HH Jayapataka Swami has been instrumental in organising this festival for over 25 years! 50,000 devotees honoured Prasadam. Read on for the lecture given by Maharaj
“Lord Caitanya said this arrangement was not possible for a human being. He must be an incarnation of Mahesh. As a matter of fact, Advaita Gosai is the incarnation of Maha Vishnu and Sadashiva. He came as an associate of Lord Caitanya to give love of Godhead to all the people. So thank you all for helping in distributing the prasadam, those who have cooked or otherwise helped. (Mike working now?). So Advaita is the incarnation of Maha Vishnu and Sadashiva. So please take some prasadam also, even a morsel.
So here the program was initiated by Shanti Saka Goswami. He invited us that this program be conducted by us. That is why for almost twenty years now, we have been doing it. Caitanyadev came here on Govinda Dvadasi, which is the disappearance day of Madhavendra Puri. All the Vaishnava devotees are doing service to Lord Govinda. Some are doing kirtan, some are cooking, some honoring prasad. Nityananda Prabhu is offering garlands and chandan, sandalwood paste, to devotees. And one devotee is washing the feet of all the devotees. This way all the devotees are immersed in the service of Krishna. They are soaked in Krishna prema! Caitanyadev says that at this place, on this thithi, whoever honors prasadam, they will get Govinda bhakti! I am very grateful that you are all honoring Krishna prasad – those who are distributing the prasad, those who have cooked the prasad. The chairman of Shantipur has come, the current sevite and his son are also assisting in this program. People have come from far, far away for this festival, from various countries, to serve you. Shantipur is a very special, sacred place in Gaura Mandal Bhumi.
This is the place where Lord Caitanya came and saw His mother after taking sanyas. He came here again after ten years on the Govinda Dvadasi. So today is Govinda Dvadasi, Today is a sacred thithi. Madhavendra Puri disappeared and went back to the spiritual world on this day, and we are helping Advaita Gosai in celebrating this festival. So you are all rendering a very confidential service to Lord Caitanya and Advaita Gosai!Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Gauuuuranga! Gauuuuranga! Nitaaaaai! NItaaaaai!, Advaita Gosai! Advaita Gosai, Advaita Gosai!
Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
18 March 2019
Evening class:
“So how did you enjoy your visit to Shantipur? Who went? Did you have the opportunity to help Advaita mahashay to distribute prasadam? Lord Caitanya went after taking Sanyas for 10 years. Sometimes He visited Shantipur. That day was Govinda Dvadasi, or today, the disappearance day festival of Madhavendra Puri. Advaita Goswami was worshipping His Shaligram shila, when Madhavendra Puri happened to walk into his courtyard in Shantipur. He was walking alongside the Ganges, and Advaita Goswami was living next to the Ganges. As soon as Advaita saw the Sanyasi Vaishnava, He stood up and welcomed him. So they talked and Advaita Acharya asked Madhavendra Puri whether He could give him some Prasadam. To make the long story short, Advaita Acharya asked if He could take initiation from him. Madhavendra Puri gave initiation to Advaita and therefore Advaita became the uncle guru of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore, Lord Caitanya would always treat Him with respect.
When Lord Caitanya went to Shantipur on the disappearance day of Madhavendra Puri, He wandered around and saw all the arrangements. He saw how all the devotees were engaged in service – someone was giving Bhagavatam class, someone was listening, Lord Nityananda, I forget, either He washed the feet or gave garlands to all the visiting devotees. everyone was engaged. Sachi mata and Sita Thakurani and other ladies, Vaishnavis were cooking. All the devotees were doing kirtan, class, reception, cooking. Then Lord Caitanya saw the tremendous stock of food stock for cooking a feast. Not in bags or clay pots, but in huts and cottages, filled to the brim with different ingredients! When he saw this huge arrangement, or a city of prasadam, of bhoga, He said that this is not possible for any human being, Advaita must be an incarnation of Lord Shiva! Besides Mahesh, who can do such a thing? Lord Advaita was an incarnation of Maha Vishnu and Sadashiva. So you could taste a little of that rasa of serving the vaishnavas, serving the people, this has become a huge festival. 50 thousand or so people take prasadam. We see that in the village, the sweet sellers and peanut sellers, they all put their stands up. So The sevite or the descendent of Advaita Acharya, who is in charge of the temple, they came over to welcome me. He was accompanied by the chairman of the municipal council. They came and said, thank you for coming! I would thank all the devotees for going and distributing prasadam. ”
-Jayapataka Swami,18th March 2019.
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