Arriving at Sri Ekachakra Dham

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
30 January 2015, Sri Ekachakra Dham

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

"The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill—all it takes is mercy from Gurudev."

(Bhavartha Dipika)

ওঁ অজ্ঞানতিমিরান্ধস্য জ্ঞানাঞ্জনশলাকয়া ।
চক্ষুরুন্মিলিতং যেন তস্মৈ শ্রীগুরবে নমঃ ॥

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
chaksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

'I offer my obeisance unto Sri Gurudev, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, applying the kajal of divine knowledge on my eyes.'

গুর্ব্বাভীষ্টসুপূরকং গুরুগণৈরাশীষসংভূষিতং
চিন্ত্যাচিন্ত্যসমস্তবেদনিপুণং শ্রীরূপপন্থানুগম্ ।
গোবিন্দাভিধমুজ্জ্বলং বরতনুং ভক্ত্যন্বিতং সুন্দরং
বন্দে বিশ্বগুরুঞ্চ দিব্যভগবৎ-প্রম্­ণো হি বীজপ্রদম্ ॥

gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam
chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam
govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam-sundaram
vande visva-gurun cha divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam

I offer my obeisance unto he who perfectly fulfils his Gurudev's most cherished desires; who is fully adorned with the blessings of his Gurudev’s associates; who is expert in all aspects of Vedic knowledge, both conceivable and inconceivable; who is the pre-eminent follower of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu's line; who is known as 'Govinda'—Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj; whose beautiful, effulgent, exalted form is infused with pure devotion; who is the Guru of the entire universe; and who is the giver of the seed of divine love for the Supreme Lord.

Today is Bhaimi Ekadasi, everybody must observe it. As a result of your fortune you are observing it today at the holy dham of Nityananda Prabhu. Even if somebody does not observe Ekadasi, they must observe Bhaimi Ekadasi—this Ekadasi was observed by Bhimsen. Tomorrow is dvadasi and the adhivas (eve) of Nityananda Prabhu's appearance, then it is Nityananda trayodasi, and after that there is also magh purnima. There are many purnimas (full moon days) in the year, but magh purnima is the best, so we always observe magh purnima and gaura purnima.

Today, by our great fortune we have arrived here at Sri Ekachakra Dham, the land of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. The Lord Himself appeared here as Nityananda Prabhu, a son of Hadai Pandit and Padmavati. "Balaram haila Nitai, Vrajer Balai Nitai holo, Vrajer Kanai Gaura holo." All those associates who came in Dvapar yuga to perform pastimes with Krishna, appeared in this world in Kali yuga—"svaparsada sviya dhama saha avatara."

Very near from here there is a very beautiful place called Pandav tala. When the Pandvas (Yudhisthir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul, Sahadev, and their mother Kunti) came here during their exile, there was a jungle and there lived a demon. Bhimsen slew him and after that they stayed at a house of a brahman by the wish of Krishna. Vyasadev, the composer of Srimad Bhagavatam, also came at that place. So, this is not an ordinary place, and this is the place you have arrived at.

You can also see behind the temple there is a kunda called Janu Kunda (janu means a knee). Here, Krishna Balaram (where there is Krishna, there is Balaram) crawled and played in the water, and one day They disappeared. Later, when Jahnavi and Vasudha came to the Yamuna, to the bank of Kadam Khandi (you will see it later during the parikrama), they found Them in a Deity form. These Deities are still served here, it is the Banka Ray Deity (Banka means Krishna).

Here at Ekachakra Nityananda Prabhu performed many pastimes.

One time, Padmavati Mayi sent Nitai to the workers in the field with some muri and fire-baked eggplant, begun pora (it was the favourite food of Hadai Pandit), but on the way to the feild, Nitai ate everything Himself. The workers were hungry and went home,

"We will not work there!"

"Why? What has happened?"

"You have not sent any food for us!"

"What?! I sent Nitai. Where has He gone?"

Later, when she found Nitai, He confessed, "I got hungry and ate it all..."

His character is full of wonder. He also gave mercy to all the dacoits. By the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, dacoits became Vaishnavs.

Once, there was a gang of dacoits who decided to burglar the house of Nityananda Prabhu. When they came to His house on the first day, they could not enter it because they saw there was a flood and there was water all around it. They tried the next day. When they came on the second day, they saw there were so many insects and scorpions around the house. Attacked by the insects they ran away. Next day, they came again and saw many security and military men around the house. Finally, when they came on the fourth day, the leader of the dacoit gang became blind! Then the dacoits came to Nityananda Prabhu and apologised—they did not know whose house they had come to! When they surrendered to Nityananda Prabhu, their blind leader said, "Prabhu, for three days we have tried and tried, but this happened, this happened, and now I have become blind! Please rescue me!" Nityananda Prabhu laughed when He heard it. Then, all dacoits took shelter of Nityananda Prabhu's lotus feet and Nityananda Prabhu said,

"Can you do something for Me?"

"Yes, what is it? What service can we do for You?"

"No, you do not have to do any service for Me, but you have been dacoits all this time, please be Vaishnavs now."

They became Vaishnavs. Such is Nitai's unlimited mercy. Without Nityananda Prabhu's unlimited mercy we cannot come to this place.

We sing in the kirtan,

nitai-pada-kamala koti-chandra-susitala
ye chhayaya jagata judaya

"Cooling like ten million moons, Nitai's lotus feet soothe the world with their shade."

For those who take shelter of Nitai's feet, the world becomes cool. The sun heats and the moon cools, and Nitai's feet are cooling like ten million moons.

hena nitai vine bhai radha-krsna paite nai
drdha kari' dhara nitaira paya

If you only say, "Radha Krishna! Radha Krishna!" and do not get mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, you will not get anything. Narottam Das Thakur writes this. Drdha kari—it is necessary to have the strongest faith for Nityananda Prabhu, we must hold onto the lotus feet of our Guru very strongly.

se sambandha nahi yara vrtha janma gela tara
sei pasu bada durachara

"The life of one who had no connection with Nitai passed in vain. Such an animal is very wicked."

Those who have no connection with Nityananda Prabhu, who have never chanted Nitai's name, have never served Nitai, waste their life. You must have connection with Nitai!

se sambandha nahi yara vrtha janma gela tara
sei pasu bada durachara
nitai na balila mukhe majila samsara-sukhe
vidya-kule ki karibe tara

"The life of one who had no connection with Nitai passed in vain. Such an animal is very wicked. What will learning (aristocratic birth) do for one who was immersed in worldly pleasures and never called aloud, 'Nitai'?"

Somebody may be a great pandit, a great learned man, but

jada-vidya yata, mayara vaibhava,
tomara bhajane badha
moha janamiya, anitya samsare,
jivake karaye gadha

"All mundane learning is a manifestation of illusion (maya) and an obstacle to Your service. It brings about infatuation with the temporary world and turns the soul into an ass."

(Saranagati, 3)

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