(Kindly transcribed by Mataji Swetha Ganeshan)
Download the audio for this lecture here: Download
From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir!
Date: March 2nd, 2014
Speaker: HH Radhanath Swami
Subject: SB 8:23:16
HH Radhanath Swami:
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.
mantratas tantratas chidram desa-kalarha-vastutah sarvam karoti nischidram anusankirtanam tava
(word to word meaning is read)
TRANSLATION:
There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your Lordship’s holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless.
PURPORT:
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended:
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Adi 17.21]
“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 38.126) In this age of Kali, it is extremely difficult to perform Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or sacrifices perfectly. Hardly anyone can chant the Vedic mantras with perfect pronunciation or accumulate the paraphernalia for Vedic performances. Therefore the sacrifice recommended in this age is sankirtana, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah (Bhag. 11.5.29). Instead of wasting time performing Vedic sacrifices, those who are intelligent, those who possess good brain substance, should take to the chanting of the Lord’s holy name and thus perform sacrifice perfectly. I have seen that many religious leaders are addicted to performing yajnas and spending hundreds and thousands of rupees for imperfect sacrificial performances. This is a lesson for those who unnecessarily execute such imperfect sacrifices. We should take the advice of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah). Although Sukracarya was a strict brahmana addicted to ritualistic activities, he also admitted, nischidram anusankirtanam tava: “My Lord, constant chanting of the holy name of Your Lordship makes everything perfect.” In Kali-yuga the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies cannot be performed as perfectly as before. Therefore Srila Jiva Gosvami has recommended that although one should take care to follow all the principles in every kind of spiritual activity, especially in worship of the Deity, there is still a chance of discrepancies, and one should compensate for this by chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In our Krsna consciousness movement we therefore give special stress to the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra in all activities
HH Radhanath Swami:
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
sri-caitanya-mano-‘bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam
vande ‘ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams’ ca sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa jivam sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams’ca
he krsna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate gopesa gopika kanta radha-kanta namo ‘stu te
tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye
vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eve ca patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krsna. It is my honor and my fortune to have this opportunity to try to serve you by speaking something on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and our Guru parampara. I was asked to speak about the chanting of Krsnas Holy Names. So many people have come from all over the world for our kirtan mela. It is really something beautiful to see.
Bhaktivinoda Thakur had this dream that people from all races and all castes and all walks of life would gather together in Sri Mayapur Dhama as brothers and sisters. And the family of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will raise their arms and loudly cry out with one heart and one voice, the Holy Names:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also expressed their will for that very purpose. Bhaktivinoda Thakur, his final instructions to his son Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswathi Prabhupada very much emphasized the glorification of ? (audio lost for ~ 20-21 secs). He saw that people who were materially oriented, it created an apparent birthplace for economic purposes. And obviously finding the birth place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was part of his master plan to bring the world to come here to glorify Him. And through research of scriptures, ancient maps, discussions with great saints and sages, he discovered the actual place. But for confirmation, he wanted the blessings of the greatest Vaishnava Acharya of that time: Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj, who at that time was very old. In fact his servant would carry him in a basket because he couldn’t walk. And when they brought him to this place which mystically was filled with Tulsi, when they put the basket down, Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaja who hadn’t walked for years, he leaped high in the sky crying out Jai Sacinandanda, Jai Sacinandana: this is the birth place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and he danced. Today is Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaja’s disappearance day so we honor him. So much of what we have received has come through His Divine Grace. Srila Prabhupada on the order of his Guru Maharaja brought this message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu of acintya beda beda tatva, that we are all servants of the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, eternally! And that ecstatic love of Krishna was within the heart of every living being. By chanting Krsnas holy names, especially this maha mantra, this love is awakened.
Srila Prabhupada came to the west with this message. Before boarding the Jaladuta he stopped in Shantipur and spoke to a pujari and said my Guru Maharaja has given me an order that is impossible. But he went. And in Tompkins square park, under an elm tree. Not a kadamba tree, or a tamal tree or a banyan tree, an elm tree. But he made that elm tree a holy place of pilgrimage. Thousands of people come every year to that elm tree in this park that is filled with people who are mostly harmless, on pilgrimage.
