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Sri Bhakti Ratnakara Aug 15, CANADA (SUN) — A serial presentation of Sri Bhakti Ratnakara by Srila Narahari Cakravarti Thakur.
After the wedding Sri Isvari, Narottama, Ramacandra and Govinda left Budhari and headed for Ekchakra in Radhadesha. When Sri Isvari saw Ekchakra in the far distance she felt the surge of emotion. Even Krsnadasa Sarkhela, Gauranga Sundara, Madhava Acarya, Balarama, Mahidahara, Murari, Caitanya, Krsnadasa, Nrsimha, Sri Kanai, Damodara, Raghupati Vaidya, Upaddhaya Manohara, Sri Paramesvari Dasa, Sri Nakari Dasa, Sri Mukunda and others began to cry with emotion. The road on which the pilgrims travelled was shaded by peepel trees and the deep cool shadows and the breeze through the trees mitigated the fatigue of the travellers. As they passed along that pleasant road Sri Isvari and the others suddenly felt very happy but they could not understand why. In their joyful state of mind they met a brahmin on the way to Ekchakra. He was very old and he walked with the aid of a stick. He approached them slowly and then waited under a tree looking here and there wondering where all the Vaisnavas had come from, although he did not ask them anything the Vaisnavas bowed to him and asked him to take his seat beneath the tree. They politely inquired from him why Ekchakra seemed to be only ruins although they had heard it was a large town. What was the cause of the decay? The brahmin replied that it was certainly true that Ekchakra had been famous place for a long time. It had originally been the home of the Pandavas where they had killed many wicked raksas and asuryas. It had also become a famous place of pilgrimage because of its many deities and temples. The temple of Ekchakra Siva with Paravati had been here and many other deities such as Ganesh had been worshipped here but due to the influence of Kali the deities had all gone to the bottom of the river. Previously the river had been very wide and was lined on both sides by trees, plants and flowering creepers. There had also beeb bees, butterflies and various kinds of singing birds as well as non-violent animals in the forest. No one knew who originally established the village of Ekchakra but within its precincts the four castes of Hindu society and lived peacefully. Previously the village was inhabited by wealthy people who had devotional and religious leanings. They were also scholars of different sastras who studied and taught here. Amongst these scholars was a great astrologer who had prophesied that Ekchakra village would be the residence of God himself for Lord Balarama would appear there. They astrologer lamented that his own life would be too short and he would not be able to see the appearance of the Lord. Many other astrologers examined his evidence and agreed with his conclusion.
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