20230214 Lord Caitanya as Parmātmā, Śrīkāna conceals Lord Nityānanda’s kicking Śivānanda Sena

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on february 14th,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!

Continuation of the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book,

Knowing Lord Caitanya as Parmātmā,
Śrīkāna conceals Lord Nityānanda’s kicking Śivānanda Sena
Under the section: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s loving dealings with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.25

ānandita hailā śivāi pāda-prahāra pāñā
śīghra vāsā-ghara kailā gauḍa-ghare giyā

Translation: Very pleased at being kicked, Śivānanda Sena quickly arranged for a milkman’s house to be the Lord’s residence.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śivānanda Sena was pleased to be kicked by Lord Nityānanda and he quickly arranged a place for Lord Nityānanda to stay. So, he didn’t take this kicking līlā in any negative way, rather he took it as a special blessing of Lord Nityānanda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.26

nityānandake nirvācita gṛhe ānayanapūrvaka stuti :—

caraṇe dhariyā prabhure vāsāya lañā gelā
vāsā diyā hṛṣṭa hañā kahite lāgilā

Translation: Śivānanda Sena touched the lotus feet of Nityānanda Prabhu and led Him to His residence. After giving the Lord His quarters, Śivānanda Sena, being very pleased, spoke as follows.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.27

nijajana-jñānei sevakera prati prabhura bhatrsanā :—

“āji more bhṛtya kari’ aṅgīkāra kailā
yemana aparādha bhṛtyera, yogya phala dilā

Translation: “Today You have accepted me as Your servant and have properly punished me for my offense.

Jayapatākā Swami: By Lord Nityānanda giving him a punishment He was also accepting Śivānanda Sena as His servitor. One does not punish a stranger or someone who is not considered a servitor. By punishing Śivānanda Sena in one way, He was accepting him as His servitor. So, Śivānanda Sena was very pleased by that special mercy of Lord Nityānanda.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.28

īśvarapradatta śāsti vā duḥkhai pracchanna paramakṛpā o sukha

‘śāsti’-chale kṛpā kara,—e tomāra ‘karuṇā’
trijagate tomāra caritra bujhe kon janā?

Translation: “My dear Lord, Your chastising me is Your causeless mercy. Who within the three worlds can understand Your real character?

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Nityānanda is actually Balarāma according to the ācāryas. So Śivānanda Sena by getting the lotus foot of Lord Nityānanda, felt very blessed.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.29

sākṣāt sarveśvareśvara nityānanda-padadhūli-lābhei puruṣārtha kṛṣṇabhaktilābha :—

brahmāra durlabha tomāra śrī-caraṇa-reṇu
hena caraṇa-sparśa pāila mora adhama tanu

Translation: “The dust of Your lotus feet is not attainable even by Lord Brahmā, yet Your lotus feet have touched my wretched body.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śivānanda Sena is expressing his devotional mood, he had such a blessing that even Lord Brahmā could not attain.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.30

āji mora saphala haila janma, kula, karma
āji pāinu kṛṣṇa-bhakti, artha, kāma, dharma”

Translation: “Today my birth, my family and my activities have all become successful. Today I have achieved the fulfillment of religious principles, economic development, satisfaction of the senses and ultimately devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śivānanda Sena was glorifying Lord Nityānanda’s lotus foot, how by touching that, he achieved all success in life.

So, people may not understand Lord Nityānanda, but we should try to understand Him through His associates like Śivānanda Sena.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.31

sva-stuti-śravaṇe prabhura ānanda :—

śuni’ nityānanda-prabhura ānandita mana
uṭhi’ śivānande kailā prema-āliṅgana

Translation: When Lord Nityānanda heard this, He was very happy. He rose and embraced Śivānanda Sena in great love.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śivānanda Sena he got mercy from Lord Nityānanda in many ways – by his tolerating and rather expressing his joy by being touched by the lotus foot of Lord Nityānanda.

That shows his appreciation of the transcendental form of Lord Nityānanda. Therefore, Lord Nityānanda embraced him in great love and so, he was getting more mercy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.32

ānandita śivānanda kare samādhāna
ācāryādi-vaiṣṇavere dilā vāsā-sthāna

Translation: Being very much pleased by Nityānanda Prabhu’s behavior, Śivānanda Sena began to arrange residential quarters for all the Vaiṣṇavas, headed by Advaita Ācārya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas were walking 500 kilometers from Bengal to Jagannātha Purī, and on the way, they had to stop many times. Śivānanda Sena was arranging for a place to stay for all the Vaiṣṇavas. He was doing this Vaiṣṇava sevā and we can see his great sevā mood.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.33

nityānandera (gurura) krodhābhāsai pracchanna parama-kṛpā o nityakalyāṇasūcaka :—

nityānanda-prabhura saba caritra—‘viparīta’
kruddha hañā lāthi māri’ kare tāra hita

Translation: One of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s characteristics is His contradictory nature. When He becomes angry and kicks someone, it is actually for his benefit.

Translation: One of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s characteristics is His contradictory nature. When He becomes angry and kicks someone, it is actually for his benefit.

Jayapatākā Swami: Because Lord Nityānanda is completely spiritual, if He kicks someone, it’s actually a blessing, and the fact that Śivānanda Sena accepted that in a very positive mood, he got another blessing from Lord Nityānanda by receiving Lord Nityānanda’s embrace.

So, people may not understand the contradictory pastimes of Lord Nityānanda but His devotees found it very pleasing.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.34

śrīkānta-senera vṛttānta-varṇana :—

śivānandera bhāginā,—śrīkānta-sena nāma
māmāra agocare kahe kari’ abhimāna

Translation: Śivānanda Sena’s nephew, Śrīkānta, the son of his sister, felt offended, and he commented on the matter when his uncle was absent.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīkānta Sena, he didn’t understand Lord Nityānanda and therefore, he spoke offensively later on, when his uncle was not present. Understanding Lord Nityānanda is not easy, unless one sees His activities with eyes anointed with bhakti.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.35

mātulera nityānanda-padāghāta-darśane viṣanna haiyā ekākī purīte giyā prabhudarśana :—

“caitanyera pāriṣada mora mātulera khyāti
‘ṭhākurālī’ karena gosāñi, tāṅre māre lāthi”

Translation: “My uncle is well known as one of the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but Lord Nityānanda Prabhu asserts His superiority by kicking him.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, while Śivānanda Sena took this whole episode as a blessing, his nephew was puffed up and offensive.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.36

eta bali’ śrīkānta, bālaka āge cali’ yāna
saṅga chāḍi’ āge gelā mahāprabhura sthāna

Translation: After saying this, Śrīkānta, who was only a boy, left the group and traveled on alone to the residence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.37

śrīkāntake govindakarttṛka bhagavad-vigraha-viṣaye maryādā-vidhira upadeśa :—

peṭāṅgi-gāya kare daṇḍavat-namaskāra
govinda kahe,—‘śrīkānta, āge peṭāṅgi utāra’

Translation: When Śrīkānta offered obeisances to the Lord, he was still wearing his shirt and coat. Therefore Govinda told him, “My dear Śrīkānta, first take off these garments.”

Purport: One is forbidden to enter the Deity room or offer anything to the Deity while wearing a shirt or coat. In the tantras it is said:

“Anyone who offers respects and obeisances to the Deity while wearing garments on the upper portion of his body is condemned to be a leper for seven births.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīkānta Sena being only a boy, he was ignorant of even the most ordinary prohibitions, what to speak of higher principles

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.38

antaryāmī prabhura śrīkāntera manobhāva-jñāpana :—

prabhu kahe,—“śrīkānta āsiyāche pāñā mano-duḥkha
kichu nā baliha, karuka, yāte ihāra sukha”

Translation: As Govinda was warning Śrīkānta, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Don’t bother him. Let Śrīkānta do whatever he likes, for he has come here in a distressed state of mind.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīkānta Sena’s every thought was understood by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya as the Supersoul is present in everyone’s body, and is an expansion of Lord Caitanya. So, Lord Caitanya can understand what is on everyone’s mind.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.39

prabhura gauḍīya-bhaktagaṇera saṁvāda-jijñāsā o uttara

vaiṣṇavera samācāra gosāñi puchilā
eke eke sabāra nāma śrīkānta jānāilā

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired from Śrīkānta about all the Vaiṣṇavas, and the boy informed the Lord about them, naming them one after another.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.40

‘duḥkha pāñā āsiyāche’—ei prabhura vākya śuni’
jānilā ‘sarvajña prabhu’—eta anumāni’

Translation: When Śrīkānta Sena heard the Lord say “He is distressed,” he could understand that the Lord is omniscient.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although he hadn’t said anything,the Lord automatically knew that Śrīkānta was distressed.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 12.41

svīya manobhāva-jñātā prabhuke antaryāmi-jñāne padāghāta-saṁvāda-gopana :—

śivānande lāthi mārilā,—ihā nā kahilā
ethā saba vaiṣṇava-gaṇa āsiyā mililā

Translation: As he described the Vaiṣṇavas, therefore, he did not mention Lord Nityānanda’s kicking Śivānanda Sena. Meanwhile, all the devotees arrived and went to meet the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when he knew that Lord Caitanya was omniscient, he didn’t mention anything about Lord Nityānanda kicking his uncle, Śivānanda Sena. Then all the devotees, they arrived.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Knowing Lord Caitanya as Parmātmā, Śrīkāna conceals Lord Nityānanda’s kicking Śivānanda Sena
Under the section: Jagadānanda Paṇḍita’s loving dealings with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

So, Śivānanda Sena took the kicking of Nityānanda Prabhu as a special mercy. Knowing that Lord Nityānanda was non-different from Lord Caitanya, and then he expressed his pleasure by getting the mercy of the Lord when the Lord embraced him.

So, he was not negatively affected at all, but his nephew didn’t have the same vision. But when he understood that Lord Caitanya was omniscient, he concealed what had happened.

Jay!