Preaching In Australia, Singapore, And Malaysia

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Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja's Successful Preaching In Australia, Singapore, And Malaysia

 

This year's winter preaching tour of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja began in mid-December, 2001. For two months he traveled to Germany, San Diego, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Fiji, and just after Fiji he visited Murwillumbah, Australia. There, attended by over four hundred devotees, his Appearance Day celebration was held one day after his arrival on Feb.11th.

 

In the early morning of February12, 2002, Srila Maharaja arrived at the Giriraja Govardhana Gaudiya Matha. Because there are sometimes floods in the area in which the mandira was located, it had been built on 'stilts', creating an open-air pandal-like structure below it. Now, Srila Maharaja entered that 'pandal' and, amidst the happy tears of the hundreds of devotees who had not seen him for a little more than a year, he began the festivities. He first requested the devotees to sing bhajanas of guru vandana (prayers and glorification of Sri Guru), guru-parampara vandana, and Vaisnava vandana. While the kirtana was going on, he got up from his vyasasana and sat on a mat on the ground before the altar, the abode of photos of the guru-parampara. After performing elaborate arcana of the guru-parampara, using many articles of worship and Vedic mantras, he once again sat on the vyasasana. Then, after calling on other devotees to explain the sublime truths of guru-tattva, he began his own discourse.

 

During his lecture, Srila Maharaja elucidated on the most confidential of the verses in Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's Sri Guruvastakam, beginning, "Nikunja yuno rati-keli-siddhyai." He said, "We see in our guru-gayatri, 'krsnanandaya dhimahi.' This refers to both Krsna and Krsnaa. [spelled in Sanskrit, k-r-s-n-a with a long 'a' at the end.] Any male can serve Krsna, but no male can serve Krsnaa. Krsnaa is Radhika.

 

Therefore, in his service to Radhika, for rati-keli-siddhyai (the perfection of Radha's and Krsna's conjugal loving affairs), a guru cannot serve in his male form. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja and my Gurudeva are both serving there in their female forms as gopis. In that realm, my Gurudeva is Vinoda Manjari, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakura is Nayana Manjari, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is Kamala Manjari, Srila Jiva Gosvami is Vilasa Manjari, Srila Rupa Gosvami is Rupa Manjari, and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is Rati Manjari.

 

These manjaris can serve Radha-Krsna Conjugal."

 

That evening he continued his glorification of guru-tattva, and on the next day he began his weeklong series of classes on Jaiva Dharma. This series began in Germany two months earlier. Now, for the second time, he discussed the first two chapters, namely, The Eternal and Temporary Dharmas of the Jiva, and The Nitya-Dharma of the Jiva is Pure and Everlasting. He had revealed in Germany that without a very clear understanding of these two chapters, it would not be possible to understand and taste the next thirty-eight. He therefore explained it now, for the second time, reviewing some truths and disclosing new ones.

 

Thirty-three years earlier, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja had said in his class of September 1969 in London, England, "We are trying to present Bhaktivinoda Thakura's books also in English translation. Gradually you will get it." Those in the audience of Srila Maharaja's classes, who were aware of Srila Prabhupada's promise, took it that Srila Maharaja had come to fulfill that promise. After spending a week in Murwillumbah, Srila Maharaja spent three days in Brisbane, a two-hour car-ride away, where he resided at the home of Sripad Prakasa dasa Adhikari and his wife, Srimati Karuna devi dasi.

 

During the day he continued his work of dictating his translation and commentary of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Sri Ujjvala-nilamani, as well as giving darsana to old and new devotees. Then, each evening at Brisbane's Hindu Mandira, he held classes on Sanatana Dharma, similar to the presentations he had made in New Zealand and Fiji a few weeks earlier.

 

Each morning, devotees would come from near and far to the place of Srila Maharaja's residence, to attend Mangala arati, prayers in glorification of Vrndavana, and Tulasi parikrama. While they were completing their circumambulation of Srimati Tulasi devi, Srila Maharaja would leave with a few devotees for his half-hour morning japa walk. One morning, just after returning from his walk, he sat down on the sofa, surrounded by disciples who had been singing morning bhajanas. That auspicious day was Ekadasi, and Srila Maharaja therefore requested the devotees to sing, "Suddha Bhakata Carana Renu." Then, seeing that no one was able to sing that bhajana without the help of the songbook, Srila Maharaja told them that they should know all the bhajanas by heart, without having to read from a book. Otherwise, they will think of ink on a page rather than the deep meanings of the prayers.

 

He then proceeded to comment on one of the song's verses, beginning, "Madhava-tithi bhakti janani," He said that Madhava-tithi is Krsna Himself. Madhava is Krsna, the husband or consort of the supreme Goddess of Fortune, Srimati Radhika, and tithi is a specific time period.

 

Madhava-tithi is the time of Madhava, or the day of Madhava, the day of Krsna, and that is Ekadasi. He said, "For Krsna, Ekadasi is superior even to Janmastami. For the benefit of all jivas, Krsna Himself has become this Madhava-tithi. He thought, 'All are forgetting Me, and they are suffering in this world. How can I bring them to Goloka? There is no hope for them, as they are so fallen and helpless.' He therefore became Ekadasi-tithi. Ekadasi-tithi is like a time period. All transcendental time is Krsna Himself, and therefore this transcendental time is also Him. Ekadasi-tithi is not only a time, however. For example, Srimati Radhika is a manifestation of Krsna. She came from the left side of His body and became Radhika. Similarly, Krsna Himself became Ekadasi, and that is why 'madhava-tithi, bhakti-janani.' If anyone follows Ekadasi, bhakti will come to him. Conversely, if anyone neglects Ekadasi, he will never attain that rare status."

 

As a caution, Srila Maharaja added that in the name of observing Ekadasi, devotees should not be continually drinking juices, lasis, and milk, and eating kilos of mangos and other fruit throughout the day. He said, "This is not Ekadasi. Take only what you require to maintain your life, so that you can very easily chant. In this way, Krsna has become Ekadasi-tithi. He wants to liberate from this world those who follow Ekadasi, and He wants to bring them to their services in Goloka."

 

Srila Maharaja's entourage included Pujyapada Madhava Maharaja, Pujyapada Asrama Maharaja, Sripad Brajanatha dasa Adhikari and Srimati Vrnda devi dasi, Sripad Pundarika dasa Brahmacari, and Sripad Krsna Bhajana dasa Brahmacari. After visiting Brisbane, Srila Maharaja, his entourage, and many devotees from the Murwillumbah festival went for a few days to join the devotees and guests who were waiting for them in the city of Cessnok. Although eighty-three years of age, and in spite of having just traveled to seven countries around the globe, Srila Maharaja was quite energetic. There in Cessnok, along with his followers and curious onlookers, he observed Sri Nityananda Trayodasi with devotional vigor for two days and nights.

 

On the second night of the festivities, after the devotees sang the bhajana "Nitai Gunamani Amara" (My Nitai is a Jewelry-Mine of all Good Qualities), Srila Maharaja asked his audience, "What is the meaning of abaddha karuna-sindhu nitai katiya muhan?" Sripad Asrama Maharaja replied, "The ocean of mercy was blocked off, and Lord Nityananda broke open the wall and made a channel by which this love and mercy could be distributed." Srila Maharaja then asked, "How?" and the devotees replied, "He went from house to house." Srila Narayana Maharaja asked, "What is the meaning of 'ghare ghare bule prema'? They replied, "Door to door." He asked, "Who went door to door?" They replied, "Lord Nityananda."

 

Finally, Srila Maharaja said, "This is hidden. Prema, love, was going door to door, like a flood. Nityananda Prabhu cut the blockage, and then that ocean of love was free to come to this world - everywhere - from door to door. What was that prema? Sacinandana Gaurahari Himself had brought unnatojjvala prema, and Nityananda Prabhu is Mahaprabhu's entire mercy. Mahaprabhu's whole mercy is personified in Nityananda Prabhu.

 

Guru (Nityananda Prabhu is akanda-guru-tattva, the undivided guru-tattva) is the condensed mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu."

 

After his visit to Cessnok, Srila Maharaja went to Singapore where, along with local and foreign devotees, he held a three-day celebration.

 

The first day was the Appearance Day of his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. During his Guru Maharaja's time, there was also a three-day festival each year. On his own Vyasa-puja day, he taught his followers how to worship the seven pancakas, the entire disciplic succession. On the second day he glorified the principle of guru-tattva, and on the third day he celebrated the Appearance Anniversary of his own Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. During the time of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, it was customary each year that many thousands of devotees used to attend this three-day festival. Now, along with his own audience, Srila Maharaja executed the same.

 

Srila Maharaja spent the last two days of his Singapore visit at the home of Sripad Dau-Dayala Gupta. There, he held the Vyasa-puja celebration of Jagad-guru Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and he also observed the tirubhava-tithi of Srila Gour-Govinda Maharaja. In the morning, at about 11.00 am, he performed an abisekha (bathing) ceremony of his worshipable deities, his guru-parampara, just as he had done two days earlier. He invoked the auspicious presence of his guru-parampara by mantra. And, as per Vedic tradition and the prescribed procedures found in Arcana-Dipika and Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, he called them off the altar and placed them by mantra in bathing bowls and bathed them in pancamrta (five nectar substances). He began by sitting on a mat on the floor, in front of the altar that was the abode of the disciplic succession. Before him sat a very large, flat metal bowl, and beside that bowl were small metal katoris, containing yogurt, milk, sugar, honey, and ghee.

 

As kirtana continued, he rang a small bell with his left hand and put three empty, small bowls (for the guru-parampara) into the large one.

 

Then, as kirtana continued, he performed acamana with sacred thread and the sacred water from the acamaniya-patra (acamana cup) with his right hand. Continuing to ring the bell, he picked the petals from some fragrant flowers and placed those pink and red petals in the small bowls. Continuing to recite mantras and intermittently perform acamana, he then added more petals. He picked up a brass kalas, and after a few other procedures he poured yogurt in the kalas, poured it from there into the three bowls, and then he did the same with the milk. He then poured the ghee, honey, and sugar directly into the three bowls. By that time the nectar substances began overflowing the small bowls into the large one. Srila Maharaja then again performed acamana, and then poured water into the three bowls from the kalas. Then, after placing his guru-varga back on the altar, he stood up, took a towel, and wiped the faces and bodies of his worshipable acaryas on the altar. He then placed tulasi leaves, laden with aromatic sandalwood paste, on their hands, so that they would be able to offer them to their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.

 

When the sacred bathing ceremony was completed, the devotees sang, "Gurudeva, Krpa Bindu Diya," and Srila Maharaja offered flower petals at their lotus feet, sandalwood paste on their heads, and garlands of jasmins, roses, and other flowers around their necks (on the photos).

 

Continuing to recite various Vedic mantras suitable for each offering, he offered flowers to the acaryas, performed arati, and after that he took a seat near the altar.

 

As kirtana continued, all the assembled devotees began to offer flower petals to their guru-parampara, according to the proper etiquette of relationship. That is, they offered their puspanjali first at the feet of their own diksa-guru, then to their parama-guru, then their parampresthi-guru and then to their paratpara guru. For those who considered their siksa-guru to be the same as their diksa-guru; that, is, disciples of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja considering Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja to be equal to him, they offered their puspanjali to Srila Maharaja just after their offering to Srila Prabhupada, and then to Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and then to Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja.

 

In the evening, Srila Maharaja called on Pujyapada Hrsikesa Maharaja and others to glorify Srila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, and he called on Sripad Asrama Maharaja to speak about Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja. Then, after that, he began his own discourse on the glory of Srila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada. In his class, Srila Maharaja told his audience of about one hundred that Sri Sarasvati Thakura was the first to send the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world. On one hand Srila Prabhupada was trained by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and at the same time, he himself is Nayana Manjari, as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is Kamala Manjari. He was showing by his own example, therefore, how to honor Sri Guru in this world. By so doing, he was showing us how we can be trained to be like him.

 

After Srila Maharaja's short visit to Singapore, he and his associates went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he stayed in the home of Sripad Bala Kishen dasa Adhikari and his wife, Srimati Krsna-Priya devi dasi.

 

When he was about to give his first evening class, seeing that hardly anyone was present, he began to speak in stern but loving words. He chastised the local devotees because they did not leave their jobs early so that they could attend his evening class on time. He said that he had come all the way from India to see them, so for three or four days they should leave their jobs one hour earlier. Like an affectionate father, he told them that even though they may not have considered that it would be difficult for him to stay up late to accommodate their late schedules, he was considering them. He was worried about them, and so he had come.

 

He was very pleased that, although the Russian devotees present could speak only very little English (Asutosa prabhu and his followers had come all the way from Russia), they were very humbly and patiently hearing his hari-katha. Then, for the next four days, as his audience increased day by day, he discussed the glories of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He summarized the histories and teachings of Pariksit Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami, Dhruva Maharaja, Bharata Maharaja, Citraketu Maharaja, Prahlada Maharaja, and Ambarisa Maharaja. During the course of his classes, he called on his disciples to speak, simultaneously training them to preach, and at the same time enlightening the audience.

 

In all three countries, in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia, Srila Maharaja urged the devotees to work together in friendship. They should not quarrel. He encouraged them to follow the verse beginning "trnadapi sunicena," to offer all respect to others, even if stepped on like grass, and not to desire any respect for themselves. He said that would be real guru-seva. In all three countries he continually urged his followers not to waste too much time trying to maintain their households, but to make a vow that, "From today I will spend more time in the sincere bhajana of chanting and remembering Radha and Krsna."

 

All-in-all, in all three countries, about one hundred-fifty devotees of all ages, from six to sixty, began their new lives by taking either harinama or diksa (second) initiation. Then, in each country, on the day after initiations, Sripad Pundarika das Brahmacari performed all the details of the authorized Vedic fire yajna. In Malaysia, even two little six-month-old babies were initiated, so to speak, into their Annaprashan ceremony [the ceremony in which the child takes his first food grains.] Chanting Vedic mantras and speaking sweet words to the babies, Srila Maharaja fed them their first spoonfuls of sweet-rice.

 

Malaysia was the last place to receive Srila Maharaja on this tour, and after departing there and returning to Singapore for a two-day stopover, his party returned to India. There, in Calcutta, they prepared for the weeklong Gaura-Mandala Parikrama through the nine Islands of Navadvipa, in honor of the Appearance Day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In Navadvipa, Srila Maharaja will do another kind of tour, accompanied by Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti President-acarya, Paramapujyapada Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja, other Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti acaryas and sannyasis, and followed by about fifteen thousand eager pilgrims.