Vidyānagara
All glories to Gauranga, Nityananda, Advaita, and Gadadhara! All glories to Srīvāsa! And all glories to Navadvipa, an ocean of kirtana!
Coming to Vidyanagara. Śrī Nityānanda Rāya explained to Sri Jiva its significance. “At the time of pralaya, Navadvīpa, the eternal dhāma, remains situated in its pure form as an eight-petaled lotus. All the avataras and fortunate living entities stay in one part of the lotus at that time. Matsya avatara carried the Vedas to Vidyanagara within Ṛtudvipa. Since the Vedas, which contain all vidya, or knowledge, were brought here, this place is therefore named Vidyanagara.
“When Brahma became inclined to start creation again, he glanced fearfully upon the devastated earth. At that time, the Lord bestowed His mercy on Brahma here. As Brahma began offering his prayers to the Lord, he opened his mouth and the beautiful Sarasvati was born from his tongue. By her potency. Brahma then offered prayers to Krsna and thus obtained great happiness.
At the time of creation. Maya directs the three gunas to spread throughout the material creation on the side of the Virajā River. The rṣis then labor to reveal knowledge within this universe manifested by Maya. Taking shelter of this abode of Sarasvati, Sārada-pitha, the rṣis conquer over ignorance. After having received lessons on the sixty-four branches of knowledge, the rşis set themselves up at various places throughout the world. But all the rșis study their respective branches of knowledge eternally at this holy spot.
Valmiki came here and, by the mercy of Narada, received the Rāmāyaṇa. Dhanvantari received the Ayur-veda, and Visvamitra and others received the teachings of the Dhanur-veda. Saunaka and the rșis recited the mantras of the Vedas, and Siva discussed tantra. On the rsis’ request. Brahma produced the four Vedas from his four mouths. Living here. Kapila created Sankhya philosophy. and Gautama brought forth logic and argument. Kanabhuk produced the Vaiseṣika philosophy here, and Patanjali, the Yoga-sutra. Jaimini wrote the Karma-mīmānsā sāstra here, and Vedavyasa wrote the Puranas. The five rsis (Sandilya, Upagayana, Mauñjāyana, Kausika, and Bharadvāja were previously each instructed for one day and night by Lord Nārāyaṇa) headed by Narada wrote the Pañcaratra here to teach the people about practical devotional service.
“In this forest, the Upanisads all worshiped Gauranga for a long time. Unseen by them. Gauranga said. Your understanding of God as formless (nirākāra) has spoiled you all. In the form of sruti you do not recognize Me, but when you appear as My associates on earth, you will see My pastimes with your own eyes. At that time you will sing My glories at the top of your voices.’ The srutis became dumbfounded on hearing this. Secretly, they stayed here waiting for that time. Blessed is this Kali-yuga, the topmost of yugas, for in this yuga Lord Gauranga appeared.
“Hearing that Gauranga would perform His educational pastimes here. Brhaspati took birth as Vasudeva Sarvabhauma and took great care to please the Lord. He knew that the Lord would perform pastimes as a student in Navadvipa, so he became indifferent and abandoned the abode of Lord Indra. He brought his associates and happily took birth on earth.
“Sarvabhauma made his school and taught here in Vidyanagara. But thinking that he would drown in the network of dry knowledge and lose Gauranga, he performed one pastime. Before Gauranga was born. Sarvabhauma left his students behind in Nadia. He thought. If I am the servant of Gauranga. He will certainly be merciful and come to me.’ Thus, Sarvabhauma went to Nilacala and became powerful in the knowledge of Mayāvāda philosophy.
“The Lord enjoyed his pastimes as a young student here by defeating and deriding Sarvabhauma’s pupils. In the guise of a logician, the Lord vanquished everyone. Teachers and students were all defeated in argument by Gauranga, and they would flee away from Him. Whoever hears the unprecedented educational pastimes of the Lord in Vidyanagara will become freed from ignorance.”
Hearing this, Jiva was filled with bliss and rolled on the ground in ecstatic love here at Vyasa-pitha. He then submitted the following question at the lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu, “Please cut down this one doubt. If Sankhya and logic are inauspicious. why do they have a place in the eternal dhama?”
Nityananda embraced Jiva and affectionately said. “There is nothing inauspicious in the Lord’s holy dhama. Sankhya and logic are not independent or powerful here. They are dependent on and therefore serve bhakti. But due to impious activities, wicked men turn everything backwards. Bhakti, devotion, is the goddess here, and all others are her servants. They only serve to reveal bhakti. The residence of ninefold bhakti is Navadvipa. Here, karma and jñāna serve bhakti. The scriptures award evil intelligence to materialistic persons, but the same scriptures award attachment for Kṛṣṇa to the pure devotees.
“Praudhā Māyā is the servant of Gauranga and presiding deity here. She stays here through all the yugas and serves Gauranga. In the form of Mahā Māyā, she blinds and gives various miseries to that person who, by his sinful activities, has come to envy Vaisnavas. In the form of actual knowledge. Prauḍhā Māyā dissolves all sin and karma. But if one has offended a Vaiṣṇava. she keeps him away and gives him all the troubles of karma. Such rogues may study to attain knowledge here in Nadia, but they never attain the treasure of prema at Krsna’s feet. They attain only ignorance in the guise of knowledge, so they are never able to see the opulences of Nadia or Gauranga.
“So real knowledge is not inauspicious, but its shadow, ignorance, certainly is. O Jiva, by the mercy of Gauranga, you will reveal all this. By the desire of the Lord, you will write scriptures. Through you, scripture will be revealed. Now let us go to Jahnu’s residence.”
(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Chapter 13)
In the Garga-samhita, concerning Vidyanagara it is stated: “He went to that attractive Vedanagara in Jambudvipa, where all the scriptures incarnate reside. At the assembly. Sarasvati herself. with vina and book in hand, sings the all-auspicious qualities of Krsna. O king, at this village of the Vedas, the eight talas (rythms). seven svaras (melodies), and three gramas (groups of melodies) are personally present. Mīmāmsā is the hand of the Vedas, astrology is the eye, Ayur-veda (medicine) is the back, Dhanur-veda (military science) is the chest, Gandharva-veda (music) is the tongue, Vaiseṣika is the mind, Sankhya is the intellect, nyaya (logic) is the false ego, and Vedanta is the heart.”
(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Pramana-Khanda, Chapter 3)
So these prayers were offered by Jayadeva Gosvāmī. One Vaiṣṇava poet advented about seven hundred years before Lord Caitanya’s appearance. He was a great devotee, and his specific poetry, Gīta-govinda, is very famous all over the world. Gīta-govinda. Gīta-govinda is the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa playing on flute about Rādhārāṇī. That is the subject matter of Gīta-govinda.
So the same poet, Jayadeva Gosvāmī, has offered this prayer, pralaya-payodhi-jale-dhṛtavān asi vedam. He says: “My dear Lord, when there was devastation within this universe, everything was filled with water. At that time You saved the Vedas, stacked in a boat. And You held the boat from being drowned in the water, in the shape of a big fish.”
This fish first of all was caught in the water pot just like a small fish. Then it enlarged, and the fish was kept in a bigger water reservoir. In this way the fish was increasing. Then the fish informed that, “Devastation is coming. You just save all the Vedas on a boat, and I shall protect it.” So Jayadeva Gosvāmī is offering prayer, “My Lord, You saved the Vedas when there was devastation in the shape of fish.”
(700218 – Lecture Festival Appearance Day, Lord Varaha, Varaha-dvadasi and Purport Dasavatara-stotra – Los Angeles)