19920312 Śrī Caitanya Līlā Series - 1

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The following is a lecture on Śrī Caitanya Līlā Series-1 given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on March 12, 1992 – in Śrī Māyāpur, India.

The following is a lecture by His Divine Grace Jayapatākā Swami acharyapada, delivered on March 12, 1992 at Śrīdham Māyāpur. Vitality, the third big branch was so dear to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that in his absence Lord Caitanya himself would sometimes cry. In the Gora Gono Desha Deepika Śrīpundarik Vidyanidi is described to be the father of Rmati Rādhārāṇī in Kṛṣṇa Leela. Caitanya Mahprabhu therefore treated him as his father. Pundarig Vidyanidhi’s father was known as Banishwara or according to another opinion, Suklambhar Brahmachari, and his mother’s name was Gaṅgā Devī. According to one opinion, Banishwara was a descendant of Śrī Shivaram Gangopadya. The original home of Pundarig brutality was in East Bengal in a village near Dhaka named Bhagya, which belonged to the Varendra group of Brāhmaṇa families.

Sometimes these Varenda Brahmanas were at odds with another group known as Radhya Brahmanas, and therefore Pundarik Vidyanidhi’s family was ostracized and at that time was not living as a respectable family. Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati informs us that one of the members of his family is living in Vrindavana and is named Sarojananda Goswami. One special characteristic of this family is that each of its members had only one son or no son at all, and therefore the family was not very expansive. There is a place in the district of Chhatagram in East Bengal that is known as Hakhajari. And a short distance from this place is a village known as Mechelagram in which Pundarig Vidyani’s forefathers lived. One can approach Mekhla Gram from Chattagram either on horseback by bula cart or by steamer. The steamer station is known as Annapurna Gata.

The birthplace of Pundarik Vidyanidhi is about 2 miles southwest of Annapurna Ghat. The temple there, constructed by Pundarik Vijayanadi is now very old and much in need of repair. Without repair, the temple may soon crumble. There are two inscriptions on the bricks of that temple and they are so old that one cannot read them. There’s another temple about 200 yards south of this one. And some people say that this is the old temple constructed by Pundarig Vidyanidi, Sir Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Actually, now this temple Pundreg Vidyanini has been reconstructed by iskcon by Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust and iskcon. And now that temple’s worship and Mekla gram of Hatazardi has been given over to iskcon. So he had the great good fortune to be able to worship the holy birthplace of Pundarigudyanidi. So today it says we will start reading about Pundari Vijinidi.

He has two names. One is Prema Nidhi and one is Vidyanini. He was both known as being an ocean of transcendental knowledge as well as an ocean of transcendental love. So he is known as Vidyanidhi and Premaditi. Why the two names are given will be explained in the various descriptions. In fact the next verse Prabhupāda explains Śrī Chaitanya Mahprabhu called Pundarik Vidyanidhi father and he gave him the title Prema Nidhit. Pundarik Vidyanidhi later became the spiritual master of Gadadhar Pundit and an intimate friend of Saroop Damodar. Gadadhar Pundit at first misunderstood Punditic virginity to be an ordinary pound and shillings man. But later on being corrected by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu he became his disciple. Another incident in the life of Punrek Bid indeed involves his criticizing a priest of Jagannath Temple. All this is described in Caitanya bhagavat Antilila chapter 7.

Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasli Thakur informs us that there are still two living descendants in the family of Pundalik Vidyanidhi who are named Śrī Hara Kumar Smriti Tirtha and Śrī Kṛṣṇa Kinker Vidyalankara. For further information one should refer to the dictionary known as Vaishnava Manjusha Pundarik Vidyanidhi is none other than Maharaj Bishavanu, the father of Rādhārāṇī. And. When he came and helped Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his pastime, so he had a very special relationship with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The first Pundrag Vidyanidhi father was as mentioned, he was a Brāhmaṇa. And at that time the king of that place had given some land to a village to Punarik Vidyanidhi, his father. So for worshipping the deity. So he became a landlord. So in those days in Bengal the landlords were very feared and also very much respected. They were like mini kings.

