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Darshan

Appearance day lecture of Advaita Acarya by HH Jayapataka Swami.

So, today is a good day to follow in the footsteps of Krishna Das Kaviraj and take shelter of Advita Gosai who was incarnation of a devotee. Lord Caitanya is devotee, Nityananda is expansion as his devotee, Advaita Acharya is the incarnation of devotee. When Lord comes, he is always supreme personality of God Head. In this Lila He is supreme personality of Godhead, and simunteously He is supreme personality of devotee. He is combined form of Radha and Krishna. He has special power which even Advita Acharya did not have, Advita Acharya could give liberation but to give love of Godhead is bit more difficult which only can Lord Chaitanya can offer.

Advita Gosai appeared 52 years before Lord Caitanya in village North of Sylhet. I know as I went there once by Helicopter and it is on the banks of a sacred river.It is about 3 miles on the border of the India, in the North is Meghalaya, there he was born. His father is Kuvera and Mother Nabha.Somehow by the mercy of Advita Gosai, ISKCON obtained that birth place. We have a temple there now. Like this we are trying to get abandoned holy places in Bangladesh. Somehow Advita Gosai he came to Shantipur and simultaneously  he had a house in Nawadweep. Most of the time he would stay in Shantipur. We used to go to same ashram where he stayed on the disappearance of Madhavendrapuri. His house was right on the bank of ganges and there  he was worshiping Shaligram Shila. Meanwhile Madhavendrapuri, he was heading along the South of Ganges to get sandalwood pulp for his Gopal deity. There was some proper road along Ganges but he did not like to go, because he could encounter sanyasis who address him as Narayan. Vaishnavas did not like to be called as God. Although messy along Ganges, Madhavendrapuri preferred to go that route. He happened to walk in to courtyard of Advita Gosai. Advita Gosai saw a Vaishnava Sanyasi with Tridandi not Ekadanda. He stood up and received Madhavendra puri, he begged him to stay and take his meal.  Mahdavendrapuri would eat only he asked. Since he was asked, he stopped. They discussed Krishna Katha. Advita Gosai was so inspired to hear words to Madhavendrapuri.  He requested Madhavendrapuri to stay another day. Like that, he stayed for few days. Advaita Gosai asked for initiation. Then, Madhavendra puri performed initiation ceremony and  give him the mantra. Then he proceeded down the Ganges path. In this way, Advaita Gosai was initiated by Madhavendra Puri. Lord Caitanya got initiated by Isvara Puri, a disciple of Madhavendra Puri. Therefore, Advaita Acarya is his spiritual uncle. We will get into those pastimes later.

Advaita Gosai wanted the Supreme Lord Himself to descend so that He can distribute pure love of Krsna. He decided that he would offer Tulsi and Ganga water to Saligram shila . He would fast and loudly call out the holy names. His loud chanting pierced the whole universe. In this way, he was crying, chanting , fasting and offering Ganga water and tulasi leaves to Shila. That shila is still available for darshan in Santipur. It is not in the asram but in a different place. I inquired from some one. So, Lord somehow sent message to Advaita Gosai that He is coming. Advaita Acarya was very happy and said, ‘My name is Advaita- non-different.So, He must come, He must come’. When Lord Caitanya sent message, he felt his desire is fulfilled.

Then Lord Caitanya in the womb of mother Saci, waited for the Purnima or full moon day in the month of Palguna to appear. There was a lunar eclipse. All the people were taking bath in Ganges on the eclipse and they were chanting holy names loudly. Smartas had told the people that it is offensive to chant the holy names of the Lord loudly, but standing in Ganges, it is alright to chant the holy names loudly as Ganges is pure. Everyone were chanting Govinda, Mukunda, Hare Krishna. So, Srivas Thakur was very blissful, ‘Wow! Everyone is chanting’. Then Haridas Thakur , he was in the ashram of Advaita Gosai in Santipur. Somehow, when Lord Caitanya appeared, Haridas Thakur & Advaita Acarya felt extreme happiness. They started to chant, dance. Advaita Gosai had two wives-Sridevi and Sitadevi. We call Sita Thakurani. Sridevi had one son and Sita Thakurani had 5 sons. So, Advaita Gosai had 6 sons. Sita Thakurani came to see Lord Caitanya after day or two of His appearance. She came in palanquin. Advaita Gosai was leader of Brahmins. When Lord Caitanya appeared, Advaita Gosai was 52. Lord Caitanya stayed for 48 years and Advaita Gosai was 100 years old when Lord Caitanya left. Then, he stayed for 25 years after Lord Caitanya left. So, his earthly pastimes were 125 years. Until that time, he did not grow old. We can read that in Puri Ratha Yatra, he was dancing. He was 80 years old and he was dancing. Sita Thakurani offered various gifts to Lord Caitanya. Then, during Lord Caitanya’s childhood, his elder brother Visvarupa would go to listen to the class of Advaita Gosai. Sometimes, mother Saci would send Nitami to go and get his brother. His brother would say Nimai to sit down and listen to the class. Mother Saci got nervous. She thought Advaita Gosai would turn my son to a Sanyas, which ofcourse did happen. But that was taken as an offense. Later when Lord Caitanya had started Sankirtan movement, devotees asked if he would give benedict mother Saci with love of Krishna. He said, ‘No, She committed Vaisnava aparadha’. All of them said, ‘How is it? Mother Saci , she can’t get Krishna Prem?’ Lord Caitanya said she would sometimes criticize Advaita Gosai that his classes would turn Visvarupa to Sanyas, which really did happen. Mother Saci then asked how can I get forgiven for the offense. Lord said, ‘ you have to get dust from the lotus feet of Advaita Acarya and beg him forgiveness.’ All the devotees went to the house of Advaita Acarya. They told him that mother Saci had offended you and you have to forgive her so that she can get Krishna Prem. ‘Me, offended by Mother Saci, no way,’! He started glorifying mother Saci & glorifying and glorifying …. He became ecstatic chanting glories of Mother Saci and he fainted. Lord Caitanya shook his head, oh, no! He is never going to forgive you. He does not recognize himself to be offended by mother Saci. Then, she took the dust from his feet and then she got Krishna Prema. Hari bol.

One time Lord Caitanya thought that he should confirm himself to Advaita Gosai that he was the person that Advaita Gosai has brought down. So, he asked Sriram Pandit to see Advaita Gosai and tell him that person for whom he had fasted, he had loudly cried out, for whom he had worshipped saligram sila, that person is now in Navadvipa. So, he should come. Sriram Pandit went to Advaita Gosai and delivered this message. Advaita danced, ‘I brought him down, I brought him down! Hari bol, Hari bol! Suddenly he had a mood shift. How do I know that he is really the Lord? He could be tricking me. I’ll go and hide in the village. If he is my Lord, He will call me. Then I will pay obeisances. I’ll look up and then,  I see Him in full spiritual glory. If this confirmation is there, I will know He is my Lord. Then, he saw Sita Thakurani with arti plate. He asked what’s for is this? She said, just in case, if He is your Lord.. good consort.

Bhakti Siddhanta Thakur has described this pastime. Lord Caitanya called out, nada! Nada! Which means shaved up. Advaita Gosai got this nick name as he is always shaved. In commentary, he mentions although popularly thought that he had a beard, he did not have one.

So, Advaita Gosai came and offered obeisances. Lord Caitanya put His lotus feet on Advaita Gosai head. Advaita Gosai looked up and all he could see was Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda and  the whole world was like invisible,from the effulgence emanating from Lord Caitanya. That’s the place where Advaita Gosai offered 21 hr arthi. Lord Caitanya reveled to different devotees who they were and gave benedictions to different devotees, like Kolavecha Sridhar. He was a cultivator. In Mayapur , he had given Krishna prem to a cultivator – cultivating banana and vegetables. He gave him love of Krishna. So, I would tell how Lord Caitanya gave mercy to Mayapur cultivators. Something to think about. We think cultivators are simple people. But they got the mercy of  Lord Caitanya. Like this, Advaita Gosai was offering Arti to Lord Caitanya. So, Advaita knew that Lord Caitanya was Krishna Himself. Krishna was worshippable to Him. He offered Lord Caitanya his respects. Lord Caitanya in this lila- he was like grand disciple of Advaita Gosai. This disturbed Advaita Gosai. Many lilas were happening based on this.

Once Lord Caitanya fell unconscious in ecstacy. Advaita Gosai took the opportunity and took some dust of lotus feet of lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya awoke and said, ‘someone has stolen my Krishna prema. He ran and jumped into Ganges. Everyone arrived. Lord Nityananda also jumped in Ganges. Everyone saw 2 circles in the water. It is was night time. They swan a km away in water. They came to Goswami ghat and arrived at Nandan Acarya’s house and stayed there. Devotees thought that Lord Caitanya has left. Advaita was crying and rolling in the ground.

In another pastime, Advaita Gosai started to give yoga visista lectures. He wrote a book on this. This book is not read by vaisnavas as it contains mayavada. He was propounding Mayavada. Lord Caitanya came with stick and chased him. I won’t let you speak on this bogus things. But Advaita was happy. Finally, you treated me as junior. Lord Caitanya said, ‘Never lecture on mayavada again’.

In another pastime, when Lord Caitanya took sanyas and wanted to go to Vrindavan. Lord Nityananda tricked Him to head south. When they got to Santipur, he saw Advaita Gosai crossing the river. He thought what Advaita Gosai is doing in Vrindavan. Then he realized that I am in Santipur. I am cheated!

Then the whole pastime of taking prasada in Advaita Acarya house and meeting of mother Saci happened there. Like this, after 10 years, Lord Caitanya returned to Bengal. He delivered Rupa and Sanatana and went upto Kanai natshala. He also visited Santipur. He happened to be there on Govinda Dwadasi, which falls prior to Gaura Purnima.  He saw a great feast Advaita Gosai is making to celebrate the disappearance of Madhavendra Puri. That’s when Lord Caitanya said, on this tithi, whoever takes prasada , will get devotion to Govinda. That’s why we go every year to distribute prasad, to get Govinda bhakti.

One of the branches of Advaita Acarya is Kamalakara Biswas. He as regularly assisting Advaita Gosai as his secretary. He visited Puri a little before Advaita Gosai. He sent a note to Prataparudra stating that Advaita acarya is an incarnation of the Lord. He had a debt of 300 Rs. So, king paid the debt.

Lord Caitanya received this news. He said, you are saying Advaita Acarya is an incarnation. That’s alright. But that he has a debt- it is baul- that is apasampradaya, totally bogus. Kamalakara does not know what is right and what is wrong. He said Govinda that he should not see me. Advaita Gosai arrived and he became blissful. How Supreme Lord who is equal to all- who has no friend or enemy- how he has shown this special favor  to my secretary. That we should take the punishment of Lord as His mercy.  That’s the purport of this lila. How is that you give greater mercy to my secretary than me! You chased me but never abandoned me.  Then, Lord Caitanya smiled and said bring him. Krishna das Kaviraj says that if I write all these pastimes, then it will make the bus too long. Some pastimes could not be understood.Somehow, Advaita Acarya felt doubly cheated- that Lord abandoned kamalakara biswas and then forgive him.Like this, Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda and Svarupa Damodar were bathing in Narendra Sarovar and splashing at each other. It is said that vaisnavas are generally serious but sometimes they joke.

There are variety of pastimes Advaita Acarya had. If you discuss Achyutananda and others, it will take hours and hours to discuss the pastimes. Out of his six sons, three were devoted to Lord Caitanya and three became smartas, that is, more attached to rules and regulations than to Lord Caitanya. Srila Prabhupada discusses in the 12^th canto on this. He used the example of Gaudiya Mutt. Some disciples stayed loyal to Guru and others speculated and started to do things that are not authorized by Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. The separate group is asara- for so many years, they were not able to do any significant preaching. Gaudiya Mutt asked me can you change these chapters? I said, ‘Sorry! I cannot touch my Gurudeva. Anyone here  has guts to change?’. Srila Prabhupada was giving us instruction to stay loyal at his lotus feet and also to Gaudiya Mutt to stay loyal to the lotus feet of Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Now, they do not ask me anymore. Almost all god brothers of Srila Prabhupada are gone and now, who remains are mostly his grand disciples.Srila Prabhupada asked to create an effort for association of Saraswat family. We have Sarasvat Gaudiya Association and all Gaudiya Mutts joined except one. We were supposed to have a draft. It is unregistered now. We should get it registered and give to GBC. Other Gaudiya Mutt also will give the draft to their management. Let’s see what will happen.

Today is Advaita Saptami, By his mercy, Lord Caitanya came. We always remember him prior to any nama yajna or any festival. By his appearance, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda appeared. Today is a very sacred day. Advaita Gosai is very merciful. By his mercy, one can get the mercy of Gauranga and Nityananda. It has been predicted in 11^th canto that He will come in kali yuga accompanied by His expansions. Lord Nityananda is His first expansion. Advaita is expansion of his expansion. Virachandra prabhu is Ksirodaksayi Visnu.He did not have weapons of violence. He had weapons of love- His beauty, mrdanga, kartalas etc. Of all these people, Advaita Gosai is the forerunner of everybody. We pray to his lotus feet that we have devotion to Gaura and Nitai!

Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.

Tags: advaita acharya, lord caitanya