20240813 Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta 1.6. Determining the Sādhana

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

First Shower — Sixth Stream

Determining the Sādhana

After one is established in devotional service, the positive actions are (1) hearing, (2) chanting, (3) remembering, (4) worshiping, (5) praying, (6) serving, (7) accepting servitorship, (8) becoming a friend and (9) surrendering fully.

Jayapatākā Swami: These nine processes of bhakti-yoga are represented by the nine islands which Rādhārāṇī put responsible for. Sīmantadvīpa – hearing, Godrumadvīpa is chanting, Madhyadvīpa – remembering. Like that, each island is connected with one of the processes of bhakti-yoga. So it is very important to put these practices to active use.

TEXT: One should also (10) dance before the Deity,

Jayapatākā Swami: Dancing and chanting before the Deity was something I used to do! But presently, I am not able to do. So devotees should take advantage and chant before the Deities, and dance for the Deities.

(11) sing before the Deity, (12) open one’s mind to the Deity,

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, normally we don’t see Kṛṣṇa. But He is so kind that He has appeared before us in His Deity form. We should open our mind to Kṛṣṇa, to the Deities.

(13) offer obeisances to the Deity,

Jayapatākā Swami: So before the Deities of Kṛṣṇa, we offer with our left side.

(14) stand up before the Deity and the spiritual master just to show them respect,

Jayapatākā Swami: If the spiritual master walks into the room, we should stand in respect. Pay obeisances and then stand in the side.

(15) follow the Deity or the spiritual master and (16) visit different places of pilgrimage or go see the Deity in the temple.

Jayapatākā Swami: In India there are many places of pilgrimage. And we can go from one place to another. If one is in the West, then go to the temple and see the Deity. They are all holy places.

One should (17) circumambulate the temple,

Jayapatākā Swami: There are different rules, in Viṣṇu temple is like three or four times. All the temples, there are prescribed ways to do circumambulation.

(18) recite various prayers,

Jayapatākā Swami: One can recite different prayers of our previous ācāryas. And the devotees sometime sing songs composed by our previous ācāryas.

(19) chant softly,

Jayapatākā Swami: When one chants japa, they should chant softly to respect the Deity.

(20) chant congregationally,

Jayapatākā Swami: If everybody is chanting a particular song, then chant the same mantra with them. It is not that they are saying one thing, and you chant something else.

(21) smell the incense and flower garlands offered to the Deity,

Jayapatākā Swami: Usually a flower garland that was offered to the Deity, you smell that, you offer respect to it.

and (22) eat the remnants of food offered to the Deity.

Jayapatākā Swami: You should audio break eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda.

One should (23) attend ārati and festivals,

Jayapatākā Swami: There are different āratis and temple observances of festivals. So one should attend them. Starting this Friday commences the Jhulana ārati. Everyone should try to attend as much as possible.

(24) see the Deity,

Jayapatākā Swami: We want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, therefore when the Deities are open we want to see them.

(25) present what is very dear to oneself to the Deity,

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa will observe that the dear thing to yourself, you are offering to Him. If you keep it with yourself, Kṛṣṇa will also notice that!

(26) meditate on the Deity,

Jayapatākā Swami: Nor only see the Deity, but also meditate on the Deity. Sometimes people chant their rounds meditating on the Deity.

(27-30) serve those related to the Lord. Tadīya means the tulasī leaves, the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, the birthplace of Kṛṣṇa (Mathurā), and the Vedic literature Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛṣṇa is very eager to see His devotee serve tulasī, Vaiṣṇavas, Mathurā and Bhāgavatam.

Jayapatākā Swami: So these things are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9), janma karma ca me divyam. So if we can go to the birthplace of the Lord or some holy place, that is pleasing to the Lord, So all these birthplaces are residences of the devotees of the Lord in Gaura-maṇḍala Bhūmi. We intend to dedicate those. One of my services to Śrīla Prabhupāda is to attend to the Gaura-maṇḍala Bhūmi vāsīs. The devotees, who have appeared in Gaura-maṇḍala Bhūmi, we want to have some shrine offered to them. They are known as śrīpāṭs.

Note:

The paraphernalia in the pastimes are tadīya; namely—all the stimulants (uddīpana) and companions in Vṛndāvana and the paraphernalia such as mṛdaṅga and karatālas, etc., in Navadvīpa are to be respected and shown affection.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the mṛdaṅga, karatālas etc., were used by Lord Caitanya in His saṅkīrtana parties. Now those things are respected. Similarly, in Vṛndāvana, the paraphernalia used in Kṛṣṇa’s service are respected.

Kṛṣṇe matir astu!