(11/11) Three Beautiful Islands

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Nasigram, Bardhaman, preaching programme,
13 March 2019, evening, part 11
Translated from Bengali

Three of the nine islands of Nabadwip (Ritudwip, Jahnudwip and Modadrumdwip) are in the present-day district of Bardhaman. Samudragad is also in that area, but it is part of Koladwip. One time, King Samudra Sen was fighting in a battle against the Pandavas, and he received the mercy of Lord Krishna and Gauranga Mahaprabhu at that time. This pastime happened at Samudragad. Then, there is also Chapahati in Ritudwip. Further from there, there is Vidyanagar in Jahan Nagar, this is Jahnudwip, where Jahnu Muni released Ganga Devi from his thigh. And the third island is Modadrumdwip (Mamgachi), where Saranga Murari's bhajan-kutir and Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur's bhajan-kutir are. Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur, the composer of Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, appeared in that place.

Do you know the story of Saranga Murari (Saranga's Murari)? A devotee called Saranga Thakur used to stay and serve the Lord at that place. He had a Deity, and he lived there serving the Deity. When Saranga Thakur became old, he prayed to the Lord, 'O Lord, I have grown old now, but I have not been able to make a single disciple. Who is going to serve You after me? I am too old now, I cannot do it anymore...' That day, at night, the Lord came to him in a dream and said, 'You must give initiation tomorrow.' Saranga Thakur asked, 'Whom shall I give initiation?' The Lord said, 'When you go to bath in the Ganges tomorrow in the morning, give initiation to the first person you see.'

The next day, Saranga Thakur went to the Ganges. He did not see anybody on the way, but when he enter the water, he saw a banana-tree raft floating towards the bank. On top of the raft there was a dead boy. He had been bitten by a snake. In the olden days, and now often too, people thought that if somebody had been bitten by a snake, they could still come round, so they would not burn the body. And people called traditional healers instead of going to doctors. This problem is still there. So, thinking that the boy (his name was Murari) could still come round, his parents put his body on a raft and set it floating down the Ganges. The raft came to the bank of the Ganges at the time when Saranga Thakur came bathing in the river. Saranga Thakur remembered what the Lord had told him, 'Give initiation to whoever you see first.' So, he sat down and spoke the Hare Krishna maha-mantra into the dear boy's ear, 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.' After that, the boy suddenly opened his eyes. Murari got up and offered his obeisance to Saranga Thakur. They went together to the ashram. Murari started living with his guru and serving him. He was a small boy, perhaps, ten–twelve years old.

Soon Murari's parents learnt that their son had survived. They came to take him home, but Murari told them, 'I am not your son! You put your son on a raft and set him floating. Now I am Saranga Thakur's Murari, I am not your Murari.'

This is the story that happened there, in Mamgachi... The place is now formally part of Purba Bardhaman, but it is part of the nine islands of Nabadwip.

So, much has been said today. I will not take more of your time. We have to go back to Nabadwip. I have not heard any questions from you... Anyway, I am inviting you all to do Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama. If the Lord keeps us alive, we shall meet again.

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay.

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Length: 72 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Sealed Hearts
2) Poor Unfortunate Souls
3) Why Are You Wasting Time?
4) Blind and Selfish Existence
5) Live for God
6) Between Scylla and Charybdis
7) Destructive Self-Love
8) Amend Your Choice
9) Remember, Pray and Worship
10) Come to Know and Remember
11) Three Beautiful Islands