Conditioned Souls Writing Vaisnava Literature?
There is no need by any of my disciples to read any books besides my books–in fact, such reading may be detrimental to their advancement in Krishna Consciousness.
The following is a practical analysis of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.45) purport composed by a conditioned soul Hridayananda das “goswami”.
“Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura also points out in his commentary, atra pasyed iti darsana-yogyataiva vivaksita, na tu tatha darsanasya sarva-kalikata. “in this verse the word pasyet, or ” one must see,” does not mean that at every moment one is visualizing the form of Krsna; rather, it means that one has reached the exalted platform of devotional service on which he is fit to see or is capable of seeing Krsna’s form.” If only those who constantly see the form of Krsna are to be considered uttama-adhikaris, then Narada, Vyasa and Sukadeva cannot be considered topmost devotees, since they do not always see the Lord everywhere. Of course, Narada, Vyasa and Sukadeva are considered to be on the highest standard of pure devotional service, and therefore the real qualification is tad-didrksadhikya, or having overwhelming desire to to see the Lord.”
POINT 1
Uttama–adhikaris who are topmost devotees are the only ones who can constantly see the form of the Lord.
POINT 2
Mental Speculation from Hridayananda das “goswami”:
“If only those who constantly see the form of Krsna are to be considered uttama-adhikaris, then Narada, Vyasa and Sukadeva cannot be considered topmost devotees, since they do not always see the Lord everywhere.”
POINT 1–we ALL agree.
4.12.11 P Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back to Godhead
Not only did Dhruva Maharaja perform many sacrifices, but he carried on his transcendental occupation of engagement in the devotional service of the Lord. The ordinary karmis, who want to enjoy the results of fruitive activities, are concerned only with sacrifices and ritualistic ceremonies as enjoined in the Vedic sastras. Although Dhruva Maharaja performed many sacrifices in order to be an exemplary king, he was constantly engaged in devotional service. The Lord always protects His surrendered devotee. A devotee can see that the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita (isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati). Ordinary persons cannot understand how the Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, but a devotee can actually see Him. Not only can the devotee see Him outwardly, but he can see, with spiritual vision, that everything is resting in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as described in Bhagavad-gita (mat-sthani sarva-bhutani). THAT IS THE VISION OF A MAHA-BHAGAVATA. HE SEES EVERYTHING OTHERS SEE, BUT INSTEAD OF SEEING MERELY THE TREES, THE MOUNTAINS, THE CITIES OR THE SKY, HE SEES ONLY HIS WORSHIPABLE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IN EVERYTHING BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS RESTING IN HIM ONLY. THIS IS THE VISION OF THE MAHA-BHAGAVATA. IN SUMMARY, A MAHA-BHAGAVATA, A HIGHLY ELEVATED PURE DEVOTEE, SEES THE LORD EVERYWHERE, AS WELL AS WITHIN THE HEART OF EVERYONE. THIS IS POSSIBLE FOR DEVOTEES WHO HAVE DEVELOPED ELEVATED DEVOTIONAL SERVICE TO THE LORD. AS STATED IN THE BRAHMA-SAMHITA (5.38), PREMANJANA-CCHURITA-BHAKTI-VILOCANENA: ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE SMEARED THEIR EYES WITH THE OINTMENT OF LOVE OF GODHEAD CAN SEE EVERYWHERE THE SUPREME LORD FACE TO FACE; IT IS NOT POSSIBLE BY IMAGINATION OR SO-CALLED MEDITATION.
SB 9.9.44 P The Dynasty of Amsuman
“The maha-bhagavata, the advanced devotee, certainly sees everything mobile and immobile, but he does not exactly see their forms. RATHER, EVERYWHERE HE IMMEDIATELY SEES MANIFEST THE FORM OF THE SUPREME LORD.
SB 3.14.48 S Pregnancy of Diti in the Evening
sah–he; vai–certainly; maha-bhagavatah–the topmost devotee;
POINT 2 We TOTALLY disagree.
.SB 7.1.27 P The Supreme Lord Is Equal to Everyone
Sriman Narada Muni, the TOPMOST PURE DEVOTEE, praises Krsna’s enemies like Sisupala because their minds are always completely absorbed in Krsna
SB 1.18.16 P Maharaja Pariksit Cursed by a Brahmana Boy
There is some controversy amongst the students on the path of liberation. Such transcendental students are known as impersonalists and devotees of the Lord. The devotee of the Lord worships the transcendental form of the Lord, whereas the impersonalist meditates upon the glaring effulgence, or the bodily rays of the Lord, known as the brahmajyoti. Here in this verse it is said that Maharaja Pariksit attained the lotus feet of the Lord by instructions in knowledge delivered by the son of Vyasadeva, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami. SUKADEVA GOSVAMI WAS ALSO AN IMPERSONALIST IN THE BEGINNING, AS HE HIMSELF HAS ADMITTED IN THE BHAGAVATAM (2.1.9), BUT LATER ON HE WAS ATTRACTED BY THE TRANSCENDENTAL PASTIMES OF THE LORD AND THUS BECAME A DEVOTEE. SUCH DEVOTEES WITH PERFECT KNOWLEDGE ARE CALLED MAHA-BHAGAVATAS, OR FIRST-CLASS DEVOTEES. There are three classes of devotees, namely the prakrta, madhyama, and maha-bhagavata. The prakrta, or third-class devotees, are temple worshipers without specific knowledge of the Lord and the Lord’s devotees. The madhyama, or the second-class devotee, knows well the Lord, the Lord’s devotees, the neophytes, and the nondevotees also. But the maha-bhagavata, or the first-class devotee, sees everything in relation with the Lord and the Lord present in everyone’s relation. The maha-bhagavata, therefore, does not make any distinction, particularly between a devotee and nondevotee. MAHARAJA PARIKSIT WAS SUCH A MAHA-BHAGAVATA DEVOTEE BECAUSE HE WAS INITIATED BY A MAHA-BHAGAVATA DEVOTEE, SUKADEVA GOSVAMI.
SB 1.3.40 Krsna Is the Source of All Incarnations
This Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and IT IS COMPILED BY SRILA VYASADEVA, THE INCARNATION OF GOD. It is meant for the ultimate good of all people, and it is all-successful, all-blissful and all-perfect.
Hirdayananda das “Goswami” states Vyasadeva —who is INCARNATION OF GOD is not Uttama adhikari.
Just see this nonsense word jugglery written by him.
Narada Muni has accepted Vyasadeva as his Guru and Srila Prabhupada states clearly the Guru MUST BE SITUATED ON THE TOPMOST PLATFORM OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. And the words used are
MAHA-BHAGAVATA-SRESTHO
Hridayananda das “Goswami” has stated “If only those who constantly see the form of Krsna are to be considered uttama-adhikaris, then Narada, Vyasa and Sukadeva cannot be considered topmost devotees, since they do not always see the Lord everywhere.”
Since according to scriptural authority the Guru is MAHA-BHAGAVATA-SRESTHO a Mahabhagavat (topmost devotee) Vyasadeva has NOT made a mistake by accepting Narada muni as his Mahabhagavata Guru. This is the correct conclusion. Hridayananda das “goswami’s” conclusion to suggest otherwise is not only faulty but also blaspheme against these Mahabhagavata devotees of the Lord.
Madhya 24.330 The Sixty-One Explanations of the Atmarama Verse
MAHA-BHAGAVATA-SRESTHO
brahmano vai gurur nrnam
sarvesam eva lokanam
asau pujyo yatha harih
maha-kula-prasuto ‘pi
sarva-yajnesu DIKSITAH
sahasra-sakhadhyayi ca
na guruh syad avaisnavah
THE GURU MUST BE SITUATED ON THE TOPMOST PLATFORM OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. THERE ARE THREE CLASSES OF DEVOTEES, AND THE GURU MUST BE ACCEPTED FROM THE TOPMOST CLASS. The first-class devotee is the spiritual master for all kinds of people. It is said: gurur nrnam. The word nrnam means “of all human beings.
The maha-bhagavata is one who decorates his body with tilaka and whose name indicates him to be a servant of Krsna by the word dasa. He is also initiated by a bona fide spiritual master and is expert in worshiping the Deity, chanting mantras correctly, performing sacrifices, offering prayers to the Lord, and performing sankirtana. He knows how to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and how to respect a Vaisnava. WHEN ONE HAS ATTAINED THE TOPMOST POSITION OF MAHA-BHAGAVATA, HE IS TO BE ACCEPTED AS A GURU AND WORSHIPED EXACTLY LIKE HARI, THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD. ONLY SUCH A PERSON IS ELIGIBLE TO OCCUPY THE POST OF A GURU.
Hridayananda das “goswami” has deviated from the conclusion of Srila Prabhupada and manufactured his speculative theory in the purport of his so-called Srimad Bhagavatam. The actual Srimad Bhagavatam is spotless purana but his purports are gross misunderstandings of how he himself has understood it.
“Madhya 17.186 T The Lord Travels to Vrndavana
tarko ‘pratisthah srutayo vibhinna
nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam
MAHAJANO YENA GATAH SA PANTHAH
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued,” ‘Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. THE SOLID TRUTH OF RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES IS HIDDEN IN THE HEART OF AN UNADULTERATED SELF-REALIZED PERSON. CONSEQUENTLY, AS THE SASTRAS CONFIRM, ONE SHOULD ACCEPT WHATEVER PROGRESSIVE PATH THE MAHAJANAS ADVOCATE.'”
Adi 8.39 The Author Receives the Orders of Krsna and Guru
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR A COMMON MAN TO WRITE BOOKS ON BHAKTI, FOR HIS WRITINGS WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE. HE MAY BE A VERY GREAT SCHOLAR AND EXPERT IN PRESENTING LITERATURE IN FLOWERY LANGUAGE, BUT THIS IS NOT AT ALL HELPFUL IN UNDERSTANDING TRANSCENDENTAL LITERATURE. Even if transcendental literature is written in faulty language, it is acceptable if it is written by a devotee, whereas so-called transcendental literature written by a mundane scholar, even if it is a very highly polished literary presentation, cannot be accepted. THE SECRET IN A DEVOTEE’S WRITING IS THAT WHEN HE WRITES ABOUT THE PASTIMES OF THE LORD, THE LORD HELPS HIM; HE DOES NOT WRITE HIMSELF. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (10.10), dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te. SINCE A DEVOTEE WRITES IN SERVICE TO THE LORD, THE LORD FROM WITHIN GIVES HIM SO MUCH INTELLIGENCE THAT HE SITS DOWN NEAR THE LORD AND GOES ON WRITING BOOKS.
KRSNADASA KAVIRAJA GOSVAMI CONFIRMS THAT WHAT VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA WROTE WAS ACTUALLY SPOKEN BY LORD CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, AND HE SIMPLY REPEATED IT.
Adi 9.4 The Tree of Devotional Service
This is the process for writing transcendental literature. A sentimentalist who has no Vaisnava qualifications cannot produce transcendental writings. There are many fools who consider krsna-lila to be a subject of art and write or paint pictures about the pastimes of Lord Krsna with the gopis, sometimes depicting them in a manner practically obscene. These fools take pleasure in material sense gratification, but one who wants to make advancement in spiritual life must scrupulously avoid their literature. Unless one is a servant of Krsna and the Vaisnavas, as Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami presents himself to be in offering respects to Lord Caitanya, His associates and His disciples, one should not attempt to write transcendental literature.
Adi 9.5 The Tree of Devotional Service
THIS IS THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF TRANSCENDENTAL WRITING. ONE MUST BE AN AUTHORIZED VAISNAVA, HUMBLE AND PURE. One should write transcendental literature to purify oneself, not for credit. By writing about the pastimes of the Lord, one associates with the Lord directly. One should not ambitiously think, “I shall become a great author. I shall be celebrated as a writer.” These are material desires. One should attempt to write for self-purification. It may be published or it may not be published, but that does not matter. If one is actually sincere in writing, all his ambitions will be fulfilled. Whether one is known as a great author is incidental. One should not attempt to write transcendental literature for material name and fame.
73-10-14.Pat Letter: Patita Uddharana:
The purport is that for TRANSCENDENTAL WRITING ONE MUST BE AN AUTHORIZED VAISNAVA and should write to purify oneself, not for credit. It may or may not be published, but one who is actually sincere in writing, all his ambitions will be fulfilled.
N98:72-12-03 Letter to: Billy Reyburne, (new98) letters
Regarding your question about writing songs about Krishna, this is not very important thing. You can write, but one cannot take it very seriously. If any Vaisnava is writing song about Krishna, that should be from one who himself has realized Krishna, just like our great saints and acaryas like Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Rupa Gosvami, six Gosvamins, Bilvamangala, Bhaktivinode Thakur, like that. THEY ARE SELF-REALIZED SOULS, THEREFORE IF THEY WRITE SOMETHING SONG ABOUT KRISHNA, THAT IS PERFECTLY FROM THE TRANSCENDENTAL PLATFORM, WITHOUT ANY TINGE OF MUNDANE INFLUENCE OR NONSENSE IMAGINATION. Unless someone comes in the category of these great leading Vaisnava personalities, his manufacturing some songs will be misleading to himself and to others. And unless his writing of poems and songs can be accepted as gospel, as Vedas or the Absolute Truth, such writing is diverting the attention from the subject matter only and should not be regarded very seriously. Now you should become serious to pursue this Krishna Consciousness movement with full energy of body, mind and soul. If you are writing poems and songs, that’s all right, you can do it also, but if you can write articles for our Back to Godhead magazine, that is better, that is solid preaching work. No one should write songs of Krishna unless he is self-realized soul, that will spoil the value of the whole thing. But try to use your writing and singing talent for Krishna’s preaching work, by writing articles, singing the kirtan, like that. Then you will be happy, and I think you should without further delay try to become devotees as the others are doing and live with us and practice the regulative principles of brahmacari life. In this way, become determined to fix your all attention for seeing Krishna face to face by the Krishna Consciousness process and then you shall qualify yourself for writing songs about Krishna and you chant always this Hare Krishna mantra you can come to the highest point of seeing Krishna very soon, you may know it for certain.
In conclusion:
Adi 11.7 The Expansions of Lord Nityananda
ONE SHOULD NOT WRITE BOOKS OR ESSAYS ON TRANSCENDENTAL SUBJECT MATTER FOR MATERIAL NAME, FAME OR PROFIT. TRANSCENDENTAL LITERATURE MUST BE WRITTEN UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A SUPERIOR AUTHORITY BECAUSE IT IS NOT MEANT FOR MATERIAL PURPOSES. If one tries to write under superior authority, he becomes purified. All Krsna conscious activities should be undertaken for personal purification (apana sodhite), not for material gain.
About the Author
Related Posts
We Are Not These Bodies →
Srila Prabhupada’s Original Krsna Book Now On-Line →
Yoga and the Master of Yoga →
Hare Krishna. Very nicely said. Hare Krishna.
Hare Krishna Prabhuji,
Would you please throw some light on Bhagwat Dharma Samaj they say that they are also preaching pure devotional service that srila prabhupada preached. They also have a guru who was disciple of Srika Prabhupada and Prabhupada initiated him. He has now become a guru and preaches pure devotional service. I am a little confused is he also a fraud?
Hare Krishna
Aditya Singh
I have no idea, I have never heard of it.
Such step by step knowledge gathering training may purify us all to be on the way of Maha Bhagavata.
Hare Krsna,
There is a misprint in the line-
“Narada Muni has accepted Vyasadeva as his Guru and Srila Prabhupada states clearly the Guru MUST BE SITUATED ON THE TOPMOST PLATFORM OF…”