Disappearance of Srila Isvara Puri
2009
Mayapur

je anilo prem dhan karuna prachura
hena prabhu kothagelaacarya thakur.

This is song of Narottam Dasa Thakur. Everyone has departed one by one and Narottam Dasa Thakur is the last one to be around, feeling separation from all those devotees. I wish I could meet that vaisnava and have association of that vaisnava what about that vaisnava living there left including Srila Isvara Puri.

je anilo premadhana karuna prachura

So those acaryas they brought the prema dhana and they had come to deliver love of Godhead, so where is the love of Godhead and where they have gone? They all have gone, amongst those acaryas who brought the love of Godhead and distributed profusely amongst them was Srila Isvara Puri.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared,

anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam

After long long time Lord appeared and He delivered something anarpita something that He had not delivered before now He is delivering. Karunaya, out of His own causeless mercy kalau, in this age of Kali He is distributing. What is He distributing? What did He distribute? Unnat ujjaval rasam, unnat the topmost brilliant rasa effulgence, effulgent rasa juice, mellow of madhurya rasa. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has delivered. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known for this kind of deliverance. But before He delivered this love of Godhead He received the love of Godhead from His spiritual master.
Madhavendra Puri and Srila Isvara Puri getting their love of Godhead, that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu who invests love of Godhead in their heart and when he manifest there He goes and grabs gets it from their hearts. Madhavendra Puri was that exalted very very special vaisnava appeared in Madhava sampradaya. From that the branching of the Brahma sampradaya and then that become Brahma Madhava Gaudiya sampradaya. That Madhavendra Puri was full of love of Godhead,

ayi dina dayadra natha he
mathura natha kadavalokyase
hrdayam tvad aloka kataram
dayita bhramyati kim karoty aham

Translation:”0 compassionate Lord of the poor and humble! 0 Lord of Mathura! When shall I see You again? Without seeing You, My heart has become very much afflicted. Oh My beloved, I am overwhelmed. What shall I do now?” (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 4.197)
He would chant prayers like this,

That was the mood of Madhavendra Puri.

he radhe vraj devikech lalite he nanda sunokutaha

As was the mood of six goswamis. But prior to six goswamis, MadhavendraPuri first one to get this mood. Srila Isvara Puri was very dear disciple of Madhavendra Puri. Isvara Puri, also had opportunity to serve Madhavendra Puri during his last days when Madhavendra Puri was very old, not able to move or take care of himself, his body.

Srila Isvara Puri took keen interest in serving his spiritual master he also had the spirit and mood of his spiritual master in this mood he would also chant the glories of Krsna and while chanting he would serve his guru maharaja Madhavendra Puri. He would even clean the stool and urine of the spiritual master in great ecstasy while an other disciple Ramchandra Puri was a different kind. When he would see his spiritual master calling out for Krsna,

O Krsna he din dayardra natha he Mathura nath

This disciple would come, stop, stop it, stop it. He would not appreciate or understand the devotion, the mood of his spiritual master. Why are you crying? Why are you calling out like this? What did you do? While Srila Isvara Puri was blessed as he understood the mood and would also serve with all service mood. So this is Srila Isvara Puri.

One time not revealing who he was, he comes to Advaitacarya’s house. Advaitacarya recognized effulgent vaisnava Srila Isvara Puri. So the great assembly of vaisnavas they are chanting singing and it was Mukunda who begin singing radha krsna prana mora. I don’t know what song he was singing, song like that and it was Srila Isvara Puri started trembling as he was listening to the song sung by Mukunda, all the emotions revived and it was visible in the personality of Srila Isvara Puri. They could read all the emotions of ecstasy in personality visible. The body trembling and tears sliding down his cheeks, sometimes stunned, sometimes laughing, sometimes rolling on the ground.

So that was Srila Isvara Puri. He would not introduce himself. He would just hidingly enter into the assembly of vaisnavas and if there was some singing of song of Radha Krsna he would immediately try to conceal his ecstasy but his ecstasy would leak out. And then they would, “Oh, that’s Srila Isvara Puri. We have heard about him. That’s Srila Isvara Puri.” Like that he was known for his highest devotion, transcendental devotion for Radha and Krsna, all the humility not introducing himself but everyone soon came to know that is Srila Isvara Puri, o that is him.

One day Srila Isvara Puri was now in Navadvipa, Nimai Pandit came and they crossed each others . Nimai Pandit immediately offered his obeisances Srila Isvara Puri noticed “O, who are you?” Nimai introduced himself. “Would you like to come to my home”? Nimai brings Srila Isvara Puri to his home yogapitha. Saci mata cooks nice meal for Srila Isvara Puri he relishes the prasada cooked by Sachi mata and they begin talking about Krsna. They went on talking and talking who knows how long they talked. Those days Srila Isvara Puri was staying at home of Gopinatha acarya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu would often go to Gopinatha acaryas house and spent time with Srila Isvara Puri and always the topic was Krsna. Every time they talk about Krsna, kirtaniya sadahari.

macicitta mad-gata-prana bodhayantahparasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityamtusyanti ca ramanti ca [BG 10.9]

So they were totally absorbed in talking about Krsna, tusyanti ca ramanti ca. Srila Isvara Puri had compiled a book called Sri Krsna Lilamrita and Srila Isvara Puri wanted Nimai because he was a pandit very big scholar. ”Take this book. I would like you to write a review. Please find some flaws or faults. I am sure there are many in my compilation”. Nimai did go through the book, no fault or he would not want to found the fault. And the literature compiled by Krsna, and krsna krsna krsna krsna krsna krsna krsna everywhere, may be some grammatical mistakes. Srila Isvara Puri said, “Please, please tell me one fault”. But Nimai never found one fault in Srila Isvara Puri’s writings and Srila Isvara Puri continued on his pilgrimage and Nimai continued to stay in Navadvipa.

And with observation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Navadvipa even to hear a word like bhakti yoga was very rare thing. karma kanda jnana kanda all those brahma all those things Durga puja, Kali all those things were very much.

CaitanyaMahaprabhu wanted to give something and thinking, “where could I get this madhurya rasa or bhakti yoga rasa? And he is making, he is planning that lila, made all arrangements, no one in the world knows what is on the mind of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and what is he going to do and where he would go and to whom he is going to meet. So he is planning, I want to go to Gaya.

So he expressed, I would like to go to Gaya, I would like to see Gaya.

Caitanya Mahaprabhua was Nimai pandit, he was a teacher, he has lots of followers. He took them with him and he started his journey towards Gaya. He took permission from Sachimata, “Could I go mata? Could I go?” “Tathastu.Please go,Nimai.”

And Mahaprabh started his journey towards Gaya. He was on the half way, on the way to Gaya and He developed fever.“I have fever, I have fever.”“Yes, yes what is the cure? What could be done? I have tried many many things but nothing has worked out.”There is similar pastime where Krsna had headache.What could be done? What could be done? “Oh only one thing: the dust on my devotees feet.” Narada muni going everywhere, trying to find, to get the dust. So Mahaprabhu, He had fever, “oh how could you be cure?” He said,

Only one thing water that has washed the feet of Brahmana. Water washed from his feet is the cure. Hard to find finally they have managed to getting some brahman’s, exalted brahman’s feet’s water.

And immediately he was, He is free from fever
Gaya is also known for it’s a place of pilgrimage for the followers of Buddha It is also famous there is pilgrimage for the Hindus there are lotus feet of Visnu there is Visnupada footprints of Visnu there and CaitanyaMahaprabhuis very very eager to go see the lotus feet footprints of the Lord

Even Kasinatha, that is Siva he holds his feet in his heart, those lotus feetthey are the life and soul of the Laxmi. And those lotus feet had touched the head of Bali Maharaja. Those who see those lotus feet of Visnu here they are very very fortunate. These are the glories of the footprints of the Lord in Gaya. From those lotus feet Bhagorathi Ganga emanates. In fact, as CaitanyaMahaprabhu arrived he was hearing the glories of the lotus feet from the brahmanas of Gaya. And Caitanya Mahprabhu with great rapt attention was listening to the glories of the lotus feet, footprints of the Lord. Asrudhara, he was full of tears. His lotus eyes,padmnayane from His lotus eyes the tears were gliding down.
And finally, when Sri Krsna Caitanya, saw the footprints of Lord, his body started trembling. And Ganga was flowingand Ganga bahe, earlier it said tears were gliding, now not tears Ganga was flowing out of eyes lotus eyes of the Lord.

At this place daivayoge, by arrangement of providence, supreme will, Srila Isvara Puri arrived there. Of course it is Lord’s own will. He is one. He is svayam Bhagavan, sarvakaran karanam and vaikuntha nayaka. So He has arranged his meeting, his own meeting with Srila Isvara Puri, daivayoga here nothing to do with the arrangement.

When He saw Srila Isvara Puri, Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately offered His obeisances. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he is taking shelter of Srila Isvara Puri, begging, “Please accept me, please make me free from all the bonds, from all the attachments.” CaitanyaMahaprabhu has come here after the departure of his father Jagganatha Misra. He has come to fulfill some obligation, oblations pindadana. He thinks, “I am entangled to the family, I want freedom, you could make me free, Srila Isvara Puri, please accept me.” Then Srila Isvara Puri kindly accepted CaitanyaMahaprabhu, Caitanya, Nimai Pandita and given him mantra. Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately begin chanting the mantra and very soon all the feelings are there, mantrasiddhi, perfection of the chanting of the mantra and he has gone mad. He is rolling on the ground and crying and laughing and he had not experienced anything like this before. He goes back to His spiritual master Srila Isvara Puri and He is enquiring, My dear spiritual master,

kiba mantra dila gosai kibatara bala
japite japite mantra karila pagal
What kind of mantra you have given to me?
kiba mantra dila gosa ikiba tara bala

There is so much power, so much bala in this mantra. From the time you gave this mantra to me, I immediately started chanting. See what has happened to me. I have gone pagal. I become pagala baba. What kind of mantra is this? Is something wrong with me? What is the power of mantra! Is this right thing what is happening to me? And Isvara Puri, “Well done disciple! Well done! Congratulation!!You have attained the perfection.” Saying he embraced his disciple.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Srila Isvara Puri’s birthplace which is between here and Kolakata not on the main road but interior. Caitanya Mahaprabhu took the dust of that place on His head and He also ate the dust of his Guru maharaja’s birthplace and He also took some dust with him which he kept eating everyday as his foodstuff. When devotees came to know what Caitanya Mahaprabhu had done that became a tradition. Whenever devotees would go to Isvara Puri’s birthplace, they would take dust from the same place where Caitanya Mahaprabhu had taken the dust. More devotees coming and more devotees coming and more devotees coming, became a big hole there, a big pond which is now known as a Caitanya Doba.

When Srila Isvara Puri was no more on this day he departed, prior to his departure he instructed Govinda and Kasisvara to go to Jagannatha puri and serve Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So Kasisvara he went on pilgrimage and later on he arrives in Jagannatha puri but Govinda, he go straight to Jagannatha puri, “I have been instructed, I have been instructed to serve you, please accept me, please accept my services.”And that’s how Govinda became the servant of Gauranga, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Jagannatha puri when Govinda had introduced himself,“ o, I am a disciple of Srila Isvara Puri and I am asked to serve you,” Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya also was there. Sarvabhauma Bhattcarya knew the background of Govind. Govind was born in sudra family and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, “O, how come Srila Isvara Puri, your spiritual master accepted disciple from low class background? He was himself a brahmin, not allowed according to smriti sastra, acceptance of disciples of lower classes.

Govind was sudra. How did your spiritual master accepted him as a disciple?”And Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “My spiritual master, he glorified My spiritual master saksaddha ritvena samasta sastraira. My spiritual master as good as God. He is not bound by any rules and regulations of smriti sastra. Don’t you know that Lord accepted the food at Vidura’s home? With great relish he ate the peels of banana thinking that was food stuff to eat. Do you not know who Vidura was? Vidura was born also as sudra sudrani’s son. Lord took great pleasure associating with him and eating food at his plate. There is nothing wrong my spiritual master accepting Govinda who earlier belong to sudra family. So like this Caitanya Mahaprabhu always glorified his spiritual master. And this was the spiritual master, Srila Isvara Puri. From him Caitanya Mahaprabhu is showing by his example received or acceptance of spiritual master is essential. This is taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu and from Srila Isvara Puri receiving all prem dhana.

je anilo prem dhana koruna pracura
hena prabhu kothagelaacarya thakur

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu gets this prema dhana received this prema dhana from Srila Isvara Puri. Its Srila Isvara Puri’s disappearance day today just keep remembering his glories.

Isvara Puri tirobhava tithi mahamahotasav ki jay!!
Caitanya Mahaprabhuki jay!!
Nitai Gaur premanande Hari Haribol!!!