Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Madhya 19 Summary

A summary of this chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thākura in his Amrita-pravāha-bhāshya. Meeting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in a village called Rāmakeli, two brothers, Rūpa and Sanātana, began to devise means to get out of their government service. They appointed some brāhmanas to perform puraścarana ceremonies and chant the holy name of Krishna. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī deposited ten thousand gold coins with a grocer, and the balance he brought in two boats to a place called Bāklā Candradvīpa. There he divided this money among the brāhmanas, Vaishnavas and his relatives, and a portion he kept for emergency measures and personal needs. He was informed that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was going to Vrindāvana from Jagannātha Purī through the forest of Madhya Pradesh; therefore he sent two people to Jagannātha Purī to find out when the Lord would leave for Vrindāvana. In this way Rūpa Gosvāmī retired, but Sanātana Gosvāmī told the Nawab that he was sick and could not attend to his work. Giving this excuse, he sat at home and studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with learned brāhmana scholars. The Nawab Hussain Shah first sent his personal physician to see what the real facts were; then he personally came to see why Sanātana was not attending to official business. Knowing that he wanted to resign his post, the Nawab had him arrested and imprisoned. The Nawab then went off to attack Orissa.

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started for Vrindāvana through the forest of Madhya Pradesh (Jhārikhanda), Rūpa Gosvāmī left home and sent news to Sanātana that he was leaving with his younger brother (Anupama Mallika) to meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī finally reached Prayāga and met with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for ten successive days. During this time, Vallabha Bhatta extended an invitation to the Lord with great respect. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī to Vallabha Bhatta. After this, a brāhmana scholar named Raghupati Upādhyāya arrived and discussed Krishna consciousness with the Lord. Kavirāja Gosvāmī then extensively describes the living condition of Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana at Vrindāvana. During the ten days at Prayāga, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was instructed by the Lord, who gave him the basic principles of the Bhakti-rasāmrita-sindhu. The Lord then sent Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī to Vrindāvana. The Lord Himself returned to Vārānasī and stayed at the home of Candraśekhara.

<<< >>>

Copyright ©r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness