Chapter 16
The Lord's Attempt to Go to Vrndavana
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives the following summary of this chapter
in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to go to
Vrndavana, Ramananda Raya and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya indirectly presented many
obstructions. In due course of time, all the devotees of Bengal visited
Jagannatha Puri for the third year. This time, all the wives of the Vaisnavas
brought many types of food, intending to extend invitations to Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu at Jagannatha Puri. When the devotees arrived, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
sent his blessings in the form of garlands. In that year also, the Gundica
temple was cleansed, and when the Caturmasya period was over, all the devotees
returned to their homes in Bengal. Caitanya Mahaprabhu forbade Nityananda to
visit Nilacala every year. Questioned by the inhabitants of Kulina-grama,
Caitanya Mahaprabhu again repeated the symptoms of a Vaisnava. Vidyanidhi also
came to Jagannatha Puri and saw the festival of Odana-sasthi. When the devotees
bade farewell to the Lord, the Lord was determined to go to Vrndavana, and on
the day of Vijaya-dasami, He departed.
Maharaja Prataparudra made various arrangements for Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu's trip to Vrndavana. When He crossed the River Citrotpala, Ramananda
Raya, Mardaraja and Haricandana went with Him. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
requested Gadadhara Pandita to go to Nilacala, Jagannatha Puri, but he did not
abide by this order. From Kataka, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu again requested
Gadadhara Pandita to return to Nilacala, and He bade farewell to Ramananda Raya
from Bhadraka. After this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu crossed the border of Orissa
state, and He arrived at Panihati by boat. Thereafter He visited the house of
Raghava Pandita, and from there He went to Kumarahatta and eventually to
Kuliya, where He excused many offenders. From there He went to Ramakeli, where
He saw Sri Rupa and Sanatana and accepted them as His chief disciples.
Returning from Ramakeli, He met Raghunatha dasa and after giving him instructions
sent him back home. Thereafter the Lord returned to Nilacala and began to make
plans to go to Vrndavana without a companion.
TEXT 1
TEXT
gaudodyanam gaura-meghah
sincan svalokanamrtaih
bhavagni-dagdha-janata-
virudhah samajivayat
SYNONYMS
gauda-udyanam--upon the garden known as Gauda-desa; gaura-meghah--the
cloud known as Gaura; sincan--pouring water; sva--His own;
alokana-amrtaih--with the nectar of the glance; bhava-agni--by the blazing fire
of material existence; dagdha--having been burnt; janata--the people in
general; virudhah--who are like creepers and plants; samajivayat--revived.
TRANSLATION
By the nectar of His personal glance, the cloud known as Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu poured water upon the garden of Gauda-desa and revived the people,
who were like creepers and plants burning in the forest fire of material
existence.
TEXT 2
TEXT
jaya jaya gauracandra jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
SYNONYMS
jaya jaya--all glories; gauracandra--to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
jaya--all glories; nityananda--to Nityananda Prabhu; jaya--all glories;
advaita-candra--to Advaita Acarya; jaya--all glories; gaura-bhakta-vrnda--to the
devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TRANSLATION
All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityananda!
All glories to Advaitacandra! All glories to all the devotees of the Lord!
TEXT 3
TEXT
prabhura ha-ila iccha yaite vrndavana
suniya prataparudra ha-ila vimana
SYNONYMS
prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; ha-ila--there was; iccha--the
desire; yaite--to go; vrndavana--to Vrndavana; suniya--hearing;
prataparudra--Maharaja Prataparudra; ha-ila vimana--became morose.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to go to Vrndavana, and Maharaja
Prataparudra became very morose upon hearing this news.
TEXT 4
TEXT
sarvabhauma, ramananda, ani' dui jana
dunhake kahena raja vinaya-vacana
SYNONYMS
sarvabhauma--Sarvabhauma; ramananda--Ramananda; ani'--calling; dui
jana--two persons; dunhake--unto both of them; kahena--said; raja--the King;
vinaya-vacana--submissive words.
TRANSLATION
The King therefore called for Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Ramananda
Raya, and he spoke the following submissive words to them.
TEXT 5
TEXT
niladri chadi' prabhura mana anyatra yaite
tomara karaha yatna tanhare rakhite
SYNONYMS
niladri--Jagannatha Puri; chadi'--giving up; prabhura--of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; mana--the mind; anyatra--elsewhere; yaite--to go; tomara--both of
you; karaha--make; yatna--endeavor; tanhare--Him; rakhite--to keep.
TRANSLATION
Prataparudra Maharaja said, "Please endeavor to keep Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu here at Jagannatha puri, for now He is thinking of going elsewhere.
TEXT 6
TEXT
tanha vina ei rajya more nahi bhaya
gosani rakhite karaha nana upaya
SYNONYMS
tanha vina--without Him; ei rajya--this kingdom; more--to me; nahi
bhaya--is not very pleasing; gosani--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; rakhite--to keep;
karaha--do; nana upaya--various sorts of devices.
TRANSLATION
"Without Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this kingdom is not pleasing to
me. Therefore please try to devise some plan to enable the Lord to stay
here."
TEXT 7
TEXT
ramananda, sarvabhauma, dui-jana-sthane
tabe yukti kare prabhu----'yaba vrndavane'
SYNONYMS
ramananda--Ramananda; sarvabhauma--Sarvabhauma; dui-jana-sthane--before
the two persons; tabe--then; yukti kare--consulted; prabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; yaba vrndavane--I shall go to Vrndavana.
TRANSLATION
After this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself consulted Ramananda Raya and
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, saying,"I shall go to Vrndavana."
