śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ
9th Caitra, Thursday—1334
Ointment in Blind Eyes
In the Bengali year of 1252, or 82 years ago, a book entitled Kāyastha-kaustubha was published. Bhaṭṭa-neighbourhood resident Haladhara Tarkacūḍāmaṇi and another fifty great, great pundits signed that text, verying its contents as true. There is a chart in that book. Therein it is written as follows: “The Sena-vaṁśa kings are ambaṣṭa-kāyasthas. Śrīmān Śatrughna Sena is pautullika [a pagan idolater?]. Navadvīpa. This king made a new capital on a newly risen island. The water of the swollen Gaṅgā-devī took in the earth on all four sides. Gaṅgā-devī-māyāyāṁ – this town of Gaṅgā-devī that is saturated with her (maya) became the abode of all tīrthas and all schools. That is why one of its names is Māyāpura. The scriptures say thus. ‘Māyāpure maheśāni bāram ekaṁ śacī-sutaḥ |’ This is from Urdhvāmnāya-tantra.”
The authors of Kāyastha-kaustubha wrote the aforementioned classification from looking at Siyar-ul-Mutakhkherin. The quote from Urdhvāmnāya-tantra was added by the writers. At the time of the Badshahs, Śrī Navadvīpa was called Māyāpura. Our Navadvīpa, Māyāpura, is right where the fort of the Sena kings was. And fifty years prior, every cultured Bengali man knew that a holy place called Māyāpura that contained all the holy places due to being immersed in the māyā (power) of Gaṅgā-devī since time immemorial was situated in the place. In that very place, in the prathama-sandhyā (first twelfth) of Kali-yuga, the Supreme Lord, Śacīnandana, appeared. This book, signed by the teachers of Pūrvasthalī, suggests no one disbelieved these words then. They themselves have quoted the popular saying: “The words of self-interested people are one way and truth is another.” Readers, look and understand. If anyone has Siyar-ul-Mutakhkherin, then read and see. That book has everything about Bakhtiar Khiliji, who captured the Navadvīpa fort from the Hindus kings and deposed Lakṣmaṇa Sena. The sun of Gauḍa’s fortunes set from that time onward.
Sakāma-bhakta and Karmī
“The devotee with desires and the fruitive worker”
Pious karmīs are greater than human beings who indulge either in inaction or sinful action. Among millions of pious karmīs like this, one sakāma-bhakta is greatest. Since the karmī’s identification with the gross body is more pronounced, he desires the worldly pleasures of this realm and the merry dalliances of heaven, so, like the devotee, he bathes in the morning, picks flowers and tulasī, applies tilaka, and then worships Bhagavān. If we look at things from the perspective of the ascetic, then we will see that his renunciation is not any less than the one-pointed devotee. Among karmīs, there are many niṣkāma-karmīs [selfless doers], who also worship Bhagavān at the junctures of the day and offer hymns, etc., like the aforementioned sakāma-karmīs. Yet the sakāma-bhakta is dearer to Bhagavān than these types of niṣkāma-karmīs. What is the reason for that? The karmīs think that karma is topmost, that Īśvara is compelled to grant them the fruits of their labor; therefore, according to the the karmīs, Īśvara is subservient to karma. The sakāma-bhaktas, however, know that Bhagavān alone is the eternal master of all. Therefore, though at first they may have some desires for enjoyment in their hearts like the aforementioned sakāma-karmīs, the sakāma-bhaktas do not consider Bhagavān under the sway of karma like the karmīs do. Though the devotee may have some desires, he knows that his eternal duty is to engage in worship of Bhagavān. Think of the five-year-old boy Dhruva. Though Dhruva worshipped Bhagavān with ambitions for a kingdom, the mood of eternal servitude to Bhagavān as master had been awakened in Dhruva’s heart. For these sakāma-bhaktas, Śrīman Mahāprabhu has said:
anyakāmī kare yadi śrī kṛṣṇa bhajana |
nā māgile-o kṛṣṇa tāre dena svacaraṇa ||
Seeing the sakāma-bhaktas’ simplicity, Bhagavān becomes pleased with them. Those who consider enjoyment or liberation to be the supreme goal and regard the worship of Bhagavān to be a temporary means to achieve their ambitions do not engage in truly sincere worship. When it comes to the worship of Bhagavān, simplicity like Dhruva’s is most essential.
Vision of Śrīdhāma Māyāpura
This year I had the fortune of going to Śrīdhāma Māyāpura on the occasion of the birthday festival of the savior of Kali-yuga, Śrīman Mahāprabhu. The large area of land situated on the eastern bank of the sacred Bhāgīrathī has long been known by the name Māyāpura. In Vaiṣṇava texts, this Māyāpura alone is mentioned as the birthplace of Śrī Gaurasundara. However, recently, some people are expressing doubts about the actual location of this Māyāpura. Some want to say that the real Māyāpura is a spot that has disappeared into the depths of the Gaṅgā. It occurs to me, however, that for family men like myself who are attached the objects of the senses, it is best if we worship and honor the place that great, saintly personalities who are of extraordinary character and endowed with divine sight have determined as Māyāpura. Everyone is familiar with how all the holy sites and pastime places in Śrī Vṛndāvana-dhāma had disappeared. It was only Śrī Śrīman Mahāprabhu Himself and His intimate followers like Rūpa, Sanātana, and others, who were endowed with His potency, who restored all these lost holy places.
What happened with Śrīdhāma Vṛndāvana has happened with Māyāpura at present. The Māyāpura of today has been uncovered by detached saints who were absorbed in their bhajana, and by the will of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, its splendor has developed more and more each day. Just making one’s auspicious arrival in that place easily rouses in one’s heart the sacred memory of Śrī Gaurāṅga-deva and His associates. There Śrī Gaurāṅga’s devotees and servants, who are endowed with conscience and renunciation, are preaching the peaceful message of pure devotion, turning the hearts of listeners toward Bhagavān. There the sacred flow of hari-kathā is rushing forth on a daily basis, springing from kīrtana and other sucg activities, like the sanctifying current of the Mandākinī’s sacred waters. By the purifying power of the air and winds in that place, the prāṇa, or life airs, of householders who are excessively attached to their worldly lives become filled with indifference to their worldly attachments. In that place, the children, seniors, youth and mature men and women of every age are all embodiments of love and simplicity. When one witnesses the discussions of spiritual knowledge and the highest forms of bhakti, then it occurs to one that this place is in no way less than Naimiṣāraṇya in its sacredness. There are simply no doubts that arise in my mind about that essence of all tīrthas, Māyāpura-dhāma. If we evaluate the varying degrees of purificatory power possessed by different holy places, we can see this Māyāpura-dhāma contains the glory of all holy places. There is not the slightest doubt that this Māyāpura-dhāma is worthy of being considered the king of tīrthas in this age of Kali-yuga.
The newly established Para-vidyāpīṭha [“Place of Spiritual Learning”] is a place one must see. At this school, there is a beautiful curriculum designed to teach the philosophical texts of the renowned Vaiṣṇava ācāryas. There is also a daily Bengali newspaper entitled “Nadīyā Prakāśa” being published from Māyāpura. This is the only daily newspaper in the district of Nadīyā. That this newspaper continues and develops is desirable in every respect.
The overseer and main ācārya of Māyāpura and the Gauḍīya Maṭhas, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Mahārāja, is honored by everyone for his wholehearted dedication to dharma, his total lack of selfish motives, and his desire for the welfare of all. At present, he is second to none in preaching pure devotion as approved by Śrī Śrīman Mahāprabhu. Both his conduct and preaching are impeccable and exemplary for everyone in this age. A Vaiṣṇava of such firm conviction, sincerity, and immaculate character is only seen from time to time. He is the incarnation of humility and proper decorum. He even addresses his disciples with the honorific “āpani”, and if someone bows to him, he will return the obeisance, even to the most wretched and inferior person. The nectareous currents of hari-kathā are always issuing from his mouth. This time I heard him speak hari-kathā tirelessly for two long hours. Hearing all the profound topics he discussed in his lecture, the way he clearly defined all the subtlest principles of spiritual knowledge, and invoked various emotive themes in between as he himself was brimming with powerful surges of emotion, I was truly motionless, as if stunned or spellbound. His electric influece (personal magnetism) is extraordinary. This power is the result of total, uninterrupted brahmacarya. There are very few like him who know the hearts of others. As a result, he is foremost among ācāryas and is the personified peace and refuge of those seeking dharma.
When I had the fortune to hear the speech issuing from his sacred mouth, the subject he was discussing was “how to eliminate anarthas”. Artha and anartha are two different things. First there is śraddhā, and after that comes sādhu-saṅga. He carefully sifted out the scientific sequence of attaining real bhagavad-bhakti or prema. After that, he delivered in-depth explanation of verses like “satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvide” and outlined very clearly the deceit and harmfulness of the so-called modern Vaiṣṇava cult referred to as the Bābu-sampradāya. Every profound lecture of Pūjyapāda Prabhupāda is published in the Gauḍīya magazine under the heading “Prabhupādera Vaktṛtāra Cumbaka”. I have seen that the supremely venerable editor of the Gauḍīya, Śrīyukta Sundarānanda Vidyāvinoda Prabhu, is compiling the essence of Prabhupāda’s lectures in book form for posterity. Curious readers will be able to sate their interest by reading the Gauḍīya. Therefore, I have desisted from the futile effort of recording the essence of Prabhupāda’s lecture.
I have heard from various people that though Gauḍīya Maṭha saints speak and write of many educational, informative statements, one can barely find any display of prema’s aṣṭa-sāttvika transformations among them. From what I have seen with my own eyes, I cannot accept this critique. The exalted preachers of the Gauḍīya Maṭha become overwhelmed with emotion and shed tears of love during their lectures and while performing saṅkīrtana, and some of them roll in the dust. From carefully watching Prabhupāda’s face, I have understood that he goes to great effort to conceal his emotion and never reveals the outright expression of prema in front of unqualified persons. He is very much acquainted with the fact that moral negligence and weakness of character go hand-in-hand with overt emotionality, and he makes a point of explaining this to others.
The final topic to touch upon is that many people think that Prabhupāda’s creation of a brāhmaṇa-sampradāya by endowing people with brahminical status through dīkṣā is not in accordance with ārya-dharma and is in fact ruinous to society. However, the fact of the matter is this: given how degraded modern society has become, if a powerful, intelligent personality does not restructure society in a new form, there is no hope of sanātana ārya-dharma, or pure vaiṣṇava-dharma, lasting. Therefore, it seems to me that the practice Prabhupāda is promoting is reestablishing the lost vṛtta-varṇāśrama-dharma, or societal order that is determined organically by the individual’s actions and natural qualities.
praṇata
Śrī Viśveśvara Dāsa, B.A.
Head Teacher
Shantipur Municipal High School
Shantipur
(Nadiya)
A Request to Civil Society
Nowadays, the practice of suddenly donning the mendicant’s garb and becoming a bābājī out of nowhere has reached epidemic levels. Ninety-nine percent of all these bābājī groups do not understand the meaning of the word ‘bhek‘ (mendicant’s garb). Often they have been involved in some big scandal in their hometown with some woman, or they had no woman at home, and they figured they could find a woman if they became a bābājī. These sorts of situations and many types of desires for material indulgence are the reasons members of the so-called bābājī groups take bheka all of a sudden. All these uneducated bhogi-sampradāyas have let their poor example bring a distaste for words like ‘bābājī‘, ‘vairāgī‘, and ‘bheka‘, etc., into educated society. Because of their behaviour, educated society thinks that the whole Vaiṣṇava tradition comprises of such uneducated, uncivilized womanizers who are not actually devotees of Kṛṣṇa. And it is not as if it is even unnatural for educated people to have this twisted conception of ‘Vaiṣṇava-dharma’ because the bābājī groups are so numerous and prevalent, growing in numbers day by day. The author of the book ‘Śrī Caitanya Movement‘, Mr. Kennedy Mahodaya, has also fallen prey to this erroneous conception. Whoever he collected information about Vaiṣṇava-dharma from introduced themselves as Gosvāmīs, Bābājīs, or Vairāgīs, but in truth, such people do not know the first thing about Vaiṣṇava-dharma. They are all corrupted in numerous ways by flaws stemming from their illicit relations with women. Therefore, if Kennedy and other members of civilized society heard about śuddha-bhakti as preached by Śrīman Mahāprabhu from the mouth of a pure Vaiṣṇava who is truly, truly acquainted with kṛṣṇa-tattva then they could develop firm conviction in the universality of Vaiṣṇava-dharma and be delivered from the impressions created by the so-called bābājīs. They would understand that all living entities are the servants of Kṛṣṇa and eternal service to Kṛṣṇa is what defines the living entity as a Kārṣṇa [a being in eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa] or a Vaiṣṇava.
