Planet ISKCON

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 11
By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 11: March 12–18, 2025)
Gainesville, Alachua, Daytona Beach, Tallahassee
(Sent from Tallahassee, Florida, on March 22, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

For the eleventh week of 2025, I remained living at Krishna House in Gainesville and chanting Hare Krishna for about three hours each day during the Krishna Lunch at University of Florida through Friday. On Thursday I celebrated Gaura Purnima in Gainesville during the day and in Alachua in the evening. Friday I also chanted with the Alachua devotees near the entrance to the University of Florida. Saturday I attended the Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra with devotees from all over northern Florida. Sunday I attended the Alachua Sunday feast, and on Monday I returned to ISKCON Tallahassee. I chanted Hare Krishna on Monday and Tuesday at Landis Green, behind the main Florida State University library. In Tallahassee, I distributed fourteen little cups of halava to promote our Krishna Lunch at the campus.

I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. I share quotes from Miracle on Second Avenue by Mukunda Goswami, from The Delaware Diaries by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and from Golden Avatar, a soon-to-be-published biography of Lord Caitanya, by Yogesvara Prabhu. I share notes on a Sunday feast lecture by Krishna Abhishek Prabhu and a Monday morning lecture by a local Govinda Prabhu, both in Alachua. I share notes on a class by Gopi Jivana Prabhu at Krishna House.

Thanks to Bhakta Henry, formerly of Washington, D.C., for his kind donation. Thanks to Gopal Krishna Prabhu for driving me to Alachua for Gaura Purnima and to Jackson for driving me back to Krishna House. Thanks to John for driving me to Daytona Beach for Ratha-yatra and back. Thanks to Jackson for driving me to Alachua for the Sunday feast. Thanks to Ananga Mohan Prabhu for driving me to Tallahassee. I get by with a little help from my friends!

Itinerary

January 6–April 11: Tallahassee harinamas and FSU college outreach
– March 9–16: Krishna House Gainesville harinamas and UF college outreach
– March 15: Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra
April 12: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 13: Gainesville harinama
April 14–15: USF harinamas in Tampa
April 16–20: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu
April 21–22: NYC Harinam
April 23: Flight to Brussels
April 24: Layover in Oslo
April 25: Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa-puja at Radhadesh
April 26: King’s Day in Amsterdam
April 27: Liege harinama
April 28–May 1: Paris harinamas
May 2: Sarcelles market harinama
May 3–4: Amsterdam Kirtan Mela and Sacinandana Swami seminar
May 5 and 6: harinama in Amsterdam, Antwerp, or Brussels
May 7: Flight from Brussels to New York City
May 8–June 15: NYC Harinam
mid June–mid August: Paris
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra
– July 13: Netherlands harinama

Chanting Hare Krishna in Gainesville

Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch on Wednesday (https://youtu.be/QhZpYPPg0Rg):

Pundarik Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/RRsKhZcQ4fU):

Advaita Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/VD-W-0eiB7g):

Krishna House women chant Hare Krishna at mangala-arati on Gaura Purnima (https://youtube.com/shorts/2hQGTkB9Aqs?feature=share):

Shyamala Kishori and Sruti Sagara Prabhus chant Hare Krishna at Gaura Purnima abhiseka in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/R4oa_Y8HCqs):

Sruti Sagara Prabhu continued chanting Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/L3eUEJ0HuA0):

Kunti Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch on Gaura Purnima (https://youtu.be/iXifktJCVA8):

Gopal Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch on Gaura Purnima (https://youtu.be/JUoPKYkVad8):

Deva Krishna Prabhu plays harmonium, and devotees chant Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch on Gaura Purnima (https://youtu.be/6tNegw8ryjM):

As I was chanting Hare Krishna on Gaura Purnima on the University of Florida campus after the Krishna Lunch, it occurred to me that the Muslims observing Ramadan would fast the entire day and thus get credit for fasting on that most holy day. Now that’s real ajñata-sukrti!

Nartana Priya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at mangala-arati at Krishna House (https://youtube.com/shorts/MPxGIMWykfY?feature=share):

Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/usEiG5Hzys0):

Kunti Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/_RAaF4Sk1aY):

Nartana Priya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/qIy8zcDUZVo):

Cintamani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/u91LPpMCpqQ):

Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch, and a snake listens with rapt attention (https://youtu.be/eT9MoLD8-U4):

Kalki Prabhu says he has seen the snake several times over the last few years. This time the snake stayed listening in what seemed to me to be an awkward position, with its head raised and motionless, for a least ten minutes.

Advaita Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch in Gainesville, and a passerby chants the mantra (https://youtu.be/tKQfUsDfzs4):

Man Mohini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna across from the University of Florida entrance with Alachua devotees (https://youtu.be/4zvgzAWbJ4I):

Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna across from the University of Florida entrance with Alachua devotees (https://youtu.be/ZbLzAwuMIWA):

Kayadhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees across from the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/Bgy16A8kiuI):

Godruma Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees across from the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/fIQ4dViOOOM):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Alachua

Bali Rico chants Hare Krishna at Gaura Arati at ISKCON Alachua Gaura Purnima festival (https://youtu.be/YseazuGAd6s):

Nadiya Mani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Final Arati at ISKCON Alachua Gaura Purnima (https://youtu.be/gawf0YZUclQ):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Daytona Beach

The day of the Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra was the anniversary of the passing away of Kadamba Kanana Swami two years ago according to the lunar calendar. I remember Kadamba Kanana Swami as one who increased my devotional service to Krishna. In the early spring of 2008 he invited me to his Queen’s Day (now King’s Day) harinama in Amsterdam. When I came that April, he told me to come every year. I wrote an article about it for BTG. He bought me a ticket to South Africa, and asked me to write about the preaching there for BTG as well. He encouraged me to preach in the UK outside of London because all the swamis go to London, and thus I visit the North of England almost every year. Because of that I got to meet Janananda Goswami, who I now serve in Paris. In November 2022, I wrote more elaborately about how Kadamba Kanana Swami inspired me, and I share the link to that . . . https://krishnamonk.blogspot.com/2022/11/kadamba-kanana-swami-special-benefactor.html

Orlando devotees chant Hare Krishna on stage before Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/PahzFs0k00w):

Bhadra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra, and passersby dance and pull cart (https://youtu.be/140HubCNTCc):

Bhadra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/bH1S2VFj2y4):

Nimai Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra, and passersby dance in a snake (https://youtu.be/dqYMwuHzGNM):

Nimai Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/iaBJw152Gio):

Toward the end of the procession, I would invite people to play the four shakers I had brought from India. Invariably the people would also dance in the kirtan. In this video you can see three groups of people who were happy to play the shakers and dance as the devotees chanted Hare Krishna at the Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/n5-uVi-GSAo):

Devotees chant Hare Krishna in the Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra, and engage passersby in repeating the mantra (https://youtu.be/KvVsB5goj08):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee

The day after spring break, toward the end of my harinama I sang my favorite Hare Krishna tune as I like to save it for near the end. A student passing by glanced in my direction with seeming interest. I said one of my usual lines, “This is a harmonium, and the song is a mantra, a song of spiritual upliftment.”
She replied, “I love it. I can feel it in my soul. Keep smiling.”
Often on my first day back to Tallahassee or the last day before I leave, Krishna sends some appreciative person to encourage me.

Photos

Are you having difficulty finding lighters when you make up arati trays? Maybe you just need a bigger box.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 12.37–38, purport:

“Devotees should always be happy with all the dealings of their master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee may be put into difficulty or opulence, but he

should accept both as gifts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and jubilantly engage in the service of the Lord in all circumstances. . . . One should not be unhappy when

reverses come upon him by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee should always be happy to receive the fortune awarded him by the Supreme Lord, which seems pleasant or unpleasant according to one’s judgment.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 14.153:

“Although some of the gopis are talkative, some mild, some equipoised, all of them are transcendental and faultless. They please Krishna by their unique characteristics.”

Mukunda Goswami:

From Miracle on Second Avenue:

“After an hour or so of sound testing, we did a four-minute take of the Hare Krishna mantra. I thought we sounded pretty good, but George didn’t think so.

“‘The sound needs to be bigger, especially at the end,’ he said. ‘Shyamasundar and Yamuna, you guys sound good, but the response is a bit weak. We need more singers so that it sounds like a choir.’

“‘We can probably round up some more people,’ I said. ‘But we’d need some time to find them. I mean, we’d have to come back another day to finish the record.’

“‘No, we need to finish it today, because today’s the only time I was able to book for us in the studio,’ George said. ‘Hang on. I’ll find some people.’

“Ten minutes later he returned with thirty people in tow – secretaries, sound engineers, agents and janitors from the adjacent EMI offices.

“‘OK, let’s get all these guys miked up and we’ll do it again,’ George said.

“With nearly forty people singing the response, the second take sounded great. Many of the members of the improvised choir closed their eyes and swayed as the sound of the mantra swelled to fill the studio: ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.’ At the end of the take, Malati spontaneously picked up a mallet and, without looking back, struck the brass gong that sat behind her. As soon as the engineers gave the official indication that the take was over, everyone burst into surprised laughter.”

“We had become a regular sight around London, and it had gotten out that George Harrison was into chanting Hare Krishna. As we left the studio, we were greeted by a group of a dozen adolescent females singing the Hare Krishna mantra outside of Abbey Road studios, presumably hoping to catch sight of one Beatle or another.

“‘My god,’ I thought. ‘If it’s like this now, what will it be like when the record comes out?’”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From The Delaware Diaries, Volume 2 (Tachycardia):

“A disciple of Bhakti Tirtha Swami showed up at Sri Advaita’s house and asked me to speak of my relationship with his spiritual master. Before the whole family, I spoke for about half an hour, telling my whole relationship with Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja, starting from when he came to Dallas as an uninitiated devotee and I was a sannyasi. I told of the library party days and the very last days of his life, when we reestablished our close friendship and how I talked with him weekly on the telephone. Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s disciple cried tears during my talk just to hear someone speak about his spiritual master in friendly terms.”

“The magnificent little ship of electronic nerve endings and brain waves tolls a dreary bell. He’s not a knock-about but a delicate arrangement of blood vessels expanding and contracting. His psyche is at the center of it, and the spirit soul is transcendental. One must learn to tolerate the changes from happiness to distress as one tolerates the changes from summer to winter season. In the winter, January and February, he must still take his bath. In the hottest months of the year, May and June in India, the housewife still cooks in the kitchen. And when medication is not effective, you try another one. But when do you stop and just suffer it?”

“Baladeva is very partial to Vrndavana and has realization that it’s a special place. ‘It ain’t New Jersey.’”

“Tomorrow is Prabhupada’s disappearance, and we’ll each speak something about His Divine Grace and read from the final days in Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita. I hope I can enter a sincere mood of appreciation for him. I owe him so much. If he had not come, I’d be dead by now or alive with atrocious karma and disappointed dreams. No matter how I complain about being a subpar devotee, I’m blessed with a life of Krishna consciousness. And no matter how many faults I find with ISKCON, I am very grateful for its shelter. I treasure my duties and the peaceful life I’ve been allowed in my later years.

I’m happy to have come in the very beginning, when Prabhupada was Swamiji, the dear guru-father of a small family. To be picked up out of my Lower East Side marijuana daze and embraced by such a kind doctor of the soul is my life’s greatest memory and fortune. He alone could do it. I had never fraternized with any swamis or groups and came in ignorance and innocence into his room. How quickly he transformed me! From the very first night, I gave up all my bad personal habits and followed the Vaishnava way. I am formed in his image, made in his way. 

“‘Swamiji, is there a stage in Krishna consciousness from which you don’t fall down?’
“‘Yes,’ he answered, and said no more.
“I believed him, although it has taken me many years to learn the lesson.”

From Increasing the Presence of Srila Prabhupada:

“If we had any last vestige of trying to enjoy ourselves, old age is ridding us of those illusions.”

Yogesvara Prabhu:

From Golden Avatar:

“As Chaitanya and Kalakrishna continued north, they arrived at the monastery known as Shringeri Math—math or school—former home of the renowned sixth century monist Shankara.

“‘Legend says that during his travels across India, the great Shankara came across a pregnant frog sitting on the road under a blazing sun,’ Chaitanya told Kalakrishna. ‘Then he watched as a snake unveil its hood like an umbrella to shield the pregnant frog. Shankara believed one way to recognize a holy place was that in such a place animals acted kindly toward one another. That is why he chose to build his first math here.’”

“He [Kedarnath (later Bhaktivinode)] even picked up a few habits from his British superiors such as keeping a pet dog, to the embarrassment of his Hindu acquaintances.”

“After reading Chaitanya Charitamrita a second time, Kedarnath began having dreams. ‘Chaitanya appeared to me last night,’ he told a friend. ‘He said there is a service I am to perform in Navadwip. What should I do?’”

“Despite the lack of response from abroad, Bhaktivinode pushed on writing and publishing in English. By 1903, declining health finally compelled him to ease his pace, but even then, he refused to yield entirely. A vision of the world united as Chaitanya had foretold, dancing and singing Krishna’s names, remained his greatest joy.”

“From a young age, Bimala Prasad, Bhaktivinode’s sixth child and his successor as head of the Chaitanya community, was drawn to monastic life. Starting in boyhood, he preferred wearing a traditional dhoti—a length of cotton cloth wrapped around the waist, ends passed between the legs and tucked in front and back—over the more modern wardrobe favored by his father.”

“Bimala Prasad also chose to remain a lifelong celibate, and by the time he opened his own school in 1918, students were calling him by his sannyas title: Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, “he who embodied the conclusion (siddhanta) of devotion (bhakti) and knowledge (as bestowed by Saraswati, Goddess of Learning).

“Despite his conservative leanings, by age thirty Bhaktisiddhanta was challenging orthodox behavior with innovative programs for spreading Chaitanya’s movement. He drove to appointments in automobiles, contrary to the protocol of renunciants circulating exclusively on foot. He arranged for disciples to travel to Europe, in defiance of the injunction that no Hindu monk should cross “the black ocean.” With the help of wealthy supporters he financed construction of schools in the middle of big cities, rather than in more traditional rural locations, and mounted tented festivals featuring secular as well as religious exhibits. More or less everything he did defied the cliché of the impoverished, conservative guru living in contemplative seclusion.”

“The anti-Krishna rancor ran so deep that the British imposed monetary fines on printers who dared to publish descriptions of him dancing with the gopis.”

“Since the work at hand attempts to analyze Kali Yuga as a largely human disaster, help tracing the science was critical. Betty Smocovitis, professor in the Department of History and Biology at the University of Florida, shared her vast knowledge of science history and pointed me in the direction of peer-reviewed publications. She once told me that the history of science has been ‘the systematic removal of the metaphysical from the physical.’ That phrase has stuck with me, and I am indebted to her for her guidance and insights.”

Krishna Abhishek Prabhu:

Bhakti Charu Swami says that the name of India, Bharata, does not just refer to the different kings named Bharata, but Bharata means that land which is meant for progressing spiritually. To the extent that India is meant for progressing spiritually then India is Bharata.

Both the Mahabharata and Bhagavatam deal with the balance between justice and mercy. Your mercy cannot allow cruel behavior to flourish, but your justice cannot be without mercy.

We chant Krishna’s names, but we do not enjoy it because we have not mastered tolerance and humility. We enjoy the music of the kirtan and we enjoy finishing our japa quota, but we do not necessarily enjoy chanting Krishna’s names.

The first offense against the holy name, sadhu ninda, can be put more simply as “don’t bad mouth good people.”

Mahabharata is endless, and it will capture you.

Every person in India has the responsibility of sharing spiritual knowledge with the world.

Krishna wanted all the sixteen kingdoms at the time he was present to have spiritually progressive rulers.

At that time, the kingdoms avoided fights through marriage alliances.

The first syllable of Bhagavad-gita is “dha,” and the last syllable in Bhagavad-gita is “ma.” Thus from beginning to end, Bhagavad-gita is all about dharma.

Krishna told Arjuna, “You are not fighting for a kingdom. You are fighting for dharma.”

Govinda Prabhu of Alachua:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.14.19 in Alachua:

Lord Shiva teaches by his example to search for the happiness within.

Musk deer only lives in the Himalayas, and the male musk deer produce a rare fragrance that is more expensive than gold.

The musk deer is captivated by his own fragrance, and runs around looking it, not realizing it comes from himself. Similarly we look for happiness outside ourselves, not knowing true happiness is within.

There is a story that sages are looking for the greatest. One said the sky is greatest because it is so vast. Another said the cloud that rests in the sky is greatest. Another said that the mountain is greatest. Another said that the Lord, the source of everything, is the greatest. The conclusion was that the devotee is greatest because he can capture the Lord by his love.

The best time for procreation is three hours after sunset or three hours before sunrise.

Srila Prabhupada explains that the verse describing the one can attain perfection by a moment’s association of a pure devotee denotes the case when the person is spiritually ready to receive and apply the knowledge knowledge the guru is revealing.

Comment by Pran Govinda Prabhu:

There is a Vishnu-tattva Shiva who is completely transcendental. There is also a Rudra-tattva Shiva who is a product of the material energy. See Cc. Madhya 20.311, purport.

There are three features needed for an act to be considered bhakti. It must give pleasure to Krishna and His devotees. It must be done with the intention of pleasing Krishna. It must engage our senses.

The Lord appreciates that attitude more than the magnitude of our offering.

Gopi Jivana Prabhu:

Not only does Srila Prabhupada show great spiritual knowledge, but especially in the First Canto, Srila Prabhupada shows great worldly knowledge, such as politics, as well.

Srila Prabhupada choose very exact words to convey specific ideas.

To set an example for others was a motivitating factor for action in the Vedic culture.

A friend of mine who is an astrologer said Trump approached him for a reading before his first term. So we see that some government leaders know of this Vedic knowledge, but they use it for material purposes.

The whole social structure of varnasrama is meant for ultimate renunciation.

It is not about giving up relationships but about giving up the false understanding of relationships.

-----

Sometimes the many, many statements in the revealed literature bewilder our minds, and we wish that someone could just share the essence of all the instructions with us so we could focus on it and apply it in our lives. Rupa Goswami has done that favor for us in his Upadesamrita, which Srila Prabhupada kindly translated as The Nectar of Instruction:

tan-nama-rupa-caritadi-sukirtananu-

smrtyoh kramena rasana-manasi niyojya

tisthan vraje tad-anuragi-jananugami

kalam nayed akhilam ity upadesa-saram

“The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time—twenty-four hours a day—in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vrndavana dhama] and serve Krishna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.” (The Nectar of Instruction, text 8)

How do we practically do this? Srila Prabhupada has given some hints in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 12.2: “For one in such Krishna consciousness there are no material activities, because everything is done for Krishna. A pure devotee is constantly engaged. Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Krishna, or sometimes he cooks prasadam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Krishna, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes—whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Krishna. Such action is in full samadhi.”

By Dandavats Staff Writer

The discussions and events covered today highlight key aspects of Krishna consciousness, devotion, and spiritual wisdom. HH Mukunda Goswami expounds on Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.22, emphasizing Krishna’s supreme role, unity in diversity, forgiveness, and philosophical depth. ISKCON Vrindavan commences its 50th Golden Jubilee Vraj Mandal Parikrama at Madhuvan, celebrating Lord Chaitanya’s visit with devotional singing and scriptural narratives. Bhakti Vijnana Goswami shares Krishna’s words to the gopis, deepening their devotion. Srimati Radharani’s baking class teaches traditional recipes with spiritual insights. Srivasa Pandit’s transcendental role is honored, along with discussions on the importance of chanting and a spiritually conscious life. The New Bhakta Department and ISKCON’s spiritual training initiatives continue to nurture seekers. Additionally, the significance of cows in Vedic culture is highlighted, along with Gomata products. Other key events include the 9th Tribal Convention, spiritual ashrams, and ISKCON dramas, all fostering devotion and Krishna consciousness worldwide. Continue reading "Vrindavan’s Sacred Legacy: Pilgrimage, Philosophy, and the Power of Devotion! March 21
→ Dandavats"

Is it that when we criticize someone, their bad karma gets transferred to us, and if we exaggerate while criticizing, then our good karma gets transferred to them? Answer, karma is a very complicated concept, as Krishna explains, gahana karma nogati. At one level, the essential implication is very logical and essential, that we are responsible for our actions, and we will be held accountable for them. However, once we get into the specifics, things become quite complicated, and while there are some specifics mentioned in scripture, for example, somebody who eats meat will get XYZ punishment, or somebody who does a particular wrong activity will get a particular suffering.

It doesn’t mention over there, how many, about specifics again within that, is it that somebody who eats meat once will get the same destination as somebody who has been eating meat every meal of their life, throughout their life? The karma is logical, it’s not diabolical, such a, any system, ultimately the system of justice, any system of justice which punishes a one-time crime at the same degree as a one-time criminal as a habitual criminal would be considered a problematic justice system. So, in general, the specifics, they are a possibility, but they are not a necessity, that’s the broad understanding that can be inferred. Their patterns and sometimes the principles of accountability work in very visually graphic ways, sometimes they don’t work in that way.

So therefore, trying to attribute a specific, either a specific result to a specific past karma or warning that a specific action will lead to a specific result in the future, that’s a hazardous business, even if we can find an explicit quote in scripture for that. Because law is complicated and justice, if it is to be furthered, it has to be done in a way that the law has to be applied carefully and that’s why we have, we don’t just have the law of karma as an impersonal law, we also have a personal deity, Yamraj, who gets involved and there is a certain amount of individual discretion over there. Now, of course, we can go further and say that there are instances where even Yamraj makes a mistake.

So those are told to illustrate particular points within the broader context. I wouldn’t consider those as habitual errors. Now, having given this background, any specific correlation, if it is mentioned, I would say causation is out of question, but correlation, causation means A leads to B and correlation is A goes together with B, may be caused or they may be concurrent, they occur at the same time for different causes, we don’t know.

Whenever any kind of connection between some action and some results are talked about, I feel it’s best to stick to the principle and when a speaker is communicating, there also is an underlying principle. So, for example, don’t become habitually negative in our speech by looking at all the bad that is being done by people and fixating on the apparent iniquity of the world. So that principle is more important, but does that literally mean that when a particular bad action is, if we point out to the bad actions of others, then their bad karma comes to us.

For instance, the Kauravas do horrendous things and the Pandavas point that out. So are the Pandavas getting the Kauravas’ karma? If we take this logic, literally, how would any system of justice ever work? If a person who bears testimony in a court to a crime, where a murderer, that person has seen a murder happening, and the person bears testimony over there, and that person just by becoming a witness over there, gets the karma of the murderer, especially what kind of system of justice would that be? So sometimes certain statements, the spirit of those statements needs to be taken and the spirit is that, okay, as I said, there is much that is unfair in the world and to accept it, we need to come to peace with it and we need to stop fixating on it. So some people are habitually gossipy, habitually cynical, now that’s bad.

But the line between when is it gossipy, when is it gossip, and when is it not, is very difficult to precisely figure out. And that’s why somebody might be expressing a grievance or a complaint and somebody else might label it as a gossip. Now in the Bhagavatam, there is a statement which again could be used to support this idea that when Dharma is being beaten by Kali, Parikshit stops Kali and then he asked Dharma, the bull, what is the cause of your suffering? And then Dharma replies, it’s very difficult to know because different philosophers have proposed different things.

And then Dharma replies, Krishna replies, bravo, he says that you are surely, it’s a wise answer that you are Dharma. And those who point to a wrongdoer get the same destination as the wrongdoer. Now what does that mean? If that were to mean literally the same thing, then why does Parikshit Maharaj even intervene over there to stop Kali? So, it means more in a philosophical sense that if you don’t see the bigger picture, then we will stay in the same ignorance with as the ignorance with which the wrongdoer is doing the wrong.

Parikshit Maharaj punishes Kali also. So in a devotional setting, we may not want to highlight the wrongdoings of devotees in public forums. So, it could be applied at two levels, the particular statement in spirit, but that don’t be habitually negative and don’t voice grievances or don’t speak negative about devotees in public forums.

Having said this, reality is complex and I would be very careful to not make statements categorically about karma and to not make, especially not use those statements to insist on a particular specific action in a specific situation. Some devotees take up a lifelong cause of say correcting particular wrongs, maybe some financial misappropriation, maybe some child abuse and that becomes their mission. So, they will be regularly looking for faults.

So would this imply that, say, the Child Protection Office in our moment, it points out the faults of those who have committed such thing and then publicizes that. So, is it those who are in the CPO, are all of them giving their good karma to the predators who have actually violated children and as the CPO, such child abusers, karma coming to the CPO officers. So, to summarize, karma is a principle of accountability and responsibility.

That’s why we need to become careful and contemplative about what we do. Beyond that, specifics, even when they are given in scripture, the specifics are given without further nuancing of context and that’s why even though specifics may not apply universally and beyond that, certain logical aspects or certain ways of coordinating karma that might seem logical in some way, I think they need to be taken more in the principle of what can be learned for healthy human behavior. But beyond that, I would not mention them as absolute principles.

The post When we criticize someone for doing bad things, is their karma transferred to us? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

ISKCON Vrindavan's social media presence is a powerful tool for spreading the teachings of Lord Krishna and fostering a global community of devotees. Their impressive statistics—42 million YouTube views, 549,000 Facebook followers, and a growing Instagram presence—highlight their success in leveraging digital platforms to connect with a vast and diverse audience. By combining traditional spiritual values with modern technology, ISKCON Vrindavan continues to inspire and uplift millions, making a profound impact on the digital spiritual landscape. Their efforts serve as a model for other organizations seeking to use social media for positive change and spiritual outreach. Continue reading "Inspiring Global Reach: How ISKCON Vrindavan Connects Hearts with 42M+ Views
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

A diverse range of inspiring spiritual, philosophical, and cultural topics within the broader Hare Krishna and Vaishnava traditions. It includes insightful discourses from esteemed speakers, significant events, and thought-provoking discussions on spirituality, ethics, and modern challenges. H.G. Sikhi Mahiti Prabhu’s Srimad Bhagavatam class offers deep wisdom from sacred texts, emphasizing devotion and self-realization. Similarly, other Bhagavatam classes by HG Govinda Dāsa and HH Prahladananda Swami provide further spiritual nourishment. The recognition of Visakha Dasi, ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor President, at 10 Downing Street for International Women’s Day highlights the growing acknowledgment of spiritual leadership in mainstream society. Another thought-provoking discussion features Gauranga Das, Henrique Jorge, and Dr. Sajeev Nair exploring biohacking, AI clones, and longevity, balancing scientific advancements with spiritual values. The Indonesian President’s appreciation of the Bhagavad Gita underscores the global impact of Krishna consciousness. Meanwhile, ISKCON New Vrindavan’s recognition as a top spiritual community showcases the movement’s influence. Additionally, the Rishikesh Kirtan Fest and the renovation of ISKCON’s first temple preserve cultural and devotional heritage. The celebration of Sri Srivasa Pandita’s appearance reminds us of the rich legacy of Vaishnava saints. Altogether, these events and discussions reflect the dynamic and growing influence of Krishna consciousness in the modern world. Continue reading "Ancient Teachings, Scientific Debates, and Cultural Celebrations in Vaishnava Traditions Worldwide! March 20
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Question, how much should we accept the things that are not in our control, especially when it is we who have made some terrible mistake, maybe someone else pushed us or triggered us or even doing something wrong, but we cannot blame that person alone, we are also responsible. And additionally, we feel some regret. So should we just accept that this has happened and move on? Three distinct aspects to this question.

First is the idea of accepting what is unchangeable. The second is our own actions. And third is others influence on us in those actions.

So generally, acceptance is primarily focused on what has happened to us or what others have done to us. It cannot be simplistically used for what has been done by us, we are much more responsible for that. So for example, if we get some disease and fall sick, or because of some medical mistake, we become sick, then at that time acceptance is necessary.

Within that, acceptance is easier when something has happened because of natural forces rather than human agents. So it is much easier for the Pandavas to accept, say something like the death of their father, than the attempt by Kauravas to burn them alive. Having said that, now what about when sufferings come upon us because of our own actions? So consider the example of Yudhishthir, gambling and losing everything, where he could say that he was instigated by Shakuni and Karna and Duryodhana and others, could also say that he was well-intentioned and he was obligated because as a Kshatriya he had to accept a challenge.

So generally when things are beyond our control and especially when things have happened to us and things have been done to us, but we don’t want to get into the business of taking revenge against that person and that person is no longer an active influence in our life, then it is important for us to let go of things, accept it and just move on with life. Life sometimes is hard and resentment makes it a hundred times harder. Now when it comes to things that we have done ourselves, so should Yudhishthir accept what he did? Well yes, there also acceptance is required because ultimately we have to live with ourselves and if we have a very hostile relationship with ourselves, where either we are beating ourselves down constantly for what we did or we are trying to justify what we did all the time.

Both ways would be a problem. So the second part is that, so here also we need to come to acceptance but the way we do it is by carefully analyzing what went wrong over there and what we can learn from it so that we don’t do something similar. So the amount of wrong that happened through Yudhishthir was devastating for him.

What the Mahabharata depicts is that a person who is especially conscious of wanting to do good, when that very person ends up doing not just bad but a catastrophic bad thing, how difficult it will be to accept. He was repeatedly asking sages in the forest, trying to make sense of what happened. So he did three broad things to ensure that a similar thing would not happen.

First at a practical level, he learned gambling. When we say gambling has got him into trouble, why learn gambling now? So he was not a gambling addict and that was not a fear for him but he wanted to prepare for the contingency that in future if he is challenged to a gambling match, Shakuni should not be able to do the same thing that was done to him. Then at a philosophical level or you could say at a more philosophical ethical level, he understood that just one principle like obedience to one’s elders is not the sole factor for decision-making.

So his elders had called him for a match and he said I should obey my elders. But later on Yudhishthir was told by Dhritarashtra that you are already a vanaprastha, why do you want to become a grhastha, just stay in the forest. And he was refused to offer his kingdom, he didn’t uncritically obey Dhritarashtra.

So one is we improve our practical skills that are required for dealing with the situation. Second is that we improve our value system. I say not so much value system whereas our decision-making apparatus or decision-making process.

And the third is that Yudhishthir, even when he was gambling, he was thinking that Arjuna is so dear to Krishna, Draupadi is so dear to Krishna, surely they will not be lost in a gambling match. So the hard-nosed reality of the world is that good intentions are no substitute for good intelligence. That while God protects, just because we are good and we have good intentions, that does not necessarily mean good things will happen to us if we are not taking ground-level actions.

So, that’s why in the war, he was always quite strategic and even when he was reluctant to send Abhimanyu inside and when Abhimanyu was sent inside, it was only with a proper plan that the Pandavas would follow him from behind. Of course, Jayadrath thwarted that plan. So the next day when Arjuna went inside, Yudhishthir also felt anxious and then he sent Satyaki and then he sent Bhima inside.

Arjuna was trying to get to Jayadrath on the 14th day. So the point is that he learned at a hard level that we have to, along with a devotional intention or a devotional consciousness, we also have to have practical strategic intelligence. So, it is the three learnings at a level of practical skill, at a level of sound decision making and at a level of balancing spiritual consciousness with sound material assessments.

Now, as far as the role of Shakuni is concerned, when that raises the question, did Yudhishthir blame Shakuni? Well, in his case, Shakuni is an enemy and letting oneself be manipulated by the enemy into gambling more and more. That was his mistake. But then somebody who is a friend or a well-wisher, or at least we think of them as friend and well-wisher and that person manipulates us, as happened when Simanthara manipulated Kaikeyi, then it’s a different situation.

And sometimes it may well happen that the other person may even be well-intentioned, but despite being well-intentioned, the advice that the person gives turns out to be harmful for us. It turns out that that advice gets us into more trouble. So, either way, we don’t want to simply pass the blame to the other person.

But what we need to learn is that ultimately it’s our decisions and whom we let ourselves be influenced by is something we need to become more watchful about. Like, is it that I let myself be… whose words am I listening to, whose opinions am I taking seriously, whose criticism I’m taking seriously. So if you become more self-aware, then we will be less likely to be influenced by others.

Now depending on what the other person’s motivation was in doing a particular thing, based on that we may decide whether we want to continue to have a relationship with that person or we just want to have nothing to do with that person thereafter. Thank you.

The post When we are told to accept the unchangeable does that include accepting our own misdeeds done under the influence of others? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

HH Sivarama Swami, a highly respected ISKCON guru and spiritual leader, has made a significant impact through his social media presence, particularly on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. His ability to connect with a global audience, share profound spiritual wisdom, and inspire devotees has established him as a key figure in the digital outreach of
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The post How to Speak Effectively & Resolve Conflicts part 1 By HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The post Hindi – How Mahaprabhu frees from the illusions of the mind and the intelligence- Chaitanya Charan appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Srivasa Thakura is understood as tatastha-shakti, a marginal energy of Bhagavan, Krishna in person. Devotees who are headed by Srivasa Thakura are described as ‘parts’ of transcendental body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (his eyes, ears, hands, disc/cakra, etc.).

They all participated in His transcendental pastimes. They all helped to spread Krsna consciousness, sankirtana-yajna. On the other hand, Srivasa is also Narada – an eternal transcendental associate of Lord Krsna.

Srivasa was studying Srimad-Bhagavatam with Advaita Acarya, who was at that time in Navadvipa. The home of Srivasa, Srivasa-angam, was a place where Sri Caitanya perform sankirtana-yajna, congregational chanting of Krsna’s Holy Names, and it was a place where the Kazi, a noted Muslim leader, ruled. 

However, the Kazi had a dream where Sri Caitanya said that he should allow devotional service, so since that time he promised that he would never oppose sankirtana-yajna, and also that no one from his family would ever be against Krsna. 

Srivasa Thakura had previously lived in Sri Hatta, but because he wanted the association of devotees he went to live on the banks of the Ganges in Navadvipa. Srivasa Thakura had three brothers: Sripati, Srirama and Srinidhi. He also had one son, but at a young age his son died.

In the house of Srivasa, Chaitanya showed His transcendental form to all His eternal associates. So Srivasa-angam is also a place from which the Krishna Consciousness movement around five hundred years ago was started.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Today a rich tapestry of teachings and events from various spiritual leaders and communities. From insightful lectures on expanding one's lifetime duration and Lord Chaitanya's transformative mercy, to celebrations marking milestones like ISKCON Botswana's 30th anniversary and reflections on the profound teachings of Queen Kunti and Narada Muni, each moment resonates with deep spiritual wisdom. These stories inspire with their messages of humility, devotion, and the boundless mercy of the divine. Embrace a journey filled with gratitude, devotion, and the joy of spiritual community! Continue reading "Spiritual Wisdom, Joyful Celebrations, and Divine Mercy Inspire Devotees Worldwide! March 19
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Gaur Gopal Das, a renowned spiritual leader and motivational speaker, has become a beacon of inspiration for millions worldwide. As a senior monk in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), he has dedicated his life to spreading wisdom, positivity, and the timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. With an impressive 322,894,415 views on his
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Kaliya Krishna Das stands as a remarkable figure in the contemporary spiritual art scene, combining devotion to Krishna consciousness with digital artistry to reach hundreds of thousands of followers worldwide. Based in New York City, this Hare Krishna devotee has successfully created a significant online presence that spreads spiritual messages through visually compelling digital art
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

In 2025, ISKCON Youth Services embarked on a transformative journey through Haridwar and Rishikesh, fostering spiritual growth and community connection. Elsewhere, Sri Padmanabha Goswami's visit to the Radharaman Temple exemplified reverence and cultural exchange, promoting understanding and goodwill. Discussions on sustainable practices by Yasodamayi Dasi highlighted a harmonious blend of Krishna consciousness and environmental stewardship. The seminar on Harinam Chintamani by HH Bhanu Swami emphasized the transformative power of chanting Krishna’s name, guiding seekers towards spiritual fulfillment. Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s impassioned call to awaken from worldly illusions resonated deeply, urging all to embrace Krishna’s divine love through the purifying vibrations of Harinaam Sankirtan. Across diverse platforms, from Srimad Bhagavatam discourses to vibrant youth tours, ISKCON continues to inspire, educate, and uplift souls worldwide, fostering a global community devoted to spiritual awakening and service. Continue reading "ISKCON’s Transformative Pilgrimages, Discourses, and Festive Sankirtan Gatherings! March 18
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Question, whenever we are confronted by someone with a different opinion or different ideology, our first nature is that we are given to our impulses and become angry. How do we deal with that? Answer, anger management is a very individual activity and each one of us has to find out what is it that is triggering our anger. Broadly, especially in terms of the educational context, there could be three things.

One is we are just angry that a worldview or ideology different from ours exists. Second is that we are angry with the attitude of the other person who seems irrational, sentimental or even arrogant or judgment, arrogant or dismissive of us, disrespectful and dismissive of us. And third is that we ourselves are insecure and we feel threatened because we are not able to prove the correctness of our philosophy.

So, in the first, if it is the first case, we have to get used to the fact that there are always going to be different schools of thought. Even Krishna himself in the Bhagavad Gita, in the 18th chapter, talks about two schools of thought. Those who say that Yajna Tapa should never be given up and those who say that Yajna Tapa should be given up.

And Krishna says that, in 18.3, he refers to even those who hold an opinion that is opposite to his, that they should be given up. He calls them even as Manishinaha. So, there Krishna does not look at the conclusion of their thought process or their philosophy.

He sees the fact that they are at least considering how to be disentangled from the world. Even if how exact, their strategy or their method for disentangling themselves is not what Krishna recommends. So, like that, even if somebody has a different philosophy, the fact that they have a philosophy and that they have put in some thought into it, to at least consider a more philosophically informed way to live, we can appreciate that.

Second is, if the person is, person’s attitude is an issue, then we have to decide whether we are the best person to deal with that person. Maybe we are not and we can just offer them our respects and keep a distance from them. In 3.26, Krishna says, na buddhi-bhedam janaye dhagyanaam karva-sangeenaam.

Don’t disturb the minds of those who are ignorant. So, sometimes giving a cutting or a savage reply might make them a bit humble and take us a little more seriously and respectfully. But that kind of approach is a double-edged sword.

And only if we are good at it, should we try it. Otherwise, it’s best not to even try to use anger to make a point. It’s just best to end the interaction according to note and move on.

Third is, if it’s our own insecurity that is causing the anger, then we need to ensure that our spirituality is not based on such an external foundation where we need to be able to prove to others that our thought system is right. Only then we have our own faith and confidence. Ultimately, spirituality is not so much for proving as it is for improving.

So, if we have practiced and we have found that we have improved by the practice, then that itself should be sufficient for us to be able to move on in our life. Maybe we can dwell more on how the philosophy has benefited us and recognize that just because we are not able to persuade someone does not mean a failure for us at a personal level. It just means that the basis of our faith has to be shifted from outward to inward.

Thank you.

The post How to avoid getting angry with people having opposite opinions? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

On the auspicious occasion of Sri Gaura Purnima 2025, RISE (Rupanuga Institute of Spiritual Education) launched their new website: https://iskconrise.org.nz/ under the educational wing & guidance of ISKCON Auckland (Sri Sri Radha Giridhari Temple).

Srila Prabhupada emphasized the importance of devotees gaining a systematic understanding of the profound Vedic philosophy presented in his books. Such study would deepen one’s philosophical conviction and fine-tune one’s spiritual practice.

RISE presents this opportunity through the upcoming courses (i.e. IDC, Bhakti Sastri, Bhakti Vaibhav...), workshops (Deity Worship, Japa, Kirtan...), seminars (Bhagavad Gita for beginners) & training (TTC1, 2 & 3).

Information & starting dates on the above will be now readily available on the RISE website.

Please note Registration for Bhakti Sastri 2025 is currently open for enrolment.

Orientation begins on Sunday 13th April 2025 from 12pm - 2pm at the Hare Krishna School. This course will be in a hybrid classroom format, with in-person & online attendance to allow students to join from any location.

For further RISE-related information or to contact us visit https://iskconrise.org.nz/ or via the above QR code.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Highlights of various spiritual discourses and events within the ISKCON community. H.G. Daivishakti Mataji discusses Srila Prabhupada in NY, while HG Mahatma Prabhu emphasizes unwavering faith in transcendental knowledge. A Harinama event in London gained attention, blending spirituality with public enthusiasm. The concept of love for God is explored through different transcendental relationships. HH Romapada Swami stresses the importance of moral education, while HH BV Narasimha Swami and HG Bada Haridas Prabhu delve into Bhagavatam’s teachings on surrender and faith. A special Lila Kirtan in ISKCON Perth celebrated Gaura Purnima, and Jagai-Madhai’s transformation was discussed in a preaching session. Other topics include the nature of material ignorance, Narasimha’s role in yoga, and spiritual reciprocation. The collection also features photos from Gaura Purnima 2025, a theatrical performance on Nimai and a scholar, and insights from Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. Continue reading "Chanting, Preaching, and Festivals: Uplifting Devotional Activities Across ISKCON Communities Worldwide! March 17
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To see, notes click here

The post Hindi Gaur Purnima Class | How Mahaprabhu Transformed Sarvabhauma – 4 Stages | Chaitanya Charan appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Sri Nrsimha Caturdasi, the divine Appearance of Lord Narasimhadeva will take place on Sunday 11th May 2025. ISKCON Auckland invites you and your family to participate in the Maha Yagna of Lord Nrsimhadeva from 5pm onwards. Followed by Abhishek, Arati, Mahaprasadam Feast & Sayana Arati.

Sri Nrsimhadeva ki jaya!

Hare Krishna. ISKCON Auckland invites you and your family to celebrate Sri Rama Navami 2025 at Sri Sri Radha Giridhari Temple on Sunday 6th April 2025.

Special Guest: H.H Bir Krishna Goswami Maharaj

All are welcome! Sri Rama Navami Mahotsav ki jaya!

By Dandavats Staff Writer

​The International Leadership Sanga (ILS) 2025, held from February 17-20 in Sri Mayapur Dham, convened ISKCON leaders—including temple presidents, zonal secretaries, and Regional Governing Body members—to strengthen leadership within the movement. Facilitated by the Governing Body Commission (GBC), the event featured discussions, workshops, and collaborative sessions emphasizing dialogue and cooperation. Key topics included book distribution, Varnasrama, youth engagement, outreach strategies, and leadership succession, all aligned with Srila Prabhupada’s governance model. The ILS 2025 reaffirmed ISKCON’s commitment to spiritual growth, organizational integrity, and global outreach, equipping leaders with insights and strategies for future development. Continue reading "Empowering ISKCON’s Future: Leadership, Vision, and Global Expansion Plans! March 16
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The post A new book explores how Bhagavad Gita can help CEOs achieve successv appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

The 2025 International Leadership Sanga (ILS), held from February 17-20 in Sri Mayapur Dham, brought together temple presidents, zonal secretaries, Regional Governing Body (RGB) members, and other key ISKCON leaders dedicated to strengthening the movement’s leadership. GBC member Kavicandra Swami shared his reflections, noting, “The idea was to get together, and now it’s more organized. It seems to be working very nicely; at least all the leaders I spoke with were happy.” Continue reading "ILS 2025: ISKCON Leaders Unite to Strategize Growth, Strengthen Community, and Inspire Devotion! March 15
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Today we continue our celebration of the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna who descended in the age of Kali in the role of a devotee. He appeared on what we now call Gaura-purnima, in the evening of the full-moon day in the month of Phalguna. At the time, there was a lunar eclipse, and as was the tradition, as was recommended in scripture, Hindus immersed themselves in the Ganges and chanted the holy names. Eclipses are considered inauspicious, and to counteract the inauspiciousness, strict followers of the Vedic scriptures stand in a sacred body of water—a river, a kunda or lake, or the sea—and chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. So, from the very beginning, Lord Chaitanya was surrounded by the chanting of Hare Krishna, and He induced people to chant Hare Krishna more and more.

Advaita Acharya and Haridasa Thakura danced in ecstasy. And on the plea of giving charity to brahmans on the occasion of the eclipse, Advaita Acharya and others distributed various gifts. All the devotees were jubilant, and they danced, performed sankirtana, and gave charity. The whole world was full of auspiciousness, and everyone was filled with transcendental bliss.

nadiya-udayagiri, purnacandra gaurahari,
   krpa kari’ ha-ila udaya
papa-tamah haila nasa, tri-jagatera ullasa,
   jagabhari’ hari-dhvani haya

“Thus by His causeless mercy the full moon, Gaurahari, rose in the district of Nadia, which is compared to Udayagiri, where the sun first becomes visible. His rising in the sky dissipated the darkness of sinful life, and thus the three worlds became joyful and chanted the holy name of the Lord.” (Cc Adi 13.98)

When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a baby, sometimes He would cry and the elders would try to pacify Him in different ways, as people do when a baby cries. They would try to comfort Him, distract Him, and please Him, but nothing worked. Soon they discovered that if they chanted the holy name of Krishna, He would become peaceful and stop crying. So thereafter, whenever He cried, they would chant, and He would immediately become happy. His appearance inspired chanting, and His activities thereafter inspired more chanting.

sei-kale nijalaya, uthiya advaita raya,
  nrtya kare anandita-mane
haridase lana sange, hunkara-kirtana-range
  kene nace, keha nahi jane

“At that time Sri Advaita Acarya Prabhu, in His own house at Santipura, was dancing in a pleasing mood. Taking Haridasa Thakura with Him, He danced and loudly chanted Hare Krsna. But why they were dancing, no one could understand.” (Cc Adi 13.99)

By His divine will, Krishna arranged for His associates from Goloka Vrindavan to come to earth to join Him in His pastimes as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Some associates played the parts of elders, and they took birth before He did. Advaita Acharya and Haridasa Thakura were elders, and they were friends with each other. Advaita Acharya is Maha-vishnu, and Thakura Haridasa is Lord Brahma, and Lord Brahma is a disciple and direct servant of Maha-Vishnu. So, it is natural that they became close.

When the news spread that Sacimata had given birth to a baby boy, all sorts of respectable brahman gentlemen and ladies came with gifts and blessed the newborn child. Even the wives of the demigods came, disguised as the wives of brahmans, and presented various gifts. The day after the purnima, there was a great celebration at Jagannatha Mishra’s home. That day is observed today as the festival of Jagannatha Mishra, or the feast of Jagannatha Mishra, because to celebrate the birth of his son he received many visitors and well-wishers and gave presentations to them all. And in the end they all feasted.

We shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter Thirteen, “The Advent of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,” beginning with the chapter summary:

“The thirteenth chapter of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta describes Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance. . . .

“A learned brahmana named Upendra Misra, who resided in the district of Srihatta, was the father of Jagannatha Misra, who came to Navadvipa to study under the direction of Nilambara Cakravarti and then settled there after marrying Nilambara Cakravarti’s daughter, Sacidevi. Sri Sacidevi gave birth to eight children, all daughters, who died one after another immediately after birth. After her ninth pregnancy she gave birth to a son, who was named Visvarupa. Then, in 1407 Saka Era (A.D. 1486), on the full-moon evening of the month of Phalguna, during the constellation of Simha (Leo) on the horizon, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared as the son of Sri Sacidevi and Jagannatha Misra. After hearing of the birth of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, learned scholars and brahmanas, bringing many gifts, came to see the newly born baby. Nilambara Cakravarti, who was a great astrologer, immediately prepared a horoscope, and by astrological calculation he saw that the child was a great personality. This chapter describes the symptoms of this great personality.”

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

We can see the resemblance between the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya and those of Lord Krishna. In Mathura, Lord Krishna’s parents, Vasudeva and Devaki, first had six sons, all of whom were killed by Kamsa. Their seventh child was Balarama, but by the arrangement of Yogamaya under Krishna’s direction, Balarama was transferred from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini in Vrindavan, and thus Devaki appeared to have had a miscarriage.

The eighth child was Krishna. Vasudeva did not want Kamsa to kill—or even try to kill—Krishna, and by Yogamaya’s influence all the guards in Kamsa’s prison fell asleep and all the locked doors opened. Vasudeva then carried baby Krishna across the Yamuna to Gokula. There he found that Yasoda had given birth to a baby girl, but Yasoda was so exhausted from the labor of childbirth that she didn’t know if she had given birth to a son or a daughter. Vasudeva placed baby Krishna on Yasoda’s bed and picked up her daughter, whom he carried back to Kamsa’s prison in Mathura.

As soon as the baby girl was placed in the prison room with Vasudeva and Devaki, she began to cry, and Kamsa surmised that Devaki had given birth to a daughter. Earlier, on the occasion of Devaki’s wedding, Kamsa had heard a voice from the sky (akasa-vani) that said that the eighth son of Devaki would kill him. This child was a girl, but Kamsa was such a demon and was surrounded by such demonic advisors that he thought, “Let me not take any chances.” So, he snatched the baby to dash her on a rock and kill her as he had killed the other six children, but she slipped from his hands and flew into the sky, manifesting her form as the goddess Durga, and said, “You fool! The person who will kill you has already taken birth elsewhere.”

This—“the person who will kill you has already taken birth elsewhere”—is a striking statement, because from the account so far, Krishna had taken birth in Kamsa’s prison in Mathura. But Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, as quoted by Srila Prabhupada, cites evidence from within Srimad-Bhagavatam and from other Puranas, such as the Hari-vamsa, that Yasoda actually gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The girl was an expansion of Yogamaya, and the boy was the original Krishna. When Vasudeva carried Vasudeva Krishna to Gokula, the Vasudeva Krishna entered into the original Krishna, and Vasudeva carried the baby girl back to Mathura.

Here in caitanya-lila we find that Sacidevi gave birth to eight daughters and that all of them died. Then finally she gave birth to a son, Visvarupa. At an early age Visvarupa left home and took sannyasa, and so for all material purposes he was dead. Srila Prabhupada said that sannyasa means civil death. The day on which Visvarupa took sannyasa is called Visvarupa-mahotsava—the same day on which Srila Prabhupada took sannyasa some four hundred years later.

In any case, it was a great occasion that Sacidevi had given birth to a boy, and all the devotees from the area, such as Advaita Acharya and his wife Sita and Srivasa Thakura and his wife, Malini, came and brought gifts and offered blessings to the new child.

TEXT 100

dekhi’ uparaga hasi’, sighra ganga-ghate asi’
  anande karila ganga-snana
pana uparaga-chale, apanara mano-bale,
  brahmanere dila nana dana

TRANSLATION

Seeing the lunar eclipse and laughing, both Advaita Acarya and Haridasa Thakura immediately went to the bank of the Ganges and bathed in the Ganges in great jubilation. Taking advantage of the occasion of the lunar eclipse, Advaita Acarya, by His own mental strength, distributed various types of charity to the brahmanas.

PURPORT

It is the custom of Hindus to give in charity to the poor as much as possible during the time of a lunar or solar eclipse. Advaita Acarya, therefore, taking advantage of the eclipse, distributed many varieties of charity to the brahmanas. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a statement in the Tenth Canto, Third Chapter, Verse Eleven that when Krsna took His birth, Vasudeva immediately took advantage of this moment and distributed ten thousand cows to the brahmanas. It is customary among Hindus that at the time a child is born, especially a male child, the parents distribute great charity in jubilation. Advaita Acarya was actually interested in distributing charity because of Lord Caitanya’s birth at the time of the lunar eclipse. People could not understand, however, why Advaita Acarya was giving such a great variety of things in charity. He did so not because of the lunar eclipse but because of the Lord’s taking birth at that moment. He distributed charity exactly as Vasudeva did at the time of Lord Krsna’s appearance.

COMMENT

In Vedic culture householders observe all auspicious ceremonies by giving in charity. They are happy, and they know they are happy by the grace of the Lord and the devotees. And in their happiness, they want to give charity and receive more blessings. When the children become adults and observe their own birth anniversaries, they also give charity. A friend of the Juhu temple who was very strict about Vedic traditions did not like that we celebrated birthdays by giving presents to the birthday boy or girl. He said, “Birthday means the birthday person gives charity.” And he didn’t like birthday cakes either. He said, “You should distribute sandesa, rasagulla, or gulabjamun. Those are real sweets.”

TEXT 101

jagat anandamaya, dekhi’ mane sa-vismaya,
  tharethore kahe haridasa
tomara aichana ranga, mora mana parasanna,
  dekhi—kichu karye ache bhasa

TRANSLATION

When he saw that the whole world was jubilant, Haridasa Thakura, his mind astonished, directly and indirectly expressed himself to Advaita Acarya: “Your dancing and distributing charity are very pleasing to me. I can understand that there is some special purpose in these actions.”

TEXT 102

acaryaratna, srivasa, haila mane sukhollasa
  yai’ snana kaila ganga-jale
anande vihvala mana, kare hari-sankirtana
  nana dana kaila mano-bale

TRANSLATION

Acaryaratna [Candrasekhara] and Srivasa Thakura were overwhelmed with joy, and immediately they went to the bank of the Ganges to take bath in the water of the Ganges. Their minds full of happiness, they chanted the Hare Krsna mantra and gave charity by mental strength.

TEXT 103

ei mata bhakta-tati, yanra yei dese sthiti,
  tahan tahan pana mano-bale
nace, kare sankirtana, anande vihvala mana,
  dana kare grahanera chale

TRANSLATION

In this way all the devotees, wherever they were situated, in every city and every country, danced, performed sankirtana, and gave charity by mental strength on the plea of the lunar eclipse, their minds overwhelmed with joy.

TEXT 104

brahmana-sajjana-nari, nana-dravye thali bhari’
  aila sabe yautuka la-iya
yena kanca-sona-dyuti, dekhi’ balakera murti,
  asirvada kare sukha pana

TRANSLATION

All sorts of respectable brahmana gentlemen and ladies, carrying plates filled with various gifts, came with their presentations. Seeing the newborn child, whose form resembled natural glaring gold, all of them with happiness offered their blessings.

TEXT 105

savitri, gauri, sarasvati, saci, rambha, arundhati
  ara yata deva-narigana
nana-dravye patra bhari’, brahmanira vesa dhari’,
  asi’ sabe kare darasana

TRANSLATION

Dressing themselves as the wives of brahmanas, all the celestial ladies, including the wives of Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Nrsimhadeva, King Indra, and Vasistha Muni, along with Rambha, a dancing girl of heaven, came there with varieties of gifts.

PURPORT

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a newly born baby, He was visited by the neighboring ladies, most of whom were the wives of respectable brahmanas. In the dress of brahmanas’ wives, celestial ladies like the wives of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva also came to see the newborn child. Ordinary people saw them as neighborhood respectable brahmana ladies, but actually they were all celestial ladies dressed in that way.

COMMENT

Savitri is the wife of Lord Brahma, Gauri is the wife of Lord Shiva, Sarasvati here is mentioned as the wife of Lord Nrsimhadeva, and Saci is the wife of King Indra. They all disguised themselves as brahman ladies, looking like ladies of the neighborhood, and came to offer respects to the newborn baby.

TEXT 106

antarikse deva-gana, gandharva, siddha, carana,
  stuti-nrtya kare vadya-gita
nartaka, vadaka, bhata, navadvipe yara nata,
  sabe asi’ nace pana prita

TRANSLATION

In outer space all the demigods, including the inhabitants of Gandharvaloka, Siddhaloka, and Caranaloka, offered their prayers and danced with musical songs and the beating of drums. Similarly, in Navadvipa city all the professional dancers, musicians, and blessers gathered together, dancing in great jubilation.

COMMENT

Bhata means “professional blessing-givers.”

PURPORT

As there are professional singers, dancers, and reciters of prayers in the heavenly planets, so in India still there are professional dancers, givers of blessings, and singers, all of whom assemble together during householder ceremonies, especially marriages and birth ceremonies. These professional men earn their livelihood by taking charity on such occasions from the homes of the Hindus. Eunuchs also take advantage of such ceremonies to receive charity. That is their means of livelihood. Such men never become servants or engage themselves in agriculture or business occupations; they simply take charity from neighborhood friends to maintain themselves peacefully. The bhatas are a class of brahmanas who go to such ceremonies to offer blessings by composing poems with references to the Vedic scriptures.

COMMENT

Vedic culture is very beautiful and highly elevated. Even now in India the culture is there, though not as much as before. When I was in Bombay last December, I visited an old friend, a very nice devotee who is related to the Birlas. And it just so happened that there was an engagement ceremony in the Birla family, from the mother’s side. Sri Brijratan Mohatta had married Seth R. D. Birla’s daughter, and their son’s daughter was about to be engaged. So, I went to the engagement reception, and there I met a bhajana singer named Purushottam Das Jalota. When I first went to India, in 1970, he was very popular. He sang bhajanas in aristocratic Hindus’ homes and gave lessons in voice and harmonium. As he grew older, his son, as happens, became his apprentice and also began to sing bhajanas and play harmonium. So, we invited his son, who was relatively unknown then, to perform at our auditorium in Juhu.

At the engagement reception Purushottam approached me. He is about eighty-seven now and was wearing a traditional Hindu jacket and cap. After we spoke for some time, he made an indication and said, “Anup is there,” and he tried to call him, but because his voice was not so loud, his son Anup could not hear him. I said, “That’s all right. I’ll go and see him.” I guess the father wanted me to bless and encourage his son.

Anup remembered his first performance in the ISKCON auditorium. I didn’t usually attend such performances, but somehow that evening, near the end of the performance I had felt drawn into the auditorium and had found a seat toward the back and sat down. The whole atmosphere had been surcharged—I can’t explain it—and he had sung with such devotion that his words and voice had entered people’s minds and hearts. It had been a very special performance, and the devotees had recorded it and produced an audio cassette that they would distribute on sankirtana—and it had become a hit. Many people would come and ask for Anup Jalota’s tape.

When I met Anup at the reception, he remembered that night. He said that when he had entered the auditorium he had not been sure whether or not he would pursue a career as a singer. He had prayed, “Lord Krishna, I am Yours. Whatever You want You can do. If You want me to pursue this career, You can make me a success. If You don’t, that’s all right—whatever You wish.” And he remarked that it was because of his performance in the ISKCON auditorium and the recording of it that he had become a success as a singer. (I knew that was the case, but I didn’t want to say it. But he also knew it, and he said it—and it was true.)

That culture and that mood are becoming rare—that mood of devotion, of surrender, of dependence on the Lord—but they are still there.

Now we return to the description of Jagannatha Mishra’s festival:

TEXT 107

keba ase keba yaya, keba nace keba gaya,
  sambhalite nare kara bola
khandileka duhkha-soka, pramoda-purita loka,
  misra haila anande vihvala

TRANSLATION

No one could understand who was coming and who was going, who was dancing and who was singing. Nor could they understand one another’s language. Yet all unhappiness and lamentation were immediately dissipated, and people became all-jubilant. Thus Jagannatha Misra was also overwhelmed with joy.

TEXT 108

acaryaratna, srivasa, jagannatha-misra-pasa,
  asi’ tanre kare savadhana
karaila jatakarma, ye achila vidhi-dharma,
  tabe misra kare nana dana

TRANSLATION

Candrasekhara Acarya and Srivasa Thakura both came to Jagannatha Misra and drew his attention in various ways. They performed the ritualistic ceremonies prescribed at the time of birth according to religious principles. Jagannatha Misra also gave varieties of charity.

TEXT 109

yautuka paila yata, ghare va achila kata,
  saba dhana vipre dila dana
yata nartaka, gayana, bhata, akincana jana,
  dhana diya kaila sabara mana

TRANSLATION

Whatever riches Jagannatha Misra collected in the form of gifts and presentations, and whatever he had in his house, he distributed among the brahmanas, professional singers, dancers, bhatas, and the poor. He honored them all by giving them riches in charity.

TEXT 110

srivasera brahmani, nama tanra ‘malini’,
  acaryaratnera patni-sange
sindura, haridra, taila, kha-i, kala, narikela,
  diya puje narigana range

TRANSLATION

The wife of Srivasa Thakura, whose name was Malini, accompanied by the wife of Candrasekhara [Acaryaratna] and other ladies, came there in great happiness to worship the baby with paraphernalia such as vermilion, turmeric, oil, fused rice, bananas, and coconuts.

PURPORT

Vermilion, kha-i (fused rice), bananas, coconuts, and turmeric mixed with oil are all auspicious gifts for such a ceremony. As there is puffed rice, so there is another preparation of rice called kha-i, or fused rice, which, along with bananas, is taken as a very auspicious presentation. Also, turmeric mixed with oil and vermilion makes an auspicious ointment that is smeared over the body of a newborn baby or a person who is going to marry. These are all auspicious activities in family affairs. We see that five hundred years ago at the birth of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu all these ceremonies were performed rigidly, but at present such ritualistic performances hardly ever take place. Generally a pregnant mother is sent to the hospital, and as soon as her child is born he is washed with an antiseptic, and this concludes everything.

COMMENT

The parents and other elders did whatever they could to ensure the wellbeing of the child in all respects. They knew that the purpose of the child’s life was to serve and please God and that the child’s success in all respects depended on the mercy of God and His devotees.

TEXT 111

advaita-acarya-bharya, jagat-pujita arya,
  nama tanra ‘sita thakurani’
acaryera ajna pana, gela upahara lana,
  dekhite balaka-siromani

TRANSLATION

One day shortly after Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born, Advaita Acarya’s wife, Sitadevi, who is worshipable by the whole world, took her husband’s permission and went to see that topmost child with all kinds of gifts and presentations.

PURPORT

It appears that Advaita Acarya had two different houses, one at Santipura and one at Navadvipa. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born, Advaita Acarya was residing not at His Navadvipa house but at His Santipura house. Therefore, as formerly explained (text 99), from Advaita’s old paternal house (nijalaya) in Santipura, Sita came to Navadvipa to present gifts to the newborn child, Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

TEXT 112

suvarnera kadi-ba-uli, rajatamudra-pasuli,
  suvarnera angada, kankana
du-bahute divya sankha, rajatera malabanka,
  svarna-mudrara nana haragana

TRANSLATION

She brought different kinds of golden ornaments, including armlets, necklaces, anklets, and bangles for the hands.

TEXT 113

vyaghra-nakha hema-jadi, kati-pattasutra-dori
  hasta-padera yata abharana
citra-varna patta-sadi, buni photo pattapadi,
  svarna-raupya-mudra bahu-dhana

TRANSLATION

There were also tiger nails set in gold, waist decorations of silk and lace, ornaments for the hands and legs, nicely printed silken saris, and a child’s garment, also made of silk. Many other riches, including gold and silver coins, were also presented to the child.

PURPORT

From the gifts presented by Sita Thakurani, Advaita Acarya’s wife, it appears that Advaita Acarya was at that time a very rich man. Although brahmanas are not the rich men of society, Advaita Acarya, being the leader of the brahmanas in Santipura, was considerably well-to-do. Therefore He presented many ornaments to the baby, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But Kamalakanta Visvasa’s asking for three hundred rupees from the King of Jagannatha Puri, Maharaja Prataparudra, on the plea that Advaita Acarya was in debt for that amount, indicates that such a rich man, who could present many valuable ornaments, saris, etc., thought it difficult to repay three hundred rupees. Therefore the value of a rupee at that time was many thousands of times what it is now. At present, no one feels difficulty over a debt of three hundred rupees, nor can an ordinary man accumulate such valuable ornaments to present to a friend’s son. Probably the value of three hundred rupees at that time was equal to the present value of thirty thousand rupees.

COMMENT

The value of the thirty thousand rupees mentioned in the purport is now probably three hundred thousand rupees or more.

TEXT 114–116

Riding in a palanquin covered with cloth and accompanied by maidservants, Sita Thakurani came to the house of Jagannatha Misra, bringing with her many auspicious articles such as fresh grass, paddy, gorocana, turmeric, kunkuma and sandalwood. All these presentations filled a large basket.

When Sita Thakurani came to the house of Sacidevi, bringing with her many kinds of eatables, dresses, and other gifts, she was astonished to see the newborn child, for she appreciated that except for a difference in color, the child was directly Krsna of Gokula Himself.

Seeing the transcendental bodily effulgence of the child, each of His nicely constructed limbs full of auspicious signs and resembling a form of gold, Sita Thakurani was very pleased, and because of her maternal affection, she felt as if her heart were melting.

TEXT 117

durva, dhanya, dila sirse, kaila bahu asise,
  cirajivi hao dui bhai
dakini-sankhini haite, sanka upajila cite,
  dare nama thuila ‘nimai’

TRANSLATION

She blessed the newborn child by placing fresh grass and paddy on His head and saying, “May You be blessed with a long duration of life.” But being afraid of ghosts and witches, she gave the child the name Nimai.

PURPORT

Dakini and Sankhini are two companions of Lord Siva and his wife who are supposed to be extremely inauspicious, having been born of ghostly life. It is believed that such inauspicious living creatures cannot go near a nima tree. At least medically it is accepted that nima wood is extremely antiseptic, and formerly it was customary to have a nima tree in front of one’s house. On very large roads in India, especially in Uttar Pradesh, there are hundreds and thousands of nima trees. Nima wood is so antiseptic that the Ayurvedic science uses it to cure leprosy. Medical scientists have extracted the active principle of the nima tree, which is called margosic acid. Nima is used for many purposes, especially to brush the teeth. In Indian villages ninety percent of the people use nima twigs for this purpose. Because of all the antiseptic effects of the nima tree and because Lord Caitanya was born beneath a nima tree, Sita Thakurani gave the Lord the name Nimai. Later in His youth He was celebrated as Nimai Pandita, and in the neighborhood villages He was called by that name, although His real name was Visvambhara.

COMMENT

Visvambhara means “one who maintains the universe.” Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 9.7) describes how Lord Chaitanya appreciated that name:

prabhu kahe, ami ‘visvambhara’ nama dhari
nama sarthaka haya, yadi preme visva bhari

“Lord Caitanya thought, ‘My name is Visvambhara, “one who maintains the entire universe.” Its meaning will be actualized if I can fill the whole universe with love of Godhead.’ ”

In my youth, my dentist was a family friend who had served in India during World War II, and as he worked on my teeth, he would tell me about his experiences in India as a dentist in the American army. He remarked that he had always seen the native Indians squatting along the roads brushing their teeth with twigs. As part of his work, he would treat Indians too, and he said that when he looked into their mouths, he was astonished to see the most beautiful white teeth he had ever seen—without any cavities. And all these people did was brush their teeth with twigs!

TEXT 118

putramata-snanadine, dila vastra vibhusane,
  putra-saha misrere sammani’
saci-misrera puja lana, manete harisa hana,
  ghare aila sita thakurani

TRANSLATION

On the day the mother and son bathed and left the maternity home, Sita Thakurani gave them all kinds of ornaments and garments and then also honored Jagannatha Misra. Then Sita Thakurani, being honored by mother Sacidevi and Jagannatha Misra, was greatly happy within her mind, and thus she returned home.

PURPORT

On the fifth day from the birth of a child, as also on the ninth day, the mother bathes either in the Ganges or in another sacred place. This is called niskramana, or the ceremony of coming out of the maternity home. Nowadays the maternity home is a hospital, but formerly in every respectable house one room was set aside as a maternity home where children would take birth, and on the ninth day after the birth of a child the mother would come into the regular rooms in the ceremony called niskramana. Of the ten purificatory processes, niskramana is one. Formerly, especially in Bengal, the higher castes observed four months after the birth of a child as a quarantine. At the end of the fourth month, the mother could see the sun rise. Later the higher castes, namely the brahmanas, ksatriyas, and vaisyas, observed only twenty-one days as a quarantine, whereas the sudras had to observe thirty days. For the sections of society known as kartabhaja and satima, the mother of the child was immediately purified after the quarantine by the throwing of hari-nuta, small pieces of sweetmeat, in sankirtana. Sacidevi and Jagannatha Misra, with the newborn child, were honored by Sita Thakurani. Similarly, while Sita Thakurani was returning home, she was also honored by Sacidevi and Jagannatha Mishra. That was the system in respectable families of Bengal.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada was also born in a separate house, under a jackfruit tree, that belonged to his mother’s parents. Last November His Holiness Radhanath Swami and I visited that place in south Calcutta, saw the tree under which Srila Prabhupada had been born, and visited the Radha-Krishna temple that Prabhupada’s mother had frequented, imagining how she and the rest of the family must have prayed for the welfare of the new child, whom they named Abhay Charan, “one who is fearless, having taken shelter at Lord Krishna’s lotus feet.”

TEXT 119

aiche saci-jagannatha, putra pana laksminatha,
  purna ha-ila sakala vanchita
dhana-dhanye bhare ghara, lokamanya kalevara,
  dine dine haya anandita

TRANSLATION

In this way mother Sacidevi and Jagannatha Misra, having obtained a son who was the husband of the goddess of fortune, had all their desires fulfilled. Their house was always filled with riches and grains. As they saw the beloved body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, day after day their pleasure increased.

PURPORT

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore everyone offered respects to Him. Even the denizens of heaven used to come in the dress of ordinary men to offer their respect to the Lord. His father and mother, Jagannatha Misra and Sacidevi, seeing the honor of their transcendental son, also became very pleased within their hearts.

TEXT 120

misra—vaisnava, santa, alampata, suddha, danta,
  dhana-bhoge nahi abhimana
putrera prabhave yata, dhana asi’ mile, tata,
  visnu-prite dvije dena dana

TRANSLATION

Jagannatha Misra was an ideal Vaisnava. He was peaceful, restrained in sense gratification, pure, and controlled. Therefore he had no desire to enjoy material opulence. Whatever money came because of the influence of his transcendental son, he gave it in charity to the brahmanas for the satisfaction of Visnu.

TEXT 121

lagna gani’ harsamati, nilambara cakravarti,
  gupte kichu kahila misrere
mahapurusera cihna, lagne ange bhinna bhinna,
  dekhi,—ei taribe samsare

TRANSLATION

After calculating the birth moment of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nilambara Cakravarti privately said to Jagannatha Misra that he saw all the different symptoms of a great personality in both the body and birth moment of the child. Thus he understood that in the future this child would deliver all the three worlds.

COMMENT

Although Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had all the signs of a great personality and was in fact the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His father, Jagannatha Mishra, considered Him to be his son.

As a child, Lord Chaitanya was quite naughty, and Jagannatha Mishra would often chide Him and instruct Him in proper behavior. One night Jagannatha Mishra had a dream in which a brahman angrily told him, “You do not know anything about your son. Because you think Him to be your son, you rebuke and chastise Him.” Jagannatha Mishra replied, “He may be a demigod, a mystic yogi, or a great saint, but whatever He may be, I know Him only as my son, and it is my duty to teach Him religion and morality. Otherwise, how will He learn? Even if He is Lord Narayana Himself, it is the duty of the father to instruct the son.” Even in his dreams, Jagannatha Mishra was absorbed in the mellow of pure parental affection.

In His youth Lord Chaitanya asked an astrologer to tell Him who He had been in His past life. Through calculation and meditation, the astrologer saw the brilliantly effulgent form of the Lord as the resting place of the Vaikuntha planets. Struck with wonder, he said, “In Your previous birth You were the shelter of all creation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full of all opulence. And You are the same Personality of Godhead now.” Lord Chaitanya smiled and said, “I think you do not know very clearly what I was, for I know that in My previous birth I was a cowherd boy. I was born in a family of cowherd men and gave protection to the cows and calves, and because of these pious activities, I have now become the son of a brahman.”

TEXT 122

aiche prabhu saci-ghare, krpaya kaila avatare,
  yei iha karaye sravana
gaura-prabhu dayamaya, tanre hayena sadaya,
  sei paya tanhara carana

TRANSLATION

In this way Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, out of His causeless mercy, made His advent in the house of Sacidevi. Lord Caitanya is very merciful to anyone who hears this narration of His birth, and thus such a person attains the lotus feet of the Lord.

TEXT 123

paiya manusa janma, ye na sune gaura-guna,
  hena janma tara vyartha haila
paiya amrtadhuni, piye visa-garta-pani,
  janmiya se kene nahi maila

TRANSLATION

Anyone who attains a human body but does not take to the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is baffled in his opportunity. Amrtadhuni is a flowing river of the nectar of devotional service. If after getting a human body one drinks the water in a poison pit of material happiness instead of the water of such a river, it would be better for him not to have lived, but to have died long ago.

PURPORT

In this connection Srimat Prabodhananda Sarasvati has composed the following verses in his Caitanya-candramrta (37, 36, 34):

acaitanyam idam visvam yadi caitanyam isvaram
na viduh sarva-sastra-jna hy api bhramyanti te janah

“This material world is without Krsna consciousness. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna consciousness personified. Therefore if a very learned scholar or scientist does not understand Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, certainly he is wandering uselessly in this world.”

prasarita-maha-prema-piyusa-rasa-sagare
caitanya-candre prakate yo dino dina eva sah

“A person who does not take advantage of the nectar of devotional service overflowing during the presence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s cult is certainly the poorest of the poor.”

avatirne gaura-candre vistirne prema-sagare
suprakasita-ratnaughe yo dino dina eva sah

“The advent of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is just like an expanding ocean of nectar. One who does not collect the valuable jewels within this ocean is certainly the poorest of the poor.”

Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.19, 20, 23) states:

sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih
  samstutah purusah pasuh
na yat-karna-pathopeto
  jatu nama gadagrajah

 bile batorukrama-vikraman ye
  na srnvatah karna-pute narasya
jihvasati dardurikeva suta
  na copagayaty urugaya-gathah

 jivan chavo bhagavatanghri-renum
  na jatu martyo ’bhilabheta yas tu
sri-visnu-padya manujas tulasyah
  svasan chavo yas tu na veda gandham

“A person who has no connection with Krsna consciousness may be a very great personality in so-called human society, but actually he is no better than a great animal. Such big animals are generally praised by other animals like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses. A person who does not lend his aural reception to hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be considered to have earholes like holes in a field. Although that person has a tongue, it is like the tongue of a frog, which unnecessarily creates a disturbance by croaking, inviting the snake of death. Similarly, a person who neither takes advantage of the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees nor smells the tulasi leaves offered to the lotus feet of the Lord must be considered dead although breathing.”

Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.1.4 states:

nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanad
  bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-’bhiramat
ka uttamasloka-gunanuvadat
  puman virajyeta vina pasu-ghnat

“Who but the animal-killer or the killer of the soul will not care to hear glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Such glorification is enjoyed by persons liberated from the contamination of this material world.”

Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.56 says, na tirtha-pada-sevayai jivann api mrto hi sah: “Although a person is apparently living, if he does not serve the lotus feet of great devotees he is to be considered a dead body.”

COMMENT

By the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and that of His devotees, especially Srila Prabhupada, we have been given real life—the chance to live in Krishna consciousness

TEXT 124

sri-caitanya-nityananda, acarya advaitacandra,
  svarupa-rupa-raghunathadasa
inha-sabara sri-carana, sire vandi nija-dhana,
  janma-lila gaila krsnadasa

TRANSLATION

Taking on my head as my own property the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Acarya Advaitacandra, Svarupa Damodara, Rupa Gosvami, and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, I, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, have thus described the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on the occasion of Jagannatha Mishra’s Festival,March 22, 2008, Dallas]

 

 

 

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 10
By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 10: March 5–11, 2025)

Tallahassee, Alachua, and Gainesville
(Sent from Gainesville, Florida, on March 15, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

For the tenth week of 2025, I remained living at ISKCON Tallahassee for the first five days. Wednesday and Thursday I chanted an average of three hours each day on Landis Green, behind the main Florida State University library. On Friday, Ananga Mohan Prabhu chanted with me, both on the campus at Landis Green and at a monthly event called First Friday at Railroad Square, where Melanie also joined us. We had a lot of positive experiences at Railroad Square. Saturday and Sunday I chanted at Kleman Plaza because of rain. During the week, I distributed a few “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlets, along with forty-three little cups of halava to promote our Krishna Lunch at the campus. One Indian student, happy to encounter the prasadam, bought a Bhagavad-gita. We decided to do a three-hour kirtan one day each month at our Saturday evening program in Tallahassee. We chose March 8 for it this month as it is the Saturday before Gaura Purnima, and Lord Caitanya really promoted the congregational chanting of the holy name. On Sunday afternoon I went to Alachua to attend the Sunday feast program there, which featured the snana-yatra ceremony for Lord Jagannatha. 

Monday and Tuesday I chanted Hare Krishna on the campus of the University of Florida during the Krishna Lunch there, and several devotees joined me, at least for part of the time.

I share quotes from the books, lectures, conversations, and letters of Srila Prabhupada. I share quotes from The Delaware Diaries, Volume 2 (Tachycardia) by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami and from Golden Avatar, a soon-to-be-published biography of Lord Caitanya, by Yogesvara Prabhu. I share notes on a Sunday feast lecture in Alachua by Bhadra Prabhu on Lord Jagannatha. I share notes on lectures by Madhava, Devaprastha, Gadadhar, Gopala Krishna and Campakalata Prabhus speaking at Krishna House in Gainesville. I share notes on a class by Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu speaking in Tallahassee. I share quotes from articles in Back to Godhead by Srila Prabhupada and Caitanya Carana, Dinabandhu Caitanya, and Hari Bhakti Prabhus.

Thanks to Anupama Prabhu of New York for his very generous donation. Thanks to Ratipriya of Philadelphia for her kind donation on the occasion of her daughter’s birthday. Thanks to Subir Prabhu for driving me to Alachua for Jagannatha snana-yatra.

Itinerary

January 6–April 11: Tallahassee harinamas and FSU college outreach
– March 9–16: Krishna House Gainesville harinamas and UF college outreach
– March 15: Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra
April 12: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 13: Gainesville harinama
April 14–15: USF harinamas in Tampa
April 16–20: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu
April 21–22: NYC Harinam
April 23: Flight to Brussels
April 24: Layover in Oslo
April 25: Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa-puja at Radhadesh
April 26: King’s Day in Amsterdam
April 27: Liege harinama
April 28–May 1: Paris harinamas
May 2: Sarcelles market harinama
May 3–4: Amsterdam Kirtan Mela and Sacinandana Swami seminar
May 5 and 6: harinama in Amsterdam, Antwerp, or Brussels
May 7: Flight from Brussels to New York City
May 8–June 15: NYC Harinam
mid June–mid August: Paris
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra
– July 13: Netherlands harinama

Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee

I updated the Krishna Lunch flyer, and posted copies on either side of the kiosk near the library where I chant, near the middle of the kiosk. 

Last year, by checking my posters every day or every other day, by fixing the tape and removing posters taped over them, they remained for as many as five or six weeks.

The last time I chanted Hare Krishna at First Friday, I was alone. I still had many positive interactions, but having Ananga Mohan Prabhu and Melanie with me this month made it really special. Because it was the Friday before spring break, there were much fewer people than usual, but still we connected with a lot of people. Very soon an FSU student who lives in Tallahassee began moving to the kirtan beat and ended up playing the shakers for several minutes. Other people would play shakers and dance as we walked around the square. Anyone we talked with, we would offer the free dessert to and inform about Krishna Lunch. One street performer, who was recording his performance for Tiktok and YouTube, enjoyed dancing to our music. I hope to track that down and share it with you. One young woman who had gotten the free dessert on the campus came up to me and reminded me of that, and I offered her another one. Seeing someone so positive about the dessert, made it easy for me to offer it to the person I had been talking to. As we passed groups of high school students, many would be happy to play the shakers or dance. We passed a guy who was quietly sitting alone on a bench, past most of the groups of students. Later we passed him again as we were leaving, and he asked about our philosophy. He said he had just read Siddhartha and that the book made him think differently about life. That was striking for me, as Siddhartha was the first book on Eastern philosophy that I had read in my life, under the recommendation of my cousin, Peter. We gave him “On Chanting Hare Krishna,” taught him the mantra, and told him about our Saturday program. It was wonderful to meet someone who was actually inquisitive.

On Saturday, I chanted Kleman Plaza because of the predicted rain. I set up outside a science museum with an IMAX theatre called The Challenger Learning Center. After I had chanted there for over two hours and was packing up, a staff member from the museum told me he loved my singing and gave me a bottle of water. 

He accepted the blueberry halava, and I told him about our Krishna Lunch and our Saturday evening program. 

He said he could not come that week but would try to come another week.

Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Tallahassee three-hour kirtan in March (https://youtu.be/1GEyiJDNtmI):

Ayusha chants Hare Krishna at Tallahassee three-hour kirtan in March (https://youtu.be/HsvD_WhWlkk):

Here she continues chanting (https://youtu.be/A5YaR-AYgAI):

Jane chants Hare Krishna at Tallahassee three-hour kirtan in March (https://youtu.be/qI6NC85iKXs):

Here she chants another tune (https://youtu.be/bEvzO4zHD8Q):

Satyaraj Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during Gaura Arati on Saturday in Tallahassee (https://youtu.be/pSfJylSwMHc):

The weather for Sunday was predicted to be worse, so I set up again at Kleman Plaza, which is situated in a very central location in Tallahassee, as you can see from this sign:

I was reminded that Tallahassee was one of the ten most rainy cities in the United States when the rain came down in torrents. Although I was in a place protected from rain directly above, rain drops blew in from the side, so I had to dry off my books and put them away. While I was doing that my chair and table were surrounded by water.

Then I saw water cascading down the stairs to the car park below.

I even took a video of it (https://youtube.com/shorts/gkQ6Y9D6ZYM?feature=share):

The amazing thing was in under an hour, everything was back to normal, and I set up my book table as before.

Chanting Hare Krishna in Alachua

Prana Govinda Swami chants Hare Krishna as Lord Jagannatha travels to Alachua Temple for Snana Yatra (https://youtu.be/Zwo4N0aBFUE):

Bhadra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna after Lord Jagannatha came to Alachua Temple for Snana Yatra (https://youtu.be/5ww79j9rjWw):

Gopal Govinda Shyam Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON Alachua Sunday feast program (https://youtube.com/shorts/NFvBSNdbBNk):

The day after Gaura Purnima, Jagannath Mishra festival is celebrated. Just as Nanda-baba celebrated Nandotsava on the appearance of Lord Sri Krishna, similarly, the wonderful appearance of the Lord increased the happiness of everyone in Srimati Sacidevi’s house. Both Sri Jagannatha Misra’s and Srimati Sacidevi’s hearts were joyous while looking at the Lord’s beautiful face. 

Sri Visvarupa would pick up his brother in his arms and smile gleefully at the Supreme Lord, the abode of all transcendental bliss.

Some chanted mantras of enchantments in the Lord’s room for His protection. The Vishnu Raksa mantra (invoking Lord Vishnu’s protection) or Devi mantra (invoking Durga devi’s protection) were chanted while some people circumambulated the Lord’s house.

The Festival of Jagannath Mishra is an observance of the Jata Karma samskara for baby Nimai (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu). Following the fast for Gaura Purnima, which is broken upon the rising of the moon, the next day is held for feasting. On Jagannath Mishra festival day, the devotees meditate upon the Jata Karma ceremony.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Bhaktivedanta Manor Presents: Gaura Purnima 2025. Sannyasa Awarding Ceremony in Mayapur. Glorification of Lord Caitanya in Vrindavan. The Pañca-tattva. Experiencing Krishna Through Love and Realization. Awakening from Maya: Seeing Krishna Everywhere. What if this is our last day on this planet? The history of Krishna lunch. Overcoming Death through Mercy – A tale of a Silent Book Distributor. BBT Announces the Śāstra Mandala Book Club in Celebration of Gaura Purnima. London tourists get the mercy on Gaura Purnima . Gaura Purnima Maha-Abhishek - March 14, 2025 Continue reading "Celebrating Gaura Purnima 2025: Kirtan, Drama, and Krishna Consciousness Awakening! March 14
→ Dandavats"

We welcome you to the most auspicious celebration of Sri Gaura-purnima, the appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna Chaitanya. According to Vedic scriptures, the Absolute Truth is realized in three features: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Impersonalist speculators want to merge and become one with God, with the impersonal brahmajyoti, which is nothing but the transcendental effulgence emanating from the divine body of Sri Krishna. Beyond the impersonal Brahman is Paramatma, the Lord within the heart, and the purusa-avataras—Karanodakasayi Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, and Ksirodakasayi Vishnu—are the soul of the universe, the soul of creation, the soul of souls. And beyond realization of the impersonal Brahman and localized Paramatma is realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, who is the source of Paramatma and Brahman.

That same Krishna who appeared about five thousand years ago appeared again some five hundred years ago as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Why is it that Krishna, who came five thousand years ago and spoke the Bhagavad-gita and exhibited so many pastimes, came again? In the authorized scripture Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Lord Krishna’s thoughts after He had manifested His pastimes on earth five thousand years ago are recorded. These thoughts explain why He came again five hundred years ago as Sri Krishna Chaitanya.

We are all sitting here by the mercy of Sri Krishna Chaitanya and His followers in disciplic succession, especially His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. And practically every activity that takes place here is based on the instructions and example of Krishna Chaitanya. You can hardly find any aspect of the Krishna consciousness movement that is not based on His teachings and precedents. So it is very important—essential—to understand Him, because without understanding Him we cannot progress very far toward the ultimate goal of life.

We read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter Three: “The External Reasons for the Appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu”:

TEXTS 13–16

Lord Krsna enjoys His transcendental pastimes as long as He wishes, and then He disappears. After disappearing, however, He thinks thus:

“For a long time I have not bestowed unalloyed loving service to Me upon the inhabitants of the world. Without such loving attachment, the existence of the material world is useless.

“Everywhere in the world people worship Me according to scriptural injunctions. But simply by following such regulative principles one cannot attain the loving sentiments of the devotees in Vrajabhumi.

“Knowing My opulences, the whole world looks upon Me with awe and veneration. But devotion made feeble by such reverence does not attract Me.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

After His appearance, Lord Krsna thought that He had not distributed the transcendental personal dealings with His devotees in dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhurya. One may understand the science of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the Vedic literature and thus become a devotee of the Lord and worship Him within the regulative principles described in the scriptures, but one will not know in this way how Lord Krsna is served by the residents of Vrajabhumi. By following scriptural injunctions one may enhance his appreciation for the glories of the Lord, but there is no chance for one to enter into personal dealings with Him. Giving too much attention to understanding the exalted glories of the Lord reduces the chance of one’s entering into personal loving affairs with the Lord. To teach the principles of such loving dealings, the Lord decided to appear as Lord Caitanya.

TEXT 19

yuga-dharma pravartaimu nama-sankirtana
cari bhava-bhakti diya nacamu bhuvana

TRANSLATION

“I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age—nama-sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name. I shall make the world dance in ecstasy, realizing the four mellows of loving devotional service.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

The Lord came to introduce the yuga-dharma, the recommended process for self-realization, or God realization, in the present age, and that is nama-sankirtana, the chanting of the holy names of the Lord.

TEXT 20

apani karimu bhakta-bhava angikare
apani acari’ bhakti sikhaimu sabare

TRANSLATION

“I shall accept the role of a devotee, and I shall teach devotional service by practicing it Myself.”

PURPORT

When one associates with a pure devotee, he becomes so elevated that he does not aspire even for sarsti, sarupya, samipya, or salokya, because he feels that such liberation is a kind of sense gratification. Pure devotees do not ask anything from the Lord for their personal benefit. Even if offered personal benefits, pure devotees do not accept them, because their only desire is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by transcendental loving service.

COMMENT

This is a very important point. One may engage in devotional service externally, and that is very good, but what really matters in devotional service is the consciousness. We are living in the material world, which is composed of and influenced by the three modes of material nature: tamo-guna, rajo-guna, and sattva-guna—the modes of ignorance, passion, and goodness. Beyond even sattva-guna is suddha-sattva, or the state of vasudeva, which is transcendental to all three modes. Within the material world no one can be in pure ignorance, pure passion, or pure goodness. There is always some mixing of the different modes. Only when one comes to the transcendental platform is one freed from the influence of the modes.

Srila Prabhupada has explained different mentalities that one can have in the practice of devotional service. The same principles are enunciated in the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada has phrased his explanation in a way that we can easily understand and relate to. Someone engaged in devotional service under the influence of the mode of ignorance will think, “I’m the only devotee. No one else here is a real devotee. I am the only one who is doing anything of value; everyone else is useless.” That is devotional service influenced by the mode of ignorance. In devotional service influenced by the mode of passion, one thinks, “I want to be the best devotee. I want to be known for being the best devotee.” Someone influenced by the mode of goodness will think, “I want to go back home, back to Godhead.” And someone who is transcendentally situated in pure devotional service will think, “I just want to please Krishna.”

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to teach and show by His personal example pure devotional service in which a devotee has no selfish desire even to go back to Godhead. As Srila Prabhupada says, the pure devotee considers the liberation of going back to Godhead to be sense gratification. He wants only to serve the Lord. That is pure devotional service. That is what Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to teach and exemplify, and that is what Srila Prabhupada also taught and exemplified and wanted us to follow.

PURPORT (continued)

Therefore, when the Lord took the place of the incarnation of Kali-yuga to spread the glories of chanting Hare Krsna . . .

COMMENT

This too is an important point—that Krishna Himself does not come in every Kali-yuga as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and that Krishna Himself doesn’t come in every Dvapara-yuga. There is a yuga-avatara, or incarnation, every Satya-yuga, every Treta-yuga, every Dvapara-yuga, and every Kali-yuga, but only once in a day of Brahma, which is about four billion three hundred and twenty million years, will Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead, come in Dvapara-yuga, and only once in a day of Brahma will Krishna come again as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Kali-yuga—the Kali-yuga immediately following the Dvapara-yuga in which Krishna appears. How fortunate we are to be living in the Kali-yuga in which Sri Krishna Chaitanya appeared!

When Lord Chaitanya was present, He predicted, prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama, sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama: “In every town and village on the surface of the earth, My name [Krishna’s name] will be preached.” That prediction seemed almost inconceivable. Yes, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spread Krishna consciousness throughout India, but the idea of spreading Krishna consciousness throughout the world seemed impossible. Even followers of Lord Chaitanya thought He might be speaking in a poetic or metaphorical way, not that it would actually happen. In Sri Caitanya-mangala Srila Locana dasa Thakura explains that Lord Chaitanya appeared and preached in Navadvipa to establish the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra as the religious process for the Age of Kali. Lord Chaitanya said, “I want to flood the whole world with the chanting of the holy names. I will personally preach and flood India with the holy name. Later, My commander-in-chief devotee [senapati bhakta] will come, preach in distant countries, and flood the world with the chanting of Hare Krishna.”

A very special soul would be entrusted to carry out this otherwise-impossible assignment. And that, we know, was His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He left this world in 1977, only thirty-three years ago. So anyone older than thirty-three was on the planet at the same time as Srila Prabhupada, the senapati bhakta who was personally sent by Krishna, by Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And we are sitting in a temple within his society that was established by one of his direct disciples, Sripada Tamal Krishna Goswami. We have an amazing opportunity, and we should understand how fortunate we are to have this opportunity and take full advantage of it. How? We first have to understand what that means. We have to understand what Lord Chaitanya and Srila Prabhupada came to give us, so that we can recognize it and accept it.

Lord Chaitanya said, “I shall accept the role of a devotee, and I shall teach devotional service by practicing it Myself.” In the purport Srila Prabhupada says, “Therefore, when the Lord took the place of the incarnation of Kali-yuga . . .” In other words, the Lord Himself doesn’t personally come to be the yuga-avatara in every Kali-yuga.

PURPORT (concluded)

When the Lord took the place of the incarnation of Kali-yuga to spread the glories of chanting Hare Krsna—the system of worship recommended in this age—He also distributed the process of devotional service performed on the platform of transcendental spontaneous love. To teach the highest principles of spiritual life, the Lord Himself appeared as a devotee in the form of Lord Caitanya.

COMMENT

Now I will read from another section of Caitanya-caritamrta about two of the most important principles of devotional service that Lord Chaitanya taught and that we are meant to learn and adopt. This discussion took place between Lord Chaitanya and the Mayavadi sannyasis in Benares. In the Shankara-sampradaya it is expected that sannyasis will study Vedanta, and Varanasi is full of Mayavadis, full of followers—or so-called followers—of Shankaracharya. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Varanasi, He performed hari-nama-sankirtana, nagara-sankirtana, and thousands of people joined Him, but the Mayavadi sannyasis, impersonal sannyasis who want to realize Brahman, could not understand the transcendental activities of the Lord. They thought that the Lord’s activities were material. That’s why they are called Mayavadis, because they themselves are material, on the material platform, and they see the Lord—His name, His form, His qualities, His pastimes, His service—as material, as maya. They think that the Deity is material, that in the beginning we may focus on the Deity but that when we are advanced enough, we go beyond the Deity and merge and become one with the impersonal light. In other words, they are atheists.

There is a very nice verse in the Padma Purana saying that anyone who thinks that the Deity is just stone, who thinks that the guru is an ordinary human being, who thinks that a Vaishnava belongs to a certain caste or community, is a resident of hell. That word is used—naraki.

arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhir . . .
sri-visnor namni mantre sakala-kalusa-he sabde-samanya buddhir . . .
yasya va naraki sah

“One who considers the worshipable Deity of Lord Vishnu to be mere stone, the spiritual master to be an ordinary human being, a Vaishnava to belong to a particular caste, and the mantra of the holy name of Vishnu, which destroys all impurities, to be a material vibration, is a resident of hell.” (Padma Purana)

So just consider: If you think the Deity is made of stone—of course, in theory we may say that the Deity is Krishna, but to what extent do we actually believe that the Deity is Krishna, as shown by our behavior? If one thinks that the spiritual master is an ordinary person—and again we may outwardly show respect, but the real test is to what extent we follow the spiritual master’s instructions. If we think that a Vaishnava belongs to a certain community or ethnic group—for example, if I think, “That’s an American Vaishnava,” or an African Vaishnava, a Mexican Vaishnava, or Bengali Vaishnava or Gujarati Vaishnava—that is a hellish mentality (naraki sah).

To really benefit from what Lord Chaitanya and Srila Prabhupada came to give us, we have to understand what they taught and practiced, so that we can follow their instructions and example. I was discussing Lord Chaitanya’s speaking with the Mayavadi sannyasis. There was a meeting of all the sannyasis of Varanasi, and the leader of the Mayavadi sannyasis asked Lord Chaitanya, “Why don’t you study Vedanta? All sannyasis are supposed to study Vedanta.” Lord Chaitanya replied, guru more murkha dekhi’ karila sasana: “My spiritual master considered Me a fool, and therefore he chastised Me.”

This shows what should be the mood of a disciple in relation to the spiritual master. As Srila Prabhupada said, one should always feel oneself to be a fool and be ready to be chastised by the guru. In the bodily concept of life we feel insulted: “How dare he call me a fool! Doesn’t he know who I am?” One of Lord Chaitanya’s chief disciples was Srila Sanatana Gosvami, a very learned scholar. He was fluent in Sanskrit and Persian and knowledgeable in scriptures and philosophy, but when he approached Lord Chaitanya, he told Him, “In ordinary dealings people call me a learned scholar, pandit, but I am such a pandit that I do not even know who I am or what is the goal of life. So please instruct me.”

When we come to that position where we feel that we are fools who need to be instructed, we can approach a spiritual master. The same sort of incident took place in the Bhagavad-gita. In the beginning, Arjuna was speaking with Krishna more or less on an equal level, talking as friends. Krishna was telling Arjuna that he should fight, and Arjuna was coming up with so many reasons why he should not fight. From a certain point of view, the reasons may have sounded good, but in the end, Arjuna came to the point where he admitted he really didn’t know what he should do. And then he told Krishna (like Sanatana Gosvami, in a way), “Now I am confused about my duty.” Sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam: “Now I am surrendering to You as Your disciple. Please instruct me.”

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
  prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me
  sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam

 “Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” (Gita 2.7) And from that point, when Arjuna surrendered to Krishna as his spiritual master, Krishna was able to instruct him and spoke the Bhagavad-gita.

Guru more murkha dekhi’ karila sasana. Lord Chaitanya said, “My spiritual master considered Me to be a fool, and he chastised Me. He told Me, ‘You are not qualified to study Vedanta philosophy.’ ” Was Lord Chaitanya unqualified? He is Krishna Himself. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says, vedanta-krd veda-vid: “I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” But Lord Chaitanya was showing us the example that we should not be so proud that we think we can understand Vedanta, because in Kali-yuga you really can’t understand Vedanta. He was setting the example. “My spiritual master considered Me a fool and said, ‘You are not qualified to study Vedanta philosophy, and therefore You must always chant the holy name of Krishna.’ ” And Lord Chaitanya said, “I took the instructions of My spiritual master to heart and I always chant the holy name, but while chanting, I lose Myself, and thus I laugh, cry, dance, and sing just like a madman. I began to think that My knowledge was being covered, so I approached My spiritual master for clarification.”

I will read that verse and purport. It is a very short purport. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter 7: “Lord Caitanya in Five Features.”

TEXT 80

“I saw that I had become mad by chanting the holy name, and I immediately submitted this at the lotus feet of My spiritual master.”

PURPORT

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as an ideal teacher, shows us how a disciple should deal with his spiritual master. Whenever there is doubt regarding any point, he should refer the matter to his spiritual master for clarification. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that while chanting and dancing He had developed the kind of mad ecstasy that is possible only for a liberated soul. Yet even in His liberated position, He referred everything to His spiritual master whenever there were doubts. Thus in any condition, even when liberated, we should never think ourselves independent of the spiritual master, but must refer to him as soon as there is some doubt regarding our progressive spiritual life.

COMMENT

There are details in how to apply this, but it is the principle that even when we are liberated, we are not independent. We are still subservient to the spiritual master and are meant to be under his control.

Lord Chaitanya’s spiritual master was very pleased, because he could understand that Lord Chaitanya had developed ecstatic love for Godhead. This is the benefit of chanting the holy names of Krishna properly. There are offenses to be considered when one chants the holy name, and if one commits offenses while chanting, one will not get the desired result. Caitanya-caritamrta says bahu janma, that one can chant the holy name for many lifetimes, hundreds of lifetimes, thousands of lifetimes, but that if one’s chanting is infested with offenses, one will not get pure love of Godhead, which is meant to be the result of the chanting. So, it is understood that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting without offense. Of course, He was Krishna, but as a devotee He was chanting without offense. Therefore He developed ecstatic symptoms of love of Godhead, and His spiritual master was very pleased. It is said that the spiritual master takes more pleasure when he sees a disciple advance than when he himself advances. If a disciple becomes a pure devotee, then the spiritual master can say that his mission is a complete success.

I will skip ahead to an important verse and purport, a short purport:

TEXT 91

bhala haila, paile tumi parama-purusartha
tomara premete ami hailan krtartha

This is Lord Chaitanya’s spiritual master speaking to Him:

TRANSLATION

“It is very good, my dear child, that You have attained the supreme goal of life by developing love of Godhead. Thus You have pleased me very much, and I am very much obliged to You.”

PURPORT

According to the revealed scriptures, if a spiritual master can convert even one soul into a perfectly pure devotee, his mission in life is fulfilled. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura always used to say, “Even at the expense of all the properties, temples and mathas that I have, if I could convert even one person into a pure devotee, my mission would be fulfilled.”

COMMENT

We have heard about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, that he constructed a beautiful marble temple in Calcutta, the Bhag Bazaar Gaudiya Matha, to preach Krishna consciousness, but that his disciples, who were quite neophyte and materialistic, began to fight over the property—who would occupy which room, who would have which position. When he was on parikrama in Vrindavan—this was one of the rare times that Srila Prabhupada got to be with his spiritual master personally—Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura told Prabhupada, “There will be fire in this Gaudiya Matha.” He could see that there would be the fire of conflict and party interest. He said, “I have built this beautiful marble temple, but now I am seeing that my disciples are quarreling. If I could, I would sell the marble and use that money to print books.” Then he told Srila Prabhupada, “I had a desire to print some books. If you ever get money, print books.” And that direct instruction from his spiritual master became Srila Prabhupada’s guiding principle in his mission. Of course, he did everything, because it is all part of the process: he established Deities, he established farm projects, he established schools, he did everything, but he took the instruction of his spiritual master to print and distribute books to heart. So, Prabhupada is quoting his guru maharaja here:

PURPORT (concluded)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura always used to say, “Even at the expense of all the properties, temples and mathas that I have, if I could convert even one person into a pure devotee, my mission would be fulfilled.” It is very difficult, however, to understand the science of Krishna, what to speak of developing love of Godhead. Therefore if by the grace of Lord Caitanya and the spiritual master a disciple attains the standard of pure devotional service, the spiritual master is very happy. The spiritual master is not actually happy if the disciple brings him money, but when he sees that a disciple is following the regulative principles and advancing in spiritual life, he is very glad and feels obliged to such an advanced disciple.

COMMENT

Of course, we accept money to use in Krishna’s service, but not at the expense of following the regulative principles of devotional service. So, Srila Prabhupada presents this dichotomy. The two don’t have to be opposed to each other, but they can be, because money is such a thing that even devotees who are trying to make advancement get bewildered by it. Money is such a thing.

On a morning walk on Juhu Beach, Srila Prabhupada said that money is simply a botheration; it is simply trouble. To get money is a problem, to hold onto the money is a problem, and when you lose the money, that’s also a problem. At every stage, money is a problem. So, here Srila Prabhupada says that the spiritual master is not actually happy if the disciple brings him money, but when he sees that a disciple is following the regulative principles and advancing in spiritual life, he is very glad and feels obliged to such an advanced disciple.

Reading this reminded me of an incident in Juhu, Bombay, where, as many of you know, Srila Prabhupada established a big, beautiful temple. One evening Srila Prabhupada was sitting on the terrace of one of the buildings at the back. This was before we actually got permission to build anything on the property. There were some tenement buildings with tenants, and one of the tenants left, so at least we had one apartment where Srila Prabhupada could stay. So, he was sitting on the terrace one evening, and his disciple Haridas was fanning him. At seven o’clock Srila Prabhupada said to Haridas, “Did you hear that?” Haridas strained to hear, but he said, “No.” Srila Prabhupada said, “You don’t hear the sound of kirtan coming from the temple?” Haridas Prabhu listened and said, “No, Srila Prabhupada, I don’t.” And Srila Prabhupada said, “That is exactly the point. There is no kirtan in the temple. It is arati time, but there is no kirtan in the temple. Where are all the devotees?” Haridas Prabhu said, “Well, Srila Prabhupada, they must have gone to the city to collect for the project and haven’t come back yet.” Actually, there was a little speculation there, because it just so happened that that night we were performing kirtan on the request of one of our best life members and donors, whose mother had passed away, so it wasn’t quite what Haridas said, but Prabhupada’s point is very instructive.

Srila Prabhupada said, “This was not my idea, that the devotees should go to the city and collect all day and night. Our process is to please Krishna. They may go at nine in the morning and return by five in the evening and then chant in front of the Deities. Otherwise, they will become like karmis.” Then he asked Haridas, “Do you know why we were successful in getting this land?” There had been a big struggle. If any of you have read Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta—and I do recommend that every devotee read it—you would know that the owner of the land, Mr. Nair, was a prominent person in Bombay. He had been the sheriff, owned one of Bombay’s three English daily newspapers, and was wealthy and influential. So, Srila Prabhupada asked Haridas, “Do you know why we were successful and Mr. Nair wasn’t? We are successful because we try to please Krishna and Krishna is merciful and reciprocates with us. Otherwise, Mr. Nair was much more powerful than we. He had money, influence, his own daily newspaper¾he had contacts, so many politicians and government officers. And who were we? We had no money, no influence, and no support. Yet we were successful because we were simply trying to please Krishna, following the regulative principles of devotional service¾by Krishna’s grace.

“So, we should come and sing and dance in front of the Deities and please Them, and by Their grace we will get all success. We are not successful by our own strength; we are successful by Krishna’s grace.”

This is a very important principle in devotional service: Whatever we do, we should do for the pleasure of Krishna, and then depend on His mercy. We cannot be successful by our own independent endeavors. There is a saying that without the mercy of Lord Chaitanya, even easy things become difficult, and that with the mercy of Lord Chaitanya, even difficult things become easy. So, we should endeavor to please Lord Chaitanya, to please the Deities, to please Srila Prabhupada, by following their instructions and adopting their mood. And by that endeavor, under proper guidance, we will be successful in our own personal spiritual lives and successful in preaching, in spreading the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

On this auspicious occasion we pray to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu and Their associates to bless us to become free from the anarthas and avidya within our hearts, to purify our hearts and empower us to serve Them properly as They would like. That’s the only way we can be successful.

Upon his arrival in America, Srila Prabhupada wrote a beautiful poem. Not knowing anyone, not having any money, not having any influence, he prayed to Lord Krishna—the same mood was there from the very beginning, until the very end—“How will I be able to convince them of Your message? Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of passion and ignorance. How will I convince them?” It is a beautiful poem, and we should study it. It is in Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta. We should study whatever we can about Srila Prabhupada. In his poem, Srila Prabhupada wrote, “I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta.” Bhakti means “devotion,” and vedanta means “knowledge,” or the end of knowledge. He said, “I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, but I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge. But You are the most expert mystic, and Your causeless mercy can make everything possible. I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.”

And then, at the very end, he said, “I am just like a puppet in Your hands.” Just like a puppet. What life does a puppet have? None. It is a limp doll. That was Prabhupada’s humility. He wrote, “I am just like a puppet in Your hands, so if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance. O Lord, make me dance as You like.”

That should be our mood—just puppets in the hands of our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, the previous acharyas, the Deities. “Make me Your puppet. I have no capacity on my own. Make me Your puppet, O Lord, and make me dance as You like.” In that mood we can get this priceless treasure that Lord Chaitanya came to the world to give and that Srila Prabhupada came to the West and traveled all over the world to give us. We pray for their mercy that we may open our hearts to the gift they came to give us and see it in the proper mood. When we truly accept it in our hearts, then we can also give it to others, share it with others, and that’s the second half—to accept it and then to share it.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Gaura-purnima, February 28, 2010, Houston]

By Dandavats Staff Writer

A heartfelt message from Govardhan Das, the new Chair of the GBC, extending blessings to devotees worldwide, emphasizing the joy of devotion and Krishna's Holy Names. The celebration of Gaura Purnima 2025 is highlighted by HG Praghosa Prabhu, stressing Lord Caitanya's kindness and Srila Prabhupada's teachings on chanting, dancing, and feasting. The festival in Mayapur is described as the most significant of the year, featuring rituals like Ganga Puja and abhiseka of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Continue reading "Gaura Purnima 2025: A Global Celebration of Devotion, Joy, and Spiritual Unity! March 13
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Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur in the town of Nadia just after sunset on the evening of the 23rd Phalguna (1407 Sakadba), answering to the 18th of February 1486 of the Christian Era.

The moon was eclipsed at the time of His birth, and the people of Nadia were then engaged, as was usual on such occasions, in bathing in the Bhagirathi with loud cheers of Haribol. His father, Jagannatha Misra, a poor ‘brahmana’ of the Vedic order, and His mother, Saci-devi, a model good woman, both descended from ‘brahmana’ stock originally residing in Sylhet.

Mahaprabhu was a beautiful child, and the ladies of the town came to see Him with presents. His mother’s father, Pandita Nilambara Cakravarti, a renowned astrologer, foretold that the child would be a great personage in time; and he, therefore, gave him the name Visvambhara. The ladies of the neighbourhood styled him Gaurahari on account of His golden complexion, and His mother called Him Nimai on account of the ‘nimba’ tree near which He was born. 

Reason for appearance

Lord Krishna thought in Goloka, “I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age; nama-sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord in the form of Lord Gauranga. By accepting the role of a devotee, I shall make the whole world dance in ecstasy, and thus realize the four mellows of loving devotional service. In this way, I shall teach devotional service to others by personally practicing it, for whatever a great personality does, common people will follow. Of course, My plenary portions can establish the religious principles for each age, but only I can bestow the kind of loving devotional service which is performed by the residents of Vraja.”

Besides this secondary reason for Lord Krishna to appear once more, taking the form of a devotee, there is another confidential purpose of a very personal nature. Even though Lord Krishna had tasted the essence of loving mellows by performing His conjugal pastimes in the company of the gopis, He was not able to fulfill three desires.

Therefore, after His disappearance, the Lord thought, “Although I am the Absolute Truth, and the reservoir of all rasas, I cannot understand the strength of Radharani’s love, with which She always overwhelms Me. Indeed, the love of Radharani is My teacher, and I am Her dancing pupil, for Her love makes Me dance in various novel ways. Whatever pleasure I get from tasting My love for Srimati Radharani, She relishes ten million times more, by Her love. Although there is nothing greater than Radha’s love, since it is all pervading, it nonetheless expands constantly and is completely devoid of pride. There is nothing purer than Radha’s love, and yet its behavior is always perverse and crooked.”

“Sri Radhika is the highest abode of love, and I am its only object. I taste the bliss to which the object is entitled, but Radha’s pleasure is ten million times greater than Mine. Therefore, My mind becomes mad to taste the pleasure that is experienced by the abode of love, although I cannot do so. Only if I can somehow become the abode of that love, will I be able to experience its joy.”

This was one desire that increasingly blazed in Lord Krishna’s heart. Then, upon seeing His own beauty, Lord Krishna began to consider as follows: “My sweetness is unlimitedly wonderful. Only Radhika can taste the complete nectar of My sweetness, by the strength of Her love, which acts just like a mirror whose clarity increases at every moment. Although My sweetness, being without limit, seemingly has no room for expansion, it shines forth with newer and newer beauty, and thus constantly competes with the mirror of Radharani’s love, as they both go on increasing without admitting defeat.” “Devotees taste My sweetness according to their respective love, and if I see that sweetness reflected in a mirror, I also become tempted to taste it, although I cannot. Upon deliberation, I find that the only way I can relish My sweetness is to take the position of Srimati Radharani.”

This was Lord Krishna’s second desire, and His third desire was expressed while thinking as follows: “Everyone says that I am the reservoir of all transcendental bliss, and indeed, all the world derives pleasure from Me alone. Who then could give Me pleasure? I think that only someone having a hundred times more qualities than Myself could give pleasure to My mind, but such a person is impossible to find.”

“And yet, in spite of the fact that My beauty is unsurpassed, and gives pleasure to all who perceive it, the sight of Srimati Radharani gives pleasure to My eyes. Although the vibration of My flute attracts everyone within the three worlds, My ears become enchanted by the sweet words spoken by Radharani. Although My body lends its fragrance to the entire creation, the scent of Radharani’s limbs captivates My mind and heart. Although there are various tastes due to Me alone, I become charmed by the nectarean taste of Radharani’s lips. Although My touch is cooler than ten million moons, I become refreshed by the touch of Srimati Radharani. Thus, in spite of the fact that I am the source of happiness for the entire world, the beauty and attributes of Sri Radhika are My very life and soul.”

Desiring to understand the glory of Radharani’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness that She feels upon realizing the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord, Gauranga-Krishna, decided to appear in a form that was richly endowed with Her emotions. 

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Today's highlights showcase ISKCON's dedication to spreading knowledge through books and online platforms, covering topics such as Vedic cosmology, consciousness, evolution, and the Intelligent Design perspective. Additionally, the articles commemorate significant events like Gaura Purnima, emphasizing the spiritual importance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance and devotees' commitment to sharing His teachings worldwide. The narrative also touches on community events, including festivals and disaster recovery efforts, demonstrating ISKCON's unwavering commitment to service and spiritual practice amid challenges. Overall, the reports underscore ISKCON's mission of spiritual enlightenment, community engagement, and devotion to Krishna consciousness. Continue reading "Festivals, Service, and Spiritual Enlightenment Worldwide! March 12
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A critiques of the Western media’s portrayal of the Mahakumbh Mela, a massive Hindu gathering in India. The speaker claims that instead of highlighting the event’s scale, organization, and inclusivity, Western outlets focus on negative stereotypes, such as poverty, superstition, and pollution. The commentary contrasts this negative framing with the positive aspects of the festival,
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Today is the auspicious disappearance day of Sri Madhavendra Puri, the grand spiritual master of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Madhavendra Puri’s disciple Isvara Puri was accepted by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as His spiritual master. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is Himself the origin of all knowledge—all perfect, Vedic knowledge—and He had no need to accept a spiritual master. But because He was playing the part of a devotee, to set the example for others He accepted a spiritual master. And He accepted Isvara Puri specifically because he came in the line of Madhavendra Puri and was most dear to him. Madhavendra Puri was the first to exhibit love of God in separation, specifically in the mood of the gopis in separation from Krishna after He left Vrindavan. So, Madhavendra Puri is a most important person in the history of our disciplic succession—and in the history of the world.

We shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Chapter Eight: “Ramacandra Puri Criticizes the Lord.” Ramachandra Puri was a disciple of Madhavendra Puri and a godbrother of Isvara Puri, but he developed an offensive mentality toward his spiritual master, and as a result he became so fallen that he dared to criticize Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. We begin with the chapter summary:

“The following summary of the Eighth Chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. This chapter describes the history of the Lord’s dealings with Ramacandra Puri. Although Ramacandra Puri was one of the disciples of Madhavendra Puri, he was influenced by dry Mayavadis, and therefore he criticized Madhavendra Puri. Therefore Madhavendra Puri accused him of being an offender and rejected him. Because Ramacandra Puri had been rejected by his spiritual master, he became concerned only with finding faults in others and advising them according to dry Mayavada philosophy. For this reason he was not very respectful to the Vaisnavas, and later he became so fallen that he began criticizing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for His eating. Hearing his criticisms, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu reduced His eating, but after Ramacandra Puri left Jagannatha Puri, the Lord resumed His usual behavior.”

TEXT 1

tam vande krsna-caitanyam
  ramacandra-puri-bhayat
laukikaharatah svam yo
  bhiksannam samakocayat

TRANSLATION

Let me offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who reduced His eating due to fear of the criticism of Ramacandra Puri.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya sri-caitanya karuna-sindhu-avatara
brahma-sivadika bhaje carana yanhara

TRANSLATION

All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of the ocean of mercy! His lotus feet are worshiped by demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva.

TEXT 3

jaya jaya avadhuta-candra nityananda
jagat bandhila yenha diya prema-phanda

TRANSLATION

All glories to Nityananda Prabhu, the greatest of mendicants, who bound the entire world with a knot of ecstatic love for God!

TEXT 4

jaya jaya advaita isvara avatara
krsna avatari’ kaila jagat-nistara

TRANSLATION

All glories to Advaita Prabhu, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead! He induced Krsna to descend and thus delivered the entire world.

TEXT 5

jaya jaya srivasadi yata bhakta-gana
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu—yanra prana-dhana

TRANSLATION

All glories to all the devotees, headed by Srivasa Thakura! Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is their life and soul.

TEXT 6

ei-mata gauracandra nija-bhakta-sange
nilacale krida kare krsna-prema-tarange

TRANSLATION

Thus Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, at Jagannatha Puri, performed His various pastimes with His devotees in the waves of love for Krsna.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

The next verses describe Ramachandra Puri’s arrival in Jagannatha Puri. He came specifically to meet Paramananda Puri and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His policy was to invite Vaishnavas and feed them prasada and by various means induce them to eat more and more—and then criticize them for eating too much. Next, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, the author of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, explains the history of Ramachandra Puri, which contains the story of the disappearance of Sri Madhavendra Puri.

TEXT 18

purve yabe madhavendra karena antardhana
ramacandra-puri tabe aila tanra sthana

TRANSLATION

Formerly, when Madhavendra Puri was at the last stage of his life, Ramacandra Puri came to where he was staying.

TEXT 19

puri-gosani kare krsna-nama-sankirtana
“mathura na painu’ bali” karena krandana

TRANSLATION

Madhavendra Puri was chanting the holy name of Krsna, and sometimes he would cry, “O my Lord, I did not get shelter at Mathura.”

TEXT 20

ramacandra-puri tabe upadese tanre
sisya hana guruke kahe, bhaya nahi kare

TRANSLATION

Then Ramacandra Puri was so foolish that he fearlessly dared to instruct his spiritual master.

TEXT 21

“tumi—purna-brahmananda, karaha smarana
brahmavit hana kene karaha rodana?”

TRANSLATION

“If you are in full transcendental bliss,” he said, “you should now remember only Brahman. Why are you crying?”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, brahma-bhutah prasannatma: a Brahman realized person is always happy. Na socati na kanksati: he neither laments nor aspires for anything. Not knowing why Madhavendra Puri was crying, Ramacandra Puri tried to become his advisor. Thus he committed a great offense, for a disciple should never try to instruct his spiritual master.

COMMENT

The scriptures contain many negative injunctions, such as the one we just read from the Gita: na socati na kanksati—one who is on the Brahman platform neither hankers nor laments. In the Upanishads negative statements are also used to describe the Lord, that the Lord has no name, no form, no qualities, no face, no hands, no legs. Srila Prabhupada explains that these negative statements mean that the Lord has no material hands or legs but that He has spiritual hands and legs. Similarly, instructions such as na socati na kanksati—one should not hanker or lament—mean that one should not hanker or lament materially, for material things. Madhavendra Puri was on the highest platform of love of God. He was feeling separation from Krishna, hankering to attain Krishna’s service and lamenting because he felt unable to do so. He was on the spiritual platform. But Ramachandra Puri, being influenced by impersonal philosophy, could not understand that the negative statements apply to material form and qualities, and material hankering and lamentation. He could not understand that his spiritual master was feeling separation from Krishna on the transcendental platform. And he was so audacious that he dared to advise his spiritual master, which was his downfall.

TEXT 22

suni’ madhavendra-mane krodha upajila
“dura, dura, papistha” bali’ bhartsana karila

TRANSLATION

Hearing this instruction, Madhavendra Puri, greatly angry, rebuked him by saying, “Get out, you sinful rascal!

PURPORT

Ramacandra Puri could not understand that his spiritual master, Madhavendra Puri, was feeling transcendental separation. His lamentation was not material. Rather, it proceeded from the highest stage of ecstatic love of Krsna. When he was crying in separation, “I could not achieve Krsna! I could not reach Mathura!” this was not ordinary material lamentation. Ramacandra Puri was not sufficiently expert to understand the feelings of Madhavendra Puri, but nevertheless he thought himself very advanced. Therefore, regarding Madhavendra Puri’s expressions as ordinary material lamentation, he advised him to remember Brahman, because he was latently an impersonalist. Madhavendra Puri understood Ramacandra Puri’s position as a great fool and therefore immediately rebuked him. Such a reprimand from the spiritual master is certainly for the betterment of the disciple.

COMMENT

Krodha upajila—when Madhavendra Puri heard the words of Ramachandra Puri, krodha, anger, arose in him. On the material platform, krodha is a no-no. Kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, and matsarya—lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride, and envy—are enemies of the conditioned soul and are considered gateways to hell. The Bhagavad-gita (3.37) explains,

kama esa krodha esa
  rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahasano maha-papma
  viddhy enam iha vairinam

“Lust is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath; it is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.” Lust and anger are products of the mode of passion, and they lead one to degradation. Yet here we read, krodha upajila—anger arose within Madhavendra Puri. But his was not any ordinary, material anger; it was transcendental. Material anger arises when one’s lust is frustrated (kamat krodho ’bhijayate). The Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam uses the Sanskrit term kamanujena for anger. Literally, kama-anujena means “the younger brother of lust”—wherever the older brother goes, the younger brother follows. Wherever there is lust, anger follows. When our material desires become frustrated, we become angry. Spiritually, when there is an obstacle to devotional service, one may also become angry—not materially, but spiritually—and use that anger to remove the obstacle. From one point of view, Ramachandra Puri’s presence was an impediment to Madhavendra Puri’s meditation on Krishna, so Madhavendra Puri wanted him away. But on another level, Ramachandra Puri’s pride and tendency toward impersonalism were obstacles to his own spiritual advancement, and so his spiritual master rebuked him to purify him. As Srila Prabhupada notes, “Such a reprimand from the spiritual master is certainly for the benefit of the disciple.”

Vaisnavera kriya mudra vijneha na bujhaya: even the most learned scholar cannot understand the activities and characteristics of a transcendental Vaishnava. Therefore, we should be careful when we deal with Vaishnavas, lest we misunderstand them and offend them.

TEXT 23

“krsna na painu, na painu ‘mathura’
apana-duhkhe maron—ei dite aila jvala

TRANSLATION

“O my Lord Krsna, I could not reach You, nor could I reach Your abode, Mathura. I am dying in my unhappiness, and now this rascal has come to give me more pain.

TEXT 24

“more mukha na dekhabi tui, yao yathi-tathi
tore dekhi’ maile mora habe asad-gati

TRANSLATION

“Don’t show your face to me! Go anywhere else you like. If I die seeing your face, I shall not achieve the destination of my life.

TEXT 25

“krsna na painu muni maron apanara duhkhe
more ‘brahma’ upadese ei chara murkhe”

TRANSLATION

“I am dying without achieving the shelter of Krsna, and therefore I am greatly unhappy. Now this condemned foolish rascal has come to instruct me about Brahman.”

COMMENT

Generally, a spiritual master does not reject a disciple. Still, Krishna, in the Bhagavad-gita, says, ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham: as people approach Me, I reciprocate accordingly. If someone neglects Krishna, Krishna will neglect him. The spiritual master is the representative of Krishna. Ramachandra Puri had in effect rejected Madhavendra Puri as his spiritual master, because how can a disciple advise his spiritual master so?

Of course, sometimes even Krishna consults. In Mathura and Dvaraka He would consult Uddhava, and Uddhava would advise Him in a humble mood of loving service. But Ramachandra Puri was not offering advice in a mood of humble service. Rather, he was proud and thought himself superior in transcendental knowledge even to his spiritual master. Therefore he dared to advise his spiritual master in the matter of Krishna consciousness. In effect, he rejected Madhavendra Puri as a spiritual master. He thought he was more advanced than him, that he was on the Brahman platform and that his spiritual master wasn’t. So he foolishly instructed his spiritual master to be fixed in Brahman.

One of the lessons here is that if a disciple gets too close to the spiritual master without having the required purity, he or she may mistake him to be ordinary and commit offenses. Srila Prabhupada never rejected a disciple—unless the disciple rejected him. One case was Prabhupada’s disciple Aravinda, who served for some time as Prabhupada’s personal servant but eventually left. Later he met a devotee who informed him that Srila Prabhupada was in town. “You should come and meet Srila Prabhupada,” the devotee told him.

So, Aravinda came, and when he saw Prabhupada he told him, “Krishna consciousness never really worked for me, so I left.” Indirectly, he was criticizing Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness. And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Good, I am glad you left, because now I don’t have to look at your morose face anymore.” Reading this line—“Don’t show your face to me”—reminded me of Srila Prabhupada’s words. But it was tit for tat. Prabhupada would call the scientists and other critics fools and rascals because in their own way they were calling Krishna’s devotees fools and rascals. Aravinda said that he had tried Krishna consciousness for some time but that he hadn’t really gotten much from it. In effect, he was saying he didn’t really like Krishna consciousness or being around Srila Prabhupada. And Prabhupada was saying, “I am glad you left, because we didn’t really like having you around us.”

Ultimately, both the blessings and the curses of a Vaishnava are beneficial. Once, two sons of Kuvera (the treasurer of the demigods) were sporting naked with heavenly women in a celestial river. They were so intoxicated with their material opulence and prestige that when their spiritual master, Narada Muni, came upon them, they felt no shame and did not even cover themselves. And so Narada cursed them to take birth as trees. Srila Prabhupada said that trees stand naked and think themselves very beautiful, and that Krishna fulfills all desires: “Oh, you wanted to be naked, to expose your beauty? Okay, take birth as a tree; stand naked for a hundred years and display your beauty.” But Sri Narada’s curse was actually a blessing. He took advantage of the situation to show the young men special mercy by giving them a curse that would relieve them of their false pride and ultimately give them audience of Sri Krishna. And so they took birth as twin arjun trees in the courtyard of Mother Yasoda. Then, during His damodara-lila, to fulfill the desire of Narada, Krishna dragged a wooden grinding mortar between the two trees, uprooted them, and delivered the two demigods, saying,

jnatam mama puraivaitad
  rsina karunatmana
yac chri-madandhayor vagbhir
  vibhramso ’nugrahah krtah

“The great saint Narada Muni is very merciful. By his curse, he showed the greatest favor to both of you, who were mad after material opulence and who had thus become blind. Although you fell from the higher planet Svargaloka and became trees, you were most favored by him. I knew of all these incidents from the very beginning.” (SB 10.10.40)

Ramachandra Puri—at least initially—was quite unfortunate, as we shall read.

TEXT 26

ei ye sri-madhavendra sripada upeksa karila
sei aparadhe inhara ‘vasana’ janmila

TRANSLATION

Ramacandra Puri was thus denounced by Madhavendra Puri. Due to his offense, gradually material desire appeared within him.

PURPORT

The word vasana (“material desires”) refers to dry speculative knowledge. Such speculative knowledge is only material. As confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.4), a person without devotional service who simply wants to know things (kevala-bodha-labdhaye) gains only dry speculative knowledge but no spiritual profit. This is confirmed in the Bhakti-sandarbha (111), wherein it is said:

jivan-mukta api punar yanti samsara-vasanam
yady acintya-maha-saktau bhagavaty aparadhinah

“Even though one is liberated in this life, if one offends the Supreme Personality of Godhead he falls down in the midst of material desires, of which dry speculation about spiritual realization is one.”

In his Laghu-tosani commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32), Jiva Gosvami says:

jivan-mukta api punar bandhanam yanti karmabhih
yady acintya-maha-saktau bhagavaty aparadhinah

“Even if one is liberated in this life, he becomes addicted to material desires because of offenses to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

A similar quotation from one of the Puranas also appears in the Visnu-bhakti-candrodaya:

jivan-muktah prapadyante kvacit samsara-vasanam
yogino na vilipyante karmabhir bhagavat-parah

“Even liberated souls sometimes fall down to material desires, but those who fully engage in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not affected by such desires.”

These are references from authoritative revealed scriptures. If one becomes an offender to his spiritual master or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he falls down to the material platform to merely speculate.

COMMENT

One effect of offenses is that one becomes influenced by material desires and sometimes is overwhelmed by them, and then, to justify one’s sinful activities, one may speculate and manufacture many excuses. Or one may develop an impersonal attitude. Yet another effect of offenses is that one becomes prone to commit more offenses, as explained in the next verse.

TEXT 27

suska-brahma-jnani, nahi krsnera ‘sambandha’
sarva loka ninda kare, nindate nirbandha

TRANSLATION

One who is attached to dry speculative knowledge has no relationship with Krsna. His occupation is criticizing Vaisnavas. Thus he is situated in criticism.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has explained in his Anubhasya that the word nirbandha indicates that Ramacandra Puri had a steady desire to criticize others. Impersonalist Mayavadis, who have no relationship with Krsna, who cannot take to devotional service, and who simply engage in material arguments to understand Brahman, regard devotional service to Krsna as karma-kanda, or fruitive activities. According to them, devotional service to Krsna is but another means for attaining dharma, artha, kama, and moksa. Therefore they criticize the devotees for engaging in material activities. They think that devotional service is maya and that Krsna, or Visnu, is also maya. Therefore they are called Mayavadis. Such a mentality awakens in a person who is an offender to Krsna and His devotees.

COMMENT

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stated emphatically, mayavadi krsne aparadhi: “The Mayavadis are the greatest offenders to Lord Krishna.” Here we gain the further insight that they became Mayavadis as a result of offending Krishna. Because they committed offenses, they became impersonalists, Mayavadis, and as Mayavadis they committed more offenses and thus continued their degradation.

Now we come to the other example—that of a devoted disciple.

TEXT 28

isvara-puri gosani kare sripada-sevana
svahaste karena mala-mutradi marjana

TRANSLATION

Isvara Puri, the spiritual master of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, performed service to Madhavendra Puri, cleaning up his stool and urine with his own hand.

TEXTS 29–31

Isvara Puri was always chanting the holy name and pastimes of Lord Krsna for Madhavendra Puri to hear. In this way he helped Madhavendra Puri remember the holy name and pastimes of Lord Krsna at the time of death.

Pleased with Isvara Puri, Madhavendra Puri embraced him and gave him the benediction that he would be a great devotee and lover of Krsna.

Thus Isvara Puri became like an ocean of ecstatic love for Krsna, whereas Ramacandra Puri became a dry speculator and a critic of everyone else.

TEXT 32

mahad-anugraha-nigrahera ‘saksi’ dui-jane
ei dui-dvare sikhaila jaga-jane

TRANSLATION

Isvara Puri received the blessing of Madhavendra Puri, whereas Ramacandra Puri received a rebuke from him. Therefore these two persons, Isvara Puri and Ramacandra Puri, are examples of the objects of a great personality’s benediction and punishment. Madhavendra Puri instructed the entire world by presenting these two examples.

COMMENT

It is stated that the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee is very powerful but that the same dust that elevates one to the highest level of Krishna consciousness, to the spiritual realm of Vrindavan, can also push one down to hell if one offends it. This principle was enunciated by Sati to her father Daksha after Daksha had offended Shiva, the greatest Vaishnava (vaisnavanam yatha sambhu), and the purport is relevant to the present discussion.

In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Four, Chapter Four (“Sati Quits Her Body”), Text 13, Sati says:

nascaryam etad yad asatsu sarvada
  mahad-vininda kunapatma-vadisu
sersyam mahapurusa-pada-pamsubhir
  nirasta-tejahsu tad eva sobhanam

“It is not wonderful for persons who have accepted the transient material body as the self to engage always in deriding great souls. Such envy on the part of materialistic persons is very good because that is the way they fall down. They are diminished by the dust of the feet of great personalities.”

Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport, “Everything depends on the strength of the recipient. For example, due to the scorching sunshine many vegetables and flowers dry up, and many grow luxuriantly. Thus it is the recipient that causes growth and dwindling. Similarly, mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam: the dust of the lotus feet of great personalities offers all good to the recipient, but the same dust can also do harm. Those who are offenders at the lotus feet of a great personality dry up; their godly qualities diminish. A great soul may forgive offenses, but Krsna does not excuse offenses to the dust of that great soul’s feet, just as one can tolerate the scorching sunshine on one’s head but cannot tolerate the scorching sunshine on one’s feet.”

One must be especially careful when one comes close to a great soul. Rendering personal service unto a great soul, as Isvara Puri did to Madhavendra Puri, can bestow the greatest benefit, but if one is not pure enough and comes too close, one may commit offenses—and not just the accidental type. One may actually develop an offensive mentality toward the great soul and commit serious offenses that will cause one to go away and fall down.

In Sati’s statements about Lord Shiva we find a very surprising statement, that it is good that such envious persons commit offenses, because that way they fall down. How can a pure devotee who is a well-wisher of all living entities say that it is good for someone to commit offenses and fall down? Srila Prabhupada explains that the spiritual master, who is an ocean of mercy, will never reject a disciple, even when the disciple is fallen and causes pain to the spiritual master, but that Krishna, out of compassion for the spiritual master, out of His mercy, will cause the disciple to go away so that he does not cause more pain—even though the spiritual master himself does not reject the disciple. Of course, Krishna is the father of every living entity (aham bija-pradah pita) and the well-wisher of all (suhrdam sarva-bhutanam). He wants the ultimate benefit of everyone, but if one comes too close to the devotee or the Deity and out of familiarity develops misconceptions and an offensive mentality, it may be better if that person is removed from the situation and, being kept at a distance, gradually comes to his senses and redeems himself.

Now we come to Madhavendra Puri’s feelings of separation.

TEXT 33

jagad-guru madhavendra kari’ prema dana
ei sloka padi’ tenho kaila antardhana

TRANSLATION

His Divine Grace Madhavendra Puri, the spiritual master of the entire world, thus distributed ecstatic love for Krsna. While passing away from the material world, he chanted the following verse.

TEXT 34

ayi dina-dayardra natha he
  mathura-natha kadavalokyase
hrdayam tvad-aloka-kataram
  dayita bhramyati kim karomy aham

TRANSLATION

“O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathura! When shall I see You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?”

TEXT 35

ei sloke krsna-prema kare upadesa
krsnera virahe bhaktera bhava-visesa

TRANSLATION

In this verse Madhavendra Puri teaches how to achieve ecstatic love for Krsna. By feeling separation from Krsna, one becomes spiritually situated.

TEXT 36

prthivite ropana kari’ gela premankura
sei premankurera vrksa-caitanya-thakura

TRANSLATION

Madhavendra Puri sowed the seed of ecstatic love for Krsna within this material world and then departed. That seed later became a great tree in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

TEXT 37

prastave kahilun puri-gosanira niryana
yei iha sune, sei bada bhagyavan

TRANSLATION

I have incidentally described the passing away of Madhavendra Puri. Anyone who hears this must be considered very fortunate.

COMMENT

Having been blessed by hearing about the glorious passing of Sri Madhavendra Puri, we shall now discuss some of his earlier pastimes—and then return to the special verse that he uttered at the time of his passing from this world. Once, as described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu and some of Their associates were traveling from Bengal to Orissa, to Jagannatha Puri. On the way, they visited a town called Remuna, where there is a Deity called Gopinatha. At the temple of Gopinatha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu narrated the story of Madhavendra Puri as He had heard it from His spiritual master, Isvara Puri.

Earlier, when Madhavendra Puri came to Govardhana Hill, he had a dream in which the Deity Gopala appeared to him, took him by the hand, and led him to a place where He was hidden under a bush in the jungle at Govardhana. Then He instructed Madhavendra Puri to inform the villagers and to come take Him from the bush and install Him on Govardhana Hill. Madhavendra Puri followed the instructions of Gopala in the dream. He told the villagers, and they helped him cut through the thickets, discover the Deity, and take Him out of the ground. Then, as further directed by Gopala in the dream, Madhavendra Puri installed the Deity on top of Govardhana Hill. Devotees and brahmans bathed the Deity, chanted mantras, sang and danced, and offered garments, tulasi leaves, and flower garlands. Then they offered various kinds of food (bhoga), performed arati, and distributed massive, sumptuous prasada in a ceremony called Annakuta—just as it had been performed at the time of Lord Krishna during the Govardhana-puja.

For two years, devotees from all over the area came to see Gopala, present Him offerings, serve Him, worship Him, and celebrate the Annakuta ceremony, almost as it had been done on the first day. Then Gopala appeared to Madhavendra Puri again in a dream and told him that He was feeling very hot and that to cool Him and give Him relief, Madhavendra Puri should bring sandalwood from Jagannatha Puri and smear the pulp on His body. Madhavendra Puri took the instruction to heart, and after making all arrangements for the continued service of Gopala, he left by foot for Jagannatha Puri. On the way, in Bengal, in Shantipur, he met Advaita Acharya, who was so pleased to see his ecstatic love that he begged him for initiation. Thus Advaita Acharya was initiated in the line of Sri Madhavendra Puri. And further along the way, in Orissa, at Remuna, Madhavendra Puri saw the Deity Gopinatha.

Madhavendra Puri was so detached that he would never beg or ask for food. If someone offered him some food, he would eat a little. Otherwise, he would fast. He depended completely on the mercy of the Lord and made no effort to get food.

After Madhavendra Puri saw the beauty of Gopinatha in the temple, he went into the village marketplace, which was vacant, to sit and chant. That night, Gopinatha’s pujari had a dream in which the Deity told him that He had hidden a pot of sweet rice for Madhavendra Puri behind the curtains and that the pujari should find the sannyasi Madhavendra Puri in the marketplace and give him the pot of sweet rice. The pujari immediately awoke, bathed, went into the Deity room, and found the sweet rice, but he did not know exactly where Madhavendra Puri was. So he went into the vacant marketplace and called out, “Will the sannyasi named Madhavendra Puri please come and take his pot! The Deity Gopinatha has stolen this pot of sweet rice for you! You are the most fortunate person in all the three worlds!” Eventually Madhavendra Puri heard the call and came out, and the pujari gave him the sweet rice. But after relishing the prasada in ecstatic love, Madhavendra Puri considered that the next morning, when people heard that the Deity had delivered a pot of sweet rice to him, they would throng around him, and so he immediately departed for Jagannatha Puri. Madhavendra Puri was such a great devotee, so humble and fixed in his mood of service to Krishna, that he did not want any praise or popularity or attention. So he decided, “I must leave immediately.”

Even in Puri people understood that Madhavendra Puri was a great devotee, because whenever he would come before the Deity of Jagannatha, he would exhibit symptoms of ecstatic love of Godhead. Furthermore, they were aware of his transcendental reputation, and so they all came with love and devotion to offer him respects. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami comments that the reputation of a devotee is so sublime that it follows him wherever he goes:

pratisthara bhaye puri gela palana
krsna-preme pratistha cale sange gadana

“Being afraid of his reputation [pratistha], Madhavendra Puri fled from Remuna. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.” (Cc Madhya 4.147)

For his own sake, to avoid the crowds who came to honor him, Madhavendra Puri would have left Puri, but because he had come on a mission for Gopala, to get sandalwood and camphor, which were not easy to obtain but were available in Puri because they were used in the service of Lord Jagannatha, he remained. Yet even in Puri these items were very costly, and further, they were controlled by the government. Without a permit, one could not obtain or transport them. But when Madhavendra Puri told the local devotees about the history of Gopala and how He wanted sandalwood, they all came forward to help. They met people, got the permits, got sufficient quantities of sandalwood and camphor, and arranged a servant and expenses for Madhavendra Puri’s travels. And so he left, by foot, with his burden of sandalwood—his burden of love—back to Vrindavan, back to Govardhana.

On the way, after some days, Madhavendra Puri reached Remuna and again visited the temple of Gopinatha. And when the pujari saw him, he immediately brought him sweet rice prasada. That night in the temple, Madhavendra Puri had another dream. The Deity Gopala came to him and said, “There is no difference between My body and Gopinatha’s body. So if you smear the sandalwood pulp on the body of Gopinatha, My body will be cooled.” Sri Caitanya-caritamrta explains that the Deity of Gopala did not want Madhavendra Puri to have to suffer more by carrying such large amounts of sandalwood and camphor by foot in the hot sun and having to deal along the way with the Mohammedan officers, who would demand tolls and taxes and create trouble for travelers.

One could say that Madhavendra Puri passed Gopala’s test. Without any personal consideration or hesitation, he had acted with no interest other than to serve and please the Lord. And the Lord reciprocated. He was satisfied that Madhavendra Puri had come as far as Remuna, and He did not want his pure devotee to suffer any further. So Gopala instructed him to render the service to Gopinatha and that the service would be accepted by Gopala.

While narrating these pastimes, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu extolled the glories of Srila Madhavendra Puri, and He asked Nityananda Prabhu, “Is there anyone in this world as fortunate as Madhavendra Puri?” Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said (Cc Madhya 4):

TEXT 180

“hena-jana gopalera ajnamrta pana
sahasra krosa asi’ bule candana magina

“After receiving the transcendental orders of Gopala, this great personality traveled thousands of miles just to collect sandalwood by begging.

TEXT 181

“bhoke rahe, tabu anna magina na khaya
hena-jana candana-bhara vahi’ lana yaya

TRANSLATION

“Although Madhavendra Puri was hungry, he would not beg food to eat. This renounced person carried a load of sandalwood for the sake of Sri Gopala.

TEXT 182

“maneka candana, tola-viseka karpura
gopale paraiba’—ei ananda pracura

“Without considering his personal comforts, Madhavendra Puri carried one maund [about eighty-two pounds] of sandalwood and twenty tolas [about eight ounces] of camphor to smear over the body of Gopala. This transcendental pleasure was sufficient for him.

TEXT 183

“utkalera dani rakhe candana dekhina
tahan edaila raja-patra dekhana

TRANSLATION

“Since there were restrictions against taking the sandalwood out of the Orissa province, the toll official confiscated the stock, but Madhavendra Puri showed him the release papers given by the government and consequently escaped difficulties.

TEXT 184

“mleccha-desa dura patha, jagati apara
ke-mate candana niba-nahi e vicara

TRANSLATION

“Madhavendra Puri was not at all anxious during the long journey to Vrndavana through the provinces governed by the Muslims and filled with unlimited numbers of watchmen.

TEXT 185

“sange eka vata nahi ghati-dana dite
tathapi utsaha bada candana lana yaite

TRANSLATION

“Although Madhavendra Puri did not have a farthing with him, he was not afraid to pass by the toll officers. His only enjoyment was in carrying the load of sandalwood to Vrndavana for Gopala.

TEXT 186

“pragadha-premera ei svabhava-acara
nija-duhkha-vighnadira na kare vicara

TRANSLATION

“This is the natural result of intense love of Godhead. The devotee does not consider personal inconveniences or impediments. In all circumstances he wants to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 187

“ei tara gadha prema loke dekhaite
gopala tanre ajna dila candana anite

TRANSLATION

“Sri Gopala wanted to show how intensely Madhavendra Puri loved Krsna; therefore He asked him to go to Nilacala to fetch sandalwood and camphor.

TEXT 188

“bahu parisrame candana remuna anila
ananda badila mane, duhkha na ganila

TRANSLATION

“With great trouble and after much labor, Madhavendra Puri brought the load of sandalwood to Remuna. However, he was still very pleased; he discounted all the difficulties.

COMMENT

One might think that Madhavendra Puri made the endeavor and carried the burden because the Deity asked him but that it was such a hard labor that he must have really been exhausted and frustrated. But no, he was still happy. In fact, his pleasure increased (ananda badila). That is the nature of pure devotional service. The servant is happy, and his happiness increases. The same was said in relation to Govardhana Hill, the best of Lord Hari’s servants (hari-dasa-varyah).

hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo
  yad rama-krsna-carana-sparasa-pramodah
manam tanoti saha-go-ganayos tayor yat
  paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kandamulaih

“Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarama, along with Their calves, cows, and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities—water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.” (SB 10.21.18)

Govardhana Hill was such a great servant that he offered his body for the service of the Lord and His devotees, who would step on him. He offered his grasses for the cows to eat. He offered his stones and caves as sitting and resting places. He offered his waters for drinking and washing. He offered his entire body for the service of the Lord. And he was jubilant (pramoda), being touched by the lotus feet of the Lord and His devotees. When a servant offers service in a mood of happiness, of jubilation, of pleasure, that gives more pleasure to the master, to the Lord. Naturally, if someone is happy to serve you, that makes you happy. If a service is offered out of duty—what to speak of begrudgingly—it is not as pleasing as when it is offered with genuine pleasure. Madhavendra Puri, in spite of taking so much trouble—traveling by foot, going through toll points, dealing with Muslim officers, enduring the heat and all the other impediments—was still in a very pleased mood (ananda badila) by the time he reached Remuna.

TEXT 189

pariksa karite gopala kaila ajna dana
pariksa kariya sese haila dayavan”

TRANSLATION

“To test the intense love of Madhavendra Puri, Gopala, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ordered him to bring sandalwood from Nilacala, and when Madhavendra Puri passed this examination, the Lord became very merciful to him.”

COMMENT

In the course of Lord Chaitanya’s discussion of Madhavendra Puri, He came to quote the verse that Madhavendra Puri recited at the end of his life. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta tells us that this verse emanated directly from the mouth of Srimati Radharani and that only three people understood its deep meaning—Srimati Radharani, Sri Madhavendra Puri, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Now we shall read more about what the Caitanya-caritamrta says about this verse (from Madhya-lila, Chapter Four: “Sri Madhavendra Puri’s Devotional Service”):

TEXTS 191–194

eta bali’ pade prabhu tanra krta sloka
yei sloka-candre jagat karyache aloka

ghasite ghasite yaiche malayaja-sara
gandha bade, taiche ei slokera vicara

ratna-gana-madhye yaiche kaustubha-mani
rasa-kavya-madhye taiche ei sloka gani

TRANSLATION

“. . . Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu read the famous verse of Madhavendra Puri. That verse is just like the moon. It has spread illumination all over the world.

“Continuous rubbing increases the aroma of Malaya sandalwood. Similarly, consideration of this verse increases one’s understanding of its importance.

“As the Kaustubha-mani is considered the most precious of valuable stones, this verse is similarly considered the best of poems dealing with the mellows of devotional service.

“Actually, this verse was spoken by Srimati Radharani Herself, and by Her mercy only was it manifest in the words of Madhavendra Puri.”

TEXT 195

kiba gauracandra iha kare asvadana
iha asvadite ara nahi cautha-jana

TRANSLATION

Only Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has tasted the poetry of this verse. No fourth man is capable of understanding it.

PURPORT

This indicates that only Srimati Radharani, Madhavendra Puri, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu are capable of understanding the purport of this verse.

TEXT 196

sesa-kale ei sloka pathite pathite
siddhi-prapti haila purira slokera sahite

TRANSLATION

Madhavendra Puri recited this verse again and again at the end of his material existence. Thus uttering this verse, he attained the ultimate goal of life.

TEXT 197

ayi dina-dayardra natha he
  mathura-natha kadavalokyase
hrdayam tvad-aloka-kataram
  dayita bhramyati kim karomy aham

TRANSLATION

“O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathura! When shall I see You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?”

PURPORT

The uncontaminated devotees who strictly depend on the Vedanta philosophy are divided into four sampradayas, or transcendental parties. Out of the four sampradayas, the Sri Madhvacarya-sampradaya was accepted by Madhavendra Puri. Thus he took sannyasa according to parampara, the disciplic succession. Beginning from Madhvacarya down to the spiritual master of Madhavendra Puri, the acarya named Laksmipati, there was no realization of devotional service in conjugal love. Sri Madhavendra Puri introduced the conception of conjugal love for the first time in the Madhvacarya-sampradaya, and this conclusion of the Madhvacarya-sampradaya was revealed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He toured southern India and met the Tattvavadis, who supposedly belonged to the Madhvacarya-sampradaya.

When Sri Krsna left Vrndavana and accepted the kingdom of Mathura, Srimati Radharani, out of ecstatic feelings of separation, expressed how Krsna can be loved in separation. Thus devotional service in separation is central to this verse. Worship in separation is considered by the Gaudiya-Madhva-sampradaya to be the topmost level of devotional service. According to this conception, the devotee thinks of himself as very poor and neglected by the Lord. Thus he addresses the Lord as dina-dayardra natha, as did Madhavendra Puri. Such an ecstatic feeling is the highest form of devotional service. Because Krsna had gone to Mathura, Srimati Radharani was very much affected, and She expressed Herself thus: “My dear Lord, because of Your separation My mind has become overly agitated. Now tell Me, what can I do? I am very poor and You are very merciful, so kindly have compassion upon Me and let Me know when I shall see You.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was always expressing the ecstatic emotions of Srimati Radharani that She exhibited when She saw Uddhava at Vrndavana. Similar feelings, experienced by Madhavendra Puri, are expressed in this verse. Therefore, Vaisnavas in the Gaudiya-Madhva-sampradaya say that the ecstatic feelings experienced by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu during His appearance came from Sri Madhavendra Puri through Isvara Puri. All the devotees in the line of the Gaudiya-Madhva-sampradaya accept these principles of devotional service.

COMMENT

This is a very deep topic—feeling separation from Krishna in the mood of Srimati Radharani and the gopis. We are certainly not qualified to discuss it. Still, following our acharyas, we shall try to say something to glorify Sri Madhavendra Puri on his disappearance day.

When Krishna left Vrindavan for Mathura, all the residents of Vrindavan were plunged into deep separation. The separation of the gopis was the most intense, because their attachment to Krishna was the most intense. None of the residents of Vrindavan had any interest in life other than Krishna and Krishna’s service. Still, comparatively, the gopis’ love for Krishna was the greatest. And among the gopis, Srimati Radharani’s love was the greatest. And that love reaches its most sublime heights in separation. In fact, the actual reason why Krishna left Vrindavan was to allow His devotees there to experience the highest ecstasy of love in separation and in that love to always relish His association. In their separation they actually meet Krishna, although externally they continue to express separation—even though internally they are relishing Krishna’s association.

The seed of this ecstatic mood was passed from Madhavendra Puri to his disciple Isvara Puri, who served him perfectly to the end, and from Isvara Puri to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And as Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says, that seed became a great tree in the person of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore even fallen souls like us in Kali-yuga have been given access to this understanding and this process. It is inconceivable how people as fallen as we in Kali-yuga can be given access to this most highly confidential and exalted process.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives the example of a king who becomes intoxicated, goes into his treasury, takes out his most valuable jewels, goes out on the street, and distributes the jewels to the beggars. They have no qualification, but the king, the owner of the jewels, is free to give the jewels to whomever he wishes. And in his intoxicated state, he distributes them without consideration. Similarly, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, intoxicated with ecstatic love of God, is making these most precious gems available even to the most destitute of beggars. In Srila Rupa Gosvami’s words (Sri Upadesamrta 4), dadati pratigrhnati—Lord Chaitanya is giving (dadati), and it is our prerogative to accept (pratigrhnati).

This confidential verse spoken by Madhavendra Puri could be misunderstood—not in the gross way of Ramachandra Puri, who thought that Madhavendra Puri was absorbed in mundane lamentation when he should have been fixed in spiritual consciousness, but in a more subtle way. One may misunderstand and imagine that Madhavendra Puri wanted to see Krishna out of some selfish desire, but that, of course, was not the case. The truth is that Srimati Radharani and the gopis know that Krishna cannot really be happy without them; He cannot enjoy the same happiness with others as He does with them in Vrindavan. Therefore the young gopis want to see Him again not for their own happiness but for Krishna’s happiness, so they can please Him as only they can. Their love is completely pure—spotlessly pure. That same pure love was exhibited by Madhavendra Puri when he went to Jagannatha Puri to get sandalwood and camphor for Gopala without any consideration of personal gain or loss, pleasure or pain. And it was expressed by him in this verse. When the gopis say that they want to be with Krishna, it is not for their own happiness but to give Krishna happiness. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami explains that although the gopis’ feelings appear to be lust, they are not; they are actually pure love. Lust (kama) is the desire for one’s own happiness, one’s own sense gratification, whereas pure love is the desire for Krishna’s happiness, Krishna’s satisfaction. Although superficially lust and love may resemble each other, intrinsically there is a great difference between them. Although iron and gold are both metals and thus have much in common, there is a vast difference between the value of gold and that of iron.

kama, prema,—donhakara vibhinna laksana
lauha ara hema yaiche svarupe vilaksana

“Lust and love have different characteristics, just as iron and gold have different natures.

atmendriya-priti-vancha-tare bali ‘kama’
krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema’ nama

“The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kama [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Krsna is prema [love].” (Cc Adi 4.164–165)

Although sometimes the gopis pray to Krishna, “Please appear before us and satisfy our lusty desires,” that is their indirect way of speaking (paroksa-vada). Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains why the gopis speak as if they were lusty for Krishna, when all scriptures state that their love is completely pure. One reason he gives is that if someone expresses his or her love openly, it decreases. He gives the example that if one keeps a lamp within one’s house, it will burn bright and strong, but if one puts it outside, it will waver and may even be extinguished. When one’s confidential feelings of love are kept within one’s heart, they increase, and if they are expressed openly, they decrease. That is the special feature of parakiya-rasa, that one’s loving feelings are kept inside.

Another reason is that in pure love one does not want the beloved to take any trouble, especially for oneself. Visvanatha Cakravarti gives the example that if you are hungry and visit someone, although you want to eat, if your friend asks, “Do you want some prasada?” you might say, “No, I am all right,” because out of love you don’t want your friend to take trouble. So the friend, knowing that you are hungry, won’t ask if you want him to prepare prasada for you, because he knows that you won’t want him to take trouble. Instead, he’ll say, “Actually, I’m just about to cook an offering for my Deities. Please wait.” Then he’ll cook and offer the food to the Deities and give you the prasada. In the same way, if the gopis were to say openly, in a direct way, “Krishna, we know that You are missing us, so we will come to be with You,” Krishna would say, “No, don’t take trouble for Me. I am fine as I am.” So instead of suggesting that Krishna wants them, they say that they want Krishna: “Please come back. We are burning in the fire of separation—in the fire of lusty desires. Please come back and fulfill our desires.” Thus, for example, the gopis say to Krishna (SB 10.31.7):

pranata-dehinam papa-karsanam
  trna-caranugam sri-niketanam
phani-phanarpitam te padambujam
  krnu kucesu nah krndhi hrc-chayam

“Your lotus feet destroy the past sins of all embodied souls who surrender to them. Those feet follow after the cows in the pastures and are the eternal abode of the goddess of fortune. Since You once put those feet on the hoods of the great serpent Kaliya, please place them upon our breasts and tear away the lust in our hearts.” But their actual intention is completely pure—to serve Krishna and please Him.

These are the intricate dealings of love on the platform of pure devotional service. By the mercy of Sri Madhavendra Puri first and then from him the disciplic succession—Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers, the Gosvamis; and later Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and our Srila Prabhupada—these very confidential moods have been explained for us so that we can come to appreciate them and hanker for them. It is a most special gift.

Devotees have asked, “Why did Srila Prabhupada take so much trouble to preach? Love of God is there in every bona fide scripture, and every bona fide process of religion can lead one to love God. There are examples of practitioners in different traditions who have developed love for God, so why all this effort, why all this sacrifice, specifically for Krishna consciousness?” The real reason is to give this love of Krishna in Vrindavan, especially in the mood of separation. This love is not available anywhere else. Although on the absolute platform all love of God is transcendental—even the love of the servants of Lord Narayana who worship Him in opulence in Vaikuntha—the greatest ecstasy is experienced in the pure love (kevala-bhakti) of Vrindavan, which is incomparable. Therefore, although this love is very confidential, Srila Prabhupada exerted this superhuman effort to induce the fallen souls to take to Krishna consciousness, so that ultimately they—we—could receive this most valuable, priceless, precious treasure. And all this is coming to us through disciplic succession by the grace of Sri Madhavendra Puri, whose disappearance day is today.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Madhavendra Puri’s disappearance day, March 18, 2008, Houston]

 

 

By Dandavats Staff Writer

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The post Is the spiritual master an eternally liberated soul or a soul who has become purified by spiritual practice? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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A rich tapestry of spiritual insights and community events. It features enlightening Srimad Bhagavatam lectures and celebrates the revered Madhavendra Puri's disappearance. Glimpses of the Navadwip Mandal Parikrama, the India Today Conclave, and the Rishikesh Kirtan Fest are shared, alongside the serene beauty of Krishna-Valley and the joyous Harinama in Nepal, creating an uplifting and engaging experience.. Continue reading "Enlightenment & Celebration: Discover Spiritual Wisdom, Festive Events, and Sacred Journeys Today! March 9
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By Sukanti Rãdhã devi dasi TOVP EU Fundraising Coordinator Dear devotees, we are thrilled to announce the upcoming TOVP (Temple of Vedic Planetarium) Marathon 2025 Euro Tour, a journey of devotion, unity, and service! .. Dates and Locations: – Sweden: April 10-12 & 16 (Stockholm & Goteborg) – Germany: April 20-24 (Lielberg & Cologne) –
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Before Lord Caitanya appeared He sent His eternal associates like Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Jagannatha Misra, Saci Mata, Madhavendra Puri, Isvari Puri to earth. Sri Madhavendra Puri took initiation from Sri Laksmipati Tirtha in the Madhvacarya sampradaya. 

He had many but Sri Advaita Acarya and Sri Isvara Puri were the chief disciples of Madhavendra Puri. In one way or another, all the Vaisnavas in Bengal and Ksetra mandala (Jagan­natha Puri) were connected with Sri Madhavendra Puri. After Lord Caitanya came many of his disciples joined Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana movement. 

 “Madhavendra Puri’s body was completely full of divine love; so were his followers. He displayed uncommon love of God. Seeing a dark blue rain cloud, he would fall down unconscious. Day and night he was intoxicated from drinking the ambrosia of Krishna prema.” (Vrndavana Dasa Thakura)

 After making an extensive pilgrimage of Bharata-bhumi (India) he passed his life in Vrndavana and Orissa. He began the restoration work of Vrndavana that Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gos-vamis continued later. Wandering from grove to grove, remembering Radha-Krishna’s sweet Vrndavana pastimes, Madhavendra Puri would faint in ecstasy.

In a dream, Sri Gopala ordered Madhavendra Puri to uncover a buried Gopala Deity and install Him atop Govardhana Hill. Madhavendra Puri celebrated Gopala’s installation with an annakuta (grand festival offering a mountain of foodstuffs to Krishna). This Annakuta festival, also called Govardhana Puja, is one of the most important Vaisnava festivals in Vrndavana, in India, and around the world. The original Gopala Deity, known as Sri Nathaji, is now worshiped in Nathadvara, Rajasthan. 

Madhavendra Puri introduced the conception of madhurya bhava (conjugal love) in the Madhvacarya sampradaya. Mad­havendra Puri sowed the seed of prema bhakti. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became the towering tree dropping honey sweet fruits of prema upon everyone. He also revealed viraha bhava, the mood of love relished in separation from God. His branch of the Madhva sect distinguished itself by this ecstatic love of God. It is known as the Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya.

Madhavendra Puri passed away in Remuna in the year 1490, his Samadhi and sandals are still worshiped there. It is a place of pilgrimage for many Vaishnavas.