| All glories 
      to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga 
 
        Sri Guru-PurnimaSrila Vyasadev's Appearance
 
 Related references from books by
 His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
 
 
 
          From  Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion Vol.IV, Chapter One: The Four Sittings of Srimad Bhagavatam
 
            Question: In the beginning of Srimad Bhagavatam events are
              described of Suta Goswami speaking at Naimisaranya and this is after
              Vyasadev had spoken Bhagavatam to Sukadev. So how is it that
              Vyasadev was aware of the events at Naimisaranya?
 Srila Sridhar Maharaj: So many sittings of Bhagavatam took
              place. First Narad came and gave instruction by way of a ten sloka
              outline. He told Vyasadev; "Meditate on it and give it out to the
              public. Elucidate these principles. Elucidate, otherwise what you have
              given so far will be all fruitless." So Vyas took only those ten slokas,
              those ten verses. He meditated and wrote the principle Bhagavatam in
              a short way. He gave, "That is revered brahma, the highest quarter,
              the Krsna conception of Godhead, and that lila is very sweet. That is
              nothing of this side in maya, but that plane is full of transcendental,
              sweet Pastimes." Vyasadev managed to call his son, Sukadev, and in
              Badarikasram he taught him: "Although my inclination was towards
              this non-differentiated brahman conception, my father managed to
              teach me this lila of Bhagavan Krishna. Today I shall talk about that to
              you in this great assembly."
 
 So Sukadev received Srimad Bhagavatam from Vyasadev.
              Previously Narad gave it to Vyasadev, and Vyas composed it in
              elaboration and taught it to Sukadev: this was the second recitation.
              The third was when Sukadev delivered lectures with his remarks to
              the great assembly of scholars in Sukartala.
 
 When Sukadev gave lecture, there was one Suta Goswami who was a
              very sharp hearing man, srutidhara. Srutidhara is one who having
              only once heard something keeps it in his memory, and Suta, having
              those qualities, was present in that meeting. The fourth sitting was in
              Naimisaranya where the rishis, apprehending the black march of kaliyuga,
              commenced and engaged themselves in a one thousand year
              campaign, yajna. Finding Suta Goswami they told, "We have go
              much leisure in the evening to hear about the Absolute and we heard
              that you, Suta, were present in that mysterious and famous assembly
              where Sukadev gave his lecture about Bhagavatam and you
              memorised it. We request that you deliver by way of lecture to us that
              Bhagavatam." Suta Goswami accepted their proposal and that was the
              last sitting in the form of regular evening lectures. Sixty thousand or
              so rishis, the scholars and performers of sacrifices, assembled to hear
              from him. It was after this sitting that Vyasadev took the whole thing
              and compiled it in book form and let it loose on the public.
 
 From  Sri Guru and His Grace, Chapter: Separation from Sri Guru. 
        Vyasadev may, or may not, know 
            Devotee: Although the disciple should regard the guru
              as absolute and of the highest level of spiritual attainment,
              how should the guru view his own position?Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Sridhar Swami wrote a commentary
              on the Srimad-Bhagavatam. It was a little different
              from the previous commentaries, so the scholars,
              especially the Sankarites, refused to accept that commentary
              as universal. They put it to the test. They left
              the commentary in the temple of Visvanath, Lord            Siva, and agreed that if he accepted the commentary,
              they would all accept. Then, from the Siva temple,
              this verse was revealed:
 
 aham vedmi suko vetti
 vyaso vetti na vetti va
 (Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 24.313)
 
 "The real purpose of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is very
              difficult to conceive," Lord Siva says. "I know the true
              purpose of Bhagavatam; Sukadev, the son and disciple
              of Vyasadev, knows it thoroughly, and the author of
              the Bhagavatam, Srila Vyasadev, may or may not
              know the meaning.
 
 When teaching Sanatan Goswami, Mahaprabhu
              said, "Sanatan, Krishna is going to give His kindness
              to you through Me. I am talking to you like a madman.
              I feel many things are passing through Me to you.
              But I do not know that I Myself have that thing." It is
              possible. It is wonderful, but still we find it there. It is
              not unreasonable, although it is not understandable.
 
