Friday, November 8

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 July 2014, Serbia, Summer Camp, Caitanya Candramrta Seminar Part 1)

Sri Caitanya-candramrta by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati

Chapter 1, Verse 1

“Let us glorify the boundlessly merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead, the prince of Vrindavan. To taste the intoxicating, sweet waves of the nectar of the transcendental love for Krsna, as well as to give that nectar to others, he has now appeared in the transcendental abode of Navadvip as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One who is untouched by any piety, who is completely absorbed in irreligion or one who has never received the merciful glance of the devotees, or been to any holy place sanctified by them, will still ecstatically dance, loudly sing and even roll about on the ground, when he becomes intoxicated by tasting the nectar of the transcendental mellows of the pure love of God given by Lord Caitanya. Let me therefore glorify that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

gaura_durbanSo, yes, piety! Such a thing – piety! Where is piety? All we know is hypocrisy, in this age. Pious prayers, holy faces – but what is behind it? A masquerade, a show for the general public. Who in the world is pious, really pious? Piety means purity. Piety, as explained in the eleventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, is steadiness in one’s devotional practices. When we are pious that means that we can actually serve Krsna without interruption. Can we? Not so easily. Yes, sometimes we are so inspired but at other times so down. Sometimes thinking, ‘I am almost on the platform of ecstasy!’ And at other times, ‘I am on the edge, maybe I am over the edge! Maybe I am gone, I am doomed. Maybe there is no hope – I might as well give up!’

Piety, where is piety? Anyway, this verse addresses those who have not been touched by any piety, even worse, those who are completely absorbed in irreligion as their normal activity. The bar around the corner, you know what I mean!? The casino that is advertised at the airport; the prostitutes that are found everywhere, along the highway to serve truck drivers and in the city and wherever else you want; next to expensive hotels so that high class businessmen in fancy suits, who fly business class, would not have to spend a night alone, deprived of comfort. Like that, irreligion is everywhere, what shall we say!? It is just our second nature.

So this verse speaks of the persons who have no piety, who are completely absorbed in irreligion, who have never even received the merciful glance of the devotees. Yes, that glance makes all the difference! In the middle of our lives, suddenly a devotee appears who somehow or other leaves some transcendental mercy with us. Ajnata sukriti, the unknown spiritual benefit, is attained by the association of devotees and those who are going further and are getting purified even more, they will actually knowingly take up devotional service and by the mercy of devotees, they will be able to continue. But what if you have never met a devotee, then what? No piety – one stays absorbed in sinful activities! Then what is the case? What if you have never been to a holy place sanctified by the vaisnavas? It is said that it does not matter! Even that person will still ecstatically dance, loudly sing and even roll about on the ground. Because even that person will become intoxicated by tasting the nectar of the transcendental mellows of pure love of God given by Lord Caitanya.

In other words, somehow or other, Lord Caitanya’s mercy will reach the fallen, conditioned souls and somehow or other Lord Caitanya will purify such souls and bring them very quickly to the ecstatic platform. 

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