9. Spiritual Nature of Navadvīpa Dhama

9. Spiritual Nature of Navadvīpa Dhama:

ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakāva-datau 

sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalaya-täksau

visvambharau dvijavarau yuga-dharma-pälau

vande jagat priyakarau karuna-palau

"I worship Their Lordships Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, whose long arms extend down to Their knees, whose beautiful complexions are radiant yellow like molten gold and whose elongated eyes are like red lotuses. They are the topmost brahmaņas, the guardians of religious principles for this age, the most munificent benefactors of all living entities, and the most compassionate incarnations of Godhead. They initiated the congregational chanting of the names of Lord Krsna."

An Expansion of The Spiritual Realm:

Navadvipa-dhama is beautifully situated on the banks of the Ganges and other holy rivers. There are scattered forests and orchards filled with mango trees, jackfruit, bael, and pomegranate fruit trees. As well as many banana patches, and flowering gardens, all filled with varieties of colorful singing birds. The winding paths and roadways lead to many villages where the inhabitants always speak the names of Gauranga and Nitai. There are many hundreds of temples of Gauranga and Krsna where the kirtanas of the holy name are constantly heard.

Beyond this world, beyond the universes, beyond the Viraja River, and beyond the Vaikuntha planets, is the supreme planet of Goloka Vrndāvana where Radha and Krsņa perform Their loving pastimes. A portion of that planet is called Svetadvipa, or Navadvipa, where Lord Gauranga performs His eternal pastimes of sankirtana surrounded by His loving devotees. That same Svetadvipa which is not visible to the material eyes, has descended to this material world by the will of the Supreme Lord, in a form that is fully perceivable by the material senses. Just as the deity of Krsņa is visible to our eyes, but simultaneously He is the same "Adhokşaja" or one who is beyond the vision of the senses. Only by His own sweet will, to attract the conditioned and liberated souls to His service, does He mercifully manifest Himself and His dhäma in this world. Navadvipa-dhama is the principal manifestation of the eternal existence potency, sandhini, in which the Lord's pastimes are enacted in the samvit and hlädini potencies, or knowledge and existence potencies. Just as Lord Balarama expands Himself as Lord Krsna's bed, couch, and Anantadeva, etc., so Lord Nityananda Prabhu expands Himself as Navadvipa-dhäma, the support for the pastimes of Lord Caitanya.

Transcendentally Situated:

Navadvipa-dhāma is like a giant lotus flower with eight petals as the outer islands, and the ninth island, Antardvipa, where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advented Himself on this earth, is the center of the lotus flower. To the naked eye, Navadvipa-dhāma measures 32 miles, but each of the nine islands is 2 million miles in diameter. Navadvipa-dhāma contains the entire spiritual world and is surrounded by the spiritual river known as Virajă. At the end of Lord Brahma’s Day, when the universe becomes inundated with water, Navadvipa-dhama floats on the flood waters like a gigantic lotus flower. It is unaffected by the devastation that takes place. Lord Krsna speaks of this in the Bhagavad-gitā (8.20) "Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is."

Lord Jagannatha, on enlightening Sri Rămānujācārya on the glories of Navadvipa- dhama, spoke to him the following words. "Everyone knows Krsna, the master of Goloka. That Krsna, whose vilāsa-mürti (pastime expansion) is Narayana, the Supreme Truth, resides in Vrindavana. That Krsna is fully manifest in the form of Gaurahari, and that Vrindāvana is fully manifest in the form of Navadvipa-dhama. I eternally reside as Lord Gauranga in Navadvipa, the topmost abode in the universe. By My mercy that dhama has come within Bhü-mandala, yet it remains without a scent of maya. This is the verdict of scripture. If you say that Navadvipa is part of the material world, then your devotion will dwindle day by day. I have placed this spiritual abode within the material world by My desire and inconceivable energy. Simply by reading scriptures one will not get the highest truth, for the highest truth surpasses all reasoning power. Only the devotees can understand by My mercy."

The Home of Harinama-Sankīrtana:

The special position of Navadvipa-dhama is that it is the home of the dharma of Kali-yuga, harinäma-sankirtana. It therefore flourishes like an expanding lotus flower whereas other holy places have diminished their spiritual potencies, due to the very sinful age. Because of the presence of the age of Kali, one is bound to commit many sinful activities, therefore there is no hope for any kind of spiritual advancement. But in the worship of Sri Caitanya, there is no consideration of offenses. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "I will distribute the wealth of love of Godhead without any consideration of who is fit or who is unfit. Let the black snake of Kali try to destroy the living beings! I will appear in Navadvipa-dhāma and break the poisonous fangs of Kali by taking My devotees with Me and performing kirtana. As long as My name is sung, Kali will be conquered."

Narottama dasa Thákura has sung that the treasure of divine love in Goloka Vrindavana has descended as the congregational chanting of the holy name. Lord Krsna, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, has become the son of Saci, Lord Caitanya, and Balarama has become Nitai. They gave love of Godhead even to Jagai and Madhai who were the most sinful. Lord Caitanya came to give love of Godhead to everyone for the price of only one's faith. Therefore, He is the most munificent Personality of Godhead. And Lord Nityananda Prabhu is the most merciful servant of Godhead. Because They are the personifications of the holy name, if one just calls out "Nitai, Caitanya," divine love for Krsna begins to search out that person. Because offenses cannot stand in front of the name of Sri Caitanya, very soon all offenses disappear and love for Krsna will appear in the heart. Therefore in the age of Kali, there is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way, than chanting the holy name of Sri Caitanya, worship of Sri Caitanya, and following Sri Caitanya's teachings.

Gives The Highest Benediction:

Not only is the highest benediction of love of Godhead given in Navadvipa dhama, but all other benedictions are also available because the entire spiritual world is contained in Navadvipa- dhama. The Vaikuntha liberation of sarūpya (receiving a four-armed form like Vişnu), sälokya (residing in Vaikuntha), särști (achievement of divine opulence), samipya (personal association with the Lord), and nirvāņa (oneness), are easily obtainable. All-important holy places are situated in Navadvipa-dhama, and if there is any holy place that is not situated here, it has certainly lost all its piety. Whatever is obtainable after spending 100 years in places like Prayäga, Ayodhya, Haridvāra, Käsi, Kanci, Avanti, Puskara, etc., can be obtained by spending one night in Navadvipa- dhama. One who walks through Navadvipa-dhāma achieves with each step the merits of 10 million asvamedha sacrifices. One never has to take birth again. Simply by eating the food grown in Navadvipa-dhama, one gets love of Godhead, and while one is sleeping, one is paying dandavats (obeisances). By taking shelter of Navadvipa-dhama, all souls easily cross over Kali-yuga.