Nimai Pandit reveals Himself as a Vaishnava

Kṛṣṇa is so merciful. By his grace and by the unlimited mercy of Śrīla Guru Mahārāj (Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj) I have got some opportunity to stay here and to serve the sincere seekers and the Vaiṣṇavas. With their love I am happily staying here. Many new sincere seekers have joined in the line of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and it is very good news that our family is increasing.

“Goṣṭhi varaouṅ kṛṣṇa āmāra sabākara,” Śrīvās Paṇḍit was always somewhat disturbed by Mahāprabhu, who was at that time Nimāi Paṇḍit. Nimāi Paṇḍit was very naughty and was always disturbing all the big paṇḍits. Whoever was a scholar he would question them and disturb them. They could not answer his questions and when they couldn’t answer, Mahāprabhu gave that answer. Then when they were happy, again Mahāprabhu cut that answer and showed that it was not truth. Then he made another illusion. They were thinking, “Is he a man of not? Which way is he doing this?” But everyone was happy.

Some of the devotees were saying, “If Nimāi Paṇḍit will join in Kṛṣṇa consciousness then we will get a great victory.” When Nimāi Paṇḍit was a young man he went to Gayā Dhām. At Gayā Dhām people are giving some offering to their forefathers with is giving the forefathers liberation. That is the glory of Gayā Dhām. Viṣṇu’s lotus feet are residing there and if you give some remnants from his lotus feet to your forefathers, they get liberation. This is the tradition and it is done by the living relatives, son, daughter etc. Mahāprabhu also showed that. He went to Gayā and took initiation at the same time from Īśvara Purī. Immediately Kṛṣṇa-prema was revealed to him. He was extremely intoxicated with Kṛṣṇa-prema and he came back to Nabadwīp fully changed. He revealed himself as a Vaiṣṇava.

First the devotees heard, “Nimāi Paṇḍit has come back from Gayā Dhām and he has become a Vaiṣṇava, and what kind of Vaiṣṇava we cannot express. Naturally a Vaiṣṇava is humble, tolerant and giving honour to others, while chanting the glories of their divine Lord. But Nimāi Paṇḍit is not like that. He is intoxicated with divine love of Kṛṣṇa and he is always crying taking the name of Kṛṣṇa. He is always showing that he is living within deep separation from Kṛṣṇa. Unbelievable devotional symptoms are coming in his body. He has immediately become a great Vaiṣṇava Āchārya.”

Every day many devotees assembled at one devotee’s house where there was a large tree which produced thousands of flowers every day. The devotees went there to collect the flowers and while they were doing that they were also communicating with each other the glories of the Lord. When they met in that house this time they said, “Have you heard? Nimāi Paṇḍit has become a great Vaiṣṇava and what I have seen in his body I cannot express. Actually, he is a great devotee. We could not understand before, but now after his initiation his position is like this. He is already one of us I think.” At that time Śrīvās Paṇḍit was there also, he was also going there to collect flowers,

prathame kahileṅ śrīvās udāra
goṣṭhi varaouṅ kṛṣṇa āmāra sabākara

After hearing this news Śrīvās Paṇḍit was very happy. He was a very simple-hearted Vaiṣṇava. Śrīvās Paṇḍit is actually within the Pañcha-tattva and an intimate associate of Mahāprabhu, but their manifestation happened in this way. Firstly, Śrīvās said, “Oh, if it is so, then I am very happy. Kṛṣṇa has given Nimāi Paṇḍit to us and now we can do anything in Nabadwīp!” His desire was like that, “If Nimāi Paṇḍit will join within Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we can happily live in Nabadwīp and no-one can compete with us. And that is what happened. Kṛṣṇa is very merciful to us by increasing our family and it is superb that Nimāi Paṇḍit has joined with us.”

When Kṛṣṇa is giving that opportunity anywhere, the devotees are getting much happiness, now some lost servant of Kṛṣṇa has joined in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is the Lord’s loving search for his lost servant. When they’re joining with us I am feeling so much happiness.