The word ‘bhek‘ is a corruption of the word ‘veśa‘ and/or ‘bhikṣu‘. Mūrdhaṇya (retroflex) ṣa is pronounced as ‘kha‘ in western regions, so the pronunciation of the word ‘veśa‘ has commonly evolved as ‘bheka‘ instead of ‘vekha‘. Real vairāgya is to relinquish all non-Vaiṣṇava conduct in the form of all hankerings to satisfy the self with objects unrelated to Kṛṣṇa and offer one’s soul wholly at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa with the inclination to serve Kṛṣṇa and satisfy His senses with all one’s own senses. Such a renounced person who is fully engaged in kṛṣṇānuśīlana with all of his senses is a tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī of the fourth āśrama. The “saliṅgānāśramāṁs-tyaktvā cared-vidhi-gocaram” state of the tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī is that of the paramahaṁsa or ‘vairāgī‘. In other words, one who relinquishes all signs of caste and station and thus does not traverse the path of rules pertaining to their varṇa or āśrama is a paramahaṁsa or vairāgī. In this paramahaṁsa state, some discard external markers of varṇāśrama-dharma, some may also not display such markers due to their humility. One cannot judge their Vaiṣṇava-ness by such external markers. “Vaiṣṇava cinite nāre devera śakati.” There is no rule that says a person’s Vaiṣṇava-ness must be determined by their external appearance. Vaiṣṇava-ness depends on the intensity of one’s attachment to Kṛṣṇa. Only Kṛṣṇa and His dear associate, Śrī Gurudeva, makes that judgement and facilitates advancement in the realm of bhajana. All the womanizers of ill repute who do not know the tattva of the acceptance of veśa as befitting a paramahaṁsa “try to eat grass with the horses” or, in other words, transgress proper protocols and processes and want to dress up like paramahaṁsas all of a sudden. The only real way to reform dharma in this situation is to go to the king and charge them as dacoits in disguise. They have brought infamy and shame to Vaiṣṇava society for they have openly and without restraint promoted illicit relations with other people’s wives in the world. These kinds of people have brought shame to the homes of countless dignified individuals. As for those who endorse all these so-called bābājī womanizers, how can their intelligence be praised? One simply cannot control one’s laughter when this class of bābājīs is trying to compete in preaching the glories of the Śrī Dhāma or in performing kīrtana of kṛṣṇa-kathā! We cannot fathom what sort of heinous motive has compelled those who take pride in identifying themselves as educated, dignified men of letters to endorse all this unseeable, untouchable characters of foul conduct and give them such undue indulgence. “You can tell a person’s nature by the company he keeps.” Will we become unpopular among educated folk if we think this proverb applies to them for keeping the company of such so-called bābājīs?
Educated society is surely familiar with “avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtaṁ | śravaṇaṁ naiva karttavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ || – Hearing hari-kathā from the mouths of non-Vaiṣṇavas is as dangerous as drinking milk poisoned by the lips of a serpent.” Therefore, if they want their own auspiciousness and, at the same time, the auspiciousness of their own countrymen, then they will quickly give up the bad company of womanizers and non-devotees and teach others to give up such asat-saṅga. This is our one humble request.
“asat-saṅga tyāga—ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra |
strī-saṅgī eka asādhu, kṛṣṇābhakta āra ||”
A Phony Yogī’s Pitiable Condition
The following story appeared in the “Evening World” magazine:
A Bengali yogi named Svāmī Yogānanda has been teaching love between men and women for some time now. Recently, Police Chief Mr. H.N. Quigg came to know that several representatives of the municipality of Miami planned to force the Svāmī to stop his teaching, so he has ordered the Svāmījī to leave this city for his own safety.
However, it seemed this yogi was going to silently and peacefully resist this attempt at expelling him from the city. He was living in his quarters at a beautiful hotel. A police detail was guarding him.
The aforementioned yogi admitted to his friends that it is not false that he has charged almost two hundred women thirty-five dollars (almost a hundred taka) each to give them private lessons on sense control and other topics, but he is saddened that he has been called a “love cult guru”. People have misunderstood his teachings.
The next day, Quigg Saheb summoned the yogi again and said, “I am ordering you to leave this city because of the complaints of many people and so that you can protect yourself from a repetition of the incident in Los Angeles when an insulted husband broke your nose.” The yogi had come before Quigg and had, till then, been sitting across the table from him, staring him down intensely in an attempt to bewilder him. At this, Quigg Saheb chastized him, saying, “Enough with all that. Hear what I am telling you!” The yogi was forced to desist.
It cannot be determined whether or not a incident similar to what happened in Los Angeles occurred in Miami, because this yogi is refusing to comment. Whatever the case, the yogi’s nose appears to be untouched, looking the way it does in his photographs. From that, it seems that he has not been attacked in this place. Then again, he showed the description in the newspaper detailing that incident, insisting that he was not the person who was attacked in Los Angeles.
When a high-ranking detective, J.C. Reeve Saheb found the yogi at home, he tried to take him to the station, but Yogānanda refused. However, as soon as Reeve Saheb took out the handcuffs, the yogi changed his mind and took all of his books and manuscripts under his arm and followed the detective out.
After that, Quigg Saheb again said, “Representatives of a group of men and a group of women have just been here asking for you to leave this place at once. You should leave as soon as possible with your companions so that there is no further disturbance. We do not wish to allow any of you to remain here.”
Yogānanda came to this city of Miami several weeks earlier. He promoted himself as an influential Hindu and the founder of a “Yogodā Sat-saṅga Centre” in Los Angeles.
Blind Even with Eyes
We are all pratyakṣa-vādīs. In other words, whatever we see with our eyes, we believe. We do not have so much conviction in what we do not see with our eyes, whether it is true or false. But what is more astonishing is than the fact that despite being such avid believers in what our eyes see, we cannot see the biggest thing in front of our eyes—something that is always there? Have you figured out what that astounding thing before our eyes is? Listen close. Once, the son of Dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asked Bhīṣma about this wonder. In response, Bhīṣma said, “ahanyahani bhūtāni gacchanti yama-mandiram | śeṣāḥ sthiratvam-icchanti kimāścaryam ataḥ-param || – Every day millions and millions of beings are dispatched to the abode of death, but despite seeing that the living entities who remain alive are not worried. They are engrossed in recreation and other activities. Every day the sun rises and sets, stealing what is left of their lives and though they witness this, they do not realize what is happening. What is more astonishing than this? There are many wonders in this world that are worth seeing, but the first thing to see is this. This is the biggest wonder. Why are we saying it is such a great wonder? It is such a great wonder because once we recognize it, we become anxious to attain immortality. We will search for the means to become immortal. There are many revered scholars in the world. Because of all the research they are doing, they are constantly making so many new discoveries and will continue to do so. But to this day, has anyone tried to become immortal? Has anyone sought out immortality? All those things we have but a fleeting relationship with—how happy will they make us? Therefore, is searching for immortality not one of the biggest tasks among all the other tasks we may set about accomplishing? Still, we can say that we do not know of anyone, nor have we heard of anyone, who has become immortal. This is true, but the Vedas say, “tameva viditvā atimṛtyumeti nānyaḥ panthā vidyate ayanāya – By knowing You, people conquer death and attain immortality. There is no other way to attain immortality.” Bhagavān has not said this in the Vedas only once, but many times. How many hundreds of years are western scientists spending to prove the truth of a single inert phenomenon? Likewise, will it suffice to discuss this matter just once?
