Mayapur Temple Darshan

At Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur's House

The kids cleaned the temple there.

About Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur:

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur appeared in 1838 in an aristrocratic family of Calcutta. Named Kedaranath, his youth was spent absorbed in studies. A prolific reader and writer, he authored many articles and poems in English. He entered the Hindu School as a student in the class in 1856 at the University of Calcutta, where he studied the philosophical works of Kant, Goethe, Hizel, Swedenburg, Schopenhuer, Hume, Voltaire and others. He later began to study the works of the Brahma movement, along with the Bible and other Christian books, debates between eastern and western thinkers, and the Koran. In his biography, he states that he preferred Christianity to Brahmoism because of Christianity's clarity as to the transcendence of the one Godhead.

He then moved to Orissa, and continued to write and publish various works. Becoming first a school teacher, and then a Deputy Magistrate at the age of 28. He later moved to Dinajpur where he was appointed Deputy Magistrate. There, he became familiar with Vaisnavism, which was supported under the patronage a great Zamindar of Dinajpur, who was the descendant of Ramananda Vasu, an ardent follower of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Absorbed in the Caitanya-caritamrita and the Bengali translation of the Bhagavata, he became seriously engaged in the study of Lord Caitanya's religion in the company of the Vaishnavas at Dinajpur. Continuing his study of comparative religions, he found Vaisnavism to be the perfect consummation of his own realizations.

He was next transferred to Champran, then moved his family to Puri, where his intense devotion to Sri Caitanya grew ever stronger. Along with Gopinatha Pandita, he studied the whole of the Bhagavata with commentary by Sridhara Swami. Two other pandits, who had studied the Nyaya and Vedanta in Navadvipa and Benares, joined him in studying Bhagavata. Kedaranath to learn Sanskrit grammar and literature, having begun these studies in Calcutta. He went on to study Jiva Goswami's Sadsandarbha, Baladeva Vidyabhusana's Govinda Bhasya, Prameyaratnavali, Rupa Goswami's Bhaktirasamrita Sindhu and Hari Bhaktikalpalatika, and other important Vaisnava literatures.

Having mastered the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, he wrote additional books in Sanskrit on Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy. While taking charge of the Jagannath temple and teaching the philosophy, he began the Vidvat Sabha society for promotion of Bhakti literature. Kedernath stayed in Puri for five years.

Thereafter he was posted to Bengal, and became known as a great Vaisnava Magistrate. Taking initiation, and strictly following the Vaisnava practices, he began the first Vaisnava newspaper. After three years, he began to travel to holy places, and met Jagannath dasa Babaji at Vrindavan. He continued to write, authored many important Vaisnava books over the years.

While staying at Krishnager, he had a vision of a luminous building that filled him with wonder. With old maps and records in hand, he explored it the next day, and discovered there the birthplace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, which was marked by a large mound covered in Tulasi plants. Shortly afterwards, he authored one of his most famous manuscripts, "Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya", which glories all the holy sites within the circle of Navadvipa.

Thakur Bhaktivinoda's contribution to Vaisnavism is unparalleled. His writings educated many in Bengal and elsewhere in the Vaisnava philosophy, and he established worship of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Mayapur, which continues as one of the most important sites for Vaisnavas today. Bhaktivinoda Thakur re-established the pure Vaisnava doctrine by expounding the teachings of Lord Caitanya, which had been lost or forgotten over time. Those purporting to be follows of Mahaprabhu had come to think that Smarta ritualistic practices aimed at sense enjoyment were actually devotional service. Srila Bhaktivinoda overturned these practices, along with voidism grown from Buddhism and Shankar's teachings.

Before disappearing from this world in 1914, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur had firmly re-established the mission of Lord Krsna Caitanya through the ongoing efforts of his son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, who was the second in this succession of three nitya-siddha, maha-bhagvata shaktaveysa avataras in the Gaudiya Sampradya.

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Sri Advaita Acarya's place of initiation

 Here Sri Advaita Acarya took initiation from Sri Madhavendra Puri. The place is called Shantipur

Here you can see he didn't have a beard because he was very young.

‘Story of Srila Advaita Acharya’ by HH Radhanath Swami

Creation of this universe starts with Brahma

The hard way but that is our choice. So when it is describe in the Bhagavat purana how the Lord creates this material world. Krishna personally has nothing to do with material existence, Krishna is Rasabihari, He is simply enjoying loving relations with the Brijwasi’s. Narayan of Vaikuntha He also has nothing to do with this material existence, He is simply enjoying with the goddess of fortune and the entire servant of the Lord. It is described that Krishna expands first as Lord Balaram who facilitates all the beautiful loving relationship of the spiritual abode, Balaram expands himself as quadruple expansions of Vasudeva, Anniruddha, Pradyumna and Shankarshan. Shankarshan and Vasudeva expand themselves as Narayana Vishnu and Anantaçeña and then Shankarshan again expands himself as Mahavishnu. Mahavishnu is the original source directly of material existence. It is explain Karanadakasayi Vishnu or Mahavishnu He lays in the causal ocean and what is the causal ocean, it is the ocean that is created by His own perspiration. While laying in the causal ocean, He is so big that when He exhales uncountable, innumerable universes emanate from the nostrils and the pores of His body like little bubbles and those universes are all floating in the causal ocean. Mahavishnu is the original of everything in material creation, He is the creator. From Mahavishnu He personally expands Himself to enter into each of this tiny little universes, in comparison to Him they are tiny. So you can understand how little and small we are, we that think this universe is very big, what is the difference between the Jiva Aatma and the Paramatma this is the just little sample of the difference. From Mahavishnu who is an only an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of Krishna this universe is tinier than a mustard seeds and for us with our big telescopes and all our space shuttles we cannot fathom the size of this universe. So Mahavishnu enters into each of these little universes as Garbhodakashayi Vishnu but then Mahavishnu after creating each universe and entering as Garbhodakashayi Vishnu with His eyes He glances at each universe and from His glance He impregnates it with all of the Jivaatma‘s that are to take birth according to their Karmic condition in each particular universe. In this sense the earth is like our mother and Mahavishnu is like the father who impregnates the mother with His glance and we are all born from that interaction. Garbhodakashayi lays and Lotus flower sprouts from His naval and upon that lotus flower the original living created being of each universe Lord Brahma is born. Lord Brahma is given the instruction to perform Tapasya and through Tapasya and devotion to the Lord he has given Darshan of the supreme Lord and the Lord reveals from within his heart the Vedic knowledge. In this way through Shabda Brahma tene brahma hådä ya ädi-kavaye, He makes Brahma the first spiritual master of each universe, how significant. The purpose of this material creation is to send us all back home back to Godhead and the first thing that’s created is Brahma and the first thing inspired within Brahma is the Vedic knowledge,

yajïa-çiñöäçinaù santo

mucyante sarva-kilbiñaiù

bhuïjate te tv aghaà päpä

ye pacanty ätma-käraëät

Human life is meant for Sacrifice,

saha-yajïäù prajäù såñövä

puroväca prajäpatiù

Krishna says at the beginning of creation that I have given the Vedic knowledge through Brahma and then after the Vedas are revealed Brahma begins the process of creation of all the planets and all the various species of life and of all the species of life Krishna is to be known that is the purpose of creation. There are four Yugas, according to the particular persons karmic condition Satya Yuga is for the very pious where practically everyone goes back to Godhead because they have such an inclination towards spiritual life, in Treta Yuga people become slightly become more degraded and in Dwapar Yuga half the population is God consciousness and half is degraded and for those living entities who have the worst possible Karma they take birth in Kali Yuga,

kaler doña-nidhe räjann

asti hy eko mahän guëaù

kértanäd eva kåñëasya

mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet

Kali Yuga is an ocean of faults; it’s the age of Quarrel, the age of hypocrisy, the iron age of irreligion. The age where religion become irreligion and irreligion becomes religion but it is explain in Srimad Bhagvatam that Kali Yuga is most blessed and most worshipable of all because in the age of Kali the supreme Lord incarnate in His most munificent and merciful of all incarnation to give everyone love of through the chanting of the holy names Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama, Rama Hare, Hare. Exactly how this come about that Lord appeared in this age of Kali to deliver this pure gift of Krishna prema so profusely indiscriminately to everyone not considering qualification or disqualification.

Advaita Acarya had wonderful association of Haridas Thakur

Today is the day when we honor that personality who has brought the descent of Lord Caitanya into this world Shri Advaita Acarya, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is Mahavishnu, He is the personality who created this entire cosmic manifestation and knowing the purpose of the cosmic manifestations to send everyone back to Godhead that same Mahavishnu incarnated within this material world slightly over five hundred years ago. He was born in a little village in Bengal called Navagram, his mother’s name was Näbhadevé and his name was Kuvera pandit. When he was just a small child he was given two names Kamaläkña and Advaita. It is said that immediately after his birth the first word that came out of his mouth were Shri Krishna Caitanya but nobody could understand this. Playing the role of an ordinary human being, when he was very young he received the sacred thread, when he was only about four years old his parents moved to Shantipur on the banks of the Ganges. His parents both left this world; they died when he was just a very young man. So after performing the Çraddhä ceremony in Gaya he decided to go and Tirth Yatra to visit the holy places through all of India. During his journey he met that great spiritual master Madhavendra puri and he accepted initiation from him.

The supreme absolute truth was playing the role of His own devotee and to reciprocate with the love of His devotees Madhavendra Puri, He became His disciple. Of course also to show the world that no one can make proper spiritual advancement without becoming the humble servant of a great devotee of the Lord, a Guru. He was always absorbed in hearing and chanting the glories of Lord Krishna, always absorbed in serving the devotees of Krishna and congregationally chanting with devotees the holy names Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama, Rama Hare, Hare. He became very dear loving friends with Shri Haridas Thakur. Advaita Acarya wanted to establish who is really a great personality. In those days in India and even still today there a very degraded, corrupt and pervaded conception of caste by birth of who is qualified and who is unqualified, in those days if an out caste sprinkle water from their pot on your head you would be excommunicated from the Hindu society for the rest of your life, you were never to allow to chant any mantras, you have to turn in your sacred thread, you will never allowed in temple, you are never allowed to perform any worship of the Lord that’s what it happen if simply one drop of water from an outcaste water pot came upon your body, what else. The Mleccha’s from other religions that came into India they would forcibly put meat in your mouth, by force and if that happen the Hindu society banished you forever. This is how the Hindus were converted to Islam and Christianity because the Shudra’s the untouchable the lower caste which is the majority they won’t allow to perform any religious activity because they were consider unclean contaminated, they won’t allow them in any temple. So these other religion came and said where you can worship in our temples so they converted. Anyways Advaita Acarya was born of the highest class of Brahman, when he performed Çraddhä ceremony to his father it is explained you have invite best Brahmins to come and the best of all the Brahmans you are supposed to give prasäda to first, who did he select Shri Haridas Thakur who is born in an untouchable family. Haridas Thakur said, why me I am not even allowed to enter into any Hindu’s temples, I am untouchable, why are you giving to me? Advaita Acarya explained to him because you are chanting the names of God and because you are a pure devotee of God, by giving you prasäda I am feeding millions and millions and millions of Brahmans. That one’s quality, one’s devotion are the only single thing to be considered, we are not concerned with whether one is man or a women, we are not concern whether one is a out caste or a in caste, we are not concern whether one is born of any country of any color skin. The Jiva soul is pure part of Krishna and any living being who is living according to the principles of Dharma and chanting the holy name is to respected and worshiped with all regard. So in this way Haridas Thakur and Advaita Acarya would spend their days blissfully dancing and chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama, Rama Hare, Hare.

Lord cannot denies the prayer of His pure devotees  

There were many devotees who took birth in Navadwip Dham and especially at the house of Srivas Thakur who is actually incarnation of Sri Narada Muni. There was always kirtan going on. Advaita Acarya built a little hut, a Kutir on the bank of the Ganges in Navadwip and there he would daily discussed the beautiful pastimes of Lord Krishna and the philosophy of Bhagavad Gita and along with Srivas and the other Vaishnav’s they would have wonderful Kirtan. But when they looked around them they could find no real peace of mind although within their own hearts there was always the upsurging of ecstatic love. A real Vaishnav finds the great grief in seeing the suffering of others and what is the greatest suffering when they see people wasting their valuable human lives in the pursuit of sense gratification without surrendering to Krishna. In those days Navadwip was consider the highest learning, it was the wealthy land, it was so much money, so much opulence, so much affluence but what were people doing with their lives they were worshiping Demi-gods simply for material benediction. They were worshiping snake God’s with all sorts superstitious purposes, they were worshiping the Yakshas by offering wines and meat, they were spending lavish amount of money for the weddings of sons and daughters. Even the great Pandits, the great so called Brahmans Mishra, Cakravarti, Bhattacharya they were explain all the scriptures according to Karma Kanda or Gyan Kanda or according to atheistic views with the aim of material enjoyment or impersonal conceptions, nowhere, anywhere was anyone discussing devotion.

The name of Krishna or Govinda would not come out of anyone‘s mouth. Seeing this, Vaishnav’s were plunged into an ocean of despair and they would chant the holy names pray to Lord Krishna please do something to save all of these people. They would kirtan in the house of Srivas Thakur especially to purify the atmosphere to give some sense of spirituality to these completely contaminated materialistic people and the people were so ungrateful they would think that why are they making all these noise, all these useless terrible  noise chanting the holy names of God, they are disturbing our sleep. Not only that but the Muslim Government that was then ruling Bengal if they hear them chanting the holy names of God they would come and torture our whole village. So they were thinking we should take the house of Srivas and we should uproot it and we should break into pieces and we should take it all these Vaishnav’s and throw it in the Ganges and let it flow downstream, this was the gratitude for the prayers and mercy of the devotees. Seeing this the leader of all the Vaishnav’s Shri Advaita Acarya, the man, the personality that created this entire cosmic manifestation seeing how his own creation was so radically opposed to Him and to chanting His names and to any chants of liberation from suffering He began to lament. He made a vow that I am Mahavishnu, I am the creator of this manifestation but Krishna is the source of everything, He is the source of Me and it is only if Krishna personally comes to this world is there any chance for this foolish people of Kali Yuga to attain the emancipation from suffering and love of God. So with this in mind a heart flooded with compassion Advaita Acarya began to fast and he made a vow that I will bring Krishna to this world and he began to worship the supreme Lord Krishna by offering Tulsi leave and Ganges water. One day while Advaita was reading the scriptures he heard a passage where the Supreme Personality of Godhead said that if one offers Me with love and devotion a little Ganges water and some Tulsi leaves I will fulfill all of their desire. So with Ganges water and Tulsi leaves Advaita Acarya was crying out with tears flowing profusely from his eyes Krishna, Krishna please come to this world and deliver these fallen souls you are their only hope. As he was appealing to the Lord with such devotion fervor, note how the supreme Lord takes the role of His own devotee. His voice penetrates all of the heavenly planets, penetrated the coverings of this material existence and entered right into the supreme abode of the Lord and on the basis of Shri Advaita Acarya heartfelt prayers the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna decided to appear within this world,

Pariträëäya sädhünäà

Vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm

Dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya

Sambhavämi yuge yuge

He came to annihilate the demoniac mentality, to protect the devotees and to reestablish the principles of religion and this was all served to the simple process through the chanting the holy names of the Lord. Naam Sankirtan destroys all the demons within our hearts, protects the pure natural original love of the devotees within the heart and reestablishes prema, the perfection of religion, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama, Rama Hare, Hare.

 Most inauspicious time became the auspicious time by the Lord’s advent  

On the pleas of Shri Advaita Acarya Lord Shri Krishna appeared as Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on the full moon night on the month of phalgun during the lunar eclipse. When He was Advaita Acarya, he was in Shantipur and he saw so many auspicious signs within the atmosphere and he felt such an upsurge of ecstasy within his heart that he and Haridas Thakur began to dance jubilantly knowing that the Lord had appeared. He immediately sent his wife Sita Thakurani and with all sorts of wonderful gifts to worship the Lord and blessed the Lord and Advaita himself came and when they saw this beautiful infant they could understand that the beautiful son of Nanda Maharaj has now appeared with the golden complexion to spread the glories of love of God in all direction. Shri Advaita Acarya his wonderful, wonderful and merciful contribution to all of our lives was how he was always revealing the glories of Lord Caitanya to the world to see. There are innumerable examples of which I will sight just a few. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was young, He was inducing everyone to chant the holy names in so many ways but later on He wanted to establish a very important religious principle because He too was playing the role of a devotee. He appeared to be a scholar of grammar and He didn’t manifest devotion or love until He met His spiritual master Ishvara Puri. The supreme Lord wanted to make this a known fact that no one can achieve the real love of God without humbly serving a proper spiritual master and associating with great devotees. So when He was in His teenage years He came back to Navadwip after visiting Gaya and He was immersed in chanting the holy names and He was manifesting the highest symptoms of pure bhakti. Shri Advaita Acarya one day he was in the house that he had in the bank of the Ganges and he was worshiping the supreme Lord Shaligram Shila, he was crying out the holy names of the Lord and Lord Caitanya and Gadhadar Pandit came to visit him. At that time when Lord Caitanya heard Advaita chanting the names of Krishna with such love and such intense devotion in ecstasy Lord Caitanya fell unconscious to hear His devotee chanting His names with such love. When He was unconscious Advaita he could understand that Lord Caitanya is supreme God Krishna and he began to worship Him, he began to chant the prayer

namo brahmaëya-deväya

go-brähmaëa-hitäya ca

jagad-dhitäya kåñëäya

govindäya namo namaù

As he was worshiping Him with the sixteen articles of Paraphernalia Lord Caitanya got up and seeing Advaita to be senior older man and a Godbrother of His own Guru Lord Caitanya touched the feet of Advaita and began to offer all respects to him but Advaita said it is too late I have already worshiped you, I know who you are, Haribol!

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealing His identity to Advaita Acarya  

On another occasion just after this Advaita Acarya decided I am going to reveal to the world who this Lord is, I am going to leave this place and go to Shantipur and if I actually had real devotion to the Lord then He will somehow other drag me back to Navadwip to be in His association again. So he went to Shantipur which is some miles away, today driving it’s about one and half hours but in those days it was walking. So one day Lord Caitanya He approach the brother of Srivas Pandit Rämäi and He told him that you go to Shantipur and you give this message to Advaita Acarya tell him that you have prayed and you have fasted to bring the Lord down, I have come as the fulfillment of your prayers and I want you to be here to worship Me, bring your wife to come and worship Me. So Rämäi went to Shantipur and he gave this message to Advaita and when Advaita and his family heard this message they began to weep tears of love, Advaita had a little so name Achyutananda who was hardly a baby but when he heard this message he was weeping and weeping ecstatic love and Sita Thakurani the wife of Advaita Acarya she was also weeping in love. They began to arrange all sorts of wonderful gifts to worship the Lord with according to the scriptures. But Advaita told Rämäi that I will go to Navadwip but I will not go to the place of Lord Caitanya, I will hide in Nanadanacarya’s and He is really the Supreme Personality of Godhead He will call for me there, don’t tell Him where I am. So Advaita Acarya went to Nanadanacrya’s house with his wife and they were hiding and Rämäi Pandit he arrived in Navadwip and at that time Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is in Srivas Thakur house and as soon as Rämäi entered Lord Caitanya who is sitting on the throne of Vishnu he again to call out, the name one name was Nada, He said I know that he has come, he is hiding in the house of Nandanacrya just to test Me, to see if I am the supreme super soul of all living beings. Tell him it is I and bring him here immediately and when Advaita Acarya got this news he immediately ran to the house of Srivas Thakur and he and his wife they offer their obeisances and they saw before the eyes the beautiful, beautiful golden form of Gauranga Mahaprabhu, He resplendent like millions and billions and trillions of sun casting the most merciful loving glances upon everyone. All of a sudden Advaita saw that Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in His original form and around Him was Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva and all the principles Demi-gods and with folded hands they were offering prayers to Him.

Then he saw literally hundreds and hundreds thousand of all various Demi-gods all offering prayers to the Lord and he saw goddess Ganga, the goddess of the river Ganga on a chariot she was worshiping the Lord and he saw the Nagas, big beautiful snakes with hundred thousands of hoods and all of their mouths were worshiping the Lord. He saw wonderful elephants and chariot of the Demi-gods and other great beings and they were all worshiping the Lord and in another direction he all the great saints and all the great sages and all the wives of the great saints and sages and they were all chanting the glories of the Lord. In this way the every direction the entire atmosphere was filed with celestial beings glorifying Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Upon seeing this Shri Advaita Acarya became so much overwhelmed with happiness, he began to glorify to the Lord, he bow down to the Lord and then he began to worshiped the Lord, he washed His lotus feet with scented water and then he took very fine oils and massaged the Lord’s feet, then he took Tulsi leaves and flowers and dipped them in sandalwood pulp. After properly worshiping the Lord with all the various ingredients of Puja, offering Aarti the Lord lifted His feet and placed them on Advaita Acarya’s head. When all the devotees saw these they all began to chant Hari Hari, Hari Hari, Hari Hari. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Advaita Acarya chant My names and dance and Shri Advaita Acarya began to dance and how beautifully he danced, so gracefully, so full of love with such divine humility that all the devotees were struck with wonder in ecstatic feelings to see the beauty of Lord Advaita’s dancing. After dancing very, very enthusiastically for a long time Shri Advaita Acarya like a very humble servant sat at the feet of Lord Caitanya and the Lord said, Advaita please ask Me for any boon, I will fulfill any desire you have. Advaita Acarya said my Lord all my desires are fulfilled, today you allowed me to dance for you, what else I could ask for in my life. You have appeared with this most beautiful form to me your Darshan, all my desires are fulfilled. But the Lord insist to asked for one boon and Advaita Acarya he said all right, you have come and by the chanting of the holy names you have delivered so many fortunate souls, my desire as at the most sinful, the lowest and the most wretched souls that you give them love of God by chanting your holy name. Let your holy name be resounding everywhere for the deliverance of everyone, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama, Rama Hare, Hare.

Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu said yes, on the basis of your request all living beings in this age of Kali Yuga will have the opportunity for the highest liberation for Krishna prema. Shri Advaita Acarya prabhu ki jai!

On another occasion Shri Advaita Acarya he was in the court yard of Srivas Thakur and there was kirtan going on and he was dancing very wonderfully. He was actually in the mood of Gopis that day and he was feeling very depressed in the ecstasy of separation from Krishna and he was dancing and dancing with such enthusiasm and such devotion that the devotees could not contain him, he was dancing for hours and hours and hours and all the other devotees were very exhausted and finally with great endeavor the devotees somehow got Advaita Acarya to sit quietly. Then Srivas Thakur and the other devotees decided to go take bath in Ganges and as they were gone Advaita Acarya began to dance again and he began rolling in the ground all alone. That time Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to the house of Srivas Thakur and He saw Advaita, at that he was sitting very silently and Lord Caitanya took him by the hand and brought him in the temple of Srivas. He said Advaita Acarya I want to make you happy, I want fulfill whatever desire you have, ask anything of Me. Advaita Acarya said, “I want to see what you showed Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra”. Suddenly right before Shri Advaita Acarya eyes he saw Kurukshetra Dham, he saw the Kuru army and Pandava army with millions of millions of soldiers on the chariots and horses and elephants. Between the two armies he saw a beautiful chariot and on that chariot Arjuna was standing with folded hands and Krishna was seated with four arms holding the conch shell and the lotus and the chakra and the club. From this beautiful four arms form of Shri Krishna who is standing with the beautiful blackish complexion and lotus eyes emanated the Viratarupa, the universal form. He saw all of the planets, the sun, the stars, all the oceans, all the mountains, all the devatas, all living beings, he saw this beautiful form. This awesome form that had millions of heads and millions of eyes and millions of mouths and from the mouth fire was coming out and all sinful materialistic beings and atheistic beings would being devoured by those mouths, those mouths which represents all mighty time which devours all people on the bodily materialistic concept of life. As Advaita Acarya saw this with folded palms, with great reverence he was bowing down and offering prayers, this immense manifestation. At that time Nityananda prabhu within his heart understood what was happening. So he came into the temple of Srivas and closes the door and he also saw this beautiful universal form of the Lord and he and Advaita both with great reverence offering prayers in ecstatic love, worshiping Him. Then Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu after giving this special Darshan He left and Advaita Acarya and Nityananda prabhu simply danced in ecstasy with one another. You see Shri Advaita Acarya he made his wonderful request to the Lord just so it would be recorded who Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is, what His power is, what His greatness is and what His mercy is. He wanted to reveal not for the Lord’s sake but for our sake, the opportunity that we have to take shelter of the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. What is His mercy? He has given us the ways and the means by which we can attain pure love of God in this age of Kali. Ultimately everything Advaita Acarya did was simply to reveal to the world the glories of the holy name of Krishna and to induce the fallen souls of this world to chant the holy names Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama, Rama Hare, Hare.

Advaita Acarya most merciful incarnation

So today on his appearance day such a very blessed and holy day we have the opportunity to express our gratitude to the Supreme Personality of Godhead who appeared in such a wonderful, wonderful way to reveal the glories of the holy name and the mercy of Lord Caitanya. What is the best way we can celebrate, what is the best way we can worship and give pleasure to Shri Advaita Acarya on this day by becoming pure devotees of the Lord, by accepting the mercy of Lord Caitanya that was his only desire that all living beings accept the mercy of Lord Caitanya. How do we do this by following his instruction, what is Advaita Acarya, what is Lord Caitanya, what is Krishna’s instruction they are all one person. Krishna, Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda, and Advaita Acarya they are the entire one supreme person who has so inconceivably and wonderfully divided into so many different forms and personalities just to spread their loves to us. Lord Caitanya taught by simply learning how to be humble and serve the Vaishnav’s, by taking the great interest to hear the glories of the Lord and to come together to honestly and sincerely chant the names of the Lord everyone can receive the supreme treasure of Krishna prema. So let us take this Krishna prema and let us give this Krishna prema, this is a life of a devotee, simply to take the mercy of the Lord by chanting His holy names and serving His devotees and giving that mercy to others by inspiring them to do the same. So at this time we would like to perform a beautiful Aarti ceremony for Shri Advaita Acarya and the Panca tattva,

Çré-kåñëa-caitanya prabhu nityänanda

Çré-advaita gadädhara çréväsädi-gaura-bhakta-vånda

Everyone please do not go, no one should go until after the Aarti and after prasäda that is my humble request because after all losing a little sleep on special days like this is actually necessary for our spiritual purification. So everyone please rise.

Thank you very much!

Dr. Murari Gupta's House

Gurudev at Dr Murari Gupta house with the  Rama Sita deities. The temple was established by Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

From HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj's lecture:

Hanumanji as, Murari Gupta in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes

When Nimai, Lord Caitanya as a child who was playing his pastimes as a student Murari Gupta was one of his classmates and Murari Gupta was very much concern with talking about Lord Rama, Lord Krishna but Nimai was always be challenging people with grammatical puzzles. The devotees wanted to run away because they didn’t wanted to talk about all these material things but at same time Nimai was so beautiful, because he was actually Rama himself. Murari couldn’t give up his association but Murari Gupta was such a scholar they would debate, Lord Caitanya would debate with him back and forth, back and forth and Lord Caitanya would sometime defeat him, then he would say Murari go home do your studies come back and I have more questions for you tomorrow. Then Lord Caitanya touched Murari Gupta and with that touch his heart literally exploded with ecstatic love, his entire body was thrilled, was trembling in Divine ecstasy, tears pouring from his eyes, his hairs were standing on end and he was thinking this Nimai is not ordinary child. Just by his touch such potency to awaken love. Now when Lord Caitanya returned from Gaya and revealed himself as a greatest of all devotees Murari Gupta was his constant associate and friend.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s benediction to Murari Gupta during the Mahäprakäça Lila

During the Mahäprakäça Lila, Lord Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was fulfilling all the desires of all the devotees. He called Murari Gupta and he said Murari look and see me and suddenly Lord Caitanya transformed and revealed the Darshan he became Lord Rama with a complexion like Durba grass holding a golden bow and by one side was Sita and on the other side was Laxman and there were thousands and thousands of monkey soldiers all with folded palms offering prayers. Then Murari Gupta looked down at himself and happens to see that he had tail, he had become a monkey and he fell unconscious. Then Lord Caitanya called out Hanuman, hanuman don’t you see that Ravana, what he has done? Go and give my message to Sita, immediately Murari Gupta got up in the mood of Hanuman ready to serve. He said Laxman don’t you remember, don’t you remember who you are? He said, look at Laxman for his sake you lifted entire Gandhamadana Mountain and flew thousands of miles with it. Look at Sita seeing her Dilemma in the clutches of Ravana you shed a shore less ocean of tears of love for her. Now I am reminding you, “I am Rama and you are Hanuman.  Then he asked Murari Gupta I will give you any benediction you like, whatever you ask. In the spirit of Hanuman, Murari Gupta only asks for one benediction. He said I am very low, I am very fallen, I am very undeserving but if you want to give me a benediction, just bless me with this that in every birth I may take, allow me to be in the association of your devotees. Whoever considers you their master and they is your servant let me be the servant of the servant of such servants of yours. That was his only desire, to be the servant of the servant of the Lord’s devotees.

Murari Gupta love for Lord Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Today is the disappearances day of Murari Gupta, one day Murari was thinking of the various incarnations of the Lord. How Lord Rama, how he toward the end of his Lila, it will take too long to discuss this details but he was thinking that if Lord Caitanya leave’s it will unbearable to live, I don’t want to see this final pastime of Lord Caitanya. Therefore, before he leaves I will end my own life. So he got a really sharp knife specially for cutting conch shell and he was planning for actually end his life with it. But Lord Caitanya knows everything he is within the heart of all living beings. One day he came, on that very day he came to Murari Gupta’s house and said Murari are you my servant, Murari said yes I am your servant. So you will do anything I ask you, anything you ask I am yours. He said, give me that knife. Murari said, what knife, who told you about a knife there is no knife. He said I know that knife that you want to kill yourself with. He said my lord I can’t bare the idea of your living me and Lord said but I cannot bear that you leave me. So Lord Caitanya went right into his house and knew exactly where the knife was hidden and he took it. Then Lord Caitanya told him that I cannot live without my devotees, you are the pleasure and joy of my life is to be like with devotees like you. In this way the inconceivable, mysterious nature of love between the Lord for the devotees and the devotees for the Lord, this is how the month of Kartik begins.

More glories of Dr. Murari Gupta from HG Nandanandana dasa's blog:

 Sri Murari Gupta, a disciple of Sri Candrasekhara Acarya, possessed extraordinary humility. He had an intimate lifelong relationship with Lord Caitanya. Although senior in class, Murari would always lose in debates with Sri Nimai Pandit. During one heated argument they began pushing each other. The scuffle con­tinued into the Ganges. They stirred up so much mud that ladies couldn't fill their pots and brahmanas couldn't bathe properly.

    At the nightly kirtans in Srivasa Angam Murari Gupta pleased Gaurahari with melodious chanting of the Bhagavata. He would also sing and dance expertly. Murari Gupta served Sri Caitanya in all His Nadia lilas.

    Lord Caitanya once tested Murari Gupta's attachment to his worshipable Lord Ramacandra. Lord Gaurasundara preached to Murari about the supreme sweetness and position of Vrajendra-kumara (Krishna): "Murari, just worship Krishnaand take shelter of Him. Nothing but His service can satisfy the mind." Although Murari Gupta became somewhat inclined toward Sri Krishna, the thought of losing Lord Ramacandra's association devastated him. That night he prayed to Lord Rama to take his life. He asked for this because he couldn't stop serving Rama, nor could he defy Sri Caitanya's request.

    After crying all night Murari approached Lord Caitanya and said: "What should I do? I've sold my head to the lotus feet of Lord Ramacandra. But if I break Your order to worship Lord Sri Krishna, then what can I do?"

    Smiling, Sri Gaura Raya replied, "All glories to Murari Gupta! You're so fixed in your worship that even My request couldn't turn your mind. This is exactly the type of love and affection the servitor must have for the lotus feet of the Lord. Even if the Lord wants separation, a devotee cannot abandon the shelter of His lotus feet. Just to test your firm faith in your Lord I repeatedly asked you to change your worship from Lord Rama to Lord Krishna."

    Congratulating Murari Gupta, the Lord continued, "You are the incarnation of Hanuman, the eternal servant of Lord Rama. Therefore, why should you give up your worship of Lord Rama?"

    At another time, Lord Caitanya showed His form as Lord Ramacandra with Janaki, Laksmana, and a host of monkeys recit­ing hymns and prayers. Seeing himself amongst those monkeys in his original form as Hanuman, Murari Gupta fainted. In Katva, when Lord Caitanya took sannyasa Murari stood by weeping like a child. And when Sriman Mahaprabhu moved to Jagannatha Puri, Murari and his wife would come every year to relish the Lord's company.

    Since he was born in a dynasty of AyurVedic doctors Murari Gupta practiced medicine. But his practice was unique in that he cured his patient's physical ailments and also freed them from the disease of material existence. He wrote the first biography of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, an important Sanskrit work entitled Sri Caitanya Carita Mahakavya.

More Information

"An expert physician by the name Murari Gupta could cure people of their disease of material existence. Along with so many other Vaisnavas, Advaita Acarya, Sen Sivananda, Jagannath Misra, Nilambar Cakravarti, he also appeared in Sylhet. [C. B. Adi 2.35]

Srivas Pandit, Candrasekhara Acarya and Sri Murari Gupta Thakur were all from Srihatta. Murari Gupta came from there to live in Navadwip, near the home of Jagannath Misra. He was a few years older than Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Murari Gupta, Kamalakanta, Sri Krsnananda, etc. all used to study together with Nimai Pandit. Nimai used to like a debate in disputations on logical fallacy but none could defeat him; rather he could defeat all of them put together. Finally being exasperated by his uncanny sharpness of intelligence, Murari Gupta would resort to slinging mood, until finally they were all pushing one another back and forth as they came to the Ganges to take their bath.

There arose such a hue and cry at the ghat that the ladies couldn't fill their water pots, the water having become so muddy. Neither the brahmanas could properly take their bath. In this way Sri Gaurasundara would play with His friends on the banks of the Ganges. [C. B. Adi 8]

When they entered the school of Ganga Das Pandit, Nimai immediately became first in the class, having attained the highest marks. Then all of the other students were forced to accept defeat. Murari Gupta however would neither accept defeat, nor would he engage in local debate. Therefore Nimai became angry and told him; "You are a doctor; what is the use of you studying these subjects? Your business is to collect leaves & creepers to heal the sick. Grammatical science is very abstruse, you won't find anything in it to help you in dealing with mucus, bila and dyspepsia."

Hearing this challenge, Murari was pricked, and became angry within, but he didn't exhibit his anger. He simply gazed peacefully at Nimai. Nimai's divine form was so enchanting and the touch of his lotus soft hands so pacifying that no one became agitated by his dealings. At that time, Nimai had just began his studies in grammar. Therefore Murari began to discuss rhetoric with Him, but he still could not defeat him. Completely astonished, he thought to himself, "Is it possible that such scholarship is found in ordinary mortals? He must be some kind of divine personage. Not one student in Navadwip has been able to defeat him in argument." In this way they used to sometimes argue together but they would go together in a friendly mood to take bath in mother Ganges.

When Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya and began to manifest symptoms of ecstatic love, Murari Gupta became intensely devoted to Him. When he saw Mahaprabhu crying in ecstatic love at the house of Suklambar Pandit he became struck with

wonder.

Sri Murari Gupta used to worship Sri Sri Sita Ram. One day, Mahaprabhu suddenly arrived in Murari Gupta's house. Roaring in the mood of Varahadeva he picked up a water pot in His teeth, while Murari Gupta fell down on the floor to offer his dandavats, being dumbstruck with wonder at having seen this divine form. Then Mahaprabhu said; "Murari! Just sing some hymns in my praise." Then Murari recited some slokas at which Mahaprabhu became very happy and thus addressed him, "Murari! I am just speaking this truth to you. I am the essence of all scriptures. I have come to engage in Harinam sankirtan Myself, as well as to induce others also to chant My Holy Names. I cannot tolerate malice towards my devotee. If someone tries to harm my devotee, even if he is my son I will tear off his head. The proof of this is Narakasur." After telling Murari so many secret things about Himself, Mahaprabhu returned home.

During the time when Mahaprabhu exhibited for 21 hours His transcendental existence as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He was calling His various devotees and bestowing various blessings to them. He next called Murari: "Murari! For so many days you couldn't recognize who I am? Just see My divine form." Then Murari saw Mahaprabhu as His most worshipable Deity, Lord Raghunatha, His body the colour of green grass. Sitting in the virasana, his legs folded beneath His body, and holding a great bow in His hand, Lakshman and Janaki were seated on each side of Him. In all directions the chiefs of the monkeys were reciting prayers and hymns. Then when he saw himself amongst those monkeys in his original form, he fainted straight away. Mahaprabhu called him: "Murari! Get up! Just see My divine form. Have you forgotten who set Ravana's

Lanka on fire? It was you, Hanuman! Get up and gaze on the form of Laksmana, who is the very embodiment of your life. Offer your obeisances to that one for whose sadness you cried so much (Sita devi)."

Hearing Mahaprabhu's voice Murari regained his consciousness and seeing that form again he offered his dandavats again while crying in ecstatic love. Seeing this divine display of the Lord's infinite mercy towards Murari, the devotees filled the sky with the sounds of "Hari! Hari!"

One evening, Mahaprabhu & Nityananda Prabhu were sitting in the courtyard of Srivas Pandit when Murari Gupta arrived there. First he offered his obeisances to Mahaprabhu and then to Nityananda Prabhu.

Mahaprabhu told him: "Murari! You have made a mistake. You offered your obeisances in the opposite order."

Murari: "Prabhu! As you have inspired me, so I have done."

Mahaprabhu: "All right. Go home now and later you will be able to understand everything."

Murari Gupta went to his house and after having his meal, lay down to take rest. That night he saw a dream. In his dream he saw the chief of the Mahabhagavat; Lord Nityananda, his cloth tied up behind in the fashion of a wrestler, proceeding in front. Above his head was a great, many-headed serpent. In his hands were a plow and club. Nityananda Prabhu appeared just as Balaram. Following behind, with a peacock feather on his head, was Sri Visvambhar. [C. B. Mad. 20.14]

Lord Nityananda is none other than Haladhar, the manifestation of Anantadeva, and the greatest devotee. Now Murari could understand who is greater.

Mahaprabhu, smiling sweetly called him, "Murari! Now have you understood? If you breach proper conduct then how will it look?" Murari Gupta, in the depth of his dream began to call out "Nityananda! Nityananda!" with tears in his eyes. His wife then called out "Krsna! Krsna!" and woke him up. Murari Gupta could understand the greatness of Nityananda Prabhu's position now. It is he who reveals Lord Gauranga. Without his mercy one cannot get the mercy of Lord Caitanya.

On another day, Murari Gupta came to Srivas's courtyard and saw Mahaprabhu seated very regally on a decorated sitting place, being served by his various devotees. Gadadhar was offering pan and betel nuts which Mahaprabhu was chewing very happily, while Narahari was fanning Him with a camara. Murari Gupta offered his obeisances and Prabhu offered him some of the remnants of the chewed betel. Murari placed the betel in his mouth and then wiped his hand on his head. Mahaprabhu told him: "Murari! My offal has touched your body!" Murari replied, "Today my entire body has become purified." The prasadam of the Lord is completely nonmaterial. His self, His name, His prasadam, all are not different. If anyone thinks that His prasadam has become offal, by being in contact with His mouth then this is a great aparadh. The mouths of ordinary human beings are considered unclean but this doesn't apply to the supremely pure Personality of Godhead.

Having received the tambula (pan and betel) prasadam of Mahaprabhu, Murari became intoxicated with love of Godhead and arrived at his house in this condition. His devoted wife, seeing that her husband had returned home, spread an asana and having seated him, she brought a plate of prasadam and placed it before him. Murari, who was still in an ecstatic mood, was forming the rice in his hand into balls and saying "Eat! Eat!" He was then placing it on the ground. His wife could understand what was going on and thus she requested her husband, "Swamin! That is enough, don't give (Him) anymore, now you eat something."

Thereafter Murari, still under the influence of ecstatic love, ate a little and then lay down to take rest. In the morning Mahaprabhu came to Murari's house and began to call him. Murari called out, "Krsna! Krsna!" and quickly got up from bed. Coming to the door he saw Caitanya Mahaprabhu and thus offered his obeisances and inquired what had brought the Lord to his house so early in the morning. Mahaprabhu replied; "Murari! You forgot already? Last night, all the while saying "Eat! Eat!" you fed Me so much rice with ghee. If you offer me, then how can I refuse? But eating rice with so much ghee I have gotten

indigestion. Now give me some medicine." Hearing this, Murari felt very sorry, but Mahaprabhu immediately told him, "Murari! By eating your nice rice I got indigestion, the medicine for that is your water." [C. B. Mad. 20.69]

Then seeing a lota of water which was sitting there, Mahaprabhu began to drink it up. Seeing this Murari exclaimed, "Prabhu! I am a fallen, low class person. The water in my house is not fit for You." (Generally at that time brahmanas would not accept water or foodstuffs from the houses of non-brahmanas).

The Lord is known as bhakta-vatsala, who is very affectionate to His devotees. He accepts foodstuffs in the house of His devotee, and submissive to their love for Him, He is happy to remain in whatever condition they keep Him. Whatever they feed Him, He accepts very happily. Whatever they like, He likes. In this way the Lord enacted so many pastimes with His dear devotee, Hanuman (or Garuda, according to others' opinion).

One day Murari Gupta began to reflect, "If I can leave my body in the Lord's presence then that will be very good." For this purpose he fashioned a large dagger and hid it in his house. But the supreme Lord Sri Caitanya, who is totally omniscient immediately came to his house and called, "Murari!, I have so many pastimes to complete in your company. If you go away then how will I go on? I know everything."

Murari caught hold of the Lord's feet and began to cry. Thereafter Mahaprabhu consoled him and after explaining to him many things He returned to His own house. Murari Gupta was present with the Lord during all of his pastimes in Nadiya Nagar.

Every year when the devotees would go to Puri, Murari Gupta would go along with his wife and they would take many preparations of foodstuffs to offer to the Lord.

"This was brought by Vasudeva Datta and this by Murari Gupta! This was brought by Buddhimanta Khan. Just see all these various preparations!" [C. C. Antya-lila].

There has been a temple constructed by Gaudiya Math, in memory of Murari Gupta Thakur, near Ballal dighi in Sridham Mayapur.

Srimati Vishupriya Devi's Place

At this holy place is a temple of  Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu which Srimati Vishupriya Devi established to pray when He went away on sannyasa. 

Here are more details on this pasttime:

 The Supreme Lord Visnu has three different Saktis: Sri, Bhu, and Nila. Sri Visnupriya is the internal potency known as Bhu-sakti. She appeared in Gaura-lila to assist Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with his mission of spreading the holy name of Krsna.

     In Nabadwipa-dhama there lived a brahmana named Sanatana Misra, who was an extremely exalted Visnu-bhakta. He was a pious and generous brahmana as well, and used to feed, clothe and shelter many people. He was famous as the king of panditas.  In fact, in Dvapara-yuga, he had been a king named Satrajit.  As a result of his pure devotion to Visnu he was blessed with a beautiful daughter who was rich in all good qualities. From her early childhood, Visnupriya devi used to bathe in the Ganges three times daily. She was devoted to her parents and carefully followed the scriptural principles, and performed puja, arcana, and served the tulasi tree, while observing many different vows of austerity and piety.

     Every day, when Visnupriya went to visit the Ganges, she would bow at the feet of Mother Saci with great humility. When Sacidevi noticed the modest and beautiful Visnupriya-devi she gave Visnupriya-devi her blessing that she might find a good husband, saying, “May Krsna bestow upon you a good husband.” Fom that moment, she began thinking of how  Visnupriya would make a good bride for her son Nimai. Upon further inquiry she found that the girl's name was Visnupriya, that she was the daughter of Sanatana Misra, a wealthy and respect pandita of Nabadwipa.

     At this time, the Lord's first wife, Laksmipriya had passed away and entered into the spiritual domain. Saci's heart had been tormented with great pain at first, but as the days passed, she had become anxious for her son's happiness. In this way she began to think of  quickly arranging for a new bride for her son. When she found that Sri Gaurasundra had no objections to the idea, Sacidevi  began to make arrangements in earnest.  She sent a servant to the house of Kasinatha Pandita, the matchmaker to arrange an appointment.  When she met with Kasinatha Pandita, she proposed that a match be made between Nimai Pandita and Visnupriya-devi, saying, “Speak to the Raja-pandita; If he so desries he may bestow his daughter's hand in marriage upon my son Nimai.”  When the matchmaker heard of these plans, he was overjoyed and was eager to conclude the arrangements quickly.  He set out immediately for the house of Sanatana Misra, chanting the holy name of Hari in jubilation.

     According to caste, Sanatana Misra was situated in a higher social position, and so might not agree to the wedding. Saci was concerned that Sanatana Misra, who was higher in social position would refuse to marry his daughter to Nimai Pandita, the son of poor parents, and who had a reputation as an eccentric.

      When Sacimata submitted the proposal to the matchmaker, he was highly pleased. When she told him she was worried whether or not Sanatana Misra would accept the idea, she said, “Thakurani! If Sanatana Misra wouldn't give his daughter's hand in marriage to Nimai Pandita, whom would he have her marry?”

      Meanwhile, Sanatana Misra had always hoped that Visnupriya would be wed to Nimai Pandita. In fact, for a long time Sanatana Misra himself had been considering just such a match.  As he had seen his daughter approaching marriageable age, he had begun keeping his eye our for a boy who would make her a suitable husband.  After surveying the field, he concluded that the best possible husband for her would be Nimai Pandita.  He was the only choice of Sanatana Misra, who found that in personal beauty and in good qualities Nimai Pandita had no equal.  His age was also just right. He thought that if such a perfect match could take place, he would be extremely fortunate. He prayed to Hari, “O Lord! If I have any pious credits as a result of my previous births, let  my daughter and Nimai Pandita be married.”

     One day, just as the brahmana and his wife were confidentially discussing the possibility of arranging their daughter's wedding, Kasinatha Pandita, the matchmaker sent by Sacidevi, arrived. Sanatana Misra offered him a respectful seat and  a glass of sweet water.  Sanatana Misra thought within himself that the appearance of the famous matchmaker Kasinatha Misra must bode well for him. He began to think that perhaps his prays had been answered. He said, “Pandita! What news?”  Kasinatha Pandita smiled and explained to him all about Sacimata's plans for the marriage of Nimai Pandita and Visnupriya-devi.

     This is recorded in the Caitanya-Bhagavata as follows: Kasinatha Pandita said, “You should give your daughter in marriage to Visvambhara Pandita, and thus arrange a wedding between the  divine Lord and your daughter, the highly chaste and gentle Visnupriya-devi. Visnupriya and Nimai Pandita would make a perfect match. It would be a marriage made in heaven, just as the wedding of Rumkini-devi  and Sri Krsna.”

     Hearing the news of Kasinatha Pandita, Sanatana Misra and his wife felt as if  their souls had been stolen by happiness. The Supreme Lord, acting as the Supersoul within, knew their heartfelt desires to marry their daughter to Nimai Pandita and satisfied their desire.

     Sanatana Misra said, “O Kasinatha Pandita Prabhu, how is it that you come to suggest such a thing?”  Then Kasinatha Pandita explained everything about Sacidevi's proposals for the wedding and told him that marrying his daughter to Nimai Pandita would be the cause of supreme good fortune, both for his daughter and for his family.  Sanatana Misra was overjoyed, and discussed everything with relatives and friends for their approval. As all of them said, “This wedding should be performed immediately.”  eagerly set about making all the necessary arrangements with the matchmaker Kasinatha Pandita, saying, ““By all means, I shall give my daughter's hand in marriage to Nimai Pandita.  This will certainly enhance the good fortune of my entire family. Go to them and give them my assurances. You have my word.”

      In this way, Kasinatha Pandita, having set everything right with Sanatana Misra, retruned to the house of with great satisfaction Sacidevi and told her everything about their meeting.  After hearing all this, Sacidevi said, “Now I have done everything that I can. The rest is up to Sri Hari; now everything is in the hands of Providence.”

     Nimai himself, up to this point knew nothing of all this; but after everything was set, his mother informed him of the arrangements she had made and Nimai gave his consent to the marriage.  When the people of Nabadwipa heard that Nimai Pandita was soon to be married they were filled with joy.

      Different friends of the family and students of Nimai Pandita wanted to step forward and offer something charity so that the wedding would be a success, but a rich landowner named Bhuddhimanta Khan proclaimed, “I myself will bear the entire cost of the wedding!”  Mukunda Sanjaya, in whose worship hall Nimai Pandita conducted his school said, “Listen, friend and brother: why should you bear all the expense? Let us share some of the cost with you. We all wish to ensure the success of this event.” But Buddhimanta Khan refused saying, “Listen my brother: this wedding is not to be performed in the style of poor brahmanas, but in a manner entirely fit for a prince. This is not a time for brahminical austerity.” Nimai Pandita's students also took the matter seriously and helped to see to it that the wedding was a grand one, with great pomp and circumstance.

     Thereafter an auspicious day was selected, and at an auspicious time, the preliminary ceremonies began. The  whole of  Nabadwipa turned out for the wedding of Sri Nimai Pandita and Srimati Visnupriya-devi. Immense canopies were set up, and an enclosure was made with rows of plaintain trees. Sri Nimai Pandita and his new bride looked beautiful together,  dressed in fine garments. Decorated with all the traditional wedding ornaments, the two of them shone together on the raised wedding platform as radiantly as the spotless harvest moon. The temple was also finely decorated: the earth was sprinkled with colored rice powder in paintings of auspicious symbols, and fresh green plaintain leaves created a festive atmosphere. The temple was also decorated with waterpots filled with fresh water, as well as mango leaves, lighted ghee lamps, new rice paddy, as well as pots filled with yogurt, and many other auspicious things.

     Not only did the whole of Nabadwipa turn out for the wedding, but people came from all the neighboring villages from miles around to see the wonderful event.  Everyone was invited. The poets came and sang the songs they had composed in honour of the happy couple. Many friends and well-wishers came to congratulate Sacidevi and express their best wishes for the nuptial bliss of Sri Nimai and Visnupriya-devi. 

As noon approached, musicians began playing their instruments—mrdanga, sanai, big drums, cymbals, all arose together in song to create a beautiful sound. The professional poets chanted verses of praise, and everything was auspicious. Then Lord Visnu was worshiped, bhoga was offered to the Deities and arotika was performed, and the auspcious wedding ceremony was performed.

     As the wedding took place, everyone's eyes were upon Nimai and Visnupriya as if to devour the beauty of the divine couple.  The ladies present there all adored Nimai, but so pure were their hearts upon seeing the holy spectacle that none of them felt the least bit of envy or jealously at Visnupriya-devi's good fortune. Within the inner parts of the house reserved for the ladies, the sounds of jubilation were uproarious.  Some of them sounded the call of the peacocks as is traditionally done by Hindu ladies on festive occasions, while others blew on conches to celebrate.

     All the Vaisnavas present chanted the glories of Hari. And brahmanas chanted the Vedas, as the jewel of the twiceborn took his seat in their midst. The brahmanas surrounded him on all sides with great enthusiasm. At the wedding of the Lord the four directions were inundated by a sea of joy; those who did not drown in that sea of joy simply floated in bliss.

     The ceremonial offerings of sweet water and betel nut to the new bride and groom were made. And one by one all the devotees and brahmanas stepped forward had their brows  daubed with sandalwood pulp by the Lord,  placed fragrant garlands of exotic flowers around their necks and gave them boxes of betel nuts. It was impossible to count all the brahmanas who had gathered there. Among them, some were greedy, and after standing in line once for garlands and betel-nut, they would again get in line, repeatedly receiving gifts of sandalwood, garlands, and betel. Everyone was lost in a sea of joy, and did not notice this, as Gauranga Himself ordered that gifts be given three times over for everyone. The stock of garlands, sandalwood paste, and betel turned out to be endless; this was a great miracle that no one could understand. What to speak of what the people gathered there actually received, what was disgarded and left on the ground was enough for five weddings.  Everyone cheerfully made their offerings of auspicious gifts to the Lord and Visnupriya-devi. And in this way, all of Nadia was drowned in the ocean of bliss. 

     Everyone said, “This purificatory ceremony is praiseworthy beyond belief: we have seen great wealth in Nabadwipa before, but such a celebration on the eve of a wedding has never taken place.  No one has ever given such charity to the brahmanas with such an open hand. Sanatana Misra, the Raja-pandita, filled with delight, arrived with all manner of auspicious articles just suitable for the occasion, accompanied with friends, relatives, and brahmanas amdist a joyous display of dance, song, and musical performances. With a cheerful mind, he then performed the ceremony of anointing the Lord with perfume, and then the crowd began a triumphal chant in praise of the holy name of Hari.

     Sri Gaurasundara performed the customary cermonies, worshiping Visnu and the ancestors amid a happy atmosphere of song and dance. Earthen vessels filled with water, unhusked rice, curd, lamps, and mango twigs decorated the hall and the courtyard as the banners waved.  With all these decorations, an auspicious atmosphere was created. Then Sacidevi in the compnay of the local ladies began to perform the customary rites, worshiping the Ganges and the goddess Sasthi. Finally she returned home and loaded the local ladies down with charity: she made gifts of rice, plaintains, ghee, betel, and vermillion. By the Lord's mystic power, she was able to give all these things in abundance beyond belief.  All the women were drowned in ghee, rice, and vermillion beyond measure and everyone's desires were thus fulfilled and their minds pacified.

     The mother of Visnupriya-devi also rejoiced with the local ladies, and the pious Sanatana Misra himself swam in the ocean of ecstatic delighht. Sri Gaurasundara meanwhile, had finished performing all the duties enjoined by the sastras, and sat smiling in a leisurely fashion for some time.

     Thereafter, Sri Gaurasundara satisfied the brahmanas by distributing great wealth in charity. He humbly gave them nice foodstuffs and fine cloth in charity, honoring everyone according to his status with appropriate gifts, respects, and affection. After all this, the brahmanas returned to their homes for their afternoon meals.  Having already performed his ceremonial duties, Sanatana Misra had returned home to prepare for the Lord's arrival.

     As the afternoon wore on, the Lord's devotees and well-wishers took great pleasure in decorating the person of the Lord. They anointed his body with sandalwood paste and perfumed oils. Upon his forehead they painted a crescent moon with sandalwood paste.  Then they crowned his forehead with a tiara and covered his body with garlands. After giving him beautiful garments to wear, they applied collyrium to his lotus eyes.  Then they tied unhusked rice, kusa grass and fine thread to his arm and placed in His lotus hand a fresh plaintain leaf and a mirror. His ears were ornamented with golden earrings and his forearms and biceps with bangles and gold chains. And as they decorated the Lord's body, his devotees were enchanted and entranced.

     As the sun began to set, everyone said, “Let us now perform the auspicious ceremony of starting for the house of the bride. After circumambulating Nabadwipa, Nimai Pandita will arrive near the bride's house at the end of twilight.  At that time, Buddhimanta Khana, having prepared the palanquin, had it brought there. A loud vibration of chanting and songs arose, as the brahmanas chanted hymns from the Vedas and the poets again sang their verses. Sri Gaurasundara, after receiving all the wedding gifts offered to the bride and groom, offered his humble respects to his mother, the brahmanas,  and his guru, bowing down before their feet. 

After this  Gaurasundara was carried upon a palanquin to the banks of the Ganges amidst cries of jubilation. After bathing in the Ganges and offering respects to Gangadevi,  he again sat upon the wedding palanquin as the poets sang auspicious prayers that resounded throughout the four directions with the glories of the Lord as the festival procession began.

     The parade itself is wonderful to recall: thousands of torches were lit and various musical instruments created a sweet vibration as the singers sang and dancers danced.  Behind the palanquin marched the foot-soldiers of Buddhimanta Khan and all his servants and bearers in parallel lines. Behind them marched the flag-bearers who held various multi-colored banners of wondrous designs and emblems.  After the flag-bearers were the clowns and tumblers, magicians and dancing actors, entertaining the crowd. All kinds of musicians followed the procession with their various instruments: victory drums, war drums, wedding drums, mrdangas, kholas, patasas, conches, flutes made of reeds, cymbals, varanga, horns, all produced a great concert.  Hundreds of thousands of children danced in that procession as Sri Gaurasundara smiled. Not only children behaved like children, but the old and wise also threw off their inhibitions and danced like jubilant peacocks.

     They all halted on the banks of the Ganges for some time, where there was a wonderful concert of music, song, and dance.  At last, after bowing to the Ganges and circumambulating the whole of Nabvadwipa, the wedding procession of Nimai Pandita arrived at the home of Sanatana Misra, where Visnupriya-devi waited eagerly to meet her new husband.

     In this way, as the sun set over Nabadwipa dhama, Nimai Pandita arrived at the house of his waiting bride  accompanied by music, torches and fireworks and followed by a garish parade and a huge crowd.  On beholding the vast and superhuman procession, the people gathered there were awed. “Such opulence surpasses that of even the King of Heavan or the Lord of Vaikuntha,” they said, “Never before have we seen such pomp and circumstance,”  they said.  “What opulence!”  Those unlucky brahmanas who failed to marry their own daughters to Nimai Pandita all though to themselves that they had missed an opportunity that only passes once in many lifetimes.

       Upon reaching the house of Sanatana Misra, there was an uproar of triumphal shouts of joy.  The musicians, competing to defeat each other in dexterity and tempo,  began playing faster and faster and the crowd became excited.  The Raja-pandita, Sri Sanatana Misra came forward to greet the Lord and helping him down from the palanquin, he took him by the hand, led him to the seat of honor within the wedding hall and made him sit. He had made many grand arrangements to accommodate the bride and groom and was overjoyed to see Nimai Pandita's arrival at his home. After seating the Lord, he too took his seat, so that he could perform the reception ceremonies. Sanatana Misra then offered the Lord water for washing his feet, and a fragrant mouthwash for rinsing his mouth.  He also offered the Lord fine garments and ornaments, thus welcoming the Lord to his family and home.

     After this, Sanatana Misra's wife, in the company of the ladies present there did her part in the ceremony.  She placed a finely woven wreath of fresh rice stalks and blades of kusa straw upon the Lord's beautiful head and after performing the arotika ceremony and waving the lamp of seven wicks, she chanted various hymns, threw rice, and blew the conch.  After all the customary rituals had been thus performed, they carried Sri Visnupriya-devi, Laksmi herself, into the wedding arena on a palanquin.

      It is said that Nimai Pandita, royally dressed in the finery of his wedding garments put cupid himself to shame. When the Supreme Goddess of Fortune, Visnupriya appeared before the assembled devotees, brahmanas, and guests garbed in silk and richly adorned with jewels, she looked just like an angel from heaven. 

      With her radiance dazzling the eyes of all present, she performed the traditional circumambulation of the groom, walking in seven circles around Sri Nimai Pandita, before offering herself at his feet by bowing down. According to tradition they were required to exchange their first glances with one another at that time, but due to her natural shyness, Visnupriya-devi  was unable to look upon the Lord's holy face. But according to the customs of Hindu marriage this ceremony had to be performed. A screen was therefore placed around the bride and groom, that they might privately exchange their first glance at one another. At first glance they re-established their eternal relationship, for just as Laksmi and Narayana are eternally inseparable, Sri Visnupriya-devi and Sri Gaurasundara are eternally related to one another as consorts.

     At last the Supreme Laksmi, Visnupriya-devi exchanged garlands with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Gaura-Narayana, and at that time the crowd let out  a tumultuous roar of jubilation.  Visnupriya-devi first offered the garlands at the holy feet of the Lord, thus surrendering herself. After this, Lord Gaurasundara picked up the garlands and placed them around Visnupriya's neck.  At this time, Laksmi and Narayana, (Visnupriya-devi and Sri Gauranga) began throwing flowers at each other with great delight, while from above, in the heavens, all the gods headed by Brahma invisibly showered flowers upon the divine couple.

     At that time, various mock quarrels broke out between the families of the two parties as everyone laughed and joked with one another.  The Lord smiled, and his smile brought bliss to the hearts of all who were assembled there. As thousands of torches burned brightly, the crowd became ecstatic. Their cries of joy filled the four directions with a pleasing vibration as the bride and groom beheld each other for the first time.

     Then Sanatana Misra with joyful heart sat down to officially give his daughter away to Nimai Pandita. Having washed his feet and rinsed his mouth, he performed the ceremony of bestowing his daughter's hand upon the Lord.  At that time he gave the Lord as a dowry many cows, lands, and servants. After this the final fire sacrifice was performed, and having finished all the scriptural procedures and having observed all the rituals, ceremonies and customs of a proper Hindu wedding, they led the bride and groom into their new quarters within the palatial home of the Raja-pandita, Sanatana Misra. And as the two of them resided there, the house of Sanatana Misra was transformed into Vaikuntha.

     Who can describe the ecstasy tasted by Sanatana Misra and his family upon the wedding of their beloved Visnupriya-devi to Nimai Pandita? The same good fortune that was bestowed upon Janaka Maharaja when his daughter Sita was married to Rama, the same good fortune that was showered upon Bhishmaka when his daughter Rukmini was married to Sri Krsna was now being rained upon Sri Sanatana Misra along with his family.

     On the following day, Sri Gauracandra, the essence of all the worlds, performing the remaining customary rites. That afternoon it was time for  Gauracandra and his new bride to return to their home.  Amid joyous song, music and dance, and the benedictions of the brahmanas and poets gathered there, Sri Gaurasundara and Visnupriya-devi, bowed to the assembled exalted personalities, and ascended the finely decorated palanquin.  Everyone cheered them on with shouts of victory as the divine couple were carried in procession on the palanquin to their new home. Everyone who saw them praised Nimai and Visnupriya. Some of the ladies said, “This girl is supremely fortunate. She must have served Kamala and Parvati in her previous lives to have wed such a husband.“ Others said, “They must be Kamala and Sri Hari themselves.” Others said, “They must certainly be Rati and Kamadeva themselves, the god and goddess of love.” At this point in Caitanya-Bhagavata, Vrndavana dasa Thakura remarks, “Who can estimate the good fortune of the residents of Nabadwipa who were able to behold the wedding of Sri Gaurasundara and Visnupriya-devi?”

     The wedding procession continued in this way, surrounded by jubilation, song, dance, showers of flowers and the vibration of various musical instruments including the mrdanga, shenai, kartals, baranga, and dhak. Finally the divine couple arrived at their new home. At that time, mother Saci and those ladies who were close friends of the family welcomed Sri Visnupriya devi into the home as her new daughter. As Visnupriya-devi and Sri Gaurasundara (Laksmi and Narayana) entered their home and took their seats, shouts of jubilation filled the entire universe.

     After this, the Lord gave charity to all, satisfying them according to their station. To the poets he offered sweet words; to the dancers fine clothes, and to the beggars he gave money. In this way he gave something to everyone and satisfied all the friends and relatives by his lavish charity. Upon Buddhimanta Khan, who had borne the majority of the wedding expense, he bestowed his embrace. No one can describe the joy of Buddhimanta Khan upon being embraced by the Lord. 

    In this way, Vrndavana dasa Thakura describes the wedding of Visnupriya-devi and Gaurasundara.  Whoever hears the description of the Lord's wedding festival with faith and love will attain the mercy of Sri Gauranga. 

     After describing Visnupriya-devi's wedding with Sri Gaurasundara, Vrndavana dasa Thakura does not give any further elaborate description of her pastimes, except to mention that when Gauranga returned from Gaya after having been initiated by ^svara Puri she was greatly relieved and felt as if her life had returned. Vrndavana dasa does not describe the separation she felt at the sannyasa of the Lord, as it is a painful subject.  This is, however, discussed by Locan dasa Thakura, and this description may be found in the chapter on his life. After the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, When Srinivasa acarya made his pilgrimage to Navadwipa dhama he was fortunate enough to meet Sri Visnupriya-devi when she was approaching old age.  The description of their meeting may be found in the chapter on Srinivasa acarya.

(From HG Nandanandana dasa's blog)