Saturday, November 11, 2023

Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 31

Navadvīpa: Yogapīṭha—Meeting and Sevā 

In Navadvīpa, Śrīman Mahāprabhu was absorbed in bhāva with his companions on the terrace outside his bedroom. Due to the fragrance of the flowers and the buzzing of the bees, he roared with a gar gar sound, causing everyone to return to external consciousness and conclude their singing. Mahāprabhu then went to stand in the center of the yogapīṭha, still in half-external consciousness. The bhaktas also stood in the appropriate places in the yogapīṭha. The sādhaka-dāsa stood on the left of Śrī Gurudeva and began to gaze at the beauty of Śrīman Mahāprabhu and his companions. The jeweled yogapīṭha-mandira is in the middle of Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s residence. Its pinnacle is decorated with a pot studded with multicolored gems. The inside of the mandira is adorned with sapphires and the roof is covered with beautiful pearl-studded gold. There is a door on each of its four sides and each door is decorated with eight panels inlaid with eight jewels. The inside is beautified by a colorful canopy with ruby and moonstone fringe. Within the mandira there is a tortoise-shaped yogapīṭha lotus bearing a yantra with the six-syllable gaura-mantra(1) made of gem-studded gold. Though brighter than countless suns, the yogapīṭha lotus is cooler than countless moons. In the pericarp of the yogapīṭha lotus there is a jeweled throne. The lower part on both sides of the throne is decorated with rubies, the support post with sapphires and the backrest with lapis lazuli. The throne’s soft cushions and moonlike back and side pillows are exquisite. 

Śrī Gauracandra sat on the throne in the bhāva of Śrī Yugala-Kiśora. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu stood on his right in the bhāva of Śrī Anaṅga Mañjarī and Śrī Advaita Prabhu stood in front in the bhāva of Śrī Viśākhā Sakhī. Śrī Gadādhara stood on Gauracandra’s left in the bhāva of Śrī Rādhā offering tāmbūla, and Śrīvāsa stood on Gadādhara’s left and in front of Gauracandra in the bhāva of a mañjarī. Then, the eight mahāntas headed by Svarūpa stood on the eight petals of the yogapīṭha in the bhāvas of the eight sakhīs headed by Lalitā. Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara stood on the northern petal, with Śrī Rāma Rāya on the northeastern, Govindānanda Ṭhākura on the eastern, Vasu Rāmānanda on the southeastern, Śivānanda Sena on the southern, Govinda Ghoṣa on the southwestern, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita on the western and Vāsudeva Ghoṣa on the northwestern petal. As for the secondary petals, Śrī Jāhnavā Ṭhākurāṇī stood on the northern petal, Śrī Govinda Kavirāja on the northeastern, Karṇapūra Kavirāja on the eastern, Nṛsiṁha Kavirāja on the southeastern, Bhagavān Kavirāja on the southern, Ballavīkānta Kavirāja on the southwestern, Gopīramaṇa Kavirāja on the western and Gokula Kavirāja on the northwestern petal, all in sakhī-bhāva.

The eight gosvāmīs stood on the filaments of the lotus in the moods of Śrī Rūpa and the rest of the eight mañjarīs. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī stood on the northern side, Lokanātha Gosvāmī on the northeastern, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī on the eastern, Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī on the southeastern, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī on the southern, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī on the southwestern, Sanātana Gosvāmī on the western and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja on the northwestern side. Four gatekeepers stood at the four gates: Kāśīśvara Paṇḍita stood at the northern gate, Mukunda Ṭhākura at the eastern, Śivānanda Cakravartī at the southern and Śrīrāma Paṇḍita at the western gate. The gurus in Śrī Jāhnavā’s group stood around her on her petal and the sādhaka-dāsa stood there behind his gurudeva.


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1. klīṁ gaurāya svāhā


  


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