Nectar of Devotion - By following and observing these festivals of Lord and his

devotees the devotees, specially the sadhakas - the practiotiners if they joyfully
perform these festivals they can advance in Krsna consciousness.
This weekend Advaita Appearance, next Friday is Lord Nityananda Appearance
and soon we will come to Gauranga Mahaprabhu's festival of Gaura Purnima.
Who is Advaita Acharya?

mahā-viṣṇur jagat-kartā
māyayā yaḥ sṛjaty adaḥ
tasyāvatāra evāyam
advaitācārya īśvaraḥ
Lord Advaita Ācārya is the incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇ u, whose main function is
to create the cosmic world through the actions of māyā.

advaitaṁ hariṇādvaitād
ācāryaṁ bhakti-śaṁsanāt
bhaktāvatāram īśaṁ tam
advaitācāryam āśraye

Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called

Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Ācārya.
He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord’s devotee. Therefore I take
shelter of Him.
In Kaliyuga - three lords came as devotees - Krsna Chaitanya, Balaram as
Nityananda and Mahavishnu as Advaita.
Mahavishnu, expansion of Shankarshana , resides in the causal ocean -
created by his own perspiration and he creates universes simply by his breath.
It is also quoted in the CC purports by Srila Prabhupada that Advaita acharya
is also Sadashiva - the original Siva of the spiritual world. So these two
personalities combined to form Advaita Acharya.

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 jagat-maṅgala advaita, maṅgala-guṇa-dhāma
maṅgala-caritra sadā, ‘maṅgala’ yāṅra nāma
Being a reservoir of all auspicious attributes, Śrī Advaita Ācārya is all-
auspicious for the world. His characteristics, activities and name are always
auspicious.
Thus, by hearing his auspicious activities, we can invite such auspiciousness
into our assembly and our lives.
He also displayed a unique bhava which is important for devotees to learn.
Even though he was Mahavishnu, he would always put himself in the position
to serve the Lord. An expansion of the Lord serving the Lord!
His parents were Kuvera Pandita and Nabha devi. He prayed to Lord Siva. In
response to their prayers.
He born in Srihatta in Bangladesh and then moved to Navagram.
Obeisances to Durga devi forced out of deity.
They moved to Shantipur.
His parents both left this world; they died when he was just a very young man.
So after performing the Sraddha ceremony in Gaya he decided to go and Tirth
Yatra to visit the holy places through all of India. During his journey he met
that great spiritual master Madhavendra puri and he accepted initiation from
him.
4 important pastimes/contributions of Sri Advaita.
1) Glorifying Haridas Thakur
In those days in India and even still today there a very degraded, corrupt and
pervaded conception of caste by birth of who is qualified and who is
unqualified. The invaders took advantage to convert such people into other
religions.
Anyways Advaita Acarya was born of the highest class of Brahman, when he
performed Sraddha ceremony to his father it is explained you have invite best
Brahmins to come and the best of all the Brahmans you are supposed to give
prasäda to first, who did he select Shri Haridas Thakur who is born in an
untouchable family.
Advaita Acarya explained to him because you are chanting the names of God
and because you are a pure devotee of God, by giving you prasäda I am
feeding millions and millions and millions of Brahmans.

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 2) Advent of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

The gaudiya vaishnava practice is about going beyond the ritualistic way of life
and developing Krsna prem.
But back in those days Sri Advaita alongwith Haridas Thakur and other
associate devotees like Srivasa noted the population of Bengal which was into
smartha brahmanism, heavily ritualistic - like for e.g. chanting the holyname.
But when they looked around them they could find no real peace of mind
although within their own hearts there was always the up surging of ecstatic
love. A real Vaishnav finds the great grief in seeing the suffering of others and
what is the greatest suffering when they see people wasting their valuable
human lives in the pursuit of sense gratification without surrendering to
Krishna.
Navadwip was consider the highest learning,Even the great Pandits, the great
so called Brahmans Mishra, Cakravarti, Bhattacharya they were explain all the
scriptures according to Karma Kanda or Gyan Kanda or according to atheistic
views with the aim of material enjoyment or impersonal conceptions, nowhere,
anywhere was anyone discussing devotion.
He made a vow that I am Mahavishnu, I am the creator of this
manifestation but Krishna is the source of everything, He is the source of
Me and it is only if Krishna personally comes to this world is there any
chance for this foolish people of Kali Yuga to attain the emancipation from
suffering and love of God.
One day while Advaita was reading the scriptures he heard a passage where
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said that if one offers Me with love and
devotion a little Ganges water and some Tulsi leaves I will fulfill all of their
desire.
And so in hearing that he had a Nrsimha Shila - Salagram shila an doffered
worship.
3) Lord Chaitanya punishes Advaita
Advaita goes to Shantipura and preaches Mayavad.

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 4) Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealing His identity to Advaita Acarya

On another occasion just after this Advaita Acarya decided I am going to reveal
to the world who this Lord is
So he went to Shantipur - So one day Lord Caitanya He approach the brother
of Srivas Pandit Rämäi pandita and He told him that you go to Shantipur and
you give this message to Advaita Acarya tell him that you have prayed and
you have fasted to bring the Lord down, I have come as the fulfillment of
your prayers and I want you to be here to worship Me, bring your wife to
come and worship Me
I will hide in Nanadanacarya’s and He is really the Supreme Personality of
Godhead He will call for me there, don’t tell Him where I am.
All of a sudden Advaita saw that Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in His
original form and around Him was Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva and all the
principles Demi-gods and with folded hands they were offering prayers to Him.
After properly worshiping the Lord with all the various ingredients of Puja,
offering Aarti the Lord lifted His feet and placed them on Advaita Acarya’s
head. When all the devotees saw these they all began to chant Hari Hari, Hari
Hari, Hari Hari.
My desire as at the most sinful, the lowest and the most wretched souls
that you give them love of God by chanting your holy name. Let your holy
name be resounding everywhere for the deliverance of everyone, Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama,
Rama Hare, Hare.
Story of Prabhupada in Shantipur
What is the best way to celebrate?
1) way we can worship and give pleasure to Shri Advaita Acarya on this day by
becoming pure devotees of the Lord
2) by accepting the mercy of Lord Caitanya that was his only desire that all
living beings accept the mercy of Lord Caitanya
3) Lord Caitanya taught by simply learning how to be humble and serve the
Vaishnav’s, by taking the great interest to hear the glories of the Lord and to
come together to honestly and sincerely chant the names of the Lord everyone
can receive the supreme treasure of Krishna prema.

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