6. Prayers to the islands continued...

6. Prayers to the islands continued...

4. Madhyadvīpa (Represents Smaranam):

“May merciful Madhyadvīpa allow me to see Mahāprabhu’s majestic pastimes. May all the sacred places there like Brahmā-kuṇḍa, and the wish-fulfilling creepers grant my wish to see Mahāprabhu’s midday pastimes at Madhyadvīpa.” (Navadvipa Sataka)

“When in Madhyavīpa will I see that astounding long-armed golden form of Gaura, wearing a garland of forest flowers and loudly calling out, ‘O brothers, everyone together, chant the holy name!’” 

Lord Brahmā told the Sapta Ṛṣis to go to Navadvīpa and chant Gaura-nāma to quickly get prema. Absorbing themselves in Gaura-nāma, they gave up all eating and sleeping. At noon which is the middle (or Madhya) part of the day, Gaurāṅga and the Pañca-tattva appeared to the sages. So, the island where Gaurāṅga appeared in the middle of the day is called “Madhyadvīpa”. Today in Kumarāhaṭṭa there are 7 hillocks representing the 7 sages who once lived here. 

“When will I, alone or with the devotees, drown in the waves of the ocean of love for Lord Caitanya? Feeling destitute, I will wander in the forest of Madhyadvīpa at midday, meditating on the emotional states of the Lord. Then the residents of Madhyadvīpa will be merciful and show me: ‘See, here is our Lord Gaurāṅga, dancing with His associates in a grand kīrtana in Brahmānāgara on the bank of Brahmā-kuṇḍa.’” (Navadvipa Bhava Taranga) 

5. Koladvīpa (Represents Pada Sevanam):

All glories to the forests of Koladvīpa which line the Ganges’ bank and are worshiped by Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. These pastime forests of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu are filled with the natural opulences of many birds, animals, trees, creepers, kuñjas, lakes, ponds, fields, hills and rushing streams. It is considered the topmost place of Gaura-līlā. Koladvīpa is non-different from Bahulāvana in Vraja. 

In Satya-yuga a brāhmaṇa worshiped Varāha here with a desire to have His darśana. Shortly thereafter, his iṣṭa-deva, Lord Varāha, appeared as an attractive boar with a body as tall as a mountain. Lord Varāha spoke to the brāhmaṇa, ‘I previously killed Hiraṇyākṣa here with My tusks. By serving Navadvīpa, all tīrthas are served; and by living in Navadvīpa, the fruit of living in all tīrthas is attained.’ The brāhmaṇa gave the name Koladvīpa Pārvata (kola- boar; pārvata-mountain). This is Giri Govardhana of Vṛndāvana. 

A 1000 years ago, Jayadeva Gosvāmī lived here in Campahaṭṭa under the favour of King Laxman Sena, the ruler of Nadia. He wrote the Dāsa Avatāra Stotra here, and worshiped Lord Kṛṣṇa with rāga-bhakti. Campa means campaka flower, and therefore this place, which is full of campaka trees, is called Campahaṭṭa. Everyday Padmāvatī, Jayadeva’s wife, would bring heaps of campaka flowers for worshiping Kṛṣṇa. 

One day the Lord appeared before Jayadeva with a complexion of the colour of the campaka flower, which is radiant like molten gold. His beautiful face defeated the shining beauty of a million moons. He had curly hair, and a flower garland around His neck. His arms were long, and His effulgence illumined the room. Seeing that form of Gaurāṅga, Jayadeva and Padmāvatī cried streams of tears and fainted. 

The Lord lovingly lifted them up and spoke nectarean words, ‘Soon I will take birth in Nadia, take sannyāsa and live in Nīlācala. There, overcome with prema, I will continuously taste your Gītā-govinda along with My intimate associates. Now, both of you go to Nīlācala, where you will attain love of God by worshiping Lord Jagannātha. Then you will again take birth in Navadvīpa.’ 

In this village there is a campaka forest from which the gopī Campakalatā gathers flowers to make garlands for Rādhā-Mādhava. This place is nondifferent from Khadiravana of Vraja, where Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma take rest. (Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya) 

“O Koladvīpa, be merciful to this worthless person. Allow me to reside in Navadvīpa amongst the devotees and give me the right to the wealth of the pastimes of Gaurāṅga, who is my Lord in life and death.” (Navadvipa Bhava Taranga)

6. Ṛtudvīpa (Represents Arcanam):

Ṛtu means spring, and because here the attractive spring season performs eternal service to the Lord, this island is called Ṛtudvīpa. Nityānanda Prabhu said this is the place of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. As Rādhā-Mādhava spend Their afternoons in Vraja’s Rādhā-kuṇḍa relishing the pleasures of spring (and other seasons), Gaurāṅga would come here in the afternoons, immerse Himself in kīrtana, and satisfy everyone by distributing vraja-prema. 

Remembering Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes as a cowherd, sometimes Gaurāṅga would loudly call again and again the names of the cows, ‘Śyāmali! Dhābali!’ Gaurāṅga would then cry as He called out for Subala and Śrīdāma. 

“When will I wander in Ṛtudvīpa, seeing the beauty of the forest and remembering the Lord’s pastimes? Then I will become stunned as the pastimes at Rādhā-kuṇḍa manifest before my eyes.”

Vidyānagara:

At the time of pralaya, Matsya carried all the Vedas here. Bṛhaspati left his post as the guru of the demigods, appeared in Gaura-līlā as Vasudeva Sārvabhauma, taught school at Vidyānagara, and left for Jagannātha Purī to get the mercy of Lord Caitanya. 

Prayer to Vidyānagara tīrtha: “May the ignorance which hides the truth of Lord Gaura’s pastimes never cover my mind. With that veil lifted, may I always transcend and live far beyond the realm of Māyā’s illusion.” (Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya)