20230124 Reaching Kamalapura, The Devotees See the Flag on Top of Lord Jagannātha’s Temple, Part 1

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 24th,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:

Reaching Kamalapura, The Devotees See the Flag on Top of Lord Jagannātha’s Temple, Part 1
Under the section: Śrī Advaita Ācārya and other devotees’ arrival in Nīlācala

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.1

maṅgalācaraṇa—

jaya jaya mahāprabhu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya
jaya jaya nityānanda tribhuvana-dhanya

Jayapatākā Swami: All glories to Mahāprabhu Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu, who made the three worlds glorious!

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.2

bhakta-goṣṭhī-sahita gaurāṅga jaya jaya
śunile caitanya-kathā bhakti-labhya haya

Jayapatākā Swami: All glories to Śrī Gaurāṅga and His devotees! Just by hearing the glories of Lord Caitanya one attains devotional service.

The Pañca tattva is glorified in various ways throughout the books of Lord Caitanya's pastimes. Siddha Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī who has made the pañca-tattva mantra pointing out different versions into one version which could be easily sung,

śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī advaita gadādhara śrīvāsa ādī gaura bhakta vṛnda

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.3

nīlācale vaiṣṇavagaṇera āgamana —.

ebe śuna vaiṣṇava-sabāra āgamana
ācārya-gosāñi ādi yata bhakta-gaṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: Please hear now about the arrival of all the Vaiṣṇavas headed by Advaita Ācārya and all the devotees.

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.4

ratha-yātrā-darśanārtha nīlācale bhaktagoṣṭhīra vijaya; granthakāra-kartṛka bhaktagaṇera paricaya —

śrī-ratha-yātrāra āsi’ haila samaya
nīlācale bhakta-goṣṭhī haila vijaya

Jayapatākā Swami: When it was the time for the Śrī Ratha-yātrā in Nīlācala, all the assembled devotees they came.

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.5

īśvara-ājñāya prati vatsare vatsare
sabe āisena ratha-yātrā dekhibāre

Jayapatākā Swami: By the instruction of Lord Caitanya, the devotees would come year after year to attend the Ratha-yātrā festival.

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.6

ācārya-gosāñī agre kari’ bhakta-gaṇa
sabe nīlācala-prati karilā gamana

Jayapatākā Swami: Keeping Advaita Ācārya in front, the devotees traveled to Nīlācala.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.9-11

purī-yātrī-gauḍīya-bhaktagaṇaḥ -

vāsudeva-datta, murāri-gupta, gaṅgādāsa
śrīmān-sena, śrīmān-paṇḍita, akiñcana kṛṣṇadāsa

murāri, garuḍa-paṇḍita, buddhimanta-khāṅna
sañjaya-puruṣottama, paṇḍita-bhagavān

śuklāmbara, nṛsiṁhānanda āra yata jana
sabāi calilā, nāma nā yāya likhana

Jayapatākā Swami: Vāsudeva Datta, Murāri Gupta, Gaṅgādāsa, Śrīmān Sena, Śrīmān Paṇḍita, Akiñcana Kṛṣṇadāsa, Murāri, Garuḍa Paṇḍita, Buddhimanta Khān, Sañjaya Puruṣottama, Bhagavān Paṇḍita, Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī, Nṛsiṁhānanda Brahmacārī and many others joined together to go to Jagannātha Purī. It would be impossible to mention the names of them all.

So, the devotees from Bengal eagerly came to Jagannātha Purī known as Nīlācala, in order to see Lord Caitanya and participate in the Ratha-yātrā.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 10.12

kulīnagrāma, khaṇḍa o kumārahaṭṭa (kāñcanapallī) haite bhaktagaṇera yātrāḥ—

kulīna-grāmī, khaṇḍa-vāsī mililā āsiyā
śivānanda-sena calilā sabāre lañā

Jayapatākā Swami: The inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma and Khaṇḍa also came and joined. Śivānanda Sena took the leadership and thus started taking care of them all.

The Khaṇḍa vāsis, the Khaṇḍa is a holy place near to Katwa and Kulina-grāma is an another place where many devotees stayed.

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.7

calilena ṭhākura-paṇḍita śrīnivāsa
yāṅhāra mandire haila caitanya-vilāsa

Jayapatākā Swami: Also came Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura Paṇḍita, in whose house Lord Caitanya performed His pastimes.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupāda): See Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Twenty-five.

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.8

calila ācāryaratna śrī-candraśekhara
devī-bhāve yāṅra gṛhe nācilāīśvara

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Candraśekhara Ācārya, who is also known as Ācāryaratna, the jewel of Ācārya, he also came, in whose house, in the mood of Devī the Lord had danced.

In the earlier chapter of Caitanya-bhāgavata, Lord Caitanya and His different associates performed different drama in the house of Ācāryaratna, and there Lord Caitanya took the part of a lady, He was so expert as an actor that even His mother could not recognize Him.

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.9

calilena hariṣe paṇḍita-gaṅgādāsa
yāṅhāra smaraṇe haya karma-bandha-nāśa

Jayapatākā Swami: Happily, came Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita came. Simply by remembering him, one’s fruitive bondage is destroyed.

Caitanya Bhāgavata. Antya-khaṇḍa 8.10

puṇḍarīka-vidyānidhi calilā ānande
uccaiḥ-svare yāṅre smari’ gauracandra kānde

Jayapatākā Swami: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi also joyfully came. Taking his name loudly and remembering him, Lord Gauracandra would cry in ecstasy.

Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi is from Chittagong district of Bangladesh, he is known to be the incarnation of Rādhārāṇī’s father.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Reaching Kamalapura, the Devotees See the Flag on Top of Jagannātha’s Temple, Part 1
Under the section: Śrī Advaita Ācārya and other devotees’ arrival in Nīlācala

Haribol!