daṇá¸a-bhaá¹…ga-lÄ«lÄ ei — parama gambhÄ«ra
sei bujhe, duá¹…hÄra pade yÄá¹…ra bhakti dhÄ«ra
daṇá¸a-bhaá¹…ga-lÄ«lÄ - the pastime of breaking the staff; ei - this; parama - very; gambhÄ«ra - grave; sei bujhe - one can understand; duá¹…hÄra - of both of Them; pade - to the lotus feet; yÄá¹…ra - whose; bhakti - devotional service; dhÄ«ra - fixed.
The pastime of the breaking of the staff is very deep. Only one whose devotion is fixed upon the lotus feet of the two Lords can understand it.
One who understands ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu and NityÄnanda Prabhu in reality can understand Their identity as well as the breaking of the staff. All the previous ÄcÄryas, being induced to engage themselves fully in the service of the Lord, gave up attachment for material life and thus accepted the staff, which signifies full engagement of the mind, speech and body in the service of the Lord. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu accepted the regulative principles of the renounced order of life. That is completely clear. However, in the paramahaá¹sa stage there is no need to accept a daṇá¸a (staff), and ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu was certainly in the paramahaá¹sa stage. Nonetheless, to indicate that everyone should take sannyÄsa at the end of life in order to engage fully in the service of the Lord, even paramahaá¹sas like ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu and His confidential devotees follow the regulative principles unfailingly. Indeed, that was His purpose. NityÄnanda Prabhu, who was His eternal servitor, believed that there was no need for ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu to carry the staff, and to declare to the world that ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu was above all regulations, He broke it into three pieces. The pastime known as daṇá¸a-bhaá¹…ga-lÄ«lÄ is thus explained by ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura.
