20220715 Śivānanda Sena Develops Faith in Nakula Brahmacārī

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 15th,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:

Śivānanda Sena Develops Faith in Nakula Brahmacārī
Under the section: The Chastisement of Junior Haridāsa

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9.30

Man: At that time, by the arrangement of providence, Śivānanda Sena, a personal associate of Lord Caitanya, came to that place. Hearing about the news of Nakula Brahmacārī, Śivānanda felt doubt in his heart and desired to see Nakula Brahmacārī. He thought “What is the need to see Nakula Brahmacārī, when I have seen the Lord (Śrī Caitanya) Himself directly? Will my happiness of seeing Nakula Brahmacārī be like the happiness of seeing the Lord (Śrī Caitanya)? Certainly not. Having refrained from going, he thought: “Aho! If I stay outside from the crowds around him, and he personally calls me to him and tells me my worshipable mantra, then I will know it is true that Lord Caitanya has personally entered within him.” Thinking this, Śivānanda stayed at the outskirts of large crowd and at the very moment even though being silent till then Nakula Brahmacārī possessed by Lord Caitanya said: “Who, who is here? Bring Śivānanda who is staying far away.” Being ordered thus, some people ran calling for him by name and finding him brought from far away to nearby Nakula Brahmacārī. Then, Nakula then said to him: “O Śivānanda! Listen what you have thought within your mind. Your worshipable mantra is the four-syllable Gaura-Gopāla mantra Deity.” When Śivānanda heard this, he decided that it is true that Lord Caitanya has entered Nakula Brahmacārī’s heart.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari Bol! So, whatever Śivānanda Sena was thinking, only he and His Supersoul know that, since Lord Caitanya is also Supersoul so He repeated these thoughts and Śivānanda Sena was convinced that Lord Caitanya has entered Nakula Brahmacārī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.22

caitanyera āveśa haya nakulera dehe
śuni’ śivānanda āilā kariyā sandehe

Translation: When Śivānanda Sena heard that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had entered the body of Nakula Brahmacārī, he went there with doubts in his mind.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.23

śivānandera saṁśaya o parīkṣaṇecchāḥ—

parīkṣā karite tāṅra yabe icchā haila
bāhire rahiyā tabe vicāra karila

Translation: Desiring to test the authenticity of Nakula Brahmacārī, he stayed outside, thinking as follows.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.24-25

śivānandera vicāra o dūre avasthāna : —

“āpane bolāna more, ihā yadi jāni
āmāra iṣṭa-mantra jāni’ kahena āpani

tabe jāni, iṅhāte haya caitanya-āveśe”
eta cinti’ śivānanda rahilā dūra-deśe

Translation: “If Nakula Brahmacārī personally calls me and knows my worshipable mantra, then I shall understand that he is inspired by the presence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” Thinking in this way, he stayed some distance apart.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.26

asaṅkhya lokera ghaṭā,—keha āise yāya
lokera saṅghaṭṭe keha darśana nā pāya

Translation: There was a large crowd of people, some coming and some going. Indeed, some people in that great crowd could not even see Nakula Brahmacārī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the special characteristic of Bharata-varsa, people gather in great numbers for any spiritual engagement. There was such a large crowd to see Nakula Brahmacārī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.27

śivānandake samīpe ānayanārtha lokapreraṇaḥ—

āveśe brahmacārī kahe,—‘śivānanda āche dūre
jana dui cāri yāha, bolāha tāhāre’

Translation: In his inspired state, Nakula Brahmacārī said, “Śivānanda Sena is staying some distance away. Two or four of you go call him.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka is being explained here.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.28

cāri-dike dhāya loke ‘śivānanda’ bali
śivānanda kon, tomāya bolāya brahmacārī

Translation: Thus people began running here and there, calling in all directions, “Śivānanda! Whoever is Śivānanda, please come. Nakula Brahmacārī is calling you.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.29

śivānandera satvara āgamanaḥ—

śuni’, śivānanda sena tāṅhā śīghra āila
namaskāra kari’ tāṅra nikaṭe vasila

Translation: Hearing these calls, Śivānanda Sena quickly went there, offered obeisances to Nakula Brahmacārī, and sat down near him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.30

śivānandera sandeha-bhañjanaḥ—

brahmacārī bale,—“tumi karilā saṁśaya
eka-manā hañā śuna tāhāra niścaya

Translation: Nakula Brahmacārī said, “I know that you are doubtful. Now please hear this evidence with great attention.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śivānanda Sena was thinking that Nakula Brahmacārī, in his āveśa situation as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he spoke.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.31

‘gaura-gopāla mantra’ tomāra cāri akṣara
aviśvāsa chāḍa, yei kariyācha antara”

Translation: “You are chanting the Gaura-gopāla mantra, composed of four syllables. Now please give up the doubts that have resided within you.”

Purport: By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupāda! Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains the Gaura-gopāla mantra in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. Worshipers of Śrī Gaurasundara accept the four syllables gau-ra-aṅ-ga as the Gaura mantra, but pure worshipers of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa accept the four syllables rā-dhā kṛṣ-ṇa as the Gaura-gopāla mantra. However, Vaiṣṇavas consider Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu nondifferent from Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa (śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya). Therefore one who chants the mantra “gaurāṅga” and one who chants the names of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are on the same level.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this Purport affirms that Gaurāṅga and Rādhā Kṛṣṇa are non-different.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 2.32

śivānandera pratyayaḥ —

tabe śivānandera mane pratīti ha-ila
aneka sammāna kari’ bahu bhakti kaila

Translation: Śivānanda Sena thereupon developed full confidence in his mind that Nakula Brahmacārī was filled with the presence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śivānanda Sena then offered him respect and devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, since Lord Caitanya wanted to deliver all the people in the universe, He was sometimes seen personally by different residents, by the different planets of the universe. Sometimes He appeared in the heart of a pure devotee and in His āveśa, thus He delivered people who could not see Him personally. So, Lord Caitanya one way or another He delivered all the people in the universe.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Śivānanda Sena Develops Faith in Nakula Brahmacārī
Under the section: The Chastisement of Junior Haridāsa