© 2002 VNN
|
WORLD  About the AuthorOther Stories by this Author Navadvipa Parikrama And Prema Vivarta BY SRILA BHAKTIVEDANTA NARAYAN GOSVAMI MAHARAJA  NAVADVIPA, INDIA, Apr 14 (VNN) — Respected Maharajas, Prabhus, and Didis, Dandavat pranama. Jaya Sri Guru and Gauranga. You would have had to see it to believe it. Between March 22nd and March 29th, twenty thousand devotees resided in Sri Devananda Gaudiya Matha, and two thousand more lived just outside. These devotees came, mostly from India and the rest from fifteen countries around the world, in order to partake in the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti Navadvipa Dhama Parikrama. According to Srila Narayana Maharaja, the whole event was under the direct shelter and hospitality of the mother and wife of Sri Sacinandana Gaurahari. Srimati Saci devi and Srimati Visnupriya devi were personally the hostesses, and they fed everyone. Under the guidance of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja and other acaryas and leading sannyasis of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, these international pilgrims lived on the roofs, in the corridors, verandas, courtyards, schoolrooms, walkways, and in the mandira itself. Even those who witnessed this event could not believe it was actually happening. All the devotees were constantly together in the temple and on parikrama for one week. They sometimes sat together for kirtanas and classes in large open grass fields, and sometimes they sat among the trees and shrubs of dense forests. Sometimes they walked under the hot sun, on hot earth and rocks, and sometimes they rode in boats. Under all the varied circumstances, however, controlled by the mercy of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu, and charmed by sweet gaurahari-katha, the amazing scene was full of harmony and with no complaints. On the three days preceding the Navadvipa Dhama Parikrama, Srila Narayana Maharaja gave classes on Sri Jagadananda Pandita Prabhu's Prema Vivarta. Srila Maharaja said that Jagadananda Pandita is an intimate associate of Sri Sacinandana Gaurahari in Navadvipa. Because his teachings are valuable for those who want to become pure devotees of Mahaprabhu, Srila Maharaja spoke on this book to the 20,000 devotees assembled at the matha in Sri Koladvipa. Aspiring for the service of Guru and Vaisnavas, Syamarani dasi Below is a transcription of the class given on the third evening, March 22, 2002: Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja PREMA VIVARTA March 22, 2002 Devananda Gaudiya Matha, Navadvipa Parikrama Sri Sacinandana Gaurahari is Krsna Himself. Jagadananda Pandita, the very intimate associate of Sri Sacinandana in Navadvipa and Puri, is telling us who he is. Many people think that he is Satyabhama in krsna-lila. If he is Satyabhama, how is it that in Prema Vivarta he himself says, "I offer my pranama to the lotus feet of Srimati Radhika, whose partial expansion, Satyabhama, resides in Dvaraka." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who brought gaura-prema from Goloka Vrndavana and Svetadvipa, is there in Navadvipa, and His friends are also there. Krsna brought Srimati Radhika as Gadadhara Pandita. Jagadananda Pandita wrote, "Mahaprabhu brought Gadadhara Pandita to Sri Purusottama-Ksetra, Puri. There, as Gaura-Gadai, they manifested many confidential pastimes in the conjugal mellow." He also wrote, "Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave Gadadhara Pandita the service of Tota-Gopinatha." And then he wrote, "He gave me the service of Giridhari and the service of Radha and Krsna." Where is the possibility of his being Satyabhama? Giridhari is the same sila given to Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He then wrote, "Svarupa Damodara is my life and soul. He is more dear to me than my life, for he is the life and soul of Caitanya Mahaprabhu." Svarupa Damodara is Lalita. Can Satyabhama say, "Lalita is my life and soul"? * [see extra notes below] He then wrote, "I offer my entire self unto the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I am able to write Prema Vivarta only on the order and inspiration of the devoted Vaisnavas. I have witnessed many of Mahaprabhu's pastimes because I was with Him since childhood." Jagadananda Pandita explained that we have forgotten Krsna since time immemorial. Therefore, chasing after us, Krsna came as Caitanya Mahaprabhu to give what no other acarya or incarnation gave before - unnatojjvala-rasa. By the mercy of the dhama and Mahaprabhu, we can remember this and worship Gauranga with nistha. We came here to Navadvipa, from all parts of the world, for this. We came for what Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to give - unnatojjvala-rasa. So begin from the beginning: adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga. Don't worship other demigods and goddesses. For the Westerners there is no question of this. But in India, even in Mahaprabhu's dhama and in Vrndavana, all smarta brahmanas worship Kali with 20 hands. They eat fish and onions and they don't worship Mahaprabhu. In the West there is no need for devis and devas. They have nothing to do with them. But here it is a very big problem. All demigods are servants of Gauranga. Krsna and Gauranga are non-different, but Krsna gave so much mercy in the form of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Understand that your Gurudeva is a recipient of Mahaprabhu's mercy. He is most near and dear to Gauracandra, and he has all the symptoms described by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in Sri Gurvastakam. He can give krsna-prema. Jagadananda Pandita explains here that by the mercy of Mahaprabhu we can meet such a guru. Those who are against Gauranga are like Kamsa. Without Kamsa, the Vraja pastimes would not have happened. Similarly, in gaura-lila, some appear to be against Gauranga but they are not. They assist in His pastimes. Tomorrow we will begin our parikrama, starting with arati at 4.30 am. We must be very careful here. Don't criticize anyone. Engage in hari-kirtana. Don't waste time. Don't neglect the rules and regulations. Always glorify Caitanya Mahaprabhu. For the next seven days, don't ever criticize anyone. Then, Mahaprabhu's mercy will be showered upon you. Gaura Premanande Transcribed by Radhika dasi * [extra notes: a quote from Jagadananda Pandita in Prema Vivarta: "One day the Lord jokingly said to me, 'You have been the chief queen of Dvaraka for a long time, and I am just a poor beggar. Why do you serve Me? You can get so many hundreds of renunciants like Myself to serve.' "I replied, 'Give up Your pretension and deceit. Why don't You say that I am simply a maidservant engaged at the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani? "'You have stolen the luster of my dear mistress, Radharani. Hence, You are a thief, and I shall catch You and return You back to the land of Vraja. "'My only desire is to serve Srimati Radharani, but You want to send me to far away Dvaraka. This is all Your mischievous pastime. Your activities as a renounced sannyasi are only too well-known to me. In fact, You just want to deceive and deprive us while You serve the lotus feet of Radharani all by Yourself.'"] About the Author Other Stories by this AuthorContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
|
