Gaura Purnima

Expressions researched:
"gaura purnima" |"gaura-purnima" |"gour purnima" |"gour-purnima"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 7, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Today is the second day of Lord Caitanya's birth ceremony. The Lord has appeared yesterday, 4th March. Not exactly 4th March. It is called, according to Vedic calendar, Gaura pūrṇimā, the full moon day of the month of Phālguna. Phālguna means up to 15th March. From 15th February to 14th March is the month of Phālguna according to Bengali calendar. And on the month of Phālguna, the full moon day, the full moon night is the appearance, or tithi, or occasion, for Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya appeared on the phālguni pūrṇimā. Pūrṇimā means full moon, and phālguni means the month which is called Phālguna, which is calculated from 15th February to 14th March.

Guest (3): Swamiji, tomorrow is Gaura-pūrṇimā. And a friend of mine, his father, or his mother died on Ekādaśī day. Husband and wife were, they had been fasting Ekādaśī doing Satya-nārāyaṇa-kathā. So now father, he is very lonely, and he said, "I have got no guru." Then I told him about you. So he immediately grabbed the idea. He wants to come tomorrow, in the morning to have your blessings. But then is it possible that he could have the initiation?

Guest (3): That man already comes. But tomorrow is Gaura-pūrṇimā. That's why I thought if tomorrow...

Bhāgavata: ...for the Gaura Pūrṇimā festival this year.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Ramesvara -- West Bengal 25 October, 1974:

Within our movement Mayapur temple is the first. "Nowhere do we have such a nice temple in such an open place," Prabhupada remarked on one morning walk. In Bombay a shipment of 2,000 kilos of Australian ghee has been sent by Madhudvisa Maharaj. It will be sold to the Indian temples and used for the festival for the opening of the Vrindaban temple to be held after the Gour Purnima festival in April. For the Mayapur festival ghee will be supplied by each and every devotee who comes. Everyone should bring one tin of ghee. It can be brought for personal use.

I mentioned to His Divine Grace that air fares will be increased next year due to the petrol shortage, and this might affect the number of devotees who attend the Gour Purnima festival. Prabhupada asked me, "How much foodstuffs have you eaten in your whole life?" Quite a lot I had to admit, not understanding why he asked this question. "And what is the cost of all these foodstuffs?" That I could not say.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Bombay 8 November, 1974:

This is to inform you that yesterday Giriraja has sent by T.T. Rs. 2,25,000/- to American Express Bank a/c No. 090031. Now the wall and proposed rooms and other works must be finished by Gaura Purnima.

Letter to Jayapataka, Bhavananda -- Bombay 17 November, 1974:

In the meantime you go on managing things there very nicely, and you can refer matters to me. In this way Hawaii will be managed. Regarding your request for being GBC of Hawaii, yes formally you were GBC of Japan, so it can be considered at the next GBC meeting during Gaura Purnima time.

Hamsaduta has sent RS. 15,000/00 for the Food Program, and Bhagavan dasa has given the check to Gargamuni Swami for the Pavilion. So money is there. That is no difficulty. Only the projects must be finished by Gaura Purnima.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Nitai -- Bombay 9 January, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 14, 1975 with enclosure hand delivered by Palika dasi, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, I have received your letter dated May 26, 1975. So it is good that you are meeting with the Government officials and they are taking interest. Yes, you arrange for a big festival in Bombay and get them to come. That will be very nice, but not exactly on Gaura Purnima as we will be in Mayapur, but afterwards.

We have already organized the Ratha Yatra ceremony, and we hold a great Love Feast festival every Sunday in everyone of our branches. Now I advised to organize more festivals during Janmastami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day, and Gaura Purnima, the Appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Now beginning from this year's Mayapur festival the devotees will begin preparing for Bhakti-sastri examination. Therefore we require a guidebook for Deity worship, arcana-paddhati, based on Hari-bhakti-Vilasa. All brahmanas will be responsible to learn this book. I would like to have the manuscript ready as soon as possible, preferably my Gaura Purnima. So please work diligently for this. Pradyumna began this, but I do not know what he has done with his work.

Letter to Gaura Govinda -- Mayapur 31 January, 1976:

You say my apartment will be ready by mid-March but without an elevator, how can I use it? Here in Mayapur we have begun construction on a 67 room Residential Quarters along the Northern boundary of the land to be ready for use by Gaura Purnima. I have asked Tamala Krishna to send his Radha Damodara party's collections to pay for it. Caitya-guru is engaged to help oversee the construction.

Regarding the mutation, I understand the Settlement officer has asked you to wait still another month. Also you have no men nor books. Neither you have any place to live. Therefore, the best thing is that you come immediately to Mayapur where I am staying until Gaura Purnima. You can do your translation work nicely here, and after the Gaura Purnima festival all the necessary arrangements for Orissa can be made.

Letter to Ratan Mala -- Mayapur 7 February, 1976:

Regarding the examinations, the idea is that anyone, after studying the books, who wants to gain the title of Bhakti-sastri, can take the exam. This is academic. Just like a brahmana with sastric knowledge and a brahmana without. It is optional—one who wants may take. The real purpose is that our men should not be neglectful of the philosophy. The examinations will begin on Gaura Purnima, 1977, not this year, so there is no reason why any of the devotees should give up their normal engagement.

I shall remain in Mayapur up to the Gaura Purnima festival in April. Then I shall go to Delhi for our festival there. It will be a great pleasure for me to see you, your daughter and your new son in law at that time.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Sarkar -- West Bengal 9 February, 1977:

The other day when I was at Kumbha Mehla, you came to see me with your family and you invited me at your house. But in the camp it was too cold. I was reluctant to leave the Mehla because it was going nicely, but my disciples asked me to come back to Bhubaneswara. I went to Bhubaneswara from Allahabad. From Bhubaneswara I came here to our Mayapur temple, preparing for Gour Purnima Festival. (We begin festival observance at the end of February and the actual Gour Purnima day is on March 5th).

I think you have once seen this center. Recently we have completed another very large building for a guest house. I invite you to visit this holy place at the time of Gour Purnima Festival. Please come with your wife and children. We shall try to receive your family to our best capacity.

I think it is best that you come to Mayapur for the Gour Purnima Festival and we can talk in detail about the temple and preaching in Fiji and your part in it. If you can come to Mayapur that will be nice. You have asked a number of questions and they can be answered then.

Letter to Swami Sri Radhey Baba -- Bombay 30 March, 1977:

I have received your letter of February 2, and heard the contents. I am glad that you are thinking how the Beni Madhava Temple may be properly utilized by our Krishna Consciousness Movement, and I am hopeful of discussion with yourself and the Mahant on this subject. I am sorry you are indisposed and cannot come to our Gour Purnima festival in Mayapur. However, I am scheduling a visit to Vrindaban, approximately to arrive the 16th of Feburary or thereabouts. Then when I am there you can arrange, if possible, to meet with me.

So as I told you, I wish you to take Sannyas. The ceremony will be performed on Gour Purnima, the 5th March. You can arrange to come immediately.

I was expecting to come to Vrndavana to be with my disciples during the Gaura Purnima time but I was suddenly forced to change my plans due to illness. Now, by the grace of Krishna, I am gradually recovering. Sooner or later we have to give up this body, but a Vaisnava may live or die for in either case he is always serving his Lord Krishna. So whatever Krishna's desire is, we are quite agreeable to it. As you are eager to see me, I am also eager to see you, but as to when I shall be returning to Vrndavana I cannot say. You can take information from time to time from my disciples as to when I shall be expected to be there, and when I come we shall be able to spend time together.