Gauradesa

Description

Gauradesa  The Place Of Gauranga Mahaprabhu— Krisna’s name, form, and lilas, manifest into this material nature for the sole reason of attract- ing conditioned souls to His sweet and sublime pas- times. Because Krsna’s pastimes are enacted on the spiritual realm, attraction to them automatically frees the conditioned souls from their attraction to the temporary material realm and the suffering it brings. This is the causeless mercy the holy dhamas are surcharged with, and which the dhamas freely give out to anyone and everyone. A materialist who comes to Navadvipa-dhäma wanting material benefits through pious activity, also gets the benefit of not having to take another birth. Someone who just happens to come to Navadvipa-dhama is freed of all offenses, and visi- tors to Navadvipa-dhama also get the benefit of being freed from the bondage of maya. For those who walk throughout Navadvipa, the benefit of millions of asvamedha yajñas are accrued with every step, and the bonds of maya are cut along with the cycle of repeated birth and death. To attain libera- tion (Brahman realization), one simply needs to bathe in the Ganga at Navadvipa. Here, eating Gauranga’s maha-prasadam gives devotion to Gauranga, and sleeping is accepted as paying obei- sances. In three nights in Navadvipa-dhama, one gets the results of ten years of yogic practices per- formed in other tirthas. While those who die in other tirthas receive material benefits or liberation, persons who die in Navadvipa-dhama receive devo- tion to the Lord. Along with describing the causeless mercy so freely available in Navadvipa-dhama, BhaktivinodaThakura also gave the secret of this dhama that makes it, “the crest jewel of all holy places.” ” After stating how obtaining krsna-prema is extremely rare even though the pastimes of Radha and Krsna are known to everyone, Thakura Bhaktivinoda gives the reason for this.