Pānihāṭi ciḍā-dadhi-mahotsava

Raghunātha dāsa meets Nityānanda Prabhu

Excerpt Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Chapter 6

In the village of Pānihāṭi, Raghunātha dāsa obtained an interview with Nityānanda Prabhu, who was accompanied by many kīrtana performers, servants and others. Sitting on a rock under a tree on the bank of the Ganges, Lord Nityānanda seemed as effulgent as hundreds of thousands of rising suns. Many devotees sat on the ground surrounding Him. Seeing the influence of Nityānanda Prabhu, Raghunātha dāsa was astonished.

Raghunātha dāsa offered his obeisances by falling prostrate at a distant place, and the servant of Nityānanda Prabhu pointed out, “There is Raghunātha dāsa, offering You obeisances.” Hearing this, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu said, “You are a thief. Now you have come to see Me. Come here, come here. Today I shall punish you!” The Lord called him, but Raghunātha dāsa did not go near the Lord. Then the Lord forcibly caught him and placed His lotus feet upon Raghunātha dāsa’s head. Lord Nityānanda was by nature very merciful and funny. Being merciful, He spoke to Raghunātha dāsa as follows.

“You are just like a thief, for instead of coming near, you stay away at a distant place. Now that I have captured you, I shall punish you. Make a festival and feed all My associates yogurt and chipped rice.” Hearing this, Raghunātha dāsa was greatly pleased.

Raghunātha dāsa organizes the ciḍā-dadhi-mahotsava

Excerpt Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Chapter 6

Raghunātha dāsa immediately sent his own men to the village to purchase all kinds of eatables and bring them back. Raghunātha dāsa brought chipped rice, yogurt, milk, sweetmeats, sugar, bananas and other eatables and placed them all around. As soon as they heard that a festival was going to be held, all kinds of brāhmaṇas and other gentlemen began to arrive. Thus there were innumerable people. Seeing the crowd increasing, Raghunātha dāsa arranged to get more eatables from other villages. He also brought two to four hundred large, round earthen pots. He also obtained five or seven especially large earthen pots, and in these pots a brāhmaṇa began soaking chipped rice for the satisfaction of Lord Nityānanda. In one place, chipped rice was soaked in hot milk in each of the large pots. Then half the rice was mixed with yogurt, sugar and bananas. The other half was mixed with condensed milk and a special type of banana known as cāṅpā-kalā. Then sugar, clarified butter and camphor were added. After Nityānanda Prabhu had changed His cloth for a new one and sat on a raised platform, the brāhmaṇa brought before Him the seven huge pots. On that platform, all the most important associates of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, as well as other important men, sat down in a circle around the Lord. Among them were Rāmadāsa, Sundarānanda, Gadādhara dāsa, Murāri, Kamalākara, Sadāśiva and Purandara. Dhanañjaya, Jagadīśa, Parameśvara dāsa, Maheśa, Gaurīdāsa and Hoḍa Kṛṣṇadāsa were also there. Similarly, Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura and many other personal associates of the Lord sat on the raised platform with Nityānanda Prabhu. No one could count them all. Hearing about the festival, all kinds of learned scholars, brāhmaṇas and priests went there. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu honored them and made them sit on the raised platform with Him. Everyone was offered two earthen pots. In one was put chipped rice with condensed milk, and in the other chipped rice with yogurt. All the other people sat in groups around the platform. No one could count how many people there were. Each and every one of them was supplied two earthen pots — one of chipped rice soaked in yogurt and the other of chipped rice soaked in condensed milk. Some of the brāhmaṇas, not having gotten a place on the platform, went to the bank of the Ganges with their two earthen pots and soaked their chipped rice there. Others, who could not get a place even on the bank of the Ganges, got down into the water and began eating their two kinds of chipped rice. Thus some sat on the platform, some at the base of the platform, and some on the bank of the Ganges, and they were all supplied two pots each by the twenty men who distributed the food. At that time, Rāghava Paṇḍita arrived there. Seeing the situation, he began to laugh in great surprise. He brought many kinds of food cooked in ghee and offered to the Lord. This prasādam he first placed before Lord Nityānanda and then distributed among the devotees. Rāghava Paṇḍita said to Lord Nityānanda, “For You, Sir, I have already offered food to the Deity, but You are engaged in a festival here, and so the food is lying there untouched.”

Lord Nityānanda replied, “Let Me eat all this food here during the day, and I shall eat at your home at night. I belong to a community of cowherd boys, and therefore I generally have many cowherd associates with Me. I am happy when we eat together in a picnic like this by the sandy bank of the river.”

Lord Nityānanda made Rāghava Paṇḍita sit down and had two pots delivered to him also. There were two kinds of chipped rice soaked in them. When chipped rice had been served to everyone, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, in meditation, brought Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu stood up. They then saw how the others were enjoying the chipped rice with yogurt and condensed milk. From each and every pot, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu took one morsel of chipped rice and pushed it into the mouth of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a joke. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, also smiling, took a morsel of food, pushed it into the mouth of Nityānanda and laughed as He made Lord Nityānanda eat it. In this way Lord Nityānanda was walking through all the groups of eaters, and all the Vaiṣṇavas standing there were seeing the fun. No one could understand what Nityānanda Prabhu was doing as He walked about. Some, however, who were very fortunate, could see that Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also present. Then Nityānanda Prabhu smiled and sat down. On His right side He kept four pots of chipped rice that had not been made from boiled paddy. Lord Nityānanda offered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu a place and had Him sit down. Then together the two brothers began eating chipped rice. Seeing Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu eating with Him, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu became very happy and exhibited varieties of ecstatic love.

Lord Nityānanda Prabhu ordered, “All of you eat, chanting the holy name of Hari.” Immediately the holy names “Hari, Hari” resounded, filling the entire universe. When all the Vaiṣṇavas were chanting the holy names “Hari, Hari” and eating, they remembered how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma ate with Their companions the cowherd boys on the bank of the Yamunā. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Nityānanda Prabhu are extremely merciful and liberal. It was Raghunātha dāsa’s good fortune that They accepted all these dealings. Who can understand the influence and mercy of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu? He is so powerful that He induced Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to come eat chipped rice on the bank of the Ganges. All the confidential devotees who were cowherd boys, headed by Śrī Rāmadāsa, were absorbed in ecstatic love. They thought the bank of the Ganges to be the bank of the Yamunā. When the shopkeepers of many other villages heard about the festival, they arrived there to sell chipped rice, yogurt, sweetmeats and bananas. As they came, bringing all kinds of food, Raghunātha dāsa purchased it all. He gave them the price for their goods and later fed them the very same food. Anyone who came to see how these funny things were going on was also fed chipped rice, yogurt and bananas. After Lord Nityānanda Prabhu finished eating, He washed His hands and mouth and gave Raghunātha dāsa the food remaining in the four pots. There was food remaining in the three other big pots of Lord Nityānanda, and a brāhmaṇa distributed it to all the devotees, giving a morsel to each. Then a brāhmaṇa brought a flower garland, placed the garland on Nityānanda Prabhu’s neck and smeared sandalwood pulp all over His body. When a servant brought betel nuts and offered them to Lord Nityānanda, the Lord smiled and chewed them. With His own hands Lord Nityānanda Prabhu distributed to all the devotees whatever flower garlands, sandalwood pulp and betel nuts remained. After receiving the remnants of food left by Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, Raghunātha dāsa, who was greatly happy, ate some and distributed the rest among his own associates.

Lessons from Pānihāṭi ciḍā-dadhi-mahotsava

1. Raghunātha dāsa, despite his social standing, approached Nityānanda Prabhu with utmost humility, offering obeisances from a distance. This teaches the importance of humility in the presence of spiritual masters and divine personalities. There is no point when an advanced soul thinks that he is qualified to accept Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. Bhakti is so magnificent and beyond comprehension that one feels overwhelmed and feels intense gratitude.

2. Raghunātha dāsa’s immediate and joyful response to organize a grand feast shows his eagerness to serve and please the devotees. Serving others, especially in a spirit of love and devotion, is a key aspect of spiritual life. In devotional consciousness one sees the world as a place for service.