Mamgachi Parikrama: The following are excerpts from a lecture given by HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 29 Nov '08:Birthplace of Srila Vrndavana das Thakura
We are here now at this place for our purification. We’ve come to Mayapur for that very purpose- to get some mercy- and now we’ve come here today, to this place, hearing a little bit from the Caitanya Bhagavat for the sake of developing some vaisnava quality, of understanding better what it means to be a devotee, of understanding how even Advaita Acarya who’s unlimitedly powerful is completely dependent and gives up all pride. We also pray that we may become humble, we pray that through the mercy of Srila Vrndavana das Thakura we may become purified in this place today. And again and again we will take our shelter, knowing that…it is said that when the lion-like Simha Caitanya enters into the heart, He drives away all the elephant-like vices- all sinful desire will disappear from the heart. So we pray that that may happen to us very soon- that all sinful desires may disappear from our heart....
We have reached Modadrumadvipa, in Sridhama Navadvipa, one of the nine islands, the island where Srila Vrndavana das Thakura appeared in this world. It is said that Vrndavana das Thakura was non other than Vyasadeva Himself and thus He specifically appeared to write down the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These pastimes of Mahaprabhu were written down in the Caitanya Bhagavat. It is the second biography written about Lord Caitanya; the first biography was written by Murari Gupta who was elder than Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and who kept notes on the pastimes of the Lord and wrote therefore his records on the appearance of Mahaprabhu in a code-like form- in the form of sutras. But, the Caitanya Bhagavata, is an elaborate description especially of the early pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as He is here in Navadvipa dhama. And then, in His 24th year Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and that is also described in the Caitanya Bhagavata. And finally, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Jagannatha Puri and some of the pastimes in Puri are mentioned here also but many of the pastimes in Puri are only described in the Caitanya caritamrta.
