Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 17.16
One Supreme Lord in Different Manifestations
“Nityānanda Prabhu then arranged to offer Vyāsa-pūjā, or worship of the spiritual master, to Lord Śrī Gaurasundara. But Lord Caitanya carried the plowlike weapon called muṣala in the ecstasy of being Nityānanda Prabhu.”
What the purport teaches
- By Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s order, Nityānanda Prabhu arranged Vyāsa-pūjā on the full-moon night. Worship of the spiritual master bears this name because Vyāsadeva is the original spiritual master of all who follow Vedic principles.
- While saṅkīrtana was going on, Nityānanda Prabhu tried to garland Lord Caitanya and saw Himself in the Lord. Lord Caitanya carried the plowlike weapon called muṣala in the ecstasy of being Nityānanda Prabhu.
- There is no difference between the spiritual positions of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda Prabhu, or Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. All are different manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the devotees understood during this ceremony.
Try this today
Write one sentence explaining why worship of the spiritual master is called Vyāsa-pūjā.
Ask yourself
How does this ceremony deepen my understanding of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda Prabhu?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.