All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru und Gaurāṅga
(By the causeless mercy of Guru-Gaudiya)
(Edited by Shri Shyam Das Baba Mahārāj)
Mahat saṅga and continuous cit vilas smriti out of that satsaṅga we can feel the mystery of bhajana siddhi. By the power of merciful saṅga of mahat-sādhu in the form of his speech (hari-kathā) even stone like heart of a jiva in course of infinity birth and death can start melting to help develop a flow of humbleness with tears rolling down from eyes. In course of serving mahat-sādhu while hearing Śrī Caitanya-līlāmṛta from him and by doing anukirtan, automatically a nonstop flow of memory of Śrī Caitanya charan or deep concentration about that can acquire the kingdom of heart. That kind of concentration is the most important root cause which we need in our bhajana. Lack of positive constant memory or positive concentration can lead us up to a false drama in the way of our sādhana-bhajana. Smriti is the life and soul of our bhajana. To seek the complete satisfaction of Iṣṭa-deva is called smriti. It is the natural function or property of priti (loveful attachment), which can engage us to find out the best possible way to give complete satisfaction to our loveful object (Iṣṭa-deva). When this procedure of constant remembrance becomes quite natural with us, then it becomes “dhruva-anusmriti” (constant remembrance). Tremendous bhakti-yoga or akiñcana-bhakti is based on the procedure of dhruva-anusmriti. According to the variation of this factor which is called dhruva-anusmriti or nonstop concentration of mind derived out of that, only it is possible to indicate the variation of the standard or rank of those bhagavat-bhaktas, by no other way their variation or standard or rank can be detected. Who is having more paṇḍitya or who is more geniuses, who can live on by storing air inside the body or who can stay naked or who can bear the pressure of hot and cold to undergo tapasyā or who is brahmacārī or who is gṛhastha or who is sannyāsī or who is from a high family race or who is very healthy or who is very good looking?—By those judgments the variation of bhagavat-bhaktas cannot be calculated. Who is having more attention about the loveful memory of Śrī Śrī Gurudeva or more strong desire to search out the best possible way to give full satisfaction to Śrī Śrī Hari-Guru-Vaiṣṇava or alternative way we can say that—Who is trying how much more to arrange the loveful seva satisfaction of Śrī Śrī Hari-Guru-Vaiṣṇava?– Based on that factor the variation of bhagavat-bhaktas can be calculated or can be understood.
“Saṅga” and “smriti” –These two subject matters are interrelated with each other. Out of saṅga “smriti” can arise, and the kind of saṅga one going to get, accordingly that kind of smriti becomes strong in his life. Out of material saṅga like material rūpa, rasa, ghanda, sparsha, shabbda (form, taste, smell, sound, touch), naturally material priti and smriti can develop inside our mind. Due to asatsaṅga asat-smriti can develop and due to mahat-saṅga-mahat-smriti can develop. Or we can say some kind of induction or absorbing mood, or meditation can automatically develop, or such scope seeking mood can become stronger. According to the ratio of less mahat-saṅga we are bound to get asat-saṅga accordingly and the magic spell of cheap saṅga (low saṅga) can prove an influence on us. Yoshit–saṅga can only increase the smriti of material enjoyment and the inquisitive tendency for material enjoyment will be powerful. The association of those unstable material objects can increase only the absorbing attention and attachment for those unstable objects. By different types of saṅga loveful attachment (or priti) can develop. Again, for whom our priti is more, we naturally can get absorbed in his or her saṅga and smriti. The aprākṛta association of the nama, dhama, rūpa, guṇa, parikara and līlā of Śrī Bhagavan can help us increase the priti and smriti. That is why to stay with those bhagavat-bhaktas in līlā stahli (lila place) of Bhagavan, to hear Srī Bhagavat-kathā, to think about Him, to serve the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan, to show arcana, vandana, dāsya, sakhya mood towards the Supreme Lord and the topic of attma-nivedana etc. can develop in our life, about all of which – already spoken in Śrīmad Bhagavatam. By the association of bhakta-bhagavat and grantha-bhagavat-srī bhagavat- smriti or inquisitive mood (tendency) can develop or increase.
Śrī Śrīla Śrī Jiva Gosvami Prabhu has already spoken about two kinds of sat saṅga. In the preface part of vaidhi-bhakti—that kind of satsanga or dhyana, or smriti or inquisitive mood nothing can be found. After taking shelter unto the Lotus feet of sad guru-charan, the kind of seva with full confidential mood that means to do guru-seva with full confidence being totally harmonized with Gurudeva and also together with that– dhyana, smriti, or absorbing mood or attentive mood or inquisitive mood or uninterrupted flow of mind can start towards the object of our loveful bhajana. This kind of saṅga can prove the nonstop attentive mood to seek the satisfaction of the sevya vastu. Śrī Bhagavan can become under control (or subjugated) by this kind of absolute procedure of bhajana.