Pinnacle of Devotion
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www.purebhakti.com for news, updates and free downloads of books and lectures www.harikatha.com to receive, by email, the lectures given by Çréla Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja on his world tours www.purebhakti.tv to watch and hear classes online, or get links and schedule updates for life webcasts Printed by: Spectrum Printers (India) ISBN: 978-1-935428-13-8 Copyright © Gauòiya Vedänta Publications, inc. 2009 First printing: February 2000 (2,000 copies) Second printing: October 2009 (3,500 copies) Cover design graphics: Vikäç Öhäkur Layout: Haladhara däsa Cover painting and painting of Mahäprabhu with Çréla Rupa Gosvämi, by Çyämaräëé däsé © Bhaktivedänta Book Trust International. Used with permission. Photograph of Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja © Candramukhé däsé. Used with permission. Photograph of Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Svämé Mahäräja © Bhaktivedänta Book Trust International. Used with permission. www.krishna.com. Unless indicated differently, all verse translations and quotes from Bhagavad-gétä, Çrémad-Bhägavatam and Çré Caitanya-caritämåta are by Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Svämé Mahäräja © Bhaktivedänta Book Trust International. Table Of Contents Foreword vii Introduction ix AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 2-17, 1997 The Glory Of Çré Guru 1 Çré Guru as a Manifestation of Kåñëa 29 A Verse With Deep Secrets 41 The Purpose Of Lord Caitanya’s Descent 43 Auspicious Invocation 59 The Highest Devotion 73 The Gopés’ Selfless Love 85 Supreme Chastity 99 Without This, The World Is Useless 125 Lord Caitanya As The Perfect Devotee 139 No One But Kåñëa 149 SINGAPORE - MARCH 7, 1997 Kåñëa Teaches Through His Pastimes 159 NAVADVIPA -MARCH 15, 1997 The Pure Name Is Kåñëa 179 ADDENDUMS The Mother Of Prema-bhakti 191 Çré Nanda-nandanäñöakam 197 Çré Rädhä kåpä-kaöäkña-stava-räja 199 A Beautiful Song 205 A Life Sketch of The Author 207 English titles published by Çréla Bhaktivedanta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja Arcana-dépikä Çré Bhakti-rasämåta-sindu-bindu Bhajana-rahasya Çré Camatkära-candrikä – A Moon- Bhakti-rasäyana beam of Complete Astonishment Bhakti-tattva-viveka Çré Dämodaräñöakam Controlled by Love Çré Gauòéya Gété-Guccha Dämodara-lélä-mädhuré Çré Gétä-govinda Essence of the Bhagavad-gétä Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä Five Essential Essays Çré Brahma-saàhitä Gauòéya Vaiñëavism versus Çrémad Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Sahajiyaism Gosvämé – His Life and Teachings Gaura-väëé Pracäriëe Çré Manaù-çikña Going Beyond Vaikuëöha Çré Navadvépa-dhäma Parikramä Gopé Gétä Çré Prabandhävalé Guru-devatätmä Çré Prema-sampuöa Happiness in a Fool’s Paradise Çré Çikñäñöaka Jaiva-dharma Çré Upadeçamåta Letters From America The Butter Thief My Çikñä-guru and Priya-bandhu The Essence of All Advice Prabandhävalé The Essence of Bhagavad-gétä Raga Vartma Candrikä The Nectar of Govinda-lélä Secret Truths of the Bhägavata The Origin of Ratha-yäträ Secrets of the Undiscovered Self The Way of Love Shower of Love Veëu-géta Çiva-tattva Vraja-maëòala Parikramä Çré Saìkalpa-kalpadrumaù Rays of the Harmonist (periodical) Foreword We all have a tendency to love. No one can live without loving someone. Even a tiger has this tendency; we see this in the way a mother tiger carries, maintains, and protects her babies. The problem, however, is where to place our love so that everyone will be happy. In the beginning of life we love our parents, then our brothers and sisters, then our entire family, our beloveds, our community, nation, and even all of humanity. Yet, in spite of our giving so much love, we still feel frustrated. And it will continue to remain this way, until we know the identity of our Supreme Beloved. As particles of sun-light or air expand without knowing where to end, so does our tendency to love whole-heartedly. According to the timeless wisdom-books of ancient India called the Vedas, our love can only be fully satisfied when it is fixed in Çré Kåñëa, the Absolute Truth. He is the reservoir of all pleasure, all worlds, and all relationships. Pinnacle of Devotion, its source of knowledge taken from the ancient mystical Vedas, teaches us how to love all living beings – humans, birds, beasts, insects, and even trees and plants – by the easy method of loving Kåñëa. Pouring water on the root of a tree is the universal and practical method of supplying water to all the leaves and branches. In that connection, the Vedas say that Kåñëa, the Supreme Person, is the root of all. All beings are His parts, and therefore by loving Him, everyone becomes happy. In this book you will find that this elevated concept is written in very simple, easy to understand language, because the words herein were spoken that way by Çréla Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja and then transcribed. If you feel some hesitancy to continue reading because of the several Sanskrit verses, phrases, and words scattered here and there, please don’t miss this opportunity, even if this is the first time you are coming in contact with the Sanskrit language. Even if you don’t understand the language, the transcendentally viii Pinnacle Of Devotion powerful verses, which are like mantras for meditation, free us from false material love. Material love is always frustrating. Reading, hearing, and uttering these verses gives us an opportunity to enter the all-blissful, loving Reality. You will also be happy to know that all the Sanskrit verses, phrases, and words are always translated. Sanskrit is the main language of the ancient Vedas, and it is the world’s original language. In fact it is the language that is spoken in the celestial planets as well as in the transcendental world. The Sanskrit word veda means ‘the aggregate of knowledge.’ When knowledge comes to its most advance stage, it becomes a brilliant, spiritual love and affection. The quintessence of the Vedas is an ancient spiritual literature called Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, and the essence of the Çré Caitanya-caritämåta is vividly explained in this book, the Pinnacle of Devotion. Our respected readers will be introduced to that supremely beautiful love which is the ultimate goal of life and the foundation of endless, ever-fresh, and ever- unfolding fulfillment. The Publishers Introduction In February 1997, Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja gave his divine teachings to devotees in Australia, where he spent three weeks as part of his Bhakti Festival touring in the West. There he lectured on the principle causes for Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s appearance in this world. He also revealed the special gift which Mahäprabhu came to give the fortunate souls of this iron- age of Kali-yuga – a gift which is the very pinnacle of attainment for the spirit soul. In order to give his audience a platform for understanding this sublime topic, Çréla Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja first gave four lectures based on Chapter One of Çré Caitanya-caritämåta. In these lectures, he explained the essential principal of the spiritual preceptor (guru-tattva), who is a manifestation of Çré Kåñëa, the personification of Absolute Reality. He also emphasized the importance of association with pure saints (sädhu-saìga). In the remaining nine lectures, he spoke on the primary purpose for Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s appearance, and explained with great care and in detail how one becomes qualified for His mercy. Çréla Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja wanted his western audience to understand that the mission of his çikñä-guru and intimate friend, Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Svämé Mahäräja, known throughout the world as Çréla Prabhupäda, the Founder Äcärya of the International Society for Kåñëa Consciousness, was to fulfill this same principal purpose for which Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu appeared. In his discourses, he therefore quoted extensively from Çréla Bhaktivedänta Svämé Mahäräja’s Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä Chapters Three and Four. In order to elaborate on certain points in his discourses, we have added quotes from Çréla Bhaktivedänta Svämé Mahäräja’s books and recorded lectures as footnotes, all taken from Çréla Svämé Mahäräja’s Vedabase folio. Kåñëa-bhakti was practically unknown outside of India before Çréla Bhaktivedänta Svämé Mahäräja started his worldwide x Pinnacle Of Devotion preaching movement. We fall at his lotus-feet and offer our eternal gratitude to him for giving Kåñëa consciousness so extensively, and for creating a world-wide interest in bhakti-literature, such as this edition of Pinnacle of Devotion. We, the editors, are happy to present this revised edition of Çréla Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja’s discourses in Australia, and we humbly request our respected readers to please excuse any errors made by us in presenting his divine words. This publication is presented by the laudable efforts of several devotees. In alphabetical order they are: Çrépad Mädhava Mahäräja; Ananta-äcärya däsa, Anétä däsé, Brajanätha däsa, Haladhara däsa, Jänaké däsé, Käliya-damana däsa, Kamaläkänta däsa, Kåñëa- käminé däsé, Madana-mohana däsa, Mädhuréka däsé, Madhusmita däsé, Pétämbara däsé, Prahlädänanda däsé, Prema-prayojana däsa, Premavaté däsé, Åñabhadeva däsa, Vaijayanté-mäla däsé, Vasanti däsé,Vikäç Öhäkura, Yaçodä-gopé däsé. The editorial team The Glory Of Çré Guru Come with me to Våndävana, where Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé, the author of Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, wrote his book in the solitary atmosphere of the Rädhä-Dämodara Temple in Sevä- kuïja. Sevä-kuïja is one of the places in which the Lord performed His amorous pastimes. The foot-dust of all the gopés is there, Çrématé Rädhikä’s foot-dust is there, and Çré Kåñëa engaged in the service of Çrématé Rädhikä there. Çré Kåñëa also served Çrématé Rädhikä at Vaàçévaöa and Nidhuvana. At these places, Kåñëa, Rädhikä, and the gopés are controlled by prema, love personified. Their devotees do not aspire for Kåñëa, but for kåñëa-prema, love for Him. Kaàsa, Jaräsandha, Çiçupäla, and other demons wanted Kåñëa, but they did not possess that prema. kåñëa, guru, bhakta, çakti, avatära, prakäça kåñëa ei chaya-rüpe karena viläsa (Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä 1.32) Lord Kåñëa enjoys by manifesting Himself as the spiritual masters, the devotees, the diverse energies, the incarnations, and the plenary portions.