May the Mercy Be Upon You

Sannyasa-lila Mahaprabhu: pain for vaishnavas

So, we're here remembering Mahaprabhu and his Sannyasa-lila, this time of year. It comes every winter around the Makar Sankranti which is a holy occasion on the vaishnava and hindu calendar in India. They are celebrating, it's a very auspicious day. And around this time, it’s when Nimai Pandit took sannyasa. And it's a very painful time for the higher vaishnavas. It's not a happy festival time. The higher vaishnavas, our Guru-Varga, become very serious and withdrawn during this time. And Srila Shridhar Maharaj used to become unavailable at this time. Doors closed, no entry, he was not available to meet with devotees and was fully meditating on Mahaprabhu's Sannyasa-lila.

«That's the Mahaprabhu I want to see»

It's the hard of these higher, greater vaishnavas that they want always to see Mahaprabhu in his Nimai Pandit form. Also Shrila Gurudev would be very pained to see the artwork some devotees make, artwork and paintings of Mahaprabhu as a sannyasi. And Gurudev would never hang those paintings up. Finally, he said, “Can't you paint me a picture of Mahaprabhu with beautiful long hair and it's flowing down, as Nimai of Nadia, as Gauranga? That's the Mahaprabhu I want to see. Not Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, sannyasi”. So it's a tragedy of separation as we see the heading in "Golden Volcano". We've been reading that in the mornings and hearing from Srila Shtidhar Maharaj about this pastime. And how Mahaprabhu leaves very early in the morning, like three o'clock in the morning.

So, the night before everyone came and stayed with Mahaprabhu, and Mahaprabhu begged everyone, "You're only business in this world is to chant the holy name of Krishna. Nothing else has any value here. This is my prayer to you, this is my instruction. Only take the name of Krishna, never leave the name of Krishna, never leave the name of Krishna". In this way he gave some instructions. And after this spontaneous divine meeting, everyone went sleep, except Sachi Devi. She knew, Mahaprabhu is gonna leave. There's something strange happening. Only a very few devotees knew about Mahaprabhu, and his plans - Nityananda, Mukunda, few others knew. And Sachi Devi hadn't been told, but stood in the gate, all night long, waiting to watch Nimai Pandit leave. And she was like a stone statue. Just stunned at the thought Nimai Pandit leaving. So, as he was leaving, he saw her, he bow down to her. Offered his obeisancies. And he left, running towards the Ganga. It was about 3 a.m., and he swam across the Ganga, and in his wet cloth he ran towards Katwa, to the ashram of Keshava Bharati.

Accepting the sannyasa order

So he reached Keshava Bharati’s ashram, and asked for sannaysa, and Keshava Bharati, "Of cause, not! Never! You're 24 years old, your wife is 14 years old, your mother is a widow, all your assotiated will kill me. No!". So, after some back and forth, and big wave of panic started to shake all of Nabadvip. All, everyone started to hear, "Mahaprabhu is going to take sannyasa from Keshava Bharati". People wanted to run, and go, and break his ashram, to kill him. And were threatening, and huge waves of panic struck angle. And Mahaprabhu is very convincing. And Keishav Bharati knew, this boy is capable of getting whatever he wants from anyone at any time, so there's no point in me arguing with him, or refusing him. He said, "You have to go ask your mother for permission then. I'll do it". And then he knew, after he said that, she will agree with anything he says, cause he is so convincing. His all ashram was bright, like the sun had come. Everything auspicious was there, and soon everyone started assembling with the sannyasa function.

And we hear it was Mahaprabhu's idea, to take sannyasa, because he came to deliver the whole world, he came to distribute the Holy Name of Krishna. To inaugurate Nama Sankirtana, to rescue everyone from this material world. And the people he was coming to rescue, they were offending him, insulting him, and making opposition against him. And he felt like the… a patient, patients are abusing, the doctor, "What is this? How they gonna get cured? They think I'm one of them. I'm living with my family, just like they living with their family. And I may seem ordinary to them. But I'm not one of them. And I've come here, I'm Krishna, in the mood of Radharani, heart and helo of Radharani, come as the Kali Yuga avatar. So, I will take sannyasa and show them, I'm not one of them". And he did this out of his mercy upon these people.

Maybe, it's a little beyond our illegibility, to understand all these finer points. But at least we can think and hear how our Guru Varga appreciated, and observed this time. We can learn from them, and their example. We also try to keep it simple at this time. And try not to be in the mood of enjoyment. Rather try to meditate on what Mahaprabhu came for, and what he gave to us, and his contribution. He's the Kali Yuga avatar, that's the external reason. And internally he came to taste the mood of Radharani, how much love she has for Krishna.