Sannyasa Not as Important as Devotion part 2

[Paramananda das]

Dandavat pranams

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Many times someone in the sannyasa asrama is very rude to devotees, actually many times when someone takes sannyasa they become very puffed up and arrogant, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has cut this pride:

Song 13 – Sannyasa Not as Important as Devotion
Verse 1
(1)
mana, tumi sannyasi sajite keno cao? bahirer saja jata, antarete phanki tata, dambha puji' sarira nacao
TRANSLATION
My dear mind, why do you want to disguise yourself as a sannyasi? As much as you decorate yourself externally with this garb, to that same you deceive yourself internally with this hoax. Worshiping your own false pride, your simply make a show of your material body by artificially accepting the dress of the renounced order.
Verse 2
(2)
amar bacana dharo, antara bisuddha koro, krishnamrta sada koro pana jivana sahaje jay, bhakti-badha nahi pay, tadupaya koroho sandhana
TRANSLATION
Now please try to understand my advice on how to become a true sannyasi. Just make your heart completely pure, and constantly drink the nectar of Krishna consciousness. Search for that life-style in which your spiritual life can be executed easily and automatically, free from any distracting obstacles to pure devotion.
Verse 3
(3)
anayase jaha pao, tahe tusta hoye jao, adambare na koro prayas purna-bastra jadi nai, kaupina paro he bhai, sita-bastra kantha bahirbas
TRANSLATION
Just be satisfied with whatever you get easily, and never endeavor for any type of artificial pomp and grandeur. Even if you do not have proper clothes to wear, just wear a loin-cloth, dear brother! And in cold weather you can simply wear an old torn quilt.
Verse 4
(4)
aguru candana nai, mrttika-tilaka bhai, harer badale dharo mala ei-rupe asa-pas, sukhadir kubilas, kharbi chado samsarer jvala
TRANSLATION
There is no need for fancy sandalwood pulp scented with , my dear brother; you can use some ordinary earth or clay to mark your forehead with tilaka. Your fancy necklaces can be exchanged for a nice tulasi-mala. Living like this in such a simple state of mind, all your nonsense external arrangements for so-called happiness will diminish, and you will thus be able to escape from the burning fever of materialistic existence.
Verse 5
(5)
sannyasa-bairagya-bidhi, sei asramer nidhi, tahe kabhu na koro' adar se-saba adare bhai, samsare nistar nai, dambhiker linga nirantar
TRANSLATION
In reality it is renunciation that is the wealth of the sannyasa-asrama. By following this rule, one would certainly never look forward to receiving respect from others. Beware, dear brother! Deliverance from this material world is not possible for one who wants to get such respect by taking sannyasa. Instead, he gets ensnared in mundane existence due to constantly maintaining the conceited pride of subtle profit, adoration and distinction.
Verse 6
(6)
tumi to' chaitanya-das, hari-bhakti taba as, asramer linge kiba phal? pratista koroho dura, basa taba santipura, sadhu krpa tomar sambal
TRANSLATION
You are actually an eternal servant of Lord Chaitanya, and your real interest as such is devotion to Shri Hari. What other wonderful thing could you get from the external form of the sannyasa-asrama? Casting all false prestige to a far distant place, make your residence in the transcendentally peaceful realm, far beyond the varnasrama-dharma system, and live on the mercy of the Rupanuga Vaishnavas as your only life-giving substance.
Verse 7
(7)
vaisnaver paricoy, abasyaka nahi hoy, adambare kabhu nahi jao binoder nibedana, radha-krishna-guna-gana, phukari' phukari' sada gao
TRANSLATION
It is actually not even necessary to introduce oneself as a Vaishnava, and once should never try to thereby make a show of external pomp and grandeur. Bhaktivinoda's humble submission to you is that you should constantly sing songs about the glorious qualities of Radha and Krishna at the top of your lungs.

In the name of sannyasa they deride other devotees and do not chant one lahk.

ninda nahi nityananda sevakera mukhe   aharnisha caitanyera yasa gaya sukhe
The devotees who have received the great fortune to serve Lord Nityananda Balarama never engage in criticism or blasphemy of other Vaishnavas. Day and night their only activity is to blissfuly sing the name of Lord Gauranga.(137)
nityananda-bhakta saba dike savadhana   nityananda-bhrtyera caitanya dhana-prana
Thus the devotees of Lord Nityananda and always extremely cautious from all directions to totally avoid criticism of other Vaishnavas. Actually they have no time to criticze others because they are busy in chanting the glories of the names and pastimes of Lord Gauranga, who is their life and wealth.

What kind of sannyasi will not chant one lahk daily as ordered by Lord Caitanya I will not accept this as proper...

One Gaudiya math sannyasi was chastising me that why you are not running to Kartika in Vrindavana?

First of all I do not know him or he me, I wish I could even stay in Vraja , but I can not, and go when I can, Kartika time is extra gossip time and faultfinding devotees.I just want to go and chant one or 2 lahks in peace and meditate on Krsnas pastimes and visit the many lila sthanas there.Not hang out with the crowds of neophytes.

  Anyhow where ever there is bhakti thre  is also Vraja for those advanced in KC. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Narottama das Thakura has both stated that just visiting holy places is not all in Bhakti.

Preaching is more important than pilgrimage.:

Author: Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Book Name: Kalyana Kalpataru

Language: Bengali

LYRICS:

(1)

mana, tumi tirthe sada  rata

ayodhya, mathura, maya, kasi, kanci, abantiya,

dvarabati, ar jata

(2)

tumicaho bhramibare, e sakala bare bare,

mukti-labha koribara  tare

se sakala taba bhrama, nirarthaka parisrama,

citta sthira tirthe nahi kore

(3)

tirtha-phal sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sange antaranga,

sri-krsna-bhajana manohar

jatha sadhu, tatha tirtha, sthira kori' nija citta,

sadhu-sanga koro nirantar

(4)

jetirthe baisnaba nai, se tirthe nahi jai,

kilabha hantiya dura-desa

jathay baisnaba-gana, sei stana brndabana,

seisthane ananda asesa

(5)

krsna-bhakti jei sthane, mukti dasi seikhane,

salila tathay mandakini

giritatha govardhana, bhumi tatha brndabana,

abirbhuta apani hladini

(6)

binoda kohiche bhai, bhramiya ki phal pai,

baisnaba-sebana mor brata

TRANSLATION

1) My dear mind, you are always attached to all the  different places of pilgrimage such as Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kasi (Varanasi), Kancipura, Avantiya, Dvaravati, and so  on.

2) You want to to all these holy places of pilgrimage again and  again simply to the sake of obtaining liberation from the material miseries. But  we actually see that your heart is not becoming resolutely fixed up by going to  all these places; therefore all of you wanderings are simply useless labor for  nothing tangible.

3) The ripened fruit and real benefit of any place  of pilgrimage is the company of the pure-hearted devotees of the Lord.  Establishing intimate and friendly relations with such devotees, let your mind  be captivated by performing the charming worship of Lord Krsna in their association. Actually any place in the entire  world becomes a worshipable place of pilgrimage if  devotees are living there. Thus you should immediately seek out such a place,  wherever you happen to be, and you should become fixed up in Krsna consciousness by constantly remaining in the company  of such devotees.

4) Personally, I never bother to visit any so-called  place of pilgrimage which is devoid of the presence of unalloyed devotees, for  what other worthwhile benefit could possibly be gained by taking the trouble of  walking to such faraway places? Only that place which is graced by the presence  of the devotees is actually Vrndavana, and only at  that place can you come into contact with unlimited spiritual  pleasure.

5) Liberation personified is herself the humble  maidservant of that place which is surcharged with devotion to Krsna. All the water at that place is the celestial Ganges,  every hill there is Giri-govardhana, and the very  earth is indeed Vrndavana. Only such a place can  manifest the of the eternal spiritual joy which is revealed by  the Lord's pleasure-potency.

6) I ask you now, dear brother, what benefit would I  get by circumambulating all of the holy places of pilgrimage? Personally, my vow  is to serve the Vaisnavas with firm resolution and  untiring endeavor.

Without the presence of Aindra Prabhu and my Gurudeva,  Vrindavana seems like a dessert to me, I will be sad if I go there.

vaisnava das anu das

Paramananda das