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> ISKCON is a preaching movement meaned to attract the maximum ammount of

> people and give them spiritual shelter. The book Hari Bhakti Vilas was

> also written to attract a certain class of people- also smarta's who are

> completely into following all the details of rules and regulations.

 

What is the basis of the claim for Hari Bhakti Vilasa's being written to

attract a certain class of people? Hari Bhakti Vilasa is the standard

lawbook of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, and was compiled on the direct order of

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (see CC Madhya 24th chapter). And oh yes, indeed to

a certain class of people, namely the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

 

> Lets see Manu Smriti is a bonafide book to be followed. But one has to see

> first that the sastric injustions deal according to time, place and

> circumstances.

 

Let's ask whether the Gosvamis and Caitanya Mahaprabhu told us to follow the

Manu Smrti or not. And let's consider that they did lay out the rules for

Vaishnava behavior in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, drawing from all the

historical works. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau.

They exctracted the essence of all sad-dharma from the old scriptures and

presented it in their writings. Why?

 

sruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratra-vidhim vina

aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate

 

[bRS 1.2.101]

 

"Devotional service performed without reference to the Vedas, Puranas,

Pancaratras, etc., must be considered sentimentalism, and it causes nothing

but disturbance to society."

 

More than attempting to make a point out of the complete following of the

Hari Bhakti Vilasa, I am trying to establish a proper attitude among

devotees towards it. It is not something you can just brush aside and say

that we are just preaching. Look at the history: how many preachers gone,

and how many left? And guess why? Because they brushed out the culture of

Vaishnavism laid out by the Gosvamis, and acted independently of it.

 

If the Hari Bhakti Vilasa is partially out of date, then can you please give

an example of an outdated injunction from this book, that we could not

possible follow if we wanted? The only one I recall which might resemble

such an injunction is one of making the signs of Vishnu on the body with

heated iron on a certain Ekadasi. Any others?

 

 

> Also we can follow so many rules and regulations, but this can make us

> only more proud of austerities if not performed in the right mood. But one

> can follow the basic and preach to give others the KC. What would be more

> important?

 

And oh yes, we may also preach, and only become proud of it, if not doing it

in the right mood. Do we have experience of this? Book-points,

laksmi-points, bhakti-vrksa-points, rah rah who has the most points? Has it

happened ever? Therefore the austerities are there to help us give up the

enjoying spirit.

 

 

> What was the main mood of Caitanya Mahaprabhu? Was it not preaching? He

> went all around India to preach?

 

anusanga-karma ei asura-marana

ye lagi' avatara, kahi se mula karana

 

"Thus the killing of the demons is but secondary work. I shall now speak of

the main reason for the Lord's incarnation."

 

prema-rasa-niryasa karite asvadana

raga-marga bhakti loke karite pracarana

rasika-sekhara krsna parama-karuna

ei dui hetu haite icchara udgama

 

"The Lord's desire to appear was born from two reasons: the Lord wanted to

taste the sweet essence of the mellows of love of God, and He wanted to

propagate devotional service in the world on the platform of spontaneous

attraction. Thus He is known as supremely jubilant and as the most merciful

of all."

 

ei vancha yaiche krsna-prakatya-karana

asura-samhara--anusanga prayojana

ei mata caitanya-krsna purna bhagavan

yuga-dharma-pravartana nahe tanra kama

 

"Just as these desires are the fundamental reason for Krsna's appearance

whereas destroying the demons is only an incidental necessity, so for Sri

Krsna Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, promulgating the dharma

of the age is incidental."

 

kona karane yabe haila avatare mana

yuga-dharma-kala haila se kale milana

 

"When the Lord desired to appear for another reason, the time for

promulgating the religion of the age also arose."

 

(CC Adi 4.14-16, 37-38)

 

 

The prime threefold primary reason for Sriman Mahaprabhu's appearance was to

taste Radha-bhava (prema-rasa niryasa korite asvadana), the second primary

reason was to spread spontaneous devotional service (raga-marga bhakti loke

korite pracarana). The establishment of yuga-dharma was incidental. All of

this is very clearly explained in the fourth chapter of the Adi-lila.

 

The secondary main mood of Caitanya Mahaprabhu was to preach raganuga-bhakti

to the world, and his primary inner mood was to internally taste the

quintessence of rasa. So let us follow in his footsteps.

 

 

Your servant,

Atul Krishna das