The Cleansing of the Guṇḍichā Temple
The cleansing of the Guṇḍichā Temple is beautifully summarized by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadās Kavirāj Goswāmī in Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta. He writes, “Sri Gaurasundar swept and cleansed the Gundicha temple with His devotees, making it as cool and bright as His own Heart and a befitting sitting place for Sri Krishna.”
The Cleansing Process
Sriman Mahaprabhu, accompanied by hundreds of devotees, cleansed the temple using brooms, water pots, and His own cloth. The Lord swept in the ecstasy of prema while calling the Holy Name of Krishna. The devotees, following His example, also called out, ‘Krishna!’ as they engaged in their service.
The Lord’s Dedication
The body of the Lord became covered with dust and dirt, yet it was beautiful to behold. The Lord even cleansed some areas of the temple with His tears. He combined all the grass, dust, and sand into a pile, gathered it into His outer cloth, and threw it outside. Inspired by His actions, all the devotees also started throwing all the grass and dust outside using their own cloths.
Encouraging Devotion
The Lord encouraged the devotees by saying, “By seeing how much grass and dust you throw outside the temple, I will know how much you have labored and cleaned.” Despite the collective effort of all the devotees, the pile of dirt made by the Lord was greater, demonstrating His unmatched dedication.
Thorough Cleaning
The interiors of all the temple’s rooms were swept. Following this, the Lord again assigned all the devotees areas to clean. He instructed, “Throw out even finer bits of dust, grass, and sand and clean the Lord’s inner-room nicely.” After thoroughly inspecting the temple, Sriman Mahaprabhu became satisfied.
Water for Cleansing
When Sriman Mahaprabhu called, “Bring water!” a hundred devotees brought a hundred water pots and presented them before the Lord. The Lord and His devotees then rinsed the ceiling, walls, floor, altar, and everything within the temple. Sriman Mahaprabhu even mopped the rooms and polished the altar with His own cloth, making the temple spotlessly clean, cool, and pleasing.
Chanting the Holy Name
Everyone chanted the Holy Name of Hari as they filled water pots and cleaned the temple. The only sounds heard were ‘Krishna’ and ‘Hari’. Devotees communicated by chanting the Holy Name, making it the indicator of all desired ends. The Lord praised those who did well and benevolently chastised those who needed improvement, encouraging them to teach others to perform good work.
The Lord’s Satisfaction
After the temple was cleansed, the heart of Sriman Mahaprabhu became satisfied. He sat everyone down in two lines and spoke, “I will gather together everything everyone has collected and I will take pitha-pana (a type of cake and condensed-milk preparation) from whoever has collected the least.” In this way, the Lord cleansed the whole compound of the Gundicha temple, making it as cool and spotlessly clean as His own heart.
Moral of the Story
Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj commented on the importance of chanting the Lord’s Holy Name while engaged in practical service. For the transformation of the mind’s nature, cheto-darpana-marjanam, it is necessary to remember the Lord constantly. One who is able to do this will experience that transformation.
In the cleaning of the Gundicha Mandir, as described in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, everyone chants, “Krishna Krishna,” while working with their hands. Devotees perform many activities, but while doing their work, they always try to chant the Name of Krishna. Through their habit of chanting, their mood and mind transform.
Conclusion
The story of the cleansing of the Guṇḍichā Temple by Sriman Mahaprabhu and His devotees teaches the importance of purity, devotion, and constant remembrance of the Holy Name. It exemplifies how engaging in service while chanting the Holy Name can lead to the transformation of the heart and mind, making them as pure and pleasing as the cleansed temple.
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