devotee. So how could he get such an opportunity? Yes.
Devotee: Because Prahlāda was a sādhū.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. This is the mercy of a sādhū. The mercy of a sādhū, his grandfather, Prahlāda Mahārāja, mahā-bhāgavata. So he is kṛpā-siddha, he is kṛpā-siddha.
So in the purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda has said here: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead therefore assured him that his demoniac mentality would be annihilated. In other words, by the association of devotees, the demoniac mentality is vanquished.” This is a most important thing. Association with devotees, pure devotees, the demoniac mentality is vanquished.
satām prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
(SB 3.25.25)
When a demon associates with devotees engaged in glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is a devotee who is always, every moment, engaged in glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When a demon associates with such a devotee, he gradually becomes a pure devotee. This is the association of sādhus. Sādhu-saṅga is the most important thing.
How can one... [it is disconnected, not working...]
How can one develop bhakti? This rarely achieved human birth, durlabha mānava janma. The purpose of this birth is to develop bhakti. It is the fifth puruṣārtha, the supreme puruṣārtha, kṛṣṇa-bhakti. So how can one develop bhakti?
Devotee: Only in the company of sādhus.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. bhaktiḥ tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate. The Bhāgavatam says, bhaktiḥ tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate, by the association of bhagavad-bhaktas, the association of pure devotees of Bhagavān, one can develop bhakti. This is the only means. No other means is there. And Mahāprabhu says:
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-janma-mūla haya ‘sādhu-saṅga’
kṛṣṇa-prema janme, teṅho punaḥ mukhya aṅga
(Cc. Madhya 22.83)
Mahāprabhu said. Mahāprabhu came to teach us practically how to develop bhakti. He says, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-janma-mūla haya ‘sādhu-saṅga’ — “By the association of sādhus, one can develop kṛṣṇa-bhakti.”
Sādhu means what? Who is a real sādhū?
Devotee: One who is completely attached to Kṛṣṇa.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. One who is completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. He has no other desires.
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣhṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktiḥ uttamā
[Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]
In the language of Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī.
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣhṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktiḥ uttamā
He is sādhū. He has no desire for material enjoyment, no desire for mukti (liberation). These are anyābhilāṣitā. Completely free from all these desires, desires for bhukti and mukti, material enjoyment, and liberation. Ānukūlyena kṛṣhṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktiḥ uttamā — He is always, every moment, engaged in the loving service of Kṛṣṇa. Engaged in such service, such activity that gives pleasure to Kṛṣṇa, happiness to Kṛṣṇa. Yes. This is ānukūlyena kṛṣhṇānu-śīlanaṁ. This is sādhū. If someone is fortunate enough and gets the association of such a sādhū, very easily he will develop Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, śuddha-bhakti, and consequently he will develop Kṛṣṇa-prema and get Kṛṣṇa. And Mahāprabhu Himself has proved this thing in His own life, set up an example in His own life.
Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but came as a devotee to teach devotion, bhakti. In His own life, He associated with very exalted devotees of Kṛṣṇa: with Rāya Rāmānanda, Swarūpa Dāmodara Goswāmī. Very, very exalted devotees, great devotees, premī-bhaktas. They have developed pure Kṛṣṇa-prema. They are always with Kṛṣṇa and Mahāprabhu. They have bound up Kṛṣṇa with a rope of love in their heart, and Mahāprabhu associated with them in His antya-līlā. He has set up an example. Mahāprabhu says: “The association of My devotee is greater than the association of Myself.” The association of My dear devotees is greater than that, superior to the association of Myself.” That Mahāprabhu has said. And He has established that example in His own life. And one should associate with such a devotee, such a sādhū, being completely surrendered unto Him.
Without surrender, no question of association. Do you follow my language? Without surrender, there is no question of association. No. You’ll get no benefit at all. Yes. Fruitless, it will become fruitless. One may be surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, yes, one may be surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is not pleased at all with him if he doesn’t do sādhū-saṅga. Understand me, my language? Try to understand. Most important thing. One may be surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, but if he doesn’t do sādhū-saṅga, Kṛṣṇa is never pleased with him. And he cannot capture Kṛṣṇa. And sādhū-saṅga is required. One should have the real benefit of sādhū-saṅga if he is completely surrendered to the sādhū and associates. Then he gets real benefit.
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, says 11.3.22:
tatra bhāgavatān dharmān
śikṣed gurv-ātma-daivatāḥ
amāyayānuvṛttya yais tuṣyed ātmatmā-do hariḥ
That means, one should always be with the guru, thinking of the guru as the very dear, worshipable deity of my heart, ātma-devatā. With that mentality, if someone surrenders unto the guru and hears Śrīmad Bhāgavatam-kathā from him, he will get the mercy of the guru and thereby this bhāgavata-dharma-tattva will be revealed to him.
yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā-deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanāḥ
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.38)
The Upaniṣad says the same thing. One who has parā-bhakti (supreme devotion) towards the Supreme Lord, as well as to the guru, for him this truth, Bhāgavata-dharma-tattva, Vedic truth, is revealed. Otherwise, you cannot get it. And your surrender and your service, whatever you render, should be rendered without duplicity, niṣkapaṭa-vṛtta. This is the most important thing. Without duplicity, if someone surrenders unto sādhu-guru and serves him, renders service, Kṛṣṇa becomes very much pleased with him, yes, ātmadā Hari.
Otherwise, artificially, externally, “Yes, Gurudeva, kṛpā karo,” “Gurudeva, kṛpā karo.” Seeing Gurudeva, falling like a rod, daṇḍavat, daṇḍavat. Falling like a rod. Daṇḍa means rod. Seeing Gurudeva, left, left, “Daṇḍavat, daṇḍavat.” It is so much duplicity inside. “Gurudeva, daṇḍavat, kṛpā karo,” “kṛpā karo.” From the lips only, saying. Understand my language? Falling like a rod and saying, “Gurudeva, please shower your mercy on me, mercy on me.” But inside, so much duplicity. Yes. They cannot please sādhu-guru. They cannot please Hari also. Hari will never be pleased with them. Hari is there in your heart.
He knows what is in your heart, Purushottama, all full of duplicity. Hari knows. You cannot cheat Lord Hari. Isn’t it? Can you cheat Him? No, He is there. He is there in your heart. “Oh, the heart is filled with so much duplicity. Just externally saying, ‘Daṇḍavat, daṇḍavat, kṛpā-karo, kṛpā-karo.’ ‘Please shower your mercy, O Gurudeva.’ But inside, duplicity.” Hari is never pleased. Understand? Yes, this is the most important thing. Kṛṣṇa becomes very much pleased only by this sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-guru-sevā. Service to sādhu-guru without duplicity. No other means is there to please Kṛṣṇa.
yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo, yasyā-prasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi
Gurvāṣṭaka every day we chant this thing. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo, if the sādhu-guru is pleased, then Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased. If the sādhu-guru becomes displeased, Kṛṣṇa cannot be pleased.
Therefore, Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, all Vaiṣṇavas, Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, mahājanas, they have sung the glories of sādhu. In many songs, they have sung the glories of sādhu.
ōh tākura vaiṣṇava-pada avane rā su-sampadā
śuna bhāī haṇā eka mana
āśraya laiyā bhaje tā’re kṛṣhṇa nāhi tyaje
ārā saba mare akāraṇa
[Prārthanā, Song 43, Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura]
vaiṣṇava-caraṇa-reṇu bhūṣaṇa kariyā tanu
yāha haite anubhāva haya
mārjjana haya bhajana sādhu-saṅge anukṣaṇa
ajñāna-avidyā-parājaya
[Prema-bhakti-candrikā, Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura]
These are songs. Just a little I sang. I am not going to sing the whole song. This is by Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura:
vaiṣṇava-caraṇa-reṇu bhūṣaṇa kariyā tanu
yāha haite anubhāva haya
mārjjana haya bhajana sādhu-saṅge anukṣaṇa
ajñāna-avidyā-parājaya
By the association of sādhu, if you do bhajana, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, do nāma-bhajana, then your bhajana will be pure, free from aparādha, free from anarthas (contaminations). Ajñāna-vidyā (ignorance) will be completely destroyed. vaiṣṇava-caraṇa-reṇu bhūṣaṇa kariyā tanu yāha haite anubhāva haya, the dust of the feet of such vaiṣṇava sādhu is very powerful, is very powerful. If someone smears his body with such dust of the vaiṣṇavas, then his consciousness becomes completely purified, and all Vedic truth, bhāgavata-tattva, bhakti-tattva becomes revealed to him. This is the mercy of vaiṣṇavas.
ōhākura vaiṣṇava-pada avane rā su-sampadā
śuna bhāī haṇā eka mana
āśraya laiyā bhaje tā’re kṛṣhṇa nāhi tyaje
ārā saba mare akāraṇa
Such vaiṣṇava-sādhus are invaluable assets for the world, invaluable assets of the world. They are ornaments of the world, bhūṣaṇa, yes. Taking shelter of such a sādhu, one who does Kṛṣṇa-bhajana, Kṛṣṇa never deserts him. Kṛṣṇa never deserts him. Without taking shelter of such a sādhu and doing bhajana, Kṛṣṇa kicks him. “Get out!” Yes. He cannot do bhajana. Your bhajana is no bhajana at all. Yes. It is mental speculation only. It is no bhajana at all.
Do you know how to do bhajana? One who is engaged in bhajana, only by his association will you be taught how to do bhajana. Otherwise, how can you do bhajana? Only speculating, saying, “Yes, I can do this, do that, or that, or that, or that.” Only speculation. This, this, that, that, “Oh, oh, yes, yes, yes.” It is nothing else.
Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, they have sung so many songs. They are singing the glories of the vaiṣṇavas.
Prachetas say, in the fourth canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (4.30.34):
tulayāma lavenāpi na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya martyānām kim utāśiṣaḥ
“Bhagavān Vishnu became pleased with the severe austerity, penance of the Prachetas and He appeared before them. ‘Alright, ask for the boon. What do you want? Acharyavan! Ask.’ So what did the Prachetas say?”
Acharyavan Dāsa: They wanted the most wonderful boon.
Gour Govinda Swami: What is that?
Acharyavan Das: Association of devotees.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. What boon is there? martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ, we are the residents of this Martyāpura, this earth planet, where there is birth and death, subject to death, Martyāpura, we are the residents of this planet. For us, what boon is there? Only one boon is there, that is bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya, the association of sādhu, who is always with Bhagavān. Day and night, 24 hours with Bhagavān, bhagavat-saṅgi. tulayāma lavenāpi na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam — even by the association of such a sādhu for a moment cannot be compared to the attainment of heavenly enjoyment, elevation to heavenly planets and heavenly enjoyment and apavarga labha, to go to that Brahman platform, yes, it cannot be compared.
So what boon is there? What boon? Acharyavan, what boon is there? No boon is there. There is only one boon. That is to associate with such sādhu. Because by the association of such sādhu one can attain this pure bhakti, prema-bhakti, which is rarely achieved, durlabha. Yes. That Mahāprabhu has said. I have already quoted it. You will get such Kṛṣṇa-prema and get Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa becomes completely captured by him.
Therefore sādhu-saṅga, bhakta-saṅga, association of devotees, pure devotees, sādhus, is superior to that of the Lord, superior.
If you associate with women, or associate with persons who are attached to women, what is the result? Material entanglement, material delusion, mohā. That will develop, all delusion will develop. Yes, yes.
kiṁ vidyayā kiṁ tapasā kiṁ tyāgena śrutena vā
kiṁ viviktena maunena strībhir yasya mano hṛtam
(Bhāgavatam 11.26.12)
Two-legged hog, kiṁ vidyayā kiṁ tapasā kiṁ tyāgena śrutena vā, kiṁ viviktena maunena strībhir yasya mano hṛtam, if a strī, if a woman, has captured one's mind; woman has captured his mind, yes; what is the value of his bhajan, education, tapasya, staying in a solitary place, renunciation, what is the value, bābā? Two-legged hog, understand? Yes, woman has captured his mind, strībhir yasya mano hṛtam. Keep Kṛṣṇa in your mind, bābā! One who has kept Kṛṣṇa in his mind, day and night, 24 hours, if he associates with sādhu, then by his association, by his mercy, all his anarthas will be completely destroyed.
A demon will be a devotee. That is said here. Yes, great demon, isn't it? Great demon. Yes. Two-legged hog, great demon. Yes. "Mahārāja! Mahārāja! I will go to Australia." Why will you go to Australia? To become a greater demon and greatest demon. Yes. Yes. Yes. In Australia, so much stool is available. There is no stool available here in Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir. "Oh-hohohohohohahaha." Saying, "Oh Mahārāja, Mahārāja, I cannot. It is very difficult. I cannot, I cannot tolerate. Oh, no stool is here. So intolerable." Yes, painful situation, isn't it? Very painful? Say yes. He's saying yes: "Hm, hm." Yes, yes, yes. He is an example, example, bright example, yes, bright example, bright example before you, before you, bright example. Yes.
Our goal is to get Kṛṣṇa, develop Kṛṣṇa-prema, or to eat stool? Become a devotee, not a demon. A demon becomes an elevated devotee, exalted devotee by the association of sādhu. That is stated here, in this verse. In the purport, Prabhupāda has said. That is said here.
So, as yoñit-saṅga, as the association of women, or the association of persons who are addicted or attached to women, develops delusion, material entanglement, similarly, the association of such an elevated devotee, pure sādhu, who has developed Kṛṣṇa-prema, develops pure bhakti, understand? An intelligent man, wise person, he always hankers after it. He will develop greed for it. That is greed. How can I get the association of such sādhu? Develop that greed. Why are you developing greed for eating stool? Develop greed for this prema, Kṛṣṇa-prema in the association of sādhus.
So, the association of such sādhu is superior to the association of the Supreme Lord. That is said. If you will be in the association of such sādhus, you will never be deluded. You will never be materially entangled. The delusion is completely destroyed. All anarthas will be completely destroyed. This is spiritual strength. How can you get spiritual strength? By the association of sādhu you’ll get spiritual strength, bhakta-saṅga-bala, the strength derived from the association of sādhu, the spiritual strength. One who has such strength, nobody can delude him. Māyā cannot enchant him. Māyā cannot entrap him. He is unshakeable. Nobody can shake him from the path of pure devotion. He is fixed.
So, in other sampradāyas, except this Gaura sampradāya, Mahāprabhu’s sampradāya, gauḍīya-sampradāya, such vaiṣṇava-saṅga, the glory of such bhakta-saṅga is not said, chanted, described as it is described, said, chanted, sung in this sampradāya, this gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava sampradāya.
To think of such a vaiṣṇava or vaiṣṇavas, to glorify such a vaiṣṇava, to engage in the glorification of such vaiṣṇava, to think of such vaiṣṇavas, to think of his instructions, to remember the instruction, keeping in your mind the instructions of such vaiṣṇavas, is a rarely achieved boon, durlabha āśirvāda. One who does so, only he will be able to do the bhajan of Rādhā-Govinda. Otherwise, you cannot do the bhajan of Rādhā-Govinda. Otherwise, you cannot do the bhajan of Rādhā-Govinda, or, to serve Rādhā-Govinda, such opportunity will never be available to you. Therefore, you have to hear from the lips of such devotee vaiṣṇava.
That is association. Association means what? Association means to hear Bhāgavatam kathā, Kṛṣṇa-kathā, from the lips of such a pure devotee vaiṣṇava. Yei Kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya. Simple definition Mahāprabhu gave, who is guru. Yei Kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya — one who knows Kṛṣṇa, he is a guru. Who hears from him? To hear from him with concentrated attention, completely taking shelter, surrendering unto him, putting complete faith in his words, that is saṅga, that is the association. That is the association. Association means imbibe the mood of the sādhu. That is association, to imbibe the mood of the sādhu. Yes. Sādhu’s mood is what? Kṛṣṇa-prema. It is loving mood. It is loving mood.
Who loves Kṛṣṇa, he loves one and all. He sees Kṛṣṇa everywhere: “Oh, he is Kṛṣṇa's dāsa. He is Kṛṣṇa's.” So he loves everybody. That is the mood of a sādhu. Hearing from him with concentrated attention, putting complete faith in the words of such sādhu, and surrendering unto him, one gets the real association of sādhu; thereby one imbibes the mood of sādhu. That is saṅga. Otherwise, what is saṅga? This is the purport of saṅga, association. And one should develop greed for it, greed, yes. This is the real utilization of greed. Otherwise, material greed is your enemy. It will drive you to hell. So, utilize greed in this respect.
sādhu-saṅge hari-kathā ei-mātra cāi
saṁsāra jinite ārā kona vastu nāi
(Śrī Prema-vivarta, Chapter 6, Text 13)
Only one desire I have, how to get sādhu-saṅga, such sādhu-saṅga, associate with such sādhu more and more, and hear Kṛṣṇa-kathā more and more. Then I will be able to conquer māyā, conquer this material world. Otherwise, no other means is there. One should develop such greed. This is what you should understand. Otherwise, how can you develop Kṛṣṇa-bhakti? How can you serve Kṛṣṇa? How can you serve Rādhā-Govinda? You cannot serve at all. It will be only artificial, external, and just pretension. Not real service, no, because this is loving service. Without love, Rādhā-Govinda will never accept your service if you have no love for it. This is loving service.
Dhruva Mahārāja, a great devotee. Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja, great devotees. All great devotees, they have all said many things about this sādhu-saṅga, and they have all aspired for it. Only one aspiration they have developed.
nimajjyonmajjatāṁ ghore bhavābdhau paramāyaṇam
santo brahma-viduḥ śāntā naur dṛḍheva-psu majjatām
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, 11.26.32)
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam says: A person who is drowning in the mid-ocean, he is drowning, a person is drowning in mid-ocean, needs what?
Devotee: A strong boat.
Gour Govinda Swami: He needs a strong boat, yes, otherwise how can he cross the dreadful ocean without the help of a strong boat? So he is in need of a strong boat. He needs... similarly, those who are drowning in this dreadful ocean of material existence, what do they need? What do they need? Hey! Bolo!
Devotee: Strong boat of sādhu-saṅga.
Gour Govinda Swami: They need the association of sādhu. This is a strong boat for them. Otherwise, they cannot be delivered from this māyā, whirlpool of material existence. This is a strong boat for them, the sādhu-saṅga. They are always revolving in the cycle of birth and death. Sometimes in higher species, sometimes in the lower species, within the cycle of birth and death revolving, revolving. How will they be free from it? How can they stop this revolution unless they have such sādhu-saṅga?
annaṁ hi prāṇināṁ prāṇa ārttānāṁ śaraṇaṁ tv aham
dharmo vittam ṛṇānāṁ pretya santo 'rvāg bibhyato 'raṇam
Eleventh canto (11.26.33) Śrīmad Bhāgavatam says, “The living entities for their survival they want anna. Anna means food, anna, anna, food. They need anna otherwise they cannot survive. They cannot keep up their life. So Bhagavān says, similarly, I am the life and soul of the distressed living entity, ārti. As dharma is the asset for human beings up to death, para-loka, similarly, sādhu-gaṇa, the sādhus are the asset of these materially distressed persons, those who have been drowning from time immemorial in this dreadful ocean of material existence. Sādhus are the assets. This is what this verse says.
Dhruva Mahārāja’s prayer is there:
bhaktiṁ muhuḥ pravahatāṁ tvayi me prasaṅgo
bhūyād ananta mahatām amalāśayānām
yenāñjasolbaṇam uru-vyasanaṁ bhavābdhiṁ
neṣye bhavad-guṇa-kathāmṛta-pāna-mattaḥ
(Bhāgavatam 4.9.11)
Offering prayer to the Supreme Lord Anantadeva, Dhruva Mahārāja says:
“O Supreme Lord, O Anantadeva, please give me such opportunity that I will have the association of such dear devotees of Yours, such sādhus, those who are constantly attached to You, constantly engaged, every moment engaged in Your loving service. I’ll get such opportunity to have such association of sādhus. Please bestow such mercy on me. By the association of such mahātmas, hearing from their lotus lips Your glorifications, Your nectarean kathā, sweet kathā, I will get such boat, such spiritual strength, thereby I will be able to cross over this dreadful ocean of material existence without difficulty.”
So he prayed for sādhu-saṅga. Again Dhruva Mahārāja says:
te na smaranty atitarāṁ priyam īśa martyaṁ
ye cānva daḥ suta-suhṛd-gṛha-vitta-dārāḥ
ye tv abja-nābha bhavadeeya-padāravinda-
saugandhya-lubdha-hṛdayeṣu kṛta-prasaṅgāḥ
(Bhāgavatam 4.9.12)
“O Lord, O Padmanabha.” Do you understand Padmanabha? On whose navel the lotus stem is there. “O Lord, O Padmanabha, persons, those who are very much greedy to have the nectar emanating from Your lotus feet, those who have developed greed to have this sweet scent emanating from Your lotus feet, those who are very dear to You, those who are completely free from this material attachment, completely free from the attachment to this body, and those who are related to this body: the wife, the son, the daughter, home, hearth, assets, such sādhus, please bestow mercy to me that I will be able to have the association of such sādhus. If I get such an opportunity and have the association of such sādhus, then all these thoughts will not come to my mind, the attachment to this body and bodily relations, material enjoyment, will never haunt my mind. You will be there completely in my mind.”
Therefore, Dhruva Mahārāja prays for such sādhu-saṅga. Prachetas, Dhruva Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja, all of them, all vaiṣṇavas, great devotees, in Bhāgavatam, in many places you will find such glorification of sādhu-saṅga. But in the material world, you’ll find materialistic people, they are very proud of their own senses. They want to see sādhus with their material senses, material eyes, material vision. If you ask them, “O bhāi, O my brother, why are you not coming for sādhu-saṅga, not doing sādhu-saṅga?”
“Oh, I cannot see a sādhu. Where is sādhu? There sādhu? I cannot see. I cannot find. I want that thing, yes. I am in search of sādhu. I am searching, searching after it. Yes. I am going on searching.”
But, what do they do? They are known as adhyakṣīṇā. Adhyakṣīṇā, means those who rely on their senses. They are adhyakṣīṇā. They say, “We are searching, we are searching, we are searching. Going on searching.” But what they do? They are only finding fault with sādhu. Not seeing the good qualities of the sādhu because their vision is such, their mentality is such. They say in this way, “Going, going, going in search. The day will come I will get one real pure sādhu.” But you should understand these types of persons are impersonalists. They only pretend. They only pose that they are doing bhakti-sādhana, bhakti-yājana. They pretend only. But they are great impersonalists.
One story is there. A famous dharma-netā, a leader of dharma. What do you say in English?
Devotee: A religious leader.
Gour Govinda Swami: A religious leader. A religious leader was there. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. So on the Śivaratri day... you know Śivaratri? He fasted. At midnight, he went to one of the Shiva temples to offer worship to Lord Shiva. There he saw some rats moving on the śiva-liṅga and also eating the bhoga offered to Shiva. He saw. Immediately he thought of, “What is this? I have heard that Shiva is a very powerful person. Yes, Shiva is a very powerful person. What is this? The rats are moving on him, he is not doing anything? The rats are eating his bhoga and he is not doing anything? No, Shiva is not powerful at all.” So he gave up Shiva worship. Yes. He gave up Shiva. From that day he gave up śiva-bhakti. “Shiva is not at all powerful.” Then he became a sannyāsī. Then he started finding fault in these deities, bhāgavata-vigraha, and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. This is the consequence...
What is that? Such persons are great offenders at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord and His dear devotees, vaiṣṇavas. Great offenders. Āre bābā! You are living on the bank of the Ganges but you are trying to dig a well on the bank of the Ganges. You are living on the bank of the Ganges, but you are digging a well on the bank of the Ganges to get water. Digging some little, the water is not coming out. “No, water is not available in this place. Let me go to another place.” Digging there something. No, it is not available also. “Let us go to another place.” Just moving from here to there, here to there and digging a well on the bank of the Ganges. Living on the bank of the Ganges. So what is the consequence? What will you get? You cannot get Ganges water. You cannot get any water. You will die out of water. Yes, this is their lot... understand my language? Understand? Yes. I say, “Water, water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink.” Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink. Such adhyakṣīṇā, they say this thing. This is nirviçeṣavādī. This is the consequence, this is the lot of these nirviçeṣavādīs, these impersonalists.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore says, sādhus are always there in the world. If there would not have been this sun and moon in the world, how would the world go on? Similarly, if there would not have been sādhus here, how would this Kṛṣṇa's saṁsāra be there? Sādhus are always there. But those who are asādhus, they cannot recognize sādhu. They have no vision to recognize sādhu. Therefore they say, “Oh, I am searching, I am searching, I am searching, I am searching. But I cannot find one.” They say so, adhyakṣīṇas.
Again, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said, in life we meet many sādhus. But due to our duplicitous dealings, we cannot get any benefit from the association of sādhus. This is the most important thing. Such people think, we have an instrument, like a goldsmith has a kind of stone ring to test gold, käïcané pathara. He tests gold with that stone. He just rubs it, and some marks are there. Then he has some chemical, he puts it there, then he can understand whether it is pure gold or impure gold. That is, we say, käïcané pathara. And these types of people think we have that käïcané pathara in our hand. With that käïcané pathara, we can examine the sādhu, test him. Then we can accept him.
Āre bābā, all right, if you have such a käïcané pathara instrument in your hand, why are you engaged in this baṅga-gādhā? This, creating something and again destroying it? Why have you been deluded? Why have you been cheated? Why have you become the dāsa of your mind? Go-dāsa mano dharma. If you have such an instrument, käïcané pathara, in your hand, today you build something, and the next day you destroy it. Why are you going on this building and destroying if you have such käïcané pathara in your hand? Why are you so fickle? Why are you not fixed in the siddhānta? Why have you developed such misconception in the pure siddhānta, bhakti-siddhānta, if you have this käïcané pathara in your hand? Āre bābā, bolo! Why is your mind oscillating? Mind is not fixed, duṣṭa mana, stupid mind, rascal mind, why is it not fixed? It is always oscillating, so fickle mind. Why do you have such a thing if you have such an instrument in your hand? You can test, examine a sādhu?
But those who are real, simple-hearted persons, with no duplicity in them, in their heart they are always crying, how to get sādhu-saṅga. They have developed greed for sādhu-saṅga. Kṛṣṇa, who is there in the heart, knows this thing. He makes the arrangement. He meets a real sādhu and he puts complete faith in his words. He becomes immediately surrendered to that sādhu. Thereby, he gets the mercy of the sādhu. He develops such vision whereby he can recognize a sādhu.
