vers 2 of Vraja Vilasa stava

[Paramananda das]

 
In this Vraja Vilasa Stava ,Srila Raghunath das Goswami writes in vers 2:

I am scorched by the blazing forest fire of old age, deeply bitten by the poisonous snake of blindness, pierced by the sharp arrows of forced dependence on others, and surrounded by the lions of anger, lust, and greed. O Lord Krishna, please give me the nectarean potion of pure love for You, which will make me strong and heroic enough to resist all the enemies and engage in Your devotional service without deviation.

our humble notes:

Before going in to the deep glories of Vraja, Srila Raghunath das Goswami is reminding us to remove so many obstacels from our hearts, like lust and anger and greed, we also see in the Kalyana Kalpa Taru intoduction how Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has warned us against the influence of lust(as mentioned previosuly), and Srila Narottama das does the same in his Prema Bhakti Chandrika:
1 tumi ta dayara sindhu adhama-janera bandhu
more prabhu kara abadhana
padinu asat-bhole kama-timingile gile
ohe natha kara paritrana
O Lord, You are an ocean of mercy. You are the friend of the fallen souls. Please notice me. I have become like a non devotee, swallowed by the timingila fish of lust. O Lord, please protect me.
2 javat janama mora aparadhe hainu bhora
niskapate na bhajinu toma
tathapi ha tumi gat na chadiha prana-pati
mora sama nahika adhama
In every birth I repeatedly offended You. In every birth I failed to worship You sincerely. No one is as fallen as I. Nevertheless, You are the only goal of my life. O Lord of my life, please do not abandon me.
3 patita-pabana nama ghosana tomara syama
upekhile nahi mora gati
jadi hana aparadhi tathapiha tumi gati
satya satya jena satyira pati
O Lord, You are known as Patita-pavana, the deliverer of the fallen, and You are also known as Syamasundara. Please do not ignore my appeal. Even if I am an offender, I think that You are the real goal of life. That is the truth.
4 tumi ta parama deba nahi more upekhiba
suna suna pranera iswara
jadi karon aparaadha tathapiha tumi natha
seba diya kara anucara
O Supreme Personality of Godhead, please do not neglect me. O master of my life, please hear my words. Even if I have committed offenses to You, I always think of You as my master. Please allow me to serve You as Your associate and follower.
5 kame mora hata cita nahi jane ni ja hita
manera na ghuce durbasana
more natha angikuru tumi bancha-kalpa-taru
karuna dekhuka sarba-jana
Lust has destroyed my mind. I do not know what is actually beneficial for me. O Lord, You glance mercifully on all living entities and You are like a desire tree fulfilling the desires of everyone. Please accept me as Your servant.
6 mo-sama patita nai tribhuvane dekha cai
narottama-pavana nama dhara
ghusuka samsare nama patita-uddhara syama
nija-dasa kara giridhara
O Lord, You will not see anyone in these three planetary systems who is as fallen as I. O Lord, please accept the name "Narottama-pavana" (the deliverer of Narottama), and let that name be broadcast throughout the material world. O Lord Syamasundara, O lifter of Govardhana Hill, O deliverer of the fallen, please accept me as Your servant.
7 narottama bada duhkhi natha more kara sukhi
tomara bhajana sankirtane
antaraya nahi jaya ei sei parama bhaya
nivedana kari anuksana
Narottama dasa is very unhappy. O Lord please engage him in Your sankirtana movement and thus make him happy. O Lord, I am very afraid that I will not be able to overcome the many obstacles that stop every me from advancing in devotional service. O Lord, at every moment I beg You to remove all those obstacles.

In Srimad Bhagavatam also Srila Sukadeva Goswami has warned again and again about the grhamedhi mentality:
SB 2.1.1: Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. The answer to this question is the prime subject matter for hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists.
SB 2.1.2: Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, leave many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.
SB 2.1.3: The lifetime of such an envious householder is passed at night either in sleeping or in sex indulgence, and in the daytime either in making money or maintaining family members.
SB 2.1.4: Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction.
SB 2.1.5: O descendant of King Bharata, one who desires to be free from all miseries must hear about, glorify and also remember the Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul, the controller and the savior from all miseries.
SB 2.1.6: The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.
We see in the conversation of Sri Narada and Srila Vyasadeve these staments by Narada Muni:
SB 1.5.31: By that confidential knowledge, I could understand clearly the influence of the energy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything. By knowing that, one can return to Him and personally meet Him.
SB 1.5.32: O Brāhmaṇa Vyāsadeva, it is decided by the learned that the best remedial measure for removing all troubles and miseries is to dedicate one's activities to the service of the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead [Śrī Kṛṣṇa].
SB 1.5.33: O good soul, does not a thing, applied therapeutically, cure a disease which was caused by that very same thing?
SB 1.5.34: Thus when all a man's activities are dedicated to the service of the Lord, those very activities which caused his perpetual bondage become the destroyer of the tree of work.
SB 1.5.35: Whatever work is done here in this life for the satisfaction of the mission of the Lord is called bhakti-yoga, or transcendental loving service to the Lord, and what is called knowledge becomes a concomitant factor.
SB 1.5.36: While performing duties according to the order of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one constantly remembers Him, His names and His qualities.We see how Narada Muni was endeavoring hard to see the Supreme Lord Visnu again after having once had His darshan,but the Supreme Lord Spoke thus:
and Lord Visnu r responded to Narada in his previous life as the son of a maidservant:
SB 1.6.21: O Nārada [the Lord spoke], I regret that during this lifetime you will not be able to see Me anymore. Those who are incomplete in service and who are not completely free from all material taints can hardly see Me.
SB 1.6.22: O virtuous one, you have only once seen My person, and this is just to increase your desire for Me, because the more you hanker for Me, the more you will be freed from all material desires.
SB 1.6.23: By service of the Absolute Truth, even for a few days, a devotee attains firm and fixed intelligence in Me. Consequently he goes on to become My associate in the transcendental world after giving up the present deplorable material worlds.
SB 1.6.24: Intelligence engaged in My devotion cannot be thwarted at any time. Even at the time of creation, as well as at the time of annihilation, your remembrance will continue by My mercy.
SB 1.6.25: Then that supreme authority, personified by sound and unseen by eyes, but most wonderful, stopped speaking. Feeling a sense of gratitude, I offered my obeisances unto Him, bowing my head.
However in this blessed Kali yuga Lord Gauranga has to come to give His association,Locan das Thakura has written a nice song:
(1)
ke jābi ke jābi bhāi bhava-sindhu-pāra
dhanya kali-yugera caitanya-avatāra

(2)
āmāra gaurāńgera ghāṭe adāna-kheyā vaya
jada, andha, ātura avadhi pāra haya

(3)
harināmera naukākhāni śrī guru kāṇḍārī
sańkīrtana kheroyāla du’bāhu pasāri

(4)
saba jīva haila pāra premera vātāse
paḍiyā rahila locana āpanāra doṣe
TRANSLATION
1) Who will go? Who will go, brothers? Who will cross over this ocean of material suffering? This Kali-yuga in which Sri Caitanya-avatara has appeared is blessed. [Caitanya-avatara does not come in every Kali-yuga.]

2) At the bathing place of my Gauranga, a free ferry-boat is waiting. There is no restriction – everyone is coming, including the lame, blind and distressed. All are climbing aboard to cross over.

3) Harinama is the boat, Sri Guru is the helmsman and the sankirtana party moving with up-raised arms are the oars!

4) All souls can cross over with the favorable winds of prema. Only Locana dasa is so unfortunate that, due to his own fault, he has been left behind

Srila Prabhupada says in one lecture from 1973:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa planned that Arjuna may kidnap His sister. So Subhadrā was kidnapped by Arjuna in the dress of a sannyāsī. Don't learn this business, sannyāsīs.(laughing) But Kṛṣṇa planned it, that "You come..." Because he was known, if he comes as ordinary Arjuna, then he will be recognized because he is the cousin-brother. Therefore he covered himself as a sannyāsī just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa also kidnapped Sītādevī as a sannyāsī.
So in former days also, the sannyāsīs were very expert in kidnapping. Yes. Therefore in the Kali-yuga sannyāsa is forbidden, because they'll not be able to follow the rules and regulations. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu inaugurated. He Himself became sannyāsa. Therefore we are trying to follow His footsteps, to accept sannyāsa. But we should not become a sannyāsī like Rāvaṇa. No. We should try to follow the footsteps of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was very strict. No woman could approach Him. They were allowed to offer obeisances from distant place. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict about asso... Even in His gṛhastha life He was very strict. He would not play any joke with any woman except His wife. And that also, once He joked with His wife, not with any other woman. So He was so strict. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's opinion is that sandarśanaṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu [Cc. Madhya 11.8]. Viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam, to mix very intimately with the viṣayīs. Viṣayī means those who are very much fond of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are called viṣayī.They have no other business.
So practically, at the present moment, the whole world is viṣayī. But this line, Kṛṣṇa consciousness line, is so transcendental that one has to give up this viṣayīidea. Viṣaya chāṛiyā se rase majiyā mukhe bolo hari hari. We chant "Hari, Hari," but actually, "Hari, Hari," we can chant "Hari, Hari" only when we give up viṣaya. Viṣaya chāṛiyā se rase majiyā. Otherwise "Hari, Hari" is not purely chanted. Therefore there are ten kinds of offenses we have to give up. Śuddha-nāma. When we chant pure Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then we are elevated to the platform of transcendental love. Otherwise we can attain up to liberation. Not on the platform of loving. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict about viṣayī and strī-saṅgī.Caitanya Mahāprabhu was asked how to, what is the business of a Vaiṣṇava. He summarized in two lines: asat-saṅga tyāga, ei vaiṣṇava ācāra [Cc. Madhya 22.87].Asat-saṅga tyāga, to give up the association of asat. Asat means materialistic. So who is asat? Now, asat eka strī-saṅgī and kṛṣṇa-abhakta. Those who are too much attached for material enjoyment, they are asat. And one who is not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is also asat. So we have to give up the company of these kind of people, who are too much materially attached and is not devotee of Kṛṣṇa. If we can avoid these two persons, then we can be fixed up in devotional service.

Srila Prabhupada is warning even to become a sannyasi like Ravana ,become a big Swami marry ones own female disciple and leave with lots of money,what is the use?

However the 6 Goswamis and Srila Prabhupada has all advised us to remember Krsna 24 hours a day and chant 64 rounds daily.

In Antya lila of Caitanya Bhagavad chapter 9 we find this:

Lord Caitanya continued-"Those who consider themselves devotees of the Lord must compulsorily chant 100,000 names of Krishna everyday otherwise they will gradually but surely become attached to varieties of sense-objects and thus become incapable to rendering any kind of service to the Lord."


Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

tajjanyai shri chaitanyadevera ashrita sakalai nyuna kalpe laksha-nama grahana kariya thakena. natuva gaurasunderera udeshya pradatta naivedya tini grahana karibena na.

(Shrila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada continues) "Therefore all the devotees who have taken shelter of Lord Chaitanyadeva perform the chanting of a minimum of 100,000 names of Krishna daily as their first and primary duty. Because they know that if they don't do so then Lord Gaurasundera will never accept the very bhoga (naivedya) which they cook for Him daily.


(122) "se janera nama ami bali 'lakshesvara'
tatha bhiksha amara, na yai anya ghara."

"Lord Gauranga continued-I call such a person a laksheshvara. I only accept meals in such a person's house. I never go anywhere else."

Purport by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

shri chaitanya bhaktagana abhaktera sahita sambhashana karena na. jini bhaktivyatita karma, jnana o anyabhilashara kathaya pradatta tahara sahita bandhutva karibe na.

"The devotees of Lord Shri Chaitanya never talk with such non-devotees. They never do friendship with those who are engaged in the cultivation of karma, jnana or other desires which are devoid of bhakti.



pratyah laksha-nama grahana na karile patita vyaktiganera visaya-bhoga pravritti vriddhi paya, takhana ara tahara shri gaurasunderarera seva karite pare na.

"Those who don't accept this vow of chanting 100,000 names daily, fall down even more although they were fallen in the first place (due to the contamination of Kali-yuga). Thus their propensity for enjoying the senses and sense-objects continually and steadily increases and ultimately they are not able to render any kind of service even to the most merciful Lord Gaurasundera.


lakshesvara vyatita gaura-bhaktira adarsa gaudiyajana kehai svikara karena na.

"This is the precise reason why the real Gaudiya-bhaktas do not accept any other ideal (adarsa) in Gaura-bhakti or Krishna-bhakti except the process of chanting 100,000 names of the maha-mantra daily.


Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

adhapatita va adhapete gana eka-matra bhajana-sabda-vacya shri-nama-bhajane vimukhata-vasata laksha-nama grahana karibara parivarte anya bhajanera chalana korena, taddvara tahadera kona mangala haya na.

"Those spiritual aspirants who are already fallen or will fall down from spiritual life in the future are averse to this sole means of deliverance called nama-bhajana, which is the worship of the sound incarnation of God in the form of chanting 100,000 names of the the Holy Names daily. Coming under the sway of their averseness to chant laksha-nama daily, they duplicitously invent (chalana) other means of devotional service (bhajana) to justify their not chanting 100,000 names daily but it is to be clearly understood that by this action they will not achieve anything auspicious (mangala) in their spiritual life."

So the solution is clear to give up sensegratification and false dependence on others and daily chant 64 rounds.