śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ
13th Caitra, Monday—1334
[March 26, 1928]
Dayā “Compassion”
nāhi māni’ āpanāra sukha duḥkha kabhu |
bhālavāsa koto more tāhā jāni prabhu ||
I never care for Your happiness or distress;
I know how much You love me, Lord.
divāniśi koto khāṭa mora sukha tare |
duḥkha jāhe kabhu more paraśite nāre ||
You look out for my happiness, day and
night, so that sorrow can never touch me
āmāra suyaśa śuni sukha pāo koto |
apayaśa śuni duḥkha haya sei mata ||
How happy You get to hear me praised;
If I’m defamed, You feel as much sorrow.
yadi mama sukha lāgi kabhu śāsti dāo |
nije tumi āmāpekṣā baḍa vyathā pāo ||
If You ever punish me for my pleasures,
You feel more pain than I do.
kāhāra dayāra dṛṣṭi dhruvatārā sama |
nikaṭe thākiyā sadā vighna nāśe mama ||
Whose merciful glance is like the pole
star? You are always next to me,
eradicating obstacles.
dayāra sāgara prabhu tomāre chāḍiyā |
āra jena nāhi thāki saṁsāre bhuliyā ||
I pray to not wander this material existence
anymore, leaving You, the ocean of mercy.
Literature
On the evening of March 20, there was an assembly of many renowned servants of literature at Presidency College, organized by the students there. The topic of discussion was—literature. Śrīyuta Yadunātha Sarakāra Mahāśaya took the seat of chairman. Everyone in the assembly praised the works of the late Bankim Chandra, as well as the contemporary works of Sarat Chandra, and urged the students to read the literary works of Bankim Chandra.
Of the novels and plays we see taking the form of literature these days, the ones that sell the most in the market usually have the image of a naked woman printed on the first page to make it very clear to the readers what kind of tone the author has revealed in his prose. Parents and guardians are turning a blind eye to the fact that tender-minded youth, having read all this literature and developed certain proclivities at too early an age, have reached and are reaching the furthest limits of a deplorable condition. Literature that hacks away at the roots of dharma and is always trying to get us to traverse an ignoble path, literature that seems appealing at first but results in something truly terrifying—though reading such literature may be the fashion of the times, pious persons ought to consider carefully just how appropriate it really is. If we consult the scriptures, we see that the sages of yore also denounced this sort of literature. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, “Those who are learned know that statements or texts that are full of wondrous poetic turns of phrase yet never glorify Vāsudeva, the sanctifier of worlds, are but places of pilgrimage for crows.” In other words, such literature appeals to lusty persons; enlightened persons who are fixed on producing a state of goodness do not delight in such topics.
There are many social organizations being formed in the world. There needs to be an organization that curates literature for readers. It is imperative to give careful attention to several matters when going about the curation of literature. It is imperative that all kālpanika-sāhitya [contrived literature] is discarded and vāstava-sāhitya [real literature] promoted so that human beings are not robbed of their morals; they should be encouraged to lead a moral and religious life, so that they can be happy now and later on. Determination of varṇa [occupational type: i.e., intellectual, soldier, entrepreneur, tradesman] and āśrama [stage of life: i.e., single, married, retired, renounced] according to scripture needs to be reinstituted so that a person’s dharma-jīvana [functional, pious lifestyle] can be created starting from their childhood. If a pious lifestyle is not adopted, one cannot cultivate literature. Without that, it is not possible to relish unnata-ujjvala-rasa [the elevated, refulgent mellow of romance], which is the life of literature. There needs to be careful, in-depth discussion of the differences between real literature and contrived literature and the benefits of cultivating or serving real literature.
Everything that is in contrived literature also exists in real literature. The difference is this: even the mere shadow of contrived literature cannot touch real literature, for real literature contains only that which is eternal truth. Though contrived literature may be somewhat pleasing to the senses, like an intoxicant, its result is ghastly. Real literature keeps its relisher immersed from moment to moment in eternally newer and newer flavours. It does not subside like contrived literature does once it arouses the pleasure of the body and mind.
Caṇḍīdāsa, Vidyāpati, Jayadeva, Bilvamaṅgala, Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, Kavi Karṇapūra, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana, and countless other kings of literature have appeared in our nation and bequeathed to us their immortal glory. It is a matter of great sadness, however, that the literature that has been written following the cues of Western aesthetics seems good to us. Though it is driving us towards hell, it appears to be rather pleasing at the outset, and so now we do not have any honour for real literature.
Śrīpāda Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhu foresaw this inauspiciousness bearing down on humanity and sought to cut down mundane, contrived literature at its root and establish the foundation of real literature, so he composed Śrī Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa. At present, under the guidance of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmīpāda, the servants of Śrī Caitanya Maṭha have established a Parāvidyā-pīṭha [institute for higher, spiritual learning] at the Śrī Maṭha for the purpose of propagating sat-sāhitya [true literature] throughout the world.
To Friends
(A Few Matters)
“Sāccā kahe to’ māre lāṭṭhā jhuṭṭā jagat bhulāi | gorasa gali gali phire surā baiṭhala bikāi ||” This couplet of Mahātmā Tulsīdāsa gives us an idea of how well-acquainted he was with the modern world. He tells us here that though milk is sold door-to-door, no one wants it; and meanwhile, liquor sits in one place and gets sold out. This is the way of the world. The law of truth has gotten up and left, and the law of falsity has flourished. As soon as you proceed to tell the truth, people come to beat you with sticks. That said, can anyone stop the propagation of the truth. No—no one will manage that. The truth has a certain otherworldly power that enables it to overcome hundreds of thousands of obstacles and establish itself with dignity. Regard for falsity may abound at first, but ultimately it does not endure.
“yato dharmas tato jayaḥ – Where there is dharma, there is victory.”
Many of our friends, whose hearts are earnest and who want the best for us, are very worried and distressed about the misfortune of the antagonists who oppose the conclusions of pure devotion. Our joy knows no bounds to see this demonstration of their kind and generous hearts. “Udāra-caritānāṁ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam – Saintly, magnanimous persons are devoid of discrimination between own and other; instead, they see the whole world as their own family. They know that since all living entities are Kṛṣṇa’s servants and since Kṛṣṇa is the father of the world, the lord of the world, then why would discrimination come between them and make their hearts contracted and miserly? When everyone’s self-interest is the one destination of all self-interest, the service of Kṛṣṇa, then why would there be any estrangement between us? One day, one of Mahāprabhu’s associates who had received Mahāprabhu’s mercy became melted with sympathy for the sorrows of the living entities: “Give the sins of the living entities to me and let me suffer in hell on their behalf.” Aho! Who but the devotees of Gaura could possibly be like this, having such magnanimity that compels them not to have the slightest concern for their own happiness and drives their hearts to weep for the sorrows of others? Mahāprabhu then consoled that individual, saying, “This kind wish for the living entities will bless them with auspiciousness.” Mahāprabhu manifested His sannyāsa pastimes and went door-to-door chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa and getting others to chant Kṛṣṇa. We and the rest of civilized society request that you all sincerely take shelter at the feet of that Mahāprabhu Śrī Gaurasundara and His intimate followers. The Lord and His devotees will hear your anguished pleas. In Gaura’s pastimes, everyone will be delivered—”vinā vaiṣṇava-nindaka durācāra.” In other words, everyone except those who commit offenses to Vaiṣṇavas will be able to obtain Gaura’s grace. In the scriptures, offenses to Vaiṣṇavas have been compared to a mad elephant. Just as a mad elephant uproots trees and vines and tears them to shreds, the mad elephant of Vaiṣṇava aparādha tears apart the vine of devotion and does not allow it to grow up onto the wish-fulfilling tree of Kṛṣṇa’s feet. The living entity may have committed ghastly sins like slaughtering cows or brāhmaṇas or having an affair with his teacher’s wife, but if he says, “I will sin no more,” and takes shelter at the feet of Bhagavān and His devotees, then Bhagavān grants him deliverance from all sins. Such was the case of Jagāi and Mādhāi. There was no sin they had not committed. They had even assaulted Baladeva Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu Himself, but still they received His mercy. Why? Because they had not committed any offense to Vaiṣṇavas. They had only sinned due to being addicted to intoxication. Later, when that same Jagāi and Mādhāi said, “We shall sin no more,” and took refuge at the feet of Gaura-Nityānanda, then none of their sins remained. By the grace of Gaura-Nityānanda, they became the highest caliber of devotees. Consider the case of the prostitute sent by Rāmacandra Khān. Though she went to seduce Nāmācārya Ṭhākura Haridāsa himself, by the power of the Ṭhākura’s grace—”That prostitute became the greatest of saints. Great, great Vaiṣṇavas came to have her audience.” Therefore, come O saints, we will all band together and go door-to-door to the houses of the antagonists and weep, saying, “Brothers, you are our kin. Why would you keep choosing your own ruin by making offenses at the feet of those Vaiṣṇavas who are the dearest kin of all of us? Right now, you have all been blinded by the illusion of Māyā and are going around saying whatever you please, like patients in altered states of consciousness. You are going to various lengths to oppose the Vaiṣṇavas, but brothers, even now if you listen to the advice of the saint doctor, you will regain your health. And do not think of offending Vaiṣṇavas as some sort of child’s play, some trivial matter, brother! The fate of your current and future lives depends on this. Try to grasp how serious this is, for once. You still have the chance to go to the feet of those whom you have offended and beg for forgiveness, and then you will be met with auspiciousness.” O saintly persons, if we visit the living entities from door-to-door and say this, then I think we will be able to deliver our kin, otherwise not.
Questions About the Birthplace
[Even though we did not want to publish all the questions recorded below, we have done so because they will serve to unveil many crucial and previously unpublicized historical facts.—editor of Nadīyā Prakāśa.]
To the editor sir of Nadīyā Prakāśa—
Sir,
My home is in Ballāla-dīghi. At present, my father’s age is somewhat beyond eighty. He was with Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Mahāśaya from the very beginning of his efforts to determine the birthplace of Śrī Mahāprabhu. Now, at the end of his life, he wants to write a series of accounts about ancient Navadvīpa and has engaged me in gathering additional material on this topic. I have developed a few doubts about this topic. In order to clear up these doubts, if my questions can be conveyed to the various readers of Nadīyā Prakāśa, then they may be able assist me in achieving my objective. It is with this faith that I have sought your refuge. The number of my questions is great. Therefore, if you can publish these questions gradually, I can find proper answers to them all and then I hope I will be able to right an adequate reconciliation of the controversy surrounding the birthplace of Śrī Gaura.
Supplicant,
Śrī Indranārāyaṇa Brahma,
Ballāla-dīghi, Nadīyā
Questions
1 | Śrī Advaita Miśra [Ācārya] was a ‘Kāpa’ [someone who has lost their caste] in the Vārendra community? If he was not, then what was his social status?
2 | Was he a supporter of Vaiṣṇava-dharma as preached by Śrī Caitanya-deva.
3 | Do the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas under the shelter of Śrī Caitanya-deva refer to him as an ācārya or not?
4 | Is his behaviour sanctioned by Śrī Caitanya-deva or not? Was he lovingly disposed to Śrī Nityānanda-svarūpa, who is a follower of Śrī Caitanya-deva, or was he antagonistic to Śrī Nityānanda?
5 | Was Śrī Caitanya-deva discussing the topic of devotion to Viṣṇu before He started preaching dharma or not?
6 | Is Śrī Advaita Miśra referred to as a one-pointed servant of Śrī Caitanya or not?
7 | Has he not been given the title “Prabhu” because he is a servant of Śrī Caitanya?
8 | Was he or was he not an anukūla-panthī [favourable practitioner] of the spiritual path approved by Śrī Caitanya-deva?
9 | Has he or has he not practiced the tenets of smārta tradition, which is opposed to that of Caitanya, in his own life?
10 | Were his ancestors in the habit of resorting to any Smṛti traditions to conduct any household or spiritual rituals?
11 | Had he discarded some portions of the Smṛti traditions practiced by his forefathers and adopted the Vaiṣṇava-Smṛti path demonstrated by Śrī Caitanya-deva?
12 | Was he or was he not initiated by a family guru who belonged to a long family lineage of gurus?
13 | Was he or was he not initiated by Śrīman Mādhavendra Purīpāda, who had taken shelter of the Śrīman Madhva-sampradāya?
14 | Is Śrī Mādhavendra Purīpāda sixteenth in descent from Śrīman Madhvācārya’s sampradāya in their lineage of sannyāsi-gurus or not?
15 | Was Śrī Advaita Ācārya someone who earnt his livelihood by teaching the Kevalādvaita explanation of Vedānta philosophy or not?
16 | Had he read Madhva’s commentary on the Brahma-sūtras and Śrī Jaya-tīrtha’s Tattva-prakāśikā-ṭīkā or not?
17 | Was he an expert in the deliberation of vṛścika-taṇḍulika-nyāya[1] cited by Jaya-tīrtha?
18 | Did he have any sāmpradāyika connection with Śrī Nityānanda-svarūpa or not?
19 | Did he have any sāmpradāyika connection with Śrī Caitanya-deva or not?
20 | Śrī Caitanya-deva’s six servants in Śrī Vṛndāvana, who are known as “Gosvāmīs”—did Śrī Advaita Prabhu have any sāmpradāyika connection with them or not?
21 | Does Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka refer to Śrī Advaita Prabhu as Śrī Caitanya’s devotee or not?
22 | Did he or did he not, when he went to Puruṣottama, offer obeisance to Śrī Dāmodara Svarūpa, Śrī Caitanya-candra’s second self?
23 | Did Advaita and other devotees of Śrī Caitanya dance from ghat to ghat in Śrī Navadvīpa or not?
24 | Did Śrī Advaita Prabhu’s only Vaiṣṇava son, Śrī Acyutānanda, receive the grace of Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī or not?
25 | Did Śrī Advaita’s sons Gopāla Miśra and Śrī Kṛṣṇa Miśra temporarily demonstrate adherence to the guidance of Mahāprabhu or not?
26 | Which of Advaita’s sons was engaged in serving the Lord’s feet for his whole life?
27 | What was the viṣṇu-bhakti of Advaita’s other sons like?
28 | Did anyone in Śrī Advaita’s family lineage ever worship a deity of Śrī Gaurasundara or not?
29 | In Śāntipura, in the Advaita family, are Śrī Gaurasundara’s deities worshipped in several homes?
30 | In the Bandyopādhyāya and Baṭabyāla lineages of Śrī Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, Rāmacandra, and Gopī-jana-vallabha, who were under the guidance of Śrī Nityānanda’s son, Vīrabhadra, is there a tradition of worshipping Śrī Nityānanda’s deity or not?
31 | Did Rādhā-mohana Gosvāmi Bhaṭṭācārya take birth in Advaita’s lineage or not?
32 | In the genealogy of the sons of Balarāma, a descendant of Advaita, given by J. K. Sharma Nāyaka, Rādhā-mohana is listed as Madhusūdana’s son and Madhusūdana as Balarāma’s son. When was this genealogy changed and another dubious claim propagated in its stead?
33 | On which of the Mahā-mahopādhyāya Smārta Raghunandana’s twenty-eight tattvas did Rādhā-mohana Gosvāmi Bhaṭṭācārya write commentaries?
34 | By whom were Śrī Kṛṣṇa Miśra, Gopāla Miśra, Jagadīśa, Balarāma, and other sons of Advaita initiated into Viṣṇu-mantra and made into Vaiṣṇavas?
35 | Can a person initiated into one of the other four types of mantras among the Pañcopāsakas—that is, aside from initiation into Viṣṇu-mantra—be referred to as a Vaiṣṇava or not?
36 | Is it right for those initiated into Viṣṇu-mantra to follow the traditions of the karma-kāṇḍa-obsessed Smārtas who antagonize Vaiṣṇavas and perform preta-śrāddha?
37 | From the perspective of spiritual considerations, what is the destiny of those who can treat the worshipful representation of Viṣṇu as a mere stone?
38 | Those who have obtained Viṣṇu-mantra initiation and attained Vaiṣṇava status—can they regard their gurus as ordinary mortals, as the Pañcopāsakas do or not? If they do, then according to the bhakti scriptures, where does their fate lie?
39 | Those among the descendants of Śrī Advaita who had established knowledge of their caste-based duties prior to receiving initiation from others who were initiated in Viṣṇu-mantra—do those descendants have the right to give dīkṣā or not?
40 | How can the Śrī Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas respect those who introduced themselves as the sons of Śrī Advaita but actively opposed the conduct of Śrī Advaita Prabhu?
41 | Is it or is it not true that Kavirāja Gosvāmī, when describing Śrī Advaita’s lineage as a whole in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, referred to Śrī Acyutānanda as a sāmpradāyika–vaiṣṇava [a Vaiṣṇava in proper standing in disciplic lineage], Śrī Gopāla and Kṛṣṇa Miśra as sādhāraṇa-vaiṣṇavas [Vaiṣṇavas in the general sense], and the sons of Advaita who were opposed to Śrī Caitanya as “caitanya-vimukha asāra – inconsequential antagonists of Caitanya”?
42 | What are we to understand from reading all the topics mentioned in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in the course of describing Śrī Advaita’s branch?
43 | Did Śrī Advaita’s Smārta descendants ever go to Śrī Vṛndāvana? And did they ever develop deep attachment to Vaiṣṇava-dharma? And what is the degree of that deep attachment [anurāga]?
44 | Is the guru business practice of maintaining one’s Smārta-Bhaṭṭācārya status and receiving initiation in the mantras of gods other than Viṣṇu and initiating others in those mantras something that was condoned by Śrī Mādhavendra Purīpāda?
45 | In which year did Śrī Rāma Gosvāmī Mahāśaya, father of the late Rādhikānātha Gosvāmī, and his elder brother, the late Madana-gopāla Gosvāmī, go to Śrī Puruṣottama Kṣetra? And there, during a discussion with Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, what topics were covered?
46 | We hear that in 1851 they discussed Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in Śrī Kṣetra and, as a result of that discussion, returned to their homelands and taught a reformed system of conduct. How different was that reformation from the Smārta tradition taught by the predecessors of this lineage?
47 | Why did Madana-gopāla Gosvāmī Mahāśaya hide from Upendra-mohana Gosvāmī, resident of Khaḍa-daha, a certain commentary on Tattva-sandarbha written in the name of Rādhā-mohana Bhaṭṭācārya?
48 | If anyone knows what topics Upendra Gosvāmi Mahāśaya discussed with Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura when he expressed specific doubts about the authenticity of that commentary, they may please make them public.
49 | Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa is the Vedānta preceptor of the Gauḍīyas. Prior to him, if Rādhā-mohana Bhaṭṭācārya was able to be advertised as the author of a commentary on Tattava-sandarbha, then the stain of shame on the descendants of Advaita for following Smārta tradition mentioned in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta would have been cleared up. So, who wrote this very recent commentary text attributed to Śrī Rādhā-mohana to do away with this inconvenience?
50 | When Rādhā-mohana was Raghunandana Bhaṭṭācārya’s chief disciple and the commentator on his text, then how does it make sense for him to be portrayed as the commentator of a philosophy that is completely opposed to that of his guru?
51 | The Smārta Raghunandana has mentioned several pro-Vaiṣṇava reconciliations throughout his books, but that can never make him a Vaiṣṇava of the Śrī Madhva-sampradāya. Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu was a disciple of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, so he had taken shelter of the Śrī Madhva-sampradāya. How can someone from Śrī Advaita’s lineage who has adopted the impersonalist kevalādvaita doctrine, gone against Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to judge Vaiṣṇavas by their caste, and regards himself as well-established in the Smārta community possibly write a commentary on Tattva-sandarbha?
52 | The following verse was cited in Bhakti-sandarbha and Śrī Advaita Prabhu corroborated its purport: “yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam | yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat-tenaiva vinirdeśat || –Regardless of the caste a person is born in, they should be assigned a caste according to their qualites.” It is certainly possible that while writing his commentary on this verse the Smārta Bhaṭṭācārya’s eyes fell upon the upper section of the Caḍaka[2] pillar. How can all these topics be reconciled?
53 | How long has the Smārta practice of receiving dakṣiṇā and payment for teaching been actively practiced in the Nityānanda lineage in imitation of the practice of the Smārta reciters in the Advaita lineage and their earning a livelihood from narration? The sequential history of this needs to be researched.
54 | While the pure Vaiṣṇava Gosvāmīs of Vraja-maṇḍala declared the paid reciters to be at odds with Vaiṣṇava smṛti, though such reciters were well-versed in non-Vaiṣṇava smṛti, the gṛhastha-ācāryas cultivated the recital and teaching of Bhāgavatam to earn their livelihood, thus following in the footsteps of the Smārtas. Allthose topics are in dire need of unveiling.
55 | The Advaita-vaṁśa has long been supporters of Raghunandana’s hatred of the Vaiṣṇavas. Though Katwa’s two Gosvāmī sons, dubbed ‘Big Prabhu’ and ‘Little Prabhu’, have demonstrated some ceremonial Vaiṣṇavism, they are not supported by the rest of Advaita’s Smārta descendants. Is there any evidence that contradicts the countless distasteful statements made in the Advaita-vaṁśa about Śrīman Mahāprabhu and His servants, as found in Prema-vilāsa and other authoritative texts, as well as in texts from the time of Śrīnivāsācārya.
56 | Śrī Rāma Gosvāmī’s son, Śrī Rādhikānātha Gosvāmī, went to Brahma-deśa [Burma], to Rangoon, for work, we hear. How many years did he work there? Why did he return from there to Bengal? All these details will help in determining the establishment of Śrī Māyāpura.
57 | What was the name of this aforementioned Gosvāmī Mahāśaya while he was living in Rangoon? There may be many who know that detail too.
58 | Why did Rādhikānātha Gosvāmī go to Vṛndāvana, and for what reason did he frequent the home of the Kashimbazar Maharajah and tour the Basirhat region? If anyone among your readers knows anything about this, then please publish the information in this newsletter.
59 | Why did Śrī Rādhikānātha Gosvāmī accompany the king of Taḍāśa and his younger brother when they went to Śrī Vṛndāvana? Why did he live separately when he stayed in Śrī Māyāpura? Is there is something about Vṛndāvana that is relevant to verifying the truth of Māyāpura?
60 | When Śāntipura’s Jaya Gopāla Gosvāmī Mahāśaya saw in one of the most ancient manuscripts of Govinda Dāsa’s Kaḍacā that Śrī Māyāpura was named as a place nearby Ballāla-dīghi, he was so overjoyed. Who deprived him of that joy, and for what reason?
(to be continued)
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya
[Post-sannyāsa pastimes]
(See previously published article entitled
“Śrī Māyāpura Pūrṇa-candrodaya”)
Arriving in Purī, Mahāprabhu took up residence in Kāśī Miśra’s house. Sārvabhauma introduced Mahāprabhu to the Vaiṣṇavas who lived in Śrī Kṣetra. Kṛṣṇadāsa was sent to Navadvīpa. When the Gauḍīya devotees heard from Kṛṣṇadāsa that Mahāprabhu had returned to Śrī Kṣetra, they began making arrangements to go to Purī. Śrī Paramānanda Purī came to Purī via Navadvīpa along with Advaita Prabhu’s disciple, Dvija Kamalākānta. Śrī Puruṣottama Bhaṭṭācārya of Navadvīpa had performed a pastime of accepting sannyāsa from a guru in Kāśī named Caitanyānanda, but had refused the yoga-paṭṭa [“yoga strap” tied around the knees to keep the body in a rigid posture for meditation] and other outer symbols and so became known as Svarūpa. He too arrived in Puruṣottama at the feet of Mahāprabhu. Śrī Īśvara Purī’s disciple Govinda also arrived. After the disappearance of Purī Gosvāmī, as per his guru’s order, Govinda came to Mahāprabhu and offered his soul to His service. Mahāprabhu expertly had Brahmānanda Bhāratī give up his deerskin garment. Īśvara Purī’s disciple Kāśīśvara Paṇḍita also arrived in Purī to be with Mahāprabhu.
When Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya tried to get Mahāprabhu to meet with King Pratāparudra, then Mahāprabhu, who was enacting pastimes as a teacher to the world, rejected the proposal on the grounds that it is forbidden for a sannyāsī to meet with those engaged in sense gratification. Rāmānanda Rāya took leave of his work for the king and came to be with Mahāprabhu in Purī. When Rāmānanda praised Pratāparudra’s many Vaiṣṇava qualities to Mahāprabhu, the Lord’s attitude toward the king changed.
When Jagannātha was not giving darśana just before Ratha-yātrā, Mahāprabhu went to Ālālanātha and, when He came back to Puruṣottama, He met with Advaita and the other devotees who had arrived.
(to be continued)
Nimantraṇa Patra
“Invitation Letter”
śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ
Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha |
Dumur Kunda |
7 Caitra, 1334 Sāla
This request is submitted with utmost respect—
Mahodaya,
This upcoming 10 Caitra, 23 March, Friday, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura and his associates will arrive on the Calcutta–Delhi Express at 2:42 in the afternoon at Sītārāmapura station to make their auspicious arrival at the Dumur Kunda Śrī Caitanya Maṭha. All respected sirs and their friends are requested to participate as per the schedule provided below:
The humble—
Servants of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha
Program Schedule
10th Caitra, Friday—
(a) The welcoming committee will greet Śrīla Paramahaṁsa Ṭhākura at 2:42 in the afternoon at Sītārāmapura station.
(b) At 3:00 p.m., Śrīla Paramahaṁsa Ṭhākura will be brought with great fanfare and saṅkīrtana to the Śrī Maṭha from Begune Caurāstā.
(c) That night, at 7:00 p.m., after the āratrika kīrtana, will be Śrīla Ṭhākura’s speech.
11th Caitra Saturday and 12th Caitra Sunday: At 5:00 in the afternoon, at the home of Nisarchati resident Paramabhāgavata Śrīyukta Indra-nārāyaṇa Candra Mahāśaya there will be kīrtana and Śrīla Paramahaṁsa Ṭhākura’s speech.
Nānā Kathā
32 hundred taka was stolen from a mailvan on the way to Sealdah station from the Calcutta General Post Office. I.B. Rail’s CID Inspector, Sādata Āli Khān, has arrested a man named Mahammad Jāki at the Barakpur horse-racing grounds in relation to this theft. Sealdah police have put the accused in jail at the courthouse. Investigation is ongoing.
A severe bout of cholera and plague is underway in Yukta Pradesh [The United Provinces, or present-day Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand]. In Pilibhit, in Rohilkhand Division and Sajahanpur and Bareilly, there is plague, and in Mirjapur, a severe outbreak of cholera. In Vindhyācala, the fair has started again from March 21. Fairgoers are being advised to exercise caution.
A clerk of the Miṭasu Bāsāna Kaisā Company by the name of Kṣetranātha Bārika has been charged with embezzling 1 lakh 66 thousand taka. The claim is that the aforementioned clerk did not deposit any of the money that the company entrusted to him to deposit with the Central Bank between 1926 and October of 1927; instead, he took it for himself and, besides that, distorted accounting records. At present, the accused has fled. Chief Presidency Magistrate Mr. Voxbourg has issued a summons in the accused’s name.
The author of Samasamāyika Bhārata and professor of history at Patna University, Śrīyukta Yogendra Nātha Samaddāra, is in a lot of pain. His blood pressure has increased. The professor mahāśaya is very faithful toward Śrī Caitanya Maṭha in Śrīdhāma Māyāpura. By the grace of Śrī Bhagavān Gaurasundara, may he quickly recover his health. This is our prayer.
During the Kolkata Corporation’s meeting last Wednesday, a proposal was made to take a loan of 1 crore 3 lakh 22 thousand rupees for the current fiscal year, with a 19.5% tax and a proposal to impose an annual tax on dogs. The revised loan budget has been passed. In response to Śrīyuta Rāmakumāra Goyenkar’s questions, the Chief Executive informed him that a total of 5,037 sweepers are working in the corporation. The number of nightsoil workers and nightsoil carriage vehicles is 1,859 and 1,691 respectively. The sweepers’ wage is 14 rupees, the night soil workers’ wage is 12 rupees, and the nightsoil carriers’ wage is 14 rupees; they also receive some ration money. In Maniktala, Kashipur, and Garden Reach, the sweepers’ wages were from 7 to 13 rupees, the night soil workers’ wages were from 11 to 13 rupees, and the night soil carriers’ wages [per fortnight] were from 12 to 13 rupees. They earn 30 to 40 rupees per month. Sweepers work for 6 hours, night soil workers work for 4 hours, and carriers work for 5 to 6 hours a day. The District Engineer said that their wages seem sufficient according to the work.
We hear that the Communist Party is very oppressed in Japan, and many people have been arrested in cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Kobe, and others. Reports are that a hunt is on to find all the hideouts of the Communist Party.
(Excerpted from Bāṅgalāra Kathā and the Dainika Basumatī)
Māyāpura Dharmaśālā—Śrīyukta Bipina-bihārī and Śrīyukta Pulina-bihārī Mitra, relatives of the revered literary figure Mr. Piyarichand Mitra (Tekchand Thakur), have donated ten thousand rupees for the construction of a grand lion gate and a large ashram in memory of their late father.
Paramhaṁsa Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura ceremonially installed the foundation with his own hands.
On Thursday, the 22nd of March, around noon, unexpectedly, the Ganges in Kolkata rose about 4–5 feet and flooded the area. As the flood came so suddenly, boatmen were taken by surprise, which damaged and broke many boats. Much cargo and belongings were also damaged. The extent of the damage is still unknown.
To facilitate the comfort of the third-class passengers of Sealdah’s I.B. Railway, it has been proposed to open a passenger superintendent office in the station’s third-class waiting room. This arrangement will be to tend to the needs and complaints of passengers.
In the village of Sona Tola near the city of Bagherhat, a pond is being excavated. Due to the emergence of a flammable vapor from one corner of it, superstitious workers have abandoned the excavation of this pond.
In the city of Lucknow, a 13-year-old girl named Dularī Gwalini, enraged from a fight with her husband, mixed dhūturā in the food of her two nieces. As a result, one girl died, and the other fell seriously ill. Dulari has admitted her guilt in front of a magistrate. The judge has sentenced her to life imprisonment.
Last Wednesday, a huge workers’ meeting was convened in Śivapur. Sympathy was expressed for the Liluah mill workers at the meeting. Mr. Sringara Bhelu, Mr. K.C. Mitra, Mr. Mukundalal Sarkar, and others were speakers at the meeting.
The Prince of Wales is a colonel of the Guards. He crossed seven hurdles in the horse race at the Inter-regiment Challenge Cup in Risley, but was flung over the horse’s head while crossing the eighth hurdle and fell. He was not seriously injured.
Sir Nilratan Sarkar is very ill. Everyone is praying to God for his speedy recovery.
A two-minute earthquake occurred in Mexico on the evening of March 21.
The International News Service has received some uncertain reports from Portland, Maine, suggesting that some sign of Captain Hinchcliffe and Miss Mackay has been found in Patten, Maine (America). It may be that Hinchcliffe’s airplane has crashed on Mt. Chase in a lake region of Maine.
The students of Scottish Church College have still not attended college today. It has been decided that until there is a satisfactory resolution regarding the case of the third-year student Śacīndra Nātha Mitra, no student will attend college. A meeting of students was supposed to be held at Cornwallis Square last Friday. If both sides remain steadfast, the situation will worsen. If the principal would soften a little, everything would cool down and be fine. Is he representing the caring attitude of a parental figure to the students?
The Liluah matter is also becoming increasingly complex day by day. A statement by Mr. K.C. Mitra, secretary of the E.I.R. Union, reveals that nearly 800 workers of the Signal Engineering Department have gone on strike. As long as no satisfactory resolution is provided, they will continue to strike. Last Wednesday, many people were detained in the 7th building of the I.K.R Department in Howrah in a helpless and hungry state. New coolies have been appointed by a European company. An assembly at the Howrah Maidan last Thursday opposed the suggestion of a proposal announced by the government to reduce workers.
[1] The logic of the vṛścika (scorpions) and the taṇḍula (rice) refers to scorpions hatching in piles of rice. One may assume that the scorpions are somehow being birthed from the rice itself, but really, they are hatching from the scorpion larva laid in the rice. Likewise, life may appear to originate from matter, but this assumption ignores the simple fact that life only comes from life.
[2] Caḍaka-pūjā is a festival held in honor of Lord Śiva and features devotees swinging from a tall pillar via ropes and hooks that are inserted into the flesh of their backs. One who would happily endure such a ritual would surely be understood to possess the natural qualities of a kṣatriya.