Sita Thakurani!1!

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Hare Krsna!

 

3-9-2000 APPEARANCE DAY OF SRIMATI THAKURANI(ADVAITA'S CONSORT)

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PASTIME TO RELISH:

 

Part one:

 

Sita Thakurani lived in Santipura as the eternal wife of Sri Advaita Acarya

Prabhu. She was always absorbed in vatsalya-prema(paternal love) for Sri

Gaurasundara. Just after Sri Caitanya's appearance, Sita Thakurani came to

Mayapur. She brought a basket full of dresses, ornaments, silken childrens'

clothes, jeweled necklaces, and tiger nails set in gold.

 

To worship the golden baby she also brought auspicious articles such as

fresh grass, tumeric, kum kum, sandalwood. The wonderful name "Nimai" was

given to the Lord by Sita Thakurani.

 

In Krishna lila, Sita Thakurani is Yogamaya or also Paurnamasi. At

Krishna's birth ceremony she gave many instructions about child care to

Nanda and Yashoda. Similarly, in Gaura lila Sita Devi would often help

Sacimata nurture baby Nimai.

 

Sita Devi and Saci Mata were of one mind; their life and soul was Nimai.

Because of Sita Devi's pure parental love, Saci Mata often chose her as the

first person to worship Nimai Pandit during any auspicious ceremony.

 

Later Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nithyananda Prabhu often came to

Santipur to visit Advaita acarya and Sita Thakurani. They would collect all

the neighbours and hold an uproarious festival of Krishna nama-lila kirtana

extending late into the night. When Lord Caitanya moved to Jagannatha Puri

Advaita Prabhu and Sita Devi would regularly visit Him.

 

Sita would cook Mahaprabhu's favorite foods and offer lunch to the Lord.

Sita Devi loved Lord Caitanya as a son and He loved her as His mother.

 

Part two:

 

Shri Sita Thakurani is to be worshiped just as much as Sachidevi

herself, as the mother of the universe. She is the eternal wife of Shri

Advaita Acharya. She was the daughter of Shri Nrishinga Baduri. She was

married to Shri Advaita Acharya in Phuliya Nagara. After their wedding,

Advaita Acharya went to Nadiya, to live in Shantipura. Sita Thakurani was

always absorbed in vatsalya prema for Shri Gaurasundara Prabhu, and, out of

parental concern used to instruct Jagannatha Mishra on how to care for the

boy. Shri Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Goswami has described the birth

celebration at the house of Jagannatha Mishra upon the advent of the Lord,

giving special attention to the position of Shri Sita Thakurani. Advaita

Acharya's wife, worshipable by all the three worlds was Sita Thakurani.

Taking the Acharya's orders on her head, she had come to take a look at

this new child, this jewel of jewels, and to offer him presents.

 

On the eve of his son's advent Shri Jagannatha Mishra, seeing the

imminent signs of his child's arrival, sent word to Advaita Acharya in

Shantipura that the long-awaited child was being born. Hearing news of the

advent of this unprecedented child, Advaita Acharya floated inthe waves of

ecstasy. With Shri Haridasa Thakura, he went to bathe in the river, and,

after much dancing and song, he sent his wife to go quickly to Mayapura in

Navadwipa.

 

According to Gaura-Ganodesh Dipika, Shri Sita Thakurani is

Yogamaya. The Gaura-Parshada-Charitvali says that in Krishna Lila, she was

Purnamasi, the mother of Sandipani Muni, grandmother of Madhumangal and

Nandimukhi and a disciple of Narada Muni. (Gaura-Ganodesha-dipika, however,

says that Paurnamasi in Krishna-lila became Shri Govinda Acharya in

Chaitanya lila.)In Dvapara-yuga, during the celebration of Krishna's birth

ceremony, she was present in the house of Nanda, and at that time gave

Nanda and Yashoda many instructions on how to care for the child. The

Chaitanya Charitamrits gives the following account of Sita Thakurani's

visit to the house of Jagannatha Mishra after the birth of the Lord:

 

"One day, shortly after Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born, Advaita

Acharya's wife, Sitadevi, who is worshipable by the whole world, taking

permission of her husband, went to see that topmost child with all kinds of

gifts and presents. She brought different kinds of golden ornaments,

including banlges for the hand, armlets, neclaces, and anklets. There were

also tiger nails set in gold, waist decorations of silk and lace, ornaments

for the hands and legs, nicely printed silken saris and a child's garment,

also made of silk. Many other riches, including gold and silver coinds,

were also presented for the child. Riding in a palanquin covered with cloth

and accompanied by maidservants, Sita Thakurani came to the houe of

Jagannatha Mishra, bringing with her many auspicious articles such as fesh

grass, paddy, gorocana, turmeric, kunkuma, and sandalwood. All these

presentations filled a big basket. When Sita Thakurani came to the house of

Sachidevi, bringing with her many kinds of eatables, dresses, and other

gifts, she was astonished to see the newly born child, for she appreciated

that except for a difference in color, the child was directly Krishna of

Gokula Himself. Seeing the transcendental bodily effulgence of the child,

each of His nicely constructed limbs full of auspicious signs and

resembling a form of gold, Sita Thakurani was very much pleased, and

because of her maternal affection, she felt as if her heart were melting.

She blessed the newly born child by placing fresh grass and paddy on His

head and saying, "May You be blessed with a long duration of life." But

being afraid of ghosts and witches, she gave the child the name Nimai. On

the day that the mother and son took bath and left the maternity room, sita

Thakurani gave them all kinds of ornaments and garments, and then also

honored Jagannatha Mishra. then Sita Thakurani, being honored by mother

Sachidevi and Jagannatha Mishra, was greatly happy within her mind, and

thus she returned home."

 

From that day on, Sita Thakurani would often come to Mayapura from

Shantipura, in order to teach Sachimata how to care for the new baby. She

would give her many different instructions on how to raise children. And

after helping with the child in this way, she would return to Shantipura.

When it came time for the child's birthday ceremony, Jagannatha Mishra and

Sachidevi let the worshipable Sita Thakurani be the first to offer the

child his new clothes.

 

Advaita Acharya Prabhu also had a house in Navadwipa. There he

would live from time to time and discuss Krishna-katha with the devotees

headed by Shrivasa, diving and surfacing in the waves of joy until the

break of dawn. After Shri Gaurasundara's appearance, all the devotees

prayed together with Shri Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani that the child

might live long in Mayapura and have good fortune.

 

Sita Thakurani and Sachidevi were of one mind; the baby Nimai was

their life and soul. Every day Sita Thakurani would go to the house of

Sachidevi and help her with the care and nurturing of the boy. In the

house of Jagannatha Mishra, the divine child increased the pleasure of the

eyes and minds of all the devotees, just as the waxing moon gradually grows

more brilliant with each passing day.

 

After several years, when Jagannatha Mishra's son

Vishvarupa-Nimai's older brother-had grown up, he suddenly took sannyasa.

The grief and agony of Jagannatha Mishra and Sachidevi upon their son's

leaving was great. Gaurasundara was also dismayed and unhappy at his

brother's separation. At that time Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani

consoled Jagannatha Mishra and Sita Thakurani, and helped take care of

Nimai.

 

Shrivasa Pandit's wife Malini Devi also was always very

affectionate towards the child, nurturing him and caring for him. She and

Sachidevi were of one mind in doing this.

 

After exhibiting his childhood pastimes, Nimai gradually progressed

into his Kishora-lila, or pastimes of youth. After some time, he went to

Gaya and revealed his true form and real purpose. Having returned from Gaya

he gathered all the devotees at the house of Shrivasa Angan for the purpose

of beginning kirtan. At that time, Advaita Acharya brought Sita Thakurani

from Shantipura to Mayapura, and, having arrived there was the first to

worship the lotus feet of Shri Chaitanya.

 

Gradually Shri Gaurasundara began, in Navadwipa, to unfold his

kirtan pastimes, wishing to deliver the fallen souls. As time went by he

took sannyasa and turned his face towards Vrindavan, and ran off, half mad

into the jungle in search for Shri Krishna. Upon hearing this, Shri Sita

Thakurani spent four days with Sachidevi, who, plunged in the darkness of

separation as if the sun had left the sky forever, lay fallen on the ground

like one near death.

 

Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, being bound by the ropes of love, was

unable to go to Vrindavan, but was drawn to return to Shantipura. When he

arrived in Shantipura, Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani felt as if their

life has returned. After having fasted for four days, Shri Gaurasundara

accepted prasada cooked by the hand of SitaThakurani.

 

Previous to taking sannyasa also, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu along

with Nityananda Prabhu would, from time to time go to the house of Advaita

in Shantipura, where they would have a festival and perform

Krishna-nama-lila kirtan all day and all night. The beautiful nature of

this subject has been described by Shri Parameshvari Das Thakura in his

Shri Pada Kalpataru as follows:

 

One day the Lord laughed, having arrived in the temple of Shri Advaita and

thus the son of Sachi took his seat. Along with Nityananda, Advaita sat

down, and the two of them began playfully assessing the idea of having a

festival. Hearing all this, Sita Thakurani entered smiling. At that time,

in sweet words which made the minds of those who heard them blissful, the

son of Sachi ruled that there must be a great festival. He said, "Listen

Sita Thakurani: we shall extend invitations to all the different Vaishnavas

who live nearby. Let whoever hears the sound of our song, resounding

through the air, come and join us. We shall invite one and all." Saying

this, Shri Gaurachandra gave orders to the devotees saying, "You, invite

the Vaishnavas.You, ready the mridanga and karatalas.You, prepare

sandalwood and aguru for distribution." "Have everything ready at the

ghat.Carrying out these assignments expertly, and after garlanding the

devotees with flower garlands, the devotees shall gather together in a

circle for an uproarious kirtan."

 

Hearing the words of Mahaprabhu, the devotees followed his orders

with great affection, collecting garlands, sandalwood, betel, ghee, honey,

and milk, and everything else essential for worhsiping the Lord. The

different gifts and fragrant articles for the devotees and the Lord were

then distributed in the proper ways. The kirtan began at midday. At that

time everyone chanted 'Hari! Hari!' and the mridanga made the whole kirtan

auspicious. Thus swims Parameshavara dasa in the rasik pastimes of the

Lord.

 

After Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and went to live in

Jagannatha Puri, Shri Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani used to go and

visit him each year, bringing their son Achyutananda with them. On one

such occasion, Sita Thakurani prepared some of the Lord's favorite

preparations for him and invited Him to their home to take lunch. Simply

to increase their ecstasy, the Lord, who was always absorbed in Krishna

Nam, honored their invitation and took lunch in the home of Advaita and

Sita. Sita Thakurani, being always overwhelmed with vatsalya-prema treated

him as affectionately as if he were her own son. The Lord himself also

treated her with the same kind of regard and affection that he had for

Sachidevi herself. Shri Sita Thakurani bore three sons, Achutananda,

Krishna Mishra and Gopala Mishra, who were followers of Shri Chaitanya

Mahaprabhu.

 

According to Bhakti-Ratnakara, Shri Sita Thakurani's father was

Shri Nrishimha Baduri. Sita Thakurani also had a sister, Shri. According

to the Gaura-Ganoddesha Dipika, Sita Thakurani, the wife of Shri Advaita

Acharya, is Yogamaya, and her sister Shri is the prakasha, or

manifestation, of Yogamaya. (yogamaya bhagavati, grihini tasya sampratam,

sita rupenavatirna, "shri" namni tat prakashatah)

 

-HARIBOL-

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