(8/8) Best News

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nrisingha Palli, 21 March 2021, part 8
Translated from Bengali

(প্রভু হে !)
এমন দুর্ম্মতি, সংসার-ভিতরে,
পড়িয়া আছিনু আমি ।
তব নিজ-জন, কোন মহাজনে,
পাঠাইয়া দিলে তুমি ॥১॥

(prabhu he!)
emana durmati, samsara-bhitare,
padiya achhinu ami
tava nija-jana, kona mahajane,
pathaiya dile tumi [1]

‘(O Lord!) I have fallen into this vile material world, but You have sent a great soul, Your associate, to me.’

দয়া করি মোরে, পতিত দেখিয়া,
কহিল আমারে গিয়া ।
ওহে দীন জন, শুন ভাল কথা,
উল্লসিত হ’বে হিয়া ॥২॥

daya kari more, patita dekhiya,
kahila amare giya
ohe dina jana, suna bhala katha,
ullasita ha’be hiya [2]

‘Seeing me so fallen, he took pity on me and came to me, saying: ‘Poor soul, listen to this good news, it will make your heart rejoice.’

তোমারে তারিতে, শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য,
নবদ্বীপে অবতার ।

tomare tarite, sri-krsna-chaitanya,
navadvipe avatara [3]

‘“Sri Krishna Chaitanya has appeared in Nabadwip to deliver you!”’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Why should we feel happy in our hearts? Hearing what will we feel happy? Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Nimai, Sri Sachinandan Gaurahari – after taking sannyas, His name became Sri Krishna Chaitanya) has come to save me! He personally comes in Kali-yuga to awaken the consciousness (chetan) of such fallen, lowly souls as myself. That is why His name is Chaitanya (‘He who awakens consciousness’).

তোমা হেন কত, দীন হীন জনে,
করিলেন ভব-পার ॥৩॥

toma hena kata, dina hina jane,
karilena bhava-para [3]

‘“He has already taken many poor souls like you to the shore of the ocean of material existence.”’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

The place where we are sitting now is also in Nabadwip. This place is called Godrumdwip, and it is part of Nabadwip. All temples, all pilgrims come to this place. Those of you who have come here before know about it, and you will see tomorrow also that so many parikrama parties will come here.

বেদের প্রতিজ্ঞা, রাখিবার তরে,
রুক্মবর্ণ-বিপ্রসুত ।
মহাপ্রভু নামে, নদীয়া মাতায়,
সঙ্গে ভাই অবধূত ॥৪॥

vedera pratijna, rakhibara tare,
rukma-varna-vipra-suta
mahaprabhu name, nadiya mataya,
sange bhai avadhuta [4]

‘“To fulfil the promise of the Vedas, He has appeared as a son of a brahman, possessing beautiful golden complexion. Together with His brother Nityananda, Mahaprabhu has driven all Nadia mad with the Holy Name of Lord Krishna.”’

নন্দসুত যিনি, চৈতন্য গোঁসাঞি,
নিজ নাম করি’ দান ।
তারিল জগৎ, তুমিও যাইয়া,
লহ নিজ-পরিত্রাণ ॥৫॥

nanda-suta yini, chaitanya gosani,
nija nama kari’ dana
tarila jagat, tumio yaiya,
laha nija-paritrana [5]

‘“Chaitanya Gosani, who is Krishna (the son of Nanda) Himself, has freely distributed His own Name.”’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

The Holy Name is non-different from the bearer of the Name (Lord Sri Krishna). The Lord’s Name, the Lord’s beauty, the Lord’s pastimes, the Lord’s associates, the Lord’s features, even the books about the Lord are completely non-different from the Lord Himself. The Lord comes personally to give His Holy Name to everyone. He went door to door saying:

হরের্নাম হরের্নাম হরের্নামৈব কেবলম্ ।
কলৌ নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব গতিরন্যথা ॥

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

‘Chanting the Holy Name, chanting the Holy Name, chanting the Holy Name – there is no other way, no other way, no other way.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.7.76)

There is no other path, or way, in Kali-yuga except for chanting the Holy Name.

তোমা হেন কত, দীন হীন জনে,
করিলেন ভব-পার ॥৩॥

toma hena kata, dina hina jane,
karilena bhava-para [3]

‘“He has already taken many poor souls like you to the shore of the ocean of material existence.”’

বেদের প্রতিজ্ঞা, রাখিবার তরে,
রুক্মবর্ণ-বিপ্রসুত ।
মহাপ্রভু নামে, নদীয়া মাতায়,
সঙ্গে ভাই অবধূত ॥৪॥

vedera pratijna, rakhibara tare,
rukma-varna-vipra-suta
mahaprabhu name, nadiya mataya,
sange bhai avadhuta [4]

‘“To fulfil the promise of the Vedas, He has appeared as a son of a brahman, possessing beautiful golden complexion. Together with His brother Nityananda, Mahaprabhu has driven all Nadia mad with the Holy Name of Lord Krishna.”’

নন্দসুত যিনি, চৈতন্য গোঁসাঞি,
নিজ নাম করি’ দান ।
তারিল জগৎ, তুমিও যাইয়া,
লহ নিজ-পরিত্রাণ ॥৫॥

nanda-suta yini, chaitanya gosani,
nija nama kari’ dana
tarila jagat, tumio yaiya,
laha nija-paritrana [5]

‘Chaitanya Gosani, who is Krishna (the son of Nanda) Himself, has freely distributed His own Name. He has already saved the whole world – you, too, must come and be delivered.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

The Lord has come to this world to rescue everyone in it, and you too can come. If you want to save yourselves from the endless circumambulation (parikrama) of this material world, you too can take shelter at the Lord’s lotus feet! That is why it is said, ‘Bhagavata pada Vaisnavera sthane, ekanta asraya kara Chaitanya-charane (ভাগবত পড় বৈষ্ণবের স্থানে, একান্ত আশ্রয় কর চৈতন্য-চরণে)! Read Bhagavatam under the guidance of bona fide Vaishnavs and take shelter at Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet!’ (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.5.131). You too can come! If you come, you too can be rescued from the agony of this material world. We sing every morning:

সংসার-দাবানল-লীঢ়-লোক-
ত্রাণায় কারুণ্য-ঘনাঘনত্বম্ ।
প্রাপ্তস্য কল্যাণ-গুণার্ণবস্য
বন্দে গুরোঃ শ্রীচরণারবিন্দম্ ॥

samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya
vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

‘I offer my obeisance unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru, who is an ocean of good qualities and auspiciousness and who, as a thick rain cloud of mercy, brings relief to this world devoured by the forest fire of material existence.’

(Sri Sri Gurvastakam, Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur)

We always suffer and struggle in this material world, but there is only one way to get relief from all this, ‘Bhagavata pada Vaisnavera sthane, ekanta asraya kara Chaitanya-charane (ভাগবত পড় বৈষ্ণবের স্থানে, একান্ত আশ্রয় কর চৈতন্য-চরণে)! Read Bhagavatam under the guidance of bona fide Vaishnavs and take shelter at Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet!’ (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.5.131). There is no other way, no other shelter. That is why Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says, ‘Go, too, and accept your deliverance. Take shelter at the Lord’s lotus feet, and you will be delivered!’

সে কথা শুনিয়া, আসিয়াছি নাথ,
তোমার চরণতলে ।
ভকতিবিনোদ, কাঁদিয়া কাঁদিয়া,
আপন কাহিনী বলে ॥৬॥

se katha suniya, asiyachhi natha,
tomara charana-tale
bhakativinoda, kandiya kandiya,
apana kahini bale [6]

‘O Master! Hearing this, I have come to Your holy feet. Weeping, Bhaktivinod is now telling his story.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Sriman Nityananda Prabhu was first who started this Nabadwip Dham parikrama together with Srila Jiva Goswami. When Mahaprabhu was leaving Nabadwip and going to go to Puri after taking sannyas, He begged all the devotees for one thing. Everybody cried and lamented, ‘Please do not leave us! Please do not leave us!’ What did Mahaprabhu tell them?

যদি আমা’-প্রতি স্নেহ থাকে সবাকার ।
তবে কৃষ্ণ-ব্যতিরিক্ত না গাইবে আর ॥

yadi ama’-prati sneha thake sabakara
tabe krsna-vyatirikta na gaibe ara

‘If you all have love and affection for Me, then do not chant anything else except “Krishna”.’

