Obstacles Bhakti - Kunjeshwari Home

We do meditate on sevâ so that
we may get actual sevâ
someday. We call this
‘sâkshât-sevâ’. When we get
sâkshât-sevâ, we do need
mânasi-sevâ (do sevâ in
meditation) any more. Here we
have Sri Gurudev still
present on this earth and we
go and perform mânasisevâ!
When we can serve
him in reality, we are sitting
in a lonely spot and serving
him in meditation! Is this
not foolish? In silence, I am
serving him so lovingly and in
reality I don’t care for him – I
don’t want to carry out his
Obstacles in Bhakti
order, please him or serve him in a manner he likes. What sort of bhajan are
we doing? If Sri Govinda appears before me just now, shall I serve Him in
meditation? Similarly the Gurudev whom I am serving in meditation – is he
someone else? Or is he the same person who has taken kripâ on me and
shown me how to gain the sevâ of the Divine couple? If the answer is ‘yes’,
then when he is present before me now, how come I am not serving him?
Whom am I serving in meditation? Such bhajan is useless.
“tâate krishna bhaje kore gurur seban,
mâyâjâl chhuti pay srikrishna-charan.”
Meaning – “The one who practices Sri Krishna-bhajan and simultaneously
serves Sri Gurudev, gets free from Mâyâ-jâl 1 and reaches Sri Krishna’s lotusfeet.”
- (C.C.)
Sri Chaitanya Charitâmrita is very clear on this point. It won’t do to worship
only Sri Krishna. Sri Gurudev’s sevâ is the topmost.
Vivek das – You have spoken the absolute truth; but what about the
devotees who have taken dikshâ and are staying far from their Gurudev?
They are compelled to remain far because of their occupation. Then,
according to you, they are not performing bhajan at all in the real sense.
Gour Kripa - Suppose a father has five sons. One of them lives in a foreign
country due to his occupation. One looks after the family business, while
another lives with the father and takes his personal care. It does not mean
the one who resides far is not pleasing the father. I am not talking about the
disciples who live far away due to their occupation. I am discussing what the
disciples who live near Sri Gurudev must do – the ones who have forsaken
everything and are living in Sri Vraja-dhâm to serve the lotus-feet of the
Divine Couple.
1 Snare of material bondage and suffering
27
After taking dikshâ, if
we go to some lonely,
silent spot and try to
meditate on only the
sevâ of the Divine
Couple, and never
think of Sri Gurusevâ,
it is hopeless.
Unfortunately, this is
the trend in the
present generation of
devotees.