Prediction of Mahaprabhu in Garga Samhita

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> On Thu, 27 Jul 2000, Daivisakti (dd) ACBSP (Vrindavana - IN) wrote:

> > Kusakratha remembered one more thing. He said in Garga Samhita Balarama

> > visits Navadvipa and predicts that He and Krishna will incarnate there

> > as Gaura Nitai. Kusa says Vallabha sampradaya would have no interest in

> > such a prediction.

> No, they certainly wouldn't. This is really interesting. If you by

> chance comne across that reference, please post it, thanks.

 

I don't have a Bengali copy of Navadvip Mahatmya Pramana Khanda so I can't

check it. I am going by the translation done by HH Banu Maharaja. The only

quote that I have found regarding Balaram's visit to Nabadwip is found in

the third chapter of the Pramana Khanda where Bhaktivinode quotes Garga

Samhita. Maharaja's translation:

 

"In the Garga-samhita, concerning Rukmapura, Rama-tirtha, it is said: "O

King of Videha, the auspicious place where Balarama bathed in the Ganges

(after killing Kolasura) is called Rama-tirtha by wise men. Whoever bathes

there during the Kartika Purnima gains a hundred times the results of

bathing in Haridvara."

"Bahulasva said, `Tell me how far Rama-tirtha is from Kusanagara, and where

it is situated.'

"Narada said, `O King, the wise say that Rama-tirtha is situated thirty-two

miles northeast of Kusanagara, thirty-two miles northwest of Koladvipa,

twelve miles southeast of Karnaksetra, and ten miles southeast of

Nalaksetra. It is six miles from Vrddhakesi and Bilvakesavana in the east.'

"There was a king in Navadvipa named Drshasva, who always laughed at the

deformed Lomasa Muni. The sage cursed him, `O cruel-minded one, you will

become a fierce pig-faced demon.'

"By the sage's curse, the king was born as a demon with a pig's face. Later,

when Balarama beat that demon, named Kola, the demon gave up that body and

attained liberation. Then Balarama, accompanied by his ministers such as

Uddhava, went to Jahnu-tirtha, where the Ganges appeared from Jahnu Muni's

right ear after he swallowed the river. Thus Ganges takes her name Jahnavi,

having emerged from the ear of the great brahmana Jahnu Muni. After giving

the brahmanas of that place charity, Balarama spent the night there with His

entourage.

"Then, going to the west, He arrived at the Pandava's very dear eating place

and spent the night there. Lord Balarama sumptuously fed the brahmanas there

and gave many articles in charity to them. He then went with His associates

to a place about eight miles away where the great devotee Manduka was

performing austerities in his last days with a desire to attain the mercy of

the Lord. Balarama placed His hand on that devotee's head and told him to

ask a boon.

"Manduka said, `O Lord, if You are pleased and I am the recipient of Your

mercy, please recite to me the Bhagavata, the scripture which destroys the

faults of Kali-yuga and which issued from the lips of Sukadeva.'

"Balarama said, `Know for certain that when Gauranga appears in Kali-yuga,

the divine message of Bhagavatam will be preached.'"

 

The above quote is very similar to Garga Samhita 5.24.47-83. In the

translations some of the verses are a little different perhaps Bhaktivinode

was using a different edition of Garga Samhita than Kusa translated from.

The following is the sanskrit and Kusa's translation of the last verse:

 

srimad-bhagavatam divyam

puranam vacanam tada

gauranvayasya sampraptir

bhavisyati na samsayah

"Then he will hear the splendid Srimad Bhagavatam Purana, which predicts

that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear in a fair-complexioned

form. Of this there is no doubt." --Garga Samhita 5.24.83