chapter 13 of Advaita Prakash

[Paramananda das]

PAMHO
AGTSP

"Even today affectionate Lord Krishna enjoys the very sweet nectar of transcendental pastimes there, herding the cows with His brother and His many dear friends. A wonderful sweetness becomes manifest in the heart of they who understand the nectar of this place. Of Vraja, which is more dear even than the city of Mathura, I take shelter."
Srila Raghunath das Goswami

 

When the sun first rises sometimes we see this beautiful reddish hue, and it reminds a devotee of Lord Caitanyas kirtana lilas during this time:

 

udilo aruṇa pūraba-bhāge,
dwija-maṇi gorā amani jāge,
bhakata-samūha loiyā sāthe,
gelā nagara-brāje

 

 When the rising sun appeared in the East, the jewel of the twice-born, Lord Gaurasundara, awakened, and, taking His devotees with Him, He went all over the countryside towns and villages

The mṛdangas (khol) resounded "tāthaī, tāthaī," and the jhājas [large metal karatālas that look like small cymbals] in that kīrtana played in time. Lord Gaurāńga's golden form slightly trembled in ecstatic love of Godhead, and His footbells jingled.

 

 All the devotees chanted the names Mukunda, Mādhava, Yadava and Hari, their mouths being filled with the vibrations. They would announce to the still sleeping people, "You spend your nights uselessly sleeping and your days decorating your bodies!

 

 You have achieved such a rare human body, but you do not care for this gift. You remain not serving the darling of Yaśodā and slowly fall through your last moments to death.

 

  With every rising and setting of the sun, a day passes and is lost. Then, why do you remain idle and not serve the Lord of the heart?

 

 This temporary life is full of various miseries. Take shelter of the holy name as your only business.

 

 To penetrate the darkness of ignorance and bless everyone's heart, the holy name has risen like the shining sun.

 

  Drink the pure nectar of the holy name. There is nothing but the name to be had in the fourteen worlds. It has filled the soul of Srī Bhaktivinoda Thākura.

 

During this time period Krsna in His Asta kaliya lilas goes and milks the cows in Nandagrama

 

And the devotees are most eager to chant the Hare Krsna Mantra during this time also

 

The other day I commented on the 12 chapter of Advaita Prakash and shared it with Advaita das from Holland that is initiated into this line and he has given a very nice response:

 

Advaita Das

Payonidhi Haribol - as I acknowledged in my recent blog on Advaita Prakash, due to hand copying and perhaps due to sectarian interests there may have been some changes to Advaita Prakash in the pre-printing press days, it is impossible to v...erify what and how much. Fact remains that the AP is the most comprehensive biography of Advaita Prabhu. Plus, various lilas may be described in various ways too. It is transcendental and therefore not exclusive or linear. That is the problem with western intellectuals. They think a lila can only have taken place in one way, not another. You see that Krishna's prakat lila is very different in Vishnu Purana compared to the Bhagavat, yet no scholar rejects Vishnu Purana or considers things interpolated.See More

Friday at 9:36am · 

• Advaita Das http://www.madangopal.com/advaitadefense.pdf

  Friday at 9:43am · 

 

 

Yes it is certainly true Advaita Prakash remains the best biograhphy of Advaita Acarya I have read.  Some devotees have doubts about how to fast on Advaita Acaryas

,however as He is  the combined form of Mahavisnu and Sadasiva to fast from grains on His holy appearance day is a no brainer.Du ring Caturmasya for 4 month so much austerities are done to please Ksirodaksayi Visnu ,  who is a an expansion of an expansion of Mahavisnu.So to get the mercy of Advaita Acarya is very helpful for bhakti.Actually it is a must.

  

doyā koro sītā-pati adwaita gosāi
tava kṛpā-bale pāi caitanya-nitāi

My dear Advaita Prabhu, husband of Sita, You are so kind. Please be merciful to me. If You are kind to me, naturally Lord Caitanya and Nityananda will also be kind to me.

