Advaita Prakash chapter 3

[Paramananda das]

dandavat Pranam
All glories to my Gurudeva and Lord Gauranga
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

One mans food another mans poison , Srila Narottama das Thakura wrote about Govinda Lilamrta and Caitanya Caritamrta that these books are so sweet that they can melt stones:, Prarthana:

krishnadasa kaviraja rasika bhakata-majha
jenho kaila chaitanya-carita
gaura-govinda-lila sunite galaye sila
tahate na haila mora cite

Among the devotees Krishnadasa Kaviraja is extremely expert at relishing the transcendental nectar of the mellows of love of God. When the stones hear his Chaitanya-charitamrita and Govinda-lilamrta, they begin to melt in ecstasy. In spite of this, I cannot appreciate him within my heart

So for the neophyte everything is confusing because the eyes are not properly trained in Bhakti .There is a story that is being told in Gaudiya math that only Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and Bhaktivinoda Thakura should read Govinda Lilamrta, it is a total bhogus story . Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada instructed all members of Gaudiya math should chant 64 rounds and after they have been in Gaudiya math for 20 to 30 years should have read and studied all the books of the six Goswamis. Govinda Lilamrta and Krsna Bhavanamrta are not some sex litteratures of Radha and Krsna , they a pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Krsna. Srila Prabhupada in his Krsna book recommends reading Krsna Bhavanamrta , his Krsna book and teachings of Lord Caitanya.. Srila Narayana Maharaja also told me in 1989 that studying Rasa sastra along with the sandarbhas etc is wanted but one must chant 64 rounds daily. So for those not chanting 64 rounds daily and having not been trained by a Guru that also does the same is a disqualifikation .Sorry this is our Gaudiya vaisnava philosophy coming in the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. The conditioned souls finds faults in the acaryas for writting Rasa sastras this is due to a demoniac mentality .Is Gita Govinda written by Srila Jayadeva Goswami demoniac? No perverted souls that can not understand and comprehend such books are the problem . They do not even have a desire to try to understand due to lacking adhikara qualifikation.So one has to be qualified to understand similarly Sri Advaita Prakash is written by a pure devotee Srila Ishana Thakura, who served the Supreme Lord Advaita Acarya daily .Have we served and talked to the Supreme Lord daily ? Then who are we to find faults with Advaita Prakash and Sri Ishana Thakura .Mother Saci and Jagannatha Misra also had a servant Ishana Thakura, some claim that this Ishana Thakura is the same IShana Thakura that served Sri Advaita Acarya, but vaisnava scholars I have talked to do not agree this is the same Ishana Thakura . Some neophytes get furious when you talk about 64 rounds but that is what Srila Prabhupada tried to introduce in ISKCON also :

The Hare Krishna Explosion, p. 63, by Hayagriva dasa, Palace Press 1985 mentiones the pastime when 64 rounds became minimum 16 in ISKCON :

"Now that you have beads," Swamiji says the next morning, "you should chant sixty-four rounds every day."
"Sixty-four rounds?" To pronounce every word of the mantra distinctly, we require five minutes to chant a round. Sixty-four rounds would take over five hours. "Impossible!" we say. "We'll never have the time."
"All right," Swamiji says. "Thirty-two rounds."
"Impossible," we say. "We'll never be able to do it. It's way too much."
"All right," Swamiji says. "Sixteen rounds. No less."

Now please read chapter 3 of Advaita Prakash and tell me where is the fault in this chapter: one note is that Sri Advaita acaryas socalled parents in pastimes were the demigods Kuvera and his wife , the children of Advaita acarya where incarnationes of Ganesh , Kartikeya etc

translated by His Holiness Subhag Maharaja ISKCON Guru and sannyasi and our dear goduncle :This chapter also describes how Sri Advaita Acarya showed His mystic powers of being the Supreme Lord by walking on water, please do not be a fool and think AP is full of poison , only a fool thinks the bonafide translation of this book is poison and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada could not have condemmed a pure translation of this book :

Chapter Three
All glories to Shri Chaitanya! All glories to Sitanatha! All glories to Nityananda, along with all the devotees!

One day Advaita Prabhu wrote a letter and sent it with someone to His parents in Lauda-dhama. Kuvera Acarya had looked for his son everywhere and was feeling great distress out of separation. Tears flowed from his eyes, and he repeatedly called out the name of Gopala. By the mercy of Lord Krishna, he felt somewhat relieved, and he returned to his house. Labhadevi was also grief-stricken because of the disappearance of her beloved son. She wandered here and there and sometimes rolled on the ground. Tears flowed incessantly from her eyes, and she sometimes asked incoherent questions like an insane woman. Sometimes she fell unconscious and appeared as if dead, and Kuvera Acarya would try to console her in various ways.

Kuvera said, “The Lord does not act without consideration. He returns whatever He takes from someone. Persons who are absorbed in remembering Krishna's lotus feet are the best of all beings, while those who are bodily conscious are the lowest of all. Material enjoyment leads one to an ocean of misery, just as one finds deadly poison when trying to enjoy the touch of a snake. As a medicinal tonic has the power to give one the happiness of renewed health, worshiping Lord Hari in difficult circumstances leads one to a reservoir of bliss.”

After hearing many instructions in this way, Labha Thakurani felt somewhat relieved. While feeling distressed one night, Kuvera Pandita entered his temple room and remained there fasting. In the morning he had a dream in which Gopala told him, “Your son is happily living on the bank of the Ganges. Kamalaksha is not an ordinary person, He has incarnated as a devotee. He will send a servant to you in a few days.”

Kuvera Acarya related his dream in detail to Labhadevi, and by hearing the Lord's prophesy she became pacified.

Then one day Kuvera Acarya and Labhadevi were overjoyed to receive Kamalaksha's letter. Kuvera said, “What is the use to remain here? Let us go live on the bank of the Ganges, where one easily attains liberation.”

Labha said, “I desire to stay there for the rest of my life.”

The couple departed from that place and joyfully went by boat to Shantipura. Seeing His mother and father, Advaita Prabhu ran to greet them and devotedly offered obeisances at their feet. They both lovingly embraced their son, kissed His forehead, and offered Him their blessings.

Labha said, “Separated from my son, I felt like a fish out of water.”

Kuvera inquired, “Dear son, what are You studying now?”

Advaita replied, “I am just about to finish studying the six branches of philosophy.”

Kuvera then said, “Now You should study the four Vedas, so that You may be enlightened with knowledge of Brahman.”

Advaita Prabhu said, “I will go to Purnavati to study at the house of one peaceful, learned brahmana.”

Kuvera Acarya said, “Knowledge is not under anyone's control. But one can acquire knowledge under the proper guidance of a bona fide teacher. You go there, but inform us of Your welfare. Study without interruption and everything will be auspicious.”

Advaita Prabhu then offered obeisances to His parents and departed with His books for Purnavati while remembering Lord Hari. He soon arrived in Purnavati and offered His obeisances to a peaceful first-class brahmana there.

The brahmana was astonished to see Advaita's handsome features. He offered his blessings and inquired about Advaita's identity. After discussing the scriptures with Advaita, that topmost brahmana admired and praised Advaita, saying, “Dear child, study whatever You desire here.”

Taking guidance from that brahmana, Advaita began studying the Vedas. In His pastimes as a human being, Advaita Prabhu acted as a shruti-dhara, and He thus studied all the Vedas in two years.

Now listen to this wonderful incident that took place one day. The peaceful brahmana went with his disciples to the Ganges for taking bath. Next to the Ganges was one large deep lake that had many thorny plants growing in it. In the middle of the lake they saw a beautiful lotus, whose fragrance spread throughout all directions. There were many black snakes sporting in that lake, so no one was able to pick the lotus. The learned brahmana smiled and said to his students, “Who is able to pick that lotus?”

The students said, “There is no way to get it.”

Advaita, however, replied, “I'm not afraid to go if ordered.”

The brahmana said, “There are many thorns and snakes. Don't vainly boast that you can traverse that most difficult path.”

Hearing this, Advaita Prabhu slightly smiled and then ran, stepping from flower to flower, across the lake. He picked that most fragrant lotus and then devotedly offered it to His teacher.

Seeing this magical feat, the brahmana was struck with wonder. He considered himself blessed to have such a student. Calling Advaita to a secluded place, the brahmana inquired, “My dear son, how did You do this superhuman feat? Do You have some art or divine power? Are You a demigod?”

Advaita Prabhu said, “The three worlds are expanded from Lord Hari. If someone dedicates his life in the service of Lord Krishna with a pure heart, the eight yogic perfections all come under his control.”

When that topmost, peaceful, learned brahmana heard this confidential conclusion from the Lord's mouth, he thought, “It is beyond the ability of an ordinary person to speak like this.” He therefore concluded that Advaita was the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

One day Kamalaksha said to His teacher, “If you are pleased with Me, give Me permission to return home.”

The peaceful brahmana said, “Your name is Veda Pancanana. My heart becomes restless at the thought of letting You return home. If You seriously want to leave, then I simply request that You should visit me whenever I desire.”

Advaita Prabhu offered obeisances to His teacher, who embraced the Lord and began crying. The other students and the teacher's wife all began to cry, and Advaita consoled them with sweet words, “Don't lament on My account. We will meet again. Don't forget our affectionate relationship.”

Saying this, Advaita disappeared, and they quickly searched here and there, but could not find Him. Advaita Prabhu returned home and offered obeisances to His mother and father. He displayed His love for them by profusely glorifying them. The two were greatly pleased to see their son again. They kissed His head and showered their blessings on Him.

Praying at the the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya and Shri Advaita, always desiring Their mercy, I, Ishana Nagara, narrate Shri Advaita Prakasha.

Vaisnavas das das das anu das

Paramananda das