20201014 Lord Caitanya Proclaims His Own Truth

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 14th, 2020 in Śrī Dhāma Māyapur, India.

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: So today we are continuing with the compiling of the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-līlā book, Today's topic is:

Śacīmātā Decides that Lord Caitanya Remain at Nīlācala

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.173

mātṛ vāñchā-pūraṇārthe mātṛ-bhakta-śiromaṇi prabhura bhaktagaṇake anurodha :

mātāra vyagratā dekhi’ prabhura vyagra mana
bhakta-gaṇa ekatra kari’ balilā vacana

Jayapatākā Swami: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw His mother’s great eagerness, He became a little agitated. He therefore assembled all the devotees present and spoke to them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.174

prabhura bhaktavaśyatā :—

tomā-sabāra ājñā vinā calilāma vṛndāvana
yāite nārila, vighna kaila nivartana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed them all, “Without your order, I tried to go to Vṛndāvana. There was some obstacle, however, and I had to return.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is saying how He wanted to go to Vṛndāvana, but without getting orders from His devotees He will not be able to go. So he had to return and now He is seeking the blessings of the devotees

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.175

prabhura bhakta o mātṛ-vātsalya :—

yadyapi sahasā āmi kariyāchi sannyāsa
tathāpi tomā-sabā haite nahiba udāsa

Translation: “My dear friends, although I have suddenly accepted this renounced order, I still know that I shall never be indifferent to you.

Jayapatākā Swami: As Kṛṣṇa, He revealed that he is although independent Lord, he is actually never independent from His devotees. He always wants to reciprocate with the love of His devotees. He is assuring them that although He took sannyāsa He would not be indifferent to them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.176

tomā-sabā nā chāḍiba, yāvat āmi jīva’
mātāre tāvat āmi chāḍite nāriba

Translation: “My dear friends, as long as I remain manifest, I shall never give you up. Nor shall I be able to give up My mother.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.177

bāntāśī haoyā sannyāsīra kartavya nahe:—

sannyāsīra dharma nahe—sannyāsa kariñā
nija janma-sthāne rahe kuṭumba lañā

Translation: “After accepting sannyāsa, it is not the duty of a sannyāsī to remain at his birthplace, encircled by relatives.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is telling the duties of sannyāsī.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.178

phantu-vairāgya-hetu mahāprabhura nindā nā haya, tajjanya bhaktagaṇera nikaṭa yukti-prārthanā

keha yena ei bali’ nā kare nindana
sei yukti kaha, yāte rahe dui dharma

Translation: “Make some arrangement so that I may not leave you and at the same time people may not blame Me for remaining with relatives after taking sannyāsa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So He is asking them to consider how He can follow the sannyāsa vows and at the same time He can have some association with the devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.179

śacīke advaitādira prārthanā :—
śuniyā prabhura ei madhura vacana
śacī-pāśa ācāryādi karila gamana

Translation: After hearing Lord Caitanya’s statement, all the devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, approached Mother Śacī.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.180

prabhura nivedana tāṅre sakala kahili
śuni’ śacī jagan-mātā kahite lāgila

Translation: When they submitted Lord Caitanya’s statement, Mother Śacī, who is the mother of the universe, began to speak.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.181

prabhura sukhei śacī-mātāra sukha :—
teṅho yadi ihāṅ rahe, tabe mora sukha
tāṅ’ra nindā haya yadi, seha mora duḥkha

Translation: Śacīmātā said, “It will be a great happiness for me if Nimāi [Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu] stays here. But at the same time, if someone blames Him, it will be my great unhappiness.”

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: It is a great happiness for a mother if her son does not leave home to search out Kṛṣṇa but remains with her. At the same time, if a son does not search after Kṛṣṇa but simply remains at home, he is certainly blamed by experienced saintly persons. Such blame certainly causes great unhappiness for a mother. If a real mother wants her son to progress spiritually, she had better allow him to go out searching for Kṛṣṇa. The mother naturally desires the welfare of the son. If a mother does not allow her son to search for Kṛṣṇa, she is called mā, which indicates māyā. By allowing her son to go as a sannyāsī and search for Kṛṣṇa, Śacīmātā instructs all mothers of the world. She indicates that all sons should become real devotees of Kṛṣṇa and should not stay at home under the care of an affectionate mother. This is supported by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.18):

“No one should become a spiritual master—nor a relative, father, mother, worshipable deity or husband— if he cannot help a person escape the imminent path of death.” Therefore, Śacīmātā, although the mother of Nimāi Paṇḍita, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, considered all the facts and decided to allow her son to go out and search for Kṛṣṇa. At the same time, she made some arrangements in order that she might get news of all the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So we can see that Mother Śacī is really a well-wisher for her son. She is sacrificing her own happiness to see that Her son may achieve Kṛṣṇa. She shows the real example of a loving mother.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.182

śacī-mātāra putra-sukha-janya purī-vāsera anumodana :—
tāte ei yukti bhāla, mora mane laya
nīlācale rahe yadi, dui kārya haya

Translation: Mother Śacī said, “This consideration is good. In my opinion, if Nimāi remains at Jagannātha Purī, He may not leave any one of us and at the same time can remain aloof as a sannyāsī. Thus, both purposes are fulfilled.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Jagannātha Purī is very close to Navadvīpa dhāma. There are many people who go between Navadvīpa and Jagannātha Purī. So, she can get news of Nimāi. Devotees can go there and visit Him for the Ratha-yātrā festival. So both purposes are solved.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.183

nīlācale navadvīpe yena dui ghara
loka-gatāgati-vārtā pāba nirantara

Translation: “Since Jagannātha Purī and Navadvīpa are intimately related—as if they were two rooms in the same house— people from Navadvīpa generally go to Jagannātha Purī, and those in Jagannātha Purī go to Navadvīpa. This going and coming will help carry news of Lord Caitanya. In this way I will be able to get news of Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.184

tumi saba karite pāra gamanāgamana
gaṅgā-snāne kabhu habe tāṅra āgamana

Translation: “All you devotees will be able to come and go, and sometimes He may also come to take His bath in the Ganges.”

Jayapatākā Swami: She is hoping that he might come and take bath Ganges and she might get some association

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.185

śacīra śuddha vātsalya-prema :—

āpanāra duḥkha-sukha tāhāṅ nāhi gaṇi
tāṅra yei sukha, tāhā nija-sukha māni

Translation: “I do not care for my personal happiness or unhappiness, but only for His happiness. Indeed, I accept His happiness as my happiness.”

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows that Mother Śacī had pure parental affection. She is saying that Nimāi’s happiness, her son’s happiness is Her happiness.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.186

'bhaktagaṇera śacī-mātāke stuti :—
śuni’ bhakta-gaṇa tāṅre karila stavana
veda-ājñā yaiche, mātā, tomāra vacana

Translation: After hearing Śacīmātā, all the devotees offered her prayers and assured her that her order, like a Vedic injunction, could not be violated.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.187

śacīra abhiprāya-śravaṇe prabhura ānanda
bhakta-gaṇa prabhu-āge āsiyā kahila
śuniyā prabhura mane ānanda ha-ila

Translation: All the devotees informed Lord Caitanya of Śacīmātā’s decision. Hearing it, the Lord became very pleased.

Jayapatākā Swami: So this is the reason why Lord Caitanya made His base in Jagannātha Purī.

Thus Ends the Chapter, Śacīmātā Decides that Lord Caitanya Remain at Nīlācala

I would like to mention that since in the compilation of this book. In most cases the same pastimes are just related with such different details. But in this particular occasion two different details of the pastimes came up. Some of the books of Lord Caitanyas pastimes says that Ācāryaratna Candraśekhara Ācārya and Lord Nityānanda to Navadvīpa. Another version is presented by Caitanya-caritāmṛta and other books that Lord Nityānanda had the cowherd boys misdirect Lord Caitanya to south of Vṛndāvana. At some point Lord Nityānanda was also with Lord Caitanya. Normally we take the version of Caitanya-caritāmṛta as the most authoritative. But in this case, since many unique pastimes are described, How Lord Nityānanda floated to Navadvīpa