20220514 Bidding Farewell to the Residents of Kāśī, Part 1

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 14^th May 2022 in

Śrī Mayapur, 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

Introduction: Buddhimanta Khān he was spit up by Nawab Hussain Shah and by that he was considered converted to Islam. He went to some brāhmaṇas in Benares to ask what to do, they told him, “Drink boiling hot ghee”, He said, “I will die!” but he didn’t like that idea, but anyway he went to other brāhmaṇas and they said that your offense was not so great and you should not take boiling ghee and kill yourself, he didn’t know what to do. Then he went to Lord Caitanya to ask Him, Lord Caitanya told him, “Chant hare Kṛṣṇa non-stop and go to Vṛndāvana.” So, His solution was chanting hare Kṛṣṇa.

Today we are continuing reading for the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled is

Bidding Farewell to the Residents of Kāśī, Part 1

Under the section: Return to Nīlācala

Śrī Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram verse 59
by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura

dhig gaurāṅga-praṇati-rahitān śuṣka-tarkādi­dagdhān
ity evaṁ vaī pracura-vacanaṁ śāṅkarāṇāṁ babhūva
nyāsīśānāṁ sadasī mahatāṁ yasya pūjā tadābhūt
taṁ gaurāṅgaṁ sva-sukha-mathanānanda-mūrtiṁ smarāmi

Translation: “Pathetic are they who, scorched by dry logic, do not bow down before Lord Gaurāṅga!” Saying this again and again, the exalted Śaṅkara sannyāsīs worshiped Him. I meditate on Lord Gaurāṅga, who was agitated with transcendental bliss.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.37

sthitvā tatra dināni hanta katicid bhūyo’sitādrau prabhuḥ
śrīmān etya nananda nandayati ca smaitān ajasraṁ janān
evaṁ viṁśati-hāyanāntara-bhavāṁ yātrāṁ vilokyākhilāṁ
svaṁ dhāmātha jagāma kaiścid api taiḥ sārdhaṁ kṛpā-sāgaraḥ

Translation: Staying in Vṛndāvana for some days, the Lord again returned to Puri and gave unlimited bliss to the people there, as well as experiencing bliss himself.  In this way for twenty years, he observed all the festivals and then, along with his devotees, the ocean of mercy went to his abode.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 1.243

rūpake śikṣā diyā vṛndāvana preraṇa o svayaṁ kāśī gamana :—

śrī-rūpe śikṣā karāi’ pāṭhāilā vṛndāvana
āpane karilā vārāṇasī āgamana

Translation: After instructing Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī at Prayāga, at the Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered him to go to Vṛndāvana. The Lord then returned to Vārāṇasī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, on the way back from Vṛndāvana, Lord Caitanya instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī to go to Vṛndāvana.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 1.244

kāśīte śrī-sanātanasaha milana o tāṅhāke śikṣādāna :—

kāśīte prabhuke āsi’ mililā sanātana
dui māsa rahi’ tāṅre karāilā śikṣaṇa

Translation: When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at Vārāṇasī, Sanātana Gosvāmī met Him there. The Lord remained there for two months and instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī perfectly.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.13.12

taṁ dṛṣṭvā sahasā kṛṣṇa utthāya paramādarāt
dṛḍham āliṅganaṁ kṛtvā gadgadantam uvāca ha

Translation: When He saw Sanātana, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya at once stood up with great respect. After embracing him firmly, He said falteringly:

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya immediately recognized that Sanātana Gosvāmī was a devotee, but Tapan Miśra and others could not understand that Sanātana was a devotee.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.13.13

śrī-kṛṣṇa-karuṇāṁ ko’pi vaktuṁ śaknoti paṇḍitaḥ
yā tvāṁ viṣaya-kūpa-sthaṁ samuddhṛtya balīyasī

Translation: “Who is that scholar competent to describe the mercy of Kṛṣṇa? Truly that mercy is immeasurably powerful, for it has extricated you from the dark well of sense-gratification.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had given his instructions to Sanātana Gosvāmī, saying that by Lord Kṛṣṇa's mercy He left the dark well of sense gratification.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 1.245

sanātanake māthura-maṇḍale preraṇa o prakāśānandera uddhāra:—

mathurā pāṭhāilā tāṅre diyā bhakti-bala
sannyāsīre kṛpā kari’ gelā nīlācala

Translation: After fully instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent him to Mathurā with empowered devotional service. In Benares He also bestowed His mercy upon the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. He then returned to Nīlācala [Jagannātha Purī].

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this verse gives the details of Lord Caitanya's visit to Benares and His departure to Nīlācala.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.13.14

śrī-kṛṣṇa-nikaṭaṁ nītvā tan-mādhūryam apāyayat
sādhu sādhv iti harṣeṇa śikṣayām āsa taṁ punaḥ

Translation: “It has brought you near Śrī Kṛṣṇa and has forced you to drink His sweetness. Very good! Oh very good!” Highly exhilarated, Gaura instructed him further:

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was very happy to see Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.13.15

vṛndāvanāya gantavyaṁ bhakti-śāstra-nirūpaṇam
lupta-tīrtha-prakāśaṁ ca tan-māhātmyam api sphuṭam

Translation: “You must go to Vṛndāvana. Propound the bhakti-śāstras there and reveal the lost holy places. In this way you will spread far and wide the glories of Vraja-dhāma.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this was the personal service that Sanātana Gosvāmī  was empowered to do, to write scriptures and uncover lost holy places.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.13. 16-17

kartavyaṁ bhavatā yena bhaktir eva sthirā bhavet
yām āśritya sukhenaiva śrī-kṛṣṇa-prema-mādhurīm
pibanti rasikā nityaṁ sārāsāra-vicakṣaṇāḥ
sa āha tvat-kṛpā sarva-phala-dā mama pāvanī

Translation: “All this your grace must do so that the goddess of devotion, Bhakti-devi, becomes firmly established in this world. Then by taking shelter of her, the rasikas who are able to discern between matter and spirit may always drink with joy the sweet beverage of kṛṣṇa-prema.”

Sanātana replied, “It is solely by Your mercy that all these transcendental fruits may flourish, and it is by Your mercy also that my heart may become clean.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī was appreciating the mercy of Lord Caitanya and he said that by Lord Caitanya's mercy his heart would become clean.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.13.18

śrī-kṛṣṇeti tvayoktaṁ ca tadaiva manasārthakam
hasan prāha hṛṣīkeśas tvam eva buddhi-sattamaḥ

Translation: “O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, all that you have spoken satisfies My mind.” Hṛṣīkeśa smiled and said, “Certainly you are the most intelligent of men.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī appreciated the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya said that “you must be the most intelligent of all men.”

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.13.19

dṛṣṭvā madhu-purīṁ vṛndāraṇyam eva punar bhavan
āyāsyati jagannātha-darśanārthaṁ mad-ājñayā

Translation: “After seeing the city of Madhupurī and Vṛndāraṇya, by My order your grace must return to see Jagannātha Svāmī.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī was ordered to go to see Lord Caitanya in Jagannātha Purī  after that he went to Jagannātha Purī.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.13.20

kāśī-vāsi-janān sarvān kṛṣṇa-bhakti-pradānataḥ
uddhṛtya kṛpayā kṛṣṇo bhaktānāṁ sukha-hetave

Translation: Then, to bring happiness to His bhaktas, Kṛṣṇa mercifully delivered all the residents of Kāśī and bestowed Kṛṣṇa-bhakti on them.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Murāri gupta he understood that by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya all the residents of Kāśī got kṛṣṇa-bhakti.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Bidding Farewell to the Residents of Kāśī, Part 1

Under the section: Return to Nīlācala

Transcribed and Verified by JPS Archives 29^th May 2022