In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives the following summary of the Third Chapter. After accepting the sannyāsa order at Katwa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu traveled continuously for three days in Rāḍha-deśa and, by the trick of Nityānanda Prabhu, eventually came to the western side of Śāntipura. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was induced to believe that the river Ganges was the Yamunā. When He was worshiping the sacred river, Advaita Prabhu arrived in a boat. Advaita Prabhu asked Him to take His bath in the Ganges and took Him to His (Advaita's) house. There all the Navadvīpa devotees, along with mother Śacīdevī, came to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This house was located at Śāntipura. Mother Śacīdevī cooked for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, and at that time there were many joking exchanges between Advaita Prabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu. In the evening there was a mass saṅkīrtana at the house of Advaita Prabhu, and mother Śacīdevī gave Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu permission to leave. She requested Him to make Jagannātha Purī, Nīlācala, His headquarters. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu granted His mother's request and, followed by Nityānanda, Mukunda, Jagadānanda and Dāmodara, left Śāntipura. Bidding farewell to mother Śacīdevī, they all proceeded toward Jagannātha Purī, following the path of Chatrabhoga.
Advaita Acarya (CC Madhya-lila)
Expressions researched:
"Advaita Acarya"
|"Advaita Prabhu"
|"Advaitacandra"
|"Advaitacarya"
|"Nityananda and Advaita"
|"Nityananda, Advaita"
|"Sri Advaita"
|"sri-advaita"
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
All glories unto Lord Nityānanda and Advaita Prabhu, and all glories unto all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura!
The first year after Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the renounced order of life, all the devotees, headed by Śrī Advaita Prabhu, went to see the Lord at Jagannātha Purī.
After three days, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to the house of Advaita Ācārya at Śāntipura and accepted alms there. This was His first acceptance of alms. At night He performed congregational chanting there.
It appears that in His transcendental ecstasy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu forgot to eat for three continuous days. He was then misled by Nityānanda Prabhu, who said that the river Ganges was the Yamunā. Because the Lord was in the ecstasy of going to Vṛndāvana, He was engladdened to see the Yamunā, although in actuality the river was the Ganges. In this way the Lord was brought to the house of Advaita Prabhu at Śāntipura after three days, and He accepted food there. As long as the Lord remained there, He saw His mother, Śacīdevī, and every night executed congregational chanting with all the devotees.
At the house of Advaita Prabhu, He met His mother as well as all the devotees from Māyāpura. He adjusted everything and then went to Jagannātha Purī.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew very well that His acceptance of sannyāsa was a thunderbolt for His mother. He therefore called for His mother and the devotees from Māyāpura, and by the arrangement of Śrī Advaita Ācārya, He met them for the last time after His acceptance of sannyāsa. His mother was overwhelmed with grief when she saw that He was clean-shaven. There was no longer any beautiful hair on His head. Mother Śacī was pacified by all the devotees, and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked her to cook for Him because He was very hungry, not having taken anything for three days. His mother immediately agreed, and forgetting everything else, she cooked for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu during all the days she was at the house of Śrī Advaita Prabhu. Then, after a few days, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested His mother's permission to go to Jagannātha Purī. At His mother's request, He made Jagannātha Purī His headquarters after His acceptance of sannyāsa. Thus everything was adjusted, and with His mother's permission Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu proceeded toward Jagannātha Purī.
At the end of the year, all the devotees from Bengal, headed by Advaita Ācārya, again came to see the Lord. Indeed, there was a great rush of devotees to Jagannātha Purī.
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.
Other devotees of the Lord—headed by Advaita Ācārya, Nityānanda Prabhu, Mukunda, Śrīvāsa, Vidyānidhi, Vāsudeva and Murāri—used to visit Jagannātha Purī and remain with the Lord for four continuous months. The Lord enjoyed various pastimes in their company.
Being pleased, the Lord sent Sanātana Gosvāmī back to Vṛndāvana. After that, He was fed wonderfully by the hands of Śrī Advaita Ācārya.
All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord!
According to the paramparā system, I wish to take the dust from the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, and all the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu like Svarūpa Dāmodara, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. I wish to take the dust of their lotus feet upon my head. In this way I wish to be blessed with their mercy.
All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Nityānanda! All glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, headed by Śrīvāsa!
As the Lord proceeded along the bank of the Ganges, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu requested Ācāryaratna (Candraśekhara Ācārya) to go immediately to the house of Advaita Ācārya.
Śrī Nityānanda Gosvāmī told him, “I shall take Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to the bank of the Ganges at Śāntipura, and Advaita Ācārya should carefully stay there on shore with a boat.
"After that," Nityānanda Prabhu continued, "I shall go to Advaita Ācārya's house, and you should go to Navadvīpa and return with mother Śacī and all the other devotees."
After sending Ācāryaratna to the house of Advaita Ācārya, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu went before Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and gave notice of His coming.
While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was standing there without a second garment, Śrī Advaita Ācārya arrived in a boat, bringing with Him new underwear and external garments.
When Advaita Ācārya arrived, He stood before the Lord and offered His obeisances. After seeing Him, the Lord began to wonder about the entire situation.
Still in His ecstasy, the Lord asked Advaita Ācārya, "Why did You come here? How did You know that I was in Vṛndāvana?"
Advaita Ācārya disclosed the whole situation, telling Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Wherever You are, that is Vṛndāvana. Now it is My great fortune that You have come to the bank of the Ganges."
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accused Nityānanda of cheating Him, Śrīla Advaita Ācārya said, "Whatever Nityānanda Prabhu has told You is not false. You have indeed just now taken Your bath in the river Yamunā."
Advaita Ācārya then explained that at that spot the Ganges and Yamunā flow together. On the western side was the Yamunā, and on the eastern side was the Ganges.
Advaita Ācārya then suggested that since Caitanya Mahāprabhu had taken His bath in the river Yamunā and His underwear was now wet, the Lord should change His underwear for dry garments.
Advaita Ācārya said, "You have been fasting continuously for three days in Your ecstasy of love for Kṛṣṇa. I therefore invite You to My home, where You may kindly take Your alms. Come with Me to My residence."
Advaita Prabhu continued, "At My home I have just cooked one palmful of rice. The vegetables are always very simple. There is no luxurious cooking—simply a little liquid vegetable and spinach."
Saying this, Śrī Advaita Ācārya took the Lord into the boat and brought the Lord to His residence. There Advaita Ācārya washed the feet of the Lord and was consequently very happy within.
All the eatables were first cooked by the wife of Advaita Ācārya. Then Śrīla Advaita Ācārya personally offered everything to Lord Viṣṇu.
This is the ideal householder's life. The husband and wife live together, and the husband works very hard to secure paraphernalia for worshiping Lord Viṣṇu. The wife at home cooks a variety of foods for Lord Viṣṇu, and the husband offers it to the Deity. After that, ārati is performed, and the prasādam is distributed amongst family members and guests. According to the Vedic principles, there must always be a guest in a householder's house. In my childhood I have actually seen my father receive not less than four guests every day, and in those days my father's income was not very great. Nonetheless, there was no difficulty in offering prasādam to at least four guests every day. According to Vedic principles, a householder, before taking lunch, should go outside and shout very loudly to see if there is anyone without food. In this way he invites people to take prasādam. If someone comes, the householder offers him prasādam, and if there is not much left, he should offer his own portion to the guest. If no one responds to his call, the householder can accept his own lunch. Thus the householder's life is also a kind of austerity. Because of this, the householder's life is called the gṛhastha-āśrama. Although a person may live with his wife and children happily in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he also observes the regulative principles followed in any temple. If there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the householder's abode is called a gṛha-medhī’s house. Householders in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually gṛhasthas—that is, those living in the āśrama with their families and children. Śrī Advaita Prabhu was an ideal gṛhastha, and His house was the ideal gṛhastha-āśrama.
It is the system, after offering food, to perform bhoga-ārati. Advaita Prabhu asked the two brothers, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, to come see the ārati. The two Lords and all others present went to see the ārati ceremony.
After ārati was performed for the Deities in the temple, Lord Kṛṣṇa was made to lie down to rest. Advaita Ācārya then came out to submit something to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Śrī Advaita Prabhu said, "My dear Lords, kindly enter this room." The two brothers, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, then came forward to take the prasādam.
Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, "I am the most sinful and lowest among men. Later I shall eat one palmful of prasādam while waiting outside."
Although the Hindus and Muslims lived together in a very friendly manner, still there were distinctions between them. The Muslims were considered yavanas, or low-born, and whenever a Muslim was invited, he would be fed outside of the house. Although personally called by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu to take prasādam with Them, still, out of great humility, Haridāsa Ṭhākura submitted, "I shall take the prasādam outside of the house." Although Haridāsa Ṭhākura was an exalted Vaiṣṇava accepted by Advaita Ācārya, Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, nonetheless, in order not to disturb social tranquillity, he humbly kept himself in the position of a Muslim, outside the jurisdiction of the Hindu community. Therefore he proposed to take prasādam outside the house. Although he was in an exalted position and equal to other great Vaiṣṇavas, he considered himself a pāpiṣṭha, a most sinful man, and adhama, the lowest among men. Although a Vaiṣṇava may be very advanced spiritually, he keeps himself externally humble and submissive.
Advaita Ācārya took Lord Nityānanda Prabhu and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu within the room, and the two Lords saw the arrangement of the prasādam. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was especially very pleased.
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu entered the room, He saw three divisions of food, and He knew that all of these were meant for Kṛṣṇa. However, He did not understand the intentions of Advaita Ācārya.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that one of these servings was offered in a metal dish and was meant for Kṛṣṇa, whereas the other two were placed on big banana leaves. The offering on the metal plate was personally offered by Advaita Ācārya to Kṛṣṇa. The other two servings, on banana leaves, were to be accepted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Nityānanda. That was Advaita Ācārya's intention, but He did not disclose this to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the food offered in three places, He thought that all of it was meant for Kṛṣṇa.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Let Us sit down in these three places, and We shall take prasādam."
However, Advaita Ācārya said, "I shall distribute the prasādam."
Advaita Ācārya said, "Just sit down here on these seats." Catching Their hands, He sat Them both down.
There are many nice things offered to Kṛṣṇa—garlands, bedsteads, nice ornaments, nice food and even nicely prepared pan, betel nuts-but a humble Vaiṣṇava, thinking his body material and nasty, does not accept such preparations for himself. He thinks that by accepting such things he will offend the lotus feet of the Lord. Those who are sahajiyās cannot understand what Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu meant when He asked Advaita Ācārya to bring two separate leaves and give a small quantity of the prasādam to Him.
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not accept the food that had already been served, Advaita Ācārya said, "Please give up Your concealment. I know what You are, and I know the confidential meaning of Your accepting the sannyāsa order."
Advaita Ācārya thus requested Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to eat and give up juggling words. The Lord replied, "I certainly cannot eat so much food."
Advaita Ācārya then requested the Lord to simply accept the prasādam without pretense. If He could not eat it all, the balance could be left on the plate.
In this connection Advaita Ācārya referred to Caitanya Mahāprabhu's eating at Jagannātha Purī. Lord Jagannātha and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are identical. Advaita Ācārya pointed out that at Jagannātha Purī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate fifty-four times a day, and each time He ate many hundreds of pots of food.
Śrī Advaita Ācārya said, "The amount of food that three people can eat does not constitute even a morsel for You. In proportion to that, these edibles are not even five morsels of food for You."
Advaita Ācārya continued, "By My great fortune You have just come to My home. Please do not juggle words. Just begin eating and do not talk."
Upon saying this, Advaita Ācārya supplied water to the two Lords so that They could wash Their hands. The two Lords then sat down and, smiling, began to eat the prasādam.
Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was thinking that the quantity of food was enormous, Nityānanda Prabhu, on the contrary, thought it not even a morsel. He had been fasting for three days and had greatly hoped to break fast on that day. Indeed, He said, "Although I am invited to eat by Advaita Ācārya, today also is a fast. So small a quantity of food will not fill even half My belly."
Advaita Ācārya replied, “Sir, You are a mendicant traveling on pilgrimage. Sometimes You eat fruits and roots, and sometimes You simply go on fasting.
His Divine Grace Advaita Ācārya, after hearing the statement of Nityānanda Prabhu, took the opportunity presented by the joking words and spoke to Him as follows.
Advaita Ācārya said, "You are a reject paramahaṁsa, and You have accepted the renounced order of life just to fill up Your belly. I can understand that Your business is to give trouble to brāhmaṇas."
There is always a difference of opinion between a smārta-brāhmaṇa and a Vaiṣṇava gosvāmī. There are even smārta opinions and Vaiṣṇava gosvāmī opinions available in astrological and astronomical calculations. By calling Nityānanda Prabhu a bhraṣṭa avadhūta (a rejected paramahaṁsa), Advaita Ācārya Prabhu in a sense accepted Nityānanda Prabhu as a paramahaṁsa. In other words, Nityānanda Prabhu had nothing to do with the rules governing smārta-brāhmaṇas. Thus under pretense of condemning Him, Advaita Ācārya was actually praising Him. In the avadhūta stage, the paramahaṁsa stage, which is the supermost stage, one may appear to be viṣayī, on the platform of sense gratification, but in actuality he has nothing to do with sense gratification. At that stage, a person sometimes accepts the symbols and dress of a sannyāsī and sometimes does not. Sometimes he dresses like a householder. We should know, however, that these are all joking words between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu. They are not to be taken as insults.
Advaita Ācārya accused Nityānanda Prabhu, saying, “You can eat ten to twenty mānas of rice. I am a poor brāhmaṇa. How shall I get so much rice?
In this way, Nityānanda Prabhu and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate and talked with Advaita Ācārya jokingly. After eating half of each vegetable preparation given to Him, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu abandoned it and went on to the next.
As soon as half of the vegetable in the pot was finished, Advaita Ācārya filled it up again. In this way, as the Lord finished half of a preparation, Advaita Ācārya again and again filled it up.
After filling a pot with vegetables, Advaita Ācārya requested Them to eat more, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "How much more can I go on eating?"
Advaita Ācārya said, "Please do not give up whatever I have already given You. Now, whatever I am giving, You may eat half and leave half."
In this way, by submitting various humble requests, Advaita Ācārya made Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Nityānanda eat. Thus Caitanya Mahāprabhu fulfilled all the desires of Advaita Ācārya.
When two or four pieces of the thrown rice touched His body, Advaita Ācārya began to dance in various ways with the rice still stuck to His body.
When the rice thrown by Nityānanda Prabhu touched His body, Advaita Ācārya thought Himself purified by the touch of remnants thrown by Paramahaṁsa Nityānanda. Therefore He began dancing.
The word avadhūta refers to one above all rules and regulations. Sometimes, not observing all the rules and regulations of a sannyāsī, Nityānanda Prabhu exhibited the behavior of a mad avadhūta. He threw the remnants of food on the ground, and some of these remnants touched the body of Advaita Ācārya. Advaita Ācārya accepted this happily because He presented Himself as a member of the community of smārta-brāhmaṇas. By touching the remnants of food thrown by Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Ācārya immediately felt Himself purified of all smārta contamination. The remnants of food left by a pure Vaiṣṇava are called mahā-mahā-prasādam. This is completely spiritual and is identified with Lord Viṣṇu. Such remnants are not ordinary. The spiritual master is to be considered on the stage of paramahaṁsa and beyond the jurisdiction of the varṇāśrama institution. The remnants of food left by the spiritual master and similar paramahaṁsas, or pure Vaiṣṇavas, are purifying. When an ordinary person touches such prasādam, his mind is purified, and his mind is raised to the status of a pure brāhmaṇa. The behavior and statements of Advaita Ācārya are meant for the understanding of ordinary people who are unaware of the strength of spiritual values, not knowing the potency of food left by the bona fide spiritual master and pure Vaiṣṇavas.
Advaita Ācārya jokingly said, “My dear Nityānanda, I invited You, and indeed I have received the results. You have no fixed caste or dynasty. By nature You are a madman.
The words sahaje pāgala ("by nature a madman") indicate that Nityānanda Prabhu was transcendentally situated on the paramahaṁsa stage. Because He always remembered Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Their service, this was transcendental madness. Śrī Advaita Ācārya was pointing out this fact.
"To make Me a madman like Yourself, You have thrown the remnants of Your food at Me. You did not even fear the fact that I am a brāhmaṇa."
The words āpanāra sama indicate that Advaita Ācārya considered Himself to belong to the smārta-brāhmaṇas, and He considered Nityānanda Prabhu to be on the transcendental stage with pure Vaiṣṇavas. Lord Nityānanda gave Advaita Ācārya His remnants to situate Him on the same platform and make Him a pure unalloyed Vaiṣṇava or paramahaṁsa. Advaita Ācārya's statement indicates that a paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava is transcendentally situated. A pure Vaiṣṇava is not subject to the rules and regulations of the smārta-brāhmaṇas. That was the reason for Advaita Ācārya's stating, āpanāra sama more karibāra tare: "to raise Me to Your own standard." A pure Vaiṣṇava, or a person on the paramahaṁsa stage, accepts the remnants of food (mahā-prasādam) as spiritual. He does not consider it to be material or sense gratificatory. He accepts mahā-prasādam not as ordinary dhal and rice but as spiritual substance. To say nothing of the remnants of food left by a pure Vaiṣṇava, prasādam is never polluted even if it is touched by the mouth of a caṇḍāla. Indeed, it retains its spiritual value. Therefore by eating or touching such mahā-prasādam, a brāhmaṇa is not degraded. There is no question of being polluted by touching the remnants of such food. Actually, by eating such mahā-prasādam, one is freed from all the contaminations of the material condition. That is the verdict of the śāstra.
Advaita Ācārya replied, "I shall never again invite another sannyāsī, for it is a sannyāsī who has spoiled all My brahminical smṛti regulations."
After this, Advaita Ācārya made the Lords wash Their hands and mouths. He then took Them to a nice bed and made Them lie down to take rest.
Śrī Advaita Ācārya fed the two Lords cloves and cardamom mixed with tulasī flowers. Thus there was a good flavor within Their mouths.
Śrī Advaita Ācārya then smeared the bodies of the Lords with sandalwood pulp and then placed very fragrant flower garlands on Their chests.
When the Lord lay down on the bed, Advaita Ācārya waited to massage His legs, but the Lord was very hesitant and spoke as follows to Advaita Ācārya.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Advaita Ācārya, You have made Me dance in various ways. Now give up this practice. Go with Mukunda and Haridāsa and accept Your lunch."
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is here telling Advaita Ācārya that it is not befitting for a sannyāsī to accept nice beds to lie on or to chew cloves and cardamom and have his body smeared with sandalwood pulp. Nor is it befitting for him to accept fragrant garlands and have his legs massaged by a pure Vaiṣṇava. "You have already made Me dance according to Your vow," Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. "Now please stop it. You can go and take Your lunch with Mukunda and Haridāsa."
Thereupon Advaita Ācārya took prasādam with Mukunda and Haridāsa, and they all wholeheartedly ate as much as they desired.
As soon as it was evening, Advaita Ācārya began the congregational chanting. He even began to dance Himself, and the Lord saw the performance.
When Advaita Ācārya began to dance, Nityānanda Prabhu began dancing behind Him. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, being very pleased, also began dancing behind Him.
Advaita Ācārya said, ""My dear friends, what shall I say? Today I have received the highest transcendental pleasure. After many, many days, Lord Kṛṣṇa is in My house.""
This is a song composed by Vidyāpati. Sometimes the word mādhava is misunderstood to refer to Mādhavendra Purī. Advaita Ācārya was a disciple of Mādhavendra Purī, and consequently some people think that He was referring to Mādhavendra Purī by using the word mādhava. But actually this is not the fact. This song was composed to commemorate the separation of Kṛṣṇa from Rādhārāṇī during Kṛṣṇa's absence in Mathurā. It is thought that this song was sung by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī when Kṛṣṇa returned. It is technically called Mathurā-viraha.
Advaita Ācārya led the saṅkīrtana party, and with great pleasure He sang this verse. There was a manifestation of ecstatic perspiration, shivering, raised hairs, tears in the eyes and sometimes thundering and bellowing.
While dancing, Advaita Ācārya would sometimes turn around and around and catch the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Advaita Ācārya would then speak to Him as follows.
Śrī Advaita Ācārya would say, "Many days You escaped Me by bluffing. Now I have You in My home, and I will keep You bound up."
So speaking, Advaita Ācārya performed congregational chanting with great pleasure for three hours that night and danced all the time.
When Advaita Ācārya danced in that way, Lord Caitanya felt ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa, and because of His separation, the waves and flames of love increased.
Being agitated by the ecstasy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu suddenly fell to the ground. Seeing this, Advaita Ācārya stopped dancing.
Advaita Ācārya raised the body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to help Him dance, but the Lord, after hearing the stanzas sung by Mukunda, could not be held due to His bodily symptoms.
Mukunda sang, “"My dear intimate friend! What has not happened to Me! Due to the effects of the poison of love for Kṛṣṇa, My body and mind have been severely afflicted.
When Mukunda saw that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was feeling ecstatic pain and manifesting ecstatic bodily symptoms, all due to feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa, he sang songs about Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī"s meeting with Kṛṣṇa. Advaita Ācārya also stopped dancing.
Lord Nityānanda began to walk with Caitanya Mahāprabhu to see that He would not fall, and Advaita Ācārya and Haridāsa Ṭhākura followed Them, dancing.
Although the Lord was fatigued, Nityānanda Prabhu kept Him steady by holding Him. At that time Advaita Ācārya suspended the chanting and, by rendering various services to the Lord, made Him lie down to take rest.
For ten continuous days Advaita Ācārya held feasting and chanting in the evening. He served the Lord in this way without any change.
In the morning, after regular duties were completed and the Lord was chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the people accompanied Śacīmātā to the house of Advaita Ācārya.
Then Advaita Ācārya took mother Śacī within the house. The Lord was immediately ready to meet all the devotees.
Everyone was chanting the holy names of Hari and dancing. In this way the domicile of Advaita Ācārya was converted into Śrī Vaikuṇṭha Purī.
To everyone who came to see the Lord from villages nearby, especially from Navadvīpa, Advaita Ācārya gave residential quarters, as well as all kinds of eatables, for many days. Indeed, He properly adjusted everything.
The supplies of Advaita Ācārya were inexhaustible and indestructible. As many goods and commodities as He used, just as many again appeared.
From the day Śacīmātā arrived at the house of Advaita Ācārya, she took charge of the cooking, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu dined in the company of all the devotees.
All the people who came there during the day saw Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the friendly behavior of Advaita Ācārya. At night they had the opportunity to see the Lord's dancing and hear His chanting.
Since Advaita Ācārya was giving alms and food to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the other devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, also desired to give Him alms and invite Him for lunch.
It is the duty of all gṛhasthas to invite a sannyāsī to their homes if he happens to be in the neighborhood or village. This very system is still current in India. If a sannyāsī is in the neighborhood of a village, he is invited by all householders, one after another. As long as a sannyāsī remains in the village, he enlightens the inhabitants in spiritual understanding. In other words, a sannyāsī has no housing or food problems even when he travels extensively. Even though Advaita Ācārya was supplying Caitanya Mahāprabhu with prasādam, the other devotees from Navadvīpa and Śāntipura also desired to offer Him prasādam.
Mother Śacī appealed to all the devotees to give her this charity: As long as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained at the house of Advaita Ācārya, only she would supply Him food.
After hearing Lord Caitanya's statement, all the devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, approached mother Śacī.
After that, Advaita Ācārya respectfully requested Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to show Him mercy by remaining another two or four days.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu never violated the request of Advaita Ācārya; therefore He remained at His home and did not leave immediately for Jagannātha Purī.
Lord Caitanya's decision was received very happily by Advaita Ācārya, mother Śacī and all the devotees. Advaita Ācārya celebrated every day with a great festival.
During the day the devotees discussed subject matters concerning Kṛṣṇa, and at night there was a great festival of congregational chanting at the house of Advaita Ācārya.
In this way all the opulences of Advaita Ācārya—His faith, devotion, home, riches and everything else—were successfully utilized in the worship of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Advaita Ācārya set an ideal example for all householder devotees in His reception of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees and in His execution of a daily festival at His home. If one has the proper means and wealth, he should occasionally invite the devotees of Lord Caitanya who are engaged in preaching all over the world and hold a festival at home simply by distributing prasādam and talking about Kṛṣṇa during the day and holding congregational chanting for at least three hours in the evening. This procedure must be adopted in all centers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Thus they will daily perform saṅkīrtana-yajña. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 11.5.32) the daily performance of saṅkīrtana-yajña is recommended for this age (yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ). One should worship Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His four associates, the Pañca-tattva, by distributing prasādam and holding congregational chanting. Indeed, that, yajña or sacrifice, is most recommended in this Age of Kali. In this age, other yajñas are not possible to perform, but this yajña can be performed everywhere and anywhere without difficulty.
In this way, at Advaita Ācārya's house all the devotees met and passed some days together in a greatly festive mood.
Śrī Advaita Ācārya sent four persons—Nityānanda Gosāñi, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, Dāmodara Paṇḍita and Mukunda Datta—to accompany the Lord. After pacifying His mother, Śacīmātā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu submitted prayers to her lotus feet.
When everything was arranged, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu circumambulated His mother and then started for Jagannātha Purī. In the house of Advaita Ācārya there arose tumultuous crying.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was unaffected. He left swiftly, and Advaita Ācārya followed Him, weeping.
As Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains, the word nirapekṣa means not being affected by anything material and remaining fixed in the service of the Lord. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not very much care for the roaring tumult and cry at the house of Advaita Ācārya, which He heard when starting for Jagannātha Purī. Worldly moralists may criticize Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for being very cruel, but the Lord did not care for such criticism. As the world teacher of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, He actually showed that a person seriously engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not be affected by worldly affection. The best course is to engage in rendering service to the Lord and to become callous to material objectives. Externally everyone is attached to material things, but if one becomes entangled in such things, he cannot make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not care for the so-called morality of the material world if that morality opposes the service of the Lord. As Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has personally shown, one cannot properly execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness without being neutral.
After He had followed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for some distance, Advaita Ācārya was petitioned by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with folded hands. The Lord spoke the following sweet words.
Saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Advaita Ācārya and stopped Him from following any further. Then, without anxiety, He proceeded to Jagannātha Purī.
If one hears the activities of the Lord at the house of Advaita Ācārya, he will certainly very soon attain the riches of love of Kṛṣṇa.
All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!
When Mādhavendra Purī arrived at the house of Advaita Ācārya in Śāntipura, the Ācārya became very pleased upon seeing the ecstatic love of Godhead manifest in Mādhavendra Purī.
Advaita Ācārya begged to be initiated by Mādhavendra Purī. After initiating Him, Mādhavendra Purī started for South India.
In this connection, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments that Advaita Ācārya took initiation from Mādhavendra Purī, who was a sannyāsī in the disciplic succession of the Madhva-sampradāya. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
- kibā vipra kibā nyāsī śūdra kene naya,
- yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei "guru" haya
"A person may be a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī, a śūdra or whatever, but if he is well conversant in the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become a guru." (CC Madhya 8.128) This statement is supported by Śrī Mādhavendra Purī. According to the pañcarātra injunction, only a householder brāhmaṇa can initiate. Others cannot.
All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Śrī Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Ācārya! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!
All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Ācārya! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!
“After accepting the sannyāsa order, I decided to go to Vṛndāvana, but You took Me instead to the house of Advaita Prabhu.
All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaita Ācārya! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
In the Padma Purāṇa it is said:
- na śūdrā bhagavad-bhaktās te ’pi bhāgavatottamāḥ
- sarva-varṇeṣu te śūdrā ye na bhaktā janārdane
One who is actually advanced in spiritual knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is never a śūdra, even though he may have been born in a śūdra family. However, even if a vipra, or brāhmaṇa, is very expert in the six brahminical activities (paṭhana, pāṭhana, yajana, yājana, dāna, pratigraha) and is also well versed in the Vedic hymns, he cannot become a spiritual master unless he is a Vaiṣṇava. But if one is born in the family of caṇḍālas yet is well versed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can become a guru. These are the śāstric injunctions, and strictly following these injunctions, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as a gṛhastha named Śrī Viśvambhara, was initiated by a sannyāsī-guru named Īśvara Purī. Similarly, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu was initiated by Mādhavendra Purī, a sannyāsī. According to others, however, He was initiated by Lakṣmīpati Tīrtha. Advaita Ācārya, although a gṛhastha, was initiated by Mādhavendra Purī, and Śrī Rasikānanda, although born in a brāhmaṇa family, was initiated by Śrī Śyāmānanda Prabhu, who was not born in a caste brāhmaṇa family. There are many instances in which a born brāhmaṇa took initiation from a person who was not born in a brāhmaṇa family.
He who has accepted as everything the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu can attain this transcendental treasure.
All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Śrī Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
All glories to Lord Caitanya! All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!
When Kāśī Miśra heard the proposal, he said, "I am very fortunate that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord of all prabhus, will stay at my home."
In this verse the word prabhupāda, referring to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is significant. Regarding this, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda comments, "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and all His servants address Him as Prabhupāda. This means that there are many prabhus taking shelter under His lotus feet." The pure Vaiṣṇava is addressed as prabhu, and this address is an etiquette observed between Vaiṣṇavas. When many prabhus remain under the shelter of the lotus feet of another prabhu, the address Prabhupāda is given. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu are also addressed as Prabhupāda. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Advaita Prabhu and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu are all viṣṇu-tattva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. Therefore all living entities are under Their lotus feet. Lord Viṣṇu is the eternal Lord of everyone, and the representative of Lord Viṣṇu is the Lord's confidential servant. Such a person acts as the spiritual master for neophyte Vaiṣṇavas; therefore the spiritual master is as respectable as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya or Lord Viṣṇu Himself. For this reason the spiritual master is addressed as Oṁ Viṣṇupāda or Prabhupāda. The ācārya, the spiritual master, is generally respected by others as Śrīpāda, and the initiated Vaiṣṇavas are addressed as Prabhu. Prabhu, Prabhupāda and Viṣṇupāda are described in revealed scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Caitanya-bhāgavata. In this regard, these scriptures present evidence accepted by unalloyed devotees.
“After hearing news of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's arrival, devotees like Advaita and Śrīvāsa will certainly come to see Him.
“Mother Śacī and all the devotees headed by Advaita Prabhu are all very unhappy due to not receiving news about Your return from Your South Indian tour.
Hearing of Lord Caitanya's return to Purī, everyone became very glad. Kṛṣṇadāsa next went to the house of Advaita Ācārya.
After paying Him respectful obeisances, Kṛṣṇadāsa offered mahā-prasādam to Advaita Ācārya. He then informed Him of the news of Lord Caitanya in complete detail.
When Advaita Ācārya Gosvāmī heard of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's return, He became very pleased. In His great ecstasy of love, He made a rumbling sound and danced and chanted for a long time.
Everyone was very pleased, and they all gathered together at the house of Advaita Ācārya.
All the devotees offered respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of Advaita Ācārya, and in return Advaita Ācārya embraced them all.
Advaita Ācārya then held a festival that lasted two or three days. Thereafter, they all made a firm decision to go to Jagannātha Purī.
The inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma—Satyarāja, Rāmānanda and all the other devotees there—came and joined Advaita Ācārya.
Mukunda, Narahari, Raghunandana and all the others came from Khaṇḍa to Advaita Ācārya's home to accompany Him to Jagannātha Purī.
Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara was very dear to Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu, and he was the life and soul of all the devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.
While Advaita Ācārya and the other devotees were coming to Jagannātha Purī, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Govinda, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's two personal assistants, went to receive all the devotees with garlands. From the roof of his palace, King Pratāparudra could see all the devotees arriving. Gopīnātha Ācārya stood on the roof with the King, and, following Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's instructions, identified each and every devotee.
All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Śrī Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
At the beginning, Svarūpa Dāmodara came forward and garlanded Advaita Ācārya. Govinda next came and offered a second garland to Advaita Ācārya.
When Govinda offered his obeisances by falling down flat before Advaita Ācārya, Advaita Ācārya asked Svarūpa Dāmodara about his identity, for He did not know Govinda at that time.
Gopīnātha Ācārya replied, “His name is Advaita Ācārya. He is honored even by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He is therefore the topmost devotee.
First Advaita Ācārya offered prayers to the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord immediately embraced Him in ecstatic love.
Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Advaita Ācārya displayed agitation due to ecstatic love. Seeing the time and circumstance, however, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained patient.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu addressed Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, saying sweetly, "My dear Sir, today I have become perfect because of Your arrival."
Advaita Ācārya Prabhu replied, "This is a natural characteristic of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although He is personally complete and full in all opulences, He takes transcendental pleasure in the association of His devotees, with whom He has a variety of eternal pastimes."
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His residence after taking a bath in the sea, all the devotees, headed by Advaita Prabhu, went to bathe in the sea.
After bathing in the sea, Advaita Prabhu and all the other devotees returned, and on their return they saw the top of the Jagannātha temple. They then went to the residence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take their luncheon.
In one group Nityānanda Prabhu began to dance, and in another group Advaita Ācārya began to dance.
After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed the Guṇḍicā temple before the Ratha-yātrā took place. He then took His bath at Indradyumna Lake and partook of prasādam in the garden nearby. While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu washed the temple of Guṇḍicā, a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava washed the lotus feet of the Lord and drank the water. This incident is very significant, for it awoke within the devotee ecstatic love. Then the son of Advaita Prabhu named Gopāla fainted during kīrtana, and when he did not come to his senses, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu favored him by awakening him. There was also some humorous talk between Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu during prasādam. Advaita Prabhu said that Nityānanda Prabhu was unknown to anyone and that it was not the duty of a householder brāhmaṇa to accept dinner with a person unknown in society. In answer to this humorous statement, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu replied that Advaita Ācārya was a monist and that one could not know how his mind could be turned by eating with such an impersonalist. The conversation of these two prabhus-Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu-carried a deep meaning that only an intelligent man can understand.
All glories to Gauracandra! All glories to Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
Some of the prominent devotees like Advaita Ācārya used to invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take His meals at their homes. The Lord accepted such invitations accompanied by His devotees.
With the exception of Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Ācārya, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Brahmānanda Bhāratī and Paramānanda Purī, everyone was engaged in filling the waterpots and bringing them there.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then ordered Śrī Gopāla, the son of Advaita Ācārya, to dance.
When Śrī Gopāla fainted, Advaita Ācārya hastily took him upon His lap. Seeing that he was not breathing, He became very much agitated.
Advaita Ācārya and others began to chant the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha and sprinkle water. The roaring of the chant was so great that it seemed to shake the entire universe.
When the boy did not regain consciousness after some time, Advaita Ācārya and the other devotees began to cry.
Among the devotees present with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were Paramānanda Purī, Brahmānanda Bhāratī, Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu.
Śrī Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu sat side by side, and when prasādam was being distributed They engaged in a type of mock fighting.
First Advaita Ācārya said, “I am sitting in line with an unknown mendicant, and because I am eating with Him, I do not know what kind of destination is awaiting Me.
Nityānanda Prabhu immediately refuted Śrīla Advaita Ācārya, saying, “You are a teacher of impersonal monism, and the monistic conclusion is a great hindrance to progressive, pure devotional service.
"One who participates in Your impersonal monistic philosophy does not accept anything but the one Brahman."
The impersonal monist does not believe that God is the only object of worship and that the living entities are His eternal servants. According to the monists, God and the devotee may be separate in the material state, but when they are spiritually situated, there is no difference between them. This is called advaita-siddhānta, the conclusion of the monists. Monists consider devotional service of the Lord to be material activity; therefore they consider such devotional activities to be the same as karma, or fruitive activity. This monistic mistake is a great stumbling block on the road to devotional service.
Actually this discussion between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda was a mock fight to serve as a great instruction for all devotees. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu wanted to point out that Advaita Ācārya, a pure devotee, did not agree with the monistic conclusion. The conclusion of devotional service is:
- vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
- brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān." (SB 1.2.11)
Absolute knowledge consists of Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. This conclusion is not the same as that of the monists. Śrīla Advaita Ācārya was given the title of ācārya because He spread the bhakti cult, not the philosophy of monism. The true conclusion of advaita-siddhānta, expressed at the very beginning of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC Adi 1.3), is not the same as the philosophy of the monists. Here advaita-siddhānta means advaya-jñāna, or oneness in variety. Actually Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu was praising Śrīla Advaita Ācārya through friendly mock fighting. He was giving the Vaiṣṇava conclusion in terms of the Bhāgavatam's conclusive words, vadanti tat tattva-vidaḥ. This is also the conclusion of a mantra in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, ekam evādvitīyam.
A devotee knows that there is oneness in diversity. The mantras of the śāstras do not support the monistic conclusions of the impersonalists, nor does Vaiṣṇava philosophy accept impersonalism without variety. Brahman is the greatest, He who includes everything, and that is oneness. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.7), mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: there is no one superior to Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is the original substance because every category emanates from Him. Thus He is simultaneously one with and different from all other categories. The Lord is always engaged in a variety of spiritual activities, but the monist cannot understand spiritual variety. The conclusion is that although the powerful and the power are one and the same, within the energy of the powerful there are varieties. In those varieties there is a distinction between the different parts of one's personal self, between types of the same category, and between types of different categories. In other words, there is always variety in the categories, which are understood as knowledge, the knower and the knowable. Due to the eternal existence of knowledge, the knower and the knowable, devotees everywhere know about the eternal existence of the form, name, qualities, pastimes and entourage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devotees never agree with the monists' preaching of oneness. Unless one adheres to the conceptions of the knower, the knowable and knowledge, there is no possibility of understanding spiritual variety, nor can one taste the transcendental bliss of spiritual variety.
