“Nature [had] grown with the association of Srila Guru Maharaj, but which way it’s happened, I do not know. Then finally I understand: it is mercy over justice.” Morning darshan, 9th April 2007 (podcast link) and 10th April 2007 (podcast link), Nabadwip.

Some slokas from today’s lectures:

adau yad dvaro ‘plavate, sindhuh parer apaurusam
This verse says that the Jagannath murti has been there from the very conception, from the most ancient time. So every Lila of the Lord is eternal. (Counterpoint, v1, #6, Spring 1994, p. 8)

nṛ-deham ādyaṁ sulabhaṁ sudurlabhaṁ
plavaṁ sukalpaṁ guru-karṇadhāram
mayānukūlena nabhasvateritaṁ
pumān bhavābdhiṁ na taret sa ātma-hā
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.20.17)
We have this human body in our hand, and it is very rarely achieved. Many, many births have passed, but suddenly we have attained this human body by our karma, good karma no doubt. It is sulabhaṁ sudurlabham, which means it is not easily attainable, but we have attained it. If you want to cross a river or an ocean, you need a boat. This human body is like a boat, and we have now attained it. With the help of this human body, our soul can easily cross over the ocean. But who is the guide of the boat? My Gurudev is he, the navigator. All my good fortune has descended from Kṛṣṇaloka in the form of my Gurudev, and I have connection with him. Kṛṣṇa is very merciful to show our destination through the Guru, through the sādhu, and through the scriptures. In this way he is giving the favourable wind for this boat of ours to go to our destination. So, one who will not take this chance is a suicidal man.

yāvat āchhaye prāṇa, dehe āchhe śakti
tāvat karaha kṛṣṇa-pāda-padme bhakti
CB Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.342
As long as there is life and strength in your body, you should render devotional service to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi
hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ
ŚB 10.88.8