Mahārāja Pratāparudra made various arrangements for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's trip to Vṛndāvana. When He crossed the river Citrotpalā, Rāmānanda Rāya, Mardarāja and Haricandana went with Him. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested Gadādhara Paṇḍita to return to Nīlācala, Jagannātha Purī, but he did not abide by this order. From Kaṭaka, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again requested Gadādhara Paṇḍita to return to Nīlācala, and He bade farewell to Rāmānanda Rāya from Bhadraka. After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu crossed the border of Orissa state, and He arrived at Pānihāṭi by boat. Thereafter He visited the house of Rāghava Paṇḍita, and from there He went to Kumārahaṭṭa and eventually to Kuliyā, where He excused many offenders. From there He went to Rāmakeli, where He saw Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana and accepted them as His chief disciples. Returning from Rāmakeli, He met Raghunātha dāsa and after giving him instructions sent him back home. Thereafter the Lord returned to Nīlācala and began to make plans to go to Vṛndāvana without a companion.
Panihati
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anubhāṣya, "In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (167) it is mentioned, guṇamālā vraje yāsīd damayantī tu tat-svasā: The gopī named Guṇamālā appeared as Rāghava Paṇḍita's sister Damayantī. On the East Bengal railway line beginning from the Sealdah station in Calcutta, there is a station named Sodapura, which is not very far from Calcutta. Within one mile of this station, toward the western side of the Ganges, is a village known as Pānihāṭi, in which the residential quarters of Rāghava Paṇḍita still exist. On Rāghava Paṇḍita's tomb is a creeper on a concrete platform. There is also a Madana-mohana Deity in a broken-down temple nearby. This temple is managed by a local zamindar of the name Śrī Śivacandra Rāya Caudhurī. Makaradhvaja Kara was also an inhabitant of Pānihāṭi."
Pradyumna Brahmacārī is described in the Antya-līlā, Second Chapter, of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, who changed his name to Nṛsiṁhānanda. While coming from the house of Rāghava Paṇḍita at Pānihāṭi to the house of Śivānanda, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in the heart of Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī. To acknowledge this, Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī used to accept as eatables the food of three Deities, namely Jagannātha, Nṛsiṁha-deva and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Second Chapter, verses 48 through 78. Upon receiving information that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was proceeding toward Vṛndāvana from Kuliyā, Nṛsiṁhānanda absorbed himself in meditation and by his mental activities began constructing a very nice road from Kuliyā to Vṛndāvana. All of a sudden, however, he broke his meditation and told the other devotees that this time Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu would not go to Vṛndāvana but would travel only as far as the place known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā. This is described in Madhya-līlā, Chapter One, verses 155 through 162. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (74) says, āveśaś ca tathājñeyo miśre pradyumna-saṁjñake: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu changed the name of Pradyumna Miśra, or Pradyumna Brahmacārī, to Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī, for in his heart Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva was manifest. It is said that Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva used to talk with him directly.
The Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Five, states that Raghunātha Vaidya came to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when the Lord was staying at Pānihāṭi. He was a great devotee and had all good qualities. According to the Caitanya-bhāgavata, he was formerly Revatī, the wife of Balarāma. Anyone he glanced upon would immediately attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He lived on the seashore at Jagannātha Purī and compiled a book of the name Sthāna-nirūpaṇa.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anubhāṣya, "The village of Maheśa Paṇḍita, which is known as Pālapāḍā, is situated in the district of Nadia within a forest about one mile south of the Cākadaha railway station. The Ganges flows nearby. It is said that formerly Maheśa Paṇḍita lived on the eastern side of Jirāṭ in the village known as Masipura or Yaśīpura, and when Masipura merged into the riverbed of the Ganges, the Deities there were brought to Pālapāḍā, which is situated in the midst of various villages such as Beleḍāṅgā, Berigrāma, Sukhasāgara, Cānduḍe and Manasāpotā. (There are about fourteen villages, and the entire neighborhood is known as Pāñcanagara Paragaṇā.) It is mentioned that Maheśa Paṇḍita joined the festival performed by Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu at Pānihāṭi. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura also joined in the festival, and Maheśa Paṇḍita saw him on that occasion. In the temple of Maheśa Paṇḍita there are Deities of Gaura-Nityānanda, Śrī Gopīnātha, Śrī Madana-mohana and Rādhā-Govinda, as well as a śālagrāma-śilā."
CC Madhya-lila
In the southern section of the Eastern Railway, in the district of twenty-four pargaṇās, is a station named Magrāhāṭa. If one goes to the southeastern side of that station for some fourteen miles, there is a place called Jayanagara. About six miles south of this Jayanagara station is a village named Chatrabhoga. Sometimes this village is called Khāḍi. In this village is a Deity of Lord Śiva known as Vaijurkānātha. A festival takes place there every year during the month of Caitra (March-April). The festival is known as Nandā-melā. At the present moment the Ganges does not flow there. On the same railway line is another station, known as Bāruipura, and near this station is another place, called Āṭisārā. Formerly this village was also situated on the banks of the Ganges. One can go from this village to Pānihāṭi and from there to Varāha-nagara, north of Calcutta. In those days the Ganges flowed to the south of Calcutta through Kālī-ghāṭa, which is still known as Ādi-gaṅgā. From Bāruipura, the Ganges branched out and flowed through Diamond Harbor near the Mathurāpura police station. It is to be noted that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through all these places on His way to Jagannātha Purī.
The Lord finally reached Pānihāṭi, and as an act of mercy He gave the captain of the boat one of His personal garments.
The place called Pānihāṭi was located on the bank of the Ganges. After hearing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had arrived, all kinds of men assembled both on land and on the water.
The village of Pānihāṭi is situated on the banks of the Ganges near Khaḍadaha.
CC Antya-lila
After meditating for two days, Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī told Śivānanda Sena, “I have already brought Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to the village known as Pāṇihāṭi.
After eating all the offerings, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started for Pāṇihāṭi. There, He was greatly satisfied to see the different varieties of vegetables prepared in the house of Rāghava.
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had gone to Śāntipura on His way to Vṛndāvana, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī had offered to dedicate his life at the Lord's lotus feet. In the meantime, however, a Muslim official became envious of Hiraṇya dāsa, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s uncle, and induced some big official court minister to have him arrested. Thus Hiraṇya dāsa left his home, but by the intelligence of Raghunātha dāsa the misunderstanding was mitigated. Then Raghunātha dāsa went to Pānihāṭi, and following the order of Nityānanda Prabhu, he observed a festival (ciḍā-dadhi-mahotsava) by distributing chipped rice mixed with yogurt. The day after the festival, Nityānanda Prabhu gave Raghunātha dāsa the blessing that he would very soon attain the shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. After this incident, Raghunātha dāsa, with the help of his priest, whose name was Yadunandana Ācārya, got out of his house by trickery and thus ran away. Not touching the general path, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī secretly went to Jagannātha Purī. After twelve days, he arrived in Jagannātha Purī at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
In the village of Pānihāṭi, Raghunātha dāsa obtained an interview with Nityānanda Prabhu, who was accompanied by many kīrtana performers, servants and others.
The following summary of Chapter Ten is given by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. Before the Ratha-yātrā ceremony, all the devotees from Bengal started for Jagannātha Purī as usual. Rāghava Paṇḍita brought with him various kinds of food for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The food had been cooked by his sister, Damayantī, who then packed it in bags (jhāli). Thus the stock of food was generally known as rāghavera jhāli, "the bags of Rāghava." Makaradhvaja Kara, an inhabitant of Pānihāṭi who accompanied Rāghava Paṇḍita, was the secretary in charge of accounting for the rāghavera jhāli.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)
Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, a great associate of Lord Caitanya's, was a very rich man's son who had a beautiful wife and all other opulences. When he first met Lord Caitanya at Pāṇihāṭi, a village about forty miles from Calcutta, Raghunātha dāsa asked permission from the Lord to leave his material connections and accompany Him. The Lord refused to accept this proposal and instructed Raghunātha dāsa that it is useless to leave worldly connections out of sentimentality or artificial renunciation. One must have the real thing at heart. If one finds himself entangled in worldly connections, one should behave outwardly like a worldly man but remain inwardly faithful for spiritual realization. That will help one on the progressive march of life. Nobody can cross over the big ocean in a sudden jump. What was possible for Hanumān by the grace of Lord Rāma is not possible for an ordinary man. So to cross the ocean of illusion one should patiently cultivate devotion to the Lord, and in this way one can gradually reach the other side.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So difficulty is that if we take charge, we may give it for worshiping to one disciple, but the immigration department will gag him. That is the difficulty. And we don't have many Indian disciples. Otherwise we can take all these important places.
Jayapatākā: Also, last time I was in Calcutta and I saw Tarun Kanti Ghosh, then he mentioned to me again that the people from Panihati, this time that they had reached a decision that they wanted to give us the sevā of Rāghava Paṇḍita's house.
Prabhupāda: So we take. Let us take it.
Jayapatākā: That's a very important... But that's in dilapidated state.
Prabhupāda: We shall repair.
Jayapatākā: In the letter of the Home Minister where he said that every disciple can stay for two years, possibly if he allowed that in every center, if a minimum of a few people could stay for citizenship that might...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: By boat. Then we can pass through this Naihati.
