From a lecture given at Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana Gauḍīya Maṭha in Vṛndāvana on February 4, 1996 by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja (Śrī Hari-kathāmṛta Volume Two)
After returning from Gayā, it became apparent that Nimāi Paṇḍita had changed and was a completely different person. He gradually began performing kīrtana with the devotees at Śrīvāsa-aṅgana, and He stopped teaching His students. He said, “Every syllable carries the form of Kṛṣṇa and this brings remembrance of Kṛṣṇa to Me. In all the verses and commentaries and everywhere else I look, I see that everything is Kṛṣṇa.” Absorbed in this mood, He began weeping. Then He said to His students, “From now on I will not teach you. I am going to Vṛndāvana.”
His students replied, “We refuse to learn from anyone other than You.”
So Mahāprabhu said, “Alright, let’s sing kīrtana.” The kīrtana began right there in that school, with the clapping of hands and chanting of “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.” Then the whole of Navadvīpa became like one big festival. Mahāprabhu performed pastimes such as delivering Jagāi and Mādhāi, and then gradually He became absorbed in His own bhāva. He thought, “I must fulfil the objective for which I have come.” He made up His mind. There were four objectives in His descent into this world: establishing the yuga-dharma, inaugurating the preaching of harināma-saṅkīrtana, giving that prema which had never been given before and tasting the three bhāvas of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.
To accomplish these objectives He required an excuse: “How can I leave household life?” Then He sent the inspiration within the students and scholars of Navadvīpa for such an appropriate pretext to take place. When they came to see Mahāprabhu one day, He was chanting “Gopī, gopī, gopī.” They said, “Why are You chanting ‘Gopī, gopī’? Why don’t You chant ‘Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa’? Is ‘Gopī, gopī’ some bhajana or something? We haven’t seen this in the scriptures anywhere.” Lying nearby was a stick, and Mahāprabhu picked it up and chased them away. He was immersed in vraja-bhāva at that time, and thinking that they were gopīs from an opposing camp, He chased them off. He was not really aware of what He was doing. After running away those students and scholars met together and said, “This son of Śacī has become very troublesome. If He will attempt to beat us, why can’t we beat Him? We are no less than Him. He has become overly proud due to His learning and His personal beauty. Alright then, we will beat Him. If He can treat us this way, we will treat Him in the same manner.”
When Mahāprabhu learned of their plan, He thought, “I have descended from Goloka-Vṛndāvana to deliver these people and now, having become inimical to Me, they are committing offences. The time has come for Me to leave household life. Sometimes, when a patient suffering from a cold and fever goes to the doctor to get some medicine, the patient’s symptoms increase rather than diminish. I have brought here the medicine which the people need, but they have become inimical to Me. I will not stay here any longer.”
He required an excuse, and now He had one. He decided to leave His household life. From symptoms in His behaviour, people gradually began to understand that soon He would be taking sannyāsa and leaving. The news reached His mother, and one day she was trying to persuade Him to stay: “My dear son, don’t abandon the house. You are the stick that supports the blind man; my husband died, leaving me a widow, and my eldest son left to take sannyāsa. Who will support me? If You also go, I will die a death without actually leaving my body. Remain here in family life and blissfully sing kīrtana with Advaita, Śrīvāsa, Gadādhara and the other devotees. ‘Jananī chāḍibā e kon dharmera vicāra’ (Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 27.027)* — You are the personification of dharma. If You abandon Your mother, what instruction on dharma will You be giving to this world? And Your new wife has just come here. She does not yet fully understand the ways of this world, so what will happen to her if You leave? Your family will be ruined. Remain here in the home; I will not put any obstacle before You. You can do saṅkīrtana without leaving family life.”
In this way Śacīmātā spent the entire night trying to persuade Him. Hearing this Mahāprabhu wept but didn’t say anything; He was immersed in kṛṣṇa-bhāva.
The next day Mahāprabhu was thinking that the time to take sannyāsa had come. What is the meaning of sannyāsa? What passes for sannyāsa these days is not real sannyāsa. If one completely becomes the colour of Kṛṣṇa, or in other words he becomes completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, if everything is nyāsa, completely renounced for Kṛṣṇa, that is sannyāsa. When one factually realises that household life is like poison and as a snake automatically sheds its skin, abandons household life without ever looking back even once and becomes completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, that is sannyāsa. This is the nature of the sannyāsa-mantra also. Sannyāsa is not for everyone. The nature of the sannyāsa of Mahāprabhu, Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī and Rūpa Gosvāmī is real sannyāsa.
je-dina caliba prabhu sannyāsa karite
nityānanda-sthāne tāhā kahilā nibhṛte
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.007
“śuna śuna nityānanda svarūpa gosāñi
e kathā bhāṅgibe sabe pañca-jana ṭhāñi
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.008
ei saṅkramaṇa-uttarāyaṇa-divase
niścaya caliba āmi karite sannyāse
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.009
On the day Mahāprabhu was to leave home to take sannyāsa He spoke to Nityānanda Prabhu in solitude. Nityānanda Prabhu is non-different from Baladeva Prabhu, so Mahāprabhu could not keep a secret from Him. Mahāprabhu said, “I cannot remain here any longer. Now I will take sannyāsa. Only tell this to five personalities and not to any sixth person. I will definitely depart to take sannyāsa on the auspicious day when the sun passes to the north.”
`indrāṇī’ nikaṭe kāṭoñā-nāme grāma
tathā āche keśava bhāratīśuddha nāma
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.010
tāna sthāne āmāra sannyāsa suniścita
ei pāṅca jane mātra karibā vidita
āmāra jananī, gadādhara, brahmānanda
śrī-candraśekharācārya, apara mukunda”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.011-012
ei kathā nityānanda-svarūpera sthāne
kahilena prabhu, ihā keha nāhi jane
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.013
pañca-jana-sthāne mātra e saba kathana
kahilena nityānanda prabhura gamana
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.014
“‘In a village near Indrāṇi named Kaṭvā lives the beautifully named Keśava Bhāratī. I will definitely take sannyāsa from him. Only tell this to five persons: My mother, Gadādhara, Brahmānanda, Śrī Candraśekhara Ācārya and Mukunda.’ No one else came to know of what Mahāprabhu spoke to Nityānanda Prabhu. Nityānanda Prabhu only informed those five personalities that Mahāprabhu was leaving.”
On the day He was to leave, Mahāprabhu was not overwhelmed in kṛṣṇa-prema, calling out, “Hā Kṛṣṇa! Hā Kṛṣṇa!” as He usually did. Instead He passed the entire day performing kīrtana with the devotees. Just before dusk He went to a ghāta on the Gaṅgā. He was thinking, “From where will I cross the Gaṅgā tonight?” At night He would not be able to see and there would be no boat available. After sitting there for some time and determining from where He would swim across in the night, He offered praṇāma unto the Gaṅgā and returned home. At that time His house was filled with guests. They didn’t know He would be leaving Navadvīpa that night but somehow He had attracted them to come there. Mahāprabhu’s body was anointed with candana and exuded an exquisite beauty. Mahāprabhu embraced whoever came there. Then He seated them with great love and asked after their welfare. When the local people came to Mahāprabhu’s house that night, even Brahmā himself cannot describe the bhāva with which He spoke to them. He glanced at them with great love and gave them the garlands from around His neck. No one could understand the intention behind what He was doing.
āpana galāra mālā sabākāre diyā
ājñā kare prabhu sabe—“kṛṣṇa gāo giyā
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.025
bala kṛṣṇa, bhaja kṛṣṇa, gāo kṛṣṇa-nāma
kṛṣṇa vinu keha kichu nā bhāviha āna
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.026
yadi āmā’-prati sneha thāke sabākāra
tabe kṛṣṇa-vyatirikta nā gāibe āra
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.027
ki śayane, ki bhojane, kibā jāgaraṇe
aharniśa cinta kṛṣṇa, balaha vadane”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.028
āpana galāra mālā sabākāre diyā
ājñā kare prabhu sabe—“kṛṣṇa gāo giyā
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.025
bala kṛṣṇa, bhaja kṛṣṇa, gāo kṛṣṇa-nāma
kṛṣṇa vinu keha kichu nā bhāviha āna
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.026
yadi āmā’-prati sneha thāke sabākāra
tabe kṛṣṇa-vyatirikta nā gāibe āra
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.027
ki śayane, ki bhojane, kibā jāgaraṇe
aharniśa cinta kṛṣṇa, balaha vadane”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.028
ei mata śubha-dṛṣṭi kari’ sabākāre
upadeśa kahi’ sabe bale,—“yāo ghare”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.029
“Mahāprabhu ordered them, ‘After leaving here, all of you perform kīrtana incessantly. Speak only of Kṛṣṇa, worship only Kṛṣṇa and sing only kṛṣṇa-nāma. Think of nothing else other than Kṛṣṇa. If you have even a little love for Me, then do kīrtana exclusively of Kṛṣṇa and no one else. While resting, eating, awakening and all day and night think only of Kṛṣṇa and allow only the name of Kṛṣṇa to emanate from your mouths.’ In this way Mahāprabhu instructed them while auspiciously glancing at them. Then He told them to return to their homes.”
By that time night had fallen, and then Śrīdhara arrived there with a laukī. He said to Mahāprabhu, “You didn’t come to quarrel with me today.” Daily Mahāprabhu would visit Śrīdhara’s shop and quarrel with him. Mahāprabhu would take banana-leaf cups, bananas, banana flowers, laukī and other vegetables. Śrīdhara would catch hold of His hand and try to stop Him and they would quarrel. But on this day Mahāprabhu did not come, so Śrīdhara brought one laukī to Mahāprabhu’s home. Receiving this laukī Mahāprabhu was very pleased.
nija-mane jāne prabhu “kāli calibāṅa
ei lāu bhojana karite nārilāṅa
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.035
śrīdharera padārtha ki haibe anyathā
e lāu bhojana āji kariba sarvathā”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.036
“In His mind Mahāprabhu thought, ‘By tomorrow I will be gone from here, so I will not be here to accept this laukī when it is cooked. But what Śrīdhara has brought should not be wasted, so this laukī should be prepared and taken tonight.’ ”
Śrīdhara brought this laukī with great love. There is no love existing inherently within any object; love is a feeling of the heart. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26):
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
If anyone offers Him something with love, even a blade of grass, then He will accept it with great love. Otherwise He will not accept it. Śrīdhara offered Him this laukī with love, just as in His previous incarnation as Kṛṣṇa, Sudāmā Vipra brought Him some low-grade rice. Sudāmā was ashamed and did not want to offer it to Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa snatched it from him. If something is offered with prema, no matter how ordinary it is from the worldly perspective, then it should be accepted. Sometimes people do not understand this point, but devotees understand. With great difficulty in preparing it and with great affection from the heart, someone may bring something to offer. If I say indifferently, “Just put it over there,” they would be very hurt. So don’t see the mundane value of the particular object that is being given; see the love with which it is being offered.
Understanding this, Mahāprabhu instructed His mother to prepare the laukī that evening. Someone came and offered Mahāprabhu some milk and then someone else brought some sugar, so Mahāprabhu asked Śacīmātā to take these ingredients and prepare some laukī-kṣīra. When it was cooked she offered it to the Deity and distributed it to everyone. Then Mahāprabhu bid farewell to everyone and went to His bedroom to take rest.
There are two different ideas concerning what happened next. Generally Mahāprabhu would perform kīrtana at night at Śrīvāsa-aṅgana, but He didn’t go there this evening. On this particular evening He stayed at His home. There is a book entitled Amiya-nimāi-carita that gives a description of Mahāprabhu’s sannyāsa pastime. It differs slightly from the description given in Caitanya-bhāgavata, but the Caitanya-bhāgavata should be accepted as authoritative because its author, Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, is the Vedavyāsa of gaura-līlā. It says in Amiya-nimāi-carita that on this day Mahāprabhu’s mood was a little different. His body was anointed with candana, He was eating some pāna that had been offered to the deity, and He had a flower garland around His neck. On this evening He entered directly into the bedroom where Viṣṇupriyā was staying. Since the day she married Mahāprabhu, she had never received an opportunity to be with Him in this way. Due to shyness she was somewhat afraid of Him, and she would always remain at a distance from Him because He would chant “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa” and fall to the ground. This she could not tolerate. But on this evening, smiling, chewing pāna, His body anointed with candana and wearing a flower garland, He came into her bedroom and sat down next to her. Putting His arms around her neck, with His own hands He began stroking and arranging her hair. With a big smile on His face He joked and laughed with her.
Viṣṇupriyā was thinking, “Just before a light goes out, it burns a little stronger. I feel that my marriage may be coming to an end today. Earlier I said to Śacīmātā, ‘Mother, I have been crying during the day.’ She replied, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Today my misfortune has begun. Many fearful emotions are entering my heart today. As I was going for my bath this morning, I stepped on a thorn and my foot began to bleed. Anyway I disregarded it and continued on my way to the river. Upon arriving there I noticed that I had lost my nose ring (an ornament representing marriage given to a bride on her wedding day). I searched and searched for it but could not find it. I put my hand to my head and thought, ‘What misfortune will befall me today?’”
So although she was receiving Mahāprabhu’s direct affection on this night, she could not feel herself to be contented and fortunate because she was worried about what would happen. She should have been happy upon receiving the love of her husband, but it was just the opposite and her face withered in unhappiness. As Mahāprabhu was lovingly conversing with her and decorating her hair, He remembered Yogamāyā. Then sleep began to come to her eyes as if her eyelids were being held down by thousands of large stones. She couldn’t have opened her eyes even if she tried. Soon she was in deep sleep. Then Mahāprabhu glanced towards her once and left.
That is the description from Amiya-nimāi-carita; now I will return to the description given in Caitanya-bhāgavata. On that evening Mahāprabhu retired to His bedroom after taking prasāda but sleep did not come to Him. Ever since He returned from Gayā He could not sleep. His condition was like that of Śrīmatī Rādhikā when Kṛṣṇa was residing in Mathurā and Dvārakā. He would be crying out in separation and as the night went on His emotions would become more and more intense. As it says in Śikṣāṣṭakam, yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa — every second felt like a millennium.
yoga-nidrā-prati dṛṣṭi karilāīśvara
nikaṭe śuilā haridāsa gadādhara
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.044
“He went into His bedroom and closed His eyes. He remembered Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, and especially Rādhikā’s mood of separation began to flow within His heart. Nearby Haridāsa and Gadādhara were sleeping.”
āi jāne āji prabhu karibe gamana
āira nāhika nidrā, kānde anukṣaṇa
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.045
`daṇḍa cāri rātri āche’ ṭhākura jāniyāu
ṭhilena calibāre nasā-ghrāṇa laiyā
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.046
“Śacīmātā knew that Mahāprabhu would be leaving that day. Therefore, she could not sleep and remained crying at every moment. Knowing that there were four daṇḍas, approximately one and one-half hours, left in the night, Mahāprabhu rose and collected what He was to take with Him.”
gadādhara haridāsa uṭhilena jāni’
gadādhara balena,—“caliba saṅge āmi”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.047
prabhu bale,—“āmāra nāhika kāru saṅga
eka advitīya se āmāra sarva raṅga”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.048
Simultaneously Gadādhara and Haridāsa both arose. If someone is determined to rise at three o’clock in the morning, then right at three o’clock or even a little before they will awaken. If the reason for awakening at that time is important enough, one will even wake up every hour or so through the entire night and check the time. Because Gadādhara and Haridāsa knew that He would be leaving, they remained alert the entire night. As soon as they heard a sound, they got up. Then Gadādhara said, “I am going with You. I decided long ago that I would not marry and start a household so I would be able to always accompany You.”
Mahāprabhu replied, “I don’t want anyone to come with Me. I am the one advitīya-brahma. One enters this world alone and departs it alone.”
Gadādhara said, “Even when accompanied by Your associates, You are still advitīya (meaning unparalleled or without a second). If you refer to Yourself as advitīya, there is no harm. If a king travels anywhere, his entourage will always accompany him. When Kṛṣṇa is together with Rādhikā and the gopīs, His mother, and all His devotees, He is still advitīya. They are all non-different and inseparable from Him. So I will go with You.”
But Mahāprabhu forbade him and went alone.
āi jānilena mātra prabhura gamana
duyāre vasiyā rahilena tata-kṣaṇa
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.049
jananīre dekhi’ prabhu dhari’ tāna kara
vasiyā kahena bahu prabodha-uttara
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.050
“vistara karilā tumi āmāra pālana
paḍilāṅa, śunilāṅa tomāra kāraṇa
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.051
āpanāra tilārddheko nā lailā sukha
ājanma āmāra tumi bāḍāilā bhoga
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.052
Knowing that Mahāprabhu was leaving, Śacīmātā went and sat near the door. Seeing His mother sitting there, Mahāprabhu took her hand and tried to speak comforting words to her. “You raised Me from the very beginning and it was only because of you that I studied and became a scholar. Without caring even the slightest bit for your own happiness, since My birth you have been immersed in giving Me happiness. I have never done anything for your happiness. In My childhood I broke pots and spread rice and dahl everywhere as children do. I can’t say how much mischief I must have done, but you always lovingly nurtured Me. Do you remember when I was a child? Father said,
‘No! Nimāi will not be educated. Viśvarūpa studied, became a paṇḍita and then left home. So Nimāi will not become a scholar; it is better that He remain a fool.’ ”
As a child once Mahāprabhu went and sat in the heap of household rubbish. Some of their neighbours said to Śacīmātā, “Hey! Your son is sitting in the rubbish, just like a fool.”
Śacīmātā said, “Oh, my son! What are you doing? Come away from there.” Nimāi replied, “Why, Mother?”
“Don’t you know that those are contaminated things?”
“How would I know? You haven’t arranged for Me to learn how to read or write, so how would I know what is contaminated and what isn’t? Some of these things are used to prepare offerings for the deities, are they not?”
“Yes.”
“Then how can they be contaminated?” “No, no—still it is contaminated.”
Then the neighbours said, “Our son has no desire to study but still we send him to school to learn. We see that your son actually wants to study, but you won’t send Him to school?”
Śacīmātā said, “Alright, come along, My son. We will have You educated.” Remembering instances like these from His childhood, Mahāprabhu became overwhelmed with emotion and began weeping. He said, “Mother, I can never repay you.” Really, no one can repay their debt to their mother, and especially the debt to Śacīmātā could never be repaid. One should always remember his parents. Although Prahlāda Mahārāja’s father was terribly cruel to him, he never made any unpleasant remarks about his father. One should always respect his parents. And the parents have a responsibility to create an opportunity for their children to practise kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Otherwise they have transgressed their duty and are then worthy of being renounced. Even one’s guru can be renounced if he becomes inimical to Kṛṣṇa.
