Mayapur Chandra
Information – On the second floor of the Lotus building are two rooms that were used by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) as his personal quarters in 1976-77. These rooms have been maintained as when His Divine Grace was present. The first room was Srila Prabhupada’s darsana room and in the next room, Srila Prabhupada’s personal Deity of Sri Mayapur Chandra and the imprint of Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet are there.
Information – Jananiväsa Prabhu – Mäyäpur Candra came in 1972, and soon after was moved to Prabhupäda’s room in the Lotus Building
(‘Article Full of Abundant Grace’ by Braja Sevaki dasi, Mayapur Magazine 2006)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s one disciple, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he took up a nice principle: dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 8.90). His principle was that he would go to a gentleman, taking a straw in the mouth. According to Indian system, if you take a straw in your mouth and if you go to see somebody, he’ll understand, “He is coming to me with most humble manner,” so he’ll receive you, “He’s surrendered soul.” So he will at least say: “Oh, what do you want to say?” So dante nidhāya. This is the sign. If you want to go to some big man, and if you take one straw in your mouth, he will accept. He will receive you. That is the system.
So dante nidhāya tṛṇakam. So Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says that, “I have taken the straw in my mouth.” Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya. “And I am falling down at your feet.” Padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāham. “And I am flattering you in hundreds and thousands ways.” Why? Why you are so humble? What is the intention? Kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi: “I want to say something. Please hear.” “All right. Say it. What is that?”
He sādhava: “Oh, you are very learned man and you are very honest man.” He sādhava sakalam eva vihāya dūrād: “For the time being, so long I shall speak, whatever you have learned, please set aside. Please set aside.” Sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: “Kindly hear for some time about the topics which Caitanya Mahāprabhu has presented before you.”
We are servant of Lord Caitanya. So, in the disciplic succession we are trying to present. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s topic is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128): “Whoever you meet, please try to convince him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” So in order to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says that “I have taken straw in my mouth, and I am falling down to your feet and I am flattering you in so many ways. Kindly, for the time being, you forget whatever you have learned. Please try to hear about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”
This should be the preaching method. Because you cannot enforce. You cannot enforce. The atheistic party, the godless civilization is so strong. So you are not weak. You are protected by the Supreme. But our mission is not to fight, but our mission is to convince. So this is the method to be accepted by devotees, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to preach the philosophy in the world.
Thank you very much.
(670123 – Lecture CC Madhya 25.36-40 – San Francisco)
Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī is teaching us how we should present our case. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakam: “Sir, I have come to you, taking this grass in my teeth.” This is a symbolic representation of becoming very humble in India. They take a grass. Dante nidhāya padayor nipatya: “And I am falling down on your feet.” Kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā: “And I am flattering you: ‘You are very grand,’ ‘You are very nice,’ ‘You are very learned,’ ‘You are . . .’ so on, so on.” If you flatter, people become puffed-up. So, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śatam kṛtvā cāham: “I have one submission.” “What is that?” No . . . he sādhavaḥ: “You are a great learned sādhu. My one request is that whatever you have learned, please forget. Whatever nonsense you have learned, please forget. This is my submission.” “I have learned so many things, and I have to forget? Then what I have to do?” He sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: “You just submit yourself to Caitanya-candra. Then everything will be perfect.”
So our preaching is like that.
(761117 – Lecture SB 05.05.30 – Vrndavana)
Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. He wrote one book, Caitanya-candrāmṛta, “The Moonlight of Lord Caitanya,” in Sanskrit.
(690524 – Lecture SB 01.05.08-9 – New Vrindaban, USA)
