SRI NABADWIP DHAM
MAHATMYA-MUKTA-MALA

Antardwip (Atmanivedanam: self-submission)

Sri Ganganagar

By the mercy of Sri Gurupadpadma, continuing our Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama, we left Srivas Pandit's house and have come now to this small adjacent temple here. This temple is the holy dwelling of Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu. Bhagavan Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur established this temple here in 1919. In the magazine Sri Gaudiya, we find an extremely valuable article about Srila Advaita Acharya Prabhu. 'Vaisnavera guna-gana karile jivera trana, suniyachhi sadhu-guru-mukhe: I hear from the holy lotus mouth of sadhus and my guru that glorification of Vaisnavs' qualities can liberate your soul.' Therefore, for our own benefit and the benefit of the entire world, to remember the divine glories and qualities of Sri Advaita Acharya, we are presenting this article here.

Sri Sri Advaita Acharya

(Reprinted from weekly magazine Gaudiya: volume 5, issue 2)

Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu is a particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mahavisnu, the primeval all-cognizant Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore, he belongs to Visnu-tattva, being non-different from the Lord. Lord Visnu is the embodiment of goodness, He is the origin of all creation, and He Himself has no creator. Nobody is His creator or father. Although He is essentially the father of all living souls, to nourish the parental devotional mellows and increase transcendental parental love of His devotees, He Himself appears in the form of a son of His devotees. Advaita Acharya Prabhu became visible to the eyes of the souls of this world at the house of Kuver Misra, who resided in a village called Navagrama near Srihatta – he arose from the ocean of Kuvera Misra's spouse Nabha Devi's womb on a very auspicious day of sukla-saptami (the seventh day of the waxing moon) in the month of Magh (January−February).

It is said that one time an associate of the great Vaisnav Mahadev called Guhyakesvar Kuvera engaged in the worship of Lord Siva. Mahadev was pleased with his worship and told him to pray for a boon. Kuver then prayed to Mahadev for the following boon: 'Please, Sir, become my son.' This Guhyakesvar Kuvera is Kuver Misra, the esteemed father of Advaita Prabhu, an incarnation of Sada-Siva. Because he is non-different from the Lord, his name is 'Advaita' (non-dual); and because he incarnates as a devotee and gives devotional guidance, his name is 'Acharya' (teacher). Acharya Prabhu showed the pastimes of a householder devotee. Accepting Madhavendra Puripad, the king among the highest paramahamsa devotees, who showed the pastimes of the fourth order of life (sannyasa), as his guru, he taught the necessity of accepting a pure mahabhagavata vaisnav guru.

Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu is the main trunk of the wish-fulfilling tree of devotion. He has two other names, Mangal ('spiritual benefit') and Kamalaksa ('lotus-eyes'). After his parents departed for the Ganges (left their bodies), he went to Sri Vrindavan, becoming immersed in the worship of Lord Krishna. Later, he returned to Shantipur, and his manifestation (his glory) became known in Nabadwip. With a great joy, the residents of Shantipur provided everything he needed (constructed his house and supplied all other facilities) and, with his consent, arranged his marriage to Sri and Sita (two daughters of a great brahman Nrisimha Bhaduri), who were endowed with all good qualities. In this way, they made a great effort to keep Sri Advaita Prabhu in Shantipur. Yogamaya and her embodiment who appeared as Sita and Sri became Sri Advaita Prabhu's pious spouses.

At that time, almost all places were swayed by the people who lacked devotion to Lord Krishna and were overt materialists; seeing them engaged in their fruitless, ostentatious display of knowledge, Sri Advaita Acharya felt much pain inside him. There were only one–two people in Nadia (Srivas Pandit and a few others) who were exclusive pious devotees and spent their time discussing Srimad Bhagavatam and other devotional scriptures properly. When Acharya Prabhu got to know about those devotees, he immediately came to meet with them. He experienced great happiness relishing the nectar of devotion to Krishna at the holy house of Srivas Pandit, who lived close by. However, Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu did not feel satisfied that such an unparalleled and priceless source was kept hidden in this way. Feeling the misery of the souls who were averse to the Lord, his very being shed tears. The suitable time had come for the Lord to make His auspicious advent and establish the religion of the current age. So, feeling immediately a great longing for the Lord's coming, Sri Advaita began to incessantly offer Ganges water and Tulasi at the holy lotus feet of the Lord, calling Him with deep cries that pierced the entire universe.

