20210813 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Explains Why He Could Not Go to Vṛndāvana

The following is a Sri Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 13th 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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

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

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Explains Why He Could Not Go to Vṛndāvana 
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.268

rātri-kāle mane āmi vicāra karila
sanātana more kibā ’prahelī’ kahila

Translation: “At night, however, I considered what Sanātana had told Me.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.269

bhālata’ kahila,—mora eta loka saṅge
loka dekhi’ kahibe more—‘ei eka ḍhaṅge’

Translation: “I decided that Sanātana had spoken very well. I was certainly being followed by a large crowd, and when people would see so many men, they would surely rebuke Me, saying, ‘Here is another imposter.’”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī has advised Lord Caitanya that going to a holy place like Vṛndāvana with so many people would generally not be the appropriate thing to do. That the Lord would not be able to enjoy His visit to the holy places. So, Lord Caitanya considered these things in Kānāi Nāṭaśālā and He thought it was good advice.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.270

nigūḍha bhajanasthala vṛndāvane ati antaraṅga marmmī bhakta vyatīta bahiraṅga lokera anadhikāra:— 
‘durlabha’ ‘durgama’ sei ‘nirjana’ vṛndāvana
ekākī yāiba, kibā saṅge eka-jana

Translation: “I then began to consider that Vṛndāvana is a very solitary place. It is invincible and very difficult to attain. I therefore decided to go there alone or, at the utmost, with only one person.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is revealing His mind to His intimate associates, since they wondered why He didn’t go all the way to Vṛndāvana, why He came back without having completed His journey to Vṛndāvana? So He is explaining here.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.271

pūrva mahājana mādhavapurīra ekākī vṛndāvane gamana:— 
mādhavendra-purī tathā gelā ‘ekeśvare’
dugdha-dāna-cchale kṛṣṇa sākṣāt dila tāṅre

Translation: “Mādhavendra Purī went to Vṛndāvana alone, and Kṛṣṇa, on the pretext of giving him milk, granted him an audience.”

Jayapatākā Swami: How Śrī Mādhavendra Purī got the special mercy from Lord Kṛṣṇa, when he went alone to Vṛndāvana was explained by Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.272

prabhura bahu lokasaṅghe anādara:— 
bādiyāra bāji pāti’ calilāṅa tathāre
bahu-saṅge vṛndāvana gamana nā kare

Translation: “I then understood that I was going to Vṛndāvana like a magician with his show, and this is certainly not good. No one should go to Vṛndāvana with so many men.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.273

ekā yāiba, kibā saṅge bhṛtya eka-jana
tabe se śobhaya vṛndāvanera gamana

Translation: “I have therefore resolved to go alone or, at the utmost, with one servant. In this way, My journey to Vṛndāvana will be beautiful.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is revealing His mind, how He wants to visit Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.274

vṛndāvana yāba kāhāṅ ’ekākī’ hañā!
sainya saṅge caliyāchi ḍhāka bājāñā!

Translation: “I thought, ‘Instead of going to Vṛndāvana alone, I am going with soldiers and the beating of drums.’”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.275

vṛndāvana-gamana tyāgapūrvaka prabhura punarāya gaṅgātaṭe āgamana: 
dhik, dhik āpanāke bali’ ha-ilāṅa asthira
nivṛtta hañā punaḥ āilāṅa gaṅgā-tīra

Translation: “I therefore said, ‘Fie upon Me!’ and being very much agitated, I returned to the banks of the Ganges.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, thus Lord Caitanya decided not to go to Vṛndāvana with this huge crowd of people and instead He returned and visited Advaita Gosāi in Śāntipura.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.276

alpabhaktasaha purīte āgamana:— 
bhakta-gaṇe rākhiyā āinu nija nija sthāne
āmā-saṅge āilā sabe pāṅca-chaya jane

Translation: “I then left all the devotees there and brought only five or six persons with Me.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.277

sakalera nikaṭa nirvighne vṛndāvana-gamane yukti-yācñā:— 
nirvighne ebe kaiche yāiba vṛndāvane
sabe meli’ yukti deha’ hañā parasanne

Translation: “Now I wish that you all will be pleased with Me and give Me good consultation. Tell Me how I shall be able to go to Vṛndāvana without impediments.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is requesting His assistants to advise Him, although He is the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is taking the advice from His devotees and He is requested them to guide Him how to go to Vṛndāvana without any obstacles.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.278

parityāga-kṣubdha duḥkhita gadādharake praṇaya-toṣaṇa:— 
gadādhare chāḍi’ genu, iṅho duḥkha pāila
sei hetu vṛndāvana yāite nārila

Translation: “I left Gadādhara Paṇḍita here, and he became very unhappy. For this reason I could not go to Vṛndāvana.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is giving a reason because Gadādhara Paṇḍita was unhappy, therefore He could not complete His journey to Vṛndāvana.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.279

prabhuprati dakṣiṇā-bhāvayukta paṇḍitera sadainya-premokti:— 
tabe gadādhara-paṇḍita premāviṣṭa hañā
prabhu-pada dhari’ kahe vinaya kariyā