So Mahāprabhu was exclaiming, “Mother, Mother,” and weeping. Then Śacīmātā said, “My dear son, why are You crying? You should be consoling me at this time.”
daṇḍe daṇḍe yata sneha karilā āmāre
āmi koṭī-kalpe o nāriba śodhibāre
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.053
tomāra prasāde se tāhāra pratikāra
āmi punaḥ janma janma ṛṇī se tomāra
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.054
śuna mātā, īśvarera adhīna saṁsāra
svatantra haite śakti nāhika kāhāra
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.055
saṁyoga-viyoga yata kare sei nātha
tāna icchā bujhibāre śakti āche kā’ta
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.056
Mahāprabhu said, “Even in millions of millenniums I would never be able to repay my debt to you. I will remain indebted to you birth after birth. Your magnanimity itself will have to serve as your compensation. Listen Mother! The whole of material existence is dependent on the Supreme Lord. No one has the potency to be independent. Sometimes people are together and sometimes they are separated; it is all by the will of Bhagavān. Without His desire nothing is possible. We can desire something, but the fruit of that desire will only come if He desires it. Who can understand His will?”
The purport of what Mahāprabhu is saying here is that “Now I am leaving to take sannyāsa because it is the desire of Bhagavān.”
daśa dināntare vā ki ekhane āmi
calile o kona cintā nā kariha tumi
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.057
vyavahāra-paramārtha yateka tomāra
sakala āmāte lāge, saba mora bhāra”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.058
buke hāta diyā prabhu bale bāra bāra
“tomāra sakala bhāra āmāra āmāra”
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.059
Mahāprabhu said, “You will be crying for me now. Suppose I wait for some time. I simply cannot remain in household life; ten days later I would just have to leave anyway. It is Bhagavān’s desire and He is inspiring Me to do this, so I cannot remain here. Mother, do not worry because whatever your needs may be, both material and spiritual, I will supply you with whatever is required. Don’t think that I have left the house and abandoned you; I will always see to your needs.” Placing His hand on His chest, Mahāprabhu said repeatedly, “Responsibility for all your needs lies with Myself and Myself only.”
Upon hearing all of this, Śacīmātā did not answer. She merely stood there motionlessly and cried. Then Mahāprabhu touched her feet and circumambulated her. He glanced at her once more and then cruelly left the house for the last time. His mother could not stop Him.
śuna śuna āre bhāi, prabhura sannyāsa
ye kathāśunile karma-bandha yāya nāśa
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 28.101
Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura says, “O friends, make your hearts strong, and don’t cry! The situation after Mahāprabhu departed is a matter of great sorrow and is difficult for devotees to tolerate. The whole of Navadvīpa—even the birds and animals—began weeping. Anyone who hears this narration of Mahāprabhu leaving home to take sannyāsa will have their attachment to material life severed.”
At approximately three o’clock in the morning, Mahāprabhu arrived at the ghāta that He had looked at the evening before. It was very cold. The Gaṅgā was swollen and the current was fierce. Exclaiming “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” He immediately jumped in and swam across the river to Kaṇṭaka village. This village is perhaps sixteen or seventeen miles from Navadvīpa. Later that morning all the devotees headed by Nityānanda Prabhu and Gadādhara also crossed the river from that ghāta. That ghāta has since become known as nirdaya-ghāta. Nirdaya means “cruel,” and it is from there that Mahāprabhu departed and cruelly left everything behind.
Later that morning Śacīmātā was still sitting in the same position without having moved an inch. When Viṣṇupriyā awoke, she cried out, “Where has He gone? Where has He gone?” Who can even imagine Viṣṇupriyā’s condition at that moment? She fell at the feet of Śacīmātā and cried. Advaita Ācārya, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita and many other devotees arrived there and saw how everything was now desolate in Mahāprabhu’s absence. They were embracing one another and crying. Even the birds who are generally restless were motionless and quiet. All the residents of Navadvīpa came to the home of Śacīmātā, but there was no one who could console her or anyone else. Śacīmātā said, “What benefit is there in having children? Prabhu has gone away and abandoned me forever.” After this Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa in Kaṭvā, and later all the Navadvīpa devotees met with Him again in Śāntipura.
* dharma bujhāite bāpa, tora avatāra
jananī chāḍibā e kon dharmera vicāra?
Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 27.027
“You are the personification of dharma. If You abandon Your mother, what instruction on dharma will You be giving to this world?”
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