Gargamuni: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Eh? Naihati is the other way?
Hari-śauri: Panihati.
Gargamuni: Panihati, yes.
Prabhupāda: Panihati, ha. Panihati.
Gargamuni: You pass through... See, by this present boat it takes about ten days from Calcutta to Māyāpur. It takes a long time. And if there's no wind, they have to walk on the shore. And the boat is too small now for our program.
Prabhupāda: No, then you can take... What is the price?
Gargamuni: Well, I can only estimate. I have not gone deeply into it. But it will cost a few lakhs of rupees.
Prabhupāda: Few lakhs?
Prabhupāda: People can say anything. But if there is officially protest, that is...
Gargamuni: Yes. He said. (break) ...there at Purī, yes. In our sampradāya these—Māyāpur, Purī, and Vṛndāvana—are most important.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Now if we revive, just like Pānihāṭi...
Gargamuni: Yes, and Pānihāṭi also.
Prabhupāda: Haridāsa Ṭhākura had part. Here, at Siddha-bokula. Siddha-bokula, Gambhīrā—if you try, you can get.
Gargamuni: Yes. And this Remuṇā maybe.
Prabhupāda: Remuṇā.
Gargamuni: Yes. This Gopīnatha. Kṣira-Gopīnatha.
Prabhupāda: Acchā?
Gargamuni: There may be a chance in the future.
Prabhupāda: So we shall be very glad to develop this. This is very... Did they speak anything like that?
Gargamuni: Well, it's in the government hands now.
Prabhupāda: Oh, oh. So why government? We can take charge.
Satsvarūpa: Envy?
Prabhupāda: Envy, yes. So Panihati is hopeful, is not...
Jayapatākā: Yes. If this MLA actually pushes it through, then in one month...
Prabhupāda: In that MLA that gentleman is very intelligent.
Jayapatākā: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Young man.
Jayapatākā: He's ambitious. Ambitious.
Prabhupāda: Ambitious for Kṛṣṇa, everyone should be ambitious: "How I shall become a great devotee?" That is very good. Yes. Again finger problem. (laughs) So electric is not working? Just see. In the evening, we..., people want light. No light.
Jayapatākā: It works the whole day. Only in the evening it goes off.
Prabhupāda: Whole night also. Only evening, when you require it... (laughter) India's material advancement is artificial. They are not fit for it. In America, so long, no electricity every day? People would become mad. There would have been a revolution. Huh? Is it not?
Hari-śauri: Yes. They had a blackout in New York once for an hour or so.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I know that. I was that time.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Secret weapon, yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So Jayapatākā has not returned?
Devotee: No. Not yet.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not as yet.
Prabhupāda: That will be very nice center, Panihati. Then we shall control the whole Ganges from Calcutta to Māyāpur. We'll have so many steamers. (laughs)
Hari-śauri: Steamers and ferries.
Prabhupāda: Yes. At least four steamers always plying from Calcutta to Māyāpur. Therefore I am after that center. It will be middle station. And you can go in this way, Rijay(?), by electricity. Go this side, that side, this side, that side.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everyone will take those steamers.
Prabhupāda: It will be very nice recreation also, to go by the steamer here, there.
Hari-śauri: Have kīrtana on board...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Prabhupāda: That's very good. (laughter) I asked him to do this last year. Very good.
Satsvarūpa: India was broadly divided, the same as it is now, of Gopāla Kṛṣṇa to do the north and west, Gargamuni Mahārāja to do the east-Calcutta, Māyāpur. And in that connection we resolved that Śatadhanya Mahārāja should take responsibility for being president of Calcutta and Panihati.
Prabhupāda: Why two?
Gargamuni: Panihati is very near to...
Prabhupāda: No, no, Panihati he can take, but why Calcutta?
Gargamuni: Because for maintenance sake, Panihati and Calcutta is the same place for collecting funds.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Gargamuni: It's a factory area...
Prabhupāda: No, no, and our Abhirāma is doing in Calcutta.
Gargamuni: Well, actually he doesn't stay in Calcutta, and the...
Rāmeśvara: We were informed that he does not want to remain as president.
Prabhupāda: So that will be decided in the president's meeting?
Rāmeśvara: Better make a note, Satsvarūpa.
Hṛdayānanda: Preaching center in Nigeria. Richest African country.
Satsvarūpa: Bali-mardana has been given permission to move the Adelaide center to the Australian farm. Ātreya Ṛṣi permission to open centers in Karachi and Istanbul. Jayapatākā Mahārāja permission to open Panihati and Dacca. And Haṁsadūta Mahārāja in South India, Bangalore, Madras, Kodaikanal, Colombo in Ceylon, and Kathmandu, Nepal; and Goa.
Prabhupāda: Lage laghu.(?) Very good.
Satsvarūpa: In the US, all that territory where there are no temples was assigned into geographic zones so that all territory in Canada and the United States fits into the zone of one GBC or another.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I'd just like to point out to Your Divine Grace that preaching center means no Deities. It just means Pañca-tattva worship.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And if we find that there's good...
Prabhupāda: The devotees.
Prabhupāda: Hm, yes.
Girirāja: "The system of management will continue as it is now. There is no need of any change. 3. The property in India will be managed by the following committee members: A. Properties at Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma, Panihati, Haridaspur, and Calcutta-Gurukṛpā Swami, Jayapatākā Swami, Bhavānanda Goswami, and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa dāsa Adhikārī; B. At Vṛndāvana-Gurukṛpā Swami, Akṣayānanda Swami, and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa dāsa Adhikārī; C. At Bombay-Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, Girirāja dāsa Brahmacārī, and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa dāsa Adhikārī; D. At Bhuvaneśvara-Gaura-Govinda Swami, Jayapatākā Swami and Bhāgavata dāsa Brahmacārī; E. At Hyderabad-Mahāṁśa Swami, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa dāsa Adhikārī, and Bali-mardana dāsa Adhikārī."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And Śrīdhara.
Girirāja: "And Śrīdhara Goswami. The committee members who have herein been designated are appointed for life. In the event of the death or failure to act for any reason of any of the said committee members, a successor committee member or committee members may be appointed by the remaining committee members, provided that the new committee member is an initiated disciple and following strictly all the rules and regulations of ISKCON as detailed in the books of His Divine Grace..." Oh. "...detailed in my books, and provided that there are never less than three or more than five committee members acting at one time. 4. I have created, developed and organized the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and as such, I hereby will that none of the immovable properties in India in the name of ISKCON shall ever be mortgaged, borrowed against..."
Prabhupāda: Why India? Everywhere. Everywhere.
Prabhupāda: Traiguṇya-tad-viṣaya-veda-vitāyamānā. The māyā, māyā hi yasya jagad-aṇḍa-śatāni sūte (Bs. 5.41). Hundreds of universes. Māyā hi yasya jagad-aṇḍa-śatāni sūte traiguṇya (Bs. 5.41). This is made of three guṇas. And Bhagavān, sattvāvalambi-para-sattva-viśuddha-sattvam. In that existence there is no material contamination. (pause) The Bengal government for Panihati, what is their decision?
Jayapatākā: At Panihati they have asked us to rewrite a letter. We have already written a letter to the chairman of the municipality. And they are going to take up the matter. After our first application, then the governments have changed. And the municipality was previously managed by a government administrator. Now the government administrator has been removed, and they have replaced the municipal commissioners. So the chairman of the municipality, he requested us to write a letter, and he will follow up the matter. Bhakti-caru Swami and Sarvabhāvana dāsa met him. They said that he was favorably disposed, but he was not aware of the matter. So since then we have given him a letter. It will take some time to get a reply.
Prabhupāda: The government changes and everything changes.
Jayapatākā: In India things are very unstable. Government changes and everything is in the air for some time. The local people of Panihati were very eager to have it developed, so it should not be difficult. They have repeatedly requested you... When there is public desire.
Prabhupāda: But unless we get authority...
Jayapatākā: We'll get the clear title. Otherwise we won't do anything.
Prabhupāda: We have to invent some word for... Act very cautiously. Who are present here now?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Girirāja dāsa, Jayapatākā Swami, Bhavānanda Goswami, Hari-śauri Prabhu, Bhagavān Prabhu and myself. We are all sitting around you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: So, if you want, you can give me little fruit juice. Will that satisfy you? Hm? I have taken that.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Complan.
Prabhupāda: No. If I take a little fruit juice.
Correspondence
1974 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 5, 1974 and have noted the contents. For naming your temple, our New Navadvipa is already there, and Navadvipa is the same as Mayapur. So your temple shall be named New Panihati. Panihati is the place where Gaura Nitai would assemble for Sankirtana performance and where Raghunath das Goswami supplied a big feast of prasadam for all the devotees.
The book distribution should not be curtailed. You can first have a little chanting, then book distribution; but book distribution is also chanting.
1977 Correspondence
In the meantime, what is the position of the Panihati scheme? I want you to negotiate with the municipality so that we can take over management of Raghava Pandit's house. Our first project will be to take pictures of this house, and then tear it down for exact reconstruction. Therefore, complete the negotiations so we can proceed. More when we meet.
| Page Title: | Panihati |
| Compiler: | Jahnu, Mayapur |
| Created: | 30 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=13, OB=1, Lec=0, Con=11, Let=2 |
| No. of Quotes: | 27 |