Katha-Kirtan on Sri Vishnupriya-devi
(Gour Govinda Swami sings a song of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura)
jaya jaya guru gosani-sri-carana sara
yaha ha-ite haba para e bhava-samsara
“All glories to the glorious feet of the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead that enable us to cross to the other side of the ocean of birth and death!”
manera anande bala hari bhaja vrndavana
sri-guru vainnava paya majaiya mana
“With a joyful heart please chant, ‘Hari!’ Please worship Vrndavana. Plunge your heart into meditation on our spiritual master and the Vainnavas.
jaya rupa sanatana bhatta raghunatha
sri-jiva gopala bhatta dasa raghunatha
All glories to Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami.
ei chaya gosanira karama carana vandana
yaha haite vighna-nasa abhinta purana
“Please bow down before the feet of these six Gosvamis. Their feet will destroy obstacles and fulfil desires.”
jaya rasa-nagari jaya nanda-lala
jaya jaya madana-mohana sri-gopala
“All glories to Sri Radha, the heroine of nectar pastimes! Glory to Sri Krnna, who is Nanda’s son! All glories, all glories to the cowherd boy Krnna, who is more enchanting than Kamadeva!”
jaya saci-suta gauranga-sundara
jaya nityananda padmavatira konara
“All glories to handsome Lord Gauranga-sundara, who is Saci’s son! All Glories to Lord Nityananda, who is Padmavati’s son!”
jaya jaya sita-natha advaita gosani
yahara karuna-bale gora-guna gai
“All glories, all glories to Lord Advaita Gosani, who is Sita’s husband! By the power of His mercy I chant Lord Gaura’s glories.”
jaya jaya srivasa jaya gadadhara
jaya svarupa ramananda premera sagara
“All glories, all glories to Srivasa! All glories to Gadadhara! All glories to Svarupa Damodara and Ramananda Raya, who are like oceans of ecstatic spiritual love!”
jaya jaya sanatana jaya sri-rupa
jaya jaya raghunatha pranera svarupa
“All glories to Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami! All glories to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, who is Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s very life!”
jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda daya kara more
sabara carana-dhuli dhari nija sire
“All glories to Lord Gaura’s devotees! O devotees, please be merciful to me. I take the dust of all your feet. I place that dust upon my head.”
jaya jaya nilacala-candra jagannatha
mo papire daya kari kara atma-satha
“All glories, all glories to Lord Jagannatha, the moon of Nilacala! O Lord, please be kind and accept this sinner as one of Your personal associates.”
jaya jaya gopala deva bhakata-vatsala
nava ghana jini tanu parama ujjvala
“All glories, all glories to Lord Gopala, who loves the devotees, and whose glorious form is more splendid than new monsoon clouds!”
jaya radhe jaya krnna jaya vrndavana
jaya jaya nilacala nala prabhu yama
sri rasa-nagari jaya nanda-lala
jaya jaya mohana sri-madana-gopala
hare krnna hare krnna krnna krnna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
nitai-gaura haribol ! haribol !haribol ! haribol !
nitai-gaura haribol ! haribol !haribol ! haribol
Sri Vishnupriya-devi avirbhava-tithi ki jaya!
Samaveta bhakta vrnda ki jaya!
Gaur premanandi ! haribol !
ananda-lilamaya-vigrahaya
hemabha-divya-cchavi-sundaraya
tasmai maha-prema-rasa-pradaya
caitanya-candraya namo namas te
“O Lord Caitanyacandra, whose form is full of blissful pastimes, whose complexion is as splendid as gold, and who gives in charity the most glorious mellow of pure love for Lord Krnna, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.” (Caitanya Candramrta 11)
Today is Vasanta-pancami [the fifth day of the light lunar quarter of Magha, January-February], Krnna’s vasanta–rasa, rasa-rasotsava also begins from this day. It is the appearance day of Sri Sri Vishnupriya-devi, and also the appearance day of Sri Sri Raghunatha Das Gosvami. It is a very, very auspicious day today.
So I had the desire to do some katha-kirtan on Vishnupriya-devi. Have patience, sit down quietly with concentrated attention, and hear the nectarine katha of Vishnupriya-devi.
