20201006 Overwhelming Meeting of the Lamenting Śacīmātā With Her Sannyāsī Son

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

govardhanadharam vande
gopālam goparūpiṇam
gokulotsavam īśānam
govindam gopikāpriyam

Introduction: Today’s Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Pastimes class Overwhelming Meeting of the Lamenting Śacīmātā With Her Sannyāsī Son.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.137

navadvīpera bhaktagaṇasaha śacīmātāra dolāya āgamana :—
prabhāte ācāryaratna dolāya caḍāñā
bhakta-gaṇa-saṅge āilā śacīmātā lañā

Translation: In the morning Candraśekhara seated Śacīmātā in a palanquin and brought her from her house with many devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: In those days distinguished ladies will travel by palanquin so that she will be seated away from public view and taken by palanquin to the destination.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.138

nadīyā-nagarera loka — strī-bālaka-vṛddha
saba loka āilā, haila saṅghaṭṭa samṛddha

Translation: In this way, all the people of the town of Nadia—including all women, boys and old men—came there. Thus, the crowd increased.

Jayapatākā Swami: in order to see Lord Caitanya, all the people of Navadvīpa had come to Śāntipura, house of Advaita Ācārya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.139

prāte śacīra sahita prabhura milana:—
prātaḥ-kṛtya kari’ kare nāma-saṅkīrtana
śacīmātā lañā āilā advaita-bhavana

Translation: In the morning, after regular duties were completed and the Lord was chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the people accompanied Śacīmātā to the house of Advaita Ācārya.

Jayapatākā Swami: We see that Lord Caitanya whether as a gṛhastha or sannyāsī He always chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in saṅkīrtana.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 5.102:

(Bhagavān bows down to offer respectful obeisances to His mother).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.140

prabhudarśane śacīra sneha-krandana:—
śacī-āge paḍilā prabhu daṇḍavat hañā
kāndite lāgilā śacī kole uṭhāiñā

Translation: As soon as Mother Śacī appeared on the scene, Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell before her like a stick. Mother Śacī began to cry, taking the Lord on her lap.

Jayapatākā Swami: Mother Śacī was the personification of vātsalya-rasa. She will always see Lord Caitanya as her dear son. When Lord Caitanya saw Her, he reciprocated and offered Her prostrated obeisances.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.141

śacīra prabhuprati vātsalya-prema varṇana :—
doṅhāra darśane duṅhe ha-ilā vihvala
keśa nā dekhiyā śacī ha-ilā vikala

Translation: Upon seeing each other, they both became overwhelmed. Seeing the Lord’s head without hair, Mother Śacī became greatly agitated.

Jayapatākā Swami: For us Kṛṣṇa is known as the reservoir of all rasas and mellows of devotional love Rasarāja. Since Lord Caitanya saw Mother Śacī, He also both of them felt greatly overwhelmed in reciprocal love.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.142

aṅga muche, mukha cumbe, kare nirīkṣaṇa
dekhite nā pāya, — aśru bharila nayana

Translation: Out of love she began to caress the body of the Lord. Sometimes she kissed His face and tried to observe Him carefully, but because her eyes were filled with tears, she could not see.

Jayapatākā Swami: The ecstasy of Mother Śacī was like the ecstasy of Mother Yaśoda

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 5.103

Mother Śacī: (She is simultaneously anxious, devoted, filled with motherly love, and pleased. Her bodily hairs stand up. She sheds tears, and says in a choked voice, in Sanskrit)

My Dear Child (Son)! Have You become the personified form of vairāgya?

Or else, have You become the personified form of samādhi?

Or else, have You become the personified form of bhakti?

Or else, have You become the personified form of some higher rasa?

(You may be whatever) I still see You

only as the drinker of my breast-milk (my small child).

Now I have attained You.

Hereafter, I will never again let You go.

Jayapatākā Swami: So we can see Mother Śacī’s love, she is firmly in the vātsalya-rasa, parental mellow (She earnestly embraces Him).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.143

śacīra putrera nikaṭa vilāpa o prārthanā:—
kāndiyā kahena śacī, bāchāre nimāñi
viśvarūpa-sama nā kariha niṭhurāi

Translation: Understanding that Lord Caitanya had accepted the renounced order of life, Śacīmātā, crying, said to the Lord, “My darling Nimāi, do not be cruel like Viśvarūpa, Your elder brother.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Viśvarūpa left, He never kept contact. So, she is asking Nimāi, not to be cruel like Viśvarūpa, His elder brother. 

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.144

sannyāsī ha-iyā punaḥ nā dila daraśana
tumi taiche kaile mora ha-ibe maraṇa

Translation: Mother Śacī continued, “After accepting the renounced order, Viśvarūpa never again gave me audience. If You do like Him, that will certainly be the death of me.”

Jayapatākā Swami: She was expressing Her desire to continuing seeing Viśvambhara.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.145

śacīmātāke mātṛbhaktaśiromaṇi prabhura prabodha-dāna:—
kāndiyā balena prabhu — śuna, mora āi
tomāra śarīra ei, mora kichu nāi

Translation: The Lord replied, “My dear mother, please hear. This body belongs to you. I do not possess anything.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.146

tomāra pālita deha, janma tomā haite
koṭi janme tomāra ṛṇa nā pāri śodhite

Translation: “This body was raised by you, and it comes from you. I cannot repay this debt even in millions of births.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.147

śacīmātāra prati prabhura cirasneha :—
jāni’ vā nā jāni’ kaila yadyapi sannyāsa
tathāpi tomāre kabhu nahiba udāsa

Translation: “Knowingly or unknowingly I have accepted this renounced order. Still, I shall never be indifferent to you.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Caitanya was reassuring Mother Śacī, that He will always be sensitive towards Her and that He had a debt that He could never repay.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.148

śacīra īpsita sthāne prabhura avasthāne pratijñā :—
tumi yāhāṅ kaha, āmi tāhāṅi rahiba
tumi yei ājñā kara, sei ta’ kariba

Translation: “My dear mother, wherever you ask Me to stay I shall stay, and whatever you order I shall execute.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Gaurāṅga was telling His mother that He will do whatever she asks but since He has taken the renounced order, to ask Him to stay or return Navadvīpa would be a disgrace. So She will think of something which is beneficial for her and also for son.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.149

prabhura praṇāma o snehabhare śacīra prabhuke kroḍe dhāraṇa :— 
eta bali’ punaḥ punaḥ kare namaskāra
tuṣṭa hañā āi kole kare bāra bāra

Translation: Saying this, the Lord offered obeisances to His mother again and again, and Mother Śacī, being pleased, took Him again and again on her lap.

Jayapatākā Swami: Now Lord Caitanya was grown but in Mother Śacī eyes she seeing Him as Her beloved child.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.4.21:

When Śrī Śacī-mātā arrived with great respect the merciful Lord fell at her feet, then He said, "Hey Mā! I will always reside at your side."

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 5.104:

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya: O mother of the world, O noble mother, in the vine known as vātsalya (affection for son), no other fruit greater than this (showering affection by embracing and other activities of mother towards her son) is able to be produced, i.e., you have attained the fruit of loving affection for your son. You are famous in this world as the most sincerely affectionate mother and therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead has made you as the personification of forgiveness. (so you should forgive my offense) (He again bows down before her).

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 5.105:

(Mother Śacī again embraces Him).

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 5.106:

(The Lord bows down).

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 5.107:

(Advaita makes Mother Śacī stand up and personally leads her inside the inner house and He exits).

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.150

bhaktagaṇera sahita prabhura milana o premāliṅgana:—
tabe āi lañā ācārya gelā abhyantara
bhakta-gaṇa milite prabhu ha-ilā satvara

Translation: Then Advaita Ācārya took Mother Śacī within the house. The Lord was immediately ready to meet all the devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: So many people had come from Navadvīpa with Mother Śacī. Lord Caitanya, once Mother Śacī had entered the house then He was meeting all the devotees with great affection and love.

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura 37:

The Lord's mother was brought there. Simultaneously joyful and grieving, she fed and protected her son for some days. Devotedly obeying His mother's orders, the Lord went to Jagannātha Purī. I meditate on Lord Gaurāṅga, whose journey made the entire country auspicious, and who is the king of sannyāsīs.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, since Lord Caitanya if He went to Vṛndāvana which was more than thousand kilometres away, there were very few devotees who came between Vṛndāvana and Navadvīpa. But there was a regular connection between Jagannātha Purī and Navadvīpa, so Mother Śacī had requested Lord Caitanya to stay in Jagannātha Purī. Later He could go to Vṛndāvana but make His base in Jagannātha Purī. In that way she could regularly receive some news about Him.

Thus, Ends the Chapter, Overwhelming Meeting of the Lamenting Śacīmātā With Her Sannyāsī Son