Because great personalities, their compassion makes a place holy. He didn’t have mridanga. Someone gave him an old little bongo drum. That bongo drum is still there and you can look at it. And he played it and he chanted.
Gradually a little temple, in a store front, in a very downtrodden place on the lower-east side was established. Then Mukunda maharaja, Janaki devi, they were inspired to go to San Franscisco. They established a store front there. Because in those days that was the standard. It is amazing how standards are whatever somebody before you did. Yes? They started a storefront in 26th Second Avenue, not that that was the extent that Prabhupada wanted. But then wherever we go we should start a storefront. This is the Hare Krsna movement. And the first several temples were storefronts, because this is what Srila Prabhupada wants. So they had a storefront in Haight Ashbury. They were chanting in the streets. Actually the first time I think it was Gaur Purnima and the devotees were ready with the store front. Srila Prabhupada was in an apartment a few blocks away and the devotees decided to chant, together, along the street to Prabhupadas apartment and be under his window and he was so happy! This is what we should be doing go out into the street and chant.
After sometime HH Tamal Krsna Goswami Maharaja along with HH Vishnujan Swami Maharaja came and gave their hearts and souls, their lives to Srila Prabhupada. Today is Tamal Krsna Goswami’s disappearance day also. And he would be empowered by Srila Prabhupada to take things to another level. He actually organised really powerful first class sankirtan in the streets. Srila Prabhupada was so pleased with him. He would go from temple to temple organising their street Nama sankirtan and then he organised a little later the distribution of Back To Godhead magazines and brought it from just a few to thousands and tens of thousands. When they started to distribute books, he organised book distribution to bring it to another level.
Srila Prabhupada wanted this land in Mayapur, but so many people failed to try to get anything because there was so much opposition. So he turned to Tamal Krsna Goswami, ‘get me this land’! Tamal Krsna Goswami tells in Calcutta, the same temple, the same room in Albert road is still there. Srila Prabhupada gave him the money and taught him how to take like a piece of cloth and wrap it around the waist and put all the money there. There were no cheques. Because in those days in Navadwip, there was all sorts of ways you had to do things and he came here and somehow or other he convinced the people to sell the land. And all those hundreds and hundreds of rupees, everyone the serial number had to be copied. So it took a long time and when he finally came back to Calcutta with the deed, it was late at night, Srila Prabhupada did not go to sleep, he was so concerned, he was just sitting, waiting. The light was on. Tamal Krsna Goswami Maharaja came in and said “Prabhupada, you have the land!”
(Audience cheers-Haribol!)
In Mayapur dhama, here is the deed. Srila Prabhupada with tears in his eyes embraced Tamal Krsna Goswami Maharaja, thank you very much.
And later on when our movement was spreading in so many ways, inconceivable. He told Tamal Krsna Goswami, “Go to China and preach”! I don’t know if anyone taught of that. But he did! And now in our festival there are hundreds of people from China who are here today with their arms raised chanting the Holy Name!
(Audience cheers-Haribol!!)
So, let us honor this great personality. In fact, in his last visit to Mayapur in his life. Because usually after GBC meetings people are really exhausted. May be not all of you but GBC’s. Tamal Krsna Goswami decided to start a kirtan in his room upstairs and he just wanted devotees to come together and chant. And a few people, it began with just a few people, but because he wanted it, everybody was very inclined and the kirtans were so deep and so devotional, so connected. Every day the amount of people that would come there would multiply and multiply and soon his quarters were completely filled. And people in the windows and the people in the hallways, for hours and hours chanting. This went on for about a week or so. And then it was proposed to him, there are so many people, lets’ take it to the temple every night. They took it to the temple and the temple was full and this is kind of how this kirtan mela began. Let us offer our gratitude.
In regard to the Holy Names, with your permission, I’d like to tell a little story.
(Audience: Haribol!!)
