English
18th June 2019
I am in Noida today at Radha Govind Dev temple, many devotees are chanting with me. Yesterday, I was very fortunate to have darshan of Jagannath Baladev Subhadra during snana yatra of Jagannath at Jagannath Puri. I was watching through doordarshan. They were giving commentary of Jagannath in Oriya language, something I could understand.
One thing that they were emphasizing was, today is ‘janam divas’ of Jagannath. Today is the appearance day of Jagannath, Haribol!
Yesterday was ‘janam divas’ of Jagannath. On snana yatra day Krishna becomes Jagannath. He transforms as Jagannath on snana yatra day. During commentary they were emphazing, today is ‘janam divas’, appearance day of Jagannath, so its confirmed, Krishna appeared as Jagannath, Jai Jagannath!.
I had the opportunity to witness darshan of Jagannath, so that was preparation, as we always say, preparation for next morning chanting. It helps me. I had darshan,I was remembering some of those things during my japa this morning.
I offered mangal arti and became pujari of Radha Govinddev, Gaura Nitai and Jagannath here in this temple. Jagannath here was not giving darshan, the curtains were closed because they were taking rest. As doctor’s prescription ‘bed rest for Jagannath’ for next week or so. I was surprised, we did not disturb Jagannath while worshipping Radha Govind dev and Gaura Nitai.
So, for next two weeks from snana yatra to ratha yatra you could remember this pastime of Jagannath being not well. Lord is getting recuperated. We serve special diet to Lord Jagannath also lot of juices. He is only with Laxmi and selected servants and care taker.
As you know in Jagannath Puri all the temples gates are closed and there is no darshan. Don’t go to Jagannath Puri now, you will not be allowed to enter temple, there is no darshan. So we need to meditate on Jagannath who is not well. We should also be concerned oh! Lord is not well. Oh! What could we do, how could we recover Him. These should be our thoughts towards the Lord, so its meditation. You know or you have heard these pastimes.
The subject came to my mind the devotee are bathing Jagannath and this is month of jyeshta. There is cool breeze, this morning. So, while Lord was being bathed there was cool breeze coming through the window of His shower bathroom and He is affected with that and He gets sick. Then His pastimes of becoming sick begins, that is His pastime.
When we get sick it's not pastime but when Lord gets sick that is His pastime. We get to remember that pastime meditate on that pastime of not being well.
Jai Jagannath! I am sure many of you have Jagannath on your altar. You are looking after Jagannath, taking special care of diet and no public darshan of Jagannath. So like that you have to take all those precautions while taking care of Jagannath.
Then today we have done announcement this morning, today is disappearance day of Shyamananda Prabhu or Shyamananda Pandit. Shyamananda Pandit ki jai!
He is also ‘Pratah Smarana’ worth remembering in morning. Again I was thinking to talk about Shyamananda Pandit to you. Again during my japa I was chanting I was recalling and remembering Shyamananda Prabhu and some of his life and teachings. While chanting I was doing this, it's perfectly alright to remember devotees during chanting. They are fully Krishna consciousness, their activity were in relationship with the Lord. So when we remember such devotees we are remembering Krishna. So it is fine perfectly alright. We could remember such devotees, their life and teachings during chanting of Hare Krishna.
Some 500 years ago his mother had given birth to many children some sons, some daughters. But they did not survive they died and this happened repeatedly many many times. So, his parents were very unhappy, suffering. So they were Dukhi. Now another child was born, Shyamananda so they named him Dukhi. Your name is Dukhi, when anyone wants to call he said ‘Dukhi is born’. That was his first name. Infact, Dukhi made his parents sukhi as he survived and he turned out to be a brilliant boy. And he became very learned studying Sanskrit and shastras. Specially, he was fond of hearing Gaura Nityananda pastime. He used to hear with great pleasure and he used to share pastimes of Gaura Nityananda to everyone around him.
Then,as he was becoming more and more serious student and making progress in Krishna consciousness, then he had aspiration of initiation from some bonafide spiritual master. So his parents encouraged him. Very rare I wish all of you had parents like Dukhi Prabhu’s [laughter]. So they encouraged him . He was told to go from Orissa to Bengal to Ambika Kalan and find his spiritual master there.
So Hridaya Chaitanya was residing at Ambika Kalan and he took initiation from Hridaya Chaitanya. He was disciple of Gauri Das Pandit who was Subal sakha in Krishna’s pastimes. You could understand what kind of acaryas, associates were there on the earth at the time of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
So Gauri Das Pandit, his disciple Hridaya Caitanya and now his disciple Shyamananda Pandit. When he received initiation his spiritual master named him Krishna das. People started calling him Dukhi Krishna das. Not only Krishna das but Dukhi Krishna das. So, later after spending some time in Ambika Kalan, he was instructed to go to Vrindavan.
Vrindavan dhama ki jai!
and take instructions from Jiva Goswami in Vrindavan .
So Jiva Goswami was kind of Gaudiya Sampadaya rakshak, caretaker, protector. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had left and Shad Goswami were also getting old. And one by one all of them were leaving the planet. Jiva Goswami was head of Gaudiya Sampradaya. Everyone was then directed to Jiva Goswami for taking instructions. Dukhi Krishna das had become student of Jiva Goswami.
Srinivas also had come from Bengal side and Narrotam was also there. Amongst others these three special students were studying under Jiva Goswami. Shyamananda,, Srinivas and Narottam. So at one point, Jiva Goswami gave a very unique assignment to Dukhi Krishna to sweep Seva Kunja .
Seva Kunja is part of Vrindavan where there is Radha Damodar temple. Not far from there all that area is Seva Kunja, where it is said and confirmed that Radha and Krishna perform Their pastime including rasa dance. Jiva Goswami told him ‘you go every morning and sweep Seva Kunja’.
Svacha Vrindavan campaign, you become sweeper. So he was doing it religiously.
So one morning Dukhi Krishna das was doing his sweeping service in Seva Kunja. He was surprised to find an ankle bell which was dazzling and shining. He picked it up and he realized it would possibly be from Radharani’s anklet. He wanted to return to the owner to Radharani. May be he went to Lailta or Vishaka ‘Oh! I found some ankle bells I think it’s from Radharani’s anklet please take and give it to Her.
When that happened , he had honestly, he did not hide it or steal it. So they were pleased getting the ankle bells back. Then as a reward, made a permanent sign of ankle bell tilak by Radharani on the forehead of Shyamananada. Now as he received special benediction he began to be known as Shyamananda Pandit.
There is whole parampara which originates from Shyamananda with very special tilak even to this day. You go to Vrindavan you will find the followers of Shyamananda Pandit, Shyamanada sampradaya with special tilak on their forehead.
Nitya lilapravista ,Shyamananda Pandit entered pastimes of Radha and Krishna. So finding that ankle bell was part of nityalila. Shyamananda was not supposed to be part of nitya lila, he was part of another lila. But still he was part of nitya lila because of his devotion. Finding the ankle bell was the proof that he was part of that lila. Finding ankle bell or coming in contact with ankle bell then going to Lalita and Vishaka this is all part of antaranga lila, nitya lila. He had entered the pastime.
Nitya lila pravista Shyamananda Prabhu ki jai!
Then as we were talking, 500 years, back time was passing yet another personality departed. Krishna das Kaviraj Goswami disappeared and then Jiva Goswami made samdhi of Krishna das Kaviraj Goswmai in Radha Damodhar temple. And followed by that departure called isthagosti of all the Gaudiya vaisnava acaryas, followers. Big istagosti was held at Radha Damodhar. What to do? Let us make some strategy of spreading Krishna consciousness. So during that time these three personalities were given title. Narottam das became Thakur.
So first generation was Shad Goswamis. After six Goswamis, Jiva Goswami was incharge. Then there were Acarya traya, there were three acaryas of Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya. They were Shyamananda Prabhu , Srinivas acarya and Narottam Das Thakur.
So they were empowered like this then they were given special instructions by Jiva Goswami. To print Gaudiya Vaisnava shastra. Then these three Acarya- traya were send to Bengal. There journey began from Radha Damodar temple. They were heading towards Bengal to distribute literatures in East India, Orissa and Bengal. As they were very close to Bengal, a tragedy took place, all the Goswamis shastras were stolen by dacoits which was arrangement of the king. Srinivas Acarya said ‘I will take care , I will handle this situation.’ Shyamnanda ended up in Orissa back in his home state. Narottam goes to East Bengal Kheturi gram and both of them did lot of preaching, propagation, establishing temples, making devotes and establishing Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya. Let us take inspiration from these acaryas and keep practicing and propagating Krishna consciousness and specially chanting.
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
Shyamananda Pandit tirobhava mahotsava ki jai!
Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!