This made me think that service, whatever it is, we have to do in a happy and a grateful mood, which most of the time i miss, when i am doing something which i don’t like. I am thinking why cant somebody else do this, why me? Radhanath Swami even says that there cud be somebody else who cud do it better but since you hv got it, do it with happy heart. Liking or not liking is the game of the mind. Radhanath Swami says, ” just leave it and surrender”. When we do like this then mercy flows more and more and then more u do the service with grateful and happy heart and the mercy flows more and more and the cycle continues… there will be no happy ending since the path in itself is happy and never ending…

In this regard, Radhanath Swami quotes a story of Sripad Ramanujacharya. Ramanujacharya was born in a Brahmin family. His father was a Brahmin devotee. Later on Ramanujacharya became the spiritual leader of the Sri Sampradaya.  Once he went to meet a devotee named Kanchipurna. Kanchipurna was born in a sudra family. There is a famous deity of Lord Varadraj in Kanchipuram. This Kanchipurna would daily bring the water for the Lord. During summer time, he would soak the chamara in water and then fan the Lord so that the Lord would not feel the heat. Once Ramanujacharya invited Kanchipurna to his home. He then started washing the feet of Kanchipurna; Kanchipurna immediately stopped Ramanujacarya from this activity and said you are a brahmana and I am a sudra, so, I am supposed to wash  your feet. When Ramanujacharya heard this, he said hell to my birth in a brahmin family which hinders me to worship a Vaishnava. Although Kanchipurna was born in a sudra family, he was actually a great devotee of the Lord so much so that The Lord Varadraj would reveal His heart by talking with him. It is said that if a person born in a  family of a dog eaters chants the holy name of the Lord, then he is considered to be a great devotee. But a person born in a family of a Brahmana does not chant the holy name, he cannot become a devotee of the Lord.

Radhanath Swami quotes two real stories from the yore to illustrate the gravity of this point:

“Once Sripad Ramanujacarya was invited by a wealthy person as well as by a poor person. Ramanujacarya asked one of his servants to visit both the places to see the arrangements. His servant first visited the home of the wealthy person. He was amazed to see the elaborate arrangement that was made to please Ramanujacarya. Thereafter he visited the home of the poor person; and there very very simple arrangement was made to welcome Ramanujacarya. He then returned and reported to Ramanujacarya about the elaborate arrangement made by the wealthy person and the simple arrangement by the poor person. Ramanujacarya asked his servant, “ I would like to know how you were received by them. Did they offer you something and respect you?”. His servant replied, “ I was not offered anything by the wealthy person, but the poor man first seated me, offered me water, and some food and then explained the arrangement he had made for you”. Hearing this, Ramanujacarya first visited the house of the poor person since he gave proper reception to his servant”.

Similarly once a devotee named Pundalik had a strong desire to visit all the holy places in India, leaving behind his parents who were great devotees of the Lord. He suddenly heard a transcendental voice from the sky “ You should remain at home and serve your parents. Because they are great devotees, you will accrue the result of visiting all the holy places.”  Pundalik then began serving his  parents faithfully. Being pleased by his service, the Lord visited him, but Pundalik asked the Lord to wait outside as he was engaged in serving his parents. The Lord was standing outside the home on bricks waiting for his devotee. This is how he is known as Vitthala.

Radhanath swami says that the greatest service that we can render to all the living entities is by enlightening them by being instruments in spreading the message of God.

Radhanath Swami also says that, “To the degree we love Krishna, to that degree we can show compassion to others. Actually, we have no compassion. It is Krishna only who is manifesting His compassion for others through us. “

Here you will find Gita Mahatmyam also sung by these devotees.

 This is Bhagavad Gita in English sung by H H Purnachandra Goswami.

This is a musical rendition and one person takes the role of many characters of Bhagavad Gita.

A must hear !!!