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya
[From sannyāsa-līlā onwards]
(See previously published article titled “Śrī Māyāpura-Pūrṇa-candrodaya”)
“namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te |
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ ||”
After roaming for three days in this way, by Nityānanda Prabhu’s cleverness, the new sannyāsī Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya arrived on the western side of the Gaṅgā in Śāntipura. He thought He was travelling to Vṛndāvana, so He started offering hymns to Gaṅgā thinking it was the Yamunā. From there, Śrī Advaita Prabhu took Śrī Gaurasundara by boat to his home in Śāntipura. There Śrī Advaita Prabhu had Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī cook a huge feast and offered it to Śrī Gaurasundara and Śrī Nityānanda. Śrī Gaurasundara requested Śrī Mukunda and Śrī Haridāsa to sit with them and honor prasāda. Out of humility, they did not sit in the same line as the two Prabhus, so after Mahāprabhu had His meal, Advaita Prabhu took them (Haridāsa and Mukunda) with him and they honoured Śrī Gaurasundara’s remnants together to their heart’s content. Everyone in Śāntipura came to have darśana of Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet. In the evening, saṅkīrtana and dancing began. As soon as Mukunda began kīrtana, the eight ecstatic symptoms manifested in the Lord all at once. The next day, in the morning, Śacī Mātā got onto a palanquin and came to the home of Advaita in Śāntipura along with many devotees from Navadvīpa. Śacī Mātā arrived and saw Mahāprabhu face-to-face for the first time since He had taken sannyāsa. Mahāprabhu stayed in Śāntipura for a total of ten days, consoling Śacī Mātā, performing hari-kīrtana with the devotees of Navadvīpa, and enacting the pastime of accepting alms in the form of what Śacī Mātā cooked by her own hand in the home of Advaita. In order to teach the conduct of a sannyāsī, Mahāprabhu, who was enacting the pastime of being a teacher to the world, explained to the inhabitants of Navadvīpa that once one takes sannyāsa, one should not live with one’s relatives in the place of one’s birth.
Śacī Mātā heard her son’s words and asked Him to live in Nīlācala, because she knew that would please Gaurasundara. Mahāprabhu instructed all the inhabitants of Navadvīpa to spend their lives engaging incessantly in kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, kṛṣṇa-nāma, and kṛṣṇa-kathā. Thus He bade farewell to the devotees of Śāntipura and to Śacī Mātā and set off with Nityānanda, Mukunda, Jagadānanda, and Dāmodara toward Śrī Puruṣottama via Chatrabhoga. On the Chatrabhoga road, Mahāprabhu passed through Vṛddha-mantreśvara and arrived at one of the borders of the Utkala kingdom; on the way, they had many ecstatic kīrtanas and begged alms in various places. In this way, they eventually arrived in the village of Remuṇā, where they had darśana of Śrī Gopīnātha. There, Mahāprabhu narrated to His devotees the story Śrī Īśvara Purī had told Him about Śrī Mādhavendra Purī and Kṣīracorā Gopīnātha. As the Lord recited the verse “ayi dīna dayādra-nātha!” by Mādhavendra Purī, He manifested divine madness in separation. Mahāprabhu spent the night there and carried on toward Nīlācala the next day. From Yājapura, they arrived in Cuttack and there had darśana of Śrī Sākṣī Gopāla, where they heard the story of Gopāla from Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. From Cuttack, they went to Bhuvaneśvara, where they had darśana of the kṣetrapāla Śiva there. Then, in Kamalapura, on the banks of the Bhārgī river, when He went to see Kapoteśvara Śiva, Mahāprabhu gave His daṇḍa to Śrī Nityānanda, who broke Mahāprabhu’s daṇḍa into three pieces and threw them in the river to communicate that the sovereign Lord of all did not need to bear the daṇḍa and other symbols of self-punishment. Mahāprabhu acted like He was angry to convey that although Bhagavān and Paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇavas do not need to punish or discipline themselves like that, if the sādhaka who is rife with anarthas does not discipline his body, mind, and words, then there is no possibility of attaining auspiciousness by resorting to whimsical independence. Arriving at Āṭhāra-nālā, Mahāprabhu demonstrated a pastime of being a little angry and left His companions behind, going alone to the temple of Śrī Jagannāthad-deva. When Śrīman Mahāprabhu saw Śrī Jagannātha-deva, He became overwhelmed with prema and ran to embrace Śrī Jagannātha, manifesting the symptoms of mahābhāva.
