'vÄcaspati-gá¹›he' prabhu yemate rahilÄ
loka-bhiá¸a bhaye yaiche 'kuliyÄ' ÄilÄ

 vÄcaspati-gá¹›he - at the house of VidyÄ-vÄcaspati; prabhu - the Lord; yemate - as; rahilÄ - stayed there for some time; loka-bhiá¸a bhaye - due to fear of crowds of people; yaiche - just as; kuliyÄ ÄilÄ - He came to KuliyÄ, the present city of NavadvÄ«pa.


Text

The Lord remained some time at the house of VidyÄ-vÄcaspati, but then, because it was too crowded, He went to KuliyÄ.

Purport

The house of VidyÄ-vÄcaspati was located at VidyÄnagara, which was near KoladvÄ«pa, or KuliyÄ. It was here that DevÄnanda Paṇá¸ita was residing. This information is found in the Caitanya-bhÄgavata (Madhya-khaṇá¸a, chapter twenty-one). In the Caitanya-candrodaya-nÄá¹­aka, the following statement is given about KuliyÄ. Tataḥ kumÄrahaá¹­á¹­e Å›rÄ«vÄsa-paṇá¸ita-vÄá¹­yÄm abhyÄyayau: “From there the Lord went to the house of ÅšrÄ«vÄsa Paṇá¸ita in KumÄrahaá¹­á¹­aâ€; tato ’dvaita-vÄá¹­Ä«m abhyetya haridÄsenÄbhivanditas tathaiva taraṇī-vartmanÄ navadvÄ«pasya pÄre kuliyÄ-nÄma-grÄme mÄdhava-dÄsa-vÄá¹­yÄm uttÄ«rṇavÄn. evaá¹ sapta-dinÄni tatra sthitvÄ punas taá¹­a-vartmanÄ eva calitavÄn: “From the house of ÅšrÄ«vÄsa Ä€cÄrya, the Lord went to the house of Advaita Ä€cÄrya, where He was offered obeisances by HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura. The Lord then took a boat to the other side of NavadvÄ«pa, to a place called KuliyÄ, where He stayed seven days at the house of MÄdhava dÄsa. He then proceeded along the banks of the Ganges.â€

In the ÅšrÄ« Caitanya-carita-mahÄ-kÄvya, it is stated, anye-dyuḥ sa Å›rÄ«-navadvÄ«pa-bhÅ«meḥ pÄre gaá¹…gÄá¹ paÅ›cime kvÄpi deÅ›e, Å›rÄ«mÄn sarva-prÄṇinÄá¹ tat-tad-aá¹…gair netrÄnandaá¹ samyag Ägatya tene: “The Lord went to the western side of the Ganges at NavadvÄ«pa, and everyone was pleased to see the Lord coming.â€

In the Caitanya-bhÄgavata (Antya-khaṇá¸a, chapter three), it is stated, sarva-pÄriá¹£ada-saá¹…ge Å›rÄ«-gaurasundara/ Äcambite Äsi’ uttarilÄ tÄá¹…ra ghara: “The Lord suddenly came to VidyÄnagara with a full party and stayed there in the house of VidyÄ-vÄcaspati.†NavadvÄ«pÄdi sarva-dike haila dhvani: “Thus throughout NavadvÄ«pa, the Lord’s arrival was made known.†VÄcaspati-ghare ÄilÄ nyÄsi-cÅ«á¸Ämaṇi: “Thus the chief of all the sannyÄsÄ«s, ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu, arrived at the house of VidyÄ-vÄcaspati.†As further stated:

ananta arbuda loka bali’ ‘hari’ ‘hari’
calilena dekhibÄre gaurÄá¹…ga Å›rÄ«-hari
patha nÄhi pÄya keho lokera gahale
vanaá¸Äla bhÄá¹…gi’ loka daÅ›a-dike cale
lokera gahale yata araṇya Ächila
kṣaṇeke sakala divya pathamaya haila
ká¹£aṇeke Äila saba loka kheyÄ-ghÄá¹­e
kheyÄrÄ« karite pÄra paá¸ila saá¹…kaá¹­e
satvare ÄsilÄ vÄcaspati mahÄÅ›aya
karilena aneka naukÄra samuccaya
naukÄra apeká¹£Ä Ära keho nÄhi kare
nÄnÄ mate pÄra haya ye yemate pÄre
hena-mate gaá¹…gÄ pÄra ha-i’ sarva-jana
sabhei dharena vÄcaspatira caraṇa
lukÄÃ±Ä gelÄ prabhu kuliyÄ-nagara
kuliyÄya Äilena vaikuṇṭha-Ä«Å›vara
sarva-loka ‘hari’ bali’ vÄcaspati-saá¹…ge
sei-ká¹£aṇe sabhe calilena mahÄ-raá¹…ge
kuliyÄ-nagare Äilena nyÄsi-maṇi
sei-ká¹£aṇe sarva-dike haila mahÄ-dhvani
sabe gaá¹…gÄ madhye nadÄ«yÄya-kuliyÄya
Å›uni’ mÄtra sarva-loke mahÄnande dhÄya
vÄcaspatira grÄme (vidyÄnagare) chila yateka gahala
tÄra koá¹­i koá¹­i-guṇe pÅ«rila sakala
laká¹£a laká¹£a naukÄ vÄ Äila kothÄ haite
nÄ jÄni kateka pÄra haya kata-mate
laká¹£a laká¹£a loka bhÄse jÄhnavÄ«ra jale
sabhe pÄra hayena parama kutÅ«hale
gaá¹…gÄya haÃ±Ä pÄra ÄpanÄ-Äpani
kolÄkoli kari’ sabhe kare hari-dhvani
ká¹£aṇeke kuliyÄ-grÄma — nagara prÄntara
paripÅ«rṇa haila sthala, nÄhi avasara
ká¹£aṇeke ÄilÄ mahÄÅ›aya vÄcaspati
teá¹…ho nÄhi pÄyena prabhura kothÄ sthiti
kuliyÄya prakÄÅ›e yateka pÄpÄ« chila
uttama, madhyama, nÄ«ca, — sabe pÄra haila
kuliyÄ-grÄmete Äsi’ Å›rÄ«-kṛṣṇa-caitanya
hena nÄhi, yÄre prabhu nÄ karilÄ dhanya

