Anarthas and Offenses – Quotes by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Speech in the form of blaspheming sādhus is the source of great inauspiciousness. If one wants to attain devotion to Lord Hari, then he should make a vow like this: “In this life I will never blaspheme sādhus.” Devotees are sādhus. By blaspheming them, all one’s virtues are destroyed. By blaspheming the supremely pure Lord Mahādeva, Prajāpati Dakṣa, the best of ascetics, met with severe inauspiciousness. (Prajalpa – Idle Speech) Read More…

In newspapers there is so much useless talk. For the practicing devotee to read newspapers is a great loss. But if there are topics about pure devotees described in the newspaper, then that can be read. (Prajalpa – Idle Speech) Read More…

Whoever feels pleasure at the distress of others can never display mercy to the jīvas. The sweet mood of love for the Lord cannot arise within him. He has innate hatred or enmity towards the Vaiṣṇava. Only those who are without envy can fully accept the purport of the tṛṇād api verse. (Mātsarya – Envy) Read More…

In connection with bhajana, useless rhetoric born from deceit and hypocrisy, fraudulent philosophical conclusions, and anarthas have all been compared to a donkey. Many bathe in the urine of this donkey believing it to be purifying. In reality however, it scorches the ātmā. (Manaḥ Śīkṣā – Verse 6) Read More…

Pratiṣṭhā means respect for oneself, and the desire for that is called ‘āśā.’ All other anarthas may be driven far away, but the desire for pratiṣṭhā does not go away so easily. All kinds of hypocrisy are born out of that desire. Although pratiṣṭhāśā is at the root of all anarthas, it refuses to admit its own fault, thus it is shameless. It is referred to as śvapaca-ramaṇī (an outcaste woman who eats dogs) because such a desire is like devouring the dog-flesh of prestige. (Manaḥ Śīkṣā – Verse 7) Read More…

it is very unjust and opposed to bhakti to collect money by selling hari-nāma, considering it to be a livelihood. By doing this, both the giver of the Name and the listener will never have the possibility of obtaining the result of prema, and only pāpa will be accumulated. (Ṭahala – Patrol) Read More…

Those who have written about psychology and the intricacies of love without knowing love’s true nature have simply wasted their time, despite all their reasoning, as if mixing ghee into ashes. Out of pride, such persons have simply endeavoured for fame. Rather than benefit the world, they have brought it great misfortune. Brothers! Stop listening to those people’s grandiloquent talk and develop pure attachment for the soul, thus making your soul’s nature shine by experiencing that love which is free from designations. (Prīti – Love) Read More…

There are many people nowadays who have no fear of committing offences. Upon seeing a devotee, tears come to their eyes and their hairs stand on end, and while discussing ‘kathā’ (talks about the Lord), they suddenly go into a particular state of ecstasy. They may even agree to spiritual beliefs while attending spiritual meetings. However, once again, they become overwhelmed with mundane sense-objects and exhibit insane behaviour in trying to attain those things. O readers! What is the determination of all these types of people? Our opinion is this – simply for the sake of gaining some pratiṣṭhā (recognition and fame), they display symptoms of devotional bhāva in front of the devotees. (Bhaktira Prati Aparādha – Offences Against Bhakti) Read More…

What are we proud of? We are repeatedly being trapped in great illusions. At every moment we are degrading; at every step there is a dreadful calamity. Still, we remain proud. That personality who came to this world to preach nāma, and who could not satisfy Himself even by chanting hari-nāma constantly, declared: “My misfortune is such that I do not have any attachment for nāma.” We, by contrast, think that simply by chanting one nāma once, we have developed extreme attachment for it. This is reason for great repentance, so why is it that we still maintain such evil-mindedness? (Dainya – Humility) Read More…

The practice of singing songs on rasa here and there by those who are greedy for money and wish to enjoy their senses, gives Kali an occupation. (Opposition to the Conclusions of Bhakti and Incompatible Rasa – Bhakti-siddhānta-viruddha o Rasābhāsa) Read More…

Mundane critics claim that without material rasa, you cannot experience śṛṅgara-rasa, so their critique of Śrī Gīta Govinda is never appealing in any sense. The poet Jayadeva did not give his book to such critics to review, rather he forbade them to read it. For those that lack any experience of transcendental vraja-rasa, speaking anything in relation to Jayadeva is simply shamelessness. (A Critique of ‘Śrī Gīta Govinda’ – Samālocana – Śrī Gīta Govinda) Read More…

Nowadays, people no longer offer daṇḍavat naturally and with a simple heart. When two persons meet, they generally spend the whole time meant for offering daṇḍavat in thinking, “Should I first offer him daṇḍavat?” And eventually one greets the other simply by saying, “Daṇḍavat!” Seeing all these inauspicious signs, it is feared that in the near future the influence of Kali will also enter into Vaiṣṇava society. (Dainya – Humility) Read More…

To feel the happiness from the poems or compositions of modern poets is like believing that one is tasting milk by drinking buttermilk, only because there is an absence of milk. (Nivedana – A Request) Read More…

One who gives hari-nāma to a faithless person with a desire to receive some dakṣiṇā is a seller or trader of hari-nāma. By exchanging an invaluable jewel for an insignificant object, a person falls down from the spiritual life of worshiping Hari. (Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta)