Jagat to Vraja - A plead for assistance

A great many among us have been very fond of Jagadananda's devotional endeavors, literary and otherwise. Recently, many devotees have expressed a desire to see him visit Vraja-dhama, and it is also a keen desire of his. It has, after all, been a while since 1985.

Due to his having dedicated himself to varieties of devotional expression to an admirable extent, he seems to have missed out somewhat on the earning money aspect of life. Even now, he is unemployed as far as sources of income are concerned. I have much sympathy for the issue, having myself been, and still being somewhat, in a similar situation.

We have been looking at different options for financing his trip to Vraja. In the ideal situation, a rich donor would come forward and help him out. In the second, also rather ideal situation, many donors would come forward, each helping their share. In the third scenario, someone could take a loan that donors would pay in periodically. We would be talking about a budget of 3K USD or so. January might be a bit of a close call, but would be a great time for him to come over since many of us are in Vraja at that time. March, I believe, would be another opportunity. But ideally, January.

If you have resources or ideas on furthering the cause, please help him out. I'll be coordinating the collection, feel free to PM for any details. All donations will be documented and followed up on, just as was done with the Vraja Journal project. Click below to donate.

The following is Jagadananda's letter concerning the matter.

Dear friends,

The response to Madhavachari’s thread « To Jagat » was very moving. It is quite hard to gauge the extent that people appreciate one’s efforts on the Internet, especially when the site is a collective one like this, with many people making valued contributions. I want to say how much I appreciate the response and how much I am thankful for this community.

As many of you already know, I have been working with Mandala more or less continuously since 1999. Here are some of the projects that I worked on directly as translator. Most of the below are collections of articles written by Bhakti Promode Puri.

• Heart of Krishna (revised edition)
• Sri Chaitanya and his Associates (B.B. Tirtha)
• Bhagavata Dharma 2000
• Bhagavata Dharma 2001
• Bhagavata Dharma 2002
• Of Love and Separation
• Heart of a Vaishnava
• Sri Samadhi
• Art of Sadhana
• Mystic Poetry
• Beauty, Power and Grace (contributing)
• Gods and Goddesses Cards
• Art of Sadhana video series
• Puri darshans video series

Besides these, I did a number of other projects, including proofreading, editing, etc., such as contributing as researcher and participating editor on projects by Tripurari Maharaj, such as

• Bhagavad Gita : Its Feeling and Philosophy
• Gopala Tapani Upanishad

I also worked on three other projects that have never yet seen publications, despite what I think is their great value :

• Bhajana-rahasya (Bhaktivinoda Thakur)
• Harinama-cintamani (Bhaktivinoda Thakur)
• Sri Kshetra (a book of research on Puri Dham, oriented toward the Gaudiya Vaishnava experience of Puri. Grew out of a translation of Sundarananda Vidyavinoda’s Sri Kshetra and selected articles by Puri Maharaj himself.

These projects were interrupted for who knows what reason.

This last year, Mandala has undergone a great amount of restructuring and « rationalization ». For me, this means that whereas I previously received regular payments from Mandala without direct relation to the specific job. Since most devotional titles are not big profit-makers, they have reduced the amount of money for projects in this area. This means that any work I do for them is based purely on a title by title basis, with costs and profit margins being of greater concern. This has definitely worked to my disadvantage.

Current Project

Over the last few months, I have been working on revising the translation of the Madhurya Kadambini for which some devotees from this group kindly proffered an amount that can only be considered generous. I am almost finished this work, even though I have to admit that it could probably use another read through and, ideally, the addition of and index and a glossary.

So how does a job that should take a month take four? Well, to put it succinctly, the previous translation was so full of mistakes, misunderstandings, omissions, poor English, and unimaginative editing, that it needed a complete overhauling. Frankly, it was a revision job than required even more effort than « Heart of Krishna » which similarly gave me hear-tearing frustration with poorly done work. I have made some comments on the kind of thing that currently passes for English translation (See Chapter 15 of Harinama Chintamani.). Of course people may take issue with my work also, and I won’t deny that I am perfectly capable of a poorly turned phrase or a mangled translation, but much of the work that is currently available is pretty poor.

But I find it rather difficult to work on a document like this in a mechanical way. If a verse is quoted, I want to see its original context, its commentaries, and so on, in order to more fully understand the text and context. I think the main reason that most translations are poor is that people seem to think that one can translate a text without understanding what it means, or really getting what the author intends, nor that it is necessary to convey the overall sense of a text. In other words, context. So you still get nice verses, nice sentences, etc., but there are often passages that are unclear (or are clear enough, but have nothing to do with what the original author intended.)

I always make a point of looking at the other translations when doing a work that has already been « done ». In this case, I looked at not only Advaita Das’s version, but Dina Bandhu Das’s and Sarvabhavana Das’s English versions, as well as the Hindi version of Shyamlal Hakim and another Bengali edition by Priya Charan Das (which is the basis of Ananta Dasji’s translation also.)

This means taking a little time to think about stuff. In this particular case, I felt it necessary to think deeply about bhava and prema to clarify in my mind these terms. Some parts of the Madhurya Kadambini translation, as well as thoughts inspired by it, have been shared here on this forum :

• Some notes on the word bhava,
• Gratitude
• The third offense, Seeing Shiva and Vishnu as different
• The conflicting emotions of Prema
• Snippets of bhava
• Pramanas

I also tend to add footnotes about things that an author like Pandit Baba Ananta Dasji would not think necessary for a Bengali audience, but may be very necessary for a Western audience. Anyway, to make a long story short, my approach to a project like this is : I am setting out to make the definitive version, and one that will do Ananta Dasji proud. This does take time, and I don’t think it is fair to rush the work just to have another published title, nor could I honorably release a work like this without being satisfied that it would be worthy of Ananta Dasji.

So on the whole I am pretty happy with the revised version of the Madhurya Kadambini, and I think the devotees will all appreciate it too.

Nevertheless, the fact of the matter is, I cannot live for four months on one month’s income.

Future projects

I currently have a project lined up for Mandala, a translation of articles by Puri Maharaj on Guru-tattva. I already know that it will very likely take more than one month I have left to get the job finished, but that is the agreement.

But it seems to me that more and more devotees are starting to become interested in what I have to say on my own terms. But before going into that, this is what I have already done and could be made into publications, if I had the time to work and getting these titles ready for publication :

Translations

• Manjari-svarupa-nirupana and Manjari-sadhana-paddhati (Kunja Bihari Das Babaji). This book has already been through several editions and could actually be made ready for publication in a very short time. The first draft of this book was done in 1984! Many people have already seen printouts of this, but it is a breath away from publication. I need a month to do this. Rasaraja Dasji posted some portions of this on Gaudiya Discussions. I would say the time has come for this book to be released.
• Gopala-tapani Upanishad. I did a scholarly translation of this book with commentaries by Prabodhananda and Jiva Goswamis, as well as the highlights from several other commentaries and translations. A concordance, etc. This is what Tripurari Maharaj used to produce his own GTU, but evidently he has only quoted what was useful, not everything; the scholarly apparatus (footnotes, comments on the text, critical edition of the text, etc., etc.) are not in his edition. Though Mandala paid me for this work, I have the permission to publish. I would need to go through it once, but on so doing, would send it to a university publishing house like SUNY Press. I have posted the Introduction on my website.
• Dana-keli-kaumudi and Mukta-carita. These two books have been translated and annotated. Both need a thorough revision (which has been started on the latter thread, but not yet finished). My original vision for this was to add Dana-keli-cintamani by Raghunath Das and then have a very good introduction, a scholarly one like at the beginning of Mystic Poetry, describing the dana lila and its various manifestations in Indian literature, its theological meaning, etc. This would make a fairly hefty volume, but it would be really great, don’t you think?
• Gopala Champu. This is still my magnum opus in waiting. I did my doctoral dissertation on this book, but it’s still a ways from completion. You can see some portions I have reworked on my website : Translations. And those who went to Washington Lake Retreat loved the Govardhana Puja story, of which they heard my original, unrevised version. I’d like to do this after a little more thorough reading of the tenth canto. Some of you are following the Vastra-harana-lila, which will give you a bit of an idea of how the Gopala Champu incorporates and embellishes on the commentaries. My original work contains references throughout to the Bhagavatam and concords to all three major Krishna lila stories.

Original work :

• As many of you know, I have written quite a few articles on Gaudiya Vaishnava history, with varying degrees of controversy. Many of these articles contain either much new information, new interpretation of old data, or simply thorough summations of old data. I think that there are themes that carry through a lot of this material, and that it merits publication as a separate volume. It would need a little revision, but not really too much, I don’t think.
• Svakiya-parakiya vada I am a little less comfortable about this in its current form. Anyone who has looked at this material will see that it starts off reading fairly smoothly, but eventually tapers off into incoherent notes. In other words there is research work still needed here, as well as a theme and a conclusion that make theological sense. I have ideas, and I think that they will be significant, but I need a little time to work them out.
• Other original articles on my website.

Revision or translation work for others.

• Gadadhar Prana has asked me to work on his Govinda-lilamrita, which I would very much like to do. I think that there is some great stuff in there, but it is very much hampered by the fact that GP is not a professional writer nor scholar. His insights and bhava cry out for a scholarly editor like myself to make it work nicely. This would be an invaluable work for the Vaishnava world, let it be said.
• Rasa-darshan. Ananta Dasji asked me a long time ago to work on this book. Actually, I would like to do a thoroughly annotated version. I have already pointed to several discussions on rasa and bhava on these forums, and I feel quite ready to take the themes he has opened up and to expand on them, if he was amenable to the idea. There is a translation of this work available, which unfortunately is lacking in many ways.

So this gives you a bit of an idea of what I have done, have been doing, could do, and would like to do. I would like to add two important things to this :

Gaudiya Grantha Mandir.

