The Superiority Of Sri Navadvipa Dhama

Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Math:
Koladvipa, Navadvipa-dhama: March 17, 2005

What is the glory of Navadvipa? The original Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna appeared in this world and performed His astonishing pastimes in Vrndavana. Yet, all of His desires were not fulfilled at that time. Those desires that were not fulfilled by Him during His pastimes in Vrndavana were fulfilled when He appeared here in Navadvipa-dhama in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In Vrndavana He tasted prema (pure love of God) as the object of the prema of His devotees, but He did not know how the devotees felt in their love for Him. He could not taste what they experience in their loving mood. Also, in Gokula (Vrndavana manifest in this world), He did not distribute prema to one and all. It is only here in Navadvipa-dhama that He – as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu – so freely distributed it. He tasted the prema of the reservoir of love, His devotees, and especially Srimati Radhika, and He also distributed prema – especially the prema of Radhika’s maidservants.
Not only did Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu distribute this to the devotees who had become qualified by their practices, but even to those who were fallen and offensive. When He was on His way to Vrndavana He came to Kasi, and there He gave mercy to the leader of the mayavadis,

Prakasananda Sarasvati – and not only to him, but also to his sixty-thousand sannyasa disciples.
He is the most merciful incarnation. In other incarnations, if anyone was opposed to Him, He would take up His weapon and kill him. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu never did so. Rather, He purified the hearts of the offenders through the chanting of the holy names and bestowed upon them love of God. Here in Navadvipa-dhama, He gave His mercy to the most sinful Jagai and Madhai, and to so many others. He caused an inundation of transcendental love and made everyone dance.

After taking sannyasa, Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Jagannatha Puri, and there He met with Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, who was a leader of the mayavadis, those who are very much antagonistic to the cult of pure devotion. He also gave mercy to him and converted him. When He was in South India, traveling here and there, He was so merciful that all the living entities, even those who saw Him from very far away, became overwhelmed with prema.

So many pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took place here in Navadvipa. He also spent many years in Jagannatha Puri. He also went to South India, to the bank of the Godavari, where He met with Sri Raya Ramananda and had very confidential discussions. Of these three abodes of the Lord – Navadvipa, Jagannatha Puri, and Godavari – which one is superior? Nowadays there is a great deal of confusion about this topic. Many people have a wrong understanding, because the real philosophical conclusion is very deep and difficult to understand.