7. Prayers to the islands continued...

7. Prayers to the islands continued...

7. Jahnudvīpa (Represents Vandanam):

Jahnu Muni did tapasya here and got Lord Caitanya’s darśana. Once Jahnu Muni swallowed the entire Ganges river, who then came out of his thigh (jahnu) to appear as his daughter Jahnāvi (daughter of Jahnu). The Gaura-ārati song refers to Gaṅgā devī with this name: jāhnavī-taṭa-vane jaga-mana-lobhā, Lord Caitanya’s beautiful form on the banks of the Jāhnavī (Ganges) attracts everyone in the universe. Jahnudvīpa is non-different from Bhadravana of Vraja.” (Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya) 

“Birth after birth I pray to become a blade of grass in the transcendental land of Jahnudvīpa, which is worshiped by Indra. This would be my greatest joy.” (Navadvipa Sataka) 

8. Modadrumadvīpa (Represents Dasyam):

In the branches of the trees sit cuckoos who incessantly sing the glories of Lord Gaurāṅga, Sītā and Rāma. 

In a previous kalpa, Lord Rāmacandra, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa stayed here. Ayodhyā is situated here. It is non-different from Bhāṇḍiravana of Vraja. 

“When will I wander about observing the splendor of the forest and suddenly see the cottage of Lord Rāmacandra. Then I will see Rāma Himself, whose body is the colour of durvā grass, and who is dressed like a brahmacārī, sitting with Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā. Seeing Rāmacandra’s enchanting form, I will fall unconscious in the forest. I will be overwhelmed with love and unable to speak as I drink the beauty of His form with my two eyes. 

Lakṣmaṇa will mercifully come slowly forward to give me some fruit and place His feet upon my head. ‘My dear son, please eat this fruit. Living in the forest, this is all we have to offer our guests.’ As he says this, the vision will disappear, and I will weep as I begin to eat the fruit. In my heart I am thinking of that inconceivable form. Will I ever see that greenish form of Rāma again?” 

“O Bhāṇḍīravana, land of transcendental gems, my heart weeps without end to leave you! At that place, on the pretext of herding cows, Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa performed many pastimes. In the same way, Gaurāṅga performed pastimes here in Modadrumadvīpa, becoming drunk with the sound of kīrtana in the company of His friends.” (Navadvipa Bhava Taranga) 

9. Rudradvīpa (Represents Sakhyam):

Here the 11 Rudras become stunned with love of Gaura as they dance blissfully and chant the glories of the Lord. Meanwhile, the demigods pour down flowers from the sky. Sankarācārya came here and saw Lord Caitanya. Pañcamukha Śiva, Durvāsā, Aṣṭāvakra, and Daṭṭatreya Munis worship Gaurāṅga here. 

One area called Pāraḍāṅgā is Vṛndāvana. In this place one can see Vṛndāvana pastimes, rāsa-maṇḍala and Dhīra Śamīra of Vraja. Gaurāṅga and His associates would come here and perform kīrtana describing Rādhā-Mādhava’s rāsa-līlā. Fortunate devotees see Lord Kṛṣṇa eternally residing here with the gopīs. All the līlā-sthālis of Vṛndāvana are situated here. Make no distinction between Vṛndāvana and Navadvīpa, nor Kṛṣṇa and Gaurāṅga.

Viṣṇuswāmī saw Lord Śiva here. Then Mahādeva named a new sampradāya after himself, Rudra Sampradāya, and put Viṣṇuswāmī in charge. (Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya) 

In the following quotation, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda describes a mystical experience he had when he came to Rudradvīpa on parikramā. Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda sat next to a śiva-liṅga to meditate on Gaurāṅga’s lotus feet. Sāyujya, the personified goddess of impersonal liberation, suddenly appeared and the Ṭhākura fainted. Then Lord Śiva revived him, put his feet on Ṭhākura’s head and said: 

“Devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa is the essence of life; striving for jñāna, karma, mukti, and yoga is useless. By my mercy you will conquer Māyā and quickly attain the shade of Gaura’s lotus feet. To the south, see Śrī Pulina, which is so enchanting. That is Vṛndāvana within Navadvīpa. Go there to witness Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Soon you will attain Rādhā’s lotus feet.” 

“After giving his instructions, Lord Śiva will disappear. Bowing down, I will then move on, crying all the while. Viewing Śrī Pulina for some time, I will fall unconscious to the earth with my voice choked and throat gurgling. During that unconscious state of samādhi, a wonderful figure will appear performing her constitutional service. I will recognize that it is I, Kāmala-mañjarī, an eternal maidservant of Anaṅga- mañjarī, the goddess of my heart.

Anaṅga-mañjarī will introduce me to our own group-leader (Śrī Lalitā-sakhī) and will give me the service of preparing camphor for Their Lordships. She will reveal to me the confidential pastimes of the Divine Couple. We will go near Śrī Pulina and see the Rāsa-maṇḍala, where Gopendra-nandana Kṛṣṇa, surrounded by a billion gopīs, steals the hearts of all by dancing with Śrī Rādhā, the Queen of the rāsa dance.

Such graceful dancing does not exist anywhere within the material world! By great fortune, whoever sees this pastime at once drowns in that nectar. And whoever sees this divine dance in their own samādhi will be unable to give up the happiness of that astounding sight! I will be incapable of describing that sight, so I will lock it in my heart and gaze upon it eternally. In my own grove, while cultivating that vision within my heart, I will constantly serve under the direction of the sakhīs. 

Anaṅga-mañjarī, the younger sister of Rādhārāṇī, will bestow her mercy upon me and personally show me the Dhāma. We will go west of the Rāsa-maṇḍala to Śrī Dhīra-śamīra, and then a little further to Vaṁśī-vaṭa and the bank of the Yamunā. Rūpa-mañjarī will question my mistress, Anaṅga-mañjarī, who will reply, ‘This new dāsī (maidservant) will be engaged under Lalitā-sakhī’s direction. Her name is Kāmala-mañjarī, and she is fixed in devotion to Śrī Gaurāṅga. Be merciful and give her spontaneous devotion to our Lordships.’

Hearing this, Rūpa-mañjarī will touch my body with her merciful hand, suddenly imparting to me sublime spiritual emotions, and the intense desire to worship in her footsteps. My complexion is like lightning, and my ornaments and dress sparkle like the midnight stars. I will appear with a camphor tray in my hand, and I will fall flat at her feet begging for the unalloyed shelter of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. 

Rūpa-mañjarī and Anaṅga-mañjarī will take me to the private grove of Lalitā, the charming mistress of Svānanda-sukhada-kuñja, who is dwelling inside meditating on the service of Rādhārāṇī’s lotus feet. I will offer full obeisances at her lotus feet, and Viśākhā will explain to her my identity, ‘This is one inhabitant of Navadvīpa, who wants to serve you, and thereby serve the feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.’ 

Lalitā will be very pleased and will say to Anaṅga-mañjarī, ‘Give her a place beside yours, and carefully arrange her desired service. Take her along when you go to perform your service, and gradually she will receive the mercy of Śrī Rādhā. Without Rādhā’s mercy, how can the service of Rādhā-Mādhava be attained?’ 

Hearing Lalitā’s words, Anaṅga-mañjarī will take me to her grove and make me her own maidservant. She will show her affection by graciously allowing me to accompany her when she goes to serve the Divine Couple. While performing my service I will catch a glimpse of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in the distance. Then perhaps Śrī Rādhā will show Her mercy by giving me an order and the shade of Her lotus feet.

Remaining always engaged in that service; I will gradually become expert. Thus, I will please Rādhā-Mādhava, who will sometimes give me Their ornaments as a reward.” (Navadvipa Bhava Taranga) 

“O feet, please walk in Rudradvīpa! O eyes, please gaze at Modadruma’s beauty. O tongue please chant the glories of all the holy places of Lord Gaurasundara. O limbs, with your hairs standing erect in ecstasy, please roll in the dust of the transcendental pastime places of Lord Gaurāṅga.” (Navadvipa Sataka) 

“O Navadvīpa Dhāma, give me your mercy, for without your mercy, how can anyone attain the Lord’s dhāma? Please do not consider whether I am fit or not, particularly in the service I have just done. I simply extracted the essence of the instructions of Jāhnava (Anaṅga-mañjarī) and Nityānanda Prabhu, the holder of all energies.” (Navadvipa Bhava Taranga)