Standing on staircase of Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan Prabhupada exclaimed, there should be a temple in opposite lane
It is my very great pleasure to introduce one of our dearest well-wishers and friends of Radha Gopinath temple for many years. Who is the one who reveal the origin of this temple to us? Years ago, the first time he ever came on the day of Rama Navmi he looked out at the devotees with tears in his eyes and revealed a secret that explained everything. He said that in 1973 when he was Srila Prabhupada’s personal secretary; Prabhupada gave a lecture just across the street at Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan. As Prabhupada came out of the auditorium standing on the steps of beside the road looking right in this direction, he put his cane down and exclaimed this is such an important place we should have a temple here, Haribol. It was that glance and that wish that was the seed that later gave birth to Sri-Sri Radha Gopinath temple and all the fruits in the form of assembled devotees. We never would have known that unless Shyam Sunder Prabhu was right there at Srila Prabhupada’s side. He was one of Prabhupada’s dear most; favorite most of all disciples, Prabhupada engaged him in the most amazing forms of devotional service. What he accomplished will go down forever in Vaishnava History. Let us welcome His Grace Shyam Sunder Prabhu.
Shyam Sunder Prabhu speaks ….
Kavicandra Swami and Trinakarta Prabhu speak ….
Radhanath Swami Maharaj continuing
Before supreme Lord appears in this world he sends his divine associates to prepare for him
It is just now time for the Gaur Aarti, special Aarti celebrating Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Divine appearance in this world, I will speak for two three minutes. We hear from the Holy Scripture that before Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance he sent his divine associates to prepare for him. There was Upendra Mishra who lived Çréhaööa, now say let in Bangladesh. He had a son of the name Jagannath Mishra; Jagannath Mishra left Çréhaööa to come to Navadwip especially to study under the great Scholar Nilambar Cakravarti. After sometime of being Nilambar Cakravarti’s student, Nilambar Cakravarti very, very great prophet, astrologer, Brahman Scholar devotee he witnessed that Jagannath had such Divine qualities, that he offered his own daughter to his student for Marriage, her name was Saci Devi. They married and had a home near the Bank of the Ganga in Navadwip. Saci Mata gave birth to eight consecutive daughters but by the inconceivable arrangements of destiny each and every one of those daughters died after birth, eight daughters dead and they have no children. They worship their family deity the Shaligram Shila with great, great devotion and eventually they gave a birth to a son who was a Partial expansion of Nityananda Prabhu Balaram, they named him Vishvarupa. Balaram appeared to prepare, just like Balaram appeared in Devaki’s womb to prepare her womb for Krishna’s arrive, Rohini.
Advaita Äcärya prayed to Lord to advent in this material world
Then Vishvarupa prepared, he made all arrangements and then the supreme Lord he was attracted by the love and devotion of Advaita Äcärya and the other Vaishnava. We were speaking about this morning; it is a most important topic. Shri Advaita seeing the materialistic condition of the people in the society and this is five hundred years ago. Can you imagine what he would see today? What he is seeing today? In the name of religion people were simply ritualistic, superstitious, materially motivated, in the name of Study of scripture it was simply for the sake of argument, logic. There was no devotion, some Gyan, some Karma, some mysticism but practically no devotion. The only time anyone would chant the name of Krishna, is some very pious people for material benediction when they bathe in Ganges, they would he! Puëòarékäkña; isn’t it. In the age of Kali there is no other way except chanting of the names of God. Advaita Prabhu he felt such a burning in his heart due to love for all living beings that he prayed for years, practically day and night. Krishna, no one can give the love of Vrindavan in this world except you. People are so faithless, so materialistic, so egoistic, so selfish, so lusty and greedy, so easily angered, and only if you personally descend in your own form is there any hope in this age of Kali. You see Advaita Prabhu was not concerned with people getting liberated; he wasn’t concerned with people getting some Shanti some peace. For him that was all cheating, he wanted prema Bhakti that’s the nature of the soul, that the inherence of every living being. He wept incessant tears, constantly on the bank of the Ganges crying out with a loud voice please Krishna come.
Advent of Lord Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Navadwip
The intention of his heart reached Goloka Vrindavan and on the basis of that calling the Lord decided to appear, to deliver the people of this age of Kali. He entered the womb of Saci Devi and remained for about a year didn’t come out. Saci Devi and Jagannath Mishra were becoming very worried, many amazing signs. Sometimes Saci Devi would just, she thought she was just imagining what was happening all the time, she would see celestial being and Demi-gods in the night just crowding around her bed and chanting prayers to the child in her womb. It was a divine conception there was no physical act, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered into the heart of Jagannath Mishra and from the heart of Jagannath Mishra he transferred into heart of Saci and from there he entered in to her womb and everything became auspicious. They went to Nilambar Cakravarti and said, what’s happening? Almost a year is gone by the child is not come out, when he will come out. Nilambar Cakravarti was the greatest astrologer, if he was around today I definitely recommend we want see you, there is not too many others that I know of it. Nilambar Cakravarti was such an astrologer he did his readings and said this is as special divine child; he is personally waiting for the most auspicious time to take birth. Fantastically, the most auspicious time that Lord Caitanya choose was by Smärta principle the most in auspicious time, it was today the full moon night of the month of phalgün but on this night there an eclipse, a lunar eclipse which is considered very inauspicious, people sometime hide from the Lunar eclipse. It is said that, “when Rahu saw that the spotless golden moon of Gaur-sunder was about to appear, what is the use of that moon with spots so swallowed him, Eclipse? Because the eclipse is consider very inauspicious everyone on that time was chanting Krishna holy name, everyone. Throughout the rest of their lives they never chanted Krishna names but when they saw inauspiciousness they won’t take shelter of a Demi-God, they all went to the Ganga and everyone men, women, children and even people other religion were seeing all Hindu’s chanting Hari, Hari, and they started imitating it was so contiguous Hari, Hari, the whole of Navadwip millions of millions of people simultaneously crying out Hari, Hari. Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu first invokes the chanting of the holy name and then while everyone was chanting he manifested himself. It’s very symbolic, this age of Kali is like constant eclipse, it’s a very dark age so many inauspicious things. But when we sincerely from our heart chant the holy names the supreme Lord appears, kali-käle näma-rüpe kåñëa-avatära, Krishna is non-different than his name. When he appeared everything became supremely auspicious, all the devotees their hearts were leaping with joy and they didn’t know why? Advaita, Haridas, Srivas that the Lord had come. Little Nimai under a Neem tree in the house of Saci Devi and Jagannath Mishra appeared in his most beautiful golden form. When he cried there was only one way to pacify him the loud chanting of holy name Hare Krishna Hare Krishna-Krishna Krishna Hare-Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama-Rama Hare-Hare.
Glories of Lord Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Later on he would have millions of people in Kirtaan chanting and he travelled the length and breadth of India inducing everyone to chant and attain ecstatic love of God. Then through his beloved empowered eternal associates Srila Prabhupada he spread the holy name of the Lord throughout the world. So today is a day where we have the opportunity to make the highest spiritual progress to access the deepest blessings by simply expressing our gratitude for the divine appearance for Lord Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his devotees? We express our gratitude by reciprocating, by just accepting what he has given and sharing it with others. Now we will express our gratitude by very jubilantly and very devotionally celebrating the 2009 Gaur Purnima Gaur Aarti. Let us pray, pray from our heart of hearts to Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that we may sincerely commit our self with high as priority to the path of pure love through chanting, through reading, through serving Vaishnava’s. We read yesterday Lord Caitanya’s declaration he raised his arms and he declared take this verse,
Tåëäd api sunécena
Taror api sahiñëunä
Amäninä mänadena
Kértanéyaù sadä hariù
To be humble like blade of grass, tolerant like a tree, offer all respects to others without any sense of prestige our self, in this spirit chant the name constant. Lord Caitanya said take this verse put it on the string of the holy name; keep it over your heart around your neck constantly, to be the humble servant of the servant of the servant to take shelter of the holy name and to be an instrument of that love as our goal in life. Let us pray for this blessing alone, let us pray that Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will Shower his mercy on all devotees on the entire world. Bhaktivinod Thakur prayed to Lord Caitanya when everyone, everyone is happy by chanting the holy names that is my happiness. We can begin the Aarti.
Thank you very much!
Srila Prabhupada ki jai!
