All glories to Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Who has appeared as  the son of Mother Sachi in the holy land of Navadvipa dhama!  All  glories to Lord Sri Nityananda Prabhu Who is mad in ecstatic love of Krishna!   All glories to Sri Advaita Prabhu, and all glories to  Gadadhara Prabhu and Srivas Pandit!  All glories to Navadvipa  dhama, the cream of all the holy dhamas!  All glories to the  sacred residents of Navadvipa who are all eternal associates of  Lord Sri Chaitanya!

Taking shelter at the lotus feet of the pure devotees of the  Lord with respectful obeisances, I now will begin the brief  explanation of Navadvipa dhama and its glories.  The sacred land  of Navadvipa Mandala possesses unlimited transcendental glories  which even great demigods like Lord Brahma, Shiva and others  cannot fully comprehend.  Therefore, who is capable of describing  them?  The divine Ananta Sesa incarnation of the Lord with  thousands of heads singing simultaneously the glories of  Navadvipa Dhama is not capable of describing all of its glories.   Then how can I, an insignificant living entity, possibly be  capable of doing so?  Without a doubt, the glories of Navadvipa  are unlimited, as even holy saints, great demigods, and even Lord  Siva do not find any limit to its glories.  However, the personal  desire of the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya is more powerful than  anything.

It is under the control of that personal desire of the  Lord that His pure devotees give their transcendental commands.   Thus, since it is the personal desire of Lord Sri Chaitanya that  the glories of Navadvipa should be described, the devotees have  ordered me to do so accordingly, and thus being empowered by  their order, I am able to relate the glories of Navadvipa Dham by  their mercy.

In this regard there is one other subject matter which is  extremely confidential.  Although I have no personal desire to  discuss this topic, on the other hand it  cannot remain untold.   Lord Sri Chaitanya ordered His pure devotees that after His  departure from this material world, the transcendental glories of  the holy dhama (the transcendental place of His pastimes and  appearance) and lila (transcendental pastimes) of the Lord should  be broadcast.  Of all the incarnations of the Supreme Lord, Lord  Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's incarnation is the most confidential and  mysterious, yet nonetheless, as He is the Lord of my life, I know  His glories.

The confidential pastimes of the Supreme Lord are described  in the revealed scriptures in a confidential form that is  understandable by His pure devotees alone, while the nondevotee  scholars are unable to comprehend the real significance of those  descriptions.  Although the information regarding the  transcendental pastimes and appearance of Lord Sri Chaitanya  Mahaprabhu was ever existent within the revealed Vedic  scriptures, Mayadevi, the illusory potency of the Lord, has kept  these confidential scriptural references covered from the  understanding of the nondevotees of the Lord.  In various places, there are many authorized scriptures still undiscovered which  contain many transcendental evidences about the birth and  appearance of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His holy dhama,  Navadvipa.  In the already known revealed Vedic scriptures, there  are many references to the pastimes of Lord Sri Chaitanya  Mahaprabhu and the glories of Navadvipa dhama.  The evidences of  Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Navadvipa dhama which are to be found  in the above mentioned known Vedic scriptures as well as the  authorized Vedic scriptures yet to be discovered, have been kept  hidden for the time being from the perception of the nondevotee  scholars by Mayadevi, the illusory potency of the Supreme Lord.

When Lord Gauranga had completed His confidential pastimes  in this world and returned back to the spiritual sky, Mayadevi,  His obedient maidservant, knowing the inner purpose and desire of  the Lord, ended her deceitful activities and lifted the illusory  covering from the eyes of the conditioned souls, broadcasting the  hidden truths of Lord Chaitanya in this material world.  Suddenly  the authorized Vedic scriptures that had remained hidden for so  long, as well as the evidences in the known revealed Vedic  scriptures regarding Lord Chaitanya, became manifest before  everyone's vision, thus removing all the obstacles for  understanding the mysteries in relation to Lord Chaitanya  Mahaprabhu.

All glories to the all-merciful Lord Nityananda Prabhu, Who  has revealed the transcendental truths of Lord Gauranga in the  hearts of the conditioned souls of this material world.  Actually  when Mayadevi, the illusory potency of the Lord, received the  order from Lord Nityananda to lift the illusory covering sealing  the truths about Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, then the sincere  devotee scholars received the priceless treasures in the form of  scriptural evidences regarding the mysteries of Lord Chaitanya  Mahaprabhu's Appearance.  After understanding all of the  evidences revealed by the mercy of Lord Nityananda from the  authorized Vedic scriptures regarding the truth of Lord Chaitanya  Mahaprabhu and Navadvipa dhama, if someone still remains in  doubt, then truly he is a most unfortunate soul.  Why should such  an unfortunate soul maintain his useless life?!

