(kindly transcribed by Sheela Mataji, Singapore)
Note: Yesterday’s class was held in the temple courtyard facing the ToVP construction site. HG Praghosa Prabhu was coordinating the presentation.
There were five speakers and we are sending each one separately.
Download the audio for this lecture here: Download
From: Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir!
Date: February 23, 2014
Speaker: HH Jayapataka Swami
Subject: The Glories of the ToVP
HH Jayapataka Swami:
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Well, we have heard alot about this temple and Prabhupada was very much desirous of seeing this temple manifest. He had been talking about it since the 1960’s. Gopal Krishna Maharaja and Atreya Rsi Prabhu they were on the first committee and there were various committees along the way.
I was present at one disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. And he said that on disappearance day’s it is appropriate to remember the previous acaryas. So I composed a song commemorating our five previous acaryas. But that’s another topic.
Prabhupada at that time mentioned that how each previous acaraya had done something for Mayapur dhama. I won’t go into the details as I have only a few minutes to speak. Then Prabhupada he mentioned that he also was trying to do something for the dhama. And he had predicted that there would be a temple here and he wanted to be sure that he started it.
So actually in 1977, he laid another foundation stone for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. And that time he was weak and so he sent someone else, he took the Ananta Sesa in his hand and gave it to one disciple to put it into the pit. So he actually laid the stone for the foundation of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
So he laid the foundation stone in 1971 or 1972 for the whole city and in 1977, for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. So he was very much focused on seeing this temple manifest.
So on this disappearance day he was saying how he was trying to do something for the dhama. Then he was saying that he was very thankful to all the disciples, all the devotees who were helping him. And then he choked up. He couldn’t speak any more. He started to profusely cry. Prabhupada he would always control his emotions. But this time he was unable. That’s how much it meant to him to see this temple finished.
He had told me personally, that this temple would attract people from all over the world and that they would come here, and see not only a temple, they would see a Vedic planetarium. They will see how the Vedic vision of the universe and all the planetary system how it works and beyond to the spiritual world, how in the Vedas there are those descriptions also.
Our previous acaryas, like Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya, he describes how after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya, the Ganges would rise, and for a hundred years Mayapur would be under water. So the people would move out and this place would become scantily populated. Then, since the desire of the Lord is all-powerful, by His desire, a community of devotees would gradually settle down. There would be many temples but there would be one prominent temple.
Lord Nityananda predicted, eka adhbuta mandira hoibe prakasa, gauranga nitya seva hoibe vikasa. There would be one wonderful temple which will become manifest and from that eternal devotional service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu will spread throughout the world. Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!
So every acarya has tried to do something for Mayapur dhama and Srila Prabhupada he wanted this temple to be manifest. He wanted to make this contribution. He empowered Ambarisa Prabhu by giving him this seva. But he also asked the GBC, and different devotees and sannyasis from around the world to see that this temple is built.
Sometimes he would praise Americans. Sometimes he would praise Europeans. He would say different things. He turned to me in confidence, and kind of whispered to me, “See how I am playing one devotee against another. I just want to enthuse everybody to get the temple built.” Something like that. So he used every tactic, every way to enthuse us.
That brings me to Bhakti Ratnakar. There Srinivasa Acarya he went on Navadvipa parikrama with Isana Thakura. And at the end he was lying down in Saci’s courtyard. And he was looking, simple grass huts. This is suitable for a devotee, but the Supreme Lord, the Lord of Lords, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He should have a beautiful palace and devotees serving Him. Why grass hut?
Then nidra, sleep attracted him. Then Lord Caitanya took him up gave him a spiritual vision of Navadvipa dhama, how it is golden and effulgent, huge. He showed a temple where Lord Caitanya was seated on a jeweled simhasana with Visnu priya, Laxmi priya, then he woke up. He went back to sleep.
He was taken up, he was shown a temple with a big dome and there was kirtan going on. Panca Tattva and so many devotees were dancing in kirtan. Millions of devotee, countless devotees from all parts of the world, from China, from Russia, from America, from all over, from every continent, every color, they were all chanting and dancing, all chanting Hare Krishna. He had this vision.
So this is there on the spiritual platform, but it’s also a type of prediction. We see this temple with a big dome, and the Panca Tattva and all the devotees would be dancing, doing kirtan. So we see how in the birth place they have Lord Caitanya, and Visnu priya and Laxmi priya and here we have Panca Tattva, dancing.
Anyway, now we have to do what Gopal Krishna Maharaj said, we have to render our might and see that every brick, every square foot, every square meter of the temple is finished.
I am told that I should end. ILS is freaking out. I wanted to give you a glimpse of the Planetarium but no time. The exhibits they go into the things that Prabhupada wanted. Time by Vedic standards. It’s mind boggling how we present our philosophy in a very scientific format. People when they see this, they have to go out with their consciousness changed, no doubt.
So with your blessings and all the intelligence of the great devotees here, we can do something very transcendentally powerful.
Hare Krishna!
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