20230307 Gaura Pūrṇimā Morning Address [2]

The following is a Gaura Pūrṇimā address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Maharāja on March 07th 2023, in Śrī Māyāpur, India.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

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

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: Today is Lord Caitanya’s sacred appearance day. Gaura Pūrṇimā! Śrīla Prabhupāda said that since we are basically devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, we consider Kṛṣṇa as the Original Personality of Godhead. Therefore, we fully fast on Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī and Gaura Pūrṇimā. That means when Lord Caitanya appears at the moonrise we take anukalpa, Ekādaśī-prasāda. Similarly, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appears at midnight, we take the Ekādaśī type. Other days for viṣṇu-tattva, it is optional. But since we accept that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead, we observe these two days specially. Here many devotees observe Narasiṁha Caturdaśī like that because we have Narasiṁhadeva here. Just like in some temples where they have Sītā, Rāma Lakṣmaṇa, Hanumān, they observe like that. But that is optional.

Now actually, listen very carefully, what was the method in which Kṛṣṇa entered the world. In 1406, Śakābda, in the month of Māgha, fully fourteen months before Gaura Pūrṇimā today, He entered into the heart of Jagannātha Miśra. And Jagannātha Miśra saw a light illumination transferred from his heart to Śacīmātā’s heart. And Viswanatha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he said that it means also that He went from the heart of Mother Śacī to her womb. So, Jagannātha Miśra, he commented to his wife that I saw this light coming from my heart into your heart, and she said I saw the same thing. What this meant is that soon a divine personality will come in there, will be born. Since Kṛṣṇa is the husband of the goddess of fortune, once Kṛṣṇa came in the family, then people would spontaneously come to Jagannātha Miśra and give him donations, they would give him cloth, some would give him money. He did not even ask, they would just come and give him. So, he was very amazed at this change. And the devas knowing that the Supreme Lord was entering into the world, they would come and from the sky they would offer their prayers. But somehow by the mystic power of Lord Caitanya, Śacīmātā somehow was aware that there were these humanlike figures offering prayers, and she chanted the names of Narasiṁhadeva. They realized that they were exposed! Normally human beings cannot see devas. So then they went away. So in the same way, actually Vasudeva, his heart was pure and therefore Kṛṣṇa could enter in his heart. And then Kṛṣṇa went from his heart to the heart of Devakī. Then because Vasudeva’s heart was pure; he could have Vaasudeva as his child, Kṛṣṇa. So in the same way, they call that immaculate conception. The personality of Godhead enters into this material world. Now when thirteen months were up, Mother Śacī and Jagannātha Miśra, they were worried, normally it doesn’t take a child so long, it normally takes nine or ten months. They were worried, thirteen months, so they asked Śacīmātā’s father Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, and he was an expert astrologer. So he calculated, he said he will appear on some auspicious day in the month of Phalguna. So, today is that day. 537 years ago, I don’t know if I will be alive for the 550th year, but that we should really have a very glorious celebration. So, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he did an astrological study, this planet, this house. Anyway, I am not an astrologer, but it is very auspicious. And so one thing is that normally we call the eclipse is that Rāhu goes in front of the moon. And since the pure form of Lord Caitanya with His face of molten gold had no blemish, so what is the need of the full moon with a blemish? Gaurāṅga! Also in the Hindu samāja people during candra-grahana or lunar eclipse they would go in some nearby river, sea, anywhere and submerge themselves half-way and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare! Haribol! Actually, the Muslims have no real business to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but hearing all the Hindus chanting, they made fun. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Look at them! Somehow or another they were also joining. So like this, the whole world was chanting the holy names. And spontaneously Advaita Gosāñī and Haridāsa Ṭhākura, they started dancing. Why they were dancing - they did not know or maybe they knew but they did not tell anyone? They were dancing and then they went into the Ganges and took their bath. Lord Caitanya at that auspicious time, He appeared. And Candraśekhara, Śrīvāsa, they did the birth, jāta-karma or the birth ceremonies. And then all kinds of brāhmaṇīs visited and brought gifts for the baby. At that time different devas and devīs, they came in disguise as human brāhmaṇīs. Sāvitrī, the wife of Lord Brahmā came. Maheśa’s wife Durgā Devī, she came as a brāhmaṇī. Indra’s wife came, Rambhā Devi the apsarā came. So many ladies were coming, and they would even speak languages that others wouldn’t know, but they were all coming to see the baby. After a few days, taking permission from her husband, Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī, the wife of Advaita Ācārya came. Advaita Ācārya is the richest brāhmaṇa. So, she came in a palanquin covered with cloth on all sides. She had maid servants, and she came and then she brought auspicious items like turmeric roots, dhruva grass and she put these on the head of the baby and gave blessings – may You have dhīrgāyu, long life, but she saw that this baby exactly had the form of Kṛṣṇa. Exactly! But a different color. He was golden and Kṛṣṇa is Śyāma. And Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī brought golden ornaments, silver, gold and she was very happy to see the divine form of Lord Caitanya.

So, to hear the pastime of Lord Caitanya’s appearance makes Him very happy. And devotees who hear, they can easily get the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Actually, we take the parikramā around the nine islands of Navadvīpa, one of the islands is Jahnudvīpa, where is the āśrama of Jahnu Muni. There Bhāgī Mahārāja was bringing down the Ganges from the heavenly planets, but the Ganges was flooding the āśrama of Jahnu Muni. He got a bit angry, and his stuff was moving, was swept away, so he drank the Ganges, Slurp! Bhāgī Mahārāja was amazed! Where did the Ganges go? He was bringing down the Ganges not that a river just disappears! He was praying and he had performed all austerities to bring Ganges to this planet and then she disappeared. Then it was revealed that she was drunk by Jahnu Muni. He requested Jahnu Muni to please remanifest her again. We will take her to the east and avoid your āśrama. That is why we have the Ganges by our side. But Jahnu Muni said, sorry, she is digested! Bhāgī said, “Anyone who can drink the Ganges, digest her, you can remanifest her.” So, then Jahnu produced the Ganges from his knee, and that is how she has the name Jāhnavī. So Jāhnavī came from Jahnu Muni. But then, she came a little bit and she stopped. What a day for Bhāgī Mahārāja! So he asked the Ganges, “Why aren’t you moving?” And then she revealed to him that this place is the appearance place, in Kali-yuga of Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra. And it is almost His appearance day, so I want to be here for His appearance day. I want to be here for Gaura Pūrṇimā!

It says in the śāstra that anyone who bathes in the Ganges on this day, gets love of Kṛṣṇa. But it is not so easy. Today is Holi, they throw colors. You have to go through a color battle if you go in the morning. If you wait till afternoon, they usually stop throwing colors, maybe! And please be very careful though, because some devotees - there is lot of current in the Ganges, you have to be very careful. If you don’t know swimming just take some water and pour it on your head. Even if you know swimming be very careful. I saved many people, but I am not in a very good position to swim now. So, I hope that there are lifeguards.

Anyway, this is a very sacred day. This is a sacred place. Actually, if we understand how Lord Caitanya divinely appears, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma ca me divyam – My appearance and activities are transcendental. Those who know they don’t take birth again, they come back to me. So it is very important to understand how we come into the world with our karma, but Lord Caitanya, He chooses, this is My father, this is My mother, this is the time I come, everything, He is independent. He is fully svarāṭa. In His activities, He told Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, You are here wandering about in Jagannātha Purī, but we promised we would deliver four kinds of people, and We descended for that purpose. The foolish, people who think they are the body, the nīca, lowborn, kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ, everyone is born a śūdra in Kali-yuga, We deliver the patīta, the fallen. Before you came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness did any of you break the principles? Then you are fallen, and duḥkhita, the distressed, ādhyātmika, ādhidaivika, ādhibhautika – have any of you ever suffered any misery in your life? So Lord Caitanya told Lord Nityānanda, We promised to make these people happy. We would give them Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, I have to stay here and You go back to Bengal and finish the work.

So, I was thinking I qualify for all the four aspects! Jaya Nitāi! Jaya Gaurāṅga! Lord Caitanya He had come to deliver all the people especially the foolish, the lowborn, nīca, the patīta and the duḥkhita. Actually, these people normally are the last to get delivered. But somehow Lord Caitanya is giving this special mercy. And Śrīla Prabhupāda he brought that to the West. He carried Lord Caitanya’s mercy. Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Gaurāṅga! Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!

So with Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy we have this opportunity, we should help Śrīla Prabhupāda to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In 1973 on his Vyāsa-pūjā observed in London, he told the devotees there that I want my gṛhastha followers to be paramahaṁsas. My spiritual master, he was born to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura we need many such ācāryas. So I request all the gṛhasthas to have such transcendental children.

Anyway, Śrīla Prabhupāda had all these high expectations. We were reading last night about Murāri Caitanya dāsa. Actually, Lord Caitanya was saying how every devotee should try to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and he was telling Sarāṅga Ṭhākura that he should have at least one disciple to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And He would keep coming to him and do you have yet? Do you have yet? Do you have yet? So then he decided the first person I meet tomorrow I will initiate. So he went before maṅgala-ārati to the Ganges to take his bath and there was a dead body was floating in the Ganges. That was the first person he saw and he pulled him over and gave him the mantra, and he came back to life! Haribol! He became an empowered preacher, he was already dead, he came back to life. He was fearless, he would jump on the back of tigers, he would take pythons on his lap, he would chant japa under water for two or three days, he would ride to one village on a tiger and tell everyone, surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So Sāraṅga Ṭhākura had one disciple and he had unlimited disciples. Like that Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī, he had two disciples - one was a bhajanānandī, so he was just worshiping Kṛṣṇa and was one was Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and he and his followers they had unlimited, millions of disciples. So we should carry on, this is our real transcendental business. To represent Śrīla Prabhupāda. So we want to read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings and that is why he established the system of Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedānta and Bhakti-Sārvabhauma, so that people would read his books and then they would become qualified to spread the philosophy. Of course, they also have to practice. So on this day of Gaura Pūrṇimā, we should commit ourselves to helping spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, one thing we know our previous ācāryas had predicted

eka adbhuta mandir haibe prakāśa
gaurāṅgera nitya-sevā haibe vikāśa

Does Vraja-vilāsa want to say something?