Translation: Being encouraged by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s words, Gadādhara Paṇḍita became absorbed in ecstatic love. Immediately clasping the lotus feet of the Lord, he began to speak with great humility.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.280

yesthāne prabhu, sei sthānai vṛndāvana, vṛndāvana vyatīta kṛṣṇera madhura-līlā nāi:— 
tumi yāhāṅ-yāhāṅ raha, tāhāṅ ‘vṛndāvana’
tāhāṅ yamunā, gaṅgā, sarva-tīrtha-gaṇa

Translation: Gadādhara Paṇḍita said, “Wherever You stay is Vṛndāvana, as well as the river Yamunā, the river Ganges and all other places of pilgrimage.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.281

loka-śikṣārthai prabhura vṛndāvane gamana:— 
tabu vṛndāvana yāha’ loka śikhāite
seita karibe, tomāra yei laya citte

Translation: “Although wherever You stay is Vṛndāvana, You will still go to Vṛndāvana just to instruct people. Otherwise, You will do whatever You think best.”

Purport: It was not essential for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to go to Vṛndāvana, for wherever He stayed was immediately converted to Vṛndāvana. Indeed, at that place were also the river Ganges, the river Yamunā and all other places of pilgrimage. This was also expressed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself when He danced in the Ratha-yātrā. At that time He said that His very mind was Vṛndāvana (mora-mana — vṛndāvana). Because His mind was Vṛndāvana, all the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa were taking place within Himself. Nonetheless, just to teach people, He visited bhauma-vṛndāvana, Vṛndāvana-dhāma in this material world. In this way the Lord instructed everyone to visit Vṛndāvana-dhāma, which is a very holy place.

Materialists consider Vṛndāvana-dhāma an unclean city because there are many monkeys and dogs there, and along the bank of the Yamunā there is refuse. Some time ago, a materialistic man asked me, “Why are you living in Vṛndāvana? Why have you selected such a dirty place to live after retiring?” Such a person cannot understand that the earthly Vṛndāvana-dhāma is always a representation of the original Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Consequently Vṛndāvana-dhāma is as worshipable as Lord Kṛṣṇa. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam: according to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s philosophy, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His abode, Vṛndāvana, are equally worshipable. Sometimes materialistic people who have no spiritual understanding go to Vṛndāvana as tourists. One who goes to Vṛndāvana with such materialistic vision cannot derive any spiritual benefit. Such a person is not convinced that Kṛṣṇa and Vṛndāvana are identical. Since they are identical, Vṛndāvana is as worshipable as Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s vision (mora-mana — vṛndāvana) is different from the vision of an ordinary materialistic person. At the Ratha-yātrā festival, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, absorbed in the ecstasy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, dragged Lord Kṛṣṇa back to Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke of this in the verses beginning āhuś ca te (Madhya 13.136).

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.84.13) it is stated:

“A human being who identifies the body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of birth as worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental knowledge there is to be considered like an ass or a cow.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally renovated Vṛndāvana-dhāma and advised His chief disciples, Rūpa and Sanātana, to develop it and open it to attract the spiritual vision of the general populace. At present there are about five thousand temples in Vṛndāvana, and still our society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is constructing a huge, magnificent temple for the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma, along with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Guru-Gaurāṅga. Since there is no prominent Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple in Vṛndāvana, we are attempting to construct one so that people will be attracted to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma, or Nitāi-Gauracandra. Vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī suta haila sei. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that Balarāma and the son of Mahārāja Nanda have advented Themselves as Gaura-Nitāi. To propagate this fundamental principle, we are establishing a Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple to broadcast to the world that worship of Gaura-Nitāi is the same as worship of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.

Although it is very difficult to enter into the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa pastimes, most of the devotees of Vṛndāvana are attracted to the Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-līlā. However, since Nitāi-Gauracandra are direct incarnations of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, we can be directly in touch with Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu. Those who are highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can enter into the pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

It is said,

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya:

“Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is a combination of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.”

Sometimes materialists, forgetting the pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma, go to Vṛndāvana, accept the land’s spiritual facilities and engage in material activity. This is against the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The prākṛta-sahajiyās proclaim themselves vraja-vāsīs or dhāma-vāsīs, but they are mainly engaged in sense gratification. Thus they become more and more implicated in the materialistic way of life. Those who are pure devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness condemn their activities. The eternal vraja-vāsīs like Svarūpa Dāmodara did not even come to Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Śivānanda Sena, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, Śrī Śikhi Māhiti, Śrī Mādhavīdevī and Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī never visited Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura points out that we have no authorized documents stating that these exalted personalities visited Vṛndāvana. Nonetheless, we find many nondevotees, Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, prākṛta-sahajiyās, fruitive workers, mental speculators and many others with material motives going to Vṛndāvana to live. Many of these people go there to solve their economic problems by becoming beggars. Although anyone living in Vṛndāvana somehow or other is benefited, the real Vṛndāvana is appreciated only by a pure devotee. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. When one has purified eyes, he can see that Śrī Vṛndāvana and the original Goloka Vṛndāvana planet in the spiritual sky are identical.

