(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 April 2016, Radhadesh, Belgium, Vyasa Puja Address)
sarva mahā-guṇa-gaṇa vaiṣṇava-śarīre
kṛṣṇa-bhakte kṛṣṇera guṇa sakali sañcāre (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.75)
It is said that all the good qualities of Krsna will manifest within the body of a vaisnava. This is the amazing nature of Krsna consciousness. Because by serving the spiritual master… whatever the qualities are of the spiritual master, whatever the goals are of the spiritual master, whatever is important to the spiritual master, all of these becomes important to the disciple. So in this way, automatically we develop these qualities.
If honesty is something outstanding for our spiritual master and we serve our spiritual master, then honesty will develop in us also. If we see mercy and compassion in Krsna, then naturally mercy and compassion will be qualities of his devotees. In this way, the qualities of Krsna will manifest within the devotees and from one devotee to other devotees. Bhakti is spread from one devotee to another devotee. It is a devotee who can actually enlighten, can light up the fire of inspiration in our heart. Without the devotee, it is not possible to progress in spiritual life. Who will give us the inspiration to do so?
Reading the Bhagavad-gita just by ourselves is difficult. But when a devotee presents the Bhagavad-gita and when a devotee takes the message of the Bhagavad-gita sincerely, then we will also take it seriously and therefore, Srila Prabhupada´s Bhagavad-gita As It Is touches us. It is not just commentary per se because the purports are not always explaining the verses. Sometimes Prabhupada is just calling for surrender, page after page. When I read the Bhagavad-gita, I felt so challenged by Srila Prabhupada´s purports because I felt that he is basically saying, “If you are sincere, then you should accept these arguments – they are logical and they are systematic. So you have no reason not to accept them. And if you accept them, then you have to surrender your life, and if you don´t surrender your life, you are not sincere.”
This was the message I got from reading purport after purport in the Bhagavad-gita. It was in this way that Bhagavad-gita chiselled away at my heart, at my determination and sort of forced me to change, to change my life. What to say? So this same message comes again and again, to all of us…
Transcribed by Tattvavati dd