At the time when the Supreme Lord distributes His  transcendental mercy, the highly fortunate souls are very happy  to receive it and derive transcendental pleasure from it.

On the  other hand, my dear readers, you all will be able to recognize  when a person is highly unfortunate by the following symptoms:  it is he who tries to understand everything by his own limited  reasoning power, accepting his material intelligence to be  supreme.  Thus he refuses to accept the understanding of the  revealed scriptures given by the Lord's mercy, and by wasting his  time in useless arguments due to a poor fund of knowledge, he  falls into the pitfalls of maya again and again.

"Come!  Come, you kali-yuga fallen souls!  Give up your  duplicity and false pride!  But without delay take this priceless gift of pure ecstatic love for Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu!"  Loudly  call out Lord Nityananda Prabhu again and again!  Still, in  spite of such heart-rending calls, those falsely puffed-up and  unfortunate persons do not accept.  Why would anyone not  affectionately and immediately embrace the opportunity to accept  that priceless gift of pure and ecstatic love for God?  Consider  what I am about to say and you will immediately understand:

In  this material world the fallen souls are busy creating their  various theories, presenting their arguments and performing  different processes of yoga, all in pursuit of happiness.  They  renounce this material world and flee away into the forest for  penances and austerities, simply in pursuit of happiness.  Rulers  of one country wage war against the rulers of other countries in  pursuit of happiness.  People are running madly after beautiful  women and wealth in pursuit of happiness.  Artisans produce their  products, and scientists make their discoveries all in pursuit of  happiness.  In pursuit of happiness, people give up happiness and  learn to tolerate all kinds of misery.  Jumping in the middle of  the ocean, people drown and die, all in pursuit of happiness.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu calls out, raising His two lotus  hands:

"Come, fallen souls!  Giving up your attachment for your  miserable fruitive work and mental speculation, come now!  Since  you are trying to get happiness, that is just what I will give  you!  And in exchange for that happiness, I won't take anything!   For this there is no difficulty; it won't cost anything; and you  don't have to suffer any pain.  Without any care, simply sing out  the holy names of Gauranga and dance in ecstasy!  Thus I will  give you a happiness for which you will never find an equal-- uninterrupted, pure transcendental ecstasy, which never fails to  fully satisfy!"

In this way Lord Nityananda Prabhu is freely distributing  prema, the pure liberated realization of ecstatic love for  Godhead, to everyone.  Those who, suffering under the effects of  their previous sinful activities, do not want this inconceivable  mercy, are simply unfortunate and nothing more.  For those who  chant the holy names of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda  Prabhu even one time, the unlimited results of all the sinful  activities of their previous births are immediately washed away.

Now listen, all my readers, there is another confidential  topic I will disclose.  In this present Age of Kali, the treasure  house of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes is the only means by  which we can obtain the highest perfection of life.  It is Lord  Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, known as Gaurahari, or the Golden Avatara,  Who is in the sacred dhama of Vrindavana as Their Lordships Sri- Sri-Radha-Krishna, infinitely enjoying transcendental pastimes in  association. From the revealed scriptures, the  conditioned souls have learned the truths of the  pastimes of Vrndavana.  The glory of Vraja, or Vrndavana, is the  eternal pastimes of Their Lordships Sri-Sri-Radha-Krishna.

The  whole world knows from the evidence of Vedic scriptures that the  transcendental glories of Lord Krishna's holy name are unlimited.  However, in spite of these revelations, the people in general do not achieve the priceless jewel of pure love  for Krishna, krsna-prema.  Kindly consider what is the cause for  this.  For this paradox there is important spiritual truth,  Conditioned  fallen souls being overwhelmed by the material illusion are  not able to comprehend.  Worshipping Krishna, the Supreme  Personality of Godhead, continuously for many, many births, a  devotee sometimes may fail to achieve pure love for Krishna.  This  is most certainly because that devotee has accumulated piles of  offenses in his devotional service.  Being freed from all  offenses, constantly chanting the holy name of Krishna. then one  achieves continuous krsna-prema, or pure love for Krishna.

The  symptoms of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabu's incarnation into this  material world are unique and different, because by the mercy of  Lord Chaitanya the fallen souls are able to achieve pure love for  Krishna in spite of so many offenses.  Offenses cannot obstruct one  who loudly chants the holy names of "Nitai!  Chaitanya!"  Rather,  pure krsna-prema is searching for such devotees whose eyes are  always filled with tears of pure love for Krishna.

Chanting the holy names of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and  His eternal associates, one's offenses are quickly mitigated, and  one's heart becomes completely purified.  Since the fallen souls of this Age of Kali are under  the burden of unlimited offenses against the Supreme Lord, there  is no hope for their deliverance except chanting glories of Lord  Gauranga Mahaprabhu.  Therefore, the emphatic proclamation of the  Vedic literatures is that in this Kali-yuga there is no other  alternative than to take shelter at the lotus feet of Sri  Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu has risen like the rising moon in  the sacred land of Navadvipa.  Navadvipa Dhama is the  topmost of all pilgrimage places, being the most merciful of all.   In other places of pilgrimage, an offender is severely punished,  but in Navadvipa offenses are always being forgiven.  For  example, consider the two brothers, Jagai and Madhai.  Although  they committed grievous offenses, ultimately they received the  shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda Prabhu.   Yet, when even in Vraja dhama, the sacred place of Krishna's  pastimes, the offending demons are destroyed, there is no utility  in discussing lesser places of pilgrimage.  How will it be  possible to be forgiven from offenses there?  But in Navadvipa  dhama, even if one commits hundreds and hundreds of offenses, by  the mercy of Lord Nityananda Prabhu one easily obtains  deliverance, achieving the supreme destination.  For that reason,  the great sages sing again and again the glories of Navadvipa  dhama situated in the ancient provinces of Gaudamondal (Northern  India, or Bengal).

Similarly, my dear brothers, one who is a resident of  Navadvipa dhama is the most fortunate of all because he gains  ecstatic loving devotion for Krishna simply by residing there.   What to speak about residing in Navadvipa, even if someone simply  visits Navadvipa for some time, that person becomes freed from  all offenses.  "The sum total of all the pious results that one gets by making a pilgrimage to all of the holy places is achieved  simply by remembering sacred Navadvipa dhama," sing the Vedic  hymns.  If one is able to even see Navadvipa dhama, then that  fortunate soul receives the priceless gift of pure love for Krishna  birth after birth.  Devotees who visit Navadvipa dhama without  pure devotion, but rather desire various material fruits in  reward for their pilgrimage to Navadvipa dhama are also blessed,  for they shall never be forced to take birth as a human being  again.

The glories of Navadvipa dhama are revealed in the Vedic  literatures.  If one is so fortunate to wander about the sacred  lands of Navadvipa dhama, he achieves the pious results of  millions of Asvamedha sacrifices at his every step.  By sitting  in silent meditation on the mantra given by the spiritual master  in Navadvipa dhama, one is delivered without delay because Lord  Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally takes the form of the  meditator's mantra and delivers him.  Therefore, in any other  holy place what a yogi can achieve by performing various penances  and austerities for a period of ten years can be achieved in  Navadvipa by remaining for three nights.  The liberation of  brahma-jnana, or realization of the impersonal aspect of the  Absolute Truth, that is achieved by residing in one of the  various holy places of India, is achieved simply by taking one's  bath one time in the sacred Bhagirathi Ganges river in Navadvipa  dhama.  In Navadvipa dhama one may easily get any of the five  types of liberation, namely salokya (living on the same planet as  the Lord), sarupya (having a transcendental form sililar to the  Lord's), sarsti (having opulence almost equal with the Lord's),  samipya (living in direct transcendental association with the  Lord), or nirvana (merging into the existence of the Lord), even  without being very knowledgeable about the transcendental  science.  It is in Navadvipa dhama that by simply falling down at  the lotus feet of a pure devotee of Krishna, one is elevated to  such an exalted position that personified material benediction  and liberation stand like maidservants at the door ready to  render services.  The pure devotees, however, are not interested  in these two attendants, and instead they kick them to drive them  away, but even then these maidservants cannot give up the  transcendental association of the lotus feet of the pure  devotees, and they remain there without fleeing.  What is the use  of visiting the seven holy tirthas, my dear brothers, when what  one can achieve in a hundred years in those holy places can be  achieved simply by spending one night in Navadvipa dhama?!

Considering above reasons, Navadvipa dhama is  the topmost amongst all the sacred places of the Lord's pastimes,  and by taking shelter there in this Kali-yuga, age of Quarrel,  the fallen souls in this universe get deliverance from the  material bondage and go back to Godhead in pure Krishna  consciousness.  Thus Navadvipa dhama is perfectly rendering the  greatest service to the residents of the dhama by bestowing upon  them twin enlightenments:  first, the cessation of all material  miseries, and second, pure Krishna consciousness carrying one out  of the material world back to the eternal abode of the Lord. 

Praying to remain always in the cooling shade of the lotus  feet of Their Lordships Sri-Sri-Nitai-Jahnava, always desiring  Their mercy, that Bhaktivinode sings the glories of Navadvipa  dhama, tasting nectar at every step.

Thus ends the first chapter of The Glories of Sri Navadvipa  Dhama.