20210507 Lord Jagannātha Returns to His Abode in Nīlācala

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 7th,2021 in Śrī Dhāma 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!

Continuation of the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, Today's chapter is entitled as:

Lord Jagannātha Returns to His Abode in Nīlācala
Under the Section: The Performance of the Vṛndāvana Pastimes

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.229

śrīvāsera paramānanda:—

śuni’ premāveśe nṛtya kare śrīnivāsa
kakṣa-tāli bājāya, kare aṭṭa-aṭṭa hāsa

Translation: Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura then began to dance in ecstatic love. He vibrated sounds by slapping his armpits with the palms of his hands, and he laughed very loudly.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīvāsa was in Nārada Muni mood, so he was very ecstatic with Lord Jagannātha returning to Nīlācala.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.230

śrī-rādhāra rasa-śravaṇe prabhurao ānanda:—

rādhāra śuddha-rasa prabhu āveśe śunila
sei rasāveśe prabhu nṛtya ārambhila

Translation: Thus, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these discussions about the pure transcendental mellow of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Absorbed in transcendental ecstasy, the Lord began to dance.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was thinking of the transcendental ecstatic opulences, ornaments of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and thus He engaged in dancing, in transcendental ecstasy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.231

prabhura nṛtya o svarūpera gīta:—

rasāveśe prabhura nṛtya, svarūpera gāna
‘bala’ ‘bala’ bali’ prabhu pāte nija-kāṇa

Translation: While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dancing in ecstatic love and Svarūpa Dāmodara was singing, the Lord said, “Go on singing! Go on singing!” The Lord then extended His own ears.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.232

prabhura prema-vanyāya purī-dhāma plāvita:—

vraja-rasa-gīta śuni’ prema uthalila
puruṣottama-grāma prabhu preme bhāsāila

Translation: Thus, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love was awakened by hearing the songs of Vṛndāvana. In this way He inundated Puruṣottama, Jagannātha Purī, with love of Godhead.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya influenced and flooded the whole of Jagannātha Purī with love of Godhead. Like that, we want to see the whole world flooded with love of Godhead by the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.233

dvitīya prahara paryanta prabhura nṛtya:—

lakṣmī-devī yathā-kāle gelā nija-ghara
prabhu nṛtya kare, haila tṛtīya prahara

Translation: Finally the goddess of fortune returned to her apartment. In due course of time, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was dancing, afternoon arrived.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was dancing for six hours.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.234

cāri sampradāyerai kīrtana-śrānti:—

cāri sampradāya gāna kari’ bahu śrānta haila
mahāprabhura premāveśa dviguṇa bāḍila

Translation: After much singing, all four saṅkīrtana parties grew fatigued, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love increased twofold.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the different kīrtana parties could not keep up with the ecstatic dancing of Lord Caitanya, they were feeling fatigued but Lord Caitanya's ecstatic love was increasing.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.235

śrī-rādhā-premāveśe prabhu:—

rādhā-premāveśe prabhu hailā sei murti
nityānanda dūre dekhi’ karilena stuti

Translation: While dancing absorbed in Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in Her very form. Seeing this from a distant place, Nityānanda Prabhu offered prayers.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.236

rasa-virodha-bhaye dūra haite nitāira prabhuke stava:—

nityānanda dekhiyā prabhura bhāvāveśa
nikaṭe nā āise, rahe kichu dūra-deśa

Translation: Seeing the ecstatic love of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu did not approach but remained a little distance away.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.237

nitāi nā āsāya prabhura āveśa o kīrtana āra thāme nā:—

nityānanda vinā prabhuke dhare kon jana
prabhura āveśa nā yāya, nā rahe kīrtana

Translation: Only Nityānanda Prabhu could catch Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but the ecstatic mood of the Lord would not stop. At the same time, kīrtana could not be continued.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.238

svarūpera kauśale prabhura bahirddaśā:—

bhaṅgi kari’ svarūpa sabāra śrama jānāila
bhakta-gaṇera śrama dekhi’ prabhura bāhya haila

Translation: Svarūpa Dāmodara then informed the Lord that all the devotees were fatigued. Seeing this situation, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to His external senses.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He was absorbed in His rasa of Rādhārāṇī and He even took the form of Rādhārāṇī, but then devotees chanting for six hours non-stop, they were fatigued. So Svarūpa Dāmodara, he understood this and informed this to Lord Caitanya and then He came to His external consciousness.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.239

upavane giyā sakalera viśrāmānte madhyāhna-snāna:—

saba bhakta lañā prabhu gelā puṣpodyāne
viśrāma kariyā kailā mādhyāhnika snāne

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then entered the flower garden with all His devotees. After resting there for some time, He took His afternoon bath.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.240

lakṣmī o jagannāthera pracura prasāda-saṁgraha:—

jagannāthera prasāda āila bahu upahāra
lakṣmīra prasāda āila vividha prakāra

Translation: Then there arrived in large quantities a variety of food that had been offered to Śrī Jagannātha and a variety that had been offered to the goddess of fortune.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.241

bhakta-gaṇa-saha prasāda-sevana; sandhyā-snānānte jagannātha-darśana:—

sabā lañā nānā-raṅge karilā bhojana
sandhyā snāna kari’ kaila jagannātha daraśana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu finished His afternoon lunch, and after His evening bath He went to see Lord Jagannātha.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya would take three baths a day, early morning, afternoon and evening.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.242

8 dina jagannātha-darśanamukhe nṛtya-kīrtanānte bhaktagaṇasaha narendre jalakeli o udyāna-bhojana:—

jagannātha dekhi’ karena nartana-kīrtana
narendre jala-krīḍā kare lañā bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: As soon as He saw Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to chant and dance. Afterward, accompanied by His devotees, the Lord enjoyed sporting in the lake called Narendra-sarovara.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Narendra-sarovara is a lake between Guṇḍicā and Jagannātha Purī temple and in this lake the Lord enjoyed His Candana-yātrā, so that’s at a different time of the year. So, Lord Caitanya was having His watersports sometimes in this Narendra-sarovara.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.243

udyāne āsiyā kaila vana-bhojana
ei-mata krīḍā kaila prabhu aṣṭa-dina

Translation: Then, entering the flower garden, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His meal. In this way He continuously performed all kinds of pastimes for eight days.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.244

jagannāthera purīte punar-yātrā:—

āra dine jagannāthera bhitara-vijaya
rathe caḍi’ jagannātha cale nijālaya

Translation: The next day Lord Jagannātha came out from the temple and, riding on the car, returned to His own abode.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.245

pūrvavat nṛtya-gīta:—

pūrvavat kaila prabhu lañā bhakta-gaṇa
parama ānande karena nartana-kīrtana

Translation: As previously, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees chanted and danced with great pleasure.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.246

pāhāṇḍikāle paṭṭaḍorī āṃśika chinna:—

jagannāthera punaḥ pāṇḍu-vijaya ha-ila
eka guṭi paṭṭa-ḍorī tāṅhā ṭuṭi’ gela

Translation: During the Pāṇḍu-vijaya, Lord Jagannātha was carried, and while He was being carried, a bunch of silken ropes broke.

Jayapatākā Swami: Sometimes the Lord would be taken on special pillows and as previously, the pillows would sometimes broke and send their cotton threads in the air.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.247

pāṇḍu-vijayera tuli phāṭi-phuṭi yāya
jagannāthera bhare tulā uḍiyā palāya

Translation: When the Jagannātha Deity is carried, at intervals He is placed on cotton pads. When the ropes broke, the cotton pads also broke due to the weight of Lord Jagannātha, and the cotton floated into the air.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.248

prativarṣe jagannāthera janya saputra satyarājake paṭṭaḍorī ānite ādeśa:—

kulīna-grāmī rāmānanda, satyarāja khāṅna
tāṅre ājñā dila prabhu kariyā sammāna

Translation: Rāmānanda Vasu and Satyarāja Khān were present from Kulīna-grāma, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, with great respect, gave them the following orders.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.249

ei paṭṭa-ḍorīra tumi hao yajamāna
prati-vatsara ānibe ‘ḍorī’ kariyā nirmāṇa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Rāmānanda Vasu and Satyarāja Khān to become the worshipers of these ropes and every year bring silken ropes from their village.

Purport: It is understood that silken rope was being manufactured by the local inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma; therefore, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Rāmānanda Vasu and Satyarāja Khān to get ropes every year for Lord Jagannātha’s service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, they could produce silken ropes of high quality which would not break so frequently. So, this special seva was given to them by Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.250

dṛḍhabhāve nirmāṇa janya chinna paṭṭaḍorīra nidarśana-pradāna:—

eta bali’ dila tāṅre chiṇḍā paṭṭa-ḍorī
ihā dekhi’ karibe ḍorī ati dṛḍha kari’

Translation: After telling them this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed them the broken silken ropes, saying, “Just look at this sample. You must make ropes that are much stronger.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.251

bhagavān viṣṇurai arcā:—

ei paṭṭa-ḍorīte haya ’śeṣa’-adhiṣṭhāna
daśa-mūrti hañā yeṅho seve bhagavān

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then informed Rāmānanda Vasu and Satyarāja Khān that this rope was the abode of Lord Śeṣa, who expands Himself into ten forms and serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Purport: For a description of Śeṣa Nāga, refer to Ādi-līlā 5.123-124.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.252

śrī-jagannāthera janya paṭṭaḍorī nirmmāṇa-pūrvaka ānayanera sevā-lābhe ubhayera ānanda:—

bhāgyavān satyarāja vasu rāmānanda
sevā-ājñā pāñā haila parama-ānanda

Translation: After receiving orders from the Lord for the rendering of service, the fortunate Satyarāja and Rāmānanda Vasu were highly pleased.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, getting special sevā from Lord Caitanya was a special mercy and it gave great pleasure to the two.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.253

tadabadhi prati-varṣe guṇḍicāya tāṅhādera paramānande paṭṭaḍorī-ānayana:—

prati vatsara guṇḍicāte bhakta-gaṇa-saṅge
paṭṭa-ḍorī lañā āise ati baḍa raṅge

Translation: Every year thereafter, when the Guṇḍicā temple was being cleansed, Satyarāja and Rāmānanda Vasu would come with the other devotees and with great pleasure bring silken rope.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari Bol!

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.254

jagannāthera ratnavedīte ārohaṇa, prabhura sagaṇe gṛhagamana:—

tabe jagannātha yāi’ vasilā siṁhāsane
mahāprabhu ghare āilā lañā bhakta-gaṇe

Translation: Thus Lord Jagannātha returned to His temple and sat on His throne while Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His residence with His devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.255

bhaktagaṇake herā-pañcamī-pradarśana o vraja-līlā:—

ei-mata bhakta-gaṇe yātrā dekhāila
bhakta-gaṇa lañā vṛndāvana-keli kaila

Translation: Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed the Ratha-yātrā ceremony to His devotees and performed the Vṛndāvana pastimes with them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 14.256

caitanya-gosāñira līlā-ananta, apāra
‘sahasra-vadana’ yāra nāhi pāya pāra

Translation: The pastimes of Lord Caitanya are unlimited and endless. Even Sahasra-vadana, Lord Śeṣa, cannot reach the limits of His pastimes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, all the pastimes of Lord Caitanya if we go to mention all the details, they are unlimited and no end to them. Even Lord Śeṣa who has thousands of mouths, He cannot find the end of Lord Caitanya’s glories. What to speak of us!

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Lord Jagannātha Returns to His Abode in Nīlācala.

So, we see how, Rāmānanda Vasu and Satyarāja khān were so happy to get this service to bring silken ropes every year for Lord Jagannātha. If we get some service from Guru and Kṛṣṇa then we should be very happy and thus there is a special connection. Hari bol!