Lord Caitanya takes Sannyas

[Vijayakamala jps]

Lord Caitanya takes Sannyas

By Shyamagopika dd on Thu, 2010-01-14 17:06.

This is the transcription of HH Radhanatha Swami’s lecture during Mayapur Yatra 2009 on Lord Caitanya accepting the order of Sanyas. My sincere gratitude to all of the assembled devotees. Lord Caitanya told Lord Nityananda on the day when the sun will begin its movement in the northern direction I will leave Navadvip to accept Sanyas. Near Katwa in the village of Indrani is the ashrama of keshava Bharati Maharaj. I want you to confidentially tell just five of my associates Chandrasekar ,Mukunda andYourself  should meet me in Kantaka Nagar. He Shared His desire to Lord Nityananda prabhu, He completely covered from the minds and the hearts of all the devotees the reality that He was going to leave Navadvip by engaging them in blissful Hari Nama sankirtan. We have recently heard how Lord Caitanya shared His mind, expressed very strongly His desire to His devotees. For the sake of most fallen people who are committing offences against Me, who are committing offences against Vaishnavas, and for those people who living in distant places I must become a Sanyasi.  It was a sacrifice of compassion. And we have heard how they all reacted. Their hearts were broken. It would have been impossible for the Lord to leave unless He hid that truth from their minds. 

 

KRSNA’S SEPERATION AND LORD CAITANYA’S SEPERATION COMPARED

The Vrajavasis, they had some warning that Akrura was going to take Krishna and Balaram out of Vraj Bhumi to Mathura. But of course it was only one nights warning. And He was supposed to return the next day or just in a few days. He was not taking any vows to be away from His family. But the thought of his leaving was so utterly devastating. The Gopas were stunned. Weeping, crying. Yasoda mayi and Nanda. While Nanda was going with Him. But Yasada mayi was so much worried. What if He does not return? It was the first time in Krishna life since the first day He appeared, that He would not be fed my mother Yashoda. The first time that she would not be putting Him to bed at night and singing beautiful songs for Him.  It was impossible. And as far as Gopis, they were crying all night and laying their bodies in front of the wheels of the chariot of Akrura.  Krishna had to somehow or the other try pacify them otherwise it would be impossible to leave.
Please understand. The devotees of Navadwip were the same Gopas and Gopis. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Radha and Krishna. The same love is there. It was not just going to be the wrestling match with a promise of coming back within a few days. Lord Chaitanya was going to take sanyasa, which means leaving his family forever.  Which means leaving residence in Navadvip forever. How could he have left? He had to do it. He had to perform such blissful incredibly love wrenching kirtanas And he himself was so especially ecstatic in those kirtanas.

LAST DAY OF LORD CAITANYA IN NAVADWIP

Throughout the day. When the devotees saw his happiness and chanted the holy names of the Lord with Him, that happiness completely covered up every other thought. Although somewhere deep down they knew Mahaprabhu may be leaving us he caught them in the net of ecstasy and everyone was happier than they had ever been. Then came the day of makar sankranti in the month of magha or January, when the sun enters into the direction of north, it’s a special holiday. On that morning Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had blissful kirtana with His associates. Then He went on His last walk through the town of Navadwip. Seeing all those places that He performed His pastimes from His very appearance in this world, remembering all of His devotees, and seeing the magnificent holy of all holy places, where sweet loving exchanges took places. He was seeing them for the last time in His life. Then He wandered in His beautiful  silken clothes, His most enchanting hair, tied in a top knot, decorated with malati flowers, fragrant garlands around His chest, very beautiful ornaments, He came to the bank of Ganga. His favorite bathing ghats. He sat and looked into the current of Ganga devi.

Some of our acharyas explain how He looked into the stream and was remembering the blissful pastimes He had in the Ganga with His friends as a child. How in that same area, how he delivered Jagai and Madhai, how He met Keshav Kashmiri and curbed his great pride and the loving exchanges He had with His devotees, everyday, 3 times a day bathing in the Ganga with them.  Now He was seeing that Ghat for the last time. Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu returned to his home and then He performed a supernatural; feat like an incredible spiritual magnet, without saying a word to anyone, He attracted all of His devotees to come to spend time with him on that evening. His devotees, His friends they were coming by the hundreds and each one of them was spontaneously inspired to bring Him a fragrant beautiful garland and each one of them came with sandalwood paste to anoint His limbs and other gifts. When they came into Lord Caitanya’s house, they saw Him sitting there smiling gazing so mercifully, so lovingly upon them, would it be the last time He ever sees them? They offered their obeisances, bowed down, prostrated and each of them personally would offer a garland to Sri Caitanya and Lord Gaursundar would take that garland off and place it on His devotee. The devotee would then put the chandan on the body of the Lord and Lord would take that same chandan and from the devotee and cover his body with it. Then Lord Gauranga would embrace that devotee, very tightly.
And the ladies, they were little distance but through His gaze, He was also delivering them garlands, everyone was completely happy. His smile, particularly on that day His smile, pierced so deeply into their hearts and brought them such immense joy. The Lord wanted the last feeling of connection with Him to remain forever engraved within the core of their Hearts.

[Vijayakamala jps]

LORD CAITANYA’S LAST MESSAGE
Then Lord Caitanya spoke to them. As far as Navadwip Chandra, the son of Saci, the husband of Vishnupriya, the most beloved resident of Nawadwip, this was His last message to His devotees. With a blissful smile, He said to all “Please always chant Krishna’s names, always sing about Krishna’s pastimes, and Krishna’s qualities, constantly think of Krishna, whenever you speak try to always speak of Krishna, chant Krishna’s names and glories nothing else. If you want to show your love for Me then please sing about Krishna, no one else, whether your are walking, or sitting, or sleeping, or awake or eating your meals, whether it is morning or the afternoon or the evening or the night, always remember Krishna, never forget Krishna”. As He was speaking these, so simple but powerful words, they were going so deeply into the heart of the devotees and although there were hundreds of devotees assembled, they all gazed at Lord Caitanya as if they had, as if everybody had only one eye, they were immersed, and the Lord mystically gazed very affectionately upon each and every one of them. There was an experience of happiness that had no limits. And then Lord Caitanya ended His message, “Now please go back home.” Now, externally that meant, “Go back home!”. But really, this was His message, “Go back home, BACK TO GODHEAD.” – our eternal home! This material world is a foreign land. It’s a very strange and a difficult place for an eternal soul. The only place that we can eternally feel the comfort, the protection, the affection and the joy of home is when we return to Krishna. Lord Caitanya gave this message to all His devotees throughout all His career as a Vaisnava, as a preacher in Navadwip, “Krishna is your mother, Krishna is your father, Krishna is your real wealth, Krishna is your life, Krishna is your soul. Please remember Krishna. Chant His holy names.” This is Lord’s instruction to all of us – “Please go back home!” Krishna is within our hearts. Vrindavana is wherever Krishna is, within our hearts. By simply following these instructions in the mood of the servant of the servant of the servant, to hear about Krishna, to chant about Krishna, to talk about Krishna, to remember Krishna is the means by which we could find our eternal home within our own hearts.
When the devotees left Saci’s house, they were over-flooding with happiness. As they were going back to their residence, they were all crying out, “Hari! Haribol!” Just remembering those beautiful lotus like eyes of Gauranga Mahaprabhu gazing upon them, remembering that lovely smile that was brighter than a million suns smiling upon them, shining upon them. By this time it was quite late at night.