This project has been going on for a couple of years now. When I was at London, Peter Schreiner (now at Zurich) was teaching there. He suggested that any Sanskritist working on any text should take the time to type it in so that it would be available to everyone in electronic form, providing scholars everywhere with a document that would be useful in all the ways that electronic texts are—for searching, text crunching, easy copying, constant revision, etc. This work is now well underway, with more than 500 texts, mostly from our tradition, already available. Indeed, I may confess, that I do a little work on this project every day : it is more important to me than my japa and will be until it is completed.
Here is what is not there :

• Bhagavatam. The first canto with four commentaries is now online. That leaves eleven. A great deal of this material has already been done, but still needs finishing. You can get an idea of what something from the tenth canto looks like on the Vastra-harana-lila thread (attached file). The entire Bhagavatam will take about 10 MB.
• Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu and Ujjvala-nilamani. The first of four BRS sections is complete with three commentaries, while ten of UN’s 15 chapters are complete. I am about ¾ of the way through UN 14, which will clock in at about 550kb. UN 15 will be at least 1 MB. BRS 2 is fairly well along, 3 and 4 not so far.
• Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Quite a bit has been done, but only about five chapters of Sanatan’s commentary. Some chapters are pretty long, like 19, with over a 1000 verses. The whole thing will probably be 3 MB.
• Brihad-bhagavatamrita. Maybe we’ll get the BBT version.
• And then REVISING and EDITING everything that has already been done. There is still years of work to be done here.

Sri Chaitanya Foundation.

In a sense, everything that I have said above, in particular the Gaudiya Grantha Mandir, is related to the SCF and is a SCF project. The SCF is the daughter and the mother (in her Vaikuntha form) of Gaudiya Discussions. Though she has not yet finished her gestation period, it will not be long before she is born. When she is, I hope she will immediately become an embracing mother and take in others who share the ideals of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and wish to work together as scholars and contributors, to produce scholarly, reliable, annotated translations of the Gaudiya Vaishnava canon, in particular the six sandarbhas, which everyone regardless of sampradaya, will be able to share.

These books are too important for anyone to appropriate as a tool to serve their own personal mission. There are now an increasing number of devotee scholars with various devotional affiliations working in secular institutions, as well as committed sadhaka scholars living lives of bhajan and study. These are great resources, with both traditionalist and modernist perspectives. They need to be pooled in a way that serves the global mission of Sri Chaitanya. Though many secular scholars of Vaishnavism may produce important texts like Tattva-sandarbha, Chaitanya-charitamrita, and Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, which are of value to devotees, these books are in fact too important to be left exclusively in the hands of secular scholars. Nevertheless, the methods and learning of these people is something that adds insight and understanding for devotees also. So there is much important work to be done here.

Some devotees from GD are already aware of the Sri Chaitanya Foundation, but we have not yet reached a critical mass whereby the cooperative effort I envision is possible. I am announcing it here to the public at large so that you will watch for and participate in SCF projects in the future. Please do not think that this is a matter for my own pratishtha. All I care about in terms of my own pratishtha is that I can keep food on my Giridhari's table and a roof over his and his servants' heads.

Going to Braja.

There are a number of devotees involved with SCF and GD, as well as sadhus and saints in Braja and Gaura Dham who are constantly asking me to go to Braja, where I haven't been in twenty years. This has been impossible for some time as I have never been able to accumulate any money for luxuries of this sort. And much as I would like to go, I never seem to be able to either afford a ticket, nor to afford to spend the time away from work. This situation has only gotten worse in the last few months.

My current financial situation has become precarious and I am actually in a rather critical position at the present moment. I am currently completely in the red, with the inevitable bills, regular payments for this that and the other looming down on me.

Our member Sakhicharan has as part of his signature: "Work like you don’t need the money." This has been my philosophy of life, but I have to admit that there is a certain immaturity before God and man when one does this. Reliance on God is sharanagati, but God helps those who help themselves.

In a spirit of surrender, I have arranged my life in such a way that I do not have mutliple talents; I cannot ask "What color is my parachute?" because there is no parachute. I survive or die as a bhakta and a translator or interpreter of this tradition.

I am therefore taking this opportunity to ask people here to help me realize the numerous projects listed above. Naturally, everyone who donates will have a voice in determining what kind of work I do, even though my immediate desire is to deal with the things that will be easily completed first, leaving the bigger tasks, like Gopala Champu until later, when I have a little more long-term security.

I know that many, if not most of you, have your own personal challenges in life. And to be honest, I find it a bit shameful to make an appeal to you. I can only say, if you have been benefited by anything I have said, done or written, and if you see any possible benefit for yourselves or anyone else in the future, then please help, at least to get me through the present crisis, and hopefully to establish long term stable funding for the Sri Chaitanya Foundation so that I can peacefully and diligently work on all these projects--as well as many more that members of the SCF and I have envisioned--the Gaudiya Vaishnava encyclopedia, Literary Ornaments in Gaudiya Vaishnava Sahitya, etc. There is a lifetime of work here, and if Krishna wants, it will happen. But I need your help.

You can donate to this Paypal account. Or PM me directly if you want to find other channels for contributing.



I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Your servant, Jagadananda Das.

The following is a list of current donations for sending Jagat to Vraja.

I'll start with dropping in $50, as I am not exactly in the category of those who work for money most of the time, either. On top of that, I'll cross out -$100, a recent debt, and -$200 for purchase and shipment of manuscripts last year. That makes a total of $350 from my side, though only $50 for the travel budget. Let's start off with that.

If people want to donate in small installments, you can just let me know the total and how much you could put in monthly. I have a gut feeling that is the way this will have to be done, unless someone with a real fat wallet and a huge heart of molten gold shows up. Thanks to everyone!

For your information, we have loads of potential translation and editing work lined up for Jagat with SCF. We -- cough cough -- just need to sort out some finances first. * throws in another lottery ticket *

Yes, and if only I am in Vraja when Jagat comes over, I'll also take care of food and accommodations, provided we won't need MVT and rooms for $25 per night.

Dear Madhava,

Why Krishna Caitanya Sastri Mandir Books doesn't became something like Mandala?
Let us make it even better...

Why not all of us disciples of different Gurus, wellwishers, friends, etc. finally get together and put an organization with different departments in it. We are just writing and talking about it, but still everything is just an underground or let us say in musical terms or jargon/slang, an alternative type of a thing.

I didn't myself have a job since May of 2004, i got new job (thanks God...)and i am starting off from Monday the 13th. It is very tough job in travelling agency which is number one in whole of U.K. I don't want to promise nothing, but whenever i will get some money (pay loans on our house and mortgage), anything i can, i will send on this Paypal account. But this will be perfect only for a Jagat's trip to India.
We do need permanent thing for him, as an respected elder in this community and significant devotee, for myself after my own Guru, my siksa.

Why don't we set up permanent business like Mandala, with quality books and merchandise which will have imperativ on Traditional/Orthodox Gaudiya Vaishnavism.And yes, we do need for that somebody like Ramdas is in Mandala Media. Madhava is good in managing this site, why not for other stuff? Rasaraj is manager in Kinkos and very succesful at managing previously 26 2nd ave. Iskcon temple. Braj from Loi Bazaar, another very good example, and of course you can't miss Nitai Das.

I think honestly that this can be and must be pulled off to work, and in such case jagat and many others will get permanent work with something they feel most comfortable to.

Jagat is anyway in those years now, where he needs others to start to take care of him, insted of him taking care of others.

Please, let us brainstorm this, and i hope that i am not asking much....



PS. Madhava i would like that Captain Nemo thing off from my description next to my avatar. I don't know how to put it down? What should i do?
And please be kind and send me the map where you are in Gaura Dham. I am not coming this year but, please is there any cool other place to stay there except you know...where i was?

Tarun - I believe this is one of the things invisioned for SCF (Sri Chaitanya Foundation) that Jagat has mentioned in his posting. A brilliant idea.

We are indeed working in that direction, Tamal ji. However, we need more (1) time and (2) money. With the first, we can somehow all stretch ourselves, but the second is a bit more of an issue. At any rate, we are working to that direction. SCF is in the process of being incorporated as we speak. It's just that none of us have found the time to dedicate to furthering it all day long. And I suppose that won't be necessary, either, as we get the initial organizational hassle out of the way.

I am staying at Bul Bul's house, a couple of houses away from Radhanath and opposite Nitai Das's mansion with stripes off the Swedish flag going around the walls. Some of the birds you see in Vraja Journal are at his back yard.

Dear Jagat-

Your contributions are wonderful and I am quite sure will be an inspiration to all Gaudiyas for generations. One small correction - in the Gopal Tapani Upanishad commentary by Tripurari Swami you are mentioned in the forward or introduction - can't remember off the top of my head. I was really happy to see your name and the heartfelt appreciation of your help acknowledged by him. Did you miss that?

As far as personal contributions to your trip to India or help with publishing goes for me - I am going to pray about it. For now all the extra funds I have (which are very limited) go to Audarya ashrama. But I'll pray about this and see if some inspiration comes to accept a little bit larger pinch in my pocket book.

Audarya-lila dasa

I pledge 25.00 on Dec. 15th and 50.00 more on January 1st. But I'll need to send a check both times.

I'll add in a money spell

I am sorry if there was an unintentional oversight here. Actually, Tripurari Maharaj has never hidden the fact that he has made use of my services, despite criticism in certain circles. This is a credit to him, both for his honesty as well as his generous recognition of others.

Actually, I am somewhat sorry that I mentioned it at all, so I am going to erase that little bit of bitterness.

Anyone who writes as much as you do and has done translation work can leverage that resume and those abilities to do some editing or writing in English, either technical writing, independent editing as a consultant, or work with a publishing house. Other options are giving seminars in good writing for businesses (you'd be surprised at the level of employee writing these days), freelance journalism, and self publishing. How about teaming up on something money making like a cookbook, with a group of expert Indian cooks? Cookbooks are doing great these days.

You also have computer skills that are welcome in any office.

Don't sell yourself short--sell your skills for what they're really worth in the marketplace. Good writers aren't that easy to find.

We might need a seminar on making those spells.

Thank you.

But can't you just offer sweet mahaprasadam to Ganesh? He likes milk sweets, I'm sure he likes prasadam, he might just deliver.

Ganesh requires an outstanding credit record. This case needs a fast cash machine.

Looking at "Jagadananda's jhuli" one has to wonder who this embodied soul is!

For this very surrendered soul, the bhakta-cAtaka..., only "Prem prayojan".

Anonymous has kindly donated $100 for the cause.

Kamala has kindly donated $100.

And Anonymous is helping us out with $300.00.

Since January is almost knocking on the door now, we have looked into the possibility of taking a loan that'd be paid back in installments, and actually one generous soul has come forth offering a loan that'd be paid back beginning from April 2005 with monthly installments of $300, and without interest. There is a good chance that one donor will contribute $1500 for the cause early next year. This would leave us with a balance of $1500 required for the loan. That minus current donations ($645.00) makes $855.00 to be covered over during April-August, a total of $171.00 per month.

Jagat ji, can you see Radha-kunda looming in the horizon already?

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.

I pledge $1,500 to be paid by 3/1/2005.

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

Dear Rasaraja das!

you rule.

thousands of dandavats, you great soul

Klink

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.

We are measured by sincerity... in my case I am hoping to buy my way to Sri Radhikas service....

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

I just sent the total of my 75.00 and I pledge another 50.00 in February (minimum, more if I can along the way).

I add a candle on the full moon and a few milk sweets for Sri Ganesh to remove any further obstacles from Jagatji's path.

Me too

I haven't been posting in this thread, rather dazzled as I am by those who have come forward with assistance. I am right now in the blissful state of trying to get my papers together. I haven't travelled outside North America since 1992, so I am a bit out of practice.

I'll keep you all posted. Thank you very very much.

Jagat

We can pitch in a travel kit.

It makes us happy to see you happy.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!
Jagat is going!

All the best Jagat...Whenever i get some money i will contribute too.....

shuniya ei shundor kotha bråje jabe jågåt baba
shobai take t.aka debe re
paypal kore deowa jay re

having heard this good news that Jagat Baba is going to Braj everyone sends him money via paypal!

Bringing the donors' list up to date, with gratitude to:


That leaves us with a current total of $2654.00.

Ahem... Sorry, I posted that while logged in with Yugal's account, he was just here and forgot to log off... Another try:

I'd like to announce that the tickets have now been booked, and Jagat is flying on the 22nd of January to Delhi. He'll be there in the morning of 24th, I'll be there, most likely with Yugal, to pick him up.

With an additional $50 from one of our donors, we are a mere $300 short of the full $3000 we are after, and there is still good time until the pay-back time for the loan this spring.

Heartly thanks from myself, and I am certain also from Jagadananda, to all of you out there who have been instrumental in bringing about this significant step in both in Jagat's life, as I am certain in the life of the community out there.

After the trip, I am certain we'll be seeing Jagat often here recharging his batteries. Once you get a new taste of Vraja-madhuri, it is quite hard to stay away for long periods of time ever again ...

The day is drawing close.

I am leaving New York on Saturday at 9h30 pm. on Kuwait Airlines 102, and will arrive in New Delhi at 855am on Jan. 24. (Flight 381).

Cool, best wishes Jagat!

"Kuwait Airlines? Good good... Brush the dust off those old scuds, Al-Shami!" (Fresh CIA intelligence on Al-prabhupaeda)

Make sure you wear a big fat tilak onboard.

Dear friends,

Once again, I would like to thank all the kind individuals who thought this was a project worith contributing to. I guess my lack of real spiritual depth was so glaring that everyone thought, "We'd better submerge this guy in Radha Kund water and cover him in Vraja raja as soon as possible, and save him from himself."

I am truly humbled by all of your kindness.

Your servant,

Jagat

Cool that you are going, Jagat. I wish you a smooth journey and... no, I'll rather not wish you anything specific for your stay in Vraja. Those in charge of fulfilling such wishes are known to be prone to mischief, and I don't want to be blamed!

Is it permissible to ask how long are you planning to stay there?

-- Dhyana

PS. Madhava -- this submerging idea is not bad at all -- hint hint

Unfortunately, leaving on 22nd February unless something happens.

It's minus 23 outside right now. Travelling weather.

We have arranged for a room here to be renovated for you. The marbles are now in place on the floor, and all paint is in place. I'm afraid some of the tiles in the room won't make it in time, as they can't be put in place before the marble gets polished, but the room looks pretty decent now. Welcome.

Baba was asking today about your whereabouts, and asked how you had managed to gather the money. He was happy to hear that devotees had donated to help you out with this.

Jagat, I too wish you a good and fruitful journey. I hope you will go there in a humble and submissive mood, not with a 19th century colonial bravado like 'I will teach these superstitious natives a lesson in rational thinking' as you more or less announced recently in another thread. The British tried that for 200 years and failed, so I doubt if you will be able to pull it off. Appreciate India for its wealth of faith, and try to give up your disdain of this, otherwise what is the use of your trip and all the money that wellwishing Vaishnavas spent on it?

And we already printed the t-shirts with "Sahib Brzezinski PhD - The great Bharat tour of enlightenment". And now you have to say something like that. Sheesh.

Watch out Hindus!

It was really nice to see everyone rally 'round and help you out, Jagat!
May your trip be obstacle free. May you find what has been in your heart. May your greed increase and your love overflow.

I'm so happy to hear you will be going Home for a while...

Please keep us as informed as possible on your meditations and adventures while in there in the glorious Dhama.

Jai Shri Radhe! Jai Shri Krsna!

Jai Shri Giriraj Maharaj!

Best of luck on your journey Jagat,



bangli

I am so excited for you, Jagatji! When you are being dunked in Radha Kund, look on the banks for a nice pebble to send me, that's all I ask.

And somebody has to get a good picture of this transcendental dunking to post online.

Bright Blessings for your journey!

Tapati

edited to add:

Take me to the river and drop me in the water
Dip me in the river, drop me in the water
Washing me down, washing me down.

--Talking Heads

Have a safe trip, Jagat-ji!

Hari bol voyage!

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.

Please make sure to pray for us all and request that we all make it back to Radha Kunda very very soon.

Have a great trip!

Radhe Radhe!

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

Dear Jagatji,

we never talk much since I find you a little way over my head sometimes, hehe, but I admire you and your posts a lot nevertheless. I hope you have a great trip and that YugAl-KiZora shower Their mercy on you.

Jagatji! Have a great time in Vraja. I hope you will be really blissed out and feel lots of love. Please come back with more amazing things to write down for us all to read

All the best
shabba

Dear Jagat!

all the best from the core of my heart.
i am so happy for you that you can go!

have a wonderful experience!

loving regards
Tarunji

I salute the very raj of Vraj, replete with potent power,
When smeared upon the limbs, to grant our heart's desire.

Where Kalpa-trees their friendly shade afford,
And humming bees hymn praises of the lord.
A grand temple, whose lustre soothes the eyes,
Close by the Jamna's rippling water lies.

vRndAvanAnandAbhlipsu-jagadAnandasya vraja-gamanaM zubhAya bhavatv iti sAnandaM sAzru-netraM ca ghoSayAmi|

manasA vraja-rajAvaluNThitA mAlikA |

rAdhe rAdhe!

Jagat,
życzę was bezpieczny kasa ogniotrwała trip do Indii i przyjemny zatrzymywać pozostawać przy Radhakunda.

I hope i wrote it allright. Just a few words, and i don't know if grammar is correct.

Bardzo dziękuję. Nie wiełem że ty możesz mówić po polsku.

Not me, anyway.

Just a few words. As well as some portuguese and italian here and there.
My languages are: croatian, english, serbian, slovenian (not slovak), czech, german and some italian, polish, some sanskrit and portuguese.

I am trying also japanese. But these are all of them.

apologies in advance, I couldn't help myself!

jagat bAbA braje geche, shunechi AmrA shukhe
shighro rAdhAkuNDer kothA tothA pAthAbe (AmAderke)
AshA kori sweater Ache ei mAshe khub thANDA hocche
dupure snAn Tan korte hoyo-re

radhakuNDo chomotkAro jAygAr onek din Age Ami chilAm nA
rAdhArANir kripAy AbAr jAibo re
ananga ahankAre dukhe amar kichu sAdhano nei
ohe rAdhe ki koribo Ami

As of this moment, I am currently in the Kennedy Airport "Medport" where I spent the night. The biggest snowstorm of the season has hit New York, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of flights, including my own. The airline I am taking is hopelessly incommunicative, so I am now headed to the terminal. It's only a mile or two away, but the conditions are so treacherous it may take several hours.

So, more obstacles on the abhisar... Snow is not one that the Goswamis foresaw...

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.

It always seems that as soon as one is sure they are going to the dhama an obstacle arises. On our last trip we arrived at the airport 3 hours ahead of time. Once we got to the counter we were told that our tickets were NO GOOD! Basically the Travel Agent reserved seat, in a specific flight class, that upon purchase were no longer available. We were told we would need to buy brand new ticket's, at $2,400 per adult and $2,000 per child or we wouldn’t be leaving. After some intense moments of exchange between myself and the Airline we agreed to pay the difference between what was reserved and what he actual cost was totaling $2,040. Luckily i had the money otherwise our trip would not have happened.

After all was settled and I had a few moments of silence I reflected on how going to the dhama is never a certain thing. As soon as we take it for granted or assume our entrance tricky things can happen...

I am sure Jagat will indeed make it eventaully as so many sweet vaisnavas are praying for and supporting his trip... maybe this is just a way to increase Jagat's desire and the prayers of the Vaisnavas...

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

Still in New York. Kuwait Airlines did not come through and I am a little disappointed.

In a way, I get the feeling that this is more mental preparation for India. The breakdown in the infrastructure seems typical of what one expects in our spiritual home. I thought this as I lugged those two bags on the footbridge across the JFK Expressway in the howling wind.

All in all, though, I am taking this all as a test of patience. The Gita--

mAtrA-sparzAs tu kaunteya has been ringing in my ears. But I think that Krishna has a purpose, as I am being nicely taken care of by a devotee who lives here in New York and with whom I have been in contact for some time.

I am pretty exhausted, so I am going to leave this message here for now.

Jai Radhe to everyone.

Trees in Sri Radhakunda are already whispering Jagats name.
Jagat will be there soon.

All the best Jagat. Day here or there, but you will be there.....
Take care and be well .

Whispering? The champaks on our back yard are jumping up and down... J-A-G-A-T -- let me hear you say JAGAT! I'm telling them to tone it down, at least for night-time, as we also need to sleep here.

I think by this time his plane took off saying -- Radhakund, Radhakund, Radhakund!
M-A-D-H-A-V-A! Be there, be there, be there!

even here in Germany i can hear the peacocks scream:

" Jagat, where are you?"

Waiting for some news, Madhava! Has Jagatji made it to Vraja yet?

Arrives 27th morning 9 AM local time in Delhi Intl. Airport.

I am so impatient for Jagat to arrive you'd think I was making the trip myself. I am sure he is just bursting with anticipation.

Trees in Radhakund stopped whispering, the campakas in Madhava's backyard became too tired of jumping up and down. And what happened to the peacocks screaming? Sorry, we cannot hear them because the plane has just landed at Delhi according to Indian time (Wednesday 11:30pm in Montreal), two very special devotees just met (I wonder if Madhava has kept his beard to be identified easily ), and on top of that Jagatji just kept bursting with anticipation.

Satyabhama, Tapati and me waiting anxiously to blow the conches.

It's unfortunate that Braja, Rasaraj, Tarungovindaji had to miss this joyful occasion.

Oh, I've never been good at conch blowing! Alas! What a sad pujari I'd have made! It would sound like my conch had a bad cold.

Can I throw flower petals or something? Squirt him with Radha Kunda water in a supersoaker?

And on top of that Jagatji just kept bursting in joy - I should say.

Tapati, since you're not good at conch blowing, in that case, the flower petals will do. Just make sure he is not allergic to that. He had been sneezing a lot before he was leaving.

We really are showing our patience...

Tapati is bringing the flowers, eh? Can I dance a pushpanjali to celebrate his arrival in Vraj?

I was thinking of coreographing something for the song "konumidhe kusumanjali" from the movie Sri Krishna Tulaabhaaram... Advitiyaji, would you be so kind as to bring a cassette player and batteries if possible?

...and the conch too

Are you a conch potato?

wow, I can practically feel Jagatji's excitement from here.

...what to speak of Tapati, Satyabhama, Advitiya, & everyone's anticipation for word of his arrival.......

If we go on like this, then Jagat will hardly see those Radha-kund pandas, for they will be crowded out by our (subtly present) welcome commitee making all kinds of joyous noises...

Then again, it might be that the word has spread among the pandas of his arrival and they are just as eager to get him in their holy paws...

...to make him a long term overdue acman or some kind of special ritual to make us wait...

What happened? I didn't miss the big arrival, did I? I have been standing around waiting for the big whooplah.... Satyabhama? Tapati? Advitiya? ......Jagat?

hmm... if the arrival festivities have already taken place, I was not invited.

well then that proves it....they have not started yet, for how could they neglect you, Satyabhama, the kind hearted

Oh come now... if you are neglected then certainly I would not have been asked....

Well maybe they found another girl with better bharatanatyam skills. Or worse, an Odissi dancer... I would surely not be invited back after that.

But seriously, what is going on with Jagat I wonder!

I bet ya it is a mixture of no power & total excitement with a touch of aversion towards anything modern.... mostly I imagine that arriving into Vraja after countless years, I bet the last thing Jagat's gonna wanna do is go inside and get online ...either one of them ...if I were Jagat, I'd be like going here and there soaking up as much of the Nectar and mercy I could stand...parikrama-ing this...bathing in that...Madhava would have to knock me over the head and drag me home or I'd go on soaking up the nectar all night...welcoming in the dawn. How could you sleep anyways on your first night there....I am speculating, of course...but I imagine alot about the day (Krsna willing....PUH-LEEEEEZ) I first arrive in a Holy dham.

I wouldn't want to look at a computer for at least a few days.

I am sure it is some combination of blissful busy-ness and jet lag. I am trying (hard) to practice patience. I am sure they know we want to hear all about Jagat's glorious arrival.

Good points, Srijiva-ji. Also, Jagat needs to get us all off his back at least once in a day of Brahma, so as not to lose ground.

But for Madhava there is no excuse!

Maybe there is a conspiracy and Madhava is keeping Jagat soaking in the Kunda?

Really, someone has got to update us today and at least let us know that he arrived safely. I don't expect them to take time out to tell us every detail, but a couple of sentences isn't too much to ask. (Unless the internet connection is down.)

Oh Krishna... once it happens you will not mind the wait in retrospect because when the pain of separation breaks... *BAM* Krishna's love hits ya like a fist right in the nose... er....

OH KRISHNA!

I seriously hope we all get the same blessings Jagat is enjoying now!

Arrived safely, took prasad, met with Babaji Maharaja in the evening, went to Govardhan the next day, crashed out after the parikrama, went to Baba and went to library, attended Vaishnava Pada Das Baba's class, came home, prepared prasad. The short of it.

Oh I am so glad... I was afraid something might have happened in the air between here and there....

Oh Madhava! Finally! Were you just waiting to intensify our feeling of separation?

I was on the verge of trying to get someone to start calling the hospitals and police stations - apologies to Braja for my frantic PM to him on such topics!

Is it is a peculiarly female trait that we never stop worrying, like neurotic mother hens clucking around the farmyard?

I don't know if it is only females who have this trait, but I know that even when I miss an email from a regular correspondent, I worry that that person has "gone to Krishna" without me.

Well, I am so glad to hear Jagatji has safely arrived

Here is a song I like to offer.

Ananga will like this one.

Jagat, braje gelo re,
braja-raja mAkhbe bole braje gelo re |

rAdhakunde nAmbe bole,
jay rAdhe, jay rAdhe bole,
braje gelo re |

sukhI holo re,
braje giye Jagat bAbA sukhI holo re ||

Jaya rAdhe, jaya rAdhe, jaya rAdhe, jaya rAdhe!

Yes, email is our lifeline in this globally dispersed Sanga.

So perhaps a prayer to Vrinda devi is in order as the patroness of all messenger systems!

tvadiya-dutyena nikunja-yunor
atyutkayoh keli-vilasa-siddhih
tvat-saubhagam kena nirucyatam tad
vrinde namas te caranaravindam

"Because you became their messenger, the eager and youthful divine couple enjoyed the perfection of transcendental pastimes in the forest. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet."

Thanks for letting us know Madhavaji, may Vrinda devi bless you!

Well, I just ran across this thread today for the first time (around 1 PM here). Interestingly enough, memories had popped into my head (at around 5 AM here) of an occasion when Jagat, a Dutch devotee and I swam around in the kund back in 1982. The three of us were staying in the second floor room of Baba's (Tin Kudi Goswami) temple and I financed the repair of the doorway and Jagat arranged for the carpenter. (Baba was in Puri at the time). We went on parikrama to Nanda Gram, Barshana and prem sarovar and on one leg of that journey we hitched a ride on a flatbed trailer pulled by a farmer's tractor. That was probably the most uncomfortable and awkward ride I had ever taken in my life, sitting on sheet metal and enduring every bump while struggling to avoid sliding off altogether - but it was worth it after all.

Any updates on the travel plans?......

Leaving on the 10th. Leaving for Navadvipa on the 27th.

who's leaving for where on the 10th, you and/or Jagat? The 10th of which month? Who's leaving for Navadwip on the 27th? The 27th of which month?

JD33 is also in navadwip. Probably you can meet him there.
By the way is Jagat coming to calcutta?

Wow, almost two months ago we were anxiously awaiting Jagat's safe arrival in Vraja and now we are anxious to hear all about it. I understand it takes time to digest such a transcendent experience (we can tell just from the pictures) so I am working on my patience.

May I hope that Jagat will kindly consider cross posting his account to our humble forum? Perhaps also to share some pictures in our gallery?

And next we need to work on helping Advitiya save up for her trip.

Look at what good fundraisers we were the first time around! Give me a bit of time to set aside some funds and I'll be happy to pitch in.

Why, in this round robin way sooner or later everyone can go on pilgrimage!

Dear Tapati and friends,

Please forgive me for not answering sooner. Actually, I would like very much to be able to do the rasodgara of my experiences in India, which were many and rich. I realize deeply that I owe you all that, and as soon as the opportunity arises, I will make an effort to do so. Unfortunately, I did not keep a very rigorous diary, but I think that the main events will one day be available for everyone's pleasure.

In the meantime, my personal financial crisis has not gone away, and I really have no time for anything right now but finding a solution to it. My trip to India was also a selfish act on my part, and the repercussions of that are being felt in my family.

Please, please do not think that I am not grateful or beholden to you all for what you have done. Like I said on the other thread, it has been a life-changing experience, and it remains to be seen how much of my life will change and in what way.

Your servant,

Jagadananda Das.

My dear friend,

I certainly don't want you to think that since I contributed I think that you now owe me a speedy account of your trip! I am simply expressing my very human fault of impatience, which has often been my bane.

I have been imagining your trip might very well have had some mundane fallout, such as illness, strained finances, etc., as well as your need to reflect on the spiritual effects.

So please take as much time as you need to attend to all of these things. I realize that impatience is my own fault to address.

Blessed Be--

Tapati

PS As for selfishness, in any family one is obligated to help other family members chase their dreams. Each will do this in turn. I have no doubt that you are just as willing to support each family member in achieving their heart's desire.