Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavana in 1932
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
The parikrama Srila Bhaktisiddhanta had organized was one of the biggest ever seen in Vrndavana. By engaging so many people, he was using the parikrama as a method of mass preaching. Even as early as 1918, when he had first begun his missionary work, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's specific contribution had been his emphasis on preaching. Prior to his advent, the Vaisnavas had generally avoided populated places, and they had performed their worship in holy, secluded places like Vrndavana. Even when they had traveled to preach, they would maintain the simple mode of the impoverished mendicant. The Gosvami followers during Lord Caitanya's time had lived in Vrndavana underneath trees; one night under one tree, the next night under another.
One of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's publications was in English, The Harmonist, and it advertised the Vrndavana parikrama of 1932.
CIRCUMAMBULATION OF SHRI BRAJA MANDAL
His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Shri Shrimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the Madhva-Gaudiya Vaishnava community, following Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, has been pleased to invite the co-operation of all persons of every nationality, irrespective of caste, creed, colour, age, or sex, in the devotional function of circumambulation of the holy sphere of Braja in the footsteps of the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna Chaitanya, Who exhibited the leela of performing the circumambulation of Shri Braja Mandal during the winter of 1514 A.D.
When Abhay had heard from the members of the Allahabad Gaudiya Math about the parikrama, he had been fully occupied with his local Prayag Pharmacy business and traveling to secure new accounts. But he had calculated how he could join at least for a day or two, and he had fixed his mind on again obtaining the darSana of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
Srila Prabhupada: I was not initiated at the time of the parikrama, but I had very good admiration for these Gaudiya Math people. They were very kind to me, so I thought,
“What are these people doing in this parikrama? Let me go." So I met them at Kosi.
The parikrama party traveled with efficient organization. An advance group, bringing all the bedding and tents, would go ahead to the next day's location, where they would make camp and set up the kitchen. Meanwhile, the main party, bearing the Deity of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and accompanied by kirtana singers, would visit the places of Lord Krishna's pastimes and in the evening arrive in camp. The camp was divided into sections and arranged in a semicircle, and pilgrims were assigned to a particular section for the night. In the center were the quarters of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and the Deity of Lord Caitanya, and close by, the tents of the sannyasis.
There were separate camps for ladies and men—married couples did not stay together. There was also a volunteer corps of guards who stayed up all night, patrolling the area. At night the camp, with its hundreds of tents with gaslights and campfires, resembled a small town, and local people would come to see, astonished at the arrangements. In the evening, everyone would gather to hear a discourse by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. The pilgrims would rise early each morning and chant Hare Krishna together. Then, carrying the Deity of Lord Caitanya, they would set out in procession—kirtana groups, the police band, the lead horse, the flag bearers, and all the pilgrims. They traveled to the holy places: the birthplace of Lord Krishna, the place where Lord Krishna slew Kaàsa, the Adi-keSava temple, Radha-Kunda, Syama-Kunda, and many others.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's massive pilgrimage had been rolling on with great success when he met with serious opposition. The local temple proprietors in Vrndavana objected to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's awarding the sacred brahminical thread to devotees not born in the families of brahmanas. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, throughout his lectures and writings, had repeatedly proven from the Vedic scriptures that one is a brahmana not by birth but by qualities. He often cited a verse from Sanatana Gosvami's Hari-bhakti-vilasa stating that just as base metal when mixed with mercury can become gold, so an ordinary man can become a brahmana if initiated by a bona fide spiritual master.
He also often cited a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam inwhich the great sage Narada tells King Yudhisthira that if one is born in the family of a sudra but acts as a brahmana he has to be accepted as a brahmana, and if one is born in the family of a brahmana but acts as a sudra he is to be considered a sudra. Because the prime method of spiritual advancement in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of God, any person who chants Hare Krishna should be recognized as a saintly person. When the local panditas approached Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati for discussion, they questioned his leniency in giving initiation and his awarding the brahminical thread and sannyasa dress to persons of lower castes. Because of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's scholarly, forceful presentation, the panditas seemed satisfied by the discussion, but when the parikrama party arrived at Vrndavana's seven main temples, which had been erected by the immediate followers of Lord Caitanya, the party found the doors closed.
Vrndavana shopkeepers closed their businesses, and some people even threw stones at the passing pilgrims. But the parikrama party, led by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, continued in good spirits, despite the animosity, and on October 28 the party arrived at Kosi, the site of the treasury of Krishna's father, King Nanda. Abhay arrived in Mathura by train from Allahabad and approached Kosi by ricksha. The countryside was full of charm for Abhay; instead of factories and large buildings there were mostly forests, and aside from the main paved road on which he traveled, there were only dirt roads and soft sandy lanes.
As a Vaisnava, Abhay felt sensations an ordinary man wouldn't. Now and then he sighted a peacock in the field, its exotic plumage proclaiming the glories of Vrndavana and Krishna. Even a nondevotee, however, could appreciate the many varieties of birds, their interesting cries and songs filling the air. Occasionally a tree would be filled with madly chirping sparrows making their urgent twilight clamor before resting for the night. Even one unaware of the special significance of Vrndavana could feel a relief of mind in this simple countryside where people built fires from cow manure fuel and cooked their evening meals in the open, their fires adding rich, natural smells to the indefinable mixture which was the odor of the earth. There were many gnarled old trees and colorful stretches of flowers—bushes of bright violet camelia, trees abloom with delicate white parijata blossoms, and big yellow kadamba flowers, rarely seen outside Vrndavana.