The philosophy of monism is an adjustment of the Buddhist philosophy of voidism. In a mock fight with Śrī Advaita Ācārya, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu was refuting this type of monistic philosophy. Vaiṣṇavas certainly accept Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the ultimate "one," and that which is without Kṛṣṇa is called māyā, or that which has no existence. External māyā is exhibited in two phases—jīva-māyā, the living entities, and guṇa-māyā, the material world. In the material world there is prakṛti (material nature) and pradhāna (the ingredients of material nature). However, for one who becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the distinction between material and spiritual varieties does not exist. An advanced devotee like Prahlāda Mahārāja sees everything as one—Kṛṣṇa. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 7.4.37), kṛṣṇa-graha-gṛhītātmā na veda jagad īdṛśam. One who is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not distinguish between things material and spiritual; he takes everything to be related to Kṛṣṇa and therefore spiritual. By advaya-jñāna-darśana, Śrīla Advaita Ācārya has glorified pure devotional service. Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu herein sarcastically condemns the philosophy of the impersonal monists and praises the correct nondual philosophy of Śrī Advaita Prabhu.
Thereafter, calling all the Vaiṣṇavas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed mahā-prasādam as if sprinkling nectar. At that time the mock fight between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu became more and more delicious.
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went toward the temple, Paramānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī walked in front of Him, and at His two sides walked Svarūpa Dāmodara and Advaita Ācārya.
All glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Prabhu Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His prominent devotees—Advaita Ācārya, Nityānanda Prabhu and others—were very happy to observe how Lord Jagannātha began the Ratha-yātrā.
Similarly, when Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu felt the touch of the transcendental hand of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, They were very pleased.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Ācārya, Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Vakreśvara Paṇḍita to dance in each of the four respective parties.
Advaita Ācārya Prabhu was ordered to dance in the first group. The Lord then formed another group with Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura as the chief man.
In the first group, Dāmodara Svarūpa was appointed chief singer, and the responding singers were Dāmodara Paṇḍita, Nārāyaṇa, Govinda Datta, Rāghava Paṇḍita and Govindānanda. Śrī Advaita Ācārya was appointed as a dancer. The next group was formed, and the chief singer was Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.
There was another party that came from Śāntipura and was formed by Advaita Ācārya. Acyutānanda was the dancer, and the rest of the men were singers.
Advaita Ācārya would walk behind the Lord and loudly chant "Haribol! Haribol!" again and again.
All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Gauracandra! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Ācārya, who is so exalted!
For nine days, nine chief devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, got an opportunity to invite the Lord to their homes.
By chanting and dancing, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu induced Advaita Ācārya to dance. Sometimes He induced Nityānanda Prabhu, Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Acyutānanda to dance.
The first sporting took place between Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu, who threw water upon each other. Advaita Ācārya was defeated, and He later began to rebuke Nityānanda Prabhu, calling Him ill names.
After Gopīnātha Ācārya finished talking, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and, calling for Advaita Ācārya, made Him act like the Śeṣa Nāga bed.
Lying down on Advaita Prabhu, who was floating on the water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu demonstrated the pastime of Śeṣaśāyī Viṣṇu.
Manifesting His personal potency, Advaita Ācārya floated about on the water, carrying Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Paramānanda Purī, Brahmānanda Bhāratī and all the other chief devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took lunch at the invitation of Advaita Ācārya.
The following summary of this chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. After the Ratha-yātrā festival, Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu worshiped Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with flowers and tulasī. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in return, worshiped Advaita Ācārya with the flowers and tulasī that remained on the offered plate and said a mantra, yo ‘si so ‘si namo ‘stu te ("Whatever You are, You are—but I offer My respects unto You"). Then Advaita Ācārya Prabhu invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for prasādam. When Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees performed the Nandotsava ceremony, the Lord dressed Himself as a cowherd boy. Thus the ceremony was very jubilant.
All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!
Sitting in His room, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would chant on His beads, and Advaita Prabhu would come there to worship the Lord.
While worshiping Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Advaita Ācārya would offer Him scented water to wash His mouth and feet. Then Advaita Ācārya would smear very fragrant sandalwood pulp all over His body.
Śrī Advaita Prabhu would also place a flower garland around the Lord's neck and tulasī flowers (mañjarīs) on His head. Then, with folded hands, Advaita Ācārya would offer obeisances and prayers unto the Lord.
After being worshiped by Advaita Ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would take the dish containing flowers and tulasī and, with whatever paraphernalia remained, worship Advaita Ācārya.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would worship Advaita Ācārya by chanting the mantra "Whatever You are, You are-but I offer My respects unto You." In addition, the Lord would make some sounds within His mouth that would make Advaita Ācārya laugh.
In this way Advaita Ācārya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would offer Their respectful obeisances unto each other. Then Advaita Ācārya would extend an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again and again.
Indeed, Śrī Advaita Ācārya's invitation is another wonderful story. It has been very vividly described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura.
At this time Śrīla Advaita Ācārya said, "Please do not be angry. I speak the truth. I shall know that You are a cowherd boy only if You can wheel this rod about."
Accepting Advaita Ācārya's challenge, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took a big rod and began to wheel it around and around. Again and again He threw the rod into the sky and caught it when it fell.
This valuable cloth was wrapped around the head of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The other devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, also had cloths wrapped about their heads.
With great respect, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested Advaita Ācārya, "Give Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotion to Kṛṣṇa, even to the lowest of men (caṇḍālas)."
This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order to all His devotees. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotion to Kṛṣṇa, is open to everyone, even low-class men like caṇḍālas. One should follow this order in the disciplic succession stemming from Śrī Advaita and Nityānanda Prabhu and distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness without discrimination throughout the world.
All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord!
All the Bengali devotees gathered around Advaita Ācārya, and in great jubilation the Ācārya departed for Jagannātha Purī to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
That year all the devotees' wives (ṭhākurāṇīs) also went to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sītādevī, the mother of Acyutānanda, went with Advaita Ācārya.
