At Srivas Angan (2)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day One
Antardwip, 23 March 2021, part 9
Translated from Bengali

One time, Chad Kazi broke a mridanga. Fearful of his threats, devotees stopped kirtan at Srivas Pandit's house and were sitting silently, and nobody even wondered what had happened and whether anyone had died (because there was always kirtan at the house, and suddenly everyone was sitting silent). When Mahaprabhu heard that there was no kirtan, He was very angry—He as if assumed the form of Agni (fiery wrath). He came shouting, "Why cannot I hear the sound of kirtan?!" Internally, Mahaprabhu understood everything, but externally He showed anger and came to ask Srivas what had happened. Srivas Pandit said,

"Prabhu, please calm down, take a seat."

"What calm down? First tell Me why you have stopped kirtan!"

"Please, take a seat. School students criticise You for changing Hindu religion."

You know, some say that even Muslims practise better because they offer namaz four times a day, but our devotees cannot even wake up at four in the morning. It is necessary to keep regular hours and do everything timely, including waking up. That is why we sing in one of the kirtans:

শৈশব-যৌবনে, জড়সুখ-সঙ্গে,
অভ্যাস হইল মন্দ ।
নিজকর্ম্ম-দোষে, এ দেহ হইল,
ভজনের প্রতিবন্ধ ॥

saisava-yauvane, jada-sukha-sange,
abhyasa ha-ila manda
nija-karma-dose, e deha ha-ila,
bhajanera pratibandha

In my childhood and youth, I always indulged in material happiness and I have become habituated to bad things. Because of my own sins, this body has become an impediment to spiritual practice.

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We develop bad habits from childhood, and as a result, this body becomes an obstacle to practising spiritual life—we cannot wake up early in the morning, we cannot do so many things.

So, when Srivas Pandit explained to Mahaprabhu what had happened, he said, "Those school boys say that they will break my house and throw it into the Ganges."

"Oh," said Mahaprabhu. "What else do they say?"

"They also said something very bad..."

"What did they say?"

"I do not worry if they break the house, but they also said that they would beat You! If they raise their hands on You, how can we tolerate it? That is why we have stopped kirtan."

Mahaprabhu laughed when He heard this. He said, "They are common people who cannot understand anything. They take Me as one of them."

At that time, there was Srivas Pandit's niece, a very small girl called Narayani Devi, in the house (her parents had died, and she lived with Srivas Pandit). Mahaprabhu put His hand on Narayani Devi's head and said, "May you have devotion for Krishna! May the Lord bless you!" Before that, Narayani would sometimes come to Mahaprabhu when He was taking prasad and, stretching out her hand, ask for some prasad. Devotees tried to stop her and tell her not to do it, but Mahaprabhu told them to let her be—and He gave her prasad with His own hand. He did not usually give His prasad to anyone, but He gave His prasad to this little girl. As a result of that mercy, Narayani, although married to a non-devotee, got a very exalted son, Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur, who composed Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata (we will go to the house where he was born on the last day of the parikrama). When Mahaprabhu put His hand on Narayani Devi's head and said, "May you have devotion to Lord Krishna," Narayani suddenly became overwhelmed and started crying, "O Krishna! O Gaura!" This three-four-year-old girl attained Krishna-prema! She began to roll on the ground, crying, "O Krishna! O Gaura!" Everybody was astonished to see Mahaprabhu's power—He had merely put His hand on her head, and she got Krishna-prema!

Mahaprabhu laughed, "So, do you have faith now? Do you think anyone can break your house? Do you think anyone can beat Me? You must never stop kirtan."

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