Beautiful Truths of Bhagavata002 “Sadhus and Vaisnavas””

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

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Srimad Bhagavatam is called the “king of all spiritual books” (Grantha Raja) for good reason. Within this triguna-free, immaculate and divine spiritual shastra, the amalapurana, one will find all the sweet, majestic and beautiful truths about the sadhana and sadhya (daily practice and perfection) of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. 

In his most compassionate and wonderful shastra, Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita, Sri Krishna Dasa Kaviraja summarizes all the teachings of the six Goswamis of Vrindavana along with the key Bhagavatam verses which prove and substantiate these beautiful truths, and which the Goswamis themselves quoted in their own shastras. The same Bhagavatam verse is sometimes quoted once or twice or even four times within the Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita to highlight its importance for all devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Radha-Govinda Yugala.

With the grace of Sri Advaita Prabhu, Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas, we will quote some of these important Srimad Bhagavatam verses from the Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita to present the beautiful truths of Gaudiya Vaisnavism regarding Sri Krishna, Sri Radha, Bhakti Sadhana, Sri Harinama, Krishna Prema, Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas.

II. * THE BEAUTIFUL TRUTH OF SADHUS AND VAISNAVAS

1. Vaisnavas Are Inside Krishna’s Heart

sādhavohṛdayaṁmahyaṁ, sādhūnāṁhṛdayaṁtvaham

mad-anyattenajānanti,  nāhaṁtebhyomanāgapi

SB 9.4.68

Bhagavan Sri Vishnu said, “O Rishi Durvasa! The saints are within the core of My heart, and I am always in theirs. My devotees know nothing but Me, and I accept no one but them as Mine.”

Tika Sri Jiva Goswamipada: “In line one, the word mahyam means mama (my). The identity of the two hearts (Vishnu & bhakta) is explained.  They know nothing except Me (mad-anyat).  The non-difference is like saying “fire” to indicate flames or iron which is hot, because of the extreme absorption in each other.” (Priti San.65)

“The phrase hrḍayastvaham (the devotee is My very heart) means that what pains him pains Me, and what pleases him pleases Me.” (10.1.14 laghutoshani)

Tika Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti: “Sri Vishnu said, “O Durvasaji! Though I want to punish you for giving pain to My devotee Ambarisha, I will not because I affectionate to brāhmaṇas like you. But you should know that the devotees are My heart, and because you wanted to afflict my Ambarīṣa you have afflicted my heart. When the devotee’s heart is pleased, I am pleased. Go to Ambarīṣa and please him.”

Santa Durvasa replied, “But Ambarish invited me and without feeding me he ate instead. Do You not see his fault?”

Sri Vishnu: “Because My devotees don’t know anything except Me, Ambarīṣa simply did what I wanted him to do.”

Durvasa: “Ok, then please answer my question. According to dharma which is more respectable, a Brahmin or the tithi of Dvadaśī?”

Sri Vishnu: “Please go to Ambarish and he will answer you since you are so ignorant of dharmic truths. Personally, I know nothing more than My devotees know. The Shruti says drinking water is both eating and not eating. Thus Ambarīṣa has both respected you, the Brahmin, and honored the Dvadaśīparan time.”

“By this arrangement, Sri Vishnu is teaching Durvasa Muni, and all of us, the superiority of bhakti concerning observing the Dvādaśīparan over all other dharmas, by showing Durvasa the dire result of his actions.

Tika Srila Prabhupada: Since Durvāsā Muni wanted to chastise Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, it is to be understood that he wanted to give pain to the heart of Sri Krishna. Bhagavan’s feelings are like those of a father, who feels pain when his child is in pain. Offenses are compared to a mad elephant because when a mad elephant enters a garden it causes devastation.

“Therefore one should be extremely careful not to commit offenses. It is said, vaiṣṇaverakriyāmudrāvijñehanābujhaya [Cc. 2.23.39], that even the most learned or experienced person cannot understand the movements of a Vaiṣṇava. Thus one should never criticize a Vaisnava.”

2. Devotees Are Walking Holy Places

The pure devotees are holy places personified

bhavad-vidhābhāgavatās,   tīrtha-bhūtāḥsvayaṁvibho

tīrthī-kurvantitīrthāni,   svāntaḥ-sthenagadābhṛtā

SB 1.13.10

After Vidura returned from an extensive tirtha-yatra, King Yudhiṣṭhira greeted him saying, “Great devotees like you are verily holy places personified. Because you carry Bhagavan Sri Vishnu within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.”

Tika Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti: In this verse, Yuddhishthira says, “Your visiting of the holy places brings fortune to those places. Just your presence makes the holy places even greater by purifying the pure.”

Tika Srila Prabhupada: “The holy places all over the earth are meant for purifying the polluted consciousness of the human being. To go to a holy place does not mean only to take a bath in the Ganges or visit the temples. One must search out the pure devotees residing in such holy places, take lessons from them, and try to apply such instructions in practical life.”

3. Devotees Have All Good Qualities

yasyāstibhaktirbhagavatyakiñcanā, sarvairguṇaistatrasamāsatesurāḥ

harāvabhaktasyakutomahad-guṇā, manorathenāsatidhāvatobahiḥ

SB 5.18.12 (Cc.  2x)

“All the good qualities of all the devatas reside within Sri Krishna’s devotee. A non-devotee, however, has no good qualities because he/she is always running in the external world sitting on the chariot of their minds.”

Tika Srila Prabhupada: “Śrī Paṇḍita Haridāsa is described as being very well behaved, tolerant, peaceful, magnanimous and grave. In addition, he spoke very sweetly, acted in a pleasing way, was always patient, he respected everyone, he always worked for everyone's benefit, his mind was free of duplicity, and he was completely devoid of all malicious activities. These are all originally qualities of Kṛṣṇa, and when one becomes a devotee they automatically become manifest. Śrī Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja, says only by the presence of these good qualities can one distinguish a Vaiṣṇava from a non-Vaiṣṇava.”

4. Devotees Wear Ornaments of Good Qualities 

titikṣavaḥkāruṇikāḥ,  suhṛdaḥsarva-dehinām

ajāta-śatravaḥśāntāḥ,  sādhavaḥsādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ

SB 3.25.21

“Saintly persons are ornamented with the qualities of being tolerant, merciful, friendly to all beings, without enemies and peaceful.

5.  Benefits of Associating with Devotees

mahat-sevāṁdvāramāhurvimuktes, tamo-dvāraṁyoṣitāṁsaṅgi-saṅgam

mahāntastesama-cittāḥpraśāntā, vimanyavaḥsuhṛdaḥsādhavo ye

SB 5.5.2

Serving saints opens the door to liberation, whereas association with those attached to women opens the door to hell. Saintly persons are balanced, fully peaceful, free from pride and anger, friendly, and well-behaved.

Tika Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti: From the human body, one can gain liberation or material bondage. Association with the saintly is the door to varieties (vi) of liberation i.e. brahma-sayujya or Sri Vishnu parishad. Samacittāḥ means one with a sincere heart, the devotee. Praśāntāḥ means one who intelligence is fixed in Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Śamo man-niṣṭhatābuddheḥ: śama means intelligence fixed in me. (SB 11.19.36) Sādhavaḥ means “those who do not see fault in others.”

Vaisnava Tattva ki jai! Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!