Holi festival of Lord Caitanya in Navadvipa and how Vasanta devi prepares for Lord Caitanyas apperance

[Paramananda das]

 

 

dear devotees

Please accept my humble obaisences

all glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

 I want to share something very confidential in Gaura lila:

 

 Quoted by  HH  Mahanidhi Swami  ::

 

 

HOLI PASTIMES OF GAURANGA From the first day of spring, Vasanta Pancami (Visnupriya's appearance day) until Gaura Purnima, Lord Gauranga plays Holi for 40 days continuously. On each day of these 40 days, Sri Gaurasundara performs Holi lila ...in the homes of His various confidential devotees. First Holi is in Advaitacarya's house on Vasanta Pancami. Then on Trayodasi, He plays Holi in Nityananda's house. In this month on Sukla Sasthi (March 6) , Gauranga plays Holi in Gauridasa Pandita's house. Then on astami, in Uddharana Datta's house. On Purnima, Mahaprabhu plays Holi in own home. Holi Pastimes of Gauranga   On the bank of the Ganga, Sri Gauranga divided His intimate devotees into two groups: One team with Gauranga, and one team with Gadadhara Pandita. In Gadadhara’s team, there were Svarupa Damodara, Mukunda, Vasu Ghosa and many others. Gauranga's side was led by Gauridasa Pandita. As previously in Krsna-lila, all the sakhis and manjaris sided with Radha and all the sakhas teamed up together with Krsna to attack the sakhis. And now in Nadiya, the same devotees sided with either Gaura or Gadadhara respectively. Picking up pichkaris (syringes), Gauranga's team squirted Sri Gadadhara and his team. Then in retaliation, Svarupa Damodara and others began to hurl coloured powders bombarding Gauranga and His party from all sides. As the fun pastimes of Holi progressed, Gauridasa started clapping his hands and shouting excitingly, "Gauranga has won, Gauranga has won!" Then Svarupa Damodara angrily replied, “No, Gauranga has lost. The winner is my Gadadhara!" At this instant, some devotees slapped their chests and others sang and danced raising their hands into the sky, “Haribol! Haribol! Gaura Haribol!” (Mohandasa, disciple of Srinivasa Acarya)

 

This is my comment : Vasanta devi spring personified prepares for Lord Caitanyas appearance this has   been explained by Kavi Karnapure in this Caitanya Carita:

 

http://nimaipandit.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sri-caitanya-carita-writ...

 

 thirteen months passed in this way the very auspicious month of Phalguna, which is the place of happiness for all the worlds, came at last.
25 Thinking, "The Lord will now come", Springtime, the king of all seasons, came early. He was very eager to see the Lord.

26 Wishing to accompany her hero, the goddess of the beauty of spring placed her foot in the forest, a foot decorated with anklets of wandering buzzing bees, a foot resting upon the vines and new buds.

27 Thinking, "the Lord will appear," the goddess of spring carefully arranged her garments and ornaments. When her husband approached, she sweetly smiled. She yearned to see Him.

28 The beauty of spring gently smiled and that smile maddened the cuckoos and made them coo very sweetly and playfully. That smile made the flowers bloom and filled them with sweetness and honey.

29 The beauty of spring tied in braids the sweetness of the tamala forest that was her hair, and made the black bees and blossoming vines that were here eyebrows dance with joy.

30 Her beautiful eyes wide open, she made a crown of new flowers. Garlanded with lavanga flowers, she built a cottage of lotus stems.

31 She happily decorated her kesara-bud breasts with asoka flowers, kunkuma, sweet flower-pollen and sandal paste.

32 Then the ten directions became clear and pure, the sky became clear and pure, very pure breezes blew, everyone's heart became clear and pure, and the rivers' waters also became clear and pure.

33 Then, pleasing everyone in the world, happily embracing the full-moon day, and again and again kissing the face of the eastern horizon, the full moon shone with great splendour.

34 It was springtime, the best of seasons. It was the bright fortnight. It was the full-moon day, the best of days. Everything was virtuous and auspicious.

35 Wildly happy with the appearance of spring, the cuckoos sand the word "Glory!" The bees gracefully danced. A breeze blew from the south.