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Śrī Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, Śrī Bhagavān dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja and Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, and later Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura of Calcutta, always engaged in nāma-bhajana and certainly did not live anywhere but Vṛndāvana. Presently, the members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement throughout the world live in materially opulent cities, such as London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Moscow, Zurich and Stockholm. However, we are satisfied with following in the footsteps of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and other ācāryas. Because we live in the temples of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and continuously hold hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana — the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa — we consequently live in Vṛndāvana and nowhere else. We are also following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by attempting to construct a temple in Vṛndāvana for our disciples throughout the world to visit.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we see that His Divine Grace Śrīla AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, he constructed a temple in Vṛndāvana so that people could visit. He also requested people that they should visit the birthplace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are trying to build the Temple of Vedic Planetorium in Māyāpur, which is possibly the largest temple in the world, and the idea is that Navadvīpa is non-different from Vṛndāvana, just as Gaura-Nitāi is non-different from Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and so that is what we are trying to develop this holy land. Just as Lord Caitanya had instructed Rūpa and Sanātana to develop Vṛndāvana dhāma, Śrīla Prabhupāda asked his followers to develop the places of Lord Caitanya's pastimes. So, Narottama dāsa thakur prayed,

gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yeba jāne cintāmaṇi,
tāra haya vrajabhūmi vāsa

that Gaura Maṇḍala Bhūmi, the pastime place of Lord Caitanya is as spiritual and if one understands that they are actually living in Vṛndāvana-dhāma.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.282

varṣāra cārimāsa purīte thākite anurodha:— 
ei āge āilā, prabhu, varṣāra cāri māsa
ei cāri māsa kara nīlācale vāsa

Translation: Taking this opportunity, Gadādhara Paṇḍita said, “Just now the four months of the rainy season have begun. You should therefore spend the next four months in Jagannātha Purī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the previous custom was not to travel during the rainy season especially since the roads were dirt roads and become very muddy during the rainy season.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.283

pare svatantra prabhura yatheccha yāite bhaktagaṇera anāpatti:— 
pāche sei ācaribā, yei tomāra mana
āpana-icchāya cala, raha,—ke kare vāraṇa”

Translation: “After remaining here for four months, You will be free to do as You like. Actually, no one can stop You from going or remaining.”

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.284

sakala bhakterai ai prārthanā:— 
śuni’ saba bhakta kahe prabhura caraṇe
sabākāra icchā paṇḍita kaila nivedane

Translation: Upon hearing this statement, the devotees present at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stated that Gadādhara Paṇḍita had properly presented their desire.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, all the devotees in Nīlācala were anxious to have the Lord stay the four months of the rainy season so that they could have His association.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.285

sakalera icchāmate prabhura cārimāsa purīte avasthāna:— 
sabāra icchāya prabhu cāri māsa rahilā
śuniyā pratāparudra ānandita hailā

Translation: Being requested by all the devotees, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu agreed to remain at Jagannātha Purī for four months. Hearing this, King Pratāparudra became very happy.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.286

ṭoṭāya nijagṛhe paṇḍitera prabhuke bhikṣādāna:— 
sei dina gadādhara kaila nimantraṇa
tāhāṅ bhikṣā kaila prabhu lañā bhakta-gaṇa

Translation: That day Gadādhara Paṇḍita extended an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord took His lunch at his place with the other devotees.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, materialist they often invite people to have lunch with them, but here we see that this is a transcendental activity that Lord Caitanya had with His pure devotees, that they would take prasāda together, and would discuss topics about Kṛṣṇa and in this way they would associate.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.287

paṇḍitera prema o prabhura tadvaśyatā—marttyajīvera acintya:— 
bhikṣāte paṇḍitera sneha, prabhura āsvādana
manuṣyera śaktye dui nā yāya varṇana

Translation: No ordinary human being can possibly describe Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s affectionate presentation of food or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s tasting this food.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this giving of prasāda and receiving of prasāda is one of the exchanges of love. So materialists are not able to understand this, how giving and receiving prasāda gives one great spiritual affection.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.288

ei mata gaura-līlā—ananta, apāra
saṅkṣepe kahiye, kahā nā yāya vistāra

Translation: In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performs His pastimes, which are unlimited and unfathomable. Somehow or other, these have briefly been described. It is not possible to describe them elaborately.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the exchanges between Lord Caitanya and His devotees have multiple dimensions, and its not possible to mention everything so the author has stated that he is just describing some superficial aspects, he cant go into great limit because there is no limit.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.289

sākṣāt ananterao gauralīlāra anta pāite asāmarthya:—
sahasra-vadane kahe āpane ‘ananta’
tabu eka līlāra teṅho nāhi pāya anta

Translation: Although Lord Anantadeva is always describing the pastimes of the Lord with His thousands of mouths, He cannot reach the end of even one of the Lord’s pastimes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, one of Lord Caitanya’s pastime, He is exchanging the process with every devotee in a different way, but actually there is no limit to how these pastimes can be explained. Even Anantadeva who has thousands of mouths, He has not fully describe any of the pastimes of the Lord.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Explains Why He Could Not Go to Vṛndāvana 
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana