Vol. 3 March Issue

Glories of Gaura Purnima HH Jayaptaka Swami Paramananda madhavam sri caitanya he saw a radiant light come on his head to his isvaram. The situation in Navadvip and the heart and cross over to the heart of Saci-mata whole of India that time was that people were and go into her womb. So he told her about religious but they were not spiritual. They his dream. He thought, “A great soul will be were religious just to show on the outside but born to us.” And then she became pregnant. actually they did not know the purpose of Everybody changed. They started treating religion. People spent a lot to marry off their Jagannath Misra with so much respect and daughter, to put on a big show to show that they they gave him donations. He was a poor were very religious. One such wealthy had no brahmana and so doing his duties he barely more daughters to marry off then he married made ends meet. But now he was getting things a female cat or a female dog or some demigod. were made of gold and silver. He was amazed So this was not even in scripture. Marriage is at what happened. “It was like the goddess of for human beings. Like that they were doing fortune was living in my house.” all sorts of bogus religious activities just to Meanwhile the devas knew the Supreme show off. Lord was going to make His appearance and Srila Prabhupada’s The Vaisnavas were seeing how the people so they came and offered their prayers to Lord were wasting their valuable human life and Caitanya in the womb of Mother Saci. They Bhajan Kutir Chandan Batia nobody was taking up the process of bhagavat- prayed that, “You are going to give out love of dharma. At that time Sitanath Advaita Gosai Krishna freely to all the conditioned souls. So On the left, just inside the main gate of Sri was feeling very concerned about how to we are Your devotees in the heavenly planets, the Chandrodaya Mandir (ISKCON Mayapur), is the straw hut deliver the fallen souls. So He decided to devas and we need Your mercy more. We don’t where Srila Prabhupada stayed in from 1972 to 1976 while the Contents do a special fast and yajna to bring the Lord have material problems because in heavenly first main buildings were being built. Srila Prabhupada first down. Since He was an avatara of Maha Visnu planets there is a very comfortable lifestyle but lived in a small hut near the campus’s main gate. That was the Glories of Gaura therefore His name was Advaita. So He is non- we have two problems. One problem is that first structure built in ISKCON Sri Mayapur. It is still being different from Krishna. So He said, “Since I sometimes the daityas, the asuras attack us and Purnima maintained today according to Srila Prabhupada’s desire. He am non-different I will bring Him down. He we have to fight against them risking our lives. instructed devotees to perform Harinama Kirtan 24-hours a Pages 1,2,3 must come also.” Secondly we are so comfortable that we forget day throughout the year in Sri Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada’s hut So He began fasting and He was worshipping to worship You. Therefore we live in a kind of became the place of nonstop Harinama Kirtan in 1990 during Srila Prabhupada’s His saligram sila. By the way they say that sense gratification and as a result we don’t get Gaura Purnima. saligrama is still in Santipura if you want to see. love of Krishna. So we need Your mercy more. Bhajan Kutir Since then the singing of: So He worshipped the saligram with Ganges We need Your mercy so that we can get love of HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA Pages 1,2 water and Tulasi leaves and manjaris and loud Krishna. So please have mercy on us.” KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE | crying - Govinda, Govinda, Hare Krishna - to Normally the devas would be invisible but HARE RAMA HARE RAMA Vaishnava Events bring the Lord down. His loud cries went all somehow Saci-mata saw their shadows. By RAMA RAMA HARE HARE || Page 2 over the universe. His worship, his fasting! So the will of the Lord they cast some shadows so has continued Non-stop 24-hour despite huge floods during this also reached Lord Caitanya and He agreed she thought a spirit has come so she started to the years 1999, 2000 and 2006. Song of Separation to come down. chant Nrsimha mantras - 16 devotees takes part in this service. There are 8 shifts of 3 At the same time or a similar time Jagannath namas te narasimhaya prahladahlada-dayine Page 3 hrs each. 4 groups of 3 devotees each take part in each shift, Misra and Saci-mata had eight daughters hiranyakasipor vaksah-sila-tanka-nakhalaye once during the day and once at night. The Harinama Sankirtan Prabhupada Speaks but mysteriously each daughter died after [Sri Nrsimha Pranama] department in ISKCON Mayapur is determined to continue this childbirth. Jagannath Misra was very frustrated So the devas thought, “How can she see us? Page 3 24 hour Harinama Kirtan eternally and please Srila Prabhupada so he did a Visnu yajna for a son. Thus he was How does she know we are here? This is all by this service. blessed with a son whom he named Visvarupa. because of the Lord.” So they had to suddenly Kids Word Search On the left side are Sri Sri -Gaurasundara, the beautiful Visvarupa was an expansion of Lord Baladeva. leave. So they thought so many things are Page 3 large neem Deities who travelled throughout India on pada- So he was Sankarsana. He was very powerful. happening. The thirteenth month of her yatra from 1984 to 1986. These Deities also come out in He had prepared the womb to receive Lord pregnancy had come up so Saci-mata went to Festivals at a glance procession on a chariot every Saturday after Sandhya-arati Caitanya. see her father who was Nilambara Cakravati. Page 4 during winter from the beginning of the Kartika (Damodara) Then Jagannath Misra had a dream where Continued on page 2 month till Gaura Purnima. The small neem Deities are Sri Mayapur Sankirtan Sri Nitai-Pada-Kamala. They are the Deities who go out on Page 4 the Ganga for preaching programs in Their boat, also named Pada-kamala. Deity darsana and arati timings are similar to the timings of Sri Sri Radha Madhava and Sri Pancha-Tattva in the Produced and compiled by: main Temple. Mayapur Tourism Department Srila Prabhupada was sent by the Lord to fulfil Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction ‘Prtvithe ache yata nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracara haibe more nama’ - In every town and village of Published by: the world, My name will be heard. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote in his Sajjona-tosani, “Soon there will be a time when the ISKCON Chandrodaya Mandir chanting of Krishna’s name will be heard in England, France, Sri Dham Mayapur Nadia, West Bengal 741313 Russia, Germany and America.” Ph: +91(3472)245-219 His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of International Society for Krishna www.mayapur.com Consciousness (ISKCON), appeared as Abhay Charan De, www.visitmayapur.com in 1896, in Calcutta. He first met his spiritual master, Srila [email protected] Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gaudiya Maths (Vedic institutes), liked “To wander through the nine islands of this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life Sri Navadwipa-dhama is the essence of all Continued on page 2 opulence, the essence of all religious principles, the essence of all bhajana, the essence of all perfections, the essence of all glories and the essence of all kinds of oceans of sweetness” Mayapur Sanga - March Issue Page 1 Srila Prabhupada’s Bhajan Kutir Continued from Page 1 Events to teaching Vedic knowledge. At their first meeting, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta of Lord Sri Krishna with a dormant natural propensity to experience the eternal Sarasvati Thakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedic knowledge bliss of pure love of God. through the English medium. In 1968, Srila Prabhupada created New Vrindavan, an experimental Vedic In 1933, at Allahabad, Srila Prabhupada was formally initiated and made community in the hills of West Virginia. Inspired by the success of New Vrindavan, 1.4.2012 - Sunday it his life ambition to expound the Vedic conclusion that real freedom now a thriving farm community of more than two thousand acres, his students Rama Navami: Appearance of Lord Sri means liberation from the miseries of material life: birth, death, old age and have since founded several similar communities in the United States and abroad. disease, a state that can be permanently attained by awakening one’s pure In 1972, His Divine Grace introduced the Vedic system of primary and secondary Ramacandra (Fasting till sunset) love for God, Krishna-prema or Krishna-. education in the West by founding the Gurukula school in Dallas, Texas. Since In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on then, under his supervision, his disciples have established children’s schools 3.4.2012 - Tuesday the Bhagavad-gita, assisted the in its work and, in 1944, throughout the United States and the rest of the world, with principal educational started Back to Godhead, an English fortnightly magazine. Maintaining centre now located in Vrindavan, India. Fasting for Kamada Ekadasi the publication was a struggle. Single-handedly, Srila Prabhupada edited it, Srila Prabhupada also inspired the construction of several large international typed the manuscripts, checked the galley proofs, and even distributed the cultural centres in India. The centre at Sridham Mayapur in West Bengal is the 4.4.2012 - Wednesday individual copies. The magazine is now being continued by his disciples in site for a planned spiritual city, an ambitious project for which construction Break fast 05:26 - 09:35 the West and is published in over thirty languages. will extend over many years to come. In Vrndavana, India, are the magnificent Damanaka-ropana dvadasi Recognizing Srila Prabhupada’s philosophical learning and devotion, Krishna-Balarama Temple and International Guesthouse, and Srila Prabhupada the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society honored him in 1947 with the title Memorial and Museum. There is also a major cultural and educational centre in “Bhaktivedanta.” In 1950, at the age of 54, Srila Prabhupada retired from Bombay. Srila Prabhupada also started Jagannatha Rathayatra in the West. Today 6.4.2012 - Friday married life, adopting the vanaprastha (retired) order to devote more time Lord Jagannatha Rathayatra is organized in many major cities and towns in more Sri Balarama Rasayatra to his studies and writing. than 165 countries. Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa Srila Prabhupada travelled to the holy city of Vrndavana, where he lived in Srila Prabhupada’s most significant contribution, however, is his books. Highly Sri Vamsivadana Thakura’s Appearance very humble circumstances in the historic medieval temple of Sri Sri Radha- respected by the academic community for their authority, depth and clarity, they damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing. He are used as standard textbooks in numerous college courses. By 1977 when Srila Sri Syamananda Prabhu’s Appearance then accepted the renounced order of life () in 1959. Prabhupada left this world in Vrindavan he had completed over 70 volumes On the order of his spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta of authoritative translations and commentaries including the Bhagavad-gita, 12.4.2012 - Thursday Swami Prabhupada began translating and writing Vedic literature in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Caitanya-Caritamrta and Sri Isopanisad. His writings have Sri Abhirama Thakura’s Disappearance English language to bring the message of Lord Sri Krishna to the Western been translated into over 50 languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), countries. At Sri Sri Radha-damodara Temple, Srila Prabhupada began established in 1972 to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become the work on his life’s masterpiece: a multivolume annotated translation of the world’s largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy. 15.4.2012 - Sunday 18,000 verse Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). He also wrote Easy In just twelve years, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the Srila Vrndavana Dasa Thakura’s Journey to Other Planets. globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. In spite of Disappearance In 1965, at the age of 69, when ordinary persons are thinking of retirement, such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to write prolifically. His he went to the United States to fulfil the mission of his spiritual master. writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and When he first arrived by freighter in New York City, Srila Prabhupada was culture. Bhaktivedanta Vedabase has been created so that this great reservoir of 17.4.2012 - Tuesday practically penniless. Only after almost a year of great difficulty did he knowledge may be preserved and propagated and so that all may take advantage Fasting for Varuthini Ekadasi establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), of the wisdom and association of the pure devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. in July of 1966. Under his careful guidance, the Society has grew within His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is considered as a decade to a worldwide confederation of almost one hundred asramas, world’s foremost spiritual ambassador. It is through his standard of purity, 18.4.2012 - Wednesday schools, temples, institutes and farm communities. unprecedented dedication and genuineness that has instilled the hearts of many Dvadasi Break fast 05:13 - 06:36 He brought to the West the divine teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya millions throughout the world with Krishna-bhakti. Mahaprabhu who taught the public glorification of the Hare Krishna maha- Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya! 21.4.2012 - Saturday mantra. Srila Prabhupada taught that every living being is an eternal servant Sri Gadadhara Pandit’s Appearance

24.4.2012 - Tuesday Aksaya Trtiya. Candana Yatra starts. (Continues for 21 days)

30.4.2012 - Monday Srimati Sita Devi’s Appearance Sri Madhu Pandit’s Disappearance Srimati Jahnava Devi’s Appearance

påthak satreëa vä mahyaà parva-yäträ-mahotsavän kärayed géta-nåtyädyair mahäräja-vibhütibhiù

Either alone or in public gatherings, with singing, dancing and other exhibitions of royal opulence, one should arrange to celebrate those holy days, ceremonies and festivals set aside specially for My worship. - SB 11.29.11 Glories of Gaura Purnima Continued from Page 1 He was a famous astrologer. So they asked him when the child would be got the nickname Nimai. A neem tree was considered very auspicious because it born. He said that He will be born this month at an auspicious time. So He would keep away all the evil spirits, ghosts etc. was born on a full moon day. That day was a lunar eclipse. Since He is like a At that time the village ladies came to visit to see the newborn baby. He was moon and is unblemished why would He need in the material moon which golden in color. Taking the opportunity the heavenly devas descended from the is full of marks? heavenly planets and went along with the local residents to see the baby whom So the moon was covered by Rahu and because of the lunar eclipse at that they knew to be an avatara of Lord Krishna. Mother Saci saw these beautiful ladies time all the Hindus went into the water of the Ganges and they thought it and wondered where they were all coming from. She did not know that some were was pure to chant. Otherwise they wouldn’t chant the holy names aloud. But devas and some were from other planets. At that time it was all the auspicious - in the water they chanted - Govinda, Govinda. Haribol. Haribol, Haribol. simha, lagna, rasi - all the auspicious stars and astrological influences were there. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, All the planets lined up just to please the Lord. Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So Srivas was hearing the loud chanting of the On this day actually when the Ganges was brought down by Bhagirath had faced holy names and he said to his sons, “Why do they say this is an inauspicious a lot of different problems. One problem was with Jahnu Muni. Jahnu Muni drank day? Listen how everyone is chanting loudly the holy names. This is very the Ganges. That problem was solved and Jahnu Muni re manifested the Ganges auspicious.” The Muslims heard the Hindus chanting and they were making but the Ganges stopped outside the birthplace of Lord Caitanya and Bhaghirath fun, mocking the sinful Hindus - Haribol, Hare Rama hahahaha, Hare was crying, “Why you are stopping?” And she said, “It will soon be Gaura-purnima Krishna, hahahaha. So somehow or the other everybody was chanting and I want to be here on that day so that I can get the special blessings then I will Haribol, Haribol, Haribol Hare Krishna. go with you down to Sindh.” At that auspicious time Lord Caitanya appeared at the sunset and So today is also called the Ganganagar(?) day. The day of Lord Hanuman moonrise. Then even though they did not know why all the devotees began spreading love of Krishna along the Ganges. On this day many devotees like to take to dance. They felt so happy. Haridasa Thakura, Advaita Gosai, Srivas and their bath. If you go in the morning you will get covered with colors. If you go in everybody were dancing [Sings] Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare the afternoon it should be okay. But you must go in a group. If you are swimming Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. At that time as was please be very careful. Just dip and out or take some water. customary Saci-mata was outside the house in a little cottage built under In any case this is a very auspicious day. Lord Krishna although He appeared the neem tree. So Lord Caitanya was born under a neem tree. Therefore He came in Kali-yuga as a devotee. He did not broadcast that he was the Lord. A

Mayapur Sanga - March Issue Page 2 Glories of Gaura Purnima Continued from Page 2 few times to some individuals, to Advaita Gosai He showed who He was. that anyone who is not born brahmana, even if they are born brahmanas but Otherwise he would not allow anyone to break the protocol that He was a have some lack in them are not bona fide. So they basically said that such great devotee because that was His lila. As a result many people don’t understand acaryas like Sanatan Goswami, , Narottama Syamananda and so how Lord Caitanya is actually an avatara. But if you see in the various many others are all unbona fide. They are only bona fide. So Bhaktisiddhanta scriptures He was predicted - that the Lord would come in Navadvip, He Sarasvati Thakura had to go andcall a big meeting and then he said how a will be the son of Saci who will live for 24 years as a grhasta and 24 years Vaishnava has all the qualifications of a brahmana and more. as a sannyasi. All these things are predicted. So He matches up. He also did So these caste brahamanas came together and they said Lord Caitanya is not an activities which no ordinary person could do. Also His symptoms matched avatara. They claimed to be Lord Caitanya’s descendants. Then Bhaktisiddhanta with the prediction. So these are the three things how to confirm an avatara. said from the Vedas and the Puranas how Lord Caitanya was predicted. Thus In two hundred years His movement was covering the whole of the eastern he established lord Caitanya to be actually Krishna avatara. After that these India. It was affected. But somehow there was an influence of sahajyaism caste brahmanas were defeated. that ...His movement. People thought that just by imagining they could be So Prabhupada was able to initiate devotees all over the world as brahmanas, considered as a sakhi or some great devotee rather than try to please Krishna, as Vaisnavas because of the work done by our previous acaryas. We have now Song of try to serve Krishna, try to do what Krishna wants. Then Krishna will the great duty to keep up the fight. Our duty is to establish Lord Caitanya in His automatically recognise the devotee. Instead they just imagined that I could rightful position as Krishna Himself who came as a devotee to give freely love Separation be whatever I want without doing any real service or sadhana. This was due of Krishna, to show how to be a devotee and for some internal reasons. So this Unknown Poet to the whole influence of the Daityas. They teamed up with Kali to get the ... is our duty. Once Prabhupada said: work now samadhi later. O Murari! O the One Who roams in So our great acaryas like Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhakti Siddhanta I went to Srila Prabhupada when I became a devotee. I called my parents Sarasvati Thakura had to fight to re-establish Vaisnavism where it belongs. and I though they will be very pleased. I called them and told them, “Now I gardens! O Friend of hapless people! In the time of Bhaktivinoda Thakura there were 30 apasampradayas. He sang am a devotee and i have all these high moral standards.” My father said, “I am O Madhav! O slayer of Madhu! O about them: aula, baula, kartabhaja, prakrta-sahajiya, sakhi-bheki, jati-gosai, disowning you. I am turning your name over to the American army. You have desirable one! O Keshav! O Ocean gaura-nagari. All those sampradayas are still there but they are not as strong to fight in the Vietnam.” I went to Prabhupada and said, “What shall I do? My as they used to be. father wants to turn me over to the army.” He said, “Better you fight in Krishna’s of mercy! Come close.||1|| One time one of our friends, an editor of a paper had his office and residence ar my.” in Navadvip brought over one sadhu. She was wearing a sari. I thought this So I joined Krishna’s army. [Applause] So we need a lot of soldiers in an Hundreds of shiny bumble-bees are was a chaste lady. She turned around and revealed she was a sakhi bheki. That army. I am old now but still I am trying with my last breath to do something for continuously buzzing in the gardens means a man who is dressed like a lady. The mood was like a sakhi. He wants Srila Prabhupada. All of you can please do something to spread this movement. to experience what it feels like to be a manjari by dressing like one externally. The next thing I like to say he is a very good warrior - Sivarama Maharaj. The of Raas. O non-dual path follower! Prabhupada was saying how Bhaktisiddhanta fought to establish Krishna parliament n has declared Iskcon as a bona fide religion. All glories Come close. We all are craving for consciousness and to take away the dominion of the caste brahmanas who to HH Sivarama Swami and the Hungarian devotees. [Applause] Kirtan or any the sight of You, O Madhusudan, were controlling the whole thing. So these caste brahmanas the deferred questions? We have a few minutes for questions. the quiet one!||2|| Srila Prabhupada Speaks The throne of flowers made in the “As far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, the garden is empty; the sport at the mahatmas are the pure devotees who are side of Kadamb tree is missing too. on the path to Vaikuntha, the kingdom The river Yamuna is consistently of God, and who always chant and hear flowing with the rhythm of her the glories of the Lord rather than talk waves imitating a cry; even she is of dry, profitless philosophy. This system missing Your presence.||3|| of association has been recommended since time immemorial, but in this age O the One who holds a new lotus! of quarrel and hypocrisy it is especially O Shyam! O Beautiful! O Moon recommended by Lord Sri Caitanya faced and flower bodied! O the Mahaprabhu. Even if one has no assets ruler of our hearts! O the One of favorable austerity, if he nevertheless who held Govardhan Mountain! O takes shelter of the mahatmas, who are cow rearer of Vrindavan! O Flute engaged in chanting and hearing the holder! O Supreme God! O enticer glories of the Lord, he is sure to make of Radha! O Slayer of Kamsa! O progress on the path back home, back to Complete one! I am bowing into Godhead” - SB 3.7.20 Purport Your feet which is the shelter of the unsheltered! O Janardan! O the One who is adorned with yellow Find the six senses and four realities of life. robes! Come close to me in this We are bound to this material world by our six garden.||4-5|| senses and we are subjected to the four realities of this material world. Try to find these 10 items within this months word search. Last month we found many of Krishna’s qualities.

Answers to last months word search:

Strong, Fluent, Truthful, Clever, Learned, Genius, Artistic, Gentle, Grateful

Mayapur Sanga - March Issue Page 3 Festivals at a Glance

Mayapur Sankirtan OFFERING TO SRILA PRABHUPADA During the months of December 2011 and January 2012

Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir has reported distributing the following Gaura Purnima number of books:

143,969 Maha-big books 11,944 Big books 64,114 Medium books 141,923 Small books 1,940 Full sets 362,000 Total literatures

A combined total of 123 temples reported distributing the following number of books:

1,614,602 Maha-big books 137,810 Big books 272,112 Medium books 759,241 Small books 120,203 Magazines 8,059 BTG subscriptions 3,380 Full sets Nityananda Trayodasi Sri Srivas Pandit’s Appearance Gaura Purnima Ganga Puja 2,952,322 Total literatures

7,550,587 literatures year-to-date 487,637,433 literatures worldwide since 1965 All glories to the san-kirtan devotees! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

“This is the sum and substance of Lord Caitanya’s saìkértana movement. There is no distinction made between those who are fit and those who are not fit to hear or take part in the saìkértana movement. Kirtan Mela Navadwip Mandal Parikrama It should therefore be preached without discrimination. The only purpose of the preachers of the saìkértana movement must be to go on preaching without restriction. That is the way in which Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu introduced this saìkértana movement to the world.” Cc. Ädi 9.29

Navadwip Mandal Parikrama Varaha Dvadasi Nityananda Trayodasi

Gaura Purnima Maha Shivaratri Swing Festival

Mayapur Sanga - March Issue Page 4