(to be continued)
News of the Times
This year because the rains have not come when they should have, the crops have not fared well. Therefore, there has been famine in many places. It has also been very hot. There have been such extensive outbreaks of cholera, smallpox, and other epidemics in some places that many people are dying every day from one village to the next. In other places, there have been various catastrophes due to excessive rain. All these worldly sufferings are unavoidable for the jīva bound by māyā. We simply must endure all these difficulties. There is no way to escape their clutches. Suffering roves upon the Earth like the wheel of time itself. Some years cropṣ are good in a certain region and the next year, there is a famine there. Some years there is no rain somewhere and the next there is too much rain. Today the home that is brimming with joy will be resounding with cries of sorrow. There is no way to fathom the will and ways of Bhagavān. But this much is for certain: He is auspicious. He does not do anything that is inauspicious. There are some seeds of auspiciousness hidden in all these sufferings. When we are in such predicaments, what else can we do but pray to Bhagavān who is the one friend who can deliver us from calamity.
duḥkha bhoga kari nija-kṛta karma-phale | kāya-mano-vākye tava caraṇa-kamale || bhakti kari kāṭe kāla tava kṛpā āśe | muktipada tava pada pāya anāyāse || [I endure suffering due to the results of my own past deeds. I spend my time engaging in devotional service to Your lotus feet by body, mind, and words. In this way, I will easily attain Your feet, which are the source of liberation.]
(Local)
Agradvīpa Festival
Near Pāṭuli Station, on the EIR Bandel–Katwa line, is where Ghoṣa Ṭhākura’s Śrīla Gopīnātha-deva is being eternally worshipped. Every year, in this place, there is a festival on the occasion of Vāruṇī [a fast-day on the thirteenth of the dark half of Caitra]. This year too, there was a festival for three days, from Sunday to Tuesday. Many people attended the festival.
Cāṁpāhātī Gaura-Gadādhara’s
Rāma-navamī Dola
In the village of Cāṁpāhātī in Samudra-gaḍa is the ancestral home of Gaura-pārṣada Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī. Here preside the twin deities of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Gadādhara established by Paṇḍita Gosvāmī’s brother and disciple, Dvija Vāṇīnātha Brahmacārī; the deities have been here for over four hundred years. Over time, the sevāites had neglected the place, so it had become an overgrown jungle and the worship was almost entirely stopped. Now, however, by the efforts of the devotees at Śrī Caitanya Maṭha, at the birthplace of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, responsibility for the site has come under the management of Śrī Caitanya Maṭha in cooperation with three trustees who were the previous proprietors. By the heartfelt efforts of Śrīyukta Paramānanda Brahmacārī, one of the sevakas of Śrī Caitanya Maṭha, and with the assistance of various other devotees, the whole jungle has been cleared from the site and a temple constructed. Now daily worship is going on as per proper standards and festivals and other functions are being held there. Here, as per ancient tradition, there was a swing festival for the deities on Rāma-navamī. This year, on this upcoming 17th of Caitra, March 30, there will be a swing festival at this pāṭabāḍī [ancient home temple].
Nānā Kathā
35 people have been injured in the riot in Rishra. One of the victims, a boy, has died at the Śrīrāmapura hospital. Now the situation has calmed down there.
This past 17th [of March], in the morning, Ahmedabad’s ancient Bhadar Gate broke and the engineer’s butler has died. The engineer’s people were sleeping in this place.
Last Monday, all five hundred students of Scottish Church College held an assembly at Calcutta’s Cornwallis Square. During the assembly it was determined that it is clear that since Doctor Watt has expelled Śacīndranātha Mitra and disregarded the College Union, he has no sympathy for the students. Though the students have appealed to file a complaint in Mitra’s name with the principal, the principal has refused to accept it. Therefore, the students propose: (1) the principal should be requested to withdraw the order to expel Mitra and reveal the reason for Mitra’s expulsion in front of everyone; (2) prior to receiving the principal’s answer, no students will attend classes; and (3) the principal will be sent a copy of the proposal. The students had a meeting on this past Tuesday, March 20, also. The students have requested everyone to participate in a peaceful protest on behalf of the student assembly. There will be no picketing.
On March 18, in the afternoon, one of Delhi’s biggest iron merchants, Sheikh Banowari Lal Khandelwal, greeted Śrīyukta Patel, the chairman of the legislative assembly, at a celebratory conference. Aside from government employees and their respective entourages, there were nearly 500 distinguished individuals of the city in attendance at the conference. Yesterday there was mention of congratulating him at yet another celebration.
The Afghan royal couple arrived at Portsmouth Dock and were greeted with a 21-gunshot salute and loud cheers. Thereafter, they were greeted by the workers of the marine department, viewed the guard of honour and the two battleships, the Victory and the Tiger. The Chief General treated them to lunch. All the ships were flying the Afghan flag.
The investigation committee of City College has met. Once the committee has communicated the results of their investigation to the college council, the council will determine its duties.
Lady Abe Bailey has flown to Cape Town in airplane by herself. This March 16 she returned without any trouble.
The Dainika Jyoti magazine reports that a second-year student at Chattogram College named Achi Mia has been studying in order to get good results in his exams and sleeping only one or half an hour per night for 23 nights. On the day of the exams, after an hour of writing answers in his examination, nothing was entering his mind. His mind was totally blank. He was forced to stop his examination. The doctor checked him and concluded that his nervous system was agitated from too much mental labour. The student body is feeling very sad for him.
Kṣīroda-vāsinī Devī, the mother of Śrīyukta Śacīndra Nātha and Bhūpendra Nātha Sannyāla, who were charged in the Kakori conspiracy case, has died at the age of 52. Her four sons have all undergone various types of political persecution.
An ‘S 8’ submarine that sank this past 17th of December, near Provincetown, has been brought to the surface again.
Everyone has received word that the auspicious nuptials of Indore’s former Maharajah, Sir Tukoji Rao, with Miss Nancy Miller have been celebrated with great fanfare at a royal palace called the Barhawa Daria Mahal. Over twenty-five thousand people were in attendance. Miss Miller, or Śarmiṣṭhā Devī, has demonstrated great enthusiasm in all the marriage rituals performed as per Hindu scripture. After the marriage, according Maharastrian custom, the lady takes the husband’s title. In this case, the name Śarmiṣṭhā Devī, which was conferred to her by the Śaṅkarācārya of Kaṭhara Maṭha, has not been changed at all. But Sir Tukoji Rao is still referred to as Mahārājā, so Miss Miller will be known as Mahārāṇī Śarmiṣṭhā Devī Holkar. Reports are that the Mahārāja and Mahārāṇī will soon go to Europe to restore their health. When asked what they plan to do, they say that they want to return to Indore and serve the citizens and India. They do not want the citizens to get the wrong idea that they are going abroad; it will only be for a short time. They will return by winter.
(1) The annual conference of the Nikhila Bhārata Hindu Mahā-sammilana [“All India Hindu Grand Assembly”] has been set for this upcoming 6, 7, and 8 of April. All the members of the Hindu Sabha in Calcutta who want to be elected as representatives in this conference should submit an application, with their address and annual fee of 1 rupee, at the address provided below.
(2) It has been decided that the fourth annual conference of the Hindu Sammilana of the Bengal region will be held in Mymensingh. Those who want to be representatives at the conference should send their name, address, and yearly fee of 1 rupee to the address provided below:
Śrī Bhūtanātha Mukhopādhyāya—editor
50, Baghbazar Street,
Calcutta
Śrīyukta Gāndhijī has apparently decided to go to Europe as he has accepted the invitation of the Vienna Youth Conference. He is now waiting for a letter from Romain Rolland. Once that letter arrives, all arrangements will be finalized.
In Bombay city, the coroner has investigated the remains of the dead European found in the first-class cabin of a J.I.P. train and ascertained that this saheb’s name was Robert Pennington, previously a colonel in the volunteer division, who was working recently at a private company in Bombay. One of his friends said, at the time of identifying him, that he had tried to commit suicide about a month ago, but had been stopped in the attempt. A letter from Pennington has revealed that a great deal of malaise and the betrayal of a trusted friend had driven him to suicide. The jury has ruled the death a suicide.
A Canadian plane has been sent to Greenville to see if Captain Hinchliffe landed in Greenville.
There are plans to run a railway along the Kanthi–Belda Road in Medinipur District. Apparently, all arrangements have been made; the only thing left is the approval of the Railway Board. We will be very pleased to see work commence shortly on the rail-line.