Gauranga Takes Sannyasa (Katwa Pastimes)

Gauranga Takes Sannyasa On Makara Sankrantiby Mahanidhi SwamiIn 1510 a.d. on January 14, the auspicious day of Makara-sankranti, NimaiPandita left home and went to Katwa to take sannyasa, the renounced orderof life. Murari Gupta, an eternal associate of Lord Gauranga andeyewitness, explains why in his diary entitled Sri Caitanya-caritaMahakavya:"One day for some reason Lord Gauranga began to think, 'I cannot stay herein Navadvipa anymore. I must go to Vrndavana! Where are My Yamuna andforests of Vraja? Where is My Govardhana Hill, Bhandiravan and Bhadravan?Where is Nanda Maharaja and mother Yasoda? Where are My Sridama and Subala?Where are Radha, Lalita and the others?' Sometimes Gauranga would startrunning and ecstatically call out for His favorite cows, 'Dhavali!Shabali!' Other times He would sigh in anguish, 'When will I give up familylife and attain the lotus feet of Nandanandana?' Drowning in an ocean ofseparation, Lord Gauranga cried, 'Hari! Hari!' "By this time Sri Gauranga had liberated Jagai and Madhai, saved the Kazi,and inundated Navadvipa-dhama with the ambrosial waves of Kåñëa prema bypropagating His Sankirtana movement. While sitting peacefully at home oneday Visvambhara adopted the mood of the Vraja gopis, gopi bhava, andstarted chanting, "Gopi! Gopi! Gopi! Vrndavana!" A student visiting at thetime heard this and, not understanding Lord Visvambhara's internal mood,impudently tried to correct Him saying, "What are You doing? There is nopiety accrued by chanting this 'gopi! gopi!' But you will get great pietyby chanting the name of Kåñëa."Lord Gauranga became angry, picked up a stick and chased the student.The devotees restrained the Lord and tried to pacify Him. Meanwhile, thestudent met with his classmates and narrated the incident. The classmatessympathized with their fellow student saying, "Nimai Pandit can't get awaywith this. We are also brahmanas. We all studied together, so why shouldthis fellow now think He has become the 'big master.' If He tries to attackus again, then all together we will beat Him."As the Supersoul in everyone's heart, Gauranga understood the students'conversation and their aggressive angry mood. Gauranga revealed His heartto few of His intimate associates like Nityananda, Gadadhara and MukundaDatta: "I came to deliver the fallen souls from bondage, but now they wantto beat Me. I am producing the opposite result. Instead taking updevotional service, the people are blaspheming Me and thus will never besaved. They think I am just another Misra, a relative and family man likethemselves. Therefore, to show that I am not one of them, I will leavehome, shave My sikha and take sannyasa. Then if these rogues offerobeisances to Me, the reactions of their offenses will be nullified and Ican awaken bhakti in their hearts. By this process all the pasandis(faithless) in the world such as students, scientists, smartas andlogicians will be delivered."These words felt like thunderbolts crashing on their heads. They all feltunhappy and cried over their impending separation from the Lord of theirhearts. Nityananda said, "You ask My permission to take sannyasa, but whatcan I say? I have no power to forbid You. You are the completelyindependent Lord, so do whatever You must to save the world." Thinking howmuch mother Saci would suffer in Nimai's absence, Nityananda went away to asecluded place and wept continually. Overwhelmed with separation, Mukundafell to the ground unconscious.Then Visvambhara visited all the devotees to inform them of His plan toleave home, shave His sikha and take sannyasa. The painful news plungedeveryone in an ocean of grief. They thought, "Never again will we smell thesweet fragrance of His hair, anoint His beautiful hair with amla oil, orplace malati flowers in His curly locks. Anticipating their separation fromNimai Pandit, the devotees cried without stop while loudly chanting, "Hari!Hari!"Attempting to pacify His beloved devotees, Lord Gauranga embraced them alland said, "Fearing impending separation from Me, you are all sad andmiserable. I too am feeling totally overwhelmed in separation from Kåñëa. Iwill take the dress of a sannyasa and search everywhere for the Lord of Myheart. Do not be aggrieved, I will never leave you for a moment. I havedescended in two forms: Sankirtana and the bliss of Deity worship. Byworshiping My Deity and performing sankirtana in great joy you will alwayshave My association. I'll accept sannyasa to teach devotional service tothe world. Do not worry."Continuing Lord Gauranga said, "Listen, material existence is full ofdangers and material desires which burn the heart like poison. Greed,anger, lust, envy and false pride never spare anyone. Lodged in the heart,they rob a man's mind. All the beautiful things of the world make us forgetKrsna. Real life begins when one starts to serve Krsna. Please, all of youbless Me so that love of Kåñëa will appear in the core of My heart."You should always sing the glories of Kåñëa and see His beautiful face andlotus eyes. One who sees Kåñëa as His father, mother, friend, guru and onlyLord can easily worship the Lord. May your hearts be tied to Kåñëa's lotusfeet. As for Myself, I am burning alive without seeing Kåñëa in My heart. Iam drowning in the ocean of material existence."Then Gauranga breathed heavily and snapped His brahmin thread whileroaring, "Hari! Hari!" Visvambhara rolled on the ground covering His goldenbody with dust. Due to ecstatic love, Gauranga's body perspired profuselyand shivered. He jumped around crying out, "O Prananatha! Vrndavana!Radha!" Beating His chest with His fists, Gauranga wailed, "Hari! Hari!"Overwhelmed with sadness, Gauranga's astonished friends and associatesstood by helplessly wondering how to comfort the Lord in His anguish ofseparation from Kåñëa.When mother Saci heard the news of Gauranga's sannyasa she fell unconsciousand just wept and wept. Awaking, she ran madly here and there in Navadvipaasking everyone if the news was true. Meeting Nimai Pandit, she spoke sometear-soaked words in a faltering voice, "My dear son. Please don't leave mealone and go away. Your brother has left and your father has gone toVaikuntha. Only by seeing Your beautiful face can we stay alive."Nimai tried to comfort His mother by narrating the story of DhruvaMaharaja. He explained how Dhruva became a famous devotee by the mercy ofhis mother Suniti. After hearing the story mother Saci said, "You willleave home and shave Your hair. I will also cut off my hair and wear thered cloth of a sannyasi. In this way as a yogini I will go with You."Seeing Saci overcome with grief, Gauranga tried again to pacify her bytelling her some secrets. "Please mother be peaceful. In many births indifferent ages I appeared as your son as Vamana, Kapila, Rama and Krishna.In Kali-yuga, I have taken birth twice to begin the Sankirtan movement.Both times I am Your son. As the personified earth goddess you are themother of My Deity forms, and as the tongues of everyone you are the motherof My form as the holy names. In this way mother, in My heart I will neverleave you. And because of your pure love you will be able to see Mewhenever you want."Saci said, "You are the supremely independent Lord. It was my greatfortunate that I raised You. Now per Your sweet will, You may takesannyasa."A few days before Makara-sankranti, Gauranga informed Nityananda Prabhu,Candrasekhara Acarya, Gadadhara Pandit, Mukunda Datta, Sacimata andParamananda (some say Brahmananda or Jagadananda Pandit) that He would goto Katva and take sannyasa from Kesava Bharati. Other than these six, noneof the devotees in Navadvipa knew that Gauranga would leave home onMakara-sankranti. In Bengal the day before Makara-sankranti is celebratedas Laksmi-puja, worship Laksmi with great pomp and festivity. Knowing Hewould leave the next day to take sannyasa, Nimai inspired all the leadingdevotees to come see Him that evening. They brought flower garlands andsandalwood paste to offer to Gauranga.Lord Visvambhara graciously accepted the garlands. Then He placed them onthe necks of the devotees who gave them and urged them to, "Always thinkabout Kåñëa and chant His holy name. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna KrishnaKrishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. No otherreligious practice is required besides chanting this maha-mantra. If youhave any real attraction for Me, then always talk about Kåñëa and doeverything while chanting His holy name." Attaining Gauranga's mercy,everyone floated in an ocean of bliss and loudly chanted the names of Hariwhile returning home. No one had any idea that Gauranga was leaving homethe next morning to take sannyasa.The famous sabji walla Kholaveca Sridhara, with whom Nimai Pandit wouldalways playfully bicker over prices, arrived later in the evening gifting asquash to Gauranga. The Lord thought that He could not eat this since Hewas leaving in the morning. But out of love for His devotee, He decided toeat it that night. Another devotee arrived with an offering of milk, somother Saci prepared loki kheer for the pleasure of Lord Gauranga.Knowing that her beloved son would leave the next day, mother Saci criedall night while guarding the front door. Gadadhara and Haridasa weresleeping in the house too. At about three o'clock in the morning onMakara-sankranti, Nimai left Visnupriya sleeping in bed and left the house.Gadadhara stopped the Lord saying, "I will go with You." Gauranga replied,"I will go alone. That is My happiness."Seeing His mother sitting by the front door crying, Gauranga embraced Herand spoke some enlightening words: "Mother, you have always protected andnourished Me. You taught Me the scriptures and continually made Me happy.In a million lives I could never repay the love you gave Me moment aftermoment. I will forever be in debt to you." Stunned, Saci simply sat byshedding constant tears. Gauranga put the dust of mother Saci's feet on Hishead, circumambulated her and departed. Lord Gauranga left home to acceptsannyasa and thereby deliver all the conditioned souls.At dawn all the devotees rose, bathed, and came to pay obeisances toGauranga. They saw Saci collapsed by the door, stiff as a statue, tearsstreaming down her face. When Saci said, "The Lord left me," everyone fellunconscious on the ground. Holding each other's necks, they wept andlamented, "O Gopinatha! Why this night had to end? If we can't see Hismoon-like face, how will we live!" They beat their chests, rolled on theground and wet the earth with the deluge of their tears. Drowning in theocean separation, all the devotees cried out, "Hari! Hari!" All of Nadiajoined the anguished party of crying devotees upon hearing the news, "thejewel of the brahmanas has left Nadia to take sannyasa!"Lord Gauranga swam across the Ganga and in His wet clothes ran thetwenty-five miles to Katva where He met Nityananda, Gadadhara,Candrasekhara, Mukunda and Paramananda. He reached there by about nineo'clock. Gauranga petitioned Kesava Bharati, "Please give Me service toLord Krishna and nothing else!"At first Kesava Bharati refused to give sannyasa on the grounds that NimaiPandit was too young and handsome, and that He had left a widowed motherand a sonless wife who was a mere fourteen years old. Meanwhile, since itwas the auspicious day of Makara-sankranti many people had come to bathe inthe Ganga. A huge crowd gathered upon hearing that Nimai Pandit ofNavadvipa would take sannyasa. The crowd turned into an angry mob enragedover the proposed sannyasa of this young married man with a widowed mother.They threatened to destroy Kesava Bharati's asrama if He gave sannyasa toNimai Pandit.In a mood of ecstasy Gauranga began a kirtana, chanting Hare Krishna,roaring loudly and dancing in a circle. Millions of people rushed to thescene, and Gauranga bathed them all with His tears of prema. Women, men,the young and old all chanted "Hari! Hari!" Gauranga exhibited many sattvicbhavas like trembling, perspiring and falling unconscious. Witnessing this,all the onlookers wept continually.When Lord Gauranga returned to external consciousness, Kesava Bharati said,"Seeing Your ecstasy I realize You are the Supreme Personality of Godheadand the spiritual master of all the worlds. No one can become Yourspiritual master. But just to teach the world, You want me to act as Yourspiritual master." Gauranga passed the night absorbed in Hari katha.The next day Candrasekhara Acarya made all the arrangements for thesannyasa ceremony. Gauranga enchanted the eyes of everyone with His long,beautiful curly hair tied in a topknot and decorated with malati flowers.The devotees in Navadvipa had maintained their lives just by meditating onGauranga's wonderful hair. While crying and crying the barber said, "MyLord! How can I cut Your beautiful hair which satisfies the hearts ofeveryone. I am in shaking in fear of committing an offense, which I knowcan never be counteracted. I am just a simple barber from a low classfamily."Gauranga reassured the barber, "After today, you can give up this haircutting business. By the mercy of Krishna you will live a happy life and atthe end go back to Godhead." After shaving Lord Gauranga the barber becamea sweet maker.Nityananda Prabhu, the assembled women and the unseen demigods all brokedown crying at the tragedy of Gauranga's hair cutting ceremony. All theunlimited universes filled with weeping. By this pastime of karunya-rasa,the mellow of grief, Lord Gauranga melted the stones and trees. Feelingrestless, weeping and trembling Gauranga ordered Mukunda to sing. Then theLord started dancing wildly and roaring.Before receiving initiation Gauranga told Kesava Bharati, "Recently I had adream wherein a great personality whispered the sannyasa mantra in My ear.I will repeat it to you and you can tell Me if it is the same mantra youwill give."By this trick Gauranga made Kesava Bharati His disciple. Hearing thatmantra from Gauranga transformed Kesava Bharati's heart. He then repeatedthe mantra to Gauranga. As Gauranga accepted sannyasa His lotus eyes pouredstreams of tears, and the four directions resounded with kirtana. With Hisbright saffron robes, limbs anointed with sandalwood paste, waterpot anddanda Lord Gauranga looked more attractive than millions of Cupids.Kesava Bharati could not think of a suitable sannyasa name for Gauranga.Inspired by Sarasvati, he said, "You make the whole world chant the nameKrishna. By doing this You make the whole world come alive (caitanya) withkirtana. Therefore, Your name should be Sri Krishna Caitanya." Showers offlowers and shouts of "Jaya! Jaya! Hari! Hari!" filled the air. All theVaisnavas floated in bliss.Externally Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa to preach pure devotionalservice and distribute Krsna prema to the conditioned souls. In Navadvipathe smarta brahmanas, students, logicians and mundane scholars formed anopposition party against Nimai Pandit. Due to pride and ignorance theyoffended the Lord, considering Him to be a merely another grhasta Brahmanpandita and family man. To gain victory over the oppostion party SriCaitanya had to leave Navadvipa and take sannyasa. A similar situationoccurred in Krsna's pastimes where opposition came in the form of variousdemons sent by Kamsa like Putana, Agha, Bakasura and Keshi. To rout theopposition party and vanquish various demons Kåñëa had to leave Vrndavanaand go to Mathura and then ultimately Dvaraka.Internally Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa to experience Sri Radha'sunique prema and increase the love of His devotees. The pain of separationenhances the taste of meeting. True love is tested, purified andconcentrated in the blazing fires of separation. Before going to Mathura,Krsna only spent five years enjoying with the gopis in Vrndavana. (age sixto eleven). The gopis relished union with Krsna for only five years, butsustained their love in separation for 120 years! Just see theinconceivable depth of the Vraja gopis' pure love for Krsna.After five years of preaching and conquering different philosophers andreligionists Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Navadvipa. All the men,women and children ran madly to catch a glimpse of the Lord's lotus face.In separation from the Lord everyone's hearts had filled with divine love.They realized the identity of Mahaprabhu and the great treasure He came todeliver. They had now become sympathetic and supportive toward Him since Hehad left everything. The separation induced by Mahaprabhu's sannyasaenabled all His devotees and relatives to fully relish the ecstasy ofunion. The riverbanks of both union and separation are essential for theflow of prema to reach the ocean of transcendental ecstasy.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa to teach us and attract us tobeautiful Vrndavana, the sweet home of pure devotional service. AlthoughMahaprabhu's sannyasa seemed cruel to His devotees and family members, itwas meant only to deliver the conditioned souls to the highest plane ofpure love. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai!Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare