19900220 Yogapitha - To the Padayātrā

Lecture Code: 19900220

Navadvip Mandal Parikrama - Yogapith To The Padayatra Lecture By

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja

In Śrīdhām Māyāpur, India

vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca

  sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam

sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devam

sri-radha-Kṛṣṇa-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: 

Why is that very often when we see we say Hare Kṛṣṇa why not when we say Śrī Krsna Caitanya

(jaya) śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

(jaya) śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ
paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande
paramānanda-mādhavam

śrī caitanya iśvaram

(jaya) śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda ki Jai

Devotees : Jaya !

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami : Jaya Śri Śri Śacī-suta-Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu ki

Devotees : Jaya !

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami : Jaya Śri Śri Śacī-suta Jagannātha Miśra ki 

Devotees : Jaya !

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami : Jaya Śri Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu yogapīṭha ki 

Devotees : Jaya !

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami : Gaura premānande 

Devotees : Hari Haribol !

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami : So, this is known as the yogapīṭh; pīṭha means a holy place, sacred place. Sacred because this is the place where the Lord has contacted yoga - link, touch. First come in contact with this material world, coming from the spiritual world here, the Lord has appeared in Nadia, Śrī Māyāpur as the son of mother Śacī - Jagannātha Miśra. 

This is the center while you are going on the padayātra, Navadvīpa parikrama over the nine islands. This is the center most place, known as Antardvīpa. The entire Navadvīpa has been explained by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in the Navadvīpa Mahatmyam is being like a lotus flower. I don’t know if many devotees have seen the lotus flower. In the west not too many lotus flowers. But, actually they are very beautiful to see. Lotus flower has a yellow portion in the middle which is raised and around that there are many small little flowers, very small little flowers, that is only an inch or so big. Then there is a very big flower petal, they go all the way around. Many many layers of the very big flower petals which are, say 10 or even 15 centimetres or 4 to 6 inches long depending how big the lotus is. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains that if you take the center to be this place - Antardvīpa, then there around it we have eight petals. This is what Navadvīpa looks like. All the center, raised yellow portion, the small flower petals which are in the middle of the lotus and the big petals are gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, which spreads all the way around Navadvīpa dhāma for 168 miles. You can check it out, 1.6 km per mile. It’s 84 krośa - same as Braja maṇḍala. So today you are not beginning the Braja or Navadvīpa or the gauḍa-maṇḍala parikrama but Navadvīpa parikrama. So only the nine islands. 

This is the center island - Antardvīpa, this is the island which corresponds with ātma-nivedanam - full surrender. The next island is Sīmantadvīpa, which corresponds with śravaṇaṁ. Śravanaṁ, kīrtanaṁ, smaraṇaṁ, vandanaṁ. This way it goes around. Hearing, chanting is Godrumadvīpa, Madhyadvīpa then is remembering and we have Koladvīpa, Ṛtudvīpa, Jahnudvīpa, Modadruma-dvīpa - servitude, then Rudradvīpa. Our temple is just on the edge of Rudradvīpa and right behind where the gurukula is, that’s an extension of this Antardvīpa, goes from here to the Jalāṅgī. So, again further this way there comes Rudradvīpa. Beginning from here going to Sīmanta, Godruma, Madhya, and crossing over the ganges, then Kola, Ṛtu, Jahnu, Modadruma crossing over the ganges again, coming into Rudradvīpa. Usually this is the basic route you take. So Lord Nityānanda, He went through this sometime in 9 days, sometimes in 5 days, sometimes in one night. (Laughs). It goes 16 kilometers in diameter, He would cover the whole. Of course you can’t understand Nityānanda prabhu - transcendental walk. 

So this is how Antardvīpa, for another reason why it is compared with the center of the lotus. The center, it is also called the antar. It is because Lord Brahmā sat here worshipping Caitanya Mahāprabhu after Brahmā was forgiven for his offense of having stolen the cowherd boys and the calves. And after he begged for.., offered his prayers to Lord Govinda in Vṛndāvana. Then he was feeling very bad that although I am a Brahma and I’m a servitor of the Lord and somehow am bewildered by false pride, tested my Lord. So he knew that The Lord is going to come in the kali-yuga after Kṛṣṇa’s appearance as Gaurāṅga - the most merciful of all the avatāras of Kṛṣṇa. So he came here and began to meditate on the name of Lord Caitanya. Gaurāṅga Gaurāṅga Gaurāṅga Gaurāṅga Gaurāṅga Gaurāṅga Gaurāṅga Gaurāṅga again and again he was chanting and meditating on the name of Gaurāṅga. But Lord Caitanya gave mercy very quickly to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ah to Lord Brahma. He appeared with His beautiful golden form, His chest broad as a doorway, His lotus eyes, garland going from His neck all the way down practically to His lotus feet swinging, colourful bees flying around, trying to get honey from His garland, with tears of Kṛṣṇa prema in His eyes. Lord Brahma became so ecstatic to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu he jumped up in ecstasy, then he came down again paying his obeisance’s and jumped up again in ecstasy, chanting, then fell down at His feet. Finally when he could gain self control of him, his ecstasy, then the Lord asked him “Why have you called Me? Why do you want My darshan?”. So Lord Brahma explained, half my life is already over. You see we are in the dvitīya parārdha, on the second half of Lord Brahma’s life. He was feeling, half my life is already over, still I have so much false ego, that I commit offenses to You. I want to get Your blessing that I can be Your associate and I can serve You in Your pastimes when You come here I can get Kṛṣṇa prema, that I can be purified from committing any offence in future and for my previous offences. So Lord Caitanya blessed Lord Brahma and said you will appear before I do. You will appear in a family of mlecchas or yavanas. This will cause you to be humble. You will chant 300000 names of Kṛṣṇa a day. This chanting will be so purifying it will not only purify you when you are chanting but for the rest of your life. You will be one of my intimate associates participating in many of my pastimes. And you will be known as Haridās. Haridās Ṭhākura ki

Devotees : Jaya !

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami : Brahma Haridās ki

Devotees : Jaya !

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami : And this way Lord Brahma he was, had the blessing of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, quickly returned to his Satyaloka, to prepare to come here for the pastimes of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because Lord Brahma was sitting here, and Lord Brahma’s Satyaloka is in the shape of a huge lotus. He sits on the lotus, he’s also sitting here. So this is compared to the center of a lotus where Lord Brahma is sitting. 

So five hundred and, almost five hundred and four years ago, Caitanya Mahāprabhu came. That time Jagannātha Miśra, had a vision. Actually he had a vision in his sleep - brilliant, effulgent he could see some transcendental presence enter into his mind, into his heart, and then transferred to the heart of mother Śacī. In this way there was a transcendental conception and mother Śacī, she also had a similar dream and the next thing she knew was actually she was carrying Caitanya, Gaurāṅga within her. While she was carrying the Lord, there were many amazing signs. Devas would come from their planets to offer prayers to the Lord. Although they were not visible, sometimes mother Śacī felt that there’s people in the room with me where she would sleep sometimes. In this way she would sometimes hear the voices of vedic mantras being chanted in Sanskrit prayers as devas were coming to sing hymns to the Lord and praying for His mercy. Actually Caitanya Mahāprabhu, revealed that He is the most merciful of all incarnations. So they prayed my Lord please Your mercy to us. We are Your devotees from the higher planetary systems, we are the devas. We don’t come to.., we know that Lord You are the most merciful of all the incarnations. You are the Avatāri or the source of all the incarnations of God. Varāha, Matsya, Kūrma, Nṛsiṁha They are all coming to deliver Your devotees and to give liberation to the devotees very easily. But You are the most merciful Avatār, because Avatāri as Gaurāṅga You are giving love of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-prema, which is the highest benediction. 

Actually in the Vedas there are many flowery words which tell people that they can do different types of sacrifices and karma-kāṇḍa in order to get material benefits. But even in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that don’t be bewildered by the flowery words of the Vedas. Actually for the devotees what to speak of material benediction? Material benediction has no value for the pure devotees of the Lord. What to speak of that, because they don’t even have interest in achieving liberation without the devotional service of theLord. The devotees simply want to render pure devotional service in pure love of the Lord. So the devas, they could understand that what Lord Caitanya’s giving is even more rare, more wonderful than what normally is available from any other incarnation of Godhead except of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya. And even Kṛṣṇa, He would not really give love of Himself. He would give liberation easier, but love of Kṛṣṇa He would keep hidden. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He would come and freely give out this mercy to everyone. So for this the devas they prayed, we don’t want material benedictions from You, we don’t want liberation. What we are praying for is we can have Your highest benediction which You are offering - pure love of Kṛṣṇa. What do we do with material happiness? You have already given us residence in the heavenly planet, we have enough material sense gratification, lot of comforts, actually we have no problem there materially speaking. Only two problems are there, minor. One is that although we are living in great luxury and comfort, sometimes we have to fear the attack of demons. So this fear is one problem that brings anxiety. And the second is because we have so much sense gratification, that determination to render devotional service to You, you know our desire to achieving love of Kṛṣṇa, this doesn’t arise in our minds because of so much absorption in sense gratification. And this is the greatest suffering of all - not to desire, not to have Your pure love. 

Actually devotees of Kṛṣṇa should understand that the greatest suffering in the world is not the starvation, is not the diseases, is not the old age. The greatest suffering is not to have love of Kṛṣṇa. Love of Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful that not to have that, is suffering. When we preach we sometime tell people to just get them a little interested, about the sadness and the first.., and the suffering of reincarnation, the greatness of liberation all these things just because people are very much centered on bodily consciousness, to just get them interested in spiritual life. But the highest understanding we could see in the realization of the devas is that real suffering means not to have love of Kṛṣṇa. For the devotee, all these shades of material suffering and happiness are all suffering. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness everything else is simply “nāma binā kichu nāhiko āro, caudda-bhuvana-mājhe”. Except for the Holy name in the whole fourteen worlds there is nothing else. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this way was being approached by the devas. Kindly He appeared in person. Gaura-pūrṇimā everyone was chanting, because of the lunar eclipse that the different devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they were suffering a lot at that time in Navadvīpa, because Navadvīpa  was a materialistic place. Navadvīpa was materialistic not in the sense we know it. New York, London, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Shanghai or whatever Hongkong, Singapore, Bangkok, Melbourne to name a few places, Bombay - not materialistic in that way. People were by today’s comparison pious. But by transcendental analysis they were material. In another words they weren’t interested in devotional service. They were interested in doing some demigod worship and doing some kind of official worship, some rituals, little speculations, little Māyāvādī, little sahajiyās, but actually nothing pure devotional service. It was just except a very few number of devotees, everyone was into one form or another of some materialistic religiosity. Religiosity was common, but in a materialistic way. Many examples were given about this. May be if someone else can do. I don’t wanna give so much detail, because, limited time. One of the interesting things was how became competition among the materialists, possibly more religious. 

We know that dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa - the four puruṣārthas. Actually these four puruṣārthas are also considered material. Why religiosity is referred because at that time people, they weren’t even demanding people short from religion. But their religion was not for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa, it’s not a real religion. For them religion meant some other purpose. So when a religion is not really meant for the pleasure of God, for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord is much abominable. So they are putting a show. They wanted to appear religious. It wasn’t religion in a real sense; they wanted to appear religious for public social standing. So someone would put on a big wedding ceremony to marry his daughter. So, when another person saw that, all my daughters are married, he put a bigger wedding for his daughter and he appears to be more religious. So he said what can I do? I want to defeat him. So then he decided I’ll marry two dolls, one of Śiva and one of Pārvatī. They put ona big wedding for the clay mūrtis of Śiva and Pārvatī. Then someone else did that work. Everyone started doing that trying to beat one another. So someone thought let me become more creative. Then he married two trees. Then someone else thought, let me marry cat - female cat and a male cat. And like this, it’s going on. The devotees said what is this system of religion? They may be showing sometimes a pūjā thing, a few brāhmaṇas to do a wedding ceremony, but the whole thing is simply their ego pūjā. Trying to build up their own social status. So nothing to do for pleasing Kṛṣṇa - waste of money, waste of time. No one would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because the smārta brāhmaṇas, they told everyone - if you chant the names of Kṛṣṇa, that’s an offense. They would reduce the power of Kṛṣṇa. Plus only the devotee chant the name of their father, of their husband, no one should.., - there so many speculations were going. Only time they would chant is when they were taking their bath in the Ganges. That they know the Ganges is purifying. So when I’m up to my neck in the Ganges water, then I won’t you know contaminate the Holy name by chanting. So you could only hear people chanting when they are in the Gaṅgā. So at that time when Lord Caitanya appeared everyone was in the Gaṅgā chanting Haribol ! Haribol ! Govinda ! Govinda ! Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare (devotees chant along). So all the devotees were very happy. This is what is supposed to be inauspicious - lunar eclipse, when everyone’s chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa well let there be lunar eclipse everyday. Let them always chant. By chanting, the world is becoming, they never heard such a kirtan anyone. But they are inspired. Why? Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu has actually giving love. 

Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared here. This is the janma-sthāna. In Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa explains “janma karma ca me divyam” one.., my birth, my līlā - my activities are both transcendental. Divyam - they are not material. 

“janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ 

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna”

Someone who understands the transcendental nature of the Lord’s appearance and  His pastimes, when he leave this body, Kṛṣṇa explains tyaktvā dehaṁ - when they leave that deha - body, punar janma naiti - they don’t come back again in the material world mām eti  - they come to me. So easy it is to achieve liberation to just understand the transcendental qualities, but the devotees of the Lord, His appearance and pastimes, for the devotees, they are not so interested. They want mām eti - come to Me. They want to be with Kṛṣṇa whether in this world or anywhere - but if you want to be with Kṛṣṇa. How can you be with Kṛṣṇa? By chanting His Holy name, by serving Him, we are connected with Kṛṣṇa. So the Lord is so merciful that He came to us, to give us His association, to give us the easy way to get back to Him. Just by coming and knowing how the Lord comes, that He’s not a conditioned soul, He’s the Lord of all the souls. How He engages in transcendental pastimes but He is never under karma. He’s the Lord of karma.

But as you travel through the holy land of Navadvīpa, you’ll be able to hear from so many of the illustrious and dedicated preachers here about the glories of Krsna in this holy land. Glories of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His transcendental pastimes. The more you can understand the essence of this “janma karma ca me divyam”, the more you are attached to the transcendental platform. By Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy, the more taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness will also be expanded up to the level of pure bhakti, pure Kṛṣṇa prema. So how holy a place is this, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu used to play here. I mean crawling.., crawling on the ground, sometimes picking up a snake which was actually Balarāma - Ananta Śeṣa come in the form of a snake. Snake coiled up, Gaurāṅga laid down as a little baby, relaxing on the snake. Mother Śacī was in there cooking some milk for feeding Nimāi. She came out and saw Him lying on a huge white cobra with the cobra head over the body of the baby to keep the sunlight off. He is enjoying Śeṣa śayana just like the Mahā -Viṣṇu on the causal ocean - nice, cooling snake coil in the hot weather relaxing. But when mother Śacī what she sees is my baby is being attacked by a cobra. (Screams) She’s screaming and then she faints to the ground, people run ar.., oh see this girl is fainting. What to do? They can’t go there. If they go, may be the snake will strike. This is their fear. They are running around. They are all screaming and pulling their hair and they are just going mad. Ananta Śeṣa, being a lover of devotees, saw that the devotees were in such anxiety. He doesn’t want them to suffer. So he uncoiled and started going on. This angered baby Nimāi. He started calling after the Ananta Śeṣa, come back, trying to grab. But mother Śacī quickly ran and grabbed her baby. Ah! Kṛṣṇa has saved my baby. Like this, unlimited pastimes we hear and no one can explain all the pastimes. Even if Ananta Śeṣa in one day, he cannot explain all the pastimes of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. With his hundreds and thousands of heads, he cannot begin to explain the glories of the Lord even in one day of his. 

