There was an old Vaisnava in the vicinity of Srila Gaurakisora in Kuliya who began to engage himself in full-hearted Deity worship in place of harinama-bhajana. Srila Gaurakisora commented on this one day in the presence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. "That old Vaisnava is spending his last days in worshipping the Deity!" Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati then said, "What? Are you trying to deceive me? It is impossible for this Vaisnava who lives in Kuliya to deviate in any way whatsoever?"
Srila Gaurakisora then replied, "O, if that's the case then I have nothing else to say." Srila Gaurakisora was pointing out that exclusive remembrance of the Lord's holy name which was previously the main object of the exalted Vaisnava's worship might be minimized if importance was placed on Deity worship in his last days.
Pure Love And Worldly Lust
One person, who was the child of a scholarly Gosvami, came to Kuliya in Navadvipa and began to lecture on the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam called Bhramara-gita. (The chapter describing Srimati Radharani conversing with Lord Krsna in the form of a bumblebee). After two or three days of lecturing, news reached Srila Gaurakisora that the visitors discourse was so wonderful that no one had ever previously heard such descriptions within Navadvipa. Srila Gaurakisora then replied, "You should never go back and hear these lectures again. Whenever it rains, the seeds of unwanted weeds begin to sprout first. Next those seeds which have been carefully planted, begin to sprout, but a portion of them soon die after germination. One whose heart is transcendental to the modes of material nature, free from material lust and always engaged in resolute devotional service to the guru and Vaisnavas is the fit recipient.
Love of Godhead can actually sprout in the hearts of such persons who are free from the impediments in devotion. This takes place by congregationally hearing and chanting about the pastimes of the Supreme personality of Godhead. When those who have materialistic desires hear the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, the seeds of material lust will fructify. While they are hearing the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna only lust will sprout and grow in their hearts. Because they imitate the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Krsna, it is only natural that the lusty desire seeds in their hearts grow and flourish even more. Conditioned souls think the pastimes of Sri Radha and Govinda are material affairs like an actor and actress because their minds are covered with lust.
Whoever thinks that he has faith in the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha- Krsna lila, and that he knows that their pastimes are spiritual and not material can never check their lusty attachments due to the influence of the illusory energy, maya. It is not sufficient to claim that one knows that Their pastimes are spiritual or that one has faith in those pastimes." After hearing this, one person told Srila Gaurakisora "I saw with my own eyes that some of the devotees present during the discourses on the Bhramara-gita began to cry and loudly shout in ecstasy, 'Ah, Radhe! Ah, Krsna!' With great emotion they discussed the different pastimes of the Lord." Srila Babaji Maharaja then said, "What you have seen is not actually spiritual emotion. It is a by-product of the intoxicating effects of lusty desires. This stands as the reason why this material world is doomed. You mean to say you have understood just by looking at their tears that they are absorbed in love of God!
How is it possible for a person that has never been absorbed in love of Godhead to recognize it when they view everything through the medium of the illusory energy? Go and tell those persons who are so immersed in ecstasy to give up their homes and all such big assemblies and go to live on the bank of the Ganges River.
In this way by surrendering to the Supreme Lord, they should seriously give up all of their attachment to sense gratification and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If they can do this for a year or so, we will see them become very eager to hear the explanations of the Bhramara-gita."
The Real Mendicant
One landowner, known as Mr. Saha, once whimsically sent Srila Gaurakisora some rice. Other persons would also come and give rice to Srila Gaurakisora. All the rice to be found in Navadvipa at that time, was stored in the boarding house of one queen. Mr. Saha regularly sent rice to Srila Gaurakisora every day for a period of two months. Once, Srila Gaurakisora sent someone to go and tell Mr. Saha, that he should no longer donate the rice. When Mr. Saha found out that Srila Babaji Maharaja no longer wanted to accept the rice he immediately came there and asked, "What offense have I committed unto you? Why is it that you have discontinued accepting my rice donations?" Srila Babaji Maharaja answered, "My guru gave me the instructions, 'Never become a pala-garu or a dharmera-sanda'.
Hearing Srila Babaji Maharaja speak in this way, one person did not understand the meaning of pala-garu and inquired about the word's significance. Srila Babaji Maharaja explained, "A domesticated cow that is nourished, bathed and attended by a householder is called a pala-garu. Similarly a devotee who accepts foodstuffs to fill his stomach from only one person, is on the same level as a cow, pala-garu and becomes dependant on that person. When the householder falls into debt, then he may sell the cow to his creditor to pay off his debt.
Dharmera-sanda or pious bull, refers to a renunciate that does not become dependent upon one person for the maintenance of his body. Like the pious bull he freely wanders from place to place. The bull simply moves from one place to another nourishing his body. Sometimes the bull may even get beaten by someone's fist but still he doesn't become dependent and bound up in one place like the domesticated cow, pala-garu. Often a person who raises a mischievous bull has to pay a fine because of its rowdyism. When a bull is bound up like a domesticated cow, pala-garu he becomes desirous to eat many nice things. At the present day, we see many persons who call themselves madhukaris or religious mendicants. Many so called renunciate babajis claim themselves to be spiritual beggars. But the real madhukari, transcendental beggar, is free from the modes of material nature. Those who are factual beggars are perfectly surrendered unto the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna and devoid of any external consciousness of their gross material body.
Real madhukaris are never eager like the materialists who are always disturbed by the urges of the tongue and the genitals. They gradually lose all desire to remain in the material world. Persons who live in Vrndavana or Navadvipa and are inclined towards enjoying the foodstuffs of the ordinary people are actually like domesticated cows, pala-garus. Others who travel from one house to another in the holy abodes of Navadvipa and Vrndavana with the intention to collect very nice foodstuffs are called dharmera-sanda. Srila Bhaktinovinda has composed the following devotional poem to describe the real Vaisnava mendicant.
kabe gauravane surandhuni-tate,
ha radhe ha krsna bale
kandiya bedaba deha-sukha chadi
nana-tata-taru-tale
(kaby)svapaca-grhete magiya khaiba,
piba sarasvati-jala
puline puline gadagadi diba,
kari krsna-kolahala
(kabe)dhamavasi jane pranati kariya
magiba krpara lesa
vaisnava-carana renu gaya makhi
dhari avadhuta vesa
(kabe)gaura-brajavane bheda na heriba,
haiba varaja-vasi
(Takhana) dhamera svarupa sphuribe nayane,
haiba rachara dasi
"When will I wander on the banks of the sacred Ganges, just chanting, O Srimati Radhika! O Krsna! Leaving all physical pleasures aside, when will I roam within the creepers and desire trees of Navadvipa, that sacred abode of Sri Gaurangadeva, with tears in my eyes?"
"When will I beg from the houses of the dogeaters for my meal and drink the sacred water of the Sarasvati River? Loudly calling Krsna's name, when will I roll about in the holy villages of Sri Navadvipa Dhama and Vrndavana Dhama?"
"When will I offer my respects to the eternal residents of the holy abode and humbly beg for a trace of their causeless mercy? Accepting the dress of an avadhuta, when will I smear the dust of the pure Vaisnavas' lotus feet upon myself?"
"When will I no longer see any differences between Sri Navadvipa and Sri Vrndavana and become an eternal resident of Vraja? When the holy abode of the Lord is revealed before my very eyes, I will become a servitor of Srimate Radharani."
