(7/9) Advent of Gaura-Saraswati

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nrisingha Palli, evening class
2 January 2021, part 7, translated from Bengali

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj wrote:

জয়রে জয়রে জয় গৌর-সরস্বতী ।
ভকতিবিনোদান্বয় করুণা মুরতি ॥

jayare jayare jaya gaura-sarasvati
bhakativinodanvaya karuna murati

‘Glory, glory to Sri Gaura–Saraswati, the holy embodiment of mercy in the line of Sri Bhaktivinod Thakur.’

প্রকাশিলে গৌরসেবা ভূবন মঙ্গল ।
ভখতিসিদ্ধান্ত শুদ্ধ প্রজ্ঞান উজ্জ্বল ॥

prakasile gaura-seva bhuvana mangala
bhakati-siddhanta suddha prajnana ujjvala

‘Revealing service to Sri Gaura, which spreads auspiciousness in this world, you presented devotional teachings (bhakti-siddhanta) that radiate self-effulgent pure transcendental knowledge.’

রাধা-শ্যাম একতনু দক্ষে গোরা রায় ।
বামে রাধা মধ্যে স্বয়ং শ্যাম-গোপ জয় ॥

radha-syama eka-tanu dakse gora raya
bame radha madhye svayam syama-gopa jaya

‘Sri Gora Ray, the combined form of Sri Sri Radha-Shyama, is standing on the right, Sri Radha is on the left, and in the middle is the cowherd boy Shyama Himself.’

(Sri Saraswat Arati, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

This is a very beautiful description: in the centre, there is the Lord Himself, and on His left is Radharani.

ব্রজরস নবভাবে নবদ্বীপে রাজে ।
উদারে মধুর রাগ অভিনব সাজে ॥

vraja-rasa nava-bhave navadvipe raje
udare madhura raga abhinava saje

‘Vraja’s ecstatic devotion manifests itself in a new way in Nabadwip: the sweetness of conjugal love is now freshly garbed in benevolence.’

(Sri Saraswat Arati, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

The mood that exists in Vraja is now present in Nabadwip.

মাধুর্য্য কৈবল্য রাগ ব্রজের নির্য্যাস ।
প্রাপ্তি পরাকাষ্ঠা তাহে গৌরাঙ্গ বিলাস ॥

madhurya kaivalya raga vrajera niryasa
prapti parakastha tahe gauranga vilasa

‘Sweetness and exclusive divine love – the very gist of Vraja – reach their acme in Sri Gauranga’s pastimes.’

রাধা ভাব-কান্তি অঙ্গিকরি’ ভাল মতে ।
দক্ষিণে আসন রস গরিমা দেখাতে ॥

radha bhava-kanti angikari’ bhala mate
daksine asana rasa garima dekhate

‘Sri Gauranga earnestly embraces Sri Radha’s heart and halo and takes His place on Her right to show the glory of Her ecstatic loving devotion.’

(Sri Saraswat Arati, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Krishna took Radharani’s heart and halo and appeared as Mahaprabhu. (There is also a book of Srila Sridhar Maharaj’s lectures titled Heart and Halo.) Does a person have only their mood (bhava) and halo (kanti; colour)? No. There is also a body. So, when Krishna took Radharani’s heart and halo, the rest – Her body – was taken by Gadadhar. That is why it is said that Gadadhar is an incarnation of Srimati Radharani. A question can arise, ‘If Radha-Krishna’s combined form is Gauranga, then how can Gadadhar be Radharani’s incarnation?’ Both facts are correct. Krishna takes Radharani’s heart and halo, and They become one as Gauranga. Halo means the colour, or complexion, and heart means Radharani’s inner devotional mood. She is always mad about Krishna – She always feels separation from Krishna. Mahaprabhu tasted and relished this mood in Gambhira. If you read Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, you can find it described there. He always cried, ‘Where am I to go to find Krishna?’ He would keep hitting His head against the wall until blood started to flow from His head. He would become completely intoxicated – garbed in Radharani’s mood, He was madly searching for Krishna. During the last years that Mahaprabhu spent in Puri, He would crush His head every day. He first slept on some banana leaves and then on a plain cot. He would pull His hair (sikha) out and do so many other things… Just as Radharani became mad for Krishna, Mahaprabhu also, garbing Himself in the mood of Radharani, became mad for Krishna. And as for the complexion, you can see the colour of Mahaprabhu – He assumed a golden complexion. After that, Gadadhar took the rest of what was left of Radharani…

This is what we must worship. I will not go into further detail about this now because we are talking about Srila Prabhupad today. There is one more beautiful glorification written about him:

শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গ-পারিষদ, ঠাকুর ভক্তিবিনোদ,
দীনহীন পতিতের বন্ধু ।
কলিতমঃ বিনাশিতে, আনিলেন অবনীতে,
তোমা' অকলঙ্ক পূর্ণ ইন্দু ॥

sri-gauranga-parisada, thakura bhaktivinoda,
dina-hina patitera bandhu
kali-tamah vinasite, anilena avanite,
toma’ akalanka purna indu

‘To dispel the darkness of this Age of Kali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, a close associate of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and a friend of fallen souls, brought to this earth you [Srila Saraswati Thakur], a spotless, unblemished full moon.’

(Acharya Vandana)

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is an associate (parsada) of Sri Gauranga, and he is the friend of all poor and bereft souls. If he had not come as our friend, he would not have prayed to Bimala Devi for Bimala Prasad – and if Bimal Prasad had not come, where would we have found our Param Guru Maharaj and Gurudev then? Not only that, where would you have found Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad also? That is why Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is extremely merciful. He is the friend of all poor and bereft souls like us. He brought a spotless full moon to dispel the darkness of Kali. Even the moon has some spots, but Srila Prabhupad was stainless, spotless. These are very beautiful words. We must always remember all these glories of Srila Prabhupad.

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Size: 27 Mb
Length: 55 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Advent of Srila Prabhupad
2) Rescuing Mahaprabhu's Line
3) Acharyas' Arrival in Nabadwip
4) Srila Prabhupad's Initiation
5) Illustrious and Loving Service
6) Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Kirtan
7) Advent of Gaura-Saraswati
8) Step Towards Lord, Not Maya
9) Be Kind to Yourself and Others