20201020 The Result of Hearing About Pastimes in Advaita's House and Lord Caitanya's Nīlācala Yātrā (Part 2)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 20th October 2020 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, 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!

Introduction:  So today we are continuing with the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book compilation. Today’s chapter is entitled:

The Result of Hearing About Pastimes in Advaita's House and Lord Caitanya's Nīlācala Yātrā (Part 2)

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.25

prabhura snehāliṅgana o bhaktagaṇera viraha-krandana—

eta bali' mahāprabhu sarva vaiṣṇavere
pratyeke pratyeke dhari' āliṅgana kare

Jayapatākā Swami: After Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu said these words, He embraced each of the Vaiṣṇavas.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.26

prabhura nayana-jale sarva bhakta-gaṇa
siṣcita haiyā aṅga karena krandana

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya’s tears from His eyes soaked all the devotees, and they began to cry.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.27

ei mata nānā-rūpe sabā' prabodhiyā
calilena prabhu dakṣiṇābhimukha haṣā

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way After solacing everyone, the Lord Caitanya departed facing towards the south.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.28

kāndiyā kāndiyā preme saba bhakta-gaṇa
uṭhena paḍena pṛthivīte anukṣaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: The devotees were intensely crying in ecstatic love, and they were falling to the ground and get up repeatedly.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.29

kṛṣṇera mathurā-gamana-kālīna gopī-virahera nyāya bhaktagaṇera viraha duḥkha—

yena gopī-gaṇa kṛṣṇa mathurā calile
ḍubilena mahā-śoka-samudrera jale

Jayapatākā Swami: As the gopīs merged in an ocean of lamentation when Kṛṣṇa left for Mathurā!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.30

ye-rūpe rahila tāṅhā sabāra jīvana
sei mata virahe rahilā bhakta-gaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: So in the same way, the devotees felt similar feelings of separation and somehow survived in the same way.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): For an explanation of this pastime, see Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapter Thirty-nine, verses 13-37.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.213

ācāryake prabodha diyā vidāya-dāna :—

kata dūra giyā prabhu kari’ yoḍa hāta
ācārye prabodhi’ kahe kichu miṣṭa bāta

Translation: After He had followed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for some distance, Advaita Ācārya was petitioned by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with folded hands. The Lord spoke the following sweet words.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.214

jananī prabodhi’ kara bhakta samādhāna
tumi vyagra haile kāro nā rahibe prāṇa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Please pacify all the devotees and My mother. If You become agitated, no one will be able to continue to exist.” 

Translation: Saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Advaita Ācārya and stopped Him from following any further. Then, without anxiety, He proceeded to Jagannātha Purī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So we can see how Caitanya Mahāprabhu solacing all the devotees, embracing them and speaking sweet words and in this way He is proceeding to Jagannātha Purī.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.216

chatrabhogapathe prabhura purīgamana :—

gaṅgā-tīre-tīre prabhu cāri-jana-sāthe
nīlādri calilā prabhu chatrabhoga-pathe

Translation: The Lord, with the other four persons, went along the banks of the Ganges through the path of Chatrabhoga toward Nīlādri, Jagannātha Purī.

Purport: In the southern section of the Eastern Railway, in the district of Twenty-four Parganas, is a station named Magrāhāṭa. If one goes to the southeastern side of that station for some fourteen miles, there is a place called Jayanagara. About six miles south of this Jayanagara station is a village named Chatrabhoga. Sometimes this village is called Khāḍi. In this village is a Deity of Lord Śiva known as Vaijurkānātha. A festival takes place there every year during the month of Caitra (March-April). The festival is known as Nandā-melā. At the present moment the Ganges does not flow there. On the same railway line is another station, known as Bāruipura, and near this station is another place, called Āṭisārā. Formerly this village was also situated on the banks of the Ganges. One can go from this village to Pānihāṭi and from there to Varāha-nagara, north of Calcutta. In those days the Ganges flowed to the south of Calcutta through Kālī-ghāṭa, which is still known as Ādi-gaṅgā. From Bāruipura, the Ganges branched out and flowed through Diamond Harbor near the Mathurāpura police station. It is to be noted that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through all these places on His way to Jagannātha Purī.

Jayapatākā Swami: There is a place near to Ganges which they say as the Jala-liṅga, They say Lord Śiva appeared in the Ganges as water liṅga – Jala-liṅga. They say that Lord Caitanya crossed the Ganges at this place. I don’t know exactly but apparently Lord Caitanya He went by the banks of Ganges 500 hundred years ago. The Ganges swifts regularly, what was explained was five hundred years ago, the path He went. He went along the side where the Ganges was flowing.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.217

caitanya-bhāgavate vistṛta varṇanā :—

‘caitanya-maṅgale’ prabhura nīlādri-gamana
vistāri varṇiyāchena dāsa-vṛndāvana

Translation: In his book known as Caitanya-maṅgala [Caitanya-Bhāgavata], Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has elaborately described the Lord’s passage to Jagannātha Purī.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that while Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through Bengal, He passed through Āṭisārā-grāma, Varāha-grāma and Chatrabhoga. He then reached the Orissa province, where He passed through Prayāga-ghāṭa; the Suvarṇarekhā River; Remuṇā; Yājapura, where He bathed at the Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa, on the Vaitaraṇī River; Kaṭaka (Cuttak), where the Mahānadī River flows; Bhuvaneśvara, where there is a big lake known as Bindu-sarovara; Kamalapura; and Āṭhāranālā. In this way, passing through all these and other places, He reached Jagannātha Purī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, these places still exist, Lord Caitanya historically went through all these places. So, we can trace out the path of Lord Caitanya to Jagannātha Purī.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.81

bhāṭiyārī–rāga

sabhāre vidāya diyā calilā ṭhākura
śūnyakāra haila saba navadvīpapura

Jayapatākā Swami: Bidding farewell to everyone, Lord Caitanya departed. The Navadvīpa city became like a barren desert.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.82

paṇḍita śrīgadādhara, avadhūtarāya
narahari-adi kathojana saṅge yāya

Jayapatākā Swami: Accompanied by Śri Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Lord Nityānanda Avadhuta Rāya, Narahari, and some other devotees went with the Lord.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.83

śrīnivāsa, murāri, mukunda, dāmodara
ei nijajana-saṅge calilā īśvara

Jayapatākā Swami: The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu He went with Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Murāri Gupta, Mukunda datta, and Dāmodara Paṇḍita his own people went along with the Lord.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.84

jagannātha dolete dekhiba mane kari
satvare calila prabhu bali’ harihari

Jayapatākā Swami: In His heart Lord Caitanya quickly went thinking, soon I will see Lord Jagannātha's Dola-yātrā festival. He went quickly chanting the names of Hari! Hari! Haribol!

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.85

premāya bibhola prabhu cali’ yāya pathe
ṭalamala kare tanu–nā pāre hāṁṭite

Jayapatākā Swami: Overcome with ecstatic love, Lord Caitanya walked on the pathways. His body trembled and He was unable to walk. So Lord Caitanya was manifesting such ecstatic love that he was unable to walk and he became stunned in spiritual ecstasy.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.86

kṣaṇe śīghragati dhāya siṁha-parākrame
kṣaṇe huhuṅkāra dei ḍāke harināme

Jayapatākā Swami: In another moment He quickly walked like a ferocious lion. Another moment He loudly roared with Lord Hari's holy names. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.87

kṣaṇe nāce kṣaṇe gāya sakaruṇa kānde
kṣaṇe mālasāṭa māre premāra unmāde

Jayapatākā Swami: His ecstasy was always changing, in another moment He danced. Another moment He sang. Another moment He piteously cried with great transcendental emotion. In another moment He slapped His arms, He became wild with loving ecstasy.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.88

aruṇa-nayāne jaladhārā anivāra
vipula-pulake se ḍhākila kalevara

Jayapatākā Swami: From Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu reddish eyes, he was streaming flooding rivers of tears flowed without stop. The hairs of His body stood erect covering His whole body.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.89

kṣaṇeke mantharagati–alaukika kahe
kṣaṇe aṭṭa-aṭṭa hāse–dāṁḍāiyā rahe

Jayapatākā Swami: One moment He walked very slowly. Another moment He spoke words not of this world. Another moment He spoke words of other world and another moment he would be standing like a stick and another moment he would loudly, loudly laugh.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.90

yadi bā kakhana bhakṣya upasanna haya
‘nivedita nahe’ bali’ kichui nā laya

Jayapatākā Swami: If some food was offered to Lord Caitanya, He would not accept anything, saying, “It was not offered to Lord Kṛṣna.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 15.91

aneka yatane dui-tine kare bhikṣā
loka-anugraha se prakāśe lokaśikṣā

Jayapatākā Swami: With great care two or three times they find and begged some kṛṣna-prasāda and He would eat. By this example the Lord kindly taught the people of the world how to act.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 3.218

advaita-gṛhe prabhura vilāsa śune yei jana
acire milaye tāṅre kṛṣṇa-prema-dhana

Translation: If one hears the activities of the Lord at the house of Advaita Ācārya, He will certainly very soon attain the riches of love of Krsna.” Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Hari hari.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 1.288

aprākṛta phalaśruti—

ye sukṛti-jana śune e saba ākhyāna
tāhāre milaye gauracandra bhagavān

Jayapatākā Swami: That auspicious person who is able to hear these transcendental pastimes, certainly achieves Lord Gauracandra, So hearing these pastimes of Lord Caitanya in the house of Lord Advaita Gosāñi in Śāntipur and His departure to travel to Jagannātha Purī gives one pure love of Kṛṣṇa will certainly bring one to the shelter of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So we can see how important it is to hear this pastime. How the Lord is so personal with His devotees. How He embraced each devotee, how He solaced Him, how He assured His mother and all His devotes that He will never forsake them.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 1.289

punaḥ prabhu-saṅge bhakta-gaṇa daraśana
punar-bāra aiśvarya-āveśe saṅkīrtana

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way the devotees again met Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And again performed with great opulence the sacrifice of congregational chanting of the holy names, saṅkīrtana! Haribol!.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 1.290

sarva-vaiṣṇavera prabhu-saṁhati bhojana
ihā ye śunaye tāre mile prema-dhana

Jayapatākā Swami: How Lord Caitanya took His prasāda with all of the Vaiṣṇavas, if one hears this pastime, they attain the priceless wealth of love of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-prema-dhana.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvarī Ṭhākura): Many ignorant people think that a pompous procession with congregational chanting of the name of Hari in the streets is an exhibition of opulence. To remove that misconception, Śrī Gaurasundara performed saṅkīrtana with great pomp and then sat with all the Vaiṣṇavas to exhibit the pastime of sitting and eating with the devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: Just as Kṛṣṇa would take prasāda with His cowherd boys in Vṛndāvana Lord Caitanya would take prasāda with all of the devotees after performing the harināma-saṅkīrtana.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.4.38

One who hears of Śrī Hari's glorious departure for Puruṣottama dhāma obtains parama-premānanda, the lofty pinnacle of blissful love for the lotus feet of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So by hearing the pastimes of Lord Gaurahari’s departure from Śāntipura to Jagannātha Purī obtains parama-premānanda - transcendental supreme ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.4.39

Whatever benefit is achieved by having directly darśana of Lord Jagannātha, the master of Puruṣottama Kṣetra, a man can obtain simply by regularly reciting these pastimes of Gaura Hari.

Jayapatākā Swami: So some devotees from western countries at the present time still not allowed into the Jagannātha Purī temple. We are hoping that in the future they may allow. But anyway, by regularly and repeating these pastimes of Lord Caitanya one gets the same benefit as seeing Lord Jagannātha. Haribol!

Śrī-gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram - 36
—(Śrila Bhaktivinoda-ṭhākura)

Translation: Renouncing His home and relatives in Navadvīpa, and conquered by Nityānanda's love, Kṛṣṇa Caitanyacandra wandered to the town of Śāntipura. I meditate on Lord Gaurāṅga, who wished to go to Vraja. Now we understand from the pastimes of how Lord Caitanya going to Śāntipura and pastimes in Śāntipura and then His going to Jagannātha Purī are so purifying that one who hears they gets all kinds of benediction. Haribol! Gaura Hari bol !

Thus, Ends the Chapter, The Result of Hearing About Pastimes in Advaita's House and Lord Caitanya's Nīlācala Yātrā

Actually, the pastimes are so blissful that we go on hearing them again and again and how the Lord is leaving Navadvīpa leaving Śāntipura that puts all the devotees in separation. Navadvīpa town became like a desert without Lord Caitanya transcendental pastimes. How we are surviving not being able to see Lord Caitanya this shows that out hearts are hard so the devotees of Navadvīpa certainly could not bear the absence of Lord Caitanya.