Acceptance of sannyasa by Sri Visvarupa - 2nd Sept'2001

[Guest guest]

Read this and cry!

 

422. Now I will describe a conversation of Murari Gupta and Damodara

Pandita.

423. Damodara Pandita asked Murari Gupta: I would like to ask one

question I have long considered in my heart.

424. Dear Murari Gupta, this question I ask you: How did the Lord's

brother, Visvarupa, leave home and accept sannyasa?

425. This question I respectfully ask about His qualities and

pastimes." With a happy heart Murari Gupta replied:

426. Please listen. Listen, O Damodara, O best of the panditas, and I

will tell whatever I know.

427. Visvarupa was Lord Visvambhara's elder brother. He was the abode

of transcendental virtues. How can I describe all His virtues and pastimes?

428. In a short time He became learned in all the scriptures. He was

devoted to duty and detached from matter.

429. He was happy at heart. He was devoted to His spiritual master, the

Supreme Lord, and the brahmanas. He very affectionately served His mother

and father.

430. He understood the conclusion of Vedanta. He knew the secret heart

of all duties. He knew that no pious deed is separate from devotional

service to Lord Visnu.

431. He was loved by everyone. He was very perfect. In his heart lived

renunciation, spiritual knowledge, spiritual faith, and true intelligence.

432. One day as, a book in his left hand, he conversed with a fellow

student as they walked on the royal path, Jagannatha Misra noticed Him.

433. Jagannatha Misra thought: "My son is 16 years old. Now, in the

prime of his youth, he should be married."

434. Father Jagannatha Misra thought in his heart: "I should consider

what girl will be suitable for Visvarupa."

435. Thinking and thinking, the brahmana Jagannatha Misra returned to

his home. In his heart he was thinking of Visvarupa's marriage.

436. At that moment the brahmana Visvarupa also returned home. His

father was surprised to see Him. Visvarupa knew what was in His father's

heart.

437. Glancing at him, the great brahmana Visvarupa knew what His

surprised father was planning.

438. In His heart Visvarupa thought: "He is thinking how to arrange My

marriage.

439. "It is not right for Me to marry. But if I don't marry, mother

will be very unhappy."

440. As He thought of all this, night turned to sunrise. Then, a book

in His left hand, He left home.

441. Saintly Visvarupa crossed the Ganga and accepted sannyasa.

 

Song 13 (Patha-manjari raga)

 

442. In their hearts Mother Saci and Father Jagannatha Misra thought:

"Nine hours have passed. Why has our son not returned?" Jagannatha Misra

searched for Him. He went to every house, but he did not find His son.

443. From person to person, from ear to ear, the news circulated:

Visvarupa accepted sannyasa. The news went to you and also to me. Finally

hearing it himself, Father Jagannatha Misra fell unconscious.

444. When Saci-devi heard it, she also fell unconscious to the ground.

For them a blinding darkness covered the three worlds. "Visvarupa!", Saci

called out. "Son, come back. We want to gaze on You. Why did You leave home

and accept sannyasa?

445. "Your limbs are so beautiful! Your feet are so beautiful! How can

You travel on long journeys, walking on the roads? You cannot let even three

hours pass without eating. Now You will not find even a single sesame seed.

Before whom will You place Your requests now?

446. "Now that my son has gone there is no peace in my heart. Moment

after moment I yearn for His return. When I go to bathe, I am not peaceful.

I think: My Visvarupa may return.

447. "When You call out, `Mother!', that sound is more dear to me than

millions and millions of treasures. When i gaze at Your face I forget

myself. What sufferings did You feel that now You throw fire at my face,

that now You have become a poverty-stricken sannyasi? I do not know.

448. "O father of Visvarupa, wherever Visvarupa went, go there. Go and

bring my son home. Let the people say whatever they say. Bring my son back.

Again I will arrange for His sacred-thread ceremony."

449. Then Jagannatha Misra said: "O goddess, O queen Saci, please

listen. Please be peaceful at heart. Don't lament any more. This whole

material world is a lie. Visvarupa is a very exalted person.

450. "Good fortune has now come to our families. Visvarupa is a very

good son. From childhood He was always a sannyasi in spirit. Please give Him

your blessings. Bless Him that He will be always steady on the spiritual

path, that He will easily maintain His vow of sannyasa.

451. "Listen. Don't think in terms of calamity or good fortune. Don't

lament without reason. When a man accepts sannyasa he delivers ten million

of his kinsmen. Visvarupa is a jewel among men."

452. Hearing Jagannatha Misra's words, Saci again said: "What did you

say? Please say it again, O saintly one." Jagannatha Misra repeated: "When a

man accepts sannyasa he delivers ten million of his family members.

Therefore our son has done good."

453. In this way the two of them felt both grief and joy in their

hearts. How can I describe their glories? Their good fortune has no end.

They had Visvarupa as their son.

454. Murari Gupta then said to Damodara Pandita: Now you have heard the

story of Visvarupa accepting sannyasa. Repeating the conversation of those

two, Locana dasa sings this song glorifying Lord Visvarupa.

455. At that time Lord Visvambhara sat on His mother's lap. She gazed

at her dear son's face. He said: "Where did My brother go? Listen. Listen, O

mother and father. I will protect you."

456. Hearing these words, Jagannatha Misra and Saci-rani hugged their

son. Gazing at Lord Visvambhara's face, they forgot all their sorrows.

Locana dasa recounts this story.

 

>From Caitanya-mangala by Srila Locana Dasa Thakura

_________________________

 

Text 67

In name only did Visvarupa go home. He quickly returned to Advaita's house.

Text 68

Material happiness did not bring pleasure to Visvarupa's heart, where the

bliss of Krsna-kirtana always stayed.

Text 69

When He was home, Visvarupa stayed always in the room that was a Visnu

temple. He hardly ever went to the other rooms.

Text 70

When His parents began to make plans for His marriage, Visvarupa became

very unhappy at heart.

Text 71

"I must renounce the world", Visvarupa decided in His heart. "I must go to

the forest", was the only thought in His heart. It kept Him awake at night.

Text 72

Only the Supreme Personality of Godhead can truly understand the desires

that stay in the Supreme Personality of Godhead's heart. After a few day

Visvarupa accepted sannyasa.

Text 73

In this world He was known by the name "Sankararanya". The best of the

Vaisnavas, He walked on the path that leads to the limitless Supreme Person.

Text 74

When saintly Visvarupa left, the hearts of Saci and Jagannatha Misra burst

into flames.

Text 75

The Lord and His parents loudly wept. Tormented by separation from His

brother, Lord Caitanya fell unconscious.

Text 76

I do not have the power to place on my mouth words that describe that

torment of separation. Jagannatha Misra's home became filled with weeping.

Text 77

Seeing that Visvarupa had accepted sannyasa, Advaita and the other

Vaisnavas wept again and again.

Text 78

When they heard this news, the upper-class and middle-class non-devotees

did not respond in the same way. Hearing this news, they were not overcome

with grief.

Text 79

Their hearts broken, Saci and Jagannatha Misra cried, "Visvarupa!

Visvarupa!"

Text 80

Jagannatha Misra was overcome with grief for his son. His relatives and

friends tried to console him.

Text 81

They said, "O Jagannatha Misra, please be peaceful. Don't be unhappy at

heart. Your son is a great soul who has brought liberation to His entire

family.

Text 82

"When a person accepts sannyasa, then sixty-million of His family members

go to live in Vaikuntha.

Text 83

"By acting in this way, your son has attained the perfection of knowledge.

Text 84

"You should be very happy." Speaking these words, everyone grasped the

hands and feet of Saci and Jagannatha Misra.

Text 85

They said, "Your Visvambhara is the ornament of the family. This son will

continue your dynasty.

 

Text 86

"He will destroy all your sufferings. How can ten millions sons in compare

this this son?"

Text 87

All the relatives and friends explained the truth in this way. Still

Jagannatha Misra's suffering did not break.

Text 88

Thinking of these instructions, Jagannatha Misra became peaceful. Then,

when he remembered Visvarupa's virtues, he forgot all about being peaceful.

Text 89

Jagannatha Misra said, "In my heart I do not know whether this son will

stay home.

Text 90

"Lord Krsna gave me a son, and then Lord Krsna took Him away. Whatever Lord

Krsnacandra wishes will certainly be.

Text 91

"Independent of You, the individual soul has not even a half mustard seed's

worth of power. O Lord Krsna, I dedicate my body and senses to You. I take

shelter of You."

Text 92

With this knowledge of jnana-yoga, little by little saintly Jagannatha

Misra became peaceful and steady in his thoughts.

Text 93

In this way Visvarupa left home. His form is not different from the form of

Lord Nityananda.

Text 94

Whoever hears this description of Lord Visvarupa's sannyasa attains

Krsna-bhakti (devotional service to Lord Krsna). For him the noose of karma

is cut.

Text 95

When they heard of Visvarupa's sannyasa, the devotees felt both joy and

sorrow at every moment.

Text 96

They said, "Lord Krsna has taken from us a person who always spoke

Krsna-katha (topics of Krsna).

Text 97

"We should not stay here. We should go to the forest. Then we will not see

the faces of these sinners.

Text 98

"How many flames of the offender's words must we tolerate? Everyone is

addicted to the path of sin.

Text 99

"We do not hear holy names like "Krsna" on anyone's mouth. Drowning in

material pleasures, the whole world is on the verge of death.

Text 100

"If someone preaches the path that leads to Lord Krsna, no one accepts his

words. The people misunderstand him, try to refute him, and mock him.

Text 101

"They tell him, `How have you become happy by worshiping Krsna? Only after

begging do you eat. Youe sufferings always increase.' "

Text 102

Deciding that it was not right to stay among such people, the devotees

declared, "We must go to the forest", and then sighed.

Text 103

Saintly Advaita comforted everyone. He said, "You all will attain the

highest bliss. That is certain.

Text 104

"In My heart I feel great bliss. I think in this way: `Lord Krsnacandra is

now manifest in this world.'

Text 105

"Everyone happily chant, `Krsna!' In a few days we will see Lord Krsna

here.

Text 106

"Then Lord Krsna will enjoy pastimes with all of you. This this `Advaita'

will become a pure servant of Lord Krsna.

Text 107

"Then all you servants of the Lord will attain a great mercy that even

Sukadeva and Prahlada could not attain."

Text 108

Hearing Advaita's nectar words, all the devotees blissfully called out

"Hari!"

Text 109

All the devotees loudly called out "Hari!" Their hearts were filled with

bliss.

Text 110

As He was playing with the other boys, Lord Caitanya heard these calls of

"Hari!" The Lord then went to Advaita's home.

Text 111

"Why have You come, child? the devotees asked. The Lord replied, "Why did

you call for Me?"

Text 112

After speaking these words, the Lord ran off with the other boys.

Bewildered by the Lord's Yogamaya potency, no one could understand what had

happened.

Text 113

After Visvarupa left home, the Lord became a little more peaceful and

serious.

Text 114

Now He always stayed near His father and mother. In this way He made them

forget their grief.

 

>From Caitanya-bhagavata by Srila Vrindavana das Thakura Adi-khanda Chp 6.