Japa Talk by H.H Lokanath Goswami Maharaj
Date: 07-03-2025
Srila Gurudev speaks

Main Theme: Summary of Navadwip Parikrama

Sub Theme : Glories to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakavadatau sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalayataksau visvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma-palau vande jagat priya-karau karunavatarau 

Translation

offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, whose arms extend down to Their knees, who have golden yellow complexions, and who inaugurated the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. Their eyes resemble the petals of a lotus flower; They are the maintainers of the living entities, the best of the brāhmaṇas, the protectors of religious principles for this age, the benefactors of the universe, and the most merciful of all incarnations.[CB 1.1.1]

Chaitanya Bhagavd starts with this prayer that I just recited. Srila vrindavan das Thakur is the compiler of Chaitanya bhagavat. He was none other than Srila Vyas dev . He compiled the Mahabharat also. He appeared again 500 years ago. It’s written in our scriptures. In Vridnavan all the holy Dhamas exist. There is Naimisharanya also in Vridnavan where the srimad bhagvatam is recited.

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ

Translation

May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. 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: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love. [CC Adi 1.4]

Once Lord Shiva himself attended one such discourse of srimad Bhagavatam. He was sitting on a Nandi bull. But it was very slow. So he thought he would miss hearing the discourse. So Shivji parked the bull in Brahma Lok and sat on a crane , the vehicle of lord Brahma. Gaura katha happened in Madhya dwipa. Where one can find lord Brahma and Shivji deities both. This is the most ancient. But that’s not right. This dhama exists from time immemorial.

We jivas are also eternal part and parcels of Krsna. The parikramas are going on in nawadwipa.  Nawadwipa means 9 islands. So devotees are performing parikrama of these 9 islands. They are performing non stop kirtan too. They only stop for distributing Prasadam

Then they also perform kirtan at every step.

cheto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
shreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambhdhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate shri-krishna-sankirtanam

Translation

Glory to the Shri Krishna sankirtana (congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy names), which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. That sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious. [Shikshastakam 1]

They are truly fortunate to have realisations in the holy dhama. Just like Shivji comes running to madhya dwipa to hear Krsna katha. Thus in every Yuga and kalpa the past times of the Lord are recited. So Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appears once in a kalpa – 1 day of Brahma.

Nawadip is full of Shiva ji. He is the security personnel of this holy dhama. He once brought Parvati maiya too. He was singing Gauranga Gauranga !Oh who is your Gauranga ! Pls shower mercy on me too !So in simanta dwipa Gauranga Mahaprabhu gives darshan to shiv and Parvati maiya !Parvati maiya now puts the dust of the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu in the parting of her hair

That’s why it’s known as Simanta dwipa.

Sub-Theme: Glories of Simanta Dwip

We can have Darshan of Sri Simantini devi performing penance for Gauranga Mahaprabhu in our Jagannath temple in Rajapur.

Śrī-prahrāda uvāca
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau
bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā
tan manye ’dhītam uttamam

Translation

Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) — these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge. [SB 7.5.23-24]

The Nine islands represent nine type of Devotional service or  bhakti, these nine islands are
Simanta Dwip – Sravana bhakti
Godrum Dwip – Kirtan Bhakti
Antardvipa, Shri Mayapur (surrendering everything);
Simantadvipa, (hearing);
Godrumadvipa, (chanting);
Madhyadvipa, (remembering);
Koladvipa, Navadvipa city (serving the lotus feet);
Ritudvipa, (worshiping);
Jahnudvipa, (praying);
Modadruma-dvipa, (being a servant); and
Rudradvipa, (being a friend).

Sub-Theme: Glories of Godrum Dwip

So lord Shiva performs kirtan in Godruma dwipa. He is a famous kirtaniya, performing Grand Gaura arati. Even when “kiba jaya Jaya Gorachander is sung … Aarati Karena Brahma adi deva gane” Kiba Shiva Shuka narada preme gada gada

Lord shiva is also known as pinaki Dhar. He has his own style of performing dance and kirtan by playing the damru. He also performs tandav during annihilation. He is the topmost of the vaishnavas.

In all rivers – Ganga is the topmost. In all the puranas – srimad bhagvatam is the top most

Amongst all the 33 crore Devas – Krsna is the topmost

Sub-Theme: Glories of Ritu Dwip

You will  be awestricken in all the islands. In Ritu dwipa all seasons exist simultaneously !

Many flowers bloom. Usually it’s hot or cold in all places. But in Ritu dwipa the environment is very pleasing. This happens to please Krsna. All the holy rivers also flow here, in a criss cross pattern. Nawadwipa has rivers passing around all islands

The seven stars also reside here. Demigods also reside here. It’s a complete dhama. Indra also comes here. He showered torrential rain in Vrindavan. But Krsna forgives him. Nevertheless indra was still lamenting for his mistake. So he came along with Surabhi cow in Godrume dwipa. Godrume means Go- means cow, Drume means – trees. Hence the name

Many cows and cow herd boys reside here. Just like in Goloka , many cows and cow herd boys reside. So when Mahaprabhu performs kirtan , a cowherd boy named Bhima called out to Him and offered Mahaprabhu Goras and sweet meats

Sub-Theme: Glories of Godrume Dwip

Once Markandeya muni also reached this Godrume dwipa. He was blessed to live until 7 kalpas which is equivalent of 7 days and 7 nights of Brahma. Once when there was annihilation , markandeya muni was very distressed floating in the water. He was tossing in the waves of the ocean. He would breathe in distress. He was looking for some piece of land to rest. Then while he was thus floating , he passed by nawadwipa dhama and saw a tree somewhere. He caught hold of a stem of the tree. And saw that the dhama was untouched by annihilation!

Surabhi cow gave him milk. This was the first hand experience of Markandeya muni !

Same goes for Ayodhya dhama , Pandharpur and so on

All the dhamas exist eternally !And those who have taken shelter of the dhama also become eternal !539 years ago Gauranga Mahaprabhu appeared here. In every day of lord Brahma , He appears.

The Ganga reached Gomukh along with king Bhagirath. All the pits nawadwipa were being filled up by the Ganga river. This is Janu dwipa. The flow of the river interrupted the meditation of Janu muni. So he drank the entire Ganga river. When king bhagirath turned back to see where was Ganga , she had disappeared

But on the request of King bhagirath Ganga Maiya again started to flow. So Ganga Maiya performed Nirjala fasting !It was gaura poornima then

nimna-gānāṁ yathā gaṅgā
devānām acyuto yathā
vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ
purāṇānām idam tathā

Translation

Just as the Gaṅgā is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Śambhu [Śiva] the greatest of Vaiṣṇavas, so Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the greatest of all Purāṇas. [SB 12.13.16]

In that Yuga Krsna and Mahaprabhu appeared… it’s a continuous process. Just like the hands of a clock that keep rotating. The refugees take refuge in a place while travelling. Similarly one becomes eternal by taking shelter of the holy dhama.

The devotees always serve Krsna in the holy dhamas. He has a form , past time , fame and so on. Thus scriptures like Chaitanya Bhagavat , Chaitanya Mangal , Chaitanya charitamrita are compiled.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

Translation

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. [BG 7.19]

To glorify the holy dhama , devotees, holy places. In this way by reading scriptures we get to know the glories of Krishna’s Holy abode rivers , his pastimes etc

And all this was due to the mercy of Srila Prabhupada.

All these glories were made accessible to us by Shrila Prabhupada

If he had not done translation of Chaitanya Charitramrita in English. Not many could have read in Bengali

If Shrila Prabhupada was not there then Chaitanya Charitamrita or Chaitanya Mangal would have remained in Bengal itself, in Bengali language

All glories to Shrila Prabhupada

Guru and Gauranga ki jai