At Sri Svananda Sukhada Kunja (1)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day Three
Sri Godrumdwip, 26 March 2021, part 3
Translated from Bengali

These Deities of Sri Sri Gaura Gadadhar were installed by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur appeared in Sri Puri Dham, but later he came to live here alone with Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. This place is called Svananda Sukhada Kunja. In Vrindavan, on the bank of Sri Radha Kunda, there is Srila Prabhupad's bhajan-kutir, it is also called Svananda Sukhada Kunja. We have come here by a great fortune. This is Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's samadhi mandir and bhajan-kutir.

It was from this house that Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur saw Mahaprabhu's birthplace for the first time. After Mahaprabhu's birthplace was discovered, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur and Srila Prabhupad established Sri Chaitanya Math. At that time, there were no temples in Mayapur. Later, Srila Prabhupad established many temples all over Nabadwip—almost all places that we visit during the parikrama (Suvarna Bihar, Srivas Angan, Advaita Acharya Bhavan, Gadadhar Pandit Angan, Mamgachhi, Vidyanagar, Champahatti, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya's house, etc.) were discovered and established by Srila Prabhupad. During his lifetime, Srila Prabhupad opened 64 temples in India.

গুরুদং গ্রন্থদং গৈরধামদং নামদং মুদা
ভক্তিদং ভূরিদং বন্দে ভক্তিবিনোদকং সদা

guru-dam grantha-dam gaura-dhama-dam nama-dam muda
bhakti-dam bhuri-dam vande bhakti-vinodakam sada

"He is the giver of Sri Guru; he is the giver of scriptures; he is giver of the holy dham of Gaura; he is the giver of the Name; he is the giver of pure devotion; he is the greatest donor. I always offer my obeisance to this Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur."

(Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has given us our guru. If Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur had not come, then he would not have prayed and Srila Prabhupad would not have come; and if Srila Prabhupad had not come, we would not have got Srila Sridhar Maharaj; and if Srila Sridhar Maharaj had not come, we would not have found our Guru. Therefore, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is the giver of the Guru.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has given us many scriptures, including Sri Jaiva Dharma, Mahaprabhu's Sikha and many others. Most of the kirtans that we sing were also written by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. Everybody would pay obeisance to Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. Even if he was a grihastha, what of it? In Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's time, everyone, including sannyasis, would come and pay full prostrate obeisance to him. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur had eleven children, and the sixth among them was Srila Prabhupad. Srila Sridhar Maharaj composed this sloka about Srila Prabhupad:

নিখিল-ভুবন-মায়া-ছিন্নবিচ্ছিন্নকর্ত্রী
বিবুধবহুল-মৃগ্যা-মুক্তি-মোহান্ত-দাত্রী ।
শিথিলিত-বিধি-রাগারাধ্য-রাধেশ-ধানী
বিলসতু হৃদি নিত্যং ভক্তিসিদ্ধান্ত-বাণী ॥

nikhila-bhuvana-maya-chhinnavichchhinna-kartri
vibudhabahula-mrgya-mukti-mohanta-datri
sithilita-vidhi-raga-radhya-radhesa-dhani
vilasatu hrdi nityam bhakti-siddhanta-vani

"With his first step, he vigorously cut asunder the whole plane of exploitation, and with his second, he put a stop to all the calculations of the different scholars with their different conceptions of liberation. With his third step, he eased the hard rules and regulations by a touch of the Divine Love: he gave us the worship of Sri Sri Radha and Govinda. The real existence of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad is in his divine teachings. May those teachings dance eternally within the core of your heart."

Srila Prabhupad relaxed the strictness of rules and regulations. Before, people used to fast on ekadasi for three days (one day before, on the day of ekadasi itself, and one day after). Most Bengalis did not fast—mostly only ladies fasted; and people could not fast also without having anything (nirjal). For all these reasons, Srila Prabhupad instructed that we must do service on ekadasi, chant the Holy Name, and skip only one meal (the rest of the day we can take anukalpa). Srila Prabhupad made the rules less strict. Moreover, Srila Prabhupad cut asunder the illusory environment by declaring a totalitarian war against Maya. How did he fight this war? He did not take any weapons in his hands—instead, he would send his brahmacharis and sannyasis for preaching and fight with drums and karatals.

krsna—surya-sama; maya haya andhakara
yanha krsna, tanha nahi mayara adhikara

"Krishna is like the sun, Maya is like darkness. Maya has no right to be where Krishna is."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.31)

A Vaishnav poet wrote also:

শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গ-পারিষদ ঠাকুর ভক্তিবিনোদ
দীনহীন পতিতের বন্ধু ।
কলিতমঃ বিনাশিতে আনিলেন অবনীতে
তোমা' অকলঙ্ক পূর্ণ ইন্দু ॥

sri-gauranga-parisada thakura bhakti-vinoda
dina-hina patitera bandhu
kali-tamah vinasite anilena avanite
toma' akalanka purna indu

"Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is an associate of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and a friend of all low and fallen souls—to dispel all darkness of this dark age, he brought to this earth you [Srila Saraswati Thakur], a spotless full moon."

These are very beautiful words. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is an associate of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, and he brought Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur to start preaching. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur told him that he had to start fighting against Maya. So, when Srila Prabhupad was staying in Mayapur, he vowed to chant one billion Holy Names (sata-koti Harinam yajna). Upon the completion of his vow, he received some inspiration to start preaching, but he wondered, "How will I preach alone?" and the Lord said, "I will send My associates to help you." After that, the Lord sent Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Goswami Maharaj and many others to this world.

If you go upstairs, you can see many items that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur used—you can see how much he studied. The books are still kept there. You can also see their fan. There was no electricity in those days, so you can see what kind of fans they used in those days. Srila Prabhupad saw many sadhus come on foot, and their legs would pain, so he was first to start preaching in a motor car. Now is the age of the internet—by the mercy of Prabhupad, we now can use the internet, mobiles phones to preach all over the world. Even Sunday, I give class to devotees from every corner of the world. Srila Prabhupad was the first to start such preaching. He did not do this for your enjoyment.

tomara kanaka bhogera janaka
kanakera dvare sevaha madhava

"Your money is the source of enjoyment, but you must use money to serve Madhava."

(Vaishnav Ke? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur)

We chanted this kirtan the other day, do you remember it?

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