SRI SITA THAKURANI

Sri Sita Thakurani, like Sri Sacimata is the eternally worshippable mother of the universe. She was always intensely absorbed in parental affection for Sri Gaurasundara, and she used to give friendly advice to Sacimata and Jagannath Misra as to how they should raise their son, Nimai.

Sri Sita Thakurani is the incarnation of yoga-maya, Bhagavati Paurnamasi. Her other expansion (prakash murti) is her sister, Sri. [Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika]

Sita Thakurani gave the name "Nimai" to the child with the idea in mind that witches and female sorcerers would not be able to harm Him. The neem tree is highly antiseptic and evil spirits cannot go near it, so also, with the name "Nimai", evil spirits will not be able to go near such a person with this name.

In this connection Sitadevi was completely absorbed in parental affection. In comparison to the mellows of devotional love, the opulences, strength, etc. of Bhagavan have to admit defeat. In fact, by this affection, in which one forgets the supreme position of the Lord and considers Him to be an ordinary human, the Lord obtains great satisfaction. [C. C. Adi 13.111]

At this time Sita Thakurani spent a few days at Mayapur and gave various instructions to Jagannath Misra and Sacidevi regarding the upbringing of the child. Jagannath Misra and Sacimata in turn presented valuable cloths and other fineries to Sita devi during the birth festival of their son.

Besides his house at Santipur, Advaita Acarya also had another house at Sridham Mayapur. After the birth of Sri Gaurasundara he and Sita Thakurani began to spend most of their time at Mayapur. Sri Saci devi always remained very reverential towards Sitadevi. They were extremely close friends and Sita Thakurani would come everyday to Jagannath Misra's house to check on the child. As Nimai began to grow up, He increased the pleasure of the devotees, like the waxing moon in the sky increases our happiness by its cooling effect.

A few years later when Jagannath Misra's oldest son (Visvarupa) suddenly took sannyasa and left home, Jagannath and Sacidevi, as well as Nimai, were very aggreived. At that time Sri Advaita Acarya and Sita devi would especially try to console them and look after Nimai.

When Sri Gaurasundara returned from Gaya-dhama in a god-intoxicated state and began to reveal his true self, Advaita Acarya and Sita Thakurani came from Santipur and were the first ones to offer worship at His lotus feet.

One day, Saci-kumar, smiling very sweetly, entered the courtyard of Advaita's temple and sat down. Nityananda was present with Him and Advaita Acarya also sat down to join them. Then the three of them very happily decided to hold a sankirtan festival. Hearing their conversation Sita Thakurani felt great bliss and coming out of the house she very enthusiastically suggested to Sacinandana how she could assist in the preparations. Seeing her enthusiasm, the ecstatic bliss of Sri Gaurasundara increased that much more and He told her, "Thakurani, please invite many Vaisnavas to your house. Those who are singers and those who can expertly play the mrdanga and other instruments; each one should be respectfully invited to come here for a sankirtan festival."

Then when Sri Gaurasundara started in the direction of Vrindavan, after taking sannyasa, Sita Thakurani, like Sacimata herself, was extremely afflicted and having fallen down on the earth, remained there for four days as though almost dead. Bhakti-vatsala, Sri Gaurasundara, being bound by his devotees' love, was not able to go to Vrindavan, and instead came to Santipur. Sita Thakurani and Advaita Acarya having gotten to see him again also got back their life. Then Sita devi cooked for and fed Mahaprabhu who had also been fasting for a few days.

Having spoken to her about this, Sri Gaura Ray instructed everyone to extend invitations to all the Vaisnavas. Then he told them to bring mrdanga and kartals and with the oil of aguru and sandalwood paste, to establish a sacred water pot. [This is a process whereby; performing some puja, the presence of a sacred divinity is invoked and established within the water pot.] He instructed how the place where the kirtan would be held, should be carefully cleansed and decorated with banana trees and flower garlands. He then explained how, in the evening, with flower garlands, sandalwood paste, betel nuts, ghee, honey and yoghurt, the invocation ceremony should be performed.

Hearing these nectarean instructions of Mahaprabhu, everyone felt great joy and they immediately began to bring the auspicious articles by which the whole area became perfumed with a pleasant fragrance and sweet scent. Then, the heavens resounding with the transcendental sound vibration of "Hari! Hari!" the kirtan began. Paramesvar thus concludes his description of the sankirtan festival performed at the house of Advaita Acarya; himself floating in the bliss of those ecstatic mellows. [Sri Pada-kalpataru]

Three sons took birth from the womb of Sita Thakurani - Acyutananda, Krsna Misra and Gopala Misra. They were all followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sita Thakurani's father's name was Nrsimha Bhaduri. She had a sister, Sri, who was also married to Advaita Acarya. [B. R. 12.1785]

She cooked many preparations for Mahaprabhu, and when all the devotees were in Puri for Rathayatra, Mahaprabhu would be invited to accept His lunch. He accepted their loving offerings as though one charmed by mantra. She was always very affectionate to Mahaprabhu and treated Him like her own son. Mahaprabhu as well saw her as non-different than his own mother and treated her with the same devotion.