Bhagavan’s Three saktis
Vishnupriya Thakurani was the second wife of Gaurasundara. His first wife was Lakshmipriya. When Lakshmipriya passed away Mahaprabhu married Vishnupriya.
Bhagavan has three saktis, potencies: sri, bhu, nila. It is said that Vishnupriya is Bhu-sakti. Bhu-sakti was Satyabhama in krnna–lila. It is said that bhu-sakti is generally the creative sakti, energy, jagat-srnti-sakti.
sri-sakti is Yogamaya. Raga-bhakti, Rukmini all the wives of Krnna, Lakshmi and especially Radharani come under this sri-sakti and sri-sakti is said to be jagat palana–sakti, the maintaining potency of the whole world.
Yuthesvari Syamala and her group come under nila-sakti. In nila-sakti there are yuthesvaris. Amongst Radha’s sakhis, there are many groups, which are called yutha. Each yutha has one head, called yuthesvari. One yuthesvari is syamala. So Nila-sakti is Syamala and the sakhis in that group, yutha, come under nila-sakti.
Two saktis beside Lord Jagannatha
We find that bhu-sakti and sri-sakti are on the two sides of Lord Jagannatha. Sometimes the question is raised, “Why is it so? Why are there two saktis, bhu-sakti and sri-sakti, beside Lord Jagannatha? In answer we might say that Lord Jagannatha in that way is presenting Himself as the Creator and the Maintainer of the whole world, the cosmic manifestation. Therefore two saktis are there. This is tattva, tattva–vicara.
Vishnupriya is said to be Bhu-sakti, and it is said that She was Satyabhama in krnna–lila; but it is also said that Jagadananda Pandit was Satyabhama in krnna–lila. How is this possible? Jagadananda Pandit is Satyabhama and Vishnupriya is also Satyabhama? Your material mind cannot conceive it. It is not a question of your material logic and argument that you can understand it; this is inconceivable, it is a spiritual topic and it is transcendental. Don’t exhaust your material mind on it. Just accept it; that is all. How can you understand this through your material logic and argument? Give that up, baba! Just accept the siddhanta, what the acaryas have said. Do not exhaust your material brain on it; that is an unnecessary waste of energy. Don’t do it.
Sanatana Misra’s Daughter
In Navadvipa-dhama, there was a very dear vinnu–bhakta brahmana named Sanatana Misra. He was also known as Raja Pandita, because he was a pandita in the king’s court; and he was Satrajita in Dvaraka. Satrajita’s daughter is Satyabhama. It is said that Sanatana Misra was always engaged in worshiping Lord Vishnu. As a result, he obtained this daughter, Vishnupriya, who was parama sundari, supremely beautiful. From her very childhood, Vishnupriya was taking bath three times a day in the Ganges, and was offering puja, worship, to the vigraha and tulasi. She was engaged in many varieties of puja.
When she would see Sacimata on the bank of the Ganges, she would pay very humbly dandavat pranama to Sacimata. Sacimata would bless her, “Alright, may You have a very good husband.” That was Sacimata’s blessing, but in her mind Sacimata was thinking that it would be good if this girl would become her daughter-in-law.
Mahaprabhu Was Very Devoted to His Mother
After Gaurasundara’s first wife Lakshmipriya passed away, Sacimata became very much aggrieved. Therefore she proposed this second marriage to Gaurasundara. Sriman Mahaprabhu was very much devoted to His mother. Whatever Sacimata said, He would do. He did not want to give any unhappiness or distress to His mother. Thus He agreed, “Alright I will have a second marriage; I will accept another wife.”
The Mediator Kasinatha Pandita
Then Sacimata called for Kasinatha Pandita, who was known as a ghataka. Ghataka means a mediator, who performs these marriage negotiations. When the question of marriage comes, there should be a mediator. One should not approach directly. Do not commit such mistake. This is the process: one mediator should go to the bride’s side then to the bridegroom’s side, and talk. A negotiation will take place, and everything will be settled. That is the process.
Thus this Kasinatha Pandita, who was a famous mediator in marriage affairs in Navadvipa-dhama, was called for and he came. Sacimata said, “I called you to mediate the marriage of Nimai Pandita, my son.” When the question of who the bride could be arose, Sacimata said, “I have been thinking of Sanatana Misra’s daughter, Vishnupriya.” When Kasinatha Pandita heard this, he became very pleased and said, “Thakurani, I was just going to say the same thing, and you said it!” Then Sacimata said, “We are very poor. Will Sanatana Misra be willing to give his daughter to Nimai? You go and talk with him. Make some negotiations.” Kasinath Pandit said, “Thakurani, your son Nimai Pandita is very famous in Nadia, Navadvipa. Why would Sanatana Misra be unwilling to give his daughter to Nimai? I don’t think he will disagree. To whom else will he give Her? He must give Her to your son Nimai.”
Kasinatha Pandita went to Sanatana Misra’s house. Sanatana Misra and his wife were both in anxiety because their daughter had already attained marriageable age. That is the parent’s anxiety. Such grown up girl should not be kept in her father’s house. Therefore they were in anxiety. They were pondering over it, “What to do? Who is a befitting bridegroom for our daughter?” They were thinking that Nimai Pandita was the only befitting bridegroom in Nadia. “His qualities, His beauty, and everything else are incomparable. If we have acquired some sukrti, then it will take place.” They were thinking in this way and they were praying to the Lord, “O Lord Hari, if we have acquired some sukrti, then we’ll be able to give our daughter to Nimai Pandita.”
Just at that time, the ghataka Kasinatha Pandita arrived. Sanatana Misra became very happy, gave him a nice seat, some sweet water to drink and asked, “It is my good fortune that you have come. Why have you come?” Kasinatha Pandita smilingly said,
visvambhara-panditere tomara duhita
dana kara’—e sambandha ucita sarvatha
Caitanya-bhagavata Adi–khanda15.57
This is mentioned in Caitanya-bhagavata, “I have come for the marriage proposal of Visvambhara Pandita, Nimai Pandita and your daughter Vishnupriya. Nimai Pandita is the most befitting bridegroom for your daughter. Your daughter is very beautiful, and maha-sati, very chaste. Vishnupriya and Nimai Pandita are as suitable a match as Krnna and Rukmini were!”
When Sanatana Misra and his wife heard this, they became very, very joyful. They were very thankful to Bhagavan Lord Hari because He had answered their prayers. Sanatana Misra said, “Only if we are very fortunate, we can get a son-in-law like Nimai Pandita.” All their relatives and family members became very happy. Then everything else was discussed: how the marriage would take place, what kind of arrangements needed to be made, and what was needed.
Then Kasinath Pandita went to Sacimata and said, “Everything is already settled. They are very happy.” Sacimata said, “We are very poor. No one is there for us, only Lord Hari.”
Then all over Nadia the message spread that Nimai Pandit was going to marry. Nimai Pandita was a teacher. He was teaching grammar, rhetoric, alankara, vyakharana, nyaya sastras. So all His students said, “Alright! We will help arrange Pandita’s marriage to the best of our capability.” Buddhimanta Khan, who was a very rich man, said, “I will bear the whole expense of this marriage ceremony.” Mukunda, a friend who was also present, said, “Please give me some of the burden of the expenses. We will arrange a very nice and pompous ceremony like the marriage of a prince.” Is there any difficulty in arranging Bhagavan’s marriage?
An Ocean of Happiness
The whole of Navadvipa was blissful. On adhi-vasa, the day before the marriage, many Vainnavas, brahmanas and friends came. There were nice decorations. It was a pompous ceremony, with musicians playing musical instruments and drummers playing many varieties of drums. aratika, puja, raja-bhoga, was all going on. Women who are sarvanari brahmanis, who have husbands, not widows, generally come to these functions. Hundreds of such sarvanari brahmanis came. Out of joy, they do this ulu-dhvani, [a sound Bengali women make while vibrating their tongues], “Hulahuli!” The men say, “Haribol!” and the women say, “Hulahuli!” This is a custom, a Vedic custom. Because of the marriage of Bhagavan, an ocean of happiness, sukha sindhu, was swelling up. Gaurasundara Himself individually put candana on the forehead and gave one mala to each of the many brahmanas and Vainnavas who had come. The whole of Nadiya Puri was drowning in an ocean of happiness, sukha-sindhu.
All these preparations were done on the day before the marriage. On the day of the marriage itself, Gaurasundara dressed as a bridegroom. After getting dressed, He went first to pay obeisance to His mother, Sacimata. Then He paid obeisances to all guru-janas, superior persons. Then He went into a nicely decorated palanquin. They took Him to the bank of Ganges. He got down from the palanquin and paid obeisances to Mother Ganges. At that time, varieties of musical instruments were being played. Many men and women were in the marriage procession. The time of the day was go-dhuli lagna, dusk. Gaurasundara and all the persons following vivaha-yatri, the marriage ceremony, then went to Sanatana Misra’s house at dusk.
Sanatana Misra and his wife came forward and gave their asirbad, blessings, to their son-in-law, Gaurasundara. The ladies decorated Vishnupriya: a nice sari, nice ornaments, a flower garland, everything looked nice. There was an elevated pandal, or bedi, where the marriage ceremony was to take place. The brahmanas were uttering veda-mantras. Then the ladies brought Vishnupriya, who is Mahalakshmi, to that bedi where Her eternal Husband Gaura-Narayana was. Vishnupriya circumambulated Gaura-Narayana seven times, and then paid Her obeisances at His lotus feet. Gaurasundara made Her sit on His left side. After that They exchanged malas, flower garlands.
age laknmi jagan-mata prabhura carane
mala diya karilena atma-samarpane
Caitanya-bhagavata Adi–khanda 15.176
First Lakshmipriya gave a mala to Gaura-Narayana, paid obeisances, then: prabhu inat hasiya laknmira galaya mala dilena tuliya, (Cb adi 15.177) Gauracandra smilingly put a mala around the neck of Lakshmipriya.
tabe laknmi narayane punpa-phelapheli
karite lagila hai maha-kutuhali
Caitanya-bhagavata Adi–khanda 15.178
This is described in Caitanya-bhavagata. Then they played, throwing flowers at each other. Gaura-Narayana and Lakshmipriya were playing this nice play. You might have played it? No? There are no plays like this in the Western countries. There it is all dry, isn’t it? Only maya is there. The ugly witch maya is there, and a ghost. A witch and a ghost are married, so no such function is there.
Vaikunthananda Descended that Day
Then the marriage ceremony took place. Sanatana Misra gave much dowry to Gaurasundara, his son-in-law, and he offered Him his daughter in charity, kanya-dana, like Janakaraja, King Janaka who gave his daughter Sita to Lord Rama, or like King Bhinmaka who gave his daughter Rukmini to Krnna.
So, in the house of Sanatana Misra, there was vaikunthananda, the ananda available in Vaikuntha. That ananda descended on that day. With great pomp and ceremony this took place. Innumerable men, women, boys, and girls came to see Gaura-Narayana, Lakshmi-Narayana, and their lives were successful. All the family members, friends, kith and kin of Sanatana Misra became very, very happy.
Gaurasundara Takes Vishnupriya to His House
In the afternoon of the following day, Gaurasundara took His newly wedded wife Vishnupriya to His own house. They went in a nicely decorated palanquin accompanied by a variety of sounds: bugles, drums, and other musical instruments. All the men and women of Nadia saw the beautiful form of Lakshmi-Narayana and they were all talking among themselves how very, very fortunate, bhagyavati, this girl was. “How many lives has she served the goddess Kamala, Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and Parvati; how many lives to become so fortunate?”
Keha bale, — “ei hena bujhi hara-gauri (Cb adi 15.206), some said, “I think They are Siva and Parvati.” Others said, keha bale, — “hena bujhi kamala sri-hari” (Cb adi 15.206), “I think They are Hari and Kamala.” Keha bale, — “ei dui kamadeva-rati (Cb adi 15.207). Some said, “In my opinion it’s Cupid and his wife Ratidevi.” Keha bale, — “indra-saci laya mora mati”(Cb adi 15.207), someone else said, “I think it’s Indra and Saci.” Keha bale, — “hena bujhi ramacandra-sita”(Cb adi 15.208), some said, “I think it’s Ramacandra and Sita.” Ei-mata bale yata sukrti-vanita (Cb adi 15.208), all the women were talking like that, among themselves.
At an auspicious moment, Gaurasundara arrived with His newly wedded wife Vishnupriya at the house. Sacimata with many sarvanari brahmanis, wedded women, went outside and welcomed putra-vadhu, the son and daughter-in-law. Nava dhanapati, the newly wedded couple alighted from the palanquin. They first paid Their obeisances to Sacimata and then to all Their superiors, gurujanas.
grhe asi’ vasilena laknmi-narayana
jaya-dhvani-maya haila sakala bhuvana
Caitanya-bhagavata Adi–khanda 15.214
“Lakshmi-Narayana entered into the house and sat together. All said, ‘Jaya! Jaya! Jaya!’ and glorified them.”
ki ananda haila, se akathya-kathana
se mahima kon jane karibe varnana?
Caitanya-bhagavata Adi–khanda 15.215
“There was such ananda, such tumultuous pleasure and such joyful sounds! No one can describe it.”
Fortunate to See the Marriage of Bhagavan
yanhara murtira vibha dekhile nayane
papa-mukta hai’ yaya vaikuntha-bhuvane
Caitanya-bhagavata Adi–khanda 15.216
“If someone is so fortunate to see the marriage of Bhagavan, Lakshmi-Narayana, he will immediately be free from all sinful reactions and directly go to Vaikuntha.”
se prabhura vibha loka dekhaye saknat
teni ta’na nama—’dayamaya’ ‘dinanatha’
Caitanya-bhagavata Adi–khanda 15.217
The people of Nadia all saw it. They were so fortunate. One of the names of the Lord is Dinanatha. He is the Lord of the dinas, akincana. Even yogis, undergoing very strict severe penance, cannot have the fortune to see this marriage festival of Bhagavan, Lakshmi-Narayana, but the navadvipa-vasis, the inhabitants of Navadvipa, including the pamaras and patitas, the fallen and wretched persons, all saw it. They were very fortunate. Doya-moya bhagavan, He is so merciful! He manifests such lilas and He gives darsana. Therefore one of His names is Dinanatha. These descriptions are all according to Caitanya-bhagavata. Vrndavana dasa Thakura has not given more than these descriptions.
What Has Happened to Nimai?
Then Mahaprabhu went to Gaya-dhama to offer oblations for His deceased father, Jagannath Misra. When Mahaprabhu came back from Gaya, He was completely changed. He was always thinking of Krnna, crying for Krnna, ecstatic, and forgetting His own existence. He was like a mad man. When Sacimata saw Him, she thought, “What has happened to Nimai? Has He been affected by some fatal disease? What has happened to Him?” Desiring for all auspiciousness, Sacimata offered puja, worship, to Ganga Mata, Mother Ganges, and Vishnu. Sacimata brought Vishnupriya and made her sit beside Gaura-Narayana, “Sit here, sit here.” but Mahaprabhu was not looking at Her. Gaura-Narayana was looking the other way, He was not looking at Her. He was always saying, “OKrnna,Krnna, he krnna!” Mahaprabhu was shedding tears, crying, crying and crying. He was always in this ecstatic mood.
Then Sacimata offered bhoga to their deities, Rama and Krnna, Narayana. Bringing that bhoga-tali, plate, she would place it before Gaura-Narayana, and when Sacimata sat down He would eat. Gharera bhitare dekhe laksmi pati-vrata (Cb M 1.191) Vishnupriya was inside the house, just observing everything. She saw how Mahaprabhu was always in such an ecstatic mood, saying “Krnna, Krnna, Krnna!” and crying, crying, shedding tears. Sometimes some of His followers would come and report, “So many pasandis are there in Nadia. They are trying to obstruct your sankirtana.” Hearing this, sometimes Mahaprabhu, Caitanya-simha, would roar like a lion, “I will kill them! I will kill them! I will kill them!” He roared like a lion, and threatened to kill them. Hunkara, roaring like Caitanya-simha. Sacimata could not understand anything, “What is that? What has happened to Nimai?” She would tell Vishnupriya, “Go and sit with Him! Go, sit with Him!” Lakshmire dekhiya knane maribare yaya (Cb M 2.87). When Vishnupriya was coming to sit, Mahaprabhu was going to beat Her, “Get out!” Yes, Mahaprabhu was going to beat her, drive Her out, “Get out!” He was completely forgetful of His existence, therefore He was going to beat Her. When He came to His senses, He felt ashamed and begged for excuse, “Please excuse Me, please excuse Me.”
Sacimata’s Dream
One-day Sacimata and Gaurasundara were sitting in the room and talking among themselves. Vishnupriya was standing just behind the door and could hear everything. Sacimata said, “I had a dream last night. I saw You and Nityananda playing with the Deities, Rama and Krnna, in our house. You were also eating, and Nityananda was snatching a morsel of food from Your mouth, and You were snatching a morsel of food from his mouth. You two were doing this. Sometimes you were also fighting among yourselves. You were engaged in so many varieties of play. I saw this in my dream.”
Gaurasundara said, “Mother, this is a very, very nice and auspicious dream. Don’t tell anyone about it, be silent.” Mahaprabhu continued, “Don’t tell it to anyone, keep it to yourself. Yes, that Rama and Krnna have appeared in our house.” Gaurasundara said, “Yes, for many days I was observing and wondering who was eating all the offered bhoga. I couldn’t understand who was eating it. I had the doubt that your daughter-in-law was eating it. I had that doubt that She would be eating everything, but that doubt is cleared today: that Rama and Krnna were eating everything.” This is fun.
Sacimata said, “O My dear boy, don’t say that. Why are you saying that my daughter-in-law was eating everything? Don’t talk like that, no!” Vishnupriya heard everything and was laughing.
Matri-Vatsala Prabhu
eka-dina nija-grhe prabhu visvambhara
vasi’ ache laknmi-sange parama-sundara
yogaya tambula laknmi parama harine
prabhura anande na janaye ratri-dise
Caitanya-bhagavata Madhya–khanda 11.65-66
One day, both Gaura-Narayana and Vishnupriya were sitting together in the room. Lakshmi was sitting with Narayana, so nice, transcendental and beautiful. Lakshmi was offering some betel nuts, tambula, with much pleasure and Prabhu was very happy. They were completely forgetful of day and night: such transcendental happiness!
yakhana thakaye laknmi-sange visvambhara
sacira cittete haya ananda vistara
Caitanya-bhagavata Madhya–khanda 11.67
When Vishnupriya was with Visvambhara, Sacimata was very happy. Vrndavana dasa Thakura gives all these descriptions in Caitanya-bhagavata. This is nitya-vilasa, the eternal pastimes of Lakshmi-Narayana, Gaura-Narayana in Navadvipa. In Navadvipa dhama, this eternal pastime of Lakshmi-Narayana is going on. Matri-vatsala Prabhu is very affectionate to His mother. He is matri-bhakta, devoted to His mother and always prepared to give happiness to His mother. Sometimes He allows Vishnupriya to sit with Him, to give happiness to His mother.
mayera cittera sukha thakura janiya
laknmira sangete prabhu thakena vasiya
Caitanya-bhagavata Adi–khanda 11.68
“Sometimes He allowed Vishnupriya to sit with Him for this purpose: because then His mother would be happy.”
There was a dramatic performance in Candrasekhara bhavan, and Mahaprabhu played the role of Lakshmi. Sacimata and Vishnupriya both went there to see that drama, ai calilena nija vadhura sahite (Cb M 18.29). After that Mahaprabhu thought about taking sannyasa. Up to this point Vrndavana dasa Thakura mentions the name of Lakshmi and Vishnupriya in his description, but there after he never mentions Vishnupriya any more. In Caitanya-caritamrta, Kaviraja Gosvami has not given such elaborate descriptions because Vrndavana dasa Thakura had already given it very precisely, sanketa, therefore he did not repeat it.
Mahaprabhu Instructs Vishnupriya
The night before Mahaprabhu left home to take sannyasa, He gave some instruction, tattva–upadesa, to Vishnupriya. Locana dasa Thakura has described this in Caitanya-mangala.
jagate yateka dekhe, micha kari’ saba dekha,
satya eka sabe bhagavan
Mahaprabhu said to Vishnupriya, “In this material world everything is mithya, false. The only truth is Bhagavan.
satya ara vainnava, ta-vine yateka saba,
micha kari, karaha geyana
“Bhagavan is satya, He is truth, and another truth is the Vainnava. Except this, everything else is mithya, false.” The instruction was that husband, wife, son, daughter, kith and kin, friends and family members, are all material, they are mithya, false. Ultimately, there is no one. Without the lotus feet of Krnna, there is nothing. The lotus feet of Krnna are the only destination; they are everything for us. Krnna is the husband of everyone, sah vai patih. No one understands this in this material world. Your name is Vishnupriya, which means very dear to Lord Vishnu, therefore engage yourself in vinnu–bhajan and justify your name. Don’t lament, don’t cry and don’t be aggrieved. I tell You this truth; completely absorb your mind at the lotus feet of Krnna.”
Then Vishnupriya said, “You are isvara, You are the Lord. Please remove Your maya from Me, then I will be glad.” Her heart filled with all joyfulness. Mahaprabhu showed Vishnupriya His four handed form. Vishnupriya became amazed to see this, but she was always thinking, “Oh, He is my Husband.” Then Vishnupriya paid obeisances at the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu, and said, “I have one prayer at your lotus feet. I am most degraded, most fallen, and most unfortunate. I have taken birth in this samsara, material world, but You are My only and very dear Husband. I am your maidservant. I was engaged in service at Your lotus feet. What bad fortune has come to Me that you are leaving Me? I am losing this invaluable asset now.”
Then Gaurasundara said to Vishnupriya,
suna devi vinnupriya, e tore kahila hiya,
yakhane je tumi mane kara
ami yatha tatha jai, achiye tomara thani,
satya satya kahilama drda
Caitanya-mangala 38
Mahaprabhu consoled her, “Vishnupriya, I am telling you this from the core of My heart; whenever you think of Me, wherever I may be, I am with You. This is the truth. Three times I am telling You that, ‘What I told You is the truth. What I told You is the truth. What I told You is the truth’.”
Hearing this Vishnupriya said,
krnna-ajnavani suni, vinnupriya mane, guni
svatantra isvara tumi prabhu
nija sukhe kara kaja, ke dibe tahate badha,
pratyuttara na dileka tabhu
“You are svatantra isvara, You are the supremely independent isvara. You act according to Your own happiness and pleasure. Who can create any obstruction to it?”
He acts according to His own pleasure, baba. Completely surrender unto Him! Let Him act for His own pleasure!
After saying this, she said nothing. She was quiet.
Mahaprabhu Leaves Home
Then, in the dead of the night, when Vishnupriya was sound asleep, Mahaprabhu very quietly left the room. He went to the door of Sacimata. Sacimata was sleeping. He paid obeisances at the doorstep to Sacimata and manifested some transcendental opulence as if talking to Sacimata. Although Sacimata was sleeping, He was talking to Sacimata. Sacimata became enchanted. Then He left the house. He swam across the Ganga, and went to the other side of the river to Kesava Bharati.
Vishnupriya Cried Piteously
Vasu Ghosh Thakura has mentioned what happened thereafter. When Vishnupriya awoke at dawn, early in the morning, she stretched her hand just to feel if Mahaprabhu was there, but she found His bed empty; Mahaprabhu was not there.
17.35
sunya kate nila hata bhadra kahila mata
vidhi more hoile nila mana
She felt as if a thunderbolt struck her head, “Vidhi! I am so ill-fated! Bad fortune has come to me.”
Karunya koriya kande e saba vande
saci ramanda kase
Then She cried piteously. She was crying, crying, and crying. Her hair was scattered, She was not taking care of it. She went to the doorstep of Sacimata’s house. The pangs of separation were intolerable, Vishnupriya cried and cried piteously.
Locana dasa Thakura has given a description in Caitanya-mangala,
vinnupriya kanda-nate prtivi bidare
pasu-pakni-lata taru e panana jhure
Caitanya-mangala 15
papintha sarira mora prana nahi yaya
bhumite lotana devi kare haya haya
Caitanya-mangala 26
Upon hearing the piteous crying of Vishnupriya, Mother Earth cracked. Pasu pakhi, the birds, beasts, creepers and trees were crying, and blocks of stone were melting. Vishnupriya said, “I am most sinful, papintha. Prana nahi yaya, I am not giving up this body. I am most sinful.” Crying and talking like this, She was rolling on the ground, “Aho, alas, alas, alas, what happened, what happened?”
viraha-anala-svasa bahe anibara
adhara sukhaya-kampa haya kalevara
Viraha-anala, this separation is like intense heat, fire. While breathing heavily, hot breath was coming out Her mouth. Her mouth was drying up and Her whole body was shivering. That is the description in Caitanya-mangala.
How Vishnupriya Lived After That
How did Vishnupriya spend her days after that? Narahari Cakravarti has given a description in Bhakti-ratnakara,
prabhura vicare soina bhumite
krsna …….. sarira
These acute pangs of separation were intolerable. She gave up sleeping: She did not sleep at all. She was lying and rolling on the ground. If by chance, some little sleep would come, She was bhumite sayana, sleeping on the ground. Her body had a golden hue, but because of her rolling on the ground it had become dirty, muddy. It was like when the moon declines during the dark fortnight, day by day. Similarly the hue declined and declined from Her body.
hari-nama sankhya purna……
kori prabhure orpoy
icin matra kore ei vakhyan
keha na …jivan
Bhakti-ratnakara gives the description that She was always chanting:
hare krnna hare krnna krnna krnna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
We are counting harinama with our chanting beads, but She was counting harinama with grains of rice. She had one earthen pot filled with rice, and one empty pot. After each mala: hare krnna hare krnna krnna krnna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare, She would put one grain of rice in the empty pot. Then again She would chant hare krnna hare krnna krnna krnna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare and put another grain of rice in that pot. She was chanting in this way from early in the morning, dawn, to dusk. Whatever rice She accumulated, She would cook. After cooking such small amount of rice, She would offer it to Mahaprabhu, and She would only accept very little, one or two grains, out of that. No one knew how She was surviving.
Vishnupriya Made a Murti
Murari Gupta has written in his Karca, journal,
prakasa-rupena nija-priyayah
samipam asadya nijam hi murtim |
vidhaya tasyam sthita ena krnnah
sa laknmi-rupa ca ninevate prabhum ||8|| (4.14)
Vishnupriya made a murti of Gaura-Narayana, looking how She wanted to see Him, samipam asadya nijam hi murtim. Mahaprabhu had told Her when He was still with Her, sthita ena krnnah, “He is Krnna”. Pointing out His own murti, He said, “He is Krnna, sthita ena krnnah, Krnna is there.”
Sa laknmi-rupa ca ninevate prabhum, according to these words from Mahaprabhu, Vishnupriya is Lakshmi and Mahaprabhu is Krnna. Vishnupriya was offering worship every day.
When Mahaprabhu left home, His servant Isana Thakura took care of Sacimata and Vishnupriya. Vamsivadana Thakura who was very dear to Mahaprabhu also always stayed with Vishnupriya and Sacimata. He received so much krpa, mercy, from Sacimata and Vishnupriya, especially from Vishnupriya Thakurani. Vamsivadana Thakura has written one song, which is Viraha Sangita, a song of separation. The beginning line is ara na heriba sonara kamale nayana khanjana naca.
When Srinivasa Acarya came to Mayapura, Isana Thakura was an old man at that time. He took Srinivasa Acarya to Vishnupriya and introduced him to Her. Vamsivadana Thakura had also showered his mercy on Srinivasa Acarya.
So Vishnupriya Thakurani, as I mentioned already, is Bhu-sakti. Therefore, on this auspicious day of Her holy appearance day, we offer prayers at the lotus feet of Vishnupriya Thakurani. Let her shower Her mercy on us so that we will develop gaura-bhakti and krnna-bhakti and make our life successful.
Vishnupriya Thakurani ki jaya!!!
Gaura-Narayana ki jaya!!!
Gaura-Vishnupriya ki jaya!!!
Samaveta Gaura bhakta vrinda ki jaya
Gaura Premananda!
Haribol!
Devotee 1: … in yoga-pitha one is worshipped as Gaura-Narayana?
Gour Govinda Swami: He is worshiped as Gaura-Vishnupriya.
Devotee 1: even there they put no peacock feather?
Gour Govinda Swami: no, there is no peacock feather.
Devotee 2: He said at Gauranga Nagara
Gour Govinda Swami: Gauranga Nagara use peacock.
Devotee 1: So we have become gauranga-nagaris? (laughter)
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