We say this thing: A sādhu has two things, kṛpā and vañcana, mercy and cheating. Yes. A sādhu has two things. What one deserves, he gets. If someone deserves to be cheated, he gets cheated. If he deserves mercy, he gets mercy. A sādhu has two things. In other words, you may say, a sādhu keeps himself hidden, as Kṛṣṇa keeps Himself hidden.
nāhaṁ prakāśo 'sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti loko māṁ ajam avyayam
Bhagavad-gītā 7.5
Kṛṣṇa has said that thing in the Bhagavad-gītā. Though He is all-pervading, He says, “I never manifest Myself everywhere and before everybody.” Yes. Who is a real pure devotee, completely surrendered, a dear devotee, only he can see the Supreme Lord everywhere. As, for example, Prahlad Maharaja saw the Supreme Lord in a stone pillar, whereas his demoniac father Hiranyakashipu couldn’t see. Though the same stone pillar is there, Prahlad Maharaja sees, but his father does not see. You see the difference. Kṛṣṇa is not revealed before Hiranyakashipu, but He is revealed before Prahlad.
This is a question of vision. Prahlad has gotten that vision, whereas his father has not gotten it. How does one get such a vision? It is by the mercy of the sādhu. You can have such vision only by the mercy of the sādhu. So you can see a sādhu, recognize a sādhu through that vision, the vision received through the mercy of the sādhu. Otherwise, how can you see a sādhu? Do you have vision? You have material vision, defective vision.
Bhaktivinode Ṭhākura says that thing. In life, we meet so many sādhus, but because of our duplicitous dealings, we cannot get any real benefit from that association. So one can only recognize a sādhu by the mercy of a sādhu. One can develop such vision to see a sādhu by the mercy of the sādhu. Otherwise, nobody can recognize a sādhu.
Gaura-pārṣada, Jagadānanda Pandit, has sung this:
“Sādhu pāoya kañṭa baḍa jībera jāniyā
Sādhu-bhakta-rūpe Kṛṣhṇa āila Nadīyā”
In this Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to get a sādhu-guru on the part of the jīva (conditioned soul). It is very difficult. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared here in Nadia as a sādhu-guru. That is Gouranga Mahāprabhu. He is Kṛṣṇa but He appeared here as a sādhu-guru for the benefit of conditioned souls. Because it is very difficult on the part of conditioned souls to find a sādhu in this Kali-yuga. What is a real sādhu? Just to show, just to set the example, Kṛṣṇa appeared in Nadia as sādhu-guru. That is Gouranga Mahāprabhu.
But how many have recognized Him? How many have recognized Him as sādhu-guru? Those who have such vision, isn’t it? Did Rāmacandra Puri recognize Him, recognize Mahāprabhu? Did Rāmacandra Puri? Though he saw Mahāprabhu, why didn’t he recognize Him? Because of his duplicitous dealings, karpāṭya bibhava. What did he see in Mahāprabhu? Rāmacandra Puri, what did he see?
Devotee: A sannyāsī eating too much sweets.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, a sannyāsī eating too much sweets. Yes, a sannyāsī eating so much. He is a glutton. He said, “He’s a glutton. He eats so much.” He sees this thing. He cannot see the sādhutva in Gaurasundara, though Gaurasundara is there. But before whom He manifests Himself and before whom He doesn’t manifest—that is the question.
The pāṣaṇḍīs of Navadwip could not see. They couldn’t see the sādhutva in Gaurasundara. They criticized Mahāprabhu so much. Amoga, the son-in-law of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, couldn’t see. What did he see? He saw the same thing as Rāmacandra Puri saw: “A sannyāsī is eating so much.” Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya prepared so many varieties of nice food, plates for Mahāprabhu—varieties, many varieties. You cannot count. Hundreds of varieties he prepared, he and his wife, and offered them to Mahāprabhu. So much anna, khīra, so many types of piṣṭa cakes, so many types of subjī, dāl, fried things, baigan fried, potatoes fried, so many varieties. When he put every item, it was a huge amount on a big plantain leaf he put all these things, a big amount. Amoga was just waiting to see. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya knew his son-in-law. He was a materialistic person. He had no vision; he could not see. So Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, always sitting there on the threshold with a stick in hand, was just driving him out: “Hey! Get out! Get out!”
When Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya went to the kitchen to bring another item, Amoga came and peeped, “Oh, the sannyāsī is eating so much.” He saw this thing. And what happened to him? He just caught diarrhea, vomiting, cholera—that means passing stool and vomiting. He was going to die. He committed such an offense. But Mahāprabhu is so merciful. By Mahāprabhu’s mercy, he survived anyway. That story is there.
Though Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, when He appeared as sādhu-guru, how many could see Him? And you see, you think that “I can see. I can see with my eyes. I can test. The instrument is in my hand, so I can test, ‘Alright, this is pukka, not katcha.’” So how can you do that thing?
In the eyes of Pradyumna Mishra, this is Raya Ramananda. Mahāprabhu sent Pradyumna Mishra to Raya Ramananda: “Go and take lessons from him.” So Pradyumna Mishra went there. Raya Ramananda was staying in that garden. It is still there. It is known as Jagannatha Vallabha Garden. Have you seen it? Yes, Jagannath Vallabha Garden is there in Jagannatha Puri. Raya Ramananda was staying there. Raya Ramananda has written that drama, Jagannātha-Vallabha-Nāṭaka, and personally, he was giving training to the young girls, those who dance, to take part in the dancing there. Personally, he was giving training to young girls, maidens. Pradyumna Mishra went there. He saw that Raya Ramananda had allowed these young girls to sit on his lap and he was massaging their naked limbs. Pradyumna Mishra saw this thing.
Then he thought, “What? This is the person? He is a yoñit-saṅgé, viṣaya-yoñit saṅgé—so much addicted to women. Mahāprabhu sent me here!” In his mind, he just thought this. So he came back. Mahāprabhu knows everything, that such a thought had arisen in his heart. Mahāprabhu chastised him: “You rascal! What do you say? I am a sannyāsī. If I see a woman, My mind agitates. My mind agitates! But Raya Ramananda is superior, greater than Me. He is a greater sannyāsī. His mind never agitates. Though he has allowed such young girls to sit on his lap and he is engaged in massaging their naked limbs, his mind never agitates. Such a sannyāsī he is.” But Pradyumna Mishra couldn’t see it. Understand my point? You want to see, but how can you see? Have you vision?
Similarly, Pundarik Vidyanidhi. He is a maha-bhāgavata, but he was cheating. Outwardly, if someone goes there out of worship, he’s a bhogī, a great enjoyer, materialistic enjoyer. He always chews pān and spits pān. That spitting pot is made up of nava-dhātus, nine dhātus. A very valuable spitting pot. Yes. He has put on golden rings, studded with jewels, on all ten fingers. Yes. He has put on such gorgeous dress, very valuable, blazing, glistening, and his seat has such a cushion, very valuable. Yes. So externally, outwardly, if someone goes there and sees, “Oh, he is such a great bhogī, he is an enjoyer. He is enjoying. What do people say that he is a maha-bhāgavata?”
Once, Mukunda Datta said to Gadadhara Pandit, “Please, let us go to have the association and darśana of Pundarik Vidyanidhi.”
So Gadadhara Pandit came with him. Gadadhara Pandit saw these external things—he’s cheating—and Mukunda Datta immediately understood that these thoughts had arisen in the mind of Gadadhara Pandit. So he uttered that verse. What is that verse?
aho baké yaà stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ jighāmsayā'āpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatim dhātry-ucitām tato 'nyaṁ kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema
That verse he quoted from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (3.2.23). He gives the meaning of that verse.
Devotee: “How mercifully that Supreme Lord (Kṛṣṇa) gave to Putana, although she came to kill Him by smearing her breast with poison. He gave her the same position as Mother Yasoda in the spiritual world.”
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. That is the meaning of that verse.
aho baké yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ jighāmsayā'āpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatim dhātry-ucitām tato 'nyaṁ kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema
As soon as he uttered this verse, immediately bhāva, ecstasy swelled up in his heart of Pundarik Vidyanidhi. He became so ecstatic. He rolled, he shed tears, and rolled on the ground, kicking off his cushion, his spitting pot, everything. Such ecstasy inside swelled up, immediately swelled up.
When he saw this, Gadadhara Pandit thought, “Oh, I have committed a great offense thinking a real maha-bhāgavata was such a bhogī. I have really committed an offense. How will I be free from such offense unless I am punished by him? If he will inflict punishment on me, slap me, then I will be free from such offense. Otherwise, I cannot.” So he became his disciple. Yes, the guru can slap. He became his disciple. Gadadhara Pandit became the disciple of Pundarik Vidyanidhi. Otherwise, he could not be free from this offense. He thought like this in his mind.
So with your material vision, how can you recognize a sādhu? Unless you are endowed with proper vision, that is obtained by the mercy of a sādhu, you cannot recognize a sādhu. So many things are there. Therefore, by the mercy of a sādhu, one can see a sādhu. Otherwise, nobody can see a sādhu. Śrīman Mahāprabhu therefore has given a very simple definition of sādhu-guru:
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya.
So we say, how can you see a sādhu? You cannot see a sādhu through your eyes. See a sādhu through ears. See a sādhu through ears, yes, what he says, how kṛṣṇa-tattva he says. You cannot see a sādhu through your eye. See a sādhu through ears, what he says. This is Mahāprabhu's teaching.
In this path of devotion, this bhakti-patha, there is no question of this measurement. You cannot measure a sādhu. Have you a measuring rod in your hand that you can measure a sādhu? No question of measurement here. Those who are impersonalists, those who are adhyakṣīnas, materialistic persons, those who rely on their material senses, they are after this measuring: “We can measure. We have a measuring rod in our hands.” But the consequence is that they are cheated.
yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
— Who has developed unalloyed devotion unto Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, akiñcanā, developed unalloyed devotion unto the Supreme Lord, all good qualities automatically develop in him. sarvair guṇais tatra, all divine qualities automatically develop and all the demigods are there in his body, his person. It is automatic. Most important is unalloyed devotion, pure devotion. Those good qualities, divine qualities automatically develop.
But these adhyakṣīnas they want to see these secondary things. They cannot recognize how he has developed unalloyed devotion. They are deprived of that vision. They are lacking that vision. So they cannot see that thing. They see external things. Suniti, duniti, tapasya, vairāgya, paṇḍitya, all these things, morality, renunciation, scholarship. All these things are secondary things. They see all secondary things. They cannot see the chief thing, that is, unalloyed devotion, because they are lacking that vision. But these are all secondary things. Most important is unalloyed devotion. If you can develop unalloyed devotion, it is automatic that all divine qualities will develop in you. That’s the most important thing.
vaiṣṇavera kriyāmudrā vijñye nā bujhāya, therefore it is said, “However learned in the material field one may be, he cannot understand the activity of a vaiṣṇava. Yes, he cannot understand the activities of Pundarik Vidyanidhi. This is an example. Therefore in Caitanya-bhāgavata, Vrindavan Das Thakur has said this thing:
adhikārī vaiṣṇavere na bhuji vyavahāra
ye jana nindai... kanistha adharmī ye na...
kori se karma
Caitanya-bhāgavata
One who is uttama-adhikārī, kanistha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī, uttama-adhikārī. Symptoms are there. One who is uttama-adhikārī, mahā-bhāgavata. One who has not developed proper vision, he cannot recognize him. Without understanding him, if someone calls ill names or blames him, he becomes a great offender. He commits a great offense. He cannot be delivered. Life after life, he will go to hell and suffer there. And the same activities he does. What the material person does, adhama does, a great elevated person does the same thing. Outwardly, activities are the same.
