Mar 14, 2017 — CANADA (SUN) — A serial presentation of Sri Bhakti Ratnakara by Srila Narahari Cakravarti Thakur.
Chapter Ten
Sri Jahnava distributes Maha prasad
Sri Jahnava instructed Sri Madhava to invite the Mahantas to take their seats and enjoy mahaprasad. Sri Acyuta, Sripati and others happily agreed to Madhava's polite request and Sri Iswari distributed mahaprasad to them with her own hands. They all appreciated the excellent preparations made by Sri Isvari and ate them with great pleasure.
After washing their hands and mouths the mahantas went to their personal resting places. Then Sri Isvari affectionately distributed prasad to Srinivasa and others, and when they had finished she also ate some mahaprasad. In addition she fed many people of Kheturi. In this way the great Vaisnavas passed the night of Prapapida and decided to leave for their respective homes on the day of Dwaraka. On the eve of the day of Dwarka Srinivasa requested the mahantas to cook in their places for it was the desire of Santosh Dutta to serve them. They gladly cooked various items of delicious food and offered them to Lord Krsna. Then they happily ate that food. Santosh Dutta was a fortunate person for everyone accepted his food and appreciated his food in many ways.
Thereafter the great mahantas decided to return to their own homes. Sri Jahnava Iswari said that she would first go to her home and then continue on to Vrndavana. At the time of departure, a very pathetic atmosphere enveloped Kheturi. Sri Isvari could not control her grief and wept miserably. The companions of the Lord took their last darshan of Vallabhi Kanta, Gauranga and the other deities and then parted with tears in their eyes. The unhappy people of Kheturi followed them for some distance, crying miserably. Srinivasa, Narottama, Ramacandara, Symamananda and Santosh were very sorry to see the great Vaisnavas leave and they lost control of their emotions. A great crowd gathered at the bank of the Padmavati and the mahantas quickly boarded their boats. They crossed the river, spent that night at Budhari and then continued their journey in the morning.
Sri Jahnava goes to Vrndavana from Kheturi
Srinivasa Acarya, Sri Jahnava Isvari and other devotees followed the mahantas to the bank of the Padmavati and them returned to the village of Kheturi. Sri Isvari announced that she would leave for Vrndavana and then consoled those who lamented. Sri Santosh Dutta provided whatever essential items Sri Isvari required for her tour to Vrndavana. The devotees who left with Sri Isvari were Krsnadasa Sarkhela, Madhava Acarya, Murari Caitanya, Krsnadasa Vipravarja, Nrsimha Caitanya, Balarama, Muridhar, Kanai, Nakari Dasa, Gauranga Sundara, Sri Paramesvarai dasa, Dasa Damodara, Raghupati Vidya, Uppadhai Manohara, Gyanadasa, Mukunda dasa and others. Govinda dasa and others also accompanied her on the order of Sri Acarya. She assured Srinivasa that she would return to Kheturi and only by the wish of Mahaprabhu could the devotees check themselves at the time of her departure. They returned patiently to their houses. as soon as they saw the courtyard of Sri Gauranga Mandir and remembered that Mahaprabhu and his favorite associates had appeared there in living form to take part in the sankirtana, Srinivasa and Narottama were suddenly transformed and in their happiness they forgot their grief over the separation of the devotees. They glorified the name of that courtyard and they glorified the Kheturi village which had become the center of devotion because of the presence of Mahaprabhu and his followers, the presence of the mahantas and Vaisnavas and the presence of the devoted people of the village. They enthusiastically absorbed themselves in kirtana, filling the atmosphere with divine joy.
The departure of Srinivasa Acarya Prabhu
One day Srinivasa gently informed Narottama that he had decided to go to Budhari the next morning with Syamananda. They would cross the river Padmavati and he would accompany Syamananda to Jajigrama. From Jajigrama he would go on to Visnupura and later return again to Jajigrama. From Visnupura he would send a letter to Narottama who in reply would send him a reply with news of Sri Isvari. Srinivasa advised Narottama to accompany Sri Isvari on her journey to Vrndavana.
After observing the Mangala aratika the next morning, Srinivasa prepared for this journey. He crossed the river Padmavati and went to Budhari where he met Ramacandra Thakura. Ramacandra lived there in an unhappy state of mind but he absorbed in name sankirtana to minimize his unhappiness and in so doing he converted many heretics. By his association there character improved and they obtained devotion at the feet of Sri Gauranga. Dasa takes pleasure in completing the tenth chapter of his book Bhakti Ratnakara by glorifying the name of Srinivasa Acarya.