Here baby Nimāi would run out in the street sometimes with His jewellery, running here and there. It’s from here He was picked up by the two thieves. Here, oh there are so many pastimes. When the brāhmaṇ came, He was a little older, He took the offering in the middle of the night . The brāhmaṇa could see Ṣaḍbhuja - six handed form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Here, Lord Caitanya went from here to do His studies. To go to vidyānagara, where Lord Caitanya used to walk. Actually now people go by rickshaw but otherwise people used to walk on it. Walking was..,we know walking is very healthy. People would walk. I think we better be doing some walking. Lord Caitanya, He would walk to all these places. So you see from here, actually this was the center for the first 24 years. In the evening of course we are going from here to Śrīvāsa angan where the Sankirtan was held. This was also another center. Many centers but here in Antardvīpa - birth place, Śrīvāsa angan - these are very important. If you ask the temple, they have, when they dug the foundation, Bhakti-siddhānta Ṭhākura dug the foundation of the main temple, they uncovered the original Adhokṣaja deity Jagannātha Miśra used to worship. That deity is still in the temple. 

When you go to Bhaktivinoda’s house you can probably hear how this whole birthplace was discovered, which I won’t say here. This, in front of the house of Caitanya Mahāprabhu there are many ghats - many bathing places. Barakona ghat, there were five major bathing ghats in the Ganges. The Ganges is not very far. You can see there how Ganges was a mile - a kilometer and a half away just 2 years ago when it came so close. Now it appears that she is changing her course again. Within a very short time she can move many many kilometers. But she was very close here at the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu just a few hundred or 200 meters from here. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu would regularly go to the Ganges - bathing in the very nice big ghats. Ghats means the steps that go into the river they call ghats. Because bathing in the Ganges is such a tradition, such a.., actually one of the devotional services. So the kings and administrators, any wealthy person, they want to do a  public service, they would build one of the bathing ghats. You see, one of the ghats is known as Mādhāi ghat - the ghat of Mādhāi. Because  Jagāi-Mādhāi, after they were delivered by Nityānanda prabhu and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then Mādhāi came to Lord Nityānanda and expressed to Him that I committed a great offense to You, I hit You on the head with wine bottle, with a broken clay pot. I committed a great offense, please forgive me. I want to do some service. Nityānanda said that I did not take any offense, just like a mother who is holding her baby in her lap. The baby sometime is kicking the mother, or hitting the mother. The mother doesn't think that “oh! the baby has kicked me”. She loves the baby. She is having so much maternal affection. So Nityānanda expressed this type of mood that I just think you like My child, whatever you did I never took any offense. But then Mādhāi said but I committed so many other offenses to others. Ok You are expressing me like Your child. What about all those?., I was a dacoit - I killed people and there are so many criminal acts which caused suffering to so many people. What can I do to get forgiven for that offense. You should.., Nityānanda said well that’s a point. You should do something where by people will be advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you will be forgiven for your offenses. You can build a bathing ghat. All the people to go to the Ganges and bathe and by their going and worshipping the Ganges, they will be benefitted spiritually, then you will get the benefit of that and will be forgiven for your offense. So with his own hand Mādhāi, with a shovel and stones and bricks, constructed a massive bathing ghat very near to here called Mādhāi ghat. 

So being here at the birthplace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we can.., Prabhupāda reminded us when preaching in foreign countries, when preaching all over the world, many times we can … or we have association with materialistic people, this brings.., certainly goes as emanations into our consciousness. But by serving in the holy dhām, this is thousand times more benefit, because as the Lord’s mercy purifies us from those effects. Similarly, why do we preach? Some people say why the younger devotees, they  are also asked to distribute books, they are asked to preach? Because by helping others advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are forgiven for our offenses, for our mistakes, for our errors in spiritual life and imperfections and we are purified. So it actually means that quickly making advancement. Forgiving.., forgiven for different offenses to the living entities, to others, to one, to the Lord. So Jagāi-Mādhāi, they performed this service. You see Mādhāi who did the hitting, so he was very guilty. So we also perform devotional service with the idea of becoming purified, for attracting the Lord’s mercy. Just like the Goddesses of Fortune, they are sweeping the stones in the spiritual world to attract the mercy, the merciful glance of the Lord. We are engaging in devotional service not that we think I’m very great, this.., performer of devotional service,I have done this, I have done .., simply to attract the mercy of the Lord. If we do anything, even would resembling correct, we know that it’s the mercy of the guru, mercy of the Vaiṣṇavas, mercy of the Lord. we are simply doing the desire to express the intention of pleasing the Lord. It is the Lord’s intimate desire was to deliver all the conditioned souls, to give them love of Kṛṣṇa, to expand the tree of devotional service that is also the most intimate service to Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that birthplace is very holy, most holy. But compared to the birthplace, the karma sthana, the place of activities is even more sacred. Because that Lord Caitanya appeared … Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathurā but He went to Vṛndāvana. So karma sthana was more prominent even than Mathurā. So far this is completely transcendental - the birthplace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We come here every year, we pay obeisances, one time, many times. But more important is to expand the activities of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Prabhupāda gave the example that our Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir - the purpose is to expand Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s activities, to demonstrate them. So it’s considered that even more important in one perspective. Similarly we want to expand these activities all over the world, just to become dear to the Lord, to attract His mercy, to purify ourselves we also engage in Navadvīpa parikrama, visit the holy places, remember the pastimes of the Lord, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, charge our spiritual batteries, so that we, so that we can give out this mercy, we can continue our devotional service all over the world and that we can also help others to become closer to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, closer to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So, actually there are so many things I wanted to say but so many things happened. In 24 years Caitanya Mahāprabhu was doing pastimes. One pastime, one day we can’t say what to speak of 24 years here from yogapīṭha. So we can at this point, especially remember Śacī mātā and  Jagannātha Miśra who were so fortunate that they could have Caitanya Mahāprabhu on their laps. He would be running, jumping on their laps playing. But they were simply due to yogamāyā, think this is our beloved child. In fact in one dream one brāhmaṇa came and chastised Jagannātha Miśra how are you scolding your son, you don’t know? He is the Supreme Lord and he was preaching like this in the dream and then Jagannātha Miśra, he felt actually yes how can I do that. Then he woke up. But as soon as he woke up after what he thought, again yogamāyā acted and he just came back in the vātsalya  rasa. I don’t care who my son is. I must take care of my son. I have to see to it his upbringing is right and he came back right into father mode. So although the Lord, we know who He is, and many associates, they realised who He was, but Jagannātha Miśra and Mother Śacī, their pure flow of devotion and love was simply in that vātsalya mood. So we want the blessings of Śacī mātā and Jagannātha Miśra, blessings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to engage in Lord Caitanya’s devotional service pure and spontaneously. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare ! 

Are there any questions?

This is Lakshmi Nṛsiṁha Deva and the other side Gaura Gadādhara. Actually it is very painful to see that some of the construction going on because one of the houses they are rebuilding, it’s original house was built brick by brick by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. It’s a historical house. And Prabhupāda, he reasoned it for 500, for 150 years they kept the same grass hut that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had discovered. Then they broke it down, put the concrete imitation there. It’s so much trouble to maintain the grass hut. He said historically they should have kept the original one. So he ordered us in Māyāpur we should keep the original grass hut where i.., he stayed. Now we are seeing this broken, the original house of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and building a two-story something  whatever they are doing. That’s quite painful for me to see these things. There is nothing to say because they don’t understand but. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura lived here for sometime, did worship here and one of these, he worshipped Gaura Gadādhara. He worshipped Lakshmi Nṛsiṁha. May be some of that one knows lot more detail. Actually at the gateway there’s two deities. There’s one of.., one babaji. He was the one and the only babaji made by Bhakti-siddhānta Ṭhākura. He was not into making babajis but into sannyāsīs for preaching. But there was one businessman devotee. He was so impressed by Bhaktivinoda, Bhakti-siddhānta Ṭhākura’s preaching, he came and offered his entire wealth to the last cent, everything to him. With that, this temple was constructed. He just wanted to chant and render devotional service. Pretty much old and was not possible to strain so much to preaching in that age. So Bhakti-siddhānta Ṭhākura gave him samadhi excuse me, babaji. So his deity was kept there at the gate. He worshipped here, chanting so many hundred thousands of names per day until he left his body. To the left, on the other side is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Prabhupāda, he didn’t appreciate that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura should be put in the gateway. Instead he should be put inside somewhere. It is not appropriate to respect the ācārya by putting him in the gateway. One thing was that babaji - it was  alright. But not Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Like other things here which Prabhupāda he also didn’t appreciate, free distribution on. But these are original deities as far as I know of Kṛṣṇa worshipped by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. I don’t want to get into further details but it is Lakshmi Nṛsiṁha and Gaura Gadādhara. Lord.., We know Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, Gadādhara is Rādhārāṇī. Since Kṛṣṇa combined with Rādhā śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. So Rādhārāṇī alone is a supporter role, because Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Himself playing the part of Rādhārāṇī - Her devotion. So Gadādhara prabhu was supporting, was assisting. There’s also a higher understanding of you are gonna see how Gadādhara’s assisting the Lord. How Rādhārāṇī is also assisting Kṛṣṇa and experiencing the love of Rādhā for Kṛṣṇa. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he was worshipping Gaura Gadādhara deity. You will see at his house is also Gaura Gadādhara, here also Gaura Gadādhara. And in the main temple there is pañca-tattva. There’s Lord Caitanya with Viṣṇupriyā and Lakṣmīpriyā. And I think also there’s Rādhā and Govinda and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As far I can remember those are the main deities. That there is a small stone Adhokṣaja deity in the main altar. If you ask them, the pujari offering any bhoga, will bring out and show the devotees.

It is according to the vedic culture they part their hair in the middle and where they put the red mark in the top of the head is the place where Lakṣmī is there. We know that women are, wives are called Gṛha-Lakṣmī - Goddess of Fortune of the house. So here the Sī - manta, that place that is where Pārvatī took the dust of the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and placed on her head - Sīmanta. So that place where Pārvatī worshipped Caitanya Mahāprabhu is called Sīmantadvīpa - the next island. So she is known as Prauda Māyā. She is here in yoga Māyā form, she protects the.., she engages the devotees in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s service and keeps out the actual function. And many other services she is doing - Prauda Māyā. Just like Yoga Māyā in Vṛndāvana has another form. And Vṛddha Śiva is a form of Lord Śiva here in the dhām. He is actually keeps.., allows only the devotees enter into the transcendental Navadvīpa dhām. He is the protector of the dhām. And to get to Caitanya Mahāprabhu we need the blessing of Lord Śiva in his form of Vṛddha Śiva. So we are going to see that transcendental form of Lord Śiva, who is serving Caitanya Mahāprabhu, protecting the dhām. There is one Śiva lingam which is worshipped with full Vaiṣṇava as a Vaiṣṇava, remnants of Caitanya Mahāprabhu are offered to Lord Śiva, Vaiṣṇava tilaka is given. We are not against worshipping the demigods, but people misunderstand.They worship them as Vaiṣṇavas, they worship them as devotees of the Lord. They first offer the worship to Kṛṣṇa and that prasādam is offered to them first. Then we take the mahā mahā prasādam. We are not in favour of worshipping devas or demigods as independent lords. Because we know that they are all parts of the body of Viṣṇu. So here in the dhām, we worship Śiva lingam, sometime different forms of devas or devis but in the form of Vaiṣṇavas, Vaiṣṇavis. And they are more pleased with it. They are very pleased with it. So you find that also at the gate at Hular ghat, also there is a Śiva linga just at the gate. So all the devotees offer their respects. When we see a temple of a deva, we offer respect by offering obeisance with our right side to the deity, Kṛṣṇa to the left side and guru - its straightforward. You know this just to confirm. Hare Kṛṣṇa ! Srila Prabhupāda ki !

Devotees : Jaya !

Transcribed By: Utkarsini Simantini devi dasi

Transcribed On: 13 June, 2020

Proof Reading By: Amrita Padma Devi Dasi

On 15/10/2020