Introduction to chapter 28

This chapter describes Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s disclosure to Nityānanda of His desire to accept sannyāsa from Śrī Keśava Bhāratī and His instruction to inform five other persons headed by mother Śacī, the Lord’s engagement the entire day before taking sannyāsa in the ecstasy of kīrtana with the devotees, His instruction to everyone to worship Kṛṣṇa, His order to mother Śacī to cook a preparation with the bottle- gourd given by Śrīdhara and some milk given by one fortunate person and His eating that preparation, Śacīmātā’s sitting at the doorway prior to the Lord’s departure from home, the Lord’s solacing of mother Śacī and leaving home after taking dust from her feet, Śacīmātā’s state of inertia, the devotees’ crying on hearing about the Lord’s departure, the atheistic blasphemers’ lamentation, the Lord’s imparting the sannyāsa mantra into Keśava Bhāratī’s ear, and Keśava Bhāratī’s awarding the Lord His sannyāsa name.

Before accepting sannyāsa, Śrī Śrī Gaurahari called Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu to a solitary place and informed Him that He would take sannyāsa from Keśava Bhāratī. He also ordered Nityānanda to inform five other persons headed by Śacīmātā. The day before taking sannyāsa, the Lord spent the entire day with everyone in the ecstasy of saṅkīrtana. After giving them the remnants of His flower garland, He instructed them to constantly chant the names of Kṛṣṇa and worship Kṛṣṇa; this would greatly please Him.

After instructing everyone in this way, the Lord returned home. Shortly thereafter Śrīdhara came there with a lāu, or bottle-gourd, in his hand. The Lord, desiring to eat the item offered by His devotee, ordered His mother to cook it. At that time one fortunate person gave some milk to the Lord, who then instructed His mother to cook a preparation with the bottle-gourd and milk. In great pleasure, mother Śacī cooked that preparation. After sending everyone home, the Lord took His meal and then rested for a while in yoga-nidrā, or mystic sleep. Gadādhara and Haridāsa took rest by His side. Mother Śacī, however, was unable to sleep. She cried continuously.

When Mahāprabhu realized that less than two hours of the night remained and prepared to leave home, Gadādhara expressed his desire to accompany Him, but the Lord told him that He would go alone. Mother Śacī understood that the time for the Lord’s departure had come and sat down in the doorway. Śrī Śrī Gaurasundara solaced mother Śacī in various ways and then departed after taking the dust from her feet.

Mother Śacī remained sitting there in a state of inertia, and when the devotees came to offer obeisances to the Lord in the morning, they found mother Śacī still sitting in the doorway. When Śrīvāsa asked why she was sitting there like that, mother Śacī could not reply and simply shed tears. Eventually she said with indifference that the devotees were eligible for Viṣṇu’s items, so they could take whatever they wanted and she would go wherever she pleased. On hearing her words and realizing that the Lord had left home, the devotees fell unconscious to the ground. After crying for some time, the devotees sat down around mother Śacī. News that the Lord had left home spread throughout Nadia. When the blasphemous atheists heard this news, even they began to cry and repent that they had failed previously to recognize the Lord.

After crossing the Ganges, Śrīman Mahāprabhu went to Kaṭaka-nagara (Katwa). Those who were instructed to join Him also came one by one and met Him there. As the Lord approached Keśava Bhāratī, he immediately stood up with reverence on seeing the effulgence of the Lord’s body. The Lord then offered prayers to Keśava Bhāratī and asked him for his mercy. Mukunda and the other devotees began to perform kīrtana, and the Lord danced in ecstasy. Many people came there and became struck with wonder on seeing the Lord’s beauty. When Keśava Bhāratī saw the Lord’s devotional mood, he noted that He was the Supreme Lord and spiritual master of the entire world and that He had descended for the purpose of instructing people. Candraśekhara Ācārya engaged in performing the required rituals according to regulation. When the barber sat down to shave the Lord’s head, he began to cry. The devotees headed by Nityānanda also began to cry, and the demigods, who remained unseen, also began to shed tears. When at the end of the day the head shaving was somehow completed, Gaurasundara, the instructing spiritual master of all, pretentiously whispered the sannyāsa-mantra into the ear of Keśava Bhāratī and asked him whether it was the proper sannyāsa-mantra. On the order of the Lord, Keśava Bhāratī then whispered that same mantra into the Lord’s ear. The Lord looked extraordinarily attractive when He was dressed in saffron cloth. When Keśava Bhāratī desired to give the Lord His sannyāsa name, Śuddhā Sarasvatī appeared on his tongue and said that since the Lord was bringing the people of the world back to caitanya, or consciousness, by preaching kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, His name was “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.” On hearing this, the vibration of “Jaya! Jaya!” arose in the four directions and a shower of flowers fell from the sky.