LORD CAITANYA MEETS KOLEVECHA SHRIDHAR
Kulaveccha Sridhar came into the house of the Lord. He brought a pumpkin, one that grew from the thatched roof of his hut. And he presented it with all humility and love to his Lord. Lord Caitanya was so pleased to see Kulaveccha Sridhar. And how pleased and grateful He was to receive that pumpkin! It was already late at night. The lord had already taken dinner that Saci mata made. And wanted to make Saci mata happy, the last day. What made her more happy than anything is when He ate her cooking, so, he ate a lot. And she spontaneously cooked a lot. But here comes a simple little pumpkin grown from the thatched roof of a hut, offered by His devotee. The Lord began to think very deeply, “He has come in the middle of the night with the pumpkin. How can I not eat it? I am leaving tomorrow morning. I have to eat this pumpkin. How could I not accept it? It’s the love of My devotee. This devotee Sridhar, ever since I have been a small child, I have been stealing things from him.” And He remembered the beautiful pastimes over the years with Sridhar.
Little Nimai, when He was even a student, he would go to Simantadwip, where Sridhar, he would just sit on the side of a dusty road, and all he could sell was some materials that come from a few banana trees. He would sell banana leaf plates, just banana leaves, you have to make it a plate yourself. And sometimes he would have some bananas, or some banana flowers, or sometimes, he would sell the skin of the banana tree. And little Nimai would come and say, this time nobody knew He was the Supreme Lord, Krishna. He would say, “Sridhar, how much is this banana?” – little boy! Sridhar was so honest. He was as honest as Maharaj Yudhister. The way he did business, no one can understand. He would stretch through the limits through his intelligence to make as little profit as possible from his customers, so that he could just somehow or other survive. So obviously he had the best price for bananas in Navadvip. He would say his price Nimai would say, “too much! I will give you half!” This means half of practically nothing. He would say, “its a fair price”. “No you are cheating Me I will give you half.” Sridhar would say, “if you don’t like my price then go somewhere else.” Lord would say, “I know who’s a good supplier and I won’t give one up and you are a good supplier.
And then He would say, Sridhar why do you worship Krishna? What is Krishna doing for you? All night you are chanting Hare Krishna”, and materialistic people they were so upset with Sridhar because he was poor. They would say, “he was so poor, look at him. He is so skinny”, because he has nothing they would throw some vegetable at him, with no respect what so ever. Disgraceful! They would just throw a vegetable at him and say, “just eat this to your stomach full and shut up!” How would you like to be treated like that by your neighbours? But Sridhar just didn’t care. He would just smile and say, “Thank you! Thank you”, and carry on chanting the holy names. He loved every one. He was forgiving to everyone; why? because he was beyond the material world. He wasn’t caught up in the dualities of honour & dishonour, pleasure & pain, wealth & poverty and these things. He was tasting the nectar of the holy names. Why?
tåëäd api sunécena    taror api sahiñëunä
amäninä mänadena kértanéyaù sadä hariù
becaue he was humble like a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree and so forgiving to people who thought him to be a useless disturbance, good for nothing. He offered them all respect and expected none in return. He was wealthy.
Lord Caitanya said to him, “what is Krishna doing to you? Look at your clothes, they are old and there are so many holes in it. You are tying knots to close the holes and your body is so thin, due to lack of food and your house is just a hatched straw hut and you have no furniture, nothing inside. And Sridhar smiled and said, “I have everything.” I have watched the world how it works, the king has his luxious clothes and his beautiful home and the bird has just one set of feathers, and lives in a nest of grass.  And as far as pleasure and pain, it’s more or less the same for both the king and the bird.” He was happy from within. Bhagavad Gita tells what is real intelligence. Not having B.A., M.A., PhD., not all of this stuff. What is real intelligence? Not being street smart or being able to somehow or the other get your way. Real intelligence is to be illumined within, to find your joy from within, by realizing your eternal identity as a spirit soul and by acting according to the natural propensity of the soul to serve Krishna with Love. This was Sridhar. Lord Caitanya would say, “someday Sridhar, you are cheating all the people and you are appearing to be a very poor man, but actually you have great treasures of wealth hidden from all of us. In this way you are cheating us.” Sridhar said, “Nimai, what are You talking. You can search, whatever You see, is what I am and whatever I am is what I have.” “No, no I will expose you.”
And He did expose him, on the most glorious event in the history of Navadvip, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began the nama sankirtan in public. It was the first time He ever took His devotees outside of srivas’s house in a public kirtan and He invited all of Navadvip to join them with their torches in a procession to Chand Kazi, who was persecuting the devotees and the common people who followed Lord Caitanya. That kirtan, there were hundreds and thousands of people and Lord Caitanya was in such ecstasy chanting for the whole world to see. Dancing, sometimes uncontrollably, He would just stop in the middle of the road and turn into Krishna’s form playing His flute. But only the most intimate devotees could see it and understand it. And the Chand Kazi, who is the government power of this whole area, he surrendered with love to Nimai pandit and accepted the holy names as his life and soul. After that historical event Nimai took his devotees to Kulaveccha Sridhar’s little hut. Specifically took them there, the supreme Lord of the universe, because He wanted to keep His promise. Outside of that hut was there on little pot that Sridhar would keep water in. He would drink from the pot he would wash with the pot, he would use that water pot for whatever he was doing. That’s the only thing he had, it is explained that the pot has so many dents and scratches on it that even the most desperate thief in the world would not even rest his eyes on that pot. But Lord Caitanya, His beautiful lotus eyes, gazed upon that water pot. And intense thirst awakened within Lord Gauranga’s heart to drink the water from that pot. That water Kulaveccha Sridhar would wash his feet with, before going into his house. He would drink out of it, everything. Lord Gauranga picked up the pot and Sridhar was watching from a distance. He said, “No! What are You doing? Don’t do that!” And the Lord poured the water of that pot into his own mouth, and Kulaveccha Sridhar striking his cheats with his hands said, “now I am finished, and fell to the ground and all the devotees understood what was the message of Lord Caitanya on that day. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Now for the first time in My life I have tasted the ecstasies of love for Krishna because I have tasted the water from the pot of Kulaveccha Sridhar.” What is real wealth? Real wealth is what that brings you real happiness. What is the use of being a millionaire or a billionaire or anything above that, if you are not happy and if you are not making others happy? Real wealth is what that brings you real happiness, and gives you the power to give others real happiness.
Kolavecha Sridhar living in that thatched little hut with his tattered rags as clothes, From the point of view of God he was more than a trillionaire. He had unlimited wealth, because he had humility and devotion. When all the devotees saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu drinking that water from Kolavecha Sridhar’s old pot, they began to weep. They were falling on the ground and rolling on the ground. They couldn’t believe what Lord Caitanya was doing. The simplest thing, He was seeing as the most priceless. Srila Prabhupada taught us this, Vrindavan is millions of times higher in spiritual experience than even Vaikuntha, but it is so simple. In Vaikuntha everybody knows they are liberated. In Vaikuntha everybody knows they are intimate associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and even they have the same bodily features as the Supreme Lord with spiritual bodies. But in Vrindavan everyone thinks they are ordinary people. The Gopi’s and the Gopas, they think themselves very simple ordinary. But in that simplicity they the deepest most intimate loving relationship with Krishna. It’s the simple things of life that give joy. You may have the best most expensive Car, and most magnificent architectural and furnished homes. You may have the latest technologies and cellular phones and computers and other devices, but none of that can bring you happiness, It’s the simple things. The simple things that any ??????? could do. ??? loving relationships. To give something valuable to someone ????????.
On the material platform this is??????. On the spiritual platform this is what awakens the soul. Whether you are Kolavecha Sridhar or king Pratap Rudra, we all have the same opportunity at every moment to find the highest bliss in the simple activity of just bowing down, rendering some service patram pushpam phalam toyam  - whether we are offering a diamond crown or whether we are offering a leaf a flower or a little water – for Krishna, it’s the devotion that matters. And where there is devotion Krishna brings us, Krishna gives us that happiness, spiritual happiness on the path of Bhakti is given by Krishna in reciprocation to our desire. Everyone can achieve that highest wealth, by the simple thing of just moving your tongue in a certain way to pronounce the holy names
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare /Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare,
But still when Gauranga Mahaprabhu had these discussions with Kolavecha Shridhar, usually they would argue over the price of the bananas for 2 hours everyday. Now the husband of the goddess of fortune, Lakshmipati, does He have anything better to do than argue over the price of a banana, 2 hours every single day. That was the regulation of the Lord to be with Sridhar, arguing for 2 hours. That was the greatest joy for the Lord, to be with His devotee. Sridhar didn’t know He is God, he just thought He is Nimai, but he loved Nimai so much. Sridhar would be looking down the path, the dusty path where he lived, waiting for Nimai, when will He come? He comes everyday, where is He? When? When? He didn’t know He was, he only knew, he loved Him, He charmed his heart and in the end Nimai would usually just snatch the bananas and snatch the leaves and give him nothing. He said, today I am not giving you anything. Then Sridhar would think, what am I supposed to do? He is bigger than me, He is stronger than me. But He is a brahmana, let Him have it.
All of these thoughts were in Mahaprabhu’s heart as He looked at that pumpkin. And He was thinking what a devotee is Sridhar. I have never given him anything. Even during the Mahaprakash, he wouldn’t accept anything from the Lord. All I have done, steal from him everyday and my last day in Nawadwip he is coming to give me something else. He is coming to give me the best thing that he has. That pumpkin personified Sridhar’s love. Now pumpkins are not delicacies in any type of cuisine. They are just really ordinary foods. Nobody has to import any pumpkins so much, they grow on your roof.  I remember in a place I used to live, and we were trying to grow a garden, and it was really difficult, because deers were eating it, ground hogs were eating them, and weeds were coming, very difficult to grow anything in this place.  But here there was a place where we used to through all the garbage, composite garbage, you know the natural garbage and from there, there were always pumpkins growing. We didn’t even plant them they just came. Everywhere we plated, it was so difficult to make it grow and where we would throw garbage, pumpkins were growing. So here He is sarva loka maheshwaram, that person who is the Supreme proprietor of everything that exists, who is the husband of Goddess of fortune and He is seeing unlimited value in a single pumpkin that is the Lord of our hearts.
He said I have to eat this. Sridhar offered his obeisances, gave the pumpkin and then left. Mahaprabhu turned to Saci devi, and said please before I take rest cook this pumpkin and right when He said that another guest came into the house and offered the Lord a gift of some milk, by the Lord’s own desire, this is all happening. He said, “O mother saci, cook the pumpkin in milk with some sugar and make some pumkin khir, sweet rice pumpkin. Saci mata  very blissfully prepared it for the Lord, the Lord sat down and He  ate it,  it was His last meal in Nawadwip, it was the last time He would eat in that house forever.  The last thing that Saci mata was going to prepare in that home where he had taken thousands of meals of meals, was Sridhar’s pumpkin. He spoke to His mother while he was taking it, very affectionately; in such a way that she was blissful and she even forgot that he was going to leave that night. Then he washed his hands and washed his mouth and went into his bedroom, where he laid down and went into a yogic trance. Nobody suspected what was about to happen.

[Vijayakamala jps]

LORD CAITANYA LEAVES HOME
At about 3 o’clock in the morning, 2 hours before the end of the night, Nimai woke up, took a deep breath, stood up from His bed, and left Vishnu Priya, peacefully sleeping. Gadhadar and Haridas, they sensed what would be happening. They were sleeping near by in their house. They immediately got up and Gadadhar said, “I will go with You.” And Nimai said, “No. I will go alone without anyone. That is My desire.” Now the whole of Navadwip was sleeping. One person remained up all night. And that was Saci devi, His mother. Because she knew for sure that He was going to leave that morning. She sat right near the door. Her heart in the agony of imminent separation. And she looked up and Nimai was coming out of His room. Saci devi knew what was about to happen. My son, He is going to leave me forever. She was in a crippled state. She could not speak a word. She only cried. Seeing His mother in that state, it was piteous. It melted Nimai’s heart and He sat right in front of her. First He held her hands, and He embraced her. Saci mata protected Nimai with her life and soul. When he was a little baby, she protected Him in every way. 24 hours a day she worried about Him. She lived for Him. And when He was just a young boy, Jagannath Misra left this world and she had to single handedly take care of Him. Who is going to protect her now? Nimai looked at His mother’s eyes and He spoke, “For a long time, all My life, my dear beloved mother, you protected Me. And it was only because of you, that I began to read the scriptures. Its only by your grace, my mother, everything I know about Krishna. All the truths that I teach to others, it was by your loving nourishment and your inspiration. How could I repay you.?” With very deep emotion, He said to His mother, “all that happiness that I ever experienced in My life, was due to your blessings. Even in millions of kalpas, that means millions of days of Brahma, I can never repay you. My debt to you is unlimited. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead is inconceivable and He is independent and by His own ways He brings people together and then he takes people apart. Mother it is by the will of the Lord that I have to leave you. But I promise you. Do not be so disturbed. I will come back in ten days. And then He said, all that you have done for me will forever be  remembered in my heart, My mother you are very dear to me. Again and again the Lord with His hand He put it over His heart and with chocked-up emotions, He repeated, “Mother you are very dear to me.” Saci devi could not say a word.  Nor did she move. Only a constant pouring of tears from her eyes, soaking her face, soaking her clothes. She could do nothing but cry. Lord Gauranga then took dust from the lotus feet of His mother and placed that dust on the top of His head, On the beautiful hair that was about to be shaved. Then He circumambulated His mother several times, and again repeated. “You are very dear to My heart.” Then quickly without turning back ever again He left. He went to the bank of the Ganga and jumped in. With His powerful arms He swam across the current of the Ganges to the other side. Our Lord who is in the beautiful comfortable home of Saci devi, with the loving comforts that Vishnu pirya gave Him was now swimming in the ice cold January waters of the Ganga heading for a life of renunciation. After swimming across the river He came out and in the soaking wet clothes He ran 25 miles to Katva. Why did He run? Because He did not want to leave a trace for people to follow Him.

SHOCK AT LORD CAITANYA’S DEPARTURE
A couple hours later all the devotees woke up. They took their baths in the Ganga, very happily. And the first thing they would do every day after taking their baths was to go to Saci matas house to offer their devotion to Lord Caitanya. Headed by Srivas Thakur all the devotees came and they happen to see something that was extremely disturbing! Sacimata was sitting outside the house in front of the door like an inanimate object. The only thing that moved in her was the constant flow of tears from eyes. All the devotees  approached her and Srivas asked, “Sacidevi is there some disturbance? Why are you outside of your house sitting on the ground so early in the morning?”
Saci was like a statue. She could not say a single word. Everyone was silent. They did not know what to think. Finally Saci somehow or other choked with emotion, she spoke. She said, “Oh! All my fathers, the property of Lord Vishnu belongs to His devotees. Everything is Your property, I have no claim to anything. I am lost. This whole world is like a desert to me. Because Nimai has left.”
These words, “Nimai has left” crashed down like a thunder bolt into the hearts of all of the devotees. Instantly every single one of them screamed and fell unconscious. When they came back to consciousness, they were weeping, crying, rolling. They don’t know what to do. All that could be heard is, “I will never see I will never see His moon like face again. I cannot live. Its is not possible. This world is miserable hell without Nimai. He was all we had. He was everything.” But when they saw Saci devi’s anguish of separation, they put aside their own anguish to somehow or other keep her alive.
So, all the devotees sat in a circle around Saci mata, and all they could do is cry. They tried to chant the holy names. But their crying was so loud. But people of Navadwip were wondering, “What is this crying?” Then something happened in their hearts. They all started running from all directions – hundreds and thousands of people. The news spread that Nimai pandit has left us forever to become a sannyasi.

