19830920 Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Ki Jai @ Atlanta, USA

19830920-Srila-Bhaktivinoda-Thakura-Ki-Jaya-Atlanta-Literal-Version

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami on September 20th, 1983 in Atlanta Georgia. The lecture is about Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Jayapataka Swami:

"Regarding Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he was trying to always obtain a transfer near to Navadvipa Mayapur, Then to his great rejoice, he obtained the transfer to Krishnanagara, 25 miles from Navadvipa Mayapur. One station at a place near Navadvipa, he did not let a single free moment passed without visiting the land of Navadvipa. He had once made enquiries about the exact whereabouts of the different places of Lord Caitanya’s past times. He soon discovered that the then city of Navadvipa was a town of only 100 years standing. So he was curious to locate actual birth place of Lord Caitanya. He was convinced that the town of Navadvipa was not the authentic location. He had once commenced a vigorous enquiry to find the truth of the matter but he could not easily escape from the people who tried to believe that the birth place of Caitanya was in that town. Then after, careful enquiry, he was told that the site was lost under the shifting course of the Ganges. Not satisfied by with this explanation, he himself set out to discover the yoga-pitha, birthplace.

After great difficulties, he came to know of a place, which was being adored by many realized souls as a true birth place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and which was then in the possession of Mohamadans. Local enquiry and collaborative evidence from ancient maps, of the later part of the 18th century showed the name Sri Mayapura. At last help him to discover the real site of the birthplace. The discovery led to the publishing of a valuable book, book called Navadveep mahatmya. Chapter 5 of this book is appeared in ISKCON's Bengali back to god head magazine.

[aside]

I'm translating this.

The year 1895 is the most eventful in the history of Vaishnava world, and Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the prime mover of the event. It was in this year, he officially memorialized the birth site of Sri Caitanya and brought its true identity and importance before the public eye. Thousands of visitors were present at a function held at this spot." Then it describes how Bhaktivinoda Thakura used to go door to door raising subscriptions to build a Gaura Vishnu Priya temple in Mayapur. "The work of preaching the holy name was also in full swing and it spread fast in to the distant corners of the globe. The Gauranga smarana mangala stotra was the ….. in English containing the life and precepts of Sri Caitanya, came out of Bhaktivinoda's pen soon after the discovery of lord Caitanya’s birth place, and found its place in all the learned institutes of both hemispheres. The more the names of lord Caitanya/ lord Krishna were preached the merrier was Thakur Bhaktivinoda. He thereafter made annotations of Sri Bhrahma Samhita, Sri Krishna Karunamrita and gave to the world, this immortal and precious work, Sri Harinama Cintamani, and Bajana Rahasya."

Many books, there in addition over a hundred.

"It was in the beginning of the 20th century that he chose to live at Puri and build the house on a beach front there. Many honest souls have thought that his blessings are rarely obtained when he accepted the renounced order of life. Though he was leading the life of a renounced soul, he could not avoid the men of all description who constantly visited him. All of them received oceans of spiritual training, instructions and blessing. In I910, he shut himself up and remained in a perfect stage of samadhi or full concentration on eternal pastimes of the Lord."

We have that place where they mentioned, he spent his last time in Puri, just next to the Samadhi of Haridasa Thakura. Tomorrow is the disappearance day of Haridasa Thakura.

Question: (inaudible) what is that book called?

Jayapataka Swami: Caitanya Bhagavata

Question: That's Vrindavana dasa Thakura?

Jayapataka Swami: Yes. It was rebound by Nityananda Prabhu. It was falling apart due to reading, travelling. Pocket book. (laughter)

Question: You're translating it?

Jayapataka Swami: Later.

Response: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Krishna Willing. I'd like to, sometime. You all get Atlanta in the fire of preaching.

Devotees: (laughter) Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Then I'll have more time to sit here and translate. What happened to our (inaudible)

Reply: (inaudible)

Jayapataka Swami: Diane is on sankirtana, too?

Reply: No, she had (inaudible) She said she would come.

Jayapataka Swami: Janet and (inaudible) went out on sankirtana.

Yes?

This is about the early life of Lord Caitanya, the Adi, Madhya and Antya-lila. Adi-lila means up to the point where Lord Caitanya manifested His ecstasies. Madhya-lila is in Navadvipa, up to the point He took sannyasa, and Antya-lila, which is very short is His whole sannyasa lila. So, just like in the Caitanya-caritamrta, in the Adi-lila, what is here... Adi and Madhya is all fit within Adi-lila, and it doesn't cover much about Lord Caitanya's latter life, in here. So that's covered in Caitanya-caritamrta. The Caitanya-caritamrta is more philosophical. This is a little more pastimes, but the purports are quite philosophical but the verses themselves...

Question: (inaudible) Who's writing the purports, Bhaktisiddhanta?

Jayapataka Swami: Bhaktisiddhanta. Part of it was by Bhaktivinoda. (Bengali) Yes, it just mentions, "Written by Vrindavana dasa Thakura and explained by Bhaktisiddhanta. I've heard the purport... the introductions of each chapter were written by Bhaktivinoda, but I may be mistaken. It doesn't look like. Why? What would you like to hear?

Devotee: (inaudible)

Jayapataka Swami: When you read it like that, it's a bit slow. You know, like if you read Caitanya-caritamrta, each verse, long purport. To get a whole pastime, you have to read a chapter, so that way, just to take it at random... I'd normally read the whole chapter and tell the pastime. (laughter) How's our friend doing?

Reply: Everything's going fine.

Jayapataka Swami: Chanting Hare Krishna? You're still jolly? (laughter)

Reply: (inaudible) I'm always happy!

Jayapataka Swami: We want you should always stay happy. That's possible by chanting Hare Krishna. Tell us the pastime about how Lord Nityananda left His house.

āilā sannyāsi-sthāne nityānanda-pitānyāsīre

dilena putra, noiyā māthā

nityānanda saṅge calilena nyāsi-vara

hena mate nityānanda chāḍilena ghara

Nityananda's father took Lord Nityananda to the sannyasi, gave his son to the sannyasi. Nityananda went with that sannyasi. At that time... in that way Lord Nityananda left His house.

nityānanda gele mātra hāḍāi paṇḍita

bhumite paḍilā vipra haiyā mūrchita

As soon as Lord Nityananda left his house, immediately Hadai Pandita fell to the ground, unconscious.

se vilāpa krandana kariba kon jane?

vidare pāṣāṇa kāṣṭha tāhāra śravaṇe

How we was lamenting and crying, who can express that? It was so intense that even a person made out of wood would melt or burn, just by hearing it.

Devotee: Hare Krishna. (laughter) (inaudible)

Jayapataka Swami: Who?

Reply: (inaudible)

Jayapataka Swami: Lord Nityananda went with a sannyasi.

Reply: He didn't take sannyasa.

Jayapataka Swami: When He was twelve. Sannyasi came to His father's house, and father recieved him, requested he stay overnight, they discussed about Krishna katha late into the night. Then the next morning he gave him... requested him to take a little prasada before he goes, then they ask if there's anything he'd like. (laughter) and he said that, "There's just one thing, but I don't know if I should ask."

"No no. WHatever you want, just ask."

"Are you sure you want to give?"

Like that the sannyasi kept apologizing, and he said, "No please you must tell us whatever you want." "Give me your son." (laughter) "Give me Nityananda."

Actually, Hadai Pandita, to give Nityananda meant it took his life because Nityananda was worth more than his life, but he was afraid that, "If I don't give, then I'll teach my son to lie. That might... as a brahmana (inaudible) so he ended up giving also out of attachment to Lord Nityananda.

How was sankirtana?

Reply: (inaudible)

Devotee: (inaudible) ...last time when you gave class you said we should at least do it in the mood of our own purification. (inaudible)

Jayapataka Swami: Try and also take every opportunity to preach. Krishna may give us so many opporuntities. We can't let anything pass us by as much as possible.

Are there any questions?

Not many questions tonight.

Devotee: I was going to ask for some Prabhupada nectar. Tell us stories about Prabhupada.

Jayapataka Swami: Of course, today is Bhaktivinoda Thakura's appearance day. We should have Bhaktivinoda nectar. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he would... in his writings, we find in his informal newspaper... He had two newspapers: one like ISKCON World Review, which he would write down all the news about the preaching, and the other newspaper which was less secretly printed, which was just for devotees, discussing philosophical subject matters, which had a relation to the preaching.

So one time Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he was going on Namahatta preaching program and he went from one village to the next, to the next, like that, bringing his party of sankirtana harinama chanters, and he wrote that how he went by a primary school, and all the kids were sitting there with their slates and their chalks and they were, "A, B, C, D," Bengali, "uh, ah, oo, ooo, i, ee" The Bengali alphabet Bangali, "oo, ooo, i, ee." kind of funny. (laughter) (inaudible) You see... doing all the academic studies, so when Bhaktivinoda Thakura went by... when the sankirtana party went by, then he saw that all the children jumped up from their studies and looked. They all ran out, running to join the sankirtana.

When Bhaktivinoda Thakura saw their spontaneous attraction, he was completely overwhelmed with joy and with ecstasy. The simple things like that, Bhaktivinoda Thakura took it very significantly. Here's some schoolchildren, but they were spontaneously attracted to Krishna. There's no difference between Krishna and His holy name. Chanting

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

and Krishna's holy name... and Krishna Himself is non-different. So being spontaneously attracted to the chanting of Hare Krishna is a very good sign. Even the kids... it might've been attributed to so many things, but because it was Krishna, they get the same benefit.

[break]

...that you hear the chanting of Hare Krishna, spontaneously, if anyone's mind is attracted, if they even think something pleasant, then for that they get special benediction.

[break]

...tivinoda Thakura at his house, he made a little hut for Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji to reside. Many devotees have seen that, just by the side of the Samadhi, just a little grass hut, there's still some... like a cave-type setup. Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji used to sit there, and he would take his prasada out of any empty dried human skull.

[aside]

you alright? (laughter)

Reply: I'm just (inaudible) don't worry. No problem.

Jayapataka Swami: You know why he did that?

Reply: I don't know. (laughter)

Jayapataka Swami: Why do you think?

Reply: I'm very happy he did that. Why he eats prasada out a...

Jayapataka Swami: Out of an empty...

Reply: Skull.

Jayapataka Swami: Skull.

Reply: Well I could relate a skull to a lot. A skull is a symbol of a lot. It could be... You could relate it, you know, but I'm not gonna try. I'm gonna let you tell me.

Jayapataka Swami: Actually, it's a type of graphic reminder about the temporal nature of the body, and how actually we're not the body, we're pure spirit soul, and that we're meant to serve Krishna, not to serve the body which is just going to be a skeleton in no time, or ashes, or worms. So Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he liked to discuss Krishna katha, so he would sometimes discuss with Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji.

In his uh, room he had... in 1800's, he had a fan. I don't think electricity was available yet. So the fan in his room was a kerosene fan, run by a flame. It's still there in his room, but... nobody runs it anymore, but it's quite unique. There were a lot of things. Now they don't let the devotees in that room so much because a lot of devotees nipped different things. There are a lot of relics in his room.

So he used to visit all the sacred places of Lord Caitanya's pastimes, and one of his songs, he said, "Just by drinking... when will I be satisfied just drinking the water of the Jalangi, the Sarasvati River going through Mayapura, and taking some simple rice prasadam. When will I see all the residents of the gaura-mandala-bhumi with four arms?" Sometimes uh, Bhaktivinoda Thakura would face certain mental speculators and Mayavadis and he would defeat them very strongly.

With his family... he used to tell them that... his children that, "If you don't... once you grow up and you're self-dependent, you can do what you want, but so long as I'm feeding you, you better do as I say, or otherwise I won't feed you. You have to help me in my service to Krishna." Something like that. I won't say it's an exact quote, but to that effect. He compelled everyone to help him in his translation and printing of all the books of Krishna that he had done. Of course, they all did it out of love.

I remember Srila Prabhupada two or three occasions to the birthplace of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Prabhupada was trying to get that for ISKCON to develop and do some service to Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It's about twenty miles from Mayapura. Birnagar, beautiful place. All around is mango orchards. Bhaktivinoda Thakura said it's an extension of godruma-dvipa, an extension of the land of cows and trees, of Navadvipa. So we're trying. We tried. I haven't been there for over... people ask me to go frequently... occasionally to see if I can help them, to encourage them to let us develop some.

Srila Prabhupada had a bit of an argument with some of the people there who wouldn't develop the place, couldn't develop the place. He had... When Prabhupada offered to develop it, they wouldn't allow, so Prabhupada, one time he was telling different people that, "Isn't it sinful? That here is an important place to be developed for Krishna. You can't do it. You won't do it, and then someone who wants to do it... you can't do it, but someone who wants to do it, you won't allow him to." Subsequently, Prabhupada requested me to donate something there, just as a donation without any conditions. (inaudible) while he was in this world. So, later I gave a donation there and they used it finally. Maybe sometime in the future, we can by Prabhupada's mercy, develop that place also.

Question: It was his own family, or his son (inaudible) acarya?

Jayapataka Swami: A branch. Another sub-branch of the Caitanya tree. From the family of Bhaktivinoda.

Yes?

Question: Bhaktivinoda Thakura had a very large family so (inaudible)

Jayapataka Swami: One was living up to about four, five years ago.

Question: Lalita Prasada?

Jayapataka Swami: But he's no longer (inaudible). Other than that... he was 103, other than that everyone is like nephews and grandnephews, like that. Yadubara said he got some nice photographs of one of their descendants.

Comment: (inaudible) ...Bhaktivinoda Thakura's nephews. They look just like him. Very nice...

Jayapataka Swami: I just gave initiation to Srila Prabhupada's grandniece this Mayapur Festival, gaura... Janmastami. But they don't say... they consider themselves to be granddaughter. Indian families are so close that the brothers live together, and so all the... some of the brothers, they lose track of which is their son. They're all children's.

Question: You gave initiation to a daughter of Prabhupada's...

Jayapataka Swami; His uh... His grandniece. That means his sister's son's daughter.

Question: (inaudible) How come the mouth is so important? I mean, you know, I know it's one of the most powerful things, you know, through time, you know, speaking, I mean, you know, you, course, there's a lot of different you know, religions or whatever revealing, a lot of material things we hear, you know, and I wonder why, why wasn't it (inaudible), why was it even spoken, why was it breathed?

Jayapataka Swami: Well originally the scriptures are spoken by God, so they're considered to be the breath of the Supreme Lord. That's a Vedic truth, so everything is coming from the Vedas. So, that's why the words of the scripture are considered very important in very religion.

Question: So is that why it's so important to watch what you... is said out your mouth?

Jayapataka Swami: Normally try to hear it more than watch it.

Reply: Okay (laughter) I always mess up. But you know what I'm saying. Why it's so important to be wise and pick the words that you use and the things that you say.

Jayapataka Swami: Well, if you chant... if you hear from the right source...

Reply: Right

Jayapataka Swami: ...properly, then you're going to be able to repeat, or speak properly. If you don't hear from the proper source, then even you try to pick out your words and say the right thing, it doesn't... it won't be correct, because the source is not pure. That's why one is recommended not to hear from a non-devotee, but to hear only from the lips of a devotee, about topics about Krishna. To hear the nectar about the Supreme Lord, you should hear from a devotee of Krishna. Then by hearing, you'll be able to repeat and explain, and by chanting, that will purify your mind so you can hear properly. It's a brain tune... tuning into the vibrations.

Question: Try to (inaudible) ...Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Nama-hatta, how he established it...

Jayapataka Swami: How he established it?

Reply: How he described it. (inaudible)

Jayapataka Swami: The center for disseminating Krishna consciousness was considered to be uh, a storefront or a shop, and the big holy place which has so many temples is considered to be a marketplace. Lord Nityananda's considered to be the chief capitalist or (laughter) and His partner or major shareholder, and partner-director is Advaita Gosai. Then He has different assistant directors like Gadadhara, Srivasa, Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami in Vrindavana, Gadadhara and Ramananda Raya in Puri, then Srivasa and others in Navadvipa.

In addition then, he had travelling salesmen, brokers. There were over 20 different posts. Then he had a few extra posts like tailors, laundrymen and barbers. So, the commodity that you could buy in the marketplace of the holy name was love of Krishna, pure chanting of Hare Krishna. To get that, you had to pay the price. The price was not in the form of money, ordinary cash, but the exchange rate was that the currency is in the form of love and faith, sraddha-bhakti, devotion. So, starting with faith as one cent, going up to uh, bhava as 99 cents and with all the other levels inbetween. You make the exchange rate. Sraddha means faith and bhava means ecstatic devotion. There are eight other stages between them. Prema's considered to be a gold coin similar to our krugerand. It's compared to a dollar, the ecstatic devotion.

So Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, "Just like in the marketplace, anybody can buy anything if they have the money. If you have the money you can buy a Rolls Royce in this modern market, so if you have the faith and devotion, no matter what your material situation may be, then you can purchase accordingly, faith, or association of devotees or attachment in devotion, or ecstatic devotion. Depending on how much transcendental money you've accumulated.

So, in this way Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he recognized that when a... in a village there was someone who would make his home into a... or there would be a group that would meet in different people's home, he'd recognize them as a nama-hatta branch, or prapannasrama, and then he told them they should go out every morning with a flag and chant Hare Krishna in at least five people's houses, requesting them, "Dear sir, please (inaudible) Hare Krishna, and lead a holy life." Like that. Five, with a flag. Then coming and doing nagara kirtana, harinama on the street. So in this way...

Question: Nama-hatta flag?

Jayapataka Swami: I haven't followed it. Little flag. You have to go carrying the flags, door to door sankirtana.

Transcribed by Jagannatha dasa Brahmacari


Complete and Continue