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya, He was transformed. Before He went, He was Nimai Pandit, the greatest scholar in creation and He would love to debate on all sorts of grammatical rules and philosophical terminologies and devotees, anything that is disconnected from loving service to Krsna, it’s just not important. But Nimai He would approach the devotees and challenge them with all sorts of grammatical debates. They would chant together, perform their japa, do their puja, with the prayer, “please make Nimai a devotee, Krsna, because we love Him, we can’t give up His association but at the same time it’s so difficult to associate with Him. And if He becomes a devotee the whole world will chant your Holy names Krsna”.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Gaya, to teach a very sacred principle, that bhakti comes when we become the servant of the servant of the Vaishnava, and accept a Spiritual Master. It was in Gaya that He approached Sripad Isvarapuri and begged him for initiation. It was in Gaya that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu manifested His Radha-bhav, the love of Sri Radha. That was His very heart. And when He came back to Navadwip, the devotees were celebrating. We have never seen a devotee like Nimai. Soon after He established kirtan, with all of these devotees in the house of Srivasa. But only the most confidential associates who had pure ecstatic love for Krishna were given entrance into those kirtans, because they were so deep, so ecstatic, incomprehensible to common people. They could just completely express the ecstasies of their love to each other. When these kirtans were going on all night long, Sri Caitanya Caritamrita tells that they would chant during the day at Srivas’s house. And one day Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said time is so precious, why do we waste our nights sleeping. We should have kirtan all night long. When Lord Caitanya said it, they said Yes! We will do and that’s where these all night kirtans began. Hare Krsna!
The envious people, the arrogant people, because Navadwip was filled with great great scholars. They would criticise and blaspheme Srivasa, Lord Caitanya and all those devotees because they were loudly chanting Krsnas names which were against their principles and because they were not allowed in. They would spread so many rumors, “these Vaishnavas they have nothing to do with the Vedic culture. They’re simply sentimentalists. They are useless, because they are so hungry, they are crying all night in hunger pains. We know what they are doing. They are going out during the day and finding nice young girls and inviting them in then they have all sorts of tantric black rites and violate the chastity of these girls and they drink liquor and they are singing, that’s what they’re doing in there and they won’t let us in because we will expose their hypocrisy”.
Others were saying, “This Nimai is crazy. He is going to destroy our whole village. What happens if the Kazi finds out that they are singing, out loud? We are all going to suffer! We should take Srivasa and all these devotees, we should bind their necks with ropes, put rocks at the other end and throw them in the Ganges. We should tear down this house and throw it in Ganges”. This is how they were speaking. Lucky there was no internet in those days. (Audience laughs).
So the pious people, which was the majority, they loved Nimai. They could see that He was the greatest saint of all saints. They yearned for His mercy. They heard about His dancing. They were praying and crying that some day they could become fortunate in going to the house of Srivasa and see the Lord dance and join His kirtan. But because of these critical people, Nimai is keeping the doors closed. So those nice people of Navadwip, they would come in the early morning and bring Nimai gifts.
One day a crowd came and they all paid their dandavats to Lord Caitanya and they gave Him gifts of love. They were simple gifts. Some gave him bananas, coconuts, mangoes. Some brought some water from the Ganges, some brought some ghee or some dahi. And they stood before Lord Caitanya with humble folded hands and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was moved by them. And then a historical event happened. Lord Gauranga told them “My brothers, my sisters, hear what I say. I beg you, please always perform devotional service to Krishna. Constantly chant His Holy Names. Never ever forget the Lords’ Holy names. And today I am going to give you, the greatest of all mantras, the maha mantra”. And He told the people to repeat after Him:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
He said chant this mantra, chant japa, according to a prescribed number every day and come together for kirtan. Whether you are alone or with your family, your mothers or fathers, your children, your brothers, your sisters, clap your hands and chant. If you have instruments, mridangas, kartals, conch shells play the instruments and chant. There are no hard and fast rules for this chanting of the Holy Names. Wherever you may be, whoever you are with, keep your tongue always decorated with the Holy Name of Krsna and may also chant this song:
hari haraye namah krsna yadavaya namah gopala govinda rama sri-madhusudana (Call and response)
Now go home, in all the villages and all the towns spread this chanting of the Holy Names. Everyone was blissful. They all went to their homes ecstatic and soon thousands and thousands of people everywhere were chanting Krsnas names. And Lord Caitanya would go down the streets and He would see people chanting. He would take with His own lotus like hands and put garlands around their necks. He would embrace them. He would put straw between His own teeth and say, “I beg you, please always chant Hare Krsna!”
That gave them so much courage. Everywhere in all directions, people were clapping their hands, playing their instruments and chanting. This made the atheistic and arrogant people extremely angry.
One day the Kazi, who was the government official who actually had all powers over the Nadia district, Chand Kazi. He had already under the order of the King of Bengal made a law against any public demonstration of a Hindu religion. And now he sees people blissfully right out in the open chanting! He was furious. He was always surrounded by a large army of soldiers. He cried out “Catch them, punish them”. And the poor people ran away. And some of them were caught, severely beaten, some were imprisoned, some were exploited, plundered of whatever property they had. Chand Kazi said: “Because it’s night, I will not be so severe with you. But if you ever do this again, you will be severely punished”. From that day on Chand Kazi had thousands of soldiers throughout the entire day and night looking for anybody who would be chanting and punish them. So people became very afraid and they went to Lord Caitanyas home and when He came out of His door they expressed their sorrow. They couldn’t give up the chanting, so they said, ‘We are all going to leave Nadia because it is too difficult to live here’. When Lord Caitanya saw them He felt great compassion. He entered into the mood of Rudra which is the form of Shiva at the time of destruction and with a thunderous voice He cried out, ‘Nityananda, go to the homes of all the Vaishnavas with this message. Today I will personally dance through all the streets of Navadwip chanting the Holy Names!’
(Audience: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare)
“Let us see who does anything to Me! Today I will take our chanting right to the door step of the Chand Kazi.”
(Audience: Hariiiibol!! + Laughter).
“Let us see what does this King does to Me. Today I will bring a great rainstorm of pure devotional and I will inundate all of Nadia with ecstatic love of Krishna through the chanting of the Holy Names”.
(Audience: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare).
“Today time personified will stand before the blasphemers. Let us see what they do to Me. Go. If you want to see Krsna’ He told the town’s people. ‘Go now and make torches, then take lunch and come back to My house and meet Me”. The word spread everywhere. And soon, tens and thousands, hundreds and thousands of people were making torches, according to their capacity. They weren’t all making large torches. Some people they made one torch. A father taught a child, a child taught his brothers and sisters and they were all making torches. Some more wealthy people were having thousands and thousands of torches made. And then, according to Vrindavan Das Thakur everyone was so excited about this kirtan. Everywhere in Navadwip people were thinking, “Today the greatest aspiration of our hearts will be fulfilled. We will see Gauranga Mahaprabhu dance”.
(Audience: Hariiibool!)
Lord Caitanya told them to eat lunch. But they all forgot about lunch. Soon there were hundreds and thousands of people at Lord Caitanyas door step and He came out and He smiled upon them and said: “Advaita Prabhu, at the front of kirtan party you will dance! And many devotees will be gathered around you chanting and dancing. And behind you will be Thakur Haridas. He will be dancing with a crowd of devotees around him. And behind him Srivasa Thakur will dance. And behind him”, Lord Caitanya looked at Lord Nityananda and Nityananda Prabhu started to cry, He said “I can only be with You. Please never let me be separate from You. Whatever is Your will is my heart and soul. I want to dance with You!” So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, with Nityananda Prabhu on one side and Gadadhar Pandit on the other were dancing. As He was giving His instruction, He induced everyone to chant. And the Maha Mantra, it was thunderous. Like hundreds and millions of roaring lions it filled the entire universe with divine sound of the Holy Names. And then the sun set. With Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhus indication, at the same time, everyone lit their torches. The darkness of the night was not possible. It was the most light that this universe has ever seen. It says it was like the light of Krsnas effulgence in the form of all these torches that lit up the sky. And by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhus will, the procession began. This was the first Harinama sankirtan procession in our history.
(Audience: Haribol!!!)
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so beautiful, everyone, as they were chanting and dancing were gazing upon Him. And by His own mystical power, however many people came, even millions, they could all personally intimately watch Him. His hair was so beautiful, like black silk. It was cascading around His beautiful golden moon-like face. Our scriptures describe, on that day His hair was decorated with Malati or Jasmine flowers. His eyes were lotus like and they reached practically to His ears. His eyebrows were like the bows of kamadev, His nose was like a sesame flower, His lips were like the bimba fruit. His face was like a moon, full moon. As He danced His arms, which were like beautiful golden pillars were raised very high. There was a garland of flowers around His neck that extended just below His knees, that was swaying too and fro as He danced. His ecstasies were so deep that literally torrents of rivers of tears were pouring from His eyes. Sometimes by His dancing He would be covered with dust and then at the next moment the tears would soak His body like a bath and cleanse all the dust. His limbs trembled. His hair were standing on end on His beautiful golden complexion. It is described that His body looked like a kadamaba flower. His dhoti was folded in three places. As He danced, He intoxicated everyone. He took the kirtan along the banks of the Ganges. They went to Madhai ghat, Varakona ghat, Nagaria ghat. As He was chanting, the villagers of Navadwip and the towns’ people, they were so excited. They wanted to bless their homes so they greeted Him. Every doorstep of practically every house had banana tree leaves and mangoes and coconuts and little lamps burning to welcome the Lord, so that He would see the auspiciousness of the offering of their love of their homes. But amazingly, when they heard the chanting, saw the Lord and all the devotees in such happiness that they forgot everything and ran out to the kirtan. Mothers forgot that they had children or husband. Fathers forgot that they had wives and children. Children forgot that they had parents and brothers and sisters. Even babies, babies forgot that they were babies. People forgot they were man or women, they forgot where they lived. They just ran out ecstatically, EVERYONE to chant and dance with the Lord.
(Audience: Haribol!!!!)
All the houses were empty. At this point all the dacoits and thieves. They were SO! happy with the promise. Nobody is home anywhere and they all forgot to close their doors! So they all went to the homes of people to rob them but as they were running they heard the kirtans and saw the devotees chanting and the thieves forgot that they were thieves.
(Applause from the audience: Haribol!!)
Everyone together was chanting Krsnas Holy Names. This is real kirtan where all our material differences are transcended. The devotees, they were so intoxicated with the Holy Names. Some of them while they danced, they danced, they didn’t even know that they could do it, or how they do it or why they do it. They would dance up to the top of the tall tree and then cry out Haribol. (Devotees chant loudly-Haribol!!) and jump from the top of the tree, land on the ground and dance. All the people they were embracing each other in ecstasies. Some of them were bowing down to each other’s feet, others were tying their hair to another devotee’s feet, while they were dancing. And they all had torches. Some of them had 2 torches and at the same time were clapping their hands constantly. Vrindavan Das Thakur asked the question: How is that possible? They had two gigantic torches one in each hand and yet you are dancing and clapping your hands. Because by Lord Caitanyas mercy every single devotee in that kirtan became an eternal resident of Vaikuntha and assumed four arms.
(Audience: Haribol!!)
So they can hold torches and clap and everything. But! nobody there knew they had four arms and they were so engrossed in the chanting of the holy names, no one could see that anyone else had four arms. The demigods according to Caitanya Bhagavat, all the demigods, they had never seen anything like this. In history of Brahmas creation, there was never so much bliss in the universe. So the demigods came, to see it, they were showering flowers. But nobody even noticed that there were flowers. Nobody cared. They were just looking at Lord Caitanya and dancing and chanting. The demigods wanted to join, so they all assumed human forms and were dancing and chanting among the devotees. There was no higher or lower. There was no, you are a farmer and I am the head, King of heaven. Everyone was just a Vaishnav chanting and dancing together. Some would climb on other people’s shoulder to chant and dance.
Meanwhile, the people who were against the devotees, this made them even more angry. They said “just see the audacity and arrogance of this Nimai leading all these people chanting and dancing in the streets. We will tell the Kazi and when the Kazi comes with his armies they will all run away like cowards or they will be beaten”. So they actually went to the Kazis house and complained that this Nimai Pandit is ruining their Hindu religion and is breaking the Kazis laws and must be punished.
The Kazi sent soldiers to go and see what was happening. The soldiers came thinking ‘We are representing the law’. They came to the kirtan with this idea of stopping it, but when they saw the enthusiasm of, by this time, millions of people and they saw all the millions of torches and they saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, some of them ran away. They went to the Kazi and some of them said: “Hari Hari! (everyone laughs) I, I, I went Hari Hari, and and I saw these people Hari Hari. And and and this Nimai, we’ve never Hari Hari, we’ve never seen anything Hari Hari, like Him”.
(Applause from the audience!!).
“Rivers of tears flowing from His eyes and He’s so, Hari Hari, so beautiful! And there’s millions of people and they’ll do anything He’ll say, Hari Hari and they have so many torches, Hari Hari, and we can’t stop saying Hari Hari!”
(Applause from the audience!!)
Others said “I went and I was about to tell them they have to stop. But as soon as I raised my hands to speak, my beard caught on fire, burnt my face. And others, they were dressed kind of like military people and they were wearing these turbans. They took of their Turbans, they hid their beards and they chanted with the devotees so they couldn’t be recognized”. Chand Kazi heard this stuff and he said, “It must be a marriage ceremony. I will stop it and punish it personally”. And then with his armies he was about to go out and stop it. But at that point, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the ecstasy of Radhas love for Syamasundar was chanting and dancing. He brought the whole kirtan party right to Chand Kazis house. When Chand Kazi heard the thunderous roar of this kirtan, you know what he did? He and all of his soldiers scattered in all directions and ran away. Hare Krsna!
I am out of time, but I’ll very briefly speak.
It’s a beautiful story in Sri Caitanya Caritamrita where Nimai, Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, He comes to the door step of Chand Kazi. And meanwhile there are people all around and some of them are breaking his trees, and breaking his gardens and some of them are dismantling his house, cause they were angry. Because even though they were ecstatically in love it was manifesting in very special ways. And some were chanting slogans about the Kazi.
The Kazi was hiding upstairs. Nimai said to one of the servants of Kazi, “Please tell him that I have come in a very peaceful and friendly mood to speak to him”. Chand Kazi came down to the doorstep, he was trembling. And Lord Caitanya said, “Why I am a guest who has come to your house! Why do you not welcome me? Why are you hiding somewhere?” Chand Kazi said, “Well this is not a very friendly group of people to talk to R”. Chand Kazi wanted to pacify everyone. He said “Actually Nilambar Cakravarti Thakur, your maternal grandfather was very good friends with my father. So therefore in our village customs when we are close friends like this we are family. I am Your Uncle. Even if an Uncle makes a mistake, we are family, you should forgive me.”
And then they got in a very very deep philosophical discussion about scriptures, especially based on the killing of cows. And Lord Caitanya produced, I mean, convinced him not only according to Vedas. Lord Caitanya said “Why you are eating and killing cows?” The Kazi said ‘Well even in your scriptures there is the gomedha sacrifice!’ Lord Caitanya said that was for previous ages. Those kinds of sacrifices by the perfect pronunciation of mantra and the precision of the tantras and the yantras, an old cow gets a new life. But nobody could do that anymore. And then He proved even on the basis of the Koran, the highest level is to be compassionate to the cows. And the Chand Kazi agreed. In fact the Chand Kazi agreed with everything Lord Caitanya said after some degree of debate. And then Lord Caitanya said “Why? why did you not try to stop this kirtan?”. The Kazi said “It’s a secret I will tell you alone”. Lord Caitanya said, “These are all my confidential associates, You can say in front of all of them” he said “After I stopped one of the kirtans and I personally broke one of the mrdangas, that night I was sleeping in my palace and I had a dream. This incredible, awesome, fearsome personality jumped on my chest. He had the face and the claws of a lion, (Audience: Haribol!!) and the body of a man. His eyes were ferociously red with anger and His teeth were very sharp and He said because you broke My mrdanga and because you disturbed My devotees, I will rip you apart today! (Audience: Haribol) and He roared. (Maharaja roars like a lion and there is big round of applause from the audience).
I am sorry. (Audience: Laughter)
Chand Kazi said “He took His nails and they were so razor sharp He dug them into my chest and started ripping me apart and then He stopped”. And He said, “You have not done so much offences yet. But if you ever try to stop my sankirtan or hurt my devotees again, I will be BACK!” (Audience: Laughter!)
Sri Nrsimhadev Bhagavan ki jai!!
Chand Kazi accepted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(Audience: Haribol!!)
The one God of all religions. It didn’t say that he necessarily converted from one religion to another cause after all he was the Chand Kazi. But he accepted Bhakti and the Supreme Lord as his life and soul and His worshipable God. And he made a law, “As long as any of my descendants were ruling over Nadia, they will never interfere, rather they will give all encouragement to the congregational chanting of the Holy Name!”
(Audience: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare)
Lord Caitanya embraced the Chand Kazi. And even today Gaudiya vaishnavas go to honor him at his tomb, just close by near Simantadvip.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then took the kirtan party, it’s now early the next morning and went to Simantadvip. By this time not all the people, but some of the people were still there, especially Lord Caitanyas close associates. They came by the little straw hut of Kulavecar Sridhar. Sridhar was so poor. Materially. When Lord Caitanya, before He manifested His Nama Sankirtan movement, when He was just a little boy, he would go to Kulavecar Sridhar to argue the price of bananas. Two hours every day! And usually He would just take them for free.
‘Kulavechar Sridhar’, Nimai said, he said ‘Your clothes are so old. They have so many holes and you just tie knots wherever there’s holes. And your house. It’s a leaky roof. It’s one tiny room. It’s made of clay and straw. And you’ve no furniture. You’ve no food and your body is so skinny. But you are hiding your wealth. Someday I will reveal it to the world”.
Kulavechar Sridhar was a pure unalloyed devotee. Day and night he would chant the holy names. He had one possession. A very old rusted, dented, iron pot that he would use for all purposes-to carry water, to clean himself. And that little pot was always just outside of his door. It is said that even the most desperate thief would not even cast a glance on that pot. And he would drink from that pot and he would wash himself with that pot. Lord Caitanya saw that pot, in the presence of all these great great devotees, during his kirtan. He had just conquered the Chand Kazi, and all of his soldiers. And He was about to be conquered. When He saw the pot, He ran over, He drank the water from it. Kulavechar Sridhar saw this, because He had already used this pot and that water and He fell to the ground and said ‘Now I am finished.’ And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, please see it in perspective of what just happened, He said “Today for the first time in my life I am tasting the sweetness of pure love for Krishna because I have drunk the water from Kulavechar Sridhars pot”. When He said that, He began to cry, His voice was all choked up in ecstasy and all the devotees seeing the power of Kulavechar Sridhars love and seeing how Lord Caitanya was conquered by that love, they all fell to the ground weeping and crying.
Vrindavan Das Thakur tells, “it is not by our knowledge or our wealth or our powers, but only by the sweetness and the humility of our devotion can we actually attract the heart of the Lord”. We can use so much power and influence and wealth and all of these things, but it has to be built on the foundation of the simplicity of this love as was exemplified by Kulavechar Sridhar. And as they saw Lord Caitanya reveal this most priceless message to the whole world, here in Mayapur Dhama, the devotees celebrated. They raised their arms, they danced blissfully and chanted the Maha Mantra.
(Audience: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare)
These are a few little drops from the unlimited, or few little parts of a single drop from the unlimited ocean of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhus pastimes in Navadwip where He established the congregational chanting of the Holy Names. And now this new temple that’s being built. It was part of Srila Prabhupadas vision, to bring people from all over the world, to come here to Sri Mayapur Dhama. To be purified by the power of the supreme spiritual blessings that are here in Mayapur Dhama, to associate with wonderful devotees and to naturally be induced to chant the Holy Names. This kirtan mela that you have all come for is something very beautiful! It is very much, the evolution of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhus mission.
Srila Prabhupada ki Jai.
Thank you very much.
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