20210805 Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī Decorates the Road Part 2

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 5^th August 2021 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

Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī Decorates the Road Part 2

Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.41

āśaiśavaṁ prabhu-caritra-vilāsa-vijñaiḥ
kecin murārir iti maṅgala-nāma-dheyaiḥ
yad yad vilāsa-lalitaṁ samalekhi taj-jñais
tat tad vilokya vililekha śiśuḥ sa eṣaḥ

Translation: A devotee with the auspicious name of Murāri wrote about his activities from his childhood, knowing his pastimes. Consulting this work, this child has written this work.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.42

baddhāñjaliḥ śirasi nirabhara-kāku-vādair
bhūyo namāmy aham asau sa murāri-saṁjñam
taṁ mugdha-komala-dhiyaṁ nanu yat-prasādāc
caitanya-candra-caritāmṛtam akṣi-pītam

Translation: Putting my hands on my head, with humble words I offer respects again and again to Murāri who was endowed with a blissful and tender mind. By his mercy, this work describing the sweet pastimes of Caitanya-candra has become visible.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the author of the Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya to the reading of the author of Murāri Gupta Kaḍacā, and that has inspired him to expand on the pastimes of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.43

caitanya-candra-caritāmṛtam atyudāraṁ
sarve dṛśā ca manasā mudā vahantu
yad dṛṣṭa-mātram apahanti durāpa-pāraṁ
saṁsāra-sāgaram ajasram udagra-hiṁsram

Translation: May all people joyfully hold the magnanimous work Caitanya-candra-caritāmṛta in their eyes and mind. Simply by seeing the work, people can destroy the violent, insurmountable ocean of saṁsāra.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the pastimes of Lord Caitanya can help one to cross over the insurmountable ocean of Kali. Therefore, we are presenting the pastimes as handed down by different authors.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.44

nāhaṁ stutau bata natau vinatau na śakto
yat taiś ca tair jana-cayaṁ sva-vaśe kariṣye
āśritya kintu nija-kāruṇikatvam eva
yad yogyam atra tad aho racayantu dhīrāḥ

Translation: I am not capable of praising, offering respects or acting politely. Let people do these things by their power. But may the discerning people, having recourse to their mercy, please give me that mercy, as they see fit.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the author is humbly presenting himself and praying for the mercy of the readers. This is the characteristic of the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.45

iha parama-kṛpālor gauracandrasya ko’pi
praṇaya-rasa-śarīraḥ śrī-śivānanda-senaḥ
bhuvi vilasati tasyāpatyam ekaṁ kanīyas
tv akṛta parama-maugdhyāc citram etaṁ prabandham

Translation: Śivānanda Sena, a devotee full of affection for the most merciful Gauracandra, appeared on earth. His youngest son wrote this astonishing work out of great foolishness.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this desire to glorify Lord Caitanya is being expressed by the youngest son of Śivānanda Sena. He calls this as foolishness but we know that this is actually a great spiritual offering of love and devotion.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.46

dhīrodātta-mahattamo guṇa-nidhir yasminn asau nāyako
yatrāmūr lipayo nirantara-valat-prema-prakāśākṣarāḥ
yatrāneka-mahā-mahottama-dhiyāṁ cāritram antargataṁ
tac caitanya-caritra-varṇanam idaṁ jīyād ajasraṁ bhuvi

Translation: May this work, which describes the ocean of good qualities, the greatest dhīrodātta, which constantly manifests by its words increasing prema, and which describes the pastimes of many great, wise devotees, remain eternally glorious on earth.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this work is describing many transcendental qualities of Lord Caitanya and all of His devotees so therefore these books should be revered to eternity.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.47

etat tāpa-traya-nirasanaṁ prema-mātraika-bījaṁ
śrī-gaurāṅga-praṇaya-valitotkīrti-mātra-svarūpam
dṛṣṭvā svāntaḥ-karaṇa-padavīṁ mām anālocya dhīrāḥ
śaśvat kaṇṭhe dadhatu muditā ramyam enaṁ prabandham

Translation: May the wise joyfully wear this enjoyable work, which destroys the three miseries, whose very seed is prema, whose very essence is great glorification of Gaurāṅga’s prema, around their necks at all times, seeing the situation in their own hearts, not seeing me.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the author is presenting that he doesn’t have the qualities requisite for writing this great work, but since he tries to glorify Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates, it should be accepted and should be kept in the heart. Don’t see the deficiency of the author, see the great qualities of the pure love manifested by Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.48

vedāḥ rasāḥ śrutaya indur iti prasiddhe
śāke tathā khalu śucau śubhage ca māsi
vāre sudhākiraṇa-nāmny asita-dvitīyā-
tithy-antare parismāptir abhūd amuṣya

Translation: This work was completed on the second tithi of the waning moon, on Monday, in Āsāḍha month, in the year 1464 śākābda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.211

tabe ‘rāmakeli’-grāme prabhu yaiche gelā
‘nāṭaśālā’ haite prabhu punaḥ phiri’ āilā

Translation: The Lord then visited the village known as Rāmakeli and the place known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā. From there He returned to Śāntipura.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kānāi Nāṭaśālā and Rāmakeli are very close, may be 30 kms and from Kānāi Nāṭaśālā Lord Caitanya returned to Bengal through Śāntipura.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.212

śāntipure punaḥ kaila daśa-dina vāsa
vistāri’ varṇiyāchena vṛndāvana-dāsa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed in Śāntipura for ten days. This has all been described very elaborately by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, May be some of the descriptions of Lord Caitanya in Śāntipura are on His return visit, that could be ascertained.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.213

ataeva ihāṅ tāra nā kailuṅ vistāra
punarukti haya, grantha bāḍaye apāra

Translation: I will not narrate these incidents because they have already been described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. There is no need to repeat the same information, for such repetition would unlimitedly increase the size of this book.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, because everybody respected the other author, so you cannot find out the pastimes of the Lord unless you read the various books. So, I am trying to compile all the books into one, so that one can read the pastimes of the Lord, as completely as possible .

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.186

śrī-pradyumna brahmacārī nṛsiṁhera dāsa
yāṅhāra śarīre nṛsiṁhera parakāśa

Translation: Śrī Pradyumna Brahmacārī was a servant of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. Lord Nṛsiṁha manifested in his body.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya would sometimes manifest in the body of His devotee also, so this was one way that Lord became present.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.187

‘kīrtane vihare narasiṁha nyāsī-rūpe’
jāniyā rahilā āsi’ prabhura samīpe

Jayapatākā Swami: When he understood that Nṛsiṁhadeva was enjoying kīrtana pastimes in the form of a sannyāsī, he came and joined Lord Caitanya. Since Lord Caitanya is the source of all the avatāras, so He is non-different from the different avatāras, Narasiṁhadeva, Varāhadeva, Balarāma and others. In one sense Lord Narasiṁhadeva is enjoying the saṅkīrtana pastimes and it depends on which angle you look at things.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 8.12

calila pradyumna brahmacārī mahāśaya
sākṣāt nṛsiṁha yāṅra saṅge kathā kaya

Jayapatākā Swami: Pradyumna Brahmācārī also came. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva used to talk with him directly.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 16.214-215

tāra madhye mililā yaiche rūpa-sanātana
nṛsiṁhānanda kaila yaiche pathera sājana

sūtra-madhye sei līlā āmi ta’ varṇiluṅ
ataeva punaḥ tāhā ihāṅ nā likhiluṅ

Translation: Those narrations tell how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu met the brothers Rūpa and Sanātana and how Nṛsiṁhānanda decorated the road. I have already described these in an earlier synopsis of this book; therefore I will not repeat the narrations here.

Purport: This information is given in Ādi-līlā 10.35 and Madhya-līlā 1.155-162 and 175-226.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 10.35

śrī-nṛsiṁha-upāsaka—pradyumna brahmacārī
prabhu tāṅra nāma kailā ’nṛsiṁhānanda’ kari’

Translation: The thirteenth branch was Pradyumna Brahmacārī. Since he was a worshiper of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu changed his name to Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī.

Purport: Pradyumna Brahmacārī is described in the Antya-līlā, second chapter of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, who changed his name to Nṛsiṁhānanda. While coming from the house of Rāghava Paṇḍita at Pānihāṭi to the house of Śivānanda, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in the heart of Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī. To acknowledge this, Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī used to accept as eatables the food of three Deities, namely Jagannātha, Nṛsiṁhadeva and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, second chapter, verses 48 through 78. Upon receiving information that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was proceeding toward Vṛndāvana from Kuliyā, Nṛsiṁhānanda absorbed himself in meditation and by his mental activities began constructing a very nice road from Kuliyā to Vṛndāvana. All of a sudden, however, he broke his meditation and told the other devotees that this time Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu would not go to Vṛndāvana but would travel only as far as the place known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā. This is described in Madhya-līlā, chapter one, verses 155 through 162. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (74) says, āveśaś ca tathājñeyo miśre pradyumna-saṁjñake: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu changed the name of Pradyumna Miśra, or Pradyumna Brahmacārī, to Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī, for in his heart Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was manifest. It is said that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva used to talk with him directly.

Jayapatākā Swami: Comment: We should put these verse here, (This is described in Madhya-līlā, chapter one, verses 155 through 162.)

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 10.58

‘pradyumna brahmacārī’ tāṅra āge nāma chila
‘nṛsiṁhānanda’ nāma prabhu pāche ta’ rākhila

Translation: The former Pradyumna Brahmacārī was given the name Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 10.59

tāṅhāte ha-ila caitanyera ‘āvirbhāva’
alaukika aiche prabhura aneka svabhāva

Translation: In his body there were symptoms of āvirbhāva. Such appearances are uncommon, but Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu displayed many such pastimes through His different features.

Purport: In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (73-74) it is said that Nakula Brahmacārī displayed the prowess (āveśa) and Pradyumna Brahmacārī the appearance (āvirbhāva) of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There are many hundreds and thousands of devotees of Lord Caitanya among whom there are no special symptoms, but when a devotee of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu functions with specific prowess, he displays the feature called āveśa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally spread the saṅkīrtana movement, and He advised all the inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa to take up His cult and preach it all over the world. The visible bodily symptoms of devotees who follow such instructions are called āveśa. Śrīla Śivānanda Sena observed such āveśa symptoms in Nakula Brahmacārī, who displayed symptoms exactly like those of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta states that in the Age of Kali the only spiritual function is to broadcast the holy name of the Lord, but this function can be performed only by one who is actually empowered by Lord Kṛṣṇa. The process by which a devotee is thus empowered is called āveśa, or sometimes it is called śakty-āveśa.

Pradyumna Brahmacārī was formerly a resident of a village known as Piyārīgañja in Kālnā. There is a description of him in the Antya-līlā of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, second chapter, and in the Antya-khaṇḍa of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, chapters three and nine.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this āśrama of Nakula brahmacārī is still maintained quite nicely, near to Kūlna, and on the road from Navadvīpa to Kulna, may be after (I don’t know) it is there, When I went there it was well-painted and well-maintained. So,  this devotee, Lord Caitanya appeared in His body, and He could tell the secret mantra to Śivānanda Sena

Transcribed and Verified by JPS Achieves 05^th Aug 2021