Pañcadraviḍa Swami
Pancadraviḍa Swami
My dear Srila Prabhupada, only by remaining a faithful servant of your instructions, by which one develops attachment for your lotus feet, can one advance and become fixed on the platform of pure devotional service. I am praying for the wisdom and the undeviating fidelity to never break my eternal connection with you and the disciplic succession. You have indicated that when the qualified acarya leaves the planet, then things once again become disordered. We can all understand that the spell of the illusory energy is very strong (daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg 7.14]), because even when you were present on the planet many apparently advanced disciples who deviated from your instructions met ignominious ends, being once again pulled under by the material whirlpool. This is undoubtedly because they left the shelter of your lotus feet. You have, however, indicated what we may do in the troubled and difficult days that lie ahead: "The perfect disciples of the acarya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master." (Bhaktivedanta purport to Bhag. 4.28.48) Daily everything else is becoming insignificant. You have said that this material world is insignificant, that in Krsna's creation this world is simply like a single mustard seed in a bucket full of mustard seeds. I pray that I may return to my real position by never forgetting your instructions for a moment. I want to make them my very life and soul, and I am praying to develop the unalloyed devotion to do this.
Due to enviousness one leaves his eternal home and wanders in the material world. In this way he turns his back on Krsna and meets with good and evil amongst various specifies of life. But although one may choose out of envy and delusion to forget Krsna, still Krsna cannot forget the conditioned souls, and thus He is situated in everyone's hart simply to direct the wanderings of all living entities (Bg. 18.61). in this way the Lord acts as caitya-guru, the spiritual master within. But you have warned us that although Krsna is directing, still "He gives direct instructions only to the advanced pure devotees. In the beginning, when a devotee is serious and sincere, the Lord gives him directions from within to approach a bona fide spiritual master." (Bhaktivedanta purports to 4.28.41) So in this way we have all become bhagyavan jiva, or fortunate living entities, because we have come in contact with a true spiritual master like yourself, and we are receiving your mercy through your instructions and through the association of advanced disciples who are true to your instructions. Now one should not again return to the conditioned world by becoming falsely independent or mistakenly thinking that he alone is in a position to receive instructions from the Supersoul, and that only he can understand the desires of the spiritual master. This is to fall victim to a very deep and treacherous pitfall. On the other hand, you have indicated that for one who has been "trained by the spiritual master according to the regulative principles of devotional service and is situated on the platform of spontaneous attachment for the Lord (raga-bhakti), the Lord also gives instructions from within. This distinct advantage is obtained by a liberated soul." (also from the purport to Bhag. 4.28.41) To assist us in advancing to the platform of fixed devotional service, you have declared that "Krsna is now present in this ISKCON movement," and that ISKCON is nondifferent from you yourself. So if one in great delusion rejects the instructions of the spiritual master, and departs from the association of the loyal servitors of yourself who are endeavoring to push on your movement and Lord Caitanya's prophesized mission, then it can only be understood that once again he has fallen prey to envy and become a victim of the deluding potency. Srila Prabhupada, I pray that I will never turn away from you and my Godbrothers, who are your loyal disciples. Srila Prabhupada, we know that there will be many pasanḍis, cheaters who do not know the real path of spiritual advancement, and that they will come forward to disrupt this Krsna consciousness movement. In this way they unjustly belittle your endeavors my minimizing how you relentlessly endeavored to establish ISKCON. All these things will come to pass now that this unfortunate planet is no longer blessed with your footprints and the point of your cane. But those who are actually sincere will not become deluded, and free from envy, they will work with transcendental determination to establish this mission in every town and village. By your divine grace we will see every person as a recipient of your causeless mercy.
Srila Prabhupada, I know that your accomplishments are innumerable, that your transcendental qualities defy description, but still it is my duty as your eternal servitor to constantly glorify you. You have explained that Krsna is asking us to offer him a leaf, a little water, a flower, or some fruit. Actually Krsna is not in need of anything. He is the Supreme Lord, and everything is coming from Him; He is the proprietor of everything, and in His creation there are vast oceans, great rivers, unlimited vegetation, and fruits and flowers of all descriptions. Still it is for our benefit, so that by such devotion we become purified, that Krsna is requesting. In the same way, I am a simple, insignificant person, not very important at all. But if somehow or other I am given an opportunity to glorify someone as praiseworthy as yourself, and if I am thus able to say something, then that is another example of your greatness. In your humility, you have said that "I may not be perfect, but because I am repeating the words of my spiritual master, then what I say is perfect." Whatever I have learned, that I have learned from you. Of course, I cannot simply imitate, speaking what you have instructed but not following your instructions, asking others to follow but myself not obeying. I do not want to be such a cheap disciple, but like you, an acarya who teaches by his example. No one is barred from becoming a spiritual master, if he is able to follow you and thus present with realization this science of Krsna consciousness. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu commanded, "In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land." (Madhya-lila 7.129) You once told me, "At every moment I am seeing the lotus feet of my spiritual master." So even in your glorification of your spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, you have taught us by your perfect example.
Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung of the spiritual master, "He is my lord, birth after birth." Srila Prabhupada, I know that you are eternally perfect, nitya-siddha, and that you appeared in the material world out of causeless compassion for the forgetful souls entrapped within the false bodily conception of life. You have come to illuminate this dark world with knowledge. I, however, am one of the living entities who are called nitya-baddha. Life after life, since time immemorial, I have forgotten Krsna. Actually there are innumerable living entities in this material world, and they are all marked with the propensity to try to Lord it over the material nature. Sometime such deluded living entities are garlanded and proclaimed as eminent scientists or proud philosophers or leaders among men. But they are all servants of the temporary, ignorant and miserable material energy, and they cannot relieve themselves or anyone else from the shackles of birth, death, old age, or disease. Birth after birth, I have followed such blind leaders, and thus I have tumbled head over heels into the ditch of ignorance, always forgetful of Krsna and His causeless mercy. But somehow or other, by your divine grace, I have again become conscious. You are therefore my eternal spiritual master. I will always treasure the opportunity I had of seeing you, hearing you, and touching your lotus feet. But I am beginning to understand more and more that the real association of the disciple with the spiritual master takes place on the platform of service. I saw you before me, but now I can understand that whoever was in relation with you was so on the platform of eternal service. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati writes, "The materialistic demeanour cannot possibly stretch to the Transcendental Autocrat who is ever inviting the fallen conditioned souls to associate with Him through devotion or eternal serving mood." (Foreword to Sri Brahma-samhita) Krsna is eternal, His devotion is eternal, and so the spiritual master is ever existing on that transcendental platform of service, ever accepting the sincere endeavors of the fallen conditioned living entities to serve the Supreme Lord. In this way, your every gesture, your every word is simply reiterating the same thing: "Serve Krsna." What do I know of Krsna? I only know you, Srila Prabhupada, and I am begging you to keep me occupied in your service, not just this lifetime, but in unending time and eternal existence.
Your eternal servant,
Pancadraviḍa Swami
GBC-Central America, Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia.
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