20211030 Giving the Gold Coins to the Landlord, Sanātana Gosvāmī Reaches Vārāṇasī Through Hājipura

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 30th, 2021 in Sri Dhama Mayapur, 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:

Giving the Gold Coins to the Landlord, Sanātana Gosvāmī Reaches Vārāṇasī Through Hājipura

Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī in the Science of the Absolute Truth

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 23

sanātanera sandeha o āśaṅkā, īśānera nikaṭa artha-sandhānāvagati

‘ei bhūñā kene more sammāna karila?’
eta cinti’ sanātana īśāne puchila

Translation: As a former minister for the Nawab, Sanātana could certainly understand diplomacy. He therefore thought, “Why is this landlord offering me such respect?” Thinking in this way, he questioned his servant, whose name was Īśāna.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 24

‘tomāra ṭhāñi jāni kichu dravya āchaya’
īśāna kahe,—‘mora ṭhāñi sāta mohara haya’

Translation: Sanātana asked his servant, “Īśāna, I think you have some valuable things with you.”

Purport His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda: Īśāna replied, “Yes, I have seven gold coins.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī thought that there must be some ulterior motive why the landlord was offering him respect, so he asked his servant Īśāna what he had and sure enough he said that he had seven gold coins.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 25

īśānake bhartsanā

śuni’ sanātana tāre karilā bhartsana
‘saṅge kene āniyācha ei kāla-yama?’

Translation: Hearing this, Sanātana Gosvāmī chastised his servant, saying, “Why have you brought this death knell with you?”

Jayapatākā Swami: Having in those days, a gold coin was extremely valuable, one could purchase things with conchshell, little small conchshells and many conchs equals one gold coins. So, carrying gold coins was considered a death knell, someone would kill you and steal your gold coins.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 26

dasyuke arthapradāna o sāhāyya prārthanā

tabe sei sāta mohara hastete kariyā
bhūñāra kāche yāñā kahe mohara dhariyā

Translation: Thereupon, Sanātana Gosvāmī took the seven gold coins in his hands and went to the landlord. Holding the gold coins before him, he spoke as follows.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 27

“ei sāta suvarṇa mohara āchila āmāra
ihā lañā dharma dekhi’ parvata kara pāra

Translation: “I have these seven gold coins with me. Please accept them, and from a religious point of view please get me across that hilly tract of land.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted to cross the hilly tract, he thought better give the gold coins to the landlord and get him across the hill. Otherwise anyway he suspected that they would kill him for the gold coins. Of course, his servant Īśāna lied, but he had eight gold coins but he admitted that he only had seven.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 28

rāja-bandī āmi, gaḍa-dvāra yāite nā pāri
puṇya habe, parvata āmā deha’ pāra kari”

Translation: “I am a prisoner of the government, and I cannot go along the way of the ramparts. It will be very pious of you to take this money and kindly get me across this hilly tract of land.”

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 29

dasyura hatyā-saṅkalpa haite niṣkṛti; artha-grahaṇe asvīkāra o sāhāyyāṅgīkāra

bhūñā hāsi’ kahe,—“āmi jāniyāchi pahile
aṣṭa mohara haya tomāra sevaka-āṅcale

Translation: Smiling, the landlord said, “Before you offered them, I already knew that there were eight gold coins in your servant’s possession.”

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 30

tomā māri’ mohara la-itāma ājikāra rātrye
bhāla haila, kahilā tumi, chuṭilāṅa pāpa haite

Translation: “On this very night I would have killed you and taken your coins. It is very good that you have voluntarily offered them to me. I am now relieved from such a sinful activity.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, he admitted his plan, how he would kill Sanātana Gosvāmī that night and take his gold coins. He also revealed that he knew that his servant had eight gold coins, but he had only revealed that he only had seven.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 31

santuṣṭa ha-ilāṅa āmi, mohara nā la-iba
puṇya lāgi’ parvata tomā’ pāra kari’ diba”

Translation: “I am very satisfied with your behavior. I shall not accept these gold coins, but I shall get you across that hilly tract of land simply to perform a pious activity.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the landlord was going to kill him and take his gold coins, but now he was saying that he will not take the gold coins, that he will just do a pious activity.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 32

gosāñi kahe,—“keha dravya la-ibe āmā māri’
āmāra prāṇa rakṣā kara dravya aṅgīkari’”

Translation: Sanātana Gosvāmī replied, “If you do not accept these coins, someone else will kill me for them. It is better that you save me from the danger by accepting the coins.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Sanātana Gosvāmī was very expert, he understood as a minister what would have to be done.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 33

dasyura sanātanake parvatottaraṇe sāhāyya

tabe bhūñā gosāñira saṅge cāri pāika dila
rātrye rātrye vana-pathe parvata pāra kaila

Translation: After this settlement was made, the landlord gave Sanātana Gosvāmī four watchmen to accompany him. They went through the forest path for the whole night and thus brought him over the hilly tract of land.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī was trying to go by a path that was not via public throughfares, as if he went through the royal road he could be apprehended.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 34

sanātanera īśānake sambala-jijñāsā o deśe preraṇa

tabe pāra hañā gosāñi puchilā īśāne
“jāni,—śeṣa dravya kichu āche tomā sthāne”

Translation: After crossing the hills, Sanātana Gosvāmī told his servant, “Īśāna, I think you still have some balance left from the gold coins.”

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 35

īśāna kahe,—“eka mohara āche avaśeṣa”
gosāñi kahe,—“mohara lañā yāha’ tumi deśa”

Translation: Īśāna replied, “I still have one gold coin in my possession.”

Sanātana Gosvāmī then said, “Take the coin and return to your home.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Īśāna showed that he had some attachment so Sanātana Gosvāmī told that, ‘go home and take the gold coin with him’.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 36

akiñcana niḥsambala sanātanera ekākī gamana:—

tāre vidāya diyā gosāñi calilā ekalā
hāte karoṅyā, chiṅḍā kānthā, nirbhaya ha-ilā

Translation: After departing from Īśāna, Sanātana Gosvāmī began traveling alone with a waterpot in his hand. Simply covered with a torn quilt, he thus lost all his anxiety.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since he had nothing to steal, he had nothing to fear.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 37

hājipure āgamana

cali’ cali’ gosāñi tabe āilā hājipure
sandhyā-kāle vasilā eka udyāna-bhitare

Translation: Walking and walking, Sanātana Gosvāmī finally arrived at a place called Hājipura. That evening he sat down within a garden.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 38

tathāya svasṛpati-rājasevaka śrīkāntasaha sākṣātkāra

sei hājipure rahe—śrīkānta tāra nāma
gosāñira bhaginī-pati, kare rāja-kāma

Translation: In Hājipura there was a gentlemen named Śrīkānta, who happened to be the husband of Sanātana Gosvāmī’s sister. He was engaged there in government service.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 39

tina lakṣa mudrā rājā diyāche tāra sthāne
ghoḍā mūlya lañā pāṭhāya pātsāra sthāne

Translation: Śrīkānta had 300,000 gold coins with him, which had been given to him by the emperor for the purchase of horses. Thus, Śrīkānta was buying horses and dispatching them to the emperor.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 40

sanātana-saha kathopakathana –

ṭuṅgi upara vasi’ sei gosāñire dekhila
rātrye eka-jana-saṅge gosāñi-pāśa āila

Translation: When Śrīkānta was sitting in an elevated place, he could see Sanātana Gosvāmī. That night he took a servant and went to see Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 41

dui-jana mili’ tathā iṣṭa-goṣṭhī kaila
bandhana-mokṣaṇa-kathā gosāñi sakali kahila

Translation: When they met, they had many conversations. Sanātana Gosvāmī told him in detail about his arrest and release.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī confided in his sister’s husband and told him all about his situation.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 42

sanātanake avasthāna-janya śrīkāntera anurodha

teṅho kahe,—“dina-dui raha ei-sthāne
bhadra hao, chāḍa’ ei malina vasane” 

Translation: Śrīkānta then told Sanātana Gosvāmī, “Stay here for at least two days and dress up like a gentleman. Abandon these dirty garments.”

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 43

sanātanera asammati o gaṅgāpāra karite anurodha

gosāñi kahe,—“eka-kṣaṇa ihā nā rahiba
gaṅgā pāra kari’ deha’ e-kṣaṇe caliba”

Translation: Sanātana Gosvāmī replied, “I shall not stay here even for a moment. Please help me cross the Ganges. I shall leave immediately.”

Jayapatākā Swami: He wanted to get far away out of the reach of the emperor, so he asked his brother-in-law to get him across the Ganges. So that he could leave and run away.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 44

sanātanake bhoṭakambala-pradāna o gaṅgāpārakaraṇa :—

yatna kari’ teṅho eka bhoṭa-kambala dila
gaṅgā pāra kari’ dila—gosāñi calila

Translation: With great care, Śrīkānta gave him a woolen blanket and helped him cross the Ganges. Thus Sanātana Gosvāmī departed again.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sanātana Gosvāmī crossed the Ganges and went towards Benares.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20. 45

sanātanera kāśīte āgamana

tabe vārāṇasī gosāñi āilā kata-dine
śuni ānandita ha-ilā prabhura āgamane

Translation: After a few days, Sanātana Gosvāmī arrived at Vārāṇasī. He was very pleased to hear about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s arrival there.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he was extremely to hear that He was there in Vārāṇasī, it was like a special mercy.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Giving the Gold Coins to the Landlord, Sanātana Gosvāmī Reaches Vārāṇasī Through Hājipura 
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī in the Science of the Absolute Truth