My books are 15% off through July 1.

My translations of Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā and Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ are both 15% off through July 1. Use the code HUSTLE15. Click on the book images on the right of the blog page. Applies to print copies only. 

Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 12

Outside the golden walls, the house is surrounded first by a banana grove, then a flower grove and then a fruit grove. The Three Prabhus’ toilets are situated within the banana grove on the northern side of the house. Four gem-studded paths lead from the house’s four gates to the banks of the Gaṅgā. Rows of bakula trees line each side of the paths. Navadvīpa Dhāma is encircled by the Gaṅgā and her tributary. The bhaktas each entered Mahāprabhu’s house from the direction of their respective homes. The gosvāmīs arrived through the northern gate. By their order, the sādhaka-dāsa cleaned the courtyards, benches and so on with fragrant water and a golden broom. He placed water and aromatic soil in golden vessels for the Three Prabhus’ toilets. Scented tooth-powder in a soft mango-leaf cup, a golden tongue-scraper, scented water in a golden pot, and a small golden basin were arrayed for each of them on the tooth-brushing platforms. He placed bathing cloths and fragrant Nārāyaṇa massage oil on the Three Prabhus’ bathing platforms. On their dressing and decorating platforms he placed aguru, incense holders, jeweled mirrors, combs, pairs of yellow cloths, garlands, sandalwood paste, ornaments and so on. After cleaning the meeting room, the sādhaka-dāsa placed a vyāsāsana for the Bhāgavata speaker and āsanas for the Three Prabhus and the bhaktas.

At that time, Śacī Mātā arrived from her inner chambers to wake Mahāprabhu. The Two Prabhus, the bhaktas and the sādhaka-dāsa all offered daṇḍavat-praṇāma to her. Śacī Mātā’s heart melted with vātsalya-prema as she entered Mahāprabhu’s bedroom, calling out his name to wake him. She placed her left hand on the bedstead to bear her body-weight and caressed Prabhu with her right. She said, “O Viśvambhara, my son! O Nimāi! Get up quickly; the morning has come. Śrīvāsa and your other dear bhaktas have arrived, eager to see you. They are all waiting in the courtyard.” Then Śacī Mā saw the wounds on Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s body, received during the previous night’s singing and dancing. She said, “Hāy! Hāy! My son, how have you suffered so many injuries?” Then, with her eyes full of tears, she anxiously began to caress him. Mahāprabhu got out of bed and offered daṇḍavat-praṇāma at his mother’s lotus feet. Then he sat on the bed again with his feet on the floor. Śacī Mā gave the servants their morning duties regarding Gauracandra’s bath and so on and then returned to her inner chambers. When the Two Prabhus and the bhaktas entered his bedroom, Mahāprabhu embraced the Two Prabhus and had them sit on āsanas. Śrīvāsa, Murāri and the other bhaktas offered daṇḍavat-praṇāma at Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet. When they inquired about his well-being, he described his dream about Vraja’s sweetness and was overwhelmed with prema. Understanding Mahāprabhu’s bhāva, Svarūpa Gosvāmī sang songs about Mukharā coming to see Śrī Rādhā in Yāvaṭa, Śrī Rādhā being wakened, her conversation with Śyāma Sakhī about Kṛṣṇa, the arrival of Madhurikā and so on. Hearing this, Mahāprabhu became overjoyed in rādhā-bhāva, exhibiting tears, trembling and other ecstatic symptoms. The bhaktas all absorbed themselves in their respective siddha-svarūpas in vraja-līlā.

My books are 15% off through June 17.

My translations of Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā and Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ are both 15% off through June 17. Use the code PRIDE15. Click on the book images on the right of the blog page. Applies to print copies only. 

Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 11

 Navadvīpa: The Three Prabhus Go Home and Take Rest

Here in Navadvīpa, Śrīman Mahāprabhu and his bhaktas were absorbed in bhāva on the veranda of the sleeping mandira in Śrīvāsa’s flower garden. Svarūpa Gosvāmī sang songs describing Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and their sakhīs going to their respective homes and going to bed. After hearing this, Mahāprabhu let out an ecstatic roar and returned to semi-external consciousness. Svarūpa Gosvāmī finished his singing. Mahāprabhu and his companions then went to their homes. Śrīman Mahāprabhu arrived at the town’s eastern lion-gate with Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu on his right, Śrī Advaita Prabhu on his left and the bhaktas behind. Absorbed in vraja-bhāva, he looked this way and that way with fearful eyes, sometimes walking quickly and sometimes slowly. Mahāprabhu lovingly embraced the two prabhus and the bhaktas as appropriate, said goodbye and entered the town. Although everyone went to their respective homes, out of an abundance of prema, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu entered Mahāprabhu’s house along with him. Following them, the sādhaka-dāsa entered the house along with the gosvāmīs and gurus. He sat Mahāprabhu on a golden stool on the veranda of his sleeping mandira, washed his feet with scented water and then dried them with his upper cloth. Mahāprabhu then went inside and lay down on a jeweled bed, where the sādhaka-dāsa massaged his feet. When Mahāprabhu fell asleep, the sādhaka-dāsa massaged the feet of everyone from Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu to Śrī Gurudeva. After they were all asleep, he went to his own home and took rest.

Thus ends the niśānta-līlā of Śrī Navadvīpa.

Prātar-Līlā: Navadvīpa (2 Hours 24 Minutes)

From 6:00 AM to 8:24 AM

Śrī-Navadvīpa-Prātar-Līlā-Sūtra:

paśyantīṁ svasutaṁ śacī bhagavatī saṅkīrtane vikṣataṁ

prātar hā katham eva te vapur idaṁ sūno babhūva kṣatam |

itthaṁ lāpanataḥ svaputra-vapuṣi vyagrā spṛśantī muhus

talpāj jāgarayāṁ cakāra yam ahaṁ taṁ gauracandraṁ bhaje ||

“I worship Śrī Gauracandra. In the early morning, when Bhagavatī Śacī Mātā saw that her son Viśvambhara had been injured during saṅkīrtana, she cried out, ‘Hāya Hāya! My son! How have you been wounded?’ Then she anxiously touched his body and repeatedly caressed it as she roused him from his bed.”

bhaktaiḥ sārdham upāgatair bhuvi nataiḥ śrīvāsa-guptādibhiḥ

pṛcchadbhiḥ kuśalaṁ prage parimilan prakṣālya vaktraṁ jalaiḥ |

puṣpādi-prativāsitaiḥ sukathayan svapnānubhūtāṁ kathāṁ

snātvādyād dhari-śeṣam odana-varaṁ yas taṁ hi gauraṁ bhaje ||

“I worship Śrī Gauracandra. In the early morning, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Murāri Gupta and the other bhaktas came to Śrī Gaurāṅga, offered daṇḍavat-praṇāma and inquired about his well-being. Śrī Gaurāṅga washed his face with water perfumed with flowers and so on and then met with the devotees. He spoke emotionally to them about a dream he had just experienced. Then he bathed and took śrī-kṛṣṇa-prasāda.”

Navadvīpa: Mahāprabhu Rises from Bed and Becomes Absorbed in Bhāva

In the early morning in Śrīdhāma Navadvīpa, the sādhaka-dāsa rose from bed, repeatedly saying Śrī Gaura’s name. After brushing his teeth and finishing his other morning duties, he cleaned the toilets and so on of his gurus, the gosvāmīs and the Three Prabhus with scented water. Then he perfumed the area with incense, washed his hands and feet and went to bathe in the Gaṅgā. After bathing, he recited prayers and songs of praise. When he arrived at home, he applied tilaka to his body and then went to clean the courtyard of his guru’s sleeping mandira with a golden broom. On the platform for brushing teeth, he placed a golden stool, a pot of scented water, a fine cloth towel, a mango-leaf cup, fragrant tooth-powder and a golden tongue-scraper. In the toilet he placed a pot full of scented water along with a container of soft, fragrant soil. Then he went into his gurudeva’s sleeping room and woke him by massaging his feet. After Śrī Gurudeva finished his morning duties such as brushing his teeth and so on, he went to the Gaṅgā to bathe. The sādhaka-dāsa walked behind him carrying a water-pot. Śrī Gurudeva offered obeisance to the Gaṅgā and sprinkled water on his head. After finishing his bath, he got out of the water and the sādhaka helped him to dry his body and put on a fresh cloth. Śrī Gurudeva recited prayers as he walked home, followed by the sādhaka-dāsa carrying the water-pot and his damp cloth. When Śrī Gurudeva arrived at his home, the sādhaka-dāsa washed his feet, sat him on an āsana and dressed and decorated him with tilaka and so on. (In this way, all the gurus and gosvāmīs are served by their respective sevakas.) After that, Śrī Gurudeva sprinkled water on Tulasī Devī, did parikramā and offered daṇḍavat-praṇāma. The sādhaka-dāsa also followed Śrī Gurudeva in performing these actions. Then the sādhaka-dāsa went with Śrī Gurudeva to meet with the rest of the guru-varga, where he offered daṇḍavat-praṇāma to each of them. Then they all went to Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s sleeping mandira together where they prepared the articles for morning sevā and kept them in the proper places. Śrīman Nityānanda Prabhu rose from bed, finished his morning duties and went with his companions to Mahāprabhu’s sleeping mandira. Śrī Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and the other bhaktas finished their morning duties and entered Mahāprabhu’s house, admiring its beauty.

The walls of Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s home are made of gold. It has four sides and four gates. Each gate is adorned with an arch, a fastening cord and flower garlands. Four broad walkways come from the four gates and meet in the middle. Beautiful bejeweled trees and creepers are planted on both sides of each walkway. On the eastern side is a beautifully ornate lion-gate. The pinnacle of the house is decorated with a golden waterpot, flags and pennants. The house contains thirty rooms divided into four groups. Śacī Mātā’s section consists of six rooms in the northeast corner. In the northeast corner of that section is a well room. To the south of that is Śrī Jagannātha Miśra’s room and to the west of that is Śacī Mātā’s room. To the west of that is the dressing room of the Three Prabhus. To the north of that is the Three Prabhus’ toothbrushing and bathing room and to the east of that is Īśāna Dāsa’s room. Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s section is comprised of twelve rooms in the southeast corner. His bedroom is in the northwest part of that section. To the south of that lies his dining room. To the south of that is the Nārāyaṇa Mandira. To the south of that is the gem repository. To the east of that is a candraśālā (a room atop the house). To the north of that is a dance hall, where Bhāgavata recitations, kīrtanas and so on take place. To the north of that is a room for sitting with friends. To the north of that is the yogapīṭha flower garden. To the east of that is an empty room where the bhaktas gather. To the south of that is a room for visitors. To the south of that is a room for the servants and to the south of that a room containing a well. Viṣṇupriyā Devī’s section consists of eight rooms in the southwest corner. In the northeast part of that is the dining room for Śacī Mātā, Sītā Devī, Mālinī and so on. To the south of that is Viṣṇupriyā’s sitting room and to the south of that is her kitchen. To the west of that is her gem repository. To the north of that is a room for her maidservants. To the north of that is Viṣṇupriyā’s bedroom and to the north of that is a room containing a well, a pool, platforms for bathing, dressing and decorating, a pavilion and a six-season garden. Śrī Lakṣmīpriyā’s section consists of four rooms in the northwest corner. In the northeast part of that is her gem repository. To the south of that is her sitting room. To the west of that is her bedroom and to the north of that is a room for her maidservants.