By Bhakti Raghava Swami
IDVM – First Varnasrama Regional Office in Sri Mayapur
On Thursday, January 20, 2011, the ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (IDVM) for India opened its first Regional Office in Sri Dham Mayapur during an official inauguration ceremony attended by a small group of devotees. Located in Room 137 of the Chakra Building, the ministry office will initially service the Eastern Division of ISKCON India and will be overseen by HG Prabhu Nityananda, assisted by Sudama Sakha prabhu from South America.
Present for the inauguration were H. H. Chandramauli Maharaja (visiting sannyasi in Sri Mayapur), HG Pankajanghri prabhu (Head Pujari involved in developing the Mayapur Deity Worship Course), H. G. Samba prabhu (Coordinator for both the Mayapur Master Plan and the Mayapur Varnasrama College) and his wife Saci devi (Teacher in Sri Dham Mayapur), HG Prabhu Nityananda
(Overseeing Varnasrama Ministry activities in W. Bengal), HG Sudama Sakha prabhu (Manager for Varnasrama Regional Office), HG Janudvipa prabhu
(Student at gurukula), HG Kala Kanta prabhu (Pursuing post graduate studies in traditional agriculture) , HG Sri Jiva prabhu (Student enrolled in the Deity Worship Course) and Bhakta Morton (Coordinator for the inauguration).
At the beginning of the ceremony, the devotees present chanted some bhajans which were followed by HG Samba prabhu who spoke on the importance of the varnasrama mission. A letter from the ministry’s national office written by the national minister, HH Bhakti Raghava Swami, was also distributed to those present. At the close of the ceremony, prasadam was distributed to the attendees and to some of the pilgrims in the Dhama. The Mayapur TV was on hand to Video the event which was also televised live. Below is the letter sent from the ministry.
January 20, 2011
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTRY on the occasion of the opening of the Daiva Varnasrama Ministry Mayapur Regional Office.
Dear devotees in attendance,
Om Surabhyai namah! Om Sri Gurave namah!
Please accept the blessings of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Sri Sri Radha-Madhava. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
On the auspicious occasion of the opening of the Daiva Varnasrama Ministry Regional Office in Sri Dham Mayapur, I would like to express my gratitude to the Mayapur administration, in particular to His Holiness Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja, for kindly alloting us some office space in Room 137 of the Chakra Building so that the work of the varnasrama ministry can be undertaken in Sri Dham Mayapur. We all know how important is Sri Dham Mayapur, being the birth place of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Yuga Avatara for this Age of Kali who has introduced the Yuga Dharma of the congregational chanting of the holy names. As the dreams of our previous acaryas become more manifest, Sri Dham Mayapur will attract more visitors and guests from all over the world who will become introduced to Srila Prabhupada’s vision of spreading Lord Caitanya’s preaching mission.
Many years ago, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, “the pioneer of the program to inundate the entire world with Krishna consciousness”, gave a number of important instructions to his son, Bimal Prasad, who later became Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakura Srila Prabhupada:
“O Sarasvati! People of this world who are proud of their own aristocratic birth cannot attain real aristocracy. Therefore they attack the pure Vaisnavas, saying, “They have taken birth in low-class families because of their sins.” Thus they commit offenses. The solution to this problem is to establish the order of daivi-varnasrama dharma – something you have started doing; you should know that to be the real service to the Vaisnavas. The real service to Sri Mayapur can be done by acquiring printing presses, distributing devotional books, and preaching congregational chantingi”
In this same letter to his son, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura also spoke of the importance to introduce the Gaura Mandala Parikrama, which our devotees are doing since many years now and he also spoke of the need to establish an educational institution, which is also becoming manifest through various schools, gurukulas, including the Mayapur Institute and more recently the Mayapur Varnasrama College.
Srila Prabhupada brilliantly captured and summarized the Thakura’s vision by identifying four main angas or “movements” which, if undertaken systematically, would ensure the spreading of Lord Caitanya’s mission. These Srila Prabhupada has referred to as “the four-fold Gandhi movements” which “if done in an organized, scientific wayiwill bring in that tranquility of peace respite of all harshness and bitterness of the present world which we have longed for till now” [Essay on Gita-nagari]. Srila Prabhupada coined these as 1) the Sankirtan Movement, promoting the chanting of the holy names and the distribution of transcendental literatures, 2) the Deity Worship Movement, promoting the construction of temples and installation of the arca-vigraha form of the Lord, 3) the Spiritual Initiation Movement, promoting congregational development such as Nama Hatta, Bhakti Vriksa, Youth preaching, etc., and lastly, 4) the Classless Society Movement, promoting the daiva varnasrama development based on land, cows and Krishna.
It is our great fortune to have such illustrious personalities as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who are showing the clear path of devotional service through these four distinct, yet intimately connected activities. All four are also directly linked to the four maxims of “Books are the Basis”, “Purity is the Force”, “Preaching is the Essence” and “Utility is the Principle”.
I seek the kind blessings of the assembled Vaisnavas so that the work of the varnasrama mission, the fourth wave, can be taken up as an integral part of a larger scheme given by our acaryas which, if properly adopted and enthusiastically received, will help fulfill the vision of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and help usher a new era of devotion around the world.
I wish to thank all those attending the inauguration of the Mayapur Regional Office for their kind presence and pray that Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Sri Sri Radha-Madhava may bless us in our humble efforts to please Guru and Gauranga. Krsne matir astu.
Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Bhakti Raghava Swami
National Minister/IDVM
MINISTRY HEADQUARTERS: SSKBK, Bangara Gudde, Hebri, Udupi District, PIN 576
112, Karnataka, India
E-mail: ministry@iskconvarnasrama.com * Web: www.iskconvarnasrama.com * Tel: +91 8253 253280
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
It is nice that this Daivi Varnashrama office has been opened in Sri Mayapura Dhama., by the grace of Sri-Sri Gour-Nitai and the dedication of HH Bhakti Raghava Swami.
It is also nice that the purpose has been underlined, as “promoting rural development”, as it seems to be the main present concern and target of this Indian based ministry for Varnashrama development…
Hence, since rural development may not be the only aspect of the Varnashrama system, at least people will know what to expect and will be able to understand that the current focus is on establishing a base with rural communities, centered around land, cows and brahmanas, with a moto “simple living and high thinking”…
Other aspects of establishing the Varnashrama may be addressed elsewhere, closer to the cities, and/or by other devotees, according to their guna karma, so as to be able to engage all class of men and cover all aspects of society…
So, let us pray that all blessings may be showered on this collective endeavor and aspire that we may hopefully be able to contribute somehow or other to its success…
Yours in the service of the Vaishnavas
Das dasanudasa
Puskaraksa das
A small but important correction. The article reads: “HG Pankajanghri prabhu (Head Pujari involved in developing the Mayapur Deity Worship Course)” as one of the guests attending the opening ceremony. I came to know only later that although a Pankajanghri prabhu did indeed attend, it was a different Pankajanghri prabhu, one who is a Bengali devotee connected with varnasrama preaching activities in W. Bengal. My apologies for any confusion created. Hare Krishna.