20241012 Address to ISKCON Nepal Devotees (Day 3)

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: So, today I think our pañjikās are mixed up. Today for us is Navamī. For us day after tomorrow is Ekādaśī. So today is Navamī and tomorrow is Daśamī. Some of the devotees say that our calculation is a bit off, we are of the Gauḍīya Maṭha. So we are very happy that you are observing Vijayā-daśamī today. So Daśami is a special day, a day of victory of good over evil. Some observe it because Lord Rāma defeated Rāvaṇa or because Durgā Devī defeated Mahiṣāsura. Durgā is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. In the Jagannātha temple, we have a temple of Durgā and Lord Caitanya. Lord Śiva, he was chanting the name of Gaurāṅga. And dancing playing on His dundubhi drum. “Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga!” But all the universe was vibrating with the dance of Lord Śiva. Earthquakes, tsunamis. So Durgā Devī came back to Kailāsa. She said, “Svāmī, Svāmī!” Then Lord Śiva stopped dancing and chanting. So he looked around and saw Durgā Devī. “I was feeling such ecstasy and you interrupted my ecstasy.” Durgā Devī is the Mother of the universe. So she said that, “Your dancing was causing tsunamis, earthquakes, and it is not the time for Mahāpralaya.” So, “I am sorry!” He said. “What were You chanting? Why You had so much ecstasy,” She asked. “I was chanting Gaurāṅga! What is that Gaurāṅga? I never heard that before,” She said. He said, “Lord Kṛṣṇa came to the earth in disguise and gave out love of God, free!” “So can I also get it,” She asked. He said, “Why not? You go to Navadvīpa and there in Navadvīpa dhāma, He is always there!” So, She went to Navadvīpa and there She began to chant. Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga!

So Lord Gaurāṅga appeared to Pārvatī. He asked her, “What do you want?” She said, “I heard You give out freely, love of Kṛṣṇa! I am deprived, I don’t get to associate with devotees other than Lord Śiva. They call me the witch Māyā. So how can I get love of Kṛṣṇa?” So Lord Caitanya said, “Actually you are My ardha-śakti. And so in this place you can realize your non-difference from Rādhārāṇī.” She took the dust from Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet and put it on her forehead in the parting of her hair. So the first island of Navadvīpa, that is why named after this līlā – Sīmantadvīpa. The parting in the hair is called sīmanta.

So there are many places which are dedicated to Lord Śiva and Durgā. Because the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has this verse, which says, vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ:. So He is the greatest of all Vaiṣṇavas. And there are some places in Navadvīpa which have the pastimes of Lord Śiva listening to the pastimes of Lord Gaurāṅga. So, today, Durgā Devī had victory over Mahiṣāsura. So that is Sīmantadvīpa. So that is where the devotees also went to see. There is also the Deities of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā.

The island of Antardvīpa, is the central island, Navadvīpa, it is like a lotus with a center and eight petals around, so in the center is the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya appeared in the lunar eclipse. So at that time all the Hindus were in the Ganges water up to their chest. Those days, people were told not to chant aloud because they may be committing an offence. But on the lunar eclipse in the Ganges, they would chant out loud. Because the Ganges is pure, so they thought they could chant. So everyone was chanting, “Govinda! Govinda!” Some were chanting: “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!” So the whole world was chanting. And the Muslims, they were looking at the Hindus and saying look at the Hindus they are chanting “Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Kṛṣṇa!” Somehow or other, everyone was chanting. And at that time, Lord Caitanya appeared. Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī Devī, the consort of Advaita Ācārya, she came by on a pālakī. She gave different gifts to the baby. Kuśa grass, golden ornaments. So, she was very happy to see the baby! So gradually, the baby started crying. So they brought a doctor and everything but nothing would help. Then the ladies started chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa! Who chants louder, the men or the ladies? Both! Very nice!! So, as soon as the ladies stopped chanting, Lord Caitanya started crying. So then they chanted again! Then Lord Caitanya smiled and did not cry. So whenever the ladies would stop chanting, Lord Caitanya would start crying. Then they would chant again!

Anyway, then gradually Lord Caitanya became a toddler. He would walk around. So, somehow He was angry at His mother, as a baby. He slapped His mother! And then she fell down and fainted. All the ladies chastised Him, “What did You do? You hit Your mother! Only way You can bring her back to consciousness is bring two coconuts.” Then, He ran out of the door. So, the ladies were looking at each other and laughing. Then the toddler baby Gaurāṅga came back with two coconuts. How did the baby get two coconuts? It was amazing! Amazing!! Gaurāṅga! So He brought two coconuts and Mother Śacī came back to consciousness!

Many pastimes happened in Antardvīpa. One day, Lord Caitanya was a little bigger, not much. Murāri Gupta was preaching on patañjali-yoga. Lord Caitanya was very angry. But He was only a little child. So, He was walking by the side of Murāri Gupta’s class. He was dragging His blanket like little kids do. So, He started to mimic Murāri Gupta’s class, “Do your prāṇāyāma, he ha hu!” So then Murāri Gupta said, “Who is this child?” “I am going to interrupt your lunch today,” Lord Caitanya said and He walked off! So when the class finished he told all the students you can all go home. Murāri Gupta was a physician and he was the most famous doctor in Navadvīpa. So Lord Caitanya, He got dressed up wore a turban and wore a peacock feather on the turban. Wore a yellow sash. He dressed up just like Kṛṣṇa. He put a vaṁśī, a flute in His belt. Then He walked over to Murāri Gupta’s house. Murāri Gupta was eating His rice. “Murāri Gupta!” In a very loud voice, He called out! So, he walked out, “Who is standing at my door and yelling my name!” Then he saw the little Lord Caitanya. Lord Gaurāṅga told him, “You interrupted your devotional service, so I interrupted your lunch!” Then He turned around and walked home. Murāri Gupta thought, “He was just like Kṛṣṇa, only different color.” He went to His house and at that time Jagannātha Miśra and Śacī Devī were seated together, one was smelling the hair of Lord Caitanya, then the other was taking Him and smelling the hair. They were passing back and forth. Then Murāri Gupta came into the room and paid his obeisances. Then he got up and looked up at Lord Caitanya. Then he talked to Jagannātha Miśra and Śacīmātā, “You are the most fortunate parents,” he told them. “Your son is….” – “Aaaaaaah!” Lord Caitanya cried – “I need milk, I need milk!” So, they could not hear what Murāri Gupta was saying.

Like this, every day, there were so many pastimes. Lord Caitanya would do kīrtana at Śrīvāsa’s house. But when He came back from Gayā, He took initiation in Gayā, He came back, He was changed. So He was exhibiting so much ecstasy. So He approached Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. Can I ask you a question, He said. Śrīvāsa said, “Okay, what is Your problem?” He said, “You see, people say I have a disease. Do I really have a disease?” “What are Your symptoms,” he asked. “Whenever I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, tears come in My eyes, My hairs stand on end and I get choked up.” So He explained the symptoms. Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura said, “Yes, You have a disease. And I want that disease also! You have the disease of love of Kṛṣṇa! Naturally, general people would not understand. So, You come in my garden and chant, I will only allow people who will appreciate.” So, this is how the nocturnal kīrtanas of Lord Caitanya started. Haribol!

Ulu-dhvani! Hari-dhvani! We should have a competition between the Bengali and Nepali ladies in ulu-dhvani! What do you do on this day in Nepal? (Today, senior most family members people from all over the world they come together and the senior most gives blessings to the family, His Grace Patri Prabhu said).