According to solar calculation, it was the day of Makara-sankranti, an auspicious conjunction of the stars, that Nimai Pandita went to Katwa to take sannyasa, the renounced order of life. After this. He would become known as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He swam across the Ganges and in wet cloth ran towards Katwa. Just before this. He told only a few of His friends, including Nityananda Prabhu, Gadadhara Pandita, Mukunda, and others, “The time when I will accept the robe of renunciation is very near.”
Just a few days before this, an opposition party had been raised against Nimai Pandita. Those who believed that material nature is the highest principle and that consciousness is a product of matter, began to abuse Nimai Pandita. He thought, “I came to deliver the lowest of men, but if they commit offenses against Me, there will be no hope for their upliftment.” Suddenly, He said, “I came with that medicine which gives the greatest relief, but now I find that their disease is rapidly growing worse and seems beyond treatment. It will take its own course towards doom. The patients are committing offenses by abusing their doctor. They are making arrangements to insult Me. They take it that I am a family man—their nephew—they take Me as one of them. I came with the best medicine for the present degraded age, but now I find that they are plotting against Me. Now they are doomed. At least I have to show them that I am not one of them.” He thought, “I shall leave family life and take sa nnyasa and wander from village to village, town to town, preaching the holy name of Krsna.” That was His decision, and within a few days He went to take sannyasa at Katwa from Kesava Bharati Maharaja.
Just the day before He left to take sannyasa, from the afternoon until the evening, there was a spontaneous gathering of devotees in the home of Nimai Pandita. Every year in Bengal, that day was celebrated as Laksmi-puja, worship of the goddess of fortune, when special cakes are prepared and distributed. Nimai, knowing that early the next morning He would leave Navadwipa to take sannyasa, attracted His followers in such a way that almost every leading devotee came to see Him that evening.
The Hare Krsna Maha Mantra
They came with flower garlands and many other offerings to be presented to the Lord. Nimai accepted their garlands and then placed them on the necks of the devotees who gave them. Only four of His most intimate devotees knew He was leaving; the ordinary devotees did not know this would be His last night in Navadwipa. With His own hands He garlanded the necks of His devotees and appealed to them, “Always chant the name of Krsna. Under no condition should you give up this krsna-nama. And don’t do anything else. While working, eating, sleeping or waking, day or night—in whatever you do—continuously take the name of Krsna. Always talk about Krsna—nothing else. If you have any real attraction or affection for Me, then don’t do anything without chanting the name of Krsna.
“Cultivate Krsna consciousness. Krsna is the origin of us all. He is our father; we have come from Him. The son who shows no gratitude towards the father is sure to be punished birth after birth. Always chant these names of the Lord:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
No other religious principle is required. Chant Hare Krsna. This is not an ordinary mantra, but this is the maha-mantra, the greatest of all the great mantras, the very essence of all the mantras known to the world. Only take to this, always. No other prescription is to be followed.
“Remember your Lord, your home. This is a foreign land; you have nothing to aspire after here. Try always to go back home, back to Godhead.” In this way, the Lord spoke, and all His devotees intuitively came because it was Nimai Pandita’s last night in Navadwipa.
The Lord and the Fruitseller
Late at night, one devotee named Sridhara Kholaveca arrived. He used to make trade on the plantain tree and its fruit. He would sell the fruit, ripe or green, and the big leaves which are used as plates. Sometimes Nimai would pay him less for his fruits than what they were worth, and sometimes He would snatch the best fruits from him. Sridhara came to see Him late at night to offer Him a choice pumpkin. And Nimai thought, “I have spent almost My whole life snatching so many things from him, and now, on this last night he has brought this wonderful pumpkin. I can’t resist.” He asked Sacidevi, “Mother, Sridhara has given Me this pumpkin. Please think of how it can be prepared.” At bedtime, someone came with some milk. Nimai said, “Mother, with this milk and this pumpkin, please prepare some sweet-rice.” So Sacidevi prepared some pumpkin sweet-rice: pumpkin boiled with milk, rice, and sugar.
Late at night, at about three o’clock in the morning, Nimai went away…