Childhood Pastimes of Srila Gurudeva: Gaura-Nitāi and Studies
After receiving the brāhmaṇa thread, Śrīla Gurudeva would chant the gāyatrī-mantra and meditate on Rāma daily. Once, he had a dream in which Lord Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa appeared before him. Suddenly, They each transformed into beautiful golden forms and said, “In Tretā-yuga, We were Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa, now We are Gaura-Nitāi and reside in Navadvīpa. You should leave everything and come here soon.” Having never heard of Gaura-Nitāi or Navadvīpa, Gurudeva was surprised and thought, “Who are They? Why are They calling me?”
Śrīla Gurudeva continued his studies without revealing his dream to anyone. However, the manifestations of Gaura-Nitāi were fixed in his thoughts. A few nights later he had a dream of a radiant scene on the bank of the Gaṅgā. The area was surrounded with palm trees and innumerable effulgent devotees were dancing ecstatically and singing, “Nitāi-Gaurāṅga! Jaya Nitāi-Gaurāṅga!”
From class five to seven, Śrīla Gurudeva studied at the Bihar Bhumihar Brāhmaṇa High School. He then transferred to the Buxar High School, where he completed grades eight to ten. History was a favorite subject of his, and he always got perfect marks in those classes. In history class, he once read a short biography of Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
Kṛṣṇa appeared in the age of Kali as Caitanya Mahāprabhu to give the highest benediction to the conditioned souls—the intimate service of the Divine Couple, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Hundreds of verses in the Vedic canon refer to Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s appearance and supreme divinity.
From infancy Lord Caitanya showed profound attraction to hearing and chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa. In youth, He was a famous logician and Sanskrit grammarian who graciously defeated his Indian contemporaries, remaining the unsurpassable scholar of His time.
When His father passed on, Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Gayā to perform the śrāddha ceremony, as is custom. In Gayā, He received the gopāla-mantra from Śrī Īśvara Purī. From that moment, He frequently manifested symptoms of ecstasy.
At age twenty-four, Caitanya Mahāprabhu left household life and accepted sannyāsa (the renounced order), receiving the name Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya. He then left Bengal and set off for Odisha with prominent associates, such as Nityānanda Prabhu. Mahāprabhu stayed in Jagannātha Purī for a brief period, and then spent six years on pilgrimage of India, spending most of this time in the south. He stopped in Godāvarī and met with the viceroy, Rāmānanda Rāya, with whom He discussed esoteric conceptions of bhakti. When He returned to Jagannātha Purī, the inspirational Mahāprabhu decided to travel to Vṛndāvana and was accompanied by tens of thousands of unwavering followers. Along the way He stopped at Rāma Keli, in northwest Bengal, where He met with two prominent associates: Rūpa and Sanātana. He later continued to Vṛndāvana with only a single companion. Upon returning to Jagannātha Purī He lived rapt in ecstatic emotions for the remaining eighteen years of His earthly presence. These and other biographical details are presented in a series of books including Caitanya-Bhāgavata by Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, and Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī.
On the basis of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Vedānta-sūtras, Caitanya Mahāprabhu propagated the flawless philosophy of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva—the simultaneous difference and non-difference of the individual soul in relation to the Supreme Soul. He practiced and preached the path of spontaneous devotion to the Divine Couple, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and established the most sublime method of self-realization in the present age—the congregational chanting of the names of Kṛṣṇa.
Before His departure from this world, Caitanya Mahāprabhu composed the Śikṣāṣṭakam—a Sanskrit poem in which He expresses the zenith of devotional love and ecstasy attained through pure chanting of the holy names. The eight verses of the Śikṣāṣṭakam concisely present the theology of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism.
Śrīla Gurudeva was attracted by the descriptions of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, especially of His deep absorption in kṛṣṇa-bhajana and nāma-saṅkīrtana. Throughout his youth, he had met with many sādhus from the Rāmānuja-sampradāya and other Vaiṣṇava lineages, but he had never felt such an attraction as he did when he was introduced to the glories of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Consequently, he became eager to meet Mahāprabhu’s followers.
Gurudeva excelled in academics and always ranked first or second in his classes. The students and teachers respected him for his devotion and intelligence and he was always given a leading position in the school.
He was musically talented and had a melodic voice. He also studied Sanskrit and participated in Sanskrit debates.
Being a natural athlete, Gurudeva competed in school contests such as track, high jump, and long jump. He became captain of the track and field team and would tell the students, “When you are doing the high or long jump, pray to Śrī Hanumānjī; and if you are racing, pray to Garuḍajī. Then, you will surely come in first!” When Gurudeva led his team to district or state competitions, they addressed whomever they met, “Jaya Śrī Rāma! Jaya Hanumān!” And the people replied, “Jaya Śrī Rāma!” While running they shouted, “Jaya Śrī Rāma!” When they won events, the crowd cheered, “Jaya Śrī Rāma!” Śrīla Gurudeva’s team became district and state champions in various events. No one entered a race with Gurudeva unless he planned to compete for second place. His family was astonished and proud to see that their Nārāyaṇa Tiwārī was at the top of everything he did, whether in academics or athletics. He came first in anything he put his mind to and brought many gifts and prizes back to his parents.
After school, Gurudeva ran back to Tiwārīpura, ten kilometers away. All the work he did at home was done with speed and excellence. Before the evening meal, he would thresh rice with his father, and together they filled twenty-four bushels with grain in a single hour. While Gurudeva was studying at the Buxar High School, his father commented to the family, “This boy is a tej-puruṣa—a very fast man. He is always running. One day, he will keep running and running, never to return.”
Śrīla Gurudeva often spent time with his friends after school. They studied scripture and wrote articles together on religious subjects. They also swam together in the Gaṅgā. When the Gaṅgā flooded, Gurudeva’s friends dared him to swim across the raging river. Gurudeva would take up the challenge with bravado and easily swim back and forth across the swollen river.
The Mahāviri Jhanda Festival in honor of Hanumānjī once took place on the banks of the Gaṅgā near Tiwārīpura, in the village of Ahalyāvali. Sportsmen attended from all over Bihar to compete in athletic performances. Paṇḍita Tiwārī participated in the competitions and won various prizes. Śrīla Gurudeva attended the event with his father. There, he saw a large congregation of devotees dancing and singing the holy names:
“Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare/Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare.”
