This incident is very significant, for it awoke within the devotee ecstatic love. Then the son of Advaita Prabhu named Gopāla fainted during kīrtana, and when he did not come to his senses, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu favored him by awakening him. There was also some humorous talk between Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu during prasādam. Advaita Prabhu said that Nityānanda Prabhu was unknown to anyone and that it was not the duty of a householder brāhmaṇa to accept dinner with a person unknown in society. In answer to this humorous statement, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu replied that Advaita Ācārya was a monist and that one could not know how his mind could be turned by eating with such an impersonalist. The conversation of these two prabhus-Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu-carried a deep meaning that only an intelligent man can understand. After all the Vaiṣṇavas finished their luncheon, Svarūpa Dāmodara and others took their prasādam within the room. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took great pleasure when He saw the Jagannātha Deity after the period of the Deity's retirement. At that time Lord Caitanya was accompanied by all the devotees, and all of them were very pleased.
Lunch (CC)
Expressions researched:
"lunch bag"
|"lunch bags"
|"lunch"
|"lunched"
|"luncheon"
|"lunches"
|"lunchroom"
|"lunchtime"
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
After this, all the sannyāsīs took the Lord into their midst, and thus they all took their meal together.
Previously Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had neither mixed nor talked with the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, but now He took lunch with them. It is to be concluded that when Lord Caitanya induced them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and excused them for their offenses, they were purified, and therefore there was no objection to taking lunch, or bhagavat-prasādam, with them, although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew that the food had not been offered to the Deity. Māyāvādī sannyāsīs do not worship the Deity, or if they do so they generally worship the deity of Lord Śiva or the pañcopāsanā (Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, Durgā-devī, Gaṇeśa and Sūrya). Here we do not find any mention of the demigods or Viṣṇu, and yet Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted food in the midst of the sannyāsīs on the basis that they had chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and that He had excused their offenses.
After taking lunch among the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is known as Gaurasundara, returned to His residence. Thus the Lord performs His wonderful pastimes.
CC Madhya-lila
According to the Vedic principles, there must always be a guest in a householder's house. In my childhood I have actually seen my father receive not less than four guests every day, and in those days my father's income was not very great. Nonetheless, there was no difficulty in offering prasādam to at least four guests every day. According to Vedic principles, a householder, before taking lunch, should go outside and shout very loudly to see if there is anyone without food. In this way he invites people to take prasādam. If someone comes, the householder offers him prasādam, and if there is not much left, he should offer his own portion to the guest. If no one responds to his call, the householder can accept his own lunch. Thus the householder's life is also a kind of austerity. Because of this, the householder's life is called the gṛhastha-āśrama. Although a person may live with his wife and children happily in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he also observes the regulative principles followed in any temple. If there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the householder's abode is called a gṛha-medhī’s house. Householders in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually gṛhasthas—that is, those living in the āśrama with their families and children. Śrī Advaita Prabhu was an ideal gṛhastha, and His house was the ideal gṛhastha-āśrama.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Advaita Ācārya, You have made Me dance in various ways. Now give up this practice. Go with Mukunda and Haridāsa and accept Your lunch."
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is here telling Advaita Ācārya that it is not befitting for a sannyāsī to accept nice beds to lie on or to chew cloves and cardamom and have his body smeared with sandalwood pulp. Nor is it befitting for him to accept fragrant garlands and have his legs massaged by a pure Vaiṣṇava. "You have already made Me dance according to Your vow," Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. "Now please stop it. You can go and take Your lunch with Mukunda and Haridāsa."
Since Advaita Ācārya was giving alms and food to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the other devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, also desired to give Him alms and invite Him for lunch.
After bathing in the sea, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees returned very soon. The Lord then washed His feet and sat down on a carpet to take lunch.
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya made arrangements to bring various kinds of mahā-prasādam from the Jagannātha temple. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then accepted lunch with great happiness.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu was offered special rice and first-class vegetables on golden plates. He thus took lunch in the company of His devotees.
"Today, all of you please try to taste the lunch just as Lord Jagannātha accepted it."
Begging permission from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then went with Gopīnātha Ācārya to take lunch. After finishing their lunch, they returned to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
After hearing the prayers offered by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His residence, and the Bhaṭṭācārya, through Gopīnātha Ācārya, induced the Lord to accept lunch there.
When Lord Nityānanda Prabhu took Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for lunch at noon, everyone came running around Them.
After lunch, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them open the door. In this way everyone received His audience with great pleasure.
At this time a brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava following the Vedic principles came and offered obeisances. He fell flat before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and invited Him for lunch.
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to the house of the brāhmaṇa who had invited Him and took His lunch there. When the evening of that day arrived, both Rāmānanda Rāya and the Lord were eager to meet each other again.
Upon seeing the Deity of Lord Rāmacandra, the descendant of King Raghu, the Lord offered His prayers and obeisances. Then a brāhmaṇa invited the Lord to take lunch.
After finishing His lunch there, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the brāhmaṇa, “My dear friend, kindly tell Me what your position is now.
After offering lunch to the Lord, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa submitted that the period of Cāturmāsya had already arrived.
Each day the Lord was invited by a different brāhmaṇa, but some of the brāhmaṇas did not get the opportunity to offer Him lunch because the period of Cāturmāsya came to an end.
After bathing in the river Kṛtamālā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the brāhmaṇa's house to take lunch, but He saw that the food was unprepared because the brāhmaṇa had not cooked it.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His lunch at about three o’clock, but the brāhmaṇa, being very sorrowful, fasted.
“My dear Sir, You have delivered me from a very unhappy condition. I request that You take Your lunch at my place. Please accept this invitation.
"Due to my mental distress I could not give You a very nice lunch the other day. Now, by good fortune, You have come again to my home."
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted and danced in various ways as usual. A brāhmaṇa, seeing Him in ecstatic love, was very pleased and invited the Lord to his home for lunch.
The brāhmaṇa offered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu food with great respect and love. After finishing His lunch, the Lord received auspicious news.
As soon as Śrī Raṅga Purī recalled Navadvīpa, he also recalled accompanying Śrī Mādhavendra Purī to the house of Jagannātha Miśra, where Raṅga Purī had taken lunch. He even remembered the taste of an unprecedented curry made of banana flowers.
After seeing the people who gathered there, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya returned to his own home. At noon, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got up to take His lunch.
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then took the Lord with him to his home, saying, “Today's luncheon will be at my home.” In this way he invited the Lord.
Accompanied by all His associates, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's house and took His noon lunch there.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then sent Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya to take his lunch, and the Lord remained that night in his home just to please him.
Hearing the Lord reject him, Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa began to cry. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not caring for him, immediately left to take His noon lunch.
The mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not restricted to the jurisdiction of caste and creed. Vidura was a śūdra, yet Kṛṣṇa accepted lunch at his home.
"Go to the sea and bathe and look at the top of the temple. After so doing, please come back here and take your lunch."
After bathing in the sea, Advaita Prabhu and all the other devotees returned, and on their return they saw the top of the Jagannātha temple. They then went to the residence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take their luncheon.
You may sit down and accept the luncheon with Nityānanda Prabhu, and I shall distribute the prasādam to all the Vaiṣṇavas.”
Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally sat down to accept lunch with the other sannyāsīs, and Gopīnātha Ācārya began to distribute the prasādam with great pleasure.
After everyone had finished his lunch and washed his mouth and hands, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally decorated everyone with flower garlands and sandalwood pulp.
In this way all the devotees sat down to take their lunch in consecutive lines, one beside the other.
Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “Let Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu take His lunch with the devotees. Since I am abominable, I cannot sit down among you.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa had previously taken His lunch in the forest, and that very pastime was remembered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
After taking their lunch, all the Vaiṣṇavas stood up and chanted the holy name of Hari, and the resounding noise filled all the upper and lower planetary systems.
Feeling such great pleasure upon seeing the face of Lord Jagannātha, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu forgot everything. The devotees, however, took Him to His lunch at noontime.
After this, Vāṇīnātha Rāya brought all kinds of prasādam, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted lunch with the devotees.
Paramānanda Purī, Brahmānanda Bhāratī and all the other chief devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took lunch at the invitation of Advaita Ācārya.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu finished His afternoon lunch, and after His evening bath He went to see Lord Jagannātha.
Day after day, one devotee after another would invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the other devotees to lunch and would also hold a festival.
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, "Please accept my invitation for lunch for one month."
The Lord replied, “That is not possible, because it is against the religious principles of a sannyāsī.
When Sārvabhauma requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu to accept lunch for fifteen days, the Lord said, “I shall accept lunch at your place for one day only.
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then caught hold of the Lord's lotus feet and submissively begged, "Please accept lunch for at least ten days."
In this way, by and by, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu reduced the duration to five days. Thus for five days He regularly accepted the Bhaṭṭācārya's invitation to lunch.
The other room was for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's lunch. The Lord's lunchroom was very secluded, and it was newly constructed by the Bhaṭṭācārya.
After Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya washed the Lord's feet, the Lord entered the room to take His lunch.
"Now please sit in this place and take Your lunch."
Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "This place is worshipable because it was used by Kṛṣṇa."
“Just get up and take your bath and go see the face of Lord Jagannātha. Then return here to eat your lunch. In this way I shall be happy.
I shall stay here until you return to take Lord Jagannātha's remnants for your lunch.
The Caitanya-bhāgavata (Antya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Nine) gives the following description. One day Śrīla Advaita Ācārya, having extended an invitation to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, thought that if the Lord came alone He would feed Him to His great satisfaction. It then so happened that when the other sannyāsīs were going to Advaita Ācārya's to take lunch, there was a big rainstorm, and they could not reach His house. Thus, according to Advaita Ācārya's desires, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came alone and accepted the prasādam.
That day Gadādhara Paṇḍita extended an invitation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Lord took His lunch at his place with the other devotees.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu next passed through Prayāga and Mathurā and then took His lunch at the home of a Sānoḍiyā brāhmaṇa, a disciple of Mādhavendra Purī. He bestowed His blessings upon the brāhmaṇa by accepting lunch at his place. Thereafter the Lord visited the twelve forests of Vṛndāvana and was filled with great ecstatic love. As He toured the Vṛndāvana forests, He heard the chirping of parrots and other birds.
When You go through the jungle, there will be no brāhmaṇa available from whom You can accept lunch. Therefore please give permission for at least one pure brāhmaṇa to accompany You.
Tapana Miśra invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take lunch at his home, and he had Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya cook.
While at Vārāṇasī (Benares), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed at the house of Tapana Miśra. Near Tapana Miśra's house was a bathing ghat known as Pañcanadī-ghāṭa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to take His bath daily at this ghat, and He used to see the temple of Bindu Mādhava. Then He would take His lunch at Tapana Miśra's house. Near the Bindu Mādhava temple is a big banyan tree, and it is said that after eating, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to rest beneath the tree. That banyan tree is still known today as Caitanya-vaṭa. Gradually, due to changes in language, the name became Yatana-vaṭa. The local people still call that place Yatana-vaṭa.
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His rest after lunch, the son of Tapana Miśra, named Raghu, used to massage His legs.
When the brāhmaṇas of Vārāṇasī would invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to lunch, the Lord would not accept their invitations. He would reply, "I have already been invited somewhere else."
“While at Mathurā, Śrīpāda Mādhavendra Purī visited my house and accepted me as a disciple. He even took lunch at my home.
He asked Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya to cook Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's lunch. At that time the Lord, smiling, spoke as follows.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Mādhavendra Purī has already taken lunch at your place. Therefore you may cook and give Me the food. That is My instruction."
In western India, the Āgarwālās also belong to the banking profession. This is the original business of the suvarṇa-vaṇik or Āgarwālā community. Historically, the Āgarwālās came from the up-country named Ayodha, and the suvarṇa-vaṇik community also came from Ayodha. It therefore appears that the suvarṇa-vaṇiks and the Āgarwālās belong to the same community. The Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇas were the guides of the Kālawāras and Sānwāḍas. They are therefore considered to be lower-class brāhmaṇas, and a sannyāsī is not allowed to take alms or food from them. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted lunch cooked by a Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa simply because he belonged to Mādhavendra Purī’s community. Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī was the spiritual master of Īśvara Purī, who was the spiritual master of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus a spiritual relationship is established on the spiritual platform, without consideration of material inferiority or superiority.
After this discussion, the brāhmaṇa served lunch to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then all the people residing in Mathurā came to see the Lord.
In the Bhakti-ratnākara it is said that Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to play at Khelā-tīrtha with the cowherd boys during the entire day. Mother Yaśodā had to call Them to take Their baths and eat Their lunch.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to sit beneath the old tamarind tree and chant the holy name of the Lord. At noon He would return to Akrūra-tīrtha to take lunch.
There are brāhmaṇas known as pañca-gauḍa-brāhmaṇas, who come from five places in northern India, and there are brāhmaṇas known as pañca-dākṣiṇātya-brāhmaṇas, who come from five places in southern India. In northern India the places are Kānyakubja, Sārasvata, Gauḍa, Maithila and Utkala. In southern India the places are Andhra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Drāviḍa and Maharashtra. The brāhmaṇas from these places are considered to be very strict followers of the Vedic principles, and they are accepted as pure brāhmaṇas. They strictly observe Vedic principles and are not polluted by tantric misdeeds. All of these brāhmaṇas respectfully invited Caitanya Mahāprabhu for lunch.
The brāhmaṇa then requested Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to accept His lunch. Rūpa Gosvāmī also remained there that day.
Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya invited the two brothers to take lunch also. The remnants of food from the plate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were offered to them.
Thereafter, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for lunch, and the Lord introduced the brothers Rūpa and Vallabha to him.
Vallabha Bhaṭṭācārya then put Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates aboard a boat and took them to his own place to offer them lunch.
Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was offered lunch with great care and affection. The brothers Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrī Vallabha were also offered food.
Tapana Miśra also heard news of the Lord's arrival in Vārāṇasī, and he went to Candraśekhara's house to meet Him. After talking, he invited the Lord to take lunch at his place.
After offering lunch to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Tapana Miśra begged a favor from the Lord and requested Him to award him mercy.
The landlord said, "I shall get you across that hilly tract at night with my own men. Now just cook for yourself and take your lunch."
After bathing at noon, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the house of Tapana Miśra for lunch. He took Sanātana Gosvāmī with Him.
After washing His feet, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat down for lunch. He asked Tapana Miśra to supply Sanātana Gosvāmī lunch also.
Tapana Miśra then said, "Sanātana has some duty to perform; therefore he cannot accept lunch now. At the conclusion of the meal, I shall supply Sanātana with some remnants."
The brāhmaṇa said, "My dear Sanātana, as long as you remain at Kāśī, please accept lunch at my place."
In the Fifteenth Chapter I have described how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu highly praised the qualities of His devotees and accepted lunch at the house of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. At that time, He delivered Amogha.
CC Antya-lila
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went with them to see the Lord in the temple, and on that day He also took lunch in the company of all those devotees.
At noon, when it was time for lunch, the Lord called for Sanātana Gosvāmī, whose happiness increased because of the call.
Although the soles of his feet were blistered because of the heat, he nevertheless went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There he found that the Lord, having taken His lunch, was resting.
To invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would cost 320 kauḍis (small conchshells). This would provide lunch for three people, including Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and sometimes Kāśīśvara and Govinda.
Rāmacandra Purī concerned himself with gathering all sorts of information about how Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was situated, including His regulative principles, His lunch, His sleep and His movements.
It was a steady, long-standing rule that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would lie down to rest after lunch and Govinda would come to massage His legs. Then Govinda would honor the remnants of food left by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The Lord asked, “How did you enter the room? Why didn’t you go out to take your lunch in the same way?
It was Govinda's practice to go take lunch when the Lord was asleep. On that day, however, seeing the Lord's weariness, Govinda continued massaging His body.
The next day, while taking His lunch in a secluded place, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu opened the bags of Rāghava and inspected their contents one after another.
All the varieties of the remaining prasādam were kept to eat throughout the year. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate His lunch, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī would serve it little by little.
"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it." Herein also we find that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted all this food because it had been offered by His devotees. Sometimes He would eat it during lunch and sometimes at night, but He would always think that since His devotees had offered it with great love and affection, He must eat it.
Śivānanda Sena replied, "He has kept the name that appeared to me from within." Then he invited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for lunch.
The Lord ate lunch in the company of all the devotees, and after washing His hands and mouth He gave an order to Govinda.
For four consecutive months, the devotees observed all the festivals. The wives, such as Mālinī, extended invitations for lunch to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
All the devotees from Bengal would regularly invite Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for lunch, and the Lord would speak to them in very sweet words.
"I want you personally to cook My lunch today. I am going now to see the Lord in the temple. I shall return at noon."
After finishing His noontime ritualistic duties, the Lord arrived for lunch. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita washed the Lord's feet and gave the Lord a sitting place.
The Lord said, "Spread another leaf with a helping of rice and vegetables so that today you and I may take lunch together."
In great happiness, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then accepted the lunch. When He had tasted the vegetables, He again began to speak.
One day Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, having invited Sanātana to the nearby temple for lunch, finished his routine duties and began to cook.
After bathing in the sea, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His residence with all the devotees. Then they all lunched on the remnants of food offered to Lord Jagannātha.
Actually, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always merged in ecstatic emotion, but just as a potter's wheel turns without the potter's touching it, the Lord's bodily activities, like bathing, going to the temple to see Lord Jagannātha, and taking lunch, went on automatically.
After they fed Him lunch, they made Him lie down. Then all the devotees, headed by Rāmānanda Rāya, returned to their respective homes.
Having offered obeisances to Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Lord Jagannātha. Then He returned to His residence, finished His noon duties and took His lunch.
After finishing His noon duties, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate His lunch, but He constantly remembered the remnants of Kṛṣṇa's food.
| Page Title: | Lunch (CC) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 28 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=109, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 109 |