71st Vyasa Puja Offering to His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja
By Your Insignificant and Ignorant Servant
Radhakant Das Adhikari
(A Disciple of His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami Maharaja)
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana- salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.
nama om visnupadaya krishnaprestaya bhutale
srimate jayapataka swamin iti namine
namah acarya padaya nitai kripa pradayine
gaura katha damadhaya nagara grama dhayine
nama om vishnupadaya Krishna prestaya bhutale
srimate bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura vani pracarine
nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya desa tarine
Dear respected Jayapataka Swami Maharaja,
Please accept my most humble prostrated obeisances unto your lotus feet.
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!
On this most blessed occasion of your glorious 71st appearance day as a humble yet an ignorant servant wish to glorify you and your activities in line with Srila Prabhupada’s teaching. Although I am not qualified to glorify your holiness with suitable and appropriate words still with limited intelligence and memory I would like to recall those memories lingering on my mind to glorify your holiness presence in this world.
In the year 1998 when I happened to be there for my first ever Dham visit to Mayapur Dham, until then I have not seen you in person. It so happened in the morning on the Gaura Purnima day when I decided to have bath in Ganges, I was little reluctant to take bath in the Ganges due to ignorance about how to take bath in the Ganges since she is sacred. Also a lot many people takes bath with their sins accumulated till then will be vanished once they take bath in the Ganges. So whoever takes bath in the Ganges carries unlimited sins which are diluted in the river too. In this way I was thinking suddenly Jayapataka Swami along with few Brahmacaris came to Ganges to take bath. I was watching and watching for a while how Jayapataka Swami and Brahmacaris taking bath in Ganges I become little relieved and it reminded me Srila Prabhupada along with few devotees taking bath in Yamuna. During that time when the disciples started sporting in Yamuna and splashing water each other’s body and to Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada reminded to the disciples that there should be some etiquette to be followed with your Guru. Then immediately everyone realized and immediately on their palm taking Yamuna water and started to perform abhisheka by chanting Brahma Samhita.
Predicted in Brahma-vaivarta Purana Chapter 129 is called Golokarohanam. In this Chapter 4.129.49 - 51 describes how Krsna returns to His abode and specific dialogue between Lord Krishna and Mother Ganga. Verse 49 is a question by Ganga; verses 50 & 51 are Krsna's answer.
Text 49:
bhaagiirathy uvaaca
he naatha ramanasrestha
yaasi golokamuttamam
asmaakam kaa gatiscaatra
bhavisyati kalau yuge
"Ganga said: O protector, Supreme enjoyer, on your departure for the perfect abode, Goloka, thereafter what will be my situation in the age of Kali?"
Text 50
Srii-bhagavaan uvaaca
kaleh pamcasahasraani
varsaani tistha bhu-tale
paapaani paapino yaani
tubhyam daasyamti snaanatah
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Remain on earth for five thousand years of Kali yuga. Sinners will deposit their sins in you by bathing."
Text 51
man-mamtropaasaka sparsaad
bhasmibhutaani tatksanaat
bhavisyamti darsanaac ca
snaanaad eva hi jaahnavi
"By the sight, touch and bathing of one who worships Me by My mantra all those sins will be at once burnt to ashes, O Ganga."
So once I got all the answers from Your holiness, Srila Prabhupada and above conversations between Krishna and Ganga I become refreshed with bath and knowledge.
In another occasion when your holiness came to Guruvayur Kerala for the opening of ISKCON guest house, I was very close to your holiness during the ribbon cutting ceremony. Just after that ribbon cutting you gave me a red rose which was in your hand holding very long time. After the official ceremony you gave a very inspirational class touching every one whoever present there. One of the such class statement was that “people may live close proximity to the railway station and when their time comes they miss the train even they live close proximity to the railway station.” So please don’t miss the train. It was really the fact that we may live nearby temple, but hardly visits and take association with devotees. So Jayapataka maharaja was giving clear idea what devotees must do.
In another time just after the Coimbatore Jagannath rath yatra to utilize his holiness valuable association there was a SIDC meeting at CODISSIA hall near Coimbatore ISKCON Temple. Most of the south Indian ISKCON leaders were present. Somehow by the causeless blessings of your Sannyasi disciple and Zonal Secretary to ISKCON Kerala HH Bhaktivinoda Swami Maharaja, invited Kerala Management Council (KMC) members to be present and by your mercy I was also one of those council members to assist, help, execute and spread Krishna Consciousness in Kerala. Although I am well aware of my capabilities are limited and ignorant of many things about ISKCON activities to be carried out only because of your holiness able guidance we are assisting HH Bhaktivinoda Swami Maharaja. During that meeting I happened to speak to your holiness personally about my little preaching work in my village, and hearing about my very short report you were happy and told me that “Continue preaching in villages”. That was very very inspiring to me and I was thinking how great your holiness because of you haven’t seen my village, you have not visited my village, still you want to encourage me and all of us who are preaching in villages in Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s mission, Srila Prabhupada’s Mission. That’s really a great boon for me till now.
In another occasion in Tirupati SIDC Meeting, I could see how much your holiness is dedicated to see the progress of each and every corner of the world preaching activities. During that meeting when each member of the particular temple started to give the report, at that time your holiness was mentioning one place which your holiness could not remember by name and that particular place was forgotten by the reporter too. And Maharaja was hearing one after another the name of that particular place every one failed. Then maharaja gave some first alphabet of that place then someone told the exact name of that particular place. At that time every one stunned because of maharaja’s sharp memory and how Maharaja wants to know each place progress in preaching. This taught me how much we have to be dedicated to Srila Prabhupada’s Movement minutely.
Although by material vision one may see you that and thinks how much you may be suffering internally due to tireless service to Srila Prabhupada, we could not imagine whether we can do it or not in our time comes. To this contrary you are always gives hope to everyone in this movement and giving inspiration to all by your kind slogan that “Never Give up”. You are practically showing this to everyone too. We have seen during Malaysia temple opening and Trivandrum Temple Opening. In Malaysia everyone of the devotees were standing in ground and your holiness moving in the high jump crane to do abhisheka on the top of the temple. Why Maharaja so much trouble you take? Just for our sake to teach us? Or you want to please Srila Prabhupada and Krishna? Though we all saw it from video about Malaysia Temple opening, I saw similar to this even with my eyes during Trivandrum Krishna Balaram Temple.
Even in the tough time, i.e. during admitted in the hospitals for necessary treatment, in Delhi and Chennai Maharaja you were inspiration for doctors, nurses and hospital staffs by cutting jokes with them and in turn transforming them to Krishna conscious men. How can you do it this Maharaja? While we are all praying for your health and speedy recovery from the difficult situations you are stil preaching in those circumstances in the hospitals. This is really awesome and glorious. We learnt that by this example in any situation Krishna conscious can be practiced. Many years ago, when His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja left the mortal world in an unexpected accident, His Holiness Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaja in one of his Srimad Bhagavatam Class told that “We all should deeply meditate on the Srila Prabhupada’s purport to the Srimad Bhagavatam Text 3.16.37.
It says that “When something is arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should not be disturbed by it. Even it appears to be a reverse according to one’s calculations”. So maharaja you are living emblem to this Srila prabhupada’s purport.
In the year 1972, at Pune Srila Prabhupada stated in one lecture that “All my disciples are my part and parcel of me”. Similarly I found your disciples are also part and parcel of you. So I take siksha and admire from your holiness and few of your disciples in different ashramas. I take spiritual instructions from HH Bhaktivinoda Swami as he is a Sannyasi, as a Brahmacari from HG Jagatsakshi Das, as a Grhastha from HG Veerakrishna Das.
So considering the current situation in India and whole world of the social distancing and unable to participate in person for the most blessed event of your holiness 71st Vyasa Puja celebrations at Mayapur, we all pray at Their Lotus Feet of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Panca Tatva, Sri Prahlada Nrsimha and Srila Prabhupada to bless your holiness with abundant spiritual energy to make us enthusiastic in the Srila Prabhupada’s mission now and years to come by the way of your holiness Lion like roaring preaching.
At last but not the least that Srila Prabhupada made our ISKCON society wherein whole world can live in but your holiness developed, nurtured, and cared Mayapur wherein whole Society can live in.
By this humble offering at your lotus feet, I kindly request to please shower your holiness blessings to me and my family to further progress in Krishna Consciousness and stay healthy.
Your insignificant and ignorant servant
Radhakant Das Adhikari
A Disciple of His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami.
Guruvayur, Kerala, South India
