Our Real Duty – Part 1 [granthraj]

On the auspicious occasion of Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra at Dwarakapuri Dham on 26th January 2009, our beloved Guru Maharaj gave a nectarean class in Hindi. This posting is a humble attempt of transcribing the lecture as an offering unto our Guru Maharaj.

We should not waste our time. There is a good verse in this connection:

kaalakshepo na kartavyah / ksheenam aayuh kshane kshane
yamasya karunaa naasti / kartavyam hari kirtanam

The precious time should not be wasted, because our lifespan is reducing every moment. Yamaraj has no mercy. Hence our duty is to do Hari kirtana.

We should never waste our time doing unnecessary things. The first reason for that is – ksheenam aayuh kshane kshane, our lifetime is reducing every moment. This journey is a one-way ticket as there is no return. The age or time which goes away never comes back. Therefore, don’t waste time.

The second reason is – yamasya karunaa naasti , Yamaraj has no mercy. When he comes, we cannot say, “Please wait, I have to first go and withdraw money from the bank”. He will not listen and we have to go with him. Therefore, what should be our duty? kartavyam hari kirtanam - to do Hari kirtana.

While offering prayers to Supreme Lord Krishna, Sukadev Goswami says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 2.4.15,

yat kirtanam yat smaranam yad ikshanam
yad vandanam yac chravanam yad arhanam
lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmasham
tasmai subhadra-shravase namo namah

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-auspicious Lord Sri Krsna, about whom glorification, remembrances, audience, prayers, hearing and worship can at once cleanse the effects of all sins of the performer.

There are 6 activities mentioned in this verse of which the first is “kirtanam”. Kirtanam includes bhajans, chanting of Hare Krishna Mahamantra, discourses on the glories of the Lord or any activity connected with glorifying the Lord. This kirtanam must go on always and we need a proper position to execute this activity. By the mercy of the Lord, our economic position is quite comfortable. Why has God given us two legs, two eyes, two hands, all in working condition; we should ponder over this very carefully. What have we done to deserve a comfortable economic zone? The reason is, there must be a higher responsibility. God has directed His mercy towards us thinking that this living entity wants to come towards Me, so let Me at least provide for his basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter. Therefore it is our responsibility to use this life in His service (hari kirtanam). If we fail in this duty (kartavya), then the facilities can be taken away in a moment (yamasya karunaa naasti).

We should understand this very clearly and somehow or the other, divert our minds to the scriptures like Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. A pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada has taken so much pain to give us everything in his books – verses, transliteration, translation and purports. We simply have to find little time and open the pages. Out of 24 hours, at least we must find 1 hour to do this. This is our duty (kartavya). If we conduct our activities (kirtanam) in this way, then the result will be – lokasya sadhyo vidhunoti kalmasham, the miseries will be entirely eradicated from our life.

When we start taking Krishna’s names, the first effect is that all anxieties go away because we know that – ishavasyam idam sarvam, the Supreme Lord controls the entire universe. We cannot do anything on our own. If we realize this, there is complete peace (shanti) and in this peaceful situation only can we practice devotional service. At the most what can we do, just hold on to His lotus feet. And where there is anxiety or agitation (ashanti), we cannot practice bhakti. Therefore, leave everything to Him as He does everything.

When we honour prasadam, we don’t know what happens inside our stomach but the food gets digested. We eat white rice, green vegetables or brown puris but the blood is red. Does anyone drink or eat red colour foodstuff? No. Then why is blood red? Who does this? This is a big question mark before us. Apart from Krishna, who else can do this. When we see a living entity who looks bright, we should understand that he is somehow connected to Krishna because this is His monopoly. Though we are not attracted to our bodies, we still need to maintain the body in a condition favorable to practice devotional service as this is an instrument to serve God. Therefore regulative principles are there. First, we must try to sleep early, by 9 or 9:30 pm. Those who sleep after this time develop blood clots. Secondly. we should wake up by 5 am. Those who wake up after this time develop cough. We should have only minimum needs and should not increase them artificially which in-turn leads to diseases.

When we were small (Guru Maharaj talking of his childhood times), no one had heard about heart problems. Out of fashion, rich persons in the village used to proclaim that, “I have heart problem”. The most serious disease during our times was tuberculosis (TB). And nowadays it has become so common to have heart diseases. As we have progressed materially with electricity and other things, so our diseases have also increased. We have become more polluted and as a result bound up tightly in the mesh of material activities.

Krishna willing, Guru Maharaj’s further instructions from this lecture shall be posted in an ensuing mail.

Thank you very much,
Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,
Svayam Prakash Krishna Das,
Singapore

Disclaimer: This article was originally published in the Yahoo Groups run by the disciples of H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/granthraj/ by the devotee name mentioned above. The posting in this article, is original realizations of our Guru Maharaj and the devotee who wrote this. Any comments regarding this article would be passed on directly to the devotee. In this article, ‘Maharaj’ and ‘Gurudev’ implicitly refer to our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj.

Related posts:

1. Devotional Service is Real Happiness [granthraj]
2. Real Living Bhagavata [granthraj]
3. The Real Meaning of Initiation – Part 3 [granthraj]
4. The Real Meaning of Initiation – Part 2 [granthraj]
5. The Real Potency of Mahaprasadam [granthraj]
6. Charity is Grhastha’s Prime Duty [granthraj]
7. Our Real Duty – Part 3
8. Our Real Duty – Part 2 [granthraj]