All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga
 

On the Appearance Day of
Srimati Lalita Devi

31st August 2006

An extract from Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume I, in glorification of Srimati Lalita Devi

by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

A hint of the particular standard of Srimati Lalita Devi's service has been given by Srila Rupa Goswami:

radha-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharmmabindu
nirmmanchanopakarane krta-deha-laksyam

Devotees offering their respects at Ucha Gaon, the place of Lalita Devi, in Sri Vrindavan Dham.

When Lalita Devi finds a drop of perspiration at the feet of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, she furiously engages herself to remove it. "How has it come there? We are circumambulating Them to see that not the least pain can enter this domain to trouble Them. But how without our notice has this perspiration appeared? Perspiration, perspiration! So she is furiously chastising herself, and wants to immediately take birth one lakh (100,000) times - with that force she comes to remove that drop of perspiration from the lotus feet of either of the Divine Couple. If the least difficulty is seen in the serving area, the Lord's associates can't tolerate it in any way, and such eagerness, self-abuse and earnestness is found in them. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said,

sanatana, deha-tyage krsna yadi paiye
koti-deha ksaneke tabe chadite pariye
(C.c. Antya 4.56)

"O Sanatan, to attain the service of Krishna, I want to immediately die ten million times. I am ready to embrace ten million deaths if that will help me serve Him."

The Hladini-sakti, the feeling potency, is Srimati Radharani. Even She feels dissatisfaction within Herself; "I can't...." This holds the extreme position: "I can't do My service, My duty; I can't do it."

At the meeting in Syamanta-panchaka at Kuruksetra, Krishna Himself suddenly fell at Srimati Radharani's feet and begged forgiveness: "I am an offender, a criminal to your position. You are so self-giving, I cannot fulfil My real duty towards You. Your service to Me is so loving, I can't do My duty to You." But Srimati Radharani said, "It is I who am committing offences, because I am still living despite Your separation. In Your separation I am still living - that proves that I am the offender. I am the offender, not You, because I am living. That is sufficient proof that I am not fit for You. Why did I not die with the separation? There is the proof."

Krishna fell at Her feet: "Your position is so high, so high. So long I was without You, increasing My different duties. Without trying to satisfy You, I engaged Myself in consideration of different duties." But Srimati Radharani said, "No, no, it is I who am the offender, that I did not die without Your company. We find in the Scriptures that the male has such freedom, but not the female. So I should have died in the separation, and You have no offence that You left Me to do so many duties here and there. You have so many duties to discharge, but I am only for Your service. As such, I could not keep up the standard." Such was the meeting at Kuruksetra.

So in Krishna's pastimes, the potencies are Sandhini, Samvit, and Hladini. Hladini holds the highest position because of wholesale self-surrender. Next is Samvit, and then third is the position of the Sandhini. Thinking, feeling, and willing: willing is Sandhini, thinking is Samvit, and feeling is Hladini. Ordinarily we may think that feeling is the last of all, but no, it is the first. Feeling is first. Feeling, real feeling, has been given such a high position. We are all under feeling. We are all searching, and feeling is commanding. We think feeling is the result. No. Feeling is commanding everything. First feeling, then thinking, then willing. Generally the karmis give the better hand to willing - willpower - all command; and the jnanis place everything in thinking - "We command the will, so we are holding the high position." But feeling is at the basis of everything. He, or It, or She - is commanding everything. It has been told like that; we have to understand the position of feeling. Hare Krishna.

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Link: "We must follow the service mood of Lalita Devi," by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.