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THE HARMONIST AS IT IS

· 'VOL.4 (VOL. XXVIII, June 1930 - May 1931)

VBT -THE VAISHNAVA BOOK TRUST Published in India by

VBT - THE VAISHNAVA BOOK TRUST Ananda Van, Nivas Sunrakh Road, Madhuvan Colony, Sri Dham 281121 U.P.-INDIA

Reprint of The Harmonist Magazine March 2006 - 500 collectios.

Printed by Radha Press Kailash Nagar, New Delhi 110031 PREFACE

If we speak of as the Supreme, Who is above absolutely everyone and everything known and unknown to us, we must agree that there can be only one God. Therefore God, or the Absolute , is the common and main link of the whole creation. Nonetheless, and although God is One, we must also agree that the Supreme, God can also manifest as many, or in the way, shape and form that may be most pleasant or unpleasant. In other words, any sincere student of a truly scientific path of about God, must leam that the Absolute Truth is everything and much above anything that such student may have ever known or imagined. Therefore, a true conclusion of advanced knowledge of God must be that not only is God one, but also that God manifests as many. Only under this knowledge and conclusion, a perspective student of the Absolute Truth could then understand the deep purport behind , since the of various '' cannot be other than different manifestations from the exclusive source, which is the same and only Supreme God. Nonetheless, the most particular path of knowledge that explain in detail all such manifestations or incarnations, in a most convincing and authoritative description, can be found in the vast and Vaishnava literature. The revealed scriptures of mankind have several purposes. All bona fide sacred texts declare that God be always besides His devotees and somehow will chastise His enemies or miscreants. All scriptures offer different kinds of references on how to follow and achieve knowledge about God. According to the different traits of a region, populace or culture, God descends or either sends one or more of His various agents. Therefore, God reveals different types of scriptures as guidance to uplift a particular group of people. The historical religious legacy widely recognized to understand, and finally love God, contain scriptures of various tenors, such as the Bhagavat-gita, the Bible, the teachings of Lord Buddha, and the Koran. Nevertheless, the most extensive about the Supreme is to be found in the Vedas and Vaishnava literature with its philosophical foundation on the Bhagavat-gita. Vaishnava literature demonstrates that amongst the different and infinite incarnations of God, the most munificent is Sri , the combined incarnation of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna. Besides satisfying His several to incarnate, Sri Chaitanya revealed the greatest philosophical, psychological and theological conception for mankind to understand the innermost qualities of God. Through the teachings of the followers of Sri Chaitanya, Sri Krishna in Vrindavan is revealed as the Personal Identity of Love. The most impressive evidence of the magnitude of Sri Chaitanya's causeless mercy is that He appeared during this most degraded age, known as -yuga, with the most magnanimous gift of knowledge that no other incarnation could offer, the service to the Divine Couple Sri Radha-Krishna in the most intimate way possible—Manjari-bhava. The following verse composed by His intimate devotee Srila Prabhupada, in glorification of the Golden Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, reflects such position: namo maha vadaniaya krishna prema pradayate krishnaya krishnachaitanya namine gaura tvise namah "I offer my most humble obeisances to Sri Gaura, known as Sri Krishna Chaitanya, who is Krishna Himself and is the most magnanimous incarnation of God, who has come to deliver everybody in this dark age of Kali by freely distributing love for Krishna." 11 Preface

Someone may question, why Sri Gaura or is the most magnanimous incarnation of God since all incarnations of God also come to protect and deliver His devotees? The answer is that Sri Gauranga is ultimately the most magnanimous because He has descended in the lowest age of mankind, not only to deliver God's devotees, but also to reveal the most elevated and intimate knowledge of God's personality; thus unveiling the highest form of Divine Love. By revealing in detail the service to the male and female aspects of the Absolute Truth—Sri Radha and Sri Krishna— in the most esoteric and intimate devotional mood, Sri Chaitanya has surpassed any revelation or knowledge about God offered to mankind by any previous avatar. Lord Gauranga's incarnation as a bhakta established the exemplar activities of a devotee of God. However, one of the characteristics of God's agents is that they accept all kind of hardships according to time, place and circumstance to deliver the fallen. The devotees of God are many, and they all serve the same purpose of rescuing the conditioned souls from the material existence. Therefore, the intimate associates of the Supreme Identity of Godhead—the Divine Trilogy, Sri Sri Radha- Krishna and Sri Gauranga—are extremely rare since they are equally or even more merciful than the Lord Himself. History has recorded that after having rescued the true teachings of Sri Chaitanya from unscrupulous practices, the great Vaishnava devotee Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura desired to spread such divine knowledge to the complete world. Under the visionary spirit of his pure devotion, Bhaktivinoda Thakura was eager to extend Sri Chaitanya's gift to the rest of mankind, most particularly in the English language. The Vedas inform that in the present dark age of Kali, the populace becomes extremely insensitive, thus prompting humanity to materialistic pursuits. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura could foresee that the whole world would be enchanted and engulfed by the constant contemplation of money and gratification. Somehow he also understood that the English language would become prominent around the world. English has become the most popular language in politics and business transactions. However, it is a language of limited capability and grammatical depth, particularly when attempting to describe the most refined sentiments. If compared with the academically accepted mother of all languages, , then the grammar of English falls short of describing the most refined sentiments and relationships regarding Godhead. Sanskrit is more complete and complex as a language than Greek, for instance. It has more cases is more complete in semantic terms also. Studying the ending of different cases and conjugations, tenses, persons, etc., anyone can see that they are more clear and distinctive in Sanskrit. Because archaic English is no longer practiced, English does not offer a stronger for refined verbal exchanges amongst family members and relationships in general. This can be substantiated by the fact that English grammar does not discriminate in how to refer to a social senior, junior or equal, since all are addressed as 'you', as is also done when one addresses a pet animal. Indeed, another observation regarding a strong egotistic characteristic found in English is that it is the only language that uses the first person T in capital letters. Any writer that composes religious or devotional poetry in English is therefore entitled to use capital letters while using the second person, 'You', while exclusively addressing God; therefore, at least grammatically, placing himself in the same level as God. In Volume No. 4, Vol. XXVIII, June 1930, page 1, of this collection, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami published an article by Sri Bishwesswar Das, entitled The Study of the English Language. A short paragraph of such article mentions "The study of English or any worldly language is sure to lead to catastrophe unless directed to the higher purpose. The Harmonist As It Is iii

But a not wholly unfounded charge is also brought against the study of English. A Nationalist would say that the study of the English language disabuses men's minds of all ancient ideas and beliefs. In matters of , in matters relating to our highest interests the cultivation of the English language is hence calculated to a certain extent to make us losers rather than gainers. There is no gain- saying the fact that a thorough mastery of the English language need be no bar to the requirements of spiritual life the of which can hardly be suspected by one who is ignorant of the higher purpose. Nevertheless the charge is true that the materialistic tendency of the English language makes it more or less skeptical of religion." English was the language that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura identified as the most popular and fluent amongst learned people of his time. He began spreading the message of Sri Chaitanya in English in 1896 by sending his treatise Chaitanya Mahaprabhu-His Life and Precepts to the McGill University of Canada and also to England. His son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta , had closely seen his father's eagerness to give knowledge of Sri Gaura to the Western world. He then received the divine inspiration to pursue his father's task and begun the English publication of The Harmonist magazine, which was previously published by his father in Bengali and known as Sajjana-tosani. A foreword by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada explaining the full meaning of The Harmonist's original Sanskrit title can be read on Volume No. 1, Vol. XXV- June 1927, page 2. After Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada's departure from this world, another great devotee undertook the divine task of spreading the message of Gauranga in English; this was Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. All learned Vaishnavas have concluded that Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has bestowed his blessings upon all the world's preachers of the teachings of Sri Chaitanya by opening the path for all to spread the message in English. Also through the of his beloved disciples after his physical departure from this world in 1977, Srila Prabhupada has induced the preaching of many of his senior and junior godbrothers, as well as their disciples. Many of them were dedicated devotees, who knew him personally, nonetheless never before they had even imagined an attempt to speak the English language, neither to travel around the globe as they now have. In actually, their broad English publishing begun with Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's expansions in the form of his beloved disciples. Although Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami has published so many Vaishnava literatures in English, it would be a great distraction to forget the wishes of both Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada that the aspirant devotees of the world would one day leam Sanskrit and Bengali, and be able to read the Lord's pastimes as written by the Six Goswamis of Vrindavana and their descendants. At least, the sincere followers of Sri Gauranga should constantly remember that the wishes of Srila , Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Swami and Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami to spread the message of Sri Gauranga in the English language was indicative of their concern for the most needy of this materialistic age. The vast literature written by the Vaishnava sages describing the most intimate and deep relationships with God was composed in Sanskrit and Bengali, thus grammatically exposing the different levels and trans-psychological moods of loving relationships. On the other hand, the grammatical nature of the English language promotes a casual connotation in all relationships, particularly towards seniors and consequently towards God. Although the archaic English utilized in proper terms of addressing persons according to their particular individuality and hierarchy is not practiced any longer. In this present age of degradation, politics and business rule the world, and the main language for such activities is English. However, due to its broad influence in all levels of understanding it is meant to lead the awareness of the Gauriya (from Gaura) culture all over the planet. On the contrary, if persons with the knowledge of more refined languages like Sanskrit and its derivatives, believe that iv Preface they deserve more consideration since they can relate with God better grammatically, they surely will fall prey to false pride and lack of spiritual realization. Several devotees have expressed their desire to understand more the spirit of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada's preaching ways and activities. Through this collection of magazines, which was the main venue for his propaganda in English, they will be exposed to his preaching mood and historical activities. A deep sense of compassion for the conditioned souls was the spirit that pervaded Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's life. The same spirit is also found in Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada and Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's canvassing missions. Therefore, history records the exalted position of the Nityananda--avesha-avatara, the empowered incarnation from Nityananda Prabhu, the eternal companion of Sri Chaitanya, known as Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada could see the true nature of the soul as an eternal servant of God whatever the present state of material conditioning. As the very Supreme Person Sri Gauranga showered His magnanimity by opening free access for the lowest of mankind to the most confidential form of love for God, Srila Prabhupada's magnanimity spread the non-sectarian Universal Religion of Love of Lord Chaitanya. Actually, the magnanimity of Srila Prabhupada is unparalleled by of his deliverance of the lowest of mankind, but also the mayavadis (impersonalists), smyavadis (voidists), as well as the declared patanavadis (anti- personalists). Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada spread his Holy mission all over India and countries of Europe through the agency of his institution, the Sri Gaudiya Math. He received criticisms from most of the caste goswami class of his time, because of his offering brahminical initiation to persons not begotten of families. In the same spirit of his spiritual master, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada also broke open the treasure of free devotional service to the rest of the world through his International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON. Thus, Srila Prabhupada introduced the aspirant devotees to the process of and how to worship the Lord on the altar. By offering his followers due training to begin the understanding of the deepness of Vaishnava philosophy, and then free access to worship on the altar, cooking for the Lord, and distribute Vaishnava literature, whether in India or elsewhere in this world, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada also knew how to harmonize the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu according to time, place and circumstance. Ultimately, Srila Prabhupada can also be recognized as the most prolific harmonizer, the true harmonist of Sri Gaura's teachings around the planet.

Radharamana August 2005 - Laguna de los Labradores Galeana - Nuevo Leon - Mexico INTRODUCTION

It seems miraculous that the rare and dilapidated copies of The Harmonist magazine are now brought to life again with the publication of this collection. This complete collection is printed at the Radha Press in New Delhi. Radha Press has already a historic relevance for innumerable Gaudiya Vaishnavas, the followers of the incarnation of God known as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Who appeared in Gauda Desh, West Bengal, India in 1486 AD. On this same printing press, my spiritual master, the world-, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, printed his first English versions of Srimad Bhagavatam (The Sweet Pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna), and his Back to Godhead Magazine, before departing to the USA in 1965. The Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy has now spread throughout the entire world, most particularly because of the impetus given by SrilaA.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-ac/ia/ya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Previous to this edition, a number of new magazines using the name The Harmonist have appeared in the Eastern and the Western world. Therefore, in the mood of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who named his translation of the Bhagavad-gita as the 'Bhagavat-gita As It Is', we have decided to name this reprint as The Harmonist As It Is to indicate that this publication is of the original magazines. Actually, this effort is the first exact replica of the original publications. The original versions in Bengali were known as Sajjana Toshani and were first published in 1879 by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, the spiritual preceptor of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. After the departure of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur in 1914, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, the spiritual master of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami, established a printing press and began his preaching mission, known as the Sri Gaudiya Math. The monthly publication of The Harmonist magazine began in June of 1927 in Kolkata, Bengal, India, under the direction of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada. The foreword of the first English edition reads as follows "The Sajjana-toshani made her first appearance in the year 1879 in the modest form of a Bengali spiritual monthly edited by Thakur Bhaktivinoda. The paper remained under his editorship for seventeen years. She was later made over to the present editor who conducted the paper 'till she attained her twenty-fourth year of publication." Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati started the English version of the same publication in June of 1927 continuing until June 1936, before his departure from this world on January 1, 1937. He continued in Roman numerals the sequential order of the original Bengali editions; thus, the English version began as Volume XXV and ended as Volume XXXII. The full collection of The Harmonist comprises eight volumes, and each volume contains twelve monthly magazines. To better facilitate the readers' reference, we have decided to designate each volume of The Harmonist As It Is from No.l to No.8. In brackets the readers will also find the Roman numerals of the original Bengali edition. To facilitate a comprehensive and easy reference to the main subjects contained in the magazines, we have compiled a simple index to each volume. The same general index was then compiled for the complete collection, which was printed as a separate booklet. The general index addresses essential philosophical topics, such as jiva-, -tattva, Krishna-tattva, -tattva, the history of the Vedic and Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Vaishnava Literature, comparative religion, Vaishnava behavior and etiquette, historical events, articles on social, vi The Harmonist As It Is economical and political issues, and divine poetry. General Index - 21 pages. No. 1 (Vol XXV, June 1927 - May 1928) - 430 pages. No. 2 (Vol XXVI, June 1928 - May 1929) - 382 pages. No. 3 (Vol XXVII, June 1929 - May 1930) - 432 pages. No. 4 (Vol XXVIII, June 1930 - May-June 1931) - 434 pages. No. 5 (Vol XXIX, July 1931 - June 1932) - 470 pages. No. 6 (Vol XXX, July 1932 - June 1933) - 436 pages. No. 7 (Vol XXXI, Sept 1934 - July 1935) - 582 pages. No. 8 (Vol XXXII, Sept 1935 - June 1936) - 558 pages. The only original and most complete collection of The Harmonist magazine has been under my care since December of 1991. The search and collection of the sometimes very dilapidated magazines was the painstaking and tireless task of my godbrother Sripad Bhaktiprajnana Bharati Maharaja, who began collecting the editions around 1975. During 1987, while we met in Sri Vrindavana Dhama, he requested me to take care of such an important treasure of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community. Because of various circumstances I took possession of the complete collection only on 1991, recovering it from the house of a Vrajavasi and placing it in my residence at Vaishnava Khanda of Radharamana Mandira. Since then, many god brothers came to know about it, but in spite of several suggestions and requests, somehow none could actually come forward to promote or facilitate the printing. While holding a web site for a couple of years since 2001,1 advertised the upcoming publication of The Harmonist and requested contributions to such an end. However, although receiving feedback from several interested devotees, no practical or financial commitment manifested. Finally, after so many years of expectation, Divine Providence allowed me to produce the necessary finances to reprint the entire collection as it actually is. The publishing of The Harmonist As It Is is therefore an exact photographic reproduction of each page of such important and historic legacy of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas and indeed students of religion around the world. The Harmonist is the reservoir of all clear conclusions of the predecessor , regarding the most important philosophical subjects any aspirant devotee should know. Furthermore, this collection establishes the veracity of the English translations of important Vaishnava literature, such as Jaiva- and Chaitanya , since it contains partial translations supervised and sanctioned by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada himself. This collection contains articles that establish perfect guidelines to practice life as a brahmachari (celibate student), (married responsibilities), (practical preparation for the goal of life) and sannyasi (full-time contemplation of the Divine ). The readers will also find spiritual guidelines on how to behave in society in general through various articles on social, economical, educational and political subjects. Although these articles were written 70 years ago, they still maintain an amazing actuality.

The publishing of this historic literature serves as a unique transcendental reference for all Gauriya Vaishnavas and all willing to leam about , pure devotion to the Supreme Lord. This Introduction vii publication is meant to re-ignite Gauriya culture around the globe and is dedicated to all sincere devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I offer my heartfelt thanks to Sripad Raddhanti Dasa (Juan Pigna), who selflessly came forward with assistance and financial support to help in printing this important collection. Radharamana Sadhu (Ricardo Antonio Palleres) Ananda Krishna Van, Radha Nivas Sunrakh Road, Madhuvan Colony. Sri Vrindavan Dham, U.P. 291121, India

November 5, 2005: The twenty-eighth anniversary of the disappearance of Jagat-guru Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness SRILA SACHIDANANDA HHAKTIVINODA THAKURA

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur was the third son of Ananda-chandra and Jagat-mohini He was bom in September 2, 1838 and received the name Kedaranath, which is a name of Lord . His parents lived in the Nadia District, West Bengal, in the ancient city of Bimagar (Diagram). His father was a generous landlord of great wealth, and was considered second after the king of Nadia. Kedaranath studied in the elemental school that was founded by his grandmother. At six years old he could read the and with great zeal, although his short age, Kedamath could understand the meaning of these ancient Sanskrit epics. Later on he moved to an English school in Krishnanagar opened by the king of Nadia. Due to the sudden death of his two older brothers due to cholera, Kedaranath had to finish his studies and return to Bimagar. In 1850 Kedaranath was 12 years old and his mother arranged his marriage with a girl of 7 years older than him. Although they only lived under the same roof until they were adults, this Vedic tradition sometimes wonders the Western outlook of married life. Nonetheless, it has a deep psychological and social meaning, since the family descendants always feel guided and protected by their parents. Since 1881 Kedaranath Sachidananda Das started his Vaishnava journal Sajjana-tosani, dedicated to spread the divine teachings of Sri Chaitanya through all comers of Bengal. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of London published the following commentary about him; "Under the title Sri Gauranga-lila-smarana-mangala-sttotram, "The renokwn Vaishnava Sri Kedaranath Bhaktivinoda M.R.A.S. has published a Sanskrit poem about the life and teachings of Sri Chaitanya. It is accompanied by a commentary, also in Sanskrit, where he broadly elucidates the subject. Contains an introduction of sixty-three pages in English where precisely describes in detail the doctrines teach by Sri Chaitanya. His posture, specially opposed to that of the Shankara and Adwaita Vedantists, is broadly explained. The small volume will broader our knowledge about this great reformer. Therefore we express our thanks to Bhaktivinoda for offering us the English and Sanskrit versions instead of Bengali, since it would have been hidden to European students of India's religious life." During the year 1896 on a pioneer spirit, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent the teachings of Sri Chaitanya towards Occident, beyond India's frontiers. This small book that he wrote in Sanskrit was entitled Sri Gauranga-lila-smarana-strotam. Its Preface in English was entitled; Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts. It also contained a commentary of Srila Sitikantha Vachaspati, a well-known Pandit of Nadia. Copies of the book were sent to the library of the McGill University in Canada, the library of the Asian Real Society of London and several other academic institutions. Although a small treatise, it was admired by writers and thinkers of Occident. The learned European R.W. Frazer commented: "Have pass already five hundred years since Sri Chaitanya spread the faith in Krishna's delivering grace throughout Earth. Nonetheless, until the present day, the same spirit that inspired Sri Chaitanya continues living amongst his followers. On a interesting narrative about the life and precepts of Sri Chaitanya, published by His devote and old follower Sri Kedaranath Datta Bhaktivinoda, we have read how this spirit keeps intact its vitality in the midst of the changes sweeping the all world. In 1914, during the disappearance day of Sri Gadadhara Pandit, Thakura Bhaktivinoda enter the eternal pastimes of Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-. *

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Sri Srimad Sachidananda Thakur Bhaktivinode X SRILA BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASVAT1 GOSWAMI PRABHUPADA

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was bom in the holy pilgrimage place of Jagannatha Pud to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the great Vaishnava acharya in the line of succession coming from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Although employed as a government magistrate, Srila Bhaktivinoda worked tirelessly to establish the teachings of Lord Chaitanya in India. He envisioned a worldwide spiritual movement and prayed for a son to help him achieve his dream. On February 6, 1874, in the sacred pilgrimage town of Pud, where Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura served as superintendent of the famous Jagannatha temple, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta appeared in this world. He was given the name Bimala Prasada. At the age of seven, Bimala Prasada had memorized the more than seven hundred Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad-gita and could speak illuminating commentaries upon them. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the author of many important books and otherwritings on GaudiyaVaisnava philosophy, trained his son in printing and proofreading. By the time he was twenty-five years old, Bimala Prasada had acquired an impressive reputation as a scholar of Sanskit, mathematics, and astronomy. His astronomical treatise, Surya- , won him the title Siddhanta Sarasvati in recognition of his immense learning. In 1905, following the advice of his father, Siddhanta Sarasvati accepted spiritual initiation from Srila Gaurakishora Dasa Babaji. Although Srila Gaurakishora Dasa Babaji was illiterate, he was renowned throughout the continent as a great saint and Vaishnava acharya. Siddhanta Sarasvati, although a great scholar, exhibited humility and dedication in the presence of Srila Gaurakishora. Satisfied with such humility and dedication of his highly educated disciple, Srila Gaurakishora gave Siddhanta Sarasvati his full blessings and requested him to "preach the Absolute Truth and keep aside all other work." Upon the disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in 1914, Siddhanta Sarasvati became editor of his father's spiritual journal, Sajjana-tosani, and founded the Bhagawat Press for the publication of Gaudiya Vaishnava literature. In 1918 Siddhanta Sarasvati accepted the renounced order of spiritual life, assuming the title Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. For purposes of propagating throughout India, he organized the Gaudiya Math, with sixty-four branches throughout the country. The headquarters of his mission, the Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, is located in Sridhama Mayapura, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta adjusted ancient traditions to conform to technological and social conditions of the twentieth century. He considered the printing press a most effective means of spreading this message throughout the world and was himself the author of many important translations, commentaries, and philosophical essays. He was the first spiritual teacher in this line to allow his renounced preachers (sannyasis) to wear Western clothes and travel in modem conveyances rather that on foot. Throughout the 1930s, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta expanded and increased his missionary work and succeeded in reestablishing Gaudiya Vaishnavism as the leading force in Indian spiritual life. On January 1, 1937, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura passed from this world. Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI SRILA PRABHUPADA

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami was born Abhay Charan De on nandotsava, a day after the appearance of Sri Krishna in 1896. Significantly, it was the same year in which Srila Thakur Bhaktivinoda, the pioneer of the Movement, begun the mission to spread the message of Lord Chaitanya in the West through his essay Chaitanya Mahaprabhu—His Life and Precepts. Abhay Charan's father, Gaura Mohan De, was a pure devotee of Radha-Krishna and offered his child small deities to play with. As an adult, Abhay Charan worshipped the same deities. Gaura Mohan taught his son through his own example on how to worship the deities, and also encouraged him to observe the festival of Jagannath and to play mridanga. Some particulars about his father's constant desire that his son would become a devotee of Srimate Radharani is that A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami revealed a special connection with Her intimate assistant Sri Rupa Manjari (Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada). Srila Prabhupada was initiated in 1933 at the Sree Rupa Gaudiya Math, Allahabad, and he planned his worldwide mission and prepared the first translations and commentaries of his Srimad Bhagavatam in English at his residence at Sri Radha-Damodara Temple. From his kitchen's window he used to meditate and receive inspiration from the leader of the Sri Rupa Goswami Prabhupada, who most obviously was his most intimate guide. During a walk at Sri Radha Kunda, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada confided him this instruction "If you ever get any money, print books", and Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada accomplished his guru's order marvelously. Although he built a beutifull center of active devotional service in Vrindavan known as the Krishna- Mandir, and started a city in Mayapur, Bengal, he never deviated from the order of his spiritual master to print and distrubute Vaishnava literature. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami lived an exemplar life throughout his permanence on this world. As a historical figure, who pioneered world preaching tours circumambulating the planet fourteen times, he remains the perfect guide for all ashrams of life since he practiced all four in total perfection. He also invited his dear and intimate god brothers on different ashrams to join his mission and published their articles in his Back to Godhead Magazine. He is the first Gaudiya Vaishnava that has published and distributed millions of books around the planet on the principles and philosophy of Krishna consciousness. This task was accomplished with the assistance of thousand of dedicated disciples and grand disciples around the world through the agency of his International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON. Therefore, Srila Prabhupada became recognized as a shakti-avesha avatara, or an empowered incarnation of the Lord, through the sanction of scriptural definition and the assertion of learned and highly inspected devotees of the sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada engaged everybody in book distribution, exposing them to the effects of transcendental revelations, which are in the same level as performing the congregational chanting of the Holy Names. He became un-manifested from the mundane view after leaving his body in the -mandir at his Krishna-Balarama Mandir in Vrindavan on Nov. 14th, 1977. To the spiritually awakened, Srila Prabhupada continues to live in the spiritual realm in his eternal -rupa sidha-deha. / jr

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SUBJECT

The Identity and Manifestation of the Spiritual Soul (Jiva-Tattva)

The Illusory Energy of God-Head, by Srijut Kishori Mohan 136 Who Am I? by Sripad Jagaduddhanan Dasadhikari 180; 209

The Spiritual Preceptors (Guru-Tattva)

Presidential Address, by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 238; 358 Lord Nityananda 290 Sri Sri Vyas- 297 Sri Vyas-Puja Homage, byJai Gopal Das Adhikari 300 Sri Vyas-Puja Homage, by Narayandas Adhikari 304 Sri Vyas-Puja Response, by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 311; 327

The Supreme Goal of Life (Krishna-Tattva - Rasa-Tattva)

Presidential Address, by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 169 Presidential Address at the Spiritual Conference by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 204; 265

Vedic and Gaudiya-Vaishnava History

Kapila: Teacher of Theistic Sankha Philosophy 7 Sree Raghunath Das Goswami 17; 268 Sridhan Mayapur - The Birthplace of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya, by Prof. Nishi kanta Sanyal 228 and Rantideva, by Sj. Kishori Mohan Paul 250 Travels of the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna Chaitanya in 257 Instalation of the Foot-Prints of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya in the temple of Varahadeva at Jajpur, Orissa 293 The Festival of Circumambulation of Sridham Mayapur 342 Sree Gopal Bhatta Goswami, by SJ. Kishori Mohan Paul 344 Sreepad Sundarananda 336 Sree Nrisinghadeva 367

Vaishnava Literature

Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat - Part I 281 Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat - Part I, FOREWORD, by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 282 Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat -Part I, CONTENTS 284 The Harmonist As It Is

SUBJECT

Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat - Middle Part, Chapterl 23; 53; 90; 157; 221; 317 Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat - Middle Part, Chapter II 347; 378

Articles on Social, Economical and Political Issues

New Year The Study of the English Language, by Bishweswar Das 11 Universal Brotherhood, by Prof. Nimananda Sevatirtha 15 Brahmanya- and Brahmanas, by Prof. Yadubar Dasadhukary 69 Who is a Brahmana? by Prof. Nishi Kanta Sanyal 82; 122, 142; 244 Proselytism 97 Matters of Moment; Religion and State 154; 248 332 versus Religion 353

Comparative Religion

The All-Vaishnava Conference 36 Who is a Brahmana? by Prof Nishi Kanta Sanyal 82; 122,142; 244 Hinduism in Harmony with Budhhism, by Dr. H. W.B. Moreno 149 Doctrines of Sri Chaitanya IV, by Prof. Nishi Kanta Sanyal 271 Matters of Moment - Proselytism in Sanatan Dharma 157

Transcendental Discussion

The Eternal Gift of Jagatbandhu, by Srijut Kishori Mohan Paul 3 The Car Festival of Sri Sri Jagannath Deva 33 Presidential Address, by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 39; 261 Presidential Address at the Spiritual Conference by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 202; 358 Enlighteners Regarding Aspersions, That the Vaishnavas are Idolaters 47; 77; 111 The festival of Sree Radha-Madanamohan 66 Advent of Sri Baladeva 117 The Gaudiya Math 130; 163; 216 The Festival of the Peak of Food 175 The in a Nutshell, by Dr. H.W.B. Moreno 185 The Foot-Prints of the Supreme Lord 225 The Advent of the Supreme Lord, by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 321

Vaishnava Behavior and Etiquette

The Octave Containing the Teachings of Sri Chaitanya, by Prof. Nimananda Das Adhikari 43 The Spiritual Community 86 Index

SUBJECT

Proselytism 103 To Our Subscribers and Readers 385

Historical Events

Ouselves 30; 61; 94; 127; 159; 187; 223; 256; 280; 320; 350; 382 Shree Viswa Vaishnava Raj Sabha 57 Programme of the Annual Celebrations of the Gaudiya Math, 1930 59 Agenda of All-Theistic Conference, Questionnaire 104; 105; 108 Srestharyya Sripad Jagabandhu Das Adhikari Bhaktiranjan 193 The Spiritual Exhibition at the Gaudiya Math 198 The Thirty-seventh Annual Session of Shree Nabadwipa Dham Pracharini Sabha 371

Divine Poetry

Taking refuge in God - Sharanagati - Longing for Service IX, by Thakur Bhaktivinode 21 Taking refuge in God - Sharanagati - Longing for Service X, XI by Thakur Bhaktivinode 22 Taking refuge in God - Sharanagati - Longing for Service XII, XIII by Thakur Bhaktivinode 152 Taking refuge in God - Sharanagati - Longing for Realization, by Thakur Bhaktivinode 153 At the Lotus Feet of the Divine Master 147 Time, by H. W.B. Moreno 208 In Memorium 236 Lord Gauranga 260 Sri -Puja Homage, by Jai Gopal Das Adhikari 300 New Earth - New Heaven, by H. W.B. Moreno 336 THE HARMONIST AS IT IS

Vol.4

(Vol.XXVIII) Vol. XXVIII, No 1. JUNE 1930, ^ A

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHAN1

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIV A )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PARIBRAJAKACHARVYA Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS.

Subject page 1. New year 1 2. The Eternal Gift of Jagatbandhn B B, Kopila 6 4. The Study of the English Language 11 5. An Appreciative Letter 15 6. Universal Brotherhood 15 7. Sree Raghunath Das Goswami 17 8. Taking Refuge in God 21 9. Sree Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat 23 10. Ourselves 30 11. Programme of the Annual Celebrations of the Gaudiya Math, 1930 32

Layof fojnda tion for the Gaudiya Math buildings being the gift of Mb, JAGAT BANDHU DUTT. INDEX TO THE HARMONIST

Vol. XXVIII June 1930 to June 1931.

Subject If". Page (A) Address, Presidential 2.39 8-189 ; 7-202 ; 8-238 ; 9-281 ; 12-35?. Annnal Celebrations 6f the Gaudija Math 1930, Programme of the 1-32 ; 2-59. (B) BaladeTa, Advent of Sree Sree, 4 117. Bharata and Rantideva 8 260. Brahmanya-Deva anl Brahmanas 3-89. (0) Car Festival of Sree Sree Jagannath Deva, The 2-33. Chaitanya Bhagabat, Sree Sree 1-23 ; 2-53 ; 3-90 ; 5-157 : 7-221 ; 9-281 10-317 I 11-347. 12-378 Conference, Agenda of all Theistic 4-104. Conference, The Theistic 6-161 I 7-214. Conference, The All-Vaishnava 2-36. CD) Divine Master, At the Lotus-Feet of the ( Poem ) . 5-147. Doctrines of Sree Chaitanya ( V ) 9-271 Dhampracharini Sabha, The Thirty-Seventh Annual Session of the 12-371 (B) Empiricism versus Religion 19-353 English Languge, Study of the MI. Enlighten rs regarding Aspersions 2-47 : 3-77 : 4-1II. Eternal Gift of Jagabandhu, The 1-3. Exhibition, The Spiritual, At the Gaudiya Math 7-198. (F) Festival of CircBmambulation, The 11-342. Festival of Sree Radha-Madanamohan, The 3-65. Festival of the Peak of Food, The 6-173. (G) Gaudiya Math, The •'-129: , 7-216.1 Gopal Bhatta Goswami, Sree I1-34 , (H) Harmony ( Poem ) 11-325. Hinduism in Harmony with Hwldhisra 5-149. (I) Illnsory Energy of God-head, The 5-138. In Memorium ( Poem ) 8-236. Invitation 2-57 ; 5-160 ; 6-192 (J) Jagabaodhu Das Adhikari, Srestharyya Sreepad, Bhak tir» njan 7-193. (K) Kapita (L) Letter, An Appreciative 1-16, Lord Gauranga ( Poem ) 0-260. Lord Nityananda 10-289 (M) Matters o1 Moment 5-164,; 8-248. Mayapur, Sreedliam 8-228. Morality 11-332. (N) New Karth-New Heaven ( Poem ) 11-336, New Year 1-1 Nirsinghadeva, Sree 12-367 (0> Ourselves 1 50 :2-6i ; 3-94 ; 4-127 ; s-159 ; 6-187 ; 1-2 >3 ; 8-256 ; 9-280 ; 10-320 ; 1I-3-.0. 12-382, (P) Philosophy of life in a Nutshell, The 6-185. Proselytism 4-97. (Q) Questionnaire regarding object 4-110, Questionnaire regarding the process 4-108. Questionnaire regarding reference 4-10S. (R) Raghunath Da? Goswami, Sree. 1-17 ; 9-268 ; (S) Spiritual Community, The, 3-86 Subscribers and readers. To our 11-352. Sundarananda, Sreepad 12-356 Supreme Lord. Foot-Prints of The 8-225. Supreme Lord, The Advent of the 11-321. Supreme Lord, Installation of the Foot-Prints of the, at Jajpur 10-293 (T) Taking Refuge in God 1-21 ; 5-152. Talk with a Maulvi, A, 9-275. II 337 i 12-374 Teachings of Sree Chaitanya, The Octave Containing. 2-43. Time ( Poem ) 7-208 Travels of the Supreme Lord Sree Krishna Chaitanya 9 257 (U) Universal brotherhood 1-15. (V) Vyasa Puja, Sree Sree IC-297. Vyasa-Puja Homage, Sree ( Poem ) If-SOO. Vyasa-Puja Homage, Sree 10-304. Vyasa-Puja Response 10-311 ; n-327. ( W) Who am I ? M8O5 752C9 Who is a Urahmana ? 3-82 4-123. 5.142; 9C44. ALL GLORY TO THE DIVINE MASTER AND THE SUPREME LORD SREE KRISHNA CHA1TANYA

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

VOL. XXVIII JUNE 1930, Chaitanya-Era 444 NO. 1 i

New Year

TTTHE Harmonist is to-day entering on the fourth In former Ages men were less critical and less year of her service of all pure souls whose only willing to be critical in matters of devotion to Krishna. (unction is to serve the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna This change of temperament has necessitated by every faculty, in conformity with the teaching of attempts to cxplam the fundamental principle of the Lord Himself embodied in all the Scriptures. love itself to meet the objections of loveless critics. The service of the Divinity in its unalloyed form But the critics are confident that they have the of exclusive spiritual love is the hidden treasure advantage of the controversy. This is proved by of the Scriptures. Few, indeed, of this mundane the prevailing tendency in all countries in favour world ever attain to it. Love for God, contaminated of mundane knowledge and mundane felicity as and distorted more or less by the reservations against cause less exclusive devotion to Krishna. of mundane considerations of selfish gratification, The controversialists cannot be expected to is to be ordinarily found in this world. But the cease to be controversial without being beaten in present Age is too critical to be prepared to admit controversy. But the wonderful of the the validity of the alloyed form of the love of physical scienc'es both in theory and application has God. The alternative is, therefore, either to strive served to strengthen the of people desirous for the pure form of devotion or to reject the very of material advantage in the possiblility of mundane principle of the spiritual (unction. The Iron Age knowledge leading to unlimited mundane felicity. is least disposed to abate its contentions against love, Mere defeat in logical controversy, even if it be really from instinctive deference to the principle of cause- decisive and clear to the parties themselves, is less love. not likely to destroy the faith in the physical science 2 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXV111. No. I

of a person who is strictly addicted to sensuous concealed scepticism by most persons. The Age . The applied sciences have been able is apparently content with physical science. It does to capture the hearts of worldly people by their not expect nor desire the solution of its problems actual visible achievement in the form of pleasure from the so-called metaphysical quarter. It is -giving values capable of apparent tangible confidently looking forward to the progressive so- demonstration. lution of all difficulty by the natural and inevitable The Locomotive Engine, the Airship and the developement of the physical' sciences, and in due wireless Telegraphy are offered as the most con- course. It has ceased to be impatient (or the truth vincing arguments to reconcile humanity to any It does not expect a miracle. It is not prepared at defeat that it may actually sustain in metaphysical all to acknowledge anything except limited human controversy. contrivance and limited human experience. Neither It would not, therefore, be wholly accurate does it believe in special Divine dispensations. It to describe the present Age by such terms as admits only one royal road, Viz., that of progressive 'controversial' and 'critical'. Those terms were empiric knowledge, along which we are assumed more applicable to the mediaeval period. The presen to be predestined to travel perpetually towards Age has been more aptly designated as materialistic. the progressive goal of ever-widening mundane No theory is acceptable to a moderner, which is knowledge and ever-widening consequent mundane not productive of some form of ascertainable utility ; felicity. that is to say, material, limited, definable, and The Harmonist does not fully agree with this desirable.result. That theory is spontaneously voted prevailing outlook of the age. She is trying her to be worthy of attention which holds out the best to supplement the current view by offering prospect of being able to improve to any appreci- a great and startling (act (or the consideration of able extent the present worldly prospects of any the Age in the shape of actual conduct based on person in such a way that his , depending on the knowledge of the Absolute. She is systemati- transitory conditions of this world, may be appreci- cally offering to the world a narrative of the ably increased thereby. conduct of Sri Chaitanya Deva and His followers There is very little confident or independent as embodying the condition of living relationship thinking about conditions of prospects beyond this with the Absolute. worldly life. The speculations about the other The soul does not requiret or really desire, the world are now-a-days intended to vindicate the multiplication or elaboration of mundane felicity findings of the physical sciences and are really based that is promised and apparently ' yeilded by on the assumption of so-called established by the physical sciences. All worldly felicity is such enquiry. The next world is tacitly assumed realisable, however dimly, as lying off the to be a continuation of the present and also as in- plane of the soul. Such felicity is not only essen- ferable from the conditions of the phenomenal exist- tially trivial and disappointing but also pro- ence. by methods that have proved succcefsful in videntially ephemeral. It would be foolish to acquainting us tentatively with the apparent secrets of desire any modification of their nature- They are the present life. as they should be. Empiric science is therefore But whenever any new 'discovery' about the rightly content to watch and submit to what is other world is advertised by such auxiliary science essentially unmodifiable. It tries to regulate calling itself it is received with ill- the conduct of individuals by the mere extension June, 1930 ] THE ETERNAL GIFT OF JAGATBANDHU 3 of their experience of the operation of Nature, The Himself. Sri Chaitanya confers on us the service of physical sciences never promise anything but the Himself as the eternal Supreme Teacher, which is sense of felicity resulting from fulfilment of the identical with love of Sri Krishna, the eternal and conditions of . They know of no method nor only Lover of our souls. The spiritual teacher is the end except the trivial and the transitory wh

The Eternal Gift of Jagatbandhu (By Srijut Kishori Mohan Pal, b, l.)

Jagatbandhu Dutt, or J. B, D., is building in Divine Grace Paranihansa Paribrajakacharyya

Calcutta the loftiest and the most beautifully sriia Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami designed Temple in Bengal, with residential Thakur. quarters, for the Gaudiya Math, at a cost of -yhe Scriptures have declared that the gift is over a quarter of a million of rupees, as eternal the form of the eternal function. Diverse people gift to the feet of the spiritual preceptor, .His have understood the word gift in diverse ways. 4 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111, No. 1

According to different standards of judgment That which is given to the enlightened of the ignorant, the pedants and the really without a view of any return of reward or the erudite scholars, the natural meaning of gift enjoyment of the fruits thereof, is the etei nal is liable to be understood in quite different gift. That which is given to the learned for . In the seventeenth chapter of the Geeta purification from sin is called causal gift and Lord Krishna has declared three possil le that which is given for the sake of getting sons interpretations of this word corresponding and grandsons, victory, fortune, heaven and the to the nature of the platform on which fruits of religious observances, is the covet- the giver happens to stand. The first is the ous gift. The fourth or pure gift is that enlightened gift which is gift for gift's which is given with the spiritual object sake without any desire for reward or compen- of service to those who are conversant sation, due regard being had to the proper nature with the knowledge of the service of the Brah- of time, place and person,—when, where and to m an, solely with a view to the enjoyment of whom —the gift is made. The second kind is the Godhead. This form is the most propitious of charitable gift painfully made with an expecta- all. In India, the land of the eternal religion, tion of rewards either here or in the next world. the glories of the eternal gift have been pro- The third variety is the indiscriminate gift claimed from time immemorial in the spiritual contemptuously made without any regard for Scriptures and the distinction between eternal, time, place or person receiving the same. causal and covetous gift has been fully explained. The above three kinds of gifts express the But in this world the number of those that are three mundane qualities of Sattwa. and prepared to practise the pure and auspicious . The ignorant as well as the pedant are form of the gift are very, very few indeed. equally in favour of these three kinds of gifts. Persons desirous of enjoying the fruits of their Gift properly made signifies relinquishment of, actions, liberationists, desirous of merg- or aversion to, worldly, transitory enjoyments. ing with the Divinity and similar other specula- The time and the place,the giver andthe receiver tors are never tired of proclaiming the glory of of these three kinds of gifts being themselves the three mundane forms of charity. Only the comprised within the three corresponding attri- most magnanimous associated counterparts of the butes of mundane Nature, these charities are, Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya practise and themselves also necessarily transitory, insigni- proclaim the pure and non-evil-producing form ficant and misplaced. of the eternal gift. But the exceptionally fortunate man who In the Srimad Bhagabatam we find it stated receives his Divine eyes from the gracious asso- that although the presiding deity of this Iron ciated companions of that Jewel of benefactors, Age has many faults, still that which could not Sri Chaitanya Deva, does not fall within the have been possible of attainment to indivi- categary of these three classes. Enlightened dual souls in the Ages of '', 'Treta' with the Divine knowledge he becomes super- and Dwapara', has been available to all learned. The Purana has declared three by means of chanting the Name of Krishna. kinds of gifts, viz., 'Nitya' (eternal), 'Naimittika' It is identical with Divine Love which was (causal), and 'Kamya' ( born of selfish desire ). not given to any in the other three ages The fourth (turiya) which is the pure form of gift but which has been lavished on all by Sri lies beyond the pale of these three attributes. Chaitanya Deva in this Iron Age irrespective June, 1930 ] THE ETERNAL GIFT OF JAGATBANDHU 5 of caste, creed or colour, time or place. If any- gift as they cannot save others from the fall to body out of his own good luck due to his devo- which they themselves are liable. tional activities of previous births can find his way The elevatiouists think that the hereditary, to make a gift of.his transitory fortune towards professional priests are the proper recipients of that truly charitable performance inaugurated by the eternal offering. But according to Sreemad Sri Chaitanya Deva, viz., the distribution of the Bhagabat those who cannot save the soul from spiritual love to all, the gift of such a person spiritual lapse, cannot be the fit recipients of should be considered to be the purest (Suddha the eternal gift. King Bali instead of bestowing Sattwik) and best of all gifts. Such gilt can his gift on his atheistical hereditary family purify in every way all generations, being com- Guru, considered to be the only fit pletly immune from the triple mundane Recipient of the gift of his all. There are many qualities of mixed Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas. who consider their-blood relations as the proper The Scriptures maintain that gifts should be recipients of their charity. But how can they, made to the deserving and not to the un- who cannot save even themselves, claim to be deserving. But who is really a deserving person able to save those from whom they accept any in the eyes of the Scriptures ? The Scriptures gift on the strength of their temporary relation- themselves say that he who can save himself ship ? It is for this reason that Mahatma and others from falling into the bondage of this Bivishan, instead of considering his own brother world is the deserving person,' No atheist Ravan to have been the fit person, placed him- can be a fit recipient of the eternal gift, because sell wholly at the disposal of Bhagaban Sri he is being drifted hither and thither by his Ramchandra and dedicated his all for the deliberate aversion to the Feet of God. How worship of His Feet. We usually consider that our can such a person save his giver ? They would mother, father, wife or husband or the gods be like one blind man leading another. For preside over the good things of this world as the same reason neither the elevationist nor the proper recipients of our gifts. But in the the fruitive workers can be the proper recipients eyes of the Scriptures they cannot claim to be of the eternal gift, because thsy are ever liable so, if they cannot protect our souls. This con- to fall from even the highest position attainable sideration led Prahlad Maharaj to consider by meritorious worldly activities. The libera- Nrisinha—Vishnu as the proper Recipient of his tionists cannot also claim to be the deserving worship in lieu of his father recipients of the eternal gift, because according and he accordingly surrende red himself with to Sreemad Bhagabat, 'alienated from the Feet body, mind and speech to the lotus Feet of the of Sri Krishna they are liable to fall from their Supreme Lord, without desiring anything in exalted position, attained through the know- return ; because he knew that he who asks for ledge of the as indistinguishable from anything of God in return of his service, is no themselves'. The greatest Yogis who desire to servant at all but a trader. In this way Bharat, merge with the God-head, such as Viswamitra, instead of--taking his mother Kaikeyi to be the Shaubhari and others have been found to have deserving person, considered the Feet of been liable to fall from their high positions in spite Bhagaban Sri Ramchandra as the only Recipient of their success in realising apparently unswerving of his gifts and surrendered his all to Him. The connection with the Oversoul. They cannot consorts of those Brahman priests who were also therfore be the fit recipients of the eternal helpers of the sacrifice of their husbands, in place 6 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No. I of they' virtuous husbands, considered Sri all gifts. Of the devotees of , Sri Guru- Krishna to he the sole Enjoyer of all sacrifices, deva, the transcendental preceptor, being the deceived their husbands and behind their back, Divinely authorized Saviour of the fallen, is the made a gift of their all to Krishna and Baladeva. most deserving recipient of our gifts. The Maharaj Khattanga, in the last moment of his life, transcendental Preceptor, unlike the sacerdotal in place of gods like and others, elected pseudo-, is not a preacher of the per- Sri Vishnu, the God of all the gods to be the sole formance of worldly deeds. Neither like the Recipient of his gift and offered everything he elevationists, renunciationists or Yogis who had to His Feet. Hence according to Srimad desire the idle bliss of union with the Over- Bhagabat, the crest-jewel of all Scriptural soul, is he prepared to renounce the worship evidence, those who do not serve, Krishna via., of the lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord, the elevationlsts, the liberationsts, the Yogis, the Sri Krishna, for the purpose of his selfish enjoy- hereditary professional priests and pseudo- ments by intercepting for his own use the preceptors, blood-relations, father, mother, gift of his disciples intended for the sole husband and the lesser gods cannot claim to be Recipient of all gifts. The transcendental the deserving recipients of our gift, as none of Preceptor is in the habit of appropriating all them can save our souls from falling into this that our souls ignorantly suppose they possess worldly bondage. in this world by enabling them to offer the According to the same high authority the same at the Feet of Sri Krishna Who is the sole devotees of Vasudeva alone who are linnly and Enjoyer of everything. Or, in other words, by lovingly attached to His Feet and hence are taking away from us every transitory thing to not liable to fall from the spiritual condition, which we may be unnaturally attached he are the only persons who can save our souls purges our hearts of all mundane desires and from this worldly bondage. For this reason makes us susceptible to the perennial advent they are the only deserving recipients (patra) of of the Absolute Truth.

Kapila : (Tbacher ok Theistic Sankha Philosophy)

p)RAHMA asked Kardama to live and time and was able to see and ^ multiply. He accordingly went to , the Transcendental Couple, the secluded bank of the Saraswati, wor. riding on Garuda. Kardama sa id shipped the Supreme Lord for a long with reverence, ''Lord, I have now all june. 1930 ] KAPILA

my desires fulfilled. I am ordered by Kardama thought that it was high my father to procreate the human time that he should retire to the forest species and take this opportunity to and give himself up to the conterapla. meditate on Thee. It is true that it tion of God. Devahuti beci^me aware is not commendable to worship Thee of it and asked him what would bt? her for the fulfilment of our desires ; still duty and informed him that she would I take recourse to this means only. be in a helpless state if he left her. I know it for certain that Thou con- Kardama consoled her saying that ferest Thy best favours on him who lifts she need not be anxious as the Lord his hands in prayer, no matter whether had owned her as His mother and he desires some boon for himself advised her to receive instructions from or is without any selfish motive." Him and she would be free from all Narayana replied,"It is not,necessary bondage. Kardama then approached to ask for anything. I love the Kapila and prayed that he might not devotees dearly and fulfil all their again be attracted by the lures of the wants. I have already arranged every- world. thing. Manu and his wife Shatarupa Kapila said, "The path of Truth will come to you shortly and bestow has, in course of time, .become blocked their beautiful daughter Devahuti on and obscured, I have appeared to clear you. A part of Myself shall be it. Always meditate on Me. See the born as your Son and hallow this self-manifested Oversoul in your heart world. Dedicate your all to Me and you will be free from fears and and you will be free from sin and attain, miseries. I will confer transcendental unto Me." With this Narayana left knowledge on My mother and she will him. be free from the fears of death !" In due time several daughters and a Kardama started for the woods medi- Son were born to him. At the time of the tating on Him alone and Kapila Son's birth auspicious signs became and Devahuti remained in their hut on perceptible and sail to his the Bindusarobara. son Kardama, ''You have discharged One day Devahuti went to her Son your duty and have got as your Son and said, "My Lord, I am weary of One Who will teach the Truth. He supplying objects of enjoyment to my shall be called Kapila." mind ; still it has not been satiated. It He then congratulated Devahuti is incessantly driving me towards the on having the Supreme Lord as her darkness of misery. It is Thou alone Son and went away. That can'st help me. I am sure I shall 8 THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVIll, No 1 be freed now that Thou hast cone. Me. If you practise it without cessa- Thou art the Lord of all. Extricate tion your mind will be free from dross me from the mire of worldliness and and all your functions will be directed infatuation and favour me with the true towards the attainment of My holy Feet knowledge of myself.'' and as the consequence you will attain He was pleased at her and My holy Feet even in this life." said, "Mother,, the mind is the cause Devahuti said, '-I am but a dull of both bondage and deliverance. Let woman. Explain the devotional prin. the mind be steeped in mundane ciples clearly and let me know my matters and you are bound hand and duty." foot. Concentrate it in God and you Kapila sail, "Mother,the individual are free. It is the company of self- soul does, by nature, crave for realised souls and listening to their touch with the Oversold ; but His chantings and joining them in their illusory energy keeps him screened devotional performances that bring the and entangled in the meshes of real good. Then only do the world's worldly attractions. It is association temptations fail. The greatness of the with self-realised souls alone that devotees knows no bounds. Attachment removes the screens and disentangles to the world binds, while attachment to the unfortunate wretch, who is thus the devotees frees. They direct all favoured with unalloyed devotion their efforts and exertions towards which is far superior to liberation. My pleasure and do not hesitate to The real devotees never d esire for sal- sever their connection with those who vation. They direct all their efforts are nearest and dearest to them if they to My service. They always long to look go against their service to Me in any at My Form of transcendental Beauty way. They meditate on Me incessantly and do not even turn towards salvation and enjoy chanting My glory day and which offers itself at their feet. They night. They are beyond the reach of serve Me eternally in . The misery. Touch with such devotees highest object of salvation is subject to alone can impart devotion to Krishna. decay but My devotees reside in a region When you associate with devoted where time has no influence and decay persons you hear nothing else and destruction are unknown. So strong than talk about Me. They sing and unalloyed devotion to Me is the My glory in endless ways and your highest object of human achievement. mind is naturally diverted from the Mother, betake yourself to the path of world and directs its course towards devotion." June, 1930 ] KAPlLA 9

"The Supreme Lord Sri is the water .\n infinitesimal portion of ultimate Cause'. Some {oolishly hold His pure is called Jiva who is that Nature is the ultimate cause. They liable to be affected by the qualities of are wrong. The personal God Who is Nature. This Jiva, devoid of all different from Prakriti (Nature) is the mundane attributes as he is by nature, ultimate Cause. It is He Who impreg- imagines himself to be endowed with nates her with material energy. First the triple material qualities of Sattwa, comes forth Mahattattva, the first sprout, Rajas and Tamas and becomes thereby as it were, of this world. Thenceforth subject to mundane joys and ." cnrae the different material objects. "When by touch with self- Earth, water, fire, air and ether are the realised souls he becomes re.instated five elements ( mohahhoota) ; smell, in his original position he comes to liquidity, form, touch and sound are the know that he is independent of all five connectives {tanmitras) ; eye, ear, mundane affinities. Assiduous devotion nose, tongue and skin are the five organs to Me alone can maintain him in My of sense. The mouth, the hand, the feet, eternal service." the anus and the generative organs with "Mother, let me delineate the process the five organs of physical activity, of serving Me by one who is free from the mind, the intellect, the pervert, the domination of Illusory Energy. ed ego and nature added to themf The pure devotees contemplate on the form what is called the 24 Tattwas or Paramatma's dark beautiful Form categories. The or personal with the conch, the disc, the club and God is the 25th. The three attributes the lotus and see His own Form. Un. , Rajas and Tamas, or, purity, alloyed devotion enables the devotees activity and stupor, make the number to see the form of Godhead as he is, twenty eight." viz., the beautiful adolescent Sri "The Purusha may be either God Krishna. Shiva deserves the Name or the individual soul. Prakriti of Benefaction because he holds on or Nature has attributes whereas the Ids head the Ganges who flows from Supreme being or Purusha is not bur. the holy Feet of the Supreme Lord." dened with them. By dint of His "Devotion is either mixed with quality inconceivable powers He resides in the {saguna) or unadulterated by such quality body of the Jiva and is known as {nirgmia). Those who hanker after Pararaatma. He remains unaffected something else than Krishna may have by the qualit'es of physical Nature as mixed devotion while the spontaneous the sun that casts its reflections on play of the unobacured conscious 10 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVill, No 1 principle of the single-hearted devotees Unknowable and are their teachers constitutes unalloyed devotion. These of religion form the highest class. latter shun the desire for liberation Among the Brahmans those who from as they shun the devil are thoroughly well versed in the and want nothing but exclusive and spiritual Scriptures are the greatest. eternal service of the Divinity. This Those Brahmans who possessing the sincere devotion is called unalloyed knowledge of the Vedas follow con- or pure devotion. The pure devotees stantly the principles of religion are sing My glory, serve the self-realised the highest. Those who have dedicated souls, behave sincerely, worship My their all to Godhead are superior to divine Form, overcome their natural all others. There is none superior to longing for creature comforts, listen one who is devoted to Godhead. He to discourses on Hari, respect their stands above all and knows no fall. superiors, imbibe friendship with the "One devoid of devotion is the crea- pure devotees and by means of other ture of sorrow, want and anxiety. He devotional practices attain Me without may enjoy temporary , but is much ado. bound to be miserable in the long run. "Those who indulge in malice and at In the womb of the mother the soul the same time make a show of wor. averse to Godhead suffers excruciating shipping Me, practise the external and cries in agony sincerely forms of these devotional activities in imploring. God to relieve him of his vain. One should worship My divine sufferings by re-installing him in His form till one has attained the capacity eternal service. But just after his birth for realising My presence in all he consigns all these to oblivion and as as well as in one's own heart. the result he has to appear again "This material world teems with and again in this world. It is the millions of individual souls of whom devotee alone who can hare true man is the greatest. Those men who felicity." dwell in the land of Bharata and hold With this Kapila took leave of His in high esteem the system of com- mother, went northwards and became munal organisation for spiritual amelio- invisible to the mortal eye. ration based on destinctions of apfi. Sri Vishnu imposed Himself on tude and circumstances and are dis- Kapila, instructor of unalloyed devotion. posed to serve God are the highest We must distinguish Him from the class of men. The Brahamans who Kapila who is the propounder of possess the knowledge of the Great atheistic Sankhya philosophy. Divine June, 1930 J THE STUDYOF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE II

snperimposition on individual Souls is Prithu the governing power, in the of two kinds :— four Sanas Knowledge, in Brahma the (1) Imposition of the Lord Himself, creative power. These regard them- e., g, Kapila, Rishabha, selves as so many servants of the Lord. (1) Imposition of the Divine In snperimposition of the Lord Power, e., (?., , Vyas, Prithu, Himself the Divine energy manifests Brahma and Sanaka. itself more perfectly and the individual He in whom a particular energy soul regards himself as identical with or power of the Divinity manifests Godhead. itself is called "imbued with the Kapila and Rishabhadeva regarded Divine Power". In this manner devo- themselves under Divine superimposi- tion .manifested itself in Narada, in tion as the Supreme Lord Himself.

The Study of the English Language ( By Bishweswar Das b.a., Headmaster, H E. School, Santipur. )

A S English is a language with which we are approach the question of the study of the all unavoidably concerned it is of the ut- English language with the proper attitude. most importance to know the proper use of The study of English was at one time that language and what part it should play generally considered to be among our bread- in the scheme of our useful activities. A studies. It is, as matters stand at present, a tendency of abusing or praising the study convenient passport for entry into the political of the English language in connection with and commercial life of the world. But this is diverse "questions, is often noticeable in this not the only claim it has upon our attention. cpuntry. We shall try to show in the present The language has its own peculiar merits. For article how all may be benefited by means of the strong masculine vigour, a pronounced tone of English language and what an abundant harvest practicality, elasticity and preciseness of of good the English as well as ourselves expression the language occupies a high place might reap from the proper use of the same. in the world. Nursed by the hand-maid of Let my countrymen consider with a calm and empiric science and maintained by the fatherly Collected miqd the views expressed here and care of its most assiduous application to all 12 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVUl, No. 1 departments of life, the language, like the people of spiritual welfare by direction of truly en- to whom it belongs, is possessed of a wide lightened sages and saints devoted wholly wordly out-look which is worthy of being to matters relating to the higher concerns turned to account by being consecrated to the of the soul. But we need not, theiefore, service of the higher life. unduly deprecate the English more than Any one making an acquaintance with this ordinary worldly people. If they fail in their language cannot fail to appreciate its influence. higher duty towards us, if they make themselves Come within its influence in the proper way and unnecessarily exacting, they will surely be your heart is sure to realise a new freshness. accountable to God, Who holds in His Hands You cannot ignore its vivifying force, its master- the destinies of all nations and Who permits ful spirit, its ever-prying inventiveness. All both individuals and nations even to abuse their languages rightly understood always point to freedom, affording them a chance of redemption the One. Most of the characteristics mentioned from their failings by their own bitter experi- above no doubt belong to the best minds of the ence. Let us study their character as well as their English nation, although they are apt to be language to be also duly warned against such abused by being directed to purely worldly pur- failings. The language would then be pregnant poses. But they are none the less true character- with invaluable lessons for us. Let us accept istics of the English language which portrays from the English people their close association faithfully the thoughts, lives and manners of with humanity, for the higher purpose. Let us the English people. acquire from their language that practical tone So far as a seeker of the Truth is concerned of thought which lies at the root of a nation's the English language appears to have a very material prosperity, and turn it to higher different mission to fulfil. The language seems account. Let us acquire from the English to him suited to serve as a means of rousing language -the love of adventure, the zeal for the inert millions of the world, to carry life action, the spirit of self-reliance, the indefatig- into the cold frames of its peoples. There able courage and perseverance, for the same is, therefore, a kind of special providence purpose. Let us learn from their language in the advent of the English people into scrupulous adherance to strict principles, regula- India. They came to us with their language rity of life, steadfast devotion to duty and ex- to regulate our learning, our habits of life and emplary method of work. Let us adopt zeal for modes of thought, our traditional hopes and knowledge, patient and sustained efforts for large aspirations. This has led us to a strict self- undertakings, love of researches and exertion for examination and to the necessity of taking the discovery of the unknown. Let us learn these stock of our actual possessions. Our in- qualifications of a student and a really good debtedness, therefore, to both the English citizen, and the proper of a self-respect- people and their language is great. Do not ing gentleman. Let us use the English language admire the English nation as a successful money- for the purpose of the spread of self-culture. making, materialistic people. They should be to We Indians have by an inscrutable Provi- us as Heaven-sent agents to enable us to learn dence been made to come into contact with how to safe-guard the spiritual interests of all. the language of the most powerful and pros- They are, indeed, very different from the perous nations on earth in order that we may scriptural ideal of our warrior kings as guardians becoqie animated and invigorated by finding June, 1930 ] THE STUDY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE 13 the proper use of the qualities that characterise no matter by- whatever honourable or glorious that interesting nation. If by the study of names such vice be designated. The current English we learn merely to abuse or flatter the method of study of English is, we believe, English people our learning will be harmful no antidote against this vice. The tendency for both. If by the study of English we learn of the English literature itself is only to make merely to imitate the vices of the English men active, enterprising, practical and useful character, the free thinking of sensuous godless in this life. We should be thoroughly imbued literature, our learning will do us no good. with this spirit of the English literature but Providence has brought the English people not for the purpose of worldly living. The into India not that we should learn English study of the works of a few select English ways of living, not that we should imitate authors under proper safeguards may serve the English modes of eating, drinking and dressing, useful end. English books bring us into but that we should find extended scope for touch with the outside world. They our beneficial activities. If English education carry us to the uttermost parts of the Earth, cannot do this for us then the opportunity familiarise us, even when we do not move a will be abused. Indians are by nature and yard from our homes, with the busy scenes of circumstances well fitted for this great task. The commercial life, the repulsive horrors of the possession of this aptitude shows itself in our battle-field, the roaring billows of the tropical traditional anxiety to utilize every opportunity seas, the frozen wafers of the icy poles. English for spiritual use. We should continue to love to authors inform us about the customs of the keep severely aloof from low ideals, we should most strange and savage nations as also of the love to detach ourselves from worldly-minded mighty kings and potentates of the Earth. men and women, in order to be able to help English books suggest to our minds the all persons by our conduct. This aloofness truth that the soul of man, inspite of the is necessary under aircircumstances and is a duty differences of caste, creed and colour which towards all. It is not opposed either to the pertain only to the flesh, is the same in interests ol human society or to the laws that essence, that all are children of the same govern the moral world. A man should cut him- common Father variously called Jehova, Zeus, self off from the company of his low-minded Jove, Allah, God, Brahma, —purporting Sree fellows in order to follow a better and clearer Krishna, and that one touch of the spiritual perception of his duties to them, and the right nature may make the whole world kin. We are mode of discharging those duties. On this ground taught by the scriptures to consider all persons isolation is necessary and justifiable. In fact a as kith and kin, but by the preventing manners man can work out his salvation only by thus and customs of the world we are excluded from living for others. To be able so to live the real society of one another. This wilful for others is the greatest glory and highest spiritual isolation, as the world goes, does not of man. If this view is correct there is seem to be productive of any good. On the nothing wrong in the idea of such isolation. contrary it is the cause of all the evils so far It should by all means be encouraged. as our real interests are concerned. Unless we Men should be repeatedly warned against drifting are disposed to apply our to the into the vice of real isolation from the spiri- conditions and requirements of life, ours will tual life by association with worldly people, be a miserable lot, a lot which will involve all, 14 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII. No. I the rich and the poor, the learned and the bequeathed to us by the transcendental servants illiterate, the caste and the caste of God. If this is studiously and conscien- , in a sad and pitiable plight. The tiously done and if the happy wedding of the study of English or any worldly languag2 is oriental and occidental spiritual lores be con- sure to lead to this catastrophe unless directed summated, the brightest issue of that glorious to the higer purpose. union we doubt not, will no longer be a number But a not wholly unfounded charge is of greedy nations, but one heoric community also brought against the study of English. of mankind conscious of its real mission by A Nationalist would say that the study of the spiritual awakening. England will benefit no English language disabuses men's minds of less than ourselv s by this happy and glorious a'l ancient ideas and beliefs. In matters of consummation. Let us in the Name of the Most religion, in matters relating to our highest in- High reverentially acknowledge this. Let us terests the cultivation of the English language recognise the English people as not essentially is hence calculated to a certain extent to make different from us and the language of that us losers rather than gainers. There is no high and mighty but equally unhappy nation gain-saying the fact that a thorough mastery as not unfit to be the gospel of salvation. of the English language need be no bar to Our article is rather long but we have not the requirements of spiritual life the nature certainly written in vain when we think of the of which can hardly be suspected by one unrest th.t happily prevails in many quarters who is ignorant of the higher purpose. of this vast world, which is likely to rouse us to Nevertheless the charge is true that the an attitude of enquiry regarding its real cause. materialistic tendency of the English language May the Great Disposer Who wields the desti- makes it more or less sceptical of religion. Let nies of all nations and Who has in His inscrut- us counteract this materialistic tendency on us able providence brought together Esterners of all languages by a careful study of the scrip, and Westerners also graciously inspire all tures and theistic philosophy. Let the study peoples with the true ideas and sentiments that of the western sciences be rendered fruitful tend to the real good, happiness and prosperity by the wise study of those vast lores of spiritual of one and all. learning the Vedas, Upanisads and Purans (Revised by permission of the writer.—E. H.) An Appreciative Letter. 5, Wellesley Square. "Telephone" Cal. 2767 Calcutta, the 25th May, IQJO To and later on, if possible once every year ? Sri Sbimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati They will grow in popularity as year Goswami Maharaj passes year. Your Holiness: Being one of your humble admirers I wish Among the many others may I be one to you every success in your selfless undertakings, offer you my sincere congratulations on the specially in your good work at the Gaudiya Sridham Mayapur Exhibition recently held ? Math of Calcutta, with its thirty living branches It is proof that spiritual things have not yet all over India to spread the Truth, as it were, died out of India and that people are still willing fro m end to end. and anxious to go to such Exhibitions. We With my sincere respects and craving always need such occasions to stir up our dying faith, your blessings on me and my humble undertak- by having practical demonstrations before our ings for the good of India, your land and mine. eyes. May I request you to continue such Yours very'cordially, Exhibitions periodically, say once in 2 years, H. W. B. Moreno

Universal Brotherhood

(Nimananda Sevatirtha B. Ag., B. T.)

T TN1VERSAL brotherhood is a same Lord. This relation is alone ^heavenly commodity. Love builds natural and is automatically established and hatred destroys it. The natural as soon as we become really attentive relation between one soul and another to G-od, our only Lord, the sole Object of is that of fellowship in unadulterated our exclusive service. love of Sri Krishna. This relation is Love of the Lord being the natural realised through the endeavour to love function of our soul we must be always the Lord. Love of the Lord is the on our guard against the unnatural and guiding principle to unite us as obstructing intruder, lust, that is the brothers or fellow servants, all of us bastard born of our unnatural alliance being the exclusive servants of the with flesh and blood. The teachers of THE HAMONIST [ Vol XXVIII. No. 1.

Divine love preached their gospel of encasing of bodies the strongerand more love by loving the Lord with all their inevitable and apparently unbridgeable faculties. Being killed in the physical is the . Our attention to flesh body they had no reason to retaliate and blood tends to foster complete in- and being hated by reason of the flesh attention to God. This tendency to they were not anxious to ha dragged entire inattention to God is the cause of into a similar predicament themselves. the unnatural subjection of the soul to Christ, while apppearing to be crucified, body and mind, of spirit to matter. In cried aloud, "Father, forgive them for the annals of the tragic serfdom of soul they know not what they are doing." to matter, race, colour, man-made creed, Did not Nityananda, while seeming to etc., are things that supply the motive, bleed under the blows of his assailants, power and the consequent lust or request Lord Ohaitanya to show mercy hatred manifests itself in every form of to Madhai saying that he himself con- gilded or naked hideosness. trived to get the wound ? Not wholly relishing to live in such Love of Krishna suffers no ill and an atmosphere even the misguided soul consequently does not know revenge. also always tries, however feebly, to That fleshy disposition is entirely assert himself. But the soul acting foreign to the soul. It cannot be accom- now under his misguided judgment modated in the all-loving nature of the utterly fails to devise the right means soul in intimate relation with God. For to find the condition of real harmony. where is the possibility of a wire's The means that are adopted from time losing the electric charge while effec- to time for this purpose only serve, tively connected with the battery ? The under the circumstances, to make union soul that realises her subjection to the still more impossible. The wrong Divine Soul Who is All-love, is neces- treatment aggravates the malady. That sarily herself all-loving to the extent of is why. our Peace-conferences, Leagues her reciprocal nature and cannot be of Nations and all other conventions otherwise. directed by lust fail to achieve their Difference of interest is visible only purpose. when the relationship of the physical We fail and fail again, but do not and mental bodies is considered without know or oare to know, why we are thus reference to the soul. The twin bodies almost predestined to fail. The reason that enwrap the soul cause all the of this should be also obvious. The apparent difference; or rather, the cause of failure is betrayed by such as more our attention is given to our statements from authoritative quarters june. 1930 ] SREE RAGHUNATH DAS GOSWAMI 17 as that, ' There is no place for Saints in bodies. They are allowing themselves politics." The Reality need not be to be transformed more or less into officially ousted from the considerations agents for the promotion of lust of practical politics despite the most (worldly interests). They are often unpromising appearances. This should called upon to help the cause of a be true of all institutions. Reli. narrow community to which they are gion and life need not be treated as assumed to belong by the flesh, two different subjects even partially even in the guise of a religious independent of one another. It need not body. And we must not also forget be taken for granted that one must live that it was both easy and convenient only by distrust and dishonesty, and only for Havana to cast bis lustful eyes on profess with the lip abnegation of the Seeta, in the garb of a mendicant. The interests of the flesh. One must learn to altars are liable to be easily desecrated cling to religion to triumph in life. Life by the worship of lust,—ungodly things, cannot claim to have triumphed if —money, name, fame, amelioration religion is banished from the domain of of the flesh, removal of the wholesome practical considerations. The talk of although seemingly distressing conse- love of God now hardly commends itself quences of immoral life, etc. etc. These to our constant and dominant consi- apparently benevolent deeds of the deration. The examples of the past misguided worldling have no power to teachers of love have been forgotten and infuse the spirit of love into the hearts those of present ones are ignored. of the people who suppose themselves Now-a.days there exists many an to be benefited in this fashion. For official religious mission all over the you cannot find any trace of electric world. Even they appear to .find it charge in a wire which is not connected impracticable to be purely religious with the battery.

Sree Raghunath Das Goswami ( Continued from pp, 280 February, 1930 )

"T) Y this time the devotees from Gauda previous year. In their company the (Bengal) arrived at Puri. The Lord swept the Gundicha, dined out Lord welcomed them all as in the in the open and danced in the Oar 3 18 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No 1

Festival. The mind of Rnghunath world and has no thought for food or Das was filled with great wonder on clothing. He keeps up life by eating beholding these devotional perform, something now and then. When it is ances. Then Raghunath Das culti- near midnight ha takes his stand vated the acquaintance of all the at the Lion Gate after seeing the cere- devotees. Adwaita Acharya bestowed mony of flower-offering to Jagannath. If on him his mercy in manifold measure. any.body chosestogive him anything^he Shivananda Sen related to him how his eats something. He fasts or chews raw father had sent ten persons to take fruit or grain as the occasion serves/ him back and had written a letter to The man conveyed these tidings him on the subject. Those men had to Gobardhan. Raghunath's father come up with his party at Jhakra from and mother were filled with grief on where they went back on not finding receiving this detailed information. him with them. They sent men and money for their The devotees returned to Gauda child. Two servants and one Brahman (Bengal) after a stay of four months with four hundred coins accordingly at Puri. Informed of this the father came to Shivananda. Shivananda said of Raghunath sent a man to Shivananda that it would not be practicable for to enquire about his son. The conver- them to reach Puri by themselves and sation between this person and Shiva- told them to accompany him when he nanda Sen has been preserved in the wont there next. He sent them back immortal work of Kaviraj Goswami. The with the assurance that he would take man asked Shivanan'la Sen, 'Did you them with him when he next out find any Vaishnava with the Supreme for Puri with his party. Lord, who is the son of Gobardhana, The very words spoken by Shiva- by name, Raghunath ? Did you make nanda Sen to the messenger sent to the acquaintance of any such person him by Gobardhan Mazuradar were at Neelachal ?' Shivananda said, 'He heard and carefully recorded in verse is with the Lord. He is most famous. by his gifted son Karnapur, the famous There is no one at Puri who does not Poet. The Poet's words are—Shivananda know him. The Lord has made him said 'Jadunandan Acharya of most deli- over to Swarup. He is as dear to the ciously sweet appearance is the object of devotees of the Lord as their own lives. affection of Sri Vasudeva Datta (of He chants the Name night and day. Kanchanpalli). Raghunath Das is the He never quits the feet of the Lord even disciple of Jadunandan Acharyya. By for a moment. He is most averse to the his good qualities he ia more than our June, 1930 ] SREE RAGHUNATH DAS GOSWAMI 19

own life to all of us and by means of the on deliberation. Raghunath thought that excessive mercy of Sri Chaitanya he is he had been inviting the Lord by accept- always most gentle, the beloved of ing money from a worldling. He Swarup Goswami and a unique treasure realised that the mind of the Lord could of the realm of renunciation. Of those not be pleased by such invitation. As who live atNeelachal who does not know the Lord could not accept the offering him ?... ..'Who by delighting the minds with unmixed pleasure the only gain of all became the soil of some rare for. by such invitations was his own 'reputa- tune which ripened into maturity with, tion'. The Lord accepted bis invitation out culture,—in whom the incomparable by reason of his entreaty thinking that if tree of the Love of Chaitanya bore fruit Ho declined to accept it his foolishness at the time of planting its seed.' - would make him sorry.' These consi- pur has given in verse the exact words derations made Raghunath give up the that Sbivananda spoke to the messenger practice of inviting the Lord. of Gobardhan Mazumdar. On hearing this the Lord said with Shivananda in due course set out a smile, 'By feeding on the cooked for Neelachal next year. A servant food of worldlings the mind is made and a Brahman from Gobardhan impure. If the mind becomes impure, Mazumdar accompanied him to Puri. it is no longer possible to recollect The Brahaman and servant with four Krishna. The cooked food supplied hundred coins made their way to by a worldling proceeds ultimately from Raghunath. Raghunath Das did not motives of meritorious activity (rajas) accept their help. Those two, however, tending to a worldly result. It, therefore, remained at Puri with the money. pollutes the minds of both donor and Thereafter Raghunath with much enjoyer. By reason of hesitation on his ardour invited the Lord to accept almsof account I have accepted it so long. food twice a month. The two invitations It is well that he has given it up by cost eight Panas of Cowrie-shells. his own conviction.' Raghunath took this sum from the After a while Raghunath also Brahman and servant. Raghunath ceased to attend at the Lion Gate for continued to invite the Lord for two his food. He began to obtain his food years and then gave it up. When by begging at the chhatras. On hearing Raghunath did not invite Him to dinner of this from Govinda the Lord asked for two months the Lord asked Swarup Swarup, 'Why does not Raghu stand why Raghunath gave up inviting Him. for food at the Lion Gate ?' Swarup Swarup replied that he had done so said, 'Feeling it troublesome to wait 20 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV11L No, I at the Lion Gate he begs his food at for the space of three years. Being noon from the Chhatras.' The Lord pleased with Raghunath, He gave him said, 'He has done well by giving up the stone and garland. his attendance at the Lion Gate. To The Lord said, 'This stone is the beg at the Lion Gate is the trade of a holy concentrated Form of Krishna. harlot.—'He is coming, he will surely Worship Him with earnestness. give,—he has given ; another is coming, Worship this Stone by the pure, rational he will give ; this person who is gone method (sattvic) of service. You will did not give ; another will come and obtain the treasure of the love of give.' At the Chhatras one may fill his Krishna in no time. The sattvic belly by whatever is obtainable. There worship is performed in the pure form is thus no other matter but chanting by means , of the spray of Tulasi and of Krishna with joy.' water procured in an earthen pitcher. Saying so the Lord once more Place one Tulasi spray inside two Tulasi bestowed His favour on Baghunath. leaves. Offer the Lord with faith eight He gave him the stone of Gobardhana sprays of Tulasi in this form. The Lord and the garland of Gunja twigs. gave him this command as He made Shankarananda Saraswati had'brought over to him the Stone with His own the stone and garland when he came holy Hands. from Brindaban. The gunja garland Raghunath began to perform the was attached to the side of the worship with great joy. S war up gave Gobardhana stone. Shankarananda laid him two pieces of cloth half a cubit in these two before the Lord for His size, one small board as a seat and one acceptance. earthen Kunja to fetch the water. The Lord was delighted on receiving Raghunath worshipped the Lord in the two things, the like of which was this fashion. At the time of worship not to be found before. He put on he beheld the darling Son of the Chief the garland of gunja at the time of of Braja in the Stone. Raghunath was recollection. The Lord nursed the overwhelmed with love as he thought of Gobardhana stone by holding it to His the Gobardhan Stone which the Lord Byes and Bomm, receiving its odour had given him with His own Hands. and placing it on His Head. The The joy that is experienced by worship st^ne was constantly bathed in His tears. with Tulasi and water is not equalled The Lord called the stone^ the Body by that of worship on a grand scale of Krishna'. He bore on His Person with the sixteen offerings. When the stone and garlaqd in that manner Raghunath had coutjuued to wdrs hip June 1930] TAKING REFUGE IN GOD 21 the Lord in this manner for some time "When Raghunath received the Stone Swarup Gnswami said to him, 'Offer and garland he arrived at the following eight couris worth of Khaja ( a kind conclusion regarding the intention of of sweetmeat). If it be given with the Lord, 'The Lord has surrendered faith it becomes the equal of nectar.* me to Gobardhan (Sri Krishna) by Then Raghunath began to offer eight giving me the Stone and to the Feet of couris worth of Khaja which was suppli- Radhika by giving me the Garland of ed by Govinda by command of Swarup. Gunja.' ( To be continued ).

Taking Refuge in God ( Gontinued from P. 188, Nov, 1929 ) LONGING FOR SERVICE

(IX) 1. Hari ! Sri Rupa Goswami In the form of Sree Guru Taught in my ear,— Learn the meaning of my words, You who beg for the gift of the Name ; You will then find attraction in chanting the Name. 2. The Name, Form, Quality, The excellent Deeds of Krishna, With the utmost care, Apply to thy tongue And mind, in order Following the Scriptural injunction. 3. Dwelling in Braja, Following the spontaneous bent of love Practise chanting and recollection. In this manner employ Thy whole time, Accept this as the essence of all teaching. Ah ! Rupa Gosain I When wilt thou, out of mercy, Grant this wretch to live in Braja ! Thy soul is love ; To be the follower of thy feet Is the hope of thy servant. 22 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111. No, 1

(X) 1. Gurudeva ! Out of thy great mercy, 'Mid the wood-land of Grauda, Thou hast given me a place in Godruma. Thou hast given me thy command,— Abiding here in Braja You sing the Name of Hari.

2. But when, O revered one ! Wilt thou, out of thy mercy, Bestow the fitness on this slave ? When will my mind be tranquil, I will bear up with all, And serve Hari with singleness of heart ? 3. In childhood and youth, By contact with worldly pleasure, My habit has grown corrupt. By my own evil deeds This body has become A hindrance to the service of God.

4. Now in old ago Smitten with the five-fold malady, Teach me how I am to serve. Crying with anguish, At thy feet I fall in this great distress.

(XI) 1. Gurudeva ! By administering a particle of thy mercy, Make this servant of Thine Infinitely more humble than a blade of grass. Imparting strength To bear all trials Make me unsolioitous of my own honour.

2. Give me, my Lord, The strength to honour all In the manner that is due. It is only then that with joy I will sing the Name of Hari, And all offence will end.

3. When will this person, Gaining such mercy. Be blessed, indeed, 0 Lord ? Destitute of strength and wit. I am very low ; May thou make me thine. June 1930 ] SREE CHAITANYA BHAGABATA 23

4. To judge of ray fitness, I find I have none, Thy mercy is essential. If thou art not merciful, I will not cease weeping Till life itself is spent out. (To be continued).

All Glory to Shree Gaur and Nityananda Thakur Brlndaban's

Shree Chaitanya Bhagabat ( Done into English ) Middle Part. CHAPTER I

Summary ;—In this Chapter are described the first manifestations of the Lord's loving perturbations, due to separation from Krishna, in the guise of his narration of the experience of His sojourn to Gaya after His return from there, the talks among the devotees regarding the novel mood of the Lord, the meeting of Shribas, Shriman, Gadadhar, Sadashiva and other devotees at the residence of Shuklambar Brahmacliary and their wonder and lamentations at sight of the Lord's loving condition of separation from Krishna, the. Lord's visit to Gangadas Pandit and Mukunia , the anxiety of mother Shachi for her Son and her prayer to Krishna for His sake, expositions of texts by the Lord to His pupils to the effect that Krishna is the sole Meaning of all sounds and all scriptures, the Lord's bath in the Ganges, His discourse to His mother while taking His meal that a'l Scriptures point to Krishna and of the terrible tortures suffered by souls averse to Krishna during their stay in the mother's womb, Krishna-manifestations and expositions of Krishna in teach ing His pupils, the proud words of the Lord declaring in His conversation with Gangadas Pandit that His exposition of the Scriptures signifying Krishna are above the scope of mental speculations, the Supreme Lord's absorption in the devotional mood by listening to Ratna-Garbha Acharya's reading with devotion of a shloka regarding Krishna, the Lord's exposition of the verbal name as power of Krishna, lamentations of His pupils as the Lord finally declared severance of His connection with them giving them His blessings, the sorrow- ful words of the author at the recollection of these pastimes of Shri Gaur Sundar, the Lord's teaching of the mode 'of congregational chanting of Krishna to His disciples, and other matters. i With Arms extending to the knee, of 2 My obeisance to the eternally Existent Colour yellow like that of gold. through three-fold Time, Son of Jagannath ! The only Two progenitors of congregational Obeisance to Thee, attended by Thy chant, with wide Eyes resembling the lotus, The Two protectors of the world, the Two Servants, Sons and Consorts ! Divine fosterers of the dispensation for 3 All and manifold glory to the King of the the Age, twice-born, Viswambhar I To these Two benefactors of the world, Glory to the community of the Vaishnavas, these Two manifest Embodiments of Divine Pity I make my obeisance 1 loved of Viswambhar ! 24 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No. I

4 Glory to Gaurchandra, the Bridge to reli- IS The Lord spoke with the greatest humility ; gion, most Patient! All were pleased to notice the lowliness Glory to His Beautiful Form replete with of the Lord. the harmonious chant ! 16 Some desired Him a long life by placing 5 Glory to the Friend, Treasure and Life of their hands on His head Nityananda ! Some recited the , gently passing Glory to the abode of the love of Gadadhar their hands over all parts of His body ; and Adwaita ! 17 Some blessed by touching His bosom with 6 All glory to the Lord of His loved ones their hands — preceded by Shribas | 'May Govinda Whose bliss is most cooling May thou bend Thy auspicious glance on vouchsafe His Grace.' jiva, O Lord ! 18 - Fortunate Shachi was filled with happiness ; 7 Glory to the intensely Beloved of Shri By looking upon her Son she did not know Jagadananda for joy where she was. Glory to the heart's love of Bakreswar and 19 There was rajoicing in the family of the Kashishwar ! father of Lakshmi. 8. The words of the Middle Part are as the The sorrow of Lakshmi was dispelled by the pieces of nectar, sight of the face of her Lord. By listening to which the wickedness of the 20 All the Vaishnavas were gladdened. heart is cancelled, Some of them instantly set out to see Him, 9 Listen, brother, with one mind to this 21 The Lord having accosted all with respect narrative of the Middle Part, and humility , The manner in which the congregational Sent them away with kind words as they chant had its beginning, departed to their respective homes. 10 Sri Gaursunder returned Home after per- 22 Taking aside three or four devotees of forming His pilgrimage to Gaya. Vishnu, The City of Nadia rang with the tidings The Lord held confidential talk. 11 All His friends and relations ran to meet 23 The Lord slid, 'Listen, all my friends, as I Him. narrate Some turned up earliest, some came next, The wonders regarding Krishna, that I others were the last to arrive. have seen at diflferent places. 'No sooner did I enter into Gaya 12 The Lord greeted them all as was befitting 24 The very first thing that I heard was a for each. All were gladdened by seeing Viswambhar. sound of great auspiciousness. 25 'Thousands of Brahmans were reading aloud 13 They went forward to meet Him and the Veda,— brought Him home. 'Open your eyes behold Ye the VIshwambhar spo'

27 'For being Whose Feet-wash the Ganges 38 The Lord said, 'My friends, go back to your is so great, homes to-day. The truth regarding Whose Feet-wash is Do not fail to come tomorrow to the place known to Shiva by receiving the same I mention. on his head— 39 'Meeting you together at the secluded 28 'This spot, by the power of the self-same place I will submit to you in privacy all My Feet-wash of the Lord, sorrows, Bears the name of Padodaka Tirtha.' 'Tomorrow to the house of Suklambar 29 As the Lord uttered the name of the 40 Tirtha of the Feet-wash Brahmachari His twin lotus Eyes let loose an unrestrain- Younelvts and Sadashiva must come early.' ed stream of tears 41 The Lord sent tne n away after greetings. Lord Biswambhar occupied Himself with 30 Till at last the Lord growing extremely His proper Activities. uncontrollable, 42 There was incessant super-imposition of Began to cry a good deal, calling upon the Krishna in the Body of the Lord. Name of Krishna. He behaved as one utterly averse to the 31 The wood-land of flowers was flooded with world. the current of supreme Love ! 43 The mother could not understand the con- The Lord repeatedly cried 'Krishna' amid a duct of her Sons storm of sighs. Yet she felt transported with delight on 32 His whole Frame was covered with horri- beholding her Boy. pilation, 44 The Lord wept, crying aloud the Name of The Lord could not be calmed but trembled Krishna, with shivering, The mother saw that the courtyard was 33 Sriman Pundit and the other devotees flooded with tears. Witnessed the wonderful weeping of love 45 'Where is Krishna ? Where, indeed, is for Krishna. Krishna ?' cried the Lord. And as He went on speaking, excessive love 34 The stream of love flowed on all sides of grew apace. the Eyes: 46 The mother could understand nothing, As if Ganges herself manifested her presence. nor the cause of it 35 In their minds all of them mused with She besought the protection of Govinda wonder. with joined palms. "We have never seen Him in such guise before. 47 The Supreme Lord began to manifest 36 The grace of Sri Krishna has now been Himself. His. There was rejoicing all over the infinity of What Majesty of the Lord might He have worlds 1 beheld on the way ?" 48 'The Lord's auspicious beginning of 37 The Lord aft«r a short while manifested showering His love,'— His external consciousness, So ran the report ; on hearing this the And at last thus addressed them ail. brotherhood of the devotees came thither. 26 THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVIII. NO. 1

49 Those Vaishnavas who came to have a sight 61 'He has returned from Gay a with all of the Lord, felicity. The Lord greeted them all with kindness : On hearing of this I went to greet Him 50 'Meet tomorrow at the house of in the afternoon. Suklambar ; 62 'All His conversation bespoke of the utmost I will submit My sorrows talking to you in aversion of the world. seclusion.' There was no manifestation of arrogance Ji Sriman Pandit was filled with joy. even for a moment. He was highly delighted on beholding 63 'He began to talk of Krishna in private,— love that was most worderful. Of the wonders that He had witnessed at Sa At early dawn after performing His the different places. morning duties, taking his basket, 64 'No sooner did He utter the name of the He set out with a glad heart for gathering Tirtha of the Holy Lotus-Feet, flowers. All the place was filled with His tears. 53 In the home of Sribas there is a tree of 65 'His whole Frame trembled very much, Kunda flower. all the hair standing on end. The Purpose-Tree itself, as it were, Ejaculating, 'Ah, Krishna,' He at once manifest in the form of the flowering plant. fell down on the ground. 54 Whatever the number of flowers that the 66 'There was no sign of animation in any Vaishnabas pluck, they can never deplete. part of His Body as He swooned away. The inexhaustible, irreducible flowers After a while the external vision re-appear- bloom there at all time ! ed with a startled motion. 55 Waking at early dawn all the devotees. 67 'Till at last, as He began to weep crying Met there for gathering the flowers. 'Krishna', 56 All of them—Gadadhar, Gopinath, Ramai, It seemed as if the Goddess Ganges herself Sribash, appeared in His eyes. Plucked the flowers in the mellowness 68 'By the devotion that I have witnessed in of Krishna-talk. Him 5/ Even at such moment Sriman Pandit, There is no longer the belief in my mind making his way thither, that He is a mortal. Appeared in their midst with a laughing face 69 'On regaining external consciousness He 58 They all asked, 'We find much laughter only said this, to-day'. 'Meet together at the house of Suklambar Said Sriman, 'There is of course good early tomorrow morning. reason {or it.' 70 ''To Yourself, Sadasiva and Murari Pandit I will confess My sorrows'. 5g The Bhagabatas said, 'Do speak out'. 'Hear my reason', said Sriman Pandit,— 71 'Most auspicious are these tidings that I 60 'Most wonderful story, most impossible,— have delivered to you; 'Nimai Pandit is become the greatest of There is certainly reason for believing Vaishnavas !' it in every way.' June. 1930] SREE CHA1TANYA BHAGABAT 27

7a Those devotees, on hearing the words of 84 So soon as the Lord caught the sight of Sriman, the Bhagabatas Triumphantly shouted the Name of Hari He began to recite texts descriptive of with a great voice. devotion, 73 The magnanimous Sribas was the first to 85 'I obtained My Lord ;—Oh, whither did He speak, go ?' 'May Krishna increase our kindred !' With these words the Lord fell down on the ground with the pillar held in 74 May our increase / embrace. 75 They all discoursed about Krishna with 86 The column of the room broke under the joy; pressure of the Lord. And there arose the auspicious and most He fell prone with dishevelled hair crying, entrancing sound. 'Where is Krishna ?' 76 The Bhagabatas repeated the benediction, 87 No Sooner did the Lord fall down exclaim- 'May it be so', ing 'Oh, Krishna' 1 'May all persons serve the Feet of Krishna- Than all the devotees tottered and fell on Chandra'. the ground, 77 Having plucked the flowers in this manner 88 Gadadhar swooned away inside the room ; the Bhagabatas There was no knowing where one fell in Departed for the performance of their this indiscriminate tumble. worships. 89 All of them became unconscious by the bliss Sriman Pandit proceeded to the bank of of the love of Krishna, the Ganges, And the Goddess Jahnavi smiled in To the residence of Suklambar Brahma- amazement J chari. 90 After a while Biswambhar manifesting On hearing these tidings the revered external consciousness Gadhadhar Began to cry long and piteously, uttering Hastened to the house of Suklambar : the Name of Krishna : 'Oh, Krishna 1 Oh, My Lord ! Oh, whither 'I will listen to the narrative of Krishna 9t hast Thou gone ?' that He will relate' :— Saying this the Lord fell down on the He remained in hiding in Suklambar's ground time and again. house for this purpose. 92 The Lord, Darling Son of Sachi, cried for Sadasiva, Murari, Sreeman, Suklambar, love of Krishna ; All the loving followers, gathered together. The Bhagabatas wept aloud surrounding At this juncture presently the King of the Him on all sides. twice-born, Biswambhar, 93 There was no end of falls of the holy Form. Made His appearance and mingled in the The Lord knew nothing of this by the assembly of the Vaishnavas. pastime of love for Himself, All of them greeted Him with the greatest 94 There arose the concerted sound of the joy. chant, weeping of love : The Lord did not manifest any external Suklambar's house was filled with loving vision. devotion 28 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll, No. 95 Biswambhar sat up becalmed aftei- a while ; 107 The whole day passed away like a moment Yet the stream of bliss flowed unceasingly. in this bliss 96 The Lord said, 'Who is inside the room ?' The Lord then took leave of the devotees Brahmachari replied, 'It is Your own for a brief interval. Gadadhar.' 108 Gadadhar, Sadasiva, Sriman Pandit, 97 Gadadhar was weeping with his head bent Suklambar and the others were all filled low. with amazement. Lord Biswambhar was pleased by the sight. 109 All of them were made dumb by the love 98 The Lord said, 'Gadadhar, you are truly they had witnessed. fortunate by your previous good deeds. By the sight of that which had never From your infancy you have fixed your before been seen their bodies had no mind firmly on Krishna. external activity. 99 'This precious birth of Mine has passed 110 All of them joyfully made their way to the away tasting vanity. community of the Vaishnavas. T, indeed, obtained the priceless Treasure ; They narrated to them in every detail all It has left Me by defect of luck,' occurrences. in On hearing the good tidings all those too Saying this Biswambhar fell down on the great Bhagabatas bare earth. Wept crying, 'Hari, Hari.' The Form that is the Object of universal On hearing of this unheard-of love, all adoration, rolled in the dust 1 112 were filled with wonder. to 1 The external consciousness repeatedly Some said,—'May be that God is manifest returned,—the Lord fell as often ; Himself.' He beat the ground with His Face and Nose; ri3 Some said, 'If Nimai Pandit turns out well, His Life was preserved by Providence. We can tear off the heads of the atheists 102 He could not open His Eyes for tears of love. with ease.' His beautiful Mouth could articulate only 114 Some said, 'This seems to be a mystery the Name of Krishna. regarding Krishna. 103 Biswambhar wept clasping the necks of all, There is no doubt of it, know this as 'Where is Krishna ?—Brothers, tell me certain.' quickly.' 115 Some said, 'From associatian with Iswar Puri 104 The devotees wept on beholding the earnest He must have beheld some manifestation longing of the lord. No other sound could manifest itself in any of Krishna at Gaya.' In this manner with joy all the devotees one's mouth. 116 Spoke severally in diverse ways. 105 The Lord said, 'Relieve My sorrows; 117 Jointly they all began to bless Him, Oh, bring Me tbe Darling Son of the Prince 'May the mercy of Krishna prove true by of the Gopas' ! all means'. 106 So saying, heaving great sighs, He cried 118 All of them began to perform the chant time and again. with delight. He would not bind the tresses of His hair Some sang, some danced, some wept that trailed on the ground. outright. June, 1930 ] OURSELVES

119 In this manner the devotees passed their 126 He came on to the home of Sri Mukunda time in happiness. Sanjaya, The Lord remained immersed in His Own Arrived there He took His seat inside the mellowness. Hall of Chandi. 120 Evincing a slight manifestation of 127 The joy that manifested itself in Mukunda external consciousness Sanjaya Biswambhar set out for the home of And his whole family, knew no bounds. Pandit Gangadas. 128 The Lord drew Purushottam Sanjaya ill The Lord greeted the feet of His teacher, into His embrace, The Guru, rising with a sense of regard, He drenched his body with His tears. embraced Him. 129 The women began to utter the ejaculatory 121 The teacher said, 'Blest, indeed, is Your note of triumph. life, my Dear ; There was the greatest rejoicing in the You have effected the deliverance of the house of Mukunda. whole kin of your father and mother. 130 Bestowing His auspicious glance on all 123 'All Your pupils also know only Yourself. The Supreme Lord came to His Own They would not open their books at the Home. bidding of Brahma. 124 'You have now come back to the view of 131 On reaching Home the Lord sat at the us all. entrance of the shrine of Vishnu ; He bade farewell to His companions with Begin to reach your pupils from tomorrow go back to Thy home for this day.' expressions of affection. 185 After making His obeisance to His guru, 132 None of those who came there to greet Biswambhar left the place, Him Encircled by His pupils like, the Moon Could understand the ways of the Lord. amid the stars. ( To be Conlinued) Ourselves

Annual celebrations at Sri Purushottam on May A. The conversation turned on the nature of Math, Puri. the transcendental sound as the source of spiritual knowledge. The spiritual preceptor is the bearer of the The annual celebrations commenced on May Ist message of the eternal and delivers tie same by bring- and are in full progress. The usual daily programme ing about the appearance of the transcendental sound includes reading and exposition of the Srimad Bhaga- on the lips of those who seek for enlightenment by bat, lectures on the religion of the Bbagabat, congre- submissive listening at the feet of the spiritual precep- gational chant of Sri Hari and mutual discourse. The tor. This is the conclusion of all spiritual Scriptures. Mr. Nepar expressed his gratitude for being favoured celebrations will continue till the 6th of July. The with the communication of what he admitted to be a long duration of the celebration is justified by the reasonable although to him wholly novel view re- declaration of the Scriptures that ia the Iron Age garding the easy and only method of attaining spiri- the eternal religion will be propagated from Purushot- tual enlightenment. tam in Utkal. This statement has been fulfilled by the propaganda of Sri Chaitanya Deva in the guise Shrines of the Foot-prints of Sri Chaitanya of a Sannyasin carried on from Puri where the Supreme Deva at Jaipur. Lord as Teacher resided continuously for the period of eighteen years. It is in the fitness of things, there- The work of construction of the Foot-prints shrine fore, that the position of Puri as the premier preaching of Sri Chaitanya Deva was commenced here on the centre of the eternal religion in the Iron Age is 2Sth May. Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat mentions the conceded by all who have any faith in our Scriptures. visit of Sri Chaitanya Deva to the temple of Sree Rev. H. Collins and Prof. Rosen of Srirampur Baraha Deva at Jajpur. College were much pleased on hearing from the Proposed establishment of five shrines lips of His Holiness Srimad Ban Maharaj a learned discourse on the Vaishnava philosophy, during their of the Foot-prints of Sri Chaitanya Deva. visit to Sri Purushottam Math on the 28th of May. As the result of his service of Sri Sri Guru-Gaur- anga Sripad Atulchandra Bandopadhyaya Goswami 'Sridham' Bhaktisaranga Bhaktishastri, Secretary of the Viswa Vaishnava Raj Sabha, has received offers of pecuniary The Post Master General of Bengal and Assam help for the establishment of five shrines of the Foot- has permitted the use of the address 'Sridham' in for- prints of Sri Chaitanya Deva from the following de- warding all telegraphic messages to the Daily Nadia votees of District Howrah :— Prakash with effect from the 5th of May. The mes- 1. Srijut Aswini Kumar Sardar of Village Raghu- sages will be received by Nabadwip Telegraph office nathpur. and by it despatched to the office of the Nadia Pra- 2. Sj Upendra Kayal of Palpara kash at Sridham Mayapur without delay. Telegraphic 3. Sj Vasudev Mandal of Nabanari messages for the Nadia Prakash are pouring in from 4. Sj Fakir Chandra Karar of Nabagram all sides and the readers of the journal will receive first- 5. Srijukta Rani Dei of Durgapur. hand information of important events at the earliest moment after their occurence. Place of appearance of Sri Lokanath Prabhu On the 23rd of May the site of the advent of Sri Dr. Nepar at the Gaudiya Math. Lokanath prabhu was restored to the homage and Mr. E. H. Nepar M. P. S. had an interview with prominent view of the public by appropriate devo- His Divine Grace at the Gaudiya Math at 4.3O P. M. tional activities performed there by the residents of June 1950 ] OURSELVES 31 the locality at the earnest solicitations of Sripad English, which was highly appreciated, at Ramanath Bhattacharjya Goswami in pursuance of Prithvinath Dharmashala on universal love before a the wishes of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta distinguished and representative gathering of the Saraswati Goswami Maharaj. It is proposed to estab- people. lish a branch of Sri Chaitanya Math on the site which is located in the District of Jessore at the village of Tal- Preaching in Barisal and Jessore khari in the Sub Division of Magura. Srila Lokanath His Holiness Sripad Bhakti Goswami Prabhu is the Diksha Guru of Srila Thakur Pradip Tirtha Maharaj preached at the following Narottam. Oar hearty thanks are offered to the villages from the 22nd to the 30th of May, Viz. Zemindar of Talkhari Srijukta Bharat Chandra Benodenagar, Kachubere, Kuralia, Auria, Hatbaria Bhattacharya, Srijukta Shibdas Bha ttacharya, Bhadrabila, His Holiness lectured on Sanatau Srijukta Dhirendra Nath Bhattacharya and other Dharma at the Town Hall of Narail on the 31st sympathisers. May and 1st June. Swamiji Maharaj in the course of his speech referred to the starting of the monthly Great gathering at Chhatnai. ournal Sri Sajjantoshani for propagation of the re- A vast gathering of the local residents, including ligion of unalloyed devotion by Thakur Bhaktiviuode a large number of respectable Mohammadan gentlemen from Narail during his residence there as Olficer-in- and students, at the village of Chhatnai in the District charge of the Sub-Division during the years 187S-18S0. of Rangpur, was addressed on the 12th of May on the The Sub Divisional Officer and all the leading gantle- subject of the duty of serving Hari during the period men of the place graced the meetings by their presence. of childhood, by Pandit Sripad Radha Charan Srijukta Bidhu Bhusan Bhowmik, the well-known Goswami Bhaktiratna Bhaktishastri by way of pleader of Narail, rendered magnanimous hospitality narration of the activities of Sri Sri Gauranga Deva. to Swamiji Maharaj and party bv receiving them The great assembly listened spell-bound to the lucid into his residence as guests. The people of Narail exposition of the learned speaker who is one of the have been, deeply impressed by the learned discourses well-known preachers of theGaudiya Math, Calcutta. of His Holiness. Restoration of Sri Alalnath Temple. IN THE PRESS A handsome donation of Rupees five hundred has been sanctioned by Srijukta Vishhupriya Chaudhurani Srimad Bhagabat. The work has been proprietress of the Chaudhury Estates of Mali- completed with indexes up to the end of the ghati, District Midnapur, towards restoration of the ninth Skandha in forty-seven parts. Seventyfour temple of .Sri Alalnath. Chapters of the tenth Skandha have been printed. The printing of the eleventh Skandha has already Propaganda at Bulandsar, U. P. been commenced separately. His Holiness Tridandi Swami Hrimad Bhakti Sri Chaitanya lihagahat {2nd Edition). The Sarvaswa Giri Maharaj by command of His Divine publication of Madhya and Antya Khandas of Sri Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Paramhansa Chaitanya Bhagabat has been delayed owing to Thakur is employed in preaching the teachings of Sri certain unavoidable causes. The Adi and portion of Chaitanya Deva at Bulandsar, in English and Hindi the Madhya have been separately published for languages. His Holiness lectured in the Raj Rajeswar meeting the anxious demands of the subscribers. Temple and expounded Bhagabat at the residences Steps have been taken for the publication of the of Babu Charan, Chairman of the Municipality, remaining parts without further delay. The for- and Babu Jogesh Narain,Government Pleader. Swamiji giveness of subscribers is implored for delay that is Maharaj also delivered on the 25th of May a lecture in due to unforeseen circumstances. Ma(bs associafed wi(b Sbree Yiswa Yaishnava Raja Sabba : (I) Shree Chaitanya Math, (2) Kazir SanuuHii-Pat,(3) Sreehas An^.ina, (4) Shree Advaila Rhavana, (5) Shree Mayapur Yoi^apith, (6) Shree Jagannath Manflir, (7) Swanaiula Sukhada Kunja, (8) Kulia Samadhi Math, (9) Shree Gaur Gadadhar Math, (10) Modadrunia Chhatra, (II) Shree Bhagabat Asana, (12) Shree "urushottama Math, (13) Shree Brahma Gaudiya Math, (14) Shree Sachidananda Math, (15) Shree Gaudiya Math : Calcutta Office, (16) Gaudiya Math : Delhi Office, (17) Saraswat Asana, (18) Shree Madhwa Gaudiya Math, (19) Shree Gapaljiu Math, (20) Shree Gadai Gauranga Math, (21) Shree Krishna Chaitanya Math, (22) Shree Sanatan Gaudiya Math, (23) Shree!Bhagabat Math, (24) Amlajora Prapannasrani Math (5) Shree Paramahansa Math, (2fi) Shree Vyas Gaudiya Math, (27) Shree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, (28) Shree Ekayan Math, (29) Shree Rupa Gaudiya Math, (30) Brahmanpara Propannasram. (31) Shree Gaudiya Math, Midnapur Office. (32) Shree Prapannasram, Goalpara. (33) Shree Jagannath Gaudiva Math, Mymensingh.

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TNE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIV A )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PARIBRAJAKACHARVYA Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS.

Snftft cf Page

1. Tli« Car Kestival of Sri Sri .la^aunatii Deva 33 Tlu> All Vaisluiava Conl'cicuce 36 3. Presidential Address 39 4. Octave Containing tlie Teachings of Sri Ohaitanya 43 а. Ivnligliteners rijgarling Asp *raioii; 45 б. Sree Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat 7. Invitatinn 8. < turscK'es 6u

Otii VishrujKut Sri Jagaitnuth Has UatMji who made manifest the s le of Sridham Mayapur in THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJANATOSHANI

VOL. XXV1I1 j- JULY 1930, Chaitanya-Era 444 | NO. 2

The Car Festival of Sri Sri Jagannath Deva

■"PHE Car Festival of Sri Sri verses of the Chaitanya Charitamrita. Jagannath Deva was celebrated on These verses were made by Shri Swarup the 28th of June. It proved to-be a day Damodar on the occasion when Shri of heavy rain. The devotees of Sri Chaitanya Deva instituted the chant Purnshottam Math in pursuance of the before the Car, to express the thoughts example and teaching of Sri Chaita- of the Lord Himself in regard to nya Deva performed the due observance the function. The words of of the auspicious occasion by the Swarup Groswaini should be appre- chanting of in front of the ciated by our readers m the moving Car of Sri Sri Jagannath Deva. original in the pages of Shri The Kirtan party was led by His Chaitanya Charitamrita. Ho tran- Holiness Tridandi Swami Srimad slation can do them . It is my Bhakti Vivek Bharati Maharaj whose intention to submit for the sympathetic towered head and shoulders above the consideration of devotees certain vast assemblage of pilgrims and whose thoughts suggested by those verses as moving and sonorous voice reached to how Sri Chaitanya requires us to ivery ear. His Holiness sang the regard the Car Festival. 34 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVlll. No. 2

Sri Chaitanya is delighted to find Kings, Who can be properly approached Sri Jagannath Deva on the move in His only by the formalities of reverence. Car from Neelachal to Sri Gundicha. The King as King has no equals and Sri Chaitanya is not satisfied with the no superiors. He can have only subjects. dress, the country or the occupation of There can be for this reason no un- the Lord at Neelachal. The worship reserved intimacy between the King and of Sri Jagannath Deva at Neelachal His subjects. The very atmosphere is does not satisfy Him. At Neelachal unsuitable for the exercise of the per- the Lord is surrounded by pomp and sonal relationships. The Office is the power. He is served by kings and object of all homage rendered ostensibly warriors in the manner that is appro- to the Person Who holds it. The priate in such surrounding. But it person in office can have no individual leaves the heart bereft of the servi3e requirements or predilections. He has of its Beloved. also to submit to be served by a uni- Sri Chaitanya wants the Lord to form round of official formalities. appear in His heart and accept the At Neelachal Sri Jagannath is worship of His heart which is obstructed hedged round by all the impassable by the display of the Majesty of the barriers of an elaborate and formal Lord of the Universe. Sri Chaitanya worship from day to day. He is not wants, to worship the Lord, as the permitted to be served according to denizens of Braja worshipped Him, in the particular aptitudes of particular perfect confidence in the ordinary persons. It is of the nature of obedi. relationships of life. That would be ence extorted by force. The people of natural and far more congenial to the this world would not even serve their innermost disposition of the heart. Lord unless they were forced. They are But the Lord is His own Master. inclined to serve the Lord in expecta- He is also the Lord of the Universe. tion of rewards and through fear of He can, indeed, be loved with the whole punishment. Such persons have no heart. He is so perfectly loveable occasion to be dissatisfied with such that it is not possible not to love Him. arrangement. The contented subjects But it is not similarly possible to have of the Great King of Kings live in Him always sufficiently near for the perfect peace and happiness under His purpose of serving Him in the intimate most benign government. They are relationships of domestic life. But secure in the enjoyment of all felicity the heart is not satisfied by rendering under the protecting care of the Lord. only distant homage to the King of They have reason to be extremely July, 1930 ] THE CAR FESTIVAL OF SRI SRI JAGANNATH DEVA 35

grateful to Him for this and to adore home in order to serve Him in the Him with sincere good will, loyalty ordinary domestic relationships unob- and obedience. The power of the Lord structed by the etiquettes of the Court is so great and so irresistible that even or the Harem. He finds it impossible the most wicked find it convenient to be oa a footing of such real intimacy not to openly transgress His with the Lord when He is constantly laws. waited upon by Kings and Warriors, But these subjects have other and Queens and Maids-in-wating, and by dearer relationships of their own. In all the pomp and circumstance of fact they really serve the king only for Royalty. These are no doubt His due the sake of those relationships. The and those people are most fortunate King is loved as the protector of those who have an opportunity of serving interests. The King Himself is not such a King. Neither do the denizens those interests. No one of His subjects of Braja resent the assumption of the ever seriously wants the King to be a royal state by their Beloved Who has member of his family. He is not suffi- to ignore His relationships with them ciently known to them to inspire such for the purpose. longing for His inclusion into the dome- But the denizens of Braja can never stic circle. Moreover the King would forget Him, They also cannot leave be uncomfortable in the home of a sub- Braja and migrate to His Kingdom to ject who cannot be expected to supply live there as His contented subjects. his royal needs with his limited They long very much to have Him in resources. A loyal subject would not, their midst in Braja to live with them therefore, properly enough like to see in unreserved intimacy in that happy the King reduced to his own less digni- rural surrounding. They want to love Him fied condition. So the very arrange- as a private person in every form of in- ment does not permit of any other timate relationship and not merely to healthy relafionship than one of distant serve His Majesty. They can be content and reverential loyal homage. Neither can with nothing less than this, because a perfectly loyal subject properly He is truly the Life of their very lives. desire any other kind of relationship.

Sri Chaitanya is prepared also to Sri Chaitanya is, therefore, de. render all this homage to the King. lighted when He finds the Lord moving But He is not satisfied with this. towards Sri Gundicha which is no other Be is willing to have the Lord in His than the hea,rt of the devotee. The All-Vaishnava Conference

""PHB cunferonce of Vaishnavas that the true meaning of the word itself. the Viswa-Vaishnava Raj-Sabha The peculiarity of the word 'Vishnu' intend to invite to rneat on the occasion consists in this that it is transcendental, of the Annual Celebrations of the that is, part and parcel of the revelation. Gaudiya Math was rendered into the The Name Vishnu, in other words, is English language as 'Theistic Confer- identical with Godhod Hrmaelf. This ence' in a previous issue of this Journal. peculiarity inhering in the word is But there is really speaking no word in necessarily incomprehensible to the English or any other language that limited intellect of man. The word possesses the exact connotation of the Vaishnava as the name of the servant of term 'Vaishnava.' We, therefore, 'Vishnu' is similarly identical with the intend to retain the word 'Vaishnava' devotee of God. The word 'Theist' is itself as being the most appropriate word not claimed to have been revealed and to express the object of the conveners. has been coined by man ; and, therefore, It is necessary to explain the reason belongs to this world and is so regarded for this preference to prevent any by all who use it. It has a worldly possible misunderstanding. The word connotation and can have, for this 'Vaishnava' does not refer to anything reason, no reference to the spiritual of this world, either directly or in- except by way of analogy which process directly. It means the servant of can never be of any spiritual benefit to Vishnu and has not been coined by the those who are not in a position to realise linguists of this world. An etymolo- its analogical nature. gical meaning has no doubt been Therefore, to translate the word ascribed by Grammar to the word Vaishnava into 'Theist' or 'Devotee' is Vishnu. Vishnu etymologically means opposed to the fundamental principle of the 'All-pervasive.' But the etymolo- real . There is no- gical meaning although apparently per- thing to be gained by this unnecessary fectly intelligible and acceptable to concession to vague thinking, on the all people of this world and for that subject of the Absolute. On the other reason also convenient for adoption as hand the adoption of the real nomen- implying a sufficiently distinguishing clature at the outset will prevent all attribute of Godhead, is not, however, further difficulty in the future, July, 1930 ] THE ALL-VA1SHNAVA CONFERENCE 37

The holy Names of the Godhead are nature of the holy Name even when not fabrications of the human brain like He chooses to appear in this world in the other names current among the nations Form of the spoken Sound. It is open that refer to things of this world. There to the Sound or Name Himself to lift are no doubt also epithets of Godhead the ban. It is His will revealed in fhe coined by man. Such epithets need Scriptures to lift the ban if the not be classed with the real Names. individual soul is sincerely inclined, to The Names'Vishnu', 'Krishna', etc., are seek for real enlightenment, which can the eternal Names of the Godhead. As only be by grace. such they are identical with the Form, is nothing but refusal to Quality, Activity and Paraphernalia of recognise the supreme necessity of the Absolute. The holy Name of God- Divine Grace and, by'implication, of the head possesses this additional power by implied necessity of receiving enlighten- the will of Godhead that he is the first ment from the servant of God, in the to appear in this world to the Truth- form of the spoken Name. Any seeking cognitive faculty of the soul concession in the matter of nomencla- who is not satisfied with worldliness. ture is thus a concession to the atheis- The spiritual nature of the holy Name tical disposition. The atheist alone can and His descent into the purified consci- insist on his own concocted terminology ousness of the sincere seeker of the in pursuance of his principle not to Truth is the only means of spiritual recognise the necessity of Divine Grace enlightenment revealed by the Scrip- and its implications. Such persons are tures available to us. The holy . Name not likely to be benefited by any discus, in the Form of the Word or spoken sion of the subject "of the Absolute and Sound belongs to the realm of the are excluded from real participation Absolute. The holy Name is Godhead in such discussion by deference to their Himself and is the Source of all cog- own bad . nition. The cognition of the individual The term '' which is so soul of man is a derivative, conditioned current and is regarded as being by the will of the Source. The limit- properly applicable for designating the ation of human cognition is willed by revealed creeds, is not free from very the Source. Deliverance from limitation grave defect for the purpose of express- also proceeds from the pame quarter. ing the real Truth. Theology should So long as the ban of limitation is not allow itself to degenerate into a not lifted from the cognitive faculty of mere speculative science on a line with a person he is uuable to realise the real the empiric sciences. There is a real 38 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No. 2

Subject of investigation for theology to join in the discussion as learner, and One Who is categorically different but only as learner. If he wants to from the subjects of investigation of know, the discussion will be intelligible. the speculative intellect. This clear If he wants to serve it will also appeal demarcation must be preserved with to his conviction. All this will be sufficient care which cannot well be possible by the grace of the transcendent- exptffcted from those who are themselves al teacher,.because, being in the know, wholly ignorant of the Truth. No he can properly manipulate the analogi- competent mechanic will agree to run his cal vocabulary to explain the nature locomotive except by the proper method of the holy Name of Krishna as being because he really means to run his the only Means as well as G-oal of all machine. The speculators on the spiritual endeavour. Absolute are not in the know and There is a distinction without dif. should be wise enough to have the ference between Krishna and Vishnu. modesty of their utter ignorance. They The vision of the individual soul is should not regard the conduct of the derived from Vishnu. It is Baladeva hypothical mechanic as either narrow or Vishnu, the Primary manifested Form orthodox for the reason that it happens of Krishna, Who is the direct Source not to be identical with their unproved of all individual souls. In this sense all speculations. The real theologian must individual souls are the fractional possess the degree of'orthodoxy of the dissociated parts of Vishnu or in other competent mechanic and need not give words the dependent extensions of His up his function of guiding the machine spiritual essence. In this sense all properly by uncalled-for deference to individual souls are Vaishnavas, that the wishes of the passengers who never is servants or dependants of Vishnu, by expect any such foolish concession to their constitution. their irresponsible opinions. Krishna is the Master, Vishnu is If it be asked whether it will be the functionary, individual souls are possible for those who are not in the the living instruments and the service know to follow any discussion conducted of Krishna is the function. But the in transcendental vocabulary, the answer service of Krishna is the direct function is that the business is to understand of Vishnu. The service of Vishnu is the transcendental by means of the the direct function of the individual transcendental by the grace of the souls. The one function is, however, transcendental. It should, therefore, be identical with the other. There is possible for one who is not in the know distinction without difference. The July, 1930 ] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 39 service of Krishna is realisable by the in- servant of Vishnu whose existence is dividual souls through and in the service maintained by the mercy of Vishnu of Vishnu. The spiritual Teacher or in the form of His deluding Energy Acharya is the manifestation of the which persuades the Atheist to accept plenary power of Vishnu. willingly the ignorant service of Vislmu The atheist is also a Vaishnava by under the impression that the atheist constitution, but not by disposition. is his own master in doing so. His aversion to Vishnu is due to the T herefere, the Vis wa - V aish na va abuse of freedom of will which is Raj-Sabha is truly catholic, without the natural condition of cognition making any concession to the deluding forming the staff of the individual energy, in inviting all persons without soul. The atheist is unwilling to distinction of caste, creed, or colour serve Vishnu. He is, therefore, to the Vaishnava conference to be deluded to serve Vishnu and held on the occasion of the Annual he can thus exist only through celebrations of the Gaudiya Math of ignorance which overtakes the soul Calcutta to participate in discourses although he is by constitution perfectly for the purpose of being enlightened self-conscious. This is the natural regarding the -Absolute Truth by the state. The atheist is a disobedient grace of the Acharyya.

Presidential address (at the thirty-sixth annual session of the Sridham Pracharini Sabha)

I am afraid, you have all got tired Mayapur had been going on, as the by now at this late hour of the evening result of which and at the unanimous and I should not like to take your desire of sympathisers this Association time for long. came into existence, and the Sree- Thirty-six years ago this association Bigrahas -(the holy Forms of met for the first time in the town Godhead ) were installed at the of Krishnagar. From some time Yogapitha (the holy Site of the before this meeting discussions for Lord's Appearance) at Sreedham. spreading the knowledge of Sreedham Mayapur. 40 THE HARMONIST [ VoLXXVIll, No. 2

I am extremely glad to see amongst any part in them, deserves the grateful us this night Kajarshi Nafar Chandra regard of the whole world. There is Pal Chowdhury Bhafetibh ushan, one of no other means of escape from the the foremost of the first organisers who clutches of worldly inclinations for any is Secretary of this Association. The creature than the service of the holy enthusiasm of a youth in this grand old Name. The service of the Name en- Octogenerian for taking part in the deli- ables humanity to free itself from the berations of this meeting with a view hold of all superstitions and wrong to encourage us in whatever little ideas, and to be footed in the service success we have achieved in this direc. of the Desire of Krishna (Krishna- tion inspite of our difficult position, is Ka ma). The service of Dham frees highly commendable and deserves our one from the jaws of Illusion (Ma yal best thanks. Up till now he has re- v ada),—the terribly wrong theory that mained closely associated with us as our a jiva or creature is himself God and Secretary, and we highly value his Master, and that there is no existouce, co-operation. Words of encouragement except in the human imagination, of and hope from such old friends always the holy Name, Form, Attributes, help us to keep up our ardour in the Pastimes (Lila') and Paraphernalia of midst of hard struggle against odds. I Godhead. The service of Krishna's am afraid I fail, for my poverty of Desire saves one from the hand of the expression, to adequately convey my great foe of hankering for one's own joy and thanks to him. sensuous gratification. One is thereby We too have advanced in years and freed from serving the earthly passions are shortly to be classed among the and may be installed in the service of superannuated. We cherish greater the Desire of the transcendental hopes in our younger generations who Despot, in the singing of the saving have taken up the service of Sreedham hymn of transcendental love (^Wliq^l) and are devoting their valuable time As the consequence of putting on and energy—even their whole lil'e-to this gross physical body, base desires this cause. Let us hope, brighter for the gratification of physical senses prospects await us in every moment of have cropped up. In consequence of the future. the coil of the subtle material or men. The service of the holy Name, of the tal body indifference to the service of holy Dha'm (the transcendental Abode) Godhead has grown, and mental specu- and of the supreme Desire of Godhead is lations are ever driving us in the available to all of us. Whoever takes opposite direction. But this wrong July. 1^0 1 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS direction is turned towards right if the service of the holy Name, the Abode, inclination and taste for the service of and the Desire of Krishna. We wish Krishna's Desire dawns forth. The and pray that his teachings and ideal service of Krishna's desire is gained may encourage all of us to the service if and when we take to the service of of Sree Dham. Because the service of Sreedham. Sree Dham will lead us, as a matter of The Sanskrit word fDham' has course, to the service of the holy Name different lexiconic meanings. But in and the holy Desire of Krishna. Rela. the sense • in which it is understood by tion with the worldly abode, and han- the wise or seers it means 'that region kering after the ordinary worldly life or place where there is no scope of any soon cease for one who realises his desire for injury, of envy and of morta- relation with Sreedham. Relation with lity, and which is ever self-effulgent, Sree Dham being established, the Means spiritual and blissful.' Our Lord of the service of the holy Name soon Chaitanya was pleased to appear in brings one to the Goal of the service of this Sree Dham in order to awaken the Krishna's Desire, and this is the only world to the consciousness of its real Object of life. nature. Every created thing is a prey to But unfortunately we were not Time, and we can hardly have our aware of the glory and majesty of the hopes for any length of time. Why Dham. Hence we so long busied our- then is this attraction for things so selves with other activities. We had no transitory ? Why are these frantic efforts taste for the service of the Dham. We for one's own sensuous gratification ? had no faith in the worship of the Forms Why is there no attraction for Krishna ? of God. We engaged ourselves in stu- —no desire for serving Krishna ? Why dies and laboured under the idea of is there such strong aversion to God ? dominating over the people of the world We are quite indifferent and blind to by our empirical reasoning, scholarship, the transcendental. Diverse systems genius and force of moral character. of secular education have completely But a great soul directed us for the enveloped us The cultivation of se. first time to the service of Dham with cular and spurious so-called spiritual the advice that all good would be gained literature may make us at most only by such service. The preaching of mental speculationists. But that will Sree Dham in the present time is the bring us no real good. Can we not outcome of the efforts of that great soul then rid ourselves from the errors of who engaged us in the simultaneous judgment of the human race ? Cer. 42 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll.No 2 tainly we can. If only we seek the are still found to be wholly averse to refuge of the spiritual we can surely get ths investigation of Truth. They are out of all the miseries of this detestable awfully busy with many other activi- or worldliness. ties ! But such noxt-essential acti- The only spiritual Entity or Reality vities are but an index of ignorance Who has mercifully descended to this and of aversion to accept the unmixed world is the holy Name of Krishna, blessing. Who ever dwells in His transcendental One of the principal objects of the realm. That transcendental locality Association was to make an effort for the where He manifests Himself and dis- spread of the culture of transcendental plays His Activities is Sreedham. learning. Unfortunately for us, the place By the service of Sreedham the which was once famous as a great seat service of the holy Name and the all- of spiritual learning is at present wholly holy Desire of Krishna is attained. lacking in that culture. We know Mere pretence to serve the Name from the past history of Nabadwip that apart from the service of Sreedham, students from distant countries used to and living aloof from all relations flock to this place for education in trans ■ therewith, does never lead to the goal cendental learning. Even to this day of the service of the holy Desire of students, though few in number, Krishna (Krishna-ka'ma). come for secular education to the No good can ever accrue to any jiva town of Nabadwip—Kulia.Nabidwip,— or creature except by complete sur- dominated by the () economic render to the lotus Feet of Sri Chaitanya. mentality. When Lord Chaitanya If it ever comes to our knowledge,— introduced and taught the superpheno- even as a flash of lightening, through menal connotation of literature in Sree- the causeless mercy of Chaitanya's dham Mayapur Nabadwip, seekers of own servants,—as to what the function Truth began to pour in from distant of the pure cognition, viz., the indi. countries, in great numbers. When, vidual soul, is, then and then only we as Professor of the science of can be saved from the counsels of our Yyakarana, the great Lord interpreted fellow.mortals in this realm of the every aphorism, every primary Gram, darkness of ignorance. matical function, word, base, and in. For the last thirty six years infor- flexion as pointing in its real connota- mation about Sreedham has been propa- tion to Krishna only, also when He gated to a great extent in various ways. pointed out that the efforts of all litera- But Ah ! The curse of our fate ! Many tures and sciences, —whether in Brahmi July. 1930 ] THE OCTAVE CONTAINING THE TEACHING OF SRI CHAITANYA 43

Kharosti, Sankey, or Pushkarasadi,— dental learning, is not possible unless pointed only to non-Krishna in their and until one takes up his abode here in delusive phenomenal connotation, Sree Dham. And the service of the holy when He pointed out that Krishna is Desire of Krishna (Krishna-Ka ma) the only Word and also Its only is not possible without the method of Meaning (the only object of connotation) the successful service of Krishna's Name. as well, in all languages, of all scripts, This Association now claims its there was a great consternation among members from among the educated of His pupils of secular learning, But all communities in India. But what lovers and seekers of the Truth began can we offer to its first organisers to flock round His lotus Feet for educa- except our sincere regards and thanks ? tion in the transcendental literature. We pray tliat their holy memory may But the service of the holy Name, Who continue to inspire us to the service of is the Life and Soul of this transcen- the Association.

The Octave containing the Teaching of Sri Chaitanya

(Pbof. Nimananda Das Adhikabi B. Ag. B. T. Sevatibtha,

Bhaktishastei).

The universal Teacher Sri Gaur a refulgent light on the path which He, Sundar did not Himself write any book out of overwhelming mercy, thus but He was pleased to impart to His chalked out for all benighted travellers eternal associates the inclination that like ourselves. Sri Chaitanya Deva manifested itself in their penning many Himself, however, condensed His a volume that, on one hand, stemmed teachings into eight shlokas composed the tide of the illusionist philosophy of by Himself which He has left to us as Shankara (Mayavad) which was then at the eternal legacy which, while testifying the zenith of its false glory and, on the to His historical appearance, give in a other hand, shed, like so many torches, nutshell the universal religion of all 44 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII, No 2 souls that He preached and practised Divine guide (Sri Gurudeva), whereas for our sake. Those eight shlokas go by the latter, preferring the method of the name of 'Sikshashtakam.' induction, try to realise it by means of The shloka quoted above is the first their own ascending efforts. Thus with of these eight shlokas. We make an at- the difference in the method of efforts tempt to discuss here its meaning, and originates difference of the schools, in shall, if it pleases Him, discuss the logical conformity with the different meanings of the other shlokas later on. view points that they hold of the Ab- But, while so doing, we confess that our solute Truth. thinking principle is so much crippled Karmins, Yogins and Jnanins ara by the shackles of , that it can the non-believers and the Bhaktas are hardly hope to peep into the xmcornpass- the believers. Karmins maintain that able scope of tlieir significance which their good actions, by their own efficacy, can be grasped aright and expressed without the grace of God, can work out in an infinitesimally small measure only their liberation from the evils of the by those whom He is pleased to raise to present existence. The nature of this that level of thinking that water.marks liberation is not defined. Yogins realise the flood-tide of Maya. The only conso- the supreme Soul (Paramatma) as the lation that motivates our endeavour is ultimate Reality. It is supposed to be that it may be blessed by the glance of very subtle, and to pervade this uni- approval of one honest seeker of the verse through and through. Jiva or Truth and by the power of his good.will the individual soul is conceived as a may engender in us a fervent desire to part of It encased in this physical body. dive deeper down into the innermost By salvation or liberation they mean the recess of the heart of the Vaishnavas reunion of the individual soul (or the who being the only custodians of the Atma) with the Supreme Soul- (Param- Divine light can impart the enlighten, atma), and they try to bring about this ment that will reveal to us the real mean, supreme desideratum by regulating the ing of the shloka embodying the actual work of the respiratory system. Jnanins words of the Supreme Lord Himself. on the other hand mean by salvation ex. Seekers of the Truth may tinction of the distinctive self into a state be put into two broad groups, viz. where there is no observer, no observed (1) the believers and (2) the non-be- arid no observation; and they try to work lievers. The former, adopting mainly it out by means of self-denial. the process of deduction, try to realise The devotees (Bhaktas) believe in the Truth through the advocacy of the the Personality of God; and by salva. July, 1930 J THE OCTAVE CONTAINING THE TEACHING OF SRI CH AIT ANY A ^ tion they mean the eternal service of (1) Hearing Vishnu the Supreme Lord. This salvation, (2) Preaching Vishnu they say, n in the Hands of God, He (B) Thinking Vishnu knows whom to take back into the (4) Worshipping the Feet of Vishnu kingdom of heaven as His servant and (5) Adoring Vishnu's Form whom to refuse They say to the (6) Praising Vishnu Karmins, "Your actions cannot be (7) Attending on Vishnu as servant binding upon God Who is free.' To the (8) Serving Vishnu as friend Yogins they say, 'Your supreme Soul (9) Surrendering the distinctive (Paramatma) being hinged on the exis- self to Vishnu tence of this universe which is not Of these the second method accord- eternal cannot be the ultimate Reality ing to Sri Gaur Sund ir is the best and your union with this Paramatma mode of worship, which alone the people cannot, therfore, be also eternal'. To of this Iron Agi (Kaliyuga) should the Jnanins they say, 'You may deny adopt. The supreme Being and His God, you may deny yourself, but your Name are one and the same thing. denial cannot bring about any change His only manifestation in this world is in the subjective nature of God Who is His Name as Word. Undergoing ever unchangeable and unchallengeable. initiation at the hands of a Guru who He is what He is and not what you want knows what the Name is, a worshipper ta make Him to be ' is sure to achieve the highest good Bhaktas in loyal conformity with within a very short time. Hence in the Scriptures and the Prophets accept the above shloka Sri Gaur Sundar Lord Krishna as the ultimate Reality. says,—Glory to the chanting of the He is the only Object of all love in the Name of Krishna that achieves for the transcendental realm called Vaikuntha. worshipper sevenfold results which They completely surrender themselves are :— to His mercy and try to gain His favour 1. Purification of the heart. Primari- by the methods revealed by Krishna's ly there are three impurities that will in the Scriptures. In Srimad Bhaga- make the heart unfit to receive God's bata mention is made of nine modes of light. These are (a) lust or desire for this function called devotion. Adop. anything other than the service of tion of one or all of these modes is God.head, (b) actual worldly enjoy- willed by Krishna to lead the devotee ment and (c) the renunciation of world- to his goal. These modes are as ly enjoyments. Worldly enjoyment is as follows bad as its renunciation, They are like 46 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No 2

the two ends of a stick representing the mind of its possessor more firmly two aspects of the same thing. In to this world ; whereas the latter both cases a man follows his own obtains emancipation for the soul by predilection, without any reference to establishing him in Krisbna-Samkirtan God. A complete check of these which is his natural eternal "function. adverse currents of thought is most 5. Increment of heavenly bliss. necessary to enable the heart to regain Krishna.Samkirtan is the End unto its fundamental function that ever Itself; whereas the other methods points towards God. namely , and are the 2. Freedom from worldly cares and imperfect means to relative end. Hence anxieties. The human mind is always the bliss that attends Krishna.Samkirtan haunted by them. Sri Krishna Samkirtan is complete and perfect unlike the impregnates the mind with Di vine seeming bliss that is imagined to power that enables it to resist any follow from the other methods. 6. Realisation of perfect bliss at deflection threatened by the worst kinds of temptations. every step. Krishna.Samkirtan is a thing of the spiritual Realm. Im- 3. Attainment of the highest good. perfection never enters into the consti- Sri-Krishna-Samkirtun is both the tution of a thing of Vaikuntha. Hence Means and the End and hence the good the taste of the bliss that it enables that attends it is higher than what us to realise at every step, cannot but attends the quest of a hypothetical goal be perfect. by material means, viz., the pious 7. The complete and supreme satis, deeds of a Karmin or the renunciation faction of the soul. The Jiva under the of worldly enjoyment of a Jnanin. bondage of Maya is thwarted by many 4. Attainment of knowledge. It limitations that prevent his complete is again of two kinds—one is material satisfaction. .SriKrishna-Samkirtan pro- related to this phenomenal world, and vides the scope for the complete highest the other is spiritu d, that is related to simultaneous activity of all the faculties the spiritual world. The former addicts of the soul. Enlighteners regarding Aspersions

No. 4 That the Vaishnavas abe Idolaters

An idol is a seeming representation of an ive difference between animation and actual sentient being. the inanimate, between consciousness An idol is a seeming representation and non-consciousness, is a fact of of an actual sentient being. So it is realisation of all persons which cannot be made up of foreign materials and is ignored or explained away by any different from the animated being him- speculation based on experience. self, Idols cannot take the initiative Distinction between the model and the whereas animation proves otherwise. sentient. It is not possible for us to form any If animation is categorically different idea of the actual sentient being whom from the condition of the inanimate and we call man except by the process if it be found to be conscious of both of idolising. In c.tse of the physical categories, we obtain the principle body we may be induced to concede within ourselves by which to distinguish that it is not itself the sentient being between the actual sentient being and because the physical body is found to his hypothetical representation belonging be capable of losing its consciousness to a different category. and to be under the control of the mind The physical body of a man is, for taking any initiative. If a mosquito however, something different from a bites any part of the body there can hypothetical representation of the be no reaction which is attributable sentient being inhabiting the body. to the possessor of the body unless the "We have no access to the sentient being reaction is initiated from the mental himself through any of our senses. It and super-mental regions, which are is not also possible for the mind which located beyond the limb affected, not is dependent on the senses for the merely quantitatively but, in the case materials of its hypotheses to give us of conscious reaction, also. qualitatively. any assurance that the sentient being, It is not possible to offer any spatial or who is styled by mind as 'man', has temporal location to the principle of even a symbolic semblance to the consciousness. This would be opposed physical human body. But we habitually to our actual experience. The qualitat- in all our dealings and speculations 48 THE HARI DNISt [ Vol. XXVlll, Uo. 1 allow the physical body to represent its expressions of the countenance. Here sentient possessor. This is idolatry. the symbolisation is not wholly The mind inhabiting the physical imaginary. No one will object to the body is capable of being described in reality of such representation on the terms of its physical activities. ground of its being altogether fictitious Thoughts and every form of conscious and misleading. Every one spontane- function are ordinarily taken to repre. ously recognizes the close analogy sent the mind. But the thoughts and that exists between the thought and aptitudes are recognisable by the mind feeling and their natural expressions as different in their nature from the clothed in the forms of sound and sentient being»who is their possessor. colour, as manifest to the ear, the tongue The thoughts and aptitudes are no and the eye. So the objection implied more capable of taking the initiative in idolatry does not apply to statues and than the physical body and inanimate pictures, facial and linguistic expressions objects which form their material.bases when they represent the phenomenal, and to which they are limited. The physioo-mental adjuncts or possessions thoughts and aptitudes of the mind of a sentient being. connect the sentient principle with The soul of a man does not lead the phenomenal world. The thoughts himself to such justifiable representa- and all aptitudes towards material tion by any method known to the mind. objects are expressible by the vocabul. No thoughtful person will admit any ary at our disposal and are thus capable but wholly fictitious and misleading of 'symbolic' represention. This is resemblance between a statue or a possible because they are partly of the picture and the soul whom they purport phenomenal world. They all partake to represent. This is so because the of the nature of entities, possessing no soul is located wholly beyond the pheno- initiative of their own, that are perceiv- mena. Our thought and the physical able and. conceivable by the mind body being limited and ephemeral, des- through the senses. Between this aspect pite their admitted conneetion with the and the language which represents them soul as his possessions, are not accept, there is no difference of category. Both able to the mind, which evidently occu- are entities limited by the conditions pies a position of advantage that en- of space and time, which are by their ables it to be the judge, as capable of nature devoid of the power of initiative. representing the spiritual without com- Sorrow and joy can in this manner mitting the mischief of identifying him be partially represented by appropriate wholly with the limited and inanimate. July, 1030 ] ENLIGHTENERS REGARDING ASPERSIONS 49

The objection to idolatry is based belongs in an equal measure to all on these considerations. The sentient minds it cannot guard itself against the bsing is admitted to possess actual rejection of its deliberate perversities existence. But in his subjective nature by other minds. he is unapproachable by our thoughts Qualitative difference from absolnte know- and senses. The thoughts and senses ledge is different from quantitative are impregnated with the quality of differentia of the same quality. consciousness by their unintelligibl but realisable connection with him. But Exoteric and esoteric phases. the thoughts and senses always have Ignorance or blind perversity is no an outward direction of reference. aspect of the absolute knowledge. They If they attempt to look inwards they are not a variety of such knowledge, are unable to find any standing ground. nor even any measure or degree of it. The entity who employs the mind^ the It is no doubt true that the absolute senses and the organs of the physical includes everything But by the same body in their functions, himself remains test that which by its own admission securely hid beyond the ken of those leaves out anything cannot also be gross material organs. Those who regarded as absolute. The Absolute also 'identify' an 'idol' with the original accommodates qualitative difference sentient being commit the unpardonable from Himself. But. the qualitative non. blunder of ignoring the unbridgeable absolute need not, therefore, be repre- distinction between the concocted sented as the quantitative differentia of material model and its spiritual the Absolute Himself. The ^ol' prototype. It is no doubt the grand represents qualitative difference from privilege of the mind to be able to the Absolute and not His quantitative imagine, whatever it likes. It can face which is wholly inadmissible in res- deliberately commit the grossest blund- pect of the Absolute. We know nothing ers. It can obstinately stick to a about the sentient being that can enable cause which it knows well to be falla- us to assert any real similarity, symbolic cious. It can in exercise of its birth- or otherwise, between the 'idol' and right of perversity deliberately suppose the spiritual entity. This is so because an 'idol' to symbolise the spiritual, the soul belongs to the realm of the without undertaking the task of Absolute and is comprehensible only disclosing its reasons for entertaining as part and parcel of the knowledge such a strange conviction. But as the Absolute Who is qualitatively different same prerogative of1 freedom of choiae from all knowledge derived from our 50 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVill. Na2 experience of the temporary and limited. manifestation cannot be worshipped Our ignorance of the Absolute is no at all as it does not possess the necessary doubt characterised by quantita- reciprocal initiative required for the tive differentia. It may be more and spiritual communion. That which less obstructive. But all mental submits to our physical senses ceases attitudes regarding the Absolute needs thereby to be a proper object of wor- must be only different forms and ship of our souls. It is then apprehended degrees of ignorance and should be as the servant and we stand to it carefully distinguished from the in the relation of masters. In the case Ab-olute Knowledge Himself, Idols of the Idol it is, therefore, entirely are but preliminary index or indistinc. dependent on us for the relationship tive wrong identification of the unknown that we may choose to have towards it. entity when his esoteric phase is This may flatter our vanity but is not ignored. In the case of the Vaishnavas worship. The concept as well as they do not subscribe to -the exoteric percept may be our Idol. There is manifestation of the spirit or matter an exoteric face of the concept as of as his proper representation by dis- the percept. The soul as worshipper tinguishing the one as belonging to is concerned with the esoteric face the category of objects of worship and which reveals itself only to the serving the other as belonging to that of 'objects faculty inherent in the soul in his na- of selfish sensuous enjoyment. tural state of perfect freedom from all That which is approached by us ambitions of lording oyer exoteric as an object of gratification of the manifestations. senses is not the spirit but his exoteric If we choose to regard the exoteric face with which our soul has nothino-O manifestation as the object of our wor- to do. The esoteric face of the spirit ship it is thereby converted into the can be approached only by the pure Idol, The instinct of worship is soul for the purpose of worship. The inherent in the soul. When it is directed spirit makes himself known to our to the wrong object the process becomes pure soulsiwhen he is so approached. unnatural and unsatisfactory. It is The soul's real cognitive faculty acts called Idolatry. The Vaishnavas dis- through spiritual senses that are con- tinguish carefully between the exoteric cerned with the worship of the esoteric and. esoteric manifestations, between manifestations of the Absolute, It is physical and mental activities directed only the esoteric manifestation that is to exoteric manifestations in the way fit to be so worshipped. The exoteric of attempts to extort a satisfaction for July. 1930] ENLIGHTENERS REGARDING ASPERSIONS 51 the senses and the same activity The mind who controls these activities directed towards esoteric manifestations of the senses by the process of atten- in the form of endeavours to minister tion has no other function than that to the satisfaction of the senses of the of devising new methods of employment One object of all worship of the soul. of the senses for the purpose of expand, The Vaishnavas neither offer wor- ing and perfecting all forms of sensuous ship to, nor accept it for themselves activities. This appears to be the God- from, any creature. It is the cons- given and only function available to tituent and only function of the pure us in this life. The senses are never soul of the creature to serve the tired of their fuoction of exploring all Creator by the process of spiritual the nooks and corners of the pheno- service. The relation of one creature menal universe that is ever open to to another is that between fellow-wor- their scrutiny. Their spontaneous shippers of one God, They have no activity is rewarded by the discovery function towards each other except the of unknown spheres for its exercise service of the Lord. that keeps alive, widens and intensifies the desire for further activity. There The spiritual devotee has no ambition of is no possibility of ever finishing the subordinating the Fountainhead to inspection of the world which holds the inspection of senses. an infinite store of so-called 'secrets' to Persons who have not examined stimulate and misguide all who are en. their own selves are liable to miscon- gaged in searching for them. ceive the true existence of a spiritual But there is one secret which can devotee who is not sanguine to enjoy never be known by the activities Godhead by subduing the Fountain bead of the senses. The senses can never Object of his inspection through senses. find out the nature of the devotee of In the fallen state it is not possible to God who doss not desire any sensuous conceive or imagine any other function enjoyment for himself. We can, of for ourselves than selfish enjoyment course,understand the sensuous activities by means of the senses. It is not possib- of mortals. We can sympathise with le for any living person to abstain those activities as we ourselves happen wholly from sensuous activities. The to possess and value similar experience. senses are always actively engaged in But we are not ordinarily aware how reacting to the stimuli of taste, touch, one can have anything at all to do with colour, smell, sound that present to God Who is not open to the inspection them the tidings of the external world. of the senses. Until we actually ex- 52 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No. 2 perience the form of activity in which the devotee actually doss. The de. the devotee is engaged how can we votee serves Godhead. A non.devotee either sympathise with or understand can only desire to enjoy the exoteric the function of the devotee of God ? energy of Godhead by subjecting it to It is of course possible to discover the inspection of his senses and there- an incipient tendency to the function by seemingly reducing Godhead to a if we look into ourselves. We can at level with his own superficial nature. once detect there a natural hankering He does not quarrel with the contending for the living Truth with Whom it should be possible to hold direct com. position of matter and spirit. munion, not for the idle purpose bf Looking at them Prom a particular satisfying our passing whims which are angle of vision in our mundane refer, the products of our present state of ence we are apt to regard matter and ignorance and which can, therefore, spirit as occupying contending posi- only misdirect and distract us, but for tions in respect of each other and as the purpose of seriously acting up to the being at loggerheads towards eaoh- aptual requirements of our supersens. other. A.s soon as we arrive at such uous deeper nature. The sensuous life a conclusion we consider it our duty to is recognisable as radically superficial try to remove their mutual incompatibi- and misleading in spite of the ever- lity. But the spiritual devotee is not widening scope for dissipation that is found to quarrel with the apparently being opened up by the discoveries of contending position of matter and the physical and mental sciences in the spirit. domain of sensuous (experience. The As soon as a spiritual devotee is belief in the possible existence of a life engaged in rendering spiritual service that is really or categorically different to Godhead by his perpetual organs of from and higher than the worldly life, senses he is thereby naturally relieved is inherent in us. That life is ordinari. of his*unnatural supremacy. The effec- ly defined as the spiritual service of tive inclination imparts to him the God. It is the life of the devotee. vision that is necessary for rendering That which separates the devotee such service. It is not possible, to from a non-devotee is the fact that the understand the process except through former happens to live in actual com. experience which is itself the product munion with God Who is not open to of such inclination. The devotee is the inspection of the senses. But it is then enabled to endure naturally the not possible for us to understand what resistence offered by foreign agency. July. 1930] SREE CHA1TANYA BHAGABAT 53

He is not then forced to play the role all sides in this world. The obstacles of the master. He is then naturally are not overcome by (he process of found to be humiliative and neglecting violence or successful opposition. They his opposing temper. And he then are overcome by deferring to them to naturally and willingly supplies all the full measure of their demands. honours and other requisites that are This is possible only for the devotee. demanded by his pseudo-'friends'. In the case of one who is not himself The great point is to realise the properly established in his natural spiri- 'natural' position. Once this is realised tual condition the phenomenal world spiritual functioning is spontaneously presents its disruptive and opposing generated. This in its turn resolves face to all his activities. To the de- all difficulties presented by material votee they are always a help and never obstacles that surround the devotee on a hindrance. ( To be continued)

Sree Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat CHAPTER 1 (G on tinned from P. 29, June, 1930)

133 No one could detect His old arrogance 138 He crted unceasingly, reciting texts of of learning. the Scriptures, He appeared always like a great recluse. And said constantly, 1 Where is Krishna ? 134 Sachi did not at all understand the Oh, where is Krishna ?' behaviour of her Son. 139 At times He erclaimed with such a deep She worshipped the Ganges and Vishnu voice for the welfare of the Child. That Lakshmi fled in terror and Sachi 135 'Krishnachandra took away the husband, took away the sons, got affrighted There now remains this only One. 14° The Lord did not sleep at night by the 136 'O Krishna, be pleased to grant me, who taste of the mellow quality of Krishna. am without a protector, this boon He found no respite in the agony of That Biswambhar may stay in the house, separation, but by turns constantly with a sound mind. stood up, fell down, sat up again. 137 Bringing forth Lakshmi Sachi made her sit 141 He controlled Himself at the sight of by the side of her Son. strangers. The Lord cast His eyes on her but as if The Lord went to the Ganges for His He did not see. bath at break of day. 54 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll, No. 2

143 No sooner did the Lord return from His >53 'Krishna is Ocean of pity, Life of the world, bath in the Ganges Lover of His servants, darling Son of Than the whole body of His students cowherd Nanda. made their appearance in due form. '54 'One who his no affection nor inclination 143 Nothing except 'Krishna' ever comes to for the Name of Krishna the lips of the Lord. Is in bad plight by his study of all the The students knew nothing of this. Shastras. 144 The Lord sat to teach by their request, >55 'One who is poor and base, if he takes the To manifest Himself to the assemblage of Name of Krishna, His students. Goes to the Abode of Krishna even if he 145 The disciples opened their books by were laden with every offence. uttering the Name of Hari. 156 'This is the intention of all the Shastras. The darling Son of Sachi was delighted on Whoever doubts this suffers sorrow, hearing this. >57 'That wicked person who explains the 146 On calching the sound 'Hari' the Lord Shastras by leaving out the worship of lost all external consciousness, Krishna. And the Jewel of the twice-born bent His Never knowing the inner meaning of the auspicious glance on them all. scripture?, 147 The Lord began to explain in the >58 'Teaches the Shastras but does not exclusive mood understand their meaning. The names of Hari in the Sutra, Tika The ass vainly carrying the load of the and Britti, Shastras is doomed to perdition. 148 The Lord said, 'The Name Krishna is true >59 'People earn only death and destruction by at all time. such study. AH the Shastras declare nothing but By it they are deprived of the high festival Krishna. of Krishna. 1.49 'Krishna is Godhead. He kills and 160 •The Lord bestowed the gift of deliverance maintains all. to Futana. Aja, Bhaba and all others are the servants Such is Krishna 1 How may people of Krishna, meditate on other things by giving i5o 'He who explains that there can be any Him up meaning save the Feet of Krishna 161 'The Lord deliverd even such a great Wastes his life in vain by utterance of sinner as Aghasur. falsehoods. For what other pleasure may people give up His chant ? The Agama Vedanta and all philo- ISI 'All the world is sanctified by the Name of sophies, Krishna. All the Shastras,—speak of the treasure Yet wretched jivas abstain from chanting of devotion to the Feet of Krishna. His Deeds. 152 'Teachers, bewitched by the deluding 163 'Even Brahma and his peers are convulsed Energy of Krishna, with joy by the festival ®f the Lord. Go astray by giving up the path of devotion Leaving out the same people earn only to Krishna, damnation by dance and song. SREE CHAITANYA BHAGABAt 5S

'The Name Krishna delivered Ajamil. 176 All of them up their books at these words No one knows Him, blinded by the vanities of the Lord, of wealth, rank and learning I Then set out in the company of 'Listen, brothers all, to My true words, Biswambhar for bathing in the Ganges. Worship the priceless treasure of the lotus 177 Lord Biswambhar sported in the water of Feet of Krishna.— the Ganges, 'Those Feet that Lakshmi desires to. serve! Like the full Moon in the depths of mid- The Feet by whose worship Shankara is Ocean. the true servant of the Lord 1 Lord Biswambhar played in the holy 'Those Feet from where Jahnavi is sprung 1 stream of the Ganges Brothers, may all of you cherish the hope In view of the denizens of Nadia of most of those lotus Feet 1 I would like to see auspicious deeds. the person in this Nabadwip 179 Brahma and his peers cheiish the desire 'Who has power to refute My explanation of beholding the beauteous Form of the in My presence 1' Lord Biswambhar than Whom there is none Who played in the water in the guise of greater is Embodiment of all souud-fonns. a Brahmana, Whatsoever He chooses to explain, by 180 All those persons who thronged the whichever word, must needs be true. bathing steps for immersion in the Ganges The students bereft of all thought liitened Gazed on the face of Gaurchandra 1 with undivided attention. 181 All spoke to one another to this effect,— The Lord also expounded the truth 'Blessed are the father and mother who forgetting all restraint. have such Son.' Every word by its nature spontaneously 182 The joy of the Ganges waxed strong at declares that Krishna is the Truth. the touch of the Lord. There is no wonder that the Lord Himself The goddess manifested the agitation of should thus explain. waves in her delight. In a short while Biswambhar manifested Jahnavi danced in the guise of her waves His external vision. 183 In worship of the Lord Whose Feet are Feeling somewhat ashamed He began to served by the infinity of worlds ! enquire. 184 The daughter of Jahnu encircling the 'How did I explain the Sutra today ?' Lord on all sides All the students said, 'We understood Showered her water on Him, without nothing. being visible. 'You explain that Krishna is the only Meaning of every word. 18s The Veda alone knows the inner meaning Who is able to understand Your of all these Pastimes, ; exposition ?' A little of them will be revealed by all Biswambhar said laughingly, "Hear', all the in the long run. My brothers. 186 Biswambhar returned Home after bath. Bind up your books for this day and let us The company of students departed to their go to the Ganges for bath'. respective homes. 56 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVlll, No. 2

187 Changing His cloth the Lord washed His 196 KThe in which devotion to Hari is Feet. not found- He then sprinkled the holy Tulasi with water. It is one's duty not to listen to it even if 188 After duly worshipping the holy Form of Brahma himself be the speaker, Govinda 197 'The Chandala is no Chandala if he serves The Lord came away from the shrine and Krishna ; sat for His meal. The Bipra is no Bipra if he walks in the 183 Cooked rice with the spray of Tulasi path of sin,' Was brought to Him by His mother. 198 What the Lord as Kapila had once said 190 Making the offering to Yiswaksena to His mother, The I.ord of the infinity of worlds then In the same mood He now spoke again. ate His food. 191 Sac hi, mother of rhe world, sat in front 199 'Listen with attention, mother, to the of the Lord ; power of devotion to Krishna, The loyal consort Lakshmi watched from Practise love for Krishna, My mother, within. in ev^ry way. 192 The mother said, 'What hooks did you 200 'Mother, there is no death for the servant read today, my Dear ? of Krishna. Did you engage in quarrel with any person ?' The destructive wheel of time is filled 1 93 The Lord replied, 'I read tbe Name with dread at sight of Krishna's servitor, Krishna today. 201 'All the sorrow of confinement in the The lotus Feet of Krishna, the Abode of mother's womb, of birth and death,— all good qualities, are true ; One who serves Krishna knows nothing 194 'The hearing and chanting of the Name of all this. and quality of Krishna are true ; 202 'Krishna is the Father of the world. Who so-ever serve Krishnachandra are true. Whoever does not serve Him, My dear, 195 'That Shastra alone is true which tells of devotion to Krishna ; That unnatural sinner, in revolt against The Shastra that says otherwise, commits hifs Ffrther, is tormented by misery in sin. every birth. SHREE V1SWA VA1SHNAVA RAJ SABHA Shree Gaudiya Math Telephone: B. B. 2452 Calcutta ( India ) Telegram : 'GAUD1YA' Calcutta. 1st July- 1930,

DEAH SlH, We presume you may agree with us that India is the unique cradle of a truly international civilisa- tion and spiritual culture of the highest order extending far back into the pre-historic days and has ever been the cynosure of all eyes and is now actually passing through a period of travail (or a rejuvenated spiritual birth. Empirical attempts and intellectual pursuits (or centuries of an ever-changing civilisation have been driven to despair in their vain quest (or the real desideratum. Science has so long (ailed to yield the real solution of the ever-complicating world-problems threatening the whole humanity with impending dire confusion, ^ut of despair many a popular creed and are being thrown intt the-melting pot almost every day, but these desperate experiments formulated by imperfect science only multiply labyrinthine theories and barren speculations that are crushing down the world . May we make bold to ask as to what is that solid rock of ages standing firmly on which India with her hoariest of civilisations still claims to become the mother of the coming inevitable light ? We venture to think that the savants and right thinkers of the day will probably subscribe to our view that the objective of the great Leagues and Conferences lies only in the spiritual regeneration oo the world» the inspiration of which is to corns from the inexhaustible reserves of the Absolute. The real message of peace and harmony in sweet concordance with the pristine note of the Divine Texts of the Vedas was proclaimed on the sweet soil of Bengal over four centuries ago by Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya who propagated (or one and all the religion of Transcendental Love. His revelation of the only source of all real peace and harmony is not a soothing balm (or temporary relief but the eternal panacea and the ultimate consummation to be attained. Sri Chaitanya's life of perfect devotion and burning love for the Absolute embodied the most sublime philosophy (or the really pragmatic and synthetic solution of the discordent elements of life in its limitless aspects. His message naturally took a cosmopolitan character (or its wide catholicity and it was much elaborated and far-extended by the illustrious six apostles known as 'Goswamis' who associated themselves with the most ancient institution in the form of an organised mission known as 'The Viswa Vaishnava Raj Sabha'. This Mission received fresh impetus at a later age through the life and preachings of great Vaishnavas ( perfectly self-realised saints ) like Srinibas Acharyya, Thakur Narottam, Prabhu Shyaraananda, Viswanath Chakravarty and Baladev Vidyabhusan the great commentator of the Vedanta. Soon after them intervened the dark age of ignorance and perversion which prevailed till the seventies of the last century when a great saint named Thakur Bhaktivinode took a bold stand in 58 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. NO. 2

re-establishing and rejuvenating the pure and eternal religion of loving service of the Divinity and practising and preaching it in its true presentment. This very line is being pushed on very successfully in all quarters by His Divine Grace Paramahansa Sreemad Bhalcti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, the greatest and most learned of saints, who is the Acharyya (Messiah) of the present age and who is now the president of the said historic Viswa Vaishnava Raj Sabha. During the decade of His Grace's public activity thousands of highly educated persons of respectable families of India have devoted their whole life and energy for this Mission, numerous devotional literature in different languages is being published and distributed, three purely religious newspapers and periodicals have been carrying on the propaganda from door to door and as many as thirty preaching centres have already been established all over India where arrangements are being made for imparting theistic education to all students free of expenses and many other such activities have been taken up for the spiritual uplift of the age. As you are a brilliant star in the firmament of liberal culture we appeal to your feelings of love and compassion for the world to help this universal cause by your hearty participation in wise advice and sympathetic collaboration with the Mission for the greatest and lasting good of humanity. We shall (eel highly obliged if you can kindly extend our invitation to all your friends, members and constituents whose active sympathy will promote the universally desired success of the propaganda- Recently a temple and requisite buildings have been constructed in the northern part of the city of Calcutta for the accommodation of the Gaudiya Mathi the general preaching centre of the Missiom at an expense of over three hundred thousand rupees. In connection with the inauguration ceremony of this new temple of the Gaudiya Math to be held on the 5th of October next a series of religious performances, physical demonstrations of the Esoteric principles and congregational discourses are being organised there by the Viswa Vaishnava Raj Sabha to continue for over a month from the date as per programme enclosed. We, on behalf of the members of the Viswa Vaishnava Raj Sabha, most humbly solicit the favour of your fraternal company at the ensuing celebrations. We beg to invite your special attention to the item of the All-Theistic Conference where all the savants and saints of the east and of the west and all persons interested in spiritual culture are invited to assemble for participation in various important functions in connection with the spiritual cause represented by the Mission. It is our Brm faith that your kind presence and collaboration will be a real asset to the' proceedings and will substantially promote its success. Specific arrangements for your companions, attendance, conveyances and accommodation may be made on previous intimation to the Secretary, Gaudiya Math, Calcutta (India). W e remain, ever in service, Your most humble brothers, Atul Chandra Goswami. Nlshi Kanla Sanyal. Kunja Vtharv Vidyahhusan. Secretaries, Shree Viswa Vaishnava Raj Sabha. Programme of the Annual Celebrations of the

Gaudiya Math, 1930. [ Oct. 5—Nov. 16 ]

5tF) Oct, Sunday SRI SRI RADHA-MADANMOHAN FESTIVAL 1. Inauguration ceremonies, from earfy morning. 2. Big Procession following Sri Bigraha to the new Temple with congregational chant and various kinds of shows and music through principal streets of Calcutta. 2p.m. to Op.m. 3. Formal Entry into the New Temple followed by various opening ceremonies. 6p.m.

22nd „ Wednesday SRI SRI RADHA-GOVINDA FESTIVAL 1. Worship of Sri Gobardhan. 2. Annakut Ceremonies, 3. Distribution of Mahaprasad to all.

5th Nov, Wednesday SRI SRI RADHA-GOPINATH FESTIVAL Sri Ras-Purnima—special decoration and whole=day celebration

24th Oct.-lst Nov em. SESSION OF THE ALL-THE1STIC CONFERENCE The Conference will sit every day in the evening from 7 p.m. to 9p.m. A set of questionnaire are being circulated. Their answers in writing are invited to reach the Secretary before 17th Oct. for being dealt in the Conference. No extempore lectures are solicited.

1st Nov.-16th Nov. RELIGIOUS EXHIBITION Unique and most novel attempt never conceived before, for illustrating intricate religious problems, to educate the public, THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No: 2

Demonstrative exposition < by figures, shows harts, etc. > of religious principles and different stages and conditions of them in practical life. Open for all everyday from 7 o.m. to 9 P-m.

DISAPPEARANCE FESTIVALS 7th Oct. Sri Murari Gupta Thakur 12th „ Sri Narottam Thakur 19th Sri Narahari Sarkar Thakur 20th „ Sri Vasudeva Ghosh Thakur 29th „ Sri Sribas Acharyya and Sri Gadadhar Das Prabhu 2nd Nov. Sri Gaurkishore Das < Paramahansa Goswami ) 5th „ Sri Bhugarbha Goswami and Sri Kashishwar Pandit 6th „ Sri Sundarananda Thakur

ALL ARE CORDIALLY INVITED. At the New Gaudiya Math Temple 16, Kali Prasad Chakravarty Street, Bagbazar, Ourselves

Sixteenth Anniversary of the Disappearance of land for the purpose of constructing the road in of Thakur Bhaktivlnode. question. The public may hope that the authorities of the District Board will take up the work of The,sixteenth anniversary of the disappearance of construction which is overdue without further delay. S rila Thakur Bhaktivinode, entered into the eternal Lila, was duly celebrated at Sri Chaitanya Math, Sri- Postal and Telegraph communication. dham Mayapur, on the 26th of July and simultaneously A branch post office was opened from the 1st of at all the branch Maths. June, 1929 at Sridhara mayapur, which was converted A detailed account of the celebrations at Sri into a temporary Sub Post-Office from the 1st of Purushottara Math, Puri, is separately inserted following November, orders have since been received Entry into the new Temple and Buildings of from the Department providing a permanent Sub Sri Gaudlya Math at Bagbazar, Calcutta. Post Office at the Holy Birth-place of Sri Chaitanya The Gaudlya Vaishnavas in a vast Samkirtan Deva with effect from the first of July (1930) The procession under His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti arrangement, it is hoped, will be completed by the Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur with Sri Sri Gaur- conversion of the Sub Office into a combined Post Vinodanandaji will enter the newly-built Temple & Telegraph Office In the near future to meet the and residential quarters of the Gaudiya Math at urgent and increasing req uireraents of the public in- Bagbazar in the afternoon of Qct. 5, (1930). terested in the holy Birth-site of the Lord. The Nabadwip Almanac. Para--Peeth. The Nabadwip Almanac of the year 444 Gaur The following students of the Para-Vidya-Peeth Era has just been published by the Gaudiya Math. came out successful, at the Govt. Sanskrit Examina- A copy of the book should be secured by all persons tions :— endeavouring to lead the spiritual life. The Vaishnava (1) Pandit Sripad Gaurdas Brahmachari Almanc is essentially different from the Sraarta Vyakaranatirtha, Upadeshaka, Bhaktishastri, in Almanac. The latter lays down the daily observances the Madhya Examination in the Kabya and Adya of those persons who seek either elevation or libera- Examination in Sankhya ; (2) Sri Gopiuath Pati tion i. e. enjoyment or freedom from misery, The in Madhya Examination in Kabya ; (3) Srijukta Vaishnavas do not seek any amelioration of their Tarak Nath Devasarraa (4) Srijukta Nikunja own condition which is due to the will of God, but Behari Das and (5) Srijukta Birendra Chandra Bhatta- guidance for serving the pleasure of Krishna. The charyya in the Adya Examination in Sri Harinama point of view of cause-less devotion to the Holy Feet rarita Vyakarana. of Krishna ought to be adopted all over the world PROPAGANDA. to the supersession of any other view. This is the Srimad Bhakti Pradip Tlrtha MaharaJ. object of the Nabadwip Almanac. A copy of this At the earnest solicitations of Srijukta Kiran booklet may be bad for annas two only. Chandra Ghose, Zemindar of Kurigram, His Holiness SRIDHAM MAYAPUR explained the Bhagabat at the local Sevasrara District Board Road from Hular Ghat (Ghat on on the evenings of the 3rd and 4th of June. the Ganges) to Sridharij Mayapur. A large number of Brahman Pandits and other gentle- This road is being used by an immense and men of the locality including Mr. Dhirendra Nath increasing number of pilgrims and an attempt was Roy Bar-at-law, well-known Zemindar of Narail, and made to induce the District Board for improving it the manager of the Narail Estate attended in spits up to the requirements of the heavy pilgrim traffic on of heavy rainy weather. They were all most highly the occasion of Sridhara Mayapur Exhibition. We delighted by listening to the proper 'exposition of learn that the Government has authorised acquisition the Bhagabat froni the lips of a true devotee who 62 THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVIII, No. 2

is himself-actually employed In the whole time service explained the Chaitauya Bhagabat to an admiring of the Supreme Lord. They were also convinced audience at the residence of Srijukta Phanibhusan of the necessity of relying on the expositions of the Chandra on the bank of the Vindu Sarovar at preachers of the Gaudiya Math and avoiding those Bhuvaneswar. of hired readers of the Bhagabat. His Holiness has since made his way to Purl to assume the direction BRANCH MATHS. of the annual celebrations of Sri Purushottam Math, Sri Brahma-Gaudlya Math (Alalnath) Purl, by command of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktl Portions of the residential quarters of Sree Siddhanta Saraswatl Thakur, Brahma-Gaudlya Math have been constructed ; the work of the roof of this section Is In progress. Sree Srlmad Bhaktl Hridaya Bon MaharaJ and Sree Gaur Sundar (Bijaya Vigraha) was carried under Srlmad Bhaktlranjan Bhaktisar MaharaJ the personal direction of Paramahansa Srila Bhakti Crowded meetings on two successive evenings Siddhanta Saraswatl Thakur by a grand procession were held in the Central Hall, Berhampur, Ganjam of the Klrtan parties of the neighbouring villages (Madras) at which lectures and discourses on 'pure of Alalnath on the 23rd of June from Sree Purushottam spiritual service of the Supreme Lord' were delivered Math. Purl, to Sree Brahma-Gaudlya Math, Alalnath, in English by His Holiness Tridandl Swaml Srlmad in commemoration of the retirement of the Supreme Bhakti Hrlday Ban Maharaj, and Srlpad Pandit Lord from Purl to Alalnath during the period of Das Goswaml Vldyarnab BA., Bhalttl- Anabasam. The occasion was celebrate 1 by the shastrl, of the Gaudiya Math of Calcutta. In course people of Alalnath and the surrounding villages by of his lectures Srlmad Ban Maharaj dealt with the Im- the exhibition of dances of masked figures, a lantern plications of the term Daridranarayan and ByMhaHc lecture In Oriya on the life of Sri Chaltanyadeva Dharma in order to clear up widely prevalent miscon- ceptions. A requisite sum was subscribed by Srlpad Paramanada Brahmacharl Vldyaratna and on the spot for the erection of a temple at Siuha- by the honouring of Mahaprasad at Sree Brahma- chalam to enshrine the holy Foot-prints of Sri Gaudlya Math by all the people of the neighbourhood. Chaltanyadeva. The cultured audience expressed their Alalnath. unanimous sense of having received true enlightenment The auspicious wish of His Divine Grace In regard from the utterances of their Holinesses. The func- to the repair of the road from Purl to Alalnath has tion was presided over by His Holiness Tridandi resulted in the work being taken up in earnest this Swami Srimad Bhaktlranjan Bhaktisar Maharaj year. The repairs of the exterior of the main temple of the_Gaudiya Math, Calcutta, of Sri Alalnath have been finished. The compound Srlmad Bhaktlvlvek Bharati MaharaJ. wall Is being built. The construction of the wall His Holiness expounded Srimad Bhagabatam at on the north side of the compound has been completed. the market-place of Baduria to large gathering of The northern half of the eastern wall adjoining the the local people both and Mahomedaus, Lion Gate is being built with peculnary help received Srimad Bhakti Sarvaswa Girl MaharaJ. from the Revered widow of Faram Bhagabat Kavlraj His Holiness delivered a lecture in English on Tarlni Charan Samaddar who attained the dust of 'The great message of the Glta' at a large gathering Sri Kshetra. The repairs of the Interior of the main at Kohitur, Mussouri on June 1. On June 4, His temple will be taken up very soon. Holiness lectured In English on 'Universal Love' In Sree Paramahansa Math (Naimlsharanya) the Municipal Hall of Mussouri at a meeting presided Information has been received from Srlpad over by Rai Shaheb Dr. Ram Narayan Lall. The Nrlslnghananda brahmacharl in charge of Sree speech produced a great Impression on all present. Paramahansa Math, Naimlsharanya, of the com- Srlmad Bhaktiranjan Bhaktisar MaharaJ mencement of the work of construction of a new His Holiness preached the message of unalloyed block of residential quarters of Sree Paramahansa devotion tanght and practised by Sri Chaltanyadeva Math. Arrangements are also in progress for the at Delang, Udayapur, Shasevak, Sepatna and other construction of a lofty temple In conformity with localities In the district of Puri. His Holiness the wish of Srila Paramahansa Bhaktl Siddhanta July. 1950 ] OURSELVES 63

Saraswati Thakur who desires, io conformity with formances of Thakur Harldas and from there to Sri the heart's desires of Sri Chaitanyadeva, the restora- Gambhira where Sri Chaitanyadeva resided. Then tion of the scriptural status of Naimisharanya, His grace with the Samklrtan party went into the the ce ntre of Bhagabat learning. Temple of Sri Jagannathdcva and beheld Godhead on Sree Purushottam Math, Puri the occasion of the Festival of His New Juvenation. The procession then returned to Sri Purushottam The annual celebrations of the Math are pro- Mat'i. gressing most successfully. The gracious arrival of In the evening there was a large gathering in the Paramafaansa Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati spacious halls of Sri Purushattam Math for the due ob- Thakur with a great company of pure devotees on servance of the anniversary of Thakur Bhaktivinode's the 22nd of June Infused special divine vigour into 'llsappearance. The function consisted of the chant- the proceedings. His Divine Grace and party were ing of the octave hymn in honour of Sri Gurudeva received with great reverence at the Puri Railway followed by the reading of a poem by Pandit Sripad Station by a number of distinguished persons Including Kadhacharan Goswami Bhaktiratna Bhaktishastri Rai Bahadur Janaki Nath Bose, Advocate of composed by himself for the occasion. Thereafter Cuttack, Rajarshl Rao Saheb Kumar Srijukta Paramhansa Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Saradlndu Narayan Ral M. A., of Dinajpur, Goswami Thakur spoke about the unique character Srijukta Putna Chandra Ghosh Superintendent of of the religion of the Oaudiya Valshnavas and about Puri Jail, Srijukta Gangesh Chandra Chakravarty, the gift of Thakur Bhaktivinode, Sripad Sundara- B. L. pleader and others. The nanda Vldyavlnode, Editor of the Gaudiya, at the Mahanta Maharaj of Uttarparsha Math and Mr desire of His Divine Grace, delivered a brief speech on K. D. Paul Civil Surgen of Purl had sent their the mercy of Thakur Bhaktivinode. Pandit Sripad cars and the Dewan Bahadur of the Raja Shaheb Brahmachari Ananta Vasudeva Vidyabhusan then of Puri deputed two decorated elephants to the Rail- sang a hymn composed by Thakur Bhaktivinode. way Station to join In the function of reception. His The proceedings were concluded by the Vaishnavas Divine Grace followed Sri Gaur Sundar to Alalnath of the four and all assembled people the next day In commemoration of the display duly honouring the Mahaprasad at the Math. of the pang of separation by the Supreme Lord On the 27th June the devotees, who had arrived at during the period of Anabasara. Sri Purushottam Math from all parts of the country The festival of the disappearance of Srila Bhakti forming themselves into a huge Samkirtan procession vinode Thakur was celebrated on June 2i5 at Sri In pursuance of the wish of Srila Paramhansa Thakur, Purushottam Math by Puramhansa Srila Bhakti proceeded to Sri G.indicha Temple for the purpose Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur In person. In the of cleansing the same. On their arrival in front of afternoon His Divine Grace himself carrying the the Temple His Holiness Trldandi Swaml flag led a procession of congregational chanters along Srlmad Bhakti Vivek Bharati Maharaj read the sea-ahorc to Sri Bhakti Kuti where Thakur and expounded to all the Lifa of the cleansing Bhaktivinode practised his devotions and to the of Sri Gundlcha by Sri Chaitanyadeva from shrine of the Samadhi of Thakur Harldas adjoining Sri Caltanya Charltamrita. Entering the shrine Sri Bhakti Kutl for offering the complete homage the procession then circumambulated the Temple of his heart. His Divine Grace talked to the by the enormance of organised chant and clean- assembled people regarding the supreme sanctity sed the shrine. The devotees then made their of the holy site of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur's loving way to the Indradyumna Tank and sported in its service of Sri Sri Radha-Govtnda. He pointed out to water In pursuance of the Lila of the Supreme Lord. Rajarshi Prajna the spot where Thakur Bhaktivinode used to perform hU devotions and also the adjoining The Car Festival, June 28- site of the devotions of Sri Raghunath Das Goswami In conformity with the wish of Srila Param- and the Sri Vlgraha of Sri Glrldharljl worshipped hansa Bhakti Siddhanta Sarswatl Goswami Maharaj by Sri Das Qoswaml that Is still there The proces- the devotees of Sri Purushottam Math forming a sion of chanters then followed His Divine Grace to vast Samklrtan procession performed the chanting Sri Siddha Bakul, the site of the devotional per- of the text: of Sri Chaltanya Charitamrlta in front 64 THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVlUNo, 2

of the moving Car of Sri Jagannathdeva from the high quality of the art, design and execution of details Lion Gate to Sri Gundlcba. The charting of the of the buildings. Samkirtan was led in pouring rain by His Holiness Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Vivek Bharati Babu Dakshlniranjan Ghose B A., Maharaj and b:cam: the centre of attraction of all at the Gaudiya Math. the assembled pilgrims. In the fore-noon of Tuesday, June 1, Srijukta Publications of devotional literature by the Dakshinaranjan Ghose b.a , Retired Deputy Magis- trate and a well-known writer and compiler of Yaish- Gaudiya Printing works. nava Hymns had a long interview with Srila Param- 1. Sri Prem-Vlvarta by the associate of Sri hansa Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur at the Gaursundar, Srila Jagadananda Goswamipad, 4th Gaudiya Math. His Divine Grace spoke on the supe- Edition. riority of the worship of Sri Radha-Govlnda to that 2. Geetabal I by Siila Bhaktivinode Thakur, 5th, of Sri Ram- and exposed the unsoundness of the Edition, view that has been circulated by speculative thinkers Rajarshi Rao Shaheb Kumar Saradindu Narayan like Raja Ram JMohan Roy, Bhandarkar, Macuicol Rai M. A., Prajna has promised to bear all and other writers on the subject. Dakshina Babu expenses for the reprint of 'Achar and Acharya', admitted the Truth expressed by His Grace and the being impressed by the impartial truth of the necessity of the employment of the teacher's rod and conclusions embodied in the said publication of the the physician's lancet by the Gaudiya for the cure of Gaudiya Math. gangrenous formations in the Gaudiya Society that Visitors at the Gaudiya Math. are being sedulously fostered by disguised and open enemies of the truth We intend to present the reader June 4, at 9 A. M.—Srijut Nanigopal Joardar M. A. with the substance of His Divine Grace's important (OxonJ, B. D., and Srijut Durgapada Basu, cashier discourse in a succeeding issue of the journal. Balarampar Estate. His Divine Grace spoke regarding the speciality of Gaudiya philosophy by Dr. Moreno's letter of Appreciation. comparing the same with other philosophical sj'stems In the last issue is published the text of Dr. Moreno's both of the East und West. letter to His Divine Grace. Dr. Moreno has claimed to June i2, afternoon,—Dr. Bibhatibhusan Dutt D. Sc., be recognised as the compatriot of His Divine Grace. P. R. S., Professor of Mathematics, Calcutta Science But the Doctor will certainly pardon us if we remind College ; Srijut Kshetralal Saha M. A., professor of him that His Divine Grace is preaching that we are all English literature Nalanda College, Bihar Sarif; of us by own proper nature the denizens of the same Srijukta Kaviraj Birendra Nath Sen Gupta of country viz., the kingdom of God. The Gaudiya Uluberia. Math does not stand for geographical, political or His Divine Grace had a short talk with Dr. Dutt social India. It is the exponent of spiritual India on the position of Mathematics in the east and west. which is categorically different from any country of His Divine Grace then proceeded to explain in Mathe- this world. Dr. Moreno should have, therefore, no matical language the nature of the service of the hesitation to invite the people of the whole world to Godhead and the various stages of the same. be his compatriots of spiritual India, The letter itself Srijukta Prakash Chandra Dutt Principal Jorhat is couched in the most cordial terms that should go a Technical institute paid a visit to the new Temple great way to establish unreserved and complete and buildings of the Gaudiya Math at Bagbazar under fellowship among all pure souls who are not attached construction and after careful inspection express e by partisanship to the temporary and disruptive his unbounded admiration of the truth,originality and concerns f this world. THE HARKONIST

OK

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

(thakur shii.a l!Haktivixode.)

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PA R IB R A J A K AC H A R Y Y A Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS

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1. The festival of Sree Radha.Marlanainoliana ••• 65 2. Bralimanj'a-Deva and Brahmanns 69 3. Enlighteners Regarding Aspersions 77 4. Wlio is a Bralimana ? 82 5. The Spiritual Comnmnif y 86 6. Sree Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat 90 7. Ourselves ••• 94

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The Temple of Ananta Vasudebji and newly built Dharmasala on the Eastern Dank of the Bindu Sarobar, THE HARMONIST

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SHREE SAJJANATOSHANI

VOL. XXVIII AUGUST 1930, Cliaitanja-Era444 NO. 3

The festival of Sree Radha-Madanamohana ( Entry into the new Temple and Buildings of the G-addiya Math Oct. 5, 1930. )

The question has been asked why it formal entry into a shrine containing is necessary to have a shrine made of the holy Forms of the Divine Pair brick and mortar for the worship of would appear to such thinkers to be God. The shrine has been supposed an unjustifiable concession to people to be at best only a kind of temporary with a particularly dense judgment aid for a primitive form of worship to who should be an extinct race in the a person of undeveloped mentality. quondam Metropolis of British India As such a person is supposed to under- in this twentieth century after Christ. stand nothing, as true but gross matter The function may thus be opined to ha he is considered to be naturally lacking even in the excuse of being a inclined to the worship of enshrined foolish, unavoidable surrender to the idols. To most people with 'ordinary' thoughtless demos. culture such 'foreign' help has often It is the contention of the orga- seemed to be not only not necessary but nisers i' that the ceremony of entry into positively and rightly repugnant. The the spirituaT Abode of the Divine Pair 66 THE HARMONISt t Vol. XXVllI, No. i worshipped by the Gaudiyas is absolute- ward by these 'sects' for helping one ly necessary for the reason that it to attain the vision and relationship of alone can remove the spiritual ignorance Godhead. Rut inspite of these definite of all the people of this world by 'assurance' and 'realisations' no paticular imparting to them the knowledge of 'Prophet' or 'Doctrine' ha» yet received their relationship with the Divinity. unanimous or even general recognition It is not possible to have any duty either of the masses or of the intelligen. towards Godhead without any knowledge sia of the world. of the nature of one's relationship to But it has been possible to arrive at Him. It is possible for every one of a consensus of opinions in other depart- us to have this knowledge which a ments of knowledge. In the sphere of mortal does not ordinarily possess. The 'religion' alone extreme differences of knowledge of man is confined to this 'opinion' have hitherto proved to be phenomenal world. If a human being ineradicable. In other words knowledge wants to define Godhead by means of of spiritual matters has not progressed his present knowledge such definition to the stage that has been actually will necessarily make God a commodity attained in the case of knowledge of this phenomenal world in his esti- regarding all other subjects. How are mation. Such a person is bound to we to account for this ? suppose further that God is both The very first thing that has to be impersonal and inanimate. Because if done if the real truth is to be discovered God really exists like any other object and propagated, is to try first of all to of this world and also possesses anima- understand the natiu*e of the issue itself. tion and it should be possible This should be the only starting point to find Him out and to hold communion in the journey towards the Truth. with Him on our own terms, which has What is Godhead ? Why should not yet been possible for at least the we concern ourselves about Godhead ? vast majority of the cultured people. These are the questions that naturally There is of course a small number confront one on the threshold of the of persons who suppose that it is theistic life. We should not enter the possible to find God as an animate shrine unless and until we are con- person and to have actual dealings with vinced of the necessity of worshipping Him. These persons also declare that the God within. it is possible for all to know and have The ordinary answer that you will such dealings with Godhead. Various see the idol and be enabled to worship elaborate methods have been put for. it after you enter the temple should be August 1930 ] THE FESTIVAL OF SREE RADHA-MADANAMOHANA 67

rejected at once as unsatisfactory. One the preliminary knowledge is not the is clamorously pressed to enter a variety relationship itself. There must also be of temples with different idols and an 'object' for cultivating such relation- worships. How is he to select from ship. This 'object' again is different among them the one object of his from both the symbolic knowledge as worship without the requisite preli. well as the process of relationship. minary knowledge ? Therefore this precedent 'knowledge' The contention that knowledge of the nature of Godhead need not be follows practice is not also any solution supposed to be identical with the of.the difficulty. The questions distur- 'object' attainable by 'worship'. On bing a person who seeks entry into the the contrary the 'object' of 'worship' temple are, 'What is Grodhead ? Why can only be realisable by means of am I to worship Him at all ? Why 'worship' based upon a correct symboli- should it be impossible for any person cal knowledge of the nature of the who knows these matters to convey a Worshipped as possessing the power correct idea of them to an honest and inclination to bestow on His enquirer ? The idea of a thing is worshipper the' grace of His service not, of course, identical with the thing which should be naturally desirable itself. But the idea should be of help to the latter for its own sake. in inducing a person to decide about The worship of the Divine Pair the necessity of worshipping at a parti- Sri Sri Radha-Madanamohana is the cular shrine.' worship of the followers of Sri Knowledge of some sort regarding Chaitanyadeva or the Gaudiya Vaishna. the nature of Godhead, the nature vas belonging to the Madhwa com- of His worship, and the nature munity. The worship of Sri Sri Radha- of His worshipper, viz. the en- Govinda by the other communities quirer himself, must precede the ration- is a derivative of the worship of the al acceptance of any form of Gaudiyas and also essentially different worship. The worship of a rational from the latter inspite of much super- being can only be an intelligible ficial resemblance. attempt to 'realise' some kind of In order to worship Sri Sri Radha antecedent symbolic or ideal knowledge. Madanamohana it is first of all necessary This preliminary knowledge of practic- to obtain the preliminary knowledge of able relationship with God is the the nature of such worship. This is proper motive behind all actual rational the 'knowledge of relationship'. The attempt to realise such relationship. But acquisition of this knowledge is the 68 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXV HI. No. 3

first step in spiritual endeavour cendental realm of . Sri Rupa (sadhana). Sri Sanatan Goswami Goswami is the original practising Prabhu was authorised by Sri Chaitanya- teacher (Acharyya) of the function of deva to impart this preliminary spiritual service constituting the 'wor- 'knowledge of relationship' to His ship' of the Divine Pair. The 'object' followers. Sri Sanatan Goswami Prabhu of spiritual service is the attainment is the sole Acharyya of this process of love to the Feet of Sri Sri Radha- which is called initiation into the Govinda for the sake of such love. knowledge of the Divinity. By the The Name of the Divine Couple attainment of this knowledge of relation, worshipped by Sri Sanatan Goswami ship one is enabled to enter into the Prabhu is Sri Sri Radha.Madanamohana. spiritual Abode of the Divine Pair or Sri Radhika is the Divine Counter, the Gaudiya Math. whole of Sri Madanamohana. Sri The servitors, their service, the Radhika reciprocates the love of Sri holy Forms of the Divine Pair installed Madanamohana. She is the Mistress in their spiritual Abode collectively and Sweetheart of Her amorous and form the category of 'the Worshipped.' sole Divine Lover. The Name Madana- There is an 'inner' and an 'outer' body mohana indicates that the Lover of of worshippers of Godhead. The 'inner' Sri Radhika is different from, and yet servitors are a part and parcel of the symbolically similar to, the God of Divinity Himself. The 'inner' servitors mundane amour. Sri Sri Madana- 'call' the 'outerv servitors to parti- mohana is far more lovely than the cipate in their eternal service of supposed lovely God of mundane amour the Divine Pair in the transcendental in as much as the latter is liable to be Realm of Goloka. The Gaudiya Math is subdued and bewitched by the real the holy Abode of Godhead and of His and eternally enduring superior charm eternal servants made manifest to the of the Divine Lover of Sri Radhika vision of the people of this world by There is only analogical resemblance, the grace of the Acharyya of the differing even in analogy both in Gaudiya Vaishnavas who is the spiritua l degree and quality, between the highest successor of Sri Rupa and Sanatan conceivable mundane amour and the Goswami Prabhus, the eternal transcendental amour of Sri Sri Radha. Divinely appointed teachers, by their Govinda. But there is also a categori. conduct and precept, of the loving cal difference between the two. The service of the Divine Pair Sri Sri preliminary knowledge of this cannot Radha.Govinda in the eternal trans- be available to the dissociable indivi- August 1930 j BRAHMANYA-DEVA AND BRAHMANAS. 69 dual soul except by the grace of Sri in order to learn from the holy Sanatan Goswami Prabhu manifested lips of His Divine Grace and other through the eternal chain of spiritual speakers enlightened by Him, in a teachers represented to us at this symbolically intelligible form, the moment by the present Acharyya of nature of the worship of the Divine the Gaudiya Yaishnavas—His Divine Pair. Those fortunate persons who Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati really seek the Absolute Truth should Goswami Maharaj. be enabled thereby to receive the His Divine Grace has named the preliminary knowledge of the Truth function of the entry into the new by the grace of the Acharyya. The Temple and residential quarters of the members of the Viswa-Vaishnava-Raj- Gaudiya Math, which is to take place Sabha accordingly invite one and all on the 5th of October, as the Festival to avail of this opportunity for obtain- of Sri Sri Radha-Madanamohanaji. ing the working knowledge of the The members of the Viswa-Vaishnava Truth by the grace of the Acharyya Raj Sabha have been commanded by and Sri Chaitanyadeva. It is only His Divine Grace to invite all persons by Means of such knowledge that the to receive the preliminiary knowledge Truth figured to our limited vision by of spiritual service by joining the the present, by us undecipherable, All-Vaishnava Conference which is symbols of the Shrine of the Gaudiya to assemble in the Hall of the Math, the holy Forms and their Worship Gaudiya Math on the day of the by the pure Devotees of the Math, may Festival of Sri Sri Radha-Govindaji, be truly realised.

Brahmanya-Deva and Brahmanas. ( Prof. Yadubar Dasadhikar r m, a, b. l. Bhaktishastri).

TMIB word 'Brahmanya' means for the real Friend and the best Bene- («l8ivi f^:) a friend or benefactor to factor is certainly the truest and Brahman or Brahmana (OTipoi). highest Object of worship or love. It also means the object of worship to Who is then this Brahmanya.deva ? a Brahmana. And both .these senses in He is no other than Vishnu Himself, Jact point to one and the same thing, the all-pervading Supreme soul, So 70 THE HARMONIST [ VoI.XXVHl No. 3 we find in the Santi Parvan of the earthly love •enuine self-surrender and Mahabliarata 'Brahmanya' and 'dear selflessness is out of the question. Love to Brahmana' as two of a thousand epi. here on earth,—nay in the domain of thets of Vishnu, the Supreme Lord. (I) Maya, can not bat be wholly selfish. Anhika.Chandrika also points to the Here all existence being phenomenal same fact. ( 2 ) and selfcentred, love also directlv and Here the Brahmanya-deva is Vishnu, necessarily pertains to the deluded the All-pervading. He is Achyuta—the mind and body, and cannot divest itself ever Unchangeable, and is Krishna—the of self-seeking and self.gratification. Son of Devaki, Hence we make And self.gratification of the Jiva is obeisance to Him in the words of sensuousness or lust. Love here on. Vishnu.Puranam. ( 3 ) this earth and of one creature towards 'Salutation to Brahmanya-deva, the another is essentially sensuous and can Friend ( Protector) of the vedic lore therefore, be never lasting or true. and Brahmanas, the Protector of the Yet selflessness is the only admitted Universe, Who is Krishna ( the most mark of its purity which of course may pleasing Attractor ) and Cowherd ( of vary in the degree of perfection. Brindaban ) ; salutation to Hira again But the case is quite different with and again.' transcendental love which is a function The word 'Namas' in the verse means of the pure soul and which is therefore the negation of or pride. So necessarily pure. Any reservation in by salutation we mean absolute surren- favour of physical or mental gratification der at the Feet of our object of worship will deprive love of the quality of its or love. For true and perfect love is natural absolute purity. Transcendental not possible so long as one retains an love connects the individual Soul with iota of selfishness or egoism. the Oversoul and regulates the dealings A certain degree of self-surrender of individual souls towards one .another and selflessness seems to be present also in the state of grace. It is perfectly in lust. Any display of palpable excess free from any touch of mundane impuri- of selfishness would scare away the ty. The serving individual soul seeks no victim of lust and make the process pleasure of his own. His only object is to difficult of realisation. But in so-called seek the pleasures of the senses of the

(1) "cigjuti) sign, i ugwl anpwifjpi: n" (2) (8) 33) ^ i 5m%cfrq toNH: ii August 1030 ] BRAHMANYA-DEVA and brahManas 71

Godhead,—the only Object of his..love. species of created beings ? And is it As this also happens to be the function again the monopoly of a particular and lookout of all pure souls, they are class of a species of creatures called all united by these common impulse in man ? truly unselfish friendly emulation for It will surely be preposterous to serving the Lord by the method of unity answer it in the affirmative. It is in diversity. Love has been set forth arrogance and ignorance on the by Sree Chaitanyadeva in the last Sloka part of a particular class or species to of the octave of His own composition. (4) deny this right to any other creature. 'He ( Krishna ) may hold me lying And it does not stand to reason to at His feet in close embrace, trample maintain that it should be necessary jipon me with scorn, or wound me to the to regard it as -their special and ex- quick by keeping out of my sight. clusive privilege in any limited sense. Attached to the gratification of His God is the creator, Friend and Protector senses whatevar may be the. course of of all creatures and every creature is that , nevertheless, He alone — endowed with an inherent right to claim and none else is, indeed, the beloved Him as his own, or in other words, to Lord of my life.' worship and love Him. Godhead retains Real love is possible only when direc. the prerogative of being partial to those ted to the holy Feet of Krishna alone. who are partial to Him. Else God This is the highest goal of human life as would be no God, only a taught by the Supreme Lord Chaitanya. subservient creature of the fancy of It has been said above that Lord erring tiny individuals. Vishnu, Brahmanyadeva, Krishna is dear Hence the word 'Brahmana' in the to, and is the "Worshipped of, Brahmans. epithet 'dear to Brahmanas* is not to Is he then the exclusive Lord of any be taken in any narrow sense defined particularly favoured caste or class ? by the circumstances of this world. Have not people other than Brahmanas Here 'Brahmana' has the true universal any right to worship and love Him ? sense, meaning any creature recognis. And have not creatures other than ing his relationship of absolute asso. human being the same right and fit. ciation with the great One.' 'All ness ? In other words, is Brahman, creatures created by Brahma or hood the monopoly of a particular Brahmanyadeva are Brahmanas. (5) (4) qr^ri f'rre IT I

(5) a®3TT HTBrma" THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVIII No. 3

Every individual soul is a Brahmana the above purpose. This should be by his essential nature; he is Brahmana done without delay and continued till as a creature of Brahmanyadeva, as a the moment of death. For this peculiar worshipper or servant of the one Lord. advantage human beings are regarded The worshipper of Brahmanyadeva, is, by the Scriptures as the highest of all therefore, a Brahmana. So that creatures in this world. Brahmauhood is the inherent quality or It is also quite obvious, that even virtue of every pure serving soul. The among men it may not be the lot of worship of Vishnu or Brahmanyadeva one and all to turn this great possibility is everyone's birthright and only into reality. The condition of a natural duty. Brahmana has not been achieved by Although the condition of a Brahmana one and all in any Age in the history is the essential nature of all creatures, of creation. Diversity of taste and yet obviously enough, it is the special capacity is noticeable in different per. privilege of human beings to be able to sons, and according to this diversity attain easily to this most desirable there is found to exist a broad Divine state, and to know and love God ; classification of human beings under because the possibility of rational and fourheads, viz. Brahmana, Kshattriya, true knowledge is found only in Vaishya and . As humanity is human beings. Among men again the the highest of all worldly conditions, perfection of rationality and true know- so Brahmanhood again is the highest ledge is to be met with, not universally, level of humanity. But this does never but only in very rare cases. These rare mean that Brahmanas are an exclusive cases of human beings are the only hereditary caste, or that the so-called true Brahmanas. caste.Brahmanas are perfect human For this possibility of the attainment beings. Brahmanhood is not the ex. of true rationality and knowledge by a elusive possession of any human being human being, human life, though in by right of birth. What is meant by itself imperfect and transitory, has bsen the or class of Brahmanas is declared by the Scriptures as the most that the aptitudes of Brahmanhood precious of all and most difficult of are found to prevail in the members attainment. By humanity alone the and that they are for this reason natural- truest and highest good open to all ly and individually better qualified than creatures can be achieved. Hence it is any other class of individuals by their enjoined in the Scriptures that human possession of true knowledge to serve life should be utilised to the full for Krishna which is the highest goal and August 1930 ] BRAHMANVA-DEVA AND BRAHMAN AS 73 good of the human life. They form a any othet class, manifesting the spiritual class of individuals devoted to aptitudes of a real Brahmana, should the service of Vishnu and are according- be regarded and classed as a Brahmana. ly regarded by the Scriptures as the Caste-conventions can and should natural leaders of society for guiding it never be any bar to the recognition to the same perfection. of Brahmanhood. The classification It has been observed above that of society into four Varnas noted above Brahamanas are so called to indicate is a convention based on accurate that they are individual souls wholly observation of actual conditions. But devoted to the worship of Brahmanya- shorn of their true meaning and deva or Vishnu. In this sense the purpose they are liable to become term Brahmana is wide enough to be selfish iron-shackles and obstacles to able to accommodate any and every retard the spiritual progress of society. created being, as also in its restricted The Scriptures fully recognise the fact and higher sense. Owing to the disincli- that a Brahman may degenerate into nation of the creatures of this world to a worldling and a Sudra by birth may serve Vishnu, it means a particular display the qualities of a Brahmana. class of select individuals. Any in. We have noticed above that true dividual member of the Brahmana.class knowledge and love of Godhead is liable to forfeit his status of a constitute Brahmanhood. Hence this Brahmana by neglect of the service of is the fundamental qualification of a Brahmanyadeva, Krishna—his eternal true Brahmana j and motiveless unin- Lord,—enjoined by the Scriptures for terrupted unalloyed and all-round ser- the purposes of developing our love vice of Brahmanyadeva is the proper for Krishna, which is the supreme goal and only function of a Brahmana or a of all individual existence. A Brahmana pure soul. A Jiva or individual soul who neglects his duty will automatically in his pure state is, therefore, a Brah- lose his pre-eminence and will have no mana. When he chooses to forget the more claim to be a Brahmana than any true nature of his ownself by delibera- member of any other class. He has tely attaching himself to non-Brah- failed to utilise the opportunities manyadeva or Maya, he becomes sub. available to him and has abused the ject to misery by his election of ignor- privileges, and, therefore, should ance. In this apparently forgetful and rightly forfeit his right to the distinc- miserable state he degenerates into a tion and honour of a Brahmana. For Sudra or a creature of sorrow and igno- the same reason, any individual of ranee. Sudrahood is the self-acquired 74 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXV111 No. 3 second, nature of a worldling; it is the sion of his Sudra nature so long as a perverted reflection of the real self Jiva prefers to be blinded by these con- which is mistaken as his true nature by ceits he necessarily fails to perceive a deliberately irrational use of hisjudg- and accept the favour and light that is raent. Non-reraembrance once deli- always vouchsafed by Brahmanyadeva. berately and wilfully adopted, quickly That is, on account of his challenging grows so strong and complete that a spirit due to these ignorant conceits and Jiva in the Sudra state regards it as consequent utter want of submission, the self-annihilating to believe in his in- Truth Who reveals Himself merci- herent, indestructible Brahmanhood, fully to all who do n >t shut their eyes and would not care, nor have any liking is not welcome and knowable. for his proper function of the service of The first of these conceits is the Brahroanyadeva, and consequent unal- conceit of birth. When a Jiva forgets loyed and ever-increasing joy flowing his true self, he chooses to believe his from the service of the Divinity. Yet physical encasement i.e. the body, to be the Brahmanhood of Jivatma or a pure his own self. Ke identifies himself in soul in his free state can never become practice with the mortal material body, altogether extinct, just as the activi'ies and does not effectively believe in his of our consciousness do not wholly cease spiritual existence which is quite apart even during sound sleep. Brahman- from and beyond the body. He is hond thus enshrouded by Maya has to be then proud or humble, elated or deprea. regained. This is true self-realisation. sed, according to the social rank in And when from a sincere desire to know which he i. e., his body appears to be and consciously serve Brahmanyadeva born. To such a human being occupy- a Jiva approaches, with proper submis- ing a high or low social position, the sion, the Acharya, true Preceptor who Vedas give the name of Sudra and the knows and serves the Absolute Truth, Srimad Bhagabatam calls him Gokhara and by the grace of Brahmanyadeva, is or one of the most foolish of foolish accepted and admitted into pupilage by animals. the merciful Acharya, he is then truly The other three forms of conceits initiated into the process of self-realisa- ate inseparably related to and depen- tiin and gets the appellation of a dent on the first.one which is, indeed, Brahmana. the main root and stay of the rest. In Sudra or miserable deluded state The second conceit is that of wealth. a Jiva has a fourfold pride or conceit All the wealth of the phenomenal which is the characteristic and expres- universe is really no property of the August J930 ] BRAHMANYA-DEVA AND BRAHMANAS 75 soul. Nobody carries it away with him never acceptable to Him, but by the as he departs from the world. It is at faculties of his pure soul restored to least only an apparent right of tempo- their natural function by the Grace of rary possession and enjoyment. But the Saviour or Sri Gurudeva. this right of seeming temporary posses, The third is the conceit of learning sion and enjoyment is declared by the or scholarship. This is also born of Scripture as imaginary and as the source sheer ignorance. True knowledge of of all misery. Brahmanyadeva is the the proper relation between Brahmanya- real and only proprietor of everything. deva, Brahmana and the worlds spoken The phenomenal world is, however, of above is the real and useful know, His disowned property located outside ledge, and it keeps the pure soul really His proper realm. Jivas or creatures humbler than a blade of griss. By the forgetful of the nature of their true cognitive faculty of the pure soul a selves and their true function viz., Jiva realises his own spiritual nature the eternal service of Brahmanyadeva as an infinitesimally small fractional in the Absolute Realm, pose as part of the Serving Potency of Brahma- tin-gods and pseudo-raastersrand usurp nyadeva, and the -futility of his delu. the right of material enjoyment in this ded ignorance, thus called knowledge, house of correction. Such wrong con- generated by his irrational dealings ceit of being proprietor and enjoyer with this world. He realises that the of the objects of the material universe knowledge of physical Nature is the arises, when the true knowledge of the ignorance that screens from his view relation eternally subsisting between the realm of Vaikuntha and perpetua- Brahmanyadeva, the individval souls, tes his ignorance and holds him fast and the material and spiritual worlds, in the fell grip of the deadening Ener- is overshadowed by self-willed ignor- gy, He realises that Brahmanyadeva ance of the individual soul. At the is the Absolute Truth, the Supreme dawning of true knowledge the Jiva Godhead, that every particle of the sees that he is the eternal servant of Absolute realm which alone is real is of Brahmanyadeva in the realm of Vai- His essence and that Krishna with His kuntha and no self-elected pseudo-pro- spiritual realm makes one indivisible prietor of the realm of Illusion and conscious personality. Who is related that his duty is not to pursue selfish to thL world as light to darkness. enjoyment but to serve the Lord not The fourth is the conceit of physi- with the material things of this world cal beauty. It is quite obvious how which although belonging to Him are fragile and vile this apparently charm- 76 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIU. No. 3 ing commodity of this world K This The Absolute Godhead, Lord is one of the brood of the wilful identi- Gaurasundar, has pointed out the true fication of the soul with his physical nature of the Jiva and his natural temporal prison and is the sauce that relation with the Godhead :—I am no stimulates the inclination for selfish member of any of the four orders enjoyment. It enchants and betrays (Varna), nor am I in any of the four its victims viz., the so-called en- stages (Asrama). But I am a humble joyer and the enjoyed, by holding out servant of the servants of the servants the prospect of a false satisfaction, of the lotus feet of the sweetheart of that is never satiated, of enjoying and the spiritual milkmaids, Who is the being enjoyed. This physical beauty ocean of all ever-increasing Supreme deludes the vision and keeps concealed Joy. * from it the eternal and true Beauty of A Jiva by his spiritual nature is an Brahmanyadeva that is visible only to eternal servant of Krishna. He is a the serving soul. pure devotee. He is not a member of All these four forms of false pride any social order of this world, nor be- constitute the motive behind the func- longs to any stage of the worldly life. tions of the perverse soul or Sudra, the One whose soul is awakened is sponta- creature of sorrow. If any of these neously inclined to and engaged in conceits is unsatisfied, partially satis- the service of Godhead by all his fied, or obstructed, the Jiva feels very faculties and for all time. He is a miserable and unhappy and considers Brahmana who is altogether free from his life a failure. Whereas the function the sway of Maya. The true devotee of a Brahmana, or a loyal soul is the is the only perfect and true Brahmana. perpetual service of Brahmanyadeva It is only a malicious atheist who can only, which is Bhakti or Devotion. A fail to recognise the Brahmanhood of Brahmana categorically discards all the true devotee. True devotion is to these conceits and is perfectly submis- be found only in the Brahmanas and sive to Brahmanyadeva. never in Sudras. A Brahmana is such If these four are the false prides because he is always a true devotee of that are liable to overtake a Jiva due Brahmanyadeva, whereas a Sudra, so to his wilful ignorance, what consti- long as he persists in his worldly con tutes the truth corresponding to them ? ceits, can never be regarded as fit to be * JJT5 foil 5T ^ !f K^l JT t" smf ?? ^ qfefo i it August 19301 ENLIGHTENERS REGARDING ASPERSIONS 77

servant of Brahmanyadeva. Semblance only criterion of the condition of a of devotion that is to be met with in Sudra. So says Sruti : him is nothing but his love for objects '0 Gnrgi ! One who passes away of his own sensuous enjoyment, and from this world without knowing the not any love for Brahmanyadeva. immortal Reality is an object of pity,— Want of pure devotion manifest" a Sudra ; whereas one who leaves this itself in a Jiva who is averse to world after having known Hirt? is truly serve God by free choice and is the a Brahmana.'

Enlighteners Regarding Aspersions No. 4. ( Gontinuedfrom pp. 53 )

A Spiritual Devotee offers his Divine Ser- appreciated life of Vilwamangal with vices like a loved to her lover by ignoring whom heavy cyclonic gales, highly the barriers of Foreign Things established pedigree, a dead corpse The Case of Vilwamangal. and a venomous serf ent were no barri. ers but positive helps to reach his -THE reference to an idol and its goal. condemnable attribution has no lien to perpetual unalloyed souls, viz, the Idolatry is certainly an intercepting barrier Vaishnavas. The Vaishnavas look to a Devotee if he is guided by the through and beyond the material ideas of mundane Spectators. properties as they want to serve and not to enjoy. They find nothing worthy of The attitude is the whole thing. condemnation in the Image as they are It I want to serve Godhead with all my not anxious to set any stores by their faculties, the Image Himself at once and subjective vision An idolater approach for this very reason becomes the true es his idol with the intention of symbol of -the Object of my worship. fulfilling his desires, whereas a spiritual All material obstacles will then cease devotee is found to offer his 'services' and animate objects operate as ignoring the insurmountable barriers excitants of devotion to the Trans- of foreign things, like a loved to her cendental. They suggest and sym- lover. This is fully illustrated in the bolise in the most powerful manner 78 THE HARMONIST L Vol. XXVIII No. 3 the most characteristic qualities of the but a worshipper of himself in all most devoted service of tho Absolute. circumstances. This makes all the This certainly is not idolatry in the difference between idolatry and spiritual sense of worship of a creature of our devotion. desires for extorting from it sensuous The devotee alone can realise his satisfaction for ourselves. The devotee trueirelationship to his Beloved. The sees her beloved in every object. The devotee has no other function except object itself is not of course loving the Lord. The selfish world, transformed into something different ling has no other function than to seek from itself. But it does not suggest for his own enjoyment. Love in the any gross corporal material relationship latter takes the perverted form of lust as to a mundane spectator. It acts like or the desire of selfish enjoyment. He a small barrier interposed on the path of loves only those objects that minister descent of a mighty mountain torrent, to his own selfish pleasure. He only that serves only to augment the force pretends to love even God but for the of the rushing mass of water. The same purpose. This is Idolatry. He pure soul intent on serving the beloved can have no real relationship with Lord remembers Him most tenderly Godhead, because the Supreme Lord in moments of the greatest isolation. can never in His.'proper Nature serve She will be in love with such isolation the pleasure,of His creatures. When, and prefer its solitude to even the therefore, a lustful person professes society of so called sympathising to worship God, he worships only the 'friends' of this selfish world. embodiment of his own lust. It is In fact the Image lias His real exis- also such persons who are most tence in the attitude of the worshipper fastidiously particular about the letter towards the object of his worship. To of scriptural statements in regarding the idolater Godhead would still be ceremonials and symbols of worship. the Image even if He chose to appear But the Pharisee is always the Pharisee bodily to his view. The Idolater would with all his scrupulosity and pedantry. never think, of the pleasure of the Lord Idolatry is certainly an intercepting but only of his sensuous self even when barrier to a devotee if he is guided by he finds himself in actual presence of the ideas of a mundane spectator the Divinity. It is only the lover who Love directed to the spurious concocted is privileged to understand the nature idea of Godhead is intercepted by the of his relationship with the object of concoction. If Godhead is supposed to his love. A loveless nature can be be any other than what He really is, August I930i enlighteners regarding aspersion 79 devotion to such a hypothesis is bouni above the scope of all knowledge born to be doubly harmful. There is no lack of the senses; whereas idol-worshippers of examples of soft-hearted sensuous are found to be busy in recognising the sentimentalists who paraile their senti- object of worship as one of the manifes. mental vagaries on balialf of the con- ted articles of Nature. It is not suffi- coctions of their own sinful nature, as cient to borrow a correct phrase and devotion to God. It is the unbalanced apply it to a form of worship conform- state of these misguided persons copy- ing externally to the prescriptions of ing the externals of devotion that, is the Scriptures to be able to avoid the responsible for much of the suspicion sin of idol-worship. It is. necessary to with which the ceremonials of the reli- be Jon our guard against both physical gion of devotion is regarded by the and mental idols. The idea born of the uninitiated. This display of hysterical senses must be fully recognised as utter, emotion for any object of this world ly inapplicable to the transcendental. must be carefully distinguished from It is very difficult, nay impossible, for a true devotion. The practice of ex- mortal to be free from all predilection aggerated sentimentalism for mundane for cherished ideas and not to mistake conceptions or objects may afford a them as transcendental. It is, for fund of pleasure to persons who are instance, possible for a person to admire constitutionally disposed to be un- the Sri Bigraha (the Holy Form) as an natural, but it has a very demoralising embodiment of certain mental concep- effect both on the person who allows tions derived from sensuous experience himself to fall under its power and on and suppose that he is thereby protect- the spectators who may mistake it for ed against the sin of idolatry. As a devotion. matter of fact, he hasonly transferred his homage to the to the mental idol and to Kj-ishna is Located Above and Beyond the transcendental Form of Godhead Empiric Knowledge. The Holy Those, who deny all necessity for a Form The Devotees visible Form in worshipping God, may do not Subscribe to the be, and as a matter of fact, are bound artificial elimination to be worshippers of mental idols, in of the Externalities. as much as their opposition to visible Vaishnavas do .not run the risk of idols is based on the mistaken notion falling into the blunder of mundane that the transcendental is identical sentimentalism, because they know with the mental and the invisi- Krishna to be adhokshaja that is located ble. It is incumbent on us to avoid 80 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXV111 No. 3 incapable of accepting our service but both physical and mental jidols in are made to apparently minister to our rendering worship to the transcen- wants. As soon as we accept the dental. The object of worship must sensuous gratification offered by them, not be identified with anything physical we become by such act not worshippers or mental both o£ which are articles of those objects but the slaves of our 'made of clay'. The devotees know full own sensuous appetites It is im- well that Godhead cannot come, either possible for the brain of man to devise directly or indirectly, under the juris- a way out of this difficulty that stands diction of the senses. That which we in the way of the attainment of the see, hear or know by means of genuine act of worship. That which is senses cannot be God. He has done in order to satisfy our hankering strictly reserved the right of not for sense-gratification is not worship or being exposed to the senses of man service of the Godhead. treading on the plane of three dimen- sions. The idol.worehipper regards the The appearance of Godhead as the object of his worship as belonging to holy form. this plane of three dimensions. All Godhead mercifully takes the initia. speculation on the Godhead based o*n tive of appearing to us for enabling us sensuous experience belongs to this to serve at all. It is possible to eternally category. The attitude itself is res. worship Him, because He is inca'pable ponsible for the blunder. It is not the of ever submitting to the jurisdiction attitude of worship at all. It is not of the senses. The mystery of the possible to have the attitude of worship Godhead's 'appearance' in this world towards objects of three dimensions, is explained by the famous shloka (I) because they are, contained and ex. of the Hhagabatam. ceeded by the senses. The senses Godhead may appear ia this world cannot really bow to them for the in the apparent likeness of a mundane reason that all objects of three person, but His parentage has no dimensions can be approached and reference to mudane personages. The inspected by the senses on their own un-alloyed spirit is the cause (parentJ initiative. The material objects of this of the Godhead's 'appearing' on the world lie passively exposed to the un alloyed plane of the pure individual senses for the gratification of the soul. He does not 'appear' to the same. They are by their very nature senses at all. He always appears only

(i) cni jHurcifcT: i August 1930 ] ENLIGHTNERS REGARDING ASPERSION 81

to the pure soul and necessarily on the attempting-to conceive and realise the spiritual plane. The soul and his inconceivable by argumentative specu- plane are categorically different from lations and imaginations. But the the mind and mental plane ; both of devotees do not subscribe to such - which are a part and parcel of the ficial eliminations of the externalities, phenomenal life. The mind has no as such an attempt would defeat its access to the spiritual except on tbo purpose by the exclusion of all percep- initiative of the latter. The Lord is tual as well as conceptual px-oducts of prone to take the initiative and appears the mind belonging equally and in- to the mind and senses in total dis- separably to the mundane plane. They regard of all constituent limitations of accordingly abstain from ascribing the latter. This is inconceivable to our any potential features to the Perso- limited judgment, but nothing is fox- nality of Godhead when the Object of that reason impossible for the Lord. worship ( ) manifests Himself But the fact that the Lord on His on the transcendental plane in a Form own initiative 'appears' to our senses, that is visible to mundane spectators does not prevent the mundane critic also. from retainingo his wrong~ ideas regard-O Worship of the Holy Form ing the objective and subjective is not Idolatry. existence of the Fountain-head. He is The Bhagabatamo safeguardso againsto at liberty to x-ely on those wrong ideas idolatrous attitude by shlokas (2) which in dealing with spiritual manifestations refute the idolatry of a non-Yaishnava. and t) suppose his object of investiga- The Yaishnava is very careful not to -tion to belong to the categoxy of ob- designate himself as an idol-worshipper. jects which are a part and parcel of But neither is he found to sever his con. Nature. The inconceivable fact of nection with the positive Reality of the 'appearance' of the Absolute on the Self-existent. He does not turn his the plane of the Limited is likely to face away from the concentration of overwhelm and confound his'judgment, the Divine Personality in the Divine the resources of which are utterly in- Form ( ssilfelg ). As he beholds the adequate for the purpose of enabling Sri Bigraha, the holy Embodiment of him to grasp the relationship of the the full Divinity, he considers that worshipper to the Object of worship. Krishna has unveiled Himself to him Empiric judgment deceives itself by suspending all deformities of the 28 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111 No. 3

world and his own perverted sensuous the broken id>ls do not puzzle activities. So he need not accept the him in his clear perpetual sight theory of Illusory Energy acting on ever existing on the transcendental him any longer The gross idols and plane.

Who is a Brahmana ? [ Prof. Nishi Kanta Sanyai, m. a. ]

A T persent all those persons who are specially on the most recent compila- ** born of Brahmana father and tions from the later Dharma Shastras. mother claim the exclusive right of In Bengal the favourite authority for being invested with the holy thread of the claims of the seminal Brahmanas sacrifice at their option and thereby is Baghunandan Bhattacharya who was acquiring the status of the twice-born two generations younger than Sri as a matter of course. This is given (Jhaitanya deva. The caste-Brahmanas out by these here litary caste-Brahmanas profess almost exclusive allegiance to as being in accordance with some the Sraritis. But their practices can- Grihya and Dharma Shastras. not be reconciled with the provisions of These caste-Brahmanas affect to regard the Smriiis. themselves as the authorised protectors The hereditary position of the and regulators of society by scriptural Brahmanas'is recognised by the Dharma authorisation. They also contend that Shastras which were promulgated for this arrangement has been eternal and the regulation of the worldly affairs of has come down in tact from the time of the masses of the people. But the the Big-Veda, our available oldest provision of heredity itself is hedged record. It is necessary to consider the round, even in the Dharma Shastras, by genesis of these claims in the light of the most elaborate and apparently im- actual religious history and scriptural possible conditions. The absolute purity evidence. of seminal descent is laid down as These caste Brahmanas profess to essential. The ancestors are required take their stand ultimately on Vedic to be of the purest Brahmana descent. texts. They affect to attach the high- They must have lived and continue to est sanctity to the Vedic Samhitas ; live the life recommended by the scrip, but, as a matter of fact, they rely tures for a Brahmana. The l^ast devia-. Auguit 1930 ] WHO IS A BRAHMANA 83

tion from such a course deprives them argument of covetable material result and their progeny of all privileges of being alone to the taste of the unthink- Brahmana birth. Tuese conditions are ing masses. The herelitary principle made light of by the commentators and has to the limited mind an ostensible have been shamelessly discarded by the value in the promotion of material cynical Sraarta Pandits of our day who prosperity. It holds out the prospect are shialded by spurious, conflicting of orderly pi ogress. But it also interpretations of every text that provides an excellent preliminary presents any difficulty in the way of training for the higher spiritual life. conduct unchecked by salutary principle. It does so in a negative way. It is I put these facts at the very outset of not itself the spiritual life. It can, this discourse for the reason that they however, be successfully worked only alone are likely to be intelligible to the if the leaders are prepared to eschew caste-Brahmanas who profess to rely on all motives of selfish worldly aggrandise, the letter of the texts and are given to ment for themselves and their follow- hair-splitting arguments for defending ers. Its leaders are not, therefore, the the literal method that is so dear to products of the system. It derives all lovers of wilful ignorance for safe, all its value from the higher life of guarding their corrupt vested interests. its regulators, who must themselves The scriptures recognise the heredi- be a,bove the apparent worldliness that tary principle for the purpose of the they impose upon their charge. The regulation of secular society but make system escapes the defects of mechani. ample provision for the prevention of cal, lifeless contrivance by the exercise its abuse. The hereditary principle is of constant and autocratic interference nowhere allowed any place in the higher, from above by the leaders who are en. properly spiritual, concerns. The do wed with the spiritual vision. hereditary social arrangements are It is easy for most persons to be placed definitely under the absolute satisfied by an arrangement that is so guidance of the spiritual group. Every so well calculated to secure the real care is taken to clearly distinguish be. well-being of society better than any tween the two divisions. These safe, other system. Even the most ambi- guards ore embodied in the regulations tious and turbulent have to submit to themselves. But the spiritual Dharma a curtailment of their freedom to be Shastras impose these rules on the com- mischievous by pressure of convinced munity by the arguments of custom, and alert general opinion. But if the antiquity and prospect of rewards, the general opinion itself declares against 84 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVIII No. 3

higher guidance and tries to set which tends to relieve from all aptitude up for itself, then chaos is let loose, for unguided mental speculation. This as it is never possible to maintain salu- is the second. birth. tary order for long by those who do not These 'twice-born' students received possess the higher life. the knowledge of the scriptures from The Indian mind early grasped the their teachers with minds committed all-important and categorical difference to be free from all empiric preposses between material and spiritual living. sion and activities that might stand in This was due to the fact that speculative the way of receiving the Absolute. As a philosophy in India could be compelled matter of fact only a very small propor- from the earliest times to admit its tion of these pupils ever actually realis- inability to attain the knowledge of the ed the process of perfect submission. Absolute by its own resources. Em- This is as it should be. No manner piric knowledge in India wisely applied of aspiring effort from bellow can suffice itself to the subordinate task of trying for the attainment of the spiritual to ameliorate the material conditions of life. The attainment of the summum- life within the scope allowed by the bonum is not pre-ordained. Even the Scriptures without aspiring to dictate social institution of Varnasrama under to religion. It had a due sense of its the proper lead of pure devotees, limitations and of the trivial nature of ordained by Godhead Himself for the its achivements in comparison with the spiritual welfare of all concerned, can problems tackled by the spiritual Scrip- assure only worldly results. This as- tures. It did not refuse to accept a surance is in keeping with the limiting subordinate position and to try to em- cosmic principle that joins and sepa- ploy itself in the loyal service of the rates the jarring elements of the mate- Truth. rial universe. But no measure of The knowledge of the Scriptures stagnant material harmony can satisfy acquired by mere study was declared to the needs of £he soul. Material well, be empiric The sons of Brahraanas on being is, indeed, a terrible misnomer the attainment of the ageO of eighto and its fatal lure is most difficult to years were admitted to the study of the detect and to properly valuate. It is Vedas. But they were made above all not possible to realise its utter useless- to lead a life of submission to their ne^s for the soul till the mind is teachers. They were admitted to the actually lifted to the higher plane. submissive life of students of the Truth The Varnasrama system owes its value by being imparted.the Gayatri mantram to the possibility of real disillusionment August 1930 ] WHO IS A BRAHMANA 85 from worldly temptations following ence of the actual working of the from absolute spiritual guidance. This hereditary system. That system had ten- successful result can also befall only ded to produce an unduly high estimate the most fortunate individuals and can of the value of seminal birth and the con- be by its nature only a very rare event. sequent multiplication of unfit tpachers. There is much greater chance of an This led to the cleir and definite aspiring soul being led astray from the enunciation of the .spirit ual principle protecting care of such guidance. underlying the whole system. The If the student continues to cherish student was declared to possess only a the illusion that his purity of birth probationary status to which he could entitles him to the spiritual lead and to qualify only by his disposition. If the ultimate success, then this very attitude safeguards for ensuring purity of is sure to lead him away from the right seminal birth did not produce the track. It is specially difficult for born requisite ^disposition in an individual candidates to get rid of such pre. the spiritual teach t is to disallow the possessions of the seminal claim. Purity clsim of such individuals. The spiritual of seminal birth can, at the most, only teacher is to adopt the test of dispos- tend to produce a blinding material tion as the only test and should recruit result. This is in keeping with the individuals from all classes by this test so-called cosmic purpose. But for the alone. same reason it is likely to add to the The value of purity of lineage has difficulties of the spiritual quest instead not been denied by the above provision, of lessening the same. The small neither has it been overestimated. But number of those, who can really see purity of lineage is not allowed to through this need not be considered as obscure the fact that the selection by the poduct of the system itself. the truly spiritual teacher is the one The second birth that is available thing needful and that it alone confers by purity of seminal birth merely the probationary eligibility for spiritual admits a person provisionally to the pupilage. This had always been so. privilege of studying the Scriptures Seminal birth .alone was never the by the method of promised submission admitting test. The Upanayana of per- to the spiritual teacher. The explicit sons born of Brahmana parentage was a provision of recruitment of students survival from the pre.varnasrama Age from persons of any lineage by the when there was socially only one Varna. teachers themselves was found to be The Varnasrama arrangement was imperative as the result of the experi. intended to produce social well-being by 86 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111 No. 3 embodying in an institution the necessity society was maliciously attributed by of submission to spiritual guidance in the pseudo teachers to undue emphasis all matters. It did not by any means that had been formerly laid on the we-iken the authority of the spiritual spiritual principle. Society once guide. loosened from its stable moorings, was But society failed to reraeraber this thus rapidly pushed on the path of in the days of its delusive material increasing worldliness. The external prospsrity. It learnt to pin its hop3 frame of the Varnasraraa System proved on such prosperity. It was confirmed an excellent contrivance ready to hand in this disloyal dispositions by the for defeating its saving purpose. The teachings of the schismatic renegade pseudo-Brahmanas have had their Brahmanas. The inevitable result was unenviable triumph at last but at the seen in the deterioration of material cost of everything that really matters. civilization itself. The decline of ( to be continued. )

The Spiritual Community

SAMKIRTAN, the Divine Dispen- able by argumentative communication. sation ordained for this speculative Logic cannot lead one to the transcen. and critical Aare as the only method dental plane. There is no logical rea- of spiritual endeavour, means literally son why it should. The Transcen- 'chanting in company by many.' The dental Himself can alone admit one to holy, transcendental Name, Form, His plane. The pure devotee is the Quality, Activity and Paraphernalia agent of the Lord for admitting to the of the Divinity are to be chanted by transcendental plane. He performs congregation of the devotees. The this function by the method of impart- holy Name is the first to be chanted. ing the holy Name. In order to realise the transcendental The devotee does not impart the nature of the holy Name it will be Name to one who is not really willing necessary to receive the knowledge to serve Him on the plane of the of Him from the pure devotee. The Absolute. The inclination is tested by knowledge is not receiveable or impart- mpans of the quality and degree of sub- August 1930 ] THE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY 67 missiveness to himself as the agent of the idiot nor the scoundrel is specially the Absolute. The submission to the entitled to the living and real faith in devotee is identical with submission to Godhead. the holy Name. Submission to the But it is sometimes supposed thougt- holy Name is the necessary condition lessly that as faith in God is not for receiving the knowledge of the attainable by logical discussion it can Absolute The devotee imparts the be only attainable by idiocy or want holy Name to the person who really of conviction calling itself conviction wants to function on the transcendental by the method of hypocrisy. A little plane. honest reflection should show that the But all this is individual. A person transcendental has nothing to do with may receive the Name fro n Sri Guru- idiots and hypocrites any more than deva and chant the Same in the company with the pedants and the virtuous of of devotees and thereby realise in due this world. order the nature of the Form, Quality, In a rationalistic Age one who tries Activity and Paraphernalia including to avoid to exercise his judgment will his own specific service and thus be be punished by ignorance of a grosser enabled to functionfully on the plane of type. When this ignorance is practised the Absolute. Tltis is declared to be as service of God it is called supersti- impossible in this rationalistic Age. tion or hypocri sy. True faith must be There is a very good reason for such distinguished from both of these. There declaration. One who has heard the arc unfortunately large sections of the Name from the lips of Sri Gurudeva people in every country who belong to is no doubt entitled to chant the Same. the classes of the superstitious and hypo- But this chanting is not possible in an crites by reason of their want of ration- Age which is devoid of spontaneous ality and the foolish credulity and faith in the statements of the Scrip- natural wickelness of these people aro tures- The Iron Age is not permitted exploited by a corresponding class of by the Creator to have any real in- knaves and fools who pose themselves stinctive faith in Godhead. Those who as teachers of religion. In a rational is- simulate such faith are either hypo- tic Age the most foolish people neces- crites or excessively credulous people sarily know more logic than is compati- in the worldly sense. Real faith is ble with the instinctive faith of the directed to the Reality and not to any right type. So it will not do for any fancy derived from the experience person in this twentieth century to ohant of this phenomenal world. Neither the holy Name on the strength of 88 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No. 3

intuitive faith which he does not and a great demand on his credulity as he cannot ordinarily possess. In other may be inclined to suppose if he takes words if anyone begins to chant into consideration the fact that faith the holy Name on the strength of itself is super-rational. The rationalist his possessing intuitive faith he cherishes a secret pseudo-faith in the should not only find that the process back of his mind that faith in God is is another Name for idleness, and get identical with the worldly rational quickly tired of it, or, if he is dis- instinct. honest, he will try to exploit this really But faith in God is not identical die habit for securing honour and advan- with the so-called rational instinct of tages for himself from the dunces, the this world. It is a gift from Above. hypocrites and the idlers. But no We can have it only by grace. The honest person in this rationalistic Age rational instinct that is found in this will long stick to the chant of the world is a gross perversion of real faith. holy Name if this is to be the only form This is realisable by grace. The attitude of activity that he is allowed as is the that it is so realisable is implied in the ra- clear injunction of the Scriptures in tional instinct itself. The rational instinct, regard to the chanter of the holy Name. unless it deliberately stints itself, knows The chant of the holy name, there- very well that it cannot really believe fore, is not possible for individuals in in anything because it does not know an Age that is naturally and necessari. and cannot know the real nature of ly devoid of intuitive faith in Godhead. anything. I have purposely used the It is not necessary to suppose that all word 'believe' to express the position, be- Ages have been like the present one. cause the condition of faith is not The nature of the Age is not something attainable by our present rational made by man or anybody else except instinct. its Creator. If real faith is made spon. Faith is not, therefore, identical with taneously available to any Age by the the rational instinct that prompts the will of the Creator, it need not be regard, various worldly activities. The rationa- ed as impossible by any one for the list cannot chant the holy Name reason that he himself, belonging to because he is devoid of faith. a rationalistic Age,-can form no idea of Nor can the idiot and the hypocrite its possible existence in the circums- chant the Name, because of their igno- tances with which he happens to be rance and hypocrisy which also are all familiar. To ask him to believe in the quite different from any function on the possibility of a golden Age is not such transcendental plain. August 1^301 THE SPIRITUAL C6MMUN1TV

How may, therefore, the chanting of ting to live under the complete direction the holy Name be properly performed of the devotees. This is very difficult, after He has been heard from the lips but not impossible for married persons. of a true devotee ? The Scripture'13, says It should be easy and unobjectionable Sri Chaitanyadeva, have provided the in the case of children and unmarried right method, viz. congregational young persons. It should be most like- chanting as meeting the proper re- ly to succeed in the case of children. quirements of this rationalistic Age. But as the success of the process is not The method of spiritual endeavour need really pre-ordained by reason of perfect not be supposed to be divisable by the freedom of will that is the eternal con- human reason. It can be laid down comitant of the spiritual nature, allowed ■' and made available to us only by the to all souls by the will of the Divinity, grace of Godhead. It will no doubt one is not entitled to speculate on the satisfy all our instincts when we really possibilities of redemption of particular attain to it. But the nature of such souls. The whole process is left pur- satisfaction is bound to remain neces- posely open by God Himself. But no sarily and utterly unrealisable to us one in this world can be a loser by the before we are actually enabled to attain effort to add to his or her spiritual ex. the same by the grace of God-head. perience. Everyone is likely to be The holy Name must be chanted mortally injured by keeping away from w ithout offence. The offence in this the society of pure souls. case means all conduct derived from But as there is no knowing as to the present rational or irrational ins- whether a person will ever elect to tincts. The offence can be avoided accept the spiritual life, it becomes only by discarding the society alike of necessary to have an organisation that so-called rational as well as so-called should enable all persons to have the irrational persons and cultivating benefit of the society of persons en- association with the really enlightened deavouring to live the spiritual life by the method of submitting to tliem under the direction of perfectly pure to be taught the method of spiritual souls. This arrangement also exists living that is at present utterly un- in this world by the will of the Divinity known to myself. and has existed as long as the necessity In order to be able to chant the for it have been found to exist. The Name without offence one .'must, there- arrangement is laid down in the Scrip- fore, live without offence. He must tures. It bears the designation of 'the learn to live without offence by submit. system of orders and stages' or 'the sys- THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVlll. No 3

tern of Varna and Asrama* m the the mode of living enjoined by the Sanskrit language. The value of system of Farno and Asrama. There the spiritual organisation is thus ex- is no other way by which the peo. plained in the — pie of this world may please 'Vishnu, the Supreme Transcendental Him'. Lord pervading the world, is wor- wiswrarcwr to yrn* i shipped by a person who practises

Sree Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat

CHAPTER 1

( Continued from P. 56, August,1930 )

203 'Mother hear with an attentive mind the 207 'Inside the hot ribs he cannot move about, course of the individual soul, Yet his life is maintained for the ends of The volume of sorrow that he suffers by Providence not serving Krishna. 208 'Certain extreme sinners do not come out 204 'Dying repeatedly he suffers again and of the womb, again the misery of confinement in the womb. But, on the contrary, sojcurning from His sin all the time manifesting itself in womb to womb, eveiy limb. suffer the pangs of repeated conception 205 'Bitter, sour, salt, everything tasted by the an^ dissolution. mother, 209 Hear attentively, mother, the dispensation Affect his body and produce a complete regarding thejeeva stupor. In seven months thejeeva attains to self- 206 'The brood of seething worms sticking to all sides feed upon his.... tender neshy- . consciousness in the womb, limbs ; 210 'Thereupon he recollects his sins and Fot having power to put them away he repents ; all the time burns with pain. And prays to Krishna with constant sighs,— Augutti 1930 } SREE SREE CHAITANYA BHAGABAT 91 ail "Save me, Krshna, beloved Lord, the Life ?23 '• Where there is no nectarine stream of the discourse of the Limitless, ( of all the jeevas of the world 1 To whom else except to Thee the jeeva And where no devotees of the Supreme Lord may tell his sorrow ? are nourished by the same, aia "The Same Who binds, O Lord, may alone Where there are no high festivals of set free. sacrifices to the Lord of all sacrifice. Why, O Lord, dost deceive one who is Should not be served even if it be the realm dead fay his nature ? of the celestials. 223 "Even his misery of living in the womb, £(3 "I wasted my life in the vain pleasure of O Lord, I prefer, wealth and sons, If my recollection of Thee remains at all 1 never worshipped these priceless twin time 1 Feet of Thine 1 314 "I tended my sons by endless unnatural 324 "Where there is no recollection of Thy ways. lotus Feet, Where are they all gone by these deeds of Do me the favour, O Lord, of never mine ? casting me into such a place ! a tS "Who is now to help me across this great 225 "This great sorrow, O Lord, through sorrow ? crores of births Thou art now the Friend to deliver me 1 Must have I suffered. It is all my doing, 316 'Wherefore now I do know that Thy Feet O Lord 1 are true. 226 "May all this sorrow and danger be mine, Save me, Lord Krishna, I "now throw O Lord, time and again, myself on Thy protection 1 If only I remember Thee, Essence of all 317 "Discarding Thee. O Lord, Who art kind the Vedas ! as the purpose tree, 1 forgot thee by the intoxication of the 22/ "May Thou, O Krishna, so ordain, by giving me the relationship of path of untruth. 3i\ "This punishment is rightly the due of Thy service ! such conduct. May Thou keep me at Thy Feet, making me be born of Thy hand maid ! Thou hast punished, O Lord ! Now have mercy on me I 328 "If Thou take me only once across this 319 "Vouchafe this mercy that I may not sorrow, forget Thee; Then, 0 Lord, I will not again ask for It does not matter where 1 may be born anything else save Thee I' or die. 329 'In this manner he bums constantly by 220 "Where there is no preaching of Thy his travails in the womb, glory, Where there is no appearance of the But he loves even this by reason of his Vaishnavas.' recollection of Krishna. 221 "Where there is no high Festival of Thy 230 'He suffers no misery in the womb by worship, virtue of his prayer. I do not covet such place even if it be the He comes out of the womb into this world celestial realm of Indra. in due time against his own choice. 92 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111, No. 3

23l 'Hear attentively, mother, of the complete 241 The Lord taught His mother after the position of the feeva, manner of Kapila. He loses his self consciousness only on Sachi dissolved in joy as she^istened to touching the soil of this world. His words s32 'He now faints at times, sighs and cries. 242 Whether at meal, in bed or awake He cannot express himself in language, The Lord discoursed nothing but Krishna. but drifts helplessly on the sea of misery. 243 The devotees on hearing this from the lips a33 '/iW, the servant of Krishna, by His of friends deluding power, Discussed together and pondered over it Suffers all this misery, if he does not in their minds. 244 'Perhaps Krishna is manifest in His body serve Krishna. 234 'In due course by the agency of time he By association with His devotee or by the effect of His own previous activity ?' obtains the faculties of knowledge and 245 All of them pondered over it in their intelligence. minds in this manner. He alone is, indeed, fortunate who there- They all experienced a gladdening mood upon worships Krishna. in their hearts. 2 35 'On the other hand if one does not serve 246 The griefs of the devotees were cancelld, Krishna, associates with evil done, pashandis met their doom, One reaps death by sinking again into the The Supreme Lord Biswambhar became depths of the sin of delusion. manifest 1 236 '//■ on the path of this world the jeeva again 147 Lord Biswambhar impelled by Vaishnava takes his pleasure with evil-doers^ mood Addicated to the activities of the belly and Constantly saw the world as full of anus, he enters the realm of darkness as Krishna. before. 348 In His Ears night and day He heard the 237 'Death with ease, life without distressing Name Krishna, wants. With His Mouth unceasingly He said How can these be obtained by one who does 'Krishna-chandra.' not worship the Feet of Govinda f 249 The self-same Lord whilom forgetful of 238 'Death without agony, life free from everything by the high taste of learning misery, Now liked naught, with the sole exception Are only obtained by worshipping Krishna. of Krishna. ^;o At earliest dawn the whole body of by the recollection of Krishna. students 239 'Wherefore do thou worship Krishna by Gathered together for study. associating with His devotees ; 251 The Lord of the three worlds then Think on Krishna with the mind, mother, bestirred Himself to teach them. and with thy mouth say 'Hari'. Nothing except 'Krishna' came to His Lips. 240 'No good comes of activity void of 252 'The graded sequence of the alphabets', devotion to Krishna. said the students, 'is well established.' That work is without devotion which The^Lord replied,^'Narayana is established contemplates the injury of others.' by every letter of tho alphabet. Auguit 1930 ] SREE SREE CHAITANYA BHAGABAT 93

tS3 The students asked, 'How are the letters 264 'He says Krishna at all time ; the hairs of proved to be true ?' His Body standing on end. The Lord said, 'By reason of Krishna's At times He laughs, speaks with a kind glance falling on them.' thundering voice and plays many a 454 The disciple urged, 'Pandit, be pleased to merry prank, explain properly.' 265 Tn every word, taking its verbal root with The Lord said, 'At all time recollect the grammatical rule, Krishna. He applies Himself daily to explain 355 'I am telling you the service of Krishna Krishna. The entire body of the scriptures 266 'We are unable to understand His ways. Explain the service of Krishna, at the Pandit, be pleased to direct what we are beginning, in the middle and at the end.' to do, 256 The pupils laughed on hearing the 957 The Brahman Gangadas was the crest- exposition of the Lord. jewel of Professors, Some remarked, 'It is so possibly by the He burst into laughter on hearing these argument of insanity.' words of all the students. 257 The students said, Whence do you derive 268 The Ojha said, 'Go home all of you ; come your present explanation ?' again in the morning. The Lord replied, 'In exact accordance I will explain it to Him this afternoon. with the evidence of the Shastras.' 269 That He may teach the texts well. 258 The Lord said, 'If you fail to understand You may all come with Him in the this at present afternoon,' I will gladly explain it to all of you in the 270 They set out for their lodgings with the afternoon. greatest delight 2 59 I will also retire to some secluded place And returned with Biswambhar in the and look up the books undisturbed. afternoon. Let us all

375 'There is no foot in either line of your 280 'Where is there in Nabadwip the person parentage Who can establish his view by refuting You yourself is most fit in the exposition My exposition of the sutra / of the tika ; 381 'I will teach publicly in the heart of the 376 'Remembering all this, practise your city, studies with good care, I should like to see who has power to One may be a Vaishnava-Brahman only criticize.' by dint of study. 28s The Guru was delighted on hearing these 277 'How will an ignorant 'twice-born' know words, what is proper or not ? The Lord departed after greeting the feet Knowing this, say 'Krishna' and mind of His teacher your studies. 283 Obeisance to the feet of Gangadas Pandit 378 'Teach well the shastras to your students Whose Disciple is Lord of the Vedas and Swear by me that you will explain every- Master of the goddess of learning. thing aright.' 284 What other object of attainment is there 279 The Lord said, 'By the mercy of your for Gangadas Pandit, twin feet Whose pupil is the worshipped of the No one in Nabadwip may withstand Me fourteen worlds ?' in controversy. [To he Continued).

Ourselves His Divine Grace—HU Divine Gra ce paid a visi by removal o f the veil of empiric erudition and gran to Uttarparsha Math of Puri at the invitation of of recognition to those teachers of the Shastras deal- Srila Gobinda Ratnanuj Das Mohanta Moharaj of the ing with Spiritual service who are found really Uttarparsha Math on June 27. versed in the same. Time and place—Natya-mandir of newly-built Bhaktishastri and Sampradaya-baibhaba- Sri Gaudiya Math, 16, Kaliprasad Chakravarty's charya Examinations—Gzaminations for con- Street, Baghbazar, Wednesday October 8, 1930. ferring the titles ot Bhaktishastri and Satnpradaya- Qualifications of candidates—All well-inform- baibhabacharya by the Vishwa Vaishnava Raj Sabha ed persons professing to be servants of Sri Chaitanya, will be held ^t the Natyamandir of the New irrespective of the consideration of birth, age, class Buildings of the Gandiya Math on the 7th and 8th or linguistic proficiency. Applications for permission of October 1930 respectively. The rules, regulations, to appear at the examination together with a certi- Syllabus and text-books for the Bhakti-shastri and ficate signed by at least three inner members of Sri Sampradaya-baibhabacharya examinations are given Shree Vishwa-Vaishnaba-Raj-Sabha testifying to the below. sincerity of the candidates' profession of the service Rules fob the Sampradaya-baibhabacharya of Sri Chaitanya, must reach the Head of the Gaudiya Examination Math within the 24th of September 1930. Object — Extension of the scope of enquiry re- Method of examination—Two question-papers garding the subject-matter of transcendental learning will be set on selected works. The answer to the first Augnst 1^30 ] OURSELVES 95 of these will have to be given in writing Acharyatrika Sri Kunja Behari Vidyabhusan, in the Examination Hall within a limited period Sri Cfaaitanya Math, without taking any kind of extraneous help. Unless P.O. Sri Mayapur, Dist. Nadia,Bengal. the use of any particular language is specifically TEXT BOOKS mentioned tde candidate is permitted to answer in any current language. The candidate is e: pected Bhaktl Shastri (Matriculation) Examination to be specially versed in the main group of the recom- 1. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita. 5 Biographies of Sri 2. Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat. 5 Chaitanya. mended text-book and to possess a general knowledge 3. Bhaktiratnakar—Chronicle of the contents of the secondary group. The answer 4. Jaibadhama ") Dealing with ele- to the second Question-paper is to be submitted in 5. Chaitanya Shikshamrita 3 mentary principles writing before the 23rd of December, 1930. The 6. Satkriyasardeepika—Smriti candidate is permitted free consultation of any books 7. Gaudiya kanthahar for this purpose. The result—Examiners will indicate the measure Samprodaya-baibhabacharya examination of the candidate's knowledge regarding the truth by (Main group) 1. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita with reading through his answers and assigning appro- Amritaprobaha and Anu-Bhasyas priate marks The answer-book will cot be returned to 2. Sri Chaitanya Bhagbat with the candidate. Candidates will be divided into three Gaudiya Bhasya groups in order of fitness. Those, who obtain 75 p.c. of 3. Sri Bhakti ratnakar the full marks, and above, will be put in the highest 4. Sri Haribhaktibilas group, those who secure between 50 and 75 p.c. of 5. Sri Sajjana Tosbani, Gaudiya and the total marks will be placed in the intermediate Nadia Prokash (Portions dealing division and those who get 26 to 50 p.c. of the full with the history of four Vaisnaba marks will be put in the general group. Those who Sampradayas and their signi- fail to obtain 26 p.c. of the total marks will have to ficance) be considered as wanting in fitness. (Subsidiary group) I. Prapannamrita by Ananta- Publication of result—The fitness of every charya successful candidate will be announced in the 2. Maddhabijoy by Tribikrama- journals within three months after the examina- charya tion under three divisions viz. the highest, 3. Bhaktamal in Hindi by Nabha intermediate and general, according to the position Das of the candidate. If any candidate is judged 4. Vaishnava Manjusa Samahriti to be unfit, his name will not be given out. Names B. Gaudiy aKant ahar of fit candidates will be published in the weekly 6. Brahman-vaishnaber Taratamya ■'Gaudiya", ''Daily Nadia Prokash" and the Monthly visayaka Siddfaanta Sajjana-Toshani Or Harmonist. 7. Achar and Acharyya Awards—Successful candidates will be awarded the 8. Gaurmandal-Fai ikrama Darpan diploma of Sampradaya-baibhabacharya. Acharyas 9. Chitre Navadwip who have been awarded the diploma will be entitled 10. Vaishnavism, and to mcd als, certificates of honor, Scholarships accor- minor by Sir R. G ding to fitness. Bhandarkar Diploma of Sarbabhouma—Acharyas in nine BRANCH MATHS subjects on obtaining the diploma of acharya in the tenth subject after being duly examined will be Sri Brahma-Gaudiya Math, Alalnath (Orissa) awarded the see and diploma of Sarbabhouma in The work of construction of the block of servitors and recognition of his eligibility both as regards con- sloves of the Math is nearing completion. The build- duct and teaching in all the Shastras. ing of the Temple of the Math will be begun shortly. For further particulars an intending candidate is The Sri Bigrahas of Sri Swarup, Sri Ramananda : requested to communicate with the undersigned. and Sri Gaursundar will be installed in the new shrine in accordance with the desire of. His Divine Grace. The harmonist [Vol. XXVlll No. 3 Handsome donations towards the restoration of carried on in a really effective and pure form in their the Alalnath Temple have been received from states. The party then made their way to Simha- Mahanta Maharajas of Dakshinparshwa Math and chalam near Waltair. Arrangements were made Sri Raghabdas Math and also from Srijut Jogesh for the erection of a Shrine of the foot.prints of Sri Chandra Ghose of Jalpaiguri. The active interest that Chaitanyadeva within the Temple of Jior () is being taken by the Mahanta Maharajas of the Nrishingha Deva to commemorate the visit of Sri Maths of Sri Kshetra will undoubtedly be backed Chaitanya to the Shrine. Necessary permission was up by suitable response from the Chiefs, Rajas and most gladly given by the Maharaja of Viziana- Maharajas of the country. gram, trustee of the Temple. The Swamijis pro- Sri Sachchldananda Math, Cuttack (Orissa) ceeded next to Cocanada, In this cultured town His Holiness Srimad Ban Maharaj delivered a series The annual celebrations of Sri Sachchldananda of learned lectures at the Tbeosopical Hall (June 30) Math, Cuttack took place from the 2nd to the 6th Town Hall, (July, 2) Brahma Maudir ( July 3) Veda of July. The occasion was signalised by the auspicious Vidyalaya (July 5) and the Swamijis held learned visit of His Divine Grace and His most illustrious discourses with various leading persons of different associates and followers to the town of Cuttack. His denominations interested in the movement of pure 1 Divine Grace addressed gatherings of the public at the religion including Mr. J. B. Brown (Dt. Collector) Sachchldananda Math (July 2) and the local Town Mr. C. D. T. Shores, Dcwan Bahadur D. Seshagiri Hall (July 3). Sripad Bhaktisaranga Goswami Rao Pantulu Garu, Principal Rao Shaheb Dr. V. Bhaktisastri prabhu discoursed on the teachings Krishna Rao m.a., l.t., f m d, ph. D., Dewan Bahadur and lila of Sri Goursundar with the help of magic- K. Surya Narayan Moorti Naidu and Sir Dr. R. lantern slides at the Durga-mandap of Buxibazar on Venkata Ratnam Naidu Gam Kt. M a . L.T., p. Litt July 4 before a gathering of over two thousand per- Ei-Vice Chanceller. Meir U. The Holinesses and party sons. Magic lantern lectures were delivered iu the then proceeded to Rajmundry (8 July) and there Sachchldananda Math on the two following evenings addressed large public gatherings at the Hindu by His Holiness Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Samaj Hall (9 July) a d Town Hall (U July) presided Pradeep Teertha Maharaj to large gatherings of the over by Dewan Bahadur N. Subba Rao and Rai people.- On the 6th all assembled people honoured Shaheb C. V. Krishna Swami District and Session the mahaprasad at the Math. Judge, respectively. The party then crossed over PROPAGANDA to Kovvur on the opposite bank of the Godavari. Here Sri Chaitanya Deva had had His memorable In the Madras Presidency meeting with Rai Ramananda, Governor of Maharaja Prataprudra Deva. The Swamiji spoke about the Their Holinesses Tridandi Swamis Srimad Bhakti teachings of Sri Chaitanya to a scholarly gather- Hriday Ban Maharaj and Bhaktiranjan Bhakti Sar ing at the local Sanskrit College. The sym- Maharaj, Sripad Ramananda Das Brajabasi B. a., pathy of the local public led their Holinesses to propose Vidyarnab, Sripad Brahmachari and to His Divine Grace, the establishment of permanent party are continuing their propaganda in the preaching-centre at Kovvur under the designation Presidency of Madras. From Berhampore (Ga .jam) of Ramananda Gaudiya Math. their Holinesses visited successively Dharkot, A Temple of the Foot-prints of Sri Chaitanyadev Mandasa and Parilakimed where they had was built at Kavvur M. R. Kay Ramchandra Rao most cordial receptions from the Chiefs who Garu of Rajmundry made a gift of arsi table site for expressed their desire that the movement might be the Temple. Vol. XXVIU, No. 4. September, 1930.

THE HARMONIST

OH

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

The Temple of Lord Lwarakesh at Dwaraka on the Gurati

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA P A R I B R A J A K AC H A R Y Y A Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS

Snb/ici Page

J. Prosely tism 97 2. Agenda of all-tlieistic conference 104 3. Questionnaire regarding reference 105 4. Questionnaire regarding the process 108 5. Questionnaire regarding object 110 6. Enligliteners liegarding Aspersions ill 7. Advent of Sree Sree Baladeva 117 8. Who is a Brahaniana 122 fi. Ourselves 127

■ i. ■.Ti^rn' < PI i- 3*7

The view ot" Gulta. THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJAIVATO^HAMI

VOL. XXVIII SEPTEMBER 1930, Chaitanya-Era 444 NO 4.

Proselytism

T^HE ceremonies of Samskara by the It further includes the whole circle of * Gayatri and Diksha are described persons and objects whose services ate as the second and third births of a per- availed by the individual for satisfying son. They are turning points register- the wants of his body and mind. To ing stages of progress in the gradual an ambitious disposition the world re- conversion of an individual to the fully garded from the point of view of the spiritual condition. wants of the body and mind tends to The seminal birth plunges the soul appear as the mother from whose into this mundane world and its breast the individual sucks his life and relationships. The word 'society' ordi- nourishment and on whose supporting narily. means the aggregate of the nat- lap he finds his long rest. Nourished ural relationships of an individual by by the world children grow up into reason of his physical body and mind parents and are enable 1 by the univer- which are the gifts of seminal birth. sal Mother in their turn to propagate" The society naturally includes the the species. The circle of relation- parents arid their kindred by birth. ships that arise in this way from the 98 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111, No. 4 moment of seminal birth and by the sure of the body and mind itself is only sole reason of such birth forms the a kind of pain. If we had a real choice sphere of all social relationships in its in the matter we should not agree to be most comprehensive sense. satisfied with this kind of happiness. But in practice an individual is Our Shastras, therefore, call a per seldom liberal enough to regard sou Sudra, that is subject to sorrow, the whole world as forming the sphere by seminal birth. This is declared to be of his social relationships. He ordi. the natural and inevitable status of all narily attaches himself exclusively to persons born from the mother's womb, a particular locality and a more or less and by reason of such birth. The ad- narrow organised group for the cultiva- mission of this gives rise to the issue tion of intimate social relationships. of the necessity of a second birth by a But all such 'interests' and 'relation- process of purification in order to get ships' are none the less the result of the rid of the sorrowful state caused by the seminal birth. first birth. It is not till the seminal These 'interests' and 'relationships' birth itself is eliminated that there ia are the cause of all our misery. To the any prospect of the real cure of sorrow superficial observer they may not of which it is the cause. appear to be so or may even appear to The Scbmskara, by the Gay air i is be a source of unalloyed happiness. The intended to endow the individual with geminal birth exposes us to the sorrows a new body and mind, which are free and so-called joys of this mundane life from the taints that pollute the body without our having to seek for either. and mind generated by seminal birth. They follow the seminal birth as a Those who receive this second birth by matter of course. Those who suppose Gayatri are relieved of their miseries, this arrangement to be full of happi- or in other words cease to be Sudras. ness overlook the hard fact that there The twice-born has, therefore, nothing can be even from their point of view no to do With the seminal birth. The unmixed happiness in this world. By second birth is not also derivable looking deeper into the cause of the from the first birth just as the first is mixed nature of their happiness they not derived from the second. The two should be enabled to arrive at the are completely independent of one conclusion that the constitution of the another. It is, however, possible for a physical body and mind poisons the cup twice-born to lapse into the condition of their pleasures instead of being the of a Sudra by the neglect of the duties cause of the pleasure itself. The plea- of a twice-born. The status of the September, 1930] PROSELYT1SM 99 t twice-born is, therefore, a temporary, makes it necessary for the pupil to be conditional or probationary one. The willing to obey the Guru uncondition- Samskara by the Gayatri is also known ally. The pupil has no standing as the process of Upanayana which lifer- ground of his own in the realm of the ally means being taken to the proxi- Absolute and can, therefore, never mity (of the Guru). Whenever the Guru understand either the method or object accepts a person as a pupil for the of the Guru except to the extent that study of the Veda his acceptance the Guru considers him fit to under- frees such a person from the sinful stand. This makes all the difference propensity arising from seminal birth. between the twice.born pupil taught by That propensity is nothing but an the devotee and Sudra students study- exclusive longing for the objects of ing for a worldly purpose under a this world for mental and physical Sndro teacher. gratification of oneself. As soon as a The twice-born pupil has no 'social' person is accepted as his disciple by or 'worldly' ambitions. It is, therefore, the devotee he is thereby endowed a very strange misreading of the pur- with a new outloak in a new environ- pose of the Shaatras to contend that ment and is required to learn the con. the 'ceremony' of 'upanayana' is the ditions of the new life in order to be exclusive 'hereditary' ( by seminal able to live the spiritual life on his own birth ? ) right of an exclusive 'social' accounf. group for a 'social' or 'worldly' purpose. The twice-born is, therefore, in the There is realy nothing 'social' or 'here- condition of tutelege, an unsure state. ditary'about the Samskara by the Gaya- The study of the Vedas need not be try. The onus of proving that the understood as implying the study of Samskara has any social or!caste impli- any particular book or number of books cation lies on those who are disposed in the ordinary manner. Neither need to put forward such an unphilosophical the Veda be supposed to be identical and anti-scriptural claim. The claim with any book in the literary sense. is the outcome of the unauthorised But the novice cannot have any real study of the Shastras by sectarians for sense of the difference between the t wo. a sectarian purpose aud from ignorant It is the function of the Guru to impart teachers. It is for this reason that the to him this sense during the period of choice of a non-seotarian Guru is the the novitiate by making him lead the very first thing necessary if a person spiritual life in the measure that is really wants to be admitted to the possible for him at any moment. This 'study' of the Vedas. The devotee of too THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII No. 4

God is the only fit teacher of the Veda. pils as are found willing to serve God The 'twice.born' who wants to lord it for the sake of serving Him under the over the Sudras degrades hhnself to absolute direction of the Guru, The the condition of the latter by such willing pupil should be able to find out unspiritual claim. He is sure to com- that there is no difference between the mit this blunder if he sits up as a service of the Guru and that of God- teacher of the Vedas by his own autho. head. The two are really identical as rity. There is a second process by the Guru does or commands nothing which the £twice-born' is recognised as that is not cent per cent service of having passed the stage of probation Godhead. The vision of this also is successfully. This is known as the conferred by the teacher himself on Diksha or enlightening and freeing such of his pupils whom it is the will process. of God to fevour. The novitiate which is identical with But spiritual enlightenment is not the status of the twice-born is thus only at all like anything that it is possible a preparation for Diksha or the .attain- for a Sudra or a twice-born to imagine. ment of enlightenment and free It is to be understood by and in the initiative. The novitiate aims at per. process itself. God reveals himself to feoting the pupils' submisgion to the the fortunate soul in an ever-progress- devotee or Sri Gurudeva. Without ive revelation that is actually free real complete submission to the holy from all trace of imperfection and igno- feet of Sri Gurudeva the eligibility for rance. This makes the process cate- receiveing enlightenment and free ser- gorically different from the evolution vice at his hands does not arise. The of .empiric knowledge. The latter is twice-born who is regarded by the Guru not its own complete fulfilment at any as prepared to accept spiritual en light, stage. It may tentatively appear to enment at his hands with the object of be so to the ^learner but is not really serving Godhead with a singleness of from all defect at all stages. This is purpose is elected by the teacher for appreciable remotely by the logical receiving such enlightenment. This faculty but not realisable in practice process is known as Diksha and the either in the Sudra or in the Dwija twice-born who receives it undergoes condition. This is also the raison a fresh new birth by reason of this pro- dve(re of the unconditional nature of cess and becomes a 'thrice-born'. the service of the Guru. The spiritual teacher confers spiri- There; is nothing like finality, tual enlightenment on such of his pu- stagnation or imperfection in spiritual September, 1930] PROSELYTISM 101 enliorhtenment. It does not stand in charity is not really the valuable com- the way of anything nor is capable modity that he is pleased to imagine of being obstructed by anything. it to be It is the perennial inundating rush There is really speaking no charity of the fullest limitless tide of eternal except the gift of the knowledge of the bliss. The person who self. If you can help a person to find it is forthwith divested of all worldly himself you set him free from all wants. vanities. Such a person finds the whole If you keep him,ignorant of himself you world really his kin but in a wholly withhold the only gift that is needful. new sense. A bankrupt may be led by an ignorant It is no doubt both easy and, from vanity to proclaim his readiness of re. the worldly point of view, also seeming- moving the wants of all needy persons. ly profitable, to speak the language of But such a procedure will only prove an imaginary fellowship with all tbat a bankrupt need not necessarily be creatures. This may be poetry but above the most shameless and malicious need not be, therefore, true or, indeed, hypocrisy. No eloquence, no casuistry any other thing than a piece of sheer or emotional display should be allowed hypocritical self-laudation, that 'last to hide the utter worthlessness and infirmity' from which worldly poets are extremely harmful character of such by no means specially free. Such professions that have ever stood in the effusions of hyperbolical good will way of the real quest of the Truth by 'bake no breaT and help nobody. They misdirecting the unwary on to the iare by no means a rarity in this world. wrong track by a profusion of flowery Even the best of physical philan. language. thropy is powerless to regard the But there is a more mischievous objects of its so-called charity without group of pseudo-philanthropists than a feeling of compassion wholly unmixe 1 even the Poets, , Scientists with contempt. And all Physico-men- and so-called charitable persons of this tal philanthropists must realise the world. The pseudo-religionists are th« utter impossibility of helping those who worst of all mischief-mongers in as do not help themselves and also the much as they employ 'the symbols of pernicious superfluity of oflering any religion to misguide those who imagine 'charitable' help to those who possess themselves to be above the seductions of the will to help themselves. Asa matter . Those who try to avoid of fact the physico-mental philanthr- the road recommended by the professed opist himself is the real bankrupt. His wordly-wise are liable to fall into the 102 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVUI. Nc 4 pits dug for them on the wayside by conversion ? Should a person be 're- the wily knaves who are ever raady to converted' to 'Hinduism' in order to exploit the distress of those who seek swell the 'number' of Hindus ? Con. the aid of religion for the purpose of ob- version can only mean reversion to the taining for themselves the same kind of non-sectarian condition of absolute un- relief that is promised by others. worldiness. The word 'Hindu' is It is only the sincere seeker of the Truth a misnomer as a designation of pure who is not likely to come to the ground souls to whom all the world must be between these two stools But how many equally sacred as being a means of ser- of us really care at all for the Truth ? ving Sri Sri Radha.Govinda on the Where, indeed, is the person who does perfect plane of the 80;il in his natural not really desiro the things of this state of absolute freedom from all world ? Although no* one knows why, worldly hankerings. he nevertheless seeks for them for Let us open our hearts fully to the the purpose of gratifying his petty Truth and be prepared to admit that vanities. there can be only one commuuity of Malice raasquarades in this world in really pure souls. Let our sole ambi. an infinite variety of forms to work tion be to find out our own proper mischief among those who seek the selves and by the light of the self- gratification;of their vanities. Unless we luminous soul find our proper relation- are really prepared to give up malice ships with the whole world. If we are we cannot expect to do good either to inclined to contract any relationship ourselves or to others. Malice to others with any thing of this world under the is malice to oneself. Compassion for urge of selfish, sensuous hankering we oneself is compassion for otbars. will, thereby, be deprived of our Those who are hoping to improve vision of the Truth by reason of ohr the condition of so-called 'Hindus' by adoption of the policy of deliberate a process of wholesale 're'Conversion' malice towards ourselves and others. should do well to take these facts into The Biblical canon viz., 'Do unto account. They hope no doubt to gain others as you would that they should do a worldly purpose by the process, but unto you' has been said only of the should it really appeal to anyone to pure soul. But if the maxim be applied use the spiritual weapon for a worldly to the soul who is under the spell of purpose ? Will it not be productive of the deludirg energy such application the greatest possible mischief by the can only result in the dissemination spread of a false theory of spiritual of conduct inspired by malice. One. September. 1930] ^ROSELYTISM should never think of converting another from the source that sees everything to any position that is less than univer- with an equal eye. But he is anxious sal. But no position will be universal that the language of the Vaishnavas unless it is really so. Deluded persons should not be merely accorded a hy- may advertise the necessity of conver- pocritical assent but should be carried sion to a sect or cree 1 but the seeker out in actual practice by the loyal of real enlightenment should carefully acceptence of all its implication. This avoid being caught by phrases coined insistence for absolute sincerity in the by hoary iniquity for entrapping only service of Truth appears to the pseudo- such souls.'as are spontaneously inclined liberals as dogmatic and illiberal. But to wicked counsel. no one should be prepared to be liberal Hindus may be disposed to quarrel at the expense of Truth. Sucli liber with Mohamedans hut the Vaishnavas alism is one of usual forms in which have no quarrel with anybody. They inveterate aversion for the Truth mas- are opposed to all quarrel and propose quarades among us for promoting dis- to eliminate every form of discord to cord and malice. Let us beware of the which an individual is liable, by his con- wolf in sheep's skin. Neither Jesus, version to spiritual life. The pure soul nor Muhammad, nor Sankara, nor cannot do any harm to anybody. The Buddha are to blame. The Truth is pure soul bears no malice against any- neither good nor bad. It is our own body. The pure soul possesses such deluded 'thinking' that makes 'Him' perfect judgment that he is enabled in seem to be either. Unless we are pre- every act of his to serve nothing but the pared to give up our admittedly per- Absolute Truth. The pure soul finds verse way of thinking that idolises the an infinite number of purer souls eter. tilings of this world under the delusion nally engaged in the service of Truth that it is the duty of man to gratify uis and naturally disposed to serve their impure worldly hankerings by their fellows by helping them to serve the means, we should not advertise our in* Truth in every possible manner. This tention of converting others to the spiri is the ideal of the Vaishnava. The tual life which is utterly unknown to Vaishnava is the exclusive servant of ourselves. Let us be wise and try to the All-pervasive Truth. To him there know ourselves and then, and only are no groups or compartments, no then, we cannot be false i. e. malicious, favoured beings or sects, no narrowness to any one. of any kind, simply because he is The mere external ceremonials of content to receive his enlightenment Upanayana and Diksha cannot confer the THE HARMONIST Vol. XXV111 No. 4 inclination for spiritual life. They are use should not be wilfully misunder- of help as real 'symbols' having been stood, or misrepresented. They should devised by truly enlightened souls for not be abused for maliciously exploiting our benefit from their own spiritual the credulity of thoughtless persons for experience. These 'symbols' should be leading them into any theory of malice cherished by all but their nature and towards themselves ana their fellows.

AGENDA OF ALL-THEISTIC CONFERENCE

The All-Theistic Conference for the consideration of matters connected with the highest uni- versal good will be in session at the Gaudiya Math from Friday Oct. 24 to Nov. F 1930. The Assembly will sit everyday in the evening from 7 to 9 P- M. The agenda of the topics is given below. The views of all sincere souls on them are earnestly solicited as they will be of great help for the purpose the conference have in view. With this object a list of questions bearing on various rele- vent topics is attached herewith (or eliciting needful information. The undersigned will thankfully re- ceive all communications from any person embodying the views of himself or of the particular religious community to which he belongs on the subjects to be considered by the conference, in the form of connected written statements which should reach them before the 17thOcU 1930. The presence and participation of all persons at the Conference are also most cordially invited. Sri AtuI Chandra Bandyopadhyaya Bhaktisaranga Goswami, Bhaktishastri, Sri Nishi Kanta Sanyal ( M.A., Bhaktisudhakar, Bhaktishastri). Sri Kunja Behari Vidyabhusan Acharyyatrika, Bhagabat- ratna, Bhaktishastri.

THE SUBJECTS OE THESES ON EACH SUCCESSIVE BAY.

Oct. 24 Regarding Reference—To consider the following by the analysis of the principles of cognition and non-cognition, viz.—the source, instruments, conclusion, corroboration and reten- tion of knowledge (). Oct. 25 Regarding Reference—Enquiry regarding Self, Reality and Environment ", differentia of non-self ; regarding potency or non-potency of the absolute ; specification of the subjective nature- Oct. 26 Regarding Reference—The categories of object of worship and worshipper ; the know- ledge of real and nonreal entities. Septembers 1930] QUESTIONNAIRE •105

Oct. 27 Regarding Process—Different methods of quest generated by the sensuous impulse and the determination of their respective positions ( general consideration of the following, viz.—con- duct not regulated by any principle, (ruitive action, knowledge, communion with the Oversoul, austerity and devotion. ) Oct. 28 Regarding Process —Different forms of intimate spiritual service, Oct. 29 Regarding Process— The subjective nature of devotion. Oct. 30 Regarding Object—The principle of spiritual need or determination of the highest object of endeavour- Oct. 3 I The solution of the issues of Reference, Process and Need by the analytical method. Nov. I The solution of the issues of Reference, Process and Need by the synthetic method.

QUESTIONNAIRE. REGARDING REFERENCE 1 What is the subjective nature of the Knowledge of the Reality ? 2 What is the subjective nature of the Object of Knoweldge ? 3 What is the measure of the duration of the maintenance of the existence of the object of knowledge ? 4 Who is knower ? What are the analytical components of the knower ? 5 What is the nature of the relationship of the individual soul with perfect knowledge ? 6 Is full knowledge possible in the case of individual soul ? If not who is the possessor of full know- ledge ? 7 Is it possible (or the possessor of full knowledge to be subject to ignorance ? 8 What are the respective spans of life of the gross inhering entities of knowledge, object of knowledge knower, and their corresponding subtle form P 9 What are the quantity and degree of the difference between pure knowledge unadulterated with ignorance and consciousness subject to ignorance ? 10 What are the proper conceptions of God as Controller of the Universe, the individual soul, phenome- nal Nature, Time and action ? 11 What is the duration of the relationship of the observer of the phenomenal world with the object of observation ? 12 What condition ensues, whether the state of absence or presence of knowledge, on the destruction of the triple texture ; the cessation of observer, observed and observation : the unification of the nose, smell and odorifrous object, the elimination of the distinction between the tongue, taste and mellow- ness ? 13 Is there any difference between the principles of matter and spirit ? Or are they identical ? 14 Is there any distinction between the individual soul and Brahman ( the Great ) ? 106 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII No. 4

15 Do both sUtes viz. those of bondage and freedom exist in the case of the individual soul ? 16 What is the mutual distinction between the Brahman (the Great\ Paramatma (the Oversoul) and Bhagawan (Possessor of all excellence) ? 17 Is there any constitutional difference between the Supreme Lord and His dependents and Super- dependents ? 18 What different kinds of miseries are suffered by the individual soul ? Who undergoes the suffering ? Is there any possibility of redemption from suffering ? 19 What is the location of the r edeemed soul ? 20 In what states there exists harmonious and discordant relationship respectively between the real and perverted natures ? 21 Does the phenomenal world really exist ? 22 Is there any distinction between the phenomenal world and the realm of the absolute ? If there be any, what is the nature of such distinction ? 23 What is your conception regarding the triple mundane quality and the absence of all mundane quality f 24 What is the nature of the world located beyond the triple quality ? 25 Is the abode of the Brahman (Brahmapur) spoken of by the eternal or transitory ? Is it formless or distinguishable ? 26 What is your conception regarding the limiting energy ? Is it eternal or temporary ?—independent or dependent ?—an entity or non-entity ?—shadow or substance ?—If it be shadow, whose shadow is it ? 27 What is the final evidence of the Reality P 28 What is the real significance of the Vedanta ? Which of the mutually conflicting commentaries of the Vedanta appear to you to be safe to accept as consistent with the principles that are sought to be established ? 29 Are the Vedas, the Srutis, the Puranas, the Pancha-ratras different or identical in their significance ? Is Purana different from the Veda ? 30 How are the conflicting views of the Tamasa, Rajasa Nirguna Sattwika, Puranas to be reconciled ? 31 If there is conflict between Srutis and the view of Sruti has to be accepted ; if there is conflict in the determination of the significance of the Srutis the true meaning is to be sought in the Vedanta ; If again there arise differences of opinion in regard to the meaning of the Vedanta which view is to be accepted as infallible ? 32 What is your opinion regarding appearance of the Divinity on the lower plane of physical phenomena ( Avatara ) ? Is such appearance phenomenal and temporary ? What is the difference between such appearance and its source ? What is the nature of the source of Divine appearance ? 33 What is the significance of the expression 'constituted of the principles of existence, cognition and bliss* ? Is the entity so constituted featureless or distinguishable ? 34 Is Godhead one or many ? If He be one. can devatas be styled as 'Supreme Lord of all Lords 7 35 Do the infinite Name of Godhead and the various names of the devatas express one and the same meaning ? Is there any such distinguishing consideration in regard to the Name of Godhead as 'Primary' and 'Secondary' ? Will the supreme object of the service of Godhead be realised by re* garding the name of any devata as one of the Names of Godhead ? September, I930J QUESTIONNAIRE 107

36 Is Godhead possessed o( universal supremacy ? Is the possessor of universal supremacy All-powerful ? Can there be the absence of any power in the All-powerful ? Can there be any power opposing in the All-powerful ? 37 Is there any difference of body and possessor of body, (unction and possessor o( function, in t e Absolute ? 38 What is meant by Vedic mantra 'He is verily Rasa ? What is the specific nature of the entity Rasa ? How can the person designated by the Sruti mantra 'He is verily Rasa' be non-speciliable ? 39 Can the highest truth be settled by reasoning alone ? What difficulty is experienced i( the method o( reasoning alone is adopted without admitting the evidence o( transcendental sound ? 40 Is Godhead an Autocrat above all regulative principles and possessed o( a perfectly independent will ? Or, is He an improvised instrument o( a particular brand (or the realisation o( temporily stopping the mental (unction or the attainment o( any object o( desire ? If He is proved to be fully self-willed is any evil to be ascribed to Him or is there any chance in Him o( disorder ? 41 Are the Name, Form, Quality, specific Personality of His servitors and Pastimes of Godhead eternal or temporary ? Are they different from one another or identical ? 42 Are the Name, Form, Quality, Pastimes o( Godhead concocted by Jeeva, or are they spontaneous in Godhead ? What is the difference between Leela ( Divine Pastimes ) and Karma ( (ruitive actions) ? Is the birth o( conditioned souls similar to the Advent of Godhead ? 43 What is the subjective nature o( the object o( worship ? What also is the subjective nature o( the worshipper ? Are both o( them eternal ? 44 Does the eternal nature o( the worshipper suffer any abrogation by admission o( difference between conditioned and liberated states ? 45 Can the seeker o( the non-differentiated Brahman be regarded as eligible (or the position o( Teacher ( Guru ) in conformity with the dogma o( illusion ? 46 What defects arise by admission o( difference between Jeeva and the Brahman ? 47 How is it ascertainable that there is escape from the clutches o( illusion by knowledge o( the identity o( Jeeva with the Brahman ? 48 Is there any difference between material space and the corresponding spiritual manifestation ? If there be any, what is the nature o( the difference ? 49 Has the process of determining the Reality been evolved from the hypotheses of Anthropomorphism and Apotheosis as its source ? If not, what is then the source ? 50 Is it condemnable to attribute motherhood, daughterhood, wifehood and sisterhood to the Divinity ? 51 Are the status o( a male Lover, a Son, a Friend, a Master and absence of relativity respectively possible or impossible in the Divinity ? If they are possible, how can it be so ? 52 In determmiiig the Absolute, which o( the following categories appears to you to be the nature o( the real entity viz. Subject to doubt, unknowable, void, possessed o( quality, devoid o( attribute, Neuter. Male, Twin, Married couple and bonafide loving Consort ? 53 Are the Pastimes o( Krishna a concoction o( the mind ? Or, are they a product o( the natural blind (aith of ignorant people ? 54 Is 'Form* attributable to the non-differentiated Brahman by mental concotion ? Does Godhead come down into this phenomenal world by being adulterated with the limiting principle ? Can His Divinity be maintained in doing so ? Are the Pastimes o( the Divinity allegories i> QUESTIONNAIRE

REGARDING THE PROCESS 1 How is knowledge obtained ? 2 What are the respective subjective natures of fruitive action, knowledge, communion with the Oversoul f yoga ), austerity ( Tapashya J and devotion or service ? 3 What is meant by inaction i. e. stale where there is no aim at any fruition ? 4 Is there any appreciable difference between loving devotion and study of the Vedas, communion with the Personal Godhead) austerity and renunciation ? 5 Is there eternal difference between enjoyment ( bhukti ), liberation ( mukti ), and loving devotion 6 (bhakti) ? Where lies the origin or source of the propensities of lust, anger, etc ? What is the difference between them and loving devotion ? How can liberation be attained ? 7 Is the term "devotion" applicable to any other entity than the ultimate principle of complete Rasa specified by the Sruli in the mantra 'He is verily Rasa' ? Does the process of devotion manifest its nature as it is if the term is applied to the other devatas or to the material limiting Energy etc. ? 8 Is there any .difference between the service of the unlimited entity and limited entity ? And is the result of the service of these different entities different or the same ? 9 Describe the different planes where the knowledge of the undifferentiated Brahman, communion with the Oversoul and devotional service of Godhead as Possessor of all supremacy, retain their respective distinction and their adaptability. 10 In what manner and to what extent can the method of argument based on sense-perception of mental speculationists be of use on the supersensuous plane ? 11 Can the eternally conditioned souls become ever free from their nature and liberate themselves for ever ? I 2 How can the quest of the ultimate desideratum be possible in this life ? 13 Is apathy to this world necessary ? Can there be the gain of any eternal good by the abuse of either renunciation of the world or worldly attachment ? 14 Which of the following is admissible and on what grounds) viz. the theory of ( 1 ) one universal guru ( spiritual guide ), ( 2 ) saints as universal gurust ( 3 ) so-called family-gurus or customary gurus or gurus who desire any other object than the service of Godhead e. g. fruilive-worker guru, empirically wise guru, guru who is joined to the Oversoul, guru who practises mental control, guru who practises magic, gum who is a mortal ? 15 Is the theory of aversion to or denial of spiritual guide ( guru ) either avoidable or acceptable ? On what grounds is it avoidable or acceptable, respectively ? 16 Is the theory of saints as spiritual guides liable to be swallowed up into that of a hereditary class ? 17 What arguments can be adduced respectively in favour of ur in opposition to the theories of arriving at the Truth by the process of working up from the known to the unknown or by the descent of the targeted Absolute to the plane of the knowable ? 18 .In what portions and how does the system of exclusive differ from those of pure non.dualism ( Suddhadwaitabad ), distinctive monism (Vishistadwaitavad), dualism cum non-dualism (Dvaitadvaita- Seplember» 1930] QUESTIONNAIRE 109

vad ) and pure dualism ( Suddha Dvaitavad ) ? By what principle can their mutual conflict be satis- factorily reconciled ? 19 Is the principle of inconceivable simultaneous distinction and non-distinction only one of rival and opposing theories like the above ? Is the term 'inconceivable simultaneous distinction and non-distinction' as applied to this system, deluding ? 20 Why and how do differences of opinion arise ? 21 What is the significance of the term 'harmony' ? Is it another name of assenting to all contending opinions of all persons ? Is the Truth many or one ? 22 What harm is there in admitting the theory of metempsychosis ? What good and harm in regard to the subject-matter of the summum-bonum accrue from ideas based on sensuous enjoyment and sensuous abnegation ? 23 If a concocted image is worshipped how does or can such worship reach the object of worship P 24 What is your opinion or conclusion regarding Divine Descent in the form of symbolical image ( archa ) ? 25 Why does misery of the Jeeva arise ? By what method may liberation from misery or appearance of the state of happiness be rendered possible ? 26 What should be the process of spiritual quest ? 27 In what manner is the social life of the religious to be led so as to be conducive to the highest good ? 28 Is the eternal good of society, world or individual secured by every kind of religious opinion current in the world ? And, further, whether the measure of the good attained by every such opinion is the same ? Which of the different bodies of religious opinion have been made by man and which of them has been made by Godhead ? 29 What is the meaning of sect and sectarianism ? Are good and bad sectarianism identical ? Is liberalism the habit of doing whatever one likes to do ? 30 What is your corroborative opinion regarding throwing oneself on the protection of the Holy Name ? What is your judgment regarding admission or denial of the proposition that the necessity of all other forms of spiritual endeavour has been completely repudiated by the word 'Kevalam in the 'text 'Harer-namaiba Kebalam' ? 31 What is the subjective nature of egotism and humility respectively ? 32 What is your judgment regarding 'following' and 'imitating' the conduct of a sadhu ? What is the respective gain by either process ? 33 Is fame acceptable ? What fame is the most acceptable of all ? What are the advantages and disadvantages connected with fame ? 34 In what manner is either of sport ( vilas ) and renunciation (virag ), acceptable ? 35 In what manner should the solution of the problem of human life be effected ? 36 Is the superiority of religion measured by the majority of votes of the people ? 37 Is there any necessity of association with the devotees ( ) ? The elevationists, empiric sages, those who profess to be joined to the Over-soul ( Yogis ), performers of vows, those who practise control of the mind, who desire anything else than the service of Godhead,—are all of these sadhus ? Whether the highest result of association with sadhus may be gained by associating with these persons ? 38 By which of the two viz. one's own effort or mercy of Godhead may our desideratum be gained ? MO THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111 No.4

39 What is your opinion regarding function in accordance with one's varna ( quality ) and asrama ( stage ) and that of a paramahansa ( one who has realised the vision of the unity of Divine Dispensa- tion ) ? 40 Who is called 'paramahansa' ? Is the state of 'paramahansa' attainable on the path of non-devotion ? 41 Which of the two, viz. function in accordance with varna and asrama and that of paramahansa, more eligible (or the intimate service of Hari 1 42 Are varna and asrama the object of attainment of spiritual endeavour ? Whetaer paramahansa is subject to varna and asrama ? What is the satisfactory solution of the opposition between worldly life and asceticism ? 43 Under what kind of regulation may social conduct and relationship produce the maximum good of the world ? 44 What is your corroborative opinion about regulations regarding the funeral of the departed ? What is the satisfactory solution of the conflict of opinion regarding funeral regulations represented respectively by the Brahman and ? 45 Who is to perform the funeral rite and of whom ? By means of what materials is it to be performed ? 46 Should degrees of eligibility be considered ? What is the final object of the consideration of difference of fitness ?

QUESTIONNAIRE

REGARDING OBJECT

What is your impression regarding object or the ultimate end ? Are attainmtnt of svarga ( heaven ) gain of greater power, extinction, liberation and love,—all of these, the same ? 2 Which of the following viz. religious observance ( dharma ), utility ( arlha ), satisfaction of sensuous desire ( fcam ) or enjoyment of material entities which are non-God, or quest of the Brahman conceived as identical with oneself, is the eternal need of the jeeva ? 3 What is your idea regarding liberation ( mukti ) ? 4 Is there any distinction between love of Godhead and the (our worldly goals ( chatunarga^ ? 5 Are the attachment of animals and love of Godhead the same thing ? Is the former the cause of the latter P 6 Is love of Godhead inferior to its preliminary viz the bliss of merging in the Brahman ? What argument or scriptural evidence may be adduced on this point ? 7 Is there separate existence of enjoyer and object of enjoyment in Brahma-bliss ? Is the joy o( Brahma-bliss eternal or temporary ? 6 Is there any difference of degree in the object of spiritual endeavour due to differences of circumstance* and fitness ? September. 1930] ENLIGHTENERS REGARDING ASPERSIONS 111

9 What is the measure of the bliss of th ne whose minds are set on the unmanifested cause of the phenomenal world ? 10 Is there only difference of degree of misery, or does there also exist difference in the quality and nature of the objective, as between the methods of spiritual endeavour of those whose minds are set on unmanifested cause of phenomena, on manifested phenomena and on the active play of the pure cognitive principle, respectively ? 11 Is it possible to be in enjoyment of the bliss which is uninterrupted and attended with eternal and perfect knowledge by either of the alternative methods viz - the exercise of the worldly senses or allowing the mind to do whatever it likes ? 12 Is blissful activity of the principle of pure cognition admissible ? What is the difference between spiritual and material blissful activity ? Should one desisl from the service of the blissful activity of the principle of pure cognition by the realisation of the unwholesome nature of material pleasurable activities ? What is the relation of the phenomenal world to the various blissful transcendental acitivities ? 13 What are the necessity and object of human life ? 14 If love of Godhead be the object of life, why do not the mij^rity of people eagerly seek for the same ? I 3 Are realisation of oneness with the Brahman and love of Godhead the same thing ? 16 Is the highest love (mahabhava) a kind of physical or mental disease ? 17 Are the results of both the real indications of love and similar indications acquired by mechanical practice of same, the identical ?

Enlighteners Regarding Aspersions No. 4 {Oonihmed from p. p 82.)

The true devotee is not persuaded to dismiss ed that the designers and manufacturers the Personal Existence of Godhead cannot build their castles on temporary neither to accept the idols of the breakers and makers regions and cannot idolize the personal, of physical articles. ity of Godhead in their particular rT",he manufacturer and breaker of prejudices; that Godhead can take *■ physical articles and the designer of the initiative and He was found to mental activity can no longer impress appear as NrisinghaDova before the upon a true dovotee to dismiss the perso- demon Hiranyakashipu who was firmly na) existence of Godhead. He is convinc- impressed of the non-existence of 112 HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII. No. 4

Godliead and that He has the power Personality and Form of Godhead are of removinj; the delusions of the limited capable, on His own initiative alone, of human brains. appearing on the mundane plane The 'Object' of worship ( STUf ) is without becoming an idol or a commo- necessary for worship. Those who dity of this world. The Holy Form want to worship without admilti ng the worshipped by the pure devotees is a objective existence of thgir Object of manifestation of the Divinity to make worship, contradict themselves. In possible His worship in this world by their anxiety to avoid idolatry they, fallen souls, although this is necessarily indeed, worship nothing, This does inconceivable to our minds if we want not materially improve their case. to understand the 'Archaavatar' Such attitude is positively mischievous with the resources of our limited int- as it represents a fundamental miscon- ellects. We can realise the truth of this, ception of the nature of the Object if we submit to the guidance of the pure of worship. Godhead has His own devotees who understand perfectly the separate and independent existence misconceptions that prevent us from much more so than any of His creatures. understanding the nature of our By the current theory of idolatry, for relationship with Godhead. which the empiricists arc wholly This holds true even if we fail to responsible, God is confidently supposed understand it or even if it may seem to to he a product of the human brain. he opposed to the testimony of our This is the inevitable element of .-elf- senses We see the Arc,ha made of clay contradiction in the empiric ( current ) or stone or wood and by the hand of theory of idolatry. This theory has man Wo see that the Sri Bigraha is to be smashed on the head in order to ma lo in the likeness of the . mundane clear the issue from long-cherished body of a mortal being. We see that prejudices. If idolatry is to cease, the tho holy Form is devoid of life. We brain of man must give up the attempt see that he Archa does not accept any- of manufacturing the Divinity. What- thing offered to Him and that it is ever emerges from the workshop of the only to be imagined He accepts. All this human brain should be unreservedly stands in the way of our believing in admitted to be an idol which cannot be the reality of Archa-raanifestation and the object of worship for the brHn that of all worship, because the two are produces it. inter-involved. The next point which it will be The Archa does not possess the necessary to bear in mind is that the Divine potentiality in the form that is September I930J ENLIGHTNERS REGARDING ASPERSION 113 intelligible to our limited judgment. not liable^ to such blunder. They are The Arc/id seems to be a bit of clay always prepared to help those who are that can be fashioned and broken at sincerely desirous of getting rid of their our sweet will. This is the cause of unnatural state of tricky ignorance. our disbelief. We look for a miracle. But pedantry or stiff ignorance under But Godhead never stoops to remove the guise of wisdom is the evil that is our doubts by any comprehensible abnor- most difficult to cure and most ready mality. Those who are sincere obtain to take offence when its cure is really the spiritual vision which alone enables attempted. The devotees, however, one to see and hear Godhead Who is luckily for us, possess perfect tact and the Fulfilment and not the Anti.theism. patience and are in a position to deal To the devotee this world exists as with us in an effective manner. But it much as it does to us, but to his takes time to imbibe the new habit, clear vision it appears in its true per- even after we suppose ourselves to be spsctive. This is the only miracle. convinced of its truth and natural That which shakes our faith in the neceesity. reality of this world is magic or decep- The old habit ever tries to recover tion, not miracle. Tuose who look for its hold on us by the most insidious magic to be convinced of the reality of approaches. It is only the pure devo- spiritual events are not unfiequently tee who, because he happens to be found to be the most vociferous oppo- himself thoroughly established in the nents of all magic. It is necessary to new function, can detect and give us guard ourselves against the blunders of timely warning against the approaches deceptive verbiage of the most appa- of the old evil. But it is for us to ac- rently innocent kind. cept his advice which is opposed to those The devotee alone is not an idolater. very things that we are accustomed All the rest cannot but be worshippers to hold most dear. No one bereft of of idols. The devotee does not assert the accepted support of Divine himself against the Divinity. All the Strength can hope to attain the spritual the rest go by their erring judgment. life. ' HmmcW 9555^?! 55*1:1 The strength Those who have been long habituated that suffices for the attainment of the to grope in error fall into love with this spiritual life is not any form of the function and acquire a trick of uncons- forces with which we are so familiar ciously reverting to the familiar func- in this world. It is the spiritual power tion, even under cover of protest of the Divinity that helps us to acquire against such trick. The devotees are and retain the spirituaBlife against THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVUl. No 4 the. othervviae insuperable opposition cendent manifestihii himself in the offered by the forces of Ignorance, that likeness of the mundane, while remain, is assigned to the deluding function by ing necessarily and absolutely free the All-wise Providence for facilitating from any mundane taint, for the benefit the redemption of fallen souls. Godhead of individual souls whose power of spirit- supplies the strength that can alone ual vision is obscured. It is (he devotee enable us to withstand the process of alone who can worship the Holy Form chastening by the destruction of all in the proper manner even when He self-created idols. The most effective makes His appearence in this world form in which the help is offered is in response to his prayers for the deli- that of the worship of the holy Form verance of fallen souls. To the fallen of the Divinity. soul the Holy Form appears as a symbol The Holy Form that is worshiped or Iraaue made of mundane elements. So by the devotee is not a concoction of he is naturally indispose 1 to believe in hia brain. The Holy Form (Sri Bigraha) the Divinity of the Form. But God- is not an Idol. He is Godnead Himself head never removes the doubts of a. in Whom the Form is identical with person who is not prepareii to take the the Possessor of the Form. The trouble of correcting himself by avail, Possessor of the Holy Form manifests ing of the advice and example of His Himself for accepting the worship of the devotees. devotee, be.ause Godhead over allows As a matter of fact we need not Himself to be ruled by unalloyed love. know Godheid at all, unless we are The devotee cin make the Divine Form really prepared to serve Him. If we visible to mortal eyes for the redemp- wish to serve Him, we accept His dis- tion of fallen souls. pensation. It is no doubt our duty Spiritual Nature of the Worshipper. to accept nothing as a dispensation, If we want to believe in the Holy unless and until we are perfectly satis- Form, we can do so only by believing fied of its Divine nature. But no ope in the spiritual personality of the pure who is sincerely anxious to serve devotee of Godhead. Godhead can be Godheah, Cin object to the uncondi- worshipped only by the soul who is tional acceptance of the Divine dis- in the full state of grace and on the pensation. The Divinity is the Supreme plane of the Divinity Himself. This Person, the Lord and Master, the function is located beyond the range One Object of our loving devotion. of the faculties of human mind. It The individual souls are His servants ia the inconceivable case of the trans- whose service is of the likeness of Septonbet 1950.1' ENLIGHTNE.RS JREGARDING ASPERSION 113

natural exclusive, overpowering, cause- principle -of rationality. It does not leas loving submission to the pleasure offend the sense of rational consistency, of an autrocratic Master, Husband if the worship of the Holy Form on the and Lover. spiritual plane under the unconditional Those who do not sufficiently lead of tlie true devotee be admitted realise the nature of the Divine Per. as the fulfilment of all rational aspiia- Sonalty and the perfect purity and tion possible to man in this world. fullness of the love that binds the The designers and manufacturers individual soul to his Lord and of idols cannot escape the necessity of vice versa, can alone object to the paying worship to the non-Godhead lead of His devotee. To believe the in the form of their particular preju- devotee is the natural and only method dices. This has produce 1 all the pseudo- of entering the realm of spiritual Love. iOrms of the religious worship. By The cognitive principle untouched the pseulo-religionists the transcen- by Divine love leads to sterility and dental Form is misconceived as tlie sub- sheer self-annihilation. normal, abnormal or phenomenal which It is, therefore, necessary on the are the grossest forms of idolatry. threshold of spiritual life to try to Godhead has the power of initiative to deal understand the nature of the devotee with unbelief in ways that are incon- of Godhead as the person by follow, ceiveable to the avowed atheists. ing whom alone we can ever obtain the Sri NrisinghaDeva and spiritual service of the Lord, which is Hiranyakashipu. located beyond the reach of the facul. ties of the limited mind of man but The empiric rationalists, in their which is real, truly rational and full of vain endeavour to steer clear of idola- perfect bliss. The worship of the Holy try in the grosser forms fall, back upon Form under the lead of His devotees refined idolatry in the form of the can alone enable our souls to regain worship of their mental prejudices. the personal connection with Godhead. The thorough-going pseudo.rationalist Those who object to the holy Form becomes the avowed atheist. But all deny thereby the personality of God- these speculations cannot prevent God- head, the spiritual nature of His devo- head from taking the initiative and tees and the personal nature of their baffling all their calculations by burst, service. All this is no doubt inconceiv. ing upon their vision in His absolutely able to our limited understanding, but novel Form as NrishinghaDevn appear- is in perfect correspondence with the ed before the demon Hiranyakasipu who 116 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXV11I No' 4 was firmly impressed of the non-exis- The worship of the Holy Form accor- tence of Godhead. dingly loses all its meaning, nay be- But Godhead ever presents His comes a means of destruction, if it does terrible Aspect to the. view of non- not take the form of the worship of the believers. He appears to them as the pure devotees. The only worship that Destroyer of everything on which they is acceptable to the pure devotee pin their love and reliance. This is that of the Holy Form in the manner terrible disillusionment is the form in laid down by Godhead Himself. The which the causeless mercy of Godhead pure devotee alone can teach and im- ever 'descends' into this world to serve part this worship to the fallen soul. and vindicate His persecuted and malign- Those who stand in the way of this ed devotees. If the devotee is set at mission of positive mercy are dealt naught we thereby cut away the plank with by Godhead Himself in Kis terrible from under our feet and fall into the Form as Destroyer of the opponents bottomless pit. of His devotees. It is not possible to remain neutral But Sri NrishinghaDeva is ever in this matter. The greatest disillusion- persuaded by His devotees after the ment no doubt awaits the greatest of pastime of destruction to shower His athiests;but the disillusionment can only positive mercy on the vanquished, destroy his cherished illusions. It is a The worship of the Holy Torm of Sri great but negative mercy. The 'descent' Gaurasundar is the worship of Godhead of the destructive mercy is brought in the Form of His Devotee. This is about by the sufferinus of the devotees. the only expiation by which the The pos tive mercy, in the shape general redemption of fallen humanity of the worship of Godhead, cannot be can be obtained. Let its import be not obtained by the method of opposing misunderstood and misrepresented by the devotees. Sri Gaursunadar has this most corrupt of all the Ages and established this by His teachings and thereby invite the terrible mercy of conduct. He has proved the superiority Divine wrath for the negative cure of of the worship of the devotees of God the most wicked perversity, by the to the worship of Godhead Himself. method of mere destruction. Advent of Sri Sri Baladeva

'Phakur Brindaban, the first poet of of Sri Gaudiya Math have been speak- spiritual Gauda has sung the praise ing to the world for the last twelve of Baladeva Who is the source of all years is taken in certain quarters to be power in the beginning of his masterly their sectarian views as it does not treatise. There was necessity for the claim to be the views of the masses. poet and biographer to sing the praise It is accordingly confidently maintained \Sf B.dadeva Who gives the power that it will not beneifit us or the society of uttering the Truth {hirtan). Bala- in the least because we are of opinion deva can make the dumb speak and that the voice of masses alone possesses enable the ciipple to cross mountains. lasting and effective power. Therefore, Sri Gurudev wields the power of Bala- we say to the social person that if he deva. wants to do any good to his society In these days, 'power' or 'force' he must have patience for the opinions {bala) is the absorbing topic through- of the masses. It does not, however, out the world. Those who have studied lie in onehs losing oneself in the stream the history of the western countries are of temporary emotional excitements aware that a system bearing the name to which the mass is very liable. But of Bolshevism came into existence if with patience and perseverance, in Russia in the year 1917 A. D. and we surrender ourselves to the feet of it lias been a subject of much heated Sri Baladeva Who can make us strong discussion to this day. The principle of and powerful that real power to do good Bolshevism has existed since the crea- will be given us. Thakur Brindaban tion of the world,—the designation was has said that if you are really anxious different but the fundamental prin- for power to serve God then you should ciple is the same. The power of the endeavour to obtain the power of masses, which the system represents uttering the Truth {hirtan), otherwise is tending to dominate the society in all you fail to secure the real thing. In civilised nations who are all in favour India, the land of the Upanishad, of the ultra democratic principle. where there should be no dearth of If one talks against it, he is likely to real power, it is very stange, indeed, ^nd no audience. What the Mahatmas that we do not understand how 118 THE HARMONIST Vol, XXVIII. No. 4

to obtain the same. Is it sec- the physical (gross) and mental (suble) tarianism to say tnat no one but a bodies attain to his effulgent spiritual ;Brahman has a right to the study of body. It is this excellent person who the Upanishads? No, it expresses a participates m the enjoyments, great truth if it is properly understood. pastimes and pleasures of the spiritual Two persons — Biroclian on the side world. According to the Yedas this is of the Asuras (demons) and Indra on the best of all forms of salvation. the side of the- 'devas' (Gods)—went to On perusal of the first chapter of Brahmraa to know about the truth of the the Gita we may think that we have Upanisads. When with offerings in hand, been advised to engage in war. When they came to Brahmma the latter said we have read the second chapter, we to them, 'You have got some initial understand that the knowledge of work to do. You will have to live in the the soul is the object to be aimed at ; house of your Guru (pree-ptor) and but we do not enquire how to know serve him for a period of t drty-two him. On a refei ence to the third chap- years.' Acting on this advice both of ter, we think, that 'to do religious them accordingly begun to learn the works' is the ultimate conclusion of the knowledge of the Brahman. After Gita ; but we do not enquire of the thirty.two years of study with the Guru, Gita as to what kind of work h meant. Brahmma said, The Brahman is the We have not the patience to learn gross body. To this Birochan said, what the Shastras are repeatedly in. 'Well, I have known that and finished dicating by their introduction, conclu. my study.* Thinking that the soul sion, repeated recitals an! unpreceden. is identical with the gross body accor- ted effect. If we patiently read ding to the Upanishads, Birochan the Gita and try to ascertain the final began to preach it to the atheists, object of its concluding Shloka, we (aswras). Indra, however, enquired understand that we have been advised if there is any other underlying mean- to give up all forms of religion and ing. After another thirty two years surrrender ourselves to the Feet of Sri of service of Gurudev, Brhmma told Krishna alone. In order to fully grasp him in reply that the 'mind' is identi- the purport and the true intention cal with the Brahman. Finding of the Shastras, we must have to hear Indra to be devoted to the service of with patience, understand with patience Gurudeva, after another thirty.two and act with patience, If, in course years Brahmma informed him that of serving our Gurudev with patience, the Jiva after being liberated from we pray at his feet for strength, then September 1930] ADVENT OF SRI SRI BALADEVA 119 only we can expect to obtain it by the even them ? If this power can-not grace of Sri Baladeva. save any of us for good is it worth our Where does the power lie ? Sriman while to strive for such an uncertain Mahapravu has said that all the powers protection ? of Grodhead are concentrated in His He alone is powerful who attains Name. But we do not admit this to realisation of self and becomes established be so because we do not find its sup- in the self. We can-not gain strength port in the voice of the masses, as we unless and until we get rid of incon- consider power to be identical with elusive mental speculations. What general concurrence. apparently enormous strength Napoleon What was the nature of the power gained ! But he had to yield feebly ^hat Hiranyakashipu got ? He obtained to .1 weak female. Does it prove the the power of Baladeva in a perverted excellence of the power of Science that form. In the Puranas there ws an it decapitated millions the other day? 'Asura' of the name of Baladeva who The intellectual giants of the West was killed by Indr-i and from whose declared the other day that the time bones came out jewels and pearls. This is not distant when we shall see the 'Asura' Baladeva co exi-d-s in corapeti- great conflagration of a suicidal war tive opposition to that Bdadeva in between capital and labour. Is this whose lotus (eet the entire principle the real fulfil uent of our aspiration for of Divine and imman- power and is such power by the exer- ence and that of serving souls are cen. cise of which men can destroy every- tred. We are worshipping that per- thing that which we are seeking ? Or, version viz. the Asura Baladeva at pre- is that the real 'power' of which sent. It is our Sri Gnrudev who can the Sadhu Mohatmas speak and which take us to the real power giving-God. can make a man fully wise and free ? Now-a-days attempts are being made But we are evilly disposed to prefer by woman te be treated on a footing the acquisition of the gross material of equality with man. But we can force. The Upanishad has said that only hope to be able to protect both the soul can not be realised by one with that spiritual po wer for which which is devoid of true power. The we should rightly aspire. You are aware soul cannot be realised by brute or that Dhatri Panna, Durgabati and physical force. Party-factions will Karm^devi possessed more than mas- bring us no good. Then and then culine courage and strength of pur. only we shall be in a position to acquire pose ; but how long could it protect real strength when we shall be in the 120 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXV111. No. 4

attitude of service towards the real No good will accrue to us unless we power-giving-God Sri Balsdeva and his brand ourselves with the mark of the alter ego Sri Gurudeva. But we shall whole time service of Sri Gurudev. By fail in that it we keep aloof from Him 'sannyas' is not memt the wearing of a by the abuse of our 'free.will' as amply saffron robe. It will not do unless we testified to by history and science. take leave of the attitude of, reliance Therefore if we want to acquire actual on the vox pupuli. The learned and strength, we must take shelter in Him intelligent person who, being thus bra- who is the Repository of all power. nded, will make the attempt through By suckintr the self.same water atonement, penance and service of Sri of the river, a neem-tree and a mango- Gurudeva, will be in a position to enter tree on the bank of the Ganges produce that spiritual realm of Baladeva, the fruits of different tastes Ignorant abode of His eternal pastimes where people take the word 'power' in the there is nothing unwholesome. Sri sense of something yross and material. Baladeva, the power-giving-God, appear- Guided bj' the ordinary conventional ed in ttiis world to infuse strength into me tning they take it in the sense of all of us to give away the Divinity in physic il or mental strength, while the form of transcendental sound or those guided by the truly rational the holy Name the Fountain-head of meaning understand it in tne sense of all strength, to conditioned souls soul-force. He who desires to obtain the from door to door. BaHdeva is soul-force can attain to it by the grace the same as Nityananda and is no of Sri Baladeva. Hut the present other than the alter ego of Sri world will ask, 'VVhat good will come Krishna, the Supreme Godhead, and of the worship of Baladeva ? The exercises the plenary" power of Krishna. Sruti has said, ' 1,'he soul can not be It is not that He can-not pose as the realised by one who is powerless'. husband of many wives or as a thief of We shall have to know the Thing apparently the worst type. He poss- through service, and if we agree to esses the nature of the Spiritual Despot surrender ourselves to the gui lance of who can perform 'Rasalila' and He is Sri Gurudeva tnen only we shall know on a footing with Krishnachandra the purport of real power. Himself and can drink the wine with- By means of the external garb out offence The power of the Abs. some have tried to identify the state olute rests with Baladeva and nothing of surrender to Sri Guru Deva with can defile Him who is the repository of Sannyas (renunciation of the world). all power. He who is reluctant to ac- September, 1930] ADVENT OF SRI SRI BALADEVA 121

knowledge the absolute freedom of will Lord Nityananda will be proclaimed of Godhead has no faith in Him. People at the door of every conditioned soul, may wonder why after taking to San- only then will the real good of the nyas (renunciation of the world), Nitya- World come, not only in Bengal nanda again married twice without but all over the universe. The first committing the deadly offence of lapse Gaudiya poet has sung, 'One who in- into worldliness thereby. He performed tends to dive deep into the ocean of de- the 'pastime' "of an abadhiita (super- votion by crossing this mundane world, ascetic) but He is nevertheless the re- let him serVe and worship Nitaichand. ceptacle of all power. He can indulge Even we, the peopl« of Bengal, care very in amorous dalliance with millions of little for this advice. We are striving spiritual milkrh iids. Nityananda Pravu after brute force but do not care to came into this world to give freedom obtain the real power. What could to ad sentient beings, a power that Praiilad not do by the grace of Nrish. transcends all power of this world and ingh nleva, a partial Divine manifesta- is the power of Nityananda, the power tion of Sri Baladeva ! He was not in of 'Sabda Brahman', the power of Kir- the least agitated by the fiowns and tan. But the pity is that we may have ferocities of tlirdiiya Kashipu, the no faith in this. He gave away the mighty king of the 'asuras'. By the grace free gift of spiritual love to high and of NrishinjAadeva all the obstacles to his low and even to beasts and birds, a devotion were completely eradicated. thing which was not given before to If we desire to become the real con- the Gods, Brahmma an! his peers. But querors of the world and be saved from why is not even a drop of the ocean of the hands oE impious athiests, the real love showered upon us ? Because we demons, then we must engage in the do not surrender to Him with open worship of Nityananda Pravu who is hearts free from all hypocricies. It is no other than Sri Baladeva Himself. for that reason that Sri Gurudeva, the When the people of this world will so inseparable associated counterpart of engage themsel ves, it Will be then and Nityananda, come to us at times and then only that real peace and happiness admonish us to endeavour to obtain will reign all over the world, that real the real strength. Nrisingha, swaraj will be established and real free, and the other Appearances of the dom will come. Therefore, we should Divinity are but the partial although take care as to how we can secure the Divine manifestations of the Fountain grace of Sri Baladeva and his other self head Himself. When the greatness of Sri Gurudeva. Who is a Brahmana ? {Continued from P. P. 86 August, 1930)

The regulations embodied in the that is inherent in us. But the theory Varnashrama system provide for the of merging in the undifferentiated One literary education of the people under cognition has done a great negative proper safeguards. The scriptures were service to the cause of true religion. also taught as literature. Such study The theory of the undifferentiated of the scriptures under a competent Absolute cognition does not really deny teacher enabled the most successful wholly the rationable of theism. It has student to appreciate the Truth up to effected most useful destructive work the level of the teachings of the four under the constructive guise. The Vaishnava Acharyas who preceded Sri theory itself was, indeed, callel forth Chaitanyadeva. The empiric method by abnormal needs. Under the garb of by proper handling may impart a sym- extending a general, rational and scrip- bolic idea of the nature of reverential tural support to all forms of worships service of Godhead in terms of the con- and speculations the system dealt the diti ma of this world. But the empiric mortal blow to the fundamentals of all method can never lead to the actual materialistic speculation by the agency plane of the Absolute which is situated of itself. The principle that it tried to beyond mundane reference. establish was that it is not possible for But it was only the most success- the limited understanding of man to ful of the twice-born pupil who could cross the line ot the temporal world and be made to reach this lofty altitude of that mental speculation can, indeed, imperfect but genuine reverence for usefully destroy its own constructions transcendental Godhead. The natural but cannot build any permanent struc- tendency of tae empiric study of the ture. Scriptures is to sink the aspiring learn- Those who suppose that the theory er into the depths of intellectual established complete merging with Hhe . This tragedy is set forth in undifferentiated Great' as the only in- the writings of Sri Sankaracharya. active cognitive existence as the deside- The aspiring candidate for the ratum of all spiritual endeavour, miss empiric knowledge of the Scriptures the.essentially negative quality of such cannot avoid the fatal fascination of conclusion which the theory itself the subtle appeal to the pervert instinct declares to be inconceivable that is, from September. 1930j WHO IS ABRAHMANA 123 its point of view, unsatisfactory. It material nihilism The Scriptures shows successfully that the empiric themselves contain numerous warnings fanethod may be used to establish a against the study of the Shastr.is by different conclusion from the finality of the aspiring method. The empiiic matter viz. the finality of one undifferen- study of the Scriptures is termed the tiated cognitive existence instead of path of ( pseudo. ) knowledge (jnana the resolution of the cognitive principle marga) leading to self-destruction or itself into the featureless causal material merging with the one undifferentiated existence devoid of cognition. This is material or cognitive principle The fighting fire with . fire. The empiric Scriptural knowledge acquired by rationalistic process involves this eter- such study is classed as secular know- nal self-contradiction within itself, ledge ( aparavidya ) by the Upanishad. representing the antagonism between The twice.born, who included the three featureless gross and subtle (mental) intellectual classes of the Brahmanas, material existence respectively into Ivshatriyaa and , were taught which it is inconclusively assumed to be all subjects including the Scriptures desirable to merge. These are the two in the academies of the Brahmanas but apparently contrary poles to which the under a promise that they were not to path of empiric wisdom tends equally confound such empiric knowledge with to lead. The two poles are represented spiritual enlightenment. by the materialistic systems of tho The theories of the finality of the finality of the material and mental state undifferential material and mental respectively. Of these two the former state agree in denying the existence of is the properly atheistic and the earlier any such line of demarcation between system. The application of the method empiric knowledge and spiiitual en- for proving the other co-altemative is lightenment. Both regard the empiric later and was really suggested by it. process as the sole and sufficient method This is always possible, nay inevitable, for attaining the Truth. Both regard in empiricism and, therefore, need cause the Truth as undifferentiated existence. ho real surprise. Both regard the individual cognitive The average student of the Scrip- process as a passiny: phase which is tures, unless his study leads him to bound to mpry:e info one undifferented discover the impossibility of attaining existence. The earlier system holds the Absolute by means of the relative, that this ultimate state is id entical with is bound to be landed by such study the primary and final causal state in in the quagmire of gross or subtle cosmic evolution. The contrary system 124 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No. 4 maintains that the cognitive principle pearance of social^ peace was produced survives the material and is the real by a policy of worldly expediency back- un differentia ted finality but is then ed by an elastic philosophy. There devoid of all activity. This theory is necessity for such a policy in excep- does not attach any positive vnlue to any tionally abnormal circumstances. But form of activity. It" attitude is one of no positive good can be expected to utter indifference towards all activity. follow from the pursuit of such a course. It holds that activity itself is the delu- I have thought it necessary to dwell sion and must cease to be pursued to at some length on the effect of the avoid its perpetuation. It, however, polemical and social activities of the sanctions all activities as they happen materialistic schools because even the to be unavoidable on condition that the debased Varnasrama system under the attitude of internal indifference is tutelege of the pseudo-Brahmanas simultaneously cultivated as the real thougt it convenient to fall into line disideratum. The older theory is with the system of cognitive inactivity less cynical, more ethical and more to strengthen itself for its social victory grossly materialistic. It does not over . The system of inactive hold the material world to be a cognition extended the scriptural sup- mere figment of the imagination as port even to the system of.caste .which the other does. It, therefore, insists came to be identified with the varnasrt on the necessity and value of positive ama institution after the latter had been and specific conduct. But the indiffer- hopelessly disorganised by Buddhism. ence to form inculcated by the other This fact will enable the leader to form system appealed to the people and en- an idea of the nature of the practical abler) indifferent persons of rival creeds consequences of the theory of unifica* to fraternise with one another to retain tion with the und.ifferentiated inactive amicably the externals of their contrary cognitive finality. It would not be forms of worship. All variety of form exaggeration to say that India of today of worship has thus been preserved and is under the grip of this deadening phi. even elaberated under the negative- O - losophy more completely than it ever sanction of the philosophy of the undi- was in any other period of its history. fferented cognitive finality. It suc- There had been formidable antago. ceeded in patching up a sort of religious nists of the materialistic systems in and social peace by tentatively con- the middle Ages especially in the south, serving in an internally demolished form Sri Kamanuja and Sri Madhwa are his- all existing popular practices. An . torical personages who vigorously opp* September, 1930] WHO IS A BRAHMANA ? 125

oaed the influence of the materialistic revealed literature of ihe world, mirror- schools by their literary and social acti- ing the actual life on the highest tran- vities. They employed the method of scendental plane. It is not for us to polemics which those systems had em- say whether that fortunate day will ployed in their attempt to re-establish ever dawn for the world when the the theistic interpretation of the Scrip- living service of the Absolute made tures. Both were yiant intellects and available by the causeless mercy of Sri their influence continues to this day in Cheitanya Deva will be accepted by all the form of a healthy prejudice against person^ by the method of unconditional materialism in either form especially submission to the transcendental in the south of India. But even in the Acharya, South, for want of systematic culture, Sri Chaitanya and His associates the systems of and Madhwa abstained from trying to change or re- have lost much, of their original vitality form the practices of society. This and have even made unconscious ap- sensuous life cannot be reformed into proaches in the hands of pseudo.expo- the higher life. One has to enter the nents lo the heterodox of San- higher life by wholly discarding the kara, a process which has been dis- mundane, Sri Chaitanya enjoins the tinctively expedited by the influence of method of persuasive propaganda by Western culture which in the form in word and conduct to wean the people which it has spread in this country has of this world to the higher life. The proved to be of the negative idealistic literary work of His associates and foll- brand. owers embodying His teachings have Sri Chaitanya did not preach the come down to us. But the movement amelioration or reform of secular has been exploited from an early phase society. He treats of the eternal spiri- by ambitious worldly persons for anti- tual issue which lies wholly beyond the social purposes. This departure from range of mundane interests. Sri Chai- the teaching and practice of Sri Chai- tanya restored the spiritual life to such tanya proved necessarily unfortunate in individuals as were disposed to receive its results and is even now a great stu- it by the. method of unconditional sub- mbling block in the way of a right un- mission to the teacher of the Absolute derstanding of their real nature. Truth. The associates of Sri Chaitanya True to the spiritual purpose of the accomplished a stupendous quantity of Varnashrama institution Sri Chaitanya literary work that constitutes the latest authorized the process of initiatory ad. alld the most significant addition to the mission into the spiritual life. This 126 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVUI No. 4 was , rendered practicable by the si. ana, by the rationalistic method of the multaneous appearance of a very large Panchfiratra. 'I he test of disposition number of transcendental teachers in alone was accepted by Him in deter, the company of the supieme Lord. minimng eligibility for Upanayana- They taught the Truth to all those The claim of heredity was ignored ms who were attracted by their supermun- b ing unsuitable and forbidden by the dane personality to receive Him at Scriptures for the Iron Age. Thus their hand by the method of uncondi was formed a vast association of indi- tional submission. Those who were viduals, recruited from all classes of so inclined were admitted by them into the peopIe; who were admitted into the the spiritual life by the sansharas (puri- spiritual life by submitting to receive Hctaory ceremonies) of Diksha and the same by the method of uncondi- Upanayan prescribed by the Pancha- tional submission to the bonafide tra- ratra (the section f the Vedicditerature nscendental Acharya. All this is in containing the rational treatment of strict accordance with the special the five-fold spiritual knowledge). Sri scriptural dispensation for the Iron Age. Ghaitanya did not follow the hereditary Ail recruits were hereby automatically method of the Dharma Shastras which lifted to the status of a Brahmana in they themselves declare to be unsuitable the real sense of the term as possessing for the present highly polemical Age the proved spiritual disposition by the which is given t) hair-splitting testimony of the bonafide transcendental arguments for defending rank materia- teacher. This is the spiritual varnasbrama lism. Sri Ghaitanya and If is associates institution (Daiva Varnashrma Dharma) did not try to supplant the hereditary which can contain.as in the Satya Yuga Brahmanas as leaders of secular society. only one Spiritual Varna Viz.that of the The Lord vanquished their leaders in Brahmanas, all.the rest being Shudras. controversy and in the immortal literary It is also an association of individuals works of His associates and followers and is wholly outside and independent transmitted to all succeeding generation of the hereditary social or domestic a complete and systematic presentation arrangements which are the products of the life of pure service of the Lord, of history. It is the actual realisation Sri Ghaitanya recruited His follow- in the life of the individual of the pre- ers from all ranks of the people irres- gnant principile of the Q-eeta which pective of caste, creed or colour. They may be rendered by the beautiful words were initiated into the spiritual life by of the Christian Q-ospel, ''Leave all and the ceremonies of Diksha and TJpanay. follow Me." ( to be contiuned ) Ourselves

Hi3 Divine Grace—His Divine Grace with current creed—claimed to have beeen taught by Sri party arrivii at Aliahabad on the 22iid of August Ballabhcaharya, is a later offshoot of the system and stopped at the residence of Babu Mou- of Sri Chaitanya although it has even been re- mohan Saannyal, retired District and Session Judge presented as the original source of the latter at No. 5 Fort Road, George Town. His Divine Grace in order to explain its resembalances to the teachings paid a visit to the village of Arail on the opposite of Sri Chaitanya. A thorough study of both systems bank of the Jamuna on the 25th of August. Allahabad should help to remove all doubts on this point. has special sanctity for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas on There may come a day when the followers of Sri account of its intimate associations with Sri Eallabhacharya will realize the real relationship of Chaitanya Oeva. It was here that Sri Chaitanya their Acharya to Sri Chaitanya Deva and by un- tpatructed Rupa Goswarai in the principles of pure reserved acceptanc of the teachings of Sri Rupa devotion and authorised him to put them in writ- Goswmi will merge in the Church Universal as the ing Srila Pararaahansa Thakur has established Sri humble followers of the Supreme Lord, Who is the Rup Gaudiya Math in commemoration of this original propounder of the religion of pure love. great event. It is the desire of His Divine Grace The schismatic difference- engendered by time should to make Allahabad a centre of propagation of the be cajiable of being hated by the same agency. The teachings of Sri Chaitanj'a During his short stay present degeneracy of the church of Sri Chaitanya of about a week His Divine Grace passed his time is mainly due to utter neglect of the study in discoursing on the highest form of loving devotion of the works ol Sri Kupa Goswami both in taught by Sri Rupa Goswami. Eallabhacharya U. P. and Bengal. His Divine Grace has been trying who was a contemporary of Sri Chaitanya visited actively to break once for all the stupor of a the supreme Lord during His stay at Allahabad couple of century by his vigorous propaganda em- and persuaded Him t i visit his native village bracing all India- Real and eternal Swaraj can be of Arail. Sri Chaitanya accepted the invitation based only on the Truth Absolute. This has been of Eallabhacharya and wa his honoured guest at his the Teaching of all Scriptures. The writing of Sri house at Arail for a day. Eallabhacharya had an Rupa Goswmi have made the Truth available to those opportunity of listening to the discourses on the of the present Age, who want to know the Absolute nature of Amorous love of the milkmaids of Braja by Iheonly method that is laid down by the Scrip- from the lips of the Supreme Lord Himself. There tures themselves. His divine Grace is the one per- is a great difference between the ideas and practices fectly loyal and convincing exponent of the teach- of the present day followers of Sri Eallabhacharya ings of Sri Rupa at this moment by his words and and those of Sri Kupa Goswami, notwithstanding his activities. The salvation of the whole world lies their apparent superficial resemblance. The question in being enabled by Divine Grace to recognise and whether the current principles and practices of the accept his exposition ot the Truth The way to followers of Sri Eallabhacharya can be treated to Truth is only one being identical with the goal. Sri , presents very grave difficulties. His Divine Grace is accessible at all hours to It is oar purpose to treat the subject fully in future persons of all conditions. He talked almost conti- issue of this journal. It will suffice for the present to nuously during bis stay at Allahabad to those who. state our conclusion that the system of Bheda-bheda. came to him. Many of the best minds of Allahabad philosophy in the practical form in which it is presen- felt the attraction of his personality and paid the ted in the works of the followers of Sri Eallava- homage of their respects to his feet. Among those charya is of comparatively modern origin and who were fortunate in being present at these dis- younger than the system of Sri Chaitanya, There courses, we noticed the following well-known gentle- exists very strong evidence to prove that the men :—Srijukta Harimohan Rai, Advocate Allaha- 128 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVIII No. 4 bad High Court ; Srijuhta Nilmadhab Rai Vakil ; Thakur Shahib Srijukta Tikam Singji. His - Srijukta Umanath Mukhetjee, Excise Commissioner ness also expounded the Bhagabat a t the resi- Allahabad; Srijukta Ganesh Chandra Deva of the dences of Bai Bahadur Srijukta Karam Singji, U. P. Agricultural Departm;at ; Justice Dr. Saren dra- Superintendent of Police ; Srijukta Kaliprasadji nath Sen of the Allahabad High Court ; Srijukta District Judge ; Srijukta Dwarakaprasadji, Zeminder Mahendranath Sen ; Srijukta Umesh Chandra and at the Panchamukha Temple. Srijukta Dwaraka- Ghose, M. A. retired Professor of Mathematics of prosadji has been so such impressed with the necessity Allahabad M.Sc. College ; Bab a Chintamani Mukho- of the propaganda that he is actively trying for. the padhyaya famous educationist and founder of the establishment of a permanent preaching centre at Kagi Anglo-Bengali School ; Srijukta Jatindra Nath Hardwar. Sen M. A. the well-known author ; Dr. P. K. Acharya In the Olstrict of Mldnapur.—His Holiness. M.A. Ph. D (Leyden); Head of the Sanskrit Depart- Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhaktipradip. Tittha; ment of the Allahabad Uuniversity ; etc. etc. Maharaj in collaboration, with pandit Sfipad Apra- Propaganda krita Bhaktiearanga Goswarai Prabhu descended, In Chhotto Nagpur.—His holiness Tridandi from Sri Nityanananda, carried out during August Swami Sriraad Bhaktlbiiash Gabhastinerai Maharaj a tour of lantern lectures in the interior of the delivered a series of erudite lectures at Ranchi during District of Midnapur. At the special request of the the month of August in course of which His Holiness Regent of the Malighat Estate, His Holiness, was addressed public meetings at the local Hari Sabha pleased to address a vast .public gathering called by and Durgamela and also in Hinu and Doranda quarters the Regent on the 9th .of August on the subjects 'the of the town. Among numerous topics of everyday teaching of Sri Chaitanya,' which was illustrated by importance His Holiness dealt with the difference lantern slides. The assembled people expressed their between pure aud adulterated devotion, between the highest admiration and gratitude for the instructive mahamantra which is the priceless gift of the supreme lecture of His Holiness His Holiness visited the Lord and doggerel concocted by erring mortals, the following places in courses of his lecturing tour,— difference between the religion of pure love and the Kolaghat, Ranichawk, Midnapur town, Malighati, cult of Sakhi-bhek between lust and prema, between Narajole, Bhabanipur, Dubrajpur, Piljong, Purusottam- the holy Name, the dim reflection ot the name and pur Bilashpur Satsukia, Chandipar and Sangdona. offence against the Name, and other cognate matters. In the Madras Presidency. These discourses have set the cultured classes at Their Holinesses Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Ranchi to begin to think seriou sly about the urgent Hriday Ban Maharaj, Srimad Bhaktiranjan Bhaktisar need of getting rid of these fatal errors that are maharaj, Pandit Sripad Ramananda Brojobasi pa ssing under the name of religion. Vidyarnab B. A. and party continued their vigorous His Holiness had during the previous moo th propaganda in Visianagram and its neighbouring showed the benefit of his enlightening discourses on villages for a fortnight and returned to Kovvur the fortunate town of Jamshedpur. The public where the building of the shrine of the foot-prints- at these two headquarters of the Division of Sri Chaitanya deva was now completed. Kovvur has been aroused from the altitude of indifference by is hallowed by the memory of Bai Ramananda, and is' the revelations of His Holiness. conveniently situated for being the main centre of In the united Provinces. His Holiness Tridandi propaganda in the southern Presidency. The interest Swami Srimad Bhakti Sarbaswa Giri Maharaj of the local public has been strongly aroused in favour addressed a large public gathering at the great of the establishment of a suitable memorial of the temple of Bijnor U. P. on the subject of the Bhaga- famous meeting between Sri Chaitanya and Bai Rama- bat religion. Swamiji spoke eloquently in Bngiish nanda on the bank of the Oodavari, in the form of a and was most highly appreciated by the audience, permanent preaching centre of the religion of unal- His Holiness was pleased during His stay at loyed devotion taught and practised by Sri Chaitanya- Bijor to accept the hospitality of Param Bhagabat deva for the lasting benefit of all animated beings. Vol. XXVIM, No. 5.

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIVA )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PARIBRAJAKACHARVYA Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS.

Subject page 1. The Gaudiya Math 129 2. The Illusory Energy ot God-head j35 3. Who is a Brahma na ? 142 4. At the lotus feet of the Divine Master 147 5. Hinduism in Harmony with Buddhism 149 6. Taking Refuge in God 152 7. Matters of Moment 151 8. Shree Shree Chaitanya Bhagabat ... 157 9. Ourselves 159 10. Invitation 180

• V>-

I.

WSs Si ♦r

• a

V

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Bhaktiraojan Jagabandhu Datta ( j. B. D. ), the Donor of the Gaadiya Math Temple, Baghltazur, Calcutta. ALL GLORY TO THE DIVINE MASTER AN D THE SUPREME LORD SREE KRISHNA CHAITANYA ;

THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJANATOSHANI

VOL. XXY1I1 OCTOBER 1930, Chaitanya-Era 444 NO 5.

The Gaudiya Math

"FHB Gaudiya Math is the embodi- to this or any Age, nor to this world. * ment of the highoat service of Sri By the self-sufficing wish of this Sri Radha-Govinda made manifest in single individual the ideal of his service the modern urban environment by the of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda has been Grace of the Achar^ya. But the manifested in the busiest City of this Gaudiya Math is not, therefore, any country in the form of an institution product of the multifarious . mundane for the practice and propagation of the interests that engage the energies of most perfect service of the supreme the modern anthropomorphic City. It Lord. has not been brought into existence in This institution which owes its exis- the democratic or urban way by the tence both as regards initiative and consensus of opinions of any body of growth to Hia Divine Grace Parambansa individuals of this world. It ia the Srila Bhaktiahidhanta Sarswati Goswarai embodiment of the ideal of service of Maharaj is steadily winning recogni. a single individual who does not belong tion as the visible manifestation of the 130 THE HARMONIST' Vol. XXVIII No- 5

congregational service by the method plane manifested in the activities of of distinctive, cause.less, spontaneous, the Gaudiya Math. unconventional, loving devotion of The Gaudiya Math is the principle individuals for the Supreme Lord, the branch of Sri Chaitanya Math of Sri. eternal and only function of all indivi- dham Mayapur. The distinction be dual souls revealed by all scriptures tween the Gaudiya Math and Sri Chai- which were practised and taught in the tanya Math is all analogous to that be- country about 400 years ago by Sri tween one lamp lighted by another. The Chaitanyadeva and His eternal asso- Gaudiya Math is the expansion of the ciates. It is being steadily recognised Chaitanya Math in a visible form into that the spontaneous loving devotion the heart of this world. Sri Chaitanya to the lotus Feet of Sri Sri Radha- Math is eternally located as the origi- Govinda is the summum bonum on the nal soruce even when it is manifested to highest plane revealed in a progressive the view of the people of this world, and more or less explicit form by all in the transcendental environment the different Scriptures. The suminum- of the eternal Abode of the Divinity. bonum is capable of being actually The activities of the Gaudiya Math and realised by sincere Souls by the grace of of the other sister branch Maths are, of the Gaudiya Math as the uncondi- however, essentially identical with tional active spiiitual existence on the those of Sri Chaitanya Math and are cate- transcendental plane. gorically different from the ordinary acti. The materialistic activities of this vities of this world. They are also differ, world are not leading the nations to- entfroraworldly activities that are condu- wards the universal desideratum but cive under the sanction of the scriptures are actually taking them away from it to the attainment of spiritual service. inspite of their seemingly promising The activities of the Gaudiya Math are appearance. The Gaudiya Math has the transcendental function itself to undertaken the task of demonstrating which the worldly functions.have to be the practicability of deflecting the subordinated for the gradual attain, course of all activities of individuals ment of the summum bonum. The and communities towards the Truth Gaudiya Math is, therefore, a truly by subordinating them properly to the unique institution. It is different from spiritual service of the Supreme Lord. all secular institutions and also from all All worldly activities are capable of religious institutions that practise being brought into time with causeless worldly activities under spiritual sanc- spiritual service on the transcendental tion. October 1930 ] THE GAUDIVA MATH 131

The G-audiya Math is also identical of an individual occupying any position with its founder Acharyya. The asso- in either group. The want of sincere ciates, followers and abode of His Divine submission to the Acharya is the mea- grace are limbs of himself. None of sure of one's aversion to the service of them claim to be anything but a fully the Supreme Lord. subordinate limb of this single indivi- It is not possible for one who is not dual. This unconditional, causeless, completely free from all taint of world- spontaneous submission to '.the Head, liness to understand the niture of spiri- is found to be not only compatible with, tual service or to practise the same by but .tbsolutely necessary for the fullest mechanical submission to the Acharyya. freedom of initiative of the subordinate The reason is si nple. Such a person limbs. This makes the Graudiya Math is cut off from the source of all en. as regards its constitution and function lightenmant. Plenary spiritual service different from all other institutions. is performed by the supreme Lord Any service that is rendered to the Himself. It is because the supreme Gaudiya Math has a peculiar power of Lord happens to be His own Servant assimilating the person who renders tint it is possible for such service to such service into the spiritual body of exist at all and to be available to the the congregation. The congregation of conditioned soul by His grace. The the Gaudiya Math and its sister Maths Acharyya is not, however, to be regarded consists of an inner and outer body. as a conditioned soul. He is the The Maths and their inmates form the Predominated moity of the Absolute inner body, The sincere followers of Integer. Or, in other words, the the Maths form the outer body. The Acharya is the inseparable associated Maths form the regulating body. Those counter-whole of the Lord though he may class himself as a fragmentary followers of the Maths who are engagedo o in various worldly activities under part. their sanction form the regulated body. The nature of the Acharyya is Divine. There is an infinite series of gradations As Acharyya the Lord is the source of as regards aptitude and sincerity of the aptitude of the service of all devotion of individual members. The conditioned souls. The conditioned distinction between the regulating and souls are enabled to serve the Lord by regulated bodies is merely one of form the grace of the Acharyya. The Lord of function. The degree and quality is pleased without cause to use con- of voluntary and sincere submission to ditioned souls in His service of Himself. the Head is the measure of devotion Those conditioned souls that refuse to 132 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No S serve fche Lord by the direction of the serving the Lord by his own right. Acharya and prefer to follow their Buthe is abo constitutionally capable of own unguided inclination, miss the being made to serve the Lord by the service of the Lord and find themselves power of Divine Grace. He is also so engaged in the various activities of made that he may or may not avail of this world for a selfish purpose. Divine Grace when it is actually offered But the Acharyya has power to to him. reclaim conditioned souls to the free There are thus two uncertain factors service of the Lord. As servant of the on which the redemption of the Supreme Lord the Acharyya exercises conditioned soul depends viz. (1) this function of his causeless mercy the causeless grace of the Acharyya in perfect accordance with the Divine which is identical with Divine Grace Dispensation revealed in the spiritual and (2) the voluntary acceptance of Scriptures. Divine Grace by the conditioned soul. There is an eternal chain of There ia distinction between the grace Acharyyas. The Divine preceptorial of Godhead as Master and Acharyya. succession is a spiritual process. The Godhead as His own servant or Acharyya real nature of the activities of the can enable theconditioned soul to accept Acharyya is not comprehensible to a the Grace of Godhead as Master. The conditioned soul except by the grace of Acharyya is eternally engaged in the Acharyya. Those who are mercifully imparting to all conditioned souls the enliihtened are relieved from all doubts inclination to accept willingly the Grace and apprehensions which are the of Godhead as Master. offspring of ignorance born of aversion The Acharyya does not compel such to the service of the Lord under His acceptance. But it is nevertheless in own direction as Acharyya. It is not his power to grant the inclination to possible to make the nature of Divine the most undeserving and disinclined service comprehensible to those who souls. The present activities of the are not actually in the state of grace Gaudiya Math and its sister Maths are a just as it is not possible to convey the manifestation of this special grace of idea of light to one who is blind from the Acharyya. This phenomenal world his birth. By his very constitution the and its activities are also Divinely conditioned soul is but conditioned. ordained to enable conditioned ^ouls to He is wholly dependent on the Absolute realise the necessity of the acceptance Lord for his existence and function. of causeless Divine Grace for being freed He is constitutionally incapable of from tbe conditioned st^te. But iq the October 1930] THE GAUD1A MATH 133 arrangement of the phenomenal world expounded by Sri Rupa Goswami the conditione'l soul is left to the Prabhu. The words of Sri Rupa are method of residual discovery by being further explained by Sri Jiva and the allowed to follow the bent of his succeeding Acharyyas. Thakur Bhakti- unguided inclination by his own vinode in our Aa:e has been most con. voluntary choice, which necessarily sistent and lucid exponent of the princi- takes a long time to succeed and whose ple of unalloyed devotion manifested to success is not pre-ordained. The this world by the writings of Sri Rupa activities, inmates and the Math itself and the Acharyas. Sri Chaitanya are thus identical with the unambigu- Math and its branch establishments ous form of f he spiritual service not. have made available to all the oppor. withstanding their liability to being tunity of the complete realisation of the mis-undprstood by the misguided judg. state of pure devotion to the lotus feet ment of worldly-minded people. of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda in our pre- They may be spontaneously intelli- sent life. gible by actual participation in them by No other institutions profess to teach complete submission'to the Acharyya. the unalloyed service of Sri Sri Radha- This is what is being done in the Maths Govinda. Every other institution of pure devotion for their inmates. teaches something else than such ser. Everyone is being asked to become vice. This need not be so. It is prac- an inmate of the Maths for good by ticable and desirable to bring about a free choice. Everyone is being taught change in the spirit of every institution in practice the real meaning of the so as to make it into a practising cen- life led by sincere servants of Sri Sri tre of the service of Sri Sri Radha- Radha-Govinda by the manifested Govinda. activities of. the inmates of the Maths. The life led by the inmates of the The Service of Sri Sri Radha- Gaudiya Math is a matter of Supreme Govinda is the highest form of spiritual interest to every one of us. It is not ^service. It is the desire of Sri Gour- possible to convey'the adequate idea of sundar to make available to all of us it by description. It is necessary to nothing less than this highest form of live under the roof of the Math with a the Divine service. The Supreme perfectly open mind to realise the Lord Himself taught this only function spirit of its atmosphere of pure service. of every perfectly . pure soul in all its The Gaudiya Math is not the place for gradations by precept and example. those who are. disposed to be merely The esoteric weaning of devotion is critical. They will not fiod anything 134 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111. No, 5

that is flattering to their passion of been served whatever the Lord is plea- fleslructive criticism. Those who are sed to allot for his maintenance. The sincerely desirous of learning to live a servant must have no relationships life of;service and are prepared to put except for the service of the Lord. He forth their serious endeavour in all must own no master except the Lord. real humility for this purpose are sure He has to procure the necessaries for to be benefited. It is easy th be dis- the service of the Lord by begging appointed. Only the superficial aspect from door to door as it is the only duty of life is open to the inspection of our of every person to give voluntarily material senses. Our own superficial their all for the service of the Lord view may be hastily mistaken for the with no expectation of any return. thing itself. Patience and sincerity for They are to offer to the Lordj whatever the purpose of knowing the Truth is obtained in this way and reserve when He chooses to appear to us are nothing for their own personal use. necessary if one is really desirous of They are to accept whatever may be serving Him. given to them from day to day by the Sri Sri Radha Govinda is the centre Lord for their maintenance. But of all activities of the Gaudiya Math. they must not have any thoughts for The inmates have no other'duty excep- their own maintenance. This is reali- ting the service of Sri Sri Radha- sed in practice by unconditional sub- Govinda. The service of Sri Sri Radha- mission to the Acharyya. Everyfinstitu- Govinda consists of two distinct func- tion should try to approach this model tions viz., (1) Jcirfan and (2) Archan, set by the Gaudiya Math. But the The Archan is the ordinary form of ideal cannot be fully realised so long worship. It appeals directly tosall the as every worldly relationship is not senses. The Holy forms of Sri Sri actually subordinated to the worship of Kadha-Govinda stand manifest to our Sri Sri Radha-Govinda. view ready to accept our service. This For example there need be no is effected in a very simple way. The arrangement for the teaching of the worshipper regards himself as the physical science for the amelioration of servant of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda- the worldly condition of those who donot The house belongs to the Lord. The serve the Lord to prevent their conse. food is prepared for the Lord. Money quent physical discomfort. The ser- is employed for the maintenance of the vice of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda is cap- household of the Lord. The servant able of relieving every form of distress. may accept only after the Lord has The study of the sciences must not be October 1930] THE GMJDlYA MATH 155 allowed to be abused by intending the source of them in the realm of Truth, It same for offering a semblance of relief is this latter that is made manifest in to those who refuse the offer of real relief. this world by the grace of the Acharyya The Science should serve Sri Sri Radha. to serve as controlling centres of Govinda by placing themselves at the all world-activities. The Gaudiya disposal of the Acharyya. By the grace Math is such controlling centre. There of the Acharyya it.should be feasible to is no chance of all the institutions of employ them in the service of Sri Sri the world being ever.converted into so Badha-Govinda, if we are really con- many Gaudiya Maths. They are cap. vinced of its supreme necessity. But able only of placing themselves under even if say a medical College is placed the spiritual guidance of the Acharyya at the disposal of the Acharyya as and being thereby made to serve his Medical College it will not, thereby, secondary purpose viz. of supplying become a Math. It will no doubt be need of a real objective in the workings prevented from going against the pur- of those institutions. These institutions pose of the Math. But whether any of will exist in their present forms as long, the physicians or patients of such as there is such a function to be per- Medical College will ever choose to give formed by them in the complete scheme up all connection with the feeder-insti- of Providence. .Their existence would tution by entering one of the Maths for also be justifiable from this point of the wholetime service of Sri Sri Badha- view. But they cannot be coverted Govinda will still depend on the grace into so many Gaudiya Maths because of the Supreme Lord. their function is superfluous on the The institutions of this world go higher piano which is free from all de- astray as soon as they ignore their cons- fect and want. tant and complete dependence on the {To be continued.) The Illusory Energy of God-Head. (By Sruut Kishori Mohan Paul b, l.)

IN the Gita, addressing His bosom the all destroying universal conflagra- V friend Arjuna, Bhagaban Sri tion, Lord Vishnu, in order to deceive Krishna has said, 'My dear friend, this the demons and preserve His creation, Illusory Energy consisting of the three- appeared in the form of a fascinating fold mundane quality is super, woman by His Illusory Energy. This natural and may hardly be overcome. wonderfully beautiful woman captured Even the gods and the sages (Rishis), every heart by her fascinating side- not to talk of men and other lower glance and sweet smile and infatuated beings, can hardly get rid of her in- the whole world. With a most melodious fatuating influence. Only those who accent and winning smile, this lady make absolute surrender to me may over- whose beauty surpassed that of the god come her. Hence it is that Srila of love, addressed the gods and the Narrottam Thakur has said, that the demons thus : 'O ye gods and demons, Illusory Energy though vanquished can why have you lit this deadly fire of war? not be got rid of, except by the grace Let me mediate between you and of Shadhus. Barring the devotees who settle your disputes'. have completely surrendered themselvs Not to talk of other insignificant to the feet of Sri Krishna, no one has the creatures, the whole universe and even power to get rid of this Illusory Energy the great-great-grand father Brahma of Godhead consisting of the threefold was fascinated by the Illusory Energy mundane qualities of 'Sattwa' 'Rajas' of Godhead. The Devas (Gods) and and 'Tama'. the Asuras (demons) cliarmed with her In the Srimad Bhagabatam we find sweet words agreed to her propo-'al. that when by the charning of the ocean Most wonderful is the influence of ambrosia was obtained, a violent Vishnu's Illusory Energy. Not only quarrel arose between the gods and the the Gods and the demons but all ani- demons as to the distribution of the mate and inanimate beings of the whole same. Anxious to have the first taste world being fascinated by her influence of ambrosia, when the parties came to mistake their gross bodies of flesh and blows, thereby igniting, as it were, blood to be their real selves, forget God- October 1930] ILLUSORY ENERGY OF GOD-HEAD

head, consider their fragile wife, son, Hence he who wants to get rid of this daughter, friend, wealth to be their hat dly-to-be-overcome Maya, must life-long companions and thereby burn surrender himself to the feet of a Sat- within themselves with the threefold Guru. Otherwise under her deluding misery attending upon birth and death, influence, he will sometimes by doing fear and disease etc. virtuous deeds, ascend Swarga, and at In t^e Gita Lord Sri Krishna has other times by doing sinful deeds, come said that residing in the hearts of all down into hell, and thus revolving Jivas and overpowering them with the in the wheel of births and deaths, burn influence of His Illusory energy He is with the pangs of sensuous desires. grinding them like machines. It is only The characteristics of a 'Sat-Guru' being those that have surrendered themselves understood it becomes necessary to to the feet of the spiritual guide Jwho grasp the right meaning of self-surren- can extricate themselves from the in. der at his feet. fluence of the deluding power. The In the Gita we find that we should spiritual guide is not like one blind make humble obeisance to the 'Guru*, man leading another blind man and serve him wholeheartedly and submit ultimately both of them falling into reasonable spiritual questions to him the- ditch. He who has obtained full in order to get at the Truth Who will realisation of the Vedas and completely enable me to know 'who I am,' 'what my surrendered himself to the God-head real nature is', 'where I was/ 'why I have is alone the proper guide. come into this world and where I shall In this world of delusion no plea- go.—I am very, very mean. I beseech sures are real, because they are all the Guru to kindly enlighten me with a transient, and like the water bubbles right understanding of tnese spiritual or the mirage in the desert disappear issues so that I may cross this ocean of in the twinkling of an eye. No the world iu safety. When the sincere sooner is one desire satiated than ano- disciple in the spirit of full submission ther takes its place to burn the hanker, drinks with his ears the nectar of ing heart with fresh tortures like spiritual instructions from his Gurudev the throwing of clarified butter into and renders him whole-hearted service, the sacrificial fire. all his gloom of ignorance, due fo Maya A man may be blessed (?) with every disappears and he becomes immune from worldly fortune but he is not free from the influence of the Illusory Energy. the pangs of sensuous desires which are The sight of this charming lady sure to pinch him every now and then. created a strong carnal desire in the 138 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVIII No. 5

hearts of tlie demons^ on the other hand, as subjects, some as masters others as it excited a sense of devotion in the servants etc. Just as on the stage the hearts of the Gods who looked upon her sweeper Rama Bagdi sitting on the as the mother-goddess of the whole uni- throne plays the part of Maharaj Haris verse. A child when placed on his Chandra, and Shama Dom of the same mother's breast, sucks out the most sweet class, playing the part of the queen milk therefrom, but a leech, if placed Saibya may shed tears for the sake theron, extracts blood in place of milk, of her snake-bitten child and thereby according to its inherent nature. In- simultaneously excite both pleasure and fatuated with Vishnu.Maya, the demons pain in the hearts of the audience ; but like the leeches, instead of finding any. again in another moment both appear thing Godly in that charming lady, in their true characters as sweepeis be- took her to be an object of their sen. hind the scene, so on this worldly stage suous enjoyments, passed side glances under the influence of 'Maya' some jivas to her and in a laujihing mood, aHdress- are acting as 'Devas', some as demons, ed her thus, "Beautiful lady, come to us. men, animals, birds, insects, serpents We are your servants and we will sub- etc. When the gods Nala-Kuber were missively carry nut what you will be busy with their ribald sports in the pleased to dictate to us". water with the celestial nymphs (Apsaras) But, on the other side, the Devas (gods) they attracted the notice of that great looked at this enchanting lady witli the Vaishnava, Narada Muni ^rho cursing eyes of a baby looking at its affectionate their beastly conduct in atonement for mother. The result was that in the the offence committed in his presence, long run, these wicked demons, like the changed them into the likeness of two leeches being carnally enamoured of Arjuna trees, (Jamalarjun) of Brinda. her, were deprived of that rare heaven- bon. Ahalya Devi was changed into ly nectar which they were fighting for. stone by the curses of the great Eishi While the Devas like the children () Goutama, Jivas due to their were allowed to taste the same, gained aversion to God.head, beguiled by«the strength thereby and began to roam influence of Maya, pass through eighty- about merrily. four lacs of different births as the re. The whole mundane universe is in suit of their atheistical worldly activi. the clutches of Vishnu Maya, This ties (Karma). They sometimes ascend world is a prison and the Jivas are the to heaven and there after fall down prisoners. Under the infatuation of into hell. When wondering from birth 'Maya' some are posing as kings others to birth, if on any occasion by good luck. October 19301 IILLUSORV ENERGY OF GOD-HEAD 139

any of them happen to come in contact Kriahna haa aaid to Arjuna that earth, with the 'ahadhua' (aainta), they reoeive water, fire, air, ether, mind, empiric apiritual leaaona from them which dia- undera tahding and the perverted ego poae them to render aervicea to kriahna are the eight v arietiea of my external And H'a aaaociated counterpart, the energy (Apara Prakriti) heaidea which Guru (apiritual preceptor). It ia then I have got another auperior internal and then only that auch fortunate indi- energy (Para Prakriti) which, like the vidual are enabled to eacape from the thread of a garland of pearla, aupporta clutchea of thia Illuaory Energy of God- the univerae. Ihia ia the apiritual head. energy of which the Jivaa are the mani- The power of Viahnu poaaeaaea two featations, diatinct aapecta viz. 'Para' and 'Apara'. Jivaa under the ahell of Maya act in The former ia the esoteric eternal diverae w aya on thia world-atage. Like or real aapect and the latter, the exter- a puppet in the handa of a skilful jug- nal or illuaory aapect (Maya). Thia gler being made to dance within differ- Apara energy faacimtes the Jivaa and ent geaturea and poatures according to bind them faat in worldly chaina. hia will for the aatiafaction of the apecta. While the internal energy or'Para' aakti tora unauapected by them, Jivaa ena- cuta away theae worldly chains and moured of the threefold attribute8(Sat- imparts devotion to God. twa, Raja and Tama) of the deluding Empiric knowledge can earn for ua Energy of "Viahnu, laugh, dance, weep, only a tranaitory aenauous living and aho ut like men poasessed with- which vaniahea into nothingneaa like a out being able to see the hand of the nocturnal dream in no time. Educated En hantreaa pulling the wire from be- in the knowledge of money-making in hind by the will of God.head, empiric philoaophy, aciencea, arts, aa- Therefore he ia the moat wiae and tronomy,'medicine &c. we may vaunt aa intellectual peraon who instead of play- erudite acholara or as aucceaaful peraons. ing the part of a mere acting doll on the But all our glee quickly vanishes into world-stage is able to catch the purpose the womb of time. In a ahort time of thia life which ia to know and serve every aucceaa becomea lamentable and Sri Uari. Otherwise our performances unaatiating confusion. The know- are like the frantic attempts of delirious ledge that inherea in attachment to patients struggling to get at the tub of Kriahna ia the. only real knowledge and poiaoued water to allay thia unappeas- ia called 'Para bidya' or Brahmma-hidya able thirst of worldly desires. At theae (st ferr aHTf^for), In the Gita, Lord derelious activities of the conditioned 140 THE HARMONIST VoL XXVHUNo, $ souls, the spiritual doctor, Sri Guru two mundane entities. Forgetting deva sheds tears of pity and by the His service and falling under the chant of the Name of Sri Hari, invites clutches of 'Maya' in consequence there- them to the protection of the Same. of, the 'Jivas' are found to be suffering As soon as a child is born the rela- the three-fold miseries in this world. tions and neighbours rejoice as if it will Forgetting Godhead and their own remove all the sorrows and afflictions of real nature and mistaking as their proper every body. But alas ! no one of them selves the mask supplied by 'Maya' in think of the inevitable end as they join the shape of the physical and subtle the merry-making with light heart. body, the 'Jivas' pose as kings, queens But before perhaps a few months have ministers, judges, butlers, methars, rich, passed, the child is carried away by the poor, high and low, etc. Devotion to cruel hand of disease and in place of Godhead being eliminated, evrything is joy, the gloom of sorrow darkens the illusion under her influence, the Jivas home and neighbourhood. The neigh, are made to look to their cloaks of flesh hours come to sympathise with the par- and blood as objects of their permanent ents, curse the god of death, as being concerns, th ereby bringing all the mis- unaccountably jealous of their happiness. eries of this world upon their heads. It appears to them to be a great pity There is no other royal road to get rid that the god of death is no good dispen- of this 'Maya' save and except the grace ser of justice because he does not look of Him who is her Lord. On coming to the equity, i e., convenience and into this world of 'Maya', the Jivas, in- inconvenience of men, in disposing of stead of considering Sri Krishna to be cases under his care, but strikes the the sole Enjoyer of all things and of mortal blow in and out of season, acc- their own solves, themselves pose as sole ording to his cruel whim. They are enjoyers and in attempting to do so, forced to content themselves with the incur the punishment of misery. When poor consolation that these are all the by the grace of the spiritual preceptor, dispensations of Providence which happen the influence of Maya is dispelled, the to the lot of all, hence we need not be Jivas are enabled to see with their sorroy for the inevitable. souls' eyes that they are the servants Therfore the Scriptures say that in or objects of enjoyment of the one this world of illusion, barring the eter- Omipotent Godhead. Like a match, nal service of Godhead, everthing is maker establishing relationship of bus- transitory and no permanent relation- band and wife between the bridegroom ship can be established between any and the bride, the spiritual Preceptor October 1930] ILLUSORY ENERGY OF GOD-HEAD 141

establishes their relationship of eternal an object of his sensuous enjoyment, or service between Jivas and their master, the wife in her turn simulating a false Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna is the only devotion for her husband in order to object of our worship Devotion secure ornaments etc. We even find a to Him is the only means of attaining son imprisoning his dear father to secure Him The attainment of Prema the throne and the faithful servant run- or spiritual Love to His feet is the final ning away with his master's hoarded goal to bearived at (swhn). The spiritual wealth after applying the knife to the Preceptor is instrumental in making latter's throat. One friend sometimes the 'Jivas' realise this whole hearted de. poisons the other to misappropriate his votion to their Lord Sri Krishna. As all In this world of 'Maya', all the senti- in the case of a poor man seeking the raents and relationships are of the un- \avour ot a millionaire, it behoves him wholesome and transitory order and being to have recourse to his agent who is cou based on unwholesome material interest versant with the ways and means by cannot afford real or lasting pleasure. which he (the millionaire) can be satisfi- Therefore, when by the grace of ed, so in order to be admitted to the the true spiritual Preceptor we are grace of the Lord of the universe, one enabled to get. rid of the enthralment must take recourse to the spiritual of 'Maya' and have an insight into the Preceptor who, as Agent or associated nature of God head and His absolute counterpart of the Lord is fully authoris- realm, it is only then that we have the ed to bestow His service and who is him- taste of that eternal bliss which is Divine self completely immersed in His constant and free from the circumscribed func- ■service, and seek for initiation from him. tions of the physical senses and where In this world of ours, the relation- there is no unwholesomeness of this ship that subsists between objects is of mundane plane. There the five varieties a transitory character. There can be of mutual relationship via. "Santa', no permanent pleasure here. All our joys 'Dashya', 'Sakhya' 'Batsalya' and ' Ma- are ephemeral and all our attractions dhoora are altogether wholesome and towards one another, that of the father eternal. The threefold miseries of this towards the son, of son towards the mundane world due to birth, death, .father etc., are actuated by selfish tran- disease etc., have no place there. The 'sitory motives, as the result of which realm of Vaikuntha is not lighted by sometimes we see a husband showing an the earthly sun, moon, stars, fire or utter disregard for his once loved wife lightning but is self.effulgent with the and even considering her to be merely light of billions of original- suns. There 142 THE HARMONIST tVol. XXV11I No. 5 all are extremely happy in the service cowherds tend Him as friend. Nanda of that Divine Personality of all and Jasomati serve Him as their Son. embracing knowledge and bliss, Sri- Sri mati Radhika, Lalita, Bishakha and krishnaand all are ihere His eternal other spiritual maids of Braja whole- exclusive servants. Mundane sorrow heartedly serve Him as His eternal has no place in the land of the eter. consorts. nal and those whose devotional eyes It is devotion" to the spiritual preceptor have been opened by the grace of Sri and no other method that can alone extri- Gurudev can see with their help the cate us from the bondage of Vishnu-Maya eternal pastimes of Sri Krisrna in and secure for us the eternal service of Vaikuntha. There Sanaka, Sanandanand Sri Krishna in the eternal realm of all the Holy sages worship Sri Krishna Goloka, where Sri Krishna abides with. as 'Para Brahma'. Raktaka, Patraka and His servitors and all His Divine Para^. other servants serve Him as Master. phernalia and eternal bliss which flows Sridama, Sudarna, Vasudama and other from the service of the Divinity".

Who is a Brahmana ? (Continued from P. 126 Sept., 1930)

The spiritual community of individuals authority which does not require to be possessing the higher life can have no defined and declared by any code of organisation nor objecive that are defin- so-called written 'laws'. The pure heart able in terms of limited, mundane rela- instinctivly recognises the need and tionship. Complete freedom of the accepts the helping guidance of another individual is the distinguishing charac- pure heart in rendering unconditional, teristic of such a society. In the spiri- exclusive service to the common Master. tual community one individual is The daiva vamasrama 'institution' thus related to another exclusively by the consists of one varna or class viz., that bond of service. Ho one seeks to domi- of the spiritually disposed (Brahmanas). nate over another. The humblest of It is irrelevant to oppose the arrange- servants possesses the highest natural ment on the ground that it possesses October. 1930] WHO IS A BRAHMANA 143

no apparent worldly utility nor even being relieved of its necessity by the

any tangible formulation tof its own substan tive tenure. constitution. Its advocates never Every 'stable', 'organised' institution claim such demerits for the system. It of this world tends to obscure the essen. is only the fleeting institutions promi- tially unstable and dissolving nature of sing deluding worldly advantages that the concerns of this world and thus strive mischievously to go against their perpetuate our ignorance of the really inevitable mortal : nature by the cons, stable and natural life whose very exis- truction of shady dams and dykes tence is perfection and which requires which strangle them to assured death no artificial props and helps for its con- at the moment of tiie greatest trans- tinuance or improvement. But if the gression. experiment to live the eternal life The great point that has to be borne delineated in the Scriptures be made in mind and which is to ba honestly and by worldlings it is bound to end in censistently applied in practice in order Chaos. The impure mind cannot be to be able to enter into and continue made pure by merely disowning its salu- the higher life is that the present tary conventions. So long as the worldly life with all its million tempting corrupt mind is. not fully prepared concerns has no positive value for our to behave rationally in every way tt souls. Iu this world we can but be is bound to find itself surrounded on only usufructunries of seeming posse- every side by impassable barriers. to ssions and we can never be real pro. all its activities. prietors. If we choose to forget this The ideal is, therefore, not to be ' fundamental condition of our usufruc- sought in the direction of a perpetua- tuarial position that it is not destined tion of the slavary of untruth which is to become possessory we are punished the real nature of the physical for such wilful transgression by having and mental expectation, but to recog- to suffer all the evils'of an unnatural nise and try' to learn and by learning podtiom The camp life of this world remove the cause of the present miser- cannot be converted into the natural able state. This is not pessimissm eternal life by any kind of modifications. although a section of the materialistic .Any plan that is directed to this wrong philosophers are »ever tirred of dinn end is bound only to multiply the ing into our ears that it is so. The difficulties of a radically irrational truly pessimistic attitude is one of despair existence. The worldly life is a pro- regarding attainment of the higher bationary period to test our fitness for life. The incurably pessimistic attitude 144 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVin. No. 9 is that which is not even prepared to nation which is held out by the latter. admit the possible existence of any Thus the hyprocritical and truly higher life that is categorically different ignorant life is born and nurned to from that.of the average worldling. its destruction. The terribly silly cant that holds This tragedy must be properly in eternal bondage the intellect of as- realised we are really disposed to seek piring humanity is the familiar sibboleth the Truth for the purpose of serving of the conquest of Nature by man. The Him. Then and then only shall we barren implications of this shallow be able to avoid the pitfalls that have mis-conception require to be fully laid been provided by the false prophets of bare before the world can agree to see worldliness to encompass our ruin. things as they are. Tlie pursuit of the The Truth does not offer Himself to wild goose must cease. It is not pessi. us for our passive acceptance. Hd raistic to believe in this consummation. offers us only His willing service. He Dishonest speculation can never provide has to be wooed and won. If we choose the remedy for the fell disease of worldli- to be indifferent to Him He fights shy nessand is for this very reason deliberate, of us. We must not suppose that it is ly resolved n^t to recognise the disease the business of the Truth to appear to itself. From this attitude it is only us of His own accord and also make one step to begin to hug the disease. us recognize and welcome Him. This Let us once for all get rid of the cannot be the attitude of service. It is irrational perversity that prefers the the attitude of the master. Slavery is bondage of untruth to the service of not the denial of mastery but of service. truth. The service of truth, indeed, There can be but one Master because no always appears in its plain garb of one can serve more than one, The show of service. The bondage of untruth service that is rendered to many presents itself as in the garb of mastery masters, as in this world is no service at over Nature. The vain tiny intelleot all but slavery. of man is impelled by its innate little* The seekers of 'freedom' alsb would ness to over-estimate its own magni- go astray and end in slavery if they tude. This constitutes the offence of choose to prefer untruth to the Truth. of its rebellion against the Truth. The It is worth every body's while to try same impulse that leads it to go aganist to find out, that is to say to seek the the Truth induces it to accept the service of the real Truth. He who will bondage of untruth by reason of its not do so, will not earn 'freedom' but impotent and irrational desire for domi- 'slavery' by his aversion to the Truth. October, 1930 WHO IS A BRAHMANA ? 145

The only freedom is the service of the tion inculcates. If and when the dis- Truth, the service of godhead. It u position is actively established the necessary to realise this and to try seri- necessity for acquiring knowledge by ously to find Him. It will not do to say any indirect method is eliminated. In that it is not possible to find the Truth. the self-realised state there is no trace Any person who will deny the possibi. of ignorance which requires to be re. lity of our being able to know the moved by the process of study. Absolute should be set down as the When the Hisposition to serve the real enemy of the Truth and the only Truth fully manifests itself then and pessimist. No good can come out of then only the Spiritual teacher is in a the advice of such a person which is a position to impart the Spiritual vision counsel of despair. If we ever take to the disciple. Tin Spiritual vision notice of his warning it will be for the is thus closely associated with the negative purpose of being-on our guard dispositon to serve. The Spiritual against his specious fallacies. vision cannot, indeed, be had except One who is disposed to seek the by grace. The disposition to serve Truth is led by the Truth Himself to implies this. Hence the necessity of His servant who alone can instruct him Diksha or initiation by the Spiritual regarding the search. The truth can- preceptor. But the Diksha should not not be found by any person who is not be supposed to be a limited worldly prepared to search for Him. So the process. It stands for the eternal and novitiate under the spiritual guide whit continuous necessity of "race by which is no other t ban the servant of alone our spiritual vision can be obtained Godhead is the only method of finding and kept up. Dtksha, therefore, belongs the truth. One who repairs to the to the category of eternal entities spiritual Guru for finding the Truth and the substantive process is not really with the object of serving Him is ad- intelligible except to the initiated. mitted by the latter to the study of the Diksha, therefore, marks the high- Scriptures by the method of serving water level of spiritual pupilage to submission. In proportion as the disposi- which the oeremjney of upanayan seeks tion to serve the Truth manifests itself to introduce. Diksha is the higher pro- in the learner the meaning of the scrip- cess and implies upaityan as its prelimi- tures is realised. In other words it is nary. Tiie disposition is the only thing not the information contained in the that matters. The upanyan of a per- scriptures that is of value, but only the son after Diksha by the Pannharatra disposition that all the body of informa- method brings out clearly this true 146 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVUl. No 5

meaning of the ceremony of investiture vision of spiritual service which is per. with the Holy thread. It demolishes the fected by a Course of training under the theory of seminali.e.hereditary spiritual spiritual preceptor represented by^ the community. It puts the whole system process to which the candidate for into relationship with the spiritual spiritual living is introduced by the guide by vinHicating 'the supreme savitra sanskara. This is the only necessity of grace as the only sanction dispensation authorised by the scripture underlying all arrangements. for the present controversial Age. The student prior to his attainment It is now possible to deal with the of the grace of the spiritual preceptor popular fallacy that one can be a Vaish- in the form of D'iksha has only a pro- nava without being a Brahmana. bationary status The student who is This castial view of Vaishnavism and admitted to the study of the scriptures Brahmanism requires to be discarded after D'iksha occupies the higher plane once for all if one is sincerely inclined to which the probationer has no access- to understand the true spirit of those This makes the Daiksha Savitra cere, institutions. The Brahmana is not a mony categorically different, from the person of this world. The true Brahm- Shoukra savitra. The second birth ana must be a constant and exclusive ceremony of one who hds already worshipper of Vishnu i. e., Vaishnava. attained his third birth is merely The mere twice-born is not a Brahma- doing over again what has already na. The Brahmana is the Vaishnava been done before. The Daiksha in embryo. The Brahman is the disciple Brahmana is alone entitled to perfrom of the Vaishnava. But he is not entirely direct spiritual service. The twice- above ail activities of this world as the born student who has received only the latter is. The Brahmana has still got to Savitra Sanskara by reason of his discharge a duty to the secular society. seminal birth is not entitled to the This duty consists in instructing all worship of Vishnu which is the only classes of society in the principles of the function of all Brahmanas. Finally Truth. This is the practical side of his the Savitra Sanskara on the strength discipleship under the Vaishnava pre. of seminal birth permitted by some of ceptor. But all this also applies only to the Gtrihya sntras and Dharmashastras, the spiritual or Daiksha Brahmana and is forbidden in the Kali Age due to not to the hereditary Brahmana who is the degeneracy of the hereditary not recognised by the scriptures as pos. Brahmanas. The Diksha provided by sessing the spiritual nature especially the Vancharatra confers the tentative in the Kali Yuga. ( To be continued ) At the lotus feet of the Divine Master.

I• 1 humbly greet My Masters feet By this tribute of reverent joy ; May he inspire The song that aspires To tell of things he knows.

2. It is no idle dream But the Divine theme, That wakens the sleeping soul ; The Master's feet May alone admit To the vision of the goal.

3. My very good friends, May you all extend To me your right good will ; That I may reach, By your helping wish, The sight of the Master still.

4. And the glory sing Of his feet Divine That are no mortal clay ; So the Scriptures assure They ever appear To those who pray.

5. The feet of ray Master Are my only care ; May I never forget By the Master's grace This knowledge may impress As my soul's eternal quest.

6. It may seem so strange To this modern Age, So antique and so stale, That your right good will May not take it ill If I choose this truth to tell.

7. My Kindest Master Is, indeed, no other Than the servant of the Lord. To serve his feet. Let us candidly admit, Is .to serve the Feet of Q-od. THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII No. 5

He is our Master Who is the bearer Of the mercy of the Lord,— To inform those Who pray to know Their duty to their God.

Has the Lord no servant ?— Who dares assert ?— Are we not agents of His will Thelsouls of men And ;dl animation Do His biddings still.

It is the Lord In the Forms of His Word And Bearers of Divine command, That one may know When Himself does show The way by His Beloved.

This only Truth In very sooth All Scriptures do declare : That souls that serve Ever strive to live In communion with one another.

So I humbly greet The Master's feet By this tribute of praise ; May he ever inspire The song that aspires To tell the truth by grace. Hinduism in Harmony with Buddhism

f By Dr. H. W. B. Moreno ]

The writer follows Sankaras philosophy In his interpretation of Hinduism. There is a great resemblance .between the methods of Buddha and Sankara, Neither the Baddhistic view nor that of Sankara attempts to describe the function of enlightened soul or the transcendental Personality and Activities of Godhead. In this sense both points of view may be regarded as essentialy speculative. Their special excellence consists in their masterly analysis of the deluding nature of mundane existence. Their analysis follows the direction of Valshnava philosopy in a remarkable degree without, however, coinciding with it fully. The couclusions drawn by them from the analysis of relative existence are net accepted by the Vaishnavas in so far as they ari incompatible with the eternal relationship of spiritual service that unites the pure soul to his Master and Beloved in the realm of the Absolute ' —Ed. 1

In all Religions there is essentially har- This is achieved by meditation or con- mony; for they go to make up the differ, centration. The Reality is one, besides ent chords that vibrate to the Music of it there exists nothing, in the Universe the Divine. In Hinduism and Buddhism (Smgshar). The state of bliss is achieved there is harmony more pronounced, by the light of Wisdom, which is more striking, than can at first be re- eternal rest and peace (Ananda). The alised. After all, these two religions three pathways to supernal bliss is by have arisen from a common source, the Good Works, in not looking for reward, Vedas, or the Sacred Scriptures of the either here or hereafter, by Devotion Bast. Buddha was a great or Love, by True knowledge or Wis. ad was Sankara, the Teacher, who may dom, which includes Meditation or haVe come centuries after. They both Concentration. drank deep of the same Fountain of In Buddhism these great principles Wisdom ; and each in his turn, gave a are si nilarly outlined. In this world rich stream of knowledge to mankind. thore is sufferin?. The Cause of Suffer, To understand more fully fhe Phi' ing is Desire. There is an Ending of losophy of these Faiths we must probe Suffering and the way out of suffering. the foundations of the two Religions. The way out or the Eight-fold Path The essentials of Hinduism are; The consists of RightJviews, Right Intentions Universe and all that is contained in it Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right is illusion, falsity ; that to understand Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concen. this falsity (Maya) one must look for tration, Right Rapture or Bliss. In the Real that transcen'la the Unreal, seeking to explain these Truths, the 150 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111 No. 5 greatest difficulty lies in the interpreta- Desire or Passion makes us so ; attach* tion of the words used in Buddhism. ment to the world and its surroundings Most of the Religions of the East sutler enmesh us in this Ealsity and makes from a mistranslation of the words things appear to us real which are false. commonly used in them to embody How similar is this to the theory of certain principles ; heuce it is very maya or illusion in Hinduism. Does difficult to translate .the Mahomedan not Desire for this Sanshar or Universe salutation at meeting or parting "Salaam tie us to this Falsity ? Alaiku n" which is interpreted : "Peace The Hindu in the outlining of his he with you'', "God's blessing rest on Philosophy states that the great Truth you", "May peace and safety be with is 11 know the Real, who is one for all yOn" and so on and as forth ; yet these else is nought. So says the Buddhist, translations convey only a fraction of but in more elaborate language, enunci- the meaning found in the salutation. ating his theory of definite principles. Again take the worl "Ma?/a". It is He holds that we must have right views translated as illusion, Delusion, the of the things around us, which are false falsity of the Universe arounl, yet not and unreal. We must then have right a single translation conveys .the full intentions to release ourselves from this significance of the term. bondage. We do this by right speech, In Buddhism as well the word by a right form of conduct and by a "suffering" {Dalchha) has more in it right manner of living. To attain to than is conveyed by the English tran- the One, we again need right effort and slation. The knowledge of Suffering right concentration ; when we have so should mean, that the whole Universe meditated we have right Rapture or is topsy-trnwy, upside-down. We do , which is a state of complete not see things aright in this Universe. negation of all that is in the Universe ; Like the rails on a track, which have it is the blowing out of all the flames of been contorted, owing to some train false desire and Mse knowledge. We having been wrecked on it, the rails then become the Buddha or enlighten- are all awaya nd unlike the level paral- ed. We are in Wisdom and in Bliss lels they were before. We see things witli the infinite. This is what the all twisted and turned about ; this is Hindu means when he says that by what the Buddhist means when he Good works, by Devotion or Love, by speaks of Suffering. We suffer because Divine wisdom we are in union with things are all worng around us. Why One Whom to know is to be. do we suffer and go away ? Because There is one elaboration that has to October, 1930 ] HINDUISM IN HARMONY 1TH BUDDHISM 151 be understood in Buddhism in relation sion. Such a conception of the Infinite to the true understanding of the One. leaves againo the mind staggeredo o in Sankara, the Teacher, held thatto arrive amazement. Sankara, the Teacher's at definite proposition, one had to definition is elaborated to the summit deny that it belonged to anything that of human intelligence. Buddha lifts was within the bounds of human knowl- us to the broad expense beyond, where edge. "It is not, it is not, it is not," the intelligence can only dimly look he says, (Neti, Neti, Neti,) to all you on wKit is below and gaze in wonder imagine that it is ; and when you have at the endless heights above. Both exhausted the list of attributes you ad- have their own methods of elaboration vance and have received a denial for of the underlying principles ; Buddha, each one,you arrive at a glimpse of the however, transcends what the Knowledge of the Infinite. human mind can scarcely reach or Buddha says, It is neither a fixed realise. Reality nor an unalterable Entity ; Is there not then harmony, deeper but is always in flux. If It were fixed than wo imagine in these two great It would yet be conceivable as an En- Religion ? Indeed there is ; and the tity and comprehensible to human un- discord we find between the holders derstanding. "It is not even a Reality", of each Faith is man-made and is, says Buddha, and leaves the bewilder- therefore, puny and pusillanimous. ed mind, stupefied in amazement. It What is Divine lies in both Faiths and changes as all things change ; not for shows a unity that comes from above, a moment can it be understood ; nor beyond what narrow minds cling to in can the mind reach It in comprehen- blind prejudice and error. Taking Refuge in God.

( Continued from F. 23, June, 1930 ) LONGING FOR SERVICE.

(XII ) 1. Gurudeva ! When will that day be mine ! When composing my mind Seated in seclusion, The Name of Krishna I will sing. The tumult of the world Will not penetrate the ear And malady of body will keep afar.

2. As I say ''Hara-Krishna'', By chanting the song Tears will flow in my eyes; The horripilation of joy Will manifest on the body And overwhelm with love.

3. Voice pressed at the throat Will issue from the mouth. My body will tremble ; Sweating every moment Pallor will appear And death.like stupor.

4. Oh ! When without guile, Such will be any state I will constantly sing the Name ! Remaining pervaded within, Performing the functions of body, I will gain thy mercy ;

(xin) 1, Gurudeva ! When by the manifestation of thy mercy, 'The Pastimes of Sri Gauranga Are eternal varities In this firm conviction, Reciting the Name of Hari, 'Mid the garden of Godruma, I will roam for their sight. October, 1930 ] TAKING REFUGE IN GOD 153

2. , Gauranga, Advaita, Sribas, Gad«dhar, all five, By the liquid sweetness of the Name of Krishna, Overflood the world, Singing the high chant in unison,

3. The Pastime of dance. Playing on the Mridanga, I will hear with my own ears ; By the constant vision Of the Beauty of that Leela, I will be borne on the flood-tide of love.

4. And presently again missing the sight Of the treasure of that Pastime As I weep and cry aloud the Name of Gauranga, The worldlings Proclaiming me mad Will throw the dust at my body^.

LONGING FOR REALISATION.

1. When in the wood-lands of Gaura By the bank of the celestial stream With the cry of 'Oh Krishna, Oh R,adha !' Shall I roam weeping, Renouncing the pleasures of the body, Under all diverse creepers and Tree-1 ?

2. At the liomes of the basest By begging I will feed, Sip the water of the Saraswati, From bank to bank I will roll on the ground With the tumult of cry of Krishna ?

3. To the denizens of the Abode of God Making obeisance I will beg for the trace of mercy : With the particles of dnst from the feet of the Vaishnabas Anointing my body, Assuming the garb of the wholly free ?

4. The denizens of Braja and Gauda I will not deem as different, I will be a dweller of Braja ;— Dhama's own beauty Will manifest to the eye, I will be the handmaid of Radha ! ( To be continued ).

20 Matters of Moment

Religion and State : —The demo- other worldly institution. 'Statesmen' cratic ideal of the state is ^as^d on the and 'anarchists' differ hopelessly on al- so-called common will of a people. As most every point and it is impossible soon as the worldly advantages of co. for the reason of man to decide on the operation are realised, number of indivi- issues. duals may tend to combine and form Therefore, the argument that in themselves into a community for secur- consideration of the undoubtedly great ing such advantages. The State is one services that are, and have been, render- such association. The most distinguish- ed to man by the despotic territorial ing characteristic of the state i^ that it State its imperfections which are neither is closely connected with a particulnr serious nor irremediable should not country. This Geographical basis of weaken the general loyalty of the the State renders practicable the people to the institution, need not pro- provision of military and naval regula- duce a final and satisfactory conviction. tion and defence which c iuse general The object of religion is wider than insecurity and warfares on a big scale. that of the secular State. 'Statesmen' Any principle that is opposed to belli- arc so enamoured of the latter that, gerent territorial patriotism and thereby they somti nes go even so far as to de- tends to reduce the danger and evils clare the very existence of religion as of war is regarded by 'Statesmen' as a menace to the safety of the State and opposed to the 'interests' of peace and accordingly to advocate the suppression progress, and, on that account,- worthy of religion in the interests of the State. of being hampered, discouraged and These Statesmen,' who are'never tired even altogether suppressed by the sheer of advertising their own toleration, brutal force of the community placed at liberalism and every other good quality the disposal of the State for promoting would not like if any one in pursuance general well being. of the same logic have the hardihood of The services to humanity that are fighting them with their own weapons ordinarily claimed to have been rendered by advocating the wholesale suppression by the despotic territorial State ruling of the St ite on the ground of its being by brute force are-as difficult to prove incompatible with the higher object of as any claim of utility on behalf of any religion. October 1930] MATTERS OF MOMENT 155

The subordination of the Church displeasure" by squandering public to the State is regarded by modern money, to intercede with the king for statecraft as sacrosanct in the interests of his protection, remarking that as the both. If A is subordinate to B there culprit had actually misspent the royal can of course be no want of uvity in a treasure He should not. interfere to pre- world inhabited only by A and B. But vent what He regarded as his just can this unity be also in the interests punishment. But in this case the king of A in the same way as of B ? on being apprised of the intention of Sri The ideal of -non intereference with Chaitanya to leave Puri where He was religion once regarded by statesmen exposed to such requests from worldly as the best theoretical policy is now people, in orler to propitiate the Lord, considered as not always admissible- even set the culprit free not only without in theory. If religion do not interfere any punishment but rewarding him rich with the State in any way it is only ly in order to make amends for the then that the State may try to bo anxieties that a protege of the Lord indifferent to religion. But if State had suffered at his hands. Sri Chaitanya and Religion both claim our undivided apparently took the conduct of the king allegiance, as they really d > the ihenry in a favourable light by agreeing to of a policy of indifference at once continue to reside at Puri, breakes down. Those who favour the We know thut Christ was crucified subordination of the Church to the by the State for teaching religious doc- State cannot indeed consistently oppose trines that were not to the liking of the virtual suppression of religious the popular teachers of current creeds. institutions. The alleged policy of The State in this case asserted its auth- the Bolshevic State is indeed, the logi. ority in a matter that was purely roligi. cal outcome of the despotic State that ous being guided by the political motive seeks to regulate everything by its of propitiating local opinion in employ- brutal force. ing its brute force against Jesus. King Jesus's attitude, 'Give unto Ceasar Pratapa was a devoted follower the things that belong to Ceasar of Sri Chaitanya and was actuated in and to God the things that belong to the instance mentioned above, by his God' is somewhat similar to that of reverence for the Lord Whom he be- Sri Chaitanya Who desired to keep Jived to be God-head Himself. King religion outside politics and did not Prataparudra's conduct shows a cause, relish the request of one of His less deference to religion in a matter followers, who had incurred the royal that was not apparently regarded as 156 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVIII No.5 falling within the sphere of religion by it be really subordinated to religion as Sii Chaitan^a Himself. It was certainly representing the Absolute Truth ? logical conduct on the part of the king Is there any satisfactory way in who believed the pleasure of the Lord which these apparently incompatible as the supreme standard of all right claims of theoretical necessity and prac- conduct. tical difficulty may be reconciled ? Tiie authority of religion would The political method that prevailed, appear to be certainly superior to that till quite recently, in all Oriental coun* of politics on a consideration of the tries, subordinated everything to relig- purely logical issue. The Absolute ion by requiring the sanction of reli- Truth is all-inclusive and as such is the gion to the whole range of secular only standard of perfectly rational knowledge. But this domination of re- conduct. The Absolute Truth cannot ligion over the empiric sciences proved also for the same reason stand in the a fruitful source of difficulties iu prac- way of the real well-being of any person tice. For one thing religion seems to or institution. The Voice of Trutu must have set itself decisively to block the always prevail over every other consi- path of progressive scientific enquiry. deration including reasons of state. Empiric science became a part of dog. This is tiie theoretical position ; and its matic religion and ceased to be alterable reasonableness should be potent to all except by the method of stretching and unprejudiced minds. twisting interpretations of the already The real difficulty arises in connec- exisiting texts. The difficulty was not tion with the practical application of the cured by authoritative relaxations of the principle. In this world we are ham- principle of regidity in praticular pered by the co-existence of a^vast num- instances. Such attempt to solve the ber of coflictinng departments of problem by the practical adoption of the knowledge. The knowledge is also of principle of superiority of religion has a. highly specialized kind but admittedly bequeathed an after-crop of a, multitude imperfect and unsure. But it is allowed of well-known difficulties in our own to serve at present as the rule of practi- country. cal conduct at any rate in theory, in all The Western Countries now almost spheres of worldly activity. Should all unanimously seem to favour subordina- this knowledge be prevented from tion of the Church to the State at least influencing our practical conduct ? in regard to subjects of real controversy Would not empiric knowledge run the between the two. This is no doubt in risk of vistual suppression in practice if flat opposition to theoretical congistenoy. October 1930] SHREE SHREE CHA1TANYA BHAGABAT 137

This method also has its practical draw- principle of subordination of Church to backs, especially in its application in State in Western countries is anticipat- the Orient where the people are tradi- ed by the alleged attempt to suppress tionally sensitive in favour of religion religion by Bolshevic Russia and the and disposed to support the cause of growing anti-religious tendency among religion against the Suite The impend, the masses of the people of Western ing consequence of the adoption of the Countries.

Shree SKree CKaitanya BKagabat ( Continuedfrom p.p. 94, August, 1930. )

285. Lord Biswambhar went on his way in 293. All the Professors used to repair to the the company of His students ; Ganges for a light of He looked like the full Moon surrounded the holy stream. by the stars. The pride of all was pounded to dust on 386. He came to the home of a townsman and hearing the challenge. seated Himself at his door 293. Who in Nabadwip had power To confront There sat the Lord Whose Feet are im- planted on the bosom of Lakshmi. Biswambhar with any 287. Tying up His cloth in the manner of a. positive arguments ? 294. Under such Divine imposition Biswambhar The Lord engaged in refuting and de- expounded the Shastras. fending the Shatras. And did not cease even when the evening 388 The Lord said, 'He who lacks knowledge had progressed by the hour. to conjoin alphabets Is styled a Bhattacharya in this Iron 295. The Lord happened to pass the door of Age 1 another townsman 389. 'Who has no knowledge of etymology Where dwelt a worthy Brahman of great approves the meth*d of argument good fortune. There is indeed no one who may enlighten 396. His name was Ratnagarbha Acharya of Me. high renown. 390. 'That which I refute, what I establish, The companion of the Lord's father and Is there one who may really alter the born in the same village. same for the better ?' 297. His three sons who were even as bees 391. Biswambhar, Lord of the Universe, Spoke clinging to Feet of Krishnachandra. in this manner. Were named Krishnananda, Jiva, Who has power to answer His challenge ? Jadunath Kavichandra 158 THE HARMONIST L Vol. XXVIII No. 5

298. The good Brahman held the Bhagabat 306 The good Brahman observed His supreme in the highest esteem joy. And read the Shlokas of the Bhaghbat And read shlokas treating of devotion with great affection— with devotion seasoned with fun. ' 0/a dark colour in yellow, in dancing 307. On finding him practise reading with costume devotion Decked mith garland of wild flowers, the The Lord was much pleased and bestowed peacock's feather, precious metal and pearl on him His embrace. With one of His hands resting on the 308 Having received the embrace of the Hero shoulder of His chum and other plying of Vaikuntha with the lotus Ratnagarbha was tilled with loving devo- His tars adorned with the lotus, Hts tresses tion. clustering down either side of His face. 309. Ratnagarbha wept aloud clasping the His lotus mouth lighted up with a smile. Feet of the Lord 300. He was reading this Shloka with devotion The Brahman was caught in the meshes and feeling the. highest satis- of the love of Chaitanya. faction. 310. He read the Shloka time and again in As the Sound of it reached the ears of the the ecstacy of love, Lord. The Lord thundering His entreaty to him 301. He halted and by the power of listening to go on. to the utterance of Devotion. 3l 1. A sense of wonder grew in all persons on The Lord bereft of all external conscious- beholding this. ness and fell down in a swoon on At sight of the Lord all the citizens made the spot. obeisance. 312. 'Read no further' said Gadadhar. jo2. All the students were lilled with amaze- All of them sal in a circle round Lord ment. Biswambhar. The Lord manifested His external con- 313. Lord Gour presently manifested His ciousness after a short while, external conscionsness 303. After fecovery Biswambhar still said, The Lord constantly said, 'Tell Me, what 'Speak on' it is ?' The Lord continued to roll on the grouud. 314. 'What waywardness', said the Lord, 'did I 304. The Lord told him to speak on and the commit P' good Brahman did the same. The students replied, 'Thou art of per- There was manifested the occean of fect deeds.' Krishna-bliss that steals the heart, 315. 'What may we say ? What power have 305. The earth was drenched with the tear:. we p" of His eyes Friends prevented them,—'Do not indulge Tears, shivering, horipilation, all these in praise,' were well perceived. ( To be continued ) Ourselves. His Divine Grace Paramhansa Srlla Bhaktl Sarkar M. A., Panchatirtha, Rai Bahadur Jaladhar Siddhanta Saraswati "Qoswaml Mahara]—His Sen, Dakshinaranjan Ghose B. A., Venkat Rao Garu, Dlvitie Grace who had been preaching the religion at Mrinal Kanti Ghose, Sitenath Tattwabhusan. Prayag for over a week left for Maimisharanya on Srijut Mrinal Kunti Ghose informed His Divine the 30th of Aagast. The party was aecompanied by Grace that it had been the heart's desire of Sisir Srijukta Manomohan Sanyal, retired district and Babu to build in Calcutta a suitable temple for the Seesions Judge. From Nimsar His Divine Grace and worship of Sri Chaitanyadeva. He said that Maha- party proceeded to Bijnor on the 2nd of September. prabhu had now brought about the fulfilment of His His Divine Grace left Bij nor on the 4th and after a purpose through the agency of His Divine Grace. It short stay at Hardwar reached Dehradun on the 5th will be, he said, a great solace to him and to all who afternoon. His Divine Grace and party started from desire to practise devotion to Sri Chaitanya to have Dehradun on the 6th and arrived at Mussourie on the this opportunity of serving the devotees of the Gaudi- 7th in the morning. His Divine Grace returned to ya Math as the Math-Buildings have been built close Calcutta on the 12th of September after a three to their doors. weeks' tour in the United Provinces. Srijukta Principal Heramba Chandra Maitra—Princi- Manomohan Sanyal M. A., L. L. B, on being initiat- pal Heramba Chandra Maitra on learning about the ed into the Vaishnava life by the Grace of Srila activities of the Gaudiya Math irom the lipsof Sripad Paramhansa Thakur accompanied His Divine Grace sundarananda Vidyabenode, Kditor of the Gaudiya, to the Gaudiya Math of Calcutta. His Divine Grace observed that Gaethe had extolled Christianity above was received with great ovations by the leading all regions because he did not know that no religion gentlemen at all the places that have been sanctified in the world except" that taught by Sri Chaitanya by his auspicious visit. assures the complete well-being of the fallen Chris- Propaganda tianity is di vided on the question of the salvation In the Madras Presidency.—Tridandi Swami of the sinner Sri Chaitanya teaches us that the Srimad Bhakt-iranjan Bhaktisar Maharaj accompanied worst of sinners may attain the highest service of by Pandit Sripad Ramananda Das Devasarma Vidyar- the Divinity by the causeless grace ot Godhead. Chai- nab and Sripad Haridhan Brahmachari visited the tanya declares that Godhead does not pre-ordain town of Tanku at the invitation of the local people. eternal perdition as the lot of any sinner. But there Sripad Vidyaranab Prabhu addressed a large meeti g have been very few persons who have paid proper convened at the town-hall by the President of the attention to the teachings of Sri Chaitanya. Sri local Hindu Sabha and other leading gentlemen. Chaitanya Himself confessed to Sri Advaita Prabhu Panditji spoke in English for over two hours on the that there was no customer in the market for His life and teachings of Sri Chaitanya. His Holiness commodity. What rank immorality, Principal Srimad Sar Moharaj Presided. Maitra observed, is nowadays being passed off as the The advent of Thakur Bhaktlvinode—The an- 'religion' of Sri Chaitanya The Gaudiya Math is niversary of the Advent of Thakur Bhaktivinode was doing immense good by its attempt to revive the celebrated at all the Maths cn the 5th of September. religion of the loving service of the Divinity taught Visitors at the Gaudiya Math, Calcutta.— by Sri Chaitanya in its really pure form. The following gentlemen paid their respects to His Acceptance of Tridanda Sannyas.—Pandit Divine Grace at the Gaudiya Math during the month Srijukta Ramendra Chandra Bhattacharya Vidyar- of September. Srijukta Dhirendra Nath Sen, nab, Bhaktishastri, B. A., received the favour of Tri- danda sannyas at the feet of His Divine Grace Para Shyamapada Bhattacharya M. A., Makhanlal mhansa Paribi ajakacharya Sri Srimad Bhakti-sidhan- Eandyopadhyaya M. A . B. L., Debendra'Math Mukho- ta saraswati Joswami Maharaj on the the 24th of padbyaya M. A. B L., Rajarshi Srijukta Nafar September. His Holiness has been awarded the scriptural designation of Srimad Bhakti Rakshaka Chandra Pal Choudhuri Bhaktibhusan, Srijukta Sridhar Maharaj in the Madhwa Gaudiya Manoranjan Ghosh B. U.,Pandit Sri Kshitish Chandra Sampradaya. Vol. XXVIII. No. 6. November, 1930

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIVA )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PAR! B RA JA KAC H AR VY A Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS. Subject Page 1. The Theistic Conference 161 2. The Gaudiya Math 163 3. Presidential Address 169 4- The Festival ot the Peak of Food 176 5. Who am I ? 180 6. The Philosophy of life in a Nutshell 185 7. Ourselves 187 8. Invitation 192

Celebration of the Peak of Food. THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJANATOSHANI

VOL. XXVIII 1930, NOVEMBER Cbitanya-Eta 444 NO 6.

The Theistic Conference

THE Theistic conference was in session The address of the conveners referred at the new Buildings of the G-audiya to the above circumstance in suitable Math at No. 16. Kaliprasad - terms. It was, nevertheless, felt neces- varty Street, Baghbazar, Calcutta, sary to proceed with the conference for from October 24 tp November 1. The the purpose of trying to indicate in date originally fixed for the conference outline for guidance of supplementary had to be changed several times on sessions the positive nature of the busi- account of unforeseen circumstances ness that is necessary to be handled due to the present abnormHl state of by it and to test the suitability of the country. This uncertainty stood the procedure that had been devised in the way of many intending visitors for the purpose. from joining the conference in time. The presidential address contains It will therefore, be necessary to have a brief reference to.the procedure that a supplementary session as soon as had been finally adopted after the most there is the needed improvement in the careful consideration. In view of the out-look of affairs of the country. immense scope of the business to be 162 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVIII No. 6 transacted and the necessarily limited scriptures acted upon by the former amount of time that it was at all possible Acharyas it was decided to collect and to allot for the purpose it had been deci- analyse the independent individual ded to disallow all extempore speeches. opinions of speculative thinkers with In lieu of such speaking an attempt a view to use them negatively in the was made to elicit the considered exposition of the Absolute at the opinions of persons of all denominations conference. in the form of written statements by The preliminary address deals with the circulation of a number of questions the reason why the vision of the Absolute on the likely topics of discussion. is not open to empirical specula- These have been published in the pre- tion. It was stated that most of the vious issue of'this journal. The answers answers received showed that the ques. received were next analysed for finding tions that had been cii culated were not out the valuable suggestions for being properly understood and that this was dealt with in the conference. The not unexpected. There was however, Presidential address made it clear that quite a large number of persons who it cannot be the intention of any had given their serious attention to the bonafide preacher of the Absolute Truth matter and had sent their real opinions to look for enlightenment from any which would be dealt with in their pro- quarter save the unbroken chain of per place in course of the discussions. of the spiritual teachers. Those The difficuliy of expressing the who are on the track of the Absolute Absolute with the vocabulary at our are self-surrendered souls who have no disposal was also touched. The audi- ambition of propounding any original ence was assured that that difficulty suggestions of their own. Neither do is capable of being automatically solved they expect to obtain any accession in the measure in which any discourse to their knowledge of tue Absolute could be really directed towards the from the speculative discussions of Absolute. /The vocabulary thereby those who have not been enlightened acquires the proper significance and by complete submission to the Absolute. becomes a help and not a hindrance. The scriptures themselves, however, After this brief preliminary the provide various methods for the business before the conference was benefit of those who are given to formally commenced in the order laid abstract speculation or desirous of down in the programme. This was done improving the prospects of worldly living. day by day from 7 to 9 P. M. for the In pursuance of this method of the nine successive evenings. All relevant November, 1930 ] THE GAUD1YA MATH 163 points that had been raised in written no more than a couple of hours for nine answers to the questionnaire previously evenings. circulated from different quarters were The English translation of the referred to and dealt with as the treat- preliminary address appears on a ment of the whole subject progressed separate page. It is our intention to in a systematic manner. This method of publish the English translation of the exposition of the subject left no ques- whole series of the discourses in tion wholly untouched although the time due course in the pages of this that was available to the speaker was journal.

The Gaudiya Math ( Continued from p.p. Z35, October, igjo. )

THE Arc/tan is the means by which cal with the object expressed by it. all institutions of this world are In this world the language is symboli- enabled to participate in. the service cally expressive of an object, but never of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda by means of identical with the object. But this their worldly activities. But the phenomenal world is a symbol of the Archan is not maintainable in its purity spiritual world. Everything here sym- except by means of the Kir tan. bolically means the absolute. The world Spiritual service is capable of being is one immense volume which if read expressed in language. On the spiri- aright reveales the Absolute through tual plane there is no qualitative or its every letter. The Archan is symbo. quantitative difference between one func- lical of spiritual worship available in tion and another like those that prevail this world for those who have no proper on the phenomenal plane. There is access to the spiritual plane. But the distinctiveness without diaruftive differ- Archan is not therefore wholly symbo- ence on the higher plane. There is lical. It is the reality itself appearing simultaneous distinctiveness and non. as symbol for our benefit. The Archan distinction in all spiritual relationship. is different from ordinary activities Spiritual language is therefore identi. of this world, because it is directed to THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXm No. 6

Godhead and is performed under tHe offering by direction of your beloved direction of the devotees and the devotee who knows Your wish to have it scriptures. from me. But if one goes on saying so But in Arckan the holy Forms of for eternity is it likely for the Lord Sri Sri Eadlia-Govinda do not in this to make any real response of His Iron Age always hold actual communion acceptance ? There is no reason why with Their worshippers. It is the the Lord will respond to such offering ; symbolic view that is available to the or, rather, why the worshipper will be novice when he is graciously permitted enabled by his *ymbolioal activity to by the devotees to perform the Archan. rise into the sphere of responsive It is possible to hold actual communion service. with the devotee^ of Sri Sri Radha- The Lord makes actual response to Govinda. These latter are capable of His true devotees. If the words of His communicating to us the tidings of devotees are listened to with the faith of the spiritual world in an intelligible that they are identical with the words although symbolical form. They can of the Lord Himself, one is thereby tell us whether Sri Sri Radha-Govinda enabled to receive mediate communi- is actually pleased with us and also the cation from tlie Lord. If in his turn right method of worship. They are in he can communicate what he hears a position to inform us of this because from the devotees in words that are they themselves are privileged to have approved by them, he can thus be the actual sight of the Absolute Reality. gradually enabled to hold conversation The Kirtan is the manifestation of with the Lord symbolically and media, spiritual service by the devotees by tely. A pers on can thus te enabled in means of spoken language. The Truth a way that is somewhat intelligible is pleased to appear in this world in the to communicate with the Lord. Tliis form of words spoken by his devotees. symbolically responsive state is the It is, therefore, necessary to listen highest level of service that is available attentively to the words of the devotees. by the grace of the devotees to the In Archan also the worshipper conditioned soul during his sojourn into communes with Godhead, by means this world. The fully responsive spiri- of Scriptural language. In Archan the tual service of God .head is not attain, worshipper says in effect to the Lord, able in the flesh. *1 am offering to you flowers etc. with The discourses and chants of the humility for Your gracious acceptance devotees, therefore, provide the only of the same. I venture to make tbe opportunity for conditioned souls for Ncwemberi J930 ) THE GAUD1YA MATH 165 holding indirect communion with the The off-shoois of Sri Chaitanya Math Lord. The Archan is properly performed are an extension of the centre of the only if it be constantly kept alive by bestowal of grace for the benefit of means of the Kirtan. The Gaudiya souls in all parts of the world. The Math provides for the constant Kirtan recognition of the connection with Sri. of the Name, Form, Quality, Activity dham Mayapur is vital for realising the and the specific service of the devotees true nature of the Gaudiya Math and of Godhead. They are simultaneously the grace of the Acharya. distinct and identical and also inconceiv- It is only the votaries (?) of indis- able -except by grace. The Kirtan tinct and undifferentiated, concocted thus constitutes the fundamental ideals of G odhead who are on principle activity of the "Gaudiya Mat-h. unp repared to admit the reality of All activity of the Gaudiya Math specific Divine realm and personality. emanates from His Divine Grace The deluded worshipers of unknown and Faramahansa Srila Bhakti Siddhapta unrealisable Magnitude as Godhead Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, the (Brahma) suspect the reality of the spiritual successor of Sri Rupa Goswami worship of the holy Forms of the Divine who was originally authorised by Sri Pair Sri Sri Radha-Govinda. They are Chaitanyadeva to explain the process not permitted to realise that the wor- of loving spiritual devotion for the ship of the Divine Pair is identical-with benefit of all souls. The reality of the that of Sri Gaursundar under the whole activity of the Gaudiya Math guidance of Sri Nityananrla in Sridham depends on the initiative of the Mayapur. In Sri Chaitanya Math Sri Acharya. Sri Chaitanya Math of Gaursundar manifests Himself as the Sridham Mayapur reveals the -source Source of all His Energies who serve of the Gaudiya Math. The Acharya Him as Sri Sri Radha-Govinda by means dwells eternally with the Supreme of their reciprocal animation of the Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya in His principle of free loving devotion ana- franscetidental Abode in Sridham logous to the spontaneous amour of love- Mayapur, White Island of the Scrip- lorn females for their only sweet heart. tures. From there the Acharya mani- Loving devotion to the Feet of Sri fests his appearance on the vJimndane Sri Radha-Govinda is the fulfilment plane for the redemption of souls from of the process of the true service of the the grip of the deluding energy and Divinity. This is not comprehensible to conferring on them loving devotion to our present understanding on account the Feet of Sri Sri Radha-Govinde. of our. irrational affinity with tempocary 166 THE HARMONIST (Vol. XXVIII. No. 6 objects and interests. From our present select aspects or objects of it as Divi- standpoint we find it unprofitable and nity. Atheism, idolatry, polytheism, harmful to aHmit any form of actual pan-theism belon-j; to one and the same specific subordination to Godhead. To category and are very closely inter- avoid really and definitely obeying connected. There is the sceptic who Godhead we become the votaries (?) of professes to doubt everything but does the un-known unknowable (?). Such a not find it convenient to act up to his theory possesses the advantage, which profession and is, indeed, very fond of we desire above every other thing, of the things of this world under protest. leaving us free to do what we like. All these attitudes lie entirely off This freedom to follow our own liking the spiritual plane. The bonafide spiri- is extolled by those who practise it as tual sense always seeks a definite func. the highest form of service of the Divi. tion that should be able to satisfy the nity. It is contended that such freedom real requirements of the higher self. It is the sole, self-sufficing, self progres- rejects as trivial and irrelevant all pur- sive guarantee of its own truth. suit of ephemeral and irrational whims But a very little reflection should that spring from the fundamental defect show all sincere souls the utter decep. of total absence of auy hunkering for tiveness and hypocrisy of the whole the real Truth. But to every loyal position. Can it be described as a nature the Truth unfolds Himself by theistic attit ude at all ? Where is the spontaneous progressive revelation. admission in it of the superiority, or The realisations of the sincere even existence, of Godhead apart from seekers of the Truth are embodied in our ever-changing (not provably pro. the spiritual literatures of the world. gressive) apparent self ? The position It is not possible for the conditioned commits us wholly to the mercy of our soul to recognise the Truth even when apparent self. The worship (?) of the He actually reveals Himself in the im-known unknowable (Brahma) is for Scriptures. The reason of this is that these reasons more repugnant to a the conditioned soul is necessarily in- theist than any form of avowed atheism. sincere being constitutionally indisposed There are diverse forms of atheism. to receive the knowledge of the Truth The most easily comprehensible is that from any extraneous source as sole of refusal to admit anything as true authority. But one who is sincerely except our present perception of the desirous of finding the Truth should not phenomenal world. This leads to the be anxious either to discard or accept worship of the phenomenal world or any real help from any quarter. Ha November. 1930 ] THE GAUD1YA MATH 167 should remain fully open to all possi- desires only an extension of the same ble, or even apparently impossible process along lines that are liked by sources of enlightenment. The difficulty himself. This he regards as his indi- is in regard to those persons who are viduality and he values this above every under the delusion that they are par- thing else. The loss or modification tially cognisant of the Truth. But of this supposed individuality fortunately the most distant glimmering appears to him to be identical with of the Absolute happens to possess the self-destruction. nature of the Absolute. The whole In other words the consistent men- experience of the Absolute from its talist is constitutionally opposed to ac. first beginning is characterised by full- ceptance of the Truth by the only Bessof knowledge without shutting out method viz. by the unreserved recogni- the process of progressive revelation. tion of his own utter ineligibility for The Truth carries with Him His own understanding the same. Such humility light by which He reve iIs Himself to can arise only in the heart that has a our vision. He is self luminous. He can- spontaneous irresistible h-nkering for not be seen except by means of His the Truth. This humility cannot be own light. He cannot be seen by any producd by any amount of mental cogi- of the faculties of our dwarf conscious- tation. It may be present in the dul. ness. These faculties are made by lest mind and be absent in one who may grace to see what they are constitu. possess the rn^st agile mind. It is tionally incapable of seeing indepen- not all mentality but the superficial dently. The Trutu is both the seen and disposition that is in love with itself seeing. It is as if one person could which refuses to be put down by the Truth. communicate his own vision to another The mentalist, one who sets all store without losing the same himself, retai. by the achievements of the mind, can- ning the option of recalling ihe gift at not comprehend the tragic condition in his will. The conditioned soul is anxious which he is placed by his sole depen- to see with his own eyes. He is satis, dence on the mind in his quest of the fied with wuatever he sees by their Truth. means. He has no hankeringO for seeingO It.is necessary to stop this super- the truth unless it is possible to do so cilliousness of the mind before we are through his own eyes by his own desire. in a position to lend our soul's ear to the He may be willing at times to be help, voiceof the Truth, content to receive the ed but not to be perfectly helped. enlightenment ab initio from the Source He wants to retain his own vision and Himself. If the mind is disposed, by THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVIII. No. 6 the controlling power of the soul awak- does not claim to understand more ened to the oonscionsneess of his own than has been made available to him by real'nature by the gr;)ce of the Acharya the grace of the Acharya. He can to admit the initiative of the Truth and really express nothing regarding the to follow closely the progress of the pro- Truth even symbolically except by cess of enlightenment with his receptive grace. But he can also communicate faculties he finds himself insensibly his imperfect experience, without being and without his own synthetic effort, misunderstood, only to those who are raised to the transcendental level of the prepared faithfully to accept the spiritual function, by the gradual arae- reservations of the position in trying lioration of his grosser proclivities. to formulate any judgement regarding But although the mind undergoes this the same. elevation it is at a loss to communicate The first view of the Truth as He its new esperbnce tcother minds that reveals Himself slowly to the awakened have not been similarly raised to the soul is that of a person, a male higher level. The new vision cannot Figure, attended by other male figures. be communicated properly by the old This is the first positive spiritual ex- vocabulary and there is as yet no other perience. The supreme Person is sym. suitable medium that is available to it bolically seen in the actual figure of a for the purpose. As a matter of fact person resembling any persons of this the enlightened mind it-self can have world who are in the physical body. only a symbolic view of the Truth The servitors of the Divine person are Whom it can accordingly describe in found to be of a different colour and symbolical language to others who are clad in a different garb The vision not too dense or too perverse to receive itself is, however, different from any the tidings with all necessary reserva- vision up till then available through tion of such communication. the physical organ of sight. The differ- The present treatment of the sub- ence consists in this that the vision auto- ject is symbolical in the above sense. ma lically dispels all ignorance and It- is the symbolical description of a worldly desire, symbolical realisation. The writer ( To be continued ) Presidential Address.

Bt His Divine Gkace Pakamahansa Paeibrajakachakya Sei Sbimad BhaETI SlDHANTA SAEASWATI GoSVVAMI MAHAEAJ. Time—7 9 p.m. Oct. 24, i930. Place—Natyamandir of Sri Gaudiya Math.

Lord Chaitanya is the combined have to remain penned within the Personility of the Predominating and nariow material scope of three dimen- Pre.Iorainated Moities of the Absolute, sions. We, iniividnal souls, are endovved with But we are hampered by our mixed a mixfd a^titule. Our consciousness aptitule. We have the option of posscases a two-fold potentiality. It meddling with the material as well as takes co?nisan:;e of the material the sp ritual. As soon as we indulge Oitegories. Itisopen to the influence this mixed aptitude by mistaking it to of the spiritual, as distinguished from be our real function we are obstr ictcd the mundane. Lord (Jhaitanya is our by the process. vVe find ourselves only support and the source of our f irbhw th subjected m ire or less to animation. He is the only Object ot the handicaps of insurmountable dis. our worship. As a matter of fact qualifications. These disqualifications every activity of ours owes its possibility have been analysed and classified into and existence to His initiative and as f >ur groups. They are liabilities to the corrollaries of his Activities. Lord (1) blunder, ("2) inadvertance, (3) decep. Chaitanya displays the pastime of tion, an 1 (4) grossness of the senses. seeking Himself. All through His These are very serious defects. They Manifestation He is found most make it impossible for us to obt iin ansiously devoted to the exdusive even a glimpse of the transcendental. quest of the Absolute Godhead, His Hence there arises the imperative Predominating Moiety, viz Krishna. necessity of seeking the help of those We, His eternal proteges, are coudi- who are free from those defects. tioned to follow His lead in this Our present sense-function does not matter. If we do so we shall be doing give us any knowledge of the whole the right thing. By doing so we would Trui-h. On the contrary it always obtain the knowledge of the real a of keeps us away from the Pull, the the Absolute. We would no longer Eternal, the Blissful. We are prevented 170 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXV111. No. 6 fivm tl acJes. s to .nintei-nipt-d f cilities. We fin 1 it useful to study ex^atenc.', a diiterrupted Icno.vled^e t ose scie iC s that deal with objects and uninterrupted bliss. These consti. that we require. But we need not tute the Reality. But we cnn fi d rema:n confined to such investigations no method of approaching this We are fit to ba attracted also by Reality by the exercise of our present the science of sup r.mundane reality. faculties. We bta n insteid the so- We are attracted by One woo is called knowledge of the t dn :s of this existence, knowledge and bliss He world. We perceive only m itter. We attracts us in different degrees. He can imagine the condition of material has given us the fitness to be attracted negation. But neither of these is the in different measures. We are subject Reality proper. We cannot avoid the to His attraction. We can endeavour consideration of distinctions But it to attain to the realisation of the is not possible to entertain any proposi- science of reality to the extent of His tion regarding distinctive entities attraction. There are many persona except on the plane of the lour fold who are not exclusively engrossed in defects mentioned above. It is, however, the acquisition of worldly facilities. incumbent on us to try to be perfectly Many wish to progress in t ie direction free from those defects. The method of the supreme function, the supreme based on sense-experience is useless facility, the supreme object of desire, for this end. It can never free us the supreme position which frees from from those defects. all illusion. Different persons try to Those who live on the resources of do so in different degrees. The langu- the mind express themselves in age of a person is affected by the pro- language. The vocabulary used by gress that he makes. It proeresses them is more or less defective and towards the spiritual realm in the pro- mutually conflicting. The experience portion of his advance. Suca a person of the moment is different from true can respond to questionreaard.ng the experience. We try to gain admission supreme desideratum in the proper in the realm of true experience. We spirit. We formulated a number of desire to make progress in such questions on the subject. We appro- experience. It is our purpose thereby to ached those persons who are spiritually gain the love of the Real Entity. This inclined with those questions. We hoped is the supreme desideratum. for reasonable response fr.>m them We are now interested n the Persons who are possessed of mixed acquisition of all kinds of worldly aptitude are always subject to the November. 1930 ] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 171

fourfold defect. Such is the condition spiritual philosophical systems and non- of all those persons who set a store by spiritual Dharma^hastraa. All these worldly facility. The quest after are full of varieties of injunctions in Krishna is free from the fourfold le- the midst of narratives of use-fnl and feot. Persons with the mixed aptitude harmful activities. But they also con. can know nothing of such quest, we tain much instruction for the propaga- also know this. But we nevertheless tion of real good and suppression of cherish the inclination to approach them evil. The great aagea of old times also We want to be enlightened in our quest studied those works. They were not of the truth by the positive as well as thereby prevented from attaining the negative method. We had sought th s obj -ct of their desire. We have felt contact with the spiritually inclined assured by the knowledge of tlra fact. as we know that we shall be gainers Our purpose is to seaioh for Krishna, by such contact. Such contact helps We have to consider in this connection in our que^t of Krishna which is baaed two auhiecfa, viz (I) 'Krishna' and (2) on tue analytic and syntheti; methods. 'His Search T It is our greatest desire to succeed in The word 'Krishna' has an ordinary the quest. mt-anin^ which is intelligible to all of We know that such procedure has us. This meaning is supported by His- also its difficulties. The mixed apti- tory and the conditioned intebect of tude is really opposed to the quest of man. This moaning leaves ua ignorant the truth. It is opposed to absolute of the truth. We shall not accept this emancipation, to the supreme functi -n, meaning. On the contrary we shall the supreme need and the supreme know the real, indivisibl- Trut.. H rn. desideratum. Its nature as well as its self, ''neieiaa meaning of the word lanitiagea are equally opposed to the which can enlighten us regarding the quest of the truth. They are bou .d Truth. Tne ordinary-meaning of the to try to baffle our purpose. We know word 'Krishna' is an entity vhich is this. We also knew tnat all this not. different from Krishna. It is some, withstanding, there is no objection to thing that is euv' loped by the deluding cunta:t witu an entity that is so Hostile energy of Krishna. It is an object to our purpose We intended to which is comprehensible to tne other accept that portion from it which is gross senses besides the ear. It is a our due. product of our aenauons perception. Tnere ar.' non-spiritual Punuias, We shall not deGle "be word Krishna non-spiritual Panouaratras and nun- by accepting this meaning. 172 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVlll. No 6

All the dilFerent languages derived undefined, nourishing Principle), Para- from Brahmi, Kharausti, Shanki and matma (the Supreme Soub, or Hhaga- Puskaiasadi, etc., which are their sour- ban (the Supreme Person possessed of ces, possess a variety of words. Mankind all power). The word "Krishna' points assert their knowledge gained through to no such narrow meaning. Such the senses by means of these words. words as 'adhokhshaja' (transcendental), They are guided by the secondary 'aprakrita' (non-mundane) and 'atin meaning. They" are more or less in- driya' (supersensuous) etc., are the pro- different to the primary meaning of ducts of negative speculation. By their those words. Such desire to target any means it is possible to draw a picture visible object of this world by means that exists only in the imagina'ion of of such words we know to be opposed man. Such performances are different to the supreme desideratum. There are from the real Truth. They retain the different words in the different langu- power of pro hieing ignorance, which ages to signify the real Truth. These makes them different from the Truth. words are the products of intellectual The adulterated quality of physical speculation. They point to the Truth. space affects such words. They are But ah those terms are subject to know, hereby separated from the real Entity. ledge gained through the senses. There Thfry contribute to the elalioration of fore they are entities limited by three that Entity by the conceptions of the dimensi ns. None of those terms can relative and the numerical. The Bri. attain to the level of the transcendental hadaranyaka speaks of addition, sub- entity. traction, multiplication and division The word 'Krishna' points to the of the complete whole. But those real Truth. The real Truth is not processes do not destroy the unity of identical with the secondary meaning the Wnole. of Himself. The word 'Krishna' is not All diversity exists by the divisions used to convey any allegoiical sense. of obj'-ct and subject. Mental specula- The word •Krishna' uttered by the soul tion is based on preference for absence desirous of the supreme desideratum, of all distinction. Mental speculation cannot accomm'date the meaning that fulfils itself by this di-tinctive achieve, is productive of ignoiance. The mean ment. There is no possibility of the ing of words is narrowed by the eye, elimination of the triple limiting enve- the n ise, the tongue, the skin and the lope by its means. The Truth of the mind. This narrow meaning expresses Divinity has His- existence in the indi- objects other than Brahma (the great, visible cognitive principle. Therefore November, 1930 ] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 173

He does not obstruct the enlightening we are in a position to realise it, our pfoct'ss of words. The modes •£ inves- week speculation can never enable us tigation represented by the schools that to understand the distinctiveness of the worship Rudra and Biahinma respecti- inconceivable. vely, express a gross ki d of difference The word 'quest' requires to merge from the mode ■>£ the Vaisonavas Such in the significance of progressive pr 'cedure i- obstructive of indivisible realisation. Till then the object knowledge. It is necessiry to consider of quest is allowed to drift aw^y on the these speculations with throughness tide of unchecked imagination. It does and with a disp msiouate mind. Il we not become available for the practice do not do so there will arise a variety of the process of real quest, it is of obstacles in regard to objeet of me- necessary to attain apprehension ditation, the meditator and the process of the real object of quest. On the of meditation. It is necessary to try attainment of such apprehension (he to remove these obstacles. It is neces- seeker of the Truth feels himself under sary to get rid of them parmanently. It His protection, Wnen; this is so the is not reasonable to depend on eclipsed process of quest no longer -goes astray knowledge ifor the purpose of tempo- from indivisible Knowledge Who is rary relief. Toe Sun moves in its course Vasudeva. Then also the process of in space in due order of time. If the quest looses its difference from the acti- Sun is worshipped the object of our vity of realisation. The pc cess of wors.np is a i obstacle to our indivisible quest involves the clear apprehension knowledge, it is not possible to of relationship with the object of search. acquaint a person with the nature It is this which in tne subsequent stage of the word 'Krishna' by means of becomes known as Bhahti of the stage language that is conditioned by the of endeavour. It is Bhakti which triple quality of the phenomenal supplies us with the clue to the world. The Name 'Krishna' is iden- love of Hari. Love of Hari is the tical witn the Possesser of the complete, constant and exclusive acti- Name. The word 'Krisuna' is identi- vity of realisation. Love of Hari is cal with the Object expressed by the realised as the one thing needful. same. Yet the two are also inconceiv- There are many obstacles in the ably distinct trom One Another. It is way of the search of the Truth. Those necessary to bs able to realise the true obstacles serve to eclipse the real nature nature of this inconceivable simultane- of the -eeker of the Truth, of the search ous difference and non-difference Till and of the object of search. It is the 174 THE HARMONIST Vol. No. XXV111. No. 6 enlightening potency of words which there will appear conflict with the alone is able to destroy all those heard Divine Sound, which leads astray obstacles. Th- retore it is only when the tiie otner four senses. This is to he ephe eral manifestation of the dt-luding distinguished from words free from all potency of words is resolved into their limitation lealisalde by considerations enli ditening function 'hat it d tes not of the true nature of sound manifesta- allow the individul soul to become sever- tion. T^e word that is tree from all ed from the indivisible knowledge, the limitation removes the obstructive filth supremely true Entity. It also does that blocks the path of the auricular not promote the perversion of the cav ty. it dissipates the limited oneness of the cognitive principle. perceptual word. By such operation On the contrary it teas up by the root the path of transcendental hearing is the blunder of the speculative theory not prejudicially affected. There is a of undifferentiated cognition. Sri ten-fold process of rectifying the d f'ects Chiiit uiyadeba is this oneness of the of the physical bod> produced by semen subject and object of the indivisible in the mother's womb. Tuis satisfies knowledge. Nityananda is the mani- the speculative function of the mind. festati n of this oneness. He is tLe By such purificatory process our sen- manifesting aspect of the indivisible suous knowledge is enriched. It may knowledge Himself. These Two are produce indifference to indivisible like the Sun and the Moon. They re- transcendental knowledge. In such case veal the cognitive potency of the it in>stab-s entities possessing relation- spiritual eye of the individual soul. ship with Godnead for things of this Hhakti bestows the quality of oneness phenomenal world. Under such rnis- and love of Krishna. These two appteheusion it may renounce such potencies of bestowing oneness and entities by the deluding power of the producing the pleasure ot the indivisinle real entity leading them away from the knowledge are located in Sri Chaitanya. truth and making them place more In this world we construct various reliance upon the nonspiritual reflec- structures Ly means of our cognitive tion of the realm of true cognition. and active sense-organs. Among these There is need for me to say all this sense-organs the organ of speech is the at the outset of the discussions that are parent of the hearing of sound. The to follow. I have, however, no intention organ of speech may not be wholly of disturbing the method of mundane established in the line of the heard speculation. On the contrary I have transcendental sound. In such a case made this submission with tue good November, 1930 ] THE FESTIVAL OF THE PEAK OF FOOD 175 inteution of enriching that method. I more forbearing than even the tree ; have ventured to mak" this statement and being so, and remaining eternally knowing that the stream of the influ. and firmly established in the service enoe of your mercy is ever showered of Sri Chaintanya, m;

The Festival of the Peak of Food

The festival of the Peak of Food from the point of view of the material was celebrated in the new Buildings and moral well-being of society. It of the Gaudiya Math on the 22nd of is not our purpose here to go into that October. An immense vaiu-ty of the subject. It will suffice to observe that choicest kinds of food in vast quantity the object as well as the method of was offered to the supreme Lord on "feeding the poor' refer exclusively the occasion. The remains of the to i he temporary amelioration of the Lord's meal were then distributed physical and mental state of the persons among all the people. The most well- who are fed. The relief sought and to-do persons competed for a particle offers 1 is limited and questi mable. of the Ma'iaproa 11 (the great favour) Tho offering of toe Peak of Food on this most auspicious occasion. to the Supreme Lord is not inspired The offering of the Peak of Food by any considerations of mental or is essentially different both as regards physical well-being. It is a perfor- its object and procedure from poor- mance on the plane of the soul who feeding. Feeding of tlie poor has for is free from all p iysical and ment d its object the appeasement of hunger wants and defects. Those who do not of those who are in want of food This believe in toe soul and spiritual activity is a meritorious form of activity and will not therefore, be able to under has its advantages if it be considered stand or sympathise with the principles 176 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No 6 of the devotional function. If they Lord. The supreme Lord was so try to abbrevinte it from the utilitarian hungry that he ate up all the food with point of view they will commit blunders the greatest satisf iction. But this was for which they should thank only seen only by Madhab. Others could themselves. not see this because the touch of the The institution is the revival of a Lord's hand, as He a'e the food, restored practice established by Sri Madhab- the piles as soon as they were eaten up. endra Puri when he organised the The remains of the meal were worship of Gopala (Boy.Krishna) at the distributed among the people. The Mount of Gobardhan. Ma ihabendra villagers thereupon undertook to Puripad was a Tridandi Sannyasin of continue the forms of worship thus the order of Sri Madhvacharya. He initiated by Madhab. The inhabitants was directed by the Divine Child in a of each separate village taking upon dream to establish His worship. The themselves to provide the offering of Holy Form was according to this direc- food for each day in succession, the tion recovered from a grove in the offering of the Peak of Food continued midst of the dense forest, and the inhabi- daily. tants of the surround ngO villageso In the code of devotion there is no were invited to undertake to arrange place for appeasement of tue hunger the regular daily service of the Lord. of the wors.tipper. Bodily needs are Gcpal had told Madhab that He was completely ignored for tue reason that indeed, very hungry and had been the soul who alone can worship Gopala, looking forward to the day wnen is wnolly free from all bodily cravings Ma lhab would make his appearance for and inlirmites. The acceptance of the ridieving His hunger. Acting on this remains of the Lord's meal by the suggesti m M idhab told th^ villagers to devotee is not an act of eating for tue make the offering of a Peak of Food to appeasement of hunger but the. reveren- Gop da on the occasion of the in. tial acceptance by the soul of tue stallation of the h dy f Tin in the Temple favour of the Lord. The soul has no which was hastily ra.tde by putting a want f his own. It is his nature to few blocks of stone The response to the desire perpetually to please the Supreme Madhab's invitation was marvellous. All Lord by means of all his faculties. tue people of the surrounding c mntry The Lord is please 1 to accept the came with their offerings. Every homage oi the soul. i'here is no variety of fo'>d was quick.y prepared question of want in the unwholeso ue on an immense scale and offered to the mundane sense in such affair. It woutd Movember, 1930 ] THE FESTIVAL OF THE PEAK OF FOOD 177 be sacriligious to seek to find the idea This affords a chance for the condi- of bodily hunger in devotional activity. tioned soul to avoid the function of In this spirit the remains of the eating and drinking. The act of eating Lord's meal are honoured by his and drinking is the root cause of all devotees. There is no question of rich sensuousness. It is necessary to and poor, hunger or thirst. The qnality control this function if one is anxious of the food as food does not interest the for the regulation of his sensuous devotee. The Lords remain is his great appetites. The clamorous demands of favour. It is not food that can be eaten. the senses make it impossible for the It is no longer any earthly eatable. It conditioned soul to attend to the needs is a spiritual entity. It is an object of himself. The act cf eating and of worship. It is served with the drinking cannot, however, be got rid of tongue. It is not eaten for the appease- altogether. So the Shastras counsel ment of hunger or for the gratification the practice of moderation. They tell of the palate. If it is served in this us to avoid iudulxing the palate. It is manner it rewards its votary by relieving only the simplest kinds of food that do him from the clutches of all sen. not unduly excite the palate that are suous appetites. recommended for those who desire to If the question is nevertheless asked acquire proper control over the senses. why the remains of the Lord's meal But no arrangement can undo the should be regarded as a spiritual consequences of eating and drinking entity ? The answer is that it is so which is a sensuous act and is bound laid down in the scriptures. It is not to re-act on the senses by way of possible for conditioned souls like our- stimulation. This stimulation will be selves to worship the Lord on the plane mild if one practises plain living. But of the soul. The Lord is merciful. He certain reliance can really be placed accepts our offerings which are things on the method. It is found that no form of this world when they are offered to of eating can wean us from the state Him. But His acceptance of them makes of sensuousness in the long run. The them acquire the spiriritual quality. He person who lives on the simplest of accepts the offering of food for the food may in a moment of temptation purpose of favouring His devotee. The launch on a career of the modest devotee also in his turn accepts the dissipation. Such re-action is by no favour of the Lord with submission means rare and is a part and parcel of and respect and distributes this favour the law of Nature. The sensuous ftmbng all the servants of the Lord. appetite grows by indulgence as also 178 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVIII. No. 6 by the practice of enforced self denial. the cause of bodily or mental health The senses may be artificially brought or preservation of life. Had it been so under one's seeming control for the there would have been no loss of time being. But no manipulation of food health or life. Xo manner of regulation and drink can produce a lashing and of the process of eating can prolong natural disinclination to sensuousness. either health or life to eternity. These It is beyond the power of any processes operate successfully only object of this woild to do any thing but so long as it is the desire of Krishna augment the tendency to sensuousness. that they should. This un lerlying The abstemious method involves the and real cause of all well-being is sure risk of a violent reaction in no stubbornly overlooked by most people distant future. Such artificial treat- in practice, although all of us admit ment only selves to aggravate the the operation of the Divine Will in malady. The method of regulated theory. living is nevertheless of value as it The attitude that chooses to regard serves to keep tlie appetite within the act of eating as a necessity which bounds and postulates a desire for is mechanically productive of good salutary control of the senses. result by means of a little intelligent The method of eating plain and regulation, misses the real object of the bland food is recommended by the activity. Such attitude tends to con- scriptures for producing a habitual dis- firm us in the atheistic outlook which position in favour of total abstinence. may at first be adopted through sheer But the goal of total abstinence can- thoughtlessness. The connection with not really be re-acted by the method Krishna must not be overlooked. Nay, itself. There is a process by which the process of eating must be actually the object of regulated eating is regulated in such a way that it may properly realised. This process is no help us to be confirmed in the theistic other than that of honouring the remains attitude. of the Lord's meal. This can be attempted with or The food must not be taken for any without the consciously received help of earthly pui pose. For example it must Krishna. But it is necessary to realise not be eaten for the purpose of nourish- His constant and conscious connection. ing the body or the mind. It must It is also possible to do so. As soon as not be taken even for the purpose of this connection is properly realised the maintaining life. It is not the act act of eating automatically ceases to of eating in itself which is really be a sensuous operation involving November, 1930 ] THE FESTIVAL OF THE PEAK OF FOOD 179 sensuous consequences. The recollection The ceremony of the offering of the of our relationship with Krishna in Peak of Food to the Supreme Lord every act however trivial is the only emphasises the necessity of the universal method of settingo rid of its mundane adoption of the spiritual process to be consequences. This is not contrary to enabled in our individual as well as our present experience. [f no result communal intercourse to c irry out in a can be produced except by the will of conscious way the Will of Krishna. the Divinity the eternity and self- There cannot be a greater Divine Mercy sufficiency of the causal principle need than this. The remains of the Lord's not be admitted. meal are, therefore, appropriately named At this point the value and necessity Makajrrosad or the great favour. of scriptural testimony becomes of But this groat favour itself is made positive help. Is it redly the desire available to us only by the even greater of Krishna that we should adopt a mercy of the servants of the Lord. particular method and should attempt The Lord does not accept any offering thereby to realise the ideal of our that is made by one who -does not conditional existence. The scriptures possess the perfectly pure heart which is the free from the least taint of self- claim to be■ the Word of Ogodhead. It is, of course, open to us to accept or reject seeking. In other words the Supreme this claim of the scriptures. Lord only accepts the offering made by It is the function of the ievotees His devotees. who are pri vileged to realise the truth of The Acharya is the best of devotees. the scriptuial clai m to try to produce By the acceptance of the Acharya any the same conviction in us. As soon as offering is rendered fit for the Lord's wO1 pay our serious attention to the acceptance. By accepting from the teaching of real Saihus we find that people their offering of the Peak of it has power to solve all our doubts and Food (o the Supreme Lord the Acharya difficulties by making the knowledge affords all persons a chance of learning pi the real Truth available to us. It is to make the offering to the Lord with by the grace of the servants of the a pure heart by associating them in his Supreme Lord that we learn to realise service of the Lord. By the distribution the connection with Krishna in every of the remains of the Lord's meal act of our ordinary worldly life. As among all persons the Acharya soon as this connection is consciously enables all associated worshippers to realised we are relieved for good from attain to the level of doing real good the evil consequences of sodbuous living. to all animate beings. This is the real 160 THE HARMONIST Vol. No. XXVIII. No. 6 significance of the ceremony of the Supreme Lord originally instituted by offering of the Peak of Food to the the grace of Srila Madhabendra Puri.

Who Am 1 ? ( Sbipad Jagaduddhaban Dasadhikari B.A. ) The Word 'I' refers to the Speaker before us or the first person in our cognisance. The T is generally identified with bodily figure of the speaker. In our attempts for identification Figure of the virtually we cannot and, as a matter of fact, do not ordinarily go speaker beyond the bodily form anl make, the stature, the colour together with any distinguishing m irk or marks the body of the speaker might have got, his sex, loc ality nationality, mentality, parentage, learning and other acqu'sitions, profession and also any relation- ship in which the speaker stands to us. If we stretch the definition to its furthest scope generally conceivable to us we might also point to the idiosyncrasies of the speaker and the impression he has created in us, in so far as he Nature of the might have come in actual contact witli us. All these ideas that speaker we form of the speaker are applied to the external mind and body of the speaker, the modalities or manners and circums- tances in which he came under our purview for the time being we took cognisance. Making allowances as far as desired of the speaker for the changes he underwent in the past or may undergo in future oi for innumerable other actions he can follow up and natures he can display in thousand other circumstances in all the times he is destined to live in his present bodily form, he can not ordinarily carry our ideas of him wholly beyond the bodily form and co-ordinated mind he has got and their relation to the pheno- menal world he lives in. Proprietor But this identification of the 'I', that the speaker represents and is too narrow and too shifting and his quest for the real "I'" is Properties likely to be baffled if he is seriously inclined to cling to such hasty and erroneous presumption. All these we mean or presume November, 1930 ] WHO AM I? are but the present temporary adjuncts of the speaker, while his "I" is their proprietor. In common language we refer to properties by a possessive inflexion of the nominative, the proprietor. The pro- perties are never supposed to be identical with the proprietor and the proprietor is certainly different from his properties. The pro. perties shouH be absolutely under the proprietor's disposal and he should be able, at his free choice at any time, to relinquish s^me or all of those properties and assume or acquire others. The will of the proprietor in so doing should not be liable to be affected or regulated in any way by an independent or contrary wish of the properties. Thus from our considered idea of "I" all those or such other properties should be altogether eliminated. The property is in this case mortal and temporary. It can exist in relationship with or in possession of the proprietor only for a specified period—say, a hundred years. But the proprietor is also : supposed to survive the dispossession of bis present propert es. aiKj vaiue At the time of death the connection of the proprietor with these of the pro- properties ceases. Then the body cannot move, the bodily organs perties. of senses cannot work any more and they are soon decayed. But the proprietor perchance takes possession of other properties that he may find in his altered circumstances. This inevitable fact of the periodical dispossession of the proprietor is described in the Geeta in the following Shloka :— sratfa qqr idscmfoi i ewr srffcifa fiiSPT sfaifowrrffT ^raifer it Just as a man may leave off his old or tattered pieces of cloth and put on new and fresh ones, so the proprietor ( ) of bodily properties ( ) giving up his worn-out coverings takes up new bodies in their stead. The fact of death is no more than analogous to a change of apparel. Thus an analysis directed exclusively to the bodily foun and external properties and co ordinated mind cannot lead to the proper identification of the "I" who is realisable as their pro- prietor. Now^ the speaker appears before me in Calcutta and says to me with every assurance, "I am here" and I also see his form 182 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No. 6

before mj very eyes whose testimony I, of course, believe, most naturally. But the next moment he falls asleep in my presence and on awakening tells me, "I had just been to London and was whc•peakcs ? taking a walk on the bank of the Thames with several of my friends I made during my stay there." The next moment the speaker .'eems to be a little absent-minded and does not respond to my call and presently stirts up and says with a deep sigh, 'T was just thinking of my son who is at Bombay engaged in some business ; hence I was not aware of your calling m The "I" of the speaker is not evidently confined to the bodily coil, his gross material possssssion but may appear to refer perhaps to the mind of the speaker which lies beyond the gross material is mind the and which cannot be directly perceived by our eyes or other senses, propretor? pj^gjea] body can only work in concert or in co-operation with mind without which the body is not able to take any initiative. In this twentieth century we are accustomed to ordinarily P) what is body? accept the mind as the possessor of the body. But a question may (2) What is mmd? game time, crop up as to what respectively the material body and mind really are. We get a tiny bodily form at our birth. We grow up to certain dimensions. Then the growth stops Finally we have to leave this mortal coil at the time of death. Before birth we were evidently not no we survive where we are at present and where we apparently cease to exist the physical form? after death. Thus we possess the physical body and mind only in the intervening position and time but neither before, nor after this limited interval. We shall consider later on the nature of our position in this universe. In our present realisation of our existence we are no doubtaware of our physical body, and so also with regard to the existence of everything around us. It is also true that the physical forms and

ueath <■ only shapes in their present state do change, decay and transform. The transformation knowledge of science backed by experiments demonstrate to our sensuous apprehension that this physical element is never destroyed. Every material object, however, changes its shape and is trans- formed into diverse forms. Just as the candle in our room after it has burnt out resolves itself into gaseous products and the full November, 1930 ] WHO AM 1 ? 183 existence of it isfouni to exist in the room in that form in the atmosphere when weighed. We similarly find the forms of insects, birds, animals and trees undergoing death an 1 decay and resolving into the elements of physical Nature. The hills and oceans, though Forms reajlve relatively seeming permanent are revealing to the scientists the into eliments of nature. process of their birth, growth and decay. We have often heard the geologists and antiquarians in upholding the theory of previous existence of a big continent in the bosom of the present Indian Ocean, now the deepest in its kind and also of the archmon occur- ence of a vast ocean in place of the Himalayas, the higest mountains now on earth. The astronomers are trying to trace the conglomeration and growth of the different planets of the universe. Birth is always found to be followed by a sure end or demise however far away it Bodily proper- ties are the may be. Thus all physical objects whether in the solid, liquid products of or gaseous state and however long the duration of their particular nature forms of temporary existences may last, change their shape and tend to be resolved into their component elements of solid, liquid, heat, motion and space. These five forms of physical elements are the final ingredients of which ail material forms are composed, So also are our own bodily forms. To the stubborn materialist the question may occur whether life itself inhabiting the bodily forms is a product of the physical ele- ments or the resultant of any other processes. This is no doubt a question that has appeared to the imagination of all the physi- cal and mental scientists and their hypothetical surmises have been shared by their admirers both in the East and the West. Some have gone so far as to presume life to be a sure effect of ft mechanical proceas like sparks of fire and aberration of electrical energy or a la life a pro- phenomenon like the effervescenee produced by the chemical com- duct of bination of soda and acid or, in other words, to be a product of nature ? evolution by the natural combinations of matter. Thus they con- fidently hope for the manufacture of life in their Laboratory by investigating the cause of automatic action (of squeezing and ex pauding) of the cardiac rauseles. Though their attempts have faded up till now yet they are still dogging the theory with undiminished confidence and partinacity, and they are so very dogmatic that 184 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIll. No. 6

reasonable arguments of the Theists produce little effect on them. Likewise the Epicureans of the school of Charbak (^isgfo?) iden- tify the living person with the physical body and take the body to be the end in itself. We find a considerable section of people holding the same vie.v though not committing themselves in so many terms. But the firmness and amount of complacency with which most people persuo a coarse of bodily enjoyment and bodily aggrandise- obduracy of ment make their position quite clear. These dogmatists spare no the Epicunans to guard themselves against any ray of real knowledge peeping into their dark cells lest they are disillusioned to take a same view of life ; and in their vain attempts to patch up the many loopholes in their frail garments, they most impudently make use of the re- sources of their material experiences to stifle the voice of reason and to stunt the activities of our real benefactors. But though the world at present may count a majority at their back in its materialistic disposition making the putrid body the suramura bonum of life, we sincerely hope that reason and good sense are bound to prevail and the voice of true wisdom will receive a real hearing in the near future. ( to be continued ). The Philosophy of life in a Nutshell. [ By Dr. H. W. B. Moeeno ] The writer has exercised a degree of desireable caution that is not ordinarily found in most persons in formulating theories of the three-fold spiritual methoJ so as to avoid actually spliting them up. They are reaHy aspects of the one method vis. the service of Godhead. They are also not separable from one another. In their specialised dissociated forms they fail to yield the right result. The writer's conclusion is however that of Buddha and Sankara who conceive the highest state of the individual soul as one of merging with the Absolute resulting in the elimination of the distinction of observer, observation and ovserved. To this Vaishnava philosophy does not assent. Asa matterof fact the scriptures go beyond the'na ught'of Buddha into the realm of the positive. Absolute describe in detail the Activities of the transcendental realm. These are the highest secrets and the really needful things. No philosophy that ignores the specific aspects of the absolute function can be said to be positively useful and is seldom harmless. Dhilosophy to be true, must be universal the Absolute or Truth like clouds do It must appeal to all men ; e^ch the sun's rays. To clear ignorance and according to his own thoughts and reveal this Truth there are four main aspirations. Every man differs from pathways. They help in liberating us from his neighbour and every one has his the trammals of worldly surroundings own ideal of the Divine. There are and give us that which severs two outstanding features m all bondage, or attachment to life and its human aspirations, the first is to be consequence, death. free intellectually, spiritually and They are : The Philosophy of G-ood physically ; the second is to attain to a Works. It purifies the mind by means full and perfect realisation of the of good deeds. Every act accomplished Absolute or Truth in Itself. Beyond is in itself good or bad ; if the cause is these two aspirations there is nothing ; present the result must follow ; no all others are auxilliary and subservient. power can stay or stem the consequence. By the attainment of the knowledge G-ool actions bring liberation, bad actions of the Absolute we are free ; or if we are bondage. Good actions strengthen free morally, intellectually and physi- us in our moral powers and create non- cally we have attained to a realisation attachment to worldly surroundings ; of the Absolute. bad actions proluce the opposite The Absolute is ever free. It is effect. If good acts be done with perfect and free in existence, perfect the intention of enjoyment either bere and free in wisdom, perfect and free in or hereafter, they have earned their bliss ; it is not tied to any conditions reward and are negatived. All work nor bound by any limitations. Ignorance should be done without any desire to is that which for a time hides from us enjoy the fruits, whether here or here- 166 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll, No 6 after. Sucli actions without desire of of Love ; for Perfect Love casteth out any return go to destory the bondage fear. So long as there is fear, there of Self, which is the root of all Selfish- is no love. This is the highest abstrac- ness and attachment to worldly tion of the knowledge of the Absolute. surroundings. Tnere should be no The next is the Philosophy of Con- desire in good works accomplished, centration. Concentration or Meditation either for name or fame or even to gain on a symbolical figure, or name, or a Heaven, or a World Beyond. The verse, or even a clause, is helpful to watch-word of such a doer is not I but this end. ''" is the scored name Thou ; he loves ail sacrifice simply for of God even as ''Jehovah" is hallowed the g tod of others, without any motive by a certain sect. It conveys the beyond. The bondage of wealth or lust greatest and highest meaning of the or greed is great but such a doer of Absolute. In the process of Meditation good works breaks through all this a Teacher is helpful to instruct the crystallisation around. guide. The next is the Philosophy of Devo- The la-t is the Philosophy of tion, Love or Devotion is the pleasantest Wisdom. Once Reality is realised as the and most natural way of man. The Absolute, the relativity of all things natural state of the whole Universe becomes apparent. This is true Wisdom. is attraction, just as the natural state Reasoning from this Philosophy the of the human heart is love which cannot meaning of the Universe and all that be without a subject and an object. it contains, the falsity and unreality Hence in the Pnilosophy, God is of all around are mere deductions. represented as a God of Love. Whether Giving up, therefore, all arguments such a God exsists in the Absolute is a we realise the Truth and to realise the truth that has to be comprehended Truth fully is to become co-existent afterwards. None the less to those who with it. The Truth alone is real, all have love in their hearts the Absolute else is unreal. We cease to enjoy, we takes the form of a God of Love. cease to desire for what is naught In the lower forms of worship and are made free, indeed. It is the God is embodied as a Ruler, a Judge, highest, though most difficult Philo- a Punisher or a Rewarder, that has sophy to pursue ; and many may have to be feared ; or he is regarded as a an intellectual grasp of it but few Father that has to be obeyed. Such attain Realisation for Realisation is forms expand into the higher realsa- the comprehension and assimilation of tion of God as the Author and Finisher the Truth till it permeates our very November; 1930] OURSELVES 187 being, as it permeates all Nature and Divinity as One, for none else is; transcends all tilings. higher in conception is the thoflght Once the Truth is realised the Riddle that there is no abiding One nor fix- d is solve! and we find rest in wisdom Reality but what is fashion ng is and in bliss,, for to realise is to be and if fashioned as we are, what to realise we be It we are already beyond all earthly means complete union, which eludes confines, in Supernal bliss and peace. the grasp of comprehension, being in In all this Philosophy the concep- dimensions that are beyoad the rela- tion of the Absolute is an expanding tivity of time and space, where the Realisation. Q-od is worshipped by observer and the observed are merged, some as an idol, as a stone, or as block of a conception that baffles all reason, wood, or as the Spirit of one ancestor ; because it is higherO than thoughtO can or by other as a Judge or King ; conceive or mind grasp ; for as things or even as a Father or Mother ; by are, the limited cannot comprehend still others God is realised as a Lover the unlimited, nor the fractional part or Consort, others yet still regard the contain the whole Container.

Ourselves.

Bijaya Utsab (Oct. X). an appointment at Jamshedpur. While he was so The Bijaya is the anniversary of the victory of employed his attention was attracted to the publi- Shree Ramcbandra over the forces of the demon cations of the Gaudyia Math and he began seriously Havana. It is a day of the greatest rejoicing for the to study those works especially the weekly journal Vaishnavas. It is doubly dear to the Gaudiyas by Gaudiya. 1'hree years ago he formaly renounced being the anniversary of the appearance of Shree his connection with the world and applied himself Madhavacharya. The Madhva-Gaudiya Math was to the whole-time service of His Divine Grace. He installed by flu Divine Grace at the town of Dacca was then placed in charge of seeing the Gaudiya on the Bijaya day in 1913 in commemoration of this Edition of the B'lagabatam through the Press and great event. The holy was observed on Oct 1. other publication work. As a resident of the Gaudiya by appropriate rejoicings at all the Maths of the Math in this capacity he was known as 'Sri Ram- comm jnity. A special edition of the Nadia Prakash govinda Da? Adhikary. He was subsequently awarded came out in recognition of the unique importance of the title of 'Vedenta Bhudeva' by Sri Viswa the occasion. Vaishnava Raj Sabha i i recognition ol his whole- heartd service of Srimad Bhagabatam. Vedanta Acceptance of Trldanda Sannyas (Oct. 4). Bhudev Prabhu, occupied with the close scrutiny of Sripad Ram Gopal Chattopadhaya was an inhabi- the eleventh Skandha of Srimad Bhagabatam now in tant, of the District of Ssnkura. He formerly held course of publication, made up his mind to accept 186 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII. Na. 6 the condition of Tridanda Sannyai which is laid Car of special -design, the Holy Forms of Sri Sri" down in the eleventh Skandha of the , Bhagabat as Gaursundar and Radha-Guvinda along th: principal the method for obtaining the mercy of Krishna in Streets of North Calcutta from the old Math to the the shape of the condition of the Paramahansa. New Buildings in the afternoon of the Jth of October Acting on this decision Vedanta Bhudeva accepted (2—6 P.M.) from His Divine Trace the triple staff on the 4th of October, the day preceding that of the entry into the The Festival of Sri Sri Radha-Madan-Mohan New Bjildings of the Gaudiya Math. He is now The Sri Bigrahas were installed in the New Temple known in the community of the pare servants of amid the Inly chant of congregational Kirtan, by His' Krishna by the designation of Srimad Bhaktibhudeb Dnine Grace in view of an immense assemblage of the Srautl Mahara] His conduct should serve as a living people from all parts of the country. Every detail commentary on the mischief that has resulted from of the Divine Service was watched with breathless adoption of the life of worldliness by the study of the attention by ^ the assembled people as His Divine Bhagabatam from self-conceited worldlings. The Grace at the head of the Sannyasi Maharajas and Pastimes of the Tenth Skandham of the Bhagabatam Brahmacharies of the Math performed those mysteri- are unintelligible to those who have not att.-dned the ous rites that have been handed down by the eternal condition of Paramahansa. The study and exposition chain of the spiritual teachers in accordance with of the Tenth Skandha by worldly people have the revealed records of the Scriptures. The Gaudiya produced the most disastrous consequences and it is Math stands for the perfectly pure service of the Lord high time to think seriously about the subject. which is possible only if the heart of the worshipper is free from all taint of worldliness by the Grace of OPENING OF THE NEW BUILDINGS OF the Lord Himself. It is on the plane of the Absolute THE GAUDIYA MATH (Oct. 5). that the Spiritual Service of the Lord is rendered and The New Buildings. it is only the perfectly pure heart that is privileged to understand .its true significance. The assembled The New B tilding.s of the G.a tdiya Math are the people knew that the devotees of the Gaudiya Math pious gift of a successful business man of Calcutta, stand for the absolutely pure form of genuine worship an inhabitant of Barisa', who'is popularly known by and were therefore, extremely anxious to observe initials of his name as T- B. D Srijut Jagabandhu every detail of the holy function. They most have Datta personally supervised every detail of constitu- felt a new inspiration by the sight. This is proved tion and gave all his time, attention and a by the fact that the worship of the Lord at the large part of his fortune to the building and Gaudiya Math continues to draw daily a vast number beautifying of the Ho is? of Godhead and his devotees. of devotees at all hours and far into the evening. All The Temple is 8i feet high and built in the genuine those who come to the Math in any mood only once Indian style. The Natyamandir is a noble Hall confess that they feel it imposssible thereafter to over- fronting the Temple excelling in certain respects the come its attraction even for a single day. This has best ones in Calcutta. The best and most costly been a matter for surprise even to those who continue materials have been used in the construction of every to suppose that they themselves are above such paat of the Buildings which will remain an enduring weakness. The devotees of the Gaudiya Math stand for memorial of the beneficent piety of their donor and pure devotion to Godhead in every activity of their builder. life. Such example is bound to react on the most The construction of the Buildings could not be stubbornly Sceptical natures. This is no exaggerated completed by the date of their opening. That date praise but falls very short of this real wonder. This had been changed more than once. At last it was is easily realisable by every body on his own account. decided to occupy the Buildings in their unfinished The writer does not profess to be an exception to condition. this universal rule. The Procession. The worship of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda if properly A historic procession of congregational chanters conducted, is declared by the Scriptures to.be the only over two miles long conveyed, on a richly decorated proper cure of the ailment of all worldly hankerings.. November, 1930] OURSELVES 189

Such hankering is called Karma or lust of the flesh. nation enabling the successful candidate to appear Even th; god of carnality (Cupid) who bears the subsequently in the examination for the diploma name of Madana in the Sanskrit language, is in the practice and knowledge of pure devotion to constrained to admit, the superior but perfectly pure God-head, The examination took place in the New amorous charm of Sri Krishna, the eternal Consort Buildings of the Math. of Sri Radhika. The realisation of the nature of this Examination for the diploma of Sampraday. real love is practicable by initiation into the principle of the pure worship of Sri Sri Radha-Madanmohana. Baibhabacharya. (Oct. 21). It is no matter for surprise that the living worship of The Examination for the diploma of Acharya in Sri Sri Radha-Madanmohana by pure devotees, who the subject of the expansion of the community can truly realise and practise the same, should possess of pure devotees had been fixed for the 8tb Octber. an overwhelming power to wean even the most It had to be postponed till the 21st on which date graceless of scoundrels to a permanent and real liking it was held in the New Matb. for the function. First Address of His Divine Grace delivered Distribution of Mshaprosad. in the Natyamandlr of the New Buildings This was provided on the most extensive scale by (Oct. 8.) the genuine philanthropy of J. B. D. on this most auspicious occasion. The crowd who assembled to The Natyamandir or Hall of Pankirtan-dance was witness the Divine service was so immense that it sanctified and consecrated to the cause of pure service was impossible and was also found to be unnecessary by His Divine Grace on the 8th of October when he to try to control its movements. They were possessed was pleased to address the assembled devotees in the with an intense longing for honouring Mabaprosad Spacious Hall for the first time on the subject of the This is quite a new thing for Calcutta where the most eternal and only function of all souls. elaborate and fastidious arrangements fail to draw His Divine Grace spoke of the great mercy of a sufficient number of guests to a public dinner at Sri Ga irsundar. All mankind deserve the supreme bliss any season. In this case every one in that vast of the peace of the soul by discoursing the exquisite gathering stayed patiently in his place in the crowd charm of His Activities. He has given to mankind the for the Mahaprosad. Every one sat down where supreme gift of the love of God-head. This is the greatest he stood whtn the great favour was served out. need for this quality of love for Godhead. Its absence There was no note of complaint ; although probably is the cause of all evil. There are many obstacles in no one in that gathering would have cared to wait the way of the pure service of the Lord, Even the for the least particle of food at the gate of devotas who are given power over forces of Nature, another person for the greater part of the night are always ready to oppose the devotee of God-head. in a close crowJ. The devotee does not believe in Sri Madhabcndra Puri has left us the keynote of earing and drinking for the gratification of his the teaching of Sri Chaitanya. His last words to us palate or the appeasement of his hunger. He were expressive of agony for not being able to see knows that the remains of the Lord's meal are no Krishna. earthly objects for the attainment of any earthly The son of Nanda is also adhakshaja that is to say purpose. He accepts a particle of the Mahaprosad He is located beyond the range of knowledge born arts mark of favour of the Divinity with due honour of the senses. Is He, therefore, destined to remain and thanks.grving. By eating and drinking food always inaccessible to us in this world ? If this must unoffered to God-head one only reaps death. By be so how are we to seek for the solace of our minds honouring the remains "of the Lord's meal one is rent by the grief of this great agony ? enabled to please Krishna Himself. This faith Sri Gaursunda r has supplied this need. He bids influenced the conduct of the assembled people, high us chant the Sankirtan of Krishna. He has described and low alike. the effect of the congregational chant of Krishna in the Bhaktl-Sastrl Examination. (Oct. 7-8). first of the octade of Shlokas penned by Himself. It Thlrtyone selected candidates sat for the Bhakti- is necessary to ponder constantly the meaning of Sastri Examination which is the Entrance Exami- that Shloka with the utmost care and reverence. 190 THE HARMONIST Vol. XXVIII No. 6

The perfect chant of Krishna serves an eightfold- Madhabendra Puri at Mount Gobardhan. This parpose. It cleanses the mirror of the heart. It subject is discussed at some length in a separate quenches the wild forest-fire that is redacin g the article of this journal. world to cinders. It brings about real good and real knowledge and ever-increasing expansion of the ocean The Theistic Conference(Oct. 24—Nov. i) of bliss. It promotes the realisation of the fullest The Theistic Conference assembled on Oct. 24 after, happiness at every step. It provides a cooling and many unavoidable postponements and held it* complete immersion for all the faculties of the soul in sessions every evening according to the printed the Absolute. programme till the 1st November. Sri Krishna Whose chant is enjoined by ?ri Gaursundar The number of delegates from outside who could is not the Sri Krishna of the historian, nor of the attend was not very large owing to the uncertainty allegorist, not even of the metaphysicist. He is not of the meeting of the conference till almost the very an entity manufactured or imagined by any human last moment. In view of this circumstance it was brain. He is not Sri Krishna of the philanthrophist. of deemed necessary to adopt a proposal for calling a the sensualist of the painter of worldly beauty. He is further session of the conference at the earliest not the assertion of dogmatists, the tool of passing convenient date in the near future. But the business whims, the god of a muddy understanding, the supplier was nevertheless gone through in the order of the of requisites for the gratification of anybody's sensuous programme. The attendance which had to be cofined to appetites. Nor is the Sri Krishna of Samkirtan diluted the selected persons in accordance with the object of with Maya. conveners was fairly large. 'Sri' means 'One who is supremely beautiful.' Krishna is the Attracter of the Most Beautiful, A most important and definite gain that resulted Person possessing the highest capacity of fee ling the from the holding of the Conference was that it enabled attraction of superior beauty H: faicinates .the the conveners to give effect to the procedure that is Most Beautiful by His incomparable Beauty. Such considered by them as the only suitable one for such is Sri Krishna of the Samkirtan. purpose. The procedure corsisted in circulating beforehand quite a large number Of questions Sri Krishna does not attract merely the mind covering many important aspects of the subject, which is but a faint reflection of the soul. He among those interested in the movement of loving attracts the pure uneclipsed soul. He attracts all service of the Absolute Truth soliciting their written who are most beautiful and exercises an irresistible answers thereto. These answers were thereupon fascination over those males and females who are classified under the respective heads of the order most beautiful. of business before the conference. No extempore When we cannot offer: our unreserved worship speeches were allowed at the conference itself. His we do not find Sri Krishna but one of His infinite Divine grace referred to the answers that had been Manifestations instead. received in their proper place in course of his speeches. These speeches constituted the regular business of the By the pervert chant of Sri Krishna we gain only daily sessions. One speech was delivered each day in the most trivial and questionable results. It is for the evening, lasting ordinarily from 7P. M. to 9 P. M, this reason that those who possess good judgment They were delivered in Bengali. A translation of desire the ^triumphant prevalence of the pure them will be published serially in the coming numbers' Saokritan of Sri Krishna. of this journal. They covered the whole subject in" a systematic manner. THE FESTIVAL OF SRI SRI RADHA- GOVINDA OFFERING OF THE Visitors at the Qaudlya Math during Octo- PEAK OF FOOD. (Oct. 22) ber 1930. The Festival 'of to Sri Sri Radha-Govinda was celebrated on the 22nd October ;by the offering The visitors at the Math during the month of of the Peak of .Food to the supreme lord in October were very numerous. The following names commemoration • of the festival instituted by- Sri may be mentioned— November. 1930) OURSELVES 191

3rd Oct—Srijukta Jatnini Kanta Sen M. A. B. L., 17th „ Narendra Nath Ghose. author of'Art O" Ahitagni*. etc. Mr. Vincrcta Avilino, Consul General of Brazil, 21st Srijukta Nirode Krishna Roy. 6th Oct. Srijukta Subhas Chandra Bose, Major of Dakshinaranjan Ghose. Calcutta. Abanikanta Kabyatirtha. 7th „ Srijukta Kshitish Chandra Chakravartj, etc. Advocate. 22nd Dr. H. B. Moreno Ph, D. 8th Srijukta Jatindra Nath Bosu, 24th Srijukta Ananda Giri Sastri, Mantrin of Attornej-at-law. the All-India Sadhu Mahasabha. 9th Srijukta Nalini Kanta Brahma M. A., 26th Rajarshi Rao Saheb Srijukta Saradindu P. R. S. Professor of Philosphj, Presidency Narayan Roy. M. A. Prajna. College, Calcutta. Srijukta Mrinal Kanti Ghose of the A. B. Srijukta Makhan Lai Bandopadhaya, Patrika. Controller of Stores, Calcutta Corporation. Srijukta Oinadayal Bandayapadhyaya 16th „ Srijukta Anangamohan Lahiri, retired M.A. Professor of Philosophy, Krishnagar District and Sessions Judge. Coilege. 17th „ Srijukta Kiran Chandra Dutt. Lama Frajnanauda ( formerly Major Sailendra Nath Dutt. Fletcher) a Buddhist Monk, an English- Sailendra Nath Mitra. Vol. XXVill, No 7. December, 1930

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIV A )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PARIBRAJAKACHARVYA Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS. Suh/ecl Pugt 1. Sresthary va Sripad Jagabandhu Mas Adhikari, Bhaktiranjaa 193 2. The Spiritual Exhibition at the Gaudiya Math 198 3. Presidential Address 202 4 Time ^08 Who am I ? 209 6. The The is tic Conference 214 7. The Gaudiya Math 216 ti, Shree Shree Clmitanya Bhagabat 221 9. Ourselves 223

^7 if V f ^ if t ' " r a*.' : ife.? . »- . ..\ *

^ 1 rh I i3 1

■\ N A ti Kl 1 .

Bhaktiranjan Jagabandhu surrounded by the Devotees of Gaudiya Math at the gale after his disappearance. THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJANATOSHANI

VOL XXVIII | 1930, DECEMBER Chaitanya-Era 444 NO 7.

Srestharyya Sripad Jagabandhu Das Adhikari,

Bhaktiranjan ( J. B. D. )

Departure of J. B. D. at last found and successfully performed his duty to Godhead and humanity. TMIE dfty before the close of the Bhaktiranjan prabhu's disappearance *■ spirifcunl Exhibition that had been took pla m on the 19th of November. rorganised in the spacious compound of the Gaudiya-Math, which function Real significance of the disappearance of formed the concluding activity of the pure devotee of Godhead 'the long series of the festivities There are numerous scriptural texts of the auspicious Inauguration to the effect that the appearance an I of the New Buildings of the Math, disappearance of the devotees of Godhead Srestharyya Sripad Jagabandhu Das in this world are part and parcel of Adhikari Bhaktiranjan, the donor their pure, blissful service of the and architect of those superb Buildings, Divinity. They require to be speci- took his departure from the scene of fically distinguished from apparently his unique devotional labours with the similar events, viz., the birth and death supreme satisfaction that his soul had of those conditioned souls that fall into 194 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No. 7

the clutches of the Deluding Energy Death will come at the moment appoin- by their wilful neglect of the service of ted by God. It will come naturally and Godhead. Those who regard this world as the proper culmination of our acti- as a place intenled by Godhead for the vities, as a help for further activities, activities of the pure soul are not satisfied without the accompaniments of dread by any scheme of life that has no and stupefaction, if the true function reference to the living principles of of life is not neglected. This happy eternal existence, absolute knowledge consummation is not promised by and un-inteiruptible perfect bliss that Medical men or biologists. It is not alone may properly appertain to the in their power to promise the life eternal soul in hia natural condition. A person because it is not their business to know with a real hankering for the spiritual why any person should live at all even life, does not think that the whole of for a single day. Bhaktiranjan prabhu his duty consists in trying to minister earned the reward of being called to the to the ephemeral and unwholesome Presence of Krishna by the proper pleasures of the perishable body and performance of the function that was ignorant mind. He should be desirous allotted to him by Godhead in this of locking beyond these temporary world. His disappearance is a startling utilities to find the function that will corroborution of the scriptural tradition last. It is to such persons that the words that a builder of the shrine of the of the scriptures testifying to the Divinity obtains the reward of his immortal nature of the soul, carry service by being withdrawn from this spontaneous conviction by a receptive vale of suffering on the completion of impulse of the soul himself from within. his task. Such disappearance is coveted But these momentary impulses donot by the purest souls. We intend in this come to stay. That is the reason why we short discourse to present our readers are unable to incorporate them in every with a few personal reminiscences of activity. It is not improper to try to the departed soul which may enable prolong the worldly life with the aid us to obtain some idea of the nature of of science. It is also necessary to live Jagabandhu's realisation of the real in order to serve. It is meaningless function of life. to try to live for fhe sake of trying to Cost of the New Buildings live. There is a function the Realisa- tion of which is prevented by the dread JagaliandhuO never regardedO the cost of death which is responsible for all of the Buildings as involving any sacri. activities for the prolongation of life. fice to himself. He said that all that was December. 1930J SRESTHARYYA SRIPAD JAGABANDHU DAS ADHIKARI 195 his, was the wish to build the Temple past misdeeds. He was very particular of GodheaH and the home of His to pay in cash both for material and devotees. The money that was labour, saying that if he tried to build required for the purpose, had been on loan he would be in the power of supplied by Sri Gurudeva. He said his crelitors and might be compelled that this could not be understood by to use inferior material. The original any one except himself. He was plan that he had conceived of the particularly anxious to disclaim all Buildings underwent rapid expansion credit for spending any money of his as the work progressed. He always own on the Buildings. This was the assured his best friend, Sripad argument which he also mainly Knnjabehari Vidyabhnsan prabhu, employed in convincing the heirs of that he was prepared to spend whatever his properties. He told them that he was necessary for making the Temple had not touched either his capital as beautiful as possible. As the costs or the profits of his business to the mounted up to an ever increasing figure extent of a smgle pice in building the the delight and enthusiasm of Gaudiya Math. He also urged every Bbaktiranjan prabhu proportionately one to wish to serve the Lord if he increased. His gladness knew no wanted to have a proper idea of his bounds as the day of Inauguration of case. In no other way any one else the Biddings drew nigh. Ho confessed could understand or believe what he to all his friends that he had no sleep said. But it is certain that he did not at night for his anxiety to complete grudge in the least the enormous,cost of the Buildings in time for the Inaugura- the Buildings. On the contrary he was tion Ceremony. The only way to always full of new plans of expenditure. please him was by praising the He was extremely fond of the most Buildings. If any defect was pointed costly decorations. He felt very sad out he would not rest till the defect if ony one asked him to reduce had been completely rectified. He his lavish expenditure on decoration. demolished costly constructions many When he was told to give up some of times over without the least hesitation his plans of decoration in view of the to avoid every defect that was detected. fact that they could not be completed It is not possible to make an actual within the time at his disposal, be estimate of the cost of the Buildings. appeared to be very much distressed Jagabandhn himself never set any taking it to be a great punishment limits to his expenditure. In these infiicted on him by the lord for his circumstances the cost is likely to 196 THE HARMONIST Vol. No. XXV111. No. 7 have been very high, probably higher wonderfully all the while that he was than any guess of a businessman. engaged in this manner. His attach- Jagabandhu built the Temple of ment to the work of actual construction Godhead in the spirit ani with the need not, therefore, be supposed to be purpose of the true devotee. No one allied to any form of barren asceticism will probably ever know what or . He was nble to make the the Buildings actually cost. He made most efficient arrangement for the con- an unconditional gift of the Buildings duct of his secular affairs by giving and land to Sri Gurudeva. This proves practically all his time to the service the perfection of his faith and must of the Math, This is also not intelli- be wholly unintelligible to persons gible to those who have no experience who are less devoted to the service of of the real nature of the genuine the servants of Krishna. It is the pure, devotion to the servants of Krishna. selfless soul of J. B. D. that has been Tne service of Godhead is the only translated into the living Abode of complete and tru^ way of fulfilling our Godhead and His devotees. duties to humanity. There are, indeed, hypocrites who teach to neglect worldly Personal labour in the constructiori affairs as the necessity of spiritual life. of the Buildings J. B. D. knew better. He devoted It is necessary to mention a few all his attention, time and money to details regarding the personal exertions of building the Abode of the servants of J.B.D. in connection with the buildings Krishna without having to neglect of the Math. He was present on the his ordinary worldly affairs in any way. premises from the day when the foudan. No one ever heard him brag of his 'spirit tions were laid. He was in the of sacrifice.' He knew that the service wor-t state of bodily health at that time of Krishna is always a fulfilment of and onwards. He, however, chose to everything and never a sacrifice of accept personal hardship of the most anything. But the worldly mind can intensive type. He did not care for never understand this. He also asked wind, rain or the sun and attended all his dependants and relations to personally to the laying of one brick devote all their time to the worship of upon another. The whole of his time Godhead under the guidance of the from early morning to a very late hour really pure devotees of the Gaudiya into the night, was wholly consecrated Math. This exhortation and his own to the service of the Buildings. His living example had their effect on their secular business prospered most hearts. This is the way in which J. B.D, Decamocr, 1930 SRESTHARYYA SRIPAD JAGABANDHU DAS ADHIKARI, 1^7 was making the real 'provision' for principle of pure devotion to Krishna. his numerous adopted household. He The sweeper who worships Krishna is had no children of his own. He did infinitely higher than the conceited not believe in the sufficiency or bene- pseudo-Brahman who scorns any form ficence of any earthly provision. He of the worship or any of the worshippers almost made none for his widows. He of the supreme Lord. This is not entrusted to his heirs, by way of their sentimentalism. The realisation of 'provision', the task of the due comple- this great truth is the only cure both of tion of the Gaudiya Math Buildings. sentimentalism and nihilism, which Those rich men who may be disposed are the cousin-germans of rank atheism. to think that personal labour is unne- For kins and savants no less than for cessary in the service of Godhead, the poor and ignorant, the conduct of cherish a fatal blunder from which this simple faithful servant of the Lord, they can be rescued only by following should serve as a great eye-opener. the example set by J. B. D. There is The same remark is equally applicable no indignity in doing manual service to those malicious hypocrites who may for the lord. Those who do such ser- choose to regard the Temple of vice are fully the equal of those who Godhead and the Abode of His pure are fit to worship Sree Sree Radha- devotees as having any similarity to their Govinda in their minds without the own showy habitations dedicated to the manifestation of this apparently exter- sedulous cultivation of undiluted sen, nal form of activity. As a matter of suousness. It is necessary to build for fact neither the mind nor the body can Godhead and His devotees the most serve Krishna. Krishna may, however, sumptuous edifices. It is unnecessary enable both to be employed in his to build even a hovel for the gratifica- sejrvice. As soon as one obtains this tion of one's own sensuous appetites. mercy of Krishna his bodily and mental J. B. D. toiled bnre-headed under the activities acquire the spiritual charac- burning sun to build the House of God- ter and become super-mundane and head with the accumulations of a life of altogether wholesome in their aptitudes. exemplary industry. His conduct Those who may be disposed to regard should be the living refutation of the J. B. D. as unfit for mental worship sophistry and casuistry of the whole and accordingly to undervalue his per- race of self-seeking atheists of every sonal manual labour in connection denomination. with the building of the Gaudiya Math, It is never possible to exhaust the are themselves unfit to understand the infinite goodness of every single act 198 THE HARMONIST Vol, XXV111. No. 7 of the pure devotee of Godhead by topic will mercifully impart a particle describing the same in the poor language of its quality to this attempt of most of this world. The only hope in inadequate praise of the activities of penning these lines is that the high Godhead and His pure devotees.

The Spiritual Exhibition at the Gaudiya Math r I "'HE spiritual Exhibition which was held The point of view illustrated by the Exhibition during Feb.-March at Sreedham Mayapur was that of Sri Chaitanya. Incidents from the the place of Nativity of Sri Gaursundar, has been career of the Lord, were exhibited by means of described in the issues of this Journal for those groups of dolls with appropriate scenic back- months. The great success of that first attempt ground. Thus there was up to a certain extent led its organisers the Viswa Vaishnava Rajsabha a repetition of the show exhibited at Sridham to hold a similar Exhibition in the City of Palaces Mayapur with improvements and .additions. To in connection with the Festivities of the Opening these were added a considerable number of stalls of the New Gaudiya Math Buildings. The Exhibi- which contained demonstrations to elucidate tion was held in the grounds of the New Gaudiya some of the fundamental principles of pure Math from g to 20 Nov. The public response in devotion. appreciation has been far beyond all expectations. The visitors literally overflooded the area from The Exhibition was comprehensively designed morn till twelve o'clock at night, all through the to represent the different stages in the progressive eventful fortnight. The rush was so great that it manifestation of the Truth in this world against was necessary for the visitors to be satisfied with obstructions of every kind. The chain of ideas the merest glimpse of the exhibits. There was, may be thus indicated. The career of Sri Krishna however, no untoward event of any kind, due to Chaitanya was explained by a scene depicting the the excellent arrangement and the untiring Descent of Godhead to the mundane plane, in personal supervision of the organisers. His different plenary forms and also in His own Form, the source of all Divine Manifestation, All the stalls fitted up for the occasion were Sri Krishna Chaitanya is identified by the scrip- devoted to purely spiritual subjects. The econo- tures with Sri Krishna or Godhead Himself. The mic and social sections that had formed a part of difference between the career of Sri Krishna and Sridham : Mayapur Exhibition, were dis-continued. Sri Chaitanya is explained by the doctrine that This afforded greater scope for putting before the Sri Krishna Chaitanya is Krishna Himself public many of the pressing problems of religion wearing externally the disposition of Sri Radhika, and their true scriptural solutions. the eternal consort or counterwhole Or Power of December, 1930] THE SPIRITUAL EXHIBITION AT THE GAUD1YA MATH 199

Sri Krishna. The Appearance of the Divinity Him- existence. They are as incompatible with one self and of His plenary Forms in this world make another as light and darkness. The spiritual is possible the redemption of bound souls. not the mere absence of the mundane. The opposite of this also is not true. The mundane The Activities of the Divinity even when is the perverted reflection of the spiritual. There He chooses to appear in this world, are always is correspondence between the two, but, the super-natural. Their nature is not capable of correspondence is hidden by being reversed in being understood by the material mind of the an inconcievably unwholesome fashion. This conditioned Soul. So it is necessary for the makes it impossible for the faculty of reason that conditioned Soul to be endowed with the faculty is to be found in this world to grasp the nature of spiritual perception before he can avail of the of the spiritual existence, even when it is most opportunity of redemption through service of the ; fully explained by the authorized teachers them- Divinity, the opportunity being provided by the selves in symbolical language rendered possible descent of Godhead into this world. The function by actual correspondence between the conditions of imparting the spiritual vision to the condi- of mundane and spiritual existence. It is necessary tioned soul, is performed by the Divinity in the to be difted to the spiritual plane in order to role of the Acharyya. The Iron Age has been be able to realise the true meaning of the symbols. blessed by the appearance of four great Theistic This is the great obstacle in the way of all those Acharyyas, viz., Vishnuswami, Nimbarka, Ramanuja who are given to hair splitting speculations regar- and Madhwa. These Acharyyas are Divine ding the Absolute. These very sages, however, personages. They must not be supposed to be sub- admit readily enough the necessity of submission ject to the laws of physical Nature. The Acharyyas to the laws of physical Nature of which they are the authorised Saviours of all conditioned have actual experience. They would similarly souls. They are capable of transmitting this ; agree to submit unconditionally to the laws of power to their chosen disciples. The relationship of the Absolute if only they could have the actual preceptor and disciple gives rise to the sampVadayas experience of spiritual existence. This, however, or communities of pure devotees. they can have only by the causeless mercy of the Sri Krishna Chaitanya is Krishna Himself Acharyya. The fact that one is prepared to make appearing in : the role of His own devotee. his willing unconditional submission ' to the feet Sri Krishna Chaitanya entered the order of Sriman of the Acharyya is the only proof of his realisation Madhwacharyya in accordance with the dictum of of the Divine N ature of the latter. The submission the scriptures that the Truth cannot be found that is made to the laws of physical Nature except by unconditional submission to the is due to necessity or for avoidance of Acharyya. The teaching of Sri Krishna Chaitanya unpleasantness. was misunderstood by:most of His contemporaries. One of the stalls was designed to set forth the A few stalls were designed to demonstrate the relationship between the mundane and the spiri- nature of ordinary forms of misunderstanding tual. The arrangement was quite simple so that which also prevail now-a-days. All misunderstanding every one might understand it at the very first on the subject of religion is due to mistaking sight. The realm of the Absolute is not full the spiritual for the mundane and vice versa. of an infinity of distinctive features and The spiritual is eternally and categorically wholly devoid of all features as the impersonahtsts distinct from the mundane. The '-spiritual is, would have us believe. The conception of however, the Key to the puzzles of the ■ mundane neutralised cognitive or nonconscious existence 200 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlIl. No 7

is derived from the: experience of mundane the condition of the servant was put that of the existence. The spiritual is neither the negation friend. Above the friend's state was shown the nor the abstraction of the mundane. The attitude of affection of His parents towards spiritual is the reality corresponding to its perverted Godhead as Son. At the top of all was put the reflection, viz., the mundane. Tiothiare real hut condition of the consorts of Krishna. the one is nevertheless categorically different This order of relationships appeared in the from the other. This difference is expressible, as far reversed gradation in the reflected image in a as physical analogy may go, hy the phenomenon of mirror which was placed in such a position that reflection. But mere reversion of parts which is only the reflected image in the mirror was visible found in the case of the reflected image, is not a to the spectators. In the reversed order the proper analogy as it does not embody the prin- tranquil state appeared at the top while the ciple of perversion. This defect in the represen- relationship of husband and wife occupied the tation of the relationship between the spiritual lowest position. and mundane: by the analogy of reflection should be carefully borne in mind. The highest spiritual function, viz., that of the consorts of Krishna, was exhibited by three stalls. The device adopted for exhibiting the One of them represented the nature of all worldly relationship of the mundane with the spiritual was activities on the mundane plane, by the figure of as follows. The different grades of relationships a dance round the desires of the flesh culminating were recorded in the order of excellence in an in carnal lust of male and female. The second ascending order. At the bottom of the scale was stall represented the dance of the congregational put the tranquilised condition (santarasa). On the chant instituted by Sri Chaitanya in the codrt . attainment of this state all mundane hankerings yard of Sribash. The third stall presented the cease to disturb the mind. This is the negative circle of amorous dance at Brindaban round the aspect. The mere negative state however is also coupled Form of Sri Sri . a mundane phenomenon and has no place in The Appearance of Krishna on the mundane the realm of the Absolute, There the tranquil plane was the subject of demonstration of one of condition is a positive disposition- The tranquil the stalls. The scenes of the Nativity were most devotee completely identifies his wish with that beautifully set forth. Krishna's Birth is one of the of Krishna and has no separate positive desire of eternal Pastimes of the Supreme Lord that is the his own. The negative tranquil state appeals to the first spiritual event to be experienced by the soul acceptance of many persons for holding out the engaged in the endeavour for the attainment of seeming prospect of affording relief from all spiritual service. This Divine Event was worldly distractions and thereby producing one's manifested to the view of all conditioned souls at own personal satisfaction. The positive tranquil the close of the Dwapara Age. The Birth of the state, however, has in view solely the satisfaction Eternal is inconceivable to the limited mind-tif of Krishna, man. But this is no reason for disbelieving its The positive tranquil state occupies the lowest existence. Neither is this a reason for wilfully position in the scale of relationships in the spiritual supposing that the Birth of the Supreme Lord realm. Immediately above the tranquil state was must necessarily be a mundane affair. It is nece- put the disposition of loyal and willing obedience as ssary to be on our guard againts both these of a servant. This may be distant and reverential irrational attitudes to be able to understand the or of a confidential nature. Immediately above holy mystery of the Nativity. December. I930J THE SPIRITUAL EXHIBITION AT THE GAUD1YA MATH 201

Sri Krishna was shown as born in the lying-in- The subject of the triple staff (tridanda) cell of the prison of King Kansa. His Advent sannyas (renunciation) was explained by one of failed to be noticed by all except His parents. On the stalls. The tridandi sannyasin is the chanter His Appearance the strongly barred prison gates of the kirtan of Krishna. This chant is however opened of their own accord to make way for His a really living chant. It makes its appearance father Vasudeva who carried his Divine Baby on his lips by the joint exertions of the Divinity across the flooded Jamuna to the chamber of His and the serving souls. In the stall the tridandi foster-mother Yasoda in the pastoral village of sannyasin was represented in the form of the Braja. Vasudeva deposited Krishna on the couch mridanga. The mridanga is a drum whose body of Yasoda who had just given birth to a daughter is made of burnt clay. Struck by the hands of and taking up her new-born girl, made his way the player at both ends the mridanga with its unobserved by any one to the cell of Devaki. body of clay is rendered capable of uttering the After depositing the girl on the bed of Devaki Kirtan of Krishna. Such is the function of the Vasudeva put on the iron chains of captivity tridandi. Sri Gurudeva drums into him at one and peacefully waited for the dawn. end the Word of Sri Krishna. The loyal listeners The morning of the Nativity witnessed the of the Word of God drum at the other end by spectacle of rejoicings in the home of Nanda and their receiving response. The tridandi, thus Yasoda in Braja at the birth of Krishna, operated at both ends, is enabled to give out the while in the cell of Kansa's prison was sweet chant of Krishna. enacted the last futile attempt of the Atheist The function of the Brahmana, the head of Kansa for ensuring his own safety by the the Varnasrama institution, was explained by rmlrder, in her infancy, of the eighth issue of another stall. As the subject is being treated Vasudeva and Devaki, at whose hands, as a in some detail in a series of papers in this journal prophecy had declared, he was to meet his under the heading 'Who is a Brahmana ?' the death. reader is referred to those articles for information. Presidential Address at the Spiritual Conference (Deliyebed By His Divine G-bace Pabamhansa Pablbbajakachartya Sei Sbimat Bhakti Siddhanta Sabaswati Goswami Mahabaj) The Source of knowledge :—The truth with his teacher. He was devoted to can never be served by the faculty his studies with his whole heart. He that diverges from Him. The service was perfectly sincere in his conduct of the truth is the function of the soul. towards his teacher. These excellent It is 'ncapable of being diverted from qualities soon attracted the attention the Truth. It is cause-less and and captured the heart of his teacher. uninterruptible. The Truth is identical One day Yadavaprakasha following the with the Teacher of the Truth. interpretation of Sankaracharya was There can be no knowledge of tha explaining the well-known text of the conclusions of the Vedas without Chhandyogya that the two eyes of God. undeviating service of the lotus-feet of head are red like the back of a monkey. Sri Guru-deva. No one can be the This caused intense pain to the heart Teacher of the Truth except the dovotee of Ramanuja. Ramanuja was at the of God. This is not the dogma of time engaged in tending the person of irrational orthodoxy. It is the real his teacher. He felt very much pained Truth. One cannot be the Guru on hearing the blasphemy against the although he be ^descended from the Holy Form of Godhead. The warm highest lineage, be initiated in all tears from his eyes fell in drops on the sacrifices, have studied the thousand and back of Yadavaprakasha. This sudden one branches of the Veda, if he be not fit of weeping surprised Yadavaprakasha a Vaishnava. who asked Ramanuja about the cause of In ancient times there was a city his grief. Ramanuja then said that called Kanchi in the South of the there was no necessity of explaining country. In that city there lived a the word 'kapyasam' in such filthy and very famous Professor whose name was blasphemous manne^ especially as the Yadavaprakasha. There is a tradition word possessed an excellent meaning. that at that time there was no other "Was it not a most highly offensive act Professor in the whole of that part to compare the Eyes of God Himself, of the country who was his equal in "Who is the most Revered Lord and learning. Laksmandesika went to him Master of us all, with the worst part of for the purpose of study. He resided the body of a monkey ? December, 19301 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS AT THE SPIRITUAL CONFERENCE 203

Yadavaprakasha was very angry on No teacher of undifferentiated hearing these words of Ramanuja. He Cognition, or of utilitarian works, or of reprimanded Ramanuja in most severe any worldly state of union with the terms. 'How highly impertinent for a Supreme Soul (yoga), or of the per. mere lad to find fault with the interpre- formance of activities resolved upon by tation of Acharyya Sankara ! Was it one-self (brata), or of asceticism, or of possible that there could be any other magic, or of hypocrisy can really be explanation of the text than that of designated as the 'superior' or Guru, the Acharyya ?' Ramanuja replied in They are all of them only triflers and words that were expressive of modesty. being really very light, indeed, are 'Yes,' said Ramanuja, 'there is another capable of being easily manipulated. meaning of the text which augments They are never the benefactors of the the happiness of the spiritually conditioned soul. They are on the enlightened. Acharyya's explanation is contrary the enemies of themselves as intended for deluding those persons well as of all others. who are endowed with unspiritual But the Maha-Bhagabata, the best aptitude. I am telling you the same. of devotees, the Yaishnava Guru, alone Deign to listen to my words.' is causelessly merciful to all souls, is There-upon Ramanuja offered this alone grieved by their misery. It is famous explanation of the 'kapyasam' for this reason that our former Guru text. 'Kang' means water. That which Srila Raghunathdas Goswami prabhu drinks water is 'kapi'. 'Kapi' is thus no has instructed us to place ourselves un- other than the stem of the lotus. That der the guidance of Sri Sanatan prabhu which is placed on the stem is who alone is really grieved for all of us 'kapyasam'. In other words the two and can alone impart the knowledge of Eyes of that Supreme person are tinged our relationship with God-head. The with red like the undimmed lustre of actual words of Srila Das Goswami the unplucked lotus on its stem shining prabhu require to be quoted in full. 'I on the bosom of the blue waters. place myself under the protection of my Yadavaprakasha was filled with the Master Sri Sanatan prabhu. Sri Sanatan greatest astonishment on hearing this Prabhu is the ocean of mercy. He explanation of the Scriptural text. He is always grieved for the misery of felt most keenly the disgrace of his others. He makes me drink, with the defeat at^the hands of his own disciple. greatest care, of the liquid sweet of Maddened with anger he plotted to do the service of God.head. The attachment away with Ramanuja in secret, for that service weans one completely 204 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No. 7 from any hankering for any other thing. ing the contrary'. When one is estab- I was quite ignorant of this and was lished in one's own proper condition wholly unwilling to serve Godhead. one gets beyond (he reach of ignorance. But he, nevertheless, took infinite Then the true function of the cognitive pains with me and prevailed over my faculty, which is no other than the stubborn opposition to his good counsel. service of Godhead, manifests itself Such is Prabhu Sanatan'. fully. The distinctive service that is What is really the source from natural for every individual soul i« which we derive the knowledge of the then uninterruptedly and fully mani- Truth ? Is it pure or mixed cogni- fested. 'There are different ways in tion ? Is it also the only thing needful, which different persons choose to obey or otherwise ? It is necessaty first of Me. I also serve them in correspond, all to decide whether the above pro- ingly different ways. Men, 0 Partha, positions have proceeded from the by every method follow the path that theory of undifferentiated cognition, is Mine'. God.head Himself here says of undifferentiated non-cognition, or in effect that He worships His wor- from activities of pure cognition which shipper in exactly the same way in are full of eternal bliss. To become which the latter worships Him. In one with non-animation is the goal of the mood of consort the devotee serves the theory of undifferentiated non- God-head with all his faculties, and cognition. To merge completely in accordingly Krishna gives up all His the featureless existence of undiffer- Limbs to him. Krishna regards Him- entiated cognition is the goal of the self as under obligation to His devotee theory of undifferentiated knowledge. even after giving Himself completely The realisation of the blissful eternal to him. service of God.head in the realm which In the shloka of the Geeta referred is free from all ignorance establishes to above the word 'Mang' 'Me' should one in the unconditional safe function be specially observed. The word refers of pure cognition. directly to Krishna. It is Krishna The emancipation that is spoken of Who is the speaker. He says, 'He who in the Bhagabatam is not destruction worships Me does so in one of five of the triple envelope of the bound soul. different ways, each one of which is, It is nothing less than the actual characterised by the quality of utmost establishment in one's own natural submission. But the mood of the con. condition. 'Mukti' is establishment in sort displays the highest measure of one's own proper condition, by discard- submission. If the submission be not DeaanDtr^ 1930] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS AT THE SPIRITUAL CONFERENCE 205 to Myself it would be rendered to My ness of the primary rasas. All these shadow or to My external deluding rasas are completely harmonised in power- (maya), it is then no submission Krishna alone. to. Me'. It will not do if curd is called Sri Sukadeva Goswami said to milk. Curd is no doubt derived from Maharaja Parikshit, 'Listen 0 King milk as its source. But the spoilt milk T am going to give you an account of is never curd. It is possible for a per- some of the rasas of Sri Krishna. son to be able to see the perverted, Sri Krishna is in Himself the shining imaginary form of Vishnu. If such a sphere of infinite rasas. When Sri person submits to his perverted vision Krishna made His appearance in the it will be no submission to the real company of Baladeva in the amphi- Vishnu. Vishnu is not perverted. It theatre for the exhibition of feats of is possible for a person to see, to strength sot up by king Kansa each experience a vision of Him which may one of the spectators saw Krishna be the product of his own wrong way according to his own individual dis- of looking at Him. If this happens to position. Wrestlers, fond of the mar- be the ease it is to be understood that tial quality, saw that Krishna was the person fails to have any real sight terrible like the thunder. Females, of Vishnu. The Geeta has this Shloka, fond of the quality of love, saw that 'Those who worship with reverence Sri Krishna was the God of love Him. other devatas, 0 son of Kunti, also self. The masses of the people saw worship Me, indeed, but by the method that Krishna was the only king of all that is improper'. men. The cow-herds, with friendly To see any object other than Krishna, and paternal love, saw Him as their is the improper process of seeing. kinsman. All the frightened wicked This improper method of seeing is kings saw Krishna as the Punisher of identical with all our evils and disrup- evil-doers. Every father and mother tive differences. It is possible to get beheld Him as a most beautiful Child. rid of the condition of this improper The king of the Bhojas, Kansa, saw seeing. Thereafter it is really possible Him as Death Himself. Persons, who to see Krishna. Krishna is the ocean are saddled with a materialised under- of infinite undying sweetness. There standing, viewed Krishna as the vast are twelve rasas (leavening qualities) cosmos. The great yogis with a tran- in Krishna. Five of these rasas are quil disposition beheld that Krishna primaFy. There are seven secondary was the Ultimate Entity. All the rasas which help to increase the sweet. males of the Brishni race saw 206 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXV111. No. 7

Him as the Supreme Object of their is accordingly also exerted towards the worship.' material cases. There is quite a variety Every one will obtain the service of such knowledge, none of which is of Krishna ; even those will obtain it knowledge of Krishna. The knowledge who are wandering in pursuit of other of the undifferentiated Brahman, or and diverse speculations. There will that of the Supreme Soul, or that of be in the long run an end of the the phenomenal world, which are wanderings of those who have gone gathered by the cognitive principle astray. Because Krishna is the only independently of the knowledge of Attracter and we are all of us Krishna, are all of them only different attractable by Him. But there may layers of the same class of knowledge. appear temporarily a barrier between The Brahman which is a concoction of the Attracter and the attractable. As of the mind of the professors of the soon as the barrier is removed we creed of the so called undifferentiated shall experience directly the relation, Brahman, can afford no glimpse of the ship of the attraction of our Attracter. real Brahman. The sight of the There may be companionship with Supreme soul or undifferentiated union the non-animate. This is called fbad with Ishwara fancied by the pseudo- company. This bad companionship yogis is even a greater blasphemy than is practised by means of the physical the dogma of undifferentiated union body and the ignorant mind. It is with the concocted Brahman. The necessary to give up this bad company. professors of undifferentiated union If we do so our real self, whose nature with their concocted Brahman do not it is to be attracted by Krishna, experi- admit the existence of the individual ences the direct attraction of Krishna. soul. The professors of undifferentia- Krishna attracts the pure cognition. ted union with Ishwara admit the exis- Exclusive devotion is a characteristic tence of the individual soul. They of pure cognition. One has no access want to enable the individual soul to to the spiritual realm till this quality usurp the seat of God.head. This surely of exclusive devotion makes its is an instance of a far more rebellious appearance. attitude towards God.head than even The external world is also a source that of the votaries of the concocted of one kind of knowledge. This know- Brahman. It is for this reason that ledge is nothing but the entities of the Mahaprabhu has said that union with external world in a refined form. The Ishwara is even more condemnable than attraction excercised by these entities merging with the concocted Brahman. December. 1930,] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS AT THE SPIRITUAL CONFERENCE 207

In order to discuss these subjects keepers who are preventing all access it is first of all necessary for us to have to the vicinity of the T'. Why can't the true source of knowledge. Are we get the sweet scent of the Body of these discussions derived from adultera- Krishna ? Why does not the fifth scale ted cognition ? Or is pure cognition note of Krishna's flute enter my ears ? their source ? Are they derived from Why do the tumult of the streets, the any source made by man ? Or is their noises of the busy world pour incessant- source made by Godhead ? If the ly into my ears ? At present the soul source happen to be made by man is asleep. His agent the mind, as there must exist the defects of mistaken manager of its sleeping master's con-

judgement, inadvertance, etc. cerns; is cheating me as intermidiary. What is the entity known as T ? Am I am addicted to go by the function I the body that I have obtained from of the mind. The mind whose business my parents ? Or am I the mind-intellig- it is to cheat the soul, by its evil ence-ego by means of which I am busy counsel is keeping me occupied on the in making and breaking my resolves ? path of selfish enjoyment. The soul This topic contains a great many issues. is the master of the mind and the body. We have had the opportunity of listen- Speech functions as the foreman of a ing to these discussions from a very jury. The speech of pure cognition early beginning in our life. We have is of one kind, that of non-cognition is been discussing these subjects all of a different kind. The mind is non. through these fifty years. We had soul. This is borne out by the Geeta. got much time for a good deal of 'The earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, discussion all through the twenty-four intelligence and ego are My eightfold hours of the day. We have discussed material Nature. Besides these there these topics throughout the whole of is another entity of a quite different the twenty.four hours of every day. kind who is non-material. This last is We have discussed them while we slept no other than My manifestation as the as well as when we lay awake. This individual soul. By means of the body also will fall away in course of individual soul the material universe discussing them for its further allotted is maintained'. period. The individual soul (jeeva) is then It is very difficult to get into the super.material. But he is, nevertheless, innner apartment of the discussion possessed of the marginal function. regarding 'I'. There stand ready at the He has relationship with the process of two consecutive entrances two gate- birth-life-death. But the individual 208 THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVIII. No. ) soul has also his place in the super, 'sumati' or the good disposition. The material.sphere. The activities of the term 'sumati' occurs in the Veda. individual soul in this latter condition '0 Vishnu, we shall serve 'sumati' by are called also transcendental. All that simply uttering Thy living Name even is perishable are included under with very little knowledge of His real Apara Vidya (empiric knowledge). All meaning' (Rig. 1-166.8). May all dfxrs that is imperishable comes under gain this good disposition. May We Para-Vidya (transcendental knowledge). gain that good disposition whidh Transcendental knowledge stands on prompts us to serve 'sumati'.

Time

(By H. W. B. MORENO.) Set upon the finger Of woman, man and child Gleams a golden circlet Pure and undefiled. 'Tis the precious, passing hour, Sixty diamond minutes crowned ; Yet how oft the circlet falls, Heedless, on the stony ground, Passed, unnoticed, by the way— Lost, but never found. Resting on the high brow Of woman, man and child, Glistens bright the jewel, Hand hath not defiled. There three lustrous gems outshine : Pearl of youth, with peerless sheen ; Manhood's sparkling sapphire ray, Diamond of old age, serene ; Yet how soon these priceless gems, Listless fall unto the ground, Mingling with the sordid dust- Lost, but never found. Who Am 1 ? {Oontinued from P. 184 Nov. 1930.) We must call these attempts of those scientists of misdirected intellects and the stubbornness of these undeveloped brains—as the outcome of a grossly atheistic turn of mind in challenging the Omnipotency and supreme authority of Q-odhead and denying the existence of the very source and cause of all existence. Value of challenge. Q-odhead is called "Yishnu" because He pervades the whole universe making all existence possible and upholding the universe with its manifested phenomena. Only the saints have the eyes to see it. So it is mentioned in the Vedas that only the saints do perceive the all-pervading, highest essence of Vishnu being the only Reality unlimited by space and time. It is not an hallucination but the sternest actuality more true and real than the limited senses can ever ex pect to perceive or comprehend. The positive and negative sparks of electrones alleged to be contained in the atom are always being created and united in the work of universal integration by Him; but He entirely pervades each and evarv spark of electrone giving it its destined life and existence and guiding it to pursue the work ordained by Him. B«ch atom is There are self.realise 1 saints who may be cited as eye-witnesses sarcharged by to attest to the truth of the statement -that the mahabhagabat or Vishuu. the saint on attaining the highest stage never sees the material forms or the elements of physical Nature and ihe cosmic motions of this universe—by mnans of which curtains Vishnu bides Himself to fulfil His great game. He (the saint) sees, wherever he casts his eyes, only the Form of Sri Sri Radha-Q-obinda, the Divine Couple Who are the dearest and perpetual objects of worship of the real saint. Even the average man of the world having a spark of sense of the Reality in him, may easily infer the existence of Godhead as source of Power and Beauty from the organising principle working in the world. All cosmic changes perceived in creation, perMivrf in the though seemingly sporadic, are realisable as regulated by a grand World. 210 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXV111 No. i

purpose in a definite order an I never the result of the working of blind chance like the casting of dice. The underlying reason governing the changes p dnts to a Personahtj behind the idea or plan that is always realising itself with a purposeful future working in the seemingly inscrutable present across the .restrictions of temporal and spacial limits ; and the pnrposefnl Agency behind the chain of manifestations must be the Great Final and JuteUigcnt Cause Whom wo call Godhead or Sri Bhagaban. Challenging materialists fail to discern that the life is aot;ft mere form of gross matter. Gross matter contains within it another Gross form con. subtle principle which again is supernaturally surcharged with a tains a subtle form within. supermaterial energy and a wonderful consciousness with unlimited potentialities which are not the products of physical Nature but the physical Nature itself is regulated and held by them within their sway to help them to fulfil themselves according to the perfect conscious will of the personal, Supreme Godhead. The next question is 'what is the subtle form inside gross matter ?' The subtle is the inner mental principle pervading the gross external form which we fail to perceive by the gross senses. Yet, however, What it the subtle it is the mind that gives life and power to the senses to perceive. The form ? bodily sense-organs are mere dead machinery which are inspired to life and activity by the pervading e nergy of the mind. The mind is the conductor of the bodily structure and sets the senses and body to motion and wor k. Whatever the body does, it always does under the direction of the mind. Every part or limb of the body and even every cell appears to be completely and help- lessly under the away of the mind even although (the lijnba Qr .bodily Mind the cells are not really subservient to the corresponding sensations of conductor. the mind to whiph they are.conjoined. But the senae-percqptions qf the mind are so inseparably correlated to the seiiBerQrgaus of the body that their different scopes of actions and the taxistenpe of au ultra source of energy controlling .both oan .hardly be sjaqpected. The .mind acts so nicely and subtly in aasooiation with the activities of the .brain .centre that dihe mind itself has been seriously supposed to he identical with the brain-Gella. Mind and brain Tt has b.een jtho gre.ataat wonder to the physiologists how ,aU ikeir Decmbm 1930] WHO AM I ? 2-11 attempts have till now failed in discovering the subtle and deluding form of the mind which in such apparently perfect unification and identification with the brain-centres, moves and regulates the whole of the nervous system, the sense organs, the circulatory system and every part of the body both peripheral and internal. The body is a perfect organised whole which is prompted to every kind of actions of all of its parts and constituents corresponding to the sense. in the sense-organs instanatenously carried to all the channels and avenues under the strict control of the mind from its throne which is supposed to be somewhere in the brain-centres. It is very gratifying to the admirers of the mental function and even a little surprising to all to find the perfect methods of organisation and the unflioching physical loyalty of each and every individual p ^rt of Mind the Dictator the organism to toeir apparently unavoidable orgauic dictator and lord, I mean, the raiad. The communicated mental impulse of the sense-organs seems in its turn to set the gross parts of the body to work by means of an infinite number <>f channels, in perfe t co-ordination to the mental function. Just as the cardiac move- ment is the i nmediate material cause of bodily activity and cerebral motion is the cause of the activity of the nervous s>8tera, so the mind or mental function is the material cause of the activity of the sense organs. But the mind itself with all its subtle sense-energies, is but the tenant-in.chief or t ie sole executive authority under the sway of the over.lord, the Self, who is thj propr etor of the the- mind amd the body. The mind has nothing to do except to •ni • ■ t i. i -i ii Mind and guide-the-senses in response to the sti null of the m-itenal world, phenomena. The mind reacts on- the world- and enjoys it through the different sense-organs and gathers the materials of its activities, the experimental knowledge by this means. Enjoyment associated with sense activity and knowledge derived fitom«suoh>. experience are the only assets the mind brings to its proprietor as fee or commission from its sub-tenants or agents^ The working, enjoy.oant and experience of the senses and of the mind are atknaUaneous and interdependent, so much so that there 212 THE HARMONIST [Vol. No, XXVIII, No. 1

seems to be no separation or opposition between them (sense and mind) as regards either function or interest. Thus we fail to discern the separate identities of the senses and the mind. On a methodical Sensuo is enjoj- Study of the processes of the mind along with those of the ment and empiric brain-centres, the seat of the mind, we find in organised order knowledge are the the sense organs, nerves and muscles in which the mental assets of mind. energy including sensation or states and processes expresses anH embodies itself and through which •the mind itself, in its turn, is likewise affected by the processes o£ the external world. It is also by means of the reversed processes that the mind can react on toe external world and produce desired changes in its environment. To us all the phenomena that manifest themselvet-J as the external world of matter mean nothing more nor less than the mental counterparts of the operations of the sense organs under the control of the mind on the data supplied by their contact with the external world. Thus the sensations are of the stuff of both the process of the mental function and the product of the same apprehended or occasioned in the mind in its relation with the external world. They Sensations are are therefore the mental side of the phenomena in as much as the effects of external world manifests to us its existence and attributes in and phenomena. through these sensations and wiiich also enable the mind to become aware of itself and the senses. The senses being the instruments of knowledge and perception of the mind or rather the different phases of the mind, the proper identity of the mind can only be found in the combination of the senses and the senses being the correlatives of the phenomena, the" mind is identifiable with the condition and phase of phenomena Mind is the which come in contact with ourselves in the world of matter. combination Thus mind and material phenomena are correlative and of senses. co-existent entities being the supplementary conditions of our experience of them as enjoyer and enjoyed. Both of them assert their identity as supplementary aspects of the same thing joined together in the process of mental cognition. The mind primarily consists of the five senses which are the exponents of its different faculties. The senses of hearing, of Dicember, 1930 ] WHO AM I ? 213

vision, of smell, of taste and oi touch on the other hand stand in the perfect relationship of reciprocity with the corresponding elements of physical nature which are classified as the sky (or space,) the wind (or motion), the Five senses are heat, the water (or liquidity) and the earth (or solidity). These reciProe'ilP'irt» _ . , . . . of the elements elements Of Nature engross and represent the above qualities and 0fnature., are consequently the reciprocal parts of the. senses. Thus the qualities or the potencies of our five senses are reciprocally identifi- able with the five elements each with each because in and through these elements alone they have their existence. So the sensory potencies or sense perceptions, and the organs themselves, are not only dependent on but also identifiable with the corresponding elemeuta of Nature from which they may be said to have been derived or originated. Hence the mind, though existing and working in a very subtle way is itself in regard to its function identifiable with the material principle in as much as in its external or active aspect it is the aggregate, or, rather the epitqme, of the senses. Thus the mind is an epitome of the world or aggregate of the ideas, of perceptions or • experiences corresponding to the phenomena of the world and of the Mind is material, conditions of phenomena through which they have chanced to be apprehended. Such sensations and perceptions being derived from the material phenomena, the nature and condition of mind should justly be called materialrin its relation to the external world. These sense-experiences of the mind have generally been called ffew* 9T (unavoidable categories of the mind) whi^h, though subcons- cious at present, represent the material substance of the mind, and which the mind can not naturally avoid or get rid of. Even though the western philosophers have, one and all, distinguished mind from matter and have professed to depict mind to be spiritual or super-material, we find mind,,as analysed and proved alove, essentially material from the point of view of the phenomenal experience. {to be continued) The Theistic Conference (Address on behalf of the convene!s) Gentlemen, I have great pleasure convened by Us has been characterised to accord you a hearty welcome on as theistic it has to submit completely behalf of Sri.VisWa-Vaishnava-Raj- to the latter path of submission. And Sabha, and to lay before you in this special feature csn never be brief the object of this theistic departed from with any" spirit of conference. challenge open or covert. But that I believe, it' will not be exception- should never shut out any attempt to able on my part if I beg to remind, at submit to the Transcendental in the the very outset, the learned delegates path of submission with a sincere spirit and audience that this proposed con. of questioning and service. fere nee of ours has been clearly charac- We have frora'different terised as 'absolutely' theistic. So we people from' different parts of India have got to particularly remember, on all that it has not been possible for'them occasions and at every stage throughout to" prepare their papers in response to- the session of this conference the wide our questionnaire within so short a gulf that ever keeps apart the" 'Theistic period. For" this shortness of time (or transcendental) Goal' from non- expected answers and papers from relL theistic (empirical) goals, evils and gious representatives outside Pndia phenomena. 'Transcendental' or have riot yet rehched us. Under the theistic always reigns far" beyond and circumstances it has been settled iff an' above all mundane essentiads, non- emergency meeting of the Vfew- essentials and phenomena, as suzerain Vais lina va-Raj -Sabha that there', is4 a- lord on the throne of what is eternal, good'case for holding another session of unlimited, absolute'; and supreme. this conference which we1 hope tO'be' Mundane essentials etc. owe their better representative We have already origin and dissolution in this world t o circulated this' decision' in the coinmne- the challenging and ascending paths' of of public newspapers both Boglteh and' empirical knowledge while the transcen- vernacular. dental always revealsitself to1 the world But since theistio discussion is a in the purely descending path of paramount duty and necessity of the sincere -submission. As this conference sincere seekers of Truth, we propose Dawww^r, 1930] THE THEISWC «0ONFERBNCE ot pvesont to liisten -to tb« dMoourse with the permission of 'the iPreaidenft. which we may term preliminary. To The answers -sent in by those approach the Troth on ithe way of who have defied all canons of listening to Him is the proper reasoning, authorities, and even rules procedure of the truly theistic for the of decorum, or have disclosed purpose of theistic discourse. their nervousness in hiding their With regard to the procedure that identities, will be considered as has been decided to be followed jn the unworthy of being considered in session of this theistic conference, we the theistic conference and hence here beg to remind the learned audience rqjected frs a matter of course by the of our letters and notices published theists. Yet such of them also may in both Enulish and vernaciular be discussed in periodicals if and when newspapers, and to inform that the it may be thought necessary for President will take into consideration the benefit of the public, in order to in the course of his discussion only show their contrast with the Truth. those answers of the questionnaire The address over, the confereyee , issued by the Viswa-Vaishnava-Raj then proceeded to elect its president. -Sabha which will be judged Sreejut Narendranath Q-hosh a pious by him as worthy of such consi- Truth loving Zeminder of .Calcutta, deration ; and which have been then.stood up to, propose the Cbairman received before the 17th Oct. 1930 in the following words :—'His Holiness in the proper form of thesis with Sree Sree Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati sufficient reasoning, and authoritative Goswami Maharaj is the only fittest support. It will not be possible to person to be the president of this ■theistic accept verbal answers on the spot at conference. I have not the least doubt the moment from ..those who have failed that every one will he highly benefited to satisfy these conditions. They .too, to listen to the .spiritual discourses who have sent .their answers in proper from His lips. So let the presidential form satisfying all the conditions., will Chair of this conference be adorned by be required tp follow the^path of sub- 'Om' Yiahnupad .Sri Srimad Bhakti mission in obedience to the usual proce- Siddhanta Saraswati ■Goswami Prabhu- dure of such theistic conference- Jf pad. .1 hppe, there can be no differenoe they will have further inquiries to put, of opinion in this matter.' He was they will then kindly .note them down seconded by Scijut Rajendra natb so that .they may be discussed later on Banerjee on behalf of the conference. separately in periodicals or elae-wbcr^ Aecerclingly 'Qm' Yishnupad.Sn Srimad 216 THE HARMONIST (Vol. XXV111. No 7

Bhakti Siddhauta Saraswati Goswarai remarks and elucidation. A summary Maharaj took the chair and delivered of the address of His Divine Grace His address with some preliminary appears on a separate page.

The Gaudiya Math ( Continued from P. 168. Nov. 1930. ) 'odhead is at first realised as a single 'person' are also carefully explained by male Person attended by other them to prevent their being understood persons, also males but with a different in their ordinary worldly senses. So garb, as His worshippers. The Divine that whenever the really serious student Person thus seen is Vasudeva. Unless tries to gather up all the suggestions Vasudeva actually manifests Himself to of the different commentators for the the spiritual eye of the pure essence of purpose of having the right judgment, the receptive soul it is not possible to he finds the paltry resources of his have any real knowledge of the uivine faculties wholly insufficient for the Personality by merely reading the purpose. Now take the case of another scriptural descriptions of Him or in any person to whom Basudeva has actually other way. The scriptural descriptions manifested Himself. This fortunate of the Divine Personality become soul is in a position to understand the themselves intelliiible only by the grace interpretations as corroborative of the of Vasudeva, which supplies the key to subject of his experience by reference their symbolical language. to his actual experience. Nay he is in It is necessary to state a little more a far better position even than that clearly what is meant by the word of the scientific investigator of physical 'symbolical' as applied to such phenomena. Because the very sight of descriptions. Let us take for instance the Vasudeva has already removed all statement that Vasudeva is a 'male' ignorance. So that the person favoured Person. The wwd Vasudeva lends itself by Vasudeva has not to work up to a to be explained in a variety of ways and synthetic position by the analysis of different etymological meanings are sensuous experience that is itself mentioned with approval by the unintelligible. Hydrogen and Oxygen commentators. The words 'male' and combine to form water. But the December* 1930] THE GAUD1YA MATH 217

process is not necessarily 'understood' cation, reception and retention of Truth by even actually witnessing the satisfy these conditions ? experiment. The 'discovery' of this The Scriptures contend that all 'relationship' on the other hand words yield their true meaning to the only serves to reveal unsuspected receptive faculty of the pure soul. The difficulties that stand between the act of problem of a suitable medium is thus perception and the subjective nature of automatically removed. The interval the phenomenon perceived. But once between language and the thing Vasudeva really appears. to our view expressed by language, is eliminated the interval that separates us from the on the spiritual plane. This is what subjective Reality is spontaneously is meant by the scriptures when they eliminated and, we are not merely in a declare that every letter of the alphabet position to understand:: the interpreta- means the Absolute Truth, Krishna. tion but also to testify to its truth With the worship of Vasudeva we and to supply all its unsaid enter the realm of the Absolute. Vasu. implications. deva spontaneously manifests Himself The name of any material object is in the pure essence of the Soul. He is notidentical with the object itself but the first manifestation of predominating is of the nature of a symbol by means of transcendence in the pure consciousness which it is indicated in the futile of the predominated individual soul. empiric effort to obtain the real Purity of the receptive essence and knowledge of the object. The symbolic manifestation of Vasudeva in the same, hature of current language is also the go hand in hand. For a pure soul reason why it is bound to fail to convey there is no such thing as dmbt or the real knowledge to the uninitiated, obscuration of the Dominating transcen- 'fhe symbolic is the equivalent of perver- dent. Vasudeva is the first manifesta- ted, distorted and reflected expression. tion of the Object of our worship to the If a thing could be really known as it is, sincere serving disposition. There can it should still be impossible to express be no worship properly speaking or understand the fact by means of the except on the plane of the pure soul current language. The practicability of who is free from all ignorance and all obtaining perfect knowledge would also hankering for selfish enjoyment. No require categorical improvement in the sight of the Object of worship can be methods of acquisition, retention, had on the mental, hypothetical or communicatipn and reception of Truth. sensuous plane. On the mental plane D^ea the scriptural method of oommuni. the concocted object of worship is really 2B THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV1H. No. 7 subordinate to the worshipper. The charming circle as a male or fetnalo Object of worship does not niafaifest attendant. Himself on the mental plane irl His Thete is no eatisfeetiott for the proper Nature as the sole Receiver of individual soul till the platform all service. loving service in its highest form 18 The worshipper of Vasudeva is reached. One who has no appreciatidti rewarded with an infinite and progres- of the highest form of service will dififfc sive revelation of the nature of the steadily to the other extreme of Object of worship. The worshipper of indiscriminate animation. Those are Vasudeva at the start finds hini- the ottly alternatives before all persona. self located outside Vasudeva. But The chance of obtaining this choice ais Vasudeva is found on closer acquain- belongs only to human life. The tance to contain also His correla. ^evatas who possess far greater capaci- tive of the serving principle. The Male ties and powers and opportunities than or Receiver of the extraneous service of human beings, are provi led with ample males, is found to have a reciprocal selfish enjoyment of a most ekqhisifb subservient Personality constantly quality, and are consequently far less waiting upon His Person. Then there disposed than man to turn away frbhi is found to be the golden link of love such pleasures. The so-called civilised that binds this single female form to nations of to-day run a similar ri^k bt the side of her Lord in an indissoluble forgetting altogether or perilously loving union. The female form continues minimising the higher issue. to improve in respect of rlistinctiven^ss The Gaudiya Math following and magnitude till the male figure is the teaching and practice bf realised as served by an infinity of the Sri Chaitanyadeva stands for the loveliest and chastest of consorts by highest form of service and is hot the method of absorbing competing prepared to make any coftCe'seion oh connubial love. Finally all cbnveu. this point, for the ffeason that the full tional formalities are eliminated and Tiuth alone is al^C at ohCe bbth the opposites of the chastest quality perfectly eale ihd earnest to sefve. The of self-less married love and the Math, therefore, wofshipfc Sfl BH spontaneous amour of the purest RadhaiMadaembbau, Sri Sri RAdhfc maiden for the Lover Who is under no Gobinda, Sri Sri Had ha-GopiCath conventional obligation to any married Whose worships symbol fee respeCi spouse, are perfectly reconciled. The tivbly the highest Reference, the worshipper is now admitted into this highest Proeess ahd the hlgOUBt Occwpboii IS130I THE GAUDIYA MATH 219

I^eed of all individual souls. The There is one other point which may G^udiya Math admits the worships also be considered in this connection. of Vasudeva, of Lakshmi Narayana, The Gaudiya Math consists of worship- of Kama-Seeta, of -Dwarakesha pers and their only Object of worship. as being also pure forms of the service The Object of worship is worshipped by of Godhead on the spiritual plane at its means of offeriniS or materials. The incipient stages. The Gaudiya Math Temple and its appurtenances belong holds all forms of worship that fall to the category of offerings. In pure short of the level of the worship of service there can be no mundane refe- Vasudeva, as lying wholly off the rence. How then, it may be asked, spiritual plane, although it admits can the Temple and the Arch,a (Image) them to be natural forms undergoing Himself have any place in such func- evolution into different stages of tion ? The answer should be self-evi- spiritual ignorance. The Gaudiya dent at this stage of our discourse. Math holds that the difference between The Temple is in the same category the spiritual and mundane planes is as the language and the mind of not one of degree but of category and the worshipper. If the latter may that the one is not the mere sublima- serve as 'symbols' for the purpose tion of the other. The Gaudiya Math, of worship why may not the former, therefore, is wholly opposed to the and in exactly the same way ? The view that the practice of the so-called Temple of Godhe id is not a material 'naturalistic' creeds is in any way entity any more than His Name or necessary or helpful for the spiritual His Form. But the real nature of the end. The different stage do not affect Temple, Name and Form of Godhead is in any way either favourably or transcendental. They are also identi- nfavour^bly, the possibility of cal with one another. They are made spiritual enlightenment. The Gaudiya manifest to us on the plane of physical Math, therefore, keeps its portals phenomena by the grace of the Sadhus. open to receive all comers on its The Gaudiya Math and Temple are own terms and holds out the prospect of such manifestations. spiritual enlightenment to all on those This makes the Gaudiya Math terms. The Gaudiya Math is a truly Building categorically different from scientific, catholic, practical seminary mundane buildings devoted to a mun- for ensuring the highest spiritual benefit dane purpose. By simply dedicating of all persons without distinction of a building mechanically to the service -oqate, creed, colour, sex or age. of Godhead its nature is not spiritua- 220 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII. No. 7

Used even symbolically. Mental con- which is the stuff of my eternal self. It is coction has no place at all in the affair. thus no case of transformation or transub. A person will not be the bonafide Guru stantiation. It is more like the process if I simply choose to think him to be so. of injection or suffusion. My house Although it is true that the pure soul may also be so suffused with the spiri- realises the fact th«t every thing, as it tual essence by being really dedicated really is, is located on the spiritual to the service of Godhead. But the plane. But this is not the same thing Gaudiya Math is the actual spiritual as the supposition that there is no entity itself, the source which has difference between the material and the prtwer to inject the spiritual quality spii itual or that the material or pheno- into the mundane. The Gaudiya Math is; menal is transformable into the spiri- not built of brie k and mortar like our tual by merely thinking that they are houses notwithstanding the testimony identical. The Gaudiya Math is not a of ourselves to the contrary. Neither material object which has been trans- are its inmates mere clay surcharged formed into a spiritual entity by being with spiritual essence. The one is not dedicated to the service of Godhead. identical with the other. The Gaudiya The Gaudiya Math possesses eternal Math is not the symbol but the reality. spiritual existence which manifests The Gaudiay Math is the spiritual itself on the plane of phenomena by the substance itself appearing as symbol grace of the servants of the supreme by descending within the ken of our Lord. If I serve Godhead my corporeal material vision. This is perfectly frame itself is not transformed into the consistent with the highest empiric spiritual body ; because the two are logic and the highest empiric experi- categorically and really different. If I ence, and so there need be no cause for serve Godhead my mundane body is consistent opposition to the Truth on charged with the spiritual essence the part even of mental spqculationists. Shree Shree Chaitanya Bhagabat CHAPTER 1 Continued from P. 158, October, 1930. 316, Biswambhar restrained Himself, feeling 323. The students enquired, 'What is 'verb' >' ashamed The Lord said, 'The same that bears the He went out with His followers for a name of the Power view of the Ganges. of Krishna.' 317. Making His obeisance to the Ganges he S2^- 'Listen, brothers, to my explanation ol received her water on his head. aphorism of the verb. He then sat on the bank of the Ganges I would like to meet the person who has with his companions. power to refute my 3i8. As the son of Nanda surrounded by the meaning. cowherds, 327. 'All the kings that you may see possessed Indulged in many a pastime on the bank of goodly bodies' of the Yamuna. Decked in gold and beautified by fragrant 319- The Son of Sachi in like manner in the sandal. company of the devotees Sag. 'In whose very words there is life and Sported in Krishna-communion on the death as they say.' bank of the Ganges. Listen what state overtakes them for want 320. For a while bidding them all betake of the active prin- themselves to their homes. ciple (dhatu). Biswambhar bent his steps towards his 329. 'No one knows whither departs the own residence beauty of all their limbs' 3^1. The Lord of all the worlds after accepting Some bodies are burnt while some are got his meal rid by burial. Turned his auspicious glance toward the 33o- In all limbs the power of Krishna abides sleep that nnites as the vital principle.' God with His world It is to him that all affection is rendered 322- Night wore off; the whole body of his and all devotion. pupils Turned up and sat to study. 331. 'By reason of his blundering judgment the teacher does not under- 3*3* The Lord quickly returned from his bath stand this.* in the Ganges. Brothers all, consider attentively whethet And assuming his seat began to expound the texts. this is true or not. 3*4- Nothing else save 'Krishna* manifests 332. 'The person to whom at this moment we itself to the Lord. make respectful obeisance, He explained devotion to Krishna to ex- As soon as his vitality expires we bathe plain every word. if we but touch his body. 222 THE HARMONIST I Vol. XXV111. No. 7

333. 'To the mouth of the father in whose lap 343. 'Krishna is Mother, Krishna is father, the son is nourished Krishna is life and treasure The very son applies the cremating I beseech ye clasping your feet to direct fire on the departure of vitality. your minds to Krishna. 334. 'That which is termed 'verb' is the power 344. The Loid in the mood of service spoke of of Krishna, the Beloved of all. His Own Glory. Is there the person who can deny this ? Two quarters of the day passed and yet 335. 'Towards Krishna, whose power is so He did not cease, sacred and worthy of 345. The charmed pupils listened with wrapt all worship. attention. All ye my brothers, render unflinching No one could persuade his mouth to utter devotion. a single word in reply. 336. "Say Krishna, serve Krishna, hear the 346 They were verily the servants of Krishna Name Krishna. know this as certain. Contemplate the feet o( Krishna night Can those whom Krishna Himself teaches and day I be any other ? 337. 'By offering at whose feet water with 347 'After a while Biswambhar manifested His blades of the durba grass, external consciousness. A person is put beyond the power of He felt ashamed in His heart by looking at death for all time I thei'- faces. 338. 'Who delivered Agha, Baka and Putana ! 348 'The Lord asked, 'How did I explain the Worship constantly the feet of the same meaning of the verbal aphorism Son of Nanda. The students said, 'It appears to be even as the Truth, very self. 339. 'By mere recollection that the divine name was not really that of his Sop, 349 'The meaning of every word as Thou Ajamil hied to the realm of Vaikuntha. explained, Worship the feet of Krishna who is so There is no one who is so utterly arrpgant merciful as not to admit. 380 'Whatever explanation thou offerst is 340. 'By serving whose feet Siva goes about naked 1 perfectly true. But the end for which westudy is different. The service pf whose feet is coveted by Lakshmt I 351 'The Lord said, 'Tell me everything. It may be that the nervous malady has 341. 'The glory of the excellence of whose feet upset My mind, is sung by Ananta ( I beseech ye with the blade of grass held 3S,a WPASt 0* tha aphomBi did I ax- between my teeth to serve even pound ? the feet of Krishna. The pupils said; TuaU pi them the Name 'Hari'. 34a- 'As long as there is life and strength in 3S3 'Thou explained that Krishna aiooa is the the body meaning of the aphorism, commentary May ye render devotion to the lotus Feet atvd gloss. ot Krishna. Who is fit to. understand Thy exposition ? Decfcmber, 1950 J OURSELVES 229

354 'By listening to any utterance of devotion ^58 You swooned Sway oft hearing the Sloka Thou art so changed of thO Bhagabat. That on beholding It one can never again To our utter amazement there was no life regard Thee as a mortal man. in any part of Thy Body. 335 The Lord said 'In what form do ye 'Thou didst cry so on regaining Thy behold Me ! consciousness The students replied, 'As the Perfection of That the holy Ganges herself seemed to all excellence. Join Thee company. 356 'The tremor' the tears or the horripilation 36o Till at last the trembling that manifested that deck Thee itself id Thee We have never seen anything like of them Was such as to baffle the strength of a anywhere else. hundred persons to hold Thee properly. 357 'Yesterday while Thou wert explaining From the feet up to the crown of Thy the texts in the town head the whole frame was heaved up with blissful horripilation A certain worthy Brahman was reading And the golden Form was enveloped in alond a certain verse. sweat, froth and dust

Ourselves.

Press Notices sacred remains were followed by an immense reveren- The 'Liberty' '&» well as 'Advance' published detailed tial crowd of admirers to the cremation ghat. His appreciative notices of the Procession of congrega- widows declared their intention of building a suitable tional chant through the streets Of Calcutta, the memorial to the departed on the grounds adjoining offering of the Peak of Ibod and other events in connec- the NeW Buildings of the Gandiya Hath. The Way in tion with the opening ceremonies of the New Bnildings which J. B. D. worked for building the Gandiya Math of Gandiya Math. A few of the sectarian papers and the spirit by which he was increasingly inspired, published garbled accounts regarding alleged defects has been briefly noticed in the first article. It is not of management. These were promptly contradicted possible to understand the purpose of J. B. D. without by distinguished eye-witnesses who testified to the some real knowledge of the activities Of the Gaudiya most careful and courteous attention to all the Math. AlAy the wish of J. B. D. be fulfilled by the spectators evinced by the organisers. spread of the knowledge of the saving Truth represen- ted by the preaching and practice of the Departure of Sripad Bhaktlranjan Prabhu Gandiya Math. The unadulterated service of God* (J. B. D.) head is the only need of all souls and the real care of all ills. The Gandiya Math stands consistently for The pious donor of the New Buildings of the Gandiya this true ideal by word and deed against all un-Godly Math took bis departure from the scene of his wonder- narrowness. It is no new doctrine, bat only the ful devotional activities on the 19th. of November. proper presentation and practice of the eternal, He had keen in preca rious health for months. His function of all pare soals. 224 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No 7

Sraddha ceremony of Bhaktlranjan Prabhu it) Nov. Mr, J. C. Mukherji Bar-at-law Chief This was performed at the Gaudiya Math by the Executive Officer, Calcutta Corporation. relatives of the departed, on behalf of the devotees of the 13 ,. Sj. Pramathanath Mukhopadhyaya Math, on the 29th. of November. The ceremony was Sj. Qopal lall Sanyal Editor Bangabani perform;d in accordance with the method enjoined by 14 „ Sj. Tusharkanti Ghose. Editor A. B. the Vaishnava canon. There was kirtan ol Krishna in Patrika the Natyamandir of the Math in the afternoon. This Sj, Motilall Sen Editor Ananda Bazar was followed by the reading of Sri Chaitanya Charita- Patrika mrita, a brief discourse on the life of Bhaktiraujan 16 „ Sj. Surendranath Vidyaratna u. a., late prabhu in the presence of the assembled Vaishnavas. Professor of Sanskrit College, A. large number of Brahmanas and good souls were 16 ,, Sir Dr. D, P. Sarbadhikari present, listened to Harikatha and honoured the „ Lt. Col. D. P. Goil i. u. s., Principal mahaprosad. Medical College Calcutta. The Spiritual Exhibition 17 „ Prof, Pandit Debananda Jha It was held in the gounds of the New Buildings „ „ Krishnachandra Jha from the Sth. to the 20th. of November. It is described Departure in a separate article. The Exhibition proved a phenomenal success. Practically the whole of Calcutta Sripad Krishnakantidas Babaji gained his depature paid a visit to the grounds. There was no gate-fee. from this world at 4. 15 P. M. on Nov. 4. He had* been The Exhibition remained open to all comers from the recipient of the mercy of Thakur Bhaktivinod. He seven in the morning to twelve at night, although it had been residing at Shree Godrumdham as servitor was formally timed to close at ten. The arrangement of Shree Shree Svananda sukhada kunja. Babaji hod was so perfect that no accident of any kind occurred. been performing the service of the kunja in a most An attempt was however, made almost daily by satisfactory manner ever since the disappearance of a number of rowdies to disturb the people at the Thakur Bhaktivinode. The devotees of Sree Chaitanya time of closing the Exhibition at night. They were Math of Sridham Mayapur performed the utsabof put down by the goodwill of the neighbours who kept of his disappearance at Svananda-sukhada-kunja on sharp look-out and volunteered their personal help N4V, 14 with distribution of mahaprasad among those in preventing rowdyism. .The good name of Baghbazar present, preceded by sankirtanam. Many Vaishna- was thus amply vindicated. vas, Brahmanas and other good souls, resident at Sridham assembled to listen to Harikatha and Visitors at the Gaudiya Math during sankirtanam from the lips of pure devotees and duly the month of Noyember honoured the mahaprosad on this auspicious occasion. 9 Nov. Oewan Bahadur Srikrishna Mahapatra All present were most highly satisfied. Vol. XXVIIt, No 8 January, 1931

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIV A )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PARIBRAJAKACHARVYA Sri Srimad BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS. Subject Page 1. The Foot-Prints of the Supreme Lord 225 2. Sridbam Majapur ... •228 3. In Memorium 236 4 Presidential Address 233 5. Who is a Brabmana 244 6. Matters of moment... 218 7. Bharata and Ratanadeva 230 8. •ursel-ves 238

Samadhi Mandir ot Thakur lihiiklivinode, Godnunaudwiii. ALL GLORY TO THE DIYINE MASTER AND THE SUPREME LORD SREE KRISHNA CHA1TANYA

THE HARMONIST

OR SHREE SAJJANATOSHAIVI

VOL. XXVIII JANUARY 1931, Chaitanya-Era 444 NO 8.

The Foot-Prints of the Supreme Lord

In the Temple of Ja^annath at Puri suppose that the worship of the there exist the Foot-Prints of Lord Foot Prints of the Supreme Lord is Sri Chaitanya on the stone floor of only a kind of devout anthropomor- the room at the entrance of the Temple. phism. The Foot-Prints of the Supreme Lor d It is not, therefore, possible for the receive the hearts' worship of countless fashionable professors of the current devotees every day. It is quite possible forms of the so-called doctrines of to pass this by as of no importance to and Transcendence to any one in particular. It is also not admit the Divinity of an apparently impossible to find flaws. But are we well-known historical personage like sure that we really understand the Lord Sri Chaitanya. But neither are psychology of devotion as it really is ? those professors in a very tenabl position The fashionable philosophy of Iraraa- if they try seriously to justify their nence will say that Godhead is Present attitude of objection. in every thing. But will it also admit It is, of course, quite easy for any that He is specially Present in person to argue the case in favour any thing ? Will it admit further of the personality of the Supreme that He has got a particular Form Lord. We need not repeat *q£ His Own' ? It will most possibly all those arguments at this place. 226 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII. No 8

We shall take it for granted, as an an external adjunct. What does the axiomatic Truth in the absolute sense, dog claim for himself as his personality ? that -the Supreme Lord certainly It is, of course, possible for the master possesses the Perfection of Personality. of a dog to describe the disposition Our next postulate is that the Divine of his favourite in a manner which Personality Proper 'corresponds' to may appear to him to be more or less that cf a human being. Our argument complete. Will such description is not that the Lord is bound to be be regarded as the personality of the human in order to" be capable of being dog ? We should unhesitatingly say related to man in any intimate and 'No'. complete manner. Our proposition is The personality is, if at all, a self- that the Divine Personality corresponds conscious principle. Has a dog got both specifically and absolutely to the any such principle ? He appears to human. have none. We have at present no We also contend that this is no means of knowing-if he has. If the mere irrational dogma. It is capable dog could communicate himself to me of being established by the ordinary in any reciprocal way which would class of logical arguments to the leave no doubt in my mind as regards complete satisfaction of the Logicians, if the whole chain of his cogitations then such satisfaction is really capable of also I could not be sure that I really touching the issue at all. know him as he really is. I must like What after all is really the nature to be further satisfied * that he is not of what we are pleased to call, in and deceiving me or himself. I would ask, out of season, as the human persona- 'Does the dog also really know and lity ? Is not such a phrase as human express himself ?' After all these personality itself a gross contradiction conditions have been fully satisfied I in terms to a consistent Logician ? Is would still remain prepared for changing it not also really begging the question my conviction if necessary in the at issue ? What in this sense would light of further experience. Thus I be such an entity as the dog's persona- would remain practically where I was lity ? Does it mean anything connected at the very beginning of my enquiry. with the external form of that Personality may,, therefore, be useful animal ? Does it refer to any defined as a perfectly self-conscious peculiar mental states of the species ? entity in reciprocal relations with other We should say that we do not really like entities as expressible in terras of know. Because the personality is not any one of the latter. What, if any January 19311 THE FOOT-PRINTS OF THE SUPREME LORD 227 such thing there be at all, is then the But the Personality of the Lord also thing which we are pleased to call embraces every other entity. This human personality ? is not in human nature. Man is We have agreed to call him the only one distinct species. Even human soul. Is the soul that inhabits the soul, as in the spiritual realm, does not human form in any permanent and possess the Greatness and unlimitedness recmgnisable way different from the of the Divine soul. For one thing the correspondinor entity, il'any, inhabiting two are always distinguishable as. the form of the dog ? We are not in Source and His derivatives. The a position to answer the question, source is one and cotnra.:n to all the because we are not really acquainted different species ov individual souls. with either of them. The individual soul is of the nature of The Scriptures say that there are power and not ol the Nature of the differences in the souls that correspond Possessor and Source of power. The to those of the external forms. It is individual soul can, indeed, be absorbed for this reason that it has been possible in his Source by the Will of Divinty ; to describe the happenings of the but he can never be Divinity. He can spiritual world in the language of this. have his own distinctive existence as Ae in this world man occupies a a strictly subsidiary entity by the Will position of superiority to the so-called of the Divinity. lower animals and there is no condition It is possible for the individual soul that can be conceived as more enviable to know Divinity in any form and than bis, on the whole, so also in the measure according to the Will of corresponding realm of the spirit the Divinity. The individual soul cannot human is the most enviable of all know Divinity otherwise than by His condition. God-head is the Highest causeless grace. But this does not Reciprocal Human Person of the reduce him to any condition less than spiritual realm. the fully spiritual. The Divine Nature The Lord is never human in the and Divine Omniscience are communic- anthropomorphic sense. The Humanity able to the individual soul by the Will of the Supreme Lord is capable of fully of Divinity, but he still remains in his preserving His super-human status. own right what he really is. The full man includes the conceptions Those who were so empowered by of male and famale. Both principles Sri Ghaitanya, were made fully aware are combined in the Supreme Person of all these implications of their as their real and ultimate Source. Relationship with the Supreme Lord. 228 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII. No. 8

They did not profess fo be either subject. We may be disposed,, in our anthropomorphists or Divinities in hollow vanity, to question the compe- embryo. But they were aware of the tence even of the Supreme Lord to go Divinity of Sri Chaifanya by His asjainsto our dogmatisms.o But such an own right. attitude will not help anybody to Those who affect to disbelieve the arrive at the Truth. doctrine of Appearance of the Divinity The Lord possesses everything, and, to the limited view of mortals in His therefore, also possesses Hands and Own Proper Form of the Divine-Human, Feet of His Own. His Foot-Prints must be judged to be given to perver- also reserve the power of appearing to sely dogmatising on the most serious of the view of the people of this world all the concerns of life and one to and without forfeiting their Divine and which they know they have at present superspiritual Nature. The worship no access wliat.so-ever. It is perfectly of the Divine Foot-Prints of Sri open to the Lord to behave in any Gaursundar by the highest of devotees, way. It is not possible for our present therefore, need csuse no disbelief in muddy understandings to think, with- any person by merely appearini to be out dogmatic assumptions, on any anthropomorphic.

Sridham Mayapur THE HOLY BIRTHPLACE OF THE SUPREME LORD SRI KRISHNA CHAITANYA (Continued from P. 200, Vol. XXVII. December, 1929). PfinF. N. K. Sannyal M. A.

For the purpose of the identification deserve his chief attention. Next in order of the geographical site of the different of importance should naturally be any villages that according to Bhaktiratna. actual topographical descriptiens of the kar constituted the tract of the country sites from the pen of any reliable writer. which bore the name of Madia, the We know what help the student antiquarian can have no better help of the antiquities of India receives than the local traditions. The present at almost every step from the topo- names of the villages must in any case graphical descriptions of Hiuen Tsang. January 1931] SRIDHAM MAYAPUR 229

The description of the topo^ra- by the topographical notices in all the phist must also be adopted as the start- old writers, including the contemporary ing point of the antiquarian enquiry. biographers of Sri Chaitanya. Bhaktiratnakar fortunately supplies us The difficulty presented by the with such a starting point providing a shiftings of the courses of the various connection with the times of Sri Ohai- branches of the Bhagirathy thus offers tanya. It is not necessary at this place no insurmountable obstacle in the way to discuss the date of composition of of the enquirer. Many of the old that work. It will suffice for our names , still exist in this locality. For purpose to accept the current view example the town of Nabadwip bears that that account is at least two the old name. It is now applied to hundred years old. But it is the onlv the town which is situated on the west available comprehensive source. bank of the Bhagirathy. Thukur According to Bhaktiratnakar fho Bhaktivinode discovered the village of town of Nabadwip is so called on Mayapur on the east side of the present account of the fact that it happens to main course of the Bhagirathy, which consist of nine distinct groups of is located almost opposite the present settlements formed by the intersections town of Nabadwip. The name is not of the different branches of the Miapur. The Muhammedans of the Bhagiratby. These nine settlements place themselves also proaounce it as are named (1) Antardwip (inner island), Meyapur not Miapur. So there is no (2) Simantadwip, (3) Godrumdwip, difficulty about the identity of the name (4) Madhyadwip, (5) Koladwip, (6) itself as Mayapur. Ritudwip, (7)Jahnudwip, (8) Modadrum- The name is locally pronounced dwip, (9) Rudradwip. Of these nine bj' the illiterate masses as Meyapur or 'islands', according to the same autho- Mayapur. This is a peculiarity. rity, the first four, in the order of enu- The word 'taka' is.pronounced as e(eka'. meration, are situated on the east bank 'Maya is similarly pronounced as of the Bhagirathy. The remaining 'Meya'. It is not a case of the short 'i' five are on the western bank of the being rendered by 'e', which was also main channel of the same river. The a favourite practice of the trans- house of God, viz. the residence of Sri literators of Vernacular words into Jagannath Misra, was situated in English. Sectarian dishonesty must Mayapur in Antardwip. not be allowed to blunt the edge of This general account is supported Scientific caution in dealing with the whete-ever such evidence is available. proper nomenclature of the place. The 230 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVllI. No. 8 subject became recently one for official of Vaishnavas, is also known to these investigation in connection with the Muhammedans. They also know that naming of Sree Mayapur Post office All it is the Birth-place of Sri Chaitanya. the resources of fanaticism, corruption They have inherited some names of and interested, unprincipled intrigue, the different parts of the village such

backed by the literary efforts of as Vairagidanga (Vairagi's mound )( mercenary writers, were shamelessly Khol bhangar danga (mound where employed in misrepresenting the real the khol was broken), Barajpota fact. But the Postal Department and (Brajapattan), Sivadoba (Siva's pool), the district magistrate were nevertheless etc. These names refer to famous enabled to find out the untenable Incidents in the Career of Lord nature of the contentions of those who Chaitanya and the Vaishnava tradition. represented that Miapur, and not There are also current in the village Mayapur, was the proper name of the highly significant superstitions. The village. I have since heard that the Tulasi plant grew perennially all over superintendent of the Archaslogical one of these un-occupied homestead Department was also approached to lands. Those who had attempted to declare against the identification. But occupy the land for purpose of habitation naturally enough nothing came of the or even of cultivation, found effort. I would, nevertheless, join that all crops are inevitably destroyel that numerous band of antiquarians by the irrepressible Tulasi plants and who have often expessed their desire some terrible harm befalls the occupant. in favour of the-excavation of the sites Every one is also cautioned against of Ballal's Mound and Suvarna Bihar following any portion of that particular being taken up in earnest. mound in any way. Many had suffered To the person with any antiquarian terribly for trying to do so. That mound sense the difficulty is all but solved by is sacred ground, because Nimai was born the traditions that linger still in the there. The Muhammedan inhabitants village itself. We know from the villagers make offerings to the shrine that was that the present Muhammedan inhabi- subsequently erected on the spot. They tants who; are in occupation of pajt firmly believe that the place possesses of Mayapur, ore the descendants of qualities. It would be recent immigrants. The village was worth while to collect all the current in a depopulated condition before the stories which are fast becoming mytho. coming of the Muhammedans. That logy as the villagers are becoming irrever it was at .one time a place of residence ent and partisan by outside influence. January j 931 ] SR1DHAM MAYAPUR 231

That these traditions were natur- house continues to be the place of ally taken to be genuine is proved by dwelling of the descendants of Ohand the fact that when the site was identi- Kazi. M mlana Shirazuddin played fied forty three years ago by Thekur a prominent part in the early Career Bhaktivinode as the village Majapur of Sri Ohaitanya. He happened to be where Sri Ohaitanya was born, no the fouzdar in chirge of Nabadwip at person belonging to the locality disbe- that time. Alauddin Husain Shah was lieved him. As a matter of fact there then Sultan of Bengal. Chand Kazi was no opposition from any quarter at tried to prevent the congregational that time and for a long period after- chant, the method of worship which wards. These facts are known very well was wholly novel, that had been insti- to many of the old inhabitants both at tuted a short time before by Sri town Nabadwip and Krishnagar. Ohaitanya. Maulana Shirazuddin was If these traditions that, are current induced by a section of the Hindu in the locality had not existed there residents of Nabadwip to try to put must naturally have been causes for a stop to the new mode of worship. the gravest doubts as regards the Those Hindus had represented to the identity of an old site that had stood Kazi that the worship was opposed to on the bank of a river which has cons- the religion of the Hindus. The rapid tantly shifted its course within the spread of the worship, especially among memory of living men. the masses, was stated to bo a menace The genuineness of these traditions also to the security of the Muslim faith. is fully borne out by the detailed des- Much capital was also made of the noisy criptions that are found in the Bhakti- character of the worship which disturbed ratnakar. Thakur Bhaktivinode has the sleep of all peaceful inhabitants. identified the present town of Nabadwip The house of Chand Kazi is a place with Koladwip of Bhaktiratnakar. The of pilgrimage for both Hindus and town of Nabadwip has preserved traces Muhararaedans. Over against the tomb of its old name of Kulia in the com- of the Kazi there still stands one of the pound-names Kalia-daha, Keblar khal, botanical wonders of the Age in the Koler ganj, Gadkbalir Kol, Tegharir shape of a Champuka tree which" is Kol ;> these, names belongingn o to loca- reputed to be no less than four hundred lities within the boundaries of the years old. The house of Chand Kazi present town. was situated on the same- side of the There is another landmark. The Btiagirathy as the risidencs of Jagannath house of Chand Kazi still stands. The Misra, the father of Sri Ohaitanya. 232 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVUI. Nafl-

This is definitely established by the Eazi's house via Sridhar's yard; The description of the route of tho first Bhagirathy was not crossed, and-did Nagar Sankirtan headed by Sri not require to be crossed. Chaitanya Himself, that was led by way Nadia was then the naaaa of a public demonstration to the Kazi's of the settlements on the east side of house in defiance of his orders the Bhagirathy. We have the distinct forbidding the congregational chant in statement in Chaitanya Bhagabat, which Naba,dwip. is quite close to the time of Sri Chai- The details of the route of this first tanya, that 'there is only the Ganges Barakirtan along the streets of the city between Nadia and Kulia'. The other have been preserved in the Chaitanya place-names, that occur in the des- Bhagahat, the earliest of the biographies cription of the route of the first Nagar of the Lord. The work was .written by Kirtan, are Gadigacha, Pardanga, Thakur Brindabondas, nephew of Majida, besides the villages of the Sribas Pandit, in whose court-yard conch-dealers and weavers. We find the •congregational chant was being in the Chaitanya Bhagabat that the performed by the Lord with closed Lord after His usual midday nap used doors at this time. Thakur Brindaban- to loiter about the different quarters das writes that the Lord on this occasion of the town. Te quarters that He took the procession of the citizens along thus visited included the same the path, that existed in Na lia also at villages of the conch-dealers and of the the time the book was being written, weavers. His return home from His along the bank of the Ganges. The daily afternoon visit to these places, is description is to this effect. 'The Lord also mentioned. He had not to cross went first of all to His Own bathing the Bhagirathy to reach home, The ghat. This of course could not be on village of Gadigachha still remains, close the other side of the river. The Lord to Mayapur and on the east side of the danced long at His own ghat. Thence river. He went to Madhai's ghat, Barakona- Such corroborative evidence from ghat, and the citizens' ghat; passed the most authentic records may be through Ganganagar to Simulia. The easily multiplied. The reader is village of Ganganagar appears on the referred to a most interesting publication Settlement maps down to the year 1917. of a very recent date on this subject It is now in the bed of the Bhagirathy. viz. Chitre Nabadwip by Rao Saheb It is quite close to Mayapur. From Saradindunarayan Ray who haacollected Simulia the procession went to the many of the passages. January 19311 SRIDHAM MAYAPUR

Bhaktiratnakar meations that the of Sri Chaitanya.. We receive no direct village of Atopur, which, says the help from the maps in this matter. Our writer, is the same as Antardwip, oldest maps are not much older than a bad disappeared long ago. But century. It is, however, a testimony Mayapur was then in tact. The book to the continuous existence of the suggests definitely that. Atopur adjoined Mayapur portion of the group of Mayapur. It seems from these words villages, which is designated by the that the river washed away a large name of Antardwip or the inner island portion of Antardwip, the inner island in Bhaktiratnakar, that the learned not very long after the Dis-appearance compiler of the Statistical Account of of the Lord. The voice of Sridhar Bengal has not failed to mention the could be he^rd, according to Chaitanya place. The interesting passage deserves Bhagabat, from midway between the to be quoted in full. "To Baira belongs yard of Sribas Pandit and Sridhar's the little town of Mayapur (near the own house. Burdwan boundary) where I am told The existence of the more impor- the tomb exists of one Maulana tant quarters of the town at the time Sirajuddin who is said to have been the of Sri Chaitanya on the east side of the teacher of Husain Shah, king of Bengal Bhagirathy, is testified to by the ( 1494—1522)," ( Statistical Account existing mound that goes by the name Vol. 1. P, 367). It may be noticed that of Ballal Dhibi, supposed te be the site Hunter spelled the name correctly as of the place of king Lakshman Sen, Mayapur. and also by the Ballal Dighi. Ft may In Bhaktiratnakar we are told that be noticed in this connection that in Subarna Bihar, which appears to be a Govinda Das's karcha Ballal Dighi is very old Buddhistic site as yet mentioned as adjacent to the yard ef unexplored, could be seen from the Sribas Pandit and the house of Ballal home of Sri Chaitanya. This accords Raja as close to the Dighi. There is with the site of Mayapur. It also no tradition connecting any place on proves that the eastern side of the -the other side of the present course river was more famous in old times of the Bhagirathy with the Sen kings than the western and, that also, from of Bengal who had their capital at a very remote antiquity. The name Nadia at the time of the Moslem as well as the site of Subarna Bihar, conquest. are still intact. The place is not very This leads us to the question of far from Mayapur and is on the east the position of the river at the time side of the Bhagirathy, Lastly it may 234 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIIl, No 8

btt mentioned that the learned author huddabandis of 1199. In this proceed- of the Viswa kosa informs us in his ings Mr. Dampier on the authority of preface to Chitre Nahadwip that the a decision of Mr. Moore, District judge name Mayapur is found in an old of Nadia dated 28th December, 1830 manuscript of an unpublished work declared that the southern boundary Which bears the name of Bhabishya of Jalkar Kasimpur was a point where Brahmakhanda. The manuscript was two streams passing by both sides of first noticed by H. H. Wilson in the old Nabadwip met.' It is easy to trace Indian Antiquary of 1891. Wilson the first confluence of Jalangy and is of opinion that the work was written Bhagirathy at the point in Renell's shortly after 1550 A. B. In that work map called therein Jalknr Duraduraa Mayapur is stated to be a large village which was situated to the north of old on the bank of the Bhagirathy. The Nabadwip. The second confluence, at ' writer of Bhabishya Brahma-khanda the southern extremity of Jalkar does not make any distinction between Kashimpur is identifiable with the Mayapur and Nabadwip where, he present confluenc at Hular ghat. Says, Gauradeva will appear. The There is thus a wonderful consensus testimony also points to the existence of evidence from all quarters which of the name Mayapur from at least as points conclusively to the accuracy and early a date as the name Nabadwip truth of the identification of the ancient itself, if not from an earlier period. site of Mayapur, in the antiquarian The information supplied by Major sense by Thakur Bhaktivinode. Renell's map is thus indicated in the I have looked into the papers that body of a Judgment and Decree of have been circulated by a Babaji in the High court (of Calcutta), 12th favour of Ramchandrapur being accep- August, 1896, quoted in Chitre ted as the site of old Nabadwip. His Nabadwip ;—According to Major contention is based on the fact of a Renell's map of 1780 there were three temple having been erected by Dewan places in the river Ganges below Gangagovinda singh for the worship of Belpukur, where two streams met, one Rama Seeta, the ruins of whieh are above the island of Nuddia, one below supposed to be recoverable by proper that island and the third below the digging. But I fail to understand how island of Mohisura it would this can supply any connection between probably be the first confluence below the site and that of Mayapur, the Births Belpukur, which would be meant by place of Sri Chaitanya. In spite of the the words 'Dogangnir Mura' in the frivolous nature of the contention and. January 1931] SRIDHAM MAYAPUR 235 the openly seetarian purpose of the pro- larger issue that invests Sridham mulgator of the view, it is necessary in Mayapur with its eternal interest for the interests of antiquarian truth, to every soul. taken otice of the fact that any cause is Thakur Bhaktivinode is our only capable of being backed by a certain guide in any endeavour to make the real member of people by the persistent acquaintance of Sridham Mayapur, misrepretations of the most ignorant the object of his most fervent type of paid quacks. It is necessary to longing devotion. He has left most be above all forms of prejudice, detailed and luminous exposition of the sectarian or otherwise, if the antiquarian spiritual subject, The circle of issue is to be handled in a really Nabadwip is the indivisible spiritual scientific manner. Entity. The circumambulation of It is not necessary, however, to con. spiritual Nabadwip has been instituted found the antiquarian issue with the on the basis of the exposition of Thakur spiritual, nor to belittle the later in Bhaktivinode. The treatment of the any'way. Those who are curious about antiquarian issue does not touch the the antiquarian issue need not be fringe of the Absolute. May the pure necessarily curious to know anything devotees pardon my effort to treat the about the subject that invests the place spiritual subject by the antiquarian with the halo at spiritual interest of method. May they pardon this per- the most captivating nature. The Life formance in consideration of my imper. and Teaching of Sri Chaitanya belong feet desire to save the holy eternal to the category of spiritual events that Abode of Sri Gaursundar by the dedica- have much more than a merely earthly tion of a mundane capacity that happ- interest. Such interest is not in any ens to saddle me and prevents me way comparable with antiquarian or from directing my attention exclusively narrow mundane interest. It is this to the spiritual issue. In Memorium

J. B. D. has built the Temple of G-od, Right in the heart of Calcutta. He has built with care the holier abode Of His servants, the Gaudiya Math.

J. B. D. is gone from among the people Whom he had loved with all his heart. May he be praised with right good will ; For so we may understand th' devotee's part.

For such was truly th' immaculate soul, Who had served theYaishnavas in every act. Un-alloyed devotion to the Lord was the goal That made him choose the humbler part.

Who can recognise the soul that loves His Lord with a singleness of heart ? He may know who really strives Fully, in his turn, to serve the Lord.

It is our duty to praise J. B. D. In words untainted at their source. By devotion's Language that is the Lord Who teaches our souls to praise His grace.

Let us praise the servant to please the Lord, Whom J. B. D. had, indeed, served so truly. The Lord has a special love for the good ; This they know who serve Him fully.

The Lord is the Beloved of all our souls ; J. B. D. has built the Home of our Lord. Here all who love Him, need assemble. To win the special favour of God. January 1931] IN MEMORIUM 237

The Gaudiya Math is J. B. D.'s memorial ; Nay, the Math is his living soul. Brick and mortar make not the Temple ; They only delude the perverse soul.

J. B. D.'s soul is the Gaudiya Temple, The Divine Pair there sit enshrined. May the holy sight bless all the people I May J. B. D. be thus ever praised 1

This holy Truth is borne upon my soul That the Lord e'er fulfills His servant's will ; For the pure in heart have no other goal. They minister to God's pleasure still.

J. B. D. wished that all the people May truly serve the Supreme Lord. The Lord has fulfilled His servant's will By making him build the Gautliyas' Math

J. B. D. knew this as he toiled Night and day at the commissioned task. He knew that the Lorri had accepted, When the call did come, his work.

'Twas this peace that made him leave This world with an easy mind ; He gained Sri Guru's blessing that gives Assured access to the Presence Divine.

Let all rejoice that our deliverance Is wrought by faith of each loyal soul ; May J. B. D.'s Memorial ever impress This saving truth on the hearts of all.

May We realise God does not scorn To abide in brick Temple reared by faith ; He ever dwells in His devotee's home ; He loves so to live in the Gaudiya Math, 238 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII. No, 8

The Truth is never conceivable To the paltry reason of worldly man. The Lord Himself appears to all In Forms repugnant to our brain.

But His actual sight does bless our reason, And imparts th' power to understand, How the Lord is served by every form. Although He never is of the world.

Presidential Address

{Delivered at the spiritual conference, second day, October 25, 1930.)

Regarding Reference. anxious to hear what other people have 1 bow humbly to the lotus feet of to say. I touched this point in my Shree Guru. Yesterday there was an yesterday's discourse. opportunity of saying a few words by The theists study also the non.spiri- way of a preliminary discourse. But tual Scriptures. They do so for a there was really no discussion regarding negative purpose. They are also found the subject on the agenda. We to quote non-spiritual Scripture when have, therefore, fallen back by one day it happens to, be in their favour. They by the test of our programme. do so in order to establish more firmly The object of the present discussion what they say. In the same way we is that by its means we shall be enabled also may attain greater faith in the to know something really useful. We Real Truth obtained from Shree had desired to hear something from Gurudeva, by hearing many things those persons who have a love for or from others. are well.versed in this particular sub- We may not have heard many ject. We ourselves are that species things that are familiar to the empiric of a nimals who have sold themselves scholars. This is our misfortune. It body and soul to the lotus feet of Shree is possible to be more firmly convinced Gurudeva. This being so there may of the Truth of our words by listening be persons who might ask why we are to them. I do not nurse the ambition January 1931] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 239 of becoming a Pandit of empiricism by failed to understand properly the object hearing anything from them. I do of our questions, in most cases. In not engage in the vain endeavour of many places that whi.di has been deemed acquiring worldly knowledge. If it is necessary for their purpose , has been necessary to know anything regarding of no use to us. Some persons being the ways of the world it would not be unable to answer the questions have amiss to place one's confidence in those manifested their weakness in many learned persons for such a purpose. ways. We have gained the quality of We have heard from the lotus feet being deaf to such remarks. A number of Shree Guru the following text of the of persons endeavoured to attain scriptures. '0 Muni (who art given to eminence as men of action. Some men mental speculation), whatever act is tried to gain other objects of desire performed, whether it be mundane or than the service of Godhead. A number Scriptural, should be performed in the of persons industriously engaged in the way that is conducive to the service of quest of the undifferentiated Brahman. Shree Hari, if one is really anxious to Others again tried to realise the goal attain the function of spiritual devotion.' of monism. But we know that the We happen to be servants of worship of Dharma, , kama or the devotees of Godhead. We are not moles ha is merely ieceitfulness. In servants of either elevatiouists or other words they have a close connec- liberationists. We are the bearers of tion with my addiction to the noo.self. the shoes of Hari's own. Under the They are not the utterances of the circumstance we do not join issue with liberated soul. They are the delirious the communities that desire any other talk of the conditioned soul. thing beside the service of Godhead, There had been a time when Shree viz., elevation or liberation. There is Gaursundar in course of his pilgrimage thus no question of victory or defeat to difierent parts of India, instructed for us. the people in these words, 'Whomsoever But the supreme need is also our need. you meet, instruct him about Krishna. We accordingly circulated a few questions Deliver this country by becoming afnong the other communities, if they Guru by my command'. At that time cfmld give us any information regarding the question arose in our mind as to that supreme need by means of their how we were to discourse regarding the ideas or language. But they have not supreme object of desire if we were not been able to understand even the ourselves self-realised souls. Thereupon language of the questions. They have Shree Gaursundar gave us His assur. 240 THE HARMONIST L Vol. XXV1I1. No. 0 ance, Tn this matter you will not be lotus feet of the amorous Hero of Braja.. obstructed by the current of worldliness. When we approach Katyayani we say At this v^ry place you will obtain My T bow to thee, Katyayani, who have company once again'. Use every power to delude, who have power of endeavour for the Divinity. Do so causing all occurrences, who have power from the posh ion in which you happen over us. May the devi make the Son to be placed. In whatever country, in of the cow-herd Nanda, my Husband. whatever Ago in whatever ego you We do not pray either for the cure may happen to be, use all your of disease or for liberation by the endeavour for the Divinity. If we simultaneous destruction of both disease have to carry out the command of Shree and patient. We approach them and Chaitanya there is no other alternative say, 'May you bless us that our minds but to discuss all those words that we may be directed -to Krishna'. The have heard from the Lotus-feet of Shree people of this world pray for being the Gurudeva. The only duty of the possessors of things that are other than servant of Godhead is to try to do that Krishna. But the lotus feet of our Shree by which one's skill in performing the Gurudeva instruct that Krishna is the service of Godhead is continuously only Possession. We are in the grip of developed. The only thing that is non-spiritual prepossessions. They worth praying for is this that our mind obstruct our quest of Krishna. It is may be more and more attracted necessary to discuss how we may be towards Krishna. We do not want riches rescued from the clutches of such or followers or to be saved from the prepossessions. It is for this reason misery of birth and death. In this that our questions were framed. We world different persons desire other did not wish to pick other's pockets. than the service of Krishna. They We did not intend to inconvenience desire dharma, artha, Icama and mohsha. others. We are above such meanness. They worship various gods for obtain- Those who are addicted to the ing what they desire. But we when we service of lust and anger may are in the presence of Mahadeva, say, judge differently. But we have heard Glory to the ruler of the reUm of from our former Gum Shrila Brindabana, whose forehead is adorned Madhabendra Puri regarding our proper with the moon who is worshipped by duty. 'I have carried out, in every Sanandan, Sanatana and Narada, chief way, every form of wicked directions of cowherds, may thou bestow on me of lust and other passions. But they unceasing, unconditional love to the twin have had uo pity on my poor seli Jantaty,, 1931 ] PRESDENT1AL ADDRESS

'Phey continue: to trouble me shamelessly with, worldly people and carnal women and remorselessly. Lord of the Jadus, are, alas, worse even than the for this reason, just now, giving them swallowing of poison'. up, knowing the truth I have come It is better to commit suicide by to You to throw myself on Your swallowing poison rather than associate protection which saves from all fear. with people who desire other things May You employ me fully m Your than Krishna, or practise.the enjoyment service'. of such things.o Havingo once bejun. We are indeed beggars. But for to serve Hari if such a person becomes, that reason we are no beggars of attached to tilings other than Krishna, desires that pander to the gratifica- he is thereby utterly ruined. Bharnta, tion of our senses. It had been our became King of Bharatavarsha. ife prayer that all communities of sadhus had formerly practised a great variety might consider the mercy of Chaitanya of endeavours for spiritual progress, Chandra. They would be filled with had practised asceticism, had made the greatest admiration, if they do so. actual progress on the path of the Our prayer has been formulated by service of Hari. But he had to he one of our Acharyyas in the following born as the cub of a deer. He bad words, 'Holding the blide of the straw conceived a very slight desire for an between ray teeth,, falling prostrate object other than Krishna. He had at your feet, making hundreds of wished to perform what is ordinarily humblest supplications, I say this, known in the world as an act of '0, you sadhus, casting away everything kindness. It was nothing more serioua fcatn afar, practise loving devotion to than a slight desire to serve a helpless the Feet of Chaitanya Chandra'. ani nal. For this reason Bharata had What Sri Chaitanyadeva has told to bs born as the cub of a deer. us in a special manner, the straight Therefore the lotus feet of our Sri path by following which man can be Gurudeva command us to have no other delivered from all sensuous: desires, is duty except the service of Krishna. nothing else but. to accept the 'May you have your mind fixed towards protection of the service of Godhead. Krishna' is the only proper benediction. Unsaid,, 'For one who is free from all Advaitacharyya on one occasion sensuous desires, who is anxious, to enacted the pastime of preaching the serve Godhead, who is desirous of doctrine of undifferentiated union with getting, across the ocean of this world, the Brahman. Shri Gaursundar desired the contemplation of, or association to put an end to bis activities. 142 THE HARMONIST C Vol.XXVIlI. No3

For this purpose He set out from Sree I have understood how great you really Mayapur in the company of Lord are. Do not be offended with ibis boy, Nityanauda. They proceeded towards for-my sake'. Santipur by way of Lalitpur. At The adulterous sannyasin was Lalitpur they met a sannyasin who pleased with the words of Nityananda- kepi the company of prostitutes. The pravu. He offered to feed hirn. two Lords, full of Divine Pastime, Nityananda sanctifies the fallen. songlit the hospitality of that profligate Nityananda and Mahapravu having bat- sannyasin. The sannyasin blessed hed in the Ganges ate the fruits given Mahapravu Whom he considered to be Them by the sannyasin at his house. an ordinary boy. 'May you have riches, Presently the profligate sannyasin descendants, a good wife and learning'. threw out repeated hints to Nityananda. Ou hearing this benediction of the prabhu for accepting 'ananda meaning sannyasin Mahapravu said it was no 'wine'. The wife of the sannyasin blessing at all but a curse. The only forbade him to annoy the guests in that real benediction is that one may obtain manner while they were taking the'r the favour of Krishna. The adulterous meal. Mahapravu asked Nityananda- sannyasin, on hearing these words, pravu, 'What does the sannyasin mean paid to Mahapravu, 'I have today direct by the word 'ananda' ? Nityananda- experience of what I heard before. pravu was acquainted with the Now-a.days if anybody desires well of behaviour of all kinds of persons. He another and says so, that person returns informed Gaursundar that the the favour by belabouring his well- adulterous sannyasin referred to wine wisher with the cudgel. I find the by the word 'ananda'. No sooner did behaviour of this Brahmana boy to be Biswarabhar catch his words than, exactly like that. I most gladly muttering the Name of Vishnu, He at blessed him that he may gain riches, once gave up eating, performed the followers and good fortune. I had no acharnana and without delay ran to the other object than his well-being. This Ganges with Nityanandapravu and- boy thinks that it is no benefit but an plunged into the stream. attempt to do him harm. He is ready By means of this Act Mahapravu to bl ime me for this'. Thereupon Lord taught the duty of avoiding bad Nityananda looked wi-e and displaying company. He taught more than this. the gravity of a guardian of the boy In the words of Thakur Brindabandas, said to that profligate sannyasin, 'It is 'The Lord favours the adulterous and not'up to yob to argue Avitli this boy. the drunkards. Yet He kills one who is January 1931 ] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 243 versed in the Vedanta if he maligns the attach himself to the companionship of sadhns. This person was a eannyasin. Yet the good, giving up completely all lie did not hesitate to drink wine. He association ,with bad men. The very also kept company with carnal women. words spoken by the sadhus have Yet the Lord went to his house. If he certainly the power of destroying all is not actually benefited in this birth evil tendencies of one's min i'. it will do him good when he is born The only duty of the sadhus is to again The only persons whom the cut away all the accumulated wickrd Lord does not love in His heart, are propensities of every individual. Tuis those who' speak ill of others al me is the causeless natural desire of maliciously. All the atheistical all the sadhus. Worldly people possess sannyasins m'ssed the good fortune of a double nature. They express one obtaining a sight of the Lord. This kind of sentiment but internally cherish is proved by the case of all the ediffereut purpose. Moreover they sannyasins who lived at Kasi'. want to advertise this duplicity as a Those who desire liberation and mark of liberalism or love of harmony. expect to merge in the undifferentiated Those who are unwilling to show any Brahman, are greater hypocrites than duplicity, wish to be frank and straight- even those who desire worldly enjoyment. forward, or in other words, to exercise Accordingly Shri Mihapravu has unamb guously the function of the advised all persons, who really seek 3"ul, such really sincere persons are their own good, by all means to avoid called sectarian and orthodox by those their Company. who practise duplicity. We will Urbashi found that the period when cultivate the society only of those who she could gain her selfish purpose was are straightforward. We will not keep over. She did not hesitate forth-with company with any person who is not to desert Pururaba or Aila, King of so. We must by all means avoid bad Chandravansa. Thereupon Aila, company. We are advised to keep at feeling the cruelty of Urbashi, was a distance of a hundred cubits from cured of his hankering for worldly animals of the horned species. We enjoyment. It was in this connection 'should observe the same cautioil in that Shri Bhagaban said to Uddhaba, regard to all insincere persons. 'Therefore one who is wise should (to be continued) Who is a Brahmana ? (Continued from P. 146. Oct. 1930.)

In the light of the spiritual At the time of Sri Chaitanya the principle which the varnnsrama system attempt was made to establish the -was meant to serve,, by scientific spiritual community. It was necessary interpretation of the Scriptures that to compile a code of regulations for have a bearing on this issue, from the guidance of the members of such what has already been said it would society. These regulations were appear that the Brahmana, who is at collected mostly from the extant the head of the institution, is himself in dhanna.shastras. The system itself .need of constant control from persons was necessarily of a highly elastic who are placed above the institution. nature. The paramahansa was given The paramahansa is not subject to the complete freedom of interfering with guidance of the Brahman. On the every part of it. The word 'Vaishnava' contrary it is the Brahmanas who must was adopted as a general designation always Inoh up to the paramahansa for of all members. They were graded enabling them to perform their duty into four classes. The paramahansas towards other sections of the organiserl formed the first class. Under them community in the sense required by came the class of senior students, in the Scriptures. training under the paramahansas. In any scheme of revival of the Below these came the junior Brahma, spiritual varnasrama organisation the cbarins who had been admitted to the initiative and absolute control of the status of spiritual pupilage. The fourth paramahansa is the one essential class consisted of oandi lates who were condition. But how will it be possible to waiting as probationers for admission find out the real paramahansa ? It will as students. This was the spiritual not do to try to elect him by the community proper. It consisted entirely democratic . methed. The Scriptures of celebates. We accordingly .find declare that the paramahansa is no provision for marriage in this delegated the requisite power of community. getting himself accepted as autocratic The spiritual community was set up organiser of spiritual society when alongside the secular society which was such is the will of Godhead. hereditary. No attempt was made to Jflimary, 1931 ] WHO IS A BRAHMANA )

change tire enstmnary regnlatrDns of Hindus. According to the spiritual the hereditary society. But it was open code of regulations compiled by for all members of the secular society, direction of Sri Chaitanya the parama- married or unmarried to beconre mem- hansa is perfectly free to marry if he bers of the spiritual community by likes. But one who is not a paramahansa' eschewing the worldly life. A member need not marry at all It is also not of the secular society, desirous of enter- obligatory for a paramahanea to marry. ing the ^spiritual community, was not, The provision that is found in all the howeTer, compelled to cut off all exter. secular codes, viz., that the obligatooy nal connection with secular society. marriage is for the strictly spiritual But be was to lire the spiritual life purpose, should be perfectly meaningless eren when he was allowed to retain his according to the code of Sri Chaitanya. external connection with the secular Therefore, the spiritual professions of society. But the secular society the secular codes need not be taken already possessed a code of regulations, seriously, in even a single instance. which was also supposed to be part Their whole spirit and outlook are of the Scriptures. Asa matter of fact, necessarily purely secular. As snob as has been already stated, the code they may, or may not, possess any that was compiled for the regulation in terms of worldly value. of the 'Vaishnara' commuuity, was Itis perfectly conceivable that itself derived from this class of there should be and, ifit be the will, of literature which hears the generic name Godhead, can be, a society of parama- of Dbarraaahastra. There had been a hansas. But such a society would not time when the-spiritual regulation had require any code of regulations. Such not yet become adulterated. But the codes can apply, if they are spiritual, line of demarcation between the only to those who are in the stage of, spiritual and the worldly was lost sight pupilage. But as we hare seen that of in course of time. .And, later still, those who are under spiritual training the worldly was also supposed to be a must bo celebates, therefore, there spiritual concern. can be no regulation regarding iFoi instance let us take perhapls the marriage in any spiritual code. This is most characteristio of all the secular perfectly consistent and philosophical. regulations, namely the compulsory It is also in accordance with the marriage of girls at a vary tender age. rules actually laid down even in the This is now regarded as one of the secular codes for the guidance of fundamental parctices of orthodox pnpiht during their period of -trainrttg. 246 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII, No 8

The idea of samahaftan or relapse ing increase of worldly enjoymfinf.! ihto the worldly state, after cornpletioi< This they are pleased to call by the of pupilage; is unknown to the spiritual highsounding names of progress, pros- dode. It no doubt provides a clue to perity, well-being, happiness. They the attempt to preserve the appearance are naturally very anxioin to secure' (tf connection between the secular and these. It is, for this reason that they spiritual codes* But the regulations devise such institutions as those of regarding marriage must have b^n marriage, divorce, etc. But how can obtained from elsewhere. The these iustitutions find a placp in the" 'Vaishnava' householders of the code code'of the 'Vaishnavas' ? df Sri Chaitanya are paramahansas. All that is feasible is to set up a" They might belong externally to any purely spiritual community with its elasS of the secular society. There is own code of regulations to be adminis- rib distinction between a 'vaishnava' tered by those to whom the authority hdaisohoMer'appearing in a hereditary may be delegated by the; head of tho Brahinana family and another descended community who can be no other than from a Sudra lineage. They are, neither the pararaahansa. otthem, either Brahfnana or Sndra. They The existence of the spiritual may submit externally to the customs community is, however, bound to react of any class withdut'any real possibility beneficially on the practices'and ideas of ever getting identified with any of the secular societies that may exist worldly class. alongside the spiritual. There need There is, therefore, no real point be no opposition of interest between the of contact anywhere between ..the spiri- two groups. Many of the regulations tual community and the hereditary of the non.spiritual Dbarmashastraa Secular society. The former is essentially are regarded as being of a salutary individualistic. A 'vaishnava' is never character by those who look at them' Ijorn, nor can he die. Therefore, from the worldly point of view. The spiri. neither birth nor death are really of tual code has nothing to do wiih such nhy importance to him. The institution regulations. The 'Vaishnavas' have ho1 of marriage also ceases to be necessary ambition of regulating secular society for him for the same reason. This from within. They know very well cannot-be comprehensible to those who that the secular can by. no means be are not vaishnavas. Worldly people improved into the spiritual. The two also value the principle of social freedom. are categorically different from ond JJat they value such freedom for ensur- another. January, 1931 ] WHO IS A BRAHMANA ? 241

The varnasrama institution is, It is not possible for the secular therefore, of the nature of a purely society to be converted en masse into secular arrangement. But this arrange- the spiritual. It is, however, possible ment itself may or may not be opposed to convert it into the daiva varnasrama to the spiritual outlook and guidance. society. It is also possible that dalva If it is not opposed to the ideal of varnasrama classification itself is not spiritual living it can only do so by based on heredity. The Gita says so. frankly admitting its own inferiority It will be necessary to study all the and avoiding all rivalry. It should implications of the position. For this also allow any of its members to be purpose also the autocratic guidance of freely enrolled in the .spiritual commu- the pararaahansa is necessary, for nity. It should, by all means in its avoiding conflict with the spiritual power, encourage conversion to spiritual society. But as a daiva varnasrama life. If the secular society is organised society happens to be a carefully graded and administered in this spirit, it should organisation it should not be possible to be appropriately described by the do without the leadership of Brahmauas designation of 'daiva'. Any secular within the society. The Brahmana7 as society which is deliberately opposed leader of the daiva varnasrama society, to spiritual living, is no less appropri- is nearest in position to the society of ately termed 'asura'. The difference the'vaishnavas'. He should, therefore, be between the two is described in the fully alive to the unconditional superio- Gita. rity of the 'vaishnavas' in all matters. (to be continued) Matters of moment

Religion and state

'T'lfE omiripotemre of the state cannot to the Truth. He should make a. real be rationally admissible. The attempt to avoid the. professedly state most be held ammntable for its suicidal course. behaviour. It should not for example The true religion is infinitely mora be allowed to patronise a bad religion. than co-extensive with all possibla Tt must be prevented from persecuting range of human activity. The Truth" true religion. If possible, it should be includes the state by assigning it its enabled to serve true religion. natural function. That function has The spiritual interest is by no means admittedly never been fully discharged incrmrpatible with the real well-being by any state up till now. At least this of humanity. Unless a nation is seems to be tha verdict of history of srincereljr prepared to make its politics most countries. But despite all this serve the ends of true religion it is weight of authority in favour o£ the bound to reap only misfortune by such a wrong side it will not be unreasonable policy There can be no conflict between to insist that the attempt of making the true goal of one individual and those the state a. servant of the Tiuth of all other individuals, collectively or deserves to be seriously made. Severally. This is the preaching of I am, therefore, in favour of a policy all true religion. It is worth while for of enlightened discrimination in the political science to take cognisance of dealings of the state with religion. It this all-important fact. is unfortunately true that worldly Bonafide mistakes are no doubt people will naturally like to use the possible ; but they are also avoidable, state for gaining their worldly objects. if there is a real will to avoid them, But this will be no excuse for the state especially in this matter. I am stating to use its resources for misguiding the the only true ideal which is alone really people. In this respect the state must practicable. The political philosopher be considered as an institution on its must not allow himself to be carried trial. It should deserve to exist only away by the mischievous notion that if it can prove to itself its genuine it is unnecessary and impossible for intention of serving the cause of the the state to pay its complete homage Truth. January 1931 ] MATTERS OF MOMENT 249

The teacher of the true religion cannot fortunately satisfy its own should, therefore, receive the best of demands. It is however, no less attention from all responsible politically difficult to induce to listen minded persons. This is not to the counsel of the spirit. Animalism incompntible with the democratic or above all prides itself on not being able any other ideal of the stage. It is to unders^nd at all the existence of absolutely necessary to make the anything else than a mind under the democratic stage a real success. How thraldom of a material body. It does else than by the above method can all not understand, neither does if want to opinions of individual and minorities understand, how there can be a soul be really attended to ? The democratic who is not also altogether dependant state need not on principle adopt the on the physical body. The delusive avoidable policy of gagging unfairly triumphs of the physical and mental any activity or expression of opinion of sciences if they are interpreted in favour any of its members. of animalism, stand in the way of the As a matter of fact the current of awakening of the soul. history has been all along leading the Religion is not merely a concern of state towards this inevitable consumma- individuals. It is vital also for the tion. It is destroying, in a sufficiently community. The modern state is wholesale fashion, all narrow fetiches justified in refusing to subordinate and prejudices. It is high time to itself to any dogma which is not intelli- think of avoiding the hideous tyranny gible to the community. By this of undiluted animalism which is being attitude it is fitted to recognise and recommended, in no uncertain terms welcome the real Truth if and when from many quarters. The needs of the He will be pleased to reveal Himself to soul are in danger of being altogether the open-minded communities of the ignored. But the counsel of animalism modern world- Bharata and Rantideva (By Sj. Kishori Mohan Paul, b. l.)

We are sure there are many idea that ticklas our minds or our amongst us who have heard about the senses, we run after him as an 'Avatar' anecdotes of the two kings, Bharata (a manifestation of Divinity) ; and like and Bantideva in the Srimad a flock of sheep blindly following one of Bhagabatam. But it is doubtful, if themselves, we accept his idea as from a comparative study of the gospel truth. If anybody attempts to characters of these two great thwart the perversities of our ever, personages the invaluable lessons and changing spe3ulations by means of the instructions to be derived therefrom, scriptural doctrines, wo do not hesitate have attracted thj careful attention of to describe him as an orthodox, many of u*. Our Acharyya (spiritual monotonous and conservative person, Teacher) Sri Jiva G-oswami Pravu, one quite unacceptable to our circle. of the famous six Groswamins, has given The great man among us says, 'What us a most valuable lesson drawn from is the good of specially searching after the lives of these two persons. the Absolute when He is manifested in So much absorbed are we in the so many forms before us and that infatuations of 'Prakriti'(Maya) that we serving the Jeevas is tantamount to are apt to consider as supremely serving Glodhead ?' We think, 'How excellent only those things that are magnanimouso and high-souledn a favourable for the satisfaction of our personage he is !' But we never pause to mental aptitudes or for the gratification consider how much magnanimity or of our senses. We lack the capacity liberality is really displayed. Too much to accept the lessons of the Acharyya s attached to the fleshy concerns and eternally established in the functions the doctrine of our worldly hearths of the pure soul, in the light in which and homes, we recognise magnanimity they are intended to be seen. This only in a person who seems to extend counts for nothing less than misfortune. his charity to a wider circle. Like Too fond of mundane talks, we fail to virtuous talks to a sinner, moral talks think over any matter seriously for to the libertine, lessqns of attachment being established in our natural state. for a married wife to one addicted to a No sooner r^person puts forth any novel harlot, talks about heaven to one in January 1931 ] BHARATA AND RANTIDEVA 251 hell, remarks of the above nature inconveniences are the outcome of his readily captivate most worldly peoole. wilful forgetfulness of his service of But -if anybody, by the mercy of a Godhead and their removal leading to teacher who is uniflnenced by mental the attainment of the highest good, are speculations being well-established in necessarily of the nature of the realisa- the sp'ritual state, is enabled to take tion of his eternal servitude of the an impartial view of the same, he will Supreme Lord. Just as the attainment find nothing but Godlessness in every of wealth drives out poverty as a word of those remarks. Duped and matter of course and makes one rich fascinated by the hypocritical favour and happy, so the attainment of of Maya ( illusion ), we are apt to unalloyed devotion to Kv-haa brings consider all Golles^ talks as identical unto him Krishna-Prema ( Spiritual with raagnanimify and we fail to Love) wlrmi dis'ells all poverty and understand that there can be no incidentally the threefold miseries of 'poverty* in "Narayana ( The Lord of this world, though these latter are not the Godde-s of all good fortune ) and the direct nor intended result. that Narayana can never be in 'poverty'. In ancient times there lived a king Like light and darkness, like God and of the name of Bharata. He was so 'Maya', 'poverty' and Narayana can firmly established in the natural never keep company. Tt is a great function of the soul that he was called misfortune if we think that Godhead 'Rajarshi' (saintly king) by the people. is subject to the power of Maya and The 'Varsha' (country) in which we Narayana can come under the clutches live now was originally named of poverty. It is a great pity that 'Ajanabh', but after Maharaj Bharata loose thinking in this matter pervades became the king, it came to be called the whole world and the hellish Bharat-Varsha after his name. After doctrine that affects to regard matter having reigned for a period that was and spirit as coming under one proper Rajarshi Bharata renounced common category, has been annihilating his householder's life and resorting to the natural function of the spiritual 'Pulahasrama' applied himself whole- consciousness of the peoples of the heartedly to the worship of Godhead. His twentieth century. A Jeeva is an 'Asrama' was situated on the bank of the infinitesiraally small portion of the holy river Gandaki, the best of all spiritual Essence of the Full Absolute resorts for pilgrimage where large consciousness and is, therefore, His numbers of Sree Niray'innshilas are to eternal servant. All his wants and be found. Living all alone in this 252 THE HARMONIST I Vol. XXVIM. No. 8 sacred place and worshipping Godhead moved by such a piteous sight ? King with various flowers, buds, tula si, Bharata was not an exception to this water, fruits and other appropriate rule. To save the cub of the deer, offerings Bharata -attained to the state saintly Bharata stopped in tho midst of the highest bliss. With a heart free of his worship. He thought that from all hankerings after things of this according to the scriptures the Sadhus world, he passed his days peacefully in (saints), being naturally the friends the worship of Godhead. Gradually of the helpless, ignore even their own the 'Sattwik' symptoms of his sincere interests, for showing mercy to the devotion of Godhead, in the shape of distressed. Thinking in this way he tears, shiverin^s, signs of ecstacy raani. hastened towards the spot and rescued fested themselves on his person. One the cub from the current, Bharata day after bathing in the river Gandaki then applied himself with assiduity as he was seated on the bank of the to the occupation of rearing the mother- sacred stream chanting the 'Prmava' less cub. Rajarshi Bharata had betaken (Vedic Mahamantra), a thirsty deer in himself to the forest, by renouncing her full pregnancy came to the river his kingdom, wealth, wife, children side for drink, and, as she was about to and all the pleasures of homelife drink the water, she heard the terrific for the purpose of worshipping roars of a lion near by. A deer is Godhead. But alas ! now, in place of always timid and easily frightened. the service of Godhead, the image of The terrific roar of the lion resoundino1 TSTarayana (Golhead) engrossed in the in the lonely forest agitated her in a state of utter helplessness which is but most violent manner. She had not yet a contrivance of 'Prakriti' (Maya), came quenched her thirst. But apprehending upon his vision. The deluding energy imminent'peril and looking about with of Godhead, finding the golden; oppor- fearful eyes, she took a sudden big leap tunity, spread her fatal influence upon to cross a sheet of water, that lay in him. As the result of his erroneous front of her. It-led to abortion of the supposition that Godhead can ever be cub from the womb and an end of the anything but transcendental he was mother's life. The, new-born cub fell thrown off from the devotional paltform into the stream. Bharata, although and attachment to desires other than engaged in worship of Godhead, could those appertaining to the service of see all this from his position on the Godhead occupied his heart as a matter river bank. Is there anyone who can of course. Unable to realise the sweet- be so hard hearted who would not be nees of that transcendental service of January i 93 I ] BHARATA AND RANT1DEVA 253

Godhead and falling under the clutches prevailed again and he could under- of His deluding energy, he strayed stand his error arising out of the effect further and further away from the path. of bad actions of previous births, he 'What's the good of searching after repented, saying, 'Oh, what a trouble ! Godhead,' he thought, 'when He is I have been thrown off from the path present before us in so many different of true knowledge. What a fool am manifestations?' Thus the favourite cub I to think that the mind which formerly came'to be looked upon by him as the actuated me to abandon all my worldly Form of Godhead and he lost all^sense of attachments in order whole-heartedly his real relation with Godhead. Taking to concentrate on the service of Godhead 'Mgya' to be Godhead, he degraded and on many devotional activites in himself and owing to his constant a lonely forest and after long and meditations about the deer persisting incessant devotional endeavours firmly on his death-bed, he had to be re.born to establish myself in His service, has as a deer. in consequence of my association with Rajarshi Bharata was a righteous the cub of the deer, ended in snatching person who had been fully engaged me from the Feet of Godhead !' in the service of Godhead ; but, due From this character, sketch of to the effect of bad actions of previous Bharata, Acharyya Sri Jiva Goswami- births, he could not help cherishing pad has drawn the following lessons this solitary evil desire. He was not for our enlightenment. Bach and a perpetual and deliberate offender every Jiva being the eternal servant of like the Mayavadins (Pantheists) who Krishna, it is the incumbent duty of ascribe 'poverty' to Narayana, impute every body to associate himself in their the grossness of Maya to Godhead, service of Godhead. Tf, instead of doing consider the eternal spiritual pastimes this, one busies himself in ministering of Godhead to be transitory, and imagine to the comforts of others or pseudo-'salvation' or annihilation of considers the gratification of his senses the soul to be the highest attain- to be superior to the service of the ment of life. But, for the reasons Godhead and makes false pretence of mentioned above, Bharata had a tem- thereby serving others'.or society and porary confusion of judgment. He was is enamoured of such acts of so-called not so stony-hearted as to indulge in beneficence, he is sure to come under the Godlessness of the Mayavadins and the bondage of this world. Any pseudo-salvation'sts. Hence in course advice recommending such so-called of time when the better consciousness beneficent activities as they are in no 254 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII-No. 8 way in conformity with the service he was not a recluse but led the life of a of the Abiohite Truth, can not Vaishnava householder and all his but lend to most evil consequences, wealth was utillised for the best* of enhance one's Godlessness and deflect causes, viz., the sprvice of Sri Hari. one from the direction of the true Fasting himself he satisfied others objective, viz., the pure devotion of with the offerings of Vishnu ; and it Godhead. However much such often happened that, everything being misiiiided persons may boast of their exhausted after lavish distribution, he theistic (?) disposition or pride them- had to fast with his whole family. selves upon being the benefactors Sometimes he had to pass a whole of their country and of humanity, and month upon water only. He always however much they may be looked tried his best to foster in all sentient upon by their fellows as the mo^t liberal beings, irrespective of their status, the of religious preachers, association eternal good of their souls by offering with such persons is a bar to the to them Sri Mahapra^ad. His prayer attainment of unalloyed devotion to to Godhead was not to attain to the Godhead. The real benefactors of state of the eightfold perfection of the humanity are those who are firmly Yogins, or the self-annihilation of the established in the service of Godhead pscudo-salvationists, but it was to the than which there is no other mercy effect that the afflictions of all souls available to the Jeeva. The Supreme due to their aversion to Godhead might Lord Sri Chaitanya has instructed all be removed if for such a consummation persons to show this true mercy to all he had to take upon his single shoulder Jeevas and Srila Vasudeb Thakur also all their sorrows and troubles. acted up to the same ideal when he Finding this spirit of benefaction in said '0 Lord ! allow me to take upon Rantideva, Vishnu-Mayg, (the deluding myself, the sins of all Jeevas and suffer Energy of Godhead), in order to test all the t mtures of hell, so may Thou the stretch of his patience, brought and let them be relieved of their triple offered to him objects of temptation misery without the least delay' covetable even by Brahma and other Let us now turn to the picture of high gods. But Maharaj Rantideva another character on the other side of who was far above all those temptations, the canvass. In older times there honouring them from a distance, quite lived a king of the name of Rantideva, unattached and free from all other reputed for his generosity and desires, fixed his heart and soul in magnanimity. Unlike king Bharata Vasudeva, the sole Lord of the pure heart. January, 1931 BHARATA AND RANTIDEVA 255

la comparing the character of by Ihtening to the counsels of those Rajarshi Bharata with that of Maharaja addicted to things other than the Rantideva Srila Jiva Goswarai Prablm service of Godhead ; no one should has observed that although Bharata ascribe 'poverty' to the Omnipotent renounced his wife, sons, wealth and Narayana ; no one should indulge in all, yet for the offence of trying to the erroneous belief of supposing that remove the physical miseries of Jeevas mixing of Maya with Godhead is he had to fall from the service of possible ; that according to the Godhead ; on the other hand Maharaja scriptures these offending persons, Rantideva, realising the true nature of though they may pass themselves off Jeeva's eternal relation to Vasudeva, as'Jibanmuktas' (persons who even in ttied to secure for them the eternal their present life are free from the good of their souls, and thereby the bondage of this world) are liable to effective removal of their worldly pass through the cycle of births and raiserirs too, by offering them Maha- deaths. Hence everyone should engage prasad in his capacity of a servant of himself in the service of Godhead, the Godhead and was thus enabled to fountain-head of everything, because overcome the influence of Maya. Even watering the root of a tree, and not the most covetous position of Brahma, merely its leaves and branches, keeps the much desired 'perfections' of the the tree alive ; and the offering of food Yo^ins and the fictitious bliss of the to the stomach, and not to any other pseudo Salvationists could have no organs of the body, alone may also effect upon him. All his actions, being keep the body alive. Therefore we performed fully for the satisfaction of should look at all sentient beings as Yasudeva,' bad the effect of beincrO the eternal servants of Godhead, serve transformed into various forms of His devotees whole-heartedly and try devotion to Godhead. But the efforts to enhance in all who are averse to of kindness of Rajarshi Bharata being Godhead their good fortune by the limited within the scope of this mundane offering of Mahaprasad and chanting of world turned out to be the thraldom Krishna.Kirtan by which alone they of 'Maya' and felled him down from the can, in course of time, be enabled to service of Godhead. acquire re d health and find an end of The gist of the conclusions of the all their miseries. This is the only true Acharyya has been summarised thus. way of showing mercy to all Jeevas as That no one should invite Godlessness well as to oneself. Ourselves

Preaching in Jessore principal tirthas of the South visited by the Supreme His Heliness Tridandiswami Hrimad Bhaktiviveka Lord and also for the purpose of visiting some of the Bharati Maharaj gave an exposiHon from the tirthas in the Madras Presidency and Travancore Bhagavatam on the 3rd of December in the village that have been sanctified by the Holy Dust of the Ramanandapur, District Jessere, before a large Divine Feet. His Divine Grace was accompanied by gathering of Hindus and Mahammedans All were Sripad Bhaktisaranga Goswami Prabhu, Sripad impressed by the true words from the lips of His Anantavasudev Vidyabhusan Sripad Atindriya Bhakti Holiness. From Ramanandapur His Holiness proceeded gunakar, Sripad Narayandas Bhaktisudhakar Bhakti- to Garirhat where by means of the exposition of shastri, Sripad Sakhicharan Bhakti vejoy, Sripad the Bhagavat and the method of Samkirtan the Gopalchandra Bhaktiratna, Acharyyatric Sripad religion of pure devotion was preached by His Kunjavehan Vidyabhusana, Sripad Jadubardas Holiness for four days. Adhikary Bhaktishastri, Sripad Rashbehari Brahma- chary and a number of other devotees. Sri Madhva Gaudiya Math, Dacca His Divine Grace installed the Foot-Prints of the The annual anniversary celebratirn of the Madhva Supreme Lord within the temple of Sri Varahdeva Gaudiya Math, Dacca Branch of Sri Chaitanya Math, at Jajpir on the 25th of December 30, in the temple of commenced on the 17th of December 1930. Their Holi- Sri Kurmadeva at Kurmachala on the 26th, in the nesses Tridandiswamins Srimad Bhaktiviveka Bharati temple of Jiyada Nrisinha at Sri Sinhachala on .the Maharaj, Srimad Bhaktiswarup Parbat Maharaj, 28th at Kovvur on the bank of the Godavari on the 29th Srimad Bhaktiprakash Aranya Maharaj and Srimad and in the temple of Pana Nrisingha at Mangalgiri Bhakti Srirup Puri Maharaj graced the occasion bv on the 31st of Decen ber. All these tirthas had been their presence. The metropolis of East Bengal witnes- sanctified by the Visit of Sri Chaitanyadeva and the sed a most vigorous propaganda of the religion Foot Prints Shrines have been erected in commemo- of pure devotion preached and practised by Sri ration of that auspicius event in the History of the Chaitanya Deva. All available space of the Math, South. The Spiritual significance of these devotional which was most sumptuously decorated and brilli- function is treated in a separate article. We intend antly illuminated, was thronged by an eager crowd to present the reader with detailed account of the of sincere souls who joined in the daily devotional func- tour in the next issue. tions consisting of expositions of the Bhagavat, Samkirtan and mutual discussion. The streets of the Visitors at the Gaudiya Math City were paraded by great processions of Congrega- The following distinguished Pandits paid the tional Chanters. Lectures were delivered at different homage of their visit to the temple of the Gaudiya important public places. On the 22nd of December 1930 Math on the 21st of December 30:—Mahamohopadhya at the instance of the professors and students of Dacca Pandit Srijukta Ashutosh Shastri, formerly Principal Intermediate College Sri pad Sundarananda Vidya- of the Sanskrit College, Calcutta, Mahamohopadhyaya venode, editor of the Gaudiya, delivered an address Pandit Srijut Anantakrishna Shastri, Mahamoho- on the catholicity of Vaishnavisim at a gathering of padhya Pandit Srijut Kamakhyanath Tarkabagish. the professors and students of the Intermediate Mahamohopadhya Pandit Shitikanta Vachaspati , College and of the local gentry. Mahamohopadhayaya Pandit Srijut Durgacharan Sankhya Vedanta tirtha, Mahamohopadhya Psndit Shrine over the bodily remains of Srijut Parbaticharan Tarkatirtha, Pandit Srijut Bhaktiranjan Prabhu (J. B. D. ) Sitaram Shastri, Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Srijut His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Gurucharan Tarka Darshanatirtba, Pandit Chandi- Goswami Prabhupad placed the remains ol the body charau Smritibhusan, Pandit Srijut Surendranath of Srila Jagabandhu Bhaktiranjan Prabhu, entered Vidyaratna M. a., formerly Professor Sanskrit College, into Vaikuntha, in the grounds adjoining the newly Pandit Srijut Jiva Nayatirth m. a., Professor Srijut built temple of the Gsudiya Math by the method of Panchanan Kavyatirtha, Pandit Srijut Shyamcharan the congregational chant. The community of the Siddhantabagish, Pandit Srijut Sitanatb Siddhanta- devotees, former relatives of Srila Bhaktiranjan Prabhu bagish. Pandit Srijut Manmathanath Smiritititha, and people from different parts joined in this devo- Pandit Srijnt Haranath Shastri, Pandit Srijut tional function. We understand that a most beauti- Shashigopal Bhattacharyya ; Professor Srijut Harihar ful temple will shortly be constructed over the resting Shastri m. a, ; Srijut Akhoykumar Shastr i; Srijut place of the bodily remains of Bhaktiranjan Prabhu. Priyanath Tarkatirtha, Srijut Nrityagopal Pancha- The foundations of the temple of Sri Gaudiya Math tirtha. Professor Sanskrit College; Pandit Srijut Hari- were laid by His Divine Grace on the anniversary pada Smritimimaosatiriha, Professor Sanskrit College; day of the advent of Srila Jiva Goswami. The foun- Pandit Srijut Kunjabehari Tarkatirtha, Professor dations of the memorial temple have been la id on the Sanskrit College ; Pandit Srijut Kalipada Bhatta- anniversary tithi of the disappearance of Srila Jiva charya of Sanskrit Sahity Parishad ; Professor Srijut Goswami Prabhu. Maheshchandra Vidyanidhi ; Pandit Srijut Ashutosh His Divine Grace in OrisSa and the Siddhantara na ; Pandit Akshoykumar Vidyabagish, Madras Presidency Prof, of Sanskrit College, Pandit Srijut Girish His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswatiy chandra Vidyaratna, Pandit Srijut Satishchandra Goswami Prabhupad with a party of confidential Vidyabagish; Pandit Umacharan Smritibhusan ; disciples set out on the 23rd of December 1930 from Sri Pandit Srijut Narayanchandra Smritibhusan ; Gaudiya Math, Calcutta on a tour of South India, Pandit Srijut Bidhubhusan Bhattacharya ; Srijut with the object of inaugurating shrines of the Holy Dakshinaranjan Smrititirtha, President of Calcutta Footprints of Sri Chaitanyadeva at some of the Pandit Sabha, etc. etc. Vol. XXVIII, No 9 February, 1931

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIVA )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PAR! B RA JA KAC H AR VY A Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS. Subject Page 1. Travels of the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna Cbaitanya in south India 25T 2. Lord Gauran«a 260 3. Presidential Address 261 4 Shree Raghunath Das Goswanii 268 5. Doctrines of Sri Chaitanya ( V ) 271 6. A talk with a Moulvi 275 7. Ourselves 280 8. Shree Chaitaoya Bhagabat 281

ra.v

mt PC

The Temple of Sree Alalnath Near Ptiri. THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJANATOSHANI

VOL XXVIII FEBRUARY 1931, Chaitanya-Era 444 NO 9. }

Travels of the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna

Chaitanya in South India

T ORD Chaitanya renounced the, world of the name of Kriahnadas. Sarbabhauma and nccep'ed sannyas in the bright Bhattacharyya supplied the Lord with fortnight of the month of Magli in four sets of lower and upper clothing 15 10 A. D. at the age of twenty-four. worn by a sannyasin (kaupin bahirbaah). The Supreme Lord arrived at Puri in Sarbabhauma also requeste 1 the Lord the month of Falgoon. He witnessed the to meet Ramananda Rai who was then D(.la festival at "Puri. He delivered stationed on the bank of the Godavari Sarbabhauma Bhattacharyya in the month as Governor of that part of the country of Chaitra. In the month of Baisahh which was pnrt of the independent He set out on His travels in South Hindu kingdom of Orissa. Lord India. Chaitanya was accompanied by The Lord proposed to take no one Nityanandapravu and a number of with Him on His journey. He was, devotees up to Alalnath. however, persuaded by Nityananda- The Supreme Lord took leave of pravu to have with Him a Brahmana Nityanandapravu and the other devotees THE HAftMONlST tVol. XXVUl, No.

at Alalnath. From there He was prostrated obeisances. Then followed accompanied only by Krislinadas as He the famous conversation b tween the moved on His way to [the South loudly two on the subject of Divine amqur- repeating the Name of Krishna. In Mahapravu put the questions and every village where He passed the Kamanandri Eai answered them. night the Lord, by infusing the Divine Several successive evenings were passed Po w er in to those persons who surrendered in mutual discourses regarding Krishna. themselves at His Feet, commanded As the result of these conversations them to make the people of the whole Eai Eamananda obtained the favour country Yaishnavas. These persons of realising the true nature of (he thereupon taught the religion of Supreme Lord and of his own self. After hhdkti to the people of other villages. In staying there for a few days longer the this manner the number of bhahtas Lord resumed His journey to the south increase 1 rapidly. having previously commanded Kama, When the Lord arrived at Kurma- nanda to give up the service of the sthan by journeying in this manner, king and repair to Puri. He there bestowed His mercy on a From Yidyanagar the Supreme Brahraana who also bore the name of Lord Chaitanya visited Gautomi-, ICurma. At this place the Lord Mallikarjun, atirtha Ahobala-Nrisingha, delivered the Brahmana Basudeva Siddhabata, Skanda-kshetia, Trimatha, after curing him of leprosy. The Lord Bridhyakasi, Baudhya-sthana, Tripati, subsequently bore the Name of Trimalla, Pana-Nrisingha, Siva kanchi, Basudeva mritaprada for delivering Vishnu-kanchi, Trikalahasti, Briddha Basudeva in this manner. kola, Siali-Bhairabi, Kaveri tira, Kumbha- After visiting Jiof-Nirsingha the karna-kapala. Supreme Lord met Eamananda at The Lord on arrival at Sriranga- Yidyanagar on the bank of the Godavari. kshetra made Sri Venkata Bhatta, with The meeting took place very close his whole family, devotees of Krishna. to the river as Eamananda came to Proceeding thence to Eisava Parbata perform his bath there at the time. At the Lo.d there met Puri Goswaini. the request of Eamananda the Lord Sri Puri Goswami after this meeting put up at the house of a vaidic set out (or Puri. The Supreme Lord Yaishnava Brahmana at that place. went on towards Setubandha. On Eai Eamananda in humble attire Shree Sailaparbata He had a conver- presented himself before the Lord at sation with Siva Durga who lived His residence in the evening and made there as a Brahmana and Brahmani. February, 1931 ] TRAVELS OF THE LORD SHREE KRISHNA CHA1TANYA 259

Pass'ng by Kamakosthipuri the Lord proceeded by way of Paya^wini, arrived at south . At this place Sringabera.Puri math, -tirtha, the 'Lord had a conversa' ion with a to the village of Udupi where He Brahmana who was a devotee of Bama visited Shree Gopala of Madhvacharyya. and who was wholly unattached to Having defeated in controversy the the world. Then the Lord having tattva-vaiis at this place the Lord bathed in the Kritamala saw Parasuram journeyed by way of Falgu tirtha, on mount Mahendra. From there the Trikupa, Panchasara, Surparaka, Lord went to Setubandha. He bathed Eolahpur and arrived at Pandherapura. in the Dhanus.tirtha and visited Sree Here the Lord received the tidings of Rameswara. He procured here an old the attainment of siddhi by Sri leaf of the which Sankaracharyya from S irangapnri. contained the story of Maya Sita, carried The Lord procured tho valuable it with Him and presented the same to work Krishnakarnamrita, composed by the devotee of Rama, whose name Sree Billamangal, from the community was Rainadas, whom He had met before. of Vaishnava Brahmanas resident on Then the Lord travelled in the the bank of the Krishna-Vena. From Pandya country. He visited the Tamra. there, travelling by Tapti, Mahishmati. parni, Naya-tripadi Cheoratola, pur, .the bank of the Narbada, Tilakanchi, Gajendra mekshana, Rishyatnukha parbata, the Lord Panagari, ChaintapurSi Shree arrived at Dandakaranya where He Yaikuntha, Malaya parbata, Dhanus. delivered the Sapta-tsja. From there ,"tirtha. Kanyakumari- The Lord mot He, visited Pampa. sarovara, Pancha- the Bhattatharis m the Mallara bati, Nasik, Brahmagiri, the source of country. He delivered the deaf of the, Godavari, Kushabarta and Brahmana Krishnadas, His owm atten. many other tirthas,, returning finally dant, who had fallen into their hands. to Vidyanagar. From Vidyanagar the He then picked up the Brahma-sanhita Lord" journeyed" back to Puri by the (sixth chapter) on the bank of the same route by which He had come, Payaswini. From there the Lord visiting Alalnath on the way. Lord Gauranga

A Divine Event burst once again upon the world. The Iron Age fettered our soul As we had forgot the goal ; So the Lord Himself in pitj came as Teacher of His Word.

Let this saving Message be not hastily disbelieved. There is no other course Possesses the force To lift us to the plane that by the saints are trod.

The Divine Dispensation is the promise of the Word. Therein alone.doth lie The sole guarantee Of redemption for the indifferent, the b-Td and the good.

Let not the vanity of all our earthly endeavour Hide the Truth Who is ; Whom no soul need miss ; Whom no graceless speculation may ever discover.

So let us leave off all doubting ignorance of the issue May God Himself place The Truth by His grace,! Only thus may we have the subiect that has any value.

To bless the Age Lord Gauranga acted the part of the Seeker. His Life is the Search, And the progressive march, On the plane where the goal is self-realised endeavour.

A spark of the Truth has power to dispel all mortal gloom. Our soul's vessel is small In comparison with the All ; So may we learn to be humble and seek' and cease to mourn, Presidential Address

( Gontinued from P. 243, January 1931. )

rJ",HERE was a time when Thakur pashandns in the world. Spying this Narrottama was pleased to tell the one of them-put on the garb of a plain truth to many worthy persona betel seller and the other attired who came of the highest lineage. himself as a potter. Meanwhile the Thakurmahasaya, in the eye of worldly whole body of proui Pandits of the people, had manifested the pastime of hostile community arrived at Kheturi appearing in a Uttarradiya kayastha with the intention of defeating Thakur- family. For telling the truth he mahasaya in open controversy. After became the object of attack by bad their arrival at Kheturi they went to people. Those who judge other people the bazar and proceeded to the potters' by the testimony of their senses, are, as shop for purchasing earthen pots in a matter of course, maliciously disposed. which to cook their food. The potter These persons, devoid of sound began to talk with them in the Sanskrit judgment, began to find fault with language. From there those Pandits Thakur Narrottama. Why he, being went to the betel.shop for purchasing born in a kayastha family, was to set betel. The betel.seller also talked up as a religious teacher of persons with the Pandits in pure Sanskrit. At born in Brahmana families and also this those proud Pandits thought make them his disciples ? When these within themselves that it was a most accusations reached the ears ef Thakur- wonderful country where even potters mahasaya he said that rather than and betel-sellers could talk in the purest provoke the opposition of any person Sanskrit. Thakur Narottama was the he would completely desist from greatest person of such a place. It instructing anybody. Shri Rarokrishna was impossible to conceive how great a Bhattacharyya and Shri Ganganarayan Pandit he could be. Therefore instead, Chakravarti, who are disciples of of losing their reputation by Thakurmahasaya, thereupon said that approaching him it was better to leave if he gave up teaching the world will the place without delay. Thinking go to the dogs, there will be a greater in this way those Pandits hurriedly left iqcrease of the number of atheiatieal the village. Those who obtain the 262 THE HARMONIST [ Vol.XXVlll. No. 9 protection of the Truth are always pudding to complete its deliciousness. liable to be attacked in this manner. If this advice is actually taken one is What is ordinarily called unfair thereby prevented from getting the judgment or sound judgment, is neither pleasure of eating good pudding. The of them, the same as Truth. Many taste of the pudding is bound to be persons suppose truth to be the same as spoiled by such poli jy. Bits of stone, common sense. That which cannot be lime, etc, scorch and choke the passage harmonised with comm m sense is not of the throat and cau e the death of admitted as Truth by such persons. the person who swallows them. Bhakti But what is the nature of those persons or service of Godhead is supremely whose common sense is supposed to be unconditional, self-sufficient, perfectly identical with the Truth ? Is it the pure and absolutely devoid of all earthly common sense of souls who are free quality. If any person advise the from the defects of liability to error, pure devotional impulse to be perft-cted inadvertence, defective senses, desire to by adulterating it with desires other deceive ? Or is it the common sense than service ofGodhe id, fruitive activity, that is born of the experience of empiric knowledge, attempt to become changeable minds subject to all those one with Iswara by means of yoga, etc., defects ? The common sense of the all of which are the products of this ordinary run of mankind, who are material world, then the advice of such subject to all those defects, is at best a person is exactly similar to that of only mental specualtion. It, may mixing lime and mortar with good sometimes exhibit a certain impression pudding Lime and mortar are quite of relative or temporary truth. But it foreign to good pudding. The two is not really Truth. The intellectual things never suit one another. Fruitive faculty of persons who are led by the activity, empiric kuo *Tedge, yoga, are blind active forces of physical Nature activities of the individu il soul in the cannot understand the topic of nn idul- state of bondage They are the terated, self-revealing function of pure functions of the material body and spiritual existence. A certain person mind. On the other hand Bhakti is is tasting the deliciousness of an the natural impulse of the pure soul. excellent preparation of good pudding. It is a spiritual function. It is the Another person arrives there and pro- activity of the soul who is absolutely poses that a quantity of lime and free from all worldly defects. It is for mortar, which happens to be in his this reason that there cannot be any possession, might be mixed with the real mixture of the service -of Godhead February, 1931 ] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

(Bhakti) with fruitive work, empiric nothing worse than a desire that the knowledge and similar worldly activities uu-adulterated Truth, the un.deceiving which are foreign to bhakti by their Truth, might make His appearance in very nature, being the function of the world. But by reason of excessive entities that are categorically different addiction to lust, anger an 1 greel a from the soul. But when fruitive work, number of persons ^have thought it empiric knowledge etc., recognise their proper to display a conduct that is so subordination to bhakti and are practis- devoid of gentlemanly restraint but the ed in obedience to bhakti then such conduct itself has exposed their real activity may be termed as bhakti nature to the view of everybody. although it may seem to be adulterated We are not prepared to collaborate with fruitive work and empiric with those who are given to worldly knowledge. Such adulterated bhakti activities. There are persons who are may he] p a person to attain the path ambitious of climbing to the top of the that leads to pure bhakti which is the Himalaya of progress by means of their transcendental function. When a per- mental speculation based on the son at'ainsto the transcendental service experience of the external world. of Godhead there is then no longer We are not prepared to cultivate any adulteration. It is this which association with empiricist of this finds expression in an oft-quoted shlova type who professes to be able to 'Celestial sage, (Narada) that activity walk his way to the Truth by the which is prescribed by the Shastras in ascending process from experience to reference to Hari is certainly called the unknown. 'We will not allow any bhakti. By iis means the transcendental hostile person among ourselves but bh.ikti is gained.' will always keep him on the other side Consideration like the above led of our boundary'. This is the advice us to circulate a number of questions of our Gurudeva. We do not want the among persons who possess intelligence person who is given to good eating and and sound judgment. We did not send sexuality. Such persons are not really those questions to any and everybody genuine seekers of the Truth. How or to the man in the street. We also will our purpose be served with the did not send those questions for the help of persons who possess a double purpose of mixing rubbish with good naluie ? There is no correspondence pudding. True, we asked for answer between what they say and do. We to a number of questions from certain can hope to get the answers of our persons. Our object in doing so was questions from those persons who have 264 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII. No. 9

realised the nature of the eternal soul, those desires by the mercifql stroke of who form the community of the tbe keen edge of the sacrificial knife in servants of Godhead, t> whatever the form of unpleasant language. ,If religion they may belong. The tidings the sadhu turn into my flatterer then that the lotus-feet of our Sri Guru have he does me harm, he becomes my communicated to us will not be listened enemy. If he gives us flattery then we to by persons who have a double tongue. accept tbe road that leads to enjoyment They will never lend the r sei ving ear and do not want real well being. to the message. Lay men have not It is not proper to heir the ex- been able to understand our questions. position of .the Bhagabat by one who Those whose lives have not become does not live the life enjoined by the identical with that of the devotee as we Bhagabat. It is our duty to associate find it in Srimad Bhagabatam, have with a sadhu who is better than not been able to understan 1 our ourselves. 'Association with those who questions. are better than oneself is association It is for this reason that the Bhaga- with sadhus'. But who really possesses bata instructs us 'To turn over a new the life of the Bbagabata ( God's leaf. The person of good sense must own ) ? "He is called 'free' in this life entirely give up all association with whose only endeavour is for the service bad company and cultivate close of Hari in every activity by mind and association with the sadhas. There is speech and in all circumstances". "May no doubt that the words of tbe sadhu the mind be directed to Krishna" — this certainly possess the power of destroy- is the only form of benediction tbat ing the evil propensities of one's mind. is uttered by the sadhus. The The sadhus in this way benefit every- contrary form 'May the inclination one who associates with them.' There towards Krishna be destroyed are many things which we do not giving rise to the inclination to lord disclose to the sadhu. The real sadhu over things other than Krishna, is makes us speak out what we keep never the form of the benediction of concealel in our hearts. He then the sadhus. applies the knife. The very word The word bhaldi (service of Godhead) 'sadhu' has no other meaning but this. cannot be properly used except in He stands in front of the block with connection with the wo d Krishna. the uplifted sacrificial knife in his hand. Kri-hna alone is the only Object of The sensuous desire of men are like the bhakli. The Brahman is the object of goats. The sadhu stands there to kill knowledge. The (Supreme February. 1931] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ^5

soul) is the object of the effort result of such speculation is called iwka to approximate. But Krishna alone or hypothetical controversy. Those is the only Object of worship or service, who want to make matter produce the We shall explain later on in course of principle of consciou-ness, find them- our discourse how Krishna alone can selves, in the sequel, necessarily be the only Object of worship. occupied with consideration as to how The subject that has been fixed fnr it is possible to gradually neutralise our consideration on the first day of the cognitive principle, how to make the conference—is to consider the it effervace altogetherO into the originalo following, by the analysis of the state of non.cognition. These persons principles of cognition and non. by their austerities try to reduce that cognition, namely- ( a ) the source, ( b ) temporary consciousness into the state instruments, (c) conclusion, (d) of complete unconsciousness. If a per- corroboration, and ( e ) retention, of son begins to perform worldly activities, knowledge ( epistemology ). if he continues to do so in a liberal The ordinary meaning of the word measure, he is liable to become too 'chit* is knowledge. Knowledge much fatigued in course of such possesses the quality of mastership. activity. It is at such stage of From the words of Sri Chaitanyadeva exhaustion that the desire for becoming we are enabled to know that the Son unconscious matter, the desire of of the Chief of Braja in Braja is the liberation in the form of annihilation of real indivisible Knowledge. Krishna- consciousness as described above, makes chandra is specifically the Possessor, its psychological appearance. It is Source and Concentrated Embodiment a good thing to practise open-handed of the Cognitive Power. The source liberality. It is a good thing to nurse from which all knowledge is gained is the sick and to help the needy in of three kinds viz., (a) pure cognition, different ways. Ideas like these make (b) cognition adulterated with non- a tempting appeal to our judgment cognition and (c) non-cognition. Those which seem to promise even a who hold that direct perception by the temporary relief to sufferers when man senses is the only source of knowledge is terribly oppressed by the normal maintain that knowledge or conscious- condition of existence in the realm of ness is a product of non-cognition or matter. We are then attracted matter. These persons believe that non- towards processes that are dangled by cognition is the final principle. The the external world. It is in this propensity that comes into play .as the manner that we become performers of 266 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVill. No. ^

'useful' work, we practise 'virtue', we Gaudiya Yaishnavas have a language of Worship a relieving God, we become their own. They call the material moral, or, sometimes, we do bad deeds, force 'Bahiranga Shakti,' the power commit sinful acts, become irreligious that manifests itself in the extraneous or immoral. We are driven into all members of the Divine Person. The such predicaments by the hostile Professors of undifferentiated knowledge pressure of the external world. want to designate the Entity who is There is no grossness in the subtle devoid of this extraneous power as the material principle. But the subtle Brahman. They form their idea of the owes its birth to gross matter. Subtle- Brahman by repudiating the material ness manifests itself by abstracting i(s force. They have got the experience ingredients from the gross things of of that power from the phenomena of the external world. Gross matter is radio-activity and molecular move- the parent of the subtle existence. ment in this world in which the In this world the function of non- cognitive principle is found adulterated cognition has become more or less with the material principle. But the adulterated with that of cognition. The Brahman also means the Great, the mind and intelligence are occupied in Whole. Those who are priveleged gathering knowledge from the realm to have the sight of the Greatness, the of non-cognition. There is a vorld in Wholeness, know that the world which there is no such subject as non. Brahman means only Bhagaban, 'The cognition which is professed to be the Possessor of all Power'. In the words of final reality by the propounders of the Sri Chaitanya Deva the primary mean- theory of the finality of the atom or the ing of the word Brahman is 'Bhagaban*; material force. In that world every- The Sankarsan Sutra uses the word thing is cognition. There are some Brahman to denote Vishnu In the who say that there must be the realisa- concluding portion of the Bhagabatam tion of utter powerlessness in undiluted we find the iollowing Shloka, 'The cognition. It is (rue that the possessor essence of all Vedanta is Brahman Who of empiric knowledge has bitter experi- is identical with the Supreme Soul. ence of material force in this world. He is the only substantive Reality. It is only when one is anxious to fly He is One and without a second. The from the bitterness of such experience one thing needful hs exclusive and that the opportunity of rendering cogni- eternal devotion (o Him'. tion, of which we stand in need, devoid Every Sound has a two-fold of all power, presents itself to us. The potency,, viz. ( I ) the enlightening February, 1931) PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 267 natural potency and ( 2 ) the natural a specific Form, the concentrated potency prductive of ignorance. That Embodiment of the spiritual principle potency of the sound which, diverging of existence, Cognition a id Bliss. He from Krishna, Vishnu, Sri Chaitanya- has no beginning. He is the beginning. deva, points to something else, is the He nourishes the whole world. He is potency that is productive of ignorance. the Cause of all causes.' By their enlightening natural potency The above Meaning of the Sound all words express Krishna, point to 'Krishna' was brought from the south Krishna. Those words that obey us of India by Sri Gaursundar and made as their master, help us in the function known to all the people. No other of enjoying the things of this world, country except Bharatvarsha knows being proraotive of enjoyment, are the Meaning of the Sound 'Krishna'. thereby separated from the Divinity In Bharatavarsha also there are and, therefore, exhibit the natural divergent currents of thought in which potency that produces ignorance. The the sounds Iswara, Paramatma, Sound 'Krishna' points to the substantive Brahman, etc., have manifested.Them- Reality. In this world made of selves. These currents of thought material, limiting quality, the meaning indicate the secondary potencies of the that is offered of the Sound 'Krishna' Sound 'Krishna' or even postulate what is understood by the common run powerlessness of the Divinity. They of people by the Sound 'Krishna', none are also unable to convey the knowledge of these are the entity Who is the real of the Fullness of Meaning of the Meaning of the Sound 'Krishna'. In Sound 'Krishna'. Anything that is other languages such sounds as 'God', seen, heard, smelt, tasted or touched 'Allah' etc., or, even in the Sanskrit by our senses giving rise to empiric language such sounds as 'Iswara' knowledge, is an entity produced by 'Paramatma', etc., express a certain physical Nature. The Sound 'Krishna' conglomerate of distinctive power which has not been used by reference to these is an adulterated entity separate from products of physical Nature. The Krishna. Those sounds fail to Entity Krishna is not comprehensible accommodate the full commanding to knowledge dependent on material potency of the Sound 'Krishna.' The senses or absence of material senses. He meaning of the Sound 'Krishna' is, is an Entity who transcends physical -r-'Krishna is the Supreme Lord. He has , senses and physical Nature, Shree Raghunath Das Goswami ( Continued from P. 21 June 1930. )

T^ROM this time onwards Raghunath clothing thin patched and tattered old A/continued to worship the Govardhan kantha and rags. He carried out with Shila and the garland of gunja. the utmost care the command of the Having received this extraordinary Lord. He ate what was barely sufii- Favour Raghunath forgot every cient for maintaining life. He. reproved thing else in his great joy. He attached himself for eating too much. 'A person himself with body, mind and speech whose chitta is cleansed by true knowr to the service of the Feet of Sliree ledge is enabled to know the nature of Gauranga. 'Raghunath', says Kaviraj the soul and thereby gains everything. Goswami, possessed good qualities that Then why do sinners, neglecting such knew no end. It is never possible for course for what purpose or for what any one to describe them all. Raghu- reason, care for nourishing their bodies ? nath acted up to the. rules enjoined Acting on the above maxim of the by the Shastras for the life of perfect Bhagabat Raghunath was extremely renunciation with the most scrupulous careful not to indulge tlie ta^te of good fidelity. The course of Raghunath's life eating. 'The remains of the cooked rice is comparable only to the line that is offered to Shree Jagannathdeva, which cut into the slab of hard stone in the was left unsold on the hands of their quality of its enduring firmness'. vendors become rotten in course of two The life of Raghunath at Puri has or three days. They cast the rotten been recorded by Krishnadas Kaviraj rice to the Tailamgi c nvs at the Lion Goswami in a few telling words. Seven Gate of the Temple. Those cows would and a half praharas of his day were spent not touch the rice by reason of the rot- in Idrtan and recollection. There was ten smell. Raghunath brought the rice left scarce four dandas, during night home during night. He washed it in a and day, for meal and also, on certain great quantity of water. He-could thus days, for sleep. The story of his renun- find a quantity of rice which still had ciation is a most wonderful narrative. a sobd core, Raghunath ate that portion During the whole of his life he never of it mixing with salt.' On a certain allowed his tongue to taste any enjoy- day Swarup found him eating tha rice. able food. He never wore any other He was moved to a* smile and beggetj February. 1931 ] SHREE RAGHUNATH DAS GOSWAMI 269 to have a small quantity of the same Das Goswami's resolve. They dissuaded which he tasted with relish. Swarup, as him from his resolve to leave the world. hefatethe rice, made the remark 'that They made him live with them as their Raghunath ate such nectarine food daily third brother. all by himself without giving any of Sri Rupa and Sanatana listened cons- them a share. He was, indeed, unpardon- tantly from the lips of Raghunath about ably selfish'. The Lord heard of this from all the Pastimes, His inner as well as Govinla. One day the Lord appeared outer Activities, of the Supreme Lord. before Raghunath. He found him at his Raghunath lived for a long period at meal and said, 'All of you eat excellent Brindaban. He survived Sri Rupa food. Why don't you give it to me ?' Goswami for a short time. During h's Saying this the Lord ate a mouthful. residence at Brindaban Das Goswami As He was going to take more continued the same kind of life that he Swarup caught Him by the Hand. had been leading at Puri in the com- Swarup snatched the rice from the pany of Sri Swarup Damodar. Hands of the Lord remarking that it Raghunath now gave up cooked was not tit for Him. The Lord said, 'I rice and water on which he had been eat daily a great variety of Pro.sad. I living. He gave up speaking about any do not find such taste in any other Prasad.' other subject. He ate (sour milk) The Lord performed Pastimes like these in measure of two to three palas. He in His Dealings with Raghunath. He performed daily a thousand prostrated was at heart pleased at the spirit of obeisances, took the holy Name a lakh renunciation of Raghunath. of times and made obeisances to two Raghunath passed sixteen years in thousand Vaishnavas. He served the confidential service of the Person on Radha-Krishna night and day in his the Supreme Lord. After the dis- mind. He recited the Deeds of Maha- appearance of Swarup Raghunath came prabhu for the space of one prahara to Brindaban. He made up his every day. Raghunath bathed in mind not to survive Swarup. But he Radha-kunda, without omission, three wished to meet Sri Rupa and Sanatana times during the day, in the morning, at Brindaban. It was his purpose at noon and at evening. He offered thereafter to effect his departure by his embrace to all Vaishnavas living in throwing himself from themount Govar- Braja He passed seven and a half dhana. "When Das Goswami greeted praharas in the performance of the feet of Sri Rupa and Sanatana at devotional activities. He slept for. four Brindaban the brothers became aware of dandns but that also wa§ omitted on 270 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXV111, No. 9 certain days. Anyone who is fortunate Externally there is no doubt a great simi- enough to have on opportunity of larity between the life of Das Goswami listening to an account of Raghunath's and that of the practisers of renunohi- method of serving the Supreme Lord tion of the type inculcated by Sri is bound to experience a feeling of the Sankaracharyya in the Mohanludgara. most exquisite astonishment. Asceticism of this latter type is satisfied Three famous works are attributed by the act of renunciation. If it is to Shree Raghunath Das Goswami. asked why it renounces the normal They nre (1) Stavanaala, (2) Sri activities of the world in favour of an Danacharita and (3) Muktacharita. abnormal mode of life it can only meet They are mentioned in a very old the charge by the assertion that detach- shloka of an anonymous writer. They ment from the world is the only effici- are also found in Bhakti-Ratnakar by ent way of securing the fuller and more Sri Ghanashyara Das. In Gaura— vigorous exercise of one's physical and Ganoddesha Dwipika Sri Kavikarna- mental powers and aptitudes. If asce- pur has identified Shree Das Goswami ticism do not take up some such posi- Praibhu with Sri Rasamanjari of Braja- tion it becomes a form of . In lila, with the remark 'that he is also either case it should be impossible for held by certain devotees to be identical such an ascetic to understand the value with Sremati Ratimanjari or Bhanumati.' or nature of the positive activity- of Sri Krishnadas Kaviraj, author of Sri Shree Das Goswami prabhu. Chaitanya Charitamrita, was the reci- The ideal of the service of Shree pient of the mercy of Shree Das Goswami Raghunath Das Goswami is that of the from whose lips he heard about the self-less hand-maids of Sri Radhika Activities of Sri Chaitanya which he whose service of Sri Krishna is lias recorded in his biography of Maha- the only sufficient service of the prabhu. Supreme Lord. Shree Das Goswami The spirit of renunciation which is accordingly does not covet the direct so prominent throughout the life of service of the Lord. He wants to be Das Goswami has a positive aspect serviceable to Sri Radhika. This is the which is likely to be missed by those real nature and the positive significance who are votaries of a life of austerity as of the spirit of Shree Raghunath Das a result of so-called realisation of the Goswami's renunciation of activities miseries of the life of enjoyment. that are not acceptable to Sri Radhika. doctrines of Sri Chaitanya v ( Pbof. Nisuikanta Sanyal. M. A. )

'T'HE doctrines of Sri Chaitanya are without really understanding them. identical with those of the revealed Such conduct will not, however, take us Scriptures. They are transcendental. one step forward in the direction of the They have come down to us through Truth. In the light of what has the. eternd chain of the teachers of the already been said on the necessity of Word, The Word is the Veda. It is receiving the Truth in the form of the not possible for us to approach the transcendental sound from the lips of Word unless we are enlightened by the the bonafide teacher we should not also mercy of the teacher of the Word. be discouraged by our failure to The only way by which we may have approach the absolute by the empiric access to the Word is by submissive method of studying the biography of listening to the exposition of the Word the Lord. We require to be introduced from the lips of his eternal teacher. to the proper method of study by the There are books from the pens of mercy of the teacher. He holds the great devotees that contain the true key that will admit us to the plane to exposition of the doctrines of Sri which the Life of the Lord belongs. Chaitanya. Sri Chaitanya practised It is necessary to know the nature the doctrines that He taught. It should, of our real self. It is also necessary to therefore, be possible to understand preserve ourselve-s from the delusion, His teaching by a careful study of His which has such a strong hold on us at biography. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita present, that we are non-soul. We are presents us in detail the Life of Sri now under the power of the physical Chaitanya as sannyasin that is to say as body and the ignorant mind. We have Teacher of the people. Everyone forgot the nature of our real self. It is should read that book. But the book necessnry for us to regain the knowledge itself is really unintelligible to the con. of our own selves. We can do so by vinced empiricist. It is open to everyone accepting the teaching of Sri Chaitanya. to'admire the book without really under, But in our present condition it is not standing Anything of its contents. It really possible for us to accept His is in the same way also practicable to teaching. We cannot accept His teach- model one's life * on those teachings ing as long as we are ignorant of our THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVllI-No. 9

own selves. It is for this reason that the power of the physical body and it is necessary to accept the teaching of ignorant mind, to understand and the Lord by the method of submissive teach the Scriptures by their own listening to the words sp )ken by the efforts. These p tsous follow such boaafi le teacher in pursuance of the method under the impression that Yedic method. thereby they will become happy. It is possible for our soul to under- It is the apparently pleasant prospect stand the word of tha teacher of the promised by the meth )d that appeals Truth. Our souls in the pure state to them. But what is pleasant for the possess consciousness which is fully time.being miy not also be always open for receiving the Truth. Our souls for our benefit. Empiric controversy are free from all hankering for ignor. does net help in solving this difficulty. ance. The soul is fully self- If I choose to think that ignorance is conscious, At present he is not so. knowledgeo an! that such knowledgeo He supposes that he is something else, makes me happy and if I also desire to that he is full of ignorance. This be happy in this way, how can 1 be ignorance is of various kinds. They persuaded to give up my ignorance ? are either sattvic rajaslk, or tainnih. The teaeher of the Truth, who alone The deluded soul regarls himself can realise my plight, is always anxious as cvpable of kio.vihj; everything to remove my delusion. But it will not and thereby getting rid of all be possible for me to understand what ignorance ; or he may think that his he says, if I do not give up my habitual proper function is to do all kinds of preference for untruth on the ground work ; or he may prefer to remain that it is likely to make me happy. passively inactive and ignorant. Ai a The teacher of the Truth desires to matter of fact the s ml is the possessor serve my soul who is perfectly self- neither of empiric knowledge, activity conscious. He does not want to serve nor of inactivity. These amibtions are ray ignorance. But as I like to possible only in the deluded condition. think that I am ignorant by my All these different mistaken ideas nature I suppose him to be ray regarding the nature of oneself give enemy. The teacher of the Truth rise to differences of opinion in religion. does not want me to give up anything It is in this way that the different but only to serve the Truth, Every, religious sects have been formed. thingo is to be rngained, 7 and nothingo can Sects are the result of the attempts be lost, by the service of the Truth. But that are made by persons who are under the mind in its ignorance does not Fe^raary, 1931 j DOCTRINES GF SRI CHA1TANYA 113

Un|i^tand the real nature of the It is either an attempt to gratify the Spiritual function. It persists in senses by the method of enjoyment confounding the function of the soul or an endeavour to recoup the power with a certain form of mental activity. of enjoyment by the method of But the function of the soul has abstinence. The latter method is also nothing to do with the ignorant called the path of renunciation. It is mind or the physical body, or with the path of the pseudo.salvationists and this phenomenal world. It is the liberationists. The method of enjoyment function of the mind that now-a-days is the path of the elevationists. ordinarily passes, even with the most We can at once see how it is educated persons all over the world, impossible for liberationists and lor that of the soul or, at any rate, as elevationists to understand the function being akin to that of the soul. of the soul which is the subject-matter This is the root-cause of all trouble. of the spiritual Scriptures. The difference The mind is not the soul. The mind between the mind and the soul is cannot understand the nature or the substantive and is not capable of being function of- the soul. It is apt to brought home to the mind by the attribute its own nature and function to method of controversy that is in- the soul. The mind can serve only what telligible to the mind. Such controversy is non-conscious. This is so because is apt to confound the mundane with it cannot understand nor approach the spiritual. Or it may take the form the entity that is termed unclouded of an attempt to reconcile the two. As consciousness. The mind has no nau^e to a matter of fact the mundane is wholly be dissatisfied by such service, as such incompatible with the spiritual. Perfect service is in accordance with its own ignorance is not in any sense compatible nature. with perfect knowledge. It is this The mind is thus enabled to dominate illogical trick of the mind that ordinarily and dictate to the soul. This is, how- passes for the quality of liberalism ever, an abnormal state of things. The or toleration, with empiric thinkers. soul is higher than the mind. The mind But this is really an uncompromising is also always dimly aware of this. It, attitude" of refusal to recognise the therefore, uses the method of categorical nature of the difference in its dealing with the soul. Aversion between the Truth and non.truth and to Truth leads the soul to agree with untruth, This is the chief obstacle "in the mind and serve the latter. This the way of empiric thinkers to accept service of mind is of two-fold nature. the Scriptural method of search 274 THE HARMONIST t Voi. XXVlll.No. 9

They are apt to regard it as illiberal and Sutra. It is not possible to understand dogmatic. This reservation prevents the Brahma-Sutra without the help of them from lending their whole attention the Srimad-Bhagabatam. Those who try to the representations of the other side to explain the Brahma-Sutra in any in a really impartial manner. other way deviate from the method of Sri Chaitanya teaches the function exposition laid down in the Scriptures. of the soul. It is natural for the soul Those who are enabled to understand to serve Godhead exclusively and the real meaning of Srimad-Bhagabatam uninterruptedly. The service of Godhead by the mercy of the bonafide teacher is neither enjoyable, nor abstemious of of the Truth find the Bliagabatam to enjoyment which alternatives alone are be the crest-jewel of all the Shastras. possible for the mind. The natural eternal To such a person there, is no longer function of the soul has been revealed any irrelevancy or inconsistency or in the Vedas. Its nature can be realised obscurity in any part of the whole body by the soul who happens to be under of the revealed Scriptures. the power of the physical body and Sri Chaitanya taught the meaning ignorant mind by his own choice effected of the Srimad-Bhagubatam by practising by Maya by following the method that is the pure service of Godhead as revealed laid down in (he Vedas. Thatmethodis the in the Bhagabatam. This is the highest srauta-pnntha or the path of submissive gift of Mahaprabhu. His Life has been listening to the transcendental sound made available to all persons by the appearing on the lips of the bonafide biographers of the Supreme Lord. But teacher of the Truth. There is no other the biographies themselves are also method by which the fettered soul may unintelligible unless one hears their be re-established in his natural condition exposition from the lips of the pure of the willing service of Godhead. devotees of Godhead. The Bhagabatam The Brahma-Sutra contains the or its exposition can be understood by systematic exposition of the revealed no other method. Sri Chaitanya does Scriptures. The Srimad-Bhagabatam not replace but only fulfils the is the genuine exposition of the Brahma- Shastras. A talk with a Moulvi ( By Sbipad Nimananda Sbvatibtha, Bhaktisastei, B. Ag. B. T.)

Moulvi.—Many a time I heard you found in any other of the existing talking on religious subje3ts. You talk religions of the world. from our Holy Quraij. I wonder you I.—Pardon me. Do you claim His are still not a muhammadan. superiority on the basis of Chronology ? I.—I am glad, you appreciate me M.—No, Not alone on that# If in the li^ht of the Quran. But I do merit be considered, we shall find God's not understanl why you should insist wisdom made perfsct in Him. on my becoming a muhammadan. What I.—Will you please show why Islam is it to become a muhammadan • is superior to all other religions of the M.—You have to accept Hazrat world ? Muhimm id as His Rasul. M. —Please do not mind if I happen I.—This I do. to speak anything against your faith. M.—But mere recognition of Him I.—Certainly not. I am an honest aa the Prophet will not do. You will seeker of Truth. I am always ready have to accept the form of worship to renounce my faith if I find a better that He has been so kind to prescribe one to attend to. for us. M,—In the beginning I must tell L—Is there any harm if I recognise you what 'Islam' moans. It means Him as a prophet, but follow another, 'making of peace/ that is peace say Christ, or still another say Sri with God and peace with man. Chaitanya ? Peace with God means submission M.—There's no harm. All religions to His will and peace with man means have divine revelation as the basis. doing good to one's fellow men. A But Islam is the final and perfect true follower of Islam must not fail to revelation of God made through do good even to the meanest of all Hazrat Muhammad. It is for this creatures. The Holy Quran says ;— reason that He is called the 'Seal of "There is no beast on earth nor bird the prophets.' Hence the spiritual which flies with its two wings, but they uplift that Islam promises cannot be are a people like you, and to their Lord 276 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVI11. No. 9 shall they return" ( chap vi—38 ). sharing with God in the Divine The Holy Prophet is reported to have qualities. So there are many Gods said : - "Surely there are rewards for instead of one. doing good to quadrupeds and giving Again Hindoos believe in the them water to drink. There are incarnation of God. But according rewards for benefiting every animal to Quran such incarnation of God is having a moist liver." impossible. Every religion aims at Evidently Islam is the "Religion communion with God. But this of Peace," miscalled muhammadanism. communion is not attained by bringing It is the religion of all. Adam, Noah, Him down in the shape of man. Abraham, , Daood and Jesus t I—Thank you. Now before I enter all preached it. In fact the religion into the discussion of the merit of all of every true prophet was, in its that you have said, I want to ask you pristine purity, Islam. one thing. Please tell me in whose God in Islam is the "Lord of the light you interpret the Quranic texts. worlds.'' It denies all plurality of persons M.—Why, every one who knows in Godhead and any participation of Arabic can read the Quran and any being in the affairs of the world. interpret It. There's an ayat in sura Ekblas I.—Do you not then mistake which runs thus—"Lum e lid o lum empiricism for God's knowledge ? en Lad.'* This means God neither M.—How ? gives birth to nor is given birth to. I. —There is, I believe, an ayat in the In the Bible Christ proclaims himself Quran like this—"Jelika fadalullahe as the Son of God. In the Bhagabat entihe raai asahoo," which means this Krishna is born as the son of Nanda. knowledge is the gift of God ; He In another ayat of the same sura gives it him whom He chooses. it is stated—"Kol hoo o allahoo ahad.'' I remember to have read in sura This means that God is self-suificient. fateha an ayat which runs thus— He depends on none but every one Chhira lal lajina an anata aleihim. depends on Him. There is God and This means "Lead us, 0 God in none but God. the path of those whom Thou hftst But Krishna of the Bhagabat favoured.'' depends on Brahma for the creation, M.—Yes, there are. on Vishnu for its maintenance and T.—Hence so long as we are not on Siva for its destruction. There is chosen by Him as ones to know Him, thus an ever-existent class of DeMs W? have no right to speak of Him. February. 1931 ] A TALK WITH A MOULV1 277

There is always the danger when the first reach that plane of spiritual blind lead the blind. We must always consciousness where they become trash heaven's light for our guidance. manifest and then go to preach them. Our knowledge that is based on our Our mind, however trained or educated experience can never claim to be it may be,_ cannot be employed in perfect. Hence such a knowledge, if handling Divine things or the latter employed in our spiritual investigation, will lose their Divine character. will only give us the perverted view M.—Where and how to get such a of the Divinity. Kamel Pir who is 'momen' (faithful) M.—Yes, but how can we say that and not 'monafek' (hypocrite) and who this man or that man has not been by his 'taojja' (initiation) can make favoured by Him ? the heart of the 'murid' (disciple) I.—We cannot equally say that rebound with the Name of Allah and this man or that man is favoured by unfold unto him His hidden secrets ? Him, because he holds a great academi- I.—It is not possible for us to know cal qualification. Hazrat Muhammad who is *momen' and who is'monafek'. had none of it, yet He was chosen. But if we are sincere, God is sure to M. —He is a prophet, a God-sent guide us. Through His grace we are one. The case is quite different with to find out one such guide. I hear such ones. in the Quran there is a teaching like I.—At least you must look for a this—"mai ead dillahu fala mudillalahu Kamel Pir to lead you. o mai eudlillahu fala hadialahu", which M.—You see I have lost all faith means, none can lead him astray whom in so-called Pirs and Fakirs. They Allah guides aright, and none can are all rogues. guide him aright whom Allah guides I.—There may be real Pirs also. astray. M.—If there be any such, we are M.—Do you mean to say that we not sure to find them. have hitherto been not sincere ? I.—Yes, but that is no reason why I.—That is for you to judge. The you should go without a guide. Hazrat sincere never seek God for their own Muhammad is reportod to have said, pleasure. They want to serve Him "Maala sekhalahu fala thuhu saifanun," but expect no service from Him in which means those who have no guide, return. In the Quran we find ''And are guided by the Satan. Guide you among men is he who sells . himself must have. You cannot explain Divine to seek the pleasure of Allah; and things in your own way. One must Allah is affectionate to the servants 278 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII, No. 9

( Ch, II 207 ). Lust after flesh makes of Quran of such and such man is men self.seeking. In the Bible the correct, . qualification of one that receives love M.—You see the Bible has 'been of God has been stated thus—'Love several times recast. So we do not not the world, neither the things that get the actual teachings of Christ. are in the world. If any man love the I.—May be. But truth is there. If world, the love of the Father is not anything laid down in the Bible is in him." corroborated by what is laid down in M.—Do you mean to say, a sincere the Quran, I think, you cannot have seeker of truth must not have any any objection to accept it as truth. worldly attachment ? At least the truth in the above I.—Yes, he should not have any. sayings of Christ is self-evident. All M.—Then why has God created this religions teach it. Hazrat Mahammad, world ? Is it not for our enjoyment. I believe, does not teach anything I.—It may be for our punishment different. His whole life is a life of as well. God is the sole enjoyer and renunciation. Repeatedly He said, "Al we, as His servants, minister to His phakru phakjri," which means poverty enjoyment. The servant is not the is my pride. At the time of His death master. We are turned out as a thief He called His wife Ayesha to His bed as soon as we entertain a desire to and said, "Ayesha I cannot depart enjoy. God does not want to live in peacelully. And why ? T think, you heaven with a thief. We fall. Paradise retain some money in the house." She is lost to us. If we want to regain it, said 'Yes, my lord ! I have four gold we must do so through service. Service mohars.' "Give them", said He, "to is the fundamental function of the Soul. the poor. Ah 1 what shall I answer Love of worldy things is a sin. to Allah f 'The lust of the flesh', that always M.—Then, I think, we should give allures us to commit it, is not of the up the job altogether as hopeless. The Father. Christ says, "Whosever abideth cent percent of the so-called religious in Him sinneth not ; whosoever sinneth people of the world are really not hath not seen Him,neither known Him." religious. Evidently then one who does not know I.—It is so. And hence we find Him cannot interpret Him. He cannot even those who talk of wisdom as a either certify to the correction of one gift from God in the form of revelation such interpretation. You cannot fighting among themselves to-day for definitely say whether the interpretation difference of their opinions, February, 1931 ] A TALK WITH A MOULVI 279

But why should we give up this as I.—At least this does not stand to a hopeless task ? It is true we have reason. The world is, indeed, very attachment for the things of the world. large, and is inhabited by many peoples. But should we try to strengthen it or God cannot choose only one people and lessen it ? The sincere are those who leave attending to the rest. do not identify themselves with their M.—No, He cannot. He is the bodies and are not much concerned Lord of all. with the things that interest these I.—Evidently then gospel preached bodies. God is ever vigilant ; and the to a people in one place may be different sincere endeavours of an honest devotee from what is preached to another will not surely go unheeded by Him. in some other place ; as no two peoples H e is sure to supply you a guide. are alike in their spiritual evolution. M.—Yes, but how can I say that the The revelation is made to suit the interpretation of such and such man is spiritual evolution of a people. We not correct ? Especially when all cannot receive what we do not want. endorse it. Nay, even to a parctical people God 1.—Certainly we cannot say 'no' as may reveal Himself in different colours well. It is however not safe to accord at its different stages of evolution. sanction to any merely on the You cannot preach Quran to those who numerical strength of his followers. appreciate the Bible, nor to those who Let us for the time being confine have the inclination to appreciate the ourselves to the academical study of Bhagabat. Each is a revelation considered the problems and see, if we can approve best in reference to the people them with reason. to whom it is revealed. The difference There had gone many teachers in their is discernible only before Muhammad. I hear their number as long as they are studied without suoh is mqre than a lac. Now, do you think reference. This study is exclusively they preached the same gospel ? reserved only for those who are in M.—Evidently they taught different communion with God. They and only gospels,- when we see that the Quran is they know that food given to an infant not the Bible. But the fundamental differs from what is given to an adult. principles of their teachings were the But they are both conducive to the same. respective growth of their recipients. I.—Again you cannot say that all All are being educated for the same preached in the same place every time. purpose, i. e. to love God and serve Him. M.—There's no history. All quarrels cease there. ( to be continued ) Ourselves

The tour of His Divine Grace in South India public lectures have been delivered by Swamiji Bon and other preachers of the mission in the different His Divine Grace started from Sri Gaudiya Math, quarters. These lectures have been .always attended Calcutta, on December 23, and arrived at Madras by large numbers of persons of all conditions, on the 2nd of January, after installing the Holy including a high percentage of the most cultured Foot-Prints of Sri Gaursundar in newly built shrines sections. The last lecture was delivered during the atjajpur, Sri Kurraara, Sinhachalam, Kovvur and month by Srimad Bun Maharaj at Mylapur which Mangal^iri. After a stay of two days at Madras was presided over by Sir Sivaswami Iyer C. I, E., His Divine Grace started for Triv<»ndrum visiting on K. C. I, B., formerly Advocate General. the way the temples of Shree Varadaraj at Vishnu- kanchi, of Shree Kanganathjee at Srirangam, of Sri Propaganda in Assam Janardan Vishun at Varkala. His Divine Grace reached Trivandrum on January 7. He next visited The second session of the Assam Vaishnava Sri Anantapadmanava and then proceeded to Sammilan was held at Dhubri on the 6th of January. Tiruvattar where he saw Sri Adi-Keshava. Sri About 150J per-ons attended from different parts. Gaursundar discovered the manuscript of the Sripad Nimauanda Sevatirtha Bhaktishastri B. Ag. Brabmasanhita at this place. His Divine Grace B. T. who is carrying on the movement of pure visited Sri Kanyakumari on the 9th. This is the devotion in Assam under the guidance of His Divine southernmost point of India, otherwise known as Grace, presided. His scholarly and exhaustive Cape Coroorin. His Divine Grace returned to address obtained the most cordial approval of the Trivandrum the same day and presided at a public distinguished gathering. lecture delivered in the local Jubilee Hall by His Propaganda In Mymensingh District, East Holiness Srimad Bhaktihridaya Bon Maharaj of the . His Divine Grace returned to Bengal. Calcutta on the 14th January by way of Madras where he presided at a second lecture of Swamiji The anniversary celebrations of Sree Jagannath Bon on the Life and Teachings of Sriman Mahaprabhu Gaudiya Math, in Mymensingh town were observed delivered at the local Madhva Association His Divine from January 21st to 25th. The programme included Grace had been pleased to visit the residence ot Srijut reading from the Bhagabatam, Kirtan and Rarachandra Rao at the town of Kajmahendri, at informal conversations at the Math every day. his earnest prayer. This gentleman had made a free There was congregational chant in procession along gift of some valuable lands at Kovvur for the the public streets every day, from January 23rd to erection of the shrine of the Foot-Prints of the Supreme 26th, A series of public lectures was delivered at the Lord, in commemoration of his meeting with Rai local Durga mandap from Jan. 23rd to 25th by His Kamananda at that place in 1310 A. D. His Divine Holiness Srimad Bhaktiviveka Bharati Maharaj. Grace was hospitably received on behalf of the Lectures were delivered in the Paradise Hostel of the Travancore State and provided with a suitable Anandamohan College by Sripad Sundarananda Vidyavinode B. A, Editor of the Gaudiya, on Jan. 23 residence, during his short stay at Trivandrum, 24 and 25. The devotees of the Jagannath Gaudiya at the Padmavillash Palace. Math, under the leadership of Sripad Jadubar Further propaganda at Madras Dasadhikary M. A, B. L. Bhaktishastri, Senior Professor ol Sanskrit, A. M. Qollege, spared no pains Their Holinesses Srimad Bhakti hriday Ron to make the occasion a most unqualified success. The Maharaj, Srimad Bhaktiranjan Bhaktisar Maharaj, Mymensingh public have nobly respoi ded to the Srimad Bhaktirakshak Sridhar Maharaj and the party call on behalf of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. have been continuing the propaganda for the spread of the knowledge and practice of un-alloyed devotion Visitors at the Gaudiya Math. Calcutta in the Madras Presidency from the town of Madras 15th January—srijukta Surendra Nath Bhattacharya as their headquarters. The visit of His Divine M. A., Vidyaratna formerly Professor Sanskrit Grace to the town of Madras has given a great College, Calcutta. impetus to the movement. It has led to the establish- Srijukta Narendra Nath Ghose Zemindar, etc., ment of a branch Math in Madras town in north 17th Jap.—Srijukta Kishori Mohan Gupta M. A. Gopalpuram as the permanent centre of propaganda Vyalarantirtha in the Madras Presidency. In the town itself all 20th Jan.—Srijukta Radhelal Goswami of Sridham through the month of January, a regular series of Brindaban. ALL GLORY TO SREE GAUR AND NITYANANDA

Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat

BY

SRILA BRINDABANDAS THAKUR

PART I

Translated into Snglish by

Prof. N K. SANNYAL M. A. OF RAVENSHAW COLLEGE, CUTTACK.

EDITED BY

HIS DIVINE GRACE

Paramahansa Sree Sreeraad BHAKTl SIDDHANTA SARAS WATI COS W AM I Maharaj FOREWORD

The earliest Bengali book touching the life of our Supreme Lord and coming out of the masterly pen of Thakur Brindabandas, the last disciple of Lord Nityananda, is Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat. The literary activity of Bengal was targetting this book as the pioneer production of the makers of the Bengali language. Although modern researches have found out that there existed several songs and other metrical scribblings in Bengali before this book was written, such as the lyrical poems of Vidyapatiand Chandidas/ panchali of Gunarajkhan and Lochandas etc. Yet some are of opinion that this book can safely be called the earliest product in Bengali metrical literature of real importance. The diction is an exemplary production of the able writer and this fact can not but be admitted even by the too fastidious critics who deal with literary merits in linguistic attainments. The book was followed by another famous Bengali metrical work, Sree Chaitanya Charitamrita, by the renowned master writer Kaviraj Krishnadasji who has identified Thakur Brindabandas with Maharsi Vyasadeva himself who has left the most authentic accounts of the different 'Avataras' of Vishnu in his series of Pauranic productions. We can hardly give a better introduction than the said one from our revered Kaviraj Goswami. The style of the book is so simple that it is accessible to all having only primary education in Bengali language. Throughout the book the style is pithy, flowing and spontaneous. The work can easily be accepted as the very compendium of aphorisms of the true tenets preached by the Supreme Lord Sree Krishna Chaitanya'and His associated comrades. The descriptions are all authentic and most pleasing to all true and staunch devotees. While going through the book malicious critics may find scope for their observations which simply bespeak their utter ignorance in higher Transcendental subjects. They might have, however, been excused in this act to some extent had the book been meant for the literary men only who are apparently apathetic to Godly associations and evince their earnestness towards unethical and atheistic activities. Such improper attitude can be softened and wrong judgment modified if those critics ever happen to come in contact with ardent devotees and receive their unstinted grace which can easily remove the common ideas prevailing among people indifferent to higher aspects of religion. How- ever, this part is left to the consideration and choice of individual readers in order to get at the actual touch of the spirit of this spiritual writer. The author is not merely a poet but also an out and out theist, and not only that, he as a kind saint prepared to do the highest good to his reader goes to the length of inculcating on him the necessity and indispensability of severing all connections with men who are captured by ambition and busy in mundane activities, in order to turn him into a true devotee of the Supreme Lord. February, 1931 1 SHREE CHAlTANYA BHAGAT 283

The book is a bulky one consisting of three divisions; each division again of several chapters. This is the first volume, in which the author has dealt with prefatory considera« tions^and the early life of the Supreme Lord. Every line will help the reader to chalk out the real track for making advance in his eternal transcendental life by following the true spirit of the Sree Chaitanya Lila. In order to retain the true spirit of the book^ the able translator has left no stone unturned to present to the readers the genuine understanding and the innermost exposition of the heart of a devotee. The reader will no doubt find that Prof, N. K. Sannyal has done much to put the bonafide interpretation before his English knowing friends. So all people interested in the Gaudiya Vaishnava literature will, I am sure, thank him for his arduous and steady exertions. This book may help the English knowing public to get into the true essence of Vaishnavism, as well as a genuine painting of an original hand. It will not be out of place to give here a short account of the author so far as it is known. Thakur Brindabandas was the Son of the niece of Shreebas=Pandit who is regarded as the inalienable component in the propagatory activity of Shree Krishna Chaitanya in Nadia, The line of the author's paternal ancestors is not delineated by the later writers as his forefathers did not belong to the Vaishnava community. His mother was then merely a girl of four when the Supreme Lord Sree Chaitanya blessed her by kindly giving her the refuse betel as she was then an infant child in the house of Sreebas at Sree mayapur. The author is said to have beea born at Mamgachi within the district of Burdwan not very far from Sree Mayapur, on the other side of the river Ganges. Here his house still claims to maintain the memory of the author and his infancy. The author is considered as one of the strongest pillars of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He is better known to all Gaudiya Vaishnavas by his simple but impressive writings, and he will be adored with all veneration by one and all in all climes and times as one of the best teachers the Vaishnava Community can fortunately claim. He lived sometimes in the village Denurh, and we find, he had some important disciples who also took initiative after him to save the people from wrong understanding and misconceptions. More than this we know little of his later life.

Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati CONTENTS

Chapter I :—Mangalacharanam ( auspicatory observatjce ) ; obeisance to Pp. Vol. XXV, Nityananda, the tutelary Divinity of the author as well as of i3, 40-43, 67-72 the devotees ; His Tattwa (Who Nityananda is) and authorised ( 185 distichs ) account of His Lila (actions) ; brief notice of the subject- matters of the first, the second and the third parts of the book.

Chapter 11 ;—Knowledge of Godhead by His mercy alone ; the Pp. Vol. XXV, cause of His incarnations ; advent of Lord's associated 90.95, 115-120 counterparts in different countries ; the condition of atheistic ( 234 distichs ) Nabadwipa prior to Lord's advent ; worship of the Supreme Lord Krishna by Adwaita Prabhu with Tulsi (holy plant) and Ganges-water ; Lord ISTityananda's appearance in the world ; Lord Gaurehandra's appearance acco npanied with Krishna- Kirtan.

Chapter 1U;—Introduction of Samkirtan immediately on the eve of Pp. Vol. XXV, the appearance of Hahaprabhu ; examination of the 140-142 Zodiac at His birth.time and prediction of His future Lila; ( 55 distichs ) rejoicings and glories of the birth-days of the Supreme Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda and the Vaishnavas.

Chapter IV Various pastimes of the Supreme Lord in infancy; Pp. Vol. XXV, the ceremony of naming the baby ; the names 165-168, 183-186 'Nimai' and 'Viswambhar' ; preaching of the Name of Hari ( 143 distichs ) under various pretexts ; the boy Nimai stolen away and returned again by two theives. thaplerV;—Hearing of the sounds of Nupur ( anklet ) and noticing Pp. Vol. XXV, of strange footprints within the room by Sri Sachidevi 186-190 212-216 and Jagannath Misra ; a Brahmin-pilgrim as guest in (173 distichs ) Jagannath's house ; the guest oooks food three times repeatedly, each time eaten up by Gaursundar ; Gaursundar at la*t disclosing His own Self to the Brahmin in three eternal Forms simultaneously and the purpose of Hia degcent. February 1931 ] SHREE CH AIT ANY A BHAGABAT 285

Chapter VI;—'Beginning of education of Niraai ; the Samskaras Pp. Vol. XXV, ( ceremonies ) of Karnabedha and ; eating of 238-240, 259-262 the fruii-dishes prepared for Vishnu at the house of Hiranya {139 distichs ) and Jagadisha on tha eleventh lunar day ; Lord's various wayward childish pranks. Chapter VII ; —Lord's elder brother Viswarupa ; Viswampa Pp. Vol. XXVI, interprets Devotion to Krishna as import of all scriptures ; 281-285, 18.23 all devotees charmed to see the beauty of the boy Nimai ; (203 distichs) Viswampa's ( renunciation of the world ) under the name of Sri.Sankararanya ; at this Nimai giving up all naughtiness shows much devotion to His studies ; Misra stopping Nimai's studies ; there is recrudescence of his wayward- ness ; Nimai seated on rejected cooking-pots on heap of refuse, teaching: philosophy to His Mother in the mood of ; Nimai's studies permitted.

Chapter VIII ;—Nemai's investiture with Sacred . thread ; His studies under Pp. Vol, XXVI, Gangadas Pandit ; His precocity ; His quarrelling with 43-48, 67-72 students and challenjting thorn in debate ; His pleading (207 distichs) the ideal life of a Brahraachariu and father Misra's groat delight ; Misra's drea n of the future career of Nimai as saviour of the world ; Misra's departure from, the world and Nemai's consolation to his mother ; the boy's waywardness patiently borne by the mother ; Nimai supplying His mother with gold whenever necessary ; His devotion to study ; the world devoid of devotion to Lord Krishna. Chapter IX Account of Sri Nityananda ; His play with His comrades Pp. Vol. XXVI, imitating the pastimes of Sri Krishna, Rama, Bamana 95-100, 118-124 and other Appearances of Godhead in the world, till His (238 distichs) twelfth year ; His pilgrimages till His twentieth year ; His meeting with Sriman Madabendra Puri, Sri Iswar-Puri and Sri Brahmananda^Puri ; Nityananda's greatness.

Chapter X:—Viswambhar's pastimes in learning in the academy of Pp. Vol. XXVI, Gangadas Pandit ; His tauutings at Murari Gupta out of 141-148, 166-167 fun ; the Lord's marriage with Sri Lakshmidevi, daughter (131 distichs) 286 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVUl-No. 9

of Vallabhach'^ryya ; Sri Sachidevi observes strange happenings in the house. Chapter XI;—Display of learning of Nitnai Pandit ; Mukunda's Pp. Vol. XXVI, singing of Krishn i in the meetings at Adwaita's ; Nimai's 167-169, 191-195 fun with Mukunda ; atheism in the then Nadia ; Sri Iswar (127 distichs) Puri's visit to Nabadwip ; his meeting with Adwaita.Prabhu ; his accepting alms of food at Lord Gauranga's and his discourses on Krishna with the Lord ; Puri teaching Gadadhar 'Krishna Lilararita', his own compositions ; Puri's request to Nimai for a review of his book but Nimai felt no necessity of any corrections ; Nimai's joyous talks about Krishna with Puri. Chapter XU;—Gaursundar's application to study; His defying Pp. FoZ. XXVI, and defeating all other scholars and professors; His rambles 215-218, 289-244 through the city in the company of his pupils; His Shastric 962-267 discussions with Mukunda and Gadadhar ; His manifesting (287 distichs) perturbations of Divine Love under the guise of nervous malady ; His chance-visits to the houses of weavers, milkmen, perfume-dealers, garland-makers, betel.dealers and conch-dealers and accepting various presents ; His visiting the home of the fortune-teller and on His enquiry about His previous births the astrologer's bewilderment on coming to know His by.gone Appearnces ; the Lord's visit to the dwelling of the poor Brahman Sreedhar who lived by selling plantain-bark, radishes etc. ; His picking quarrel with him and teasing him in every way ; Sachi Devi has a vision of various manifestations of the Divine powers of Nimai ; unique beauty of the scene of Nimai sitting with his pupils on the bank of the Ganges expounding the Scriptures. Chapter XIII;—Nimai Pandit humbling the pride of the world- Pp. Vol. XXVI, victorious scholar, the recipient of the boon of invincibility 289-291, in learned controversy from the Goddess of learning, puffed Vol. XXVII, up with the pedant's vanity ; deliverance of the vapquished 27-82, 57-59 scholar. (209 distichs) February 1931 ] SREE SREE CH AITANYA BHAGABAT 287

Chapter XIV,—Hospitality of Gaura-Narayan exhibiting the Lila Pjj. Vol. XXVII, of a married householder ; the Lord's visit to East 59-64, 93.96 Bengal ; blasphemous conduct of vile atheistic pretenders, (191 distichs) the episode of one specially wicked rogue, a demoniac Brahmin of West Bengal ; who were contemporaries of the author ; dis.appearance of Sri Lakshmi Devi ; Tapan Misra's questioning regarding method and object of worship ; the Lord's reply and advice that chanting of the Name of Hari is the only universal and eternal method and object of religion ; His return to His mother from East Bengal with various presents and consoling her in her grief at the departure of Sri Lakshmi Devi.

Chapter XV; —The Lord holding Elis classes in the residence of Pp. Vol. XXVII, Mukunda Sanjnya ; His impressing on His pupils the 124-127,152-157, duty of putting mark on the forehead ; His indulgence 189-191 in jokes and witticisms, abstaining from all talk about females ; (555 distichs) refutation of the view that Gauranga is amorous sportive Lover of Nadia ; the Lord appearing in Nabawipa never exhibited the Lila of amorous enjoyments of a lover ; Mother Sachi's ardent desire to get Sri Vishnupriya, daughter of Rajpandit Sanatan, as her daughter.in-law ; celebration of the Lord's marriage with Sri Vishnupriya Devi ; Buddhimanta Khan offering to bear all expenses of marriage on a princely scale. Chapter XVI;—Rank atheism in Nabadwipa ; greatness of Thakur Pp. Vol. XXVTI, Haridas ; his meeting with Adwaitacharyya ; charge -of 221-222,260-265, the Kazi against Haridas ; Thakur tlaridas beaten severely 293-296, 324.327, at twenty-two market-places and subjected to other tortures ; 357.359,383.38 4 astonishment of the Moslem Governor at the exhibition of {561 distichs) Haridas's supernatural power; his offer of unrestricted

permission to Haridas for performance of Krishna Kirtan in any manner and place at his pleasure ; Haridas's singing the Holy Name daily three lacs of times ; attempt at caricature of the practice of Haridas by a hypocritical Brahmin put down by severe cudgelling ; miserable sufferings of an unworthy Brahmin of the village of Harinadi for reviling Thakur Haridas. 288 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVin. No. ^

Chapter XVII .•—■Gl-aursundar's prilgim jge to Graja by way of Mandar Pp. FoZ. XXVUj and Punpun ; manifesting suffering from an attack of fe^er 385-393 on the way, and its remission by drinking the feet-wnsh of {164 distich,h) Brahmanas ; His interview with Sri Iswar Puri and favouring

him under the pretext of receiving initiation from him ; the time for revealing Himself drew nigh ; Supreme Lord manifes. ting the mood of separation from Krishna set out for Mathura, but was stopped by a celestial voice entreating His return to Nabadwipa for the time-being.

Conclusion of the First Part, Total number of Slokas ( or distichs ) in part I

Chap I 185 Chap II 234 Chap III 55 Chap IV 143 Chap V 173 Chap VI 139 Chap VII 203 Chap VIII 207 Chap IX 238 Chap X 131 Chap XI 127 Chap XII 287 Chap XIII 209 Chap XIV 191 Chap XV 225 Chap XVI 316 Chap XVII 164

Total 3227 Vol. XXVIll, No. 10 March, 1931

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIVA )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PAR! B RA JA KAC H AR VY A Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS. Suhfect Pig*- 1. Lord Nityananda 289 2. Ins tallation of the Foot-Prints of the Supreme Lord at Jajpur 29;) 3. Sri Sri Vyasa-Puja 297 4 Sri Vyasa-Puja Homage (Poem) 300 5- Do 3B; 6. Sri Vyasa-Puja Response 311 7. Shree Chaitanya Bhagabat 317 8. Ourselves 320

S.

M.

rv * a m

His Divine grace Paramahansaparibrajakacharya Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Moharaj THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJANATOSHANI

VOL. XXVIII [ MARCH 1931, Cbaitanya-Era 445 NO. 10.

Lord Nityananda

IT is all-important to understand the revealed literature. On the other hand relationship of the individual soul to there are persona who have no knowledge Lord Nityananda who is worshipped along of the Sanskrit languageO o and who with Sri Chaitanya by the community are hot, therefore, in a position to study of the Madhva-Graudiya Vaishnavas. the Scriptures in that language, who The teachings of Lord Chait-mya have have sometimes been led to suppose that been recorded in the vernacular by the religion taught by Sri Chaitanya some of the greatest of His followers. is different from the religion that is to This has produced two kinds of delusion. be found in the Sanskrit works. The orthodox pandits, specially those A.s a matter of fact there is no text who are not thoroughly versed in all which declares that the process of revela- branches of the Scriptures and are, tion can be closed. Neither is there therefore, disposed to favour a narrow any text which considers that the Sans- interpretation of the texts, are some- krit language is the only medium of all times inclined to take the view that revelation. The linguistic view of the the vernacular works do not rank as Scriptures is denounced in no uncertain 290 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVlll. No. 10 terras by the Scriptures themselves. Nityanandaprabhu serves Sri Gaur- Access to the real meaning of the sundar in the same way That Sri Bala- Scriptures is not furnished by the ram serves Sri Krishna. Both of Them language but by the spiritual preceptor, are one and the same Person. Tljgir Sri Guru. It is the highest order of functions are also identical. They are devotees who can make us understand concerned with the task of reclaiming the real meaning of the Scriptures. disloyal sopls and preventing them They can do so with or without the from access to the Supreme Lord till help of any language, or any other for.n they agree to give up their attitude of of instrument, of this world. The pro- opposition to Krishna. The relation of cess of enlightenment by the Sad-Guru Sri Nityanandaprabhu to the conditioned is spiritual. Its nature or method can- soul is that of the Saviour. But no not be understood except by his grace. person can be safe if he does not accept This applies as much to the Sanskrit the chastening process laid down by works as to the vernacular composi- the Scriptures as the method of recla- tions. In neither case a person can mation for all offending souls, Sri do without the help and guidance of Nityanandaprabhu makes this process ♦ he Sad-Guru. available to all offending souls. He Sri Nityanandaprabhu is the source does not replace or alter the Scriptures of the power of the Sad-Guru. He is the by any contrary dispensation. servant of Sri Chaitanya He is the There is a widely prevalent error Divinity Himself in the form of His that the regulations of the Scriptures servant. It is through Him that the need not be followed by those who Supreme Lord manifests Himself to the place themselves under the protection souls of men There cannot be any of the Sad-Guru. This error has its direct revelation of the Nature of the origin in the fact that it is not possible Supreme Lord to the spiritual for the conditioned soul to understand consciousness of the individual soul. either the ways of the Sad.Guru The individual soul is too small to be or the regulations of the Scriptures, able to comprehend the Nature of which are identical. It is this the Divinity. He has to be helped incapacity that also leads superficial by Godhead Himself in order to be and incompetent observers to declare enabled to understand the Divine Nature. a difference where none exists. The This function of the Divinity is per- regulations of the Scriptures are pro- formed by Lord Nityananda and is perly followed only by obeying the Sad- known as the Power of the Sad-Guru. Guru unconditionally. But there is March) 1931 J LORD NITYANANDA 291 thia real difference between the two found out by the mercy of the Sad. that whereas it is possible and prac- Guru. If it does not observe these ticable for the conditioned soul to obey wholesome and rational limits to its the Sad.Guru, it is neither possible nor operation it is bound to go astray. practicable for him to follow the Such abuse of the faculty of reason Scriptures without the guiding help of need not be misnamed as freedom of the Sad-Guru. individual judgment. There is something more. One There is no loss of freedom in cannot also neglect the voice of the recognising the real existence of the reason that is within himself. If this Source of all enlightenment. There is voice is listened to with due care it will both unity as well as harmony in the also be found to be indentical with the Source of all cognitive activity. It is, advice of the Sad.Guru. But the voice of course, perfectly inconceivable to the of reason is powerless by itself to un-enlightened reason that it is at all discover the real meaning of the possible for it to approach, by any Scriptures. Reason has no access to reasonable method, the Source of all the substantive Truth. Its function is cognition. But it need not, therefore, inferior and auxilliary to those of the postulate by any inconclusive assump- Sad.Guru and the Scriptures. "When by tion the impossibility or undesirability the grace of the Sad-Guru one is of approaching the Source by the enabled to obtain access to the Truth method of natural and unconditional he finds that the Sad-Guru, the submission. Scriptures and pure reason point Sri Nityanandaprabhu made his equally and exclusively to the Truth. appearance in this world as the The reason of the conditioned soul precursor of the Supreme Lord Sri cannot be saved from the state of un- Krishna Chaitanya. Lord Nityananda avoidable ignorance by its own exer- was commissioned subsequently by tion. If it tries to do so it only makes Sri Chaitanyadeva to preach the Holy its position worse by its blundering Name of Krishna at the doors of all attempts. This is the plight of the persons without exception. This shows consistent empiricist. There is a that the " Power which is wielded function for- the reason in the quest by Lord Nityananda belongs really to after the Truth. But that function is the Supreme Lord Himself. There is of a-secondary nature. It can confirm thus no distinction between the Power the propriety of the regulations of the of the Supreme Lord and that of Lord Scriptures after their trqe meaning is Nityananda or that of the Sad-Guru 292 THE HARMONIST iVol. XXVIII. No- 10 whose power is identical with that of because Sri Chaitanya is identical with Lord Nityananda. But it also proves Sri Krishna, But the Activity of Sri that there is such a thing as the real Chaitanya is different from that of 8si delegation of specific function of the Krishna. There is for this reason a Supreme Lord to appropriate agents. corresponding difference in the methods Sri Krishna Chaitanya is no doubt the of their respective services. Sri Gaur- Supreme Teacher of all persons. But sundar is to be served as the Supreme Lord Nityananda exercises this function Teacher Who teaches by His own exam- on behalf of the Supreme Lord, He ple. He is at the same time the exercised it even when the Supreme Supreme Lord Himself. These two Lord Himself appeared in this world. principles require to be combined in the Sri Krishna Chaitanya is the service of Sri Gaursundar. The service Supreme Teacher of the world by His of Sri Gaursundar alone can in this own example. This is also the specific Iron Age enable the conditioned soul to nature of the function of the Sad-Guru. attain to the service of Sri Krishna, Sri Krishna is also the Supreme But Sri Gaursundar can be truly Teacher. But He does not teach by His served only by the method of serving own example. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Lord Nityananda. Lord Nityananda is identical with Sri Krishna. He is, is also Divine Functionary. But He is therefore, also the Master. But He more merciful than even Sri Gaursundar chooses to conduct Himself as His Himself, because He is accessible to all Servant, Lord Nityananda performs conditioned souls even of this Iron Age. the external part of this function of the For this reason it is also much more Supreme Lord. He is the connecting difficult to understand the real nature link between the external world and Sri of Lord Nityananda, Ho has been Chaitanya. There is also an inner accordingly widely misunderstood by world in which Lord Nityananda has a both contemporaries and succeeding function which is different from His generations. There is no other road function concerning the external world. to Yaikuntha, the Holy Abode of A conditioned soul has no access to the Lord Nityananda, than a sincere inner world but may have direct heart. It is possible to get rid of connection with Lord Nityananda or mistakes to which a sincere nature is with the Sad-Guru who is identical with liable. But when the muddled intellect Nityananda. is allowed to mislead the heart by its The service of Sri Gaursundar is casuistries the plight of the offending identical with the service of Sri Krishna soul is rendered Very much worse. Such March, 1931 ] INSTALLATION OF THE FOOT-PRINTS OF THE SUPREME LORD 293 is the condition of most persons, and down into this world for the deliverance especially of the Pandits, in this Iron of the and pharisees of this Age. It was, therefore, necessary for quarrelsome Age by exploding their Lord Nityananda Himself to come long-spun nostrums, for good.

Installation of the Foot-Prir ts of the Supreme Lord Sri

Krishna Chaitanya in the temple of Varahadeva at

Jajpur, Orissa The Scriptures speak of the who persist in regarding the Archa as Archavatara. The Archa is of eight merely mundane symbol of the Divinity kinds. The Arch a. appears in this which can be set up machanically by world in order to make available to us, any ordinary workman in the same way who are most unfortunate and pos-essed as he makes dolls for children. of the densest of judgment, the cause- One must not regard the Archa of less mercy of the Supreme Lord. Vishnu as merely a piece of stone. Krishna appeared in this world in the One who thinks the Archa to be stone remote Age of Dwapara. We are so wholly misunderstands the Divine unfortunate that we have been born purpose. It is because Godhead is after such a long period from that pleased to make His appearance among time. This would have made it us in the Form of the Archa that it is impossible for us to have a sight of at all possible for us who are possessed Krishna if His Holy Form as Archa of extremely dense juilgment and had not condescended to bless our sight power of vision, to approach Him by by His appearance in this world at all way of worship. The worship of dolls times. Those who do not accept the made by man is no doubt idolatry. testimony of the Scriptures on this But the method of archana laid down point are most unfortunate, indeed. in the Scriptures must not be Neither are they any more fortunate confounded with idolatry. It is 294 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVUI. No. 10 the special prerogative of the devotee exoteric form. This, exoteric form is of Godhead to bring about the subject to seeming growth and dis- appearance of the Divinity in the Form appearance. In this manner the Ve«lft of the Avcha Whom all people of this disappears from the view of the people world may approach for the purpose of this world at the appointed periods. of worship. Then we h .ve what is called in the The installation of the Foot-Prints Scriptures the great Deluge. From the of Lord Chaitanya must be understood bottom of the deep waters of this as an act inspired by the desire to serve periodical Deluge tho Supreme Lord in the Divinity by this method enjoined tho form of the Holy Boar lifts the by the Scriptures It was in 1510 A. D. Scriptures. So the. Scriptures even in that Lord Chaitanya performed the their exoteric form are prevented from Lila of visiting Sri Yarahadeva at being lost to the world. The Holy Boar Jajpur. Some former devotee of the is one of the eternal plenary Forms of Lord in immemorial antiquity had been the Divinity. It must not be supposed the agent for bringing about the that His Function of rescuing the Veda appearance of the Sri Bigraha of Sri from the Flood is an event that belongs Yarahadeva on the holy site on which His to the category of the events of this temple stands to this day, for enabling world. This event in its spiritual or all persons to have an uninterrupted esoteric form, is eternal. Therefore, it sight of Sri Yarahadeva who originally is possible for a person by the mercy appeared in this world in the ante- of the Supreme Lord to be able to obtain diluvian period of which the account the sight of the real Form of Sri Yara- has been preserved in the Puranas hadeva at all time. The Archa of Sri and which event took place long before Yarahadeva at Jajpur presents only His the earliest hymn of the present exoteric view to those unfortunate per- collection of the Rig-Samhita was sons who are constitutionally averse to composed. the pure service of Godhead. The Veda is identical with know, But the testimony of all the Godless ledge of the Divinity. The Veda is people of this world can neither prove eternal. To the saints the knowledge of nor disprove the existence or appearnce Godhead appears in its true form, which of the Holy spiritual Form of Sri Yara- is spiritual and without beginning or hadeva at Jajpur. In this case we are end. But tho Veda also appears in a necessarily placed at the mercy of the symbolical form to the apprehension of pure devotees of Godhead. They alone worldly people. It does so in the are privileged to have the sight of March, 193! ] INSTALLATION OF THE FOOT-PRINTS OF THE SUPREME LORD 295 the Archavatara as He really is. No everything te serve such a small thing. knowledge of the Divinity is possible There are many small things both in unless it is made available by the this world and in the realm of the causeless mercy of Sri Yarahadeva. Absolute. These small things may Sri Yarahadeva prevails against the either try to lord it over one another, to Deluge. This is the meaning of the co operate with one another in lording worship of Sri Yarahadeva. It is the it over themselves or they may serve favourite worship in tho South of things that are greater than themselves. India. The worship of Sri Yarahadeva In this world the small things pursue is appropriately combined with that of the first two methods. This is ego- SriNrisinghadeva. Sri Nrisinghadeva is worship. It is a very mean thing the eternal Protector of the pure because the ego is so small. These dovotees of Godhead and the Sub luer ego-worshippers are punished by being of all enemies of the devotees. The endowed with an abnormal vision devotee can never bo put down by the which is incapable of perceiving any hostility of the enemies of Godhead. thing which is really greater than Those who are sincerely inclined to themselves. To such persons the Archa serve the Truth realise in every act of of Sri Yarahadeva appears as an idol service the enlightening and protecting made by man. functions of the Divinity. A devotee Lord Ch dtanya taught the people of Golhead has no ambition of con- the method of getting rid of their quering the enemies of the Truth by abnormal vision. This makes it his own un-aided power. He knows necessary for all to worship the Feet very well that all power really belongs of Lord Chaitanya as a preliminary to to the Supreme Lord. Unless this the worship, of the Archa of Sri humility is realised there can be no Yarahadeva. Lord Chaitanya is no other real service of Godhead. Atheists refuse than Lord Krishna Himself appearing to accept the mercy of the Supreme in the Form of His own devotee. He Lord and His devotees. They do taught the service of the Supreme Lord, not want really to serve anybody or any , that is of Himself, by Himself practising thing. It is their ambition to become the same. But Lord Chaitanya is not possessors of all power by their own right. a small thing. If Lord Chaitanya is Such ambition is due to utter ignorance supposed to be a small thing it will not of their own real nature. They are be possible to follow His teachings or infinitesimally small in comparison with that of His associates. The Dispensation Godhead. It is not possible for for the Kali Yugahas been proclaimed 296 THE HAkMONIST [ Vol: XXVllt. No; 10 by Lord Chaitanya. Thia function, by of atheism and hypocrisy. Therefore, the testimony of all the Scriptures, can the holy tirthas themselves had become belong .only to the Divinity. Those powerless to purify the hearts of men. who do not recognise the Divinity of It was necessary to infuse vigour into Lord Chaitanya cannot have any faith the sanctifying power of the tirtTias in the method of worship taught by themselves. Tuis was done by the the Supreme Lord. Lord Chaitanya pilgrimage of Lord Chaitanya. The instituted the mode of worship in the form temple of Sri Varahadeva at Jajpur in of the congregational chant (Samkir. Orissa was one of the tirthas that was tanam). The Scriptures have proclaimed sanctified by the auspicious visit of the Sanrk irtanam to be the Divinely Lord Chaitanya. ordained form of worship for the Kali There can not be a greater obligation Yuga. It will not do to belittle the on every follower of Lord Chaitanya explicit testimony of the Holy Scriptures, than to undertake the pilgrimage to because no worship can stand at all the holy tirthas visited by the Lord. except on the Scriptures. They should specially visit the Varaha- The shrines visited by Lord Nrisingha temples in the South of India Chaitanya are thereby rendered, for in order to obtain the enlightening and this reason, the holiest tirthas of the protecting mercies of the Supreme Lord. Kali Yuga. They have always been Without such mercy it is never possible holy tirthas. But in the Kali Yuga for a person born in this faithless Age to the Divinity is not visible to the acquire any strength of real spiritual people on account of the prevalence conviction. Sri Sri Vyasa-Puja

'T'HB anniversary of the advent of is forced, as a matter of fact, to act the present Acharyya His Divine against his individual conviction in any Grace Paratnhansa Paribrajakacharyya case. This is bound to puzzle all persons Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati who are confirmed believers in the Goswami Maharaj was duly celebrated exclusive excellence of the democralic on the 7th of February by the method. The service of the Acharyya community of the Madhva.Gaudiya is truly democratic in the sense that Vaishnavas who follow Lord Chaitanya. it involves no compulsion against any The worship of Sri Guru is known as individual member while securing the Sri Vyasa Puja. whole-hearted and unanimous co- The Acharyya is* the spiritual Head operation of one and all individual or of the community. He possesses communal activities. This is certainly authority over the members of the the substance of democracy in the spiritual community which cannot be process of working, but not in the challenged by ;any one within the process of origination, of authority. community. If any member opposes Spiritual authority is always and the authority of the Acharyya he is necessarily fully authoritative. This automatically excluded from all is so because it is the real thing itself. communion with the other members. The so-called authority which is The authority of tho Acharyya is not exercised in this world by one fettered derived from the members of the soul over another is always really community and cannot, therefore, be challengeable by the equal authority of taken away by any or all,of them. Tho every other individual who professes un-conditional, willing submission to to be under it. In such arrangement the authority of the Acharyya alone no one is really either master or sub- admits to membership of the spiritual ordinate by inalienable right. Everyone community. In this sense there is only plays a part that suits the occasion nothing illogical or improper about and for the time being. Therefore, the the autocratic power of the Acharyya. terms 'authority', 'obedience,' etc., refer The authority of the Acharyya is really to the same process which is maintained, in its external appearance, described by the Scriptures as that by tlm willing submission of all of the futile attempt to dominate memhera of the community. But no one overa pparently indestructive and 298 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIH.No. 10

unsubduable forces and principles. be equally the nature of tbe substantive There is, however, always present the Reality to be the only Possessor of hope of ultimately succeeding in the self- all power then we can have no dealing contradictory process of mastery over with Him if we do not really want to equals. obey in the absolute or true sense of Even when a human being is allowed the term. It is not possible for one to have any authority over anybody or who has no access to the real Possessor anything he knows very well that such of power to understand the nature of show of conferring power does not really real obedience. Tne Master, servant modify in any way his actual position and service, in the absolute sense, of utter helplessness. He is entirely as become simultaneously to the much under the power of every one soul as soon as he attains the plane of his followers as the latter happens of spiritual service. to be under himself. The vanity of The spiritual Head of the community power is the hollowest of all vanities. of the servants of Gfodhead possesses If I have to persuade in order to authority over all members of the command and if that is also the community by Divine delegation. His condition of every one who is available possession of power is thus saved from for co-operating with me in this process, the transgression against the Divinity are not both of us misguided if we associated with its attempted usurpations suppose that any of us can really The same fact makes real obedience to either command or obey the other ? the Acharyya not only possible but Possession of power is as much necessary natural and legitimate for pure souls for being able to command as to obey. who alone are also in a position to Both of us are bankrupts in that render such obedience. matter. The process, therefore, despite The Acharyya, however, exercises every possible variety of shuffling and his real power solely in the service of manipulation, can never gel rid of its the Divinity. He does not accept actual unreality. It is for this reason the obedience of the members of that no one can expect or feel any the community as rendered to him. real satisfaction by such wild-goose, self as Master, but as the servant of chase. the Master and for • the service of the All of us can fortunately distinguish Master, But he is not accountable to between the substance of power and its anyone else except the Master for the mere shadow. It is also our nature to proper exercise of his authority. This dseire to deal with the substance. If it is the only rationally conceivable March, 1931 ] SRI SRI VYASA-PUJA 299 arrangement by which real service can have subordinate authority under the he rendered to Godhead by the process Head but no authority equal to or of constant etipport from Above but independently of the real Head of the without losing our freedom of initiative. spiritual community. The worship of the Acharyya is, there- It also follows that there can be fore, not only perfectly compatible with only one spiritual community in the the principle of pure , but whole world. This is not sectarianism. absolutely necessary for truly serving It is the inevitable corrollary of the the Divinity without in any way Absolute position itself. The Absolute encroaching upon His Omnipotence. cannot tolerate any co-existent entity We tread upon delicate ground that is not absolutely dependent on when we approach the issue as to Himself. The Acharyya, within His whether the Head of the spiritual jurisdiction, is identical with the community must be unconditionally Absolute. obeyed by all persons who desire to The 57th anniversary of the auspi- attain the spiritual service of Godhead. cious advent of the Acharyya of the In other words, is the Acharyya the Madhva.Gaudiya Vaishnava community only authoritative teacher of the whole was observed by all members of the w.orld ? Spiritual authority cannot, of community in the truly catholic spirit course, be divided into parts that are indicated above. It is open to every really independent of one another. pure soul all over the world to join the There must be an un interruptible community by the method of uncoudi. chain of relationships leading up to tional willing personal submission to undivided and unconditional allegiance the Acharyya for the purpose of being to the sole Master. ' The Acharyya is, enlightened regarding the true nature therefore, supreme within his proper of the spiritual function that can alone jurisdiction. There cannot, however, satisfy the real want of every individual be more than one Head of the soul. The response made by the community. The power of the Head Acharyya to the offers of homage as Head cannot be delegated to any rendered by all members of the com- individual member or even to the munity on this occasion, appears on a community as a whole. It is incon- separate page. Earnest attention of all ceivable how there can be more than persons all over the world without one spiritual Head in the world at one distinction of caste, creed, colour, sex and the same time. All the others or age, is invited to the pronouncement must be upder the Head. They may of the Acharyya on the occasion. The 300 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll, No. 10

Acharyya speaks in a language which this world need be supposed to have directly appro? ches the soul and should, power to prevent the effective conmm. therefore, be listened to in that spirit. nion of soul with soul in the reaK No seemingly obstructive conditions of sense.

Sri Vya?a-Puja Homage

My most affectionate Divine Master,

In the deepest gloom of Ne-science While there enveloped I lay, The voice of an unknown friend Brought me tidings of the day.

A mere casual occurrence, It has e'er seemed so to me : Verily it was th' beginning Of the life eternal and free !

It is the way of Krishna,— And of all who serve His Feet,— To come upon the conditioned soul When he does not expect quite.

Krishna is the One Attracter, Most Perfect and most Un-known ; His Majesty and Divine State Wear yet a delusive Form.

His exquisite Charm the dull intellect Of man does never impress. The Lord is eternally about us, Who only gee Him by His Grace, March, 1931 ] SRI VYASA-PUJA HOMAGE 301

Our pre-conceptions of His Glory, Like dreams of riches of the poor, Only prove our own bankrupcy, And nothing more.

Krishna is Un-confinable ; His Ways never can be fixed ; They hover mid-way, reaching out To the greatest and the least.

His real Perfection He ever hides By perfection's own living Ways ; There's no condition so un-promising That may not Him express.

Such is Krishna ; such are also The ways of those who'truly serve Him; It's not given to man to measure The span of the State Divine,

So let us humbly bide the hour When it may please the Lord To come to us in the promised Form His Knowledge to afford.

That Form art Thou. Teacher of the Truth, With reverence to Thee I bow,— The servant whom the Lord Himself Hath sent to us below.

But we, in our vanity, cannot know The really perfect and true : We love to worship rank and state, Or stop to hug the fal^e and low. THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111, No- 10

But you seem neither ; and yet, So familiar appear all your ways, That our wisest formuloe afford No clue to what you deign express.

Such, indeed, it needs must be,— The ways of the immaculate soul ; He is self-poised in the bliss That silently draws the hearts of all.

Our wish for joy's own self is faint: The world itself has ceased to hope. Thy words have brought the tidings That will yet afford the scope.

Thy words fill the whole world With the new expectation of life, To live to serve the feet of Krishna Which can make us truly live.

Krishna's Will must ever prevail, By His living agent's Will, Krishna's Mercy alone may help us Loyally to serve Him still.

But we are doubtless sorely prest ; And, in this hour of utter need, May Krishna's Mercy guide us still To find the friend indeed.

We cannot say we understand Fully what you do declare ; But still you, surely draw our hearts To commune with you in prayer March, 1931 i SRI VYASA-PUJA HOMAGE 303

And we find we can really pray, With all the grace of love, When yourself lead the prayer, And there is no necessity to grope.

For this alone we have come to you, To tell you frankly as we feel,— So the Scriptures also bid us,— For gaining your goodwill.

By your goodwill th' new-born hope Will never cease to grow ; And how we are to serve the Lord We shall really learn to know.

May your Holiness graciously Accept this homage of our hearts ; So by your blessing we may learn, At your feet, to love the Lord.

And may your Grace for aye abide In the^chamber of our hearts ; To guide us'also from within And teach the loyal servant's part.

In loyal cbedience, Your Divine Grace's humble servant Sri Jaigopal Das Adhikari Sri Vyasa-Puja Homage

MY MOST AFFECTIONATE MASTER, I am at a loss to find suitable language by which to address you- I want to tell you my heart, I do not mind whether anybody else may understand. My trouble is with my- self. I pray to you to give me the language that will make me know that you approve what I say.

I do not understand you- I know that you always guide me aright and that I cannot do without your constant guidance. Nothing also can give me real satisfaction unless I (eel it to be your guidance. Even now as I speak to you I am disposed to hold my breath till I am able definitely to feel your guidance. 1 have no taste for confidence in myself. I know very well that lean, indeed, of my own accord do whatever I like, w'thout consciously depending on you. I confess that I have also to do so very often, from, what seems to me to be, sheer necessity. I also can often realise after doing so that your hand had not relinquished its hold of me even when I was quite unconscious of its support. In (act I am never wholly unconscious of your support- Still I can find a special satisfaction in always consciously imploring ypur help. I (eel helpless when I do not do so- At any rate I do certainly (eel unhappy when I do not'duly observe this piece of most useful formality.

In offering this homage I pray to you, entirely (or my own unreasonable satisfaction, that I may do it by your conscious support. In your conscious support consists the whole of my originality. I always find that I can excel my utmost expectations of success with such help. Even those who do not accept this method (or themselves admit its wonderful efficacy in my case. But they probably do not value my method for its originality, as I do. I alone find in it my own proper self fully expressed. This may appear to be self- contradictory, but I know it to be the perfection of consistency, as a matter of actual, direct, personal experience.

I do my prostrated obeisances to your Divine lotus feet. In this performance of homage your acceptance is the one thing needful (or me- Whatever pleases you has the natural quality of pleasing me in the only really satisfactory way. Therefore I claim the credit of doing what every egotist would do if only he knew what it really is. To you entirely belongs the credit of making it known to me without my seeking (or it. How, indeed, could I seek (or that of which I happened to be wholly ignorant ? Marclit I93l ] SRI Wasa-puja homage 305

This address is an infliction on you. You permit it as you know very well that I would be miserable if I am not permitted to do it. If you had not permitted, it would have been equally satisfactory (or me to abstain from it. Now that you actually permit, it is better- to do it than not. But this rule also does not hold always. It is not least satisfactory to feel very, very sad, -indeed, after wilfully disobeying you. So in every way it is satis- factory to have to deal with you knowing what you really are.

The only thing necessary is to know you as you really are. But that also is probably impossible. It is sufficient to know anything of you in a friendly way- It is only necessary to know you as the only friend. Anything short of this is not to know you at all. Because you are always apprehended as the only friend. Those who tell me lhat 1 have any other friends besides you, are my real enemies. By this test also I have found a great many real friends after I made your acquaintance. They are the only other friends, besides yourself, that I have-

I wonder why there should be so many persons who really do not know you- I myself once happened to be quite unaware of your very existence. That was one kind of. ignorance- There is another kind- There are persons who are found to know you but who do not recognise you as the only real friend. This is partly your doing. Because I know that you can make them know you truly, if you like. It is impossible t j understand your ways fully. But those who know you are well aware that you are the only friend of every-body. Those who do not know you are, however, the only persons who are wholly miserable, I now know it, by your cause-less mercy.

What am 1 to say to you on this occasion ? How am I to worship you in the formal way ? You are constantly present in the heart. Is that not real worship ? That is at any rate in accord with the the definition of upasan't. I (eel your constant loving touch in every activity- Yes, at times I miss it also, and do not always (eel sad on such occa- sions, as I know that it is your way not to show yourself continuously in the same form. I am content to watch your ways most attentively. After the seeming intervals of absence of direct touch- you always reveal yourself in much more loving relationship than ever Before. But this is also not easily realisable. They who know your moods perfectly wellt alone can always find out your real intention. But the full content of no incident regarding you can be exhauated by description nor is it communicable to one who does not know you.

Those whokhave known you only once, cannot misunderstand you wholly- It is only to them that it is worth one's while to describe you as you really are. The greatest of happi- ness consists in describing you to those who know you. They are never satiated by hearin g about you from the lips of those who really know you- Those who know you are never 306 THEiHARMONIST [ Vol. XXV1I1. No. 10

tired of speaking about you to please those who know you- Those who love you less than they can, find the talk of your devotees un-intelligible.

I have heard of God-head from your lips. Therefore I beleive in Him. But as a matter of fact 1 really do not know God-head in the same way as 1 know you. You are to me the only sure standard of all real knowledge- If 1 am to find God-head I have to find Him in you- But I am not very anxious to find God-head, as I have yet very little knowledge of Him. It may or may not be my goad fortune to be ever able to really know Him. I would, however, wish to know Him through you, in order to please you only-

You are the link between me and your other servants. It is you who made me know them as they really are. They are dear to me because they enable me, by every act of theirs, to know you mare and more intimately. From this I infer that when you will introduce me to God-head He will enable me to know you fully' and permanently- This supremely beneBcent quality of yours is more than human.

You are the best-beloved of the Lord- In this consists your Divinity- It is, of course, possible (or an ordinary mortal like myself to attain to the service of yourself by your grace and also to recognise it as identical with the service of the Divinity- It is also possible to realise one's association with yourself, in a subordinate way, in such service. But it is never possible (or a mortal to understand the nature of your relationship with the Divinity & the Object of your worship. This impossibility is known in every act of serving you.

You appear to be identical with God-head and yet not manifestly the same- This puzzle is never solved. You are nearer to man than God-head Himself Who is the sole object of his worship, who cannot understand this except by your grace. It passes the understanding of man to realise your boundless mercy- You are truly the Embodiment of Divine Mercy in Her most exclusive Form- By you we realise the magnanimous Nature of Shree Gaursundar Himself. The worldly-minded are disposed to be sceptical, because it is unthinkable that the Divinity can really be so near to ourselves- They are, therefore, apt to think that you are on the level of ordinary mortals- This is so because you choose to meet Us on this mundane plane without concealing your Divine Nature- The very magnitude of your mercy is the'real obstacle in the way of our understanding your real tiature.

Man. Cannot Conceive how it is passible to be both reasonable and merciful to perfec- tion at one and the same lime. But this is exactly Your Nature. Your metcy, therefore, always appears to man as being less than human. In this infatuation he has not even the patience of listening to your explanation of your conduct. Nay, we are quickly enough dis- posed to regard your explanation as even worse than your conduct- March, 193 I ] SRI VYASA-PUJA HOMAGE 307

I have found lots of persons who are most patient to all other people, but can have no patience at all far you. It is verily the nemesis of the crime of the possession of the sense of merit by one's own right. Egotism, in every conceivable an d inconceivable form, is the real rock on which all worldly persons are sure to make a complete and deserved ship-wreck in their quest of yau. It is those very egotists who think that you are the worst of their class. This is the logical result of rank egotism- The graceless egotist is sure to mistake all mmifestations of real candour by reason of his having no principle to know it by.

That is a'so my own difficulty, even although I have had the rare good fortune of having been allowed to associate in your service of God-head for a considerable period. I often feel it extremely difficult to sympathise with you in the most characteristic portions of your activities. I can well understand that you have always to come to my level in some inconceivable way in order to enable me to understand my error by your participa- tion in my activity on my own line- But even so I do not fully ^understand either my own error, or your true purpose in regard to myself. As soon as I am allowed to be in touch with you I (eel that I can then (unction independently without the chance of going wrong in any way. And the march of progressive improvement is only then fully assured-

The attitude of objection to accepting your constant guidance is the outcome of our ignor- ance of the real nature of the spiritual (unction. We are apt to assume hastily that the spiritual (unction is only the perfection of the physico-mental (unction iii some partially conceivable form. This is the basic blunder. The spiritual is certainly perfect. But it is by no means the same as the physical or the mental. It is not the mental (unction. But we are too much habi- tuated to regard the mental, or at any rate the perfection of the mental, as the spiritual. It is not>really possible (or us to avoid thinking so, even after its mischief has' been pointed out to us in an unmistakable way.

There is a categorical difference that completely separates the mental from the spiritual. It is necessary to stop the functioning of the mind, not partially, but fully. Or rather' when the sou Ibegins to (unction the mental activity is automatically altogether eliminated. The soul (unctions without any other help except his own. But the mind has no (acuity by which it can at all realise this. The mind can experience only either phy- sical or mental (unction- It can also try to guess the spiritual (unction in terms of these- By this foolish trick it (alls into most pathetic blunders without being able to be really conscious of the nature of its un-avoidable plight-

The mentalist is within his rights in refusing to accept constant mental guidance from gljother- It cannot expedite the rqental (unction, because the mental process itself is always 308 THE HARMONIST C Vol. XXVIII. No- 10 imperfect. The minds of no two persons can act in perfect unison. Could they really do so the distinctive personality of one of them at least would be lost. Even when two minds profess to agree about any subject they can agree only by differing- There cannot and need not be identity of views as between two minds. Even when two minds agree most perfectly neither of them, as a matter of fact, can really know the other. For all these reasons, and many more, one mind finds it useless to try to be constantly guided by another) even if such a course were not also wholly impracticable, as it is.

Mental guidance accordingly, naturally and necessarily, takes the intelligible form of the attempt to persuade. The (unction hardly deserves the name of guidance. In the case of children, indeed, more than persuasion may be attempted, but this additional factor is nothing but compulsion. The compulsory method of education also does not produce any real agreement. There is no sufficient ground for assuming that even mathematicians can agree in any perfect manner- In cases where a good deal of known ignorance is felt to be unavoidable some sort of working, that is fictitious, agreement (?) is adopted as a method- This starting convention conditions all subsequent deductions based on it. Thus we obtain what are known as mathematical identity and agreement. It is true that these assumptions are found to be of help in reaching hypothetical conclusions that are supposed to enable mankind to utilise the opportunities provided by physical Nature for effecting the assumed well-being of their body and mind. But the whole of this optimistic system may well appear to be nothing more nor less than that proverbially undoubted wisdom that only makes its appearance after the event- Unless Nature herself chooses to disclose her secrets to our hypothetical nature it is not possible for us even to know hypotheses, not even with the help of the so-called science of mathematics.

But the spiritual (unction is not a hypothetical one. The hypothetically wise are, indeed, quite free to object to this and to prefer their blundering hypotheses. Only let them not also wilfully confound the one with the other.

Mental guidance is really sheer contradiction in terms- It is like one blind man leading another. If any blind man resents such guidance and prefers to go astray by his own blind contrivance we need not suppose him to be altogether foolish

But as the object of all of us is to arrive at the Truth, it will be impossible to do so by either method- There is, however, a way, the only way, by which we can reach the Truth. That way cannot be known except by your special grace. The bestowal of this knowledge is your distinctive function It cannot be shared by any other. Those who, suppose that the Acharyya is not the world-Teacher, cannot know you at all. There is no other teacher of the Truth in this world. Those who agree with you, by such agreement are also enabled to teach the Truth ; but even they cannot impart the actual knowledge of Htm- They can only direct the sincere seeker to yoq. March, 1931 ] SRI VYASA-PUJA HOMAGE 309

The Acharyya wields the power of Krishna Himself. His utterances are those of Krishna Himself. If they are not intelligible to any person it only shows that the person has not obtained the mercy of the Acharyya. -That is all- You always warn us not to approach the Absolute in a challenging spirit- If one approaches you in the genuine submissive mnod he is enabled gradually to understand you- Krishna does whatever you ask Him to do. But Krishna never forgives one who does not wholly submit to you. It is this that you mean when you advise us not to approach you in the challenging spirit.

Your guidance is, therefore, absolutely necessary for every one of us, to whatever caste or community we may profess to belong- No plea will save us from the terrible punishment of utter ignorance if we withhold our full submission fvm you- In this matter there is no choice.

Similarly every creed and dogma must owe you perfect allegi ance if they want to be True- There is no difference, either in the method or the goaj, in the true function of the individual soul. I find the truth of everything and all the revelalio ns in you- The Absolute can be nothing less than yourself- Those who oppose your due, can have no real love for the Truth.

The difficulty is that we have been loo long accustomed to admit the claims of so- called religious teachers who have been content to accept something far short of complete homage for the Truth Whom they have professed to give away to their hearers- They themselves did not know what they promised. I am afraid none of them ever seriously proposed really to give the Truth to anybody. Neither did any of their disciples admit to have actually received Him at their hands. The disciples, indeed, could not receive what the teacher himself has not in his power to give. You profess to give everyone, who follows your leaching, the eternal life for the eternal service of Krishna. You do not purpose to bestow on mankind merely the barren gift of a plausible system that leaves us where we ar e-

These are not words of adulation. 1 describe what every one of us really want- None of us should care to have anything at all, rather than have less. All of us require equally the Truth Absolute, at any rale from a teacher of the Absolute. But all of us also require nothing more nor less than the Truth. You declare yourself to be able to give us the Truth. This is the only (unction of the Acharyya. Why should, therefore, any one look aghast when your true nature and function are described and one is asked to deal with you accordingly ?

You are not an ordinary mortal like ourselves, despite the apparent complete semblance- Those who deal with you as an ordinary mortal are not allowed by the deluding Energy 310 THE HARMOMIST [ Vol. XXVHI- No. 10 of Krishna to have any real knowledge of you. Why should any person approach you at all, unless for the purpose of learning about the Truth ? In order to learn the Truth it is necessary for one to follow the proper method of enquiry. If, nevertheless, anyone takes it into his head to come to you for a different purpose but tells you that he wants to know the Truth, should not the Deluding Energy of Krishna, whose function is to keep at a safe distance from Krishna all those persons who have no real love for him, prevent him from even suspecting your real nature ? The resources of Maya are mfinite- Not even the cleverest of atheists can see through her stratagems-

In offering this humble homage at your lotus feet 1 thought that I could do nothing more congenial to the pure devotees of Krishna than describe your mercies by your grace- It is not my intention to try to plehse any one else in this matter- The occasion is not such that I should try to please any atheists, even if 1 could ever like to do so. I believe> however, that there is no one of that class in this gathering here to-day. If unfortunately there be any, I beg to be excused for trying to tell the unvarnished Truth Whom he is not prepared for the present to admit at all-

I make my prostrated obeisances to the holy lotus feet of Shree Gurudeva Who is most graciously pleased to open my eyes, sealed with the impenetrable gloom of utter ignorance, by the spike of the collyrium of Knowledge.

May your Divine Grace be mercifully inclined to accept this humble offer of submission and make it real by your causeless mercy in accepting the same-

Your Divine Grace' most unworthy servant, Cuttack. Narayandas Adhikari, Bhaktisudhakar, 7th Feb. 1931 Bhaktisastri. Sri Vyasa-Puja Response

( Speech by His Divine Grace Paramhansa Paribrajakacharyya Sri Srimad

Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati QoswamiiMaharaji Acharyya of the IViadhva-Gaudiya Vaishnava community, at the Ahidyaharan Natyamandir of Sri Chaitanya Math, Sridham Mayapur, on Feb. 7th, 1931, 9 P. VI. ) t/"\BEISANCE to Sri Guru by whom There are many persons who are very the eyes, sealed with the profound selfish, indeed. They say, T alone shall gloom of utter ignorance, have been serve. It is incumbent upon me alone. opened with the spike of the collyrium No one else has any claim to my service of knowledge*. of Godhead'. But the kind heart of This is the day which affords me Sri Gurudeva says, 'Come, let all of us leisure for worshipping the lotus-feet jointly worship Godhead by giving up of my Sri Guru. I had this good for- malice.' The service of Godhead is the tune of worshipping Sri Gurudeva also highest of all function. But the lotus- last year. That opportunity has present- feet of my Sri Guru cherish no malice. ed itself again to-day. By the mercy He does not say that others will be of Godhead we obtained the opportunity unable to do the work because it happens of serving Sri Guru for the period of to be the highest. Neither does he say one year. If the lotus-feet of Sri Guru that he will not allow any other person intended to deprive us of his service to serve Godhead, on the ground that we would not have been given to live it is the highest of all funclions. The through the year. We have been chant that is performed jointly by all allowed to live for one full year. The persons is samkirtanam. That kirtanam time has arrived when we are in a posi- which is performed by many jointly tion to consider whether we have been is alone samkirtanam'. Prayer, praising able to serve the lotuS-feet of Sri Guru Godhead, is included in samkritam. in proportion to the opportunity. The Judged by external appearance the lotus-feet of Sri Guru have said that position of one who prays, or praises, we shall serve Godhead in association is observed to be lower than that of the with one another. By the word 'we' Object to whom prayer or praise is he did not mean any one individual. addressed. A third party who is prepared 312 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No. 10 to lend his ear, is in a very good of the blade of grass. External position to understand how far in the exhibition of humility is not that quality function of praise the greatness of the of lowliness which is humbler than the person who praises has advanced beyond blade of grass. Mere show of humility that of the Object praised, or is possess- is nothing but insincerity or hypbcricy. ed in excess of that of the latter. That manner of calling which is These are the words spoken by responded to by one's subordinate does Sri .Gaursundar Himself that 'It is not reach Godhead. Because He is the necessary to be humbler than a blade Supreme, Independent, Perfect, Self- of grass if one is really anxious to take conscious Entity Who is subject to the Name of Godhead.' One never none. It is necessary to fully establish supplicates another unless one realises one's individuality in the state of his own littleness. When we pray for guileless humility. If this is not done the help of other persons we consider one's prayer does not reach the Perfect ourselves helpless. A certain work Autocrat. cannot be done by myself ; it is, There is another condition. It is therefore, necessary to take the help necessary to call upon Godhead by of others, if I want to do the work being humbler than a blade of grass. at all. Any work that can be done It is also necessory at the same time only by five persons acting together is to be possessed of the quality of patience. not possible to be performed by one's If we are not patient we cannot call own un-aided efforts. Sri Gaursundar upon Godhead in the manner that will has told us to take the Name of reach Him. We become impatient Godhead. We hear these tidings from whenever we covet anything. Covetous- the lotus.feet of Sri Guru. Sri ness is the opposite of humility. We Gaursundar has told us to call upon must fully believe in Godhead. We the Name of Godhead, which means must believe in His Plenitude. We can that He has told us to accept the help have no Wants if we call upon Him. If of Godhead. He has also told us to be we have this perfect faith we cannot be humbler than a blade of grass when we wanting in patience. On the other hand call upon the Name of Godhead. If if we are covetous, if we are betrayed we call upon Godhead for converting into inconstancy by our impatience, Him into our servant or want to take if we secretly cherish any plan of gaining His help for doing any work on our our object by means of any ability or own account we cannot preserve the merit of our own, then we are no longer quality of humility greater than that in the condition to call upon Godhead, Marcli, 1931 ] sri vyasa-pUja response

Prayer to Q-odhead is also impossible if lotus-feet of Sri Quru provide for our on the contrary one is occupied with real good. Sri Quru is Godhead in His the attempt merely to destroy one's Function as Protector. The moment self-conceit. there is cessation of the mercy of Sri On many occasions we suppose that Guru, diverse evil desires are bound to it is due to our own innate kindness make their appearance in the world. that wo at all pray to Q-odhead or recite It is necessary to have the constant help His praises ; that it is open to us to be of the spiritual teacher to show us the engaged in any other work without way. It is necessary to be constantly calling upon Qodhead as a matter of advised regarding the method of seeking necessity. Such judgment is also the protection of the lotus-feet of Sri indicative of want of patience. It is Quru, to be instructed about the mode necessary to have a Protector to save in which to deal with the lotus-feet of us from such inclinations of the mind. Sri Quru, If the spiritual teacher do It is necessary to have a Protector to not constantly teach us all these save us from being deprived of the matters we are bound to lose in no quality of guileless humility greater time even the treasure that we might than that of a blade of grass. It is receive. necessary to have a Refuge for being The service of the Holy Name is saved from such evil tendency. Thakur undoubtedly the only method by which Narottam has said, 'He who serves we can really serve Qodhead. It is Sri after obtaining protection is never Gurndeva Who bestows on us the gift abandoned by Krishna. All the rest of this method of service. It, therefore, die needlessly.' stands to reason that it should be our It is first of all necessary to obey duty, above every other thing, to the lotus-feet of Sri Quru. It is re- worship the lotus.feet of Sri Guru at cognised as necessary to have to submit the beginning of the new year. In the to a teacher to obtain capacity for work, Bhakti-Rasamritasindhu Sri Rupa knowledge or the fulfilment of any Qoswami prabhu has said, 'Accepting desires other than Krishna that are the protection of the feet of Sri Guru available in this world. But the is, therefore, the first duty. The next knowledge that those teachers give duty is to learn from him about Krishna produces only a variety of small results. by the processes of diksha, etc. Then The louts-feet of Sri Quru Who teaches follows the duty of serving Sri Guru about the highest good, do not give on a footing of intimacy. This is the trivial fruits like the above. The path that is followed by the sadhus. 314 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll, No. 10

It is our duty to follow their example'. this structure could not be completed. It is possible for a person to possess It tumbled down after it had been a great variety of abilities. It is not constructed to a certain height, for possible to make any progress in a want of support. Nothing can remain for realm that is wholly un-known, or any length of time in the open spefce which has to be known with great without any support. It is bound to difficulty, by means of any ability break to pieces and fall down. If we however great which we may happen try to ascend into the unknowable to possess. As an example we may realm by depending on the stock of take the case of those future worlds our own ability we only tumble down which are kept out of our view, or the by such effort. We also fall down if entity that is known as the future. It we choose to fancy what is trivial or is not possible by our own efforts to light to be of much consequence or make any progress in the knowledge weighty. of these matters. The mode of judg- It is our duty to judge as to who ment that is applicable to tins world is Guru and who is of no consequence is not able to lead us into the realm that (laghu). He alone is Guru Who serves is only intelligible to transcendental that complete substantivo Entity Who judgment. In regard to all those is the only Object of worship of all periods that are past we have obtained persons of any consequence (Guru). knowledge born of the senses. But I am not speaking of those Gurus who we have no knowledge regarding teach the sitar or the art of wrestling. to-morrow. Our eyes can see only to a Such Gurus cannot save us from death. distance of one or two miles. Our ears We find in one of the shlokas of the can catch the sound from a limited Bhagabatara that 'That Guru is no distance only. By means of knowledge Guru, that father is no father, that mother that is accessible to such senses we is no mother, that devata (god) is no cannot know anything about the devata, that kinsman is no kinsman, tranacendentaT realm which is full of who cannot save us from the jaws of all perfection. If we try to advance death, who cannot give us the eternal into such a realm by no other method life, who cannot save us from the than our own ability we can never ignorance of death in the shape of reach the goal. The demon addiction to this material world.' tried to build steps by means of which We fall into the jaws of death it might be possible for all persons to certainly by reason of our ignorance. reach heaven without difficulty. But We do not fall into the jaws of death March, 193 I ] SRI VYASA-PUJA RESPONSE 315 by reason of wisdom. We gain a moment I fall away from those lotus- certain kind of knowledge in this feet, forget them, I certainly fall away world. But that knowledge is of no from the Truth. As soon as I fall away avail if we become mad, or are stricken from the lotus-feet of Sri Guru I find with paralysis or after we are dead. myself encompassed by an enormous If we do not seek the real truth we amount of innumerable wants. I run lose the power of knowing. He who in a hurry for ray bath. I become cannot rescue us from the jaws of death busy for preventing catching cold. I can only delude us for a certain number run after other occupations different of days. He who tempts us by the from the service of the lotus-feet of Sri sensuous impulses of his words, hands, Guru. It is the lotus-feet of Sri Guru feet, anus and the organ of generation that alone protect me constantly from is a cheat. But the lotus-feet of Sri all this attachment for objects other Guru have power to save us from all than the Truth. If I do not remember deception. It is, therefore, certainly the lotus-feet of Sri Guru at the our duty to worship only the lotus-feet beginning of every new year, every of Sri Gurudeva Who is so merciful, at new month, every new day and every the beginning of every year, at the new moment, then I am sure to fall beginning of every month, at the into far greater inconveniences. If I beginning of every day and at the do not do so I want to dress myself beginning of every moramt, of our in the garb of the Guru. I become lives. liable to the bad desire of seeking to It is ray Garadeva_ Who is graciously be worshipped by other people as present about me in all the different Guru. It is this which is addiction to forms. If He is not gracioudy present other things than the Truth. It is not in all these different forms who would the fact that I have come to perform then preserve me ? Those whom my the worship of the Guru for this day Gurudeva had made His own are my only. We serve Sri Guru every saviours. But may I never have moment, every day. occasion to see the face of that wicked Gaursundar is directly the same person who is a source of evil, who Entity as Krishna. He has appeared maligns the lotus-feet of my Sri Guru here as the world.Teacher. He spoke or who countenances in any way such His teachings in eight stanzas of verse. a slanderer. The Mahanta-Guru and all the other The lotus-feet of my Sri Guru draw Vaishnavas who are submissively me constantly towards Himself. The attached to the lotus-feet of the 316 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111. No. 10

Mahanta-Guru instruct me in every way Guru is the complete realisation of the in those teachings of Sri Gaursnndar. Support of His worship. The trans- All the other Vaishnavas who are cendental reflections, which are also of submissively attached to the lotus-feet the nature of supporters of the worship of the Mahanta-Guru, save me from of the Divinity, which appear in the all dangers. different planes of cognitive existences, The order of the Gurus who are of are my Gurudeva in His different forms. the nature of the protecting power of He Who is constantly showing us how the Divinity, are always present in to serve Godhead, throughout life, is no different forms and figures to bestow other than our Sri Gum. The lotus-feet their mercies on me. All of them are of Sri Guru are reflected in the heart of specific manifestations of the lotus, every individual soul. Sri Guru is present feet of Sri Guru Who confers spiritual in every object as the supporting knowledge. The image of the world. principle. He is graciously present in Teacher is reflected in a variety of every object. 'All ye trees that be mirrors. The lotus.feet of my Sri Guru resident on the bank of the Yamuna for is reflected in every object. Krishna as benefiting others, chyuta, piyala, panasa, Object of worship is one-Half, and, as asana, kobidara, jambu, arka, bilwa, the Support of His worshipper, He hakid, amra, kadamha, neepa and others Himself is the other Half, of the tell us the way by which Sri Krishna Whole. The variety of reciprocal has been seen by you to pass. Our activity of these Two Moities constitutes hearts are bereft of all their contents the Fullness of the Divinity. Krishna and are feelling very lonely, by separa- is the complete realisation of the Object tion from Krishna.' of worship. The lotus-feet of my Sri ( to be continued ) Shree Shree Cbaitanya Bhagabat

CHAPTER I. ( Gontinned from P. 223, December, 1930. )

'AH tijoss who saw knew it to be without 3/2 'That which Thou explain'st is the funda- precedent. mental truth and the only knowledge AH saicf, 'This^eraon is Narayana Himself.' worthy of the name, 'Some said, 'Vyas, Suka, Narada or Prahlad That our minds do not take to it is due to This mercy equals theirs. the olTciice of our own misdeeds.' 'All of them held Thee by all their strength. 3/3 The Lord was pleased at the words of His Thy Mind presently was recalled to exter- pupils nal objects. And began to speak, manifesting the height of mercy. 'Thou know'st nothing of all these happenings. 371 The Lord said, 'My brothers, you have We.shall now speak of another subject told the truth. to which we crave Thy attention. These My words it is not meet to give 'During these ten days it is only the Name out elsewhere. 375 'An Infant with the dark complexion Krishna and devotion to Krishna plays on the flute. That Thou explain'st as the Meaning of all Shastras and every word, This is the only thing I see. Brothers, 'These ten days our studies are held up. where-fore I speak without ado. We all experience a great fear in telling 376 'Whatever I hear with My ears is but the name 'Krishna'. Thee of it. The infinity of meanings of every word I behold all the world as the Abode of Govinda. lies open to Thy view. Even that which Thou explain'st lightly 377 'To you all this is my humble apology. in a laughing mood who has power From this day for Me study is no longer. to contradict by an answer ?' 378 'May all of you learn from the person The Lord said, 'If for ten days your Who meets your choice. In this fear naught from Me. study has been in abeyance 37Q 'No word except Krishna manifests itself It were meet for you all to have already ^ to Me. spoken to Me about the same.' I have told'you truly My inmost mind.' All the students now said together, ' Thou 380 The Supreme Lord, having given vent , explain'st truly. to these words, Krishna is true. This is the significance of Tied up His books with eyes moistened all the Shastras. by tears. 'This is the real study, the. essence of all 381 His disciples said after making their- the Scriptures. obeisance. Yet in as much as we donot still accept it, 'We also make the same resolve as the fault is wholly ours, Thine, 318 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No 10

3®® 'All of us have studied even with Thyself. 393 The disciples on hearing the nectarine What manner of knowledge of the books words of the Lord can we have from any other person ?' Forthwith in their minds experienced the 383 In the agony of separation from the highest bliss Teacher all His pupils 396 My obeisance to the feet of those disciples Spoke thus amid tears :— 3^4 'May the reflexion of all expositions that Who had the high fortune of attaining we have heard from Thy lips the discipleship of Chaitanya. Persist in our hearts in every birth. 397 All those are the servants of Krishna, ^85 'What else shall we learn, and from whom ? know this as certain. That is surely sufficient which we have Can one whom Krishna Himself instructs, learnt from Thee.' be any other ? 3^ So saying and joining their palms in jq8 The very sight of any of them who supplication to the Lord be held that pastime of learning, All the pupils with the band tied ug Frees from the fetters of this world. their books. 399 Sinner that I am, I was not bora then ; ^7 The students shouted the Name of Hari 1 So was I deprived of that blissful sight. The Jewel of the twice-born wept clasp- ing them to His Bosom. 400 Even so may this mercy be vouchsafed 388 The disciples cried with heads held down to me That the selfsame pastime of learning All the pupils were immersed in the may ever continue to possess my heart. supreme bliss. 389 All the students found their voices chocked. 401 The Hero of Vaikuntha taught at' The Lord, Son of Sri Sachi, blessed them — Nabadwip ; 390 'If, indeed, I have been the servant Even to this day there is testimony of of Krishna even for a day, this over all Nadia. May the hearts' desire of all of you be 40a There is no beginning nor end of the pas- fulfilled. time of Chaitanya ; 391 'May all of you seek the protection of The Vedas only speak of their 'Appearance' Krishna. and 'Disappearance.' May the mouths of all be filled with the 403 In this manner was consummated the Name of Krishna. pastime of learning. 392 'May you hear constantly the Name And there was manifestation of the 'Krishna' in your ears. beginning of the congregational chant. May Krishna be the Trfeasure and Life of 404 The students cried on all sides with tears you all. choking their voice. 393 'What ye have learnt is enough, there The Lord, moved to compassion, spoke is no need of further study. these words,— Let us all say Krishna and fare together. 394 'May all the Scriptures manifest them- 40^ 'For many a day ye have studied and selves in all of you by the Grace of listened to My teaching. Krishna. Now let us chant together the Kirtan 0/ All of you are My friends in every birth,' Krishna as its fulfilment.' March, 1931 ] SHREE CHA1TANYA BHAGABAT 319

4.06 "What is samkirtan ?" asked the disciples. 'Now at last there is, indeed, Kirtan in tha The Lord, Son of Sri Sachi taught it to town of Nadia, them Himself. 416 'Is there such rare devotion in the world ? 407 'Hari ! unto Hari obeisance ; Krishna The purpose of the possession of the eye unto Krishna obeisance ; is fulfilled by the sight of such devotion. Gop*I ! Govlnda 1 Rama 1 Sree 417 This Biswambhar is the limit of all Madhusudana !' arrogance. 4o3 The Lord showing them the way by clap We behold love that is scarce attainable of hand, by Narada and his peers. Himself chanted the Kirtan wbh His 4i3 'If such arrogance be capable of such students. devotion, 409 The Lord of Kirtan Himself chanted the We donot understand the will of Krishna Kirtan ; what He may not yet be.' All the disciples sang together encircling 419 Lortl Biswambhar manifested His external Him on all sides. consciousness after a while. 410 The Lord, engrossed in the sweet taste of But the Lord continued constantly to utter His Own Name, only the Name of Krishna. Rolled in the dust under its overpowering 420 He did not talk of any external objects influence, even when He was conscious of them. 411 The Lord fell down repeatedly and on all He cried, falling on the necks of all the sides crying 'Say on'. Vaishnavas. The earth was cracked by the repeated 421 All of them by their joint endeavour fall. succeeded in claming the Lord, 412 On catching the sound of the uproar the Then all the Vaishnavas departed with whole town of Nadia great delight, Came running to the residenceof the Lord. 422 Certain of His students in company of the 413 The homes of the Vaishnavas were not Lord far off. Betook themselves to the life of All of them came quickly on hearing the renunciation by the pleasance of love. chant. 423 The supreme Lord began to manifest 414 On beholding the Lord overpowered by Himself. the spiritual mood The grief of all the devotees was ended. All the devotees thought they had never 424 Sri Krishna-Chaitanya is the Life of experienced anything so exquisite. Nityanandachand At Whose twin feet sings Brindabandas. 413 All were highly satisfied in their minds. Here ends the First Chapter entitled 'The description of the beginning of Sri 'Samkirtan' in the Middle Part of Sri Chailanya Bhagabat. Ourselves

Interview granted by H. E. the Governor of English addresses appear on a separate page. The Madras to His Holiness Srimad address of the devotees of the Gaudiya Math Bhaktl Hrldaya Bon Maharaj entitled 'Supplication for mercy' and another His Excellency Lieutenant Colonel the Right striking aldress bearing the title of 'Acharyya- Ho loarable Sir George Frederick Stanley G. C. I. E., adhyayana-anusaran' were in Bengali. The address in the Assamese was named 'Bhaktyarghya'. C. M. G., Governor of Madras was pleased to grant r a, an interview on the 4th of February to His Holiness There were also addresses in o ly » Hindi and Tridandl Swami Srimad Bhakti Hridaya Bon other languages. Press telegrams were received from Maharaj who has been deputed by His Divine Grace the Madras devotees and Madras Gaudiya Math for preaching the religion of unalloyed devotion in which were read at the gathering. Srijut Biraj Mohan the Madras Presidency. His Excellency was pleased Da, proprietor of the Dacca Monomohan press, made to express his sympathetic appreciation of the work an offering of the first part of the Speeches of His of the Gaudiya Mission and assured His Holiness Divine graca printed at his own press at his own that his Government was prepared to grant the cost. His Divine Grace' kind response was made in same facilities to the Mission that were enjoyed by Bengali—Its English translation appears on another the Christian Missionaries, His Excellency was page. also pleased to intimate his willingness to perform Visit of the Divisional Commissioner to the function of opening the Hall of congregational Sridham Mayapur chant (aamklrtan) of the Madras Gaudiya Math Mr. Frederick Wynne Robertson I.C.S. Commissioner when it would be constructed. Srijut T.P. Ramaswami of the Presidency Division paid a visit to Sridham Filial has undertaken the pious service of building Mayapur on February 15. He was received by the at his own expense the Klrtan Hall of the Madras members of the community and a distiuguished Gaudiya Math. The Hall will be a commodious gathering of local sympathisers. He was presented one measuring 90ft by 45ft. with an address of welcome on behalf of the Viswa Festival of the anniversary of advent of Vaishnava Raj 9abha and expressed his high apprecia- Sri Sri Nityananda tion of the activities of the Mission. The mahotsab of the anniversary of the advent On foot to Sridham Mayapur from of Lord Nityananda was only celebrated during Belobera ( Pabna ) Feb. 1—1 at Sri Yoga Peetha, Sridham Mayapur and A party started from Belobera ( Pabna ) with at the different Maths all over the country, chant of Klrtan on the 16th of February and Sri Vyasa—Puja journeyed on foot to Sridham Mayapur arriving at The fifty seventh anniversary of the appearance their destination on the 19th. The distance of His Divine Grace was celebrated at Sri Chaitanya traversed by the party is 110 miles. Math, Sridham Mayapur by the community of the Visitors at the Gaudiya Math. Calcutta, Gaudiya Vaishnavas on Feb. 7 and 8. There was a large during February, 1931 and representative gathering of pure devotees from 10 Feb. Dr. W. Younan M. B. C. M. ( Edin ) all parts of the country. Addresses of homage were 13 Feb. Janaki Nath Bose Es^r. offered to His Divine Grace in various languages. The 13 Feb. Kanak Sarbadhikary, Vol. XXVIll, No. 11 April, 1931

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIV A )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PARIBRAJAKACHARVYA Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS. Subject Page I. The Advent of the Supreme Lord 32T 2. Harmony (Poem) 325 3. Sri Sri Vyasa-Puja Response 327 4. Morality 332 5- New Earth—New Heaven (Poem) SHO 6. A Talk with Moulvi 337 7. The Festival of Circumambjlation 342 8. Sree Gopal Bhatta Goswami 344 9. Sree Sree Chaitanya Bbagabat 347 10. Ourselves 350 11. To our subscribers and readers 352

Om Vishnupad Sri Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj. THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJANATOSHANI

XXVI1 I APRIL 1931, Chaitanya-Era 445 NO. 11.

The Advent of the Supreme Lord

Supreme Lord (Mahaprabhu)raade the Form of a mortal man may appear .His appearance in this world on to the average human understanding as the 18th of February, in the year I486 involving a sheer impossibility. The of the Christian Bra at Sree Mayapur empiric historian is always close at in the centre of the holy town of Sree- hand to correct the theological aberra- Nabadwip. The Supreme Lord was tions of his erring fellow-mortals by the born with the rising of the full-moon in confi'lent offer of his own departmental eclipse. His appearance in the womb futilities. But no empiric historian of His mother, Sree Sachi Devi, has cin go beyond the evidence of his own been indicated by the authorised admittedly erring senses and strictly narrators of His Lila as resembling the circumscribed outlook and need not less perfect splendour of the rising of trouble to speculate on the Absolute the terrestrial moon from the womb of even on his own terms. It is the the great Ocean. The Supreme Lord evidence of the senses of contemporaries was born as the Son of Sree Jagannath that is found wanting at the bar of the Misra. Absolute. The contemporaries of the The Birth of the Supreme Lord in Supreme Lord did not hasten to 322 THE HARMONIST I Vol. XXVIII. No. 11 acknowledge the Divinity of the New- Himself even througho receivingo instru- born Babe, But with the progress of monts that may appear to us to belong the empiric Science we have grown less to the third dimension. sceptical about the reality of transcen- Godhead is supposed to have dental appearance on the plane of three birth since He is regardedo as existingo dimensions. It will bo no violence to eternally. But this conclusion, however the scientific sense of the Twentieth plausible it may appear to our poor Century to affirm that an event of the understanding, requires to be given fourth magniiude may disclose itself to up in favour of one that is higher. the actual view of observers located on Godhead is both without a beginning this plane of three dimensions without and has an eternal beginning. Godhead being recognised as such by any of the without a beginning is only the negative spectators. The Birth of the Supreme aspect wliicli alone is available to an Lord has not been stated by those who observer from the plane of three are endowed with the necessary powers dimensions and amounts to nothing of superior vision as an event of three more nor less than an unqualified dimensions although appearing on the confession of our failure to understand lower plane. What all of us, including the real nature of the Absolute with the empiric historian himself, have, the resources at our command. Beyond therefore, to do in the matter, is to the range of this deluding negative allow the transcendental narrative to thought is located the realm of the be told in its own way, offering to it positive Absolute to which the trans- our co-operating attention unhampered cendental Birth of the Supreme Lord by any predilection for our cherished belongs. Objections similar to the notions of the plane of three dimensions. above need not, therefore, prejudice It is in this mood that the reader us in advance against the probability is invited to listen to the following of the truth of a transcendental dissertation on the transcendental Birth narrative. of the Supreme Lord. We are, on our We now come to the more opposite part, under the obligation to place issue—viz., as to why the Supreme nothing before our readers that does Lord chose to appear in this world not belong to the higher plane. We under the specific conditions detailed may further state from our own actual above. la the New-born Babe, Nimai experience that the transcendental, as Who was by the evidence of many transcendental, necessarily possesses sensible persons of His time nothing the power of sclf-communication of more extraordinary than any other April. 1931] THE ADVENT OF THE SUPREME LORD 323 mortal-child, to be regarded as Divine properly Theistic attitude. The reward Bimplj on the self assumed authority of adopting such attitude towards the of a number of persons who may choose real Truth will be to attain to Him. to declare his Divinity from their own There can be logically speaking no unverifiable, intuitive knowledge ? No, other method of finding the Truth, The that is not exactly the claim of risk of failure is no greater than in the the narrators of His transcendental methods of empiric search ; but there activities. They claim that the whole is the chance of knowing the Truth career of Nimai, if considered with Who is admittedly unattainable to the ftye attention, will establish His Divinity empiric quest. by making the mind of the person so The reason of the Appearance attending capable of receiving the of the Lord has been communicated to impression of the real Truth of Whom us by Sri Rupa Goswami who was he can have otherwise no idea whatever. authorised by the Lord Himself to write The Birth of the Supreme Lord is about these occurrences for enlightening an event that is located on a plane that alLsuoceeding generations. Sri tlupa is transcendentally higher than our says in effect that there were primary highest. Our ultima thule is the and secondary purposes for the negation of limited occurrences. Does Appearance of the Supreme Lord. The it help us in the least to be told tlvit primary purpose was to realise His Godhead is not born at all ? This own sweetness as Lover as He appears would also be inaccurate even by the to His eternal Counterwhole Sri test of our own logic. How, indeed, Radhika. It was for this primary purpose can we presume to sot any limit to the that the Supreme Lord put on the hue Unlimited ? If we say Godhead can be and disposition of Sri Radhika and limited we of course contradict and appeared in this world as His ourselves. But how can we also escape premier devotee. from the fact of our incapacity to make There was a secondary purpose. any statement regarding Godhead even The Supreme Lord willed to do what by the adoption of the negative trick ? had never been done before by any Would it not be infinitely more of His secondary Appearances. He logical to desire to know something willed to give away to all persons about the birth of the Supreme Lord as without reservation the most intimate it must be a possible and, therefore, and unconventional, the highest form of certain event with the Lord. This His own loving service. Sri Rupa says ghould be easily recognisable as the that no one had previously any idea of 324 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVlll-No. H

puch service. It is the highest of all allowed by the WiU of the 'Supreme revelations that could be given away Lord to appear to have power over ail only by the Supreme Lord Himself persons so born. Personating as His own Best-beloved. The appearance of the devotee of The Supreme Lord is the only and the Lord is not brought about in the eternal Teacher of His own service. above manner. He is only apparently This putting on of the Personality of under the power of the material His Best.beloved is not a casual whim potency. Tin; laws of this physico- but is His own proper Personality. mental existence have no power over The Suprente Lord as Teacher is the the agent of the Supreme Lord. His Source of all service of Himself. The birth is not, therefore, of the nature of Supreme Teacher in Hi's own proper punishment nor of reward for activities Person came into this'world for teaching previously performed in this world. the highest and only proper form of It is absolutely causeless, even as the service of Himself by His own operation of the Will of the Supreme example, thereby perfecting all previous Lord is causeless. There is, however, revelations. the causeless Divine Purpose behind Arrived at this point the next such appearance. It is this which question would naturally be 'Should we raises it to the plane of spiritual regard the birth of the Lord as an act service. of service also ?' There is a categorical Our real difficulty is presented by difference between the birth of a mortal the fact that we are altogether in the and the appearance of a servant of the dark as regards the nature of the real Supreme Lord in this world. The existence We are, therefore, unavoidably latter comes here by the Will of the prone to suppose that the conditions Supreme Lord as the agent chosen to of the plane of three dimensions, apply carry out the Divine Purpose. The in some way or other to existence on ordinary mortal is born in the flesh as the plane of four dimensions. It is in the result of his previous activities on some such way, we choose to fancy, that this mundane plane, in accordance with the phenomenal is made to be included the Divine Dispensation regulating in the transcendental. It is no doubt the affairs of this world. The true that the phenomenal is incorporated mortal is thereby rendered subject in the transcendent il. But what passes to all the limitations of this temporal our understanding is the fact that the existence. The principles of cause and nature of this incorporation is also effect, of reward and punishment, are inconceivable to our present faculties. April, 1931] HARMONY 325

The empiric critic does hot make due superficially. The Lord is served by allowance for this. every event. We require to be lifted The "Birth of the Lord is not for to the higher plane to be able to really the purpose of serving sinful humanity, understand this apparently Self-evident but for its deliverance. The devotee truth. of the Lord also comes into this world The suinmum bonnura does not for the same purpose. The nature of consist in getting away from anything the service of the Supreme Lord is but in being able to live (he truly inconceivable to our limited under- rational life in which everything is standing, The birth of the devotee is preserved m a system of perfect not merely for the service of the Lord, relationships. The Birth of the but is also itself such service. Un-born is an Event of the highest Whenever an event is consciously enlighteningo o significance.o It is never connected with the Source of everything possible to understand it separately in it acquires thereby the nature of the empiric way. The present article spiritual service, or in other words, is intended to meet empiric objections ministers to the reciprocal pleasure of against the possibility of such event. the Supreme Lord. This is the definition The substantive knowledge of the Event of service. The Lord does not require has to be gained by following the our,service in order to make up any Scriptural process of listening to the deficiency of His. Nor does the narrative of the Divine Birth from the poor and irrational theory of material lips of the spiritual teacher by the method utility explain any event even of unreserved, active submission.

Harmony.

FULL of discordance is this chaotic eart h. There is no harmony In the symphony Of the music that has in this world its birth.

We in our delusion sing and work and pray. In furtherance of the wish, Full of anguish, That deliberately seeks to perpetuate the disharmonious sway. THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXV111. No. 11

The fettered soul is ever in love with utter discordance ; H e is enamoured Of the record Of all the misdeeds wrought by his concurrence.

The perverse soul opposes all counsel of true repentance. Ue makes a show Of seeking to know. Only to snub all the ra ire effectively his neighbour an! his race.

But for all this the angel of the Lord does often descend. From the sphere Divine, To this discordant scene, To reclaim the soul that is so apt to offend,

And the cosmic discord is temporarily lulled by his voice ; The process of Nature Ceases to ensnare And the perverse soul is once more given a choice.

All the world is made to listen as the angel delivers The message of love To make us serve The Lord like himself in all our earthly endeavours.

The angel is the saviour who lives, moves and suffers With men as man, To prove how we can Serve best the Lord in conditions that are most adverse.

Let us then, for the good of our s:mls, forego all malice The desiiny of man Hangs by the plan Divinely ordained to bring about the re d peace.

Harmony destroys nothing but preserves and fulfils all, By the simple process Of chasteningo grace,~ J It finds the healing use for the most venomous gall. April- 1931 1 SRI VYASA-PUJA RESPONSE 327

So let us exercise all patience through the best of grace ; To change the heart of evil Without necessity to kill, By the gracious help from Above that alone can really bless.

Sri Vyasa-Ruja Response

( Continued from P. 316, March 1931 )

Krishna has gone away from It is Sri Guru Who enlightens us in the place of the Rasa-dance. The every matter to enable us to worship Gopis, who are un-fetterod souls, are Godhead. There is no other way of seeking for Krishna by approaching every obtaining the service of the Absolute object. Was the external sense percep- Integer except by the method of the tion of the Gopis then very strong ? worship of Sri Guru. Was their sensuous knowledge then very We have had occasion to-day powerful ? There comes an occasion to also to hear many things. We have hear about all these matters fron the heard words expressive of constancy. lotus feet of our Sri Guru. Nanda- Although many things have been said Govinda, Yasoda-Govinda, Sridama- in the English language * there was a Govinda, Ohitraka- Patraka Govinda, good deal in them that deserved to be Bansi-Qovinda, Go-Govinda, Kadaraba. heard by us. May we show such Govinda, etc., are the various Pastimes constancy to the lotus-feet of Sri Guru. of the pure cognitive principle. They The reflected form of the lotus-feet of are the Pastimes of Sri Radha-Govinda Sri Guru in different receptacles replete with all rasas. It is possible constantly reveal many new matters for to be able to observe the movements our instruction. I am a little jeeva, full of the lotus.feet of Sri Guru in the of arrogance. Why then am I enabled heart. If one obtaius the blessed sight to hear all these topics ? The lotus- of the lotus-feet of Sri Guru in his feet of Sri Guru have afforded me this heart it is only then that the true opportunity of he i ring all those words nature of these words manifests itself. expressive of constancy. In this

* Sree Vyasa-Puja homage in prose that appears on a separate page. 328 THE HARMONIST f Vol. XXVllI, No. 11

manner he is telling me every moment, great jpasanda, I was ! How greatly my cO you little soul, do you show such impiety has diminished by associating constancy to the lotus-feet of Sri Guru.' with them ! I find that, although I am I think in my mind as I observe the averse to Godhead, they are all serving disposition to serve Godheid of the Hari. I have been enabled to know by reflected forms of the lotus-feet of ray the mercy of tlulotus-feot of Sri Raghu Sri Guru in different receptacles, that Nath Bhatta Goswarai Prabhu that he 1 may be born crores of times in order never lent his ears to listen to the to practise the service of Hari in their tidings of conderanable actions of the company, that my aversion to the Yaishnavas and that it sufficed for service of Godhead that has accumulated him to know only this much that all during crores of births may be dispelled serve Krishna.' by their companionship. I find that every one is serving I once went to Mangalgiri in the Hari by making progress on the path of southern part of the country for devotion. The House-hold of Godhead installation of the shrine of the Foot- has prospered in every way Only no Prints of Mahaprabhu. At that time benefit has accrued to me. All have certain persons from among ourselves been undoubtedly benefited. You have put this question while we were still become agitated by small insufficiencies. at Mangalgiri. 'When we first came to Your anxiety for serving Godhead is Math we felt great hope and enthusiasm very great. It is for this reason that by noticing the character and love of you want that they should serve Hari the service of Godhead of our friends. in still greater measure. You are unable Now-a.days our ont-look is being to feel satisfied even when you find gradually stunted. We have begun them in the very act of serving Hari, to think in different ways. Several You want that they may serve the Brahmacharins have turned house, Lord of your life with a billion-fold holders by accepting the method of greater devotion. But m^ heart is a Samabartan.' In answer to this I said, little one, my vessel is smdll. It is for 'I am unable to say that it becomes this reason that I am unable to contain necessary to give up the service of their great service of Hari in ray small Hari if one becomes a house.holder. On vessel. Their endeavour for the service my part I see all about us many wonder of Hari is over-flowing my little cup. ful Yaishnavas. I find that their I feel it impossible any longer to keep Yaishnavism, devotion to Hari, has squeezed within the limits of my small grown a good deal more. What a vessel the vastness of their service April. 1931 ] SRI VYASA-PUJA RESPONSE 329

of Hari. They are fast passing away a singleness of purpose, he should setting an example of the most wonder- certainly be considered as righteous. fully ideal lives of service. I alone am His conduct is surely altogether perfect. unable to serve Hari. I alone am busy He becomes virtuo is in no time and to detect the defects of others. I ought quickly attains the eternal peace of the to have progressed on the path of soul. Son of Kuuti, do thou swear that service. But I have chosen to be busy My devotee never comes to grief.' in searching for the defects of Can those who serve with a single- Vaishnavas instead. ness of heart ever fall away from Who are those that try to find the devotion ? Tuey have certainly gained draw-backs of-the Vaishnavas? They the state of well-being. My eye sight are the community of empiricists whose is bad. It is for this reason that I am only resource consists of the eye,, ear, unable to obtain ray own good. 'Never nose, etc. deluded by external objects, either praise or condemn the character all those who are averse to the service and activity of other persons seeing of Hari. When anyone tells me that that the whole world is one by its a particular person has given up proper nature, by mutual union of chanting the Name of Hari I think in my Prakriti and Purusha, the Support and mind that the service of Hari of such a the Object of worship.' person must have certainly increased to If I turn out an empiricist I am an extraordinary extent, that his heart deprived of the service of the transcen- must have been very much improved dental, the service "of the lotus.feet of and that it is for this reason he has Sri Guru, It is when evil overtakes been enabled to bj engaged in other myself, and by reason of being in such work by giving up the service of Hari evil plight, that I am put in mind of which is the only path of well-being. the misfortunes of other persons. It is He has grown immensely wealthy. He because I am myself honey-combed by has been satisfied and, therefore, does a thousand defects that I am attracted not want to undergo the trouble of by the task of seeking for the defects earning more riches. of other persons. If I am in a position Sri Bhagaban has said in the Gita to secure my own good I have no longer

that no %harm can ever befall the leisure for finding the faults, the devotees of Godhead, that they can misfortunes of other people. 'If any never die,—'My devotee is not destroy- parson, after being initiated in the ed.* 'Even if one whose habits of life lotus.feet of the Sad-Guru, chant are highly condemnable serve Me with the Name of Krishna it is our duty to 330 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV1I1, No. 11 entertain for him high esteem in onr of Sri Guru. Those to whom Godhead hearts. IP such a person being engaged has been merciful, have departed from in the service of Hari serve the holy here. While we continue to be actively Name on the spiritual plane it is our engaged in this realm of Devi in the duty in every way to honour him by enjoyment of the objects of this world means of obeisance and other marks of for the purpose of seeking out the submission. The best of devotees, defects of other people and becoming the maha-Bhagabata, is possessed of thereby an object-lesson of absence of exclusive reliance on Krishna. Being the quality of humility greater than devoid of any other consciousness that of the blade of grass. excepting that of Krishna the heart The lotus-feet of Sri Guru abstains of such a person is free from any from seeing the defects of other people. discordant mood leading to slander Yet there is no other function of the or malice against any person. The lotus-feet of Sri Guru than to constantly maha-Bhagabata is thoroughly versed point out my hundreds of thousands of in the process of intimate spiritual defects and to caution me constantly service of Godhead. One who has made against any evil that is likely to befall considerable progress on the path of inc. May we not be deprived of the spiritual service is alone in a position to ideal of the lotus feet of Sri Guru. If recognise that the maha-Bhagabata is I live again for another year from to-day the bast of friends with whom it is I shall serve Sri Guru at every moment. possible to cultivate the closest relation- I will give up criticising other people. ship as he never feels disturbed by the I am given to belittling other people. claims of intimate relationship of the 'I am very clever. 1 am very learned, nature that should subsist between very intelligent. I am a great speaker. That person is illiterate, foolish, cannot pure*■ souls. If we are fortunite enoimhO to realise the supreme excellence of the properly talk about anything.' If we maha-Bhagabata we should be able to try to diminish the practice of discuss, reaognise that it is our duty to express ing in this manner the defects of other our loving regard for such a person by people, and discourse about Hari, the methods of obedience, sincere instead, I think it would do us good. questioning regarding the Truth and Nevertheless we must never show any by rendering loyal service. regard for aversion to Godhead. This life has a short duration. Last The lotus-feet of Sri Guru is the year we met at this place for the predominated moity of the Son purpose of worshipping the lotus-feet of the Chief of Braja Who is April, 1931 ] SRI VYASA-PUJA RESPONSE 331 indivisible knowledge. Krishnacbandra which different persons, whose faculty of Himself as the lotus Feet of Sri spiritual consciousness has been aroused, Guru is engaged in beholding judge about their own requirements. Himself as the Object of contemplation Every enlightened person is privileged by seeking His Own Support, I am to have a sight of Sri Gurudeva in also under the protection of Sri Krishna accordance with his particular mode of being incorporated with the lotus.feet judgment. Sri Gurudeva is that real of Sri Guru. T have recently passed Entity Who thus reveals himself to the a brief spell of time on. the wings of view of enlightened souls in a variety hope, which has, indeed, been full of the of ways. Realised by the method of the Ocean of nectar. If you do not vouchsafe rasa of parental affection Sri Gurudeva your mercy to me I certainly have reveals himself as Nanda-Yasoda. In nothing to do by living. 0 Possessor of the rasa of friendly affection he is the Form most pleasing to Krishna what Sridama-Sudama. In the rasa of the are life. "Braja or even the Slayer of Baka devotion of servants to the master the Himself to me if I am devoid of your mercy ? Iptus-feet of Sri Guru is Chitraka- I have been asked , sometimes by ^Patraka. The consideration of all different persons why we do not give these Ashrayas of the Bishaya rises in away the realised method of service to the heart as one progresses in the all persons. As for myself I cannot service of Sri Guru. These subjects understand how the condition of self- do not manifest themselves in the heart realised souls and that of novices may by any artificial process. They are be supposed to bo identical. It passes aroused spontaneously in the conscious- our judgment to understand how the ness of fortunate souls on the appear- service and realisation of souls free from ance of the disposition for spiritual all defects can be practised during the service of the Divinity. We have no period of novitiate which is full of such other function except the service of Sri defects. If any person happens to Guru. By means of the adulterated belong to the order of self-realised souls consciousness of the material world it he may kindly intimate to me the fact. is not possible to discuss about the I can then know about the specific eternal Pastimes of Godhead that are nature of his realised self. inaccessible to , Siva, Brahma, Sri Gurudeva is the daughter of and their peers. Brishabhanu in the madhura rasa (spiri. I am making my prostrated obeisances tual quality of sweetness of Divine at your feet, at the feet of the order amour). There are different ways in of my Gurus. Morality

""PHE appearance of the ideas of right consequences are not necessarily and wrong, good and bad, has been peculiar to unmarried sexual inter, supposed to be the decisive mark of, course or to sexual intercourse in what is called in the English language, contravention of the rules of inrrriage. the civilized condition of human beings. The reasons, if there be any against This test is supposed to be equally adultery, would, most of them, if not all, applicable to individuals as well as apply also to sexual intercourse iiself. It communities. would, therefore, be difficult logica ny to Man is supposed to be alone endowed regard the sentiment against adultery as with the possession of the moral (acuity. anything more than the result of a Its possession particularly distinguishes longstanding, generally observed, social mankind from other animals and all convention. The good points of the lifeless objects. Moral activity is practice of chastity may be admitted declared to be not merely purposive without extreme or illogical advocacy activity. The purpose must also bo of a physical relationship. The married righteous. It is quite possible for a state enjoined by the scriptures is not person to have a bad purpose. Badness made to rest on the merely mundane is considered to be distinguishable basis. from ignorance. It is possible for an All the so-called virtues could be ignorant person to be a good man. proved in a similar way to be, at least But it is not so easy to say clearly in a very great measure, the offspring what makes any act either good or bad. of habit. It is considered to be a good Adultery may be taken as an example. act to relieve physical suffering. It Is it bad or good ? It is generally certainly is welcomed by the person who supposed to be immoral. But has any may be the recipient of the benefit of perfectly satisfactory reason been given it. But how do we know that pleasure by any moral philosopher why it should is morally better than pain ? If a be considered as a bad thing ? True, drunkard suffers from the troubles of a the practice of adultery involves certain bad liver how can we say that he does consequences both to the individual not deserve such suffering, or that such practising it and to others. But these sufferipg may not ffo him real and April, 1931 I MORALITY 333

lasting good, in the sense of making him This is the reason why at the willing to drink less in future ? present moment almost all over the There is even more serious objection world there is observable almost a to admitting any real value of so-called definitely general movement against morality, than the above. Morality the teneti of the fashionable moral may be after all only a convenient code. The apologists find it impossible device for exploiting the ignorant find to secure the re-acceptance of a worn.out the weak by the intelligent and the system that has been tried and strong for the furtherance of the found wanting. The world is drifting immoral interests of the latter. For into a non-moral position which is example it is almost generallyadmitted bound to be destructive of regulated as the moral duty of every civilized social life whose consequences it is not country to make suitable provision for pleasant to contemplate. the education, health and feeding of If everybody does in society what the poor. In capitalistic countries this he likes will it be possible to exercise duty is so managed that the interests sufficient check upon the rascals and of the rich are thereby served at the fools ? The non-moral condition will expense of those of the poor. quickly degenerate to all intents and The moral principle as conceived by purposes into the professedly immoral. the empiricists must always point to This may be a triumph for the reason some form of mundane utility. It is but at the expense of everything that the nature of such utility to be limited, makes human life at all interesting. defective, and to a certain extent But the ideas of right and wrong positively harmful. The practice of cannot be got rid of by simply ignoring such morality can never give all-round them. They are bound to have their satisfaction even to a limited number revenge if they are attempted to be of persons though only for a short time. hustled out so unceremoniously. For this reason it is quite possible for Animalism is lower than moralism, a number of persons to quarrel with one than even empiric moralism with all another by invoking the particular moral its patent defects. If reason cannot principle in defence of his conduct that discover a morality that is higher than is best calculated to serve his special that of the empiric brand it will not pttrpoae. So that ultimately professions certainly be justified to commit suicide of morality become utterly powerless by falling back into animalism. and come to be discredited as of any There is a third alternative. help for the promotion of real well-being. Morality may be gupplied with real 334 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIII- No. 11

legs by giving up its alliance with the IE it be our object to lessen physical and principle of wolrdly utility. In that mental suffering it will be necessary to case it may claim to be absolute by find a method for removing the delusion its own right. If it tries to do so the which is the cause of such suffering. real difficulty will be in defining it, the Pleasure and pain are non absolute existingo conventional code beingo found i. e; relative existence (a-sat.) Neither ineffectual in practice. It will be of them can really satisfy the soul. The neither safe nor practicable to overlook soul is everlasting. Neither pleasure this material difficulty of the existing nor pain can be everlasting. On the code. If an attempt bo made to draw contrary they are the co ordinate up a new code free from the worst faces of the deluded experience. defects of the present one such an The same is true of all similar other attempt may have to advocate the couples which are the offspring of the legalising of certain forms of conduct activities of the material mind. Right that would go against the fundamental and wrong, good and bad are not principles of the existing code. The substantially different from one another. democratic or legislative method is, But all of them are substantially and therefore likely to be unfavourable to eternally different from the absolute the cause of morality as it has been existence or the sat. ordinarily understood up till now. The moral codes that have been The nearest equivalent of the term invented by the erring mind can only 'a-saf () is non-permanent perpetuate the evil which it does not existence. It is possible to classify understand and cannot remove. But entities into really existent or 'sai' the relative existence, a-sat, also really and not really existent or a-sat. The exists. It is, therefore, a source of real soul belongs to the category of real trouble to all of us. The deluded soul existence or 'sat.' The mind and may pretend not to be able to recognise physical body are not real existence. this. He may also be disinclined to In this world the deluded soul seeks recognise that his abnormal alliance all kinds of relationship with the body with the mind and body is the real and and not mind. But the soul can have no only cause of all his miseries. real relationship with either. This But oven the conventional moralists misguided affinity of the deluded soul are never tired of declaring from the - towards non.substantive existence, is house top that they are also believers the cause of all suffering and evil in the absolute purity, at any rate that afflict everyone in this world. potentially, of the soul. If this is really April, 1931 ] MORALITY 335

admitted they should be able to becomes necessary also for the Utilitarian recognise the distinction between the by the pressure of perpetual disappoiut- relative and absolute existence saf. and inent. As ucitber present, past nor asat, and also to recognise this distinc- prospective experience offer any escape tion as alone affording the only basis from the tragedy of the vicious circle for a true science of conduct that is the irrational advice of the empiric proper for the soul. Instead of running ethical philosopher has not proved after socalled bad and Ogood, ' rightO and wholly acceptable to the present wrong, it is necessary to try to under, generation which is aggressively stand the real nature of absolute pragmatic and realistic. existence, the sat, in the fiist place. The distinction between good and The distinction between sat and bad is real although it is unattainable a-sal is not merely subjective. One by the light, of the empiric philosopher. cannot become sal by simply wishing It is necessary for us to know what to be sat. The conditioned soul cannot it is. Our Scriptures tell us that get rid of his fetters of relative the substantive entity, by whose cognition by his own efforts. Mental unwholesome shadow wo wrongly suppose speculation is bound to lead its victim ourselves destined to bo perpetually into a blind lane. Mo amount of mental deluded, is to be found only on the cogitation can produce real enlighten- substantive or absolute plane. This, ment or afford real relief from our as will appear from the above, is fully blinding limitations. It will not d> to in keeping with the requirements of the call any condition good if it is to be rational instinct. That which is absolute found to be of no use to the soul. All is natural, L e. necessarily and fully impermanent relief i-i thus proved to be Ogood, ' for the soul. What we are really illusory and, therefore, humful required to find is our own selves. The in one way or another, in as much as soul is not in his natural condition at it tends to perpetuate the .delusion. This present. The soul is naturally good is the radical defect of so-called as he is free from all limitations. This conventional morality. This defect perfect condition is also realisable, by cannot be removed by persisting in the the admitted and familiar process old groove. It is necessary to find out of houest apprenticeship, on his own a method of getting out of the vicious terms, with a person who rei ny knows. groove if any permanent and real relief The Scriptures help us to find such a is to be expected. person. This help comes at first from The quest of the Absolute thus within. But this light cannot grow beyond 336 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIH. No. 11

a cartain point i£ it chooses to confine In tliis spiritual community . every itself to this selfish, individualistic source. individual member is related to all the It has to expend into a congregational rest as disciple to teacher, to use a very function by being lifted to the unsatisfactory phrase to denote the plane of the service of the One Person mutual relationship subsisting betwfeen by many individu il pers )ns in concert. all perfectly pure souls.

