SRÍ SÍTÁ THÁKURÁNÍ VrajaLélä svarüp: YogaMäyä [GauraGaëoddeçaDépikä 86] Father: NrisimhaBhäduré Sister: ÇréDevé Sons: Acyutänanda, KåñëaMishra, Gopäl Srí SítáThákurání, like Srí SachíMátá, is the eternally worshipful Mother of the universe. She was always intensely absorbed in parental affection for Srí GauraSundar. She also used to give friendly advice to SachíMátá and Jagannáth Mishra as to how they should raise their son, Nimái. Srí SítáThákurání is the incarnation of YogaMáyá, BhagavatíPaurnamásí. Her other expansion (prakásh múrti) is her sister, SríDeví. [GauraGanoddeshDípiká] SítáThákurání gave the name Nimái to SachíDeví’s child with the idea in mind that witches and sorcerers would then be unable to harm him. The neem tree is so antiseptic that evil spirits cannot go near it. So also, with the name Nimái - ‘evil spirits will not be able to go near a person with such a name’, thought SítáDeví, absorbed as she was in parental affection for the Lord. She was not thinking that he is God and can look after himself. In deference to the mellows of devotional love, the opulence, strength, etc. of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagaván, have to admit defeat. By this affection, in which one forgets the supreme position of the Lord and considers him an ordinary human, the Lord obtains great satisfaction. [Srí ChaitanyaCharitámrita ÁdiLílá 13.111] After the birth of Nimái, SítáThákurání spent a few days at Máyápur and gave various instructions to JagannáthMishra and SachíDeví regarding the upbringing of the child. JagannáthMishra and SachíMátá in turn presented valuable cloths and other fineries to SítáDeví during the birth festival of their son. Srí AdvaitÁchárya, in addition to his house at Shántipur, had another house at SrídhámMáyápur. After the birth of Srí GauraSundar, Advaita and Sítá began to spend most of their time at Máyápur. Srí SachíDeví always remained very reverential towards SítáThákurání. They were extremely close friends and Sítá Thákurání would come every day to the Mishra’s house to check on the child. As Nimái began to grow, he increased the pleasure of the devotees, like the waxing moon in the sky increases our happiness by its cooling effect. A few years later when JagannáthMishra’s elder son, Visvarúp, suddenly took sannyás and left home, Jagannáth, SachíDeví and Nimái were very aggrieved. At that time, Advaita and SítáDeví came to offer consolation and to look after Nimái. When Srí GauraSundar returned from GayáDhám in a God-intoxicated state and began to reveal his TrueSelf, AdvaitÁchárya and SítáThákurání were called from Shántipur to be the first to offer worship at his lotus feet. ‘One day, SachíKumár, smiling very sweetly, entered the courtyard of Advaita’s temple and sat down. Nityánanda was present with him, and AdvaitÁchárya also sat down to join them. Then the three of them, in a delightful mood, decided to hold a sankírtan festival. Hearing their conversation, SítáThákurání felt unlimited bliss and came out of the house. ‘She eagerly suggested to SachíNandan how she could assist in the preparations. Seeing her enthusiasm, Srí GauraSundar became even more exhilarated, and so he told her, “Thákurání, please invite many Vaishnavas to your house; those who are singers and those who can expertly play the mridanga and other instruments. Each one should be respectfully invited to come here for a sankírtan festival.” mridanga- clay drum ‘After having explained to her about her duties, Srí GauraRáy instructed the others present to extend invitations to all the Vaishnavas. He told them to bring mridangas and kartáls. He then explained that with the oil of aguru and sandalwood paste they should establish a sacred water pot. He instructed how the place where the kírtan would be held should be carefully cleansed and decorated with banana trees and garlands of mango leaves and flowers. With flower garlands, sandalwood paste, betel nuts, ghee, honey and yogurt, an invocation ceremony was to be performed in the evening. kartál- (lit.) kar- hand; tál- rhythm; keeping beat with the hands; brass or bell-metal cymbals ‘Hearing these nectarean instructions of Maháprabhu, everyone felt great joy and immediately went to bring the auspicious articles. As the courtyard gradually filled with the items brought, the whole area became perfumed with a pleasant fragrance. Then, the heavens resounding with the transcendental sound vibration of “Hari! Hari!” the kírtan began. ‘Paramesvar thus concludes his description of the sankírtan festival performed at the house of AdvaitÁchárya; himself floating in the bliss of those ecstatic mellows.’ [Srí PadakalpaTaru] We have personally witnessed such sankirtan festivals many times in BanglaDesh, and a few times in W.Bengal. When Sri ChaitanyaDev went to EastBengal for the purpose of earning some money, he was asked by TapanMishra, about ‘the goal of life, and how to attain it’ (sadhya/sadhan tattva). Sri Visvambhar replied, ‘harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam, kalau nastyeva nastyeva nastyeva, gatir anyatha.’ In this KaliYuga, the only vehicle that will carry you forward is the chanting of the HolyNames of SriHari. There is no other way, no other way, no other way.’ All other vehicles operate only in reverse. So this was a special, introductory offer. Even before he went to Gaya and took initiation from Sri IsvarPuri; before he inaugurated the sankirtan movement in the courtyard of SrivasThakur, he revealed his true mission while in EastBengal (present-day BanglaDesh), though at the time he was acting officially as a teacher, collecting students and funds to properly execute the duties of a grihastha. grihastha- householder/ family man Vrindaban das Thakur remarks in this connection, that, ‘the residents of EastBengal continue to remain absorbed in the chanting of the HolyNames of SriHari to this day.’ Of course, Vrindaban das Thakur wrote these words approximately four hundred and some odd years ago. Nevertheless, we have personally witnessed that the residents of BanglaDesh are still very attached to the chanting of the MahaMantra- HareKrsna HareKrsna KrsnaKrsna HareHare / HareRama HareRama RamaRama HareHare, right up to the present day; that is, up until the late 1980’s. Since then we haven’t spent much time in BanglaDesh. In practically every village of the country, wherever there are still some Hindus, they hold what is called a NamaYajna (pronounced: NamJagya, or, NamJagga) at least once a year, for a minimum of 24 hours, non-stop; more likely for at least three days and nights, or five days and nights or for a whole week, unbroken throughout the day and night. In a large courtyard of someone’s house, or perhaps in a field near the village, an area is purified by smearing it with a mixture of mud and cow dung (called in Bengali- lepalepi). Then four banana trees are brought and ‘planted’ in the ground, creating the four corners of the inner sanctum. Within this area, RadhaGovinda and the PancaTattva (Sri KrsnaChaitanya, PrabhuNityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhar, Srivasadi GauraBhakataVrinda) are invited, placing asanas for each one of them and invoking their presence through the installation of a sacred water pot. Betel nuts and other auspicious items are placed in the water pot while invoking the presence of the invited guests. Sometimes a bed is placed off to the side where they might also take rest. Offerings of foodstuffs are made throughout the night and day. Flags and festoons are hung all around. The kirtaniyas (singers) and other respected guests all receive flower garlands placed respectfully around their necks. Straw and sometimes cotton carpets are placed all around for the villagers to sit on while they listen to the singing. Since prasadam is served usually a few times a day, many people come and camp out for the duration of the celebration. Nowadays there are professional kirtan groups who are hired to ‘perform’ during these NamYajnas, some of the best groups receiving as much as Rs.3000 per night. I was told by one gentleman, however, how these functions were observed fifty years or so ago. The groups who came to do kirtan were also paid then as well, but just five rupees or so, and out of that, they would usually donate one or two rupees to the nearest temple. In one sense, it was for the villagers a form of recreation, a way to pass the time, once the crops were in the ground and there wasn’t much to do except wait for them to grow. I was in attendance at one NamYajna that was observed by a conglomerate of thirty-five villages. No professional kirtan groups were hired, rather, whatever money was collected from the villages went for decoration of the mandap (arena) and for the preparation of prasad. Non-professional kirtan groups from various villages among the thirty-five kept the kirtan going for five days and nights. They each sing and play instruments for shifts of two hours. An area near the mandap, usually a group of trees or bushes is designated as a kunj (flower bower) where SriSri RadhaGovinda are engaged in their dalliance. While one kirtan group is singing in the mandap the group that is on next first goes to the kunj and pays their respectful obeisances, bowing their heads to the ground. Then they start singing for the pleasure of their Lordships, the eternally Youthful DivineCouple. After chanting there for five or ten minutes they make their way ever so gradually towards the mandap. Touching the ground in reverence before entering the mandap they make their entrance, all the while chanting and dancing, while the previous group finishes their set, usually with a wild crescendo. I often used to wonder how the groups could hold their own music together while the two different melodies were going on side by side. There are particular ragas and raginis (melodies, male and female) to be sung at different times of the day and night. For instance, when SriKrsna left the arena of the Rasa dance and the gopis were immersed in the pain of separation from him, Lalita sang a particular melody, which has become known as LalitaRagini. So, this melody is sung in the night, at the time when Krsna has left the gopis and they are missing him terribly. One evening, during the NamYajna observed by the thirty-five villages, a group came on in which there were three or four children, around the ages of nine to eleven, both boys and girls. After chanting for an hour or so, I noticed that there were tears streaming down the children’s cheeks. Now it is not at all uncommon for the Bengalis to exhibit such symptoms, but we generally felt that it was quite ‘put on’, meaning that they were consciously exhibiting such symptoms in order to achieve recognition in the eyes of others. However, in this instance with the children, we didn’t get any such impression whatsoever. Their innocence shone forth through their tears, and we were also moved by the power of the chanting of the HolyNames of SriHari. We have also witnessed a RasLila performance in Vrindaban, when a tear was seen to shoot out from the eye of the little brahmana boy playing the part of SriKrsna, as he performed MakkhanChor Lila. MotherYashoda was chastising Krsna for stealing butter, and, while singing a very beautiful song, the melody alone bringing tears to the eyes, Krsna emphatically stated his innocence. When Srí GauraSundar started in the direction of Vrindában after taking sannyás, SítáThákurání, like SachíMátá herself, was terribly afflicted. Having fallen down on the earth, she remained there for four days as though almost dead. BhaktaVatsal, Srí GauraSundar, being bound by his devotees’ love, was therefore unable to go to Vrindában and instead came to Shántipur. Upon seeing Maháprabhu again, SítáThákurání and AdvaitÁchárya got back their lives. Then SítáDeví cooked many preparations and personally fed Maháprabhu, who had also been fasting for a few days. When all the devotees were in Purí for RathaYátrá, she would also invite Maháprabhu to accept his lunch. He accepted their loving offerings as though one charmed by mantra. She was always very affectionate to Maháprabhu and treated him like her own son. Maháprabhu, as well, saw her as non-different from his own mother and treated her with the same devotion. Three sons took birth from the womb of Sítá Thákurání: Acyutánanda, KrsnaMishra and GopálMishra. They were all followers of Srí ChaitanyaMaháprabhu. The father of SítáThákurání was NrisimhaBhádurí. She had a sister, SríDeví, who was also married to AdvaitÁchárya. [BhaktiRatnákar 12] SítáThákurání had two very uncommon disciples in the persons of Nandiní and Jangalí, who were previously males, but became females by their guru’s order, after accepting initiation. They are mentioned in GauraGanoddeshDípiká as incarnations of Jay and Vijay, before their present births as Nandiní and Jangalí. Before initiation, their names were NandaRám and Jagyesvar ChakraVartí. Nandiní worshipped a Deity of Gopínáth at Gopínáthpur, within the district of Bogra, in the present-day country of BánglaDesh. Later she came to live at Purí, where worship of her Deities is still being maintained. The name of her Srípát there is NandiníMatha, located on the western side of Lord Jagannáth’s temple. Matha- monastery; in the Orissan language the final ‘a’ is pronounced in many words. There is a story, that while Nandiní was residing in BograDistrict, some people complained to the Muslim governor concerning her activities, objecting that she was really a male masquerading as a female. The magistrate proceeded there on horseback in the company of some soldiers. They called Nandiní to come out of her house. When she approached those men, the magistrate ordered her to lift up her sári. She replied that she was in the period of her menses. As she very shyly complied with the order of the Nawáb, ever so slowly pulling up her sári, the governor noticed blood trickling down her leg. The governor apologized profusely, reciting prayers and catching hold of her feet. He then bestowed upon her three villages. Nandiní established the worship of Srí Gopínáthjí there and thus it came to be known as Gopínáthpur. sári- dress Then one day it was noticed that in the nearby village a seven-year old girl was pregnant (this was predicted to Nandiní by SítáThákurání). A son was born to the little girl who then proceeded to the next world. The villagers presented the boy to Nandiní to be reared. From this boy the disciplic succession of Nandiní began. Jangalí’s Srípát is at JangalíTotá, six miles from the town of Máldah, in the North of WestBengal. Jangalí similarly lived in a very remote place surrounded by jungle; thus did she receive her name. One day, the emperor of Gaura came to hunt in that jungle. When he espied the beauty of Jangalí he was very attracted to her and attempted to violate her chastity. Thus was he all the more surprised to find that she was in fact a man. He bluntly asked her, “Are you a woman or a man?” Jangalí replied, “Women see me as a woman, men as a man. But at no time was I ever a man.” The Bádshá was still very confused. He sent a woman to examine her and the woman reported to him that she was in fact a woman. Then a man was again sent to examine her and he replied that she was a man. Finally, the Bádshá could understand that this was a very special person, endowed with some transcendental qualities. He caught hold of her feet and prayed for forgiveness. She told him to think nothing of it and have him her blessings. The Bádshá then ordered that a residence be constructed for her there in the jungle. This house became known as JangalíTotá. She also used to worship Lord Gopínáth here. Bádshá- Muslim emperor The first time I heard these stories I immediately thought, “bogus stories!” After all, it’s not that there is any dearth of such stories. BhaktivinodaThakur includes the sakhi bekis, those who dress as women though they are men, as one of the asampradayas, or bogus followers of Sri ChaitanyaDev. However, when I found the names of Nandini and Jangali in GauraGanoddeshDipika, I had to think twice. Upon further investigation, it appears that they actually were ordered by SitaThakurani to accept the dress and activities of females. This is the only instance I know of, when men were ‘authorized’ to dress and behave as females. references to SítáThákurání from: Srí ChaitanyaCharitámrita ÁdiLílá 13.111-18
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 13:47:13 +0000
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