“Utility is the principle” is referring to varnasrama

Lecture Dated : February 22nd, 2011 On Appearance of HDGSrila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura at Sridham Mayapur
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As you have possibly noticed there is no board, no verse for today’s class.

As we all know today being very auspicious appearance day of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. With your kind blessings (without the blessings of the Vaisnavas we cannot do anything) we will try to speak something. (Maharaj clears the throat) We are constantly being challenged in this material world as you can see.

Naturally such a personality as Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura plays a very important role and a very important place within our Sampradaya, within our Iskcon Society in particular being the inspiration and spiritual master of the founder acarya of our society, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. There are so many things to be said. I thought I would try to select a few. One is in terms of in order to appreciate and understand more clearly and more appropriately the exalted position or Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura it is helpful for us to understand the exalted position of great personalities very directly intimately connected with Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. And of course that begins with the both – we can say – material father and spiritual father of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur.

He was in many ways not only the material father but also the main visionary personality who inaugurated something which practically had been forgotten.
We all know the history of our Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition from the time of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who created a whole renaissance and established and produced the bhakti movement. When we read such writings, especially of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura and that is naturally reflected in the writings of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and in those of Srila Prabhupada as well. We need to understand and keep in focus, keep in mind always that we have the great fortune, great opportunity to be part of something very extraordinary.

Kali yuga normally means total full misery, increasing misery. Kali yuga has been established for that purpose. All the most fallen souls will come in this age of Kali yuga and normally there is actually no hope for the living entities but because as we know the advent of Lord Caitanya, the yuga avatara who introduced the yuga dharma. But that yuga dharma during the time of course of Lord Caitanya was very strongly established and strongly preached personally by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His immediate followers, the Gosvamis of Vrindavan and then personalities like Symananda Pandita and Srinivas Acarya and Narottam dasa Thakura.

Then as we know for about two hundred years or so the whole things went down and it was practically at the time of Bhaktivinode Thakura nonexistent. All was very heavily mutilated, changed and destructed. So Bhaktivinode Thakura restarted, rediscovered and redirected the mission of Lord Caitanya and he personally trained his son.

Actually he prayed as we know, he prayed for a ray of Lord Visnu, someone who could take up this mission that he had revived. And this was of course Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura who was known as Bimal Prasada in his early life. He was so fortunate to be born in a Vaisnava family. And Srila Prabhupada as we know by some great fortune was also born of Vaisnava parents. And he got personal training of such an exalted personality as Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura whom he considered not only as his material father but understood his very exalted, elevated personality, acarya.

Together the devised a plan to actually reverse Kali, reverse Kali yuga. To reverse Kali yuga is not an easy task. But actually that is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and that is what both Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did. They planned and established foundation, gave the essential teachings and this was taken by our Srila Prabhupada.

We all know how Srila Prabhupada had very little direct association. Five, six or seven times he personally met, had exchanges with his spiritual master. Yet he was able to absorb, imbibe the whole mission of both Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura.

Just like we have this very wonderful prayer:

sri-caitanya-mano-‘bhistam, sthapitam yena bhu-tale svayam rupah kada mahyam, dadati sva-padantikam [Srila Rupa Goswami]

As he explains, “My dear Lord, let me try to enter and understand Your most inner thoughts and feelings and desires.” Unless we understand the inner desires of our present and previous acaryas, how we can actually take up and conduct properly the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

So Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura was a perfect visionary and his grandson, Srila Prabhupada was a perfect visionary by taking up this vision of Bhaktivinode Thakur and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to introduce on a worldwide basis what had been projected or what had been predicted actually, by Bhaktivinode Thakura.

We need to go back a little before Srila Prabhupada went to the western countries because actually Srila Prabhupada had everything planned out, the essential of what he would do was clearly in his mind. There is actually what we call a four-fold vision that Srila Prabhupada has given. Not only has he written this vision. He has also demonstrated by establishing this International Society for Krishna Consciousness and by inaugurating himself this fourfold vision.

