This article will serve its purpose only when one reads it until the very last sentence. Only then, all will connect beautifully.
A word of note - this article is only for the sincere seekers and not those who think that other's are inferior and they are superior.
We all are part of Krishna and the primary thing is advancing spiritually rather than to show oneself higher or lower. The material world, as mentioned in Vedic scriptures is a place of hypocrisy and quarrel. We have a lot of guru kripa (mercy) that we are even chanting holy names in this crazy age!
Hence my humble request would be to please read this article till last sentence else the essence will be missed. Also if one is not familiar with Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and Chaitanya Caritamrta, do not read this article.
As inspired by Sri Vrindavan Dham and by recalling vani (words & teachings) of Rasika Acharyas, I write on this site only for my own bhajan (and not for anybody else in any manner whatsoever. Check About Section). However, for this article particularly, I am just translating the exact words as directed by my guru tattva.
If Srimati Radharani inspires you to read this article, please go through it very carefully and before going ahead, do pray to guru tattva and Divine Couple as this is gonna be intense, and as mentioned earlier, you should be familiar with Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam before reading below.
In Bhagavad Gita 18th chapter, Text 68, Krishna says, "Those who preach my holy names are MOST DEAR to Me." So that means everybody should preach?
Well, Rasika Acharyas explain the purport of this verse and the very purport itself answers this question in complete detail!
The book 'Demystifying The Mystical Vrindavan' is the essence and crux of this entire website.
If you are considering to dive into the final goal of our Vedic Scriptures and spiritual life, and if Radharani inspires you, do get a copy of the book .
This statement can't be just read alone. One should read the entire Bhagavad Gita and especially the purport of THIS verse once again to understand the essence of preaching.
In the purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada writes in his commentary that the "Bhagavad Gita should be discussed amongst devotees only." You can read the complete purport here very quickly and come back to this!
It means that if the "preachers" who are not tapaswi, who are not jitendriya (senses under their control), who lack faith (shraddha), who do not have bhakti, who do not believe in Krishna, who do not accept Krishna AS IT IS, should never preach to the general people who are not tapaswi, who are not jitendriya (have senses under their control), who lack faith, who do not have bhakti, who do not believe in Krishna and who do not accept Krishna AS IT IS.
Read the previous sentence once again!!
Such people who consider themselves as "preachers" should not preach the holy names whimsically else it's a great offence!!
Gopal sahastra nama is so so much popular and many devotees recite it daily. It is basically the thousand (sahastra) names of Krishna (Gopal).
In this, Lord Shiva writes in fal sthuti (result of reading it): na deyam na deyam or don't give, don't give it to all but only to devotees who have faith!
One needs to do intense nama-japa (at least at nama-abhasha stage), have a simple heart, past life good karma and a lot of guru kripa to understand this. Else, out of their immaturity and lack of spiritual advancement, they will misunderstand this tattva and commit an offence.
If it is a subject of prachar (preaching), then the people who are preaching and the people who are preached should be tapsvi, jitendri (senses under control) and bhagvat anuragi (favourable for spirituality).
If one is actually thinking about preaching, then they need to have prachar ka prasar (inflow of preaching and real prayojona or goal of madhurya prema bhakti in topmost vipralambha bhava taught to them from original guru tattva).
Who goes in a wrestling match? One who knows all moves. Isn't it? One who knows all moves can easily defeat the enemy. And if one who just makes stories, has big claims but doesn't know the moves is bound to defeated very very badly.
Similarly, if a preacher doesn't know their eternal constitutional position with the Divine Couple (swarup), doesn't knows about Satchidananda tattva, doesn't know about hladini sakti, doesn't know about original guru tattva, doesn't knows about Radharani's position; then general people will get appealed by them initially, will offer them pranam, respects, but when their true face comes out, they will be defeated badly.
Mayadevi (Material energy) will pollute them and they will become helpless! Definitely. There is no doubt about this. 1000%. The per cent has two zero only but add one more zero to it. 1000%!
If you are not fully realised vrajvasi, are not in your eternal constitutional position internally, if you haven't experienced Bhagavad sakshatkar (fully realisation of nama, rupa, guna, lila and dham of Divine Couple), not attained true prema, then when you sing Hari Yas Gana (glories of Krishna or holy names), there is sprouting of kapat or cheating propensity in your heart.
What cheating? We begin to hanker for praise, we desire appreciation of people and we begin to consider ourself as superior, and it is exactly the time when we are gone!
Hence Rasika Vaishnavas say that kapat ka tyag karke bhagavad lila ka gana kare (which means that throw out this cheating propensity, false ego, desire for respect and sing the glories of Krishna AS IT IS as taught by Rasika Acharyas).
When this is done, then katha (your talk) is amrit (pure nectar). When one does that, then they become big instruments of guru-tattva. Now when they talk about glories of Krishna and tell people to love Krishna, then that will have a massive impact!
Important thing is that pracharak (preacher) should be jitendri (senses under control), rasendri (austere), janendri (free of lust).
Everybody will love the preacher and sing his glories. And to handle everybody's love is ONLY possible by swarup gat (the seeker who has realised their constitutional position) and not anybody else.
If one preaches without instructions of true guru tattva, they will fall down for sure. No doubt about this!
The path of true prema bhakti, especially for preachers of holy names is like a wax horse which has to cross from the path of the fire. The wax will melt immediately if one is not fully realised vrajvasi in their original eternal constitutional position! This is the path of the preaching of true vraj-prema-bhakti!
The moment you talk and discuss Krishna, the All Attractive, people will get attracted, influenced, consider you god, surrender themselves to you, and if from inside you are not in that sthiti (state) of fully realised vrajvasi, then your condition will change brutally. And when that happens, what to say, it is a plain disaster!
Till the time the complete realisation of eternal constitutional position is not there, one should refrain from preaching and be sad about it.
If one is going out for preaching, they should check that if they have that prema bhakti in their heart or not. We want to preach other's about prema tattva but do we even know about what is guru tattva? If not, it will be dokha (cheating).
Until we have swad (ruchi or taste for holy names), we can't attract others to prema bhajan.
Preaching without being realised is something that will push your false ego high in the initial stages. As people will begin to worship you, love you, appreciate you, it will take you to such illusionary height and that's when mayadevi makes you fall like anything in such a manner where your entire blood vessels will be broken badly. Millions will love you and those same millions will abuse you to hell!
And if you stay in true siddhanta (philosophy as taught by Rasika Acharyas and Vedic Scriptures) and niyam (rules of Vedic Scriptures), then millions will not be able to cut your words and will reach the same state of prema-bhajan where your heart is!!
So, Rasika Acharyas instruct to all to first identify your constitutional position!
Become tanmay (fixed) in bhajan (spiritual life) and check yourself that how do you feel when somebody folds their palms to offer you respect, how do you feel when somebody abuses you, do you like if some opposite sex looks at you happily? Do you get lust as such? Do you think that they are bhogya (to be enjoyed) even in a subtle manner?
If somebody offers pranam, do we feel higher? Just listen to your heart right now and question yourself. Just by this, you can immediately get the answer if you should go deeper in bhajan first or go out for preaching!!
Whom will we preach? At the Uttam Adhikari stage, the seeker sees everybody as liberated and realised. The Uttam Adhikari needs to come down at Madhyam Adhikari Stage to preach!!! Only then the preaching will be effective. This has been beautifully described by Srila Rupa Goswamipada in The Nectar of Devotion.
When somebody offers pranam, we should think that they are none other than Krishna. Tell it to Krishna in mind that "Hey dear most Krishna, why are you taking me up in the illusionary sky and giving me these non-sense respect. Have some mercy and don't give me any illusionary respect. Come and rather sit in my heart and do Radharani's bhajan and meditation rather."
Respect is maha vish (big poison) in this path of devotion. This will disturb us from the spiritual path.
The general people are having so much faith. What to say about them? All pranam to their faith! With all that has happened in the society with saints and all, yet they have so much faith. To play with their faith means that you are inviting your destination to hell.
So those who are getting into 'preaching' should know that even if they get hell, but the normal people's faith shouldn't be broken.
Those who are surrendered to you, either you beat them, or do whatever, they will yet worship you, but Krishna is watching you if you are tricking them. He will make you rise and will make you fall in such a big manner that nobody would be there to even watch you. Thus anybody getting in preaching should know prior that what is their constitutional position with Divine Couple and what is their duty.
Anybody who comes to listen to you is coming for Krishna Prema and not you. The seekers are dear to Krishna and whatever behaviour you do with them will be directly reported to Lord. You deal with Krishna in a wrong manner and He will handle, but He won't handle your cheating with those who love Him or those who want to love Him.
These seekers leave there normal life, come from far across to love Krishna and dive in bhajan. Hence, tampering with their faith is very dangerous. The unrealised "preachers" don't understand this and the result has to be faced by the entire world.
One mistake and faith of thousands are destroyed. Faith is very tough to restore.
Thus to any preacher, become like one that when somebody meets you, listens to your talk, they immediately begin to believe that Krishna is there!
Hearing your words, they believe that the words coming from your mouth are true. They are convinced that the words are coming from your heart and are not artificial dry philosophy but true tattva.
Just being with you, they take nama! When Mahaprabhu touched anybody, they would begin chanting holy names!! They dived in Krishna Prema.
So intense nama japa should be there. When we see anybody, that person should also start chanting nama and get Krishna Prema. Then it is to be believed that preaching has begun!!
Srila Prabhupada and many acharyas are seen instructing their disciples to preach. When guru orders, then there also comes strength. Then one should follow gurus orders. Guru means authentic guru tattva (Read the inner meaning of true guru tattva here. I can't emphasise on the importance of reading the guru tattva article).
P.S. I have simply translated this article as instructed by guru tattva. You can choose to read or ignore articles on this site, it's totally up to you and Radharani. I write just for my own meditation on Sri Vrindavan Dham as directed by my guru tattva (and not for anybody else in any manner). Use your antarswar (inner heart) to listen and grab the direction as how Sriji inspires you from within (Check About Section).
Nama Nama Nama
Just simply chant nama japa and participate in nama sankirtan intensely. Nama will guide all the way directly in the heart!
Jai Jai Shri Radhe!
Hare Krishna!