20211231 Nārada Instructs Mṛgāri to Serve Tulasī and Continuously Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā-Mantra Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 31st December 2021 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Toady we are continuing reading for the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled is:

Nārada Instructs Mṛgāri to Serve Tulasī and Continuously Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā-Mantra, Part 2 

Under the section: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.252

nārada-saṅge vyādhera mana parasanna ha-ila 
tāṅra vākya śuni’ mane bhaya upajila

Translation: “In this way, through the association of the great sage Nārada Muni, the hunter was a little convinced of his sinful activity. He therefore became somewhat afraid due to his offenses.

Purport: This is the effect of associating with a pure devotee. Our preachers who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world should follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni and become purified by following the four principles and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This will make them fit to become Vaiṣṇavas. Then, when they speak to sinful people about the teachings of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, people will be affected and take the instructions. We receive instructions in devotional service through the disciplic succession. Nārada Muni is our original guru because he is the spiritual master of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the spiritual master of our disciplic succession; therefore we should follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni and become pure Vaiṣṇavas. A pure Vaiṣṇava is one who has no ulterior motive. He has totally dedicated himself to the service of the Lord. He does not have material desires, and he is not interested in so-called learning and philanthropic work. The so-called learned scholars and philanthropists are actually karmīs and jñānīs, and some are actually misers engaged in sinful activity. All are condemned because they are not devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Everyone has a chance to become purified by associating with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and strictly following the rules and regulations. By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from all contamination, especially contamination brought about by the killing of animals. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself requests:

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Bg. 18.66)

We should take this instruction from Kṛṣṇa and follow in the footsteps of Nārada Muni in the disciplic succession. If we simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet and take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, we can be freed from the karma incurred by sin. If we are intelligent enough, we shall engage in the loving service of the Lord. Then our lives will be successful, and we shall not have to suffer like the hunter life after life. By killing animals, not only will we be bereft of the human form but we will have to take an animal form and somehow or other be killed by the same type of animal we have killed. This is the law of nature. The Sanskrit word māṁsa means “meat.” It is said, māṁ saḥ khadati iti māṁsaḥ. That is, “I am now eating the flesh of an animal who will some day in the future be eating my flesh.”

So, by serving Lord Kṛṣṇa one can freed from all sinful reactions and by associating with great devotees like Nārada Muni, one naturally becomes disinclined to committing sinful acts and thus engages in pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa has promised if you surrender to Me I will protect you from all sinful reactions.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.253

vyādha kahe, — “bālya haite ei āmāra karma 
kemane tarimu muñi pāmara adhama?

Translation: “The hunter then admitted that he was convinced of his sinful activity, and he said, ‘I have been taught this business from my very childhood. Now I am wondering how I can become freed from these unlimited volumes of sinful activity.’

Purport: This kind of admission is very beneficial as long as one does not again commit sin. Cheating and hypocrisy are not tolerated by higher authorities. If one understands what sin is, he should give it up with sincerity and regret and surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His agent, the pure devotee. In this way, one can be freed from the reactions of sin and make progress in devotional service. However, if one continues committing sins after making some atonement, he will not be saved. In the śāstras, such atonement is compared to an elephant’s bathing. An elephant takes a very good bath and cleanses its body very nicely, but as soon as it comes out of the water, it picks up some dust on the shore and throws it all over its body. Atonement may be carried out very nicely, but it will not help a person if he continues committing sins. Therefore the hunter first admitted his sinful activity before the saintly person Nārada and then asked how he could be saved.

In other words, just to make atonement and then to again commit sins is not very useful, so the hunter wanted to know how he could be saved from further sins.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.254

ei pāpa yāya mora, kemana upāye? 
nistāra karaha more, paḍoṅ tomāra pāye”

Translation: “The hunter continued, ‘My dear sir, please tell me how I can be relieved from the reactions of my sinful life. Now I fully surrender unto you and fall down at your lotus feet. Please deliver me from sinful reactions.’

Purport: By the grace of Nārada Muni, the hunter came to his good senses and immediately surrendered unto the saint’s lotus feet. This is the process. By associating with a saintly person, one is able to understand the reactions of his sinful life. When one voluntarily surrenders to a saintly person who is a representative of Kṛṣṇa and follows his instructions, one can become freed from sinful reactions. Kṛṣṇa demands the surrender of a sinful man, and Kṛṣṇa’s representative gives the same instructions. The representative of Kṛṣṇa never tells his disciple, “Surrender unto me.” Rather he says, “Surrender unto Kṛṣṇa.” If the disciple accepts this principle and surrenders himself through the representative of Kṛṣṇa, his life is saved.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the hunter asked Nārada how he could be freed from his sinful reactions. Nārada is telling him how he can surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.255

nārada kahe, — ‘yadi dhara āmāra vacana 
tabe se karite pāri tomāra mocana’

Translation: “Nārada Muni assured the hunter, ‘If you listen to my instructions, I shall find the way you can be liberated.’

