Sri Mahanambrata Brahmachari’s tirobhav

Jai Nitai! Jai Jagadbandhu!

Sri Mahanambrata Brahmachari

Today is the disappearance day of Sri Mahanambrata Brahmachari. He departed in the year 1999 at the age of 95 at his ashram in Raghunathpur. {actually yesterday was his disappearance day, but due to internet connectivity problems I was unable to post this}

A very brief life sketch:

Sripad Mahanambrata Brahmachari took his birth in the year 1904 in the village of Khalishakota in the Barisal district of Bangladesh and was named Bankim. His father’s name was Kalidas Dasgupta and his mother was known as Kaminisundari Devi. I imagine that most everyone is aware of his scholarship. He started primary school in 1909, but most of his education came by the encouragement of his gurudeva, Sripad Mahendraji. The news that Jagadbandhu Sundar came out of his 17 year seclusion reached the ears of Bankim and was the turning point of his life. He had great  faith in Jagadbandhu and he ran away from home, travelling some 80 miles on foot and managed a darshan of Bandhusundar from a distance. A few months later some internal pulling brought him to the feet of Bandhusundar Prabhu. By the grace of Sripad Mahendraji, who was the main sevak of Prabhu, Bankim got the opportunity to touch and worship the feet of Jagadbandhu Prabhu. Later he heard the painful news of the passing of Prabhu Bandhusundar in 1921.

Bankim’s father passed away in 1922 so he decided to go to Sri Angan, Faridapur the place of Jagadbandhu to become a fully dedicated renunciate sadhu of the Mahanam Sampraday. The guru and founder of the Mahanam Sampraday, Sripad Mahendraji urged Bankim to go back home and pass the Matriculation exam first and then return to become a renunciate. In 1923 he passed his exam and returned to Sri Angan and took initiation from Sripad Mahendraji and was given the name Mahanambrata. Later his guru requested him to study at Rajendra College. It was very difficult to maintain his studies and ashram life. He went through many trials and tribulations, and he managed to pass his B.A. exam in 1928 with honors in Sanskrit. His guru desired that he continued to study and in 1931 he obtained a M.A. in Sanskrit from Calcutta University in 1931. Again, as requested by his guru he studied M.A. in Western Philosophy at Calcutta University and passed his examination. In 1933 while in the middle of awaiting the results of his second M.A. exam, Sripad Mahendraji received an invitation fromt the President of the World Fellowship of Faiths in Chicago, Illinois to send a delegate to represent the Sampraday and deliver speeches. Mahendraji sent Mahanambrata to the U.S.A to preach the gospel and ideals of Jagadbandhu Prabhu.

As one can easily imagine he represented the teachings of Prabhu Bandhusundar beautifully and was a very inspiring speaker delivering four lectures. While in the U.S. he changed his visa to a student visa and enrolled in Chicago University and obtained a Ph.D. in 1937. Afterwards he toured many European countries and delivered hundreds of speeches on Manav dharma, Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy, and the teachings of Prabhu Bandhusundar.

A  section of one of his speeches given abroad:

Now, how to cultivate this universal love? You cannot love the universe unless you love the universal. If you go on loving particulars one after another for an indefinite length of time, you will not be able to love the world as a whole. So, to be non-violent, to be philanthropic, what you are to do is to arrive at the center; so says our Lord. The centre is the Supreme God Himself! we call him ‘Hari’. This word means that the one, like a Great Magnet, attracts the whole universe towards Himself. He is the sum-total of all love. He is the one unity of life, in which we are millions of small units. If we love the sum-total, we shall be able to love everything. With the love of God will come to us the love of everyone in the Universe.
To the vast majority of mankind the body is everything, bodily enjoyment is the alpha and omega of life. This is due to ignorance-the identification of ourselves with the body, which is only an encasement of our real being. When we realise that we are the Spirits-the sons of immortal Bliss, and not slaves of matter, we can easily sacrifice life for the world. When we know that the death of this physical encasement is inevitable, we can make the highest use of it by holding it at the service of all beings. i Behold! For the good of the world at large Lord Nityananda embraced the sinner who caused his I bloodshed and then He turned the sinner into a saint. It was for the good of sinners that Jesus Christ embraced the cross. For the good of humanity Mahatma Gandhi is starving for days together with a smiling face.

When we think ourselves disconnected from the universe, we become selfish and our love becomes particularised and narrowed. But when our heart is purified and filled to the brim with the divine nectar of love, we find Him in every- thing. Men are then seen not as men but as the manifestations of God; animals are seen not as animals but as manifestations of God; even the tiger is not seen as a tiger but as a manifestation of God. Then and then only we cannot hurt anyone; we become non-violent. Then all created beings become our family; the whole, world becomes our country. The whole of nature becomes our church, the mother earth its floor And the high vault of heaven its roof. It here where non- violence culminates. It is here where stood Lord Nityananda, the Great deliverer; Jesus Christ, the real Saviour; Mahatma Gandhi, the true lover of humanity.

Now, how to attain this intense love towards the Supreme Being, which is the true source of real life? Lord Gouranga preached that this Universe is the manifestation of Absolute Love. It is a rush from One to manifoldness. When I the Universal consciousness arose the thought current, ‘I am One-I wish to be Many,” He manifested Himself in two aspects; first the Name-the World; then the Form-the World. This sensible universe is the Form and behind, is stands the Eternal Word-“Hari,” which is the matrix of all ideas and forms. So we can reach Him only through the medium of the Great sound manifestation-the hallowed Name. When frequently repeated the vibrations purify the atmosphere, illuminate the mind and fill in and out with the ecstasy of Bliss. Lord Gouranga reached this infinite potency of the Name of Hari. Shout “Hari Hari” or “Haribole” (say Hari) and the vibration will thrill through all hearers and change them into pious devotees. Chant the hallowed Name day and night and be non- violent in thought, word and deed. This is the sum and substance of the holy teachings of Lord Gouranga, the Incarnation of Love, who came down on the holy soil of Bengal some four hundred and fifty years ago. Divine Love assumed body and dwelt with us.

In conclusion, I give you a new message of hope that the time is nigh. The Dark Age is ended. The golden age has already dawned. The New Incarnation of Love has come down on this land of mortals to wipe away all tears from your eyes. There shall be no more poverty, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more craving. The holy city-the new Jerusalem-will soon re-appear on earth, which is prepared as a bride for her long looked-for Eternal Lover-the Supreme Being-“Hari Purusha Jagad-Bandhu”. the New Incarnation of Gouranga Mahaprabhu. Late us all pray:

Oh my beloved Lord! The different paths which we through different tendencies, have taken, let them all lead us to Thy Lotus Feet, just as all different streams, having their source in different places, all mingle their waters in the sea.

May the Blessings of my Beloved Lord be showered upon you all.

He returned to India in 1939 and continued for a while giving speeches as he was accustomed to. Later he travelled in Bengal and delivered Bhagavat path and wrote books. In 1960 he moved into Mahauddharan Math in Calcutta and in 1980 his disciples built him a quieter and more peaceful ashram, Mahanam Angan in Raghunathpur. All this time he wrote more than 50 books and continued to speak and inspire his disciples and followers. In October of 1999 he passed away at the age of 95 and entered nitya-lila. Though his body was quite aged his mind was agile and strong until the very end.  I would recommend visiting  http://mahanam.org/ for more information.

Jai Sripad Mahanambrata Brahmachari! Jai Jagadbandhu Hari!

Sri Mahanambrata Brahmachari's purna samadhi in Raghunathpur

Sri Sri Prema Bhakti Candrika

Narottam Das Thakur

Once a high ranking government official (Judge) stayed in Ambika Kalna in West Bengal for a few days to perform some duties. At that time Siddha Sri Bhagavan das Babaji Maharaja was still manifest in this world. Having heard about Siddha Baba’s glories from the local residents, the judge went at once to see him. When Siddha Baba saw him coming he asked why he had come, and the judge said,  “Baba! Tell me how to prema bhakti can be achieved!”

Siddha Baba immediately said, “Prema bhakti can be purchased for only two anas (a very small amount of money in colonial India at that time)!”

When the judge heard these words of Siddha Baba he was a little shaken and said, “Baba! Why are you joking with me?”

Siddha Baba replied with determination, “It’s not a joke– for two anas you can buy Srila Narottama Thakura Mahasaya’s Prema Bhakti Candrika in Calcutta’s Bata-tala. Always read this and you will attain prema bhakti.”

This is actually a true story.  And the judge completely took the words of Siddha Baba seriously and purchased a copy of Prema Bhakti Candrika. By the strength of Siddha Baba’s order and because of his service to Sri Prema Bhakti Candrika which he constantly recited, he had a complete change of heart. The judge lost all interest in his job and began to stay at home reading Prema Bhakti Candrika with love and attachment. Because he gave up his job his so-called family members lost interest in him and he also became disinterested in them and his home. He began to wander and beg alms to feed himself all the while lovingly reading Prema Bhakti Candrika and offering everything to Sri Krishna. Everyone thought he was insane because of his sudden and drastic change of behavior, but he actually became siddha himself and achieved Krishna-prema through the recitation of Prema Bhakti Candrika on the order of Siddha Bhagavan Das Babaji.

Sri Radharaman Charan Das Dev questioned his guru, Nityananda Vamsh Prabhupad Yogendranath Goswami about the sastras. His guru told him that of all the sastras four are sufficient for acheiving the goal of Krishna-prema and Prema Bhakti Candrika was one of the four books on the list. The very first shloka I ever heard from the lips of my gurudeva was from Sri Prema Bhakti Candrika. He had just given me diksha and was explaining to me the immense power of chanting  (Bhaja) Nitai Gaura Radhey Shyam (Japa) Hare Krishna Hare Ram and told me that I would experience many wonders while chanting it and I should keep those wonders to myself. It’s easy to guess which verse he quoted:

Apana bhajana kathA, nA kohibo yathA tathA
ihAte hoibo sAvadhAna (119)

“I will be cautious and not reveal my bhajana realisations here and there. ”

Among the many teachings and recommendations of Sri Jagadbandhu Sundar Prabhu he advised the one should put the entire Prema Bhakti Candrika to memory. That is how precious he found the teachings of Thakur Mahasaya to be.

So the importance of Sri Sri Prema Bhakti Candrika cannot be overestimated. In fact, some very good arguments can be made that this is the single most valuable grantha for the sadhakas of the Caitanya Vaisnava tradition.

The painting of Sri Thakur Mahasay came from Sripat Gambhila. This is the birthplace of his dear disciple Sri Ganganarayan Chakravarty. Gambhila is also the place where Thakur Mahasay ended his manifest lila while entering the Ganges.

narottama boDo duHkI, nAtha! more koro sukhI,
tomAra bhajana saGkIrtane
antarAya nAhi yAy, ei to parama bhaya,
nivedana kori anukSaNa (39)

“Narottama is greatly unhappy. O Natha! Make me happy by allowing me to perform bhajan and do sankirtan of your Names! The greatest fear I have is that my bad habits and material attachments will not leave me, so I pray to You at every moment for your mercy.”

The image of Sri Narottam Das Thakur was the courtesy of Nityananda Janmasthan from Dhimahi 2007

Prabhu Sri Sri Jagadbandhu Sundar Dashashraya

Jai Nitai!

Prabhu Jagadbandhu Sundar

Vaisnava carane dandabat! Today is the day when Sri Jagadbandhu Sundar Prabhu entered Trayodash Dasha, a state that resembles death and he has remained in this state since 1921. Bandusundar Prabhu is our gurudeva, not through the line of diksha, but he is our dear gurudeva and protector/guardian due to our connection to him through our param-gurudeva, Sripad Ramdas Babaji. They were childhood friends and Bandhusundar was his gurudeva and taught him the way of sadhan/bhajan of Braja-lila. Later on by the instruction of Prabhu Bandhusundar, Sripad Ramdas Babaji took full shelter of and received diksha from Sri Sri Radharaman Charan Das Dev and became one of his foremost disciples. Before the departure of Radharaman Charan Dev he handed his karatals to Ramdas Babaji and told him, ” My bhajan is finished for this life.” He gave him the primary responsibility of giving diksha and leading his mission. When Sripad Ramdas Babaji was preparing to depart ( a beautiful story which I will post in the future) he uttered in a deep-throated voice, ” Bandhusundar! Bandusundar! Radharaman! Radharaman!” and began chanting “(Bhaja) Nitai Gaura Radhey Shyam (Japa) Hare Krishna Hare Ram,” and with copious amounts of tears literally shooting straight from his eyes he departed right before Nitai Gaura and the assembled Vaisnavas.

 

The altar at Bandhusundar Kunja located in Brindavan

Unfortunately, due to time constraints I am unable to make a lengthy and substantially informative post about this event today, but will include much more information of Sri Sri Bandhusundar Prabhu in the future. For now I will post a couple of brief stories to at least provide a general picture of the event.

Prabhu in Trayodash Dashasraya

Trayodash-Dasha
(a state of static-dynamic existence of self-enjoyment by an avatar)

It was Aswin 1, 1328, of the Bengali year (1921 A.D.). Jagadbandhu entered into his ‘Trayodash-Dasha’. The clinical sign of life disappeared, though the holy body continued to radiate its sparkling glow. The unexpected event came as a bolt from the blue. Devotees from all parts of the country rushed to Sri Angan. Amidst utter confusion and lamentation the devotees started chanting Mahanam Kirtan. In high expectation and with continuous kirtan, the devotees waited for eleven days, but in vain. Prabhu did not wake. On the 12th day, Krishnadasji, an ardent devotee, informed others that he had received instructions (in dream) from the Lord Jagadbandhu for keeping Him under ground after proper worshipping. Tears rolled out of the eyes of thousands of devotees. They observed the heart-breaking rites performed under the guidance of Krishnadasji. The light disappeared, the Mahanam Kirtan stopped, and the devotees dispersed.

Thereafter, Sri Mahendradasji, Sri Kunjadasji, Sri Nabadwipdasji, all devotees of the highest order, met together and initiated discussions on the contents of Chandrapat -“Bandhu Nai Jay” (Bandhu does not go) – Sri Nabadwipdasji emphatically stated that the Lord had entered into His ‘Trayodash-Dasha’. The Lord himself had given such an indication much earlier. Now it was the sublime duty of the followers to go on chanting Mahanam uniterruptedly. They reached the firm conclusion that the Lord Jagadbandhu would emerge in the same body someday. This conclusion is not based on mere belief; it based on categorical assurances given by the Lord Himself.

The great devotees shook off their melancholy state of mind and resumed their assigned duties. After a gap of about three weeks, Mahendraji and Kunjadasji entered into Sri Angan Gambhira temple and started Mahanam Mahakirtan on 2nd Kartik of 1328 Begali year (1921 A.D.). This Mahakirtan  has been going on continuously and uninterruptedly since then.

In the mean time, the Divine Body of the Lord was put into a wooden casket and placed inside the Gambhira temple. During the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971, the holy casket was brought to Maha-Uddharan Math at Maniktala Road in Calcutta. In 1991, the casket containing the supernatural body of Prabhu Jagadbandhu had been shifted to Mahendra Bandhu Angan, Ghurni, Krishnanagar, West Bengal. But there has not been any break in the chanting of Mahanam. It is the firm conviction of the followers of the Mahanam Sampraday that the Lord would definitely reappear amidst Mahakirtan. He would surely come out of the ambrosial state of Trayodash-Dasha and embrace and emancipate all beings.

Continuous chanting of the kirtan shall bring back Lord Jagadbandhu before the eyes of mortal beings. The entire universe would dance in harinam and all beings shall conglomerate in joy and bliss.

Again, the Chandrapat and Harikatha give some symbolic indications about His Trayodash-Dasha as well as restoration therefrom.

Birth of Mahanam Yajna or ceaseless Mahanam Kirtan

While Sripad Mahendrajee was busy with his mission work, the Lord assumed the appearance of a dead man, though inwardly full of intelligence and bliss, on 17th September 1921 AD (1328 B.S 1st Aswin). It was Sripad Mahendrajee who diagnosed the same condition of the Lord as only a unique stage in the life of the Lord; a metamorphic condition for a higher culmination of the realization of Mahabhava (a sublimated condition of Divine Love); and giving up his itinerant preaching, according to the Lord’s previous instructions, preserved the holy body in a casket of sandal wood and started his Great Sacrifice of the hallowed name of the Lord in the Sri Dham Sri Angan, Faridpur on 18th October, 1921 (2nd Kartik 1328 B.S) Sri Haripurusabda 51. This Sacrifice is known as the Mahanam Yajna, the main function of which, celebrated in this Sacrifice, is the incessant and unintermittent recital of the name of the Great Lord in accompaniment to the music of Khola and Karatala (a kind of drum and cymbal). Now this Sacrifice is inspired by vow taken by Sripad Mahendrajee that consistent with the saying of the Lord, He will have to rise up and awake through the mysterious influence of Mahanam and will complete the final synthesis of all religions and save the world from going asunder under the influence of Maha Pralaya (the Dissolution of the Universe).

First, the holy body was preserved in a casket of sandal wood. The divine immortal body of the Lord went through many stages of change and was finally preserved inside a metallic hollow replica of the Lord (more commonly known as “Samput”).

The Lord Jagatbandhu Hari in His great trance or Mahasamadhi is lying in the form of a skeleton inside the samput (earlier at Sri Angan, Faridpur, Bangladesh and now at Mahendrabandhu Angan, Ghurni, West Bengal, India) and though outwardly there is nothing to attract or impress anybody, still thousands and thousands of the Lord’s followers have been coming and worshiping the same as the Living Incarnation, and the monks of the Mahanam Sampraday under the guidelines laid by Sripad Mahendrajee have been performing daily seva or worship of the Lord in strict Hindu manners, and a continuous vibration is being produced in the atmosphere and in ethereal spiritual regions through the incessant chanting of the Lord’s name, viz:-

Hari purusha Jagadbandhu Maha – Uddharana:

Charihasta Chandraputra Hakitapatana

(Prabhu Prabhu Prabhu Hey) (Ananta – nantamaya)

–from “CHANDRAPAT”.

This ceaseless Mahanam Kirtan is still continuing for last 87 years around that Holy body. That Hari Purusha will come back is the belief of the Mahanam Sampradaya. The incessant Kirtan will not stop until the Great Awakening comes and the whole world is reborn. Thus tremendous power is being generated day and night. The Brahmacharis of Mahanam Mission are broadcasting these world – purifying vibrations through both the physical and spiritual atmosphere of the world.

Sripad Mahendraji ~ Founder Acarya of the Mahanam Sampradaya

Birth of Mahanam Yajna or ceaseless Mahanam Kirtan

While Sripad Mahendraji was busy with his mission work, the Lord assumed the appearance of a dead man, though inwardly full of intelligence and bliss, on 17th September 1921 AD (1328 B.S 1st Aswin). It was Sripad Mahendraji who diagnosed the same condition of the Lord as only a unique stage in the life of the Lord; a metamorphic condition for a higher culmination of the realization of Mahabhava (a sublimated condition of Divine Love); and giving up his itinerant preaching, according to the Lord’s previous instructions, preserved the holy body in a casket of sandal wood and started his Great Sacrifice of the hallowed name of the Lord in the Sri Dham Sri Angan, Faridpur on 18th October, 1921 (2nd Kartik 1328 B.S) Sri Haripurusabda 51. This Sacrifice is known as the Mahanam Yajna, the main function of which, celebrated in this Sacrifice, is the incessant and unintermittent recital of the name of the Great Lord in accompaniment to the music of Khola and Karatala . Now this Sacrifice is inspired by vow taken by Sripad Mahendraji that consistent with the saying of the Lord, He will have to rise up and awake through the mysterious influence of Mahanam and will complete the final synthesis of all religions and save the world from going asunder under the influence of Maha Pralaya.

First, the holy body was preserved in a casket of sandal wood. The divine immortal body of the Lord went through many stages of change and was finally preserved inside a metallic hollow replica of the Lord (more commonly known as “Samput”).

The Lord Jagadbandhu Hari in His great trance or Mahasamadhi is lying in the form of a skeleton inside the samput (earlier at Sri Angan, Faridapur, Bangladesh and now at Mahendrabandhu Angan, Ghurni, West Bengal, India) and though outwardly there is nothing to attract or impress anybody, still thousands and thousands of the Lord’s followers have been coming and worshiping the same as the Living Incarnation, and the monks of the Mahanam Sampraday under the guidelines laid by Sripad Mahendraji have been performing daily seva or worship of the Lord in strict way, and a continuous vibration is being produced in the atmosphere and in ethereal spiritual regions through the incessant chanting of the Lord’s name, viz:-

haripuruSa jagadbandhu mahA-uddhAraN
cArihasta candraputra hA kITa patan
(prabhu prabhu he) (anantAntamaya)
~from candrapAt

This ceaseless Mahanam Kirtan is still continuing for the last 87 years around Bandhusundar’s  Holy body. That Hari Purusha will come back is the belief of the Mahanam Sampradaya. The incessant Kirtan will not stop until the Great Awakening comes and the whole world is reborn. Thus tremendous power is being generated day and night. The Brahmacharis of Mahanam Mission are broadcasting these world-purifying vibrations through both the physical and spiritual atmosphere of the world.

Sripad Mahanambrata Brahmachari

Sripat Mahanambrata Brahmacari

All round development and growth under the leadership of Dr. Mahanambrata Brahmachari

After Sripad Mahendraji left this mortal world, Dr. Mahanambrata Brahmachari became the Acharya of Mahanam Sampradaya and took total charge of the organisation. Activities of the Sampradaya really flourished under his leadership and overall development took place in all the sectors. Number of temples and ashramas were set up at many places in India and Bangladesh and also at religiously important places like Vrindavan, Puri, Nabadwip etc. The main message and philosophy of Lord Jagadbandhu Sundar were spread widely to various corners of the Indian subcontinent and millions of people accepted him as their spiritual preceptor or Guru. Mahanam Sevak Sangha – a subsidiary of Mahanam Sampradaya was established for the non-ashramite followers to render all services to the Sampradaya and to undertake all social and benevolent activities. The Publication Trust was set up and more than a hundred very valuable books with immense spiritual depth were written, edited and published by him.

Mahagambhira at Mahendrabandhu Angan

Sripad Kunja Dasji

Sripad Nabadwip Dasji