1. The Appearance of Srimati Visnupriya Devi

Today is the Holy Day of Vasanta pancami (the fifth day of the light fortnight of the moon, month of Magh, when Krsna is worshiped with the new flowers of spring. On this day, the holy advent of Srimati Visnupriya Devi occurred. Her father was Sri Sanatana Misra of Nabadwip, who was a Brahmana and great devotee of Lord Visnu. Srimati Visnupriya Devi is the Eternal Con¬sort of Sri Gaurasundar in His feature of Gaura-Narayana, and according to Sri Gauraganoddesa dipika she is directly Satyabhama in Krsna’s Dvaraka lila.
She was the second wife of Sriman Mahaprabhu in the householder period of His Pastimes. From childhood, she was devout in the Divine Service of the Supreme Lord. Kasinatha Pandit was the intermediary in Her marriage to Mahaprabhu.
She was the ideal of Divine Self surrender at the Lotus Feet of Mahaprabhu. When she was only fourteen, Mahaprabhu took sannyasa, and after that she lived the rest of Her life in penance. From early morning she would take the Holy Name the whole day, and for every Mahamantra that she chanted, she would put one grain of rice into a clay pot. After chanting her quota, she would take that rice and cook it and offer it to the Lord. That was all she would take for her subsistence, so gradually she became emaciated. She passed her days in this way.
Her brother was her guardian after Saci-devi departed, and ultimately she had a Sri Murti (Deity) of Maha¬prabhu, and she would worship Him in that Form. And since the time of Visnupriya, that worship is being con¬tinued up to the present in the Temple here in Nabadwip known as ‘Mahaprabhura Badi’ (the Home of Maha¬prabhu). So this day of the year is connected with her holy memory, and we may achieve her Grace if we honor this time in her name, discussing her Pastimes. She will be propitiated and Sri Chaitanyadev will also be pleased with us, giving us a step forward in our transcendental march towards Him.

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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.

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