[Baba is talking about the bridge Lord Rāma constructed upon the sea].
The materialistic ocean is so large, but can be easily dried up simply by the chanting of the holy name, Tulsidās says, nama leta bhava sindhu sukhāya, “Only by chanting the holy name, not only bridges can be made, but even this materialistic ocean dried.”
It is known how the holy name is so much greater than God. This sea around this bridge, its length and depth, can be scaled and measured. This materialistic ocean is infinite, because it is spread all over the universe. Billions of stars are there; billions of universes are there, but all these universes, all these material fields are dried simply by chanting holy name. There is no need of making any bridge to cross it. Therefore the holy name of God is so much greater than God. Now hear how Lord Rāma made the bridge over sea. He had to perform so much hard work and labor. There is a chopaya in the Rāmacarita mānasa, Bala kāṇḍa 24th doha; Rāma gave salvation to Śabari and Jatayu, but the holy name was far more reaching;
śabari gīdha susevakani sugati dīnhi raghunātha
nāma udhāre amita khala beda bidita guna gātha
The Lord of Raghus conferred immortality only on faithful servants like Śabari (the celebrated Bhīla woman) and the vulture (Jatāyu), while His Name has delivered innumerable wretches; the tale of Its virtues is well-known in the Vedas.
But by the mercy of the holy name billions of people have been given salvation. In the Rāmacarita mānasa, Bāla kāṇḍa, chopaya 23, Tulsidās declares the superiority of the holy name to Rāma;
niraguna te ehi bhāti bara nāma prabhāu apāra
kahau nāmu bara rāma te nija bicāra anusāra
The glory of the Name is thus infinitely greater than that of the Absolute; I shall show below how in my judgment the Name is superior even to Śrī Rāma.
In comparison to Nirguṇa Brahmān, the holy name is so much greater because Nirguṇa Brahmān does not reciprocate, there are no transcendental qualities, He does not possess forgiveness or compassion. The holy name is much greater because it has mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. So here it says that in comparison to Lord Rāma, the holy name is so much greater. Why is it greater? Because the Lord’s personal human-like form is only for the benefit of human beings, as He tolerated so much suffering and misery. What were those difficulties and calamities? In Lanka, there was a great battle with demons, as described in the Rāmacarita mānasa, Aranya kāṇḍa, He killed so many sinful demons.
But if somebody takes shelter of His holy name, without any hard work, the devotee attains liberation and real pleasure. Lord Rāma had to tolerate so much suffering, so much pain, but a devotee who chants the holy name, has no pain or suffering.
rāma eka va; Rama gave salvation to one sati women, Ahelia, but the holy name is giving salvation to billions of persons, liberating billions of creatures. Lord Rāma, for the benefit of the great ṛṣis, killed a great female demon, Parka along with her many other demon associates, He killed them all, but what does the holy name do? It destroys material identification.
There are three things, faults, sorrow, and false expectations, each leading to material illusion. The holy name destroys the faults, sorrow, and illusory hopes. Lord Rāma, with great difficulty, broke the bow of Lord Śiva. But the holy name alone breaks all materialistic bonds.
When Rāma went to Dandakavan, He made that forest very pleasant, but the holy name purifies the hearts of countless devotees. Lord Rāma killed numbers of demons but the Rāma nama destroys the faults of Kali-yuga.
Lord Rāma gave liberation to Śabari and Jatāyu, but His holy name liberated countless individuals. Rāma gave His shelter to Vibhishana and Sugrīva, but His holy name gives shelter to unlimited living entities.
As described in the Valmiki Rāmāyaṇa, the bridge, which Lord Rāma constructed over the sea, when He had battle with Rāvaṇa, was 100 yojanas in length according to the measurement, and was constructed by Lord Rāma in five days. On the 1st day 14 yojanas manifested, the 2nd day 20, 3rd day 21 yojanas, 4th day 22, and on the 5th day 23 yojanas were completed. A yojana is a measurement.
According to the Valmiki Rāmāyana there is the evidence of the bridge, which was constructed by Lord Rama. I told this because someone here has seen the remains, and Gosvāmīji says that bears and monkeys had to do hard work for constructing the bridge over the sea. But simply by chanting the holy name this materialistic ocean is dried. Therefore in the incarnation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, devotees have written that that the holy name of God is greater than God, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Himself.
Now according Rāmacarita mānasa, that among the one hundred billion qualities of Lord Rama, the essence is the holy name of Rāma. And the chopaya says, namaḥ prasada sambu avinasi, that Lord Śiva, who has an inauspicious form, has become auspicious only by the holy name. Why does he have an inauspicious form? It is because he is ornamented with snakes and scorpions, is naked, and is covered only by the skin of a deer. The inauspiciousness increases by the garland of heads, which he wears. According to Bhaktamal, Lord Śiva, after Sātīji passed away, wore the heads of Sātīji and the devotees. And how such an inauspicious form of Lord Śiva becomes auspicious? It was only by the mercy of the holy name, because he chants the holy name all the time.
