Sri Advaita Path
House of Sri Advaita Acarya at Shantipur
Sri Advaita Acarya is avatar of Sadashiva, the original Siva of the spiritual world and Maha Vishnu, the original purusha of the universal creation. That same personality descended into this world to assist Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu by accepting the role of the servant of the servant. It was only because of Advaita Acarya’s deep compassion and fervent loud crying and prayers to Lord Krishna for us conditioned souls of Kali Yuga who are been glided in the materialistic ocean of darkness bereft of forgetfulness of Lord Krishna, that He made Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to appear to spread the holy name of Krishna and save us from clutches of maya.
At Shantipur, amidst the groves of beautiful mango trees is the house of Sri Advaita Acarya. Shantipur is 1 hour from Sri Mayapur Dhama and lies just off of the main road to Kolkata in Ranaghat area. It is here in Santipur that Advaita Acarya made the vow to make Lord Krishna advent to this world in Kali-yuga as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to deliver us fallen souls by taking up the chanting of Lord Krishna's name and to spread pure unalloyed devotion. The deity of Sri Madan Gopal and the saligrama-sila that Advaita Acarya worshipped to invoke the advent of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu are there at Santipur temple. Several wonderful pastimes took place in Shantipur including meeting of Haridas Thakura and Advaita Acarya, pastimes of Nityananda Prabhu and Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya’s arrival at Santipur after His sannayasa and the first meeting of Srila Raghunatha dasa Thakura with Lord Caitanya. Srila Madhavendra Puri, the spiritual master of Advaita Acarya’s also visited here while he was visiting Jagannatha Puri to get sandalwood for his Gopal in Govardhana. Every year on the disappearance day of Srila Madhavendra Puri, which comes just before Gaura Purnima, thousands of Gaudiya Vaishnavas assemble in the holy land of Santipur, and a big feast is served to everyone. Great importance and speciality of this day is that every Vaishnava that comes to Shantipur on this day, makes sure to do at least little service to serve the maha-prasadam to other Vaishnavas.
Srila Prabhupada visited Shantipur during his grihastha days and the day before departing to USA on Jaladhuta in 1965, he again came here chanting Hare Krishna japa deeply and weeping bitterly praying for the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu. The pujari of Shantipur temple had seen him coming since 1940s & 1950s coming here and now it’s been several years that he come back again. Pujari asked him, “Who are you? I remember you coming for so many years.” Srila Prabhupada responded, “My name is Abhaya Charanavinda Bhaktivedanta Swami, and I am a disciple of that empowered soul, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, who has come to deliver world. I have been coming here because my gurudeva has given me an impossible mission to perform. He has ordered me to take the message of Lord Caitanya and the Holy Names of Krishna across the ocean to spread all over the world. I have no qualification, no ability, people in the western world have never heard the name of Krishna or who is Radharani. How to convince them? Therefore, for all these years, I have been coming here. Because this is the place that Advaita Acarya, Lord Caitanya, and Nityananda Prabhu are eternally present. They are planning to take the Holy Names all over world. I have been coming here, praying to Them to empower me to fulfil my guru’s order. Tomorrow I am taking a cargo ship to New York City. But I don’t know what I will find there. I don’t know how I will do it. So I am crying to my gurudeva and to the Supreme Personality of Godhead to empower me.”
Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila chapter 6 describes: “Advaita Acarya is the incarnation of Maha-Visnu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of maya. Because He is non-different from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Acarya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord’s devotee. His glories are beyond the conception of ordinary living beings. Maha-Visnu performs all the functions for the creation of the universes. Sri Advaita Acarya is His direct incarnation.”
Among many important festivals of Bengal, Ras Yatra in Shantipur is very ancient. This festival was started by Mathuresh Goswami, the grandson of Sri Advaita Acarya. The principle deity of the town is Sri Radharaman in the family of Baro Gosai descending from the lineage of Mathuresh Goswami. The deity was originally installed as 'Dol Govinda' in Orissa by king Indradyumna. Later, due to some threats over there, king Basanta Roy brought the Deity to Yashohar (Jessore in Bangaldesh). Mathuresh Goswami was the spiritual master of Basanta Roy. Approximately in 1588, when Man Singha attacked Bengal under the Mughal rule, king Basanta Roy handed the deity to Mathuresh Goswami, who brought Him to Shantipur and established Him as Radharaman with another Deity of Radharani named as Srimati. During Ras Festival all the deities of Shantipur come out of Their temples. In special chariots known as Haoda, They visit the town. We were present there on the final day of the festival to witness 'Kunja-Bhanga', when after the Rasa Dance the deities return to Their respective temples. Devotees carry the deities in special rhythmic dance which is performed as per the beats of special percussion known as Dhak.
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