Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 24.08.2016 evening, Ludasto)

Now we are back to the holy place of Naimisharanya where the sages assembled to perform the sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Supreme and His devotees.

“The sages said: Respected Suta Gosvami, you are completely free from all vice. You are well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life, and in the Puranas and the histories as well, for you have gone through them under proper guidance and have also explained them. Being the eldest learned vedantist, O Suta Gosvami, you are acquainted with the knowledge of Vyasadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and metaphysical knowledge. And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them”[1].

Here is a person to talk, who is completely pure from all vice, all shortcomings. “You are well-versed in all the scriptures because you have gone through all these different kinds of scriptures under proper guidance.” According to the teachings of Shrila Shridhara Maharaja, even if we perform some kind of religious activities, but not under instruction, this is not complete. We might think that: ‘Oh, I study the scriptures’, but it might be a simple sense gratification, if it is not under instruction. There is some instruction concerning all this knowledge and studies, this and that: “Don’t read many books”. Why? Because if you read many books, you will find many opinions. And this is especially very important for Hungarians, because two Hungarians – four opinions.

Baladev: What about Bulgarians?

Sanatan: Doubled.

Swami Tirtha: We have something in common.

So, who is a qualified lecturer? The one who has gone through the scriptures under proper guidance. This is one way to get rid of all shortcomings and all mistakes or faults. And the sages also declared that: “You are the eldest learned vedantist.” Vedanta means the end of the Vedas or the top of the Vedas, the essence of the Vedas. This is the secret and mystic conclusion of the Vedas. And we understood from the scriptures and from our masters that the essence of all the Vedas is the glorification of the Supreme Lord. This spirit of worship pervades the whole Vedas. Then what is the conclusion, what is the vedanta of such a worship mood? The loving union with the Supreme. This is the siddhanta. So far vedanta and from now on – siddhanta, the ultimate conclusion. So, if somebody is the senior in the group, he has to be the lecturer. But this seniority doesn’t go by the years simply. Because the souls are forever young. On the eternal platform there is no difference of age – no young, no old. But the criterion of seniority is the spiritual progress.

“And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters had blessed you. Therefore you can explain everything.” So, the ultimate quality of a devotee, of a disciple is this kind of surrendered humility. Just like as we discussed recently: ‘When I eat, you are nourished. When I tell, you speak. When I see, you observe.’ Automatically all the powers, all the blessings are coming upon such a surrendered soul. You can collect a lot of information; but this is the blessing of a saint that will turn it into reality. The blessing will turn it into wisdom, beyond the information. “Therefore you can explain: because it’s not you who speaks, this is your superior speaking through you. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from your masters.”

Shrila Prabhupad once gave a definition that bhakti-yoga proper means the scientific understanding of God. But this is not simple theology, because that is dry. Rather some experience – something that we have to try ourselves. Experience of God is not hidden in the universities, in theological faculties. It’s something different.

[1] Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.6-8