CAITANYA LILA DAY 1 – 15 MARCH 2011 IN SRIDHAM MAYAPUR
(transcribed by HG Jayaraseswari mataji)
We offer tarpana for Bhismadev in the Ganges. He was a brahmachari since his
birth and did not marry and he had no children to do his tarpana, so we all
accept to do for him because he was a pure devotee of the Lord. Of course
you
could say that he doesn’t need it but it is to our benefit to do it.
So there is one story from the Padma Purana, there was this devotee and he
would go everyday to the Ganges and there he would bathe, recite his
Gayatri,
offer prayers and then take a bucket home and give to his wife and
children.
So this was his daily practice. He was a great devotee of the Ganges.
Actually
Prabhupad said that he wanted to go every day to the Ganges and that if he
could do that it could extend his life. At that time the Ganges was far away
and there were many properties on the way. We were trying to buy all the
properties but it was very difficult. Now the Ganges is very close. So, it
is
easy now but at that time it wasn’t. Prabhupad, he would say, as a child he
would go every day to the Ganges by the Howrah bridge.
I don’t know the
Howrah
bridge built then or not but that is where his house was at Mahatma Gandhi
Road
which was then known as Harrison Road.
So, any way, this brahmana one day he was coming back from the Ganges and
there
was a politician but he was born in a Brahmin family – he had a Brahmin
thread
but he was a politician. He cheated, he lied and he was involved in so many
wrong things, he had killed his father who was a rival for him in the court
and
he was a very simple person. He was very proud and came walking and saw a
bull
and he thought why is this bull is blocking the road. He picked up a branch
and started to hit the bull. Now the bull is not a very wise thing. It got
up
and looked, who is this guy and he started kicking with his feet and then
charged and hit him with his horns and the Brahmin flew in the air and he
was
pierced in the heart and he was thrown down and was lying on the road, spot
dead! And the bull went walking on.
Meanwhile this other Brahmin came from the Ganges and he saw a Brahmin lying
dead on the road. And he said let me sprinkle some Holy Ganges water on him.
He
then walked on and after some time he saw some Yamadutas who were injured
and
one was carrying another. He asked them, what happened to you? They shouted
and
said, it is all BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DID IT!! The brahmana
looked puzzled (Guru Maharaj shrugged his shoulders), what did I do??! YOU
SPRINKLED THE GANGES WATER ON THAT SOUL, on that person, he was sinner but
because you sprinkled the Ganges water we did not know who these Vishnudutas
were who said we could not touch him. The Vishnudutas they came and said he
belongs to us as he has been sprinkled with Ganges water, so we are taking
him!
And they took our ropes and they took him. He was a sinner, he was a killer,
a
murderer, he was a thief but we don’t know who these Vishnudutas were who
walked in and we attacked them and they said what is wrong with you? Don’t
you
know, the Ganges is sacred and so they called for the Sudarshan chakra and
they
asked Him to chop our hands and feet and so we had to retreat and it is all
because of you! Why did you give that water to him? So this Brahmin went
back
to the Ganges and paid obeisances again and again and started saying his
prayers to the Ganges. Ganga Mayi Devi ki jai! Ganga Mayi Devi ki jai! Ganga
Mayi Devi ki jai! Like that he was praying and then Ganges being pleased
with
him, the Personality of the Ganges came out and gave darshan to him.
As you saw today, she was on a crocodile had a white flower and wore white
clothes and she asked what blessing do you want? He said I would like to
have
two things: One, when I die I want to be touched by your waters. And second
if
I could go back to the spiritual world otherwise if I cannot at least I
should
be born in the family of a devotee. She said Thathasthu! So be it! So the
Ganges, she is very sacred and she is very much blessed by the Caitanya
Lila,
by the Gaura Lila and we are also blessed that we have the Ganges Bhagirati
flowing right by us. So every year we do this during the festival when we
offer
the Ganga Puja. Ganga Mayi ki jai!
Actually, I have seen in Haridwar, Rishikesh, in Benares and few other
places
they do regular puja of the Ganges. I told them here we should do regular
puja
to the Ganges. They say we are doing once a year. Somehow it is not
happening.
But we hope that some time we would be able to do the puja regularly, at
least
every week, puja to the Ganges. The Ganges goes through the three worlds and
it
purifies, it is the lotus feet water of Vishnu, so it is very sacred and you
can call it the charanamrita of the Lord. Some kings they used to carry
only
Ganges water and that Ganges water day by day it gets more and more pure.
Other
water gets contaminated day by day but the Ganges water gets more and more
pure! We also tested it and the everyday we got 15% more clear and by 9
days
it was very clear. But there is garbage being thrown in the Ganges which is
unacceptable and unfortunate.
Anway, at the house of Srivas Thakur I told one of the Parikrima groups, I
didn’t know it was the Hindi parikrama, I told how Srivas invited Gauranga
to
come to his house and do kirtan because they are the denizens of KRISHNA
PREMA!! Hari bol! So he was invited to the home and there the people were
told
that the people would not understand their ecstasy, so I will only bring
very
confidential devotees who know what these ecstacies are and know how to
appreciate. So that is how the kirtan started. Because Lord Caitanya was
chanting and He would faint and His hair would stand on its ends, He would
cry
loudly and the people thought that He had some mental problem. They did not
know that actually He was in ecstasy of love of Krishna. He came to the
house
of Srivas and there every night they would chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare! Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare! So like
this every day Srivas would have the kirtan of Lord Caitanya in his house.
So people were wondering what is going on inside, but the doors were kept
closed and only devotees were allowed and the others were outside and
wondering, what are they doing there? What are they doing? What is going on?
Chanting Hare Krishna, what else! Hari bol! Hari bol! So inside of course
Lord
Caitanya was dancing and chanting and His kirtan was very ecstatic and
sometimes He would fall on the floor. Sachi mata, when she saw, because she
was the mother, she would be worried, has He got hurt, is He alright? Not
knowing she disturbed His ecstasy. So she kept worrying. Lord Caitanya gave
her
the benediction that during the kirtan she was always in ecstasy and did not
know what was happening. Otherwise she would just be like (Guru Maharaj
posed
like dumbfounded). Ha! Ha! Otherwise she would have disturbed the kirtan. So
like this every day they had the kirtan.
One day Lord Caitanya, He stopped the kirtan, and said today I am not
feeling
ecstasy! I don’t feel any ecstasy! WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
And
everybody was thinking because I must have committed some aparaadh, Lord
Caitanya, Lord Gauranga, He doesn’t feel ecstasy today. Lord Gauranga said
maybe somebody is watching, somebody WATCHING! WHO IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE
HERE!
So Srivas he looked in the house everywhere and he couldn’t find anyone. No
one
is there and so they started kirtan again. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna….But
Lord Caitanya He said again I don’t feel ecstasy. Who is responsible? Why am
I
not feeling any ecstasy any bliss today? Again devotees were thinking what
did
I do? Because a devotee naturally thinks of himself as the culprit. He
doesn’t
find fault with others and blames himself first. So each one was thinking is
something wrong with me? Then again Lord Caitanya said there was must be
someone here because after all He is antaryami, He is Krishna, He is in
everyone’s heart, so He knows who is there or not there. So they saw in the
corner of the house, somehow the mother in law of Srivas was hiding under a
basket and watching. She wanted to see Lord Caitanya dance. Srivas pulled
her
by the hair and threw her out! Now Bengalis are very respectful to the
mother
in law! And they don’t do that. But Srivas had to do this. So then, Lord
Caitanya chanted again Hare Krishna Hare Krishna… Then Lord Caitanya asked
Srivas , who was that? Srivas said, I don’t know! Again Lord Caitanya asked,
who was that? Srivas said, I don’t know! Ha! Ha! Wasn’t that your mother in
law, Lord Caitanya asked. Yes, Srivas said(Guru maharaj made a very straight
face and said yes meekly!)! Ha! Ha! Why did you treat your mother in law so
badly? Anyone who interferes with Your ecstasy My Lord will not be
tolerated, I
am simply made for Your service. So anyone who interferes with your ecstasy,
I
don’t know them! Lord Caitanya said, Srivas you are too much! Ha! Ha! So
Srivas
was totally dedicate to Lord Caitanya.
Srivas, he went to the Bhagavatam class of Devananda Pandit and at time
Devananda Pandit he had this class in Koladweep on the other side of the
river.
So Srivas sat in that and hearing Krishna Lila he felt ecstatic and he
started
to cry in separation. But Devananda Pandit he was basically a mayawadi and
anyway useless for us. Any way Srivas he was ecstatic and crying. So he said
who is this causing disturbance, throw him out! They picked out Srivas and
threw him out and he didn’t know what was happening when he got thrown out!
Any
way Caitanya Mahaprabhu picked him up and chastised Devananda Pandit. He
said
you have offended a pure devotee – you don’t know the slightest meaning of
Bhagavatam and you are giving a Bhagavatam class! You are very offensive!
And
so on and so forth! He said so many things to Devananda Pandit and Devananda
Pandit was very much offended and first he thought who is this person who
can
insult me? He got upset. He was somehow related to Vakreshwar Pandit. So
Vakreshwar Pandit came to him and said, listen, Lord Caitanya is actually
Krishna Himself, but He came in a disguise as Nimai Pandit. Actually you
should
understand that it was predicted that the Supreme Lord would come in a
devotee
form in the Kali Yuga and give us love of Krishna freely to everyone! And
then
they started to study the shastra and found out who Lord Caitanya actually
was.
And then he came to Lord Caitanya, offered his obeisances to Lord Gauranga.
Lord Gauranga told him, you did not offend Me, you offended Srivas, so you
please offer your obeisances to Srivas. So he went to see Srivas and he
offered
his obeisances to Srivas and begged for forgiveness. So he was forgiven.
Srivas
we read in the Bhagavatam how by a little bhakti he is so great.
One time Lord Caitanya had tested Srivas, He told Srivas, you know why do
you
let this mendicant Nityanada into your house? You don’t know what family He
comes from, what He does, He is like an avadhoot. Sometimes He acts like a
child, sometimes like He is swimming in the Ganges! You don’t know about
this
person. I think you should drive Him out of your house for the sake of your
family. Please don’t keep this Nityananda in your house! And then Srivas
said,
Lord, why, why are you testing me? I know that Nityananda is nondifferent
from
You and Nityananda is very dear to You. Even a devotee with a little
devotion
is pleasing to you – what to speak of Lord Nityananda who is Your counter
part!
So even if I see Nityananda wandering or acting strangely I know that He is
transcendental. So I cannot ask Him to leave because I have all respect for
Nityananda. And Lord Caitanya then said, yes I was testing you and you have
passed the test! And Srivas you are so dear to me that even if Lakshmi
Herself
has to beg in the street, the Goddess of Fortune gets broke, you will never
be
broke, you will always have very much plenty in your house and even the dogs
and cats, even the insects in your house will have pure devotion! Hari bol!
Hari bol! Hari bol! So we are like the dog in Srivas’s house. Hari bol! Hari
bol! Hari bol! So Srivas is so dear to Lord Caitanya, so we worship him on
the
altar as the representative of all the devotees. Sri Krishna Caitanya,
Prabhu
Nityananda, Sri Advaita Gadaadhara, Srivas Adi Gaura Bhakta Vrinda! So
Srivas
adi means and all the other devotees. Like Srivas, following Srivas.
I will tell you one more Srivas story and then we will give out prasad. I
think
our seven days of parikrama and the prayaschit morning that my speaking
ability
has come down a bit. I hope tomorrow I would have a little more rest and
speak
a little better. Srivas was a very simple soul, he would believe whatever
people told him. Some of the people told him that if he had kirtan in his
house
the Hussain Shah would send the troops and would harass all the Hindus in
Navadweep, all because of you! You Srivas! It was only a routine change of
troops and nothing special but Srivas thought that just because of me they
are
sending some extra troops and will cause some trouble. He was too simple a
person and could not think that people would just make up things and come
and
tell him. So he decided to worship Lord Nringhadev who protects all the
devotees.
Naamaste Nrsinghaya!…
So while he was offering his puja to Lord Nrsinghadev, Lord Caitanya knocked
on
his door, knock! Knock! Knock! Srivas! Srivas! The person who you are
worshipping is here! Srivas open up! The Person you are worshipping He is
here!
Srivas thought, I am worshipping Nrsinghadev! He opened the door and there
he
saw Lord Caitanya was there and manifesting His four handed form. Hari bol!
He
looked at Srivas and said, you have nothing to worry about Srivas! Nothing
to
worry about! Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol! So Srivas Thakur, so many
pastimes
that happened at Srivas Aangan. I only told a few. Srivas is Narada Muni who
came down to participate in Lord Gauranga’s pastimes. So if we are fortunate
we
can also participate in Lord Gauranga’s pastimes. How many of you would like
to
participate in Lord Gauranga’s pastimes? Hari bol! He had so many devotees
who
were doing kirtan – He did kirtan in the street – there were so many people
who
were doing kirtan in Navadweep and they came to the house of Chand Kazi,
like
that there are so many pastimes where Lord Caitanya came and He engaged all
the
residents of Navadweep. So this Navadweep Dham is also known as and non
different from Vrindavan and it is also existing in its spiritual form in
the
spiritual world as Shwetadweep. In Goloka Vrindavan there are four sections
–
Vraja, Mathura, Dwaraka and Shweta. So this land of Lord Gauranga is also
there
in the spiritual world and most of the devotees who are there in Gaura Lila
are
simultaneously there in Krishna Lila as well. Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol!
Are
there any questions regarding Srivas?
Question: Srivas was Narada Muni. Narada Muni was a naishtika brahmachari.
How
did he accept the role as a grihastha in Gaura Lila?
GM: You see, Narada Muni is a liberated soul so when they come down to
participate in the pastime of the Lord they can accept any role. So he came
down as Srivas and he accepted the role. So that is in Gaura Lila. So it is
another birth and not the same. So like Lord Brahma, he came down as Haridas
Thakur. Brihaspathi, he came down as Vaasudev Saarvabhauma. So they came and
participated. So what they were in the other lila and now they have no
connection. That is how the Lilas work. Once you are in a Lila, you are
under
the control of Yoga maya. So you are in that Lila until you are required.
Caitanya Chandra Charan from Croatia, his birthday today? Do we have a cake
for him?
Question: We know that Srivas Thakur he left three times and got this prasad
at
his doorstep…
GM: Did you all hear?
Devotees: No
GM: Also we have Marici das making an announcement about…
Question: What is the example that devotees can take from Srivas Thakur’s
life?
GM: He is asking what are the examples we can take from Srivas Thakur’s life
as
a grihastha? (Guru maharaj in the meantime cut a cake.) Hari bol! (Devotee
brought a basket of cookies and guru maharaj took one and said Aha!).
GM: Caitanya Chandra Charan please come forward.
Hari bol! GM did aarti with a candle in the middle of the cake with the
devotee
and his wife. Then the devotee took the cake and showed arti to guru
maharaj.
Devotees sang Hare Krishna….Guru maharaj gave a cookie and cake to
Caitanya
Chandra Charan das. Devotees then came for mahaprasadam from guru maharaj!
Jai Gurudev!