20230307 Gaura Pūrṇimā Address

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: Today is the appearance day of Lord Gaurāṅga, and on this occasion I will talk about some of appearance pastimes. Some ślokas from the Caitanya-caritāmṛta can be read. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta is especially on the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.2:

vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nityāndandau sahoditau
gauḍodaye puṣpavantau
citrau śandau tamo-nudau

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol! Now Lord Caitanya appeared in the month of Māgha 1406 Śakābda, He entered the heart of Jagannātha Miśra. And Jagannātha Miśra understood that a divine light had manifested in his heart. And then from there the light went into the heart of Mother Śacī. They understood that a special soul would take birth in their home. The same way Lord Kṛṣṇa had appeared in the heart of Vasudeva, and then had transferred to the heart of Devakī. This way, He came into the womb of Devakī. The same way Lord Caitanya came into the womb of Śacīmātā. We should understand that Lord Caitanya was not born in the way normally child is born in the material world. This is called immaculate conception. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the husband of Lakṣmīdevī. When Lord Caitanya appeared in the womb of Śacīmātā, then spontaneously people would come to give donations to Jagannātha Miśra. They used to give cloth, or money. But Jagannātha Miśra told Śacīmātā that now people are giving me things and money just like that. But Jagannātha Miśra was very pure hearted. Whatever he kept and the rest he would distribute to the brāhmaṇas. Now Śacīmātā would see that there were some human like forms in the sky. Then he would be a little scared and chant the Narasiṁha mantra. Normally, the devas cannot be seen by the human beings but the devas understood that because of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, Śacīmātā could see them. Then the devas left. Śacīmātā narrated this incident to Jagannātha Miśra. This way, they were both in great bliss. Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu appeared and the devas understood that the Supreme Lord had incarnated. This way, divine signs were noticed.

Before this, Advaita Ācārya would pray to Lord Kṛṣṇa and offer prayers to śālagrāma-śilā, with Ganges water and tulasī leaves. And He would fast and do sacrifice. He would pray that even though my name is Advaita, which means non-different from Kṛṣṇa, I desire that Lord Kṛṣṇa incarnate. Advaita Ācārya is an incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu. He can give liberation, He has the ability. But to give kṛṣṇa-prema, Kṛṣṇa’s potency is required. That is why He wanted that there be distribution of kṛṣṇa-prema in the world and that Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself incarnate. Haribol! Gaurāṅga!

Generally, a child is born after nine or ten months, but here thirteen months had passed and still the child had not been delivered. Now Śacīmātā’s father, Nīlāmbara Cakravartī was an astrologer. They inquired from him why the child had not taken birth yet. He calculated and said, in the month of Phālguna, on an auspicious day, the child will be appear. This way, at that time the material world was devoid of bhakti. People used to do sacrifice, and things but they did all this for their name and fame. Now, during marriages, giving away their daughter in marriage, they would do many ceremonies and festivals. Seeing one person do something, another greedy person would think that he would do a bigger, better ceremony than this in competition. This way, he thought he had won. But there was no sign of any devotion to Kṛṣṇa here. One person did not have a daughter, how would he show off? He has to win somehow. What is the use of dharma? They got a dog married to another dog. But this way a marriage between dogs is not possible. So in the name of religion or dharma such things were prevalent. So like this they would get their daughter married to a tree, to a cat, etc. Actually, there was nothing like devotional service then.

Lord Caitanya appeared in the Phālgunī Pūrṇimā, full moon day. His body was golden yellow in color. This way, the moon has blemish, but on the appearance of Lord Caitanya with His blemishless golden color what was the need of the full moon with blemishes? And He appeared on a lunar eclipse day. That time the Hindus, used to go to the river or sea and stand submerged in it half-way and chant mantras. They would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare! Haribol! The Muslims did not need to take the name of Kṛṣṇa. But by nature they were mockingly looking at the people and said how these people chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa! This way, even though making fun, whether Muslims or Hindus, they also chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa. In this situation, Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu appeared. This way, everyone was blissful. What kind of happiness and why did they feel that, no one knew.

