Planet ISKCON

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Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja was one of the internal associates of Narottama Thakura. The two of them were practically inseparable. Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja had obtained the full mercy and blessings of Srinivasa acarya. Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja’s father’s name was Ciranjiva Sena—his mother’s name was Sri Sunanda. 

At first Sri Ciranjiva Sen lived in Kumara Nagara. After he married the daughter of the poet Sri Damodara Kavi, he moved to the village of Sri Khanda. Ciranjiva Sen was a Mahabhagavata, a topmost devotee of the Lord. The devotees of Sri Khanda, headed by Narahari Sarakara Thakura all had great affection and respect for Ciranjiva.

One day Shrinivasa Acharaya was in Yajigrama at his own house, where many devotees had gathered to hear him lecture on Shrimad-Bhagavatam. At that time, passing by the house of Shrinivasa Acharya was Ramachandra Kaviraja the son of Chiranjiva Sen (one of Mahaprabhu’s eternal associates).  He had just been married, and he and his new bride were on their way back from the wedding. 

From a long way off, Shrinivasa Acharya saw Ramachandra Kaviraja, and Ramachandra Kaviraja also saw Shrinvasa Acharya from a distance. Upon seeing each other from a distance a deep mood of friendship arose within the hearts of those two eternally perfect devotees of Shri Gauranga. After seeing each other they were eager to meet one another. 

Shrinivasa Acharya inquired about Ramachandra Kaviraja from the local people.  They told him that he was a great pandita named Ramacandra—a learned poet and expert doctor from a family of doctors and scholars. Hearing all this, Srinivasa acarya smiled, for he was greatly pleased. 

Ramachandra Kaviraja had heard about Shrinivasa Acharya and was eager to have his darsana.  In this way, he finally went to the house of  Srinivasa acarya along with his new bride and was introduced by some of the local people.  The day passed quickly in discussion of Hari-katha. They spent the night where they had been staying since coming to Yajigrama, at a brahmana’s house near the home of Shrinvasa Acharaya, and the following morning went to Shrinivasa Acharya and fell before his feet offering prostrated obeisances.

The Acharya bade Ramachandra Kaviraja to get up from the ground, and heartily embraced him saying, “Life after life you have been my friend.  Providence has brought us together again today by arranging our meeting.” Both of them felt great happiness as a result of their having met. 

Seeing that Ramchandra had an acute and  deeply learned transcendental intelligence, Shrinivasa was very happy.  He began to make him hear the Goswami scriptures. Ramacandra’s pure behavior  which was always in accordance with the scriptures very much pleased Srinivasa acarya, and after a few days the Acharya initiated him in the divine Radha-Krishna mantra.

Gradually, Ramacandra Kaviraja became eager to go to Vrndavana and take darssana of the holy feet of the Goswamis there. After receiving permission and blessings from various Vaisnavas in Bengal, including Sri Raghunandana Thakura, he set out for Vrndavana on an auspicious day. 

 At that time, Srinivasa acarya was staying in Vrndavana. Arriving there, Ramacandra Kaviraja offered his obeisances at the lotus feet of Sri Jiva Goswami and Srinivasa acarya and gave the devotees there the auspicious news about all the devotees in Bengal.

On the order of Jiva Goswami, Ramacandra Kaviraja went to visit the three principal deities of Vrndavana: Sri Madana-Mohan,  Sri Govinda, and Sri Gopinatha, as well as the memorial shrine or samadhi of Sanatana Goswami.

He took darsana of the holy feet of the principle Goswamis residing in Vrndavana at the time, including Sri Lokanatha Goswami, Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami, and Sri Bhugarbha Goswami. Seeing Ramacandra’s wonderful expertise in composing beautiful verses glorifying Sri Krsna, they gave him the title “Kaviraja,” in recognition of his scholarship.

After staying in Vrndavana for some time under the guidance of those great souls, and after visiting the important holy places, Ramachandra was ordered by the Goswamis to return to Bengal.

Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja delivered many sinners and nonbelievers to a life of auspiciousness as a result of his mercy. At the festival in Kheturi-grama, he was one of the leaders. On the order of Narottama dasa Thakura and Srinivasa acarya he again went to Vrndavana. When he arrived there, he found that almost all the Goswamis had passed away.

When he found that so many great souls had passed away, his heart was deeply pained.  After some days in Vrndavana, feeling the pain of separation in this way, while deeply meditating upon the lotus feet of Sri Radha and Govinda, he entered into their eternal Vrndavana. pastimes. 

His disappearance day is on the third day of the dark moon in the month of Pausa.

For Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s appearance day I thought to read a verse and purport about him from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter Ten, “The Branches of the Caitanya Tree”:

TEXT 105

sri gopala bhatta eka sakha sarvottama
rupa-sanatana-sange yanra prema-alapana

TRANSLATION

Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the forty-seventh branch, was one of the great and exalted branches of the tree. He always engaged in discourses about love of Godhead in the company of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was the son of Venkata Bhatta, a resident of Sri Rangam. Gopala Bhatta formerly belonged to the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja-sampradaya but later became part of the Gaudiya-sampradaya. In the year 1433 Sakabda (A.D. 1511), when Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He stayed for four months during the period of Caturmasya at the house of Venkata Bhatta, who then got the opportunity to serve the Lord to his heart’s content. Gopala Bhatta also got the opportunity to serve the Lord at this time. Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was later initiated by his uncle, the great sannyasi Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Both the father and the mother of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami were extremely fortunate, for they dedicated their entire lives to the service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They allowed Gopala Bhatta Gosvami to go to Vrndavana, and they gave up their lives thinking of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When Lord Caitanya was later informed that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had gone to Vrndavana and met Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, He was very pleased, and He advised Sri Rupa and Sanatana to accept Gopala Bhatta Gosvami as their younger brother and take care of him. Sri Sanatana Gosvami, out of his great affection for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, compiled the Vaisnava smrti named Hari-bhakti-vilasa and published it under his name. Under the instruction of Srila Rupa and Sanatana, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami installed one of the seven principal deities of Vrndavana, the Radha-ramana deity. The sevaits (priests) of the Radha-ramana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya.

COMMENT

Actually, one of the families entrusted with the Deity service at the Radha-ramana Mandir has a history of relations with the line of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Visvambhara Gosvami’s father or grandfather had relations with Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the family maintained relations with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and then Visvambhara Gosvami had very friendly relations with Srila Prabhupada. And he spoke very nicely about Srila Prabhupada. Now Visvambhara Gosvami’s son Padmanabha Gosvami is also very favorable to ISKCON. In fact, ISKCON devotees often honor prasada at his home at the Radha-ramana Mandir. I also took prasada there with His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami, and Padmanabha Gosvami showed us a letter that Srila Prabhupada had written to his father, Visvambhara Gosvami, about how all Vaishnavas should cooperate. So, not only does the Radha-ramana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya, but at least some of the sevaits have had close relations with the line of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

PURPORT (concluded)

When Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami took permission from all the Vaisnavas before writing Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami also gave him his blessings, but he requested him not to mention his name in the book. Therefore Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has mentioned Gopala Bhatta Gosvami only very cautiously in one or two passages of the Caitanya-caritamrta. Srila Jiva Gosvami has written in the beginning of his Tattva-sandarbha, “A devotee from southern India who was born of a brahmana family and was a very intimate friend of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami has written a book that he has not compiled chronologically. Therefore I, a tiny living entity known as jiva, am trying to assort the events of the book chronologically, consulting the direction of great personalities like Madhvacarya, Sridhara Svami, Ramanujacarya, and other senior Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession.” In the beginning of the Bhagavat-sandarbha there are similar statements by Srila Jiva Gosvami. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami compiled a book called Sat-kriya-sara-dipika, edited the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, wrote a foreword to the Sat-sandarbha and a commentary on the Krsna-karnamrta, and installed the Radharamana Deity in Vrndavana. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (184) it is mentioned that his previous name in the pastimes of Lord Krsna was Ananga-manjari. Sometimes he is also said to have been an incarnation of Guna-manjari. Srinivasa Acarya and Gopinatha Pujari were two of his disciples.

COMMENT

Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami ki jaya!

One story about Gopala Bhatta Gosvami is that on the eve of Nrsimha-caturdasi all the other Gosvamis and Vaishnavas in Vrindavan were preparing to worship their Deities and hold festivals. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had only a salagrama-sila; he didn’t have a Deity with arms and legs and a body that he could dress and decorate. So, he was feeling deprived of the opportunity to serve like the other devotees who had Deities they could serve in these ways. And out of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s strong desire, a salagrama-sila became manifest in the form of Radha-ramana. Radha-ramana is considered the most beautiful Deity of Krishna. He is the one original Deity of the Gosvamis that has remained in Vrindavan, while the others had to be taken elsewhere for fear of the Muslim invaders. And near the temple of Radha-ramana in Vrindavan is the samadhi of Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.

Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s uncle and guru was Prabodhananda Sarasvati. His samadhi is also located in Vrindavan, just off the parikrama path near Kaliya-ghata, which is quite near our Krishna-Balaram Mandir. So, often when we go on parikrama down the path near the Yamuna, we visit Prabodhananda Sarasvati’s samadhi and bhajana-kutira. And then we proceed to Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s samadhi. Srila Sanatana Gosvami was the most senior of the Gosvamis and was also a close associate and instructor of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. In fact, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami worked with Sanatana Gosvami to produce the great treatise Hari-bhakti-vilasa.

I feel that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami has been especially merciful to me on two occasions. On one, I visited his bhajana-kutira at Sanketa, a place between Nandagrama and Varsana where Radha and Krishna used to meet and sometimes perform rasa-lila. Gopala Bhatta would sit and chant underground in a deep cavern, accessible only through a long, narrow passage. At the end of the passage was a somewhat roomier place where Gopala Bhatta used to chant, now marked as his bhajana-sthala. I remember going there with Tamal Krishna Goswami and others on a very hot day and struggling to crawl through the passage to the bhajana-sthala. It was very difficult, but when I finally reached there, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was very merciful. He allowed me to chant with a glimpse of taste. And after all the devotees emerged from the cavern, I stole back in. I crawled back to Gopala Bhatta’s lotus feet, and I sat there chanting. I will never forget his mercy to me there, and I pray that he will enable me to chant with relish and love.

On the other occasion, the last time I visited Vrindavan, in Kartik of 1999, shortly before my surgery, I visited Gopala Bhatta’s samadhi near the Radha-ramana Mandir. We arrived just after raja-bhoga-arati, and the pujari was closing the doors to the samadhi-mandira. But he was kind enough to open the doors for us, to allow us darshan of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. He gave us some flowers and caranamrta, and invited us to stay for prasada. Thus our small party, along with some local sadhus, honored Gopala Bhatta Prabhu’s maha-maha-prasadam with great relish, and we even stayed to take a little rest before, filled with bliss, we continued on our way. So, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami is very kind.

 Years later, when some of my disciples from Bombay went to Vrindavan on pilgrimage, they visited the samadhi. They told the pujaris about me, how my health no longer allowed me to visit Vraja, and asked for some prasada for me. And one of the pujaris kindly gave them a piece of cloth from the samadhi. It is very special. Now, twice a year, once on his appearance day and once on his disappearance day, we bring it out and touch it. So now we shall pass it around and touch it to our heads and to our hearts—and pray to Gopala Bhatta Gosvami for his sublime mercy.

Thank you.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s appearance day, July 31, 2002, Carpinteria, California]

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Dear Giriraj Swami,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thank for all your blessings and prayers. My mother always took pride in serving you in India and South Africa throughout the 1980s and ’90s. We are blessed to have had such a wonderful mother and are also eternally grateful for the personal time you have given our family over the years.  Her dream was to always visit you in Santa Barbara. Due to her poor health, which she kept confidential, she was unable to do so.

We managed to give her a wonderful apartment by the sea in the Jewish area of Sea Point, Cape Town. She always loved the ocean and enjoyed having discussions on the promenade along the beach with the passersby and elderly by preaching and discussing Krishna consciousness.

I will miss her cooking, as well as my long discussions with her. No son could ask for a better mother.

Your servant,
Ambarisa Das

Шрила Прабодхананда Сарасвати раскрывает тайну Навадвипа-дхамы в своей «Навадвипа шатаке» (стих 78):

«Если поклоняешься девяти лесам (девяти островам Навадвипы), лес Враджа твой.
Если не поклоняшься тем девяти лесам, лес Враджа остается в стороне…

«Если поклоняешься сыну брахмана (то есть Гауранге), то знаток любви Враджа (Кришна) твой.
Если не поклоняешься тому сыну брахмана, Кришна никогда твоим не будет».

арадхитам нава-ванам враджа-кананам те
нарадхитам нава-ванам враджа эва дуре
арадхито двиджа-суто враджа-нагарас те
нарадхито двиджа-суто на тавеха кришнах

Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati reveals the secret of Navadvipa-dhama in his Navadvipa Satakam (verse 78):

“If the nine forests ( the 9 islands of Navadwip ) are worshiped by you, then the forest of Vraja is yours. If the nine forests (the 9 islands of Navadwip) are not worshipped by you, then the same Vraja forest stays away ….

“If the son of the brahmana (i.e. Gauranga) is worshipped by you then the expert lover of Vraja (Krishna) is yours. If the son of the brahmana (i.e. Gauranga) is not worshipped by you then Krishna is never yours.”

aradhitam nava-vanam vraja-kananam te
naradhitam nava-vanam vraja eva dure
aradhito dvija-suto vraja-nagaras te
naradhito dvija-suto na taveha krsnah

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On January 10, my beloved disciple Palika Dasi left her body in South Africa. Kindly read Madri Dasi’s beautiful description of this wonderful devotee.

Bitten by the Krishna Bug: Honoring the Life of Palika Dasi

By Madri Dasi

A few days ago, I heard of Palika’s transitioning from this mortal world. I did not want to cry because her life was over, but I smiled.

Palika was always “on the go.” During recent calls with her illustrious children and other family and friends to offer my condolences, we exchanged our fondest memories of her, which endeared her more to us—which I thought was worth documenting and sharing.

In 1982, at a young age, Palika realized the trivial nature of material existence and was looking for something more substantial to do with her life. This prompted her to walk into the Hare Krishna Healing Center on Prince Edward Street, Durban. Feeling an attraction for the lifestyle dedicated to serving Sri Krishna, she decided to join as a full-time devotee. The healing center had no full-time devotees, and so, having heard of the Hare Krishna ashram in Cato Ridge, she decided to go there. In her research on how to reach the temple, she heard of a devotee living forty-five minutes away from the temple—Radha Raman Dasa—and one day she appeared at his home neatly dressed, with a suitcase and a request to be taken to the temple in Cato Ridge. Shortly after her arrival at Radha Ramana’s house, a sankirtana devotee, Tribhanga Sundara Dasa, also arrived at the house, and he was going to Cato Ridge. Thus, she was able to fulfill her desire.

At the temple, Palika (then Priscilla) became roommates with Divya Rupa and Vishnupriya (then Bhagavati), who were engaged in book distribution on the streets, and she joined them. On her second day out on books, she distributed three boxes of books herself and collected a huge amount of money. Her enthusiasm in voluntary service was indeed laudable. She continued this service for a little while and then was asked to sell BBT prints of the rasa-lila and other framed pictures of Krishna, going door to door in the Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. She and her roommates embraced this new service with increased enthusiasm, selling many framed pictures and inviting everyone they met to visit the temple at Cato Ridge for the Sunday Love Feast.

Soon thereafter, Palika married Kishore Gopal Prabhu, a fellow devotee, and moved out of the temple to start a family. However, when she was heavily pregnant with her second child, she joined her old roommates back on sankirtana. The temple authorities then asked this team of young enthusiastic girls to do collections with money cans and stickers. They did this, meeting many people on the bridges and streets and inviting everyone back to the temple. Once, they went to the Royal Agricultural Show in Pietermaritzburg, and after a fruitful day of collecting donations, they were arrested. Palika was heavily pregnant, but the police were merciless, and the crowds started to hurl abuses at the devotees. This incident shows how brave and fixed she and her companions were in the service of the Lord. Indeed, what risks they voluntarily embraced in an undeterred spirit!

Palika was the mother of four very astute children—three sons, who are innovative businessmen, and one daughter, who is working in Australia for a prestigious media company in addition to being a competitive martial-arts practitioner and sword fighter. As a mother and wife of a husband in frail health, Palika turned into a very successful businesswoman, thus providing the best of everything for her family.

Her desire to serve the mission of Srila Prabhupada and his followers remained her passion. This desire fructified in her opening a florist business and regularly air freighting flowers to her beloved Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath. She also donated floral arrangements and flowers for garlands to Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurahari at ISKCON Lenasia weekly for a long time. Once, I met her when she was personally delivering the flowers, and I mentioned that I wished we could get small roses too, to offer to the little deities on the temple altar. The next week, she sent a hundred rose trees to the temple, which provided baby roses, and another hundred trees that provided medium-size roses. Such was her desire to facilitate others in service to Krishna. Palika was indeed very selfless in serving.

Her children unanimously declare that as their mother, she provided the best for them. Even though she was orthodox in her ways and could be perceived as running the house with an iron fist and ensuring that they maintained good discipline and spirituality, she showered them with undying love. They recount that she always encouraged them in their education and enrolled them in the best schools. For six months she enrolled the elder sons in the Vrindavan gurukula and her daughter in a day school in Vrindavan. Her children told me that this opportunity was a life-altering experience that afforded them a lasting impression of what a life of devotion means. The bliss of parikramas, Aindra Prabhu’s kirtans, sumptuous prasadam with fellow gurukulis, and learning to play mridanga and harmonium remain at the forefront of their consciousness even as adults. Palika also instilled in her children good business acumen and the art of cooking awesome meals, lessons that they acknowledge have formed a steady foundation in their lives.

Palika loved to serve devotees. She often said that since she could not personally cook for Prabhupada, she wanted to cook for those who served him and his mission. Hence, she would cook meals for Tamal Krishna Goswami, Giriraj Swami, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Bhurijana Prabhu, and Deena Bandhu Prabhu while in Vrindavan. She also cooked in Delhi and Mumbai, always gravitating towards a kitchen to serve wherever she went.  She was particularly sensitive to the nutritional needs of those she served and carried ingredients from South Africa for their protein needs. She formed close friendships with Arca Vigraha and Kirtida and Karta and many wonderful devotees in Vrindavan, where she would frequently visit her children. The association she received there made an indelible impression on her, and she could not stop speaking about it in separation when she was away. She spoke of her visits as if reliving her experiences there and was fixed in the idea that she wanted to return as soon as possible. She was very fond of Sri Sri Radha-Shyamasundar and took Them gifts too.

Back in South Africa, she had programs at her home, cooking feasts and inviting devotees and new people, whom she would always enthuse by sharing Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. She would also cook for the local senior devotees. Her cooking was legendary. Tribhanga Sundara Prabhu recently told me that she once cooked him a meal when he visited and that the potato curry was so relishable that he asked her to teach him the recipe, which she willingly did. He cooked her recipe for five thousand people for a function just after the grand opening of Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath temple in Durban. Bhagavan das, while passing through the kitchen, acknowledged that the preparation looked good, and many people complimented him on this prep whenever he made it—credit for which, he says, goes to dear Palika.

Palika had faith that Krishna would protect her. Her third pregnancy, with her lovely daughter, was a difficult one. Doctors advised her to abort the child because her life and that of the unborn child were at risk. She chose to not follow their advice, saying that Krishna would protect them. Both she and the child survived without impairment, and she later gave birth to a fourth child.

In 1988, while living close to the Yeoville Hare Krishna center, her second son sustained a leg injury, and the doctors advised amputation of his leg. She declined, saying that Krishna would protect him. He recovered and can now dance and jump with that foot.

In her later years, while going on japa walks, Palika would meet many people and talk to them about spirituality. She also created a preaching page on social media that garnered 13,700 followers. All glories to her wonderful services.

With fond memories of her, we pray for her continued spiritual success.

Your servant,
Madri Dasi

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Gopal Bhatta Goswami, one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan, was born in 1503 on the 13th day of the dark moon in the month of Pausha. Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami lived for 75 years and left this world to enter into the eternal pastimes of the Lord in 1578.    

Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami was the son of Vyenkatta Bhatta, a brahmana resident of Sri Rangam in South India, who was initiated in the Sri Sampradaya tradition, in the disciplic succession of Sri Ramanujacharya.    

Sri Vyenkatta Bhatta had a famous brother named Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati. The son of Vyenkatta Bhatta was later known in the Gaudiya Sampradaya as Gopal Bhatta Goswami and he established the Radha-Ramana Temple in Vrindavan. 

During his travels in southern India, Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to the famed Sri Rangakshetra which has the famous temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Sri Ranganath. When Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu entered the temple and began chanting Hare Krishna kirtan, He mesmerised the devotees in the temple.    

Everyone was stunned in ecstasy and the hairs of their body stood on end. Mahaprabhu’s divine form was wonderful to behold, and his bodily radiance was dazzling. From His lotus eyes showered torrents of tears of Krishna-prema. The brahmanas wondered, “Is he a god? Is such a manifestation of ecstasy possible in a man?”

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at the house of Vyenkatta Bhatta. Vyenkatta had a son named Gopal. At the time of Mahaprabhu’s visit, he was only a child. When the little boy offered his respects at the feet of Sri Caitanya, the Lord picked him up and held him on His lap and affectionately embraced the boy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to call the child and give him the remnants of His prasad. By giving him His prasad in this manner, He blessed Gopal Bhatta acharya to become a great devotee in the future.

In this way, the years passed. Eventually his aged mother and father called Gopal Bhatta to their side and said, “Boy, after we pass away, you must go to Vrindavan and take shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” After his parents’ demise, Gopal Bhatta went to Vrindvan, always remembering the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu. 

In the Gaura-Gandodesha-Dipika, Shri Kavi Karnapura Goswami writes: 

ananga-manjari sadya Gopal Bhattkah Bhatta goswaminam kocidahuh shri guna manjari    

“In my opinion, that person who in Vrindavan Lila was Ananga Manjari is now Gopal Bhatta Goswami. Some authorities, however, have given their opinion that he was Guna Manjari.” 

In a previous article, The Many Meanings and Forms of Radha Madhava, we presented various historical and theological perspectives of the names of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, as well as the history of the large Radha Madhava/Ashta Sakhi murtis. Below is a short explanation by Bhavananda prabhu of the arrival of the original chota Radha Madhava deities to Mayapur, and some rare, never before seen photos.

“Chota Radha Madhava were the deities that traveled with Srila Prabhupada and used at various pandals. They were the deities to Whom he first sang and introduced the chanting of Jaya Radha Madhava before his classes. When They arrived in Mayapur with Prabhupada in 1972 they were simply placed on a small platform in the bhajan kutir and worshiped in a simple way. When Prabhupada departed from Mayapur after Gaura Purnima he left the deities with instructions to Jananivas prabhu to be Their pujari.

In 1973 the deities were moved to the new temple. The original ‘altar room’ was on the ground floor and served in that capacity from 1973 – 1986. The temple was aptly named by Srila Prabhupada as Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, the temple of the rising moon of Lord Caitanya – Mayapur Chandra. He had us print in large letters that name on the cement band which runs just beneath the external first floor balcony.”

From the Prabhupada Lilamrta by Satsvarupa Goswami

On the third morning after introducing Jaya Radha-Madhava, Prabhupada again sang it with the devotees responding. Then he began to explain it further. “Radha-Madhava”, he said, “have Their eternal loving pastimes in the groves of Vrndavana.”

He stopped speaking. His closed eyes flooded with tears, and he began gently rocking his head. His body trembled. Several minutes passed, and everyone in the room remained completely silent. Finally, he returned to external consciousness and said, “Now, just chant Hare Krishna.”

After this, the Radha-Krishna Deities of Gorakhpur became known as Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, and eventually made Their way to Mayapur.

This year celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Chota Radha Madhava’s arrival/installation in Mayapur. The TOVP Team is pleased to announce the upcoming, all-auspicious Radha Madhava Golden Jubilee Festival from March 2 – 5, 2022. This will be a festival to top all festivals, commemorating the anniversary of five important events in the history of ISKCON.

• 50th Anniversary of Chota Radha Madhava’s Arrival/Installation
• 50th Anniversary of the ISKCON Mayapur Gaur Purnima Festival
• 50th Anniversary of Prabhupada Laying the TOVP Cornerstone
• 50th Anniversary of Jananivas Prabhu as Mayapur Head Pujari
• 100th Anniversary of Prabhupada Receiving Bhaktisiddhanta’s Order

These four days will be packed with ecstatic activities for all present (and viewable live on Mayapur TV), including kirtans, talks by senior devotees and leaders, dramas, dances, and a truly amazing abhisheka ceremony that will include ten types of abhishekas for Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava.

Additionally, you can now take advantage of this unique and historic opportunity by sponsoring these abhishekas, as well as our newest Seva Opportunity to commemorate Srila Prabhupada’s receiving the order to preach from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 100 years ago. Through the Paschatya Desha Tarine Campaign, offering a choice from three beautifully designed, 3.5″ large medallions with an accompanying ribbon, you can honor and show your gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for his gifts of Harinam, the Bhagavatam and Radha Krishna worship to the world.

Visit the Radha Madhava Golden Jubilee page on the TOVP website and sponsor an abhisheka or Medallion TODAY!

  Listen to the first chanting of Jaya Radha Madhava by Srila Prabhupada to chota Radha Madhava on February 11, 1971 in Gorakhpur, India, with his explanation of the meaning at the end.
 

The photos below represent a timeframe from 1972 – 1978, with the oldest being the first on the left taken in Srila Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir.

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Queen’s Park, Toronto

January 11 – Special For Me

Today was my mother’s birthday. She has passed away, but I can’t forget her – ever. I was her first born and she had five more little rascals after me. That was quite a load for any two parents – six of us – but we looked after each other. We were lucky because she was the typical, honourable house-and-family-keeping person. We were happy to have a parent home when we arrived from school. Then dad came back from work after 5 p.m., only to do some chores in the barn until supper time, when we all sat together to discuss the affairs of the day. It was definitely a ’50s model of living.

During my walk today, being all bundled up for the cold winter dynamic, I thought about the warmth of the structure we were protected by. It was certainly God’s grace. I believe all of us felt a type of protection from God.

I never became an altar boy in the Catholic tradition, although my brothers did. Still, I did carry on with praying on the rosary during the time of Lent, when I meditated at the stations of the Cross.

These days you might catch me walking along the wall in the temple by the stations of Krishna. Adorning these walls are the pictures of Krishna Lila, or His pastimes, while I’m fingering on my japa beads. There’s not much difference between the practices. The only thing is Mum’s not around. I’m hoping she’s in heaven.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Many devotees may not be aware that this year commemorates the 100th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada receiving the order to preach in the West from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati (see the story below). This highly important and significant event and its eventual fulfilment should be the subject of our deepest contemplations. The words paschatya desha tarine are found in Prabhupada’s pranam mantra and literally mean he has come to deliver the Western countries:

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine

Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Chaitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

Where would we be right now and what would the world be like had Srila Prabhupada not come to preach Krishna consciousness. At the advanced age of seventy when most Vaishnavas retire to perform their bhajan, he left the divine abode of Sri Vrindavan, traveled across the ocean suffering two heart attacks, struggled to establish his movement, and sacrificed his health to travel across the earth a dozen times to preach the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We cannot estimate or repay our indebtedness to him for saving us from the perpetual cycle of birth and death and bringing us to the lotus feet of the Lord.

To celebrate this centennial year, the TOVP has created the Paschatya Desha Tarine Campaign. Srila Prabhupada brought to the entire world, not just the West, the three most important angas of bhakti: Harinam, Bhagavatam and Archa Murti. We have custom designed three unique and exceptionally beautiful 3.5″ sized medallions, one for each of the three angas, that can be sponsored to show our love and express our gratitude to our Founder-Acharya, and also help fulfill his desire to build the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. These medallions are modeled after the 2021 Olympic medallions, including the ribbon, to represent the TOVP Now Marathon to open the TOVP by 2024.

To sponsor a medallion go to the Paschatya Desha Tarine page on the TOVP website and help win the race to open the TOVP by 2024.

This celebration is also part of the Radha Madhava Golden Jubilee Festival from March 2 – 5 commemorating four other anniversaries coinciding this year:

• 50th Anniversary of Chota Radha Madhava’s Installation
• 50th Anniversary of the ISKCON Mayapur Gaur Purnima Festival
• 50th Anniversary of Prabhupada Laying the TOVP Cornerstone
• 50th Anniversary of Jananivas Prabhu as Mayapur Head Pujari

Find out more about this festival a WWW.TOVP.ORG.

Receiving the Order to Preach

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Disappearance Day Lecture, December 13, 1973 – Los Angeles

Prabhupada: So, when I met Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura… It is a long story, how I met him. One of my friends, he dragged me. [laughing] [laughter] I was at that time Nationalist, and manager in a big chemical factory. My age was about twenty-four years. So, one of my friends, he asked me that “There is a nice sadhu, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura. He has come in Calcutta. So, let us go and see.” So, I was reluctant. I thought just like so, “There are so many sadhus. So, I am not very much…” Because I had very bad experience; not very good. So, I said, “Oh, these kind of sadhus, there are many.” You’ll be glad to know that even my in young age or early age—it was Kṛishṇa’s grace—even amongst my young friends, I was considered the leader. [laughing] [laughter] In my school days, in my college days, in my private friendship, some way or other I became their leader. And one astrologer, sometimes he read my hands. He said in Hindi, kukum chale na[?]. Kukum chale na means “Your hand speaks that your order will be executed.”

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupada: So anyway, it was Kṛishṇa’s grace. I would not go, but their point of view was that unless I certified that sadhu, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura, he’ll not be accepted. Therefore, he dragged me. So, I went to see Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura on that day. On the first meeting, just we offer our obeisances. It is the practice. So immediately he began his talking that, “You are all educated young men. Why don’t you take up Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s cult and preach all over the English-knowing public? Why don’t you take up this matter?” So, I argued with him in so many… At that time I was Nationalist. So, I told that, “Who will accept our message? We are dependent nation. Nobody will care.” In this way, in my own way, in these younger days… But we belonged to the Vaisnava family, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda, Radha-Govinda. That is our worshipable duty…, er, worshipable Deity. So, I was very glad that Radha-Kṛishṇa cult, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s…, this sadhu is trying to preach. It is very nice.

So, at that time we had some talks, and of course I was defeated by his argument, my argument. [laughter] And then, when we came out, we were offered prasadam, very nice treatment, the Gaudiya Maṭha. And when I came out on the street, this my friend asked me, “What is your opinion of this sadhu?” Then I said that, “Here is the right person who has taken up Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s message, and now it will be distributed.”

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupada: So, I was at that time a fool, but I opined like this. And I accepted him as my spiritual master immediately. Not officially, but in my heart. That was in 1922. Then, in 1923, I left Calcutta on my business tour, and I made my headquarter at Allahabad. Allahabad is about five hundred miles from Calcutta. So, I was thinking that “I met a very nice saintly person.” That was my thinking always. So, in this way, in 1928, there was a Kumbha-mela.

At that time, these Gaudiya Maṭha people came to Allahabad to establish a center there, and somebody else said, somebody informed them that “You go to that Prayag Pharmacy.” My drug shop was named as Prayag Pharmacy. My name was also there. “You go and see Abhay Babu. He is religiously… He will help you.” These Gaudiya Maṭha people, they came to see me. So, “Sir, we have come to you. We have heard your good name. So, we want to start a temple here. Please try to help us.” So, because I was thinking of these Gaudiya Maṭha people, that “I met a very nice, saintly person,” then as soon as I saw them, I was very much engladdened, “Oh, here are these persons. They have come again.”

So, in this way, gradually, I became attached to these Gaudiya Maṭha activities, and by the grace of Kṛishṇa, my business also was not going very well. [laughter] [laughs] Yes. Kṛishṇa says, yasyaham anughṛṇami harisye tad-dhanam sanaiḥ [SB 10.88.8], means if somebody wants to be actually devotee of Kṛishṇa, at the same time keeps his material attachment, then Kṛishṇa’s business is He takes away everything material, so that cent percent he becomes, I mean to say, dependent on Kṛishṇa. So that actually happened to my life. I was obliged to come to this movement to take up this very seriously. And I was dreaming that “Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura is calling me, ‘Please come out with me!’ ” [break] So, I was sometimes horrified, “Oh, what is this? I have to give up my family life? Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura is calling me? I have to take sannyasa?” Oh, I was horrified. But I saw several times, calling me.

So anyway, it is by his grace I was forced to give up my family life and so-called business life. And he brought me some way or other in preaching his gospel.

So, this is a memorable day. What he desired, I am trying little bit, and you are all helping me. So, I have to thank you more. You are actually representative of my Guru Maharaja [weeping] …because you are helping me in executing the order of my Guru Maharaja. Thank you very much.

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Well, this was Prabhupada’s, Bhaktivedanta Swami’s formula for action. He always said... If you’ve ever read Bhagavad-gita, on the battlefield where Arjuna is asking Krishna, the Supreme Person, “What should I do?” Krishna gives him the blueprint for action, that our actions should be for God and to aim for the highest thing, the best thing, the most powerful thing you can do for Him in your service. So that’s the theme. Continue reading "Shyamasundar das’ interview with nation-wide Sirius radio Beatles channel on 1/12/22
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