20240803 Addressing East Medinipur Nāma-haṭṭa Sammelan

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: Devotees have come here especially from East Medinipur, where Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates have performed many pastimes. So East Medinipur is on the bank of the Ganges. And West Medinipur is not on the bank of the Ganges. Right? But I am very happy with devotees from both the places! There are a lot of pastimes of Lord Caitanya in East Medinipur. Many people do not understand the mercy of Lord Caitanya! But some people who are present here are able to understand.

Now you have come to the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. The birthplace is to the north. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that ISKCON is the workplace, karma-sthāna of Lord Caitanya. Janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]– this is in the Bhagavad-gītā. In the fourth chapter. If we understand that Kṛṣṇa’s birth and karma are divine then they go back to Godhead. You have given me so many gifts and I am very grateful for that. I heard that Medinipur men devotees do nice hari-dhvani! And the women do ulu-dhvani!

This way, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he wrote that hari-dhvani, ulu-dhvani and kīrtana be performed. I hope that you all are liking it in Māyāpur. Hope they are giving you nice prasāda in the Nāma-haṭṭa? I have been many times to Medinipur for various programs, but I don’t know if I will be able to go there again, but I desire to go to East Medinipur there especially. South of the Gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi is Remuṇā. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said that,

śrī-gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yebā jāne cintāmaṇi,
tāra haya vraja-bhūme vāsa

You are all living in Vraja-bhūmi! And Lord Caitanya had said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126). ISKCON has many branches abroad. But you should see that there is the chanting of kṛṣṇa-nāma in every town and village in Medinipur. If you surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa then He gives mercy, but Lord Caitanya is the most merciful of all the incarnations. Whatever way you chant His names He does not take any offence. This is His mercy.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī said He is namo mahā-vadanyāya – most merciful. I hope that the East Medinipur Nāma-haṭṭa preaches so well that every village and town there is Harināma. I wanted to come here, as you all are doing nice Nāma-haṭṭa! I give my blessings to all of you. Kṛṣṇe matir astu!

Now His Holiness Bhakti Vilāsa Gaurcandra Swami, His Holiness Gaurāṅga Prema Swami and His Grace Padmanetra Prabhu will speak. I came away, I have not had prasāda yet. I will not talk more now. Hare Kṛṣṇa!