On the day of Ekādaśī, the tirobhava of Jagadānanda Paṇdita passed. Yesterday was the disappearance of Śrīla Bhakti Bhūdeva Śrauti Mahārāja. Today is the disappearance day of Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura.
Now, we will hear something about these associates of Nityānanda Prabhu. I was thinking of speaking about these ācāryas yesterday, but yesterday was the disappearance of Śrīla Gurudeva according to the Western or Sun calendar, so we celebrated his disappearance day yesterday with a feast and hari-kathā. From December 26 to the 29th, we have been honoring Śrīla Gurudeva’s disappearance day. Śrīla Gurudeva was placed in samādhi the day after his disappearance, and then the next two days there were festivals going on in his honor. Now, we are following that same program here. The devotees have all expressed their heartfelt love to Śrīla Gurudeva as puṣpāñjali. He accepts this and gives blessings to everyone. He kindly makes us qualified, brings us nearby him, gives us service, and a great opportunity to have a relationship with the Vrajavāsīs. We should always pray to stay nearby him. We have one golden opportunity, by always following his principles and process, his heart will melt, and we will easily achieve perfection. Other processes cannot help us.
It is my hope that we can always be observing such festivals with the Vaiṣṇavas. People may hide alone and think they are doing bhajana, but bhajana is not possible without sādhu-saṅga. These people are hiding like mice in holes. Then, when the mouse is alone in a hole, then a mausi, comes, and they start a family. Wherever we go, many souls will attack and catch us. We cannot remain alone or get liberation from them. However, when we are in sādhu-saṅga, and together, following Śrīla Gurudeva’s footsteps, then we will naturally progress and receive very auspicious results.
Today is the disappearance day of Uddhāraṇa data Ṭhākura, and yesterday was the disappearance of Maheśa Paṇdita. Nityānanda Prabhu has the Dvādaśa Gopāla and Cauṣatī Mahānta, Aṣṭa-kavirāja, and Ṣaḍa Gosvāmī, as His associates. The Dvādaśa Gopāla are the 12 sakhās from Vraja who came as Nityānanda Prabhu’s associates in gaura-līlā. Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa and went to Jagannātha Purī. He crossed the Gaṅgā and went through Pānīhāṭī.
Maheśa Paṇdita and Kamalākara Pippalāi were two devotees staying on the bank of the Gaṅgā. They saw a dream at night that a sannyāsī was coming on His way to Jagannātha Purī. They saw that He is non-different from Jagannātha. He is Jagannātha Himself. They understood that by worshiping and serving Him, Jagannātha would be happy.
Kamalākara Pippalāi and Maheśa Paṇdita had worshiped lord Jagannātha for a very long time. Now Mahāprabhu came and bathed in the Gaṅgā in the afternoon time, and then Maheśa Paṇdita went and invited Mahāprabhu to his home.
Mahāprabhu accepted the invitation, and came with Gadādhara Paṇdita, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Nityānanda Prabhu, and Jagadānanda Paṇdita and took prasādam at the house of Maheśa Paṇdita and Kamalākara Pippalāi.
They heard the glories of Jagannātha from Mahāprabhu, how He appeared in this world, as premamayī-kalevara, the melted form of pure love. His eyes and heart and hands and legs and everything melts in love for His devotees. His entire body is melted out of pure love. People hear about the melting of the heart, but cannot see this externally anywhere other than the form of Lord Jagannātha. Lord Jagannātha shows us this directly, how His form is that of melted love, and the Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī, flow as His tears.
Mahāprabhu spoke about Jagannātha and Kamalākara Pippalāi and Maheśa Paṇdita heard and they stood like statues, becoming tādātma with Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā. Kamalākara Pippalāi and Maheśa Paṇdita became senseless, and did not know where their body was present. They became stambha, or stunned, like tree trunks. Nityānanda Prabhu began kīrtana, but they remained like deities. Mahāprabhu embraced them, and feeling this prema-ālingana, loving embrace, their sense returned.
They said, “We will go with You to Purī, You are my Jagannātha.”
But the Lord said, “Stay here for now. You can come after Ratha-yātrā.”
Kamalākara Pippalāi and Maheśa Paṇdita came at the time of Ratha-yātrā. They saw Jagannātha, and sang in pure love as Mahāprabhu would sing, “Jaja gaga. Jaja gaga,” and:
sei ta parāṇa-nātha pāinu yāhā lāgi’ madana-dahane jhuri’ genu
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 13.113
[Now I have gained the Lord of My life, in whose absence I was being burned by Cupid and was withering away.]
Maheśa Paṇdita and the devotees danced in saṅkīrtana. Mahāprabhu embraced them, and they could never forget this. They ran to embrace Jagannātha, and fell senseless on the road before Jagannātha. The paṇḍās and pujārīs were disturbed and said, “Oh, the devotees are trying to touch Jagannātha without permission.” Now it is easier for people to go and touch Jagannātha, but it was not like that before. Jagannātha Himself came down and embraced Maheśa Paṇdita and Kamalākara Pippalāi, and carrying them in His arms, He took them back to the cart and set them on either side of Him. The paṇḍās try to control and not let people come and meet with Jagannātha, but then they saw that suddenly these two devotees were sitting on either side of Jagannātha. And if they tried to say anything against this, then they would feel themselves being kicked by some unseen force. Kamalākara Pippalāi and Maheśa Paṇdita massaged lord Jagannātha and fanned Him. They offered themselves to Jagannātha with melted hearts full of love. When Ratha-yātrā was complete, Mahāprabhu told them to return to Bengal. When they returned to Bengal, they were carrying Jagannātha in their heart. They told Jagannātha, “We will not return without You.” “Yes, I will come,” Jagannātha said. “You go first and I will come behind.” They began walking, and saw that Jagannātha was sometimes on their shoulders, or sometimes on their head. They would embrace Him to their chests, and carry Him in their heart. When they came to Śrī Rāmapura, on the bank of the Gaṅgā, where they had a small āśrama and garden, Jagannātha remained with them there. That year, Maheśa Paṇdita and Kamalākara Pippalāi made a very large cart for Jagannātha. The devotees in the nearby areas had heard about how Lord Jagannātha had come, and how these two devotees had been taken on Jagannātha’s cart in the Ratha-yātrā in Purī. They heard how Jagannātha had embraced them like His dear friends, sakhās. Then, in Śrī Rāmapura, they took Jagannātha on Ratha-yātrā, and millions of people came for His darśana. Now also, there is a very large road, and every year they have a huge Ratha-yātrā festival. The paṇḍās and pujārīs of Jagannātha Purī became very jealous. They said, “There are less people now in Jagannātha Purī following Ratha-yātrā than there are going to Bengal for Ratha-yātrā.” In the evening time of Ratha-yātrā, one small girl, four or five years of age, whose father and other family members had died, leaving her alone with her very ill mother, went walking to plead for help from Lord Jagannātha. She had told her mother, who was on the brink of death, “You are very sick. And we have no money, food, or water. I will go arrange something.” Her mother said, “Jagannātha is the Lord of everyone, go and pray to Him. He gives all arrangements for the living beings. It is by His will that anyone receives or loses anything.” They had been a very rich landowner family, but had lost everything to wicked dacoits. This young girl went to see Jagannātha on the cart. She thought, “What should I give to Jagannātha? People give Him so many things, but what can I give?” When the Ratha-yātrā cart is going, all people give some gift to Jagannātha. “What will I give?” she thought. She went into the jungle, and collected some white, red, and yellow flowers. What could a young girl like her do? She made three very simple garlands. She thought, “When I go, I will offer these to Jagannātha. He will be pleased with me, and will give some medicine for my mother.” She went through the large crowd with her garlands, where millions of people were engaged in kīrtana. She stood on the side as the cart went past, surrounded by the throngs of people. How could she go close to Jagannātha? Night came and she thought, “My mother will die. I have no one to help me. My father has died, and now my mother will die, and I have no one. O Jagannātha, You are mine. Please accept my garlands. I am a very small baby girl. I have no helpers. Please take these garlands.” One 11 or 12-year-old boy came walking out of the dark night. It was the time of the dark moon and there were no lights. The boy came and asked this girl, “What is your name?” “My name is Rādhārānī,” she said. “Why are you waiting here?” “Everyone left. I made these garlands for Jagannātha. Please give them to Him.” “Why?” “I heard that Jagannātha is helpful for everyone, and fulfills the desires of everyone. I have no one, only my mother. She is very sick and has no medicine, food, water, or any help. Before we were landlords and had so much wealth and servants, but now we have lost everything. Will you give this mālā to Jagannātha?” “Yes.” He took the garlands, and then said, “I will come to your house.” He went to her house and saw that her mother was lying senseless. He gave her some food, cloth, and medicine. Then he said, “Tomorrow I will also come and check on her.” The next morning her mother was well. She went to bathe at the Gaṅgā and then went to the temple of Jagannātha with her daughter. They saw that Jagannātha was wearing the mālās that her daughter had made. The boy had taken the garlands for Jagannātha. But this was Jagannātha Himself who had come. They saw that Baladeva and Subhadrā were also wearing the garlands made by the girl. The girl said, “Mother, I made these garlands with flowers from the jungle, and one boy came and took these garlands for Jagannātha. He was a very kind boy. He came and gave you caraṇāmṛta of Jagannātha, some food and warm cloth, and now you are well.” The mother said, “I know this was Jagannātha Himself that came.” The mother began to weep in front of the Deities. Then that day, the girl also made flower garlands and said, “O mother, I will offer these to Jagannātha. Will He accept them?” “Jagannātha accepts whatever is offered to Him. He has made a vow:patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
[If any pure-hearted bhakta offers Me a leaf, a flower, fruit or water with love and devotion, I will surely accept that gift.]
