Nisaadhanta
Preface

Jai Shree Ram

THE GREATNESS OF CHAMPAARANYA

This particular discourse "Nisaadhanta" was delivered in Champaaranya. It was in this lush scenic spot that Mahaprabhuji appeared on a mid-night, during the month of Chaitra (the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar).

It was a tradition among the ancestors of Mahaprabhuji, to perform the Som- Yajna (sacrifice). One of the fore-fathers had decided to become an ascetic, but on the advice of a sage, he took to family life, as it was predicted by the wise man that a divine child would be born in their family.

Sri Yagyanarayan Bhatt, a predecessor of Mahaprabhuji, continued to perform the  yajnas (sacrifices). As his devotion  in the Lord and and faith  in Him grew stronger, he fed around a hundred thousand brahmins in Varanasi. Around  that time, Varanasi came under the attack of a barbarian race, and the Bhatt family had to flee to safer surroundings. They settled in a place situated in a valley, surrounded by a range of mountains. The most famous of these hills was "Giriraj" At its foot was a flat stone, and near it a  cow regularly discharged milk. The people around who saw this ,excavated the spot, to find to their amazement an image of Shrinathji lying concealed in the earth. When they prayed to the God to come into the open, He said He would do so only when Vallabhji came to Him. When eventually ,Vallabhji arrived on the scene and accepted as parsad the cow's milk, Shrinathji revealed Himself. Vallabhji made a mud temple with his own hands and installed Shrinathji in it.

The birthplace of Mahaprabhuji is today a pilgrimage centre. Pujya Sri Morari Bapu has taken up the teachings of Mahaprabhuji  and brought them to us along with the words of Sharbhang from the Ram charit Maanas:

Naath sakal saadhan main heena 
Kinhi kripa jaani jan dina

Which means: 

I have no means of reaching you, Oh Lord
except through your own grace

These words  describe the various stages in love and devotion. 

This "katha" (discourse) we dedicate to Sri Vallabh Mahaprabhuji.

A few words from me........

The words of the "katha"  belong to Sri Morari Bapu. The English version as it were has flowed through me, and for that I feel blessed.

I have been struggling for years in the spiritual field . I cannot say how far I have progressed, but I know that  I have been an honest seeker.  Initially my quest was for knowledge. I searched for scientific reasons behind Hindu customs and beliefs. Then I proceeded to find out symbolic meanings in the story of "The Ramayana" and later I recorded what I had learned and my experienced at the feet of various Masters.  Though sometimes I feel that I have made progress, at other times I feel that I am where I first started my spiritual journey.

So, one sunny afternoon, I met Sri Morari Bapu at a devotee's house and said to him: "ab to aap aashirvaad kar bhi do. Main dimaag chalaate chalaate thak gayee hoon, aur mera dima ab chalte chalte thak gaya hai." ("I want you to bless me now, as I am as tired of using my mind as my mind is tired of being used so much")

Bapu smiled but said nothing.   I requested for permission to translate his Hindi  book of discourses in Hindi. Bapu readily gave me his permission and added, "Bahut phaida hoga" ("It will be  much beneficial")

 I can affirm that the translation of "Nisaadhanta" came at the right time of my spiritual pursuit. After all "Nisaadhanta" (surrender) can  come only after one has tried many means in spiritual sadhana.

In response to my statement that  my intellect was getting tired, Bapu said in the course of his discourse:

Geeta mein Sri Krishna ne
dimaag ko nahin nakaara hai, lekin
Jab kriya ho jaaye tab
Dimaag se utaro
aur dil mein aa jaao
Har samay ek samajh bani rahe.
Yaad rakho ki
Main kisike sharan mein hoon,
main kyon daroon?
Jab andhera aaye,
tab zimmedaari suraj ki ho jaati hai

Which means:

In the Geeta, Sri Krishna
has given the intellect its place
But after having performed your action ,
He says:
Keep your intellect around you,
But do not neglect the faith
that resides in your heart
Remember that since
you are under the refuge of the Lord
There is no reason to be afraid?
When darkness descends
It is the responsibility of the sun
To bring the brightness back.

I have  been but an instrument  of the Lord in translating Pujya Sri Morari Bapu's discourse. My prayer is that the readers  should benefit from this book much more than I have.

Sincerely,
Shakun Narain