Sri Sri Navadvip Bhava Taranga - part 2

Sri Sri Navadvip Bhava Taranga
by Bhaktivinode Thakur

In the middle of the eight islands, which are the eight petals of the lotus, is the supreme island called Antardvipa, and in the centre of that dvipa rests Mayapur, appearance place of the Lord on earth. Upon seeing that, I shall achieve overwhelming bliss. The Vedas sing of the transcendental place called Brahmapura. When my eyes are free from illusion, I shall see that place as identical with Sree Mayapura. It is in this place the supreme Gokula or Mahavana of Vraja, that the son of Saci performed His eternal pastimes.

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Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessing of immortality.

~Sri Ishopanishad, Mantra Eleven

Some neophytes on the spiritual path may fall into the illusion that taking care of the body is somehow evil, or a sign of spiritual backwardness. Not only may they neglect the needs of the body, but they may go out of their way to actually damage the body. Such people actually hate the body. They see it as a source of misery, and thus they take out their anger on it. This is certainly a mistake.

Science of Identity Foundation - Siddhaswarupananda

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What was the abode of Gopas & Gopis(vaisyas)in Vraja has become the abode of brahmin families in Navadvipa Dham. In the centre of Mayapur exist eternally the dwelling of brahmin Jagannath Misra, the supreme purifying agent. "Though eyes affected by material illusion will see there only a small house, some earth, water and a few articles, if maya becomes merciful and lifts her covering, one will see the vast spiritual dwelling where Sri Gauranga is served by His eternal mother, father and countless servants, all incessantly mad with love. There Laksmipriya and Visnupriya , eternally serve the Lord`s lotus feet, Sri Gauranga, embodying the whole Panca Tattva in His wonderful body. Sri Nityananda & Sri Advaita, Gadadhara & Srivasa, and innumerable devotees have their individual places in Mayapura. Everywhere are the houses of the Vaisnavas. O Mayapur, please be merciful to me.

To the south west, the Ganga or Yamuna, twisting like serpent, for her own benefit comes to serve Gaura, the jewel of twice-born. Upon her banks are many ghats, temples, the images of Praudha Maya & Vrddha Siva, and multitude of groves. Throughout Mayapur are scattered countless houses of brahmins, wide roadways, courtyards woods and temples. In the south-east, on the bank of the Sarasvati river is the eternal area known as Isodyana, the garden of the Lord.

Sri Sri Navadvip Bhava Taranga - part 1

Sri Sri Navadvip Bhava Taranga
by Bhaktivinode Thakur

May the Dham of Sri Navadvipa, measuring sixteen krosas in circumference, which is the crest jewel of all holy places and the resting place of all demigods, rsis & the Vedas, and which is the principle manifestation of the Lord`s sandhini potency, eternal existence upon which His cit & ananda potencies reside, become visible to my eyes.

May my eyes see the sixteen krosas of Vrindavan within Mathura-mandala as identical with Navadvipa within Gaura-mandala. These Dhams are but manifestations of one principle which is infinite & purely spiritual, and which, only for differing pastimes of the Lord, has taken the form of two abodes. By that one inconceivable potency (acintya sakti), infinite and spiritual, the Lord has brought these two Dhams into the material world, in order to liberate the living entities dwelling here. This is simply the mercy of Sri Krishna. May the maya-bound men see this Vrindavan & Navadvipa Dham.

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However, neither the Sri Ishopanishad nor any other Vedic literature recommends that we neglect bodily needs. Bhagavad-gita states:
There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.

~Bhagavad-gita 6:16

Science of Identity Foundation - Siddhaswarupananda

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Only by attaining proper qualification can the senses of the living entities taste the spiritual nec-tar of these Dhams. Unqualified, material senses instead of tasting sweet nectar, scornfully deride these places as trifling bits of dull matter. Since the cause of qualification is Krishna Himself, coming through the mercy of the devotees, the living entities should seek out the association of pure devotees of the Lord. One cannot attain proper qualifications by following the paths of jnana and karma. Only by means of devotional faith, and by the association of the devotees of the Lord, can one overcome the poison of the material world. The very moment when the senses of the living entity give up material illusion, his eyes will see the splendour of the spiritual Dham.

Oh, when will I attain that state? When will I see Sri Navadvipa Dham, transcsending the bounds of material existence? More cooling then the illumination of ten million moons, more effulgent than the brilliance of ten million suns, when will that Dham appear before my eyes?

SRI SRI NAVADVIP BHAVA TARANGA - Introduction

Bhaktivinode Thakur’s
Bengali Verses
(1899)

TRANSCENDENTAL POETRY REVEALED THROUGH THE SPIRITUAL EYES OF BHAKTIVINODE THAKUR

About author:

Bhaktivinode Thakur

The intimate student of Srila Jagannath das Babaji and the spiritual master of Srila Gaurkisor das Babaji, Bhaktivinode Thakur was the pioneer of the program to inundate the entire world with Vedic wisdom.

If we look back one century we would find Vaishnavism, with its pure origin in the deep and majestic spiritual philosophy of Lord Chaitanya, in a degraded condition. It was the spiritual attempts and divine writings of Bhaktivinode Thakur that turned the scale and led the intelligent and educated community to follow the noble precepts and teachings of Lord Chaitanya and inspired a program to spread the teachings of Lord Chaitanya to every town of the world.