Sitala-devi

 

“Prabhupāda: . . . their society, and they are advocating, “”No temple or Deity worship.”” So one boy, so he was a member of this society. So there is Śītalā-mātā, the goddess of smallpox. So he had some trouble in the house, smallpox. So he thought of going to the Śītalā-mātā’s temple. So he’s entering the temple and seeing in this way, “”Mother, I am your devotee but they will tax me. Therefore I am going out.”” (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this man, he is afraid of God, but he has to preach there is no God. So he was feeble.
(760206 – Morning Walk – Mayapur)

One night while kīrtana was going on inside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s house, a brāhmaṇa named Gopāla Cāpāla, the chief of the nonbelievers, who was talkative and very rough in his speech, placed all the paraphernalia for worshiping the goddess Durgā outside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s door.
PURPORT
This brāhmaṇa, Gopāla Cāpāla, wanted to defame Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura by proving that he was actually a śākta, or a worshiper of Bhavānī, the goddess Durgā, but was externally posing as a Vaiṣṇava. In Bengal there is perpetual competition between the devotees of Goddess Kālī and the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Generally Bengalis, especially those who are meat-eaters and drunkards, are very much attached to worshiping the goddesses Durgā, Kālī, Śītalā and Caṇḍī. Such devotees, who are known as śāktas, or worshipers of the śakti-tattva, are always envious of Vaiṣṇavas. Since Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura was a well-known and respected Vaiṣṇava in Navadvīpa, Gopāla Cāpāla wanted to reduce his prestige by bringing him down to the platform of the śāktas. Therefore outside Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s door he placed various paraphernalia for worshiping Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva, such as a red flower, a plantain leaf, a pot of wine, and reddish sandalwood paste. In the morning, when Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura saw all this paraphernalia in front of his door, he called for the respectable gentlemen of the neighborhood and showed them that at night he was worshiping Bhavānī. Very much sorry, these gentlemen called for a sweeper to cleanse the place and purify it by sprinkling water and cow dung there. This incident concerning Gopāla Cāpāla is not mentioned in the Caitanya-bhāgavata.
(CC Adi 17.37-38)”

Share

💬
AI Pilgrim Guide
Hare Krishna 🙏 Welcome to the ISKCON Mayapur AI Pilgrim Guide.

Inspired by Srila Prabhupada's desire to attract people from all over the world to Sri Mayapur-dhama, this AI pilgrim guide is part of the "CONNECT with Sri Mayapur-dhama" initiative. It is designed to help visitors and devotees explore ISKCON Mayapur and Sri Navadvipa-dhama, access pilgrimage-related information, and learn about the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Please note that responses are generated by artificial intelligence and may occasionally contain inaccuracies, omissions, or translation errors. For authoritative guidance, official policies, temple services, schedules, or other verified information, please contact ISKCON Mayapur directly.

The information provided by this assistant is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. ISKCON Mayapur is not responsible for any decisions, actions, or outcomes resulting from the use of information generated by this AI assistant.

📱 Stay connected with Sri Mayapur-dhama:

Join the Sri Mayapur-dhama WhatsApp Community

☎️ For any assistance, please contact the Mayapur Whatsapp:
+91 80168 86555

By continuing to use this service, you acknowledge and accept these terms.