WHO IS LORD NRSIMHADEVA?

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
WHO IS LORD NRSIMHADEVA?
(An Appearance Day Lecture)

[This year, 2017, the divine appearance day of Lord Nrsimhadeva is on May 9 (in Vrindavan). The following is Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja’s lecture on the Lord’s glories, given on May 14, 2003, in Badger, California. It is ever-fresh: Movie (dif year) from Badger p1 p2 ]

Today is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Nrsimhadeva. Who is Nrsimhadeva? He is Krsna Himself: “Kesava dhrta narahari rupa.” Kesava is a name of Krsna meaning that He has fine hair. Lord Nrsimhadeva is that same Kesava, but not directly. He is none other than Cakra. Krsna’s cakra (wheel-shaped weapon) becomes Nrsimhadeva. When there is a temple installation of Cakra, the prayers are offered to Nrsimhadeva.

Lord Nrsimhadeva’s main mercy is His protection of the devotees. The Cakra who saved Ambarisa Maharaja was Nrsimhadeva himself, and the Cakra who killed Sisupala was also Nrsimhadeva; there is no difference between the two. All the paraphernalia (weapons) in the hands of Krsna manifest as His Visnu incarnations; and it can also be said that His incarnations are manifestations of Baladeva Prabhu.

If you have any difficulties or problems given by demons or others, and you call Nrsimhadeva, He will come and save you. Vaisnavas therefore have a special consideration regarding Nrsimhadeva. We do not worship many other incarnations, like Vamanadeva, or Kurmadeva, or Kalki, but we do worship Nrsimhadeva.

Since there will be no cooking in the morning or midday today, I would like all the sannyasis and prominent speakers, one by one, to read continuously from the Srimad-Bhagavatam Seventh Canto (*See Endnote 1), and to also explain the verses – up to Prahlada Maharaja refusing to accept a material boon from Lord Nrsimhadeva. The readings should include the way in which Prahlada taught all the demon boys and made them maha-bhagavatas. In other words, it should include the chapter in which the verse beginning “guru susrusaya” is included. I would like that all of you attend and hear these readings.

There is no need of taking prasadam before dusk, the time of Nrsimhadeva’s appearance. Only children and those who are old and sick, or those whose doctors have advised them not to fast – they may take something for their maintenance. If Nrsimhadeva sees that you are all fasting and taking so much trouble on His behalf, He will be pleased.  Otherwise, if you joke and make merry, He will neglect you. It is for Nrsimhadeva that you are accepting this austerity, for all of you to attract His mercy.

Today we do this austerity, as we do on Ekadasi, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance day (Gaura Purnima), Rama-navami (the appearance day of Sri Ramacandra), and other holy appearance days like Janmastami and Radhastami. These austerities are not like those performed by the yogis; these are performed to attract Krsna’s mercy, so try to follow.
I now want to begin our glorification of Lord Nrsimhadeva.

Yudhisthira Maharaja once performed a Rajasuya sacrifice. *[See endnote 2] He sent his army, under the guidance of Bhima and Arjuna, to conquer the entire world; but He did not want to kill anyone. He told his leaders that if the kings and princes of the other lands surrender without fighting, they should simply take a tax from them, and those kings and princes who wanted to fight could fight. Bhima and Arjuna traveled everywhere and took taxes from all the kings, and when they returned, a very high class of fire sacrifice was performed.
The question arose at the sacrifice as to who would be worshiped first so that the festival would be successful. Sahadeva proposed, “Krsna should be worshiped first, because He is the Lord of Lords, the Supreme Lord, and He is here.”

Bhisma-pitamaha and others supported this proposal, but Sisupala became very angry. At that time Sisupala was the leader of Duryodhana and all the other demons. He was envious of Krsna and wanted to kill Him. He knew about the foretelling at his birth that Krsna would kill him, so he thought that he should kill Krsna first and be saved. He had previously wanted to marry Rukmini, but clever Krsna had kidnapped her in front of him and all the other princes and kings, defeated them all, and then married her.

Krsna is satisfied and complete (purna). He needs nothing in this world and He has nothing to take from anyone. Still, for the enactment of His transcendental pastimes He kidnapped Rukmini and married her, and Sisupala and the others could simply wring their hands. When Krsna was leaving their midst with Rukmini, the other princes and kings had exclaimed, “Alas, this bogus black person, in front of generals like Jarasandha, has kidnapped her – and they could not stop Him.  He defeated them all and took her away!” Thus, Sisupala wanted to take revenge.

Now, at the Rajasuya sacrifice, he looked at Krsna and began to criticize Him and call Him ill-names. He challenged, “Who is this person?!” Krsna actually has no father or mother, but Sisupala accused Him that, “This person has two fathers, and no-one knows who His real father is. He has no caste, and no one knows where He is from. He is not only a thief, but a lusty person – very lusty.  When He sees any lady He becomes attracted; and somehow, by trick, He brings those ladies to Him. Moreover, He is not satisfied with only one lady; He must have thousands and millions of ladies. Not only this, He once climbed on a tree with the garments of the gopis who were taking bath naked, and He told them that they should come before Him one by one to get their clothes.

“What is this silly thing?! You have no intelligence; you are so mad that you have selected Him to worship first. As long as I am here, I will not allow this!”

Hearing this, Duryodhana and other demons clapped.

Sisupala considered that as long as he was present, he would not let anyone perform their first worship to Krsna.  He said that he would fight for this not to happen, and he thus managed to utter his one hundredth offense.

When Sisupala’s mother had given birth to him, he had four arms. At that time an aerial voice announced that the person who Sisupala would see and two of his arms would disappear, that person would later kill him. All the relatives had come to see this beautiful and strong four-handed child. Out of social custom, Krsna took many ornaments for that boy, and being a representative of His father He came to see His cousin-brother. When He came near Sisupala He wanted to take him in His arms, but Sisupala’s two arms at once disappeared. His mother began to weep loudly and said, “Krsna, You are my nephew, so I want to request a boon from You. It has been foretold by an aerial voice that whoever my son sees, thus making his two arms disappear, would later kill him. I pray for You not to kill him – even if he offends You.” Krsna replied, “Oh yes, I am giving you this boon. I will kill him only when he abuses Me more than 100 times – otherwise I will not.” His mother was very happy and said, “He will never do this. I will train him and teach him good behavior.”

When Sisupala became older, he learned of this fact. He therefore became angry and continuously abused Krsna. Now, when he had abused Him more than 100 times, Krsna took His Cakra. The Cakra wanted to go very fast – not slowly as it had moved when it had chased Durvasa. It had been only following behind Durvasa and not killing him. For Sisupala, on the other hand, it sliced off his head at once. A very effulgent light immediately came from Sisupala’s body. That light went into the sky and then entered the body of Krsna.

Yudhisthira Maharaja wondered why rsis, yogis, and maharsis, after thousands of births of chanting mantras like “so ‘ham, so ‘ham” still could not attain the destination of sayujya-mukti (impersonal liberation).  How wonderful it was, then, that this light entered the lotus feet of Krsna. But where did it go?

Narayana was present within Krsna’s body, because all the incarnations are eternally in Krsna, the Supreme Lord. Sisupala thus returned to Narayana in Vaikuntha and became His doorkeeper Jaya, but this was not seen externally. The entire world is in the stomach of Krsna. Narayana and other incarnations can also easily fit there, but still His stomach can be empty and He can feel hungry.

Yudhisthira Maharaja was not an ordinary person. Bhima was very strong and powerful, and Arjuna was also. However, when we consider who was stronger –Yudhisthira, Bhima or Arjuna – we find that where Arjuna and Bhima were not successful, Yudhisthira Maharaja was successful by his mere glance. Bhima was once wrapped up by the body of a snake, and that snake would not release him. Yudhisthira then came, simply glanced at that serpent, and it left at once. So do not think that Bhima and Arjuna are more powerful than Yudhisthira. Arjuna’s bhakti is superior to the others’, but dharma was especially present in Yudhisthira Maharaja. That is why he was called Dharmaraja, and that is why he was so powerful.

When Yudhisthira Maharaja saw Sisupala’s soul enter Krsna’s body, he began to think, “How wonderful! Even a yogi, rsi, or muni does not receive this kind of mercy from Krsna.”  He then asked Narada Rsi, “You know everything, and you can remove all my doubts. So please explain this: Krsna has no fear of anyone and He does not want anything from anyone. He is purnatama (complete), atmarama (always happy internally) and aptakama (satisfied and equal to all). So why does He take the side of devotees and demigods? And why does He defeat or kill demons? I want to know why.”

Narada replied that the cause of all this is kala (Time) – the results of past activities. Sometimes, like during Satya-yuga, (the Age of goodness), the demigods and others like them become prominent. In Kali-yuga, on the other hand, the demons are more powerful. It seems that Krsna helps certain personalities, but actually the events of this world are controlled by Time. Krsna is equal to all, and everything here is thus due to kala.

You should not be angry or criticize anyone. If you are in distress or disturbed by many problems, it is due to you, yourself:

tat te ‘nukampam su-samiksamano
bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak

[“My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.8)]

Evatma krtam. What one has done in the past is now coming back to him. If one is a pure bhakta and the results of all his past activities are finished, why would problems come to him? His so-called problems are due to the mercy of Krsna. Problems are not coming; Krsna is sending them. The Pandavas were praying for great calamity so that Krsna would be with them. Krsna gave them great distress – as he gave to Draupadi when Dusana tried to remove her clothes – and He did the same to Prahlada Maharaja.

He gave Prahlada so many troubles. Why? He considered, “The entire world should know that My devotees are exalted; they do not care about saving themselves, so I must save them.” You can know all these truths by reading Srimad-Bhagavatam.

I request that you all read Srimad-Bhagavatam Seventh Canto until 6:00 p.m., at which time I will return and we will perform abhiseka (the bathing ceremony) of Nrsimhadeva. Some flowers should also be here for offering.

We will observe today as we do Ekadasi, and we can break our fast after Nrsimhadeva’s birth (dusk). If anyone wants to break his fasting before that time, he may take only fruits and vegetables. If anyone wants to fast until tomorrow morning, he can do so very easily. Then, tomorrow we will worship Nrsimhadeva, and after that we will take prasada. Now, please bring Seventh Canto and begin.

Gaura Premanande.

[*Endnote 1 (from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.8 Summary by Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada):

Hiranyakasipu was ready to kill his own son Prahlada Maharaja [for preaching Krsna consciousness], but the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in front of the demon as Sri Nr-kesari, half lion and half man, and killed him.

Following the instructions of Prahlada Maharaja, all the sons of the demons became attached to Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When this attachment became pronounced, their teachers, Sanda and Amarka, were very much afraid that the boys would become more and more devoted to the Lord. In a helpless condition, they approached Hiranyakasipu and described in detail the effect of Prahlada’s preaching. After hearing of this, Hiranyakasipu decided to kill his son Prahlada. Hiranyakasipu was so angry that Prahlada Maharaja fell down at his feet and said many things just to pacify him, but he was unsuccessful in satisfying his demoniac father. Hiranyakasipu, as a typical demon, began to advertise himself as being greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Prahlada Maharaja challenged him, saying that Hiranyakasipu was not God, and began to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, declaring that the Lord is all-pervading, that everything is under Him, and that no one is equal to or greater than Him.

Thus he requested his father to be submissive to the omnipotent Supreme Lord.

The more Prahlada Maharaja glorified the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the more angry and agitated the demon became. Hiranyakasipu asked his Vaisnava son whether his God existed within the columns of the palace, and Prahlada Maharaja immediately accepted that since the Lord is present everywhere, He was also present within the columns.

When Hiranyakasipu heard this philosophy from his young son, he derided the boy’s statement as just the talk of a child and forcefully struck the pillar with his fist.

As soon as Hiranyakasipu struck the column, there issued forth a tumultuous sound. At first Hiranyakasipu, the King of the demons, could not see anything but the pillar, but to substantiate Prahlada’s statements, the Lord came out of the pillar in His wonderful incarnation as Narasimha, half lion and half man. Hiranyakasipu could immediately understand that the extraordinarily wonderful form of the Lord was surely meant for his death, and thus he prepared to fight with the form of half lion and half man. The Lord performed His pastimes by fighting with the demon for some time, and in the evening, on the border between day and night, the Lord captured the demon, threw him on His lap, and killed him by piercing his abdomen with His nails. The Lord not only killed Hiranyakasipu, the King of the demons, but also killed many of his followers. When there was no one else to fight, the Lord, roaring with anger, sat down on Hiranyakasipu’s throne.

The entire universe was thus relieved of the rule of Hiranyakasipu, and everyone was jubilant in transcendental bliss. Then all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, approached the Lord. These included the great saintly persons, the Pitas, the Siddhas, the Vidyadharas, the Nagas, the Manus, the prajapatis, the Gandharvas, the Caranas, the Yaksas, the Kimpurusas, the Vaitalikas, the Kinnaras and also many other varieties of beings in human form. All of them stood not far from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and began offering their prayers unto the Lord, whose spiritual effulgence was brilliant as He sat on the throne.

Endnote 2 – “After gaining victory in the Battle of Kuruksetra, Maharaja Yudhisthira, the Emperor of the world, performed the Rajasuya sacrificial ceremony. The emperor in those days, upon his ascendance to the throne, would send a challenge horse all over the world to declare his supremacy, and any ruling prince or king was at liberty to accept the challenge and express his tacit willingness either to obey or to disobey the supremacy of the particular emperor. One who accepted the challenge had to fight with the emperor and establish his own supremacy by victory. The defeated challenger would have to sacrifice his life, making a place for another king or ruler. So Maharaja Yudhisthira also dispatched such challenging horses all over the world, and every ruling prince and king all over the world accepted Maharaja Yudhisthira’s leadership as the Emperor of the world.”

GLORIFICATION OF SRI SITA-RAMA

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
GLORIFICATION OF SRI SITA-RAMA
Mathura, April 13, 2000

[This year, 2017, April 4 is the appearance day of Lord Rama. In honor of this day, we are sending out Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja’s lecture in glorification of Sri Sri Sita-Rama:]


Listen
After Ravana was killed, Sita devi had to undergo the agni pariksa, fire test. Of course, Maya-Sita entered the fire, and the real Sita devi remained unharmed – proving that she was completely pure and chaste. Rama then gave the kingdom of Ravana to Vivisana, Ravana’s brother, and after that he took Sita devi and all their associates to Ayodhya on a mystic airplane. There were millions and billions of associates, but this airplane was able to expand so that they could all fit on it.

On their journey, Rama pointed out to Sita all the places where they had enjoyed pastimes together, or where He and Laksmana had killed various demons. For example, Rama would say, “Oh look, here is where we built the bridge to Lanka. Do you remember?” When they reached Kishkinda, where all of Rama’s monkey associates lived, they stopped. Sita devi then invited all the wives of the monkeys to come aboard the airplane, as they were also very interested to see Rama’s coronation.

The party stayed one night and then went to Citrakut. Hanuman took the form of a brahmana and went to the place where Bharata was staying in Nandigram. Bharata was living the life of a renunciate, wearing simple cloth, with matted hair and living on fruits and roots; and all of his ministers lived in the same way. In the guise of a brahmana, Hanuman approached Bharata and said, “Oh Bharata Maharaja, Rama has come. Prepare to welcome him!” Upon hearing that his dear brother had finally returned, he was overjoyed and fainted. When he came to consciousness he said, “I want to give you many gifts. So please accept 18,000 cows, as many beautiful women as you desire, horses and other wealth. Still I cannot give you anything equal in value to the news you have given me.” Hanuman then returned to his original form, and Bharata said, “Oh, you are Hanuman!”

After Rama’s abhiseka ceremony, he wanted to give many gifts to everyone. Sita devi thought of a very nice gift to give Hanuman, so she gave him her most beautiful pearl necklace. Hanuman took it, examined it and broke it, and the pearls scattered all over the floor. Sita devi was surprised and asked, “What are you doing?” Hanuman replied, “Oh, I was just seeing if ‘Rama’ is written anywhere here.” “But don’t you know Rama is in your heart?” she said. Then Hanuman tore open his chest. In this way, Rama’s associates teach us that whatever is given to others should be in connection with Krsna.

Lord Rama and Sita devi stayed together for many years, and everyone was very happy within their kingdom. Some people, however, criticized Rama for accepting Sita back after she had been in the palace of Ravana. According to Vedic principles, it is unacceptable to accept one’s wife after her being away for one night – what to speak of one year. One evening, the wife of a washer-man came home late. Her husband immediately told her that she could not enter the house. He threw her out saying, “I am not like Rama, who accepted his wife back after she’d been with another man.”

This news spread and the story got back to Rama. He was most disturbed, and realized that he had to do something. How could he rule a kingdom in which some of the people did not have faith in him? He called a meeting, asking all his brothers to come; but none of them could give him any advice. He himself then realized what to do. He remembered that Sita had desired to visit all the sages in the forest and shower them with gifts. He asked Laksmana to take her to the asrama of those sages, deliver his sorrowful message to her, and then leave her in the forest. Laksmana was devastated that he was called upon to do this, but he could not say anything, as he was Rama’s younger brother. He therefore had to accept that responsibility.

Sumanta was Laksmana’s chariot driver, and moreover a very great minister of Rama. Laksmana told everything about Rama’s order to Sumanta and said, “My life is full of miseries. Now, today is the biggest misery of my life!” They passed Prayag and went across a river. “Valmiki’s asrama is here,” Laksmana told Sita. Then, with a heavy heart he told her, “Everyone is accusing Rama of accepting an unchaste wife. Many people don’t have full faith in him now; so how is it possible for him to rule the kingdom and guide the citizens properly?”

When Sita devi heard this she fainted, and when she revived she said, “I don’t want to create any difficulties for him. I do not want him to be disturbed by the public. Please pay my obeisances to all. Laksmana, I want to pray at your lotus feet, as I have offended you twice. The first night in Ayodhya, after our marriage ceremony, I stopped you from massaging Rama’s lotus feet. Though this had been your cherished duty for many years, I took this away from you. When you asked Rama about this, he could not answer. Then we asked the great sage Vasistha and he said, ‘The duties now have to be divided. So Laksmana, all the duties outside of the house should be taken by you. Sita devi should now perform all the duties inside of the house.’ In this way it was decided.

“Secondly, I was once allured by a deer in the forest when we were in exile. I heard Marici call out, ‘Alas, Laksmana!’ Assuming it was Rama’s voice, I told you to go immediately to help Him. You said, ‘No Sita, it is an illusion created by a demon.’ I insisted and told you, ‘I know. You are a spy of Bharata, and you have lusty feelings for me. That is why you don’t want to save your brother!’ These words pierced your heart. You replied that you always saw me as your mother and had never even seen my face; you had only seen my feet. You could not bear these harsh words. Then, when you went to see Rama, he chastised you saying, ‘Why did you take heed of the words of that woman?’ Then Ravana came here and begged, ‘biksana dehi’ three times. When I did not want to come outside of your circle of protection he threatened me, ‘I curse you that your husband will die if you do not give anything to me here!’ So please forgive me for these offenses.”

After leaving Sita devi in the forest Laksmana lamented, “Oh, alas! I will surely give up my life!” Sumanta tried to pacify him, and told him the truth of the matter. “Once I was with Dasaratha Maharaja, and at that time two sages, Vasistha Rsi and Durvasa Muni, came to visit him. Maharaja Dasaratha served them very nicely and then asked them to kindly tell him about the future of his four children. Vasistha Rsi remained silent and Durvasa Muni responded by saying, ‘Oh, you have four sons. Very good.” Dasaratha Maharaja said, “Yes, first tell me about Rama’s future.” Durvasa said, “Rama’s future will undoubtedly be full of miseries. He will have to leave Ayodhya, and everyone there will feel unbearable separation from Him. You will not be able to bear His absence, and you will die in separation. Rama will later have to be separated from his wife, and after suffering immensely they will become reunited. Then again they will have to be apart; and Rama will rule the kingdom alone without his wife. Do not tell this to anyone.” Dasaratha Maharaja was in complete shock, but he promised that he would not speak what he had heard to anyone. He said, “From today, I am your disciple.”

Having heard this from Sumanta, Laksmana realized that his brother Rama is in fact the Supreme Lord Visnu. Sumanta continued telling Laksmana the story that Durvasa Muni had told to Dasaratha Maharaja: “Once, a very big battle ensued between the demigods and the demons. The demons were defeated and went to the wife of Brghu Maharaja to take shelter; and, being very merciful, she gave them shelter. The demigods went to Lord Vamanadeva and told him the situation. He then took His cakra and beheaded Brghu Maharaja’s wife. Brghu Maharaja was very upset and cursed Vamanadeva saying, “You are responsible for my wife’s death. I loved her very much. Now I will have to suffer so much in separation from her. For this I curse you that you will have to suffer in the same way in the future. You will have a very beautiful wife who will serve you in every way. You will be fully satisfied and completely enamored with her feminine grace and charm, and her saintly qualities. You will then be separated from her, and you will always suffer immensely from that pain of separation.” Hearing this, Vamanadeva happily accepted the curse. He knew that in the future the whole world would be benefited by this. Also, this was but a pretext, as separation naturally increases the happiness of meeting.

Sita devi was walking towards the asrama of Valmiki Rsi, when some of his brahmacaris spotted her. They informed Valmiki that a lady looking like a demigoddess was coming. Valmiki came out to greet her, and immediately recognized who she was. He said, “Oh, you are Sita devi, the wife of Lord Rama. I know this because I have written the Ramayana. Please come in.” The ladies there were very pleased to see Sita devi and said, “Oh, please allow us to serve you.” Valmiki instructed them how to serve her in every way.

When Rama sent Satrughna to Mathura, he happened to come near to Valmiki’s asrama on the way. He paid obeisance to Sita devi and her sons, Luv and Kush, from a distance. Luv and Kush were very intelligent children. Valmiki was very expert in archery, singing and music, and he taught Luv and Kush these arts. They could thus sing in all ragas very sweetly. Valmiki also taught them the Ramayana.

No one in the entire kingdom was there to console Rama. However, the ladies were there to console Sita devi in the asrama of Valmiki. One day Rama turned to Vasistha Rsi and said, “Will you please perform a sacrifice?” Vasistha replied, “Then you must call your wife back.” “Oh, I cannot do that.” “Then you must remarry,” he insisted. Rama said, “It is not possible.” “Then you will have to make a golden deity of Sita devi.” Vasistha then performed the sacrifice. In fact, every year he performed a very big sacrificial ceremony for Rama, near Naimisaranya on the bank of Gomati, with a new golden deity of Sita devi each year.

One year many kings and sages were called, and Valmiki came with Luv and Kush. The boys were extremely beautiful, with very broad chests and slender waists. During a rest period, Valmiki asked them to sing Ramayana. They had melodious voices, and they sang in such a heart-rendering way that they captured everyone’s hearts. Rama was especially touched, and tears came to His eyes. Valmiki had previously warned the boys, “If anyone asks you who you are, tell them, ‘I am a disciple of Valmiki’”. Rama ordered Laksmana, “Go and give them eighteen thousand gold coins and many, many beautiful clothes and gifts. Then ask them who they are.”

When they were presented with these gold coins, clothes, and gifts, they said, “What will we do with all these things? We are brahmacaris.” Then Laksmana asked which dynasty they belonged to, and they replied, “You seem very learned. Why ask this? Why not ask who is our Gurudeva? We are disciples of Valmiki Rsi.” For five or seven days they came and recited the Ramayana, and after many days Rama and others came to know who they were.

Rama then called Valmiki and requested that Sita devi come and prove Her chastity so that he could call her back. Valmiki said, “I have never spoken a lie in my life. I can assure you that Sita is completely pure and chaste.” Rama said, “I know that. I’m quite confident of this, but I want proof for my citizens. So please bring Her here. Then we’ll see what we can do.”

At this time Brahma, Sankara, and many demigods and goddesses came, curious to see this event. Sita devi sent Luv and Kusa ahead to their father. She arrived thereafter, and Valmiki spoke gently to her, “O daughter, Sita devi. Come forward and prove your chastity.” Sita devi said, “Mother, please prove this to one and all, that I have never served any other man. I have never even had thoughts of any man other than Rama in my whole life. Please accept me, mother.” Pritivi-devi appeared from the earth and Sita sat on her lap on a golden throne. In a moment, Prthivi-devi completely covered Her. In other words, she took Sita devi with her, back under the Earth. Rama couldn’t bear to see Sita leave him like this, and he fainted. Then, when he returned to consciousness, he prayed to Prthivi-devi, requesting her to bring back Sita. He told her, “One time I went with a bow to the ocean and he was very much afraid. So I can turn you into dust in a moment.” Just then Brahma came and told Rama, “No. Don’t do it! This is the last time. Sitaji has gone to your own abode, so you should very quickly wind up your pastimes and go there.”

Gaura premanande!

Rasa-gata-vicara

06 June 1996 Houston

[Hari-katha of Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja Srila Gurudeva]

[The following transcription is a translation of Srila Gurudeva’s conversation with the devotees in Hindi] Listen

Srila Gurudeva: Therefore, you can call Laksmiji as “Maiya,” mother.

Devotee: Sitaji?

Srila Gurudeva: You can call Sitaji—Maiya as well. You should only call her mother; don’t address her as your friend. You can consider the girls of Janakapuri as your friends. Rama is not different from Krsna, but there is some difference in rasa. He is Maryada-Purusottama and Krsna is Lila-Purusottama. This is the difference. Don’t make Radhaji sit with Dvarakadisa or Rama; beware!

Do you understand something?

Devotee: Yes.

Srila Gurudeva: What did you understand?

Radhaji should be seated alongside Krsna; but which Krsna? Nanda-nandana, Yasoda-nandana, Radhakanta, Muralidhara; Srimati Radhaji should be seated with this Krsna. Satyabhama sits next to Dvarakadisa. Sitaji sits with Rama. It will be a great injustice from your side if you make Radhaji sit next to Dvarakadisa or Ramacandra. It will be an offense. You should not do this. Dvarakadisa doesn’t play on the flute; He doesn’t have a peacock feather adorning His crest; and He is not the son of Nanda-Yasoda. He is the son of Vasudeva-Devaki. And He has no flute at all. Then, we should not make Radhaji sit next to Him. You can make Rukmini and Satyabhama sit next to Him. Or, you can make Dvarakadisa sit on the chariot with Arjuna. But He will never sit with Radhaji. Radhaji will not even go near Him. She will not look at Him even from far.

Once, Krsna manifested His four-handed caturbhuja form in Vrndavana. Looking at Him, the gopis went away. They have no relation with Him. They have nothing to ask and nothing to take. Therefore, Radhaji and the gopis have no relation with Dvarakadisa. Understanding these considerations, you should be fixed in Krsna’s bhajan. Without a guru, you will not have a relationship with Krsna.

bina guru bhavanidhi kare no koi
yo viranca sankarsano

Even if one is a jnani, who is as knowledgeable as Sankara or Brahma; yet, without the grace of an exalted spiritual master, he will not have a relation with Krsna. Thus, he can never attain the lotus feet of Krsna even in millions and millions of lives without this knowledge of sambandha-jnana. In this way, we should gradually advance in our Krsna consciousness. If there was no Naradaji, then how could have personalities like Prahlada, Druvaji, the sons of the progenitor Daksa, and Vyasaji be enlightened? Vyasaji is also the disciple of Naradaji. If this Guru-parampara was not there, then where would have Sukadeva Gosvami come from? Therefore, you should follow this line of thought of the Guru-parampara. Just accepting any guru will not do. A guru who follows the parampara is needed. If you remove even one Acarya from the parampara, the line will be cut. Therefore, we should join everyone. We have no relation with a guru who doesn’t accept the parampara and who doesn’t follow their teachings. If he is not in the parampara, if he doesn’t do the bhajan of Radha-Krsna, and if he doesn’t give such teachings; rather, teaches according to his whims, then what relation can you have with such a guru?

We have no relation with such a guru who although says, “I am a bona fide guru,” he cannot make one’s heart advance towards Krsna. Guru and Vaisnavas are the same; they are not separate from each other. If there is an exalted Vaisnava, he will become a guru. And such a guru is also a Vaisnava. Day and night, Rupa-Sanatana would be absorbed in remembering Radha-Krsna.

One should not think, “Being in the grhasta-asrama, we cannot do bhajan.”

Even if a person is a householder, yet if he doesn’t talk with his wife and parents and is unattached to his family affairs, then this is not the purport of the sastras. A man lives with his wife in the house, but has no relationship with her—this is not our Indian culture. The wife is considered to be one half of her husband. Together, they should do bhajan. It is not that the husband should never talk to his wife because he might beget a son from her. Then why did he get married if he didn’t want any children from her?

A guru will not say, “Don’t make a house. Rather, you should give me whatever money you have.”

A guru should not be absorbed in accumulating his disciple’s wealth. A bona fide guru’s wealth is his bhakti to Krsna. Who can be a better householder than the gopis? Many of our Mahaprabhu’s devotees were also householders. They were very exalted. Some of the householders become sannyasis or tyagis. Naradaji is a topmost devotee of Krsna. But, he hankers for the footdust of the gopis. If the gopis come across Narada, they will offer their pranama to him and take the footdust of his lotus feet. Therefore, when they go away, Narada takes their footdust and rolls down on the earth, covering himself with the footdust of their lotus feet. He wants the mood of the gopis. But he cannot have that mood. He cannot be like the gopis, who control Krsna.

If Krsna will see the gopis coming, He will say, “Oh Narada, go away. Go away.”

Therefore, you should understand this. The name of this process is bhakti. We should become established in this.

Visnu dasa: Maharaja, I want to ask you something. Harilila Prabhu asked me, “I want to take some instructions from Maharaja. What to do?”

Srila Gurudeva: This devotee’s question has been left unanswered.

Devotee: I will ask later Gurudeva.

Srila Gurudeva: You will ask later?

Devotee: Yes.

Srila Gurudeva: Will you ask when I leave?

Devotee: No, no.

Srila Gurudeva: One or two days still remain. You may ask all the questions you have tomorrow.

Visnu dasa: Maharaja, he says, “The temple authorities have decided that I cannot enter the temple and engage in the deity worship.”

Srila Gurudeva: They have ordered?

Visnu dasa: They will call to inform their decision. They are going to ban him from entering the temple.

Srila Gurudeva: All right. Sadhu-sanga will not be obtained there. If no devotees are found there, then it is your duty to leave them.

Visnu dasa: He says, “Maharaja, please bless me that I don’t have any bad feelings towards them.”

Srila Gurudeva: They won’t come. This is such dirty politics. I tutored them and helped them. Svamiji told me, “After my departure, give them Siksa.” I have served Svamiji long before ISKCON was established. But now, these people have become ISKCON. They tell devotees to not let me come to their homes. If I go for bhiksa to any devotee’s house, they tell the devotee, “Don’t give bhiksa.” Is this Vaisnavata?

These actions are all opposite to bhakti. You should not be worried. One day, they will realize.

Devotee: There is some confusion because some devotees would like to hear your lectures, but they cannot because they are being ordered not to go.

Srila Gurudeva: It seems that even Hiranyakasipu has not done this. Even Ravana has not done this. What are they doing? They are cutting their own legs with an axe. They call mayavadis who put tripundra-tilak, and they call cinema-actresses to the temple; but I cannot go there. Anyone who meets me cannot go there. Is this a temple or not? They have not built the temple with their own property; they have built the temple by collections. If anyone files a case against them, they will have to open the temple for all. In England, they have done like so.

Visnu dasa: Maharaja, you gave the deity of Girirajaji here.

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. I gave Girirajaji’s deity.

Visnu dasa: Will Girirajaji stay in a place where Vaisnavas are offended?

Srila Gurudeva: He will leave after a few days.

[Srila Gurudeva speaks in English]

Did you hear what he said? They said that he cannot go to the temple because he is coming to see me.

Devotee: I am sorry to hear this. This is completely against the truth. It is not what my Guru Maharaja has taught. I have studied with my Guru Maharaja; I have travelled with my Guru Maharaja—Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Svami in India. In India, I sat with Srila Prabhupada in Jagannatha Puri. And one day, we had all the mahants of Jagannatha Puri in a big Pandal programme they had for him to come. For three hours, Bhaktivedanta Svami spoke to all the mahants.

He said, “You are worshiping Jagannatha. “Jaga,” means everyone, the whole universe. So, how can you go in and these young boys who are also worshiping cannot go in?”

For three hours, he spoke only sastra and logical arguments that we could go into the temple. Now, someone who is so dear to Prabhupada’s heart is not being allowed to enter his temples. It is so clear; you have to be a blind man or a deaf man to not see it. They are not letting him in the temple. It is exactly against everything that my Guru Maharaja stood for.

Srila Gurudeva: I have never spoken a word against ISKCON, the devotees, temples, or Svamiji. I have regarded like my Siksa-Guru. I have served him more than they have served. But yet..

Bhakti has no such boundaries.

Devotee: GBC ruling has not said.

Srila Gurudeva: They are ruling that they are controlling Krsna and Goloka Vrndavana Dhama. They say the whole world is theirs. They can control anyone. They will tell afterwards that “He cannot go to Goloka Vrndavana.”

Devotee: Local devotees say, “You have to follow guru’s instructions otherwise you will have to suffer.”

Srila Gurudeva: But it is quite wrong. Bali Maharaja left his Gurudeva because he was a wall that stood in his love and affection for Vamanadeva. There are so many such instances.

I pray that Krsna gives them good intelligence. If you cannot serve one guest, then how are you following dharma? They have no relationship with dharma. It seems they are worse than even Hiranyakasipu and Ravana if they do like this. They should be respectful. I have helped so much. But, they have forgotten and are ungrateful. They should not forget. I will serve even a dog that has served Svamiji. And I have served Svamiji so much.

Don’t tell them to meet me. Don’t request. I will never speak a word against them.

Devotee: I don’t misunderstand the local temple devotees. I feel that they are being forced by bad circumstances.

Devotee 2: The local devotees are very good.

Devotee 3: Some of them want to come, but they are being told to not go.

Srila Gurudeva: If a senior Vaisnava is speaking, then how can devotees be told to not go?

Devotee: There is one situation when the Nazis were killing so many people in the Second World War There was one Catholic priest who wrote a poem. He said that when they were coming, then they came for the Jews. He let them take the Jews. When they came for the gypsies, he let them take the gypsies. And when they were coming for this one and that one, he let them take.

The priest lastly said, “And then, when they came for me, no one was left to stop them from taking me.”

Every man in his heart has to act for truth. That is the point.

Srila Gurudeva: One day, they will realize all of this.

[Break of audio]

Srila Gurudeva: Citraketu Maharaja told Angira Rsi, “You are born of Lord Brahma’s mind. Be merciful to me and bless me with a son.”

Angira Rsi replied, “All right. I give you this sweet rice. Give it to any one of your queens.”

Citraketu Maharaja had many queens, but none of them gave him a son.

Angira Rsi told the King, “Have any of your queens eat this sweet rice and she will become pregnant. Soon, you will have a son. But, that son will be a cause of great jubilation and lamentation.”

The King thought, “Oh this is all right. I may lament when my son doesn’t listen to me. But this is no problem.”

The Sage then gave the sweet rice. Angira Rsi went to the forest and leaving his body in a secure place, by his soul, he entered the womb of the queen to whom the Citraketu Maharaja had given the sweet rice. In time, a son was born. When he became five years of age, he was so beautiful. Seeing the son, everyone became happy and everyone congratulated each other in the Kingdom.

But, the other queens of the King, who were more than a thousand in number thought, “The King would speak to us before. But now he is only concerned about his son and only asks about his well-being. We have become worse than maidservants. This boy is the cause of our distress.”

All the queens then gave the boy poison and he immediately died. Now, anguish filled all four directions. Those queens, who had administered the poison also wept bitterly. Their cries were the loudest. Their anguish at the boy’s death was a show. By chance, Narada Rsi and Angira Rsi appeared in the palace. Angira Rsi returned to his previous body after having given up the body of a boy. He appeared with his selfsame body. They saw how everyone was crying and there was no one to pacify them.

Angira Rsi asked, “Why is everyone crying?”

Someone said, “The son of the King has died.”

“Where is he?”

“Oh he is laying down here.”

“No. The body doesn’t have life. By your cries, will the body come back to life? Will the boy be brought back to life even if all the residents of this world cry together?

He will not be brought back to life. He, who has taken birth, will have to surely die. This is the Lord’s arrangement. All of you should not cry. Before this boy was born, what relationship did you have with him? Now that he is dead, why don’t you keep him on your lap and look after him?

You will say, ‘No. Many worms will appear on his body; so we cannot keep him with us.’

Why will these worms appear? Did you see the soul inside his body? Is the soul black or white in color? What is the soul’s height and weight?

You will say, ‘I did not see.’

Then why are you lamenting for someone you did not really see? And the person who you looked after is now ‘sleeping.’ So, why are you crying?” asked Angira Rsi.

I will narrate one story. There were a couple of pigeons who were looking after their young ones. One day, they went to the bank of a river and saw that some birds were on one tree. So, they also sat on one branch of the tree. They saw some grains of rice on the ground.

The wife of the pigeon said, “Let’s take some of these grains. We can eat some and feed our young ones as well.”

The husband replied, “Don’t go. This is definitely a trap. If we fall into this trap, we will surely die.”

But the wife replied, “No. I will go get some grains.”

Surely enough, as soon as she flew down and stood on the ground to take the grains, a net was thrown and she was captured. She cried out for help. Unable to tolerate this sight, the husband also cried out. One pigeon was inside the net and the other was outside loudly weeping.

The pigeon cried out, “I cannot take care of the children. My wife would look after and nourish our children. It would have been better if I would have died and she would have survived.”

As the pigeon lamented and wept, the hunter took aim and shot him down. Thus, the husband died. The wife was as good as dead. So, the hunter took both of them home, cooked and ate them. Similarly, no one knows when he or she will die. No one can be a cause of peace and happiness for others in this material world. Therefore, while working for the maintenance of our lives, we must be engaged in Krsna’s bhajan as well. It is not difficult to do Krsna’s bhajan, just remember and chant His names.

Chant, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Don’t be cruel to others. If you can do something good to others, then work for their benefit. Don’t criticize anyone and don’t become anyone’s enemy. Thus, maintain your life and do Krsna’s bhajan. Be situated in whatever arrangement Krsna has made. Always have faith in Krsna. And, don’t fear from any problems. This is sraddha. Anguish and happiness will come on their own. When they come, consider them both to be brothers. When anguish will come, it will go on its own. Happiness will also come and go on its own. Be equipoised in all circumstances; always have a control over yourself.

Athiti-deva-bhavoh; always respectfully receive a guest. Tend to the needs of others as much as possible; money and other things will not go with us when you leave your body. Even your house will not go; nothing will go. Work for the welfare of everyone. Don’t commit violence towards birds and animals.

Devotee: Maharajaji, it has been many days since I have chanted.

Srila Gurudeva: Chant harinama even while sitting in your house. This is my instruction. Chant gradually.

Devotee: I chant a little.

Srila Gurudeva: Okay, chant a little at least. Try to realize that “Krsna is mine.” And, the jivatma needs realizations. Slowly, realizations will also come. Or else, one will continue to be entangled in this samsara. Now you have a human body, but who knows what body you will get in your next life? There is no guarantee. Therefore, you can achieve the grace of Krsna in this human form of life. Every day, spend a little time chanting harinama during the morning or evening. You will get energy.

Devotee: I chant in the car and at other times, Guruji. While working, I have to travel here and there.

Srila Gurudeva: You have to do this.

There is no need to fear from death because the soul doesn’t die. Earlier, you were a child in this body. Then you became a youth and now you have become a middle-aged man. How old are you?

Devotee: I am forty years old.

Srila Gurudeva: Then forty years have passed. You will live for another sixty or seventy years in this world. To live this long is enough.

Devotee: If I will live for another twenty years it is enough. I want my children to stand on their legs.

Srila Gurudeva: We cannot do everything; we are helpless. There is only one help—the place where Krsna is there. He will save us. Therefore, in whatever position you are in, always remember Krsna’s names. There is nothing greater than remembering Krsna’s names. In our Bharatavarsa, there was a saint called Tulasidasji who wrote Rama-caritra-manasa.

He said, “I will tell you something. There is happiness and distress in this material world. But, the purport of all the sastras is that without doing Krsna’s bhajan, you cannot cross this samsara, this material world.”

In India, the rabbit doesn’t have horns. So, Tulasidasji says, “It may be possible for the rabbit to grow horns; it may also be possible for darkness to cover the sun, although this will never happen. I will also agree to the fact that it may be possible for fire to arise from ice. Flowers may also bloom in the sky. And, ghee may also be obtained from churning water. Oil may also be extracted from the dust of this world. The occurrence of such events may be possible; but, without doing Hari-bhajan and chanting Krsna’s names, the conditioned soul can never cross this material world.”

The Srimad Bhagavatam is considered more exalted than even the Vedas. The Bhagavat is the essence of the Vedas. Vyasaji manifested this Bhagavat from his samadhi and spoke it to his son, Sukadeva Gosvami. And, Sukadeva Gosvami recited the Bhagavat to Pariksit Maharaja. Pariksit Maharaja was destined to die after seven days. After listening to the Bhagavat for seven days, he surpassed this material world and got Krsna-prema. This Bhagavat is so sublime. Day and night, we are always drowning in this nectarean ocean of the Bhagavat.

[Break of audio]

Srila Gurudeva: If his name is Prakasananda and if he is an advaitavadi; do you know who an advaitavadi is?

He will say, “I am Brahma. Sarvam khalv idam brahma. Everyone is Brahma.”

If someone is speaking like this, then know that he is an advaitavadi. They say, “This world is false.” Our tattva-siddhanta is different from theirs.

Devotee: I have met his devotees. They say, “You will have to live in this material world. You cannot get away from it. But you should associate with the devotees.” They say you cannot get out of this material world.

Srila Gurudeva: This is not told in the Bhagavatam. This is the inconsistency. Our Bhagavat and Gita say otherwise. In the Gita, Krsna says, “One who does My bhajan will not be born again.”

yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama

—Bhagavad Gita 15.6

This world is filled with sorrow. There are many thorns of sufferings here. Even if there is happiness, it is mixed with sorrow. Therefore, by engaging in bhajan, the body and mind will be relinquished and becoming pure, the devotee will enter Krsna’s abode.

Devotee: I don’t know their philosophy fully.

Srila Gurudeva: I know that a person who bears the name, “Prakasananda,” is a follower of the mayavad philosophy. They engage in Bhagavan’s bhajan also.

Devotee: They worship Radhe-Krsna. They chant, “Radhe Radhe.”

Srila Gurudeva: Then by Bhagavan’s mercy, their devotion should become pure. It is all right as long as you don’t associate with them and as long as you don’t adopt their conceptions. There was one speaker of the Bhagavat in Vrndavana who was an advaitavadi. He is dead now and his disciples speak now. They also speak some Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy. They don’t speak anything separate.

Devotee: They say that by doing arati and chanting on the mala, nothing will happen.

Srila Gurudeva: It is wrong to say that nothing will happen. Something will happen—sorrows will be dispelled, and one will cross over this samsara.

Devotee: Sukriti will also be made.

Srila Gurudeva: But, a place in Vraja will not be had. The person will not become an associate of Krsna like the gopis, or sakhas.

I will go to Holland and return to India.

Devotee: We are going to miss you so much Maharaja.

Srila Gurudeva: The residents of Mathura and Vrndavana are crying in separation from me.

Devotee: Maharaja, as long as you were here, we would always talk about you. Now for whom will we live?

Srila Gurudeva: These memories will make you stay alive.

Devotee: Maharaja, the devotees are crying for you. Even Tamala Krsnaji says, “We are crying to see you.” But the devotees are not able to make a decision on their own.

Srila Gurudeva: This happens. We are not bound by any problems, but they have problems. If there was any obstacle in doing Krsna’s bhajan and in associating with sadhus, then we easily cross over them because we don’t care for the opinion of others. Therefore, we don’t have any problems. But they are running a big society. They face the risk of being kicked out. They care about their reputation. But we don’t care about our reputation; we are carefree. Performing Krsna’s bhajan, we will go anywhere and preach His glories. No one can control us. This is Krsna’s causeless mercy. We are never checked by any problem. Narada doesn’t have any problems. When Sukadeva Gosvami was walking towards the assembly of Pariksit Maharaja, children were throwing stones at him and making fun of him. But, he did not care about anyone.

It makes no difference to me if I am respected or not. I am what I am. Therefore, don’t be worried. They say, “He is a mahapurusa,” and have much respect inside their hearts. But, because of circumstances they are all weeping.

Devotee: Maharaja, the devotees are serving so much and are so eager to hear from you. They offer their dandavat pranamas to you.

Srila Gurudeva: Tell them that they have my blessings.

Devotee: Guruji, I feel that I more inclined to the worship of Lord Rama than Lord Krsna.

Srila Gurudeva: I also felt this way in my childhood. I had the darsana of Lord Rama. And by His mercy, I am in the Gaudiya Vaisnava parampara. Ramacandraji is Krsna’s expansion. But, He has the aspect of maryada (regulative etiquette). He even left Sitaji. But, Krsna did not care for maryada. He accepted everyone unconditionally. By meeting Rama, you will be able to serve Him like Hanumana. This is all right. But, you will not be able to meet Him with all your heart. Bharat, Laksmanaji, and Satrugna always serve Rama. They always fold their hands like sevakas. Sitaji is also there. Rama had Sita sent to the forest because of the allegation of a washer man. Rama is powerful; He can do anything. Was there any fault from Sita’s side? To instruct the world, Rama had Sita sent to the forest. But from His heart, He never left Sita. He would weep in separation from Sita. Sita would always weep in the asrama of Valmiki. Sita-Rama’s two sons were also there in the asrama.

Ramacandraji also put a straw mat in the palace and lived the life of an ascetic like how Sita did. Sitaji would become a little pacified by the association of Valmiki, and her two sons—Lava and Kusa. But there was no one to pacify Rama. He was suffering from much more despair. But no one understands this. He was always remembering Sitaji. There is this consideration in Rama—if someone alleges something on someone, then He will leave that person. But Krsna kicked this quality of maryada like a football. He only takes prema into consideration. He gave the position of a mother to a person who came to feed Him poison while disguised as a mother. Krsna performed such intimate pastimes with the sakhas.

In reciprocation to the selfless love of the gopis, Krsna places His head at the feet of the gopis and makes their maan go far away. Therefore, although Rama and Krsna are non-different, there is rasa-gata-vicara. Radhaji became Sita and Krsna became Rama. Therefore, I used to chant Rama’s names so much in my childhood. I wouldn’t chant Krsna’s names; I would chant, “Rama Rama Hare Hare.” I would chant half of the Mahamantra. Maybe because of my past life’s impressions I chanted Rama’s names in my childhood. Gradually, I started to chant the full Mahamantra. By Ramacandra’s mercy, I got the association of the sadhus. Whenever I give a discourse, I will be sure to intersperse the pastimes of Ramacandraji. I will not be satisfied without speaking about Ramacandra.

Devotee: Maharaja even spoke about Ramacandra’s pastimes yesterday.

Srila Gurudeva: I will surely speak about Ramacandra. I also speak on the history of Sitaji and many other associates of Rama. I also speak and follow the instructions that are given from Sri Ramacandra’s pastimes. I know that Rama and Krsna are One. Therefore, prema is manifested more in the personality of Krsna. Krsna becomes completely subservient to His associates. What does He not do to please the gopis? This is prema.

The moon is always purna, full. But, from certain angles of vision on earth, and because the sun’s reflection doesn’t fall on it, we see a dark moon. We say, “This is the first moon, second moon, third moon, fourth moon, fifth moon.” We judge the size of the moon according to its waxing and waning. But the moon never changes. When we go higher, we will see that the moon is always complete. We can see the full moon. Sometimes, because of darkness, the full moon cannot be seen. Therefore, we say, “First moon; second moon.”

Similarly, when we see Bhagavan in His full form, then He is Krsna. He is emporium of the twelve rasas. Ramacandra also has these rasas, but He does not manifest them. He is Maryada-Purusottama. He is bound by dharmic conduct. If He manifests these rasas, He will become Krsna.

Devotee: Maharaja, it is said that Krsna is the possessor of the sixteen forms of arts and Rama is the possessor of the twelve forms of arts.

Srila Gurudeva: No. It is not like this. The moon has sixteen aspects and the sun has twelve aspects. So, the sun is full in twelve aspects and the moon is full in sixteen aspects.

[Break of audio]

Laksmana cannot give Rama His remnants. Even Sitaji will not give her remnants to Rama. But when Radhaji is eating, Krsna will snatch Her remnants and will blissfully eat them.

Devotee: Krsna also eats the Gvala-balakas’—the cowherd boys’ remnants.

Srila Gurudeva: This is prema. Therefore, the full manifestation of prema is in Krsna. But Rama and Krsna are complete.

There are twelve kinds of rasas—santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhurya are the primary forms of rasa. The secondary forms of rasas are seven in number. They are hasya, karuna, raudra, bhayanak, vibhatsa, vira, and adbhut. Thus, there are twelve kinds of rasas. Krsna is the emporium of the twelve kinds of rasas. Ramacandraji has dasya, santa, and even karuna-rasa. When He was leaving home to enter the forest, there was no such living entity that did not bitterly weep on seeing Rama’s departure from Ayodhya. Everyone also cried at the places where Sita was lamenting in separation from Rama. When Sita entered Patala, everyone bitterly wept. One will not weep for Krsna so easily. But if the devotee does weep, then his eyes will never be dry. Krsna has this quality. He does not weep so easily. After understanding the separation that the gopis felt for Krsna, one’s eyes will never be dry. One will also weep when he chants Hare Krsna without offense.

So, Ramacandraji has the rasas—santa, dasya, and karuna. But He does not have vatsalya-rasa. Why does He not have this rasa? When He was born, He appeared in His caturbhuja form carrying the conch, disc, lotus, and club in His four hands. Kausalyaji also folded her hands and prayed to Him. She forgot her motherly affection for Him.

Devotee: Rama appeared in His caturbhuja form?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes.

Devotee: Krsna also showed His caturbhuja form when He was born.

Srila Gurudeva: He showed this form to Devaki and Vasudeva and not to Nanda and Yasoda. He was born from the womb of Yasoda. Even the umbilical cord cutting ceremony was performed.

Devotee: Krsna showed the universes to Yasoda.

Srila Gurudeva: Yes, He showed the universes to Yasoda, but it was like a magic trick. Yasoda never considered Krsna to be God. Rather, she would chastise Him.

Once, she told Him, “I will not give You milk. Stay away from me.”

Krsna cried out, “Maiya Maiya!”

But Yasoda did not take Krsna in her arms. Smiling, she chastised Krsna. Meanwhile, Naradaji came and saw this sight. He wondered, “This is Parabrahma Himself. Becoming Yasoda’s son, He is rolling on the earth. He is crying and wants to sit on Yasoda’s lap. And Yasoda Maiya refuses to take Him on her lap. And we meditate on Krsna’s feet and pray that He enters our hearts. How fortunate Yasodaji is! No one can bind Krsna; but Yasoda has bound Him by her love.”

But folding her hands in prayer, Kausalyaji offered many stava-stutis to Rama. Therefore, Kausalya’s vatsalya-rasa is half. At times, she forgets that Rama is Parabrahma. But soon after, she remembers that Rama is Parabrahma. Yasodaji never thought of Krsna as Parabrahma.

Devotee: Kausalya knew that Rama is Bhagavan?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. Therefore, her vatsalya-rasa was not complete. Sometimes, she would forget that Rama is God. But, she always knew that Rama is God. Rama appeared in His caturbhuja form and said, “As a fruit of your austerities, I have come to your house as a son.” He told this to Kausalya just as Krsna told Devaki of her previous lives’ austerities.

He told Vasudeva and Devaki, “In one of your previous lives both of you were Kasyapa Rsi and Aditi. After both of you performed severe austerities, I appeared and offered you both a boon.

You said, ‘We desire a son like You.’

I replied, ‘Where will you get a son like Me? Therefore, I Myself, will come as your son.’”

Dasaratha and Kausalya were also Kasyapa and Aditi in their previous lives. Thus, Rama appeared to them as a result of hearing their prayers. And, they knew that Rama was Parabrahma. As for Yasoda, Krsna emerged from her womb. So she does not believe anyone when they claim that Krsna is God.

She will say, “Krsna is not God; He is my son.”

Therefore, she has so much love for Krsna that she chastises and disciplines Krsna. And, she cannot remain without Krsna. When Ramacandraji left Ayodhya, Maharaja Dasaratha left his body and Kaikeyi became blind.

She thought, “Rama will return after twelve years.” And along with Rama, she went to Vaikuntha.

Yasodaji never thought, “My son is Bhagavan.”

Devotee: When Krsna left Gokula-Vrndavana for Mathura, then what was the condition of Nanda Baba and Yasoda Maiya?

Srila Gurudeva: They became mad in separation and thought, “Where is our son?”

Devotee: They would not go to meet Krsna?

Srila Gurudeva: Krsna would go to meet Nanda-Yasoda. But they would think, “We saw our Lala, our son in our dreams.”

When Yasoda would cook, she would think, “My son will come and eat.”

Indeed, Krsna would come and eat what Yasoda had prepared. He would also talk with her. But she would think, “Am I seeing Krsna in a dream?” And Krsna would never leave them and go anywhere else. He is always in Vrndavana. These pastimes are very deep and confidential. We also want to forget Krsna’s Bhagavatta, His Godhood, and we want to have a relationship with Him like how the gopis do. Everything depends on the relationship with Krsna, and Guru makes this relationship strong. If a relationship is made, then a relationship with all of Krsna’s associates is also made. For instance, now that she is married, her husband’s parents have become her parents also. This relationship has become strong. You will be together in happiness and distress. Guru establishes a relationship between a jiva and Krsna not just for one life; he establishes this relationship forever. This is called diksa. Therefore, we will always be indebted to guru. If a guru cannot do this, then he is not a Sad-Guru. A Sad-Guru binds Krsna in the heart of the disciple; he makes him realize Krsna.

By the grace of the guru, the disciple will think, “When will I leave this material world and serve Krsna in His abode?”

There is no shortage there. There is no birth, death, and sorrows there. Happiness will be experienced there in newer and newer forms. You don’t have to do a job there. You will not have to serve any mundane person there. Krsna is the only enjoyer there. Krsna is suffering for you; He is worried for you. The love shared between a devotee and Krsna is not to be found within any relationship of this material world.

One need only take shelter of Krsna’s Priyaji, Srimati Radhika. Krsna just desires; but everything is arranged by His sakti. Srimati Radhaji is the power, the sakti, the energy of Krsna. She is Hladini-sakti. She is controlling everything and not Krsna. Krsna lifted Giriraja-Govardhana on the little finger of His left hand. What is the meaning of this? Radhaji is always on the left side of Krsna. The little finger is also on the extreme left of the left hand.

[Laughter]

This finger is considered to be feminine; so Radhaji lifted Giriraja-Govardhana. Krsna desired to lift Giriraja and Radhaji lifted Giriraja for Krsna. People think Krsna lifted Giriraja-Govardhana but He did not lift Giriraja.

[Laughter]

These pastimes are filled with many secrets. Why did Krsna lift Giriraja? The gopis who had just become kisoris and were newly married wanted to meet Krsna. But they were unable to. So, Krsna caught Indra and had Yogamaya call him. All the arrangements were then made. Profuse rainfall was arranged and Krsna lifted Giriraja-Govardhana. There was no other place the Vrajavasis could seek shelter except being under Govardhana. Now, the newly married gopis collected under Govardhana on the excuse of rainfall and looked at Krsna to their hearts’ content. The meeting of the gopis and Krsna underneath Govardhana was filled with so much bliss. This is the secret behind the pastime of Krsna lifting Giriraja-Govardhana. Krsna arranged this pastime just so He could meet the gopis. If someone meets Krsna by having prema that has many obstacles to overcome, then there is much bliss in that prema.

One will always be greatly anxious to meet Krsna. “When will I meet Krsna? When will I meet Krsna?” will be the only thought. There is so much bliss in this prema. And those, who are always meeting Krsna, are satisfied in their hearts. They may be complacent. They will think, “Even if there is a fight; no harm.”
But if a meeting happens after great difficulty, then that prema will be of a greater degree. Therefore, these pastimes are arranged.

Putana came to Vraja; but know that no ghost, goblin, or demon can enter Vraja. Only to renew the prema of the Vrajavasis, do such pastimes occur. How? Yasodaji and Krsna are together. Yasoda thinks, “Krsna is my son.”

While cooking, she tells Krsna, “Oh go and play in the house. Don’t disturb me.”

Meanwhile, Putana came and taking Krsna, she flew in the sky. She had smeared poison on her breasts and by breastfeeding Krsna, she wanted to kill Him. When Putana flew away with Krsna, Yasoda left everything aside and cried out for her son.

She thought, “A son was born to me even though I am sixty years old. And even He is going away.”

She started to bitterly weep and she fell unconscious on the ground. And the gopis ran behind Krsna. They took Krsna from the place where Putana had fallen and placed Him in the hands of Yasoda. Yasoda became inconceivable happy. Now, she never leaves Krsna.

She doesn’t tell Him, “Don’t disturb me. Go and play.”

She has Krsna in her arms throughout the day. In this way, demons like Sakatasura, Trnavarta, Aghasura, Bakasura, Pralambhasura, and many others appeared in Vraja to renew the prema of the Vrajavasis. One finds a priceless jewel; but what will be the condition if someone steals it? The person will be thinking about it day and night. If he finds the jewel again, then he will always keep it with him. He may put it an iron chest or in a bank locker. He will understand its value.

This boy is always with you. Now, you may not understand how important he is to you. But if he goes somewhere for a couple of days, you will not be able to sleep. Your house will seem empty. You can scold and discipline him. But if he goes somewhere for a few days, then you will realize how precious your son is to you. You will realize what “mamata” is. Therefore, why does Krsna go to Mathura from Vrndavana? In the eternal abode Krsna doesn’t go anywhere. Only in His pastimes in this world, does He go to Mathura. Why does He go? To make the Vrajavasis understand a deeper side of love. There are two sides to prema—samyoga and viyoga. They are meeting and separation respectively. What is viyoga? It means “visesa yoga.” Vi-yoga—yoga means meeting and “vi,” means in a special way. When Krsna goes far away, His associates constantly think about Him. When Krsna went far away from the gopis, He would always think about them.

He would think, “The gopis served Me in so many ways. They love Me so much. They would put many flower garlands on Me. Without Me, they cannot stay alive for a minute. Alas! Alas!”

Day and night, Krsna would think about the gopis. This is called, “Viyoga,” a special form of meeting. Externally, it seems there is no meeting between Krsna and the gopis. In Samyoga, Krsna and the gopis meet externally, but something is lost inside. But, there is a special form of meeting in viyoga although they don’t meet externally. So, this internal meeting is greater. There is realization here. This prema is spotless. Hence, Krsna had this form of love shown to everyone. How can everyone realize how exalted the love of the gopis and Yasoda’s love for Krsna is? Through viyoga, it is known of how much they suffer in separation from Krsna. If we are not able to meet Krsna, we should also lament like this in separation from Krsna. This is called bhajan; we will not be able to live without Krsna. We cannot live for a second without the presence of air. We will start to die without breathing air. A fish will not survive when it is taken out of water. There is no need of killing it; it will die on its own.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “I don’t have a scent of Krsna-prema. If I did have prema, then without Krsna’s darsana, why haven’t I died yet? This can only mean that I don’t have prema. If I had prema then I would have died. My cries for Krsna are an external display.”

Thus, prema has two sides—viyoga and samyoga. Viyoga is more important than samyoga because then, we will realize if prema is pure or not. This will not be realized during meeting. But when there is viyoga, when there is intense separation from Krsna, then the greatness of prema will be realized. The gopis became mad in separation from Krsna. Sitaji did not become mad in separation from Rama. She was always conscious although she bitterly wept. But she did desire to enter in a fire and give up her life. Her prema reached up to this state. But Radhaji became viyogini and became completely mad in separation from Krsna. So, this is viyoga. When there is prema, there will be viyoga and samyoga. In the mood of samyoga, Krsna stayed in Vrndavana for eleven years. Then the time of viyoga drew near. Hence, in the Bhagavat, it is written how high the stage of viyoga is. This is the nature of prema.

[Srila Gurudeva speaks to a devotee]

Only have faith in Krsna. He creates, sustains, and destroys the creation. He nourishes everyone. He will also look after you and your daughters. He will always save you. Have firm faith in Him.

Devotee: Maharaja, it is written that if the husband dies before the wife, then the wife is very unfortunate.

Srila Gurudeva: No. This is for those, who have an external understanding. They don’t know anything, so it is said for them. You are not this body. Even your husband is not his body. The material body is made of earth and other elements. What you said is meant for those who have no knowledge; they are foolish. But, for those who have knowledge, Krsna is their husband. So, they will never be widows—if they consider Krsna as their husband. In reality, only Krsna nourishes and saves us.

What is the meaning of pati? Pa means a person who looks after another. It also refers to one who relieves someone of distress. Therefore, Krsna is Parama-pati, the topmost husband. Your husband was with you for some years; even your sons and brothers will be with you for some years. In reality, they are spirit souls. The spirit soul never takes birth or dies. Only Krsna is the spirit soul’s all-in-all. But having forgotten Krsna, we are in this material world suffering from sorrow. We have forgotten Krsna. Therefore, society considers one spirit soul as a lady’s husband and when he dies, the lady is considered very unfortunate. It should not be understood this way.

Understand Krsna to be your Parama-pati and regard your husband as your pati. Only Krsna can save us and only He is our all-in-all. He will always rescue us. Now that your husband has departed, how can he save you? But, Krsna can save you because He is Parama-pati. Therefore, consider Him as such. Don’t consider yourself to be a widow. You are separated from your husband. This was bound to happen—either today, tomorrow, or after some years. You may have departed before him also. Viyoga, separation, is bound to happen after a hundred years. Either of you will have to leave the body before the other does. Your husband was a pandit; he did Bhagavan’s bhajan. His time was over and Prabhu called him near. Don’t be worried. You do Krsna’s bhajan; He supplies everything to everyone. Have firm faith in this.

One day, one man went to do Krsna’s bhajan. When he went near the border of the village, he thought, “Where will I stay? What will I eat? What will I do?”

Meanwhile, he saw some people breaking a stone hill. They were removing big blocks of stone. As they did so, a frog leaped out. The man thought, “There is no way for an animal to enter into this stone hill. There is no way inside. There is no air to breathe also. There is nothing inside to survive on. How did this frog manage to survive within these big blocks of stone? So, if Krsna gives something for the frog to survive on, then He will surely tend to my needs as well.”

He then noticed an egg on the branch of a tree. As the wind blew, the egg fell from its nest and it broke open. A fledgling appeared from the egg and it cried out in hunger. Its mother was not there and this egg fell on the earth. Now what will this fledgling eat? Then, an insect came and the baby bird sat on it. It then ate the insect.

The man thought, “Prabhu has managed to feed everyone.”

The baby bird got some food and its hunger was satisfied. So, if Krsna bestows His mercy even on birds and other animals, then will He not bestow His mercy on us as well?

[Srila Gurudeva speaks to the devotee whose husband has passed away]

Therefore, don’t care for the opinion of others. Maintain your life by some means and be engaged in Krsna’s bhajan. Try to look after your daughters and everything will be all right. We always have full faith in Krsna. I don’t do anything to obtain prasadam. If I am destined to be fed prasadam, then who can stop me from honoring prasadam? Rice and dal from India is cooked. Many varieties are being prepared.

Devotee 2: Upon your coming here, even our business has started to prosper Maharaja.

[Laughter]

Srila Gurudeva: I thought, “Where has this beautiful dal come from?” They then told me that their business is based on dal.

[Laughter]

So, it is written in our destiny that we honor prasadam. I don’t give in charity or do anything else; but so many people love me and all arrangements are being made for me. Now, I am travelling all over the world in an airplane. I don’t have a single penny in my pocket. How is everything being managed? There is a Person who is arranging everything. I am helpless; I cannot do anything. Although I don’t do anything, all arrangements are being made. Wherever I go, everything is arranged. Earlier, what relation did I have with them? They have one son and daughter but I have millions of sons and daughters. Wherever I go, I get new sons and daughters.

In Delhi, there are some devotees, who will give millions of rupees if ever asked for. But I never asked them nor am I in need of any money. I don’t have any need of anything.

Visnu dasa: Maharaja, we only want to be qualified to become your sons and daughters.

Srila Gurudeva: Prema is needed. This prema should reach Krsna by the medium of a guru. If someone has even a little prema for Krsna, then if we take one step, Krsna will come down and taking lakhs and lakhs of steps, He will come near us. We are eager to meet Krsna, but Krsna is more eager to meet us.

Krsna always thinks, “What arrangements can I make, so that on hearing My name being chanted even once, I will run to meet him and I will embrace him.”

Krsna is so causelessly merciful. He says, “You have forgotten me since so much time. I was suffering in separation from you.”

Devotee: Maharaja has to go now.

Srila Gurudeva: I feel so happy in speaking hari-katha.

Devotee: We feel that we want to continue listening from you forever.
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You Should Not Be Angry

Srila Gurudeva in Los Angeles – 17 June 1996

[Hari-katha of Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja Srila Gurudeva]

Why do they chant, “Om santi, Om santi?” Om has some form, some qualification. He’s merciful. Om means A U M, three things. Then why do they just say, “Om?” A U M makes OM. And here, A denotes Krsna as told in the Upanisads. They go together, but they don’t want to use this. They are satisfied because Kali has done something. In Kali Yuga, even if a person is qualified or not; but yet, if he chants the name of Krsna, he will be benefited. But in Satya Yuga, anyone cannot chant the holy name. To chant the holy name, they will have to perform austerities for lakhs and lakhs of years. But in Kali Yuga, anyone can say Krsna’s name and Rama’s name.

When a person chants, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare,” he chants the holy names sixteen times.

Devotee: Do you reside in Mathura Maharaja?

Srila Gurudeva: No, no. I live in Vrndavana.

Devotee: I’m coming to India, hopefully next year. So, I’ll have to come and visit.

[Audio break]

Srila Gurudeva: But at that time I was foolish, I could not do anything. But now, he said, “Yes. You have come anyhow.” He is so pleased. What is the history of this temple?

[Srila Gurudeva goes on to speak some instructions that Srila Prabhupada gave before he left his body]

He used to go there and Caitanya Mahaprabhu would also come with all His parikars, associates. Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and others would also come. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu or His parikars used to come there, He used to make an excuse that the Mohammedans are coming and they will take [unclear]. So, he would take it to that village.

[Audio break]

So, Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to take darsana there. Mahaprabhu also said, “I will not go on top of Govardhana, and no one should go, because Govardhana is Krsna Himself. So, we should not climb on Govardhana hill and we will not see Gopalji.” Therefore, Gopalji Himself, used to come down in that village and everyone would take His darsana. There is a village named ‘Parso’ meaning, day after tomorrow.

The village is named as such because Krsna made a promise to the gopis and said, “I will surely come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.” Every village in Vraja is named after a specific pastime of Krsna.

[Audio break]

Oh you have come now. Even if these ISKCON leaders are not coming, I will always welcome them. I’m also happy to be here.

Devotee: We have been dreaming for a long time. . .

Srila Gurudeva: Svamiji and all of you have brought me here. Otherwise, I didn’t even dream that I would come to the western countries, and meet so many devotees.

Devotee: Seeing how sweet you are and so beautiful, how can they talk like this about such a great personality, what can we do?

Srila Gurudeva: You should not be angry.

Devotee: They have no eyes to see.

Srila Gurudeva: They are helping me. I could not have so much propaganda as they are doing. I have no money to do all these things. Actually, they are doing everything. They are doing everything for free. I’m indebted to them, so much indebted to them.

You know Kamsa was so kind to Krsna and to us all, because he brought Krsna from Goloka Vrndavana to this world. If there was no Kamsa, then no pastimes of Krsna would have manifested. So, Narada said, “I am indebted to Kamsa.”

Svamiji told me, “You should go and give some water, as the plants (the devotees) are drying. So you should go and give water to the plants.”

By bona fide Srimad Bhagavat kirtana, Krsna, Srimati Radhika, Uddhava, Sukadeva Gosvami, Narada Gosvami, and all will come; whether we can see them or not. When Narottama Thakur used to sing and dance with so many bhaktas, Caitanya Mahaprabhu would come with all His parikars, and they would ecstatically dance. And when the kirtana ended, Mahaprabhu and His associates would disappear. When Narottama Thakur would sing, “Gauranga bolite habe, pulaka sarira,” then Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu would descend and do kirtana. Everyone present would see and realize the presence of Mahaprabhu and His associates among them. But, when the kirtana ended, Mahaprabhu and His associates could not be seen, as I mentioned before.

Devotee: They would manifest to the general devotees or just those devotees with ….

Srila Gurudeva: Everyone could see, including the general public, because Yogamaya used to come and connect them. Where there is no Yogamaya, there is no connection with the eternal world. Now we will go to Mayapur or Vrndavana.

[Audio break]

They have no connection with Yogamaya. There is not such a powerful person who can attract Yogamaya to come here, so we are not seeing. But Krsna and Mahaprabhu are there; They are always there. But if personalities like Narottama Thakur, and Nityananda prabhu come, then Yogamaya will come and connect us. They will sprinkle some of their mercy.

Gaura Premanande! Hari Haribol!

SRI GAURA PURNIMA MAHOTSAVA – APPEARANCE OF SRI SACINANDANA GAURAHARI

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja :

ASTA KALIYA LILA IS THE LIFE AND WEALTH OF OUR SAMPRADAYA

In asta-kaliya-lila (Sri Krsna’s eight-fold daily Vrndavana pastimes) Krsna performs pastimes with Radhika, Lalita, Visakha and all the gopis – nighttime pastimes, early morning pastimes, late morning pastimes, noon pastimes, afternoon and evening pastimes. In these eight-fold pastimes Krsna’s birth, His killing Kamsa and His going to Mathura and Dvaraka do not occur. Similarly, in Mahaprabhu’s asta-kaliya-lila He does not go to Puri or to Godavari. There is no birth in Mayapura, and there is no deliverance of Jagai and Madhai and Cand Kazi. These are part of the naimittika-lila. The nitya-lila takes place only in Vraja, and only in Navadvipa, which is identical with Vrndavana. Asta-kaliya-lila is the life and the wealth of our sampradaya (disciplic succession), wherein nothing but the sweetest of the sweet pastimes take place. Only those who are qualified can meditate on these pastimes; unqualified people are barred. For those who are qualified, this meditation continues throughout the say and night.

If you want to enter into this meditation, you must give up envy and quarrel. If you have lust, anger, greed, violence, envy, etc. in your heart, how can you even think about these pastimes?

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Pray Srila Gurudeva’s Hari Katha Enters Our Hearts

 

Sri Navadvipa-mandala Parikrama


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Krsna-karunya Prabhu’s Movies
 Antardvip Darshan (1): Crossing the Ganga to Mayapur 

23 February 2010. This is first part of the parikrama coverage in the island Antardvip-Mayapur. In this webisode we crossed the Ganga from Koladvip to Antardvip or Mayapur.

Antardvip Darshan (2): From Isodyan to Yogapitha 

23 Feb. 2010 This is the second part of the parikrama coverage in Antardvip. After crossing the Ganga, the devotees assembled in Isodyan where Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math is presently situated. Isodayan was the place where our Lords Nimai and Nitai met for the very first time. When Nitai first arrived in Navadvip, he hid in Nandanacharya Bhavan nearby this place which is now the site of Sri Gaur Nityananda Mandir (the next Gaudiya Math temple from here towards Yogapith) then Nimai met Him here in Isodyan. From Isodyan, we proceeded to Mayapur Yogapitha, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Next webisode: Arrival at Mayapur Yogapitha

Antardvip Darshan (3): Welcome to Mahaprabhu’s Birthplace 

23 Feb. 2010. This is third webisode of our parikrama coverage in Antardvip. Welcome to Mayapur Yogapitha and have darshan of the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Antardvip Darshan (4): Srila Gurudev’s Arrival at Yogapitha 

23 Feb. 2010. Srila Gurudev Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaj arrived in Mayapur Yogapitha while the devotees were singing the bhajan “Sakhe Kalaya Gauram Udaram” led by Krishna Das Prabhu. The recording of the class is on a separate video you can check from www.purebhakti.tv Next webisode: Antardvip Darshan: From Srivas Angan to Sri Chaitanya Math

Antardvip Darshan (5): From Srivas Angan to Sri Chaitanya Math 

23 Feb.2010. After doing parikrama of Mayapur Yogapitha, (previous webisodes), you can join our sankirtan party proceed to the courtyard of Srivas Thakur (Srivas Angan), then to the house of Advaita Acharya (Advaita Bhavan), then to Gadadhar Angan. Next webisode: Sri Chaitanya Math and the Samadhi of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad

Antardvip Darshan (6): Sri Chaitanya Math and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupad’s Samadhi 

23 Feb. 2010. This is the sixth webisode of our parikrama coverage in Antardvip Mayapur which brings us to Sri Chaitanya Math, the mother math of all Gaudiya Maths established by Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Here one can get darshan of Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur’s samadhi, the samadhi mandir of Srila Gaurkishor das Babaji Maharaj, the Deities established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupad, Sri Radha Kund, Syama Kund and Giriraj Govardhan, and more.

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03 21 97 A Navadwip
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03 21 97 B Navadwip Srila Gurudeva Class
03 22 97 B Navadwip
1996 NAVADVIPA DHAMA PARIKRAMA P2
1996 NAVADVIPA DHAMA PARIKRAMA P3
2001 Navadvipa Parikrama 2001 P1
2001 Navadvipa Parikrama 2001 P2
2001 Navadvipa Parikrama 2001 P3
2001_Navadvipa Parikrama Kirtans Part 1
2001_Navadvipa Parikrama Kirtans Part 2
20020327 Navadivpa Parikrama P1
20020327 Navadivpa Parikrama P2
20020327 Navadivpa Parikrama P3
20020327 Navadivpa Parikrama P4
20020329 Navadvipa Sannyasa Part 2 Srila Gurudeva bathes in the Ganga
20050324 25 Navadvipa Class and Bhajans
20050324 25 Navadvipa Darshan and Class
20050324 Navadvipa Darshan with Srila Gurudeva
2006 Navadivpa Parikrama P1
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2006 Navadivpa Parikrama P3
2006 Navadivpa Parikrama P4
2008_Navadvip Taking Deities To Their New Altar P1
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20080320_Navadvipa kirtan p1
20090305 Navadvipa Devanda Gaudiya Matha and Sankalpa
20090305 Navadvipa Srila Gurudeva’s Instructions
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20090305_Navadvipa Tape 3
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20090306 Navadvipa Parikrama Yoga Pita with Srila Gurudeva
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The Disappearance Day of Srila Jagannatha Das Babaji Maharaja

Sri Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja

Class by Srila Vaman Maharaja SBVM_Exapalnati on To Bhakti_glories Of Jaganatha Babaji
[Translated from Srila Gurudeva’s Hindi Publication on the Life of the Four Vaisnava Acaryas: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada, Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja]

gauravirbhava-bhumes tvam nirdesta sajjana-priyah
vaisnava-sarvabhauma-sri-jagannathaya te namah

I offer obeisance to Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Sri Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja. He indicated the pastime place of the appearance of Sri Gaurasundara, and he is very dear to the devotees.

Appearance and Introduction

In approximately 1764, Sri Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja appeared in a Sambhrant family in a Mandalakara village within the division of Tangail in the district of Mayaman Simha in present day Bangladesa. Some have the belief that he manifested his appearance pastime in the Tadasa village within the Pavana district of Bangladesa in a Varenda Kayastha family. Up until now we do not have a definite account or acquaintance of his previous asrama’s mother and father, or of the year, date and so forth of his appearance.

Whichever place or whatever family Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja may have appeared in; in reality he is Bhagavan’s eternally perfected associate and the manifested form (prakasa-vigraha) of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is fully realized in the current of the conception of Sri Sri Svarupa-Rupanuga; he is the sarvabhauma (emperor) of the empire of suddha-vaisnavas; he is the eternally worshipable of Srimad Bhaktivinoda Thakura; he is greatly enthusiastic in preaching the message of Godhead; he is the general in the army of nama-sankirtana, and he is a Bhagavat Paramahamsa gosthanandi (one who takes delight in preaching). Sri Vraja and Sri Navadvipa Dhama are his eternal places of residence.

Pancaratriki-Diksa

While staying in his previous asrama, Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja acted out the pastime of accepting pancaratriki diksa and becoming the diksa disciple of Sri Rasa Bihari Gosvami, a descendent of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and a resident in the provincial district of Puruliya. That Sri Rasa Bihari Gosvami had one other disciple—Svadhin Tripuradhipati—Svadhamagata Isanacandra Manikya Bahadura. Even today, Sri Rasa Bihari jiu, the worshipable Lordship’s of Sri Rasa Bihari Gosvami, are being served in his royal palace.

Coming to Sri Vraja Mandala

Understanding and seeing the life history of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, it is recognized that although he was a topmost devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu before coming to Sri Vraja Mandala, still, following the completely pure acara-pracara, out of greed to obtain the devotees transcendental association, he came to Sri Vraja Mandala.

Association with the Visuddha-Rupanuga-Acarya

Out of destiny, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja came to Sri Vraja Mandala and received the association of the Bhagavata Srila Madhusudan dasa Babaji Maharaja, who was acting out the pastime of being acarya, taking shelter of the method of rupa and rupanuga, and preaching in this way. Obtaining the association of Srila Madhusudan dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s heart, which was burning in enthusiasm for the association of rupanuga vaisnavas, was cooled. From him, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja received the deep process and tattva of bhajana in the line of the Sri Gaudiya-Vaisnava-sampradaya.

Paramahamsa Vesa

Day and night, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja began to perform honest service to his Gurudeva, looking after everything. He stayed under the complete guidance of Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja for a long time; residing on the bank of Sri Surya-kunda and showing the perfect example of sadhana bhajana. Seeing his honest service as well as unfathomable love for Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, and his desire for the supreme auspiciousness of the residents of the world, Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja gave him paramahamsa-vesa.

A Brief Life History of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s Vesa-guru, Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja

When Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja was only 12 years old, one devotee gave him the sri-harinama-mahamantra along with the 18 syllable sri-krsna-mantra. Although Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja began chanting the mantras at that time, still, in his adulthood he lamented again and again, “How unfortunate I am! I do not know the method of chanting sri-harinama and sri-krsna-mantra! I don’t even know the name of my Gurudeva who gave me the mantra! I never saw him again in my life! I never got the opportunity to serve him, what to speak of receiving any instructions from him. Due to the absence of guru-seva and instructions from him, my human life will pass uselessly. What will be my destination, not knowing the purport of my mantras and guru-parampara?”

Absorbed in these thoughts, he came to Sri Vraja Mandala searching for his Gurudeva. He stayed for some time in Kamyavana, then he traveled throughout many places in Sri Vraja Mandala searching for his Gurudeva; however, not being able to fulfill his desire, he was despondent. Finally, being deprived of the acquaintance of his Gurudeva and knowledge of the process of his mantra, with the intention of taking his life, he tied a very large sila of Giriraja Govardhana around his neck and jumped into Sri Radha Kunda. However, at that time, the supreme ruler of Sri Radha Kunda, Srimati Radhika and Her beloved Sri Krsna lifted him up with Their hands and placed him on the banks of the pond. They wrote on tala leaves the name of his Gurudeva, his guru-parampara, the process of chanting his mantras, as well as many other subjects, and placing them near him, They disappeared. By the causeless mercy of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna he became aware of all these subjects: his Gurudeva was a follower in the line of sri-rupanuga-vaisnava-pravara Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusan Prabhu—Sri Uddhava dasaji, who was engaged in sri-rupanuga-bhajana following the disciplic succession and doctrine of the Sri Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya-Vaisnavas.

A short time after, Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja began to reside at the supremely pure pastime place on the banks of Surya-kunda, in the kunja named ‘Madana-rana-vatika’ situated five miles north of Sri Radha Kunda. Once, when Srila Babaji Maharaja was sitting in his bhajana-sthali, ‘Madana-rana-vatika,’ the pastimes of holi in Vraja manifested upon the screen of his transcendental vision. While watching, Srila Babaji Maharaja entered into the pastimes with his perfected form. People nearby saw that many different colors were on his clothes as well as an unprecedented fragrance; hearing people murmuring, Srila Babaji Maharaja came back to his external senses. Since this occurrence, Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja is famous in Surya-kunda as ‘Siddha Babaji.’

There is a common saying or rumor that when Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja explained the Srimad-Bhagavata in his bhajana-kutira at Surya-kunda, a python would come daily with a fixed routine and hear his explanations. When they were completed, the python would offer dandavat-pranams and then go away.

Srila Babaji Maharaja bathed in Sri-Surya-kunda every day. One night Srimati Radharani appeared in a dream and told him, “In this kunda there is a Giridhari sila with My crown printed on it. Take this sila out and worship it.” Srila Babaji Maharaja woke and sat up from his dream, and in the morning, being extremely pleased at heart, followed the order of Srimati Radharani, and took the sila out of Surya-kunda. Even though the sila appeared to be approximately 2 to 2 ½ manas or 80-100 kilos, when Srila Babaji Maharaja lifted it, it became lighter then a flower. Since then, Srila Babaji Maharaja worshipped the sila every day.

Up to the present day, the sila worshipped by Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja, as well as the worshipable nama-brahma, or names of Bhagavana such as Sri Hare Krsna’ and ‘Sri Haribol’ written upon wood, are served in a temple on the banks of Sri Surya-kunda. Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja’s samadhi and his ancient worn out bhajana-kutira are also present.

At Surya-kunda, the disappearance day of Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja is followed on agrahayana suklastami.

Sri Gaura Bhakta, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja

After taking paramahamsa-vesa, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja wandered in different places within Sri Vraja Mandala and Sri Gauda Mandala for the welfare of the world, increasing the beauty of those places. Babaji Maharaja perceived Sri Gauda Mandala to be non-different from Vraja Mandala. In the same way that all of Sri Krsna’s qualities are showered upon the devotees of Sri Krsna, similarly, all the qualities of Sri Gaurahari such as deep honest taste for chanting sri-nama following—‘trnad api sunicena, tarorapi sahisnu, amanina manadena’ were manifest in Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja. Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja obtained all good qualities and became the most fortunate of the fortunate.

Sri Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja’s Departure

When the time came, by the will of Bhagavan, Sri Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja performed his disappearance pastime. Along with his other godbrothers, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja placed his Gurudeva in samadhi on the banks of Surya-kunda. Although he spent most of his time at Surya-kunda, still, he would sometimes go to Sridham Navadvipa for some days and then again returned to Surya-kunda.

His Preaching Pastimes as Acarya

For those who renounce everything and take the one-pointed shelter of Sriman Mahaprabhu, taking a vow to preach His message, then Bhagavan Sri Gaursundara accepts his bhajana. By thinking, “I am a low and destitute Vaisnava; however, by making disciples, my so-called humble bhajana, which is actually full of pride, will be destroyed.” Leaving this powerful arrogance of being a great devotee aside, and taking suddha-nama with humility, both showing by one’s own personal example, as well as preaching suddha-nama and taking the responsibility of being guru, then the waves of sense enjoyment in the form of material prestige will be diminished. Srila Rupa, Srila Sanatana, Srila Jiva and Srila Raghunatha dasa, as well as other great pure devotees gave instructions by the method of composing scriptures, while Sriman Narottama, Srila Madhvacarya, Srila Ramanujacarya and others accepted many disciples. Many foolish people became offenders at the lotus feet of the actual akincana devotees by thinking that such preaching activities were obstacles to the limbs of bhakti and were merely waves of sense enjoyment. Following the above-mentioned Vaisnava-acaryas’ magnanimous and lofty moods, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja followed the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 7.128

[Tell everyone you meet the instructions of Krsna. Under My order become a guru and deliver everyone in this land.]

Thus, when any person would naturally come to Srila Babaji Maharaja, he would immediately begin to deliver visuddha-hari-katha. Seeing the incomparable anuraga of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja towards Sri Gaurasundara, and the unfathomable enthusiasm towards Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s practice and preaching, many devotees were attracted to the shelter of Srila Babaji Maharaja, and passed their lives with great renunciation in his care, thus making their lives fortunate and successful. Many householders also followed Srila Babaji Maharaja’s instructions.

Strictly Following the Method of Sri Rupanuga-bhajana

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s chastisement was nirapeksa (neutral or indifferent), his strong instructions for the welfare of the soul were poignant. Srila Babaji Maharaja stayed for a long time in the shelter of the banks of Sri Radha-kunda. Following the method of Sri Rupanuga-bhajana, he would perform Sri Radha-Govinda’s eternal service with an attentive mind through the medium of nama-bhajana. Srila Babaji Maharaja stayed in this world for 142 long years, continuously performing sri krsna kirtana and inspiring others to also perform sri harinama. Babaji Maharaja never accepted any siddhanta or conception other than the one and only method of following all other limbs of bhakti through connection with kirtanakhya-bhakti. With mind absorbed intently in moods of separation, he would perform hari kirtana himself, and he gave instruction for others to do the same. He never patronized the pretense of full absorption in nama bhajana with an enjoying mentality, or hypocritically following solitary bhajana. Apart from chanting the 16 name, 32 syllable mahamantra that emanated from Sriman Mahaprabhu’s lotus mouth, he never patronized the nama-aparadhi’s who performed speculative, imaginary modern mantras full of rasabhasa and opposed to siddhanta.

Under the guidance of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s instructions, the followers of Sri Rupanuga never performed any rasabhasa singing or any type of nama-aparadha in the place of ‘suddha nama’ and ‘sri nama kirtan.’ Frivolously performing harinama with sraddha is one thing, but not giving up nama-aparadha, yet rather thinking it to be pure ‘nama’ and protecting or maintaining one of the nama-aparadhas amongst them all with such a foolish conception, thinking, “my sri harinama kirtana is going on nicely”—such patronizing self-deception is another thing completely. Srila Babaji Maharaja never tolerated anything opposed to siddhanta or anything with the fault of rasa-abhasa.

[Translated from Srila Gurudeva’s Hindi Publication on the Life of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, by Rasik Mohan dasa]

# 2nd Post

Srila Babaji Maharaja’s Instructions to Businessmen Reciters of the Bhagavat

When Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja and his one-pointed associates devoted to nama-bhajana in the family of paramahamsas were absorbed in the bliss of bhajana in Sri Vrndavana, one learned scholar of the Sanskrit language, a famous hired orator from the place of Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa pastime in Katwa, who had the occupation of reciting the Bhagavatam for a quantity of wealth, came to Vrndavan with the desire to reside in the tirtha with brahmanas. But there he started explaining the Srimad-Bhagavatam for collecting material wealth, worship, and fame. In other words, through reciting the Bhagavata, he became absorbed in filling his belly and other activities. Seeing that, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja and other bhajananandi-vaisnavas were indifferent to hearing his explanations on the Srimad-Bhagavata, which is the crown jewel of all scriptures. The gentleman asked why Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was disinclined to his recitation, to which Babaji Maharaja replied, “that person who makes a business out of the Bhagavatam is a nama-aparadhi; what comes out of his mouth is not the glories of the transcendental personality Sri Krsna. Such a person who sells his kirtan or Bhagavata recital to fill his body or tongue is more contemptible than an ordinary vaisya or merchant. By hearing from such a businessman orator, rather than the jivas getting any form of auspiciousness, the jivas will become more fallen. To have faith in objects of enjoyment in the place of faith in Krsna, and to perform hypocritical bhakti instead of honest bhajana, is the cause of inauspicious destinations for the jivas.”

The fortunate orator was not displeased to hear the strong and truthful speech of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, even though it was unpleasant; rather, he realized this as the mercy of Babaji Maharaja, and from that time he renounced the tendency of making a business out of the Bhagavat, understanding it to be contemptible. Accepting the mercy of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, the fortunate orator became a parama-bhagavata-vaisnava in the future. While staying in Sridhama Vrndavan he would even offer obeisance to donkeys, dogs, and dog-eaters. By the mercy of the detached devotees, his arrogance of caste, class, and learning were all dissipated.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s Deities

By the help of Sri Bihari dasa (his sevaka), the residents of Surya-kunda built a room for Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja to stay in, as well as a small temple. Seeing the temple, Srila Babaji Maharaja told Bihari dasa, “Bihari! In this temple, we should establish Thakurji. Make arrangements for Deities.”
On the order of Babaji Maharaja, with the help of one landowner, Sri Bihari Dasji brought the deities of Sri Gaura-Nitai from the place called Danihat, and delivered them into the hands of Srila Babaji Maharaja. Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja established the Deities in the new temple and held a very large festival.

The powerful Vrajavasi Sri Bihari dasa was born in a Gopa’s home. He served Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja for approximately 40 years. Sri Bihari Dasa was not highly qualified in reading and writing from the perspective of worldly people; however, by the mercy of his Guru-pada-padma, he obtained the result of real learning—the great opportunity to be absorbed in constant practice of Sri Krsna bhakti. He would take Srila Babaji Maharaja in a basket on his head, and carry him from one place to another. Because of his great strength, he would go eight to ten miles at a time without any conveniences. He sat Srila Babaji Maharaja on his head in a basket and carried him to Navadvipa-dhama. Arriving in Sri Navadvipa-dhama, he built a kutira for Srila Babaji Maharaja with his hands, a spade and so forth, and also built four walls in the four directions surrounding the kutira. He was a witness of the transcendental affection of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja towards Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ‘Prabhupada.’ Ease, power, and simplicity were manifest in whatever he did.

One day, some thieves came to Srila Babaji Maharaja’s kutira to steal the Deities, thinking them to be made of gold. Although, by the will of Bhagavan, the thieves could not steal the Deities, nonetheless, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja gave his servant Bihari dasa the order to take the Deities and leave Them in Sri Vrndavan. Sri Bihari dasa did so, following the order of Babaji Maharaja. In the present times, those Gaura-Nitai deities are situated in Sri Vrndavan at Gopala-Bhaga Dhopapad, and are known by the name, ‘Sonara Gaura’ (Golden Gaura).

The Sting of One Rupee

Once, as Sri Bihari dasji was carrying Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja on a pathway, a devotee gave Babaji Maharaja one rupee and Babaji Maharaja gave it to Biharidasa to keep. Two or three miles ahead, Srila Babaji Maharaja suddenly told Bihari Dasa to return it. After arriving at his Kuti, he called that devotee and gave him back the rupee, saying, “Brother, keep your rupee, I heard that you have many rupees. I don’t know how you can tolerate the biting sting of so many rupees, I am not able to tolerate the sting of even one rupee.”

Srila Babaji Maharaja’s Instructions to Those Unqualified for the Path of Raga

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja always gave instructions to perform hari-bhajana through one’s body, mind, and words. Some people among those with the desire to be his followers, taking loin cloth, or the dress of a babaji, thought that they would now not have to perform fatiguing physical work as householders do, for they were now bheka-dharis, (wearing the dress of renunciation). Consequently, they simply circulated their beads without care, trying to complete their regulated number of rounds by any means, thinking that then their daily activities would be finished. However, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja mercifully engaged all those nama-aparadhis in exhausting physical activities for the service of Krsna. Without keeping one’s senses absorbed in the service of Visnu and the Vaisnavas, Sri Krsna’s names will not manifest on the tongue, and one will not get the qualification to perform Sri Krsna’s names. For as long as one’s senses are present with the body and their sense objects, as well as those persons related to the body, until then the living entity will be attached to sense enjoyment, this is certain. “I am Bhagavan’s servant”— situated in this mood, one will have possessiveness towards the objects related to Bhagavan, thus one will engage his own body and the objects related to the body in the service of Bhagavan and the devotees, and the tendency of love and possessiveness will be towards them. Seeing the unperfected and foolish persons laziness in regards to Sri Krsna anusilana, for they were busily engaged in their own sense enjoyment, and to stop them from proceeding on the pathway to hell, Srila Babaji Maharaja engaged them in honest hari-bhajana, in such a way that finally their consciousness would be cleansed and they would obtain the qualification to perform sri-krsna-anusilana.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Meets Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja

In the month of sravana 1880, when Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was staying in the kunja of Sri Rupa dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came to the kunja of Sri Radha Ramana Vasu, with the intent of having darsana of Sridhama Vrndavana. When Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was searching for some rare scriptures, he came to the kunja of Sri Rupa dasa Babaji Maharaja, and had darsana of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja for the first time. The pastime of the eternal vrajavasi guru and disciple meeting together in the Vraja of this world was manifest. In this place, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura authored the ‘dasa sloki’ in the name of Sri Nimbaditya.

Along with hearing the powerful hari-katha of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura realized him to be a great bhajananandi-mahapurusa, and offered himself for all time at his lotus feet. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura realized that the actual result of his pilgrimage had been obtained:

“tirtha-phala sadhu sanga, sadhu sange antaranga, sri krsna bhajana manohara”

[The actual result of going to the holy places is to obtain sadhu-sanga, because in sadhu-sanga one gets ‘antaranga,’ or the opportunity of receiving confidential instructions for Sri Krsna-bhajana, which steal the mind.]

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s travel to Sridhama Vrndavana was successful. In the same way that Sriman Mahaprabhu spoke the feelings of His heart when He had darsana of Sri Isvarapuri in Gaya, saying:

prabhu bale gaya yatra saphala amara
yatra ksane dekhilan carana tomara
samsara-samudra haite uddharaha more
ei ami deha samarpilan tomare
krsna-pada-padmera amrta-rasa pana
amare karao tumi ei cahi dana

Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, Adi 17.50-52

Receiving the darsana of Sri Isvara Puri’s lotus feet, Sri Gaursundara said, “That moment I obtained the darsana of your beautiful lotus feet, My pilgrimage to Gaya was successful. Please save Me from the ocean of material existence, I have offered My body unto you! Please make Me drink the transcendental nectar of Sri Krsna’s lotus feet; this is all I beg from you!”

In this same way, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s mind became agitated, and prayers appeared on his tongue. Seeing a person so learned and well versed in the scriptures, with such a powerful natural enthusiasm to preach sri-nama-sankirtana as practiced and preached by Sriman Mahaprabhu, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Mahasaya was pleased, and encouraged Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to more widely and strongly preach sri-gaura-nama, sri-gaura-dhama and sri-gaura-kama (Gaura’s desires) throughout the world.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura returned from Sri Vrndavan and began preaching extensively to fulfill the heart’s desire of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Mahasaya. If one reads the autobiography of Thakura Bhaktivinoda, one will understand from that time how he greatly preached the holy name, pure bhakti, and gave many eloquent lectures related to dharma in many places throughout Bengal.

Meeting again at Amla-Joda

After this first meeting, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had the great happiness to obtain the association and instructions of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja many times. Among these, Srila BhaktivinodaThakura wrote about some of the prominent meetings himself.

One time, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was staying in the place called Amla Joda within the district of Vardhamana, preaching the spotlessly pure sri-rupanuga-bhakti. At that time, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was going place-to-place preaching hari-katha and hari-kirtana with the plan of going to Vrndavan for sadhu-sanga and residence in the dhama. Going through the practice of this plan, when it was Ekadasi on Wednesday in the month of Phalguna, February-March on the 22nd day in 1891, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura decided to pause in Amla-Joda, where by the desire of Bhagavan he received the good fortune of the darsana of Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja.

The Ideal of how to Follow Ekadasi-tithi, Srila Babaji Maharaja’s Ecstasies, and Establishing Prapannasrama

Although Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura followed every Ekadasi-tithi excellently according to the account of Sri Ambarisa Maharaja in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, still, in Amla Joda, they stayed up all night doing hari-kirtana, and showed the unprecedented example of how to follow Ekadasi to all the general people. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explained the occurring’s in Amla Joda in his magazine ‘Sri SajjanaTosani’ as follows:

“After staying awake all night on Ekadasi, at eight in the morning all the devotees in the village gathered and went out on nagar-sankirtana. With Paramapujyapada Siddha Sri Jagannatha dasa babaji Mahasaya in front, everyone arrived at Prapannasrama.

(Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was highly respected and the recipient of great honor from the residents of Amla Joda. By the combined efforts of the protectors of the Sri Nama Hatta, Sri Yukta Ksetranatha Bhaktinidhi, Vipanipati, (Vikreta), and Sri Yukta Vipin Vihari Bhaktiratna’s, one asrama, ‘Prapannasrama’ was constructed in the village of Amla Joda in the middle of a garden.)

At the time of kirtana, all the bhavas that manifested in Babaji Maharaja are impossible to describe. At an age beyond 100, he would dance like a lion in premananda, and sometimes in the middle he would shout out:

“nitai ki nama eneche re, nama eneche namera hate sraddhamule nama diteche re”

Sri Nityananda Prabhu appeared on this Earth with what wonderful names! He opened the marketplace of the holy names and distributed this wonderful prema nama for the price of faith.

He would sing lines of poetry like this and others, shed incessant tears, and tumble in the dust of the Earth. Such an amazing scene occurred that cannot be found anywhere else. Seeing the ecstatic emotions of Srila Babaji Mahasaya and becoming submerged in the bliss of his kirtana, almost all present wept with hairs standing on end, and all danced ecstatically in kirtana for a long time with voices choked with emotion. When kirtana was completed after a long time, there was a brief lecture on the subject of nama-hatta. Being very pleased, that day Babaji Mahasaya gave the order for ‘Prapannasrama’ to begin. Vipani Pati Mahasaya, taking the approval of Babaji Mahasaya, completed the project to establish Prapannasrama. A school and medical dispensary were established, and the leader of the society picked by Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Mahasaya was qualified for the task in all ways. In whichever villages the Prapannasrama is constructed, they should be established in this manner.”

(Sajjana Tosani 4th Year, 23rd Prstha)

Srila Babaji Maharaja Absorbed in Singing the Qualities of Sri Hari

In this village called Amla Joda, day and night Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja spoke with Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura about Gaura and Krsna, explanations on kirtana, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja Coming to Reside Permanently in Sri Gaura Dhama

In the manifested lifetime of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, the Viviktanandi-sadhus were propagating that Sri Vraja dhama is the place for perfected personalities and sadhakas; that Sri Vraja Dhama is superior to Sri Navadvipa-dhama, and that just by arriving by any means in Sri Vraja Dhama one will get perfection. Considering Sri Gaura Dhama and Sri Krsna Dhama to be different, these offensive conceptions were prevalent. Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja took a firm vow to uproot this offensive conception completely and throw it far away. Hence, although being an eternally perfected Vrajavasi absorbed in transcendental pastimes, he, as well as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, went and resided in Sri Navadvipa. Showing the brilliantly pure (ujjvala) nature of Sri Gaura-Dhama, by staying there and giving the perfect example of performing hari-bhajana to their many followers. The previous Acarya Srila Narottama Thakura sang—sri gauda mandala bhumi, jeba jane cintamani, tara haya vraja bhume vasa.

Following this conclusive truth, Srila Babaji Maharaja stayed in Sri Gauda Mandala and entered into the transcendental pastimes here, performing kirtana of this siddhanta with a loud voice.

Staying in Kuliya Navadvipa

The place Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja stayed and did bhajana in Kuliya Navadvipa has become famous as ‘Bhajana-Kuti’. At the time when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura stayed in Krsnanagara, considering him to be his dear associate, Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja told him to construct the compound called ‘Bhajana-Kuti’. Taking this order on his head, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura used his assets to have this compound made. Now, Srila Babaji Maharaja’s samadhi is present in the compound of this bhajana-kutira. Many times Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came to this place to see Srila Babaji Maharaja and hear katha of Gaura and Krsna.

Giving the Giridhari sila to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

When Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja came from Navadvipa to Calcutta, he would usually go and meet Srila Bhaktivinoda in the Bhakti Bhavan, following the advice of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, “grhe va vanete thake, ‘ha gauranga’ bale dake, narottama mange tar sanga.” At the time when Srila Bhaktivinoda was performing the pastime of a householder, he would go for his direct meeting. To establish the perfect ideal of good behavior for the family members of Paramahansa Siromani Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja gave them Sri Giridhari (Govardhan Sila).

In 1293 Bangabda, when Srila Babaji Maharaja came to Bhakti Bhavan, for the satisfaction of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Vipina Bihari Gosvami took the caranamrta of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja. At that time, the photo taken of Srila Babaji Maharaja on the roof of Bhakti Bhavan has become worshipable in the present times for the visuddha Sri Rupanuga Vaisnavas.

[Translated from Srila Gurudeva’s Hindi Publication on the Life of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, by Rasik Mohan dasa]

# Post 3

The Necessity of Service According to Qualification

While Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was staying in his bhajana-kutira in Kuliya Navadvipa, some household renunciants (grha-tyagis) came to him with the purpose of obtaining some instructions on bhajana. Considering their qualification, Srila Babaji Maharaja instructed them to give water to eggplant vegetables planted for serving Krsna. Having the false ego of being fully ripened in bhajana, they were displeased with this instruction of Srila Babaji Maharaja. They considered that since they had left their houses to become detached from this sort of sensual work, having come to Srila Babaji Maharaja, why should they again be made to do the materialistic work of householders? Some thought that if, after leaving material life, they had to perform this sort of work, then it would be better to return again to their homes. Srila Babaji Maharaja understood the mood of their hearts and from Daivakrama he brought all his disciples face-to-face with Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. After telling Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in brief about their subject matter, he said,
“You are the best deliberator, please consider the situation here.” Among those with the false ego of being detached loincloth renunciants, some had a lethargic nature and were full of anarthas, some were secretly vyabhicaris, performers of illicit activities, some kept independent desires, and some were anyabhilasis, full of ulterior desires. Considering all their different qualifications, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura advised one person among them to go on pilgrimage to the four holy places, some others he told to go back to their homes and perform authorized marriages, and he instructed other simple persons, who were nonetheless weak with the disease of anyabhilasa, to fully follow the instructions of Srila Babaji Maharaja without any consideration, and to fully surrender unto him. In this way, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja gave mercy to those in the grip of unwanted desires through Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Srila Babaji Maharaja’s All-knowing Nature

Many people would go for the darsana of Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja and give him a lot of donations at their departure. He would keep all the donations in a small jug. Every fifteen days he would have the money counted and most of it spent. If the servant of Babaji Maharaja ever took out 10 or 15 rupees and put it in another place without telling him, Babaji Maharaja would become very sober and speak in a loud voice, “Oh! Where did the 15 rupees go?” Although Babaji Maharaja kept his eyes closed in the presence of his servant, because due to advanced age his eyelids would always be falling down, and only by holding up the eyelids with his hands could he see, and even though he didn’t count the money, Babaji Maharaja still knew everything. The servant would fearfully take out all the money and put it back.

