At Sri Mamgachi (4)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day Four
Ritudwip, 27 March 2021, part 9
Translated from Bengali

I have spoken much already. We have come to the temple (sripat) of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur, who composed Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata. We have a compact-size book, you can buy it. It describes the pastimes of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Many people first buy Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, but if you do not read Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata first, you will not be able to understand anything in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita. You must first read Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata. Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami said that Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur is the Vyasa of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes ('Chaitanyera Vyasa—Vrindavana Dasa').

There are so many pastimes that we can speak about. I have written much in Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala. As we have come here today, we will chant one kirtan in glorification of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu that was composed by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur. [His Divine Grace chants 'Nitai amara dayara avadhi'.]

Our Srila Guru Maharaj, Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj wrote the pranam mantra of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur and Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami Prabhu:

দাসবৃন্দাবনং বন্দে কৃষ্ণদাস-প্রভুং তথা ।
ছন্নাবতার-চৈতন্যলীলা-বিস্তারকরিণৌ ॥
দ্বৌ নিত্যানন্দ পাদাব্জ-করুণারেণু-ভূষিতৌ ।
ব্যক্ত-চ্ছন্নৌ বুধাচিন্ত্যৌ বাবন্দে ব্যাস-রূপিণৌ ॥
শ্রীগুরু-গৌর-গান্ধর্ব্বা-গোবিন্দাশ্চ গণৈঃ সহ ।
জয়ন্তি পাঠকশ্চাত্র সর্ব্বেষাং করুণার্থিনঃ ॥

dasa-vrndavanam vande krsna-dasa-prabhum tatha
chhannavatara-chaitanya-lila-vistara-karinau
dvau nityananda padabja-karuna-renu-bhusitau
vyakta-chchhannau budhachintyau vavande vyasa-rupinau
sri-guru-gaura-gandharva-govindas cha ganaih saha
jayanti pathakas chatra sarvesam karunarthinah

'I offer my obeisances to Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur and Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami, who made public the pastimes of the hidden avatar, Sri Chaitanya. They were both adorned with the mercy-dust of the lotus feet of Nityananda. I offer my obeisances to these two inconceivable sages who assumed the form of Vyasadev, one explicitly (Vrindavan Das Thakur) and the other one secretly (Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami). Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govinda and Their associates are ever victorious, and we, the students, pray for Their mercy.'

Sri Gaurangasundar, the Lord of my Lord ('amara Prabhura Prabhu Gauranga-sundar'), advised: 'Those who are humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, who do not desire any honour and give honour to others are qualified to always chant the Holy Name' ('trnad api sunichena...'); but Vrindavan Das Mahasaya, the 'Vyasa of Sri Chaitanya-lila', said: 'If any sinner disregards this and makes any offence, I will kick this sinner on their head!' How can this be harmonised? I thought that a devotee would intensely show heart-felt sadness — there is no such consideration here. But what is this? Vaisnav Acharya said: in such cases, the Lord shows extreme mercy to the jiva souls. Yet what do we see here? Taken aback and amazed, I became quite intrigued to understand this. Acharya said also: in the cases when the Supreme Lord or even many spiritual teachers ignore great offenders, Thakur Vrindavan does not ignore such sinners, and, personally taking this responsibility, he bestows punishment on them. Here, establishing a good or a bad relationship with the clan of such 'candidates for Lord Yama's punishment, who are not worth being looked at or touched' ('asprsya adrsya sei haya yama-dandya'), he pulls them into the court of the Supreme Lord.

(It is written very beautifully here. We do not have time to read everything now, but I will read some parts to you.)

When it comes to fighting for the dignity of His devotees, the Lord has given some sugar-coated concession to the protesting party; besides, He explained that first, unknown to them, they are given a grant to ensure the termination of their eternal poverty.

(How beautiful this is!)

'No war, no booty': if you can file a complaint against the police with the authorities (just as it takes some grinding to get powder), then it is possible to gain something — must this be taught again in this present day and age? Therefore, Sri Vrindavan Thakur made provision for this ruckus with you — think hard and understand how indebted you all are to him for this! The Prefect said, so it is right; we will loot the wealth of Sri Vrindavan and revolt even more. Acharya said: when they come to loot, they get such greatly valuable wealth that without informing the authorities, they stealthy started a great festival of chanting and dancing within their overflowing hearts.

Within the Purbasthali Police Station in Bardhaman District, there is an ancient village called Mamgachi that exists to this day. The elders and the author of Bhakti-ratnakar instruct that this Mamgachi village is called Modadrum Island of Nabadwip. The Bhagirathi River flows on the outskirts of Mamgachi. The Deities of Sri Gaura-Nityananda, who were served by Sri Vrindavan Das, are worshipped in this village eternally. It is said that Thakur Vrindavan took birth in this village. Today, there is a place that is discerned as the house of Thakur Mahasaya, where Vrindavan Das is considered to have walked and spent his childhood.

The paternal house of Srivas's spouse Malini Devi was in Mamgachi. Srivas Pandit lived in Sri Nabadwip and is a dear devotee of Sri Gauranga — his brother's daughter, Sri Narayani Devi, got married in Mamgachi. In her final years, Malini returned to her own father's house and lived there. Narayani was married to one of the members of Malini's extended family, and Sri Vrindavan Das appeared from the womb of this Sri Narayani.

Thakur lost his father in his childhood: just as his venerable father became devoted to the service of Lord Sri Chaitanyachandra, he left his body — his name is not particularly mentioned anywhere. Some say that because his father had not completely taken shelter at the holy lotus feel of the Lord, Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur's identity is not related to the identity of his paternal family.

As of today, the holy Deities of Sri Gaura Nityananda installed by Sri Vrindavan Das in the house of Srivas Pandit's spouse Malini were moved to another place, and although they are served according to all appropriate rules and regulations, Their service does not have that same flourishing scope and effulgence.

Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur spent much time in Denur. We do not hear anything about Sri Thakur Mahasaya accepting a family life (getting married). Among his four disciples, he bequeathed all his property in Denur to Sri Ramahari, a kayastha brahman from North Rarhdes. Shortly before Sri Gaurasundar left Nabadwip, Sri Thakur Mahasaya's mother Narayani was only a four-year-old girl. At that time, she was a revered recipient of Sri Chaitanyachandra's affectionate glance. In the future, when she became a member of her husband's household in the parental house of Sri Malini Devi, she raised and took care of her jewel of a son, Srila Vrindavan Das, until his adolescence.

There is much written about Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur and much can be said. What Gurudev and Srila Prabhupad wrote is very beautiful. I do not know if you have understood what I have read or not, but I will finish by reciting the words of our precursory Gurudev, Srila Kaviraj Goswami, which were spoken about Sri Thakur Mahasaya:

“ওরে মূঢ় লোক, শুন চৈতন্যমঙ্গল ।
চৈতন্য-মহিমা যাতে জানিবে সকল ॥

'ore mudha loka, suna chaitanya-mangala
chaitanya-mahima yate janibe sakala'

'O fools, just read Sri Chaitanya-mangala! By reading this book you can understand all the glories of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.'

Jay Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur ki jay.
Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama ki jay.
Jay Srila Guruedev ki jay.

[The trucks with prasadam arrive, and the crowd becomes too dense and agitated to continue the speech, so His Divine Grace concludes the speech and takes care of the prasad distribution arrangement.]

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