nama om Visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
Srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter of His lotus feet.
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sunyavadi pascatya -desa-tarine
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
name bhaktivinodaya sac-cid-ananda-namine
gaura-sakti-svarupaya rupanuga-varaya te
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who is transcendental energy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvamis, headed by Srila Rupa.
vancha-kalpa tarubhyas ca
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo namah
I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.
vande Sri-krsna-caitanya-nityanandau sahoditau
gaudodaye puspavantau citrau sandau tamo-nudau
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauda to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.
Eight years ago doctors told me that I had Chronic active Hepatitis - non-A, non-B. They told me that I would have to undergo many tests, and perhaps an experimental therapy that would be very costly and might have results. The general prognosis was a five year life expectancy.
Previously we had been invited to live in Sridhama Mayapur by our spiritual master, Om visnupada Jayapataka Maharaja. Realizing that my only real chance (spiritually and materially) was to take shelter of Sri Mayapur and Nitai-Gaura, we turned down therapy and moved to the dhama. For much of the five years we lived there, I was bedridden and in great separation of the Dhama. How is that possible? Imagine living in the Dhama and only being able to see it through the window. So near and yet so far. This forced me to go inwards and live in the dhama in my heart.
By the mercy of Nitai I was able to dive deeply into the reality of the dhama as a state of consciousness. It is not a place that you can buy a ticket to with material money.
Many times I have seen visitors come and go, not even having touched the dhama. They could only see the dirt, passionate locals, rickshaw wallas and "misbehavior" by local devotees. Sometimes they spent their whole visit catching up on the gossip from ISKCON around the world.
Each time I observed this, I would find that the devotee so engaged had not read Caitanya Caritamrta, or did not really know much about Mayapur. Sometimes this was true even after many times of visiting and going on parikrama.
Having spent the last five years living in Sridham Mayapur, there were many times I prayed that if Krishna chose to give me health to serve Him, then somehow I would find a way to share the Mayapur I had come to know and love with the whole world. Being bed-ridden I knew the pain of not being able to physically go on parikrama.
Then one day I found the Navadvipa Mahatmya (the glories of Navadvipa) In His book Sri Navadvipa Mahatmya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes:
"O residents of Navadvipa and devotees of Gauranga, put your feet upon my head, rascal that I am. Everyone, please hear this prayer of mine, so that I will quickly attain the feet of Sri Caitanya.
Though I am very low, taking the order of Sri Nityananda and Jahnava, I have herein described Navadvipa-dhama. It is a fact that this book is filled with the names: Gauranga, Nityananda, and Navadvipa. On that basis this book is a supreme deliverer , and I cannot be held guilty, though there be many faults in the writing. By reading this book, Gauranga's devotees always earn the fruits of performing parikrama. And if one reads this book while doing parikrama, the fruits increase a hundredfold. That is the verdict of the scriptures."
Each year as I tearfully watched the fortunate devotees leave on parikrama, I prayed that no one in the whole universe would have to suffer this pain. Before returning to the west, I approached H.H. Banu Maharaja, who is the translator of this volume, and asked his permission and blessing to render his translation into Video, CD-ROM and onto the Internet. He gave both gladly.
So now under the orders of HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur "Develop this Navadvipa Parikrama, for by its development the whole universe will become liberated", I am bringing this parikrama to those who may also be house-bound, or unable to afford the trip to Sri Mayapur. Simply by reading this book, you can get the whole benefit.
I had thought to only present a condensed version. But I realized that each word is a treasure. My desire is that full benefit may be achieved by all. If you wish a printed version to keep with you always and to carry on that fortunate day you are able to come to Sri Mayapur contact:
P.O. Box 926337
Houston TX USA 77292
1-800-829-2579 (in the US) or ( 713) 290-8715 (International) FAX ( 713)290-8720
Begging forgiveness for any offenses I may have committed. Asking the blessings of the sankirtan devotees of Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda, I humbly present in full the Navadvipa Mahatmya of HDG Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, previous acharya and great proponent of the NAMA HATTA, which is why I have made this a part of the Nama Hatta site.
For more information on the Mayapur Project try here
For a printed copy of Sri Navadvipa Mahatmya contact:
P.O. Box 926337
Houston TX USA 77292
1-800-829-2579 (in the US) or ( 713) 290-8715 (International) FAX ( 713)290-8720
