Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma Parikramā and
Śrī Gaura-Janmotsva
“Pilgrimage of Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma and the Festival of Śrī Gaura’s Birth”
(Translated from Śrī Gauḍīya Patrikā, Year 27, Issue 3 (15/5/1975), page 104)
Because of aversion to Bhagavān, the jīva has been bound by māyā. Since time immemorial, the jīva has been wandering through material existence, attached to fulfilling its own enjoyment of pleasure in the company of wives, husbands, sons, or daughters, and is being tortured day and night by the threefold miseries, thus reaping a state of bondage. The supremely merciful Śrī Guru and Vaiṣṇavas, who are aggrieved by the sorrows of others (para-duḥkha-duḥkhī), see their deplorable state and manifest in the world various auspicious arrangements to deliver them from all suffering. Performing parikramā of the Śrī Dhāma is one such arrangement. Roaming the karma-mārga (path of fruitive action) of saṁsāra causes the jīvas’ state of bondage to become exponentially tighter, whereas performing parikramā of the Śrī Dhāma in the association of sādhus and to the accompaniment of nāma-saṅkīrtana causes this bondage to loosen. The scriptures have spoken of Śrī Dhāma-Parikramā among the sixty-four limbs of bhakti. Of sixty-four limbs, nine are predominant, and of nine, five are more predominant, and of five, ultimately only nāma-saṅkīrtana is said to be the best of all.
Śrī Dhāma Navadvīpa is the pīṭha-sthāna (seat or altar) of the performance of navadhā-bhakti (the nine limbs of devotion). By performing Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma parikramā [which is pāda-sevana] all nine limbs of devotion, including śravaṇa, kīrtana, smaraṇa, vandana, paricaryā, sakhya, and ātma-nivedana, are performed. Śrī Bhagavān’s appearance place is referred to as the Dhāma. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, absorbed in the moods of Rādhā, has appeared in Navadvīpa in the form of Śrī Gaurāṅga. As Śrī Bhagavān is a transcendental reality, so is the Dhāma. Conditioned souls see the Dhāma with their material eyes as an ordinary village. One must have darśana of Śrī Dhāma under the guidance of Śrī Guru and Vaiṣṇavas. By their grace, one can realize the true form and nature (svarūpa) of the Dhāma.
Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti has been organizing Śrī Navadvīpa Parikramā leading up to the occasion of Śrī Śrī Gaura-janmotsava every year for a very long time now. Śrī Gaurasundara, Svayaṁ Bhagavān (the Original Personality of Godhead), has, as jagad-guru (the teacher of the whole world), conveyed to the inhabitants of the world that Śrī Dhāma-Parikramā is a must, by performing Śrī Dhāma-Parikramā Himself. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhu performed Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma-Parikramā with Śrīman Nityānanda Prabhu. Later Śrīnivāsa Ācārya Prabhu also performed Śrī Dhāma-Parikramā. But after that, this tradition of performing parikramā halted for some time. After a long time, Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s own śakti, Ṭhākura Śrīla Bhaktivinoda, reinitiated the performance of Śrī Gaura-dhāma Parikramā. His vaibhava (majestic manifestation), Prabhupāda Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, manifested Śrī Dhāma-Parikramā even more. After his disappearance, this tradition of performing Dhāma-Parikramā was stopped again. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s own intimate servant, my supremely worshipful paramagurudeva, Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, once again inaugurated this parikramā on a massive scale, and by his grace, this current of parikramā has remained uninterrupted. Even the performance of Śrī Dhāma parikramā is paused from time to time, due to the various forces of time, Śrī Bhagavān’s dearly beloved associates manifest themselves in this world and illuminate the service of Śrī Dhāma.
At the cordial invitation of Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti, like other years, this year too several thousand devotees came from various place across the nation to Śrī Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha in Śrīdhāma Navadvīpa for parikramā. Under the supervision of Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti’s current president, Parivrājakācārya Tridaṇḍisvāmī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Mahārāja, this past 8th of Caitra (22nd of March), a Saturday, till the 14th of Caitra (28th of March), Friday, a week-long Śrī Dhāma Parikramā and Śrī Śrī Gaura-Janma-Mahā-mahotsava was held with great fanfare. On the evening of the 7th of Caitra, at the Śrī Maṭha, under Śrīla Ācāryadeva’s supervision, a grand religious assembly convened for the sake of accepting the saṅkalpa (vow) of parikramā. Śrīla Ācāryadeva and various other tridaṇḍi-pāda sannyāsīs spoke on the true nature (svarūpa) of the Śrī Dhāma, the necessity of performing parikramā, the glories of parikramā, and how to observe the standard rules of parikramā etc., thus delivering many valuable instructions and laying out many philosophically robust principles related to the performance of dhāma-parikramā.
The next morning of the 8th of Caitra, during brāhma-muhūrta, after Śrī Śrī Guru-Gāndharvikā’s maṅgalārati, the Śrī Dhāma Parikramā party set out in a huge parade to profuse shouts of jaya-dhvani and performance of saṅkīrtana. At the head of the śobhā-yātrā (procession), on a beautifully decoarated palanquin were the vijaya-vigraha of Śrī Gaurasundara and pictures of the śrī guru-varga. Following them were the tridaṇḍi-pāda-gaṇa and brahmacārīs performing loud saṅkīrtana and dancing with mṛdaṅgas, karatālas, gongs, conchs, bells, etc. Following them came thousands and thousands of devotees, men, women and children of every age, bearing colored flags in their hands, performing pilgrimage and kīrtana of śrī harināma. The profuse hari-dhvani was waking the sleeping residents of Navadvīpa, saying, “Jīva jāgo jīva jāgo gôrācāñda bole, koto nidrā jao māyā piśācīra kole || – Wake up, wake up, sleeping souls, says Gauracandra. How long will you sleep in the lap of the witch of illusion?” Under the guidance of Śrī Guru and Vaiṣṇavas, the parikramā party crossed the sacred waters of the Suradhunī, offering daṇḍavat obeisance to Śrī Māyāpura, but landing in Gādigāchā, arriving in Śrī Godruma-dvīpa (the place of kīrtana) at Surabhi Kuñja. In this place, the king of the demigods, Indra, sought the mercy of Surabhi and worshipped Śrī Gaurasundara in order to obtain His darśana. Śrīmat Paryaṭaka Mahārāja read the glories of this place from Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma Mahātmya to all the pilgrims. From this spot, the parikramā party gradually proceeded to Svānanda-sukhada Kuñja, the bhajana-sthalī of Ṭhākura Śrīla Bhaktivinoda.
In the books of the Six Gosvāmīs and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, the rule is to start parikramā first from the site of ātma-nivedana, Antara-dvīpa or Śrī Māyāpura. However, Paramārādhya Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Prabhuvara, through his own transcendental experience, has introduced a unique speciality by beginning the parikramā from the site of kīrtana. “Bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate – Bhakti is easily attainable by the mercy of the devotees.” Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti starts their parikramā with begging a particle of mercy from the embodiment of Śrī Gaura’s energy, Saccidānanda Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. In this place, Śrīla Ācāryadeva, Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Trivikrama Mahārāja, and Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja delivered speeches about Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s transcendental character, divine qualities, and teachings. After that, the parikramā party had darśana of Suvarṇa-vihāra and then arrived at Śrī Nṛsiṁha Pallī. All the obstacles on the path of bhakti are eradicated by the mercy of Śrī Nṛsiṁhadeva. For those who wish to attain bhakti, it is essential to pray for Śrī Nṛsiṁhadeva’s mercy. After receiving Śrī Nṛsiṁhadeva’s darśana, circumambulating Him, and hearing the glories of the sacred spot, the pilgrims had darśana of Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga’s bhoga-ārati and then rendered service to mahāprasāda. From here, on the way back to the Śrī Maṭha, the party received darśana of Śrī Harihara Kṣetra. Hari and Hara are Bhagavān and His bhakta. Hara is Śrī Bhagavān’s very dear devotee. He is intoxicated with singing the glories of Hari day and night with his five mouths. The devotee and Bhagavān are like a body and its limbs. The devotee does not exist without Bhagavān, and Bhagavān is the same way. Though Śrī Hari-Hara are ekātma (one soul), they are not one tattva. The pilgrims had the fortune to hear these profound topics from the Śrīla Mahārājas.
