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Bhagavata Dharma – the E- Magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 2 All Glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga! Founder Acharaya His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Thakura BHAGAVATA The e-magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Issue No.10 January 2018 DHARMA President & Acharaya His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Goswami Maharaja In this issue: Väsanti-räsa 2 Lord Nityananda’s pastimes with Malini Devi 2 Glories of Srimad Advaita Acharya 3 Ramachandra Kaviraja’s meeting Srinivasa Acharya 6 Glories of Pundarika Vidyanidhi 7 Mahaprabhu’s Meeting King Vibhisana 8 The Birth of Bhakti Creeper 10 Mahaprabhu’s Istruction to Raghunath Das Goswami 11 We often see that we are faced with numerous problems in attempting to reach our material goals. It is the law of nature that sometimes we succeed in achieving our goals, and sometimes we fail. However, it is certain that whenever we take shelter of Supreme Lord wholeheartedly, success is assured. As an example, in the battle of Kurukshetra, outwardly Pandavas seemed less powerful than Kauravas, but Lord Krishna’s support allowed Pandavas to conquer the battle. Therefore, it can be understood that if we surrender wholeheartedly to Lord Krishna in each step of our life, we gradually reach our goals, and attain eternal peace and forever bliss. In the Service of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Mission, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Goswami Maharaja Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 2 VÄSANTI-RÄSA the water of that divine river, there is a beautiful hundred-petal golden lotus. (PASTIMES IN THE SPRING) In the midst of that lotus, there is a golden by Srila Narottama Das Thakura platform surrounded by eight petals. Situated upon those eight petals are the våndāvana ramya-sthāna divya- principal sakhés, headed by Lalita and ciïtämaëi-dhäma ratana-mandira manohara Visakha. On that golden platform, the Divine abåta kälindé-nire rāja-haàsa keli kare Couple sit on a jeweled throne. In the tähe çobhe kanaka-kamala company of Lord Syama, sits the beautiful Radhika. tära madhye hema-péöha añta-dale beñöita The beauty and sweetness of Sri Radha and añta-dale pradhänä näyikä Govinda’s forms during their conversations, tära madhye ratnäsane ba’si ächen dui- which are filled with smiles and laughter, is jane emanating showers of nectar. Narottama çyäma-saïge sundaré rädhikä dasa says, “May these eternal pastimes, filled with transcendental joy be ever manifest in my heart. o-rüpa-läbaëya-raçé Amiya pariche khasi häsya-parihäsa-sambhäñaëe From Prarthana – Songs & Prayers of Loving Devotion by Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura narottama-däsa kaya nitya-lélä sukhs maya sadäi sphurukä mora mane LORD NITYANANDA’S PASTIMES WITH MALINI DEVI by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakura Lord Nityananda was always in the mood of a child while He stayed at the home of Srivasa Pandita. He never displayed any other mood. He would not even eat by himself. Srivasa Pandita’s chaste wife Malini Devi considered Him her son and would feed and serve Him as a mother serves her child. In this way Malini always felt ecstatic in Lord Nityananda's presence. One day a crow came, snatched a brass cup filled with ghee, and flew up on to the trees. When the crow flew out of sight, a great anxiety was born in Malini's heart. Later the The beautiful place known as Vrindavana is crow returned, but Malini saw the cup was a transcendental abode in the spiritual world not in its beak. Malini Devi knew that her and is entirely made of divine touchstones. husband Srivasa Pandita would become There are many beautiful temples made out angry that the cup of ghee, which was meant of jewels, and swans known as rāja-haàsa for Lord Krishna’s puja had been stolen. play in the waters of river Yamuna, which Thus she wept, thinking in her heart that flows through that transcendental land. In there is no solution to this problem. At that Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 3 time Lord Nityananda came and saw Malini and who has the power even to bring souls weeping with tears streaming from her eyes. back from the abode of Lord Yama, what is Smiling, Lord Nityananda compassionately wonderful in taking a cup of ghee back from asked, “Why are you weeping? Tell me what a crow? For Ananta Sesa, who carries the makes you suffer. I will surely destroy/end countless universes on His head, who in His all your sufferings." pastimes is not even aware of the universes' weight on His head, and whose holy name Malini Devi said, “My Lord, please listen. A destroys the material illusion that has no crow stole a cup of ghee and flew away. beginning, what is the glory of bringing a "Lord Nityananda said, “O My Mother, do not cup of ghee back from a crow? For You, who worry. Please wipe away your tears for I will in ancient times were Lakshmana and lived get back your cup.” Smiling, Lord in the forest, who were the guardian always Nityananda said to the crow, “Oh, crow, staying by Sita's side, who only looked at return the cup at once." Sita's feet on the ground, but never at her Lord Nityananda resides in the hearts of all directly, and who with arrows killed living entities so who has the power to Ravana's dynasty, what is glorious about disobey Him? Hearing the Lord's order, the taking back from a crow a cup of ghee? After crow flew away and out of sight. Anxiously understanding Your great power and glory, Malini watched it go. It returned quickly, Yamuna Devi meekly approached Your feet holding the cup in its beak. and set it down and offered prayers. For You, who protect before Malini. Seeing these wonders, Malini the fourteen worlds with Your power, what was overcome with bliss. Knowing well the is the glory in taking back a cup of ghee from power of Lord Nityänanda, she arose and a crow? Still, whatever You do is never small began to pray to Him. or unimportant but always eternal and transcendental. This is declared by the four Vedas." Hearing these prayers, Lord Nityananda smiled and then, resuming His mood of a child, said, “I will now eat." As Malini looked upon Lord Nityananda, milk began to flow from her breasts. From Chaitanya Bhagavata by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakura, translation by Kusakratha Das GLORIES OF SRIMAD ADVAITA ACHARYA By His Divie Grace Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Thakura Advaita-tattva In Caitanya Caritämrita, Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami quotes the following evidence from the diary of Svarupa Damodar “For He who brought His guru's son back to describe the ontological principle of from the dead, who protects all the worlds, Advaita Acharya: Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 4 mahä-viñëur jagat-kartä mäyayä yaù come together as Advaita Acharya. Because såjaty adaù in appearance he has eyes like lotus flowers, tasyävatära eväyam advaitäcärya éçvaraù he also has the name Kamalaksha.” advaitaà hariëädvaitäd äcäryaà bhakti- (Caitanya Caritämrita 1.6.30-31) çäsanät Vrindavan Das Thakur has also described bhaktävatäram éçaà tam advaitäcäryam Advaita as both the foremost of the äçraye Vaishnavas and as Shiva: “Residing in Navadwip is the foremost and the most Maha Vishnu is the master of the universe, fortunate of all Vaishnavas, Sri Advaita which He creates through His power of Acharya. He heads all spiritual masters in Maya. Advaita Acharya is the incarnation of knowledge, devotion and renunciation. He this form of the Supreme Lord. He is known especially teaches devotion to Krishna in the as Advaita because He is none other than same way that Lord Shankara did.” Hari, as Acharya because He is the preceptor (Caitanya Bhägavata 1.2.78-9) of devotion. I take shelter of the Supreme Lord Advaita Acharya, who is the incarnation Advaita’s Appearance of a devotee. (Caitanya Caritämrita 1.1.12- 13) Advaita Acharya appeared in the village of Navagram near the city of Sylhet as the son Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has written, of the Varendra Brahmin Kubera Pandit and “Maya has two functions, and Maha Vishnu his wife Nabha Devi, on the seventh day of appears in two ways according to those the waxing moon in the month of Magh. functions. When He is within the material Kubera Pandit is identified in the Gaura- world as creator, He is the universe’s gaëoddeça-dépikä (91) with the god Kubera, effective cause (nimitta-käraëa) in His form Mahadeva’s friend and leader of the as Vishnu. In the unmanifest material energy Guhyakas. (pradhäna), appearing in the form of Rudra, He has a second identity as Advaita.” Kubera Pandit, a devotee of Lord Narasingha, resided in the village of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Navagram near Sylhet in Bangladesh. He has also written about Advaita Acharya in his was a greatly fortunate follower of the path anubhäñya to Caitanya Caritämrita 1.6.12: of devotion; he knew nothing other than the “Lord Advaita Acharya is Maha Vishnu. He is lotus feet of Krishna. His devoted and the supreme preceptor. Vishnu’s activities faithful wife was named Nabha Devi. She is are auspicious because of his existence as worshipable to the whole world for she is the owner or master of the universe. He is the mother of Advaita Prabhu. the root source of all auspiciousness. (Bhakti-ratnäkara 5.2041-3) Anyone who cannot understand that the complications that are ever present in the On the seventh day of the waxing moon in material universe are beneficial in a way that the month of Magh, the great ocean of joy is pure, eternal, complete and free is overflowed.
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