As for example, this Pundarik Vidyanidhi, he chews pān, he puts on very gorgeous dresses. He puts on golden rings on ten fingers. Such a bhogī. And a materialistic person does so, and he does so. Activities are the same. But what is his consciousness? How has he developed pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness? How is he always with Kṛṣṇa? How is he not attached to all these? It is all bahya, it is all external things.
So adhyakṣīnas, those who have developed reliance on their own material senses, they cannot recognize them, so they are, what do you say, nindā? Blaspheming such devotees, calling ill names to such devotees, so they are committing great aparādha, and they suffer in hell.
Kṛṣṇa kripayā yei jāni bari...
Ei sabā saṅka... more ki tōre
If someone has gotten the real mercy of Kṛṣṇa, then he can recognize a sādhu. Otherwise, he’ll be put into a fix, saṅkaṭa, a dangerous situation. What is that? “Is he really a sādhu or not? Really a sādhu or not?” Yes, a fix, dilemma. Yes, he’s in a fix, dilemma. “Is he really, o not?
Really or not? That is dilemma, this saṅkaṭa, this dangerous situation. If someone has really gotten the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, only he can recognize a sādhu. Otherwise, nobody can. He will come out of this dangerous situation. Otherwise, two things will happen. He will develop doubt in such a sādhu, blaspheming him, thinking of some ill. Gadadhara Pandit thought of it in his mind. By mere thinking, he commits aparādha. Such saṅkaṭa, dangerous situation. If someone has gotten real mercy from Kṛṣṇa, he can immediately recognize, “He is a real sādhu.”
Otherwise, he will commit aparādha and he will suffer. He will go to hell and suffer. One may be delivered, or one may die. Vrindavan Das Thakur has said. I gave the example of Ramachandra Puri. The pasandis of Nadia, they cannot see, and Pradyumna Mishra, they couldn’t see the sādhutva in Gaurasundara, in Raya Ramananda. They cannot see. Rather, they commit aparādha. They are the most unfortunate persons. They have not gotten the mercy of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. They cannot see, and the sādhu cannot reveal himself before them. But those who are really fortunate and have gotten the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and developed such vision, sādhu cannot hide himself before them.
So Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaja has said that one should be very, very careful not to commit any aparādha, any offense at the lotus feet of such sādhu. That is the real teaching, Mahaprabhu’s teaching.
tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amānīnā mānādēnā
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
[Cc. Ādi 17.31]
One who is really serious to do hari-kīrtana, he should develop this attitude. To think himself much humbler than a blade of grass lying on the street. Become as tolerant as a tree. He should not demand respect. Rather, pay respect to one and all. Thinking oneself the lowest of the low. All are superiors, all are superior to me. I am the lowest of the low. That means amānīnā mānādēnā. Then you will not commit any aparādha. Jīver svarūpa hoy Kṛṣhṇer nitya dāsa. The svarūpa of jīva is Kṛṣṇa-dāsa. Real identification of jīva in his svarūpa, constitutional position, is Kṛṣṇa-dāsa. That means he is a sādhu. In his constitutional position, jīva is a sādhu. So pay respect to one and all. So you will never commit any aparādha. So Mahaprabhu gave this teaching.
tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amānīnā mānādēnā
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
[Cc. Ādi 17.31]
Otherwise, you cannot do hari-kīrtana. Kaviraja Goswami says, “Make a garland of this verse and put it around your neck and do hari-bhajan. Otherwise, you cannot do hari-bhajan. Think yourself much humbler than a blade of grass lying in the street. Be as tolerant as a tree. Don’t demand respect. Rather, pay respect to one and all. Because Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is there as paramātma in the heart of every living entity. Yes, pay respect!”
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur says, “One should develop this attitude. Then do hari-bhajan. So you never commit any aparādha.”
And you should be very careful to hear Bhāgavatam from the lips of such a sādhu. And study Bhāgavatam carefully. Otherwise, you will commit offense. Otherwise, you cannot recognize a sādhu. Recognize his wonderful character. Yes. In other words, you welcome all sorts of inauspiciousness. But those who are simple-hearted persons, no duplicity is there. In their heart, they are always crying for sādhu-saṅga. “How can I get a real sādhu and hear Kṛṣṇa-kathā from him?” Kṛṣṇa, who is there in the heart, helps him, helps him. That is His mercy. And Kṛṣṇa gives him proper understanding and real intelligence, divya-buddhi.
Te san sattva yukta... (quote)
Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says: “I give him pure intelligence.” Pure intelligence comes from Kṛṣṇa. Who is engaged in My bhajan with love, constantly engaged, constantly attached to Me. Who cries in his heart how to develop devotion, how to get association of sādhus. Kṛṣṇa gives him pure intelligence. Thereby, he gets the association of sādhus. And he recognizes a sādhu. Otherwise, you will commit aparādha. And welcome all sorts of inauspiciousness. There will be no auspiciousness at all, and Kṛṣṇa puts him to the test. There is a test. Yes, a very severe test, yes. And you have to face that test. And you have to pass the test. This is a dangerous situation, a dilemma. It is a dilemma, a dangerous situation. In such a dangerous situation, one is delivered or one is destroyed.
Thank you very much.