Srila Babaji Maharaja’s Disdain for the Hypocritical Residents of the dhama

Whatever donations Srila Babaji Maharaja received, he would spend according to his desire. One time, Babaji Maharaja told his servant, “Go! Take 200 rupees of the collected donations and exchange them for rasagullas. I will feed rasagullas to all the cows of the dhama.” When the servant asked, “Why do you want to feed rasagullas to the cows of the dhama instead of feeding the Babaji Vaisnavas of the dhama?” Babaji Maharaja said, “You don’t know, most of the Babajis here associate with women. Taking the cloth of Babajis, they are having intercourse with women. Therefore, I am not feeding them rasagullas, but am rather giving the rasagullas to the cows.”

Sometimes Babaji Maharaja would give someone five or ten rupees. Sometimes he would give someone a shawl, blanket, or clothes; however, for those who desired their real auspiciousness, he would always give strong chastisement.

Transcendental Nature

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja would take prasada on a large plate. One time, while staying in Kuliya Navadvipa, a female dog from a nearby hut gave birth to five puppies. When Babaji Maharaja would sit down to take prasada, the puppies would start eating from his plate, standing on all four sides. Because his eyes were closed, he would count them with his hand to see if all of them had come or not. If the servant was upset and tried to chase one or two of them away, then Babaji Maharaja would angrily say, “Go! Take my plate. Today I will not eat. They are all dhamavasis and you are always running behind them!”

Then the servant would bring back the puppies, feeling ashamed, and left them near the plate of Babaji Maharaja. When Babaji Maharaja counted that all were present, then he would happily take prasada with them from one plate.
Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja is a maha-bhagavata. If an ordinary person imitates his practices then it will be inauspicious for them. The independent maha-bhagavata is beyond all rules, regulations, logic, and thoughts. They always perceive the dhama and guru; however, if an ordinary unqualified practitioner imitates them, they can commit offenses.

Protecting the Etiquette of the Paramahamsa dress

Many dishonest people would come near Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja to accept a loincloth or the dress of a Paramahamsa from him. One time, a babaji by the name of Gaura Haridasa was very insistent on taking vesa from Babaji Maharaja. However, Srila Babaji Maharaja didn’t want to give him vesa under any circumstance. Gaura Haridasa lay three days outside Babaji Maharaja’s hut without eating or drinking. In the end, Srila Babaji Maharaja didn’t give him vesa personally, but ordered his servant Bihari dasa Vrajavasi to give him.

Being Incapable of Tolerating Rasabhasa or Anything Opposed to Siddhanta

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja could never tolerate even a drop of anything opposed to siddhanta or anything that was rasabhasa. He said, “Just by having the arrogance of being the disciple of a great personality, one can’t actually be a real disciple. Those who don’t have the same character or mindset and who don’t fully accept chastisement and authority are disciples in name only.” Those with the arrogant self-conception of following Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja could never actually preach the message of Sri Rupa and Raghunatha. Srila Babaji Maharaja would become very angry seeing their independent nature. One time, a famous so-called babaji was coming near the hut of Babaji Maharaja singing a speculative imaginary song full of the fault of rasabhasa and accompanied with his group, Babaji Maharaja took a stick in his hand and shouted, “Forbid them from coming this way!” Seeing this, someone quickly told them not to go there.

The Ideal Example of Practice

When Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was coming from Sri Vrndavana to stay in Navadvipa Mandala, a gentleman of Calcutta came to Babaji Maharaja and propitiated him strongly, “Please mercifully be situated in Calcutta and place your lotus feet in my home.” There he wanted to accept the holy name from Babaji Maharaja. Srila Babaji Maharaja’s instruction was that even being invited, one should never accept any grains from an enjoyer. He was always unwilling to go to Calcutta. This person stayed outside Babaji Maharaja’s hut for fifteen days praying, showing how fixed he was. Finally, it was decided that Babaji Maharaja would not go to the gentleman’s house in Calcutta but would rather go to his garden in Kasipura, and there he wouldn’t take anything. Srila Babaji Maharaja went by boat with his servant Bihari Dasji to the person’s garden, and there sat and spoke lengthy hari-katha to him, giving him the instruction to chant sri harinama. That person tried very hard to give some donation or food to Babaji Maharaja, but he wouldn’t accept anything from a sense enjoyer. Then independently Babaji Maharaja went with his servant in the afternoon time to ‘Bhakti Bhavan’ (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s place of residence in Calcutta). Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was amazed to see Babaji Maharaja. Srila Babaji Maharaja begged and accepted food at the home of a pure Vaisnava. Srila Babaji Maharaja wouldn’t accept the grains of an enjoyer, even upon being begged to a thousand times by the materialistic devotee, he wouldn’t accept any object from him. In this way, Srila Babaji Maharaja showed the perfect example to protect the sadhakas’ bhajana.

Hearing of the character and practice of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, the meaning of the instruction of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta becomes apparent.

bhaktera dravya prabhu kadi-kadi khaya
abhaktera dravya prabhu ulti nahi caya

[Prabhu snatches away and eats the foodstuffs of the bhaktas, but He will never take the foodstuffs of a non-devotee.]

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada’s Preparation of the Sri Navadvipa Calendar by the Direction of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja

When Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja went to ‘Bhakti Bhavan’ he showed great affection to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Babaji Maharaja would be very satisfied seeing Srila Prabhupada’s truthfulness, one-pointedness, brilliance (tejasvita), eloquence or frankness, understanding of bhakti-siddhanta, firm vow of abstinence from bad association, and his love and attachment for harinama. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada went many times with Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and took darsana of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja at his Bhajana Kutira in Kuliya Navadvipa and he would hear the discourses between Babaji Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura was merely 12 years old, he was greatly accomplished in knowledge of astrology and could perfectly discourse on the subject. Hearing of this amazing transcendental talent of the boy, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja set in motion through Srila Sarasvati Thakura the Sri Caitanyabda, Navadvipa calendar, and the Visnu named months, Var and Parva, festivals and dates approved by the Vaisnava conclusions. To this day, all branches of the Rupanauga Vaisnava Bhakti line follow according to the rules of dates and parva that came about through Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja. Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is in the disciplic line of Bhagavat parampara from Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhuusana, told that the appearance of Sri Visnupriya devi was on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar moon in the month of Magha (January/February). Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura preached this news from Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja first in the world. With great care and effort Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja compiled dates of the appearances and disappearances of other associates of Gaura and gave them to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and they were then preached throughout the world by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Srila Babaji Maharaja Placing His Lotus Feet in Surabhi Kunja at Sri Godruma

In 1893, in the month of Magha, the best of Paramahamsas, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, went with his associates to Surabhi Kunja in Sri Godruma and accepted a seat. On Wednesday of the 27th of Magha, Srila Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura met and an unprecedented festival of hari kirtana and dancing manifested. Sri Godruma is the island of kirtana. Everyone was shook and immersed in the flood of prema by the reverberation of the festival of kirtana that arose. From then on Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura would go almost daily for kirtana with the devotees, or would send devotees, showing the perfect example of following the ‘sri ajna tahal’ (Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Srila Haridas Thakura would follow the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and go to every house praying for all to sing Sri Krsna’s names, worship Sri Krsna, and follow the instructions of Sri Krsna.) Properly following this instruction of Mahaprabhu and giving the holy names to the people is called ‘sri ajna tahal.’

[Translated from Srila Gurudeva’s Hindi Publication on the Life of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, by Rasik Mohan dasa]

# Part Four

The Incarnation of Thanesvari Jagannatha

In 1642 Bangabda on the 6th of Phalguna (February-March), when Srila Prabhupada was beginning to explain the verse in Sri Gita Govinda, “meghair-madur-mamvaram,” and the verse in Sri Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu, “akhila-rasamrta-murtih” he called Vaisnava Sarabhauma Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja the incarnation of “Thanesvari Jagannatha.” (Thanesvari Jagannatha was an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because of being a resident of the place called Thanesvar, which was situated on the banks of the Sarasvati coming from the eastern flow near Kuruksetra, he was famous as Thanesvari Jagannatha.) Srila Prabhupada wrote in his commentary on Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 18.221, “Some say that when Sriman Mahaprabhu was returning from Vrndavan He went to Kuruksetra and from there to Prayaga. Even today there is a Deity of Sri Gaura in Kuruksetra in the Bhadra Kali temple.”

It is commonly believed that Sriman Mahaprabhu came and stayed three days at the place near Kuruksetra called Thanesvari at the house of His devotee Jagannatha. Although his name was Jagannatha, Mahaprabhu would call him ‘Krsna Dasa’ (Sri Sri Gaudiya Vaisnava Lexicon, 2nd Part).

Srila Babaji Maharaja’s Inspiration to Manifest the Appearance Place of Sriman Mahaprabhu

In Kuruksetra, the dhama of separation, on the banks of the ancient river Sarasvati, at the place called Thanesvara which is marked by the lotus feet of Sri Gaura and Krsna, Sri Gaurahari placed His lotus feet in the home of His associate Sri Jagannatha. Similarly, at Surabhi Kunja, Godruma, situated on the banks of the river Sarasvati, when the inspiration to manifest—radha-bhava-dhyuti suvalita-tanu—Sri Gaursundara and His dhama entered as a guest into the separation filled cottage of the heart of Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, then Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja infused this guest in the form of inspiration into the heart of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

According to the statement of Srila Prabhupada, we offer prayers to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja in the form of ‘The incarnation of Thanesvari Jagannatha’ according to the statement of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada wrote in a brief introduction of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, “Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja indicated the location of the birthplace of Sri Gaura, and was the seniormost root of the assembly of the preachers of Sridhama Navadvipa. Sri Caitanyadeva sent him to this world for the salvation of the conditioned souls and to indicate the actual place of His appearance. (The Daily Nadiya Prakasha, 27 Caitra, 1339)

Apart from this circumstance, following under the guidance of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was very anxious to serve in manifesting Sridhama Mayapura, due to the inspiration of Sri Gaursundara, we can see this by reading that which was written by his own hand.

The Specification of the Birthplace of Sri Gaura through Srila Babaji Maharaja

In 1892, on the 20th of Phalguna, Thursday, Sri Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja came from Kuliya Navadvipa together with many people on an auspicious sankirtan pilgrimage reaching Sridhama Mayapura Yogapitha. Simply by touching that place, Babaji Mahasaya pronounced it to be the place of the house of Jagannatha Misra. Then, in the previously specified Khola Bhanga-Danga (Srivas Angan) under Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s guidance, while the devotees performed kirtana in the ‘sankirtan-mandala,’ one large mrdanga broke.

The power of Srila Babaji Maharaja’s Presence

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura narrated the events of the above-mentioned day in his Sajjana Tosani magazine in the following manner—“On Thursday, the 20th of Phalgun, at 11 a.m., three boats of devotees crossed the western side of Navadvipa. Bhakta Pravara Mahendra Babu brought the devotees across the River Ganga. Param Bhagavat Sri Yukta Jagannatha dasa Babaji Mahasaya was brought sitting in a palanquin. At that time, the number of pilgrims present in Sri Mayapura could not be counted. Sri Yukta Bhakta Pravara Dvarika Babu was waiting with great happiness for Babaji Mahasaya’s arrival. Reaching Sri Mayapura, it was seen that Dvarika Babu had arranged a ‘Sankirtan Mandali’ and placed many varieties of banners, which were undulating in the wind. When all the devotees climbed the birthplace mound and began to dance, an amazing effulgence spread throughout all of Sri Navadvipa Mandala. It seemed as if such an effulgence had not appeared since Mahaprabhu’s disappearance 400 years before. All the Vaisnavas sat down and decided that a place for continuous service must be established on Mahaprabhu’s birthplace and also in Srivas-Angan. Finally, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja concluded that on the birthplace there would be a house built for Sri Jagannatha Misra and Sri Saci-devi, and one other building with Kisora Sriman Mahaprabhu situated in the middle and Sri Visnupriya-devi and Sri Laksmipriya-devi on His left and right respectively. Panca-tattva would be established in Srivasa-Angan.” (Sajjana Tosani 4th part, page 234-235, ‘Appearance Festival’)

Enthusiasm for Preaching in Gaura-Dhama

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was so enthusiastic about preaching in Gaura Dhama that in the year Sriman Mahaprabhu’s Sri Vigraha was manifested in Yogapitha, Sridhama Mayapura in 1893. On the month of Phalguna, he invited many bhajananandi niskincana Vaisnavas from Sri Vraja-mandala to Sri Gauda-mandala. At that time there were no niskincana Vaisnavas equal to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja in years or as guru, and no honest bhajananandi Vaisnava Mahatmas neglected his invitation. The niskincana paramahamsa Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji who had performed bhajana in Vraja for 30 years came to Gauda-mandala on the invitation of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja and stayed there doing bhajana until the time of his disappearance understanding that Vraja and Sri Navadvip-mandala are non-different.

The Veteran General

In the same way that Jiva Gosvami wrote of Sriman Madhvacarya as a ‘veteran Vaisnava’, following in his footsteps, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura addressed Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja as ‘the Devotees’ Veteran General.’ Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja stayed manifest for a very long time preaching sri-harinama in this earthly realm. Because of his extremely old age, in the last times of his manifested presence he accepted a crippled figure. However, when he became maddened in sankirtana and began to dance, he would appear similar to Sriman Mahaprabhu with arms down to his knees, and bodily limbs slender like a young banyan tree, appearing like a seven or eight foot tall personality. In the bliss of kirtana he would dance astonishingly, leaping up many feet in the air even in his old age.

Srila Prabhupada’s Memories of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja

Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said, “In Yogapitha Sridham Mayapura there is a banyan tree, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja came there and danced under that tree, and Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja would sit there absorbed in the bliss of bhajana, hari-katha, and the ecstacy of kirtana.

When Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja came near the banyan tree he would exclaim, “Ha Gaura! Ha Nitai!” and in ecstatic moods he would dance, leaping into the air. It seemed then as if he was trying to jump to the highest branch of the banyan tree to catch Sri Hari, Kadamba-Bihari, who was sitting there. He would leap so high! Srila Prabhupada said that Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was Krsna’s intimate servant; therefore, he would dance on the shoulders of Adhoksaja Sri Vigraha. For this reason Srila Babaji Maharaja showed his powerful dancing under that banyan tree; for under that same banyan tree, beneath the temple of Sri Yogapitha during the time when they were excavating, the worshipful Deity of Sri Jagannatha Misra’s home, Sri Adhoksaja Visnu, appeared from the Earth. Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja danced in such ecstasy at the place where Adhoksaja Sri Visnu stayed. In the present times, at the place where Srila Babaji Maharaja danced and where Adhoksaja Sri Vigraha appeared, on top of that same place, is the beautiful temple of Sri Yogapita.

Srila Prabhupada said many times that Srila Babaji Maharaja was an intimate servant of Adhoksaja Sri Krsna. Srila Babaji Maharaja came many times to Yogapitha and in the mood of a dear friend of Krsna, he would say in the early morning, (pratah-kala 6:30-8:00) “Why are you not bringing foodstuffs to eat just now? Give quickly; have you not seen how much time has passed? It is now time to go cow grazing, Krsna and Balarama are standing waiting to go!”

Entering the Eternal Pastimes

In the year following the manifestation of Sri Gaura Dhama, the Deities at Sri Mayapura Yogapitha, and the construction of a preaching assembly in Sri Navadvip Dhama, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja performed his disappearance pastimes on the 25th of February, 1895, on Monday, the first day of the bright fortnight, at ten a.m. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote on this subject in the following manner in his Sajjana Tosani—The previous year, in the Bengali calendar year 1301, on the 14th of Phalguna (February-March), on Monday, in the morning at ten a.m., the devotees ‘Veteran General’ situated in his Bhajana-Kutir in Koladvip within Sri Navadvip Mandala, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, entered the transcendental dhama. Bereft of darsana of the perfected soul Babaji Mahasaya, the land of Gaura became filled with darkness when he entered the transcendental world. We will not be able to see his ecstatic dancing and kirtana again with our mundane vision. May he shower his mercy upon us from the transcendental world.”
(Sajjana Tosani, 2nd year, page 2)

Srila Prabhupada said that Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja had the place for his samadhi excavated himself before his disappearance.

Srila Jagannatha Dasa and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Just as Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja is the eternal worshipable object of Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura, similarly, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is also the dear associate of Srila Jagannatha das Babaji. Those people that judge who is dear to guru or great personalities through external reasoning cannot take this secret to heart. Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda was not the diksa disciple of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji according to the pancaratrika system. Aside from this, he did not massage the hands, feet, and limbs of Srila Babaji Maharaja, nor did he perform other activities such as cooking for him. Also, he never performed the service of carrying the very old Babaji Maharaja from one place to another on his shoulders like some other disciples did. Nor from an ordinary perspective did he continually stay nearby him. However, according to the Sri Ruganuga current of thought, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura completely fulfilled the inner heart’s desire of Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, was his dear servant, and his close associate. The reason for this is that the propensity of heart and conception of siddhanta of Srila Babaji Maharaja was non-different to that of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In that place where the heart’s propensity of guru and disciple is non-different like hari-hara, then there the dearness and intimate relation they have will become manifested. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura incarnated to fulfill the heart’s desire of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji. Giving everything he possessed, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura performed service to guru. He did not perform partial service, nor did he perform service for any remuneration such as wealth, women, and fame, or any other type of deception.
Like the crest jewel of pure gurus, Vaisnava Sarvabhauma Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja gave the responsibility to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to preach about Gaura’s holy abode, Gaura’s holy name, and Gaura’s desire, and through the medium of writing, to preach the message of Sri Gaurasundara to the learned division of society. Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja’s own powerful enthusiasm to preach the dharma of suddha bhakti was only manifest in his follower Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Obtaining direction from the enthusiasm of Srila Babaji Maharaja, the eternally perfected associate of Gaura, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, offered his life to preach the heart’s desire of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga.

In present times, those who give their identity as the factual servants of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas under the shelter of Sri Caitanyadeva are all under the shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja.

The Ideological Current of Sri Jagannatha and Sri Bhaktivinoda

Many deceitful persons with ulterior desires came near Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja for instructions on hari-bhajana and accepted loincloth and the dress of Paramahamsas. Later, they gave their identity as disciples of Srila Babaji Maharaja; however, they didn’t even slightly follow Srila Babaji Maharaja’s practice and conceptions in their own lives. Consequently, even though they gave their identity as being devotees who were well versed in and following the ideology of Srila Babaji Maharaja, actually they were very far away from the lotus feet of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja. Only Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura protected the current of Sri Rupanuga-bhakti flowing from Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja. Aside from Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and the disciplic succession following in the line of Bhaktivinoda-Gaura-Sarasvati, no others were able to preach. Those who preach tenets that are rasabhasa and opposed to siddhanta are not the followers of Sri Rupa-Raghunatha. Srila Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura preached without any hesitation while staying in Sri Purusottama-ksetra with Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

[Translated from Srila Gurudeva’s Hindi Publication on the Life of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, by Rasik Mohan dasa]

# Post 5

The Instructions of Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja

1) Never meet or associate with monkeys wearing the dress of renunciation who are hypocrites holding onto ulterior motives for wealth, women, and prestige.
2) Never take the food of a sense enjoyer, otherwise you will become one.
3) By the mercy of Gaura-dhama one will obtain residence in Vraja.
4) Worldly misfortune should be considered the compassion of Bhagavan.
5) One cannot be called a sannyasi simply by taking the exterior cloth of a renunciant; one is not a sannyasi until love and attraction for Sri Krsna’s service has appeared in his heart.
6) Although illnesses that give suffering to the bodies of those persons desirous of performing bhajana may be present, still, because they do not take rich, delicious foodstuffs, automatically the sicknesses will go away. Luxurious gentleman continuously take rich foodstuffs, thus illness stays with them for a long time.
7) “I did service,” thinking like this, one should not beat drums of glory for himself in his mind; such a person is not called a servant.
8) Don’t become lazy on the pretext of solitary bhajana.
9) Planting eggplants and watering them for the service of the Vaisnavas is more auspicious than carelessly chanting lakhs and lakhs of harinama. The result of service to the Vaisnavas is real sincere taste for nama.
10) Don’t imitate the Vaisnavas or you will be burnt to ashes. Pray for their honest service.
11) By enjoying the wealth meant for Hari’s service one will become the greatest of atheists.
12) An ordinary thief may at some point achieve auspiciousness; however, those who enjoy the wealth of Guru and Vaisnavas will never obtain any auspiciousness.
13) Just as Sri Krsna is the topmost amongst all bhagavad-tattva, similarly, a rupanuga-vaisnava is superior to other Vaisnavas.
14) By performing the service of Guru and Vaisnavas with ulterior desires, Guru and Vaisnavas give material gain, worship, and prestige and send those with the arrogance of being servants far away.
15) Those who serve me will never suffer from hunger unable to fill their bellies. However, those who become satisfied by getting delicious foodstuffs from me will never be able to obtain the service of Krsna.
16) The duty of all householders is to accept the shelter of the lotus feet of sad-guru and engage in the service of Giridhari.
17) The essence of the instructions of Sriman Mahaprabhu is to perform kirtana of Sri Nama without offenses.
18) Preach Gaura-nama following the guidance of pure Vaisnavas.
19) The best conduct is to follow under guidance; independence is corrupted behavior.
20) Thinking Sri Hari’s service to be merely one’s duty and being satisfied in that, actual service tendency will not manifest.
21) Service tendency will manifest when one remains unsatisfied (always wanting more service) although serving at all times, in all manners.
22) Follow Sri Ekadasi-tithi in the association of sadhus while staying awake all night.
23) Every Ekadasi one should examine himself to see whether his enthusiasm for honest hari-bhajana has increased or ulterior desires have increased. Carefully scrutinize this and offer yourself at the lotus feet of Guru and Vaisnavas.
24) Those who desire to perform hari-bhajana should be tolerant and not desire any respect from others, while giving respect to all others according to their position. One shouldn’t be troubled even in the presence of hundreds of obstacles and disturbances; rather, his enthusiasm for bhajana should only increase.
25) Do not live one moment without hari-katha, sravana, kirtana, and vaisnava-seva, otherwise maya will swallow you up.
26) Use all objects and all actions for the service of Visnu and the Vaisnavas.
27) If even the slightest amount of rasabhasa or opposition to the scriptures is present in the heart then one cannot obtain the qualification to be a Vaisnava. Understand this!
28) Rather than searching for the faults of others, endeavor to clean out the filth in your own heart.
29) Sravana and kirtana are not performed if one isn’t surrendered.
30) Without accepting a mahanta-guru and performing guru-seva one will never be free from the net of maya.
31) The method of artificial remembrance is not the path of the rupanugas.
32) Through sri nama kirtan, smarana will naturally occur, this is the gaudiya-siddhanta.

