Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation
The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 7th August 2021 in Śrīdhāma 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, todays chapter is entitled:
Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 1
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1.227
rāmakeli haite ‘kānāira nāṭaśālā’:—
prāte cali’ āilā prabhu ‘kānāira nāṭaśālā’
dekhila sakala tāhāṅ kṛṣṇa-caritra-līlā
Translation: In the morning, the Lord left and went to a place known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā. While there, He saw many pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Purport: In those days in Bengal there were many places known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā, where pictures of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa were kept. People used to go there to see them. This is called kṛṣṇa-caritra-līlā. In Bengal there are still many places called hari-sabhā, which indicates a place where local people gather to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and discuss the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The word kānāi means “Lord Kṛṣṇa’ ” and nāṭaśālā indicates a place where pastimes are demonstrated. So those places which at the present moment are called hari-sabhā may previously have been known as Kānāi Nāṭaśālā.
Jayapatākā Swami: So, this Kānāi Nāṭaśālā now is a part of ISKCON ISKCON is doing the seva-pūjā and I have been made the mahantā of Kānāi Nāṭaśālā. We installed the deities of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Gaurāṅga, there are the lotus foot-prints of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and the lotus foot print of Lord Caitanya installed by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 228
sanātanera parāmarśamate prabhura vṛndāvana-gamanecchā tyāga:—
sei rātre prabhu tāhāṅ cinte mane mana
saṅge saṅghaṭṭa bhāla nahe, kaila sanātana
Translation: That night the Lord considered Sanātana Gosvāmī’s proposal that He should not go to Vṛndāvana followed by so many people.
Jayapatākā Swami: So, now there are thousands of people who are following Lord Caitanya and if He went to Vṛndāvana, they would probably continue to follow Him. So, He considered that going with so many people would not be appropriate.
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 229
mathurā yāiba āmi eta loka saṅge
kichu sukha nā pāiba, habe rasa-bhaṅge
Translation: The Lord thought, “If I go to Mathurā with such crowds behind Me, it would not be a very happy situation, for the atmosphere would be disturbed.”
Purport: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that visiting a holy place like Vṛndāvana with so many people is simply disturbing. He would not find the happiness He desired by visiting such holy places in that way.
Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya wanted to visit Vṛndāvana remembering the different pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa and to do that with so many people following Him, it would not be very feasible.
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 230
ekākī yāiba, kimvā saṅge eka jana
tabe se śobhaye vṛndāvanere gamana
Translation: The Lord concluded that He would go alone to Vṛndāvana or, at most, would take only one person as His companion. In that way, going to Vṛndāvana would be very pleasant.
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 231
nīlācala-pathe śāntipure āgamana o sātadina abasthāna:—
eta cinti prātaḥ-kāle gaṅgā-snāna kari’
‘nīlācale yāba’ bali’ calilā gaurahari
Translation: Thinking like this, the Lord took His morning bath in the Ganges and started for Nīlācala, saying “I shall go there.”
Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kānāi Nāṭaśālā is just on the side of the Ganges. At present there is the Farrakha Barrage, a kind of bridge or dam and the Ganges is bifurcated and a part of it flows in Bengal pass Māyāpur part of it goes to Bangladesh and the Bangladesh part is known as Padmā and the Ganges part is known as the Bhāgīrathī.
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 232
ei mata cali’ cali’ āilā śāntipure
dina pāṅca-sāta rahilā ācāryera ghare
Translation: Walking and walking, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at Śāntipura and remained at the house of Advaita Ācārya for five to seven days.
Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta is very authoritative in chronology and descriptions, but here Lord Caitanya is going everywhere by foot and when He crossed the river is not detailed here. So, Kānāi Nāṭaśālā is on the western bank of the Ganges and Śāntipura is on the eastern bank, and somewhere Lord Caitanya crossed the river.
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 1. 233
ācārya-gṛhe śacīmātāra prabhusevā:—
śacī-devī āni’ tāṅre kaila namaskāra
sāta dina tāṅra ṭhāñi bhikṣā-vyavahāra
Translation: Taking this opportunity, Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu sent for mother Śacīdevī, and she remained at His house for seven days to prepare the meals for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Jayapatākā Swami: So, may be the previous descriptions of Mother Śacī devi and Śrī Mādhavendra Purī should be placed here. Anyway, Lord Caitanya gave special mercy to Mother Śacī.
Thus ends the chapter entitled, Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 1
Under the Section: The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vṛndāvana
Jayapatākā Swami: So here from Rāmakeli to Kānāi Nāṭaśālā to Śāntipura, Lord Caitanya has travelled. Now when He is in Śāntipura He would be approached by Raghunātha dāsa and we will hear that description starting tomorrow.
Lecture Suggetions
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20210821 Love of Kṛṣna Floods Everyone Except the Māyāvādīs of Kāśī Part 2
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20210820 Love of Kṛṣna Floods Everyone Except the Māyāvādīs of Kāśī Part 1
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20210819 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Meets Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara in Kāśī
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20210818 Why Māyāvādīs are Unable to Utter the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa
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20210817 Loving Service of Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya Pleases Lord Caitanya
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20210816 Wild Animals in Jhārikhaṇḍa Chant Kṛṣṇa and Dance Part 2
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20210815 Wild Animals in Jhārikhaṇḍa Chant Kṛṣṇa and Dance Part 1
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20210814 Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya Accompanies Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Vṛndāvana, as His Personal Servant
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20210814 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.10.21
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20210813 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Explains Why He Could Not Go to Vṛndāvana
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20210812 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Describes the Meeting with Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana at Rāmakeli
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20210811 Phalaśruti - The Result of Hearing About the Lord’s Pastimes During His Return to Bengal After Sannyāsa
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20210810 Lord Caitanya Returns to Nīlācala Without Going to Vṛndāvana
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20210809 Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 3
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20210808 Instructions to Raghunātha Dāsa Who Wishes to Go to Nīlācala Part 2
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20210807 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.10.11-12
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20210806 Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī Decorates the Road Part 3
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20210805 Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī Decorates the Road Part 2
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20210804 Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī Decorates the Road Part 1
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20210803 In Every Town and Village My Name Will be Spread Part 2
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20210802 In Every Town and Village My Name Will be Spread Part 1
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20210801 Bhadra Pūrṇima Special Campaign Inaugural Speech
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20210801 Addressing Japanese Bhakti-śāstri Award Ceremony
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20210801 Initiation of Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika as Rūpa and Sanātana Who Advise Lord Caitanya to Travel to Vṛndāvana Without the Crowd
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20210731 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.10.4
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20210731 Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika Meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Offer Their Prayers Part 2
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20210730 Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika Meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Offer Their Prayers Part 1
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20210729 Fearing the Nawab Hussain Shah Bādasāha, a Messenger is Sent to Lord Caitanya
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20210728 Nawab Hussain Shah Bādasāha Orders That Lord Caitanya Should Be Undistubed to Do as He Likes and the Saṅkīrtana Not be Stopped
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20210727 Nawab Hussain Shah Bādasāha is Wonderstruck Hearing About Lord Caitanya's Beauty, Ecstatsy, Activities and the Followers