Memorable stay in Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Part 1

I always feel privileged to be in Mayapur and stay here. In this holy place Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of Krishna appeared around 500 years ago.
Mayapur is also the headquarter of Iskcon – International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Glories of Mayapur dham is unlimited. If one just stays in Mayapur and following the instructions of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu practices devotional life then one will not just get freedom from all sufferings but will also get an opportunity to return to the spiritual world, the kingdom of God, Goloka Vrindavan.
So, whenever I get an opportunity, I come to Mayapur and stay there.
Visiting Mayapur to celebrate New Year
This year, me and my wife decided to spend 30th and 31st Dec in Mayapur because we thought that this is the best way to welcome 2018. It isn’t a new year according to Vaisnava calendar but nevertheless Srila Prabhupada taught us that every occasion can be celebrated in a Krishna Conscious way.
We decided to join a group of devotees who were going to Mayapur. We started from Kolkata at around 6:45 a.m. Devotees were trvelling by bus. I do not like to travel by bus because I have motion sickness. But it is always better to travel with the devotees, so I reluctantly agreed.
Praying to the Lord and after taking a stemetil tablet, I boarded the bus. But after some time, I was feeling sick but fortunately the bus stopped for breakfast and I quickly got down to breathe fresh air.
Malpua story
For breakfast, everyone was served hot noodles. Devotees were enjoying it but because I was feeling uneasy, I could not relish it. Once during annual Kartik Yatra of Iskcon Chowpatty, devotees were served malpua.
Many devotees relished malpua and after finishing it they again stood in the queue for second helping of malpua. After finishing the second helping, they again went for third helping and so on. As much as they could eat, they ate it and thoroughly enjoyed it.
But there were unlucky devotees too because they could not enjoy malpua. They had problem digesting malpua which is made using lots of ghee, milk and is soaked in sugar syrup. Some could not eat because of diabetes. Some wanted but could not enjoy it because their stomach was in bad mood that day.
In the evening class that day, HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj was jokingly explaining that it is all because of our karma. Some devotees with good karma may relish malpua and want more. But some because of their bad karma cannot digest even a small morsel of it although they like it.
I was thinking that because of my bad karma I am not able to enjoy the noodles.
Krishna Conscious fun activities
Anyway, after breakfast, we again boarded the bus. As a precautionary measure, I took another stemetil.
It was time for Krishna Conscious fun activity in the bus. We had planned for quiz and DUMB charade.
I had prepared few quiz questions. HG Anant Bhagavan Prabhu asked me to conduct the quiz. All the devotees who were travelling were newly introduced to Krishna Consciousness, but they knew answers to almost all the questions.
Although the questions were simple but everyone need to be complimented for their knowledge about the Vedic scriptures. Questions were about Krishna’s pastimes and were also from Mahabharata and Ramayana.
I have never played DUMB Charade, so HG Anant Bhagavan Prabhu organized it. Later HG Sri Nitai Prabhu sang a very melodious Hare Krishna kirtan which everyone enjoyed.
Reached Mayapur, the spiritual capital of world
During the journey I was constantly inquiring when are we going to reach Mayapur because of obvious reasons. And finally, we reached Mayapur at around 12:15 p.m. By the time we collected our room keys and prasadam coupon it was almost 1 p.m. Unfortunately darshan was closed, so we decided to have lunch prasadam.
We took prasadam in Gada Bhavan. Taking prasadam in Gada Bhavan is always a unique experience because of its ambience. You will feel that you are eating in a Vedic monastery. Prasadam as usual was tasty.
Darshan and evening programs
After eating prasadam we took rest till 4 p.m. We had a class by HG Acharya Ratan Prabhu, co – director of ISKCON Kolkata at 4:30. But before the class, we all rushed to take darshan of Sri Sri Radha Madhav and Panca Tattva. We felt blessed to see the beautiful deities. We also took darshan of Lord Narasimhadeva and Srila Prabhupada.
After taking darshan of the deities, we went to attend the class of HG Acharya Ratan Prabhu. Devotees were planning to present one drama in the evening. I was asked to be part of one such drama. I got the role of a narrator. Devotees nicely performed drama; everyone liked it. We then took dinner prasadam at Gada kitchen and returned to our respective rooms. We were staying in Ishodyan Bhavan in Mayapur.
By the time I reached my room it was 10 pm. The entire day was completely packed, I did not get time to complete my 16 rounds of chanting. Few rounds were remaining which I completed.
Preparing for next day morning Mangala Arati
Also, it was important to take rest early because we did not want to miss the morning Mangala Arati in the Iskcon temple which starts at 4:30 am.
Many new devotees had come with us, and everyone wanted to attend morning Mangala arati. One of them was my colleague. He was also too eager to attend Mangala Arati in the morning. I was eager too.
Before going to bed, I prayed to Sri Sri Radha Madhav and Panca Tattva to bless me so that I can give up lethargy in the morning and go to temple to attend Mangala Arati.
A Krishna conscious day in Mayapur
The first day stay in Mayapur was memorable, we relished each and every moment. Entire day we remained engaged in Krishna Conscious activities. This is the beauty of visiting a holy place.
Even though we may not be pure devotees but seeing so many sincere devotees around us, we too get inspired to become serious in our spiritual life. We try to forget all our material worries and try our best to remain absorbed in Krishna.
Also Read:
Another memorable day in Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Part 2
When it became difficult to call Krishna’s name
Chanting the Hare Krishna maha – mantra isn’t a mundane activity but is in fact a means by which we can experience exponential spiritual pleasure.
Bullets bleed Books heal
Srila Prabhupada – My supreme well – wisher
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to your divine self.
Indians were enamored by the western way of living and had almost forgotten their culture. Not just this they were actively participating in demeaning their tradition and most importantly portraying Vedic literatures as the work of some lesser mortals. During these difficult times you Srila Prabhupada, just like fearless Prahlad, fearlessly challenged the might of the western educated (and influenced) intelligentsia with your supreme intellectual prowess. Your cogent and deep explanation of Vedic literatures and history removed the veil of ignorance and many started accepting and appreciating the meaningful messages of the wisdom literatures.
It is because of you that today we know how to celebrate festivals. I have seen that for most people celebrating festivals like Janmashtami or Ramnavmi means performing some rituals in the morning and in the evening and throughout the day they just watch television or movies or spend time in idle gossips. You taught us how to be engaged 24 hours in a day in remembering Krishna and being engaged in serving him. You made things so crystal clear that even a neophyte (like me) can engage himself in devotional life completely. You made devotional life a joyful experience. Now Krishna and all his devotees have become a part and parcel of our life.
Purushottam Kumar
Jhulan Yatra
11 Krishna Conscious Capsules
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Arjuna was disturbed to see the universal form of the Lord Krishna.
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So, he desired to see the four handed form of the Lord.
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Upon the request of Arjuna, Lord showed his 4 handed form of Vishnu & later 2 handed humanlike form.
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Pure devotees of the Lord are actually interested in seeing 2 – handed form of the Lord which is very beautiful.
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In the Brahma – samhita (5.38) it is said ‘premanjana – cchurita – bhakti – vilocanena (5.38)’ i.e. a person whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love can see the beautiful form of Sri Krishna.
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Arjuna was very much pleased to see the humanlike form of the Lord.
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Thus the Lord of the Universe showed his universal form, 4 – handed form & 2 handed form to Arjuna.
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Krishna’s 2 – handed form is very pleasing & even demigods like Lord Siva & Lord Brahma desire to see it.
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Krishna is not visible to those people who deride him.
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Krishna’s body is not made of matter.
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Krishna’s body is completely spiritual & is full of knowledge, bliss & eternity.
11 Krishna Conscious Capsules
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Lord Krishna showed his universal form to his dear devotee friend Arjuna.
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No one before Arjuna had ever seen this universal form.
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It was because of Arjuna that other devotes of the Lord in the disciple succession were fortunate to see the Lord’s universal form.
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Lord Krishna manifested his universal form by his internal potency.
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Lord’s internal potency is inconceivable by human brain.
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Lord Krishna says to Arjuna that his universal form cannot be seen simply by studying Vedas or by performing pious activities or by sacrifices or by performing penances.
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To see the Lord’s universal form one has to be a pure & unalloyed devotee of the Lord.
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The supreme Personality of the Lord showed his universal form to Arjuna to clear his doubt.
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At the battlefield of Kurushetra Arjuna did not want to fight because the Kauravas were his relatives.
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But Lord showed to Arjuna that those people with whom he is going to fight are already killed because of their impious acts. Arjuna was just a doer.
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Lord Krishna removed his dear devotee Arjuna’s fear & following the instruction of the Lord Arjuna engaged himself in the warfare.
Education – of No Use
Exasperated with the quantity & quantum of scams today people are desperate to find a solution which will put an end to it. Government changes, politicians’ changes, political parties’ agenda changes but still the end result is the same.
It is said that knowledge has the power to bring revolution, it can usher us in an era of peace, prosperity and happiness. Education changes a person’s life forever. It is said that knowledge is power and with this power one can conquer the entire world.
If education is considered to be the only instrument which dispels darkness, brings meaning to a person’s life, makes him a responsible citizen, makes him understand what is right & what is wrong, teaches him his duty towards the nation, towards the society and towards his fellow beings then why is that almost all (no exceptions) who had been & have been caught in the scams are highly educated people.
All those who are implicated are well known industrialist, media tycoons, high profile government officials and off course our very dear lovable politicians.
Education provides enlightenment. If it is so then why everyone caught in the scams are only highly educated people? I did not find even a single person who is neck deep in corruption as someone who was illiterate & had not had any basic education. If education is considered to bring enlightenment then why do these scamsters are still not enlightened? If education is considered to make them more civic and more responsible then why did it not happen? If education is considered to make people responsible then why did it not happen?
Our current education system is lacking something.
Today corruption is deep rooted in our society. Be it a traffic havaldar, a peon, a clerk, a teacher, a government official, a lawyer, a businessman, a journalist, politician, judges , men or women in fact almost everyone is involved in it. In nutshell whoever gets an opportunity they encash it.
If education has not been successful in bringing the desired result then is it not the time for us to introspect & find the root cause for its failure?
The present education system is just loading the students with plethora of information. It is not emphasizing in uplifting the conscience of the people, the hearts and the minds of the beings are not being transformed in schools and colleges. Instead they are thought that material possession is the most important thing for a person.
In pursuit of modernity we are shunning spirituality. We are spiritual beings not a bag of chemicals. Real education is that which nourishes the soul, which cleanses our conscience so that we can understand the real and the absolute truth. Once our conscience is purified we would understand the world in its true color, we would realize the meaning of real happiness, we would understand the real purpose of a human life, we would understand that all living beings are our own brothers and sisters, we would understand that real happiness is in selfless love, is in giving not in taking.
Bhagavad – gita clearly states that those in the modes of ignorance are bound to act in such a way which is harmful for the society. It says that a person should endeavour to come to the mode of goodness, once situated in the mode of goodness a person will work for the betterment of the society.
Krishna clearly articulates that person in the mode of ignorance will commit such heinous crimes. Unless there is transformation from the modes of ignorance to modes of goodness there is no chance that the person will do any good to the society.
So, if we are really serious about transforming the society then at first we need to transform the education system. Our education system should not shun spirituality but should embrace it. The purpose of education system should not be to just provide information but it should also transform pupils’ heart & cleanse their conscience. Schools & colleges should not be just a temple of education for namesake but in true sense it should bring a person closer to Lord which will ensure that the person is situated in the mode of goodness.
It can only be possible if we take the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna & chant the mantra:
If it happens then we will have peace, prosperity and happiness everywhere.




