47. The Mission of Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir

47. The Mission of Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir:

“Māyāpur was formerly known as Miyapura, and it was inhabited mostly by Mohammedans. Some way or other it got converted into the name of Miyapur instead of Māyāpur.” (Srila Prabhupada Tapes 76/21/2)

“Spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness means spreading the moonlight. Therefore, we have named this temple Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Gaura Hari, Māyāpur-candra... Caitanya-candra!” (Srila Prabhupada Tapes 76/20/2)

“We established this temple, Māyāpur-candrodaya. The idea is that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is just like moon. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in this land of Māyāpur; therefore, He is said here as ‘the moon.’ Therefore, we say Māyāpur-candra. Now, Śrī Māyāpur-candra is rising. Rising means He is distributing the moonshine all over the world.

“Śreyaḥ-kairava candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally said. Don’t keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu compact in your room and take some monetary profit. This is not required. You must allow Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to rise more and more so that this moonshine may be distributed all over the world. That is wanted. Therefore, this temple is situated. Of course, we shall try to construct a very nice temple for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” (Srila Prabhupada Letters 75/3/30)

When the full moon rises, the ocean becomes agitated and expands with huge waves that sometimes flood the land. Similarly, the rising moon of Lord Gauracandra over Māyāpur is meant to fill up the hearts of the ISKCON devotees with waves of Kṛṣṇa-prema, and through them flood the earth with love of God. Or as Śrīman Jananivāsa dāsa put it, “As the rising moon agitates the ocean, so the Candrodaya (rising moon) of Māyāpur, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, will agitate the storehouse of love of God, causing its waves to inundate the whole world.” (Mayapur Journal 1.3)

uchalīlā prema-vanya caudike vedaya

stri, vriddha, balaka, yuva, sabare duvaya

“The flood of love of Godhead swelled in all directions, and thus young men, women and children were all immersed in that inundation.” (Cc. Ᾱdi 7.25)

“When the contents of the storehouse of love of Godhead is thus distributed, there is a powerful inundation which covers the entire land. In Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, there is sometimes a great flood after the rainy season. This is an indication that from the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya the inundation of love of Godhead should be spread all over the world, for this will help everyone, including old men, young men, women and children. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so powerful that it can inundate the entire world and interest all classes of men in the subject of love of Godhead.” (Cc. Ᾱdi 7.25 pur.)

In his "Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Kṛṣṇa", Śrīla Prabhupāda poetically explains how this flood will take place by the desire of his guru-mahārāja, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

tāra icchā balavān, pāścātyete ṭhān ṭhān

hoy jāte gaurāṅger nām

pṛthivīte nagarādi, āsamudra nada nadī

sakalei loy kṛṣṇa nām

tāhale ānanda hoy, tabe hoy digvijay 

caitanyer kṛpā atiśay

māyā duṣṭa jata duḥkhī, jagate sabāi sukhī

vaiṣṇaver icchā pūrṇa hoy

“By his (Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura) strong desire, the holy name of Lord Gaurāṅga will spread throughout all the countries of the Western world. In all the cities, towns, and villages on the earth, from all the oceans, seas, rivers, and streams, everyone will chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.

“As the vast mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu conquers all directions, a flood of transcendental ecstasy will certainly cover the land. When all the sinful, miserable living entities become happy, the Vaiṣhṇavas’ desire is then fulfilled.”

“The name of ISKCON’s temple in Māyāpur, Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya, is based on a quote from Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī’s Caitanya-candrāmṛta, wherein Lord Caitanya is compared to the full moon. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness means spreading the moonlight, therefore, we have named this temple Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya, the rising moon of Śrī Māyāpur.” (Transcendental Diary)

Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “It was Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s aspiration that the Europeans, Americans, and Indians all together dance jubilantly and chant "Gaura Hari." So, this temple, Māyāpur Candrodaya temple, is meant for the transcendental United Nations. What the United Nations has failed, that will be achieved here by the process recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma, sarvatra pracāra haibe more nāma. That is the greatest achievement of this ISKCON movement that everyone forgets the bodily conception of life. Nobody here thinks himself as European, American, Indian, Hindu, Muslim, Christian. They forget all these designations, and simply they are ecstatic in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.” (Srila Prabhupada Tapes 76/1/15)

“ISKCON will fulfil every living entity’ s inner demand, even extending to the vegetables and stones, taking them to the feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Gosvāmīs. From village to village, everyone in every place, should be hunted and approached, ‘Take the name of Kṛṣṇa! Come under the flag of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!’ This grand worldwide mission will thrive like anything; it will touch the heavens and cover the earth, and other planets also. That was the aim of Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda, and we understand and appreciate that.” (Sri Guru and his Grace)

“The managers of Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir should see those 24 hours a day there is chanting of the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, with the addition of haraye nāmah, kṛṣṇa yadavaya mādhavaya nāmah, for this song was a favourite of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” (Cc. Ᾱdi 17.123 pur.)

“Therefore Māyāpur is the best among all the places in the universe. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has established its centre in Māyāpur, the birth site of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to give men the great opportunity to go there and perform a constant festival of saṅkīrtana-yajña, and to distribute prasāda to millions of hungry people hankering for spiritual emancipation. This is the mission of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.” (SB 5.19.24 pur.)

Śrīla Prabhupāda referred to the Dhāma as the preaching base fora ll devotees worldwide to come and rejuvenate themselves with Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s unlimited mercy and spiritual strength for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness everywhere. “The Caitanya Candrodaya temple offers one good opportunity to associate with devotees. Let us all take advantage of this opportunity.” (SB 6.2.40 pur.)

"As preachers travel far away from Māyāpur dhāma to distant parts of the world, like America and Europe, they can always remember their eternal home, Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur. Thus, they will never forget that they belong in the spiritual world, and not in this temporary material world of suffering. Their only purpose of remaining in this material world is to preach, and thereby bring all conditioned souls to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” (Mayapur Journal 1.1)