Nisaadhanta
First Discourse

Before we start the main discourse let us invoke the help of Sri Ganeshji and Sri Hanumanji. Let us sing for a few moments

Varnaanaamartha Sangaanam
Rasaanaam Chhandasaamapi
Mangalaanaam cha kartaarou
Vande Vani Vinayakau

Which means:

I pray to Ganeshji, the remover of obstacles,
and Mother Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning,
who imparts the right purport,
to words, verses and speech.

First Discourse

Naath sakal sadhan main heena
Kinhi kripa jani jan dina
So kachhu dev na mohi nihora
Nij pan rakheo jan man chora

Which means: 

I have no means of reaching you, oh Lord! except through Your own grace,
When you do accept me as your own, it would not be a matter of surprise for me,
Nor shall I consider it a favour on your part , 
For I know it to be  a manifestation of Your own nature ,
Which is All Merciful

By the grace of Sri Vallabh Mahaprabhu and the Lord we shall be singing the praises of the Almighty, in this divine town which is the birth place of Mahaprabhuji.

The path that Sri Vallabh cut out for his devotees to follow, is called the Pushti Marg. Since this mode of devotion is similar to the teachings in the Ramayana I am happy to be talking about Sri Ram on this occassion.

Sri Vallabh says:

Nashrito Vallabhadhisho
Na cha Drushtva Subodhini,
Naradho Radhikanatho
Vratha Tajanma Bhut ale

It means: He who has not gone to Sri Vallabh for refuge, He who has not had a glimpse of Subhodiniji, (an interpretation of the Shrimad Bhagvad) or thought of Lord Krishna, his life has been  wasted in this world.

We are blessed to be born in the land where have walked great men, divine incarnations , like the Lord of Lords Sri Vrindanvan Bihari , Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , Sri Giriraj Dharan, Sri Govardhannathji Prabhu, Hanumanji , Mahaprabhu........

In the following days that we shall be spending together, we shall be speaking about the  Ramacharit Maanas but I think that you and I must also understand the great doctrines  of Mahaprabhuji. The teachings contained in the Ram Charit Manas and those of Sri Vallabh are similar in many respects and worth remembering.

The truths proclaimed in the  Ram Charit Manas and the teachings of Sri Vallabh are  sublime in character. .If you pay heed to them in utter devotion, they will elevate you to a lofty spiritual point.

ONE SENTIMENT - EXPRESSED IN SO MANY WAYS !

When a pilgrim feels he has failed  after trying every prescribed means to reach the Lord, he cries out  in despair. Tears well up in his eyes, and he feels the pangs of  separation from the Lord He now feels he can do nothing more in his sadhana. This feeling of helplessness when all means fail, Mahaprabhuji calls "Nisadhanta", Bhagwan Ramanuj calls this state "Tap" and it is called "Vyakulta" by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The devotee now consciously surrenders to the Lord.

Tulsidasji speaks of the plight of such devotees 's  thus :

Gad gad gira , nayan baha neera

Which means:    I feel the flow of joyful tears

and

Naath sakal saadhan main heena

Which means: I have no means to reach you Oh Lord

This will figure in discourses every day.  Today I should like particularly tell you about what Sharbhang Muni says in Aranya Kaand  He says 'chitvat pant  raheu din raati'  which means 'My dear Lord, I have no means to come to you but I can do one thing  -  I can but wait for you day and night.

If you follow the teachings of your sadguru (your personal master) you are sure to find the road that will take you to the Almighty.

What a beautiful doctrine for people to follow in these troubled and difficult times.  Just watch. Just love. Just wait.  You happen to be sleeping in your house and a thief break into it .  He sees you, and robs you , but you do not see him .  He takes away all your valuables .  You do not know who he is but he will always remember you.  A man who knows no other means to reach the Lord will ask Him to steal his heart .he will then reclaim: 'Dear God! You have stolen my heart, I may forget you but you will always remember me.

Nij pan Rakheu
Jan man chora

I have been trying to think which lines of ' Ram Charit Manas 'convey the idea expressed above.

Naath Sakal Sadhan main heena.

The above words were said by Muni Sharbhang .  There are also many instances in the Ramayana that feel and maintain the same emotion .  These nine days of my discourse we shall be listening to what Mahaprabhuji has to say on the above subject.

WHAT VALLABHJI AND MAHAPRABHUJI SAY ABOUT GOOD COMPANY AND BAD

You must have heard about this incident in Sri Mahaprabhuji's life . Once during his visits to Jagannathji temple and he met Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji.  How wonderful it must have been the meeting between these two great men.  After greeting each other they decided to share their spiritual experiences.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhjuji said  to Vallabhji, "Even if one were to spend  no more time in the company of a saint or  an enlightened human being, than a mustard seed remain on the tip of a horn, all sins would be destroyed."

To this, Sri Vallabhji said " If you give up good company and thoughts for even as short a time as it takes for a mustard seed to stay on a cows horn, you will become a victim to negative thoughts and actions.

The above is something for all of us to think about. 

Dear Mahaprabhuji! we have come to your doorstep to study  the tenets  you have left behind.  I sometimes imagine how wonderful it must have been when you physically walked the earth.

Once Mahaprabhuji went to Badrinathji accompanied by his disciple Krishnadas. The master told his disciple to wait  outside and keep meditating while he himself went to the cave in which Vyasji had meditated.

It is believed that Mahaprabhuji saw Vyasji in the cave.  Vyasji asked Mahaprabhuji to discuss the meaning of a verse from the second canto of the Srimad Bhagavat. Can you imagine, Vyasji, the author of the Srimad Bhhagavat himself asked Mahaprabhuji to discuss the meaning of a verse which he himself had composed? It is believed that the spiritual discussions that started between the two, continued for two and a half days. During the next nine days we shall be discussing on 'Nisadhanta'

Bharoso dridh in charanan kero
Sri Vallabh nakh chandra chhata bin
Sab jag mahi andhero
Sadhan aur nahin ya kali mein
Jaso hot nibhero
Surdas prabhu dwividh andhero
Bina mol ko chero

which means:

Surdas your worthless servant,
who is blind physically and spiritually
finds this world enveloped in total darkness
except for those who have staunch faith
in Sri Vallabh's charan (feet)
which illumine this otherwise gloomy world.
In this Iron-age there is no other means
to achieve You, O Lord
except by implicit trust and belief in him

Mahaprabhuji has said that the mouth that does not chant the name of Krishna is not worthy of taking in a morsel of food.

Before we end the discourse today let us all sing the Lord's name.

Sri Vallabh Vithal Girdhaari
Yamunaji ki balihari.