When they all arrived at Remuṇā, they went to see Lord Gopīnātha. In the temple there, Advaita Ācārya danced and chanted.
This same narration was again related by Lord Nityānanda to all the devotees, and their transcendental bliss increased as they heard the story again.
The words mahāprabhura mukhe, "from the mouth of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu," are significant because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first heard the story of Mādhavendra Purī from His spiritual master, Śrīpāda Īśvara Purī. (See Madhya-līlā, Chapter Four, verse 18.) (CC Madhya 4.18) After staying at Śrī Advaita's house in Śāntipura for some time, the Lord narrated the story of Mādhavendra Purī to Nityānanda Prabhu, Jagadānanda Prabhu, Dāmodara Paṇḍita and Mukunda dāsa. When they went to Remuṇā, to the temple of Gopīnātha, He described Mādhavendra Purī’s installation of the Gopāla Deity as well as Gopīnātha's stealing condensed milk. Due to this incident, Lord Gopīnātha became well known as Kṣīracorā, the thief who stole condensed milk.
Govinda offered the two garlands to Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu, and They both became very happy.
Indeed, They began chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa on that very spot, and in this way, dancing and dancing, Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu reached Jagannātha Purī.
Advaita Ācārya then extended an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and there was a great rainstorm connected with that incident.
All these episodes have been elaborately described by Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. Then one day Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura extended an invitation to the Lord.
The Caitanya-bhāgavata (Antya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Nine) gives the following description. One day Śrīla Advaita Ācārya, having extended an invitation to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, thought that if the Lord came alone He would feed Him to His great satisfaction. It then so happened that when the other sannyāsīs were going to Advaita Ācārya's to take lunch, there was a big rainstorm, and they could not reach His house. Thus, according to Advaita Ācārya's desires, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came alone and accepted the prasādam.
Then Śrīla Advaita Ācārya said something to Caitanya Mahāprabhu through gestures and read some poetic passages, which no one understood.
Seeing the face of Advaita Ācārya, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled. Understanding that the Lord had accepted the proposal, Advaita Ācārya started to dance.
No one knew what Advaita Ācārya requested or what the Lord ordered. After embracing the Ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bade Him farewell.
People are often astonished to see many thousands of Westerners converted to Vaiṣṇavism. Generally Westerners are addicted to meat-eating, drinking, gambling and illicit sex; therefore their taking up Kṛṣṇa consciousness is astonishing. In India, especially, there is much astonishment at this. The answer, however, is given here: darśana-smaraṇe yāṅra jagat tārila. This change is made possible simply by the remembrance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Western devotees are very sincerely chanting the holy names of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates, people are being purified and their consciousness directed from māyā to Kṛṣṇa.
Leaving the house of Vāsudeva Datta, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the house of Advaita Ācārya. From there He went to the western side of Navadvīpa, to Vidyānagara, and stayed at the house of Vidyā-vācaspati. These accounts are given in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Caitanya-maṅgala, Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka and Caitanya-carita-kāvya.
In the Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka, the following statement is given about Kuliyā. Tataḥ kumārahaṭṭe śrīvāsa-paṇḍita-vāṭyām abhyāyayau: "From there the Lord went to the house of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita in Kumārahaṭṭa"; tato ’dvaita-vāṭīm abhyetya haridāsenābhivanditas tathaiva taraṇī-vartmanā navadvīpasya pāre kuliyā-nāma-grāme mādhava-dāsa-vāṭyām uttīrṇavān. evaṁ sapta-dināni tatra sthitvā punas taṭa-vartmanā eva calitavān: "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."
After leaving Kuliyā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the house of Advaita Ācārya at Śāntipura. It was there that the Lord's mother, Śacīmātā, met Him and was thus relieved of her great unhappiness.
Raghunātha dāsa's father, Govardhana, always rendered much service to Advaita Ācārya. Consequently Advaita Ācārya was very pleased with the family.
When Raghunātha dāsa was there, Advaita Ācārya favored him by giving him the food remnants left by the Lord. Raghunātha dāsa was thus engaged for five or seven days in rendering service to the Lord's lotus feet.
Meanwhile, at Śāntipura, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu assembled all His devotees—headed by Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu—embraced them all and asked their permission to return to Jagannātha Purī.
All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord!
Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not manifest His natural ecstatic love, everyone became a pure devotee simply by seeing and hearing Him.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as mahā-vadānya-avatāra, the most munificent incarnation. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not physically present now, simply by chanting His holy name (śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda) people throughout the world are becoming devotees. This is due to the ecstatic chanting of the holy name of the Lord. It is said that a pure devotee can see the Lord at every moment, and because of this he is empowered by the Lord.
All glories to Lord Gauracandra! All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura!
“Why would Kṛṣṇa appear in the Age of Kali? Foolish people who are mistaken are simply causing agitation and making a tumult.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's first statement (kṛṣṇa kene daraśana dibe kali-kāle) refers to the scriptures. According to scripture, Kṛṣṇa appears in Dvāpara-yuga, but He never appears as Himself in Kali-yuga. Rather, He appears in Kali-yuga in a covered form. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 11.5.32), kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Kṛṣṇa appears in the Age of Kali in the garb of a devotee, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who always associates with His internal soldiers—Śrī Advaita Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrīvāsa Prabhu and Gadādhara Prabhu. Although Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya was personally serving Lord Kṛṣṇa in His role as a devotee (Caitanya Mahāprabhu), he mistook Lord Kṛṣṇa for an ordinary man and an ordinary man for Lord Kṛṣṇa because he did not follow the rules set down by śāstra and guru.
All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord!
The conclusion of these instructions can be known to one whose life and soul are the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu.
I have already described Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's deliverance of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs in the Seventh Chapter of the Ādi-līlā, when I described the glories of the Pañca-tattva—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu and Śrīvāsa.
In the Third Chapter (CC Madhya 3) I have described the Lord's acceptance of the renounced order and how He enjoyed His pastimes at the house of Advaita Ācārya.
In conclusion, I submit to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu and all the other devotees and readers that I accept your lotus feet as the helmet on my head. In this way, all my purposes will be served.
| Page Title: | Advaita Acarya (CC Madhya-lila) |
| Compiler: | Sahadeva, Matea |
| Created: | 19 of Oct, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=207, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 207 |