Divine Instructions from Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Philippines

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In honour of the appearance day of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur
today, we are presenting the pranam mantra Srila Bhakti Sundar
Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj composed for him, as well as a
lecture in which Srila Govinda Maharaj explains the mantras
meaning.

Temple of Love and Affection Verse Twenty-Eight

dsa-vndvana vande ka-dsa-prabhu tath

chhannvatra-chaitanya-ll-vistra-kriau
dvau nitynandapdbja-karureu-bhuitau
vyakta-chchhannau budhchintyau vvande vysa-rpiau

I offer my obeisance unto rla Vndvan Ds hkur and rla Ka

Ds Kavirj Goswm Prabhu. They are the expounders of the
Pastimes of the hidden Avatr, r Chaitanya, and they are adorned
with mercy-pollen from Nitynanda Prabhus lotus feet. I offer my
obeisance unto these two forms of Vysdev, one of whom is manifest

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and one of whom is hidden; one of whom is intelligible and one of
whom is inconceivable.

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

When I wrote an introduction to Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat I thought,

Both Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami and Vrindavan Das Thakur are
Vedavyas but one is vyakta, manifest, and the other is avyakta, or
gudha, confidential. Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami is the vyas of
Mahaprabhus gudha-lila; he revealed Chaitanya Mahaprabhus
hidden Pastimes. Vrindavan Das Thakur described Mahaprabhus
Pastimes in Nabadwip and Jagannath Kshetra; these are His vyakta-
lila, public Pastimes.

Thinking in this way, I composed a pranam mantra for Vrindavan Das

Thakur and Kaviraj Goswami. That mantra is my hearts expression
and I am so satisfied with it. It has been revealed by the mercy of
Vrindavan Das Thakur and Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami. They are
so merciful to us.

dsa-vndvana vande ka-dsa-prabhu tath

chhannvatra-chaitanya-ll-vistra-kriau
dvau nitynandapdbja-karureu-bhuitau
vyakta-chchhannau budhchintyau vvande vysa-rpiau

When I composed this verse I realised that Vrindavan Das Thakur is

the first Vedavyas for Chaitanya-lila but that Chaitanya-lila has two
forms, a manifest form and a chhanna, hidden, form. In Srimad
Bhagavatam where there is a reference to the Lords Avatar in Kali-
yuga, the word chhanna is used.

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 ittha n-tiryag-i-deva-jhavatrair
lokn vibhvayasi hasi jagat pratpn
dharma mah-purua psi yugnuvtta
chhanna kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo tha sa tvam
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 7.9.38)

In the Kali-yuga Lord Krishna manifested in a chhanna, hidden, form

and tasted Radharanis supreme mood of devotion. Without that
mood, Krishna could not taste Himself fully. For this reason He is
called the hidden, chhanna, Avatar. The Lord is called Triyuga is this
verse from Srimad Bhagavatam: He who appears in three ages. This is
because His Avatar in in Kali-yuga is not openly indicated.

Elsewhere in Srimad Bhagavatam, however, there is an explanation of

the Lords hidden Avatar.

ka-vara tvika sgopgstra-pradam

yajai sakrtana-pryair yajanti hi su-medhasa
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 11.5.32)

The Lord will always chant the Name Krishna and His form will be
golden. With His associates, He will propagate the sacrifice of
sankirtan to the people in general.

In this way it is proved in the Scriptures that Krishna appears in the

Kali-yuga in a hidden form to distribute Himself.

Srila Rupa Goswami also wrote,

anarpita-char chirt karuayvatra kalau

samarpayitum unnatojjvala-ras sva-bhakti-riyam

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 hari puraa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandpita
sad hdaya-kandare sphuratu va ach-nandana
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita: Adi-lila, 1.4)

Hari Himself, in a effulgent golden form, is intoxicated with His own

Name and distributing to the masses the super-excellent devotional
mood, madhura-rasa. He is distributing it to whoever desires it. May
that Lord, Sri Sachi Nandan, reveal Himself in your heart.

Rupa Goswami Prabhu composed this shloka as a blessing to his

readers.

Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami is the chhanna-vyas-avatar and

Vrindavan Das Thakur is the vyakta-vyas-avatar. This feeling came to
me and then I composed my pranam mantra for them. After hearing
this verse all the Vaishnavas who are qualified in Sanskrit praised it
greatly and blessed me. This is very good for our society. All credit
goes to the devotees though. It is necessary to get Mahaprabhus
devotees mercy, then one will understand Mahaprabhus divine form
and gift. By the devotees mercy I am inspired and then I give
inspiration to others. Everything is the wealth of the devotees, nothing
is my personal wealth.