MASS DISTRIBUTION OF GAURA-LILA IS THE ONLY WAY! ONLY WAY! ONLY!

[Guest guest]

"IT IT VERY URGENTLY REQUIRED TO TRANSLATE AND PUBLISH THE BOOKS ABOUT THE

PASTIMES OF LORD SRI CAITANYA INTO ALL THE LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD. BECAUSE

IN A VERY SHORT TIME, LORD CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU WILL BECOME THE SOLE OBJECT

OF WORSHIP OR THE WORSHIPPABLE LORD IN ALL THE VILLAGES, TOWNS, AND CITIES

OF THE WORLD." (THAKURA BHAKTIVINODA IN SAMALOCANA, SAJJANA TOSANI 4/3)

 

[Comment: If we do not translate and publish Gauranga-lila now all over the

world, how will people be able to people worship Gauranga as their

worshippable Lord within a very short time? Developing faith in Gaura as our

sole worshippable Lord is only possible by reading & hearing about His

pastimes and His holy names & associates? I appeal to all the Gaudiya

Vaisnavas to kindly think deeply about this point and act immediately to

hasten the advent of the golden age of Lord Gaura. IT IS AM EMERGENCY.]

 

After carefully reading the statements of Srila Prabhupada, Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta and Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda given below, I feel all the

Gaudiya Vaisnavas should come together all the over world (or in their

areas) and set up a publishing house with a mission of translating,

publishing, distributing and continuously speaking from the books about the

pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in all the languages of the world. The

books should be very affordable just like Prabhupada's Krsna book in

English. The intention should be not to make money but mass distribution of

Gaura-katha. I think the top priority should be the follwoing two books

 

(1) Sri Caitanya-bhagavata in a highly affordable version in all languages.

The most ideal book for destroying the heavily offensive mentality of the

people of Kali-yuga.

 

(2) A condensed (introductory) version (with only translations) of Shri

Chaitanya-charitamrita (Cc), the great biography of the Supreme Personality

of Godhead Lord Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu written by Shrila

Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami, to create an interest among the people for

buying and studying the exquisite nine-volume set of Shri

Chaitanya-charitamrita with the most wonderful commentaries of His Divine

Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Shrila Prabhupada which cover the essence of

the commentaries of his own Guru Maharaj Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

Prabhupada & Thakura Bhaktivinoda. Cc is so great that I am sure after

buying thiss introductory version, every home will order Srila Prabhupada's

Cc set, which is exactly what he wanted.

 

Other books which can be done later:

 

(3) Bhakti Ratnakara by Narahari Chakravarti about the lives of the great

associates of Lord Gaura. Even the maha-pasandis become maha-devotees by

reading this book. The stones melt by the descriptions in this book what to

speak of the hard hearts of the materialistic people.

 

(4) Sri Caitanya-mangala by Srila Locana Das Thakura to give people a small

but complete and nectarean glimpse into Lord Gaura's pastimes.

 

THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF TRANSLATION, PUBLICATION & MASS DISTRIBUTION OF

CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA & GAURA-LILA IN ALL THE ALL THE LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD

 

(by Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisidhhanta Prabhupada, Srila Thakura

Bhaktivinoda.)

 

(1) SRILA PRABHUPADA

 

Cc Adi 8.36:

 

caitanya-nitaira yate janiye mahima

yate jani krsna-bhakti-siddhantera sima

 

By reading Sri Caitanya-bhagavata one can understand all the glories and

truths of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda and come to the ultimate conclusion

of devotional service to Lord Krsna.

 

PURPORT

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the authoritative reference book from which to

understand devotional service, but because it is very elaborate, few men can

understand its purport. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the original commentary on the

Vedanta-sutra, which is called nyaya-prasthana. It was written to enable one

to understand the Absolute Truth through infallible logic and argument, and

therefore its natural commentary, Srimad-Bhagavatam, is extremely elaborate.

Professional reciters have created the impression that Srimad-Bhagavatam

deals only with Krsna's rasa-lila, although Krsna's rasa-lila is described

only in chapters 29 through 33 of the Tenth Canto. They have in this way

presented Krsna to the Western world as a great woman-hunter, and therefore

we sometimes have to deal with such misconceptions in preaching. Another

difficulty in understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam is that the professional

reciters have introduced bhagavata-saptaha, or seven-day readings of the

Bhagavatam. They want to finish Srimad-Bhagavatam in a week, although it is

so sublime that even one verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, if properly explained,

cannot be completed in three months.

 

UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS A GREAT AID FOR THE COMMON MAN TO READ

SRILA VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA'S CAITANYA-BHAGAVATA, FOR THUS HE CAN ACTUALLY

UNDERSTAND DEVOTIONAL SERVICE, KRSNA, LORD CAITANYA AND NITYANANDA.

 

Srila Rupa Gosvami has said:

sruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratra-vidhim vina

aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate

[bRS 1.2.101]

"Devotional service to the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic

literatures-the Upanisads, Puranas, Narada-pancaratra, etc.-is simply an

unnecessary disturbance in society."

 

DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM, PEOPLE ARE MISLED REGARDING THE

SCIENCE OF KRSNA. HOWEVER, BY READING SRILA VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA'S BOOK

ONE CAN VERY EASILY UNDERSTAND THIS SCIENCE.

 

TEXT 33

ore mudha loka, suna caitanya-mangala

caitanya-mahima yate janibe sakala

 

PURPORT

....This acceptance of Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami

indicates his acceptance of the disciplic succession. A writer of

transcendental literature never tries to surpass the previous acaryas.

 

TEXT 37

bhagavate yata bhakti-siddhantera sara

likhiyachena inha jani' kariya uddhara

 

In Sri Caitanya-mangala [later known as Sri Caitanya-bhagavata] Srila

Vrndavana dasa Thakura has given the conclusion and essence of devotional

service by quoting the authoritative statements of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

 

O fools, just read Sri Caitanya-bhagavata! By reading this book you can

understand all the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

'caitanya-mangala' sune yadi pasandi, yavana

seha maha-vaisnava haya tataksana

 

If even the greatest sinner, atheist, meat-eater or offender hears Sri

Caitanya-bhagavata, he immediately becomes a very great devotee.

 

Cc Adi 8.40:

vrndavana-dasa-pade koti namaskara

aiche grantha kari' tenho tarila samsara

 

I offer millions of obeisances unto the lotus feet of Vrndavana dasa

Thakura. No one else could write such a wonderful book for the deliverance

of all fallen souls.

 

(2) SRILA BHAKTISIDHHANTA SARASVATI PRABHUPADA

 

>From the Gaudiya Bhasya of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

(translated by Bhumipati Prabhu and published by Pundarika Prabhu):

 

This work of Srila Thakura Vrndavana is so simple that even less-intelligent

persons can make their lives glorious by understanding the highest

conclusions of devotional service and seeing the wonderful beauty of the

liberated pure Vaisnavas of this visible world who renounce all forms of

liberation, including salokya and sarsti, living on the same planet as the

Lord and having the same opulence as the Lord.

 

The language of Sri Caitanya-bhagavata is very simple and touching to the

heart. Those who are fond of the beauty of Gaudiya literature can experience

extraordinary pleasure on seeing the proficiency that Thakura Mahasaya has

displayed while describing the characteristics of Haridasa Thakura, while

describing the social condition of Navadipa during Gauranga's time, while

describing the literacy status of the bhogipalas, yogipalas and mahipalas,

the leaders of the sense enjoyers, yogis, and the earth, while describing

the brahmanas' occasional chanting of Pundarikaksa, and while depicting Sri

Gaurasundara's glories and opulences. Those who wish to enter the temple of

this book will also receive the opportunity to experience the literal

variegatedness of Vaikuntha apart from the description of the enjoying

spirit of Navadvipa's residents. The Gaudiyas are not only residents of

Gauda but by the help of Gaudiya language they become expert in the language

of the eternally liberated inhabitants of Goloka and thus understand

themselves as associates of the Lord.

 

When the Absolute Truth mercifully exhibits a portion of His supreme

opulence, in the form of omnipotency, then most people, being unable to

understand this feature, fall into mundane conceptions. The platform of

madhurya is situated higher than that of aisvarya-those who cannot

understand this are to be considered followers of the path of maryada. But

when the Absolute Truth, who is the basis of aisvarya and madburya, exhibits

His audarya, or magnanimous, pastimes, then nonduplicitous persons who are

freed from material conceptions and devoid of considerations of enjoyment

and renunciation not only understand the differences between madhurya,

aisvarya, and audarya pastimes and become self?realized, but in their

constitutional position and through their pure vision they also see the

eternal variegated pastimes of the Lord.

 

There is a lack of audarya in the considerations of bondage and freedom that

ordinary literatures and those who teach them present to those who are

desirous of self?realization. Therefore we realize the necessity of studying

the maha?kavya, or great poetic work, named Sri Caitanya?bhagavata, written

in ancient Bengali language. If one relishes a fraction of the magnanimity

displayed by the Supreme Lord while preaching the aisvarya and madhurya

pastimes of the Lord in order to benefit those who are wandering throughout

the universe, he will undoubtedly become glorious.

 

Those who will be faithful to the subject matter of this book written by Sri

Thakura Vrndavana can, by giving up mundane knowledge and weak arguments,

enter into the kingdom of devotional service and eternally engage in serving

the audarya pastimes of Sri Vrajendra?nandana, who is the reservoir of all

transcendental mellows. In this way they will achieve the highest

benediction and eternally remain absorbed in the pastimes of Sn Krsna

Caitanya.

 

Srila Thakura Vrndavana dasa has been accepted as Sri Vyasa and one of the

front line acaryas of gaura-bhakti by his follower, Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja

Gosvami. Therefore if the residents of this world desire to go to the

spiritual abode, they should first take shelter of the Supreme Lord in His

audarya feature. The statements of Sri Caitanya?bhagavata written by the

soothing hands of Sri Vrindavana dasa will certainly favor such people with

fulfillment of their desired goal.

 

Since Sri Caitanya-bhagavata is the most ancient Bengali literature, the

author has for some time been addressed as adi-kavi, or the original poet.

Before him, Sri Locana dasa Thakura has written a Bengali pancali poem named

Sri Caitanya-mangala. Even before that, Sri Gunaraja Khan, or Maladhara

Vasu, composed another book in Bengali named Sri Krishna?vijaya, which

describes the pastimes of Lord Krishna. Therefore this book is the third

book, yet first kavya, written in Bengali language. This book is neither a

mundane kavya nor the fulfiller of the litterateurs' desires. Unless the

community of short?sighted litterateurs, who are full of indiscretion,

become completely qualified to understand the purport of the descriptions in

this book, they will not be able to respect this book.

 

>From this work of Sri Thakura Vrindavana we can understand that He who is

the cause of all causes, who is the beginningless, primeval Lord Govinda,

who possesses an eternal fomm of bliss and knowledge can? appear in the land

of birth and death even though He is unborn. He appears as Sri Caitanya and

supplies love of God to the hearts of the living entities and yet remains

impartial. How great a teacher is Sri Thakura Vrindavana, who has described

how Sri Gaurasundara has taught in His childhood pastimes that the

untouchable, impure, clay cooking pots are equal to the dearest items of

those who are engaged in sense gratification and maintaining dualities like

good and bad. He also described the topics of Sri Caitanyadeva, the ideal

teacher of renunciation, concerning His mother's glorious understanding of

spiritual variegatedness, which every reader should consider.

 

sri-caitanya-bhagavata, lila-mani-marakata,

caitanya-nitai-katha-sara

sune sarva-ksana karne, sahasra-mukhete varne,

grantha-raja-mahima apara

 

Sri Caitanya-bhagavata is a collection of the jewel-like pastimes of Sri

Caitanya and Nityananda. One should always hear and chant with thousands of

mouths the unsurpassable glorification of the Lord contained in this great

book.

 

Simply by hearing the pastimes of Sriman Mahaprabhu, one's constitutional

position is revived. The activity of one in that constitutional position is

the devotional service of Lord Krsna. Knowledge of Sri Caitanya, His

manifestations, and His glories is nourishment for the living entity's ears.

