20220808 Evening Pandal Address

The following is a Puṇḍarīka Dhāma evening address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 08th, 2022 in Bangladesh.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: Someone asked if I understood Bengali language or now. What he spoke, I understood. From 1970 I am in Bengal. West Bengal and Bangladesh. My spiritual master, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, he wanted that in Bangladesh there should be some preaching. From the guru-dakṣiṇā he received, he used to assign some money monthly for developing Bangladesh. First there was one temple in Dhaka. Then now I heard that about 120 temples are there! Then, after Dhaka, this Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi’s place, Puṇḍarīka dhāma pāriṣada made arrangements for the temple here. All the honored mahantas, ācāryas, and all the respected devotees, I offer my obeisances. Now, we hope that Lord Caitanya’s prediction will be successful. I had a stroke that is why one side of the face is paralyzed. That is why what I speak he repeats so that you can all understand. Lord Caitanya said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma. You heard from Śrīpad Cāru Candra prabhu the contributions of Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. How many devotees, how many temples he established all over the world. He had said that we should try to preserve what we have, if you do that it will be good but if you can expand then better. Today we have about 800 temples all over the world. And thousands and thousands of Bhakti-vṛkṣas and Nāmahaṭṭas. When we heard that during Durgā Pūjā there was violence in the temple in Bangladesh in Noakhali, some devotees were injured, devotees all over the world were aggrieved. The GBC Governing Body Commission said that all over the world we should stage some demonstrations against what happened in Bangladesh. All over the world, there were kīrtanas and peaceful meetings so that the Hindus in Bangladesh are protected. But since I am a foreigner, I don’t want to speak politics. I want to speak good wishes and Kṛṣṇa-kathā to all of you.

There are a lot of youths – boys and girls are here, seeing them I am very happy! They should read and discuss Bhagavad-gītā, read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I live in Navadvīpa, Māyāpur. Navadvīpa has nine islands. First island is Sīmantadvīpa. Sīmantini ke? She is Durgā Devī. There she chants the name of Lord Gaurāṅga Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Then Lord Gaurāṅga appeared and Durgā Devī took the dust from the lotus feet of Lord Gaurāṅga and put it on her forehead in the parting of the hair. That is why that island is called Sīmantadvīpa. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is written that Mahādeva Śiva, is the best of all Vaiṣṇavas. Vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ: Now Śambhu and Devī protect the dhāma. If you want to get in to this dhāma you have to take their blessings.

Lord Caitanya went to South India and traveled around and went to all the temples and paid respects – Śiva, Durgā, Ganeśa, Kārtikeya, Brahmā, Raṅganātha, Viṣṇu temples. He distributed kṛṣṇa-prema during his travel. And in every temple, He chanted and danced to the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And in Benaras He took darśana of Kāśī Viśvanātha. In Vṛndāvana He discovered the Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa. In Jagannātha Purī, He worshiped Lord Jagannātha. Now Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi’s other name is Puṇḍarīka Premanidhi. Here you can get his blessings and get kṛṣṇa-prema. I am very happy that Puṇḍarīka dhāma is being developed. Other than that, whatever places of pilgrimage are there of the Hindus, we are trying to protect them. In Caṭṭagrāma, there is Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s birth place and Lord Caitanya’s parents home is there in Sylhet. We got the birthplace of Advaita Gosāñi. Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s birthplace also we have got. Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s birthplace has also been got by us. And Rūpa Sanātana smṛti-tīrtha, there also we have a temple, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Kheturi dhāma we have a temple. I hear that in Bangladesh there are 34 śrīpāṭs. We are trying to see that all those holy places and śrīpāṭs are developed and protected. Many devotees from the West want to come and see Bangladesh Gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi where Lord Caitanya came and enacted His pastimes and His associates’ birthplaces etc.

I came a little late here. I gave second initiation today, about 100 devotees, the secret mantra. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra can be chanted by all, but the Gāyatrī mantra is a secret! This way many programs were held the whole day and that is why I was delayed.

In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says give up all the religions and surrender unto Me. We are trying to preach the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And Lord Caitanya this way, is trying to get all the religions together, that is also what we are trying to do. Anyway, you all heard a lot of hari-kathā and other spiritual talks. Hare Kṛṣṇa!