ABOUT
History and Geography
This island comprises the ancient places of Gadīgāchā, Bālīcara, Maheśagañja, Tiyorakhālī, Amaghātā, Śyāma- nagara, Virijā, Devapalli, Harīśapura and Suvarņa-vihära. It extends from the eastern bank of the Ganga and the southern bank of the Sarasvati (Khadiya River) to Devapalli. Over time local language usage has changed the name Godruma to Gādīgāchā.
WHY THIS PLACE IS CALLED GODRUMA?
The Banyan Tree
Previously a massive banyan tree stood on a high part of the Bhagavati-Bhagirathi’s bank, where the Surabhi cow and the King of the demigods, Indra, worshipped Śri Gaura.
Indra’s Repentance
During Krşņa’s pastimes Indra wanted to destroy Gokula because the residents of Vraja had stopped worshipping him. For seven days he sent torrents of rain upon Vraja, but Krşņa protected Gokula by lifting Śrī Govardhana. The pride of Indra was crushed and fear arose within him because of his offence.
When he learnt from Grandfather Brahma that Śri Gauracandra would appear in the future, he took Mother Surabhi with him and performed austerities under a banyan tree at this lonely place in Navadvīpa, hoping to evoke His mercy.
Indra and Surabhi Got Mahaprabhu’s Darsan
A long time passed. Finally, Śrī Gauracandra appeared before him saying, “I understand your heart. After some time I will appear in Śri Navadvīpa and distribute the chanting of My holy name along with pure love for Śrī Kṛṣņa to the general people. At that time you will assist Me in My pastimes.”
When the Lord disappeared, Mother Surabhi made a hut under this banyan tree and became absorbed in the worship of Sri Gauracandra here. Since then this place has become known as Godruma. Go means “cow” (Surabhi) and druma means “tree”.
PASTIME OF MARKANDEYA RSI
Cosmic Devastation
Once during the time of cosmic devastation, Mrkanda Rşi’s son, Märkandeya Rşi, rested at this place. He had attained the age of seven kalpas (7 x 4,320,000,000 earth years). During the annihilation at the end of the seventh kalpa, the Earth was submerged in water, leaving not one place visible.
Dhama is beyond Annihilation
Märkandeya Rși floated in the water and finally, by immense good fortune, he came to this place in Navadvipa. Seeing the exhausted sage unconscious from the effect of the dashing waves, merciful Mother Surabhi lifted him from the water of devastation and brought him to her hut.
When he regained consciousness, he was amazed to see that Navadvipa-dhama was not under water. The sight of the beautiful forests and sub-forests filled with trees, plants, birds and animals of the thirty-two-mile large dhama greatly pleased him.
Instructions and Description of Navadvipa by Mother Surabhi
Mother Surabhi gave him her nectarean milk to drink, which fully rejuvenated him. She then instructed him to remain at Godruma and worship Śrī Gauracandra. “This dhama is transcendental and beyond material nature,” she said. “It cannot be seen with material eyes.
Eight of the islands of Navadvipa are like the petals of a lotus, and Śrīdhāma Mayapura is like the pericarp of that lotus. Here, in a concealed form, all the holy places and demigods worship Śrī Gauranga Mahaprabhu. By worshipping Him one will attain service to Śrī Rādhā-Krşņa in Vraja with the sentiment of amorous love (madhura-bhāva).
Although all perfections, the eight kinds of opulence and all kinds of liberation stand at the gate of this sacred place praying for service, the devotees of Sri Gaura reject them from afar. By worshipping Śri Gauracandra one becomes forever free from sins and miseries, as well as from all kinds of fructified and unfructified fruitive activities, desires for sense enjoyment, and from ignorance.” Märkandeya therefore remained here to perform bhajana.
SVANANDA-SUKHADA KUNJA
About
Towards the eastern side of Godruma, on the bank of the Sarasvati, lies Svānanda-sukhada-kuñja, where Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakura built a hut and performed his bhajana. In a corner of this grove is the bhajana-kuți of Śrila Gaura-kisora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, the crest- jewel among avadhūtas and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s intimate friend. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakura was later placed in samādhi here.
About Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura
In present times, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakura is the main personality who re-inaugurated the propagation of pure devotion. He compiled approximately one hundred books on bhakti in various languages and established the transcendental glories of Śrī Gaurānga Mahaprabhu. In the Gaudīya Vaisnava community he is therefore known as the Seventh Gosvāmī. It is by the persistent endeavours of this great personality that the Śrī Viśva-vaisnava-rāja-sabhā (the Universal Assembly of Vaisnavas) was established in Kolkata in the year 398 of the Caitanya era (A.D. 1884). He preached the message of Mahaprabhu (gaura-vāņi), the name of Mahaprabhu (gaura-nāma) and pure devotional service (śuddha-bhakti) very vigorously through the medium of a magazine called Sajjana-toșani. He also published many old, authoritative Vaisnava literatures. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī was his dear son and it was through him that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakura preached pure devotion all over the world.