36 Bearing the scents of many bunches of flowers and many drops of warm water mixed with lotus pollen, and embracing each vine one by one, a gentle breeze blew from the Malaya Hills.

37 When the time came for the appearance of supremely auspicious Lord Caitanya, the world became peaceful and pure. With His transcendental power the Lord defeated the darkness of this world.

38 When Lord Caitanya appeared all directions were filled with splendour. It was as if many moons and many lightning flashes had suddenly fallen on the earth.

 

 

This is from Chapter 2 of this book, daily the various seasons personified worship Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna.This take place in Sri Navadvipa Dhama  and Sri Vrindavana Dhama

At Radha Kunda during the noon pastimes of Radha Krsna ,the various seasons personified serve the Divine couple.These seasons have transcendental forms in the spiritual world but manifest

 

 

 

 

 

 

also in some capacity in the material world.Birth is sometimes compared to the spring in the Vedas , youth to the summer season, and Autumn to old age and winter to death.In Bhagavad Gita 10.35 ,Krsna also states:

brhat-sama tatha samnam gayatri chandasam aham masanam marga-sirso 'ham rtunam kusumakarah

SYNONYMS

brhat-sama--the Brhat-sama; tatha--also; samnam--of the Sama Veda songs; gayatri--the Gayatri hymns; chandasam--of all poetry; aham--I am; masanam--of months; marga-sirsah--the month of November-December; aham--I am; rtunam--of all seasons; kusuma-akarah--spring.

TRANSLATION

Of hymns I am the Brhat-sama sung to the Lord Indra, and of poetry I am the Gayatri verse, sung daily by Brahmanas. Of months I am November and December, and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.

PURPORT

It has already been explained by the Lord that amongst all the Vedas, the Sama Veda is rich with beautiful songs played by the various demigods. One of these songs is the Brhat-sama, which has an exquisite melody and is sung at midnight. In Sanskrit, there are definite rules that regulate poetry; rhyme and meter are not written whimsically, as in much modern poetry. Amongst the regulated poetry, the Gayatri mantra, which is chanted by the duly qualified brahmanas, is the most prominent. The Gayatri mantra is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because the Gayatri mantra is especially meant for God realization, it represents the Supreme Lord. This mantra is meant for spiritually advanced people, and when one attains success in chanting it, he can enter into the transcendental position of the Lord. One must first acquire the qualities of the perfectly situated person, the qualities of goodness according to the laws of material nature, in order to chant the Gayatri mantra. The Gayatri mantra is very important in Vedic civilization and is considered to be the sound incarnation of Brahman. Brahma is its initiator, and it is passed down from him in disciplic succession. The months of November and December are considered the best of all months because in India grains are collected from the fields at this time, and the people become very happy. Of course spring is a season universally liked because it is neither too hot nor too cold, and the flowers and trees blossom and flourish. In spring there are also many ceremonies commemorating Krsna's pastimes; therefore this is considered to be the most joyful of all seasons, and it is the representative of the Supreme Lord Krsna.

 

 

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

The Lord has already said that he is the Sama among the Vedas. Here he says that among the verses to be sung he is the Brhat Sama in the verse which begins tvamrrddhim havamahe. (Rg Veda 6.46.1) Among meters I am gayatri, and among seasons I am spring (kusumakarah), filled with flowers.

 

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary Lord Krishna has already revealed in verse 22 that of the  four  Vedas,  His vibhuti ot divine, transcendental opulence is the Sama  Veda.  Now  here  in this verse He reveals that of all the hymns of all the  Vedas,  His  vibhuti is the Brhad Sama. This hymn is chanted  at  the  conclusion  of  auspicious Vedic ceremonies and praises Lord Krishna's when  He  assumed  the  post  of Indra the ruler  of  the  demigods  during  His  manvantara  incarnation  as Dharmasetu.  Of  chandasam  or  mantras  composed  in  poetical  meter  Lord Krishna's vibhuti is the  Gayatri  mantra  which  is  the  best  as  by  its efficacy it confers Brahmin status on the qualified  initiate.  It  is  also sung at the time of picking the Soma plant by the demigods.  Of  months  His vibhuti is Margasirsa when the grains  are  harvested  and  of  seasons  His vibhuti is the spring season.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary Lord Krishna reveals that among the hymns in  His  vibhuti  or  His  divine, transcendental opulence the Sama Veda, His foremost vibhuti is  the  Brihat- sama  which  is  a  special  prayer  that  is  indicated  in  the  Rig  Veda VI.XXXXVI.I beginning tvam rddhim havamahe and glorifies the post  of  Indra the ruler of all the demigods during the time when the Supreme Lord  Himself assumes that position as He did in the case of  His  manavatara  incarnation of Dharmasetu. The word marga-sirsah refers to harvesting  month  of  grains which  is  His  vibhuti  and  the  word  rtunam   means   season   and   the word kusumakarah means flowery which means His vibhuti is the springtime.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary Previously in verse 22 Lord Krishna revealed that His vibhuti or divine, transcendental opulence from the Vedas is the Sama Veda. Now He specifies that His vibhuti within the Sama Veda is the hymn known as Brhat-Sama indicated in the Rig Veda VI.XXXXVI.I beginning tvam rddhim havamahe meaning O'Indra we invoke you. This hymn is a very wonderfully sublime auspicious hymn with a very beautiful melody glorifying the Supreme Lord when He assumed the position of Indra during His manvantara incarnation as Dharmasetu. Of mantras composed in long and short meters His vibhuti is the Gayatri mantras which Vedic initiates attain Brahmin status and who then by chanting in the three regulated periods of the day being before sunrise, midday and after sunset perform the three sacred sacrifices which are the lifetime duty of every Brahmin. It is also chanted while the Soma ritual is being performed by the demigods.

 

 

The seasons are  known as rtunam in Sanskrit and of all the seasons spring

is also Krsnas vibbhuti and manifests flowers

kusumakarah.

Krsna also tells us to tolerate the material world just like the changes of seasons: Krsna focuses in Bhagavad Gita 2,14  on the winter and summer seasons as a contrast :

 

 

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah agamapayino 'nityas tams titiksasva bharata

SYNONYMS

matra--sensuous; sparsah--perception; tu--only; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; sita--winter; usna--summer; sukha--happiness; duhkha-dah--giving pain; agama--appearing; apayinah--disappearing; anityah--nonpermanent; tan--all of them; titiksasva--just try to tolerate; bharata--O descendant of the Bharata dynasty.

TRANSLATION

O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.

 

http://nimaipandit.ning.com/profiles/blogs/bhagavad-gita-2-14

 

How does a devotee tolerate this material world? By being fully engaged in Krsna katha  ! Satatam Kirtanyto mam..constantly chanting Hare Krsna and fully absorbing  himself in Gaura lila.

Gauranga das das anu das

 Paramananda das

[Paramananda das]

Krsna and His boyfriends inaugurated the spring festival of Holi by singing, dancing, and throwing balls of fine reddish powder in all directions. The lightweight, sweet smelling powder just floated in the air. As it gradually fell down, it beautifully colored and scented Krsna's turban, hair, eyelids, and tilaka. Kársna's friends sang carcari and dvipadika songs in the vasanta raga with clear marginal notes and notes in the three scales. In this way they blissfully danced and played while repeatedly throwing red powder balls at each other.

[Paramananda das]

The King of rasikas, Syama is beautifully decorated. The Holi festival begins with great enthusiasm as Radha and Krsna douse each other with r...ed powder. Again and again Yugala Kisora throw musk, sandal, kumkuma and flower pollen. The gopis gaze at the splendor of the Divine Couple and go wild with bliss and start singing and playing musical instruments. The restless charming gopis soak each other’s garments with color dyes sprayed from syringes. Syama calls out, “ ho! ho! Holi!!” and claps His hands after spraying Lalita’s head with colored water, making her kajal run down her face. The Divine King of Seasons now thinks, “Who will conclude this blissful pastime of Holi?” The cuckoos answer by continuous cooing saying “Jai, Jai!” Thus everyone is stunned with wonder and bliss.