Establishing Deities at the Yogapitha (by Bhaktivinode)

[Bhrigu]

There is an interesting chapter on Rupa Kaviraj in David Haberman's excellent "Acting as a Way of Salvation". Most of his works exist only in manuscript form, some of which this scholar studied.

 

 

[Bhrigu]

Madhava, I looked up Tota Ramdas in the Gaudiya-Vaisnava-Jivana, but it appears that the translation you gave was a faithful of what was said there. They only left out the deed mentioned at the end. Nothing about his guru.

 

Also, I checked the naaha.m tis.t.haami... verse someone else had asked about. It is not found in the printed Padma Purana (Nag Publishers), but that is the case with most verses attributed to it, so no need to worry. These Puranas were constantly modified and changed.

[stonehearted]

I was just about to post a reference to Haberman's book, which I read several years ago, when I found BHrigu's post.

 

I may get this book, but it will take a few days, since I need to request it from UH's Manoa campus.

[Bhrigu]

 

Madhavananda wrote:

 

>I wonder what [Premananda]'s up to these days after his colourful exit from Raganuga.

 

He is presently in Madras. Here is what he wrote a friend of mine a few days ago:

 

>I am surrendering to Sriman Narayana. Sri Varada

>Yathiraja Jeeyar, jeeyar of Sri Perumbudur Temple will

>give me the panca samskara on wednesday.

[muralidhar]

This is interesting news that Premananda has become a Sri Vaishnava and is planning to become a disciple of His Holiness Sri Varada Yathiraja Jeer

 

I have many friends who are disciples of Sri Varada Yathiraja Jeer, and I know he is always giving them good guidance and inspiration.

 

Hare Krishna!

[muralidhar]

Brighu,

 

What is the deed that was mentioned, in regard to Totaramadas Babaji Maharaj. Also, are dates mentioned for his lifetime. And did he ever meet Srila Jagganatha Das Babaji Maharaj.

 

Murali

[Bhrigu]

The deed is mentioned in the text Madhava gave:

 

>There is a deed in Bengali written in 1785 A.D. (1202 Bengali year), stating that the land granted to Tota Ramdasa babaji for the service of the Deity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu should be exempt from tax.

 

My Bengali is poor, but the original text of the deed (given in the Gaudiya-vaisnava-jivana, part II, p. 135) does not seem to say anything else than what is summarised above. Or perhaps one thing: he is adressed as Totarama Dasa Vairagi, not Babaji. Perhaps the term Babaji was too familiar for such an official document, or whas it not yet used? The importance of the deed seems to be that it gives a date for him - no other dates are given in the GVJ. Nothing mentioned of Jagannatha Dasa Babaji either.

 

All of this makes me wonder whether such official deeds have been sufficiently studied. They could provide historians with much important information regarding the growth and spread of Vaisnavism, and fill in some chronological gaps.

[muralidhar]

I find the date given is of great significance. According to an article written by Jagadananda das, the temple of Gaur Govinda Singh in "Pracin Mayapura" was constructed in 1780-5 on the site of Bir Hambir's old temple.

 

In regard to Sri Totarama Das Babaji, it was previously mentioned:

<blockquote>

"There (in Vraja) he performed bhajan at the thaura on the southern side of the temple of Sri Sri Gopinatha. He stayed there for a long period of time until he received an order from Sriman Mahaprabhu to come to Navadvipa to supervise His seva. At that time there was a great deal of chaos in regards to the seva of the Deity of Lord Caitanya because the Gosvamis were very poor and there was no permanent temple established. Thus the Deity of Mahaprabhu was taken in rotation to the houses of various sevakas. In this way His service was being cared on. From time to time, due to the threats of evil persons, the Deity had to be kept hidden."

</blockquote>

 

It is difficult to know what was really going on in Nabadwip in those days. I understandt there was some resistance from Smartas to worship of the Deity of Mahaprabhu, as they were opposed to His Divinity. This would seem to suggest that it is unlikely that the birthplace of Mahaprabhu would have been a popular shrine. The Muslim presence in Nabadwip is another factor that would need to be considered. Would Sri Vishnupriyadevi have lived in the house of Mahaprabhu at Mayapura when Srimate Sacidevi had passed away? What would have happened to that dwelling?

 

Questions, questions.

 

Another thing,

Srila Jagannatha Das Babaji Maharaj would have been born some time around 1780, or earlier. It is reasonable to assume that he visited Nabadwip prior to 1876, when the temple of Gaur Govinda Singh was destroyed by floods. There would not have been many temples dedicated to Mahaprabhu in Nabadwip at that time, given what we have read about Nabadwip in that period from the life story of Totarama das babaji Maharaj. So, it is not unreasonable to suggest that Jagannatha Babaji must have seen that temple. But there is no doubt that Jagannatha Babaji did not accept that temple nearby to Nabadwip as the birthplace of Mahaprabhu.

 

Murali

[Guest guest]

It is true that I am now a Sri Vaishnava. On the 28th November I received pancha-samskara from Srimad Varada Yathiraja Jeeyar of Sri Perumbudur, the birthplace of Sri Ramanuja Acharya.

He gave me the name Madhava Ramanuja Dasan.

 

Could somebody please explain to me how the Gaudiya Vaishnavas are linked with the Madhva sampradaya? Are there any mantras they have in common, for example?

[Guest guest]

me tuja gadita iand ginca chns ty

[Guest guest]

Gaurharibol!

 

This is Muralidhar here.

 

I don't know the meaning of the previous statement, or if it is relevant to this thread.

 

But anyway, I did a substantial amount of research about this subject of the establishment of the Mayapura Yogapitha while I was in Nabadwip/ Mayapura last month.

 

I spoke with leading servitors at temples in Nabadwip and Mayapura, including at the temple of Anumahaprabhu, established by the king of Manipura, and the Yogapitha in Mayapura, where I had a meeting with the present Acharya of the Yogapitha and Chaitanya Matha, Sripad Yati Maharaj.

 

I plan to put together an updated article about this entire subject when I get time, but I don't think I will get time for a few months. Still, if anyone is interested I will mention a few facts that came to light.

 

A few years ago there was a meeting in Nabadwip arranged by the people associated with "Prachin Mayapura", where the people gathered to discuss the validity of this place. Yati Maharaj went to the meeting, uninvited, and challenged the proponents of Prachin Mayapura to provide him with evidence that this place really is the birthplace of Sri Gauranga.

 

Yati Maharaj said they needed to provide three types of evidence. Archeological evidence, written evidence, or evidence coming from a Paramahamsa Vaishnava (unassailable oral evidence). The convenors of the meeting could not provide any evidence of these types. None at all. Whereas Yati Maharaj had on hand a book called "Mayapur" published by the Gaudiya Math, and available in the library at Chaitanya Math, which includes detailed maps of the old Mayapur, and other factual information.

 

At the temple of Anumahapbhu established by the king of Manipura, as described earlier on this thread, the head sevak brahmana confirmed the facts I presented earlier, that the king was really really able to re-establish the worship of Mahapabhu in Nabadwip which was stopped previously, due to the influence of Tantrics and Smartas over king Krishnachandra of Krishnanagara. One additional fact came to light, the land of the temple of Anumahabhu was given as a gift to the king of Manipura by king Krishnachandra. My earlier understanding was that the king of Manipura purchased the land.

 

It is clear that after the disappearance of Srimate Visnupriyadevi, the house of Mahaprabhu in Mayapura was not preserved as a place of worship. There is no evidence whatsoever, no evidence of any kind, that the house of Sachimata and Jagannatha Mishra, and of Mahaprabhu, was maintained as a place of worship in the seventeenth century. The Deity of Visnupriya was worshipped in the houses of her family members after she departed, but the birthplace of Mahaprabhu was not maintained as a temple.

 

It has been said on this forum that King Birhambir of Visnupura, a disciple of Srinivas Acharya, established a temple at the birthplace of Mahaphbhu. Well, if anyone wants to argue that this is a fact, can they please produce any archeological evidence, written evidence, or oral evidence given by paramahamsa Vaishnavas to substantiate this claim. Thank you.

 

 

-- Muralidhar

[Guest guest]

Below is a picture of the samadhi and Deity of Manipurarajeshwara Bhagyachandra Singh, who established the Anumahaprabhu Deity at Manipuri More in Nabadwip in 1785.

 

 

-- Muralidhar

[Guest guest]

I am reading the autobiography of RKP now and his original name was GADADHAR Chatterji only. THEn he Associated w Vaishana Sampradhaya to learn about it, as he did w Tota Puri to learn about Advaita as well.

 

Read Life history of RamaKRsna Paramahamsa first to connect dot to dot here w all thes gurus. It is all in Bengali setting only in 1800s or earlier.