New Earth—New Heaven

BY Dr. H. W. B. MORENO

One nation yet the world shall see, The union of humanity One fatherland of real worth, And it shall stretch o'er all the earth One law, all other laws above, The universal law of love ; One great religion all to span, The noble brotherhood of man , These unto mortals shall be given And then shall come new earth, new heaven. A Talk with a Moulvi

{Gontinued from P. 279, February, 1931)

I.—You cannot say that truth cannot be made to sit at the same dish. revealed in the Bible is not higher than Appearing as late as in the Seventh what is revealed in the Quran ; still Century A. D. Muhammad had to deal again, what revealed in the Bhagabat is with a class of people at a certain not also the highest. stage of spiritual evolution. They were M.—But Hazrat Muhammad was idolaters, deifying matter worshipping the last and greatest Mabi. 'Lat', 'monaf and cgora' their original I.—He might be the last, yet he deities, till the number of their gods might not be the greatest. Again he grew to be three hundred and sixty. might be the greatest, yet might not They observed national mourning, if teach the greatest. What parts by accident any limb of any of; these will a professor show before a class gods were broken. They understood of pupils not acquainted with the brute force more than any thing else. alphabets ? The chronological order They were divided into different tribes in the advent of the prophets does not and these tribes were always fighting make any difference in the quality of with one another. When Muhammad their teachings. The latter differ with began to preach they firmly stood for the different capacities of the taught. their traditions and began to conspire History shows that when the Hindu to put an end to his life. Muhammad were reciting Rik.Veda hymns, averted the danger by taking to the the rest of humanity was being rocked sword. It was a necessity. What in the spiritual cradle. The historians Christ did by love and suffering put this date at 4000 B. C. But the Muhammad did by love and violence. people, versed in astrology take the By the sword he gave them peace and date as far back as 10000 B. C. by the sword his followers maintained Evidently these two classes of human it. Even now the custom prevails in beings must at any time require the Muhammad an society of punishing different treatments for their spiritual a social crime by the method of public growths. An adult and an infant flogging.O ~ O 338 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIH. No. 11

It is supposed by many that the with those who fight with you. sword aggravates the peace.breaking And kill them wherever you find them tendencies. Whoever takes up the and drive them out from whence they sword is supposed to break the peace. drove you out." ( Ch. II—190.191). Again the sword, while it punishes the Thus while Muhammad advised His crime, leaves untouched the cause. followers, ' Resist evil : Thou shalt Suffering love may also remove the love thy neighbour, and hate thine cause and excite love in return. The enemy.'' Christ advised His followers victory of the soul-force over the physi- without in any way contradicting cal force is thus consummated. Love Muhammad, ' Resist not evil : love manifests itself in a soul functioning in your enemies, bless them that curse his full spiritual consciousness. All, you, do good to them that hate you in their relation to God, become the and pray for them which despitefully objects of love of such a soul. Christ use you and persecute you. That ye cannot be held to have succeeded may be the children of your Father among the Israelites, Muhammad was which is in heaven." more fortunate amongo a neighbouringo o M.—Do you mean to say that people, the Arabs. While the latter Ha/.rat Muhammad mistook physical effected his object by making his enemies facts for spiritual ones ? bleed under his stroke, the former laid I.—I don't say that. He could not down his life on the cross with no less make any such mistake. He ilid not powerful admonition,—"Father forgive resort to the sword as a method of them fnr they know not what they are preaching His faith. It was a necessity for doing." Christ died, and with him died Him to fight with those who came with all that loved him. They died in the swords to turn out and kill the Muslims. body to live in the spirit. "For", says He fought neither for conversion, nor St. Paul/'the love of Christ constraineth for booty, but "to end persecution us ; because we thus judge, that if one and establish religious freedom." died for all, then were all ilead ; And It was a necessity from another that he died for all, that they which consideration. He had to deal with people live should not henceforth live unto in a very different way from that in themselves, but unto him which died which Christ dealt with them. Christ's for them and rose again.'/ The followers gospel of love in that form would not at of Muhammad wanted to live properly all have a chance with these people who in the boily also. "Fight,'' says understood nothing better than physical Muhammad, "in the way of Allah force, and took material prosperity to Apd. 1931 ] A TALK WITH A MOULV1 339 be the emblem of the spiritual. Though during ail this time. It was all against for smallness of number the followers the Quran and the pious wish of the of" Muhammad at first hesitated to risk prophet. For the Quran says, "Fight their life in a battle with a large well- in the way of Allah with those who armed body of the enemies, Muhammad fight with you, and do not exceed the exhorted them to do so as ordained by limits • surely Allah does not love Allah. He sajs, "Fighting is enjoined those who exceed the limits. And kill on you, and it is an object of dislike to them wherever you find them, and you ; and it may be that you dislike a drive them out from whence they thing while it is good for you, and it drove you. But if they desist you may" be that you love a thing while it must also desist. And fight with them is evil for you, and Allah knows, while until there is no persecution ; but if you do not know''—(Ch. II, 2l6) they desist then there should be no -The sword in the hand of Muhammad hostility except against the oppressors" was like the magical rod of Moses. (Cb. XX, X90-193). He wrought miracles in the battles. Against all these clear injunctions With 313 ill-equipped and inexperienced of the Quran they began to fight men, he routed a large well-trained aggressively with all the neighbouring and well-equipped army of Quaraish nations. Instead of fighting in the way of Mecca at Badr. People began of Allah they began to fight in their to flock to his camp. It was more own way. They fought these wars the love for fighting and collecting as jehad bringing untold sufferings booty than his faith, that attracted upon millions, either defenceless or those people in such large numbers. ill.defended, but certainly not aggressive. Islam began to manifest more as a Muhammad fought "to end persecution power than as a faith. Soon after and to establish religious freedom." Muhammad had passed away his But his followers began to fight to followers began to strike terror into enforce and to the hearts of all by their cry, "Allah ho establish religious intolerance. " which losing all its spiritual, Every where they were indeed, significance became merely a war cry. dreaded but not loved ; though they The vast territory extending from Spain themselves held in esteem all these in the west to Burma in the east felt their military achievements as the the weight of their arms. Many forceful emblem of spiritual progress leading conversions were made and many them to Behast, In fact the gospel ftbomin^ble atrocities wer? committed of love that Muhammad wanted to 340 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111, No. 11 preach, was entirely lost upon many of plenary manifestation of in our his followers. It is now very difficult Scriptures. He is said to have preached to say whether by Islam as it was a religionO without having< J any•/ reference practised by most of the kinys and to the Yedas. This is the view of conquerors we would understand Buddha's own followers in the historical 'making of peace' or 'breaking of period. And why ? peace.' The Hindus at the time misunder- M. Don't mind the bad followers. stood the teachings of the Yedas and By the religion of that section of his were bathing their altars with blood of followers you cannot ascertain the animals, nay of human beings. No religion of the prophet. "With regard religion can claim a high altitude that to the actual creeds of the different does not provide for the safety of the prophets I think we cannot say any lives of the lower order. Slaughter of thing positively one way or the other. animals for food as well as for sacrifice I. It is true a tree is said to be is aborning,bio. Whole India turned known by its fruits. You cannot deny Buddhist. There was no alter to that the whole nation showed this receive the blood of the animals, and no mentality. But they could not leave house to cook fish or meat. The object the sword which Muhammad, compelled for which He came was achieved and under certain circumstances, advised He passed away. The people, however, them to use. When any of the muslim could not be left for a long time warriors committed an act of atrocity without Godhead to love. Sankara- the whole nation acclaimed it. I shall charyya who is no other than Siva, be glad, if you admit that Muhammad's then appeared on the scene by the followers went astray as soon as command of Yishnu. He showed the Muhammad had passed away. They way how to investigate in to the truth aggressively fought with the Hindus with the help of the Scriptures. People and the Christians, demolishing their began to worship the Veda? again. temples and churches and building India then got rid of Buddhism. mosques in their stead Are you Now should we take to Buddhism prepared to characterise all these again ? Certainly not; for in that case activities as un-islamic ? we would be attempting to go back. Our I can give you from our own Scriptures also prohibit it. Scriptures an instance how the prophets In the same way a follower of Islam teach different things at different times. who should follow Muhammad and Lord Buddha has been described as a respect the Quran, must not aggresively April, 1931 ] A TALK WITH A MOULV1 341 fight nor encourago others to fight with holy documents where there are firm anyone under the pretext of a 'jehad'., truths.'' If anyone does so, lie is but a lip-deep In Chap. 2 and verse no 13G it has loyalty to the teachings of the Quran. been definitely laid down that Islamic At the same time it is no harm if baptism requires a belief in all the any one thinks a particular form of prophets of the world. We bcrc below revealed worship, to bo the best, and state the verse in the translation of sticks to it. But he surely commits Moulvi Muhammad Ali, M. A. LL. B. an unparlonable offence when he "Say : we believe in Allah and (in) that demands a general acceptance of his which has boon revealed to us, and (in) faith. It is wromro because,3 as I have that which was revealed to 'Abraham already told you, people differ in and Issmael and Isaac and Jacob and spiritual gradation. the tribes, and (in) that which was The apparently different teachings given to Moses and Jesus, and (in) that of the different prophets are really not which was given to the prophets from different as regards their fundamental their Lord, we do not make any principles. After we have received a distinction between any of them, and to sufficient measure of spiritual culture him do we submit". By "Prophets from we should see all these different religions their Lord'' he wants us to understand reconciled. We should then consider it ''prophets of the world, prophets of all practicable for a Hindu, a Christian and nations and all ages." a Muhamraadan shaking hands with one Evidently you do not sufficiently another. respect your prophet, if you dishonour Though prophets appear at different others. You dishonour the Quran if times in different places, yet one does you dishonour the Bible or the not come to annul the teachings of Bhagabat. All are His prophets and another. Nay one practically preaches all are His books. the doctrine of those that went before The imperfection which you see in him and will come after him. Thus in Christianity is, in fact, no imperfection. Ampara in sura baiena we get two ayats In Christ's fatherhood-conception of •••2. Rasulum sinallahe italu suhufau Godhead we should not look for flesh- motaha-haratan fiha kutubun, kaiiraaha. and.blood relation. Such relation does 3.1 Ama takar chakal Lajina ootul not obtain in that place of spiritual kitaba ilia mimbade ma ja-at homol consciousness in which Christ lives. bai-illaha—which mean, ''He who is Things of the spiritual plane must not sent by God-head recites all the be confounded with those of the physical 342 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV111. No. 11

one though they are expressed in human Any theistic philosophy must seek language. In the former spirit responds out relation between soul and soul, and to spirit but in the latter intercourse is between soul and Godhead. The former possible only through the medium of is automatically settled when the latter matter. Matter is never sanctified into is settled. ''Love your brothers because spirit nor does spirit degrade into you are the sons of the same father." matter. Spirit descends in the matter, Christ not only designates himself as but he should never be designated after the son of God but designates all as the flesh. It is a sin to know a prophet such. If you love God as Father, you after the flesh. When the people made must Jove all as your brothers. If you mention of Christ as the son of David, love Him as the creator, you must love Christ told them,'How then doth David all that are created by Him. If you in spirit call him Lord saying, "The love Him as the Lord, you must Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on love all as His servants. Certainly ray right hand, till I make thine the love shown into Him as father enemies thy foot-stool. If David then is much intenser than all the rest. call him Lord, how is he his son ?'' ( to be continued )

The Festival of Circamambulation

( of Sridham Nabadwip )

rT,HIS Festival has been instituted by in his natural condition of free loving the Acharya of the Gaudiya service of the Supreme Lord. The community as a practice of the function function was not known in this world of un-alloyed devotion testified to by till the most auspicious Appearance all the Scriptures as being the exclusive, of Sree Krishna Chaitanya Who was eternal function of the individual soul causelessly pleased to confer the only April. 1931] THE FESTIVAL OF CIRCUMAMBULATION 343

proper service of Himself by the only Godhead, as the sole Recipient of all method, viz. His own Example, by service. It is the Supreme Lord His Appearance in this world. Himself Who can and does teach His There have been secondary appear- own service which is, however, rendered ances of the Lord for coferring a to Himself as Master and not as Servant. measure of His service. The perfect, Godhead as Master or Recipient and, therefore, the only unalloyed form of service is Sri Krishna. Godhead as of service, it was beyond the power Teacher or performer of His own of any agent to confer. service is Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Sri Nabadwip Dham is the plane These Names are not concoctions of on which this service means the the clever brain of man. There are simultaneous appearance also of the names, as those of the objects of this corresponding plane of service. The world that lie exposed to our senses, service of S rid ham Nabadwip is part that are made by man to signify the and parcel of the practice of the entities of this phenomenal world. The proper function of the soul. Names Sri Krishna and Sri Krishna The service of Godhead is not Chaitanya are identical with Godhead. Something mental or physical. It is There is only one Godhead. He has supposed to be a mental process by got two Names. He baa one Name as those who confound the soul with the Master, another Name "as Servant. mind. But as a matter of fact, a mental The Servant is however, in this case activity is also activity on the physical identical with the Master. Those who plane in a refined form. Both the gross make a difference between the service and subtle forms of material and mental of the Servant and that of the Master activity arc subject to identical on the plane of the Absolute know limitations. What has to be denied of nothing of the real nature of Divine the one form is thereby denied also of service. the other. It is on the plane of the eternal The service to Godhead is rendered realm of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, viz. on the only real plane viz, that on Sri Nabadwip Dham, that the only which the Lord Himself abides in all proper service of the Supreme Lord Sri His Divine Plenitude. That plane is Krishna is available. the Abode of the Supreme Lord as Sri Nabadwip Dham is also not a Teacher and of His disciples. In certain area of measured space of this co-operation they practise there the mundane world. Those who see Her eternal function of loving devotion to to be material space do not see Her at 344 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No. II

all. To such spectators the Holy Realm exclusively to' His pleasure. We, by of the Supreme Loi-d only presents our proper nature, are the dissociated Her deluding aspect. counterparts of the eternal servants of It is the duty of the Acharya to the Supreme Lord. As under.servants make available the service of Sridham of the Supreme Lord we are constituent' Nabadwip to all sincere souls who parts of Sridham Nabadwip and She is really seek the service of the Lord. really the kind Mother of all of us. If we Sridham Nabadwip is not a place that want to serve the Lord at all it will be may minister to our sensuous enjoy- necessary for us to be allotted our proper ment like the various localities of this location in the Abode of "the Supreme mundane plane. She is a servant of Lord for the purpose. To allow us to the Supreme Lord and ministers serve Her is the function of the Acharya.

Sree Gopal Bhatta Goswami. By Sj. Kisori mohan Paul b. l.

rT",HE province of Dravida is one of first of all dawned upon this world to the holiest lands of India. She is the mind of Vedavyas in its exclusive literally the mother of jewels in every state, inthe grassy land of Brahmmabarta sense just as Sri Gaur Sundar, Embodi. on the bank of the Saraswati and mont of magnanimity by manifesting passed through the stages of infancy Himself with His realm and para, and boyhood on the holy plains of the phernalia sanctified the country of Naimisha forest on the bank of the Gauda (Bengal) which has since become Gomati. By the fostering service of the objective of pilgrimage, so the four founder-acharyyas, the process the Yaishnava acharyyas who are manifested its adolescence on the banks founders of the four Yaishnava.sects, by of the holy streams of the province of appearing in the province of Dravida Dravidif finally displaying its full scattered broadcast the rays of maturity on the bank of the most devotional service throughout the world. sacred Ganges, in the town of Eternal and everlasting by its nature Nabadwip in the country of Gauda by the principle of transcendental devotion tho touch of the holy feet of Sriman April, 1931 ] SREE GOPAL BHATTA GOSWAMI 345

Mahaprabhu,in its perfect manifestation are getting steeped in luxury, but as the mello A'ing principle of higher the master or Lord, who lias manifested (spiritual) amorous love (mmat.i Himself in the form of the Sree ujjjjala rasa). Bigraha, stands here utterly neglected Srea Rangakshetra lies on the and abandoned'. Therefore, to collect beautiful bank of tlie Koliron, an arm of funds for the restoration of the temple, the Kaveri in tbe province of Dravida. Tirumongoi, with his disciples, went The place has been designated as Sree from door to door of all well-to-do Rangamo or RangakshetraO after Vishnu people and accosted them thus— or Sree Ranganath. Tiruraongoi Alwar,a 'Wealthy people, don't you see, great saint in the order of preceptorial your wealth has become productive succession anterior to Sree Ramanuja only of your selfish enjoyments. Acharyya, made his appearance in the It should not be so, but service to province of Dravida in the remote Godhead alone should be rendered .antiquity. In the , the by the instrumentality of all your great Vaishnava saints go by the name wealth'. of Alwar or Dibyasuri. Etymologically But all advice fell flat on deaf ears the word 'Alwar' means administrator and in some instances, Tirumongoi hence it shows that the Vaishnavas had to meet with harsh rebuffs from are really the universal Gurus and people intoxicated with the arrogance as such all Jivss should come under of wealth. Finding the pe iple to be in their Divinely autborized spiritual such abnormal condition Tirumongoi jurisdiction as Guides. determined to collect by hook or by Once upon a time in course of crook, from the opulent people, money travels with his disciples, when which is meant for the enjoyment of its Tiruraongoi came to the teraple-yard of sole Enjoyer viz., Godhead alone. of Sree Ranianath he was mortified Although this extraordinary conduct to find the ruined condition of the of Tirumongoi may appear condemnable temple which was encompassed by to certain schools of empiric thinkers, flourishing jangles on all sides. Finding yet it is symptomatic of the exclusive the temple turned into an abode of davotion of one who-has surrendered bats and the haunting-groundo o of himself body and soul to the ferocious wild animals, Tirumongoi said Feet of Krishna. Having collected to his disciples, 'You see, volptuous large funds by the method of people by misappropriation and apparently heartless exploitation he misapplication of their Master's money finished the work of the complete 346 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No- 11

restoration of the temple of Sree through Gautami Ganga, Mallikarjuna, Rangam, a structure on such a gigantic Ahobala Nrisingha, Siddhabat, Skanda- scale that it remains incomparable kshettra, Trimath, Briddha Kasi, and inimitable example of its kind Bau Idhasthan, Tripadi, Trimalla, among the whole range of edifices Pana Nrisingha, Siva Kanchi, Vishnu dedicated to religious purposes in Kanchi, Trikalhasti, Bridhaka, Siali India. Bhairabi etc , He now reached the In the month of A.shada of 1433 of beautiful bank of the Kaveri and the Saka era, corresponding to 15! I performed His bath in her sacred water. A. D., the sky with dark clouds Being most highly favoured by lit up by occasional flashes of dm touch of the holy Feet of that lightning, wore a beautiful appearance. Sannyasin, in token of her gratitude The eleventh day of the moon from the Kaveri showed the effusion of her which the period of vow of continence delight by the deep agitation of her for four months {chatunnanijabrata) high-heavingo o waves. After bath the commences every year, was near at Sannyasin had the sight of Sree hand. A young ascetic of golden hue Ranganath and danced and sang with hands extending to the knee before Godhead with rapturous shedding all round the wonderful love. The effulgent beauty, splendour halo of His bright person, was passing and majesty of the young Sannyasin along one of the roads of the country struck unforeseen wonders into of Dravida fully absorbed in contem- the hearts of the beholders who plation, chanting with His mouth, stood in silent awe like painted picture ".Rama ! Raghava ! Rama ! Raghava ! and gaxed at Him without taking off Rama ! Raghava ! Pahi mam, Krishna ! their eyes. Reader, have you been Keshaba ! Krishna ! Keshaba ! Krishna ! able to recognise this young travelling Keshaba ! mam/' and a Sannyasin of golden colour ? He only Brahmana carrying a water-pot used by wears the disguise of a sannyasin. He ascetics following Him. This Sannyasin is an Object incomprehensible to the passed through many holy places of yogins and the rishis. Even the devas pilgrimage sanctifying them by His are unable to have the sight of His touch. On the way lie had held many form and are apt to get bewildered discourses about Sree Hari with one of in the attempt. He is the self-revealing His most loved favourites, Ramananda supreme Reality. Non-devotees over- Ray, in Yidyanagar on the bank of the powered by his deluding Energy cannot Godavari. From Yidyanagar, passing obtain the sight of His incomprehensible AprH,11931 ] SREE SREE CHA1TANYA BHAGABAT 347

actual form. He .is unique and there the theistic community which follows is none who is either equal or superior the Consort of Vishnu viz., Sree Devi. to. Him. He is Godhead Himself and Venkatta Bhatta who hailed originally all visible and invisible things are His from Northern India but was then a servants, the 'Brahman' of the Upanishads sojourner in Sree Rangakshetra, was and the 'Paramatman' of the yogins are the name of the Brahmana who now the lustre of His AH-holy Person and His prostrated himself at the Feet of the partial Manifestations respectively. This Supreme Lord and invited him to His Satmyasin is Sree Krishna Chaitanya, home for doing Him the high favour of the same as the Son of the chief of accepting his hospitality. He had two Braja (Brindabxn), the only Saviour other brothers, Trimalla or Tirumalaya of this Iron Age, Who appeared in Bhatta and Tridandi Swami Prabodha- this world to give away to all souls nanda. The latter was a sannyasin of the treasures of His Own Name and the school of Sree Ramanujacharyya. Sree Love for Himself Who are. identical Prabodhananda's vast knowledge of the with Himself. Scriptures had earned for him the The Magnanimity of Sree Gaursundar, scholastic title of 'Saraswati'. Venkata the E nboliment of Divine Pity in Bhatta was a pious householder devoted His fullnes! captured the attention to the service of Sree Narayana, He of a fortunate Vaishnava belonging to had a jewel.like son named Gopala, ( To he continued )

Sree Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat

MIDDLE PART CHAPTER II

Summary :—This chapter contains the following narrative : The devotees informed Adwaita of the Lords of love of Krishna. Adwaita was delighted on hearing the same. Adwaita spoke about his dream to all the devotees. The Lord made obeisance as soon as He chanced to see Sribash and other devotees and the devotees in their turn blessed Him. The Lord accepted their good wishes and manifested the ideal of the service of the Vaishnavas in diverse ways. Devotees shaded their blessings and formed high hopes at this. The Lord expressed confidence in the devotees on hearing of their griefs caused, by the turbulent conduct of the haters of Vaishnavas and slandering atheists resident at Nabadwipa. The Lord was filled with anger against the Pashandit. Ignor- ant persons requested mother Sachi to arrange for His medical treatment supposing that the Lord was 348 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll, No. 11 aiilicteil with nervous malady. One day Sribash went to the house of the Lord and beheld on the person of the Lord the signs of the prevalence of the highest devotion. The Lord embraced Sribash on bearing his declaration to that effect. The mother gave up her suspicion that her Son was suffering from nervous malady on hearing the words of Sribash as he described to her the love of her Son for Krishna. The Lord visited the home of Adwaita in the company of Gadadhar. Adwaita who practised archan of Krishra by the method of love worshipped the feet of the Lord. Adwaita hymned the Lord. Gadadhar who enjoyed the confidence of the Lord prevented the same and expressed his surprise. On regaining His eternal consciousness the Lord hymned Adwaita by concealing His own identity. This did not prevent Adwaita from realising in his heart the coming of the Lord. Adwaita went to Santipur to test the magnanimous nature of the Lord's appearance. The Lord chanted daily the Kirtan ot Krishna in the company of the devotees. The Lord, under the over-powering influence of loving separation, described to His inner devotees Ilis vision of Krishna in His dawning youth resplendent with the yellow sheen of the tamala tree and the hue of fresh clouds in the neighbourhood of Kanai's NatsalaonHis way back from Gaya, and swooned away during the recital. The devotees with great joy praised the Lord after He regained this external consciousness. Even after His return home the Lord manifested continuous experience of the state of over-powering bliss and tendency to enquire of all persons regarding Krishna. One day the Lord attempted to tear open Ilis own heart with His finger-nails on hearing from Gadadhar that Krishna dwelt in His heart, and could be induced to be patient only by the of Gadadhar for which Sachi Devi who was most devotedly attached to her Sou, warmly praised the tact of Gadadhar. Sachi Devi manifested reverential fear for her Son, instead of motherly affection. The Lord in the company of His devotees listened in His own house in the evening to thesinging of Kirtan by Mukunda. The performance of all-night-Kirt«/i was begun. The Pashnndis were angered by reason of interruption to their pleasure o f sleep. They were filled with chagrin especially against Sribas, which led them to spread the false rumour of the King's displeasure against Sribas. The Lord appeared in this four-armed Divine Form before Sribas while the latter was engaged In his house in worshipping Sree Krisinghadeva and encouraged him by His words of mercy. Sribas hymned the Lord realising that He was Krishna Himself. On hearing the hymn of Sribas the Lord manifested His own Form and commanded Sribas with his wife to have a sight of His Divine Form and worship Him. Sribas with all members of his family worshipped the Lord and expressed his humility. The Lord then spoke to Sribas in order to remove his fears. At the command of the Lord Srce Narayani, the daugher of Sribas's brother forthwith swooned away and in view of all the devotees crying 'Krishna' and then began to weep. Sribas was relieved of all his fears of the Pashandis' by beholding all these Divine manifestations and chanted the praises of the Lord. Sribas was permitted to have the sight of the manifestation of the Divine power which is attainable with difficulty even to the Yedau. The Lord foriuade Sribas to divulge Ilis hidden appearance. The Lord returned home after giving Sribash His assurances of support against all danger. The author's eulogy of the glory of the household of Sribas is full of the service of Krishna. The author declares that t"he service of the devotees of Krishna is the only means of obtaining the service of Krishna. The author ventured to set upon the composition of the work by command of Nityananda

All glory to Gaurchandra, the Well-being 3 On beholding the love of the Lord the of the whole world 1 minds of 9II the devotees Vouchsafe to the heart the gift of thy twin Were filled with the greatest astonishment Feet 4 With the highest delight, to Adwaita 2 All glory to Gauranga with the Society All of them narrated whatever they had seen. of His devotees ! 5 Through the force of the bond of devotion By listening to the narrative of Chaitanya Adwaita, of great prowess devotion is gained. Knew full well that the Lord had appeared. April. Pi I ] SREE SREE CHA1TANYA BHAGABAT

6 Yet the Truth that is One aiul Indivisible 17 'In this home of Sribas all the Vaishnavas may not be understood. Will witness realisations hardly possible He m.anifests His appearance and is even to Brahma and his equals. forthwith self-concealed. 18 'May you have your food, I now depart On hearing the Truth Adwaita was filled I come again while you are at your with great joy. meal'. He began to speak with the highest P 'li'1 opening my eyes I saw—this inspiration,— Biswambhar. 8 'Brothers all, listen to my words regarding I could scarcely see, as lie quickly this day; disappeared.

I have found some indication during the 20 q donot un.ierstand ^i, the mystery of nighL Krishna, 9 Not having understood well the meaning jn u,]1;c]1 forin manifests Himself or in of what I read m the Geeta Whom

I had lemained without food through 21 .pjjs eider-born, by name Biswarup, formerly sadness of mind. Used to come and expound the Geeta 0 'When a part of the night had passed with me

there appeared a certain person 22 vp^jg Child, possessed of most delicious who said to me, beauty,

'Get up, Acharyya, quickly take your food. Came to my plaCL. to cal, His brother. 1 This is the text that was read, this is its 22 'Being so beautiful the child stole all the meaning that I tell you. faculties of my heart, Get up, eat your food and worship Me. j blessed Him saying, *AIay there be 2 Why do you feel further sorrow ? You devotion to God'. have obtained all, 24 'By high lineage He is the Son of a great That for which you had resolved is person. fulfilled. He is the daughter's son of Nilambar 3 'All the fasting and all the worship that Chakravarty. you have performed, 25 'Himself also is most erudite and possessed All the tears that you have shed crying the of all good qualites. Name of Krishna, It is meet that He should have devotion 4 'The selfsame Lord Whom to bring down, Krishna

'You vowed with hands uplifted has now 26 am very happy on llearing the tidings<

appeared aj] 0j. you b|ess sayjng) 'Be it so,' 5 'There will be Kirtan of Krishna in all , , , . , , 27 May the mercy 01 Krishna be manifested to lands, ' In every home and in every town and at ,, .. May the whole world be intoxicated by the all time, 6 'All the devotion that there be and scarcely Name of Krishna. attainable even by Brahma, 28 'If there be truth, then to this place All the people will now behold by your All will come, even to this worthless favour. Brahmana' 350 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll No. 11

For joy Adwaita rolled forth the mightiest 33 Every one of those who happened to meet ejaculations. the Lord All the Vaishnavas raised the chant of Greeted Him with the greatest cordiality. jubilation. 34 In the morning when the Lord set out 3° The mouths of all uttered continuously for His bath in the Ganges the Name of Hari. He met all the Vaishnavas. There arose the manifestation of Krishna 35 At sight of Sribas and his companions the in the Form of the Kir tun. Lord made obeisance. The devotees were gladdened and blessed. 31 Said some, 'When Nlmai Pandit null be 36 'May thou have devotion to the Feel of cured of His illness Krishna. Then we could perform the Samkirtan Say 'Krishna' with thy mouth hear with the greatest zeal' 'Krishna' with thy ears. 2 3 The company of the devotees having 37 'It is only by worshipping Krishna that made their obeisance to the Acharyya everything becomes true. Took their departure, chanting joyously If Krishna is not served, b'eautywand together the Samkirtan of Harj. learning go for nothing. ( To be continued )

Ourselves Circumambulation of Sreedham Nabadwip Audience Hall of Sree Chaitanya Math by a vast Feb. 22—Mar. I assemblage of devotees, on the evening of the 4th o£ The huge Kirlrn procession consisting of several March. His Holiness Tridandi Swarai Sreeraad Bhakti thousands of devotees from all parts of the country Vivek Bharati Maharaj led the chant of the account for the circumambulation of Sreedham Navadwip on of the Appearance of the Supreme Lord as the Divine this auspicious occasion of the Advent of the Supreme service was performed with due solemnity on the Lord Sree Krishna Chaitanya started from Sree risingof the full-moon in the evening. This was followed Chaitanya Math on the 22nd of February and was by a lantern lecture exhibiting the Lila of the Lord. led on the first two days by His Divine Grace Sreela Not less than ten thousand persons were present to Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj in honour the mahaprasad in the spacious compound person. From Sree Godruma-dwipa onwards the of Sree Chaitanya Math. A rich variety of mahaprasad charge of the function was made over to the other was distributed without stint among those present. Tridandi Sannyasi Maharajas of the -Mission. The The Advent Anniversary of the Supreme Lord procession of chanters in an imposing array passed was duly observed by all the branch Maths. The through Koladwipa ( Town Navadwip ) on the 27th reader should also consult the opening article of the February and returned to Sreedham Mayapur on the present issue in this connection. 1st of March withoutany accident having accomplished Thirty-seventh annual session of Sree the greater part of the journey in very foul weather. Nabadwip Dham Pracharini A short exposition of the function appears on a Sabha, March 5 The Sabha held its thirty.seventh annual session in separate page. the Natya Mandir of Sree Yoga-peetha in Sreedham Festival of the 445th Anniversary of the .Mayapur from 5 to 10 P. M. on the 5th ol March Advent of the Supreme Lord Sree Krishna Chaitanya at Sreedham Mayapur under presidency of His Divine Grace Paramahansa March 4 Paribrajakacharyya Sree Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta The festival of the ttuth anniversary of the Advent Saraswati Goswami Maharaj. A short account of of the Supreme Lord was celebrated in the great the proceedings of the meeting will be published April. 1931 ] OURSELVES in the next njmber of the journal. The meeting was Kutchery of the Hon'ble Raja Rishee Case Law C.I.E. in the village of Dhanyaghata. attended by a very large number of members and Pabna other persons from all parts of the country and was very successful. is Holiness Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Vilas Gabhastinemi Maharaj lectured on "The Great Gift Samprada/a Vaibhabacharyya and Bhaktisastrl examinations of Sri Chaitanya'' on the 8th of March from 5 to 4—5 March 8 P. M. at the Town Hall of Pabna City before a The above examinations were duly held in the gathering of over 400 elites of the town. Srijukta Temple premises of Sree Chaitauya Math, Sree iham Jahnabi Charan Bhowmik presided. All present Mayapur on the 4th and 5th of March respectively. expressed their high appreciation of the exposition Bfaakti-vijaya Bhaban March 4 of the Swamiji. His Divine Grace made His formal entry into Midnapur Bhakti-vijaya Bhaban on the anniversary day of the His Holiness Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Vivek Bharati Maharaj toured through the District of Advent of the Supreme Lord by the ceremony of Midnapur delivering public lectures at the following congregational chant. This elegant two storeyed buuse villages— is the offering of Sreepad Sakhi Charan Bhakti-vijaya 13—15 March at ?.Ialpar on Sanatan Dharma prabhu for the residence of His Divine Grace. The (Eternal function). event was celebrated by the distribution of 17 March at Naogaon on the religion of pure devotion. mahapra.ad of every rich variety, on the following 20 „ at Masumpur on spiritual function day to not less than ten-thousand residents of the (Dharma) adjoining villages. 23 ,, at Sitalda on the function (dharma) of householders. RemoVal of sree Ekayan Math to its OA/n 28 „ at Raichak, erposition of the Buildings at Hanskhali, March 7 Bhagabatam. His Divine Grace accompanied by a party of His The great Success of the tour was mainly due to Grace' prominent followers and admirers paid a the selfless exertions of Srijukta Puliu Behari De, visit to Hanskhali and declared the spacious buildings Kenaram Samanta, Iswan Chandra Mandal, at the place newly purchased from Government as Bhagabat Das and other devotees, the permanent site of Sree Ekayan Math which was Hooghly thereby transferred from Krishnagar City to its own His Holiness Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti buildings at Hansakshetra. A large assemblage of Pradip Tirtha Maharaj expounded the Lila of the people from the adjoining villages gathered to meeting between Sree Rupa and Sanatan from Sri witness the ceremony. Chaitanya Charitamritaat the village of Rajbalhat Propaganda during the month of March in the District of Hooghly in the spacious compound In Calcutta of the Natyamandir belonging to Srijukta Nibaran Sripad Sundiranand i Vidyavinjdj, B. A., lectured Chandra Bhar on the 2s)tb of March. Rajbalhat is on the difference between the views that prevail in situated three miles from Tara-Antpur station on the current forms of the Vaishnava religion and those the Howrah-Champadanga Light Railway. Tara- preached by Sriman Mahaprabhu and represented by Antpur is the Sreepat (place of the performance of the activitiesof the Gaudiya Math at the palatial intimate service of the Divinity) of Sree Parameswari residence of Srijukta Amulyadhan Adhya, the Thakur, one of the twelve gopalas. This function millionaire Zemindar of Chetla before a distinguished was followed on the 30th by a huge Samkirtan gathering ou the 22nd of March from 6-30 to procession through the village and exposition of the 9-30 P.M. The Samkirtan was led on this occasion career of Sree Prahlad Mahi.aj from the Bhagabatam. by Srijukta Pramade Bhusan Chakravarty Pratna- His Holiness Srimad Aprakrita Bhaktisaranga Vidyalankar. Goswami prabhu delivered a lantern lecture on the 24 Perganas principles of pure devotion on the 31st. His Holiness Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Srijukta Gostha Hari Das, Fakir Chandra Bhar VaibhabSagar Maharaj expounded the. Bhagabat at and Jahar Lai Bhar promised handsome donations the residence of Srijut Jiban Krishna Dasadhikari in for the furtherence of the devotional activities of the the village of .Ramanathpur and later on at the Mission. To our subscribsrs and readers

It is a pleasant duty to approach arrear in the matter of the regular our readers and subscribers on the last appearance of the journal during the day of the year to propose the year just elapsed we have decided to issue continuance of the journal for an other a combined number for May and June year, by the method of mutual co- without increasing the size correspond- operation. We do not hold the view that ingly and counting the New Year from we are the instructors of our readers, July instead of from June, as we have because such view is opposed to the done hitherto. The years of the journal teachings of the Scriptures and also to will, therefore, in future run from the rational principle of natural July to June instead of from June to spiritual subordination to every existing May. This will not involve any loss to entity that should guide the minutest the subscribers as they will have received detail of the conduct of every pure soul. twelve numbers of the journal for their It is only in so far as this only annual subscription viz., Rs. 3/. only standard of the truly rational conduct for one complete year. is actually followed in practice by one Subscribers .ire requested to kindly that he will be in a position to co- expedite the remittance of the amount operate to that extent either as reader of their annual subscriptions so as to or writer of the spiritual journal. We, reach the Manager before the end of therefore, invite our readers to kindly the first week of July to enable him extend to us the privilege of serving to post the first Number of the journal them in the.spirit of true humility to of the New Year in proper time. It is enable us to gradually pick up by means our intention in future to post the of the loyal effort to follow the process, journal within the first week of the elijiibility for serving all existing month to which it belongs. Subscribers entities without discrimination. This are, therefore, requested to promptly consummation is the one that is proposed inform the management of any delay in to every fettered soul, like myself, by the Supreme Lord Sree Gaursundar. receipt of the journal beyond the It is on this common platform of corresponding date of its delivery at unconditional spiritual service that the destination. Subscribers are also infinity of the outstanding issues of suffer- requested to join the service of the ing humanity have their only rational journal, if they happen to be convinced chance of perfect and real solution. of its view-point, by actively trying to In view of the fact that it has not introduce the journal to the circle of been possible for us to make up our their friends and constituents. . XXVIII, No. 12 SHTcl: May-June, 1931

THE HARMONIST

OR

SREE SAJJANATOSHANI

( SHREK GAUK V1SHXUPEIV A )

EDITED BY PARAMAHANSA PARIBRAJAKACHARVYA Sri Srimad BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI Goswami Maharaj CONTENTS. Subject Page 1. Index to Vol. XXVIH 2. Empiricism versus Religion 353 3. Sreepad Sundarananda 356 4 Presidential Address 358 5. Sree Nrisinghadeva 367 P. The Thirty Seventh Annual session of Sree Sree Nabadwip Dham Pracharini Sabha 371 7. A Talk with a Moulvi 374 8. Sree Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat 373 9. Ourselves 332

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i

w

Shree Gaudiya Math Temple. THE HARMONIST

OR

SHREE SAJJAIVATOSHANI

VOI. XXVIII i MAV-JUNE1931, diailanya-Era 445 NO. 12.

Empiricism versus Religion

qTHE empiric propaganda against empiricist always prides himself on his Religion is strongly intrenched in absolute freedom from this so-called the secular literatures of the world. The sectarian bias. 'Look', says he, 'at the charge of fanaticism is no less appli- sciences that have been built up by the cable to the empiric thinker, of every patient allegiance to the truth of the school, than to the pseudo-religionist greatest geniuses of the race. Let us who is really an empiricist of a be guided by their teaching. The particular stamp. The direct empiric sciences are, no doubt, far from being opposition to religion takes a great perfect. They themselves do not claim variety of forms. It is to be remem- to be perfect. But neither do they bered that the empiric thinker makes profess to be what they are not. For his appeal ultimately to the self, one thing they never ask us to take sufficiency of the limited understanding anything on trust. They always prove of humanity. This may be called his the truth of what they want us to forte which be is pleased to call by the accept. It is for this quality that they catch-word 'non-sectarianism.' The are bound (^) to receive the allegiance THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVIII- No. 12 of every thoughtful person. Moreover off what was desired by a few years or they teach truth that is always centuries. verifiable (?) by every one on his own We mean to do neither in this short separate (?) account They teach truth paper. We know and are fully prepared that has always a universal application to admit the propriety of the convinced and which is always (?) open to be empiricist making every honest effort rectified (?) by the successful rational to propagate his particular methods and challenge of every individual. It is no opinions if he thinks them to be really water-tight(?)nook of any unchangeable beneficial for hu nanity. But we are system into which they want to squeeze not equally prepared to admit that he the infinite possibilities of our powers possesses the same toleration for the of understanding. All these good points, methods and doctrines of Religion they contend, distinguish the empiric which he rightly or wrongly demands sciences from Religion as that subject for his own views. He has been taught has been ordinarily understood in the to suspect the bonafide of the history of the world.' rationale of the point of view of all There are empiric apologists of revealed Religion. He has sought to Religion who have consciously or find a mischievous plea for entertaining unconsciously been playing into the such suspicion in the fanatical and hands of their compatriots of the compromising attitudes of the pseudo- opposite camp. These religionists have religionist towards his own position. either claimed to be enemies of all We say that this kind of suspicion and rational thinking on the subject of the virulent propaganda based on such religion or have agreed to convert wrong suspicion that is being carried on religion into one of the departments of against Religion itself by an influential the empiric sciences. The extreme section of the responsible leaders of fanaticism of the opposite school may empiric thought all over the world, be inferred from the fact that every deserve the severest condemnation on concession on the part of these pseudo- the very 'principle of rational toleration religionists has only strengthened the of all hostile opinion claimed by the empiric opposition to religion. Such a empiricists themselves as tlieir greatest result was not very difficult to foresee virtue and monopoly. and must have been either actually Let us illustrate our position by a intended by those who offered such concrete example. Objection was openly concession or opposition, or might have taken to the introduction ofth;s Journal been deliberately intended only to put to the reading-room of the professors May-June 1931 1 EMPIRICISM VERSUS RELIGION 355 of a certain educational institution such inordinate lengths especially in on the ground that no one should our schools and collegesO that ReligionQ on principle lend any countenance has been banned by almost common to a denominational paper which to shift by itself. If secular professes to carry on propaganda of a pedantry cannot be expected to provide particular sect. This motion was not for Religiono beingo taughto or considered moved to a division for reasons of in the public places of popular civility and was not also probably on education under the plea of giving a the whole well received. But it never- wide berth to sectarian controversy, theless shows the bias against religion may not the people insist on at least the being regarded as a proper subject for free admission of an adequate body of the serious consideration of everybody, healthy literature on this all-important as capable of being seriously entertained subject to which every body especially by responsible empiric thinkers. If the the unsophisticated students, should empiricist really wants to be true to his have easy access ? We wish that this own logic he should be genuinely should be provided out of the public prepared to give his unbiased hearing to funds in the spirit of a wide toleration the exponents of Religion on a footing to enable both students and teachers of strict equality with the exponent of to arrive at a rational state of opinion empiric science. He should not allow on the subject. himself to be put down by the This is not demanding too much fanaticism or insincere dodges of either when it is borne in mind that the prejudiced scientists or pseudo- propaganda of the opposition camp is religionists, of any school or community. being mechanically supported on a The above is only4 symptomatic of scale of gigantic magnificence at the a tacit propaganda behind the back. public cost. We do not want to shut We are always prepared to meet any the door of our public schools to any open rational objection by a reasoned religious sect or opinion for banishing elucidation of our position. What we the subject of religion. The compara- are troubled about is not direct tive point of view in our opinion is opposition but indifference due to hasty all.important also in the proper under- prejudice. The literature of the day is standing of the problems of Religion. devoid of any serious thought for the The educational institutions of the true Religion which alone is able to people should secure an impartial supply the real need of our souls. This hearing for every school of opinion on self-satisfied secular taste has grown to principle and this should be practicable 356 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXV11I No. 12

at a very small pecuniary outlay. The allowed to stand in the way of Colleges which stand for culture as providing for this higher comparative culture, cannot be pardoned if they study of the problem of Religion in the choose deliberately to follow the narrow truly catholic spirit. Such an arrange-' and irrational policy of exclusion under ment will be welcome! by the leading no tenable plea. exponents of all the principal religions The study of Religion should be so far as can be gathered from their raised to the dignity of that of a subject published views. The Harmonist that concerns the whole of humanity also hopes for a place in one corner and not merely any particular section of the hospitable reading-table of of the same. No opposition on the part every rationally conducted public of fanatics of any camp should be seminary.

Sreepad Sundarananda

'"PHHR E have been many persons ( Tattvavada ). Many have achieved, who have gained the undoubtedly and more will achieve, the great rare distinction of being successful distinction that is rightly due to the authors. There is also no manner of successful orator. Many have already doubt that more persons will yet gain attained and more will yet attain the the same enviable distinction in the sterling quality of sincerity. Many have times to come. Many undoubtedly earned and many more will yet earn great philosophers have already given the priceless eligibility for the service us their brilliant expositions of the of the Guru. philosophy of Nescience conceived by From some time past there hag been the empiricists. More commanding visible on the horizon of the Gaudiya intellects will undoubtedly gain further firmament a shining star who combines world.vvide renown by offering even in his single personality, before our more brilliant expositions of the subject very eyes, the amazing distinction of on the same lines in the long Ages still having been successful as an author, unborn. There have similarly been, orator, an excellent judge of the com- and will be, an unending series of parative merits of the schools of empiric geniuses giving the empiric exposition nescience and differentiated absolute of the system of Differentiated Absolute of possessing a developed aesthetic May-June, 1931 ] SREEPAD SUNDARANANDA 357

knowledge and high tact in the artless Gaudiya and which is being published service of Hari, Guru and Vaishnavas. these nine years from the Gaudiya Such an event is a very rare occurrence Math of Calcutta, must have been 'in this world. following with breathless interest the Have the contemporaneous critics highly instructive movements of this and reviewers had occasion of keeping peerless disc of serving light. due watch of this notable fact ? If In this connection we feel it to be our they have they must have been led to duty to invite the special attention of realise that there is great need for the our readers to the fact that it is never appearance of such a desired luminary possible for a hireling to be a writer in the dark firmament of the present who deserves to be heard on the score Age full of the blindest ignorance of of the possession of any real worth. the only Truth. It is never possible for a person, who is What a curious medley of specula- subject to the temptations of the world tions is • being allowed now-a.days to to be impartial. No one who is bent pass- unchallenged as devotional upon advertising his own greatness by literature ! Neither is there the least artificial diligence, can be an unbiased want of any" amount and degree of Truth-serving literature. If one intends filthy simulated madness that is allowed deliberately to cherish wrong selfish to parade itself under the much enduring interests and is led by consequent design ition of Vaishnava Philosophy,—of inevitable inflation of silly vanity to the very worst variety of literature that learn to perform the wildest antics on is bringing down unmeasured cimruption the stage of this subsidising world, there into the society in the name of ! is no longer any chance of the Truth Has the reader had occasion to give being uttered by him with the perfect his serious thoughtO to that DOgladdenina; fearlessness that is his due. By freeing point of pure light who has been shedd- himself wholly from the fatal grip of ing, during these several years, his all these temptations the unprecedented penetrating radiance, so amply promo- opportunity of being engaged in the tive of the peace of the conscience true function of the soul that the Editor of all sincere seekers of the Truth, of the Gaudiya, Sripad Sundarananda for dissipating once for all the Vidyavinode, has been affording to the thousand and one of these most readers of the Bengali Literature by pernicious influences ? his own personal example of undeviating The readers of the BengaliO religiousD devotion to the Truth, must indeed be Weekly which bears the neme of the pronounced as being without a parallel. 358 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVIIINo. 12

The straightforwardness and intense not an iota of hope for the enrichment desire of benefiting others of this of the Gaudiya literature by the unpurch'ased literature and philosopher labours of an infinite array of the will be brought home to every reader heroes who dedicate themselves to- who will go through the illuminating immoral activities. It is comparatively pages of the thirty-eighth numberof the easy to find hundreds and thousands of Gaudiya of the ninth year just published. h'roes of good and bad worldly aotivity. We cherish the hope that the path that But the chanter of Hari is very very is to be followed in the future by other rare, indeed. If the numerous body of preachers and workers of the Gaudiya hypocrites with the insatiable aptitude Math will be settled in pursuance of that for worldly activity, whose inner trod by Sreapad Sudarananda. Sincerity conduct is always bound to be different of disposition nukes its appearance as a from their external behaviour, betake to matter of course if one can have regard reforming their own character by the for the Truth. Uncultured bullies failing careful study of the priceless articles of to understand the unnaixel goodness the Gaudiya, they would thereby effect of the genuine devotee nrstake the true well-being of the present Age impartiality for ruffianliness. There is by being themselves benefited.

Presidential Address at the All-Theistic Conference Thied day's sitting

OUBJECT—Regarding Reference : even He Who is the constant Object the categories of object of worship of worship, possossed of the Human and worshipper : Knowledge of real Form, bowed to by many felicitous and non-real entities. speakers such as Shiva, Brahma, and [N. B. The instalment of the Presidential Address others engaged in instructing His published in the December (IOjO) issue of the Journal, pp. 202-8, is the concluding part of the second day's dovotees in the activity of His own Address and should be read as such. The second intimate service ?' day's Address should therefore be read in three instal- There is a function which is called ments in the following revised order viz., 1st instalment published in January '31, 2nd in February 'Upanayana* ( bringing near). We '31, 3rd in December 'So,] come to learn from the words of the 'Will Sree Chaitanya once more Sruti that the birth of a man is three appear within the scope of my vision, fold, vi?., (I) seminal birth, (2) by May-June 1931 ] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 359

Grayatri, (3) by initiation. The seminal is performance of Divine worship ( ) birth comes first in order o£ time, from or 'upasana' which latter means fto the mother's womb. Then comes the live in close proximity' this being the second birth on the attainment of etymological meaning of the word purification by the Gaijatri-mnntram. 'ajmsana'. The performance of yajna The next birth is brought about on or upasana is the function that has to be receiving Spiritual enlightenment practised subsequent to receiving (diksha). We obtain a body from the spiritual enlightenraont (diksha). The mother's womb by vital fluid from the function which we perform on appearing father. This is our first birth. The in the presence of the Holy Form of body that we get by this process is one real Knowledge (Veda) is termed kind of body. The second kind of body upasana. Tiie Person in Whose is that which is born by the union of the presence we dwell on gaining access to Acharyija as father and the Gayatri as His proximity is the Object of upasana mother at the time of our investiture with (upasya). He is the Veda.Person, the Holy thread. Then the Acharyya- Lord of Yajna, Vishnu. The function father binds us with the thread of for the performance of which we dwell Sacrifice for the purpose of introducing with Him is upasana or worship which us to the study of the Vedas by is also Yajna or sacrifice. means of the , *1 will lead The prescribed method of Yajna is thee into the presence of the Veda etc.', different f ir the different Cycles (Yugas). the birth to which we are thereby For the Satya Yuga—when virtue is subjected in the home of the Acharyya, fully prevalent—the method prescribed is our second birth. The ceremony is that of meditation ( dhyana ). In of tying the Sacrificial thread does not the Treta Age—when the prevalence import that thereby the physical body of virtue has decreased by one quarter— may be preserved but that the Veda or the Yajna is of the form of sacrifice by true Knowledge may be gained by its fire ( makha) In the Dwapara Age means. Our third birth takes place on the when dharma has decreased by one half occision of the ceremony oi imparting it is of the form of ministering to the spiritual enlightenment by initiation person of Godhead as a servant attends into performance of worship (Yajna). to his master's needs {paricharyya). In This is spiritual birth proper by the Kali Yuga when virtue has gone attainment of enlightenment. The under to the proportion of three quarters function of the body born of the the yajna has the form of preaching or ceremony of imparting enlightenment kirtana. In this Iron Age virtue is 360 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVlll. No- 12

totally on its last legs and in consequence the entity that happens to be self- the other methods have no chance conscious is necessarily also a free of success. agent. If I make the attempt to get up The code of scriptural regulations hi? shoulders he is apt to offer his oppo- known as the Veda has come down to sition to such activity. We have no this worM as Srati ( that which has power at all whereby we can put to our been heard ) from preaching ( kirtan ) own service One Who is fully self-con- as its source. The present is the Age sciousness and therefore, fully free. On ot controversy (kalilcala). In this Age the contrary it is we who find ourselves whatever proposition may happen to be irresistably put to His own service. put forward forthwith provokes active The current Utilitarian theory is always discussion of its pros and cons and busy to find a use for every thing, for raises a storm of reasoned opposition. the natural current of the flowing The chanting or preaching of Hari is river, for the free air of the atmosphere, the only Scriptural method (SraiUa for the falls of the Niagara. But we pantha). That absolutely consistent cannot employ any self-conscious entity expounder of the Sruti, Srimat Purna. least of all, the fully Self-conscious and prajna Madh vacharyya, in his commen- fully free Entity—in the same way in tary on the Mundakopanishada quotes our service. He never submits to us the following words of the Narayana During our sojourn into this world Samhita:—"In the Dwapara Age the consideration viz., that other objects Vishnu is worshipped by all people by may serve our pleasure—that we may the method laid down in the Pancha. become the worshipped has come to ratra (division of the Scriptures prevail. Is the show of service that we treating of their rational). In the display in the garb of worshippers towards present controversial Age (Kali yuga) other entities of this world, possessed of the Supreme Lord Hari is worshipped a mixed quality or unalloyel purity? by means of His Name alone." The generations of the Rishis practised It is needful to consider about sacrifices, meditations,(y,si jnas, dhyanas) the Object of our worship. If we etc. They never entertained the judgment obtain access to the presence {upasann) that they are eligible to receive the of any inanimate object or happen to service of others. They offered their be situated in its vicinity we are thereby services to their Devatas. In the portions induced to put it to some use or in of the Veda treating of worship other words, to the attempt to extract {upasana) we find them making use of some service to ourselves from it. But the following mantra (which saves from May-June. 1931 1 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 361 thraldom to the mind) in their hymn of Now-a-days in this Age which is so praise of the gods. inordinately fond of discordant contro- 'Thou, fire ( i.e. Vishnu ), may Thou versy (Kaliyuga), the opinion which is lead us unto the treasure of the opposed to History has become fashion- supreme desideratum (paramartha) by able that the method of Spiritual activity the good path. Bright one, may Thou of the form of upasana, is of recent origin. lead us in unison with the movement Such a view is altogether erroneous. of the whole cosmos and by the method Wheresoever the function of consciousness of the knowledge fully directed to has been found to exist the tradition Thyself. May thou destroy all our sins of upasana is also seen to have in the forms of nescience and insincerity. prevailed from the very beginning of We bow to Thee time and again'. history. Brahman or the Entity of real They praise the gods by means of this Knowledge (Veda) the real Truth, first and other similar hymns. They consider manifesto 1 Himself in the heart of these hymns as the constituent limbs of Brahma, the first progenitor of all the acts of upas.ina (lit.abiding in the animated beings of this world. presence of the object of worship). The The Rishis and the Devatas are the proof of these statements has been most offsprings of Brahma. The Devatas clearly preserved in the oldest Vedic possess the quality of self-effulgence in history. The Rishis did not regard a boundless measure. It is for this reason themselves as objects of worship. They tbat the Rishis served the Devatas were worshippers of the Devatas. This with infinite devotion. This relationship disposes of the allegation that the of the worshipper with the worshipped process which bears the name of upasana must have always subsisted between the is a comparatively modern innovation. Rishis and the Devatas. The method that is approved by the We also notice that in the first dawn school of pure knowledge or exclusive of our consciousness as well as in the Monism^is that the proper object of life beginning of our cultured state or is to merge in the Brahman. It is found intellectualism that service or upasana to be the historical fact that in times is the universal natural impulse. In the long before the origin of the method of subsequent periods if we carefully the attempt to merge in the Divinity consider the diverse forms of religion the desire for service for upasana was also in the pre-historic Ages, the only spiritual impulse which existed we find that the impulse of service among all people while their disposition is always spontaneous in human retained its natural, primitive simplicity. nature. 46 362 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVI11 No. 12

It is in this Age of Discord that entity is related to another as servant there has arisen such an amount of and master. Wherever we find more than disputation on this subject. The reason is one or many entities each of the n is seen that we are now-a days unhesitatingly to be engaged in ministering to the occupied in the engrossing task of wants of another. We observe this trying to lord it over one another. The process called 'upasana' in constant Utilitarian theory has undergone its operation in both animate and inanimate due expansion and is aspiring to yoke worlds and yet we are anxious to everything into our so-called service. establish the view that the Reality We spare no manner of close endeavour is absolutely devoid of all distinctive (upasana)—every one of us does it to features and to congratulate ourselves the best of his power—to become the on possessing sound judgment and recipients of service (upasana). This wonderful power of argument, by which familiar process known as barter made we are enabled to reach such a grand its appearance with the beginning of conclusion. If the knowledge that is civilization. If I perform some service devoid of all distinctive features be the for another he pays me its value. Men object of my worship, the endeavour are thus placed towards one another in which I put forward for the purpose of relation of servant and master. In this serving such object is itself the process world we possess different sense organs of my specific kind of worship. to the number of eleven for doing The person who is engaged in the service viz., the eye, ear, nose, tongue, quest of the Undifferentiated Brahman skin, speech, hand, anus, leg, generative says that at the point where the three organ and mind. By means of these scperate lines of consideration of instruments we adjust our respective knower, object of knowledge and occupations as towards one another. knowledge merge into one indivisible One thus becomes the master of another activity (?) of cognition, the logical who in his turn becomes his servant or limit of the cognitive process itself is subordinate. One occupies a high the reached. 'Let the diversity end. One other a low position. One is engaged is observing, an >ther is showing himself in rendering obedient service to another. to his observer. Let the functions of Every human being—all animated, both cease'. Such a consummation is all conscious and non-conscious entities— called the desirable state of non-activity are thus located in the system of the If the observer of the light and the threefold relationship of worshipper, process of observing the light could be worship and object of worship. Each extinguished it is supposed that such May-June, 1931] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 363 an event could free us from the also not one but many. In common necessity of worship (itpas'ina), rescue parlance we say that one cannot serve u> froin the grip of the process of the many masters. When we try to serve triple texture. We are in the midst of, the entities of this world we find we are engaged in the performance of, ourselves committed by such endeavours certain forms of activity. If this to the slavery of lust, anger, greed, process is destroyed we are disp-^d to infatuation, vanity, raaljce etc. If the imagine that the principle of activity object of worship, the act of worship itself is thereby eliminated. and the worshipper merge into We are located on the marginal line one category a condition of intense forming the boundary between this maliciousness is found to prevail as the perishable world and the realm of the sequel of such consura nation which Absolute {yailcuntha). All speculations exist only in one's imagination. involving any reference to the Those who possess sound judgment phenomenal world will cease if we declare that the activity of service has could reach the marginal line. So long prevailed at all periods in the history as we happen to be engaged in the of the world. Every object is always quest of the principle of non.cognition found to be closely bound to every we are led to think that we might other object by the relationship of escape the clutches of our evil lot on servant anl master. If any entity the cessation of the seperate existence of adopts on its own account the role of object of knowledge, act of knowledge master it thereby falls into the evil and knower. The goal to which such a condition of su jh activity. proposition loads is devoid of both Should we be worshippers or wor- categories, there being no reference shipped ? There is a certain sect which either to the phenomenal world or to is called "Baid" or insane. The Baid the realm of the Absolute in such goat. says, "I am enjoyer. This home is for The composite position of knower, my enjoyment. This tenement is meant knowledge and object of knowledge is to serve myself". There are two kinds evolved from the marginal power. It of Bauls, householder Baidssmd recluse forms one of the perishable divisions of Bauls. A number of Bawls renounce the the Reality. In the marginal position we world. They, however, put on the garb engage in diverse activities and are of Krishna for the exclusive purpose of enabled thereby to experience the enjoying the world. They intent to existence of the worshipper, worshipped become Krishna in right earnest. Their and act of worship. All of these are. point of view is that all other persons 364 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVIII. No. 12 should place themselves body and soul existence in Vishnu. We also notice at their entire disposal. in the formula (man)ram) that saves Sree Gaursundar does not endorse from the plight of mental speculation, the validity of such opinions. He says that we have to utter at all time, that that the undifferentiated monistic view in the pure state cand in the state of cannot ha considered as the real defilement, in all conditions, he who meaning of the Vedanta or of the Veda. recollects the Possessor of the Lotus" He says that there are found three Eyes (Vishnu) is pure both internally kinds of propositions in the Veda viz., and externally. those regarding the nature of relation- One is higher than another in ship, those regarding the practice of proportion as his .conduct is more relationship and those regarding the Unconformity with the requirements of object of such endeavour. These the spiritual standard. The Brahmana different groups cannot be made to is the highest of all the Famas for the lose their distinctive specifications. reason that he has learnt to behave Mahaprabhu tells us of the process of properly from the Acharyya i. e. one the Evolution of power. He does not who practices the function of the advocate any process of mere confusion soul and establishes others in the same. of one thing for another (Viv irta) as The Ksha'riyas (military class) are the explanation of the principle of evil. the protectors of mundane society. The good old Vaishnava Acharyya- They devote themselves exclusively pada Sree Madhvva says, "Vishnu to politics. Those who have similarly Himself is the Ultimate Real Substan- to busy themselves very much about tive Entity." The seeker of the un- knowledge of the Brahman and worship differentiated Brahman maintains that of Godhead, have also very little the featureless Great One (Brahman) time to spare for other kinds of is the ultimate Principal. But this las^ activities. is a proposition that can be put forward The life of the Brahmana is that only by those who are themselves in of the beggar. It is the duty of the conditioned state. In the state of society to serve, to help, those whose freedom such consideration automati- sole profession is to cultivate the cally ceases to be entertained. The knowledge of the Brahman. The Entity Who is the source of every Brahmanas also should obtain what they thing, is Vishnu. The transcendental require by the method of begging. quality of surpassing everything is in If there is left any surplus on their Vishnu, All beauty has its source of hands over and above what they May-June, 1931 ] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 365 require for their own use they should those who possess the knowledge of give it away to others as free gift. the Brahman (Brahmanas) will sink They must not accumulate anything down , to the uttermost depths of as a provision. That function belongs difficulties. to the Kshatriyas. The Brahmana, the Kshatriya In many places, as for instance in and the Vaisya are the proper objects the Government census operations, the of worship of the Sudrs. If in this whole body of destitute beggars have world any one is disposed to entertain been put into one class with the sadhus. any principle of superiority he must If the ordinary beggar who is in want go hy this rule. He who does not seek of necessaries be regarded as identical for the Entity Who is the object of with the Tridandi or Sadhu Bhikshu quest of the Brahmana, is landed into of the Bhagabatam the true position the thousand and one futile topics of is reversed. this world, that are absolutely different The. Yatrrancy Act is not applicable from the quest of the Brahman. to the bona fide itinerant preacher viz., "The four Varnas with the Ashramas the Tridandi Bhikshu. If the seeker sprang separate from the Face, the of the knowledge of the Brahman has Hands, the Thighs, and the Feet of the to find much time for gettinga a his food Supreme Purusha (Indweller). He who and clothing the margin of time left does not serve or fail to render due to him hw finding the knowledge of the respect to the Purusha Who is the Lord Brahman is unduly curtailed. It is for Himself and the source of all souls loses this reason that Manu has said that and falls from his possession." the whole world belongs to the The Face of the Purusha is the Brahmana as its proprietor. This is highest of all His Limbs, His Hands perfectly true. Those who worship are next below His Face in the order Godhead accept what they require at of excellence. His Thighs are lower any time by the method of meeting than His Hands and His Feet are lower only the requirement of the moment. still. In otherwords, there is grada- They entertain no anxiety on this tion of descent from the higher to the account. The society is under obliga- lower, from the Face to the lower tion to provide them with neither more portions of the Form of the Purusha. nor less than what is necessary for In like manner the Brahmana is the their cultivation of the knowledge of best of all ; the Kshatriya is next lower : the Brahman. The society which does the Vaishya is lower than the not place itself under the guidance of Kshatriya j and the Budra is the lowest 366 THE HARMONIST L Vol. XXVIII. No. 12 of all. The face is the hast of all limbs. do not serve Him Whose eternal In the face are placed the brain, the servant he is by his proper nature, he seat of intelligenca, and the month, gridually sinks lower in the scale of the seat of speech {Kirtan). That his function, suffering successive Brahanaana who devotes all his time degradation into the respective to the chanting of ths best of Parnshas conditions of Ksha'triya, Vaishya, viz., Vishnu, the Source from Whom Sulra, Autyaja, Mlechchi and others. he has sprung, alone is properly There is a certain class of persons Vaishnava. The head performs the who are devoid of ordinary common functions of judging and deciding. sense, who say, "The function of the The Braharaina who is the brain of servant of this world is the worst of all. the society controls all activities We have, therefore, no intention of of the hands and thigdiso of the social practising any similar function in the body. It is the brain, the Brahraana, next world. We intend to be masters, who tells the feet in what ra inner they to be objects of worship," As if the should move. He tells them where to transcendental realm, is full of unwhole- go and where not to go. It is the someness. is tortured by the triple Brahmana who tells the n to walk on the quility, as is the case with this world ! plane of Krishna in the eternal realm. If one is ignorant of the true meaning "It is the function of the house-holder, of "Yaikuntha" one is liable to fall into the husband to betake hi mself to his this kind of poverty of judgment. He wife at the due season. But My worship is apt to attribute' and imagine the is obligatory on all." existence of the unwholeaomeness If the conmunity of the recluse of the perverted reflected image to the Baids demand, l

Sree Nrisinghadeva

The Manifestations of Vishnu cannot disruptive divisibility either of Function be numbered. Each of them has or of Personality to Vishnu or in regard distinctive Functions which should not to His Divine constituents. Those, be confounded with those of the Others. therefore, who choose to display any None of Them must be supposed to be want, or discrimination in the degree, of inferior or superior to Another. None of regard towards any ofthe Manifestations Them is less than Divine. There is no of the Divinity, commit a grave offence applicability of the principle of and display utter ignorance of the real 368 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXXVIII. No. 12

Nature of the Divinity by confourHing devotee is [jrivilegcd to find the true Him with a narrow fiction of their and perfectly benign nature of the depraved imaginations. process and of the Personality of the It is, however, no offence to Punishcr. This Function as well as this recognize the distinctive nature of the distinctive Divine Personality are not a Personality and Functions of the passing affair. Both of them are eternal different Divine Manifestations. The and there is a specific realm where Sri view that there can be no distinctiveness Nrisinghadeva is eternally served by in Godhead as regards either activity His devotees. or personality ignores the absolute Sree Nrisinghadeva graciously made Nature of the Divinity who His Appearance in this world, that is to comprehends, both individually as well say to the actual view of unbelievers, at as collectively, every entity and, at the a very early stage in the evolution of same time, maintains His Absolute the theistic consciousness of the human aloofness from all of them in His Own race. He has been described as the Proper Personality and his infinite fourth of the Avataras of Vishnu, He plenary and secondary Manifestations. appeared as the protector of the great As a matter of fact it is only the devotee of Godhead, Sree Prahlad unreserved serving aptitude of the Maharaj from the persecutions of his perfectly pure soul that is eligible to demon-father HiranyaUashipu who was function on the plane of the Absolute slain by Sree Nrisinghadeva. without being troubled by disruptive The beginning of devotion is discriminations on the one hand and attended by the manifestation of the denial of all distinctiveness of the causeless mercy of Sree Nrisinghadeva Divine Function on the other. exemplified in the conduct of Sree Sree Nrisinghadeva performs the Prahlad Maharaj. The boy is Divine Function of protecting the perfectly fearless and is distinguished Devotee of Godhead and punishing his by the quality of speaking the truth persecutors. This Function is performed under all circumstances from his very in a way that is wholly incomprehensible childhood. He does not brag of his to the expectations of the persecutors bravery. Such bragging would be themselves. In their confusion hypocrisy for one who is perfectly those who happen to undergo the aware that he is the protected of the Divine punishment are only impressed Lord. He is only anxious to act up to with the most terrible form of an his great opportunity of preaching the unintelligible manifestation. The unalloyed truth in the most uncon- May-june, 1931 ) SftE£ NRiSlNGHADEVA genial circumstances humanly Prahlada would seem to be opposed to conceivable in the only manner in all our most cherished interests and the which it will command attention viz. by methods intended for securing them. It is the direct method of blunt unconcern likely to be voted as chimerical and for personal consequences. mischievous and there is every possibility The martyr for religion is one of of its turning out a real nuisance if the the trite characters, who has been attempt to imitate the conduct of unduly lauded to the skies by persons Prahlada is made by a person who who have no idea of true devotion. It is has no access to the plane of Divine time that the so-called martyr for service. religion need go out of the theistic But it would not be less foolish to literature of the world for good. pay no heed to the teachings of Sri Let there be martyrs for all other Prahlada Maharaj on the ground that causes. But religion does not require it is not applicable to a hypocrite like any martyrs or any sacrifice on the myself. It would be both foolish and part of any person. This is so for the wicked to condemn the conduct of a simple reason that he is the only person pure devotee of Sri Nrisinghadeva, for who is in a position to understand that the deliberate failures of fettered souls. every thing in the scheme of Providence This argument will not of course help is a contrivance for his protection. to establish the claim of any particular A. child can be infinitely more individual to the status of a pure de- fearless, and naturally, than the bravest votee of Sri Nrisinghadeva. The pure warriors and heroes of this world, if he devotee is a substantive reality in the obtains the mercy of Sri Nrisinghadeva. only sense of that term. His existence It is not altogether inconceivable to cannot be challenged any more than admit the possibility of the eternal the existence of a piece of stone. Nay existence of a happy realm where this the existence of the devotee is rightly mercy is enjoyed by every one of its claimed to be the substantive reality denizens. It is also perfectly admissible itself of which the mundane stone is that such a state of things would be only a perverted reflection. The func- incompatible with one of the interests tion of the devotee is also cones, that we are so anxious to promote (?) pondingly more real than any form of by our futile efforts. But it is not given mundane activity and is, therefore, not to our poor understanding to apprehend obstructible by any so-called adverse how such conduct would be feasible on mundane circumstance. As a matter this mundane plane. The conduct of of fact there can be no adverse 47 370 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVlll. No. 12 circumstance on the plane of the worshipper. It is our contention based spiritual function. on Shastric as well as rationalistic There are persons who may be considerations that unless the disposed to assent to the principle of worshipper has access to the the above facts but who withhold their transcendental plane no genuine complete consent to the point of worship of the Absolute person is personal participation in the ritualistic possible. The sadku is such a person. worship of Sri Nrisinghadeva as laid The sad k n is identical with the down in the Scriptures. This objection individual soul in the natural state of to ritual takes one of two forms. The perfect freedom from the domination of objection may be either to the limiting power. It is the possible nay mechanicality, or to the form of the only and paramount, duty of every concrete external symbols as person to seek to attain to the purely representing the object or offerings of spiritual state. This is a duty which worship. Those who ate disposed to every individual owes to his own proper confound the Holy form of the self. This state of free spiritual Divinify revealed to our view by the existence is not attainable by any sadhus in pursuance of the Scriptures, method devised by the limited with idols made by man, may be understanding of man, as it is at present. regarded as opposed to all worship on He, therefore, requires help from a priftciple. Because the charge will be transcendental source. The genuine brought against all forms of worship sadku is such a source. He alone can, if one is definitely disposed to be therefore, devise any system of genuine sceptical regarding the possibility of worship for the conditioned soul. This revelation. This would be also opposed help is also in accordance with the to the rational principle itself and teachings of the Scriptures. one may be pardoned if one refuses to If we try to follow the Scriptures consider further the opposition of such by our own limited and fallible irrational atheists. understanding we are bound to be The objection of mechanicality turned info either an irrational fanatic deserves the most careful consideration or an irrational sceptic or a malicious at the hands of all persons who are not atheist. But neither can any of prepared to be deprived of the proper us avoid the duty of following the use of their rational faculty. The whole Scriptures under the absolute guidance issue of genuineness of worship depends of real sadhus wiihout turning into practically on the personality of the the enemies of pure devotees like Sri May-June. 1931 ] THE THIRTY SEVENTH ANNUAL SESSION

Prohlada Maharaj, and being killed by the offence of persecuting His servants Sri Nrisinghadeva In consequence of for their beneficent activities.

The Thirty-seventh Annual Session of Shree Shree

Nabadwip Dham Pracharini Sabha.

( Held at the Natyamandlr of Mahayogapeetha of Sbeedham Matapub on Mabcii 5, 1931).

/"NH the proposal of Pandit Kaviraj thereupon requested Sripad Srijukta S ichindra Chandra Sundarananda Vidyavinode to read the Chakrav.irty Sudarsan-Vachaspati report of the last session of the Sabha Kavya-Vyaknrana.Sankhya Vedanta- in the unavoidable absence of the Saradarshana-Tirtha, seconded by Rai Secretary. The report was duly read Sahib Sreejukta Akshay Kumar Gupta, and adopted. On the proposal of His Pararaahansi Paribrajakacharya Shree Holiness Shreemad Bhakti Vivek Shreemad Bhaktr Sidhanta Saraswati Bharati Maharaj, seconded by Goswami Maharaj was unanimously Sreejukta Biraj Mohan Dey, Bhakti. elected president and was pleased to bhusan, proprietor of the Dacca grace the chair. This was followed by Monomohan Press, the following gentle- a Kirtansong sung by Sripad Ananta men were unanimously elected additional Vasudev Para.vidyabhusan, b. a. The members of the executive Committee of piece selected was a composition of Sridham Pracharini Sabha, viz. :—(1) Thakui Bhaktivinode ( ^ Srijukta Advaita Prasad Dey, m.a.,b.l., CT ). The President then retired Sub-Judge, (2) Srijukta Ganesh read a telegraphic message from the Chandra De, retired Superintendent of Secretary of the Sabha, Rajarshi Industries settled at Allahbad, (3) Kumar Saradindu Narayan Rai Sripad Haripada Mandal, B. Sc. Vedantabhusan, m.a., Prajna, regretting Demonostrator of Physics, A.M. College, his inability to be present at the Mymensingh, (4) Sreejukta Balkissen meeting of the Sabha. The President Khemka of Calcutta (5) Sreejukta 372 THE HARMONIST f Vol. XXV111. No 12

Jitendra Nath Mukhopadhyaya o£ Rashbihari Dasadhikari ; Sreepad Dacca and (6) Sreejukta Nibaran Niinanand t Sebatirtha, Bhaktisastri, Chandra Bhar, Merchant of Calcutta. b. Ag., b. r.; Srijukta Jagaduddharan On a motion from the Chair the Sabha Dasadhikary b. a., ; Sripad Narahari expressed its sense of severance from Brahmachari ; Brahmachari Sreepad their edifying association at the Kirtananandaji ; Brahmachari Sreepad departure from this world of the follow, Mahanandaji ; Brahmachari Sreepad ing friends who had been working Hayagribaji ; Brahmachari Sreepad strenuously for the fulfilment of the Siddhaswarup ; Brahmachari Sreepad Heart's desire of Sree Gauranga. viz.;— Pyari Mohanji ; Sreepad Mukanda (1) Sresthyarya Sieela Jagabandhu Yinode Das Banachari ; Sreepad Bhaktiranjan (2) Sreepad Kalibairi Nityananda Brajaba i; Sreejukta Yedantabhusan, (3) Brahmaohari Sree Jatindra Nath Pal b.a. ; Sreejukta Trailokya Nath, (4) Brahraachary Sree Bipin Bihari Mitra Vidyabhusan ; Radhakanta, (5) Dasadhikari Sree Sreejukta Pulin Bihari Mitra ; Abhayacharanarabinda, (6) Krishnakanti Sreejukta Nibaran Chandra Bhar; Babaji. Srejukta Biraj Mohan De, Bhaktibhusan The following gentlemen were Srijukta Indra Narayan Chandra of formally thanked on behalf of the Nirshachati ; Sreejukta Advaita Prosad Sabha for their loyal services rendered De, m.a., b.l.; Srijukta Jatindra Nath during the year under report for Mukhopadhya ; Sreejukta Radhabullabh ministering to the pleasure of Sree Dasadhikari ; Sreejukta Hemchandra Gauranga ;—-Acharyapad Kunja Behari Datta ; Srijukta Monomnhan Rai Vidyabhusan ; Tridandiswami Bhakti Choudhuri. Zemindar of Baliati, Dacca ; Hridaya Bon Maharaj ; Sroepad Atul Sreejukta Srimanta Dhs, Merchant, Chandra Bandyopadhyaya Bhaktisaranga Calcutta ; Srijukta Jatindra Nath Bose Goswami, Bhaktisastri ; Sreejukta Sakhi m.a., b.l.jM.l.o., Attorney-at-Law ; Dr. Charan Roy Bhaktibijoy ; Srijukta Sir Devaprasad Sarbadhikari Birajraohan Dey Bhaktibhusan ; Thakurshabib Tikamsingji of Bijuour ■, the two widows of Sresthyarya Srijukta Dvvarika Prosadji ; Sreejukta Jagabandhu Bhaktiranjan ; Professor Narendra Nath Ghose ; Sreejukta Sripad Narayandas Bhktisastri Bhakti- Shibendra Narayan Singha Rai, sudhakar, m. a., ; Professor Sreepad Zemindar of Nakashipara, M. B. Ry. Jadubir Bhaktisastri m.a., b.l. ; Sripad P. N. Sankarnarayan Aiyar Avargal Pararaananda Brahmachari Sampradaya b.a , b.l. ; M. R. Ry, C V. Krishna Yaibhavacharya Vidyaratna ; Sreejukta Swami Aiyer Avargal, b.a. M. R. Ry. May Jun", 1931 THE ANNUAL SESSIONS OF DHAM PRACHAR1N1 SHABHA 373

Swaminath Aiyar Avar^al ; Mr. Harish of Bmar Math, Puri ; Sreejukta Chandra Padhi, Enginoor, Kurmachal ; Gadadhar Rainanuj Das ; Rev. Mahanta Sresjnkta Nafar Chandra Pal Choudimri Maharaj of Uitarparsha Math, Puri, Bliaktiblmsan, Zemindar ; Rai Sreejukta Govinda Ramannj Das ; Nagendra Nath Malcherjee B diadnr, Sreejukta Manomohan Sanyal of Chairman Nadia District Board ; Allahabad ; H on'ble Justice Lai Srijukta Shyama Prosad Bhattachirjee G 3 pa I Mukhopa lliyaya of the Allahabad m.a., Dhirendra Nath Sen Esq. >i. a. Hiih Court ; Sreejukta Haridhan Ray, of the staff of the Advance ; Allahabad ; Sreejukta Satish Chandra Maharaj Sir Prodyot Kumar Thakur ; Bandyapadhyaya, Zemindar of Sreemati Aparna Devi, daughter of Dehradun ; Seth Srimad Ram Kishoreji; Deshbandhu C. R. Das ; Mr. S. N.Mittor, Sreejukta Pramoda Sundari Devi ; Advocate ; Mr. C. B. Harvard, Dewan Sreejukta Karunainaya Mukhopadhya ; Bahadur of the Cochin State ; \T. R. Ry Sreejukta Manomohini Dasi ; the Hon'-ble V. S. Subrahmanya Aiyar Sreejukta Hari Mohan Bhuiya ; Avargal, Dewan Bahadur of Trivancore Sreejukta Jamini Kanta De ; Sreejukta State ; the Hon'ble K. V. Rangaswami Kanai Lai Maiti ; Sreejukta Jnanendra Ayangar, Principal Travancore College; Prasad Datta ; Kaviraj Pandit Sreejukta Kurula Ram Chandraji, Zemindar, Sachindra Chandra Sud irsan-Yachaspati Rajmahendri, M.R.Ry. M.V. Snbbarao Saradarshanatirtha ; Sir P.C. Sivaswami Avargal, Zemindar, Kovvnr ; Dr. D. Aiyar c.i.b., k. c. i e, ; His Excellency Ram Rao ; Her Highness Maharani Lieutenant Colonel the Right Hon'ble Saheba of Mysore ; Lieutenant S. C. Sir George Frederick Stanley, g. c. i.e., Ghoudhuri; Sreejukta Radhelal c. M. g., Governor of Madras ; Mr. Goswami of Sreedham Brindaban ; Frederick Wyne Robertson, i. o. s., Rai Bahadur Sreejukta Ramdeo Divisional Commissioner, Bengal ; Mr. Chokhani ; Rai Bahadur Sreejukta T. C. Ray, District Magistrate, Nadia ; Rameswar Dudhoola ; Sreejukta Sreejukta Anadi Banjan Basu, Deputy Rameswar DasGendariwalla ; Sreejukta Magistrate, Nadia ; Sreejukta Taranath Fulchand Tikmani ; Srijukta Bilas Gupta, S. D. 0., Nadia ; Rai Saheb Rai Dalrnia ; Sreejukta Balkissen Sreejukta Rangin Lai Ghose, Police Das Khemka ; Srijukta Sachikanta Inspector ; Rai Bahadur Sreejukta Ghose, B. a., personal assistant Sitish chandra Mazumdar, d. s.p. to Income-tax Commissioner ; Rao The following gentlemen were Saheb Lai Harduari, Zemindar of awarded the blessingso of Sree Gaurangao Shajahanpur ; Rev. Mohanta Maharaj in the shape of Titles, by the President 374 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXVUl. No- 12 on behalf of the Sabha in recognition of skilled service :— their services :— 'Sasthi Devi Medal' and books of The Title of Veianta-bhusan was devotion were awarded to Sreejukta awarded to Kumar Bahadur Rajarshi Aparna Devi of Dacca, Faridabad, Rao Saheb Sreejukta Saradindu for standing first in order of merit Narayan Ray, si.A., Prajna of Dinajpur; in an essay competition on the 'relative the Title of Gauranghrirenu to M.R.Ry positions of the karinin and bhahta.' P. N. Sankar Narayan Aiyar, b.a., b.l. Sreejukta Dayamayee Devi of Avargal of Madras ; the Title of Coochbihar was awarded devotional Bhaktibhusan to Sreejukta Biraj Mohan books as second prize on the result of De, proprietor, Monomohan Press, the above examination. Dacca ; the Title of Bhaktyashrama t) Professor Sripa I Yadubar Sreejukta Jibendra Nath Mukhopadhya Das vdhikari Bhaktisastri m.a., b.l. was of Dacca ; the Title of Ivalakovida to declared as having won the Bhakti. Sreejukta Manindra Chandra Acharya. vinode Medal for having stood first in Medals were awarded to the order of merit in the Bhaktisastri following persons in recognition of their examination held in 1980.

A Talk with a Maulvi

( Continued from p. 342, April 1931 ).

Again the Vedic sonhood-conception the unbelievers along with stones are of Godhead stages love on a still higher made the fuel of the fire. (Oh. II, 24— pedestal. In all the stages enumerated Quran). In the heaven the belivers abdve love is controlled by fear of will have gardens abounding in bemti- purishment and hope of reward. If ful rivers, and young girls for their you do not do what you are commanded wives. (Ch. II, 25—Quran). These to do then you are thrown into the hell mark the initial stage in the service of or Dojak ; and .if you do what you are Godhead. The real service does not commanded to do, then you are raised manifest at this stage. Fear of punish- to the heaven or behest. In the hell ment and hope of reward simply keep May-June, 1931] A TALK WITH A MAULV1 37$

the servant on the way. He refrains experience actual fatherly affection for from doing wrong, and that is all. Krishna without identifying himself What little service he attempts to do with Nanda or Yashoda. There are in this stage is, therefore, as yet hardly innumerable persons sharing the love spontaneous. An 1 he does so more for of Nanda for Godhead, as counterparts his own ease than for the pleasure of of Nanda in that spiritual plane which his Lord. In Nanda's affection for has been designated in our Scriptures Krishna there is no self-seeking and as Brajadham. Even here on earth there cannot be any self-seeking. The there may be persons who have attained love in this stage is spontaneous, and to the sight of Godhead as son of Nanda. the element of fear that naturally arises Godhead appears before their minds in from the idea of greatness of the object the figure of the beloved son of Nanda, of love being entirely absent in this the beautiful pastoral Lad Krishna. stage, love expresses itself unchecked When Krishna chooses to manifest and fully. Again the father having Himself on earth. He is ever born in nothing to fear or hope from his son the household of Nanda or Yasudeva, his service is spontaneous and most But it is a mistake to suppose that He disinterested. He takes every care of is born in the physic d sense of the his Lord, but expects none from Him term. No earthly womb can bear in return. He must serve Him. It does Him. But that He appears to be born not matter whether he is put in the hell is not also mere hallucination. We see or in the heaven. He serves Him, that what is really a Divine Event. Actually is all. Such complete serrice is not we do not know the ways of Godhead, as possible unless the' Lord be made to they really are and we cannot know hold a position much inferior to that of them except by His Grace. Being born His servant. It is a singular triumph He is not born in the worldly sense and for the servant, a singular triumph for being born He dies not. In the Geeta love which Godhead, to please His Krishna says, LVIy Birth and Actions serrant, comes down to such a level to connected therewith are all transcen- accept. dental. Those who know them what There is one Nanda but also they in reality are come to Me. Fools innumerable souls who are privileged hold that I was formless but have to serve Nanda. Whoever attains such a recently assumed this Form. They do spiritual height is enlightened regard- not know that I, in this Form, eternally ing the real nature of the love of Nanda exist. I simply manifest My Form on for his son and is privileged to this earth. And this I can do.' S76 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVlll. No 12

Godhead does not come down in from our soul. He and His Form the human form only to allow his are one, an indivisible whole. Not servants to hold communion with Him. only He but all the angels that live

Those who are capable of holding with Him; have such a form. In the communion with Godhead, will see Bible we find, Godhead has created man Him in His Own Form whether He after His own Image. This shows that comes down on this earth or remains Godhead has human Form. But in beyond the ken of mortals in His this Form He is also Omnipresent. eternal abode of Vaikuntha. Krishna M.—It is very difficult to believe that may also be moving among us in His He appears to His devotees in a Own Divine Form yet we may not particular form. It may be hallucination hold any communion with Him. Not as well. endowed with spiritual sight, we will I.—It may not also be so. Do you not know that He, in that form, is mean to say that Hazrat Muhammad fully Divine. So, seeing Him, we see was under hallucination, when He Him not. This is due to Maya or the heard Gebriel talking to Him, when power of illusion that He exercises he saw 'Nur Ekhi' ( light of Godhead) upon the bound souls. and fainted ? Were the twelve M.—I say, don't you put some disciples of Christ under hallucination, limitations on Him, when you give when they saw Christ, felt Him, talked Him a form and locate Him in a with Him after His resurrection ? particular place ? Were Moses, Aaron, Abraham and I.—On the contrary we bring Him many others of the Old Testament under unJer limitation when we deny Him hallucination when they heard Godhead a form. We can neither give Him a talking from a veil of cloud ? If form nor can deny Him any. In both Muhammad could see 'Nur Elahi' cases we shall be guilty of mental Nanda and others could see Krishna speculation. Godhead is what He is, and in the 'Nur Elahi.' If you believe in not what we want to take Him. If He one place you should believe in nnother. has a Form we must not deny it, and If ear has heard Him, eye has also seen if He has not, then we must not create H im. Of course He is not to be any. In the Scriptures He has been perceived by this eye or this ear. We revealed with a Form. His is certainly will have to acquire other eyes and a transcendental Form, made of the other ears. We must not adopt grapes, same elements of which He is made are-sour argument in our spiritual and unlike our body which is different investigation. May-June 1931 ] A TALK WITH A MAULV1 377

Again it is not the question of our faith and not by sight." Verification perceiving Him, but it is the question of spiritual facts is impossible on of His allowing us to perceive Him. the material plane of consciousness. We must remain contented with On the spiritual plane of consciousness that much perception of Him as much they are seen as they are believed. So He, out of His ovei*Ahelming mercy, long as we are not endowed with allows us to have. Therefore, stop spiritual vision, we must accept them where you are, but do not say, thus far as they are represented to us. We and no farther. would believe what is revealed to us Now with regard to the question of and we would believe what is not Brahma and Siva sharing in godly revealed to us. Torture on faith is virtues, our Scriptures do not set everywhere. If we put up with it in them up as Krishna's equals. They are one place we must put up with it in agents of Him. You also believe in the another. existence of a host of angels as his agents. M.—We have a reason. Shall we Brahma and Siva are nothing but not exercise it ? angels possessing' varying measures of I.—We have; but how far can the Divine Potency. They carry out we trust it ? Can we bring our His mandates, but do not, and cannot intellect to bear upon a realm where initiate a new policy in their respective it cannot go ? The conditioned souls spheres of activities. The supreme Lord must have Divine light to guide Krishna delegates certain powers to them. Muhammad is reported to have them to enable them to discharge their said to his writers, "Write what I tell duties. Tho^e Jivas of one creation you to write, but don't write what who are found spiritually fittest, are I say" and why ? Because human appointed as Brahma and Siva in the reasoning is defective, but Divine next creation after dissolution. Then reasoning is not so. what is the harm of believing in the Now with regard to respect for existence of such a class of Jivas with creatures of a lower order the Vedas exceptional abilities to do the will of are ahead of all. They want us to have their Lord ? Every one of the angels respect for all of them, for thoy are exercises in a more or less extent, godly also souls enmeshed in different powers. Moses, Christ, Muhammad are physical forms. The Quran in one supposed to have exercised them. place tells us to practise pure diet. But M.—That's a torture upon faith. it is doubtful if it excludes meat and I.—Aye, it is so. "We shall go by fish. Probably Muhammad advises His 378 THE HARMONIST t Vol. XXVIII. No. 12 followers to take them as Halal or study of different religions. We shall pure food. Blood, according to Lord meet another day. Now, oae thing. Do Chaitanya, is an impure food, and it all Hindus interpret the Vedas like must, on no account, under any pretext you ? be taken as food. Such a diet by I.—You can't say if all justifying malice in a palpable form, Muhammadans tb'ink like you. A true incapacitates the consumer for Hindu, a sincere follower of the Vedas, spiritual thinking, must think in the proper way. I thank M.—Thanks. I am getting late. I you for the opportunity you have am very glad to have a talk with you. afforded me to serve you. I shall be I' have not made any comparative always at your service. G-ood bye.

Sree Sree Chaitanya Bhagabat

MIDDLE PART CHAPTER II

{Continued from P. 350, April 1931)

38 'Krishna is father of the world, Krishna 42 'You, indeed, teach Me My duty to is life, Vishnu. Serve with a firm purpose, my Dear, This proves to Me that I must have the Feet of Krishna. performed before now the. best

39 On hearing these words of blessing the 0f Lord felt very happy. 43 ij can devotion to Krishna only The Lord, lifting up His beautiful face, by serving all of you. looked them in the face. So saying the Lord clasped the feet of 40 'You do tell the truth by your blessings. some of them on the spot. Why would you give any other favour ? 41 'You alone may bestow the loving service 44 He wrung out with care the water from of Krishna. the wet clotlling of some, Krishna is kind to one who serves His Took to some with His own Hands servant, their wearing clothes. SREE CHA1TANYA BHAGABAT 379

45 The Lord put into the hands of some 85 Who cherishes the desire of serving the Kusa grass and the earth Krishna of the Ganges. Let him even serve the embodiment of On other days, carrying their baskets all blessing, the loved servant of Krishna of flowers, He accompanied 56 Gaurchandra, Godhead Himself, taught some to their homes, this to all 46 All those Vaishnavas exhorted Him to By serving the Vaishnavas Himself. stop with their cries of anguish, 57 He carried their flower-baskets, clothes 'What are all these that thou do'st ?' without feeling ashamed. Yet Biswambhar did it. The Vaishnavas with reverance caught 47 In this manner daily Lord Biswambhar hold of His Hands to dissuade. Himself did loyally the biddings of His 58 Observing the humility of Biswambhar own servants. the devotees 48 What -service of His servant is there Blessed at all time in undisguised fashion. that the Lord does not do ? 59 'Serve Krishna with devotion, recollect The Lord abdicates His own proper Krishna, hear the Name of Krishna, function for the sake of His servant. May Krishna be the Life, Teasure, 49 'Krishna is the best of friends of all,' Breath of all.' say all the Scriptures. 60 'Say, Oh, do say, 'Krishna', be the Whence no one is an object of malice servant of Krishna or indifference to Krishna. May Krishna manifest His appearance 50 Even this quality Krishna gives up for in Thy heart.. the sake of His devotee. 61 May nothing else save Krishna manifest The annihilation of the family of itself to Thee. Duryyodhana bears witness to this. May the sorrows of all of us be dispelled 51 It is the nature of His devotee to serve by Thee. Krishna. 62 'All those wretched people who laugh at All the Doings of Krishna are for the Kir tan sake of His devotees May those be made to dive in the 5^ The devotee can barter away Krishna liquid mellowness of Krishna by Thee. by the sweet quality of devotion. 63 'As Thou triumphed over all the world Witness Salyabhama at the time of His by knowledge of the Scriptures residence at Dwaraka. Even so may Thou subdue the wicked 58 The self-same Lord Gauranga-Sundara by Thy devoted service of Krishna. Biswambhar, 64 'May all of us by Thy Grace Sing Krishna with joy and dance with Abode in this hidden manner within ecstasy,' Nabadwipa. 65 The devotees laying their hands on the 54 No one could recognise his Own Lord, Body of the Lord Even of those for whom the Lord Blessed by submitting to Him their manifested His appearance. sorrows. 380 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXViil No. 12

66 'In this Nabadwip, my Dear, all the 77 'Worthy of all praise is My Life as you say teachers it is good, Are dumb in praising devotion to Krishna. If you commend Death cannot devour. 67 'Whether it be Sannyasi ascetic, the whole 78 'Waste no thought on the atheists worthy of contempt. body of the well-informei— With an easy mind practise the chant of All those great personages that so abound Krishna-chandra.' in Nabadwip— 79 The Lord can never bear the griefs of 68 'No one of them, Dear, extols the Kirtan His devotee. of Krishna, Krishna comes down to all places for the Neither does explain ; but, on the sake of His devotee. contrary, constantly maligns, 80 'It is the time, Me-thinks, when ye will 69 'All the sinful hearers catch up those words. bring down Krishna-chandra ; No one deems us even as the equal of a Ye will cause the joy of Vaikuntha to straw, appear in Nabadwip. 70 'Intense sorrow, Dear, burns up the frames of us all 81 'It is by you all that the world will be delivered: By not hearing the Kirtan of Krishna Ye will bring about the Descent of anywhere. Krishna, 71 'Now at last Krishna is propitious to all,— So He has admitted thee to this Path. 82 'May all of you recognise Me as your servant. 72 'From Thee will ensue the decline of I pray for this boon, 'May ye never forsake ,the wicked, Me.' We have felt this as certain in our minds. 73 'May Thou live for ever, take the Name 8j Biswambhar took the dust of the feet of all. All blessed Him in manifold ways. of Krishna 1 84 All of them bathed in the Ganges and May the infinite Excellences of Krishna turned homeward ; become manifest by Thee And the Lord also did the same, laughing 74 The Lord received the blessing of the internally. devotees on His Head. 85 As thus the Lord Himself heard of the By the blessing of the devotees verily griefs of His devotees devotion to Krishna is aroused. His wrath against the atheists waxed 75 Hearing the griefs of the devotees, Lord strong. Biswambhar 86 'I will destroy all', He thundered ; Was moved in His heart to manifest T am Himself; I, indeed, am He', He said Himself in a short time. repeated ly. 76 The Lord said, You are all beloved of 87 At times He laughed, often ci ied and Krishna. repeatedly swooned away. Only that which you say must surely At times at s/ght of Lakshmi He ran to happen. beat her. May-June. 1931 ] SREE CHAITANYA BHAGABAT 381

88 Thus was the Lord pervaded by the loving 99 'The madness of His former days has again mood of the Vaishnava : taken possession of His Body. Sachi did not understand, thinking it to Keep Him within the house with both be some form of malady. His Feet fast bound. 89 Sachi knew nothing except to love her too 'Let Him have the water of the green Son ; cocoanut for drink, She narrated to every one the behaviour of Till the nervous malady that breeds Biswambhar. madness no longer grows in strength.' 90 'Providence took my husband, took away lot Some said, 'What can so weak medicine my sons also ; avail in this ? There is only One remaining, of all of them. It is only by application of the medicated 91 'I cannot make out what even He has in fat of the jackal that such madness may mind j heal. He laughs at times, often cries and 102 'Get him to bathe by applying medicated frequently gets into a swoon. oil which has been properly boiled, 92 'He mutters inaudibly unto Himself ; Till the strength of the disease is found Often exclaims crying 'Tear off the heads to have abated.' of the atheists'. 103 Most generously disposed was Sachi, 93 'At some moment He climbs to the topmost mother of the world. branch of the tree ; She also spoke as she heard the people say. Does not open His Eyes and often falls lot The mother was distracted by anxiety, prone on the ground. did not understand anything. 94 'He gnashes His Teeth tucks up His loin- She threw herself on the protection of cloth in the fashion of a wrestler, Govinda, in body, mind and speech. Rolls on she ground and can utter no 105T0 Sribas and the other Vaishnavas,— word'. individually to each,— 95 The people had never seen nor heard of Sachi submitted everything by sending perturbations for Krishna. out persons to tell them about it all. Thinking it was madness they said that 106 One day Sribas Pandit made his way He might be bound. thither. 96 Those who came to see, on hearing from Sachi, On seeing him the Lord stood up and Departed laughing, supposing it was all due made obeisance with due care. to insanity. 107 At sight of His devotee the mood of the 97 With tender concern they led off the servant grew strong in the Lord, mother ; Horripilation, shedding of tears, shivering— The people told her, 'It is the old madness reciprocative of love. that has reappeared'. 108 The Lord had been circumambulating the 98 Some said, 'Lady, you are so ignorant. tulasi Why do you want to ask about His The Lord fainted instantly at the sight of pondition any more ? His dovotee. 382 THE HARMONIST [ Vol. XXV11I. No. 12

109 After a while, on regaining external 115 As soon as He heard this from the mouth consciousness, He began to weep. of Sribas He-shivered violently and could never be The Lord clasped Sribas to His Bosom quiet, with great happiness. no On beholding this wonderful sight 116 'All say it is madness, you alone have Sribas thought within himself properly assured Me ; 'This is the highest state of devotion ;— I am, indeed, much obliged to you this who calls it madness ? day. in On gaining His external consciousness 117 'If you had told Me to-day that it seems the Lord said to the Pandit, to you to be the malady, 'Pandit, what do you think of these ways I would have this ve^-y day entered the of Mine ? waters of the Ganges.' 112 'Some say it is stark madness and advise 118 Said Sribas, 'The manifestation of that I may be bound ; devotion that I behold in Thee— Pandit, what do you think of Me at This high treasure—is coveted by Brahma, heart ?' Shiva, Sanaka and all high souls. 113 Sribas Pandit smiled as he said, Madness, 119 'All of us shall perform the kirtan indeed together in the same place, The same madness that is yours I stand Whatever all the atheist sinners may in need myself, say to the contrary.' 114 'It is the highest devotional manifestation that I behold in Thy body ; 120 Srinibas then said these words to Sachi, 'Cancel all the griefs of your heart. Sri Krishna's favour has been bestowed on Thee !' ( To be continueJ)

Ourselves

Opening of Thakur Bhaktivinode ( site of advent of Lord Sri Chaitanya ) in the most institute—April 3 picturesque and healthy surroundings. The substance Thakur Bhaktivinode Institute teaching up to the of the speech delivered on this occasion explaining the Matriculation standard of the Calcutta University object of the Institution, has already appeared in the with provisions for the residence of students, was Gaudiya of April II. We have a mind to incorporate declared open by Pararaahansa Paribrajakacharyya its English version in a later issue of this journal. Sri Srimat Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami The policy of purely secular education to which the Maharaj on Good Friday, the 3rd. April, 1931 before modern Universities are steadily drifting, only makes a distinguished gathering of gentlemen hailing from worse the evil which it intends to cure. The real far and near. The Institute is located at Sreedham cure of sectarianism can be found in the provision of Mayapur within the compound of the Maha-yogapitha religious education under the suprevision of bonafide May-Junf, 193 1 ] OURSELVES

teachers of the principles of the universal function of Colonel the Right Hon'ble Sir Francis Stanley Jackson the soul. No one can be a bonafide teacher of the P. C., G. C. 1. E, Governor of Bengal was pleased to soul, who does not himself lead in all sincerity a grant an interview of over forty minutes at Darjeeling perfectly p ire and non-sectarian life. There is on the 21st, April, 1931. to Sreepad Atul Chandra necessity for an Institution for teaching the Truth Bandyopadhayya Goswami Bhaktisaranga Bhakti- Absolute by really competent teachers. Such teaching sastri, Secretary of the Viswa-Vaishnava-Raj-Sabha. does not stand in the way of any real interest of His Excellency expressed his sympathetic interest individual or society. Thakur Bbaktivinode has in all the activities of the Mission and a desire to demonstrated in his works that it is the teaching of visit Sreedham Mayapur and the Gaudiya Math Sri Chaitanya that the Scriptures do not require at Calcutta and also enquired abrat the newly- us either to be thoughtlessly engrossed in the established Thakur Bbaktivinode Institute. Srimat temporary affairs of this world or to neglect them in Bhaktisaranga Goswami Prabhu then formally any way. II is possible for and incumbent on every presented the following devotional publications of the one to perform all secular duties in conformity with Gaudiya Math to His Excellency:—Life and precepts the universal serving aptitude of the pure soul. of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by Thakur Bbaktivinode, Thakur Bbaktivinode Institute stands for this Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Jaiva Dharma in substantive spiritual culture as being not only Bengali by Thakur Bbaktivinode, English translation practicable but necessary as providing the real remedy of Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat, Part 1, Erotic principle of all the evils of the Age. Srijut Bipin Bihuri and unalloyed devotion, Vaishnavism, Chitra Bandyopadhyaya, B. A., B. T,, Headmaster of th: Nabadwip compiled by Rajarshi Kumar Srila Ranaghat H. E. School in a nicely worded address Saradindunarayan Rai, H. A., Prajna. His Excellency expressed reasoned appreciation of the educational expressed his pleasure in accepting the works policy put before them by the Presidential speech. presented to him and his intention of having the Sreedham Mayapur Bengali works translated into English and preserving Excavation of Nitai Kunda the books in his library. His Excellency listened with attention to the account of the propaganda of At the desire of Paramahansa Paribrajakacharyya the religion preached by Sri Chaitanya that is being Sri Srimat Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami carried on by the Biswa Vaishnava Raj Sabha Maharaj the work of excavation of the Nitai Kunda narrated by Srimat Bhaktisaranga Goswami Prabhu. ( Nitai's Pool) measuring 2J0 feet square, was begun on the 6th of April. Nitai's Pool adjoins Gaur Annual Mahotsab of Shree Purusotham Math, Kunda and is situated to the east of the latter. Purl, 21st April—27th July Sri Advaita Temple and ArchThe The Annual celebration of Shree Purusottam Math foundation-stone of Sri Advaita.Temple was laid by Puri, will commence from the 21st. of April and will Srila Paramahansa Thak ir last year. The donor continue till the 27th of July. The anuual celebrations Shree Sarauagata Dasadhikari ( Indra Narayan of Shree Brahma Gaudiya Math at Alalnath will Chandra), Bhaktibhusan has been pushing on the take place during the pericd of anabasara. The 17th construction of the - Temple and Gateway and has Anniversary of the disappearance of Thakur also expressed a desire for extending the Dharmasala Bbaktivinode will be celebrated on the 16th of already built by him at Sreedham Mayapur. June, 1931. Sree Rashbehari Dharmasala This Restoration of the Temple of Sri Alalnath handsome building has been completed. It stands The work of constuction has been recommenced close to the site of the residence of Sree after a short lull when the work had to be Advaitacharyya. We congratulate the donor suspended for want of funds. Srijukta Srijukta Rashbihari Dasadhikari on its speedy and Brahraachari Vidyaratna, Shree Purusottam Math, successful completion. Puri, has issued an earnest appeal to the public for His Excellency the Governor of Bengal's sending ta his Address their contributions to enable sympathy for the Mission:—His Excellency him to carry on the work of restoration without 384 THE HARMONIST [Vol. XXVllI No. 12 further st ippage. By the active erertions of Srijukta in the Gaudiya. His Divine Grace returned to Jagannath Misra, Vice-Ch rirman of Puri District Calcutta on the Igth of May. Board, the work of improving the road from Puri to In the Madras Presidency. Alalnatb has been taken up in earnest and it is Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhaktiranjan Sar hoped that the road will be practicable for Motor Maharaj went to on a tour of propaganda of traffic in course of a couple of years. the teachings of Shree Chaitanya. Celebration at Madras Gaudiya Math—May, 7 The devotees of the Madras Gaudiya Math The festival in.honour of the disappearance of Rai discoursed on the teachings of Shree Chaitanya at Rairananda was celebrated at the Madras Gaudiya 'Gauranga-Samaj,' in the Kamaleswarampet quarter Math on the gtb of May, 1931. Speeches were of Madras City, on the 8th of May, 1931, before a delivered in Hindi. Tamil and English respectively, large and representative gathering of the public. The preceded and followed by the performance of the function was organised by Mr. Bijayaratnam Pillai. congregational chant ( Sankirtan). AH present Disappearance from this world stayed to honour the mahaprasad. Rrahmachari Shree Jogendraji of the Gaudiya Propaganda. Mission, who belonged originally to the province of At Darjeeling Assam, left this world on the 4th of April, after providing the bright example of a life dedicated to His Holiness Srimad Bhakti V ivek Bharati the exclusive service of the Supreme Lord from an Maharaj delivered a most instructive and learned early age and thereby attaining, within such a short lecture on 'Sanatan Dharma' on Sunday the 26th of period, the highest fulfilment of the only object of April, in the evening, at the Nripendranarayan Hindu human life. Those who are accustomed to measure Public Hall, lasting for over two hours. The. function the worth of a life by the amount of noise that it was presided over by the Hon'ble Lieutenant Srijukta makes in the world among those who have no idea of Bijoyprasad Singha Rai, M. A., B. L., Minister of spiritual living by actual experience of the same, are Local Self-Government, Bengal. apt to sadly underestimate the value of the Paramahansa Paribrajakacharyya Srimat Bhakti- unobstrusive life of a pure soul devoting himself to the Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj attended by causeless service of Godhead under the unconditional a party of his followers started from Calcutta on the direction of the genuine Spiritual Guide. Such a life 3rd of May ( 1931 ) on a tour of propaganda to may even appear to them to be one of slavish, un- Darjeeling arriving there at 11 o'clock next day. intellectual drudgery. But a self-realised soul always Paramahansa Thakur availed of the hospitality of functions on the plane of perfect activity to which Dr. Sisir Kumar PJ, Superintendent of Lowis Jubilee the pedants of this world have no access. Brhmachari Sanitarium, who placed his beautiful residential Sri Jogendraji will continue to influence the world quarters at His disposal during His stay at Darjeeling. for the better for all time through every pure soul Srila Paramahansa Thakur removed to the Augusta who has bad the good fortune of coming in personal Villa on the 7th which was offered for His residence contact with him. The Gaudiya "Math is shorn of by H.H. Maharani Regent Saheba of Cooch Bihar one shining star from the galaxy of the servants of The discourses delivered by Srila Paramhansa Thakur the Lord by the departure of this pure, serving, soul in answer to the queries of visitors, are being published who is apparently so utterly unknown to fame.