Chapter 11—The Lamp of Navadvipa

 

Shri Navadvipa and Shri Vrndavana are non-different

 

 

The earth is the foremost planet in the entire universe and Gauda, Bengal, is the most elevated country on this earth. In Bengal, Navadvipa, consisting of 164sq. miles, is the most incalculably auspicious tract of land in the entire cosmos.

         

The holy Ganga flows through this land, and the sacred waters of the rivers Yamuna and Sarasvati converge here into the Ganga. On Ganga's eastern bank is Mayapura, the direct manifestation and exact replica of Goloka Vrndavana in the spiritual sky.  In the house of Shri Saci-devi in Mayapura, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Gauranga, appeared for the pleasure of His parents.

         

Towards the end of Dvapara-yuga, the Supreme Personality as Krishna had performed super-excellent and transcendental pastimes such as the rasa dance, with Shrimati Radhika  and all the young damsels of Vraja. As Lord Krishna, the son of Mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja, He descended to this material world with His associates, paraphernalia, the spiritual abode Vraja, etc. He brought with Him the highest precious treasure of Goloka Vrndavana, namely the parakiya-bhava, or the loving conjugal exchanges in the mood of a paramour lover. He had exhibited this mood in the rasa dance with the young damsels of Vrndavana.

         

That same Supreme Personality has now descended again to the material world in His own transcendental abode of Mayapura in Bengal and brought with Him that same spiritual, loving mood.  But this time it is carefully camouflaged.

 

The esoteric reason for Lord Gauranga's appearance

 

          The Supreme Lord Shri Krishna had three intimate desires which remained unfulfilled, even after having performed so many pastimes. Therefore, appearing as Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, He came to relish the fulfilment of all those desires.

          He always wanted to understand the glory of Radharani's love for Him, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the divine ecstasy She experiences when She realises the sweetness of His love for Her. Lord Krishna, as the Supreme Enjoyer and Hero of all pastimes, had never tasted the three mellows of happiness relished by Shrimati Radharani. The divine ecstasy She experiences when She realises the sweetness of His love for Her.

          Therefore, Lord Krishna decided to manifest Himself as His own devotee in the form of Lord Chaitanya, imbued with the inner sentiment and bodily lustre of Shrimati Radharani.

 

          Having considered all this, Lord Krishna appeared in Navadvipa, Bengal, with all His associates, paraphernalia, transcendental abode, etc. accompanied by feelings of great happiness.

Serving Krishna is part of worshipping Lord Gauranga

 

          My dear brothers! Give up your material aspirations and plans and come and reside in Navadvipa. Serve the Supreme Lord Shri Gauranga by remembering His most confidential transcendental pastimes He performs throughout the day and night — asta-kaliya-lila.  All your miseries and distresses will disappear.

          Lord Krishna's transcendental pastimes in Goloka are divided into eight three-hourly pastimes covering day and night. These pastimes are known as asta-kaliya-lila and are eternally going on. Each of these eight pastimes inspires a particular mood. When they are relished in the mood set by Lord Chaitanya, one experiences the highest ecstatic prema.

          One who has developed a single-minded resolve to worship Lord Krishna, should meditate on the eight three hourly pastimes of Lord Chaitanya in Navadvipa. They are the repositories of priceless gems of ecstatic love of Krishna. If one wants to worship Lord Krishna but is not submerged in the devotional mood of Lord Chaitanya, he can never perceive the most confidential and esoteric truth about Krishna.

 

An acarya is not restricted by varnasrama system

 

          To be a real acarya does not depend on whether one is a sannyasi or belongs to any of the three other orders of the varnasrama system, or even whether he is born outside of the varnasrama society.  What decides the issue is whether he has realised the Absolute Truth about Lord Krishna.

          If one rejects the Absolute Truth for the non-essential, material system of varnasrama, then he is led to a bogus spiritual master. This association jeopardises his spiritual birth.