So Pundari Vijayanidi didn’t like all the to deal with so many. Mayavadis and other kind of bogus people. So he kept an aristocratic outlook which kept people away from him. And he just associated with a few intimate devotees the Lord Caitanya who knew him. Otherwise he kept absorbed in the transcendental nectar of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But externally people thought that he was. They didn’t think he didn’t know he was a big Vaishnava. He’d go by palanquin from one place to the next. He had a lot of servants. So there’s two main pastimes. One is when he came to Navadvip and Gaddad Hara Prabhu met him and then took initiation. The the other is when he went to Jagannath Purī he came to Navadip. Lord Caitanya started to spontaneously call out. Oh Father. O Pundariak. Pundariak.

The devotees, they didn’t know what Lord Caitanya was talking about. They didn’t know who Pundarig was, why he was calling out father, why he was crying. So they already astonished and what is happening with Lord Caitanya? Lord Caitanya was calling out for Pundarik. Pundarik was so dear to him that he would feel separation from Pundaric. We can’t imagine how dear Kundarik virginity is to Chaitanya Mahāprabhu Prema Nidhi. There we go, my dear. 11 4. The book was out on Parikram. So just came down a very big section. Actually almost the whole chapter is. So this time Lord Chaitanya was engaging in the Sankirtan Yajna with all of his associates. Dancing and singing and great ecstasy the glories of Kṛṣṇa. At that time Nithyananda was staying in the house of Śrīvas and he was manifesting a bottle of Haab childhood pastimes.

And sometimes he would raise his hands and he wouldn’t eat. And just like a child would be stubborn and wouldn’t eat. And so Malini, the mother, the wife of Sivas had to feed Lord Nithyananda. This is explained in the purport that just as Lord Caitanya sometime went into various moods like Garuḍa or Narasiṁhadev, sometimes Lord Caitanya went into Lord Nithyananda went into Bala Bhav so that Malini could express her Vātsalya Bhav or maternal love with him. So while all these pastimes are going on Pundarik Vidyanidhi he arrived in Māyā Navadip Dham came from Chattagram where he had appeared. O Father Pundari, cried Lord Caitanya with his hands raised in the air. You’re my dear father, my friend, when will I see you again? So we’re hearing how devotees have separation of the Lord here.

Lord Caitanya and the mood of Rādhārāṇī having separation from her father. Or if you say Kṛṣṇa from father in law, whichever Kṛṣṇa is in the mood of Rādhā in the past time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So Pundaring Vidyanidhi is so dear that the Lord is actually feeling separation from Him. The devotees, they couldn’t understand what Lord Caitanya was crying about. As I mentioned earlier, the Loride is going to be reveal to them who is Pundarig. Because they thought that. See, Pundarig also is the name of Kṛṣṇa. Pundarig means the lotus eyes. So he thought that he is calling Pundarig. O Lotus eyed, O Kṛṣṇa, where are you Kṛṣṇa? The devotees thought that he is crying for Kṛṣṇa. They didn’t know that he is calling for Pundarig Premonidhi Pundarik Das. So in this way. No one else knew Pundarig.

In fact Punditik chattagram is about 400-500 km east of Navadi. So nobody had ever known of Pundarig Vidyanidi except for those who were born in that place. That was a very mysterious thing. He had not been coming to Navadip before very often. He had just recently was coming and making his house. Generally the other devotees he didn’t mix with the other Vaishnavas. So when they understood that the Lord was calling for a devotee then they were asking who is this dear devotee? We want to know. When the Lord came to his external consciousness, they wanted to know who is the Lord? What devotee is the Lord crying for? They really want to meet that devotee. What is his appearance and his activities? Where is He? Please tell us Lord. You are very fortunate that you want to hear the glories of Him.

His personality is so wonderful that just by hearing his name the whole material world is purified. Vishayir Prayitar Purī Chad. His covering looks like a materialist. And one is able to understand that actually he is a pure Vaisnab. He appeared in Chattagram that’s now known as Chittagong in a very as a Brahmina. He’s the topmost Pandit. He is always situated in his own proper religious principles and he is respected by all the people. He is floating in the midst of the Ocean of devotion. The ocean of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. His eyes are filled with tears of love and his body is shaking with, as Śrīdharma Raj called it, goose pimples with hair standing on end all over his body. And the purported explains. The way some people consider Kṛṣṇa in a enjoying mood. And they’re very eager to anytime enjoy sense gratification.

Pundarik was not like that. He was always very eager for serving Kṛṣṇa, crying with ecstasy and always feeling separation for the Lord. He doesn’t take bath in the Ganges because he’s afraid touch the holy Ganges with his feet. He takes darshan of the Ganges at the time of sunset. He can’t take it to see all the people doing such horrible things with the Ganges. They’re brushing their teeth, washing their hair and. Doing various kind of things. You see, in the Ganges we’re not supposed to use soap. We’re not supposed to anyway pollute the Ganges or pass a stool on the side of the Ganges. So when he’d see people doing all these things it would be so distant hardening to him that he went at times and no one was there. He would always drink.

He would go to see the Ganges in the night when no one was around and take Darshan. Before doing pūjā he would drink Ganges water. So normally the pandits, they go to the Ganges to get rid of their own sins. But Pundari wanted to show all of those people the real glories of the Ganges. So before doing the Pūjā he would drink Ganges water just to show how much he respected the Ganges. And this way Drake Vidyanidhi was very strict in his principles. He was in Chittagong and there he had his house. And he’s going to be coming very soon here to Navadip. And you will see him after a short time. But you won’t be able to recognize him immediately when you see him. You might think he’s a materialist. He’s a sense enjoyer.

But if I don’t see him, I am not feeling well at all. All of you please use your spiritual force to attract him here immediately. Kohita Kota Prabhuabhishtoh saying his glories. Then Goanda Goanga. He became fixed internal ecstatic mood. And he started to cry out. And he started to cry uncontrollably. Who can understand the glories of Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s devotees? Only the Lord himself understands. And when he tells the glories of his devotees. So here it explains in the prayer part how Pundarik Vijayanidi had one Ganges worshipping buddy a house here in Māyāpur. In that time Navadip was the home of all the great Pundits. So everyone was coming here making some form of residence. So Pundarig being very wealthy, he also had a house. We came here to live by the side of the Ganges.

So he came to Navadip along with many assistants, many servants, with a big whole, big arrangement. He had many Brahmanas coming with him, many disciples and many devotees. So when he came to Navarddeep, he was in a hidden form. Most people thought he was a real bogey, real enjoyer. He had so many servants and assistants. So the Lord attracted Pundarik to come to Śrīdharmapur and Abu Dhab to his house. So he came unknown to many people and he started to live here. Those who are. Ordinary people, therefore they. They couldn’t really approach him. They all thought that he was a sense gratifier or a. A materialistic person. And this way they were fooled. They were mistaken. The Acharyas and the Vaishnav and the Guru’s opulence and his actual mood of serving the Lord. It’s not possible to understand simply by some external viewpoint.

And foolish people, they are always fooled by the actual nature of the great Vaishnavas. So in this way also the common people were bewildered by Pundrek Vidyanidhi’s behavior, external behavior. And there’s nothing amazing about that. In the Vaishnava society only Mukunda knew about Kundarik Vidyaniri. So Mukunda was born also in Chhattagram and he knew him from that place. Didn’t know the glories of Pundri. And only this Mukunda, who was actually a doctor before he was able to know the actual position of Pundarik Vidyanidhi. So what happened was that then Mukunda Datta also Baśrī Datta Nu. And Mukunda was very merciful and very dear to Pandit Gadarādhār. So he required, he asked Mukunda that why don’t you come along with me and let’s go and meet one very great Vaiṣṇava who has come here to Navadip. And you will be very happy to meet this Vaishnav.

So Virat Harpandit, he said, well, nice Vaiava. That’s very nice. So let’s go. So you come and you will see a wonderful Vaishnav today. And that the two of them. Ganadhar was very happy to hear that there was a wonderful Vaishnava. He was going to meet a great pure devotee of the Lord. So immediately he started chanting Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And they went to see Pundarik. So when they went to see Pundarik Vidyanidhi, they went into his residence and there Gadara he sat down and Garha Pandit offered his respects. And Pundit found out Pundaring Vidyanidi. So Pundaring asked Mukunda, what’s his name? What village does he live in? I see. He’s got a lot of Vishnu Bhakti in his body. Akriti Prakriti. His behavior and his nature both very beautiful. Mukunda said, yes, this is Śrī Gaddadhar.

He saw since childhood he’s been in a renounced mood. He’s very fortunate. He’s mother of Mr. And he’s very dear to all the Vaishnavas. He’s fixed on the path of devotion. And he’s always living in the association of devotees when he has heard your name. So he has come here to meet you. So hearing this, Vidyanidhi was very satisfied. And then this way they began to discuss in a very beautiful way. So Pundarik Vidyadi was sitting just like a prince in a very luxurious surroundings. He was having a beautiful life. Mattress with all silken coverings. There was two big brass. Big brass lamps, you know, very expensive brass lamps with lights in them. There was various kinds of very expensive decorations and nice covered pillows. Very soft. And in this way the whole setting was very luxurious.

Not like when you go into some hermit’s ashram and you find some austere Bhairagya. It’s a very opulent kind of setup. And in this way. So there were two people with big peacock feathers fanning him, one on each side. And he was getting the cool air on his body all of the time. And then he had a T lock made of sandalwood on his forehead. And there was a heavy scent of fine incense in the air. And then someone was putting some very highly scented Amloki scented oil in his hair. So the scented hair was. Scent was coming over. So it wasn’t like the mood of Bhakti or renunciation. It looked something almost like a cupid. So handsome and everything was so opulent. So in this way Kadana was a little bit astonished to see the whole setup.

Thought that maybe he saw the whole thing, it looked something like a real sense enjoyer’s facility. So when Gadarhar saw the whole thing, he started to doubt in his mind. A little bit of a doubt entered into his heart. And since he was, since the very birth he was completely renounced and detached from all kind of material facilities. So then for this Vidyanini he started to feel a little doubtful. What is actually his standard? Okay, he’s a vaiava. But why is everything like a sense enjoyer? You know, rich food, opulent living standards, expensive scents in his hair. So in this way. So it’s nice to hear that he’s got some devotion, you know, Good. He’s got a little bhakti. But when we see all this opulence, then Garādhā was getting into some serious doubts. I fixed up in the Brahmachari type of lifestyle.

So seeing Pundreak Vidi Nidhi in all what appeared to be very luxurious surroundings, then he thought that maybe Pundrake was really attached to all these material things. And that actually he wasn’t really fixed in Vishnu Bhakti but actually he was attached to serving his senses. So Mukunda was describing Pundarik Vijay Nidhi as a topmost Uttamadhikari devotee. And when heard that, he thought that he saw that however Pundrik had all the external, all kind of instructions, attitude. So then when he saw the exact opposite situation, so then whatever faith he had before hearing from Mukunda, it was starting to get destroyed. So Mukunda could see Gadarad Haris could understand his weakness. And so then he thought that all right, now I will reveal the actual nature of Pundarik Vidyanidhi. Mukunda knew Pundarik Vidyanidhi’s weakness. All this was just external. So.

The Lord’s mercy Gaddadhar, everything will be revealed to Gadarādhār Ahith by the Lord’s mercy, everything is known to Him. This is just a pastime. So Mukunda was the lead Sankirtan singer, one of the lead singers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Sikirtan party. So he was able to sing the glories of Kṛṣṇa like nobody else. He could sing Kṛṣṇa’s glories in such a way that it immediately would fix anybody’s consciousness. But he started to sing out a beautiful sloke glorifying the glories of Bhakti. And he started to sing how Putana the witch, the man eater who had come to kill Kṛṣṇa as her baby that how the Lord was so merciful that he had accepted Putana as his mother even though she was coming to kill him.

