Developing Devotion To His Lotus Feet

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I am very insignificant, the lowest of mankind, and do not know much about Gurudeva, but I will repeat whatever I have heard from the lotus lips of vaiṣṇavas. How can we develop transcendental love for the lotus feet of Gurudeva? When we develop devotion for the lotus feet of Gurudeva, we attain auspiciousness. Until devotion arises unto the lotus feet of Gurudeva, we cannot attain auspiciousness. When we attain devotion, we reach the Lord's eternal abode, the transcendental abode. 

Māyādevī expands her illusory powers and obstructs our proper darśana of Gurudeva, then what we see is with material vision. We see that Gurudeva has become old, Gurudeva is sick, diseased, angry, etc, but it is not so. It is Māyādevī's work that she does not allow us proper darśana of Gurudeva. Why does she do this? Because we will leave her world and go to Vaikuntha-loka, the transcendental world, so she works to hinder that. 

Secondly, we think we will see Gurudeva, we try to measure and assess Gurujī, but this is not correct. He is not material, he is not a thing we can see. Only a surrendered devotee can understand the activities of Gurujī. Gurujī is non-different from Nityānanda Prabhu, a dear associate of the Lord and Rādhārāṇī. Only a surrendered devotee can know this, otherwise not.

The process of that surrender comes in three stages beginning with praṇipāt, then paripraśna. and finally sevā. First, how will one surrender? What is the meaning of praṇipāt? It is mentioned in Caitanya Bhagavāta (Gauḍīya-bhasya, Adi 1.6) that it is of 4 types: vandanā, ashtanga-prāṇam, panchanga-prāṇaṁ, and abhivandanā. Prāṇaṁ means obeisances; 1) offering greetings, 2) offering obeisances with eight parts of the body touching the ground 3) offering obeisances with five parts of the body touching the ground, and 4) bowing the head with folded hands.

Abhivandanā is by embracing each other and shaking hands with each other. Ashtanga-prāṇaṁ is done with janu-yuga, pada-yuga, bhujayuga, vakshastal, mastaka, drsti, mana, and vakya. Panchanga-prāṇaṁ includes janu-yuga, dui-bahu, mastaka, vakya, and drsti which are offered by Matajīs. Some verses explain why brāhmaṇas and vaiṣṇavas have to be seated on a mat, why women are to only do panchanga-prāṇaṁ, and also why puja paraphernalia like bell, shankha, etc. should be given a seat and not placed on bare ground; otherwise, such acts are considered inauspicious. 

While offering prāṇaṁs like this, one should give up material intelligence, false ego, and mind, and in great anxiety express his humility with a prayer: "Please accept me." It is stated in Narasiṃha Purāṇa that if one offers prāṇaṁs to the Lord even once he will attain the Lord's favor, and among all yajnas this prāṇaṁ yajna is special. Even before surrendering to Gurudeva, one has to offer prāṇaṁ to him. These prāṇaṁs should be offered free from the pride of janma, aishwarya, sruta, shri: high birth, wealth, knowledge, and beauty; surrendering material intelligence. By vākya (words) one will glorify Lord by prayers (stava, stuti), with the mind fixed on Gurudeva's lotus feet and without wandering here and there, and with dṛṣṭi—eyes that will see the form of Gurudeva and nothing else. 

When offering prāṇaṁs to Gurudeva or Jagannātha-deva, the eyes will see the form of Jagannātha-deva, the mind will be fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord, and by vākya, one will chant glories of Jagannātha. Guru will destroy the ignorance in our mind with the sword of knowledge including all material desires, karma, jnana, etc. When we serve Gurudeva's lotus feet, we will be freed from the desires for kanaka, kāmāni, and pratiṣṭhā.  

We have to serve Gurudeva without anticipation of any returns or benefits. If you can give up all of these desires that may be inside the mind and heart and serve without deceit, Gurudeva will be pleased. When Gurudeva accepts our sevā, then he will appear in our hearts and bestow us with divya-jñāna. In this divya-jñāna, we will perform hari-bhajana and attain the Lord's proximity. Through material intelligence and mind, Gurudeva's darśana is not possible. So the process for attaining divya-jñāna is to hear from vaiṣṇavas about guru-tattva and then the practical application of that knowledge by pranipata, paripraśna, and sevā of Gurudeva; then Gurudeva will manifest divya-jñāna within our heart. 

By material vision, we cannot have darśana of Gurudeva. Gurudeva manifests in the human form in this world to bestow mercy on us. Thus after appearing, he performs all activities similar to human beings like us such as eating, sleeping, etc. But in reality, he is the intimate associate of the Lord. He is Nityānanda, Baladeva-tattva.

Once there was need of a sevāka in Suvarna Vihar, Gurudeva was deputed by Sri Caitanya Math's Acharya, Tirtha Maharaj to serve there. At that time, one sevāk was sick and the other would go to fetch alms, so Gurujī had to prepare bhoga and offer it to the Lord. He had to cook using dry banana leaves as no firewood was available, and he blew air through the pipe. Sometimes the leaves would burn, sometimes not—under these circumstances, he prepared bhoga to offer to Lord. Under such severe conditions, his body became dark, charred. One day Param Gurudeva came there and saw his plight and witnessed his dedication in eager anticipation of Lord's mercy. That very day, considering his high academic qualification, Param Gurudeva took him with him and came and spoke to Caitanya Math's Maharaj to relieve him and depute someone else. Such was his dedication to sevā (sevā-nishta).

—Sri Bhakti Sambhandh Shuddhadwaity Maharaj 

From a meeting hosted by GOKUL India, 29.4.2020 by Rasabihari Das 

original audio can be heard on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfO88-OfKak










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