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.28 February 2021 DHARMA President & Acharaya His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Goswami Maharaja In this issue: About Lord Caitanya and Caitanya Bhagavt 2 Srila Narottam Das Thakur’s Devotion 5 Glories of Maghi Purnima 6 Srila Narottam Das Thakur – An Inspiration 7 Selected Instructions of Srila Prabhupada 8 Schedule of Gaura Purnima celebrations March 2021 9 We are so fortunate to have received this rare human form, yet, many people don’t value this precious gift. They are busy serving their seses constantly. One must serve the son of Saci, Lord Caitanya and always remember Him through the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra till the last breath, thereby achieve the highest perfection of this human form of life. In the Service of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Mission, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Goswami Maharaja President, Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 2 ABOUT LORD CAITANYA AND The Supreme Lord instructed everyone to CAITANYA BHAGAVT hear and chant Krishna Nama, the Mahamantra with joy and devotion. by Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Gosvami Hare Krñëa Hare Krñëa Krñëa Krñëa Hare Hare Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma Räma Hare Hare Thakur The Supreme Lord said, “I have given you Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Thakur the Mahamantra. Now, go and chant this and wrote the following in the introduction of Sri you shall attain all perfection. Chant this Chaitanya Bhagavat published by Sri Mahamantra all the time; there are no fixed Chaitanya Gaudiya Math: rules and regulations in this regard.” (CB Madhya 23.95-78). The one and only object of worship in the Kali-yuga is Lord Krishna in the mood and Mahaprabhu then gave the flower garlands complexion of Sri Radha. In other words, His from His own neck to everyone, and inside is dark in color (Krishna) and His instructed them, “Go and sing the name of outside is golden (Gaura). The Supreme Sri Krishna. Chant the name of Krishna, serve Lord Gaurasundara is the combined form of Krishna, and sing the names of Krishna. Do Sri Radha Madhava. The main way of not think of anything other than Krishna. If worshiping Him is through chanting the everyone has love for Me, then do not sing mantra consisting of 16 names and 32 anything other than the names of Krishna. syllables. The chanting of the Holy Names is Think of Krishna and chant His names while the means of salvation in the Kali-yuga. For lying down, while eating, and while awake. this reason, Sri Sacinandana descended to (CB Madhya 28.25-28). this world. It is explained in the sahasranäma stotra Lord Gauracandra descended for promoting (verse 75) of the Mahabharata that Lord the congregational chanting of the Holy Vishnu will take sannyasa, be free from Names. This is explained in the Bhagavatam material attachments, will be exclusively and is the essence of all truths. absorbed in love for Krishna, and resolutely fixed in the great sacrifice of chanting the During Dvapara Yuga, people worshiped names of Hari. He will be opposed to the the Supreme Lord in temples, to achieve self- misconceptions of the impersonalist realization. The Supreme Lord is worshiped philosophers and will always be feeling by various scriptural instructions in the Kali ecstatic devotional sentiments. Yuga as well. In Kali Yuga, the Supreme Lord descends with a fair complexion and is Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur has explained worshiped by intelligent people through the that Veda Vyasa described that the Lord will chanting of His holy Names. He is descend in the form of a sannyasi. The entire accompanied by His associates, the panca- community of vaishnavas knows that the tattva, in this incarnation. (SB 11.5.31-32) infallible words of Veda Vyasa came true in the form of the appearance of the brahmin, The infallible process of salvation in this age Lord Visvambhara, Sri Chaitanya of Kali Yuga is the congregational chanting Mahaprabhu. (CB Madhya 28. 166-167). of the Holy Names. This was broadcast by the Lord in His form of Chaitanya Narayana. In Vrindavan Das Thakur’s description of In order to establish the process of Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa life, he says that congregational chanting, the Supreme Lord Mahaprabhu was often totally unstable, appeared along with all His associates. (CB relishing the nectar of divine love. He was Antya 2.22-27). Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 3 always overcome with divine ecstasy; He Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur has written, “On was crying, and His body trembled. He was the day of uttaräyana-sankrama, in this state sometimes during the day, and Mahaprabhu will ascertain that He will take sometimes at night. Feeling divine sannyasa.” (CB Madhya 18.9). inspiration and detachment from the world, Mahaprabhu’s shaved His head clean while Sankrama is when the sun enters the He was in a state of divine ecstasy, following beginning of a räçi. When the Sun enters the tradition of the renounced order of life. Karkat räçi. (Cancer) it is known as Subsequently, after taking a bath in the daksinäyana. When the Sun enters Makar Ganga, Mahaprabhu went to Srila Kesava räçi (Capricorn), it is known as Uttarayana. Bharati, His guru. Mahaprabhu said, “I saw a In every solar year, there is one day when great personality in my dream. He gave me the Sun enters daksinäyana and one day the sannyasa mantra in my ear. See what it when it enters into uttaräyana. The day is.” In this way, He told the mantra in the ear when the Sun goes from Dhanu räçi. of Kesava Bharati and made him His disciple. (Sagittarius) to Makar räçi is known as the Great wonder came in the mind of Kesava uttaräyana sankrama.” Bharati, who said, “This is the great Mahamantra; what is unknown to You?” Sri Gaurasundar made His desire of taking According to the instruction of Mahaprabhu, sannyasa known to Sri Sri Nityananda Kesava Bharati then told the mantra to Prabhu, Srila Gadadhar Pandit Gosvami, Mahaprabhu. Then the four directions filled Srila Chandrasekhara Acharya, Srila with the sound of the Holy Names as Mukunda Datta and Srila Brahmananda Mahaprabhu took sannyasa. (CB Madhya Bharati at Chandrasekhara Acharya’s house 28.155-160). in Sridham Mayapur. It was in this very place that the Chaitanya Math was established in In this way, Sriman Mahaprabhu wore the 1918, and where Srila Prabhupada took reddish garments of a renunciate, holding a sannyasa following in the footsteps of the staff in His hand. Srila Kesava Bharati Avanti Brahmin, as described in the Srimad thought what name could be given for Bhagavatam (canto 11, chapter 23). Such Mahaprabhu. Although He would have the vaishnava sannyasa is present in southern title Bharati as He was Kesava Bharati’s India’s Ramanuja Sampradaya to this day. disciple, it was still not necessarily applicable to Him. The goddess, Suddha Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami has described Sarasvati appeared on Kesava Bharati’s in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa that he is the tongue and said, “You made the world say, disciple of Prabodhananda Saraswati who is ‘Krishna’ and thus, awakened a tridandi sannyasi in the Ramanuja line. Srila consciousness. Thus, Your name will be Sri Sanatana Goswami has written his Krishna Caitanya since, the whole world commentary, the Digdarsini Tika to this became fortunate because of You.” book, Hari Bhakti Vilasa. Vaishnavas from all four directions filled the atmosphere with the Holy Names and Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati was the chanting the glories of Mahaprabhu. uncle of Gopala Bhatta; he was the elder brother of Gopala Bhatta’s father, Venkata Srila Kaviraja Goswami has written, “At the Bhatta of Sri Rangakshetra. Some people, out end of His 24 years of age in the month of of ignorance, think of him to be Kashi’s Magh during the waxing moon phase, Prakasananda Saraswati. This cannot be Mahaprabhu took sannyasa.” (CC Madhya true. How can he who was a Sannyasi in the 3.3). Ramanuja line two years earlier become Kashi’s Mayavadi sannyasi Prakashananda Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 4 Saraswati? This cannot be correct logically or so eager to hear the last pastimes of historically. Mahaprabhu and after getting the agya mala from Sri Sri Radha Madangopal, Krishnadas Vrindavan Das Thakur has explained how Kaviraj Goswami began writing the Caitanya Mahaprabhu told the great devotee Murari Caritamrta. He described Vrindavan Das as Gupta that Mayavada, the false conception the Vyasa of Caitanya Lila. that God and the infinitesimal individual soul are one and the same is a totally wrong Vrindavan Das Thakur first glorifies the philosophy that is opposed to the devotional devotees and says that that is how he knows service of the Lord. Srila Kaviraja Goswami that his writing of the book will be has also explained how Prakashananda successful. (CB Adi 1.10). The mercy of the Saraswati became a devotee by the Lord follows the mercy of the devotees. inconceivable mercy of Mahaprabhu. But neither Kaviraja Goswami nor Vrindavan The Supreme Lord says, “One who criticizes Das Thakur have explained that Gopal My devotees but worships Me and takes My Bhatta’s guru, the author of Sri Caitanya Name will have to face obstacles. Those who Candramrta and Sri Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi, love My devotees will surely attain Me.” and Prakashananda Saraswati are one and Those who do not worship the devotees of the same.