Pancha Tattva deities are very special because they have all the five Absolute Truths, are in there embodied in them.
- The Supreme Truth
- The Expansion of Supreme Truth
- The Incarnation of Supreme Truth
- The Energy of Supreme Truth
- And the Pure Devotees of the Supreme Truth
These are all embodied in Pancha Tattva.
Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu Nithyananda Sri Advaita Gadhadhara Srivas Adi Gaura Bhakta Vrinda!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Who is God
The personhood of Krishna is not an idea invented by human beings naively creating a God in their own image. Nor is personhood a limiting concept when applied to God, or the Absolute Truth. As the source of everything, Krishna naturally has His own personal identity, just as each of us does. The Vedas define God as the one supreme conscious being among all other conscious beings. He is infinite, we are finite, and He maintains us all.
Naturally, the best way to understand God is to learn from Him. In the Bhagavad-gita (“The Song of God”), Lord Krishna—a real, transcendental person—tells us that He is God and reveals many things about Himself.
“Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small fund of knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.”—Sri Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 7.24
Many people have a hard time conceiving that God can be an actual person. But the Vedas tell us that God’s unique personal identity is His highest aspect. Here’s an analogy to show how God has three main features.
Looking at a mountain from a distance, we can make out only its size and shape. This is compared to comprehending God only as Brahman, His impersonal energy, which emanates from Him just as light shines out from its source.
As we move closer, we’ll start to make out more of the mountain’s characteristics—the colors of its foliage, for example. This is compared to understanding that God is within our hearts as Paramatma, or the Supersoul.
Finally, when we arrive at the mountain we can explore its soil, vegetation, animals, rivers, and so on. This is compared to understanding God the person, or Bhagavan.
Bhagavan is the source of Brahman and Paramatma and is therefore, in a sense, one with them. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan are called the three phases of the Absolute Truth.
The word “Brahman,” or simply “Brahma,” is used in a generic sense to mean spirit. God, the individual souls, and the spiritual effulgence of God are all referred to as Brahman (its Sanskrit root means “the greatest”).
When the word is used in the context of Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan—the three phases of the Absolute Truth—it refers to the impersonal effulgence of God (Bhagavan). Brahman is also called the brahma-jyoti, or “spiritual light.” It is fills the spiritual world and, when transformed by God, becomes the primordial elements of the material world. Thus it is said to pervade everything.
The Absolute Truth exists in three phases: Brahman, Paramatama, and Bhagavan. Paramatma is God’s expansion as the Supersoul within our heart.
The Vedic sages distinguish between the Supersoul and the small individual soul. Both reside within the heart, but one is infinite, the other infinitesimal. The soul, the tiny spark of consciousness within, is our true self—eternal, blissful, and wise. But it is small, and so it may get lost in illusion and entangled in material life.
But the Supersoul, great and infinite, is ever beyond illusion.
Bhaga means “opulence” or “assets,” and van means “one who possesses.” Because God owns everything, He is called Bhagavan. The Vedic sage Parashara has defined Bhagavan as the one who possesses in full these assets: beauty, wealth, fame, strength, knowledge, and renunciation.
God, in His personal feature, has all the attributes found in other living beings—but His are all infinite, unlimited, unrestricted by the conditions of matter. That Supreme, the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, exists in His own realm, beyond all dualities and illusions.
Localized Paramatma and all-pervading Brahman are features of the original personality, Bhagavan.
The complete conception of God includes God and His energies, which exist simultaneously with Him and are in a sense identical to Him. The sum of Krishna’s energies is Radha, His eternal consort. Like the sun and sunshine, Krishna and Radha are one.
Radha embodies the totality of love for Krishna. Thus She is known as the personification of Bhakti, or loving devotion to God.
Loving God is our natural state, now dormant. By Her pure example, Radha is the beacon calling everyone to re-awaken full love for Krishna. She also dispenses mercy to help us achieve that goal.
Radha-Krishna are the male and female aspects of God. Known as the Divine Couple, together they are the full manifestation of God.
“Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krishna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association.” —Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavatam 2.3.23
Naturally, the best way to understand God is to learn from Him. In the Bhagavad-gita (“The Song of God”), Lord Krishna—a real, transcendental person—tells us that He is God and reveals many things about Himself.
“Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small fund of knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.”—Sri Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 7.24
Many people have a hard time conceiving that God can be an actual person. But the Vedas tell us that God’s unique personal identity is His highest aspect. Here’s an analogy to show how God has three main features.
Looking at a mountain from a distance, we can make out only its size and shape. This is compared to comprehending God only as Brahman, His impersonal energy, which emanates from Him just as light shines out from its source.
As we move closer, we’ll start to make out more of the mountain’s characteristics—the colors of its foliage, for example. This is compared to understanding that God is within our hearts as Paramatma, or the Supersoul.
Finally, when we arrive at the mountain we can explore its soil, vegetation, animals, rivers, and so on. This is compared to understanding God the person, or Bhagavan.
Bhagavan is the source of Brahman and Paramatma and is therefore, in a sense, one with them. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan are called the three phases of the Absolute Truth.
The word “Brahman,” or simply “Brahma,” is used in a generic sense to mean spirit. God, the individual souls, and the spiritual effulgence of God are all referred to as Brahman (its Sanskrit root means “the greatest”).
When the word is used in the context of Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan—the three phases of the Absolute Truth—it refers to the impersonal effulgence of God (Bhagavan). Brahman is also called the brahma-jyoti, or “spiritual light.” It is fills the spiritual world and, when transformed by God, becomes the primordial elements of the material world. Thus it is said to pervade everything.
The Absolute Truth exists in three phases: Brahman, Paramatama, and Bhagavan. Paramatma is God’s expansion as the Supersoul within our heart.
The Vedic sages distinguish between the Supersoul and the small individual soul. Both reside within the heart, but one is infinite, the other infinitesimal. The soul, the tiny spark of consciousness within, is our true self—eternal, blissful, and wise. But it is small, and so it may get lost in illusion and entangled in material life.
But the Supersoul, great and infinite, is ever beyond illusion.
Bhaga means “opulence” or “assets,” and van means “one who possesses.” Because God owns everything, He is called Bhagavan. The Vedic sage Parashara has defined Bhagavan as the one who possesses in full these assets: beauty, wealth, fame, strength, knowledge, and renunciation.
God, in His personal feature, has all the attributes found in other living beings—but His are all infinite, unlimited, unrestricted by the conditions of matter. That Supreme, the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, exists in His own realm, beyond all dualities and illusions.
Localized Paramatma and all-pervading Brahman are features of the original personality, Bhagavan.
The complete conception of God includes God and His energies, which exist simultaneously with Him and are in a sense identical to Him. The sum of Krishna’s energies is Radha, His eternal consort. Like the sun and sunshine, Krishna and Radha are one.
Radha embodies the totality of love for Krishna. Thus She is known as the personification of Bhakti, or loving devotion to God.
Loving God is our natural state, now dormant. By Her pure example, Radha is the beacon calling everyone to re-awaken full love for Krishna. She also dispenses mercy to help us achieve that goal.
Radha-Krishna are the male and female aspects of God. Known as the Divine Couple, together they are the full manifestation of God.
“Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krishna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association.” —Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavatam 2.3.23
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Maha-Vishnu
Maha-Vishnu is the first of the Purushas (“controllers,” also known as Vishnus), incarnations of Krishna for the creation of the material universe.
Maha-Vishnu creates innumerable universes. He lies down in the Causal Ocean on the bed of Ananta Shesha and initiates the creation by glancing at His personified material energy, Maya.
From Maha-Vishnu come the other two Vishnus: Garbhodakashayi Vishnu and Kshirodakashayi Vishnu.
Maha-Vishnu creates the innumerable universes: Garbhodakashayi Vishnu enters into each individual universe to oversee it; and Ksirodakashayi Vishnu enters into each atom in every universe and sits with us souls in our hearts as Supersoul.
Maha-Vishnu creates innumerable universes. He lies down in the Causal Ocean on the bed of Ananta Shesha and initiates the creation by glancing at His personified material energy, Maya.
From Maha-Vishnu come the other two Vishnus: Garbhodakashayi Vishnu and Kshirodakashayi Vishnu.
Maha-Vishnu creates the innumerable universes: Garbhodakashayi Vishnu enters into each individual universe to oversee it; and Ksirodakashayi Vishnu enters into each atom in every universe and sits with us souls in our hearts as Supersoul.
Prema Sarovara
Once, when Radha and Krishna were sitting together, a bee was disturbing Radharani by flying near Her. Krishna requested a friend to chase away the bee, and after finishing the task the friend came back proclaiming that madhu was gone. As the word can refer to either the bee or Krishna, Radharani “mistakenly” took it in the latter sense and began to cry, thinking Krishna was now gone. Even though She was right there in Krishna’s arms, She was totally gripped by vipralambha-bhava, the mood of separation, a level of divine love aspired for by advanced Vaisnavas. Seeing Radharani’s tears of love, Krishna also began to cry, and their tears mingled together to become the sacred pond known as Prema Sarovara in present-day Vraja (Vrindavana).
Monday, October 13, 2008
Regulative Principles
In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.115-28), Lord Caitanya lists sixty-four regulative principles one must follow to be elevated to the highest platform of devotional service. Even after being elevated to the highest platform of devotional service, one must continue following the scriptural injunctions for devotional life. The sixty-four regulative principles are as follows:
(1) To accept a bona fide spiritual master.
(2) To become initiated by the spiritual master.
(3) To engage oneself in the service of the spiritual master.
(4) To receive instructions from the spiritual master and inquire about advancing on the path of devotional service.
(5) To follow in the footsteps of previous acaryas and follow the directions given by the spiritual master.
(6) To give up anything for the satisfaction of Krsna, and to accept anything for the satisfaction of Krsna.
(7) To live in a place where Krsna is present--a city like Vrndavana or Mathura, or a Krsna temple.
(8) To minimize one's means of living as much as one can, while living comfortably to execute devotional service.
(9) To observe fasting days, such as Ekadasi.
(10) To worship cows, brahmanas, Vaisnavas, and sacred trees like the banyan.
These ten principles of devotional service are the beginning.
Additional principles are as follows:
(11) One should avoid committing offenses against the holy name, the Deity, etc.
(12) One should avoid associating with nondevotees.
(13) One should not aspire to have many disciples.
(14) One should not unnecessarily divert his attention by partially studying many books so as to appear very learned. For devotional service, it is sufficient to scrutinizingly study books like the Bhagavad-gita, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the Caitanya-caritamrta.
(15) One should not be disturbed in either loss or gain.
(16) One should not allow oneself to be overwhelmed by lamentation for any reason.
(17) One should not blaspheme the demigods, although one should not worship them. Similarly, one should not criticize other scriptures, although one should not follow the principles therein. (18) One should not tolerate blasphemy of the Supreme Lord or His devotees.
(19) One should not indulge in idle talks, such as those about relationships between men and women.
(20) One should not unnecessarily disturb any living being, whatever he may be.
The above-mentioned twenty items are the doorway to devotional service. And among them, the first three--namely, acceptance of the spiritual master, initiation by the spiritual master, and service to the spiritual master--are the most important.
Then come the following items:
(21) To hear about the Lord.
(22) To chant His glories.
(23) To remember Him.
(24) To serve and meditate upon the lotus feet of the Lord and His devotees.
(25) To worship Him.
(26) To pray to Him.
(27) To think of oneself as the Lord's eternal servant.
(28) To become the Lord's friend.
(29) To offer everything to the Lord.
(30) To dance before the Deity.
(31) To sing before the Deity.
(32) To inform the Lord of everything about one's life.
(33) To bow down to the Lord.
(34) To offer respect to the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord by standing up at the appropriate time.
(35) To follow the spiritual master or the Supreme Lord in procession.
(36) To visit places of pilgrimage and temples of the Supreme Lord.
(37) To circumambulate the temple.
(38) To recite prayers.
(39) To chant the Lord's name softly to oneself.
(40) To chant the Lord's name loudly in congregation.
(41) To smell incense and flowers offered to the Deity.
(42) To eat the remnants of food offered to the Deity.
(43) To regularly attend the arati offered to the Deity, as well as special festivals.
(44) To regularly look upon the Deity.
(45) To offer one's dearmost possessions to the Supreme Lord.
(46) To meditate on the Lord's name, form, pastimes, etc.
(47) To water the tulasi plant.
(48) To serve the Lord's devotees.
(49) To try to live in Vrndavana or Mathura.
(50) To relish the topics of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
(51) To take all kinds of risks for Krsna.
(52) To always expect the mercy of Krsna.
(53) To observe ceremonies like Janmastami (the appearance day of Lord Krsna) and Rama-navami (the appearance day of Lord Ramacandra) with devotees.
(54) To fully surrender to Krsna.
(55) To observe special regulations like those followed during the month of Kartika (Oct.-Nov.). (56) To mark the body with Vaisnava tilaka (clay markings).
(57) To mark the body with the holy names of God.
(58) To accept the remnants of garlands that have been offered to the Supreme Lord.
(59) To drink caranamrta, the water that has washed the lotus feet of the Deity.
Among these fifty-nine items, five are considered so important that they are mentioned again separately, thus completing the sixty-four items of devotional service. These five are:
(60) associating with devotees,
(61) chanting the holy name of the Lord,
(62) hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam,
(63) residing at a place of pilgrimage like Mathura, and
(64) worshiping the Deity with faith and veneration.
(1) To accept a bona fide spiritual master.
(2) To become initiated by the spiritual master.
(3) To engage oneself in the service of the spiritual master.
(4) To receive instructions from the spiritual master and inquire about advancing on the path of devotional service.
(5) To follow in the footsteps of previous acaryas and follow the directions given by the spiritual master.
(6) To give up anything for the satisfaction of Krsna, and to accept anything for the satisfaction of Krsna.
(7) To live in a place where Krsna is present--a city like Vrndavana or Mathura, or a Krsna temple.
(8) To minimize one's means of living as much as one can, while living comfortably to execute devotional service.
(9) To observe fasting days, such as Ekadasi.
(10) To worship cows, brahmanas, Vaisnavas, and sacred trees like the banyan.
These ten principles of devotional service are the beginning.
Additional principles are as follows:
(11) One should avoid committing offenses against the holy name, the Deity, etc.
(12) One should avoid associating with nondevotees.
(13) One should not aspire to have many disciples.
(14) One should not unnecessarily divert his attention by partially studying many books so as to appear very learned. For devotional service, it is sufficient to scrutinizingly study books like the Bhagavad-gita, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the Caitanya-caritamrta.
(15) One should not be disturbed in either loss or gain.
(16) One should not allow oneself to be overwhelmed by lamentation for any reason.
(17) One should not blaspheme the demigods, although one should not worship them. Similarly, one should not criticize other scriptures, although one should not follow the principles therein. (18) One should not tolerate blasphemy of the Supreme Lord or His devotees.
(19) One should not indulge in idle talks, such as those about relationships between men and women.
(20) One should not unnecessarily disturb any living being, whatever he may be.
The above-mentioned twenty items are the doorway to devotional service. And among them, the first three--namely, acceptance of the spiritual master, initiation by the spiritual master, and service to the spiritual master--are the most important.
Then come the following items:
(21) To hear about the Lord.
(22) To chant His glories.
(23) To remember Him.
(24) To serve and meditate upon the lotus feet of the Lord and His devotees.
(25) To worship Him.
(26) To pray to Him.
(27) To think of oneself as the Lord's eternal servant.
(28) To become the Lord's friend.
(29) To offer everything to the Lord.
(30) To dance before the Deity.
(31) To sing before the Deity.
(32) To inform the Lord of everything about one's life.
(33) To bow down to the Lord.
(34) To offer respect to the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord by standing up at the appropriate time.
(35) To follow the spiritual master or the Supreme Lord in procession.
(36) To visit places of pilgrimage and temples of the Supreme Lord.
(37) To circumambulate the temple.
(38) To recite prayers.
(39) To chant the Lord's name softly to oneself.
(40) To chant the Lord's name loudly in congregation.
(41) To smell incense and flowers offered to the Deity.
(42) To eat the remnants of food offered to the Deity.
(43) To regularly attend the arati offered to the Deity, as well as special festivals.
(44) To regularly look upon the Deity.
(45) To offer one's dearmost possessions to the Supreme Lord.
(46) To meditate on the Lord's name, form, pastimes, etc.
(47) To water the tulasi plant.
(48) To serve the Lord's devotees.
(49) To try to live in Vrndavana or Mathura.
(50) To relish the topics of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
(51) To take all kinds of risks for Krsna.
(52) To always expect the mercy of Krsna.
(53) To observe ceremonies like Janmastami (the appearance day of Lord Krsna) and Rama-navami (the appearance day of Lord Ramacandra) with devotees.
(54) To fully surrender to Krsna.
(55) To observe special regulations like those followed during the month of Kartika (Oct.-Nov.). (56) To mark the body with Vaisnava tilaka (clay markings).
(57) To mark the body with the holy names of God.
(58) To accept the remnants of garlands that have been offered to the Supreme Lord.
(59) To drink caranamrta, the water that has washed the lotus feet of the Deity.
Among these fifty-nine items, five are considered so important that they are mentioned again separately, thus completing the sixty-four items of devotional service. These five are:
(60) associating with devotees,
(61) chanting the holy name of the Lord,
(62) hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam,
(63) residing at a place of pilgrimage like Mathura, and
(64) worshiping the Deity with faith and veneration.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
NITYANANDA
Sri Nityananda Rama who is non-different than Lord Balarama and is the original Spiritual Master and also the most merciful of all. (C.C.: Adi 1.7)
sankarsanah kärana-toya-sayi
garbhoda-säyi ca payobdhi-säyi
sesah ca yasyämsa-kaläh sa nityä-
nandäkhya-rämah saranam mamästu
May Sri Nityänanda Räma be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Sesa Näga and the Vishnu’s who lie on the Kärana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions. (C.C.: Ädi 1.8)
mäyätite vyäpi-vaikuntha-loke
pümaisvarye sri-catur-vyüha-madhye
rüpam yasyodbhäti sankarsanäkhyam
tam sri-nityänanda-rämam prapadye
I surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, who is known as Sankarsana in the midst of the catur-vyüha [consisting of Väsudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha]. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikunthaloka, far beyond the material creation. (C.C.: Adi 1.9)
mäyä-bhartäjända-sanghäsrayängah
sete säksät käranämbhodhi-madhye
yasyaikämsah sri-pumän ädi-devas
tam sri-nityänanda-rämah prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, whose partial representation called Käranodakasäyi Visnu, lying on the Kärana Ocean, is the original purusa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes. (C.C.:Ädi 1.10)
yasyämsämsah srila-garbhoda-säyi
yan-näbhy-abjam loka-sanghäta-nälam
loka-srastuh sütikä-dhäma dhätus
tam sri-nityänanda-rämah prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakasäyi Visnu. From the navel of Garbhodakasäyi Visnu sprouts the lotus that is the birthplace of Brahmä, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets.
(C.C.:Ädi 1.11)
Lord Nityananada Rama appeared in Radha-desh in the village of Ekacakra Dhama (West Bengal). His parents were Hadai Pandita and Padmavati who were non-different than Vasudeva and Mother Rohini in Krishna-lila. At the age of 12, a Sannyasi visited Hadai Pandita. Hadai Pandita asked the sannyasi how he can serve him? The sannyasi asked if Nityananda can accompany him during his travel and since Hadai Pandita cannot refuse it though he felt great separation from his Son, Lord Nityananda left with the sannyasi. His parents and the neighbors all grieved accutely in separation of Nityananda so much so that even stones can that His parents profuse tears could have melted stones.
In His childhood, Lord Nityananda performed various pastimes of Lord Krsna with His boyfriends. Once He was performing Rama-lila playing the role of Laxmana who fought against all demons and than He was hit by a lotus flower thrown by Ravana as if he was hitting the sakti-sila weapon and Nityananda fell unconscious. Lord Nityananda had before the drama informed His boyfriends that after He fells unconscious the boys should weep for sometime than send for Sri Hanuman and when he holds the medicine to His nose His life will be revived but the boyfriends had forgotten it. Completely absorbed in the emotions of Laxmana, Lord Nityananda laid there unmoving seeing that His parents fainted and everyone present became completely astonished till someone remembered and boy playing Sri Hanuman ran off to gather some herbs and placed the medicine at His nose, and Lord Nityananda stood up giving relief to His parents and the crowd felt light hearted and jubilant.
In His childhood sometimes He will jump in the crocodile-infested monsoon flood water of Ganga and swim in the water floating, laughing and splashing. Adopting the mood of Lord Ananta Sesa, the Lord felt completely at home in the waters of the Ganga. Lord Nityananda took initiation from Laxmi-pati the guru of Madhavendra Puri and spent 20 years visiting all holy places of India till Chaitanya Mahaprabhu manifested His pastimes.
Lord Nityananda is also said to be non-different from Lord Sankarsana. Lord Chaitanya’s elder brother Visvarupa when He disappeared from home He entered the body of Nityananda Avadhuta. Lord Balarama’s two wives, Srimati Varuni Devi and Srimati Revati Devi, appeared during Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes as Vasudha Devi and Jahnava Devi, the two dear wives of Lord Nityananda. Lord Nityananda is the original devotee of Lord Chaitanya. It is only by Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s causeless mercy that the glorious pastimes of Sri Caitanya manifest in one’s heart. Lord Nityananda is considered as the original spiritual master. He alone possesses the distinctive function of the guru. Although Balarama enters Gaura-lila as Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Nityananda’s position is greater than Lord Balarama’s because He distributes prema. Krsna and Balarama are subordinate to Gaura-Nitai. When munificence is added Lord Balarama becomes Lord Nityananda. In the spiritual world, Lord Nityananda embodies the guru-tattva principle in four primary rasas from dasya to madhurya. He takes the form of Ananga-manjari, Srimati Radhika’s younger sister, to serve the Divine Couple in madhurya-rasa.
His pastimes are unlimited. With Lord Chaitanya, He inundated the sankirtana movement and under the orders of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He went to spread the love of Godhead to each and every house and delivered the most fallen Jagai and Madhai. He is considered as Avadhuta as He never cared for Himself. He did innumerable extraordinary deeds while engrossed in the ecstasy of Love of Krsna and always spoke very sweetly to all the devotees He met. One day Lord Nityananda threw away all His clothes and came naked before Lord Chaitanya and danced ecstatically calling out, ‘My Lord and master is Nimai Pandita, the Lord of the universe!’ Amused by the sight, Lord Chaitanya laughed, and then covered the Avadhuta’s body with cloth. Lord Chaitanya smeared perfume on Nityananda’s body and decorated Him with a flower garland and began glorifying Him.
Once Lord Nityananda was decorated with all the fineries and priceless jewels and a yound brahmana who was a rogue and a dacoit in Navadvipa desired to steal that all. Lord Nityananda knowing his wicked intentions went with his party to live in Hiranya Pandita’s house. The dacoit along with his associates waited for the Lord outside the house waiting for the most opportune movement. The first night all the dacoits and his associates were put into deep sleep by the Lord in a dreaming condition of what they will do with the jewelry while the Lord and His associates were chanting loudly inside the house and eating a sumptuous meal. Next night the dacoits suddenly saw sentries manifested outside the house guarding the house and each wearing a tilak on their forehead and tulasi beads around their necks chanting Lord Krsna’s holy name. Next night the dacoits with their weapons made another attempt to lay seize to Lord Nityananda’s residence. Suddenly they were struck by blindness. They stumbled forward, minds paralyzed and intelligence unable to function. Some plunged into moat surrounding the house and were attacked with leeches, insects and giant mosquitos while some fell into refuse garbage pit and were bitten by insects and scorpions while some walked into a bush of thorns and became entangled bruised by big thorns. While others who veered far from the house fell into a canal near the house and laid their groaning in pain with fractured legs and hands. Suddenly, they began to feel feverish. Lord Indra, send down sheets of rain and lightning. After rain they were pounded with large pieces of hail. Thus all the dacoits though they did not die, they were tossed in an ocean of excruciating pain and misery. After taking the punishment, the dacoit leader who was a young brahmana started thinking of the sequence of events and felt that Lord Nityananda is the Supreme Lord and started praying to the Lord. Lord Nityananda who is the most munificent Supreme Lord heard the piteous prayers of the dacoit leader and He immediately allieviated their misery. Suddenly, the dacoits found themselves able to see again. The dacoit leader entered in the Lord’s presence and fell down at His Lotus Feet. Totally absorbed in sublime ecstasy, he became oblivious of everything around him and started dancing with his arms raised high. Such was the spiritual influence of Lord Nityananda that the brahmana completely transformed himself.
Lord Nityananda performed innumerous pastimes. From Vasudha Devi, he had two children. Virabhadra (an incarnation of Ksirodakasayi Visnu) and Ganga Devi (non different from the river Ganga). After the demise of her younger sister Vasudha, this children were brought up by Jahnava Devi who is also considered to be an incarnation of Ananga Manjari.
Nityananda Prabhu ki Jai!
sankarsanah kärana-toya-sayi
garbhoda-säyi ca payobdhi-säyi
sesah ca yasyämsa-kaläh sa nityä-
nandäkhya-rämah saranam mamästu
May Sri Nityänanda Räma be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Sesa Näga and the Vishnu’s who lie on the Kärana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions. (C.C.: Ädi 1.8)
mäyätite vyäpi-vaikuntha-loke
pümaisvarye sri-catur-vyüha-madhye
rüpam yasyodbhäti sankarsanäkhyam
tam sri-nityänanda-rämam prapadye
I surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, who is known as Sankarsana in the midst of the catur-vyüha [consisting of Väsudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha]. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikunthaloka, far beyond the material creation. (C.C.: Adi 1.9)
mäyä-bhartäjända-sanghäsrayängah
sete säksät käranämbhodhi-madhye
yasyaikämsah sri-pumän ädi-devas
tam sri-nityänanda-rämah prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, whose partial representation called Käranodakasäyi Visnu, lying on the Kärana Ocean, is the original purusa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes. (C.C.:Ädi 1.10)
yasyämsämsah srila-garbhoda-säyi
yan-näbhy-abjam loka-sanghäta-nälam
loka-srastuh sütikä-dhäma dhätus
tam sri-nityänanda-rämah prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakasäyi Visnu. From the navel of Garbhodakasäyi Visnu sprouts the lotus that is the birthplace of Brahmä, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets.
(C.C.:Ädi 1.11)
Lord Nityananada Rama appeared in Radha-desh in the village of Ekacakra Dhama (West Bengal). His parents were Hadai Pandita and Padmavati who were non-different than Vasudeva and Mother Rohini in Krishna-lila. At the age of 12, a Sannyasi visited Hadai Pandita. Hadai Pandita asked the sannyasi how he can serve him? The sannyasi asked if Nityananda can accompany him during his travel and since Hadai Pandita cannot refuse it though he felt great separation from his Son, Lord Nityananda left with the sannyasi. His parents and the neighbors all grieved accutely in separation of Nityananda so much so that even stones can that His parents profuse tears could have melted stones.
In His childhood, Lord Nityananda performed various pastimes of Lord Krsna with His boyfriends. Once He was performing Rama-lila playing the role of Laxmana who fought against all demons and than He was hit by a lotus flower thrown by Ravana as if he was hitting the sakti-sila weapon and Nityananda fell unconscious. Lord Nityananda had before the drama informed His boyfriends that after He fells unconscious the boys should weep for sometime than send for Sri Hanuman and when he holds the medicine to His nose His life will be revived but the boyfriends had forgotten it. Completely absorbed in the emotions of Laxmana, Lord Nityananda laid there unmoving seeing that His parents fainted and everyone present became completely astonished till someone remembered and boy playing Sri Hanuman ran off to gather some herbs and placed the medicine at His nose, and Lord Nityananda stood up giving relief to His parents and the crowd felt light hearted and jubilant.
In His childhood sometimes He will jump in the crocodile-infested monsoon flood water of Ganga and swim in the water floating, laughing and splashing. Adopting the mood of Lord Ananta Sesa, the Lord felt completely at home in the waters of the Ganga. Lord Nityananda took initiation from Laxmi-pati the guru of Madhavendra Puri and spent 20 years visiting all holy places of India till Chaitanya Mahaprabhu manifested His pastimes.
Lord Nityananda is also said to be non-different from Lord Sankarsana. Lord Chaitanya’s elder brother Visvarupa when He disappeared from home He entered the body of Nityananda Avadhuta. Lord Balarama’s two wives, Srimati Varuni Devi and Srimati Revati Devi, appeared during Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes as Vasudha Devi and Jahnava Devi, the two dear wives of Lord Nityananda. Lord Nityananda is the original devotee of Lord Chaitanya. It is only by Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s causeless mercy that the glorious pastimes of Sri Caitanya manifest in one’s heart. Lord Nityananda is considered as the original spiritual master. He alone possesses the distinctive function of the guru. Although Balarama enters Gaura-lila as Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Nityananda’s position is greater than Lord Balarama’s because He distributes prema. Krsna and Balarama are subordinate to Gaura-Nitai. When munificence is added Lord Balarama becomes Lord Nityananda. In the spiritual world, Lord Nityananda embodies the guru-tattva principle in four primary rasas from dasya to madhurya. He takes the form of Ananga-manjari, Srimati Radhika’s younger sister, to serve the Divine Couple in madhurya-rasa.
His pastimes are unlimited. With Lord Chaitanya, He inundated the sankirtana movement and under the orders of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He went to spread the love of Godhead to each and every house and delivered the most fallen Jagai and Madhai. He is considered as Avadhuta as He never cared for Himself. He did innumerable extraordinary deeds while engrossed in the ecstasy of Love of Krsna and always spoke very sweetly to all the devotees He met. One day Lord Nityananda threw away all His clothes and came naked before Lord Chaitanya and danced ecstatically calling out, ‘My Lord and master is Nimai Pandita, the Lord of the universe!’ Amused by the sight, Lord Chaitanya laughed, and then covered the Avadhuta’s body with cloth. Lord Chaitanya smeared perfume on Nityananda’s body and decorated Him with a flower garland and began glorifying Him.
Once Lord Nityananda was decorated with all the fineries and priceless jewels and a yound brahmana who was a rogue and a dacoit in Navadvipa desired to steal that all. Lord Nityananda knowing his wicked intentions went with his party to live in Hiranya Pandita’s house. The dacoit along with his associates waited for the Lord outside the house waiting for the most opportune movement. The first night all the dacoits and his associates were put into deep sleep by the Lord in a dreaming condition of what they will do with the jewelry while the Lord and His associates were chanting loudly inside the house and eating a sumptuous meal. Next night the dacoits suddenly saw sentries manifested outside the house guarding the house and each wearing a tilak on their forehead and tulasi beads around their necks chanting Lord Krsna’s holy name. Next night the dacoits with their weapons made another attempt to lay seize to Lord Nityananda’s residence. Suddenly they were struck by blindness. They stumbled forward, minds paralyzed and intelligence unable to function. Some plunged into moat surrounding the house and were attacked with leeches, insects and giant mosquitos while some fell into refuse garbage pit and were bitten by insects and scorpions while some walked into a bush of thorns and became entangled bruised by big thorns. While others who veered far from the house fell into a canal near the house and laid their groaning in pain with fractured legs and hands. Suddenly, they began to feel feverish. Lord Indra, send down sheets of rain and lightning. After rain they were pounded with large pieces of hail. Thus all the dacoits though they did not die, they were tossed in an ocean of excruciating pain and misery. After taking the punishment, the dacoit leader who was a young brahmana started thinking of the sequence of events and felt that Lord Nityananda is the Supreme Lord and started praying to the Lord. Lord Nityananda who is the most munificent Supreme Lord heard the piteous prayers of the dacoit leader and He immediately allieviated their misery. Suddenly, the dacoits found themselves able to see again. The dacoit leader entered in the Lord’s presence and fell down at His Lotus Feet. Totally absorbed in sublime ecstasy, he became oblivious of everything around him and started dancing with his arms raised high. Such was the spiritual influence of Lord Nityananda that the brahmana completely transformed himself.
Lord Nityananda performed innumerous pastimes. From Vasudha Devi, he had two children. Virabhadra (an incarnation of Ksirodakasayi Visnu) and Ganga Devi (non different from the river Ganga). After the demise of her younger sister Vasudha, this children were brought up by Jahnava Devi who is also considered to be an incarnation of Ananga Manjari.
Nityananda Prabhu ki Jai!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
PASTIMES OF GREAT ACHARYA - 8
In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipikä, verse 195, it is said that Srila Jiva
Gosvämi was formerly Viläsa-manjari gopi in vraja-lila. From his very
childhood Jiva Gosvämi was greatly fond of Srimad-Bhägavatam. He later
came to Navadvipa to study Sanskrit, and, following in the footsteps
of Sri Nityänanda Prabhu, he circumambulated the entire Navadvipa-dhäma.
After visiting Navadvipa-dhäma he went to Benares to study Sanskrit
under Madhusüdana Väcaspati, and after finishing his studies in Benares
he went to Vrndävana and took shelter of his uncles, Sri Rüpa and
Sanätana. This is described in the Bhakti-ratnäkara. As far as our
information goes, Srila Jiva Gosvämi composed and edited at least
twenty-five books. They are all very celebrated, and they are listed as
follows: (1) Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana, (2) Sütra-mälikä, (3)
Dhätu-sangraha, (4) Krsnärcä-dipikä, (5) Gopäla-virudävalé, (6)
Rasämrta-sesa, (7) Sri Mädhava-mahotsava, (8) Sri Sankalpa-kalpavrksa,
(9) Bhävärtha-sücaka-campü, (10) Gopäla-täpani-öikä, (11) a commentary
on the Brahma-samhitä, (12) a commentary on the Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu,
(13) a commentary on the Ujjvala-nilamani, (14) a commentary on the
Yogasära-stava, (15) a commentary on the Gäyatri-mantra, as described in
the Agni Puräna, (16) a description of the Lord+s lotus feet derived
from the Padma Puräna, (17) a description of the lotus feet of Srimati
Rädhäräni, (18) Gopäla-campü (in two parts) and (19/25) seven
sandarbhas: the Krama-, Tattva-, Bhagavat-, Paramätma-, Krsna-, Bhakti-
and Priti-sandarbha. After the disappearance of Srila Rüpa Gosvämi and
Sanätana Gosvämi in Vrndävana, Srila Jiva Gosvämi became the äcärya of
all the Vaisnavas in Bengal, Orissa and the rest of the world, and it is
he who used to guide them in their devotional service. In Vrndävana he
established the Rädhä-Dämodara temple, where Srila Prabhupada had the
opportunity to live and retire until the age of sixty-five. When Jiva
Gosvämi was still present, Srila Krsnadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämi compiled his
famous Caitanya-caritämrta. Later, Srila Jiva Gosvämi inspired Sriniväsa
Äcärya, Narottama däsa Thäkura and Duùkhi Krnadäsa to preach Krsna
consciousness in Bengal. Jiva Gosvämi was informed that all the
manuscripts that had been collected from Vrndävana and sent to Bengal
for preaching purposes were plundered near Visnupura, in Bengal, but
later he received the information that the books had been recovered. Sri
Jiva Gosvämi awarded the designation Kaviräja to Rämacandra Sena, a
disciple of Sriniväsa Äcärya+s, and to Rämacandra+s younger brother
Govinda. While Jiva Gosvämi was alive, Srimati Jähnavi-devi, the
pleasure potency of Sri Nityänanda Prabhu, went to Vrndävana with a few
devotees. Jiva Gosvämi was very kind to the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, the
Vaisnavas from Bengal. Whoever went to Vrndävana he provided with a
residence and prasäda. His disciple Krsnadäsa Adhikäri listed all the
books of the Gosvämis in his diary.
The sahajiyäs level three accusations against Srila Jiva Gosvämi. This
is certainly not congenial for the execution of devotional service. The
first accusation concerns a materialist who was very proud of his
reputation as a great Sanskrit scholar and approached Sri Rüpa and
Sanätana to argue with them about the revealed scriptures. Srila Rüpa
Gosvämi and Sanätana Gosvämi, not wanting to waste their time, gave him
a written statement that he had defeated them in a debate on the
revealed scriptures. Taking this paper, the scholar approached Jiva
Gosvämi for a similar certificate of defeat, but Jiva Gosvämi did not
agree to give him one. On the contrary, he argued with him regarding the
scriptures and defeated him. Certainly it was right for Jiva Gosvämi to
stop such a dishonest scholar from advertising that he had defeated
Srila Rüpa Gosvämi and Sanätana Gosvämi, but due to their illiteracy the
sahajiyä class refer to this incident to accuse Srila Jiva Gosvämi of
deviating from the principle of humility. They do not know, however,
that humility and meekness are appropriate when one+s own honor is
insulted but not when Lord Visnu or the äcäryas are blasphemed. In such
cases one should not be humble and meek but must act. One should follow
the example given by Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Lord Caitanya says in His
Siksästaka (3):
trnäd api sunicena
taror api sahisnunä
amäninä mänadena
kirtaniyah sadä harih
One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind,
thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more
tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should
be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can
chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. Nevertheless, when the Lord
was informed that Nityänanda Prabhu was injured by Jagäi and Mädhäi, He
immediately went to the spot, angry like fire, wanting to kill them.
Thus Lord Caitanya has explained His verse by the example of His own
behavior. One should tolerate insults against oneself, but when there is
blasphemy committed against superiors such as other Vaisnavas, one
should be neither humble nor meek; one must take proper steps to
counteract such blasphemy. This is the duty of a servant of a guru and
Vaisnavas. Anyone who understands the principle of eternal servitude to
the guru and Vaisnavas will appreciate the action of Sri Jiva Gosvämi in
connection with the so-called scholar+s victory over his gurus, Srila
Rüpa and Srila Sanätana Gosvämi.
Another story fabricated to defame Srila Jiva Gosvämi states that after
compiling Sri Caitanya-caritämrta, Srila Krnadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämi
showed the manuscript to Jiva Gosvämi, who thought that it would hamper
his reputation as a big scholar and therefore threw it into a well.
Srila Krsnadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämi was greatly shocked, and he died
immediately. Fortunately a copy of the manuscript of Sri
Caitanya-caritämrta had been kept by a person named Mukunda, and
therefore later it was possible to publish the book. This story is
another ignominious example of blasphemy against a guru and Vaisnava.
Such a story should never be accepted as authoritative.
According to another accusation, Srila Jiva Gosvämi did not approve of
the principles of the pärakiya-rasa of Vraja-dhäma and therefore
supported svakiya-rasa, showing that Rädhä and Krsna are eternally
married. Actually, when Jiva Gosvämi was alive, some of his followers
disliked the pärakiya-rasa of the gopis. Therefore Srila Jiva Gosvämi,
for their spiritual benefit, supported svakiya-rasa, for he could
understand that sahajiyäs would otherwise exploit the pärakiya-rasa, as
they are actually doing at the present. Unfortunately, in Vrndävana and
Navadvipa it has become fashionable among sahajiyäs, in their
debauchery, to find an unmarried sexual partner to live with to execute
so-called devotional service in pärakiya-rasa. Foreseeing this, Srila
Jiva Gosvämi supported svakiya-rasa, and later all the Vaisnava äcäryas
also approved of it. Srila Jiva Gosvämi was never opposed to the
transcendental pärakiya-rasa, nor has any other Vaisnava disapproved of
it. Srila Jiva Gosvämi strictly followed his predecessor gurus and
Vaisnavas, Srila Rüpa Gosvämi and Sanätana Gosvämi, and Srila Krsnadäsa
Kaviräja Gosvämi accepted him as one of his instructor gurus.
The Vaisnavas are by far the greatest philosophers in the world, and the
greatest among them was Srila Jiva Gosvämi Prabhu, whose philosophy was
again presented less than four hundred years later by Srila
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvati Thäkura Mahäräja.
Srila Jiva Gosvämi, in his thesis Bhakti-sandarbha (202), has stated
that uncontaminated devotional service is the objective of pure
Vaisnavas and that one has to execute such service in the association of
other devotees. Sri Jiva Gosvämi advises that one not accept a spiritual
master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical
conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified
spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.
Srila Jiva Gosvämi has explained the word bhagavän in his
Bhagavat-sandarbha. The Personality of Godhead, being full of all
conceivable and inconceivable potencies, is the absolute Supreme Whole.
