Gauranga Takes Sannyasa On Makara Sankranti

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Gauranga Takes Sannyasa On Makara Sankranti

by Mahanidhi Swami

 

In 1510 a.d. on January 14, the auspicious day of Makara-sankranti, Nimai

Pandita left home and went to Katwa to take sannyasa, the renounced order

of life. Murari Gupta, an eternal associate of Lord Gauranga and

eyewitness, explains why in his diary entitled Sri Caitanya-carita

Mahakavya:

 

"One day for some reason Lord Gauranga began to think, 'I cannot stay here

in Navadvipa anymore. I must go to Vrndavana! Where are My Yamuna and

forests 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 start

running and ecstatically call out for His favorite cows, 'Dhavali!

Shabali!' Other times He would sigh in anguish, 'When will I give up family

life and attain the lotus feet of Nandanandana?' Drowning in an ocean of

separation, 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 by

propagating His Sankirtana movement. While sitting peacefully at home one

day Visvambhara adopted the mood of the Vraja gopis, gopi bhava, and

started chanting, "Gopi! Gopi! Gopi! Vrndavana!" A student visiting at the

time heard this and, not understanding Lord Visvambhara's internal mood,

impudently tried to correct Him saying, "What are You doing? There is no

piety accrued by chanting this 'gopi! gopi!' But you will get great piety

by 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, the

student met with his classmates and narrated the incident. The classmates

sympathized with their fellow student saying, "Nimai Pandit can't get away

with this. We are also brahmanas. We all studied together, so why should

this fellow now think He has become the 'big master.' If He tries to attack

us 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 heart

to few of His intimate associates like Nityananda, Gadadhara and Mukunda

Datta: "I came to deliver the fallen souls from bondage, but now they want

to beat Me. I am producing the opposite result. Instead taking up

devotional service, the people are blaspheming Me and thus will never be

saved. They think I am just another Misra, a relative and family man like

themselves. Therefore, to show that I am not one of them, I will leave

home, shave My sikha and take sannyasa. Then if these rogues offer

obeisances to Me, the reactions of their offenses will be nullified and I

can awaken bhakti in their hearts. By this process all the pasandis

(faithless) in the world such as students, scientists, smartas and

logicians will be delivered."

 

These words felt like thunderbolts crashing on their heads. They all felt

unhappy and cried over their impending separation from the Lord of their

hearts. Nityananda said, "You ask My permission to take sannyasa, but what

can I say? I have no power to forbid You. You are the completely

independent Lord, so do whatever You must to save the world." Thinking how

much mother Saci would suffer in Nimai's absence, Nityananda went away to a

secluded place and wept continually. Overwhelmed with separation, Mukunda

fell to the ground unconscious.

 

Then Visvambhara visited all the devotees to inform them of His plan to

leave home, shave His sikha and take sannyasa. The painful news plunged

everyone in an ocean of grief. They thought, "Never again will we smell the

sweet fragrance of His hair, anoint His beautiful hair with amla oil, or

place malati flowers in His curly locks. Anticipating their separation from

Nimai Pandit, the devotees cried without stop while loudly chanting, "Hari!

Hari!"

 

Attempting to pacify His beloved devotees, Lord Gauranga embraced them all

and said, "Fearing impending separation from Me, you are all sad and

miserable. I too am feeling totally overwhelmed in separation from Kåñëa. I

will take the dress of a sannyasa and search everywhere for the Lord of My

heart. Do not be aggrieved, I will never leave you for a moment. I have

descended in two forms: Sankirtana and the bliss of Deity worship. By

worshiping My Deity and performing sankirtana in great joy you will always

have My association. I'll accept sannyasa to teach devotional service to

the world. Do not worry."

 

Continuing Lord Gauranga said, "Listen, material existence is full of

dangers 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 forget

Krsna. Real life begins when one starts to serve Krsna. Please, all of you

bless 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 and

lotus eyes. One who sees Kåñëa as His father, mother, friend, guru and only

Lord can easily worship the Lord. May your hearts be tied to Kåñëa's lotus

feet. As for Myself, I am burning alive without seeing Kåñëa in My heart. I

am drowning in the ocean of material existence."

 

Then Gauranga breathed heavily and snapped His brahmin thread while

roaring, "Hari! Hari!" Visvambhara rolled on the ground covering His golden

body with dust. Due to ecstatic love, Gauranga's body perspired profusely

and 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 associates

stood by helplessly wondering how to comfort the Lord in His anguish of

separation from Kåñëa.

 

When mother Saci heard the news of Gauranga's sannyasa she fell unconscious

and just wept and wept. Awaking, she ran madly here and there in Navadvipa

asking everyone if the news was true. Meeting Nimai Pandit, she spoke some

tear-soaked words in a faltering voice, "My dear son. Please don't leave me

alone and go away. Your brother has left and your father has gone to

Vaikuntha. Only by seeing Your beautiful face can we stay alive."

 

Nimai tried to comfort His mother by narrating the story of Dhruva

Maharaja. He explained how Dhruva became a famous devotee by the mercy of

his mother Suniti. After hearing the story mother Saci said, "You will

leave home and shave Your hair. I will also cut off my hair and wear the

red 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 by

telling her some secrets. "Please mother be peaceful. In many births in

different 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 the

mother of My Deity forms, and as the tongues of everyone you are the mother

of My form as the holy names. In this way mother, in My heart I will never

leave you. And because of your pure love you will be able to see Me

whenever you want."

 

Saci said, "You are the supremely independent Lord. It was my great

fortunate that I raised You. Now per Your sweet will, You may take

sannyasa."

 

A few days before Makara-sankranti, Gauranga informed Nityananda Prabhu,

Candrasekhara Acarya, Gadadhara Pandit, Mukunda Datta, Sacimata and

Paramananda (some say Brahmananda or Jagadananda Pandit) that He would go

to Katva and take sannyasa from Kesava Bharati. Other than these six, none

of the devotees in Navadvipa knew that Gauranga would leave home on

Makara-sankranti. In Bengal the day before Makara-sankranti is celebrated

as Laksmi-puja, worship Laksmi with great pomp and festivity. Knowing He

would leave the next day to take sannyasa, Nimai inspired all the leading

devotees to come see Him that evening. They brought flower garlands and

sandalwood paste to offer to Gauranga.

 

Lord Visvambhara graciously accepted the garlands. Then He placed them on

the necks of the devotees who gave them and urged them to, "Always think

about Kåñëa and chant His holy name. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna

Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. No other

religious practice is required besides chanting this maha-mantra. If you

have any real attraction for Me, then always talk about Kåñëa and do

everything while chanting His holy name." Attaining Gauranga's mercy,

everyone floated in an ocean of bliss and loudly chanted the names of Hari

while returning home. No one had any idea that Gauranga was leaving home

the next morning to take sannyasa.

 

The famous sabji walla Kholaveca Sridhara, with whom Nimai Pandit would

always playfully bicker over prices, arrived later in the evening gifting a

squash to Gauranga. The Lord thought that He could not eat this since He

was leaving in the morning. But out of love for His devotee, He decided to

eat it that night. Another devotee arrived with an offering of milk, so

mother Saci prepared loki kheer for the pleasure of Lord Gauranga.

 

Knowing that her beloved son would leave the next day, mother Saci cried

all night while guarding the front door. Gadadhara and Haridasa were

sleeping in the house too. At about three o'clock in the morning on

Makara-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 Her

and spoke some enlightening words: "Mother, you have always protected and

nourished 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 after

moment. I will forever be in debt to you." Stunned, Saci simply sat by

shedding constant tears. Gauranga put the dust of mother Saci's feet on His

head, circumambulated her and departed. Lord Gauranga left home to accept

sannyasa and thereby deliver all the conditioned souls.

 

At dawn all the devotees rose, bathed, and came to pay obeisances to

Gauranga. They saw Saci collapsed by the door, stiff as a statue, tears

streaming down her face. When Saci said, "The Lord left me," everyone fell

unconscious on the ground. Holding each other's necks, they wept and

lamented, "O Gopinatha! Why this night had to end? If we can't see His

moon-like face, how will we live!" They beat their chests, rolled on the

ground and wet the earth with the deluge of their tears. Drowning in the

ocean separation, all the devotees cried out, "Hari! Hari!" All of Nadia

joined the anguished party of crying devotees upon hearing the news, "the

jewel of the brahmanas has left Nadia to take sannyasa!"

 

Lord Gauranga swam across the Ganga and in His wet clothes ran the

twenty-five miles to Katva where He met Nityananda, Gadadhara,

Candrasekhara, Mukunda and Paramananda. He reached there by about nine

o'clock. Gauranga petitioned Kesava Bharati, "Please give Me service to

Lord Krishna and nothing else!"

 

At first Kesava Bharati refused to give sannyasa on the grounds that Nimai

Pandit was too young and handsome, and that He had left a widowed mother

and a sonless wife who was a mere fourteen years old. Meanwhile, since it

was the auspicious day of Makara-sankranti many people had come to bathe in

the Ganga. A huge crowd gathered upon hearing that Nimai Pandit of

Navadvipa would take sannyasa. The crowd turned into an angry mob enraged

over the proposed sannyasa of this young married man with a widowed mother.

They threatened to destroy Kesava Bharati's asrama if He gave sannyasa to

Nimai 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 the

scene, and Gauranga bathed them all with His tears of prema. Women, men,

the young and old all chanted "Hari! Hari!" Gauranga exhibited many sattvic

bhavas 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 Godhead

and the spiritual master of all the worlds. No one can become Your

spiritual master. But just to teach the world, You want me to act as Your

spiritual master." Gauranga passed the night absorbed in Hari katha.

The next day Candrasekhara Acarya made all the arrangements for the

sannyasa 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 on

Gauranga's wonderful hair. While crying and crying the barber said, "My

Lord! How can I cut Your beautiful hair which satisfies the hearts of

everyone. I am in shaking in fear of committing an offense, which I know

can never be counteracted. I am just a simple barber from a low class

family."

 

Gauranga reassured the barber, "After today, you can give up this hair

cutting business. By the mercy of Krishna you will live a happy life and at

the end go back to Godhead." After shaving Lord Gauranga the barber became

a sweet maker.

 

Nityananda Prabhu, the assembled women and the unseen demigods all broke

down crying at the tragedy of Gauranga's hair cutting ceremony. All the

unlimited universes filled with weeping. By this pastime of karunya-rasa,

the mellow of grief, Lord Gauranga melted the stones and trees. Feeling

restless, weeping and trembling Gauranga ordered Mukunda to sing. Then the

Lord started dancing wildly and roaring.

 

Before receiving initiation Gauranga told Kesava Bharati, "Recently I had a

dream 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 you

will give."

 

By this trick Gauranga made Kesava Bharati His disciple. Hearing that

mantra from Gauranga transformed Kesava Bharati's heart. He then repeated

the mantra to Gauranga. As Gauranga accepted sannyasa His lotus eyes poured

streams of tears, and the four directions resounded with kirtana. With His

bright saffron robes, limbs anointed with sandalwood paste, waterpot and

danda 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 name

Krishna. By doing this You make the whole world come alive (caitanya) with

kirtana. Therefore, Your name should be Sri Krishna Caitanya." Showers of

flowers and shouts of "Jaya! Jaya! Hari! Hari!" filled the air. All the

Vaisnavas floated in bliss.

 

Externally Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa to preach pure devotional

service and distribute Krsna prema to the conditioned souls. In Navadvipa

the smarta brahmanas, students, logicians and mundane scholars formed an

opposition party against Nimai Pandit. Due to pride and ignorance they

offended the Lord, considering Him to be a merely another grhasta Brahman

pandita and family man. To gain victory over the oppostion party Sri

Caitanya had to leave Navadvipa and take sannyasa. A similar situation

occurred in Krsna's pastimes where opposition came in the form of various

demons sent by Kamsa like Putana, Agha, Bakasura and Keshi. To rout the

opposition party and vanquish various demons Kåñëa had to leave Vrndavana

and go to Mathura and then ultimately Dvaraka.

 

Internally Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa to experience Sri Radha's

unique prema and increase the love of His devotees. The pain of separation

enhances the taste of meeting. True love is tested, purified and

concentrated in the blazing fires of separation. Before going to Mathura,

Krsna only spent five years enjoying with the gopis in Vrndavana. (age six

to eleven). The gopis relished union with Krsna for only five years, but

sustained their love in separation for 120 years! Just see the

inconceivable depth of the Vraja gopis' pure love for Krsna.

 

After five years of preaching and conquering different philosophers and

religionists 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 to

deliver. They had now become sympathetic and supportive toward Him since He

had left everything. The separation induced by Mahaprabhu's sannyasa

enabled all His devotees and relatives to fully relish the ecstasy of

union. The riverbanks of both union and separation are essential for the

flow of prema to reach the ocean of transcendental ecstasy.

 

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa to teach us and attract us to

beautiful Vrndavana, the sweet home of pure devotional service. Although

Mahaprabhu's sannyasa seemed cruel to His devotees and family members, it

was meant only to deliver the conditioned souls to the highest plane of

pure love. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai!

 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare