(1/7) Tarakeswar: Turning Point

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Tarakeswar, evening, 27 September 2019, part 1
Translated from Bengali

First, Gurudev wanted to make Govinda Kunda manifest, and I started to do it, but then one day when Gurudev was sitting on the bank of the kunda, he told me, 'If you can make a temple of Giriraj inside Govinda Kunda, it will be even better.' So, I tried to do it and the construction turned out successful. After that, when the construction of Giriraj's temple was under way, Gurudev came there one day and again told me, 'If you could make a temple of Sivji Maharaj, you could place it over there.' So, I also made Sivji Maharaj's temple, and Gurudev gave the Deity the name Sri Sada-Siva Gangadhar.

The place where we are seated today, Tarakeswar, is also Sivji Maharaj's place. Tarak, or Taraknath, is a name of Lord Siva; and Iswar means God, as you know. So, Tarakeswar is one of Sivji Maharaj's names.

When Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur worked as a magistrate in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, he began searching for books. Having collected many books, he saw what the conception of Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was and wanted to visit many holy places. He left Dinajpur and started his journey towards Vrindavan. On the way, he arrived here, in Tarakeswar, and when he paid his obeisance to Sivji Maharaj, he received some divine inspiration...

The temple of Taraknath is situated nearby. We passed it on the way here. It is within a walking distance, so we can go there tomorrow in the morning. It is about ten minutes' walk from here. Millions and millions of people come to this temple of Taraknath, but they come there pursuing their own interests and material desires. People collect Ganges water from the Pancharatna River in Kolkata, about forty kilometers from here, and carry it here. They set off in the afternoon and walk the whole night. Arriving in the morning, they do their puja, etc. at the temple. Sundays are usually overcrowded there, and especially many crowds come here during Magh (mid January), Choitro (mid March) and Srabon (mid July)...

So, actually Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur was going to travel to Vrindavan, but before that he wanted to take Sivji Maharaj's permission. But Sivji Maharaj did not give it to him. He told Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, 'Why are you going to Vrindavan? What is there? My Master's pastimes are in Nabadwip, and you have some service there. There is still much service to my Master left here.' After that, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur went to Nabadwip, where he made a house first in Surabhi Kunja and later in Svananda Sukhada Kunja. From there, he started his sankirtan – he started preaching Mahaprabhu's conception.

There were many people preaching misconception at that time. You know that there are thirteen misconception lines aul, baul, kartabhaja, nera, darvesh, saki, sahajiya, sakhibheki, smarta, jata-gosani, atibari, chudadhari, gauranga-nagari. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur preached against them.

This is how Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur changed his mind and decided not to go to Vrindavan. Turning to Nabadwip instead, he thought, 'I have some service here. I have got this instruction from Sivji Maharaj, so I have to do my service from here.'

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur took initiation and associated with Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj and Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj, who were his siksa-gurus. Eventually, he established Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhar in Svananda Sukhada Kunja and started searching, 'What is my service?' He decided to find the place where Mahaprabhu's birthplace was. Everybody in Nabadwip said that Mahaprabhu's birthplace had been lost, but when the time was right (when all the devotees came), Ganga Devi gave that place back ‒ the land emerged from the Ganges. So, Ganga Devi did take that birthplace at first (the place where Yogapith is situated used to be covered by the Ganges), but then she again gave it back. That place was discovered by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur and Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj, and it was recognised by them as the perfect place, the place: Yogapith is Mahaprabhu's birthplace. Apart from that, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur did so much more service – you all know how Gaudiya Math was established to preach the genuine conception of devotion.

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Tarakeswar: Turning Point
2) Jewel Devotees
3) Rectifying Stray Temples
4) Disciple's Determination
5) The Meaning of Kirtan
6) Guru-Disciple Sambandha
7) Service Attracts More Service