By Deena Bandhu dasa
Taking advantage of the Vrindavan Kumbha Mela on 20th March, Jankinatha Prabhu organized a Sadhu Sammelan in Krishna Balaram Mandir on the topic of the 500th anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Sannyas. The courtyard of Krishna Balaram Temple was decorated very nicely and Srila Prabhupada was placed on a Vyasasana on one side of the courtyard. As all the Sadhus arrived, the first of all offered a garland to Srila Prabhupada. Then our new Temple President Panca Gauda Prabhu, Deena Bandhu, and other devotees welcomed each Sadhu with garland, a beautifully decorated basket of fruits, a white woolen chadar, and a copy of Lokanatha Maharja’s new book on Kumbha Mela.
Actually it was meant to be two days, but the first day was cancelled due to the fact that Sri Rajendraji Maharaja and other Sadhus met with an accident coming from Jaipur the day before. By Lord’s grace, none of them were seriously injured. Still, Sri Rajendraji Maharaja has so much regard for Srila Prabhupada, he came on the second day anyway despite some physical discomfort.
After welcoming all the saints, Jankinath Prabhu invited some young students from the Bhaktivedanta International School to chant Mangalacaran. It was such a divine pleasure to hear their sweet innocent voices intoning all the mantras.
Then Jankinath invited Sri Rajendraji Maharaja to be the first speaker so that he could leave early to take rest. In the Ramananda Sampradaya, he is a Mahamandaleshwar and the Malkoot Pitadishwar. First he quoted a few verses from Bhagavad-Gita regarding sannyas and spoke that one type of sannyas is karma sannyas. Then Shankaracharya has given jnana sannyas. But Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given Prem sannyas! To elaborate on prema, he cited and explained the final verse of Mahaprabhu’s Siksastakam. Finally he ended by glorifying how Srila Prabhupada has given that same prema to the whole world by distributing the Holy Names throughout the different countries on the earth.
Bhagavat Manishi, Mahamandaleshwar, Sri Jnananda Maharaja was the next speaker. Also citing the verses from Bhagavad-Gita concerning sannyas, he mentioned that sannyas does not mean doing no work. Even if someone is just resting, he’s doing something, resting. But sannyas means to offer everything for Lord’s service. He explained how Sriman Mahaprabhu went to Vrindavan through Jharikhand forest. There by his divine influence and his pure chanting of the Holy Names, the animals all gave up their enmity with one another and even Tiger and deer were embracing, snake and squirrel were embracing and all chanting the Holy Names. In the same way Sri Prabhupadaji has taken the Holy Names throughout the world and people are giving up their enmity with one another and dancing and chanting together.
Next Sri Nritya Gopalji Maharaja, President of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and Mani Ram Chawnee Ashram in Ayodhya addressed all the Vaisnavas. He started out by saying that when he arrived with Sri Rajendraji Maharaja, he pointed out to him how everyone here in the ISKCON temple has urdhva pundra tilaka, tulasi kanthi mala, tulasi japa mala in the hands, and dressed in dhoti and sari. He laughed and said, “We can’t even get our own disciples, and I’m talking about diksit disciples, to wear tilaka and kanthi mala. Here everyone, man, woman, child and all are doing this!” Then he quoted a verse discribing the laksana of a vaisnava, urdhva pundra tilaka, tulasi kanthi mala, tulasi japa mala, ect. He said it was a great pleasure to come here and get darshan of so many Vaisnavas.
After discussing sannyas, then he cited the trnada api sunicena verse and explained it in detail. He ended by saying that Vivekananda and others had gone to west and spoken but there was no result. But no one has done what Sri AC Bhaktivedanta Prabhupadaji has done to make westerners into real Vaisnavas. He exclaimed that he has great admiration in his heart for Srila Prabhupada. Later after the meeting, he promised to come on Vyasa Puja. “I must come! I very much appreciate the work of Sri Bhaktivedanta Prabhupadaji.”
Prem Das Shastriji from Surma Kunja here in Vrindavan, a very learned and respected scholar among Gaudiya Vaisnavas dipped us all in the ocean of transcendental bliss by his charming narration of Mahaprabhu’s sannyas lila. He told how Mahaprabhu demonstrated renunciation. Those things that attract the people of the world were rejected by Mahaprabhu. Those things that were rejected by the people of this world, Mahaprabhu relished those things. Everyone in the world makes a big house to stay in, but Mahaprabhu stayed in a tiny room in Gambhira where a second person could not stay. Jagadananda gave him chandan oil and he rejected it causing Jagadananda to break the pot in anger. Then devotees were worried about him sleeping on the floor so they took banana barka and shredded and dried it and put it into simple cloth. The world would reject such a thing, but Mahaprabhu accepted! Finally he glorified how Srila Prabhupada spread Mahaprabhu’s teaching throughout the world.
Then Devamrita Prabhu spoke from IKSCON’s side as most of our leaders were in Mayapur and unable to attend. He gave a very learned discourse on the signficance of the krsna varnam tvisa krsnam verse from 11th Canto, that enlivened all the devotees.
At the end, ex-MLS and Rasalilacharya Sri Swami Ramswaroop Sharmaji spoke. He said that actually he was not a speaker as his main service is doing Rasa Lila. He explained that now he’s come to his last days, so he just wanted to make a petition to us to save the forests of Vraja. He remembered that he had done a Lila in Uddhava Khyari, Nandagram many years ago and it was filled with Kadamba trees. Someone had made cassette recording and when they played it back, they could hear the breeze in the Kadamba trees singing the song that he sang! Now there is not one Kadamba there. So these are my last days and I wish I could do something, but I know that ISKCON if they want, they can save the forests of Braja. He remembered Srila Prabhupada and how he encouraged Kashi Ram Seth to donate the land where now the Krishna Balaram Temple is situated. Now such a glorious temple is here, but please save the forests of Braja.
At the end there was a grand feast for all. The Sadhus had insisted on using only pure cow ghee, so at great expense, Jankinath procured some from the villages. The taste was out of this world!
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s 500th Sannyas Anniversary ki jaya! Srila Prabhupda ki jaya! Ananta koti vaisnava vrinda ki jaya!
1. Srila Prabhupada
2. Sri Nritya Gopalji Maharaja
3. Sri Rajendraji Maharaja and Sri Nritya Gopalji Maharaja
4. Students chanting Manglacaran More picture can be seen on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/album.php? aid=202377&id=787814837