 You see, when the Second World War broke out, in
              Dalhousie Square in Calcutta, there was a popular
              government poster. A military uniform was painted
              on the wall. Beneath it was a saying, "Just wear this uniform,
              and the uniform will show you what you must
              do." So, when a sincere man has taken a particular
              charge, he will somehow find out what are the duties
              of his post. He is sincere. And God will help. God
              helps those who help themselves. You have taken the
              charge, and that charge has come only as a chance, but
              there is some underground link. Then if you try to go
              on, help will come to you. He's not a cheat. You have
              sincerely taken this responsibility, as given to you by
              your master, and the master is not a cheat. He will
              come to help you with all his might, saying, "Do this.
              I'm helping; I am at your back." When we are all sincere,
              things will happen like this.
 
 From  Sermons of The Guardian of Devotion Vol.I, Chapter Ten: Beyond Doubt. 
        Before the Srimad-Bhagavatam appeared in the world, Devarsi Narad
          came and gave a regular stricture to Srila Vyasadev: "What have you
          done for so long? This is nothing! Rather, you did some downright
          wrong."
 jugupsitam dharma-krte 'nusasatah
 svabhava-raktasya mahan vyatikramah
 yad vakyato dharma idtarah sthito
 na manyate tasya nivaranam janah
 (Bhagavatam, 1.5.15)
 
 "You have committed a great wrong. In your injunctions of religious
          duty for the masses, you have sanctioned condemnable worldly works
          for fulfilment of mundane desires. The masses are already by nature
          attached to condemnable worldly works for fulfilment of mundane
          desires. It is a great wrong because the worldly masses will conclude
          that your messages alone are the central religious duty. Even if they
          are taught by other knowers of the truth to refrain from those worldly
          works, they will not accept those teachings, or, they will not be able to
          understand them for themselves."
 
 "The people generally have natural affinity for these things - dharma,
          artha, kama, and then moksa (religion, wealth, sense-pleasure, and
          liberation). You have recommended these four things in a regular and
          polished way, but this is already their natural demand. When one is
          over-fed, he wants fasting as a reaction. So, moksa is only a reaction
          to exploitation. This is already a fact, and you have recommended the
          same thing. What new thing have you given them? You have done
          wrong! Why? Because when a person of your status has recommended
          moksa, it will be difficult to give anything further. No one will be
          prepared to oppose your opinion, your standard. All will say that
          Vyasadev is the highest authority, and that they don't care for the
          advice of anyone else. The highest authority is Vyasadev. So it will
          be very difficult to get the people to accept through other sources
          anything beyond what you have given. So, you have done wrong! It
          may be considered your misdeed. Now, the only relief can be that you
          yourself will give the fifth end (beyond the aforementioned four
          common pursuits). You, personally, will have to take this work: 'So
          far what I have given is very limited, but now I shall give you
          something far superior.' You alone will have to take up this task, and
          only then you will have undergone the proper penance necessary for
          your chastisement. Mahan vyatikramah - it is a great wrong, because
          jugupsitam - what is very condemnable; dharma-krte - is given under
          the stamp of religion; but the goods under the stamp are ultimately nonreligious.
          What good is that? Only 'to do wrong and not to do wrong.'
          But to do good - is it not included there? Of bad and non-bad, non-bad
          does not mean positive good. So, you will have to take this duty with
          earnestness and clarify the position for the people: 'So far, what I have
          given you is more or less of a negative character. Now I have come to
          give you something positive.' In this way, you must create the
          atmosphere to give them something substantial.
 
 "Dharma-projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmat-saranam satam (the
          religion of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is free from the deceptions of the
          four ends of humanity, and it is the religion of the true saints).
          Nirmatsara means 'an impartial mentality,' and matsara refers to the
          jealous. 'So far, I have given advices to that particular section which is
          not free from egoistic thinking. I have dealt with them. But now I shall
          deal with the normal-thinking - the good-hearted people. I shall now
          advise them.' Because it will be difficult to dissuade the people from
          the path taught by you, I have therefore come to you. Only through
          you can the higher, developed conception be given to them. This is the
        only way."
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