20210807 Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 1

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 7th 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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, todays chapter is entitled:

Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 1 
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1.227

rāmakeli haite ‘kānāira nāṭaśālā’:— 
prāte cali’ āilā prabhu ‘kānāira nāṭaśālā’
dekhila sakala tāhāṅ kṛṣṇa-caritra-līlā

Translation: In the morning, the Lord left and went to a place known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā. While there, He saw many pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Purport: In those days in Bengal there were many places known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā, where pictures of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa were kept. People used to go there to see them. This is called kṛṣṇa-caritra-līlā. In Bengal there are still many places called hari-sabhā, which indicates a place where local people gather to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and discuss the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The word kānāi means “Lord Kṛṣṇa’ ” and nāṭaśālā indicates a place where pastimes are demonstrated. So those places which at the present moment are called hari-sabhā may previously have been known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this Kānāi Nāṭaśālā now is a part of ISKCON ISKCON is doing the seva-pūjā and I have been made the mahantā of Kānāi Nāṭaśālā. We installed the deities of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Gaurāṅga, there are the lotus foot-prints of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and the lotus foot print of Lord Caitanya installed by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 228

sanātanera parāmarśamate prabhura vṛndāvana-gamanecchā tyāga:— 
sei rātre prabhu tāhāṅ cinte mane mana
saṅge saṅghaṭṭa bhāla nahe, kaila sanātana

Translation: That night the Lord considered Sanātana Gosvāmī’s proposal that He should not go to Vṛndāvana followed by so many people.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, now there are thousands of people who are following Lord Caitanya and if He went to Vṛndāvana, they would probably continue to follow Him. So, He considered that going with so many people would not be appropriate.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 229

mathurā yāiba āmi eta loka saṅge
kichu sukha nā pāiba, habe rasa-bhaṅge

Translation: The Lord thought, “If I go to Mathurā with such crowds behind Me, it would not be a very happy situation, for the atmosphere would be disturbed.”

Purport: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that visiting a holy place like Vṛndāvana with so many people is simply disturbing. He would not find the happiness He desired by visiting such holy places in that way.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya wanted to visit Vṛndāvana remembering the different pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa and to do that with so many people following Him, it would not be very feasible.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 230

ekākī yāiba, kimvā saṅge eka jana
tabe se śobhaye vṛndāvanere gamana

Translation: The Lord concluded that He would go alone to Vṛndāvana or, at most, would take only one person as His companion. In that way, going to Vṛndāvana would be very pleasant.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 231

nīlācala-pathe śāntipure āgamana o sātadina abasthāna:— 
eta cinti prātaḥ-kāle gaṅgā-snāna kari’
‘nīlācale yāba’ bali’ calilā gaurahari

Translation: Thinking like this, the Lord took His morning bath in the Ganges and started for Nīlācala, saying “I shall go there.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kānāi Nāṭaśālā is just on the side of the Ganges. At present there is the Farrakha Barrage, a kind of bridge or dam and the Ganges is bifurcated and a part of it flows in Bengal pass Māyāpur part of it goes to Bangladesh and the Bangladesh part is known as Padmā and the Ganges part is known as the Bhāgīrathī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 232

ei mata cali’ cali’ āilā śāntipure
dina pāṅca-sāta rahilā ācāryera ghare

Translation: Walking and walking, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at Śāntipura and remained at the house of Advaita Ācārya for five to seven days.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta is very authoritative in chronology and descriptions, but here Lord Caitanya is going everywhere by foot and when He crossed the river is not detailed here. So, Kānāi Nāṭaśālā is on the western bank of the Ganges and Śāntipura is on the eastern bank, and somewhere Lord Caitanya crossed the river.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 233

ācārya-gṛhe śacīmātāra prabhusevā:— 
śacī-devī āni’ tāṅre kaila namaskāra
sāta dina tāṅra ṭhāñi bhikṣā-vyavahāra

Translation: Taking this opportunity, Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu sent for mother Śacīdevī, and she remained at His house for seven days to prepare the meals for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, may be the previous descriptions of Mother Śacī devi and Śrī Mādhavendra Purī should be placed here. Anyway, Lord Caitanya gave special mercy to Mother Śacī.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 1 
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Jayapatākā Swami: So here from Rāmakeli to Kānāi Nāṭaśālā to Śāntipura, Lord Caitanya has travelled. Now when He is in Śāntipura He would be approached by Raghunātha dāsa and we will hear that description starting tomorrow.