HH Lokanath Swami Gurudev’s katha at Bahulavan

2 November 2023

Today is the Tirobhava of Narottam Dasa Thakura. He also went on Vraja-mandala Parikrama and this means that we are following in his footsteps. We are carrying our bodies to the places where Narottam Dasa Thakura went. But what about the bhava he was carrying in his heart. We can just hear about it.

We are sadhakas trying to become sadhana siddhas, but Narottam Dasa Thakura was a Nitya Siddha. He wrote Bhakti Prem Chandrika bhajan songs and Prarthana song book. If we read those we can get some idea about his mood. When he sang, Krsna would appear.

He arranged the first celebration of Gaura Purnima festival at his village in Bangladesh that is Kheturi.

Once Caitanya Mahaprabhu called out to Narottam. He announced his birth. Caitanya Mahaprabhu kept his prema for him in the Padmavati River and she asked, “How will I recognise him?”

Mahaprabhu said, “ As he enters your waters there will be a flood.”

Janava mata was also there during the Gaura Purnima festival. She also stayed at Radha-kunda. Her baithak is there at the bank of Radha-kunda. At the festival, Narottam Dasa Thakura was singing. The Lord says, “Wherever My devotees do kirtan, I stay there.”

jaya Sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

We are all also part of the Gaura Bhakta Vrinda. So as kirtan was going on Panca-attva appeared.

His disappearance is very amazing. As his associates were doing his Abhishek in the Padmavati River, he melted into the milk that was being used for his Abhisek and left this world. With that milk his disciples made a Dudh(milk) Samadhi. One samadhi is in Bangladesh and the other Pushpa Samadhi is at Radha Gokulananda temple.

Gaura Kishor Dasa Babaji Maharaja said that if you sing the bhajans from his two bhajan books, your life will be perfect.

The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathura is the transcendental forest of Vrndavana because of Krsna’s rasa lila pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrndavana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by Krsna. And, above all, Radha-kunda stands supreme, for it is flooded with nectarean prema of Krsna. (NOI 9)

You have all walked quite a lot. That is tapo divyam, divya tapasya. It is guaranteed that it brings purification and bliss. Dhruva Maharaja did tapasya and in six months he attracted the Lord. Bhakti is Krsna Akarshani.

Nanda Baba and his family shifted from Gokul to Vrindavan on the evening of Diwali day after the two trees were broken by Krsna. They crossed Yamuna by making a bullock cart bridge and they came to Chattikara. Gokul Vasis stay here. Basanti Gram is nearby. Vrsabhanu and his family shifted from Raval to Barsana.

Krsna and his family stayed at Chattikara Gram. We are fortunate to be able to stay here. We should not leave Vrindavan. Prabodhananda Maharaja said, “I will not leave Vrindavan.”

Gokul Vasis stayed here for three years and eight months. Chattikara is known as Shakatavarta in sastra. From here they go to Nandagram and at Bhadravan Vatsasur was killed by Krsna. Bakasur was killed in Khadirvana.