Impersonal Brahman is a partial manifestation of the Absolute Truth
realized in the absence of such complete potencies.
Gosvämi was formerly Viläsa-manjari gopi in vraja-lila. From his very
childhood Jiva Gosvämi was greatly fond of Srimad-Bhägavatam. He later
came to Navadvipa to study Sanskrit, and, following in the footsteps
of Sri Nityänanda Prabhu, he circumambulated the entire Navadvipa-dhäma.
After visiting Navadvipa-dhäma he went to Benares to study Sanskrit
under Madhusüdana Väcaspati, and after finishing his studies in Benares
he went to Vrndävana and took shelter of his uncles, Sri Rüpa and
Sanätana. This is described in the Bhakti-ratnäkara. As far as our
information goes, Srila Jiva Gosvämi composed and edited at least
twenty-five books. They are all very celebrated, and they are listed as
follows: (1) Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana, (2) Sütra-mälikä, (3)
Dhätu-sangraha, (4) Krsnärcä-dipikä, (5) Gopäla-virudävalé, (6)
Rasämrta-sesa, (7) Sri Mädhava-mahotsava, (8) Sri Sankalpa-kalpavrksa,
(9) Bhävärtha-sücaka-campü, (10) Gopäla-täpani-öikä, (11) a commentary
on the Brahma-samhitä, (12) a commentary on the Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu,
(13) a commentary on the Ujjvala-nilamani, (14) a commentary on the
Yogasära-stava, (15) a commentary on the Gäyatri-mantra, as described in
the Agni Puräna, (16) a description of the Lord+s lotus feet derived
from the Padma Puräna, (17) a description of the lotus feet of Srimati
Rädhäräni, (18) Gopäla-campü (in two parts) and (19/25) seven
sandarbhas: the Krama-, Tattva-, Bhagavat-, Paramätma-, Krsna-, Bhakti-
and Priti-sandarbha. After the disappearance of Srila Rüpa Gosvämi and
Sanätana Gosvämi in Vrndävana, Srila Jiva Gosvämi became the äcärya of
all the Vaisnavas in Bengal, Orissa and the rest of the world, and it is
he who used to guide them in their devotional service. In Vrndävana he
established the Rädhä-Dämodara temple, where Srila Prabhupada had the
opportunity to live and retire until the age of sixty-five. When Jiva
Gosvämi was still present, Srila Krsnadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämi compiled his
famous Caitanya-caritämrta. Later, Srila Jiva Gosvämi inspired Sriniväsa
Äcärya, Narottama däsa Thäkura and Duùkhi Krnadäsa to preach Krsna
consciousness in Bengal. Jiva Gosvämi was informed that all the
manuscripts that had been collected from Vrndävana and sent to Bengal
for preaching purposes were plundered near Visnupura, in Bengal, but
later he received the information that the books had been recovered. Sri
Jiva Gosvämi awarded the designation Kaviräja to Rämacandra Sena, a
disciple of Sriniväsa Äcärya+s, and to Rämacandra+s younger brother
Govinda. While Jiva Gosvämi was alive, Srimati Jähnavi-devi, the
pleasure potency of Sri Nityänanda Prabhu, went to Vrndävana with a few
devotees. Jiva Gosvämi was very kind to the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, the
Vaisnavas from Bengal. Whoever went to Vrndävana he provided with a
residence and prasäda. His disciple Krsnadäsa Adhikäri listed all the
books of the Gosvämis in his diary.
The sahajiyäs level three accusations against Srila Jiva Gosvämi. This
is certainly not congenial for the execution of devotional service. The
first accusation concerns a materialist who was very proud of his
reputation as a great Sanskrit scholar and approached Sri Rüpa and
Sanätana to argue with them about the revealed scriptures. Srila Rüpa
Gosvämi and Sanätana Gosvämi, not wanting to waste their time, gave him
a written statement that he had defeated them in a debate on the
revealed scriptures. Taking this paper, the scholar approached Jiva
Gosvämi for a similar certificate of defeat, but Jiva Gosvämi did not
agree to give him one. On the contrary, he argued with him regarding the
scriptures and defeated him. Certainly it was right for Jiva Gosvämi to
stop such a dishonest scholar from advertising that he had defeated
Srila Rüpa Gosvämi and Sanätana Gosvämi, but due to their illiteracy the
sahajiyä class refer to this incident to accuse Srila Jiva Gosvämi of
deviating from the principle of humility. They do not know, however,
that humility and meekness are appropriate when one+s own honor is
insulted but not when Lord Visnu or the äcäryas are blasphemed. In such
cases one should not be humble and meek but must act. One should follow
the example given by Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Lord Caitanya says in His
Siksästaka (3):
trnäd api sunicena
taror api sahisnunä
amäninä mänadena
kirtaniyah sadä harih
One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind,
thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more
tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should
be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can
chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. Nevertheless, when the Lord
was informed that Nityänanda Prabhu was injured by Jagäi and Mädhäi, He
immediately went to the spot, angry like fire, wanting to kill them.
Thus Lord Caitanya has explained His verse by the example of His own
behavior. One should tolerate insults against oneself, but when there is
blasphemy committed against superiors such as other Vaisnavas, one
should be neither humble nor meek; one must take proper steps to
counteract such blasphemy. This is the duty of a servant of a guru and
Vaisnavas. Anyone who understands the principle of eternal servitude to
the guru and Vaisnavas will appreciate the action of Sri Jiva Gosvämi in
connection with the so-called scholar+s victory over his gurus, Srila
Rüpa and Srila Sanätana Gosvämi.
Another story fabricated to defame Srila Jiva Gosvämi states that after
compiling Sri Caitanya-caritämrta, Srila Krnadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämi
showed the manuscript to Jiva Gosvämi, who thought that it would hamper
his reputation as a big scholar and therefore threw it into a well.
Srila Krsnadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämi was greatly shocked, and he died
immediately. Fortunately a copy of the manuscript of Sri
Caitanya-caritämrta had been kept by a person named Mukunda, and
therefore later it was possible to publish the book. This story is
another ignominious example of blasphemy against a guru and Vaisnava.
Such a story should never be accepted as authoritative.
According to another accusation, Srila Jiva Gosvämi did not approve of
the principles of the pärakiya-rasa of Vraja-dhäma and therefore
supported svakiya-rasa, showing that Rädhä and Krsna are eternally
married. Actually, when Jiva Gosvämi was alive, some of his followers
disliked the pärakiya-rasa of the gopis. Therefore Srila Jiva Gosvämi,
for their spiritual benefit, supported svakiya-rasa, for he could
understand that sahajiyäs would otherwise exploit the pärakiya-rasa, as
they are actually doing at the present. Unfortunately, in Vrndävana and
Navadvipa it has become fashionable among sahajiyäs, in their
debauchery, to find an unmarried sexual partner to live with to execute
so-called devotional service in pärakiya-rasa. Foreseeing this, Srila
Jiva Gosvämi supported svakiya-rasa, and later all the Vaisnava äcäryas
also approved of it. Srila Jiva Gosvämi was never opposed to the
transcendental pärakiya-rasa, nor has any other Vaisnava disapproved of
it. Srila Jiva Gosvämi strictly followed his predecessor gurus and
Vaisnavas, Srila Rüpa Gosvämi and Sanätana Gosvämi, and Srila Krsnadäsa
Kaviräja Gosvämi accepted him as one of his instructor gurus.
The Vaisnavas are by far the greatest philosophers in the world, and the
greatest among them was Srila Jiva Gosvämi Prabhu, whose philosophy was
again presented less than four hundred years later by Srila
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvati Thäkura Mahäräja.
Srila Jiva Gosvämi, in his thesis Bhakti-sandarbha (202), has stated
that uncontaminated devotional service is the objective of pure
Vaisnavas and that one has to execute such service in the association of
other devotees. Sri Jiva Gosvämi advises that one not accept a spiritual
master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical
conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified
spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.
Srila Jiva Gosvämi has explained the word bhagavän in his
Bhagavat-sandarbha. The Personality of Godhead, being full of all
conceivable and inconceivable potencies, is the absolute Supreme Whole.
Impersonal Brahman is a partial manifestation of the Absolute Truth
realized in the absence of such complete potencies.
PASTIMES OF GREAT ACHARYA - 7
The following pastime is found in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, but is more elaborately described in the Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Adi-khanda, Chapter 3 as follows:
One saintly brahmana who was most virtuous was touring the places of pilgrimage in order to obtain Sri Krishna. He used to worship Gopala by chanting the six-syllable Gopala mantra, and without having
offered bhoga to Gopala he would eat nothing. Hanging from his neck like a brilliant jewel was his Bala Gopala Salagrama. By his transcendental good fortune, one day he came to the home of Jagannatha Misra in Navadvipa. The pious pilgrim's brahma-tejas was incomparable; from his mouth, the sound "Krsna, Krsna" was always emanating, and within his heart he was always relishing the transcendental mellows of affection for Govinda, such that his eyes were always filled with tears.
Seeing such a devotee, Jagannatha Misra at once got up and offered him respects. Jagannatha Misra did everthing appropriate to receive his exalted guest. He washed the water of that brahmana's feet and offered him an elevated seat. Inquiring about his welfare, Sri Misra said, "Dearmost brahmana, where is your residence?" The brahmana replied, "Having become indifferent to household life, I have left my own country and continually wander from one holy place to another. I cannot become attached to any one place any longer. That's why I constantly wander." Sri Misra responded with great humility, "Actually, I think that you are wandering about just to spread good fortune among the residents of this world. Especially today the topmost fortune is mine. If you give me your order, may I make arrangements for your meal?"
The brahmana said, "Misraji, whatever you desire." Sri Misraji in great ecstasy collected the best of all materials and cleaned the kitchen thoroughly and presented everything to the brahmana. He also supplied the best of all foodstuffs from his pantry. The brahmana, becoming very happy, cooked everthing and sat with eyes closed in meditation to offer the bhoga to Sri Gopala Krsna.
Sri Sacinandana is the all-knowing Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities. He desired to give His darsana to that brahmana. The brahmana had just begun his meditation when the Lord crawled into his presence. His whole body was covered with dust and he was wearing no clothes at all. His eyes were very restless, and His feet were most beautiful. The child laughed and took a mouthful of the bhoga and the brahmana's meditation was broken. That fortunate brahmana saw what had happened and cried, "Hay! Hay! This child has ruined my offering. Sri Jagannatha Misra came and saw little Gaurasundara eating rice and smiling. Misra became furious and ran toward the child to beat him. The brahmana quickly got up and caught Jagannathe Misra with his hand saying, "Misra, you are very great, you're a very intelligent, pious gentleman. You know better than to hit a child. You know the nature of children. They know no distinction between good or bad. Please do not hit the child."
Sri Misra, becoming dejected, sat down and held his head in his hands. He was so angry, he could say nothing. The brahmana said, "Misra, don't become dejected like this. Some days are like this. Bhagavan knows everything. Some days I get only fruits from a house; sometimes wonderful foodstuffs. I'll just take something simple today. Please don't mind."
Misraji said, "Priyavara, if you will consider me your servant, please once more cook in my kitchen. I will supply you everything you need. Please cook again and my mind will become peaceful. This is my only
request."
The brahmana replied, "All right. If that is your desire I will cook again." Hearing this, everyone was happy, and somehow or other collected everything from other places, cleaned everything, and arranged for the brahmana to again cook. Everyone said to one another, "This child is too restless. See that he is restrained and cannot return again to cause more disturbances." For as long as the brahmana was cooking, the Lord was taken to another house and kept there.
Then Sacimata, holding Nimai in her arms, took him away to another house. There, all the ladies said, "Why Nimai? Why did you eat the brahmana's offering?" The Lord smiled. His smile was as beautiful as the moon. He then said, "What fault of mine is there in this? The brahmana himself called me to eat!" They all said, "You rascal Nimai! You ate his cooking, but do you know what his caste is? Or where he's come from? What will you do now? How will you maintain your caste?" Nimai smiled and said, "I am just a cowherd, but I eat the food of brahmanas all the time. Can a cowherd's caste be spoiled by eating the cooking of brahmana?" They all looked at Nimai's mouth and they all looked at Nimai's mouth and began to laugh. Sri Gaura was explaining his factual identity, but they were unable to understand a single thing of it. Hearing the Lord's words, they simply laughed and squeezed Nimai to their breasts; they were unfazed.
The brahmana again finished cooking and offered the bhoga to
Gopala with his eyes closed, seated in meditation. He began to meditate upon Bala Gopala in his heart. This fact was taken note of by Sri Gauracandra. He is the Lord within the heart. Bewildering everyone, and laughing to Himself, He somehow escaped that house and arrived once more to where the brahmana was meditating. Quietly, He sneaked a fistful of rice and put it into His mouth. The sounds of His munching broke the brahmana's meditation--he saw Nimai. The brahmana again cried, "Hay! Hay!" and Sri Gaura Prabhu swallowd the rice and ran off. Misraji saw this and quickly took one big stick in a rage, and ran off to catch Nimai.
Sri Gauranga became most fearful and ran from one house to another, and Misraji quickly followed Him, burning with anger. Sri Misra said, " If I catch you for what you've done today, I will beat you with this stick. I've lost all my patience and discrimination."
"Where is that great thief of a son of mine? Which house is He hiding in?" Saying this, Jagannatha Misra pursued his son Nimai. Everyone began to say, "Misraji, you're very great and magnanimous. You ought to forgive such a minor offense. These children, they have no sense. How can you beat a mere child like this? In this way, they began to give him instruction, but to no avail.
Somehow or other, the pious brahmana appeared on the scene and, clutching Jagannatha Misra's hand said, "Misra Rai, look, there's no fault in this boy. What's meant to happen is meant to happen. It just must be my fate that today Krsna will not accept my bhoga offering. That's my problem. Please don't be so dejected. This I'm telling you." Jagannatha Misra simply stood there completely angry and completely miserable.
At this point, Bhagavan Visvarupa arrived there. There was
incomparable beauty in all of His limbs and He had great transcendental effulegence, and charming countenance, with a yajna-sutra hanging from His shoulder, He was the personification of brahma-tejas. He was non-different from Nityananda Prabhu. All the sastric conclusions were always ready upon His tongue, and He was always explaining pure devotional service to Lord Krsna. Seeing such an unprecedented personality, the pious brahmana was struck with wonder and began to look at Him. His eyes filled with tears. He asked, "Noble Sir, whose son are You?" Everyone answered, "He is the elder son of Jagannatha Misra." Hearing this, the brahmana became very happy and embraced Visvarupa. "Your mother and father are most fortunate to have such an unequalled son as you." Sri
Visvarupa offered His pranamas to the brahmana and the two sat down. As if exuding a stream of nectar from His transcendental mouth, He said, "What a fortunate, greatly auspicious day has come upon us. My house is blessed with such a saintly personality as Your Grace. Great personalities such as you wander from one place to another to bless the denizens of this planet with your purifying association. You are always full in ecstasy and, freed from any material desire, simply wander at will filled with bliss. We are most fortunate that you have arrived as an unexpected guest in our house today. What can I say of our misfortune that you are fasting? The house from which a guest leaves without having eaten will only see misfortune henceforth. Having your darsana, I am most fortunate but hearing what everyone (about your fasting) has said, I have become most unhappy.
The brahmana said, don't be unhappy about anything. If there are any roots or berries available, I am contecnt to eat that only. I am a forest-dweller, and I am well-accustomed to eating such things. Some days, nice grains are cooked, and sometimes there is some obstacle which makes this impossible. Just seeing you people has given me greater joy millions and millions of nicely prepared offerings.
Jagannatha Misra has been standing nearby, silent. He was unable to speak. Holding his head in his hands, he was simply overcome with despondancy. Sri Visvarupa said, "I am a little fearful to say this, but you are a great personality, and great personalities are like oceans of mercy. Sadhus are always unhappy at the unhappiness of others. They become jublilant in the rejoicings of others too. Therefore if you are pleased to take a little trouble to cook once more and offer your bhogas to Lord Krishna, then everyone's unhappiness will be mitigated. Then we will all experience paramananda."
Sri Visvarupa continued, "Priyavara, please don't take offense, please cook something at least, just once more, and everyone will become happy. Bowing down, He clutched the feet of that brahmana in his hand with this entreaty. The brahmana looked at Visvambhara and said, "Alright, I will cook." Hearing this, everyone became joyful again, singing out, "Hari bol, Hari bol!" They all cleaned the kitchen again and in but a minute, everything was assembled and ready. The brahmana then entered the kitchen. Sri Gaura-gopala took note of this.
Everyone told Jagannatha Misra, "Misra, lock your door from outside so that Nimai won't be able to get out." Misra said, "Good, I've already locked Him up inside, too. Meanwhile everyone on the outside locked the door to Jagannatha Misra's house from the outside. The ladies all said, "Don't worry, Nimai has gone to sleep now--He won't be going out to eat anything tonight!" The brahmana soon finished his cooking.
That fortunate brahmana then began to offer his bhoga to Lord Bala Gopala. The indwelling Supersoul Sri Gaurasundara then thought, "The bhoga is ready now." Once again, the desire to give His darsana to that brahmana arose within His heart. Thus the Lord left the house while everyone was sleeping (by this time, it was late at night). Nobody knew about this. Nimai appeared at the place where the brahmana was meditating. Seeing the child again, the brahmana again cried, "Hay! Hay!" In utter frustration, he began to cry. But this time nobody heard him-they were all fast asleep. Then Sri Mahaprabhu said, "Oh, brahmana, you are very exalted. What is My fault if I come as soon as you call Me? You're chanting My mantra, invoking My name, how can I not come? Every time you're making your offering with such pure devotion, so every time I come to give you My darsana.
At that very moment, the brahmana had the darsans of Lord Gaura in a wonderful form. Before him, Lord Caitanya manifested His eight-armed Bala Gopala form. In four hands were the conch, disc, club, and lotus; with two hands, He was playing the flute; in one hand He was holding a
ball of butter; and with the other hand He was eating butter. Upon His breast were the srivatsa and the kaustubha jewel, and brilliant garlands of jewels hung from His neck. All of His limbs were bedecked with beautiful ornaments and jewels, and upon His head was an ornament of gunja beads and a peacock feather. The lips of His moon-like mouth were enchanting, and He looked about here and there as He smiled. He had a vaijayanti mala, and there were shark-shaped earrings swinging from His ears. There were jewelled ankle bracelets upon His feet, and His toenails were resplendent. The brahmana then saw that the Lord was beneath a kadamba tree and He saw Vrindaban, there were birds flying in all directions. On all sides of the Lord, there were cows, gopas, and gopis. Whatever the brahmana was accustomed to meditating upon within his heart, that beautiful vision was now manifest directly before his eyes.
That fortunate brahmana saw such wonderful opulence that he simply fainted in bliss. The ocean of mercy, Sri Gaurasundara held him in His own transcendental hands. From His touch, the brahmana regained consciousness, but he was struck dumb with transcendental bliss and he could not even utter a word. Again and again, he fainted to the ground, and again and again he would rise in great ecstasy. There was perspiration, trembling, horipilation, and all manifestation of ecstatic symptoms in his body. A vast river of tears flowed from his eyes. For a moment the brahmana regained his sense and fell at the feet of Sri Gauranga and began to cry loudly. Seeing the condition of this brahmana, Lord Gauranga began to laugh. Sri Gaura Prabhu said, "He, Priyavara, listen. You are My servant for many births. You are always desiring my darsana, and in this way I am always giving you My darsana. In a previous birth, I gave you My darsana in just this way in the house of Nanda Maharaja. You don't remember this. When I appeared in the home of Nanda Maharaja in Gokula, in that birth, you too appeared as a brahmana wandering from one holy place to another. By transcendental fate, you came to the home of Nanda Maharaja and offered bhoga in just this way. At that time, I tricked you and ate your offerings, giving you My darsana just as I have today. You are My servant birth after birth. How could you get the darsana of such a wonderful form if it were not so? The Lord then said, "He vipra! This is a very confidential matter. You should not disclose this to anyone. If you mention this to anyone, I will annihilate you! Listen, I have now appeared in this world for the porpose of spreading Krsna Sankirtana, and I will do this. I will go house to house giving out such devotional service as either Lord Brahma or Siva cannot desire.
In this way, Sri Gaurasundara pacified the brahmana, and bestowing His mercy upon him left the room. Becoming as if an ordinary baby again, He went to sleep with His mother. No one was able to understand any of these activities because of the agency of Yogamaya. Having seen this wonderful form of the Lord, the brahmana, his whole body filled with ecstasy, took the wonderful prasadam of the Lord and danced in ecstasy, crying, laughing, and singing, "Bala Gopala ki jaya!"
Repeated sounds of his calling and crying woke the others in the house. They shook off sleep, said achamana, and came to see the brahmana. Seeing him, everyone became very happy. The brahmana in his mind again and again began to think, "If I could only tell these people that Parameswara is living in their home, they could become liberated from material existence and go back to Godhead." Then he thought, "Oh, even Brahma and Siva cannot have such good fortune to have the Supreme Lord living with them. They all simply think that He is an ordinary child. If I could inform them of the real situation, they could obtain the Supreme destination. But then he remembered that the Lord told him not to reveal this to anyone. And he became afraid, the Lord's request should not be broken. In this way the brahmana said nothing to anyone. Having recognized Bhagavan, that brahmana then stayed only in Navadvipa and resided there concealing his feelings. That brahmana would go here and there to beg and every day would come with the hope of seeing Lord Gaura Bhagavan.
One saintly brahmana who was most virtuous was touring the places of pilgrimage in order to obtain Sri Krishna. He used to worship Gopala by chanting the six-syllable Gopala mantra, and without having
offered bhoga to Gopala he would eat nothing. Hanging from his neck like a brilliant jewel was his Bala Gopala Salagrama. By his transcendental good fortune, one day he came to the home of Jagannatha Misra in Navadvipa. The pious pilgrim's brahma-tejas was incomparable; from his mouth, the sound "Krsna, Krsna" was always emanating, and within his heart he was always relishing the transcendental mellows of affection for Govinda, such that his eyes were always filled with tears.
Seeing such a devotee, Jagannatha Misra at once got up and offered him respects. Jagannatha Misra did everthing appropriate to receive his exalted guest. He washed the water of that brahmana's feet and offered him an elevated seat. Inquiring about his welfare, Sri Misra said, "Dearmost brahmana, where is your residence?" The brahmana replied, "Having become indifferent to household life, I have left my own country and continually wander from one holy place to another. I cannot become attached to any one place any longer. That's why I constantly wander." Sri Misra responded with great humility, "Actually, I think that you are wandering about just to spread good fortune among the residents of this world. Especially today the topmost fortune is mine. If you give me your order, may I make arrangements for your meal?"
The brahmana said, "Misraji, whatever you desire." Sri Misraji in great ecstasy collected the best of all materials and cleaned the kitchen thoroughly and presented everything to the brahmana. He also supplied the best of all foodstuffs from his pantry. The brahmana, becoming very happy, cooked everthing and sat with eyes closed in meditation to offer the bhoga to Sri Gopala Krsna.
Sri Sacinandana is the all-knowing Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities. He desired to give His darsana to that brahmana. The brahmana had just begun his meditation when the Lord crawled into his presence. His whole body was covered with dust and he was wearing no clothes at all. His eyes were very restless, and His feet were most beautiful. The child laughed and took a mouthful of the bhoga and the brahmana's meditation was broken. That fortunate brahmana saw what had happened and cried, "Hay! Hay! This child has ruined my offering. Sri Jagannatha Misra came and saw little Gaurasundara eating rice and smiling. Misra became furious and ran toward the child to beat him. The brahmana quickly got up and caught Jagannathe Misra with his hand saying, "Misra, you are very great, you're a very intelligent, pious gentleman. You know better than to hit a child. You know the nature of children. They know no distinction between good or bad. Please do not hit the child."
Sri Misra, becoming dejected, sat down and held his head in his hands. He was so angry, he could say nothing. The brahmana said, "Misra, don't become dejected like this. Some days are like this. Bhagavan knows everything. Some days I get only fruits from a house; sometimes wonderful foodstuffs. I'll just take something simple today. Please don't mind."
Misraji said, "Priyavara, if you will consider me your servant, please once more cook in my kitchen. I will supply you everything you need. Please cook again and my mind will become peaceful. This is my only
request."
The brahmana replied, "All right. If that is your desire I will cook again." Hearing this, everyone was happy, and somehow or other collected everything from other places, cleaned everything, and arranged for the brahmana to again cook. Everyone said to one another, "This child is too restless. See that he is restrained and cannot return again to cause more disturbances." For as long as the brahmana was cooking, the Lord was taken to another house and kept there.
Then Sacimata, holding Nimai in her arms, took him away to another house. There, all the ladies said, "Why Nimai? Why did you eat the brahmana's offering?" The Lord smiled. His smile was as beautiful as the moon. He then said, "What fault of mine is there in this? The brahmana himself called me to eat!" They all said, "You rascal Nimai! You ate his cooking, but do you know what his caste is? Or where he's come from? What will you do now? How will you maintain your caste?" Nimai smiled and said, "I am just a cowherd, but I eat the food of brahmanas all the time. Can a cowherd's caste be spoiled by eating the cooking of brahmana?" They all looked at Nimai's mouth and they all looked at Nimai's mouth and began to laugh. Sri Gaura was explaining his factual identity, but they were unable to understand a single thing of it. Hearing the Lord's words, they simply laughed and squeezed Nimai to their breasts; they were unfazed.
The brahmana again finished cooking and offered the bhoga to
Gopala with his eyes closed, seated in meditation. He began to meditate upon Bala Gopala in his heart. This fact was taken note of by Sri Gauracandra. He is the Lord within the heart. Bewildering everyone, and laughing to Himself, He somehow escaped that house and arrived once more to where the brahmana was meditating. Quietly, He sneaked a fistful of rice and put it into His mouth. The sounds of His munching broke the brahmana's meditation--he saw Nimai. The brahmana again cried, "Hay! Hay!" and Sri Gaura Prabhu swallowd the rice and ran off. Misraji saw this and quickly took one big stick in a rage, and ran off to catch Nimai.
Sri Gauranga became most fearful and ran from one house to another, and Misraji quickly followed Him, burning with anger. Sri Misra said, " If I catch you for what you've done today, I will beat you with this stick. I've lost all my patience and discrimination."
"Where is that great thief of a son of mine? Which house is He hiding in?" Saying this, Jagannatha Misra pursued his son Nimai. Everyone began to say, "Misraji, you're very great and magnanimous. You ought to forgive such a minor offense. These children, they have no sense. How can you beat a mere child like this? In this way, they began to give him instruction, but to no avail.
Somehow or other, the pious brahmana appeared on the scene and, clutching Jagannatha Misra's hand said, "Misra Rai, look, there's no fault in this boy. What's meant to happen is meant to happen. It just must be my fate that today Krsna will not accept my bhoga offering. That's my problem. Please don't be so dejected. This I'm telling you." Jagannatha Misra simply stood there completely angry and completely miserable.
At this point, Bhagavan Visvarupa arrived there. There was
incomparable beauty in all of His limbs and He had great transcendental effulegence, and charming countenance, with a yajna-sutra hanging from His shoulder, He was the personification of brahma-tejas. He was non-different from Nityananda Prabhu. All the sastric conclusions were always ready upon His tongue, and He was always explaining pure devotional service to Lord Krsna. Seeing such an unprecedented personality, the pious brahmana was struck with wonder and began to look at Him. His eyes filled with tears. He asked, "Noble Sir, whose son are You?" Everyone answered, "He is the elder son of Jagannatha Misra." Hearing this, the brahmana became very happy and embraced Visvarupa. "Your mother and father are most fortunate to have such an unequalled son as you." Sri
Visvarupa offered His pranamas to the brahmana and the two sat down. As if exuding a stream of nectar from His transcendental mouth, He said, "What a fortunate, greatly auspicious day has come upon us. My house is blessed with such a saintly personality as Your Grace. Great personalities such as you wander from one place to another to bless the denizens of this planet with your purifying association. You are always full in ecstasy and, freed from any material desire, simply wander at will filled with bliss. We are most fortunate that you have arrived as an unexpected guest in our house today. What can I say of our misfortune that you are fasting? The house from which a guest leaves without having eaten will only see misfortune henceforth. Having your darsana, I am most fortunate but hearing what everyone (about your fasting) has said, I have become most unhappy.
The brahmana said, don't be unhappy about anything. If there are any roots or berries available, I am contecnt to eat that only. I am a forest-dweller, and I am well-accustomed to eating such things. Some days, nice grains are cooked, and sometimes there is some obstacle which makes this impossible. Just seeing you people has given me greater joy millions and millions of nicely prepared offerings.
Jagannatha Misra has been standing nearby, silent. He was unable to speak. Holding his head in his hands, he was simply overcome with despondancy. Sri Visvarupa said, "I am a little fearful to say this, but you are a great personality, and great personalities are like oceans of mercy. Sadhus are always unhappy at the unhappiness of others. They become jublilant in the rejoicings of others too. Therefore if you are pleased to take a little trouble to cook once more and offer your bhogas to Lord Krishna, then everyone's unhappiness will be mitigated. Then we will all experience paramananda."
Sri Visvarupa continued, "Priyavara, please don't take offense, please cook something at least, just once more, and everyone will become happy. Bowing down, He clutched the feet of that brahmana in his hand with this entreaty. The brahmana looked at Visvambhara and said, "Alright, I will cook." Hearing this, everyone became joyful again, singing out, "Hari bol, Hari bol!" They all cleaned the kitchen again and in but a minute, everything was assembled and ready. The brahmana then entered the kitchen. Sri Gaura-gopala took note of this.
Everyone told Jagannatha Misra, "Misra, lock your door from outside so that Nimai won't be able to get out." Misra said, "Good, I've already locked Him up inside, too. Meanwhile everyone on the outside locked the door to Jagannatha Misra's house from the outside. The ladies all said, "Don't worry, Nimai has gone to sleep now--He won't be going out to eat anything tonight!" The brahmana soon finished his cooking.
That fortunate brahmana then began to offer his bhoga to Lord Bala Gopala. The indwelling Supersoul Sri Gaurasundara then thought, "The bhoga is ready now." Once again, the desire to give His darsana to that brahmana arose within His heart. Thus the Lord left the house while everyone was sleeping (by this time, it was late at night). Nobody knew about this. Nimai appeared at the place where the brahmana was meditating. Seeing the child again, the brahmana again cried, "Hay! Hay!" In utter frustration, he began to cry. But this time nobody heard him-they were all fast asleep. Then Sri Mahaprabhu said, "Oh, brahmana, you are very exalted. What is My fault if I come as soon as you call Me? You're chanting My mantra, invoking My name, how can I not come? Every time you're making your offering with such pure devotion, so every time I come to give you My darsana.
At that very moment, the brahmana had the darsans of Lord Gaura in a wonderful form. Before him, Lord Caitanya manifested His eight-armed Bala Gopala form. In four hands were the conch, disc, club, and lotus; with two hands, He was playing the flute; in one hand He was holding a
ball of butter; and with the other hand He was eating butter. Upon His breast were the srivatsa and the kaustubha jewel, and brilliant garlands of jewels hung from His neck. All of His limbs were bedecked with beautiful ornaments and jewels, and upon His head was an ornament of gunja beads and a peacock feather. The lips of His moon-like mouth were enchanting, and He looked about here and there as He smiled. He had a vaijayanti mala, and there were shark-shaped earrings swinging from His ears. There were jewelled ankle bracelets upon His feet, and His toenails were resplendent. The brahmana then saw that the Lord was beneath a kadamba tree and He saw Vrindaban, there were birds flying in all directions. On all sides of the Lord, there were cows, gopas, and gopis. Whatever the brahmana was accustomed to meditating upon within his heart, that beautiful vision was now manifest directly before his eyes.
That fortunate brahmana saw such wonderful opulence that he simply fainted in bliss. The ocean of mercy, Sri Gaurasundara held him in His own transcendental hands. From His touch, the brahmana regained consciousness, but he was struck dumb with transcendental bliss and he could not even utter a word. Again and again, he fainted to the ground, and again and again he would rise in great ecstasy. There was perspiration, trembling, horipilation, and all manifestation of ecstatic symptoms in his body. A vast river of tears flowed from his eyes. For a moment the brahmana regained his sense and fell at the feet of Sri Gauranga and began to cry loudly. Seeing the condition of this brahmana, Lord Gauranga began to laugh. Sri Gaura Prabhu said, "He, Priyavara, listen. You are My servant for many births. You are always desiring my darsana, and in this way I am always giving you My darsana. In a previous birth, I gave you My darsana in just this way in the house of Nanda Maharaja. You don't remember this. When I appeared in the home of Nanda Maharaja in Gokula, in that birth, you too appeared as a brahmana wandering from one holy place to another. By transcendental fate, you came to the home of Nanda Maharaja and offered bhoga in just this way. At that time, I tricked you and ate your offerings, giving you My darsana just as I have today. You are My servant birth after birth. How could you get the darsana of such a wonderful form if it were not so? The Lord then said, "He vipra! This is a very confidential matter. You should not disclose this to anyone. If you mention this to anyone, I will annihilate you! Listen, I have now appeared in this world for the porpose of spreading Krsna Sankirtana, and I will do this. I will go house to house giving out such devotional service as either Lord Brahma or Siva cannot desire.
In this way, Sri Gaurasundara pacified the brahmana, and bestowing His mercy upon him left the room. Becoming as if an ordinary baby again, He went to sleep with His mother. No one was able to understand any of these activities because of the agency of Yogamaya. Having seen this wonderful form of the Lord, the brahmana, his whole body filled with ecstasy, took the wonderful prasadam of the Lord and danced in ecstasy, crying, laughing, and singing, "Bala Gopala ki jaya!"
Repeated sounds of his calling and crying woke the others in the house. They shook off sleep, said achamana, and came to see the brahmana. Seeing him, everyone became very happy. The brahmana in his mind again and again began to think, "If I could only tell these people that Parameswara is living in their home, they could become liberated from material existence and go back to Godhead." Then he thought, "Oh, even Brahma and Siva cannot have such good fortune to have the Supreme Lord living with them. They all simply think that He is an ordinary child. If I could inform them of the real situation, they could obtain the Supreme destination. But then he remembered that the Lord told him not to reveal this to anyone. And he became afraid, the Lord's request should not be broken. In this way the brahmana said nothing to anyone. Having recognized Bhagavan, that brahmana then stayed only in Navadvipa and resided there concealing his feelings. That brahmana would go here and there to beg and every day would come with the hope of seeing Lord Gaura Bhagavan.
Lord Balarama
From Srimad Bhagvatam, just like one candle lights another candle, Lord Krsna's first expansion is Lord Balarama. Lord Balarama is non-different from Lord Krsna, He also possesses 64 qualities like Lord Krsna the only difference is He is white in color in comparison to Lord Krsna's blackish complexion. So, there is no difference. He is called Balarama as He has tremendous amount of Bala - strength (spiritual strength), without approaching Lord Balarama we cannot approach Lord Krsna. Lord Balarama is the original spiritual master and Guru is a direct representation of Lord Balarama.
In their earthly pastimes in treta yuga, Lord Balarama is Laxmana while Lord Krsna is Lord Rama. In that pastimes, Lord Laxmana is unhappy few times while following the orders of Lord Rama but was forced to follow since He was the younger brother like when He had to assist Mother Sita for Agni-pariksha which He was completely against to. So, He resolved that He will never appear as a younger brother. So, in Krsna-lila and than Gaura-lila, He appears as a elder brother of Lord Krsna and Lord Gauranga.
In Krsna-lila, Lord Balarama was the seventh son of Mother Devaki after her six sons were killed by Kamsa, Lord Ananta manifested within the womb of Mother Devaki. Mother Devaki felt pleased but immediately felt sorrowful that Kamsa will kill the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, she prayed humbly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna. Lord Krsna requested His energy Yoga-maya to transfer the baby from the womb of Mother Devaki to the womb of Mother Rohini who was also pregnant, and as a result Lord Balarama is also called Sankarshana.
Mother Devaki is Bhakti Devi, personification of Devotional service. She delivers six son's who are killed by Kamsa, which personifies killing of six natures of a living entity lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride, and envy. For the manifestation of Supreme Personality of Godhead within our heart this six bad qualities needs to be destroyed
In their earthly pastimes in treta yuga, Lord Balarama is Laxmana while Lord Krsna is Lord Rama. In that pastimes, Lord Laxmana is unhappy few times while following the orders of Lord Rama but was forced to follow since He was the younger brother like when He had to assist Mother Sita for Agni-pariksha which He was completely against to. So, He resolved that He will never appear as a younger brother. So, in Krsna-lila and than Gaura-lila, He appears as a elder brother of Lord Krsna and Lord Gauranga.
In Krsna-lila, Lord Balarama was the seventh son of Mother Devaki after her six sons were killed by Kamsa, Lord Ananta manifested within the womb of Mother Devaki. Mother Devaki felt pleased but immediately felt sorrowful that Kamsa will kill the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, she prayed humbly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna. Lord Krsna requested His energy Yoga-maya to transfer the baby from the womb of Mother Devaki to the womb of Mother Rohini who was also pregnant, and as a result Lord Balarama is also called Sankarshana.
Mother Devaki is Bhakti Devi, personification of Devotional service. She delivers six son's who are killed by Kamsa, which personifies killing of six natures of a living entity lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride, and envy. For the manifestation of Supreme Personality of Godhead within our heart this six bad qualities needs to be destroyed
PASTIMES OF GREAT ACHARYA - 6
It is said that Gauridasa Pandita was always patronized by King Krsnadasa, the son of Harihoda. Gauridasa Pandita lived in the village of Saligrama, which is situated a few miles from the railway station Mudagacha, and later he came to reside in Ambika-kalana. It is stated in the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 128, that formerly he was Subala, one of the cowherd boyfriends of Krsna and Balarama in Vrndavana. Gauridasa Paaaita was the younger brother of Snryadasa Sarakhela (father of Mother Jahnava, and Mother Visudha wives of Lord Nityananda), and with the permission of his elder brother he shifted his residence to the bank of the Ganges, living there in the town known as Ambika-kalana. Some of the names of the descendants of Gauridasa Pandita are as follows: (1) Sri Nrsimha-caitanya, (2) Krsnadasa, (3) Visnudasa, (4) Bada Balarama dasa, (5) Govinda, (6) Raghunatha, (7) Badu Gangadasa, (8) Auliya Gangarama, (9) Yadavacarya, (10) Hrdaya-caitanya, (11) Canda Haladara, (12) Mahesa Pandita, (13) Mukuta Raya, (14) Bhatuya Gangarama, (15) Auliya Caitanya, (16) Kaliya Krsnadasa, (17) Patuya Gopala, (18) Bada Jagannatha, (19) Nityananda, (20) Bhavi, (21) Jagadisa, (22) Raiya Kaneadasa and (22 1/2) Annapnraa. The eldest son of Gauridasa Pandita was known as big Balarama, and the youngest was known as Raghunatha. The sons of Raghunatha were Mahesa Pandita and Govinda. Gauridasa Pandita+s daughter was known as Annapnrna.
The village Ambika-kalana, which is situated just across the river Ganges from Santipura, is two miles east of the Kalana-korta railway station, on the eastern railway. In Ambika-kalana there is a temple constructed by the Zamindar of Burdwan. In front of the temple there is a big tamarind tree, and it is said that Gauridasa Pandita and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu met underneath this tree. The place where the temple is situated is known as Ambika, and because it is in the area of Kalana, the village is known as Ambika-kalana. It is said that a copy of the Bhagavad-gita written by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu still exists in this temple.
The village Ambika-kalana, which is situated just across the river Ganges from Santipura, is two miles east of the Kalana-korta railway station, on the eastern railway. In Ambika-kalana there is a temple constructed by the Zamindar of Burdwan. In front of the temple there is a big tamarind tree, and it is said that Gauridasa Pandita and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu met underneath this tree. The place where the temple is situated is known as Ambika, and because it is in the area of Kalana, the village is known as Ambika-kalana. It is said that a copy of the Bhagavad-gita written by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu still exists in this temple.
PASTIMES OF GREAT ACHARYA - 5
Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami belonged to the Bharadvaja-gotra, which indicates that they belonged either to the family or disciplic succession of Bharadvaja Muni.
The genealogical table of Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami and Vallabha Gosvami (father of Jiva Gosvami) can be traced back to the twelfth century sakabda, when a gentleman of the name Sarvajaa appeared in a very rich and opulent brahmana family in the province of KarnAta. He had two sons, named Aniruddhera Rnpesvara and Harihara, who were both bereft of their kingdoms and thus obliged to reside in the highlands. The son of Rnpesvara, who was named Padmanabha, moved to a place in Bengal known as Naihati on the bank of the Ganges. There he had five sons, of whom the youngest, Mukunda, had a well-behaved son named Kumaradeva, who was the father of Rupa, Sanatana and Vallabha. Kumaradeva lived in Baklacandradvipa, which was in the district of Jessore and is now known as Phateyabad. Of his many sons, three took to the path of Vaisnavism. Later, Sri Vallabha and his elder brothers Sri Rupa and Sanatana came from Candradvipa to the village in the Maldah district of Bengal known as Ramakeli. It is in this village that Srila Jiva Gosvami took birth, accepting Vallabha as his father. Because of engaging in the service of the Muslim government, the three brothers received the title Mullik.
Srila Rupa Gosvami was called Dabara Khalasa, though being born in Brahmana family as they had accepted services under muslim governments their names had changed to Mohammedan name. Rupa Gosvami was younger than Sanatana Gosvami. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the village of Ramakeli, He met Vallabha there. Later, Sri Rupa Gosvami, after meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, resigned from government service, and when he went to Vrndavana to meet Lord Caitanya, Vallabha accompanied him. The meeting of Rupa Gosvami and Vallabha with Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Allahabad is described in the Madhya-lila, Chapter Nineteen. Rupa Gosvami stayed for ten days at Prayaga and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him instructions for ten consecutive days at DasAsvamedha GhAta in Prayag. Lord, being anxious to revive the Vrndavana pastimes of Lord Krsna, impregnated the heart of Rupa Gosvami with spiritual potency. By this potency, Srila Rupa Gosvami could revive the activities of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana, activities almost lost to memory. After that following the instructions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Gosvami went to Vrndavana.
Rupa Gosvami and Anupama in Mathura met Subuddhi Raya, who maintained himself by selling dry fuel wood. He was very pleased to meet Sri Rupa Gosvami and Anupama (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu named Vallabha, Anupama), and he showed them the twelve forests of Vrndavana. Thus they lived in Vrndavana for one month and then again went to search for Sanatana Gosvami. Following the course of the Ganges, they reached Allahabad, or Prayaga-tirtha, but because Sanatana Gosvami had come there by a different road, they did not meet him there, and when Sanatana Gosvami came to Mathura he was informed of the visit of Rupa Gosvami and Anupama
by Subuddhi Raya. When Rupa Gosvami and Anupama met Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Benares, they heard about Sanatana Gosvami’s travels from Him, and thus they returned to Bengal, adjusted their affairs with the state and, on the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, went to see the Lord at Jagannatha Puri.
In the year 1436 Sakabda (A.D. 1515), the youngest brother, Anupama, died and went back home, back to Godhead. He went to the abode in the spiritual sky where Sri Ramacandra is situated. At Jagannatha Puri, Sri Rupa Gosvami informed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu of this incident. Vallabha was a great devotee of Sri Ramacandra; therefore he could not seriously consider the worship of Radha-Govinda according to the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Yet he directly accepted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Ramacandra. In the Bhakti-ratnakara there is the following statement: Vallabha was given the name Anupama by Sri Gaurasundara, but he was always absorbed in the devotional service of Lord Ramacandra. He did not know anyone but Sri Ramacandra, but he knew that Caitanya Gosani was the same Lord Ramacandra.
In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (180) Sri Rupa Gosvami is described to be the gopi named Sri Rupa-manjari. In the Bhakti-ratnakara there is a list of the books Sri Rupa Gosvami compiled. Of all his books, the following sixteen are very popular among Vais±avas: (1) Hamsadnta, (2) Uddhava-sandesa, (3) Krsna-janma-tithi-vidhi, (4 and 5) Radha-krsna-ganoddesa-dipika, Brhat (major) and Laghu (minor), (6) Stavamala, (7) Vidagdha-madhava, (8) Lalita-madhava, (9) Dana-keli-kaumudi, (10) Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (this is the most celebrated book by Sri Rupa Gosvami), (11) Ujjvala-nilamani (this describes the loving affairs and transcendental activities of Radha and Krsna), (12) -khyata-candrika, (13) Mathura-mahima, (14) Padyavali, (15) Nataka-candrika and (16) Laghu-bhagavatamrta. Sri Rupa Gosvami gave up all family connections, joined the renounced order of life and divided his money, giving fifty percent to the brahmanas and Vaisnavas and twenty-five percent to his kutumba (family members) and keeping twenty-five percent for personal emergencies (a method recommended by Srila Prabhupada for all householders). He met Haridasa Thakura in Jagannatha Puri, where he also met Lord Caitanya and His other associates. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to praise the handwriting of Rupa Gosvami and used to compare it with pearls. Srila Rupa Gosvami could compose verses according to the desires of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and by His direction he wrote two books/drama named Lalita-madhava (describing Lord Krsna's pastimes in Vrndavana) and Vidagdha-madhava (describing Lord Krsna's pastimes in Mathura and Dwaraka). Lord Caitanya desired the two brothers, Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, to publish many books in support of the Vaishnava religion.
The place where Sri Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami formerly lived has now become a place of pilgrimage. It is generally known as Gupta Vrndavana, or hidden Vrndavana, and is situated about eight miles south of English Bazaar. There the following places are still visited: (1) the temple of Sri Madana-mohana Deity, (2) the Keli-kadamba tree under which Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Sanatana Gosvami at night and (3) Rupasagara, a large pond excavated by Sri Rupa Gosvami
Following Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's directions, who discovered Radha-kunda, Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami renovated Radha-kunda. In the village of -rit-grama, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discovered the transcendental lakes known as Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. He then saw the Deity Harideva at Govardhana Village. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had no desire to climb Govardhana Hill because the hill is worshiped as Krsna. The Gopala Deity could understand the mind of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; therefore on the plea of being attacked by Muslims, Gopala transferred Himself to the village of Ganthuli-grama. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to Ganthuli-grama to see Lord Gopala. When the two brothers Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami went to Vrndavana, they decided to
live there. Following Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s example, they did not climb the hill because they considered it nondifferent from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On some pretext, the Gopala Deity granted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu an audience beneath the hill, and Gopala similarly favored Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. During his ripe old age, when Rupa Gosvama could not go to Govardhana Hill because of invalidity, Gopala kindly went to Mathura and remained at the temple of Vitthalesvara for one month. It was then that Srila Rupa Gosvami could see Gopala’s beauty to his heart’s content.
By rough calculation it is estimated that Srila Rupa Gosvami finished Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu in Gokula Vrndavana in the year 1552. While physically present, Srila Rupa Gosvami was living in different parts of Vrndavana, and his headquarters were in the temple of Radha-Damodara in the present city of Vrndavana. The place of Rupa Gosvami’s bhajana, execution of devotional service, is commemorated still. There are two different tomblike structures in the Radha-Damodara temple; one structure is called his place of bhajana, and in the other his body is entombed.
There is a nice example in the life of Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami and his brother Sanatana Gosvami were living separately in Vrndavana and going on with their bhajana, devotional service. Rupa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capati to eat. Rupa Gosvami was the younger brother, and he thought, If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Krsna and invite my elder brother. He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rupa Gosvami was very glad that Krsna had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother. When Sanatana Gosvami came, he was astonished. "How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?
So Rupa Gosvami explained, In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Krsna sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me. He was describing the girl: A very nice girl.
Then Sanatana said, This nice girl is Radharani. You have taken service from Radharani, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder. That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Krsna is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Krsna; he simply wants to serve Him. And Krsna also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Krsna is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him.
The genealogical table of Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami and Vallabha Gosvami (father of Jiva Gosvami) can be traced back to the twelfth century sakabda, when a gentleman of the name Sarvajaa appeared in a very rich and opulent brahmana family in the province of KarnAta. He had two sons, named Aniruddhera Rnpesvara and Harihara, who were both bereft of their kingdoms and thus obliged to reside in the highlands. The son of Rnpesvara, who was named Padmanabha, moved to a place in Bengal known as Naihati on the bank of the Ganges. There he had five sons, of whom the youngest, Mukunda, had a well-behaved son named Kumaradeva, who was the father of Rupa, Sanatana and Vallabha. Kumaradeva lived in Baklacandradvipa, which was in the district of Jessore and is now known as Phateyabad. Of his many sons, three took to the path of Vaisnavism. Later, Sri Vallabha and his elder brothers Sri Rupa and Sanatana came from Candradvipa to the village in the Maldah district of Bengal known as Ramakeli. It is in this village that Srila Jiva Gosvami took birth, accepting Vallabha as his father. Because of engaging in the service of the Muslim government, the three brothers received the title Mullik.
Srila Rupa Gosvami was called Dabara Khalasa, though being born in Brahmana family as they had accepted services under muslim governments their names had changed to Mohammedan name. Rupa Gosvami was younger than Sanatana Gosvami. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the village of Ramakeli, He met Vallabha there. Later, Sri Rupa Gosvami, after meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, resigned from government service, and when he went to Vrndavana to meet Lord Caitanya, Vallabha accompanied him. The meeting of Rupa Gosvami and Vallabha with Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Allahabad is described in the Madhya-lila, Chapter Nineteen. Rupa Gosvami stayed for ten days at Prayaga and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him instructions for ten consecutive days at DasAsvamedha GhAta in Prayag. Lord, being anxious to revive the Vrndavana pastimes of Lord Krsna, impregnated the heart of Rupa Gosvami with spiritual potency. By this potency, Srila Rupa Gosvami could revive the activities of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana, activities almost lost to memory. After that following the instructions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Gosvami went to Vrndavana.
Rupa Gosvami and Anupama in Mathura met Subuddhi Raya, who maintained himself by selling dry fuel wood. He was very pleased to meet Sri Rupa Gosvami and Anupama (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu named Vallabha, Anupama), and he showed them the twelve forests of Vrndavana. Thus they lived in Vrndavana for one month and then again went to search for Sanatana Gosvami. Following the course of the Ganges, they reached Allahabad, or Prayaga-tirtha, but because Sanatana Gosvami had come there by a different road, they did not meet him there, and when Sanatana Gosvami came to Mathura he was informed of the visit of Rupa Gosvami and Anupama
by Subuddhi Raya. When Rupa Gosvami and Anupama met Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Benares, they heard about Sanatana Gosvami’s travels from Him, and thus they returned to Bengal, adjusted their affairs with the state and, on the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, went to see the Lord at Jagannatha Puri.
In the year 1436 Sakabda (A.D. 1515), the youngest brother, Anupama, died and went back home, back to Godhead. He went to the abode in the spiritual sky where Sri Ramacandra is situated. At Jagannatha Puri, Sri Rupa Gosvami informed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu of this incident. Vallabha was a great devotee of Sri Ramacandra; therefore he could not seriously consider the worship of Radha-Govinda according to the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Yet he directly accepted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Ramacandra. In the Bhakti-ratnakara there is the following statement: Vallabha was given the name Anupama by Sri Gaurasundara, but he was always absorbed in the devotional service of Lord Ramacandra. He did not know anyone but Sri Ramacandra, but he knew that Caitanya Gosani was the same Lord Ramacandra.
In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (180) Sri Rupa Gosvami is described to be the gopi named Sri Rupa-manjari. In the Bhakti-ratnakara there is a list of the books Sri Rupa Gosvami compiled. Of all his books, the following sixteen are very popular among Vais±avas: (1) Hamsadnta, (2) Uddhava-sandesa, (3) Krsna-janma-tithi-vidhi, (4 and 5) Radha-krsna-ganoddesa-dipika, Brhat (major) and Laghu (minor), (6) Stavamala, (7) Vidagdha-madhava, (8) Lalita-madhava, (9) Dana-keli-kaumudi, (10) Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (this is the most celebrated book by Sri Rupa Gosvami), (11) Ujjvala-nilamani (this describes the loving affairs and transcendental activities of Radha and Krsna), (12) -khyata-candrika, (13) Mathura-mahima, (14) Padyavali, (15) Nataka-candrika and (16) Laghu-bhagavatamrta. Sri Rupa Gosvami gave up all family connections, joined the renounced order of life and divided his money, giving fifty percent to the brahmanas and Vaisnavas and twenty-five percent to his kutumba (family members) and keeping twenty-five percent for personal emergencies (a method recommended by Srila Prabhupada for all householders). He met Haridasa Thakura in Jagannatha Puri, where he also met Lord Caitanya and His other associates. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to praise the handwriting of Rupa Gosvami and used to compare it with pearls. Srila Rupa Gosvami could compose verses according to the desires of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and by His direction he wrote two books/drama named Lalita-madhava (describing Lord Krsna's pastimes in Vrndavana) and Vidagdha-madhava (describing Lord Krsna's pastimes in Mathura and Dwaraka). Lord Caitanya desired the two brothers, Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, to publish many books in support of the Vaishnava religion.
The place where Sri Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami formerly lived has now become a place of pilgrimage. It is generally known as Gupta Vrndavana, or hidden Vrndavana, and is situated about eight miles south of English Bazaar. There the following places are still visited: (1) the temple of Sri Madana-mohana Deity, (2) the Keli-kadamba tree under which Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Sanatana Gosvami at night and (3) Rupasagara, a large pond excavated by Sri Rupa Gosvami
Following Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's directions, who discovered Radha-kunda, Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami renovated Radha-kunda. In the village of -rit-grama, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discovered the transcendental lakes known as Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. He then saw the Deity Harideva at Govardhana Village. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had no desire to climb Govardhana Hill because the hill is worshiped as Krsna. The Gopala Deity could understand the mind of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; therefore on the plea of being attacked by Muslims, Gopala transferred Himself to the village of Ganthuli-grama. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to Ganthuli-grama to see Lord Gopala. When the two brothers Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami went to Vrndavana, they decided to
live there. Following Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s example, they did not climb the hill because they considered it nondifferent from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On some pretext, the Gopala Deity granted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu an audience beneath the hill, and Gopala similarly favored Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. During his ripe old age, when Rupa Gosvama could not go to Govardhana Hill because of invalidity, Gopala kindly went to Mathura and remained at the temple of Vitthalesvara for one month. It was then that Srila Rupa Gosvami could see Gopala’s beauty to his heart’s content.
By rough calculation it is estimated that Srila Rupa Gosvami finished Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu in Gokula Vrndavana in the year 1552. While physically present, Srila Rupa Gosvami was living in different parts of Vrndavana, and his headquarters were in the temple of Radha-Damodara in the present city of Vrndavana. The place of Rupa Gosvami’s bhajana, execution of devotional service, is commemorated still. There are two different tomblike structures in the Radha-Damodara temple; one structure is called his place of bhajana, and in the other his body is entombed.
There is a nice example in the life of Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami and his brother Sanatana Gosvami were living separately in Vrndavana and going on with their bhajana, devotional service. Rupa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capati to eat. Rupa Gosvami was the younger brother, and he thought, If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Krsna and invite my elder brother. He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rupa Gosvami was very glad that Krsna had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother. When Sanatana Gosvami came, he was astonished. "How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?
So Rupa Gosvami explained, In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Krsna sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me. He was describing the girl: A very nice girl.
Then Sanatana said, This nice girl is Radharani. You have taken service from Radharani, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder. That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Krsna is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Krsna; he simply wants to serve Him. And Krsna also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Krsna is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him.
PASTIMES OF GREAT ACHARAYA - 4
Sri Lokanatha Gosvami was a personal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village named Talakhadi in the district of Yasohara in Bengal. Previously he lived in Kacnapada. His father’s name was Padmanabha, and his only younger brother was Pragalbha. Following the orders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Lokanatha went to Vrndavana to live. He established a temple named Gokulananda. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura selected Lokanatha dasa Gosvami to be his spiritual master, and he was his only disciple. Because Lokanatha dasa Gosvami did not want his name mentioned in Caitanya-caritamrta, we do not often see it in this celebrated book. On the E.B.R. Railroad, the Yasohara station is located in Bangladesh. From the railway station one has to go by bus to the village of Sonakhali and from there to Khejura. From there one has to walk, or, during the rainy season, go by boat to the village of Talakhadi. In this village there are still descendants of Lokanatha Gosvami’s younger brother.
Lokanatha Gosvami's very close associate was Bhugarbha Gosvami who is also known as Prema Manjari from Krsna Lila.
Once, while staying in the forests of Vrndavana, Lokanatha Gosvami desired to worship a Deity. Understanding the mind of His exalted devotee, Lord Krsna appeared and gave Lokanatha a Deity of Himself. Lord Krsna named the Deity Radha-vinoda aa, and Lokanatha Gosvami carried Him at all times in a bag hung from his neck. The Deity is still worshipped in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
There is also a interesting pastime in initiation of Narottam Dasa Thakur. Narottam Dasa Thakur approached Lokanatha Gosvami for initiation and as Lokanatha Gosvami was not interested in initiating any disciples he declined Narottam Dasa Thakur. But in the heart of Narottam Dasa Thakur he had already accepted Lokanatha Gosvami as his spiritual master. So, everyday morning after Lokanatha Gosvami used to finish his morning natural calls like evacuation in the bushes, Narottam Dasa Thakur used to clean that place with his bare hands. After few days Lokanatha Gosvami was wondering how that place is always clean? So, one day after passing he hid in the bushes, and after some time he saw a figure come and clean the place. Lokanatha Gosvami came out from the bushes and saw Narottam Dasa Thakur. Looking at such humble, submissive, serving mood of Narottam Dasa Thakur, Lokanatha Gosvami initiated him.
In the premises of Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda temple in Vrndavana we can still see the samadhi's of Lokanatha Gosvami, Narottam Dasa Thakur, and Vishvanath Cakravarti..
Lokanatha Gosvami's very close associate was Bhugarbha Gosvami who is also known as Prema Manjari from Krsna Lila.
Once, while staying in the forests of Vrndavana, Lokanatha Gosvami desired to worship a Deity. Understanding the mind of His exalted devotee, Lord Krsna appeared and gave Lokanatha a Deity of Himself. Lord Krsna named the Deity Radha-vinoda aa, and Lokanatha Gosvami carried Him at all times in a bag hung from his neck. The Deity is still worshipped in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
There is also a interesting pastime in initiation of Narottam Dasa Thakur. Narottam Dasa Thakur approached Lokanatha Gosvami for initiation and as Lokanatha Gosvami was not interested in initiating any disciples he declined Narottam Dasa Thakur. But in the heart of Narottam Dasa Thakur he had already accepted Lokanatha Gosvami as his spiritual master. So, everyday morning after Lokanatha Gosvami used to finish his morning natural calls like evacuation in the bushes, Narottam Dasa Thakur used to clean that place with his bare hands. After few days Lokanatha Gosvami was wondering how that place is always clean? So, one day after passing he hid in the bushes, and after some time he saw a figure come and clean the place. Lokanatha Gosvami came out from the bushes and saw Narottam Dasa Thakur. Looking at such humble, submissive, serving mood of Narottam Dasa Thakur, Lokanatha Gosvami initiated him.
In the premises of Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda temple in Vrndavana we can still see the samadhi's of Lokanatha Gosvami, Narottam Dasa Thakur, and Vishvanath Cakravarti..
PASTIMES OF GREAT ACHARYA - 3
Sanatana Goswami had taken a vow that daily he will do Govardhan Parikrama in the morning and than start his daily activities. Even when he was old he will do this though he did not have enough energy.. Sri Madanmohan requested him to break his vow but Sanatana Goswami continued.. Seeing his determination Sri Madanmohan gave him a Govardhan sila with His footprints on it and told Sanatana Goswami that doing parikrama of this sila will be equivalent to doing Govardhan Parikrama.. That sila is still present in Sri Sri Radha Damodar temple of Vrndavana.. Srila Sanatana Goswami ki Jay!
PASTIMES OF GREAT ACHARYA - 2
Once a Poor Brahmana was worshipping Lord Shiva for some wealth as he was very poor. Lord Shiva inspired him to go to Sanatana Goswami that he has the most valuable thing? Brahmana went to Sanatana Goswami, Sanatana Goswami told him to take the touchstone which was lying in the garbage pile which will convert a iron into gold...Brahmana took the touchstone than remembered Lord Shiva's instruction and thought that there must something more valuable than this with Sanatana Goswami as the touchstone was just lying in the garbage pile. So, he went back to
Sanatana Goswami to ask for that more valuable thing. Sanatana Goswami instructed the Brahmana that if he wants that than he should throw the touchstone in the river take bath in the river and chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus, the Brahmana became a pure devotee of the Lord. Srila Sanatana Goswami ki Jay!
Sanatana Goswami to ask for that more valuable thing. Sanatana Goswami instructed the Brahmana that if he wants that than he should throw the touchstone in the river take bath in the river and chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus, the Brahmana became a pure devotee of the Lord. Srila Sanatana Goswami ki Jay!
PASTIMES OF GREAT ACHARYA - 1
As soon as the name Sanatana Goswami comes in mind one remembers Sri Sri Radha Madanmohan mandir in Vrndavana one of the important temples in Vrndavana and the glories of Srila Sanatana Goswami in his worship to the
Madanmohan. Srila Sanatana Goswami was a minister under the Nawab of Bengal and he left everything and escaped and went to Benares where he surrendered to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.. First, thing he said was though people consider me knowledgeable I do not even know who am I? Than next day he shaved up traded his new blanket with a washerman and got old clothes and took instructions under Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Than following instructions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu he went to Vrndavana. Once he visited a Mathura and went to see a Choube and he was surprised that in the Choube's courtyard Sri Madanmohan was playing with the children and Choube was not taking proper care and attention for Him...seeing this Sanatana Goswami advised the Choube to do proper deity worship of Madanmohan and than he left.. from next day Sri Madanmohan started getting formal treatment in form of deity worship by the Choube..by this Sri Madanmohan became dissatisfied and mentioned to Choube in his dream that now He no longer wants to stay here and next day when Sanatana Goswami comes again Choube should give Him to Sanatana Goswami for taking care of Him.. When Sanatana Goswami was requested the next day he denied initially as he was a Sannyasi and could not take proper care of Him but than Sri Madanmohan had insisted that whatever he will offer He will honor..Sanatana Goswami than took Sri Madanmohan to Vrndavan and started offering Him chapatti without salt and ghee..as most of the time he spend in escavating the pastimes of Vrndavana and writing... One day Sri Madanmohan while sitting on a tree while Sanatana Goswami was writing asked him that how come he is not putting even salt in the chappati? Sanatana Goswami replied where is he going to get salt and to try to search for salt will hamper the work which he has undertaken..
Next day a Sindhi wealthy merchant was sailing with a ship filled with salt in the Jamuna and his ship got stuck.. He came to the shore and was worried that how will he reach the destination and sell the salt? To get a solution he went to Sanatana Goswami who guided him to go to Sri Madanmohan who inspired him that his ship is not at all stuck..when the merchant went back to the shore his ship was sailing... Seeing this mystic potency he went fast to sell the salt and came back with the laxmi to Sanatana Goswami who inspired him to build a temple for Sri Madanmohan...Sri Sri Radha Madanmohan ki Jai!
Madanmohan. Srila Sanatana Goswami was a minister under the Nawab of Bengal and he left everything and escaped and went to Benares where he surrendered to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.. First, thing he said was though people consider me knowledgeable I do not even know who am I? Than next day he shaved up traded his new blanket with a washerman and got old clothes and took instructions under Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Than following instructions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu he went to Vrndavana. Once he visited a Mathura and went to see a Choube and he was surprised that in the Choube's courtyard Sri Madanmohan was playing with the children and Choube was not taking proper care and attention for Him...seeing this Sanatana Goswami advised the Choube to do proper deity worship of Madanmohan and than he left.. from next day Sri Madanmohan started getting formal treatment in form of deity worship by the Choube..by this Sri Madanmohan became dissatisfied and mentioned to Choube in his dream that now He no longer wants to stay here and next day when Sanatana Goswami comes again Choube should give Him to Sanatana Goswami for taking care of Him.. When Sanatana Goswami was requested the next day he denied initially as he was a Sannyasi and could not take proper care of Him but than Sri Madanmohan had insisted that whatever he will offer He will honor..Sanatana Goswami than took Sri Madanmohan to Vrndavan and started offering Him chapatti without salt and ghee..as most of the time he spend in escavating the pastimes of Vrndavana and writing... One day Sri Madanmohan while sitting on a tree while Sanatana Goswami was writing asked him that how come he is not putting even salt in the chappati? Sanatana Goswami replied where is he going to get salt and to try to search for salt will hamper the work which he has undertaken..
Next day a Sindhi wealthy merchant was sailing with a ship filled with salt in the Jamuna and his ship got stuck.. He came to the shore and was worried that how will he reach the destination and sell the salt? To get a solution he went to Sanatana Goswami who guided him to go to Sri Madanmohan who inspired him that his ship is not at all stuck..when the merchant went back to the shore his ship was sailing... Seeing this mystic potency he went fast to sell the salt and came back with the laxmi to Sanatana Goswami who inspired him to build a temple for Sri Madanmohan...Sri Sri Radha Madanmohan ki Jai!
Sri Jagannatha Dasa Babaji
gauravirbhava-bhumes tvam, nirdestha saj-jana-priyah
vaishnava-sarvabhaumah shri-jagannathaya te namah
“I offer my respectful obeisances to Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is respected by the entire Vaishnava community and who discovered the place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared.”
Sri Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja was born in the Mayamansingh district of West Bengal. Gaudiya Vedanta-acharya Sri Baladeva Vidyabhushana had a disciple named Uddhava das. His disciple was Sri Madhusudana Dasa Babaji who lived in Suryakunda. Madhusudana Dasa Babaji’s disciple was Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja.
Jagannatha Dasa Babaji lived in Vrindavan and performed his bhajan there for quite some time. He became famous among the devotees there as one who was perfect in Krishna-bhakti. In 1880, Srimad Bhaktivinoda Thakura went to Vrindavan and saw his lotus feet for the first time. While there, he received many divine instructions on Hari-bhakti from Jagannatha Dasa. Some time later, Babaji Maharaja visited the Barddhaman district during the month of Phalgun. He stayed at a town called Amalajorha. At that time, Bhaktivinoda Thakura again had the good fortune to take darshan of his holy feet.
Seeing Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s enthusiasm for preaching the holy name of Krishna, Srila Babaji Maharaja was very happy. He stayed in Amalajorha during ekadashi, and that night there was kirtan and Hari-katha. Later, at Amalajorha, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura established his Prappana-Ashram.
In 1893, Srila Babaji Maharaja went from Koladwip to Surabhi-kunja in Godrumadwipa. There he took his seat. His arrival in Surabhi-kunja was a wonderful event. Sri Jagannatha Dasa Babaji revealed many lost holy places in Mayapura, including the Yogapith, Srivasa Angana and others. It is said that when he came upon the holy place of Mahaprabhu’s birth he danced, although he was very old and walked with difficulty. For some time he remained in Nadia and performed his bhajan on the banks of the Ganges. His bhajan kutir and samadhi mandir are still there at present. He ordered Bhaktivinoda Thakura to build a hut so devotees could stay near his bhajan kutir, and Bhaktivinoda did so.
When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura was twelve years old, he was an expert in the Jyoti-shastras explaining Vedic astrology. Hearing this, Srila Babaji Maharaja one day called upon him to prepare the Vaishnava calendar in accordance with the proper siddhanta. He did so and Babaji Maharaja was very pleased. With this, the Nabadwipa Panjika, the Vaisnava calendar recording the dates of the appearance and disappearance of important Vaishnava saints and the celebration of important festivals, began.
Srila Babaji Maharaja always had great enthusiasm for kirtan and Vaishnava seva. Even when he was nearly 135 years old, he went on preaching the message of Sri Chaitanya throughout the world for the benefit of the fallen masses. In his old age, although he was almost paralyzed by infirmity, whenever it was time for kirtana he would still raise his arms in ecstasy.
Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja was the veda or Babaji guru of Bhagavat dasa Babaji Maharaja. Bhagavat dasa in turn gave the dress of a babaji Gaurakisora dasa Babaji. Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s servant’s name was Bihari dasa. He was extremely strong and powerful. In his old age, Babaji Maharaja could not walk. Bihari dasa used to carry him in a basket on his shoulders so that Babaji Maharaja could move from place to place. When he went to Calcutta, Babaji Maharaja would stay at the house of Bhaktivinoda Thakura on Manikatala Street. Bhaktivinoda was always very eager to invite him to his house for prasada, but Babaji Maharaja was very renounced and would come only occasionally.
When he was in his old age, Babaji Maharaja was nearly blind. Many people would come to see him and to offer him donations for the service of Sri Krsna. His servant Bihari dasa would keep all these donations in a bag. One day, Babaji Maharaja said, ³Bihari! How many rupees have I got?² Bihari dasa had put some rupees aside for some service he had planned to render Babaji Maharaja. When asked by Jagannatha dasa Babaji about how many rupees were on hand, Bihari placed some rupees in his hand and kept twelve Rupees aside. Even though his eyesight was failing, however, Babaji Maharaja detected the discrepancy.
³Bihari!² he said, ³Why have you kept twelve Rupees aside? Give me all the rupees!² Smiling at this fun, Bihari surrendered the remaining coins to his guru. At that time, Babaji Maharaja made his wishes known as to how the money should be spent. The total came to two hundred rupees. Babaji Maharaja ordered Birari dasa to take the money at once and buy sweetballs, rasagolas, to feed all the cows in Nabadwipa dhama.
Once Babaji Maharaja was on the banks of the Ganges, living under a
makeshift canvas tent. Nearby that place there lived a dog with five
puppies. Whenever Babaji Maharaja would take prasada, the dogs would come
around and lick the food from his plate. When Bihari dasa caught hold of one
of the dogs to drive it off, Babaji Maharaja told him: ³Bihari! If you wish
to drive these dogs off, you may take my plate away as well. I shall not eat
today.²
When Bihari complained, ³But guru maharaja - these dogs are unclean!² Babaji
Maharaja remarked, ³No. These dogs are residents of the holy dhama. You may
not abuse them.²
Many people used to come and beg alms from Jagannatha Dasa Babaji. He did not want to give them alms, but told them to do service. One day a man named Sri Gaura Hari dasa came and asked Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja for alms, but Babaji Maharaja would give him nothing. When the man persisted for three days, fasting outside Babaji Maharaja’s tent, Babaji Maharaja finally relented. He tore off a piece of his kaupina, his undergarment and gave it to Bihari dasa, his servant, with the instruction to present it to the beggar as alms, thereby informing the beggar that he must first learn to control his senses before taking up the profession of a saint.
One day, Sri Babaji Maharaja remarked about the professional readers of
Srimad-Bhagavatam, ³This kind of professional Bhagavata kirtana is simply
prostitution. Those who make their living by reading Srimad-Bhagavatam are
offenders to the holy name of Krsna. No one should listen to the kirtana and
Bhagavatam readings that they produce. And one who listens to such offensive
readings and thus commits offenses against the holy name of Krsna certainly
go to hell. Those who are involved in this professional reading should
immediately give it up. Such a person should worship the residents of
Vrndavan with great care and attention, considering himself most fallen, and
thus pray for forgiveness.²
Srimad Bhaktivinoda Thakura remarked of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja that he was the topmost general among Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
vaishnava-sarvabhaumah shri-jagannathaya te namah
“I offer my respectful obeisances to Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is respected by the entire Vaishnava community and who discovered the place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared.”
Sri Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja was born in the Mayamansingh district of West Bengal. Gaudiya Vedanta-acharya Sri Baladeva Vidyabhushana had a disciple named Uddhava das. His disciple was Sri Madhusudana Dasa Babaji who lived in Suryakunda. Madhusudana Dasa Babaji’s disciple was Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja.
Jagannatha Dasa Babaji lived in Vrindavan and performed his bhajan there for quite some time. He became famous among the devotees there as one who was perfect in Krishna-bhakti. In 1880, Srimad Bhaktivinoda Thakura went to Vrindavan and saw his lotus feet for the first time. While there, he received many divine instructions on Hari-bhakti from Jagannatha Dasa. Some time later, Babaji Maharaja visited the Barddhaman district during the month of Phalgun. He stayed at a town called Amalajorha. At that time, Bhaktivinoda Thakura again had the good fortune to take darshan of his holy feet.
Seeing Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s enthusiasm for preaching the holy name of Krishna, Srila Babaji Maharaja was very happy. He stayed in Amalajorha during ekadashi, and that night there was kirtan and Hari-katha. Later, at Amalajorha, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura established his Prappana-Ashram.
In 1893, Srila Babaji Maharaja went from Koladwip to Surabhi-kunja in Godrumadwipa. There he took his seat. His arrival in Surabhi-kunja was a wonderful event. Sri Jagannatha Dasa Babaji revealed many lost holy places in Mayapura, including the Yogapith, Srivasa Angana and others. It is said that when he came upon the holy place of Mahaprabhu’s birth he danced, although he was very old and walked with difficulty. For some time he remained in Nadia and performed his bhajan on the banks of the Ganges. His bhajan kutir and samadhi mandir are still there at present. He ordered Bhaktivinoda Thakura to build a hut so devotees could stay near his bhajan kutir, and Bhaktivinoda did so.
When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura was twelve years old, he was an expert in the Jyoti-shastras explaining Vedic astrology. Hearing this, Srila Babaji Maharaja one day called upon him to prepare the Vaishnava calendar in accordance with the proper siddhanta. He did so and Babaji Maharaja was very pleased. With this, the Nabadwipa Panjika, the Vaisnava calendar recording the dates of the appearance and disappearance of important Vaishnava saints and the celebration of important festivals, began.
Srila Babaji Maharaja always had great enthusiasm for kirtan and Vaishnava seva. Even when he was nearly 135 years old, he went on preaching the message of Sri Chaitanya throughout the world for the benefit of the fallen masses. In his old age, although he was almost paralyzed by infirmity, whenever it was time for kirtana he would still raise his arms in ecstasy.
Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja was the veda or Babaji guru of Bhagavat dasa Babaji Maharaja. Bhagavat dasa in turn gave the dress of a babaji Gaurakisora dasa Babaji. Jagannatha dasa Babaji’s servant’s name was Bihari dasa. He was extremely strong and powerful. In his old age, Babaji Maharaja could not walk. Bihari dasa used to carry him in a basket on his shoulders so that Babaji Maharaja could move from place to place. When he went to Calcutta, Babaji Maharaja would stay at the house of Bhaktivinoda Thakura on Manikatala Street. Bhaktivinoda was always very eager to invite him to his house for prasada, but Babaji Maharaja was very renounced and would come only occasionally.
When he was in his old age, Babaji Maharaja was nearly blind. Many people would come to see him and to offer him donations for the service of Sri Krsna. His servant Bihari dasa would keep all these donations in a bag. One day, Babaji Maharaja said, ³Bihari! How many rupees have I got?² Bihari dasa had put some rupees aside for some service he had planned to render Babaji Maharaja. When asked by Jagannatha dasa Babaji about how many rupees were on hand, Bihari placed some rupees in his hand and kept twelve Rupees aside. Even though his eyesight was failing, however, Babaji Maharaja detected the discrepancy.
³Bihari!² he said, ³Why have you kept twelve Rupees aside? Give me all the rupees!² Smiling at this fun, Bihari surrendered the remaining coins to his guru. At that time, Babaji Maharaja made his wishes known as to how the money should be spent. The total came to two hundred rupees. Babaji Maharaja ordered Birari dasa to take the money at once and buy sweetballs, rasagolas, to feed all the cows in Nabadwipa dhama.
Once Babaji Maharaja was on the banks of the Ganges, living under a
makeshift canvas tent. Nearby that place there lived a dog with five
puppies. Whenever Babaji Maharaja would take prasada, the dogs would come
around and lick the food from his plate. When Bihari dasa caught hold of one
of the dogs to drive it off, Babaji Maharaja told him: ³Bihari! If you wish
to drive these dogs off, you may take my plate away as well. I shall not eat
today.²
When Bihari complained, ³But guru maharaja - these dogs are unclean!² Babaji
Maharaja remarked, ³No. These dogs are residents of the holy dhama. You may
not abuse them.²
Many people used to come and beg alms from Jagannatha Dasa Babaji. He did not want to give them alms, but told them to do service. One day a man named Sri Gaura Hari dasa came and asked Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja for alms, but Babaji Maharaja would give him nothing. When the man persisted for three days, fasting outside Babaji Maharaja’s tent, Babaji Maharaja finally relented. He tore off a piece of his kaupina, his undergarment and gave it to Bihari dasa, his servant, with the instruction to present it to the beggar as alms, thereby informing the beggar that he must first learn to control his senses before taking up the profession of a saint.
One day, Sri Babaji Maharaja remarked about the professional readers of
Srimad-Bhagavatam, ³This kind of professional Bhagavata kirtana is simply
prostitution. Those who make their living by reading Srimad-Bhagavatam are
offenders to the holy name of Krsna. No one should listen to the kirtana and
Bhagavatam readings that they produce. And one who listens to such offensive
readings and thus commits offenses against the holy name of Krsna certainly
go to hell. Those who are involved in this professional reading should
immediately give it up. Such a person should worship the residents of
Vrndavan with great care and attention, considering himself most fallen, and
thus pray for forgiveness.²
Srimad Bhaktivinoda Thakura remarked of Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja that he was the topmost general among Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Devananda Pandit
Devananda Pandita lived in Nabadwipa-dhama, in the section known as Kuliya, or Koladwipa (near where the present-day Sri Caitanya Saraswata Math of Srila Sridhara Maharaja is now located). Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used him to manifest the glories of Srimad-Bhagavatam to the world. Devananda Pandita was highly renowned for his expertise in considering the sayings of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Many people used to go and study the Srimad-Bhagavatam under him.
One day Srivasa Pandita went to hear the Srimad-Bhagavatam class given by Devananda Pandita. After some time, Devananda began giving his lecture. He was surrouned on all four sides by his students, who listened carefully to his reading. Srivasa Pandita was a highly exalted rasika bhakta, a devotee experienced in tasting the mellows of devotion. Hearing the sweetness of the verses of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srivasa Thakura fell to the ground with tears of ecstasy in his eyes. Weeping and wailing with tears of ecstasy in his eyes, he began rolling on the ground with his voice choked up with emotion. Seeing all this, the students of Devananda said, "This man is mad. He is not properly giving his attention to the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Throw him out! Eject him!" Devananda Pandita saw all this, but did nothing to prevent his disciples from ejecting Srivasa Pandita from the class. If a disciple commits a sin as a result of the guru's ignorance, the guru partakes of the sinful reaction. Therefore Devananda Pandita also partook of the sinful reaction of offending Srivasa Pandita. Without saying a word of this to anyone, and without telling anyone of his suffering at the hands of Devananda Pandita, Srivasa Thakura returned home. All these events took place before the advent of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu.
At length, the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took place, as the Supreme Lord made his appearance within this material world. Gradually he manifest his childhood pastimes, his studies, his pastimes of learning, and his pastimes as a young professor, as well as the revelation of his divinity in the house of Srivasa Thakura. At the time of that divine manifestation, when the Lord revealed his Mahaprakasa in the temple of Srivasa Thakura amidst all the devotees, he told Srivasa, "Srivasa! Don't you remember the time when you went to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam at the house of Devananda Pandita? When you fell to the ground in ecstasy upon hearing the nectarine verses of the Bhagavatam, then the disciples of Devananda - as a result of his ignorance of your exalted devotion - threw you out of the class. At that time you went home, feeling distressed, but you told no one of the incident. Do you remember this?" Hearing the words of the Lord, Srivasa was astonished and fell at his lotus feet, catching hold of them.
One day, as Mahaprabhu was wandering through the towns of Nabadwipa, he came upon the road near where Sarvabhauma's father, Mahesvara Visarada Pandit used to live. There was the house of Devananda Pandita. And at that time, within the house of Devananda Pandita a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam was being held. From a long way off, Caitanya Mahaprabhu could hear this. Upon hearing Devananda's Bhagavatam class, Mahaprabhu became enraged. Caitanya Bhagavata records: With sharp words, the Lord said, "What does this fellow know about the meaning described by the Bhagavatam? He will never know the Bhagavatam even in many lifetimes. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary avatara of Krishna Himself. The Bhagavatam promotes bhakti as the ultimate goal of life. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of the four Vedas; it is the literary form of divine love. The four Vedas are like milk; the Srimad-Bhagavatam is like butter. Sukadeva Goswami is the churner of the butter, which was eaten by Parikshita Maharaja. That Sukadeva Goswami, who is dear to me, knows the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sukadeva expressed the truths about Myself; he expressed my own opinions. Me and My servants are glorified in the Srimad-Bhagavatam; one who finds a difference between Myself and My servants will find all his good intelligence destroyed. An irreligious person who rejects bhakti and finds some other meaning in the Srimad-Bhagavatam will never understand the Bhagavatam."After saying all these things in an angry mood, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, began to flee away from the house of Devananda Pandita, which he considered condemned. The devotees caught hold of him and begged him not to go. The Lord again said, "All the scriptures sing of the Srimad-Bhagavatam as being highly mysterious, inconceivable. It cannot be understood by vast learning or powerful austerity. One who attempts to know the Srimad-Bhagavatam through scholarship will never understand it. One who recognizes that the Bhagavatam is nondifferent from the inconceivable Supreme Controller knows that the essence of the Bhagavatam can be known only through devotion and not through scholarship.""One who understands that Srimad-Bhagavatam is Krishna Himself can understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. One can only understand the Bhagavatam's meaning through divine love. If one wants to understand this he must served both the book Bhagavata and the devotee Bhagavata."In this way, Mahaprabhu spoke many different truths to his followers and then returned to his own home, accompanied by the devotees. From far away, Devananda Pandita could hear all these different instructions. But at the time, he did not pay any mind to all this.
After some time, Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and went to Jagannatha Puri. At that time, Devananda remembered the instructions the Lord had given. He began to think, "Such a great person as this came near my residence, and I did not get to meet him? I could not understand the glories of such a great and exalted Personality as Caitanya Mahaprabhu who was filled with krishna-prema?"
One day in Kuliya, or Koladwipa as it is now known, Sri Vakresvara Pandita went to visit the house of a devotee. That evening Vakresvara Pandita was absorbed in kirtana and dancing. Hearing the news of this, people gathered from all around to take part in the kirtana. As the night went on, more and more devotees began arriving there. Hearing this news, Devananda Pandita could not maintain his steadiness. He also hurried to the place where the kirtana was going on. Seeing the empowered figure of Vakresvara Pandita and hearing his sweet kirtana Devananda Pandita was astonished. He stood transfixed for what seemed like hours. As the night wore on, the crowd grew and, in attempts to push forward and see the dancing of Vakresvara Pandita, it became boisterous and rowdy. At that time, Devananda Pandita, with a cane in his hand, held the crowd back and quieted the mob. When Vakresvara Pandita, after dancing and dancing, fell to the ground overwhelmed by ecstasy, Devananda Pandita carefully picked him up and held him on his lap. With his own scarf, Devananda wiped the dust from the holy body of Vakresvara Pandita. In this way, it was on that day that Devananda Pandita began his bhakta-seva, his service to devotees.
One day, five years after he took sannyasa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Nabadwipa-dhama from Jagannatha Puri. Upon his return the devotees felt that their lives had returned. Their joy knew no bounds. In order to see the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thousands of people gathered there. Whoever had previously committed offenses to the lotus feet of the Lord when he had manifested his lila in Nabadwipa was eager to be forgiven. They all came there to beseech the Lord's forgiveness for whatever offenses they might have committed. At that time, in the place known today as the aparadha-bhanjanam, or the place of amnesty (where Srila Sridhara Maharaja now has his temple), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu granted forgiveness to all who gathered there and instructed them in the science of devotion.
At that time, Devananda Pandita took darsana of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Offering his obeisances unto the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya at a distance, Devananda cowered and shrank away from the Lord, standing off to one side. At that time the Lord saw him and said, "You are the servant of my dear devotee Vakresvara Pandita. By your service to him you have greatly pleased Me. As a result of your service to him you have come close to Me. Vakresvara is empowered by Krishna-sakti. By serving my dear devotee Vakresvara Pandita you have attained the mercy of Krishna."
Hearing these words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Devananda was overwhelmed with the sentiments of bhakti. His voice was choked with divine emotion, and he said, "O My Lord; O Supreme Master - You have appeared in Nabadwipa just to deliver all the fallen souls. I am a sinner. I have commited great sins against divinity. I have failed to worship your lotus feet. As a result of this, I have cheated myself out of your causeless mercy. O Lord of all creation; Supersoul of all that lives! You are supremely merciful. By your causeless mercy I have been able to take darshan of your holy feet on this day. O Supremely Merciful one - please be kind upon me and instruct me in the goal of life. Please explain the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam to me as well."
Hearing this humble request of Devananda Pandita, SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu spoke as follows: "Listen carefully, o brahmana. Always praise Srimad-Bhagavatam. Never let any explanation of Srimad-Bhagavatam other than bhakti issue forth from your lips. From beginning, middle to end, this is its meaning: constant devotion to Krishna is eternally perfect flawless, and infallible. It is the highest goal of life. The Supreme Lord appears in innumerable avataras beginning with Kurma. His appearance and disappearance is transcendental. In the same way, Srimad-Bhagavatam is not a material creation: its appearance and disappearance is completely divine. In a trance of bhakti-yoga Vyasa compiled the Srimad-Bhagavatam. It passed through him and appeared on his tongue as a result of the mercy of Krishna. If one doesn't understand that the Srimad-Bhagavatam is divine truth on the level of God Himself he will never realize its meaning. This is the verdict of all authorized scriptures. One who understands the Srimad-Bhagavatam in that way has real knowledge. If one approaches the Srimad-Bhagavatam with material knowledge he will never understand it. If, however, one is unlearned but takes shelter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam he will be enlightened with its meaning. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is filled with divine love, prema. It is an extension of Krishna Himself and it reveals his confidential pastimes of divine love.O brahmana! Previously you committed an offense to the lotus feet of Srivasa Pandita. You must go to him and beg forgiveness at his lotus feet. There is no difference between the book Bhagavata and the Bhakta Bhagavata. If you get the mercy of the Bhakta Bhagavata then you will easily attain the mercy of the book Bhagavata."
Having thus heard the words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Devananda Pandita immediately went to Srivasa Thakura and begged forgiveness for his offenses. At that time, Srivasa Thakura embraced Devananda and forgave his offenses. The four directions were filled with the sound of the holy name of Hari as the devotees were all jubilant upon Mahaprabhu's return to Nabadwipa-dhama. From that day on, Devananda Pandita was accepted in the midst of the followers of Mahaprabhu as a great devotee. Devananda Pandita's disappearance day falls on the dark moon ekadasi of the month of Pausha, which corresponds to the month of December.
One day Srivasa Pandita went to hear the Srimad-Bhagavatam class given by Devananda Pandita. After some time, Devananda began giving his lecture. He was surrouned on all four sides by his students, who listened carefully to his reading. Srivasa Pandita was a highly exalted rasika bhakta, a devotee experienced in tasting the mellows of devotion. Hearing the sweetness of the verses of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srivasa Thakura fell to the ground with tears of ecstasy in his eyes. Weeping and wailing with tears of ecstasy in his eyes, he began rolling on the ground with his voice choked up with emotion. Seeing all this, the students of Devananda said, "This man is mad. He is not properly giving his attention to the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Throw him out! Eject him!" Devananda Pandita saw all this, but did nothing to prevent his disciples from ejecting Srivasa Pandita from the class. If a disciple commits a sin as a result of the guru's ignorance, the guru partakes of the sinful reaction. Therefore Devananda Pandita also partook of the sinful reaction of offending Srivasa Pandita. Without saying a word of this to anyone, and without telling anyone of his suffering at the hands of Devananda Pandita, Srivasa Thakura returned home. All these events took place before the advent of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu.
At length, the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took place, as the Supreme Lord made his appearance within this material world. Gradually he manifest his childhood pastimes, his studies, his pastimes of learning, and his pastimes as a young professor, as well as the revelation of his divinity in the house of Srivasa Thakura. At the time of that divine manifestation, when the Lord revealed his Mahaprakasa in the temple of Srivasa Thakura amidst all the devotees, he told Srivasa, "Srivasa! Don't you remember the time when you went to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam at the house of Devananda Pandita? When you fell to the ground in ecstasy upon hearing the nectarine verses of the Bhagavatam, then the disciples of Devananda - as a result of his ignorance of your exalted devotion - threw you out of the class. At that time you went home, feeling distressed, but you told no one of the incident. Do you remember this?" Hearing the words of the Lord, Srivasa was astonished and fell at his lotus feet, catching hold of them.
One day, as Mahaprabhu was wandering through the towns of Nabadwipa, he came upon the road near where Sarvabhauma's father, Mahesvara Visarada Pandit used to live. There was the house of Devananda Pandita. And at that time, within the house of Devananda Pandita a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam was being held. From a long way off, Caitanya Mahaprabhu could hear this. Upon hearing Devananda's Bhagavatam class, Mahaprabhu became enraged. Caitanya Bhagavata records: With sharp words, the Lord said, "What does this fellow know about the meaning described by the Bhagavatam? He will never know the Bhagavatam even in many lifetimes. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary avatara of Krishna Himself. The Bhagavatam promotes bhakti as the ultimate goal of life. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of the four Vedas; it is the literary form of divine love. The four Vedas are like milk; the Srimad-Bhagavatam is like butter. Sukadeva Goswami is the churner of the butter, which was eaten by Parikshita Maharaja. That Sukadeva Goswami, who is dear to me, knows the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sukadeva expressed the truths about Myself; he expressed my own opinions. Me and My servants are glorified in the Srimad-Bhagavatam; one who finds a difference between Myself and My servants will find all his good intelligence destroyed. An irreligious person who rejects bhakti and finds some other meaning in the Srimad-Bhagavatam will never understand the Bhagavatam."After saying all these things in an angry mood, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, began to flee away from the house of Devananda Pandita, which he considered condemned. The devotees caught hold of him and begged him not to go. The Lord again said, "All the scriptures sing of the Srimad-Bhagavatam as being highly mysterious, inconceivable. It cannot be understood by vast learning or powerful austerity. One who attempts to know the Srimad-Bhagavatam through scholarship will never understand it. One who recognizes that the Bhagavatam is nondifferent from the inconceivable Supreme Controller knows that the essence of the Bhagavatam can be known only through devotion and not through scholarship.""One who understands that Srimad-Bhagavatam is Krishna Himself can understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. One can only understand the Bhagavatam's meaning through divine love. If one wants to understand this he must served both the book Bhagavata and the devotee Bhagavata."In this way, Mahaprabhu spoke many different truths to his followers and then returned to his own home, accompanied by the devotees. From far away, Devananda Pandita could hear all these different instructions. But at the time, he did not pay any mind to all this.
After some time, Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and went to Jagannatha Puri. At that time, Devananda remembered the instructions the Lord had given. He began to think, "Such a great person as this came near my residence, and I did not get to meet him? I could not understand the glories of such a great and exalted Personality as Caitanya Mahaprabhu who was filled with krishna-prema?"
One day in Kuliya, or Koladwipa as it is now known, Sri Vakresvara Pandita went to visit the house of a devotee. That evening Vakresvara Pandita was absorbed in kirtana and dancing. Hearing the news of this, people gathered from all around to take part in the kirtana. As the night went on, more and more devotees began arriving there. Hearing this news, Devananda Pandita could not maintain his steadiness. He also hurried to the place where the kirtana was going on. Seeing the empowered figure of Vakresvara Pandita and hearing his sweet kirtana Devananda Pandita was astonished. He stood transfixed for what seemed like hours. As the night wore on, the crowd grew and, in attempts to push forward and see the dancing of Vakresvara Pandita, it became boisterous and rowdy. At that time, Devananda Pandita, with a cane in his hand, held the crowd back and quieted the mob. When Vakresvara Pandita, after dancing and dancing, fell to the ground overwhelmed by ecstasy, Devananda Pandita carefully picked him up and held him on his lap. With his own scarf, Devananda wiped the dust from the holy body of Vakresvara Pandita. In this way, it was on that day that Devananda Pandita began his bhakta-seva, his service to devotees.
One day, five years after he took sannyasa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Nabadwipa-dhama from Jagannatha Puri. Upon his return the devotees felt that their lives had returned. Their joy knew no bounds. In order to see the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thousands of people gathered there. Whoever had previously committed offenses to the lotus feet of the Lord when he had manifested his lila in Nabadwipa was eager to be forgiven. They all came there to beseech the Lord's forgiveness for whatever offenses they might have committed. At that time, in the place known today as the aparadha-bhanjanam, or the place of amnesty (where Srila Sridhara Maharaja now has his temple), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu granted forgiveness to all who gathered there and instructed them in the science of devotion.
At that time, Devananda Pandita took darsana of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Offering his obeisances unto the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya at a distance, Devananda cowered and shrank away from the Lord, standing off to one side. At that time the Lord saw him and said, "You are the servant of my dear devotee Vakresvara Pandita. By your service to him you have greatly pleased Me. As a result of your service to him you have come close to Me. Vakresvara is empowered by Krishna-sakti. By serving my dear devotee Vakresvara Pandita you have attained the mercy of Krishna."
Hearing these words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Devananda was overwhelmed with the sentiments of bhakti. His voice was choked with divine emotion, and he said, "O My Lord; O Supreme Master - You have appeared in Nabadwipa just to deliver all the fallen souls. I am a sinner. I have commited great sins against divinity. I have failed to worship your lotus feet. As a result of this, I have cheated myself out of your causeless mercy. O Lord of all creation; Supersoul of all that lives! You are supremely merciful. By your causeless mercy I have been able to take darshan of your holy feet on this day. O Supremely Merciful one - please be kind upon me and instruct me in the goal of life. Please explain the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam to me as well."
Hearing this humble request of Devananda Pandita, SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu spoke as follows: "Listen carefully, o brahmana. Always praise Srimad-Bhagavatam. Never let any explanation of Srimad-Bhagavatam other than bhakti issue forth from your lips. From beginning, middle to end, this is its meaning: constant devotion to Krishna is eternally perfect flawless, and infallible. It is the highest goal of life. The Supreme Lord appears in innumerable avataras beginning with Kurma. His appearance and disappearance is transcendental. In the same way, Srimad-Bhagavatam is not a material creation: its appearance and disappearance is completely divine. In a trance of bhakti-yoga Vyasa compiled the Srimad-Bhagavatam. It passed through him and appeared on his tongue as a result of the mercy of Krishna. If one doesn't understand that the Srimad-Bhagavatam is divine truth on the level of God Himself he will never realize its meaning. This is the verdict of all authorized scriptures. One who understands the Srimad-Bhagavatam in that way has real knowledge. If one approaches the Srimad-Bhagavatam with material knowledge he will never understand it. If, however, one is unlearned but takes shelter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam he will be enlightened with its meaning. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is filled with divine love, prema. It is an extension of Krishna Himself and it reveals his confidential pastimes of divine love.O brahmana! Previously you committed an offense to the lotus feet of Srivasa Pandita. You must go to him and beg forgiveness at his lotus feet. There is no difference between the book Bhagavata and the Bhakta Bhagavata. If you get the mercy of the Bhakta Bhagavata then you will easily attain the mercy of the book Bhagavata."
Having thus heard the words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Devananda Pandita immediately went to Srivasa Thakura and begged forgiveness for his offenses. At that time, Srivasa Thakura embraced Devananda and forgave his offenses. The four directions were filled with the sound of the holy name of Hari as the devotees were all jubilant upon Mahaprabhu's return to Nabadwipa-dhama. From that day on, Devananda Pandita was accepted in the midst of the followers of Mahaprabhu as a great devotee. Devananda Pandita's disappearance day falls on the dark moon ekadasi of the month of Pausha, which corresponds to the month of December.
SRI ISHVARA PURI
Srimad Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami writes: "All glories to Madhavendra Puri, the storehouse of all Krishna-prema! He is a desire tree of bhakti, and it is to him that the seed of bhakti first fructified. The seed of Krishna-prema next fructified in the fore of Sri Ishvara Puri, and then the gardener himself, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, became the main trunk of the tree of bhakti."
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati comments on this section of the Caitanya Caritamrita (CC Adi 9.10): "Sri Isvara Puri was a resident of Kumarahatts. (At this place there is now a railway station known as Kamarhatty. Nearby there is also another station named Halisahara, which belongs to the eastern railway that runs from the eastern section of Calcutta). Isvara Puri appeared in a brahmin family and was the most beloved disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri."
The nature of Sri Ishvara Puri's personal devotional service to the lotus feet of his guru, Sri Madhavendra Puri, is mentioned in another part of the Caitanya Caritamrita by Kaviraj Goswami as follows: "At the last stage of his life, Sri Madhavendra Puri became an invalid and was completely unable to move, and Isvara Puri so completely engaged himself in his service that he personally cleaned up his stool and urine. Always chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and reminding Sri Madhavendra Puri about the pastimes of Lord Krishna in the last stage of his life, Ishvara Puri gave the best service among his disciples. Thus Madhavendra Puri, being very pleased with him, blessed him, saying, ³May you have Krishna prema.²Thus Ishavara Puri, by the grace of his spiritual master, Sri Madhavendra Puri, became a great devotee in the ocean of love of Godhead."
Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada points out in his commentary on this verse, "It is by the mercy of the spiritual master that one becomes perfect, as vividly exemplified here. A Vaishnava is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but if he appears to be an invalid, this gives a chance to his disciples to serve him. Ishvara Puri pleased his spiritual master by service, and by the blessings of his spiritual master he became such a great personality that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted him as his spiritual master."
Before initiating Sri Caitanya, Ishvara Puri stayed at the house of Gopinatha Acarya in Nabadwip-dham. There he lived for a few months. At that time he met Sri Caitanya, when he was Nimai Pandit, and requested him to help him with his book, Krishna-lilamrita. The Lord was highly pleased with Ishvara Puri's devotion and highly praised his book, saying that it was faultless. Still, when he was pressed, he made some corrections with his own lotus hands. This pastime is elaborately described in the Caitanya Bhagavata. The following is a synopsis of Vrindavan Dasa Thakur's account of Sri Ishavara Puri.
When Mother Saci saw that Sri Caitanya was happily engaged in his studies, her own ecstasy increased. At that time, Sri Ishvara Puri came to Nabadwipa in disguise. Caitanya Bhagavata records that Ishavara Puri was overwhelmed with the ecstasy of Krishna-rasa. And yet, as he was very dear to Krishna, he was also very humble and didn't want to attract any attention to himself as a great devotee. So that no one would know who he was, he hid his real identity and went to the temple of Advaita.
Upon arriving there, he found that Advaita was busy in service to the Lord in the temple, so he came in and sat down very cautiously and timidly. But the power of a great Vaishnava is not easily hidden from another great Vaishnava. Again and again, Advaita Acaraya kept looking away from his duties in the direction of Ishvara Puri. Finally he asked him "O Father! Who are you?"With great humility, Ishvara introduced himself, saying, "I am a sudra of the lowest class." In this way, the jewel of learned scholars and the best of the renounced, Ishvara Puri, showed how humility is the true ornament of a Vaishnava.
Immediately upon seeing him, Mukunda Datta recognized that Ishavara Puri was a Vaishnava Sannyasi. At that time, Mukunda Datta very sweetly began to perform Krishna-lila Kirtan. Vrindavana Dasa asks, "Who is there who can remain unmoved when Mukunda Datta performs his sweet kirtan?"Upon hearing the deeply moving songs of Mukunda Datta, Sri Ishvara Puri lost his composure and fainted on the ground in a trance of deep ecstasy. Tears of ecstasy rained forth from his eyes. The assembled devotees were dumbstruck upon seeing such a display of transcendental emotion. When their power of speech returned, they all remarked that nowhere had any of them ever seen a Vaishnava such as this. Sri Advaita Acarya also began to experience grave symptoms of transcendental emotion. After this, they all concluded their visitor must be none other than the dearmost disciple of Madhavendra Puri - Sri Ishvara Puri. At this, they all joyously began chanting the holy name of Krishna, saying, "Hari! Hari!" over and over again.
Sri Ishavara Puri stayed in Nabadwipa for a while. One day, the footpath near where he stayed was blessed by the divine footsteps of Sri Gaurasundara. Mahaprabhu was going home from school. Upon seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Ishavara Puri was amazed by his perfect body and supremely grave disposition. He wanted to somehow make contact with the Lord. Finally, he called out, "O best of the brahmins! What is your name? Where is your house? And what book are you reading?"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with great humility offered his humble obeisances to Sri Ishvara Puri. Mahaprabhu's disciples said, "His name is Nimai Pandit."Ishavara Puri said, "You are THE Nimai Pandit!?"
Ishavara Puri's joy knew no bounds. Mahaprabhu with great humility bowed his head and said, "Sripada, have mercy upon me and kindly grace my house with your company. This very afternoon we shall prepare prasada for your pleasure. Please accept it." With these sweet and humble words, Mahaprabhu extended his invitation to Ishavara Puri. Accepting the invitation, Ishavara Puri went to the house of Mahaprabhu.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed the lotus feet of Ishavara Puri with his own hands. Sri Saci devi quickly prepared various wonderful kinds of preparations and offered them to the Deity. After it had been offered, Mahaprabhu accepted it.
Later, the two of them entered the temple of Vishnu and discussed Krishna with each other at great length. And gradually Krishna-prema sprang up in their hearts and flooded them with the ecstasy of love of Godhead.
In this way, for one month, Sri Ishavara Puri stayed at the house of Sri Gopinatha Acarya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would constantly invite Ishavra Puri to visit him. And from time to time Ishvara Puri would invite Mahaprabhu to visit him.
At this time, Sri Gadadhara was a young boy. Sri Ishvara Puri was very affectionate to him. He would read to Gadadhara from the book he had written, "Sri Krishna-Lilamrita." Every day around sunrise Mahaprabhu would come and offer his obeisances to Sri Ishavara Puri.One day, Ishvara Puri told Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "You are the topmost of pundits; I am writing a book about Krishna's pastimes. You must help me by pointing out whatever faults you may find in this work. This will give me great pleasure."Sitting at the holy feet of Sri Ishvara Puri and hearing these words, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu smiled and said, "The words of Krishna's devotees are as good as Krishna himself. They are in the same category as he is, they are from his ³alphabet,² not from any material alphabet. Such words are not mundane. One who finds fault with Krishna or his devotees is a great sinner. What a bhakta writes is not mere poetry; it is completely different - it is dear to Krishna, and so is perfect."
"A devotee's prayers of love for Krishna have nothing to do with the rules of grammar and does not depend on them. Krishna is only interested in the love in such prayers. They are dear to Krishna in any case, whether they are properly constructed according to the rules of grammar or not. One who looks for faults in the words of a devotee will never be pleasing to Krishna."
Upon hearing Caitanya Mahaprabhu's words, Ishvara Puri felt as if his senses had been drenched in nectar. Ishvara Puri could understand that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Person. A few days later, Ishvara Puri left Navadwip with some devotees to continue visiting the holy places of pilgrimage.
In this way, Sri Gaurasundara's pastimes of scholarship reached their completion, and the Lord wanted to manifest his divinity. He wanted to reveal himself and distribute the nectar of the holy name of Krishna, and inundate the world in Krishna-prema, thus delivering the world. But first, he went to Gaya to offer oblations to his ancestors. At that time, Sri Ishavara Puri was in Gaya.
After staying in Gaya for some time, when Mahaprabhu had finished his offerings to his ancestors, he went to complete his worship of the lotus feet of Vishnu. When he had darshan of the holy feet of the Lord, and had heard the glories of the Lord he began to drown in the ecstasy of love of Godhead, and fell to the ground in wonder and delight. By divine arrangement, it was at that time that Ishvara Puri arrived. Upon seeing Sri Gaurasundara, he became speechless. Candrashekaracarya, who was close by was informed of all this. A little time later, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to external consciousness and saw Ishavara Puri nearby. At once he arose and then offered his humble obeisances at the lotus feet of Sri Ishvara Puri.
At that time, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ishvara Puri heartily embraced one another. Soon the two of them were drowning in an ocean of tears that poured incessantly from their lotus eyes. At that time, Mahaprabhu said, "Now my visit to Gaya has really been fruitful, as by coming here I have had the chance to see your lotus feet. By traveling to a holy place and offering pinda one may deliverer one's ancestors - that is the person who offers the pinda may deliver only his ancestors. But one who sees you automatically delivers millions of ancestors, and not only will they become free from certain of their sins, but they will all attain eternal deliverance from material bondage. Therefore this pilgrimage I have undertaken is unparalleled, because of your holiness having rendered everything perfectly auspicious."
In this way, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in great humility told Ishvara Puri, "All my visiting of holy places has become perfect because I have seen you. A saintly person is a real ³tirtha,² or holy place, since he sanctifies the holy places by his very presence. Therefore you are the supreme fulfillment of all holy places. All the holy places pray for the dust of your lotus feet. O Ishvara Puri, in the same way, I am praying for the dust of your lotus feet, knowing which I shall become free from the ocean of repeated birth and death and drink the nectar of divine rasa at the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. Because you alone can free me from the ocean of repeated birth and death, I offer you this body to do with as you wish. You alone can make me drink the nectar of divine rasa at the lotus feet of Krishna, and my desire is that you grant me this gift."
Hearing this from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Ishavara Puri spoke as follows: "Listen Pandit: Upon seeing your learning and character, I can understand that you are divinity Himself, descended amongst men. This very day, I had a beautiful dream. In my dream were many people, and their hands were laden with fruit. O Pandit! To speak truthfully, upon seeing you, I am filled with an unusual feeling of transcendental bliss that surpasses ordinary joy. In fact, after I first saw you in Nabadwipa-dhama, from that time on, I couldn't think of anything else but you. I didn't want to think of anything else but you. I am speaking the truth! Upon seeing you I am as happy as if I were seeing Krishna Himself! "
Upon hearing all this, Mahaprabhu humbly lowered his head in respect and smiling, said: "I am supremely fortunate."
A few days later, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in a mood of great humility sought out Ishavara Puri and said, "Your holiness, please show mercy upon me and initiate me in the Gayatri mantram as your disciple. For want of the Gayatri mantra my mind is very much disturbed. "
Sri Ishvara Puri, upon hearing the words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very happy and spoke as follows: "Whether I am giving you my words in speech or a mantra, it is my life I wish to give you; I wish to give you everything I have."
After this, Sri Ishvara Puri initiated Sri Gaurasundara in the divine mantra. One day, Sri Ishvara Puri came to the residence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Upon seeing him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became ecstsatic. He offered his obeisances and all proper respects and greetings and begged him to stay for lunch. Ishvara Puri said, "I would consider myself extremely fortunate to accept some rice from your lotus hand." Mahaprabhu cooked with his own hands and with great care fed Sri Ishavara Puri. After lunch, the Lord smeared sandalwood pulp over the limbs of Sri Ishvara Puri and offered him a nice garland of flowers.
In this way, in order to acquaint us with the way in which to properly worship the guru, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed us all by his personal example how to serve the guru-parampara. One who does not understand how to honor a saintly person can never attain Krishna-prema-bhakti. Service to the lotus feet of the guru is the gateway to Krishna-bhakti.
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was returning to Nabadwipa from Gaya, he passed through Kurmarhatta, the divine birthplace of Sri Ishvara Puri. Upon arriving there, he became filled with divine love and his voice choked up in ecstasy. He soaked the earth with the tears of divine love from his lotus eyes. Before he left Kumarahatta, he went to the place of Ishavara Puri's birth and took some dust from his birthsite. As he left for Nabadwipa, he announced, "This dust is my life and soul!" After this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and went to Jagannatha Puri on the order of his mother. At that time, Sri Ishvara Puri had finished his role in the Lord's manifest pastimes. At the time of his passing into the unmanifest pastimes of the Lord, he ordered his two disciples, Govinda and Kashishvara Pandit to live near Mahaprabhu and render service to Him.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta has written: "The best of sannyasis, Madhavendra Puri had as his foremost disciples Ishvara Puri, Nityananda and the great Advaita. In order to honor Sri Ishavara Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the guru of the whole world accepted him as his spiritual master."
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati comments on this section of the Caitanya Caritamrita (CC Adi 9.10): "Sri Isvara Puri was a resident of Kumarahatts. (At this place there is now a railway station known as Kamarhatty. Nearby there is also another station named Halisahara, which belongs to the eastern railway that runs from the eastern section of Calcutta). Isvara Puri appeared in a brahmin family and was the most beloved disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri."
The nature of Sri Ishvara Puri's personal devotional service to the lotus feet of his guru, Sri Madhavendra Puri, is mentioned in another part of the Caitanya Caritamrita by Kaviraj Goswami as follows: "At the last stage of his life, Sri Madhavendra Puri became an invalid and was completely unable to move, and Isvara Puri so completely engaged himself in his service that he personally cleaned up his stool and urine. Always chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and reminding Sri Madhavendra Puri about the pastimes of Lord Krishna in the last stage of his life, Ishvara Puri gave the best service among his disciples. Thus Madhavendra Puri, being very pleased with him, blessed him, saying, ³May you have Krishna prema.²Thus Ishavara Puri, by the grace of his spiritual master, Sri Madhavendra Puri, became a great devotee in the ocean of love of Godhead."
Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada points out in his commentary on this verse, "It is by the mercy of the spiritual master that one becomes perfect, as vividly exemplified here. A Vaishnava is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but if he appears to be an invalid, this gives a chance to his disciples to serve him. Ishvara Puri pleased his spiritual master by service, and by the blessings of his spiritual master he became such a great personality that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted him as his spiritual master."
Before initiating Sri Caitanya, Ishvara Puri stayed at the house of Gopinatha Acarya in Nabadwip-dham. There he lived for a few months. At that time he met Sri Caitanya, when he was Nimai Pandit, and requested him to help him with his book, Krishna-lilamrita. The Lord was highly pleased with Ishvara Puri's devotion and highly praised his book, saying that it was faultless. Still, when he was pressed, he made some corrections with his own lotus hands. This pastime is elaborately described in the Caitanya Bhagavata. The following is a synopsis of Vrindavan Dasa Thakur's account of Sri Ishavara Puri.
When Mother Saci saw that Sri Caitanya was happily engaged in his studies, her own ecstasy increased. At that time, Sri Ishvara Puri came to Nabadwipa in disguise. Caitanya Bhagavata records that Ishavara Puri was overwhelmed with the ecstasy of Krishna-rasa. And yet, as he was very dear to Krishna, he was also very humble and didn't want to attract any attention to himself as a great devotee. So that no one would know who he was, he hid his real identity and went to the temple of Advaita.
Upon arriving there, he found that Advaita was busy in service to the Lord in the temple, so he came in and sat down very cautiously and timidly. But the power of a great Vaishnava is not easily hidden from another great Vaishnava. Again and again, Advaita Acaraya kept looking away from his duties in the direction of Ishvara Puri. Finally he asked him "O Father! Who are you?"With great humility, Ishvara introduced himself, saying, "I am a sudra of the lowest class." In this way, the jewel of learned scholars and the best of the renounced, Ishvara Puri, showed how humility is the true ornament of a Vaishnava.
Immediately upon seeing him, Mukunda Datta recognized that Ishavara Puri was a Vaishnava Sannyasi. At that time, Mukunda Datta very sweetly began to perform Krishna-lila Kirtan. Vrindavana Dasa asks, "Who is there who can remain unmoved when Mukunda Datta performs his sweet kirtan?"Upon hearing the deeply moving songs of Mukunda Datta, Sri Ishvara Puri lost his composure and fainted on the ground in a trance of deep ecstasy. Tears of ecstasy rained forth from his eyes. The assembled devotees were dumbstruck upon seeing such a display of transcendental emotion. When their power of speech returned, they all remarked that nowhere had any of them ever seen a Vaishnava such as this. Sri Advaita Acarya also began to experience grave symptoms of transcendental emotion. After this, they all concluded their visitor must be none other than the dearmost disciple of Madhavendra Puri - Sri Ishvara Puri. At this, they all joyously began chanting the holy name of Krishna, saying, "Hari! Hari!" over and over again.
Sri Ishavara Puri stayed in Nabadwipa for a while. One day, the footpath near where he stayed was blessed by the divine footsteps of Sri Gaurasundara. Mahaprabhu was going home from school. Upon seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Ishavara Puri was amazed by his perfect body and supremely grave disposition. He wanted to somehow make contact with the Lord. Finally, he called out, "O best of the brahmins! What is your name? Where is your house? And what book are you reading?"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with great humility offered his humble obeisances to Sri Ishvara Puri. Mahaprabhu's disciples said, "His name is Nimai Pandit."Ishavara Puri said, "You are THE Nimai Pandit!?"
Ishavara Puri's joy knew no bounds. Mahaprabhu with great humility bowed his head and said, "Sripada, have mercy upon me and kindly grace my house with your company. This very afternoon we shall prepare prasada for your pleasure. Please accept it." With these sweet and humble words, Mahaprabhu extended his invitation to Ishavara Puri. Accepting the invitation, Ishavara Puri went to the house of Mahaprabhu.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed the lotus feet of Ishavara Puri with his own hands. Sri Saci devi quickly prepared various wonderful kinds of preparations and offered them to the Deity. After it had been offered, Mahaprabhu accepted it.
Later, the two of them entered the temple of Vishnu and discussed Krishna with each other at great length. And gradually Krishna-prema sprang up in their hearts and flooded them with the ecstasy of love of Godhead.
In this way, for one month, Sri Ishavara Puri stayed at the house of Sri Gopinatha Acarya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would constantly invite Ishavra Puri to visit him. And from time to time Ishvara Puri would invite Mahaprabhu to visit him.
At this time, Sri Gadadhara was a young boy. Sri Ishvara Puri was very affectionate to him. He would read to Gadadhara from the book he had written, "Sri Krishna-Lilamrita." Every day around sunrise Mahaprabhu would come and offer his obeisances to Sri Ishavara Puri.One day, Ishvara Puri told Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "You are the topmost of pundits; I am writing a book about Krishna's pastimes. You must help me by pointing out whatever faults you may find in this work. This will give me great pleasure."Sitting at the holy feet of Sri Ishvara Puri and hearing these words, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu smiled and said, "The words of Krishna's devotees are as good as Krishna himself. They are in the same category as he is, they are from his ³alphabet,² not from any material alphabet. Such words are not mundane. One who finds fault with Krishna or his devotees is a great sinner. What a bhakta writes is not mere poetry; it is completely different - it is dear to Krishna, and so is perfect."
"A devotee's prayers of love for Krishna have nothing to do with the rules of grammar and does not depend on them. Krishna is only interested in the love in such prayers. They are dear to Krishna in any case, whether they are properly constructed according to the rules of grammar or not. One who looks for faults in the words of a devotee will never be pleasing to Krishna."
Upon hearing Caitanya Mahaprabhu's words, Ishvara Puri felt as if his senses had been drenched in nectar. Ishvara Puri could understand that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Person. A few days later, Ishvara Puri left Navadwip with some devotees to continue visiting the holy places of pilgrimage.
In this way, Sri Gaurasundara's pastimes of scholarship reached their completion, and the Lord wanted to manifest his divinity. He wanted to reveal himself and distribute the nectar of the holy name of Krishna, and inundate the world in Krishna-prema, thus delivering the world. But first, he went to Gaya to offer oblations to his ancestors. At that time, Sri Ishavara Puri was in Gaya.
After staying in Gaya for some time, when Mahaprabhu had finished his offerings to his ancestors, he went to complete his worship of the lotus feet of Vishnu. When he had darshan of the holy feet of the Lord, and had heard the glories of the Lord he began to drown in the ecstasy of love of Godhead, and fell to the ground in wonder and delight. By divine arrangement, it was at that time that Ishvara Puri arrived. Upon seeing Sri Gaurasundara, he became speechless. Candrashekaracarya, who was close by was informed of all this. A little time later, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to external consciousness and saw Ishavara Puri nearby. At once he arose and then offered his humble obeisances at the lotus feet of Sri Ishvara Puri.
At that time, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ishvara Puri heartily embraced one another. Soon the two of them were drowning in an ocean of tears that poured incessantly from their lotus eyes. At that time, Mahaprabhu said, "Now my visit to Gaya has really been fruitful, as by coming here I have had the chance to see your lotus feet. By traveling to a holy place and offering pinda one may deliverer one's ancestors - that is the person who offers the pinda may deliver only his ancestors. But one who sees you automatically delivers millions of ancestors, and not only will they become free from certain of their sins, but they will all attain eternal deliverance from material bondage. Therefore this pilgrimage I have undertaken is unparalleled, because of your holiness having rendered everything perfectly auspicious."
In this way, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in great humility told Ishvara Puri, "All my visiting of holy places has become perfect because I have seen you. A saintly person is a real ³tirtha,² or holy place, since he sanctifies the holy places by his very presence. Therefore you are the supreme fulfillment of all holy places. All the holy places pray for the dust of your lotus feet. O Ishvara Puri, in the same way, I am praying for the dust of your lotus feet, knowing which I shall become free from the ocean of repeated birth and death and drink the nectar of divine rasa at the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. Because you alone can free me from the ocean of repeated birth and death, I offer you this body to do with as you wish. You alone can make me drink the nectar of divine rasa at the lotus feet of Krishna, and my desire is that you grant me this gift."
Hearing this from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Ishavara Puri spoke as follows: "Listen Pandit: Upon seeing your learning and character, I can understand that you are divinity Himself, descended amongst men. This very day, I had a beautiful dream. In my dream were many people, and their hands were laden with fruit. O Pandit! To speak truthfully, upon seeing you, I am filled with an unusual feeling of transcendental bliss that surpasses ordinary joy. In fact, after I first saw you in Nabadwipa-dhama, from that time on, I couldn't think of anything else but you. I didn't want to think of anything else but you. I am speaking the truth! Upon seeing you I am as happy as if I were seeing Krishna Himself! "
Upon hearing all this, Mahaprabhu humbly lowered his head in respect and smiling, said: "I am supremely fortunate."
A few days later, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in a mood of great humility sought out Ishavara Puri and said, "Your holiness, please show mercy upon me and initiate me in the Gayatri mantram as your disciple. For want of the Gayatri mantra my mind is very much disturbed. "
Sri Ishvara Puri, upon hearing the words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very happy and spoke as follows: "Whether I am giving you my words in speech or a mantra, it is my life I wish to give you; I wish to give you everything I have."
After this, Sri Ishvara Puri initiated Sri Gaurasundara in the divine mantra. One day, Sri Ishvara Puri came to the residence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Upon seeing him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became ecstsatic. He offered his obeisances and all proper respects and greetings and begged him to stay for lunch. Ishvara Puri said, "I would consider myself extremely fortunate to accept some rice from your lotus hand." Mahaprabhu cooked with his own hands and with great care fed Sri Ishavara Puri. After lunch, the Lord smeared sandalwood pulp over the limbs of Sri Ishvara Puri and offered him a nice garland of flowers.
In this way, in order to acquaint us with the way in which to properly worship the guru, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed us all by his personal example how to serve the guru-parampara. One who does not understand how to honor a saintly person can never attain Krishna-prema-bhakti. Service to the lotus feet of the guru is the gateway to Krishna-bhakti.
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was returning to Nabadwipa from Gaya, he passed through Kurmarhatta, the divine birthplace of Sri Ishvara Puri. Upon arriving there, he became filled with divine love and his voice choked up in ecstasy. He soaked the earth with the tears of divine love from his lotus eyes. Before he left Kumarahatta, he went to the place of Ishavara Puri's birth and took some dust from his birthsite. As he left for Nabadwipa, he announced, "This dust is my life and soul!" After this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and went to Jagannatha Puri on the order of his mother. At that time, Sri Ishvara Puri had finished his role in the Lord's manifest pastimes. At the time of his passing into the unmanifest pastimes of the Lord, he ordered his two disciples, Govinda and Kashishvara Pandit to live near Mahaprabhu and render service to Him.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta has written: "The best of sannyasis, Madhavendra Puri had as his foremost disciples Ishvara Puri, Nityananda and the great Advaita. In order to honor Sri Ishavara Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the guru of the whole world accepted him as his spiritual master."
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