20220510 Lord Caitanya Dispatches the Two Generals Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī to Vṛndāvana to Preach the Bhakti Cult Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 10th, 2022 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! Today we will continue with the part-two of the chapter is entitled as:

Lord Caitanya Dispatches the Two Generals Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī to Vṛndāvana to Preach the Bhakti Cult, Part 2

Under the section: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.166

āpane dakṣiṇa deśa karilā gamana
grāme grāme kailā kṛṣṇa-nāma pracāraṇa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally went to South India, and He broadcast the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa in every village and town.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rūpa and Sanātana had been referred to as senāpati-bhaktās. They were sent to Vṛndāvana to preach, Lord Caitanya also said after five hundred years a senāpati -bhakta would go to West. It seems that our revered AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda fits that description.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.167

setubandha paryanta kailā bhaktira pracāra
kṛṣṇa-prema diyā kailā sabāra nistāra

Translation: Thus, the Lord went to the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula, known as Setubandha [Cape Comorin]. Everywhere He distributed the bhakti cult and love of Kṛṣṇa, and in this way He delivered everyone.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rūpa and Sanātana were designated as generals they had originally come from Karnataka. There they took the employment as Prime Minister and the Finance Minister of Hussain Shah. When they met Lord Caitanya, they left and took the service of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.182

sanātanake vṛndāvane rūpa-anupama-samīpe preraṇa :—

sanātane kahilā,—tumi yāha’ vṛndāvana
tomāra dui bhāi tathā kariyāche gamana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised Sanātana Gosvāmī to proceed toward Vṛndāvana, and He informed him that his two brothers had already gone there.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.183

karuṇārdra-svare bhakta-vatsala bhagavānera svīya vṛndāvana-yātrī bhaktagaṇera sukha-vidhānārtha sanātanake ādeśa —

kāṅthā-karaṅgiyā mora kāṅgāla bhakta-gaṇa
vṛndāvane āile tāṅdera kariha pālana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Sanātana Gosvāmī, “All My devotees who go to Vṛndāvana are generally very poor. They each have nothing with them but a torn quilt and a small waterpot. Therefore, Sanātana, you should give them shelter and maintain them.”

Purport: Following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we have constructed temples in both Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur, Navadvīpa, just to give shelter to the foreign devotees coming from Europe and America. Since the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement started, many Europeans and Americans have been visiting Vṛndāvana, but they have not been properly received by any āśrama or temple there. It is the purpose of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to give them shelter and train them in devotional service. There are also many tourists eager to come to India to understand India’s spiritual life, and the devotees in our temples both in Vṛndāvana and in Navadvīpa should make arrangements to accommodate them as far as possible.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted that devotee who live in Māyāpur, they should receive the guests and they should be comfortable when they stay here. This is for the foreigners as well as the Indians.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.184

sakalake āliṅgana kariyā nirapekṣa prabhura yātrā, bhaktagaṇera mūrcchā :—

eta bali’ calilā prabhu sabā āliṅgiyā
sabei paḍilā tathā mūrcchita hañā

Translation: After saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced them all and began to proceed on His way, and they all fainted and fell down.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotees were feeling such separation, when Lord Caitanya embraced them they fell down in ecstasy.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.185

ai pāñca bhaktera kāśīte āgamana, sanātanera vṛndāvana-yātrā :—

kata-kṣaṇe uṭhi’ sabe duḥkhe ghare āilā
sanātana-gosāñi vṛndāvanere calilā

Translation: After some time, all the devotees got up and returned to their homes very much grief-stricken. Sanātana Gosvāmī proceeded toward Vṛndāvana alone.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana went to Vṛndāvana and others returned to Benares but they were feeling great separation from Lord Caitanya.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya Dispatches the Two Generals Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī to Vṛndāvana to Preach the Bhakti Cult, Part 2

Under the section: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas

Haribol! ♫