20230223 Lord Caitanya orders Lord Nityānanda to go to Gauḍa-deśa

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on february 23rd,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!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Lord Caitanya orders Lord Nityānanda to go to Gauḍa-deśa
Under the section: The Pastimes of Nityānanda

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.81

nityānandera prati ājñā :—

nityānande kahilā—“tumi nā āsiha bāra-bāra
tathāi āmāra saṅga ha-ibe tomāra”

Translation: The Lord specifically advised Nityānanda Prabhu, “You should not come here again and again. You will have My association in Bengal.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya had assured Lord Nityānanda that by carrying out His order to preach in Bengal, He would have the association of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.209

hena-mate śrī-gaurasundara nīlācale
rahilena kīrtana-vihāra-kutūhale

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Lord Śrī Gaurasundara while remaining at Nīlācala, He enjoyed the kīrtana pastimes.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.210

nīlācale janmilā yateka anucara
sabe cinilena nija prāṇera īśvara

Jayapatākā Swami: All Lord Caitanya’s associates who appeared or were born in Nīlācala they gradually recognized the Supreme Lord of their life.

When people born in Jagannātha Purī had the opportunity to associate with Lord Caitanya, they realized that He was the Supreme Lord, the Lord of their life.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.211

nīlācalera bhaktagaṇa—

śrī-pradyumna-miśra kṛṣṇa-premera sāgara
ātma-pada yāṅre dilāśrī-gaurasundara

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Pradyumna Miśra, he was an ocean of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Gaurasundara personally gave him shelter at His lotus feet.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.212

paramānanda-mahāpātra mahāśaya
yāṅra tanu śrī-caitanya-bhakti-rasa-maya

Jayapatākā Swami: The body of Paramānanda Mahāpātra Mahāśaya, his body was filled with the rasa of Śrī Caitanya bhakti.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.213

kāśī-miśra parama-vihvala kṛṣṇa-rase
āpane rahilā prabhu yāṅhāra āvāse

Jayapatākā Swami: Kāśī Miśra was supremely overwhelmed in the mellows of love for Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya personally stayed in his house.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.214

ei mata prabhu sarva bhṛtya kari’ saṅge
niravadhi goṅāyena saṅkīrtana-raṅge

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu along with all of His servitors and enjoyed pastimes of saṅkīrtana.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.215

udāsīna śrī-caitanyadāsagaṇera prabhura saṅgera janya kṣetravāsa—

yata yata udāsīna śrī-caitanya-dāsa
sabe karilena āsi’ nīlācale vāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: All the renounced associates of Lord Śrī Caitanya they gradually came to Śrī Nīlācala and took up residence there.

Purport: (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda): Those who lived at home and served Śrīman Mahāprabhu were the Lord’s householder devotees, and those who had the opportunity to live and constantly hear topics of the Supreme Lord in the Lord’s holy abode after having severed household ties became indifferent to their house and family members and went to reside in Nīlācala with Śrī Caitanyadeva. That is why those who at present have the opportunity to retire from family life live in a temple to constantly serve Śrī Caitanyadeva.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was repeatedly stating that whether one is a householder or in the renounced order and those who came and lived, and many in renounced order came to live with Lord Caitanya in Jagannātha Purī but some were gṛhastha but those who came from other places they were renounced. So, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, He said that many renounced people leave their families and live in temple.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.216

nīlācale nityānanda—

nityānanda-prabhuvara—parama uddāma
sarva-nīlācale bhrame mahājyotir-dhāma

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, He was the independent Lord and He wandered all over Nīlācala. He was most effulgent.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.217

niravadhi parānanda-rase unamatta
lakhite nā pāre keha—avijñāta-tattva

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Nityānanda was constantly absorbed in the mellows of transcendental ecstasy and in that way He was as if He was intoxicated. I am not able to write His incomprehensible glories.

Lord Nityānanda, He wandered around Nīlācala, but actually no one could understand His actual position.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.218

sadāi japena nāma—śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya
svapne o nāhika nityānanda-mukhe anya

Jayapatākā Swami: He would constantly chant the holy name, ‘Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya’ Even in His dreams Lord Nityānanda, could not say anything else.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda): Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu constantly chanted the name, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.” Lord Kṛṣṇa personally appeared as Lord Caitanya, and this form of Lord Caitanya is meant to revive the spiritual consciousness of people who are averse to Kṛṣṇa by preaching the teachings of Kṛṣṇa. Nityānanda Prabhu did not speak any word other than, “Śrī Caitanya,” either while awake or asleep.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Lord Nityānanda is non-different from Balarāma, He came simply to serve “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya” and He was constantly chanting the names, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya”

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.219

yena rāmacandre lakṣmaṇera rati mati
sei mata nitāyera śrī-caitanye prīti

Jayapatākā Swami: As the love between Lakṣmaṇa and Rāmacandra, in that way Lord Nityānanda was attached to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.

In Rāma-līlā Lord Nityānanda came as Lakṣmaṇa and in Kṛṣṇa līlā He came as Balarāma. Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying that when the Kṛṣṇa Balarāma Mandir in Vṛndāvana was established, he asked all the saṅkīrtana devotees to go to Vṛndāvana and get spiritual strength from Lord Balarāma.

Haribol!

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.220

nityānandakṛpāyai samagra viśve adyāpi śrī-caitanya-vāṇī pracāra—

nityānanda-prasāde se sakala saṁsāra
adyāpiha gāya śrī-caitanya-avatāra

Jayapatākā Swami: By the causeless mercy of Lord Nityānanda, the whole world is now praising the glories of Śrī Caitanya avatāra, even today.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.221

hena-mate mahāprabhu caitanya-nitāi
nīlacale vasati karena dui bhāi

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way the two brothers— Mahāprabhu Caitanya and Nitāi—lived at Nīlācala as two brothers.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.222

mahāprabhura nibhṛte nityānanda-saha ālāpa o nityānandake gauḍadeśe śuddhabhakti-pracārārtha gamane ādeśa—

eka-dina śrī-gaurasundara narahari
nibhṛte vasilā nityānanda saṅge kari’

Jayapatākā Swami: One day Lord Śrī Gaurasundara, the Supreme Lord in the form of a human being, sat down in a solitary place with Lord Nityānanda.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.223

prabhu bale,—“śuna nityānanda mahāmati!
satvare calaha tumi navadvīpa-prati

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya said, “Listen, O Lord Nityānanda, the most magnanimous, go quickly to Navadvīpa dhāma!

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.224

pratijñā kariyā āchi āmi nija-mukhe
‘mūrkha nīca daridra bhāsāba prema-sukhe’

Jayapatākā Swami: “I have personally promised from my own mouth that I will deliver, the fools, the low born, the poor, and flood them with Kṛṣṇa-prema happiness.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.225-226

tumi o thākilā yadi muni-dharma kari’
āpana-uddāma-bhāva saba parihari’

tabe mūrkha nīca yata patita saṁsāra
bala dekhi āra ke vā karibe uddhāra?

Jayapatākā Swami: “If You stay here and practice silence of a muni, forsaking your Your magnanimous nature, in that case who will deliver the fools, low born and all those fallen in material world? Tell Me, let Me see who will deliver all the fallen people?

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.227

bhakti-rasa-dātā tumi tumi samvarile
tabe avatāra vā ki nimitte karile?

Jayapatākā Swami: “You are the distributor of the mellows of devotional service. If You hide them, then what is the use of Your avatāra in this world?

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.228

eteke āmāra vākya yadi satya cāo
tabe avilambe tumi gauḍa-deśe yāo

Jayapatākā Swami: “Now if You wish to fulfill My promise and making it true , then You should go quickly to Gauḍa-deśe to Bengal without delay.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 5.229

mūrkha nīca patita duḥkhita yata jana
bhakti diyā kara’ giyā sabāre mocana

Jayapatākā Swami: “Deliver the foolish, low born, fallen, and distressed persons by giving them devotional service, in this way deliver all people.”

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda): Śrī Gaurasundara ordered Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu to go to Gauḍa-deśa. All intelligent, aristocratic, learned people of Gauḍa-deśa accepted the religion preached by Gaurasundara. But foolish, wretched, sinful people could not understand the topics of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa preached by Gaurasundara. To benefit those foolish, wretched, fallen souls—to liberate them from their nondevotional propensities— Śrī Gaurasundara sent Śrī Nityānanda to Gauḍa-deśa. Śrī Mahāprabhu had personally promised that He would deliver all ignorant, fallen people who are more or less useless. But since pseudo-devotee enjoyers of the fruits of their karma who are attached to sense gratification as well as impersonal Māyāvādīs who desire liberation are all included among the fools, wretched, and fallen, the most merciful Lord, Śrī Gaurasundara, sent Śrī Nityānanda to uplift them. Since the Māyāvādīs’ extreme arrogance and the ritualistic smārtas’ pride born of adeptness became impediments in their attaining devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, who was unhappy to see the distress of others, went to Gauḍa-deśa to fulfill the internal desire of Śrīman Mahāprabhu. Although the inhabitants of Bengal are still more or less polluted by faults like sentimentality, the Rajasthanis and Gujaratis glorify them.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda went to the western world, carrying the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Nitāi-Gaura to deliver the fallen, poor, wretched foolish people. By the mercy of Nitāi-Gaura they could understand this priceless gift of devotional service.

Haribol!

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Lord Caitanya orders Lord Nityānanda to go to Gauḍa-deśa
Under the section: The Pastimes of Nityānanda