Caitanya Caritamrta Compact
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  • Welcome to Caitanya Caritamrta Compact Online!
  • The Flow Of Nectar
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • Introduction
    • The God who Dances
    • Postgraduate Spirituality
    • A Humble Offering
  • Overview
    • Breakdown of Sri Chaitanya's Life
    • Layout of Book
  • ADI-LILA
    • Invocation
      • Auspicious Prayers
      • A Safe God
      • The Golden Opportunity
      • Five Stars
      • Writing Chaitanya-Charitamrita
      • The Desire Tree
    • Incarnation
      • The Rising Sun
      • Greatness and Sweetness
    • Education
      • Life Lessons
      • The Greatest Scholar
    • Transformation
      • The Turning Point
      • Birth of Kirtan
      • Exhibitions of Divinity
      • Overcoming the Opposition
      • The World is My Family
  • MADHYA-LILA
    • Renunciation
      • Snapshot
      • An Emotional Meeting
      • Lessons on the Road to Puri
      • Sarvabhauma’s Salvation
    • Propagation
      • The South Indian Tour
      • Returning to HQ
      • Preparations for Rathayatra
      • The Ecstatic Festival of Chariots
      • King Prataparudra’s Strong Desire
      • Expanding the Mercy
    • Aspiration
      • An Unfulfilled Aspiration
      • The Journey Home
      • Vraja Mandala Parikrama
    • Organisation
      • Systematic Documentation
      • Rupa and Sanatana’s Escape
      • Teachings to Rupa Goswami
      • Teachings to Sanatana Goswami
      • Essential Instructions to the Goswamis
      • Prakashananda and the Mayavada Sannyasis
  • ANTYA-LILA
    • Appreciation
      • Humility and Empowerment – Rupa Goswami
      • Devotion – Pradyumna Brahmachari
      • Pure Chanting – Haridas Thakur
      • Surrender and Vaishnava Etiquette – Sanatana Goswami
      • Renunciation – Raghunath das Goswami
      • Remembrance of Krishna – Gopinath & Vaninath
      • Service Attitude – Govinda
      • Spontaneous Love - Jagadananda Pandita
      • Following instructions – Raghunath Bhatta Goswami
    • Correction
      • Inappropriate Association - Chota Haridas
      • Dangers of Mayavada Philosophy – Bhagavan Acharya & Bengali poet
      • Criticism and Faultfinding – Damodara Pandita & Ramachandra Puri
      • Superficial Discrimination – Pradyumna Mishra
      • Respecting Teachers – Vallabha Bhatta
    • Intoxication
      • Feelings of Separation
      • Lessons in Eagerness
      • Instances of Ecstacy
    • Instruction
      • Shikshastakam
      • Closing Pastimes
      • Concluding Words
  • APPENDIX
    • Cover
    • Mangalacharana Breakdown
    • Ramananda-Samvada
    • CC Family Tree
    • Shikshastakam Breakdown
    • References & Extra Reading
    • End Notes
    • Shri Chaitanya's Travels
    • The Author
    • Wisdom That Breathes
    • Support this work
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  1. ADI-LILA
  2. Transformation

Overcoming the Opposition

[Adi 17]

PreviousExhibitions of DivinityNextThe World is My Family

Last updated 1 year ago

Nimai’s mission was to inaugurate and establish the process of nama- sankirtan as the special dispensation for this age. While the private gatherings at Shrivas Thakur’s home were undoubtedly blissful, He couldn’t confine the ecstatic chanting to those four walls. He quickly took the sankirtan party onto the streets of Navadvip where thousands of people joyously chanted, surcharging the entire town with a unique devotional buzz. As the movement grew in strength, influence and prominence, however, there was growing opposition and dismay from various parties.

Jagai & Madhai – after receiving the mandate to share the holy name with everyone, Nityananda Prabhu and Haridas Thakur encountered Jagai and Madhai, the notorious brothers who had abandoned their cultured family background for a degraded materialistic lifestyle. When requested to chant the holy name, they angrily chased Nityananda and Haridas away. Undeterred, the preachers returned the following day, at which time Madhai struck Nityananda with a piece of earthen pot, causing blood to gush from His head. Upon hearing of the incident, Nimai angrily arrived at the scene, ready to kill the brothers for their grievous offence. On the plea of Nityananda, however, Nimai spared their lives. Shaken by their near-death experience, Jagai and Madhai repented their mistakes, became cleansed of all sinful habits, and received initiation into the chanting of Krishna’s names. It was an incredible transformation!

Gopal Chapala – Gopal Chapala was a local brahmana who disapproved of the kirtans at Shrivas Thakur’s house. In an attempted defamation, Gopal placed sacrificial items at the Thakur’s doorstep, intimating that Shrivas was actually a meat-eating drunkard. As the villagers learned of the news, Shrivas refrained from defending himself, and instead humbly announced to everyone how degraded he was. Everyone clearly understood, however, that this was the devious scheming of Gopal. As a result of his offensive behaviour, Gopal contracted leprosy, and was only relieved from his illness when he approached Shrivas for forgiveness.

Brahmana’s Curse – another local brahmana became agitated when he was refused entry into the all-night kirtans. In retaliation, he cursed Nimai to be bereft of all material happiness. Nimai was greatly pleased to receive this benediction-in-disguise and wholeheartedly thanked him!

Chand Kazi – complaints against the public sankirtan began to flood in from local Muslims, staunch atheists and even the rigid smarta-brahmana community. The strict Islamic magistrate (Kazi)responded by sending officers to break the drums at Shrivas Thakur’s house, after which they officially outlawed the public chanting that had become a resounding phenomenon throughout Navadvip. In response, Nimai gathered all the devotees and organised a non-violent demonstration to the Kazi’s residence. The sound was tumultuous, and when they arrived at his home, the Kazi was too scared to appear. Nimai eventually met him and they had a fruitful dialogue on the comparative religious principles of the Vedas and Koran. The Kazi was convinced of the Vedic version that Nimai presented, and related how Narasimhadeva (the half-man half-lion incarnation of Krishna) had appeared in his dream to warn him not to oppose the sankirtan movement. The Kazi finally declared, “To as many descendants as take birth in my dynasty in the future, I give this grave admonition: No one should check the sankirtan movement.”

We live in a world which is topsy-turvy. Krishna declares that religion is sometimes mistaken as irreligion, while irreligion regularly passes as religion! These instructive pastimes remind us that genuine devotees of God will undoubtedly face obstacles, opposition and criticism. When homeopathic treatment is applied, the initial sign of success is that the disease gets worse. That is, however, an indication that the treatment is actually working. Similarly, when a genuine spiritual movement takes root, some opposition is to be expected, but as time goes by the powerful message will be truly appreciated and valued. By remaining determined, tolerant and humble, eventual success is guaranteed.

Nimai had induced people to chant throughout His life, but that now evolved into a wide-scale sankirtan movement.