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, 2.28.27)

This is what Mahaprabhu told all the residents of Sri Nabadwip. He said, ‘You can still see Me here. I am not going anywhere.’ It is a very well-known fact that Mahaprabhu is always present at the house of Srivas Pandit (Srivas-angan), at the house of Raghav Pandit (Raghava-bhavan), in the dance of Nityananda Prabhu (Nitayananda-nartana) and at the kitchen of Sri Sachi Mata (Sachira randhansala).

The Lord says, ‘Wherever Nityananda Prabhu dances, I am present there.’ When Mahaprabhu chanted kirtans, He would divide devotees into four groups, and they chanted kirtan with mridangas, karatals and other instruments. Mahaprabhu was present in each of the groups (everybody could see Mahaprabhu in their group). Somebody said, ‘Oh, Mahaprabhu was in our group!’, and somebody else from another group said, ‘Oh, we have also seen Him in our group!’

অধ্যাপিহ সেই লীলা করে গোরা-রায় ।
কোন কোন ভাগ্যবানে দেখিবারে পায় ॥

adyapiha sei lila kare gora-raya
kona kona bhagyavane dekhibare paya

‘Gora Ray continues performing His Pastimes. Some fortunate souls can see it.’

Even now His pastimes are going on, but not everyone is fortunate enough to see it. Everybody’s fortune is not the same. Fortunate souls can see it, but our situation is:

অন্ধীভূত চক্ষু যার বিষয ধূলিতে ।
কিরূপে সে পাইবে পরতত্ত্ব দেখিতে ॥

andhibhuta chaksu yara visaya dhulite
ki-rupe se paibe para-tattva dekhite

‘My eyes are blind with the dust of visaya, the material world – how can I see the transcendental world?’

Our eyes are blinded with the dust of material life. What can we see with our illusory eyes? Nothing! We cannot understand anything with our material eyes. How will we see anything when our eyes are blinded with the dust of material life? That is why it is important to practise sravan and kirtan. If we listen, listen, listen and listen to Hari-katha, if we serve, serve, serve and serve, our hearts will eventually become clean.

কবে হবে বল, সে দিন আমার ।
অপরাধ ঘুচি’, শুদ্ধ নামে রুচি,
কৃপা-বলে হবে হৃদয়ে সঞ্চার ॥

kabe habe bala, se dina amara
aparadha ghuchi’, suddha name ruchi,
krpa-bale habe hrdaye sanchara

‘Tell me, when will that day be mine? When, by mercy, will my offences go away? When will I get taste for the pure Holy Name?’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

‘Gurudev has placed the Holy Name in my heart, but when will this Holy Name come to my tongue?’

কবে নবদ্বীপে সুরধুণী-তটে
'গৌর-নিত্যানন্দ' বলি' নিষ্কপটে ।
নাচিয়া গাইয়া, বেড়াইব ছুটে,
বাতুলের প্রায় ছাড়িয়া বিচার ॥

kabe navadvipe, suradhuni-tate,
‘gaura-nityananda’ bali’ niskapate
nachiya gaiya, bedaiba chhute,
batulera praya chhadiya vichara

‘When will I wander along the banks of the Ganges in Nabadwip, sincerely calling out, “Gaura-Nityananda!”, dancing, singing and running about without any thinking, as though mad?’

কবে হবে বল, সে দিন আমার ।

kabe habe bala, se dina amara

‘Tell me, when will that day be mine?’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

You must always sing kirtan in your hearts in this mood.

Anyhow, much has already been said today. As I have told you, our first-day parikrama will be around three islands, Antardwip, Simantadwip and Rudradwip, and the next day will be Koladwip. The third day is ekadasi. I have told everyone that it is not necessary to struggle walking in the sun, fasting. You will take rest for one day on ekadasi, and we will continue the parikrama on the next day. There will be a day of rest in the middle. But rest does not mean sleeping! It means Hari-katha! There will be Hari-katha and kirtan the whole day here. When we go on the parikrama, we do not get time to speak at each place for a long time, so we can speak about all the places here on the ekadasi day.

[His Divine Grace chants ‘Hari Haraye Nama Krsna’ and finishes the class.]

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