Audarya Dhama: The Most Munificent Abode,
Part 32
BY: SUN STAFF
Jul 14, 2012 — SRIDHAM MAYAPUR, WEST BENGAL (SUN) — Compiled by Sriman Padmalochan dasa; Revised Edition (1992).
KOLADVIPA
Mahaprabhu Bari
There is a Deity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu here which was previously worshipped by Vishnu Priya after the Lord took sannyasa.
The following story is narrated in the Caitanya Bhagavata: One day Caitanya Mahaprabhu called Nityananda Prabhu aside and said, "You must tell this secret to only five persons. On the Sankranti day (14th Jan.), I will take sannyasa from Kesava Bharati in Indrani, close to Katwa (now the present town of Katwa). Only tell My mother, Sri Gadadhara Pandit, Brahmananda, Candrasekhara and Mukunda."
On the day of Sankranti, Lord Gauranga spent the day as usual with the Vaishnavas performing Sankirtan, and in the evening they all went to the Ganga for darshan. They went to the Ganga and sat down on the shore. They all sat for some time and then returned home. In His home, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was seated surrounded by His servitors. None of them knew that He would be leaving in the morning. Many Vaishnavas came to give gifts of sandalwood and garlands. So many devotees came that even Lord Brahma and the demigods could not count them. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested them all to engage in Kirtan.
Kolavecha Sridhara brought a pumpkin for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu thought to Himself, "Maybe never again will I be able to taste the fruits and vegetables of Sridhara", and He requested His mother to make a preparation of milk and pumpkin. After this, Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested them all to go home. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to take rest.
Sacimata, knowing that Caitanya Mahaprabhu would be leaving that night, could not go to sleep and she was bursting into tears at every moment. She went and sat by the gate, so Mahaprabhu could not leave without seeing her.
One and a half hours before the sun rose, Caitanya Mahaprabhu rose to leave. Sri Gadadhara and Haridas Prabhu, who were resting in the same room as the Lord, also rose. Gadadhara Pandit told the Lord, 'We will also come with You". The Lord told him, "I have no company in this matter."
When Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw Sacimata sitting at the gate, He touched her feet and sat down next to her and started to gently explain to her, "You have brought Me up very nicely and sacrificed everything for Me, and I can never repay the debt which I owe you. But now, please let Me go, for the sake of all the living entities."
After saying this, Caitanya Mahaprabhu rose and, taking the dust of her lotus feet, circumambulated her three times and then left.
When the sun came up, all the devotees came to visit Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When they arrived, they saw that Mother Saci was sitting outside the house. The great Srivasa Pandit enquired, "O Mother, why are you sitting outside?" Sacimata replied, "What can I say? Everything here belongs to you all and I am simply your servant." When the devotees came to understand that Caitanya Mahaprabhu had left, they all broke down and started crying. The scene was non-different from when Lord Krsna had left Vrindavan.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Katwa and there accepted sannyasa from Kesava Bharati Maharaj. Kesava Bharati was considered non-different from Sandipani Muni.
