(10) Come to Know and Remember

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Nasigram, Bardhaman, preaching programme,
13 March 2019, evening, part 10
Translated from Bengali

Does anybody have any questions? We have time for a couple of questions. If anybody has any doubt, hesitation or questions in their minds, you can ask. I do not mind it at all. If you want to ask or know anything, you can ask.

I have come to invite everybody to the parikrama of Sri Nabadwip Dham. Please join it. If you circumambulate the Lord's holy abode, you will get relief from the endless circumambulation of the material world. Some think, 'Oh, I will go when I get old,' or, 'Oh, I will go for a walk there.' You can come there, walk around, but this is only eye-exercise. All those bus tours is only eye-exercise. What do people understand after such tours? What do they learn? You live here, in Nasigram, it is not so far from Nabadwip, but if I ask you to tell the names of the nine islands of Nabadwip, will you be able to tell it? You will not. Raise your hands those of you who know it. Can you name the nine islands? Can you tell which kind of devotion resides on which island? You cannot. Many of you have been to Nabadwip many times, you have gone there by bus many times, but if you are asked, 'Where are the nine islands of Nabadwip? Which kind of devotion is on which island?'

I have told you just now about the nine kinds of devotion: sravanam (listening about the Lord), kirtanam (chanting the Lord’s Name and glories), smaranam (remembering the Lord), archanam (worshipping the Lord’s Deities), vandanam (offering obeisances and prayers to the Lord), dasyam (serving the Lord as a servant), sakhyam (serving the Lord as a friend), atma-nivedanam (submitting yourself to the Lord), pada-sevanam (serving the Lord’s lotus feet). Each of this kind of devotion resides on a corresponding island of Nabadwip. You do not know these things...

(1) Our old temple in Kolerdanga, which many call 'jal-mandir', is situated in Koladwip. It is aparadha-bhanjanera pat (a place where offences are forgiven), and an island of pada-sevanam. (2) Our new temple in Nrisingha Palli is in Godrumdwip; it is an island of kirtanam. (3) Mayapur is Antardwip (atma-nivedanam). (4) Above Mayapur there is another island, Simantadwip. It is a place of Lord Siva, and a place of sravanam. (5) Next to Simantadwip is Rudradwip, it is also a place of Lord Siva (Rudra) – it is an island of sakhyam. (6) Near Svarupganj is Madhyadwip, an island of smaranam. There was one pastime that happened to Mahaprabhu on this island.

There was one god-child. One day, when Durvasa Muni was lying down beneath a tree, the child playfully cut off the sage's dreadlock. Durvasa Muni was very angry. He cursed the boy, 'You will live in water as a crocodile for four ages (Satya, Treta, Dvapar, Kali)!' Hearing this, the god-child became upset, 'What have I done? He has cursed me to be born as a crocodile!' He grasped the sage's feet and begged him, 'Please forgive me. I have done wrong.' Durvasa Muni replied, 'It has already escaped my mouth, so you will have to be born as a crocodile. But one thing I can tell you is that you will be rescued in Kali-yuga. Supreme Lord Sri Krishna will come to this world in Kali-yuga as Gauranga, a combined form of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. He will appear in Mayapur, Nabadwip, and will roam many places. He will come to wherever you will be living in at the time.'

Then, time passed, and Kali-yuga came. There was a brahman boy called Bhima Ghosh. His mother always called Sachi Devi 'Mother', so on account of that, Bhima was like a nephew to Mahaprabhu. When Mahaprabhu once came to Madhyadwip, to the place where Bhima was herding his cows, Bhima immediately came up to Him and said, 'Uncle, come with me. Mother has been waiting for You for a long time. Please come with me. She will give you milk and curd.' Nimai came with him and sat at their house. Bhima's mother gave Him a seat and fed Mahaprabhu and all the devotees who were with Him. After Mahaprabhu finished eating, He sat swinging His leg, relaxing. Bhima's mother asked Him, 'Brother Nimai, how is Mother?' Nimai replied, 'Oh, she is fine.' Then, Nimai told everybody, 'Hey, let us go now. We have finished eating, so let us go now. Let us go to that lake over there and chant some kirtan.'

Who would know what Mahaprabhu was going to do? Can anybody understand the Lord's pastimes?

At first, Bhima tried to stop him. He explained, 'Uncle, do not go there! Do not go there!'

'Why' Nimai asked.

'Because there is a baby crocodile living in that lake.'

'So what? It is not a problem.'

'No, no, even our cows do not drink water from that lake after they saw that crocodile! They start mooing and run away.'

'It is all right. What will a crocodile do to us? It is not a problem.'

Mahaprabhu went to the lake and started chanting kirtan. The devotees played the drums and kartals. Suddenly, a boy came out of the water and fell at Mahaprabhu's feet.

'Who are you??' Mahaprabhu asked, surprised. 'Where have you come from?'

'I used to be a god-child in Satya-yuga, but I was cursed by Durvasa Muni to live as a crocodile for four ages. Durvasa Muni told me that Lord Sri Krishna would appear as Gauranga and chant kirtan, then I would be rescued. You have come today here and chanted kirtan here, so having heard Your kirtan, my body changed back. Please give me Your permission now – I want to go back to my mother. I have not seen her for a long time.'

In this way, the boy got back his god's body and went back to heaven. This is the pastime that happened in Madhyadwip.

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }