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ARTICLE : Lord Caitanya's early youth
In this way the Lord passed His early childhood. When He was just sixteen
years old He started His own catuspathi (village school conducted by a
learned brahmana). In this school He would simply explalin Krsna, even in
readings of grammar. Srila Jiva Gosvami, in order to plaease the Lord,
later composed a grammar in Sanskrit, in which all the rules of grammar
were explained with wxamples the used the holy names of the Lord. This
grammar is still current. It is known as Hari-namamrta-vyakarana and is
prescribed in the syllabus of schools in Bengal.
During this time a great Kashmir scholar named Kesava Kasmiri came to
Navadvipa to hold discussions on the sastras. The Kashmir pandita was a
champion dcholar, and he had traveled to all places of learning in India.
Finally he came to Navadvipa to contest the learned panditas there. The
panditas of Navadvipa decided to match Nimai Pandita (Lord Caitanya) with
the Kashmir pandita, thinking that if Nimai Pandita were defeated, they
would have another chance to debate with the scholar, for Nimai Pandita
was only a boy. And if the Kashmir pandita were defeated, then they would
even be more glorified because people would proclaim that a mere bboy of
Navadvipa had defeated a champion dcholar who was famous throughout India.
It so happenend that Nimai Pandita met Kesava Kasmiri while stolling on
the banks of the Ganges. The Lord requested him to compse a Sanskrit verse
in praise of the Ganges, and the pandita within a short tine composed a
hundred slokas, reciting the verses like a storm and showing the strength
of his vast learning. Nimai Pandita at once memorized all the slokas
eithout an error. He quoted the sixty fourth sloka and pointed out certain
rhetorical and literary irregularities. He particularily questioned the
pandita's use of the word bhavani-bhartuh. He pointed out that the use of
this word was redundant. Bhavani means the wife of Siva, and who else can
be her bharta, or husband? He also pointed out several other
discrepancies, and the Kashmir pandita was struck with wonder. He was
astonished that a mere student of grammar could point out the literary
mistakes of an erudite scholar. Although this matter was ended prior to
any public meeting, the news spread like wildfire all over Navadvipa. Bt
finally Kesava Kasmiri was ordered in a dream by Sarasvati, the goddess of
learning, to submit to the Lord, and thus the Kashmir pandita became a
follower of the Lord.
The Lord was then married with great pomp and gaiety, and at this time He
began to preach the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord
at Navadvipa. Some of the brahmanas became envious of His popularity, and
they put many hindrances on His path. They were so jealous that they
finally took the matter before the Muslim magistrate of Navadvipa. Bengal
was then governed by Pathans, and the govenor of the province was Nawab
Hussain Shah. The Muslim magistrate of Navadvipa tool up the complaints of
the brhmanas seriously, and at first he warned the followers of Nimai
Pandita not to chant lously the name of Hari. But Lord Caitanya asked His
followers to disobey the orders of the Kazi, and they went on with their
sankirtana (chanting) party as usual. The magistrate then sent constables
who interrupted a sankirtana and broke some of the mrdangas (drums). When
Nimai Pandita heard of this incident He organized a party for civil
disobedience. He is the pioneer of the civil disobedience movement in
India for the right cause. He organized a procession of one hundred
thousand men with thousands of mrdangas and karatalas (hand cymbals), and
this pricession passed over the roads of Navadvipa in defiance of the Kazi
who has issued the order. Finallly the procession reached the house of the
Kazi, who went upstairs out of fear of the masses. The great crowds
assembled at the Kazi's house displayed a violent temper, byt the Lord
asked them to be peaceful. At this time the Kazi came down and tried to
pacify the Lord by addressing Him as his nephew, He pointed out the
Nilambara Cakravarti referred to him as an uncle, and consequently,
Srimati Sacidevi, the mother of Nimai Pandita, was his sister. He asked
the Lord whether his sister's son could be angry at His maternal uncle,
and the Lord repied that since the Kazi was His maternal uncle he should
receive his nephew well at his hime. In this way the issue was mitigated,
and the two learned scholars began a long discussion of the Koran and
Hindu sastras. The Lord raised the questiion of cow killing, and the Kazi
properly answered Him by referring th the Kkoran. In turn the Kazi alsi
questuined the Lord about cow sacrifice in the Vedas, and the Lord replied
that such sacrifice as mentioned in the Vedas is not actually cow killing.
In that sacrifice an old bull or cow was sacrificed for the sake od
receiving a fresh younger life by the power of Vedic mantras. But in the
Kali yuga such cow sacrifices are forbidden because there are no qualifies
brahmanas capable of conducting such a sacrifice, In fact, in Kali yuga
all yajnas (sacrifices) are forbidden because they are useless attempts by
foolish men. ln Kali yuga only the sankirtana yajna is recommended for all
practical purpises, Speaking in this way, the Lord finally convinced the
Kazi, who became the Lord's follower. The Kazi thenceforth declared that
no one should hinder the sankirtana movement which was started by the
Lord, and the Kazi left this order in his eill for the sake of progeny.
The Kazi's tomb still exists in the area of Navadvipa, and Hindu pilgrims
go there to show their respects, The Kazi's descendants are residents, ans
they never objected to dankirtana, even during the Hindu-Muslim riot days.
This incident shows clearly that the Lord was not a so called timid
Vaisnava, A Vaisnava is a fearless devotee of the Lord, and for the right
cause he can take any step suitable for the purpise, Arjuna was alsi a
Vaisnava devotee of Lord Krsna, and he fought valiantly for the
satisfaction of the Lord, Similarily, Vjarangaji, or Hanuman, was also a
devotee of Lord RAma, and he gave lessons to the nondevotee party of
RAvana. The priciples of Vaisnavism are to satisfy the Lord by all means,
A Vaisnava is by nature a nonviolent, peaceful lliving being, and he has
all the good qualitis of God, but when the nondevotee blasphemes the Lord
or His devotee, the Vaisnava never tolerates such impudency.