When the living entity awakens to his constitutional activities, he fully

engages in the service of Sri Gaura-Krsna. In other words, he performs pure

devotional service with knowledge of his relationship with the Lord. (SBSST

purport to Cb Adi 2.3)

 

>From Bhakti Vikasa Swami's notes on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

 

Sarasvati Thakura read both Caitanya-bhagavata & Caitanya-caritamrta 108

times and told others to do likewise, expecting everyone to do that. Of

course, it's doubtful if anyone did, but the idea was meant to read again

and again and absorb the mind in Gauranga just as Mahaprabhu liked to hear

the stories of Dhruva and Prahlada Maharaja. Sarasvati Thakura said to read

Caitanya-bhagavata first then Caitanya-caritamrta, and then

Srimad-Bhagavatam. The reason being that Caitanya-bhagavata is very easy

reading for all kinds of people because it has no difficult philosophy and

is mostly lila. Caitanya-caritamrta is also very attractive with some very

difficult sections also. In the Srimad Bhagavatam the language is difficult

Sanskrit.

 

Once, when Jotisekhara was new in the Math, Sarasvati Thakura asked him if

he was reading Caitanya-bhagavata when he said "No", he told him he should

read it early in the morning, before mangalarati, at 5.00am. Jotisekhara

said it would be difficult for him to read so early, because he had a bad

cough. Sarasvati Thakura said, "Starting from tomorrow, you read from

4.00am - 5.00am. Read it clearly and loudly and it will clear any cough in

your throat." Sarasvati Thakura said the Caitanya-bhagavata and

Caitanya-caritamrta, even though in Bengali verse, are full of all sastric

conclusions, and he recommended them, along with Srimad-Bhagavatam.

(especially the sections on Dhruva Maharaja, Prahlada-charita, the story of

Prahlada, and Kapiladeva's instructions). He recommended all of these to be

read 100 times.

 

He did not recommend reading the Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, but

Caitanya-bhagavata, except learned scholars, whom he would recommend to read

the Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.

 

Gaudiya Vaisnava scholars generally consider Caitanya-caritamrta to be the

most important biography of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, even more so than Caitanya

Bhagavata, in as much as it deals with: (a) the philosophy of Caitanya

Mahaprabhu in great detail and (b) the highest ecstasies of Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, which are referred to only somewhat in Caitanya Bhagavata.

 

Sarasvati Thakura himself would generally explain philosophy very deeply,

but he said that Caitanya Bhagavata is more important than

Caitanya-caritamrta for the common man because it is a lila-grantha. Without

describing so much about philosophy, it describes the lila of Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, and is therefore easy for the common man to follow and

understand the philosophy. Even though Sarasvati Thakura himself mostly

explained philosophy, he said that philosophy is only for the greatly

learned people, and for the common men Caitanya Bhagavata is more important.

So he said, "Read Caitanya Bhagavata from time to time." If anyone came to

him he would ask them if they had read Caitanya Bhagavata. He often asked

people this, including non-devotees. He recommended that for ordinary

people, the first Vaisnava literature they read be Caitanya Bhagavata. He

recommended to everyone to first read Caitanya Bhagavata, then Prema Bhakti

Chandrika, then Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

O.B.L. Kapoor, being a learned scholar from Allahabad, the Hindi speaking

part of India, was instructed by Sarasvati Thakura to learn Bengali, so as

he could study the original Bengali texts of the Caitanya Bhagavata and the

Caitanya-caritamrta, etc. Sarasvati Thakura liked other Gaudiya Math members

who were also learned and non-Bengalis, to learn Bengali for this reason.

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's letter to one of his disciples

from Sri Caitanya Math, Mayapur, December 22, 1927 (from the book Prabhupada

Sarasvati Thakura by Mandala Publishing Group):

 

Even though in this world we don't get to meet many devotees from the

spiritual world, the conversations and pastimes of the devotees of

Mahaprabhu's time eternally exist in the form of books and sound, and that

is why we do not feel so much pain from material troubles. If we live here

in the association of the words of the spiritual world, then the memory of

this association will keep us at a distance from material misery.

 

(3) SRILA SACCIDANANDA BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA

 

>From Samalocana, Sajjana Tosani 4/3: (BVV Chapter 62: Pracara)

 

sri caitanya-lila sakala bhasaya likhita haoya prayojaniya.

 

It it very urgently required to translate and publish the books about the

pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya into all the languages of the world.

 

ati alpa dinera madhei mahaprabhu sarva desa vyapi haiya eka matra

upasya-tattva haitechen.

 

In a very short time, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu will become the sole object

of worship or the worshippable Lord in all the villages, towns, and cities

of the world.

 

>From Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya by Thakura Bhaktivinoda:

 

Listen, everyone, to one more confidential topic. The most suitable thing

for the souls of Kali-yuga is this treasure of gauranga-lila. Gaurahari is

the combined form of Radha and Krsna, who eternally enjoy pastimes in

Vrndavana along with the sakhis. The truth of Radha and Krsna's eternal

pastimes and the glories of Vraja-dhama are known by everyone through the

scriptures. And the unlimited glories of Krsna's name and abode are known

through the scriptures by people all over the universe. But still, actually

obtaining krsna-prema is not at all common. Let us contemplate the reason

why.

 

Herein lies the secret of secrets which the living entities bound by Maya

cannot discern. One who does not attain love of God after worshiping Krsna

birth after birth has certainly committed heaps of offenses. For only by

chanting Krsna's name without offenses can one attain incessant krsna-prema.

Sri Caitanya's incarnation, however, is most uncommon. By His mercy, a

serious person, though filled with offenses, can quickly obtain love of God.

When someone calls out the names of Nitai and Caitanya, krsna-prema comes

looking for him. Offenses do not hinder his progress, and he soon sheds

tears of ecstasy out of pure love of God. By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, all

the offenses quickly flee away, the heart becomes pure, and love of God

fully blossoms. Because people in Kali-yuga commit unlimited offenses, which

are difficult to check, there can be no means of deliverance other than

Gauranga's name & lila. Therefore, in Kali-yuga, I see no alternative to Sri

Gauranga. This is also the proclamation of the scriptures.

 

There is one other topic I would like to mention. As it is a confidential

matter, I hesitate to disclose it. But, on the other hand, I cannot resist

telling it, for Lord Caitanya instructed His devotees to publicize the

glories of His pastimes and abode after His disappearance. Though Sri

Caitanya is the most concealed of all avataras, I know well that He is all

in all. But because His confidential activities are described ambiguously in

scripture, the nondevotees are unable to realize them. For a long time

Mayadevi kept hidden the confidential scriptures that describe Lord

Caitanya's pastimes. These topics are described in both the unmanifest

scriptures, which were scattered here and there, as well as in the manifest

scriptures. Maya kept all these scriptures hidden from view by covering the

eyes of the scholars.

 

After Gauranga completed His pastimes on earth, however, His obedient

servant Mayadevi, understood the desire of the Lord. She lifted the veil of

illusion from the eyes of the living entities and revealed the true nature

of Sri Gauranga within this material universe. Thus the hidden meaning in

the scriptures became easily revealed, and the arguments inhibiting

understanding Lord Caitanya were dispelled. It was the all-merciful

Nityananda Prabhu who revealed the truth about Gauranga in the hearts of the

living entities. On His command, Maya pulled away the covering so that the

pure devotee scholars could receive this precious treasure of the

scriptures. (Published by Pundarika Vidaynidhi Prabhu, Vrindavan)

 

Thakura Vrindavandas is not only the crest-jewel writer of world of Gaudiya

Vaisnavas but he is the only ornament of the whole Bengali literature

society. (Sajjan Tosani 2/2)

 

Compiled by

Your aspiring servant, Nayana-ranjana Das Brahmacari.

Mira Road, Mumbai.

Tel 91-22-8112230, 9602 900797

nayana-ranjana (AT) pamho (DOT) net

 

P.S. Feedback from Vaisnavas will be very encouraging.