Sri Sri Guru Gaurangau Jayatah

Impressions from Nabadwip

by Navanalini Devi Dasi of Slovenia

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip
07 March 2003

Dear devotees,

I offer my humble obeisances at your feet.

I am a beginner in Krishna consciousness, visiting the holy Sri Nabadwip Dham for the first time. I feel in no way qualified to write about the transcendental activities and transcendental spirit that pervade the holy Dham, but I have been asked to do so by the merciful Vaisnavas here, and it is only in anticipation of their and your blessings and good wishes upon my head that I am trying to collect a few of my impressions to share with you.

There is a song called Madhurastakam that glorifies Krishna's sweetness. It is composed in the following style:

His lips are sweet, His face is sweet,
His eyes are sweet, His smile is sweet,
His heart is sweet, His gait is sweet —
Everything is sweet about the Emperor of Sweetness!

It must have been with this song somewhere in the subconscious area of my brain that recently this expression all of a sudden came into my mind:

Srila Gurudev is beautiful, Srila Guru Maharaj is beautiful,
The devotees are beautiful, the Deities are beautiful,
The kirttans are beautiful and Sri Govinda Kunda is beautiful —
Everything is beautiful about the holy Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Sri Nabadwip Dham...

It is said that the holy Dham is made of the chintamani touchstone. Although I cannot perceive that, I see Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is also bedecked with other kinds of precious jewels: the devotees who are like great treasure houses of intense attachment to our Divine Masters, of deep spiritual wisdom and of all the captivating Vaisnava qualities, decorate each corner of the Math.

The otherwise only occasional sweet feelings present themselves as a tangible fact and reality here, that give your body, heart and soul fully for the satisfaction of Sri Guru, and you will meet the fulfilment of all your innermost hankerings and aspirations certainly and automatically.

March 2nd was a particularly auspicious day in Nabadwip. Lord Siva, Gangadhara, was invited to his newly built mandir. The day before, during his walk around Sri Govinda Kunda, Srila Gurudev told the devotees, "Yesterday I went into meditation to ask Lord Siva for permission to bring him here...." The next day everything was arranged beautifully for his actual arrival, and kirttan went on for the whole night for his satisfaction.

The day after the installation Srila Gurudev spoke to the assembled devotees and guests about the glories of Lord Siva who is intimately connected to both Lord Krishna and Lord Sri Chaitanya, being the protector of Sri Vrindavan Dham and Sri Nabadwip Dham. He is known as the remover of obstacles on the path of devotional service and holds a very special position as Gopesvara, guarding the Rasa Dance in his form of a Gopi, making sure no one unqualified can enter.

When asked to relate some of his experiences with Lord Siva, Srila Gurudev replied, "You will not believe me if I tell you and you will commit offence...."

So we now start the morning and evening kirttans by worshiping this greatest of devotees by chanting the Holy Names of Lord Krishna and Lord Gauranga, praying for his protection and his help on our spiritual path.

Just now the beautiful Sri Saraswat-arati is resounding from the temple room, calling me to go and pay respects to the charming Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga-Gandharvva-Govindasundara, so I will stop here.

Praying that the merciful Vaisnavas will overlook the faults of this small writing attempt, and praying the Vaisnavas will assist me in my aspiration for true service to, and love for, the lotus feet of Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas.

Navanalini Devi Dasi (of Slovenia)

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
Nabadwip
07 March 2003