Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, Part 10
BY: SUN STAFF - 25.11 2024
Kurukshetra
Eighteen chapters describing a complete tour of the land of Navadvipa, as traversed by Lord Nityananda. Written by Thakur Bhaktivinoda in Bengali, 1890.
Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya
Parikrama-khanda
Chapter Ten
Description of Brahmana Pushkara, Sri Uccahatta, and the Sequence of Parikrama
All glories to Gauranga and Nityananda along with Advaita! All glories to Gadadhara and Srivasa Pandita! All glories to Navadvipa, the abode of pure bhakti! And all glories to the names of Gaura and Nityananda!
O souls of Kali-yuga, please listen. Give up karma and jshana, give up all dharmas and adharmas, and just worship Nitai and Caitanya, for They are oceans of mercy! They bountifully give out the bliss of Vrindavana-dhama.
When the darkness had lifted, Nityananda Raya took Jiva and continued on the pilgrimage. He explained as follows: "See this enchanting village. Now everyone calls this place Brahmanapura, but in the scriptures it is named Brahmana Pushkara. The mysteries of this place are very confidential.
In Satya-yuga, a brahmana named Divadasa gave up family life and went on pilgrimage. Pushkara-tirtha was very dear to him, but during his wandering he came to Navadvipa. While here, he dreamt that if he stayed he would receive a great treasure. The brahmana built his cottage and lived here till he became old. Though he wanted to see Pushkara, he found it impossible to move about. In this situation he began to weep, `Now I will never see Pushkara!'
The personality of Pushkara mercifully came before Divadasa in the form of a brahmana and said, `Do not cry. Before you is a splendid pond. Take bath there once, and you will see Pushkara before your eyes.'
The brahmana took his bath in the pond and received transcendental eyes to see Pushkara before him. The brahmana cried and said to Pushkara, 'I have given you so much trouble.'
Pushkara replied, 'Listen, fortunate brahmana. I am not coming from far off, for I am present here. This Navadvipa is the embodiment of all tirthas, which reside in and render service to Navadvipa. I have exhibited one form in the west, but I myself always reside here. The results one attains by bathing one hundred times there are achieved by one bath here. Therefore, whoever gives up Navadvipa with the desire to go to other holy places is a fool and a rascal. If one attains the fruit of traveling to all the holy places, then he may reside in Navadvipa. See that raised area that resembles a market. Kurukshetra and Brahmavarta are present there. Sarasvati and Drishadvati flow on its two sides. It is splendid and gives much punya.
'O brahmana, I will tell you a very secret thing. In a short time, there will be ecstasy given out here. Gauranga will appear at Mayapur in Sacidevi's house, and He will freely distribute prema. In all these places the Lord and His devotees will dance madly in the nectar of sankirtana. The Lord will perform kirtana along with the devotees of all the previous incarnations. The whole universe will be drowned in the flood of prema; other than the false logicians, everyone will receive that gift of love.
"O Divadasa, whoever lives in the dhama with firm faith will attain the feet of Gaura. Although the evil-minded may worship Krishna for millions of years, they will not get attraction for the holy name. But if one worships Gauranga, all one's wicked sentiments will be uprooted and very soon one will attain Radha and Krishna in Vrindavana. That person will attain his spiritual body and serve the divine couple in a secluded grove under the shelter of the sakhis. O brahmana, stay here and worship, then you will see Lord Gauranga with His associates.'
"Saying this, Pushkara Raja departed. Then a voice from the sky said, `The glorious age of Kali is coming. At that time you will again take birth and swim in the ocean of Gauranga's kirtana.' Hearing this, the brahmana was freed from anxiety and stayed on the shore of the pond worshiping the Lord."
While Sri Jiva was listening to this story, they entered Uccahatta in Kurukshetra. Sri Nityananda spoke again: "All the devas along with the tirthas came here to Kurukshetra. Whatever tirthas are in the region of Brahmavarta and Kurukshetra are all present here. Prithudaka and other holy places reside here and serve Navadvipa. The fruit attained by living in Kurukshetra for a hundred years is obtained by residing here for one night.
The devas came here and set up a market (hatta) for discussing Gauranga's pastimes. Therefore this place is called Hattasanga. By seeing this place, one will receive the ocean of prema. This is one boundary of Navadvipa. Now let us cross the Ganges."
As they crossed at noon, Nityananda Prabhu looked like the sun rising on the horizon of Koladvipa. While on the way to Kuliya Pahadapura, Nityananda Prabhu said to Jiva, "The order in which we have proceeded till now is the authorized order of parikrama with the best effect. When Sri Caitanya brought His associates to purify the Kazi with an evening kirtana contingent of fourteen mridangas, His starting point was Mayapur. Through the period of one night, which became one night of Brahma due to the sweet kirtana, Gauranga wandered through His land. After that, every Ekadasi tithi My Lord went on sankirtana, wandering over the sacred islands. Sometimes He wandered over the five krosas of Antardvipa, and sometimes, according to His desire, He wandered eight krosas.
"From His house, He went first to Barakona-ghata, then around Ballal-dighi, and then to Sridhara's house. From there, He would go to the edge of Antardvipa and thus easily complete a five krosa tour. From Simuliya, He would go to the Kazi's house. After talking to Sridhara, He would go to Gadigacha (Godruma), then Majida (Madhyadvipa). Crossing the Ganges at that point, on the other bank He would go up to Paradanga and Chinadanga, on the bank of the Ganges. Then crossing the Ganges again, He would return home, completing eight krosas.
"The complete parikrama is sixteen krosas, and if that is done, the Lord is pleased. This is the tour I am taking you on. There is no equal to this. Within this tour you will see all the twelve forests of Vrindavana which extend over sixteen krosas. This tour ends after nine nights and is thus called navaratra-parikrama in the scripture. One does the five krosa parikrama in one day, and the eight krosa parikrama is completed after three nights. The first night is spent in Mayapur, the second night in Godruma, and the third night at Pulina, the opposite bank of the Ganges."
Hearing this instruction on the method of parikrama, Jiva Mahasaya could not contain his love.
Desiring to attain the lotus feet of Nitai and Jahnava, this worthless pauper describes the glories of Nadia.