çré-çacé-jagannätha, çré-mädhava-puré
keçava bhäraté, ära çré-éçvara pure
 TRANSLATION
Lord Çré Kåñëa, before appearing as Lord Chaitanya, requested these devotees to precede Him: Çré Çacédevé, Jagannätha Miçra, Mädhavendra Puré, Keçava Bhäraté, Éçvara Puré, Advaita Äcärya, Çréväsa Paëòita, Äcäryaratna, Vidyänidhi and Öhäkura Haridäsa.
 
There was also Çré Upendra Miçra, a resident of the district of Çréhaööa. He was a great devotee of Lord Viñëu, a learned scholar, a rich man and a reservoir of all good qualities.
 
Upendra Miçra had seven sons, who were all saintly and most influential: (1) Kaàsäri, (2) Paramänanda, (3) Padmanäbha, (4) Sarveçvara, (5) Jagannätha, (6) Janärdana and (7) Trailokyanätha. Jagannätha Miçra, the fifth son, decided to reside on the bank of the Ganges at Nadia.
 
 
Jagannätha Miçra was designated as Purandara. Exactly like Nanda Mahäräja and Vasudeva, he was an ocean of all good qualities.
 
His wife, Çrématé Çacédevé, was a chaste woman highly devoted to her husband. Çacédevé’s father’s name was Nélämbara, and his surname was Cakravarté.
 
 
 
PURPORT
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura writes in his Anubhäñya, “In the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (104) it is mentioned that Nélämbara Cakravarté was formerly Garga Muni. Some of the family descendants of Nélämbara Cakravarté still live in the village of the name Magòobä, in the district of Faridpur, in Bangladesh. His nephew was Jagannätha Cakravarté, also known as Mämu Öhäkura, who became a disciple of Paëòita Gosvämé and stayed at Jagannätha Puré as the priest of Öoöä-gopénätha. Nélämbara Cakravarté lived at Navadvépa, in the neighborhood of Belapukuriyä. This fact is mentioned in the book Prema-viläsa. Because he lived near the house of the Kazi, the Kazi was also considered one of the maternal uncles of Lord Chaitanya Mahäprabhu. The Kazi used to address Nélämbara Cakravarté as käkä, or ‘uncle.’ One cannot separate the residence of the Kazi from Vämanapukura because the tomb of the Kazi still exists there. Formerly the place was known as Belapukuriyä, and now it is called Vämanapukura. This has been ascertained by archeological evidence.”
 
 
 
The lord hides his identity:
 
Today we are celebrating the festival of Jagannätha Miçra. These verses give a little background of parents of lord Chaitanya, Jagannätha Miçra and Saci Devi. The lord appeared on the full moon night in the month of Flagun and it was on the next morning which we are celebrating today that a great festival was held to celebrate the birth of the supreme personality of godhead. Besides the demigods in the heavenly planets nobody knew his true identity. By his yoga Maya potency in order to facilitate intimate loving relationships, the lord covered his supreme opulence’s from his parents and from the residents of Navadvépa. We learn that when he would cry people gathered around to chant the holy names. Because nothing else could pacify this child. His beauty, his sweetness, his innocent disposition charmed everyone’s hearts in such a way that spontaneously their only ambition of life was to make him happy. The only goal of every human being to please the god. The lord was engaging every one around him in the supreme perfection of life although they even did mot know it. If the lord was unhappy their could be no greater misery for anyone and if the lord is happy there is no greater satisfaction. That is the nature of love. Love is ahaituky apratihatä. It is unconditional. Krishna Das Kaviraj Gosvämé tells us that, when the affection of the heart is directed towards God, that is prem or love. When the same affection is directed anywhere else it is Kama or lust. The qualitative difference between Love and lust or Prem and Kama is that sense gratification or lust is based on selfish ness and on illusion. When we think with the body and we think of the mind and we want to enjoy these resources or give other people enjoyment through these resources. That is lust, Kama. But t he complete giving without expectation of anything return. Affection is that is based exclusively on giving happiness to god that is love. It is something very high. People talk about love, they read about love, write about love, even sing about love, but how many people understand what love really means. It is the highest subject and the most difficult thing to attain, self less service based on the truth that I am the eternal soul and Krishna is the supreme object of my affection that alone is real love.
 
 
 
 
Definition of True Love according to Shashtra:
 
 Lord Chaitanya as a little baby he attracted everyone’s love. But in such an intimate way. In Chaitanya Charitamrita it is written that when love is crippled by reverential attitude it is love, but when we know God is God and he is great and I am completely depending on him, that is required at the beginning, that is the Vaikuntha state of love. But Krishna, Krishna alone gives his devotees entrance into deeper sweeter and more satisfying relationship of love. Both for himself as well for his devotee. His Yoga Maya Potency covers his opulence, so that we see him as something, somewhat ordinary. We don’t love him as God; we love him simply because he is Krishna. Another words in this sense our love is unconditional. Because on the highest level of Gaudiya Viashnava siddhanta to love god because he is god is a condition. But to love Krishna simply because he is Krishna is on the highest level unconditional. Simply seeing the beauty of lord Chaitanya as a little helpless baby, he attracted peoples love totally, absolutely. His suffering was worst than death, worst than loosing all their family members, worst than anything , and his happiness was the only real joy of their love. When lord Chaitanya would cry everyone would come together because the only was to release him of his anxiety was to raise their arms, and with great love and devotion, with deep feeling chant the holy names,” Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.”
 
 
The appearance of Mahäprabhu as a small baby:
 
How wonderful! The lord appeared in this world, when everyone was chanting and from his earliest infancy before he could even talk, before he could even crawl, he was inducing everyone around him to perform Naam Sankirtan. His complexion was like resplended molten gold, his eyes were like fully bloomed lotus petals. His nose was like a sesame flower , very soft and very attractive in every way. This little infant Childs’s lips these were reddish like rising sun. Jagannätha Miçra and Saci Devi noticed something very extraordinary on the tinny little soles of his lotus feet were the marks of lord Vishnu, very very special little markings. What is this? They called Nélämbara Chakraworthy, Saci Devi’s father and when he saw, he just looked at all the various symptoms, his arms, his little tinny arms extended below his knees. According to the Shashtra , this is MahaPurusha, a super natural spiritual being. He said that I think it is time to perform the name giving ceremony and at the same time we will perform the proper astrological calculations of the status of this boy. Nélämbara Chakraworthy made his calculations and said, “This child, he is like the supreme lord Narayan. And he will nourish and maintain the entire world by inculcating the essence of religion, therefore let his name be Vishwambhar. At that time a very saintly Brahman happened to appear and just by seeing this child he made his prophecies. He said, “This child is the supreme lord Narayan. And he has descended into this world to promote the congregational chanting, the essence of all religions; even the most atheistic, faithless people will become spiritually perfect just by coming under the pathway of the glance of this child. He will give the greatest pleasure to all the inhabitants of Navadvépa and all of its residents and therefore he will be known as Navadvépa Chandra. I offer my various obeisance’s to the good fortune of the parents of this child.”
Jagannätha Miçra was so thrilled by hearing this that he felled at his feet. He wanted to give wealth as gift but he had nothing. So all he could do is fall at the feet of this Brahman and cry in happiness and all the Brahman could do is fall at the feet of the Jagannätha Miçra and cry in happiness. In this way Jagannätha Miçra and Saci Devi carrying for their little apparently helpless boy flouted in the ocean of nectarine happiness. Because eight of the daughters of Jagannätha Miçra and Saci Devi died in an early age, he was given the name Nimai by Saci, because the leaves of the neem tree are very bitter and it is considered that they scare away all inauspiciousness. Also he was given that name because he was born directly under the neem tree. The neighboring girls they named him Gaurhari, because he looked just like lord Hari with a golden complexion. Jagannätha Miçra gave him the name Gauranga because all of his limbs were such a beautiful golden color.
 
 
Ananta Shesha meeting Mahäprabhu:
 
One day when Nimai was just starting to walk, actually before that when he was crawling. He crawled into the courtyard and there happened to be a gigantic, poisonous snake lying in a coil. Actually this was Ananta Shesha who could not resist the opportunity to render some service to his supreme master. So the little Nimai crawled over to this snake and laid his soft little body right on top of the coils. When Mother Saci and the neighbors and relatives saw, their little baby lying on the coils of a huge, poisonous snake they were horrified, Can you imagine their emotions? They were afraid to come close because if the snake was perturbed he may bite the child. So al they could do is weep and cry and beat their hands against their heads and their fists against their hearts and cry out for Garuda to save their baby. The lord fulfilled many purposes. He is Rasaraj, he knows how to stimulate peoples ecstatic love, one is he is giving immense satisfaction to Ananta Shesha and two; he was increasing the love of his relatives. They were really chanting the names of the lord in the absolute desperation. When the snake saw how much misery he was causing everyone, he uncoiled and slithered away. Immediately the relatives ran and picked up their little Nimai and embraced him and chanted auspicious mantras and bathed him with their affection. It was like he had returned from death. But every time the let him go he immediately started crawling back to the snake, trying to grab the snake. It is said that anyone who hears with sincere faith this story will never again be bitten by the snake of death. Hare Krishna!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The past time of stealing the offerings:
 
Yesterday’s drama, we would like to give a little purport to that. Nimai was just running around as a very small child. One day a Brahman came to Navadvépa. He was a devotee of Bal Gopal. The only two possessions he had were the Shaligram Sheila and a deity of Gopal that he wore hanging from his neck. He traveled here and there and every where, constantly he chanted the God’s holy names. As he chanted deep love for lord Govinda awakened within his heart. Some times streams like the Ganges flowed from his eyes in his love to Gopal. He came to the house of Jagannätha Miçra he was welcomed with great enthusiasm. Jagannätha Miçra asked him,” where do you come from?” The Brahman said, “I have no home because I am devoid of material attachments. I simply wonder constantly form place to place. This is because of my restless mind. “Jagannätha Miçra replied, “The reason you wonder from place to place is to purify where ever you go and make it into a place of pilgrimage. Who ever is so fortunate to have an opportunity to see you and serve you will certainly again great auspiciousness. Please bless my home by taking your food here today.” This Brahman would never eat anything at that he did not personally prepare for his deity of Gopal. Usually in his wanderings he would just pick some fruits or roots or vegetables and offer it. For him to eat cooked rice was something very rare and special. Jagannätha Miçra said , “We will clean the entire kitchen and today you will cook rice and vegetables.” So they cleaned the whole kitchen and brought in Bhoga. The Brahman with great satisfaction he cooked, not for himself but for Gopal. While the offering was complete he placed it before the deity and with great love in his heart and emotion in his eyes, he chanted the appropriate mantras, to invite the supreme lord to accept his offerings. But it was right at that moment that our little Nimai stood right before the offerings and with his tinny little lotus hand he pickled up a palm full of rice and put it in his mouth and he was chewing that he picked another hand full of rice and put it in his mouth and as he was chewing that he picked up another handful of rice and put it in his mouth. The Brahman who was watching was shocked. He cried out,” Alas! Alas! Hai! Hai! This child has spoiled my offerings.” The residents of in the house were shocked. “What has this boy done?” Jagannätha Miçra ran to punish him and little Nimai ran away. As Jagannätha Miçra said, “what kind of fool do you think I am son? Do you think I am such an ignorant person to allow you to get away with this? I am a cultured Brahman, I must teach you.” The pilgrim Brahman had to grab the arm of Jagannätha Miçra to stop him from punishing this boy, “He is just only a boy, and how can you beat him? How can you do this? He doesn’t even know how to reason it. A punishment is only reasonable if you enlighten a person but this child doesn’t even know what is right and what is wrong. And besides that every thing is happening with the will of Gopal. Today Gopal does not want me to eat rice. That is my destiny. Just bring me some fruits and roots that is what I eat anywhere anyway.”
Jagannätha Miçra he put his head in his hands and lamented, “You have come to my house and such an offence has been committed.” He begged, he begged the Brahman, please we will clean the kitchen, bring more Bhoga, cook again.” But the Brahman said, “I already cooked, just bring me some fruits.” Then the whole family came and pleaded and pleaded to him. Just for the pleasure of all the residents of the home, he said, “Alright I will cook!”
Just when he was cooking Jagannätha Miçra and Saci Mataji took him to the neighbors house were a group of ladies was entertaining him in such a way to keep him away from the pilgrim Brahman. He was irresistible. Just to touch him was, according to Sri Chaitanya Bhagwat, his body was soft like a puppet of butter, and they would just hold him and embrace him and put him on their lap and embrace him and listen to his very sweet broken words. They said, “Nimai are you not afraid of taking the offerings of the lord?” And Nimai said, “What have I done wrong? What fault is there in me? He called for me and I came.” They laughed! They said, “You are a Brahman, you don’t know what his birth is? Who his parents are? Where he lived where he came from? You don’t know anything about him? Don’t you fear that you will loose your caste by eating food cooked by an unknown person?” Nimai smiled he said, “I am a cowherd boy from a cowherd community we always eat food offered by Brahmans.” He was revealing the truth about himself but no body could understand. Just as the Brahman completed his offering, I mean his cooking and began the offering, little Nimai absolutely mesmerized all the girls by his charms, he intoxicated them so much that without anybody even noticing he slipped away. And we know exactly where he went. The Brahman chanted his mantra, “Gopal!” He constantly chanted the 6 syllable mantra. And as he was chanting for Gopal to come he saw right before his eyes, little Nimai with handful of his rice in his mouth. “Hai! Hai!” Immediately the child ran away. And when Jagannätha Miçra heard that the child again spoiled his offerings he went with a stick in his hands. Nimai ran into the room and locked the door. Jagannätha Miçra said,” You consider me such a fool; you think you are going to get away with this again. I must teach you. I must punish you.” Meanwhile all the ladies in the house grabbed Jagannätha Miçra to hold him back, “Please don’t hit this child, he doesn’t know right or wrong. He is only a boy, please!” And the Brahman came and held Jagannätha Misra’s hand and expressed to him, how unhappy he would be if he punishes this child in anyway. He said,” Don’t you understand it is so obvious. It is my destiny today, not to eat rice. Even if one makes all arrangements ultimately everything is under the control of the supreme lord. You can make every possible arrangement for eating but if the lord does not want you to eat you cannot take even one morsel. I live in the forest, today I am only meant to eat fruits and roots. Please bring me some fruits and roots.” Although the whole family begged him to cook again, he refused, “It is too late.” At that moment lord Chaitanya’s elder brother Vishwaroop came into the room. He was so beautiful. He had wonderful Brahman thread around his chest. He was effulgent with all the good qualities. The Brahman looked at him, his mouth gaped open, and his eyes could not even blink. He asked, “Who are the parents of this child?” Jagannätha Miçra and Saci Devi. Vishwaroop fell at the feet of this Brahman with folded hands and said, “we are so fortunate today, you have made our entire house so auspicious by your coming but at the same time we are so unfortunate and very thing is so inauspicious because you didn’t eat rice.” The Brahman said,” I tired but Krishna doesn’t want me to eat Rice.” Vishwaroop said, “Please cook again.” The Brahman said, “It’s already 1:30 in the morning. It’s too late to cook the third time.” Vishwaroop fell at his feet and pleaded with him,” Its not too late it’s still a goodtime, Please cook again. Because I know great souls like you, only live in compassion for other living beings and you see you are relived this whole house hold of so much suffering, if you just cook again.” Brahman said, “Yes, I will cook again.” Jagannätha Miçra said, “Keep Nimai in the room.” Somebody said, we will tie the door with ropes so he can’t’ get out. Jagannätha Miçra said, “very good idea, tie those doors.” One of the ladies came out and said, “Your little baby is sound in sleep, there is no longer any fear of his naughtiness.” He was sleeping as the Brahman cooked for a third time. Jagannätha Miçra with a stick in hand was guarding the door, as was every one else. Just as he was completing his preparation, the lord who is the supresoul in everyone’s heart, who knows everything bout everyone, he sent Nidra Devi, the goddess of sleep into the house. Everyone felt fast asleep except the Brahman. He put the offering before Gopal and chanted his 6 syllable mantra calling Gopal to accept the offering. Everything was absolutely quite. He opened his eyes and there was the beautiful little golden form of Nimai with a palm full of rice in his mouth chewing blissfully. That Brahman screamed out, “Hai! Hai! Alas! Alas! The child has again spoiled my offering.” But this time no body heard. Everyone was asleep. Little Nimai looked at him and said, “Why are you so disturbed. You called for me and I came. I am that Gopal that you worship.”
 
