Sri Navadvipa Transformed into Vrindavan

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has, over and over again, established the importance of Gaura bhajana—of chanting the names and meditating on the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as well as Lord Nityananda, in Their most merciful abode of Sri Navadvipa Dhama. This message is the very essence of his Sri Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, but he has also interwoven this theme into the fabric of his four songbooks. In these and other writings of his, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura practically shows us how the effects of such bhajana cannot be overestimated. Indeed, he describes a most remarkable transformation that occurs while he is situated in the forest of Godruma in Sri Navadvipa Dhama.

Interestingly, in the first verse of this bhajana from his Kalyana-Kalpataru songbook, the Thakura uses a question format, with the word "kabe" indicating "when"?

ha ha mora gaurakisora

kabe doya hari sri godruma-bane

dekha dibe mana-cora

O my beloved Lord Sri Gaurakisora! When will You mercifully manifest Yourself to me in the forest of Godruma?" (Verse 1).

The Thakura's question in this first verse illustrates his intense hankering, eagerness, and greed (laulyam) to attain the darsana of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This greed, we learn in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, is extremely important to cultivate:

"Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price — that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 8.70).

Since the Thakura genuinely has this greed and such astounding dainya (humility), it is not long before Mahaprabhu reciprocates with His pure devotee.

It is at this point that the bhajana starts to shift from general to specific. We realize that Srila Bhaktivinoda's meditation has brought Lord Gaurakisora to the very kunja wherethe Thakura has been performing his continuous bhajana in Sri Navadvipa Dhama: Ananda Sukhada Kunja.

When will He pass through Ananda Sukhada Kunja, with Gadadhara on His left? His complexion is golden. He has beautiful curly hair and He is dressed like a dancer. (Verse 2).

While the above verse is already extraordinary as a meditation within the mind, by the third verse, we realize that this special lila is occurring in real time and that Their Lordships are directly manifesting Themselves before Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

However, what happens next is astonishing:

As I am observing this, They will suddenly manifest Themselves as the effulgent forms of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava. They will dance, along with the sakhis, and all of them will be wearing charming flower garlands around Their necks.

The transformation which occurs above is most revealing! Gaura-Gadadhara reveal that They are nondifferent from Sri Sri Radha-Madhava and Sri Navadvipa Dhama reveals that it is nondifferent from Vrindavan. Of course, in the Thakura's Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, Lord Nityananda explains to Sri Jiva Goswami the difference between the two Dhamas and the importance of taking shelter of Sri Navadvipa to have access to Vraja-dhama and Vraja-lila:

Navadvipa and Vrindavan are one principle, one is neither less than nor greater than the other. Vrindavan is the receptacle of rasa, the goal of the living entities, but one who is not qualified cannot receive that nectar. Therefore, that same dhama has mercifully become Navadvipa, where the living entities can attain qualification for that nectar. In other words, Radha and Krsna’s pastimes are the highest of all transcendental mellows, therefore one has no immediate right to them. 

[...] In this terrible age of Kali, offenses are continuous, the body is short-lived, and there are many troubles, so even if one wants the Vrindavan rasa, it is not attainable. Therefore, the only method of getting that rasa is by the mercy of Krsna. Radha and Krsna have given that mercy to the living entities by manifesting Vrindavan in the form of Navadvipa and by incarnating in the womb of Saci in a combined form as Gaurahari. In that form, They have given the process to qualify for vraja-rasa. Even the initial presence of offenses does not bar one from quickly attaining the goal. 

In that text, and in this bhajana, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has shown that only by the mercy of Krishna, via Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, can one be granted the divine eyes to see that Navadvipa is nondifferent from Vrindavan—and that Navadvipa Dhama has the potency to revea Vraja-lila also. Indeed, the Thakura has the direct darsana, in this bhajana, of Srimati Radharani and Krishna dancing, along with Their sakhis. This shows that the topmost lilas in Vrindavan are granted access via Sri Navadvipa Dhama.

Finally, Sri Navadvipa Dhama also grants one access to confidential sevas rendered to the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. In the last verse of the bhajana, the Thakura writes:

Out of compassion, Sri Ananga Manjari will hold the hands of this maidservant and introduce her to Their Lordships. Thereafter, I will see the beautiful sweet form of Radha and Krsna to my eyes' full satisfaction.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, or Kamala Manjari, is always situated in his eternal sevas in both the Navadvipa and the Vrindavan contexts. However, one of the purposes of this last verse is to show how sadhakas on the path of bhakti may gain entrance into their eternal sevas rendered in Vrindavan to the Divine Couple—via Sri Navadvipa Dhama and via Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Who particularly desired to spread the glorious and ecstatic mood of radha-dasyam, or manjari-bhava.