[Translated from Srila Gurudeva’s Hindi Publication on the Life of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, by Rasik Mohan dasa]

# Post Six
Sri Sri Jagannatha Astakam
rupanuganam pravaram sudantam, sri gauracandra-priyabhaktarajam
sri-radhika-madhava-cittaramam, vande jagannatha-vibhum varenyam (1)

I offer obeisance to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is venerable to all and is the abode of spiritual opulence. He is the best of the rupanugas, fully in control of his senses, the king of the beloved devotees of Sri Gauracandra and, the giver of pleasure to the hearts of Sri Radha-Madhava.

sri-surya-kundasrayinah krpalorvidvadvara-sri-madhusunasya
prestha-svarupena virajamanam, vande jagannatha-vibhum varenyam (2)

I offer obeisance to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is venerable to all and is the abode of spiritual opulence; who resided on the banks of Sri Surya-kunda, is compassionate, the most learned, and who is the dearest of Srila Madhusudana dasa Babaji Maharaja.

sridham-vrndavana-vasibhakta-naksatraraji-sthita-somatulyam
ekanta-namasrit-sadghapalam, vande jagannatha-vibhum varenyam (3)

I offer obeisance to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is venerable to all and is the abode of spiritual opulence. He resides in Sridham Vrndavana, is the moon amidst the constellation of devotees, and is the maintainer of the devotees who take one pointed shelter of sri harinama.

vairagya-vidya-hari-bhakti-diptam, daurjanya-kapatya-vibheda-vajram
sraddhayutesvadara-vrttimantam, vande jagannatha-vibhum varenyam (4)

I offer obeisance to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is venerable to all and is the abode of spiritual opulence. He is ¬effulgent with vairagya-vidya and hari-bhakti, he is like lightning to wicked atheists and hypocrites, and he is full of respect for the faithful.

samprerito gaura-sudhamsuna, yascakra hi taj-janma-grha-prakasam
devairnutam vaisnava-sarvabhaumam, vande jagannatha-vibhum varenyam (5)

I offer obeisance to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is venerable to all and is the abode of spiritual opulence. Being inspired by Sri Gauracandra he firmly established the house and birthplace of Sri Gaura. He is worshipable to the devatas, and is the emperor of the Vaisnavas.

sancarya sarvam nijasaktirasim, yo bhaktipurne ca vinodadeve
tene jagatyam harinamavanyam, vande jagannatha-vibhum varenyam (6)

I offer obeisance to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is venerable to all and is the abode of spiritual opulence. He showered all his sakti on Sri Bhaktivinoda, bringing the flood of harinama to this world.

sri-nama-dhamnoh prabalapracare, ihaparam prema-rasabdhi-magnam
sri-yogapithe krta-nrtya-bhangam, vande jagannatha-vibhum varenyam (7)

I offer obeisance to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is venerable to all and is the abode of spiritual opulence. He is absorbed in endeavors to powerfully preach the message of sri nama and Sri-Dhama. He is submerged in the ocean of transcendental love, and he is devoted to dancing in Sri Mayapura Yogapitha.

mayapure dhamani saktacittam, gaura-prakasena ca modayuktam
sri-nama-gaunair-galad-asru-netram, vande jagannatha-vibhum varenyam (8)

I offer obeisance to Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is venerable to all and is the abode of spiritual opulence. He is always attracted to Sridhama Mayapura and is filled with bliss when Sri Gaurahari’s sri murti is established, and whose eyes flow with tears at the time of sri nama kirtana.

he deva! he vaisnava-sarvabhaumam! bhaktya parabhuta mahendradhisnaya!
tvad-gotra-vistarakrtim supunyam, vande muhur-bhaktivinoda-dharam (9)

He Deva! O Emperor of the Vaisnavas! You humble the kingdom of heaven by your bhakti! Again and again I offer prayers to the bhaktivinoda dhara, which is supremely pure and enhances the family of devotees.

SIVA-RATRI

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

[February 25, 2017 is Siva-ratri (in India). In observance of this auspicious day, we are sending the following lecture from Holland, July 3, 1997:]

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Sri Narada has gone to Sankara, Lord Siva, and is glorifying him; “You are very near and dear to Lord Krsna. Not only that, you are Krsna’s manifestation; you are non-different from Him. You can give moksa, liberation, and also krsna-prema.” Hearing Narada glorify him in numerous ways, Sankara became somewhat angry and said, “Your glorification of me is all false. I am not very dear to Krsna – not at all – but I want to be. I want to be Krsna’s beloved, but actually I am not. I’ve done so many things against Him.”

Sankara had performed a number of activities that were apparently opposed to Krsna, such as giving a benediction to Ravana, as well as other activities opposed to krsna-bhakti. He told N arada, “You know, my boy, what no one in this world can do, Krsna tells me to do.” When the demigods were churning the ocean, first came poison – maha-poison. It was very dangerous and the entire world was burning by it.” The demigods had approached Krsna, who told them to worship Sankara and request him to swallow that poison. So they worshipped Sankara and told him, “O Sankara, save us! No one else can save us.” Sankara at once took that poison and drank it. He took it in his mouth, but he didn’t want to take it in his stomach. This was because he considered, “Oh, Krsna is in my heart, and the poison will affect Him”. He therefore took it only in his throat. His throat was burned and it thus turned blue.

In kali-yuga many persons wanted to worship Krsna, God, thinking, “He should fulfill all our desires. Simply by worshipping Krsna or His incarnations, He will be pleased and satisfy our worldly, material desires.” In this way they began to worship – not to please Krsna, but only because they wished that He would very easily arrange all of their needs. Sri Krsna thought, “This is very dangerous.” He called Sankara and told him, “Tell all the false devotees that, “You yourself are Brahma. Brahma satyam jaganmitya jiva brahma evanapara. This world is false. Jiva is Siva, jiva is Brahma, all these souls are Brahma. There is no need to worship any other God. You are God Himself. You are Paramabrahma.”

Sankara told Krsna, “Can you please tell someone else to do this? I am not qualified to do this service.”

Krsna replied, “No, you will have to do it. In the entire world I see no one else qualified to do this.”

Now Sankara told Narada, “At last, I had to agree with this, and I preached everywhere, ‘You are Brahma, you are Brahma, you are Brahma. The whole world is false. ’ Now, I am so much regretting this. Why am I making all these jivas so offensive? It is an offense, I know. But yet, to carry out the orders of Lord Krsna, I am doing this. Because He sometimes orders me in this way, I am not His dear one.

“Also, you know that I always wear ashes from the burial grounds, and I always wear skulls. I have trigunas, three qualities: satya, rajas, and tamas (material goodness, passion and ignorance). All my associates are like bhutas (ghosts) and pisachis (witches). So actually I am not qualified to be Krsna’s dear one.”

Narada then said, “Prabhu, don’t cheat me. I know something. I have heard that the enemies of Krsna and the Pandavas, or the enemies of any bhaktas, worship you, and you give them some benediction. But that benediction is not totally foolproof. There is always some loophole there. Actually you cheat them to please your Lord Sri Krsna. I know that whatever you do, you do to ple ase Krsna. You are His dearest friend.”

In Mahabharata there was a king named Jayadratha who was the brother-in-law of Duryodhana. Duryodhana had given his sister, Dushala, to Jayadratha, and so he was also like the brother-in-law of the Pandavas. Once Jayadratha tried to take Draupadi as his wife, and he put her on his chariot by force. Weeping, she told him, “I am the wife of the Pandavas. If they come, they will punish and kill you.” Jayadratha was so arrogant, however, that he did not hear what she said. In the meantime, Rsi Narada came to the Pandavas and told them, “Oh, I saw Jayadratha take away Draupadi, and she is weeping!” At once Bhima and Arjuna ran after him, and Jayadratha saw that they were coming very quickly. Bhima left his chariot and began to run faster than Jayadratha’s horses. Arjuna told Bhima, “I am going to arrest and kill Jayadratha. You should take care of the rest of the Pandavas.” He thus took his bow and arrows, and by those arrows he created a fire that surrounded the chariot of Jayadratha. Jayadratha was captured in that fire and could not move. At once Arjuna and Bhima arrested him, bound him to the chariot, and took him to the place where Yudhisthira was staying with Draupadi and the others.

Bhima told Yudhisthira “I want to kill him. Please order me to kill him”. Arjuna also said, “Jayadratha has performed a heinous act; he should be killed.” Yudhisthira said, “We should take the case to Draupadi, and whatever she orders we will do”. This was because it was Draupadi whom Jayadratha had taken. They went to Draupadi and kept Jayadratha at her feet. Draupadi was now very merciful. Although Bhima repeatedly said, “I want to kill him at once”, Draupadi told them, “Don’t kill him. Forgive him, because he is our brother-in-law. If you kill him, your sister will be a widow and she will weep forever.”

Indian wives are always very chaste. They can give their lives for their husbands. Their husbands may give them up or divorce them, but these women will never give up their husbands. Rama left Sita, but Sita never left Rama. This is Indian Vedic culture, and we should try to follow this because Parama-pujyapada Srila Swami Maharaja wanted it. Both husband and wife should help each other. You should never think, “I will give up my husband.” First follow Varnasrama-dharma, and then bhakti will come. When you are matured, then you can choose to either give it up or not give it up; no harm. But now you should try to follow Varnasrama-dharma. Some of the devotees were not following, and Srila Swami Maharaja was worried. Males and females should both be like this – very chaste. You can give up your life, no harm, because your soul will never die. However, if given to anyone, be chaste like this. Otherwise you can also give up Lord Krsna . So practice here. Take a vow that, “In my life I will never divorce; I will never give up my husband (or wife).” Then you will be chaste and you will never give up Krsna. Nowadays it is very easy to give up Gurudeva and to take a new one – like western women. In a second, for nothing, they can change their husbands. Although it may be a problem for their children, they are accustomed to act in that way. We should try to change this habit.

So Draupadi said, “Your sister will be a widow, and she will weep for her entire life.” Bhima and Arjuna asked Sri Krsna, “What should we do? We have promised to kill Jayadratha, and now Draupadi is telling us that we should forgive him.” Krsna replied, “If a man is very much respected but requires punishment, then he should be dishonored; and this will be like death.” Arjuna then shaved his head, keeping five sikhas, and he shaved one side of his face while leaving the othe r side half-shaved. This system is practiced in France, and nowadays it is a very good fashion. But Jayadratha was insulted there, and he felt totally humiliated.

When Bhima and Arjuna released him, Jayadratha thought, “It was better to die than to live.” He vowed, “I will somehow take revenge.” He therefore did not go to his home. Instead he went to Kailasa and performed very severe austerities there. After some months he gave up all food, water, and everything else, and he was about to die.

At that time Sankara came and asked him, “What do you want?” Jayadratha said, “I want to take revenge against the Pandavas. I want to defeat all the Pandavas and kill them.”

Sankara told Jayadratha, “You can defeat the Pandavas once, and only Yudhisthira, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva; but not Arjuna”

Jayadratha said, “If you cannot give me a benediction to my full satisfaction, t hen you should give me the benediction that neither Arjuna nor anyone else can kill me.”

Sankara replied, “If anyone kills you by cutting off your head, then, if it falls on the ground, that person who made your head land on the ground will die immediately. Your life will be saved and your head will be joined back to your body. However, if your head goes to your father, and your father throws it on the ground, then you will remain dead. If someone kills you hundreds and thousands of times, you will not be able to be killed, but if your father throws your head anywhere, then you will be killed.”

Jayadratha was satisfied. He thought, “My father will never do this!” Later, when the Mahabharata battle was fought, Arjuna cut off Jayadratha’s head with his arrow. It was evening and the sun was setting, and his father was doing arpana to the Sun-god (offering some water). In the meantime, Arjuna shot Jayadratha’s head into the hands of his father. Without thinking, his father tossed it on the ground, opened his eyes and said, “What is this wet thing?” But it had already gone from his hand. He now saw that this was the head of his son and began to cry, “O my son, O my son! You are now dead.” Thus, if Sankara gives any benediction to the enemies of Lord Krsna’s devotees, there is always some loophole. He is so clever, and he is always serving Krsna.

There was a very big demon named Tripurasura, who performed severe austerities to please Sankara. When Sankara came, Tripurasura told him, “I want a benediction that I can make three airplanes. They should be managed only by mind, so that when I order them to go to heaven, they will go there. They should not be like present-day machines. They should do as I wish. In summer they should be air-conditioned. If two men are seated, then there should be only two seats. And if I want to travel on the airp lanes with hundreds of thousands of persons, then that many seats should be arranged. They should never fall down due to mechanical difficulty. Never. They should be made of gold, copper, and silver, and they should be equipped with all kinds of weapons.

After attaining his benediction, Tripurasura began to fight with Lord Sankara himself. Sankara fled and took shelter of Krsna. Tripurasura also had a khupa, a well, and that well was full of nectar. If anyone would try to kill him, he could at once take that nectar and then he would not die. Sankara was very worried. Because so much warfare was going on between them, he took shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna. In order to save him, Krsna, as Visnu, then took the form of a cow. That cow drank all the nectar from the well, after which Sankara was able to kill Tripurasura and the other demons. We can see here that Sankara even gives benedictions to his own enemies, knowing that Krsna will save him.

So don& rsquo;t fear. Sri Krsna will save you if you offer yourself to Him. He has promised, “Sarva dharma parityaja mam ekam saranam vraja, aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisami ma sucah.” If you give your whole responsibility – your intelligence, your senses, your everything – to Krsna, He will take all responsibility for you. Don’t fear. No sufferings or sorrows of any kind will come to you. Arjuna killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers, but he did not have to taste the fruit of that. In other words, He did not have to suffer from the results of his actions. Ajamila committed so many sinful activities, but he also did not have to taste the fruit of that. He went to Vaikuntha. So you should try to give all your responsibilities, Varnashrama-dharma and everything to Krsna – and be happy forever. Then only you can enter into bhakti.

Sankara is always serving Krsna. Narada knows this fact, but he wanted to glorify Sankara so that every one will know that he is very near and dear – and non-different from Krsna. How? “Saksad haritvena samasta sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya vande guroh sri caranaravindam”. Here saksad haritvena means priyatvena haritvena. He is very near and dear. “Vaisnavanam yata sambhu – he is the greatest Vaisnava”.

Sankara-tattva is extremely complex. Brahma-tattva is not so complicated; he is always jiva-tattva. And sometimes, when there is no qualified jiva, Lord Visnu himself comes as Brahma. But Sankara is not like this. He is not jiva-tattva. Where does he live? Beyond Brahmaloka. After passing through the eight kinds of material coverings, after crossing the Viraja, Muktidhama, Mahakalapuram, and then Brahmaloka, there is the planet of Sankara. There he is known as Sadasiva, and he is Visnu-tattva.

For any reason, if something sour is put into milk, it becomes yogurt. Yogurt is nothing but milk. It has all the potencies that are in milk, like ghee and so forth, but it is not milk. Milk can become yogurt, but yogurt cannot become milk. Sankara is like that. He is not an ordinary jiva. Sometimes, but very rarely, there may be a reason that Sadasiva cannot come to this world – if he is engaged in his destruction of the universe, or anything like that. In that case a qualified jiva can work as Siva; temporarily, but not permanently. So you should always try to honor Lord Sankara.

I can tell some pastimes of Sankara from Srimad Bhagavatam and Skanda Purana. When Sri Ramacandra was making the bridge to go to Sri Lanka with his hundreds of thousands of soldiers, He established a Siva-linga of Ramesvara. When it was established, all the male human beings were glorifying Sankara, shouting, “Ramesvara ki jayaho! Ramesvara ki jaya! They were calling Ramesvara “Rama Isvara”. “You are isvara; you are the God of Rama.&rdq uo; Thus they used the name Ramesvara. The Demigods were not happy or satisfied by this. They said, “Ramas ca asau isvarah”. Rama is God, and Sankara is also God. Both of them are the same. Hearing this, the Sankara-sila (linga or stone) broke. Sankara came out from it and told them, “You are all foolish; you do not know my tattva, the established truths regarding my identity. Rama is my God, and that is why I am called Ramesvara.”

Common people generally don’t know very much, and so they thought that Ramesvara meant that Sankara is the God of Rama, and that Rama is controlled by Sankara. The demigods were of the opinion that Rama and Sankara are the same and both are God. But Lord Siva, Sankara himself, told them, “I am not the God of Rama. Rama is my beloved and my God.” Sankara is called Ramesvara because of this. He himself told this.

We see in Srimad Bhagavatam that once Sankara went to the council of Praja pati Daksa, and everyone there was honoring Daksa. Daksa Prajapati had given his daughter in marriage to Sankara, so he thought that Lord Siva was like his son. He offered pranamas to Brahma because he was his father, but not to Sankara. All were honoring Daksa except Sankara, who was only sitting and chanting, “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. Daksa Prajapati felt insulted, cursed Lord Siva, and so many incidences took place after that. Sankara returned to Kailasa. From that time on Daksa thought Sankara his enemy, but Sankara never thought like this.

One day, in Treta-yuga, Sankara and his wife Sati came to Dandakaranya Forest. At that time Rama had been living in the forest for 14 years with Sita and Laksmana, to obey the order of his father, King Dasaratha. Now Ravana had stolen away Sita and taken her to Lanka. Rama was now weeping so much, and Laksmana was trying to pacify Him. The more Laksmana tr ied to pacify Him, however, the more He wept. He was asking the trees of Pancavati, “O Pancavati! Have you seen Sita? Where has She gone? O deer, have you seen Sita?” And He was crying – bitterly weeping – asking the Godavari River, “O Godavari, have you seen My dear Sita? Where has She gone? Why has She left me?” Rama became mad in separation.

Sankara came with Sati to the Dandakaranya Forest to see Rama’s divine pastimes and to take darsana of Him. Sankara was very moved and his heart was melting, He offered sasthang-pranama (full obeisances, with all the eight limbs of the body touching the ground) to Rama, and glorified Him, saying, “O, these pastimes are so beautiful and marvelous that anyone’s heart will melt to see them.” He then did parikrama from very far, far away, weeping, “O these pastimes are so beautiful”. When he did his final pranama and was ready to go back to Kailasa, Sati as ked, “My beloved, to whom are you doing pranama?” Sankara told Sati, “Rama is my worshipful deity. I always worship Him.” She told her husband, “Why? I see that Rama is like an ordinary man, weeping for His wife. Even I know where Sita is, and He does not know and He is weeping? He is not strong enough to bring Sita back? He is very weak; so He must be a man, not God. Why are you doing pranama to Him? Who is He?” Sankara told Sati, “You are ignorant; you do not know that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” She had no belief or trust, so Sankara told her to test Him somehow.

Sankara went from there and rested under a banyan tree. Sati changed her form to look like Sita, went to the place where Rama was searching for Sita, and came in front of Rama. Rama was weeping, “Oh Sita, where are you, where are you?” Sati thought, “If I appear before Rama as Sita, then He will look at me and He will at once come and embrace me, saying “Oh, I have received my Sita.” And He will be happy.” But Rama was ignoring Sati. Again and again she came in front of Him, yet He was looking away. Then He told her, “Mother, why are you roaming here alone? Where is Sankara?” Sati wondered how Rama knew who she really was. Now she was afraid and did pranama to Rama. Then she saw that all the trees, all the creepers, and everything else became Rama and Sita. Wherever she looked, here and there and everywhere, she only saw Sita Rama, Sita Rama, Sita Rama. Rama showed Sati that, “Sita is never separated from Me, She is always with Me. I am doing this pastime for all human beings, so they will remember My lila.”

Sati realized, “Sankara can never be ignorant. He was right and I was wrong.” After Sati offered pranama and stood up, she saw that now Rama was there alone with Laksmana, and He was still weeping. “Oh Sita, where ar e you, where are you?”

Sati then went back to the place where Sankara was waiting under the banyan tree, and he asked her, “Have you tested Him to see who He is?” Sati replied, “Prabhu, what can I do? I believed you and I didn’t test Him.” She told a lie. You should always have faith in your Guru. Sankara was the Guru of Sati, but she did not believe him when he had told her that Rama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If a disciple does not obey his Gurudeva, what will happen? His bhakti and spiritual life will go down. Never tell any falsehoods to your Gurudeva, otherwise you again go to hell. She lied to Sankara, saying “I have not tested Him.” But Sankara saw in his trance that she had tested Him, and he saw how she had become Sita. He considered, “She has taken the form of Sita, who is my mother. She is therefore not my wife; now she is my mother. Now I will always treat her as my mother.” When he made this vow, the demigods at once showered flowers from heaven, and they praised him, “You have made such a marvelous vow.” Sati asked her husband, “What vow have you made?” But he was silent and never said anything.

When they returned to their cottage in Kailasa, Sankara gave Sati a seat in front of him. The wife can sit on the left side of her husband, and the mother always sits in front, as a guru. In the same way, a disciple should not offer pranama to his Gurudeva while keeping his left side to him. The disciple should always sit at the front of his Gurudeva, and ask some very good questions with honor. If the disciple does not do this, he is not a disciple. He should ask some questions – not always being silent. He should serve and inquire from the Guru. “Tad vidhi pranipatena pariprasna.” Questions should be there – not with a challenging mood, but to learn. So Sankara gave Sati a seat in front.

Sa ti thought, “Sankara has left me. He is treating me like his mother because I took the form of Sita. In this body he will not accept me as his wife, so I’ll have to give up this body.” After some time, Sankara went into a trance for hundreds and thousands of years, and Sati was feeling grievous separation. She was ready to give up her body.

One day, after Sankara had returned to external consciousness, Sati saw that so many goddesses were going to the palace of her father, Daksa, because a very good sacrifice was taking place there. Daksa’s daughters were also going there, and he had invited everyone except for Sankara. Sati also wanted to go, but she asked Sankara first. He replied, “A woman can go without an invitation to see her Gurudeva, or her father and mother; but if a father thinks that her husband is his enemy, then the wife should not go to see him. You know that your father thinks I am his enemy, although I never think like this. At the same time I cannot order you to not go there. You must decide.” Sati left that place and went to her father’s house, and there she saw that Daksa Prajapati was dishonoring Sankara. At once she became furious and left her body by burning to ashes, with the help of a fire that came from her heart. Here we see that Sankara’s worshipful diety is Rama, and because Sati took the form of Sitadevi, he left her. So he is a chaste Vaisnava, and he is always serving.

Don’t have any doubt in your Gurudeva. You should test him before initiation, and after initiation you should have very firm belief in him. Don’t give him up. If he is a madhyama-adhikari, and not so much qualified, then you can go to a siksa-guru, taking your Gurudeva’s permission. He must give permission. If he does not give permission, then he is not a pure devotee. There is no difference between siksa-guru and diksa-guru. Both are the same. Sometimes the siks a-guru may be higher, and sometimes the diksa-guru may be higher. No harm. If the guru does not know all siddhanta, conclusive philosophical truths, but he is a Vaisnava with very firm belief in Krsna, drdha-sraddha, then don’t give him up. Serving him and honoring him, you can go to a siksa-guru, but you’ll have to honor him. However, if he’s offensive to his Gurudeva, he is not following the line of bhakti, he has so much wrong attachment and he is fallen, at once give him up. That guru cannot help you, and he will create so many problems for you. So give up this guru forever, and accept a new initiation from any bona-fide Guru who can give this bhakti and take you to Krsna.

All good qualities are in Sankara.

Sri Sanatana Gosvami has written that some Vaisnavas don’t observe Siva Caturdasi, the appearance day of Lord Siva or Sankara. In Hari Bhakti Vilasa he has written that Vaisnavas should honor Sankara, and they may observe that date. I observe that date. I know Sankara, because in his form of Bankandi Mahadeva in Vrndavana he was the friend of Sanatana Gosvami. He became Bankandi Mahadeva from Gopisvara. Do you know this history?

When Sri Sanatana Gosvami became old, Sankara told him, “Now you are old. You should not come daily to see me, because you are coming from so very far away. Sanatana Gosvami replied, “I should come. I cannot change this habit.” Then Gopisvara Mahadeva said, “Then I’m going to come very near to you – as Bankandi Mahadeva.” He thus became Bankandi Mahadeva and resided very near the Madana Mohana Temple. Srila Sanatana Gosvami is also the very dear friend of Cakralesvara Mahadeva in Govardhana. He also used to be with Sankara in Kamyavan, where he is known as Kamesvara. He cannot be without Sankara.

As Nandisvara, Sankara has become the mountain of Nandagaon. He wanted that all Krsna’s pastimes be p erformed on his back. Regarding Brahma, he has become Brahma-parvata in Varsana. Because he is so near to Radhika, he is therefore our Gurudeva

These are the tattvas. We should try to honor Sankara as a great Vaisnava and as Guru. Don’t dishonor him. We don’t worship him separately, but we can observe Siva Caturdasi and glorify him in relation to his relationship with Sri Krsna. We should offer pranama to him with prayers like:

vrndavanavani-pate! jaya soma soma maule
sanaka-sanandana-sanatana-naradedya
gopisvara! vraja-vilasi-yugangri-padme
prema prayaccha nirupadhi namo namaste

[“O gatekeeper of Vrndavana! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon, and who is worshipable by the sages headed by Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Narada! O Gopisvara, desiring that you bestow upon me that prema for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja-dham a, I offer obeisances unto you time and again.”]

Sankara is telling Sri Narada that Prahlada Maharaja is superior to him. Why? Because he is “tricky”. He does this only to give some encouragement to worldly persons. Actually, Prahlada cannot go to Vrndavana, but Sankara, as Gopisvara, resides there. As Hanuman, Sankara is always with Rama. As Bhima, he is with Krsna. When Hanuman and Bhima combine together in Kali-yuga, they become Madvacarya, our Sampradaya-guru.

Thus, Lord Sankara serves in so many ways, and we should always honor him as our Guru. He is hundreds of thousands of times superior to Prahlada because he knows and meditates on asta-kaliya-lila. Parvati also meditates on asta-kaliya-lila. This is very secret, yet they both do it. Although Sankara is so much superior and more worshipful than Prahlada, still he says that Prahlada is superior. Why? There are some reasons which I will explain later.

Gaura Premanande ! Hari Hari Bol!

Devotee: In the Gita Krsna says, “Of all the Rudras, I am Sankara.”

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Here Krsna is telling about His vibhutis. Vibhuti means opulence. Arjuna is an opulence, and Sankara also. The Pippal tree is an opulence, and gaya, cows, are also—but they are not Krsna Himself. In this way, so many things and personalities represent Krsna’s opulence—things that are very near and dear to Him.

THE APPEARANCE DAY OF SRILA BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASVATI THAKURA PRABHUPADA

Lecture by
Trindandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

[Dear Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.
This year, 2017, February 15th (in America) is the sacred appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada. Please accept this lecture, given by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja on his appearance day in Germany, in 2003. The pastimes described below are naturally ever-fresh and new, and therefore Srila Maharaja discusses them every year:]

Listen – https://soundcloud.com/srila…/20030221_olpe_am_eng_sbsstpvya

Today is a very auspicious day. It is the very holy birthday of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura. I want to speak something of his glory.

If this great self-realized soul had not descended in this world, no one would have known the meaning of pure bhakti. No one would have known the identity of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the book Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, or the books and glories of the Gosvamis.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave us two jewels, the first one being the holy birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He manifested Gaura-dhama. Before him, no one knew where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had taken birth. No one knew where Sridhama Mayapura was actually located.

Secondly, he gave the jewel of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who preached throughout the world and universe the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the conceptions of the disciplic line of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and the glories of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Before the birth of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and after the disappearance of Srila Narottama Thakura, Sri Syamananda Prabhu, Srinivas Acarya, and especially Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Baladeva Vidyubusana, pure bhakti was covered. The sahajiyas’ ideas were spread throughout Sri Vraja-dhama and Sri Navadvipa dhama. Their influence prevailed and there were hardly any real Vaisnavas.

In the name of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His philosophy and His prema-dharma, the sahajiyas were degraded in character and were most sinful. To live with widows, to dance and sing with them, and to smoke cigarettes and drink wine with them – this was their idea of parakiya- and vaisnava-dharma. Because of their influence, none of the learned and aristocratic persons even wanted to hear the name ‘Gaudiya Vaisnavas’, what to speak of follow them. They hated Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

There are eleven sahajiya groups, like gaura-nagari, sakhi-bekhi, aul, baul and so on. In India, their main function was widow-bhajana, and they maintained their lives by doing professional kirtanas during funeral processions. After following a dead body and singing, they would receive a donation from the deceased relatives. True vaisnava-dharma is completely pure, but due to these practices, all aristocratic persons began to hate it, and Mahaprabhu’s message was thus in danger.

At that time, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati appeared in Sri Jagannatha-dhama as the son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He was born with many symptoms of a great soul, such as natural tilaka marks on his body and the impressions of kanti-mala on his neck. At that time Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura told his wife Bhagavati-devi, “He is not an ordinary boy. No ordinary boy can have these natural tilaka, kanti-mala and other signs. He has taken birth in Jagannatha Puri, and also I have prayed to Vimala devi, the consort of Lord Jagannatha. He has come by Her mercy.” The Thakura thus gave his boy the name Vimala Prasada. Prasada means ‘mercy’.

After six months, the baby became qualified to have his anna-prasana mahotsava (grain ceremony in which a baby is fed grains for the first time). At the same time the Jagannatha Chariot festival was taking place. The three carts carrying Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra were in procession and had stopped in front of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house for three days. The Thakura was the manager of the entire festival. Therefore, without any problem or obstacle, he took his son upon the chariot and placed him in front of Jagannatha-deva. He took some prasadam from there and placed it in the mouth of Vimala Prasada, and at that time the flower garland from the neck of Lord Jagannatha dropped on the baby’s head. It is a very good sign when the Deity’s garland falls in this way, for it means the recipient is being blessed by the mercy of Lord Jagannatha, Sri Govinda-deva, Sri Gopinatha, or any other Deity. This also happened to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Thus, Vimala Prasada’s anna-prasana mahotsava was observed.

Gradually he began to grow up. After some time, when he became a boy of five years, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura himself gave him harinama and the arcana mantra for the worship of Lord Kurmadeva, the Deity of Sri Krsna’s Tortoise incarnation.

He began to learn many things. He was always with Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, carrying his father’s Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Sri Ujjvala-nilamani, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and other books on his own head as he accompanied him to various places for preaching or giving classes. Thus, from the beginning of his life, very good samskaras came to him. This, of course, was his naravata-lila (human-like pastimes), because he was actually the eternal associate of Sri Varsabhanavi-devi dayitaya, near and dear to Varsabhanavi devi, Srimati Radhika. In his pranama mantra he is referred to as krsna-presthaya. Krsna has so much love and affection for the manjaris, so Srila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada is also near and dear to Him.

The words ‘gaura-vani-sri murti’ is also present in his pranama-mantra. This adjective has also been used in the pranama mantra of Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, and we must go deep to uncover its meaning. Gaura-vani refers to that which Gaura (Sacinandana Gaurahari) preached, and that which He inspired in the heart of Srila Rupa Gosvami – the glorification of the mood of the gopis and Srimati Radhika. Sri Gauracandra said, “O Nityananda, O Haridasa Prabhu, you should go door to door and preach ‘Bolo Krsna, bhaja Krsna, karo Krsna (chant Sri Krsna’s name, worship Him, and serve Him)”. This is gaura-vani.

It is also what Mahaprabhu discussed with Sri Raya Ramananda and Sri Svarupa Damodara in the Gambira. In that regard it is especially His hidden revelation of the meaning of ceto-darpana-marjanam, yugayitam nimesena caksusa pravrsayitam, and aslisya va pada-ratam. This is gaura-vani. It is also the love and affection explained by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Sri Ujjvala-nila-mani, Sri Vidagda-madhava and Sri Lalita Madhava. This is gaura-vani.

Our entire parampara descended to this world from Goloka Vrndavana, and Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakura was one of the most prominent acaryas. If he had not come, everything would have been transferred into sahajiyaism – wherein all philosophy is asat-sampradaya (outside the parampara line of philosophy, spiritual sentiments and behavior.)

If one is not serving his Gurudeva, if he does not have strong belief in his Gurudeva, and if he is not following his line of thought, such a person must be sahajiya. This is taking place nowadays. We are preaching and therefore they are somewhat stopped, but I do not know what will happen after I leave this world. A very dangerous stage is coming.

Many Iskcon devotees left Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, their Guru, Srila Prabhupada, and they went to Radha-kunda. They wanted to remember the 24-hour daily amorous pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna (asta-kaliya-lila) as goopis – not gopis, but goopis – and for this offense they went to hell. They became ‘babajis’. Keeping two, three, or four widows with them, they began to relish their ‘parakiya-bhajana’. I know not only two or three or four, but so many. They want to jump – not to practice bhakti-yoga. They want to be gopis by paying two pennies to any bogus person who will ‘give’ them siddha-deha, their perfected personal identity, and tell them, “You are a gopi.” Such persons will give a name, and all other false information, about that ‘gopi’. Then, after some time, such ‘disciples’ imagine themselves absorbed in Sri Sri Radha and Krsna’s most confidential pastimes in the kunjas. Please do not try to be like that – do not go in that direction.

There are some ill-charactered persons who have been rejected from the Gaudiya Matha, and they also went to Radha-kunda to become babajis in that asat-sampradaya. Such characterless or unqualified persons imagine themselves to be absorbed in the asta-kaliya-lila of Radha and Krsna in Their midnight and end of the night (nisanta-lila) pastimes. At that time, Radha and Krsna are meeting in a kunja. If They are alone, half naked and kissing each other, what will that ‘meditator’ think? Material ideas will come to him. He is bound to think in this way, and this is wrong.

Sri Sri Radha-Krsna-lila is transcendental. Only a saintly person like Sri Sukadeva Gosvami who was a brahmacari from his birth, or like Sri Narada Gosvami who is a liberated soul, or like Lord Sankara who is an ideal personality, can properly think of asta-kaliya-lila.

You should offer obeisances to such pastimes and try to practice bhakti-yoga as our predecessors acaryas have taught us. Gradually begin from the root of the tree, then be qualified to climb, and then reach the top. Then you can take the fruits. Otherwise, you will have nothing but these bogus ideas. Try to follow Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saravasti Prabhupada, our Gurudeva Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. Otherwise, you will be like those misdirected persons and you will also go to hell.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent his son to a Sanskrit college and, at the age of twelve perhaps, he received the degree in astrology and the title Siddhanta Sarasvati. At that time he had become the champion in astrology throughout Bengal, and therefore all the elevated scriptural scholars gave him that title. Sometimes Srila Saravasti Thakura would defeat the arguments of his teachers, and he therefore left that college. Our Gurudeva also left college. They both left because they had nothing to learn from the teachers there.

During that time, the governor of Bengal was Ashutos Mukarji. At that time the Indian government was ruled by the British, and the British had made him governor. He was very qualified. He established the Calcutta University, and there he reserved a seat for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. He requested him, “Oh, please come and be the head of the department. Please oversee it. You are the most qualified for this.” Srila Sarasvati Thakura replied: “I have not come to this world to count the stars in the universe. I have not come to count the sands on the ocean beaches of the world. I cannot fulfill your desire.” As long as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati remained in this world, that post was reserved for him, but he never accepted it.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura then thought: “What should I do for this boy?” He established a medical dispensary and told his son, “Remain there, and somehow maintain it so that there are no losses. Srila Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura began to do so, but the dispensary failed, and again the father wondered what to do.

There was a king in India at that time who was the king of Kashim Bazar, and he was a bosom friend of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He told the Thakura, “I want a tutor for my son. He will be king after me, so I want a tutor for him.” Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura replied. “Let us try; I will tell my son to teach him.” At that time the salary was very high.

Srila Sarasvati Thakura went to the king and began to teach his son that the entire world, along with all the sandhis and samas (movements of the moon) is an emanation of Krsna and non-different from Him. He taught as Mahaprabhu taught when He was a teacher in Navadvipa. After some time the boy became very learned and a scholar in Vaisnava philosophy, and the result was that he became renounced. He was not like you. Many of you have been hearing for sixteen or twenty years, but you have not become detached. On the other hand, being taught by Srila Saravati Thakura, that prince became detached from worldly enjoyment.

The boy’s mother became very disturbed, and she told her husband, the king: “You have only one son, and you want to make him a sannyasi? Your only son? I do not want this. If you continue in this way I will take poison and die.” The king became upset and asked Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, “What should I do?” Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura replied, “I will tell my boy to return home.” The King said, “I will continue to give you money, the same salary that I have been giving, but he should return.”

At that time the king had a very big library, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura Pabhupada studied the thousands of books there – all the Gosvami’s books, Srimad Bhagavatam, Brahma-sutra, books of the other sampradayas, and so on. Though he already knew their contents, he studied those books just to set an example for us. Quickly, in one or two years, he completed that study.After that he returned home, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura again considered what might be a good engagement for his son. He purchased land in Mayapura, beginning from Jagannatha Bhavan (the house of Sri Sacinandana), the Yogapitha, Candrasekara Bhavan and beyond. He gave the entire area to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and he himself then began to perform bhajana in Svarupa-ganja, in Godruma. He told his son, “We have discovered the birthplace of Mahaprabhu by the help and mercy of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja. Now you should glorify it.”

Srila Saravati Thakura then made a hut where Sri Gauracandra, Srimati Visnupriya, Srimati Laksmipriya and Pancha-tattva were established, and his father then ordered him, “You should perform arcana in the Deities’ hut, and you can maintain yourself by depending on Lord Krsna while performing His worship and service.”

As you may know, in general, a father does not believe that his boy is very intelligent and capable. Our Guru Maharaja considered us his babies and thought, “What will they do?” He told us that he had made this Gaudiya Matha with bricks, and added, “After I leave this world, if you cannot maintain yourself you should sell these bricks and somehow maintain.” Similarly, Srila Bhaktivinoda used to think, “My baby is the same as he was when he was young.”

Srila Prabhupada very quickly preached over the entirety of Bengal. He began to establish the Navadvipa-dhama parikrama and Kartika parikrama. Then, after some time he gave sannyasa to very qualified disciples – who were practically only boys. At that time Pujyapada Bon Maharaja, Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja, Pujyapada Vaikhanas Maharaja, Pujyapada Auduloumi Maharaja and many others were only about 25, 26, or 27, and they were the cream of all qualified personalities in Bengal and all of India. They were the upper-class. He brought them to himself, gave them brahmacarya and sannyasa, and established Sri Caitanya Matha.

What is the meaning of the word ‘matha’? Mathanti vasanti satrah – it is a place in which students study and learn under the guidance of their Gurudeva. It is like the gurukulas of previous times, wherein boys would study and become very qualified in all kinds of siddhanta (philosophical conclusions). Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura established this. He gave brahmacarya to many beautiful boys, and thus very quickly preached all over India.

After some time he wished that this religion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would also go to the Western countries, and he inspired Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja – Sri Abhaya Caranaravinda. By his mercy Parama-pujyapada Srila Svami Maharaja went abroad and preached throughout the world in just a few years. Srila Svami Maharaja established preaching centers and translated and published many books, which were in turn translated in all the prominent languages of the world. You have come by his mercy, and the root mercy is that of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura.

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