Mahaprabhu's Attempt to Go to Vrindavan

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Based on 16 chapter of Madhya-lila, Chaitanya-charitamrita
8 June 2019, Kolkata, part 1

Jay Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay
Visva-varenya Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay
Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay
Jay saparikara Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govinda Sundarjiu ki jay
Jay saparikara Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Madan Mohan jiu ki jay
Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Gopinath jiu ki jay
Saparsada Sriman Nityananda Prabhu ki jay
Saparsada Sriman Mahaprabhu ki jay
Bhakta-prabara Prahlad Maharaj ki jay
Suddha-bhakti-vighnar vinasankari Bhagavan Nrisinghadev ki jay
Bhagavan Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad ki jay
Rupanuga Guru-varga ki jay
All the assembled devotees ki jay
Namacharya Haridas Thakur ki jay
Harinam sankirtan ki jay
Samagata Sri Gaura-bhakta-vrinda ki jay
Nitai Gaura premanande Hari bol

First, I am giving my full obeisance at the lotus feet of my Gurudev, Guru Maharaj—Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Then, I am paying my full obeisance to all the Vaishnavs all over the world, all of my godbrothers, godsisters, all of my friends, all the goswami-vrinda, all the Vaishnavs, I am paying my full obeisance to you all.

I am getting some time time and an opportunity to give a class, to speak about the Lord to all the devotees, and we shall try to utilise this opportunity for my own benefit and for everyone's benefit. I will tell you today what I have heard from the holy mouth of my Gurupadpadma, from the holy mouth of Vaishnavs—I would like to speak about the pastimes of Mahaprabhu based on what I have read in Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita. Actually, you know everything, and if you remember these pastimes sometimes, it will be good for you.

When Mahaprabhu decided to go to Vrindavan, King Prataparudra helped Him a lot. He set off from Puri and crossed the Chitrotpala River. At that time, Ramananda Raya, Mardaraj, Harichandana Prabhu were there with Him. Gadadhar Pandit also went with Him, but at the Chitrotpala, Mahaprabhu told Gadadhar Pandit to go back and stay in Nilachal. Gadadhar Pandit did not listen to Him, he wanted to go with Mahaprabhu. Reaching Cuttack, Mahaprabhu finally sent Gadadhar Pandit back, and upon reaching Bhadrak he told Ray Ramananda, "You must go to Puri too." From Cuttack, Mahaprabhu went by boat and, crossing the border of Odisha, came to Panihati. At Panihati, you know that there is Radhav Pandit's house, there staying one night. From there, He went to Kumarhatta (Halisahara) and Kuliya-gram (Koladwip, Nabadwip) where He removed everybody's offence. After that, He went to Ramkeli where He met with and rescued Rupa and Sanatan Goswami. There, He told them to come to Kasi when He would go there. After Ramkeli, on His way back, Mahaprabhu met Raghunath Das Goswami—having instructed him, Mahaprabhu sent him back home.

You all know that Raghunath Das Goswami had tried many times to go to Mahaprabhu, but each time Mahaprabhu told him, "Go back home, do not become crazy. Your father will go mad because you are the only son in the family—who will take care of the land and all the property? Who will take care of the kingdom?" So, Mahaprabhu sent Raghunath Das Goswami back to his home.

মর্কট-বৈরাগ্য না কর লোক দেখাঞা ।
যথাযোগ্য বিষয় ভুঞ্জ' অনাসক্ত হঞা ॥

markata-vairagya na kara loka dekhana
yatha-yogya visaya bhunja' anasakta hana

"Do not show your false renunciation to people. Serve accepting material things, but without attachment."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 16.238)

Mahaprabhu told him, "Do not show false renunciation like a monkey. Stay in your house, but think about Krishna in your heart."

So, after Ramkeli, Mahaprabhu went back to Puri. He thought, "I must go to Vrindavan alone. I will not take anybody with Me." This is Mahaprabhu's teachings for everybody.

Staying in Vrindavan, staying in a dham is not enjoying the dham—a dham is not for enjoyment; we must go to the dham for service. Many people go to holy places to remove their sins, to earn some piety, but Mahaprabhu did not teach this. Goloka Vrindavan Dham, Nabadwip Dham, Puri Dham, etc. or any other holy abode is an aprakrta dham (transcendental abode). Those who have no devotion think about hell, heaven, things like this, but those who are great devotees, who are pure devotee, understand the meaning of Sri Dham Vrindavan...

A rough map of the route taken by the Lord.

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Previous parts:

• Purpose of Pilgrimage

• Mahaprabhu's Arrival in Vrindavan

• Mahaprabhu Returns to Prayag