20250728 Addressing Bankura District Nāmahaṭṭa Sammelan

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: Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda!

I had gone to Kuliapatha in Bankura Jila. In our sampradāya, we have a history of this that the Vaiṣṇavas from there have given many scriptures in Vṛndāvana. And they were to be taken to Navadvīpa in Bengal to copy them. There were not so many people then in Vṛndāvana who could help with copying the scriptures. They were packed up in one or two chests and were locked securely. They were placed in a bullock cart and were also given some guards to accompany them. The soldiers at one point fell asleep. The Bankura king was told by an astrologer that there was this invaluable thing was being transported through his kingdom. So, the king had the practice that if someone like this passes through his kingdom, he had a dacoit gang which he would send to have the valuables stolen. So this was the instruction given to the dacoits that they would steal the chests and hand it over to the king.

So as the guards were asleep the dacoits stole the chests and took them away and gave it to the king. The king looked at the chests and thought he would slowly see what was the priceless wealth that was kept in them. When they opened the chests he saw the manuscript of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta and also many other scriptures like the Upadeśāmṛta, etc. The king understood that these were the priceless scriptures of some saints. He ordered that they should find those saints and return the scriptures. There were three Vaiṣṇavas who were travelling with the chests – Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Śyāmānanda Paṇḍita and Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was the person responsible for taking the chests over to Navadvīpa. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura’s birth place was Kheturi and Śyāmananda Paṇḍita was born in Remuṇā. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya told the other two that he would try to search for them and bring them. He let the devotees in Vṛndāvana know that they had lost the scriptures. Even after a lot of search, they could not find them. But they heard that probably they were with the king. Then Śrīnivāsa Ācārya went to the king’s palace. At night the king used to hear some story from the scriptures. When the king was hearing the rendition, the speaker was so bad in his expression that hearing this Śrīnivāsa Ācārya flinched his face. The king asked him, whether he did not like the talk? Śrīnivāsa Ācārya said no, because the talk was against the sastras. The king then told Śrīnivāsa Ācārya that in that case, he could give the talk. But in case the king did not like it then he would be hanged. So, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya gave the talk and this was his prime practice and all the people liked it very much. The king took him behind to his quarters. Then the king thought that perhaps this saint was the owner of the scriptures that he had found in the chests. This is a long history. The king asked Śrīnivāsa Ācārya what was his occupation? He got to know from Śrīnivāsa Ācārya that they were taking the scriptures to Navadvīpa to have them copied. The king was convinced that this is the rightful owner of those scriptures. He told Śrīnivāsa Ācārya that he had the scriptures and he wanted Śrīnivāsa Ācārya to see them. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was shown the two chests and on opening he saw the scriptures. He was so happy seeing them! Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosāñī and the six Gosvāmis’ priceless scriptures!

You are able to get these scriptures through your Nāma-haṭṭa. These priceless scriptures were being brought through Bankura Jila! The king said that I will get these scriptures copied and thus help Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. He also wanted to take initiation from Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. The queen went up to Śrīnivāsa Ācārya and wanted to take initiation. Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga!

Medinipur has a lot of history too. I have been to Viṣṇupur and other places. Now you have all come to Māyāpur. I hope that you all have taken darśana of the Deities. The Pañca-tattva are here, Rādhā Mādhava Aṣṭa-sakhi, Rādhā Mādhava Māyāpurcandra, Nṛsiṁha Prahlāda and Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Kṛṣṇa saw that that Rādhārāṇī had created this Navadvīpa Dhāma for Him! Kṛṣṇa said that this Navadvīpa Dhāma will be non-different from Vṛndāvana. Whatever devotional activities are performed in this dhāma, you get a thousand times the benefit. And this is dhāma of mercy. Here, very quickly one can attain devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, bhakti-yoga. I am very happy that you have all come to this dhāma! I hope that all of you will learn everything and be in a good situation. Lord Caitanya and our ācāryas have said, gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. I see that the majority seem to be gṛhasthas. In the Nāma-haṭṭa preaching generally there are more brahmacārīs. Here the members of the Nāma-haṭṭa are more of gṛhasthas, I see. It is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s special mercy that He distributes kṛṣṇa-prema. Now, He did not see who was qualified, who was not qualified – He gave everyone kṛṣṇa-prema. But it had kind of disappeared after some time. Various sahajiyā and apasampradāyas were flourishing before Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura came. He, appeared about 150 years ago, and started preaching the pure name of Lord Caitanya. We are very fortunate that we have acquired a place very close to the birthplace of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. There is an opportunity for the Nāma-haṭṭa devotees to participate in the development of this project.

I do not want to speak too much because I think it is your time to honor prasāda. You can donate whatever you are able to from Rs. 25 to 500. We have the possibility in the future of establishing a temple in the Bankura Jila.

Haribol! Gaurāṅga!