Shri Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya

Parikrama Khanda

Prathama Adhyaaya - Chapter 1

Saadhaarana mahaatmya

Introductory Glories of Shri Navadvipa Dhama

 

By His Divine Grace Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Translated By His Holiness
Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada

 

jaya jaya navadvipa-chandra shachi-suta,

jaya jaya nityaananda raaya avadhuta..1

 

"Supreme glories to the Supreme Personality of Served Godhead Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu, Who has advented as the divine moon of Shri Navadvipa Dhama and the transcendental son of Shrimati Shachidevi in Kali Yuga. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead Lord Nityananda Prabhu, Who is the the Supreme King of all exalted personalities."

 

jaya jaya shri advaita prabhu mahaashaya

gadaadhara shrivaasa pandita jaya jaya..2

 

"All glories, all glories to Mahavishnu Avatara Lord Shri Advaita Acharya who is the Master of the creation. All glories to the energy of Lord Gauranga, Shri Gadadhara Pandita, and all glories to Shrila Shrivasa Pandita, the commander-in-chief of all the devotees of Lord Gaurahari."

 

jaya navadvipa-dhaama sarva-dhaama-saara

jaya navadvipa-vaasi gaura-parivaara..3

 

"All glories to supreme abode of Kali Yuga, Shri Navadvipa Dhama, which is the essence of all Holy Places in creation. All glories to the divine residents of Shri Navadvipa Dhama who are verily the family members of Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu."

 

sakala bhakata-pade kariyaa pranaama

sankshepe varniba aami navadvipa-dhaama..4

 

"I offer my prostrated obeisances at the lotus feet of all the devotees of Lords Nityananda Gauranga and seek their blessings. It is only by the power of their mercy that I am describing the supreme glories of Shri Navadvipa Dhama in summarized form.

 

navadvipa-mandalera mahimaa apaara

brahmaa aadi naahi jaane varne saadhya kaara..5

 

"The glories of Shri Navadvipa Mandala (32 miles) are unlimited and unfathomable. What to speak of ordinary souls, even the master engineer of this universe and the guna incarnation Lord Brahma do not know the full glories of Shri Navadvipa. Therefore, who has the capacity to actually describe them?

 

sahasra vadane shesha varnite akshama

kshudra-jiva aami kise haiba sakshama..6

 

"Lord Ananta Shesha with His thousands of mouths finds Himself incapable to fully describe the glories of Shri Navadvipa Dhama. Thus, how can an insignificant and fallible soul like me become competent for such an exalted service?"

 

satya bate navadvipa mahimaa ananta

deva-deva mahaadeva naahi paaya anta..7

 

"There is certainly no doubt that the supreme glories of Shri Navadvipa Dhama are unlimited and unparalleled. The God of all the demigods Mahadev Lord Shiva himself does not find an end to the glories of Shri Navadvipa Dhama."

 

tathaapi chaitanya-chandra icchaa balavaana

sei iccha vashe bhakta aagyaara vidhaana..8

 

"But above all the desire of the Supreme Lord Chaitanyachandra is paramount and most powerful. And understanding that desire of the Lord, His associates desired and ordered me to describe the glories of Shri Navadvipa Dhama."

 

bhakta-gane aagyaa dila chaitanya-icchaaya

nadiyaa-mahaatmya varni bhaktera kripaaya..9

 

"Thus, knowing the desire of Lord Gauranga, the devotees ordered me to write the glories of Shri Navadvipa Dhama. So I am describing them due to the causeless mercy of the devotees upon me."

 

aara eka kathaa aache gudha atishaya

kahite na icchaa haya, naa kahile naya..10

 

"There is one more extremely deep and confidential secret. I do not want to tell it but I cannot remain without describing it as it will supremely benefit all souls."

 

ye avadhi shri chaitanya aprakata haila

dhaama-lilaa prakaashite bhakte aagyaa dila..11

 

"After the Supreme Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu disappeared and unmanifested His divine pastimes from this material universe, He ordered His associates and devotees to reveal, describe and establish His Supreme Pastimes in the Holy Abodes of Shri Navadvipa and Shri Jagannatha Puri and His Holy Names."

 

sarva avataara haite gudha avataara

shri chaitanya-chandra mora vidita samsaara..12

 

"Of all the multifarious incarnations of God in creation, the Supreme moon-like Lord Gauranga, Who is the source of all the incarnations, is the most confidential, mysterious and esoteric."

 

gudha-lilaa shastre gudha-rupe ukta haya

abhakta janera citte naa haya udaya..13

 

"Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu is described and glorified in the most confidential manner in the most deeply secret scriptures so that those who are envious non-believers and non-devotees will never be able to identify and worship Him as God Himself."

 

se lila sambandhe yata gudha shaastra chila

maayaadevi bahu-kaala aacchaadi raakhila..14

 

"The most confidential scriptures describing the supreme glories of the Advent, Holy Names and Pastimes of Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu were covered and concealed by Lord's illusory energy Mayadevi for a very long time."

 

aprakata shaastra bahu rahe yathaa tathaa

prakata shaastre o yata chaitanyera kathaa..15

 

se sakala maayaadevi pandita-nayana

aavariya raakhe gupta-bhaave anukshana..16

 

"Lord Gauranga's supreme glories are described in numerous Vedic scriptures which are in unmanifested form on this earth planet. Even the glories of Lord Gauranga in the revealed and manifest scriptures were secretly concealed and covered by Mayadevi constantly from the vision of even the great scholars of the Vedas."

 

gaurera gambhira lilaa haile aprakata

prabhu-icchaa jaani maayaa haya akapata..17

 

"After the unmanifestation of the most esoteric and deep pastimes of the Supreme Lord Gauranga which were to specifically relish the mysteries of His own love, Maya, the illusory energy of Lord Gauranga, understanding the desire of the Lord Gauranga to reveal Himself, decided to become merciful to the souls in this world."

 

uthaaiya laila jaala jiva-cakshu haite

prakaashila gaura-tattva e jada jagate..18

 

"After Lord Gauranga's disappearance from this world, Maya lifted the curtain of illusion and forgetfulness covering the eyes of the conditioned souls about the advent and identity of Lord Gauranga. Due to the desire of the Lord Himself, she then clearly revealed the scriptures and the scriptural descriptions of the essential philosophical truths about the supreme glories of Lord Gauranga and His Holy Names and Pastimes in Kali Yuga."

 

gupta-shaastra anaayaase haila prakata

ghuchila jivera jata yuktira sankata..19

 

"All the confidential scriptures describing the glories of Lord Gauranga's Name and Pastimes were effortlessly revealed by Maya after Lord Gauranga's disappearance. Due to this, all souls became greatly fortunate and their miserable calamities came to an end."

 

badai dayalu prabhu nityananda-raya

gaura-tattva prakasila jivera hiyaya..20

 

"This unprecedented causeless mercy of revealing the Gauranga Nama-Lila Tattva (Spiritual Truths) in the hearts of all souls which was never before seen in the past was possible only because of most magnanimous desire and order of Lord Nityananda Prabhu."

 

tanra aagyaa peye maayaa chaade aavarana

subhakta pandita-gana paaya shaastra-dhana..21

 

"Accepting the direct munificent order of Lord Nityananda Prabhu to reveal Lord Gauranga's Name and Pastimes to the world without any further delay,

Maya, the illusory energy, lifted her veil which concealed Lord Gauranga from time immemorial, and the sincere and fortunate devotees could find the treasure of the verses glorifying Lord Gauranga's Name and Pastimes in the scriptures."

 

ihaate sandeha jaara na haya khandana

se abhaagaa vrithaa kena dharaye jivana..22

 

"Even after reading these verses, if a person's ruinous and fierce doubts of the above revelation by Lord Nityananda and Mayadevi of Lord Gauranga's Name and Pastimes are not destroyed, then such a person is extremely ill-fated and is uselessly maintaining his or her life."

 

je kaale ishvara jei kripaa vitaraya

bhagyavanta jana tahe bada sukhi haya..23

 

"When the Lord distributes His rarest and incomparable mercy in this way, the most fortunate devotees who have faith in Him become very happy and rejoice in bliss."

 

durbhaagaa-lakshana ei jaana sarva-jana

nija buddhi bada bali kariyaa ganana..24

 

"All people should understand that to reject such a rare mercy of the Lord is the symptom of extreme misfortune and inauspiciousness. Due to false ego, one becomes puffed-up and thinks highly of one's own intelligence not accepting the advent of the Lord in Kali Yuga."

 

ishvarera kripaa naahi karaya svikaara

kutarke maayaara garte pade baara baara..25

 

"If one does not accept such causeless and unique mercy of the revelation of the Vedic scriptures about the Supreme Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu and refrains from worshiping Lord Gauranga by chanting His Holy Names, then one will have to fall down again and again in the dirty and ghastly pit of the cycle of birth and death."

 

esa he kalira jiva chaada kutinaati

nirmala gauraanga-prema laha paripaati..26

 

"Lord Nityananda Prabhu implored to all His part and parcel souls, 'Come, come to Me, all souls, giving up your deceitful mentality. I will personally reward and instruct you in the pristinely pure love for My Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu which you have to learn from Me."

 

ei bali nityaananda daake baara baara

tabu ta durbhaagaa jana naa kare svikaara..27

 

"Stating like this, the Supreme Lord Nityananda Prabhu loudly calls out again and again out of intense compassion for all souls but just see the great misfortune of the souls, they do even care to accept this greatly rare spiritual gift personally from the Lord Himself."

 

kena je emana preme kare anaadara

vichaara kariyaa dekha haiyaa tatpara..28

 

"O my dear souls, 'Why are you neglecting and insulting this most rare and sublime love for Lord Gauranga which Lord Nityananda is ready to give you freely. I hope you reconsider again and become eager and anxious to receive this great treasure.'"

 

sukha-laagi sarva jiva naanaa yukti kare

tarka kare, yoga kare, samsaara-bhitare..29

 

"Each and every soul is constantly striving and devising multitudinous plans to achieve happiness in this world which is the ultimate goal of all endeavors of all kinds of people. Some people are whimsically speculating and some people are fruitlessly performing yoga in this world for happiness."

 

sukha-laagi samsaara chaadiyaa vane yaaya

sukha-laagi yuddha kare rajaaya rajaaya..30

 

"Some people become frustrated with material enjoyment and go to the forest for trying to attain happiness. Kings or enemies start fighting with each other for becoming happy."

 

sukha-laagi kaamini-kanaka paache dhaya

sukha-laagi shilpa aara vigyaana chalaaya..31

 

"Many run after money and sex for some flickering happiness and others engage in scientific or sculpturing professions in the hope of becoming happy."

 

sukha-laagi sukha chaade klesha shiksha kare

sukha-lagi arnava madhyete dube mare..32

 

"In their blind pursuit of so-called material happiness, people give up the eternal spiritual happiness of the soul. People sink and drown in the deep and dangerous ocean of material sense-enjoyment in their quest for happiness."

 

nityaananda bale daaki du haate tuliyaa

esa jiva karma-gyaana-sankata chaadiya..33

 

"Lord Nityananda calls out and beseeches all the souls while raising both His lotus hands in the air, 'Come to Me, My dear souls, giving up the perils of fruitive activities (karma) and speculative knowledge (gyaana).'"

 

sukha-laagi ceshtaa tava, aami taahaa diba

taara vinimaye aami kichu na laiba..34

 

"I will give you the most superior eternal happiness which is what you are actually seeking for within the heart of your hearts. And in exchange for this great benediction which I will give you, I will not take anythng in return."

 

kashta naahi vyaya naai naa paabe yaatanaa

shri gauraanga bali naache naahika bhaavanaa..35

 

"You will not have to undergo any tribulation and misery nor will you need to waste any time, energy or money. You will simply have to dance while chanting the Holy Name of Lord Gauranga and become absorbed in the divine trance of love for Lord Gauranga."

 

je sukha aami ta diba taara naai sama

sarvadaa vimalaananda naahi taara bhrama..36

 

"Lord Nityananda continued, 'Nothing is comparable to this matchless divine happiness which I will award you. It is the supremely pure absolute happiness increasing at every moment and is totally free from the contamination of illusion."

 

ei rupe prema yaache nityaananda raya

abhaagaa karama doshe taaha naahi chaaya..37

 

"In this way Lord Nityananda Raya solicits the pure love for Lord Gauranga to each and every conditioned soul but the ill-fated conditioned soul does not even desire to accept it due to it's enslavement with karmic reactions and material desires and a lack of pious deeds."

 

gauraanga nitaai jei bale eka baara

ananta karama dosha anta haya taara..38

 

"That most fortunate soul who chants or hears the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga just once, instantly destroys unlimited inauspicious and sinful karmic reactions from the past countless number of lives."

 

aara eka gudha kathaa suna sarva-jana

kali-jive yogya-vastu gaura-lilaa-dhana..39

 

"O all people of this world, please hear another very confidential secret. The most appropriate and competent means for the deliverance of all souls in Kali Yuga is the supreme treasure of the transcendental pastimes of Lord Gauranga.

 

gaurahari raadhaa-krishna-rupe vrindaavane

nitya-kaala vilaasa karaye sakhi-sane..40

 

"It is Lord Gaurahari Himself Who sports in His divinely playful pastimes at every moment in His supremely divine forms of Lord Krishna and Shrimati Radha along with Their Gopi expansions."

 

shaastrete jaanila jiva vraja-lilaa-tattva

raadhaa-krishna-nitya-lilaa vrajera mahatva..41

 

"The conditioned souls can know the great glories and importance of the supreme nitya-lila (eternal) pastimes of Shri Shri Radha Krishna and Their matchless Holy Abode of Shri Vrindavana Dhama from the revealed Vedic scriptures."

 

krishna-naama krishna-dhaama-mahaatmya apaara

shaastrera dvaaraaya jaane sakala samsaara..42

 

"The spiritual glories and importance of the Holy Name, Pastimes and Abode of the Supreme Lord Krishna are known and easily accessible to the whole humanity through the revealed Vedic scriptures."

 

tabu krishna-prema saadhaarane

naahi paaya

ihaara kaarana kiba chintaha hiyaaya..47

 

"Even though Lord Krishna's glories and pastimes are known so openly and widely in this world, pure love for Lord Krishna, which is goal of all human endeavors, remains allusive and unobtainable to the general mass of the people."

 

ihaate aache ta eka gudha-tattva saara

maayaa-mugdha jiva taahaa naa kare vichaara..48

 

"This mystery of the greatest question and dilemma in the human form of life is not thought about by the souls bewildered by Maya, the illusory energy of the Lord.

 

bahu janma krishna bhaji prema naahi haya

aparaadha-punja taara aachaya nischaya..49

 

"If one does not achieve pure love of God after worshiping Lord Krishna and chanting His Holy Names for many lives, one should understand that one has certainly mountains of offenses in one's heart."

 

aparaadha-shunya haye laya krishna-naama

tabe jiva krishna-prema labhe aviraama..50

 

"If and only if one chants the Holy Names of Lord Krishna by becoming totally devoid of all offenses against the Holy Names. Deity and Abodes, then that soul will be able to attain the pure love for Lord Krishna without any interruption."

 

shri chaitanya avatare bada vilakshana

aparaadha-sattve jiva labhe prema-dhana..51

 

"The incarnation of Lord Gauranga is exceptionally opulent, powerful and influential among all forms of God. Even though Lord Krishna's Name considers offenses and does not give love to an offensive soul, Lord Gauranga's Name, Pastimes and Abodes do not consider offenses and award pure love of God to even the offensive souls. This unprecedented and unimaginable munificence of Lord Gauranga's incarnation is the only life-saving hope for the conditioned souls of Kali Yuga."

 

nitaai chaitanya bali jei jiva daake

suvimala krishna-prema anveshaya taake..52

 

"The most esoteric and purest love of Lord Krishna begins searching after that most auspicious soul who feelingly calls out the most benevolent Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga."

 

aparaadha baadhaa tara kichu naahi kare

niramala krishna-preme taara ankhi jhare..53

 

"Even the formidable obstacles posed due to the offenses in one's heart are rendered ineffective by the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga and the eyes miraculously flow with the sublime tears of pristinely pure love for Lord Krishna when one chants the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga even though offenses are present in the heart."

 

svalpa kaale aparaadha aapani palaaya

hridaya shodhita haya prema baadhe taaya..54

 

"After granting the most confidential pure love for Lord Krishna to even the offensive chanter, the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga make the offenses run away from the heart within a very short time. Then the heart becomes fully purified and the love increases even more."

 

kali-jivera aparaadha asankhya durvaara

gaura-naama vinaa taara naahika uddhaara..55

 

"The offenses and sins of the souls of Kali Yuga are unlimited and absolutely impossible to overcome. Thus, there is no other means of deliverance in Kali Yuga other than the exceptionally merciful Holy Name of Lord Gauranga."

 

ataeva gaura vinaa kalite upaaya

naa dekhi kothaa o aara shaastra phukaaraya..56

 

"Thus, it a firmly established and repeatedly stressed truth in all the Vedic scriptures that there is no other means of extrication from the cycle of birth and death other than the Holy Names, Pastimes, Abodes and Associates of Lord Gauranga."

 

navadvipe gaurachandra haila udaya

navadvipa sarva-tirtha-avatamsha haya..57

 

"Since the Supreme Source of all Incarnations, the moon-like Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu, advented in Shri Navadvipa Dhama, the glories of all the other millions of Holy Places combined together became only a fractional part of the glories of Shri Navadvipa Dhama."

 

anya tirthe aparaadhi dandera bhaajana

navadvipe aparaadha sadaai maarjana..58

 

"The offenders and sinners in all other Holy Places of pilgrimage are liable to be heavily punished for their wrong-doings. But the offenses of the offenders in Shri Navadvipa Dhama are destroyed and the offensive mentality is removed forever."

 

taara saakshi jagaai maadhaai dui bhai

aparaadha kari paila chaitanya-nitaai..59

 

"The practical proof of this purifying power of Shri Navadvipa Dhama is Shrila Jagai and Shrila Madhai, who got delivered and attained the direct mercy of Lords Nityananda and Gauranga even agter committing so many sins and offenses in Shri Navadvipa Dhama."

 

anyaanya tirthera kathaa raakha bhaai dure

aparaadhi daitya danda paaya vraja-pure..60