Purport: Gaurāṅgera bhakta-gaṇe jane jane śakti dhare. The purport of this song is that the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are very powerful, and each and every one of them can deliver the whole world. What, then, to speak of Nārada Muni? If one follows the instructions of Nārada Muni, one can be delivered from any number of sinful reactions. This is the process. One must follow the instructions of a spiritual master; then one will certainly be delivered from all sinful reactions. This is the secret of success. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. If one has unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, the result is tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ: all the conclusions of the revealed scriptures will be open to such a person. A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa can make the same demands that Nārada Muni is making. He says, “If you follow my instructions, I shall take responsibility for your liberation.” A pure devotee like Nārada can give assurance to any sinful man because by the grace of the Lord such a devotee is empowered to deliver any sinful person if that person follows the principles set forth.

In other words if one engages a person in the activities recommended by Lord Caitanya and Lord Kṛṣṇa then he can liberate anyone if they follow.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.256

vyādha kahe, — ‘yei kaha, sei ta’ kariba’ 
nārada kahe, — ‘dhanuka bhāṅga, tabe se kahiba’

Translation: “The hunter then said, ‘My dear sir, whatever you say I shall do.’

Purport: “Nārada immediately ordered him, ‘First of all, break your bow. Then I shall tell you what is to be done.’

This is the process of initiation. The disciple must vow that he will no longer commit sinful activity — namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. He promises to execute the order of the spiritual master. Then the spiritual master takes care of him and elevates him to spiritual emancipation.

So, Nārada Muni was testing the hunter, that if he broke his bow then he could no longer to hunt. Whether he is willing to really accept the instructions of Nārada Muni? This is the test.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.257

vyādha kahe, — ‘dhanuka bhāṅgile vartiba kemane?’ 
nārada kahe, — ‘āmi anna diba prati-dine’

Translation: “The hunter replied, ‘If I break my bow, how shall I maintain myself?’

Purport: “Nārada Muni replied, ‘Do not worry. I shall supply all your food every day.’

The source of our income is not actually the source of our maintenance. Every living being — from the great Brahmā down to an insignificant ant — is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. The one Supreme Being, Kṛṣṇa, maintains everyone. Our so-called source of income is our own choice only. If I wish to be a hunter, it will appear that hunting is the source of my maintenance. If I become a brāhmaṇa and completely depend on Kṛṣṇa, I do not conduct a business, but nonetheless my maintenance is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. The hunter was disturbed about breaking his bow because he was worried about his income. Nārada Muni assured the hunter because he knew that the hunter was not being maintained by the bow but by Kṛṣṇa. Being the agent of Kṛṣṇa, Nārada Muni knew very well that the hunter would not suffer by breaking the bow. There was no doubt that Kṛṣṇa would supply him food.

The principle that Kṛṣṇa maintains all living entities so that if the hunter ceases to hunt, Kṛṣṇa would still maintain it, if he follows the instructions of Nārada Muni.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.258

dhanuka bhāṅgi’ vyādha tāṅra caraṇe paḍila 
tāre uṭhāñā nārada upadeśa kaila

Translation: “Being thus assured by the great sage Nārada Muni, the hunter broke his bow, immediately fell down at the saint’s lotus feet and fully surrendered. After this, Nārada Muni raised him with his hand and gave him instructions for spiritual advancement.

Purport: This is the process of initiation. The disciple must surrender to the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master, being in the disciplic succession stemming from Nārada Muni, is in the same category with Nārada Muni. A person can be relieved from his sinful activity if he surrenders to the lotus feet of a person who actually represents Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni gave instructions to the hunter after the hunter surrendered.

The hunter surrendered to Nārada Muni, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that this is the real initiation, that you accept the spiritual master in your heart. Naturally the spiritual master would ask the devotee, tells the devotee to cease doing sinful activities, thus the devotee gets established in pure devotional service.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.259

“ghare giyā brāhmaṇe deha’ yata āche dhana 
eka eka vastra pari’ bāhira hao dui-jana

Translation: “Nārada Muni then advised the hunter, ‘Return home and distribute whatever riches you have to the pure brāhmaṇas who know the Absolute Truth. After you have distributed all your riches to the brāhmaṇas, you and your wife should leave home, each of you taking only one cloth to wear.’

Purport: This is the process of renunciation at the stage of vānaprastha. After enjoying householder life for some time, the husband and wife must leave home and distribute their riches to brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. One can keep his wife as an assistant in the vānaprastha stage. The idea is that the wife will assist the husband in spiritual advancement. Therefore Nārada Muni advised the hunter to adopt the vānaprastha stage and leave home. It is not that a gṛhastha should live at home until he dies. Vānaprastha is preliminary to sannyāsa. In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there are many young couples engaged in the Lord’s service. Eventually they are supposed to take vānaprastha, and after the vānaprastha stage the husband may take sannyāsa in order to preach. The wife may then remain alone and serve the Deity or engage in other activities within the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Jayapatākā Swami: So here Śrīla Prabhupāda is explaining normal process of a gṛhastha life, vānaprastha life and sannyāsa. Of course, in Kali-yuga taking sannyāsa is prohibited. So, sannyāsa is taken if one lives in an āśrama or temple. Previously the sannyāsīs live in the forest, but that is not possible today.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.260

nadī-tīre eka-khāni kuṭīra kariyā 
tāra āge eka-piṇḍi tulasī ropiyā

Translation: “Nārada Muni continued, ‘Leave your home and go to the river. There you should construct a small cottage, and in front of the cottage you should grow a tulasī plant on a raised platform.

So, he is saying how he should perform his devotional service.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.261

tulasī-parikramā kara, tulasī-sevana 
nirantara kṛṣṇa-nāma kariha kīrtana

Translation: “After planting the tulasī tree before your house, you should daily circumambulate that tulasī plant, serve her by giving her water and other things, and continuously chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.’

Purport: This is the beginning of spiritual life. After leaving householder life, one may go to a holy place, such as the bank of the Ganges or Yamunā, and erect a small cottage. A small cottage can be constructed without any expenditure. Four logs serving as pillars can be secured by any man from the forest. The roof can be covered with leaves, and one can cleanse the inside. Thus one can live very peacefully. In any condition, any man can live in a small cottage, plant a tulasī tree, water it in the morning, offer it prayers, and continuously chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Thus one can make vigorous spiritual advancement. This is not at all difficult. One simply has to follow the instructions of the spiritual master strictly. Then everything will be successful in due course of time. As far as eating is concerned, there is no problem. If Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, supplies everyone with eatables, why should He not supply His devotee? Sometimes a devotee will not even bother to construct a cottage. He will simply go to live in a mountain cave. One may live in a cave, in a cottage beside a river, in a palace or in a big city like New York or London. In any case, a devotee can follow the instructions of his spiritual master and engage in devotional service by watering the tulasī plant and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Taking the advice of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and our spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, one can go to any part of the world and instruct people to become devotees of the Lord by following the regulative principles, worshiping the tulasī plant and continuously chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Previously one could construct a cottage easily as described herein. Today it’s a bit more difficult but somehow or another one should live in a holy place or temple, worship tulasī plant, do parikramā, watering and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, taking a bath in a sacred river or living in a temple in some city. The point is that you should use your energy by telling people about the bliss of serving Kṛṣṇa and thus people may engage their life in devotional service and make their life perfect.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 24.262

āmi tomāya bahu anna pāṭhāimu dine 
sei anna labe, yata khāo dui-jane”

Translation: “Nārada Muni continued, ‘Every day I shall send sufficient food to you both. You can take as much food as you want.’

Purport: When a person takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no need to care for material necessities. Kṛṣṇa says, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: “I personally carry all necessities to My devotees.” Why should one be anxious about the necessities of life? The principle should be that one should not want more than what is absolutely necessary. Nārada Muni advises the hunter to accept only what is absolutely necessary for him and his wife. The devotee should always be alert to consume only those things that he absolutely requires and not create unnecessary needs.

Jayapatākā Swami: Nārada Muni promised that the hunter and his wife would get sufficient food, but if he sends more they should just take what they need. So, this was a very interesting proposition by Nārada Muni.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Nārada Instructs Mṛgāri to Serve Tulasī and Continuously Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā-Mantra, Part 2

Under the section: The Sixty-One Explanations of the Ātmārāma Verse

One meaning of Ātmārāma is a very fallen person, a person very ignorant of self-realization. So in this pastime of Mṛgāri the hunter told by Lord Caitanya he was illustrating how an ignorant person could also be delivered.