On the 9th of Caitra, the second day of parikramā, the party set off towards Cāṁpāhāṭī, which is within Śrī Kola-dvīpa, but first stopped in Ṛtupura, or Rātupura, which is nondifferent from Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Śrī Navadvīpa is Gupta-Vṛndāvana (hidden Vṛndāvana). All of Śrī Rādhā Govinda’s pastimes places in Vṛndāvana are present in Śrī Navadvīpa in hidden forms. The glories of this place were to the pilgrims. After that, the parikramā party moved on to Samudra-gaḍa. Here the ocean serves Mahāprabhu in various ways under the guidance of Gaṅgā Devī. King Samudra Sena tied up the Pāṇḍavas’ aśvamedha-yajña horse here because of his intense longing to have darśana of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, going on to engage in battle with Bhīmasena with great prowess. “Je jana kṛṣṇa bhaje, se baḍa catura – A person who worships Kṛṣṇa is very clever.” A devotee of the highest caliber, Rāja Samudra Sena knew that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the beloved friend of the Pāṇḍavas and would not be able to sit still if they were in trouble, so to obtain His darśana, he began battling Bhīmasena very energetically. Bhīmasena was extremely overwhelmed by the battle and took shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra could not sit still when two of His devotees were anxiously calling Him and so appeared on the battlefield. Upon obtaining the darśana of His worshipful Lord, the king’s wishes were fulfilled and he withdrew from the battle, submitting to the rule of the Pāṇḍavas. From here, the parikramā party proceeded to the temple in Cāṁpāhāṭī to have darśana of the Śrī Gaura Gadādhara served by Śrī Dvija Vāṇīnātha. There used to be a huge orchard of campaka flowers here and Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s dearest sakhīs would serve them with these flowers. During Śrī Gaura’s pastimes, Gadādhara, who is nondifferent from Śrī Rādhā, would serve Śrī Mahāprabhu. The pilgrims had the fortune of hearing the glories of this place and hearing about the tattva of Śrī Gaura Gadādhāra. The poet Jayadeva Gosvāmī wrote Gīta-govinda here.
On the 10th of Caitra, the third day of the parikramā, the parikramā party arrived at the śrīpāṭa (home) of Śrī Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya in Vidyānagara, which is part of Jahnu-dvīpa (the place of vandanā). Vidyānagara was the place all manner of vidyā (spiritual knowledge). From here, the party had darśana of Jahnu Muni’s āśrama and Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura’s home in Modadruma-dvīpa (the place of dāsya), and then returned to Śrī Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha in the midday.
On the 11th of Caitra, on the fourth day of the parikramā, went to Rudra-dvīpa (the place of sakhya) via Kuliyā-pāhāḍa [Kuliyā mountain), the place of Prauḍhāmāyā (Prauḍha Mātā). On Śrī Bhagavān’s order, Śrī Rudradeva preached māyāvāda throughout the world to bewilder the asuras. After the pilgrims had darśana and and performed parikramā of this place, they were read the glories of the Śrī Dhāma there. From here, the parikramā party paid daṇḍavat obeisance in the direction of Sīmanta-dvīpa and visited Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s samādhi site on the way back to the Śrī Maṭha. The pilgrims had the fortune of hearing about Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s extraordinary life and qualities. Bābājī Mahārāja was the sovereign Vaiṣṇava chief of Śrī Gauḍa, Vraja, and Kṣetra Maṇḍala. That was why he was adorned with the title “Sārvabhauma”.
On the 12th of Caitra, on the fifth and final day of parikramā, the parikramā party’s parade assumed an enormous form. The parikramā party crossed the Suradhunī and first had darśana of Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga Rādhā Madana-mohana-jī at Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha in Īśodyāna and performed parikramā there. Then they had darśana of the samādhi of 108-śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Sāraṅga Gosvāmī Mahārāja’s samādhi site and paid praṇāma, whereafter they bowed before Śrī Śrī Gaura Nityānanda-jī and performed parikramā. Afterwards, the parikramā party had darśana and performed parikramā of Śrīvāsa Aṅgana, the saṅkīrtana-rāsa-sthalī, which is nondifferent from the rāsa-sthalī [of Vṛndāvana], Śrī Advaita Bhavana, and Śrī Gadādhara Bhavana, before arriving at the samādhi site of Jagad-guru Śrīla Prabhupāda. After performing parikramā of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s samādhi site, Śrīla Ācāryadeva, Śrīmat Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja, Śrīmat Bhaktivedānta Trivikrama Mahārāja, Śrīmat Bhaktivedānta Paryaṭaka Mahārāja and others sannyāsīs delivered powerful, heart-touching speeches about Śrīla Prabhupāda’s extraordinary life, the specialities of his preaching, and his instructions. After that, the pilgrims had darśana of Śrī Caitanya Maṭha and the temple of the Four Ācāryas, and then had darśana of Śrīla Gaurakiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s samādhi temple on the banks of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Here the pilgrims prostrated themselves in obeisance praying for the mercy of Bābājī Mahārāja. After that, the parikramā party arrived at Cāñda Kājī’s samādhi. Though Cāñda Kājī came in a Yavana (Muslim) family, he was a gaura-bhakta, therefore pilgrims obtain the opportunity to sanctify themselves by having darśana and performing parikramā of his samādhi site. “Muci haye śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje, āra śuci haye muci haya, yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje – If one worships Kṛṣṇa, then though one is contaminated, one becomes clean; and if one is clean, but abandons Kṛṣṇa, then one becomes contaminated.” “Kṛṣṇa bhajane nāhi jāti kulādira vicāra, jei bhaje sei baḍa abhakta-hīna chāra | – In the worship of Kṛṣṇa, there is no consideration of race or family; one who worships Kṛṣṇa is great, whereas the non-devotee is lowly and detestable.”
After that, the parikramā group came to Śrī Yogapīṭha, the home of Śrī Jagannātha Miśra, where they circumambulated the main temple with energetic dancing and kīrtana. Thereafter, Śrīla Ācāryadeva delivered a speech about the tattva of the combined form of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, Śrī Gaurasundara, about His transcendental teachings, and about Śrī Gaura’s holy abode, etc. In the course of the speech, he said, “Ārādhitaṁ nava-vanaṁ vraja-kānanaṁ te, nārādhitaṁ nava-vanaṁ vraja eva dūre | ārādhito dvija-suto vraja-nāgaras te, nārādhito dvija-suto na taveha kṛṣṇaḥ ||” In other words, the fact of the matter is that without serving Navadvīpa, it is impossible to attain service in Vṛndāvana, and without serving Śrī Gaura, it is impossible to attain the service of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. After the midday bhogārati Śrī Gaurasundara’s vijaya-vigraha, almost ten thousand devotees honored Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s mahāprasāda. The parikramā party then returned to Śrī Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha just before dusk.
On the 13th of Caitra, on the occasion of Śrī Śrī Gaura Āvirbhāva, Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata was recited and sung without interruption from sunrise till evening. All the pilgrims fasted from water till dusk, listening to the recitations and kīrtana of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata. At dusk, with great pomp and celebration, the sacred bathing ceremony to celebration Śrī Gaurasundara’s birth festival was performed, along with ārati, whereafter prasāda consisting of fruits and root vegetables was distributed to the pilgrims and other visitors who came for darśana. Afterwards, a grand religous assembly was held, wherein the supremely worshipful host of tridaṇḍipādas and Śrīla Ācāryadeva delivered speeches on the specialities of Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s various pastimes and teachings.
On the 14th of Caitra, during the general festival, mahāprasāda was distributed to countless members of the general public. From sunrise till midnight, no visitor was turned away from receiving mahāprasāda. During the seven-day parikramā festival, every day in the evening, after Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga Rādhā Vinoda-bihārī Jīu’s ārati, a huge assembly would be convened in the Avidyā-haraṇa Kīrtana Sadana (the temple room). In that assembly, the revered tridaṇḍipādas and the most worshipful Śrīla Ācāryadeva would satisfy the ears and hearts of those pilgrims who sought to attain bhakti with powerful, nectareous words of instruction about how hari-bhajana is the purpose of human life, about the glories of having darśana and performing of Śrī Dhāma Parikrama in the association of sādhus, and other enlightening topics full of beautiful siddhānta. The associaton of sādhus is attained only as a result of great good fortune. Saintly persons draw the householders from the corners of their homes in order to bring them true auspiciousness and give them hari-kathā day and night. They employ various methods of engaging them in service to Hari and grant them the opportunity to serve mahāprasāda. Thus they urge them to progress along the path of hari-bhajana. To take the particles of dust from the sacred feet of sādhu, guru, and Vaiṣṇavas upon one’s heads with utmost sincerity and begin to engage in hari-bhajana in the shelter of their feet is a sign of intelligence. “Ataeva māyā-moha chādī buddhimāna, nitya-tattva kṛṣṇa-bhakti karena sandhāna – Therefore the intelligent persons relinquishes the delusion of māyā and searches for the eternal truth of devotion to Kṛṣṇa.”
—Śrīmatī Umārāṇī Devī
Chunchura (Hooghly)