Raghunath Das called a thief

[Guest guest]

Camp: Mathura-desa Nama Hattas, Arabian Gulf Area, Middle East, Arabian Sea.

 

My Dear Krsnendu dasa,

 

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thankyou for your letter cited below with my comments. I have noted the

contents carefully.

 

> Dear Maharaja,

> Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

>

> I remember hearing from one devotee that the incident where Lord

> Nityananda calls Raghunath das Goswami a thief (prior to Panihati Cida

> Dahi festival) has special significance as follows-

>

> Anyone who tries to approach Lord Caitanya without going through

> Nityananda Prabhu (the guru) is like a thief because the guru has the

> right to give the Lord to someone. It is for this reason that when

> Raghunath das first approached Lord Caitanya, he was sent home but when he

> got the blessings of Lord Nityananda he was able to surrender to Sri

> Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

>

> I can not find any reference to this in the Caitanya Caritamrta. Have you

> also hear this explanation? If so where is it written.

>

> Your servant,

> Krsnendu das

 

The normal explanation given for why the Cheera-dahi festival is called

"danda-mahotsaba" or the festival of punishment is that in order to approach

Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu one has to go through Lord Nityananda

Prabhu. Since Ragunatha dasa was in bengal he should have gone through Lord

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu's representative Lord Nityananda, who is the

original Spiritual Master. Since Ragunatha Dasa tried to go directly to

Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu he was a failure until he got the mercy

of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Then he was a success by Lord Nityananda's

causeless mercy. So Ragunatha dasa's avoiding Lord Nityananda and going

directly to Lord Caitanya is considered to by like a thief's trying to steal

something.

 

It is also explained that the living entity needs to approach Lord Sri

Krishna Caitanya through a bona fide Spiritual Master who is representing

Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

 

These are the explanations which we have heard from many senior devotees in

India about the panihati Cheera Dahi festival. It made such obvious sense

and I couldn't see any other explanation for why the festival was called

"danda-mahotsava" that I never thought to scan all the literature of Lord

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers for some reference in

writing. I have asked around since you asked, but everyone just says the

same thing, "that is what everyone says!" I really don't know where it is

written explicitly. However when everyone has the same explanation handed

down that is one kind of praman (evidence), although not as definitive as a

written sastra it is considered a kind of evidence. If I come accross

something in writing then I will inform you about it on this conference.

 

I hope that this finds you in good health.

 

Yours in service,

 

Jayapataka Swami