19810323-Simanta-Dvip-Sri-Jagannath-Mandir-Rajapur-Literal-Version

The following is a Parikrama lecture given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja on March 23rd, 1981 in Rajapura, Sri Navadvipa Dhama, India.

Jayapataka Swami:

[Kirtana]

This is a temple five hundred years old. The building may not be 500 years old but the Deities were self-manifested to a devotee during the presence of Caitanya Mahaprabhu on this planet. And actually it’s described in the Navadwip-mahatmyam by Bhaktivinoda Thakura that this part of Navadwipa dham is non-different from the Jagannatha Puri dhama where Jagannātha is always residing. Jagannātha-deva ki Jāya! Jagannātha Subhadra Balaram ki Jāya!

Many, many thousands of years ago when the demon came by the name of Raktabahu and he liked to tear the arms off brahmanas and suck their blood out of their bodies and he was always bloody so he was also called “bloody-armed” or Raktabahu. So he was to say the least was a man-eater, cannibal rakṣāsa demon.

So the pujaris, they took Jagannatha, they took Him from Jagannātha Puri and brought Him here to Navadvipa dham to hide from the demon. Actually it was a trick by Lord Jagannatha to visit Navadvipa dhama. Sri Navadvipa dhama ki Jāya! So just like Lord Nrsimhadeva when He passed over here, He stopped. Lord Balarāma visited nearby here, just over there behind Nitai-Gaura Deity there is a field called Māyāmārī Māṭha where Lord Balarāma was visiting all the holy places during Kṛṣṇa-līlā. He visited Navadvipa and killed this Māyā demon. So the field is still known as Māyāmārī Māṭha or the field where Balarāma killed the Māyā demon.

Like that all the different incarnations visit holy places when They come especially Vṛndāvana, Navadvipa, Mathurā and Gaura-maṇḍala bhūmi. These transcendental dhams are extensions from the spiritual world. And in the dhāma you find representation of all the holy places. Here you will find Jagannātha Puri, you will find Benares, Kāśī, you will find Haridvāra, you will find all the holy places have there place here also.

So this Jagannātha deity was given to ISKCON to worship several years ago and actually Śrīla Prabhupāda predicted to Śrīla Rameśhvara Swami that in the future ISKCON will have to maintain all of the temples in the holy dhama. Possibly that responsibility will be ours, that if any temple is unmanageable, if they cannot manage it and they request us, and it is some ancient significant temple, that ISKCON would take up that responsibility to preserve the ancient roots and ancient places which are connected with Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Śrīla Prabhupad ki Jāya!

Therefore you preachers from all over the world coming back to your original home here in the holy dhāma to render service to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you can know that this place you are seated right now is the special favorite place to Srimati Rādhārāṇi because here Mother Parvati worshipped her Lord Caitanya and she got the darśana of Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu and having the darshan of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, she took the dust from Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet and put it on her forehead where the women wear the red mark for marriage, she put the dust right at that place which is know as the simanta. So this island of Navadvipa we cross over to a new island. This is the island of Simantadvipa, or where Parvati worshipped Gaurāṅga and she prayed to Gaurāṅga that “You are giving mercy to the whole world, everyone, You are preaching to everyone to stay away from Māyā. So I don’t get association with any of Your devotees. So You are delivering everybody but me, Mayadevi. So when will I get delivered? What is my hope?”

So then Lord Caitanya said that “You are the extension of Rādhārāṇi. You are the shadow of Yogamāyā.” and so He blessed her she could realize this oneness and difference. Normally we realize the difference but then that moment by Kṛṣṇa’s, Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy, she could realize the oneness between herself and Rādhārāṇi, and experience pure Kṛṣṇa-prema of the highest order. So here by worshipping Caitanya Mahāprabhu one can get the special mercy of Srimati Rādhārāṇi.

So I would like to request Śrīla Harikeśa Swami Maharāja Viṣṇupāda to just speak for a few seconds. Hari bol! Devotees: Śrīla Viṣṇupāda ki Jāya!

Harikeśa Swami: At times like this after walking in the hot sun there is so much dust and we are waiting to take prasāda. So a philosophical class is the last thing one wants to hear, (laughing) and I didn’t want to do it. But I was forced by Ācāryapāda. He is very transcendental. I think we should just have a soft kīrtana.

Devotees: Jaya!

Harikeśa Swami: And somebody should go over there and tell them to get prasāda quick!

[“hari haraye namah kṛṣṇa” kīrtana]

Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi Revised by Jagannatha dasa Brahmacari