Madhya-līlā

Chapter 25: How All the Residents of Vārāṇasī Became Vaiṣṇavas

Verse 167 of 282
Cc Madhya 25.167

নিজলোক লঞা প্রভু আইলা বাসাঘর বারাণসী হৈল দ্বিতীয নদীযানগর

निजलोक लञा प्रभु आइला वासाघर वाराणसी हैल द्वितीय नदीयानगर

nija-loka lañā prabhu āilā vāsāghara vārāṇasī haila dvitīya nadīyā-nagara

Synonyms

nija-loka lañāwith His personal associates; prabhuŚrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; āilā vāsa-agharacame to His residential place; vārāṇasīthe city of Vārāṇasī; hailabecame; dvitīyasecond; nadīyā-nagaraNavadvīpa (Nadia)..

Translation

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then returned to His residence with His personal associates. Thus He turned the whole city of Vārāṇasī into another Navadvīpa [Nadīyā-nagara].

Purport

Both Navadvīpa and Vārāṇasī were celebrated for their highly educational activities. At the present time these cities are still inhabited by great, learned scholars, but Vārāṇasī is especially a center for Māyāvādī sannyāsīs who are learned scholars. However, unlike Navadvīpa, there are hardly any devotees in Vārāṇasī. Consequently a discussion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was very rare in Vārāṇasī. In Navadvīpa, such a discussion was quite ordinary. After Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited Vārāṇasī and turned Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and his disciples into Vaiṣṇavas, Vārāṇasī became like Navadvīpa because so many devotees began discussing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Even at the present moment one can hear many discussions on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam taking place on the banks of the Ganges. Many scholars and sannyāsīs gather there to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and perform saṅkīrtana.

Verse 167 of 282
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