25. Respect All Dhāmavāsis

25. Respect All Dhāmavāsis:

It is said that Śrīla Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī would offer respects to every living entity in Navadvīpa dhāma, even the ants. Whenever addressing them, he would lovingly call them, “Oh, residents of the dhāma!”

Although he generally shunned donations, he would gladly accept money and materials to serve the Navadvīpa dhāmavāsis. Bābājī Mahārāja taught the principle of accepting nothing for himself while living austerely in the Dhāma, but he would enthusiastically use charity to serve the devotees. “A person who does not serve the devotees will not attain devotional service. Therefore, all the scriptures say that one should serve the devotees.” (Caitanya Bhagavata)

As previously described, Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī often shared his prasāda with the dogs of the dhāma. In Śikṣāṣṭaka, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “amānina manadena,” a devotee never expects the slightest honor from anyone, yet he always, spontaneously, and genuinely honours all living entities.

The bhakti-yoga chapter of the Uddhava-gītā in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.29.16 states, praṇamed daṇḍavad bhūmāv ā-śva cāṇḍāla-go-kharam: “Knowing that the supersoul dwells within them, you should offer daṇḍavats to all; even the dogs, outcastes, cows, and asses.” 

Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura makes the same point, brahmanadi candala kukkura anta kori, dandavat koribek bahu manya dhari: “One should honour and offer daṇḍavats to brāhmaṇas, outcastes, and even dogs.” (Caitanya Bhagavata)

“Take shelter of Lord Gaurāṅga’s city where all living entities and even objects are eternal, blissful, spiritual, and full of knowledge. One who finds faults in the blissful moving and non-moving living entities in Navadvīpa is an offender and will never attain love for Rādhā-Mādhava. One who enjoys blaspheming the residents of Lord Gaura’s transcendental abode, or does not glorify Godrumadvīpa, and the fools who equate Godruma with some material place will never attain eternal blissful forms in Navadvīpa dhāma. I pray that I never see such a sinful man, even in dreams.” (Caitanya Sataka) 

Association:

“The great sages take shelter of Navadvīpa, and with unmotivated devotion serve the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. On island after island, they see Lord Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental deity forms, sing Lord Hari’s holy names and bathe in the Gaṅgā. For 9 nights they wander through Navadvīpa with great devotion. They blissfully maintain themselves by honoring the mahā-prasāda of Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu.” (Urdhamnaya Tantra)

Animals of Navadvīpa:

Once in Navadvīpa when Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī was taking prasāda, some puppies started eating from his plate. His servant tried to chase the puppies away, but Bābājī Mahārāja protested saying, “If you won’t allow them to eat, then I won’t eat. Afterall, they are dogs of the Dhāma!” From this we understand that even the dogs in Navadvīpa are special souls. They have the good fortune of living in Lord Caitanya’s holy land, always hearing hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, taking prasāda, and drinking the purifying waters of the Ganges. Despite their elevated status, however, dogs still maintain their material qualities of being dirty, contaminating, and a source of infectious diseases. In Vedic culture gṛhastha vaiśyas sometimes maintained dogs. But the dogs were kept outside the boundary wall surrounding their homes. The dogs could freely roam the fields, but they were never allowed within the inner compound. Devotees in ISKCON Māyāpur should cooperate to implement this principle of Vedic culture by keeping the dogs in the fields, and out of Rādhā-Mādhava’s inner compound.