20210525 For the Third Year, All the Devotees of Bengal Depart for Jagannātha Purī to See Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (Part 1)

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 25th, 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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! So,right now we will start Continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, Today's chapter is entitled:

For the Third Year, All the Devotees of Bengal Depart for Jagannātha Purī to See Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu 
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.1

gauḍe gamana kariyā lokoddhāra-rata gaurasundara:— 
gauḍodyānaṁ gaura-meghaḥ
siñcan svālokanāmṛtaiḥ
bhavāgni-dagdha-janatā-
vīrudhaḥ samajīvayat

Translation: By the nectar of His personal glance, the cloud known as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu poured water upon the garden of Gauḍa-deśa and revived the people, who were like creepers and plants burning in the forest fire of material existence.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.3

prabhura vṛndāvanagamanecchā; rājāra viṣāda:— 
prabhura ha-ila icchā yāite vṛndāvana
śuniyā pratāparudra ha-ilā vimana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu decided to go to Vṛndāvana, and Mahārāja Pratāparudra became very morose upon hearing this news.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.4

bhaṭṭa o rāyake ḍākiyā prabhuke nirasta karite prārthanā:— 
sārvabhauma, rāmānanda, āni’ dui jana
duṅhāke kahena rājā vinaya-vacana

Translation: The King therefore called for Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Rāmānanda Rāya, and he spoke the following submissive words to them.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.5

nīlādri chāḍi’ prabhura mana anyatra yāite
tomarā karaha yatna tāṅhāre rākhite

Translation: Pratāparudra Mahārāja said, “Please endeavor to keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu here at Jagannātha Purī, for now He is thinking of going elsewhere.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.6

tāṅhā vinā ei rājya more nāhi bhāya
gosāñi rākhite karaha nānā upāya

Translation: “Without Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this kingdom is not pleasing to me. Therefore, please try to devise some plan to enable the Lord to stay here.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see how King Pratāparudra was very attached to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and he wanted the Lord always to be present in Nīlācala. But the Lord is independent and He can do anything He wants.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.7

prabhura vṛndāvana-gamanārtha rāya o bhaṭṭasaha parāmarśa:— 
rāmānanda, sārvabhauma, dui-janā-sthāne
tabe yukti kare prabhu—’yāba vṛndāvane’

Translation: After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself consulted Rāmānanda Rāya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, saying, “I shall go to Vṛndāvana.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.8

biccheda-bhaye ubhayera prabhuke bhulāiyā nirasta karaṇa: 
duṅhe kahe,—ratha-yātrā kara daraśana
kārtika āile, tabe kariha gamana

Translation: Rāmānanda Rāya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya requested the Lord to first observe the Ratha-yātrā festival. Then when the month of Kārttika arrived, He could go to Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.9

kārtika āile kahe—ebe mahā-śīta
dola-yātrā dekhi’ yāo—ei bhāla rīta

Translation: However, when the month of Kārttika came, they both told the Lord, “Now it is very cold. It is better that You wait to see the Dola-yātrā festival and then go. That will be very nice.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kārtika is the last month of the rainy season and that is the beginning of the fall season and it will turn into winter. So, they are requesting the Lord to wait till spring and then go, so this was their trick.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.10

āji-kāli kari’ uṭhāya vividha upāya
yāite sammati nā deya vicchedera bhaya

Translation: In this way they both presented many impediments, indirectly not granting the Lord permission to go to Vṛndāvana. They did this because they were afraid of separation from Him.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.11

bhagavān svatantra haileo bhaktavaśa: 
yadyapi svatantra prabhu nahe nivāraṇa
bhakta-icchā vinā prabhu nā kare gamana

Translation: Although the Lord is completely independent and no one can check Him, He still did not go without the permission of His devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.12

3ya varṣe gauḍīyagaṇera prabhu-darśanecchā:— 
tṛtīya vatsare saba gauḍera bhakta-gaṇa
nīlācale calite sabāra haila mana

Translation: Then, for the third year, all the devotees of Bengal wanted to return again to Jagannātha Purī.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.13

bīṇa advaitācārya-samīpe sakalera gamana o advaitera purī-yātrā: 
sabe meli’ gelā advaita ācāryera pāśe
prabhu dekhite ācārya calilā ullāse

Translation: All the Bengali devotees gathered around Advaita Ācārya, and in great jubilation the Ācārya departed for Jagannātha Purī to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see that devotees, they went to see Lord Caitanya for the third year and they were very eager to have the Lord’s association and this was almost ten years since Lord Caitanya had been gone from Bengal.

So, we will continue the reading tomorrow.