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Question: From a young age Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed many pastimes with His mother Śacī Mata and father Jagannātha Miśra. As young people, what can we learn from this with regard to keeping a close relationship with our parents

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Jayapatākā Swami: You see, of course Lord Caitanya spent 48 years on this planet. 24 years He was a householder with His parents and 24 years as a sannyāsī. So I am just reading now how Lord Caitanya after a number of years, He came on the way to Vṛndāvana, he went through Bengal and Mother Śacī, His mother, she came to see Him at Advaita Ācārya’s house. And He circumambulated His mother, He paid obeisances to her, He praised her that she is non-different from Yaśodā, or Devakī, Devahūti, Kauśalyā and other mothers of Kṛṣṇa avatāras. So, He said that even if one is a servant of a servant of a servant a million times removed, from Mother Śacī, just by their connection with Mother Śacī, they would be very dear to Lord Caitanya. He will bless them, from there they will get pure love of Kṛṣṇa. So Mother Śacī is not an ordinary mother. She was like the incarnation of Yaśodā, Devakī. She had such love for Lord Caitanya and after receiving all these praises, praṇāmas, circumambulation, what did she want to do? She wanted to cook! She wanted to cook for Lord Caitanya! So, what we can learn is that by being devotees we can bring good fortune to our parents. We would like to appreciate our parents, for all the work they have, for all the service they have done for us. So like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he also preached to his father. His father did not appreciate that because he was a demon. We hope that the parents of the devotees are not like Hiraṇyakaśipu and they will appreciate and offer their good wishes to their children. Especially, if they become gṛhasthas they should perform sraadha when our parents leave their body. Son or daughter who helps the parents be delivered from hellish conditions are called putras or putris. So we can learn from Lord Caitanya how He appreciated His parents at the same time, His priority was to serve Kṛṣṇa.
27-June-2021 Sridham Mayapur, India