Accepting Sannyasa at Katwa

Dadi: "Beta Guddu, have you ever loved something so much that you were willing to give up everything for it?"

Guddu: "Like when I gave my favorite toy to my friend who was sad?"

Dadi: "That's very sweet, beta! But imagine giving up your home, your family, everything you know - because you love God that much. That's what Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did."

Guddu: "Who was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Dadi?"

Dadi: "He was a very special person who lived about five hundred years ago in Bengal. Many believe he was Lord Krishna himself, come back to earth. He was so filled with love for God that he would sing and dance in devotion, and everyone who saw him would feel that love too!"

Guddu: "He sounds wonderful, Dadi! But why did he have to leave his home?"

Dadi: "You see, beta, Chaitanya lived as a householder with his mother Sacidevi and his wife. But his heart was always calling him to spread the love of God to everyone. He thought, "If I become a sannyasi - a holy man who renounces everything - people will respect me and listen to my teachings more easily.""

Guddu: "But wouldn't his mother be sad if he left?"

Dadi: "*sighs* Yes, beta. That was the hardest part. His mother loved him so dearly. But Chaitanya knew that by helping others find God, he could bring blessings to countless souls. Sometimes, beta, we must make difficult choices for a greater good."

Guddu: "So what happened next, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Chaitanya met a wise sannyasi named Kesava Bharati. When Kesava Bharati saw Chaitanya, he could feel that this was no ordinary person - this was the Supreme Lord himself! Chaitanya humbly asked him, "Please free me from the ropes of family attachment. I want to dedicate my life completely to spreading God's love.""

Guddu: "And did Kesava Bharati agree?"

Dadi: "He did, beta. In the month of Magha - that's January or February - when Chaitanya was just twenty-four years old, he traveled to a town called Katwa. There, with Kesava Bharati's blessings, he accepted sannyasa - the renounced way of life."

Guddu: "What happened at the ceremony, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Three of his dearest companions were there - Nityananda Prabhu, who was like his own reflection, Candrasekhara Acharya, and Mukunda Datta, who sang the most beautiful devotional songs. They helped him through this sacred moment."

Guddu: "Was he happy after becoming a sannyasi?"

Dadi: "Oh beta, something amazing happened! The moment Chaitanya became a sannyasi, he was so overwhelmed with love for Krishna that he started walking toward Vrindavana - the holy place of Krishna - without even knowing where he was going! He didn't know if it was day or night. He was completely lost in divine love!"

Guddu: "Wow! He must have really loved Krishna!"

Dadi: "More than we can imagine, beta. His friends gently guided him to a place called Shantipura, where he could meet his devotees and his dear mother one more time."

Guddu: "Did he ever regret leaving everything behind?"

Dadi: "No, beta. Because Chaitanya taught us that the highest purpose of life is to serve God with complete devotion. When we truly love someone - especially God - we're willing to sacrifice everything. And through his sacrifice, millions of people for the next five hundred years have learned to love Krishna."

Guddu: "That's beautiful, Dadi. So giving up things for God is a good thing?"

Dadi: "When it's done with pure love and for serving others, yes beta. Chaitanya didn't leave his family because he didn't love them. He left because his love for God was so great that he wanted to share it with the whole world. And in doing so, he became everyone's spiritual family."

Guddu: "I understand, Dadi. Sometimes we have to choose between what we love and what we love even more."

Dadi: "Exactly, my wise little one. And Chaitanya showed us that when we choose God, we don't really lose anything - we gain everything. The love we give away comes back to us a thousandfold."