Part 1 of 4:

Gitamrita - H H Purnachandra Goswami - BG 1 to 18 Part 1 of 4

A beautiful musical rendition of Bhagavad Gita by H H Purnachandra Goswami - Part 1 of 4

 Part 2 of 4:

Gitamrita - H H Purnachandra Goswami - BG 1 to 18 Part 2 of 4

A beautiful musical rendition of Bhagavad Gita by H H Purnachandra Goswami - Part 2 of 4

Part 3 of 4:

Gitamrita - H H Purnachandra Goswami - BG 1 to 18 Part 3 of 4

A beautiful musical rendition of Bhagavad Gita by H H Purnachandra Goswami - Part 3 of 4

 Part 4 of 4:

Gitamrita - H H Purnachandra Goswami - BG 1 to 18 Part 4 of 4

A beautiful musical rendition of Bhagavad Gita by H H Purnachandra Goswami - Part 4 of 4

Radhanath Swami explains that King Drithrastra had two choices: One side Vidura (his brother) was giving him good counsel and on the other side Duryodhana was giving him bad counsel. Similarly, we all are in the same predicament like that of Drithrastra. We have a choice to select Vidura or Duryodhana in our lives. Vidura was telling him,” Why are you favoring your children who is on the path of adharma? Don’t you know that the Supreme personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna is on the Pandava’s side? And so Pandavas will surely emerge victorious and your entire dynasty will be annihilated?”. Drithrastra very well knew about this but because he was too attached to his children, he sided with adharma, his son Duryodhana, who was the personification of sins.

Similarly, most of the times, we also know what is right and what is wrong, what is conducive for spiritual life and what is not; but because of our attachment with  the objects of sense gratification and things of this world we remain in this world, life after life, suffering miseries. So therefore, our association determines our attachment. If you are associating with a sadhu, devotees like Vidura…you will develop similar qualities like humility, tolerance, detachment, etc.

When Duryodhana heard Vidura speaking to his father, he asked Vidura to leave the palace…not willing to spare him even a single breath. Hastinapur was then the capital of the entire world and Vidura was living in a luxurious palace. But he left everything, even the ornaments he was wearing, in a moment and went to the forest. He was not attached. Because he had strong faith that Krishna is in my heart and he will provide. Na me bhakta pranasyati….ananyas cintayanto maam… He went to the forests, mountains, and holy places to associate with sadhus and chant the glories of the Lord.

Radhanath Swami asks, “What do we have in comparison with what Vidura had?”. A small 2 BHK flat. When Krishna takes away that from us, will our thoughts be towards Krishna? But Vidura was very happy. He took it as the mercy of the Lord. Actually he was feeling liberated and free from the greedy environment around him. He was completely satisfied in his relationship with the Lord.

Our relationship with the Lord and devotees is permanent in this world. Everything else will be taken away today or tomorrow.

During a Q & A session with Radhanath Swami:

Devotee 1:  Maharaj, how to react or respond in a situation where we see others are envious of us?

Radhanath Swami: “ What do you have that make others envious of you?. You have nothing. Whatever we have, that all belongs to Krishna. If you think that somebody is envious of you then its nothing but your own pride.  Actually a devotee feels himself Akincana (having zilch material possessions). Its only due to pride that one claims Krishna’s property to be of his and thinks that others are envious of him.  But still due to  conditioned nature, if he or she is envious of you, then it is our duty to help our god brother and sister to free them from such mentality by being sober and humble before them. Help each other to progress in Krishna consciousness.”

Devotee 2: Maharaj, sometime we do not like to see the face of a particular devotee. Why? So is there any difference between dislike and envy?

Radhanath Swami: “Both are almost same with a slight difference. Suppose you are full with some bad qualities which you want to get rid of as quickly as possible and which you are disgusted with. Now when you see such bad qualities in a person, you develop dislike or hatred for that person. …..And when you see some good qualities in a person that you do not possess, then you become envious of that person.  So hatred is one form of envy only. ”

Rukmi & Sishupal blasphemed Krishna but Krishna tolerated all blasphemies. This is a nature of envy that there is no limit to which we can blaspheme, criticize, and insult  others. So Rukmi could only see bad qualities in krishna. Actually Krishna acted like a mirror and Rukmi  saw his own bad qualities in Krishna. So when we come in contact with a sadhu, Sadhus are like a mirror and we are reminded of our bad qualities. That’s why many people do not approach a sadhu now a days. After some time He then humiliated Rukmi by removing hairs from different parts of his body. It was worse than death. In the same way, Krishna tolerates our pride and envy towards others up to certain point and then humiliates us so badly that we are completely crushed and free from envy and dislike.