 
Lord manifests himself for his devotee:
 
 At that moment Nimai’s form manifested such a beautiful darshan for this Brahman. His complexion was dark like the tamal tree, his eyes like fully bloomed lotus petals. He had eight arms, four held the symbols of Vishnu, the conch shell, lotus flower, club and disc. Two hands were playing the flute and another hand was holding a pot of butter while the remaining hands were eating from that. He had wonderful ordinance of precious jewels hanging from his neck. There were tinkling silver anklets around his ankles. Gold bangles on his wrist and his arms. He saw the goddess lakshmi in the form of Srivatsa on his chest and resplendent like thousands of suns the Kaustubh Mani, the Kaustubh jewel was hanging on his chest. His wealth. His black hair was like the curling feathers of the crow. His lotus feet had nails that were as bright and illustrious as pearls. The soles of his feet were pinkish. He had shark shaped earrings on his all attractive ears. His lips were like the resplended color of the bimba fruit and then the Brahmans saw the entire atmosphere transform into Sri Vrindavan Dham. It was the Kadmba forest the lord was standing under the Kadmba tree. He had extraordinarily fragrant flowers decorating his hair, and a beautiful peacock feather on the top. Around the child were countless gopis and gopas just wandering in all directions herding their unlimited cows? Upon seeing this mystifying vision which was the exact vision that this Brahman would meditate upon, in his deepest offerings of devotion. The Brahman fell down and was soon unconscious. Little Nimai touched him, when he touched him he just thrilled him with such an ecstasy that the Brahman woke up. He was weeping, he was crying, his hair was standing on the end, he was rolling on the ground, he was screaming out, “Jai Gopal, Jai Gopal!” But no body could hear him. And then Nimai spoke, he said, “Birth after birth you are my servant and I find greatest pleasure in taking the food that you prepare. You do not remember but in my previous incarnation, I was living in the house of Nanda Maharaj in Gokul Mahavan as Gopal. And at that time you were a pilgrim Brahman and you came to Nanda maharaja’s house to, and Nanda maharaja invited you in and made all arrangements for you to cook. At that time I also stole your offerings. And at that time I showed you the same vision that I am showing you today. Because I am always attracted by the loving offerings of my devotees. But I am going to now, tell you something very confidential and if you reveal it to anyone before I leave this world you will die.” He said,” I am the supreme personality of godhead and I have appeared here in Navadvépa for the purpose of establishing the Hari Naam Sankirtan movement. Through this congregational chanting of the holy names, I will spread love of god through out the entire world. The type of love of god that will satisfy the inner most core of everyone’s hearts.” After revealing these inner secrets of his true identity he again became little Nimai and ran into his room and fell fast asleep. This Brahman was so overwhelmed by joy, he was taking that rice and rubbing it on every part of his body and eating it and screaming , “Jai Gopal, Jai Gopal, Jai Gopal, Jai Gopal, Jai Gopal, Jai Gopal!” Jagannätha Miçra and Saci Devi all the people in the house all woke up and they came running to see what’s happening? And when he saw he started cleaning the rice from the limbs. He somehow other contained himself and sat in sober way and was eating nicely. They saw what happened? What happened?” He said, “The offering was successful.” From his heart of heart he wanted to tell them that the supreme personality of godhead is living in your home and you don’t even know. If you simply understand that you will attain liberation.” But he was unable to tell that because the lord ordered him not to. That Brahman could not leave the association of lord Chaitanya. For the rest of his lie he never left Navadvépa. He would go house to house a begging. Every single day he would go to the house f Jagannätha Miçra just to watch the past times of little Nimai. It was am amazing position as afar as we know he was the only person in all of Navadvépa who consciously understood the true identity of Nimai and kept it always a secret.
 
Jagannätha Miçra in Vatsalya Raas:
 
This was the good fortune of Jagannätha Miçra; he loved his child so much. When he was going to punish little Nimai it was only for Nimai’s benefit. That is love. It wasn’t due to uncontrolled anger. Because his little Nimai was committing serious uncontrollable offences. Just running up and eating the food that is to be offered to the deities from a saintly Brahman. He wanted to teach him.
One time Jagannätha Miçra chastised Nimai for being extremely naughty. And that night a supernatural personality came in the form of a saintly Brahman in Jagannätha Misra’s dream and told Jagannätha Miçra with folded hands. He said,” You are a father of a very exalted person you do not know who your son is. He is most exalted, he is the lord. He is the lord don’t you understand? You shouldn’t chastise him. You should not punish him. This is not appropriate.” Jagannätha Miçra in his Vatsalya Raas, fatherly affection. He replied to that Brahman, he said, “who ever may be. Even if he is demigod, or god himself. I don’t know these things. All I know is this, he is my son and if I don’t teach him properly how will he ever learn? “That is the sweet mood of Vrindavan.
 
 
Krishna in Vrindavan = Mahäprabhu in Navadvépa:
 
Navadvépa Dham is not different from Vrindavan. It is Audraya Dham. Vrindavan is Madhurya Dham. It is the sweetest of all sweet, spiritual abodes and all of that sweetness of loving exchanges is in Navadvépa with the addition that it is made available it is accessible to everyone, if a person simply is willing to accept it. It has been described last night by Devamrita Maharaj, that Krishna he performed the most beautiful past times of the spiritual world in this world, just to attract our hearts. But in order to enter we had to surrender everything. Audraya Dham means, lord chaitanya is making it available at the cheapest possible price. Just have faith. Just be wiling to co operate and kevala änanda-kanda , the process is so joyful. Sri Chaitanya Mahäprabhu, just chant, just dance, just take Prasad and I will attract your heart. These regulative principles, No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat eating. They are the just basic forms of human morality. No big thing. Any half civilized person should follow these principles. But in Kali Yuga, its rare to find anybody who is even considering to be a half civilized person. It’s just the basic of moral principle but even that is so difficult. Just follow these simple principles and chant Hare Krishna, Lord Chaitanya is giving something so great in such a way, that even the malechas, the yavanas, even the untouchables. Krishna Das Kaviraj Gosvämé explains the glory of Lord Chaitanya’s mission,’ He made a garland by weaving together the holy name of Krishna and prem, love of god and he has come to put that garland around the whole world. kevala änanda-kanda The highest truths of Vrindavan, Sri Chaitanya Mahäprabhu in Navadvépa is opening the doors and inviting anyone and everyone to come and taste that sweet nectar of Braj prem, that is the wonderful gift that Srila Prabhu Pad has given us.
Jagannätha Miçra the most fortunate personality in all of creation, because the supreme personality of godhead is crawling in his courtyard as an ordinary child and he loves him with the intimacy f his own son. But that little Nimai Pandit, Nimai who became Nimai Pandit was soon to perform, to enact a spiritual revolution that the world ahs never seen. And to hear about these amazing stories we will now request Chandramoli swami and Kavichandra Maharaj to speak.
 
Thank You very much!
Hare Krishna!
 
End of the document.