Krishna Kshetra Swami (Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies)
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as you make your way to Your own eternal home,
Śrī Vrindavan Dhāma. No sooner do you renounce hearth and home, donning
the saffron cloth and daṇḍa, bringing all residents of the Nine Islands to
incessant tears, than you hasten on your way, never looking back, from
your one eternal abode, Navadvipa, to your other eternal abode,
Vrindavan.
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as you are apparently thwarted in Your first attempt to traverse
to Vrindavan. By the loving tricks of Your devotees, you are brought to the
house of Śrī Advaitacarya, where you are brought face to face with your
loving, heartbroken mother, the blessed Śacīdevī, who exacts from You
the promise to go to and remain in Purushottama Kshetra, that she might
receive regular news of Your wellbeing.
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as You attempted a second time to journey to Vrindavan, from
Puri. First returning to Bengal to meet Your eternal servants, Rūpa and
Sanātana, as you intend to continue on to Vrindavan, Sanātana lovingly
advises You against travelling with so many followers. Yielding to the
wisdom of Your devotees, you return to Puri, knowing that the right time
for Your Vrindavan pastime is yet to come.
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as You prepare Yourself a third time to depart for the land of
Your love. The most fortunate brahmin, Balabhadra Bhattacarya
accompanies You and attends to Your needs along the way, as You enter
into the vast wilderness that is the Jharikhanda jungle, chanting joyfully
the holy names as You walk, begging alms in villages and otherwise
gathering the wild greens of the forest.
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as You awaken the jungle animals—tigers, elephants, deer,
and various birds—by Your loud chanting of
Krishna’s names, “Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare!” The animals are all drawn irresistably to Your
presence, there to see You dance and to hear you call out the holy
names, challenging them to join in the chanting. While the astonished
Balabhadra looks on, the jungle animals forget their natural enmity in Your
presence, the tigers and deer even embracing and kissing each other!
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as you bless Your devotees Tapana Misra and Candrasekhara
in Varanasi and then bless the residents of Prayaga and Mathura by Your
presence. As You continue Your wanderings, You are sustained by the
anticipation of returning soon to Your eternal home, Śrī Vrindavan Dhāma.
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as, after months of walking, chanting, and depending on divine
protection, You finally arrive in Your eternal home! It is here that You ever
belong; it is here that Your eternal lilas unfold; it is here that You recognize and
embrace every feature of the landscape—trees, stones, and forest
animals—as Your old friends.
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as you wander throughout Vraja, from forest to forest, bathing
in the sacred kundas, frolicking in the holy Yamuna River, revealing the
lost Radha Kunda and Syama Kunda at Arit Gram, and having darshana
of Harideva and Gopala (who, on a plea of danger, comes to You in
Ganthuli Gram, protecting Your vow not to climb sacred Govardhana).
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as you stay in Akrura-ghata, daily visiting Vrindavan, including
Keshi Ghat, Dvadasaditya Tila, and Kaliya-hrada. In Kaliya-hrada, people
fooled the light of a fisherman imagine they are seeing Krishna dancing in
the lake at night; in fact it is You, ever dancing and chanting the holy
names, the very Lord of Vraja, who are blessing the ignorant folk simply
by Your presence.
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as you submerge yourself interminably in the Yamuna at
Akrura Ghata, causing great anxiety for your servant Balabhadra.
Although you have apparently remained in Vraja for only two months, You
yield to Balabhadra’s wish to seemingly bring you away from Vraja for the
sake of safety from Your own ecstacies. As you have many more
pastimes to reveal, and as you must especially reveal the supreme
emotions of love in separation, you agree to return to Jagannatha Puri
Dhama, thus also honoring Your dear mother’s wish.
Let us always remember You, Gauranga Mahaprabhu, crest jewel of the
twiceborn, as You forever frolic with Your eternal friends in Śrī Vrindavan
Dhāma; it is here that You invite the world to witness Your pastimes in
each and every corner, along every pathway, behind every grove; it is
here that you welcome all souls to recover themselves from lifetimes of
ignorance and to awaken to their loving and serving relationship with You.
Kindly bless us all that we may remember You in Your eternal abode,
Śrī Vrindavana Dhama.