As in previous Kartikas, Srila Narayana Maharaja is speaking about Sri
Damodarastakam (written by Sri Satyavrata Muni) in his morning classes. Although
this subject has been the tradition for so many years, Srila Narayana Maharaja's
hari-katha is always ever-fresh. In the evenings he is speaking about Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's Madhurya Kadambini. In addition to the almost
1,000 devotees physically attending the classes, over 500 devotees are attending
from their cities around the world - by phone. [If you would like to also hear
by phone, please log-on to
www.purebhakti.com for simple instructions.]
October 9, 2006
After breakfast, the devotees gathered at Imlitala, which is situated just next to
our Gopinatha Bhavan. There the sannyasis spoke on the glories of the place, in
its connection both to the rasa-lila of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna and to the
pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Here, Sri Krsna was feeling separation from
Srimati Radhika, and as He wept and chanted Her holy name, He assumed Her
golden complexion and mood.
From Imlitala the parikrama party went on to Seva-kunja, and then to Sri Radha Damodara
Temple where the samadhis of some of the most prominent acaryas of our Gaudiya
Sampradaya are situated. There the pilgrims prayed to Sri Jiva Gosvami, Srila
Krsnadasa Kaviraja, and especially to Sri Rupa Gosvami, in order to attain the shade of
their lotus feet.
At Sringara-vat, the devotees continued hearing about the rasa-lila of Sri Sri
Radha-Krsna, and how Krsna performed the sringar (decoration) of Srimati Radhika.
At this place there is a beautiful painting of this pastime.
October 12, 2006
The parikrama party went first to Nidhuvana, which, along with Seva-kunja, is
the famous kunja of Vrndavana where Sri Sri Radha-Krsna enjoy their
confidential night-time pastimes. Nidhuvana is especially known for providing the
pastime-ground for these pastimes. In this garden, Swami
Haridasa found the Deity of Sri Banki-Bihari. Here, Srimati Radhika once
saw a dream of Sri Sacinandana Gaurihari, who was chanting the Hare Krsna mantra
in Navadvipa. Upon awakening She narrated Her dream to Sri Krsna, who then told
Her about His future pastimes as Sri Gaurahari.
From Nidhuvana, the pilgrims visited the temples of Sri Sri Radha-Gokulananda
and Sri Sri Radha-Ramana, as well as the samadhi's of Sri Gopal Bhatta
Gosvami and the appearance place of Sri Radha-Ramana. At the temple of Radha-Gokulananda
one can also have darsana of the samadhis of Sri Lokanatha Gosvami, Sri
Narottama dasa Thakura and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, and many other
important personalities in our sampradaya. At this temple the devotees heard
narrations of the lives of these personalities. There we also fine the Govardhana-sila
that was given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, as
well as the Deities of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana.
The final place to be visited was the temple of Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha. This
Deity was found by a disciple of Srila Gadadhara Pandita, Sri Madhu Pandita, in the sand
of the banks of the Yamuna. Here, the senior devotees spoke on the glories of the personification of the supreme goal of our spiritual
aspirations Sri Gopinatha, who calls the gopis to dance with Him in the middle
of the night.
The successful day was crowned in the evening as Srila Narayana Maharaja spoke
about the independent nature of bhakti how bhakti appears in this world by its
own sweet will, through the pure devotee. In reviewing the day during his
evening class, Srila Narayana Maharaja said that "we" went here and "we" went
there, thus confirming that, although he did not physically accompany the
devotees to those above-mentioned holy places, factually he was there, thus
making the devotees' efforts fully successful.