Page 37 - Sri Ramanujacharya Sahasrabdhi - 1000th year anniversary of Ramanujacarya

The following narra on is from the Navadvipa Mahatmya (glorifica on

of the appearance place of Lord Caitanya in Bengal). It describes the
mys cal discussion between Ramanujacarya with Lord Jagannatha (a
Deity of Lord Krishna) in Puri. The Lord inspired him to go to Navadvipa
privately and meet Lord Caitanya 300 years before the Lord appeared
to receive His benedic on.

Ramanujacarya visited came to Jagannath Puri. He pleased Lord Jagan-
nath with choice verses of glorifica on spoken with genuine love and
devo on. Jagannatha appeared before him and said, “go and see
Navadvipa Dhama, for soon I shall appear there in the house of Jagan-
natha Misra.”

“Navadvipa is My very dear Dhama (transcendental abode), situated in
one place in the spiritual sky. As My eternal servant and a leading devo-
tee, you should see Navadvipa. Let your students, who are absorbed in
dasya rasa, stay here, and you go alone. Any living being who does not
see Navadvipa has been born uselessly. Just one por on of Navadvipa
contains Ranga, Venkata, and Yadava Acala. Therefore go to Navadvipa
and see the form of Gauranga. You have come to the earth to preach
bhak , so let your birth be successful with the mercy of Gaura. From
Navadvipa, go to Kurma Sthana, and there join again with your disci-
ples.”

Joining his hands, Ramanuja made a request to Jagannatha. “You have
mercifully men oned Gauranga, but exactly who He is I do not know.”
Lord Jagannath answered, “Everyone knows the master of Goloka,
Krishna. That Krishna, whose vilasa mur (pas me expansion) is Nara-
yana, is the supreme truth, residing in Vrndavana. That Krishna is fully
manifested in the form of Gauranga, and Navadvipa Dhama is the same
as Vrndavana. This Navadvipa is the topmost abode, situated beyond
the material universe, and in that place Gauranga stays eternally. By
My mercy that Dhama has come to exist within Bhu Mandala, yet re-
maining unaffected by maya. This is the verdict of scripture. And if you
think that Navadvipa is only a material loca on, then your devo on will
perish. By My will, My inconceivable energy preserves this full tran-
scendental dhama within the material world. Simply by reading scrip-

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