Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
Family Reunion

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham, Sri Gaura Purnima class,
12 March 2017, part 1

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 the grand 2017 festival at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. We have just finished the parikrama and today we are going to celebrate the holy appearance day of Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. First, I offer my obeisance to the lotus feet of my Divine Master Om Vishnupad Jagad Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, remembering how merciful he is to me. Then, I offer my obeisance to all the Guru-varga, all the godbrothers and godsisters, and all the devotees.

This year many devotees came from almost all countries. Srila Avadhut Maharaj came from Russia with about 50 devotees, Srila Trivikram Maharaj came with several devotees from Brazil, Srila Janardan Maharaj came from America, Sripad Jagadananda Prabhu and his sons, Premananda Prabhu and Ramananda Prabhu, and many other devotees also came from America. Venezuela's leader Purujit Prabhu, Amita Sakti came with Balaram Prabhu, Rukmini Didi before the festival of Nityananda Prabhu and have been here all this time. Sripad Tyagi Maharaj also came from preaching all over the world just before Gaura Purnima—he came and finished the calendar and Archan-kan book. Munindra Mohan and Krishna Kanta Didi came from Italy; Revati Didi came from Ecuador; Adhoksaja Prabhu came from Mauritius; Omkarnath Prabhu, Kamalendu Prabhu and a few other devotees came from Colombia—they came here many months ago and helped me during the Gaura Purnima parikrama. Sripad Dandi Maharaj and Sripad Keshav Maharaj came after taking sannyas, Sripad Hrisikesh Maharaj came from the South of Russia; Sripad Bhakti Vijnan Muni Maharaj, Sripad Bhakti Niskam Santa Maharaj came from Bangalore, India—they have been making scientist conferences in many places and came here for the Nabadwip Dham parikrama. Also, Sripad Niriha Maharaj, the manager of the Ekachakra Math, came here along with almost a hundred devotees from Siliguri (we sent there first Chandan Prabhu and he brought the Siliguri devotees to Nabadwip). Also, several devotees came from Ganga Sagar, from Bankura Math, several devotees came from Tarakeswar, some devotees came from Mednipore. Many devotees came from South Africa this year. There, sitting in the Sevak Bhavan, you can see a devotee from South Africa, Tripta Krishna Prabhu—he always, the whole day and night, cleans this building where mostly the Western devotees stay, he even could not go to the festival in Tarakeswar and some other places. Also, Ravindra Krishna, Rajeswari, Jaya Vardhan, Vaishnavi, and Subhadra came from Singapore. They came to do parikrama and took so much trouble, but did the Nabadwip Dham parikrama with their small baby. Also, Anjali Didi came form London—despite her age, she came and also joined Nabadwip Dham parikrama. Sadhu Priya Prabhu came from Australia. Several devotees came from China. Sanatani Didi came from America—she came here a few months ago and helped so much at that time, and now she has come again to do the parikrama of Nabadwip Dham. Jivana Didi also came from America. Gopeshwar Prabhu came from Ireland. Sripad Bharati Maharaj, who preaches in Russia, Germany and Ukraine, came here with several devotees. Sanjiv Prabhu came from Delhi, Ramsundar Prabhu came from the UP, Amit Krishna Prabhu also came, so many devotees came from Bokaro with Madhumangal Prabhu. Amalendu Prabhu and his wife tried so hard to come from Russia—they could not come with the group of Srila Avadhut Maharaj, but they came later. Kundalata came also with a South African devotee.

Devotees came from so many different countries this year to do this Nabadwip Dham parikrama. They came and enjoyed with this parikrama, and I am thinking everybody is getting some austerity because we are short of rooms, short of space, but it is Krishna's exam. If you pass the exam, then you become one step closer to crossing death—slowly, slowly you are increasing your spiritual life. Gurudev is always with you all, Gurudev's mercy is always with you all.

We want to show that we are together, that we are not breaking our unity. If we all stand separately like one stick, then the enemy group can break one stick easily, but when we are ten sticks together, they cannot break us. This is how we did the parikrama this year. Some went by rickshaw, some walked, some went behind the parikrama, some went ahead the parikrama, this is not a question because they listened to the Hari-katha (glorification of the holy places) properly and they have all got mercy, they are very fortunate (sukriti-van). Only fortunate souls can do this parikrama.

Guru Maharaj gave us an opportunity to do this parikrama and from so many different districts of Bengal devotees have come for that. There is no such district in West Bengal, where devotees did not come from. Devotees came from all West Bengal districts—24 South Parganas, 24 North Parganas, Bakura, East Mednipore, West Mednipore, Birbhum, Siliguri, Kolkata, Hooghly District, etc. From every village and every corner devotees have come for the parikrama this year, and we are very happy with that.

So many obstacles also came and tried to prevent us from coming for the parikrama, but we did not give any attention to that. Gurudev always said, "বৃহৎ স্বার্থ পাইতে হইলে, ক্ষুদ্র স্বার্থ ত্যাগ করতে হবে, brihat svartha paite haile, ksudra svartha tyaga korte habe. If you want to get something big, you must avoid small things. When big things are waiting for you, why do you run after small things?" You can see that they also wanted to do the Nabadwip Dham parikrama, but where did they do it? You can see thousands and thousands of people sitting here, they all did the Nabadwip Dham parikrama with us. We did not give any attention to the other side, we always avoid them. If you always avoid something, it then becomes useless (non-important) and there will be no problem then.

This is how we did the parikrama this year, and today we will celebrate Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance festival. On this festival we always remember Gurudev, remember what he would tell us. On this day, he would always glorify devotees and always praise devotees' service.

— : ○ : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

• Download (4.4 Mb)