20230215 Mercy to Śivānanda Sena and His Family

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on february 15th,2023 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!

Continuation of the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book,

Mercy to Śivānanda Sena and His Family
Under the section: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s loving dealings with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.42

gauḍīyagaṇera āgamana o nārīgaṇera dūra haite prabhudarśana :—

pūrvavat prabhu kailā sabāra milana
strī-saba dūra ha-ite kailā prabhura daraśana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu received them all, just as He had in previous years. The women, however, saw the Lord from a distance.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Lord Caitanya was a sannyāsī, all the women kept a respectful distance from Him.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.43

sakalake gṛhādi-pradāna :—

vāsā-ghara pūrvavat sabāre deoyāilā
mahāprasāda-bhojane sabāre bolāilā

Translation: The Lord again arranged for the residential quarters of all the devotees and thereafter called them to partake of the remnants of food offered to Lord Jagannātha.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although Lord Caitanya was Mahāprabhu, the great Master He arranged for all the residential places for the families who came from Bengal. So, He was like a Host and took care of the visiting devotees.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.44

saputraka śivānandake prabhura kṛpā :—

śivānanda tina-putre gosāñire milāilā
śivānanda-sambandhe sabāya bahu-kṛpā kailā

Translation: Śivānanda Sena introduced his three sons to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because they were his sons, the Lord showed the boys great mercy.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord states in Bhagavad-gītā that no one is His enemy and no one is dear to Him, at the same time His devotees has a special place and since Śivānanda Sena was His devotee not He gave him mercy He also gave his son mercy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.45

praśnottare kaniṣṭhaputrera paramānanda-purī-dāsa nāma-śravaṇa :—

choṭa-putre dekhi’ prabhu nāma puchilā
‘paramānanda-dāsa’-nāma sena jānāilā

Translation: Lord Caitanya asked the youngest son’s name, and Śivānanda Sena informed the Lord that his name was Paramānanda dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Paramānanda means Supreme ecstasy of spiritual life, one of the associates of the Lord is called Paramānanda Purī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.46-47

paramānanda-purī-dāsa-nāmera ādikāraṇa vṛttānta varṇana; prabhura ājñāya nāmakaraṇa :—

pūrve yabe śivānanda prabhu-sthāne āilā
tabe mahāprabhu tāṅre kahite lāgilā

“e-bāra tomāra yei ha-ibe kumara
‘purī-dāsa’ bali’ nāma dhariha tāhāra

Translation: Once before when Śivānanda Sena had visited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at His residence, the Lord had told him, “When this son is born, give him the name Purī dāsa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had given the instructions to name his son after Paramānanda Purī.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.48

tabe māyera garbhe haya sei ta’ kumāra
śivānanda ghare gele, janma haila tāra

Translation: The son was in the womb of Śivānanda’s wife, and when Śivānanda returned home the son was born.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.49

prabhu-ājñāya dharilā nāma—‘paramānanda-dāsa’
‘purī-dāsa’ kari’ prabhu karena upahāsa

Translation: The child was named Paramānanda dāsa in accordance with the Lord’s order, and the Lord jokingly called him Purī dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śivānanda Sena called him Paramānanda dāsa since Lord Caitanya has said to name his son after Paramānanda Purī but Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given the name Purī dāsa. Of course Paramānanda dāsa is a more suitable name spiritually, Purī dāsa, Purī has different meaning in Sanskrit.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.50

paramānanda (purī)-dāsera prabhura pādāṅguṣṭha-coṣaṇa :—

śivānanda yabe sei bālake milāilā
mahāprabhu pādāṅguṣṭha tāra mukhe dilā

Translation: When Śivānanda Sena introduced the child to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord put His toe in the child’s mouth.

Purport: In this connection one may refer to Antya-līlā, chapter sixteen, verses 65-75, for information about the later manifestations of the Lord’s mercy on Purī dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the child of Śivānanda Sena was sucking the toe of Lord Caitanya so this is a special mercy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.51

śivānandera parama saubhāgya —

śivānandera bhāgya-sindhu ke pāibe pāra?
yāṅra saba goṣṭhīke prabhu kahe ’āpanāra’

Translation: No one can cross over the ocean of Śivānanda Sena’s good fortune, for the Lord considered Śivānanda’s whole family His own.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Śivānanda Senas family were all fully devoted to Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya considered Him as His own.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.52

tabe saba bhakta lañā karilā bhojana
govindere ājñā dilā kari’ ācamana

Translation: The Lord ate lunch in the company of all the devotees, and after washing His hands and mouth He gave an order to Govinda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.53

saparivāra śivānandake prabhura nijajana-jñāne sākṣāt kṛpā :—

“śivānandera ’prakṛti’, putra—yāvat ethāya
āmāra avaśeṣa-pātra tārā yena pāya”

Translation: “As long as Śivānanda Sena’s wife and children stay in Jagannātha Purī,” He said, “they must be given the remnants of My food.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows how by Śivānanda Sena by taking care of devotees, he also received the special mercy of Lord Caitanya, not only him but his wife and his family received the Lord’s remnants which is known as māhā-prasāda.

How many of you would like the remnants of Lord Caitanya!

Śivānanda Sena took all the devotees down from Bengal to Jagannātha Purī, and he would pay the toll, ferry rent cross them over, he treat all the devotees like his own an he got this special mercy from Lord Caitanya, not only him but his whole family.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Mercy to Śivānanda Sena and His Family
Under the section: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s loving dealings with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu