Blazing Forest Fire

Perplexed Fire Fighters

Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja--2 September 1972--New Vrindavan, USA.
I had the greatest good fortune of being there in this most magical moment with Srila Prabhupada. I was on the stage standing behind the sannyasis.

The Spiritual Master Extinguishes the Blazing Forest Fire of Material Existence

We begin mangala arati singing the Gurvastakam prayers of which the first prayer is:

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam

Here is the translation:

"The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities."

If there is a huge forest forest it is extremely difficult or even impossible to extinguish it. But if a rain cloud comes and pours torrents of rain upon it, it can easily be extinguished. The spiritual master is just like that raincloud because he can extinguish the blazing fire of material existence that is burning in the hearts of all the poor conditioned souls like us, who are suffering in the cycle of repeated birth, death, old age, and disease.

Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom

Question: Mayavadis and Impersonalists

Dear Respected Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Please clarify the difference between Mayavadi and nirvisesa (impersonalist) person.

Are the Vedic students who follow Sankaracharya are impersonalists or not?

Your ever lowest servant,
Sunil Kumar das

Answer: Yes

My Dear Sunil Kumar,

Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

There is very little difference. The nirvisesa person is an impersonalist. Srila Prabhupada makes the follow distinction between an impersonalist and a Mayavadi. On a morning walk in Mayapur on 2 April 1975 the following conversation in this regard took place:

Madhudviṣa: What is the difference between an impersonalist and a Māyāvādī?
Prabhupāda: Very little difference, but still, there is difference.
Trivikrama: Māyāvādīs are offenders.
Prabhupāda: Māyāvādīs means they are speaking that "Everything is māyā; Kṛṣṇa is also māyā." And impersonalist means they are thinking that "To merge into the Brahman effulgence is better than to keep our personal identity."

So while the Mayavadis say that Krishna is maya, the impersonalists do
not make this offense.

Regarding Sankaracarya Srila Prabhupada explains:

"Although the greatest of the impersonalists, Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, has admitted in his Gītā commentary that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his followers do not accept Kṛṣṇa as such, for it is very difficult to know Kṛṣṇa, even though one has transcendental realization of impersonal Brahman."

I hope this meets you in the best of health and in an ecstatic mood.

Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Sankaracarya Accepted Krishna as the Supreme Lord, But His Foolish Followers Do Not

Sankarshan Das Adhikari is one of the spiritual masters of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement. He has dedicated the last 50 years of his life for bringing a spiritual revolution to planet earth by spreading the teachings of Lord Sri Krishna all over the world. He is based in Austin, Texas and when there is no pandemic regularly travels all over the world teaching his audiences how to attain Krishna consciousness, the highest stage of spiritual awakening. He is available for media interviews and to speak to groups and organizations either in person or via the internet.