“When ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu stayed at VidyÄ-vÄcaspati’s house, many hundreds of thousands of people went to see Him and chant the holy name of Hari. It was so crowded that people could not even find a place to walk; therefore they made room by clearing out the jungles near the village. Many roads were automatically excavated, and many people also came by boat to see the Lord. So many came that it was difficult for the boatmen to get them across the river. When VidyÄ-vÄcaspati suddenly arrived, he made arrangements for many boats to receive these people, but the people would not wait for the boats. Somehow or other they crossed the river and hurried toward the house of VidyÄ-vÄcaspati. Due to this great crowd, ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu secretly went to KuliyÄ-nagara. After the Lord left VidyÄnagara, however, all the people heard news of His leaving. They then accompanied VÄcaspati to KuliyÄ-nagara. Since the news of the Lord’s arrival was immediately broadcast, large crowds arrived and greeted ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu with great jubilation. Indeed, when the crowd went to see ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu, it increased ten thousand times in number. No one could say how many people crossed the river to see Him, but many hundreds of thousands made a great tumult when crossing the river Ganges. After crossing the river, everyone began to embrace one another because they heard the good news of ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu’s arrival. Thus all the inhabitants of KuliyÄ â€” the sinful, intermediate and spiritually advanced — were delivered and glorified by ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu.â€

As stated in the Caitanya-bhÄgavata (Antya-khaṇá¸a, chapter six):

khÄnÄyoá¸Ä, baá¸agÄchi, Ära dogÄchiyÄ
gaá¹…gÄra opÄra kabhu yÄyena ‘kuliyÄ’

“ŚrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu passed through KhÄnÄyoá¸Ä, Baá¸agÄchi and DogÄchiyÄ and then crossed the Ganges before arriving in KuliyÄ.â€

As stated in the Caitanya-maá¹…gala:

gaá¹…gÄ-snÄna kari prabhu rÄá¸ha-deÅ›a diyÄ
krame krame uttarilÄ nagara ‘kuliyÄ’
mÄyera vacane punaḥ gelÄ navadvÄ«pa
vÄrakoṇÄ-ghÄá¹­a, nija vÄá¸Ä«ra samÄ«pa

“ŚrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu walked through RÄá¸ha-deÅ›a and gradually arrived at the Ganges. After bathing in the river, he crossed it and went to KuliyÄ. Because He had promised His mother He would return to NavadvÄ«pa, He went to VÄrakoṇÄ-ghÄá¹­a, a village near His house.â€

In the commentary of PremadÄsa it is said:

nadÄ«yÄra mÄjhakhÄne, sakala lokete
jÄne, ‘kuliyÄ-pÄhÄá¸apura’ nÄme sthÄna

“Everyone knows that in the middle of Nadia is a village named KuliyÄ-pÄhÄá¸apura.â€

ÅšrÄ« Narahari CakravartÄ«, or GhanaÅ›yÄma dÄsa, has written in his Bhakti-ratnÄkara:

kuliyÄ pÄhÄá¸apura dekha Å›rÄ«nivÄsa
pÅ«rve ‘koladvÄ«pa’-parvatÄkhya — e pracÄra

“He said, ‘O ÅšrÄ«nivÄsa, just see the town of KuliyÄ-pÄhÄá¸apura, which was previously known as KoladvÄ«pa.’ â€

In a book named NavadvÄ«pa-dhÄma-parikramÄ, also written by GhanaÅ›yÄma dÄsa, it is stated: kuliyÄ-pÄhÄá¸apura grÄma pÅ«rve koladvÄ«pa-parvatÄkhyÄnanda nÄma. “The town of KuliyÄ-pÄhÄá¸apura was previously named KoladvÄ«pa-parvatÄkhyÄnanda.â€

Therefore one can conclude that the present-day city of NavadvÄ«pa and the places known as BÄhiradvÄ«pa, Kolera Gañja, Kola-ÄmÄda, Kolera Daha, GadakhÄli, etc., were known as KuliyÄ, but the so-called KuliyÄra PÄá¹­a is not the original KuliyÄ.