On the road there was lively horse-drawn taìga traffic. The month of Karttika, October-November, was one of the several times of the year that drew many pilgrims to Vrndavana. The one-horse taìgas carried large families, some coming from hundreds of miles away. Larger bands of pilgrims, grouped by village, walked together, the women dressed in bright-colored saris, brown-skinned men and women sometimes singing bhajanas, carrying but a few simple possessions as they headed for the town of thousands of temples, Vrndavana. And there were businessmen like Abhay, dressed more formally, coming from a city, maybe to spend the weekend.
Most of them had at least some semblance of a religious motive—to see Krishna in the temple, to bathe in the holy Yamuna River, to visit the sites where Lord Krishna had performed His pastimes such as the lifting of Govardhana Hill, the killing of the Kesi demon, or the dancing in the evening with the gopis. Abhay was sensitive to the atmosphere of Vrndavana, and he noted the activity along the road. But more than that, he cherished with anticipation the fulfillment of his journey—his meeting again, after a long separation, the saintly person he had always thought of within himself, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, who had spoken to him in Calcutta and had convinced him of Lord Caitanya's mission to preach Krishna consciousness. Abhay would soon see him again, and this purpose filled his mind.
Upon reaching the lantern-illuminated camp of the Gaudiya Math and inquiring at the registration post, he was allowed to join the parikrama village. He was assigned to a tent of gthastha men and was offered prasadam. The people were friendly and in good spirits, and Abhay talked of his activities with the matha members in Calcutta and Allahabad. Then there was a gathering—a sannyasi was making an announcement. This evening, he said, there would be a scheduled visit to a nearby temple to see the Deity of Sesasayi Visnu. Some of the pilgrims cheered, “Haribol! Hare Krishna!" The sannyasi also announced that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would speak that evening for the last time and would be leaving the parikrama party the next day. So there was a choice of going on the parikrama or staying for the lecture.
Srila Prabhupada: So I met them in Kosi, and Kesava Maharaja was informing that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta is going to Mathura tomorrow morning and he will speak hari-katha this evening. Anyone who wants to may remain. Or otherwise they may go to see Sesasayi Visnu. So at that time I think only ten or twelve men remained—Sridhara Maharaja was one of them. And I thought it wise, “What can I see at this Sesasayi? Let me hear what Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati will speak. Let me hear."
When Abhay arrived, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was already speaking. He sat with his back erect, a shawl around his shoulders, not speaking like a professional lecturer giving a scheduled performance, but addressing a small gathering in his room. At last Abhay was in his presence again. Abhay marveled to see and hear him, this unique soul possessed of Krishna-katha, speaking uninterruptedly about Krishna in his deep, low voice, in ecstasy and deep knowledge. Abhay sat and heard with rapt attention. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had been speaking regularly about sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Sambandha is the stage of devotional service in which awareness of God is awakened, abhidheya is rendering loving service to the Lord, and prayojana is the ultimate goal, pure love of God.
He stressed that his explanations were in exact recapitulation of what had originally been spoken by Krishna and passed down through disciplic succession. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's particular utterance, mostly Bengali but sometimes English, with frequent quoting of Sanskrit from the Sastras, was deep with erudition.
“It is Krishna," said Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, “who is the only Superlord over the entire universe and, beyond it, of Vaikuntha, the transcendental region. As such, no one can raise any obstacle against His enjoyment."
An hour went by, two hours… The already small gathering in Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's room gradually thinned. A few sannyasis left, excusing themselves to tend to duties connected with the parikrama camp. Only a few intimate leaders remained. Abhay was the only outsider. Of course, he was a devotee, not an outsider, but in the sense that he was not a sannyasi, was not handling any duties, was not even initiated, and was not traveling with the parikrama but had joined only for a day—in that sense he was an outsider.
The philosophy Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was speaking, however, was democratically open to whoever would give an ardent hearing. And that Abhay was doing. He was listening with wonder. Sometimes he would not even understand something, but he would go on listening intently, submissively, his intelligence drinking in the words. He felt Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati revealing to him the direct vision of the spiritual world, just as a person reveals something by opening a door or pushing aside a curtain. He was revealing the reality, and this reality was loving service to the lotus feet of Radha-Krishna, the supremely worshipable Personality of Godhead.
How masterfully he spoke! And with utter conviction and boldness! It was with such awe that Abhay listened with fastened attention. Of course, all Vaisnavas accepted Krishna as their worshipable Lord, but how conclusively and with what sound logic was the faith of the Vaisnavas established by this great teacher! After several hours, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati stopped speaking. Abhay felt prepared to go on listening without cessation, and yet he had no puzzling doubts or queries to place forward. He wanted only to hear more. As Srila Bhaktisiddhanta made his exit, Abhay bowed, offering his obeisances, and then left the intimate circle of sannyasis in their row of tents and went to the outer circle of tents, his mind surcharged with the words of his spiritual master.
Now their relationship seemed more tangible. He still treasured his original impression of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the saintly person who had spoken to him on the rooftop in Calcutta; but tonight that single impression that had sustained him for years in Allahabad had been enriched and filled with new life. His spiritual master and the impression of his words were as much a reality as the stars in the sky and the moon over Vrndavana. That impression of hearing from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was filling him with its reality, and all other reality was forming itself around the absolute reality of Srila Gurudeva, just as all the planets circle around the sun.
The next morning, Abhay was up with the others more than an hour before dawn, bathed, and chanting mantras in congregation. Later in the morning the tall, stately figure of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, dressed in plain saffron, got into the back seat of a car and rode away from the camp. Thoughtful and grave, he looked back and waved, accepting the loving farewell gestures of his followers. Abhay stood amongst them.