20220518 Mother Śacī Meets Nimāi in Navadvīpa

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 18th,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 compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book Today's chapter is entitled as:

Mother Śacī Meets Nimāi in Navadvīpa
Under the section: Return to Nīlācala

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.14.1

Tranlsation: As Gaura Candra travelled gradually onwards from town to town, He finally arrived at the town of Kuliyā. When the residents of Navadvīpa heard news of the Lord, who bears the great treasure of love of God, all of them came to see Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kuliyā is in the present town of Navadvīpa and previously Navadvīpa was on the eastern side of the Ganges and it moved to the west when the railway station happened.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.22

āre mora āre mora gaurāṅgasundare
navīna premera bhare calite nā pāredhru

eimane krame krame pathe cali’ āise
saṅgati-sahita uttarilā gauḍadeśe

Translation: Oh my Lord! Oh my Lord Gaurāṅga sundara! Filled of new love, He could not move. In this way gradually, Gaurāṅga and His party came to Gauḍadeśa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, on His way back to Jagannātha Purī, he entered Gauḍadeśa and came to the town of Kuliyā on the western side of Ganges opposite to Navadvīpa

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.23

gaṅgā-snāna kari’ prabhu rāḍhadeśa diyā
krame krame uttarilā nagara kuliyā

Translation: After bathing in the Ganges, Gaurahari moved on to Rāḍhadeśa and gradually reached the village of Kuliyā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rāḍhadeśa is in the present district of Birbhum and that’s where the birth place of Lord Nityānanda is and He bathed in the Ganges and went down to Kuliyā opposite to the Navadvīpa town.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.24

pūrvāśrame dekhiba—e sannyāsīra dharma
navadvīpa nikaṭe gela––ei tāra marma

Translation: Lord Caitanya thought, “As a sannyāsī, it’s My duty to see the place of My former life.”

For this reason, he went near Navadvīpa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya spent twenty-four years in Navadvīpa and then He took sannyāsa. So, He travelled all over and went over to Jagannātha Purī on the request of Mother Śacī. He went to South India, West India and up to Vṛndāvana and Benares and on the way back He is stopping in Kuliyā where He can see Navadvīpa across the river. Kuliyā is famous for forgiving one’s offenses to Vaiṣṇava, aparādha-bhañjanera kuliyā pāṭa.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.14.2

Translation: Gazing at the lotus face of Prabhu, they joyously drank of His beauty, yet remained ever unsatiated. With voices choked by emotion, they all addressed the Supreme Master and guru of all living beings, who is controlled solely by affection:

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.25

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is very important that He is controlled by affection, He is bhakta-vatsala and he reciprocates with the love and affection of the devotees.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.25

prabhū āgamana śuni’ navadvīpera loka
punaḥ leuṭilā sabhe pāśarila śoka

Translation: Hearing the arrival of Mahāprabhu, all residences of Navadvīpa came out from their lamentations once again.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had come to Kuliyā and went up to Mālda, Rāmakeli and went as far as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā but then He came back and now this is the second time that He had come to Gauḍadeśa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.26

hā hā gaurācāṅda! bali’ anurāge dhāya
kulavadhū dhāya–tārā pāchu nāhi cāya

Translation: They all ran in love by saying, “Hā! Hā! Gauracānda!” “Hā! Hā! Gauracānda!” “Hā! Hā! Gauracānda!” Gurumahārāja Ki! Jay! The chaste ladies rushed to see the Lord, leaving all their works behind.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by saying these chaste ladies, this indicates that all the residents of Navadvīpa came out to see Lord Gaurāṅga.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.27

vihavalacetana śacī dhāya urddhvamukhe
āulāila keśa–vastra nāhi deya buke

Translation: Being bewildered and looking up, Śacī mātā ran with disheveled hair. She did not cover her breasts with clothes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when Śacī mātā heard that Nimāi, her son had come to Kuliyā, She ran even she couldn’t arrange her clothes properly. she was so excited, she came out and came running to se Nimāi.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.28

kothā mora viśvambhara dekha mo nayāne
punaḥ cumba deṅa muñi se sundara cānda-vadane

Translation: Where’ s my Viśvambhara? I want to see Him with my eyes. I will again kiss His beautiful lotus face.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī she is non-different from Yaśodā, she is filled with motherly love.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.29

nadiyā-nagare āila āmāra nimāi
dhariyā rākhaha loka–kichu doṣa nāi

Translation: My Nimāi has come to Nadia! People! please hold Him to him keep him; it’s not wrong if you do so.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, she was afraid that Nimāi would leave before she got there, so she asked people, “hold Him, hold Him!”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.30

sabhākāra prāṇa sei–sei mātra jīu
prāṇa binā dharmarakṣā kon rīte hau

Translation: She told further, “He’s the life and soul of everyone. We maintain our lives for His sake. And without life how can our religious practices be maintained?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, mother Śacī is comparing Nimāi to her life, she says that He is the life of everyone. So we can see that the residents of Navadvīpa they had great love for Gaurāṅga.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.31

eimaṇe kahite kahite gelā tathā
dekhila se gauracandra basi’ āche yathā

Translation: Speaking in this way, she went to that place and saw Gauracandra was sitting there.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī crossed the river and went to the place where Lord Gaurāṅga was sitting, she was so happy.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Mother Śacī Meets Nimāi in Navadvīpa
Under the section: Return to Nīlācala

So, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya is known as Antardvīpa, the island across the river is known as Koladvīpa and also kuliyā. Koladvīpa is the ancient name and Kuliyā is more modern. lord Nimāi He didn’t go to Navadvīpa town, but He went opposite where Mother Śacī and other residents of Navadvīpa could see Him.

So we can see how we are uniting the different books of Lord Caitanya and this chapter is mainly with Caitanya-maṅgala and one verse from Murāri Gupta Kaḍacā.