180 Sti Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 5

kapotesvara dekhite gela bhakta-gana sange
etha nitydnanda-prabhu kaila danda-bharige

tina khanda kari’ danda dila bhasafia
bhakta-sange dila prabhu mahega dekhifia

SYNONYMS

kapotesvara—the Siva temple of the name Kapotesvara; dekhite—to see;
gela—went; bhakta-gana sarige—with the devotees; ethd—here; nityananda-
prabhu—Lord Nityananda Prabhu; kaila—did; danda—of the sannydsa staff;
bhange—breaking; tina khanda—three parts; kari’—making; danda—the staff;
dila—threw in; bhasafad—washing away; bhakta-sange—with the devotees;
aila—returned; prabhu—Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; mahesa dekhifa—having

seen the temple of Lord Siva.

TRANSLATION

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the temple of Lord Siva known as
Kapotesvara, Nityananda Prabhu, who was keeping His sannyasa staff in
custody, broke the staff in three parts and threw it into the River Bharginadi.
Later this river became known as Danda-bhanga-nadi.

PURPORT

The mystery of the sannydsa-danda (staff) of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has
been explained by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu accepted the order of sannydsa from a Mayavadi sannydsi. The
Mayavadi sannydsis generally carry one staff, or danda. Taking advantage of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s absence, Srila Nityananda Prabhu broke the staff into
three parts and threw it into the river now known as the Danda-bhanga-nadi. In
the sannydsa order there are four divisions—kuticaka, bahGdaka, harnsa and
paramahamsa. Only when the sannydasi remains on the kuticaka and bahtdaka
platforms can he carry a staff. However, when one is elevated to the status of
hamsa or paramaharnsa, after touring and preaching the bhakti cult, he must give
up the sannydsa staff.

$n Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is
therefore said, sri-krsma-caitanya, radha-krsna nahe anya: ‘'Two personalities—
Srimati Radharani and Sri Krsna—are combined in the incarnation of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.” Therefore, considering Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be an extraor-
dinary person, Lord Nityananda Prabhu did not wait for the paramaharnsa stage.
He reasoned that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is automatically on the
paramaharnsa stage; therefore He does not need to carry the sannydsa-danda.
