20220520 Lamentation of Mother Śacī

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 20th,2022 at new town in Kolkata, India.

Compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book, Today's chapter is entitled as:

Lamentation of Mother Śacī

Under the section: Return to Nīlācala

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.14.3

Translation: “O Prabhu, kindly ornament the beautiful town of Navadvīpa by Your presence.” Being thus solicited by the host of His bhaktas, whose minds were immersed in the bliss of saṅkīrtana, Śrī Hari departed with them for that town, eager to taste the mellows of His own names.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya went with His devotees to Navadvīpa town, which on that time was on the eastern side of the Ganges.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.14.4

Translation: That devotee of His mother approached her, fell to the ground, and worshipped her feet. Out of sheer joy she forgot all social etiquette and at once embraced Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī is filled with vātsalya-prema and she always sees her son as her little boy Nimāi, no matter how old He is.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.32

prabhure dekhiyā bole––śuna re nimāi
ghara āisa bāpa––āmāra sannyāse kāja nāi

Translation: Seeing the Lord, Śacīmātā said, “Hear, O my Nimāi! Come home. I have nothing to do with sannyāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī is feeling lamentation in separation from her son Nimāi and although He is prohibited from returning home, she is pleading Him.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.33

sannyāsa kariyā dharma rākhibi to pāchu
mora badha āge lāge––āra sarva pāchu

Translation: By taking sannyāsa, You will do your duties later. Before that let me be killed first; then all those things will come later.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī has previously allowed Nimāi to go to Jagannātha Purī and she accepted that He was a sannyāsī so, but now she become overwhelmed with lamentation, what she is saying is very subjective.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.34

vihavala-chetana śacī kānde ubharāya
sakala śarīrakhāni ekadṛṣṭe cāya

Translation: Becoming bewildered Śacī cried at the top of her voice. She simply gazed at the body of Lord Caitanya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī is overwhelmed with love vātsalya-rasa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.35

‘bāpu! bāpu!’ bali’ aṅga paraśite cāya
āra saba thāku bāpa hātha deya gāya

Translation: Exclaiming, ‘Bāpu! Bāpu! (Child! Child),’ she wanted to touch his limbs. She continued, “My dear child, let everything else stay as it is,” and put her hand on his body to caress.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī is just seeing Nimāi as her child and she is overwhelmed in that mood.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.36

śrī aṅge tora legeche dhulā phelāṅa jhāḍiyā
e bola baliyā paḍe aṅga āchāḍiyā

Translation: “Your beautiful body is covered with dust (from travelling). I will cleanse and throw those dust.” Having said this, she fell on the ground.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī is overwhelmed in love for her child and she is not seeing that now He is sannyāsī. She is completely overwhelmed in the love for her son.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.37

punaḥ uṭhi’ bale––bāpu! śuna mora bola
pālāu (miṭāba) hiyāra sādha––dhari’ deṅa kola

Translation: Getting up again she said, “Oh my dear child. Hear my words. I will fulfil my desire to hold you on my lap.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.38

śacīra kāndanā dekhi’ pṛthivī vidare
āchuka mānuṣera kāja––e pāṣāṇa jhure

Translation: Even the earth broken asunder seeing the crying of Śacī. Not only human beings, but even the stones started melting (crying) by her crying.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī’s crying was so intense that the earth, stones and everything started to melt.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.39

caudige sakala loka kāndiyā phāṅpara
kācha nā chāḍaye keho––pāśarila ghara

Translation: All around, everyone cried and became puzzled and no one left that place. They all forgot their homes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī’s lamentation in vātsalya-rasa for Lord Caitanya was so intense that all the other people also started to cry and everyone forget everything else, they forgot their homes, they were completely absorbed in the mood of Mother Śacī.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.40

lokera kāndanā dekhi’ māyera vyagratā
mane anumāne prabhu––ki kahiba kathā

Translation: Seeing mother’s earnestness and everyone’s crying Lord Caitanya thought, “What should I do say pacify My mother?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is Supreme Personality of Godhead still he has to think, “what to say now?”, seeing the earnestness of His mother and how everyone was crying, this caused also Lord Caitanya to think.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.41

māyera prabhodhite prabhu mane mane gune
nā kānda, nā kānda bole śunaha vacane

Translation: Mahāprabhu contemplated within to comfort her and said, “Don’t cry. Don’t cry mother. Listen to My words.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was very expert, and He knew what to say at that particular time.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.42

sannyāsa karite ājñā karilā āpane
emana vihvala hañā kānda ki kāraṇe

Translation: You, yourself ordered Me I could taka sannyāsa, and now why are you crying over it.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Lord Caitanya after taking sannyāsa was seen by Mother Śacī and she realized that if He comes home, it would be criticized and she asks him to fix himself in Jagannātha Purī and now Lord Caitanya is asking, “you gave me permission to take sannyāsa and now why are you crying.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.43

putra bali’ michā māyā nā ghucila tora
aichana dustyaja māyā e saṁsāra––ghora

Translation: Being under the influence of māyā, you still consider Me your son. In the material world, no one can escape māyā.

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually, she is under the spell of yoga-māyā, and therefore she thinks that Lord Caitanya is her son, but Lord Caitanya is saying this is māyā, which is material illusion. Actually, Mother Śacī, her illusion is totally spiritual.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.44

ghucile nā ghuce––māyā aichana dāruṇa
śacī bole––mora bola śuno nikaruna

Translation: Even after being dispelled of illusion, one is not freed of the influence of the insurmountable māyā. Śacī said, “O merciless one, listen to me.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī wants to be heard.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.45

mora putra bali’ janma laile pṛthivīte
jagatera loka more karila pūjite

Translation: “You took birth on this earth as my son. Because of this, the people of this world have worshipped me.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.46

tumi saba loka-bandhu––trijagate pūji’
tomāra se sneha-māyā śāstre bhāla bujhi

Translation: Śacī mātā continued saying, “You are the well-wisher of everyone; therefore, You are worshipped in all the three worlds. Through the scriptures I can understand Your way of love and affection.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya came from the spiritual kingdom to this earth, and He appeared as son of Mother Śacī so she is making her appeal.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa Khaṇḍa 3.3.47

ye hau, se hau mora-––tumi ha’o putra
janme janme rahu mora ei karmasūtra

Translation: Śacī mātā’s voice choked with emotions said, “You may whatever, but ultimately You are my son life after life. And You always remain my son.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī being influenced by yoga-māyā, she only saw Lord Caitanya as her son and in previous births she was Yaśodā and saw Kṛṣṇa as her son. She tells Lord Caitanya You may be whoever You are but in my vision, you are my son birth after birth.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.14.5

Translation: She kissed the lotus face of Kṛṣṇa (Lord Caitanya) and sprinkled Him with affectionate tears of maternal devotion. She then made Him eat food of four varieties and derived much joy from that.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Mother Śacī she only knew how to serve her son as mother and with great bliss fed him and gave her motherly love.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Lamentation of Mother Śacī
Under the section: Return to Nīlācala

This is a heart breaking pastime, Mother Śacī is the apex of mother Love.

I am in Calcutta, in New Town. Nitāi-Gaurāṅga have appeared in this place and tomorrow we are going to go to Pānihāṭi-dhāma.

Haribol! Jaya Gurumahārāja ki jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya!