20201031 Nityānanda Prabhu Breaks the Sannyāsa Rod (Part 2)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 31st 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: Today we are continuing with Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book compilation, todays chapter entitled is:

Nityānanda Prabhu Breaks the Sannyāsa Rod (Part 2)

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.212

eka vastu dui bhāga, bhakti bujhaite
gauracandra jāni sabe nityānanda haite

Jayapatākā Swami: The one divine Lord has become two to teach bhakti, devotional service. One can know Lord Gauracandra only through Lord Nityānanda.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): Svayam-rūpa and svayam-prakāśa are one, just as each of the catur-vyūha, or quadruple expansions, are one. The most worshipable Śrī Gaurasundara is svayam-rūpa, and Śrī Nityānanda, the topmost devotee, is svayam-prakāśa. By following only the path of regulative principles, the worship of Gaurasundara is hindered. And also by transgressing Śrī Nityānanda, the service of Śrī Gaurasundara is hindered. Śrī Nityānanda assists in Śrī Gaurasundara's preaching of ecstatic love of God in ten different forms. Only Śrī Nityānanda is able to reveal to the world the mystery of Śrī Caitanya's acceptance of ekadaṇḍa and, in the position of being without daṇḍa, His acceptance of tridaṇḍa. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has prescribed for the devotees of Viṣṇu the process of accepting tridaṇḍa. Only the tridaṇḍīs are able to actually attain the stage of paramahaṁsa, whereas ekadaṇḍīs preaching the mundane concept of impersonalism cannot understand their own position. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu alone is able to reveal many of the favorable items of spiritual consideration, like the characteristics and differences found in the ekadaṇḍa, which is a combination of jīva-daṇḍa with the tridaṇḍa of the Vedic sanātana-dharma, and how oneness can be the combination of many.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya expanded Himself into Gaurāṅga and Nityānanda. In this way the two of them are teaching how to render devotional service. Lord Caitanya is also known as Viśvavaiṣṇava-raja, He is the King of all the Vaiṣṇava and He is also expanded himself into Lord Nityānanda, who is non-different from Balarāma and by His mercy one can also get the mercy of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.213

balarāma vinā anya caitanyera daṇḍa
bhāṅgibāre pāre hena ke āche pracaṇḍa

Jayapatākā Swami: Who other than Lord Balarāma, is strong enough to break Lord Caitanya's sannyāsa-daṇḍa?

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.214

sakala bujhāya chale śrī-gaurasundare
ye jānaye marma, sei jana sukhe tare

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Śrī Gaurasundara had taught everyone by this pretext that anyone who understands the secret of this pastime, that person is happily delivered. As we heard Lord Nityānanda, eka-daṇḍa was broken into three and it became trī-daṇḍī and that is the sannyāsa recommended for Vaiṣṇavas, trī-daṇḍī sannyāsa. I had the great fortune of accepting the trī-daṇḍī sannyāsa from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda in 1970. Haribol! Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.215

jagadānandera pratyāgamana o bhaṅgadaṇḍa darśane bismaya, cintā o bijñāsā—

daṇḍa bhāṅgi' nityānanda āchena vasiyākṣa
ṇeke jagadānanda mililā āsiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: After breaking the daṇḍa, Lord Nityānanda he was there sitting. Shortly thereafter Jagadānanda Paṇḍita returned and joined Him.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.216

bhagna daṇḍa dekhi' mahā hailā vismita
antare jagadānanda hailā cintita

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing the broken daṇḍa, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita was greatly astonished, and he felt apprehensive and he was worried at heart.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.217

nityānandera uttara—

vārtā jijñāsena,—“daṇḍa bhāṅgileka ke?”
nityānanda bale,—“daṇḍa dharileka ye

Jayapatākā Swami: So Jagadānanda Paṇḍita asked, “Who broke the daṇḍa?” Lord Nityānanda replied, “He who held the daṇḍa.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.218

āpanāra daṇḍa prabhu bhāṅgiyā āpane
tāṅra daṇḍa bhāṅgite ki pāre anya jane?”

Jayapatākā Swami: “Lord Caitanya broke His own sannyāsa-daṇḍa. Who else is capable of breaking the daṇḍa?”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.219

jagadānanda-kartṛka prabhura nikaṭa bhagnadaṇḍa ānayana—

śuni' vipra āra nā karilā pratyuttara
bhāṅgā daṇḍa lai' mātra calilā satvara

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing this Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, he did not reply anything and he took the broken daṇḍa and quickly left.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa

2.220 sarbajña prabhura daṇḍabhaṅgera kāraṇa-jijñāsā-līlā—

vasiyā āchena yathāśrī-gaurasundara
bhāṅgā daṇḍa pheli' dila prabhura gocara

Jayapatākā Swami: Where Lord Śrī Gaurasundara was sitting Jagadānanda Paṇḍita put the broken daṇḍa before the Lord. Lord Gaurāṅga was sitting and Jagadānanda Paṇḍita carefully placed or dropped the broken daṇḍa before Him.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.221

prabhu bale,—“kaha daṇḍa bhāṅgila kemane
pathe kibā kandola karilā kāro sane?”

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord Caitanya said, “Tell Me how this sannyāsa-daṇḍa was broken. Did you have a fight with someone on the way?”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 2.222

jagadānandera nityānanda prabhura nāmollekha—

kahilā jagadānanda paṇḍita sakala
“bhāṅgilena daṇḍa nityānanda suvihvala”

Jayapatākā Swami: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita narrated the entire incident. Lord Nityānanda who was overwhelmed with ecstasy broke the sannyāsa-daṇḍa.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 1.97

kṣīra-curi-kathā, sākṣi-gopāla-vivaraṇa
nityānanda kaila prabhura daṇḍa-bhañjana

Translation: From Nityānanda Prabhu, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard the story of Kṣīra-curī Gopīnātha and of the witness Gopāla. Then Nityānanda Prabhu broke the sannyāsa rod belonging to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Purport: This Kṣīra-curī Gopīnātha is situated in Remuṇā, about five miles away from the Bāleśvara (Balasore) station on the Northeastern Railway, formerly known as the Bengal Māyāpur Railway. This station is situated a few miles from the famous Kharagpur junction station. Some time ago the head of the temple was Śyāmasundara Adhikārī from Gopīvallabhapura, which lies on the border of the district of Midnapore. Śyāmasundara Adhikārī was a descendant of Rasikānanda Murāri, the chief disciple of Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī. A few miles before the Jagannātha Purī station is a small station called Sākṣi-gopāla. Near this station is a village named Satyavādī, where the temple of Sākṣi-gopāla is situated.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the distance between Remuṇā and Sākṣi-gopāla is considerable. So exactly when the things happened it is difficult to say. The Caitanya-Bhāgavata gives one chronology and Caitanya-caritāmṛta gives the other we generally accept Caitanya-caritāmṛta as the most authoritative. Be as it may, it is fact that Lord Nityānanda broke the sannyāsa-daṇḍa of Lord Caitanya whether near Remuṇā or near Jagannātha Purī.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 1.98

kruddha hañā ekā gelā jagannātha dekhite
dekhiyā mūrcchita hañā paḍilā bhūmite

Translation: After His sannyāsa rod was broken by Nityānanda Prabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu apparently became very angry and left His company to travel alone to the Jagannātha temple. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu entered the Jagannātha temple and saw Lord Jagannātha, He immediately lost His senses and fell down on the ground. Haribol!

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 5.142–143

kapoteśvara dekhite gelā bhakta-gaṇa saṅge
ethā nityānanda-prabhu kaila daṇḍa-bhaṅge

tina khaṇḍa kari’ daṇḍa dila bhāsāñā
bhakta-saṅge āilā prabhu maheśa dekhiñā

Translation: When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the temple of Lord Śiva known as Kapoteśvara, Nityānanda Prabhu, who was keeping His sannyāsa staff in custody, broke the staff in three parts and threw it into the river Bhārgīnadī. Later this river became known as Daṇḍa-bhāṅgā-nadī.

Purport (by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura): The mystery of the sannyāsa-daṇḍa (staff) of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has been explained by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the order of sannyāsa from a Māyāvādī sannyāsī. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs generally carry one staff, or daṇḍa. Taking advantage of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s absence, Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu broke the staff into three parts and threw it into the river later known as the Daṇḍa-bhāṅgā-nadī. In the sannyāsa order there are four divisions — kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, haṁsa and paramahaṁsa. Only when the sannyāsī remains on the kuṭīcaka and bahūdaka platforms can he carry a staff. However, when one is elevated to the status of haṁsa or paramahaṁsa, after touring and preaching the bhakti cult, he must give up the sannyāsa staff. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is therefore said, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya: “Two personalities—Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Śrī Kṛṣṇa —are combined in the incarnation of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” Therefore, considering Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be an extraordinary person, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu did not wait for the paramahaṁsa stage. He reasoned that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is automatically on the paramahaṁsa stage; therefore He does not need to carry the sannyāsa-daṇḍa. This is the reason Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu broke the staff into three pieces and threw it into the water.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.144

purīra mandira dekhiyā kṛṣṇabirahātura prabhura nṛtya o ābeśa :—

jagannāthera deula dekhi’ āviṣṭa hailā
daṇḍavat kari preme nācite lāgilā

Translation: After seeing the temple of Jagannātha from a distant place, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately became ecstatic. After offering obeisances to the temple, He began to dance in the ecstasy of love of God.

Purport: The word deula refers to the temple where the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated. The present temple of Jagannātha Purī was constructed by King Anaṅga-bhīma. Historians say this temple must have been constructed at least two thousand years ago. During the time of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the small buildings surrounding the original temple had not been constructed. Nor was the high platform in front of the temple present during the time of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: We can see how Lord Caitanya from a great distance he saw the Jagannātha Purī temple. On the top of the temple is the Sudarśana cakra, as soon as He saw that Lord Caitanya offered His obeisances and then He started to dance in ecstasy. Chanting the Holy Names.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.145

bhakta-gaṇa āviṣṭa hañā, sabe nāce gāya
premāveśe prabhu-saṅge rāja-mārge yāya

Translation: All the devotees became ecstatic in the association of Lord Caitanya, and thus absorbed in love of God, they were dancing and singing while going along the main road.

Jayapatākā Swami: This main road is still there between the Jagannātha Purī temple and the Gundica temple. That is the roan in which Ratha-yātrā proceeds every year. That is the road where Lord Caitanya and his associates were chanting and dancing, proceeding to the Jagannātha Purī temple.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.146

hāse, kānde, nāce prabhu huṅkāra garjana
tina-krośa patha haila—sahasra yojana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu laughed, cried, danced and made many ecstatic vibrations and sounds. Although the temple was only six miles away, to Him the distance seemed thousands of miles.

Purport: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in ecstasy, He considered one moment to last as long as twelve years. After seeing the Jagannātha temple from a distant place, the Lord became so ecstatic that He considered the six-mile path many thousands of miles long.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was so eager to see Lord Jagannātha that even a six miles distance seemed to be a thousand miles distance.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.147

āṭhāranālā āsiyā prabhura bāhyadaśā o nijadaṇḍa-yācñā :—

calite calite prabhu āilā ’āṭhāranālā’
tāhāṅ āsi’ prabhu kichu bāhya prakāśilā

Translation: Thus walking and walking, the Lord eventually arrived at the place known as Āṭhāranālā. Arriving there, He expressed His external consciousness, speaking to Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu.

Purport: At the entrance to Jagannātha Purī is a bridge with eighteen arches called Āṭhāranālā. (Āṭhāra means eighteen.)

Jayapatākā Swami: That bridge is still there.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.148

nityānande kahe prabhu,—deha mora daṇḍa
nityānanda bale,—daṇḍa haila tina khaṇḍa

Translation: When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu had thus regained external consciousness, He asked Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, ”Please return My staff.”

Purport: Nityānanda Prabhu then replied, “It has been broken into three parts.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.149

nitāira cāturyya o daṇḍabhaṅga bārtā-nibedana :—

premāveśe paḍilā tumi, tomāre dharinu
tomā-saha sei daṇḍa-upare paḍinu

Translation: Nityānanda Prabhu said, “When You fell down in ecstasy, I caught You, but both of Us together fell upon the staff.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.150

dui-janāra bhare daṇḍa khaṇḍa khaṇḍa haila
sei khaṇḍa kāṅhā paḍila, kichu nā jānila

Translation: “Thus the staff broke under Our weight. Where the pieces have gone, I cannot say.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So this was the response Lord Nityānanda gave to Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.151

mora aparādhe tomāra daṇḍa ha-ila khaṇḍa
ye ucita haya, mora kara tāra daṇḍa”

Translation: “It is certainly because of My offense that Your staff was broken. Now You can punish Me on this account as You think proper.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.152

śuni’ kichu mahāprabhu duḥkha prakāśilā
īṣat krodha kari’ kichu kahite lāgilā

Translation: After hearing the story about how His staff had been broken, the Lord expressed a little sadness and, displaying a bit of anger, began to speak as follows.

