Blogs

The cleansing of the Gundica temple in Jagannatha Puri, India.

In his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura summarizesthis chapter as follows. The King of Orissa, Maharaja Prataparudra,tried his best to see Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Nityananda Prabhu andthe other devotees informed the Lord about the King's desire, but SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu would not agree to see him. At that time Sri NityanandaPrabhu devised a plan, and He sent a piece of the Lord's outward garmentto the King. The next day, when Ramananda Raya again entreated SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu to see the King, the Lord, denying the request, askedRamananda Raya to bring the King's son before Him. The prince visited theLord dressed like a Vaisnava, and this awakened remembrance of Krsna. Thus SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu delivered the son of Maharaja Prataparudra.

After this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed the Gundica temple before the Ratha-yatra took place. He then took His bath at Indradyumna Lakeand partook of prasadam

Sri Gadadhara Pandit. He was a member of the Panca Tattva and is described as the effulgence of Srimate Radharani.

Sri Gaurahari had so much affection for Sri Gadadhara Pandit that He couldn't be without him for a moment. He appeared a year after Lord Caitanya. Gadai and Nimai were inseparable as childhood playmates. Peaceful, renounced, serious, self-composed, fond of solitude Gadadhara proved quite a contrast to his bosom friend Gaura Raya, who was fickle, unsteady, and whimsical. In Ganga Dasa Pandit's tol (school) Nimai Pandit regularly teased Gadadhara by challenging him with illogical questions.
 
   Sri Kavi Karnapura states that in Vraja lila Gadadhara Pandit is the daughter of King Vrsabhanu–Srimati Radharani. Gadadhara Pandit served as Lord Gaura's chief assistant during His Navadvipa-lila. Sri-Sri Radha Krishna in Vrindavana appear as Gaura-Gadadhara to perform pastimes in Navadvipa in the forest groves beside the Ganges. 

  Gadadhara Pandit"No one call describe the character

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur

    Sri Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in 1838 in a wealthy family in the Nadia district, West Bengal. He revealed that he is an eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by his extraordinary preaching activities and prolific writing. Living as a, mahabhagavata Vaisnava, he stayed in the grhasta ashram until the last few years of his life. Then he renounced everything, accepted babaji, and entered samadhi, totally absorbed in the loving service of Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava.
 
   "He had a responsible government position as the District Magistrate (high court judge), maintained a Krishna conscious family, and wrote almost one hundred books on Krishna consciousness. At the same time, he served the Supreme Lord in so many ways. That is the beauty of his life. After a full day of government service he would sleep four hours, get up at midnight and write until morning. That was his daily program." (Srila Prabhupada)
 
   Thakura Bhaktivinoda too

Srila Prabhupada....."Now I am especially concerned to distribute grains, rice, wheat in the form of dahl and rice prasadam to hungry people all over India. The people here are very disturbed because, partly due to the punishment of Nature, and partly due to the mismanagement of the demon class of men, food is not available. If the people do not even have sufficient food they will not even be able to receive spiritual instructions. So I am hopeful that if we can widely distribute free foodstuffs to the people of India, by giving it out at our centers as well as by travelling parties to villages, we will win over the whole country and the whole world by this activity on Krsna's behalf.
You write that members of the Gujarat community would like to contribute $10,000.00 toward a temple there, but at this time I think the money could be better spent by contributing to shipping grains to India for distribution. If they wish to donate for this noble project they can send money directly to t

Shrivasa lead his brothers Shri Rama, Shri Nidhi, and Shripati in their devotional lives of singing Krishna's names, worshiping the Lord, and bathing thrice daily in the Ganges. (In the wallpaper: Shrivasa Pandit, ISKCON Leicester, UK).

   Shrivasa Pandit, fifth member of the Panca-tattva, Shri Krishna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Shri Advaita, Gadadhara, Shrivasadi, Gaura Bhakta Vrinda lived in Navadwipa before the advent of Lord Chaitanya. Shrivasa lead his brothers Shri Rama, Shri Nidhi, and Shripati in their devotional lives of singing Krishna's names, worshiping the Lord, and bathing thrice daily in the Ganges.

   Meeting with Shri Advaita Acharya Prabhu, they studied Bhagavatam and prayed for an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. Why did they pray? Because only an avatara of Krishna could reestablish Vaishnavism among the staunch atheists, logicians, and proud pandits harassing Nadia at that time.

   Malini, wife of Shrivasa, was a constant friend of Sachi Devi. She served Nimai as a

vyuhas turyo'niruddho yah sa vakresvara-paditah 

   Feeling very sad (dukhi) over losing several children before his birth, his parents named him Dukhi Krishna Dasa. Upon taking diksha from Hrdaya Chaitanya he became known as Krishna Dasa. In Vrindavana, he joined Narottama Dasa Thakura and Shrinivasa Acharya to study the Goswami granthas under Shri Jiva Goswami.
 
   Many "ankle bell stories" describe how Krishna Dasa received Radharani's mercy, the name Shyamananda, and his unique tilaka mark. Shripad B.V. Narayana Maharaja gives this account in Navadwipa Dhama Parikrama:

   "While living in Vrindavana, Krishna Dasa regularly swept the streets before dawn. He performed this humble service so that the Vaishnavas would not hurt their feet while walking to the Temples. One morning he found a captivatingly beautiful golden ankle bracelet. When Lalita and Vishakha-sakhis asked for the bracelet Krishna Dasa said he would only give it to the original owner.
 
   "Blindfolding Krishna Dasa, the gopis brought him to Shrimati Radhika. She all

श्री जगन्नाथाष्टकम्

Śrī Jagannāthāṣṭakam

कदाचित् कालिन्दी तट विपिन सङ्गीत तरलो
मुदाभीरी नारी वदन कमला स्वाद मधुपः
रमा शम्भु ब्रह्मामरपति गणेशार्चित पदो
जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन पथ गामी भवतु मे ॥१॥ 

kadācit kālindī-taṭa-vipina-saṅgīta taralo
mudābhīrī-nārī-vadana-kamalāśvāda-madhupaḥ
ramā-śambhu-brahmāmara-pati-gaṇeśārcita-pado
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me (1)

Who sometimes fervently plays His flute on the banks of the Yamuna river in Sri Vrindavana, who is like a bumblebee that blissfully tastes the lotus faces of the Vraja-gopis, and whose feet are worshipped by great personalities such as Laksmi, Shiva, Brahma, Indra, and Ganesha -- may that Sri Jagannatha-deva be the object of my vision.

भुजे सव्ये वेणुं शिरसि शिखिपिच्छं कटितटे
दुकूलं नेत्रान्ते सहचर-कटाक्षं विदधते ।
सदा श्रीमद्‍-वृन्दावन-वसति-लीला-परिचयो
जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन-पथ-गामी भवतु मे ॥२॥

bhuje savye veṇuṁ śirasi śikhi-picchaṁ kaṭitaṭe
dukūlaṁ netrānte sahacara-kaṭākṣaṁ ca vidadhat
sadā śrīmad-vṛndāvana-vasati-līlā-paricayo
jagannā

khola-becataya khyatah panditah shridharo dvijah

   (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 133) 

Shridhara Pandit was a resident of Navadwip. Navadwip is composed of nine islands, of which the central island is known as Antardwipa. He used to live at the northern extremity of Mayapur and to the southeast of the Chand Kazi’s samadhi, in the place that now goes by the name of Shridhara Angan. During his lifetime, it was a banana orchard...(In the wallpaper: Shridhara Pandit's home, Shri Mayapur dham, banana barks).

Lord Chaitanya's heart melted upon seeing Mukunda's devotion and determination. The Lord blessed and accepted Mukunda, "By your faith and conviction in My words all your offenses have been immeditately destroyed." (In the image: Lord Chaitanya and His associates).

   Shri Mukunda Datta was Shri Nimai Pandit's classmate at Ganga's Dasa's tol (school). Mukunda had a melodious voice and he knew the intricacies of musical meters and ragas. His sweet kirtana would please all the Vaishnavas at Navadwipa.Tuning in to Lord Gaura's heart, he would sing songs matching Lord Gauranga's feelings. Lord Chaitanya took sannyasa amidst Mukunda's kirtana. He served Shri Chaitanya in Puri as one of the Lord's humblest followers.
 
   Once at the house of Shrivasa Pandit Lord Chaitanya blessed all the Devotees except Mukunda. Mahaprabhu overlooked him because he had offended Bhakti Devi (who gives devotional service). Mukunda placed her on an equal level with karma, jnana, or even Mayavada philosophy when

Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami’s chipped- rice-and-yogurt festival for Lord Caitanya and His associates. Celebrated especially in Panihati, West Bengal.

The Chida-dadhi Mahotsav, also known as the Chipped Rice Festivalof Panihati, is a yearly celebration of the pastimes of SrilaRaghunatha dasa Goswami and Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Thisastonishing pastime took place on the banks of the Ganges atPanihati, which is just north of Calcutta. Lord Caitanya and hisassociates enjoyed many transcendental pastimes here. Chida-dadhiMahotsav remembers how the Lord mercifully reciprocated with Hisdevotees by arranging, through Nityananda Prabhu and Raghunathadasa, to provide an ecstatic feast of yoghurt and chipped rice,along with various other nectar foodstuffs. Linked below is anexcerpt from Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya lila chapter 6, whichdescribes this wonderful pastime in detail.

The chipped rice festival took place just before the monsoons,when it is very hot (45 – 50 C) and muggy (80 – 90 % humidit