So when he started to sing the glories of Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa was so merciful that even someone who came to kill Kṛṣṇa because she came in the mood of a mother. So Kṛṣṇa reciprocated as he promised. He will always reciprocate. Jejataman papaddayang tai tan sataiva bajaam yaham just according to how he is approached. So Kṛṣṇa took away her life because she wanted to take his life. But because she came as a mother. So Kṛṣṇa delivered her and accepted her as his mother. So like this he’s saying a Bhajan glorifying all these intricacies of Kṛṣṇa’s glories. And in this way. When heard all these different Goisa, Bhakti, Yoga, Vidyanidhi, he couldn’t control. He just immediately started to cry thinking of all the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and the glories of devotion. He wasn’t a Siddharth Sajya. He was just. All this was just a covering.

He was actually in love of Kṛṣṇa. That’s why Lord Chetanya called him Premonidhi. This swap devotion. So he kept people away because he couldn’t control himself if they started. If the pure devotees started to glorify Kṛṣṇa, he’d melt in a moment. So Mukunda knew this. So Mukunda started to just again and again glorify Kṛṣṇa in front of Pundarik. And in Pundarik he would just became in a deeper and deeper samadhi, crying in extreme ecstasy. Just like Ganges was coming out from his eyes that was shaking in his body. He was fainting in the ground. He was crying out. And he was crying out that how the Lord has come down to give his mercy to these conditioned souls. He was not able to gather himself. Rather he fell on the ground. And Mukunda kept on singing Kīrtana. And so then he started to.

Rolled frantically on the ground and he started to. His feet were kicking out. He smashed all over one of the brass things. Then this thing got torn up. He became so anxious. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, like ripping the silk covers, things are flying here and there. And he goes on singing the morning going in the wild and go, where is my, where is my dear one? Where is he gone? Where is Kṛṣṇa? And he’s just getting more and more intense. So in this way, one thing after another, pretty soon this whole like nice, you know, little waiting room, it was like, you know, just completely feather you know, cotton here and like clothier and smashed up and everything all over the world. And his clothes are completely ripped and he’s pulling his hair and completely overwhelmed in ocean of extreme ecstasy.

So where was that nice, you know, hair arrangement? Or where was all the. Everything. Everything was completely destroyed. And then he just calling out, Kṛṣṇa, my dear Kṛṣṇa, my life. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. You know, then he’s just crying out to Kṛṣṇa, you have made me like a doll. He’s crying out to Kṛṣṇa that I have been cheated. I have been cheated because cheated. I have been, you know, missing out on Kṛṣṇa. Then again, he’s turning around on the ground. So in this way, so many ecstatic symptoms. It’s like amazing how he started shaking in his body. And 10 people tried to hold him down. All his servants came, but he still, he’s Kṛṣṇa. People are flying left and right. Everything’s by the people trying to hold him down. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. The completely going here and there, feet are kicking out.

They’re trying to hold him so he doesn’t hurt himself. And Rakutta is going on singing. You know, it’s a real. You can. You know, it’s impossible for me to describe. I have no capability at all to really describe what’s going on. But just to give you some little slight indication the kind of love of Kṛṣṇa that he spontaneously was presenting, that there wasn’t. There was just a Vidyanidhi. He really went into Prema Nidhi. He just completely went in the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. And there wasn’t a slightest bit of external consciousness, slightest bit of anything else where he was, what was happening. He was simply absorbed intense separation for Kṛṣṇa and feeling himself completely the most fallen and wanting to be with Kṛṣṇa so intensely. So all these things are going on. Garaha is sitting there and he was just completely astonished.

He never saw anything like that before anyone except for Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And he said, my goodness, I really blew it. This is a really great devotee. This is a real pure devotee. And I was thinking, he’s materialist. I thought he was a sense gratifier. I thought he was just a superficial devotee. What have I done? I have committed an Abarata in my mind. The Mukunda took, embraced the gadadha. He also was an ecstasy in this whole thing. So gadadha revealed to him a Kunda Yoga. You are my real friend. And now I have seen that Prema Nidhi, Nithya Nidhi is really a great devotee. But I have. I never seen such a devotee in these three worlds. I think that just by seeing him, the whole three worlds are delivered.

But I committed a great offense that I thought that because of his external behavior he was a sense gratifier, a materialistic Vaishnava. And this doubt came in my mind. So now I don’t know how to get free from that offense that I committed to Chandarik Vidyanidi. By your mercy you revealed to me the nature of Pundariak attachment. So that time I was committed to offense. But by your mercy, I could understand his actual position. No. I have been on the path of devotion. But up to this point, I have never taken any initiation. So I think that whenever you take initiation the Guru is so merciful. He always forgives you for your offenses. Because you’re just like his child. So he forgives you even if you commit some offense. He is very merciful. So I think I should take Pundit Vidyanidi as my Mantra Guru.

And this way I can get forgiven for all my offenses at his lotus feet. It’s about time I should have a Mantra Guru. Anyway, so this is what I am thinking. That if I am his disciple then he will easily forgive me for my offense. It.

(Side B of the Cassette)

If I am his disciple, then he will easily forgive me for my offense. So thinking this Gudarahar told this to Mukunda. And it was told to Pundarik Vidyanidi that he wanted to take initiation. The point is that without in spiritual life if one doesn’t have Upadeshak, a guide, a spiritual master, someone to help one over the different obstacles. And it’s very easy to go on the wrong way. So I want to take the shelter of Pundarig Vidyanidi. And this way I will be forgiven for my offenses. So in this way Kadarādhār he had tears in his eyes. And Kundarik Vijay by this time had come back to some external consciousness. And then when he saw what was going on and how Gadhar was there crying and was very much fearful that he had committed some offense. And so then he embraced Garādhār in greater affection.

So in this way there was a lot of exchange of. Affection. They went back to see Chaitanya Mahprabhu and Lord Caitanya. When heard the whole situation he also agreed that yes, this is proper. Karādhār should become the disciple of Pundarik. And he. He also personally arranged the whole thing so that Kundarika Vidinity would initiate Garādhār Prabhu. So this is how Rishi Bishop Anu Maharaj, the father of Rādhārāṇī when he came as Pundit Vidyanidi he became the Guru was the incarnation of Rādhā. So when Pundarik. When the Lord found that Pundarik was in Navaddy then he became very happy in his heart. So then Pundarik he came without telling anyone. He came in the night to see the Lord. And then when the Lord was alone, there was no one there. As soon as the Lord saw Punari Vidyanini he became so overwhelmed in ecstasy.

He just fainted on the ground. He wanted to offer his obeisances to the Lord. But he couldn’t. Because before he could do that the Lord was already ecstatically unconscious on the ground. Then when the Lord got his consciousness back, he started to cry out loudly shouting and again. Crying out. Kṛṣṇa, my life, Kṛṣṇa, my father. I am a great fallen soul. Then the Pundarika is crying out also. Anyway, there’s a lot of pastimes between Pundarik Vijay Nidhi, Prema Nidhi. When Laura Premenidi came to Jagannath Purī with all the Vaishnavas then the Lord Caitanya told him, Stay here with me for a year. Don’t go back so he stayed with Saroob Damodar and there are many pastimes there. Hunderaik Vetaneri was so close to Caitanya Mahāprabhu they would have many intimate discussions, very deep spontaneous affection for one another.

And I wanted to start off this year’s discussions on Lord Caitanya’s pastimes by just mentioning something about Pundarik Vijay Nidhi. This year on a Panchami day when occurs in February when Lord Advaita was Saptami appears and when Pundarik Vidinidhi appears on Panchami, you’re there at Pundarik’s Vidyan Prema Nidhi’s appearance place. And I was just appreciating how the cause is mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda and the previous cryas to allow us to actually be able to worship the birthplace of Pundrik Vidyanidhi there we’d be able to build a guest house and a Kīrtana hall. In fact, His Holiness Pra Vista Maharash is getting donations from the Australians and different devotees and some New Zealanders and others. And really beautiful place there with nice Rādhākund and Shyamakunda and gardens, guesthouse, Prashalam hall and then a temple to Vasudeva Datta, ancient temple, 500 years old Makhanda Datta.

50,000 People came for the birthday celebrations of all Prashadam Saikat is the biggest holy place of the Vaishnavas today in Bangladesh. And as you can read in the purport when we began previously it was broken down and somehow we have been able to serve Pundit Vidyanidhi. And I can’t explain it but I just really started to appreciate a little portion of a drop of how merciful Pundit virginity was to allow us to try to do some service for him. And how ISKCON has got such a special blessing to be connected with these great Vaishnavas holy places. I don’t know whether any of you ever have the opportunity to go to Bangladesh and see the Pundarig Dhamma. But if you do, you will be very fortunate.

It’s a very enlivening experience to be able to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Ram Hare Rāma Hare in that holy place. The deities there of Rādhārāṇī and are called Barsha Banavi, daughter of Vishavanu and Muradi and there’s a big Gaurāṅga deity and those deities also are very attractive. People come from far and Wide to take darshan of those deities. When all the temples in Bangladesh had been destroyed by some Muhammadan rioting and everything instigated by the previous dictator who’s been overthrown somehow by the Lord’s mercy. This time temple was spared and one of the very few temples in Bangladesh. It was not spoiled. But unfortunately a cyclone knocked down many of the walls. Some of the devotees had given donations and a lot of the reconstruction is done. But local people, there’s so much scope to build up that whole place.

They like to have like a mini Māyā pool there. It’s not fully possible, but something nice in that place where there are still 25 million devotees of Lord Caitanya. 100 Million people, so 20 to 25% are still there are Hindus and most of them are devotees of Lord Chaitanya. But they are very much forlorn minority group. They are always feeling a bit under the weather because they are not given any kind of equal rights or anything. They are like second class citizens in their country in many respects. So. When the devotees go and preach there, they feel very much very enlivened. When they can go to these holy places then everything becomes very worthwhile for them. So there’s so much more I could say about Pundit Vidyanidi. But the time is already far over.

Maybe some of you want to catch the tail end of or the last part of the Sundia Aarti. Then there’s a Sankirtan Awards tonight. So I will just end it here with singing the glorious Pundariak. Any questions? Also I was thinking that how. I mean Chhotragaram is almost in the border of Burma. And in the beginning of this it states that he appeared in that place. I mean he’s as good as Kṛṣṇa almost he’s a Bhakta but he’s not. He’s definitely eternal associate. The father of Rādhārāṇī is not a conditioned soul. He came down from Golok Vrindava and liberated soul just to deliver those people. So I was sitting there, here in Banglade Dash and he was sitting in this far corner almost near Burma.

And we think how from Golok Vrindavan how Pundarian Prema Nidhi came here and his real purpose would deliver all these people, all these thousands of people that were coming to his birthplace and bowing down and taking some prashadam and hearing the Harina that they wouldn’t have been there except that he came just to give them that mercy to deliver this whole part of Bengal, to bring it within Goramandalbhumi I don’t know. I was just overwhelmed by his causeless mercy to be there and somehow the causeless mercy that were able to serve and get that blessing. So I wanted to share something about Punvik vidinity. But whenever I try to tell these pastimes I realize how it’s impossible. I don’t have any qualifications, purification or purity. I am only doing it for my own purification.

But maybe someone can realize even something about the glories of Lord Caitanya and his great devotees and that will give them some inspiration. Hare Kṛṣṇa. It.