Giving to Caitanya - Accepting the Offerings of Pure Devotees
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is fully self-satisfied, yet He descends to exchange loving reciprocations with His devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when the Lord appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He taught the world the perfection of devotion not only by giving love of God freely, but by graciously accepting whatever was given to Him by His pure devotees with faith and love.
Giving Food and Prasādam
Whether it was an elaborate feast or a humble offering, the Lord relished the devotion behind the food. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu eagerly accepted raw rice from Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī and joyfully honored the prasādam given by Advaita Ācārya and other intimate associates.
- All the devotees asked Govinda with great eagerness, "Have you given Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu the prasadam brought by me."
- In this way, Nityananda Prabhu and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu ate and talked with Advaita Acarya jokingly. After eating half of each vegetable preparation given to Him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu abandoned it and went on to the next.
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Madhavendra Puri has already taken lunch at your place. Therefore you may cook and give Me the food. That is My instruction."
- The Lord (Caitanya) ate raw rice given by Suklambara Brahmacari and explained very elaborately the import of the "harer nama" sloka mentioned in the Brhan-naradiya Purana.
Giving Gifts and Sacred Items
The Lord is captivated by pure faith and love. As Śrīla Prabhupāda notes, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always pleased to accept sacred gifts from His followers, whether it was a garland worn by Lord Jagannātha, hand-written devotional books, or the sacred dust from the site of Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance.
- Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is always pleased to accept anything given with faith and love by His devotees and is always ready to bestow mercy upon them.
- At a festival Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had been given some unspiced betel and a garland of tulasi leaves fourteen cubits long. The garland had been worn by Lord Jagannatha.
- Jagadananda Pandita offered obeisances to the Lord on behalf of Sanatana Gosvami. Then he gave the Lord the dust from the site of the rasa dance, along with the other gifts.
- Sri Vijaya dasa, the twenty-seventh branch, another of the Lord's chief singers, gave the Lord many books written by hand.
Giving Permission and Accommodations
Despite being the supreme master of all universes, the Lord displayed perfect, cultured human behavior. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed the utmost respect to His superiors and friends, humbly begging for their permission before traveling and graciously accepting the accommodations given to Him.
- Clasping the feet of His mother, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu very humbly requested her permission. Thus she gave Him leave to go to Vrndavana.
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "I shall certainly go to Vrndavana from Jagannatha Puri. If all of you give Me permission, I shall return here again without difficulty."
- My dear friends, you are all My intimate friends. Now I am begging a favor of you. Please give it to Me.
- Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya told that, "You become my guest, you, all of you." And he gave them places. Then . . . Caitanya Mahaprabhu was only twenty-four years old, and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, he was old man, about sixty years old.
Giving Instructions, Servants, and Happiness
To teach the world how to be a perfect disciple, the Lord submissively accepted the guidance of His teachers and spiritual master. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu strictly followed the instruction to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa given by His guru, proving that the perfection of life is to follow the order of the spiritual master.
- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that Caitanya was given lessons by a teacher named Visnu and another teacher named Sudarsana. Later on, when He was a little grown up, He was under the care of Gangadasa Pandita, who taught Him grammar of a higher standard.
- My spiritual master considered Me a great fool (CC Adi 7.71), Lord Caitanya replied. Therefore he has more or less punished Me by saying that because I am such a fool I have no capacity to study Vedanta. So in turn he gave Me the chanting of Hare Krsna.
- It is not befitting that the guru's servant (Govinda dasa) should engage in My personal service. Yet My spiritual master has given this order. What shall I (Lord Caitanya) do?
- Actually, You are My enjoyer. You have appeared just to give Me happiness, and this is one of Your expert activities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu perfectly illustrate the dynamic, loving exchanges that occur between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees. The Lord is not a static force, but a person who relishes being given food, shelter, sacred items, and loving permission from His eternal associates. By adopting the role of a devotee Himself, the Lord demonstrated how one should submissively accept the teachings and servants given by the spiritual master. Ultimately, the act of giving to Caitanya—whether it is a simple offering of raw rice, the dust of the holy dhāma, or the surrender of one's own heart—is the key to unlocking the supreme spiritual happiness for which every living entity eternally hankers.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Giving to Caitanya. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.