SRI NABADWIP DHAM MAHATMYA-MUKTA-MALA

Godrumdwip (Kirtanam: chanting)

Sri Surabhi Kunja

By the mercy of Sri Gurupadpadma, today, as every year, continuing our Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama, we have come from Sri Suvarna Bihar Gaudiya Math to this extremely pure place, Sri Surabhi Kunja.

The name of this island is Sri Godrumdwip, and this island is the place of kirtan. From here, on the bank of the Saraswati River, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur Mahasaya started his kirtan and preaching of the glories of Sri Nabadwip Dham. In Sri Nabadwip, there are two rivers flowing inside the Ganges: the current of the Ganges is on one bank, the current of the Saraswati River is on the other bank (when we cross the Ganges, we can see that the colour of the water is different). So, this island Godrumdwip lies on the bank of the Saraswati River, and within it there are many villages, such as Gadigachha, Balirchar, Maheshganj, Tiyorakali, Amghat, Shyamnagar, Virija, Harishpur, Suvarna Bihar and Devapalli. Local people call Godrumdwip ‘Gadigachha’, but in the Vaisnav language, we say ‘Godrumdwip’. At this place, having received by the mercy of Surabhi Cow an order to engage in the worship of Gaura, Markandeya Muni took shelter in pure devotion. In Krishna-lila, Markandeya Muni was Lord Indradev. Actually, go means ‘a cow’ and drum [pronounced as ‘droom’] means ‘a tree’ – because there used to be an asvattha (banyan) tree and the heavenly cow Surabhi lived under it, this place is called Godrum. Try to remember and keep all that is spoken in your heart.

You must have heard about the nine kinds of devotion; each of these nine kinds of devotion resides within a corresponding island of Nabadwip: Simantadwip – sravanam, Godrumdwip – kirtanam, Madhyadwip – smaranam, Koladwip – pada-sevanam, Ritudwip – archanam, Jahnudwip – vandanam, Modadrumdwip – dasyam, Rudradwip – sakhyam, Antardwip – atma-nivedanam. So, because kirtan resides on the island of Godrumdwip, we must loudly and properly chant kirtan here.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur built this Surabhi Kunja house in 1888, and our Srila Bhakti Vedanta Avadhut Maharaj serves this place single-handedly. When our Gurudev disappeared, there was nothing here except for a small house, but Srila Bhakti Vedanta Avadhut Maharaj has since then arranged this beautiful place for us all to sit. It is our great fortune to be able to come here. He is also my dear friend, and I would like to request Srila Avadhut Maharaj to please sing kirtan and speak some Hari-katha.

Below is Pujyapad Srila Bhakti Vedanta Avadhut Maharaj’s glorification of Sri Godrumdwip and Sri Surabhi Kunja:

We are extremely happy today to have got the company of our dearmost friend, Pujyapad Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj. Although he comes here only once a year on this day, he has done so much service to this place – to this day, I have not got so much great fortune to serve this place as much as Maharaj has served it. I do not know when that day will come to me – if Maharaj gives his mercy to me, then it must happen. We have invited Maharaj many times for the separation festival of our gurudev, but Maharaj is always busy and has not been able to come, so we are very happy to have him here today. We like to see him. ‘Vaisnava sangete mana anandita anuksana, sada haya Krishna parasanga. In the association of Vaishnavs, my mind is always joyful: in their association I always find the association of Krishna.’

Pujyapad Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj’s contribution is incomparable: his service has brought about all sorts of auspicious benefit. I have heard that he has established a temple at the birthplace of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu in Ekachakra Dham; he is making a beautiful temple near the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Mayapur Dham; and he has also made a beautiful temple in Nrisingha Palli, where Lord Nrisimhadev, the protector of all devotees (bhakta-raksak) and destroyer of all obstacles (vighna-vinasakari) resides eternally. This gives us very much joy. Moreover, Maharaj is also very affectionate to us. We also often think about him: his gurudev has kept abundant blessings with him, that is why, despite any perilous position, he is never harmed. When we see his example, we are reminded of how the Lord tested Prahlad Maharaj’s deep devotion when his father harassed him in so many ways – in the same way, the Lord also tested Pujyapad Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj in many ways, but the guru and Vaishnavs are always with him, protecting him. Krishna also says in Srimad Bhagavad-gita, ‘Na me bhaktah pranasyati: My devotee is never vanquished.’