LORD CAITANYA’S PLAN IMMEDIATELY STARTS WORKING
Everyone in Navadwip, even the blasphemers, even those who conspired to ruin Nimai’s name and even beat Him, when they heard that He had left His home to take sannyasa, for the welfare of humanity, they fell to the ground weeping. The most envious people in Navadwip, who harted Nimai, who hated vaisnavas, when Nimai left, they were sayimg, “that beautiful golden moon, Gauranga has left us? I cannot live. I will lock my doors, go inside my house and light it on fire, I cannot live in this world. What is Navadwip without Nimai pandit? And for so many years, we have been so offensive. We didn’t know who He was. We didn’t know why He was here. We are condemned. But now that is gone, we understand that He is taking our lives with Him.” These are the words coming from the lips of the blasphemers.
Yes! Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s strategy had an immediate effect. He told His devotees and he contemplated Himself, that “now they are seeing Me as an ordinary person. They will not receive what I will have to give them. But when I will take sannyasa, they will bow down to Me. And then I can give them love of Krishna.” The moment the word came out even before he took sannyasa, the fact that He left Navadwip totally transformed even the most materialistic people in Navadwip. Its very meaningful. Because deep down in their hearts, they loved Lord Caitanya. The fact is deep down in our hearts, everyone loves Krishna. Even the worst criminals, terrorists, dictators and inhuman criminals, within their hearts, very deep down inside is intimate sweet love for Krishna, and love for every living beings. Its just covered by thick massive layers of egoistic desires, that could turn a pure loving soul into a monster.
jéva jägo, jév jägo, gauracända bole
kota nidrä jäo mäyä-piçäcéra kole
When Lord Caitanya was living in Navadwip, Bhakti Vinod Thakur reveals to us, He would go through the town, to the bathing ghats, to the market places, to peoples’ homes with this message, “Wake up, wake up sleeping souls! You are sleeping in the lap of maya, illusion. Love of Krishna is within you. You are sleeping. And you are dreaming about all this materialistic identifications, and you are implicating yourselves in so much karma, in illusion. Wake up!” Most of Navadwip did not wake up. But those who did not,  when He took sannyasa, it was such a jolt. He had everything.
The most beautiful woman in the entire fourteen worlds was His wife, and She has sweet good nature, and was completely accommodating. Te most loving mother who would die a million times a moment, just to remove one bead of perspiration from His forehead; the most beautiful associates, the most successful career, He had everything! And He left it for the welfare of humanity, that jolt of His taking sannyasa woke them up. And whe they woke up, that innate love, that innate appreciation for the beauty, for the sweetness, and the kindness of Nimai became fully manifest within their hearts. And they too, along with the devotees were grabbing each others’ necks, and weeping on each other, and rolling in the ground. Lord Gauranga has left Navadwip forever.
REACTION OF ADVAITA ACARYA TO LORD CAITANYA’S DEPARTURE
When the news came to Sri Advaita Prabhu, it was unbearable. He said, “I will not live. This world is nothing but really void without Lord Caitanya. Çünyäyitaà jagat-sarvaà govinda-viraheëa me. In the mood of Sri Radha, in the mellow of a devotee, Lord Caitanya was praying in Siksatakam. That bereft of Govinda, this entire world is a deep dark void. Sri Advaita said I will not live. If Lord Gauranga has left us forever, I cannot. I am going to drown myself in the Ganga. And if any one tries to stop me, the n I will go in the middle of the night when you are all sleeping. But I will not live. However, devotees thought the same way. It was too painful to live. Please don’t think that this sentimentalism or emotionalism. This is the highest level of ecstatic love – such love. But devotees said, “We will not try to stop you, Advaitacarya, we are all going with you to the Ganga. And all the devotees, they were all in procession to the Ganga to take their lives. But then everyone heard, a mystical voice come from the sky, it said, “Advaita, and all the devotees, please be patient. Lord Gauranga will be with you again in 2 to 4 days. Just gather together and chant Hare Krishna. But donot take your life. He is coming. When the devotees heard this, there was hope. They all sat together and kept each other alive singing the pastimes of Lord Caitanya and chanting His holy names.
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa , Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
THE PAIN OF VISNUPRIYA COMPARED TO THE PAIN OF SITADEVI
What about Visnu priya? When all the devotees returned to Saci devi’s house to somehow or other console her, she was all alone. She chose to remain all alone in a private room. She laid her body on ground. She ried with all her might to cry. But she was so absolutely devastated. She couldn’t even cry. There was no expression, no relief even for a long time, she rather stunned. Until finally, she finally cried for the rest of her life.
Why would the Lord do this to his devotees, why would Ramchandra banish Sita, because of some gossip of a washer man?  Why did Krishna leave Vrindavan? Because on the spiritual platform there is the dynamic of love which balances between Vipralamba and Sambhoga, union and separation. The joy of union is enhanced unlimitedly due to hunger of separation. Just like eating food the more you are hungry the more you appreciate eating something. If you are really full, you have eaten so much, so much you are sick and then someone comes with your favorite preparation. Will you enjoy it? You just overate so much, you are just <makes sound of over eating person>, your stomach is aching, you are looking for Dr. Dwarkadhish to give you some medicine and then someone comes with Sonpapdi from Govardhan or one of the cakes from Radha Madhav’s bakery<again makes a sound>. I am not going to give too many sound effects. Just the smell of it, just the look of it causes you pain. But when you are hungry somebody brings you what you like the best, you really enjoy it nicely. Necessity is hunger. Vipralamba is that hunger for Krishna, that greed for Krishna. But because Krishna is within our hearts when we feel separation from Krishna, Krishna reciprocates with his love within and actually that separation although it appears on one level to be very painful, its actually the highest bliss. Because its such a deep connection with the Lord in love. The more the pain the more the bliss because it’s the pain  of  love. Now in this world even what goes deeper in your  heart happiness or pain? Pain goes really deep. Happiness? When you think back of your childhood the things that caused you pain are usually the things you remember. Happy things??? , Goes very deep. The pain of separation from Krishna goes so deep and the deeper it goes the more we find Krishna reciprocating with that, with his love. So the highest ecstasy Lord Chaitanya taught along with the six Gosvamis, is the ecstasy of love in separation. Why did lord Rama banish Sita? Many ladies especially, they don’t like this pastime. It’s not fair, what did she do wrong, she was perfect, why did he banish her? Because Rama and Sita wanted to enjoy something what Radha and Krishna enjoyed, love in separation. And the test of love was in the length of separation. Krishna lived in Vrindaban for not even eleven years, out of the 125 years of his life. That means over 110 years he was in Mathura and Dwarka and only 10 and half years he was in Vrindaban. He was only associating with the Gopis for about 7 years or so. So that’s how much time they were with him. And so for over 110 years they were in separation from him. Why would Krishna do that to the most beloved of all of hi devotees, Radha and the Gopis. In Kurukshetra during the Ratha Yatra in Jaganath Puri, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was teaching of the beauty of the Gopis love. The Ratha Yatra is Radha Rani and the Gopis bringing Krishna in the form of Jaganath back from Kurukshetra to Vrindaban; Love in separation. But Krishna told the Gopis at that time, that I am always in your hearts and as much as you are feeling separation from me, I am feeling the same separation from you, and in our hearts we are always reunited and together. And then when meeting comes what a fantastic celebration. We cannot understand these things through material perspective. We have to understand through the eye of the Acaryas who teach us the science of pure spiritual love. Vishnu Priya and Sacidevi and all the devotees of Navadvip, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was giving them the highest love in separation, and he himself was feeling the same toward them. Saci Mata, as she was weeping and weeping, she would cry out Nimai, Nimai, why did you leave me who will cook for you and who will wash your clothes, who would make the garlands for your hair, how will you leave such a life in the forest as a sannyasi, come home, come home, and the devotees tried to pacify her somehow or other.

[Vijayakamala jps]

LORD CAITANYA COMES TO KATWA
Meanwhile Lord Gauranga arrived in Katwa. He came to the ashram of Keseva Bharati Maharaj, at first Keseva Bharati Maharaj saw a brilliant light, it looked like the sun was rising right into his ashram. Then he saw a particular personality toward him and he realized all this light is coming from him. Gauranga Mahaprabhu was in ecstasy, and in his ecstasy he was emitting supernatural spiritual effulgence and Lord Gauranga fell at the feet of Keshava Bharati, in full dandavats, offering prayers and Keshava Bharati saw Him and  understood what was happening. Soon after Nityananda Prabhu arrived and Mukunda and Chandrashekhar acharya. The Lord with folded hands spoke to Keshava Bharati and He said you are a pure devotee of Lord Krishna, you have given your life and your soul and your everything to Krishna.  Please I beg you, give me service to Krishna, I want to be dressed like you, I want  to become a sannyasi, so with My body, My words, My life, My everything, My every thought can be in the service of Krishna. Keshav Bharati’s heart was extremely troubled to see the Lord. When he saw His youthful splendor, 24 year old. His eyes, His hair, His beauty and what about His wife and His mother, he was deeply troubled. And Keshav Bharati, he said, actually before he could say anything  Lord Caitanya was so blissful with the anticipation of becoming a sannyasi and going to Vrindavan in search for Krishna that He danced. And as He danced, tears were pouring from His eyes, His limbs were trembling, His hair were standing on end. At one moment He was perspiring profusely and at other  moment, He was unconscious and the other moment He was jumping, He was rolling, He roaring. Then the Lord again came , please give me service to Krishna. Keshava Bharati  said, you already love Krishna, I can see with my own  eyes, there is no need for you to take sannyas. There is no one in the entire universe who had love for Krishna like you have, you are in ecstasy, I have never seen such ecstatic symptoms and you want to take sannyas for love for Krishna? I am a sannyasi, I know so many sannyasis , we don’t have love for Krishna  like you. There is no need for you take sannyasi, you already have it all. And Nimai said do not try to trick  Me, if I had even a spot of love for Krishna, a drop, I would have died in separation. Please give me service to Krishna. Keshava Bharati Maharaj said, you are so young now that I look at you, I cannot give you sannyas. You should learn the ways of the world and you should cultivate renunciation gradually and then when you arte 50 years old then we can consider giving you sannyas. The Lord said that the human life is so precious, it is the rarest thing in the whole creation and the rarest thing in the human birth is the association of devotees. Death is not partial to the old, death could come upon anyone at any age at any time, now is the time, at this moment, I cannot wait, my heart is burning, Krishna is calling Me, give Me service to Krishna, I want to give My life without any distraction to Krishna.

NO ONE WANTS LORD CAITANYA TO TAKE SANYAS
By this time because it was makara sankranti time, many people were bathing in the Ganga  and they came to Keshava Bharati’s ashram and they saw the beauty of Nimai and word spread throughout the Katwa area and soon hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands of people were gathering just  to see the beauty of Lords Caitanya, because He had never been there before. They had heard so many stories about the great Nimai Pandit, His scholarship, His beauty, His pastimes and now He had come to Katwa. People were just crowding into the ashram  just to get a single glance of Nimai and they were so happy to see him. It was the treasure of their heart, their life,  and them Nimai in the role of a devotee, He took straw between His teeth a gesture of total humility  and then He went to each and every person with folded hands and begged them,  please allow Me to serve you. They had never seen such genuine humility and as He was saying that, He was crying, then He began to dance in  circles, His dance was so ecstatic that literally every single person who was assembled there  - thousands and thousands of them , He bathed then all of them with the tears of His love and then they come  to understand that His purpose of coming to Katwa was to take sannyas. The people were gasping in anguish - No not possible, not such a young beautiful  boy like this. When they saw His hair and they thought it will be cut, and they were screaming out loud.  Who will support his aged mother, who will support is beautiful widowed wife ? He cannot do this, not possible, they all looked at Keshava Bharati.Keshava Bharati - they said no, you don’t give Him Sannyas, we consider you the root  of this whole problem. If you dare to destroy His family life, if you dare to  murderer of His mother and  wife and all of His devotees, if you dare to murder our hearts by cutting off His beautiful hair, you will pay the consequences. We will not allow this to happen.  We will smash down your whole monastery ashram and throw it in the Ganges and you with it. It was very difficult, Keshava Bharati  himself was utterly broken hearted with the thought of giving sannyas to him. Now, he had thousands of people threatening his life. There was such a commotion, there was so much madness on one hand, they were in total ecstasy seeing the beauty of Nimai and on the other hand they were total ecstasy of anger that Keshava Bharati would give Him sannyas, was a very, very …
And Lord Caitanya saw it was impossible. People were in so much opposition, Keshava Bharati  was saying, “Why are you blaming me, talk to Him.” And they tried to reason with him and he saw that it was very difficult.  So Lord Gauranga looked to Mukunda and said, “Sing, sing, chant the holy names of Krishna.” With his sweet beautiful voice Mukunda dutt started a kirtan. And Lord Caitanya danced and how he danced, with so much spiritual love that it enchanted everyone. The kirtan went on for hours and hours and were singing so sweetly and Lord Caitnaya was crying out the holynames and just seeing his dance of devastating love every one forgot that he was going to take sannyasa. Soon the whole of Khatwa was in ecstacy like they never experienced their whole lives, chanting the holynames....
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

BARBER CUTS THE BEAUTIFUL HAIR OF LORD CAITANYA
Gauranga Mahaprabhu danced and chanted all night long and intoxicated everyone until the sun rose. At that time  nobody knew what was happening and nobody knew what wasn’t happening they were unprepared and Lord Caitanya called for the barber, the foremost barber in the entire khatwa came. Lord Caitanya was standing up and the barber looked at him and he said i can’t cut your hair. The most beautiful hair I have ever seen on my life, on the most beautiful face I have ever seen in my life. I can’t cut it, I don’t have the heart to do it. Please, don’t make me do it.” But Lord Caitanay looked at him with such love and he said please it is my desire, my strongest will that you cut my hair. Please. How could you say no to the Lord. The Lord sat down and the barber sat right in front if him and he reached up with his razor and came inches to the hair of Lord Caitanya and tears were pouring from the eyes of the barber and his hand was trembling and he just put his hand down and said NO! I can’t do it, I can’t cut your hair, please don’t make me do this. And all the people who were intoxicated by the kirtan all night, when they saw the barbers emotion standing there on the verge of cutting the hair they realized what was happening. but it was too late at that point they were all screaming along with the barber. They were threatening the barber, don’t cut his hair, we agree with you. You are right, everything you say is true. It can’t be done, what about His mother and His wife and His devotees and what about Him? The barber turned to Nimai and said, you are so young sannyas is not for young beautiful men like you, you are supposed to be enjoying the gifts of the world in devotion to Krishna not living a hard and austere life in the forest. I can’t do it. And all the people in the town were crying out No NO, so the lord again jumped up for kirtan, and everyone went into ecstasy even the barber was in ecstasy.
He looked at the barber. The barber said, “I cannot do it.” Lord Caitanya said I promise you this, “You will never have to cut another person’s hair in your life. This will be  your last service as a barber. I bless you that you perform this service to me and my promise is you will never know unhappiness for the rest of your life. You will live in blissful, joyful prosperity. And when you die you will immediately go back home back to Godhead to live eternally in my abode with me in the spiritual world. Cut my hair. It is my desire.”
Barber said, “But I can’t. My hands are trembling, If I try to shave your head, I might cut you. I can understand you are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If I cut you what an offence that will be? and whose feet can you touch to mitigate that offence? Impossible! The Lord said, “You will not cut me, Shave my head.” The Lord mesmerized the barber. The lord made the barber like His puppet to act according to His will. And the barber cut the first hair. When that hair fell to the ground on the bank of the Ganga, when that first hair fell millions of tears fell along with it from all the devotees and all the residents of Katva. For every hair that fell to the ground, there were millions of tears falling to the ground. Nityananda, Mukunda, Chandrashekar, it was unbearable for them. They could not watch. They put their clothes over their eyes and fell unconscious on the ground and when they came to the consciousness and looked up, then saw the hair falling. All they could do was to wail in tears. People were collapsing. People were crying but it was too late. And Sri Caitanya Maharaprabhu was the only person that was happy. Everyone was suffering unbearably and Lord Caitanya was smiling in bliss. He was in so much bliss, He could not control Himself. In the middle of the haircut, He told the barber, wait a moment and jumped up in to the air and danced and said to Mukunda, “Chant chant chant.”  And every one was watching this scene. It was heart rendering. Devotees were laying in the ground and everybody was crying unable to even breath and Lord Caitnaya was dancing among them in ecstasy.

[Vijayakamala jps]

LORD CAITANYA GOES INTO ESCTASY IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS HAIR CUT
In the middle of His haircut. Part of his head was shaved part of it was full hairs. He could not control His bliss. It was like such happiness that His heart just exploded. Just like sometimes you are so happy about something that rushes you with so much happiness, you just laugh. You cannot control it. That happiness just has to come out. Somehow or other it has to be released. So it might be released as smile or may be released as tears or may be released as laughter. Sri Caitanya mahaprabhu in His ecstasy it has to be released. He jumped in the air. Raised His arms and loudly cried out the holy names Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare// Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Dancing and dancing and dancing. Then He somehow came to external consciousness, sat in front of the barber and said continue. How was the barber able to cut Lord Caitanyas beautiful hair? That hair, that totally enchanted the Gopis of Vrindavan, to the see that beautiful hair, the gopis were willing to renounce everything of the world and meet Krishna. Even Brahma, Shiva, Sukadeva Goswami are crying for the darshan of the beautiful hair of the supreme Lord. And this barber was cutting it off. But the controlling him by his love and as all four directions were filled with the howling, the shrieking and crying of seeing his hairs falling to the ground, eventually it was done. And the barber looked at the Lord and said, “I will never ever cut another hair”. Because Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s hair is the supreme essence of all sweetness. Beautiful hair! Black like the crows feathers, like the finest silk, it would curl around his magnificently sweet moonlike face, and cascade down his broad golden shoulders and tied with a little know on the top. Decorated with flowers, there was nothing more beautiful in the creation than the Lords hair and now it was gone. That barber, his hands became so enthused sweetness that for the rest of his life his occupation was making sweets and those sweets were very intoxicating.

KESHAVA BHARATI INITIATES LORD CAITANYA INTO SANYAS
The Lord than went from the ashram of Keshan Bharati to the Ganga to take his bath and everyone followed him. He took his holy sacred ceremonial bath in the Ganga, came off in his soaking wet clothes, without drying himself and sat before Keshav Bharati.  
In the ashram and the lord prayed please give me service to Krishna. Keseva Bharati said to him, “You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are independent supreme controller of everything and you as the Jagat Guru come to teach the world. If it is your wish for me to be your Guru, as your servant I will be your Guru and initiate you. Prior to the hair cutting when Keseva Bharati was trying to convince Lord Chaitanya not to do it, he said I cannot perform this deed unless you get the permission from your mother and your wife. Nimai immediately said alright I will go, I will get permission. He then started running. Now according to some of our Acaryas, they claim, some of our scriptures, Keseva Bharati Maharaj said this because he was panning, while the Lord was going to Navadvip to get permission, he was going to go away and not be here when he gets back; Because he really didn’t want to do this. But then he was thinking as the Lord was running away, he is the Supreme Lord; I understand who he really is, how could I be duplicities with him. Besides that how possibly could anyone resists him, he’ll definitely get permission from anyone. He already did. He’ll do it again. Come back Nimai, come back. So now Nimai is standing before him soaking wet from the bath in the Ganga with the shaved head and Keseva Bharati said you are the supreme Lord. And if this is how you want to teach the world to make me your Guru, I am your servant. Then he gave the two pieces of saffron cloth to our beloved Lord Gauranga.  The Lord put on the saffron dress of a sannyasi. When the people saw him without his beautiful golden robes, without his jewelry and his garland, without his cascading hair, their hearts were broken but still in the saffron robes of a sannyasi, he was so unlimitedly beautiful, he charmed their hearts. They fell unconditionally in love with this form of Mahaprabhu as a sannyasi. Then the lord did something that was wonderful. He said Gurudev, I want to tell you something privately. He whispered in his Guru’s ear. He said I had a dream, now this is secret. Can you all hear? Haribol.
He said I had a dream. An effulgent being appeared to me, and spoke this sannyasi mantra into my ear. I want you to hear it and tell me if it is good. And then he spoke a brand new sannyas mantra into the ear of Keseva Bharati Maharaj. That mantra through his ears went right into the heart of Keseva Bharati Maharaj and just conquered his life, he smiled and then he said “that’s a wonderful mantra, that’s the best of all great mantras. The Lord initiated his Guru. Then after he was duly initiated, his Guru initiated him. He said I have not heard such a mantra like this. Then Keseva Bharati Maharaj whispered in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s ear the same mantra he was just initiated by his disciple seconds before. That mantra entered deep into the heart of Lord Gauranga. Keseva Bharati Maharaj gave Chaitanya Mahaprabhu his Danda and his Kamandalu, his Sannyas begging bowl. Then he was thinking what name can I give Gauranga Mahaprabhu?
The standard is that I should give him the name Bharati, because he is the disciple of Bharati in my Sampradaya. But who could name him after me. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and he beyond all Sampradayas. What name could be possible be given to the most merciful, compassionate Lord of the universe, when he takes Sannyas. He was contemplating in this way. He prayed, he prayed to the Lord to him a name that would be perfect.  At that moment the goddess Saraswati appeared on Keseva Bharati maharaj’s tongue and spoke the name that the Lord was meant to be given. He said because you are spreading the love of Krishna, Krishna Consciousness, to everyone you meet, because you have advented in this world to spread Krishna Consciousness, love of God all over the world, therefore your name will be Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Haribol. Lord Chaitanya was very happy with this name. when he proclaimed this name everyone in Katwa was so blissful to hear. The revelation of the lords new name that they all cried out very loudly, HARIBOL.
Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki Jai!!!

EFFECT OF LORD CAITANYA’S NAME
People were intoxicated just hearing that name. At that moment it was revealed to the world, one of Lord Caitnayas’ previous classmates, he was the father of Srinivas acaryas, I believe his name was Gangadhar bhattacharya or something like that. He was going to see his father in law and was travelling towards jagigram and he happened to come through Khatwa. And he heard everyone was talking about it, nimai pandit is taking sannyas, today, right now. Nimai pandit my friend he is taking sannyas, what how he had such mixed feelings he didn’t know what to think so he ran to the place and he arrived just at the moment when Keshav Bharati Maharaj said your name will be “Krishna Caitanya”. And at that point every one in all of Khatva, kantakanagar were saying, Caitanya, Caitanya, Caitanya. And this man was saying Caitanya Caitanya Caitanya and he went back to his village.
And people said where were you, he would say Caitanya, whats wrong with you, Caitanya would you like Prasad, Caitanya. Do you know who I am, Caitanya, that name and that occasion Maha Prabhu taking sannyasa and getting that name all he could do for weeks is chant Caitanya Caitanya Caitanya 24hrs a day. And that is how that event affected peoples hearts.

REACTION OF CHANDRASHEKHAR TO LORD CAITANYA’S TAKING SANYAS
Now our beloved lord was officially formally a sannyasi. The Lord was so happy after getting the name and the danda and the kamandalu and the saffron dress and after receiving the mantra he said to mukunda, actually before I get into that,  the lord ordered Chandrashekhar Acarya to bring all the ingredients and to perform the entire ceremony and all the rituals. This is something we will never be able to comprehend. Chandrashekhar Acarya was the brother in law of Sacidevi He was married to Saci mata’s younger sister. After Jagannath misra passed away to Vaikunta, the only male left in the entire family was Chandrashekhar acarya. More than anyone else, he helped Saci. Chandrashekhar also known as Acarya ratna, he loved Lord Caitanya like a father loves his son. He was his uncle. In traditional Bengali families, the uncle and the father are practically the same. In his heart, Acarya ratna simply wanted to bring Lord Caitanya home to be with his beloved sister in law, Saci devi, His mother. But Lord Caitanya ordered him, “You perform the rituals.” Such an emotional spiritual experience that it was. A person who had vatsalya rasa, a person whose wife and sister were so absolutely dear to him, he was performing the ceremony that would disconnecting Him from Saci mata and Navadwip forever.
Not long before Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was having Nam sankirtan in the house of Acarya ratna. Sometimes in Srivasangan, sometimes in Chandrashekhar bhavan. It was there in his house, that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced in the mood of the goddess of fortune all night long. And the devotes enjoyed watching the Lord so much. He said, “I will dance until the sun rises in the mood of Radharani, Rukmini and the goddess of fortune.” They were so enthralled. He danced with such emotion like Radharani that Saci mata asked Srivasa, “who is that dancing?” he said, “that’s your son.” And she fainted. They were chanting as He was dancing. And He had to end when the sun rose.
Vrindavan das thakur explains, when the sun rose that morning, the devotees were so upset that His dance would stop, that all the devotees glanced at the sun in such a way that it appeared, by their glance, they are going to burn the sun to ashes. That was their feelings. It was in his house these beautiful lilas. And now, He is leaving Navadvip forever. He won’t come to my house anymore. His uncle, his aunt, my wife, his mother, what will happen to our family. He is all we have, he is everything. Out of his love of everyone, lord Chaitanya chose him to perform the rituals of sannyas; and it was done. When everything was concluded, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was so filled with happiness. “Chant the holy names Mukunda”. Mukunda began to chant, Lord Chaitanya was loudly crying out the holy names and he was dancing so ecstatically that without even knowing it he threw his Danda in one direction and he threw his Kamandalu pot in another direction and people were watching.

LORD CAITANYA RECIPROCATES WITH KESHAVA BHARATI
Keseva Bharati Maharaj was a very sober elderly sannyasi and he was a sannyasi in the Shankara Sampradaya. Because in those days the Shankara Sampradaya was very highly respected. The Vaisnava Sampradaya was not so known to people then. Keseva Bharati Maharaj was a very, very great Vaisnava but he chose by the Lords own will to take sannyas in the Shankara eka Danda Sampradaya to serve the Lords purpose. So the Lord would get more respect and more doors would open for his mercy to flow in. Now sannyasis traditionally in the Shankara Sampradaya do no show emotions. So as the lord was dancing Keseva Bharati Maharaja was very patiently and soberly watching. Then Lord Gauranga, he approached Keseva Bharati and in the middle of the Kirtan he embraced him, ecstatically embracing his guru. 24 year old new sannyasi is embracing in the middle of the Kirtan a very elderly, senior sannyasi guru. Then what happened when he embraced Keseva Bharati Maharaj, with that embrace he filled his guru with his own love and suddenly to everyone’s absolute amazement Keseva Bharati Maharaj raised his arms and roared in ecstasy and began to dance and within moments without even knowing it he threw his Danda and his Kamandalu in the forest. And the guru and the disciple, Mahaprabhu and Keseva Bharati Maharaj would be dancing and dancing and dancing together. Keseva Bharati Maharaj’s eyes was flooding with tears, his hairs was standing on ends, his limbs were trembling, lord Chaitanya, all of the ecstatic bodily symptoms of love of god was erupting all over and the people of Katwa were watching these two sannyasi dancing together, and everyone forgot all their anxieties, they forgot who they were, all they knew was the Guru and disciple were dancing in ecstasy. It was like a tidal wave coming from them. That absolutely submerged everyone in an ocean of happiness minutes before they were drowning in an ocean of anguish and separation, now they were drowning in that ocean of happiness and everyone seeing, watching the two swamis dancing, they roared very loudly the holy names. They danced all night long. Then the next morning, Lord Chaitanya fell at his gurudev’s feet, with folded palms and said now please gives me permission to go to Vrindaban to find Krishna. Keseva Bharati Maharaj was so overtaken by the lords association. He said I will go with you to Vrindaban, I renounce everything else…(distortion)…
So Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said then let us go, let us go, then everyone else in Katwa said if you’re going to Vrindaban, we are all going to Vrindaban. Keseva Bharati Maharaj led the way; Lord Chaitanya was behind him, Nityananda Prabhu, Mukunda Datta, Chandrashekar Acarya, all the other devotees, all the other people, it was an ecstatic Kirtan procession through the forest to Vrindaban.
And now we will go to celebrate the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada by offering the lamps of our desire to love and serve them to Sri Radha Madhava, Panca Tattva, to Nrshimadev and Srila Prabhupad and celebrate Damodarastikam. We will continue with your permission tomorrow.