This fourfold vision of Srila Prabhupada is very much connected to Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in the following of four principles beginning with books are the basis. Kindly follow the order. Secondly is purity is the force. The third is preaching is the essence and four is utility is the principle. There is an order. There is a scientific order for these four instructions. And they are related with the fourfold vision that

Srila Prabhupada put into writing. And for each and every single member of this International Society for Krishna consciousness we are duty bound as great fortunate souls who are inheriting this mission and this vision as well. So Srila Prabhupada, way back in 1949 and in still less understood or even known essay which he has written and which appeared in the ‘Back to Godhead Magazine’ 1956 he repeats that same vision. When he established his International Society for Krishna consciousness he also repeated or established the same. I will come to that point.

Something very important is that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura and his son Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura they endeavored and they were very successful as well to lay the foundation for what has now become an expansion of that vision of these two great personalities, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. But unless we keep in mind, unless we deeply understand what that vision is then we will not be properly representing these personalities, Bhaktivinode Thakur and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

We can also trace all of this back to the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who inaugurated books are the basis. Closely connected with books is harinam. Lord Caitanya inaugurated the harinam sankirtana movement and simultaneously He ordered His most intimate disciples, the six Goswamis to go to Vrindavan and to extensively write books. And of course we know within our Iskcon Society Srila Prabhupada referred to his books as the brhat-mrdanga. His explanation was that the holy name can go far and wide all over the world.

The Goswamis in Vrindavan were inspired by rich merchant kings to establish monumental temples, major temples of Vrindavan. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura similarly he began what we are now following as well this Gauramandal Parikrama and also Vrajamandal Parikrama based on harinama. He also established sixty four Gaudiya Maths and he also very forcibly preached and attracted so many people, thousands who became his initiated disciples, congregation.

There is a very important letter which I would like to read in a few minutes but before that I just want to summarize very briefly these fourfold vision which Srila Prabhupada actually connected with the fourfold movements of Gandhi. Srila Prabhupada often refers to Gandhi as understanding of village augmentation. He spoke of that in various ways.

The fourfold mission that Prabhupada identified and he coined them very clearly: Number one being he called it the sankirtana movement based on the holy name and books. If we just think of how the movement has started we can follow this very easily.

The second that he identified was deity worship movement – Srila Prabhupda’s words. Just like now as we refer to it we are sitting in a very strategic place when we are giving the Bhagavatam class, we can see the temple coming up. So building a temple is the second of the vision given by Srila Prabhupada and by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur as well.

The third is what Srila Prabhupada coined as spiritual initiation movement, attracting people, developing congregation, introducing and training individuals to become committed to the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu by formerly taking vows and accepting initiation.

The fourth movement that Srila Prabhupada spoke about, he gave the title classless society movement, which is actually referring to varnasrama. These four constitute the complete whole.

And a very important letter that was written by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura which I would like to read right now in which he is actually making reference to these points. Coming back to these four maxims you can say books are the basis. Books are the basis is the beginning. Just like when you build any construction you have to have four pillars then your will have a solid foundation. So, that first one is actually transcendental literatures.

This is the letter written by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura. It begins by addressing the letter:

Sarasvati, (Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) This letter is very closely connected with Mayaur actually, our whole movement is of course intimately connected, and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu having appeared here and our whole inspiration of what we are trying to do all over the world is from Sridham Mayapur.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur writes to his son: “People in this world who are proud of their aristocratic birth cannot attain real aristocracy. Therefore the attack a pure Vaisnava saying they have taken birth in low class families because of their sins. Thus they commit offences by thinking in this way. The solution to this problem is to establish the order of daivi-varnasrama-dharma, something you have started doing. You should know that to be the real service to the Vaisnavas. Because pure devotional service inclusions are not being preached all kinds of superstitions and bad concepts are being called devotion by such pseudo sampradayas as sahajiya and ativadi.
Please always crush these ant-devotional concepts by preaching pure devotional conclusion and by setting an example through your personal conduct. (Then he goes on to another aspect.) Please make great effort so we can start the parikrama of Sridham Navadvip as soon as possible. It is by those actions that everyone in this world will receive Krishna bhakti.
Please try very hard to make sure that the service to Sri Mayapur will become a permanent thing and will become brighter and brighter every day.
The real service to Sri Mayapur can be done by acquiring printing presses, distributing devotional books, and preaching congregational chanting, not reclusive bhajan. Please do not neglect to serve Sri Mayapur or to preach for the sake of your own reclusive bhajana. (And he makes one very important point at the end also.) I had a special desire to preach the significance of such books as Srimad-Bhagavatyam, Sat-Sandarbha, and Vedanta Darshana. You have to accept that responsibility. Sri Mayapur will prosper if you will establish an educational institution there.” (We know that part of the plan in the pipeline is o establish a university.) In this iGita-Nagari Srila Prabhupada mentions two important points amongst others. That the first thing one should do in any community is establish a temple of Radha and Krishna whereby everyone can become focused on the principle activity of devotional service.
And the second most important thing as soon as a temple is established one should develop and introduce educational facilities, educational institution. We have a kind of dual challenge. We have many challenges but there is a dual challenge which sometimes as devotees we get confused. That dual challenge we refer you to is – this was nicely brought out actually in a break out session yesterday. Our Balabadra Prabhu made what I thought was a very significant statement. He was mentioning how as devotees we are meant to be part of two lilas: The Gaura lila, here we are in Sridham Mayapur and the Krishna lila which is in Vrindavan.

Gaura lila gives main emphasis on bhakti cult, devotional service. Gaura lila encompasses many things but Gaura lila is in Vrindavan. So Balabadra Prabhu was pointing out how we should be conscious. We should be careful not to forget what Vrindavan is meant to be, what is Vrindavan and we need to actually balance these two. As a matter of fact very often devotees are perplexed. Prabhupada arranged that we are not. Gaura Purnima festival means that we first come to Mayapur Dham then after the Mayapur festival we go to Vrindavan Dham.

We are sometimes perplexed because these are two dhams and the bhava, the sentiments are different although related. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura because sometimes that dilemma is there for devotees, “Should I go to Mayapur Dhama because actually I have only a few days, should I go to Mayapur Dhama or should I go to Vrindavan Dhama?” Of course we know that both are present, Mayapur Dhama is also present in Vrisndavan Dhama and vice versa.”
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has nicely explained in and revealed in the Brahma-Samhita in one of the many wonderful purports that for the followers of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu there will be no such dilemma because once having perfected our lives as devotees, once we become qualified to go back to the spiritual world to Goloka Vrindavan in some very inconceivable way as followers and devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu we will be simultaneously able to participate in Gaura lila and Krishna lila.
That is some special mercy that the devotees or followers of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu have.
On this very important day of the appearance of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura who was known as and referred to by our Srila Prabhupada as Vaikuntha man, as a Simha Guru, lion guru. He was referred to as a very extraordinary personality. Some contemporary persons referred to him as a walking encyclopaedia. He had so much knowledge, he read so many books. It was in Jaipur isn’t it – I don’t know the name of the king at that time – but he spent some years very deeply reading and studying. So we all know that he was such a well versed person that most of us who are from English background feel a little ashamed to read his books because he uses so many words that we cannot understand. It is very difficult to read his books.
Prabhupada is very merciful to write for us in a more easily accessible language.

We are part of this sampradaya and we are inheriting this mission of these two great personalities, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and our Srila Prabhupada has given all of the purports. We always have to remind ourselves that in all these wonderful purports given by Srila Prabhupada, he has taken the essence from all these seven major acaryas who have given their commentaries on the Bhagavatam. So it is like super powerful. You cannot get such kind of purports and that is why Srila Prabhupada’s books are so important and so effective when people come in contact with them.

So we should pray – I am praying on this day and I invite everyone also to pray for the mercy of such an exalted personality, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on his appearance day today so that we can more clearly understand the whole spectrum of what is this mission that our founder acarya, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada has introduced to this Iskcon Society and that we can clearly and more deeply understand this mission of Srila Prabhupada. Then we will be more effectively assisting him. The perfection of success of a devotee is to please guru, is to understand the desires of the guru.

Prabhupada said that the first class devotee is someone who doesn’t even need to be asked to do something. He will understand. Whereas the fourth class devotee has to be told and even then he doesn’t do it. And then there is in between. So we should aspire to become first class, serve as first class followers, first class disciples and grand disciples of Srila Prabhupada. We have this very great mission.

There is no mission greater than actually this mission of spreading Krishna consciousness because only Krishna consciousness as Srila Prabhupada on so many occasions has explained can actually save the world because it is only Lord Caitanya’s mission that has the knowledge and solution for powerfully redirecting present day misdirected society. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. I would appreciate a few comments or questions if there are any.

Prabhu: When you said or you promised us you would explain these most of the verses and purity is the force and how they are related and how they evolve.
Thank you Maharaj.

HH Bhakti Raghava Swami: Yes. Just very briefly – books are the basis, that is an easy one. They are transcendental books and they are an extension of the holy name which relate to the first vision of Srila Prabhupada.
Purity is the force – Unless we are pure, unless we become purified brahmanas we cannot worship the deities. We cannot establish temples. So the second is that one requires purity. Purity is the force. When we are having the holy name when we have these books and when we are purified then we can preach effectively.

So number three – preaching is the essence – preaching means bringing people, attracting. Within our society, that means congregation preaching.
So preaching is the essence.

And utility is the principle obviously. In the beginning we all thought that was the situation. It the beginning when this movement started all the devotees where living in the temples. Then gradually they started going out.
Majority of the devotees present now in Iskcon are congregation. But Srila Prabhupada wanted to go beyond that as well and encompass the entire world.
So utility is the principle is referring to varnasrama, is referring to the natural system given by Krishna – how to organize not only our own Iskcon Society but how to organize the whole of society. So varnasrama-dharma you see the duel, there is bhagavat dharma and there is varnasrama dharma and they are meant to go hand in hand. And if we lose sight of that or if we don’t balance that then we are in trouble. So these four maxims are directly related to these four visions given by our acaryas.
Prabhu: Are these four guidelines also related with the bhagavat marg path and the pancaratrika marg path?

HH Bhakti Raghava Swami: Yes. They work in coalition. Actually the first three build a special importance and emphasis – books, establishing temples and congregation. These three are especially connected with the brahmanical aspect, which is primarily bhagavat dharma. And in many ways because the fourth one is leaning, the fourth one, actually unless we understand some basic principles about ksatriya and the other varnas then we will have difficulties with that fourth one and we are actually. We are having difficulties with that fourth one.

So there is a very important need for us to make the difference and also the connection between bhagavata dharma and varnasrama-dharma. That requires quite a bit of discussion but it is something important, which we have tended to possibly not sufficiently able to discuss but there is relation.
This will be the last question because it is 9am.

Prabhu: Hare Krishna. Maharaj I heard that Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura encouraged preaching especially in the heart of cities like the Bhaag Bazaar Temple in Calcutta. Did Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura also establish farm communities or encourage simple living and high thinking or this varnasrama development?

HH Bhakti Raghava Swami: To my knowledge he did not as our Srila Prabhupada has spoken so often about it as Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur also. We need to understand what is called time, place and circumstance. There was and there still is in many ways, there is an ongoing development that is taking place.
And just like in the beginning of our movement the main emphasis was actually on book distribution. Although Srila Prabhupada established some farm communities but the main thrust and statements that we are reminded of very often – if you are not doing book distribution you are in maya; nothing pleases me as much as book distribution. These things are there but we need to keep the overall trust of what the actual mission is.

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura began to introduce varnasrama aspects. Number one by taking sannyasa; by introducing brahminiacal diksa initiation. So in other words the process had begun and Srila Prabhupada is continuing that process. We always have to be cautious. Just like sometimes we quote certain sayings from Srila Prabhupada out of context. In a similar way we look at these three personalities and in the historical development we have to see and that is the quality of a brahmana. Brahmana is meant to develop broad vision. That is not always easy. That is not always obvious but it is very important to keep that principle in mind and I would say that the beginning for Srila Bhakti Siddhanta was that he emphasised on books, printing press and on the holy name.

In those days, the last point I will make: The kind of deterioration that exists today where there is a very dangerous, beyond dangerous level where we have this massive shift. It is a global shift from agrarian lifestyle to urban lifestyle which is actually if one analyses properly against the principles of dharma. It does mean that we do not live or preach in the cities but we have to look at things in a broader way as is possible and then we can understand why certain acarya’s have done certain things at a particular point. That is an interesting question and important one to consider. I will close here. Thank you very much. Jaya Srila Prabhupada Ki!
Jai Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jia! Gaura Premenande! Hari-haribol!

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