Inspired by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu!
Oct 26 2011, ISKCON-TIMES, Puri, Orissa, India
ei-mata puradvara-agepatha yata
sakala sodhila, tahake varnibe kata
Outside the gateway of the temple, all the roads were also cleansed, and no one could tell exactly how this was done.
CC Madhya Lila, 12.135
In commenting on the cleansing of the Gundica temple,Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as the world leader, was personally giving instructions on how one should receive Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within one’s cleansed and pacified heart. If one wants to see Krishna seated in his heart, he must first cleanse the heart, as prescribed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka: ceto-darpana-marjanam
Puri Town Cleaning Program is an initiative taken up by Hare Krishna Movement, Puri. This is a noble contribution from HKM Puri and Akshaya Patra Orissa Volunteers towards preserving the cleanliness, sanctity and also the environment of Puri Dham.
The volunteers started by cleaning all the important places which are dear to Gaudiya Vaishnavas in general and Prabhupad’s followers in particular. They started with cleaning Siddha Bakul Math, a very significant place, where Namacharya Haridas Thakur stayed and chanted Holy Names of the Lord continuously.
Then they went on to clean Gambhira, Lord Chaitanya’s residence in Puri. Even today, some of His transcendental paraphernalia are there for darshan by devout and faithful believers. The dedicated team of volunteers then went on to clean the beautiful Tota Gopinatha temple premises.
They cleared up all the garbage, weeds, used materials littered around and took the waste to municipality designated dump grounds. The enthusiastic team members work sincerely and tirelessly, for this noble and progressive initiative for a cleaner and greener Puri Dham.
These cleaning activities are significant. It helps cleanse one’s consciousness! Krishna Himself will help cleanse the heart because He is already seated there. Krishna wants to continue living within the heart, and the Lord wants to give directions, but one has to keep his heart as clean as Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu kept the Gundica temple.
By His practical example, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has shown us that all the grains of sand must be picked up thoroughly and thrown outside. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also cleansed the outside of the temple, fearing that the grains of sand would again come within.
To give us practical instructions, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu cleansed the temple twice. His second cleansing was more thorough. The idea was to throw away all the stumbling blocks on the path of devotional service. He cleansed the temple with firm conviction, as is evident from His using His own personal garments for cleaning.
Thus the cleansing of the Gundica-mandira was conducted by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to let us know how the heart should be cleansed and soothed to receive Lord Sri Krishna and enable Him to sit within the heart without disturbance.
Jai Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadra mai!! Jai Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu!! Jaya Srila Prabhupada!!
May I enquire as to when the Smartas allowed non-caste Hindus into the Gundica Temple? Or was this only for Indian devotees by birth? Thank you. Hare Krishna.
PS I did not mean to sound over-critical, sometimes simple is taken as aggressive in writing, my apologies if so, though Srila Prabhupada neglected Puri, as I understand, due to his disciples being neglected there by the caste authorities.
Once, taking advantage of his fame, the caste Swamis had asked Srila Preabhupada to attedna a book -inauguration ceremony, and Srila Prabhupada was to speak last, the position of honor in such occassions. When his turn came, he gae a powerful and strikingly to the point lecture, then with one oline , said, “Oh. Swami such and such is inaugrating his book today.”
Having thus stolen the microphone Vaishnava style, and defeated all their imaginary ideas so perfectly, he oh so briefly put in that one-line ad for the caste brahaman book writer, insetad of the ebullinet praises usually heaped on the book in such occassions, and away he went promplty after that.
In our time, 1976 and on , the devotees of Bhubaneswara, with help of speaker of Orissan assembly Mr. Mahapatra , made attempts to bring court cases over this matter. But Bhagavata Prabhu had to leave over passport issues, and HH Gour Govinda Swami was too busy with preachging and temple construction, and not so interested in pursuing the matter further at the time. Resistance by certain priestly factions to “foreigners” had, I thought only increased in fact since then?
Otherwise, this is a wonderful pastime, thank you for sharing. No doubt this pastime was appreciated by many. The Radha Kanta and Bakula tree protecting Vaisnav brahamanas were no doubt ecstastic to see the devotees in such nice mood of service. So the smartas are perhaps a minority, so we dont’ care for their opinions much anyway.
Haribol! Jaya Jagannatha!
YOU PRINTED THE TYPO’ed one instead of the nice one, so here it is now.
PS I did not mean to sound over-critical, though Srila Prabhupada neglected Puri, as I understand, due to his disciples being neglected there by the caste authorities.
Once, taking advantage of his fame, the caste Swamis had asked Srila Preabhupada to attend a book-inauguration ceremony, and Srila Prabhupada was to speak last, the position of honor in such occassions. When his turn came, he gave a powerful and strikingly to the point lecture, concluding that the Western devotees shouild not be discluded from enetering the temples, then with one oline , said, “Oh. Swami such and such is inaugrating his book today.”
Having thus stolen the microphone Vaishnava style, and defeated all their imaginary ideas so perfectly, he oh so briefly put in that one-line ad for the caste brahaman book writer, insetad of the ebullient praises usually heaped on the book in such occassions, and away he went promplty after that.
In our time, 1976 and on , the devotees of Bhubaneswara, with help of the speaker of Orissan assembly Mr. Mahapatra , made attempts to force our way in, get arestsed, then bring court cases over this matter. But Bhagavata Prabhu had to leave over passport issues, and HH Gour Govinda Swami was too busy with preaching and temple construction, and not so interested in pursuing the matter further at the time.
Resistance by certain priestly factions to “foreigners” had, I thought only increased in fact since then?
Otherwise, this is a wonderful pastime, thank you for sharing. No doubt this pastime was appreciated by many. The Radha Kanta and Bakula tree protecting Vaisnav brahamanas were no doubt ecstastic to see the devotees in such nice mood of service. So the smartas are perhaps a minority, so we dont’ care for their opinions much anyway.
Haribol! Jaya Jagannatha!
Last time I was in Puri, wearing my grhasta white , I was approached by a smal boy proclaiming, “You want to buy hashish? All the Hare Krishna devotees buy from me!” Later that same day, a local in conversation asked me, “So, are ALL the sannyasis in Iskcon gay?”
So please prabhus, GBC-Iskcon devotees should kindly lay low, so as not to ruin the reputation of the rest of us by your sense gratification activities in Puri. We are becoming a laughing stock on account of the antics of some uncontrolled devotees.
This nice pastime of community cooperation and cleansing is no doubt helpful in this regards.