At a very auspicious moment, Sri Gauranga, who is non-different from Sri Vrajendranandan (the son of the King of Vraja), appeared on the lap of Sri Sachi Mata in the house of Sri Jagannath Misra in Sri Mayapur, Nabadwip. At that time, Sri Advaita was in Shantipur, and our Namacharya Thakur Haridas was also there. They both spent the entire brightly-lit Phalguni Purnima (full moon) night of the Lord's appearance dancing and chanting jubilantly with upraised arms in the association of faithful devotees. Burning with enthusiasm, the Great Acharya kicked all obstacles and disasters on their heads and started to preach genuine spiritual religion (bhagavata-dharma). Axing the root of all long-nourished foolishness and infatuation with competition, he declared everywhere the glory of the truth through his daily practice (achar) and preaching (prachar).

Before those events, Sri Acharya Prabhu submitted with great affection a pitri-sraddha offering to Sri Thakur Haridas: he appeared in this world in a Muslim family, but Sri Acharya Prabhu considered him the best among millions of brahmans. In this way, Sri Acharya Prabhu had been preaching about the impartiality and piety of the preacher and teacher of devotion. During a short time, Sri Advaita Prabhu was assisted by the elder brother of Gaurasundar, Sri Visvarupa, who was inclined to leave his house. Sri Advaita Prabhu taught the pure, authorised by great souls commentaries and conceptions of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and other devotional scriptures – in this way, he turned many atheists and fallen, ignorant people into excellent devotees. When His elder brother left home, Sri Gaurasundar started to reveal His childhood and adolescent pastimes, enchanting everyone with His supra-mundane glories and spiritual excellence. One day, Sachi Mata showed a pastime of committing a vaisnava-aparadha by an accidental slip of the tongue – she had made an offence to Sri Advaita Prabhu, an incarnation of a devotee, by criticising him, and when Advaita was once lying unconscious, being overwhelmed with divine love, she was told to beg forgiveness at his lotus feet.

The sounds of Harinam-sankirtan echoed in all four directions. Just as all rivers of a country flow from a thousand directions to unite at the confluence in the ocean, in the same way, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Haridas and other close associates converged at the holy lotus feet of Sri Gauranga. Seeing that his staunch determination was fulfilled, there was no limit to Acharya's joy. He too took advantage of the auspicious time and kept himself at the Lord's lotus feet. Together with Gadadhar, Sri Gaura Hari would personally turn up at Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu's house and accept his worship, and He also promised him to always grant him His darshan.

Acharya Thakur Prabhu devised various tricks to make Sri Gaurasundar known to devotees and common people. One day, Sri Advaita ran away from Nabadwip and hid in Shantipur. Revealing the mood of the Supreme Lord at the house of Srivas Pandit, Gaura Hari sent Srivas Pandit's cousin, Ramai, to go and immediately bring Sri Advaita back from Shantipur. Ramai went to Shantipur together with his wife, but Sri Advaita sent them back, saying, 'I will not go with you.' Meanwhile, he hid himself in the house of Nandan Acharya, deciding to himself, 'If Prabhu comes for me and places His lotus feet on my head today, then I will know that He is my Prananath (the master of my very being)'. And the Lord did actually come. Very soon the desire of Advaita Prabhu's heart was fulfilled. The Lord knows everything, so He came for him and placed His holy lotus feet on Advaita Prabhu's head. At that time, the Lord promised in front of everyone that He would keep those who were intoxicated with pride because of their knowledge, wealth, lineage, various penances, etc. scorching in threefold miseries and would fulfil His life by bestowing devotion to Himself to anyone who has no pride and considers themselves bereft and poor, be it a highly qualified person, a woman, a person born in the lowest caste of base workers, a fool, a despicable person or a meat-eater, etc. – He would bestow devotion to anyone as long as they have no ego (do not live in the world of 'me' and 'mine'); the Lord promised to make even the lowest and most despicable persons dance enthralled by the pure divine love for the Holy Name. Hearing the Lord proclaim this, hundreds and hundreds of voices filled the nether world and the heaven in simultaneous joint cries of 'Jay!'

There were so many pastimes, there was so much joy that great Acharya Prabhu partook in together with Sri Gaurasundar, together with Sri Nityananda. He fought with Nitai in the garden; both he and Gaura competed offering each other worship and taking each other's foot dust. What a wave of transcendental love arose in those pastimes! One day, to craftily preach in this world through Sriman Mahaprabhu about the futility of attempts to cultivate knowledge of the impersonal conception of Godhead and about the superiority of devotion, Advaita Acharya Prabhu hid his internal spiritual mood and started to speak about the greatness of yoga, proving that liberation was higher than devotion. Mahaprabhu showed a pastime of becoming enraged with Advaita Prabhu and gave him a very good beating. O how much joy flowed in all those pastimes! However, this joy and happiness did not stay for long… Sri Gaurasundar accepted sannyas (entered the renounced order of life) and went away from His house, leaving behind all the weeping devotees of Nadia.

At first, Sri Gaurasundar came begging to the house of Sri Advaita and stayed there for a few days under the care of Sri, Sita and Sachi Mata before departing for Sridham Nilachal. Feeling deep anxiety of separation from Sriman Mahaprabhu, Acharya Prabhu wanted to go with Him, but the Lord put him off by reminding him about the duty he had at that time: to stay in Gaudades and keep people engaged in spiritual practice by preaching pure devotional religion. Sitanath (the master of Sri Sita Devi) stayed and followed the Lord's order. However, every year at the time of Ratha-yatra, he had an opportunity to come to Sri Ksetra with all the devotees of Gauranga Mahaprabhu and spent four months in the joy of service to their all-in-all, their treasure, Sri Sachinandan. That time gave them the highest comfort and fulfilment.

Afterwards, every year, during the few months they got to spend with the Lord at Ratha-yatra, which was their only chance to meet with Him, they started to feel various transcendental loving joy. Once, in Sri Nilachal, Acharya Prabhu invited the Lord to his house, thinking to himself, 'If Prabhu comes alone today, it will be very good because I will be able to serve Him at ease, filling my very being with His service.' The Lord, a wish-fulfilling tree, fulfilled the longing of His devotee – He came to Advaita Acharya Prabhu alone at noon, and there started such a heavy downpour and hailstorm that nobody else could come there at that time. Jubilant, Acharya Prabhu recited prayers to Indra, the carrier of clouds, and, assisted by his wife, served the Lord of his very being in the way that he hankered to. With His own mouth the Lord praised and glorified Sri Advaita so much, but Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu would reply to that, 'All my power comes from devotion to You. Please, give me a boon that You may never leave me.'

It was in this Sri Ksetra that Sri Gaurasundar once asked His dear devotee Srivas, 'What kind of Vaisnav do you consider Advaita to be?' Srivas said, 'He is like Suka and Prahlad.' The Lord got angry and immediately slapped Srivas, scolding him just like a father scolds his son, 'What? What have you said, Srivasiya? Do you compare Advaita to the newborn babies Suka and Prahlad? You have such a big mouth to say such things about my Nada [Caller; he who called Me to this world]? You made me very sad today.' Saying this, He grabbed a lamp stand that was at hand and was about to hit Srivas again. Our Acharya Gosañi, who was nearby at that time, immediately got up and caught Prabhu's hand, asking Him to please forgive Srivas as he was just a child. The Lord calmed down and started to sing the glories of Sri Acharya Prabhu in a very firm voice. He said, 'Suka and others are his children. They were all born after him. My advent in this world is only owing to him. Who knows his glory?' Srivas prayed at the Lord's lotus feet to forgive him and said, 'Prabhu, unless You tell us about it, how are we to know about who Advaita is? I feel very fortunate to have learnt this today.'

One time, when the Ratha-yatra festival was over, Sri Advaita Prabhu worshipped Mahaprabhu with Tulasi and flowers, and Mahaprabhu also worshipped Advaita Acharya with the flowers and Tulasi that were left in the puja glass, reciting the mantra, 'Yo' si so' si namo 'stu te' ('You are whatever you are – I am offering My respectful obeisance to you').

Sri Advaita Acharya had six sons; their names were Sri Achyutananda, Sri Krishna, Sri Gopal, Balaram, Svarup and Jagadis. Among them, three sons were Sriman Mahaprabhu's great devotees and were always attached to His service. The other three took to other doctrines and were scorned upon by their father and all the devotees of Gaura. Sri Achyuta, an exalted devotee who had been attached to the lotus feet of Gaura from his childhood, showed the pastime of accepting a very strict vow of celibacy.

Sri Gaurasundar came answering Sri Advaita Prabhu's ardent call. When later the work had been done, it was again by Sri Advaita Prabhu's hint that the Lord went on to leave for His own abode. The marketplace of divine love was shattered. Gradually, all of the Lord's dear associates concealed themselves. So, why will Sri Advaita stay? In due course of time, he too disappeared from everyone's view.

Sri Advaita Acharya Bhavan in Sri Dham Mayapur.

The Deities of Sri Advaita Acharya and Sriman Mahaprabhu worshipped at Sri Advaita Acharya Bhavan. Inscribed on top, 'Daya kara Sitapati Advaita Gosani, tava krpa-bale pai Chaitanya Nitai. Please bestow your mercy, O Lord of Sita Devi, Advaita Gosai, for it is by your mercy that one can come to Chaitanya-Nitai.'

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

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