Discovered Gaursundar’s Birth Place from Here
Once, in the middle of the night, while he was performing his bhajana in Godruma, he saw a transcendental light shining some distance from the other side of the river towards the north.
The next day he saw the same light and he also saw Śrī Gaura-Nityananda performing mahā-sankirtana with Their associates at that same place. In order to understand this mystery, he crossed the Sarasvati River and came to Śrīdhāma Māyāpura where he saw tulasi plants growing near a palm tree. Upon further inquiry from the local people, he learned that no crop grew there except tulasi who grew of her own accord. In an attempt to verify that place as the birthplace of Śrī Gaurasundara, Śrī Bhaktivinoda Thakura studied old government maps and reports, as well as historic literature, specifically Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Bhakti ratnākara. He also heard from elderly, eminent, saintly personalities about it.
Finally, he went there in the company of nitya-siddha vaisnava-sarvabhauma Śrīla Jagannatha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja and other famous personalities of Bengal. When Śrīla Jagannatha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s arrived at that place, he danced with joy, thus indicating it to be the Yogapītha, the place of Śrī Gaura’s appearance. Śrī Bhaktivinoda Thakura established the deities of Śrī Gaura-Vişnupriyā-Lakṣmīpriyā, the Panca-tattva. and so forth there, and entrusted the management of the entire place to his son Śrī Vimalā Prasāda Sarasvati. Later this Vimalā Prasāda became famous as Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakura established nāma-hatta and thus preached the chanting of the holy name and pure devotion in the villages. In Krşņa’s pastimes in Vraja he is Śrī Kamalā Mañjarī. He was also an eternal associate of Śrī Gaurasundara.
SUVARNA VIHAR
Location
Suvarna-vihāra is situated near the Amaghātā station on the Navadvīpa-ghāța railway line, which goes to Krsna-nagara.
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu took Śrī Jīva from Viśrāma-sthāna [Śrīdhara-angana] to Suvarna- vihāra. Arriving there, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu said, “O Jīva, this unprecedented place is beyond material nature; it is transcendental.
History of King Suvarna Sena
In Satya-yuga King Suvarna Sena lived and ruled here for many years. His attachment to sense gratification and his kingdom did not diminish but lasted to his old age.
Once, to his great fortune, the great sage Narada appeared at his palace. Upon seeing Sri Närada, the king offered prayers and worshipped him. Narada saw that the king was completely absorbed in sense-gratification, and this evoked his mercy. In a solitary place, the sage proceeded to give the king instructions for his welfare.
Instructions by Narada Rsi to King Suvarna Sena
“My dear King, you are passing your life fruitlessly. You perceive what is useless to be valuable and what is of true value to be useless. Please consider the situation properly: it is material objects that have no value and no use. They entangle the living entity in the cycle of birth and death and repeatedly hurl him into it.”
“Please deliberate on what I say. After death, what will become of your relationships with your father, son, wife, brothers, friends and subjects? These relationships will cease and your body will be burned. Attachment to this material body is not very intelligent. If according to the result of one’s fruitive actions, one goes to the heavenly planets and enjoys the happiness there, one must again return to this world, as such an attainment is not permanent.”
“Impersonal liberation completely destroys the living entity, so no material or transcendental happiness can be found there either. In such liberation, the jīva’s existence vanishes. Therefore fortunate living entities do not desire it.”
“The jīva is Krşņa’s eternal servant, but having forgotten the Supreme Lord, he wanders throughout various species of life always troubled by the three types of miseries. If by good fortune while wandering in this material world, he attains the association of pure devotees, then transcendental faith (paramārthika-śraddhā) arises in his heart. When he takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, he starts his practice of krsna-bhajana. By taking unalloyed shelter of a spiritual master and performing bhajana in the association of devotees, his faith (śraddhā) gradually matures into nisthā, ruci, āsakti, bhāva and finally krsna-prema. The only correct process to attain pure devotion is to perform the nine types of devotional service, such as hearing, chanting, remembering and praying. Only by this sadhana-bhakti can one attain krsna-prema.
“O King, you are born in Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma and thus you are very fortunate. In the forthcoming Kali-yuga, the source of all incarnations, Śrī Kṛṣņa Himself, will appear as Śrī Gauranga accepting the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. He will distribute the holy name and love of God to the common man. Those people who live in Krşņa’s abode and perform their sādhana-bhajana there while tolerating many difficulties, attain perfection after a long time. But for those who live in the land of Gaura and take shelter of Gaura’s name, offences are easily removed. They quickly attain krsna-prema.”
Fortune of King Suvarna Sena
Speaking thus, Nārada Muni chanted “Gaurahari!” and danced in ecstatic love. That night, after Narada Rși left, the king dreamt of Śrī Gaurahari and His associates dancing and singing. When his sleep broke, the aggrieved king began to cry. Then a voice from the sky said, “O King, do not be distraught. In My manifest pastimes you will become My associate, Buddhimanta Khân, and you will render Me many kinds of service.” Śrī Buddhimanta Khän assisted Śrīman Mahāprabhu in various ways, such as assisting Him in His journey to Puri-dhāma.
Śrī Suvarņa-vihāra Gaudīya Matha
At the present time, Śrī Suvarņa-vihāra Gaudīya Matha, established by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Thakura, is situated in a mango grove on the ruins of Suvarņa Sena’s palace.
HARIHARA KSHETRA
Location
Harihara-kşetra is also called Mahā-Väräņasī. It is situated on the bank of the Gandaki River on the eastern side of the river Alakānandā.
About
Here in an ancient temple, Śri Hari and Sri Hara (Vişņu and Śiva) are manifest in one and the same deity. The best of the Vaisnavas, Śrī Sambhu (Śiva), and vaişnavi-śakti Śrī Gauri eternally reside here chanting the name of Gaura. Residence in this place is superior to residence in Kāśī and Kailāśa. When a living entity dies here Sambhu chants Śrī Gaura’s name in his ear and thus delivers him from this material world.
Siva-Tattva
Śrī Mahādeva, or Śrī Śambhu, is actually Sada-Śiva. This means he is vişnu-tattva, a primary expansion of the Supreme Lord. There is no difference between Sada-Śiva and Vişnu. Accepting a portion of the mode of ignorance, Sadā-Śiva destroys this material world and fulfils the desires of the jīvas. He bewilders those who are unfavourable to Krsna, and he grants devotion to Krsna and protects those who are favourable. He worships Krşņa in his abode of Kāśī or Kailāśa. As the foremost of Vaisnavas he is very dear to Śri Hari and is non-different from Him. Persons like Ravaņa, Kumbhakarņa, Meghanāda, Kamsa, Jarasandha and Bhaumasura, are envious of Śri Hari and only worship Śańkara. They are called demons and Śrī Hari kills them.
Sankara Left Kasi and came to Harihara-Ksetra
Srimad-Bhagavatam describes how Pundarika Vasudeva and his friend, the king of Käsi, opposed Śrī Kṛṣņa. Krşņa killed the coward Pundarika Vasudeva and chopped off the king’s
head, throwing it at the gate of Kāśī. At this, his son prepared to attack Śrī Kṛṣņa, but before he could do so Krsna burned the entire city of Kāśī to ashes with the heat coming from His Sudarśana cakra. Śańkara left Kāśī with his associates and took shelter of Harihara-kşetra.
The Mystery of Siva Got Cleared by Himself
The real nature of Lord Siva is very mysterious. When Śrī Rāmacandra established Rāmeśvara, a deity of Śiva, everyone present acknowledged Rāmeśvara to mean rāmasya iśvarah, or “Šīva is the lord (īśvara) of Rama.” The demigods opposed this and through the compound “rāmaśca asau išvarah” they derived another meaning: “Rama and Śańkara are both the Lord (īśvara).”
These explanations distressed Śańkara, who personally spoke from the Siva-linga: “Neither explanation is correct. Through the grammatical compound ramah yasya īśvaraḥ sa rameśvarah the meaning of Rāmeśvara becomes: ‘Rāmeśvara is he whose Lord is Rama.” Thus, Śrī Kṛṣņa is established as the sole Lord of all lords, and Sankara as His precious servant.
Fight of Krishna and Banasura
In the narration of Üşa’s marriage in Srimad-Bhāgavatam a fight is described between Bäņāsura and Śrī Kṛşņa. Sańkara sided with Baņāsura, who was defeated by Krşņa. Śańkara
prayed to Krsna to spare Bāņāsura’s life, and as a result Krsna cut off all but four of Banasura’s thousand arms, and made him an associate of Sankara.
Various Roles of Sankara
Vaisnavas acknowledge Lord Śankara as dear to the Supreme Lord and the spiritual master of the Vaisnavas, and therefore they respect and honour him. Śańkara is kşetrapāla, the protector of all of Bhagavan’s holy abodes.
In Vrndāvana, where he accepts the mood of a gopi, he is famous as Śrī Gopīśvara. He bestows krsna-prema upon qualified living entities, and thus gives them entrance into Vrndāvana.
Śrīmad-Bhagavatam also accepts Śańkara as the best of Vaisnavas, vaişnavānām yathā śambhuh. Even if the Lord gives him unpleasant instructions, Sańkara is forever attentive to carry them out. When the ocean of milk had been churned, Śańkara, understanding Vişnu’s desire, drank the poison the churning had produced and thus protected the universe.
Śankara also understood the desire of his Lord and Master, Śrī Kṛṣņa, that he come as Śrī Śańkarācārya to propagate impersonalism, which is opposed to the principles of the Vedas. By doing this he obscured pure devotion and knowledge of the essential reality of the Supreme Personality, subdued the atheistic Buddhists, and destroyed the impersonal karma-kanda [the division of the Vedas that deals with fruitive activities). By always observing Bhagavān’s desire, Śańkara serves the Lord’s innermost desire.
