Transgressing Ones Adhikara by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur

The following is a letter from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada where he speaks about the qualification for hearing and preaching about raganuga-bhakti.

sri sri guru-gaurango jayatah

[All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga]

Sri Chaitanya Matha, Sri Mayapur, 13 December 1928

sneha-vigrahesu ______ [Dear _______],

I am very happy to see the substance of all the sastras in your letter. By carefully considering all the topics, you will understand that in the true sense immature intelligence is unable to give results because it is born of laziness. We tiny living entities are followers of vidhi, formal rules and regulations, but we are not against raga-marga, the path of spontaneous attraction. Raga is the highest topic, but it does not look good in our mouth. Hearing big topics from a small mouth, the bhajananuragi-gana, devotees on the spontaneous platform, will laugh at us.

The mahajanas always say that if someone has not realized Krishna and is trying to attain a higher position in devotional life, that is due to laziness.

The name of Bhagavan and Bhagavan are one. Those who think there is a difference between the name of God and God do so based on their own understanding. The devotees of the associates of Sri Gaurasundar have taught that to become free from anarthas one must serve a bhajana-kusala-jana, a person who has achieved the platform of auspiciousness because of performing bhajan. If we just repeat without realization like a parrot (tota-pakhira nyaya), then they will call us prakrta-sahajiya and thus reduce our self-conceit. Prakrta-sahajiyas drown in the mud of misery. In order to display the glories of raganuga-bhakti to the mundane sahajiyas as well as similar other sects who glorify their positions even though they have fallen into the mire of such misfortune (panke gauriva sidati), one has to personally become expert in the worship of the Supreme Lord before preaching it for others’ welfare. Therefore, try your best to understand the above topics. Bhajana is not an external activity or for making a show for others. Chant hari-nama loudly so that the desires of sense-gratification in the form of laziness will not capture us.

asirvadak — your well wisher,

Sri Siddhanta Saraswati

This first time English translation is an excerpt from issue 131 of Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu magazine, produced by ISKCON Gopal Jiu Publications.