Śrī Gaura Vani
“I” and “Mine” Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur explains how to become free from the last offence to the Holy Name. The following is an excerpt from Śrī Hari-nāma-chintāmaṇi (13.22–37). śaraṇāpatti vyatīta nāmāśraye yāhā haya: what happens when one chants the Name without surrendering ṣaḍ-vidha śaraṇāgati nāhika yāhāra se adhama ahaṁ-mama-buddhi-doṣe chhāra [22] ‚A fallen soul who does not surrender in the sixfold way is degraded by the fault of having the mentality of ‚I‛ and ‚mine‛. se bale āmi ta kartā saṁsāra āmāra nija-karma phala-bhoga sukha duḥkha āra [23] ‚They think, ‘I am a doer, and this is my family. I experience happiness and sadness as a result of my own actions.
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āmāra rakṣaka āmi, āmi ta pālaka āmāra vanitā bhrātā bālikā bālaka [24] ‚‘I am my own protector, and I am the maintainer of my wife, brothers, daughters, and sons. āmi ta arjana kari āmāra cheṣṭāya sarva kārya siddha haya sarva śobhā pāya [25] ‚‘I earn by my own efforts, and thereby everything is successful and beautiful.’ ahaṁ-mama-buddhi-krame bahirmukha jana nija jñāna bale bahu karaye mānana [26] ‚By the influence the mentality of ‚I‛ and ‚mine‛, souls who are averse to the Lord attribute great importance to their own knowledge. sei jñāna bale śilpa vijñāna vistāre īśvarera īśitā nā māne duṣṭāchāre [27] ‚They develop the arts and sciences with their knowledge, but, as a result of their sinful behaviour, they do not recognise the mastery of the Lord. Commentary: Averse souls think, ‚With our intelligence, by developing the arts and sciences, we are increasing our happiness.‛ They never remember that in actuality everything happens by the will of Kṛṣṇa. śrī-nāma-māhātmya śuni viśvāsa nā kare loka-vyavahāre kabhu kṛṣṇa-nāmochchāre [28] ‚They hear the glories of the Name but do not have faith, though they may sometimes chant the Name of Kṛṣṇa according to social customs. kṛṣṇa-nāma kare tabu nāhi pāya prīti dharma-dhvajī śaṭha-jana jīvane e rīti [29] 2
‚They chant the Name of Kṛṣṇa, but still do not develop love. Such is the custom in the lives of those who are deceitful and hypocritically religious. helāya uchchāre nāma kichhu puṇya haya prīti-phala nāhi phale sarva śāstre kaya [30] ‚All the scriptures state that by negligently chanting the Name, one acquires some piety, but love, the proper result, does not develop. ihāra mūla ki ?: what is the reason for this? māyā-baddha haite ei aparādha haya ihāte niṣkṛti-lābha kaṭhina niśchaya [31] ‚This offence is caused by bondage within illusion. It is certainly very difficult to become free from it. ei doṣa tyāgera upāya: the way to give up this offence śuddha-bhakti-phale yāra virakti ha-ila saṁsāra chhāḍiyā sei nāmāśraya nila [32] niṣkiñchana-bhāve bhaje śrī-kṛṣṇa-charaṇa viṣaya chhāḍiyā kare nāma-saṅkīrtana [33] sei sādhu-jane anveṣiyā tāra saṅga karibe sevibe chhāḍi viṣaya-taraṅga [34] ‚Search for a sādhu who, as a result of pure devotion, has become detached, left material existence behind, and taken shelter of the Name, a sādhu who serves Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s feet as a surrendered soul, avoids material affairs, and chants the Name. Associate with and serve such a sādhu, avoiding the waves of material affairs. krame krame nāme mati ha-ibe sañchāra ahaṁtā-mamatā yābe māyā habe pāra [35] 3
‚Gradually, your mind will become absorbed in the Name, your mentality of ‚I‛ and ‚mine‛ will go away, and you will cross over illusion. nāmera māhātmya śuni ahaṁ-mama-bhāva chhāḍiyā śaraṇāgati bhaktera svabhāva [36] ‚Upon hearing the glories of the Name, it is the nature of a devotee to give up the mentality of ‚I‛ and ‚mine‛ and surrender. nāmera śaraṇāgata yei mahājana kṛṣṇa-nāma kare pāya prema-mahādhana [37] ‚A great soul who is surrendered to Kṛṣṇa’s Name chants the Name and attains the supreme wealth of divine love. Note The commentaries are part of the text of Śrī Hari-nāma-chintāmaṇi and written by Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur himself.
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