Journey to Ṛṣikeśa and Śukatāla

The week before Gaura Pūrṇimā, Śrīpāda Bhakti Kiśora Araṇya Mahārāja and Gaura Gopāla Dāsa Brahmacārī travelled to Rishikesh to collect Gaṅgā water for the daily pūjā of Girirāja and śālagrāma in the āśrama. While there, they met various persons who were interested to know more about Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtana movement and the Mahā-mantra. Āraṇya Mahārāja gave a short lecture on the banks of the Gaṅgā about his experiences with Gaṅgā Devī during the time of Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja, and how Rishikesh has changed since the 1980s.

On the way back to Vṛndāvana, the devotees stopped off at Śukatāla (Śuka Tīrtha), the place where Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī spoke the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam to Parikṣit and the assembled sages. There is a temple there with Deities of Śukadeva, Parikṣit, Vyāsadeva, Viśvamitra, Vasiṣṭha Muni, Śṛṅgi and Śamīka Ṛṣi, and at the spot where Śukadeva spoke the Bhāgavata, there is a huge banyan tree which is worshipped by the devotees and pilgrims. After taking darśana, Śrīpāda Araṇya Mahārāja spoke something about the Bhāgavatam, the dangers of skipping the first nine cantos, and changing the message of the guru in pursuit of scholarship and recognition.