CELEBRATING
The Victory Day of Lord Rama
The Victory Day of Lord Rama (Vijayā-daśamī) was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Visvakarma Palace, New Delhi.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to honor this day by enacting the pastime of Lord Rama's conquest of Lanka.
"On the day celebrating the conquest of Lankā — a day known as Vijayā-daśamī — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu dressed up all His devotees as monkey soldiers." (CC Madhya 15.32)
Absorbed in the emotions of Hanumān, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took up a large tree branch and, mounting the walls of the Lankā fort, began to dismantle it. (CC Madhya 15.33)
In the ecstasy of Hanumān, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu angrily said, "Where is that rascal Rāvaṇa? He has kidnapped the universal mother, Sītā. Now I shall kill him and all his family."
(CC Madhya 15.34)
Everyone became very much astonished to see the emotional ecstasy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and everyone began to chant, “All glories! All glories!” again and again. (CC Madhya 15.35)
The pastimes of Sri Ramacandra are extraordinarily valuable for the aspiring servants of Sri Sri Radha Krsna because they instill the firm adherence to maryādā (etiquette) so necessary for navigating the nuances of sadhu-sanga and advancement in spiritual life.
"It is the natural characteristic of a devotee to observe and protect the Vaisnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaisnava etiquette is the ornament of a saint." (CC Antya 4.130)
My reverential pranama to Param-pujyapada Sri Bhakti Vicara Visnu Maharaja, acarya of Sri Chaitanya Matha and worthy successor of Param-puyjapada Srila Bhakti Vallabha Tirtha Gosvami, for kindly inviting me to serve all the vaisnavas on this holy day by repeating the heart-melting transcendental pastimes of Sri Ramacandra, as I have heard them directly from the lotus lips of my Srila Gurudeva.
After the celebrations, we set off for Sri Vrndavan Dhama, which was most appropriate as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also set out for Vrndavan on this very day of Vijayā-daśamī.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very pleased to thus receive their permission. He waited until the rainy season passed, and when the day of Vijayā-daśamī arrived, He departed for Vrndāvana. (CC Madhya 16.94)
I look forward to meeting soon with all the students of Caitanya Academy who are arriving to observe the Kartika vows and perform the sacred Vraja Mandala Parikrama.
Sri Sri Radha Damodara ki jaya!
vijayā-daśamī - lankā-vijayera dine
vānara-sainya kailā prabhu lañā bhakta-gane
"On the day celebrating the conquest of Lankā — a day known as Vijayā-daśamī — Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu dressed up all His devotees as monkey soldiers." (CC Madhya 15.32)
hanumān-āveśe prabhu vrksa-śākhā lañā
lankā-gade cadi’ phele gada bhāngiyā
Absorbed in the emotions of Hanumān, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took up a large tree branch and, mounting the walls of the Lankā fort, began to dismantle it. (CC Madhya 15.33)
‘kāhānre rāvnā’ prabhu kahe krodhāveśe
‘jagan-mātā hare pāpī, mārimu savamśe’
In the ecstasy of Hanumān, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu angrily said, "Where is that rascal Rāvaṇa? He has kidnapped the universal mother, Sītā. Now I shall kill him and all his family."
(CC Madhya 15.34)
gosāñira āveśa dekhi’ loke camatkāra
sarva-loka ‘jaya’ ‘jaya’ bale bāra bāra
Everyone became very much astonished to see the emotional ecstasy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and everyone began to chant, “All glories! All glories!” again and again. (CC Madhya 15.35)
The pastimes of Sri Ramacandra are extraordinarily valuable for the aspiring servants of Sri Sri Radha Krsna because they instill the firm adherence to maryādā (etiquette) so necessary for navigating the nuances of sadhu-sanga and advancement in spiritual life.
tathāpi bhakta-svabhāva - maryādā-raksana
maryādā-pālana haya sādhura bhūsana
"It is the natural characteristic of a devotee to observe and protect the Vaisnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaisnava etiquette is the ornament of a saint." (CC Antya 4.130)
My reverential pranama to Param-pujyapada Sri Bhakti Vicara Visnu Maharaja, acarya of Sri Chaitanya Matha and worthy successor of Param-puyjapada Srila Bhakti Vallabha Tirtha Gosvami, for kindly inviting me to serve all the vaisnavas on this holy day by repeating the heart-melting transcendental pastimes of Sri Ramacandra, as I have heard them directly from the lotus lips of my Srila Gurudeva.
After the celebrations, we set off for Sri Vrndavan Dhama, which was most appropriate as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also set out for Vrndavan on this very day of Vijayā-daśamī.
ānande mahāprabhu varsā kaila samādhāna
vijayā-daśamī-dine karila payāna
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very pleased to thus receive their permission. He waited until the rainy season passed, and when the day of Vijayā-daśamī arrived, He departed for Vrndāvana. (CC Madhya 16.94)
I look forward to meeting soon with all the students of Caitanya Academy who are arriving to observe the Kartika vows and perform the sacred Vraja Mandala Parikrama.
Sri Sri Radha Damodara ki jaya!