TEXT 8
TEXT
dunhe kahe,----ratha-yatra kara darasana
kartika aile, tabe kariha gamana
SYNONYMS
dunhe kahe--both of them said; ratha-yatra--the Ratha-yatra festival;
kara darasana--please see; kartika aile--when the month of Karttika arrives;
tabe--at that time; kariha gamana--You can go.
TRANSLATION
Ramananda Raya and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya requested the Lord to observe
first the Ratha-yatra festival. Then when the month of Karttika arrived, He
could go to Vrndavana.
TEXT 9
TEXT
kartika aile kahe----ebe maha-sita
dola-yatra dekhi' yao----ei bhala rita
SYNONYMS
kartika aile--when the month of Karttika arrived; kahe--both of them
said; ebe--now; maha-sita--very cold; dola-yatra dekhi'--after seeing the
Dola-yatra ceremony; yao--You go; ei--this; bhala rita--a very nice program.
TRANSLATION
However, when the month of Karttika came, they both told the Lord,
"Now it is very cold. It is better that You wait to see the Dola-yatra
festival and then go. That will be very nice."
TEXT 10
TEXT
aji-kali kari' uthaya vividha upaya
yaite sammati na deya vicchedera bhaya
SYNONYMS
aji-kali kari'--delaying today and tomorrow; uthaya--they put forward;
vividha upaya--many devices; yaite--to go; sammati--permission; na deya--did
not give; vicchedera bhaya--because of fearing separation.
TRANSLATION
In this way they both presented many impediments, indirectly not
granting the Lord permission to go to Vrndavana. They did this because they
were afraid of separation from Him.
TEXT 11
TEXT
yadyapi svatantra prabhu
nahe nivarana
bhakta-iccha vina prabhu na kare gamana
SYNONYMS
yadyapi--although; svatantra--fully independent; prabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; nahe nivarana--there is no checking Him; bhakta-iccha vina--without
the permission of devotees; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; na kare
gamana--does not go.
TRANSLATION
Although the Lord is completely independent and incapable of being
checked by anyone, He still did not go without the permission of His devotees.
TEXT 12
TEXT
trtiya vatsare saba gaudera bhakta-gana
nilacale calite sabara haila mana
SYNONYMS
trtiya vatsare--in the third year; saba--all; gaudera
bhakta-gana--devotees from Bengal; nilacale--to Jagannatha Puri; calite--to go;
sabara--of everyone; haila--there was; mana--the mind.
TRANSLATION
Then, for the third year, all the devotees of Bengal wanted to return
again to Jagannatha Puri.
TEXT 13
TEXT
sabe meli' gela advaita acaryera pase
prabhu dekhite acarya
calila ullase
SYNONYMS
sabe--everyone; meli'--after assembling together; gela--went;
advaita--Advaita; acaryera--of the leader of Navadvipa; pase--in the presence;
prabhu dekhite--to see Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; acarya--Advaita Acarya;
calila--departed; ullase--in great jubilation.
TRANSLATION
All the Bengali devotees gathered around Advaita Acarya, and in great
jubilation Advaita Acarya departed to Jagannatha Puri to see Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.
TEXTS 14-15
TEXT
yadyapi prabhura ajna gaudete rahite
nityananda-prabhuke prema-bhakti prakasite
tathapi
calila mahaprabhure dekhite
nityanandera prema-cesta ke pare bujhite
SYNONYMS
yadyapi--although; prabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; ajna--the
order; gaudete rahite--to stay in Bengal; nityananda-prabhuke--unto Nityananda
Prabhu; prema-bhakti--ecstatic love of Godhead; prakasite--to preach;
tathapi--still; calila--departed; mahaprabhure--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
dekhite--to see; nityanandera--of Lord Nityananda Prabhu; prema-cesta--the
activities of ecstatic love; ke--who; pare--is able; bujhite--to understand.
TRANSLATION
Although the Lord told Nityananda Prabhu to stay in Bengal and spread
ecstatic love of God, Nityananda left to go see Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Who can
understand Nityananda Prabhu's ecstatic love?
TEXTS 16-17
TEXT
acaryaratna, vidyanidhi, srivasa, ramai
vasudeva, murari, govindadi tina bhai
raghava
pandita nija-jhali sajana
kulina-grama-vasi cale patta-dori lana
SYNONYMS
acaryaratna--Acaryaratna; vidyanidhi--Vidyanidhi; srivasa--Srivasa;
ramai--Ramai; vasudeva--Vasudeva; murari--Murari; govinda-adi tina
bhai--Govinda and his two brothers; raghava pandita--Raghava Pandita;
nija-jhali--his own bags; sajana--assorting; kulina-grama-vasi--the inhabitants
of Kulina-grama; cale--went; patta-dori lana--taking silken ropes.
TRANSLATION
All the devotees of Navadvipa departed, including Acaryaratna,
Vidyanidhi, Srivasa, Ramai, Vasudeva, Murari, Govinda and his two brothers and
Raghava Pandita, who took bags of assorted foods. The inhabitants of Kulina-grama,
carrying silken ropes, also departed.
TEXT 18
TEXT
khanda-vasi narahari, sri-raghunandana
sarva-bhakta cale, tara ke kare ganana
SYNONYMS
khanda-vasi narahari--Narahari, a resident of the village Khanda;
sri-raghunandana--Sri Raghunandana; sarva-bhakta--all the devotees; cale--went;
tara--of that; ke--who; kare ganana--can count.
TRANSLATION
Narahari and Sri Raghunandana, who were from the village of Khanda, and
many other devotees also departed. Who can count them?
TEXT 19
TEXT
sivananda-sena kare ghati samadhana
sabare palana kari' sukhe lana yana
SYNONYMS
sivananda-sena--Sivananda Sena; kare--made; ghati
samadhana--arrangements for expenditures to clear the tax collecting centers;
sabare--everyone; palana--maintaining; kari'--doing; sukhe--in happiness;
lana--taking; yana--goes.
TRANSLATION
Sivananda Sena, who was in charge of the party, made arrangements to
clear the tax collecting centers. He took care of all the devotees and happily
traveled with them.
TEXT 20
TEXT
sabara sarva-karya karena, dena vasa-sthana
sivananda jane udiya-pathera sandhana
SYNONYMS
sabara--of all of them; sarva-karya--everything necessary to be done;
karena--he does; dena--gives; vasa-sthana--residential places;
sivananda--Sivananda; jane--knows; udiya-pathera--of the roads in Orissa; sandhana--the
junctions.
TRANSLATION
Sivananda Sena took care of all the necessities the devotees required.
In particular, he made arrangements for residential quarters, and he knew the
roads of Orissa.
TEXT 21
TEXT
se vatsara prabhu dekhite saba thakurani
calila acarya-sange acyuta-janani
SYNONYMS
se vatsara--that year; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dekhite--to see;
saba thakurani--all the wives of the devotees; calila--went; acarya-sange--with
Advaita Acarya; acyuta-janani--the mother of Acyutananda.
TRANSLATION
That year also all the wives of the devotees [thakuranis] also went to
see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sitadevi, the mother of Acyutananda, went with
Advaita Acarya.
TEXT 22
TEXT
srivasa pandita-sange calila malini
sivananda-sange cale tanhara grhini
SYNONYMS
srivasa pandita-sange--with Srivasa Pandita; calila--went; malini--his
wife, Malini; sivananda-sange--with Sivananda Sena; cale--goes; tanhara--his;
grhini--wife.
TRANSLATION
Srivasa Pandita also took his wife, Malini, and the wife of Sivananda
Sena also went with her husband.
TEXT 23
TEXT
sivanandera balaka, nama----caitanya-dasa
tenho caliyache prabhure
dekhite ullasa
SYNONYMS
sivanandera balaka--the son of Sivananda; nama--named;
caitanya-dasa--Caitanya dasa; tenho--he; caliyache--was going; prabhure--Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu; dekhite--to see; ullasa--jubilantly.
TRANSLATION
Caitanya dasa, the son of Sivananda Sena, also jubilantly accompanied
them as they went to see the Lord.
TEXT 24
TEXT
acaryaratna-sange cale tanhara grhini
tanhara premera katha kahite na jani
SYNONYMS
acaryaratna-sange--with Candrasekhara; cale--goes; tanhara--his;
grhini--wife; tanhara--his; premera katha--the description of the ecstatic
love; kahite--to speak; na jani--I do not know how.
TRANSLATION
The wife of Candrasekhara [Acaryaratna] also went. I cannot speak of the
greatness of Candrasekhara's love for the Lord.
TEXT 25
TEXT
saba thakurani mahaprabhuke bhiksa dite
prabhura nana priya dravya nila ghara haite
SYNONYMS
saba thakurani--all the wives of the great devotees; mahaprabhuke--to
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bhiksa dite--to offer food; prabhura--of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; nana--various; priya dravya--pleasing foods; nila--took; ghara
haite--from home.
TRANSLATION
To offer Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu various types of food, all the wives of
the great devotees brought from home various things that pleased Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.
TEXT 26
TEXT
sivananda-sena
kare saba samadhana
ghatiyala prabodhi' dena sabare vasa-sthana
SYNONYMS
sivananda-sena--Sivananda Sena; kare--does; saba samadhana--all
arrangements; ghatiyala--the men in charge of levying taxes;
prabodhi'--satisfying; dena--gives; sabare--to everyone; vasa-sthana--resting
places.
TRANSLATION
As stated, Sivananda Sena used to make all arrangements for the party's
necessities. In particular, he used to pacify the men in charge of levying
taxes, and he found resting places for everyone.
TEXT 27
TEXT
bhaksya diya karena sabara sarvatra palane
parama anande yana prabhura darasane
SYNONYMS
bhaksya diya--supplying food; karena--he does; sabara--of everyone;
sarvatra--everywhere; palane--maintenance; parama anande--in great pleasure;
yana--he goes; prabhura darasane--to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TRANSLATION
Sivananda Sena also supplied food to all the devotees and took care of
them along the way. In this way, feeling great happiness he went to see Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Jagannatha Puri.
TEXT 28
TEXT
remunaya asiya kaila gopinatha darasana
acarya karila tahan kirtana, nartana
SYNONYMS
remunaya--to Remuna; asiya--after coming; kaila--performed; gopinatha
darasana--visiting the temple of Gopinatha; acarya--Advaita Acarya;
karila--performed; tahan--there; kirtana--chanting; nartana--dancing.
TRANSLATION
When they all arrived at Remuna, they went to see Lord Gopinatha. In the
temple there, Advaita Acarya danced and chanted.
TEXT 29
TEXT
nityanandera paricaya saba sevaka sane
bahuta sammana asi' kaila sevaka-gane
SYNONYMS
nityanandera--of Lord Nityananda Prabhu; paricaya--there was
acquaintance; saba--all; sevaka sane--with the priests of the temple; bahuta
sammana--great respect; asi'--coming; kaila--offered; sevaka-gane--all the
priests.
TRANSLATION
All the priests of the temple had been previously acquainted with Sri
Nityananda Prabhu; therefore they all came to offer great respects to the Lord.
TEXT 30
TEXT
sei ratri saba mahanta tahani rahila
bara ksira ani' age sevaka dharila
SYNONYMS
sei ratri--that night; saba mahanta--all the great devotees; tahani
rahila--remained there; bara--twelve pots; ksira--condensed milk;
ani'--bringing; age--in front of Nityananda Prabhu; sevaka--the priests;
dharila--placed.
TRANSLATION
That night, all the great devotees remained in the temple, and the
priests brought twelve pots of condensed milk, which they placed before Lord
Nityananda Prabhu.
TEXT 31
TEXT
ksira banti' sabare dila prabhu-nityananda
ksira-prasada pana sabara badila ananda
SYNONYMS
ksira--the condensed milk; banti'--dividing; sabare--unto everyone;
dila--gave; prabhu-nityananda--Nityananda Prabhu; ksira-prasada--remnants of
condensed milk from the Deity; pana--getting; sabara--of everyone;
badila--increased; ananda--the transcendental bliss.
TRANSLATION
When the condensed milk was placed before Nityananda Prabhu, He
distributed the prasada to everyone, and thus everyone's transcendental bliss
increased.
TEXT 32
TEXT
madhava-purira katha, gopala-sthapana
tanhare gopala yaiche magila candana
SYNONYMS
madhava-purira katha--the narration of Madhavendra Puri;
gopala-sthapana--installation of the Deity of Gopala; tanhare--unto him;
gopala--Lord Gopala; yaiche--just as; magila--He begged; candana--sandalwood.
TRANSLATION
They then all discussed the story of Sri Madhavendra Puri's installation
of the Gopala Deity, and they discussed how Gopala begged sandalwood from him.
TEXT 33
TEXT
tanra lagi' gopinatha ksira curi kaila
mahaprabhura mukhe age e katha sunila
SYNONYMS
tanra lagi'--for him (Madhavendra Puri); gopinatha--the Deity named
Gopinatha; ksira--condensed milk; curi--stealing; kaila--performed;
mahaprabhura mukhe--from the mouth of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; age--previously;
e katha--this incident; sunila--heard.
TRANSLATION
It was Gopinatha who stole condensed milk for the sake of Madhavendra
Puri. This incident had been previously related by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Himself.
TEXT 34
TEXT
sei katha sabara madhye kahe nityananda
suniya vaisnava-mane badila ananda
SYNONYMS
sei katha--that incident; sabara madhye--among all of them; kahe--says;
nityananda--Lord Nityananda Prabhu; suniya--hearing; vaisnava-mane--in the
minds of all the Vaisnavas; badila--increased; ananda--the transcendental
bliss.
TRANSLATION
This same narration was again related by Lord Nityananda to all the
devotees, and their transcendental bliss increased as they heard the story
again.
PURPORT
The words mahaprabhura mukhe, "from the mouth of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu," are significant because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu first heard
the story of Madhavendra Puri from His spiritual master, Sripada Isvara Puri.
For this story refer to Madhya-lila, Chapter Four, verse eighteen. After
staying at Sri Advaita's house in Santipura for some time, the Lord narrated
the story of Madhavendra Puri to Nityananda Prabhu, Jagadananda Prabhu,
Damodara Pandita and Mukunda dasa. When they went to Remuna to the temple of
Gopinatha, He described Madhavendra Puri's installation of the Gopala Deity as
well as Gopinatha's stealing condensed milk. Due to this incident, Lord
Gopinatha became well known as Ksiracora, the thief who stole condensed milk.
TEXT 35
TEXT
ei-mata cali' cali' kataka aila
saksi-gopala dekhi' sabe se dina rahila
SYNONYMS
ei-mata--in this way; cali' cali'--walking
and walking; kataka aila--they reached the town known as Kataka; saksi-gopala
dekhi'--after seeing the Deity known as Saksi-gopala; sabe--all the devotees;
se dina--that day; rahila--stayed.
TRANSLATION
Walking and walking in this way, the devotees arrived at the city of
Kataka, where they remained for a day and saw the temple of Saksi-gopala.
TEXT 36
TEXT
saksi-gopalera katha
kahe nityananda
suniya vaisnava-mane badila ananda
SYNONYMS
saksi-gopalera--of the Deity known as Saksi-gopala; katha--the
narration; kahe--describes; nityananda--Nityananda Prabhu; suniya--hearing;
vaisnava-mane--in the minds of all the Vaisnavas; badila--increased;
ananda--the transcendental bliss.
TRANSLATION
When Nityananda Prabhu described all the activities of Saksi-gopala,
transcendental bliss increased in the minds of all the Vaisnavas.
For these activities refer to Madhya-lila, Chapter Five, verses 8--138.
TEXT 37
TEXT
prabhuke milite sabara utkantha antare
sighra kari' aila sabe sri-nilacale
SYNONYMS
prabhuke milite--to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; sabara--of everyone;
utkantha--anxiety; antare--within the heart; sighra kari'--making great haste;
aila--reached; sabe--all of them; sri-nilacale--Jagannatha Puri.
TRANSLATION
Everyone in the party was very anxious at heart to see Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; therefore they hastily went on to Jagannatha Puri.
TEXT 38
TEXT
atharanalake aila gosani suniya
dui-mala pathaila govinda-hate diya
SYNONYMS
atharanalake--Atharanala; aila--they have reached; gosani--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; suniya--hearing; dui-mala--two garlands; pathaila--sent;
govinda-hate diya--through the hands of Govinda.
TRANSLATION
When they all arrived at a bridge called Atharanala, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, hearing the news of their arrival, sent two garlands with Govinda.
TEXT 39
TEXT
dui mala govinda dui-jane paraila
advaita, avadhuta-gosani bada sukha paila
SYNONYMS
dui mala--the two garlands; govinda--Govinda; dui-jane paraila--placed
on the necks of two personalities; advaita--Advaita Acarya;
avadhuta-gosani--Nityananda Prabhu; bada sukha paila--became very happy.
TRANSLATION
Govinda offered the two garlands to Advaita Acarya and Nityananda
Prabhu, and They both became very happy.
TEXT 40
TEXT
tahani arambha kaila krsna-sankirtana
nacite nacite cali' aila dui-jana
SYNONYMS
tahani--on that very spot; arambha kaila--began;
krsna-sankirtana--chanting the holy name of Lord Krsna; nacite nacite--dancing
and dancing; cali'--going; aila--reached; dui-jana--both of Them.
TRANSLATION
Indeed, They began chanting the holy name of Krsna on that very spot,
and, dancing and dancing, both Advaita Acarya and Nityananda Prabhu reached
Jagannatha Puri.
TEXT 41
TEXT
punah mala diya svarupadi nija-gana
agu badi' pathaila sacira nandana
SYNONYMS
punah--again; mala--garlands; diya--offering; svarupa-adi--Svarupa
Damodara Gosvami and others; nija-gana--personal associates; agu badi'--going
forward; pathaila--sent; sacira nandana--the son of mother Saci.
TRANSLATION
Then, for the second time, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sent garlands through
Svarupa Damodara and other personal associates. Thus they went forward, sent by
the son of mother Saci.
TEXT 42
TEXT
narendra asiya tahan sabare milila
mahaprabhura datta mala sabare paraila
SYNONYMS
narendra--to the lake named Narendra; asiya--coming; tahan--there;
sabare--everyone; milila--met; mahaprabhura--by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
datta--given; mala--garlands; sabare paraila--offered to everyone.
TRANSLATION
When the devotees from Bengal reached Lake Narendra, Svarupa Damodara
and the others met them and offered them the garlands given by Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.
TEXT 43
TEXT
simha-dvara-nikate aila suni' gauraraya
apane asiya prabhu milila sabaya
SYNONYMS
simha-dvara--the lion gate; nikate--near; aila--arrived; suni'--hearing;
gauraraya--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; apane--personally; asiya--coming;
prabhu--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; milila sabaya--met them all.
TRANSLATION
When the devotees finally reached the lion gate, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
heard the news and personally went to meet them.
TEXT 44
TEXT
saba lana kaila jagannatha-darasana
saba lana aila punah apana-bhavana
SYNONYMS
saba lana--taking all of them; kaila--performed;
jagannatha-darasana--seeing Lord Jagannatha; saba lana--taking them all; aila--went
back; punah--again; apana-bhavana--to His own residence.
TRANSLATION
Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all His devotees visited Lord
Jagannatha. Finally, accompanied by them all, He returned to His own residence.
TEXT
45
TEXT
vaninatha, kasi-misra prasada anila
svahaste sabare prabhu prasada khaoyaila
SYNONYMS
vaninatha--Vaninatha; kasi-misra--Kasi Misra; prasada anila--brought all
kinds of prasada; sva-haste--with His own hand; sabare--unto everyone;
prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; prasada--the remnants of the food of
Jagannatha; khaoyaila--fed.
TRANSLATION
Vaninatha Raya and Kasi Misra then brought a large quantity of prasada,
and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu distributed it with His own hand and fed them all.
TEXT 46
TEXT
purva vatsare yanra yei vasa-sthana
tahan saba pathana karaila visrama
SYNONYMS
purva vatsare--in the previous year; yanra--of whom; yei--wherever;
vasa-sthana--place to stay; tahan--there; saba--all of them; pathana--sending;
karaila visrama--made them rest.
TRANSLATION
In the previous year, everyone had his own particular residence, and the
same residences were again offered. Thus they all went to take rest.
TEXT 47
TEXT
ei-mata bhakta-gana rahila cari masa
prabhura sahita kare kirtana-vilasa
SYNONYMS
ei-mata--in this way; bhakta-gana--the devotees; rahila--remained; cari
masa--for four months; prabhura sahita--with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
kare--performed; kirtana-vilasa--the pastimes of sankirtana.
TRANSLATION
For four continuous months all the devotees remained there and enjoyed
chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TEXT 48
TEXT
purvavat ratha-yatra-kala yabe aila
saba lana gundica-mandira praksalila
SYNONYMS
purva-vat--as in the previous year; ratha-yatra-kala--the time for
Ratha-yatra festival; yabe--when; aila--arrived; saba lana--taking all of them;
gundica-mandira--the temple of Gundica; praksalila--washed.
TRANSLATION
As in the previous year, they all washed the Gundica temple when the
time for Ratha-yatra arrived.
TEXT 49
TEXT
kulina-grami patta-dori
jagannathe dila
purvavat ratha-agre nartana karila
SYNONYMS
kulina-grami--the residents of Kulina-grama; patta-dori--silken ropes;
jagannathe dila--offered to Lord Jagannatha; purva-vat--like the previous year;
ratha-agre--in front of the car; nartana karila--danced.
TRANSLATION
The inhabitants of Kulina-grama delivered silken ropes to Lord
Jagannatha, and as previously they all danced before the Lord's car.
TEXT 50
TEXT
bahu nrtya kari' punah calila udyane
vapi-tire tahan yai' karila visrame
SYNONYMS
bahu nrtya kari'--after dancing a great deal; punah--again;
calila--started for; udyane--the garden; vapi-tire--on the bank of the lake;
tahan yai'--going there; karila visrame--took rest.
TRANSLATION
After dancing a great deal, they all went to a nearby garden and took
rest beside a lake.
TEXT 51
TEXT
radhi eka vipra, tenho----nityananda dasa
maha-bhagyavan tenho, nama----krsnadasa
SYNONYMS
radhi eka vipra--one brahmana resident of Radha-desa (where the Ganges
does not flow); tenho--he; nityananda dasa--servant of Lord Nityananda;
maha-bhagyavan--greatly fortunate; tenho--he; nama--named; krsnadasa--Krsnadasa.
TRANSLATION
One brahmana named Krsnadasa, who was a resident of Radha-desa and a
servant of Lord Nityananda's, was a very fortunate person.
TEXT 52
TEXT
ghata bhari' prabhura tenho abhiseka kaila
tanra abhiseke prabhu maha-trpta haila
SYNONYMS
ghata bhari'--filling one waterpot; prabhura--of Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; tenho--he; abhiseka kaila--performed the bathing; tanra--his;
abhiseke--by the act of bathing the Lord; prabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
maha-trpta haila--became very satisfied.
TRANSLATION
It was Krsnadasa who filled a great waterpot and poured it over the Lord
while He was taking His bath. The Lord was greatly satisfied by this.
TEXT 53
TEXT
balagandi-bhogera bahu prasada aila
saba sange mahaprabhu prasada khaila
SYNONYMS
balagandi-bhogera--of the food offered at Balagandi; bahu prasada--a
great quantity of prasada; aila--arrived; saba sange--with all the devotees;
mahaprabhu--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; prasada--remnants of the food of
Jagannatha; khaila--ate.
TRANSLATION
The remnants of food offered to the Lord at Balagandi then arrived in
great quantity, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all His devotees ate it.
PURPORT
In reference to Balagandi, see Madhya-lila (13.193).
TEXT 54
TEXT
purvavat ratha-yatra kaila darasana
hera-pancami-yatra dekhe lana bhakta-gana
SYNONYMS
purva-vat--as in the previous year; ratha-yatra--the car festival; kaila
darasana--saw; hera-pancami-yatra--the festival of Hera-pancami; dekhe--He
sees; lana bhakta-gana--with all the devotees.
TRANSLATION
As in the previous year, the Lord, with all the devotees, saw the
Ratha-yatra festival and the Hera-pancami festival as well.
TEXT 55
TEXT
acarya-gosani prabhura kaila nimantrana
tara madhye kaila yaiche jhada-varisana
SYNONYMS
acarya-gosani--Advaita Acarya; prabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
kaila--made; nimantrana--invitation; tara madhye--within that episode;
kaila--occurred; yaiche--just as; jhada-varisana--rainstorm.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya then extended an invitation to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
and there was a great rainstorm connected with that incident.
TEXT 56
TEXT
vistari' varniyachena dasa-vrndavana
srivasa prabhure tabe kaila nimantrana
SYNONYMS
vistari'--elaborating;
varniyachena--has described; dasa-vrndavana--Vrndavana dasa Thakura;
srivasa--Srivasa; prabhure--to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tabe--then; kaila
nimantrana--gave an invitation.
TRANSLATION
All these episodes have been elaborately described by Srila Vrndavana
dasa Thakura. Then one day Srivasa Thakura extended an invitation to the Lord.
PURPORT
Caitanya-bhagavata (Antya-lila, Chapter Eight) gives the following
description. One day Srila Advaita Acarya, having extended an invitation to
Caitanya Mahaprabhu, thought that if the Lord came alone He would feed Him to
His great satisfaction. It then so happened that when the other sannyasis were
going to Advaita Acarya's to take lunch, there was a big rainstorm, and they
could not reach His house. Thus, according to Advaita Acarya's desires, Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu came alone and accepted the prasada.
TEXT 57
TEXT
prabhura priya-vyanjana saba randhena malini
'bhaktye dasi'-abhimana, 'snehete janani'
SYNONYMS
prabhura--of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; priya-vyanjana--favorite
vegetables; saba--all; randhena--cooks; malini--the wife of Srivasa Thakura;
bhaktye dasi--in devotion she was just like a maidservant; abhimana--it was her
conception; snehete--in affection; janani--exactly like a mother.
TRANSLATION
The Lord's favorite vegetables were cooked by Malinidevi, the wife of
Srivasa Thakura. She devotedly considered herself a maidservant of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu's, but in affection she was just like a mother.
TEXT 58
TEXT
acaryaratna-adi yata mukhya bhakta-gana
madhye madhye prabhure karena nimantrana
SYNONYMS
acaryaratna--Candrasekhara; adi--and others; yata--all; mukhya
bhakta-gana--chief devotees; madhye madhye--at intervals; prabhure--to Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu; karena nimantrana--gave invitations.
TRANSLATION
All the chief devotees, headed by Candrasekhara [Acaryaratna] used to
extend invitations to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu periodically.
TEXT 59
TEXT
caturmasya-ante punah nityanande lana
kiba yukti kare nitya nibhrte vasiya
SYNONYMS
caturmasya-ante--at the end of Caturmasya; punah--again; nityanande--Sri
Nityananda Prabhu; lana--taking into confidence; kiba--what; yukti kare--They
consult; nitya--daily; nibhrte--in a solitary place; vasiya--sitting.
TRANSLATION
At the end of the four-month Caturmasya period, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
again consulted with Nityananda Prabhu daily in a solitary place. No one could
understand what Their consultation was about.
TEXT 60
TEXT
acarya-gosani prabhuke kahe thare-thore
acarya tarja pade, keha bujhite na pare
SYNONYMS
acarya-gosani--Advaita Acarya; prabhuke--unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
kahe--speaks; thare-thore--by indications; acarya--Advaita Acarya; tarja
pade--reads some poetic passages; keha--anyone; bujhite--to understand; na
pare--was not able.
TRANSLATION
Then Srila Advaita Acarya said something to Caitanya Mahaprabhu through
gestures and read some poetic passages, which no one understood.
TEXT 61
TEXT
tanra mukha dekhi' hase sacira nandana
angikara
jani' acarya karena nartana
SYNONYMS
tanra mukha--His face; dekhi'--seeing; hase--smiles; sacira
nandana--Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; angikara jani'--understanding the
acceptance; acarya--Advaita Acarya; karena--performed; nartana--dancing.
TRANSLATION
Seeing the face of Advaita Acarya, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu smiled.
Understanding that the Lord had accepted the proposal, Advaita Acarya started
to dance.
TEXT 62
TEXT
kiba prarthana, kiba ajna----keha na bujhila
alingana kari' prabhu tanre vidaya dila
SYNONYMS
kiba--what; prarthana--the request; kiba--what; ajna--the order;
keha--anyone; na bujhila--did not know; alingana kari'--embracing; prabhu--Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tanre--to Him; vidaya dila--bade farewell.
TRANSLATION
No one knew what Advaita Acarya requested or what the Lord ordered.
After embracing the Acarya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bade Him farewell.
TEXT 63
TEXT
nityanande kahe prabhu,----sunaha, sripada
ei ami
magi, tumi karaha prasada
SYNONYMS
nityanande--unto Sri Nityananda Prabhu; kahe--says; prabhu--Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu; sunaha--please hear; sri-pada--O holy man; ei--this; ami--I;
magi--request; tumi--You; karaha--kindly show; prasada--mercy.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told Nityananda Prabhu, "Please hear
Me, O holy man: I now request something of You. Kindly grant My request.
TEXT 64
TEXT
prati-varsa nilacale tumi na asiba
gaude rahi' mora iccha saphala kariba
SYNONYMS
prati-varsa--every year; nilacale--to Jagannatha Puri; tumi--You; na
asiba--do not come; gaude rahi'--staying in Bengal; mora iccha--My desire;
sa-phala kariba--make successful.
TRANSLATION
"Do not come to Jagannatha Puri every year, but stay in Bengal and
fulfill My desire."
PURPORT
The mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to spread the only medicine
effective in this fallen age of Kali-the chanting of the Hare Krsna
maha-mantra. Following the orders of His mother, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was residing
at Jagannatha Puri, and the devotees were coming to see Him. However, the Lord
felt that this message must be spread very elaborately in Bengal, and in His
absence there was not a second person capable of doing it. Consequently the
Lord requested Nityananda Prabhu to stay there and broadcast the message of
Krsna consciousness. The Lord also entrusted a similar preaching responsibility
to Rupa and Sanatana. Nityananda Prabhu was requested not to come every year to
Jagannatha Puri, although seeing Lord Jagannatha greatly benefits everyone.
Does this mean that the Lord was refusing Nityananda Prabhu a fortunate
opportunity? No. One who is a faithful servant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must
execute His order, even if one has to sacrifice going to Jagannatha Puri to see
Lord Jagannatha there. In other words, it is a greater fortune to carry out Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order than to satisfy one's senses by seeing Lord
Jagannatha.
Preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult throughout the world is more
important than staying in Vrndavana or Jagannatha Puri for one's own personal
satisfaction. Spreading Krsna consciousness is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's
mission; therefore His sincere devotees must carry out His desire.
prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama
The devotees of Lord Caitanya must preach Krsna consciousness in every
village and town in the world. That will satisfy the Lord. It is not that one
should act whimsically for his own personal satisfaction. This order comes down
through the parampara system, and the spiritual master presents these orders to
the disciple so that he can spread the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It
is the duty of every disciple to carry out the order of the bona fide spiritual
master and spread Lord Caitanya's message all over the world.
TEXT 65
TEXT
tahan siddhi kare----hena anye na dekhiye
amara 'duskara' karma, toma haite haye
SYNONYMS
tahan--there; siddhi--success; kare--makes; hena--such; anye--other
person; na--not; dekhiye--I see; amara--My; duskara--difficult to perform;
karma--work; toma--You; haite--from; haye--becomes successful.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "You can perform a task that
even I cannot do. But for You, I cannot find anyone in Gauda-desa who can
fulfill My mission there."
PURPORT
Lord Caitanya's mission is to deliver the fallen souls of this age. In
this Age of Kali, practically cent percent of the population is fallen. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu certainly delivered many fallen souls, but His disciples
mainly came from the upper classes. For example, He delivered Srila Rupa
Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and many others who were
socially elevated but fallen from the spiritual point of view. Srila Rupa and
Sanatana Gosvamis were situated in government service, and Sarvabhauma
Bhattacarya was the topmost scholar of India. Similarly, Prakasananda Sarasvati
was a leader of many thousands of Mayavadi sannyasis. It was Srila Nityananda
Prabhu, however, who delivered persons like Jagai and Madhai. Therefore, Lord Caitanya
says, amara 'duskara' karma, toma haite haye. Jagai and Madhai were delivered
solely by Nityananda Prabhu's mercy. When they injured Nityananda Prabhu, Lord
Caitanya became angry and decided to kill them with His Sudarsana cakra, but
Nityananda Prabhu saved them from the Lord's wrath and delivered them. In the
incarnation of Gaura-Nitai, the Lord is not supposed to kill demons but deliver
them by preaching Krsna consciousness. In the case of Jagai and Madhai, Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so angry that He would have immediately killed them,
but Nityananda Prabhu was so kind that He not only saved them from death but
elevated them to the transcendental position. Thus what was not possible for
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was carried out by Nityananda Prabhu.
Similarly, if one is true to Gaura-Nitai's service in the disciplic
succession, he can even excel Nityananda Prabhu's service. This is the process
of disciplic succession. Nityananda Prabhu delivered Jagai and Madhai, but a
servant of Nityananda Prabhu, by His grace, can deliver many thousands of
Jagai's and Madhai's. That is the special benediction of the disciplic
succession. One who is situated in the disciplic succession can be understood
by the result of his activities. This is always true as far as the activities
of the Lord and His devotees are concerned. Therefore Lord Siva says:
aradhananam sarvesam
visnor aradhanam param
tasmat parataram devi
tadiyanam samarcanam
"Of all types of worship, worship of Lord Visnu is best, and better
than the worship of Lord Visnu is the worship of His devotee, the
Vaisnava." (Padma Purana)
By the grace of Visnu, a Vaisnava can render better service than Visnu; that
is the special prerogative of a Vaisnava. The Lord actually wants to see His
servants work more gloriously than Himself. For instance, on the Battlefield of
Kuruksetra, Sri Krsna provoked Arjuna to fight because all the warriors on the
battlefield were to die by Krsna's plan. Krsna Himself did not want to take
credit; rather, He wanted Arjuna to take credit. Therefore He asked him to
fight and win fame.
tasmat tvam uttistha yaso labhasva
jitva satrun bhunksva rajyam samrddham
mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva
nimitta-matram bhava savyasacin
"Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your
enemies, you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by
My arrangement, and you, O Savyasacin, can be but an instrument in the
fight." (Bg. 11.33)
Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives credit to a devotee who
performs any heavy task perfectly. Hanumanji, or Vajrangaji, the servant of
Lord Ramacandra, also serves as another example. It was Hanumanji who jumped
over the sea in one leap and reached the shore of Lanka from the shore of
Bharata-varsa. When Lord Ramacandra chose to go there, He paved the way with
stones, although by His will the stones were able to float on the sea. If we
simply follow Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instructions and follow in the
footsteps of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, this Krsna consciousness movement can
advance, and even more difficult tasks can be performed by the preachers remaining
faithful to the service of the Lord.
TEXT 66
TEXT
nityananda kahe,----ami 'deha' tumi 'prana'
'deha' 'prana' bhinna nahe,----ei ta pramana
SYNONYMS
nityananda kahe--Lord Nityananda Prabhu said; ami--I; deha--the body;
tumi--You; prana--the life; deha--the body; prana--the life; bhinna nahe--not
separate; ei ta pramana--this is the evidence.
TRANSLATION
Nityananda Prabhu replied, "O Lord, You are the life, and I am the
body. There is no difference between the body and life itself, but life is more
important than the body.
TEXT 67
TEXT
acintya-saktye kara tumi tahara ghatana
ye karaha, sei kari, nahika niyama
SYNONYMS
acintya-saktye--by inconceivable energy; kara--do; tumi--You; tahara--of
that relationship; ghatana--the operation; ye--whatever; karaha--You make Me
do; sei--that; kari--I do; nahika--there is not; niyama--restriction.
TRANSLATION
"By Your inconceivable energy, You can do whatever You like, and
whatever You make Me do, I do without restriction."
PURPORT
As stated in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam: tene brahma hrda ya
adi-kavaye. Lord Brahma is the first living creature within this universe, and
he is also the creator of this universe. How is this possible? Although he is
the first living entity, Lord Brahma is not in the category of visnu-tattva.
Rather, he is part of the jiva-tattva. Nonetheless, by the grace of the Lord,
who instructed him through the heart (tene brahma hrda), Lord Brahma could
create a huge universe. Those who are actually pure devotees of the Lord are
instructed by the Lord through the heart, where the Lord is always situated.
Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati (Bg. 18.61). If he follows the
instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the living entity, even
though an insignificant creature, can perform the most difficult tasks by the
Lord's grace. This also is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita:
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam
priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I
give the understanding by which they can come to Me," (Bg. 10.10)
Everything is possible for a pure devotee because he acts under the
instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Through His inconceivable
energy, a pure devotee can perform tasks that are supposed to be very, very
difficult. He can perform tasks not even previously performed by the Lord
Himself. Therefore Nityananda Prabhu told Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, ye karaha,
sei kari, nahika niyama: "I do not know by what regulative principle I am
carrying out this wonderful work, but I know for certain that I will do
whatever You desire." Although the Lord wants to give all credit to His
devotee, the devotee himself never takes credit, for he acts only under the
Lord's direction. Consequently all credit goes to the Lord. This is the nature
of the relationship between the Lord and His devotee. The Lord wants to give
all credit to His servant, but the servant does not take any credit, for he
knows that everything is carried out by the Lord.
To Next Part