Anyhow, you have all come to this eternally pure place, where Sriman Nityananda Prabhu started a marketplace of the Holy Name (Nama-hatta) and started preaching on the order of Mahaprabhu. Later, when Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur came here, he composed a special kirtan called ‘Broker’s Song’ (‘Bada sukhera khabara gai’) about the glory of this Nama-hatta.

In Dvapar-yuga, not being able to recognise the Lord, Indradev committed an offence at the holy feet of Lord Krishna. What offence was it? Every year, the residents of Vraja usually made an offering to Lord Indra to get regular rains (if it rains regularly, then grass grows well, cows eat well, the crops are good, and so on). One year, however, Lord Krishna said, ‘We must worship Giriraj Govardhan now! We will not worship Indra anymore! If we worship Giriraj Govardhan, we will get everything!’ Then, Nanda Maharaj, together with all the Vraja-basis, stopped their worship of Indradev and started worshipping Giriraj Govardhan.

Indradev became angry that the residents of Vraja had worshipped Govardhan, so he sent torrential rains onto Vrindavan. All the Vraja-basis became scared, ‘Indradev is angry! O Lord, please protect us!’ but Krishna assured them, ‘There is nothing to be afraid of! Giriraj Govardhan will protect us.’ Then, Lord Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill and during seven days sheltered all Vraja-basis underneath it. Because Sri Krishna showed Himself as a simple cowherd boy, everybody forgot that Krishna was the Supreme Lord. Then, seven days later, Indradev stopped the rain, thinking, ‘These Vraja-basis must be all scared – now they will again start worshipping me!’ However, when the rain stopped and all the water dried up, Vraja-basis returned to their homes and were amazed to see that all their things at home were just like that – there was no damage or loss. They were very happy, ‘Now we will worship Giriraj Govardhan every year! We will not worship Indra anymore.’

Meanwhile, Indradev began to doubt, ‘These Vraja-basis did not feel scared, and there was no damage to their houses – they behave like nothing has happened.’ He came to meet with the heavenly cow Surabhi, the mother of all cows, and asked her, ‘Mother, tell me, who is this Krishna? Is He an ordinary cowherd boy? He is saying that they must stop my worship and worship Govardhan instead, and after worshipping Govardhan, their happiness has only increased!’ Surabhi said, ‘Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He has protected everyone. You have made a mistake: not being able to recognise Him, You mistook Him for an ordinary boy. Go to Him and beg Him forgiveness.’ Indradev agreed, but then he said, ‘I am scared to go alone. Please come with me.’

In this way Indradev came to Lord Sri Krishna together with Surabhi Cow. Arriving at Govardhan Hill, Indradev pleased the Lord with his offering of prayers, praise and abhisek (auspicious bathing). Sri Krishna was satisfied with Indra and cleared his offence.

After that, Indradev returned to heaven, but some days later, he felt uneasy again. He again came to Surabhi and said, ‘Mother Surabhi, I again feel scared…’

‘King, listen to what I am going to tell you,’ Surabhi said. ‘Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will appear in Nabadwip Dham in Kali-yuga, and He will grant all offenders the Holy Name of Lord Krishna, liberating them thus from all offences: He will bless them with devotion and transcendental love to Krishna.’

‘Mother Surabhi,’ Indradev asked, ‘I could not recognise Krishna, so when Gauranga Mahaprabhu comes, what if I again cannot understand His pastimes or recognise Him, too? I will again commit offences. Mother, please do me a favour. Take me to this Nabadwip Dham now. I want to worship Gauranga and receive His darshan.’

So, Indradev came here, to the place where we are sitting now, in Dvapar-yuga with Surabhi Cow. There used to be a banyan tree here before: Surabhi and Indradev sat under that tree and started worshipping Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Some time later, Mahaprabhu granted them His darsan: receiving the Lord’s darshan, Indradev felt extremely happy in his heart. After that, Indra left for heaven, but Surabhi Cow stayed here. This is how this place got its name, Sri Surbhi Kunja (‘the grove of Mother Surabhi’).

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says that this Godrumdwip is non-different from Nandagram in Vrindavan. The island of Godrumdwip stretches from here all the way to Nrisingha Palli, and the expanse of the banyan tree that grew here was eight kilometres.

One time, there was a great flood in the world. A sage called Markandeya Muni had received a boon of seven kalpas (seven days of Lord Brahma, each day consisting of four yugas, finishing with the universal annihilation) from Lord Siva, which meant that he did not die when there was the universal flood at the end of each kalpa. One day, at the time of one of such floods, Markandeya Muni was floating in the water and somehow came to Nabadwip Dham (the glory of Nabadwip Dham is such that this holy abode is never flooded). When Markandeya Muni came here, he saw Surabhi Cow and asked her, ‘Mother, I have been starving for a very long time. Please let me drink some of your milk to regain strength.’ Merciful Surabhi fed Markandeya Rsi with her milk and helped him recover.

Regaining his strength, Markandeya Rsi offered prayers to Surabhi Cow and asked her, ‘Mother Surabhi, why are you sitting here? Do you not stay in heaven?’

Surabhi Cow replied, ‘I am worshipping my Lord here, that is why I am here.’

‘You are so fortunate! Why have I only got this boon of seven kalpas? I do not understand anything. Getting this boon, I only feel unhappy. What should I do now?’

‘Stay here and worship Gaura!’ Surabhi replied.

‘What will I get if I worship Gaura?’

‘If you worship Gaura, He will grant His darshan to you: you can get transcendental power (devotion to Lord Krishna), and there will be no unhappiness left in your life. There is no criteria in worshipping Gaura – if anybody chants the Name of Gaura, all their material bondage, attachment and desire for liberation are destroyed.’

Overcome with devotion, Markandeya Rishi started chanting the Name of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. As he chanted the Holy Name, he felt he had got his life back.

…Later, Mahaprabhu appeared in this world, and when He left for Sri Puri Dham, He sent Nityananda Prabhu here for preaching. Coming to Nabadwip Dham, Nityananda Prabhu stayed here for three months and opened here a marketplace of the Holy Name (Nama-hatta). After Nityananda Prabhu left, three hundred years later, the preaching of Vaishnavism had eventually stopped. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur came here for the first time in 1888 and again started to manifest that Nama-hatta. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur wrote this prayer glorifying Godrum:

sura-sarida upakanthe godrume gaura diyechhe
vasati surabhi-kunje bhakti-purvam vinoda
yugala-charane seva sakya-labhiya aso
vraja-rasa-rasikaya padapadma asraya atra

‘As I have pleased Bhakti Devi, Gaura has given me a dwelling at Surabhi Kunja, which stands on the bank of the Ganges, on the outskirts of Godrum. Aspiring to enter the service of the Divine Couple as a friend, I have taken here shelter of the holy lotus feet of expert devotees revelling in the ecstatic devotional mellows of Vraja Dham.’

Staying here, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur composed many scriptures, such as Jaiva Dharma, Saranagati and Chaitanya-chartamrta’s Amrita-Pravaha Bhasya. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur preached from Surabhi Kunja, and it is by his mercy that we are able to do this Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama today.

gaura amara, ye-saba sthane,
karala bhramana range
se saba sthana, heriba ami,
pranayi-bhakata-sange

‘In the company of loving devotees, I behold all the places my Gaura visited during His Pastimes.’

Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj is a genuine Vaishnav, and his service is incomparable. He has done much service to us here in Surabhi Kunja – he has helped us so much to build this temple. We are praying at his holy lotus feet that we, too, may have such energy to serve the holy dham and to serve our guru as he has.

vanchha-kalpatarubhyas cha krpa-sindhubhya eva cha
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

‘Again and again I offer my obeisance unto the Supreme Lord’s devotees, who are saviours of the fallen, oceans of mercy and wish-fulfilling trees.’

Glory be unto Pujyapad Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

The parikrama party arriving at the holy temple in Sri Surabhi Kunja.

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