Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visit to Śāntipura

 

In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives the following summary of the Third Chapter. After accepting the sannyāsa order at Katwa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu traveled continuously for three days in Rāḍha-deśa and, by the trick of Nityānanda Prabhu, eventually came to the western side of Śāntipura. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was induced to believe that the river Ganges was the Yamunā. When He was worshiping the sacred river, Advaita Prabhu arrived in a boat. Advaita Prabhu asked Him to take His bath in the Ganges and took Him to His (Advaita’s) house. There all the Navadvīpa devotees, along with mother Śacīdevī, came to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This house was located at Śāntipura. Mother Śacīdevī cooked for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, and at that time there were many joking exchanges between Advaita Prabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu. In the evening there was a mass saṅkīrtana at the house of Advaita Prabhu, and mother Śacīdevī gave Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu permission to leave. She requested Him to make Jagannātha Purī, Nīlācala, His headquarters. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu granted His mother’s request and, followed by Nityānanda, Mukunda, Jagadānanda and Dāmodara, left Śāntipura. Bidding farewell to mother Śacīdevī, they all proceeded toward Jagannātha Purī, following the path of Chatrabhoga.

(CC Madhya 3 Summary)

Prabhupāda: No, no. He took sannyāsa by previous arrangement. One day He went away from home, accompanied by Murāri and Lord Nityānanda, and went to Katwa. There was one Māyāvādī sannyāsī, Keśava Bhāratī, and He took sannyāsa from him. And then He was, in emotion, He was going to Vṛndāvana, but He was misled by Nityānanda, and He was brought to the home of Advaita, and Advaita arranged to bring His mother to see Him for the last. So His mother and many people from Nabadwip came to Sant . . . Advaita’s house was in Santipur.

So there was . . . for a few days Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed there, and saṅkīrtana and prasāda distribution was going on. And His mother feeling, feeling very well. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that, “My mother is not allowing Me to go. That is not good.” So He requested, “Mother, I have taken sannyāsī. If I go on feasting like this with mother, what people will say? So you give Me permission to go.”

So mother said: “Yes, my dear boy. You have taken sannyāsī. But anyway, You are happy. That is my happiness. But my only request is that You make Your headquarters at Jagannātha Purī. Because people from Nabadwip generally go there, so I shall get at least Your news. That is my last desire.” So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: “Yes. I shall make My headquarter in Purī.” So people were coming and going. So His mother was getting news of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That was the, last days. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, after that incident, never met either His mother . . . and there was no question of meeting with wife.

(690804 – Conversation on Lord Caitanya Play – Los Angeles)

It was after this that some of the jealous and low-minded Brahmins of Kulia picked a quarrel with Mahaprabhu and collected a party to oppose Him. Nimai Pandit was naturally a soft-hearted Person, though strong in His principles. He declared that party feeling and sectarianism were the two great enemies of progress, and as long as He should continue to be an inhabitant of Nadia, belonging to a certain family, His mission would not meet with complete success. He then resolved to be a citizen of the world by cutting off His connection with a particular family, caste and creed; and, with this resolution, He embraced the position of a sanyasi at Kutwa, under the guidance of Keshab Bharati of that town, in the 24th year of His life. His mother and wife wept bitterly for His separation, but our Hero, though soft in heart, was a strong Person in principle. He left His little world in His house for the unlimited spiritual world of Krishna with Man in general.

After His sanyasa, He was induced to visit the house of Advaita prabhu in Santipur. Advaita managed to invite all His friends and admirers from Nadia and brought Sachi Devi to see her Son. Both pleasure and pain invaded her heart when she saw her Son in the attire of a sanyasi. As a sanyasi Krishna Chaitanya put up nothing but a kaupin and a bahirbas (outer covering). His head was without hair and His hands bore a danda (stick) and a kamandalu (hermit’s water pot).

The holy Son fell at the feet of His beloved mother and said, “Mother! This Body is yours and I must obey your orders. Permit Me to go to Vrindaban for My spiritual attainments.” The mother, in consultation with Advaita and others, asked her Son to reside in Puri, the town of Lord Jagannath, so that she might obtain His information now and then. Mahaprabhu agreed to that proposition, and in a few days left Santipur for Orissa.

His biographers have described the journey of Krishna Chaitanya (that was the name He got after His sanyasa) from Santipur to Puri in great detail.

(https://vanisource.org/wiki/TLC_(1968)_Prologue)