Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj: In his Chaitanya-śikṣāmṛta, Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur has explained that there are two types of devotees in the stage of premārurukṣu, the beginning stages of pure divine love. These two kinds of devotees are classified as viviktānandī and goṣṭhyānandī. The goṣṭhyānandīs, by nature, love preaching. They live amongst the Vaiṣṇavas. But there is another group, the viviktānandī, who prefer a solitary position. There they chant the Holy Name of the Lord, or think about the Lord’s Pastimes (līlā). These two groups have both been mentioned as being situated on a high platform of devotional service, just before the stage of pure love of Godhead. When they have completely attained the highest stage, there is no qualitative difference between one and the other: they are one and the same. Whatever work Kṛṣṇa wants us to do through them, they will perform in surrender to Him. Therefore it cannot be said that one who does not have the preaching tendency is a lower Vaiṣṇava.
Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur: nineteenth century founder of the Kṛṣṇaconsciousness movement.
Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur has clearly grouped these two sections of devotees in the stage of those who are just about to occupy the highest plane. There are two groups: one of a preaching type, another of a solitary type, but according to Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur, we cannot make the distinction that one is higher and the other is lower. According to the desire of Kṛṣṇa, they will do His will. The devotee whom Kṛṣṇa wants to preach will do that work, but those who do not like to work in that way cannot be called unqualified. Those that like preaching will naturally speak in favour of the preaching camp. Because they are inspired by Kṛṣṇa to do that service, they are successful. Kṛṣṇa says, “Āchāryam Māṁ vijānīyān: it is My inspiration that can really deliver the fallen souls.” Whomever Kṛṣṇa will accept can understand Him—others cannot ( yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas). When Kṛṣṇa delegates power sufficiently to a Vaiṣṇava and wants to deliver many fallen souls through him, it takes place by His will. Svarūp Dāmodar is not found to preach in any extensive way. Rāmānanda Rāy is also not found to preach in an extensive way to make disciples, going from door to door. On the other hand, Nityānanda Prabhu and others did. Kṛṣṇa selects His instruments according to His own desire.
Kavirāj Goswāmī prays: vande ’haṁ Śrī-Guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ Śrī-Gurūn Vaiṣṇavāṁś cha. First he offers his respects to the group of Spiritual Masters who are immediately in touch with the fallen souls. Then he says Śrī-Rūpaṁ sāgrajātam, he offers his respects to the Śāstra-gurus. Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātan did not practically come in touch with the masses for preaching, but they gave scriptures for the preachers. The śāstras, the rules and regulations, and the ontological questions—all these things were given by Rūpa and Sanātan. Are they not uttam-adhikārīs? They did not come in direct touch with the people, but, as they were meant to by Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, they laid the foundation for the preaching of Gauḍīya–Vaiṣṇavism. They are the Śāstra-gurus, the Spiritual Masters who give the revealed scriptures.
Spiritual touchstones
Kṛṣṇadās Kavirāj Goswāmī first offers his respects to the recruiter Gurus, then in a higher stage, to the Śāstra-gurus, and then to Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu who came with His associates and paraphernalia to inau-gurate a new truth in the world. In five stages he offers his respects to his Spiritual Masters, and in the highest stages he offers his respects to the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Govinda, and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā: Śrī-Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa Lalitā-Śrī-Viśākhānvitāṁś cha. So the Śāstra-gurus are doing some work as they have been inspired by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. They are not coming in direct touch with the fallen souls. So, we cannot say that because they are not directly preaching to the fallen souls, they are not sparśa-maṇi, or touchstones. To say so would only be expressing our partiality to the preaching group.
We have to put some faith in the Spiritual Master. We must have faith that what he does is the activity of the Supreme Lord working within him, that Kṛṣṇa has come to preach about Himself through our Spiritual Master. We must try to see Kṛṣṇa in Guru, and Guru’s actions as meant to deliver us. We are encouraged in this way.
Still, this is the relative view. From very strict impartial vision, we can classify the Guru according to his realisation as an intermediate devotee (madhyam-adhikārī), or a topmost devotee (uttam-adhikārī). Amongst the servitors of Kṛṣṇa, some are inclined towards Rādhārāṇī, some towards Chandrāvalī, and some are in the middle. Some devotees are more attracted to Vraja-līlā, some to Gaura-līlā, and some are in the middle. This is the nature of the Lord’s Pastimes. These differences will exist eternally.
Gaura-līlā higher than Kṛṣṇa-līlā
Some devotees have a preaching nature, whereas others may be of the secluded type, but that does not mean that all who are of the secluded nature are lower and all who are of the preaching nature are higher. We can’t say that. They should be judged according to their surrender and acceptance of Kṛṣṇa. Both Gaura-līlā and Kṛṣṇa-līlā are the highest in Goloka, but if we are bold enough to assert that Gaura-līlā is higher than Kṛṣṇa-līlā because of its magnanimous dealings, because it is distributing itself, then it should be given more importance. In that consideration, it is superior to Kṛṣṇa-līlā. And if we are to follow very strictly this point, then, of course, we may have to appreciate the preaching section of the Vaiṣṇavas, considering that they are doing the most beneficial work in the universe ( loka-hitāya cha).
“The preachers are more fortunate because through them Kṛṣṇa is trying to release many fallen souls.” A relative form of vision may be seen in that way: “Gaura-līlā is higher than Kṛṣṇa-līlā.” Why? Because it is spacious and broad; it is available to everyone. And in Gaura-līlā, Kṛṣṇa is distributing Himself to the fallen. This is something in addition to Kṛṣṇa-līlā. Then, whenever we find that good fortune has made someone an agent to raise up the fallen souls, we may have some greater appreciation for him. Some justification for considering the preachers to be more fortunate may come if we consider that Kṛṣṇa is better when preaching than when playing within His own group.
Naturally we will have preference for the preachers who have brought Kṛṣṇa consciousness here amongst us. Kṛṣṇa has chosen certain devotees as His agents to preach about Him to the fallen souls. And that is more desirable for us, in our present position. So, if we develop our perspective in that line, of course we can say that fallen souls like us will give more stress to those who are the cause for our delivery. To think that some agents are preferable to others because the symptom of magnanimity is more easily traceable in them is a relative view in the ultimate context of reality.
Although sometimes we may judge Vaiṣṇavas according to their different activities, we are not always correct, because a devotee is chosen for a particular service by the Lord, and whatever the Lord wants to do through him is done by His will. This is the underlying principle: it is His selection. Sometimes the selection comes to A, sometimes to B, and sometimes to C. We are all at the disposal of the Lord’s infinite will, and according to His sweet will, according to how Kṛṣṇa wants to utilise us, our activities will be successful. That is the absolute consideration. We cannot fail to connect success with the medium; there is also some value in that, but we must consider that Kṛṣṇa is there in the background. We must always understand that the divine will, the highest will, is working through us. So we should not be extreme in judging a devotee according to external considerations.
Bābājīs and preachers
Gaura Kiśor Dās Bābājī Mahārāj did not preach, but his disciple, our Spiritual Master, Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur Prabhupād, preached with great magnitude. Śrīla Lokanāth Goswāmī did not preach at all, but we find that the preaching of his only disciple, Śrīla Narottam Dās Ṭhākur, was most extensive. So a Vaiṣṇava should not be judged only by the amount of work that he shows outwardly. His success is at the disposal of the divine will. Kṛṣṇa awards service to a particular person according to His own choice, and enables that person to carry out that service. There are many examples of this.
Śrīla Gaura Kiśor Dās Bābājī Mahārāj. His only disciple, ŚrīlaBhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur, said of him, “All spiritualknowledge is contained within a particle of the dust of his lotus feet.”
Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu preached throughout the length and breadth of Bengal with great force, but Śrīla Gadādhar Paṇḍit, although apparently not doing any tangible service in the līlā of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, is said to be Rādhārāṇī’s bhāva, transcendental senti-ments, incarnate. And Gadādhar Paṇḍit’s affinity for Mahāprabhu exceeds that of all others.
So, we should not judge the position of a Vaiṣṇava by the magnitude of his external activities alone. Of course, we cannot ignore the service rendered by a devotee. That is a noble thing, that is a great thing, but ultimately the key is in the hand of the Lord ( ekalā Īśvara Kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya).
Kṛṣṇa is dancing
Kṛṣṇa is at the root of everything, and whatever He wills is successful. Kṛṣṇa wants to dance in a particular way with a particular servitor, and He successfully dances according to His own sweet will. Kṛṣṇa is the wire-puller, the controller. The key is in His hand. He controls both universal and specific dealings. By understanding this, we can save ourselves from pratiṣṭhā, or false prestige, the thirst after name and fame. If we are fully conscious of the fact that everything is in the Lord’s hands, then we cannot feel any pride.
So to teach us that it is not very easy to recognise a real Vaiṣṇava by his external dress or manners alone, Gadādhar Paṇḍit apparently misunderstood the position of Puṇḍarīk Vidyānidhi, an exalted associate of the Lord.
Gadādhar Paṇḍit was taken by Mukunda Datta to see Puṇḍarīk Vidyānidhi. Mukunda Datta came from the same village as Puṇḍarīk. Mukunda knew him, and so he asked Gadādhar Paṇḍit, “Would you like to see a real Vaiṣṇava?” Gadādhar Paṇḍit told him, “Yes, I am always eager to have the darśan of a real Vaiṣṇava.” Then Gadādhar Paṇḍit followed Mukunda Datta to the quarters of Puṇḍarīk Vidyānidhi, and he was dumbfounded by what he saw. “What is this?” He thought. “Here is an aristocrat with curled, scented hair, and a stylish, princely dress, smoking a pipe decorated with a golden thread and the whole room is filled with a sweet scent. He is a Vaiṣṇava?”
Mukunda Datta could understand Gadādhar’s heart and began to sing a verse from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (3.2.23):
aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ
jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-uchitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ
kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema
“Oh, how amazing it is! The sister of Bakāsura (Pūtanā), desiring to kill Śrī Kṛṣṇa, smeared poison on her breasts and forced Kṛṣṇa to drink their milk. Even so, Lord Kṛṣṇa accepted her as His mother, and so she reached the destination suitable for Kṛṣṇa’s mother. Of whom should I take shelter but the most merciful Kṛṣṇa?”
Rolling in ecstasy
Upon hearing this, Puṇḍarīk Vidyānidhi became very serious. His movements stopped, and then some shiver-ing was apparent in his body. The whole atmosphere was changed. He began to throw his hands and feet left and right. He cast his smoking pipe aside and began to roll on his bed, tearing off his silk clothing and the silk sheets, and pulling out his beautifully curled and decorated hair. He began to cry, “Of whom should I take shelter but the most magnanimous Lord? Where should I take refuge without such a Lord?” With this on his lips, he was rolling on the floor in ecstasy.
After a long time, he gradually subsided, and Gadādhar thought to himself, “What did I think about this great personality? He has so much love for Kṛṣṇa within. Although externally he appears as an ordinary man, a slave of luxury, internally he is a great devotee. What intense love he has for Kṛṣṇa!” Then he thought, “I have committed Vaiṣṇava-aparādh, an offence to a great devotee. How can I free myself? I thought ill of him. What is the remedy for that offence?” So, he thought to himself and then told Mukunda, “I have committed an offence against this great mahātmā. How can I get out of that? I am thinking that generally those who come to this devotional line have to formally accept some preceptor, but I have not yet taken initiation from any Vaiṣṇava. If I take initiation from him, he will forgive me and my offences. He won’t take any offence from me if I surrender unto his holy feet. Then only can I get release from this crime. But I have to consult my Master Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. So, he went to consult with Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu.
Sometime before this, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu was seen calling the name of Puṇḍarīk and crying, “Puṇḍarīk, My father! Puṇḍarīk! Where are you?” In this way He was suddenly crying. Ordinary people could not understand. They began to ask, “Who is that Puṇḍarīk? For whom is the Lord wailing so much? Why is Nimāi Paṇḍit wailing ‘Puṇḍarīk! Puṇḍarīk!’?”
Within a few days, Puṇḍarīk came from another village to his Nabadwīp house. Mukunda Datta was his co-villager, so he knew Puṇḍarīk. When the devotees enquired, “Who is this Puṇḍarīk?” Mukunda Datta answered, “Puṇḍarīk has got a small estate; he is a well-to-do, married man.” So, Gadādhar Paṇḍit asked Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu about Puṇḍarīk Vidyānidhi, saying, “I have committed an offence against the great Vaiṣṇava, Puṇḍarīk Vidyānidhi, so for my own spiritual good I feel the necessity to take initiation from him. But without consulting You, and getting Your consent, I can’t do anything. I put it before You. What should I do?”
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu welcomed the idea, saying, “Yes, this is very good. You must accept him as your Guru.” It is said by authoritative sources that Puṇḍarīk Vidyānidhi was the father of Rādhārāṇī, that he was the incarnation of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāj. So, Gadādhar Paṇḍit took initiation from Puṇḍarīk Vidyānidhi. In this way, we should not be extreme in judging a devotee only from his external activities.