(kindly transcribed by Sheela Mataji, Singapore)
Note: Yesterday’s class was held in the temple courtyard facing the ToVP construction site. HG Praghosa Prabhu was coordinating the presentation. There were five speakers and we are sending each one separately.
Download the audio for this lecture here: Download
From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir!
Date: February 23, 2014
Speaker: HH Radhanath Swami
Subject: The Glories of the ToVP
HH Radhanath Swami: I am grateful for this opportunity, this most auspicious, important, glorious event.
HH Sivarama Maharaja was sharing with us Srila Prabhupada’s vision for establishing the glories of Srimad-Bhagavatam including the structurei. The purpose of Bhagavatam is very much the purpose of this temple, to establish scientifically the structure of the universe, especially in relation to the purpose of the universe, the evolution of consciousness.
The Temple of Vedic Planetarium will show us the principles of the lower states of consciousness going up and up to the higher levels of material consciousness, to the siddhis, to the impersonal Brahman, to the Vaikunthas, and ultimately, to Goloka Vrindavana.
The Temple Of Vedic Planetarium is to teach the world the purpose of creation and the purpose of life. And what is so beautiful is its being designed in such a way, according to Prabhupada’s direction, with this huge dome. So as we are looking up at the chandelier, we are looking out at the chandelier of the universe, there could be thousands and thousands of people in this hall with their arms raised from all over the world chanting the holy names, sankirtana. Because this is the culmination of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Tenth canto. And then in the Eleventh canto, the Twelfth canto, it really culminates:
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah
That in this age of Kali, Krishna who we just read about in the Tenth Canto performing His rasa-lila with gopis, His sakhya-lila with the gopas, vatsalya-lilas with Yasoda and Nanda, that same Krishna appears in the beautiful golden form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And His purpose is to establish the sankirtana movement, the chanting of the holy names.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world here in Sri Mayapur dhama, and all the great avatars that descended on this world met him here in Mayapur. Nityananda Prabhu travelled to all the holy places of India but He didn’t preach ever until He came to Mayapur and He got the instruction from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Brahma descended in Bangladesh area as Haridasa Thakura, came to Mayapur dhama. Advaita Acarya, Mahavisnu, Sadasiva, Gadhadhar Pandita, Svarupa Damodar Goswami, the greatest avataras, the most merciful associates of the Supreme Personality of Godhead came here to establish the harinama sankirtana movement.
Kaviraja Goswami tells that the Pancattatva, when they were in Mayapur, they broke open the treasure chest of the ecstatic love for Krishna prema and they tasted it. They were tasting it in Srivasa Angam and sharing it with each other. And then they shared with the whole world.
As HH Bhakti Caru Maharaja was telling, Lord Caitanya sent the Goswamis to Vrindavana, which was a very quiet forest. And one of the reasons was to make it a holy place of pilgrimage where people from the whole world could come to understand His message that we are all eternally servant of Krishna and the purpose of life is to awaken that love for Krishna that is within ourselves.
And our acaryas, they pursued that compassionate vision. Nityananda Prabhu predicted the big, beautiful temple here in Mayapur. Bhaktivinod Thakura envisioned people from all places of the world coming here as Vaisnavas to chant the holy names together.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura made Mayapur his headquarters. He was very strong, all the 64 maths of Gaudiya Math, they were all extensions of Sri Mayapur, the Caitanya Math.
And Srila Prabhupada took that vision so sincerely. When he was told to take Lord Caitanya’s teaching all over the world, he had such a vision, which is inconceivable. Now there are thousands of people gathered here. But Srila Prabhupada didn’t even have a piece of land, yet he envisioned Mayapur to be the international headquarters for ISKCON.
And when they first got something and they were living in a straw hut, he was already envisioning the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, a place to attract. And it will attract.
What we have already built here is attracting millions upon millions of people to Mayapur every year. This temple will really establish through the world the authenticity in people’s eyes, according to their relevant perception, of the greatness of our movement. The Christians have their Vatican, [the Muslims have their] Mecca.
Srila Prabhupada wanted to show people, attract people, to associate with devotees, to taste the gift that Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda came to give us.
Inconceivable! Srila Prabhupada had deities of Gaura-Nitai installed in every continent on earth and he is asking us to help him, to invite the whole world to come to this most sanctified, blessed environment of Mayapur to understand the purpose of life, to associate with devotees, and ultimately, to taste the sweetness of the chanting of the holy names:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
People who come here, just by going through the temple, they will get such a rich experience of travelling through the pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam. At is beautiful that how Srila Prabhupada has arranged it in such a way that we can all assist him.
This is one of the most important, prominent projects that he has given to all of us. He emphasized it time and again to his leaders. He is uniting us. It can’t be done just by Ambarisa Prabhu, although he has given so much of his heart and so much of his life for this purpose along with his team.
Srila Prabhupada is inviting each and every one of us, whatever our capacity, to be enthusiastic, to establish this wonderful offering.
Thank you very much.
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