vaishnava carana renu, bhushana koriya tanu,
yaha hoite anubhava hoy
marjana hoy bhajana, sadhu sange anukshana,
ajnana avidya parajaya (7)

– Sripad Narottama das Thakur Mahasaya (Prema Bhakti Chandrika)

“Adorn your bodies with the foot dust of the Vaishnavas, so you will gain transcendental experience. By constantly performing bhajana in the company of the saints you will be purified and ignorance will be destroyed.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada’s tika — yaha hoite— yasmat vaishnava carana renu bhushanat. ajnana avidya—ajnanam catur varga vancha tad rupavidya.

The devotees’ foot dust and the company of the saints:

Sudha kanika vyakhya (by Radhakunda Mahanta Sri Srimat Ananta das Babaji)

— In this tripadi Srila Thakura Mahasaya first glorifies the foot dust of the Vaishnavas: “vaishnava carana renu, bhushana koriya tanu, yaha hoite anubhava hoy’ — With one voice all the scriptures proclaim the extraordinary glories of the foot dust of the Vaishnavas, through which devotion and experience in bhajana is attained. In Srimad Bhagavata, the essence of all the Vedanta, Brahmarshi Jada Bharata said to Maharaja Rahugana –

rahuganaitat tapasa na yati na cejyaya nirvapanad grihad va
na cchandasa naiva jalagni suryair vina mahat padarajo’bhishekam  (5.19.12)

“O King Rahugana! Without being sprinkled by the foot dust of the saints, penances, performance of Vedic duties, donations of food and so, charitable building of houses, studying the Vedas or worship of water, fire or the sun will not help to attain the truth about God.” Srila Prahlada Mahasaya told his father Hiranyakasipu (Bhag. 7.5.32):

naisham matis tavad urukramanghrim sprisatyanarthapagamo yad arthah
mahiyasam padarajo’bhishekam nishkincananam na vrinita yavat

“As long as one is not showered by the foot dust of the saints that are totally free from material identification, no one can become aware of the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. All personal faults and mischief will automatically dissipate by becoming fixed in these lotus feet.”

In order to test the mode of goodness in the three deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Siva’s sattva pariksha) Bhrigu Muni kicked the chest of Lord Narayana, causing Lord Narayana to say (Bhag 10.89.10-11):

punihi sahalokam mam lokapalams ca mad gatan
padodakena bhavatas tirthanam tirthakarina
adyaham bhagavan lakshmya asam ekanta bhajanam
vatsyaty urasi me bhutir bhavat padahatamhasah

In his Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Srila Vrindavana Thakura has made a very beautiful poetic translation of these two slokas:

ei ye tomara padodaka punya jala; tirthera koroye tirtha heno sunirmala
yoteko brahmanda boise amara dehete; yoto lokapala sab amara sahite
padodaka diya aji korila pavitra; akshaya hoiya rahu tomara caritra
ei ye tomara sri carana cihna dhuli; vakshe rakhilam ami hoi kutuholi
lakshmi sange nija vakshe dilo ami sthana; vede yeno sri vatsa lanchana bole nama

“Oh! Your foot water is sacred water, so sacred that it sanctifies even the holy waters of the places of pilgrimage (tirthas). All the universes that reside within My body and all the planetary maintainers that are with Me have now been purified by this foot water! May your glories remain inexhaustible! O! I am eagerly holding the dust that displays your footmarks on My chest. I have given it a place on My chest along with the goddess of fortune, so that the Vedas call Me by the name Srivatsa Lanchana.”

Sri Krishna, Who is the Original Personality of Godhead Himself told Sri Uddhava: anuvrajamyaham nityam puyeyetyanghri renubhih (Bhag. 11.14.16):

“O Uddhava! Through the foot dust of My devotees I am helping the universe getting purified by attaining bhakti, and therefore I am following My devotees.” (Reading of Sridhara Svami).

In this present age of Kali Sriman Mahaprabhu, who is the combined form of Sri Radha-Krishna, takes the foot dust of the Vaishnavas because He yearns to relish the mellows of devotion – sabara carana dhuli paya visvambhara (Caitanya Bhagavata).

Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvamipada has written: bhakta pada-dhuli ara bhakta padajala; bhakta bhukta avasesha – tin mahabala. ei tina seva hoite krishna prema hoy; punah punah sarva sastre phukariya koy (C.C.)

“The foot dust of a devotee, his footwater or the remnants of his food – these three are all very powerful. Service of these three yields love for Krishna; this is what all the scriptures loudly proclaim.”

Srila Thakura Mahasaya speaks of decorating the body with the Vaishnavas’ foot dust – vaishnava carana renu bhushana koriya tanu. In other words, just as men and women of the world very carefully decorate their bodies with different ornaments, one should very carefully or devotionally serve the  foot dust of the Vaishnavas to decorate the soul. Through this the advice is given to have the greatest devotion for the Vaishnavas. vaishnavanam parabhaktih (Narada Pancaratra)  “Be most devoted to the Vaishnavas”. For those who tread the path of devotion the Vaishnavas are as worshipable as Vishnu: vaishnavo vishnuvat pujyah. When the practising devotee has no respect for the Vaishnavas the Lord will never be pleased with his sadhana bhajana.

ye me bhakta-janah partha na me bhaktas ca te janah
mad bhaktanam ca ye bhaktas te me bhaktatama matah
tasmad vishnu prasadaya vaishnavan paritoshayet
prasada sumukho vishnus tenaiva syan na samsayah

The Lord told Arjuna: “O Partha! Those who are only devoted to Me are not My real devotees, but those who are the devotees of My devotees, I count as My greatest devotees. Therefore by all means please the Vaishnavas if you wish to please Vishnu. When the Vaishnavas are pleased Vishnu is pleased; of this there is not even the slightest doubt.” On the other hand, if the Vaishnavas are even slightly dishonored, Lord Vishnu, who is the soul of the Universe, will not be pleased even after being worshipped hundreds of times – prasidati na visvatma vaishnave capamanite. Hence the Lord tells Sri Uddhava with His own mouth – mad bhakta pujabhyadhika (Bhag. 11.19.21), to which Sri Jiva Gosvami comments: abhyadhika mat pujato’pi tatra mama santosha viseshat “I am even more pleased with the worship of My devotee as with My own worship; hence you should worship My devotee more.” Many scriptures and teachers proclaim that devotional service will certainly be attained by serving the great devotees. Hence Sri Narottama has said: yaha hoite anubhava hoy “By decorating the body with the foot dust of the Vaishnavas the devotee will develop all knowledge and understanding of the relationship, the means and the goal of spiritual life”.

After this Srila Thakura Mahasaya says: marjana hoy bhajana, sadhu sange anukshana, ajnana avidya parajaya “By decorating the body with the foot dust of the Vaishnavas, or by holding the Vaishnavas’ foot dust on the body or the head, knowing that it will bring the topmost faith in bhakti along with all other perfections, one will attain the good fortune of constant sadhu sanga. By constantly performing bhajana in the association of the sadhus one gets purified and as a concomitance all ignorance will be destroyed. In Srimad Bhagavata (11.26.31) it is seen: yathopasrayamanasya bhagavantam vibhavasum; sitam bhayam tamo’pyeti sadhun samsevatas tatha “Just as cold, fear and darkness disappear for a man who takes shelter of the firegod, so the fear of ignorance and rebirth due to fruitive activities disappears from a man who serves the saints.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada has written the following commentary on this verse: sviyaudana siddhyartham upasrayamanasya apyeti nasyati. tathaiva bhajana siddhyartham sadhun samsevyamanasya karmadi jadyam samsara bhayam bhajana vighnas ca “When one kindles the fire to cook food, then fear, cold and darkness disappear as a concomitance. Similarly, by serving the saints one attains the perfection of prema, and as a concomitant factor one easily becomes free from fear of karma and material existence, and conquers over all obstacles to spiritual advancement.” What’s more, association with saints is direct devotion, for it subdues the Lord Himself:

athaitam paramam guhyam srinvato yadunandana
sugopyam api vakshyami tvam me bhrityah suhrit sakha  (Bhag. 11.11.49)

na rodhayati mam yogo na sankhyam dharma eva ca
na svadhyayas tapas tyago neshtapurtam na dakshina
vratani yajnas chandamsi tirthani niyama yamah
yathavaruddhe sat sangah sarva sangapaho hi mam  (Bhag. 11.12.1-2)

The Lord told Sri Uddhava: “O Yadunandana! You are My dearmost friend and servant, therefore I will tell you a great secret, listen! ashtanga yoga, sankhya (discrimination of the truth), religious principles like non-violence or adherence to Varnasrama Dharma, recitation of the Vedas, penances, sannyasa, performance of fire-sacrifices, making gardens, digging wells, giving charity, performing vows, worshipping the demigods, reciting mantras, visiting the holy places of pilgrimage, following regulative principles or performing Homa-sacrifices – all these things cannot subdue Me as much as associating with sadhus, giving up all other association!” Hence Srimad Bhagavata says: ayam hi paramo labho nrinam sadhu samagamah (Bhag. 12.10.7) “Association with saints is the highest attainment for everyone”. In this way the indescribable glories of associating with saints is repeatedly described in the transcendental scriptures. sadhu sanga sadhu sanga sarva sastre koy; lava matra sadhu sange sarva siddhi hoy (C.C.) “Associate with the saints! Associate with the saints! This is what all the scriptures say. By associating with a saint for only a moment all perfection is attained!” (7)

– translated by my friend Sripad Advaita das