Category:Caitanya and Gundica Temple
Theme Analysis
The pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at the Guṇḍicā temple in Jagannātha Purī are among the most celebrated and philosophically profound in the Caitanya-caritamrta. Every year before the Ratha-yātrā festival, the Lord and His associates would thoroughly wash and sweep the temple to prepare it for Lord Jagannātha's arrival. This grand event, known as Guṇḍicā-mārjana, was not merely a physical chore but a deep spiritual instruction. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the cleansing of the temple represents anartha-nivṛtti—the process of cleansing the heart of all unwanted material desires to make it a pacified, cool, and befitting sitting place for Lord Kṛṣṇa. Furthermore, the Lord led by personal example, demonstrating how an ācārya must instruct disciples. The festival culminated in joyous saṅkīrtana, picnics in the garden, and the esoteric realization of Srimati Rādhārāṇī bringing Kṛṣṇa back to Vṛndāvana.
- The Grand Cleansing: The Lord personally requested permission to clean the temple and organized hundreds of devotees with brooms and waterpots to wash every inch of the sanctuary.
- Cleansing the Heart: The physical sweeping of dust and sand symbolizes the removal of material contaminations (anarthas) from the heart to welcome the Lord.
- Leadership by Example: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used His own garments to clean and personally evaluated the devotees' work, setting the standard for all spiritual leaders.
- Ecstasy and Festivity: Following the intense labor, the Lord engaged in jubilant chanting, dancing, and feasting, manifesting the highest mellows of divine love.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Guṇḍicā Temple - Cleansing the Heart.
Pages in category "Caitanya and Gundica Temple"
The following 75 pages are in this category, out of 75 total.
A
- Accompanied by His personal associates, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed and swept the Gundica temple, cleansing it as usual
- After dancing in the Gundica temple, the Lord (Caitanya) sported in the water with His devotees, and on Hera-pancami day they all saw the activities of the goddess of fortune, Laksmidevi
- After seeing the bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannatha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed and cleaned Sri Gundica temple with the assistance of many devotees
- After Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all the Vaisnavas cleansed the temple for the second time, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very happy to see the cleansing work
- After Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, taking all His devotees with Him, performed the Gundica-marjana (washing and cleansing of the Gundica temple), He went to the garden known as Aitota and accepted prasadam at a picnic within the garden
- After Svarupa Damodara Gosvami returned within the temple, he requested Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to excuse that innocent person
- After the inside of the temple was cleansed, the Lord again allotted areas for the devotees to cleanse
- All the devotees within the temple began to wash. Each one had a broom in his hand, and in this way they cleansed the temple of the Lord
- All the quarters of the Gundica temple were completely cleansed and cleared. All quarters were cool and spotless, like one's cleansed and pacified mind
- As He had previously done, He cleansed the Gundica temple and held a picnic feast in the garden with the devotees
- As in the previous year, they all washed the Gundica temple when the time for Ratha-yatra arrived
- As previously, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed the cleansing ceremony at Gundica and chanted the famous verse jagamohana-pari-munda yau. After kirtana ended, He distributed prasadam to all the devotees and also took some Himself
- As soon as the superintendent understood the desire of the Lord, he immediately delivered a hundred new waterpots and a hundred brooms for sweeping the temple
- At the time of departure, the Lord requested all the devotees, "Please come here every year to see the Ratha-yatra festival of Lord Jagannatha's journey to the Gundica temple"
B
- Bidding farewell to all the devotees, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested them to return to Jagannatha Puri every year to see Him and then see the cleansing of the Gundica temple
- By His practical example, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has shown us that all the grains of sand must be picked up thoroughly and thrown outside. He also cleansed the outside of the temple, fearing that the grains of sand would again come within
C
F
- First the Lord (Caitanya) washed the temple of Gundica very thoroughly. Then everyone saw the Ratha-yatra festival and the Lord's dancing before the car
- Following the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all the devotees used to visit Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu every year. They would see the Gundica festival at Jagannatha Puri and then return home after four months
- For nine continuous days His Lordship Sri Jagannatha-deva stayed at the Gundica temple. During this time Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also stayed there and performed the pastimes with His devotees that have already been described
H
- He (Caitanya) cleansed the (Gundica) temple with firm conviction, as is evident from His using His own personal garments for cleaning
- He (Lord Caitanya) gave each devotee a broom with His own hand, and taking all of them personally with Him, the Lord went to Gundica
- He then gave each devotee a broom with His own hand, and taking all of them personally with Him, the Lord went to Gundica
I
- I have briefly described the pastimes of the Lord in washing and cleansing the Gundica temple. By seeing or hearing these pastimes, even sinful men can awaken their Krsna consciousness
- In a moment the car reached the door of the Gundica temple. Upon seeing the uncommon strength of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all the people were struck with wonder
- In his early life Gopala (Gopala Misra) fainted during the cleansing of the Gundica-mandira at Jagannatha Puri and thus became a recipient of the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- In the afternoon, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the Gundica temple to visit the Lord (Jagannatha) and dance. At night He went to the garden to take rest
- In the Eleventh Chapter I (Krsnadas Kaviraja) have described the great chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra that surrounded the Lord. In the Twelfth Chapter I have given a narration of the cleansing and washing of the Gundica temple
- In the evening, after finishing His (Caitanya's) dancing in the yard of the Gundica temple, the Lord observed the arati ceremony. Thereafter He went to a place called Aitota and took rest for the night
- In the garden along the road from the Jagannatha temple to Gundica, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed various pastimes. A brahmana named Krsnadasa performed the bathing ceremony of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- In the morning, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His personal associates with Him to see Lord Jagannatha at Sundaracala
- In this way the Lord and His associates went to cleanse the Gundica temple. At first they cleansed the temple with the brooms
- In this way, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu first washed the main temple and then thoroughly washed the ceiling, the walls, the floor, the sitting place (simhasana) and everything else within the room
N
O
- On that Ratha-yatra festival day, after dancing before the Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will enter the Gundica garden. At that time you should go there alone, without your royal dress
- Outside the gateway of the temple, all the roads were also cleansed, and no one could tell exactly how this was done
S
- Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya suggested, "On that Ratha-yatra festival day, after dancing before the Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will enter the Gundica garden. At that time you (King Prataparudra) should go there alone, without your royal dress"
- Sometimes Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu engaged Vakresvara and other devotees in chanting and dancing. Three times daily - morning, noon and evening - He would perform sankirtana in the yard of the Gundica temple
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also (after cleaning the Gundica temple) cleansed the Nrsimha temple inside and outside. Finally, He rested a few minutes and then began dancing
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu first of all called for Kasi Misra, then for the superintendent of the temple, then for Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to see personally that the (Gundica) temple was thoroughly cleansed to the standard of clean marble. Clean marble gives a cooling effect
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed and cleansed the Gundica temple with His devotees and associates. In this way He made it as cool and bright as His own heart, and thus He made the temple a befitting place for Lord Sri Krsna to sit
T
- The cleansing of the Gundica-mandira was conducted by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to let us know how the heart should be cleansed and soothed to receive Lord Sri Krsna and enable Him to sit within the heart without disturbance
- The devotee has to cleanse his heart just as the Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu cleansed the Gundica temple. In this way one can be pacified and enriched in devotional service
- The fully independent Supreme Personality of Godhead performs various types of pastimes. The pastime of washing and cleansing the Gundica temple is but one of them
- The Lord (Caitanya) and His associates went to cleanse the Gundica temple. At first they cleansed the temple with the brooms
- The Lord (Caitanya) was personally chastising and praising individuals in the course of the cleaning (of the Gundica temple), and those who are engaged as acaryas must learn from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu how to train devotees by personal example
- The Lord (Caitanya) was very pleased with those who could cleanse the (Gundica) temple by taking out undesirable things accumulated within. This is called anartha-nivrtti, cleansing the heart of all unwanted things
- The Lord cleansed everything inside the temple very nicely, including the ceiling. He then took up the sitting place (simhasana), cleansed it and again put it in its original place
- The Lord then ordered everyone to cleanse the inside of the temple very perfectly by taking finer dust, straws and grains of sand and throwing them outside
- The Lord then told the devotees, "I can tell how much you have labored and how well you have cleansed the temple simply by seeing all the straw and dust you have collected outside"
- The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also went to the temple of Gundica and saw the Lord. He then chanted and danced in the yard for some time
- There were many gardens near the Gundica temple, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees used to perform the pastimes of Vrndavana in each of them. In the lake named Indradyumna, He sported in the water
- This person from Bengal has washed My feet within the temple of the Personality of Godhead. Not only that, but he has drunk the water himself
- Thus all places around the temple were thoroughly washed within and without
- Thus the Lord and His companions cleansed and swept all the temple's buildings, big and small, and finally cleansed the area between the temple and the kirtana hall
- To give us practical instructions, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu cleansed the temple (the Gundica temple) twice. His second cleansing was more thorough. The idea was to throw away all the stumbling blocks on the path of devotional service
- To wash the temple, You need many waterpots and brooms. Therefore order me. I can immediately bring all these things to You
W
- When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu lived at Jagannatha Puri, every year He personally cleansed this temple with His principal devotees. The Gundica-marjana chapter of Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 12) describes this vividly
- When Lord Caitanya personally cleansed the Gundica-mandira in Jagannatha Puri, Gopala danced in front of the Lord with great love and happiness
- When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu enters the Gundica garden, you (King Prataparudra) should also go there and read the five chapters of Srimad-Bhagavatam about Lord Krsna's dancing with the gopis. In this way you can catch hold of the Lord's lotus feet
- When the temple was cleansed, it was purified, cool and pleasing, just as if the Lord's own pure mind had appeared
- When these three people (Kasi Misra, the superintendent of the temple, and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya) came before the Lord (Caitanya), He begged them for permission to wash the temple known as Gundica
- When these three people came before the Lord, He begged them for permission to wash the temple known as Gundica
- While Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama and Subhadra sat on their respective thrones, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees began to perform sankirtana with great pleasure, chanting and dancing in the yard of the temple
- While Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu washed the temple of Gundica, a Gaudiya Vaisnava washed the lotus feet of the Lord and drank the water
- While the temple was being swept, about a hundred men stood ready with filled waterpots, and they simply awaited the Lord's order to throw the water from them