Chapter 3
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Stay at the House of Advaita Acarya
In his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives the
following summary of the Third Chapter. After accepting the sannyasa order at
Katwa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu traveled continuously for three days in
Radha-desa and, by the trick of Nityananda Prabhu, eventually came to the
western side of Santipura. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was induced to believe that
the river Ganges was the Yamuna. When He was worshiping the sacred river,
Advaita Prabhu arrived in a boat. Advaita Prabhu asked Him to take His bath in
the Ganges and took Him to His (Advaita's) house. There all the Navadvipa
devotees, along with mother Sacidevi, came to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This
house was located at Santipura. Mother Sacidevi cooked for Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, and at that time there were many joking
exchanges between Advaita Prabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. In the evening there
was a mass sankirtana at the house of Advaita Prabhu, and mother Sacidevi gave
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu permission to leave. She requested Him to make
Jagannatha Puri, Nilacala, His headquarters. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu granted
His mother's request and, followed by Nityananda, Mukunda, Jagadananda and
Damodara, left Santipura. Bidding farewell to mother Sacidevi, they all
proceeded toward Jagannatha Puri, following the path of Chatrabhoga.
TEXT 1
TEXT
nyasam vidhayotpranayo 'tha gauro
vrndavanam gantu-mana bhramad yah
radhe bhraman santi-purim ayitva
lalasa bhaktair iha tam nato 'smi
SYNONYMS
nyasam--the regular ritualistic ceremonies of the sannyasa order;
vidhaya--after accepting; utpranayah--arousal of intense love for Krsna;
atha--thus; gaurah--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; vrndavanam--to Vrndavana;
gantu-manah--thinking of going; bhramat--apparently by mistake; yah--who;
radhe--in the tract of land known as Radha; bhraman--wandering; santi-purim--to
Santipura; ayitva--going; lalasa--enjoyed; bhaktaih--with the devotees;
iha--here; tam--unto Him; natah asmi--I offer my respectful obeisances.
TRANSLATION
After accepting the sannyasa order of life, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
out of intense love for Krsna, wanted to go to Vrndavana, but apparently by
mistake He wandered in the Radha-desa. Later He arrived at Santipura and
enjoyed Himself there with His devotees. I offer my respectful obeisances to
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TEXT 2
TEXT
jaya jaya sri-caitanya
jaya nityananda
jayadvaitacandra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
SYNONYMS
jaya jaya--all glories; sri-caitanya--to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
jaya--all glories; nityananda--to Lord Nityananda Prabhu; jaya--all glories;
advaita-candra--to Sri Advaita Gosani; jaya--all glories;
gaura-bhakta-vrnda--to the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
TRANSLATION
All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to Nityananda! All
glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to the devotees of Lord Caitanya,
headed by Srivasa!
TEXT 3
TEXT
cabbisa vatsara-sesa yei magha-masa
tara sukla-pakse prabhu karila sannyasa
SYNONYMS
cabbisa--twenty-fourth; vatsara--of the year; sesa--at the end;
yei--that; magha-masa--the month of Magha (January and February); tara--of
that; sukla-pakse--in the waxing period of the moon; prabhu--the Lord;
karila--accepted; sannyasa--the sannyasa order of life.
TRANSLATION
At the end of His twenty-fourth year, in the month of Magha, Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the sannyasa order during the waxing period of the
moon.
TEXT 4
TEXT
sannyasa kari' premavese calila vrndavana
radha-dese tina dina karila bhramana
SYNONYMS
sannyasa kari'--after accepting the sannyasa order; prema-avese--in
intense love for Krsna; calila--proceeded; vrndavana--toward Vrndavana-dhama;
radha-dese--in the tract of land known as Radha; tina dina--continuously for
three days; karila--did; bhramana--wandering.
TRANSLATION
After accepting the sannyasa order, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, out of intense
love for Krsna, started for Vrndavana. However, He mistakenly wandered about in
a trance continuously for three days in the tract of land known as Radha-desa.
PURPORT
The word Radha-desa comes from the word rastra, or "state."
From rastra the perverted word radha has come. The part of Bengal on the
western side of the Ganges is known as Radha-desa. Another name is Paundra-desa
or Pendo-desa. The word pendo is a perverted form of the word paundra. It
appears that the capital of Rastra-desa was situated in that part of Bengal.
TEXT 5
TEXT
ei sloka padi' prabhu bhavera avese
bhramite pavitra kaila saba radha-dese
SYNONYMS
ei sloka--this verse; padi'--reciting; prabhu--the Lord; bhavera--of
ecstasy; avese--in a condition; bhramite--wandering; pavitra--purified;
kaila--did; saba radha-dese--all of the tract of land known as Radha-desa.
TRANSLATION
Passing through the tract of land known as Radha-desa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
recited the following verse in ecstasy.
TEXT 6
TEXT
etam sa asthaya paratma-nistham
adhyasitam purvatamair mahadbhih
aham tarisyami duranta-param
tamo mukundanghri-nisevayaiva
SYNONYMS
etam--this; sah--such; asthaya--being completely fixed in;
para-atma-nistham--devotion to the Supreme Person, Krsna; adhyasitam--worshiped;
purva-tamaih--by previous; mahadbhih--acaryas; aham--I; tarisyami--shall cross
over; duranta-param--the insurmountable; tamah--the ocean of nescience;
mukunda-anghri--of the lotus feet of Mukunda; nisevaya--by worship;
eva--certainly.
TRANSLATION
"[As a brahmana from Avanti-desa said:] 'I shall cross over the
insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the
lotus feet of Krsna. This was approved by the previous acaryas, who were fixed
in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead."
PURPORT
In connection with this verse, which is a quotation from
Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.23.57), Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that
of the sixty-four items required for rendering devotional service, acceptance
of the symbolic marks of sannyasa is a regulative principle. If one accepts the
sannyasa order, his main business is to devote his life completely to the
service of Mukunda, Krsna. If one does not completely devote his mind and body
to the service of the Lord, he does not actually become a sannyasi. It is not
simply a matter of changing dress. In Bhagavad-gita (6.1) it is also stated,
anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah. sa sannyasi ca yogi ca: one who
works devotedly for the satisfaction of Krsna is a sannyasi. The dress is not
sannyasa, but the attitude of service to Krsna is.
The word paratma-nistha means being a devotee of Lord Krsna. Paratma,
the Supreme Person, is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah.
Those who are completely dedicated to the lotus feet of Krsna in service are
actually sannyasis. As a matter of formality, the devotee accepts the sannyasa
dress as previous acaryas did. He also accepts the three dandas. Later
Visnusvami considered that accepting the dress of a tridandi was
paratma-nistha. Therefore sincere devotees add another danda, the jiva-danda,
to the three existing dandas. The Vaisnava sannyasi is known as a
tridandi-sannyasi. The Mayavadi sannyasi accepts only one danda, not
understanding the purpose of tri-danda. Later, many persons in the community of
Siva Svami gave up the atma-nistha (devotional service) of the Lord and
followed the path of Sankaracarya. Instead of accepting 108 names, those in the
Siva Svami sampradaya follow the path of Sankaracarya and accept the ten names
of sannyasa. Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the then-existing order
of sannyasa (namely eka-danda), He still recited a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam
about the tridanda-sannyasa accepted by the brahmana of Avantipura. Indirectly
He declared that within that eka-danda, one danda, four dandas existed as one.
Accepting ekadanda-sannyasa without paratma-nistha (devotional service to Lord
Krsna) is not acceptable to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In addition, according to
the exact regulative principles, one should add the jiva-danda to the
tri-danda. These four dandas, bound together as one, are symbolic of unalloyed
devotional service to the Lord. Because the ekadandi-sannyasis of the Mayavada
school are not devoted to the service of Krsna, they try to merge into the
Brahman effulgence, which is a marginal position between material and spiritual
existence. They accept this impersonal position as liberation. Mayavadi
sannyasis, not knowing that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a tridandi, think of
Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an ekadandi-sannyasi. This is due to their vivarta,
bewilderment. In Srimad-Bhagavatam there is no such thing as an
ekadandi-sannyasi; indeed, the tridandi-sannyasi is accepted as the symbolic
representation of the sannyasa order. By citing this verse from
Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the sannyasa order
recommended in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Mayavadi sannyasis, who are enamored of
the external energy of the Lord, cannot understand the mind of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.
To date, all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, following in His
footsteps, accept the sannyasa order and keep the sacred thread and tuft of
unshaved hair. The ekadandi-sannyasis of the Mayavadi school give up the sacred
thread and do not keep any tuft of hair. Therefore they are unable to
understand the purport of tridanda-sannyasa, and as such they are not inclined
to dedicate their lives to the service of Mukunda. They simply think of merging
into the existence of Brahman because of their disgust with material existence.
The acaryas who advocate the daiva-varnasrama (the social order of
catur-varnyam mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita) do not accept the proposition of
asura-varnasrama, which maintains that the social order of varna is indicated
by birth.
The most intimate devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, namely Gadadhara
Pandita, accepted tridanda-sannyasa and also accepted Madhava Upadhyaya as his
tridandi-sannyasi disciple. It is said that from this Madhavacarya the
sampradaya known in western India as the Vallabhacarya sampradaya has begun.
Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who is known as a smrty-acarya in the
Gaudiya-Vaisnava-sampradaya, later accepted the tridanda-sannyasa order from
Tridandipada Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Although acceptance of tridanda-sannyasa
is not distinctly mentioned in the Gaudiya Vaisnava literature, the first verse
of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Upadesamrta advocates that one should accept the
tridanda-sannyasa order by controlling the six forces:
vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam
jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
"One who can control the forces of speech, mind, anger, belly,
tongue and genitals is known as a gosvami and is competent to accept disciples
all over the world." The followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu never
accepted the Mayavada order of sannyasa, and for this they cannot be blamed.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted Sridhara Svami, who was a tridandi-sannyasi,
but the Mayavadi sannyasis, not understanding Sridhara Svami, sometimes think
that Sridhara Svami belonged to the Mayavada ekadanda-sannyasa community.
Actually this was not the case.
TEXT 7
TEXT
prabhu kahe----sadhu ei bhiksura vacana
mukunda sevana-vrata kaila nirdharana
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe--the Lord said; sadhu--very much purified; ei--this;
bhiksura--of the mendicant; vacana--words; mukunda--Lord Krsna;
sevana-vrata--decision to serve; kaila--made; nirdharana--indication.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu approved the purport of this verse on account of
the determination of the mendicant devotee to engage in the service of Lord
Mukunda. He gave His approval of this verse, indicating that it was very good.
TEXT 8
TEXT
paratma-nistha-matra vesa-dharana
mukunda-sevaya haya samsara-tarana
SYNONYMS
para-atma-nistha-matra--only for the determination to serve Krsna;
vesa-dharana--changing the dress; mukunda-sevaya--by serving Mukunda;
haya--there is; samsara-tarana--liberation from this materiai bondage.
TRANSLATION
The real purpose of accepting sannyasa is to dedicate oneself to the
service of Mukunda. By serving Mukunda, one can actually be liberated from the
bondage of material existence.
PURPORT
In this connection, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu accepted the sannyasa order and recommended the determination of the
Avantipura bhiksu to engage in the service of Mukunda. He accepted the
brahmana's version due to his determination to serve Mukunda. The sannyasi
dress is actually an attraction for material formality. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
did not like such formality, but He wanted the essence of it--service to
Mukunda. Such determination in any condition is paratma-nistha. That is
required. The conclusion is that the sannyasa order depends not on the dress
but the determination to serve Mukunda.
TEXT 9
TEXT
sei vesa kaila, ebe vrndavana giya
krsna-nisevana kari nibhrte vasiya
SYNONYMS
sei--that; vesa--dress; kaila--accepted; ebe--now; vrndavana--to
Vrndavana-dhama; giya--going; krsna-nisevana--service to the Lord; kari--I
shall execute; nibhrte--in a solitary place; vasiya--sitting.
TRANSLATION
After accepting the sannyasa order, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to
go to Vrndavana and engage Himself wholly and solely in the service of Mukunda
in a solitary place.
TEXT 10
TEXT
eta bali' cale prabhu, premonmadera cihna
dik-vidik-jnana nahi, kiba ratri-dina
SYNONYMS
eta bali'--saying this; cale prabhu--the Lord began to proceed;
prema-unmadera cihna--the symptoms of ecstatic love; dik-vidik-jnana--knowledge
of the right direction or wrong direction; nahi--there is not; kiba--whether;
ratri-dina--night or day.
TRANSLATION
As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was enroute to Vrndavana, all the ecstatic
symptoms became manifest, and He did not know in which direction He was going,
nor did He know whether it was day or night.
TEXT 11
TEXT
nityananda, acaryaratna, mukunda, tina jana
prabhu-pache-pache tine karena gamana
SYNONYMS
nityananda--Nityananda Prabhu; acaryaratna--Candrasekhara; mukunda--and
Mukunda; tina jana--three persons; prabhu-pache-pache--following the Lord;
tine--all three of them; karena gamana--go.
TRANSLATION
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went toward Vrndavana, Nityananda Prabhu,
Candrasekhara and Prabhu Mukunda followed Him.
TEXT 12
TEXT
yei yei prabhu dekhe, sei sei loka
premavese 'hari' bale, khande duhkha-soka
SYNONYMS
yei yei--whoever; prabhu--the Lord; dekhe--sees; sei sei loka--those
persons; prema-avese--in the ecstasy of love; hari bale--exclaim
"Hari"; khande--pass over; duhkha-soka--all kinds of material
unhappiness and lamentation.
TRANSLATION
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed through Radha-desa, whoever saw Him
in ecstasy exclaimed, "Hari! Hari!" As they chanted this with the
Lord, all the unhappiness of material existence diminished.
TEXT 13
TEXT
gopa-balaka saba prabhuke dekhiya
'hari' 'hari' bali' dake ucca kariya
SYNONYMS
gopa-balaka saba--all the cowherd boys; prabhuke dekhiya--seeing the
Lord; hari hari bali'--vibrating the sounds "Hari Hari"; dake--shout;
ucca kariya--loudly.
TRANSLATION
All the cowherd boys who saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu passing joined with
Him and began to shout loudly, "Hari! Hari!"
TEXT 14
TEXT
suni' ta-sabara nikata gela gaurahari
'bala' 'bala' bale sabara sire hasta dhari'
SYNONYMS
suni'--hearing; ta-sabara--of all of them; nikata--near; gela--went;
gaurahari--Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bala bala--go on speaking, go on speaking;
bale--He said; sabara--of all of them; sire hasta dhari'--keeping His hand on
their heads.
TRANSLATION
When He heard all the cowherd boys also chanting "Hari! Hari!"
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very pleased. He approached them, put His hand on
their heads and said, "Go on chanting like that."
TEXT 15
TEXT
ta'-sabara stuti kare,----tomara bhagyavan
krtartha karile more sunana hari-nama
SYNONYMS
ta'-sabara--of all of them; stuti kare--Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu praised
the behavior; tomara--you; bhagyavan--fortunate; krta-artha--successful;
karile--you have made; more--to Me; sunana--by chanting; hari-nama--the holy
name of Lord Hari.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thus blessed them all, saying that they were all
fortunate. In this way He praised them, and He felt very successful because
they chanted the holy name of Lord Hari.
TEXT 16
TEXT
gupte ta-sabake ani' thakura nityananda
sikhaila sabakare kariya prabandha
SYNONYMS
gupte--in confidence; ta-sabake--unto all the cowherd boys; ani'--taking
them; thakura nityananda--Nityananda Thakura; sikhaila--instructed;
sabakare--all of them; kariya prabandha--by making a reasonable story.
TRANSLATION
Calling all the boys in confidence and telling a reasonable story,
Nityananda Prabhu instructed them as follows.
TEXT 17
TEXT
vrndavana-patha prabhu puchena tomare
ganga-tira-patha tabe dekhaiha tanre
SYNONYMS
vrndavana-patha--the path to Vrndavana; prabhu--the Lord;
puchena--inquires; tomare--from you; ganga-tira-patha--the path on the bank of
the Ganges; tabe--at that time; dekhaiha--please show; tanre--Him.
TRANSLATION
"If Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asks you about the path to Vrndavana,
please show Him the path on the bank of the Ganges instead."
TEXTS 18-19
TEXT
tabe prabhu puchilena,----'suna, sisu-gana
kaha dekhi, kon pathe yaba vrndavana'
sisu saba ganga-tira-patha dekhaila
sei pathe avese prabhu gamana karila
SYNONYMS
tabe--thereafter; prabhu--the Lord; puchilena--inquired; suna--hear;
sisu-gana--O boys; kaha dekhi--please tell Me; kon pathe--in which way; yaba--I
shall go; vrndavana--to Vrndavana; sisu--the boys; saba--all;
ganga-tira-patha--the path on the bank of the Ganges; dekhaila--showed;
sei--that; pathe--on the path; avese--in ecstasy; prabhu--the Lord; gamana
karila--went.
TRANSLATION
When the cowherd boys were questioned by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu about
the path to Vrndavana, the boys showed Him the path on the bank of the Ganges,
and the Lord went that way in ecstasy.
TEXT 20
TEXT
acaryaratnere kahe nityananda-gosani
sighra yaha tumi advaita-acaryera thani
SYNONYMS
acaryaratnere--to Candrasekhara Acarya; kahe--said; nityananda-gosani--Lord
Nityananda Prabhu; sighra--immediately; yaha--go; tumi--you; advaita-acaryera
thani--to the place of Advaita Acarya.
TRANSLATION
As the Lord proceeded along the bank of the Ganges, Sri Nityananda
Prabhu requested Acaryaratna [Candrasekhara Acarya] to go immediately to the
house of Advaita Acarya.
TEXT 21
TEXT
prabhu laye yaba ami tanhara mandire
savadhane rahena yena nauka lana tire
SYNONYMS
prabhu laye--taking the Lord; yaba--shall go; ami--I; tanhara--of Him;
mandire--to the house; savadhane--very carefully; rahena--let Him stay;
yena--there; nauka--boat; lana--taking; tire--on the bank.
TRANSLATION
Sri Nityananda Gosvami told him, "I shall take Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu to the bank of the Ganges at Santipura, and Advaita Acarya should
carefully stay there on shore with a boat.
TEXT 22
TEXT
tabe navadvipe tumi kariha gamana
saci-saha lana aisa saba bhakta-gana
SYNONYMS
tabe--thereafter; navadvipe--to Navadvipa; tumi--you; kariha--should do;
gamana--going; saci-saha--mother Saci; lana--taking along; aisa--come back;
saba bhakta-gana--all the devotees.
TRANSLATION
"After that," Nityananda Prabhu continued, "I shall go to
Advaita Acarya's house, and you should go to Navadvipa and return with mother
Saci and all the other devotees."
TEXT 23
TEXT
tanre pathaiya nityananda mahasaya
mahaprabhura age asi' dila paricaya
SYNONYMS
tanre--him; pathaiya--sending; nityananda--Lord Nityananda;
maha-asaya--the great personality; mahaprabhura--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
age--in front; asi'--coming; dila--gave; paricaya--introduction.
TRANSLATION
After sending Acaryaratna to the house of Advaita Acarya, Sri Nityananda
Prabhu went before Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and gave notice of His coming.
TEXT 24
TEXT
prabhu kahe,----sripada, tomara kothake gamana
sripada kahe, tomara sange yaba vrndavana
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe--the Lord inquired; sripada--sir; tomara--of You;
kothake--where; gamana--going; sripada kahe--Nityananda Prabhu replied;
tomara--You; sange--with; yaba--I shall go; vrndavana--toward Vrndavana.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in ecstasy, and He asked where Nityananda
Prabhu was going. Nityananda replied that He was going with Him toward
Vrndavana.
TEXT 25
TEXT
prabhu kahe,----kata dure ache vrndavana
tenho kahena,----kara ei yamuna darasana
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe--the Lord replied; kata dure--how far; ache--there is;
vrndavana--Vrndavana-dhama; tenho kahena--He replied; kara--just do; ei--this;
yamuna--Yamuna River; darasana--seeing.
TRANSLATION
When the Lord asked Nityananda Prabhu how far it was to Vrndavana,
Nityananda replied, "Just see! Here is the river Yamuna."
TEXT 26
TEXT
eta bali' anila
tanre ganga-sannidhane
avese prabhura haila gangare yamuna-jnane
SYNONYMS
eta bali'--saying this; anila--He brought; tanre--Him;
ganga-sannidhane--near the Ganges; avese--in ecstasy; prabhura--of the Lord;
haila--there was; gangare--of the river Ganges; yamuna-jnane--acceptance as the
river Yamuna.
TRANSLATION
Saying this, Nityananda Prabhu took Caitanya Mahaprabhu near the Ganges,
and the Lord, in His ecstasy, accepted the river Ganges as the river Yamuna.
TEXT 27
TEXT
aho bhagya, yamunare pailun darasana
eta bali' yamunara karena stavana
SYNONYMS
aho bhagya--oh, My great fortune; yamunare--of the river Yamuna;
pailun--I have gotten; darasana--vision; eta bali'--after saying this;
yamunara--of the river Yamuna; karena--does; stavana--praising.
TRANSLATION
The Lord said, "Oh, what good fortune! Now I have seen the river
Yamuna." Thus thinking the Ganges to be the river Yamuna, Caitanya
Mahaprabhu began to offer prayers to it.
TEXT 28
TEXT
cid-ananda-bhanoh sada nanda-sunoh
para-prema-patri drava-brahma-gatri
aghanam lavitri jagat-ksema-dhatri
pavitri-kriyan no vapur mitra-putri
SYNONYMS
cit-ananda-bhanoh--of the direct manifestation of spiritual energy and
bliss; sada--always; nanda-sunoh--of the son of Maharaja Nanda;
para-prema-patri--the giver of the highest love; drava-brahma-gatri--composed
of the water of the spiritual world; aghanam--of all sins and offenses;
lavitri--the destroyer; jagat-ksema-dhatri--the performer of everything
auspicious for the world; pavitri-kriyat--kindly purify; nah--our;
vapuh--existence; mitra-putri--the daughter of the sun-god.
TRANSLATION
"O river Yamuna, you are the blissful spiritual water that gives
love to the son of Nanda Maharaja. You are the same as the water of the
spiritual world, for you can vanquish all our offenses and the sinful reactions
incurred in life. You are the creator of all auspicious things for the world. O
daughter of the sun-god, kindly purify us by your pious activities."
PURPORT
This verse is recorded in the Caitanya-candrodaya-nataka (5.35), by
Kavi-karnapura.
TEXT 29
TEXT
eta bali' namaskari' kaila ganga-snana
eka kaupina, nahi dvitiya paridhana
SYNONYMS
eta bali'--saying this; namaskari'--offering obeisances; kaila--did;
ganga-snana--bathing in the Ganges; eka kaupina--only one piece of underwear;
nahi--there was not; dvitiya--second; paridhana--garment.
TRANSLATION
After reciting this mantra, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered obeisances
and took His bath in the Ganges. At that time He had on only one piece of
underwear, for there was no second garment.
TEXT 30
TEXT
hena kale acarya-gosani naukate cadina
aila nutana kaupina-bahirvasa lana
SYNONYMS
hena kale--at that time; acarya-gosani--Advaita Acarya Prabhu; naukate
cadina--on board a boat; aila--reached there; nutana--new; kaupina--underwear;
bahih-vasa--outer garments; lana--bringing.
TRANSLATION
While Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was standing there without a second
garment, Sri Advaita Acarya arrived in a boat, bringing with Him new underwear
and external garments.
TEXT 31
TEXT
age acarya asi' rahila namaskara kari'
acarya dekhi' bale prabhu mane samsaya kari'
SYNONYMS
age--in front; acarya--Advaita Acarya; asi'--coming; rahila--stood;
namaskara kari'--making obeisances; acarya dekhi'--seeing Advaita Acarya;
bale--says; prabhu--the Lord; mane--within His mind; samsaya kari'--doubting.
TRANSLATION
When Advaita Acarya arrived, He stood before the Lord and offered His
obeisances. After seeing Him, the Lord began to wonder about the entire
situation.
TEXT 32
TEXT
tumi ta' acarya-gosani, etha kene aila
ami vrndavane, tumi ke-mate janila
SYNONYMS
tumi--You are; ta'--certainly; acarya-gosani--Advaita Acarya;
etha--here; kene--why; aila--You have come; ami--I; vrndavane--in Vrndavana;
tumi--You; ke-mate--how; janila--knew.
TRANSLATION
Still in His ecstasy, the Lord asked Advaita Acarya, "Why did You
come here? How did You know that I was in Vrndavana?"
TEXT 33
TEXT
acarya kahe----tumi yahan, sei vrndavana
mora bhagye ganga-tire tomara agamana
SYNONYMS
acarya kahe--Acarya replied; tumi yahan--wherever You are; sei--that;
vrndavana--Vrndavana; mora bhagye--by My great fortune; ganga-tire--on the bank
of the Ganges; tomara agamana--Your appearance.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya disclosed the whole situation, telling Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, "Wherever You are, that is Vrndavana. Now it is My great
fortune that You have come to the bank of the Ganges."
TEXT 34
TEXT
prabhu
kahe,----nityananda amare vancila
gangake aniya more yamuna kahila
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe--the Lord replied; nityananda--Lord Nityananda; amare--Me;
vancila--has cheated; gangake--to the bank of the Ganges; aniya--bringing;
more--Me; yamuna--the river Yamuna; kahila--informed.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then said, "Nityananda has cheated Me. He
has brought Me to the bank of the Ganges and told Me that it was the
Yamuna."
TEXT 35
TEXT
acarya kahe, mithya nahe sripada-vacana
yamunate snana tumi karila ekhana
SYNONYMS
acarya kahe--Advaita Acarya replied; mithya nahe--this is not untrue;
sripada-vacana--the words of Sri Nityananda Prabhu; yamunate--in the river
Yamuna; snana--bathing; tumi--You; karila--did; ekhana--just now.
TRANSLATION
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accused Nityananda of cheating Him, Srila
Advaita Acarya said, "Whatever Nityananda Prabhu has told You is not
false. You have indeed just now taken Your bath in the river Yamuna."
TEXT 36
TEXT
gangaya yamuna vahe hana eka-dhara
pascime yamuna vahe, purve ganga-dhara
SYNONYMS
gangaya--with the river Ganges; yamuna--the river Yamuna; vahe--flows;
hana--becoming; eka-dhara--one stream; pascime--on the western side;
yamuna--the river Yamuna; vahe--flows; purve--on the eastern side;
ganga-dhara--the flow of the Ganges.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya then explained that at that spot both the Ganges and
Yamuna flow together. On the western side was the Yamuna, and on the eastern
side was the Ganges.
PURPORT
The Ganges and Yamuna mix at the confluence at Allahabad (Prayaga). The
Yamuna flows from the western side and the Ganges from the eastern, and they
merge. Since Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed on the western side, He actually took
His bath in the river Yamuna.
TEXT 37
TEXT
pascima-dhare yamuna vahe, tahan kaile snana
ardra kaupina chadi' suska kara paridhana
SYNONYMS
pascima-dhare--in the western flow; yamuna--the river Yamuna;
vahe--flows; tahan--there; kaile--You did; snana--bathing; ardra--wet;
kaupina--underwear; chadi'--giving up; suska--dry; kara--do; paridhana--putting
on.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya then suggested that since Caitanya Mahaprabhu had taken
His bath in the river Yamuna and His underwear was now wet, the Lord should
change His underwear for dry garments.
TEXT 38
TEXT
premavese tina dina acha upavasa
aji mora ghare bhiksa, cala mora vasa
SYNONYMS
prema-avese--in the ecstasy of love; tina dina--three days; acha--You
are; upavasa--fasting; aji--today; mora--My; ghare--at the house; bhiksa--alms;
cala--kindly come; mora vasa--to My residence.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya said, "You have been fasting continuously for three
days in Your ecstasy of love for Krsna. I therefore invite You to My home,
where You may kindly take Your alms. Come with Me to My residence."
TEXT 39
TEXT
eka-musti anna muni kariyachon paka
sukharukha vyanjana kailun, supa ara saka
SYNONYMS
eka-musti--one palmful; anna--rice; muni--I; kariyachon--have done;
paka--cooking; sukha-rukha--not very luxurious; vyanjana--vegetables; kailun--I
have done; supa--liquid vegetables; ara--and; saka--spinach.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Prabhu continued, "At My home I have just cooked one
palmful of rice. The vegetables are always very simple. There is no luxurious
cooking--simply a little liquid vegetable and spinach."
TEXT 40
TEXT
eta bali' naukaya cadana nila nija-ghara
pada-praksalana kaila ananda-antara
SYNONYMS
eta bali'--saying this; naukaya cadana--making Him board the small boat;
nila--took; nija-ghara--to His own residence; pada-praksalana--washing the
feet; kaila--did; ananda-antara--very happy within Himself.
TRANSLATION
Saying this, Sri Advaita Acarya took the Lord into the boat and brought
the Lord to His residence. There Advaita Acarya washed the feet of the Lord and
was consequently very happy within.
TEXT 41
TEXT
prathame paka kariyachena acaryani
visnu-samarpana kaila acarya apani
SYNONYMS
prathame--first; paka--cooking; kariyachena--performed; acaryani--the
wife of Advaita Acarya; visnu-samarpana--offering to Lord Visnu; kaila--did;
acarya--Advaita Acarya; apani--Himself.
TRANSLATION
All the eatables were first cooked by the wife of Advaita Acarya. Then
Srila Advaita Acarya personally offered everything to Lord Visnu.
PURPORT
This is the ideal householder's life. The husband and wife live
together, and the husband works very hard to secure paraphernalia for
worshiping Lord Visnu. The wife at home cooks a variety of foods for Lord
Visnu, and the husband offers it to the Deity. After that, arati is performed,
and the prasada is distributed amongst family members and guests. According to
the Vedic principles, there must always be a guest in a householder's house. In
my childhood I have actually seen my father receive not less than four guests
every day, and in those days my father's income was not very great.
Nonetheless, there was no difficulty in offering prasada to at least four
guests every day. According to Vedic principles, a householder, before taking
lunch, should go outside and shout very loudly to see if there is anyone
without food. In this way he invites people to take prasada. If someone comes,
the householder offers him prasada, and if there is not much left, he should
offer his own portion to the guest. If no one responds to his call, the householder
can accept his own lunch. Thus the householder's life is also a kind of
austerity. Because of this, the householder's life is called the
grhastha-asrama. Although a person may live with his wife and children happily
in Krsna consciousness, he also observes the regulative principles followed in
any temple. If there is no Krsna consciousness, the householder's abode is
called a grhamedhi's house. Householders in Krsna consciousness are actually
grhasthas--that is, those living in the asrama with their families and
children. Sri Advaita Prabhu was an ideal grhastha, and His house was the ideal
grhastha-asrama.
TEXT 42
TEXT
tina thani bhoga badaila sama kari'
krsnera
bhoga badaila dhatu-patropari
SYNONYMS
tina thani--in three places; bhoga--cooked food; badaila--distributed;
sama--equal; kari'--making; krsnera bhoga--the food offered to Krsna;
badaila--was arranged; dhatu-patra upari--on a metal plate.
TRANSLATION
All the prepared food was divided into three equal parts. One part was
arranged on a metal plate for offering to Lord Krsna.
PURPORT
The word badaila, meaning "increased," is very significant in
this verse. It is a sophisticated word used by the grhasthas in Bengal.
Whenever food is prepared and we take away a portion, the food is actually
decreased. But here it is the system to say badaila, or "increased."
If food is prepared for Krsna and offered to Him and the Vaisnavas, the stock
is increased, never decreased.
TEXT 43
TEXT
battisa-athiya-kalara angatiya pate
dui thani bhoga
badaila bhala mate
SYNONYMS
battisa-athiya--producing thirty-two bunches; kalara--of a banana tree;
angatiya--undivided; pate--on leaves; dui thani--in two places; bhoga--the
eatables; badaila--arranged; bhala mate--very nicely.
TRANSLATION
Of the three divisions, one was arranged on a metal plate, and the other
two were arranged on plantain leaves. These leaves were not bifurcated, and
they were taken from a banana tree that held at least thirty-two bunches of
bananas. The two plates were filled very nicely with the kinds of food
described below.
TEXT 44
TEXT
madhye pita-ghrta-sikta saly-annera stupa
cari-dike vyanjana-donga, ara mudga-supa
SYNONYMS
madhye--in the middle; pita--yellow; ghrta-sikta--wet with clarified
butter; sali-annera--of very fine cooked rice; stupa--a mound; cari-dike--surrounding
the mound of rice; vyanjana-donga--vegetable pots; ara--and; mudga-supa--dal
made of split mung.
TRANSLATION
The cooked rice was a stack of very fine grains nicely cooked, and in
the middle was yellow clarified butter from the milk of cows. Surrounding the
stack of rice were pots made of the skins of banana trees, and in these pots
were varieties of vegetables and mung dal.
TEXT 45
TEXT
sardraka, vastuka-saka vividha prakara
patola, kusmanda-badi, manakacu ara
SYNONYMS
sardraka--pots with ginger dishes; vastuka-saka--spinach;
vividha--various; prakara--kinds; patola--a kind of vegetable;
kusmanda--squash; badi--with split dal; manakacu--the root of a vegetable tree
called kacu; ara--and.
TRANSLATION
Among the cooked vegetables were patolas, squash, manakacu and a salad
made with pieces of ginger and various types of spinach.
TEXT 46
TEXT
ca-i-marica-sukhta diya saba phala-mule
amrta-nindaka panca-vidha tikta-jhale
SYNONYMS
ca-i-marica--with black pepper and ca-i (a kind of spice);
sukhta--vegetables made bitter; diya--giving; saba--all; phala-mule--various
kinds of fruits and roots; amrta-nindaka--defying nectar; panca-vidha--five kinds
of; tikta--bitter; jhale--and pungent.
TRANSLATION
There was sukhta, bitter melon mixed with all kinds of vegetables,
defying the taste of nectar. There were five types of bitter and pungent
sukhtas.
TEXT 47
TEXT
komala nimba-patra saha bhaja vartaki
patola-phula-badi-bhaja, kusmanda-manacaki
SYNONYMS
komala--newly grown; nimba-patra--nimba leaves; saha--with; bhaja--fried;
vartaki--eggplant; patola--with patola fruit; phula-badi--a preparation of dal;
bhaja--fried; kusmanda--squashes; manacaki--the food called manacaki.
TRANSLATION
Amongst the various vegetables were newly grown leaves of nimba trees
fried with eggplant. The fruit known as patola was fried with phulabadi, a kind
of dal preparation first mashed and then dried in the sun. There was also a
preparation known as kusmanda-manacaki.
PURPORT
We request our editors of cookbooks to add all these nice preparations
described by the experienced author Srila Kaviraja Gosvami.
TEXT 48
TEXT
narikela-sasya, chana, sarkara madhura
mocha-ghanta, dugdha-kusmanda, sakala pracura
SYNONYMS
narikela-sasya--the pulp of coconut; chana--curd; sarkara--fruit sugar;
madhura--very sweet; mocha-ghanta--a semisolid preparation made with banana
flowers; dugdha-kusmanda--newly grown squash cut into pieces and boiled in
milk; sakala--all; pracura--plentiful.
TRANSLATION
The preparation made with coconut pulp mixed with curd and rock candy
was very sweet. There was a curry made of banana flowers and squash boiled in
milk, all in great quantity.
TEXT 49
TEXT
madhuramla-bada, amladi panca-chaya
sakala vyanjana kaila loke yata haya
SYNONYMS
madhura-amla-bada--sweet and sour cakes; amla-adi--sour preparations;
panca-chaya--five or six; sakala vyanjana--all vegetables; kaila--made;
loke--for the people; yata haya--as many as there were.
TRANSLATION
There were small cakes in sweet and sour sauce and five or six kinds of
sour preparations. All the vegetables were so made that everyone present could
take prasada.
TEXT 50
TEXT
mudga-bada, kala-bada, masa-bada, mista
ksira-puli, narikela, yata pitha ista
SYNONYMS
mudga-bada--soft cake made with mung; kala-bada--soft cake made with
fried banana; masa-bada--soft cake made with urad dal; mista--various kinds of
sweets; ksira-puli--condensed milk mixed with rice cakes; narikela--a
preparation of coconut; yata--all kinds of; pitha--cakes; ista--desirable.
TRANSLATION
There were soft cakes made with mung dal, soft cakes made with ripe
bananas, and soft cakes made with urad dal. There were various kinds of
sweetmeats, condensed milk mixed with rice cakes, a coconut preparation and
every kind of cake desirable.
TEXT 51
TEXT
battisa-athiya kalara donga bada bada
cale hale nahi,----donga ati bada dada
SYNONYMS
battisa-athiya--producing thirty-two bunches of bananas; kalara--of the
banana tree; donga--pots made of leaves; bada bada--big; cale hale nahi--they
did not tilt or totter; donga--pots; ati--very; bada--big; dada--strong.
TRANSLATION
All the vegetables were served in pots made of banana leaves taken from
trees producing at least thirty-two bunches of bananas. These pots were very
strong and big and did not tilt or totter.
TEXT 52
TEXT
pancasa pancasa donga vyanjane purina
tina bhogera ase pase rakhila dharina
SYNONYMS
pancasa pancasa--fifty and fifty; donga--pots; vyanjane--with
vegetables; purina--filling; tina--three; bhogera--of eating places; ase
pase--all around; rakhila--kept; dharina--fixing.
TRANSLATION
All around the three eating places were a hundred pots filled with
various kinds of vegetables.
TEXT 53
TEXT
saghrta-payasa nava-mrt-kundika bharina
tina patre ghanavarta-dugdha rakheta dharina
SYNONYMS
sa-ghrta-payasa--sweet rice mixed with ghee; nava-mrt-kundika--new
earthen pots; bharina--filling; tina patre--in three pots;
ghana-avarta-dugdha--finely condensed milk; rakheta--were kept;
dharina--fixing.
TRANSLATION
Along with the various vegetables was sweet rice mixed with ghee. This
was kept in new earthen pots. Earthen pots filled with highly condensed milk
were placed in three places.
TEXT 54
TEXT
dugdha-cida-kala ara dugdha-laklaki
yateka karila' taha kahite na saki
SYNONYMS
dugdha-cida--chipped rice made with milk; kala--mixed with bananas;
ara--and; dugdha-laklaki--a kind of squash known as lau, boiled with milk;
yateka--all that; karila'--was prepared; taha--that; kahite--to describe;
na--not; saki--I am able.
TRANSLATION
Besides the other preparations, there were chipped rice made with milk
and mixed with bananas, and also white squash boiled in milk. Indeed, it is not
possible to describe all the preparations that were made.
TEXT 55
TEXT
dui pase dharila saba mrt-kundika bhari'
canpakala-dadhi-sandesa kahite na pari
SYNONYMS
dui pase--on two sides; dharila--kept; saba--all; mrt-kundika--earthen
pots; bhari'--filling; canpa-kala--a kind of banana known as canpa-kala;
dadhi-sandesa--mixed with yogurt and sandesa; kahite--to say; na--not; pari--I
am able.
TRANSLATION
In two places there were earthen pots filled with another preparation
made with yogurt, sandesa [a sweetmeat made with curd] and banana. I am unable
to describe it all.
TEXT 56
TEXT
anna-vyanjana-upari dila tulasi-manjari
tina jala-patre suvasita jala bhari'
SYNONYMS
anna-vyanjana-upari--on top of
the boiled rice and vegetables; dila--placed; tulasi-manjari--flowers of
tulasi; tina--three; jala-patre--waterpots; su-vasita--scented; jala--water;
bhari'--filling.
TRANSLATION
Upon the stack of boiled rice and all the vegetables were flowers of the
tulasi trees. There were also pots filled with scented rosewater.
TEXT 57
TEXT
tina subhra-pitha, tara upari vasana
ei-rupe saksat krsne karaila bhojana
SYNONYMS
tina--three; subhra-pitha--white sitting places; tara--of them;
upari--on top; vasana--soft cloth; ei-rupe--in this way; saksat--directly;
krsne--unto Krsna; karaila--made to do; bhojana--eating.
TRANSLATION
There were three sitting places where soft cloths were placed. Thus Lord
Krsna was offered all the food, and the Lord took it very pleasantly.
TEXT 58
TEXT
aratira kale dui prabhu bolaila
prabhu-sange sabe asi' arati dekhila
SYNONYMS
aratira kale--during the time of arati; dui prabhu--Lord Nityananda and
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bolaila--He called; prabhu-sange--with the Lords;
sabe--all other people; asi'--coming there; arati--the arati ceremony;
dekhila--observed.
TRANSLATION
It is the system, after offering food, to perform bhoga-arati. Advaita
Prabhu asked the two brothers, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu,
to come see the arati. The two Lords and all others present went to see the
arati ceremony.
TEXT 59
TEXT
arati kariya krsne kara'la sayana
acarya asi' prabhure tabe kaila nivedana
SYNONYMS
arati kariya--after finishing the arati; krsne--Lord Krsna;
kara'la--made to do; sayana--lying down to rest; acarya--Advaita Acarya;
asi'--coming; prabhure--unto Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tabe--then; kaila--made;
nivedana--submission.
TRANSLATION
After arati was performed for the Deities in the temple, Lord Krsna was
made to lie down to rest. Advaita Acarya then came out to submit something to
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TEXT 60
TEXT
grhera bhitare prabhu karuna gamana
dui bhai aila tabe karite bhojana
SYNONYMS
grhera bhitare--within the room; prabhu--Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
karuna--kindly do; gamana--entering; dui bhai--the two brothers, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
and Nityananda Prabhu; aila--came; tabe--then; karite bhojana--to partake of
the prasada.
TRANSLATION
Sri Advaita Prabhu said, "My dear Lords, kindly enter this
room." The two brothers, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, then
came forward to take the prasada.
TEXT 61
TEXT
mukunda, haridasa,----dui prabhu bolaila
yoda-hate dui-jana kahite lagila
SYNONYMS
mukunda--Mukunda; haridasa--Haridasa; dui prabhu--the two Lords;
bolaila--called for; yoda-hate--with folded hands; dui-jana--two persons;
kahite lagila--began to say.
TRANSLATION
When Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu went to accept
the prasada, They both called Mukunda and Haridasa to come with Them. However,
Mukunda and Haridasa, both with folded hands, spoke as follows.
TEXT 62
TEXT
mukunda kahe----mora kichu krtya nahi sare
pache muni prasada pamu, tumi yaha ghare
SYNONYMS
mukunda kahe--Mukunda said; mora--of me; kichu--something; krtya--to perform;
nahi sare--not yet finished; pache--later; muni--I; prasada--prasada;
pamu--shall accept; tumi yaha ghare--You both kindly enter the room.
TRANSLATION
When Mukunda was called for, he submitted, "My dear sir, I have something
to do that is not yet finished. Later I shall accept the prasada, so You two
Prabhus should now please enter the room."
TEXT 63
TEXT
haridasa kahe----muni papistha adhama
bahire eka musti pache karimu bhojana
SYNONYMS
haridasa kahe--Haridasa said; muni--I; papistha--sinful; adhama--the
lowest of men; bahire--outside; eka--one; musti--palmful; pache--later;
karimu--I shall do; bhojana--eating.
TRANSLATION
Haridasa Thakura said, "I am the most sinful and lowest among men.
Later I shall eat one palmful of prasada while waiting outside."
PURPORT
Although the Hindus and Muslims lived together in a very friendly
manner, still there were distinctions between them. The Muslims were considered
yavanas, or low-born, and whenever a Muslim was invited, he would be fed
outside of the house. Although personally called by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and
Nityananda Prabhu to take prasada with Them, still, out of great humility,
Haridasa Thakura submitted, "I shall take the prasada outside of the
house." Although Haridasa Thakura was an exalted Vaisnava accepted by Advaita
Acarya, Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, nonetheless, in order
not to disturb social tranquillity, he humbly kept himself in the position of a
Muslim, outside the jurisdiction of the Hindu community. Therefore he proposed
to take prasada outside the house. Although he was in an exalted position and
equal to other great Vaisnavas, he considered himself a papistha, a most sinful
man, and adhama, the lowest among men. Although a Vaisnava may be very much
advanced spiritually, he keeps himself externally humble and submissive.
TEXT 64
TEXT
dui prabhu lana acarya gela bhitara ghare
prasada dekhiya prabhura ananda antare
SYNONYMS
dui prabhu--the two prabhus (Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu);
lana--with; acarya--Advaita Acarya; gela--went; bhitara--within; ghare--the
room; prasada--the prasada; dekhiya--seeing; prabhura--of Caitanya Mahaprabhu;
ananda antare--was very pleased within Himself.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya took Lord Nityananda Prabhu and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu
within the room, and the two Lords saw the arrangement of the prasada. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu was especially very much pleased.
PURPORT
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was pleased because He saw how nicely so many
varieties of food were prepared for Krsna. Actually all kinds of prasada are
prepared for Krsna, not for the people, but the devotees partake of prasada
with great pleasure.
TEXT 65
TEXT
aiche anna ye krsnake karaya bhojana
janme janme sire dharon tanhara carana
SYNONYMS
aiche--in this way; anna--the eatables; ye--anyone who; krsnake--unto
Krsna; karaya--made to do; bhojana--eating; janme janme--birth after birth;
sire--on My head; dharon--I keep; tanhara--his; carana--lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu approved of all the methods employed in cooking
and offering food to Krsna. Indeed, He was so pleased that He said,
"Frankly, I will personally take the lotus feet of anyone who can offer
Krsna such nice food and place those lotus feet on My head birth after
birth."
TEXT 66
TEXT
prabhu jane tina bhoga----krsnera naivedya
acaryera manah-katha nahe prabhura vedya
SYNONYMS
prabhu jane--the Lord knows; tina bhoga--three divisions of bhoga;
krsnera naivedya--offerings to Lord Krsna; acaryera--of Advaita Acarya;
manah-katha--the intentions; nahe--not; prabhura--to the Lord;
vedya--understandable.
TRANSLATION
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered the room, He saw three divisions of
food, and He knew that all of these were meant for Krsna. However, He did not
understand the intentions of Advaita Acarya.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that one of these
servings was offered in a metal dish and was meant for Krsna, whereas the other
two were placed on big banana leaves. The offering on the metal plate was
personally offered by Advaita Acarya to Krsna. The other two servings, on
banana leaves, were to be accepted by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord
Nityananda. That was Advaita Acarya's intention, but He did not disclose this
to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the food
offered in three places, He thought that all of it was meant for Krsna.
TEXT 67
TEXT
prabhu bale----vaisa tine kariye bhojana
acarya kahe----ami kariba parivesana
SYNONYMS
prabhu bale--Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; vaisa--sit down; tine--in
the three places; kariye--do; bhojana--eating; acarya kahe--Advaita Acarya
replied; ami kariba parivesana--I shall distribute.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Let Us sit down in these three
places, and We shall take prasada." However, Advaita Acarya said, "I
shall distribute the prasada."
TEXT 68
TEXT
kon sthane vasiba, ara ana dui pata
alpa kari' ani' tahe deha vyanjana bhata
SYNONYMS
kon sthane vasiba--where shall We sit down; ara--other; ana--bring; dui
pata--two leaves; alpa kari'--making a small quantity; ani'--bringing; tahe--on
that; deha--give; vyanjana--vegetables; bhata--and boiled rice.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thought that all three servings were meant for
distribution; therefore He asked for another two banana leaves, saying,
"Let Us have a very little quantity of vegetable and rice."
TEXT 69
TEXT
acarya kahe----vaisa donhe pindira upare
eta bali' hate dhari' vasaila dunhare
SYNONYMS
acarya kahe--Advaita Acarya said; vaisa--sit down; donhe--You two;
pindira upare--on the planks of wood; eta bali'--saying this; hate
dhari'--catching Their hands; vasaila dunhare--sat the two Lords down.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya said, "Just sit down here on these seats."
Catching Their hands, He sat Them both down.
TEXT 70
TEXT
prabhu kahe----sannyasira bhaksya nahe upakarana
iha khaile kaiche haya indriya varana
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe--the Lord said; sannyasira--by a sannyasi; bhaksya--to be
eaten; nahe--this is not; upakarana--varieties of food; iha--this; khaile--if
eating; kaiche--how; haya--there is; indriya--senses; varana--controlling.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "It is not proper for a sannyasi to
eat such a variety of foods. If he does, how can he control his senses?"
PURPORT
The word upakarana indicates a variety of foods, such as dal, vegetables
and other varieties of possible dishes that one can eat very nicely with rice.
It is not proper, however, for a sannyasi to eat such palatable dishes. If he
did so, he would not be able to control his senses. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did
not encourage sannyasis to eat very palatable dishes, for the whole Vaisnava
cult is vairagya-vidya, as renounced as possible. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also
advised Raghunatha dasa Gosvami not to eat very palatable dishes, wear very
nice garments or talk on mundane subjects. These things are all prohibited for
those in the renounced order. A devotee does not accept anything to eat that is
not first offered to Krsna. All the rich foods offered to Krsna are given to
the grhasthas, the householders. There are many nice things offered to
Krsna--garlands, bedsteads, nice ornaments, nice food and even nicely prepared
pan, betel nuts--but a humble Vaisnava, thinking his body material and nasty,
does not accept such preparations for himself. He thinks that by accepting such
things he will offend the lotus feet of the Lord. Those who are sahajiyas
cannot understand what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu meant when He asked Advaita
Acarya to bring two separate leaves and give a small quantity of the prasada to
Him.
TEXT 71
TEXT
acarya kahe----chada tumi apanara curi
ami saba jani tomara sannyasera bhari-bhuri
SYNONYMS
acarya kahe--Advaita Acarya replied; chada--give up; tumi--You;
apanara--of Yourself; curi--the concealment; ami--I; saba--all; jani--know;
tomara--of You; sannyasera--of the acceptance of the renounced order;
bhari-bhuri--the confidential meaning.
TRANSLATION
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not accept the food that had already
been served, Advaita Acarya said, "Please give up Your concealment. I know
what You are, and I know the confidential meaning of Your accepting the
sannyasa order."
TEXT 72
TEXT
bhojana karaha, chada vacana-caturi
prabhu kahe----eta anna khaite na pari
SYNONYMS
bhojana karaha--kindly accept this prasada; chada--give up;
vacana-caturi--jugglery of words; prabhu kahe--the Lord said; eta--so much;
anna--food; khaite--to eat; na pari--I am not able.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya thus requested Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to eat and give up
juggling words. The Lord replied, "I certainly cannot eat so much
food."
TEXT 73
TEXT
acarya bale----akapate karaha ahara
yadi khaite na para pate rahibeka ara
SYNONYMS
acarya bale--Advaita Acarya says; akapate--without pretense;
karaha--kindly do; ahara--eating; yadi--if; khaite--to eat; na para--You are
not able; pate--on the leaf; rahibeka ara--let the balance remain.
TRANSLATION
Advaita Acarya then requested the Lord to simply accept the prasada
without pretense. If He could not eat it all, the balance could be left on the
plate.
TEXT 74
TEXT
prabhu bale----eta anna nariba khaite
sannyasira dharma nahe ucchista rakhite
SYNONYMS
prabhu bale--the Lord said; eta--so much; anna--eatables; nariba--I will
not be able; khaite--to eat; sannyasira--of a sannyasi; dharma nahe--it is not
the duty; ucchista--remnants of food; rakhite--to keep.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "I will not be able to eat so much
food, and it is not the duty of a sannyasi to leave remnants."
According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.18.19):
bahir jalasayam gatva
tatopasprsya vag-yatah
vibhajya pavitam sesam
bhunjitasesam ahrtam
"A sannyasi should take whatever edibles he gets from a
householder's house, outside near some lake or river, and after offering the
food to Visnu, Brahma and the sun (three divisions), he should eat the entire
offering and not leave anything for others to eat."
TEXT 75
