Sharanagati

Collected words from talks of Swami Tirtha




(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 08.01.2017 morning, Sofia)

Today is a special day. Just like any other day in devotional service. Today is a fast day – Ekadashi. This is the eleventh day after the full or the new moon. It’s a time for a little austerity. But this is not simply following an even more special type of diet, but it’s time to celebrate the victory of God over illusion. Actually that is the meaning of Ekadashi. So, we should have Ekadashis permanently, right – to celebrate the victory of divinity over the illusion. But our Lord is merciful enough to distribute these Ekadashis only sporadically. Nevertheless, this is the time to remember His victory.

And today we have to accomplish our study concerning the different relationships to God. There is only one relationship remained that we didn’t discuss. We discussed passive, servitude, friendship, paternal love; only one remained. And this is the loving relationship, conjugal. Then I think today is not only a day of self-austerity, but a day of a very good chance to study or to worship – better to worship – this divine love principle.

Some romantic people say that the most important, the most interesting feeling on this planet Earth in this human life is the love affair. But you know, the even more romantic guys will say that the romantic attachment to God is the most important thing in the whole creation. Some say: ‘God is love’. Others say: ‘Love is God’. So wherever we start, somewhere we shall meet this concept of enthusiastic attachment and affection to divinity.

Nevertheless this divine ecstasy is also reflected on this planet Earth in the bodily conception. We can say that love, affection on the lowest platform is just like an instinct. The whole nature works under this principle – instinctive affection. Then we can say that there is this sweet rapture in the heart. This is like the emotional side of human relationships. If we go further, then there is a very deeply-rooted human appreciation of others, manifested as love in the happy consciousness of a person. While finally there is the broadest and most profound spiritual yearning in us.

So we have a grand scale of different varieties, different reflections of this attachment. Therefore we have to condense it to the most essential stage. There is of course a lot to say about the divine love. But we should understand that from the fulfilling all the necessary rules and regulations, fulfillment will come.

Our human life is like a school, a pool of studies. And we try to take different-different experience here. In the beginning we might think: ‘Ah, there are so many subjects to study.’ But I think there is only one topic to learn in this life. This is the most sensitive and the most hidden, the most secret art – the art of divine love. I think we all agree that we can live without foot, we can live without brain, but we cannot live without heart. If this one is taken away from us, we are like an empty shell. Therefore we need to purify this feeling, to condense this feeling so much, that we can use it in divine service.

There are many different ways to approach the Supreme, but we can say nothing is more charming for Him, for Them, than this dedication. And what is the result of such a loving dedication? The result is the rapture. On whose side? Who will be captured by this rapture?

Answer: God.

Swami Tirtha: Correct. Divine love is so strong that even God cannot resist. And therefore we admire this principle. Therefore we are very fortunate, very blessed and very grateful that we belong to this school of divinity.

(to be continued)



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