20210711 People Eagerly Rush to the House of Vidyā-vācaspati in Vidyānagara to See Lord Caitanya

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July11th, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

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

People Eagerly Rush to the House of Vidyā-vācaspati in Vidyānagara
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana

Lord Caitanya is on His way back to Vṛndāvana, He stopped on the western side of the Ganges and stayed in Vidyanāgara at the house of the brother of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Vidyā-vācaspati. When the word came out that Lord Caitanya has come back, people became totally out of their senses, and so this is described in various literatures, so those are in Sanskrit, Bengali so we will read the translations. So Śrīla Prabhupāda he wrote the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, I will take His translations and Caitanya-bhāgavata and othere literatures are in Bengali, I will check the translations.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.25

Translation: On all those days, at every hour, thousands of people came. Lord Advaita in joy pleased all of them each day with various articles.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.26

Translation: On another day Gauracandra went across the Gaṅgā from Navadvīpa and in a place to the west spread bliss to the eyes of all beings by his limbs.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9.104

Translation: Then the Lord went to Advaita's house, where Haridāsa worshiped His feet. Then the Lord went to Kuliyā-grāma on the shore opposite from Navadvīpa. In Kuliyā-grāma, the Lord stayed at the house of Mādhava dāsa. In order to show mercy to the people of Navadvīpa, He stayed there for seven days.

Jayapatākā Swami: (Because this was), as the original city of Navadvīpa was on the east bank of the Ganges, where ISKCON Māyāpur is situated at present, and when the British built the train line on the west side then that place became developed as Navadvīpa town. That is in the recent history, one or two hundred years but 500 hundred years ago that was known as Kuliyā and Navadvīpa, what is known today as Māyāpur.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.207

ataḥpara vidyānagare vidyā-vācaspatira gṛhe āsiyā vipula lokasaṅgha-darśane gopane kuliyāya āgamana:— 
‘vācaspati-gṛhe’ prabhu yemate rahilā
loka-bhiḍa bhaye yaiche ‘kuliyā’ āilā

Translation: The Lord remained some time at the house of Vidyā-vācaspati, but then, because it was too crowded, He went to Kuliyā.

Purport: The house of Vidyā-vācaspati was located at Vidyānagara, which was near Koladvīpa, or Kuliyā. It was here that Devānanda Paṇḍita was residing. This information is found in the Caitanya-bhāgavata (Madhya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Twenty-one). In the Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka, the following statement is given about Kuliyā. “From there the Lord went to the house of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita in Kumārahaṭṭa”; “From the house of Śrīvāsa Ācārya, the Lord went to the house of Advaita Ācārya, where He was offered obeisances by Haridāsa Ṭhākura. The Lord then took a boat to the other side of Navadvīpa, to a place called Kuliyā, where He stayed seven days at the house of Mādhava dāsa. He then proceeded along the banks of the Ganges.”

In the Śrī Caitanya-carita-mahā-kāvya, it is stated, “The Lord went to the western side of the Ganges at Navadvīpa, and everyone was pleased to see the Lord coming.”

In the Caitanya-bhāgavata (Antya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Three), it is stated, “The Lord suddenly came to Vidyānagara with a full party and stayed there in the house of Vidyā-vācaspati.” “Thus throughout Navadvīpa, the Lord’s arrival was made known.” Vācaspati-ghare āilā nyāsi-cūḍāmaṇi: “Thus the chief of all the sannyāsīs, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, arrived at the house of Vidyā-vācaspati.”

As stated in the Caitanya-bhāgavata (Antya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Six):

“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu walked through Rāḍha-deśa and gradually arrived at the Ganges. After bathing in the river, he crossed it and went to Kuliyā. Because He had promised His mother He would return to Navadvīpa, He went to Bārakoṇā-ghāṭa, a village near His house.”

In the commentary of Premadāsa it is said:

“Everyone knows that in the middle of Nadia is a village named Kuliyā-pāhāḍapura.”

Śrī Narahari Cakravartī, or Ghanaśyāma dāsa, has written in his Bhakti-ratnākara:

“He said, ‘O Śrīnivāsa, just see the town of Kuliyā-pāhāḍapura, which was previously known as Koladvīpa.’”

In a book named Navadvīpa-dhāma-parikramā, also written by Ghanaśyāma dāsa, it is stated:“The town of Kuliyā-pāhāḍapura was previously named Koladvīpa-parvatākhyānanda.”

Therefore, one can conclude that the present-day city of Navadvīpa and the places known as Bāhiradvīpa, Kolera Gañja, Kola-āmāda, Kolera Daha, Gadakhāli, etc., were known as Kuliyā, but the so-called Kuliyāra Pāḍa is not the original Kuliyā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Koladvīpa is still recognized on the western side of the Ganges. the modern city of Navadvīpa is situated mainly on the island of Koladvīpa and Koladvīpa includes a village called Kuliyā. It is state that one can get forgiven for offenses to the Vaiṣṇavas in this Kuliyā-pāṭa, aparādha-bhañjanera kuliyā pāṭa is the place where various devotees got forgiven for their vaiṣṇava-aparādha in Kuliyā.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.27

Translation: Mute, lame, blind, old, young and woman, all persons living in Navadvīpa came with great affection.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 20.28

Translation: As long as Lord Gauracandra remained there, thousands and thousands of people, both men and women, filled with intense longing, came from all places to see him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there was so much eagerness to see Lord Caitanya, after He had left Navadvīpa that everyone, old, young, lame, blind, men women everyone came to see to have the association of Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram 49 By Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura

Translation: Leaving His Orissan associates at the border, He went to Bengal. I meditate Śrī Śacī-devī's divine son.

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram 50

Translation: I meditate on Lord Gaura, who saw Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, Vāsudeva dātta, and Rāghava Paṇḍita at their homes, and then went on to Śāntipura.

Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala-stotram 51

Translation: I worship Lord Gaura, who visited the home of Vidyāvācaspatī dāsa in Vidyānagara and then went to Kuliyā-grāma and Navadvīpa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.208

kuliyāya prabhura mādhavadāsa-gṛhe vāsa evaṁ asaṁkhya lokera prabhu-darśana:— 
mādhava-dāsa-gṛhe tathā śacīra nandana
lakṣa-koṭi loka tathā pāila daraśana

Translation: When the Lord stayed at the house of Mādhava dāsa, many hundreds of thousands of people came to see Him.

Purport: Mādhava dāsa is identified as follows. In the family of Śrīkara Caṭṭopādhyāya, Yudhiṣṭhira Caṭṭopādhyāya took his birth. Formerly, he and his family members lived in Bilvagrāma and Pāṭūli. From there he went to Kuliyā-pāhāḍapura, formerly known as Pāḍapura. The eldest son of Yudhiṣṭhira Caṭṭopādhyāya was known as Mādhava dāsa, the second son was called Haridāsa, and the youngest son was called Kṛṣṇa-sampatti Caṭṭopādhyāya. The three brothers’ nicknames were Chakaḍi, Tinakaḍi and Dukaḍi. The grandson of Mādhava dāsa was named Vaṁśīvadana, and during the time of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura some of Vaṁśīvadana's descendants, including those of his grandson Rāmacandra, were still living at Bāghnāpāḍā, Baiñcī, and other places.

Jayapatākā Swami: In other words, these families are still there, these different pastimes of Lord Caitanya are always in the recorded history and the descendants of these devotees are still there.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 16.209

bahu aparādhīra mocanahetu kuliyāi ‘aparādha bhañjanera pāṭa’:— 
sāta dina rahi’ tathā loka nistārilā
saba aparādhi-gaṇe prakāre tārilā

Translation: The Lord stayed there for seven days and delivered all kinds of offenders and sinners.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, as I mentioned Kuliyā is known as aparādha-bhañjanera kuliyā pāṭa, here offenders could get forgiven. So, in our Navadvīpa Parikramā, we stop in this place and beg for forgiveness for any of our offenses

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.271

prabhura nīlācale kichukāla vāsera para punaḥ gauḍadeśe vijaya— 
ṭhākura thākiyā kata-dina nīlācale
punaḥ gauḍa-deśe āilena kutūhale

Jayapatākā Swami: After spending some days in Nīlācala, Lord Caitanya returned in jubilation to Gauḍa-deśa.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.272

gaṅgāra prati kṛpā karibāra janya gauḍadeśe āgamana— 
gaṅgā-prati mahā-anurāga bāḍāiyā
ati śīghra gauḍa-deśe āilā caliyā

Jayapatākā Swami: Feeling increased attachment for the Ganges, the Lord quickly returned to Gauḍa-deśa. So, Lord Caitanya was having great mercy on the Ganges. He had bathed there for twenty-four years as a householder. When He went to Jagannātha Purī, He was bathing in the ocean, but here He came back to bathe in the Ganges.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.273

sārvabhauma-bhrātā vidyā-vācaspatira gṛhe āgamana— 
sārvabhauma-bhrātā vidyā-vācaspati nāma
śānta-dānta-dharmaśīla mahābhāgyavān

Jayapatākā Swami: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya had a brother named Vidyā-vācaspati, who was peaceful, forgiving, pious, and most fortunate.

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhāta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Vidyā-vācaspati was the son of Paṇḍita Viśārada, a resident of Vidyānagara, and he was the brother of Śrī Vāsudeva Sārvabhauma. Mahāprabhu spent a few days in his house in Vidyānagara.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.274

sarva-pāriṣada-saṅge śrī-gaurasundara
ācambite āsi' uttarilā tāṅra ghara

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Śrī Gaurasundara suddenly came to Vidyānagara with a full party and stayed there in the house of Vidyā-vācaspati.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.275

vācaspatira prabhu-abhyarthanā— 
vaikuṇṭha-nāyaka gṛhe atithi pāiyā
paḍilena vācaspati daṇḍavat haiyā

Jayapatākā Swami: Receiving Lord Caitanya, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha as his guest, Vidyā-vācaspati offered obeisances, falling flat before Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.276

hena se ānanda haila viprera śarīre
ki vidhi kariba tāhā kichui nā sphure

Jayapatākā Swami: That brāhmaṇa was felt so much happiness is his body that he did not know what rules or what to do at that moment.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.277

prabhu o tāṅhāre karilena āliṅgana
prabhu bale,—“śuna kichu āmāra vacana

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya embraced him and said, “Listen to My words.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.278

citta mora haiyāche mathurā yāite
katho dina gaṅgā-snāna karimu ethāte

Jayapatākā Swami: “I have developed a desire to go to Mathurā. I will stay here a few days and take bath in the Ganges.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.279

prabhura kichudina gaṅgā-snānānte mathurā gamanera abhilāṣa vyakta kariyā vācaspatira nikaṭa haita nirjana sthāna yācñā-līlā—
nibhṛte āmāre ekathāni dibā sthāna
yena katho dina muñi karoṅ gaṅgā-snāna

Jayapatākā Swami:  “Give Me a private room so that I can stay here for some days and bathe in the Ganges.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.280

tabe śeṣe more mathurāya cālāi
bāyadi more cāha ihā avaśya karibā”

Jayapatākā Swami: “Then you can make the arrangements so that I can go to Mathurā. If you have affection for Me, then you must do this for Me.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.281

vācaspatira ānanda prakāśa— 
śuniyā prabhura vākya vidyā-vācaspati
lāgilena kahite haiyā namra-mati

Jayapatākā Swami: On hearing the Lord Caitanya's words, Vidyā-vācaspati humbly replied.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.282

vipra bale,—“bhāgya saba vaṁśera āmāra
yathāya caraṇa-dhūli āila tomāra

Jayapatākā Swami: The brāhmaṇa said, “It is the good fortune of my entire family and dynasty that the dust from Your lotus feet has blessed our house.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.283

mora ghara-dvāra yata—sakala tomāra
sukhe thāka tumi keha nā jāniba āra”

Jayapatākā Swami: “My house and everything in it belong to You. You remain here peacefully and happily. No one will know that you are here and disturb You.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.284

śuni' tāṅra vākya prabhu santoṣa hailā
tāna bhāgye kata-dina tathāi rahilā

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was satisfied with his words. He then blessed him by staying there a few days.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.285

sūryodaya gopana karā asambhava, vācaspatira gṛhe prabhura āgamana-vārtā-vistāra— 
sūryera udaya ki kakhana gopya haya
sarva-loka śunileka prabhura vijaya

Jayapatākā Swami: Can the rising sun ever be hidden? Everyone came to know of the Lord Caitanya's arrival.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.286

navadvīpa-ādi sarva-dike haila dhvani
“vācaspati-ghare āilā nyāsi-cūḍāmaṇi”

Jayapatākā Swami: Thus, throughout Navadvīpa and other places, Lord Caitanya’s arrival was made known. Thus, the chief of all sannyāsīs, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, arrived at the house of Vidyā-vācaspati.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.287

śuniyā lokera haila cittera ullāsa
saśarīre yena haila vaikuṇṭhete vāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: The hearts of the people became so joyful that it appeared they were living in Vaikuṇṭha in their present bodies.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.288

lokavṛndera apāra ānanda o prabhuke darśanera janya pravala utkaṇṭhā— 
ānande sakala loka bale ‘hari hari’
strī-putra-deha-geha sakala pāsari

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari! Hari! Everyone chanted the names of Hari! Hari! in ecstasy, and they forgot their wives, children, bodies, and houses.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.289

anyo'nye sarva loke kare kolāhala
“cala dekhi giyā tāna caraṇa-yugala”

Jayapatākā Swami: People said to each other, “Let us go and see Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.290

eta bali’ sarva-loka parama-ullāse
āgu pāchu guru-loka nāhika sambhāṣe

Jayapatākā Swami: Speaking in this way, everyone went in great joy without even informing their elders. So, there was a great enthusiasm to want to see Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet. Men, women everyone went to see Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet. There were totally overwhelmed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they could not think of anything else. So, hundreds and thousands of people gathered around Vidyā-vācaspati. To cross the river, they climbed into the boats, but the boat drivers they told people don’t overcrowd but they could not stop, and they stood in the boat and the boat sank, and then they jumped in the river and they swam across. Haribol! The Ganges looked black, normally it is saffron color, but with so many heads with black hair that the Ganges looked black.

Haribol! Haribol! Gaur Haribol! Gurumahārāja kī jaya !

Thus ends the chapter entitled, People Eagerly Rush to the House of Vidyā-vācaspati in Vidyānagara to See Lord Caitanya 
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana