Chapter Two

jaya jaya navadvīpa-candra śacī-suta
jaya jaya nityānanda-rāya avadhūta [1]

All glory to the son of Śacī, the moon of Navadvīpa! All glory to the avadhūta Śrī Nityānanda Rāya!

jaya jaya navadvīpa sarva-dhāma-sāra
se dhāmera tattva varṇe sādhya āchhe kāra [2]

All glory to Navadvīpa, the best of all abodes! Who can describe its glory?

navadvīpa-dhāma gauḍa-maṇḍala bhitare
jāhnavī-sevita haye sadā śobhā kare [3]

Navadvīpa Dhāma shines eternally within Gauḍa Maṇḍala, and is served by Gaṅgā Devī.

e gauḍa-maṇḍala eka viṁśati yojana
madhya-bhāge gaṅgā-devī rahe anukṣaṇa [4]

Gauḍa Maṇḍala is one hundred and sixty-eight miles in circumference. Gaṅgā Devī continuously flows throughout it.

śata-dala padmamaya maṇḍala ākāra
madhya-bhāge navadvīpa ati śobhā tāra [5]

Gauḍa Maṇḍala is a one-hundred-petalled lotus, and at its centre is the extremely beautiful Navadvīpa.

pañca-krośa haya tāra keśara ādhāra
parimala-pūrṇa puṣpa yojana catvāra [6]

In circumference, its whorl is ten miles in circumference, and its fragrant bloom is thirty-two miles.

bāhira pāpaḍi tāra śata-dala haya
ekādhika yojana viṁśati vistāraya [7]

Its outer petals form a one-hundred-petalled lotus that extends for one hundred and sixty-eight miles.

maṇḍala paridhi haya sei parimāṇa
yojana saptaka vyāsa śāstrera vidhāna [8]

The circumference of Gauḍa Maṇḍala is that size. The scriptures state that its diameter is fifty-six miles.

vyāsārddha pramāṇa sārddha tṛtīya yojana
madhya-bindu haite tāra ha-ibe gaṇana [9]

Its radius, measured from its centre point, is twenty-eight miles.

madhya-bindu navadvīpa-dhāma madhya-sthala
yoga-pīṭha haya tāhā cinmaya vimala [10]

The centre of Navadvīpa Dhāma is the pure, spiritual Yoga Pīṭha.

cintāmaṇi-rūpa haya ei gauḍa-maṇḍala
cid-ānandamaya-dhāma cinmaya sakala [11]

Śrī Gauḍa Maṇḍala is made of wish-fulfilling gemstone. It is spiritual and joyful: everything within it is made of spiritual energy.

jala bhūmi vṛkṣa ādi sakali cinmaya
sadā vidyamāna tathā kṛṣṇa-śakti-traya [12]

The water, land, trees, and so on, are all spiritual. Kṛṣṇa’s three energies exist there eternally.

svarūpa-śaktira sei sandhinī-prabhāva
tāra pariṇati ei dhāmera svabhāva [13]

The Dhāma is a manifestation of the sandhinī aspect of the Lord’s personal energy.

prabhu-līlā-pīṭha-rūpe dhāma nitya haya
acintya śaktira kārya prāpañcika naya [14]

The Dhāma is the eternal site of the Lord’s Pastimes. It is a manifestation of the Lord’s inconceivable energy; it is not material.

tabe ye e dhāme dekhe prapañcera sama
baddha-jīve tāhe haya avidyā-vibhrama [15]

Still, the conditioned souls are bewildered by illusion and see the Dhāma to be material.

meghācchanna cakṣu dekhe sūrya ācchādita
divākara nāhi kabhu haya meghāvṛta [16]

Eyes covered by clouds see that the sun is covered, but the sun is never actually covered by clouds.

sei rūpa e gauḍa-maṇḍala cid-ākāra
prāpañcika jana dekhe jaḍera vikāra [17]

Similarly, worldly people see the spiritual form of Śrī Gauḍa Maṇḍala to be a formation of matter.

nityānanda-kṛpā yāṅra prati kabhu haya
se dekhe ānanda dhāma sarvatra cinmaya [18]

But once Nityānanda blesses someone, they see the joyful, spiritual Dhāma everywhere.

gaṅgā yamunādi tathā sadā vidyamāna
sapta-purī prayāgādi āchhe sthāne sthāna [19]

The Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and other holy rivers exist there eternally. The seven holy cities, Prayāga, and other holy places are present throughout the Dhāma.

sākṣāt vaikuṇṭha-tattva e gauḍa-maṇḍala
bhāgyavān jīva tāhā dekhe niramala [20]

Śrī Gauḍa Maṇḍala is Vaikuṇṭha itself; fortunate souls see this clearly.

svarūpa-śaktira chāyā māyā bali’ yāre
prabhura ājñāya nija prabhāva vistāre [21]

bahirmukha jīva-cakṣu kare āvaraṇa
cid-dhāma-prabhāva sabe nā pāya darśana [22]

On the order of the Lord, Māyā, the shadow of His personal energy, extends her influence and covers the eyes of the averse souls. Thus, they do not see the glory of the Lord’s spiritual abode.

e gauḍa-maṇḍale yāṅra vāsa nirantara
baḍa bhāgyavān sei saṁsāra bhitara [23]

Souls who always reside in Śrī Gauḍa Maṇḍala are the most fortunate souls in this world.

deva-gaṇa svarge thāki’ dekhe sei jane
catur-bhuja śyāma-kānti apūrva gaṭhane [24]

The gods living in heaven see that they have beautiful four-armed forms with a cloud-like lustre.

ṣola-krośa navadvīpa-dhāma-vāsī yata
gaura-kānti sadā nāma-saṅkīrtane rata [25]

The residents of the thirty-two miles of Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma have a golden lustre and are always engaged in chanting the Name.

brahmā ādi deva-gaṇe antarīkṣa haite
navadvīpa-vāsī-gaṇe pūje nānā-mate [26]

From the heavens, Brahmā and the other gods worship the residents of Navadvīpa in various ways.

brahmā bale, “kabe mora hena bhāgya habe
navadvīpe tṛṇa kalevara pāba yabe [27]

śrī-gaura-caraṇa-sevā kare yata jana
tā sabāra pada-reṇu labhiba takhana [28]

Brahmā says, “When will I attain the fortune of becoming a blade of grass in Navadvīpa and receiving the foot dust of the servants of Śrī Gaura’s feet?

hāya more gaura-candra vañcanā kariyā
brahmāṇḍera adhipati rākhila kariyā [29]

“Alas! Gaura-candra deceived me and made me the emperor of the universe.

kabe mora karma-granthi ha-ibe chedana
abhimāna tyaji’ mora śuddha habe mana [30]

“When will my entanglement in karma be cut away? When will my heart give up its pride and become pure?

adhikāra buddhi mora kabe habe kṣaya
śuddha-dāsa haye pāba gaura padāśraya” [31]

“When will my mentality of being a master be destroyed? When will I become a pure servant and attain the shelter of Śrī Gaura’s feet?”

deva-gaṇa ṛṣi-gaṇa rudra-gaṇa yata
sthāne sthāne navadvīpe vaise avirata [32]

The gods, sages, and Rudras live throughout Navadvīpa eternally.

cira-kāla tapa kari’ jīvana kāṭāya
tabu nityānanda-kṛpā se sabe nā pāya [33]

 They spend their lives performing austerities for long periods, but they do not receive the mercy of Nityānanda.

deha-buddhi yata dina nāhi yāya dūre
yata dina dainya-bhāva mane nāhi sphūre [34]

tata dina śrī-gaura-nitāi-kṛpā-dhana
brahmā-śiva nāhi pāya kariyā yatana [35]

As long as their identification with the body does not go away and humility does not appear within their hearts, even Brahmā and Śiva do not attain the wealth of Gaura and Nitāi’s mercy, although they strive for it.

ei saba kathā āge ha-ibe prakāśa
yatna kari’ śuna bhāi kariyā viśvāsa [36]

All these points will be described ahead. Brother! Faithfully and carefully listen.

ei saba viṣaye bhāi tarka parihara
tarka se apārtha ati amaṅgala-kara [37]

Brother! Give up argument in these matters—inappropriate argument is very inauspicious.

śrī-caitanya-līlā haya gabhīra sāgara
mocā-kholā-rūpa tarka tathāya phāṅpara [38]

The Pastimes of Śrī Caitanya are a deep ocean. Argument over them, like a banana flower’s husk, is simply troublesome.

tarka kari’ e saṁsāra tarite ye cāya
viphala tāhāra ceṣṭā kichhui nā pāya [39]

The endeavour of those who want to cross over this world by argument is fruitless. Such persons do not attain anything.

tarke jalāñjali diyā sādhu śāstra dhare
acire caitanya-lābha sei jana kare [40]

Those who forgo argument and follow the sādhus and scriptures quickly attain Śrī Caitanya.

śruti smṛti tantra śāstra avirata gāya
nadīyā-māhātmya nityānandera ājñāya [41]

The śrutis, smṛtis, and tantras always sing the glories of Nadīyā on the order of Nityānanda Prabhu.

sei saba śāstra paḍa sādhu-vākya māna
tabe ta’ ha-ibe tava navadvīpa-jñāna [42]

Read all these scriptures and honour the words of the sādhus; then you will understand Navadvīpa.

kali-kāle tīrtha saba atyanta durbala
navadvīpa tīrtha mātra parama prabala [43]

During the Age of Kali, all the holy places are very weak. Only Navadvīpa is greatly powerful.

prabhura icchāya sei tīrtha bahu dina
aprakaṭa mahimā āchhila sphūrti-hīna [44]

By the will of the Lord, this holy place was unmanifest for a long time, and its greatness was not revealed.

kalira prabhāva yabe atyanta bāḍila
anya tīrtha svabhāvataḥ nisteja ha-ila [45]

When the influence of Kali strongly increased, the other holy places naturally became powerless.

jīvera maṅgala lāgi’ puruṣa-pradhāna
mane mane cintā kari’ karila vidhāna [46]

The Supreme Lord reflected on this and made an arrangement for the welfare of all souls.

“pīḍā bujhi’ vaidyarāja auṣadha khāoyāya
kaṭhina auṣadha deya kaṭhina pīḍāya [47]

“Understanding a patient’s disease, a good doctor prescribes medicine. For a strong disease, he gives strong medicine.

ebe kali ghora haila roga ha-ila bhārī
kaṭhina auṣadha vinā nivārite nāri [48]

“The Age of Kali has become severe, and the disease of the souls has become serious. Without strong medicine, I cannot check it.

atiśaya gopane rākhinu yei dhāma
atiśaya gopane rākhinu yei nāma [49]

atiśaya gopane rākhinu yei rūpa
prakāśa nā kaile jīva taribe ki-rūpa [50]

“If I do not reveal the Abode, Name, and Form that I have kept completely hidden, then how will the souls be delivered?

jīva ta āmāra dāsa āmi tāra prabhu
āmi na tārile sei nā taribe kabhu” [51]

“The souls are My servants, and I am their master. If I do not deliver them, then they will never be delivered.”

ei bali’ śrī-caitanya ha-ila prakāśa
nija nāma nija dhāma laye nija dāsa [52]

Thinking thus, Śrī Caitanya appeared with His Name, His abode, and His servants.

prabhura pratijñā ei haya sarva-kāla
“tāriba sakala jīva ghucāba jañjāla [53]

This promise of the Lord is eternal: “I will deliver all souls and end their suffering.

brahmāra durlabha dhana bilāba saṁsāre
pātrāpātra nā vāchiba ei avatāre [54]

“In this appearance, I will distribute throughout the world wealth that is difficult for even Brahmā to attain, and I will not consider who is fit or unfit.

dekhiba ki-rūpe kali jīve kare nāśa
navadvīpa-dhāma āmi kariba prakāśa [55]

“I will see how Kali devastates the souls, and I will reveal Navadvīpa Dhāma.

sei dhāme kalira bhāṅgiba viṣa-dāta
kīrtana kariyā jīve kari’ ātma-sātha [56]

“In the Dhāma, I will break Kali’s poisonous fangs, perform kīrtana, and collect the souls.

yata-dūra mama nāma ha-ibe kīrtana
tata-dūra ha-ibe ta kalira damana” [57]

“Kali will be subdued to the extent that My Name is chanted.”

ei bali’ gaurahari kalira sandhyāya
prakāśila navadvīpa svakīya māyāya [58]

Deciding this, Gaurahari revealed Navadvīpa by His own power at the beginning of Kali-yuga.

chāyā samvariyā nitya svarūpa-vilāsa
gaura-candra gauḍa-bhūme karila prakāśa [59]

Gaura-candra held back Māyā’s darkness and revealed His eternal Pastimes in the land of Gauḍa.

emana dayālu prabhu ye jana nā bhaje
emana acintya-dhāma yei jana tyaje [60]

ei kali-kāle tāra samabhāgya-hīna
nā dekhi jagate āra śocanīya dīna [61]

I do not see anyone in the world during the Age of Kali as unfortunate, pitiable, and fallen as someone who does not serve such a merciful Lord and rejects such an inconceivable abode.

ataeva chāḍi’ bhāi anya vāñchā rati
navadvīpa-dhāme mātra hao ekamati [62]

Therefore, brother! Give up all other desires and attachments, and devote yourself exclusively to Navadvīpa Dhāma.

jāhnavī-nitāi-pada-chāyā yāra āśa
se bhaktivinoda kare e tattva prakāśa [63]

Bhaktivinoda, whose aspiration is the shade of Jāhnavā and Nitāi’s feet, reveals the glories of Nadīyā.