Glories for Sri Pandharpur Dham

Speaker: H.H Lokanath Goswami Maharaja
Date: 07-07-2025
Sub: Glories for Sri Pandharpur Dham

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram
Ram Ram Hare Hare.

I Welcome you all, at ISKCON Pandharpur and also those devotees who are available and performing Japa online at Zoom temple for Japa Talk.
I cannot refrain myself from speaking…. this is my life. So I decided to deliver today’s Japa Talk. Lets see what Sri Sri Vittal Rukmini wants me to speak. We can consider the title of this Japa Talk as the Glories of Sri Pandharpur Dham.

All glories to Pandharpur, All glories to Sri Vittal Rukmini. Sri Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu Ki Jai, Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai.
I will try to cover as much as possible and if something remains uncovered then you all can add, if time permits. 7:30 am will be Darshan Arti
I know you all are eager to have darshan of the Lord too.

Netrotsav is not a one-day festival. I know you all have come here to take divine darshan of the love. When we are performing chanting, we pray to Hari nam. Oh my lord, please help us to see your pastimes “Mam Shravan”, “Mam dharshya”. Please show me your divine self. Which means Netrotsav will also happen.

rama – he rama, presthaya saha svabhista-lilam mam sravaya –

Translation
Rama! O Rama! Give me the opportunity to hear about your own favorite pastimes with your beloved Radha.
hare – he hare, sva-presthena saha svabhista-lilam darsaya-

Translation
Hare! O Hara, Radha! Give me the opportunity to see your intimate pastimes with your beloved Lord.

Netrotsav is not a one-day festival. It can happen every single Day. This Dham is famous for the worship of Sri Sri Vittal Rukmini. All glories to Panduranga. There are a smaller number of places where we worship Sri Sri Vittal Rukmini together. In Dwarka we worship only Dwarkadhish, Rukmini Mai is not accompanying the Lord there.

Pundalik acted as an instrument to make this place famous. Like we say “Yadhe Praphupada na haute”. If Pundalik was not there no one would have not known this Pandharpur dham, or we can say If he was not there then this Dham would have not manifested. We have Pandharpur as well as Gopalpur Dham here. We have Rukmini here as well as Satyabhama and Radhika also. Devotees offer Lord’s mangal Aarti which is famous and is called as Kakada Aarti

Normally Lord is bathed behind the curtains but here is SRI SRI Vittal Temple after mangal Arati, Lord is bathed openly. Devotees can have darshans of Lord’s Abhishek. This is Vrindavan Mood, in Vrindavan this happens. When Mother Yashoda bathe the Lord, then other Vrajavasis are also present and they sometimes assist Mother Yashoda.

In Dwarika Abhishek happened behind the curtains, in vaikuntha this does not happen. Also, in Remuna such Abhishek ceremony takes places in front of devotees.

There are very limited temples, which we may count on fingers where such open Abhisheks are offered. This place is also known as South Dwarka

For Gaudiya Vaishnavas, Lord has established Gopalpur Dham which is the expansion of Gokul in Vridavan.
Krsna jinka nama hai, Gokula jinka dhama hai Aise Sri Bhagavana ko (mera) barambara pranam hai

Translation
He whose name is Krishna, and whose abode is Gokula- unto such a Supreme
Personality of Godhead, I offer my most humble obeisances again and again.

We call also say
“Krsna jinka nama hai, Gokula jinka dhama hai Aise Pandharpur Dham ko (mera) barambara pranam hai”

Translation
He whose name is Krishna, and whose abode is Gokula- unto such Pandharpur Dham, I offer my most humble obeisances again and again.

Lord also performs pastimes of cowherd boy and other pastimes. We call it Gokul, Vrindavan then we should have Govardhan here. How can a place be called as an expansion of Gokul unless it has Govardhan, which is known as Vraj Tilak
So we have Govardhan, Yamuna also here.

Three things are mandatory here.
Residing in SRI Pandharpur Dham, Taking Holy Dip in Chandrabhaga River which is like Yamuna and Having Darshan of SRI SRI Vittal Rukmini

pandharicha vas chandrabhage snan
aanik darshan vithobache

Translation
To dwell in Pandharpur, to bathe in the Chandrabhaga,
And to behold the divine form of Vitthala—
May this alone be granted to me, birth after birth;
I ask nothing else of Lord Shri Hari.
May the holy name always be on my lips,
And may I have the company of saints—
Seeing God in all living beings.
Namdev says: At Your temple’s grand doorway,
May I sing kirtan garlands of love, forever. [By – saint Namdeva]

These three components complete your Pandharpur Dham visit. Also, we should include Kirtan or Nand Brahma or Shabda Braham.
That’s also a very significant part of Sri Pandharpur Dham
They Sing Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari or hare Krsna in the background along with Kirtans. Also this place is famous for Dindi Yatra

People continue to walk along with Kirtan, dancing on the beats of Kartals and Mridangas.

Gyaneshvar, Naamdev etc were few renowned saints of SRI Pandharpur Dham
Namdev went till Punjab performing kirtans

hari mukhe mahna hari mukhe mahna punyachi ganana kon kari

Translate
The saint emphasizes that simply uttering the holy name of the Lord (Hari) brings immeasurable spiritual merit—so vast that no one can calculate it. It’s a poetic way of saying: the name of God is the greatest treasure, freely available to all.
[By – Sant Dnyaneshwar]

When Srila Prabhupada came to know about my background of being from a family of Warkaris or Dindi then he asked me to Lead Padayatra. And In 1976 we had Padayatra opening which was inaugurated by Srila Prabhupada himself

yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa

Translation
“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.” [CC Madhya 7.128]
Also Shrila Prabhupada instructed me

“Jare Dekha Tare Kaho Hare Krishna Upadesh”, “Hare Nam He Kavelam”

This place is famous for Kirtan and Nand Braham.I think I am the only one whom Srila Prabhupada instructed in this way. This can be verified. With grace of Srila Prabhupada I took padyatra in various countries and India.

tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva
jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin

Translation
Therefore, get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasācī, can be but an instrument in the fight. [BG 11.33]

Also we had famous saints like Ekanath Maharaj and Tukaram Maharaj too from here. All these saints as well as there were innumerable others who had glorified Sri Vittal Rukmini at this place. They have performed kirtan and sankirtan in this Dham
Nearby we have a Narada Muni’s Temple, near Chandrabhaga River. He witnesses all the pastimes taking place here and then he glorifies them.

Sub-Theme: Other Saints who were Popular in this region and glorified Pandarpur

Kanakdas was another Saint, he used to reside in Karanataka. He was no less than Saint Tukaram in his preaching contributions. He witnesses all the pastimes taking place here and then he glorifies them. Besides these Maharastrian saints, The leading Acharyas of all the four Bonafied Sampradayas continued visiting this place

Beside the main temple of Ramanujacharyas’s main temple in Srirangam we have Vittal Rukmini Temple.

Also Sri Vallabhacharya visited this place and he performed Bhagwat Katha here
He is founder Acharya of Pusthi Marg. Worship lord krshna as bal Gopal form. Lord gave him his darshan. He also received the instruction to accept Grashtha Ashram and be engaged in preaching activities

When Shankaracharya visited this place he composed Panduranga Astakam
Though, throughout the India he preached Mayavad Philosophy.
Brhama lingam Baje Pandurangam

Translation
“To the divine symbol of Brahma, Panduranga sings and resounds.”
In Sri Sri Vittal Rumini Temple this Astakam is written on the walls. Also, Shankaracharya was Lord Shiva himself who had appeared in the Form of the devotee. Later Lord Gauranga visited Sri Vrindavan Dham and he performed kirtan

At other places Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would just stay for one night or 1 day
But here he stayed for 11 days. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who had appeared for spreading the Holyname he stayed at this place which is famous as Nad-Brahm

This is not ordinary, place. Sri Nityananda Prabhu also accepted initiation at this place. Vishnu Swami visited this place.

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

Translation
To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.[BG 4.8]

Very soon a magnificent of SRI SRI Radha Pandharinath is going to appear very soon. This seed has sprouted and now with the support from all of you this will very soon manifest. Chandrabhaga Mai is present here.
Mother Ganga was willing to perform Parikrama of the Dham thus he has formed a moonlike curve thus she is named as Chandrabhaga though otherwise it is known as Bhima River

Bhima ani chandrabhaaga
Tujhya charanichya ganga

Translation
The rivers Bhima and Chandrabhaga—
Are like the sacred Ganga at Your lotus feet.

Meaning: The devotee expresses that the rivers flowing through Pandharpur—Bhima and Chandrabhaga—are as holy as the Ganges because they touch the feet of Lord Vitthala. It’s a poetic way of saying: wherever the Lord resides, that place becomes the holiest of all.
Also, in our temple we will have SRI SRI Sita Ram Lakshman Hanuman. Lord Rama means, Krishna or Balaram also. But most prominently it reminds of Lord Rama from Ayodhya.

Everybody was calling out Lord Rama’s name, eagerly waiting for his arrival. Finally Lord is coming, he is coming to ISKCON Bhuvaikuntha Mandir.

HG Hari Kirtan Prabhu Shares you are also one of the Great Saint who has appeared in this region. You have appeared to glorify the importance of this Dham and Saint Tukaram. You have appeared to fulfill the incomplete desire of Lord and his devotees. It is Through you that thousands of devotees are able to have a connection with Lord and Sri Sri Pandharpur Dham

Hg Istadev Prabhu shares I had never thought that the mantra “Jaya Jaya Ram krishna Hari” Mantra can be connected in this way to the altars we are going to have here.