Radha Madhav Golden Jubilee festival
Mayapur
March 3, 2022

Sri Sri Radha Madhav ki jai
Mayapur dham ki jai
Srila Prabhupada ki jai
All glories to assemble devotees.

We are celebrating here 50th anniversary of this and 50 th anniversary of that of course those historical facts are of course there but what we are also celebrating is 50 years ago Srila Prabhupad revealed Mayapur Dham to the whole world and he also made those prediction come true of Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur had predicted one mahatama will gather those bhaktas from all over the world they will come to Mayapur and they will chant.

What will they chant ?
jai sachi nanda jai sachi nandan jai sachi nandan gaura hari
So 50 years ago, we are going in to the past 50 years ago. All that you see around wasn’t there. It was a very humble beginning just a little piece of land and small festivals. Only 70 devotees attended and the festival lasted for five days. Ofcourse a lot of very significant things happened during those five days. I was thinking, Prabhupada also was must have checked here is a vaisnav from Germany, devotees from here there, they all have come here they have received the Holy name of Lord, they are all chanting,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare
Mahaprabhu’s prediction has come true,

p?thiv?te ?che yata nagar?di gr?ma
sarvatra prac?ra haibe mora n?ma

"In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard." My name will be chanted in every town, every village all over the world all over the planet. So by holding that festival 50 years ago and bringing
vaisnavas from all over the world, American sadhus, European sadhus. This is how I was introduced in 71 when I was a college student and Prabhupada was holding a festival In Mumbai and it was advertised the promotion was American sadhus are here and European sadhus are here.

We all Mumbaikar’s were thinking what American scientist is ok but Americans sadhu? Forget it, but here they. Prabhupada infact was traveling all over India for almost one year holding festival here festival there beginning with Amritsar and then many places.

I went back on the track, Prabhupada was once in the ardha Kumbha mela 71 holding Hare Krishna festival there and Radha Madhav deities Chota Radha Madhav ki jai. They were worshipped during that Kumbha mela ardha Kumbha mela at Prayagraj. Then Prabhupada travelled to Gorakpur probably you know not far from Prayag in Uttar Pradesh held another festival and the presiding deities were Chota Radha Madhav and for the first time there Srila Prabhupada sang this Bhakti Vinod Thakur’s song "jai Radha Madhav.”

Ofcourse he sang differently difficult to follow the same tune and well but more difficult of course is to his bhava and his emotions those who were present in festival at Gorakhpur they all witnessed as Srila Prabhupada sang this "jai radha madhav" song Srila Prabhupada was emotionally surcharged. His emotions stirred up and he was unable to sing this song. Tears gliding down his cheeks and then and there he named these deities as we called them as Radha Madhav.

Announced in our vaisnava parampara as Srila Jaidev Goswami prana dhan hye. Jaidev Goswami worshipped Radha Madhav. Be seated Maharaja is His holiness jayapataka Swami Maharaja ki jai.

He was the first one Prabhupad sent him to Mayapur. Maharaja is now worshiping Radha Madhava, he is entering in to the pastimes of Radha Madhav by swinging there cradle their swing they were seated in this swing. So those deities then. I don’t know all the details I think Jannivas and others Jaipataka Maharaja could tell they were in Kolkata and then Srila Prabhupada send Jaypataka Maharaja and Jannivas, go bring these deities to Mayapur. They were kind of packed not to be worshipped every day. And then worship of Radha Madhav began in Kutir Prabhupada Kutir 50 years ago. That is also celebration. I think I could just go back and so I was also saying let me finish that
Prabhupada was or what we are celebrating is Srila Prabhupada made Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction come true by bringing vaisnavas from all over the world to Mayapur earlier we know Gaura Nityananda they had liberated Jagai and Madhai.

dina-hina jata chilo
hari-name uddharilo
tara sakshi jagai madhai

The holy name delivered all those souls who were lowly and wretched. Gauranga and Nityananda They liberated Jagai and Madhai and then by bringing devotees from all over the planet to Mayapur 50 years ago.

Prabhupada was proving the potency of the Holy Name. American Jagai and Madhai, European and Australian, Canadian and African Jagai andMadhai.

Jayapataka Swami Maharaja ki Jay. He is the man of the show also here. He is the doer. Prabhpada handed over this dhama unto him. I am giving you kingdom of God or Gauranga. Develop this so that Jayapataka Maharaja gets credit for lots of things or most of things that has taken place we are witnessing around us here any way I just want
to say one more thing so the deities were worshipped began at Kutir.

1972 that festival I had missed but I didn’t missed in sense because after here, after Mayapur Gaura Purnima which was on 29 th February 1972 Srila Prabhupada in month of March beginning he had traveled to Vrndavan and conducted another bhumi Puja or groundbreaking ceremony in Vrndavan for Krishna Balarama Temple and in middle of March Prabhupada traveled to Mumbai Hare Krishna Land and there was Hare Krishna Festival was going on. I did miss 72 festival in Mayapur but Srila Prabhupada was so magnanimous, so kind, he brought the festival wherever I was or all the Bombay folks were and Hare Krishna Festival was held there and I was able to participate in the festival as well as I witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony of Radha Rasbihari Temple.

Radha Rasbihari ki jai
Krishna Balarama ki jai
So three ground breaking ceremonies in one month like a marathon. So I was able to witness one in Mumbai and so I did not miss 72 festival in one sense. So 72 at Kutir then well Prabhupada also and the deities were shifted to lotus building in 73 the first festival I attended ,I just want to say that Radha Madhava were on the ground floor here where the exhibition is now and of course Jananivas Prabhu was the pujari, head pujari and you know I was also pujari. Prabhupada had made me pujari of Radha Rasbihari in Mumbai so when I pujari from Mumbai had arrived Jananivas was very kind to invite me also me to worship Radha Madhav and during early morning hours after Mangal arti he used to take care of Madhav, he is to hand Radharani to my side and so he was very kind. Jananivas Prabhu to giving me opportunity to serve Radha Madhav especially Radha that time and so while we were busy doing that I know we were so much Prabhupada conscious while worshiping Radha Madhav I also think a Prabhupada.

Prabhupada is on the Bhaktivedant Swami Road now, he must have reached the Yogapitha now, he must be coming back and finally I would know ,yes Prabhupada is back because in front of Radha Madhava temple, devotees would begin kirtan as Prabhupada is back. Then both of us used to rush and try to finish of the remaining task to get deities
ready for Shringar darsana and Prabhupada finally coming into the temple and Jananivas Prabhu blowing conch shell curtains open and Prabhupada offering flat dandavats and standing with folded hands listening to Govindam that prayer and circumambulation of the deities and kirtans and ringing the bell.

So we are being reminded of all that those good old days or beginning days 50 years ago during this 50th Radha Madhav Golden Festival days these days so we are. This is the time to get inspired to carry forward mission of Srila Prabhupad and we all have our instructions and Prabhupada desires and of course Mayapur has a lot more to be done and remaining and as I said yesterday Radha Madhav's palace, Prabhupada got Radha Rasbihari’s palace ready the palace of Radha Madhav is just now coming. Just two more or two years to go and we'll be here two years later the festival will be held in Panchattava Temple, Radha Madhav Temple, Prahlad Narsimha Temple, Parampara Temple.

Srila Prabhupada ki jai
TOVP temple, we are looking forward to that occasion event and of course we have to prepare for that not just leave it up to Ambarish and Vrajavilas Prabhu and Jayapataka Maharaja. We all have to get right behind them facilitate their service of completion of TOVP

Are you thinking , are ready to do that?
Thank you.
Srila Prabhupada ki jay,
Radha Madhav ki jay.
Gaur Premanande.

Handling reversals in individual and institutional life

18th May 2022
Iskcon Noida

It is Srimad Bhagavatam class time but it is not a Srimad Bhagavatam class today. Is English okay, yes no? I don’t know how many yes’s and how many no’s. Today’s verse or the theme is “Handling reversals in individual and institutional life.” Did you here this? So this is today’s slokas. Handling reversals, setbacks in how to overcome stumbling blocks in individual and organisational life. So do you understand the topic? I am ordered to talk on this topic and I was just told this yesterday late in the evening.

So of course this is a very relevant and significant concern and so this is the topic. I think this is the reason that this topic has been picked and amongst the many other topics this is just one. You do experience this right, reversal, no? How many of you? I was expecting everyone to raise their hands but some of them are okay and they are not.. Lucky you if you are.

The day the Lord departed for His own abode, tad dina kali ayat, kali arrived. And what is the business or job description of this kali?

sarva sadhana badhaka

To create the badha in the life of sadhakas. That is what we all are we are sadhakas and this kali business is busy creating problems and stumbling blocks and reversals in our life, in the life of individual’s life and the life of organisation. I must talk about reversals in the life of organisation. While talking about organisation or organising the individual’s life in the life of organisation, In the last days of Srila Prabhupada, that was
in Vrndavan and Srila Prabhupada was with Giriraj Dasa brahmachari.

He was not swami or sannyasi at that time and Prabhupada asked, ‘After I am gone how will this movement go on?’ And Giriraj Prabhu quickly reacted, I will say reacted not responded but reacted. That meant that he did not think deeper but just said it, ‘oh we will continue Hare Krishna Srila Prabhupada and we will follow the four regulative
principles Srila Prabhupada.

And like that, that type of response he was giving and Prabhupada was listening. It seemed that he was not much impressed, so Prabhupada paused and he said ‘organisation,’ and then ‘intelligence.’ So this was the answer that Prabhupada was expecting and then he personally gave this answer. ‘In order for this organisation to go and, this institution to go on, we have to be organised.’

And he had added this ‘intelligence’ which meant intelligently organised or intelligent organisation. The GBC’s from time to time remember the statement of Prabhupada and then they discussed this further. During Prabhupada’s centennial days, the days when you were not even born physically or spiritually, we used to have a lot if discussions on this organisation.

I was appointed as the centennial minister so we also had to come up with organisation for the ministry’s work. So when we talk of organisation there are five principles or five steps to take. Or you could call them five phases of organisation. The first thing you work on is the vision for the organisation, vision or the goal. Then right after you have worked out your vision, the next thing you do is list all the possible or potential stumbling
blocks or set backs or reversals you could possibly come across.

You make a list of such items in advance so right there are the reversals or set backs, stumbling blocks. This is an important item to take note of, acknowledge it and then of course work on it. And the third thing is, first the vision, obstacles, list and then the strategy. Strategies to overcome the obstacles or strategies to just push through and spread to achieve your vision, realise the vision and achieve your goal.

You must have a strategy so thats the third thing and the fourth thing is to make a list of resources. Mainly there are two types of resources, one is a human resource and the other is the funds, Lakshmi. As they say, ‘money talks then everything walks.’ So money power, manpower and money power for the resources. And the fifth is a timeline, time factor.

Prabhupada said ‘you better be Krishna conscious within this lifetime.’ So if that is the vision, that is the goal to become Krishna conscious within this lifetime, then what is the timeline? Till you die and of course you do not know when that day will come and in this case it may be a little difficult to estimate but in general you have to have a timeline or idea.

‘I want to accomplish this within such and such time period of so many years or so many months.’ Okay so our focus is on the reversals, the set backs and stumbling blocks which are bound to come. They will come and the reasons why they come is the sins committed in the past and the offences being committed on a daily basis.

Then commencing our coming to Krishna consciousness, we kind of stop sinning – kind of stop sinning but then we get into this offensive mode that becomes our job. We keep committing offences and as a result in due course of time, as these sinful or offensive activities are performed, they leave impressions upon us. They leave the seeds or behind, bija.

And in due course of time they are just sitting doing nothing, it looks like they’re doing nothing and just sitting there. The seeds are just dormant or inert but they take their time and then the time comes and they pop up, they fructify. That is when we get the reaction and that’s when we begin getting stumbling blocks or reversals.

So having understood that much, what we should be doing because we have committed sins and we have committed offences, so it’s already too late but what we could do is prevent. Prevention is better than cure. Okay there is some disease or some outcome, some fruit, maybe a bitter fruit or sweet fruit we don’t know whether it’s of happiness and distress.

So if we could prevent this happening before the seed fructifies, if we could prevent from fructification then your job is done. So this is where our sadhana comes into the picture, right? This is where namasraya kori' jatane tumi,?thakaha apana kaje (Arunodaya Kirtana 6)

Translation
This temporary life is full of various miseries. Take shelter of the holy name as your only business Taking shelter of the holy names comes into the picture. This is where doing nityam bhagavata sevaya comes into the picture and in that way we are taking shelter of the lord or taking shelter of bhagavatam or taking shelter of the holy name. And what does Krishna say?

sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja?
aham tvam sarva papebhyo mokshayishyami ma shuchah (BG 18.66)

Translation
Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear There are little little big and small stumbling blocks within this lifetime but there are so many more lives in which those obstacles and stumbling blocks are awaiting us beyond this life. What are these? Birth death old age disease, birth death old age disease, birth death old age disease. Janma mrtyu jara vyadhi and so Krishna says ‘surrender unto me and if you do your part then I will take care of my job.

So what will I do? If you surrender onto me then aham tvam sarva papebhyo mokshayishyami. Pay attention to what Krishna is saying here, each word in each letter should be heard and understood. We are not going to spend time on each letter and each word right now but that is what we should be doing so that Krishna makes us free from the reactions, awaited reactions or the potential fruit of whatever sin that we committed.

nasta prayesv abhadresu
nityam bhagavata sevaya

bhagavaty uttama sloke
bhaktir bhavati naisthiki
(SB 1.2.18)

Translation
By regular attendance in classes of the bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact Naisthiki, you listen to bhagavatam, you listen to bhagavatam, you study bhagavatam.

Srila Prabhupada gave us this program. To be free from or at least minimise these stumbling blocks and these setbacks and reversals, this minimisation could be achieved by our attending morning program. Temples having a strong morning program and everyone participating in a strong morning program from 4.30 to 9.30.

You’ll then have a solution to the setback problem or reversal problem and if one recites bhagavatam everyday then what is the promise? Nityam bhagavata sevaya bhagavaty uttama sloke bhaktir bhavati. You will have bhakti at the lotus feet of the lord.

And what kind of bhakti will you achieve? Bhaktir bhavati naisthiki, you will become naisthiki and brahmachari also (laughter).

Naisthiki bhakta. You will become nisthavan in other words, (faithful devotee). Srila Prabhupada translates this naisthiki or nistha which we are talking about as handling reversals. So bhagavatam says ‘read me, study me, contemplate upon. sravanam kirtana? visnoh smaranam and there’s also mananam.

Then no more turning back, no more U-turn and no more reverses. So just before nistha is what? How can this reversal become no more reversals and no more stoppages or stumbling blocks where there’s nistha? What do you have to do to get there? Well you have to have sadhu sanga, or you may say ‘okay we have to become free from anartha’s. In order to become nisthavan or achieve the status of no more reversals, prior to that is becoming free from anartha’s.

Okay how to become free from anartha’s? Bhajana kriya. How to perform bhajan kriya or keep performing bhajana kriya? Sadhu sanga. How to achieve sadhu sanga? Adau shraddha, so like that shraddha, sadhu sanga, bhajana kriya, anartha nivrtti then nistha and no more reverses. Hari Hari. So this is principally the explanation or understanding, how one becomes free from reverses in individual life.

Then Prabhupada used to say about.. ‘you are a rat so become a rat again!’ Big reverse huh? A U-turn and you are back to square one, as they say. That also we have seen happening and so Prabhupada used to tell this story but we don’t have time to tell you the story right now. There was a mouse and he always used to get into trouble so he
went to a sage, a yogi.’

‘Yogiji, I am always in trouble because of the cat around me so could you make me a cat?’ ‘Okay here you go.’ So he becomes a cat and now the cat is in trouble because of a dog so he goes back and says ‘the dog is troubling me. Could you make me a dog?’ ‘Yes okay here you go.’ So he becomes a dog and as he is a dog now the lion and
tigers are chasing and harassing him.

So he goes back and asks ‘oh, could you make me a tiger?’ ‘Okay you’re a tiger.’ And once he’s a tiger oh! Then he’s trying to make the sage his first prey or first target. And as the sage noticed that what did the sage day? ‘Oh! Become mouse again!’ So this is called droha, betrayal. He betrayed that Sage, so that could happen to us if we betray our authority that empowered us.

The vaishnava that empowered us, or the guru that empowered us. Instead of doing guru seva or becoming guru sevi, we become guru bhogi one, guru drohi two, and finally guru tyagi. Here you go. And then comes what? Again become a mouse and so you are disempowered. We know the example, we have a few notes here. There is Saubhari Muni who performed his meditation in kaliya daha and by practicing he had almost attained perfection.

But then he committed offence at the lotus legd of Garuda, he doesn’t have feet so lotus legs. And as a result what happened? He had kind of controlled or subdued his desires but everything aroused again. The whole agitation and especially the sex desire for agitation aroused and then he ended up getting married and change of ashram
happened. And he did not just marry one wife but how many?

Fifty of them! So this happened to that Prabhu, that Muni because of the offences, the vaishnava apradha that he committed. As we already said, sins committed in the past and we may still be continuing on. So if we stop this sinning and offending then it is like you turning off the switch and you are not supplying the current to the fan anymore. So it will still spin round for a minute or two and then stop. So you’re winding up but if you switch on when it was about to wind up and stop and then you switch off and switch on again. Then this will go on and on and on beyond this lifetime. So this has to be stopped and tolerance is also there. ‘Okay I am getting a reaction so I think I should stop at this point.’ Where is the srimad bhagavatam?

We should just make reference, I was told by the organisers IIYC to make a mention and they wanted me to do a whole presentation and for this purport I said to make a reference only.

tat te ’nukampam su samiksamano, you know that famous verse and statement of lord Brahma in the tenth canto chapter fourteen text number eight. Remember this as it is very, very useful and a very beneficial statement for the sadhaka’s. I’m looking at the watch and time and tide waits for not even Lokanath Swami (laughter). I’ll just read the translation, Jiveta yo mukti pade sa daya bhak.

Please listen with attention as this purport is in Hindi and so is srimad Bhagavatam.
Jiveta yo mukti pade sa daya bhak

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

So this is the translation and I am also not going to say much now. Some adverse reaction or fruit of action has to be tolerated and wait, just keep living and you will get your share or inheritance. You will get your share so like that keep practicing Krishna consciousness and lead a life of Krishna consciousness. Don’t die like when we sleep also or when we leave the Hare Krishna movement and devotee association then we are good as dead.
So don’t die like that, don’t die. Keep living, keep living till the last breath and remember itna to karna swami jab pran tan se nikle govinda nama leke

Translation
Oh lord just let me remember your name when my life is leaving this body So then what happens? tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti. So no more punar janma which means that you will become free from the setbacks or reversals. No more janma and metyu and jara and vyadhi, and them what happens? ‘You will come to me!’

That is your right, it’s our birth right to go back to home back to godhead. So will achieve that, there’s advise also

matra sparsas tu kaunteya
sitosna sukha duhkha dah
agamapayino 'nityas
tams titiksasva bharata
(Bg 2.14)

Translation
O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed Just like we say that this world is a place of happiness and distress and so happiness will cone and distress will come but you have to tolerate both in fact. You have to tolerate happiness and tolerate distress and then transcend the happiness and also transcend the distress. By tolerating, tam all the happiness and distress, titiksasva, tolerate.

So try to prevent and whatever you could not prevent, when you get the reactions, tolerate them and don’t give up. Become tough, when the going gets tough the tough get going as they say. I think so much more could be said, I am just touching a few drops on the surface. These are our individual meeting reversals in this life and then we
have to talk about the organisation.

I have been given this homework and for us organisation is important right?
Organisational is giving us life in fact and organisation also has to be maintained and kept in a healthy state. And we have to be organised in organisation so how to avoid stumbling blocks or reversals within the organisation, the international society. The international society of Krishna consciousness. Okay so Prabhupada gave this job to the GBC, the governing body commission of this organisation and he did not appoint one successor. Or he kind of appointed this GBC body as the successor. One team was the successor and his way or belief was that, he used to say that two heads are better than one and three heads are better than two. In the same way thirty are better than twenty nine or one two three.

So he had more faith in team efforts, a body and an organised effort. So how to overcome these stumbling blocks or reversals? So the GBC is at the top level and the temple level also, the bodies are there even IIYC is an organisation and it also has a head and the legs and belly and arms. So how to avoid setbacks and reversals within
IIYC, I’m not going to speak on that (laughter).

In the 80s, this is much before most of you were born or had joined Hare Krishna movement, the movement was facing a bog turbulence. Ups and downs and.. This is because of the zonal acharya business which had cropped up and was being practiced. And in that way the acarya’s and guru’s, the eleven gurus, they became powerful in the Hare Krishna movement and they became the centre of powers. They together were even controlling the GBC’s.

So as a result the society was about to become just a zonal society for Krishna consciousness. One zone, one acharya and one organisation like that. There is no time also to explain the whole episode and the whole thing that the movement we t through.

Then ISKCON adopted lots of resolutions so that we don’t go through the same thing in the future. So then the GBC’s again took charge of the movement and we were united again! Haribol!

So this zonal acharya or guru groupism, probably from time to time you hear this. This is a very dangerous cancer and it can cause or rather it had caused a big setback so be aware because and avoid this from happening again. Never again. So GBC is the ultimate authority. Now unity in diversity. So in those days there was also some
misunderstanding amongst the leaders and as a result there was competition instead of co operation or complimenting each other.

The leaders were trying to compete and as a result conflicts were there so then Prabhupada did what he had to do while he was with us. He said ’every time you come to Mayapur you should discuss this one agenda,’ he said. Unity and diversity where each one has his strength and that should be acknowledged and appreciated and encouraged, not that you try to discourage or create a conflict.

So unity in diversity, this is a very important principle that we should all understand because to keep the movement united, this is a very significant thing that we wish to achieve. Otherwise united we stand and divided? We fall. So we can exhibit our strength if we are united. Unity in diversity should be understood and applied so that we do not experience setbacks for the organisation.

Boiling down the milk. Even during Prabhupada days the leaders were competing to have more quantity of number of devotees or properties and this and that. But Prabhupada also said that we have to preach to our inmates of the ashram first and make them strong and not try to reach out to more and more. As a result he said ‘we will dilute the whole thing.’

He said ‘milk should be concentrated by boiling down the milk, boiling down which means get rid of the water content and the what remains is the milk, the substance like rabri (sweet). Otherwise he said it will become a show bottle religion. This Hare Krishna movement will be a show bottle religion. The doctors when they sell the medicines, the bottles are kept there and sometimes they display the bottles and there are different colours also.

But they’re not actually medicine they’re just different colours or they are different diluted solution. And the label is there. International society for Krishna consciousness or whatever label is there. But the contents are diluted and say Srila Prabhupada said ‘the Hare Krishna movement will become a show bottle religion.’ Like this show bottle of the doctors where they sell their medical items, the drug stores.

I was told when they go to Tirupati and they have to shave up and surrender their hair unto Balaji. So a lot of people want to get shaved up and they’re only limited barbers so what they do is shave a little bit and okay ‘next one.’ And then they shave him up a little bit also and then okay line him up. ‘He is our customer now so he cannot go away.’ Instead of shaving one up fully and properly ‘next one’ then ‘next one.’

They just try to get the business and you could make a list of a lot of people now who are their customers. So Prabhupada said that the duty of our leaders is to preach and first preach to those who have joined, those who have moved in or have become initiated. And of course try to simultaneously reach out more and recruit more. So this is the boiling down milk concept that Prabhupada talked about.

This was his vision for the GBC leaders and he said ‘think of the world first and the zone next.’ So think globally, act locally. Otherwise you will isolate yourself from the rest of the world or you will not care for the rest of the world and you may end up becoming self-centred or selfish and that could cause conflict. So Prabhupada’s vision he shared with the leaders, we are sharing with you so you could also think of you, or you could think of at least zone first and temple next.

Or you could think of the temple first and your department next. This is also big thinking and this is also high thinking, this is high thinking, being broad minded. Thinking that the whole world is our family and Prabhupada built the house wherein the whole world could reside. So we should not try to create these compartments and these divisions, that’s the idea.

Of course the one of the famous statement that Prabhupada made and one of the last statement that he made ‘your love for me will be seen as you cooperate with each other. To keep this institution together after I am gone.’ So love trust cooperation these are not just big, big words but a lot goes with it and a lot depends on these words and these concepts, thoughts.

Especially co-operation. So we want our goal for our international society for Krishna consciousness, thinking about how long this institution is lasting or how long we are expecting it to last. Ten thousand years, we were talking about that timeline earlier, so ten thousand years. And what is the vision?

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama
(Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 25.264)

In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard. So in order to achieve that lofty goal, a lot of things have to be in place including or especially the spirit of cooperation. Well like that and not just work hard but smart. Don’t just work hard but work smart. That is why we could make that connection because Prabhupada said organisation and what else? Intelligence, organisation and intelligence, to know how to intelligently organise.

That also meant not just work hard but work smart, work intelligently to keep This institution together after Prabhupada has, well… But he also sometimes would say that the international society for Krishna consciousness is his body, it’s like a universal form of Prabhupada. So Prabhupada is here in the form of the international society for Krishna consciousness.

And he gave the instruction, ‘maintain what I have created.’ And he created the international society for Krishna consciousness so we have to maintain. So the maintenance job is of Vishnu and the Vaishnava’s so we should remain followers of Vishnu and not become followers of Siva. His job is destruction and when we ignore things, that ignorance causes the destruction, disunity and setbacks.

Hari Hari. Gaura prem anande hari haribol. If there is time, I don’t know for questions comments?
We did not read the purport of this tenth canto fourteenth chapter text number eight. If you read, Prabhupada explains These so-called reaction, setbacks reversals in the life of devotees, especially devotees like Prabhupada- they are not reactions. They are not the karma phala. Like the Pandavas, Prabhupada explains elsewhere that the kind of reversals the Pandavas met with, it’s a big long list.

Is that because of the sinful sin in the past? Do you think that would commit sin? Do you think they would commit sin? Did Yudhishtir Maharaja commit sin ever in that life or a previous life? So when these difficulties come, there’s a prayer of Kunti Maharani also. ‘Please send, please send some reversals. Then what will happen? We will come to you!

Whenever there are difficulties, well they were difficulties for Draupadi. What did she do? Krishna! Govinda! And Krishna was there so Kunti is very smart. ‘Please send us some reversals, some difficulties, stumbling blocks then we will remember you we will run to you. And the result of all this is no more birth, no more death. She’s pretty smart, no? Kunti Maharani or the Pandavas.

Or when such difficulties do arise, the lord is trying to show the rest of the world ‘look at the pandavas, look at Prabhupada, look at Kunti Maharani, what do they do? They do not run to or rely upon their bodily strength or their relatives or they don’t run to the doctor or the lawyer. No, they run to me! They come to my shelter.’ So the Lord is also trying to get that point across by using the devotees as an example. ‘In difficulty see what they do so the rest of the world, look what the devotees do, so you also call out for Krishna.’

Amogha lila says because of our expirations, this causes frustration. You are making that point, I heard you say we always have these high expectations and when these expectations are not met there is frustration. So we should except what sastra is saying, The Lord is coming to us. Instead of cutting our arm only the finger is cut or instead of cutting our throat only an arm is cut.

So we should take that as the kindness of the lord, we deserve much more, I mean what we deserve is already what we had been getting. ‘Hang him!’ And that is what happens right? We did this sin, that sin and we were being punished and what was that punishment? Capital punishment, ‘hang him, kill him.’ So how many times have we been killed and killed? I mean could there be a worst punishment than being killed?

‘Kill him! I don’t even want to see him existing, kill him!’ That has already happened and that could again happen and that’s what we deserve, to be killed. So the lord is kind and I mean the lord is really kind.

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru krsna prasade paya bhakti lata bija
(Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 19.151)

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 Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service This is kindness, when we don’t know and that is why we say cause less mercy because maybe we did not even deserve this but put of the causeless mercy of the lord we have been picked up and brought in contact with.. ‘Prabhu here is a bhagavad gita for you. Gita for you. Oh there is a Rathayatra in town today.’ ‘Oh where?’ ‘At such and such place.’ So a lot of people end up meeting these Hare krishna devotees and these Hare Krishna devotees become the vartma pradarsaka guru’s. Your good fortune has descended right there and then more good things happen to you, more good things happen to you. Siksa gurus and diksa gurus and this and that, they are all like a battalion and they all surround you and it’s difficult to get out and leave. So that’s also a merciful arrangement where there so many of us, the more the merrier.

Especially in this kali yuga, the sankirtan movement. It’s good to be part of congregation and a big number, and then we have so many other relationships also. So many spiritual fathers and spiritual uncles, spiritual god brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews and this and that. We really get bound and then it’s difficult to give up this network or jala, Hare Krishna jala, entrapment.

So this is the magnanimity of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, what could we say? We deserve be killed and killed over and over again but god is mercifully glancing upon us.
Hari Hari.
Anything else?
Otherwise, huh?
Something else Devakinandan Prabhu wants to say?
Alright thank you.

Chida Dahi Festival
By Lokanath Swami
18 th June 2016
At Bangalore, India

Today is a very special festival. In fact, that festival took place some five hundred years ago. And from that year and day on verse every year on that particular day, today devotees had been observing this festival. We all love festivals. It’s said “utsav priya manavaha.” I did not say, I am just repeating the statement that all the manavahas, they like festivals, they like utsav and reason being that we all manavahas, the spirit souls, we come from spiritual sky and there is always festivals there. So, eh, all the souls like festivals. You like festivals?

The name of the festival is Pani Hathi Chida Dahi Festival. The place called Pani Hathi in Bengal on the banks of Ganga not far from Kolkata. This place is also known as the Raghav Pandit place. Raghav pandit big name in Gaudiya
Vaisnava world. Raghav pandit he used to reside there. And his sister Damayanti also very well-known personality. And they both used to cook for Gauranga and make offerings to Gauranga and Gauranga comes their everyday and accepts the offerings of Raghav pandit and Damanyanti.

Sometimes, Raghav Pandit was able to see Caitanya Mahaprabhu honouring prasad at his home. He also cooked prasad, dried prasad and bring it to Jagannath Puri. Raghav pandit used to cook lots of prasad, dried prasad at home and bring it to Jagannath Puri and offered it to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He used to carry a special kind of bag and the way he used to tie kind of cloth Raghaver jholi, Raghaver Jholi Caitanya Charitamrit says so. Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannath Puri everyday he used to take some prasad from Raghaver Jholi and honoured that in Jagannath Puri outside all year long. So, this Pani Hathi is a place for prasad where prasad is cooked and prasad is served to the Lord.

To that, Pani Hathi one day and this day Raghunath Das Goswami had come he had not become Goswami as yet. He was Raghunath Das Adhikari. He was a family man. Not by choice he was family man. Parents, father especially wanted his son to be married man so that he would not leave home and run to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It was time tying him. His father tied his son to the wife thinking that he would be bound and not able to leave home. Raghunath Das Goswami when he was just a young boy he had association of none other than Namacharya Srila Haridas Thakur.

Haridas Thakur had come tovillage of Raghunath Das Goswami. And Raghunath Das was a son of a big big landlord. But as he had an association of Namacharya Haridas Thakur who always chanted,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sanga Sadhu-sanga sarva-sastre
Kaya lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya

Raghunath Das Goswami had association of none other than Namacharya Haridas Thakur. So he had attained perfection by that association. So since then he had total detachment from everything worldly he had no no inclination no affiliation no affection total vairagya (detachment). He comes in contact with sadhus. This could be possible outcome of that. So Raghunath Das Goswami he had made many attempts to run away from his home and go join Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannath Puri. But all his attempt had failed. So now he had come to Nityananda Prabhu in Pani Hathi to seek some special benediction so that he would become successful in running away going away from all. So he arrived in Pani Hathi, he met, he saw Nityananda Prabhu sitting underneath a big banyan tree sitting with many of his associates. “koti surya samaprabha”.

Nityananda Prabhu was as brilliant as sun or many suns. So he was amazed by seeing such a powerful personality right there in front of him. He had Nityananda Prabhu realisation. He realises who Nityananda Prabhu is “Balarama hoilo nitai” Balarama had appeared as Nityananda Prabhu .

“Nanda Nandan jae sachi suta hoilo sae”

Nanda Nanadan had appeared as Sachinandan and Balaram had appeared as Nityananda Prabhu. So when he saw Nityananda Prabhu he was amazed. He fell flat at the feet of Nityananda Prabhu. But he did not offer his obeisances close to Nityananda Prabhu at some distance away he offered his obeisances.

So some devotees had noticed and Nityananda Prabhu also noticed the presence of Rahgunath Das. Why is he not coming closer? He is a thief he is hiding back there. So Nityananda prabhu he stood up he stepped forward and
he placed his lotus foot right on the head of Raghunath Das and then finally he got up Raghunath Das Goswami got up. Nityananda Prabhu you are a thief you must be punished so Raghunath Das was waiting to hear what the punishment is going to be. So Nityananda Prabhu said punishment for you is that you feed myself and all my associates with dahi chida. So Raghunath Das was very happy to hear this kind of punishment. So he immediately sent his assistants his associates into the market in the village with lots of chida and dahi. The chida is called chipped rice, it is the flat rice very flat. Raghunath Das Goswami was not only going to feed dahi chida but
also soaked chida so he also got dahi and yoghurt and milk also. He managed to get 7 big huge pots and four hundred medium sized clay pots. Thousands of smaller size pots and then dahi and chipped rice was soaked in yoghurt, chipped rice was soaked in milk. So when the news reached that there is going to be dahi chida festivals at Pani Hathi. Many many people came running for free prasad, food for life there was a large gathering Krsna Das Kaviraj Goswami there were countless, you could not count how many people had arrived for honouring dahi chida at Pani Hathi.

So along with Nityananda Prabhu on the platform very special VVIPS, close associates of Nityananda Prabhu had taken seat. Then all around the platform people were sitting, brahmanas were sitting so many more villagers were
sitting on the bank of Ganga – this way that way. When all the banks were full people entered the water, knee deep water, waist deep water, they were trying to find place to honour the chipped rice. They also had added sugar,
honey, banana, camphor all that kichiri was very special very delicious preparations were made. So everyone wanted to honour this prasad. Then Raghunath Das, he assigned 20 people to serve all these assembled guests. As the serving was on, Raghav Pandit comes right in front of Nityananda Prabhu. He had cooked special dishes. He placed them in front of Nityananda Prabhu and chanted mantras offering him and Raghav pandit started distributing that to his associates. But to Nityananda Prabhu, he said “Sir for you a special prasad waiting at home, what are you doing here?.

Lets go honour prasad at my home.” Yea Raghav pandit said to Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhusay no no no that prasad I will eat in evening. Now let me eat this prasad right here. I belong to cowherd community and always like to eat with my cowherd boyfriends. I am going to enjoy my meal right here with my my devotees. So as everyone was about to honour prasadam, Nityananda Prabhu sat in meditation, remembering and calling appealing for the presence
of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Everything is here, the cowherd boys were there, Ganga Jamuna was there only missing was Krsna. Krsna Caitanya was missing so that dahi chida festival, Nityananda Prabhuwas enacting his pastimes honouring prasad food in Vrndavan on banks of Yamuna. So as Nityananda Prabhu remembered and appealed Caitanya Mahaprabhu for his presence, Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared there.

Gauranga Gauranga Gauranga

But not everybody noticed Lord’s presence. Only handful, only some were able to realise. So as Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared there, Nityananda Prabhu immediately stood up to meet Caitanya Mahaprabhu and then both of these Prabhus Mahaprabhu and Prabhu they were looking all around all around they were seeing, they were surrounded by cowherd men, cowherd boys and they all honouring prasad. Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu were so very much pleased to see that scene. And then Nityananda Prabhu starts feeding Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was taking some grains, some dahi chida, doodh chida from big pots and throwing.

Nityananda Prabhu was pushing some throwing some grains chip rice right into the mouth of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Most of them they were seeing Nityananda Prabhu. They were not seeing Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They were seeing he was picking come chip rice and as it was thrown, they were seeing it going maybe 6 inches or 1 feet forward and
disappearing. They were really surprised and wondering what’s going on here. And Nityananda Prabhu was bringing Caitanya Mahaprabhu come this and this way, they are escorting and feeding and as everyone was honouring prasad,
Nityananda Prabhu said to addressing to all those honouring prasad –

sei annamrita pao, Radha Krsna guna gao

While honouring Radha honouring prasadam, you also have to say Hari Hari so devotees were eating Hari Hari. You are eating and Hari Hari..loud Hari Hari

I is said that I think we did not even filled up the Banglore’s sky but the whole brahmand was filled with the vibration of Hari Hari Hari Hari Hari Hari Hari

sae annamrita pao, radha krsna guna gao

Now say annamrita pao so jao
Otherwise we will be namakharam. If you know being ungrateful, not chanting so they all were honouring prasad, filling their bellies with prasad and filling their mouth and sky with Hari Hari Hari Hari

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So then gradually, so then what was happening more people were arriving and more chipped rice was needed. So the chipped rice merchants they were arriving on shutting their shops and Raghunath Das Goswami at any cost he was purchasing all those goods, all those that flat rice and yoghurt and bananas. And after all their goods were sold, they have made good money, Raghunath Das was feeding them free prasad. Their pockets were full and bellies were full free prasad. The devotees finally came, many of them with lots of garlands garlanding Nityananda Prabhu, the garlanding and the sandalwood paste all over his forehead. This comes at the end Caitanya Caritamrita. We always hear at the end of honouring of prasad, then comes the garland then comes the Chandan and then Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Nityananda Prabhu were chewing pan and were glancing upon all the assembled devotees with great joy. In all great details that Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has taken note of.

So like this the festival during the day had come to an end. So we did not celebrate you did not celebrate the festival during the day but that day 500 years ago, there was another festival in the evening like here we are evening festival evening and that festival was held at Raghav pandit’s temple, his family temple home. After the day, festival Nityananda Prabhu took some rest and he arrived in the temple in the evening devotees also arrived and there was a very very special kirtan and kirtan went on and on and on and the kirtan Nityananda Prabhu was inspiring, inducing everyone to dance and and finally he also started dancing and when Nityananda Prabhu performs kirtan and he begins dancing that that that dance and kirtan becomes all attractive even that attracts Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu had come during the day and Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared there in the evening in the kirtan where Nityananda Prabhu was chanting and dancing. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also started dancing .

ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakavadhatau
sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalayataksau
visvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma palau
vande jagat-priyakaro karunavatarau

Karuna avatarau there are two avatars – One is Gauranga and other is Nityananda.

Radhe Gauranga Girihari ki jai

As soon as we talked about you could see He is dancing, He is here. yatra madhbhakta gayanti– Lord said, I am there where I am remembered, my glories are chanted I am there that is my address. You could find me there. So
we have Gaura Nityananda appear as we are remembering glories of that festival, glories of Gauranga and Nityananda Prabhu Hari Hari

sundara-b?l? ?ac?-dul?l?
n?cata ?r?-hari-k?rtana me?
bh?le candana tilaka manohara
alak? ?obhe kapolana me?
?ire c??? dara?i b?le
vana-phula-m?l? hiy?para dole
pahirana p?ta-pa??mbara ?obhe
n?pura ru?u-jhunu cara?o me?

Translation

This gorgeous boy is the darling child of mother Saci, dancing in the kirtana of chanting Lord Hari’s names. His forehead is adorned with drawings of sandalwood paste, and His enchanting locks of hair are shining in a splendorous fashion as they bounce upon His cheeks.
 
His hair is wrapped in a topknot, and a garland of forest flowers sways upon His chest. Wearing brilliant yellow silken garments, He dances with ankle bells tinkling upon His feet.
 
Sundar lala begins dancing in kirtan. He is a Natavara Gaura Nataraj, Nat means actor, dancer and He is Supreme dancer.

Krsna who dances in rasa dance in Vrindavan with Gopis same Krsna now he has become Krsna Caitanya and He is dancing with His devotees dancing in kirtan and Nityananda Prabhu also dances. He also dances in rasa dance, he
has his own set of Gopis. Only two Lords dance with the Gopis – Krsna and Balarama. There is no third Lords who dances with Gopis. Not Sri Rama, not Narasimha, Parasurama only Krsna Balaram and now they are dancing 500 years ago they are dancing in kirtan.

The founding fathers of the sankirtan movement original founding fathers, founders are Gaura Nityandand. Then 50 years ago, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness was founded on behalf of Gaura Nityanand by Srila
Prabhupada ki jai.

And today this dahi chida festival is being celebrated internationally and there is also one temple called new pani hatti Navin Pani Hathi. This is the Atlanta and America. I think the name came from Jayapatak Swami Maharaj and I was I was with him 10 years ago on this day celebrating Pani Hatti Festival in new pani hathi that is Atlanta America.

Jayapatak Maharaj was personally there, he was coordinator of that festival mastermind of that festival. Jayapatak Maharaj was first one to promote and propagate this festival. As he had stayed in Navadvipa Mayapur and lots of
culture he had picked up. Jayapatak Maharaj ki jai. He should be remembered also yea so that good translation, so that evening after the kirtan two prabhus sat down again everyone did not take the cognisance of the presence of
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They did not take note of. Nityananda Prabhu sat down and he made an asan for Caitanya Mahaprabhu and he was sitting some saw him, some couldn’t see him and so many others sat down and then Raghav Pandit and Damayanti cooking was served to these two Prabhus and all other devotees. It is said that that the cooking that took place at Raghav Pandit’s kitchen, this cooking was done by Radha Rani herself. Radha Rani
would appeared there and do all the cooking. So he could understand who the cook is. She is the best cook in the world- Jai Radhe and also anyone who eat the food cook by Radha Rani he would never get sick.

Hari Hari
Such was the benediction of Durvasa Muni. Durvasa Muni blessed Radha Rani one time and Yashoda knew this benediction that Radha Rani had this special benediction. That’s why Yashoda would always insist that Radha Rani coming to Nandagram and doing all the cooking for Krsna. So Radha Rani was cooking in kitchen.

Gauranga Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and all others honoured and finally everyone had prasad. Raghunath Das Goswami received the special remnants of Maha Maha prasad. So they stayed overnight. Raghunath Das also stayed
and next day Raghunath Das Goswami came to the feet of Nityananda Prabhu and he was begging for special benediction. He said I made so many attempts to leave, run away but I have not succeeded so far – My dear Lord – Oh Varadraj – var means benediction, raj means giver of what, giver of benediction.

That is also Nityananda Prabhu, Balaram Nityananda, so that morning Nityananda Prabhu gave special benediction. Now all the obstacles have been removed so you will be able to find relief and you will be released from all the
bonds. And soon you will arrive in Jagannath Puri and attend the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai.
So without benediction of Nityananda Prabhu, Radha Krsna paithe nai.

You cannot attain Radha Krsna, so now Radha Krsna, Sri Krsna Caitanya, Radha Krsna nahi anya. Radha and Krsna they have combined in one form and that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So Nityananda Prabhu is Adi Guru eh Balaram so,
yasya prasadat bhagavat prasado

If Nityananda Prabhu Adi Guru original spiritual master, he is pleased then Krsna is pleased. So Raghunath Das Goswami had pleased Nityananda Prabhu by organising that dahi chida festival, feeding him, feeding unlimited number of his associates and devotees. He received that benediction and we also pray to Nityananda Prabhu who is merciful always, today he is very very merciful.

He may bless all of us. May you all receive benediction from Nityananda Prabhu so that you could attain we all could attain the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu Radha krsna.

May Nityananda Prabhu be pleased with all of you including myself.
Nitai Gaura Preme Nande
Hari Haribol

I came here not to take but to give you.
Prabhupada went to America for not to take any thing but to Give them Krishna consciousness My first visit to New York was in 78 and from then nearly 50 times I visited New York and around the world.

In early days when I visited to western countries, people asked me Swamiji where from you have come? When I said from India. They would reply, ohh India that beggars country, you have come from there. This was identity of our country in those. Because when ministers and leaders or others went to West they had gone only to ask for something.

Bhakti Vedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada told that I came here not to take but to give you.
Srila Prabhupada ki jay.!!

Srila Prabhupada gave us everything

S. B 1.15.33

prthapy anusrutya dhanañjayoditam
nasam yadunam bhagavad-gatim ca tam
ekanta-bhaktya bhagavaty adhoksaje
nivesitatmopararama samseteh

Translation
Kunti, after overhearing Arjuna’s telling of the end of the Yadu dynasty and disappearance of Lord Krsna, engaged in the devotional service of the transcendental Personality of Godhead with full attention and thus gained release from the course of material existence.

The setting of the sun does not mean the end of the sun, right. Only right things have written here. It means that the sun is out of our sight. Right, that’s all. Similarly, the end of the mission of the Lord on a particular planet or universe only means that He is out of our sight. It’s clear. The end of the Yadu dynasty also does not mean that it is annihilated. It disappears, along with the Lord, out of our sight. As Maharaja Yudhisthira decided to prepare to go back to Godhead, so also Kunti decided, and thus she fully engaged herself in the transcendental devotional service of the Lord which guarantees one a passport for going back to Godhead after quitting this present material body.The beginning of devotional service to the Lord is the beginning of spiritualizing the present body, and thus an unalloyed devotee of the Lord loses all material contact in the present body.The abode of the Lord is not a myth, take note of this. From myth comes mythology and all that. As is thought by the unbelievers or ignorant people, but one cannot reach there by any material means like a sputnik or space capsule. But one can certainly reach there after leaving this present body, and one must prepare himself to go back to Godhead by practicing devotional service. That guarantees a passport for going back to Godhead, and Kunti adopted it.

Haribol!! And are you ready also to adopt? So wonderful verse and amazing purport by Srila Prabhupada. Well, ‘The Pandavas retire timely’ is the title of this chapter. So, things are getting unfolded. I don’t want to do the recapping as they say. I think some of you had been attending these classes regularly and many of you are. It’s a good chance that you are visitors. Regardless, I’m not going to summarize, just going to make some point that attracted my attention. And, I’m impressed with, also as I read this verse and the purport and that is: going back to Godhead.

That is what the Pandavas are going to be doing as they have retired timely. These days no one retires. So, there is also a message. The Pandavas retired and as soon as they had news that their Lord is no more on the planet, then what is the use of you and that planet where the Lord is not performing his pastimes anymore. So, better go wherever he is now and where he is certainly at home, back home. Prabhupada always says, back to godhead! back to godhead! not only god but godhead. Who is a godhead? Who is a head of all the gods? Krishna. Prabhupada always emphasizes Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Even today, we read that. Such a clarity and perfection.

As the news was received, well everyone including Kunti is mentioned, took to the devotional service maybe even more seriously not that she was not performing devotional service. And, the Pandavas also were going to be retiring and they were going to do tivrena bhakti-yogena, tivrena- they are going to intensify, amplify and going to increase the frequency frequently. Like some people say,‘You know I’m visiting the temple, I’m pretty regular every Janmashtami’. That’s also frequency, once a year, that’s a frequency. And, I go to Sunday festival or ISKCON Sunday festival, that’s also a frequency. And then, everyday that’s even more frequent and like that if we keepgoing, the Sastras say, ‘anukshan’, how frequently one should practice Krsna consciousness. ‘Shan’ means moment, one moment. ‘Anu’ means the next one, the following one also and in between the ‘Shanas’, if there is some space in between, so that is tivrena bhakti-yogena.

Anyway, I want to get to the point, these are side points for me. So Kunti, was in fact the first one to leave the body. She left her body right there and then we hear as she heard maybe sometimes after because this talked here her practicing of devotional service. So, soon after she heard the news of the Lord’s departure, she also departed. The Pandavas are retiring and they are now heading towards the North. The rest of the world or India is behind, right, when you head towards the North Himalayas and the top of Himalayas is Badrika Ashrama. So, there’s a concept of heading North. It means going to the Lord with your back towards the rest of the world. So, that’s what the Pandavas were doing and, on the way, Draupadi also had joined this pilgrimage or the travelling, destination is back to Godhead. On the way, Draupadi was the first one to leave the body. Then, down the road, up the hill, the Himalayan Mountain, Sahadeva was the next one and then Nakula was the next one after five, ten, twenty, fifty kilometres. The end was Arjuna and Bheema.

In 1977, some time before Prabhupada’s departure, I was with my Narada muni travelling party distributing Srila Prabhupada books. We were in Badrika Ashrama and had visited that very spot which is known as ‘Bhima ka Pul’, Pul means bridge. On the way, there was a Sarasvati, this is even a little beyond Badrika Ashrama. He built a bridge; he did cross and he left the body. Then we had to come back to Vrindavan to see Srila Prabhupada, our party, to see how he’s doing. Those days there were no SMS and this and that. We had to personally come. Prabhupada was very kind to permit us to have his audience Darshana and during that Darshana we talked about Badrika Ashrama visit.

Well, also I had mentioned: ‘Srila Prabhupada! We showed your Bhagavad Gita to Srila Vyasadeva’, because we visited the cave of Vyasa and we were carrying Bhagavad Gita and we thought we did not see Vyasadeva but for sure he resides there, he must have seen us and also the Bhagavad Gita that we were carrying. So, I reported to Prabhupada that we showed your Bhagavad Gita, Prabhupada had a smile on his face. Then, I had also mentioned about his spot from where Bheema departed and then our Darshana time was over. Then, Bhavanand Maharaja at that time, he rebuked me, rebuked means mild chastisement, and he said: ‘Why, why did you tell Prabhupada about your visit to this Bheema Ka Pul spot from where Bheema departed?’ He took serious objection to this and he gave the reason, ‘You want to give hint to Srila Prabhupada, what hint? also of leaving. Are you reminding Srila Prabhupada…’? That was of course not my intention or it was not in my mind but this was the reading of this Maharaja. Hari! Hari!

Anyway, I just want to make a connection with going back to Godhead. Someone else went back to Godhead and I talked about Bheema’s going back to Godhead from such a place as Bheema Ka Pul and as I was sharing, someone got the hint that I was giving some hint about going back to Godhead or Prabhupada going back to Godhead. And as we know, our meeting was just, maybe, five six days before Prabhupada’s departure and so Prabhupada did leave on 14th of November 1977 and he went back to Godhead! Oh, he just entered the pastimes of Krsna and Balarama in Vrindavan. He always called Vrindavan is my home, so he was at home, he entered the home. So, Prabhupada, I think, I don’t know anyone else as far as I know I have read, heard many acharyas. A lot of them don’t even talk of for no, the unbelievers that Prabhupada is talking about the unbelievers or ignorant people. They think this going back to Godhead or even back home Vaikuntha or Goloka is just a myth and going there, forget it! No one talks about but Prabhupada is the one, he talked about so much and over again and again every other purport, every other talk that he delivered, talked about going back to Godhead. We are going back to home, some devotees have even compiled and sung songs, ‘we are going…’ and they play their guitar a little, ‘Srila Prabhupada is the captain of the ship and ISKCON is that ship. Please board the ship, we are going back to home …’. I’m not an English singer.

If you ever get money, what you should do? Print books. What was the first book of publication that Prabhupada …? Back to Godhead 1944. He gave a title to his first publication, periodical they called them. It was a pakshika, by monthly and then became monthly called Back to Godhead the title, BACK TO GODHEAD! Prabhupada really highlighted this Back to Godhead, going back to home, Back to Godhead. Then Srila Prabhupada, he wrote a letter to the first President of India Dr Rajendra Prasada, he was from Bihar and that was appeal to the President of India that he wanted assistance for publication of his Back to Godhead or promotion of his back to Godhead. In that letter which is available, Prabhupada’s letter to the President, Prabhupada writes, says,‘I have got a hint’ and Prabhupada says,the hint is: ‘When I leave my body, I’ll be going Back to Godhead’ and he also says HARE KRSNA, I think. My attention goes to you know who? Those with eyes closed but I think its not because of rapt attention. So, some of my time is invested and energy also. Hari! Hari! I think our going Back to Godhead would be delayed or we may miss the bus as they say, because we are late or spend some time sleeping.

Then Prabhupada writes in the same letter, he says,‘I would like to bring all my fellow human beings with me, bring them to home Back to Godhead’. This is Prabhupada’s vision. The Back to Godhead exists, right? Yes? back home exists? Why can’t Goloka exist or okay if it exists let it exists, you know, what does it matter for me it exists. That’s the kind of stand, I think because a lot of the people don’t even know that it exists and there are others they know or they may accept that it exists, but it doesn’t really, they don’t care. Prabhupada is the one who talked about going, going, going there! Physically going, of course. Going there couldn’t be physical, spiritually going, actually going there, going Back to Godhead, from somewhere you are from there you go elsewhere, go back to home, Back to Godhead. Whenever a devotee in ISKCON, leaves the body, we always talk about or we even hope and pray that he went…where did he go? BACK TO GODHEAD. Happy birthday to you and what? You may never take birth again and then what happens? you may never take birth again and what? Go back to home.
The Sastras talk of this everywhere. I was just thinking, the Bhagavad Gita is like an invitation, extended by Lord himself to all those listeners and readers of Bhagavad Gita. Invitation where? invitation for what? Going Back to Godhead.

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so ’rjuna

And after you give up your body,tyaktva deham punar janma
,naiti, no more birth death and what happens instead? mam eti. There are two eti: punar janmanaiti and mam eti. That person doesn’t go to another birth ,punar janmanaiti, instead mam eti, he comes to me.

dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te

Is that 10th chapter of Bhagavad Gita? That I give intelligence to that person, of course, one who is practicing devotional service, and he is utilizing that intelligence for what?mam upayanti, upayanti means go again. Mam: to go to me and Lord is using ‘upa’ means comes close to me, meaning close, he comes closer to me.
He didn’t have much time while he was talking to Arjuna. He has mentioned about his abort.

na tad bhasayate suryo na shashanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama

So how many times, one time is enough. Your Lord mentions one time about his Dhama, isn’t that sufficient? Because he only speaks what? The truth, Lord only speaks the truth and nothing but the truth.It is talking about his Dhama and talking about going and those who go do not come back. In conclusion also, there are many other mentions of back to home, Back to Godhead and going back home but in conclusion man-man? bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mamnamaskuru ,now the Lord is going to say, ‘You know I had spoken about some confidential subject matters Guhyam, then I spoke about some Guhyatara more confidential but now I’m going to talk to Guhyatamam most confidential. Please pay attention. If confidential thing you ignored, most confidential, ATTENTION! Having said that, I’m going to talk of something most confidential than what a person is really focused on his attentive. I’m trying to do that but some of you don’t care. Hari! Hari!

There is man-man? bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mamnamaskuru, you know this, do these four things. Srila Prabhupada once time said, ‘We follow four regulative principles’ and as soon as Prabhupada says we follow four regulative principles devotees were thinking he is going to mention : no intoxication, no meat-eating and like that but then having said we follow four regulative principles ,they said man-man?, one principle :remember me, bhava mad-bhakto :become my devotee, mad-yaji: worship me and mamnamaskuru : offer your obeisances unto me. Prabhupada called these and we follow four regulative principles and if you did this, then what does Krsna say? Now, he’s going to close his dialogue with Arjuna with this statement. If you do these four things, then what happens? Then mam evaisyasi, again,mam evaisyasi, mam eva: me only, esyasi: you will come to me. You are dear to him or he loves you, he is dear to you, you are dear to him. Whether you are dear to him, yeah you are dear to him whether he is dear to you or not or temporarily he’s not dear to you, Maya is dearer and then you say I love you and all that. All this love is transferred and focused on someone else, something else other than the Lord or the demigods with a little demigod, they love this and Aham Brahmasmiand I am Brahman, I love Brahman.

But here the Lord is saying because I love you. So, we could very easily put ourselves in the seat or in a position of Arjuna. In fact, Lord is addressing through Bhagavad Gita, who is He addressing? Only Arjuna? No! He is addressing you, each one of you, me included. When Lord says priyah asi, Ishtadeva , priyah asi. The Lord is speaking in Sanskrit, you are very dear to me and could say all the names. Radharaman Maharaj,priyah asi: you are very dear. Lord is addressing, it’s good to know that the Lord likes and loves you. I think we always like to know who likes us and we love to know who likes us. What if one day, we come to know that the Lord likes me, Lord loves me and isn’t that good enough? Of course, if the devotees also like you, devotees, other souls like you and they do like pure devotees, like all the devotees. All those devotees in Goloka, everybody in Goloka loves you. So, it is not only the Lord who loves and likes you but all the devotees love and like you.

So, one should go to that place where everyone likes you. For sure, that place is back home, Goloka, that place is Mayapur Dhama Ki jai! Non-different from Goloka, sri-gauda-mandala-bhumi, jeba jane cintamani,tara hoy braja-bhume bas,those who would realise this sri-gauda-mandala-bhumi,in cintamani dhama, they will also go Back to Godhead, Back to Vrindavan Dhama ki jai! Anyway, some may stay here also, continue to stay because this is a part of Vrindavan. Hari! Hari!

Srila Prabhupada, on behalf of Sri Krsna or Sri Krsna Chaitanya gave us a lot of things including Mayapur festival 50 years ago. This is a year of celebration 50th anniversary, Golden Jubilee of Mayapur festival and a lot of other items also. He gave us Radha Madhava and gave us,

HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE,

He gave us Chaitanya Caritamrta. Of course, he gave Mahaprasade Govinde and each one of this is Lord, Dhama is Lord, his holy name is Lord, Caitanya Caritamrta, his Lila is Lord. What else? His form is Lord, non-different kali-kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara, his gunas are Lord, prasadam is also Lord. Srila Prabhupada, On behalf of Parampara, acharyas, he gave us all these gifts including or at the center also we could say there’s a Dhama, he gave us Dhama and gave us the idea of going back to home. Although, it is not a new idea, so it is an eternal idea but Prabhupada threw light on it. He emphasized this fact and as I said earlier more than anyone else amongst you and acharyas. Is it a good idea going Back to Godhead? Are you getting that idea? Are you making up your mind? Are you preparing as Kunti Maharani prepared and Pandavas prepared? They retired also from worldly, well for them not worldly, so-called worldly for us they are really worldly things. When did the Lord disappear for us? For them, as soon as they heard the Lord disappeared immediately, they took to Krsna consciousness devotional service very seriously. For us, what was the last time that we were with the Lord or we forgot or he disappeared? Time immemorial cannot be encountered or calculated even with the present electronic calculators cannot calculate number of years ago that we left, we became outgoing or going outward. We have become dancing dogs in the hands of maya and the mind, senses. Such a long time ago, the Lord did not leave us but we left him or we were trying to leave him. The Lord has kindly caught up with us and by the merciful arrangement of Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, his Senapati bhakta Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

He founded this International Society for Krsna Consciousness and all the arrangements are made for us to get a passport. A lot of time, we say ISKCON temples are like embassies. ISKCON is Goloka embassy and an embassy what do you get? Prabhupada is mentioning passport but passport is not enough. Just because your passport cannot go to America, what do you need? A visa. So, in an embassy you get the visa. Then, the spiritual masters, on behalf of the founder acharya and ultimately Lord. They put a stamp of approval, visa approval. He gets only one-way ticket and visa for how long? Otherwise, you get one year of a five-year student visa. Hahahaa. This is a wonderful arrangement and it is here at the disposal of anybody, everybody on this planet.

Appearance day of Gadadhar Pandit

Srimad Bhagavatam Class
30 April 2022
Iskcon Vrindavan

Srila Gadadhara Pandit avirbhav tithi mahotsava ki jai.

Nitai gaura prem anande Hari Haribol.

All glories to assembled devotees. Hare Krishna. Everyone is okay? Thank you for being with us this morning to do Nityam Bhagavata Sevaya. Hari Hari. So we are reading from canto ten chapter eighteen, Lord Balaram slays the demon Pralamba. Haribol.

Is this good news? So the verse is twenty two and today is as I said earlier, it is also the appearance day of Gadadhar Pandit ki jai.

So first we will read Srimad Bhagavatam and we will talk a little. Then we will also talk or remember Gadadhar Pandit as much as we could or I could manage to remember and share that remembrance. So we are at their mercy. Okay, so please repeat after me.

vahanto vahyamanas ca
carayantas ca go dhanam
bhandirakam nama vatam
jagmuh krsna purogamah

Translation
Thus carrying and being carried by one another, and at the same time tending the cows, the boys followed Krsna to a banyan tree known as Bhandiraka (SB 10.18.22)

Srila Sanatana Gosvami quotes the following verses from Sri Harivamsa (Visnu parva 11.18-32 ), which describe the banyan tree

dadarsa vipulodagra
sakhinam sakhinam varam
sthitam dharanyam meghabham
nibidam dala sancayaih

gaganardhocchritakaram
parvatabhoga dharinam
nila citranga varnais ca
sevitam bahubhih khagaih

phalaih pravalais ca ghanaih
sendracapa ghanopamam
bhavanakara vitapam
lata puspa sumanditam

visala mulavanatam
pavanambhoda dharinam
adhipatyam ivanyesam
tasya desasya sakhinam

kurvanam subha karmanam
niravarsam anatapam
nyagrodham parvatagrabham
bhandiram nama namatah

And the rest of the purport is just the translation of these verses which we have just read which are from Mahabharata.

Purport
They saw that best of all trees, which had many long branches. With its dense covering of leaves, it resembled a cloud sitting on the earth. Indeed, its form was so large that it appeared like a mountain covering half the sky. Many birds with charming blue wings frequented that great tree, whose dense fruits and leaves made it seem like a cloud accompanied by a rainbow or like a house decorated with creepers and flowers. It spread its broad roots downward and carried upon itself the sanctified clouds. That banyan tree was like the Lordly master of all other trees in that vicinity, as it performed the all-auspicious functions of warding off the rain and the heat of the sun. Such was the appearance of that nyagrodha tree known as Bhandira, which seemed just like the peak of a great mountain.

vahanto vahyamanas ca?carayantas ca go dhanam?bhandirakam nama vatam?jagmuh krsna purogamah
(SB 10.18.22)

Translation
Thus carrying and being carried by one another, and at the same time tending the cows, the boys followed Krsna to a banyan tree known as Bhandiraka

The description of the tree in the purport caught my attention, although this is the pastime of Balaram killing the demon Pralamba. Also this is in the middle of the act of the killing and hence it is described ‘vahanto vahyamanas ca.’ We will talk about the three verses very soon.

The friends of Krishna say ‘who do you think you are?! Krishna or even you Balaram, you and us, we are the same, all equals!’ Friendship is amongst equals, right? So that we see here and hence they’re playing with their friends and this demon has taken advantage. Pralamba has entered the gathering of the cowherd friends.

Pralamba is very long, lamba means long, very very long. Initially he looked to be a normal size but soon he became a long and tall demon and that’s why he came to be known as Pralambasura. Prabhupada asked his disciples ‘who is stronger, Krishna or Balaram?’ What did they say? Prabhupada was expecting a response, ‘is Krishna stronger or is Balaram stronger?’

Some said Krishna and some said Balaram. So Balaram Krishna, Krishna Balaram. Prabhupada said ‘look at Krishna and Balaram and the way they are standing. Isn’t Balaram taking support of Krishna even to stand?’ Jai Srila Prabhupada! So Prabhupada made a point that Krishna is stronger but in this pastime it doesn’t look like Krishna has proven his strength.

There was a wrestling match and Krishna has been defeated! Balaram’s party has won and that’s why Balaram is sitting on the back of Pralamba and Sridhama is sitting on the back of? Krishna! So about the trees, this tree that we are reading and hearing about, that tree is still there. You just have to come out on Vraja Mandal Parikrama and one day you will have darshan of this bhandira mentioned here.

Krishna and Balaram and friends were playing games, as they always do and therefore as we go on Vraja Mandal Parikrama we also play games, sometimes including wrestling matches. There were wrestling matches here and so we are also reminded of Krishna’s pastimes and the Parikrama devotees re-do the wrestling matches and the rest of us enjoy seeing the wrestling matches.

You heard the description of this tree which is huge and of course it is green and beautiful. There are blue birds flying around this tree and it is loaded with fruits and flowers and these trees are also devotees of Krishna. I was sitting under this tree here and it reminded me that it is a desire tree that even fulfils the desires of Krishna and his devotees.

These trees are so great and so nothing is inert in Vrindavan and everything is sac cid ananda.

cintamani prakara sadmasu kalpa vrksa
(BS 5.29)

Translation
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees..

Here the first line is mentioning the kalpa vrksa, the wish fulfilling tree and then the cows are mentioned and then lakshmi, Gopi’s are mentioned but the first item mentioned is the desire tree.

Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakur in his Vrindavan Mahimamrita, the glories of Vrindavan, glorifies the trees of Vrindavan like anything. These are his realisations about the trees of Vrindavan and the flowers which shoot or sprout or bloom. Even the leaves are sprouted and Prabodhananda Saraswati says ‘look, their hairs are standing on end.’

Just like one of the symptoms of ecstasy, the leaves are standing on end and the flowers are standing on end just like hairs that stand on end and the trees are ecstatic! So not just one tree which is mentioned here in this verse, all the trees of Vrindavan are like this. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was touring Vrindavan when he went on Vraja Mandal Parikrama.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did Parikrama of Vrindavan and Vrindavan doesn’t mean just Loi Bazaar Vrindavan, no. That’s how the rest of the world thinks and even I thought that way that Vrindavan means just seeing Loi Bazaar which is in the centre. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did not come to Vrindavan and stay at MVT guest house for the rest of the month or whatever duration.

No, he went all around Vrindavan and all the twelve forests of Vrindavan. Vrindavan is known for being Vrinda-van, forests full of trees, right? The biggest population is that of the trees in Vrindavan. So when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was touring Vrindavan, everyone was welcoming and greeting Gaurasundar in Vrindavan.

Of course they thought ‘this is our Shyamsundar. Shyamsundar is here!’ Gaurasundar had come, that was five hundred years ago but they had this realisation that ‘our Shyamsundar is back.’ So everyone was meeting and greeting and glorifying the Lord and serving, especially the trees and the Lord was mostly reciprocating with those trees.

He was reciprocating with everyone and he was also saying ‘Haribol Haribol Haribol’ and everyone was chanting ‘Haribol Haribol Haribol’ including the trees. So in Chaitanya Charitamrita it is described by Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami how the trees were thinking. ‘Oh, our friend is here! Our friend is here!’

So they had to greet their friend and the trees had to give some gifts to their friend, so the fruit bearing trees were shaking their branches and tons of fruits were being downloaded, they were dropped and being offered to Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. As he continues his journey through Vrindavan, and of course he is chanting

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

The flower bearing trees, they shake their branches and tons of flowers, this kind of flower and that kind of flower. There was a flower abhishek, fresh and fragrant flowers being dropped from the top and the branches and they are like the hands of the trees dropping the flowers. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is feeling grateful ’thank you, thank you, thank you.’

He is embracing the trees, ‘thank you my dear tree.’ The next tree is saying ’me too.’ Then Mahaprabhu had to rush to that tree and embrace that tree and then ‘me too, me too.’ And the next tree and the next tree. In this way Mahaprabhu had to embrace all the trees of Vrindavan. It’s not a big deal for him. He could have become as many as the trees which were there, that many Gauranga’s.

He is Radha Krishna nahi anya so he could expand. Hari Hari. So these trees of Vrindavan play a very vital role in the pastimes of the Lord. What is Vrindavan without forests and without trees? Can we imagine? First of all it says Vrinda yaha vanam, there are lots of Tulsi trees and it is Tulsi Vrindavan. And the other trees are there and they are all great devotees, Hari Hari.

While performing the Sankirtan pastimes in Navadwipa, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s party was in Godrumadwipa and there is a Alm Ghat, like a mango grove and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s party had been chanting and chanting for a long time and they were hungry. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu brought them to this mango grove, ‘okay sit around.’ ‘The devotees were saying ‘we are hungry and what is this, there is nothing to eat here.’

And what did Mahaprabhu do? He planted a mango seed and quickly- in the spiritual sky there is no past present or future and everything is in present tense. And so quickly it grew leaves and flowers and fruits, raw and ripened fruits grew so quickly (Maharaja clicks fingers).

‘Okay say Maha prashade govinde.’ By the time they finished their prayer the fruits were ready and they were served and these fruits were so huge and delicious. Even a big devotee could not finish eating one of those mangoes. Someone else would think ‘that’s all you are giving us to eat, just one mango?’ So that was a great devotee, that mango tree was a devotee of the Lord.

So today five hundred years ago the other Pandit appeared, Haribol! We were not there to greet him back then but now we can welcome him. Su swagatam Gadadhar Pandit, welcome Gadadhar Pandit. That’s okay you don’t have to sing, I know you are all willing and ready to go but we don’t have seven days for recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam or Chaitanya Charitamrita katha.

We could welcome Gadadhar Pandit in our lives and so Gadadhar Pandit is very, very special. We could very easily say he was the topmost amongst the associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. We could also say that there are two top notch associates, one was Balarama who is also standing at the right side of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. When we take darshan of Pancha Tattva

Dakhine nitaicand, bame gadadhara. On Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s right hand side stands Lord Nityananda and on his left is Gadadhar Pandit. In this way we remember Pancha Tattva also and Gadadhar Pandit is on top of the list

panca tattvatmakam krishnam bhakta rupa svarupakam
bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam namami bhakta saktikam

I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kirishna, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, manifestation, pure devotee, and devotional energy

The Lord appeared in Pancha tattva, five forms which are five personalities and so at the end of this prayer it is said ‘bhakta saktikam.’ So Gadadhar Pandit is the Sakti, energy of the Lord and what kind of Sakti is he? He is the hladini sakti of the Lord and who is this hladini sakti? Radharani ki jai! Jai Radhe.

So Radha had already appeared when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. When the Lord appeared then what happened?Sri Krishna Chaitanya Radha Krishna nahi anya. They are two in one, there is one Radha and one Krishna but there is also another form. Radharani has appeared in another manifestation and that is Gadadhar Pandit.

What I have heard and have understood is
that in Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes as you all know, this is a well known fact that Radha and Krishna cannot be together all the time. The gopi’s also cannot be with the Lord all the time because the social norms are there and customs are there. A young boy and young girls together in one place and gossiping, it’s not possible, not possible!

Radharani of course wants to be with Krishna all the time, yes or no? You’re not Radharani so can’t say, but you know Radharani. So that which was then impossible was made possible. What was not possible in the nitya lila in Vrindavan, was made possible and Radharani appeared in her Gadadhar form in Lord Chaitanya’s manifest pastimes. She has become Gadadhar Pandit and now she can freely mix and mingle with her Krishna as Gadadhar.

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai!

No-one could object and no-one could suspect and that is what happened in this gaura lila. Gadadhar Pandit was with Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu throughout Navadwipa lila as well as Nilacala lila. From their very childhood they were together and they were playing together, they even went to school together.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to debate with Gadadhar while he was a Pandit. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Pandit and he would always argue. He would also argue with Gadadhar Pandit and also Mukunda Datta and back then Gadadhar Pandit used to say ‘when will our friend Nimai Pandit become a devotee?’

He was more of a Pandit than a bhakta then and he was always having these debates. And so that did happen, as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was initiated by who? Iswara Puri in Gaya, that was when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life changed and he stopped arguing with others including Gadadhar Pandit. Then he was looking for Krishna, ‘where is Krishna, where is Krishna?’

He asked this question one time to Gadadhar Pandit, ‘where is my Krishna?’ ‘Oh your Krishna is in your heart.’ As soon as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu heard this, actually he is Nimai and he has not become Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu yet and he has not taken Sannyasa yet, and so Gadadhar Pandit says ‘your Lord is in your heart.’

As Nimai heard this that the Lord is in your heart, he is immediately scratching and hurting his chest and digging deeper, he is attempting to open his heart like Hanuman. Hanuman had done this and you could see who is in his heart. I was in Bombay some time ago and it was summer season and I saw a big billboard. There was a young man who was depicted there and he had opened his heart. As we looked, we had to look at it as you couldn’t avoid it. There was a limca bottle.

So as Nimai was attempting to dig deeper to perform a open heart surgery or something, to look at the Lord of his heart or the Lord in his heart, then ‘no no no! Don’t do that, don’t do that! Look, take darshan of this deity because the deity is non different from Krishna. Or chant Hare Krishna.

Kali kale nama rupe Krishna avatare

The Lord appears in the age of Kali in the form of the holy name.’ Like that, Gadadhar succeeded in stopping Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s attempt to perform an open heart surgery. Saci Mata was watching this from a distance, what Gadadhar Pandit did for her Nimai and she had come on the scene and came forward.

‘Well done, well done Gadadhar. Thank you. I have a wish that you please stay with and around my Nimai. He may get into trouble like this again, who knows? I just saw what you did for him and how you protected him.’ Like that she strongly recommended that Gadadhar Pandit always be with Chaitanya Nimai.

One day Chaitanya Mahaprabhu out of ecstasy started calling out ‘bop, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, bop!’ No-one knew what he was talking about and who was this Pundarika Vidyanidhi? He was calling bop which means father. ‘Oh father Pundarika Vidyanidhi.’ In Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes Pundarika Vidyanidhi is?

Well there he is Pundarika Vidyanidhi but in Krishna’s pastimes he is?
Radhe vrindavaneshvari vrishabhanu sute.
King Vrishabhanu had appeared as Pundarika Vidyanidhi and at that time Pundarika Vidyanidhi was in Bangladesh and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu kind of called him over, ‘please come over.’

He had come and was kind of hiding or staying away in Navadwipa and Mukunda Datta proposed to Gadadhar Pandit, ‘would you like to see a very extraordinary devotee?’ ‘Oh why not? Please take me along with you.’ So that happens and Mukunda and Gadadhar have gone to see Pundaika Vidyanidhi because at that time he had migrated and is Navadwipa at the time.

So Pundarika Vidyanidhi was hiding in two ways we could say. He was staying away at a greater distance and in that way he was hiding away and he was also acting on his lifestyle which was a materialistic lifestyle. And he was hiding his true identity and nobody could recognise him. That is what happened as Mukunda Datta and Gadadhar Pandit arrived.

Gadadhar Pandit was witnessing this he and said ‘what is this? You said you were going to bring me to an extraordinary devotee and is this the extraordinary devotee? Look at the dress he is wearing and his sitting place and they are fanning him. Look there is a pond right there and this and that. The whole life is a life of luxury with no tinge of renunciation. This is some attached householder! This is not a Mahatma. Sa mahatma sudurlabha.’

Gadadhar Pandit was thinking like that and Mukunda Datta must have read the mind of Gadadhar Pandit and what he was thinking about. Then Mukunda Datta started reciting the words that Uddhava had recited one time in Vrindavan. As Pundarika Vidyanidhi heard this prayer he was a changed person and all the emotions aroused. He was trembling and he couldn’t even sit in his seat.

He fell down and he was rolling on the ground and screaming out the names of the Lord. Then Gadadhar Pandit thought ‘oh I am sorry. It’s good that I did not say anything offensive, but mentally I was certainly very offensive. Now I realise what kind of great devotee he is by seeing all the symptoms and ecstasy of this Pundarika Vidyanidhi.’

He thought ‘the only way I could rectify my mentality and for me to atone for my offences is if I become his disciple.’ And that did happen and then when Pundarika Vidyanidhi heard of this offer, ‘could you accept me as a disciple?’ Pundarika Vidyanidhi said ‘I am very lucky, very fortunate to have a qualified disciple like you!’ And that transaction did take place and here we see that Gadadhar Pandit is Radharani and he has become a disciple of Pundarika Vidyanidhi who is her father in Krishna lila.

Pundarika Vidynidhi has become her spiritual master as the spiritual master is the spiritual father and when Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa, he disclosed his thoughts and intension of taking sannyasa with only a few selected devotees and Gadadhar Pandit was one if them. There was also Nityananda Prabhu, Chadrasekhar Acarya and Mukunda Datta. There were only four or five persons and Gadadhar was one.

When the sannyasa initiation took place in Katwa, Gadadhar Pandit was right there And as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu travelled to Puri, ‘only a few persons could go with me!’ From Shantipura all the residents of Navadwipa wanted to go with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but he said ‘no, no, no no.’ But Gadadhar Pandit was allowed and he accompanied the Lord to Jagannatha Puri and one time the Lord found a deity of Krishna at Jagannatha Puri.

He offered that deity to Gadadhar Pandit. ‘He is Krishna and you are Radharani. He is Krishna so you can serve and be with this Krishna.’ That is tota gopinath ki jai! So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also gave initiation to Gadadhar Pandit in a way. This was ksetra sannyasa. Gadadhar Pandit was a Brahmacari throughout his life. The other members of the Pancha Tattva were all married and out of five, only Gadadhar was single or unmarried, so Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him ksetra sannyasa.

‘This is Sri ksetra and you will be a sannyasi but you will have to stay right here serving tota gopinath.’ So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannatha Puri, this was his regular practice. He used to go to tota gopinath especially to meet Radharani, well meet Gadadhar Pandit because externally he is Gadadhar Pandit in a male form, but in their eternal forms they are Radha and Krishna.

So here in tota gopinath, Gadadhar Pandit used to recite Bhagavatam. The reciter is Gadadhar Pandit and who is in the audience? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to listen to Gadadhar Pandit. The way Gadadhar Pandit used to recite Bhagavatam you can’t even imagine. We have heard how tears were rolling down his cheeks and he would drop those tears on the Bhagavatam.

Everyday the Bhagavatan was getting wet then drying up and then there the next day again. You can imagine the condition of the Bhagavatam, wet and dry and so..This is another thing but there was a time when Srinivas Acharya heard the news that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is no more and then he ran because he was on his way to Jagannatha Puri hoping to get darshan of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

On the way he found out that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is no more. ‘Okay at least I can still go and take darshan of Gadadhar Pandit and listen from him.’ This he did but Gadadhar Pandit said ‘the condition of my bhagavatam is so bad, could you get another copy for me?’ And Srinivas Acharya goes to find another copy of Srimad Bhagavatam but by the time he returns, Gadadhar Pandit is no more.

This was happening all the time to him. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu disappeared and everyone was gradually disappearing. Just like Srila Prabhupada disappeared, a big number. After that we are also dropping out but our race doesn’t stop, we keep marching. As Prabhuji said, we have come back home because this is Prabhupada’s home and coming to Vrindavan is coming to Prabhupada’s home. It is Krishna’s home.

We get to be with Prabhupada and associate with Prabhupada in Vrindavan dham ki jai! So then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to come to Vrindavan and Gadadhar Pandit wanted to very much accompany him. ‘Oh Vrindavan! When are you going to Vrindavan?’ So Radharani is thinking ‘of course, I have to come with you!’

So Gadadhar Pandit was following Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and from time to time Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would notice and say ‘oh, you’re still here. Go back.’ Then after a while again the Lord would continue and then notice and say ‘you’re still here, go back.’ Then the Lord managed to go all the way up to Cuttack from Jagannatha Puri and then the Lord had to cross a river and so Chaitanya Mahaprabhu jumped into the boat and Gadadhar Pandit wanted to follow him into the boat.

But Mahaprabhu said ‘no, you can’t come.’ And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu proceeded and Gadadhar Pandit collapsed and he was rolling on the ground and there were pangs of separation. Of course he had to return home and he was getting older and he was not able to reach the head of his deity. He was not able to extend his hands to offer the deity a turban or flute and so what did the Lord do?

His deity kind of sat down. ‘Okay now you can go round and serve me conveniently’ and that deity tota gopinath is still sitting. Hari Hari. In the same deity Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wound up his pastimes by entering that deity of tota gopinath. The Lord entered that deity which Gadadhar Pandit used to worship, or rather Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had given him that deity which he was worshipping and Mahaprabhu also becomes a part of that deity.

‘Okay you can continue to serve the deity and myself’ and that is what Gadadhar Pandit did for the rest of his life which was only for another eleven months after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s departure. Gadadhar Pandit also departed, he could not bear the separation from Gauranga and so he also departed. So what? Nothing more to say.

There’s so much to say but,

Gadadhar Pandit avirbhava tithi mahatsava ki jai!
Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai!
Nitai Gaura prem anande hari haribol.
Srila Prabhupada ki jai.
Sri Krishna Balaram ki jai.
Vrindavan dham ki jai.
Trees of Vrindavan ki jai.
Vrinda devi Tulsi Maharani ki jai.
Gaura prem anande hari haribol.

Topic : Past times of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Place : Mayapur Dham

I highly appreciate your presence and association this morning. I heartily welcome you all from all over the world. Yes, from Middle East also, from here and there, everywhere devotees have come to celebrate Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s 536th birthday. It’s a birthday party. So this is about to happen, just ot get into the mood of that day, that’s tomorrow, the appearance day, and we asked to talk about Gauranga. Thank you Srila Prabhupad also for doing the foundation of this International Society for Krishna Conciousness, as a result we are here in fact. We should be also remembering and thanking, Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur, Prabhupad for giving instruction to Abhey Babu, 100 years ago. You, he said few things, you are very intelligent and go to the west and you know the rest.

So I always think that this instruction although eminated from the lotus mouth of Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur, but the actual speaker of this instruction, or the instructor is Gauranga. Instruct him, he is the right person. I want to make him he is the one from million or few billion people, but he is the one. My senapati Bhakta. He has come right there. He is in front of you. Instruct him. So these must be dications of Gauranga to Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur and hence the instruction and then you know, result of all that is we have assembled here today. So, anyway, I alos had a thought of one verse, which I will read out from Caitanya Caritamrta, this is Antya Lila Chapter 1, text number 32. You are familiar with this, you are expected to be familiar with this verse, if you are Gaudiaya Vaishnav, not just any other kind of, there are other Vaishnav’s also but we are, what kind of Vaishnav’s we are, we are Gaudiaya Vaishnav.

anarpita carim cairat karunayavatirnah kalau
sanaroayitum unnatojjvala rasam sva bhakti sriyam
harth puratasundara dyuti Kadamba sandipitah
sada hrdaya kandare sphuratu vah savi nandanah
(CC Adi lila 1.4)

So it is not on board and so I will just read the

Anarpita – not bestowed; carim – having been formerly; cirat – for a long time; Karunaya – by causeless mercy; avatirnah – descended; Kalau, (what’s the meaning of Kalau) – in the age of Kali; smarpayitum – to bestow; unnata , (is everybody saying , please repeat, it is purifying you could hear and recite also, let this go to your system one time, one another time, or againg, this is all nectar, purifying nectar) – elevated; ujjvala rasam – the conjugal mellow; sva-bhakti – of his own service; sriyam – the treasure; Harih – the Supreme Lord; purata – than gold; Sundara – more beautiful ( I think you are getting idea, right by going through the word meaning, you are picking up some bits and pieces and then put them all together in the form of translation) ; dyuti – of splendour; Kadamba – with a multitude; sandipitah – lighted up; sada – always; hrdaya kandare – in the cavity of the heart; sphuratu – let him be manifest; vah – your; saci nandanah – the son of mother saci.

Translation and Purport by Srila Prabhupad,
Srila Prabhupad ki Jai.
So the translation first, please listen attentively and please wake up also, just in case you are already at trance.

May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimata Savi devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. This is Rupa Goswami talking or saying, we will find that out soon, but just to let you know, who is talking or who has talked or compiled this verse, it’s Rupa Goswami. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, he has appeared in the Age of Kali by his causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: and what is that the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.

This verse is from Vidagdha Madhava, 1.2 also appears in adi lila 1.4 and 3.4. So this verse appears in Caitanya Caritamrta, how many times, 3 times, those who did not respond to my question. In his commentary on Vidagdha madhava, Srila Vishwanath Chakroborty Thakur remarks. So. Vidagdha Madhava is Srila Rupa Goswami’s work or Drama and now Srila Vishwanath Chakroborty Thankur is remarking his remark and Prabhupad has quoted or included that in his purport here.

mahaprabhu Suphirtaim veena hari lila
ras swadan anurpatir eti Bhavah

Meaning of that quote in Sanskrit

Without the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one cannot describe the past times of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, unquote, therefore Srila Rupa Goswami said, now Rupa Goswami’s quotation, is everyone with us. It is quite a task for me, it’s double role for me and somehow I take this additional role of waking up souls.

om ismakam hrdya rupa guhiyam
saci nandano hari paksha singha sufurutu

May Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is exactly like a lion, that kills all the elephants of desire be awakened within everyone’s heart, for by his merciful blessings one cannot understand the transcendental past times of Krishna.

anarpita carim cairat, so verse begins like that anarpita, never before offered and ciram cairat and after long time it is being offered and who is offerer, who is making offering that is Saci- Nandana, Saci Nandana, Saci Nandanah: karunayavatirnah kalau so that Saci Nandana, he is offering something, what that is , not yet mentioned, what he is offering, but how he is offering “Karunaya” by his causeless mercy, he is full of Karuna, infact “karunam kuru mayi karuna bharite” As we pray to Radha Rani also, Oh you are full of Karuna and what about me getting, just a few drops of that Karuna, “karunam kuru mayi karuna bharite”. You are full of Karuna, so little bit of the Karuna could that come in my way, O Rahde, we pray this, it is another song of Rupa Goswami, he ends that song like that. So Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s Karuna, but Gauranga Mahaprabhu, who is Gauranga Mahaprabhu?

Sri Krsna Caitanya Radha Krsna nahi Anaya

Why is he full of Karuna or more Karunamay then Sri Krishna. “Namo Maha Vadanyaya “ Krishna is Vadanyaya, but Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Maha Vadanyaya, how did he get promoted from Vadanyaya to Maha Vadanyaya, because he is not alone this time.

antah krsnam bahir gauram (cc adi lila 3.81)

They are two in one, two in one, ekatnabv api bhuvi pura dega bhedam gatam tau (CC adi 1.5). This is the statement from CC again, Radha and Krishna are one atma, “ekatmanav” ek atma, ek atma, ek atma, Radha and Krishna are one, ek atma “ekatmav api” although they are one atma, In mean they are one, “deha bhedam gatam tav, you get something out of this.
Radha Madhav ki Jai….

They are appearing before us “deha bhedum gatau tau”, they become two deha bhedum, they assume two forms, from one they become two and then later on 536 years ago, what happen “tad adhuna caitanyakaham”, adhuna means now, now, “tad adhuna caitanyakhyam”, they assume the name Chaitanya, “tad dvayam caikyam aptam, tad dvayam caikyam aptam”, those two, they were one, they are one, they become two, well, we could say 5000 years ago, it is very difficult to say, it is also used the word “PURA”, PURA means long long time ago. So they were two 5000 years ago, 500 years ago what happen “tad dvayam caikyam aptam”, they become one and that is Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

“Radha bhava dyuti suvalitam” another dyuti “Radha bhava dyuti suvalitam naumi Krsna svarupam”, naumi means Namah, I offere my obeisances again and again unto that svarup, that svarup, which svarup is this, this is Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s Svarup and “Radha bhava”, that svarup has radha’s bhava and radha dyuti, radha bhava dyuti suvalitam, two things there is different from just Krsna Savrup, Krsna from, this Gauranga form has radha bhava and radha’s dyuti, dyuti. We have one prabhuji Radha dyuti, very famous devote, he cooks for you all year after year and he had been cooking all lifelong in fact. Radha Dyuti, Jaya Pataka Maharaj gave him name Radha Dyuti. So Dyuti means Kanti, ,means complexion, effulgence, radiance. “Radha bhava dyuti suvalitam”. So in Sri Krishna Chaitanya, it is radha and Krishna, and Radha is very very kind , yes, you know about Radha “Mahabhava Thakurani”and “Karuna Murti Radha Rani. So this “karunayatirnah kalau” . In kaliyug Lord has appeared and he is full of Karuna and that Karuna, we are making a point, that Karuna is because of Radha Rani being next to Krishna, always requesting him to, she should get mercy Lord please. Be kind to this one, that one, that American, that Chinese one, that African one, this one, that one.

samarpaytum unnatojjvala rasam, lokanam cha trankarant Golok cha paritagya

Shastra’s mention, what did Gauranga do, golokam cha paritajya, how would you translate this, sarva dharman paritajya, give up all varieties of religion and then”golokam cha paritajya” what did Lord Gauranga do, he gave up or he left Golok behind wherever it is, golokam cha paritajya,” Lakenaan trankarant, people of this planet, specially earthly planet.

Bharatvarsh ki Jai….

“Lokanaam trankarant” to give relief to the suffering humanity and bestow them with the mercy with
hare Krsna hare Krsna Krsna Krsna hare hare
hare Ram hare Ram Ram Ram hare hare
amrit Chaddi vish mange, sai hai murkha,

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, I am giving up the nectar, those who demand, give me poison. They are the fools. So the foolish people of this world, Lord Gauranga came to give the nectar, otherwise they were begging for and they were also getting poison, so Mahaprabhu came to offer the nectar.

golokera prema dhana harinaam sankirtana

“golokera prema dhana” this is the wealth, the holy name is a wealth of Golok. “golokera prema dhana” so lord Gauranga left his Golok, his own abode, he comes down to give nectar, give the holy name to the whole world, technically here mention or something similar. “samarpayitum unnatojjvala rasam” in order to offer the mellow called the Madhurya Bhava, Shinagar rasa or Gopi Bhava, Radha bhava, braj Bhava.

So Bhaktim shriyam, so braj bhakti, the Madhurya Bhakti, vatsalya bhakti, sakhya bhakti.

Harih purata sundara dyuti Kadamba sandiptah(CC adi 1.4)

And he has hari as now assumed the dyuti, it is very sundar dyuti, sundar beautiful. I think word sundar says more talks of more than the word beauty. Sundar lala, sundar, beauty is not so much, beauty in word beauty but sundar is, these are limitations of other languages specially English language has its limits. As Dharma is dharma is dharma, you can’t say religion, that’s not translated. Religion is not same as dharma. Dharma is something complete and perfect, religion is something else. So “sundar dyuti” as Rupa Goswami is writing this in his Vidgdha Madhav. While writing sundara, there is so much saundarya, he is thinking about in his hear, in his heart, in his consciousness that whole saundarya, the beauty has manifested and he is talking about sundara dyuti and what kind of dyuti , the beauty or the complexion. “purata sundara” golden complexion, golden complexion but then not just golden, but “tapta kancana”, not just kancana, but tapta kanchana – molten Gold.

Gauranga, so having described Gauranga, introducing, how he looks like, his complexion and he is the one who kindly comes appears in this age of kali and he comes after long, long time, after how long, he has come back once in one day of Brahma, otherwise Krishna has said in Bhagvad Gita, “sambhavami yuge yuge” there are so many avatars, avatar after avatar, he appear age after age after age, “Yuge Yuge” but gauranga’s appearance is “Kalpe kalpe” this is another, you know Kalpe, Brahma’s , it is in English Brahma’s day, what is it called Brahma’s day is called “Kalpe”. So once in one day of Barhma, “kalpe Kalpe”in Bhagwatam this term in found. Kalpe Kaple, the same thing with Krishna also, avatars they appears, they take avatar, “sambhavami yuge yuge” but avatari Sri Krishna.

ete camsa kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan Svayam (SB 1.3.28)

Svayam Bhagwan appears only once in one day of Brahma, middle of the day 14 manu’s during the period of 7th manu, vaivasvath manu, each manu has 71 cycles of the four yuga’s, catur yuga’s, they make round 71 times then that is one manu’s period. So during such time, manu’s time 28th cycle of satya, tretha, dwapar, Kali. This one is the 28th cycle and there will be 29th and soon there will be 71st and then 0, 1, 2, 3, next manu like that. So during the 28th cycle of this catur yuga’s in Dwapar yug, Krishna appears and the following after Dwapar comes Kali, Gauranga appears. kalau pratham sandhyayam it says kalau pratham sandhyayam sandhi means joint where the Dwapar Yug and kaliyug, the transition , the joint, the very first sandhi period of Kaliyug, Gauranga appears. only 5000 between the two, Krishna’s appearance followed by Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance. Sri Krishna Janamasthami Mahotsav ki Jai, Whenever that happened we know exactly when that happened and then Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appearing in Mayapur.

Mayapur Navadvipa Dham ki Jai……………..

536 years ago, so same Krishna has appeared but now he has appeared as, along with Radha Rani, Hari, hari and you know this. You know these things Krishna never appears alone, the whole, everybody appears, all associates of Krishna appear when Krishna appears and all the associates of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahprabhu appear when Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gauranga appears. In fact the whole Golok descends, with this we have to, just remind you, I am expecting that you would know this, that Golok has two divisions. Golok has two parts, one is Vrindavan and the other part is Navadvipa, also called as Shveta dvipa, so other technical name shveta dvipa but this shveta dvipa is not shir sagar where shirodakshi Vishnu is lying on the serpent couch, Sankarshan. But shveta dvipa it is part of Golok, there are two divisions. So again it is not, so Radha Krishna are in Vrindavan and so is Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in shvetadvipa, part of Vrindavan or Golok eternally not that in a quickly Radha and Krishna they become one okay I am going now I go with my new form, they didn’t exist befor3e and now in emergency they are on the

kaler dosa nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanand eva krsnasya mukti sangah param vrajet
(SB. 12.3.51)

This Kaliyug time, world is in big trouble, I better go and then Radha Krishna became quickly one and they proceeds towards “Yogapeth” that is not the case, that is not the case, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is eternally there in Golok

golok-namni nija dhamni tale ca tasya (Bramha samhita 5.43)

Golok is Nij Dham of Radha and Krishna and Golok is also Nij Dham of Gauranga. Eternally they are there. The pastimes of both of these places when put together that is a complete presentation. Those are the lila of Golok, Lila’s in Golok. So what happened, so Krishna appears, he appears in every Kalpa, once in a kalpa. So 5000 years ago Krishna appear and Radha rani and asth sakhi’s and the cowherd boys and everybody and Nand and Yashoda and the cows and everybody and then Gauranga Mahaprabhu appears 500 years ago, 536 years ago, so this is the continuation of that pastime, then Krishna’s pastimes becomes complete. Radha’s Radha Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan, they take place they are manifest and then this is Acharya say this is parishist lila, Caitanya Mahaprabhu lila, you know parishist, end of the book, they add some additional material for reference appendix or afterwards, preface for before the book writing preface and there is always afterwards, some thoughts after the book is completed. Some more text to be said otherwise, it is not complete. So Caitanya Mahparabhu’s lila’s are Radha Krishna’s Lila’s, they are like parishist, they are like appendix but additional doesn’t mean that they are less important. They are of equal importance, in fact you would not fully understand the main body of the book and the contents unless you refer to the appendix also or you study, understand, digest that. Then you will have complete picture of that book or the content of the book. So Gauranga.

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita
srimad bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pum-artho mahan
sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah
(chaitanya Manjusha)

This is from Chaitanya Manjusha, scripture called Chaitanya Manjusha, “caitanya mahaprabhor Matam” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s opinion is described or mentioned here as the vest that we read from Caitanya Charitamrit which is Rupa Goswami’s compilation that says “samarpayitum unnatojjvala rasam”, Lord appeared, Gauranga appeared to share unnatojjvala rasa, unnata – elevated, ujjvala – conjugal rasa, the mellow which is Madhurya Rasa, so this is part of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s opinion wherein he says Radha Bhava dyuti. No, no first of all he said aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas , you should all these are all like teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, you should all worship..
Vrindavan Dham ki Jai………………..

There are so many things to say. So Krishna has become a devotee of Krishna, Krishna has become devotee of Krishna. Panca tatvatmakam krsnam bhakti rupa svarupakam, I will not say the rest but I think that is enough for us “panca tatvatmakam krsnam” five tattva, the first tattva is bhakat Rupa, Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahparbhu has become the Bhakat Rupa, he has assumed the form of Bhakta. Gauranga Mahaprabhu has become bhakti of Bhagwan, of Krishna “apni acari jagat sikhai”(CC adi lila 3.20) by his own example he is teaching the whole world.

“samarpayitum unnatojjvala rasa sva bhakti sriyam”, So Krishna in Bhagwat Gita said, you do this, “man mana bhava mad bhakto, mad yagi mam namas Kuru (18.65), patram puspam phalam toyam(9.26), do this do that , but he is not doing himself, he just said, you do this, you do this, you do this, you do this, so same Krishna appears as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu whatever he has asked as Krishna or in Bhagwat Gita and elsewhere, or in the other gita, Uddhav Gita is also there, so many other things. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu follows that, he becomes a devotee and follows all those instructions, so he became a great devotee of aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas, this is siddhant. He is doing now, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is worshipping Krishna
Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna hey ( CC Madhya Lila 7.86)

He is worshipping Krishna and how to worship Krishna in the age of Kali, he is also teaching. In the age of Kali you worship Krishna by

tretayam yajato makhaih
krte yad dhyayato vishnum
dvapare paricharyayam
kalau tad dhari Kirtanat
(SB 12.3.52)

Bhagwatam also said that in Satya Yug, you do this , tretha, in Dvapar do this and in Kalau tad dhari kirtanat, in Kaliyug yuga you have to do Hari Kirtan. So this is what Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu does. Shukdev Goswami also said, “kaler dosa nidhe rajann”(SB 12.3.51) Kaliyug is full of faults, asti, asti, asti, asti means there is, not hasti, if we say hasti, then you are talking of elephant and if you say aasthi, then you are talking of the bones. So you better be careful, there is asti, the is hasti and there is Aasthi, there are three different words with entirely different meanings. So be careful while pronouncing. So astihy eko mahan gunah, no hasti, there is one elephant in Kaliyug or Kaliyug is full of bones, you know “asti eko” there is one good quality of this age of Kali and that is “kirtanad eva Krsnasya” so Sukhdev Goswami also said this. So Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu comes down and he is chanting the holy names of the Lord

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

And he loves Vrindavan aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam not only vrajesa tanayas should be worshipped but dham is also worshippable. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu expressed his so much, his love for Vrindavan. No I will not explain how he expressed. As soon as he started chanting Hare Krishna, you know, when he was initiated in Gaya guru more m?rkha dekhi’ karila ??sana(CC adi lila 7.71).

My Spiritual master said, you are fool, you are good for nothing. All that you could do is just Chant Hare Krishna. You can’t do that meditation of Satya yug, Yagna’s are verey expensive and Archana is , no one does these days fully, properly. These times you could only do is chant the holy name. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started chanting the holy name immediately, instantly because his chanting was so pure and offence less, he become fully Krishna conscious. His love for Lord and for his dham aroused and he was ready to run where, Vrindavan.

Vrindavan Dham Ki Jai……….

He was running to Vrindavan, so barely they manage to control him and bring him back to Navadvipa side and there are so many other instance where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s love for Vrindavan. So we are suppose to be loving Vrindavan, loving Lord and serving the Lord, then he says

ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita

that you worship or you wish to worship the lord, yes you wish to worship, then he firmly recommends vraja vadhu vargena va kalpita, you should worship Krishna, the ways Gopis, Radha Rani worshipped Krishna, or Nanda Yashoda worshipped Krishna, or Sudama or other sakha’s Subal worshipped Krishna. He is strongly recommending his Braj Bhakti, Braj Bhakti Vilas, Braj Bhakti. Srimad Bhagwatam Praman amlam, and you wish to read scripture, study scripture, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu recommended hear and read what?

Granthraj Srimad Bhagwatam ki Jai……

And other scripture and then Gaudiaya Vaishnav also have added so much dimension and additional scriptures, we already have, I mean, some other religions are very proud to say the book, the book of the religion. The book of the religion, how many book, one book, Bible, the book of the religion. Kuran, the book of religion but we don’t have just a book, but we have a library of books, did you get that I mean, there is no time to elaborate this but it is something to think about. It is a book and then Prabhupad said, it is like a pocket dictionary, these are the religious scriptures they are like pocket dictionary and this Gaudiaya Vaishnav literature and Bhagwat, Purana’s and Veda’s and Vedant Sutra and Maha Bharat, it is a ocean and this is unlimited and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to hear this all the time.

this is favourite pastime to hear “Krishna Karamrit”or Jaidev Goswami’s “Geet Govind” bhagawatam or he would listen to his own compilation, shikshasktam “Ceto Darpan Marjanam, Bhav maha davagni nirvapanam” only he complied, okay , it is for you folks, you may recite this ,study. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to spend whole night , sleepless nights, he would just take one of those eight verses and contemplate and dive deeper into it and discuss the thoughts and the commentaries , his commentary, sharing that with Svarup Damodar and Ramanand Ray, all night long he is reciting scriptures, including his own only scriptures, that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu write, his name could be attached to, this shikshastakam, “Shrimad Bhagawatam Pranam Amalam” Pranam Amalam, amal puram, spotless, all the scripture Chaitanya Mahaprabhu recommended for us to read and he read or hear himself, they are spotless Purana’s, spotless scriptures. There is not mal, no dirt, no tama, raja or satva guna there, they are all gunatita, Shudha satva, full of shudha satva and “prem upmartho mahan” and this is very special thing “Prem upmartho” rest of the world is, they are, they fight or strive for four achievements or purusarth, they call four purusharth, “Dharma, Aarth, Kaam, Moksha.” That’s the limit.

Moksha, but our Acharya’s “Kavalyam Narak aayte” that merging in Brahma, this is hellish. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu added this dimension, I mean, it already eternally exist this dimension of prema, butCaitanya Mahaprabhu – he practiced and propagated this premarthomaha Prema pum artha instead of purusartha pumartha pum and purush is the same word and this is a premarthoamaha is a very special contribution of Caitanya Mahaprabhu well everything is a very special extraordinary exceptional contribution sarasiromani sarvavtar, sarvaavtar sarasiromani is the essence of all forms and incarnations of lord and what he has to offer is also super excellent condensed and nectarine And all the items from golok not from swarga not from Vaikuntha not from Dwarka or Mathura either from only from Vrindavan so that lord and he is offering this to the most fallen people of this age of kali people like us the fallen and this is and he did the inauguration 500 years ago by appearing and practicing and propagation he’s doing both things lord is relishing the holy name naam nache jiv naache naache premodhon naam naache jiv naache living entity is dancing naam is also dancing the holy name is dancing premdhan is dancing so Mahaprabhu he danced and he relished the chanting and dancing himself and he propagated at the same time all this propagated shared shared shared and he’s known that’s why he’s known as most magnanimous and this dham is also mayapur navadwip dham ki jai this dham is also avtariya dham this is where lord became saudariya udariya vadaniye mahavadaniye from here he propagated the madhurya vrindavan madhuriya vrindavan is known for madhuriya and mayapur navadwip is known for what? avdaraiya he shared Vrindavan Leela’s and Radha Krishna he shared everything from Vrindavan here and distributed and predicted that this the gifts which he had been distributing during his manifest Leela they will be distributed in every town every village of this world nothing happened to you I thought you were saying haribol or something else horrible haribol “Prithvi te aache Joto Nagar adi gram sarvatr prachar hoibe mor naam” my name hare Krishna hare Krishna Krishna Krishna hare hare hare ram hare ram ram ram hare hare will reach where every town every village of Bengal of India every country every continent every nook and corner of this planet so you think it’s going to happen already happened? no fully? but good beginning Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!

So Prabhupada he founded this international society for Krishna consciousness on behalf of well Radha Madhav also and Pancha tattva and he traveled himself 14 times around the planet became known as jet age parivrajka acharya what kind of parivrajakacaraya? Jet age this is the age of kali jet age well so he did air yatras he also asked us to do padayatra all approaches all the complete strategy so that holy name will reach every town every village so what we are seeing what has happened in last 50 years devotees from how many countries stay in Mayapur ? From 60 countries devotees stay in Mayapur and during Mayapur festival time devotees from 70-80-90 countries come this is a different year so don’t look around and count oh! Where are they? So, already holy name has reached those many countries of course not all town and villages in those countries but the number of villages and towns and cities that holy name has reached thus far only in 50 years how many remaining years? 9,500 I don’t know it started 500 years ago golden period Caitnaya Mangla is golden period last for how long 10,000 year period is golden period why is it called golden period? Gauranga this is Gauranga’s times these are Gauranga’s times whose time are these ?

Guarnga times avtirne gaurachandre vistirne prema sagare eaina majanti majanti te maha anartha sagare Prabhodananada Sarasvati Thakur says Gaurchandra has appeared avtirnaye gaurachandre vistirne Prema sagare he expanded the ocean of love of godhead tainn namajanti those who do not jump into this ocean and swim and go deeper and drink the nectar for those who do not do this te majanti Anant sagare there are two oceans he is talking about prem Sagar and maha anaarth Sagar not only anrath Sagar mahaanartha Sagar so the choice is yours which? Take a pick. So, Mahaprabhu is making this available through Krishna consciousness movement this ocean is expanding expanding expanding so that more and more souls would jump in and that’s the life otherwise we are like fish out of water and lord is offering not just water but nectar so suffering fish join in Jump in get in so this is an invitation to well you already have joined so you could tell others appeal to them invite them to join Nityananda mahajan pathi aache naam jive karan

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare! Gaurprema anande Hari Hari bol!

Occasion Vyasa puja celebration in Pandharpur
4th July 2017
Pandharpur
Online class
Hare Krishna
Srila Prabhupada ki jai
Nityananda Prabhu ki jai

All the assembled viewers, listening or watching us. Today here in Padharpur, we are kind of in middle of the Vyasa puja, celebration festival. So very bigger event here in Pandharpur. Its yearly festival, on occasion of commencement of chatur masya. Today Shayani Ekadashi biggest day here. In Pandharpur for Lord Vitthal. And I am happy Lord gave me birth on this day, which is big day for Lord of Pandharpur. My family they worshipped Lord Vitthal, my father used to come here walking, for darsana of Panduranga and when we were children we would be waiting for our parents. I waiting for my father also to return.

Here darsana of Lord is always very special, each person comes in front face to face with the Lord. So, when my father would return from Pandharpur l would be waiting of course. As our children attraction is for mahaprasadam that would be brought back for us. And those who could not go on pilgrimage to Pandharpur they used to receive pilgrims and touch their feet and embrace them thinking that they have just come from dhama. After meeting Lord and after touching the Lotus feet of Lord.

One time even pilgrims coming to Pandharpur they did not only touch Their feet but put head on the lotus feet of the deities and embrace the deity. But those days are gone now.” So, my family they worshiped Panduranga Vitthal, and Lord gave me birth on this big day like today. Millions of pilgrims are here in town today and ISKCON devotees are also are here in big number.

This year’s Vyas puja festival has special flavor or dimension. Jananivas Prabhu from Mayapur arrived today with the “Nityananda paduka “ its shoes of Lord Nityananda they have been travelling around the world to do the fund raising for TOVP and today I had invited Jananivas and Brajvilas Prabhu also to come on occasion of Vyaspuja with the paduka of Nityananda. Nityananda is Adiguru, Guru of all the Gurus. He is original Guru and we were blessed, I was blessed by presence of Lord Nityanada His padukas, His Lotus foot prints, His shoes, sandal’s are non-different from Him.

Also there was initiation in Pandharpur today. Just right in middle of Mangal arati that time they arrived and we offered Abhishek to paduka’s of Lord Nityananda and worshiped them.

I felt that after five hundred years Lord Nityananda again returned to Pandharpur again on this day of my birthday and the assembled devotees, disciples are very generous. Of course, Jananivas Prabhu, Brajvilas Prabhu and myself we did appeal to the assembled devotees, disciples for their generous contribution. Financial assistance for completing TOVP. And response was tremendous beyond our expectation. Raised to some close to seven crore rupees. I think that was highlight of the Vyas puja today. That took quite some time this TOVP presentation and fund raising so will continue this evening, with more offering from disciples.

So, may be some of you are watching, hearing, witnessing the proceedings of Vyas puja activities here of course most the offering where in Hindi some in Marathi and there are also some English offerings. So, I am getting news of devotees, disciples around the world gatherings different part of the world celebrating this occasion.

I am grateful, thankful of course as a I said that during the day that we are all the glories are ultimately offered to our Prabhupada and predecessor Acarya and ultimately Lord Nityananda or Balarama who is original Guru, adi-guru. We are there to receive and listen to offering glories that is infact glories of the Lord and we offer that unto Them, They are to be glorified, Nityananda, Balarama.

Also my Vyas pooja book has been printed this time it is heavier ,thicker and bigger. Vyas pooja book with more offerings more than ever. So go through those offerings and they also would be uploaded on the websites. So, that you could have privilege of accessing those offering from your God brother’s or sister from everywhere. I take your leave now. I have to get ready for next event this late afternoon, Vyas puja continuation on the stage.
Hare Krishna

If we love Prabhupada cooperate
Occasion Radha Madhav Golden Jubilee Festival
March 4, 2022
Mayapur

Today “pashchatya-desha-tarine, is the theme. I must offer my pranam mantra unto Srila Prabhupada. We could all offer this pranam mantra unto SrilaPrabhupada. Let’s all say this, that includes ‘pashchatyadeshatarine’

nama om vishnu-padayakrishna-preshthayabhu-tale
srimatebhaktivedanta-svaminitinamine
namastesaraswatedevegaura-vani-pracarine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine
ajanu-lambita-bhujaukanakavadhatau
sankirtanaika-pitaraukamalayataksau
visvambharaudvija-varauyuga-dharma palau
vandejagat-priyakarokarunavatarau

Sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda Sri-advaitagadadhara

Srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

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

Srila Prabhupada ki jai.
Gauranga Nityananda ki jai

Gauranga, Gauranga, Nityananda Gauranga
Gauranger nitya-seva haibe vikasa

This was prediction of Nityananda Prabhu, prediction or His will as Nityananda Prabhu took Jiva Goswami on Parikrama. He once said, ‘ekhane", I don't know it was this exact location, "ekhane eka adbhut mandir haibe prakash There will be one temple and he describes that "adbhut mandir" astounding temple will be built from where the glories of Gauranga will be broadcasted all over the world. So that temple is none other than this one. That is this temple which Srila Prabhupada had vision and 50 years ago, he did the inauguration, he did the ground breaking ceremony of this temple.

So, 50 years ago as Srila Prabhupada had arrived here to hold a celebration firstever Gaura Purnima festival. By that time Srila Prabhupada had very successfully made Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction come true, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur ki jai You could see two Prabhupada's here this scene is 100 years old and it is ever new, never becomes old, now that place is with us, Ultadanga junction road, just recently we managed to get and develop and you know all about that.

So, instruction was given there, there also 'pashchatya desha tarine’ Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur used the term,or say in 'Western country, Western world', he spread Krishna Consciousness, Bhagavad Dharma in English language and with that Srila Prabhupada also made Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction come true and that was ‘My name will reach every town,every village, all over the planet, all over the world.’

So, 50 years ago when Prabhupada was here, Gauranga Mahaprabhu's prediction had already become true or Srila Prabhupada executed the will of Gauranga by that time.

But what about Nityananda Prabhu's will and his prediction aboutthe temple. "The adbhut mandir " astounding temple that he talked about. So, 50 years ago inauguration, ground breaking, happened and Prabhupada had a big vision, 350 feet tall. I just checked with Brajavillas, what is the height and he said 350 feet. That was the Prabhupada’s vision, Prabhupada also was talking about and he was working on getting 350 acres of land. How much we have,we have,we doubled it, we have 700 acres of land.

Prabhupada also was talking about city of golden avatar with 50,000 residents and we think we have may be 5000 also by now and more to come. So, not just the temple, once we have completed this TOVP project, we have more things to go,we have to work on whole city of golden avatar, but before we do that we have this remaining task, this is time already the appreciation are happening.

So many devotees have beginning with Ambrish Prabhu ki jai and Svaha Mataji ki jai and the list is very very big. You all have, we all have, I also did something something. For all the sacrifices I would like to on behalf of Radha Madhava, Gaura Nityananda, Panchatatva, on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and on my own behalf I would like thank all those devotees for whatever you have done.

praner arthe dhiya vacha

In four ways you serve, or sacrifices are of four kinds, anyway I will not discuss the whole thing. Prane give your life, life air gives you prane then the arthe, the economy development, "money talks and everything walks, money talks everything walks, money is sweeter than honey.

"laxmi is required for service of Narayan".
Prane ararthe dhiya- Some give their ideas, their fertile brains and they come up with ideas. And then others, vacha- they do, they talk it up, they spread the word around or the intelligent ideas, they share with others. So this way, I think we all have participated thus far, only little more to go, little more to go. And will be done. So, Nityananda Prabhu has to be pleased now. He is Adi Guru, and then Srila Prabhupada representing Adi Guru Nityananda Prabhu. He started this TOVP work, gound breaking 50 years ago and it has taken extra time. We don't have to get into the details or reasons for the delay, it's the monumental task also, it takes time. So, now I have been saying this past few days that two years from now when we will come to do the grand opening of TOVP. I mean this is not just another temple, we have all local temples, maybe state temple, this temple in Maharashtra, or temple in Karnataka or Temple in Uttar Pradesh or Ujjain, we have in Madhya Pradesh.

Some temples are like, national importance, but this one is of global one, the universal one. As the holy name reaches every town, every village, I keep saying this, from 'Nama to dhama', as living entities globally receive the nama, they begin chanting, 'Hare krishna Hare krishna, krishna krishna Hare Hare…Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare'

And that 'nama' brings them to dhama. Which dhama do they have brought to, Mayapur dhama ki jai. I don't like to say this, but Mecca, this is our Mecca. This is the temple for every single devotee around the world and every Gaudiya Vaisnava, would be coming and we are talking of next ten thousand years. For next thousand years, all over the planet, in every town, in every village, as holy name reaches them, they would be wanting to come to Mayapur dham and come to this temple, this TOVP temple to take darsana of Sri Sri Panchatatva, Radha Madhava Ashtasakhi, Prahlada Narsimhadev. I think it is going to be this way somewhere and parampara.

So this is very unique temple and it is the adbhut mandir, in that sense also, this astounding temple, and maybe we get the credit for building and completing this temple. All future generations will thank you for building this temple. Prabhupada says Bombay is my office, Mayapur is my place of pilgrimage, Vrndavana is my home. So, this is a place of pilgrimage of Srila Prabhupada and all the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. So, we have this opportunity to complete the project, the temple and dedicate unto all the future Gaudiya Vaishnava generations to come.

So let us all get behind this, this one, this task is common for all of us, so we beg everyone's participation, cooperation, that reminds me, "If you love me cooperate ", Prabhupada said, "If you love me", Prabhupada would like to see that we co-operate with each other or we co-operate with the authorities or some of our leaders who are responsible for completion of this project.

We should extend our cooperation in every possible ways and by doing so, we will be exhibiting, expressing our love for Srila Prabhupada. 'You all love Prabhupada? ' (asks Maharaj ji ) anyone here does not love Prabhupada. I love you Prabhupada, that's nice to hear that, but Prabhupada wanted to see that translated into action. Show your love for Prabhupada, don't just say 'I love you Prabhupada', that also must be said, we do say, but time to translate that into action, our love for Prabhupada. And that will be seen now, next 2 years, we would like to see your love towards Prabhupada especially in relationship with this Project. It is Srila Prabhupada's dream project and it is our duty to complete this project and offer this onto Guru and Gauranga, Guru Srila Prabhupada, Adi Guru Nityananda Prabhu, and 'Gauranga',, 'Nityananda' 'SrilaPrabhupadaki jai
'NitaiGaur Premanande – Hari HariBol'.
Thank you.

The glories of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur

19th September 2021

I have reached from Noida to Nagpur. Iskcon Nagpur ki jai. We have come to Dr Shyamsundar, Sharma Prabhu’s village and today is a special day. It is the appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur ki jai.

namo bhaktivinodaya
sac cid ananda namine
gaura sakti svarupaya
rupanuga-varaya te
(Srila Bhaktivinode pranati)

Translation
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda, who is transcendental energy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvamis, headed by Srila Rupa.

You must all pray in this way and recite this mantra. Did you all repeat it after me? Hari Hari. So his name is Sac cit ananda Bhaktivinode. He was sac cit ananda and his name was also the same. Gaura sakti svarupaya. Gauranga! So he is the form of the strength of Gaura and he distributed this strength of Gauranga.

Rupanuga-varaya te, of all the followers of Rupa Goswami he is the principle one. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur ki jai! Yadi Bhaktivinode Thakur na hoite, if Bhaktivinode Thakur had not appeared then what would have happened to all of us? Actually this is true of all the Acharyas and of the lord also. Yadi gaura na hoite or yadi Prabhupada na hoite or yadi Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur na hoite to ki hoite.

Nothing further could have happened if they were not here. What else can we say? We were about to say that Srila Bhaktivinode was a great Acharya but who can understand just how great he was? Who can understand his greatness and his glories? He was present during the British rule period and this was also a very difficult time in India and the situation was tough for India.

He was born in the year 1838 and his disappearance was in 1914. We are talking about 1914 and not 2014 and so you can just imagine the time when he was present here. He was the district magistrate of his time and actually the English would not give many Indians many responsibilities and only a few hand picked Indians would be given some authority.

One of these persons was Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur and as the district magistrate he was considered to hold a big position in those days. He was in charge of the whole district and that district was none other than Jagannatha Puri Dham. He became the magistrate of Jagannatha Puri and if you have ever been to Jagannatha Puri then you may have seen that even today his old home is still standing there.

If you do ever go to Jagannatha Puri then be sure to go to see the home of Bhaktivinode Thakur, this is on the path of the Rathayatra route. This is also where Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur was born and in this place Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur began his life’s mission, you could say. As the district magistrate he annihilated the demons.

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
(BG 4.8)

Translation
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.

There was one black magic tantric who was calling himself god, he could do some magic but he was arrested by the orders of Bhaktivinode Thakur. He was imprisoned and then he died later in in prison. So Bhaktivinode Thakur had an intense desire that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage be preached everywhere and that it may be spread further.

He therefore prayed to lord Jagannatha to have a son to assist him in fulfilling his desire to preach the message of Lord Chaitanya, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra through Sankirtan. So lord Jagannatha Swami heard this cry or prayer of Bhaktivinode Thakur and he got a son who was none other than Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur ki jai.

His given name at birth was Bimala Prashad because at the Jagannatha temple Bimala Devi is present and so Bhaktivinode Thakur was thinking that this son of mine is the Prashad, blessing of this Bimala Devi and so he gave his son the name Binala Prashad. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur wanted to retire from his government duties to dedicate himself completely with all his energy to Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s mission.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s name was Kedarnath Datta in those days, or you could say that this was his family name. The English government would not give him leave so instead he was transferred to another place called Krishnanagar which was close to Navadwipa Mayapur. So Bhaktivinode Thakur had been thinking of retiring and then residing in Mayapur and although the English government would not give him leave, they transferred him to Krishnanagar which was close to Mayapur.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur could then take his mission further whilst being in Mayapur Dham. He is called the seventh Goswami till this day because the work that the six Goswami’s did in Vrindavan was done by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur in Mayapur Dham.

vande rupa sanatanau raghu yugau sri jiva gopalakau
(SadGiswami Astaka)

Translation
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvamis, namely Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami,
Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta
Gosvami.

Looking for Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastime places in Mayapur, writing books, inaugurating Parikrama of Navadwipa Manndala and in this way increasing and spreading the glories of the Dham and revealing the Dham were just some of the works of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur.

This he did in Mayapur and this is exactly what the six Goswami’s had previously done in Vrindavan. Hari Hari. So in Maypur or Navadwipa there are nine islands, dwipa’s and one of these is Godrumadwipa. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur started to stay in Godrumadwipa. His home was previously in Jagannatha Puri and now he started living in Swarupganj in Godrumadwipa.

That place is better known as the Samadhi of Bhaktivinode Thakur and he didn’t just stay there alone but this was the very important time when four prominent Acharya’s from our disciplic succession were staying there together. Jagannatha das babaji Maharaja was the siksha guru of Bhaktivinode Thakur and he was there along with Bhaktivinode Thakur’s student Gaura Kishore das babaji Maharaja. His student was also present and this was the son of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

So these four prominent Acharya’s were there at the same time, staying together and conversing about the scriptures and taking association of each other. This is exactly what the six goswami’s were previously doing in Vrindavan. They would gather in the courtyard of the Radha Damodar temple and speak on Sastra and that is what was happening here in Mayapur.

Our four Acharyas were together here and in those days our Abhay Charan De was in Culcutta as his connection with the disciplc succession had not yet been made. So together these Acharya’s wrote many books because they were all mostly great writers and they were also poets. The whole world is now singing their bhajans and poems including the bhajan which Srila Prabhupada would sing before each and every lecture he gave.

jaya radha madhava kunja bihari?gopi jana vallabha giri vara dhari
yashoda nandana braja jana ranjana?yamuna tira vana cari
(Jaya Radha Madhava)

Translation
Krsna is the lover of Radha. He displays many amorous pastimes in the groves of Vrndavana, He is the lover of the cowherd maidens of Vraja, and the holder of the great hill named Govardhana.
He is the beloved son of mother Yasoda, the delighter of the inhabitants of Vraja, and He wanders in the forests along the banks of the River Yamuna.

This bhajan has been written by Bhaktivinode Thakur as was the Sandhya Arati bhajan kiba jaya jaya gaurachander. Also in Iskcon Krishna Balaram temple in Vrindavan they sing one bhajan every morning during Mangal Arati which is

vibhavari sesa, aloka pravesa,
nidra chari’ utho jiva
bolo hari hari, mukunda murari,
rama krsna hayagriva

Translation
The night has come to an end and the light of dawn is entering. O jiva soul, arise and give up your sleep. Chant the holy names of Lord Hari, who is the giver of liberation; the enemy of the Mura demon; the supreme enjoyer; the all attractive one; and the horse headed incarnation, Hayagriva.

Then there is the bhajan Jiv jago jiv jago which is also a composition of Bhaktivinode Thakur as is Udilo aruna puraba bhage, dwija mani gora amani jage. This is an important bhajan and on and on and on.

Yashomati nandana, braja baro nagara ?gokula ranjana kana is also Bhaktivinode Thakur’s bhajan. In all these bhajans his feelings of devotion are there along with the explanations of the lord’s pastimes, whether that be Gaura lila or Krishna lila. All these are thoroughly described and one can understand what is on his mind and what is in his heart through these compilations. A man is recognised by his speech, just let him first speak.

If you give a man a microphone and let him talk you may soon find out that he is a fool number one. As soon as he opens his mouth, within a minute you will find out what a fool he is. But this is not the case with Bhaktivinode Thakur because as soon as he opened his mouth, the speech that would come forth from his lotus like mouth would produce these wonderful bhajans.

These were his bhajans and Srila Prabhupada said that in Iskcon we have the bhajans of Bhaktivinode Thakur and Narottama das Thakur which they have sung, and these are non different from the words of the vedas. Bhaktivinode Thakur also wrote many books including Navadwipa mandal parikrama and if he had not written this book we would not have known where to start Navadwipa mandal parikrama or what pastime took place where and so forth.

The whole guideline and approach to Navadwipa parikrama has been given by Bhaktivinode Thakur in this one book. Another important book is Jaiva dharma which literally means the dharma, duty of the Jiva, living entity. It is a very interesting book in the form of many conversations that take place. He establishes the principles of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in this book Jaiva Dharma.

He also wrote many commentaries- especially Chaitanya Charitamrita and one commentary called Amrita Pravaha Bhashya. Srila Prabhupada has written the introductions to each chapter in his Chaitanya Charitamrita which have been take from this Amrita Pravaha Bhashya of Bhaktivinode Thakur. Hari Hari. What other books has he written, anyone knows?

There is Harinam Chintamani. We are people who chant the holy names and therefore we have our Japa sessions and in this book Harinam Chintamani Bhaktivinode Thakur speaks about how offences against the holy name should be avoided during and it is explained what is an offence against the holy name.

This book Harinam Chintamani is a dialogue between Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Haridas Thakur which has been written in book format and this book is Harinam Chintamani. He has written many other books and you can also call Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur a social scientist. During his time the principles of religion or dharma were being disturbed or not complied with and instead demonic principles were being taught in society.

That is when Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur studied the whole situation and made one list of the pseudo transcendentalists, like Aula, Baula and Sahajiya, Gauranga Nagari and so on. There were many sects such as this who were tainting the name of the Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage and there was diffusion alongside a lot of preaching against the principles of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur set all this straight and his son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur took this task further through his preaching work and then Srila Prabhupada took this preaching even further and gave Krishna consciousness to the whole world. These principles are now being put into place but it was Bhaktivinode Thakur who initially pointed all this out and said ‘no, no this is all wrong. This is not right, what is happening and this is a fault.’

kaler dosa nidhe rajann
(SB 12.3.51

Translation
My dear King, (although) Kali yuga is an ocean of faults

So in doing this he established the principles of religion, dharma samsthapanarthaya which is what the Acharya’s do, they establish the religious principles. First the lord establishes these three principles

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
(BG 4.8)

Translation
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.

First the lord appears on the scene and then paritranaya sadhunam, he protects the devotees and secondly he tries to annihilate the miscreants, which he successfully does so. The lord does this and when the lord is not here on this planet performing his pastimes, in between his different incarnations the Acharyas of the disciplic succession fill in the lord’s role and do the work that the lord would have done if he was personally present.

So to reestablish the principles of religion is the work of the lord but saksad dharitvena samasta sastrair. The lord gives the Acharya the energy to do this work just like Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has done everything he has. It was also not an easy task and in those days people did not even know the birthplace of lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

There were so many different places claiming to be the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur put a full stop to all this nonsense. This was possible with the help and guidance of his spiritual master, Jagannatha das babaji Maharaja’s and babaji Maharaja was carried in a basket to Navadwipa, not by Bhaktivinode Thakur himself but by another devotee.

Just like when a farmer wants to dig a lake someone will have a water detector, there are persons who can use this and they tell the farmer where to dig and where there will be water underneath. They wave this machine around and it detects where the water is. In this way Bhaktivinode Thakur detected the proper birthplace of lord Chaitanya with the help of Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaja.

He wanted to detect the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and so he wondered here and there and then he finally reached the place we now call Yogapith, the birthplace of lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. At this time Jagannatha das babaji Maharaja was one hundred and thirty years old and just like we see in his photo, he could not even sit straight.

He could not even open his eyelids which had drooped low and somebody had to open his eyelids and only then could he see. That Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaja suddenly became so energised upon seeing the birthplace of lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that he jumped out of his basket in which he was sitting and he started shouting ’Haribol Haribol Gauranga Gauranga.’

So it was established that this was the place. Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaja got the credit for doing what? For signalling the birthplace of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. ‘This is the birthplace of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.’ What can we say about Bhaktivinode Thakur? The great preaching which is currently going on in terms of Nama Hatta and Bhakti Vriksha has also been established by Bhaktivinode Thakur.

You can say that he is the originator of this preaching and he also wrote one book called Godruma Kalpataru and in this book he has made predictions as to who will do what and how much preaching they will do in the future. Jayapataka Swami Maharaja has taken the leadership in Iskcon of this Bhakti Vriksha Nama Hatta and he has started this preaching.

This concept is originally of Bhaktivinode Thakur and there is also a bhajan that he has written

nadiya godrume nityananda mahajana
patiyache nam hatta jivera karana

TRANSLATION
In the land of Nadiya, on the island of Godruma, the magnanimous Lord Nityananda has opened up the Marketplace of the Holy Name, meant for the deliverance of all fallen souls

He is herein reminding us all that the founder of the Nama Hatta is lord Nityananda because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had sent lord Nityananda to Bengal to preach. So Nityananda Prabhu who is the Adi Guru, the original Guru, preached in Bengal and in that very disciplic succession Bhaktivinode Thakur came and gave shape and form to this Nama Hatta program. This Nama Hatta preaching began for the deliverance of all the conditioned souls.

This is also another great contribution of Bhaktivinode Thakur. It is he who predicted that one great soul will soon appear and that this great soul will preach this message all over the world. He also said that those who will follow the teachings and instructions of this great soul will come to India and to Navadwipa and they will all come together and chant ‘jaya sacinandana jaya sacinandana jaya sacinandana gaurahari.’

This was the prediction of Bhaktivinode Thakur in relation to Srila Prabhupada’s coming and how there will be preaching all over the world. People from all over the world will come to India and to Navadwipa, Mayapur to sing the glories of Sacinandana. This was the prediction of Bhaktivinode Thakur and we can see how it is coming true.

His own son said to his grand disciple Abhay Babu, ‘you look like an intelligent young man. You go to the western countries to preach the message of lord Chaitanya!’ In this way, to make true the prediction of his father, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur is giving this order to Srila Prabhupada. Two days ago it was the anniversary of Prabhupada’s departing for this journey to the west in 1965.

He preached all over the world and therefore the prediction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became true and now people from all over the world are coming to Navadwipa and they are singing ’jaya sacinandana jaya sacinandana.’ I have just remembered that we were going on Padayatra once in Orissa and there was one headmaster of a school where we visited and stayed for a while.

Where was this place, the village where now there is an Iskcon centre as well? Yes, Bhadrak. So here Bhaktivinode Thakur had been the first headmaster of this school and we got a record of all the headmasters the school had ever had. They had a list which is an updated list of the headmaster till this day and on top of the list was the name of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur as headmaster.

What can we say about these great sages, Acharyas to whom we are so much indebted? We can only try our level best to pay this debt back and we can do this by understanding their instructions and following them. We can take inspiration and energy from these teachings and then preach them further. This is exactly what Srila Prabhupada said, ‘do as I did!’ I am also doing a little bit myself. One of the final instructions of Bhaktivinode Thakur was to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

He told him to perform and lead Navadwipa Mandal Parikrama and he said that whoever does this Parikrama, by their doing so, the whole world will be liberated. So during the centennial, the hundredth birth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada, we had a t-shirt printed. All the devotees on Parikrama were wearing this t-shirt during Parikrama. On this t-shirt was printed a quote of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur.

The quote was ‘by performing Parikrama, one can liberate the whole world.’ This was the order that Bhaktivinode Thakur gave and so following this order, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur performed Navadwipa Mandal Parikrama eight times along with his thousands of disciples. So whatever work Srila Prabhupada performed was the work of Bhaktivinode Thakur also.

One Acharya takes the preaching work to a certain limit or level and then the next Acharya takes over to further this work and he fructifies it and establishes it. Then the next Acharya comes in succession and takes over to continue the work. No single Acharya finished his mission in his one lifetime so the Acharyas who are to come along in disciplic succession develop the mission further.

So we can say that this current time is ours, it is us devotees turn now we can say and so the work that Bhaktivinode Thakur once performed, was furthered by Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and then Srila Prabhupada preached the same mission all over the world. He said ‘do as I did.’ So he wanted that whatever he had started, we all preach further and increase that work. Hari Hari.

So we should pray at the lotus feet of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur so that he may give us energy, intelligence and loving devotion so we may become instruments in helping to further this movement. In this way we may be able to please him. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s appearance day ki jai. Gaura prem anande hari haribol.