Saṃskāras, impressions on the heart

[Note: The sections from this point are from transcribrd recordings courtesy of Śrīla Gurudeva's editiorial sevā team.]

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: The purpose of reading and uttering the prayers of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is to develop saṃskāras, impressions on the heart.

Our Guru Mahārāja, Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, used to tell us never to sing any songs other than those composed by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Premānanda dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrī Govinda dāsa and other siddha-mahāpuruṣas, (perfected, great personalities) in our guru-paramparā. Because such devotees are empowered and very advanced in bhakti, if we sing their kīrtanas, something of their bhāva will certainly enter our hearts.

Our Guru Mahārāja told a story about Narahari Prabhu, a disciple of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura. Narahari Prabhu was not very learned, but he was a very sincere devotee. He was such a good servant of Śrīla Prabhupāda that all the sannyāsīs and learned devotees would bow down at his feet. Even my Guru Mahārāja and Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja paid respect to him. I have seen him. He was always chanting, never sleeping, and he would always do any sevā at any time. He was known as the ‘mother’ of Gauḍīya Māṭha. He would take the young boys on his lap, give them milk, put them to sleep, and to look after them in every way. In the night he would take a hurricane lamp to attend the younger boys, and if one of them had passed urine, he would clean their bedding, give them medicines, and do whatever was required. Everyone knew him as ‘Florence Nightingale’ and addressed him as Narahari Dā. ‘Dā’ means ‘dada’, elder brother.

Narahari Prabhu once became so ill and unable to digest anything that he was about to die. Our Guru Mahārāja, who was known as Vinoda Bihari rahmacari at that time, took Narahari Prabhu with him to East Bengal, near his ancestral hriome, to meet a very famous ayurvedic doctor. After examining him, the doctor told Guru Mahārāja, “If you had not reached here today, he may have died within two or three days. Somehow God has sent you to me. First I want to give him one spoonful of ghee daily.” Our Guru Mahārāja said, “He will die at once if he takes ghee. He cannot digest even water, what to speak of ghee.” The doctor then explained his theory. He said, “I know that he will not die. His stomach requires ghee. I will give him ghee, knowing that it will pass through him. But some coating will remain in his stomach. I will give him one spoonful in the morning and one in the evening for seven days. This will be his treatment.” After fifteen days they obtained a good result, and in one month Narahari Prabhu was cured.

I am giving this example because in our present condition we have nothing. We cannot understand the topics discussed by our ācāryas. Yet, when we sing their songs, some saṃskāra will certainly come, and that will give a good result later on. We will gradually and increasingly try to develop greed to serve Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa. We should sing the songs and prayers of our predecessor ācāryas, but always with great śraddhā, faith, and care.