CC daily 198 – 7.18-20 – The Lord reproaches the disruption of his plans but appreciates the underlying devotion

Although he will, let us see how he replies in our future talks. Thank you. So, here, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is very gently but still firmly refusing the proposal of Nityanand Prabhu that I can accompany you, O Lord.
So, here we see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu mildly but firmly, mild in the way of words used and firmly in terms of the decision that is conveyed. He is telling why Nityanand Prabhu cannot be his traveling associate. He says that Nityanand Prabhu makes me dance.
Nityanand Prabhu, you make me dance like a puppeteer. He says that I wanted to go to Vrindavan, but you brought me to Advaita Bhavana. This pastime is described in the first canto, in the first chapter of this Bhagavad Gita.
And then further, later we will see that there is also the principle that there is no way in which a person can understand the depth of the intensity of the love between Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda. But still we can attempt with our own small understanding so that we can gain a somewhat deeper appreciation. So, the puppet example is frequently used.
Of course, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gives a second example here and says that I wanted, I had a sannyasanda, but you took away, you broke it. Now these words, such words can be seen as chastising. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu immediately balances it by saying that actually I know that you love me and I don’t doubt your love for me.
You have great affection for me. But still, such words disturb me, such actions disturb my mind. So, there is, in this way, a balanced communication of both disapproval as well as the assurance of love.
Sometimes when we express our displeasure, we express our anger to someone, we may do it in a way which makes that person feel, oh, this person doesn’t love me, this person doesn’t care for me, this person is so angry with me that my relationship with him is now over. So, the only way to deal with such a situation is to keep ourselves steadily and firmly situated in insensitivity. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is sensitive here, but at the same time, he’s firm also.
Now coming to the perfect example, this example is used frequently in different contexts. Prabhupada also says that Lord, if you have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance. Oh, Lord, make me dance just like a person may make, a puppeteer may make a puppet dance.
This is actually a deeper expression of affection, of surrender than the celebrated, let die will be done. Let die will be done is more acceptance of God’s will, which is happening anyway. Whereas this is, let make me dance is the readiness to oneself do Lord’s will, not just accept whatever God is doing, but to do what God wants us to do.
Arjuna also says that I will do your will. The difference was, of course, that in Arjuna’s situation, what was Krishna’s will was relatively clearer. Krishna wanted Arjuna to fight the war.
Now, Krishna wanted Prabhupada to share Krishna bhakti, but how exactly he was going to share it, that was not so clear. So Prabhupada was going to take one step forward and one step forward and see how things came out. And then things came, did come out wonderfully.
Prabhupada is saying, make me dance, make me dance. So that about Nattak and Sutradhar, that kind of metaphor is expression of loving surrender. Another way the puppet analogy is used is for प्रकृते क्रियमाणानि गुणई कर्माणि सर्वश्यः अहंकारि मोडःत्मा कर्ताः एकि मन्यते कर्ताः To think that we are the doers when the modes are making us dance, that is illusion.
So we are considered to be the puppets of the modes. This kind of surrender is of course unwilling and even unknowing to some extent. But still, it is unrelenting control is there.
So here, of course, when Lord Chaitanya is saying that Nityananda, you make me dance according to your way, your plan, he is saying that is proving me to convey the point that you interfere with my plans. Not only interfere, you disrupt my plans. And in that way, by disrupting my plans, you leave me.
That’s why you are not fit to accompany me. And now, of course, there is in other incidents with other places, it will be said how sometimes disobedience or interference is also an expression of affection that is characterized by transcendence. Sometimes the top class devotees may interfere with the Lord’s will, apparently, that we not do the Lord’s will because they understand that the Lord’s heart desires something different.
And for example, we see the gopis, when they come to see Krishna, Krishna tells them that he actually instructs them in dharma, in wifely duties. And he says, please go back, you should not stay here. And the gopis, in one sense, disobey Krishna at that point.
And when they disobey him, they actually counter his arguments saying that yes, all that you say is true for a wife to serve her husband. But in our case, you are our Supreme Lord. We cannot live without you.
Essentially, they say that paradharma is higher than aparadharma. And in this particular case, their refusing to follow Krishna’s wish actually conveys their affection, conveys the depth of their love for Krishna. And in one sense, this is how that differentiates the gopis from the Yajik Brahmin patnis.
Yajik Brahmin patnis, they are also very devoted to Krishna. But when Krishna tells them to go back, they go back. Whereas when Krishna tells the gopis to go back, they don’t go back.
And so here, while this is that sort of refusal to follow, the instruction is the expression of affection, very deep affection. Similarly, here Nityanand Prabhu’s refusal to do the Lord’s will and rather to his planning by which the Lord does his plan, that is actually an expression, that is not exactly defiance. It is actually an expression of his intense affection for the Lord and the Lord also had, Lord Chaitanya also had the desire to go to his associates in Navadvip, not exactly to his home because that would have been a little problematic with respect to the rules of sannyas.
So, going to Advaita Bhavan was a good compromise. But still, so in that sense, it’s not exactly disobedience with all the negative connotations that are usually associated with the world. But still, Lord Chaitanya wants to go to South India alone and he thus gives this reason for telling Nityanand Prabhu that I cannot take you.