1961 - Vyasa-puja Offering to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

by His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

VAISISTYASTAKAM

First Vaisistya

On that day, in pain of separation., oh Lord, I was grief stricken,
Unable to tolerate being apart from my spiritual master.
On today's auspicious occasion, to offer you worship, I have come
With this offering, remembering your lotus feet.
Mahāprabhu's principal conclusion is that renunciation is prime;
Not only that, but it is to be distributed to everyone.
The neophytes have no ability to make any solution,
But you are a mahā-bhāgavata and you have given us direction.
Bewildered by ignorance, what kind of renouncers can they be?
They are simply false renouncers, giving up externally.
Real renunciation comes from transcendental feelings.
Without such feelings, a renouncer is known simply as 'show-bottle'.
But there is another show-bottle, with preaching as its purpose:
The Lord's sannyāsa, which is the defeat of the impersonalists.
Lord Caitanya's teachings are beyond varṇāśrama-dharma.
They are Bhāgavata-dharma and destroy all cheating processes of religion.
Performing dry renunciation, preaching will not be successful;
'Yukta-vairagya' is the essence of all Caitanya philosophy.
"The sannyāsa I have given you" is for preaching in devotion.
The atheistic sense enjoyers are bewildered in understanding.
Second Vaisistya
The sannyāsīs go and stay in the mountain caves,
But you, master, keep your sannyāsīs in marble mansions.
To see a sense enjoyer's face is just like drinking poison,
But you, master, are giving your darśana here and far away in foreign lands.
Mlecchas and yavanas are not allowed to enter Hindu temples,
But you, master, make them the chairman and sit them in the assembly.
To cross the ocean is not allowed for Hindus,
But you send your devotees across the ocean.
In Kali-yuga's cities the guru's instructions are "forbidden".
But you remain there anyway with your special purpose in mind.
The devotees want to go to some lonely place to perform their bhajan alone,
But you don't accept this in your judgement.
Where there is an increase in the measurement of people,
There your preaching work is to be seen.
You want to make a student hostel in London, and
You explain it must be nicely arranged.
In the land of barbarians, a student hostel for preaching 'Hari Katha'!
Who can understand all these things?
To mitigate a>ll these contradictory ideas is not the trifling
Act of an inexpert and inexperienced person.
Third Vaisistya
If everyone sat down together and carefully considered,
Then what nice preaching there could be.
After all, that is Prabhupada's command—for all to join together
To do this preaching work, merged in your instructions.
If you simply imitate, there will be the opposite result,
For as long as you try like that, there will be failure.
Now all of you are returning here on his order to worship him on his Vyāsa-pūjā day
All together you are engaged in His worship.
But a festival of flowers and fruits is not the real worship:
One who serves the guru's message really worships him.
The service of the message is the real transcendental vibration.
Don't be falsely proud, brother; come back to that.
Kalidāsa Nag, that Master Masay,
One day said in the public assembly,
That Kali-yuga's mission was killing the whole world
And Lord Caitanya's message is locked in a cage.
Oh shame! Brother, aren't you at all embarrassed
Behaving like businessmen to increase your followers?
Our master has said to preach;
Let the neophytes go in the temples to do nothing but ring bells.
Fourth Vaisistya
All these are not our master's preaching methods;
These are the things done by the caste goswamis.
But just take a look at the miserable condition that's arisen:
Everyone has become a sense enjoyer and has abandoned preaching.
Now the temple doors also are starting to be locked.
Go and preach this Bhāgavata-dharma; don't delay any longer.
Within this Earth there is another Earth
Whose sound is the unequalled penetrating force.
(There is a Bengali proverb) "The mullah runs just as far as the mosque" (and no further),
But an end to this false preaching today!
Up to the borders of the seas, all over the earth., pierce the walls of the universe;
All assembled together preach the transcendental vibration.
Then our master's worship will be in proper order.
Today make your firm promise; give up your political play.
On this very day, coming together, make your comment;
The five of you together, and decide what must be done.
You have become renouncers, my brothers, so renounce everything.
But if you renounce the instruction of the spiritual master, what kind of renunciation is that?
One who renounces the bona-fide spiritual master, or one who tries to enjoy at the expense of his spiritual master, are both useless.
First become the servant of your spiritual master, then you will be able to understand these conclusions.
Fifth Vaisistya
Because there is only one God, if his wealth increases,
A saintly person renounces all such material desires for profit, adoration and prestige.
Your gold, my brother, is the source of sense enjoyment.
Prabhupada has made this meaningful statement.
Give up your riches for preaching:
Sit down together and make some special consideration.
The Supreme Lord says Himself that,
"Everything is Mine along".
Prabhupada gave this final instruction.
Take care: do this in all respects, completely.
Otherwise all your efforts will simply go to waste.
Oh saintly ones, beware: afterwards you will repent.
Is it really such a difficult task to come together like this?
And why does so much have to be said to you?
Give up your stubbornness, act for the welfare of others:
There is no time to waste!
All my brothers, come: this is the most auspicious time to unite.
Sixth Vaisistya
When will it come to pass that in every room a temple will be established,
In every corner of the world.
That the high-court judge will be a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava,
tilaka displayed on his forehead, the glory of all;
That a Vaiṣṇava winning votes will be the president of the land,
And everywhere this preaching will be extended?
The demons loot and plunder the Lord's wealth,
While the hapless populace cries, "Alas, alas!"
The demons make their plans to cheat the common people,
Selling whole-wheat flower at 32 rupees a mound.
Opening so many factories, will they fill the people's bellies?
Out of hunger, the people will be forced to eat grass and mango pits.
A two-paisa thread tied around his neck and a man says he is a brāhmaṇa.
Just wearing saffron cloth, and a man calls himself a sannyāsī.
The householders beg from the sannyāsīs, and the sannyāsīs
Have crores of rupees in the bank.
Every day the influence of Kali-yuga increases,
And the poor souls, being oppressed by the age of Kali, cry in agony.
Every day ten thousand cows are slaughtered,
And the expert leaders eat untouchable foodstuffs.
Men of mudlike intelligence increase day by day,
And a husband and wife can dissolve their relationship simply by a word.
Everyone has become a witch by the influence of the age.
Everyone is unhappy due to the absence of the devotees' mercy.
Seventh Vaisistya
The Vaiṣṇavas are famous for being sympathetic towards others' suffering,
And that fame will be increased by mature preaching.
If eternally pure devotional service to Krishna is awakened in every one,
Kali will flee of his own accord, crying "Ha! Ha!"
Mahāprabhu's message is praninam upakaraya
Act for the welfare of others. This is the storehouse of happiness both now and after death.
So much work has fallen into your hands:
Everyone should join together and do something about it.
Vāsudeva-vipra paid his obeisances to the Lord and said,
"Please deliver all the living beings."
"Give all their sins to me, who am most fallen,
And relinquish all the suffering of the unhappy souls."
He was the best Vaiṣṇava, para-duhkha-dukhi,
He found no happiness in gratifying his senses.
What kind of compassion can the nondevotee show?
He simply commits offences with his daridra-nārāyaṇa philosophy.
The Vaiṣṇava's mercy is scientific. Without the mercy of the Vaisnava,
The world is simply insurmountable Maya.
If there were a kingdom of Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇavas on earth,
Then everyone would be happy, say the saintly persons and sages.
Eighth Vaisistya
Why do people cry for rāma-rājya?
The only cause of such a rāma-rājya would be a God-centered kingdom.
Kṛṣṇa sat Yudhiṣṭhira on the King's throne
And the whole world became full of wealth and fortune as a result of the good qualities of the Vaiṣṇavas.
The rivers, streams, trees, fields and hills were all producing abundantly:
And the cows were so full of milk that they floated in the abundance.
The birds, beasts and animals were all free of envy:
In the Vaiṣṇava kingdom there is perfect saṁsāra.
The whole world in ecstasy would sing the glories of Hari.
Seeing this, the Vaiṣṇavas' heart danced in ecstasy.

Alternate Translation of the Above

PHALGUN KRISHNA PANCAMI By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(Five prayers glorifying special characteristics of Srila 108 Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakura. Presented on the commemoration of his appearance, by His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, at Radha Damodara temple, Vrindavana, India in 1961).

First Vasistya

On this day, O my master, I made a cry of grief; I was not able to tolerate the absence of my guru.
On this auspicious day I have come with this offering just to worship you, remembering your lotus feet.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's judgment is that renunciation is most important. Not only that, but such knowledge of renunciation must be delivered to every conditioned being.
The beginner in devotional service has no ability to solve this dilemma, but you are a maha-bhagavata, you have given us direction.
One bewildered by ignorance, what kind of renunciate can he be? He will only be a "phalgu-vairagi"; renouncing externally.
Renunciation is actually the result of real spiritual emotion. Without such feeling it is simply known as "show bottle".
But there is another "show bottle" for the purpose of preaching. That is the Lord's sannyasa by which the mayavadis are defeated.
Lord Chaitanya's philosophy is beyond Varnasrama; it is Bhagavata dharma, for putting an end to all cheating processes of religion.
Performing dry renunciation, there can be no real preaching. Therefore "yukta vairagya" is given as the highest essential understanding.
"That sannyasa which I have given you" is for preaching in devotion. The faithless sense enjoyers are unable to understand this.
Second Vaistya
Generally the sannyasis renounce everything and go and stay in the mountain caves, but you, o master, keep your sannyasis in mansions of marble.
To see a sense enjoyer is just like drinking poison, but you, o my master, go far and near, even abroad, to give them your darshan.
Mlecchas and Yavanas are forbidden to enter the Hindu temples, but you my Lord, make them chairmen and sit them in the assembly of devotees.
Hindus are not allowed to cross the ocean, but you send your devotees overseas to preach.
In the cities of Kali Yuga the instructions of the bona fide spiritual preceptors are forbidden. Still you remain there in any way possible.
The devotees want to hide in a secluded place to perform their bhajan. You, however, do not accept this in your judgment.
Whenever there is an increase in population, there in that place preaching work is to be found.
In London you want a student hostel. You explain that it must be very first-class.
In the land of barbarians a student hostel for preaching Hari-katha! Who can understand the significance of these things?
To resolve all the apparently contradictory statements is not the play of some incompetent fool.
Third Vasistya
If everyone simply sat down together and considered these things what nice preaching there could be.
What is your order also, that everyone, coming together, should merge in your message and preach it to the world.
If everyone just initiates then there will only be a contradictory result. As long as it goes on, there will be only failure.
Now even, my God brothers, you return here to the order of our master, and together we engage in his puja.
But simply a festival of flowers and fruits does not constitute worship. The one who serves the message of the guru really worships him.
The service of the message is the real meaning of the Vedas. Don't be proud, brothers, Come back to this.
Kalidas nag (a learned man who was defeated by Srila Saraswati Thakura and later became his disciple), that master said in public forum one day.
That Kali's mission was to kill the entire world while the essential meaning of Lord Chaitanya's message was kept locked up in a cage.
O shame! My dear brothers aren't you embarrassed? In the manner of businessmen you increase your disciples.
Our master said to preach. Let the neophytes stay in the temples and ring the bells.
Fourth Vasistya
All these things are not our spiritual master's preaching methods. These are all the things done by the caste Goswamis.
But just take a look at the terrible situation that has arisen. everyone has become a sense enjoyer and has given up preaching.
In the temples they have also begun to lock the doors. Preach this bhagavata dharma, don't hesitate.
Within this world there is another world, whose sound is the unequaled penetrating force.
The preaching that "the mullah (Muslim priest) only goes as far as the mosque and no further" should be put to an end today.
From the seas, across the earth, penetrate the universal shell, come together and preach this Krishna consciousness.
Then our master's service will be in proper order. Make you promise today, Give up all your politics and diplomacy.
Everyone come together on this very day and make your valued comment. The five of you get together and decide what should be done.
You have become renouncers, brothers, so renounce everything. But if you also renounce the order of the spiritual master, then what kind of renunciation is that?
The one who renounces the guru's order (guru tyagi) and the one who tries to enjoy the assets of his spiritual master (guru-bhoghi) are two kinds of useless persons. First become a servant of your spiritual master (guru-sevi) and then you will understand things clearly.
Fifth Vasistya
If there is only one Supreme Lord, then a true sadhu, if his faith increases, he gives up the desire for profit, distinction and adoration in the material world.
Your gold, brother, is the father of sense gratification. This meaningful statement was spoken by Srila Prabhupada himself.
Give up your wealth for preaching. Sit down together and make some special judgment.
The Supreme Lord Himself says that everything is Mine. Don't protest. Just unite and preach.
Srila Prabhupada gave this final message himself. Take great care to follow that completely in all respects.
Otherwise your sannyas will be wasted and useless. O saintly ones, be careful; afterwards you will regret.
So what is the difficulty for all of us to come together in this way and why do all these things even have to be said to you?
Give up your stubbornness, there is no time. Come all my brothers on this auspicious holy occasion.
When will that day come when there will be a temple established in every house in every corner of the world?
When the big court judge will be a Gaudiya Vaishnava with tilak beautifully decorating his forehead.
Sixth Vasistya
A Vaishnava winning votes will be elected president of the land and preaching will spread everywhere.
The demons simply plunder the Lord's wealth. The hapless populace cry "Hai Hai" in distress.
The demons want so many plans just to cheat the people. They see wheat flour at 32 rupees a mound.
Will opening a factory fill a hungry man's belly? Being oppressed by starvation they will eat grass and mango pits.
Wearing a two paisa string a man is called a brahmana. Wearing a saffron cloth he has become a sannyasi.
The householders beg from the sannyasis, and why not? The sannyasis have tens of millions of rupees in the bank.
As the days pass the influence of Kali Yuga increases and the poor are crying in distress.
Ten thousand cows are killed daily and the nations expert leaders are all eating untouchable foodstuffs.
People of muddy intelligence increase day by day. A man and his wife separate on a mere word.
Everyone has become a witch by the influence of this age. Everyone is unhappy due to the absence of the mercy of the Vaisnavas.
Seventh Vasistya
The Vaishnavas are famous as "para dukhi dukhi." This fame will increase as the preaching increases.
If eternally pure devotional service to Krishna is awakened in everyone, then Kali will flee, screaming of his own accord.
"Praninan upakaraya" do work for the benefit of all living beings. This is Mahaprabhu's teachings. This is the storehouse of happiness in this life and the next.
So much work has fallen into your hands, so gather together and do it.
Vasudeva Datta said to the Lord, paying his obeisances, save all the living beings in the material world.
Give all their sins and suffering to me, who am the lowest of all. In this way all the suffering and miseries of the fallen will end.
He was the best of Vaishnavas, para dukhi dukhi. He knows that there is not real happiness in gratifying the senses.
And what kind of mercy can the non-Vaishnavas give? They simply make offenses by their Daridra Naranyan philosophy.
The mercy of the Vaishnavas is scientific and authorized, without their mercy this world is simply insurmountable maya.
If there is a kingdom of Vishnu and Vaishnavas on the surface of the earth, then the world will be happy so say all the great sages and rishis.
Eighth Vasistya
Why is everyone crying for Ram-rajya? The only way it can be had is if there is a Vishnu centered kingdom.
Lord Krishna enthroned King Yuddhisthira; then the whole world was rich and fortunate due to the qualities of a Vaishnava.
The streams, rivers, trees and fields and mountains, all full of fruits and flowers. The milk laden cows were floating in abundant milk.
The bird, beasts and lower creatures were all non envious. Material life in the Vaishnava kingdom was regulated and perfect.
All immerse in bliss, sing the glories of Hari. The hearts of the Vaishnavas dance in ecstasy to see this.
The entire world is filled with the use of material objects, without a trace of devotion to the Lord.
Still they are searching after peace. Preach Krishna consciousness Fulfill their desires.
Today my brothers, get to this task. Save the battered souls by your preaching.
Srila Prabhupada, please be merciful today, This time have compassion. You are not a conditioned soul of this material world.
Whatever independence we have, let it be cast to the waters. The lowly Abhay offers this presentation today.

Vrindavana Radha Damodara.