While converting my Bengali files into Unicode I found this charming and deep exchange with Niranjan Babu:
Advaita Dās: “Guru seems to be prominent in the statement mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (Mahābhārata) “The path is that which the great souls have tread” (śrutayo vibhinna – “Scriptures say different things”) while the Bhagavad Gītā (ch. 16) again exalts the importance of scripture.” Whom should we follow?
Niranjan Prasād Dās: śāstra pramāṇa śirodhārya – We carry the authority of scripture on our heads. We can make mistakes but the scriptures’ authority is flawless. Bābā also said wholeheartedly:
“Therefore the scriptures decide what is to be done and what is not to be done. When one knows the rules of scripture one should act accordingly.”
If there is any doubt then ‘mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ’ – follow the path of the saints. Now Bābā is aprakaṭa (unmanifest, deceased); when he was alive it is regretted that we were not fortunate enough to ask him many things. Now the many difficult problems and issues must be dhyāna-sanniviṣṭa mane cintanīya (deliberated by a mind absorbed in meditation) and are antaryāmī guru-sāpekṣā (dependent on the Guru within the heart).”
- Letter, May 25, 1996
Added to 'Satsanga with Niranjan Prasad Das', page 2, linktab 'Articles' athttp://www.madangopal.com/
PS While working on the conversions I also found instructions my Gurudeva, Sadhu Baba, gave me on offering bhoga. Without going into the ritual details, it is interesting to note that he said I should meditate on my mañjarī svarūpa while doing this, despite all the cautionary blogs I have been posting recently on smaranam. And Bābā told me this on August 7, 1983, when I was still a real newbie. Very interesting discovery....
Advaita Dās: “Guru seems to be prominent in the statement mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (Mahābhārata) “The path is that which the great souls have tread” (śrutayo vibhinna – “Scriptures say different things”) while the Bhagavad Gītā (ch. 16) again exalts the importance of scripture.” Whom should we follow?
Niranjan Prasād Dās: śāstra pramāṇa śirodhārya – We carry the authority of scripture on our heads. We can make mistakes but the scriptures’ authority is flawless. Bābā also said wholeheartedly:
tasmācchāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te kāryākārya vyavasthitau.
jnātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ karma kartum ihārhasi
(Bhagavad Gītā 16.24)
“Therefore the scriptures decide what is to be done and what is not to be done. When one knows the rules of scripture one should act accordingly.”
If there is any doubt then ‘mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ’ – follow the path of the saints. Now Bābā is aprakaṭa (unmanifest, deceased); when he was alive it is regretted that we were not fortunate enough to ask him many things. Now the many difficult problems and issues must be dhyāna-sanniviṣṭa mane cintanīya (deliberated by a mind absorbed in meditation) and are antaryāmī guru-sāpekṣā (dependent on the Guru within the heart).”
- Letter, May 25, 1996
Added to 'Satsanga with Niranjan Prasad Das', page 2, linktab 'Articles' athttp://www.madangopal.com/
PS While working on the conversions I also found instructions my Gurudeva, Sadhu Baba, gave me on offering bhoga. Without going into the ritual details, it is interesting to note that he said I should meditate on my mañjarī svarūpa while doing this, despite all the cautionary blogs I have been posting recently on smaranam. And Bābā told me this on August 7, 1983, when I was still a real newbie. Very interesting discovery....
Last paragraph added 21.03 CET April 17, 2007 . Blog edited August 15, 2008 20.49 CET
Just thought I'd let you know that Puru das has left his body.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear of Purudasji's departure. Even though I had several frustrating debates with him on various forums a few years ago, I found him a tremendous resource for the writings of the Gaudiya Math and Iskcon writings in English, in which he was one of the most knowledgeable in the movement.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that warmed my heart to Puru was hearing that he used to be a ballet dancer as a young man, and had even seriously contemplated making a career of it. Once in a while, even as a devotee, he would bring out his old moves in kirtan--even when his body had expanded well beyond ballet dancer size.
Yes, time is running short. Remember Laladas and the call of the maji. "The sun is setting."
Jai Radhe!
Some bhakts have noticed that it seems an unusual trend for 4 or so Vaishnavs to leave this world in the same week...
ReplyDeleteHahaha I hope nobody will come up with a conspiracy theory now ! Fact is that as we get older and there are 10s of 1000s of us worldwide, more and more devotees will drop off...
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of conspiracy theories, what do you think about the lunar eclipse on Gaura Purnima this year? I think it is interesting considering that there was a lunar eclipse on the 'original' Gaura Purnima also, do you think it is an indicator that a great soul was born on Gaura Purnima this year? Of course we have no way of knowing but what do you think?
ReplyDeleteAlso, what do you think of all those pointers in CC and CB indicating a future incarnation of Vyasadeva who will write more scriptures elaborating on Gaura-lila?
"do you think it is an indicator that a great soul was born on Gaura Purnima this year? Of course we have no way of knowing but what do you think?"
ReplyDeleteOnly time will tell, but it would be handy. We could use a hand down here....
"Also, what do you think of all those pointers in CC and CB indicating a future incarnation of Vyasadeva who will write more scriptures elaborating on Gaura-lila?"
I am not aware of there being that many pointers, and they could be statements of glorification. Heaps and heaps of Gaura katha have been written, but almost all of it was written in the first century after Gaura went aprakat. It would be extraordinary if there were to be more, like a renaissance or so.
I completely missed your mention of it being your 51st birthday that day! How stupid of me! Many apologies and happy belated birthday!
ReplyDelete