Distributing Lord Chaitanya’s Mission
Following is an excerpt from a
lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
founder-acharya of The International Society for Krishna Consciousnes:
Lord Chaitanya gave us eight verses, known as Siksastaka...This Siksastaka poetry, containing
eight verses, are very valuable, and they were given by Lord Chaitanya
for understanding of the whole human society. It was not meant for any
particular country or particular society, but it was meant for the whole
human race. Lord Chaitanya entrusted His countrymen, who are known as
Bharatiyas, to distribute this message throughout the whole world, in
every village and every town. There is a nice Bengali verse in
Chaitanya-charitamrita:prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama
The Lord predicted that, "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the world, everywhere this message will be known." And He also said,
bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
He entrusted his countrymen -- means any Indians. Not that because He appeared in Bengal it was entrusted to the Bengalis, but He said that bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara: "on the land of Bharata-varsa." India is known as Bharata-varsa. Perhaps most of you know it. This is after the name of King Bharata. There was a great king, Bharata, who was the emperor of the world, and this planet was named Bharata-varsa after his name. Before that this planet was known as Ilavrta-varsa. And after Maharaja Bharata, this planet was named as Bharata-varsa. But gradually, there was partition. As recently also there has been partition of India -- Hindustan and Pakistan -- similarly, this planet, known as Bharata-varsa, was partitioned gradually, one after another. So then the other names -- Europe, Africa, or America, or Germany -- these names gradually developed. Actually the whole planet was known as Bharata-varsa. That we understand from the Vedic history. And there was one king. That king also belonged to Hastinapura, which is called at the present moment New Delhi, near about that.
So anyway, Lord Chaitanya entrusted to spread this message to the Indians. Bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. There are many kinds of living entities. There are men, there are animals, there are birds, beasts, trees, aquatics -- all of them are living entities. But He is entrusting to the manusya. Bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara. "One who has taken his birth as human being, Indian human being, to him I am entrusting this message, that this should be distributed all over the world in villages, in towns, this message." So I am especially speaking to the Indians present here, that you have got a responsibility on behalf of Lord Chaitanya. If you believe in our sastras, in our acharyas, then those who are present here as Indians, I will request them to take this responsibility of spreading the message of Lord Chaitanya all over the world. And He said, bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara, janma sarthaka kari [Cc. Adi 9.41]. Janma sarthaka kari means "First of all make your life successful." You cannot distribute this transcendental message without making your life successful. Janma sarthaka kari. That means persons who are born in India, they have got the facility for making life successful. How? Because there is immense treasure-house of transcendental knowledge in India. It is known to everyone, in every part of the world.
