Jessore

Expressions researched:
"Jessore"

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 10.84, Purport:

The genealogical table of Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Vallabha Gosvāmī can be traced back to the twelfth century Śakābda, when a gentleman of the name Sarvajña appeared in a very rich and opulent brāhmaṇa family in the province of Karṇāṭa. He had two sons, named Aniruddhera Rūpeśvara and Harihara, who were both bereft of their kingdoms and thus obliged to reside in the highlands. The son of Rūpeśvara, who was named Padmanābha, moved to a place in Bengal known as Naihāṭī, on the bank of the Ganges. There he had five sons, of whom the youngest, Mukunda, had a well-behaved son named Kumāradeva, who was the father of Rūpa, Sanātana and Vallabha. Kumāradeva lived in Fateyabad, an area bordering Bāklācandradvīpa in East Bengal (now Bangladesh). The present-day village of Prembagh, which lies near Ramshara in the Jessore district of Bangladesh, is said by many to be the site of Kumāradeva's house. Of his many sons, three took to the path of Vaiṣṇavism. Later, Śrī Vallabha and his elder brothers Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana came from Candradvīpa to the village in the Maldah district of Bengal known as Rāmakeli. It is in this village that Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī took birth, accepting Vallabha as his father. Because of engaging in the service of the Muslim government, the three brothers received the title Mullik. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the village of Rāmakeli, He met Vallabha there. Later, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, after meeting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, resigned from government service, and when he went to Vṛndāvana to meet Lord Caitanya, Vallabha accompanied him. The meeting of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Vallabha with Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Allahabad is described in the Madhya-līlā, Chapter Nineteen.

CC Adi 11.23, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anubhāṣya, “In the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Five, it is stated that Sundarānanda was an ocean of love of Godhead and the chief associate of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (127) he is stated to have been Sudāmā in kṛṣṇa-līlā. Thus he was one of the twelve cowherd boys who came down with Balarāma when He descended as Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. The holy place where Sundarānanda lived is situated in the village known as Maheśapura, which is about fourteen miles east of the Mājadiyā railway station of the Eastern Railway from Calcutta to Burdwan. This place is within the district of Jessore, (which is now in Bangladesh). Among the relics of this village, only the old residential house of Sundarānanda still exists. At the end of the village resides a bāula (pseudo Vaiṣṇava), and all the buildings, both the temples and the house, appear to be newly constructed. In Maheśapura there are Deities of Śrī Rādhāvallabha and Śrī Śrī Rādhāramaṇa. Near the temple is a small river of the name Vetravatī.

CC Adi 12.88, Purport:

The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (183) mentions that Śivānanda Cakravartī was formerly Lavaṅga-mañjarī. The Śākhā-nirṇaya, written by Yadunandana dāsa, also names other branches of Gadādhara Paṇḍita, as follows: (1) Mādhavācārya, (2) Gopāla dāsa, (3) Hṛdayānanda, (4) Vallabha Bhaṭṭa (the Vallabha-sampradāya, or Puṣṭimārga-sampradāya, is very famous), (5) Madhu Paṇḍita (this famous devotee lived near Khaḍadaha, in the village known as Sāṅibonā-grāma, about two miles east of the Khaḍadaha station, and constructed the temple of Gopīnāthajī in Vṛndāvana), (6) Acyutānanda, (7) Candraśekhara, (8) Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, (9) Dāmodara, (10) Bhagavān Ācārya, (11) Ananta Ācāryavarya, (12) Kṛṣṇadāsa, (13) Paramānanda Bhaṭṭācārya, (14) Bhavānanda Gosvāmī, (15) Caitanya dāsa, (16) Lokanātha Bhaṭṭa (this devotee, who lived in the village of Tālakhaḍi in the district of Yaśohara (Jessore) and constructed the temple of Rādhāvinoda, was the spiritual master of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and a great friend of Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī), (17) Govinda Ācārya, (18) Akrūra Ṭhākura, (19) Saṅketa Ācārya, (20) Pratāpāditya, (21) Kamalākānta Ācārya, (22) Yādava Ācārya and (23) Nārāyaṇa Paḍihārī (a resident of Jagannātha Purī).

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 18.49, Purport:

Śrī Lokanātha Gosvāmī was a personal associate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village named Tālakhaḍi in the district of Yaśohara (Jessore), in Bengal. Previously he lived in Kāncāpāḍa. His father's name was Padmanābha, and his only sibling was a younger brother named Pragalbha. Following the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Lokanātha went to Vṛndāvana to live. He established a temple named Gokulānanda. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura selected Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī to be his spiritual master, and Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura was his only disciple. Because Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī did not want his name mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, we do not often see it in this celebrated book. On the E.B.R. Railroad, the Yaśohara station is located in Bangladesh. From the railway station one has to go by bus to the village of Sonākhāli and from there to Khejurā. From there one has to walk or, during the rainy season, go by boat to the village of Tālakhaḍi. In this village there are still descendants of Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s younger brother.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 3.100, Purport:

The village of Benāpola is situated in the district of Yaśohara (Jessore), which is now in Bangladesh. Benāpola is near the Banagāṅo station, which is at the border of Bangladesh and may be reached by the Eastern Railway from Sealdah Station in Calcutta. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, being the ācārya of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, is called Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. From his personal example we can understand that chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and becoming highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very simple. Without difficulty one can sit down anywhere, especially on the bank of the Ganges, Yamunā or any other sacred river, devise a sitting place or cottage, plant a tulasī tree, and before the tulasī chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra undisturbed.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Bhavananda -- Bombay 25 March, 1972:

We have gotten an invitation from Bangladesh from my Godbrother, His Holiness Bhakti Sambandha Turya Swami Maharaja, Sri Gaudiya Math, P.O. Bordia, District Jessore. If possible you can make some program for Tamala Krishna Goswami's party to go there at our own expense. He is now a ruined man so if possible we can utilize his center as our branch.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Auckland 14 April, 1972:

Four lakhs sounds like a reasonable price for that house. I have given you one lakh, ten thousand, already, so balance you try to raise funds, but if there is scarcity there will be no trouble, we shall supply. One thing is, as soon as you send me, jointly signed, a statement of how the money I gave you was spent, along with vouchers, then I can arrange more in future, as there may be some need to move swiftly before the monsoon comes. So try to do it very nicely, quickly, and sagaciously. Tamala Krishna can go also to my god-brother's math near Jessore, Bangladesh, as I have got a letter from him requesting our men to come there but they will not meet all expenses. His address is Bhakti Sambandha Turya Srami, c/o Gaudiya Math, Bordia, Jessore, Bangladesh. The pandal program at Mayapur should go on, along with prasada distribution. We are already on the top of all our godbrothers, that should be maintained. Invite all Hindus, Muslims, Jains, etc., without any discrimination, as we do in foreign countries, and continue the evening program. One thing, I have received on complaint from Damodara Maharaja that there was some quarrel with Acyutananda Maharaja. I do not know what is the fact, but we should avoid any quarrel with our godbrothers, and always be very nice and kind to them, and cooperate with them. Because Damodara Maharaja is offended, so Acyutananda Maharaja should go to Damodara and beg his forgiveness, and bow and touch his feet. There is no harm in such behavior of begging forgiveness. So far "Gita Gan," it should simply be composed there and sent to Japan c/o ISKCON Tokyo for printing.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Tokyo 25 April, 1972:

It appears that things are going very nicely there in all respects, and I am very much relieved. I did not hear from you in Sydney, as you have mentioned, but anyway I was also writing to you and Acyutananda that my godbrother in Jessore district was very much anxious for us to come there and I was suggesting for you to go there. So now I think it is a very good opportunity, so you may go with your party immediately. If possible see Sri Mujibur Rehman, president of Bangladesh, and show him evidence that Parsis, Jews, Christians, Muslims, all parties are participating in this Krishna Consciousness Movement—so why they Bangladesh Muslims should not join? We want to unite everyone culturally. Without this, every society is imperfect, but with it, society is perfect. All intelligent leaders of society should try to understand in depth this fact. So take the help of Sri Bhakti Turyasrami and implant one center there at Jessore. He has land but no money, so we should invest a little money and open one center. Have a huge prasadam program. Gurudasa has secured foodstuffs from the American government, and I think he has acquired an excessive amount, so balance can be distributed, part to Jessore, part to Bombay, where they are also having a successful prasadam distribution program. Now there are many devotees coming from London and USA, so utilize them for vigorous propaganda in India and Bangladesh. All these reports are very much encouraging to me. Thank you very, very much.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972:

If Tamala Krsna can do some tangible work in Bangladesh it will be advertised all over India and we shall be respected by all classes of men. So it is a crucial point in our progress, so make this Bangladesh program very nicely. My godbrother in Jessore will help him in every respect. His address is known to him.

Letter to Sri Jogeswar Chowdhury -- Paris 22 July, 1972:

I have seen your letter addressed to the Secretary of our London branch, and I am very much pleased to note that you have somehow or other seen one copy of our "Back to Godhead" magazine and that you wish a copy of our Teachings of Lord Caitanya. I have instructed the secretary here in London to forward you one copy immediately by ordinary mail, gratis. I am glad to inform you that a party of my disciples will be coming to Bangladesh soon for spreading the message of Lord Caitanya there. They will be stationed at Jessore, but will travel wherever they are invited and hold Sankirtana. So if you are very much eager to receive them, about six or eight of my foreign American and European disciples, you can invite them to Chittagong and they shall be happy to stay with you there and hold programs of kirtana and preaching.