 

Obviously one of the controversies is seen in this translation of Advaita Prakash when Advaita Acarya  allegedly addresses Isvara Puri with "Namo Narayana" this may have been common at the time due to the influence of Sankacarya ,it does not mean Advaita Acarya was a mayavadi , or it simply could be an "mayavadi twist" in the transtlation,who really knows.Srila Prabhupada did not like Ramacarita Manasa translations as in many chapters it appeared you become Lord Ramachandra if you read this Ramalila.However Bhavisouttara Purana clearly states Tulsi das is the incarnation of Valmiki Muni, also the apparent differences for example in Garga Munis Garga Samhita may be seen as some mistake by some

but for example in Narada Bhakti Sutra we see how Narada Muni accepts Garga Muni as an authority in devotional service:

 

NBS 17: Garga Muni says that bhakti is fondness for narrations about the Lord, by the Lord, and so on.

However both  Srila Advaita Acarya and Isvara Puri where also disciples of Madhavendra Puri some may argue to this seems not likely, And Mahavisnu Himself ,Advaita Acarya addressing a jivatma as Namo Narayana makes it seems unlikely.

 

 

Chapter Thirteen

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

Listen now to the wonderful narration of Ishvara Puri's visit to Navadvipa. Advaita Prabhu called him the personification of conjugal love. Just by seeing him one attained pure devotional service. Ishvara Puri was the topmost Vaishnava. He was completely unattached and indifferent to material things. When he arrived, he went straight to Advaita Prabhu's residence.

Seeing the powerful sannyasi, Sitanatha offered him obeisances, saying, “Namo Narayana.”

As soon as Ishvara Puri saw Advaita Prabhu, he understood that Advaita was the cause for Krishna's descending on earth. Shri Ishvara Puri was a disciple of Shri Madhavendra Puri. Knowing this, Advaita Prabhu began crying in ecstatic love.

As the two began discussing topics of Lord Krishna, they were soon drowning in the ocean of ecstasy. Sometimes they cried, sometimes they laughed, sometimes they fell unconscious, and sometimes they roared deeply like powerful lions. After some time, when they regained their external consciousness, Sitanatha offered Puriraja his meal.

Afterwards, Ishvara Puri wandered around Navadvipa, and at an auspicious moment he met Shri Gauranga. When Ishvara Puri saw Gaurachandra, whose bodily effulgence resembled that of millions of suns, he developed the highest symptoms of devotional ecstasy and thought, “He must be the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, appearing in Navadvipa with a golden form!”

Seeing Ishvara Puri's effulgence, Vishvambhara could understand that he was the topmost sannyasi and first-class devotee of the Lord. Gaura went before him and offered obeisances, and Ishvara Puri said, “Your desires will be fulfilled.”

They introduced themselves and then joyfully discussed the scriptures together. Later, Gaura lovingly offered Ishvara Puri various foodstuffs. Ishvara Puri rested there for some days, but after considering that some time remained before Gaura would reveal Himself, he left on pilgrimage.

One day Gaura told mother Shaci, “I wish to go to East Bengal with My students. I will soon return. Don't think that there is any danger for Me. You will have no anxiety if you stay at home blissfully engaged in Krishna's service.”

Saying this, He offered obeisances to mother Shaci. She offered Gaura her blessings, though she was pained at heart. Gaurachandra then went east until He arrived at the residence of Padmanabha Cakravarti. Lokanatha Cakravarti, an associate of Mahaprabhu, asked His father, Padmanabha, to go and receive the Lord. Shri Padmanabha Cakravarti was a pure soul and had received the mercy of Shri Advaita Prabhu. Padmanabha had understood from Advaita's indication that Lord Krishna had manifested Himself in Navadvipa in a golden form.

He already knew through ecstatic trance that Krishna Himself in the form of Gaura had come to his residence. Upon seeing Gauranga, he easily recognized Him, so he offered obeisances by falling flat. Gauranga, however, went off to the side and chanted, “Vishnu! Vishnu!”

Padmanabha said to Gaura, “Don't deceive me. Your confidential position is known to the devotees. You are Krishna Himself, full in all transcendental mellows. You have personally descended to deliver the living entities.”

Saying this, he offered Gaura an appropriate seat, which Gaura accepted while remembering Lord Vishnu. Padmanabha then honored Gaura according to Vedic custom.

As Mahaprabhu stayed there for some days, word spread that the famous Nimai Pandita has come. Thus many learned scholars as well as hundreds of rich and respectable persons came to see Him. Children, youth, old people, and women made a commotion as they also came to meet Gauranga. After consultation, Gaura went up on the roof so that people could see Him.

Gaura's body had a radiant golden complexion, His arms extended to His knees, and He was a reservoir of ecstatic mellows. His eyes were restless, and His face resembled a fully blossomed lotus. His left hand was wrapped around Acyuta's neck. Everyone took bath in the Ganga-like nectar of His matchless form.

Some fortunate persons who drank that nectar became mad in ecstasy. Some shed tears in ecstatic love, and some joyfully danced with raised arms. That night there was a meeting of learned men. The lamps lit all around the meeting appeared like jewels.

When Gaura along with His students entered that assembly, everyone stood up out of respect. In that assembly, Gaurachandra resembled the moon and the learned men surrounding Him resembled stars.

One of the learned brahmanas was a topmost logician. He was expert in the scriptures and the crown-jewel amongst scholars. He raised one question from the principles of logic, which Shri Gauranga immediately answered.

That brahmana repeatedly established various premises, which Mahaprabhu easily countered. When he was unable to establish any opposing arguments, the brahmana accepted defeat. The scholars there remarked, “We had heard Nimai was named Vidyasagara, but now we have seen proof of His extraordinary knowledge.”

One day a great brahmana and devotee of Lord Vishnu approached Mahaprabhu with folded hands and asked, “I see that in Kali-yuga the whole world is full of terrible sins. How then will the living entities be delivered?”

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “Living entities will be delivered by hearing and chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other means of deliverance. Simply by chanting the holy names, all sins are destroyed and one attains pure devotional service.”

On hearing this, the brahmana became jubilant. He chanted the name of Hari, danced, and cried, oblivious to his surroundings. On seeing this, all the atheists laughed, while Krishna and the Vaishnavas were all delighted.

Padmanabha Cakravarti was most fortunate, for Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu resided in his house. Thereafter Gaura gradually proceeded to the bank of the Padma River. When Gaura saw the river, He joyfully said, “This Padma River is the second body of Lakshmidevi. One who takes bath in this river is certainly freed from all sins.”

Gaura stayed there for some time and enjoyed various pastimes in a pleasant site on the bank of the Padma. The saintly persons discussed among themselves how Gauranga's transcendental association was being appreciated by everyone. They said, “The seat of Navadvipa's intelligentsia was on the eastern bank of the Ganges. One powerful pandita has come here from that place. His name is Nimai Pandita and He has the title Vidyasagara. He has written a commentary under the name Vidyasagara.”

Hearing about Nimai, many learned persons came and spoke to Him and thus became purified. Many teachers came and offered various items to Gaura, and they became jubilant by discussing with Him. Many students came with a desire to study under Gaura, and by studying under Him for just a short time they received a title.

Meanwhile, in Navadvipa, Lakshmidevi was bitten by the snake of separation from Gauranga and disappeared from this world. A few days later, Shri Shacinandana decided to return home. At that time a great religious-minded brahmana, after having a dream, came to visit Mahaprabhu.

He offered obeisances at the lotus feet of Gaura and confidentially told Him about his dream. Gaura told him, “Keep this matter a secret. You should go to Kashi for now. I will meet you there in due course of time, and then your desire will certainly be fulfilled.”

In this way the simple-hearted Tapana Mishra went to Kashi on the order of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus East Bengal was blessed by Vishvambhara, who then returned home with great wealth.

Shri Gauranga then returned to Navadvipa and exhibited sorrow on hearing about the disappearance of Lakshmidevi. Seeing mother Shacidevi in great lamentation, He consoled her in various ways.

Then Gaura's followers and friends arranged for His second marriage. The Raja Pandita, Sanatana Mishra, was a great brahmana. Advaita Prabhu said he was the incarnation of Shri Satrajita. His daughter, Vishnupriya, was the crest jewel of all chaste ladies. She was endowed with all good qualities and was the reservoir of all beauty.

Shri Gaurachandra thus married Vishnupriya. Advaita Prabhu described her as the Lord's own pleasure potency, Lakshmidevi. A grand festival was held in Shri Shacidevi's house on the occasion, and Shaci was overjoyed to again have a daughter-in-law. Shri Acyuta told me about this event, which I have described just a portion of.

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