When Lord Śiva wondered here and there on the earth in separation of Pārvatīji, it is described in Rāmacarita mānasa, Uttarā kāṇḍa, 52nd doha; Śivaji has said that When I heard the katha of Lord Rāma then my sorrow, my pain was destroyed.
tumharī kṛpā kṛpāyatana aba kṛtakṛtya na moha jāneu rāma pratāpa prabhu cidānaṁda saṁdoha
nātha tavānana sasi sravata kathā sudhā raghubīra, śravana puṭanhi mana pāna kari nahī aghāta matidhīra
By Your grace, O Abode of mercy, I have now attained the object of my life and have no delusion left in me. I have realized the greatness of Lord Śrī Rāma, who is knowledge and bliss personified. O Lord of resolute mind, my soul knows no satiety as I quaff with the cups of my ears the nectar-like story of Śrī Rāma (the Hero of Raghu’s line) flowing from Your moon-like mouth.
Before doha 52, where Lord Śiva expresses shelter and solace, he explains how he had become mad with the sorrow of separation of Sātī, Pārvatī. Lord Śiva, pained with the separation of Sātīji, was wondering across the mountains and rivers just to pacify his mind.
Lord Śiva said “When I approached Mount Sumeru I saw a blue mountain. Its peaks were golden, and upon the crests of those hills, there were so many beautiful trees. This mountain had stairs made of precious stones, jewels, and diamonds. There were many transcendental birds there. Upon that mountain, under a tree, Kākabhuśuṇḍaji, a great devotee lived there.” He is known for how during the destruction of this universe, the forces of maya don’t approach his abode, for at this place there is an incessant, continual kathā of God.
As in Maan Mandira, no one asks for money, there is no need of donations. Even though so much work is being done. If some rich person comes that is a different case. Almost 100 people are living here undisturbed. And down below, there is also so many girls living. They are living peacefully. What is the glory? This is the effect of the holy name, kathā, and kīrtana here.
Without a doubt by this method, the power of Kali-yuga is destroyed. The critics want only one ‘masala’, and to avoid criticizing, one should not think of them. This is their nature to criticize, but where there is constant kathā and kīrtana, the faults of maya and Kali, do not come. Here is the proof, without any materialistic desires everything is pure.
You should understand one thing. Desireless devotion is authentic devotional service. By desireless devotion the subtle body is burned. This body is made of mind and senses. I will give evidence to back up my points.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.32, Lord Kapila instructs:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca devānāṁ guṇa-liṅgānām
ānuśravika-karmaṇām sattva evaika-manaso
vṛttiḥ svābhāvikī tu yā animittā bhāgavatī
bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī
Lord Kapila said: The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their natural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are representatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind’s natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation.
SB 3.25.33
jarayaty āśu yā kośaṁ nigīrṇam analo yathā
Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat.
Animittā means desire less. In reality, desireless devotion is greater to liberation or spiritual perfection, siddhi.
When somebody eats food, then inside the belly there is ‘jatragni’, a fire that digests the food. You don’t create fire inside, but there is a fire within. In the same way, the desireless devotional service burns five koshas or five material coverings.
These are five holes inside; they are called pancha kosha, 5 aspects to the body. The first hole is ‘annamaya’ kosha, the outer body made of skin. The second is the ‘pranamaya’ kosha, the vital energy connecting the subtle body, the third is the ‘manomaya’ kosha, the boundary of mind, the 4th, the ‘vijnanamaya’ kosha, wisdom, and 5th, the ‘anandamaya’ kosha, the boundary of pleasure. When these 5 layers, pancha kosha, are eradicated, then the soul is liberated, these 5 levels are burned by this desireless devotional service.
The 5th kosha, the fifth hole or boundary, remains when devotional service is performed with alternate desire, such an approach has no power to eradicate this final boundary. Persons like us want devotion with desires. So the authentic saint only teaches desireless devotional service, unmotivated devotional service.
In the SB 1.2.6 it is stated:
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.
Ahaituky apratihatā; ahaituky means that there is no materialistic desire, apratihatā; ceaseless, constant.
This is the greatest dharma, ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. Devotion with material desire has no power; it cannot burn the subtle body, and manifest any miracles.
This desireless devotion is called devotion beyond the modes of nature. You can see in the 3rd Canto, 29th chapter. One should understand this, so that even if a person cannot progress on the path, he should at least understand the dynamics.
In the 3rd Canto, 29th chapter, are the characteristics of desireless devotion. If there is alternate desire then devotional service becomes sattvic, rajas, or tamas, full of goodness, passion or ignorance. That devotional service will be infected with negative qualities of material nature. And that devotion, mixed with modes of nature, has no power to burn the subtle body within.
Therefore, the genuine saints don’t inspire a living entity in material desires or mixed devotion, to eat nicely and run for money. Foolish persons like us, aspire for these things and teach our dependents these affairs. A real sadhu will never train his followers to fulfill materialistic desires.
A teacher who encourages materialistic desires becomes dear to, and is appreciated by the public. One, who denies materialistic views, is not valued; he becomes a threat.
There was a gosvāmī from Kama. He brought so many people from New Delhi. They came to Maan Mandir and he said to me, “You should give them some transcendental knowledge.” Then I explained how transcendental knowledge is desire less devotional service. He was embarrassed, and said into my ears, “Maharaja you should not give them such knowledge, I have told them that they should go to Varṣāṇā, and all their desires will be fulfilled. Now you should say, that all of your desires will be fulfilled here in Varṣāṇā. Otherwise they will not come again.”
He said this very slowly, “I brought these people from New Dehli, and told them that all your desires will be fulfilled in Varṣāṇā.” Then I thought this poor man has brought them in some way, so I said ok, then I said “I have asked Jagadish Gosvāmī and he has said that by constant bhajan all your desires will be fulfilled, you will attain dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa . You will attain money, and your material desires will be fulfilled.”
They said “Oh your lecture was very good” but I knew that this lecture was very wrong, but what could I do? The people don’t want to listen to the truth. The person who doesn’t want to listen, he wants these desires fulfilled, “Mahārāja show such mercy upon us.”
Therefore that’s why I told you, devotional service that isn’t desireless is very weak and cannot burn the subtle body.
In the SB 4.22.26 Śaunaka Ṛṣi has said “Devotional service which is constant, not broken, has so many names: “
adā ratir brahmaṇi naiṣṭhikī pumān
ācāryavān jñāna-virāga-raṁhasā
dahaty avīryaṁ hṛdayaṁ jīva-kośaṁ
pañcātmakaṁ yonim ivotthito ’gniḥ
Upon becoming fixed in his attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the grace of the spiritual master and by awakening knowledge and detachment, the living entity, situated within the heart of the body and covered by the five elements, burns up his material surroundings exactly as fire, arising from wood, burns the wood itself.
It is called ‘naiṣṭhikī bhakti’, constant devotion, devotional service that is never broken.
In First canto, 2nd chapter 6th sloka, there is a word apratihatā, this refers to devotional service without end:
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.
That is called naiṣṭhikī in 4.22.26. That devotional service is undisturbed.
naiṣṭhikī rati; there is constant devotion, if there is the mercy of an ācārya, the strength of his knowledge, burns the faults of the living entity.
Only naiṣṭhikī bhakti; desireless devotional service will affect the subtle body. Devotional service with desire will not purify; I want sweets, and money. This kind of devotional service will not burn the subtle body. We should not run after such things.
From the very beginning, one should follow the proper path. In such a heart, God Himself appears. jahi jahi cabone ka jo; God does not want anything, Valmikiji has said in Rāmacarita mānasa, “God lives in a heart where there is no material desire. One with a materialistic temperament, God does not come.”
In Ayodhya kāṇḍa, 131st doha;
jāhi na cāhia kabahu kachu tumha sana sahaja sanehu
basahu niraṁtara tāsu mana so rāura nija gehu
Lastly, he who wants nothing at any moment and bears natural affinity to You-then You incessantly dwell in his mind; for that is Your own home.
A devotee who doesn’t want anything, He lives in that heart. Valmikiji declares this of Lord Rāma. The 130th doha also confirms:
svāmi sakhā pitu mātu gura jinha ke saba tumha tāta
mana maṁdira tinha ke basahu sīya sahita dou bhrāta
Nay, those to whom, my dear, You are at once master and companion, father and mother, preceptor and everything else-it is in the temple of their mind that Sītā and You two brothers should reside.
In this world one should not accept any other religion except God. Here Valmikiji denies even the relationship with guru. It is said ‘swami’ becomes a ‘carpet man guru’, because when one becomes a spiritual master, he teaches his disciple, you should go and bank money, you should ask for donations. Such a spiritual master throws the disciples into maya.
Therefore, here it is suggested by Valmikiji, that one should accept God as the spiritual master, because if you make me a spiritual master you should bring sweets for me, you should bring money, you have to fetch them.
Therefore, very frankly Valmikiji is saying that guru in none other than God. Master is god, parent, mother, father, are god, friend is god, and gurudeva is also god. All the relationships should be made with God only. Everyone, meaning daughters and sons are also god, because in that relationship towards the Supreme God, no mundane desires will manifest.
If your relationship is just with persons, then undermining desires will manifest there. If you have a relationship with your wife, then a desire will be there, bring a sari for her, etc., therefore it is called naiṣṭhikī bhakti; constant devotion, and in this way, the subtle body will soon burn and the living entity be liberated. This is said in so many places, as we find in SB 4.22.26.
Jaya Śri Radhe…