O n the 5th day Parikrama, the devotees reached the island of Modadrumadvipa which is non different from Ayodhya! HG Sankarsana Nitai Prabhu described the reason why this island has this name. “Moda” means “happy” and “druma” means “tree”. When Lord Rama was in exile He came here for sometime. Sitting under a tree Lord Ramachandra began smiling. Sitadevi asked Him what was the reason. Lord Rama revealed to Sita His future appearance as Lord Gauranga here in Navadvipa: ” My dear Sita I will appear here in Kali Yuga and I will give love of Godhead to everyone. I will take Sannyasa and thus leave my mother crying along with my wife” . Intrigued by this reply Sitadevi asked :” if you are going to take Sannyasa why you will get married in the first place. Why you will make your mother and wife cry?” Thus Lord Rama explained to Sita His arrangement to increase the love of His devotees for Him, by allowing His devotees to worship Him in separation. “Serving Me in this mood of vipralambha, separation, My devotees become millions of times more blissful. And when union occurs after this separation it is much sweeter.
Just as I will worship your golden deity form when you leave to the forest Sita, when I take sannyas in my Navadvipa Lila you as Vishnupriya will worship my golden deity form. I will always be with you in that form”
This wonderful island is full of sweet pastime places.
We were at house of Saranga Murari as well as that of Vasudeva Datta. HH Gopal Krishna Maharaja spoke to the devotees about the uncommon character of Saranga Murari by telling the pastime of his first initiated disciple.Saranga Thakur when asked by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to accept disciples,replied: ” But my Lord, I don’t see anybody who is qualified for initiation”. In answer to this Lord Gauranga said: ” When you initiate them they will become qualified” . Thus with firm faith Saranga initiated the first person he met the next morning which happened to be a dead body. He spoke the diksha mantra into his ear and by the grace of Krishna the boy came back to life. Maharaja also revealed to us that Vasudeva Datta is an incarnation of Prahlad Maharaja.
Next, Parikrama party came to Mamgachi where Vrindavan das Thakur was born, and where he compiled Sri Caitanya Bhagavat.
When we thought it couldn’t get better, at Vaikunthapura, HG Agnideva Prabhu led us on ” Gauranga Bolite Habe” Bhajan. He explained the meaning of this bhajan verse by verse . This Bhajan is compiled by Narottama Das Thakur.
As ever evening we had a special class about Sri Shiksastakam given by HH Bhakti Vigna Vinas Narasimha Swami, which enlightened the devotees when they came to know the deep meaning of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prayers.
This is the glory of Parikrama, the quality of association and Sravanam you have here, you can’t have anywhere else.
Today was a short walk of 7km. And tomorrow will be the longest walk 17km.
The devotees are preparing themselves for the next nectarean day, where we will cross the Ganga by boat!
Sri Navadvipa Dhama ki jay!
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