Sri Gaur Purnima 2007 Lunar Eclipse Kirtan

Sri Sri Guru Gaurangau Jayatah!

Gaurabda Year 521 means the 521st year since the appearance of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. The year began last Gaur Purnima (3 March 2007), which was celebrated by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas all over the world.

Gaur means golden and purnima mean full moon. So that full moon night of the auspicious "birthday" of Gauranga Mahaprabhu is called Gaur Purnima -- the Golden full moon because like the moon which is very soothing and cooling to the body, Sri Gaurahari has appeared to spread the rays of love of God which is the only cooling shelter to the conditioned souls who are burning in the fire of lust, anger, greed, illusion, envy, fear, etc. in this material world.

Although Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu is Sri Krishna, the Supreme Lord Himself, He has come to play the role of a devotee. This is because it is the nature of God to be the Supreme Enjoyer and (not wanting to miss out on anything) He too wants to taste how great the pleasure His devotees are relishing in Himself.

The greatest of all devotees, of course, is Srimati Radhika. She is the personification of pure love for Sri Krishna. She is Krishna's greatest Lover and all the devotees of the Lord are only tasting glimpses of Her love for Sri Krishna. By just a reflection of Her love, the devotees are tasting so much nectar that they naturally renounce material relationships, all wealth, name and fame, etc. seeing them as insignificant and useless. The devotees of the Lord are relishing so much pleasure that material sense enjoyment appears painful and the world considers them mad. They leave their relatives and friends and remain only absorbed madly in their worshipable Lord. Such is the glory of even a fraction of this love. What to speak of the actual totality of this love tasted by Srimati Radhika Herself?

Therefore, desiring to really understand the glory of Srimati Radhika's love, and at the same time understand His own sweetness that all the devotees are tasting and especially what Srimati Radhika alone is able to taste and thereby able to also taste such greatest nectar, Sri Krishna Himself appeared in the mood and the golden complexion of Srimati Radhka. Thus He became called Gauranga, the Golden One.

Realising the appearance of the Golden Moon, the moon herself became hesitant to show herself and thus on the Gaur Purnima night there was a lunar eclipse.

An eclipse is considered materially inauspicious. Any material endeavors on an eclipse has no good result. However, for spiritual activities, an eclipse is quite favorable. Mantras and spiritual practices seriously done on an eclipse brings siddhi or perfection.

On a lunar or solar eclipse, the common rule is that during such period, one should remain indoor and should not sleep, eat, drink, and as far as possible avoid passing stool and urine. One must engage in Harinama sankirtan during this time and stay in holy places or the holy association of devotees.

Therefore this year's Gaur Purnima brought so much special bliss to the devotees as during this occasion, there was also a lunar eclipse. And especially to the thousands of devotees in our Sri Keshavji Gaudiya Math in Navadvip who have gathered to perform Sri Navadvip-dhama Parikrama and celebrate Sri Gaur Purnima Festival together under the guidance of our ever well wisher and most worshipful Guru Maharaja Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja, their sankirtan is bathing everyone with glimpses of Mahaprabhu's happiness and love.

Here is a little video clip of the kirtan the devotees had during the lunar eclipse. Many devotees forgot sleeping that night. They were simply having fun remembering, singing and chanting the Holy Names, dancing, playing musical instruments and sometimes throwing colors and just be themselves -- mad. More devotees came to join the sankirtan when the eclipse started at around 3:00 am on the 4th of March and when the eclipse ended at around 6:45 am, what else is a better way to end it other than going out for a quick nagar sankirtan to the nearby Ganga and taking a refreshing and purifying bath.

Great start of the year, isn't it? Hope to see you next year again in Sri Navadvip-dham. Nitai-Gaur Premanande! Hari Haribol!

KKd