“Anything you offer Me with love, I will certainly accept that.” The girl collected flowers on the bank of the Gaṅgā, and made garlands, and took these to the temple. The same boy came and accepted the garlands. He put them on Himself. She was worried and said, “I made these for Jagannātha. That day You gave them to Jagannātha, why are You wearing them today?” “Your garlands are very nice, they smell so nice, and the flowers are so soft. I like these garlands so much. You should bring them every day, and I will wear them.” “No, I have brought these for Jagannātha.” A little later, she went with her mother to see Jagannātha, and saw that Jagannātha was wearing the garlands she had just made. Then she had some doubt. That boy took the garlands; how is Jagannātha wearing them? She continued making garlands for the nine days of Ratha-yātrā. Then when Jagannātha returned, she saw that Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, and thousands of Their associates came along with millions of bhaktas for the return Ratha-yātrā at Śrī Rāmpura. Those who were fortunate could see this vision. On the return journey, the carts of Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā stopped on the pathway before the girl. The garlands she was holding was taken from her and given to Jagannātha then and there. Jagannātha had ordered Maheśa Pandita, “Go and take these garlands from the girl and give them to Me. Bring this girl to the temple.” The girl came to the temple and, from that time, she stayed there with Jagannātha, at His side. But she was no longer in her physical body. She became a deity there next to Jagannātha, and she is always serving Jagannātha in her spiritual form. Now also, at the place of Maheśa Paṇdita, this girl is called Rādhārānī. The kindness of Jagannātha is shown in this account. A very large temple is there at Śrī Rāmapura, and so much prasādam is daily distributed. Once, I went there with many devotees. In the morning before, I went and offered daṇḍavat-praṇāmas to Guru Mahārāja and asked his permission to go for darśana. Guru Mahārāja was not speaking with anyone at that time, but I was fortunate that when I went to him he would always speak with me. He said, “You are going there, but where will you take prasādam in the afternoon?” “Guru Mahārāja,” I replied, “We will take prasādam wherever you arrange.” We went on darśana to so many places, and then when we arrived at the Jagannātha temple, bhoga and ārati was already finished, and darśana was closed. We sat and performed kīrtana. I said, “Let us wait for them to open the temple.” When the doors were opened, we all performed ārati of Jagannātha. There was one bus of brahmacārīs and other devotees with me. After kīrtana, the pujārīs said, “Please do not go.” They called us inside the temple to the prasādam hall. They gave us all seats, and then gave such nice prasādam. In my life, I can never forget this mercy of Guru Mahārāja, Maheśa Paṇdita, Kamalākara Pippalāi, that Rādhārānī, and Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura. Rādhārānī there cooks every day for Jagannātha. The prasādam is so nice. The brahmacārīs took so much prasādam. There was rice, kicarī, pūrīs, many kinds of sweets, and so many nice items. Afterwards, the pujārīs said, “We are very lucky; many Vaiṣṇavas have come from Vṛndāvana.” Guru Mahārāja was thinking about the welfare of his bhaktas. We went to Rādhā Nandadulāla, Rādhā Mādhava, and Rādhā Śyāmasundara, the three Deities established by Nityānanda Prabhu. Nityānanda Prabhu came to Vraja-maṇḍala and saw the stone where a stain of blood was present. He was very angry and said, “Oh, this is the place where Kaṁsa killed My brothers on top of the stone. This stone is such a wretched thing.” Nityānanda Prabhu threw the stone in the Yamunā, but by the power of being touched by Him, it did not sink. It floated and followed Nityānanda Prabhu to Allahābāda, from the Yamunā to the Gaṅgā, and then to Kardaha. Nityānanda Prabhu looked back and saw the stone, and said, “Oh, wretch! You have followed Me!” He threw it on the bank of the Gaṅgā, and it broke into three pieces. Then three Deities were made from the three pieces of stone, Rādhā Mādhava, Rādhā Nandadulāla, and Rādhā Śyāmasundara. When one goes on parikramā of Gaura-maṇḍala, one must have darśana of these three Deities in one day. This is the rule. In one place there is Rādhā-Mādhava, one