Purport: Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu considered Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s acceptance of sannyāsa to be useless. He therefore relieved the Lord of the trouble of carrying the staff. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu expressed anger because He wanted to teach all other sannyāsīs that they should not give up the staff before attaining the platform of paramahaṁsa. Seeing that the regulative principles could be slackened by such action, Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to carry the staff personally. However, Nityānanda broke it. For this reason, Caitanya Mahāprabhu displayed a little anger. It is said in the Bhagavad-Gītā (3.21), yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ: Whatever great people do, others follow. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to follow the Vedic principles strictly in order to save inexperienced neophytes who try to imitate paramahaṁsas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Caitanya was teaching by His example and He wanted to give His example to the neophytes who have accepted sannyāsa. They should carry their sannyāsa-daṇḍa until they reach the stage of paramahaṁsa. So since daṇḍa was broken without His permission He expressed some anger in that way He can teach others.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.153

prabhura anuyoga o niḥsaṅga haïyā jagannātha darśane icchāprakāśa :—

nīlācale āni’ mora sabe hita kailā
sabe daṇḍa-dhana chila, tāhā nā rākhilā

Translation: Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “You have all benefited Me by bringing Me to Nīlācala. However, My only possession was that one staff, and you have not kept it.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.154

tumi-saba āge yāha īśvara dekhite
kibā āmi āge yāi, nā yāba sahite

Translation: So all of you should go before or behind Me to see Lord Jagannātha. I shall not go with you.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.155

mukundera prabhuke agre gamanera anurodha :—

mukunda datta kahe,—prabhu, tumi yāha āge
āmi-saba pāche yāba, nā yāba tomāra saṅge

Translation: Mukunda Datta told Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “My Lord, You should go ahead and allow all the others to follow. We shall not go with You.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So Mukunda Datta expressed the incomparability of all the devotees and He requested the Lord to go ahead and they will follow behind.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.156

dui prabhura bhāba—acintya :—

eta śuni’ prabhu āge calilā śīghra-gati
bujhite nā pāre keha dui prabhura mati

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then began to walk very swiftly before all the other devotees. No one could understand the real purpose of the two Lords, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: Here we can understand that how Lord Nityānanda, he wanted to free the Lord from the burden of carrying the daṇḍa at the same time He broke the daṇḍa into three parts creating a trī-daṇḍī. So Lord Caitanya he expressed some anger and dissatisfaction that His daṇḍa was broken to teach others that they should follow the system of sannyāsa to carry the daṇḍa. We know that these reasons are there but there may be more reasons, anyway what Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda do its completely inconceivable for all the living entities.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.157

iṅho kene daṇḍa bhāṅge, teṅho kene bhāṅgāya
bhāṅgāñā krodhe teṅho iṅhāke doṣāya

Translation: The devotees could not understand why Nityānanda Prabhu broke the staff, why Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu permitted Him to do so, or why, after permitting Him, Caitanya Mahāprabhu became angry.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 5.158

ubhaye abheda-darśanakārī bhaktaï ei līlā bujhite samartha :—

daṇḍa-bhaṅga-līlā ei—parama gambhīra
sei bujhe, duṅhāra pade yāṅra bhakti dhīra

Translation: The pastime of the breaking of the staff is very deep. Only one whose devotion is fixed upon the lotus feet of the two Lords can understand it.

Purport: One who understands Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu in reality can understand Their identity as well as the breaking of the staff. All the previous ācāryas, being induced to engage themselves fully in the service of the Lord, gave up attachment for material life and thus accepted the staff, which signifies which signifies full engagement of the mind, speech and body in the service of the Lord. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the regulative principles of the renounced order of life. That is completely clear. However, in the paramahaṁsa stage there is no need to accept a daṇḍa (staff), and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was certainly in the paramahaṁsa stage. Nonetheless, to indicate that everyone should take sannyāsa at the end of life in order to engage fully in the service of the Lord, even paramahaṁsas like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His confidential devotees follow the regulative principles unfailingly. Indeed, that was His purpose. Nityānanda Prabhu, who was His eternal servitor, believed that there was no need for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to carry the staff, and to declare to the world that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was above all regulations, He broke it into three pieces. The pastime known as daṇḍa-bhaṅga-līlā is thus explained by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this pastime of breaking of the daṇḍa is very confidential. There are many things to be learnt. The importance of the vaiṣṇava-tridandī-sannyāsa and the actual position of Lord Caitanya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead as His own devotee as Mahāprabhu, he was teaching by His own example. In this way there are many things in this pastime. Lord Caitanya he went ahead of all His devotees and entered into the Jagannātha Purī temple. But there are some other details of His journey to Jagannātha Purī like He heard the pastimes of Khīracora Gopīnātha and the Sākṣī Gopāla that was not mentioned here, anyway it was mentioned but not in detail. May be those things are often given in details. So we see how Lord Caitanya is very ecstatic to enter the temple of Lord Jagannātha. I had the great fortune that I became devotee by serving Lord Jagannātha in 1968 in San Fransico by helping Jayānanda prabhu to build the rath cart of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā and on the day of Ratha-yātrā I decided to shave the hair off and practice the brahmacarya life. Haribol!

Thus Ends the Chapter, Nityānanda Prabhu Breaks the Sannyāsa Rod