25th January 2020

Arrival of Lord Caitanya in Aravade made me fortunate.

Hare Krishna.

All of you are welcome.

Lord Caitanya was preaching the holy names in South India and one day He reached Aravade. I reached here yesterday and Lord Caitanya gave me birth over here. This became my birthplace. As Lord also came over here, I became fortunate because of him.

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

Translation:
According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service. (CC 19.151)

I was studying at the college in Sangli district. Then I thought to be a graduate of Bombay University. So I went to Bombay. There I went to the Hare Krishna festival organized by Srila Prabhupada to see the ‘American and European sadhus’. There I came in contact with Srila Prabhupada. There came a revolution and the right direction in my life just by seeing and hearing Prabhupada. I was veryinspired by the ‘American, European sadhus’ who were doing kirtana. I stayed in Dadar, Mumbai with some people from my village.

I have told you earlier that whenever my roommates went out I would perform kirtana alone in my room closing all the doors and windows. Having seen the Hare Krishna devotees doing kirtana and dancing with all their hearts, with all their strength and energy, with so much devotion and enthusiasm, I also started doing kirtana alone like them and became mad.

There is a long story. Then I came back to my village. Here also I was doing kirtana and chanting. I stayed for about 10 days in Juhu Temple and became a Hare Krishna devotee. Then my brother brought me back to the village. I didn’t stop kirtana. Villagers were saying that how good that boy was and now he has become mad. I was not as mad as Lord Caitanya. All the residents of Mayapur were calling Lord Caitanya mad. There is nothing wrong with them calling me mad. The whole world is crazy.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

As you all are chanting, you would also have been called mad by your relatives, neighbours, and friends. When I came to my village, my friends were playing as usual. I was chanting. I was not playing with my friends. And this happens. Narada Muni also said that he was not interested in playing.

baalastaavat kreedaa-sakta, tarunas taavatt taruni-sakta:
vruddhastaavat chintaah-sakta, parame brahmani kopi na sakta.

Translation:
The childhood slips away in attachment to playfulness. Youth passes away in attachment to woman. Old age passes away in worrying about many things. Alas, there is hardly anyone who wants to be lost in parabrahman.( Bhaja Govindam Verse 7)

Naturally, children keep on playing. I was not playing like them, I was chanting. I haven’t given up chanting for the last 50 years. My relatives, brothers, sisters were trying to stop my chanting. They were looking for an astrological solution. They were looking for a solution such that I leave Hare Krishna. But I continued my chanting. The Lord didn’t leave me. I didn’t leave Him either. Then, my sister also started chanting and became mad. She also gave up the village and went to Pandharpur. She also didn’t return to the village.

One day I came back to the village with the Hare Krishna devotees from Radha Rasabihari Temple, Juhu to celebrate the Hare Krishna Festival. There is the glory of this festival. I am also the fruit of the festival. Due to the festival, I became a Hare Krishna devotee. If there was no Hare Krishna festival there in Mumbai then I wouldn’t have become a devotee. A Festival becomes the medium to spread the sankirtana movement.

anya-dharmams tiras krtya puras krtya mahotsavan
tada naham harer daso loke tvam na pravartaye

Translation:

Then Narada Muni made a promise. “If I cannot establish bhakti, and only condemn other dharmas, such as varnasramadi-dharma, I promise you, O Devi, I will never be known by the name Haridasa.” (Bhagavata-mahatmyam verse 14)

Narada Muni also said, “I will promote Bhakti.” Then he was asked how he would spread Bhakti. Then he said, “Mohotsavan. I will organise festivals rejecting other things. Mohotsavan puras krtya.I will promote Bhakti Devi.” Srila Prabhupada was also the representative of Narada Muni. Following the tradition of Narada Muni, he also organised the Hare Krishna festival. I also organised the Hare Krishna festival here in Aravade. All the villagers participated in that festival. One day after the festival one person named Shinde met me and immediately he started to chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Earlier he used to chant Ram mantra or Jaya Jaya Ram Krishna Hari. But when he attended the Hare Krishna festival, he took a vow that he would chant 16 rounds daily. I sent a report on this festival to Srila Prabhupada. That festival has so many gatherings. Nobody was there in their homes.

All of them came to the ground of one school to hear from me ” the madman”. Many become a madman. The rule works if you come in the association of a madman, you will also become a madman. Similarly, if someone associates with a drunkard. he also becomes a drunkard. And if someone associates with a thief, he learns how to steal. If someone chants Hare Krishna maha-mantra and becomes mad, then by associating with him others also become mad.I wrote a letter to Srila Prabhupada regarding the festival.Food for Life was set up. It was “one kitchen, one family.” We are all one family. The same happens in the Lord’s abode. All friends of the Lord including gwala-bala come together to have a feast like one family. It gives a special experience.

At the time of Asadi also we have a similar feast when thousands of pilgrims go to Gopalpur were they have Gopalkala. Kala means so many dishes. There are so many experiences.Prabhupada was so happy by reading the report. He sent me the reply also. Prabhupada wrote that, ”A person who is ready to chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra make that person representative of ISKCON in your village.” Srila Prabhupada was remembering this place and he was thinking to uplift this village. He was thinking about the bright future of our village. He planned and asked me to have a representative over here. That person became the representative and started preaching.

My uncle and that person who was started chanting, both of them got initiated. One was given the name Bhagavat Dasa and my uncle, whose name was Raja Ram, was initiated as Radha Krishna Dasa. I gave him the name Radha Krishna. Both of them started preaching. Everyday Satsang was happening and they started to read Srila Prabhupad’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is every day. They studied one sloka or some slokas every day. Then they also started Nagar-sankirtana. Then a Hare Krishna centre was established.

11 years before Radha Gopal Temple was established and inaugurated. Temple was opened on Nityananda Trayodasi. Every year we are celebrating Brahmotsava of this temple. For many years we are celebrating on 26 January as it’s also a holiday and people can come. Tomorrow we will be celebrating this festival. I also have come here to celebrate. HH Rama Govind Maharaja and HH Rupa Raghunatha Maharaja have also arrived and many Maharajas of ISKCON will arrive. All of you are welcome for the 11th anniversary (Brahmotsava) of Radha Gopal. They are exquisitely beautiful. You won’t find such beauty anywhere else. They will steal your heart (Chit chor).

They are not alone. We have Nitai Gaursundara, Sita Ram Laxman Hanuman, VitthalaRukmini, Jagannatha Baladev Subhadra are also there. All darsanais in one temple. Also the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya are installed here. There is Gauragaon nearby here. It is 2-3 km from here. This proves that Lord Caitanya passed through this village. He was traveling from Kolhapur to Pandharpur. While traveling he passed through my village and He gave birth to me. Now this is not just a village, but it has become dhama.I’m asking you to come to the dhama. From name to the Lord’s abode. Keep on chanting the holy names which will take you to the Lord’s abode. Never give up chanting the holy names.

If you are chanting it means you already have reached dhama. This is also one understanding. Where else to go? Keep on chanting. Distribute Srila Prabhupada books. Panchali Mataji received a prize as a book distributor in Pune from Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja. Altogether ISKCON Pune distributed 3 lakh Bhagavad Gitas. What a single person can do compared to the whole village together? Congratulations to everyone! Take inspiration from them and distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Nitai Gaur Premanande
Hari Haribol!