place Rādhā Śyāmasundara, and another place Rādhā Nandadulāla. Then also one piece of stone remained. Nityānanda Prabhu was very angry and he left it behind. A long time after, this last piece of the stone was still sitting in the jungle. Muslims would go every day to pass stool there and they would stand on top of the stone and pass. The stone said, “Hey, I came from Vraja-maṇḍala and you are passing stool on top of me!” They looked around but could see no one. They thought, “Who is talking?” This happened for many days, and then they finally realized, “Oh, the stone is talking.” They took the stone, washed it, and put it in the University for studying. They called it the living stone. The stone gradually grew in size, and now it has filled up an entire room. People come from near and far to see this stone. They offer praṇāma to it, and offer ārati and puṣpāñjali. Such is the power of Nityānanda Prabhu. When we returned, Guru Mahārāja asked us, “Where did you take prasādam?” “Guru Mahārāja, you arranged everything.” “Yes, you are very lucky. Everyone likes you.” In Bhubaneshvar, he told me the same thing once. I came from South India and met with him, and he asked us, “Where are you going?” “To Purī.” “What will you take for prasādam?” “Jagannātha prasādam.” He knew that many people come with me, and we always need prasādam. He asked, “What will you eat?” “Jagannātha prasādam.” He said, “Jagannātha likes you and gives you prasādam, but I have bad luck, you do not give me anything, and Jagannātha does not give me anything.” Then we brought so much prasāda for him. Guru Mahārāja said, “It is cāturmāsya, you know this, don’t you? “Yes.” “Do not eat anything against cāturmāsya.” “Yes. Even if it is Jagannātha prasāda.” “Jagannātha made the rules of cāturmāsya. So you should follow carefully. Do not break cāturmāsya or your bhakti will be lost. Only take rice, simple dāl or cānā, and nothing else.” We were not taking sāk, baigan, parmal, or urad-dāl, and so many things. I brought some prasādam to Bhubaneshvar for Guru Mahārāja. Guru and Vaiṣṇavas are present everywhere. Do not think they are only present in one place. Wherever you go, Guru-pāda-padma and God are with you. When you respect Gurudeva, and have love for him, God is not far away from you, and will arrange everything for your welfare. Whatever Guru-pāda-padma desires, God will arrange. We were with the devotees on tour in South India, and in so many places, and Guru-pāda-padma always arranged everything. Guru Mahārāja had ordered us to go with all the devotees to South India, and therefore we went, and everything was very auspicious. We never act without the desire of Gurudeva. Now, after so many hundreds of years, the Ratha-yātrā festival is going on at this place of Maheśa Paṇdita. Also, the deity of that girl is present, and everyone comes and worships her along with Jagannātha. They give her Jagannātha’s prasādi-mālā, and ask her permission before they go to cook, or do any service for Jagannātha. They do not act independently of her. Jagannātha is served there as He is in Jagannātha Purī. Today is the disappearance day of Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura. Uddharaṇa Datta Ṭhākura resided nearby Chuṅchuṛā, where Param Gurudeva made a temple called Uddhāraṇa Gauḍīya-maṭha. Some 70 km away there is Adi Saptagrām, the appearance place of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. The appearance place of Uddhāraṇa data Ṭhākura is also nearby Adi Saptagrām. Nityānanda Prabhu came there with a huge saṅkīrtana party. Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura was born in a goldsmith family. He saw that one great personality, Baladeva Prabhu, was coming with His associates. His guards blocked the roadway and said, “No one can cross this way.” He was a very rich man and had many servants. They said, “You cannot cross.” Nityānanda Prabhu came forward and said, “Why can’t we go?” Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura heard everyone singing, “Jaya Nitāi! Jaya Nitāi! Jaya Gaura! Jaya Śaci-nandana, Jaya Jagannātha.” Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura brought gold bangles, a gold chain, gold rings, a gold crown, and gold ankle bells—with 30 or 40 kilos of gold ornaments, he decorated Nityānanda Prabhu. Then, with a royal procession, he brought Nityānanda Prabhu to his home. Everyone felt as if Baladeva Prabhu Himself had come. Udhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura was very rich and was a great devotee. He gave so many ornaments to Nityānanda Prabhu. He did abhiṣeka of Nityānanda Prabhu in his home. He invited the Vaiṣṇavas to come, but there was no need. Saṅkarṣaṇa has attraction power. If anyone has a little respect and love for Bhagavān, then the attraction power, ākarṣaṇa-śakti, pulls them all to Bhagavān and His associates. We heard about how wherever Śrīla Gurudeva went in the Western countries, people were automatically attracted to him. They had respect for Śrīla Svāmī Prabhupāda, and Kṛṣṇa. When Gurudeva came, then automatically, so many were attracted and pulled to him. The ISKCON leaders would say, “If you go to him, you can no longer return to our temples.” But they would not care. In Australia, 150 devotees left the ISKCON temple to see Gurudeva and then could not return. They never went back. This happened in many other places as well. Who has this ākarṣaṇa-śakti? Baladeva Prabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, and Guru-pāda-padma. When Nityānanda Prabhu’s abhiṣeka was performed, people came from all nearby villages and towns. Thousands upon thousands of devotees came from both sides of the Gaṅgā, and Nityānanda Prabhu stayed there engaged in saṅkīrtana for one month. In the morning, Nityānanda Prabhu would be given abhiṣeka, and daily He was given new ornaments and outfits. Nityānanda Prabhu gave nāma-brahma. He advised everyone to engage incessantly in nāma-saṅkīrtanam. He distributed vraja-bhakti through nāma-saṅkīrtana on the order of Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu had ordered Nityānanda Prabhu and Haridāsa Ṭhākura to distribute this prema-nāma-saṅkīrtanam. Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura did not remain at home, he always traveled with Nityānanda Prabhu. When he had darśana of Mahāprabhu, Mahāprabhu ordered Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura, “Your only duty is to serve the devotees.” Whatever money he made, he would use it to serve the devotees. If anyone said, “I am going to Jagannātha Purī to see Mahāprabhu,” then he would fund their travel expenses. Nityānanda Prabhu said, “By serving the devotees, helping them go to Mahāprabhu, who will look after their families?” Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura said, “Saṅkarṣaṇa, Garbhodakaśayī, Karaṇodakaśayī, Kṣirodakaśayī Viṣṇu, as well as Ananta Śeṣa, are all present here in You. You maintain the entire creation.” Nityānanda Prabhu then took off all His ornaments and gave them to the devotees. When Nityānanda Prabhu went to Mahāprabhu, Mahāprabhu took Śrī Nityānanda’s old kaupīna, cut it into many pieces, and gave it to the devotees. He said, “You should wear this as a kavaca. Wash this piece of cloth, and take the water you wring out of it. Then māyā will never touch you.” People gave so many ornaments to Nityānanda Prabhu, but He would take them all off and give to the devotees. So many goldsmith families followed the footsteps of Nityānanda Prabhu, and would give Him so many gold ornaments, and then Nityānanda Prabhu would distribute them to the devotees. We know the story of Devānanda Pandita, and how he offended Śrīvāsa Pandita. Mahāprabhu only forgave him when he humbly begged for forgiveness. Our paramparā gives special emphasis on being humble—tṛnād api sunicena. Guru and Vaiṣṇavas are present with us, but because we have a lack of faith, we are always suffering. That day a little faith comes, then we can enter in this family—we will understand the glory of God’s family.eka-bāra dekhale cakṣe jala gaura bale nitāi dena sakala sambala
[If, even once, He sees tears flowing from someone’s eyes as he chants the name of Gaura, Nityānanda Prabhu gives that person the entire wealth of prema.]
sradhavān jana he! sradhavana jana!
We cannot progress without faith. Therefore, we pray to all of the associates of Mahāprabhu. We do not need bhajana in this life, we only need deep faith and respect. This is not some artificial process. Bhakti is real. The associates of Mahāprabhu came in this world, followed bhakti in their own lives as the perfect example, and encouraged others to follow as well, thus showing everyone the path to attain their eternal welfare. Gaura-premānande! Hari-haribol! This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.