Ananda-murti Vaisnavas
An excerpt from The Life of Love:
RADHARAMANA KUNJA: THE MIRACLE OF MAHAPRASADA
The aforementioned Babu purchased a Math in Puri. The Math was named Radharamana Kunja after the name of the deities installed there. It was situated in a secluded place, where the environment was peaceful, and Babaji Mahashaya often lived in it. One day he called Navadwip Das Babaji and said, "Navadwip, go and invite some ananda-murti Vaishnavas for the prasada of Radharamana."
Navadwip Das was surprised, because Babaji Mahashaya used to say that all Vaishnavas were by nature ananda-murti, that is, they were the very image of ananda. Why then, he thought, did he specify the ananda-murti Vaishnavas? Obviously, he wanted to invite some special category of Vaishnavas. Navadwip Das, who was one with Babaji Mahashaya in thought, word and deed, however, did not lose time in understanding which class of Vaishnavas he wanted to be invited, and said, "The Vaishnavas have been invited." "What?" said Babaji, "You have not yet gone anywhere. How have the Vaishnavas been invited?" "The Vaishnavas were invited the moment you desired them to be invited!" replied Navadwip. This was the conversation between the two siddha-mahapurushas. Each understood what the other meant, but no one else could under-stand it. Babaji added, "Some sweets, curd and pattals will also be required. But you need not bother about that, Nitai will arrange for everything."
At about ten o'clock came a man and a gvala (cowherd) with some sweets, curd and pattals. The man said to Babaji Mahashaya, "I have brought these things for the bhoga of Radharamana."
Babaji asked, "Did someone ask you to bring them?"
"No," replied the man, "I went to Jagannath's temple for darshan, and when I reached Simhadvara it came to my mind that I should offer some sweets to Radharamana. So I went to the sweet-seller and asked him whether he had any fresh rasagullas for Radharamana. This gvala was also there, and he said, "Baba, I also have some curd for Radharamana."
"Very well," I said, "How many pots of curd have you?" He said, "Four pots."
So I asked him to come along with me. As we were coming, a cloth-merchant named Haripatra asked me, "Where are you going?"
"I am going to Barha Babaji Mahashaya," I replied.
Immediately he said, "Then I need not go. You may kindly give him this milk and khanda (raw sugar) and also these plantain- leaves. If he asks anything you can tell him that Nitai Chand has so wished."
Navadwip Dada had so far been sitting quietly. Suddenly he shouted "Bol Nityananda!" and shot out dancing and singing, "Bol Nityananda bol, Nityananda bol"
At 12 o'clock Babaji Mahashaya heard sky-rending sankirtan sound coming from outside the kunja. Immediately he went out and saw Navadwip coming along with a crowd of one hundred children, boys and girls, dancing and singing like one, who had gone mad and was completely lost in himself. As the crowd came near, Babaji Mahashaya also joined it and began to sing. The children surrounded him and began to sing, "Bol Nityananda bol, Nityananda bol!" with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. sankirtan went on for about an hour. Then Babaji Mahashaya made the young ananda murti Vaishnavas sit in a line for prasada.. Yes, they were Vaishnavas because Babaji Mahashaya regarded everyone who resided in the Bhagavata-dham Puri as a Vaishnava, and anandamurti, because the children were simple, pure-hearted and joyful by nature.
Jai Gopal was asked to serve prasada. He was in a quandary, because the prasada was sufficient only for about twenty persons and he had to serve it jo about one hundred twenty persons, including the beggars who had arrived on the scene. So, he was serving in small quantity. Babaji Mahashaya was aware of the situation. He said angrily, "What are you doing? Serve well and serve full. Why are you so calculative? You have been asked to serve, not to calculate. Leave that to mahaprasada itself. Don't you know that mahaprasada is chinmaya and merciful? If you don't have faith in mahaprasada, what kind of a Vaishnava are you?" Jai Gopal began to serve accordingly. And what a surprise! Each one of the one hundred twenty persons took the prasad to his hearts content, yet what was left was more than enough for the fifteen persons living at Radharamana Kunj.
RADHARAMANA KUNJA: THE MIRACLE OF MAHAPRASADA
The aforementioned Babu purchased a Math in Puri. The Math was named Radharamana Kunja after the name of the deities installed there. It was situated in a secluded place, where the environment was peaceful, and Babaji Mahashaya often lived in it. One day he called Navadwip Das Babaji and said, "Navadwip, go and invite some ananda-murti Vaishnavas for the prasada of Radharamana."
Navadwip Das was surprised, because Babaji Mahashaya used to say that all Vaishnavas were by nature ananda-murti, that is, they were the very image of ananda. Why then, he thought, did he specify the ananda-murti Vaishnavas? Obviously, he wanted to invite some special category of Vaishnavas. Navadwip Das, who was one with Babaji Mahashaya in thought, word and deed, however, did not lose time in understanding which class of Vaishnavas he wanted to be invited, and said, "The Vaishnavas have been invited." "What?" said Babaji, "You have not yet gone anywhere. How have the Vaishnavas been invited?" "The Vaishnavas were invited the moment you desired them to be invited!" replied Navadwip. This was the conversation between the two siddha-mahapurushas. Each understood what the other meant, but no one else could under-stand it. Babaji added, "Some sweets, curd and pattals will also be required. But you need not bother about that, Nitai will arrange for everything."
At about ten o'clock came a man and a gvala (cowherd) with some sweets, curd and pattals. The man said to Babaji Mahashaya, "I have brought these things for the bhoga of Radharamana."
Babaji asked, "Did someone ask you to bring them?"
"No," replied the man, "I went to Jagannath's temple for darshan, and when I reached Simhadvara it came to my mind that I should offer some sweets to Radharamana. So I went to the sweet-seller and asked him whether he had any fresh rasagullas for Radharamana. This gvala was also there, and he said, "Baba, I also have some curd for Radharamana."
"Very well," I said, "How many pots of curd have you?" He said, "Four pots."
So I asked him to come along with me. As we were coming, a cloth-merchant named Haripatra asked me, "Where are you going?"
"I am going to Barha Babaji Mahashaya," I replied.
Immediately he said, "Then I need not go. You may kindly give him this milk and khanda (raw sugar) and also these plantain- leaves. If he asks anything you can tell him that Nitai Chand has so wished."
Navadwip Dada had so far been sitting quietly. Suddenly he shouted "Bol Nityananda!" and shot out dancing and singing, "Bol Nityananda bol, Nityananda bol"
At 12 o'clock Babaji Mahashaya heard sky-rending sankirtan sound coming from outside the kunja. Immediately he went out and saw Navadwip coming along with a crowd of one hundred children, boys and girls, dancing and singing like one, who had gone mad and was completely lost in himself. As the crowd came near, Babaji Mahashaya also joined it and began to sing. The children surrounded him and began to sing, "Bol Nityananda bol, Nityananda bol!" with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. sankirtan went on for about an hour. Then Babaji Mahashaya made the young ananda murti Vaishnavas sit in a line for prasada.. Yes, they were Vaishnavas because Babaji Mahashaya regarded everyone who resided in the Bhagavata-dham Puri as a Vaishnava, and anandamurti, because the children were simple, pure-hearted and joyful by nature.
Jai Gopal was asked to serve prasada. He was in a quandary, because the prasada was sufficient only for about twenty persons and he had to serve it jo about one hundred twenty persons, including the beggars who had arrived on the scene. So, he was serving in small quantity. Babaji Mahashaya was aware of the situation. He said angrily, "What are you doing? Serve well and serve full. Why are you so calculative? You have been asked to serve, not to calculate. Leave that to mahaprasada itself. Don't you know that mahaprasada is chinmaya and merciful? If you don't have faith in mahaprasada, what kind of a Vaishnava are you?" Jai Gopal began to serve accordingly. And what a surprise! Each one of the one hundred twenty persons took the prasad to his hearts content, yet what was left was more than enough for the fifteen persons living at Radharamana Kunj.
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