In Śāntipur, Advaita Ācārya started dancing and Haridāsa Ṭhākura, along with Him also danced. Why they were dancing, that was not told. But the whole world had become blissful. Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga!

Now Śacīmātā was under the neem tree where was her confinement area. It is generally told that where there is a neem tree, there is no fear of ghosts or goblins or demons. Now to see the child of Śacīmātā many brāhmaṇīs came and brought gifts for the child. There were Lord Brahmā’s wife, Mahādeva’s wife Durgā, all dressed like brāhmaṇīs came. Indra Devī, wife, and other Apsarās, came, so many had come. What language they spoke no one could understand but all of them had come. Those days they had good astrologers but nowadays we don’t find very good ones. They could understand that a very special child had appeared After a few days, Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī, taking permission from Advaita Ācārya, came to see Lord Caitanya. She came on a palanquin and it was closed on all sides with cloth. Because Advaita Ācārya was the richest brāhmaṇa then. She saw Lord Caitanya and could understand that the color is different but otherwise the child looks exactly like Lord Kṛṣṇa. There was no difference. She had brought auspicious items to offer the child like turmeric root, dhruva grass, etc. She blessed the child that He have dhīrgāyu. And she also gave gold ornaments, rings, etc. Because He was born under a neem tree, He was named Nimāi. But His real name was Viśvambhara. Because He would hold the weight of the world. But generally, everyone called Him “Nimāi” and He became famous by that name. Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī seeing Lord Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa, became very happy. This way, those who remember the appearance day of Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya would be very happy with them. And this way, those who hear this amazing appearance pastime of Lord Caitanya, will easily attain Lord Caitanya’s mercy.

In the Bhagavad-gītā there is a śloka in the 4^th chapter, 4.9:

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

Those who understand My appearance and My activities are divine, they would never come back to this material world at the end of their life, they will come to Me. Haribol! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga!

There was a history that Bhāgī Mahārāja, we call Bhāgīratha, was taking Ganges down to the material world. At that time Ganges flooded the āśrama of Jahnu Muni and he got angry and so he drank the Ganges! Slurp! Bhāgī Mahārāja saw, Ganges had disappeared, how did a river disappear? Then after a lot of prayer he could understand that Jahnu Muni had swallowed the Ganges. Then he came and requested to Jahnu Muni that I am trying to bring the Ganges to the ocean in the East, away from your āśrama, so please manifest Gaṅgā again. Jahnu Muni then said that, “I am sorry but I have already digested her!” Then Bhāgī Mahārāja said, “If you can swallow the Ganges, you will be equally capable of manifesting her again. Please do manifest her.” Navadvīpa has nine islands. Antardvīpa is in the middle and eight islands are around. Sīmantadvīpa, Godrumadvīpa, Madhyadvīpa, Ṛtudvīpa, Jahnudvīpa (in which is Jahnu Muni’s āśrama), Koladvīpa, Modadrumadvīpa, Rudradvīpa and Antardvīpa. Those who did Navadvīpa-maṇḍala parikramā, you went to Jahnudvīpa. This was Gaṅgā was manifested, and she stopped again. Bhāgī Mahārāja wondered why Ganges stopped here. He prayed to Gaṅgā Devī and asked her why she was not moving. She said that, “In Kali-yuga Lord Kṛṣṇa will incarnate as Gaurāṅga, Phālguna Pūrṇimā is after a few days, so I will wait for that day to see that.” So on this tithi taking bath in the Ganges, they will get kṛṣṇa-prema. But you should all be very careful as today is also Holi and people will throw colors. You wear such clothes that can get spoilt by colors. You can then donate those clothes! Usually, afternoon they do not throw color. Then you have to come here for the abhiṣeka. I have to now go to take darśana in the temple and give the English class.

Gaurāṅga!