20210224 Lord Caitanya Meets Rāmānanda Rāya in Vijayanagara on His Way Back to Nīlācala

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on February 24th, 2021 in Sri Dhama Mayapur, 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!

Continuing on the Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, today’s chapter entitled:

Lord Caitanya Meets Rāmānanda Rāya in Vijayanagara on His Way Back to Nīlācala 
Under the section Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu travel to the Holy Places in South India

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram
– Verse 46 by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura

Translation: After giving to the people of the South the bliss that removes the impurities of Kali, accompanied by Kṛśna dāsa, and bringing two devotional books (Brahma-saṁhitā and Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta), He went to Jagannātha Purī on the road to Alālanātha. I meditate on Lord Gaurāṅga, the jubilant protector of the devotees.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.16.8

Translation: Having seen all the holy tīrthas one after another, our Prabhu, who is like a vast ocean of compassion, felt an intense yearning to see Jagannātha Svāmī, and thus He returned His steps towards the holy king of kṣetras.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.16.9

Translation: Following the bank of the Godāvarī river, Gaura Prabhu, who is the sole meaning in life for the saintly men of this age, by His heart-felt desire came to stay again with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya. Seated in the home of that best amongst the twice-born, the son of Śacī shone in jubilation as that sage of rasa nicely again honored Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.319

prabhu saha rāmānanda rāyera milana:— 
rāmānanda rāya śuni’ prabhura āgamana
ānande āsiyā kaila prabhu-saha milana

Translation: When Rāmānanda Rāya heard of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival, he was very pleased, and he immediately went to see Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.320

daṇḍavat hañā paḍe caraṇe dhariyā
āliṅgana kaila prabhu tāṅre uṭhāñā

Translation: When Rāmānanda Rāya fell flat, touching the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord immediately raised him to his feet and embraced him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.321

ubhayera premānanda o iṣṭagoṣṭhī:— 
dui jane premāveśe karena krandana
premānande śithila haila duṅhākāra mana

Translation: In great ecstatic love they both began to cry, and thus their minds were slackened.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya and Rāmānanda Rāya were meeting each other, felt immense loving sentiments. Lord Caitanya lifted up Rāmānanda Rāya and embraced hiṃ. So like that both were filled in spiritual ecstasy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.322

kata-kṣaṇe dui janā susthira hañā
nānā iṣṭa-goṣṭhī kare ekatra vasiyā

Translation: After some time they regained their senses and sat together to discuss various subjects.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.323

prabhura tīrtha-yātrā-vṛttānta varṇana o saṁgṛhīta granthadvaya-pradāna:—
tīrtha-yātrā-kathā prabhu sakala kahilā
karnāmṛta, brahma-saṁhitā,—dui puṅthi dilā

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave Rāmānanda Rāya a vivid description of His travels to the holy places and told him how He had acquired the two books named Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta and Brahma-saṁhitā. The Lord delivered the books to Rāmānanda Rāya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.324

prabhu kahe,—tumi yei siddhānta kahili
ei dui puṅthi sei saba sākṣī dile

Translation: The Lord said, “Whatever you have told Me about devotional service is all supported by these two books.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.325

rāyera ānanda haila pustaka pāiyā
prabhu-saha āsvādila, rākhila likhiyā

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya was very happy to receive these books. He tasted their contents along with the Lord and made a copy of each.

Jayapatākā Swami: In those days if you want to get a book, you have to make a copy of it, and to get a major work the price you had to pay was to give your life. If you are willing to follow the book completely, then you can have a copy. So Rāmānanda Rāya was very happy to receive these two transcendental literature since they were not so big, he could copy them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.326

prabhu darśane loka-samāgama:— 
‘gosāñi āilā’ grāme haila kolāhala
prabhuke dekhite loka āila sakala

Translation: News spread in the village of Vidyānagara about the arrival of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and everyone came to see Him once again.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.327

bahiraṅga lokadarśane rāyera o prabhura sva-sva-kārye prasthāna:— 
loka dehki’ rāmānanda gelā nija-ghare
madhyāhne uṭhilā prabhu bhikṣā karibāre

Translation: After seeing the people who gathered there, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya returned to his own home. At noon, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got up to take His lunch.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.328

prabhu o rāyera kṛṣṇa-kathālāpe ekasaptāha-yāpana:— 
rātri-kāle rāya punaḥ kaila āgamana
dui jane kṛṣṇa-kathāya kaila jāgaraṇa

Translation: Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya returned at night, and he and the Lord discussed topics concerning Kṛṣṇa. Thus they passed the night.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.329

dui jane kṛṣṇa-kathā kahe rātri-dine
parama-ānande gela pāṅca-sāta dine

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu discussed Kṛṣṇa day and night, and thus they passed from five to seven days in great happiness.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.16.10

Translation: Later that night, after discussing the Lord's journeys to the tīrthas, they relished the rasa-tattva of Śrī-Rādhikā-Kṛṣṇa. Then the Lord ordered Rāmānanda, "You must come soon to see the lotus-eyed Jagannātha, for there exists no higher pleasure than His darśana."

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.16.11

Translation: Thus the crest-jewel among rasikas, resembling the splendid golden full moon, spent that night in kṛṣṇā-kathā with Rāya Rāmānanda, and it passed away like an instant. Then the Lord again felt an intense hankering to see Jagannātha Svāmī, and He immediately resolved to go to Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was very eager to see Lord Jagannātha again and He ordered Rāmānanda Rāya to come quickly to see Lord Jagannātha where they would be meeting together again.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.330

prabhura ājñānusāre rāyera purīte yāibāra udyoga-jñāpana 
rāmānanda kahe,-prabhu, tomāra ājñā pāñā
rājāke likhiluṅ āmi vinaya kariyā

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya said, “My dear Lord, with Your permission I have already written a letter to the King with great humility.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.331

rājā more ājñā dila nīlācale yāite
calibāra udyoga āmi lāgiyāchi karite

Translation: “The King has already given me an order to return to Jagannātha Purī, and I am making arrangements to do this.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.332

prabhura vidyānagare āgamanera kāraṇa:— 
prabhu kahe,—ethā mora e-nimitte āgamana
tomā lañā nīlācale kariba gamana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “It is for this purpose alone that I have returned. I want to take you with Me to Jagannātha Purī.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.333

rāyera purvei prabhuke purīte preraṇa, paścāte nijera āgamanāṅgīkāra:— 
rāya kahe,-prabhu, āge cala nīlācale
mora saṅge hātī-ghoḍā, sainya-kolāhale

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya said, “My dear Lord, it is better that You proceed to Jagannātha Purī alone because with me there will be many horses, elephants and soldiers, all roaring tumultuously.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.334

dina-daśe ihā-sabāra kari’ samādhāna
tomāra pāche pāche āmi kariba prayāṇa

Translation: “I shall make arrangements within ten days. Following You, I shall go to Nīlācala without delay.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.335

prabhura sammati o purīte gamana:— 
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre āsite ājñā diyā
nīlācale calilā prabhu ānandita hañā

Translation: Giving orders to Rāmānanda Rāya to come to Nīlācala, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu departed for Jagannātha Purī with great pleasure.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Rāmānanda Rāya was a Governor of the Southern region, so he would be travelling with soildiers, elephants, horses and so he asked Lord Caitanya to go ahead and he will quickly follow him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.336

vaiṣṇavatāprāpta bhaktagaṇake kṛpā-pradarśanārtha prabhura pūrva-pathe gamana 
yei pathe pūrve prabhu kailā āgamana
sei pathe calilā dekhi, sarva vaiṣṇava-gaṇa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned by the same road He had formerly taken to Vidyānagara, and all the Vaiṣṇavas along the way saw Him again.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya has gone on this route and everywhere He went He made the people Vaiṣṇavas,. He told them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, to tell the message of Kṛṣṇa to whomsoever they met, and on His order, be a Guru.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 9.337

yāhāṅ yāya, loka uṭhe hari-dhvani kari’
dekhi’ ānandita-mana hailā gaurahari

Translation: Wherever Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went, the holy name of Śrī Hari was vibrated. Seeing this, the Lord became very happy.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari Bol! Hari Bol! So, He had made people devotees along His journey. Now Lord Caitanya went back on the same route and there all the people were made devotees by Him were chanting the holy names of Hari. Hari Bol! Hari Bol!

Thus, ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya Meets Rāmānanda Rāya in Vijayanagara on His Way Back to Nīlācala. 
Under the section Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu travel to the Holy Places in South India